Raag almost danced through his chores the next morning. Albeit his shoulder was still tender, it was nothing compared to the pain he had endured the night before. To his delight, it seemed as if everyone had learned how to speak Mongol from the visiting merchant that came before them. AND he had a new friend. A friend that was a healer. This Camelot was truly a wonderful place.
The teenager sat with Merlin and watched the maids in the kitchen with interest. Perhaps with more interest than he should have. They were all beautiful, with their long necks and lithe bodies. Raag sat on the bench against the wall trying to stay out of their way, admiring them. "Listen to them laugh," he said in wonderment as he leaned closer resting his head on his arms across the table, "it sounds like the tinkling of bells."
"Unless they're laughing at you." Merlin quipped. "Then it sounds like feeding seagulls." He regarded the young lad. "You seem to be taking quite an interest, it's almost like you've never seen a girl before."
"I grew up with a caravan full of men," Raag revealed sitting back up and striking a more 'what do I care about girls' pose, "who revelled in swapping stories of battles they had won, and women they had taken, willingly or otherwise. And then when they tired of that, they would take off their shirts to compare their battle scars," he laughed, whole-heartedly, "and end up passed out half naked, dangerously close to the dying campfire."
"The mulled wine is ready." Willow, the cook stated as she slammed two jugs unceremoniously onto the table. Merlin quickly wiped the spill, and placed them on a large platter, deftly making an arrangement with different coloured grapes and fruits, to present in the dining room.
"I'll take these," he told the boy, "You wait for the meats, and bring them along as soon as they're ready."
Raag nodded and turned back to watch Willow, who was anything but, berate her assistant trying to cut vegetables for the garnish. He sighed, letting his thoughts drift.
The only woman he could remember was his mother... Raag pushed her memory from his mind as he always did. Ever since Holun had snatched him from the woods where he was picking flowers for her birthday, and told him that she no longer wanted him any more. That his parents had sold him to the Mongol to serve him, to shine his boots and take care of his animals. 'Good riddance', they told him as they pocketed the money, he would relate with a smirk. Eight-year old Raag didn't blame her, but his broken heart couldn't stop him from calling out for her in the middle of the night, only to be beaten and kicked for disturbing the Master's sleep. Eventually, the memory of her faded, as he was forced to accept his new life.
So he found solace in the animals. They were his family, now. Kendo was his big brother, there to protect him from the others in the camp. Except Holun. He was his master's dog, after all. But woe be to any of the others should they lay a hand on him, or utter an angry word towards the boy, or trip him for fun as he scurried about fulfilling his Master's needs. Kendo would let Raag hug him tightly while he was chained at the foot of the bed at night until he could barely breathe, but the dog never let out a whimper, enduring the embrace until the boy fell asleep, and his grip loosened. And only then would the dog sleep.
Holun had taken the dog with him that morning as he met with the Prince to negotiate his wares. He allowed the boy his friendship with the dog if it kept the child quiet at night, but during the day, the large, intimidating animal was part of his identity. It extended his fearsome character, and reinforced his power. Many a bargaining opponent had backed down when the dog lurched forward, sensing an unwelcome challenge to his Master.
As Raag waited in the kitchen, he was entertained by the gossip the women were engaged in. They had forgotten the boy was there, and freely dispensed their opinion of everyone in the castle, especially one named Gwen, whom some viewed as a harlot, whilst others revered as a saint. They gushed over the Knights of the Round Table, evaluating all their attributes, romanticizing their suitability as husbands, and most surprisingly to Raag, imagining their skill as lovers.
The talk that day was focused on the celebration in the courtyard that afternoon. It was the feast of the harvest, and a parade was scheduled, complete with trumpets and dancers. Raag looked up as a girl, a self-proclaimed dancer, not much older than he, began to sway and turn, somewhat gracefully, like a biblical seductress in front of him. She smiled as she picked up the platter, holding it high above her head, and beckoned to him.
"Stop teasing the boy, Mairi." One of the cooks chastised, waiving a spatula at them. "He can't understand you, anyways."
Mairi handed the platter to a confused Raag, who wondered why he wouldn't understand them, they were speaking Mongol, after all... "I'm sure the boy can understand this..." she cooed, as she brazenly loosened the strings on the front of her blouse revealing a little more than she should. Raag could hear the tinkling of her laughter chasing him as he ran out of the kitchen. He put the strange actions of the girl out of his mind, focusing instead on delivering his master's lunch to him before his hunger made him even more ornery.
(...)
When the afternoon meal had concluded, Raag dutifully followed his Master as he left the dining hall. "Master..." he said, barely above a whisper, almost afraid he would hear him.
Holun was in an uncharacteristically good mood. The negotiations were going fairly well, and he had eaten a particularly delicious lunch, so he was willing to let the 'not to speak unless spoken to' rule slide just this once. "What is it, boy?" He inquired gruffly.
"I was wondering..." Raag started, feebly.
"Speak up, boy." Holun was beginning to lose patience.
"I was wondering if you will allow me to go for a walk in the courtyard today." Raag said quickly, before he lost all his nerve. "I've finished all my work, and I heard that there is going to be a parade..." He almost bumped into his Master as he stopped abruptly to regard him.
"So you finished all your tasks, then?"
Raag looked up at the hulking man his eyes wide, and nodded. His heart caught in his throat.
"All of them?"
Raag nodded again, hoping against all hope. Perhaps this time...
"Then, clearly I have not given you enough work to do." Holun smirked as he turned back around and continued on his way. "Go shovel out the horses' stalls boy, I'm going to take a nap before supper time." He threw over his shoulder to the disappointed lad.
Kendo wafted between the boy and his Master unsure of who to follow, until Holun called his name. Raag sighed as he watched his best friend pad down the hallway and away from him.
Holding back the tears stinging his eyes, the teenager ran as fast as he could to the stables, where Altani stood, waiting. If Kendo was his brother, Altani was his sister. The black mare shook her head with recognition as Raag came up to her and stroked her nose. He always felt better whenever he petted her, as if the horse had some sort of magical healing power. Raag reached into his pocket, and brought out the apple Merlin had given him the night before, taking one final bite of the sweet fruit before feeding the rest to her. The horse chewed the apple loudly, nodding in appreciation.
"Do you know what I saw today?" He asked the animal as he stroked her. "The King had a robe, and it was soft..." he elaborated, feeling a need to explain the details to the horse, "I brushed up against it on purpose when I stood beside him, waiting on our Master. I know I shouldn't have, but it was made of a material I've never seen before." He petted her nose again. "It was so soft, like you, Altani!" The boy laughed, "Maybe it was made of horse noses!" Altani stomped her foot, as if in protest. "No, I'm sure it wasn't made of horse noses. Don't worry," He whispered in her ear, "and even if it was, I wouldn't let them do that to you."
Raag looked up as the sound of drums drifted in from the courtyard, and trumpets began to sound. He hesitated for a moment, torn, and moved over to the barn door, wondering if he would be able to see anything from there. Altani whinnied, but even her consternation couldn't stop him. "I'll only be a few minutes." He assured the horse. Mesmerized, he left the stable and walked quickly down the street toward the music.
The courtyard was easy to find. Raag found himself being carried along by the sea of people heading toward the festivities. Stopping just on the outskirts, he watched, fascinated, as trumpeters took their place on a podium and dancers performed, trailing ribbons behind them that floated in the air. He took a deep breath. Something smelled delicious. Like sweet... he wasn't sure what. Soon, the lamps around the square began to grow brighter, and he realized it was because it had begun to get dark. Time to go. Dodging the people heading in the opposite direction carrying colourful lights he made his way back to the stables. Strange, he thought to himself, I don't remember lighting a lantern before I left.
As he reached the doors, a familiar bark greeted him, and the metallic taste of fear sprang into his mouth when Holun stepped out from the shadow. In his hand he held the riding crop.
(...)
Merlin hadn't seen his new friend all evening. Not even when they served supper. One of the pages from the castle had to serve Raag's Master. Concerned, Merlin made his way to their quarters after Holun left for the tavern. He didn't have a chance to raise his arm to knock this time. The sound of crying coming from the room was unmistakeable. Merlin stole into the room. There was a quiet growl, but in the darkness, he could see Kendo's tail wagging slightly.
Merlin made his way to Raag, who struggled to sit up. Before he could utter a word, Raag howled in pain as Merlin inadvertently gripped his back, trying to be helpful. Looking down, he saw that Raag's vest had been removed, and his billowing shirt was made even more so by a large rip spreading down the back. Under the shirt were several raw wounds. Ravaged with so much pain, Raag couldn't speak. Merlin opened the jar he brought and lathered the ointment onto the lad's back. "This might hurt, it wasn't made for open wounds." He warned.
Raag felt an overwhelming warmth cover his back. The medicine stung a bit, but to his relief, it dulled the sharp pain that had possessed him all evening. Merlin, not wanting to tear the shirt any more than it was, began to pull it over the boy's head. "NO!" Raag cried out, too late.
Merlin stopped tugging at the shirt midway, and gasped. He immediately turned about and stared into space, speechless. "You're a GIRL!" He was finally able to whisper.
Raag clutched the shirt about her. "Please don't tell my Master." She begged. "Please, he can't find out, please!"
"He doesn't know?"
"I was only eight years old when he bought me from my parents." Sobbing, she explained, "He's always thought of me as a boy. If I am to survive, you can't let him know," she implored, fearfully, "I've seen what he does to women." Lowering her voice, she whispered, "what they all do to women."
The shock over, Merlin was finally able to face her, "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." He assured her, "But it will only be a matter of time before he notices."
"I know. I grow every day." Kendo whined and nudged her. "I try to keep my head down and not cause trouble." Hugging the dog gave Raag strength, "What happened today was a mistake. I just wanted to see the parade..." a tear fell as the joy of the festival was replaced by the memory of inescapable pain. She continued resolutely. "It won't happen again."
"You can't be sure of that."
Resigning herself to her fate she bemoaned, "What else can I do?"
"I don't know," Merlin admitted. His heart went out to her. He had wanted to help her when he thought Raag was a boy, but now that he knew the truth... it was different now. More dire. He couldn't leave a defenceless girl in the clutches of such a cruel Master. "I'll think of something." He promised her, even though he had no plan.
(...)
Merlin spent the next morning wondering.
Wondering what would happen if the girl was found out.
Wondering if he should tell Arthur.
Wondering what, if anything Arthur could do if he did tell him.
Wondering what would happen if he stole her into the night.
Wondering what the hell he would do with her.
Arthur couldn't help but notice his manservant was otherwise preoccupied. "Merlin." He noted with disdain, "my armour goes OVER my clothes."
Merlin realized he was holding out Arthur's breastplate while the Prince was still shirtless. "Oh, right, sorry." Was all he could say, as he put the armour down and scrambled to find clothing.
Arthur sighed impatiently. "If I docked you for every stupid mistake you made, you would owe me for the privilege of working here."
"Speaking of which, I thought slavery wasn't allowed in Camelot... Not that the way I'm treated is much different..." He muttered under his breath.
"What?" Arthur snapped.
"Nothing... I was just wondering how Holun was allowed to keep a slave here."
"I'm not about to confiscate his slave, Merlin." Arthur said with contempt as Merlin pulled his shirt over his head. "Clearly, it's part of his culture, and will be tolerated until he leaves."
"Even if he mistreats her... HIM?" He corrected himself quickly.
"I know it's not right," Arthur sighed, "but even if I was able to stop him from abusing the boy, it'll just continue the moment he leaves Camelot." He shrugged, "Perhaps worse, out of spite."
Well, that was a waste of time, Merlin mused as he finished dressing the Prince.
...
"Gwen..." he started as he sat in the kitchen, "if you saw a wrong you needed to right, would you do it?"
Guinevere regarded Merlin's bright blue eyes suspiciously as he looked up at her almost innocently from the kitchen table. What does he want from me this time? Something was always afoot when he looked at her like that. "If it was truly a wrong that needed attention," She said, cautiously, "and not just the fact that you need more marmalade on your toast."
Merlin glanced at his breakfast, such as it was. True... more marmalade would be nice... Forcing himself back to the matter at hand, he picked a grape from the cluster in front of him. "Even if it was illegal?" He popped the grape into his mouth casually as he waited for her reply.
Gwen took a deep breath, stalling as she contemplated his question. "If it was truly wrong." She reiterated.
"Then I have a story for you..." Merlin beckoned to her to sit beside him on the bench as he related the tale of the past two days.
...
Gwen listened to the amazing story, and when it ended, she stared at him, her eyes as big as saucers. "He was a GIRL?" Merlin looked around, quickly, making sure no one heard her as he made a shushing sound. "Where is she now?" She whispered.
"Back at work, I suppose." He said, nonchalantly. Unable to contain himself, he leaned forward and continued, "So? Will you help me?"
"Of course! But what can I do?"
Merlin smiled. "First, we'll need a change of clothes..."
