Merlin got to the laundry just in time. "Hello, I've brought Arthur's clothes." He said.
The women turned to him and one came to take it from him but was stopped by another. "Stop, that's Arthur's manservant." One whispered.
"Oh… he's the one?" The servant asked surprised and released a laugh. "So you're the one prince Arthur's using?" Merlin flinched and tried to put the basket down to walk away but another two of the servants were already there, stopping his escape.
"Such a waste, you were a pretty good catch too. You would have made a serving girl a lovely husband one day." An older servant said.
"Who's going to want him now? After he's been sodomised by the prince himself?" Another said and they burst out laughing.
"Don't you dare talk about the prince that way!" Merlin yelled.
"You're nothing more than a toy to satisfy him. We all know where you'll be headed when the prince eventually marries." Another one of the girls said, shoving him with surprising strength.
Merlin tried to escape by walking around them but they didn't let him. "Maybe he doesn't know, he wasn't born a servant after all." Another said.
"Please get out of my way." Merlin said.
"Do you know, what happens to such servants afterwards? They get thrown out in the streets. No nobleman will hire you after that…"
"The only place for you is the brothel. A delicate thing like you would fetch a hefty price for whatever perverted brute decides to take you." Said another and two of them made lewd sounds in mocking that made Merlin turn bright red, unable to believe that these women were tearing him down so viciously.
"I'll pick up the prince's clothes in the morning." Merlin managed to say, pushing through them and getting out of there as quick as he could.
Those women didn't know what they were saying. They didn't! How dare they talk about Arthur like that? Like he were nothing more than a monster that would throw him out like nothing? Arthur understands neither of them ever wanted any of this.
But their words hurt so much. It's what people now thought of him and that hurt more than Merlin expected.
He sobbed and stopped walking, staying in the shadows as he tried to stop the tears that followed.
Morgana turned the corner and froze seeing Merlin. Merlin turned his back to her, rushing to dry his tears. "Oh, my Lady, I didn't see you there."
"Merlin…" She said and grabbed his chin, making him look down at her. "I'm so sorry for what Uther's done to you." She said softly.
"It's not your fault, Morgana." Merlin said softly.
"Come… you can wash your face in my chambers, I've got some sugared apples in my room that you can help me finish." She smiled. Merlin found himself smiling back.
"That's not necessary, my lady."
"I insist." She said, pulling him along to her chambers. Gwen was there who looked at him surprised. Merlin wiped his face to make sure the tears were all gone. "Gwen, dear, please get Merlin some of those apples the cook made for me today."
"Of course, my lady. Merlin, are you alright?" Gwen asked. Merlin wished he could retreat once more. "Sorry… stupid question." She whispered looking down. "I'll get you some apples." She smiled.
oOoOoOo
Merlin returned to Arthur's rooms late that night. He wasn't even sure if he should have come. Without the guards, did Arthur want him here? But who knows if Uther had other ways of spying on them. Or maybe he lied and the guards would come by later on to listen? Now he was being paranoid but he wouldn't put it past Uther.
Surprisingly, Arthur was still up, staring at the light of a candle as he looked like he was working on a letter.
Merlin came closer. He stopped when Arthur noticed him. "What's that?" Merlin asked, taking it as a good sign that Arthur hadn't kicked him out yet.
Arthur stared at the letter and shook his head. "Nothing." He said, scrunching up the paper into a ball and throwing it in the fireplace.
Merlin frowned. "What's wrong?" He asked.
"Isn't obvious?" Arthur asked.
"Not really, sire."
"Stop calling me that." Arthur said. Melrin gulped as Arthur glared at him. "You're the one always prattling about how we're friends." Merlin's eyes widened a little, smiling at him.
"Whatever my prince commands, Arthur." He said with a mock bow and the corner of Arthur's lips seemed to twitch upward before he finally let out a relaxed smile.
"How can you be like this after all that's happened?" Arthur asked.
"You just admitted we're friends. Nothing could ever overshadow that!" Merlin said brightly. He didn't miss the glimpse of embarrassment on Arthur's eyes as he broke eye-contact.
"Honestly, you never hesitate to speak your mind up despite your station." Arthur said, but he didn't mean it in reproach.
Merlin leaned forward with that smirk that would either infuriate, or greatly amuse Arthur. "Do you have any idea how big your head would get if I let you believe you're the sun on the earth?" Merlin asked.
"And yet you won't tell me the truth when I'm hurting you." Arthur said pointing to the bed. Merlin became flustered and looked away.
"It's not about me, Arthur." Merlin said.
"Why not?" Arthur challenged.
"I'm just a servant." Merlin said.
"If you were just a servant, you wouldn't talk back to me, or challenge my decisions or be so absolutely useless at serving." Arthur said. "So why are you so intent on serving me like this?" Arthur looked at the bed again and Merlin moved away.
"You think I wanted this?"
"Of course not! No man would but… you did it anyway." Arthur said. "I'm just trying to understand."
"I did it because I know someday you will be a great king that will bring peace to the land and make Camelot the greatest kingdom ever known. There will never be another like you, Arthur, and I intend to be here, by your side, to see that happen." Merlin said, speaking with the utmost faith he had in the prophecy that the dragon told him. "If… I said nothing… it's because… I'm not meant to enjoy any of it." Merlin looked away. "There's something you should know. I'm sorry… but Gwen knows, I tried to pretend you hadn't actually done anything but… she knew."
Arthur stared at Merlin and then looked away. "Of course she knows… father would never lie about something like that… who else knows?" Arthur asked.
Merlin scoffed looking away. "Half the palace staff knows… I think the guards may have told others." He said. Arthur stood and Merlin stepped back.
"How do you know that they know?" Merlin shook his head.
"It doesn't matter." He said.
"You will tell me, Merlin!" Arthur reached to grab his shoulder and Merlin groaned in pain. Arthur pulled his hand back looking at him shocked. "What on earth was that? I barely touched you!" Arthur said.
"It's nothing." Merlin insisted. Arthur didn't accept that answer. With a strength Merlin was slowly getting to know on a personal level, Arthur grabbed his hips to turn and hold him against the desk. It took Arthur less than Merlin expected to pull off his shirt and toss it to the side.
Arthur seemed to freeze as he looked at his shoulder. "Have you even seen this?"
"I haven't had time." Merlin said.
"So it just happened?" Arthur demanded, eyes narrowing. "Who was it?"
"What does it matter? He's not the only one to be cruel and he won't be the last." Merlin said.
Arthur stared at him and then looked away, a hint of shame in his eyes. "Because of me." Arthur said.
"No, idiot. All because of your father so let's just forget about it." Merlin said. "Let's just go to bed." Merlin felt so tired already. Arthur took his hand and they walked to the bed.
Oh. This wasn't what Merlin meant but he tried to gather what energy he could to put up with Arthur's needs.
Arthur also removed his shirt and they got into bed. Merlin waited to see what Arthur would do, but other than pull a pillow under his chest and curl up for sleep, he didn't do anything.
"No one has the right to hurt my servant, Merlin. I hope you realise that." Arthur said with his eyes closed. Merlin pulled a pillow of his own under his chest, facing Arthur. He felt flattered that Arthur would say something so protective of Merlin and smiled softly when he realised that tonight Arthur didn't want him to serve him in bed other than literally warming it up with his heat.
"Thank you, Arthur." Merlin said softly, his eyes dropping shut almost of their own accord. He was so tired that sleep came for him rather quickly. His magic hummed pleasantly, sending him to sleep.
oOoOoOo
Arthur frowned in his sleep as the flicker of a candle or two woke him up. He thought they would have burned down by now. He opened his eyes and what he thought was candlelight, turned out to be small orbs of light hovering all above them. The source?
Merlin.
Merlin was still curled up under the blankets beside him, his face in a peaceful expression, looking more relaxed than Arthur had ever seen him. The magical lights would float up from the palm of his hand, which was half open. The faintest of glows came from Merlin's skin. It would probably have been unnoticeable in daylight, but in the dark of the night it was there for all to see.
Terror pierced Arthur's heart as he stared at the sorcerer in his bed. He reached under his pillows, his hand grabbing hold of the dagger he kept there for protection. His vision tunnelled and all he could think about was killing the sorcerer before it harmed Camelot. He raised the dagger.
"Arthur…" Merlin mumbled in his sleep. All the time they'd spent together these last year rushed to his mind and his hand trembled. Merlin frowned. "Mmh… prat." He grumbled.
Arthur scoffed and lowered his hand. Merlin still slept, blissfully unaware of what he had just revealed to Arthur.
"As your servant I can watch your back better." "Do you know how many times I've had to save your royal backside?"
That was how Merlin knew about the love enchantment to lady Vivian. If Arthur were to guess, it was probably Merlin who figured out how to break it.
"I could take you apart with one blow." "I could take you apart with less than that."
Arthur narrowed his eyes and found himself smirking. "Sneaky… stupid… Merlin." Arthur whispered and lay back on the pillows, dagger put away, staring at the lights. He had to wonder why these lights were floating about. Merlin had never done that when they would sleep in the forest. He certainly didn't do it yesterday. Something was happening because he certainly didn't think the idiot was doing this willingly.
He looked at Merlin's sleeping face and reached his hand over. He threaded his fingers into Merlin's half opened hand. Would that stop the light?
Arthur watched as Merlin's glow began to slide up his own arm and his hand began to tingle. Above their clasped hands, more light orbs formed and Arthur felt warm, like everything good in the world could be found at the end of his fingers.
"Merlin!" A roaring voice called, ringing in Arthur's head. Something deep below the castle, down beyond the dungeons, something in chains. Merlin gasped and jumped awake, the lights vanishing. Arthur closed his eyes. He didn't even have time to pull his hand away without being obvious.
He couldn't see what face Merlin made when he saw their hands together, but he did feel him slip out of his hold as slowly as he could. Merlin put on his shirt again and sneaked out of the room.
As soon as the door clicked shut, Arthur threw his blankets off. He grabbed his cloak and rushed after him.