"A Mother's love"

"Once I was seven years old, my momma told me 'go out and get some friends or you'll be lonely'"- Lukas Graham. Song: 7 years

Hunith was not a woman who could be surprised that easily anymore, after all, with a son like hers, she had already heard, seen, and feared it all. Nothing to improve your motherly skills as having a child with magic. During the years that she had raised Merlin she had learned everything there was to learn on the job.

For example; she knew what exact face to make when someone told her they had seen Merlin doing things that were, by all means, not 'ordinary'.

"Hunith, I know I'm probably seein' things but I think— I think your boy just… he just took a few flowers from my garden and he… they had not blossomed yet, and in his hand they were as big as if we were in spring!"

"Oh, yes, he brought the flowers to me!" Hunith laughed happily, avoiding the silent questions. "I'm sorry, he just likes flowers too much. How much do I owe you for them?"

"No, that was not what I was saying, I—"

In that moment, though, Hunith saw from far away as her four-year-old Merlin clumsily tripped over his feet, the boy had started to sniff down at his knees and Hunith smiled apologetically, hurrying to get to Merlin—and away from more questions—leaving Martha, the woman of the flowers, where she stood.

At the sight of Hunith picking Merlin up inspecting his knees for injuries—and the boy stubbornly saying he didn't need her to take care of him— Martha gave the poor woman a break. It wasn't as if the lad was anything extraordinary, besides being incredibly clumsy, and so she let it die. Flowers blooming in summer were not that unheard off, anyway.

Then, there had been times that she had been at a loss of what to do.

She swears she almost had a heart attack when, at the young age of ten, Will Dempsie found out about Merlin's magic. Merlin wasn't even aware Will knew, in fact, the first and only person Will told his recent discovery was Hunith herself.

"Hunith, ma'am, I think I need to talk to you." Will had told her in all seriousness from her doorstep one afternoon as she was making dinner, Merlin was out and due to come back later, he had gone with good old Louise, who was teaching the kid to read.

"Oh— William, hi, I'm afraid Merlin is not here, he went to have some classes with Louis," Hunith said amiably to the ten-year-old who was looking up at her innocently, with arms behind his back and solemn stare.

"No. I need to talk to you." William repeated.

Hunith blinked but smiled softly to herself. That was William. She wondered what would be about this time. He always felt the need to tell her "everything-that-Merlin-was-doing-wrong-that-probably-Hunith-didn't-know." William was older than Merlin barely a few months but William had assigned himself as his "protector from the bullies" since they had become close friends. Hunith, indulging the only friend her son has, beckoned the boy into the house.

"Thank you ma'am." The boy said childishly and Hunith smiled once again, she was not used to be called ma'am around Ealdor. After all living alone with a kid, and nobody knowing who the father was, never granted much respect, even in towns as little and quiet as Ealdor, but William always called her 'ma'am' or 'Merlin's mom' and she was fine with it.

"What is it, William?" She said amiably as the boy sat on a chair, hands on his lap as he watched Hunith return to her cooking.

The boy hadn't even been soft about it.

"I saw Merlin doing magic today."

Hunith dropped her spoon and whirled around, the word 'magic' had never been applied to Merlin before, ever, so she had not been prepared to hear it so bluntly, let alone from Will, a ten-year-old. She schooled her features when she noticed that she had scared Will a bit, as the boy leaned away from Hunith unconsciously.

"Ma—I'm sure you saw things, sweetheart." She managed to laugh as she picked her spoon and turned to chop some vegetables, she cut them all in different sizes, too nervous to concentrate. She waved a hand in the air. "You know Merlin, he's… quite special, but—"

"No." Came the stubborn voice of Will behind her. "No, It was magic. I saw him, in the river. He… he was making bubbles and his eyes were shining gold."

Hunith turned slowly, leaving the knife on the counter. William had his hands raised in front of his eyes, like explaining how Merlin's eyes shined through his hands motions. Hunith clasped her hands in front of her apron as she put a brave face.

"Will—"

"It was really awesome, but don't tell Merlin I said that," William said in a hurry, not interested in the least about Hunith's feelings and reactions—like almost fainting—whatsoever. "My mother told me that magic was bad, and that I never should be near magic, but she told me that no one with magic lived here so that I was safe. I thought I should tell you that Merlin has magic."

Hunith could have laughed if she wasn't as terrified as she was. She didn't say anything as William looked down at his hands and frowned.

"Mother told me to tell her if I ever saw anyone doing magic." William said and he looked up. Green-blue eyes staring back into hers. Hunith took her opportunity and sat on the table, opposite from William. She took her time to answer. Not feeling strong enough to even breath at the moment. She felt her word crashing around her and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"William… were you—were you alone when you saw Merlin?" She quickly decided that there was no hope in convincing the boy against the idea. No one had ever seen Merlin doing magic so blatantly and William was a smart boy. Better to get all the facts now that she could talk to the boy alone, later it would be impossible.

William nodded. "Yes. I went to pick some logs my mother wanted to make a fire, but that only happens once a week, and today my mother asked me to go and get some more, and I remembered I had seen him."

Hunith almost didn't find her voice. "A week—a week ago?"

William nodded, furrowing his eyebrows, was Hunith even listening to him? He hated repeating himself. Hunith nodded and looked at her hands, she didn't know she had started to cry until she saw a few droplets fall on the wooden table, she blinked quickly and shook her head in despair. Pressing her hands like in a prayer in front of her face.

"Mother told me bad things happened to people with magic…" William said softly, and when Hunith raised her head to look at him he swallowed. He had never seen a mother cry before. He thought mothers didn't cry. His never did anyway. "She told me sorcerers were evil."

"Merlin is not evil." Was all Hunith could say as she clasped a hand over her mouth. She needed to find Merlin as soon as possible. It wasn't safe here anymore. She began planning in her mind. They would leave tonight, she had a little bag prepared and it will take just a few minutes to get the rest of her things in order, if word had gotten out the guards from the capital would be arriving any second now.

William took Hunith's hand in anxiousness over the table, shaking her hand slightly to get the woman attention.

"If people know about Merlin, will they take him? I asked mom. She said… she said they would take him to the king. What happens then?" William pressed. "Do they… do they really k—ki—kill him?"

Hunith didn't say anything she just took William's hands in hers out of reflex. It took a moment for the woman to find her voice, and once she did she wasn't even looking at William, her mind far away from there. "William, go with your Mom and don't tell anybody else about this. I need to—"

"But I didn't tell mom." William furrowed his eyebrows.

Hunith blinked and looked up. "What?"

William scoffed annoyed. Hunith wasn't listening to him at all. "I didn't tell Mom." He repeated slowly seeing the confusion on her face. "She told me that magic people are bad people. But Merlin is my friend. She told me that when the king finds out he sends his knights to get people with magic. That means that Merlin will be taken away. They will take them away from Ealdor. From you and from me." He explained in short sentences, so he could be understood perfectly, and then he just shrugged. "So I didn't tell mom."

Hunith stared at William like she had just seen him for the first time. William gulped, had he said something he ought not to say? Hunith raised from her seat and rounded the table to take William by his shoulders, shaking him slightly.

"William. Listen to me, this is important. Is—is Merlin your friend?" She asked in a hurry and William just nodded, eyes huge with the reaction he was getting out of Merlin's mom.

"My best friend, but don't tell him that either," William said with a scoff and looked to the side. "He calls me his best friend, but I just call him my friend."

Hunith smiled softly as tears rolled down her cheeks. It was written all over the boy's face: how much he cared for Merlin, how much, at such a young age, William was willing to sacrifice for him. Hunith released her iron grip on his shoulders and nodded to the ground, trying to recover from the shock of her life.

"William, have you ever heard of heroes?" She asked after a few moments.

"My dad is a hero." He said quickly and returned his stare to Hunith once he felt the woman's hands slip from his shoulders to his hands, she leaned to be at eye level with him.

"You were one today— actually, William, you were one the whole week, and, if you want, you can be a hero for the rest of your life." She nodded and Hunith could have laughed in happiness.

William scrunched his nose, confusion all over his face. "What? What did I do?"

"You saved Merlin's life." Hunith released one hand to pass it over his soft brown hair and the blue-green eyes of the kid grew huge. "Do you understand that, Will? Do you understand that no one can know about Merlin?" Hunith saw as William understood, he was old enough to understand, a week had passed and now that she was thinking about it, the boy must be speaking the truth, her son had come and go this whole week all around town and he hadn't got strange glances, everyone was going about their days just the same.

"I do." William nodded, for such a young age he understood that if he ever, ever, said the word 'Merlin' and 'Magic' in the same sentence, then Merlin would be taken away to die. He understood that.

Hunith stared into his eyes for a moment longer, once she found what she was looking for; she hugged him close, crying in relief. William just sat on his stool awkwardly waiting for Merlin's mom to release him. It took a while, and Hunith made him promise over, and over, and over again that he wouldn't say anything. William repeated that he would not do such thing a hundred times, at least he thought he promised a hundred times, it could have been more. By the time Hunith let him go to his house she insisted on accompanying him. William shrugged and let her. She didn't want to say 'no' in case Hunith started crying again. He realized he was not good with crying mothers, or crying .

Abigail and William, Will's parents, were as amiably to her as ever, confirming Hunith's theory that the child had not been lying before. She waved William goodbye and walked back to her house, Hunith only let the tears out nce she had closed the door behind her. Merlin was safe. They were safe. Everything was alright, and a little laugh escaped her. Merlin even found himself a friend, a true friend.

"Mom, mom!" A ten-year-old Merlin staggered inside the house a few minutes later. "I'm sorry I'm late. Ma'am Louise didn't let me go till I could say 'specifically' correctly. She says I have a funny accent. Is dinner ready?" Merlin said in a hurry as he made a beeline to the kitchen. "I'm starving"

Hunith just nodded from her spot on her table, hands under her chin looking at Merlin like it was the first time he saw him too. Merlin's eyes shined gold and a plate came flying to his hand at his command, he looked sideways to his mom, knowing he would get an earful for his blunt use of magic—but he was just so hungry! And the plates were above his height level!

Hunith just rose from her seat and poured the soup— not finished but good enough as it was— into Merlin's bowl. Her eyes twinkled with happiness. Merlin hastily made his way to the table before she had time to chastise him.

"You know what Merlin?" she said amiably as she cut some bread, it was the last piece of bread for the week but she thought today was a special occasion. "I have a surprise for you."

"What?" Merlin spilled soup as he talked with his mouth full; embarrassed he cleaned himself on his sleeve of his shirt.

Then, there were the times when she had seen Merlin wandering around Ealdor. He had stopped being her little boy; he was a man yet but he was walking the fine little between becoming one. Merlin was confused and alone, even with Will by his side; she saw it in the way his eyes didn't shine as bright anymore. He never complained go her—thankfully he had never been one to complain much— but now he woke up, did what he had to do, and went to sleep.

Hunith almost wanted him to complain.

In those years she started to see that Merlin didn't quite fit there anymore: he had almost no friends. The only true one was William, and even then, there were times where they couldn't see eye-to-eye. Merlin had a few other friends around town; however, he was scared of getting too attached, too close, too afraid for them to know him completely. Hunith began wondering if it was her fault, when, as a child, she had asked him countless of times before to be more careful, to stop being so reckless, to hide his magic, to keep it shut down around people.

Hunith understood too late that asking Merlin to 'shut down' his magic, was asking him to 'shut down' himself too.

"How do you want me to be completely honest with them, mom?" He had told her one day while Merlin cooked dinner over the observant eye of his mother to correct him. She had encouraged him to get along with the rest of the boys and girls. William knew about his secret and they were both fine with it, but the rest? Merlin heard them talk… they feared it, hated it, even when magic had done nothing to wrong them. He knew he was never going to be able to bee himself, not truly, so he shied away at times, secluding at home. In is relative safe heaven. "How can we be friends when they say so horrible things about magic? They don't know about that one time when the fire in the woods was near enough to burn the village. I stopped it. They didn't care, and they will never know. It's just… too tiring."

"Did you seek appraisal for that?"

"No, no," Merlin said easily. "I just wish they could see it's not wrong. That I am not wrong."

"Merlin, it's just the way it is, but nothing about you is wrong." Hunith told him softly placing a hand on his shoulder.

"How do you know? They are normal, right? You are normal. People like them don't get killed, people like me does, why? Maybe… maybe I am a monster, Mother, and—"

"Merlin." Hunith cut him off with a grave stare as he turned him around to face her, she had never slapped Merlin before but she had been close that day. "You are not a monster, you are my son, a perfect, extraordinary young man. I gave birth to a boy, not a monster. Remember that the next time you think such awful things."

Merlin smiled softly and nodded, muttering a sorry before he returned to his doings, however, Hunith saw in his eyes that he didn't quite believe her. Merlin began having questions about who he was, who he was meant to be, about why he was born with magic when no one else in his town did. Why was he so different, what for?

Hunith knew those answers to those questions were not in Ealdor.

She surprised herself a few days later, when she made a note to Gaius and convinced Merlin to leave for Camelot, it took her almost two months before he relented. She had cried long and hard that night when she slept alone in their little hut for the first time ever. Not, not 'theirs' anymore, 'Hers'. It was, by far, the most difficult thing she had ever had to do, but it needed to be done.

So now, after having heard, said, and feared all kind of things, she really thought she could not be surprised that easier anymore.

She was wrong.

In little villages like Ealdor word travels faster than drunken men after skirts, and it was early in the day when Hunith was surprised by the news: Merlin, Merlin was back from Camelot.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"So…. how long are we going to be on— you know, not talking terms?"

Arthur just grunted as an answer, not even looking back at Merlin.

"Alright…" Merlin anxiously smiled and nodded to himself, he was genuinely torn between feeling amused or guilty. Arthur had been quite scary after he realized that the tint was not going to come off anytime soon. When Arthur went to unsheathe his sword was when Merlin, acting on a sense of survival, told him that the colouring would wear off in less than a week, assuring the prince over and over again that it was for his own good.

"No one can know I'm hosting the prince of Camelot in Ealdor!" Merlin said narrowing his eyes a moment when Arthur didn't advance from his spot, a few yards away. "It's for your own good! Try to understand."

"Oh, I understand that I will kill you!" Arthur said finally finding a sizable rock and throwing it hard and accurately to Merlin's stomach, Merlin raised his hands instinctively and the rock pulverized before it made contact. Arthur looked at the dust that was swept away by the wind and glared. Oh, he was definitely not happy about it.

To bring the story short, after half an hour of yells, thrown rocks, half-hearted apologies, and threats, the prince gave up. Gathering the shreds of his dignity, he changed himself into the horrid shirt Merlin had given in from the begging, his 'rich' red shirt was useless now with enormous stains of black over the shoulders and back. Arthur saw Merlin opening his mouth and he pinned his friend with a stare.

"I swear to god that if you say 'I told you so' so God helps me…" Arthur spat as he threw over his head the ruined shirt and looked down with a scoff at the thing he would have to wear from now on. Merlin, realizing saying anything else now would be bordering on suicide, just nodded and left to tend to the horses.

Four hours later and Arthur had yet to utter a word, he did not speak or glance at Merlin, always a few yards in front of him. For the first hours Merlin had enjoyed it, thinking about the plans that he would have to set in motion once in Ealdor, he imagined the surprised look on his mother's face, and spent a good amount of time thinking about how Arthur would take the news of Merlin's ideas concerning the prince, a topic that had yet to be discussed.

Meal time had come and gone and now, a few hours later, the sunset was coloring the sky with different shades of pinks, oranges, and soft blues; it was beautiful. Merlin estimated that in an hour or so, they would have to make camp. He pointed that to Arthur, whose reply was to keep staring ahead. Arthur had been ignoring him for almost the whole day and Merlin began to get anxious as the day wore on, he had made a few attempts to conversation but Arthur kept silent. Even when they stopped to eat or have a break Arthur just dismounted as a signal.

Merlin pushed his horse a little to catch up with him, Arthur did not even glance at him. Since Arthur was playing at ignoring him like he was being paid for it, he took a moment to appreciate Arthur's semblance. Arthur looked tired, and a bit angry— if his stiff posture was anything to go by— but he looked… beaten, down, for a lack of a better word. Merlin bit his lip from laughing at the disarrayed hair of the prince; he had been tugging at it the whole day, just making sure it had not magically been changed back to golden. Merlin had the urge to laugh.

"If you laugh, it will be the last thing you do, Merlin, I swear." Arthur said still looking to the front and Merlin looked away, biting his lip. He had won, the tone was not as cold or as hard as before and he knew he had won the silent battle; even the prince couldn't be mad at Merlin forever. Merlin glanced back and he saw that Arthur's shoulder had dropped a centimeter, and his face was not exactly angry but… mildly annoyed.

"Arthur, it won't stay like that forever." Merlin tried his luck a few minutes later. "It will wash off, I promise. It's just for a few days."

Arthur did not deign to answer.

"You know? I never thought you cared that much, about your hair I mean." Merlin motioned to his own hair.

Arthur shook his head as his left hand went to his hair again, scrunching his eyes up, trying to get a look at the lock of hair over his forehead, he sighed before he annoyingly looked at his friend.

"I did it for your benefit, you know?" Merlin grinned, trying to control his laughter, now being close enough to appreciate the difference Arthur looked like another person completely.

"Benefit, right…" Arthur said softly, rolling his eyes histrionically, and Merlin smiled and the remark on his lips died, fearing that if he said 'Now we are talking?' would make Arthur throw another tantrum.

"I would have changed mine," Merlin said instead. "But everybody in Ealdor knows me, no matter how much time have passed, however, it's been years since you have been there, it will be easy to pretend you are someone else. You need to understand… small town, news travel fast."

"We need to start looking for a place to camp," Arthur said looking around, ignoring Merlin's remark, now more concerned about rest than his hair. "Better stay out of the path, just in case."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Hunith dropped her basket of laundry and ran to the entrance of the village, her heart beating fast. Why would Merlin be here? Last time he had come was basically because she had begged him on a letter, she feared it would be bad news. The boy had said 'Merlin is back' but part of her mind registered that it wouldn't mean exactly good news.

Her eyes scanned the crowd that had assembled in the entrance and she found herself stopping a few yards away, smiling at the sight of her son on top of a horse, smiling and waving around to the few people that went to greet him. She had feared the worse, after years of learning to fear the worse but hope for the best, and she was once again surprised, by the second time in less than a few minutes, by the image of her son safe and sound.

She stopped for a second to admire the view before she made her way past the little crowd as Merlin dismounted. He turned just in time to catch her in his arms.

"Surprise?"

"Oh, Merlin!" She hugged him tight, closing her eyes before she recovered. He was here. Safe and smiling. They were fine. Seeing Merlin was like a balm to her soul, it was very different to see him there in the flesh than hearing about it from his letters. She then put him at arm's length, looking at him up and down. "It's been eight months since I last saw you. Look at you, so grown up."

"Hello, mom," Merlin said with his thick accent and then rolled his eyes jokingly. "I wanted to surprise you, you know? I wanted to sneak around the house and see you put a hand in your heart and drop something…but I guess words do get out fast in towns like this."

Hunith, smiling knowingly but keeping her secret to herself, looked around, the few people that had waved to Merlin had already gone, after the sorcerer assured them he was only visiting they had gone back to their duties, however, a bunch kept observing from afar, looking at the other man left in his horse from, curiously pointing at him; they didn't know him, and of course, in a town that had little to nothing to gossip about, they were already making assumptions about who strange man might be.

Merlin saw the stares over the head of his mother and he quickly waved his hands in a vague movement in his direction.

"Just a friend from Camelot, he's a—a servant, in the palace. Just came to visit." He said out loud for everybody to catch.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Arthur was staring down at his steaming bowl with hooded eyes, he felt exhausted and hungry but he didn't fancy eating. He was not mad about his hair, not anymore, after hours of contemplation he understood the reasons, he really did, he bloody hated it, every second of it, but he understood, besides it was temporary, it wasn't like anyone of his kingdom would see him like that, right?

But there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind, though, one that he had shoved into an imaginary closet but now it has knocking on the imaginary doors quite insistently and that was the reason he was so upset. He was upset with Merlin, yes, but he was angry with himself too.

Arthur had no idea why the idea bothered him so much, he would have done it either way, but he felt like Merlin had tricked him into something without his consent, and he wondered if there should be a line. He trusted Merlin completely, undoubtedly; following Merlin to Ealdor, letting him change his clothes and hair spoke volumes to Arthur. He had left Camelot. His Father and knights. His city. To follow him and his plans.

A plan that Merlin had yet to reveal.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Merlin. On the contrary, Arthur feared that he trusted him a bit too much.

He had not even questioned Merlin in the river isn't it? Merlin said dismount and Arthur dismounted. Merlin said they needed to do something in the river? Arthur followed. Merlin told him to sit on a rock? Arthur found the most comfortable one and sat. Arthur knew Merlin would rather die before actually hurting him, that's why his anger in that aspect didn't last much; however, the uneasiness didn't leave him.

Arthur never takes orders from anybody, and it wasn't like Merlin was exactly giving him orders either. Merlin just expected it from him. Arthur had to remind himself that he ordered Merlin around the whole day, expecting Merlin to follow his orders too. Even at the direst of times Merlin had stuck with his ideas, isn't it? Arthur tried not to think too much on the issue, this was only payback from the day he had knocked him unconscious.

But this time, it strung something in him. It wasn't about anger. It wasn't that he didn't trust Merlin. His problem was the blind faith he had in him, it was dangerous, you start to question less and less and just being to just act, thinking and believing everything will be okay. He had been blind with his Father, for years, and had let Uther do whatever he wanted in regards of the kingdom. He had been blind once with Edmund, his only friend growing up, and his blind faith had killed him. He sighed and rubbed his face. He was thinking too much into this, Merlin was not defenseless, this was all a joke and he was reading too much into things.

He realized that while he was thinking he had finished his soup and was now amusedly looking at his reflection in the empty silver plate. It was distorted and he could barely catch a glimpse with the scarce light of the moonlight; he scoffed, finding a mirror in Ealdor was a first priority. He closed his eyes for a moment, placing the bowl to the side and then looked up.

He gasped and let his mouth hang open for a second before he closed it loudly. He smirked against his will. The freaking, bloody, massive idiot of Merlin just refused to make things easier for him, isn't it? He began wondering if Merlin could read minds.

The leaves on the floor, which had fallen in the last days of autumn, were now suspended in the air all around him. Merlin was sitting on a log on the other side of the fire, eyes shining gold, watching carefully the reaction of his friend.

Arthur took a few leaves with his hand and he was utterly surprised that the moved at his command. He gingerly touched one and placed it a few inches to his left, they orange leaf stayed there like glued to the air. It was impossible and yet here he was.

"This is my mother's favorite magic spell," Merlin said conversationally after a moment. Arthur looked around marveled, vaguely aware Merlin was talking. "It took me a few years to master it, usually, this happened when I was alone, unfocused or lost in my mind, things would just… levitate on their own, my mother said I did it once as a baby— while sleeping."

"Remind me to tell Hunith how an amazing woman she is." Arthur chuckled against his will, trying to look at Merlin's face from around all the leaves on his way. "Dealing with you is not easy, Merlin."

Merlin shrugged and Arthur kept looking around.

"You know?" Arthur said after a moment, gingerly picking the leafs in front of him and starting to place them around him, grinning as he worked. "Instead of forcing me to dye my hair, Merlin, you would have asked, I would've done so."

Merlin grinned from his spot, eyes shining gold all the while. In the middle of the forest, at night, with only the fire and the leaves reflecting the light, Arthur thought, for the first time ever, that Merlin did actually looked kind of… magical. Arthur shoved that thought aside, no need to let the idiot know that.

"Oh, but that wouldn't have been half as fun." Merlin said easily, afraid Arthur would start another round of silent treatment.

Arthur glared at Merlin but he did one uncharacteristically thing, he shrugged one shoulder. "It's alright. You did it for good reasons Merlin, I hate the idea, I will have a heart attack when I look at myself in the first mirror I lay my hands on, but… well—"

He shrugged again—indicating he didn't care and that he was over the matter— and kept working with the leaves. Merlin just watched him work, not sure about what to say and then smirked; Arthur was like a kid wherever magic was concerned, every time. Lancelot had told him once that he never gets bored of seeing him do magic. Arthur had finally moved all the leafs within reach and had made a crude little pile that resembled the castle. Even then Arthur's unconsciousness was in Camelot. Merlin began to feel the drain of energy a minute later, usually he never holds spells for that long, he just performed them.

"It really is amazing, Merlin, all you can do." Arthur said and then was startled—and internally disappointed—when Merlin blinked, his eyes going back to normal. The leafs fell to the ground, swinging with the wind, a few fell on top of Arthur's hair, he ruffled it and the smile died on his face as he remembered that his hair was no longer blond.

There was an anxious pause for a moment.

"Are you going to be mad about me your whole life, Arthur?" Merlin asked tiredly after a few seconds, as he began to look for the best spot to lay down.

"As I said, Merlin, I understand." Arthur shook his head, and he just laid where he was, not bothering to look for a spot. "It's already been forgotten. Now let's get some sleep if we wake up early we will be arriving at Ealdor before midday."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Arthur kept quiet as he dismounted, elegantly and patiently waiting at the side, a proper distance from his friend, letting people pat Merlin's back or greet him properly. He saw Hunith before Merlin did, he was surprised when she did not cut through the little crowd to get to Merlin, she just watched him from afar, Arthur wondered if she needed time to process that his son was actually there. After a moment, she made up her mind and went to find her son, and even he couldn't help but smirk softly—never a soft smile, god forbid—at the sight of Hunith hugging Merlin.

When Kanen was threatening the village, years ago, Arthur never told Merlin the exact reasons of why he had gone and helped him, going against his father's wishes and despite his better judgment. A big part of that reason was Merlin, of course, they were friends and Arthur had felt compelled to help, furthermore, the prince was certain that, when Merlin had said goodbye to him back then, Arthur knew that it had been an 'I will never see you again but thank you for everything anyway' kind of goodbye. The second part of his reason had been Hunith. Arthur would die before saying it out loud, but he wanted to think that if his mother was alive and his mother had been in the same position, someone would have helped her.

He was happy with the decision he took back then, even if the memory of Morgana helping him tainted the memory a little.

Hunith kissed Merlin on each of his cheeks and Arthur smirked, looking around the village, trying to locate a face in that would be hunting for him, but so far, everybody had been kind enough to Merlin. And one good point about all this was that Hunith and Merlin probably knew everybody around town. If there was a spy they would see through it in a moment. For the moment he just kept his head low, hoping no one from the real citizens would recognize him from years past.

"You did good buddy." Arthur said softly to his horse, Saphir, the only thing that belonged to 'Arthur the prince' and Saphir whinnied softly. "You will have a whole week off before going back, how does that sound?"

Arthur looked up when he heard Merlin's voice louder than usual.

"Just a friend from Camelot, he's a—a servant, in the palace, just came to visit" Merlin waved a hand in his direction, like saying they had nothing to worry about him. People apparently took his word for granted and Arthur was divided between being annoyed or relieved.

A friend? Hunith wondered, as she took a step away from Merlin and let Merlin go back to his horse and fetch the reins, petting him

Hunith stared at the man as Merlin took the reins of his horse, she took the opportunity to go and greet the young man that had kept Merlin safe during the trip. Her mind already thinking of who this might be, he didn't look like a knight, at least not with the shirt he was wearing, and he didn't look like a poor man either, if the way he held himself was anything to go by.

The man looked up, straightening his back as he sensed her come closer, once they met eyes Arthur just awkwardly looked to his horse, pretending to be busy with the reins and saddle.

Hunith, without missing a beat, went and hug him tight, almost as effusively as Merlin. Such demonstration startled both Arthur and Merlin. So shocked Arthur was at the sudden—attack—embrace, that he had to take a step back to recover. He blinked twice, his shoulders tensed out of reflex,—he shared a look with Merlin over Hunith's shoulder, the sorcerer just shrugged— and the prince breathed out before he was able to return the hug, quite awkwardly may we add, but he did so anyway. Hunith smelled like lilies, grass, and clean laundry. He wondered if all mother's smelled the same. He blinked again.

Arthur latter would refuse that the blinking had definitely not been because he had been close to crying. As much as Merlin insisted he almost was.

Then, just like with Merlin, she placed him at arm's length.

"Oh, Arthur, it's so good to see you after so many years." Hunith said with a smile, one that was under the label of 'proud mother' in Merlin's book, and Arthur blinked in her direction.

"You recognize him?" Merlin whispered frantically, although there was no one near enough to hear. Hunith nodded, looking at Arthur one second longer, her eyes going to his air for a moment but deciding to ask about that later, she turned to Merlin; hands on her hips and light disapproval on her face—the image of a scolding mother— but her tone was affectionate and warm.

"A Mother never forgets a face she loves, Merlin, you should know that." Hunith scolded him softly and Arthur, had not been almost leaning on his horse, would have fallen to the floor right there and then. Hunith clasped her hands in front of her and nodded to herself. "Now, I was just finishing dinner before you boys showed up, shall we go inside? You both look like you could use some rest."

"It's been a long way home." Merlin agreed. More like a few long months, in all honesty. Merlin sighed, and now that mentioned, he does feel incredibly tired; he could use some sleep and a warm soup for starters. He turned to tell Arthur if he fancied dinner when he noticed that the prince was rooted to his spot looking at his feet, one hand clutching half-heartedly the reins of Saphir, still frozen where Hunith had left him. Merlin smirked but did not comment, remembering what Gaius had told him about Arthur and mother's issues.

Hunith followed his gaze but turned respectfully, shepherding Merlin in front of her to give Arthur some time, Merlin's horse trailing behind him by the reins. They chatted amiably about the trip home and other ephemeral things. It took Arthur a whole minute to realize he had been left behind, he sighed and shook his head, recovering from the shock, after another moment and before he lost track of Merlin, he began walking behind them.

Maybe coming to Ealdor had not been a horrible idea after all.

A/N: 100 followers guys! (Well, almost 100?) Thank youuu! I have nothing to say besides how grateful I am that you are still reading this, so many hits and views! It's overwhelming.

Did you like this chapter? For my part, it's on my top of my favorite chapters, with Hunith sharing about Merlin's past and then hugging Arthur. I have the idea that after years, and everything he had done for her, unknowingly I guess, I think she considers him part of her family at least. But tell me what you think! Oh! And about Edmund, you will know about him soon enough, I mean, Arthur must have had a friend in his childhood right?

I will answer your reviews right away andddd, just to give you a heads up on what happens next, Chapter 23 is titled "Training the prat" You might think whatever you want about that. *grins*

Suricata: So glad you are liking where the story is going! And i'm happy that you like Owen, he is not a main character but he still has some surprises left for us in the story, and yes, your sister and you are right, the title is a reference for the band, I was thinking about something with "three" for the title, since Merlin and Arthur spent three days there before leaving to Ealdor, so I remember the name of the band! You like the band?