Merlin had stayed up all night reading the magic book again. It had become a nasty habit, but after the incident with Valiant, Merlin had realized that his own magic was greatly unskilled. Instinct could only lend him so much.

Tinnig lay at his feet, playing with a spare neckerchief. She rolled onto her back, flinging the cloth above her head. It fluttered down, covering her face, and she laughed. Merlin looked up from the book, smiling at the small daemon. She had chosen the form of a rabbit for her free time, grateful for the chance to shift.

The next time Merlin dug himself from the vast supply of spells, the sun had begun to rise. Sighing, he carefully placed the book back under the floorboards. "C'mon, Tinnig. You know Arthur will be in a mood if we're late."

"He'll be in a mood if we're early, too," she replied. She changed into a pine marten and scurried up Merlin's outstretched arm. Tinnig perched herself on his shoulder and they left the room, quietly as Gaius and Cadya were still sleeping.

The corridors were mostly empty this early in the morning. Only a few servants and their daemons darted about, attending to their duties. Merlin made his way to the kitchens, bustling with activity, and hurriedly gathered the Prince's breakfast.

Upon arriving at Arthur's chambers, Merlin loudly dropped the tray onto the table, stomped over to the window, and flung open the curtains. A beam of sunlight fell directly on Arthur's face.

The Prince groaned and rolled over. The wolfhound daemon stretched out beside him snorted awake.

"Hello Mala!" Tinnig greeted. "Mind helping us wake him?"

With a sleepy, but mischievous, grin, Mala kicked out her long hind legs. Her claws caught Arthur in the ribs. The Prince flinched so violently he fell out of bed.

Merlin laughed. "Good morning, sleepyhead!"

"Shdpmln." Arthur mumbled into the carpet.

"I've got your breakfast."

Arthur jumped up from the floor so fast Tinnig startled. He slumped into the chair and began stuffing his face. Mala stretched and jumped off of the bed.

Merlin rolled his eyes. "You've got training this morning, but otherwise you're free today. I, however, am not, so if I could get out of being your punching bag today, I could started on my chores."

"No, Merlin, you cannot get out of it. I need you to help demonstrate a poorly trained civilian attacker."

"Oh, wonderful."

Arthur grinned. He watched as Merlin stepped around Mala and Tinnig and picked up the empty plate. Mala, curled up beside Arthur's chair, was lazily batting at Tinnig. Every time her paw got to close, Tinnig would nip at the fur between her toes.

Merlin tossed Arthur's clothes over the changing screen, and Arthur stood from the table. As he dressed, Merlin cleared up the dishes, carrying them down to the kitchens. Arthur strapped his sword belt around his waist as Merlin returned, and together they headed down to the training grounds.

After training, Merlin was practically dead on his feet. Arthur had made good on his promise to utterly humiliate him, and he was sporting a large new bruise on his ribs from a stray blow. Arthur had seemed to feel guilty afterwards, and had sent him to Gaius, giving him the afternoon off.

Gaius wasn't in their chambers when Merlin arrived, but he knew how to treat his own wounds. Bruises were easy, at least. Afterwards, Merlin wandered into his own room. Tinnig hopped up on the bed, turning into a grey fox mid-leap. Merlin lay down and Tinnig crawled onto his lap.

Merlin stroked her fur. "Do you think we'll ever be able to tell Arthur?"

Tinnig opened her eyes. "What's brought this on?"

"Just thinking." Merlin shrugged. "He tried to hide it, but I know he felt bad when he realized he'd hurt me. I think he cares about me."

"He does," Tinnig tapped him on the chest. "But I don't think he's ready to learn about us yet. About your magic or my being unsettled."

"No, not yet. But someday." Merlin laid back.

They lay there for a while, long enough for the sun to start falling. Merlin dosed. Eventually, though, a small noise drifted from the main room. Merlin, thinking it was Gaius, did nothing. Tinnig twitched, but fell deeper into sleep.

Then the door opened.

Merlin didn't have time to react as Arthur stepped into the room. He desperately nudged Tinnig, who startled awake. Unfortunately, the movement brought Arthur's gaze to the daemon just as she shifted.

The Prince stared slack-jawed. Mala poked her head into the room.

Merlin sat up, and Tinnig hid behind him. He bit his lip and stared at Arthur, hoping he hadn't seen.

Arthur tilted his head. "Merlin?"

Merlin didn't answer.

"Merlin."

More insistent this time. He still said nothing.

"Merlin." The dam burst.

"Alright, so she's not actually settled, but can you blame us? It's so incredibly unusual, and we got so many comments about it back home, we had to pretend, and it's a form she likes anyway, so it's not that hard to lie, and someone accused us of witchcraft once, we couldn't let that happen again, not here of all places, and you can't tell anyone Arthur please-"

"Merlin!"

Merlin jaw snapped shut with a click.

Arthur was staring at him with an odd look in his eyes. "You're right,it is unusual, and I'd like to know how it happened. But I won't tell anyone."

Tinnig glanced at him over Merlin's shoulder. She narrowed her eyes. "Truly?"

"Truly," Mala said, unsure of what was happening, but happy to agree with her other half.

Merlin still wasn't happy. "I mean it, Arthur. This could be life or death for me if word gets out to the wrong person. They'll think I'm using magic to make it happen, or they'll want to study me, they'll cut me open."

Arthur nodded. "I swear on my mother's memory, I will tell no one who doesn't already know."

"No one knows, only Gaius. Everyone back in Ealdor called me a curse, I'm in no hurry for it to happen again."

"Very well then. But I think I deserve an explanation."

Merlin looked down as Tinnig crawled into his lap again. "We don't know why, she just... never settled. We've never felt the urge to, or even been close to it. It just feels right, to still have all the possibilities open to us."

"Has Gaius looked into it?"

"Yes, but there's no precedent for it. He's looked in every book he can think of, nothing. I'm an anomaly."

"I see." Arthur stared at him so long Merlin began to squirm. "Alright then, Merlin. This stays between us. But if Gaius ever discovers anything, let me know. I'm most curious."

"Fine, just... leave us alone? Please?" Merlin felt horribly exposed.

Arthur must be feeling uncomfortable too, because he nodded and began to turn. Before he left though, he looked back. "I just came to check that you got yourself treated."

"I did."

"Good. And Merlin? If it's just the two of us, don't feel the need to... constrain yourself." Then he left, the door swinging shut behind him.

Merlin waited until he heard the main door shut as well before turning to Tinnig. "Apparently he was ready."

Arthur sat at his desk, Mala at his feet. They were both thinking hard. After Arthur had explained the situation, because somehow Mala had managed to miss Tinnig shifting when she was supposed to be settled, the pair had argued about the possible explanations. Eventually they had fallen into silence, unable to come up with anything.

Mala sighed as if carrying a great burden.

Arthur glanced down at her. "What is it?"

"If it had been anyone else, would you have agreed to keep it a secret?"

Arthur thought it over. For Morgana, or Gaius, definitely. For anyone else, though... No, Arthur could definitely say he would have told his father immediately. He would have suspected whoever it was of sorcery, of using magic to keep their daemon unsettled, like Merlin had said. So what made Merlin so special?

"You've grown fond of him," Mala said. "He's your friend."

"He's my servant, nothing more."

Mala snorted. "He's saved your life twice, Arthur."

"Once."

"Twice. If he hadn't told you about Valiant, you'd be dead. You know that."

Arthur didn't have an answer for that, so he kept quiet. Mala settled back down.

After a long silence, Arthur said, "You're right. I do think of him as a friend. No one else has ever spoken to me the way he does, even Morgana. It's... refreshing, to see a different side of people."

Mala grinned up at him, but thankfully didn't poke at the subject more. "For what it's worth, I like Tinnig, too. She's feisty."

Arthur laughed.

Arthur - Mala, Irish Wolfhound

Merlin - Tinnig, unsettled, disguised as a pine marten