"Prince Garrick," King Uther said as he walked to greet the three young men returning. "I'm relieved to see you back safe."
"Perhaps I was a bit foolish to disappear and I apologize." Prince Garrick nodded along with bracing the King's right forearm. "I was eager to explore this kingdom and made a hasty decision."
"There's nothing to pardon." The King replied cordially. "An adventurous prince makes for a fine king one day."
"Well I hope that is right." Garrick smiled admirably.
"You must be starving. Dinner will be prepared shortly."
"Thank you." The prince nodded. "In the meantime, I have an issue to tend to."
"Of course." The king nodded.
The prince bowed and turned to leave, followed shortly by Merlin who continued to hide his pain through a clenched jaw. Arthur nearly left as well but his father's acknowledgment stopped him.
"Prince Garrick is quite possibly the most agreeable royal I've ever met." Uther told his son. "If I'd known, I would have tried to make peace with his father's kingdom sooner."
"I'm sure he has his own opinions but he benefits from our peace as well, father." Arthur said. "He wouldn't disregard a king who offers him stay in his castle."
The king's interest was perked by his son's abruptly harsh tone. It weighed a great contrast to Prince Garrick's amiable demeanor.
"What issue do you hold against the prince?" Uther asked.
"…I can put aside my opinion for the sake of our kingdoms' treaty." Arthur replied.
"It does seem to be a personal matter." The king nodded. "Has he intimidated you in a way? You've yet to spar, I realize. Perhaps tomorrow would make for a sufficient opportunity."
Arthur only nodded. Maybe the king was right. Maybe all Arthur needed to do was defeat Prince Garrick in a match to regain his composure. At least then, Arthur would regain the confidence he had in being a noble leader, one who wasn't swayed by jealousy or backlash. Maybe he would win a just match and be praised…or perhaps he just wanted to beat the living daylights out of Prince Garrick. Either way, Prince Arthur found himself cautious of the time that moved slowly toward the hour when he would spar with the other prince.
While Arthur headed to his chambers, Prince Garrick was leading Merlin to the physician's. Garrick knocked before pushing the door open and Gaius stood from his desk after noticing Merlin's limping.
"What happened?" Gaius asked of Prince Garrick.
"We were in a damp cave and he slipped." Garrick explained in short. "I think he twisted his ankle the wrong way. He might have broken something."
"It's already healing, though, so it's nothing." Merlin added.
"Let me examine it." Gaius insisted.
Garrick lent a hand to Merlin which he only took to be polite since he'd rather continue limping on his own. Also, the prince had been making him nervous since the cave incident. In other words, the ride back to the castle was a bit more than awkward. It had been silent to begin with since the prince had just learned about Merlin's magic but was unable to mention it with Arthur close ahead and often glancing back.
"It does seem that your ankle is greatly damaged." Gaius nodded as Merlin tried to sit up straight again. "There's a lot of swelling and a fractured bone. It will take several days and a great amount of rest before you're able to return to your daily duties. I'm afraid you'll be in bed for quite a while."
Merlin shook his head instinctively and tried to stand to show Gaius that he was fine but Prince Garrick held Merlin's shoulder down gently to discourage it.
"You heard the man." Garrick said.
"It's really not that painful and I'm a quick healer." Merlin insisted. "Maybe I can rest a day and return the next. I'll be in tip-top shape in no time."
"You're actually wanting to work?" Gaius asked Merlin suspiciously.
"…well, being Prince Garrick's servant isn't as stressful." Merlin said to Garrick's amusement. "Not that there's anything wrong with Arthur…he's a compassionate prince and he'll make a very honorable and just king…it's just that he's a bit patronizing. He likes to take his boredom out on me and then he chooses to carry serious burdens alone. It's like the only time I know everything is alright is when he's bullying me."
There was a silence in the room and Garrick only stared down at Merlin whose eyes were directed at the ground, trying not to recall the last time Arthur had ignored Merlin's help in a serious matter. It happened too often. Gaius cleared his throat and Merlin looked up.
"I have some patients to tend to so I'll be leaving now." The old physician said.
Merlin nodded but didn't realize until Gaius was leaving through the door that this left him alone with the prince again. At least this time they weren't in a dark cave, but maybe the fact that he knew Prince Garrick was staring at him made things worse.
"He only meant to be on the safe side." Merlin told Garrick. "It won't really take that long to heal."
"I think we'd be better off playing it safe after playing it risky." Garrick replied as he took the seat beside Gaius's bed where Merlin sat.
Another silence started to play and Merlin glanced at the floor again before looking over at the table where medicines were poured into their proper bottles and arranged by color and purpose. As a way to distract himself, he recalled what each of them was for but Garrick interrupted him.
"I believe there's something we should talk about." The prince said.
"…thank you, for not telling Arthur that is." Merlin replied quietly.
"You know, magic isn't outlawed in Sythian." Garrick told him to which Merlin looked over curiously, wondering why the prince brought it up.
"It's not like Uther would change the ban on magic just because our kingdoms are finding peace with each other." Merlin said and glanced down again. "Camelot will stay like this, at least until Arthur is king. Even then, I'm unsure if he would change the law. He's always been told by his father that magic is evil. Even if that's not true and even if it could save a lot of people, bring a lot of people to peace, Arthur wouldn't know. For him to trust something that Uther has always been against, it would take something drastic."
"I'm not talking about changing the law." Garrick said with a slight shake of his head.
Merlin met the prince's eyes expecting a casual look of proposition but he found a serious expression of hope. It stirred Merlin slightly to see the prince's deep gold eyes cut into a gentle expression, much like a lion's.
"You said yourself that being Arthur's manservant is stressful." Garrick said calmly, his low voice humming warmly against the cool air. "If you would like, I can take you back to Sythian with me. I'd be kinder to you and once I'm king, I can even grant you nobility and a place in my court as well as a nice place to live. In Sythian, you wouldn't be prosecuted for your magic. You could help people. You could even help Camelot by fighting beside us. There are so many lives you could save."
Merlin stared at the prince disbelievingly. Such an offer as to take him to Sythian, make him part of the court, to let him use magic, it was a better life that Merlin could expect so early on but it was right at his fingertips…but leaving Camelot was something Merlin couldn't do. Merlin could decide for his own comfort and a few hundred lives now but what about the thousands he could save by staying by Arthur's side? What about the millions in the future?
He couldn't leave when he had such an important purpose here. His duty was to assist Arthur in bringing about Albion. Leaving now was in its own way, treachery. Also, Merlin felt that leaving Arthur behind would be an unforgivable act on its own. The prince relied on Merlin more than he knew. Arthur could die.
"I'm sorry, Garrick." Merlin said while unable to look away from the prince's falling expression. "I appreciate your offer, more than you could understand, but I owe a duty to Arthur and Camelot as well. As it is, Prince Arthur would be dead by now without me."
Garrick managed a smile but even Merlin sensed the stiffness in it. He'd really wanted Merlin to say yes.
"Why would you make such an offer anyway?" Merlin asked curiously. "You've only known me for a day and I haven't even done much but bring your breakfast. You saw me use magic but you aren't questioning my intentions?"
"I'm a good judge of character." The prince said with a slightly more comfortable smile. "And I knew when I first arrived that you were something special. You stood out from the others, and not just the servants. You're the first person I noticed when I entered the courtyard."
Merlin felt a bit confused and even flustered but he didn't say anything to reject the prince's comment. There was the possibility that the young warlock was just interpreting it the wrong way.
Had he really been looking at me that time? Merlin asked himself.
"I've been listening to you talk, as well." Prince Garrick went on. "The way you speak of Arthur, even if he's a bully sometimes, you truly believe it when you say he'll make a great king. I can hear it in your voice. You're very loyal, someone I'd be lucky to have in my kingdom."
"I think you're overpraising me now." Merlin said with a contradicting smile that showed he liked the attention.
"I'm not." The prince said simply. "Perhaps, even if you don't come to stay with me in Sythian, you could visit from time to time."
"I wouldn't want to be a burden in your castle."
Merlin turned his eyes away so he wouldn't appear so awkward in rejecting such a great opportunity. Why would a prince like Garrick need him? If anything, Merlin would show up and Garrick would have forgotten about him. It would be disappointing and Merlin would feel out of place. People would call him foolish. Arthur would laugh at him.
Garrick seemed to sense the downcast thoughts turning in Merlin's head because he rested a careful hand on the wizard's shoulder. Merlin looked over again in surprise. Garrick met his eyes with such an intense look.
"I've only asked you and you alone." He told Merlin. "I won't force you or guilt you into it but I don't want to think of you just as my ally. I want us to be friends."
Merlin couldn't help wanting to step over that line, to go, but his conscience told him to stay where he was, that he'd made the right decision by staying with Arthur in Camelot. Still, he weighed his options. It couldn't hurt to leave Camelot for a few days, could it?
"I'll think about it." Merlin nodded slowly to the prince.
A wide smile spread over Garrick's face and Merlin was so amazed by the prince's resemblance to a grinning cat that he smiled a little, too. After that, Prince Garrick left so Merlin could rest and perhaps think about his proposal. On the way to his chambers, Garrick was met with Arthur's eyes as Camelot's prince turned to face him from the wall he'd been leaning against.
"Prince Arthur," Garrick said with a reserved expression. "Can I help you with something?"
"I don't want to offend you." Arthur replied.
"I believe we're of the same level so you may address me whichever way you like. Unless you blatantly cause offense, I'll pardon your choice of words."
The Sythian Prince's reply caused more apprehension to stir in Arthur. Garrick was a calm young man even in personal matters which contrasted greatly from Arthur. Even Arthur understood that in this situation, if he were to talk down to him, he'd only appear ridiculous.
Arthur had been waiting by Prince Garrick's door for ten minutes or so since he was unable to concentrate on his books and it wouldn't have been appropriate to train at this time of night. Thus he was thinking again of the cave where he'd found Merlin and Garrick. Not knowing had started to bother him, especially since he had no other distractions. That's when he walked to Garrick's door and knocked, then waited until now.
"Come in." Garrick told Arthur as he opened the door.
Arthur followed him in without a word but a strongly sober expression. He glanced about the other prince's belongings as Garrick walked to the table and leaned forward on the back of one tall chair by his folded arms.
"Is it that you wanted to ask me something about Merlin?" he asked Arthur.
"…is he alright?" the prince asked reluctantly while pretending to seem less concerned.
"He'll be resting for a while but he will heal." Garrick nodded. "Is that really what you came to ask me?"
"I'm only prince now but like you, I'll one day be taking the throne. These people, even the commoners, are important to me. Putting even one of them at risk is one too many." Arthur explained.
"What risk do you think Merlin is being put in?" Garrick asked. "I did do something dangerous and got him involved but isn't a prince's life more important than a servant's?"
Arthur felt conflicted to answer. He felt that no, in this situation, he'd have Garrick dead a lot sooner than Merlin, but he couldn't say that.
"Either way, he's no longer in danger." Garrick said when Arthur didn't answer. "He's safely getting rest and I don't intend to trouble him. Perhaps since he dislikes serving you, this will make for an opportunity to relax."
Arthur's jaw tightened and he felt a direct hit from Garrick's words, despite the prince's seemingly flawless composure and sincerity.
"He told you he dislikes it?" Arthur asked with a slight laugh though it was coated with bitterness.
"Not in those words." Garrick admitted with a shake of his head. "Rather, he said he prefers serving me. He said it's less stressful and that I don't patronize him."
Arthur was unable to conceal the offense and it showed easily on his face that he was outraged, but at whom, even he didn't know. At Garrick for telling him or at Merlin for saying something like that in front of a royal who wasn't him? It was different when Merlin complained to Arthur's face. Arthur could defend himself and it had become a habit of theirs to go back and forth like that.
Does he take my words to heart? Arthur wondered.
"Does it really bother you that Merlin prefers me?" Garrick asked to add insult to injury.
"Merlin?" Arthur asked with a haughty laugh. "He's only a servant. What difference does his opinion make? Servants as lousy as him can be found by the handful."
"I'm glad you feel that way." Garrick nodded. "I offered Merlin the chance to come with me back to Sythian."
At that, Arthur's heart darkened but he covered it up half-decently by only dropping his former grin to a straight face.
"Good for Merlin, then." He said unconvincingly but Garrick already expected as much.
"He did turn the opportunity down, however." Garrick mentioned. "But he has agreed to think about travelling between kingdoms on occasion."
"Between kingdoms?" Arthur asked with offended confusion. "Does he expect me to do his chores for the time he's gone?"
"Perhaps it would be best to get a new servant altogether. I can find a way to help Merlin put his best abilities to use."
Arthur was further thrust into confusion. Was he about to lose his loyal servant to this condescending arse? Surely Merlin would be eaten alive in Sythian. There were dark places and dangerous people. Magic wasn't even banned there. Sorcerers roamed around openly and if Merlin were to get on their bad side, he'd be killed or worse.
"There are plenty of others willing to work even harder than him to be a prince's servant. Why are you so insistent on taking Merlin alone?" Arthur asked Garrick.
Garrick stood up straight, arms lifted from the chair but hands still holding the back of it.
"Because Merlin is a very special young man and you fail to appreciate that." Garrick answered smoothly. "He was reluctant to reject my offer but did so anyway because he's given you his loyalty. Such a person shouldn't be wasted on simple chores. Someone with Merlin's talent deserves the best, just short of being a prince himself. In my kingdom, he would already be a nobleman."
Arthur was disturbed by the prince's audacity in defending Merlin. Surely there was something going on that he didn't understand, something that he hadn't been told about. Could it have had anything to do with what happened in the cave?
"We have different laws about nobility in Camelot." Arthur said. "Even then, for Merlin to be a noble, the standards would have to be lowered. More men than not would become nobles and commoners would be near non-existent. That's not how things work here. We have standards."
"And Merlin exceeds them in his own way, I assure you." Garrick responded swiftly.
"…what could have happened from the time you left to the time I found you both that convinced you Merlin is someone so special?" Arthur asked, partly not wanting an answer but asking because he could't stand not knowing.
One corner of Garrick's mouth turned up. Arthur immediately regreted asking. The other prince's cattish smirk caused Arthur's blood to turn cold.
"You could say he put a spell on me." Garrick said, his tone dark and suggestive.
Arthur was unnerved, already understanding the prince's meaning. Garrick wasn't the noble prince everyone believed him to be. Arthur still didn't know what to say but only stared out in shock. Garrick sighed and walked in the direction of the door, passing Arthur who stayed put.
"If you have nothing else to say, I'll be heading to dinner, then." Garrick told Arthur over his shoulder. "Perhaps you should get some sleep. From what I can tell, skipping a meal wouldn't hurt you."
Arthur's jaw tightened in aggravation but Garrick left at that, stepping into the hallway and heading to the dining hall. There he found King Uther and Lady Morgana already seated and waiting with their chalices in movement between exchanges. They both looked up as Garrick arrived at the tableside to take his seat across from Morgana on Uther's right.
"Are you feeling more comfortable now?" Uther asked him.
"Much, Your Majesty. Thank you." Garrick nodded charismatically.
"Is Arthur coming anytime soon?" Morgana asked as she peered toward the open doors at the end of the room.
"I spoke with him in the hallway just a moment ago and he looks tired." Garrick said.
"Perhaps he's gone to bed." Uther suggested. "We shouldn't keep ourselves waiting."
"He'll join us if he wants." Morgana agreed.
Uther gestured to a servant standing by one of the columns in the room and she turned back through a door. Shortly, the diners were brought their food on silver trays and Uther stroke up conversation with Garrick who was as charming as ever.
"I feel I've heard this conversation before." Morgana grinned at the king upon hearing the same defense Uther had used with Arthur two nights before.
"Great stories must be told." Uther replied with a smile of his own.
"Speaking of battles, what of the friendly competition I've heard about for tomorrow?" Morgana asked.
"Competition?" Garrick inquired of them both.
"Ah yes," Uther nodded. "I'd heard of your swordsmanship and Arthur seemed interested in giving you a try. Perhaps you'd like to spar with him tomorrow afternoon? It would be a friendly competition between the two of you, held just on the training grounds with the knights and us present."
"It would be interesting to see Arthur find his match." Morgana nodded amusedly.
"I look forward to it." Prince Garrick smiled courteously.