The following morning, Arthur lied awake in bed, staring up at the canopy overhead. He'd not been able to sleep for half the night, partly because of his stomach growling. His mind still buzzed with Garrick's words. He couldn't seem to escape them.
"He said he prefers serving me." "I can find a way to help Merlin put his best abilities to use." "Because Merlin is a very special young man and you fail to appreciate that." "You could say he put a spell on me…"
Garrick's words had left cold traces all over Arthur. Not only did the other prince mean to take Merlin away. His intentions were immoral and underhanded. Arthur had thought before that if Merlin were to go to Sythian, he would be too easy a target to survive the travel past bandits and magical beings. Now, Merlin might not even survive in Sythian's castle. He'd be too unsuspecting to avoid Prince Garrick's trap.
"Why must I do everything?" Arthur sighed to himself.
Arthur eventually got out of bed on his own when he realized that Merlin wouldn't be coming around this morning. He had one servant from the hallway fetch his breakfast and another draw his bath in Merlin's place but didn't speak aside from giving basic orders. Sometime into the morning, Arthur contemplated going to check on Merlin but hesitated.
I don't want him to get the wrong idea, the prince convinced himself, but what if Prince Garrick has gone to check on him?
At that, Arthur headed down to Gaius and Merlin's chambers in the castle, just to make sure nothing suspicious was going on. He almost knocked on the door but held back. If anything was happening, he'd be giving them a warning to cover it up. Instead, he carefully peered into the room.
Gaius was standing over a table spread with small bottles of varying colors. Merlin was nowhere to be seen and Arthur suspected him to be in his own bed. He nearly walked in but Merlin's door opened. He ducked back but continued to look through the crack in the doorway. Prince Garrick stepped out with a smile on his face as Merlin shouted after him.
"Come back again and tell me who wins!" he called to Garrick.
He actually thinks I might lose? Arthur thought to himself with a bit of anger starting to bubble again.
Garrick nodded and closed the door behind him. He started heading to the front with a nod in Gaius's direction. Arthur quickly scrambled away from the door and back in the direction he'd come. He made it far enough back that Garrick didn't see him.
When the other prince was gone, he went down the steps and waited at the door again, contemplating what to do. He decided against going to visit Merlin. He was obviously alright. Instead, he headed on to the arena. By the time he arrived outside the ring, Garrick was already preparing for their spar by putting his armor on.
"I'm glad you could make it." he grinned at Arthur who stepped precariously toward his equipment. "I thought maybe you'd be too tired to attend after searching for us yesterday."
"I had a good rest." Arthur lied.
"So you've started without us?" Lady Morgana laughed as she and King Uther walked by on their way into the arena.
The two took their seats in the higher section of the audience as the two princes prepared, the knights of Camelot making their way into the bleachers. The whole time, Arthur kept his thoughts busy by running a series of useful techniques through his mind, just for rehearsal. Normally he'd have time to practice a bit, warm up, but this wasn't a tournament, really.
They finally stepped into the arena and faced each other for battle, helmets secured and shields raised as their swords were poised in air. Arthur couldn't help feeling that Prince Garrick was smirking like a cat behind the metal of his helmet and that alone caused Arthur to cut a glare.
"Are you worried you'll lose to me again?" Garrick asked just loud enough for Arthur alone to hear.
"Lose? Again?" Arthur asked.
"It really must not bother you that Merlin thinks so highly of me but has no problem insulting you, even behind your back."
Arthur's nostrils flared as his teeth set tightly. He heard a slight huff of laughter escape Prince Garrick's helmet just as Morgana waved the green flag.
Arthur immediately swung in Garrick's direction, much to the knights' surprise. Such an instant burst of attack was so unlike the prince. Garrick avoided the swing but kept his sword back, not bothering to go after Arthur.
"I guess it does bother you." He said instead.
"You're going to talk and not fight?!" Arthur demanded before lunging in his direction again.
Garrick swung low and Arthur barely blocked it with his shield. They continued like this for a few more attacks but even the king stared in disbelief. His son's technique had gone amiss. He saw him train only the week before and he'd been doing well, exceeding the king's expectations, but now…he was being hot-headed and careless, something Arthur had never brought to battle.
"You're leaving yourself open." Garrick told the Camelot Prince.
"Are we training?" Arthur fired back.
"I suppose not." Garrick sighed. "Perhaps your mind is just too busy. Maybe my words last night were a bit misleading."
Arthur held back on attacking but only because Garrick's words had surprised him. Had he just been mistaken? Was Prince Garrick really only interested in having another servant? One that wasn't afraid of royals, someone with a large gob and small mind like Merlin? Arthur could understand that sort of thing better than most, the need to keep that kind of person around. Maybe that was why he felt so determined to keep Merlin around.
"I'll only ask once." Arthur said but kept his sword ready as the spectators began to whisper to each other. "What are your intentions with my manservant?"
"One does not normally hear such concern combined with the word manservant in the same sentence." Garrick laughed. "It's truly amazing coming from you, Arthur."
"Answer." Arthur pressed.
Garrick's eyes sharpened but Arthur wasn't shaken like before. He expected it this time. The two stood still with their eyes meeting, the air around them deathly silent, until Garrick broke it.
"When I leave Camelot, I'll be taking Merlin in every sense of the word." He said with an intense and daring stare.
Arthur stared in disbelief now. The fury in his chest pained him.
"You'll be taking scars!" Arthur shouted and swung his sword hard against Garrick's shield.
He attacked again and again and the observers watched in horror as their once strategic prince took out his anger on the front of Garrick's shield. Arthur began to slow and in a moment of weakness when his sword was too slow, Garrick ducked and swung a swift leg under the prince's footing.
Arthur fell back feeling dizzy and angry but Garrick towered over him with a sword to the prince's chest. Arthur had lost.
I've lost…
"He lost…" Morgana murmured from her seat.
Disbelief registered on the king's face and even the Camelot knights looked to Prince Garrick in amazement. Garrick took his helmet off and tossed it back to the ground. He leaned a bit closer down to Arthur who was starting to come back to his senses.
"Your pride alone has cost that beautiful boy a lot more than you could understand." Garrick whispered to Arthur maliciously. "It's about time someone cut it down and showed you your place. It sickens me to see you keep Merlin by your side, but you won't be able to for much longer."
Arthur's breathing got harder but Garrick lifted his sword from his chest and turned, leaving the defeated prince on his own. Arthur was quick in anger and grabbed his sword from the ground, rapidly finding his footing and lunging after Garrick.
Several Sythian knights jumped in and blocked the way with crossed swords. The king rose to his feet in a panic. Garrick simply looked back, not surprised in the least. Arthur's chest moved up and down strongly as his fast pulse pounded through his head, almost masking the Sythian Prince's next words.
"It seems I have someone very special to report to." He said with a gentle smile.
Arthur's eyes shook partly in anger but partly in fear of what this all meant.
Prince Garrick turned and walked on, not even bothering to remove anything but his heavier armor on his way toward the castle. His knights stayed behind but lowered their swords again. Everyone, even King Uther, was silent.
Arthur thought of going after him again. Even if he couldn't stop Garrick, he could warn Merlin…but what if Merlin was okay with it? What if Merlin really wanted to leave, despite Prince Garrick's immoral intentions? Could Merlin really hate Arthur that much? Wouldn't Arthur only make things worse by appearing desperate in front of his own manservant?
All of the thoughts in Arthur's head collided and he was left with more questions than answers, just so many things that were unknown to him. He dropped to his knees in confusion. Despite a reassuring pat on the shoulder from his father, Arthur's heart ached greatly at the thought of losing Merlin this way. He wouldn't let that happen.