Bright sunlight fell over Merlin's face and he instinctively rolled away from it, only to turn further into the extremely soft and full pillows. At the unfamiliar coziness, Merlin opened his eyes. He almost jolted up but calmed when he remembered where he was. Then he actually laughed at himself about it. He turned over again and squinted into the sunlight to see his temporary servant boy, the one who took his horse when he arrived. He was currently placing out Merlin's breakfast on the table. His name was Channing and he very strangely resembled Arthur in hair color and eye shape. Everything else was different, though. His physique was leaner and even if he was a bit muscular from working in the stables, his frame was smaller than Merlin's.
"Good morning, My Lord." Channing said as Merlin finally sat up.
"Um, good morning?" Merlin replied unsurely but politely. "I'm not a nobleman. You can call me Merlin."
"I've brought your breakfast, Merlin." Channing replied. "Prince Garrick is in a meeting this morning but has said that you should make yourself at home and take a walk around the castle if you like. Princess Aster should be about and training after her morning writing lessons."
"Thank you, Channing." Merlin nodded with an impressed smile.
"Anything you need, I will be nearby." Channing bowed with a smile.
The servant left the room and Merlin was unsure if that even just happened. Was this how Arthur felt? But he always complained when Merlin was being too cheery. He should have really appreciated everything Merlin did. It made it much easier to enjoy.
Merlin eventually slid out of bed and dressed before sitting at the table with his breakfast. The food was so amazing. The fruit was perfectly fresh and the sliced ham was tender. Merlin couldn't tell whether or not it was prepared with magic but did know that he loved it and shouldn't become too acclimated to fine food.
After eating, he took the opportunity to explore the sunny corridors. Many servants walked through and every last one of them offered a kind smile and nod, as if it was a very exciting day. Merlin began to wonder if there was supposed to be some event later. Everyone, especially the maids, was emanating a sense of joy. It seems like Merlin had come at a very good time.
He occasionally tried to make conversation with some of the maids but whenever they got past introductions, the girls would get shy and giggly which greatly confused the boy. There were even moments that he sensed he was being watched. He didn't feel any threat but it was still a bit unnerving, especially when nobody would make conversation with him.
He eventually wandered out back to the field where the knights were training and felt a bit more comfortable when they chatted him up and invited him to watch practice spars between some of them. It was going well and not much later, Princess Aster arrived in a similar outfit as yesterday's practice but with yellow ribbon woven through her braid and a pink shirt underneath her thick corset.
"I imagine you see this sort of thing often." She said to Merlin as one last spar continued.
"I'm not that great with swords but I do help clean them." Merlin replied with a slightly ironic smile.
"You don't like sword fighting?" Aster asked him.
"…well, it depends." He said unsurely. "It's good to know for when you're in danger but I don't see the fun in having tournaments where you half-kill your opponent for sport. I know I'm being naïve but there has to be better things."
"There are." Aster nodded and that got Merlin's full attention. "I guess you wouldn't know about them, being from Camelot, but here we have competitions where witches and warlocks of any status compete with those in the same level of difficulty. There are categories for beauty like some of the element art you witnessed in the marketplace. There's a skill category for showing the many uses of magic, anything from weaving baskets to raising crops instantly."
That explained their comfortable flow of food.
"There's even a battling category." Aster smiled. "Now, it's most definitely not any safer than sword dueling and can even become even more dangerous than that but we always have physicians, magical or not, waiting to treat the wounded. Everyone enjoys it. Occasionally we even let swordsmen without magic compete against sorcerers if they're both fitted to the difficulty. Magic doesn't always win."
Merlin nodded. He found it very interesting how they'd learned to interact with each other in something that should have seemed unfair, but wasn't. Magic was just like a sword. Some knew better than others how to wield it and you could inflict its damage on others but also yourself. They were both very dangerous but with the user's intent being honorable, they were both the same. For magic to always win, that would be when it was unfair. Magic causes no more harm than metal weapons. It was only a new weapon that most people didn't know how to handle. That was why Sythian was such a powerful kingdom.
Their knights didn't just train against other knights. They trained against sword and magic. They were ready for anything because they were used to it. How could Uther still not see this?
"Enjoying Sythian?" a somewhat familiar voice sighed.
Merlin looked back as Prince Garrick walked his way with Eldon loyally following. There was a tease of laughter from the princess's audience as her brother came to stand by his guest's side. Merlin noticed the weird atmosphere falling over the women and even a few of the knights that weren't focused on the ending spar.
"I am." Merlin answered the prince and tried not to pay much mind to the maids. "Aster was just telling me about the competitions you have here. Is there one anytime soon?"
"Not until late winter, I'm afraid." Garrick replied with a sigh. "But this isn't the last time you're visiting, I hope. You'll be coming back then, won't you?"
"Perhaps more often than I'd expected." Merlin said with an odd sense of relief and a grin.
A few more quiet giggles tickled the air and Aster had to hush the women with a fraudulently firm expression. She was happy as well.
The spar between knights ended and servants quickly cleared the field by hand while magic was used for the heavier objects. Merlin noticed most of the knights who should be tiredly heading to the armory were instead crowding at the field line to watch the princess's practice.
She really is admired, Merlin thought to himself.
"It's like this most days." Garrick answered before Merlin could even ask.
"Does that bother you?" Merlin asked with a raised eyebrow.
"As long as she doesn't fall in love with one of the drunks or womanizers in our army, I will support her in a refined pursuit. After all," he said and smiled down at Merlin. "Love is love."
Merlin felt his heart quiver and looked away as if it would hide his blush but it had spread to his ears and was incredibly visible. Even the knights took notice though they weren't trying particularly hard to eavesdrop on. The prince had become very open about showing his affection.
Princess Aster began her practice while the knights watched. Her brother and Merlin stayed to view as well and she felt a bit more energetic knowing Eldon would be able to see her. The magic practice began just as Prince Arthur was observing the upper townspeople to see who went into the castle. After a while, he followed after some stable boys and they led him around the castle and through a large wooden gate. It opened to a massive field of bright green grass. It was a place that looked like spring despite the season being autumn. It was absolutely…magical.
Arthur shook away his fascination and continued on after the boys headed for the stables. Perhaps he could take the next step from there. The stables were closer to the castle than the way he'd come in and Arthur figured if a group of knights were to pass, he could give the pretense that he was a servant, as difficult as that would seem for a prince.
Arthur was still waiting for a chance to move when he noticed an abnormal commotion on the practice field. There was a bright white light and a sudden rain followed by heavy laughter from the knights as a beautiful girl with yellow ribbon woven through her light brown braid was soaked with the sudden magical downpour. Despite how much that scene should have bothered him, Arthur wasn't focused on the witch practicing her magic so openly. Instead, his eyes landed on a single dark-haired, big-eared, smiling idiot that he knew very well as his manservant and the person he was trying to save, Merlin.
He stood beside Prince Garrick and the two of them seemed to be guiltily enjoying the witch's unfortunate mishap. They even exchanged comments and smiles while nearby maids stared with goofy grins. Arthur felt his temper rising but stayed where he was and watched while waiting.
Garrick occasionally turned to Merlin with a slightly less humored expression to say something and Merlin would converse with him so casually, as if the man he was speaking to wasn't a prince. He seemed rather conscious of the maids next to them, though, confused even. Perhaps they were enjoying Prince Garrick's poor attempts to seduce Arthur's manservant.
Good thing Merlin's a naïve twit, Arthur thought sort of proudly.
"Excuse me, who are you?" a soft voice asked.
Arthur looked over from his hiding place behind a post at a young maid who was carrying a basket of linens. She gave Arthur a curious look and he tried to make himself look less suspicious by relaxing his posture to that of a commoner.
"I don't recognize you." The girl told him. "Are you a friend of Merlin's?"
"Merlin?" he asked innocently. "Who's that?"
"The man beside the prince that you've been staring at for several minutes." She said with no particular implication.
"Uh, no, I'm visiting from the lower towns." Arthur lied. "My cousin works in the castle's kitchen."
"Oh," she nodded with a smile. "Well if you're here to help your cousin, you shouldn't be in the stables. I can take you to the kitchen if you're lost."
This could be Arthur's chance! If he could get this girl to lead him in without Merlin or Garrick seeing him, he could get into the castle and later find Merlin's room. He could tell him about Garrick like he should have from the start and he could take him home…because Gaius and Guinevere missed him.
"Thank you…um-"
"Annalisa." The girl said.
"Thank you, Annalisa." Arthur nodded.
"Come on, then." She smiled and passed the hiding prince.
He walked on Annalisa's right to be further out of Merlin's sight but he still watched them. Annalisa noticed and glanced over as well.
"It hasn't been announced but they get on like it." she said.
Arthur looked down at her questioningly but kept walking.
"Like what?" Arthur asked her.
"They're being very discreet but I overheard a few of the knights laughing about how the two of them were flirting on the travel here from Camelot." She smiled as she looked up at Arthur again. "I didn't believe it myself at first but when you see them together, you can feel this relaxed and happy glow. Prince Garrick has been a lot happier since coming back with Merlin and the man looks happy to be here. He's especially understanding of our culture, despite being from a place like Camelot."
"What's wrong with Camelot?" Arthur asked, feeling the need to defend his father's kingdom.
"Well, my mother tells me not to speak badly of other kingdoms just because they haven't accepted magic yet but Camelot is the kingdom where my father was killed for using sorcery." The girl answered with a disheartening expression.
Arthur felt guilt slowly sinking into him but reminded himself that Camelot had laws and the people within it should obey them. Besides, sorcery was dangerous. It was for the better…wasn't it?
"My mother took me and my brother away from Camelot after my father was executed but everywhere we went, everyone feared magic and wouldn't accept us because of me and my brother." Annalisa said.
I'm walking with a witch?! Arthur thought to himself in slight worry.
"One day we were being chased through the woods in Cenred's kingdom by a witch hunter." She went on. "Out of nowhere, Prince Garrick rode up beside us and pulled me up onto his horse. Some of his knights helped my mother and my brother while others kept the witch hunter away until we could escape to Sythian's boarder. We didn't even know the kingdom existed. The prince saved my life and more importantly, what I have left of my family. He gave us a home and jobs and his father is a very kind but strong king. My mother discourages boasting it but I believe Sythian is the greatest kingdom to exist. Perhaps since Camelot has now made peace with us, they will begin to see all the good we can do."
Arthur felt conflicted by the young girl's words. In his heart, he felt how grateful she was and looking around, he did see how peaceful the people were. Still, in his mind, he remembered understanding the reasons why magic could not be allowed in Camelot. He may not have been able to recall them but they'd been good reasons.
"And this Merlin person is adjusting well?" Arthur asked as he peered back toward his manservant who smiled stupidly as another gale of laughter broke from the practicing witch's crowd.
"I saw him when he rode in yesterday." Annalisa nodded with a grin. "He looked so amazed by the street performers. Everybody is really excited that he'll be staying for a little while. He's said he will return later on, as well. I think everyone is silently congratulating the prince on finding such a charming lover."
At that, Arthur choked a bit on his spit and his eyes started to water while Annalisa stopped to stare at him with concern.
"Are you alright?" she asked him.
"Lover?" Arthur replied with a stinging throat.
"Well they were flirting before and even now their exchanges are alluding such a romance." She nodded. "I'm sorry. It's not really new to those of us who work in the castle but I guess you wouldn't know of the prince's inclinations, being from a lower town."
Again, Arthur felt a bit dizzy with disbelief. Sythian's people actually knew of their prince's preference for males? But shouldn't that have been discouraged? What about heirs? Garrick was the eldest son in his family, the only son. He had a younger sister but it was the prince's duty to ascend the throne upon his father's resignation. Did King George plan to leave Sythian in the hands of two kings?
"It's probably best if you don't say anything bad about Merlin." Annalisa told Arthur who seemed to still be stuck in his own disbelieving mind. "Prince Garrick is very protective of him and so is the princess. Even most of the servants that aren't jealous have come to favor him. I myself think he's very sweet and makes a perfect match for the prince."
Arthur felt like the earth beneath his feet was unstable. There was a bad rolling in his stomach that he couldn't define and when he looked at Merlin and Garrick, happily watching someone blatantly performing magic, smiling to each other, he felt a bit dejected. Why would he feel this way? Even if Merlin decided to stay, he was just a servant. Even if Arthur had felt them slowly becoming friends, Merlin should have been able to choose. Even if the prince would miss him when he was gone, Merlin seemed like he would be happier here…with Prince Garrick…
"We should hurry to the kitchen now." Annalisa said upon remembering why they were standing in the middle of the field. "Your cousin must be expecting you. Which one are they?"
Arthur didn't answer but followed as the young witch servant walked on. He watched Merlin grinning and chattering like the bumbling idiot he was, but Arthur felt a sense of loss at the sight. Merlin could be like that with someone else. He could just move on to another prince and be the same person. He wouldn't care about the prince he'd left behind. Garrick's words are becoming true.
"I shouldn't have come." Arthur murmured quietly to himself.
Annalisa casted a questioning glance back since the visitor's words hadn't been coherent but Arthur didn't explain and she continued to lead him into the castle while he walked with his eyes cast solemnly toward the ground.