There was a long silence in the armory as Eldon watched his master carefully, wondering how long it would be before the prince started shouting. Would he shout? Garrick was aware that for anything to happen, he'd have to speak, but he wasn't sure how he should approach the situation. While feeling the very obvious need to protect his younger sister, he also respected Eldon. It didn't seem like any harm had been done so far and Aster looked so happy with him. Prince Garrick was certainly in no position to deny someone else their happiness in love, even if it was hidden.
"…my sister," Garrick said to remind Eldon how personal it was. "Your relationship with her is different from how you've led on?"
Eldon swallowed and his gaze left the prince before he slowly nodded. There was no point in lying.
"You realize this should have been announced, don't you?" Garrick asked him. "You've been freely walking the same halls as her. You're a servant, Eldon. You're trusted by us. Do you have any idea what this would look like to others? You've been here since we were just young boys and Aster is still only a girl."
Eldon looked up and wished he could make his defense but the room remained absent of his long lost voice. He tried instead to give this look of request that both Garrick and Aster had come to know well.
"I understand without having to hear it." Garrick told Eldon. "You really love her."
Eldon nodded meaningfully with a look that Garrick had never seen before. The prince sensed that his sister had seen it many times, however. It was so honest, a look of desperate conveyance, one that showed care and a bit of sadness in the fact that it couldn't be said aloud.
"…I myself won't forbid your relationship but I cannot speak for my father." Garrick said with a perhaps regretful look of seriousness. "Having Aster present is necessary and I will remain close in case I'm needed. Just know that it's not because I'm allowing you two to walk free after sneaking around. I'm only letting you go because there's no one else that Aster would love that I would trust with her."
Eldon nodded as a bit of weight lifted from his chest. Prince Garrick took a step and clapped the servant's shoulder once before turning toward the door.
"Oh," he said as he looked back and Eldon looked up from the armor. "You'll speak to my father this evening after supper. Know that it will take extreme favor for him to accept you."
Eldon was brought under by the new fear and Garrick felt a bit guilty as he left but knew there wasn't anything he could do that he hadn't, really. He'd already given them an advantage of sorts. Surely they didn't think they could wait until he became king. Besides, people may think that the prince would make for a softer king than his father but that wasn't true. There were quite a few things that Garrick would change about the law, given the chance, and not many of them would be freedoms. As pleasant as the idea was, freedom made way for injustice, ironically. Garrick was wise like his father and loving like his mother, but he was also strategic all on his own.
After speaking with Eldon, Garrick headed back toward his room where he hoped to talk to Merlin about the new blond guest occupying the servants' quarters. Before he could reach his chambers, however, he found Merlin in the corridor where Arthur had just been. He was on his knees, eyes moving attentively about the floor as a maid tried to convince him to stand. Garrick found the sight slightly worrying but also slightly amusing. The maid looked up and the prince waved her off without a word.
Merlin didn't look up even as the maid disappeared from his side and Garrick sank to his knees in her place beside the dark-haired boy.
"Maybe you dropped it on your way to the prince's room." Garrick said in a casual tone.
"It was in my hand. I think it slipped when I turned the corner." Merlin replied without looking up.
"But it's so small. How do you plan to find it on your own?" the prince smiled slightly.
"I have to find it. It's important." Merlin said.
The sorcerer suddenly jolted in surprise, only now realizing how the voice beside him had deepened. He looked back at Garrick kneeling beside him with an amused smirk. The prince leaned over and gently pressed a kiss into Merlin's left cheek. The boy blushed but his surprised expression didn't change.
"So what did you lose?" Garrick asked as he started to stand.
Merlin followed suit and brushed off his knees despite there not being much dust on the floor.
"Um, it rolled." Merlin answered first. "The stone you let me keep, it slipped from my hand and I can't find it now."
"Maybe Prince Arthur has it."
"…so you spoke with him?" Merlin murmured.
"Did anything happen?" Garrick asked with a slightly more serious expression. "Should I have made him leave?"
"Uh, no." Merlin said quickly. "I mean, he'll leave on his own. Nothing happened."
Merlin buried the slight buzz on his bottom lip under his teeth and Garrick pretended not to notice.
"He told you to come back, didn't he?" the prince asked.
"I've already told him no." Merlin said.
"Don't feel like I'm angry with you." Garrick said while shaking his head with concern. "I'm only making sure he isn't a threat to us."
"He isn't." Merlin said surely. "I mean he's a prince. He wouldn't do anything dishonorable. He has a lot to lose."
Garrick only nodded and Merlin felt the need to add on.
"Besides, I've already made my decision." He said.
"Then maybe we should enjoy our last day in Sythian before travelling to Camelot." Garrick said with a light smile. "I believe tonight will be a bit eventful."
Merlin gave a questioning look.
"Someone has been courting my sister and he'll be speaking with my father after the evening meal." Garrick explained.
"Eldon?" Merlin asked to Garrick's surprise.
"How did you know?" he asked. "Did you overhear them?"
"Actually that's why I'm looking for the stone." Merlin said. "…I think I could hear Eldon."
"…you could hear Eldon? Like his thoughts?"
"What if the reason the stone didn't work is because someone else's blood had already touched it?" Merlin asked. "A lot of charms only work once, especially powerful ones like that."
"But Eldon has never seen the stone." Garrick said. "I mean, I don't think he's ever tried to tell me about it."
"When did you get the stone? Was it after Eldon moved into the castle?"
"…a few months after." The prince nodded. "You're sure it was him?"
"I heard him this morning when he brought your breakfast." Merlin nodded surely. "Um, is it really alright that the servants see us like that?"
"We didn't do anything indecent." He shrugged. "Besides, my father knows and has accepted it. While keeping common decency in mind, we've nothing to hide."
"Your father knows?" Merlin asked, the slightest bit upset. "About us? The king knows about us?"
"…did I not mention that last night."
Merlin shook his head and Garrick tried not to make it seem like a big deal.
"Well he's known about my preferences for several years now." The prince said without any tone indicating significance. "Even my mother knew."
"But you must have just told him." Merlin said. "I should have gone with you."
"I haven't actually spoken with him today." Garrick replied in a quieter voice.
"What?"
"It's not that I said we were together. I think he assumed-'
"You mean you let him assume." Merlin finished blankly.
A small wave of shame came over Garrick.
"I don't really know whether or not I like the confidence." Merlin told him. "To be honest, it reminds me of home."
The shame turned bitter as the prince bore another comparison to Arthur. It was a reminder that Merlin was already deeply attached to someone else, someone that Garrick felt he would never be able to compensate for if he were to break them apart.
"I'll make it clear to my father…if our relationship is as it was this morning." Garrick said, not daring to add wood to the fire.
"It isn't a big problem, really." Merlin said. He was a bit ashamed himself for mentioning Arthur. "I just don't want to be misunderstood. I didn't just follow you here in the hopes of seducing you."
"I know." Garrick nodded with his eyes cast at the floor.
Merlin contemplated his next words for only a few short seconds before stepping a little closer and gently cupping the left side of Garrick's face in his palm.
"But I think following you is the greatest thing I've ever done." Merlin whispered.
A brief smile found Garrick's lips before it disappeared under Merlin's. Though the halls were empty, the two stayed cautious and eventually parted to continue the search for the purple stone, all the while stealing glances at each other with the teasing grins of lovers.