Arthur quietly rode back through the markets and toward the castle. A noticeable amount of guilt sat densely in his gut after having thrown the purple stone into a dark cave just an hour's travel from the castle. Even though it was a short distance, retrieving such a small item out of a dark and dangerous cavern like that would be nearly hopeless. Regret had already begun to cloud the prince's mind.
Once he arrived at the castle's back, he stashed his horse in the stables and made sure any seals and crests were hidden before progressing toward the servants' quarters. Upon entering the palace, he was greeted with the chattering of maids and servants. They only paused a brief moment before resuming their gossip.
"I doubt even King George would allow a marriage to happen." One of the maids said.
"People once thought that he wouldn't allow magic yet he married a witch." A younger maid told her. "The prince is his son. If any such marriage were to happen, it would be for him."
"It's likely they aren't celibate in the first place." A third and much older maid added.
Arthur pushed their words out and kept walking through the hall toward the kitchen. He'd been listening to servants gossip for the duration of his stay and it'd made him feel a bit self-conscious. What did his servants say about him? Was it only Sythian that had so much gossip? Because they were bored? Or were there servants like this working in his castle?
"You're going to speak with the king?" a servant near the staircase out of the kitchen asked someone.
No response came and Arthur glanced up out of habit. He found Eldon standing at the top of the steps beside the servant with a rather anxious expression.
"Or, I guess you're writing to him?" the servants asked in a quieter voice to correct his mistake.
"The princess is speaking for him." A knight said as he came from the hall past the exit. "Dinner is over with and the king is already expecting you, Eldon."
"Good luck." A maid at the bottom of the stairs said, the same maid that tended to the princess herself.
Eldon nodded and followed the knight as he led the way toward the throne room. Arthur then looked to the maid and stopped her before she passed him, momentarily humoring the thought that he was becoming a gossip himself.
"What is he speaking to the king for?" Arthur asked.
"It'll be announced, I suppose." The maid sighed. "He and the princess have been in love for quite some time. Not just fancy each other but true love. It's been especially hard on Eldon, the poor boy."
"Why?"
"Well it isn't easy loving someone you can't speak to, much less a royal." The maid said like it should be obvious. "He can't even give his own defense to the king. Princess Aster will have to speak for him. If the two weren't such a perfect match I would be much more concerned."
"Why can't Eldon speak for himself?" Arthur asked confusedly.
The maid tilted her head slightly, briefly wondering how such a dense boy was let in the castle.
"The boy's a mute." She said to Arthur's surprise. "He was tortured as a child and hasn't been able to speak since. The effects are permanent. He has his literacy and such but voicing his thoughts is no luxury he has. Thank your lucky stars you've got it. There are far too many like yourself who waste such a thing."
Arthur was still baffled by the news as the maid walked away so he didn't take the chance to defend himself. How had he not realized Eldon couldn't speak? It was rare, in the prince's defense, but he should have known. Everyone was just so normal around him that he hadn't thought…
Arthur wasn't able to contemplate it long. The cook found him and ordered him back to the cleaning duties which he'd formerly been slacking on. Arthur made himself the promise that he wouldn't leave here without Merlin. There had to be a way to get him back.
As the hidden prince of Camelot mopped the floors in the kitchen, the Prince of Sythian waited several levels up in the throne room. Garrick stood stoically by his father's throne and while the princess was invited to sit by her father, she'd refused and now stood by her own chair as they waited for Eldon. Merlin stood at the left of the room by Garrick but remained quiet. Everyone was cautiously aware of the tension in the room. The king alone found it odd to be so cold after a pleasant meal together. Aster nearly turned to her father herself but heavy raps on the doors brought her lips to a close as she stiffened.
Guards opened both doors and a knight led Eldon in. The knight briefly introduced Eldon as was proper and bowed out. The king was quite confused as to why the knight would leave. How did Eldon intend to speak to him when there wasn't any writing material?
Eldon stepped forward as the guards closed the doors under the knight's orders. Aster left her father's side to meet Eldon's. The king watched curiously. He nearly asked why his daughter was speaking for Eldon but the slightly apologetic look on her face stalled the question.
"We have something very important to tell you." Aster started as she met her father's eyes. "And it should have been brought to your attention much sooner."
The king tensed on his throne when Aster gently took Eldon's hand. Garrick made a silent prayer from his place but said nothing aloud. It was their time to speak.
"Eldon and I are in love." Aster announced with a surprisingly hearty voice that Merlin found elegant and much like her spirit.
The king stood but his daughter spoke again before he could step down.
"It isn't sudden." she told him. "It's a friendship that has grown to something more."
"You waited this long to tell me?" the king asked his daughter rather than Eldon. "Your mother and I told both you and your brother that you can choose to love who you please. You shouldn't have kept this from me. Do you not trust me, Aster?"
"It isn't trust, father." Aster said quickly. "I know you want what's best for me and you would accept me loving a servant but…he cannot speak."
Aster sucked in a quick breath and felt Eldon's grip tighten on hers. The king understood what she was trying to say. It was one thing for a commoner to marry into royalty but something else for a mute one to have to socialize with nobles. Most nobles would have trouble understanding him. There was also the fact that if anything happened to both the king and Prince Garrick, Aster's husband would be the one to ascend the throne. How could a kingdom have a mute king?
"But we have a plan, I promise." Aster said and there was a bit of hope as well as urgency in her eyes. "There's an enchanted stone, one that Eldon came across a long time ago."
Both Merlin and Garrick shared alarmed glances at the mention of the stone.
"If we find it, I can hear Eldon's thoughts and speak for him." Aster told the king. "We already know that it's supposed to be in a cave. If we have several men search for it, we'll find it sooner."
"Even if we find this stone, the people won't respect a mute ruler, should anything happen to me or your brother." King George said.
"This stone," Garrick said as he stepped toward the lovers. "What does it look like?"
"Um, very small, dark purple," Aster said. "Eldon showed it to me in a book. The druids told him they would hide it in a cave."
"About the size of a pea?" Merlin asked a bit more urgently.
"…you've seen it?" Aster asked as Eldon stared hopefully at the boys.
"I…I didn't think it worked." Garrick said while looking ashamed. "We'd had it for years."
"Had?" the king asked his son.
"I gave it to Merlin as a gift but now it's lost." Garrick said. "It should be somewhere in the halls. We've looked but it can't have gotten far."
"It's in the castle?!" Aster exclaimed and grabbed onto Eldon's arm in wishful excitement.
"I dropped it near the servants' quarters but we already looked. We found nothing." Merlin said.
Aster's excitement depleted but Eldon's determination grew. It was strong in his eyes and Garrick saw it easily.
"Maybe we should ask him." Garrick told Merlin quietly.
"Him?" Merlin asked confusedly, only to understand a second later.
"Arthur." Garrick nodded. "What if he walked off with it?"
"Why would he take a pebble with him?"
"To smite me, I suppose."
"He'd never seen it." Merlin said with a shake of his head.
"Arthur?" Aster asked.
"Guess I'm bad at whispering." Garrick sighed.
"It's a name that sticks out." Merlin mumbled in agreement.
"Are you talking about the prince?" Aster asked her brother.
"We will handle the stone." Garrick assured her and Eldon. "We'll leave you three to discuss this new reveal."
"No. I want to come." The princess said as the two boys were already heading out of the room.
"You will stay, Aster." The king said.
Eldon didn't let go of the princess's hand as Prince Garrick and his own lover left the throne room.
"I'm sure someone of Merlin's talents could use a proper finding spell." The king assured his daughter.
Aster sighed reluctantly but Eldon glanced between the two others in surprise. Aster caught sight and a relieved chuckle slips through her lips.
"Seems odd, someone from Camelot, one royal's servant, another royal's lover, and also a sorcerer." She said which only confused Eldon more. "I'll explain later."
For now she kissed him lightly on the cheek under the king's watchful eye before they dove into a long discussion of matrimony possibilities and rights to the throne. Meanwhile, another unusual pair sought out a bitter and broken prince whose hatred for mopping grew by the second.