Here is chapter three! See I haven't died! Sorry this has been so long in coming but I got caught up in several other fics and then I decided to work on this for National Novel Writing Month (so look forward to quicker chapter updates for a while), and it has been all sorts of crazy! This is a two-part chapter and we're finally moving forward with the story now that I've got the background sort of set up. You'll start to see an increase in dialogue from the show as well as I get into the episodes and weave the story lines together. Hopefully it won't come off as terrible but if it seems clunky or out of place please let me know.
Enjoy!
That evening there was a knock at the door as he was rocking Emma to sleep. He turned at the sound fo the door swinging open to see Morgana, in her nightgown and already prepared for bed, stick her head into the room. She was shaking slightly as she peered around the door and Merlin felt an odd sort of ache in his chest at the sight.
"Is Gaius here?" She asked, her voice wavering.
Merlin shook his head, still rocking Emma in his arms. He nodded for her to come in and she slipped through the door the edges of her gown whispering across the floor as she walked.
"He had to tend Lady Elaina tonight. Apparently her illustrious highness has a toothache. He ought to be back soon." He said quietly.
Morgana bit her lip and he knew she was trying not to laugh. Lady Elaina was well known for her imagined illnesses. The rare times she really did come down with something, she was likely to tear the castle down with her screeching if she wasn't assiduously tended to by Gaius. She closed the door behind her taking care that it didn't slam and walked over to them.
"Are you alright?" He asked, worried by the dark circles under her eyes.
She must have had another nightmare, he thought glancing down to see if Emma was sleepy enough for him to put her in her crib. She blinked lazily up at him, fighting sleep and he shook his head at her.
"I'm as well as can be expected. Who's this?" Morgana asked.
She put her hand on Merlin's arm and he stopped moving so the she could look at Emma. He smiled as Morgana's face brightened at the sight of Emma and leaned down so that she could see the little girl more clearly. It was nice to see a smile on her face. She seemed to be having more trouble sleeping than usual these past few weeks. She'd certainly been coming by more often for Gaius' medicines.
"Her name's Emma. She's my-" He faltered as Morgana turned her gaze up to him. They were so close that he could feel her breath stir the air. He swallowed with a bit of difficulty and felt heat start to rise in his face. He cleared his throat, looking away from those bright emerald eyes and back down at Emma.
"She's my daughter." He said in a hushed voice.
A quiet giggle made him look back up. Morgana's eyes, tired as they were with lack of sleep were dancing with amusement as a small smile played on her lips. Merlin didn't fight the blush this time as he bit his lip sheepishly.
"You knew that already didn't you?" He asked.
Morgana nodded still laughing quietly.
"I'm sorry. Arthur let it slip, of course. I overheard him talking to Gaius in the hall after dinner. Gaius was asking if any of the court ladies knew of a wet nurse and Arthur couldn't resist making a remark. You know how he is." She shot him a look of commiserating sympathy.
Merlin scoffed lightly.
"Something along the lines of my being so much of a girl already why do I need another?" He asked.
"How did you know?" Morgana faked a look of surprise and they both laughed.
The sound roused Emma who made a whimper of complaint, waving a tiny fist in the air. Her cloudy blue eyes were wide and she stared around in that aimless baby way. Morgana cooed at the little girl, running a finger along one downy cheek until Emma reached out to wrap her tiny hand around it.
"Oh she is darling. I couldn't wait to see her once I heard. I wasn't going to bother you but then, well I couldn't sleep." Morgana whispered as she gazed at the tiny girl.
"Gaius will be out for a while but if you like I could make your potion." He offered hesitantly. It was true that Gaius had been teaching him more medicine lately, and the potion he made for Morgana was one of the first that Merlin had learned, just in case this kind of situation occurred.
"Would you? I don't mind to wait." Morgana said.
"It'd be my pleasure, my lady." He said with a small smile.
Morgana waved a hand in the air at the title.
"Merlin, please. We're friends, at least in private you can call me by my name." She gave him a stern stare and Merlin knew that arguing would be pointless.
"Alright my – Morgana." He stammered over the slip. It made the utterance more intimate than he'd intended and he felt the blush that had started to fade return with a vengeance. Morgana didn't say anything but he knew she'd caught the slip from the way she raised a brow in his direction. He cleared his throat and held Emma out toward her.
"Would you hold her for me? She won't fall asleep unless someone rocks her." He asked.
Morgana seemed startled by the offer but gingerly reached out to take Emma in her arms, settling down onto the bench near Gaius' worktable. She bent her head to the baby girl, making soft noises of comfort while she ran a gentle finger over her cheek. Emma burbled sleepily and reached out to grasp Morgana's sleeve, causing Morgana to chuckle lightly. Merlin smiled at the picture they made as he began pulling out the ingredients for the potion. Morgana would make a wonderful mother one day.
"Who is going to care for here while you're working?"
Her sudden question startled him into nearly knocking over a jar of hensbane that had been perched precariously near the edge of the table. Steadying it with a careful hand he considered her question.
"I hadn't really thought about it. I suppose I'll have to hire someone." He said, troubled by the thought.
It was just one more task to complete in which he had no idea where to begin. Not to mention that he wasn't sure if he was comfortable leaving Emma with a stranger. They'd only been together for two days but he already felt such a connection to the little girl that he was wary of letting others into their lives. It was different with people he already knew, Gaius was just as taken with Emma as he was and neither Arthur nor Morgana would ever harm her, if not for her sake than for his. Morgana seemed to sense his unease at the idea of bringing a stranger in and cocked her head to the side.
"Gwen and I could look after her, if you don't want the trouble of finding a nursemaid to do so." Morgana said quietly.
Merlin looked over at her with wide eyes. The offer was generous but he couldn't impose on either of them like that.
"Oh Morgana I don't -"
"What? I mean it Merlin. I'd be happy to care for her when I can and I'm sure Gwen wouldn't mind either. I'll send her along in the morning before you go to Arthur." She offered.
"Oh no I couldn't, Gwen has her own duties and –"
"Who will look after her while you're working? Gaius can't keep her with him during his duties any more than you can. I don't do much during the day, bar attending the occasional meeting and Gwen can look after when I'm attending to my duties as the king's ward. You can pick her up in the evenings."
"I just don't think that-"
"Merlin I insist. Let me help you, like you've helped me." She said, staring at him in the way he knew meant she wouldn't back down.
Merlin sighed. He knew when a battle was lost.
"Alright. Thank you. If you have any trouble with her let me know. I don't want to inconvenience you."
"Don't worry I'm sure she'll be a joy Merlin. I'll send Gwen along in the morning."
Merlin nodded helplessly. Well at least that was one problem out of the way - for a while at least. He made a mental note to go ahead and look for another caretaker. Not that he thought Morgana would tire of caring for Emma but if Uther ever found out that his ward was caring for a servant's daughter he'd blow his top. Between Emma and Arthur he wasn't sure if he'd ever to get to sleep again with all the tasks he had to get done.
Not that I really mind so much, he thought glancing over at Emma. Things that normally would have annoyed him didn't seem to do so as much now that she was in his life. She seemed to make even the dreariest mood lift when she was around, something he fully believed watching Morgana cradle her gently. The woman had been a shaking, nervous mess when she stepped into the room but holding Emma seemed to calm her, brought some happiness back into those tired eyes. If for no other reason than that Merlin was grateful that Emma had come into his life. She was a bright spark in cloudy sky.
"I think she has your eyes Merlin, they're so blue just like yours but the rest of her must come from her mother." Morgana said smiling up at him and Merlin couldn't help but smile back. Morgana had just given him the perfect answer to any questions about Emma not looking like him.
"Yes, she does look her mother." He said as he started to mix ingredients, his normal clumsiness abating as he fell into the familiar rhythms of grinding herbs and measuring liquids. He glanced up from his work taking in the wisps of blonde hair that curled over Emma's head. He hoped she looked like her mother, all little girls should have something of their mother about them. He wondered anew what had caused her parents to send Emma away – were her parents even still alive?
The thought chilled him, knowing that it might be true but hoping for the sake of the little girl across the room that it wasn't. He of all people knew what it felt to like to wonder about an absent parent. What would he say to her, one day when she began to wonder about them? He knew that it wasn't a secret that he could keep from her, though he imagined that was what Gaius would advise him to do at least until she was old enough to seek her destiny. He had a sudden image of Emma as an adult, the look on her face – hurt in those sparkling eyes as she looked at him with disbelief when she found out her entire life had been a lie. A shudder ran through him at the thought. No, he wouldn't do that to her. He wouldn't thrust that responsibility onto her shoulders without warning. It wouldn't happen like that for her, not like it had with him. He glanced back over to where Morgana sat with Emma cradled in her arms and promised that her journey would be easier than his had been. The grinding sound of the mortar and pestle echoed through the room accompanied only by Emma's soft burbles as Morgana rocked her.
"What was her mother like?" Morgana asked suddenly, breaking the silence.
Merlin blinked at her for a moment, still lost in the image of Emma all grown up and hating him for lying to her. He gave a mental shake and tried to think of what to say. He'd have to take some time and write all this down until he could remember it all. This was going to get very complicated very soon if he kept up having to invent stories. Not that it wasn't already but his head spun at the thought of recalling all these tidbits of information without a reference; as it was he'd just have go along with it for now. He thought back to his days in Ealdor when life had been simple. When all he'd had to worry about was helping his mother, staying out of trouble with Will, and sneaking smiles at Mary across the green and it came to him. He didn't need to invent a mother for Emma, between Mary and his own mother there was one readymade.
"She was kind, very kind. Oh but there was a fire in her that burned brighter than the sun, and she had a temper! I remember when she'd get angry, her face would just sort of glow with indignation. I always thought she never looked prettier than when she shouting at someone." He chuckled, remembering all the times he'd managed to send Mary into a flying rage. When they were small she'd been just like that, her little pale face reddening with anger when he pulled her pigtails or accidentally knocked her over in play.
He looked up from adding lavender oil to his mixture in time to catch the smile that Morgana threw at him. He ducked his head and went back to making the potion as he spoke, putting the ingredients into the small cauldron that Gaius used to make small portions of medicine. It would need to boil for several minutes before he added the final touches so he settled back against the edge of the table, leaning against the rough wood so that he could keep an eye on the potion as it bubbled.
"She always put others before herself; she couldn't stand to see someone being treated badly. She loved me, gods alone knew why." He paused, thinking about Mary and comparing her to Morgana. He hadn't been close with Mary since they were children but even then she'd been capable – and quite willing – to give him a thrashing when he annoyed her. She'd been rambunctious – always tailing after him and the other boys until he'd become too strange for the other children. After that it had been just him and Will – the village outcasts. Now that he thought of it, he saw a lot of her in Morgana.
They had that same fire, that same rigid sense of right and wrong along with the spirit to pursue their beliefs. In Morgana it was amplified – perhaps because she was a noble and had the power to back up her convictions, or perhaps it was simply because she let nothing stop her when she got going. He remembered how she had fought to save that druid boy despite the dangers, despite the knowledge that she would be punished if caught. That was something that Mary hadn't had for all her fire. She'd loved her parents dearly, and even though she'd cried when she told Merlin they could no longer be friends she'd obeyed their commands and stayed away from him. He remembered the day he turned twelve and she had come to see him as he worked in the garden, keeping to one side of the fence as she tearfully told him they couldn't play together anymore. It hadn't stopped the secret smiles or the secret looks but she had obeyed and they'd never spoken again. He had the feeling that if roles had been reversed Morgana would have fought just as hard to be his friend as she did against Uther's orders when they were unjust. Maybe that was why he felt so drawn to Morgana; they each shared a hope for a better world despite their experiences, and fought to reach it.
"What was her name?" Morgana asked.
"Her real name was Margaret, but I called her Mary." He murmured, caught up in the memories.
It was true, only her parents had called her Margaret. She'd always said that it made her sound like an old woman who peddled flowers. When they were seven he'd called her Margaret and she'd upended a pitcher of water over his head in the middle of winter. He'd had a cold for weeks. She'd been sorry but that hadn't stopped her from threatening to do it again if he didn't listen. Morgana laughed when he told her the story.
"I suppose you think I deserved such punishment?" he asked smartly.
Morgana bit her lip against her laughter and shook her head in an unconvincing image of support.
"I'm sure you would never have done anything so impolite. It was terribly rude of her, I must say."
Merlin stared at her for a moment, a smile on his own face as his shoulders began to shake. They both lost their composure at the same time, their laughter echoing through the room. Emma burbled at the sound, but settled quickly as Morgana bent to place a kiss on her cheek and began gently rocking her again. Her eyes drooped slowly even as she reached up to tangle tiny fingers in the dark locks of Morgana's hair. Morgana smiled down at her and gently pulled the strands free as Emma fell into a light sleep. She looked up at Merlin and they shared a smile.
"I was a brat really. I knew she hated it but I did it anyway, mostly to see the look on her face." He chuckled.
"You must have loved her very much." Morgana said, standing to put Emma into the wooden crib that Gaius had procured during the day. It wasn't fancy but it was sturdy and warm, and Emma seemed happy with it. He wondered for a moment what her parents would think if they could see her now. Would they be happy for her, happy that she'd found a home? Or would they be grieving the loss of their child, having had to give her up for whatever mysterious reason had sent Emma to him. Certainly they would be missing her, no matter what else they felt. He realized that Morgana was staring at him, waiting for an answer.
"I did. She was wonderful. I miss her." He said ruefully. He stirred the cauldron one last time before removing it from the small flame and setting it on a trivet to cool as he doused the small flame that had heated the cauldron and cleaned up the work area. Morgana looked at him inquiringly, seeming to realize that his long pause meant more than he said but he busied himself with searching for an appropriately sized bottle and Morgana didn't press him. She watched quietly as he carefully ladled the cooling potion into a bottle and stoppered it firmly.
"There you are. I hope it works, you deserve a good night's rest." He said.
He pushed it across the table to where she could take it but she refrained from reaching for it. Instead she came around the table to take his hand in hers. A shiver ran up his spine at her touch but he didn't pull away. Gently, as if she was afraid to spook him her fingers traced random patterns along the back of his hand as she looked up at him through dark lashes. Those bright green eyes sparkled with warmth and care he looked into them.
"Merlin, I'm sorry for your loss. I know the pain of losing a loved one." She murmured. Her gaze shifted from him to where Emma lay in her cradle and he saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes for a moment before she blinked them away.
"But if I could offer you some advice? Cherish the time you were given, and don't let the chance for happiness with Emma be overwhelmed by the loss of her mother."
Merlin couldn't speak as he stared down at her, her fingers still tracing patterns on his skin. He knew she lost her own father as a child and had come to Camelot only to watch as Arthur grew up the same way and now here she was, pleading with him not to let Emma go through that. Guilt suddenly flooded through him as he realized just how much his lies to protect Emma might be inadvertently hurting his friends. He'd known when he'd told Arthur that Emma's mother was dead that it might cause him pain but had swept the feeling aside in his desperation to keep Emma with him. Now he saw that it wasn't only Arthur who would hurt because of his words, not because he was taunting them but because they saw themselves in Emma. It had been brilliant, a spark of genius to make Emma's story so similar to their own but it was also cruel. He hadn't ever thought that about himself until this moment. He hung his guiltily, wanting to tell Morgana the truth but knowing that he couldn't for Emma's sake. One more secret added to the wall of silence that stood between him and the people who called him friend.
"Merlin?" Morgana asked.
"I won't. I promise you. She is the most important thing in the world to me." Merlin said, turning his hand over to grasp hers. Morgana nodded and squeezed his fingers gently before pulling away. He let her go but he could swear the feeling of her hand in his would be forever burned into his mind. She picked up the bottle of medicine from the table and turned toward the door. Just before leaving she turned back her hand lingering on the door frame.
"Good night Merlin. Take care of her."
She was out the door before he could reply and he stood there dumbly for what felt like hours. What had just happened? He was still standing there when Gaius returned.
"Merlin?"
A sudden snapping noise near his ear made him start and he looked over at Gaius who was staring at him with concern.
"Merlin what is wrong with you? Did something happen, is Emma alright?" Gaius asked.
Merlin shook his head in a daze snapping to attention so suddenly he swore his neck creaked.
"She's fine. I don't know what you mean. You know, I think I'll go to bed." He said quickly, avoiding Gaius' worried gaze.
"Merlin?" Gaius called.
He waved Gaius off, stopping to check on Emma as he passed. Tomorrow he would move her cradle into his room but for tonight she'd be fine out here. He left his door ajar so that he would hear her if she cried and readied himself for bed. He fell asleep tracing his fingers over the same patterns Morgana had left on his skin and thinking of bright green eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
The next morning dawned gray and sullen, clouds obscuring the weak autumn sun. Merlin rose and ate with record speed, rushing to get Emma taken care of before Gwen came to collect her. He was still in his nightclothes, a simple cotton shirt and breeches, but he'd managed to get her fed and had just pulled a fresh tunic over her head when there was a knock on the door. Gaius went to open it and Gwen poked her head into the room.
"Good morning Gaius! I hear that we have a new resident?" She asked stepping into the room.
"Morning, Gwen." Merlin called lightly. He waved her over; still trying to get Emma dressed.
Gwen came to stand beside him, watching as he struggled to pull the warm clothes over Emma's head while getting her flailing arms into the sleeves. She was being singularly uncooperative this morning he thought with a grimace.
"She's beautiful Merlin." Gwen said quietly. She leaned down to help him, gently removing the tunic from his hands and expertly getting Emma to cooperate. While she did that Merlin went to grab the bag that Gaius had put together for him while he'd fed Emma. It held all of the things she might need during the day. He was already imposing on both Gwen and Morgana; the least he could do was ensure that neither of them had to come all the way up here for Emma's things during the day. He turned back to Gwen who was tucking a blanket around Emma so that she wouldn't get cold. When it was done she looked up at him, staring at him intently as if he was hiding a secret that she wanted to know. He raised his eyebrows in a silent question, which only made her frown. What if this had to do with looking after Emma? He thought. He suddenly felt like hitting himself. He should have known that she wouldn't want to do this. She already had so much work and here he was adding to it. Why had he let Morgana convince him this was a good idea? He'd tell her it was just for today, he decided. Just one day and then he'd find someone else to take on the responsibility of caring for Emma.
"Gwen is everything alright? I'm so sorry, I should have known better than to let Morgana send you. It's alright -" He broke off as she shook her head.
She stood, glancing over to where Gaius was mixing up medicines on the other side of the room. The old man had his back to them, grinding up ingredients as he hummed softly to himself. She bit her lip and leaned in so that only Merlin would hear her.
"Merlin, I wondered, that is I-" She stammered playing with the lace that hung from her corset.
It was a nervous habit he knew, something she often did when she felt uncomfortable. Merlin reached out to put his hand on her arm and she dropped the lace still biting at her lip. He tried to give her a reassuring smile, he didn't blame her for not wanting to look after a baby along with all her other duties. If looking after Morgana was even half as complicated as what he had to do for Arthur Merlin knew that she had her hands full. He didn't want her to feel badly about refusing to do it either so he put on a smile as he spoke to her.
"Gwen it's alright. Whatever you want to say, I can handle it." He promised dropping his voice so that it wouldn't carry to Gaius since she seemed so hesitant.
She obviously didn't want the other man to hear and judging by the continuous sound of grinding from the mortar and pestle Gaius hadn't noticed their conversation. That or he's just being polite, Merlin thought which was probably true. Gaius was more perceptive than most people and he had no doubt that the old man would bring this up later in the day. He shook his head and returned his attention to Gwen who took a deep breath before continuing.
"Back when you first came to Camelot why didn't you ever tell me you had someone back home?" Gwen asked in a rush.
Merlin was so shocked by this question that he nearly dropped the bag holding Emma's things. He was so confused for a moment that he merely stared open mouthed as she avoided his gaze. This wasn't what he'd been expecting.
'Morgana must have told her, or Arthur' he thought.
Still, why would she be so flustered about this? He didn't know where this was coming from, no wait maybe he did. He thought back to his first days in Camelot, when he'd been overwhelmed with discovering his new home and finding out that his continued existence hinged on hiding who he was, never mind that it was something he couldn't help. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't noticed her crush on him back then, had in fact returned it for a few days. Until the night of the banquet when Morgana had walked into the room looking like a goddess come to earth.
He felt his own cheeks redden at the thought and abruptly realized what Gwen had meant by asking that. He'd felt like such a fool that night, falling over himself in front of Gwen but she'd seemed to understand. He'd realized later that it must have hurt her, to see him enchanted by someone else and he'd resolved then and there not to lead her on though she'd still been starry eyed for months afterward. Of course she was feeling foolish for the attention she'd paid him early in their acquaintance, even if it didn't matter now. He'd have to make something up that fit in with everything he'd already said. He didn't want her to hurt over something from so long ago and even less over something that had never existed in the first place.
'Wonderful,' he thought, 'another lie.'
It didn't stop him from plunging ahead but this was snowballing out of proportion and it had only been three days. How was he going to make it through years of raising Emma if his life was this convoluted already?
"I'm sorry I never said anything Gwen. I didn't mention it because what I had with Mary, it was wonderful but it wasn't a whirlwind romance. Her parents hated me Gwen. When I left for Camelot, I thought I'd never see her again. Besides, it was nice that someone as beautiful as you was interested in me." He said bashfully ducking his head as he ran a hand through his hair.
Gwen's face softened and a smile stole over her lips before she froze for a second blinking hard. Just as she started to look uncomfortable he realized what that must have sounded like. He groaned inwardly, would nothing go right today?
"Oh Merlin I'm sorry, I just felt so silly. Like I should have known but the thing is, I um," She trailed off and Merlin thought he knew what she meant without her having to say. They'd been friends long enough now that she didn't need to, even without the knowledge he had as Arthur's servant. She didn't know that he knew how she and Arthur felt about each other. To her it was still a secret between the two of them. He put up a hand to stop her from going on. She obviously was uncomfortable talking about it and he didn't want to reveal that he knew.
"Don't get me wrong though, I'm glad we're just friends. You're like a sister to me; I only ever want you to be happy Gwen." He said taking her hand in his and squeezing it gently.
She smiled brightly and squeezed back.
"Thank you. I'm glad we're friends too. I guess it's time for me to be getting back to Morgana though. I told her I wouldn't be long." She said.
Merlin bent to pick up Emma from her cradle and laid her in Gwen's arms. Then he grabbed the bag of Emma's things from where he'd dropped it, tucking one of the spare tunics that had fallen out back inside and tying it shut. He slipped it over Gwen's arm and bent to press a kiss to Emma's forehead with a whispered I love you while running a finger down one soft cheek. When he stood up he saw that Gwen was looking at him knowingly.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing, it's just really adorable." She laughed.
Merlin rolled his eyes before stepping out of the way.
"I'll come by to pick her up this afternoon, barring any accidents or uncooperative animals. Arthur wants to go hunting today." he said when he saw the confusion on Gwen's face.
She rolled her eyes. Gwen had to put up with too many of his diatribes about Arthur's hunting trips not to understand how little he enjoyed them. They both suspected that some of the reason behind Arthur's desire to go hunting so often was partly just to annoy Merlin.
"Ah, well good luck. Take care of yourself, for her sake." She said looking down at Emma.
"I will. If I'm not back by supper Gaius will come fetch her."
Gwen nodded and headed for the door, tossing a goodbye over her shoulder at Gaius as she left, who waved silently in reply. Merlin watched them go with a sigh. He knew there was no reason to worry, that Gwen and Morgana would look after her but he still didn't want to let her go. Was this natural? Surely after two days of crying, and being woken up at all hours of the night he should be glad to get a little peace and quiet. He wasn't though. He just wanted her to stay with him all the time even when he knew she couldn't. He sighed heavily at the thought. He was in trouble.
"Merlin!"
Gaius startled him out of his thoughts and Merlin turned to look at him questioningly.
"You're late." Gaius said pointing to the window. Merlin crossed the room to glance down at the courtyard only to see Arthur already there and waiting for him. Cursing he shot back to his room, donned a fresh set of clothes and ran out the door.
"One of these days Merlin, you're going to have to get yourself together!" Gaius called after him in an exasperated voice.
"Oh where would be the fun in that?" Merlin called back as he raced down the steps tying his kerchief around his neck as he went.
Maybe he'd get out with little more than a few scathing remarks if he told Arthur that Emma had made him late feeling slightly guilty over using her that way but it was sort of true, he thought as he dodged maids carrying laundry and guards on patrol. He made it to the ground floor without incident, cutting through the kitchens and narrowly avoiding taking down a scullery maid burdened with a basket of potatoes that was nearly as wide as she was tall.
"Sorry!" he called as she wobbled unsteadily after he almost ran her down. She managed to catch her balance though and didn't drop a single vegetable. Merlin however had to duck as the cook threw a rotting tomato at his head yelling at him to get out of her kitchen as she did. It splattered loudly against the door frame as he shot through it at a run, smattering the back of his head and neck with juice and pulp. He winced, rubbing at it furiously with a sleeve. Gods but he hated that woman! He didn't know what he'd ever done to her but she'd always looked down on him from the day he set foot into the castle and their relationship had deteriorated steadily ever since. He made it to the courtyard, skidding slightly across the stones as he ran to Arthur's side. He stopped, panting lightly and put his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath.
"Sorry Sir. I didn't mean to be late; I had to get Emma ready." He wheezed.
Arthur didn't say anything, just stared down at him with his arms crossed before shaking his head.
"I don't know why I'm surprised Merlin. I should be used to you being this unorganized by now. I pray that's not a trait you pass down to that child of yours." Arthur said rolling his eyes skyward. He reached out and grabbed Merlin's arm hauling him upright before he could protest.
"Just go fetch the horses. We were supposed to have left twenty minutes ago." He said pointing Merlin toward the stables and giving him a push.
There was a chorus of chuckles from the knights in the courtyard but Merlin ignored them.
'Arthur must be having an off morning if this is the worst he's got,' Merlin thought.
He shook his head slightly, there was still tomato juice running down the back from his neck where it had soaked the back of his head. Wonderful, now he'd not only spend the entire traipsing through the forest after whatever had sparked Arthur's fancy today but he'd do it smelling of rotten fruit, just lovely.
It didn't take him long to get their horses from the stable as the grooms had already prepped them for the hunt. He saddled Arthur's horse before his, making sure the straps were tight and secure. Arthur's horse in particular liked to play tricks on him, always puffing up when he felt the saddle being laid over his back so that if Merlin didn't poke him the side the girth would be too loose and Arthur would fall off when he mounted him. Merlin's grey mare, much less hostile and not prone to tricks, stood quietly as he got her ready. He brought them both out into the courtyard, stopping to tie off his mare before leading Arthur's chestnut over to him.
There were several people milling about now, guards stopping to watch as their party readied to set off, servants going about their duties, even one man who was lounging against the side of the well. Merlin didn't think he'd seen the man before but supposed he was probably another servant or someone who'd come to find work as so many did these days. He put it out of his mind as he walked the chestnut around so that Arthur could mount up. He stood holding the reins until Arthur cleared his throat meaningfully. Merlin shot him a disbelieving glance to which Arthur only smiled and nodded at the cobblestones.
'So this is Arthur's way of punishing me for being late.' he thought as he rolled his eyes and motioned for one of the grooms standing near the stable to take the reins.
This was unnecessary, Arthur had no trouble getting into the saddle without help he was just doing this to enjoy the humiliation it would put him through. Well there was nothing for it. If he didn't do this, Arthur would think of something worse later and truth be told this was pretty mild. He'd been laughed at enough by most of the castle servants and guards that it didn't faze him, not to mention his many visits to the stocks. With a great sigh he got down on all fours, letting Arthur use him like a step to mount the horse. Arthur settled heavily into the saddle with a small thump, leaving Merlin to clamber to his feet.
Merlin bent dusting off his knees just as the saddle started to slide, tipping Arthur off the horse and onto the hard stones. He straightened, wincing at the impact as Arthur hit the ground and the horse trotted off across the courtyard. The man sitting on the well loped after it giving Merlin time to pull Arthur to his feet.
"Merlin!" Arthur growled.
"I don't understand I did that girth up myself" Merlin said defensively. He was certain that it had been fastened correctly; he'd triple checked just to be sure. How had the strap come loose?
"I think that might have been the problem!" Arthur shouted gesticulating wildly.
"It wasn't my fault!"
"Would you like me to fit the girth properly for you, Sire?" A new voice broke in.
Merlin turned to see it was the man who'd gone to fetch Arthur's horse. He turned and started to fiddle with the straps before even being asked. For a moment Arthur looked taken aback, glancing at Merlin, before turning back to the other man.
"Thank you."
The man looked up, finished with retying the girth.
"It's an honor to be of service to the Prince." He said with a small bow.
Arthur turned back to Merlin with both eyebrows raised.
"An honor is it? Do you hear that Merlin?" He said cheekily. Merlin just stared back nonplussed. The other man stepped up beside Arthur, pulled a brush from his vest and began dusting off Arthur's clothes.
"Allow me the honor of brushing your clothes down?"
Now that was just odd, Merlin thought as he watched the man fawning over Arthur who just leaned toward him mouthing "The honor" before stepping back to let the man continue. Merlin bit the inside of his cheek against a scathing retort. It was clear that this was going to be one of those days where he wanted to shake his fist at destiny and just give Arthur up as a bad job. Honestly!
"Anything else I can do for you, Sire?" the man asked, tucking the clothes brush back into his shirt.
Arthur glanced at Merlin, his eyes dancing with amusement.
'Here it comes,' Merlin thought.
Arthur never missed a chance to tease him when it was presented so beautifully.
"Well you could give Merlin here a kick up the backside." Arthur said gesturing at him.
Merlin said nothing giving him a sour look.
"I wouldn't wish to deprive you of the pleasure, sir." The man simpered.
Arthur grinned at him in a way that set Merlin's teeth on edge. There was a plan brewing under those golden curls, and Merlin could just bet that he was going to hate it.
"What's your name?" Arthur asked.
"Cedric. I've come to Camelot in search of work."
Arthur nodded, and pointed to a group of men standing near the gate.
"Good, you can be a beater on the hunt; we're short a man or two."
The man's face fell for a moment before he recovered his manners and bowed after Arthur.
"You're too kind, Sire."
Merlin bent to retrieve one of the long sticks that they would use in the hunt. Cedric was starting to get on his nerves, fawning after Arthur inflating his already immense ego; besides, the man unnerved him somehow as if there were a deeper reason behind his fawning than looking for work. Merlin resolutely told himself that his suspicion had nothing at all to do with the way he felt when Arthur looked impressed by the other man. He wasn't jealous, not at all.
"Here you'll need a beater." He said, holding it out to Cedric who reached out to take it just as Merlin thrust it toward him. Cedric grunted harshly as it struck him in the ribs and Merlin had to contain a small grin at the sound.
'Well perhaps a bit jealous,' he admitted to himself.
"Ooh sorry." Merlin quipped walking around to mount his own horse. He could see the man's plan now, cozying up to Arthur, doing the things that he should be. Cedric wanted his job and he'd be damned if he lost his position to some upstart stranger with a shifty look about him.
When they returned to the castle that evening Merlin was in a fouler mood than he'd been when they left. Not only had he saved Arthur's life again, but someone else had taken the credit, again. True to form it had been Cedric, who'd jumped at the opportunity after Merlin had felled the boar that would have charged Arthur. To top that off, he was now sharing duties with Cedric who'd asked to for a position in the royal household as a reward for his bravery. Merlin tried to contain a snarl at the thought of that jumped up little toady as he knocked on Morgana's door, she would be down at the banquet in honor of Arthur's hunt but Gwen would still be there with Emma. When the door opened he was met with a smiling Gwen and a happy burble from Emma as she caught sight of him and he took her in his arms. He even managed to smile down at her, her soft weight leaning against him going a long towards cooling the ire he felt toward Arthur and Cedric.
'At least there's one person in the castle who was happy to see me.' he thought.
"Merlin what's wrong?" Gwen asked as she handed Emma's things over to him.
Merlin just shook his head.
"Nothing, just another wonderful day serving our pigheaded Prince." He muttered, shouldering the bag she held out.
Gwen bit back a smile and put a hand on his arm. Despite her feelings for Arthur she knew that he treated Merlin less considerately than he did her so she didn't say anything about Merlin's dig.
"It'll get better. Tomorrow's another day." She said chucking him under the chin.
He gave her a wan smile and thanked her before heading back toward Gaius' rooms. When he walked in Gaius immediately looked up and Merlin knew that he wouldn't be able to hide his annoyance from the older man. Gaius put aside the papers he was going over and turned toward Merlin, watching as he set down Emma' things before carefully crossing to her crib to put Emma down for a quick nap.
"What's wrong?" The old man asked gently.
Merlin shrugged as he changed Emma into her nightdress. Gwen had fed her earlier and Emma had managed to get milk all over her clothes. He'd have to do laundry very soon if she kept this up. He heard Gaius sigh behind him and his shoulders drooped.
"I saved Arthur's life, someone else got the credit. Just the usual." He said.
Gaius didn't say anything but merlin assumed he was nodding sagely behind him. He finished getting Emma settled and turned to see Gaius sitting among a pile of books and papers. He crossed the room to look over Gauis' shoulder at the book the other man was reading. It was filled with diagrams and odd letters.
"What are you doing?" He asked squiring at the small script on the page.
Gaius picked up the piece of parchment that he'd laid aside when Merlin walked in. On it were more strange letters that Merlin couldn't quite make out. They were oddly shaped but vaguely familiar as if he'd seen them somewhere before but he couldn't recall. There seemed to be a sense of urgency to the strokes of the letters though, as if they conveyed some dire meaning.
"I found this inscription on the scepter in the vault earlier today. It seemed odd so I brought back a copy to go over. I'm trying to decipher it."
Merlin leaned down for a better look. If this had been part of the treasure in the vault there stood a good chance it could be a clue as to what was going on. He thought back to the man who'd been killed three nights ago and shuddered. If they could find out what had caused it maybe they could make the vault safe. Now that Gaius mentioned the vault he wondered if they could be magical. A niggling feeling in the back of his mind told him that he'd seen these sorts of letters before though the memory remained stubbornly out of reach.
"What language is that?" He asked.
"I don't know. Sigan would have known many languages."
"Sigan?" Merlin asked. Somehow the name seemed familiar but he couldn't quite place it. Nevertheless he felt a small thrill of apprehension as he pulled a chair over from the corner to sit beside Gaius who took his glasses from their perch atop his nose to rub tiredly at his eyes.
"Who was he?"
Gaius turned a disbelieving gaze on him.
"Merlin, he was the most powerful sorcerer that ever lived." He said slowly.
"Really?" Merlin asked.
He'd never heard of Sigan before this but still the name seemed full of power. If he'd been as powerful as Gaius said the perhaps some of that power still existed, perhaps it had been some residual magic that had caused the death of the miner in the vault. It came to him then there had been similar symbols incorporated in some of the spells in his books. They were ones that he'd never gotten around to attempting since parts of them were indecipherable. Perhaps this would shed some light on them.
"You didn't grow up in Camelot but for those of us that did Cornelius Sigan was a figure of nightmare." Gaius intoned, as if recalling a faraway dream. Merlin supposed that growing up in Camelot must have always had a tinge of fear even before the Purge if that was true.
"Why?"
"Sigan's powers. Tales of his magic say that he could turn day into night, turn the tides, and legend has it that his spells helped build Camelot itself." Gaius said gravely.
"What happened?" Merlin asked.
Gaius folded his hand in front of him staring down at the copied inscription with a frown.
"In the end he grew too powerful and the king at time ordered his execution."
Merlin's started to nod in understanding but stopped as he realized something. He leaned toward Gaius.
"If he's dead why are you so afraid of him?"
"Sigan couldn't bear the thought that his wealth and power would die with him so he became obsessed with finding a way to defeat death itself." Gaius said grimacing.
"And do you think he might have succeeded?" Merlin asked.
Gaius shrugged, closing the book in front of him after placing the inscription to mark the page.
"Let's hope not, for all our sakes." Gaius muttered.
Merlin glanced over toward Emma's crib. If this Sigan had managed to somehow cheat death, what would that mean for Camelot? He had to get to the bottom of this. If Sigan was returning, then he had to be stopped. Merlin didn't want Emma to grow up under the shadow of such evil and Camelot would not fall while he could stop it. Gaius rose from the table with a small groan.
"I'm going to inform the King. With any luck he'll see reason and close up the vault."
Merlin couldn't help but scoff.
"Good luck with that. I can't see Uther putting aside that many riches without a very good reason. I don't think he'll see this as one."
Gaius shook his head in agreement but didn't stop as he opened the door. He paused to turn back and gave Merlin a long look.
"I fear you are right but I have to try." Gaia said as he left the room.
Merlin shook his head. Uther would never give up the wealth that had been discovered in the vault. Not unless the danger could be proved and right now all they had was suspicion and conjecture. He got up from the table and went to start dinner. The least he could so for Gaius was to have something ready when he got back. He wouldn't find any satisfaction with the king.