AN: Hey again all, these chapters are ending up a lot shorter than I'd like, but it's how they flow best. I'm a big fan of those who press the little button at the bottom of the screen and I post faster when its pressed. Cookies for all that do. Anyway, I do not own Merlin never have never will… sadly… Anyway, slashy hints beware!
A knock on the door made the prince jump the next morning. He had been eating breakfast at the table in his room when the sudden sound startled him. "Enter," he called.
A young boy peeked his head in, "His majesty request you come join him and his knights to train." he said timidly. The prince nodded to the servant. "Very well, I'm to lead you there."
The training grounds of Camelot were filled with knights or soon to be knights. Once the grounds were in view the servant who had led him bowed and fled.
"Ah, Prince Darren!" the king called in greeting, he stood in a circle of knights that somehow seemed to stand apart from the others. "I believe that you have been introduced to Lancelot and Gwaine." Lancelot bowed his head while Gwaine refused to look at him. "May I present Sir Elyan, Sir Percival, and Sir Leon." Each knight in turn nodded greetings to the prince.
The prince gave them a greeting before letting his eyes scan the grounds. "Where's you manservant?" he found himself asking before he could stop himself.
The knights around him all let out a bellow of laughter but Arthur's gaze was thoughtful, "I think he was going to the tower today… He'll be around later."
"Yeah right! If Merlin's up in the tower, he's not coming down for a week!" the black knight… Elyan?... laughed.
"And that's if you're lucky," Leon finished.
"Oh yes he will, I ordered him to be down for the feast!" Arthur turned on his knights, head thrown high.
Lancelot snorted, "Arthur you know as well as I do… when does Merlin EVER do what he's told?"
"Apart from when its that great leather head telling him to do something." Gwaine once again put in.
Arthur opened his mouth to speak before it snapped shut once more. He grudgingly shrugged.
"If you want him down for the feast you should probably get him now before he gets too wrapped up with his studies." Percival observed, crossing his arms over his broad chest.
Arthur nodded, "Lancelot, Gwaine?"
Gwaine snorted, "You just don't want to get thrown out of the tower yourself for getting between Merlin and his books."
"He wouldn't throw me out of a window! He spent way too long keeping me alive to kill me himself!" all five knights gave the protesting king a long look.
"Yes he would," they all answered together.
"Thanks," the king growled, "Get going."
Lancelot and Gwaine shared a look before stating "Gwen."
"Leave my queen out of it!" Arthur spoke up.
Lance merely gave him a look but Elyan answered, "Oh come on, Merlin won't hurt my sister. He loves her far too much to see her come to harm."
"Yet you all say that he'd thrown me out the window…""
"Of course!" Gwaine said with a grin. Arthur promptly tossed a helmet at the knight's head, though he caught it.
"Just go," Arthur waved the pair off and rubbed at his temples. "I apologize Prince Darren, a few of my subjects have a habit of forgetting who I am."
"Oh we know who you are! You're a..." Elyan squeaked into silence, staring wide eyed at the blade held at his throat.
"Finish that sentence Sir Elyan and I shall place you in the stocks." Arthur growled lowly.
"Yes sire!" Elyan squeaked.
"Since you seem so keen on talking to the prince, you can be his sparring partner. If that suits you Prince Darren." The king once again turned to the prince.
"That shall be fine your majesty." Darren nodded, eyeing his opponent. Elyan turned to look at him and gave him a grin and a bow, motioning him further into the training field.
Leon and Percival turned their attention to the younger knights. Arthur himself awaited the return of his two best knights. Though he'd never admit that to Gwaine. The king crossed his arms across his chest, settling to watch the work of the knights of Camelot. Darren watched the king curiously from the corner of his eye. His moment of inattention found a blunt sword swinging fast at his throat.
He jumped away and turned to the grinning black knight. "Ah, ah, ah, you've got to pay attention Prince Darren. I'm not going to go easy on you just because you're a prince. Arthur gets pissy if we do that when we're not fighting the kids."
"I do not get pissy Elyan."
"Yes you do Sire." Gwaine once again appeared on the training fields.
"What are you doing back?" Elyan asked, half-heartedly swinging the blade down at the prince who batted it away.
"Lance wen to get Gwen." Gwaine shrugged, "Oh don't give me that look princess." He brought out his sword out and poised it at the king. "Let's dance your majesty."
Darren turned his attention back to the knight he was fighting, pushing forward, trying to catch him off guard.
"Hmmm… Not half bad your highness, but…" Darren suddenly found himself on his back. A sword was at his throat for a moment before a dark hand was offered out to him.
"Don't let him fool you, he may act like a goof but Elyan has turned into a great knight." Darren turned to find the queen smiling at him from the outer edges of the training grounds. Her arm was hooked through Merlin's who was looking longingly over his shoulder. Finally he turned forward with a pout as Gwen patted his hand.
"Told you he wouldn't throw Gwen out of the tower!" Elyan stated proudly. Merlin sent a questioning glance up to Lance who had come to stand beside him.
"We told Arthur that if he went up there he would be thrown out the tower window," the knight explained. Merlin looked thoughtful for a moment before he shrugged, accepting the fact.
Darren eyed the group curiously. The nobles were treating the servant as an equal. Even the queen herself had her arm hooked through his like he was some sort of escort. The sound of clanging brought his eyes to the King and Gwaine who hadn't even noticed the new arrivals.
"They'll go on like that forever… they haven't had a chance to hack away at each other in a while." Lancelot stated, entering onto the grounds.
"Like hell, if I'm getting dragged into the feast then he sure as hell isn't missing it." The livid manservant stormed forward onto the grounds, stealing Lancelot's proffered shield without so much as a passing glance. The raven haired boy strode into the middle of the pair, thrusting the shield between their clashing blades. Both weapons went flying and the manservant promptly smacked both of them in the head with the shield. "There now you've both been properly clobbered over the head, are you satisfied?"
Both knights blinked in shock before the king's gaze turned into a glare. "Merlin,"
"Yes yes I know, you can put me in the stocks for that, I'm aware, now if you're done being an absolute prat, we have a feast to be going to and you haven't even had your bath." Merlin crossed his arms before him and glared. For all his goofy features, in that moment the servant managed to look fierce.
"Merlin," Arthur's tone was even sharper.
"Shut up."
"You get it." Arthur answered with a grin. He turned and began walking away only to trip over the shield that had somehow made its way beneath his feet. The king was sent sprawling across the dust face first. Gwaine came over laughing, looping his arm over the manservants shoulders.
"Good work! Come on Merlin, you can draw my bath," the knight laughed, pulling the servant forward.
"Oh no he won't!" The king stepped forward and grabbed ahold of Merlin's neckerchief, dragging him behind him.
The king and manservant left a group of laughing knights and queen and one very confused prince.
Arthur: Thanks a lot. You send me sprawling into the dirt yet Gwaine is left unharmed.
Lance: You did threaten Merlin
Lethy: That and you're a prat
Elyan: A royal one!
Arthur: I'm having you all put in the stocks
Merlin: …Beware of potatoes…