The sun had barely moved beyond the rolling hills and Merlin was already making his way and toward his master's chamber. He allowed his body to take him to his destination as he thought about his life right now.
It had been seven months since he'd taken up the cloak and Merlin was pleased with how everything had been working out. He had a good friend in the Prince, another in the Princess and the closest friend he's had since Will, Lancelot. Lance and he had grown close during their time on the streets, protecting the innocent. Merlin knew that once their job was done and Agravaine behind bars, Lance and he would continue to grow closer in Camelot.
Another person kept popping up in his mind. Gwen was a great person and someone he could easily find himself growing old with. She was kind, compassionate and very pretty but not only that she was also highly intelligent and very wise for someone of her age and station. She seemed perfect.
Agravaine's warning had kept him on high alert for the better part of two months. Merlin started to think his threats empty but the nagging feeling to be near Gwen did not stop. Another part of him argued that Agravaine wouldn't dare attack anyone Merlin cared about. He'd been warned.
Merlin turned the corner and collided with a small form he caught before they fell. His eyes came up to meet ones he knew well.
"Gwen!" He grinned. "Sorry about that. You know what I'm like." They shared a small chuckle.
"Yes, yes I do." Gwen replied coyly. "Off to Arthur's then?" Merlin nodded and scanned the hallway to see no one around them.
"Yeah, I'll see you later." He gently kissed her lips before walking around the corner toward the Prince's chambers.
Merlin strolled into Arthur's chambers and barely noticed the mess. The leftover food and even the smell went unnoticed now. He opened the curtains and allowed the sunlight to encompass him as he released a breath.
"Good morning sire!" He exclaimed loudly and turned to see the usual angry face of Arthur Pendragon. "I'll grab breakfast whilst you change." The Prince just nodded. He was clearly too tired to comprehend much of anything at the moment.
When Merlin returned he found the Prince just sitting down at the table. Merlin brought the tray over and placed it in front of him before clearing the evening plates and leftover food. He caught Arthur smiling slightly and stopped.
"What is it? What's gotten you so happy?" Merlin smiled brightly. Arthur was under constant pressure to catch The Cloak and Knight Blade and as much as he wanted to lift that burden he also wanted to keep his head. To see Arthur smile genuinely was rare.
"Nothing," Arthur responded, as guarded as ever.
"Come on, you know you can't hide anything from me," Merlin insisted.
"It's nothing, Merlin." Merlin didn't say anything and just stood there waiting. "Oh fine!" Merlin grinned triumphantly. "I was just thinking when you first walked in here seven months ago you had little idea of what to do and were completely useless." Merlin narrowed his eyes and smirked.
"Are you trying to compliment me?" Merlin asked slyly.
"No. I was simply saying that you aren't as useless as you were before. But you're still an idiot and the worst servant in the five kingdoms." They shared a laugh before Merlin left to take the plates back to the kitchens.
When he returned they left for the training fields, which were becoming one of Merlin's favourite places. Lancelot had started coming here to train after Arthur had enquired about how he'd become a smithy. Arthur had met Lancelot a couple months ago after Arthur had commissioned a new sword for himself and they had hit it off pretty well. Merlin usually trained with Lance for a bit after he'd finished polishing Arthur's armour and weapons. It never took that long.
Of course he still had to show how unskilled he was. Luckily Lance had decided they train with swords; Merlin was useless with a sword. He had never bested Lancelot in a sword fight and doubted he ever would.
They practiced a couple steps they'd been developing for the last few weeks. The knights generally left them alone but sometimes they challenged Lancelot. Lance knew he could take out most of the army one on one, but to hide his identity he had to lose. He didn't mind that or faking his inexperience with his sword.
Merlin happily went about his chores for Arthur through the rest of the day. Every so often he got to watch the sun go down. He didn't get to see Gwen much through the day so they always met in the evenings.
"Okay, Merlin, you can go. See you in the morning." Merlin smiled and nodded before leaving. "Oh and Merlin?" Merlin spun on the spot to face Arthur. "Don't stay out too long." His face was faintly red but he still nodded and left.
Merlin ran past all his fellow servants, the nobles and the knights. They were all pretty accustomed to him and knew how to avoid collision with the excited servant. Everyone in the castle knew of his courtship with Gwen and how they spent the evenings together.
He panted heavily in front of Princess Morgana's chamber. He composed himself by combing through his hair and straightening out his neckerchief. It was sort of a ritual before he met Gwen in the evenings. Merlin made to knock but the door opened before he could.
"Come in, Merlin," Morgana said. She smiled as kindly as always. "Gwen was just finishing. Have a drink; you're probably exhausted." She smirked. Merlin didn't know how Morgana knew how he ran all the way here every day just to catch Gwen before she left. But he did know gossip was like a forest fire in the castle.
"Thank you, milady." He poured his own drink and another for Morgana. Gwen didn't drink because she got drunk easily but Morgana could hold her liquor well. When Merlin delivered a sleeping draft to Morgana he would occasionally see a full bottle of red wine on the desk. When he came back in the evening it was usually half full then finished the next night.
"Are you trying to get Merlin drunk again Morgana?" Gwen questioned. Morgana had once tried to get Merlin very drunk whilst the three of them chatted in her chambers one night. She secretly poured more wine into his goblet when he wasn't looking and he never once caught on. Despite finishing the bottle of wine, Merlin acted fine afterwards. Not even tipsy.
"There is no point. It doesn't work," Morgana protested. "He is immune to the stuff." It amused Merlin and Gwen how jealous Morgana sounded.
"I'm not immune. Will and I drank a lot back in Ealdor and I've just built up a very good defence against alcohol." Merlin and Will started at about twelve. Both only had a mother for a parent and Will's mother was never very nice to him anyway. Merlin had been shunned because of his gifts even more then and they just took to drinking. It was in secret though – his mother would kill him if she ever found out.
"I've finished, Morgana," Gwen announced and Morgana let her go whilst nursing the last of her red wine.
"Good night, milady," Gwen and Merlin said in unison.
"Goodnight, and don't do anything I wouldn't do." Morgana cautioned, but Merlin didn't know where Morgana drew the line. She led on so many men he was thinking of buying her a leash from the market.
Merlin and Gwen laced their hands together before they stepped into the ante chamber. Merlin brought his arms around her waist and whispered the teleportation spell.
Just as usual, they found themselves in the middle of the forest only she saw a hamper and blanket just off to the side.
"Celebrating something?" Gwen asked.
"Two months of courting someone as brilliant as you," Merlin retorted smoothly. They strolled over to the blanket, sat against the tree and huddled close. Gwen laid her head on his chest and Merlin's arms came around her waist in a protective hold.
They never said much because nothing ever needed to be said. They were content with each other and that was enough for them. They ate what Merlin had left in the hamper and sat making small idle chatter about their day. It felt rather serene.
Merlin and Gwen teleported back into the antechamber and stepped out, shoulders brushing. Merlin caught the guards' smirks but brushed it off just as quickly. Whatever they were thinking he and Gwen weren't doing it.
"Good night, Gwen," he said warmly.
"Good night, Merlin," she replied with just as much warmth in her voice. She leant in to kiss him and he brought his hands up to cup her cheeks as they kissed gently. They smiled at each other before going their separate ways.
Gwen looked over her shoulder as she did every night and Merlin stopped at the corner to turn to her. His sweet smile was her favourite. His smiles conveyed a lot but his sweet smile always spoke of nothing but care. Merlin then bobbed his head slightly before disappearing behind the corner.
The maid was happy, of course she was. Chamber maids and kitchen girls throughout the castle envied Gwen. Merlin had something that made him rather alluring to everybody; Gwen even thought that she had caught Morgana staring at him training with Lance. Of course she dismissed it. Merlin was with her and not them.
So why didn't it feel that way? They had begun courting after their first kiss two months ago. They had seen each other every day and spent time together when they could. He cared for her, she cared for him and they knew each other so well that nothing had to ever be said. They kissed and hugged and held hands. What was wrong?
Gwen could hardly believe that she had pined for Merlin for three months. Now that they were finally together things didn't feel as good as she'd hoped. She felt no flare, no spark or passion.
Gwen didn't want to lose him so early into their courtship. She watched as he and Lance sprung off into the night to fight murderers and kidnappers. But she had to spend countless hours waiting for him to come back. Although a little worse for wear, Merlin always came back. Then they'd snuggle close and he would make unbreakable promises to her in the darkness.
She'd have to talk to Merlin about this soon.
Gwen came to her hut and quietly entered knowing that her father was probably asleep. She closed the door and exhaled deeply. She never felt peace until she came home.
The brown-skinned girl turned and her eyes widened as she came face to face with her father. She saw the glint of the knife to his throat and his face just as bloodied and bruised as it had been seven months ago when Merlin arrived. She moved back only for the door to open. A man wearing a horrible smirk on his bearded face sauntered in, blocking her way out.
He was a large man and she noticed the sword hilt he clutched. But what stood out the most was his eye patch. The scar it covered peeked just outside of it but his features were still covered by shadow.
"Hengist," she whispered. Merlin and Lance had told her all about Hengist and how he'd tried to thwart their plans to save the druids.
"That's me." His twisted smirk got even wider although she didn't know how that was possible. "If you want your father to live then you will come with me." Hengist obviously knew her well. Gwen had already figured this linked to Agravaine's warning to Merlin two months ago. They'd capture her, he'd come, they'd kill him. They would probably kill her afterwards.
She followed without a word and gave her father a brave smile. She hoped her brother, Elyan, would come back to Camelot and look after their father. She didn't know how he coped being apart from his family. Gwen knew that she wouldn't be able to.
"Don't find me," Gwen prayed in the night as the moonlight reflected off of her glistening tears.
The dark gruff voice of his dreams didn't visit often but when it did he always said the same thing. Except for tonight…
Protect him…Find her…They were meant to be…Let her go…Fulfil your destiny…
That mantra repeated constantly in his head. Merlin knew that it had to be important, that it meant something important but he just couldn't figure out what.
Merlin…Merlin…Merlin…
The voice got louder and louder. Merlin bolted up and expected to see Gaius berating him for being late to his serving duties again but instead he came face to face with Lancelot.
"Merlin, something terrible has happened!" Lancelot exclaimed. "It's awful. He's crossed the line. How will we find her? Merlin, please, we have to go now." Lancelot rambled until Merlin politely told him to shut the hell up.
"Now tell me what you're talking about," Merlin said. Lancelot took a few deep breaths and Merlin waited patiently for him to recollect himself.
"Agravaine had Gwen kidnapped."
"He did what?" Merlin gasped.
"Gwen has been kidnapped." Arthur and Morgana stormed into his chamber and Merlin stared at Lance who stared down at the floor sheepishly.
"We need to find her and make whoever did this pay," Morgana decided, sounding desperate. Of course she was right and Merlin meant to do exactly that. He would probably bring Lance with him. Unfortunately, Lance had obviously told Morgana that Gwen had been kidnapped and now they couldn't do it alone.
"We will, Morgana, don't worry." Merlin came over to her and took her hands in his. He rubbed the back of her hands soothingly and smiled encouragingly at her. "As for who is to pay, you won't have to look much further than Agravaine."
"What do you mean by that?" Merlin glanced down at Arthur's hand which gripped his sword hilt tightly. Merlin turned to Lancelot to gauge his reaction and he realised that he might as well tell them. They won't believe him.
"Agravaine runs an underground crime organisation. He is behind every murder, kidnap, bandit raid, theft and whatever else goes on in the kingdom." Merlin heard Arthur unsheathe his sword and Lancelot moved between the two of them.
"How dare you?" Arthur shouted angrily. Morgana also seemed very sceptical of his accusations.
"Believe what you will, Arthur. I honestly don't care. That is how it is and now you are going to leave so I can change and we can save Gwen." Merlin tapped Lancelot's shoulder and he nodded understandingly but shot Arthur a hard glare.
"Where is Lance going?" Morgana asked warily.
"He is going to get the horses so we can start looking for Gwen." Merlin stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
"You know where to start?" Arthur interrupted, obviously not believing Merlin. Merlin knew that Arthur would do anything to defend his uncle and Morgana would probably do the same.
Stupid, stubborn, loyal Pendragons.
"They probably left on horses and we'll simply follow the tracks to wherever they took Gwen." Merlin stated. "Now if you wouldn't mind leaving so I can change and we can get to Gwen quicker." He shooed them all out and shut the door behind them.
The sorcerer exhaled and sunk in front of the door. He curled up into himself, tears flowed freely down his face and he tried desperately to hold in his sobs. Though it was to no avail. It happened, he underestimated Agravaine and gave himself a false sense of security. He should have been more careful but he thought he was so invincible and his enemy had used that against him. It was a mistake that could cost him a dear friend.
The mistake wasn't important right now though; now all that mattered was fixing it. He'd also have to somehow keep Arthur and Morgana from the truth that he was The Cloak and Lancelot Knight Blade. Just a normal day really.
Gwen was thrown into a cell but couldn't find reason to care. She had spent the ride here in a cage and had already exhausted her heart for emotions. She heard the sniggers from behind her and turned to face Hengist. Gwen stayed kneeling though; she was too tired to stand.
"Don't worry, Gwen. Soon your beloved will be here and he will die." He left her with a dark chuckle on his lips. She sobbed hard and was surprised that she had tears left to weep for what awaited Merlin.
"Hey," a voice called out from her left. "Don't cry - it will only ruin your fair beauty." Gwen looked up to see a man, shirtless and scarred. He grinned but in a loveable rogue kind of way.
"Who are you?" Gwen quietly asked.
"I'm a lucky prisoner." He smiled and Gwen found herself smiling back. It was infectious, like Merlin's.
"What's so lucky about being a prisoner?" she asked.
"My next door neighbour." He winked and she could do nothing but blush. "What's your name, neighbour?"
"It's Gwen, yours?"
"Gwaine. That beloved of yours by the way?" She nodded. "I think he'll do it, I think he'll beat Hengist." Gwaine said hopefully. Gwen figured he was only saying it for her benefit but she believed it.
"Yes, I think so too."