CHAPTER 11 : DEATH IN THE AFTERNOON
Merlin was spending more time in the library as Arthur was being tutored by Sir Martin. Martin often told Gaius, that he only wished that Arthur had as much interest in his studies as Merlin had. Martin had set him up with paper and a real quill pen and encouraged his to improve his printing by asking him to draw a picture and then write a few words about it. He was permitted to copy pictures from books or use his imagination.
Gaius was pleased to learn that Merlin tended to copy pictures. When he had mentioned it to him, Merlin had said very serioussly, "Gaius, you know, I have to be very careful. Remember?"
One day when Arthur was proving to be difficult and thick, a voice from the corner said, "Arthur, I'm working over here on something different but even I know that thirty knights having three meals a day, would eat ninety meals.
Arthur glared at him and said, "You're showing off, Merlin."
"I'm not, I was just putting you out of your misery…"
Martin smiled as Merlin said, "Arthur, draw the story about the question and I know you'd be able to answer it." Merlin walked over with some paper, sat beside the prince and said, "All right, Martin, give us a hard question and we'll answer it together."
"Alright, boys, there are twenty squires. How many horses will they need if each of the boys gets to share a horse with another boy?"
This was beyond Arthur but Merlin said, "Where are the boys going?"
Martin laughed saying, "Out camping!"
"Arthur, pay attention! Watch!" Merlin proceeded to draw two stick figures holding hands and then had Arthur do the same, until there were a total of twenty stick boys. "Now, you have to draw a horse for each pair of boys…"
Arthur had to draw four horses before he got the idea.
He jumped up, yelling, "Ten horses, Martin, ten horses with two boys makes twenty boys. They needed ten horses," and he jumped on Merlin pulling him to the floor, pounding him in the arm, saying, "I did it!"
Martin leaned over and pulled him off Merlin who climbed back onto his chair. He gave Merlin the thumbs up and said, "Very good, Arthur!"
"O.K. I'm ready for another one…"
"The maid servant visited four royal chambers and changed four beds. How many sheets did she take to the laundry?" asked his tutor.
Merlin whispered, "Arthur draw four beds and then figure how many sheets are on are each bed."
Arthur was stuck, he got only four sheets.
Martin said, "I think you need a little hint. Doesn't he, Merlin?"
Merlin agreed and said, "When you get into bed what do you lie on?"
Arthur replied, "A sheet..."
"Very well, what do you pull over yourself when you lie in bed?"
"I know the answer, Martin, each bed had two sheets so she had eight sheets."
"That's a lot of sheets for a maid to carry, isn't it?" Merlin muttered.
Arthur said, "It's not real, they're only drawings of sheets! Anyway, maids have to work hard because they are not important." This statement was greeted with absolute silence and Arthur realised that once again, he'd said something wrong and upset Merlin.
Merlin stood up saying, "Thank you, Martin, I had a fun morning but I'm going now." He left without glancing at Arthur who sat there mortified.
"Arthur, I think you need to apologise for what you said. Maids and menservants are very important; they look after our clothes and food. The castle wouldn't be a nice place to live in without them."
"But, he won't want to talk to me now. He doesn't like it when I call people peasants or say that they are not worth anything."
"I hope that you don't say that in front of other people. You are the crown prince and people listen to whatever you say."
"My father says it!"
"Arthur, if your father said that the sky was green, would you say the same?"
Laughing, Arthur said, "No, because it isn't!"
"Then you have no need to repeat everything which the king says especially if by saying it, it makes your friend upset."
Arthur dropped his head and knew that Sir Martin was right. Merlin wasn't even a servant, yet he was very important.
Martin continued, "…and, he's been very kind helping you with your arithmetic this morning. Why don't you find him after lunch? Thank him for his help and say that you are sorry for your 'maid' comment. If I know Merlin, he'll accept what you say and then you'll be friends again."
Arthur left happily that is what he would do and he was sure that Merlin would forgive him and talk to him again.
Merlin was subdued at lunch. He hardly mentioned his morning with Arthur. "Had a falling out with Arthur?" Gaius asked.
"Not really, but he was rude about a maid. It doesn't feel right when he speaks like that. He's not fooling, I know that deep down he really feels as if they are the lowest of the low. He dropped his head and said with a little heart-rending sigh, "But I don't think that he thinks that they are as low as peasants!"
Gaius was getting upset. If Arthur was going to hurt Merlin with insensitive statements, then he would have to step in and curtail their time together. He was not going to put Merlin in any position where he was bullied even mentally. It was unacceptable!
Gaius was about to tell Merlin exactly that when there was a quiet knock on the door and Arthur's head peeked around it.
"May I come in Gaius?" Arthur said, glancing sheepishly at Merlin.
"You may! Is there something you wanted, Arthur?"
Arthur felt uncomfortable as had a feeling that Gaius knew exactly why he was there. "Can I talk to Merlin by himself?"
"Oh, I'm sure that anything you have to say to Merlin, you can say in front of me. Don't you?" Gaius glanced at Merlin who was studying the cracks in the wooden table.
Arthur stood still. Saying sorry in front of Gaius was going to be harder but he had to say it as he felt awful inside. "I was wrong this morning when I said that the maids are not important. I know what the maids do and Martin made me see that we really need them." He glanced at Merlin who wouldn't look at him. He hadn't bargained for this. Since he had learned to apologise, Merlin usually happily accepted it and then they were friends again.
He coughed and continued, not thinking what he was saying just allowing the words to come out as if it were only Merlin present. "Merlin, I wasn't talking about you." Arthur's voice was quieter and had a quiver to it. "You are very important. I think of you like me…not a prince but like me all the same. Merlin, I would fight anyone who said anything nasty about you."
"Then you'd be in double trouble!" said a little voice.
Gaius realised that his help was not needed so he reached for his mortar and pestle.
"I don't care that you came from a little village; I just care that you came to Camelot. Merlin, don't walk away from me like that, you hurt and frightened me. What would have happened if you had just kept going and had gone home? I don't even know where you live."
"Arthur, one day I will be going home and you won't be able to follow me, you know that. My Mam is coming after Samhain and I will go with her."
"Do you have to?"
"I want to!"
Arthur stared at his only real friend and Merlin lifted his head saying, "Arthur, I've had a lovely time here but I don't belong here, I belong at home."
Arthur was not the only person in the room who heard those words and felt upset. Gaius suddenly said, "I forgot to tell you but I have to go up to the turrets today and was wondering if someone might like to go with me."
The boys excitedly jumped around. Visits to the turrets and their walkways were rare and a treat for anyone.
"Both of you, go tell Charles where we are going and I'll get this finished while you are gone."
Two very excited boys left the room, Merlin pulling Arthur after him. Gaius kept working thinking that he was going to be sad to loose Merlin but worried that another young person in Camelot would also be gravely affected by the separation.
It was an extremely clear day and the three of them could see for miles. Arthur asked in which direction Merlin's village lay. Gaius showed him explaining that it would take two days at least to reach there and it wasn't even in the kingdom of Camelot.
"So, my father is not your king?" Arthur asked.
Merlin shrugged. This was all beyond him; he knew of no other kings.
Gaius proceeded to give a very short history lesson and both of the boys were intrigued. Arthur settled the whole thing by declaring, "Don't worry, when I am king, Merlin, I will claim your village and make it part of Camelot and then…"
"You will be my King!" Merlin finished with a big grin.
Arthur added, "…and you will still be my best friend." Then he paused at looked at the younger boy, "That is if you still wanted to …"
"…of course, I would! I will be your bestest friend forever and we can live here with Gaius happily every after."
That settled, Arthur wanted to know if trees could grow as high as the turrets where they now were standing…
-0-0-
Soon all the squires who had gone away on summer holidays were back and Merlin watched as a new group of young pages even younger than he was, arrived. Some of the older pages were now squires. Merlin knew that one day, Arthur would start to train with the squires but at the moment he still had his training alone.
Merlin was fascinated by the weapons which Arthur got to play with. He loved sitting quietly watching his lessons. One day, his archery tutor suggested that Arthur go hunting to test his prowess in the field. Merlin dashed into Gaius's chamber begging permission to go along as Sir Max had suggested. He would not have any weapon but could come along with Sir Aislin. Gaius gave his permission on the understanding that Merlin obey the staff accompanying the knights and Arthur and not wander away by himself.
The day dawned clear and dry. They left early and walked to nearby woods and waited. Nothing seemed to happen for the longest time and then Merlin noticed that Sir Max and Arthur both had their arrows notched and bows drawn. Twang, the arrows flew. There was a thrashing in the bracken Arthur and Sir Max walked quickly to the area together and Sir Max knelt and took out his knife and the thrashing stopped. Everybody was congratulating the prince on his first major kill.
Arthur looked for Merlin, with a proud grin on his face. "Come and see what I killed."
Merlin walked over and glanced down at the young deer, pierced by two arrows and with a dribble of blood at the corner of its mouth. He stared in horror. Arthur had killed something big. Something that one minute had been alive and enjoying life and which was now being gutted prior to being strung up on a pole and carried back to the castle. He pulled back, Sir Aislin noticed and said, "Your first hunt?"
Merlin nodded, tears in his eyes. Aislin put an arm around his shoulder and said. "It didn't really suffer, that was why Sir Max shot as well just in case Arthur only wounded it. The meat will go to the castle kitchens. Have you congratulated Arthur yet?"
Merlin dropped his head and shook it. "I don't think, I can…"
With his hand still on Merlin's shoulder, Aislin said, "We'll do it together. This is a very important day for Arthur, he is only ten and it was his first deer hunt."
Merlin whispered, "I didn't know he was going to kill anything…"
…and Aislin smiled, remembering his first hunt and the nightmares which had followed.
Gaius for some reason was not surprised at their different attitudes about the hunting excursion. Arthur was full of himself. His father had been very impressed and once the meat was hung, it would be served at the royal table.
Merlin was very subdued, Gaius realised that he was happy because Arthur was so happy but not impressed by the celebration. He confided later, "I was having a nice time until the deer was killed. It didn't deserve to die, Gaius, it had done nothing wrong."
Gaius had explained that just as in Ealdor people needed to eat. People in the castle also needed to eat and the castle huntsmen hunted the deer and boar which roamed the woods in this area. He hoped that Merlin would learn to accept hunting as he knew that it was held in high esteem by Arthur who was already looking forward to the autumn's hunts to provide food for the castle over winter.
-0-0-
"Gaius?" said Merlin one morning in late August, as they collected herbs in Gaius's plot in the kitchen gardens.
"Yes, Merlin…"
"Gaius, I like Arthur and I think he likes me."
"I'm sure he does."
And Gaius's heart dropped as Merlin continued, "I think it's time to tell him all about me. Don't you, Gaius? I don't think he'd be cross, I think he would find it funny and then he could play with Pendragon and maybe Grace. Well, maybe not Grace as she won't let anyone else touch her. I told her that you were my friend but she tries to hide if you come too close."
He looked directly at Gaius as he said, "Can I tell him, Gaius, please?"
Gaius stopped what he was doing and took Merlin by the hand and walked over to the little bench near the fishponds. "Merlin, no matter how much Arthur likes you, it is too dangerous to tell him about your magic. He mightn't mean to but he might by accident talk to someone about Pendragon."
"But he's grown up a lot recently. He doesn't lose his temper as much and can even control himself when he fails at something. He wouldn't tell anyone if I asked him not to…if I made him see how important it was to keep it a secret."
"It might just slip out. Someone might hear and thinking that it was an invisible friend, they might laughingly tell Uther, not to be mean but just to show how cute Arthur was and Uther wouldn't be pleased. He would be cross to think that Arthur thought about dragons. He might be cross enough to have Arthur disciplined."
"Like in whipping, Gaius?"
"Yes, like in whipping…Arthur might cry as he was frightened and not meaning to, might tell his father that the dragon belongs to you…and Uther being so cross, might come here and yell at you and even take you away from me."
"I wouldn't like that, Gaius, would I?"
"No, I don't think you would. That is why we have to be very careful about Pendragon and Grace."
"But, what about Knightly?"
"Well, he's alright because Uther knows all about rabbits and they don't make him cross."
"It's sad, Gaius, as I really want to share with Arthur. I'm full of so many things and I can't even tell him. It makes me feel as if I am lying by not sharing the parts about my magic." Merlin dropped his head; he really did feel guilty. It upset him to keep such an important and exciting secret from his best friend.
Gaius waited in silence, he knew it would be Merlin's decision yet the boy needed to listen to him as he tried to impress upon him the dangers of playing with magic in Camelot. He thought, 'Please, God! One day, it might be different. He knew when he allowed his own magic to surface, he felt enlightened. He could imagine how it must feel for someone as powerful as Merlin; it was second nature to him, part of his very essence.
He was interrupted by a voice saying, "How about butterflies? I like butterflies could I let Arthur see me make them appear and we could play with them? The king must know all about butterflies, doesn't he? You know, Gaius, when they fly around me and land on my hair, they whisper Arthur's name to me."
Gaius's heart went out to the youngster. To have so many wonderful things in his life which he must keep secret. Yet, he was mortally afraid of Uther where magic was concerned. He said, "Merlin, you can tell me and your Mam, all about your life. But please, don't tell anyone else! Promise me?"
A subdued Merlin nodded and a big dragonfly flew by, hesitated, came back and perched on Gaius's hand.
Merlin grinned and Gaius put his arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer to him and said, "Merlin of Ealdor, you bring so much joy to an old man."
"Who?"
"Me!"
"Gaius, you're not old! Pendragon told me that you will be here for many a year, even when I come back when I'm all grown up!"
Gaius smiled to himself and said, "Nothing would make me happier, Merlin, than have you come back one day."
"Do you think, Arthur will still be here as well?
"I'm sure he will …"
"Well, maybe I'll tell him then, Gaius?"
Gaius looked down into the grinning face and said, "Merlin…!"
-0-0-
A nasty sickness was going through the castle. Gaius was kept busy and Merlin accompanied him on most of his calls. Very early one morning, there was a knock on the physician's door as a squire arrived asking that Gaius got to Prince Arthur's chambers as Charles wanted to see him immediately.
Without waking Merlin who hadn't gone to bed much earlier than midnight, Gaius quietly collected a few things and went to the royal chambers. Charles met him at the door, "He's vomited three times since the midnight watch and he's burning up! It came on so quickly, I'm worried…"
Gaius made his way to the bed were the feverish boy lay. Charles had sent for Libby and she was wringing out cold wet towels and placing them on Arthur's forehead and wiping his chest, arms and legs. Gaius could see that she was worried. They had lost one page over the last week and two elderly retainers.
Arthur's bedding had been changed twice and he lay twitching and moaning. Gaius knew that the fever had not broken and seemed to be getting worse. He was worried about heart damage. Arthur started thrashing; Charles stepping in to hold his ankles so that he wouldn't hurt himself or one of them.
Gaius watched realising that the next couple of hours were crucial. If the fever abated, Arthur would survive, if not…how long could his heart hold out? He had Charles hold Arthur's head still and dripped four drops of a yarrow infusion to encourage the sweating. Gaius knew that the fever was a sign that Arthur's body was fighting the disease, slowly sweating out the toxins from his body.
Charles called for servants to prepare a lukewarm bath and Arthur was carried to it and placed in it. Gauis had added some oil of mint and a little ginger. Arthur was no longer twitching, he had calmed. When the water had noticeably cooled, Gaius nodded and Charles wrapped Arthur in bath linens and carried him back to his freshly made bed. Libby kept talking quietly to him and holding cold towels to his forehead.
Gaius sat down and waited. Just before dawn, Arthur moaned and said distinctly, "Merlin? I need you, now!" then carried on a non-sensical conversation before settling down. Gaius checked him and realised that the fever had broken.
There was a tap at the door and Charles opened it to let in a half-dressed Merlin. He walked to the bed, then saw Gaius, he crossed over to him and said shivering, "Arthur woke me up…is he alright?"
Gaius grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around the little boy and whispered, "Yes, Merlin, he is going to be fine but he is very tired so you can't speak to him just yet as he is now asleep."
Merlin had on no shoes, so Gaius pulled him onto his lap and held him. Soon his head was nodding and he fell fast asleep. The sun was peeping over the roof opposite Arthur's bedchamber when Charles suggested, "Put Merlin on the other side of the bed, there's plenty of room. Your arms must be tired holding him."
Gaius walked over and put the blanket wrapped boy on the prince's bed and Libby covered him up with another blanket, brushing the fringe out of his eyes. She said, "I'll go and get some food for you and Gaius and something for Merlin when he wakes up."
By mid morning Arthur had stirred and opened his eyes. He was thirsty so Charles let him sip some sweetened apple juice. Merlin was still fast asleep.
Gaius said, "How do you feel, Arthur? Do you hurt anywhere?"
"No, I was really sick, all over the sheets and the blankets and then I got really hot and sweaty and then I don't remember anything else."
"Do you feel hungry?"
"No… but I'm still thirsty."
Merlin chose that moment to stretch and Arthur turned surprised that he had a bedmate. He looked at Gaius and whispered, "So he came…he heard me!"
Gaius smiled, sure that it was coincidental but not absolutely certain, knowing he'd have to have a chat with Merlin first. He said, "Here, Arthur, drink some more juice." Charles pulled Arthur higher up in the bed and gave him an extra pillow and he was able to hold the mug himself.
He kept glancing at Merlin, smiling and then he patted him on the head. "Merlin, wake up! It's me, I feel much better…"
Merlin never the easiest to wake up tried to burrow himself into Arthur's side. Arthur giggled and told Gaius seriously, "Glad it wasn't Merlin who had a fever, as there wouldn't have been any room for me on his cot, would there?"
Gaius agreed that there would not have been and stroked Merlin's head to wake him up. He opened his eyes and saw Gaius and smiled. "I am so comfy!" Then he realised that the stone walls of his chamber were not there but instead tapestried walls and bed curtains. He pushed himself up on his elbows, his eyes wide and turned seeing Arthur beside him smiling and everything became clear and he let himself fall back on the bed saying, "You're better!"
Libby arrived with food and Arthur decided that if Merlin was going to eat he would as well but he pleaded with Charles that they both be allowed to eat in bed. Charles checked with Gaius and he nodded. After breakfast, Libby went down to the physician's chamber and brought clothes which Merlin in his haste, had forgotten to put on.
Arthur would be spending the day in bed on Gaius's orders. Merlin got up and dressed and then returned to sit next to Arthur as he had a nap. Lunch was served in bed and Merlin decided that bed was the best place to have a picnic, as it was comfy to sit on and there were no stones or roots…Arthur agreed!