CHAPTER 17 : RUB-A-DUB-DUB

By the time the adults' supper was over, heavy rumblings of thunder could be heard. Arthur and his friends withdrew to the library for drinks. Suddenly, there was a clap of thunder which shook the manor house. No one had noticed any lightning and it had taken the adults by surprise.

Merlin said, "Wouldn't like to be sleeping rough tonight; you'd be hanging onto your horse the whole time. When I'm outside, I have less of a love for lightning." He stood up, "Arthur, I'd like to check on the boys, a bad storm like this in a strange place can be unsettling."

"Merlin, they're not babies and they have Randall!"

"Well, I'm not a baby either but I prefer to have you beside me in a bad storm," said Merlin with a sweet smile as he walked back to Arthur and put his hands on his shoulders. Arthur grinned and ran his hand up Merlin's arm. "Face it, Arthur, as far as Treva is concerned Randall is not the same as you or me."

A flash of lightning lit up the room and the clouds were backlit by an orange sky. Simon said suddenly, "Arthur, it's not going to be another tornado is it?"

"Doubt it, Gaius gave us the opinion that that magnitude of storm was rare. This is just a good old thunder storm."

Spenser said, "If you two want to go up to check on the boys do so. Simon and I are quite happy down here."

Merlin looked beseechingly at Arthur and held out his hand; Arthur stood and grasped it as they left the room.

Simon moved over to sit next to Spenser, in the double chair in front of the fire He smiled thinking of Merlin's words, 'Well, I'm not a baby either but I prefer to have you beside me in a bad storm.' He snuggled against Spenser who put an arm around his shoulders.

By the time Merlin and Arthur got to the boy's chamber, their bed was empty. The boys had joined Randall in the manservant's room and he had his arms around both of them. As Merlin looked in Treva jumped off the bed and ran to him, grasping him around the waist. "Is it the end of the world? Is this like the storm on the moor?"

Merlin dropped down on his knee and said, "Not at all! Let's go into the solar and wrap ourselves in blankets and watch the wonderful display. We can count between the lightning flashes and the thunder to see if the storm is coming or going. During the lightning strikes, we will see who can see the furthest into the gardens. Go and get your dressing gowns on and it will be fun."

The two boys, Arthur and Merlin made their way to the solar, Randall following behind with bed quilts. There had been no arguments from the boys as Treva would do anything for Merlin and Henry was happy just being with Treva. Piling the quilts on a chair, Randall helped Merlin rearrange the furniture so they could sit and watch the storm. The solar would be a perfect viewing position with all its windows, giving an almost three hundred degree view of the manor gardens and surrounding hills. Treva decided that maybe Simon and Spenser would also enjoy the storm from up there, so Arthur sent Randall down to the library to see if they would like to join them.

There was a little tension when Merlin told Henry to sit with him. However, after he had whispered to Treva that Henry might have felt a little shy sitting on the King of Camelot's lap, Treva agree and calmly clambered up on Arthur safe in the knowledge that his 'Arthur Father' would protect him from lightning and thunder. Henry curled up with Merlin and was quite happy.

Simon arrived looking a little flushed. Spenser apologising for the delay, explained that Randall had had to track them down. Merlin noticed the glance which Simon gave Randall but let it pass.

The storm was spectacular but as it drew to a close Merlin realised that Henry was fast asleep and Treva was asking Arthur when it would start again. "I'd got good at counting flashes, didn't I? And I could see further than anyone else into the garden." Arthur nodded in agreement. The youngster added, "Can we have another storm to watch tomorrow night?"

Merlin said that would depend on the weather. "Come on, Henry is asleep and you look as if you're ready for bed as well." He handed the sleeping boy over to Randall. Treva however, insisted on making the rounds wishing everyone a good night before he was willing to also leave.

As the door closed after them, Simon said to Merlin, "He's one in a million. Remember the frightened little boy who wouldn't let go of your leg and clung to you like ivy."

Merlin turned and smiled at Arthur who put his arm over his shoulder saying, "It's hard for me to imagine what would have happened… What is it nearly two years ago? …if Merlin hadn't insisted that he deserved attention and against my better judgement had hauled me off into the woods."

"Excuse me, Oh Forgetful One! If I rightly remember you were acting the needy person that day. Luckily, I had my wits about me or the boy might have been even more traumatised."

Arthur stopped and for a few minutes thought about the carnage and the loss of the de Vire family. "Let's just agree that we were in the right place at the right time and your well chosen words, resonated in the heart of a lost and abused child."

Spenser said, "He's a real credit to the two of you!"

"No, I think we have just built on the foundation given to him by his loving parents." Before adding quietly, "He filled a little hole in our lives." Merlin glanced at Arthur and knew to whom he was referring, another little boy who would also have been eight years old this year.

Merlin suddenly said, "I'm ready to turn in or do you all want another drink. I can get us something from downstairs."

Simon said, "No, I'm good for the night, how about you Spenser?"

"I'm also ready to turn in. See the two of you at breakfast tomorrow." He and Simon left the solar.

Merlin turned to face Arthur, putting his arms around him. He kissed him chastely saying, "I wonder if our two boys would have liked each other?"

"I know they would have!" said Arthur as he returned Merlin's kiss a little less chastely as he led him back to their chamber.

-0-0-

"A bath, Sir Knight?" said Merlin.

"It's too late; there is no need to disturb the staff as they would have to bring up hot water. Let's just go to bed as we are." He threw his arms around Merlin and pulled him to him. "Do you remember our first stay here? You were sneaking back and forth between the manservant's room. How long ago was that seven years? This is one of the things which most impresses me here…no need to hide and keeps secrets."

"Remember how impressed we were when the maidservants brought the breakfast into the back hall and left it for us on the table. That was the height of luxury." He smiled, "It enabled me to have a lie in…"

"…in the king's bed to be exact!"

Merlin smiled as he knelt to help Arthur off with his boots. "It's funny but I find it hard to remember when I didn't."

"Great, now I'm going to worry that 'familiarity breeds contempt'…maybe we should sleep apart every now and again." Merlin's face fell. "I'm kidding, Merlin, as it is, every night that we are apart is agony."

"Arthur, I can assure you, that there is nothing contemptible with the familiarity I have with you. Everything I know about you fascinates me and I'm sure there is a wealth of information that I have yet to share about my life before you?"

"Well, as long as it doesn't include a wife and four kids, I'll be happy."

Merlin laughed as he slipped Arthur's tunic over his head, "No wife, not even a boyfriend. I was pure as the driven snow before I met you! Poor Gaius, I pestering him with all sorts of questions and I might add some of them rather embarrassing for both of us."

Arthur grinned, "…and the poor man was also being pestered by me. How he survived I don't know!"

Merlin smiled, "That's one of the good things about having a physician as a friend, he has all the answers."

Merlin removed the warming pans from the bed. Arthur slid in between the sheets and literally purred with delight at the warmth. "Merlin, I can't decide whether I prefer the hot days when we need no blankets or the cold days when we get to slip into warm beds."

"For me, it's not so much the temperature as the occupant of the bed. Mind you, my feet do feel warmer in winter. Did you know that Missus Jessop an old lady in Ealdor used to wear woollen socks winter and summer and between you and me, I don't think they saw the laundry from one year to the next."

"That's positively disgusting!"

"Maybe but unlike you, Mr. Jessop never had to complain about her cold feet."

"But I let you put your cold feet on my calves as long as you tell me before you do it."

Merlin grinned at that remark, remembering the first time his cold feet had touched Arthur's legs and the resulting shriek of surprise. At that moment, he had wondered if he had shot all chances of ever being welcomed back into Arthur's bed again. "Not the first time…"

Arthur looked at him, "Well, I expect I was being a little girly but I had never slept with anyone before, let alone someone with blocks of ice for feet!"

"Better than a block of ice for a heart…" Merlin said snuggled against him. He started to kiss Arthur's throat and elicited moans.

Arthur smiled mumbling sexily, "Bet Old Man Jessop never had it so good…"

"Arthur, it's not what I can do as much as the way you react that is important. If you lay there like a cold fish, it wouldn't be much fun. Now, would it?"

Arthur decided he needed a few more moments of Merlin's ministrations before he should comment. "True, but just think, you would have to come up with even more exciting things to get a reaction out of me."

"Considering, I can just have you quivering by verbal suggestions makes me think that maybe my example of a cold fish was way off base." He leant over and whispered in Arthur's ear.

The reaction was immediate. "Merlin, you wouldn't…would you…! Could you?"

"Don't know, maybe I should check with Gaius first as I wouldn't want to hurt myself…" He looked down at Arthur and grinned, claiming his lips. Apart from a few murmurings, their conversations for the evening were over.

The wind had picked up and they snuggled deeper into the bed. Through the poorly fitted windows beyond the heavy curtains, the moaning of the wind at one point seemed to mimic Arthur's repeating "Merlin! Oh…oh, Merlin!"

A satisfied Merlin smiled; Arthur was quick to respond and it was satisfying being able to show him the extent of his love. He felt safe and loved and what else would anyone in his right mind want…

Arthur was awakened by a fox barking. He turned and smiled at the person enveloped in his arms. Cold feet or not, this was someone with whom he intended to share his life until he was old and grey. He didn't want to think beyond that. It upset him thinking that in the end, one of them would be left alone.

He loved Merlin selflessly. Realising the extent of that love and not wanting him to be left alone; he had willingly made a pact with the 'powers that be', that when the time came they could take his Merlin, accepting in the cold light of day that he would then be the person left to face the future and cope alone. He couldn't bear to dwell on it; nevertheless, his mind was made up. He would enjoy and appreciate his Love everyday until they were parted. He would hold him in his arms and chivalrously swear his undying love and then allow him to slip away…then he would live his life alone until his time came.

Arthur turned and held Merlin closer; he would protect him with every fibre of his being and a single tear ran down his cheek and dropped on Merlin's dark hair.

-0-0-

The morning following the storm was misty and damp. The clouds were so low that they masked the hills around the valley, not conducive to exploring outside. That didn't stop the boys having a great root around the manor. In a room near Arthur's chambers, they found an old, tall round wooden bathing tub. They were thrilled and talked Randall into allowing them to have a bath. The menservants were only too happy to supply the water so, on that cold and dreary midmorning, the inside of the tub was covered in sheets of linen and then three quarters filled with water. The boys were in their element.

They wanted to know all the ins and outs of bathing and why the tubs now used were a different shape. They wanted to know how the water got out of the tub. They wanted to know where it was carried away to. Lord Hawley had been a pioneer in household features and he had arranged for a drain in the water closet to carry any spilt water down a wooden chute and finally outside. It would keep the floor drier. The boys were fascinated, splashing to ensure that the water sloshed over the side of the tub and made its way across the floor and down the hole. When they heard that the servants would empty buckets of their dirty bath water down the same hole, they were stupefied.

Merlin had come looking for them and Randall had nodded his head that they were in the water closet. Merlin walked in and the boys at the same time rushed to one side of the tub to greet him sending a tide of soapy water over him. He was soaked but saw the funny side of it when he looked at their stricken faces.

"Better me than the King, eh boys!" he said smiling. Randall was full of apologies but Merlin shrugged saying that in his life, he'd been doused with worse than water.

Treva immediately asked what and was naturally impressed as Merlin said, "One day, when I first came to Camelot, I was once carrying the slops and I tripped emptying the chamber pot down my leg. I was more careful after that." The boys shrieked with laughter and Henry overbalanced, lost his footing and disappeared under the water, Merlin reached in to grab him and as he was now well and truly wet, swung him out of the tub and Randall stepped forward with a bath sheet and wrapped the boy up in it.

"Me too! Me too!" insisted Treva, who promptly held his breath and sank to the bottom of the tub. Merlin fished him out, swinging him into Randall's second waiting bath sheet. They picked up both of the boys and returned them into their own chamber to stand in front of the fire as they dried themselves.

Treva announced, "I don't need to dry with the bath sheet, I'll just dry in the hot air from the fire."

"Me too!" said Henry.

Randall explained that it would be better if they rubbed themselves dry as it would soon be time for lunch and if they were good they could have a picnic on the bed but only if they were dry.

"Merlin, you're dripping all over the floor and we don't have a drain in here," Treva informed him.

"Well, then I'd better get back to my chamber."

Henry said seriously, "As you are already wet, you should have a bath. We could come and help you after we've eaten."

Merlin smiled and thanked him, realising that if anyone was going to help him bathe, he would prefer it be Arthur… Merlin did an about turn when he left the room and went back to the water closet. He put his hand in the now cool bath water and closing his eyes said, 'Donas mundam aquam!' He opened his eyes and the water in the tub was clean. He smiled, if Arthur was agreeable, he'd sneak back and say, 'Estus aquam!' He'd save the servants a trip and ensure privacy for Arthur and him. He thought, "After all, with weather like this, we shouldn't really go outside, should we?' He smiled to himself and set out for Arthur's chambers.

Arthur was checking some papers at the table, without looking up, he said, "Merlin, did you find them?"

"Yes, as naked as the day they were born!"

Arthur looked slightly puzzled and glanced up, "What in heaven's name happening to you? You're soaking. Look at the floor!"

"I know, I'm going to change but I have a brilliant idea!"

"How did you get wet?"

"That's part of my brilliant idea…the boys found a huge old wooden bath tub and Randall let them have a bath. I must say Arthur it looks like fun, it's really deep and it has seats built into it. I figured that as I'm wet as it is, why not take advantage of what will soon be my state of undress and have a bath."

Arthur smiled, "The first year that Rudd and I visited as eight year olds, we wanted to play in one as well. I didn't know that it was still around. Humphrey however felt that that was unnecessary as hot water had to be carried and in the other water closet the coppers supply the hot water."

"Come on, Arthur, let's live dangerously. I think there is even space to float. Nothing ventured, nothing gained! At least we'll be clean, so the day won't have been a total write off."

Arthur grinned, "Try and stop me. You get the bath sheets and soaps from our water closet and we'll pretend we live in the olden days."

Merlin stripped out of his wet clothes down to his smalls and picking up his dressing gown, the sheets and soaps, said, "I'll see you there…just going to check if the water is hot enough. He walked into the old bathing room and closing his eyes, he whispered, 'Estus aquam!' reopened them and said aloud to the steam, "Well…now we'll wait for his Lordship!"

-0-0-

At supper that night, Simon said, "What did you two get up to today? We wandered around the estate with the gamekeeper. Weather wasn't the greatest but we enjoyed ourselves. It certainly is a lovely spot but we got sort of wet."

"So did we!" said Arthur before Merlin could stop him.

"Didn't see you outside," said Spenser.

Arthur grinned at Merlin as he said, "Well, we weren't outside, the boys found an old wooden bathtub and they soaked Merlin. After lunch, we decided to make it a real holiday and luxuriate in the tub all afternoon."

"Arthur, that's a bit of an exaggeration! Arthur did have a bath and then it was a shame to waste the water so I did the same."

Arthur burst out laughing, "Merlin, don't be silly. It's Spenser and Simon; we have no secrets from them. Merlin is sort of sanitising the situation as we shared the tub."

Spenser grinned at Merlin's discomfort, "Come on, Merlin, we've all heard of Rub-a-Dub Dub, three men in a tub. So who pray tell was the third?"

"No one else…two was enough!" said Merlin with a confident smile.