Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, if I did, I'd be like this - :D
A/N: Hello everyone! May I apologise for the enormousness in delay for the final two chapters; it's beyond awful really. Blame my first term at university entirely- work hard, play hard is pretty much the Law Society's ethic, I've barely had five minutes by myself I reckon! Anyway, the last two chapters are coming one after the other; the story demands it!
Keepsake
Chapter 6
"Merlin, you're always late."
The manservant rolled his eyes good naturedly; despite knowing what destruction the day would bring, they knew they could rely on each other for some harmless banter.
"Did you bring me my breakfast?" Arthur asked, striding towards his manservant, who was inspecting the armour and weaponry he'd laid out on the table the night before.
"Ah."
Arthur smiled sarcastically, "I thought not, which why I took the liberty of making sure someone else brought it up before hand."
Arthur suddenly fell silent, his eyes narrowed as he watched Merlin inspect his armour for dents or breaks. After a few moments, Merlin noticed the sudden quietness, lifting his gaze up, unnerved to see Arthur eyeing him critically.
"What?" Merlin asked, his eyes darting around shiftily, colour flooding his throat.
"You look tired." the prince stated.
"I didn't have a very good night's sleep." Merlin replied half-heartedly.
"Is someone nervous?" Arthur teased, his eyes sparkling with mirth.
Merlin raised his eyebrows, not meeting Arthur's eyes as he pretended to engross himself in checking the prince's chest plates, "You'd be a fool if you weren't."
Arthur watched Merlin pick up a rag and begin to polish his shield, despite the fact he'd already done it last night.
The prince didn't stop him though, keeping the dark haired boy occupied seemed to stop the muscle twitching in his jaw. The blonde had noticed that was one of the tell tale signs of Merlin's nerves.
"I suppose you'll be helping Gaius today then." the prince said nonchalantly, as if today wasn't any different.
Merlin rubbed viciously at a particularly stubborn bit of dirt which he hadn't spotted yesterday, "Then you suppose wrong."
It was Arthur's turn to be confused now, "What?"
"I'm coming with you of course." Merlin replied, a trace of a smile on his lips as his silvery eyes met Arthur's own.
"Merlin. . . I'm not sure that's the best idea."
"Oh." said Merlin, mockingly placing his hand on his chin as he pretended to look wistful, "So taking me to fight a dragon was? Or. . . taking me into forests filled with bandits? Or. . . perhaps to a castle where some dead knights had been awakened?"
"Ok, ok I get it!" Arthur put his hands up in surrender, adding quietly, "I think you should wear some armour though, you're always charging about unarmed."
"Oh Arthur, I didn't know you cared!" Merlin pouted jokingly, his hand on his heart.
The prince shook his head at his laughing manservant, unable to keep a small grin off his own face, "Pass me my chainmail would you?"
Merlin picked it up, the fluid weight of it cool in his hands as he placed it over Arthur's head, "So, you aren't nervous at all then?" the younger boy asked.
"Course not." Arthur said, a deep sigh escaping his nose.
"I'll take that as a 'yes' then." Merlin murmured, straightening Arthur's chainmail on his shoulders.
Arthur gulped a little, his mind dancing with a terrible bloodshed he knew he'd be part of, "Whatever you may think of me Merlin, I don't enjoy this sort of thing. War. Death. Slaughter. I know how much you like to chastise me over hunting, but this? It gives me no pleasure to kill another man."
Merlin gave his master a slightly sorrowful look, his colbalt eyes glittering. He remembered what he'd been told, of how Morgause would pinpoint the crown prince. He'd defend Arthur to the bitter end. Should he warn him now?
Arthur watched as his manservant kept his eyes focused on his task, adjusting the chest plates and meticulously tying the little strings as if it were a surgical procedure, "I know that being royalty isn't all velvet cushions and banquets. I've seen first hand the difficult decisions you've had to make, whether that be supporting your father or standing against him, or leading your men to near certain death for the good of Camelot."
Arthur asked him again, differently this time, "Are you nervous?"
Merlin got this pensive look on his face, his eyes darkening slighty, still shifting Arthur's chest plates, "I'm worried that by the end of the day, people will think differently of me."
The prince grasped his manservant's wrist firmly, causing Merlin to freeze, his hands hovering on the final tie, "No one will judge you if you decide not to fight Merlin; you're not a knight."
Merlin swallowed, his magic spiking in his fingertips, "That's not what I meant."
Arthur released his grip, Merlin's fingers like bony vines stretching as he tied the final knot, "You confuse me, Merlin."
"And you me. Sometimes I wonder how a prat like you is destined to be the greatest king Camelot has known." he replied, a small smile on his lips.
The prince looked at him strangely, like no one had said anything quite like that to him before. There was an odd sort of affection in his eyes.
"You should get some armour on." Arthur said, breaking the silence.
"Should I go to the armoury?" Merlin answered, gesturing towards the door.
"No. . . no." the prince replied, waving his hand slightly, "I've got spare in my trunk."
The prince moved across his chambers, lifting the creaky wooden lid open at the foot of his bed, and pulling out chainmail and gauntlets.
Merlin pointed at them in recognition, "Hey, didn't I wear them-"
"-when we went to Ealdor, yes." Arthur finished.
"Why do you have them?"
"I thought you could use them again. Though to be honest, I forgot about them; it seems ridiculous now, since you mentioned all those times I've taken you into dangerous situations unarmed."
Merlin smiled sheepishly, Arthur handing him his armour as he walked past, picking up his sword and holding it to the light which was shining brighter through the window. He rolled his eyes as his manservant squirmed his way into his chainmail, affixing one gauntlet, and struggling with the second as he had done the first time.
"You are useless, Merlin." the prince huffed, his sword clanging on the table as he walked over to his manservant, his eyes sparkling with mild embarrassment as he held out his right arm, Arthur finishing off the ties for him, before returning to his sword.
"Oh, I have something for you by the way."
Arthur turned back round, sword in his hand.
He stared at Merlin, who was holding his red neckerchief in his outstretched hand.
"Okay." he said it as if it was two words, "."
The jet-haired boy rolled his eyes, "Oh for goodness sake it's not like that."
"Really?" Arthur said, raising an eyebrow with amusement, "Because to me it looks like you're trying to give me a token-"
"It will help you, trust me. You must keep it with you." Merlin interrupted.
Arthur furrowed his brow, Merlin was looking at him so earnestly he slowly took it from his hand.
The prince's nose shrivelled, "Why is it wet? I don't understand, why is it wet?"
"Don't ask, because I won't tell you."
"Mer-lin!" Arthur cried.
His manservant gave him a pointed look, and Arthur pulled a face, "If you get injured- that's what you'll need."
"Are you criticising my fighting skills? Who says I'll get injured?" Arthur said, arms open, mildly outraged.
"You nearly always do! Moreover, I've just given you something that will help you, why are you whining like some small child?" Merlin replied, exasperated.
Arthur paused, pursed his lips as he viewed his manservant critically, "You're right. I'm sorry." he said, sitting on his bed, putting on his boots and tucking the neckerchief into the top of his right one, "Although I have no idea how your wet neckerchief is going to help me."
Merlin smiled softly, before he faced away from Arthur and gave his sword a final polish. The prince looked deep in thought for a few seconds, before he pulled the neckerchief from his boot, held it in his hands for a few seconds before tucking it into the shoulder of his shirt, not far from the pulse on his neck, yet still out of sight.
Merlin swivelled back round and walked over to him, leaning against the bedstead, his voice hushed and his eyes quiet, "Today will be a moment that will start to truly define you. It will be difficult and scary and vicious. It will not only be Cenred and his men that we will be up against-"
Arthur's eyes widened, "Who else will there be?"
Merlin swallowed a little, his arms folded, "Sorcerers. Seeking revenge on your father and on Camelot."
The prince looked away, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat. Camelot's men were surely unmatched, "How do you know all this?"
Merlin dodged the question, "Just promise me this Arthur; you won't think of me any differently by the end of the day. I'm still the same person, and I'll always be loyal to you, and I'll never do anything to harm you."
Arthur looked like he wanted to reply, ask his question again, but found he couldn't say anything. He was overawed almost, and it baffled him and intrigued him infinitely when his manservant spoke like this. Wise and knowing beyond his years and position.
"Of course. . ." he managed to choke out; it seemed insufficient though.
Merlin half smiled, "We should go; your army will be waiting."
0*0*0*0*0
Arthur marched out into the courtyard, hand on the hilt of his sword, head held high like the Pendragon he was destined to be. Men in their hundreds watched the blonde prince step out with his manservant by his side, the juxtaposition of light and dark, tanned and pale, both their piercing, cerulean blue eyes set firmly ahead.
The prince turned on Merlin, his voice a whisper as his eyes darted around, "Did Gwen go?"
"Don't worry, she's safe. She's staying with friends a few miles south of Camelot; if the castle is swarmed, you or I have time to get to her."
Merlin saw more than heard a shaky breath of relief leave the prince's lungs, "Thank you."
A/N: Thanks everyone for reading, please review and the final chapter is coming right up!