Uther was striding passed Arthur's room and heard his son's mention of hunting. In his arms was several scrolls. "Oh, no you don't. You haven't the time for hunting today. You've got a speech to memorize for the ceremonies and then, after lunch, you have to go to the dress rehearsal for tonight's festivities. Don't be late." The King handed Merlin the scroll that probably held the note. Then, the King left.
Grinning, Merlin laid the scroll down and stared again at the clothes. "It's a stupid tradition that needs to be changed," he exclaimed. Stepping back, he made an oomph sound. "Then, you wear the hat if you don't think it'll be so bad."
Arthur folded his arms, pursed his lips and wordlessly nodded his head at his Father's words, but when the King left Arthur could hold it in no longer. He started laughing in earnest because Uther had caught the tail end of the conversation between him and his man servant.
Calming down, Arthur shook his head. "I've got my own headgear to wear and trust me, it's far more uncomfortable than that." Arthur gestures to the hat. He then grabs the scroll and unrolls it, staring at the long paragraphs filled with words.
"He can't be serious..." Arthur mutters. When it came to giving speeches that was one of the Prince's least favorite things to do, and now here he was expected to give one that he thought would take at least an hour to get through!
He releases the bottom of the scroll watching it roll itself back up. Placing the scroll back on the table, Arthur moves back behind the screen to finish getting undressed so he could have that bath before the water became unbearably cold.
"If you are so worried about your chores then I suggest you leave now and get them done, Merlin." Arthur says from behind the screen.
Merlin couldn't help but continue to smirk. Maybe today will be a good one. Maybe things will go all right. Maybe there will be peace between the two lands. At the least, Merlin had gotten out of going hunting. That was a victory.
As Arthur started to laugh, Merlin cocked his head. He wrinkled up one side of his nose in confusion. "What's funny," he asked. The warlock didn't think he had heard or said anything amusing.
"Oh, I've seen your headgear! It's nothing like this," Merlin said. He looked at the hat and then flopped it onto Arthur's head. With a gentle shove, he pushed Arthur over to the mirror. Seeing the reflection, Merlin could not help but laugh with hysterics. Pulling the hat off of Arthur's head he glanced at the roll.
Merlin reads over it."I think he is," the warlock replies with a nod. Merlin clears his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen, it brings me the absolute pleasure to stand before you all on this merry day of peace and harmony. For far too long our Kingdoms have been at war and we have lost many a brave and valiant men. We have quarreled for decades and have gotten naught a step forward. With war, we have gained nothing but loss and sadness. By signing the peace treaty, this stagnancy shall end. Finally, after thirty years of war and bloodshed, we put our differences behind and unite in alliance!"
Merlin thought the first part of the speech was good. However, he didn't know what the rest of it said. The handwriting of author of the piece had gotten really small. The letters had started to blend into a chicken scratch of a line.
"All right, sire. I'll go clean the stalls. You bathe. When I'm done, I'll clean up the mess and that will be that," Merlin said. He then headed to the stalls as fast as he could. On the way, he grabbed a roll and an apple for Freya. Stuffing it in the pockets of his jacket, Merlin entered the barn.
Deep in an underground cavern that was inside the Isle of the Blessed there stood a young woman with brown hair that glinted in the sunlight...or...at least it would have if there had been any sunlight in the cavern! This lady was a High Priestess of the Old Religion and her name was Nimueh. She was standing before a stone pedestal that held a bowl of water; her gate to the outside world as it were.
It was how she had poisoned Camelot's water supply. She had been so close; so very close to destroying the Pendragon's and Camelot itself but an unforeseen complication had foiled her plan, and that complication was called Merlin.
To the side of the bowl there was a beautiful silver goblet and a flower just beside that.
Smiling, Nimueh takes a knife and cuts in to the side of her right index finger, watching the blood drip from her finger and in to the water.
Swiftly she begins her spell, all the while stirring the water with her bleeding finger. Finally she grabs the flower and dips that in to the water, stirring once more as she continues the spell. After she finishes, a person appears in the water.
It is Merlin. Nimueh watches with a grim smirk on her face as Arthur slams some ridiculous looking clothing in to Merlin's chest. Slowly the image fades and Nimueh takes out a lone flower petal that was floating in the water.
Smoothly she places the wet petal on the inner wall of the goblet, holding the silver cup in front of her moments later.
"Merlin...!" she whispers, staring the goblet down as if it were in fact the man servant whom she hated.