AN: BiteMeBlondie- I'm glad you liked it, Beanacre0- thank you, Catindahat- yeah, that will be interesting, ruby890- thanks, FireChildSlytherin5- If he were no good, Uther would probably take it away, being such as he is (I don't like Uther, he's too obsessed with death, seriously, and I don't like him anyway...) , SwordMasterZ, foxykitsuneyouko, cassandrapendragon, Loopstagirl, Heaven's Archer
Thank you all :D
This chapter is dedicated to my friends; Princessa Guinevere, who gave me my scarf and to cassandrapendragon who is always willing to read this before it gets posted, thanks guys you're awesome! :)
I was looking at someone's profile today and they said that you should ask the characters before writing about them. So I decided to because I'm strange:
ME: Uhm, Sir Leon?
LEON: Yes?
ME: I've been told that I should ask characters before injuring them so, yeah. Can I injure you with an arrow?
LEON: Well, seeing as I'm dead it doesn't really make much difference.
ME: Whoa don't shoot! It wasn't me who killed you, now was it?
*Arthur appears*
ARTHUR: Could you get on with the chapter now? No one reads this part, besides; I want to know the truth about Merlin's relation to me...
ME: You're not finding that out next chapter.
ARTHUR: And why not?
ME: Because Uther doesn't tell you, duh *pokes tongue out at Arthur and smiles evilly*
ARTHUR: *scowls* I hate you
ME: Thank you :)
*Me and Arthur walk off, Merlin takes over*
MERLIN: Well, here's the chapter, because it seems that if I don't do something, you'll never get it, sheesh. *yells to me & A* Will you two give it a rest already??!
*Goes to get us to stop, then remembers something and comes back*
MERLIN: Oh, and Saymorian does not own us, she just wishes she does :) *goes* *in the distance* would you two shut up!
You know I've just looked back through the fic and realised that I've given Merlin two different ages... in one chapter he says he's 18, but then Uther says that Ygraine died in childbirth 20 years ago
So um yeah...
I hope you appreciate this, I kinda wrote the plot outline for this chapter in maths, backwards so my teacher wouldn't have been able to read it :) And at the moment I'm listening to some LOTR soundtrack songs on you tube...
Hope you like...
Chapter 9
Merlin's sleep did not come easily that night. He was apprehensive at the thought of enduring another knight training session with the prat, uh, prince. However eventually he slipped into the world of dreams. He woke in the night from a nightmare. He had dreamt that Uther had discovered his magic and that he was dying by fire. Not that he feared but he still didn't want to die by it.
He lay for a while with his eyes open in the grey, half light that came hours before the dawn. Eventually his eyes grew heavy and he succumbed to sleep again. When he awoke hours later, he had no recollection of the images that had disturbed him.
It became apparent that Vyorn was late so Merlin got himself dressed and was just about to go in search of breakfast when a young girl entered. She curtseyed, not seeing Merlin's look of confusion as she placed his breakfast on the table.
"Who are you?" Merlin asked suspiciously
The girl turned to face him. Her braids of reddish hair looking similar to that of Merlin's absent manservant. "I am Ava, My Lord, Vyorn could not make it today, he is unwell, I am his sister."
"Will he be okay?" Merlin was concerned for the young lad, who he had grown to like in the few days he had been in Camelot.
"I believe so, but it is uncertain, we have yet to see Gaius, I'm going to get him after I finish Vyorns duties..." Ava smiled, putting on a brave face, though Merlin could tell she was anxious as she was biting her lip.
"I'll get him," He said, making for the door
"Oh, my lord there is really no need to," Ava gasped out
"No it's okay; I'll go find Gaius,"
Before she could protest further Merlin left the room and began walking to Gaius's. Then remembered his training and went back for his bow and quiver, glad he was dressed already for training. He walked to the physicians chambers swiftly.
"Gaius?" He called softly as he entered the room. The physician was looking up something in a huge old book; he turned when he heard Merlin.
"Ah, My Lord, what brings you here? Don't tell me you injured yourself again?"
Merlin grimaced and shook his head "No, nothing like that, I just came to fetch you for a friend, well, I say friend actually it's for Vyorn, my manservant. He didn't turn up for work today and his sister says he is sick."
"I see, so why did she not come to see me?" Gaius questioned
"She was doing Vyorns duties, she insisted on doing them, though I could have managed just fine!" Merlin remembered that Gaius thought he was a knight, one of noble blood who had grown up into wealth "So, uh, I came instead..."
"Right, well, do you know where their house is?" Asked Gaius as he started to pack up his medical things
"Uhm..." Merlin bit his lip and trailed off, he hadn't thought of this
Gaius noticed this and looked amused "It's a good thing I do or we wouldn't get anywhere."
"You're late!" Prince Arthur accused as Merlin skidded to a halt before him
"Sorry-had-something –to-do..." gasped Merlin as he struggled to regain his breath
The prince raised an eyebrow "Is that so? And just what could be more important than your training?"
The secret warlock regained his breath and straightened from where he had been leaning, his hands on his thighs "My manservant failed to show up this morning so I had to-"
"You know Merlin, I don't actually care," Said the Prince, bored "All I care about is that now you are –finally- here that we get some training done,"
"Yes Sire," Merlin answered, he hadn't really expected anything else, yet the prat had asked.
"Now, first I'm going to demonstrate how you use a bow, got that? Then we'll see how good you are at archery,"
Merlin hated the prince even more for his mocking tone, he spoke slowly as if talking either to a five year old, or one who was incredibly stupid. Yet he had no choice but to play his game, so he would, for now.
The prince readied his bow and faced the set up target; he strung an arrow to it and aimed at the target.
Merlin then saw Sir Leon rushing across the training grounds; he was going to pass straight into the range of the arrow if he did not halt!
"Sire!" Merlin called desperately to Arthur, who had been so intent on his archery, it not being his strongest point yet he was competent in it. The prince paused and looked at him
"Merlin, I'm trying to-"
Twang!
Both Merlin and Arthur could only watch in horror as Arthurs arrow headed straight for the unsuspecting knight. Arthur had accidentally released it when he had turned his head to speak to the younger prince, not that he knew of course, that the boy he was training was in fact his brother.
A cry pierced the training grounds, turning every head to look toward the source.
The arrow had pierced Leons arm deep. Merlin and Arthur ran to him, the secret prince feeling dreadful because there had been nothing he could have done to stop the incident, too many eyes loyal to their king. He would have been noticed instantly.
"Take him to Gaius, now!" The prince ordered of Sir Owain, who was helping Leon to stand as he grew pale, blood beginning to form from the wound.
The younger knight nodded and led him away swiftly.
Once they were gone Arthur glared at Merlin as they walked back to where they had been before the incident. "Now perhaps we can get on with your training," He growled and Merlin thought it best if he stayed silent. He moved so he was in position and held up his bow and set an arrow to it. He aimed at the target and fired a shot. The arrow sliced through the air and hit the target with a dull thud. Merlin gaped; he had hit the near exact centre of the target.
Beside him, the prince's jaw fell open. He then remembered that it wasn't exactly a kingly thing to do and closed it. He turned to Merlin.
"It seems there is something you're good at," He smirked
"So it would seem, sire."
"Ah, but that could have been simple luck, try again,"
"Yes Sire,"
By the time Merlin had used nearly all of his twenty arrows, Arthur had to concede that Merlin really was good at archery.
Only an hour had passed and Arthur thought it was time to do some sword work, seeing as there was nothing more Merlin could be taught with the bow. Seeing Merlins face made Arthur like his decision even more so.
Later that day Merlin stared out of his window as he had done the night he had arrived. He was thinking intensely about many things. One of these being his manservant, Merlin remembered how dreadful the young boy had looked, pale as death, yet Gaius was truly extremely good at his job and therefore said that given a few days, Vyorn would be fine. Merlin was almost tempted to miss training to make sure, but both Gaius and the young lad had both reminded him of his duty. Merlin wondered how Arthur could ever be good as a king, he seemed to much a prat for that, and yet he had, as soon as Merlin's training was finished, gone to find Sir Leon, guilt ridden as he was. He obviously cared about his knights, Merlin excluded.
"Merlin?"
Merlin spun round, his thoughts forgotten; he wished he still had his sword at his waist. He relaxed visibly as he saw who had disturbed him
"Sir Leon,"
"The king wishes to see you, now, he um, sounds a little angry,"
"I'll go straight there," Sir Leon left and Merlin left the room, mentally cursing all the way to the throne room.
He was admitted and bowed upon reaching the king, his father, Uther told him to stand.
"You requested my presence Sire?" Merlin asked politely
Uther's face was steely "Yes, I did," He said curtly "It has come to my attention that you were late for training today, why?" He demanded
"I was enquiring after the health of my manservant and –"
"Manservant!" The king exploded "You were late to training because of a lowly servant!?"
"Yes My Lord, he did not show up for work,"
"Did someone not come to fill his duties?" the king started to calm down, figuring it was the absence of someone to do Merlins chores that had made him seek out the servant
"No, his sister came and I went to get Gaius so that he could treat the boy—"
"You...!" Uther was speechless "Servants are below us Merlin, if they get ill and die then you get a new one!"
"My Lord, Vyorn is a person, not a dog," Merlin exclaimed, shocked at the way the king so casually dismissed the life of his subjects
"You will not be late for your servant again, is that clear?" Uthers voice was not one you argued with and Merlin conceded defeat, bowing his head
"I will not Sire,"
"Good, that is all Merlin,"
Merlin bowed, recognising the dismissal, and left the room, going back to his chambers.
So that was what his father was like, he had always wondered as a young boy, and now he knew, his father was a cold hearted old man who cared for no one. Merlin felt sadness welling inside him, as sea-water does if there is a hole in the boat.
He had always wished to meet his father but now he wished he never had.
The young warlock sighed as he pushed open his chamber door.
"My Lord," came a voice as he entered it
"Ava!?" Exclaimed the raven haired man "What are you doing here?"
"I came to offer my thanks, you see, Vyorn is much better! Gaius reckoned that if he hadn't come when he did it would have been a lot worse." The girl beamed and Merlin smiled back
"I'm glad of that, you'd better be getting back to your family, I can manage here,"
"Thank you My Lord," with a curtsey she left the room, leaving Merlin smiling.
As he fell asleep hours later, he felt that, overall, being late for training for his manservant was worth it.
AN: Wow, another chapter finished, I can hardly believe this story has come so far, and to think, this came from 'I wonder what it'd be like if Uther was Merlins father...'
But where would this story be, without its reviews :)
Please review, even a word would suffice: 'good' 'bad' 'okay' 'crap' it's easy
Just a heads up, not sure when the next chapter will be as soon I will start my GCSE Examinations and won't have any time to write so I'm afraid (and I feel evil for this) that it might be a long wait for the next chapter... sorry, though if I do manage to get another one... I'll try my best, promise :)
S