Up the steps to the door he walked, with all the nonchalance that a swell guy could hope for in his gait. He had a common face, and a common family, but it never stopped him from looking his best and training his good manners.
He wore a blue suit that hugged his slim figure, a daring red tie that only his black hair would allow him to get away with, and a white shirt-the lining of a blue vest over the shirt peeked from behind his jacket. An equally blue fedora sat upon his head, hiding his blue eyes, and it had a red lining round the middle, as red as his crimson tie. He sure looked swell.
His ears may have been a little too big, or his smile a bit too wide-heck, he'd been raised on the streets-but the way this fellow held himself made him seem a regular good ol' chap, what with his demeanor and good-naturedness.
Then there was the secret that seemed to tug at the corners of his mouth, tickling his amusement every once in a while.
"Who are you?" The butler at the door of a magnificent mansion asked of the young man.
"Name's Merlin. Merlin Kane." He answered with a hearty grin. The door was opened to him and Merlin walked in, looking around with interest and curiosity.
It was a grand mansion, tile floors, golden chandeliers, spiral staircase, and everything. Merlin whistled in amazement, taking off his hat; his glossy black hair was combed nicely, parted on the right, though a few little hairs had refused to lie flat.
"And what is your business here, sir?"
"Ah," Merlin smiled. "Dr. Jenkins, a, uh, Gaius Jenkins?"
"I'll tell him that you're here." the butler said, sniffing at the strange young man before he left.
Merlin looked around, taking everything in before he spotted a pot of wilting yellow daisies, pink chrysanthemums, and purple hydrangeas. With a quick glance around to see if anyone was close enough to see him, Merlin focused on the flowers and his eyes flickered with gold. The flowers slowly grew back to their previous healthy state and with a quiet "rosan" uttered under his breath, a white rose sprouted in their midst.
Merlin grinned and walked over to pluck the rose and place it in his jacket pocket.
"Swell." he said to himself, very pleased. Once he'd turned around, he saw another young man walking down the stairs towards him. The other young man had combed dusty blond hair, a very regal sort of slim body, and he wore a small pinstripe charcoal pair of trousers, an equally black vest over a perfectly white shirt, and a gray and white tie, holding his jacket and black, gray trim-ribboned, fedora under his arm.
"Hi, who're you?" Merlin asked heartily. The other young man, who looked to be older than Merlin by a year or two, furrowed his brow and looked at him with such proud indignance that it made Merlin's smile twitch.
"I am Arthur Pendragon," he said in a disdainful tone, as if the boy should have known without having to ask. "Who are you and what are you doing in my house?"
Merlin immediately recognized Arthur from the newspapers that he used to sell: the son of the famous billionaire tycoon Uther Pendragon. And, being a common sort of fellow, Merlin immediately bowed respectfully but did not, however, lessen his grin by any measure; he was just the man he wanted to see, other than Dr. Jenkins.
"I'm your-"
"I don't actually care who you are, just stay outta my way." Arthur interrupted arrogantly as he walked past the other young man and opened the huge front door only to stop and turn towards the staircase again.
"Morgana, are ya comin' or not?" Arthur called up the stairs, ignoring Merlin.
"Wait a second, will ya?" a cooling woman's voice called down the stairs in reply. Shortly after, the woman to whom the voice belonged appeared, making her way slowly down the staircase as she pleased.
Merlin was flabbergasted. This woman, named Morgana, was a beauty! Glossy black hair on pale shoulders, piercing green eyes…she was wearing a very complementing scarlet flared party dress, with white hemming and lining about it-a matching white belt sat perfectly crooked and loose around her perfectly small waist, hugging her hip. Her white shoes clipped and clopped on the tiles as she smiled at the new dark haired stranger, who seemed unable to keep himself from staring, her crimson lipstick whitening her teeth until they were almost blinding. Arthur held out her coat and rolled his eyes at Merlin.
'What a doll!' Merlin thought but didn't dare to say out loud.
"And who's this?" she inquired curiously, her voice doing the coffee song by Sinatra on his heart when she spoke; she slid on her tan coat.
"M-Merlin...Merlin Kane." he replied dreamily. Merlin then suddenly snatched the white rose from his jacket pocket and handed it to her without a second thought. "Thanks" Morgana let out a rollicking laugh and took the rose before Arthur impatiently urged her on towards the door, slipping on his coat and setting his fedora on his head.
"Name's Morgana Fey," she said with a look over her shoulder at Merlin, sneaking a whiff of the rose's bouquet. "See ya around." and she and Arthur were gone.
"Golly…" Merlin breathed, staring at the door that had just closed. "What a gal…"
"Mr. Kane," the butler's voice interrupted his thoughts. Merlin turned quickly.
"I'll take you to Dr. Jenkins." he said, still tending to look down on the young man as unworthy of...well, really anything in the mansion.
Merlin followed the butler under the stairs and into a huge two-level library where he was left to find Dr. Jenkins himself after the butler left and closed the door.
"Uh, Dr. Jenkins?" Merlin called out a bit timidly. Someone grunted on the second level and peered over the railing. A man, who could only be Jenkins, with spectacles on the end of his nose, in a regular white suit without the vest or jacket, only the trousers, shoes, and tan suspenders, replied "You Merlin?" in a british accent.
Before Merlin could respond, the railing gave way and without thinking, Merlin dropped his fedora and concentrated on Jenkins, his blue eyes flaring gold again and causing the older man to fall as if in slow motion. While Jenkins fell, Merlin moved the cushiest looking sofa under him and then let the man fall in a regular speed onto it.
Jenkins sputtered about confusedly for a moment and Merlin swiftly scooped up his hat and ran to the old man's aid to see if he was alright.
"How'd you do that?" he asked in a disgruntled tone.
"Do what?" Merlin feigned ignorance. "You know exactly what I'm talking about!" Mr. Jenkin accused, practically leaping off of the sofa towards the young man.
"I don't know what you mean!" Merlin backed away, only for Dr. Jenkins to stomp closer in determination.
"You most certainly do! You used magic!" Jenkins exclaimed. Merlin clamped a hand over the man's mouth to shush him, looking wildly towards the door in case anyone should come galavanting in.
"Quiet down, gramps!" he withdrew his hand after a moment. "Sure, okay you got me. I used magic, but you don't have to announce it to the whole mansion. This is Uther Pendragon's mansion after all."
"My apologies." Jenkins said. "But, my dear boy, how did you do all that without saying a single word?"
Merlin shrugged and took off his jacket, placing it on a nearby table along with his hat.
"I've done that for a long time. I take it you're Dr. Jenkins?"
Jenkins raised gray brow at his reply.
"Call me Gaius." he said, shaking Merlin's hand. With all that had occurred, Gaius Jenkins could already tell that this young boy would do a lot of great in the world, not without some troubles of course.
"I'll have Bradford bring your things in. You will be living here in the apartments in the library with me." Gaius explained, waddling off towards the apartment that was to settle into.
"Tomorrow you'll begin your job as young Pendragon's chaperone." Gaius went on, opening the apartment door. "In the meantime, get yourself settled and don't be late to dinner at seven."
Merlin nodded and Gaius closed the door. He promptly threw himself on the bed in the corner and relaxed, heaving a sigh of contentment, switching on the radio on the endtable.
Little did the young man know that many triumphs and many trials laid in his way, and how soon they would come, he would never guess.