Merlin sat down on his bed and quickly removed the book from where it was concealed under the mattress. He read for hours, not being disturbed by Gaius or Arthur or any other mix of people for once, and practiced certain spells, sending a broom flying back and forth across the room, and the bed re making itself each time he messed it up. He didn't notice the pair of eyes watching him from his window, for he never was as observant as Gaius told him to be.
At dusk was settling Merlin was called to see to Arthur before the dinner ceremony, as many of the guests for the tournament had arrived earlier that day, and so a large banquet was to be laid on in aid of this.
"Merlin, I need to come across as a threat to the others. Red or blue?" Prince Arthur announced as he entered through the door.
Merlin raised an eyebrow, "You really called me in here to ask which colour robes you should wear?"
"Well yes, I mean, yes." he stuttered, maintaining a straight face.
"You're nervous, aren't you?" Merlin suppressed a grin.
"I already told you, I don't get nervous." Arthur snapped back, agitated.
"Sorry, sorry," His attempt to stop his eyebrows rising failed and he turned away quickly, stifling laughter, "Red."
"I cannot be late to the banquet. I need you to wash and polish my armour, sharpen my sword and prepare my clothes for tomorrow."
He disappeared at once through the door, and Merlin bundled up everything that needed sorting, taking it into his room and setting it to work on itself before he crept quietly out into the silent courtyard.
He went to peer through the window of the banquet hall, but nothing of interest was happening so instead he went to sit down, leaning against the stocks. Of course he could return to his room and read some more, but he hadn't been outside of his own free will in such a long time, and it felt good to just sit in the still, dark night, moving pebbles with his thoughts.
He was suddenly startled out of his pebble moving trance when a person, somewhere between the age of a girl and woman walked silently by. She looked as if she was trying hard not to be notice, for she had her hood up and was looking from side to side. The only way Merlin knew that this was a girl was from the hair hanging down from her top.
She looked right and suddenly spotted him, causing her to quicken her pace.
"Stop!" he called after her, but she had already disappeared into the shadows.
He wondered who she was, and what she was doing tiptoeing around in the dark. He stood up, already fed up with the outside and retreated to his room, letting the cleaned and sharpened items drop to the floor where he picked them up and took them back to Prince Arthur's chamber, laying them out along with his clothes for the next day.
Merlin returned once again, taking out the book of spells and glancing quickly at it, before giving up and tucking it away, his eyes drifting shut as he fell into a dreamless sleep.