Thank you so much for those who reviewed/favourited/added to story alert. It really cheers me up to find feedback in my inbox. I'm updating very quickly at the moment, but be warned that I'll have run out of stuff I've already written soon, so you may have to wait longer for future chapters.
I really hope you like this next chapter!

Chapter 3

Arthur got out of bed and looked out of the window. It had been morning now for some time. Strange, by now he'd usually been rudely awoken by one of the many uncivilized methods that Merlin so delighted in inflicting. Where was Merlin anyway? True, he was actually capable of dressing himself without assistance, but he could hardly be expected to train knights on an empty stomach. He would need to have some serious words with his servant if he'd been put on another ghastly diet again.

Merlin still hadn't put in an appearance half-an-hour later. Bored with pacing aimlessly around his chambers and examining various pieces of the furniture, an exasperated Arthur, by now fully dressed, set out to find him. Most likely, he would be still asleep or sulking over yesterday, neither would be greatly surprising. Arthur would literally drag the boy out of bed if he had to. Busy muttering to himself about Merlin's incompetence, he almost bumped into Gaius on the way.

"Good morning, sire," Arthur was greeted politely.

"Well, quite. If a certain someone we know still wishes to have a good morning, he'd better be up and about by the time I get to him."

"Sire?"

"I was just on my way to fetch Merlin," Arthur explained.

"Merlin has already left, I haven't seen him all morning. I assumed he'd already gone to work for you."

Arthur frowned

"In fact I haven't seen him since yesterday evening, he still had some chores to do and told me he'd be back... late." Gaius suddenly felt fearful. He had meant to wait up until Merlin returned, but dynamic as he was for his age, advancing years did occasionally get the better of him. He knew that Merlin was more capable than most at looking after himself, but for the very same reason was more liable to find himself in more dangerous situations.

The pair exchanged a worried look.

If anything had happened to Merlin, Arthur could not help but blame himself. All he had done yesterday was gain pleasure at Merlin's expense. Then he'd set all those chores. It was entirely his fault that Merlin had been out all night. The rumbling of his stomach had been silenced. It now felt as if he'd swallowed a boulder, the guilt sat so heavy. Even so, Merlin should have been safe, what would anyone want with a servant? What on earth could have happened?

Dang Dong! Dang Dong! Dang Dong! Dang Dong!

Instinctively Arthur sprang into action as the alarm sounded.

Dang Dong! Dang Dong! Dang Dong! Dang Dong!

Charging downstairs and rushing outside, he questioned the guard at the door.

"What's the cause of the alert?"

"They've found a body in the town, sire, murdered apparently."

"Who's the victim?"

"I am unsure, sire. If it has been identified I was not privy to that information."

Turning round he saw Gaius on his tail and gestured him to follow.

* * *

A month had passed since the incident with dragon. Whilst the most vital repairs had been carried out there was still a great deal of work to be done. Once prosperous areas of the town had been devastated by the attack, and carts arrived daily carrying stone to facilitate the rebuilding. It wasn't just a matter of structural damage either. People had lost their homes and places of work. Some had lost family members. Crime had risen dramatically in the last few weeks as the poor struggled to support themselves. Even so, Arthur hadn't realised things could have escalated to this. Murder?

Arthur knew he must be coming close to where the body had been discovered as an unnaturally large gathering of people up ahead. He saw Gaius scanning the crowd and knew he was looking for some sign of Merlin among them. He was doing the same. This was obviously the reason why the boy hadn't shown up. As Arthur drew nearer he began to notice people staring at him and murmuring amongst themselves. Honestly, you'd think they'd never seen the prince before? He still couldn't see Merlin anywhere. Where had that blasted servant got to. Then he saw...

Oh god, please no.

The crowd had dispersed enough for Arthur to see the pale, dark-haired figure of the man lying in the the blood-soaked dirt. The neckerchief around the young lad's neck was caked with gore and failed to conceal his slit throat.

He felt sick. He was a soldier; it wasn't as if he'd never seen this kind of thing before. This was different, though. This was Merlin.

Naturally Gaius went up to examine the body, but it was hardly necessary. He was quite clearly dead and had been for some time.

"What is going on here Gaius?" The king had just arrived on the scene, accompanied by several knights, obviously to determine if there was magic involved.

"From what I can ascertain this was probably a random attack, most likely a desperate thief who went too far. I do not believe sorcery was a factor in this murder, my lord," Gaius said, anticipating next question.

"Very well," Uther said. He turned to his knights. "See that the person responsible for this is caught and brought to justice," he ordered. "I will not tolerate violence such as this in my kingdom."

Arthur watched Gaius supervising as Merlin's body was placed on a stretcher. Arthur could not understand how Gaius was able to remain so calm and professional when Merlin was practically his son. He supposed he was still in shock. Arthur certainly was. He knew that somewhere within himself he was hurting, that there were intense emotions fighting to be expressed, but all he felt now as he followed Merlin back into the castle was a dull emptiness he couldn't explain. He was vaguely aware that someone was trying to speak to him.

"Arthur."

Slowly, he became mindful that Uther was walking alongside him.

"Arthur, I would speak to you privately."

"Not now, Father." Arthur was not in the mood. He should be with Merlin. He needed to be with him.

"Son, please." Uther was unyielding. His tone gentle, but remarkably firm.

Arthur wanted to argue. He started to protest but found the right words could not reach his lips. He didn't have the strength to challenge his father. Reluctantly he allowed himself to be taken to one side.

Standing midway up a stone staircase, they could hardly could hardly be described as being in the most private of settings, but the combined presence of the king and Prince Arthur had such an effect, that any potential eavesdroppers inexplicably remembered somewhere else they needed to be.

"These events are indeed distressing." Uther said. Looking down on his son.

"Very much so, Father."

"I realise this must be a shock to you. I know you thought of Merlin fondly, albeit against by better judgement."

"What do you care!" Arthur exploded. "You never thought of him, or anyone else for that matter, as anything other than a servant, a mere thing. To you his life was worthless."

"That is not true," replied Uther calmly. "He saved the life of my son. I could not be any more grateful to him for that. He proved himself to be loyal and that made up for certain inadequacies as a servant."

Arthur scoffed, but Uther continued on uninhibited.

"You would not be the first person to become attached to his subordinates. A kind heart can be a great asset to a man, and a great burden to a ruler. You are a prince of Camelot, the future king and you must accept the fact that people will die. Servants are expendable. Soldiers are there to fall on your behalf. You cannot let your feelings get in the way of the welfare of an entire kingdom. Arthur, It is your responsibility to look at the bigger picture. Sometimes you will be forced to turn a blind eye, to let the villages starve and to let the peasants suffer, to ensure that the centre of power holds firm. Minor losses are unfortunate, but can be justified. The kingdom can recover. However, if a leader breaks, then everything comes crashing down. I realise this situation is different. A senseless act of violence has been committed within the walls of this great city and it disturbs me greatly. Still the same principle applies. You cannot afford to display the kind of weakness you are showing now. There are those who would seek to use it against you."

Arthur wanted so much to tell his father how wrong he was. He could see that now. Individuals mattered, they were all that mattered. They were the reason he would go out and fight monsters. Not for castles or kings, but for families who could sleep soundly at night and for children who could have the chance to grow up. The kingdom was a mosaic. The big picture was nothing without the individual tiles, the simple people: farmers, smiths, weavers, builders and indeed the servants. They were vital to give it shape, to give it life. He wanted to tell him. He wanted to shout it in his face, but he didn't. It wouldn't achieve anything, only create a rift between father and son and Arthur didn't want that. He stepped up so he could look Uther in the eye.

"May I be excused, my lord," he said, failing to totally conceal the venom in his voice. Uther bowed his head slightly and Arthur took it as a cue to leave.

He stormed away and strode briskly through the castle passageways trying to avoid making eye contact with anyone. He had to get to Gaius's chambers. That's where Merlin would be. He'd just arrived outside the room, when he heard someone shout his name. Not again. He really didn't want to speak to anyone right now.

"Arthur!" Gwen was rushing up behind him. "What's happening? I heard the alarm bell and now people are saying there's been a murder," she said once she'd finally caught up.

Arthur merely nodded.

"Who's been killed?"

Arthur held Guinevere's hand and slowly opened the door to reveal Merlin's pale and bloodstained body on the bed.

"No," she whispered and turned to Arthur as if looking to confirm that this was all some huge mistake. No such luck.

She walked over to the bed tentatively. There was no mistaking that image. She sat beside the bed and clutched at Merlin's ice-cold hands as if the heat from her own fingertips might somehow restore life's warmth back to his.

Gaius watched, but didn't try to stop her.

"Can't you do something for him?" Arthur said, knowing it was hopeless but positively refusing to believe it.

"He's already dead," Gaius pointed out unnecessarily.

Arthur paced trying to contain his frustration.

"But, you've got all these books, all these potions, you saved my life when I was bitten by the Questing Beast. You must…"

"If there was anything, anything that I thought could be done, I would already be doing it. Merlin means more to me than I could have ever thought possible, but we both must now deal with the fact that he's gone."

"He doesn't deserve this!"

"Very few people do."

A servant hovered in the open doorway. He was sure he shouldn't be intruding on such a personal matter. He coughed politely to attract attention.

"I have a message for Gaius; the king wishes to speak with you."

Gaius sighed. Despite what he'd told Arthur he didn't want to leave Merlin either. There was no logical reason, however, why he should stay, and definitely no reason that would satisfy Uther.

"Very well." Gaius carefully placed a sheet over the body and left with the servant, closing the door behind him, leaving Arthur and Gwen alone with Merlin's lifeless form.

* * *

Every time you met someone, knew someone, they left something with you. They invoked feelings: happiness, sorrow, fear, anger, courage. You might love, or hate them; every person was different and they touched you in different ways, leaving a unique fingerprint on your soul. Arthur was far from unfamiliar with death. He knew how quickly these bonds could be severed , by bolt or by blade, like a reassuring voice in your head that was suddenly silenced. It would take a small piece of you and leave an empty hole in its place each time. Arthur knew it was his duty to patch up those holes as best he could and move on, he told all his young knights the same. Death was an inevitable fact of life and mourning had no place on the battlefield. But this wasn't a battlefield, and the hole left by Merlin was gaping.

What feelings did Arthur get from Merlin. A pain in the arse sprang to mind. No, that wasn't true, not really, though Merlin had certainly given Arthur a swift kick up the backside where he'd needed it most. He reflected on the day they first met and he'd been called a 'royal prat'. Quite right too. Before he knew Merlin he'd been popular, at least with the other knights. They complimented him on his fighting skills, they laughed at his jokes, they always did he told them and they never ever insulted him. It was only now he realised that therein lied the problem. He'd needed someone to stand up to him, to voice their own opinions instead of parroting his own. Likewise he could tease Merlin without having to worry about fervent apologies and promises to serve his lord better in the future.

Arthur could be who he wanted with Merlin, and he had discovered that there was more to himself than being some stupid, stuck-up prince. There were times when they could almost speak as equals, with the advantage that Arthur could always put Merlin in his place if things got out of hand. He regretted the latter now of course. In many ways Merlin had been the worst servant he had ever had, yet none of that seemed important. How could one skinny, scruffy servant have such an endearing effect on so many people?

This figure lying on the bed, this was not Merlin. Not any more. Although they were now covered, in his mind Arthur could still see those blue eyes that were vacant and staring, devoid of the friendliness and warmth that had filled Merlin's. It was all gone now: the cheeky glint, that slightly uneasy flicker like he was hiding something, but damned if Arthur could ever figure out what. Now he would never have the chance.

It was all so senseless, they had been through so much together in such a short amount of time. They had battled sorcerers, bandits and all manner of magical beasts. He had faced a monstrous fire-breathing dragon and come away unscathed, and it was this, a chance encounter with a cut-throat, that had got him killed. There had to be more to it, there just had to be.

Arthur breathed in deeply. He was a prince, a future king, he refused to cry over a servant. His eyes stung with the effort. He blinked. Was it okay to shed a tear for a friend? What good could it do though, it wouldn't bring him back. Merlin was dead. Dead. And he would have to accept that.

He hadn't realised that he was shaking until a gentle hand was placed on his shoulder. Arthur had thought he wanted to be alone, but he placed his own hand on top of Gwen's then found himself facing her. He managed a weak smile. Her deep brown eyes were filled with the same pain he was experiencing and like him, she was trying to be strong. They didn't speak, neither of them had the energy and both of them knew what the other was thinking. They were there for each other and they would get through this together.

Arthur drew Gwen into a tender embrace. How long they stood there silently in each other's arms he didn't know.

* * *

The door flew open and in burst a scrawny fellow who looked and smelled as if he'd spent the best part of the night in a dung heap.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed awkwardly upon observing pair, then he shot out the room even faster than he had entered.

Arthur and Gwen looked at one another disbelievingly, then at the bed, then at the door. Impossible.

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