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Chapter 4
Merlin woke the next morning still digesting that facts that had been laid out before him on who he really was. It was right after sunrise, he usually woke up at this time in
Ealdor so that he could feed the pigs, help out at the stables, and maybe sneak in a ride on Milly before having to start his days working out in the fields then spend his
afternoon and early evening training with his uncle. Merlin had no idea what he suppose to do now "Might as well explore the castle today since I am going to be living here
for a long time but first I want to look around my room which by itself is as big as our home in Ealdor." Merlin got out of his bed which to him felt like sleeping on a cloud,
and made it himself giving his hands something to do to keep his mind occupied. After the bed was made Merlin was looking around the room when he found a few things
that the servants used to keep the room clean and Merlin decided why not clean some of it himself he had done it in Ealdor so why not here as well.
The sun had barley fully shown itself when someone came in the door after a sharp knock causing Merlin to yelp out of surprise and drop the rag he was using to clean the
table in his room. The servant who came in was a young chestnut skinned young woman about Merlin's age. She quickly got a look a fear as she started ranting "I am so
sorry my lord please " Merlin was taken aback at how scared this girl seemed to be, it was like she thought he was going to hurt her and he had to put a stop to that "Hey,
it's alright, there is nothing to forgive and I will be the first to admit that once in a while I do get scared I have just learned to push through it. Now why are you afraid? Why
are you so scared of me?" The girl bit her lip as if afraid of how Merlin was going to react to what she had to say "I will not harm you or be angry at anything you tell me, I
just want to know why you seem so afraid of me when you have never met me, and I want to know what made you think you had to be afraid of me. That is all I want to
know, you have nothing to fear from me so please tell me maybe I can help relieve your worries." The girl nodded shakily as she said "Just please don't tell Prince Arthur he'll
have me punished, all of the servants are afraid of you because we are afraid you will be like your brother. He treats all of the servants like dirt some worse than others. We
actually all argue about who will go and serve him and not because we want to but because we don't. Even when we do what he asks if we get it wrong he will have us
thrown in the stocks or he will pile so much work on us that we won't get through till late in the night and barely have any time to sleep. We all are afraid you will be like him
my lord he's a bully." Now Merlin understood why the poor girl seemed so scared and nervous. "What is your name?" Merlin asked "Gweniver but my friends call me Gwen
sire." Gwen said still a little unsure Merlin smiled at her reassuringly and said "Gwen, none of you have to be afraid of me, I am not like that. I am very much like all of you. I
was not raised like Arthur I may be his twin but I was not raised in the same way he was. I never had servants or a room to myself. I lived in a small farming village no more
than an hour's ride across the border in Cenred's Kingdom. I helped in the fields, I clean up after and fed the pigs, I even mucked out the stables. I live in a house the size of
this room with my aunt and uncle. I was also treated unfairly and bullied many times so I know how all of you feel Gwen. I want you to know and also tell the other servants
this so they know, I am not like my brother and if any of you have a problem with him come to me and I will set him straight, just because you are lower status then he is
does not give him the right to treat you like that, you all still deserve respect because even if you are lower status you are still people, and I will not stand for anyone
disrespecting someone like that. Now if you do something wrong as in the sense of a crime then I won't step in because you have to pay the consequences but if someone is
treating you badly just because you are lower status or made a mistake you can come to me and I will do anything I can to help. I give you my word." Gwen stared at Merlin
with open Awe as she said "Thank you sire that is very kind of you." Merlin smiled then saw the tray that Gwen was holding in her arm as well as the package under the other
arm and said "First of all please do not call me my lord or sire or any of those titles unless situation demands it just call me Merlin, second let me help you with that." Merlin
took the tray from her and set it on the table. Gwen kept trying to protest but Merlin told her that is was alright he did not mind.
Merlin was helping Gwen dust of some things when Gwen hesitantly asked "I hear you have magic sire, I mean Merlin." Merlin chuckled and said "You getting it, but to
answer your question yes I do have magic." Merlin could see Gwen was debating on asking to see some or not but Merlin decided to answer her unasked question he closed
his hands into a dome then said "Blóstmá." Merlin's eyes flashed gold for a second the when he opened his hand there was a small purple flower. Gwen stared at it in wonder
Merlin handed it to her saying "Here you take it think of it as a start of a friendship and a promise that all of you can come to me if you need anything especially if someone if
hurting you." A true smile lit up Gwen's face as she took the flower, she caressed it for a moment then said "You are not what any of us expected Merlin and I am glad of that
I spread your message along." "Thank you Gwen, now I won't keep you because you probably have better things to be doing then helping me. So I will see you another
time." Gwen curtsied, Thanked Merlin once again and went to go about her duties.
After Gwen left Merlin took the letter that was laying on top of the package that Gwen had brought with her to find that it was from his uncle, Merlin smiled cracking the seal,
Good morning Merlin,
I hoped you slept well, I know you are probably a little disoriented from all the information that has been dumped on you in the past day but you will get used to all this in no
time and you are not alone. Your father and I are going to be in meetings for most of the day so do as you wish just don't cause any mischief and meet us back in your room
four hours after midday and if you get lost just ask someone and they will help you find your way back. Your father told me to tell you that he is very glad that you are home
and cannot wait to see you tonight. We will see you tonight. the package is from your father he noticed that your clothes are a little worn and tattered but that was what we
had to do to keep up the rouse but he decided that he wanted to get you some new clothes so I helped him out a little bit but they are from him so have a good day and we
will see you tonight.
Balinor.
Merlin laughed saying "I hope my uncle did not let my father go too far, I hope he did not get to extravagant that would be a monstrosity, and I hope it is like what Balinor is
wearing that is more my style." Merlin opened the package and sure enough the clothes inside were almost like his uncles with a few minor adjustments. His uncle must have
told his father about his obsession for neckerchiefs because sure enough there were two of them right on top. Merlin got changed quickly marveling at the quality of the fabric
as he did. Once he was presentable he left his room to go to Arthur's. A servant was about to go into Arthur's room when he saw Merlin and bowed Merlin quickly stopped
that and said "Don't do that, here I'll take the food in and you can wake him if that is what you were coming to do." The servant started to protest but Merlin cut him off
saying "I only want to help, you have nothing to worry about so let's go in." with that Merlin walked into the room without even knocking the servant boy following close
behind. Merlin sat the tray of food down on the table and let his eyes wonder around his brothers room. The servant boy tentatively shook Arthur telling him that Arthur had
asked him to wake him up early but Arthur just said go away very rudely but quietly. The servant started to stammer out that he was told by Arthur to get him up for training
and if he did not that he would be punished. Arthur woke up enough to scare the boy into leaving by yelling at him. Merlin had seen enough he stopped the poor boy smiled
at him apologetically for what his brother had done then said to wait right where he was next to Merlin. Merlin then focused on his brother who he was pretty peeved at.
Using his magic Merlin tossed the sheets right off of Arthur and pushed him right out of the bed. Merlin watched as Arthur jumped up about ready to hit the servant boy but
found him over by Merlin with Merlin glaring at him with a look that matched Uther's. Arthur was the first to break the silence "What the hell do you think you are doing!" he
yelled at Merlin then he turned to the Servant then yelled "You went to him to get me up how dare you, you have no right!" The servant boy was in tears by then now it was
Merlin's turn to yell he was not going to stand there and let his brother walk all over the boy "He did not come to me I was already here, and if he wants to come to me for
something he has every right! Now I see why all of the servants are afraid of you, you treat them as if they are a piece of dirt. They may be of less status than you but they
still deserve respect. If you ever treat another like this again just for doing what you asked them to or because they made a mistake you will have me to deal with me and
trust me you will not like what you find. Now do whatever you were going to do this morning and remember what I said because I mean every word of it." Without even
giving Arthur a chance to respond Merlin steered the young servant boy out into the hall way and shut Arthur's door hard behind him. The boy started to apologize but Merlin
cut him off "You have nothing to be sorry for, that was not your fault if you have any more problems with him or you see someone else having problems with him then come
and find me immediately and I will take care of him. Now what is your name." "Ashen." the boy replied "Where are you from Ashen?" Ashen smiled a little as he answered
"I'm from Ealdor sire I used to live there with my Aunt Anna but I have not seen her for four years because every time I have tried to go to Uther to ask if I can have a few
days to go and see her Arthur intercepts me and forbids me from doing so." Merlin knew Anna she was a close friend of his aunt Hunith's "Your Anna's nephew she talked
about you all the time and misses you dearly, I was raised in Ealdor. I will talk to the king when I see him tonight on your behalf and I will try to get you some time to go and
see your aunt I know it will do you both some good. Don't worry about Arthur I will take care of him. Now go and do what you need to do." Ashen thanked Merlin a few times
and left with a bounce in his steps. Merlin glared at the doors to his brothers room once more then left to explore the castle for the day.
It was mid afternoon and Merlin was completely and hopelessly lost which had him amused to no end. He finally bumped into Gwen (Quite literally) after a quick apology he
said "Gwen I need your help, I am hopelessly lost. Could you show me how to get back to my room if you are not too busy I would appreciate it." Gwen laughed a little then
said she would but about halfway back Ashen came running towards them with a scared and worried expression on his face. He stopped and bowed to Merlin then proceeded
to tell him why he was there "My Lord you told me to come to you immediately if your brother was treating a servant rashly. He has one the servants running back and forth
with a target and the young man is wounded but Arthur insists that he keep going I don't know what else to do." Merlin's blood boiled with anger and his magic even more so
but he forced his voice to remain calm "Take to them Ashen you did the right thing by coming to me." He told Gwen thank you for getting him this far then ran after Ashen.
Once they were at the training field Merlin saw Arthur holding a throwing knife poised the throw at a target being carried back and forth by a young man. The young man had
a throwing knife in his shoulder and could barely hold up the target he could barely even stand. The boy was coming right at Merlin but stumbled dropping the target right at
Merlin's feet. The boy was about to pick it up at Arthur's orders but Merlin put his tip of his foot on it to stop the boy from picking it up saying "No you are wounded do not
pick it up or you'll injure your shoulder even worse. Don't worry about Arthur I will take care of him." Arthur yelled "What are you doing this is his job so get out of here."
Merlin looked at his brother and said "His job, his job. This is not part of anyone's job, No one deserves to be injured like that and then forced to put more strain on that
injury just so you can have your fun. I told you this morning that if I found out that you were treating anyone like a piece of dirt in any shape or form that you would have
me to deal with and you would not like what you found. Now you will know what I meant but first I have to take care of him then I will deal with you myself." the last part
came out threateningly "He is not worth your time just send him to Gaius and he'll be fine." Arthur said indignantly "Shut up and don't say a word or I will clamp your mouth
shut for you so don't try me." Merlin replied Arthur just snorted he started to say something but Merlin's eyes flashed gold and Arthur's jaw was rammed shut and he could
not open it at all "I told you to shut up but you did not listen now you are going to stay that way till I am done dealing with him" With that Merlin knelt down by the boy who
was crying slightly from the pain. Merlin genteelly moved the boy onto his back to look at the wound, the snapped a piece of leather of the target shield then turned back to
the boy "Bit on this, I have to pull out the knife and it is better than biting your own tongue and we do not need you to have more injuries then you already have." The boy
nodded and let Merlin put the piece of leather between his teach Merlin counted to three then pulled the knife out quickly then murmured a spell to stop the bleeding and heal
the wound. Once that was done the boy took out the leather in his mouth but Merlin spoke first "All right I want you to go see Gaius let him make sure I did not miss
anything and let him give you something for the pain and whatever else needs to be done. I am sorry Arthur did this to you but I will take care of it now go on." The boy
bowed slightly and said "Thank you my lord you are very kind." then he left heading towards the court physician's chambers. Once the boy was out of sight Merlin whirled
around to face Arthur releasing the spell on his jaw and yelled "How dare you treat anyone like that, You want moving target practice fine but you will be the target and I
won't be throwing knifes! I told you that you would not like what you found now you will see why." with that Merlin had rocks that littered the field rise up and throw
themselves at Arthur from all different directions not hard enough to break any bone but hard enough to make it hurt then he used magic to blow Arthur back onto his back.
Merlin did a few other things to Arthur and by the time he was done Arthur was on his knees panting. Merlin let him catch his breath and stand up before he said "Now you
see how it feels but at least I know when to stop when I see that you had too much. You are an Ass you treat everyone below you like their life is worthless because in your
little world that is all they are. Well let me tell you something most of the people who work in the castle, or live in the lower town and outer villages can barely get enough
money to feed their children, or to buy their children knew shoos when they need them. They have to scrap by every day just to keep food on the table and a roof over their
head. They work harder in a day then you do in three. Some of them don't even get to see their families often because they are stuck here unable to go home to see them
because their family is in a outlying village. I know how that feels I lived like them for eighteen years, I live in a house the size of the room I am staying in with our Uncle and
Aunt, I slept on a straw bed. I worked in the fields every day, I helped around the village fun sun up to sun down every day. I was happy doing it because working like that
and living like that made me feel like had a purpose like I was doing something that benefited all of us. Inside your little world you do not see any of that so I am going to do
everything I can to knock some sense into that thick skull of yours until you understand. Until you understand and start treating people with respect through I will have
nothing to do with you unless I have to because I will not deal with someone who act like a stuck up spoiled ass. So you finish what you are doing today I want nothing more
to do with you even tonight when I have to see you I am going to completely ignore you." With that Merlin walked off but he made a mental connection to see what he was
thinking to see if he could feel any remorse there. There was some for the boy but what he thought next had Merlin stop in his tracks.
"He may be my brother but he is not better then a peasant he should go back to the hole he came from." Merlin fought back the urge to blast his brother into a wall for that
but instead opted to yell over his should as he continued to walk "If you are going to insult me like that Arthur at least have the decency to say it out loud." Merlin found his
way back to his room from the courtyard easily enough. Once he was alone he sunk into the chair at the table rubbing his temples. What Arthur had said stung because that
was exactly how Merlin felt. He felt out of place here like he never should have come.
He did not know how long he sat there before his door opened and he saw his uncle and father come in. They had said they wanted to talk with him and here they were this
was going to be interesting.