Chapter 9

Arthur's gaze lifted from the cup in his hands to look right at Merlin. His brow creased in confusion.

"H-how…? How did you do that?" Merlin asked shakily. "Can you see me?" The wizard waved his hand in Arthur's face. Arthur's hair fluttered from the air, but Arthur didn't seem to notice the hand.

"Merlin? Are you really here?" Arthur gasped, moving his head away from Merlin's hand to get away from the light wind.

The wizard felt himself beginning to shake. How had Arthur known to do that? Merlin looked the crowned prince up and down and then glanced around the room. He was perplexed. Arthur set his goblet down on his bed. It was empty, so no worries it would stain the bed.

"Merlin, if you're here go ahead and… do your morning duties," Arthur ordered. Merlin frowned in confusion. Then his eyes lit up and he smiled. Arthur was brilliant sometimes.

In case Merlin wasn't the thing that had brought him his goblet, Arthur wasn't going to specify what Merlin's morning duties were. Only Merlin would know what his duties were and in what order he did them. With a thrill of excitement rushing through him, Merlin rushed to the curtains and ripped them open. Then he went to the bed and picked up both pillows, fluffed them, and put them back in place. Merlin was so excited about letting Arthur know it was him, that he failed to notice Arthur's expression. It was relieved. It was glad. It was... dangerously close to loving.

Merlin grabbed Arthur's goblet and walked it over to the breakfast tray. He sat it up properly and organized the other objects on the table. Then he stopped and looked up at Arthur, his breath slightly heavy from just the excitement. By now, Arthur's expression was simply happy surprise.

"By the gods, Merlin you're alive!" Arthur exclaimed. Then he cleared his throat and his face looked only mildly interested. "Not to say I thought you were dead or… Hang on. Merlin, you haven't been following me all day, have you?" the crowned prince inquired.

Merlin grimaced. Oops. Arthur finally pieced together all the strange occurrences of the day. The morning routine being carried out, the door opening and no one coming in, the table smashing to bits; it all made sense now. Merlin worried his bottom lip as he waited for Arthur to continue. The prince sighed when he realized he wouldn't get an answer.

"Alright. How about this: I'll ask questions. If the answer is yes, pick up the goblet. If the answer is no, pick up the bowl," he suggested. Merlin quickly picked up the goblet and then sat it back down. Arthur nodded. "Alright then. Have you been following me all day?"

"Depends. Are you going to freak out if I say yes?" Merlin asked as he lifted the goblet and set it back down. Arthur took a deep breath and he looked, dare Merlin believe it, proud. Then he slumped his shoulders and looked confused.

"Why not follow Gaius? He's the one trying to cure you," Arthur pointed out.

"That's not a yes or no question, Arthur," Merlin pointed out. There was no way to express his fear of being in the same room as his body with just a yes or a no.

"Right. Sorry," Arthur replied to the silence he received. "Hm… Were you put under a charm last night?"

Merlin frowned and considered the question. Technically he was enchanted two days ago. The wizard reached forward and picked up both the bowl and the goblet. Arthur frowned then.

"What is that, a maybe?" he asked irritated. Merlin lifted only the bowl. "Then what? You were enchanted before last night?" Arthur still sounded upset. Merlin instantly lifted the goblet. Arthur's face fell from agitation to shock.

Merlin set the goblet down and watched Arthur's expression as he thought. Would he be able to put it all together? He'd definitely noticed Merlin's odd behavior the night before last. Would he realize Merlin was cursed that morning?

"So… Two nights ago?" Arthur asked slowly. Merlin lifted the bowl. "Three?" Merlin shook the bowl while he held it up. Arthur frowned. "Two mornings ago?" he tried. Merlin lifted the goblet.

"Good job, Arthur," he cheered. "You're proving you're smarter than you look."

"If you were charmed two days ago, then why didn't you tell me!?" Arthur suddenly exclaimed, his face angry. He took a step toward the table before reconsidering and stepping back to his bed. Merlin frowned.

"I… didn't know," Merlin mumbled to himself. Even while invisible, Arthur's anger stung. Every time the young prince yelled at him like that, Merlin's chest took a blow… though Arthur would never find that out.

Arthur sighed.

"Okay. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and say you didn't know something was wrong. Okay, so do you know who cast the spell on you?" Arthur asked, now obviously forcing himself to be calm.

Merlin lifted the goblet. Arthur let out a relieved sigh.

"Are they in Camelot?" he asked. The goblet moved. "Are they… a man?" The bowl moved. "A woman, then," Arthur decided, but the bowl moved again. "Merlin, if it's not a man then it must be a woman," Arthur pointed out.

Merlin frowned. "No. That means it has no gender, Arthur. Come on. Figure it out."

"Fine. Whatever. Are they in the village?" Arthur asked. Merlin lifted the bowl. "The castle?" Merlin lifted the goblet a little. Technically Gaius was in the castle, but at the same time he wasn't. "There's a sorcerer in the castle?"

Merlin made a half shrug and lifted the spoon that was in the bowl. He wouldn't really call a statue a sorcerer. However, the true answer was yes. Merlin lived in the castle, technically, and he was a sorcerer… but that's not what Arthur was asking about.

"What does that mean!?" Arthur exclaimed. Suddenly there was a knock on his door. Merlin dropped the spoon. "Enter," Arthur ordered, ripping his gaze from his breakfast tray to the door.

In walked Gwen and another servant. Both were female. He gave them curious looks and turned to face them entirely.

"Yes?" he asked. Gwen frowned.

"Were you speaking with someone, my lord?" she asked. Arthur shook his head.

"No. I was just thinking aloud. Did you need something?" he tried again. Gwen bowed her head in apology.

"I'm sorry for imposing on you, your highness, but the servants have arranged for Lyla to be your temporary servant until Merlin recovers. She wishes to tidy your chambers as soon as possible," Gwen explained. The girl behind her stepped forward.

"It would be an honor, Prince Arthur," she nearly breathed out. She was obviously in awe of being in Arthur's presence, in his room! Merlin rolled his eyes.

"Arthur, you promised you'd never get a shoe licker," he reminded. Arthur sighed and shrugged.

"Alright, but it'll only be necessary for the day. Go on then," he ordered. Lyla bowed low and then began to lift Arthur's old clothes off the floor and pile them to be taken and cleaned. Gwen gave Arthur a wary look and then bowed before excusing herself. Lyla walked to the dishes and Merlin backed up to the fireplace.

As she moved the tray, Merlin saw Arthur's eyes widen. He obviously hadn't thought of that when he'd allowed her to clean. Lyla seemed mildly shocked at how tidy the room already was, but shrugged it off and grabbed the laundry.

"I'll return your clothes as soon as they are washed, my lord," she assured and then vanished from the room. Arthur looked worriedly over the now empty desk. He pressed his lips together.

"Merlin?" he asked. He even sounded worried. Merlin looked around for a way to speak to Arthur without the goblet and bowl. He frowned. Was there a way?

The wizard smiled lightly. He remembered now. When Arthur had spoken his very thoughts in the main hall and when Merlin had yelled at him and he'd responded… Both times, only one thing was the same. Merlin stepped slowly over to Arthur.

"Merlin, give me a sign or something," Arthur ordered, his voice torn between worry and agitation. Merlin brushed his hand through Arthur's arm.

"I'm here," he said, his voice firm. Arthur jumped and looked around wildly.

"Merlin? How did you do that?" he asked harshly. Merlin smirked. He moved his hand slower and through Arthur's shoulders.

"No time," Merlin began. "Arthur, it was a statue in the- ah!" Merlin's hand ripped away from Arthur and he fell to the floor. The ear splitting ringing was back.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked worriedly. He hadn't heard the gasp of pain, but the incomplete sentence was enough to alert him. "Merlin, what statue?" He looked around the room wildly. Merlin shakily pulled one hand from his head and reached for Arthur's foot.

"G-Gaius," he stuttered out. Arthur pressed his lips together and nodded.

"Don't worry, Merlin. I'll fix this," he assured the spirit and left the room. Merlin's head instantly stopped ringing when Arthur was gone.

"What was that?" Merlin griped, checking his ears for bleeding, though he knew it wouldn't show up here.

'No, no, Emrys. If the prince were to know everything, how would anyone discover what the noble knight means to him?' the statue's male voice returned to his head.

"Who cares?" Merlin growled back. The statue's voice chuckled lightly.

'You do, Emrys. You do.'