Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehe, here's the next sub-ep. It's going to be another amusing one :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

Music: Hunith's Letter To Gaius, The Forged Seal (Merlin OST)

"Whom History Won't Remember" Episode: N/A

~(-)~

Chapter 10: How Not to Impress a Prince ~Part 1~

"Come on, Merlin! Time to get up!"

Merlin twitched at little at the sound of his door being thumped on, along with Gaius' voice. Blearily opening his eyes and yawning, he then paused and wondered what was different this morning.

He looked down towards his feet, suddenly remembering when he noticed the warm weight laid across them. Furry ears pricked up when their owner realised he was awake, doleful brown eyes watching him from a head tilted in curiosity.

The statue dog...

He nudged it with a foot, making it jump down from the bed so he could get up. He'd anticipated having to sleep in the main chamber last night, when all attempts to enter his room had resulted in the thing charging at him, barking. But then, not at all happy at losing his bed to an animated piece of statuary, he'd stormed in and glared at it in challenge.

At that point the dog had slicked its ears back, whined, and then rolled over in surrender. Apparently it had decided ticking off the already annoyed sorcerer who had created it was a bad idea.

Starting to get dressed, Merlin petted it and scratched it round its ears when it nudged him for some attention, starting to smile as he did. If someone had told him two weeks ago when he had just left Ealdor, that right now he'd have dog created through magic sitting in his room, he'd have called them crazy.

He headed into the main chamber, the dog following him down the steps much to Gaius' consternation. There was no need worry anyone would see it and think it was magical, it just looked like a regular dog. It was more likely he was worried it would try to bite them again.

Merlin reassured him, when he sat at the table and the dog planted its head on his lap.

"Don't worry, it knows I'm the boss now. I'll figure out how to turn it back into a statue later on... Once I've finished that massive list of chores that Arthur gave me last night." He glanced down at it, once again scratching it around the ears. "It's weird. It looks like a dog, it's warm, and it acts like one... But it doesn't seem to be interested in eating or any of the normal stuff that living creatures do."

Gaius came over, his expression amused.

"Well of course not... It's a statue, albeit a presently furry one. Stone doesn't need to eat, or to empty its non-existent bowels."

Merlin paused in his mouthful of watery porridge, swallowing it while frowning.

"But I saw Valiant feeding the snakes from his shield. I thought they were just painted creatures brought to life."

"It's likely the snakes were normal ones once, altered with magic and imbued into the shield." Gaius looked down, when the dog migrated from Merlin and instead placed its head in the physician's lap. He started to pet it, glancing at Merlin. "For a sorcerer to create a true living creature from magic is next to impossible, and would upset the balance of nature. Only a sorcerer using the power to Mirror Life and Death could do it properly, and even then only under certain circumstances with certain materials. Did you really think it would be that easy to turn an inanimate object into a living creature? I can assure you that it's not."

Merlin nodded in bemused acceptance of the explanation, once again looking at the dog.

"Well that explains it not wanting to eat, although at least it will be easy to hide it until I can put it back." He pointed at his room, his tone commanding. "Go in there and lie down, and stay. Don't bother Gaius while he works."

The dog slicked its ears back at bit at the order, but did as it was told. It wandered over to his room, went up the stairs, and then lay down on the bed where it would still be able to watch what Gaius was doing.

Merlin stood up after quickly finishing the last of his breakfast, pausing when Gaius passed him a small bottle. At his frown, the physician explained.

"It's for Arthur. From past experience, I know he's going to have a sore head this morning. This should stop him taking it out on you."

Merlin accepted it, pocketing it with a small frown.

"Thanks... I think."

He left the room and headed through the castle to the kitchens, still mulling over ways he might sort out the dog when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

He spun round to face them, surprised to see it was Bern, and the other servant raised his eyebrows before speaking.

"Care to enlighten me why Prince Arthur called me to help him into his armour yesterday? I knew he was upset at being accused of being a coward, but since you were absent I wondered if you might have had something to do with that."

Merlin grimaced. Ah yes, the bet... This might be awkward.

"I um... I was the one who warned him about Valiant's shield. I heard it hissing went I was collecting Arthur's armour on the second day, and started to suspect. After Sir Ewan was hurt, and Gaius found a wound like a snake bite on him, I decided to look into it a bit closer... and well, I got proof enough to convince Arthur to talk to the king."

Bern stared at him in shock.

"You investigated a noble? Are you insane? You could have been arrested for that!"

Merlin looked away, feeling a bit uncomfortable at the reminder of how close a call things had been.

"Well Sir Ewan was supposed to come to the council chambers and confirm it... But after Gaius managed to cure him of the snake's poison he suffered a relapse and... Well as you know, he died before he could stand as witness. Arthur was pretty mad, and he uh... he sacked me."

"He sacked you?"

Merlin held up his hands, to stop Bern from saying anything further.

"Ah, but at the feast after the final he admitted was wrong of him to sack me. He rehired me, and it never got as far as the chief of staff, so the sacking wasn't really official."

Bern folded his arms across his chest, appearing annoyed before sighing.

"Fine, I'll consider this a draw since while he did sack you, he rehired you before it was official in the records. But don't expect me to let something slide like this again. If he fires you a second time, even if it's only temporarily like this one, I'm going to hold you to our bet."

Relieved, Merlin hurried away leaving Bern standing there. But he wasn't the only one relieved, for Arthur's former manservant also let out the breath he'd been holding. Merlin was better at this than he thought he'd be... He'd been Prince Arthur's servant for barely a week and he'd already managed to get him to act on his word against Valiant, a knight. How the hell had he got him to trust him like that so fast?

He turned and followed after the other servant, seeing as both of them had breakfasts to take to masters. His worries about how good Merlin was at this only intensified though when he saw what was on the tray he held when he passed him a short while later. Merlin had convinced him to accept fruit and tea instead of honey bread and wine? He couldn't help but stare after him at the surprise of it, with the sinking feeling that the bet might be as good as lost.

~(-)~

Note to self, never drink that much wine in one sitting, even if refusing refills called for by the nobles you're talking to might offend them.

Arthur groaned into his pillow, knowing full well he'd made that note in the past more than once and had yet to follow through with it. In which case, the only person to blame for this hangover was himself.

The door of his chamber opened and he heard Merlin come in, the servant leaving the breakfast tray on the table and going to open the curtains. The sudden spill of sunlight into the room only worsened his headache, and the prince buried his head into his pillow to try hide from it.

Footsteps approached the bed, a shadow falling over him when Merlin leaned closer.

"Sire, your breakfast is ready."

"Go away..."

He heard a small chuckle, and a rustle of clothing moving.

"Fine, but if you don't get up and eat your food before it goes cold... then this remedy from Gaius is going out the window..." Arthur lifted his head out of his pillow to glare at him, seeing Merlin standing there waving a small bottle and grinning. "Advantage of having the Court Physician's ward as your servant... He knows when you're likely to need a hangover cure in the morning."

He waved the bottle tauntingly one more time, before going over to the window and holding the bottle close to it threateningly. Arthur began to growl under his breath.

"You wouldn't dare..."

Merlin pushed part of the window open, holding the bottle out above the thirty-foot drop to the courtyard below. He was still grinning.

"You think so? Go on, eat... Sitting in bed with an empty stomach isn't going to help you either, Sire."

Arthur scowled for several more seconds, before grudgingly throwing back the covers and stalking over to the table where the tray was. By the time he'd eaten the food, he had to admit he did feel better for it, and the remedy Merlin handed to him afterwards just about dealt with the remainder of his headache.

Once the food was gone, he sat there and watched as the enigma that was Merlin laid out the day's clothing for him behind the screen. He then went to the fireplace, and used a poker to rake the ashes to the front of it ready to sweep out. It seemed he'd remembered the list of chores he'd been told last night. He really was strange. He'd do his chores as ordered, although he grumbled at doing a few of them. He'd saved his life, gone out of his way to warn him about Valiant, and forgiven him for sacking him out of pride without the slightest hesitation.

And how, might you ask, did he know he was forgiven? ...He knew because Merlin had decided to push his luck and tease him about the hangover remedy.

Arthur continued to watch him, still at a loss as to what to make of him even as he thought about what had occured to him that time. Merlin spoke to him without regard for his rank, never afraid to treat him as a person and not just as a prince. Yes, he followed protocol in public, but the small challenge was there. The challenge that showed in his every smirk or teasing remark, the challenge that showed when those same eyes begged for him to believe his warning.

Let me earn your respect my way, and I will let you earn mine...

He sighed, frowning to himself... Well, maybe he could go a bit easier on him today than he'd been planning to.

"You don't need to muck out my stables today, let the stablehands do it. As for the rest of the chores, you can leave off taking my armour to be repaired, and cleaning my boots, until this afternoon." He looked at Merlin, who had paused at his work in surprise. "Also, for the two hours before noon you're to report to the stables. You need to learn to ride that horse Hargren sent, and despite being upset with me last night, when she heard about it Morgana offered to teach you... Any excuse to go riding. I swear, she spends more time with her horse than she does inside the castle."

Merlin blinked, taken aback.

"The Lady Morgana is going to teach me to ride that horse?"

Arthur propped his elbow on the table, leaning his head against his hand.

"Don't look too flattered by it, she probably wants to see you make an idiot of yourself since you're my servant." He stood up and headed for the dressing screen, calling out as he went. "Don't wait around for me to leave. Just get on with your chores and make sure you don't keep Morgana waiting.

He disappeared behind the screen, Merlin taking that as licence to direct an indignant glare in his direction. He was definitely going to earn Arthur's respect his way... And may the prince be prepared for it.

~(-)~

She stood there waiting, various of the stablehands nodding to her in respect and acknowledgement at they passed. It was rare a day she didn't spend at least some time down here, even if she came only to check on her horse and run a brush over her. The pure white mare was her pride and joy, a gift from Lord Hargren for her eighteenth birthday. Such was it's meaning to her, she'd written a letter to him profusely thanking him for it, his reply expressing his delight that she valued the gesture so much. He was an honourable man, and a kind one, if only Uther could learn from his example and show a bit more leniency at times. Hargren, the prosperity of Ulwin despite being next to the border of Cenrid's lands, was proof you didn't need a heavy hand to maintain order.

Morgana sighed, turning her head when she noted Arthur's servant arriving through the small archway into the castle. She hadn't had much chance to see him about, but from what Gwen had told her he was an amiable young man with a definite desire to protect those close to him... And ironically, despite some early confrontations, he'd decided to look out for Arthur's safety as well.

That arrogant egotistical prince had no idea how lucky he was to get a servant like that. A servant who might actually become a friend if he let go of his pride long enough to allow it. Gwen was a commoner, but that didn't mean she wasn't her best friend. Life in Camelot would have been unbearable without her. A life of isolation, pretending friendship with other nobles, never letting them close until you could be certain it was only friendship they wanted. Most just wanted an advantageous connection, an alliance of convenience.

"Glad to see you arrive, Merlin. Now go get your horse and bring it to my stable. It's just over there. Don't keep me waiting."

Merlin hesitated, seeming to swallow nervously before half-bowing to her in acknowledgement.

"Yes, Lady Morgana."

She watched him hurry away, smiling to herself. She really couldn't see what Arthur's problem with him was. It was obvious to her that Merlin was the sort of man where, if you gave him reasonable respect and courtesy, he would do the same in return. Maybe when he realised that, Arthur would stop being such a spoiled brat.

Yes, that was something to look forward to... Although she wasn't about to hold her breath just yet.

~(-)~

Alaia Skyhawk: May I present to you, the statue dog! Doesn't need feeding, doesn't shed, and doesn't crap all over your back yard! It's the ultimate in low maintenance pets!

Hehehehehe, I just HAD to cover the aftermath of that lol. Merlin sorting out the dog XD