Alaia Skyhawk: Here's a humorous sub-ep, after all the serious stuff lately, and it's inspired by one of the things Merlin is portrayed as in Arthurian Legend :D
And guess what, it's official! I've archived over TWO MILLION WORDS on this site! I spend WAY too much time writing lol... But then again, it's so fun XD
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
Music: Don Oiche Ud I Beithil, Flying through the country (Folk song)
"Whom History Won't Remember" Episode: N/A
~(-)~
Chapter 64: Musically Disinclined ~Part 1~
Candlelight was cast over the occupants of the room, golden glow shining over the long wooden table and those seated at it. Talk passed among them, yet they paid little heed to the servants also present. They didn't even give a glance to the young man refilling their wine goblets.
Merlin resisted the urge to sigh in boredom, moving away from the table and back to where one of Uther's two manservants was also on hand to serve at this impromptu event. Some lord from northern Mercia had shown up unexpectedly on a social visit, and since the man was a distant cousin of King Bayard he was being given all the respectful treatment and welcome. That, of course, meant him dining with the king, his son, and Morgana, and out of the servants belonging to those three only Gwen and Uther's second one had gotten out of it.
Reaching his spot near the wall, Merlin rolled his eyes to himself before plucking a bit at the red tabard he'd been forced into. He was never usually made to wear it for 'informal' dining like this, so once again he had to guess it was the fact that Lord Asher was related to the King of Mercia, that had meant he'd had to wear it.
"So, Lord Asher, I hear you are something of a scholar."
Uther regarded his guest with a smile, the dark-haired lord pausing mid sip and setting down his recently refilled cup.
"The injury I took to my leg while young meant I could never be a warrior, so I decided to work to the benefit of my king in other ways. I possess an extensive library at my family's home, albeit not as extensive as yours."
Merlin spotted Arthur fidget the slightest bit, the prince putting on an expression of polite interest as he spoke to the man beside him. The opposite side of the table, to Uther's left, Morgana was slightly more open in her lack of interest by instead concentrating on her food as Arthur spoke.
"I still hear that you are good with a bow, and are no slouch at riding. Perhaps you would like to accompany me on one of my preferred trails while you are here. Morgana might like to come as well. Would you?"
The last part was directed at the king's ward, Morgana looking up and smiling both sweetly and apologetically.
"I'd love to, but I already have plans for the next few days. I and a few others of the court ladies have commissioned a performer to entertain us, and I'd hate to miss it. I don't know who it is that has been brought in, but I do know they are supposed to be very good."
Merlin had to lower his head to hide his smile of amusement as what he knew was a blatant lie. Morgana would rather go riding any day in any weather than spend time stuck with the court ladies. The only person she disliked spending time with more than that was Arthur, and noblemen as openly self-regarding as their guest.
That fact wasn't lost on Arthur, who said nothing, but thankfully for Lord Asher's ego the visitor wasn't aware of the implications of her excuse.
No, he just smiled and turned to wave someone forward from near the main doors.
"Then allow me to entertain you this evening; Gren is a most accomplished musician."
Merlin watched discretely as the unremarkable and plain man came to stand near his lord, unhooking a lute from his back to instead hang at his front and bowing to the king. The musician then carefully set fingers to strings, a delicate pattern of chords softly plucked from them as his voice rose in yearnful ballad.
The four nobles at the table listened intently, even Morgana pleasantly surprised. When the song ended, Lord Asher basked in the praise of his man's skill, and the conversation was renewed while the musician moved away to a discrete distance and continued to play background music without any further singing.
That made the rest of the meal a bit less boring for Merlin, and presented him with a moment of surprise when it was over. Because as the commoners present followed those they served from the room, an order from Asher to the lutenist revealed an unexpected fact. The man wasn't a professional musician, he was Lord Asher's manservant.
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The kitchens the next morning were as bustling as always, Merlin ducking and diving his way through the crowd of servants having been just a little bit late leaving Gaius' chambers. Why was it that an evening spent bored out of his mind as a server at a meal, always seemed to make him sleep in the following morning?
Getting to the end of the hallway into the sweltering rooms beyond, Merlin had to force himself to almost skid to a stop, coming within inches of flattening Lord Asher's manservant. The servant-come-musician looked a little bit lost, and considering how mad it was in the kitchens when the first rush of personal servants showed up, Merlin was not in the least surprised.
He took him by the arm, leading him through the mass to where the trays, plates, and other things were set on tables and shelves to one side.
"Grab a tray, a bowl, a large plate, and one of those cups. The small jugs for wine and stuff are across the other side. Follow me."
The other servant, nodded to him gratefully, grabbing the items listed and doing as asked with an expression of relief.
"Thanks. My name's Gren. You're Prince Arthur's manservant, aren't you?"
Merlin glanced over his shoulder at him, still dodging around people effortlessly despite half his attention being on the man behind.
"Yeah, I'm Merlin. Follow my lead, and I'll show you where to pick up the stuff that should keep Lord Asher happy. I'll have you out of here and up in the nobles' wing well before you have to worry about being late."
He led the other man to the various tables and hearths, pointing him to certain things while collecting a much simpler selection himself. It was as he was pouring herbal tea from one of the kettles at the relevant hearth, after having directed Gren to get a small jug of watered wine, that the other servant frowned a little.
"Isn't that a bit... plain to be giving to a prince?"
Merlin grinned at him, chuckling.
"I take simple but filling meals to Arthur most of the time, to help him keep in shape. He only eats fancier or really sweet stuff at feasts, and when I decide to surprise him after he'd had a tough day. He used to complain, but he got used to it, and while no one's mentioned it he is in slightly better shape than he used to be. He can run his knights into the ground and barely break a sweat." Both selections of food complete, Merlin now headed for the doors. "Come on, and stay close."
Gren followed him, a bit startled by the resident servant's offhand manner. But he had to admit Merlin was clearly well established here, a number of other servants nodding to him in acknowledgement, and he obviously knew the castle like the back of his hand. He led him via a totally deserted route, up a very narrow stairway, and almost as if from nowhere they found themselves in a section of the castle he recognised; the nobles' wing.
Surprised, he blinked for a moment at how quick they'd gotten here.
"So, you know your way around."
Merlin caught the bemusement in that, chuckling.
"I found that route by accident, and I've used it ever since." He looked furtively down the hallway to their left. "Since we have a few minutes spare, I wanted to ask you something. How come you're a musician? You're too good at it to be just a servant. You should be playing as a court entertainer somewhere with skill like that."
Gren sighed, shaking his head.
"Being a good bard doesn't mean you get a good job. There are too many of us around, and when I couldn't get a job as one after five years of training, I became a servant instead." He shrugged. "It wasn't all bad. Being a lutenist, Lord Asher likes to show me off when he visits other nobles. It's a talking point that makes him more interesting, so he gains a better bargaining position if he's competing against others for something."
Merlin snorted at that.
"Typical noble; why am I not surprised." He pointed down the hall. "Lord Asher's room is down that way, after the turn to the right, third door. I'll see you around."
"Thanks again."
They parted ways in opposite directions, each heading to their own lord's room. If there was one thing Merlin had learnt from the conversation, it was that Lord Asher was a noble he was glad he didn't serve. He sounded like worse prat than Arthur.
~(-)~
The games room was almost empty at this time of morning, a number of the courtiers who came here would still be idling in their chambers or homes at this time, and the knights were all either out on patrol or training under the supervision of Sir Leon. The training field was a place he would certainly rather have been right now, were it not for the implicit fact that his father has as much as ordered him to maintain good relations with the visiting noble. And since Lord Asher's weakened leg kept him from combat, and the knights were doing swordwork and not archery today, he'd had to suggest they spend some social time in here.
And dear lords, Arthur was glad Asher wasn't as good at the strategy games he perfered as he'd dreaded he'd be. He'd been carefully rigging them for the past hour so that he wasn't continuously beating the man at them. Letting Lord Asher win a few so as not to upset him.
It was after one of these 'defeats' that the prince changed the topic of their idle conversation, having become somewhat bored with discussing which kingdom where had the best library.
"So where did you get your manservant? You surprised me when you showed us he was a lutenist."
Asher waved a hand dismissively, his tone haughty.
"Oh, it's not such a big deal. I see no reason why all high class servants can't be expected to perform some sort of entertainment. Only the best for those such as us, wouldn't you agree."
There was a hint of challenge in his smile as he'd said the last, Arthur tilting his head and narrowing his eyes a little.
"And what might make you think I would?"
An hour later a certain prince walked into his chambers after a trip to the palace storerooms in search of something, surprising the servant who was sweeping the floor within.
Merlin stared at Arthur, and at the tied sheaf of papers and dusty-looking lute he held.
"What are those for?"
Arthur smirked, looking far too smug.
"You are going to learn how to perform them."
"...You have got to be joking."
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Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehehehehehehe! If you're familiar with Arthurian Legends, then it's pretty obvious by now I'm prodding at the one that shows Merlin as a bard. This is going to be fun XD
Also, I'm aware that the era the show is set in is probably too early for lutes, or at least the lutes I can find being used in songs on youtube, but it was the only easily identifiable instrument I could think of that would fit the setting overall. I didn't want to go looking for something obscure :)