Hi, sorry for the wait, I'm officially going to try and write more. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, I know it isn't very long but…
Please review : )
Over the next few weeks Merlin and Arthur settled into a routine; Merlin would wake first and restart the fire before settling back into bed wrapped around Arthur. He would wait for the prince to wake before he set about pulling the blonde out of the bed, as it turns out Arthur is not a morning person. The pair would then dress each other before Arthur called in a servant to retrieve two portions of breakfast from the kitchen as Merlin hid behind the changing screen. After breakfast Arthur would leave for training and Merlin would stay in what Arthur had affectionately dubbed as 'their' chambers. They would reunite in the evenings where they would both bathe, Merlin would then sit on the thick sheep skin rug by the fire sharpening Arthur's sword and the prince finished various articles of paperwork. Usually the sorcerer would fall asleep on the rug and so the prince would hoist him into his arms and lay the sleeping boy on his bed, before undressing him and pulling back the sheets. He would then undress himself and lie back; pulling Merlin so that he was lay over the left of his body. Most nights, at this point, Merlin would stir and snuggle closer to Arthur, seeking warmth, so the prince would tug the covers up, surrounding them both before kissing the warlocks temple and drifting asleep.
On the third day of Merlin's third week in Camelot it all changed.
The cheerful, witty boy Arthur had come to know in the past few weeks had all but vanished. The prince didn't really see the big deal; it was only for a couple of days, four at the most.
"I won't be gone long." He explains to the young boy, watching him carefully, trying to understand his reaction.
"Yes." Merlin replied not really having heard the question. His mind was to busy calculating all of the terrible, horrible, degrading things that could happen to him if Arthur went away. Arthur was the only thing keeping Merlin safe, what would happed if someone walked into his chambers and saw him? What would he do without food for four days? Actually, never mind that, what would he do without Arthur for four days. He tried the whole sleeping-in-the-servants-quarters-alone thing and it hadn't worked out well. He had woken up in the middle of the night tears streaming down his cheeks with Arthur's arms wrapped tightly around him trying to calm him. They hadn't tried the sleeping alone thing since.
Arthur frowned, unsure of Merlin's answer, what did yes mean? "So I'm leaving now." Arthur said wrapping his arms around Merlin's bony body, kissing the top of the boy's soft, dark brown hair. "I'll miss you."
Snapping out of his trance Merlin pushed the blonde, watching with satisfaction as he stumbled back, bracing himself on the table. "No, you can't just leave." He hissed at the prince. Arthur sighed, embracing the reaction he'd expected.
"Merlin I know it will be diffic-" he started but the brunette cut him off.
"NO, you don't understand. I was alone for so long Arthur, you can't leave me now." Arthur grimaced at the reminder of the state Merlin had been in. "Please Arthur, please."
"Merlin, I'm sorry but there is nothing I can do. My father expects me to leave; I have a responsibility to my knights and to Camelot." Arthur justified, leaving out the part about actually wanting to go. It wasn't that he was fed up of Merlin, he just needed to stretch his legs, he hadn't left the citadel since he and Merlin had returned from the forest, and truth be told he was a little fed up.
"I'll accompany you then." Arthur sighed; he had expected Merlin to be difficult but he hadn't expected this, he didn't want Merlin to spend his entire week uncomfortable and edgy. He could imagine the boisterous teasing and sexual innuendoes that the knights would make, not truly understanding the implications of their teasing.
"No Merlin, I have talked to Gaius already, you will stay here in this room and Gaius will bring you anything you require, he will visit three times a day. As he is court physician he will also be checking and attending to your wounds, making sure they are healed." Arthur explained, hoping that Merlin would realise how difficult this situation was for him; he wanted Merlin with him at all times, he felt as if he couldn't breathe when the brunette wasn't around but he couldn't let his father know of his existence until the warlock had gained enough confidence to be integrated into society.
"You told someone about me?" Merlin frowned, edging backwards. Arthur had betrayed him; he could be killed if Uther found out, and the prince didn't seem to care.
"Merlin, it's not like that, we can trust Gaius." Arthur pleaded, wanting the brunette to understand. "I have known him since I was a baby."
"Trust?" Merlin hissed out the word as if it were dirty, anger filling him completely. "I have been abused and beaten my entire life, then you come along and save me only to betray me to a man who is more than likely going to have me killed. You want me to trust him… to trust you?"
Arthur, under any other circumstances would have found Merlin's emotional breakthrough nothing short of a miracle (he was finally expressing his feelings), but considering the anger that the younger boy was hurtling at him he decided that his pride would have to wait until later.
"Merlin, Gaius is literally part of my family, he wouldn't-" Arthur started to explain only, once again, to be cut off by the livid warlock.
"Go Arthur Pendragon, have fun on your hunt, and pray by whatever god may exist, that I am still here by the time you get back, or that I am even alive." Merlin spat before striding over to the window and gazing out, taking deep breaths in the hopes of calming his rage. Feeling as if, for the first time in his entire life, he was being dismissed Arthur sighed and walked dejectedly towards the door. Turning one last time to look at the brunette he let a single tear fall down his cheek.
"I'll be back soon." he muttered, waiting a minute to see if Merlin would acknowledge him. When the boy didn't turn Arthur retrieved his sword and bow from the table before leaving his quarters and slamming the door on his way out, he wiped his face angrily, ashamed at the weakness that the tear represented. Future kings shouldn't cry over anything, grow up, his fathers voice rang in his ears as he strode angrily towards the armoury and his waiting knights.
Merlin flinched gently as the door slammed, a few tears leaking out of his eyes. Deep down Merlin knew that shouting at Arthur then was unjust and unfair but he wasn't going to admit it. Arthur couldn't have left him on his own or taken him with him so Gaius was the only logical option, and he had to go on this trip; Arthur had been missing enough official events over the last couple of weeks and if he wasn't careful Uther would become suspicious. He sighed before sinking down to the floor with his back against the wall. A few more tears leaked out of his eyes as he recalled the harsh words he had thrown at Arthur. The prince was quite possibly the best thing that had ever happened to the warlock and how did he repay him? By hurling insults at him and threatening to leave.
When he had threatened to leave he knew it had been an empty threat, he would never leave Arthur, the brunette needed the prince like he needed air to breathe. Arthur's company and companionship meant more than the world to the brunette. But then it dawned on him, what if Arthur actually thought he was going to leave? Guilt swamped him, Arthur was going to spend his entire trip worrying over him, if he was okay, if Gaius had remembered to see to him, if he had been sleeping well and to top it all off, he wouldn't even know if he would be there when he got back. Shrinking further into the freezing stone floor Merlin cried and cried until he couldn't cry any more and then he just lay there, shivering and in pain (the wounds on his back were not yet fully healed and lying on the floor had aggravated them) with one thought running through his head; what if Arthur didn't want him to be there when he got back?