Once Merlin arrived in the market place, he quickly busied himself with finding the Prince a new shirt, as his current one was beginning to become tight around the waist. Although Arthur constantly claimed he was not fat, all those feasts had to be adding up. Merlin smirked to himself as he remembered his last attempt at suggesting the king cut down on his food...
"MERLIN!" Arthur cried from behind the screen.
"yes sire?" Merlin replied, a his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Have you tightened my shirt again?"
"Nope. Why?"
"It's far too tight!"
"Well, I knew the day would come when you just couldn't deny it any longer..."
"I AM NOT FAT!"
"There is no denying the evidence sire!"
"Merlin, I can see where you've stitched it up at the back!"
"I'm gonna go and get you a new shirt before..." OW!
Merlin rubbed the spot where Arthur's boot had hit him tenderly and grimaced. Although it still throbbed slightly, it was definitely worth it. Winding up Arthur never failed to disappoint the secret Warlock.
Merlin wandered towards a stall that sold an array of brightly coloured shirts and browsed absent mindedly. He felt a soft tapping on his shoulder and, smiling, turned around expecting Gwen or the gentle giant Percival. Instead his eyes found a man who had haunted his nightmares for years.
Belestard.
The man had grown thin while trapped inside the old mare, but he hadn't lost his air of power. Belestard still looked as menacing as ever and his pock marked face was drawn into an evil sneer.
"Hello Merlin, did you miss me?"
Merlin froze to the spot, his jaw hanging loosely open, his eyes never wavered from the brute in front of him. Belestard leaned forward, so that he noes was almost touching Merlin. He breathed his bad breath into Merlin's face.
"Boo"
Merlin jerked into action almost instantly. He sprinted through the market, knocking over vegetable stalls, pottery stalls and clothes stalls alike. He carried on running, never looking back until he reached the city walls, where he collapsed on the floor panting.
That was when he felt a sudden pain at the back of his head before darkness claimed him.
Arthur glanced out his window at the court yard below and sighed. He had been cooped up for the past three days and was becoming stir crazy. He made a decision, it would be suicide to stay inside his chambers any longer, he was going out.
Ever since Morgana had betrayed them, Uther had turned in on himself, thus leaving the responsibilities of king to Arthur. It was greatly overwhelming him.
Arthur quickly spotted Merlin rushing through the crowed, obviously in a panic. Although Arthur claimed not to, he cared an awful lot about Merlin and seeing him in this distress made Arthur immediately chase after his idiotic servant.
It was at the edge of the city that Arthur noticed him, panting on the grass. He was about to approach Merlin when he was clonked on the head and darkness embraced him.
They came for Gwaine next. He was sat in the armoury sharpening his sword. It was entirely possible for him to leave it for Merlin to do, as many of the knights did, but hadn't changed his beliefs about servants doing all the work; besides Merlin had enough on his plate already.
Gwaine hummed softly to himself and smiled. CRASH! Gwaine's head shot up from his work instantly. "Merlin?" he called tentatively, "is that you mate?"
There was no answer.
Gwaine left his seat, pointing his sword in front of him and quietly tiptoed to where the crash had come from.
THUD
Darkness closed around him.
