Hello dearies. Onto the next portion of the story. Not much of the episode itself as well, added quite a bit to the beginning... Enjoy!
I do not own the characters of BBC Merlin.
Merlin finally found his way to Arthur's chambers and poked his head in. The prince was looking at his fireplace thinking about something. "You called?" Merlin said stepping into the room.
Arthur turned to look Merlin up and down. "Gaius was able to fix your arm?" He asked.
Merlin held up his left arm showing the bandages wrapped snuggly around the wound. "He says it should be fine so long as I don't twist it much." He answered.
"Then you can still work." Arthur said a grin in place. "Good." He walked towards his new servant. "I'm guessing you've never been a servant have you?"
"No…" Merlin said now becoming a bit wary as to what he was in for.
"You are to wake me up every morning so I have enough time eat my breakfast, unless I am invited by my father to dine with him, get dressed and still make it to whatever it is I am doing that day. On the thought of breakfast, it's also your job to bring it up from the kitchens for me. I expect it to still be hot."
"Not so bad…" Merlin said with a shrug.
"You will also be in charge of making sure all my weapons are in order as well as my armor." Arthur continued now circling around Merlin as if getting a sense of how well he was going to fair being a servant. "Keeping my room clean and in order. You are to muck out my stables when it needs to be done, and really just about anything else I could think of telling you to do." His grin was now even bigger as he watched Merlin's expression change to a slight frown.
"You're getting too much enjoyment out of this…" Merlin commented seeing the glee in Arthur's features. "Really makes one wonder if you even know how much of a prat you are."
"And your tongue makes one wonder if you know how much of an idiot you are." Arthur supplied.
"I'm not an idiot…" Merlin muttered looking at the floor. Arthur tilted his head curiously at him.
"I'm sorry I didn't hear you." He said stepping closer.
"It's nothing." Merlin said looking up at him again.
"Oh you said something now tell me." Arthur demanded.
"I'm not an idiot…" Merlin now looked at the fireplace himself. Arthur stood up straight. He could hear that Merlin had felt insulted at being called an idiot. It annoyed him, but didn't seem to be enough to make him lash out.
Arthur took a deep breath. "Could have fooled me." He said moving to sit as his table. "You can't talk to me like that in public."
Merlin looked a bit confused at Arthur now. "If my father or the wrong person hears you speaking to me with such disrespect you could find yourself in the dungeons or the stocks." He explained. "And as refreshing as I find you to be, there are certain manners you need to practice."
"Like what?" Merlin asked.
"When around people of high social rank than you, at least bow your head down." Arthur said. "You really never have been around nobility?"
"I grew up in Elador." Merlin said with a shrug. "It was a small village. Cendred and his lords couldn't care less provided we were able to pay our taxes on time and in full. We rarely if ever had any visitors."
Arthur looked Merlin up and down again. It would certainly explain things. "You don't look like a farmer."
Merlin shrugged. "I'd help out when I could, but no one was too keen on me doing much lifting." His eyes dratted about the room looking for something to distract himself. He spotted a discarded puzzle box and went over to it picking it up. "A lot of the older ones were worried I'd get sick again like when I was a kid." He was turning the puzzle over in his hands, his eyes lighting up as he realized it wasn't like the one Will had given him.
Arthur watched as Merlin began to fiddle with the puzzle in his hands. It seemed to calm him down to have something to focus on. "Should I be concerned in you getting sick often?" Arthur asked.
"No." Merlin answered. "I haven't been sick since I was eight." He leaned against a wall a smile settling into his face when the puzzle was solved. Arthur could only stare at Merlin. He couldn't figure that puzzle out for the life of him and here this servant just picks it up and solves it as if it was the easiest thing in the world.
"Let me see that thing." Arthur said holding his hand out for the puzzle box. Merlin handed it over a bit sheepishly. Arthur turned it over in his hands. Merlin really had solved the thing. "I take it you like puzzles."
"Yes." Merlin said nodding his head. Arthur tossed the box back at Merlin who caught it looking surprised.
"For saving me." He said leaning back in his chair. Merlin looked at the box and then back at Arthur.
"Thank you." He said slight disbelief in his voice. "There may be hope for you yet." Arthur let out a laugh.
"Go, and tell the kitchens to prepare a double helping of my breakfast." Arthur said gesturing to the door. "Be sure to bring two plates." Merlin nodded his head as he left the room taking the puzzle with him.
He was busy looking it over to see if it could have more solutions to it when he nearly bumped into someone. "Merlin!" He heard Gwen's voice say causing him to stop short and look up. There was Gwen and the Lady Morgana.
He grinned at Gwen. "Hi." He said putting the puzzle in his pocket.
"Merlin is it?" Morgana said extending a hand. "A pleasure to meet the rescuer of Arthur." Merlin took her hand and quickly bowed to place a quick kiss on it.
"Really, I was only doing what any half way decent person would." He said as he stood back up. He remembered what Arthur told him and kept his head owed.
"How's your arm?" Gwen asked holding back a small giggle. Merlin seemed to have missed the pleasant smile Morgana had thrown at him.
"Gaius says it will be fine." He answered. "I just need to not twist it much or the stitches will come out." Gwen nodded her head clearly pleased to hear he was fine.
"Hope Arthur isn't being too mean to you." Morgana said. "If he bullies you, just let me know. I'll give him a good talking to."
Merlin's head snapped up at that. "I don't think I'll need my lady's help in that regard." He said with a slight laugh. He didn't intend to insult her about it.
Gwen swept in quickly explaining. "This is the boy who stopped Arthur from bullying that one servant and even fought him in the market." She said dispelling any anger Morgana had at Merlin's words.
"Seems you're just what Arthur needs then." She said. "Come on then Gwen. See you around Merlin." She walked around the boy and off to her chambers.
"Bye Merlin." Gwen called as she followed his mistress. It took Merlin a moment to remember what he had been doing before, but he continued on his way to the kitchens to inform the cook of Arthur's order.
The following morning Gaius was banging on Merlin's door. "Get up!" He said making Merlin jerk awake. "You have a job now remember?"
Memories from last night came back. "Arthur, right." He muttered getting out of bed and looking out the window. "The sun's not even fully up yet!"
"As a servant you should have been up an hour ago." Gaius said through the door. "Now you don't have time to eat. Get going!"
Merlin dressed quickly and was out the door. He was muttering under his breath as he entered the kitchens and picked up the tray of food Arthur had requested. He made his way to Arthur's chambers and opened the door.
Arthur was already awake and looked at Merlin as he leaned on the bed with raised eyebrows. "So now you show up." He said. "I had to wake myself up this morning." He saw his breakfast and moved to the table. "At least you brought my food."
"Well excuse me if I'm not used to waking up just as the first rays of the sun are peeking over the land." Merlin retorted setting the tray down in front of Arthur and going to make the bed. Might as well get a head start on his normal list of chores.
"I take it you woke too late to eat anything." Arthur said as he piled a bit of food on the spare plate.
Merlin looked over a bit confused. "And you would care why?"
Arthur looked at Merlin gesturing to the seat opposite him. "Would hardly be good for my new servant to faint on his first day." He commented. "Besides, you look too thin."
"I've always been like this." Merlin said as he walked over accepting the food he was given. It did smell good.
"Oh, so you being skinny ended up in you being sick almost constantly for what? Eight years?" Arthur asked causing Merlin to frown. "Sit, eat, we are going to put some meat on those bones. Besides, the extra food will help you heal faster so you can get on with the rest of your job sooner."
"And once again I find myself wondering why you care about my well being." Merlin said after swallowing a bit of food.
"A healthy, happy servant is able to do a better job." Arthur answered. "I'm not completely heartless."
Merlin looked at Arthur thinking about the Prince's current behavior. "You're different when not around the knights." He said finally.
Arthur glanced up at Merlin. "Shut up." He said working on finishing his own food. "When you're done eating I'll need you to get me ready for training. Just the chainmail today."
Merlin inhaled the last few bits of food he had before he got up and moved to the wardrobe in Arthur's room. He opened it up and look at the articles of clothing and blinked. "I think you have more clothes than everyone in Elador combined…" He said.
Arthur looked up again with a roll of his eyes. "Sturdy pants, light tunic and the padded jacket if you will Merlin." He said.
"Right…" Merlin began looking for the requested items and pulled them out. Arthur watched and had to admit he was a bit impressed. Merlin seemed able to coordinate an outfit well. He got up and walked over looking at the outfit laid out for him.
"Might be hope for you yet." He said taking Merlin's line from last night and heading behind the screen to change. "You can find some old chainmail in the chest near the fireplace."
"Why would I need to find old chainmail?" Merlin asked getting Arthur's own chainmail laid out.
"Because Merlin, you will be helping me train this morning." He said coming around the screen fully dressed.
Merlin glanced at his arm and then back up at Arthur. "And that would be a good idea… why?"
"Oh don't be silly, you'll be carrying a shield on that arm." Arthur said as Merlin helped him into the chainmail. "No twisting to be done."
"I'm getting a bad feeling about this."
"Quite lucky really." Arthur said. "There is a tournament coming up soon. You were just made my servant and you will already be helping me with a tournament!"
"And you didn't tell me this last night because…"
"Oh, I'm sorry." Arthur said grinning. "It must have slipped my mind. I hope you know how to put armor on someone. You'll be needing to do that."
"Great…"
There was too much armor. Merlin could barely move. "You ready?" Arthur asked clearly itching to get started.
"Would it matter if I say no?" Merlin asked.
"Not really." Arthur then began his assault. To his credit he did call out where he was swinging to as he went. Merlin was still just barely able to block the blows. "Head."
"Head?"
The flat side of the blade came down on the helmet Merlin was wearing and he was given the chance to shake it off before Arthur began again. The head attack again making Merlin's ears ring. "Seriously, if you wanted to beat me up, I don't think you needed the excuse of training."
"I have tournament to win." Arthur countered.
"And this is my first time with a sword." Merlin said correcting his beaten helmet. Really if he had been allowed to use his magic this entire training session could be over in a matter of seconds.
The last blow to the head had Merlin falling on his back. His helmet falling off his head. A groan of pain escaped him as Arthur walked over.
"You're braver than you look." He commented looking down at Merlin. "Most servants collapse after the first blow."
Merlin propped himself up on his elbows. "Is it over?" He asked. He hoped it was over. Fighting this way just felt so wrong to him. The sword in his hand, the heavy armor, the shield throwing his balance off entirely, he really wasn't knight material.
It had Arthur vaguely wondering how he had faired so well in the market that day. Could it be something to do with the glow he saw in Merlin's eyes at the feast? Arthur could swear he had seen a few flicks of gold dancing in Merlin's eyes from time to time. Like just now. Then again, it could all just a trick of the light. Yes, that had to be it.
"That was just a warm up." Arthur said now holding a mace in his hand as he began to swing it. "How's your mace work coming along?"
Merlin felt himself sink back to the ground with a groan of protest. Really he did not want to be used as a practice dummy. If Arthur wanted an easy target, why not just use one of the wooden ones on the training fields? He was sure they would protest less.
Merlin walked into Gaius' chambers feeling completely stiff. The older man laughed at the sight as Merlin dropped the helmet he had been carrying. "So, how was your first day as Arthur's servant?" He asked.
Merlin whacked his head a bit. "Do you hear clanging?" He asked as an answer. He doubted the ringing in his ears was going to stop anytime soon. He needed to get out of this armor; his limbs were starting to protest the restriction of movement.
Having finally changed out of the armor Merlin sat down as Gaius began to massage his shoulders. Merlin offered up some complaints on the details of his work before calling a book on tournaments another servant had lent him. Gaius slapped the back of his head.
"What have I told you about using magic that way?" He asked sternly.
"If I could feel my arms I would reach for it." Merlin protested. Gaius was already unwrapping Merlin's arm to get a look at how it was healing.
"Seems you can heal rather quickly." Gaius said cleaning what needed to be cleaned and putting on a fresh bandage. "Though please try to avoid injury."
"Have you seen my list of duties?" Merlin asked looking at Gaius.
"Everyone has duties Merlin." He answered. "You never know, you might just have fun."
"Working myself to the bone every day?"
"It will help build character." Gaius said. "And help keep you humble."
Merlin sighed as he turned his attention to the book before him. Just how was he supposed to remember all of this?
Gwen. Yes, she could help. Merlin picked up all of Arthur's armor as soon as he could feel his limps again and made his way to her house. She had laughed a little at his request but allowed him in and began to explain where everything went and how to put it on. She even demonstrated by putting it on him. It didn't fit right, but then again it wasn't made for him, it was made for Arthur.
"Thank you again." Merlin said as she helped him to remove it all. "That book Greg lent me was so confusing."
"I am a blacksmith's daughter." Gwen said with a smile. "It really was no problem at all. I take it Arthur's excited for the tournament."
"He seems to enjoy beating me around the training field at least." Merlin said gathering the armor again.
That afternoon Merlin was helping Arthur with putting the armor on. "You do know the tournament starts today?" He asked. He was nervous, Merlin could tell.
"Yes sire." He forced out. Arthur frowned, it sounded very strange coming from Merlin. "Are you nervous?"
"I don't get nervous." Arthur said schooling his voice.
"Really?" Merlin asked. "I thought everyone got nervous."
"Will you shut up?" Arthur snapped. He could understand that Merlin was trying to help him, but it wasn't working. Merlin just went on with his work in silence putting on the cape and giving Arthur his helmet. He stepped back to observe his work.
"Great, I think you're all set!" He said sounding pleased with himself.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Arthur asked. At Merlin's confused look Arthur figured he had to remind him. "My sword."
"Right!" Merlin said going to get the weapon. "Can't fight without that…" He offered the sword over and Arthur took it with maybe a bit more force than was needed. Merlin looked around him. "Well… that went well." He turned and began to head for the area servants could watch the tournament from.
Please R&R folks. I love hearing from you.