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When Arthur heard a knock on the door the next morning, he ignored it. Nimueh had made it quite clear that he wasn't to answer the door. But when he heard Merlin's high voice excitedly greeting the witch, he was out of his room and down the stairs in a flash. Skidding to a stop in front of the door, he beamed at his best friend.
"What are you doing here?"
"Nimueh's going to teach me magic after yesterday!"
"What happened yesterday?" Arthur felt something stir in the back of his mind. But no thoughts made themselves known and he continued to stare at his friend. Merlin did look a little paler than usual, but Arthur couldn't think of anything that would make him look like that. Merlin's smile slipped and then was replaced by a frown when he realised that Arthur wasn't joking about what had happened the day before.
"You don't remember?"
"Remember what?"
"The man? The horse? The magic?"
Arthur stared at his friend for a long moment before bursting out laughing and punching him on the arm.
"How many mushrooms did you eat?" He asked, drawing Merlin further into the house. He could hear Nimueh talking with Hunith, but was content to ignore the adults for a few moments. "Nothing happened yesterday."
"Arthur…" The frown on Merlin's face had intensified and he rested a hand on Arthur's arm. "I don't understand. How can you not remember?"
"That's enough." The door shut and Nimueh stood in front of the two boys. Merlin looked at the floor, unable to meet her gaze. But Arthur had spent the last eight years being looked down on like that and he simply stared back.
"Merlin is not here for fun and games, Arthur. He is here to learn. You also have lessons. Go back upstairs."
"But can't I stay?" Arthur pleaded. He didn't see why he should have to sit upstairs and try and practice numbers that confused him when his friend was here. If they were practicing magic, then Arthur wanted to watch. Nimueh might only ever use her magic to reprimand him, but Arthur knew that Merlin's was different to that. He wanted to see what it was his friend could do.
"Upstairs, now."
"I don't want to!"
Merlin looked as if he was trying to disappear as Arthur shouted. He stepped into the corner, making himself as small as possible. Arthur wasn't sure whether it was his imagination or not, but Nimueh seemed to suddenly grow as she towered over him.
"One day, you are going to do as you are told. Until then…æþrýtnes!"
Arthur yelped as an invisible hand grabbed his collar. Despite trying to dig his heels in, there was nothing he could do as the magic dragged him from the room and back up the stairs, bumping his shins off most of the steps. It let go only when it had deposited him in his room. Arthur regained his balance and ran for the door, just in time for it to slam shut in his face. No matter how much he tried pushing or pulling, he couldn't get it to open again.
"This isn't fair!" He yelled. But he knew Nimueh wouldn't answer him. She didn't need to now she had locked him up. Arthur scowled, kicking out at his bed and then hopping around, nursing his stubbed toe. If she thought that he was going to sit up here and study like a good boy, then she had something else coming. Arthur had known for a long time that this home was not like Merlin's. It wasn't like other peoples in general. For the most part, he had been able to ignore that because he felt at peace at Merlin's house, knowing that Hunith would give him the love that Nimueh never did. But for her to use her magic on him like that in front of Merlin… Arthur flushed in shame. What would his friend think of him now that he knew Arthur always had to do as he was told when he was at home?
"Not fair," he muttered. Sitting down on his bed, Arthur hugged his pillow to his chest for a moment before throwing it violently at the door. It achieved nothing. Crossing the room to get it again, Arthur pressed his ear to the door in order to try and hear what was going on downstairs. But whatever Nimueh was teaching Merlin, she was doing it in secret. Scowling, Arthur turned towards his books.
He didn't want to study, but there was nothing else for him to do. Anything that resembled a toy was kept in another part of the house and he was only allowed to use them once he had completed his lessons for the day. If he worked now, Arthur wondered if he would be allowed to play outside this afternoon, even if Merlin wasn't allowed to join him. Picking one up and settling it on his lap, Arthur sighed with all the drama of an eight year old as he started to think.
It took a while before he could focus properly. Knowing he was locked in automatically made him long for outside and Arthur stared out of the window more than he stared at the sums. But gradually, he began doing as he was told and working through the lessons Nimueh had assigned to him. He was finding them easier as each day passed and knew she had little to fault him on now. Arthur never consciously wanted to please her, but it did make him feel smug knowing she couldn't say anything about his progress.
But as he finished, he found himself thinking about other matters. If he was getting smarter, then it meant it his memory had to be good. Arthur would have said Merlin was toying with him when he pretended that something big had happened the day before. But there had been sincerity in the younger boy's eyes and Arthur knew he was being serious. So why couldn't Arthur remember what had happened?
Once he had finished his work, Arthur lay on his bed and moodily stared out of the window. He jumped when he heard the door opening but softened a little when he saw Merlin standing there. Nimueh had either told him how to get past the spell or she had lifted it. Merlin caught his eye, then flushed and looked down.
"I didn't mean… I didn't want you to get into trouble just because I'm here," he mumbled. Arthur sat up and smiled at his friend.
"It wasn't you," he said. He still didn't know how to tell Merlin that Nimueh was often like that with him. He wriggled forward and climbed off the bed. "What did you learn?"
If he was honest, Arthur wasn't listening as Merlin started gabbling about everything that Nimueh had told him. If Arthur understood it rightly, Merlin hadn't actually done any magic yet but had spent the morning being told what he could and couldn't do. Wondering how Merlin found that so inspiring when Arthur just found it annoying, he stayed quiet as they went downstairs. Lunch was already waiting but Nimueh was nowhere to be seen. Arthur glanced around nervously.
"Are you alright?" Merlin asked, stepping closer. Arthur jumped and grinned.
"Of course."
"I've never seen you this quiet. It's only when… When you're with her…"
"It's fine." Arthur brushed off Merlin's complaints and moved towards the food. He might have spent most of the day sitting around, but that didn't mean that he wasn't starving. And it meant he could brush Merlin's concern off. His friend might have only been seven, but Arthur knew he was picking up on the atmosphere in the house. After all, Merlin had never been in the cottage before: Arthur always made some excuse about why they couldn't come back here to play. Once he reached the table, Arthur looked around to see Merlin biting his lip. But then the younger boy hurried forward and all concerns were forgotten as they both ate hungrily.
"Do you have to do more lessons this afternoon?" Arthur asked when he finally felt full. Merlin shook his head.
"She said too much could be as bad as learning any."
"Are you staying here?" To Arthur's delight, Merlin nodded.
"Mother is travelling over to the next village to see if she can find some more cloth there. I get to stay until she gets back."
Arthur grinned. He knew Nimueh didn't have a reason to go into the village so it meant if Merlin had gone home, Arthur wouldn't have been able to see him for the rest of the day. Finishing his food, he grabbed Merlin's wrist and pulled him towards the door.
"There are some trees just on the edge. Let's go and explore."
"Arthur-," Merlin dug his heels in, pausing before Arthur could drag him out of the door. "Are you sure you want to go exploring after yesterday?"
"Nothing happened yesterday!"
"How can you say that?" Arthur had rarely heard Merlin shout and his eyes went wide as he stared at his friend. Merlin looked close to tears.
"He could have taken you away. I could have died!"
"Don't be so silly," Arthur murmured. But his voice had lost its conviction as he stared at his friend. Merlin truly believed that something had happened to them the day before. As he stared, Arthur forced himself to think. The more he did so, the more he realised that he couldn't remember what he had done the day before. He had assumed it had just been like any other day, but he couldn't recall any specifics.
"What happened yesterday?" He asked quietly. Merlin bit his lip, realising that Arthur wasn't messing around and was serious about not remembering.
"The man came out of the tress by the hill. He wanted to know who we were, who Nimueh was. He tried to take you away." Merlin's voice quivered and he looked genuinely distressed.
Arthur was still blank. But he smiled reassuringly at his friend. "It's okay. We're okay. Now come on, I wanna explore!"
He bounded out of the door before Merlin could say anything. Sure enough, by the time he next looked around, Merlin was dutifully flowing him. After that, the events of the day before was forgotten. What did it matter when they had trees to climb and explore and no one to tell them no? Nimueh left them to it – Arthur wasn't fooled, he knew she was well aware where he was – and Merlin seemed to forget that something had happened just as much as Arthur did.
Hunith came for her son just as the sun set and Arthur couldn't hide his smile when she confirmed she would bring him for another lesson that morning. Nimueh turned to ask him about his lessons but Arthur yawned instead. He was exhausted having spent the afternoon racing around. To his delight, the witch allowed him to escape to his bed after dinner without insisting on hearing what he had learnt that day. Arthur could feel her stare in the back of his head as he ran up the stairs, but she didn't call him back and he didn't look around.
Arthur thought he would be asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. But troubled thoughts roamed his mind for a while. Had something truly happened that he couldn't remember? Merlin had seemed scared and Arthur knew it took a look to scare his friend. He made a vow to ask Nimueh about it the next morning and let sleep claim him.
But in the way any eight year old would, Arthur had forgotten all about it the next morning. The only thing on his mind was whether the fact it was pouring with rain stop Merlin from coming and what he was supposed to do with himself all day if he wasn't allowed outside.
MMM
Time passed and both boys grew stronger. Merlin began to understand the limits to his magic and what he was capable of achieving. Arthur mastered lessons that he would have never attempted before. If he accomplished all of his work in the morning, then Nimueh let him lose to play with Merlin in the afternoon. It gave Arthur focus, something he had been lacking before and Nimueh began to have to think up harder challenges for him in order to keep him motivated. Arthur never recalled what happened on that fateful day but neither did he dwell on it. The whole thing was put from his mind and Merlin never brought it up again either.
Just before his tenth birthday, however, Arthur discovered a new interest. There had been a small fayre passing through the village. They had only stopped for a day because they knew there wasn't enough money in Ealdor for them to warrant staying longer. But after much whining at Nimueh, Arthur had finally been granted permission to go – as long as he stayed with Merlin. Any other day and it would have annoyed him that she put more trust in Merlin's magic keeping him safe than she did Arthur himself. But he was too excited at the prospect of seeing something new and he didn't let it bother him.
He certainly did see something new.
Arthur couldn't get out of his head the sight of the men sword-fighting each other. His young mind knew it was all in jest and they would never hurt each other. But the speed and agility they moved with the blade was awe-inspiring and Arthur spent the afternoon pestering Merlin to pick up a stick and help him learn how to do it. Merlin had obliged, but Arthur knew his heart hadn't been in it. Sure enough, when he had tried to engage the younger boy in combat the next afternoon, Merlin had eventually muttered something about his mother needing him and making a quick escape.
But for the first time in his young life, Arthur felt passionate about something. He didn't want to stop. He strived to finish his lessons earlier and then spent the time until lunch time dancing around the cottage with a stick in his hand, trying to imitate what he had seen the men do. But he couldn't remember their precise movements and it was frustrating him. He didn't realise Nimueh had been watching him until he heard a knock on the door one day.
Merlin was already downstairs and Arthur knew not to interrupt while his friend was in his lesson. But it meant Arthur had no idea who could be at the door and he climbed up on his bed so that he could see outside. There was a gorgeous horse tethered to a nearby tree and Arthur spent a few moments drinking in the sight of the magnificent creature until he realised Nimueh was calling his name impatiently.
Arthur ran down the stairs, only to hesitate in the hallway when he noticed there was a tall man standing in their doorway. Nimueh was talking to him but she glanced around at Arthur's arrival.
"Come here, child," she murmured, stretching out her hand. Arthur sidled closer. He knew this game. Nimueh wasn't letting on that she was a powerful witch and Arthur her ward. She was spinning the man the same tale Arthur had heard her tell in the village about being a widow. Although Nimueh had never stated that Arthur was her son, he knew that was what the others thought. It just made him wonder whose son he was as Nimueh had never let him talk about his parents.
But all thoughts of his past left him when he saw the sword hanging from the stranger's belt.
"Are you a knight?" Arthur blurted out, cutting through their conversation. Nimueh didn't reprimand him though and the stranger smiled.
"What makes you think that?"
"No one else carries swords like that. I read about it," Arthur informed him. He straightened up and lifted his chin as the man drew his sword.
"Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not." Arthur didn't notice how evasive the answer was until the man offered him the hilt of the sword. "But do you know how to use one like this?"
Arthur nodded eagerly. He reached out, then glanced at Nimueh for permission. She nodded and he took the hilt. Instantly, the tip of the sword hit the floor as Arthur used both hands to strain to take the weight. The man let him struggle for a few moments before taking it back from him and sliding it into his sheath.
"You need to build up those muscles first, young one," he said. His voice was friendly and Arthur found himself nodding solemnly at his words. His eyes lingered on the sword for a moment before he ran off. Darting outside, Arthur instantly found the heaviest stone he could find and tried to move it.
"What are you doing?" Merlin asked. Arthur glanced around to see his friend standing by the back of the cottage, his arms folded across his chest and an amused expression on his face.
"What are you doing?" Arthur retorted. Merlin shrugged.
"Nimueh said I had to stay outside while she dealt with the visitor. Apparently he is going to stay for a while."
"She never told me that," Arthur muttered. But then he looked at Merlin again. "He said I had to build up muscle before I could hold a sword. That's what I'm trying to do."
"How can you do that when you can't even lift that stone?"
"I can!" Arthur was not going to be beaten and he strained against it the best he could. But his fingers wouldn't grip the rock and he couldn't get hold of it. Looking over at Merlin, he saw his friend laughing at him.
"You do it then if you are so stronger." Arthur folded his arms across his chest and pouted. Merlin darted forward, his movements light and airy. Arthur could only gape as he bent down and easily picked it up. Then he realised that Merlin's eyes were burning gold and he was biting his lip in concentration.
"That's cheating!"
Merlin dropped the stone, laughing. "It's not! You never said how to pick it up."
Arthur knew there was no way he could let that insult stand. Instead, he charged at Merlin and the stone was swiftly forgotten as the paired chased each other around the garden. Arthur would throw a stick, Merlin would deflect it and trip him up with magic. Then all Arthur needed to do was stick out his hand and Merlin joined him on the ground. Magic and stones didn't matter when they had each other to mess around with and neither of them knew they were being watched.
"He was a natural," the man said. "His grip was almost right even if he couldn't lift it."
"So will you stay?" Nimueh replied, glancing coyly at him. "The lad needs someone to teach him. I can offer you shelter and food but I have no money to pay you."
Galahan nodded and Nimueh smiled. The disgraced knight had been hard to track down and she had been forced to use a lot of magic to make sure no one could follow him here and see Arthur. But this was the one skill she had decided to encourage in the prince rather than put him off. After all, his mind would not be enough when it came to taking Camelot. He needed to be able to fight and Nimueh knew Galahan hated Uther as much as she did. If he ever worked out who Arthur was, he wouldn't tell.
"Doesn't he have a father to teach him?"
"He's an orphan," Nimueh murmured. "I took him in."
She knew if Galahad was to stay, then it wouldn't take him long to know Arthur was not her son. It was easier to fool him from the beginning than be caught in her own lies.
"Who's the other?"
"A village boy. No one of consequence."
"He's a friend of the lad's?"
"Inseparable."
"That has to change." Galahad said sternly. "He must be focused if he wants to learn and distractions like friendship is a weakness."
"I'll see what I can do." Inside, Nimueh was seething. She had brought the man here to teach Arthur how to handle a sword, not how to live his life. She also needed to continue Merlin's lessons. Although the boy had learnt a great deal over the last few years, it wasn't going to be enough if his destiny was to keep Arthur safe. But she had made it this far without anyone ruining her plan and she was not going to let a disgraced knight do it now. The boys had to maintain their friendship, no matter what.
"If there is no father…and indeed you aren't his mother…" Galahad stepped closer, his hand coming to rest on Nimeuh's waist even though he kept his eyes pointing straight out at the garden. "There are other ways in which you can pay me. Ways that would help me focus and could prove beneficial to us both."
Nimueh had known that was coming. She had known ever since she had identified him as the man to teach Arthur. After all, it was his advances on other men's wives that had had him cast from Camelot in the first place. But she didn't mind. It had been a lonely few years and she knew it would give her more power over him. She took his hand, checked the children were safe and led him upstairs.
"Why didn't she turn him away?" Arthur asked. He was stretched out on the grass, staring at the sky with no idea what was happening in the house. "She doesn't let anyone else come to the house."
"I don't know," Merlin said. He sounded just as thoughtful as Arthur. "Maybe he'll teach you how to use a sword?"
"Do you think she would let me?"
"I hope so. It can't always be up to me to save you." There was such sincerity in Merlin's voice that Arthur poked his tongue out at him.
"I don't need you to save me from anything."
"So next time you get stuck in the bramble bush and we are almost late for dinner, I should just leave you there?"
"Shut up." Arthur threw a handful of grass at his friend, his face flushing in the memory. He had only been trying to prove that he could make it further into the bushes than Merlin could. He hadn't realised they had been full of thorns that had instantly snagged on his clothing.
"Arthur?" Merlin had let the silence stretch between them for a few moments before he spoke again. He still sounded serious and Arthur glanced at him.
"What is it?"
"We'll always be best friends, won't we?"
"Why would you say that? Of course!"
Merlin shrugged and he looked upset. Arthur sat up so he could look at him properly. "Has something happened?"
Merlin shook his head. "It's just with this man staying and Nimueh is teaching me loads of spells to attack someone… I don't like it. It makes it feel like something is going to change. I don't want things to change."
"They won't," Arthur promised. He grinned. "Besides, this is the first stranger to come here since I arrived." He didn't remember that but he had picked up from the villagers that Nimueh had brought him here as a baby rather than being born here. "It's not like anything else is going to happen; this is the most exciting thing that has in years."
Merlin nodded slowly. He didn't seem sure and Arthur leapt to his feet.
"Come on, slow coach. If we're quick we can pick blackberries for your mother before we get called for lunch."
The idea of pleasing his mother was enough for Merlin to forget his troubles as he too leapt to his feet and darted after Arthur.