The sun was at its peak, meaning it was early afternoon, not a cloud in sight. The air was still a little chilly even with the sun, but it was fall time, so soon winter will come.
Johnathan, walked over to the royal stables. A bag in hand, a small pack for his items he will need for the flowers he was going to gather for the king.
Moving over to his horse that the king had gifted him for his amazing service to him. The horse was of normal standards, not trained as a war horse. War horses were the best of the best breeds. Those horses were mostly Mustangs, Friesian, Andalusian, and Nisean. These breeds were reserved for knights, the prince, anyone of the Royal family, and the king.
His horse was a female, a dark bay in color with a hint of white. She was old, but a very calm horse, gentle and was not scared of anything. She was his pride and joy.
When the king gifted him the horse, he made sure to store her in the royal stables for the best care. No one said anything about it and he lied to the stable hands that she was the prince's old horse and he wanted her to stay there and that Johnathan WAS the only one to ride her.
Her name was Willow.
Putting his bags down, Johnathan moved over to where the saddles are kept, pulled out his, along with a blanket and walked over to where his horse was stationed.
Normally a stable boy or other servants would saddle the horses, but only when they went on hunts, to war or the royals were taking a ride.
Johnathan was going on a very important mission for the king and needed to go right away, so it would be faster for him to do all of the work.
Giving Willow an apple, Johnathan set about putting on her saddle, attaching his bags and unwrapping her legs. Once he was finished and she ate her apple, Johnathan walked her out of the stables into the main capital, before he put his food into the stirrup, swung his leg over the saddle and sat down onto it. When he was settled in his saddle, Johnathan grabbed the reins, lightly kicked Willow's side to get her moving along with a "Clicking" sound and headed off through the gates of Camelot and on the road North to Nemeth.
~Gaius's Chambers~
Merlin looked up when he heard the door open. His eyes widened and he let out a surprised gasp at what he saw.
His eyes landed on a golden haired man with beautiful blue eyes, tanned muscular skin that shone in the sunlight, White ears and tail that looked like there were specks of gold within them when the sun hit them just right. The smell that hit his nose told Merlin that this man was his mate. The smell that came off of him was amazing. He smelled of Spring Earth, honey and apples.
This man was Prince Arthur of Camelot. Knowing this caused Merlin to panic a little. He was scared about how this was going to work out with them when Merlin knew what the King did to people with magic and how he hated same sex couples. It would be even worse when it's his son.
Feeling his heart break at the thought of having to give up his mate, Merlin lowered his head and let the tears fall. Tail tucked around his stomach and ears flat against his head, Merlin didn't hear his name being called, didn't hear the footsteps coming closer towards him, nor did he feel anyone sit on the bed next to him until he smelled his mate and the warm heavy hand that rubbed his ears.
Merlin looked up to see Arthur. His face was full of worry.
Arthur frowned when he smelt the pain and sadness coming off of his mate. It made him sad that for a moment there his mate was excited to see him, but then his scent turned sour and he started to curl up. If Arthur didn't stop him, he would hurt himself more.
So slowly Arthur walked over to Merlin's bed, sat down and moved his hand to rub his head and ears.
Seeing Merlin lift his head to look at him, Arthur gave a small smile.
"Hey. What's wrong? You seemed to be happy there for a moment, but now you're sad. Wanna tell me why?"
Merlin lowered his eyes, shifting a little.
"I-i-its b-b-because you're the prince. I can't be mated to the price. I don't want to have to leave, but I know that I will have to. I don't want to be a problem for you and your father. I a-also d-d-don't want to d-d-die."
Merlin started to cry. Body shaking from the sobs that were coming out of him. Body curling up into a ball as his heart broke.
Arthur let out a whine. He didn't and wouldn't lose his mate. Moving so that he picked up Merlin, put him into his lap and held him close while rubbing his back and ears. Rocking him a little as he holds his mate.
"No. You are not leaving. You are not going to be killed. You are never going to be a problem to me. My father can't do ANYTHING to separate us. He has no power when it comes to True Mates. He knows that it's the law and even if he absolutely hates the idea, there is nothing he can do. Once people find out about us, they will protect you. My best friend and knight Leon has offered to be your personal knight guard. He will be with you anytime you are out in public when I am not around. You can hang out with Morgana and her mate Gwen as well. They will also protect you. I will do everything in my power to make sure you are happy, loved and protected. I just found you, I don't want to lose you. If he tries anything, I WILL not hesitate to rip his throat out. WITH. MY. TEETH."
Merlin soon calmed down and listened to everything coming from Arthur. Hanging onto every word like it was made of gold. His heart beat steady as he spoke about protection and love. No lie coming from him. His mate truly cared for him and loved him.
Merlin moved to nuzzle under Arthur's chin. Closing his eyes and purring as he curled up in his mates lap. Happy to know that he gets to stay.
Arthur smiled when he felt Merlin nuzzle into him and his eyes brightened when he started to purr. Hearing that sound made Arthurs heart flutter and jump with joy knowing that he helped his mate relax enough to purr. Feeling him relax into his chest as he let all of the stress go away.
Once Merlin was relaxed and content in Arthur's arms, Arthur looked up at everyone still in the room. His eyes went from Gaius to Morgana who was hugging Gwen, then to Leon who stood in front of the door, his posture protecting. Arthur smiled. He was already doing his job without being asked. Arthur was very happy with the new role he gave Leon. He just hoped that soon Leon would find his true mate. The man deserved the best and he would protect his mate with everything within his power.
(A/N: Leon will get his True Mate. I have someone very very special for him. hehehehe)
Turning back to Gaius, Arthur opened his mouth to ask him about Merlin's injuries, when a rumbling noise sounded in the room. Looking down, Arthur saw his mate barry his face into his chest, cheeks pink and the smell of hunger and embarrassment hit his nose.
Smiling down at his mate, Arthur rubbed his back, frowning in concert when he could feel the boy's spine through his very thin shirt. Looking up at Gwen, Arthur cleared his throat.
"Gwen, could you be a dear and fetch some lunch from the kitchens for everyone? Leon, could you accompany her please?"
Both of them smiled, said yes, bowed and went to leave, before Gaius stopped them before handing over a list with bland foods upon it.
"Before you go, these are the only things Merlin can eat for right now. Just give it to the cook. I have another copy here."
Leon stepped forward and took the parchment paper from Gaius.
Of course Gaius. I'll make sure to watch them prepare the food personally. To make sure they don't add anything that would harm the prince's mate."
Gaius gave them a nod, before Leon and Gwen left the room.
"May I ask why Merlin is on a diet? The boy is nothing but skin and bones. He needs meats, breads, and sweets. The best Camelot can offer. My mate needs food."
Gaius smiled at Arthur's concern.
"You are right sir, he does, but he came from a very poor village in Cenrid's kingdom bordering Camelot. They barely had food there and when they did, it was very little and bland. I want nothing more than to feed him, but his stomach would reject the food Camelot has. It's too rich in flavor for him to handle and we must start him out slowly, otherwise he would become very sick. It will be a slow process, but soon he will get used to everything here. He will need a lot of help for a while. His body is very weak from lack of food, stress and the altercation from this morning. Merlin has a long road ahead of him, but soon he will get better."
Arthur hugged Merlin closer to him as he listened to Gaius. It all made sense. He will make sure that his mate get's the best of everything Arthur could offer him. Starting with warm clothes. Looking up, he saw Morgana sitting quietly listening to everything.
"Thank you Gaius, you are right. I don't want him to get worse. Morgana, could you do me a favor?"
Morgana turned her head to look at Arthur.
"What do you need?"
Arthur gave her a small smile.
"Could you go and see the royal seamstress after lunch and have her make Merlin some winter clothes, and a cloak? Then see the leatherworker about getting him some boots, gloves and anything else he might need made? I'll make sure to pay them generously of course."
Morgana's eyes lit up at the idea of helping Merlin. Her head was already thinking of colors that would work with his skin tone, tail and ear color.
"Of course I would. He will get only the best from us. He is your mate and soon to be Consort. Gwen and I will draw up some ideas before going to them."
Arthur smiled and shook his head. Moving his eyes down to Merlin who was sleeping against Arthur's chest, tail tucked around Arthur's arm. Making sure he had an anchor to help him feel safe while he slept.
Arthur let him sleep for a while until lunch arrived, but just as the thought crossed Arthur's mind, the door opened and in walked Leon and Gwen.
Morgana helped Gwen set the table, while Leon stood by the door again, but Arthur could tell that he was not happy.
"Leon? What happened?"
Leon looked over at Arthur and took a deep breath.
"Permission to speak freely?"
Arthur nodded.
"You need not to ask Leon. Go ahead."
Leon relaxed a little and spoke.
"Well Gwen and I went to fetch Lunch"
~Flashback~
Once Gwen was away from the door, Leon closed it, before following after Gwen. The parchment for Merlin's diet tucked away in his pocket for safe keeping. They were quiet for a while until Gwen spoke.
"I wanted to tell you congratulations on your new promotion. You deserve it. Your heart is so very kind and offering to protect Merlin is a great idea."
Leon smiled at her
"Thank you Gwen. I really appreciate that. I am sorry that I didn't offer you protection seeing as you are Lady Morgana's True Mate. I would be honored to keep you safe as well. I have a feeling that you, Morgana and Merlin will be spending time together. Even if you are not, if anything happens to you, please feel free to come to me and I will take care of the problem right away. No matter what it is, I'll help you."
Leon finished with a bow.
Gwen blushed and smiled at him. Her heart swelled with pride at Leon's offer.
"Thank you Leon. I will definitely accept your offer. You are so very kind to offer your services to me as well. Your mate would be very lucky to have someone like you in their lives. I hope you find them very soon."
Leon smiled and with a nod, they continued walking towards the kitchens.
Soon the smell of roasting duck, spices, sweets and noises wafted through the hallway. The sound of yelling can be heard close by, meaning that they arrived at the kitchen.
Walking in, Gwen and Leon see the staff hard at work preparing food for the castle. Everyone running around trying to get it all done. One person was yelling out orders to the servants and kitchen staff. That person was Margery, the head cook and staff.
Everyone was scared of her. That woman can put fear into anyone that enters her kitchen. Even the King stayed away from her. Margery is a lioness. Her cream colored tail and ears matched her blond hair. Her heart was cold as ice.
Margery used to be a sweet and kind woman. Always helping those in need, trying to be a mother to everyone who needed one, but after the great purge, she changed. Her true mate was a knight during that time, but after he died, her heart broke and she became heartless, mean and always angry.
(A/N: I think I already mentioned this, but if you lose your true mate, the one that lives becomes soulless. They have the will to live, but they turn into Uthur. They are feral, but not killing feral. Some can become that way, but they don't live long enough. Gaius made a potion to suppress that side of them to live as soulless beings.)
"I swear if you burn another duck, I will skin you alive! These need to be cured for the feast that's in a few days. We don't have time for them to go out and hunt for more of them. That would take days. Get out of my kitchen. NOW!"
Leon turned to see the cook yelling at a Servant. Her head bowed down, tail tucked between her legs, ears flat. She was a monkey, a very young one at that. She still had her baby fur.
Leon growled at the way the cook was treating her. Walking over to them, Leon stood tall. Ears upright and alert. Looking at said burnt duck, it looked fine to him. A little extra crispy, but still edible.
"I think that's enough. There is plenty of food for the feast and yelling at her will only make it worse. She's still young and if someone would teach her the proper way to cook, then maybe she wouldn't burn the food. It still looks edible. Just store it and it will be fine. No need to resort to yelling."
The cook stopped her ranting at the servant, slowly turning her head to look at Leon. Glaring.
"This is my kitchen. I can do what I want. I refuse to serve that to the king. He will have my head. I also don't have time to teach someone how to cook. If they are assigned to the kitchen, then that means that they already know how to cook. They should learn from their parents. Not me."
The servant winced at the mention of her parents, making Leon frown a little.
"What is your skill, young one? What do you do best?"
The servant looked up at Leon.
"I-um I am best with laundry Sir. I've never cooked before. I was assigned to the kitchens because three of the servants are out sick and they needed extra help with preparations for the feast in two days. I tried to tell the steward this, but he didn't want to listen. He never listens to anyone but the king, prince and anyone higher than us, Sir."
Leon growled in anger, but after seeing the child flinch, he let the anger subside.
"I'm not angry with you child. I am angry at the steward. I will have a chat with him about how things are running around here. You go back to the laundry room. That way you can help there."
The servant girl smiled, curtsided and ran out of the room before anyone could change their minds. Leon then turned back to a very angry red faced cook.
"What the hell do you think you are doing? I need help and you just walked in here and allowed her to leave! How am I going to finish everything now-"
The cook stopped her rant after seeing Leon's eyes. Knowing full well to never challenge an Alpha.
Leon's eyes go back to green.
"I will make sure you get the help you will need. Someone who is a lot more qualified for the position. That way we all win."
Margery glared, but muttered out a 'Fine' before moving back to the stove to finish her rolls and pies. Noticing Gwen, the cook turned to look at her.
"What do you need? I'm a very busy woman and really don't have time to chat."
Gwen squared her shoulders before answering.
"I am here to pick upLady Morgana's and Prince Arthur's lunches. They also asked for extra meats, breads and cheese. We also have a special request from the court physician. We need very bland broth, unseasoned jerky, with strawberries and blueberries please. We have a list if you need it."
Leon stepped forward to hand the cook the list, which she sighed loudly before snatching it from Leon's hands. Scanning it over, Margery turned to yell at one of her staff.
"Ella! I need you to prepare the lunches for the Prince and Lady Morgana along with turkey broth, unseasoned jerky, strawberries and blueberries. When finished, give them to these two."
Ella nodded before getting to work. Making sure to get everything right so she wouldn't feel the wrath of the cook.
It only took Ella a few minutes before she was finished. Moving to hand over the tray's to Leon and Gwen.
Leon and Gwen nodded their thanks, before they left the kitchen. Heading back towards Gaius's chambers.
~Present~
Arthur listened to everything and also felt angry towards the steward and cook.
"Thank you Leon. I will personally make sure this is taken care of. The steward is getting on in years and is acting like he can do what he wants. I'll see to it to interview someone to take over his job. I believe it is time he retires. I would have to talk it over with my father before taking action, but if I write out something and bring it up to the council meeting next week, I'm sure they would agree."
Leon nodded. Agreeing with Arthur that the steward should retire. Opening his mouth so he could reply, stopped when he heard Morgana speak.
"Alright boys. Food is ready. Come eat. We have a lot to discuss."
Leon moved to sit in the chair closer to the door, while Morgana and Gwen sat down next to him. Gwen between Leon and Morgana. Gaius took the seat near his work bench, when the last two chairs were for Arthur and Merlin.
Arthur looked down at Merlin, frowning at having to wake him up, but he needed to eat. So as gently as he could, Arthur started to run his back and whisper into his ear.
"Hey hun. You need to wake up for me. It's time to eat. We have food for you. Can you wake up for me?"
Slowly, Merlin's eyes began to flutter open. Letting out a small whimper at being woken up, but the smell of food made his stomach growl again.
Arthur smiled at seeing his mate wake up.
"Hey there sweetie. Ready for some food? You need to get your strength up so you can heal properly."
Merlin yawned, before looking up at Arthur. Giving him a small smile and nod. Moving so that he could stand up and get to the table.
When he went to move, Merlin felt arms tighten around his waist. Looking up at Arthur in confusion.
"I'll carry you to the table. You're too weak to walk right now and I don't want you to hurt yourself."
Merlin blushed at the thought of being carried, but he was so tired and his arm was starting to hurt, so he swallowed down his pride and agreed to be carried.
"Um, if you are OK with that. I would be fine with it as well, but only if it's not inconvenient for you."
Arthur smiled at his mate.
"Of course I want to. You will never be a bother to me, so if you want to ever be carried, please let me know and I will do so. The closer you are, the better I feel. Let me take care of you."
Merlin smiled, nodded and nuzzled into Arthurs chest. Giving him a small purr in happiness.
Without another word, Arthur stood up, with Merlin in his arms. Making sure that his mate was comfortable, Arthur walked over to the table and sat down in one of the empty chairs and sat Merlin down upon his lap.
Merlin started to move from Arthurs lap to the other empty chair, but felt Arthur's arms tighten their hold on him. Forcing him to sit still.
"Stay. I want to feed you, but I also want you to stay in my lap."
Merlin cocked his head to the side. Confused by Arthur's actions.
Morgana, seeing his confusion, answered the question Merlin was thinking.
"It's OK Merlin. That is very normal for an Alpha to do. I was the same way with Gwen for the first few months after finding out she was my True Mate. I would feed her as well and needed her in my lap while I did so. She also stayed in my chambers as well. Being away from a newly found mate causes an Alpha to become stressed. It will get better, but because you are sick and injured, he doesn't want to let you go right now. He is strongly protective over you. Allow him to do this for you. Being a mate to the prince is going to be interesting, but good. Be prepared to be spoiled rotten. I spoiled Gwen all of the time."
Gwen and Gaius nodded their agreements, so Merlin snuggled into Arthur's lap and smiled as he felt his mate nuzzle the top of his head, letting out a pleased sound.
Soon everyone started to eat. Arthur feeds Merlin and takes bites of his food every so often.
After finishing some of his soup, Merlin's ears perked up when he saw strawberries on the table.
Arthur, seeing this, reached over for the bowl and offered it to his mate. Merlin gave Arthur a blinding smile before grabbing a strawberry and taking a bite. Moaning at the sweet taste of the juicy fruit.
Arthur looked at Merlin in awe as he ate.
"You like strawberries?"
Merlin swallowed the one in his mouth before answering.
"They are my absolute favorite fruit. I love all kinds, but strawberries are the ones that I eat when I can. Back home in Ealdor, we grew a lot of things and vendors would always pass through, they would always have strawberries for sale. Along with other stuff, but because mum and I were very poor, we couldn't get them all of the time, but when we did, she would make strawberry bread and would always save two strawberries so we could eat them plain. It was a good treat."
A sad look came upon Merlin's face while he started to talk about his mum. The smell of sadness filtered the air in the room.
Arthur moved Merlin so he was laying on his chest, giving his mate a hug and trying to comfort him.
Gwen felt sad for Merlin. Then an idea popped into her head.
"What about going out to get some fresh air? There are some new vendors and I'm sure they might have some things that will perk you up. I could get some new fabric and they have tons of things. They have jewelry, clothes, food, even books. It'll be great."
At the mention of books, Merlin's ears perked up and he smiled. Looking at Arthur he asked.
"Books? Oh I'd love books! Could we go? Please? I have some coins saved up."
Arthur smiled at his mate when he started to get excited at the thought of books. Also surprised that he could read.
"You can read?"
Merlin gave a shy smile.
"Y-y-yes. My mum taught me how. She said that everyone should have a little education. She wanted to make sure that I was well off just in case I had to move away and get work. She wanted me to be more than a servant to someone. To be something more."
Everyone nodded and listened to Merlin.
Arthur wanted to buy him all of the books he wanted. He will have to have some book shelves made for him so that he could store those books.
Morgana agreed that a trip was in order
Gwen and Leon also agreed.
Arthur was a little hesitant before looking to Gaius for an answer.
Gaius looked around. Seeing everyone looking at him and he let out a small sigh.
"OK. Yes I will allow it, BUT he is to take multiple breaks. He will also need something warm to wear. If he shows signs of tiring, I want him back in bed. He can come back here or go to your chambers, but rest is the best course of action. Keep a close eye on him, but otherwise I will allow it."
Everyone smiled and yelled with joy.
Arthur hugged his mate. Smelling the happiness coming off of him.
"I want to stop by my chambers, well our chambers. I have some warmer clothes that will fit you. That way you can be all warm while we go on our adventure, but I'll be carrying you there. You need all of your strength for our trip."
Merlin nodded and smiled. If he gets to leave the castle and buy himself some books, then he will allow Arthur to carry him.
Everyone soon finished eating, before getting up, gathering their dishes, before heading out the door towards their adventure.