A Marriage that Started a Legend

by IJustShowedUp

Follows canon but with my own arranged marriage spin on it. What happens when Hunith makes a mistake and is forced on the run with her infant son? What happens when Camelot knights find her twenty years later? What happens when Arthur learns he's betrothed to a peasant boy? Will Merlin be able to stand among royalty? Will these two different boys survive each other? Review!

6. Chapter 6

Merlin caught the vial before it could hit the ground, fingers curling around the awkwardly shaped bottle. Gaius looked up from his work, giving his nephew an unamused look.

"Eh...sorry." Merlin said sheepishly, carefully setting the bottle back on the potion's table.

It had been a few hours since Gaius had learned of his nephew. His apparently very clumsy nephew. But at least the boy hadn't broken anything other than that first vial.

Gaius hadn't bothered to mention the letter. It seemed kind of pointless at this point. They both knew exactly what was in it and what it would say.

So the two had mainly spent the time in silence. Although it wasn't an awkward silence. More of a comfortable one where Gaius worked on a new batch of potions in peace and Merlin had gotten distracted by flipping through one of his medical journals laid out.

Or, at least it was until Merlin's elbow had knocked into the vial and almost sent it over the edge of the table.

With Gaius raising an unamused eyebrow at him, Merlin smiled sheepishly and tucked his head behind the book.

Gaius didn't mind that Merlin was digging through his stuff. He had so many books, it was nice that someone was flipping through them other than himself when he needed something.

The old man had gone back to his work when he heard something. His old ears could barely detect it but it was definitely there. It took him a moment to realize that it was coming from Merlin. And it took another minute to recognize what he was saying.

"Mon-monks-monkshood." Merlin was muttering under his breath, eyes focused on the medical journal in his hands. He had never known that one book could hold so much information.

Merlin knew the basics that all people did. It was hard not to know a little something when there wasn't a physician in the area. But those were smaller things like wrapping up a scrape or washing a cut to prevent inflamed skin that would lead to an infection.

He knew that were were a bushel of plants growing near his village, a type of leaf called poison ivy that caused intense itchiness if it touched your skin. But that was pretty much the only plant he could recognize on sight.

Now, Merlin was staring in the book at the very detailed sketch of a flower he'd never seen before. It didn't grow in Cenred's kingdom, or at least not that he knew of.

But it apparently did grow in the woods near Camelot and was typically avoided. Or, at least that was what the small description under the sketch said it did.

Now he was just trying to sound out what it was called. Merlin knew how to read but most of these words were unfamiliar to him. It wasn't exactly words that you would hear everyday back in Ealdor.

"Monks-" Merlin tried again. It just didn't sound right the way that he was saying it. His tongue twisted awkwardly around the unfamiliar word and something about the way he was saying it felt odd. Maybe it was just because of how unfamiliar the word was?

"Monkshood." Gaius corrected his punctuation. He didn't even look up from his potion. It hadn't been to hard to figure out what Merlin had been trying to pronounce. He knew that his nephew had opened one of the books he had that was based around plants. Or in other words, herbs that grew in this particular region.

Most of what he needed to use as a physician, he could get from the forest because Camelot was located in an area that had many different types of herbs that were commonly needed in his potions. Sometimes he needed to have a certain type of plant sent out for, to be delivered to him because it didn't grow around here. But that was in certain cases where the potion that needed that particular plant had grown bad after being untouched for so long, or if it had been used.

But that was rare as he only needed those plants on the more severe cases where the patient was still alive and hadn't yet submitted to their injuries by the time they had arrived in his care.

Although the plants in the nearby forest just outside of Camelot's gates were getting harder and harder to get to. He wasn't as young as he once was and it was hard to trek through a forest, constantly having to bend over to get what he needed.

He had needed to send out one or two serving boys in the last few months to gather what he needed. His old knees just weren't what they used to be.

Although he did keep trying, preferring to be the one to gather the things himself. The serving boys hadn't been much help since the plants were usually brought to him in pieces, the boys hadn't been nearly careful enough to transport them properly.

Or they had gotten him the wrong thing that he had asked for. Gaius could understand if the plants had been so similar in appearance that only a trained physician would have been able to tell the difference.

But some of the plants brought back to him had been so different from the one that he'd requested, he had to wonder if the boy's had a mental affliction.

He had to get rid of over half of the things brought to him because they were either useless or there was no salvaging the pieces brought to him.

Which was why he kept trying to get them himself. It may pain his old joints and take longer but at least he would be able to actually use something.

"Monkshood." Merlin said slowly, repeating the word. Yeah, that sounded more right than what he had been trying to say. He looked down at the sketch, trying to memorize the unfamiliar plant.

Gaius was snapped out of his thoughts by Merlin's quiet voice. He watched the boy curiously but Merlin was to busy looking at the sketch to notice.

It wasn't often that somebody took an interest in Gaius' work.

So maybe he talked more than he usually did when explaining. "Yes, monkshood is the scientific name. Although the people have come to favor calling it by a nickname, wolfsbane."

Merlin snorted in amusement at the name. He couldn't see how people had connected a wolf with this plant. There was a stray wolf here or there that would pass by Ealdor but never near enough for them to see it. They might find tracks or hear a howl at night but it was nothing to be concerned about.

Merlin wondered briefly if they had more wolves around Camelot.

Gaius smiled, amused by Merlin's reaction. "Yeah, I suppose it is a silly little name but make no mistake," he turned serious. "They aren't harmless plants."

"Right!" Merlin said easily, eyes going back to the description of the plant. "It can cause...stomach pain and heart problems." He read, going slow to make sure that he had said the words right.

Gaius nodded, making Merlin straighten up grinning. At least he had gotten that much right. "They are also the more common type of poison around these parts." Gaius warned. "So be careful if you're ever in the forest. Make sure that they don't get into your system."

Merlin nodded, completely serious. The last thing he wanted was to go through what the description said that the plant did to you. The last thing he wanted was to go through it while he still had a wedding to go through with.

He wondered briefly if he could convince Uther to make a bet with him. If he could swallow this plant without getting to sick, then the wedding would be called off.

Somehow, he didn't think that it would work.

He would probably just be forced to go through the wedding while he was sick.

Gaius glanced at the candle he had set up. He had a glass lid set on top of it, held up by bolts and screws so that the bottom was pushed up, giving the flame air to breathe. It was less risky.

With all of this old wood and dusty books, the place could have gone up in flames in an instant. That was why all of the candles he used had that covering over the top of it.

The last thing he needed to worry about was his entire home, with all of his life's work in it, being destroyed within seconds.

The candle was nearly burned to the nub, the wax pooling in the little saucer set up underneath it. It was casting shadows on the walls because of the low light.

With how dark it was getting inside, it wasn't hard for Gaius to realize the late hour.

"It's getting pretty late. I suppose it's time to get some sleep." Gaius said, standing up. He started to put away his tools or slipping whatever herbs he hadn't used into little cloth pouches to be used later.

Merlin's shoulders dropped and his smile slipped into a frown. This was probably Uncle Gaius' polite way of kicking him out. What was he thinking? Of course Uncle Gaius didn't just want him hanging around, getting in his space. He'd done destroyed something, he probably wasn't interested either in Merlin messing with his books.

"Right," Merlin said quietly, standing up from the bench seat. "I suppose I should go back to my room. Get some sleep..." he wondered briefly if he would even be able to find his room from here. He had wondered around in circles so whatever sense of direction he had was completely gone at this point.

Honestly? He really didn't want to go up there alone. That big room all to himself with a bed that felt far to soft.

He had never slept in his own room a day in his life. He had always had his mother in the same room with him. And the few times he didn't sleep at home, he had Will beside him. Even when he had been traveling to Camelot, he had Leon and the other knights in close proximity.

It was just going to be...weird.

Him alone, with nobody he knew around. He wasn't even sure if he would be able to sleep like that. Hell, with Arthur just next door, that was a point against the room already. How was he ever going to get to sleep?

Gaius was over by one of the bookshelves, slipping the little pouches into a basket. He glanced over his shoulder at the boy, noticing the boy's solemn expression. It didn't look right for his face.

He saw Merlin start to close the book he had been reading, his bottom lip pouting out some. He was clearly taking his time, going as slow as he possibly could.

Gaius' eyes drifted towards the front door and then back to the door at the top of the stairs. He was probably going to regret this but...the things you do for family.

"Merlin," Gaius said gruffly, getting the boy's attention. "It's far to late for you to be walking back to where your staying. You will just have to stay here for the night." He said plainly, as if it was no real big deal. "I have an empty room upstairs. You can use it for as long as you like."

Gaius had always slept downstairs anyway. It was easier to be up at a moment's notice if an emergency occurred in the middle of the night.

But a young boy did need some kind of privacy, a place that he could go that was just his. Maybe Gaius could provide that place. He never really used that upstairs room anyway. It was practically as bare as the day he'd moved in.

Merlin gasped, looking up, startled by the sudden invitation. Gaius was looking like it was no big deal but to Merlin, it was a very big deal.

That meant that he didn't have to go be in that big room all alone.

That meant that he could stay here, with the only family he had within miles.

That meant that he could sleep knowing that Arthur wasn't in the next room.

It meant everything to Merlin.

The widest smile spread across his lips. He was so happy that it practically radiated off of him. His eyes even crinkled up in the corners.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Merlin grinned. Before he could stop himself, Merlin was bustling around the table, wrapping his arms around the man's neck in a hug.

Gaius was startled, hands up and unsure if he should hug the boy back. It had been a great many years since somebody had hugged him.

Then Merlin said in a quieter tone, "Thank you, Uncle Gaius."

Gaius' heart just about melted at that.

Merlin was just so relieved that he didn't have to go back to his actual room to sleep. It was a great room and anybody who complained about such a fancy room was crazy.

He just didn't think he'd...feel safe there.

Not after seeing the execution. Not after knowing that Arthur literally slept in the next room.

He thought that he'd probably sleep a lot better somewhere else...somewhere family was.

Before Gaius could say anything, Merlin stepped away and hurried off to his second new room. Gaius just shook his head, watching the boy head up the stairs, shutting the door behind himself as he entered.

Gaius got back to work putting things away. It was barely a moment later that he looked at his bed. The bed that he had broken when he'd fallen straight through it after Merlin magically shoved it across the room to save his life.

Gaius sighed, wishing that he still practiced magic like he'd had in his youth. He had long since stopped using, it was the only way he'd been able to survive during the start of the Great Purge.

Up in his room, Merlin looked around with a curious smile. The room was nowhere near as elaborate as his room higher up in the castle was. It was simple, but gave him a much more familiar feeling. It almost reminded him of home.

The floor was made out of wood. There was a single cupboard next to the wall to store clothes. Merlin briefly wondered if he should bring his clothes down here but shook that thought away.

He didn't want to overstay his welcome or make himself more at home than Gaius actually wanted him to be. Hell, the guy could kick him out tomorrow for all he knew. He still didn't really know the guy but he had allowed him to stay here. Even said this room was his for as long as he wanted.

That had to mean he wasn't just going to kick him out.

In the middle of the wall across from him was a mattress, the kind that had straw in it. It rested on top of a wooden bed frame. Beside the bed was a single bedside table.

The room itself wasn't nearly as big. Probably not even half the size of the other one.

No, this room was definitely different than the other one. But honestly? He kinda liked this one better.

It just had that homey feeling to it. Someplace that he felt like he could relax.

He was still alone up here just like he would have been in the other room. But this was so much better because instead of Arthur next door, it was Gaius just down the stairs.

And that single fact alone would have made anything better.

The next thing he noticed was the windows, the closed shutters hiding the night sky from view. So of course he had to fix that. Just before bed, Merlin liked looking up at the stars.

Merlin crossed the room in only a handful of steps and it took a minute of fiddling before the old latch finally came loose. He was able to swing the window outward and see the city.

Merlin wasn't nearly as high up as his other room was but this room still had a pretty good view. He could see the town below start to light up as people burned torches, using the firelight to brighten up the dark streets for the few stragglers still heading home. From where he was at his window, it looked like little lights decorating the town.

His eyes flickered up to the stars. There weren't any clouds tonight so he could see them clearly.

And Merlin started to smile. Camelot really was a beautiful city. Maybe everything wouldn't be so bad. Not if he had Uncle Gaius around.

After several minutes of watching the city, Merlin finally closed his shutters. It had been a long day. Some actual sleep might do him some good.

If this was just day one in Camelot, then Merlin would need all the sleep that he could get in the next lifetime that would follow.

Merlin walked over to his bed and sat on the edge. He bounced for a second, smiling relieved as the bed creaked under him. He hadn't sunk into it like the other bed did. It might not be as soft but it was much more comfortable, firm.

Merlin kicked off his shoes and after a moment, took off his pants as well. Then he took off his jacket, leaving all of his clothes in a heap on the floor beside the bed where he had dropped them. He also took off his neckerchief and dropped it onto the bedside table for tomorrow.

He wore just his slightly to big, deep blue, long sleeve shirt and his smallclothes to bed.

He had always slept in his normal day clothes. He usually washed them at some point the next day. His family didn't have the luxury of having certain clothes just to sleep in so he made due with what he had.

Merlin climbed under his sheets and tugged it up to his shoulders. He felt his body relax into the lumps of the mattress.

With such an eventful day, it didn't take long before his breaths evened out and he was fast asleep.

Downstairs, Gaius carefully took off the glass covering his last burning candle. He set the glass to the side and tugged out the letter he'd tucked away inside his shirt.

And with no hesitation once so ever, Gaius put the letter to the flame. Holding it there, he watched the flames lick at the edge before the letter caught fire.

He held it by the edges, watching as the fire ate away at the aged paper. Barely a minute had passed before Gaius was just holding onto the edge, the rest of the letter having gone up in smoke.

There.

Now nobody would be aware of Merlin being 'special' as Hunith had written in her letter. Now, he didn't have to worry about anybody stumbling upon it and realizing what it was talking about.

Now, he just had to hope that Merlin could keep his gifts a secret, for as long as he lived in Camelot.

Just a few miles outside of Camelot city, a platoon of Camelot knights were setting up camp. There was only a handful of them but they had been chosen specifically for this mission.

They had been assigned as guard duty to Lady Helena. The group had arrived to where she was staying days ago and given her the letter from their king, asking for her to sing for his son's upcoming wedding.

They would be arriving in Camelot sometime tomorrow so all of the guards were on high alert, watching over the camp and the young woman in their care. With just a day from returning to Camelot, nobody wanted to screw this mission up when they were so close to finishing it.

They had their proud steeds tied to nearby trees and the guards were fanned out, making sure that every direction was covered and watched for.

There was a single tent, larger than any the knights themselves would have used. This tent had been fit for a king. Literally, as the king had selected it for the singer to use on her journey to Camelot.

Inside the large tent, a young woman in her mid-twenties was sitting at her vanity. The tent was so large that she had an actual vanity set up inside. She had her things scattered on the table in front of her. There was a soft fluffy rug under her feet and even a bunch of large cushions to fashion a bed.

Helena was getting ready for bed. She bit her lip nervously, staring at her reflection in the glass of her mirror. She couldn't wait for tomorrow. It would be the first time that she was going to sing for royalty. She only hoped that she could impress them.

The king could have picked anybody in all of the land. Surely there were much better singers than her out there. She had sung for lords and ladies with no problem but a king and his son? In front of the most important people in his kingdom?

This was the biggest event in her career. If she failed this then her entire career would be over. Nobody would want her to sing for them if word got out that she had failed in front of the king.

Everything had to be perfect.

She couldn't even contemplate what would happen if she wasn't perfect.

Helena gazed into her reflection and took a shaky breath. She hummed to herself as she worked to part her hair. She was lost in her thoughts as she sung to herself, braiding her dark hair over her shoulder.

Helena had spent her entire life singing. Her mother used to joke about how she had practically came out of the womb singing. Her little songbird she had called her. She would sing through her chores as a young girl. She had sung as she plowed the fields as she had grown older.

When she reached marriageable age, she had several young men in her village ask her parents for her hand in marriage. Many of them only interested because they were enthralled by her voice more than her actual personality.

Not one of them had asked her if she wanted to marry them. They had just gone straight to her parents. Hell, some of them she had never even talked to before finding them talking to her parents.

Her parents had been good people but got caught up in the excitement of planning her future.

They wanted the best of the crop, even if it wasn't what she wanted.

Nobody had noticed her singing less and less. She had been feeling suffocated and desperate to get out. Her entire world had been crashing down upon her and she could feel the music in her heart practically dimming down to nothing.

That had been what truly terrified her and forced her into action.

She had barely been seventeen when she stole one of her family's horses and took off into the night, never to return.

She had made her way by singing in bars to provide herself with a hot meal and a room for the night. Although that didn't always pan out and she would have to sneak into a barn for shelter for the night and steal eggs from a henhouse before disappearing from town.

One night, she had been singing in a bar in a no-named village when a nobleman had arrived. It had been storming that night and he'd had no choice but to make a stop there. It was definitely the kind of place that no noble would ever be found in.

He had come in during one of her songs and was completely awed by her voice.

Then he'd hired her to come to his villa to sing for his family and guests.

At first, she had been concerned that it might have been a scam. A man who wanted to get a woman alone where nobody would be able to help her if they heard her screaming.

But she had allowed her hope to grow to high and she had went with him.

It was just a good thing that he was one of the few honorable men that she'd met.

She had spent weeks as their guest in their home, singing for them every night. Her dream was finally coming true. She could sing all the time, people cheering for her, while getting a generous pay for doing what she loved.

Then the invitations had started coming. Word had spread of her harmonious voice and other nobles were wanting her to come to their homes to put on a concert.

With a heavy heart because of how she'd grown to love the noble family that had first taken her in, she ultimately decided to leave. Her dream was to sing for hundreds of people and be loved and admired because of her beautiful voice.

She couldn't do that tied to one place.

And that was how she got started although she swore to never forget her humble beginnings. It was a very rare thing in this time and age for someone who had been born a peasant to claw their way up the noble ranks.

She still didn't have a place to call home because she was always traveling so there was no point in having one. She had never returned home even after she made it big, worried that her parents might still want her to marry an undesirable man. But she did have plenty of money and a chest of parchment that held invitations to sing that she had yet to respond to.

She had been traveling to the other side of the kingdom to sing for another noble when the Camelot knights had found her. At first, she had thought that she was in trouble although she couldn't think of what she could have done.

Then they had handed her the king's invitation and the noble family she had been heading to had been put on the back burner.

All of her hard work, all of the sweat and tears and blood that she had poured into her singing. It had all led up to this momentous opportunity.

She couldn't very well make the king himself wait. Besides, it was apparently time sensitive since Prince Arthur's wedding was happening soon, rather she was there to sing or not.

Helena finished tying off the end of her braid. Then she looked down at a piece of parchment, half hidden by a few trinkets she had collected over the years.

She tugged it free, looking down at it with a hopeful smile. The letter from the king inviting her to sing for Prince Arthur's wedding.

She wondered briefly if the bride would like her singing. She hoped that she would.

Helena's head suddenly snapped around to look towards the entrance of her tent. She could have sworn that she had heard something.

She bit her lip nervously. It was just so dark out there. Anything could be hidden in the dark. Due to her unfortunate time when she couldn't find an inn to sleep at, she knew all to well what kind of monsters could be waiting in the dark.

After a moment of silence, Helena gave a soft, "Hello? Gregory?"

Lady Helena started to stand, hand sliding across her table towards her brush. Her favorite brush that also had a decorative handle. A very sharp and pointed decorative handle.

But before she could grasp it, her tent flap lifted open and a man stuck his head in. She immediately relaxed at the friendly face. It was just Gregory. He was the head knight in charge of the platoon of knights who were getting her to the castle safely.

"Lady Helena, I heard you call out." The older knight said. "Are you alright?"

Helena smiled sheepishly. She didn't want to admit that she may have had a touch of paranoia. But still, her eyes drifted over his shoulder to the inky black darkness outside her tent.

She was terrified of the dark. It was why she had so many lanterns inside of her tent, chasing away the darkness. It didn't hurt to be cautious. Being cautious had saved her life a time or two.

Seeing that Gregory was still looking at her expectedly, Helena asked meekly, "Is all well?"

Gregory just gave her an indulgent smile. Lady Helena kind of resembled his daughter. She had just married last year and was going to be having her first baby soon. He couldn't wait to get home. She was ready to pop at any minute and he couldn't wait to meet his grand baby for the first time.

"Yes ma'am," Gregory said kindly. "With luck, we should reach Camelot late tomorrow."

Lady Helena felt herself relax. Late tomorrow. That was good. Then she wouldn't have to be constantly jumping at the shadows that the woods provided. She would be in a castle, surrounded by the lap of luxuries. Everything was going to go great and she may even get the king's favor by providing a good show for his heir and the bride.

"That's good." She gave a twitch of a smile.

Gregory smiled indulgently, nodding his head to the young woman. "I'll be outside if you need me." He said, before dropping the tent flap, leaving Lady Helena to whatever it was that she had been doing before.

Helena glanced back down at the letter still in her hand. She smiled and set it aside.

Everything would be okay.

Just outside her tent, Gregory was standing guard. It was only moments later that he heard something, like the cracking of wood. His head snapped up, staring daggers into the tree line. Maybe it was just a deer but still...it was his job to make sure that the lady was safe.

And he took his duty very seriously.

Gregory drew out his sword. "Whose there?" He called out into the darkness of the surrounding trees. He couldn't really see anything other than the shadows.

That was when he heard something. Someone was talking but in a whisper. He couldn't really make out any of the words but it was eerie and it sent a chill down his spine.

Something wasn't right.

Something was out there.

The few words he was able to make out, he wasn't actually able to understand. It sounded like a different language, something he'd never heard of before.

It was an old language for sure.

Ancient.

...Powerful.

The words trailed off, the ancient language cutting off just as fast as it had started. And then the unimaginable pain hit him directly in the chest.

Him and his other knights spread across the camp, all had the same pain in the same instant. All five of them dropped.

Gregory would never meet his grandchild.

All of the knights were dead long before they hit the ground.

Only afterwards, did an elderly woman step out of the shadows. She smiled, a dark and wicked smile, that curled across her lips as the sight.

Perfect.

It had been far to easy to take out the guards but it was no real surprise to her. She had always found that men were more...swayed, by her spells than any other creature.

But she had always considered women to be stronger. Men had no idea that a woman could kill just as easily as they could. And women could do it with a smile on their face and looking beautiful as they finished the job.

In her youth, she could have had men walk straight into the pits of hell just by flashing a bit of skin. And they would have done it to with big, fat, happy smiles on their faces.

But then she had set all of that aside when her son was born. The one bit of light she had to shine in the darkness that her life had become.

But now her light was gone.

Her son was dead and she would get her revenge. The king had taken her son away from her. So she had no choice but to do the same to his own. To do the same to the king's heir...and what better way than during a wedding.

A time that was supposed to be the happiest day in a young couple's life.

It would be ruined by bloodshed if it was the last thing she did.

How dare that king make a mockery of her son's death! By announcing his heir's wedding while her son's body was still out for all to see!

Well, the king would regret that for the rest of his days. She would make sure of that. And what better punishment was it then making him live the rest of his days, knowing that his heir's death was nobodies fault but his own.

The old woman carefully stepped over the body of the guard and made her way towards the tent where Helena was.

True, this woman was innocent but she had no choice but to kill her. It wouldn't do if Helena showed up while she was busy getting close to the king.

Inside her tent, Helena turned away from her mirror. She frowned, starting to stand up. Was it her or was it eerily quiet out there? Before, there had been light noises. Maybe the other guards muttering to each other as they chatted. Maybe a light breeze rustling the trees.

But now there wasn't even that.

Helena froze as she saw the shadow of a figure pass by the outside of her tent. Her heart leapt into her throat as a figure appeared in the doorway.

The old woman gave her a nasty grin. A grin so wicked that Helena almost felt her heart stop just by looking at it. Then the old woman held something up. A single stick, like one half of a chopstick that one might use to eat with.

Only the tip had been sharpened into a point. A very sharp and delicate looking point.

Helena's eyes traveled from that hand to the next. The old lady was holding a doll made out of straw. The kind that many peasant girls got as toys as they couldn't afford actual dolls.

Then the old woman used the stick to stab it into the heart of the doll.

Helena cried out, almost falling over as a sudden jolt of agonizing pain hit her in the chest.

The woman was saying something, something odd, but Helena couldn't make it out. The doll was stabbed again and Helena buckled over, crying out as she clutched at her heart.

The doll was stabbed again and Helena fell to the floor. Her heart had stopped completely.

The old woman, Mary Collins, smiled down at the body before her feet. Then she reached up for her neck where a deep red gem was hanging between her breasts.

Mary said something in the ancient tongue, a spell that she hadn't used for many years. And within moments, she was changing. Her skin became softer, her wrinkles evening out until they were nonexistent. Her hair darkened until it was as black as Helena's had been.

Where the old lady had once stood, was now an exact copy of Lady Helena.

Mary, looking as Helena did, stepped over the real Helena's body. She didn't even spare her a glance. The woman's sacrifice for her son wouldn't be in vain.

Mary would get her revenge, if it was the last thing she ever did.

Mary sat down at the vanity and picked up a piece of parchment. She started to grin, a wicked grin that looked odd with Helena's gentle features. This was it, the king's invitation for Helena to sing at his son's wedding.

Mary set the invitation aside and turned to look at herself in the vanity. It would be a few hours before the reflection would start simmering whenever she passed one by. That was the one draw back of the spell. After a few hours, anybody who saw her reflection would see the real her.

But she didn't need to worry about that right now. Not when she had other things that needed to be done.

Mary started to carefully braid her hair. She had to make sure that it was styled to look exactly like the real Helena wore it. She couldn't afford to make any mistakes, not when her revenge was on the line.

As she braided her hair, she started to hum. Even though she was a terrible singer, her voice sounded just like Helena's did. But there was something off about the way she sung compared to the real Helena.

Mary's voice had a touch of eeriness to it. Something that would make someone feel as if there were spiders crawling down their spine. Something that sent chills throughout your entire body.

It was nothing compared to the real Helena, but it would have to do.

Back in Camelot castle, a guard was striding confidently into the throne room. The sun was rising high in the sky, signaling mid-morning's approach.

King Uther was talking to one of the stewards, instructing him on the final details of the festival/wedding happening tomorrow.

The guard completely ignored the man and instead, bowed before his king, "Sire." He said simply, now waiting to be addressed.

Uther looked up at the interruption before waving the steward away. The man quickly bowed before hurrying out the door to let the maids know their duties for today.

Uther looked down at the silent guard at the foot of the stairs leading up to his throne. "So," he finally said, after a moment of quiet. "Were there any problems with the boy?"

The guard looked up before quickly bowing his head back down, "No, sire. I believe that the boy was already asleep when I arrived. There wasn't a sound all night. It is still quite early for some people so he was still sleeping when I left."

This was all speculation because the guard had been instructed not to enter the room. He was only to stop the boy if he tried leaving at some time in the night.

Uther nodded, lost in thought, "Good, good." The boy not trying an escape attempt his first night here was a good sign. He may not even have to use the threat against his mother to keep him in place. Not as long as he stayed in line.

Of course, the boy could always be smarter than he thought and was just waiting for enough time to pass. Enough time for them all to lessen their guard on him. Then when he was trusted to stay, he'd make his break for it and try to escape.

But then Uther remembered his interaction with the boy and dismissed that thought.

No.

The boy wasn't nearly that clever. He was probably just tired from the three day journey from Ealdor to Camelot and fell asleep quickly.

Uther was sure that the boy was enjoying his new accommodations. They would obviously be much better than anything that could have been found in a place called Ealdor.

Seriously, who named a village that? It was a good thing Ealdor wasn't in Camelot or he probably would have had it burned to the ground just on principle.

Anyway, there was no way that the boy was smart enough to make a run for it. Why would he? He would have food, clothes, jewels. He would have many luxuries that he didn't have before.

And all the boy had to do was marry his son.

Seemed simple enough. So simple that even that simpleton of a boy would be able to do it.

"...Sire," the guard asked hesitantly when his king didn't say anything for a long time.

Uther was brought out from his thoughts a touch annoyed that he had been caught with a wandering mind. He glared down at his knight, "You're dismissed." He said sharply.

The guard bowed quickly before leaving the throne room at a fast pace. The last thing he wanted was to cause his king more ire than he already had.

After he was gone, Uther let his body relax in a way that he only could when he was alone. He slumped against the back of his chair, thinking about what else needed to be done for the upcoming celebrations.

In another part of the castle, Gaius was just entering his home. He had left an hour before when the sun had just started to rise. Glancing around the room, it wasn't to hard to deduce that Merlin must still be sleeping.

Usually, Gaius didn't go for idle hands but he figured the boy probably deserved a lie in this time. Especially since, according to his mother's letter, he was getting married soon.

Gaius was exhausted. He hadn't gotten any sleep at all last night and not because he had given Merlin the only bed as the one he'd used was broken.

He had put in an order while he was out for a new one to be brought to him. Although it may take a few days to arrive given all of the commotion that was going on in town. It seemed like all anybody could talk about was the prince's wedding.

Gaius let his eyes drift up the stairs to what would now become Merlin's room in his eyes. He'd overheard many conversations about who the bride would be.

The bride.

Nobody considered that it might be a boy that the prince would marry. Although Gaius couldn't blame them.

For one, the prince had never shown an interest in a guy.

And two, while there had been cases in the past of those with noble birth marrying a man, it was a very rare occurrence. Like only a handful in the last couple centuries that they had records of.

And even then, those men were usually cast out of their families and no longer had the protection a status like being a noble could have. Those men had married because they wanted to, not because their parents had ordered it. And so, they were disowned and never to be seen or heard from again.

This whole thing was an entirely new situation for everybody.

For one, it was a prince that was being married to a man. Not just a lesser noble that didn't really matter in the long run. But a prince who would some day become king and be the ruler of their fine country.

Two, the one in question to be married was a peasant. Now if Merlin was a girl, that would have been the biggest news. A prince marrying a peasant girl?

Shocking.

A prince marrying a peasant boy?

Nothing less than a scandal.

And three, it was the king that was ordering them both to be married. No noble father would want to disgrace their name by ordering such an arrangement. But Uther was the king. His word was law and nobody would dare go against it.

Even if it was for as something as scandalous as this.

Gaius let those thoughts slip away. He had other things to think about. Like the boy's natural gift for magic. The physician had stayed up half the night thinking about that alone. About how the boy had been...born with it?

He had never heard of something like that. He wondered if anybody had ever heard of somebody being born already using magic.

It was unheard of, it was unrealistic, it was...somehow true.

All magic Gaius knew, had to be done by an incantation or potion. He had thought long and hard before deducing that yes, he had never heard of something just 'happening' because they wanted it to.

Some people did have a talent for magic. It could manifest as a young child but it's simple things. Like levitating a small toy or changing a color to something else. It usually didn't start till well into early childhood and it usually faded into nothing by the time that the child was in double digits and couldn't be accessed again unless the child intensely studied magic as an adult.

And even then, that was a very small percentage of children. Maybe one in a million chance of having a child born like that. Most people didn't have a disposition for magic at all. It could be learned by some but many people didn't have the talent for it at all and wouldn't be able to conjure or do anything no matter how hard they tried to learn.

You either had the capability to learn or you did not.

But Merlin had claimed that he had been born like this. And to have magic at his age without any training or studying?

The whole thing was unthinkable. Laughable, even.

If Gaius had even suggested a thing to anybody before the Great Purge, he would have been laughed straight out of the room.

But it had happened to a young boy that he had taken under his wing.

He still wasn't sure if he believed it. Or if this was really what his life now was. To think, this time yesterday, everything was completely normal.

Then a nephew he didn't know he had turned up on his doorstep. Not even a whole twenty four hours yet and his entire life had been turned upside down.

Gaius lifted the bucket of fresh water that he had gathered from the well up onto his table. He had spent the last several hours thinking of what should be done.

First thing first, figure out just what he was dealing with when it concerned his nephew. He would be able to figure out what they should do next if he didn't understand exactly what the boy could do.

Call it science.

He had a boy who knew how to do magic when he shouldn't be able to at all. Due to his past history, Gaius probably knew more about magic than anyone still in the kingdom. At least when it came knowledge wise.

He hadn't practiced the practical part of it since the Great Purge happened and threatened his life.

He had never seen anything like Merlin before, not even a whisper of something like him.

The boy would be staying in Camelot. That much was obviously clear since he would be tied to Camelot through his upcoming marriage to the prince. It he wanted to protect his nephew, the first step seemed to be figuring out how his powers worked. Maybe his idea was a little juvenile but at least it would give him something to work with in the long run.

Up in his room, Merlin shot up in his bed. He was gasping for breath, taking in long and shaky breaths, trying to get his racing heart to calm down. Their was a very thin layer of sweat on his forehead.

For a second there, he could have sworn that he was still in the mist of a nightmare. His fight or flight reflexes were still running like wild and it actually took him a minute to realize that he was in his bed. It took him a second longer to remember that he was at Gaius'.

Merlin put a shaky hand on his forehead, using the back of his sleeve to wipe off the sweat on his head. His heart was still pounding in his rib cage. It felt as if even though his mind knew that he was safe, his body was still acting as if his nightmare was a reality.

The problem was that he couldn't remember his nightmare. It was all just one big blur, dragged away from his mind as he snapped awake.

Merlin's eyes trailed down to the floor beside the bed. The blanket was tangled around his legs but half of it was hanging off onto the floor.

He must have been kicking in his sleep again.

Even without the nightmare, he kicked in his sleep.

Merlin looked around the room as if to reassure himself that yes, he was alone and he was safe. He could see the light streaming in through the cracks of the closed shutters.

It was morning.

Merlin leaned against the headboard of his bed, forcing himself to calm down. It was just a really freaky nightmare. A nightmare that he couldn't even remember so there was absolutely no point in freaking out over nothing.

Once he was calmed, or at least calmer than before, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Maybe getting some fresh air would do him some good.

Merlin snatched up his pants from the floor and did a little wiggle jump to pull them up over his hips. Then his fingers fumbled with the drawstring tie that acted like a belt since he had never been able to afford an actual belt. Then he sat on the edge of the bed and tugged his boots on.

Now that he was dressed, Merlin snatched up his jacket and headed for the door. He briefly took notice of the old fashioned latch on it. Nothing that would actually keep somebody out if they wanted to get in.

He hesitated at the door but only so he could run his fingers through his hair, trying to get it to lay flat. But even as he did so, he knew that it was hopeless. There would always be that piece or two that just didn't want to lay flat.

Finally giving up, he tugged open his door and started down the stairs. He was looking down at his feet, trying not to trip down the uneven stairs as he dragged his jacket on, straightening it up around his shoulders.

Merlin finally looked up, freezing at the bottom step when he saw that Gaius was already there, pouring a runny liquid into a bowl.

Gaius looked up when he heard the approaching footsteps, seeing Merlin finally emerging from his room. He didn't say anything about the boy's late arrival or about last night's many revelations.

Gaius nodded to the bucket of water he'd set on the table. "I got you water, you didn't wash last night."

Merlin winced. He could still feel the sweat sticking to him due to his nightmare. A wash would actually do him some good. Most of the boys back home didn't bother bathing more than once a week since their work was so exhausting and there really was no point when you would be covered in dust again as soon as the next morning hit.

Merlin though, at least attempted to keep cleaner than that. A bath every other day which was better than most peasants would do. He would lug in a bucket of water from the freezing stream that ran pass the village for him and his mother into their hut. Then use his magic to warm the water to a more manageable temperature for them to take turns using.

He wondered briefly if anybody would help his mother lug the bucket to her home. Hunith had been able to do it herself but it was weary work since it was a little walk away from the village.

Merlin glanced over at the bucket on the table. "Thank you." Merlin said relieved, heading further into the room. He knew that the man didn't have to do anything for him. Giving him a room and a way to wash?

It was better than he had thought when he'd first arrived.

Gaius set the bowl that he had onto the table. "Help yourself to breakfast." It was nothing special, just some gruel thrown together with what was leftover in his small kitchen area.

Merlin grinned eagerly, taking a place at the table. He was starving, he would practically eat a horse right now if he could. Where he was sitting was right in front of the windows. Gaius had pulled the shutters open and sunlight was streaming straight in onto him.

The sunny patch of light on him gave off warmth that Merlin desperately needed.

He felt so much better already then when he had woken up, still feeling as if he was caught in his unremembered nightmare.

Merlin picked up his spoon, starting to scoop the strange mush onto it. It was a good thing Gaius had just walked off somewhere behind him because he couldn't stop his face from scrunching up in displeasure.

It looked way to runny, some kind of grey mush that was more of a watery mess than anything of any real substance. But if there was one thing he knew, it was better than to turn up his nose at the food he had.

He was still taking his time though, preparing himself to take what would no doubt be a disgusting bite. But hey, food was food and he was hungry.

However, he never got the chance to take that bite.

Because in one fell swoop, Gaius had bumped against the table. He'd done it just hard enough that the bucket of water Merlin was intending on using to wash once he was done eating, tipped over the edge.

In the same second the water gushed out towards the floor, Merlin had jumped to his feet startled.

And just like that, the water was suspended in midair, frozen as if it hadn't just been stopped in mid-fall to the floor. It was literally a reflex to Merlin. He'd done it without a second thought in his head. It was already frozen by the time he could comprehend what he'd just done. It all happened so fast that his eyes had barely flickered to molten gold before fading back to blue.

Gaius gasped, staring in amazement. It was unlike anything he'd ever seen.

At Gaius's noise of astonishment, Merlin's head snapped up and their eyes met. That was when it hit Merlin what had just happened.

One, Gaius had done it intentionally.

And two, he was going to die if he didn't learn how to not react to every little thing. It was a miracle he'd made it this far in life if he acted like this.

Maybe he was just rattled by this whole week, or maybe he had just felt safe at Gaius'. He knew better than to use magic when he wasn't alone. Or at least he should by his age. No wonder his mother was always so worried about him.

Meeting eyes with Gaius, seeing somebody he didn't really know watching him use magic...it was a strange feeling. A feeling that he couldn't handle at the moment.

He was so distracted by Gaius' reaction that whatever magic he had over the water broke. Water sloshed across the floor and with it went Merlin's chance at getting clean within the hour.

Merlin was stiff, water drenching the bottom of his boots as he watched Gaius with weary eyes, waiting to see what he'll do next.

Gaius asked with rapid speed, almost unable to get the words out, "How did you do that? Did you incant a spell in your mind?" Most spells were usually spoken for it to work but the more powerful sorcerer's were able to use it to the same effect even if they spoke the incantation in their mind.

But then again, Merlin seemed far to young to have that much power.

"I don't know any spells." Merlin said quickly. He almost felt as if the door would be kicked in at any minute and the guards would arrive to drag him away. Would Uncle Gaius have sent for them while he slept.

But the longer the seconds passed and the door stayed firmly closed, the more he started to relax.

At least until Gaius started speaking again, asking invasive questions that Merlin didn't know how to answer. Will had just taken him having magic at face value. Other than asking him what he could do, Merlin hadn't been asked before 'how he did it.'

Because he didn't know how he did. Things just happened for as long as he could remember. Even if he did know how he was able to do the things that he did, he would be completely clueless on how to explain it.

"So what did you do?" Gaius asked, eyebrows furrowing together in his confusion. "There must be something."

Merlin averted his eyes away from Gaius'. "It just happens." he said awkwardly. Merlin couldn't handle just standing there any longer. He had to do something because the awkwardness of this conversation was getting to him.

So spotting the mop leaning against the wall, he quickly walked over and grabbed it up. He ignored Gaius' eyes on his as he tried mopping up the water. Most of it just got slushed around but he ended up using the bucket water to clean the floor around the table.

Gaius slowly took a seat at the table, watching the boy mop.

It was good enough to him, Merlin decided after several minutes, putting the mop away.

Merlin would have called it the cleanest spot in the whole room. It would have been the cleanest had it still not been a mess. The floor was kind of streaky and it looked like the dirt already on it had mostly just been pushed around and there was still a spot of water here or there that looked more like a tiny puddle.

'Well,' Gaius thought dismissively, 'it's a good thing the boy is marrying a prince because he'd never make it as a servant.'

Merlin took a seat at the table across from Gaius, picking back up his spoonful of gruel. It still looked horrible but at least it would be some kind of substance to get him through the day.

He glanced up and his eyes locked with Gaius who was still staring him down. Uncle Gaius who knew very well that he was a sorcerer. Merlin quickly averted his eyes back down to his bowl of gruel, picking up his spoon even though half of the watery mush just plopped straight back down into the bowl.

Gaius gave a weary sigh, making Merlin look up. He let his spoon drop back into the bowl because it looked like Gaius was about to say something.

And honestly?

Even talking about his magic sounded more interesting than eating whatever this slop was supposed to be.

But then Gaius said something that he wasn't expecting.

"So, you're the one that is going to marry Prince Arthur tomorrow?"

Merlin choked on air, coughing and sputtering in his surprise. "T-tomorrow?" He finally grasped out. It was a good thing he hadn't taken a bite out of the gruel or he probably would be dead if their had been food blocking his airway.

Gaius raised an eyebrow at him, "Yes, tomorrow." At Merlin's distraught look, he asked softly, "You didn't know?"

Merlin's eyes went from one corner of the room to the next, looking pretty much everywhere but at Gaius. "I mean, I knew that it was coming up fast. I just..." he hesitated for a moment before finishing his sentence weakly. "Didn't realize that it was tomorrow."

Gaius nodded solemnly.

Merlin finally glanced over at Gaius, locking eyes with his uncle. "What's he like?" Merlin blurted out before the thought had even finished forming in his head.

Gaius looked startled at the sudden exclamation. "What? ...What's who like?"

Merlin put his elbows up on the dinner table, playing with his fingers in a very commoner way. A noble would never be so uncouth as to put their elbows on the table, or to be seen looking so nervous in the face of others.

"Arthur." Merlin said simply before continuing on. "I mean, I've heard things about him since I've been brought here. But I haven't met the guy yet."

Gaius' eyes widened in disbelief, "You're telling me that you haven't even met the prince yet? The prince that you are to marry."

"Yeah!" Merlin nodded eagerly, relieved that somebody else thought that was weird as well. "I've heard that I might run into him at some point but nobody is going to bother introducing us until we're facing each other at the marriage ceremony."

Gaius took a heavy breath, shaking his head. He almost felt sorry for the boy. It was one thing to be forced to marry. It was entirely another to have not at least had a meeting with your fiancé before the actual wedding. At least so that the two parties would know what to expect.

Gaius had been a part of the court for many years. But even to this day, there were just some things about those with noble birth that he would just never understand.

Merlin kept on rambling, "I mean, are they hiding him? I've heard things but is he so detestable that no one will want to marry him? Because nobody seems interested in me at least meeting the guy before I have to say I do. I mean, even if I don't have a choice, at least I'll know what to expect." He waved his arms around his head as he spoke.

Gaius didn't have the heart to tell him that it was probably because he was a commoner that they weren't bothering with a whole meet and greet.

If Merlin was some princess, there would no doubt be some huge banquet or fancy meeting between her and Arthur. Then maybe a few days of hurried courting so that they could get to know one another even though the wedding itself was already decided by their parents.

But Merlin was a peasant.

There was no reason for a chaperoned date.

No reason for even a hurried little courtship.

No reason to meet and at least pretend for the people that they had just fallen in love quickly.

There was no Arthur coming to ask Merlin's closest male relative, which would be Gaius in this case, for his hand in marriage.

Why would he?

The whole thing was already arranged and was a done deal. There was no point in putting in the extra effort that a courtship would do.

"And you're the court physician." Merlin was still talking. "So you would know him. Right?"

Gaius took a moment to gather his thoughts before saying, "Maybe you should wait till you meet him before deciding for yourself what he is like."

Merlin stared at him blankly. "...Seriously? That's all you got."

Gaius gave him a look, making Merlin sigh, shoulders slumping.

Then he tried again, "Not even just a little-" he held his two fingers up in his face in inch apart, "comment about him?"

Gaius was still giving him that firm look, making Merlin give up with an even heavier sigh. He propped his elbow onto the table so that he could rest his chin in the palm of his hand. He used his other hand to play with his spoon, making trails in his watery mush that was his breakfast.

Gaius stood up and busied himself. The last thing he wanted to do was watch the light die from Merlin's eyes.

Arthur was a good man, he knew that. But only towards those that had some actual standing in society. Even if Merlin would technically be a noble through their marriage, the boy was still born a peasant.

He was concerned for how Arthur would treat his new husband.

What he was even more concerned about was if he would be able to help Merlin if it turned out that Arthur was cruel to him. Even if Gaius was court physician, he wouldn't be able to get Merlin free.

Merlin's only possible salvation would be to run and hope that he could make it someplace hidden before the knights found him.

Gaius doubted that Arthur would actually hurt his husband. Not even Arthur would be so cruel as to beat someone who was supposed to be his partner.

But Gaius knew all to well, how cutting some words could be. And Arthur had never bit back his tongue for anybody.

Would Merlin be able to handle a lifetime of ridicule?

His gaze drifted back over to the boy, playing with his mush instead of actually eating it.

Gaius sighed, feeling sorry for the boy and what his life may become. He was just so young. To young for the direction his life was taking.

But Gaius didn't tell Merlin any of this.

Yes, it was almost cruel for Merlin to go into this wedding without knowing who Arthur was.

But Gaius just couldn't bring himself to say any of it. For all he knew, Arthur would treat his husband with kindness. He may be a bully but surely his husband would be a different story.

Right?

Gaius let his eyes drift away from Merlin and to the bottle sitting nearby with a yellowish liquid inside.

Then he got an idea, something to keep the boy busy. At least it would keep him occupied and his mind off of what was happening tomorrow.

"Here, you can help me out instead of moping at my kitchen table." Gaius said dryly, picking up the yellow bottle.

Merlin looked up startled when the bottle was set in front of him. He let his spoon drop with a clatter, picking up the amber liquid. He shook it slightly, watching the liquid swish from one side of the next. There was a bubble or two inside that popped when he moved it. He had absolutely no idea what it was and he was curious to know.

"What's in it?" He finally asked.

Gaius gave him a curious look. The boy was taking a surprising interest in his work. "It's hollyhock and feverfew for Sir Owain. He's blind as a weevil so tell him not to take it all at once."

Merlin grinned, almost eager to get out of here and do something. He was used to there always being some kind of work to be done. It was the life in a small farming village after all. He wasn't used to just sitting around with absolutely no idea what needed to be done next.

"Ok." Merlin said brightly, hopping out of his seat. The least he could do was help Uncle Gaius after he'd given him a safe place to sleep last night. Plus, it would give him a chance to explore some more. Hopefully without getting turned around in one giant circle this time.

He started towards the door. He had the vial clenched in one hand, determined not to break this one. He completely forgot about breakfast, not that he was to interested in actually eating the mushy gruel but slop was better then no food.

"And Merlin," Gaius called, stopping the boy before he could leave out the door. "Don't forget this."

Merlin looked over his shoulder with a frown of confusion. Then his eyes lit up upon seeing the sandwich on a plate that Gaius was holding up.

Gaius didn't bother mentioning that he had been planning on saving this for his lunch. A growing boy running around the castle needed it much more than an old man sitting around here making more potions did.

Merlin smiled gratefully, ignoring the plate and just taking the sandwich in one hand. That way he wouldn't have to lug a plate around with him.

"Thanks, Uncle Gaius."

And then he was rushing towards the front door, heading off to deliver the healing potion. Gaius watched him opening the door, an almost fond smile briefly on his lips.

Merlin was as happy as a lark. Maybe he could check out the actual city and not just the castle after he was done with this potion.

Just before Merlin left though, Gaius had a sudden worrisome thought. "Wait, Merlin!" He called to the boy quickly, his eyebrows furrowing together in his worry.

Was this how he was always going to feel? Worried about a boy he barely knew, a boy who was most definitely his nephew. This had to be what new parents felt like when they were suddenly responsible for a brand new life.

Sure, Merlin wasn't brand new to life. He was pretty much grown. But he was new to Gaius' life. And with what little Gaius knew about the boy, it would be very dangerous for him to just wander around Camelot without knowing what could happen to him.

Although really, the execution yesterday had clearly drilled into his head exactly what could happen to him.

Merlin turned to look at Gaius. His cheeks were bulging out slightly because he had just taken a large bite out of his sandwich. It was actually a pretty good sandwich. The bread back home was usually slightly stale and crumbly by the time he got his share. They had to eat the stuff that was going bad soon and save the fresher stuff for when everything else was gone. And by that time, it had already started going stale as well.

Like one endless cycle.

But not this one.

The bread was fresher. Much fresher than Merlin had ever ate before. It practically melted in his mouth. The green lettuce sticking out of it crunched under his teeth. It was a vivid green and he couldn't see any brown growing on it from getting old. The tomato slices inside he barely recognized because it was so red and juicy, tender. The one's back home were practically mush and squished itself to nothing if you handled it to roughly.

It was probably the best thing he'd ever tasted.

The sad part was that Merlin thought that this simple sandwich was the best thing that he had ever ate in his life. His taste buds were going to be in for a shock eating the food Camelot Castle had to offer.

Merlin's eyes met with Gaius, taking in the seriousness of his gaze. "I don't need to tell you," Gaius said firmly, making sure that every word he spoke had a note of finality to it. "That practicing any form of enchantment will get you killed. Do you understand that?"

He didn't let his eyes move away from Merlin's. He had to make sure that the boy understood exactly how serious all of this would be if he got caught.

And Merlin didn't use just ordinary witchcraft. The kind with incantations that a sorcerer would have to think about and prepare to do before casting it.

If Merlin could do something with just a thought, the whole situation got a whole lot more serious.

Merlin gave a hard swallow, forcing the delicious food down his throat. It went down harder than it should have and it felt like there was a stone in his stomach. He gave his uncle a look of solemnity, nodding his head.

He would never forget about Thomas James Collins.

Or the fact that he could be next.

Then Merlin was gone, heading out the door with a sandwich in one hand and the potion for Sir Owain clutched in his other.

Gaius watched him leave with a frown of worry on his face. It took him a moment before he turned back to his potions. That would distract him. He couldn't spend the entire day worrying about the boy. He was grown! Surely he knew how to keep himself hidden.

Besides, how much trouble could one boy truly get into in one afternoon.

Famous last words.

Meanwhile, Merlin headed down the stairs towards the main part of the castle, a hop in his step, pushing all the thoughts about Thomas and his possible execution out of his mind.

Merlin reached the main part of the castle, the part that led down into the courtyard. It wasn't so hard now to look down the stairs to the courtyard where Thomas had been executed.

Maybe it was because of how bright the sun was, or how beautiful the sky looked. Or maybe it was because he couldn't see the executioner's platform anymore. It had been taken down and put away some time during the night.

Today just felt like it was going to be a good day. Or at least he hoped that it would.

At least he could count on this sandwich being good. He wondered briefly if all of the food was like this around here. He hoped so. Even if everything else sucked, at least he would have the food.

And his Uncle Gaius.

Seeing that he was getting some strange looks from the knights standing at the entrance, Merlin quickly moved further into the castle, away from the courtyard. He had a potion to deliver to a sick man.

He didn't know where he was going but that didn't stop him from acting like he did. He headed up a side staircase, ignoring the main one he'd just passed. He already knew that one would lead him to the second floor, and the next staircase going up would lead him to where his room in the royal wing was.

So since Sir Owain wasn't that way, or at least he didn't think that he would be, Merlin tried another direction that he hadn't gone in before.

Walking down a random hallway as he finished off the last of his sandwich, he looked at closed doors as he passed them by. Would there be a sign that said Sir Owain's room? Or would he have to go knocking on doors trying to find it.

He was actually passing a random door when he stopped because he heard something. It was a quiet moan, it almost sounded as if somebody was in pain.

Merlin frowned, glancing around confused but this hallway was empty. He had heard something, hadn't he? But it was quiet so maybe he hadn't heard something like he thought he had.

Merlin made to dismiss it, to take a step back and continue his search. But he couldn't stop his eyes from turning back to look at the small door tucked in the corner.

What if someone was in there? What if they were hurt? What if Merlin could help them? Could he really walk away only to find out later that somebody had found a dead body in that room.

There was a sudden clatter from inside the closet, making Merlin jump startled. It sounded as if something had fallen over, a lot of somethings.

That was it. No way was he walking away now.

Merlin strode confidently over to the door. He reached his hand out for the handle, ready to wretch the door open and help whoever it was that needed it.

He never got the chance though.

Before he could open it, the door swung open itself. It nearly knocked him over and he had to scramble backwards to avoid being hit by it.

There was suddenly a high pitch giggle and Merlin goggled at the sight in front of him, very confused.

First off, Tristian was there, one of the knights that had brought him to Camelot. Merlin hadn't seen him since he and Dorian had left him with Leon after they had reached the city.

He had a shit eating smirk on his face and he was fastening up his belt. Although Merlin couldn't fathom why his pants would be undone. That room definitely didn't look like a lavatory.

The high pitch giggle had come from Mary, the servant girl that had shown him his room right next to Arthur's. She hadn't noticed him yet because she was shoving a bunch of cleaning instruments back into the closet. Several brooms and mops had fallen after them as the two had exited.

Merlin's brows furrowed in confusion, having no idea what was going on. Why were they in there? Neither of them looked hurt so why had he heard a moan? Why would someone moan if they weren't in pain?

Mary finally got the closet door to shut, turning around to press her back to it. She had a wide grin on her face, looking flushed.

Merlin frowned. Maybe Mary was hurt. Why else would she have that red tinge to her cheeks? And...Merlin's eyes dropped lower and almost popped out of his head.

Mary's blouse was lower than it should be. It was awkward and twisted like she hadn't bothered to put it on right this morning. But the problem was that her breasts were almost popping out of it. If she curtsied like she had with him, they would probably pop straight out.

Merlin could feel his own cheeks start to redden and he quickly averted his gaze. Although that didn't help much because his eyes were now fashioned onto her hair. Her hair that was missing it's headband and was completely disheveled.

The whole thing baffled Merlin. He just couldn't think of a reason for why Mary would look like that. Or why Tristian wasn't showing the least bit concerned.

Mary had to be sick with how flustered she looked.

Merlin took a deep breath before looking at the two blankly. "What were you two doing?" He asked bluntly. What else was there for him to do? If Mary was sick, maybe he could help her to Gaius'. Surely he would be able to do something for her.

Mary yelped, looking startled as she hadn't noticed him at all. Merlin frowned, baffled when he saw the red in her cheeks brighten.

"Mary, are you okay?" He stepped forward as if to grab her shoulder but stopped himself at the last minute. Because of the awkward way she had her shirt, her sleeve was tugged down some, baring her shoulder.

Mary awkwardly cleared her throat. She started to curtsy and Merlin quickly averted his eyes. Mary yelped, stopping mid-curtsy to cross her arms over her chest, awkwardly rearranging it to cover herself better.

"Ah-" Mary stuttered, tugging her sleeve into place over her shoulders. "I am so sorry that you had to see that! I mean...we weren't...weren't doing anything." She seemed to stumble over her words, looking more shamefaced than she did when she exited the room. "S-er, Sir Merlin." She was unsure of how to address him. He was clearly a higher station than her being that he was sleeping in the Royal Wing.

Mary was one of the handful of people in the castle who hadn't yet heard talk of Arthur's upcoming wedding.

Merlin frowned because she was talking as if he was supposed to have known exactly what she had been doing. But he had no idea what on earth was happening.

But that was when what Mary had called him caught up to him. His jaw dropped a little. Had she just called him Sir? Not once in his entire nineteen years had he'd been called that.

He opened his mouth to protest her calling him that when he was interrupted before he could get the first word out.

"Sir Merlin!" Tristian crowed with laughter. "As if he could possibly be a sir!" Merlin looked at him dryly, having almost forgotten that he was still there. "You don't have to call him a sir, Mary!" He clapped his hand hard on Merlin's shoulder, almost making his knees buckle. "He's just a peasant!"

Merlin knew that he was a peasant but Tristian had said the word as if it was something dirty. He frowned in disgust, wanting to shove Tristian's hand off his shoulder.

Mary looked nervous, not knowing that Merlin and Tristian already knew each other. She was worried that Merlin would be able to punish Tristian, that he had the same power that the other nobles did.

But Mary didn't know that Merlin had no power. He was as peasant as they come. Maybe a peasant that was living with the royal family, but still just a peasant.

Tristian finally stepped away from Merlin but only because he was leaving, already walking down the hallway. A knight like him had better things to do than be seen consorting with two peasants.

He was still chortling about the whole 'Sir Merlin' business.

Merlin and Mary watched the knight walking away. Merlin was frowning annoyed, wanting to shout something after him that would make his laughter stop but the man was already halfway down the hallway and rounding the corner.

Mary was looking concerned and worried, hands tugging at her skirts. "I uh, I should really...get going." She stuttered, taking a step backwards, intending to go somewhere where she could forget this humiliating encounter. "And again, I am so sorry that you had to see this!" She seemed to be getting flustered again.

Merlin looked down at her with a frown, still having no idea what the two had been doing. He watched as Mary quickly turned away, her skirts flying around her ankles as she hurried in the other direction than the one that Tristian had gone down. The hallway she was going down led towards the kitchens, if he was remembering right.

That was when Merlin realized that his hand was still clenched around the potion he was supposed to be delivering. That's right, he still didn't know where he could find Sir Owain's room.

Before he could stop himself, he was running after Mary. "Hey, hey! Mary!" He called down the hallway after her.

Mary jumped violently, looking back to Merlin. She was acting like a skittish little thing, he noticed. He almost didn't know how to talk to her. Most people weren't exactly skittish around him. Most people brushed him off actually.

"Y-yes?" Mary stuttered unsure. She was positive that he was going to bring up the humiliating encounter of catching her with Tristian.

But the whole thing was now pushed into the back of Merlin's mind. He was thinking about something else entirely.

"Do you know where Sir Owain's room is?" Merlin asked hopefully.

Mary had been expecting some kind of crack or joke about her being loose even though Tristian was the only man she'd ever been with. She knew enough about people to know exactly what they would be thinking about her if it got around.

This question that Merlin had asked her hadn't even been on her radar of the things she thought he'd say.

"S-Sir Owain?" She repeated slowly.

Merlin nodded brightly, "Yeah, Sir Owain. I've been looking for his room. The Court Physician gave me this potion to deliver to his room." He held up the bottle as if to show proof of his claim.

Mary brightened up, feeling herself relax some, "Oh! I didn't know that Gaius had gotten an assistant! He usually always works alone!"

Merlin felt himself flush. The last thing he wanted was for anybody to get the wrong idea. Uncle Gaius probably didn't want him going around claiming he was an assistant. Knowing Merlin, it would probably lead to some kind of trouble for Gaius later on.

"No, I'm not his assistant." Merlin quickly said, arms flailing. "I'm just...helping him out. Running an errand for him, you know."

Mary raised a curious eyebrow before shaking it off. She wasn't going to forget her place as a servant and this Merlin, despite being a peasant, was still important enough to sleep in the royal wing.

Now that she was relaxing some, realizing that he wasn't going to mention her and Tristian, she could admit that he wasn't half bad. She wondered how long it would take before he started treating her and the other servants as the nobles did.

"His rooms are just this way, I can show you." Mary said, already heading down the hallway.

Merlin looked relieved, practically scrambling after her. "Really? Thank you! This castle is so big, I get lost pretty easily."

"Really?" Mary asked amazed as she led him up a flight of stairs to the guest wings. "I suppose it can be pretty distorting for someone new but I wouldn't know. I've spent half my life in this castle."

"Have you?" Merlin asked. Having grown up in a small village, it was baffling to meet someone who had grown up practically with a castle as their neighbor.

Mary nodded happily. Merlin wasn't so bad. It was almost like talking to one of the servants. Somebody to gossip with about the nobles who thought they couldn't hear or see anything when really, it was the servants who knew about most of the things going on in the castle. Like which nobles to avoid because they weren't afraid of punishing someone. Or passageways throughout the castle that most nobles wouldn't know about because they had no reason to go somewhere unseen.

The two peasants walked down a long hallway before they stopped at a door. "Here you go!" Mary said easily, fully relaxed now that she had spent some more time with Merlin. "This is Sir Owain's room. Forgive me, but I must return to my work."

Merlin waved her off, "Of course, and thank you!"

Mary looked up startled, having not been expecting that. It wasn't often that a servant got thanked. But a small smile creeped up onto her lips. She always curtsied because she had to as was her place as a maid. But she actually didn't mind so much as she did it to Merlin.

He had earned just a little of her respect.

And then she was gone, hurrying off down the hall, hiking up her skirts so that they wouldn't get caught around her ankles.

Merlin watched her go with a frown. He hadn't been able to tell her that she didn't have to bother curtsying for him. He was nobody important.

But he shook it off, determined to tell her at their next meeting. Then Merlin gave a firm knock on the door that he was in front of.

It took a minute before the door swung open, revealing an elderly man. He was bald and most of his teeth were gone. His eyes were looking in Merlin's direction, but it looked as if he was looking straight through Merlin. It almost looked as if he were drunk.

Merlin held out the bottle of amber liquid to the man. "The Court Physician asked me to bring you your medicine." He explained, more quieter than he usually would have.

The man had a loopy smile on his face as he held out his hand. But he didn't take the bottle.

No.

Instead, he just held his hand out, not even trying to reach for it. Merlin was holding the bottle out at chest level but the man had his hand up at his own chest level and since he was taller than Merlin, the hand came near his face.

Merlin looked at him awkwardly. Hadn't Gaius said that the man was blind? It would definitely explain this strange encounter.

Seeing as the man wasn't going to grab the bottle himself, Merlin awkwardly put it in his hand. He sighed in relief once the man had it in his possession. He couldn't wait to till Uncle Gaius that he hadn't broken this one.

Merlin started walking away before jolting back a step, remembering what Uncle Gaius had told him, "Oh, and he said don't take it al-"

Merlin was cut off as he watched in disbelief.

Sir Owain had just pulled the stopper off of the vial and downed the whole potion in one gulp. The man didn't pay him no mind as he licked his lips as if it actually tasted good.

Merlin looked at him awkwardly, "I'm...I'm sure it's fine..." he stuttered, a nervous smile on his face.

Sir Owain just gave him a drunken looking smile.

Merlin didn't hesitate to hurry away as fast as his feet could carry him. It probably wouldn't hurt him...right?

Nah.

He'll be fine...

Merlin shook Sir Owain out of his head and headed down a set of stairs to the main level of the castle. His steps slowed as he got lost in his thoughts. What should he do now? He could probably head back to Uncle Gaius' and see if he needed anymore help.

Or he could explore the city some. He hadn't been in it since he'd arrived and he was so worried about his upcoming marriage that he didn't get a good look at it at all.

Then it was decided.

He would go check out the city.

Merlin soon found himself at the top of the stairs that led out into the courtyard. The stairs were made out of polished stones. There was more statues on either side of the staircase. People were passing him by, either entering or leaving the castle but not really paying him any attention.

Merlin glanced over to where the execution's platform had been. It was nothing more than an open space now. The courtyard didn't seem so bad now that the horrible thing was gone.

Merlin started down the stairs and crossed across the courtyard. It was a huge yard so it took a few minutes to walk across it completely.

Then he came across the drawbridge. It was down, giving people access to walk from the inner city to the lower town. Merlin's eyes flickered every which way, a small and private grin lighting up his features. He truly did look like a kid right now.

Crossing the drawbridge, Merlin could now take in the marketplace around him. It was tight because of all the many people who were milling around, going on with their daily lives.

"Come get it! Come get it! Fresh fish! Just caught this morning!" A man at a nearby stall called.

Merlin grinned as he passed by it, the smell of fish entering his nose. Fish was a rare treat in the village. Pretty much only done on the summer solstice to celebrate making it through another year and honoring those who hadn't.

"Sir, sir!" A young teenage girl he hadn't noticed that he was passing by called out to him, waving him down. Merlin pointed at himself startled, not knowing if she was talking to him.

The girl nodded eagerly, standing behind her stall. "Yes! I have many fine jewels! Would you happen to have a lady friend who would enjoy such a gift?" She asked with a teasing smile and over exaggerated wink, waving her hand down at her table.

There were many pieces of jewelry. Necklaces and rings and bracelets. It wasn't anything as fine as what the nobles in the castle would wear but it was pretty high end and out of most peasants price range.

Merlin felt himself flush, "Oh, no! No, um...lady friend." He said with an awkward smile, backing away.

Seeing that she wasn't getting anywhere with him, the girl turned her attention to a couple passing by.

Merlin ducked his head and disappeared into the crowd. No, he didn't have a 'lady friend'. Honestly? He never would have a lady friend.

For one, Merlin was marrying a man tomorrow and boy, didn't that reminder bring him down a notch.

And two, he probably wouldn't be interested in any lady that he met. Merlin had always been confused when the boy's back home would talk about one of the girl's. He could never understand anything that they were talking about. Not to mention, he didn't know what in the world anybody could find interesting about a girl's chest. It was just a chest like anybody else's.

He had never been interested in marriage or courting someone before. He didn't think that he would mind to much if he was being courted though...if it was the right person.

He didn't think a girl would be the right person though.

Merlin thought that he probably would have more in common with a guy.

But it didn't matter anyway.

His wedding was tomorrow and with a wedding came vows. Promises of commitment and always being together for the next eternity.

Society wouldn't care that Arthur was his husband. Like Leon had said, the prince would need to have children someday to pass on his bloodline and let the next in line for the pendragon throne to be born.

This prince would have a free pass to be with someone else so that an heir could be born someday. He briefly wondered if that would be the only time or if his marriage would be riddled with affairs.

He may have a husband that cheated but Merlin knew that he wasn't so crass that he would do the same.