Hunith's fingers trembled as she accepted the small woven basket filled with vibrant herbs from the errand boy. She hugged the basket to her chest to keep it from tumbling to the floor and closed the door firmly with her hip. The scent of rosemary and thyme enveloped her as she meandered through the Physician's chambers and placed the basket haphazardly on the table beside the tinctures she had filled before the interruption. She began to fill the rest of the empty vials absentmindedly, accidentally overflowing one of them in her distraction.
"Careful with those tinctures, Hunith," Gaius chided gently, noticing her distraction. "A single drop too much, and you'll have the King dancing a jig rather than resting."
"Maybe it'll lighten the bastard up," she muttered to her brother, moving the vials out of the way to clean up her mess. "Heaven knows we could all use the laugh."
She wiped her hands on her apron and reached for the small vial of wheat and barley she had prepared a week prior, unable to wait any longer to see the results. She had read in one of Gaius's medical books that if a woman thought herself pregnant, she would urinate over the seeds of wheat and barley over several days. If it grows, the woman is likely with a child.
Her thoughts wandered to Balinor and the passionate night they had shared not two months prior as she brought the vial close to the candlelight. If she were indeed pregnant with his child, what would that mean for her future, given the danger of having a magical offspring in Camelot?
"It's a boy," Gaius said softly, coming up behind her to look at the vial where the seedlings were leaning towards the candlelight.
She glanced down at the vial; indeed, the barley seeds had sprouted.
"And it's… Balinor's child?" Gaius asked in a light tone.
Hunith threw Gaius a nasty look over her shoulder, causing him to cover the teasing smile that crossed his face. It was no secret that she had been good friends with Uther and Balinor since childhood. There was no shortage of rumors among the castle and lower village that she had been warming the King's bed since the death of Ygraine. Unfounded, of course, but that didn't stop Gaius from teasing her about it every now and then.
His face took on a more serious expression. "Some might say…" Gaius paused, weighing his words, "... that ending this pregnancy might be safer for all involved."
Hunith's hands found the hem of her dress, twisting the fabric as she pondered his words. "Safer, perhaps," she shrugged and sighed heavily. "But I cannot. This child is more than just Balinor's. If Balinor has no more children, this child is the last hope for the Dragonlords— I cannot allow that to be extinguished."
"I'd expect nothing less," Gaius said with a nod and a warm smile. "We shall keep this secret safe for as long as possible."
~o0o~
By the sixth month of her pregnancy, Hunith was glowing with the promise of new life— a new life already proving to be as mischievous as magical. Not an hour passed without vials toppling over unexpectedly, books fluttering like birds taking flight around the chambers, and quills dancing across tables in a bizarre waltz.
"Merlin, stop that!" Hunith scolded, despite knowing that her words would fall on deaf ears. "He's not even born yet and is driving me crazy!" she muttered, slamming her hand down onto the book she had been reading as it tried to fly away.
"Perhaps it's best if you remain out of sight for the time being," Gaius suggested, righting a floating tome with a sigh.
"Lovely."
~o0o~
Yet, even the best-laid plans of mice and men— or, in this case, physicians and their assistants, go awry. There was a grand tournament during the Spring equinox where all of Camelot had gathered. Hunith had become stir-crazy, now eight months pregnant, and had, against her better judgment, allowed herself to venture into the stands to watch the tournament, her presence masked by the throngs of spectators. Or so she had thought.
She was dressed in a loose dress that disguised her baby bump, never being more grateful that she didn't show as much as many others did that late in their pregnancy. She would have been fine, with no one the wiser, had Uther, sitting in the middle of the stands, not caught her eye as she made her way towards Gaius, who was a few rows behind him.
Uther had raised an eyebrow at her and motioned with his head that she should sit beside him and young Arthur, who was kneeling on his own seat, blue eyes wide with wonder as he watched the jousting tournament.
She merely gave him a tight smile and shook her head. He likely thought she was trying to deny the request to keep the rumours at bay because Uther merely rolled his eyes and motioned with his head again, causing her to sigh heavily and approach him.
"Morning, Sire," she said 'sire' in the most sarcastic tone she could muster, causing Uther to roll his eyes again and scoff at her. "And Arthur, how are you doing?" She cooed, reaching over to smooth his hair from his eyes.
Arthur, then three, grinned up at her, his two front teeth missing due to him falling from one of the castle statues earlier in the week. "Aunt Hunith! Are you sitting with us!? Did you see what the Black Knight did just now? It was so cool!" He reached over and hugged her waist, his face nuzzling her belly. Arthur pulled away and frowned at her belly, "Did you get fat?"
"Arthur!" she scolded, firmly pushing on his shoulders and glaring down at him. "There are two things you never ask a lady— her age or if she gained weight."
Arthur pouted, "I'm sorry, Aunt Hunith."
She sighed heavily and leaned down to kiss his forehead, pulling him into a hug. "I forgive you."
Uther watched the exchange with a small smile, frowned at her, and scanned her body until his eyes rested on her stomach. He licked his lips and looked nervously at her, "Are you?"
"Would I be pregnant and not tell one of my oldest friends?" She asked him softly.
He gave her a sad look. It wouldn't have even been a question eight months ago, but he could tell she'd been pulling away since Balinor's disappearance. "I'd protect you if… if you were, as long as it wasn't…" Balinor's, it went without saying. Uther had no tolerance for magic, even from his oldest friends, not since Ygraine had passed.
"Would you have me killed if it were, Uther?" Hunith challenged, pressing the side of Arthur's face into her hip and covering the other side of his face with her hand so that he wouldn't hear their conversation. He hardly noticed, as entranced as he was with the knights below. "Have Arthur watch his aunt die right before his very eyes?"
Uther's lips tightened into a straight line, and he could not meet her eyes. "I… I…"
"I'm not pregnant, Uther," she lied after a minute of watching him trying to come up with a response, her hand stroking the side of Arthur's face as she let go of him. "No need to go light the pyre."
"Good, good, good… good," Uther cleared his throat and patted the bench beside him. "Join me, please? I've missed you."
"Careful, Uther," Hunith said dryly. "You don't want everyone to start thinking you have feelings."
He huffed out a laugh and gently pulled her into the seat that Arthur had vacated, "You're ridiculous."
They sat in companionable silence, cheering in all the right places, making idle chatter between rounds, pulling Arthur down from the rails when he became so into the tournament he almost fell off it. It almost felt as it had when they were kids and would watch the tournaments together.
Unfortunately, it became too similar to the tournaments they used to attend as kids—the ones where Balinor would enchant the knights to do things when they grew bored.
One minute, they were watching a run-of-the-mill round; nothing seemed out of the ordinary until a knight began to charge valiantly across the field with his lance poised. He'd been suddenly flung off his horse and landed, not with a noble crash but with a tumble that turned into an inexplicable, hand-standing dance across the field.
Hunith froze, having felt the invisible burst of magic that rippled through the air. He looked over to Uther, hoping that he hadn't felt it as well. Time seemed to stand still as gasps and cheers erupted from the crowd, the spectacle turning heads and raising brows, but it seemed as if no one else thought it was due to magic or felt the pulse.
Her heart raced, her cheeks reddened with a mixture of embarrassment and fear. She swallowed heavily, ice water in her veins, and laughed a bit hysterically. "R-remarkable balance, that one."
Uther studied her with narrowed eyes, causing her to fear that he had felt where the magic had come from before his face smoothed, and he turned back to the arena, where the knight had since been released from the spell and was brushing himself off. "Indeed."
Hunith leaned back in her seat and took a deep breath, her heart pounding as she realised how close she had been to being discovered. She looked down at her stomach with a frown. She was going to have her work cut out for her.
~o0o~
In the backroom of Gaius' chambers, a young Merlin pressed his nose against the cool glass pane, eyes wide as he observed the bustling castle life below. He took particular interest in the junior knights who were running back and forth from the armoury to the training grounds. He couldn't help the impish grin that overcame him before he wiggled his fingers in a silent incantation that sent swords and shields flying from the alarmed teen's hands. He cackled as they ran around like chickens without their heads, trying to catch the weapons that continuously danced out of their reach.
He watched as the laundress and her assistant carried a load of royal laundry towards the fields to hang and sent it flying across the fields, the sheets moving as if they were playful ghosts, chasing the two women across the grounds.
He caught sight of an abandoned bucket of water and poured it over the heads of suspecting royals as they toured the grounds. He ducked out of sight when King Uther turned towards the Physician's chambers, bemusement on his face as the servants rushed towards a screaming Princess Eleanor.
Gaius stuck his head into the room and raised an eyebrow at him after a deafening screech of hers regarding the state of her hair. "Merlin," the man chided, exasperation clear in his tone. "You don't seem to be doing your studies."
"Not my reading and writing, but I am practicing magic!" Merlin's playful grin fell slightly, and he sighed, "Yes, Uncle." His voice lacked any remorse, the twinkle in his eyes betraying him. "I'm just so bored. Why couldn't I go collect herbs with Mommy?"
"What happened the last time you collected herbs with Hunith?" Gaius asked.
Merlin muttered under his breath and kicked at the floor.
"Sorry, I didn't hear you."
"I enchanted King Uther to fall and trip into the fountain," Merlin looked up, his eyes flashing. "But he was being so mean to his poor manservant!"
"Why don't you come help me make some tinctures?" Gaius suggested, "And then we can practice a couple of spells from your spell book."
Merlin gasped in excitement and raced down the steps into the main chambers, "Come on, Uncle!"
"This child will be the death of me…" Gaius muttered, following his nephew's excited calls.
~o0o~
At times, the call to leave the chambers was too strong, and Merlin would escape when his mother and Gaius were distracted. Usually, Merlin would find himself in the stables, feeding and brushing the horses for the stablehands.
Other times, he would sit on the hill a little away from the training grounds and watch Prince Arthur practise his swordplay with his wooden sword and shield. He moved with grace and power, commanding attention even with his small stature. Merlin's fingers would twitch; he longed to join in on the laughter of the Prince and his friend Leon, to be a part of something grander than whispered spells and shadows. Or, maybe he just really wanted to mess with the Prince. He really wasn't sure.
Then, there were times when Merlin would be chasing Gwen across the castle grounds, and he would look up to see Arthur perched on the Library sill, his golden head bowed over a tome. Arthur would raise his head, and for a breathless moment, their worlds would touch— but all too soon, Arthur's attention was drawn back to his studies, and Merlin would often be tackled to the grass by Gwen. The moment tended to be quickly forgotten and replaced with pleas and squeals of laughter as she would mercilessly tickle him until tears formed in his eyes.
~o0o~
It was the morning of Hunith's birthday, during Merlin's seventh summer, and Merlin was determined to get her a present. Early that morning, he had slipped out of the Physician's quarters when his mother and Gaius were distracted by two knights who had caught fever and a rash the evening before.
It had taken him a while to get to the market, and he took the long way so that Gaius wouldn't see him out the window, but it had all been worth it. The market was a kaleidoscope of colours and smells, with vendors hawking wares from stalls draped with the brightest of cloths.
He moved purposefully, ducking between patrons as he searched for the perfect gift. He had been close to giving up when his eye caught sight of a wooden figurine. It seemed to glow a subtle gold as he approached, and he couldn't help but be entranced by it. The figure was that of a dragon standing on its hind legs with its wings unfurled.
It was perfect.
His mother loved telling him tales of dragons and the brave Dragonlords who tamed them. He dug out all the money in his pockets and counted it out, frowning when the man told him he was one silver coin short.
"M'sorry, Lad," the man said softly as Merlin pulled his hands back and shoved the coins back in his pocket.
"Thank you," Merlin muttered as he turned away from the man, tears gathering in his eyes. He began to walk away when a strong hand closed over his shoulder.
Merlin froze and turned slowly. His eyes traveled up the tall man's body until he got to his face. Upon recognition, he flinched back. He would have fallen if one of the knights behind him hadn't caught him. "K-King Uther!" He gave a clumsy bow and kept his eyes trained on the ground, freezing under the man's scrutiny. He knew he was in big trouble.
The one major rule his mother and Gaius had was that he was never to be seen by Uther. "Erm, erm…" he bowed again, for lack of knowing what else to do. "Sorry, sir. I didn't mean to get in your way."
"You weren't in my way," Uther said, kneeling down to his height. Merlin fidgeted as Uther studied his face, sharp eyes focusing on his eyes, nose, and lips before flickering to his eyes. His lips tightened into a straight line before he asked, "You were looking at that dragon figurine?"
Merlin's eyes widened, and looked back at the stall before turning back to the King, "Y-yes, sir. I wasn't trying to steal it, I swear! I just wanted to get my mommy a gift for her birthday today, but I was one coin short." Tears welled in his eyes again, and his hands shook as he tried to take deep breaths to calm himself.
Unable to look Uther in the eye, he looked over the man's shoulder and gulped audibly when he spotted the pyre that had been used to execute a young woman accused of magic not a day earlier. He clenched his shaking fists to keep his magic at bay and forced his eyes back to the ground.
Uther frowned thoughtfully at him and looked over to the stall with the figurine before he stood, ordering Merlin to stay where he was. Merlin kept his eyes trained on the ground, wondering what punishment he would get for getting in the King's way when the dragon figurine slid into his blurry peripheral view.
He sniffed and rubbed his eyes before looking up at the King in disbelief. He took the dragon gently in his hands, his eyebrows knitted tightly together. "I… I," he placed the dragon under one arm and dug into his pocket for his money, handing it over to Uther. "I can work for the rest," he said quickly, his cheeks burning red with embarrassment.
Uther gently took Merlin's hand and pressed the coins back into it, giving his hand a slight squeeze. "Tell Hunith that I wish her a very Happy Birthday."
Merlin's teary eyes, if possible, widened further, "I-I, yes, Sir." He shoved the coins back into his pocket and hugged the dragon to his chest, bowing deeply. Only when he was walking away did he think he should have asked how Uther knew it was a present for Hunith.
His heart beat wildly in his chest as he tried to put as much space between him and the King as possible. He weaved through the bustling market with the dragon clenched tightly in his hands. Merlin had to get home before he ran into anyone else he wasn't supposed to.
In his haste, Merlin didn't notice the figure emerging from a tent to his right until they collided. The impact sent him sprawling on the ground, the figure skidding away from his outstretched hand.
"Watch where you are going, you idiot!" The voice, despite being young, was sharp and authoritative.
Merlin groaned and looked up to see none other than Prince Arthur glaring down at him from under his blonde fringe. He scrambled to his feet and brushed dirt from his green tunic. "Sorry," he muttered distractedly as he searched for the figurine. "I didn't see you."
"Clearly," Arthur stood tall, even at the tender age of nine. He was the very image of princely disdain, his blue eyes cold as he looked down at Merlin. "You should pay more attention. You could have damaged my armor."
Merlin snorted. The 'armor' was a simple child's chainmail, something even Merlin could afford to buy from any toy stall. "A real tragedy that would be." His eyes brightened as he spotted the figurine and went to pick it up, examining it for any damage.
Arthur's eyebrows rose, "Do you always talk back to your betters?"
Merlin looked around, feigning confusion, "I don't see any of my betters here." He couldn't help himself. The Prince was rubbing him the wrong way.
"You insolent—" Arthur began but stopped abruptly, his gaze narrowing on Merlin. "I know you. You're that boy Gaius is always yelling at, the one that skulks around the grounds."
"Skulks?" Merlin huffed. "I prefer 'strategically positioning myself,' thank you very much."
"More like strategically causing trouble," Arthur countered. "Are you the one behind those weird things happening?"
Merlin froze, his hands squeezing the dragon tightly in his hands. "Of course not," he lied. "Magic is bad," he said the practiced words with conviction.
Arthur rolled his eyes as if he'd heard that a million times before, which was a high possibility, given who his father was. "Just stay out of my way if you know what's best for you."
"Right, wouldn't want to interrupt your quest for the perfect hair," Merlin said dryly, rolling his eyes as Arthur caught sight of himself in a puddle and was fixing his hair in his reflection.
Arthur's eyes shot up to his, and his jaw tightened. "You're impossible."
"I can't be impossible. I exist," Merlin shot back with a grin.
"I am the Prince of Camelot. You will show me some respect!" Arthur's voice was sharp, his fists clenching at his sides.
Merlin raised an eyebrow. "Respect? Is that what they call it when you demand people bow down to your royal highness?"
Arthur stepped closer until his nose was practically pressed against Merlin's. "You would be wise to watch your mouth."
"Or what? You will have Daddy throw me in the stocks?" Merlin shrugged, "I wouldn't mind. It faces the flowers, and they're so pretty."
Arthur opened his mouth to retort but then paused, studying Merlin. A flicker of something else crossed his features for a moment—was it amusement? "You're… so weird."
"Arthur!"
"Goodbye, Prince Arthur." He scurried out of the way as Arthur grabbed him, cackling as he went.
Once he was a safe distance away, he stopped beside a house and looked behind him. He watched as Arthur walked towards his father, and he, too, stopped to turn back.
~o0o~
Merlin's footsteps echoed against the stone floors of the Library as he moved through the towering shelves, searing for the book Gaius had sent him to find. The air was thick with the scene of parchment, ink, and leather, and dust particles danced in front of his eyes in the morning's rising sun.
"Stupid text…"
Merlin stopped at the corner of an aisle and peered around the corner. Prince Arthur was hunched over a hefty tome, muttering to himself. His brow was furrowed in concentration while his lips moved, his finger tracing the words he struggled to read.
He ignored him and continued to the next row, where the medical texts were. He looked for the red leather-bound book with a frown. When he noticed it wasn't on the bottom four shelves, he began to scan the upper levels of the shelves. And there, about a meter and a half above his head, was the book that he needed. "Of course," he muttered and looked around.
There were several scribes sitting at a table in eye line, and he knew Arthur was by the shelves in front of the one he stood at. Then there was Geoffery, who tended to wander through the Library without rhyme or reason. He'd have to do it the old-fashioned way.
He grimaced as he gripped the dusty shelf above his head and pulled himself up, his fingers slipping on the thick grime coating it. He tried again, this time knocking several books off the shelf and falling onto the floor.
"SHH!"
He glowered at the scribe glaring at him and jumped to his feet, wiping his sweaty, dirty hands on his breeches. He took a deep breath and tried again but struggled to get a solid foothold on the cluttered shelves, his feet continuing to slip on the accumulated dust and items.
"What are you doing?"
Merlin gasped as he lost his balance one shelf away from the book he needed; he closed his eyes as he made contact with the person below him, sending both of them falling to the floor with a loud crashing sound, throwing up a cloud of dust which was sucked deep into their lungs, causing the both of them to cough and sputter.
"Get off me!" Arthur growled, shoving Merlin off him. He coughed some more as he stepped up and brushed himself off. "What do you think you were doing up there!?"
Merlin winced and held his arm to his chest as he struggled to his feet. "I was getting a book for Gaius." He tried to straighten his arm and grimaced, causing Arthur's eyes to widen.
"Did you break your arm?"
"Probably just sprained it. I'd be crying if it was broken," Merlin admitted as he took the long red scarf off his neck and twisted it into a makeshift arm sling like he had seen Gaius and his mother do many times before.
Arthur scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest, "That is what you get for being an idiot. There's a ladder on the other side that you could have used." He raised an eyebrow at Merlin before disappearing and reappearing with the sliding ladder, waving his hand at it. "See?"
Merlin scowled and watched as the Prince slid it over to where he needed it, "Yeah, I see it." He gripped onto the side and hoisted himself up, shaking slightly from his tentative hold on the ladder. "... Thanks."
"Oh, my god," Arthur muttered, pulling Merlin down to take his place. "What book do you need?"
"I don't need your help," Merlin said stubbornly.
"I have to get back to my studies, and if we keep it up, Geoffery will throw us both out. Now, which book is it?"
Merlin sighed heavily, "The red leather one, up there."
Arthur quickly fetched the book and handed it to him, glancing curiously at the title. "C-ca-nons Lie bra Med ci nae." he scowled as he stumbled over the words, "Here, take the stupid thing. I have work to do."
"Canonis Liber Medicinae," Merlin corrected smoothly, accepting the book in his uninjured hand. "It means the 'Canon of Medicine'."
Arthur was already walking away, "I don't care."
Merlin, unable to help himself, followed Arthur back to his table. "Can you not read? How is that possible? You're a prince! I've been reading for two years already, and you're three years older than me!"
"S-shut up!" Arthur's face burned red with embarrassment. "I have much more important things to do than sit on my butt all day and learn to read and write, unlike some people."
"Yeah, because that's exactly what we all want in a future king—an illiterate," Merlin said dryly, waving the book in his hand. "Thanks, I guess." He glanced at the book on Arthur's table and recognized the story Arthur was working on. "That's a good story. I've read it loads of times."
Arthur growled and picked up his quill, hurling it at a cackling Merlin as he fled from him.
"Idiot," Arthur muttered, sinking back into his chair and resting his head on his folded arms.
~o0o~
A week later, Merlin was back in the Library, not because of an errand for Gaius, but to spy on Arthur. He was standing an aisle away, pretending to examine the spine of a book while he listened to Arthur's muffled sounds of frustration.
He sighed heavily and put the book back on the shelf, shaking his head. He felt terrible for the other boy; from the sounds of it, he was still on the story he had been reading the previous week.
Merlin slid into the chair across from Arthur, kneeling to see across the table. "Do you need help?" He asked, cocking his head to the side to better see Arthur's face.
"Go away," Arthur snapped without looking up, his voice laced with embarrassment. "I don't need help from a peasant."
"Okay," Merlin shrugged and jumped off the chair. He returned to where he knew there were several copies of Aesop's Fables and pulled one from the shelf, flipping through its pages. "A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his paws. " Merlin paused as he listened to the muffled sounds of stifled vexation that continued from Arthur. "A timid little Mouse came upon him unexpectedly, and in her fright and haste to get away, ran across—"
Realizing that Arthur would not ask him for help, Merlin sighed and returned the book before flopping onto the chair beside Arthur.
"Look," Merlin said, pulling the book toward him with a gentle tug. "It's really not that hard once you get the hang of it." He pointed at the first two words, enunciating them slowly and clearly. "The Gnat. See? You start with the letters and sound them out."
Arthur eyed him with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. He sat silently glaring at Merlin for what felt like minutes, his shoulders tense as he stared down the other boy. However, Merlin merely smiled softly at him, and Arthur soon relaxed. "But Gnat sounds like Nat, not g-nat like it's spelt!"
"It can be confusing at times. Our language comes from a mix of different ones, so the rules sometimes don't make much sense…" Merlin scrunched his nose, "At least, that is what Mommy says."
Arthur sighed before looking over his shoulder and leaning in close to Merlin. "Fine, you can help me," he conceded, his voice barely above a whisper. "But if you were to tell anyone about this…"
"Who would I tell?" Merlin said with a giggle. "Who would believe me if I said that Prince Arthur couldn't read and needed my help to teach him?"
For the first time, a hint of a smile tugged at the corner of Arthur's mouth, and the tension between them began to lessen. Together, they bent over the book, and under Merlin's subtle guidance, Arthur began to stumble less and less with each new sentence.
And if Merlin had forgotten that he had snuck out and needed to be back before Gaius and his mother had returned from the lower town and was subsequently grounded from leaving the Physician's chambers for the next week, well, it was worth it.
~o0o~
The following weeks found Arthur and Merlin huddled in a corner of the Library. Heads pressed together as they poured over Arthur's study books. Merlin had also taken to the habit of bringing his own study books to get some of his work done. If one were to listen in, one would hear the sound of hushed voices and the occasional giggle as Merlin walked Arthur through the finger points of literacy.
"Try again; go slower," Merlin encouraged, leaning on his elbows, half his body on the table, as he looked at the book Arthur was reading from.
"Knight… hood," Arthur pronounced carefully, and with a triumphant lift of his chin, he looked to Merlin for approval.
"Put it together, knighthood," Merlin corrected gently, his eyes shining brightly as he looked at the other boy. "You're getting better! Soon, you'll be able to read all the stories people will write about your adventures!"
Arthur grunted, a small smile on his face. "I guess I have you to thank."
"You thanking a commoner?" Merlin quipped, his smile turning into a full-on grin.
"You're right. Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Arthur retorted, but the warmth in his voice belayed his words.
Their tutoring sessions became an unspoken routine, but they didn't confine themselves to the dim candlelit library. Outside, under the vast blue sky, their friendship continued to flourish.
After they would study in the Library, Merlin would follow Arthur to the training grounds. He would watch, eyes wide with wonder, as Arthur and the other junior knights went through their rounds. He'd cheer when Arthur would get the better of his opponent and run over to him in worry when he didn't, although he wasn't above playful ribbing when the occasion called for it. At the end of Arthur's drills, Merlin would be there with a giant smile and water for the sweat-soaked prince. They would sit together and watch as the older knights trained, their laughter mingling with the metallic armor ring as the knights practiced.
"Could you imagine me in all of that?" Merlin asked one day, gesturing to the knights. "I'd probably fall over from just trying to lift the sword."
Arthur snorted, "You'd fall over from just the chainmail. If you had a sword, you'd probably wind up skewering yourself."
"Ha-ha, you're so funny," Merlin replied with a roll of his large eyes. But he frowned, his gaze lingering on the knights. He might not be able to be a knight, but he did wish he could learn a way to protect everyone without the danger of exposing his magic. A wistful expression crossed his face before he shook it away.
When the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows over the castle grounds, Arthur and Merlin found themselves playing hide and seek among the hedges and statues. Merlin would cheat, using his magic to rustle the bushes or create a whisper of wind, consistently leading Arthur in the wrong direction.
"Got you!" Arthur shouted triumphantly when he finally discovered Merlin, jumping on the boy's back and wrestling him to the floor.
Merlin elbowed him off and jumped back onto his feet, "Maybe next time you'll be able to find me before my sneeze gives me away."
"I was buying you time," Arthur said with a huff and the crossing of his arms over his chest. "Next time, I won't go so easy on you!"
"If you say so, sire," Merlin said mockingly before squealing and dodging Arthur's grabbing hands. "Come on, one more round. I'll even let you prove how 'easy' you were going on me."
Merlin's laughter filled the garden, a sound as bright and mischievous as the twinkling stars beginning to emerge in the deepening blue of the evening sky. He darted behind a grand statue of Camelot's founder, his breaths quick and light, his heart pounding with the exhilaration of innocent play and newfound friendship.
"Come on, Merlin! I know you are using your tricks again!" Arthur's voice carried an edge of feigned annoyance, but the laughter in his voice was unmistakable.
"Tricks? Me?" Merlin called back, peeking out from behind the marble statue. "I'm just being resourceful."
"Resourceful," Arthur repeated dryly, although his lips curled into a reluctant smile. "I will figure out what you are doing."
"Good luck with that," Merlin muttered, a silent incantation slipping past his lips, causing a nearby shrub to rustle.
"Ha! There you are!" With a triumphant shout, Arthur lunged towards the sound, only to find his hands grasping at empty air while Merlin slipped away once more, chuckling at the prince's expense.
They ended their game as the dinner bell rang through the castle, both breathless and flushed from laughter as they slowly made their way up the castle steps.
"Another win for me, then?" Merlin quipped, a playful gleam in his eyes.
"Only because you are as slippery as an eel," Arthur said with a scoff. "Seriously, Merlin. I will find out you one day."
"Maybe," Merlin conceded, his gaze turning toward the horizon where the fields of barley and rye swayed in the breeze.
"Definitely. You're too much of an idiot to keep it secret for much longer, whatever it is." Arthur grabbed Merlin around the neck and pressed his knuckles to his head, making the younger boy squeal. As they ran through the corridors, their shared laughter echoed off the ancient stones, a harbinger of the adventures yet to come.