Why was it that his best laid plans always went awry? Or perhaps, it was Merlin himself who was just unlucky. That did seem to be a running theme for him lately. Although, he did have to admit, regaining his eyesight had been fortuitous for him.
Tucking the half filled satchel closer to his body, the young warlock wove in and out between various stalls and vendors throughout the marketplace. He stopped at one briefly and exchanged a single coin for a bundle of herbs that Gaius had requested he fetch that morning—ignoring the fact that it was now late afternoon—and Merlin hurried on. He had a lot to do and very little time in which to do it.
Blue eyes darted back and forth, looking about for one merchant in particular who he often saw wandering with a basket. He'd been searching for ten minutes, and it was only during his second trip racing through the stalls that he finally found her.
Matilda was a young woman, a few years younger than himself, and she carried a basket that was usually heaping with different flowers that she had procured in the meadows and forest. Today, however, she had done well in her sales, and when Merlin finally stumbled to a stop in front of her, all that remained were a bundle of half wilted daisies and a handful of wildflowers.
"Hello, Merlin! I'm afraid this is all I have left today, but I've found a patch of beautiful summer blossoms in the meadow for tomorrow."
"That's alright, Matilda, I'll take all you have left." He spoke, and the girl stared up at him with widened eyes.
"All of it? You're certain?"
"Completely." Merlin gave her a quick grin before pulling another small coin from the pouch at his side and trading her for the bundle.
Tucking the flowers carefully into the crook of his arm, Merlin spun about and hurried his way back through the throngs of people. It wouldn't normally take him so long to get through town, but he was frequently stopped and asked gently, curiously, or nosily how he was doing.
It was a question he'd grown used to after his accident. No one had expected him to recover. He hadn't expected himself to recover. But he had, thanks to Arthur. And the old Court Sorcerer. But those were thoughts he tried not to focus on for too long. Not that he didn't want to, but Arthur had made it clear that the topic was to never be brought up again.
Of course, most people had believed in the miracle cure theory that Arthur had tried to push. To everyone, Merlin had lost his sight when he'd been slammed into a tree out in the forest by rogue magic. He'd suffered without sight while Gaius attempted remedy after remedy to no avail.
However, during that trying time, the swelling on the back of his head continued to decrease, until one morning he'd awoke to blurry lines and shadows everywhere. Gaius' remedies had begun to work, and after two days his sight had all but returned to perfection. And that story seemed to spread well, with those that might have been skeptical easily believing that Gaius truly was the best physician in the whole of the kingdom.
The only person who truly doubted the story was Gaius himself. And doubted was really too generous. He had flat out disbelieved anything regarding his own skills.
"You used magic didn't you, you foolish boy!"
Merlin hadn't even bothered to lie. What was there to even say? They had discussed the injury to the fullest when it happened, and both had determined that no earthly remedy would have cured him. So Merlin had been honest. Which, while it had been better in the long run, had forced Merlin to listen to an hour long lecture interspersed with bouts of scolding from his guardian.
Making his way back towards the citadel, Merlin stopped one more time to purchase half of a wild turkey, struggling to balance it over his shoulder without crushing the herbs in his bag or the flowers in his arm.
As he hurried on, Merlin caught sight of a young man covered in sweat and dust, wearing a thick apron, and carrying a bucket of water. Things had been quiet and calm for a week since Elyan had been rescued, and Gwen had certainly been happier as well. Though Merlin couldn't really say what the exact reason for it was.
It very well could be the fact that she had her brother back, the last piece of her family remaining. Or, it could be what Arthur had done for her. Merlin suspected that it was a bit of both. Whatever the case, the warlock hoped that what he had planned would be as well received by Gwen as he hoped it would be by Arthur.
Of course, if he was caught beforehand there was very little chance that Arthur would do anything but yell at his servant, but the risk was worth it anyway. Merlin wanted to find a way to thank his friend. Arthur had refused to even think about what had happened with the potion and the Court Sorcerer since Merlin had regained his sight, but the warlock still wanted to show his gratitude.
He'd been in low places before but losing his sight had made him feel as though everything had been for nothing. He hadn't been able to read his spells, he couldn't protect Arthur, his destiny had been pointless. But then the prince had come through for him, and well, the warlock owed it to him to do something.
Hurrying on with his haul, Merlin bound up the stairwell to the physician's tower and pushed open the door with his foot, waiting with bated breath for Gaius to start questioning his purchases. When no voice greeted him however, the young warlock dumped the items onto one of the workbenches and got to work.
Gaius wouldn't be home until evening if he'd already left for the Lower Town, which afforded Merlin the time he needed to cook. After a few minutes of searching, the boy found a large pot, a few different spices and vegetables, and the leftover bread and cheese he and Gaius had splurged on the day before.
It didn't take the warlock long to clean and prepare the turkey, but it did take him longer than he expected to properly season it and get it cooking. Merlin had fought with himself the entire night before about whether or not this was a good idea, until he'd finally managed to justify it enough in his head.
Right now, and for the last week, there had been a breath of peace over the kingdom. It had been calm and quiet, and Merlin had enjoyed every second of it. The problem was that he wasn't sure how long that peace would hold.
Morgana could very well be plotting her next scheme at any moment, or the Court Sorcerer could poke his head back out of the shadows and suddenly decide he wanted payment for the potion after all. So Merlin was determined to enjoy the peace while they had it, even if that meant cooking a dinner and hiding it from the prince to get it done.
Once the food was cooking over the fire and the flowers had been carefully set aside, Merlin grabbed a piece of parchment and sat down at a workbench, awkwardly holding a dripping quill as his mind raced.
He spent a good deal of his time with Arthur, and yet when it came to how he interacted with women, he wasn't sure how the man spoke. The prince tended to be gentler with Gwen, which never ceased to surprise the boy, and he chose his words more carefully.
After several minutes and a few scraps of unusable parchment, Merlin folded over the note and returned the quill with a flourish. He was running out of time to find Gwen before Arthur finished his patrol, and before Gaius returned home as well. Glancing briefly at the cooking bird, Merlin gave the pot a halfhearted stir before hurrying back out the door and racing down the stairwell.
Gwen would probably be working this late in the afternoon, so the warlock hurried through the various corridors on his way to the king's ward's chambers.
He sensed Morgana's magic before he saw her. Once upon a time Merlin had enjoyed Morgana's company. He even had felt, well, something for her. He'd also felt her magic as it grew. If had been soft and sweet and blooming. Now, whenever he sensed it, it was dark and foreboding and filled with anger and hate.
So when Merlin rounded a corner and spotted the Lady Morgana standing to one side conversing with a guard, he wasn't surprised. Dark green eyes looked up as he moved closer, and a sweet smile had pulled her lips up into a kind expression. In that moment, she looked as she did when Merlin had met her just a couple of years prior.
Her eyes trailed after him as he walked, and when he dared a glance back he nearly stumbled, noting the change in her face. The kindness had been replaced with a smug smirk, and her eyes were daring him to speak, to say a single word against her. And then he blinked, and her expression smoothed, and she turned back to laugh at something the guard had said, returning her full attention to the man.
Swallowing down his frustration, Merlin continued on, the lump in his throat nearly choking him. He hated keeping the truth about her from Arthur, but Gaius was right in thinking that the prince would never believe any ill words the servant had to say. Especially if the blond ever discovered who Morgana truly was. Of course, that just made keeping the secret that much harder.
Drawing in a series of quick, focused breaths, the warlock slowed as he spotted Guinevere strolling away from him with a small basket of laundry cradled in her arms.
"Gwen!" Jogging to catch up, Merlin grinned as the young woman turned at her name, and a smile of her own appeared at seeing him.
"Hello, Merlin." She greeted, adjusting the basket of folded linens under her arm as she did. "Are you alright? You seem a bit flustered."
"Fine, yeah, great." The boy nodded exuberantly before thrusting out his hand with the now slightly crumpled note. "Just delivering this for you. To you! From Arthur." He could already imagine Arthur mocking him for this, his slip of words repeated again and again.
"Arthur asked you to deliver a letter to me?" The maid stared, taking the note delicately as if it were made of pure gold. It almost made him break and come clean about his whole scheme, but the note had to be from the prince, and he was sure his lie would be forgiven in the long run.
"Yes. How is Elyan doing?" The warlock asked, desperate to change the subject and keep his guilt at bay as Gwen forced her eyes from the note and back to the boy.
"He's doing really well. He's enjoying his work at the forge. For now." She offered a weak smile, and Merlin understood. Some people weren't meant to just be. They needed to move, to act, to be something.
"Well, good! Good. I've got to go, but, there it is." Merlin uttered, gesturing towards the note again as Gwen furrowed her brows at him.
"Merlin—"
"Sorry Gwen, got to run. See you later!"
Taking off before she could question him, Merlin raced back through the corridor and around the corner before returning to his usual pace. He noted that Morgana was no longer around where he could see, and a piece of him wondered if she had already returned to her plotting. Despite worrying what the woman had up her sleeve, the warlock had other matters to attend to, and made his way to the prince's chambers, making a single stop back home first.
Never in his life had Merlin cleaned so quickly. From picking up the items that Arthur had so carelessly thrown around, to wiping down every surface and mopping the dirt from the floors as fast as he could. The boy had just finished drawing up a bath and was arranging the flowers he'd bought on the table when the door swung open, and Arthur strode inside.
The blond took all of two steps before stopping, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword and his eyes narrowing at his servant.
"Arthur, you're back." Merlin spoke cheerily, standing up straight and angling his body to hide the flowers.
"Merlin, what are you doing?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, what are you doing?"
"I'm doing my job." Merlin stated indignantly, eyeing the man's muddy shoes. "And if you could take off your boots, I did just clean your floors."
"You're doing your job without my asking, and you're doing it well? Are you ill?" Arthur asked incredulously as Merlin let out a huff.
"I always do my job well, thank you very much." As the warlock folded his arms over his chest, Arthur turned his head and let out a surprised scoff.
"Are those fresh flowers?"
Glancing behind him before returning Arthur's stare, Merlin shrugged. "Yes. I thought they'd look nice with you. For you. I mean, for your room."
Squinting at his servant, Arthur slowly tugged off his boots and left them in a muddy heap by his door before walking past him. "I'm flattered, Merlin, but I'm afraid I just don't feel the same way."
A scowl overtook the warlock's face as the boy spun around to find the prince smirking. "Shut up, that's not what I meant."
"Of course not." The blond laughed, pulling out a chair and starting to sit down.
Merlin lunged forward before he could, waving his hands about. "No!"
"Merlin, what the hell is wrong with you?"
"Take a bath."
"Excuse me?"
"No offense, Sire, but you reek. You ought to take a bath before you sit and spread the stench." Gesturing from the chair to the tub half hidden behind a partition by the fire, Merlin swung out his hand. "I've already prepared one for you, as well as laid out fresh clothes."
"What is going on with you?" Arthur frowned, folding his own arms as Merlin clasped his hands together.
"Just trust me on this and do it."
Moving his head down, Arthur lifted one arm and took a deep breath, quickly grimacing and dropping his arm back down. "Fine. But I don't reek."
Merlin struggled to bite down on his tongue to keep his comment to himself, but he did. Barely. But when Arthur still didn't move, the warlock lifted his brows.
"Go on then."
"I'm not undressing in front of you after those flowers." Arthur muttered, jerking his head towards the arrangement as Merlin shook his head and threw up his arms in surrender.
"Believe me, that's the last thing I want to see anyway." Shuddering, Merlin stalked out of the room, leaving the prince to clean up as the boy crossed the citadel once again and headed for the physician's tower.
It wasn't yet evening but he was exhausted from all the running back and forth throughout the citadel, though if everything went to plan, it would be worth it. The smell of cooked meat greeted the boy halfway up the stairwell, and once he opened the door the whole room smelled of his stew.
Hurrying to remove the pot from over the fire, Merlin opened the lid and peered inside, pleasantly surprised to see that only the edges had burnt while he'd been gone. Not that he could boast about such a thing to Gaius, the last thing he wanted was for the elder to start making him do all their cooking.
Gathering together a few spare dishes and shoving them in his satchel, Merlin quickly scooped up the bread and cheese and wrapped it up, stacking them in as well, followed by a half open bottle of wine. Snatching up a few partially burned candles, Merlin dropped them into the bag next, and then carefully began to prepare the food for travel.
Once he was ready, the warlock made yet another trip to the prince's chambers, though this time he made certain to move slow and careful, not wanting to risk spilling the food. Eventually he made his way back for the final time, and he quietly pushed open the door and poked his head inside. He could see Arthur's shadow moving behind the partition, and the warlock snuck inside to avoid alerting him to his presence.
Setting the bag and the tray of food down gently on the table, Merlin began setting up two place settings, a dish for the bread and cheese, and two goblets. He had just begun to set out and light the candles when the sound of someone clearing their throat behind him made the boy jump.
"And what exactly do you think you're doing now?"
Nearly dropping the freshly lit candle, Merlin spun around and found himself staring at the half dressed Prince of Camelot. "Arthur! You're finished!"
"Yes, I'm finished. Answer my question, Merlin. And think very carefully about your answer."
"Well, I just figured you'd be eating in here tonight, given that your father is busy." Merlin gave a half shrug, turning to place the burning candle down before facing his friend again.
Arthur stared back at him with narrowed eyes for several long, awkward moments, before he suddenly leaned back, and an expression of concern flashed across his face. "Merlin, is this why I never see you with any women?"
Blinking, the warlock looked over his shoulder at the fancy table before swinging back around with his mouth hanging open. "What? No!"
"Because it's fine, really, but like I said, not interested in you in that way."
"No, Arthur, that's not it at all." The warlock groaned, waving his hands as he tried to force out the mental image Arthur must have gotten out of his mind. "Besides, you're not even my type."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Arthur demanded, suddenly offended as Merlin frowned.
"It means I'm not into self-absorbed, over inflated egotistical prats."
"Merlin!"
God, why was he making this so difficult?
"Look, would you just get dressed? And hurry up."
Scowling, Arthur folded his arms over his bare chest and glared at his servant. "May I remind you, Merlin, you don't give me orders."
"Do you really want to be eating dinner without a tunic? Cold, bare chested?" The two stared at one another in tense silence for several moments, and Merlin knew the second he'd won.
"Fine," Arthur declared while jabbing a finger at the boy. "But it's because I want to, not because you told me to."
"Oh, of course, Sire." Merlin nodded while the prince walked off to retrieve his clothes as the warlock's head movement turned into an eyeroll.
Returning his attention to his work, the boy hurried to lay out the food in a somewhat presentable manner as the aroma began to fill the room. Standing back and admiring his handiwork, Merlin couldn't help but grin. It wasn't the best looking meal, but it would serve its purpose.
"Did something happen to the chef?" Arthur grimaced as he returned fully dressed and stood at the other end of the table and surveyed the food.
"What? No, why?"
"Well then what exactly is this?" While Arthur gestured to the plates between them and the bowl containing his stew, Merlin hurried to cover the hurt in his voice before he spoke.
"I made this."
Okay, so maybe the stew smelled a little burnt, and pieces of the turkey and the vegetables he'd scrounged up had turned a little black. And maybe the bread was a little staler than the blond was used to and the cheese a bit older, but it was still a good meal.
"You cooked this?" Arthur asked in disbelief as Merlin nodded with pride.
"All by myself."
"Does it have rat in it?" The prince asked dryly, poking at the bowl of stew and eyeing the meat suspiciously.
"No, not this time." Merlin shot back.
Sighing, Arthur pulled his chair out again and sat down.
"Well, I'm off!" Merlin declared loudly, clapping his hands together and backing away.
"And where do you think you're going?" Arthur demanded, placing his fists on the table.
"Just, going back home."
"Merlin, I'm not going to sit here and eat this half edible meal alone with a bunch of candles."
"You won't be alone." The warlock promised, a smile threatening to expose him as Arthur's expression turned to one of confusion.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Just then, a gentle knock sounded against the door and Merlin let out a breath of relief. "Right on time."
"Merlin, who—"
"Arthur?" Gwen called softly through the door, and Arthur's words caught in his throat as he looked from the door to the table and back again.
"But—"
"I'm saying thank you." Merlin said quietly, and the man's confusion deepened.
"Thank you for what?"
"For helping me." The prince paled, and his eyes cut quickly to the door again. "Don't worry, we won't discuss it." Merlin shook his head. "But I still wanted to thank you." The knock sounded again, and Merlin finally allowed his grin to surface. "You might want to get the door."
Scurrying off across the room, Merlin opened the second door just as Arthur opened the other, and he heard the man offer a greeting.
"Hello, Guinevere."
"I was given your note, that you wanted to discuss something with me?"
"Note? Oh, yes! The note. Right. Well, uhm.." Merlin hesitated just inside the door as Arthur trailed off, and he bit down hard on his lip as he waited to hear what was said next. "I was just about to eat. Would you care to join me?"
Grinning, Merlin poked his head around the corner and watched while the prince pulled out Gwen's chair for her. Glancing over his shoulder, the man met the warlock's stare and for a moment there was nothing. Then a small smile began to tug at his lips, and Arthur nodded once as Merlin returned the motion before slipping out and closing the door behind him.
Sure, there was a lot of danger facing them all at the moment, but there was also a reason to enjoy the calm before the storm. And really, both Arthur and Gwen deserved a moment like that before things turned hectic again.
A/N
I'm back and so is this story! Taking a step away from this really refueled my desire to write for it, so I hope you guys enjoyed this easy steppingstone back into the arc!
Thank you to everyone who waited patiently for my return, and for showing love to the other story I had begun to write in the meantime! I'll still be updating both, so it may be a little longer between updates for both.
I hope you all have a marvelous weekend, and I'll see you all in the next chapter! - Ace
