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!

211. Chapter 213

Arthur Pendragon came to life under a dark archway, his entire body springing forward with a scream on his lips that seemed to echo around him inside the enclosed space he had hidden in after being subsequently thrown out of the rooms he was meant to sleep in the night before. He blinked rapidly in order to try and see around him, but everything was too dark and there was nothing for him to see as the room didn't have any windows to speak of. But Arthur felt as if he was almost blinded by panic, the recesses of his heated dream clinging to his skin like a taunt that had him throwing himself to his feet, the cloak he had used to keep him warm during the night hitting the ground beside him with a dull thump. It felt as if Arthur was in fight or flight mode, his hands shaking so much as he slammed his hands against the wall, trying in vain to try and find a door handle or something that would allow him to leave the small space. It was too hot in here, just as it was too cold, the sweat on Arthur's body only making it feel clammy and sickly and he needed to get out of this space just so Arthur could breathe fresh air. Even the smoggiest of air would've been preferable for Arthur when compared to the phantom scent of sex and electricity lingering in the air in a way that should not be familiar but somehow was.

Arthur's hands scraped against the wall, not even sure where the door was at this point but being too blinded to care even if it felt like he was going to tear apart his nails. He had abandoned his gloves at some point during the night as the hours of restlessness had dragged him by as he struggled to sleep on the cold floor of the room. But none of that mattered. Arthur could cause damage to his hands that would prevent him from being a proper knight and obliterate his dreams for the future, since what was a king who couldn't hold a sword as he should? How could he be the future of the kingdom if he couldn't actually protect them with his own two hands. But not even that seemed to matter, for the prince kept scrambling and crawling as if his very life depended on getting out of this room. It felt as if the walls were closing in on him, and the front of his pants were damp with some sort of liquid Arthur was too scared to identify at the moment, and the prince still searched wildly along the wall for where he knew the door should have been. But only rough cobblestone touched him on his fingertips, and clearly Arthur had gotten things wrong in his panic… but he was a prince! The next in line to inherit the throne of Camelot and lead people who lived within the borders of his land to the next era of peace he was meant to guide them to. Like a Sheppard leading the sheep to safety. Like the horse wangler leading his flock back to the stables. He wasn't meant to panic. Arthur had been TRAINED to not allow his panic to override him, because panic could be enough to get a man killed. Panic could be enough to cause a platoon of his men to perish under the wild fires of their enemies. Panic could… Arthur cried out as his foot, when he was struggling to move around to search for the door on another section of the wall, suddenly landed in the middle of something the prince could only determine was round and made out of metal.

Surprised and scared that something had caught his foot during a time of such distress, the prince pushed himself off the wall. But in his blind panic, the man did not realize he had pushed far harder than he needed to, and he only ended up slamming himself into the opposite wall with enough force that it seemed to knock the wind right out of him, his shoulders catching on many appliances he knew had been leaning against the wall. Without the proper balance to hold his form steady, the prince immediately fell onto the floor, landing roughly onto his backside, the mop bucket he had stepped in lodged firmly on his foot. Arthur was followed to the ground by multiple mops and brooms flipping down on top of him, their long wooden sticks clattering with a loudness that set the prince's teeth on edge as they rolled, some off of him and only the floor but others had fallen as if they were trying to cage him to the wall. And as if to add insult with his injury, when Arthur had hit the wall, he had done it with enough force, that it had caused vibrations to ricochet up the wall, where there were at least five long wooden shelves filled to the brim with cleaning supplies. Many of them, it seemed, fell off the shelves to rain down on Arthur, leaving the prince to cover his head in an attempt to shield himself from the worse of the damage. Bucket after bucket clattered, while what seemed like a thousand sponges vanished in the darkness of the room, and a million old rags that have seemed better days joined the heal. One of those moldy old rags even landed on Arthur's head, the edge flopping over so that it fell over, covering one of his eyes. And though all of the onslaught had felt like it was never going to end, it finally did. With him, the young prince of Camelot, firmly lodged in the middle and with nowhere to go.

Arthur took in several deep breaths to try and center himself.

To try and remember where he was.

To remember nothing weird or untoward was happening to him right now.

But Arthur continued feeling the icy embrace of the cold surrounding him. The cloak he had used to keep warm during the night was nowhere in sight after all of the ruckus he had caused when trying to escape the warm embrace that the prince felt had followed him from his dreams. And his clothes were sticking on his body to an uncomfortable degree, the sweat he had shed in his sleep made it feel as if they had been glued to his skin. Arthur kept breathing, not trying to escape from the little prison of household supplies that had tried to kill him as he made a bid for freedom. He had a broom lodged somewhere underneath his leg, which propped it up some. And he had his elbow cocked up higher than he felt his shoulder muscle should allow it, the handle of a mop holding it there. It was his foot that was throbbing though, the metal wash basket he had stepped in far too small to fit his large foot comfortably, but he still made no move that would get it off his appendage. And that was only the tip of the iceberg when one considered the rest of the junk holding him in this little safe bubble, where his dreams shouldn't be allowed to breech and haunt him for all he was worth.

But haunt him they did.

Just like everything about Merlin haunted him.

After Merlin had kicked Arthur out of their shared rooms the night before, he'd been left to find a place of his own to sleep at. Arthur didn't have the option of finding a nice and warm bed to climb into while he counted down the hours till he would have to sneak out and pretend he had been sleeping inside the head chambers. It wasn't exactly the largest estate in the world, and there was only a single wing of the other side of the estate that held the bedrooms. They had so many men who had accompanied them to get Merlin here safely, and Arthur knew he would never be able to find an empty bedroom—if there even was any left—to take shelter in without getting caught. Merlin and him were supposed to be happily married, so how was he going to explain why he wasn't sleeping in the same bed as him? Sure, nobles usually had their own bedchambers, but it wasn't as if couples weren't known to share a bed from time to time. So that option had been out. And like hell was Arthur going to curl up on the stairs as if he was a mutt waiting for his master to return and give him attention. Even if Arthur often felt like a mutt, begging for even a scrape of Merlin's attention, as little as it would be. Besides, he was liable to break his neck. Those stairs were old and rickety and weren't exactly large. He would've rolled down them barely seconds after he had fallen asleep, and ended up dead at the bottom. And this was how Arthur had found himself sleeping in a bloody supply closet, of all the things he could've climbed into. It had been cramp right from the start, and he had to sleep with his knees almost jammed into his face, and it was humiliating to be in the position while hoping nobody would catch him. But it also seemed to be reasonably close enough, just a hallway or two away, from where Merlin was sleeping, so he could pretend as if he was coming from that direction if it was questioned.

The closet was his safe heaven now, as fucked up as that sounded.

Especially considering his freak out when he had woken up.

Arthur squeezed his eyes shut as tightly as he could, breathing deep through his nose as he leaned his head back until it thumped against the solid wall just behind him. The rough stone was as different as could be from the dark, silken sheets that had been beneath Arthur in the dream. He breathed in deeply once again, the back of his arms tingly as if he was still there, feeling all the smooth fabric that had been laid out beneath him. Arthur breathed again, trying to not remember the darkness that had enclosed him in the dream due to the curtain being shut around the bed frame, which almost seemed to match how dark the supply closet was in. He breathed again through his nose, the muscles he had in his biceps clenching and unclenching as the fading scent of lightning mixed with pure unknown energy lingered and tickled in his nose. It was mixing with the pure scent of SEX that seemed to hover in the air all around him, trying to taunt and tease him with how… real… it had all felt. And the worst part of it all was how, when Arthur closed his eyes… all he could see was flashes of Merlin and what they had done together. He hadn't even seen Merlin without any of his clothes before, so this was from purely his imagination, but all the flashes kept coming and coming and coming. Almost faster than he could reasonably keep up with.

Flashes of pale skin, the knobs of Merlin's spine as he bent over Arthur's lap.

Flames of Merlin's thigh and the slight curve to the muscle as he lifted himself up to grin at the prince before swallowing him whole.

Flashes of those big ears and the way the dark hair curled around them as if to add another layer designed to kill the prince.

Flashes of Merlin's eyes, bigger and bluer and filled with more electric energy than Arthur had known what he was capable of, those pink lips stretched over his girth.

Flashes of the phantom sensations that came with Merlin swallowing him down and all but making love to him with nothing more than his mouth and those lips and his tongue and…

Arthur released a loud and desperate sob, his body shaking violently, in a way that had absolutely nothing to do with the chill in the air that crept beneath his skin and into his bones. The images inside his brain kept coming and coming in a flood of sensations and memories that would not be denied. He had never been that great at remembering his dreams before, he would usually only have a chance of recalling a few seconds here and there, if he was lucky. But it felt as if every piece of the dream and what had just happened was seared inside his skull, acting as if they were memories that had really happened, instead of it being a stupid little nightmare fantasy. Arthur wanted to bash his skull, hard, into the wall behind him to get these thoughts out of his mind. Arthur wanted to cringe in embarrassment and shame and ask himself why things like this is happening to him. He wanted to know why he kept having dreams like this… if it was just the one, then he could have brushed it off as nothing more than the fluke of a lifetime. But it wasn't the one dream. Arthur's had a dream similar to this before… weeks ago, back when he had still been convinced Merlin's been sleeping with Lancelot. That night had scarred Arthur in ways he couldn't dare explain, and it had followed behind him in its wake for days afterwards, before he had finally pushed it to the side as other things took his attention.

But why…

Why now….

Arthur choked, the lump in his throat making it difficult for him to breathe like he should be. He supposed, at some time during the last month, Arthur simply allowed his jealousy to reach a point it should have never been. He had been in the beginnings of his plans to do better by Merlin, and everything he had done had only left him being turned away or scorned. He had been convinced at the time that Merlin had taken to seeing Lancelot, the warrior being this cool, new, mysterious man with exciting tales and stories of his travels to wow him with… it had only been far too easy to imagine Merlin falling into his bed before all of the rumors about Merlin's sexual appetite had turned into nothing but one big falsehood of lies. But Arthur hadn't known that. And Arthur had always gone to the extreme when he was jealous of Merlin seeking attention from others. The prince had thought Lancelot was experiencing things with Merlin that Arthur'd never be able to experience for himself, and so the dream could have been the prince's way of experiencing it for himself on some level. He would get to have Merlin's taste beneath his tongue, and feel the way that his body moved under his hands, and hear the sounds that he made as Arthur learned what made the consort spasm. It had been a stupid way of compensating, but it wasn't like he could control his dreams. So, it had been an experience best left to the sands of time, where nobody but Arthur would ever know such a thing had happened at all. He had been content with it being his dirty little secret, and had almost even fooled himself into believing he had imagined the whole thing.

His cock had been hard at the end of the last dream.

Hard and aching and filled with blood and Arthur had cried as he waited until it had gone down enough to where it looked like a normal morning problem.

Arthur had convinced himself that was all it was.

Could he really say the same thing now.

Arthur squeezed his eyes so tightly that it felt as if stars were bursting behind his eyelids, and the blond prince felt his fingers twitching. He slid his hand till it reached his stomach, the muscles in his gut clenching and unclenching as if knowing how terrified he was of what he was about to find. It must have taken hours—but in reality, could've been nothing more than a few minutes—until the prince finally moved his hand. Lower. His entire body was trembling, but Arthur refused to look down as his hand slid past his hips. Until his hand slid down to softly prod at the cock that rested beneath his pants, and the way that all that cold liquid covering his private area caused his pants to cling to him. It wasn't mop water or some kind of soap cleanser like Arthur had hoped it was… no. It would have been all too easy to believe that he had simply rolled over and fell onto something that he shouldn't have and it had spilled on him. But it would have been a lie, and Arthur could smell the scent of what it really was lingering on his hand and wafting in the air. The air itself had been stinking of stale sex, and it could've been simply another part of the dream following him all the way back to the waking world. But his crotch was telling him a different story…

He was soft.

The liquid on the front of his pants was cum.

Fresh cum.

Arthur had cum in his damn sleep.

As if he was a teenager having his first wet dream.

Arthur snatched his hand away from his crotch as if he had been burned, while more sobs he could hardly contained rolled out of him, leaving his entire body to shake and tremble uncountable. He didn't know what to do, he didn't really know what he could do now that the truth was staring at him in the face. What was Arthur supposed to say now? Or think? What excuse did Arthur have to try and explain why he had came in his pants with thoughts of Merlin and all of the things that boy could do… things that his real consort didn't even know that he could do. Merlin didn't know how to work his lips around a cock, the little thing so innocent and pure, and here Arthur was like a dirty old man trying to get his rocks off by spying on young girls bathing in the river. Arthur couldn't even say this was happening because he was jealous of Lancelot again! Maybe he was a little jealous of how easy the relationship between him and Merlin was, but that was a completely different issue when compared to… to… to Arthur thinking he and Merlin were… were… were doing things together! So without Arthur able to fall back on something like that… what could he say or do to make this feel like it was normal! Like it was perfectly normal to be a straight man who had fallen asleep and dreamed—not once, but twice—of his gay husband doing things he had never done before in his life. What could… Arthur was going to be sick.

Arthur's stomach churned sharply, and the prince could barely keep his mouth shut as he surged forward, the brooms and the mops and the sponges flying in different directions and causing more ruckus that he wanted to, but also didn't care about at the moment, as he surged forward. His hands scrambled around in a panic, the bucket on his foot clinging as he slammed it against the floor in his haste, before he finally managed to seize his hands around one of the mop buckets. Arthur dragged it into his chest, and not a moment too soon, before it felt as if the entirety of his stomach contents was coming up. Arthur started to gag, more gunk exploding from his mouth and landing with wet and heavy little splats at the bottom of the bucket, the stench filling the room while his entire body shook from the force of it all. He couldn't pry his head out of the bucket as the tears rolled down his face hot and heavy and just too much. Arthur was sick. He was a sick man. He was the worse man in the entire world to think for a single second of having Merlin in such a compromising position… the prince threw up all over again. Choking and sputtering, and feeling as if he was trying to throw up his guts.

He was wrong.

He was disgustingly.

He was dirty.

He was… was… full of shame and self-loathing.

How could Arthur, just a mere twenty four hours ago, had been trying to do his damn hardest to wait on Merlin hand and foot. He had went out of his way just to make sure Merlin got the biggest piece of rabbit that night for dinner, while warning him about disappearing into the woods without telling anybody just in case something happened. And even sleeping beside him to make sure Merlin wouldn't be lured into the woods or something by Christian after the man had the gall to suggest Arthur give him permission to touch his consort. Arthur had prevented himself from punching Christian straight in the jaw only because he didn't want Merlin to think about anything other than what this weekend would bring him! And to think, just a mere twenty four hours ago, Arthur had thought long and hard about what he could do to get Merlin's consent for Arthur to kiss him. It didn't even have to be a big kiss! Just something soft and sweet, a little brush of the lips, just to prove to Merlin that Arthur could be a good kisser and not treat him like the horn dog he had been when he'd all but attacked him for a kiss. Just twenty four hours ago, Arthur had been looking at their situation a bit more innocently. Arthur had been nothing more than desperate to prove he could do something right, even if it was something as stupid as sharing a real kiss with his husband.

It didn't sound so stupid anymore.

And to be honest… it had never been stupid.

Arthur had WANTED to kiss Merlin for his own selfish purposes. He'd wanted to give Merlin something he could carry with him wherever he went, maybe he had even wanted Merlin to ask for it again just because Arthur had been good at it. But… Arthur wouldn't be good at it. He wouldn't be good at kissing Merlin and he wouldn't be good at befriending him and he wouldn't be good at doing anything else. Not like the way his dreams had suggested he would be. Merlin was a man! A bloody innocent man with a sweet smile that was never going to be directed at Arthur, with a tongue sharper than the wire of a razor as he tore Arthur down to pieces without lifting a single finger. Merlin was… perhaps he's extraordinary in the best ways and the worse. And here Arthur was… acting as if Merlin was some sort of plaything for getting his jollies out. Arthur would be awkward as fuck just trying to figure out where he was supposed to put one of his hands the second he tried to kiss Merlin, and it would be horrible for them both. And Arthur was sitting in a closet, crying pitifully to himself into a bucket of his own vomit, the shame of what he had thought about and his soft cock a betrayal that haunted him just as Merlin did…

Arthur didn't know what to do…

He didn't know what to do…

He didn't know why he kept thinking these things…

Why he wanted so desperately to be the one taken apart by Merlin before the boy painstakingly placed him back together because he wanted to. Arthur did not know how he was going to get out of this closet and walk around with cum clinging to the inside of his pants until he could find somewhere to change. He didn't know how he was supposed to face Merlin again, knowing that the other boy certainly hadn't consented to being a figure in his dreams. Maybe he had enjoyed it when he was nothing but a figment of Arthur's imagination, but the real Merlin would burn him alive for having such indecent thoughts. And Arthur would deserve it! If Arthur was so desperate and sexually frustrated, then the prince should have been dreaming about women. He should've been thinking of a slim body with dark hair that spilled all the way down to their thighs. The prince should have been thinking of a chest that had just enough breast to be held as Arthur brought her to completion. Should have been thinking about his fingers inside of her wet center before he gently eased himself inside of her.

He should NOT have been thinking of Merlin.

Shouldn't have dreamed of him in this context.

Merlin hadn't consented…

Consented…

Consented…

Arthur was no better than the rapist he had been on the verge of becoming all those months ago when he had been making plans to rip Merlin apart. He was no better than he was all those months ago, when he had wanted to see Merlin being his captive slave and learning to obey his orders as if they were his god-given words. Arthur was no better than he had been. He had only been fooling himself into thinking he was capable of changing himself for the better. He had been a fool to think he might have a shred of good somewhere inside of him so it could find a way to connect to Merlin. It was no wonder that Arthur made no progress with Merlin in the last couple of months he's been trying to show him he was different. It was because he wasn't different. And Merlin knew that. He knew that long before Arthur had. Had he sensed it or seen something Arthur had been ignoring about himself? Was he really so fucked up a person that the idea of Merlin in his bed and being free and wild and enthusiastic was enough to… turn him on?

His flaccid cock was all the answer he needed.

And Arthur threw up in the bucket all over again.

X

High above where Arthur was wallowing in his self-pity, a young figure hidden in a tower overlooking the entire estate, was just now stretching out his limbs to greet the brand new day. The sun was streaming in through the windows of the tower, bringing with it the morning heat as this figure pulled his arms high above his head and groaned loudly as he felt his back popping. He planted his feet onto the bed and flexed his toes against the sheets and beneath the thick blanket, grinning as he felt his bones pop deliciously. He had just been woken up when the sun had greeted him, but Merlin Pendragon was feeling peaceful as he finally rose up to sit straight on his bed. He placed his elbows on top of the bend in his knee, already starting to grin as he saw a couple of pretty birds flying past his window—or were those the bats he knew lived in the underside of the estate arches, returning to their haunt in order to sleep the day away. It didn't matter, Merlin supposed as his grin widened, since a quiet morning was something he was entirely unfamiliar with. He had always been woken up right at the crack of dawn back in Ealdor, pulled from the warmth of sleep sometime before even the roosters were crowing, and half the village was already taking advantage of the morning to get the more stressing bits of the work out of the way. Even when he was at his uncle's, things wasn't this quiet. Gaius was most likely already up by the time Merlin crawled out of bed and making loud noises as he fiddled around with his many potions and such.

The quiet that had befallen the estate this fine morning was something Merlin had been unaware was possible. It almost felt as if the entire world was trying to keep sleeping, unwilling to break the peace that had fallen over the land as a whole. And Merlin was nothing but a spectator, watching for when the world decided to stretch its wings and bring the chaos that followed wherever there were people around. But for now, Merlin felt as if he had an entire day laid out in front of him. Hours and hours and hours where he could finally get moving and lay the groundwork—or at least get a more solid plan—on what wanted to see this land become. He didn't have to worry about Arthur and Lancelot and their fighting ways now that they've gotten most of the friction out after they had their last fight. He didn't have to worry about the steward trying to follow him around when Merlin was getting a better grasp on the land itself now that he'd gotten his tour. He didn't have to worry about any of the knights getting on his case for one reason or the other—at least not those who had come with them… for the most part. And he didn't have to… worry about much other than trying to squeeze everything he wanted to do into the day he had. It… the dark haired boy breathed in deeply through his nose, his lungs expanding under the force of it… felt like a day that was full of possibilities.

And Merlin wasn't one to waste an opportunity when he had one.

The young consort nearly rolled himself out of bed, not wanting to waste one single second of the day he had… they did only have two days left before they needed to leave, and it didn't feel like nearly enough time for him to make any real headway. He ran around the room like a chicken with its head cut off just to find everything he needed for the day, since he couldn't exactly work while wearing his nightshirt and undergarments. Merlin shred the top and right then and there did he fold it up so neatly that every corner of the shirt was pressed to the next, before placing it on the edge of the bed until he needed it the next night. Merlin wasn't always so neat, as he was sure his uncle could've attested to, and he definitely had never been so neat that he would stop to place things where they needed to be when he wore only his undergarments. But one of the side effects of… being abused like he was… had left Merlin wanting to claim his life back. He had done this by throwing himself into a somewhat strict lifestyle ruled by schedules and getting such and such done by such time. The last few weeks his schedule had been full of studying property laws and land rules and taxes and ways to supplement things the estate lacked and endeavors to make it thrive. The history of what worked at other estates and what failed before it even got started. Merlin would wake up every morning these last few weeks so he could eat a generous breakfast, before spending several hours studying the information his uncle had tried teaching him, stopping only when it was time to eat a healthy and nutritious lunch, as per his uncle's orders in order to get to a healthier weight before their afternoon was spent on testing Merlin about all of the onslaught of information they had been trying to cram into his head. But all of that was hardly something Merlin was able to do now that he was here in his flesh. The only thing Merlin could keep doing so far away from the city was to make sure his space remained as clean and as neat as he could get it.

Which was why Merlin straightened out his bedcovers until it looked as if one could flip a coin across the mattress.

Merlin was feeling pretty damn good about his productivity—as odd as such a thing sounded when it involved Merlin—when he finally started dressing for the day. He found his bag exactly where he had laid it the night before, resting just beside the footboard of the bed on the floor, waiting for him to get it unpacked for the short weekend they were here. He would do it, of course, neatly folding and placing the few tops and pants he had in one of the nightstand drawers to keep it all in one place, since he didn't have nearly enough to justify using the wardrobe itself. Once Merlin got his space settled—he honestly couldn't even understand how he had gone to bed without the unpacked belongings getting under his skin and begging for him to set up this space like he had done back home—did he place his bag neatly beneath the bed so that it was close when he needed to pack back up. And only THEN did Merlin got dressed for the day ahead of him, reopening the drawers he had just closed so he could pull on his blue tunic, jump into his brown pants, and sat on the very edge of the bed just so he wouldn't disturb the sharp lines he had made of the sheets so he could slide his brown boots on. And, to complete the outfit, of course, Merlin tugged out the blue neckerchief he always wore and quite happily tied it in place.

Yes, Merlin decided as he tugged on the ends, today was going to be a great day.

Especially considering his coping methods kept him in the right mindset.

Once Merlin was done, he glanced back out the window to get another good look at the beaming sun shining down on his estate from thousands of miles above them all. He bit back a grin before turning away from the window and leaving behind the shelter that had been his room, closing the door behind him until he heard the solid click of the lock settling into place. He wondered if the steward, or maybe that Hermione girl, had a key for it. It would be just for his peace of mind to have the door locked whenever he wasn't in there, because Merlin would be damned if his good mood ended up ruined because he came back and found Arthur inside as if he was a welcomed guest. Merlin wrinkled his nose, his skin tingling unpleasantly, just the thought of the prince enough to start dragging him down. He didn't know where the hell Arthur happened to be right now, and he didn't know where the hell he had fallen asleep the night before, but Merlin was not going to let Arthur take advantage of his absence to move himself in when he wasn't here to stop him. So yeah, a key would be one of the first things he needed to get his hands on, since he refused to watch as Arthur's belongings mingled with his own. The prince's shirts thrown along the chairs and his shoes thrown about on the middle of the floor because he didn't know how to clean up after himself, his sword and chainmail put down in some random spot that would only get in Merlin's way. He had his room exactly like he wanted it, but Merlin wouldn't put it past the prince to take advantage when he could to do something like moving himself in:

Merlin squeezed his hand tightly around the door handle, thinking of the other liberties Arthur had taken with him.

Namely… trying to hold him down even in his bloody sleep.

NO!

Merlin fiercely shook his head violently, before slamming those thoughts down as hard as he could. He had a beautiful and perfect day full of possibilities set up and waiting for him, and had an actual good mood ready to accompany him on this adventure he was about to embark on. He would simply have to do the only thing he could do and throw Arthur's stuff out the bloody window so that it could rain down in the front yard. The one thing Merlin knew that the blonde hated more than anything in the world, maybe even Merlin, was having all that negative attention on him, and then being left to explain what the hell he had done. While his dirty underwear was blowing across the front yard in front of strangers and comrades alike. Merlin smirked sardonically at the thought, and ultimately decided that was the only thing he COULD do if Arthur was so dumb that he would try to infringe on Merlin's space after he'd already been told 'no' once. But those were issues that might not even happen, and issues that could be left up to speculation should it come to happen. But as for now… Merlin had an entire estate to explore. Maybe ask a few questions. Maybe look into a few simple first step projects… today was just the beginning of the rest of his life.

And fuck Arthur Pendragon for trying to ruin it before it even started.

X

Merlin Pendragon had planned on exploring more of the grounds now that he would be able to concentrate without Jacqui, the steward, hovering above his shoulder to bore him with useless facts like 'the third noble daughter of Lord Chakra once threw up on the same couch pillows that he continue to use even today'. The way that Merlin figured, he would probably be able to get himself a solid idea—or basis of an idea—if he could see more of how things were ran on the grounds for himself. He could check out the stables and check on how his new horse was fairing and talk to the stable hands about what they might need to make doing what they do easier, or what materials they might need that had to be hard to come by this far away from any towns. He could stop and take a look at the garden and see how they treated their greenery and if it was really different from how Merlin had done things back in Ealdor, and maybe talk with Luna some. According to Hermione, Luna was the one that worked the most on the garden, when she wasn't tending to the livestock in the stables or playing around with the millions of sheep that littered the grounds outside the gate. Or at least that was what Merlin liked to think, since he couldn't imagine living by so many of the little creatures and not having anything to do with them. Most especially since they could be used… they had so many that it was almost an abundance of wool and milk and other whatnots at their disposal that was just sitting there. Surely that could be used to make this place successful and self-sustaining, which was definitely what Merlin was aiming for, if only to show his husband that he could make his own way in life without him. Merlin should also check out the actual financial situation of the estate itself… he had gotten brief reports during his studies with Gaius but they were also old and out-of-date as the estate had clearly let itself go in the last few years. He wouldn't be entirely surprised if it turned out the noble family that lived here before had spent their days claiming nobility while racking up debt with other neighboring estates so they could keep it all these years, which was going to be a whole mother issue if that was true, and another reason to get this place up and running of all that was now Merlin's responsibility…

Or at least, those were the things Merlin planned to check out first.

But there was only so much Merlin had been able to do—namely walking to the main room—before he was accosted by his uncle. He had only been there for a few moments because he had found Knights Derrick and Justin trying to open up the thick curtains to allow the sun to stream into the room. Apparently they had been reckoned by the steward during the night in order to 'keep strangers from spying on the going-ons inside the house', though Merlin suspected that it was really because 'the other nobles didn't like the windows open so Merlin shouldn't show up and change such a minor thing.' He hadn't exactly been all that pleased when Merlin had wanted them open when they had first arrived at the estate, but the curtains seemed like a weirdly odd hill to die on… that was as far as Merlin managed to get before his uncle had showed up and wangled Merlin into the dining room for his 'weight gaining breakfast.' Most of the men, the knights, seemed to have already eaten breakfast and, according to Gaius, had spread out across the grounds to keep an eye on their surroundings since there had been reports of bandits hanging around in the forest they were near. But Gaius had been waiting for Merlin to join him, which was how Merlin found a steaming plate being set down in front of him by Hermione. There were large and thick pieces of fluffy toast and scrambled eggs that took up a majority of the plate. There was an oversized grapefruit on another corner that was felt as if it was calling his name, gleaming with juices and begging for Merlin to chew down on. He was actually ravenous, and Merlin was pleased by his hunger…it was a far cry from the boy that felt as if he was going to throw up at the mere sight of food he was being expected to eat. Merlin quite happily picked it up in order to start his early morning breakfast, knowing he needed the energy if he was going to make the most out of this day, when his uncle spoke up.

"You know, Merlin, Hermione's been quite a chatterbox this morning. She has been informing me about much of the situation going on around here that will need to be looked into or a solution found before you can really do anything of substance. That girl seems to know everything, and according to her, it takes a good three or four days for a team of knights to travel before they reach one of the villages in order to get their supplies. I suppose it didn't matter back when they had a whole platoon of knights, but the small group still remaining here is managing the trip on their own. Those three knights that are still here seem to be the only ones that can make the journey, since the girls would probably be attacked on the road if bandits come across them. Most of the food they have were brought back only a couple of days before our arrival, and I'm sure that it won't be long before they need to replenish their sources again since they can only do so much with the garden and no real livestock. It is quite possible that they only have enough for the weekend, which they only did for our arrival. But I'm sure I don't have to tell you how bad it is for the soldiers to be making all of these frequent trips away, leaving the estate vulnerable."

Merlin frowned uneasily, a small chill working its way down his spine. He knew how dangerous it was to have something going unprotected. Merlin's home in Ealdor had pretty much been left to fend for themselves, abandoned to defend themselves against the wolves known as bandits, their village so insignificant that even their king saw no use for them. And unlike the knights here who are able to fight if they needed to, then the serving girls who lived here would be basically defenseless should the worst happen and somebody managed to get inside the gates. And four days for a simple trip… that seemed like an awfully long time to be away with no way for the estate to contact them. Merlin took a large bite of his grapefruit, absentmindedly chewing as he thought over what solutions could be used to fix the problem. Something that would keep all the knights close to the actual estate grounds, and there had to be something that could control whatever bandit problem was going on in the woods. It seemed as if it was a miracle that their group had made it through without them facing an attack of some sort.

"Well… perhaps the first step should be focusing on getting an actual road out here to be built. I mean, the closest village around here, from those maps that you showed me, is about thirty five miles away from here. The knights have to trek through the forest just to get there, right? If there was an actual road that cut through it, then that could cut their journey down to a day if they're using horses and a wagon to transport whatever supplies they've got, right? But the road would also probably cause the bandits to flock to it in order to jump those traveling on it. But… a road can only improve the infrastructure around here so maybe the bandits flocking towards it won't be a bad thing. One of the things you mentioned to me during our studying was patrols for the estate… maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to have one on the road to keep people safe whenever they travel from here to there. But for that, we need the funding, and I will go ahead and say it now, but I refuse to ask Arthur to give me what we need from his royal coffers or whatever. It'll probably be a bit slow going but I think that it could work. I mean… all the sheep's conjugate in this area because of the wide open pastures, right? I think the land around that village you showed me is just a bit too close to the forest for their taste. Too many predators in there and all, so maybe the village could use some of what we got. I mean, we could make a few trips out there to sell some of the wool to the stall venders and whatnot to get their attention, let them know we're still out here and not just locked away like the last people were. It could be a way to raise funds until we get enough."

Merlin's brows furrowed together in thought as he took another large bite out of his grapefruit. It felt as if it would be an overwhelming amount of work and there was no telling how many trips it would take to gain the cost needed for a job like that. Perhaps there were other things they could do in order to achieve their goal… the goats also produced fresh milk but Merlin didn't think that was going to work. It would've already spoiled by the time the knights reached the nearest village. But perhaps they could sell some of the vegetables from that garden he's heard about. He would need to see how much was there and if the garden had anything extra that the residents themselves weren't living off of… all stall vendors were eager to pay a small amount in exchange for things they didn't have to make or grow themselves. But… ugh… Merlin took another bite of his grapefruit. As eager as he was to get this project off the ground, Merlin could already feel the beginnings of a headache starting to stir. He didn't see how he could even get the foundation of what he wanted up off the ground in the short weekend he had… IF he only had a short weekend. Merlin's chewing started to slow down at the thought. It wasn't… entirely set in stone that this was only going to be a weekend of him seeing to things personally. Finalizing things by letters and reports to keep him informed would only get him so far if he was a distance away by being back in the city. But… if he stayed… it would give Merlin more time to work hands on. It… Merlin started chewing robotically …. Perhaps Merlin could stay by himself a little longer. Merlin had pretty much put this thought out of mind after Arthur had first told him it was a possibility, since it had seemed like something that would never really happen. It's not as if Merlin was really going to pack up his entire life and start somewhere new… it didn't exactly go well the first time Merlin had to pack up his entire life and start somewhere new. But… maybe it was a little easier now. Imagining sitting at this table every morning, talking with whoever happened to join him as he's eating his breakfast, discussing what endeavors would fill their day. Watching as the estate flourished around him, becoming something that could stand on its own. It… didn't sound like such a bad life… it was only when Merlin placed his grapefruit down did the consort finally notice Gaius was watching him with a strange expression.

"What?"

Merlin wasn't entirely sure what to make of the way Gaius was staring at him at the moment. It was a funny little look that Merlin couldn't say he had ever seen him wearing before. His uncle's eyes were looking a little glassy, as if he might start crying, and that was definitely something that had Merlin start to worry. It wasn't exactly often—or at all—that he had ever seen his uncle crying. And the consort almost felt a surge of guilt trying to cripple him. Here he was, trying to seriously consider the changes his life would go through if he decided to stay here, that he had completely forgotten about his uncle and what he would say if Merlin just disappeared like that. Merlin couldn't just go and leave! Sure, the consort had his doubts about his uncle at one point, believing his life would've been easier if Merlin did leave or even died, so Gaius wouldn't have be wasting his life always chasing after and worrying about him. But… Merlin was in a way better place in a life than he had been. He understood now that his uncle loved him, and wanted the best for him, and it wasn't a hardship to look after family. Merlin felt the same way. If Gaius ever came to him with a problem that needed to be fixed, then Merlin would have been the first one to do whatever he could to help. But the one thing Merlin didn't understand was why Gaius had a really odd and twisted smile on his lips. What in the world could make a man sad but also… happy?… at the same time? Was Merlin seeing that right…?

"It's nothing, Merlin. I suppose I just like… seeing you like this. You seem to be really into what this whole weekend is about. You are already so full of ideas to do and you are clearly interested in doing what is best for the household when the people here have clearly been left to rot. It has just been quite a long time since I've seen you throwing your whole heart into something. It warms an old man's heart to see you so excited about what's to come." Gaius said, his smile growing as if it nothing pleased him more than seeing Merlin brainstorming or throwing out his ideas and coming up with solutions and whatnot. It didn't feel like anything to Merlin, just him stressing out about how much of a success he wanted this to be. But the way Gaius was looking at him now, made Merlin feel as if it was the great achievement one could do. But considering how much of a difference it was from the Merlin of old… it made the consort blush, this red brimming on his cheeks and making Merlin flustered. But he started to grin as well… Merlin quite liked this version of himself as well. He liked being able to have his own little project to work with. Something he would either see falling to thin or rising up because of his own hand and his own actions and his own decisions. Though Gaius seemed to take pity on his flustered nephew, as the aged physician took this time to pick up his fork again and take another bite of his meal before moving the conversation onto a different, but probably a way worse topic. "I noticed that you mentioned Arthur's name earlier, and I cannot help but notice I haven't seen him at all this morning. You wouldn't happen to have anything to do with that, would you? It's not like Arthur to sleep in for so long. But I also saw you speaking to him last night before we all retired to bed for the evening. Did you say something… because I feel like I should warn you of the dangers that comes with tempting that men into anger. Though I'm also sure I have said far worse to him in recent times."

Merlin winced, his hand squeezing tightly around the handle of the fork that he had just picked up, before forcing himself to relax his muscles. He didn't find it all too surprising to know that Gaius had been watching him last night, seeing Merlin approaching Arthur to demand answers for why he had allowed his first knight to win the battle they had partaken in. Gaius would have been watching the second he saw Merlin and Arthur in the same vicinity, keeping his watchful eyes on them just to make sure Arthur kept his hands to himself and didn't try to step out of line with Merlin. Ever since Merlin had nearly died in his attempt to get away from Arthur, his uncle's overprotectiveness felt like it had shot up through the roof. He was looking for almost any excuse to rip into Arthur if he dared to try something. But for once, Merlin couldn't say Arthur's sudden and unexpected absence had anything to do with him. In fact, Merlin thought as he glanced around the room with a worrying frown, it was pretty strange that the prince wasn't here yet. Merlin hadn't thought he would make it through eating breakfast before that horrid man decided to show himself, considering how he refused to let Merlin out of his sight half of the time. But when the blond didn't come racing around the corner trying to track Merlin down because he'd gone and overslept or something, as strange as it was to think of Arthur sleeping in when they were in a new place, the consort shook his head and turned back to his plate.

"I don't have any bloody clue where he's gone and run off to. Knowing my luck he's probably hiding away somewhere and licking his wounds after the tongue lashing I gave to him last night. Or coming up with some way of making sure I know never to speak to him the way I did again. But one never knows what the man is going to do when he's in a mood." Merlin said with a scoff, though not elaborating on the 'exact' tongue lashing he had given his husband. Merlin was still pretty pissed off about how easily Arthur had given up against Lancelot in combat. Even after all these hours to sleep on it, Merlin thought as he scooped up a generous helping of eggs and feeding himself, he was still pretty furious about it. It had been Arthur basically spitting in Lancelot's face and saying that he wasn't good enough to put up a half-decent fight, even when both of them knew for a fact that Lancelot WAS good enough. But should the other knights, the ones that lived here that had been half the reason for the fight in the first place, learn about that, then it would negate everything Lancelot would do for as long as he's there. It took away any merit Lancelot had towards being seen as a real knight. Merlin was just taking another bite of his eggs when he noted Gaius was giving him a raised eyebrow, clearly not believing Merlin didn't have a thing to do with Arthur's absence, no matter how well deserved it must have been. Merlin dropped his fork back into his plate with a loud clatter, "Oh come on! Do you really think for one second that Arthur would hide just because of a thing I said? You know as well as I do that Arthur's ego may be far more fragile than anybody I've ever met, but he's more likely to shove my face into a wall or something. Whatever reason Arthur has for staying away, it's not due to me, so I think we should just be thankful that we can finally have a single half-decent breakfast for once. Odds are we won't be having it again."

Gaius continued to frown heavily, glancing towards the entranceway where he and Merlin could see Markus making his way past the doorway carrying a huge box of supplies, with Ginny hurrying after him after clearly accosting the other knight for his muscles. Merlin steadfastly turned himself back around to return to his mostly eaten plate, refusing to be disbursed just because Arthur wasn't here. Maybe it was a bit concerning for Arthur to NOT be here, and him being quiet had always led to some of the worse moment's of Merlin's life, but that's not neither here nor there. He would rather spend his day getting as much as he could done instead of chasing Arthur around. He was obviously going to be back at some point, as it wasn't like he could get very far from the estate, and Merlin wasn't lucky enough to come across Arthur's disembodied corpse one of these days, so he was pretty sure Arthur wasn't dead. Which… Merlin would not have been concerned about. But he was pretty sure everybody else would have been freaking out if the city's damn prince of Camelot suddenly ended up falling down the stairs headfirst or something. Merlin though, felt like he would be quite content to continue eating the remains of his breakfast, taking a large bite out of the triangle of toast. He would have been quite content to finish his meal without Arthur's interference… until he saw a flash of something from the corner of his eye. A flash of long blond hair on a thin body seemed to be quite happily skipping past the large windows.

"Oh, shit! I have to go, but this was such an… enlightening conversation, so we should definitely do this again sometime Uncle Gaius."

Merlin practically blurted these words out, throwing himself up out of his chair and causing Gaius to jerk his head up with surprise. But the consort suddenly found himself in a major rush to keep up with the girl before he lost her, but he did stop only long enough to cram as much food as he could into his mouth till it felt like his cheeks were bugging out from it all. But Merlin forced it down his throat, snatching up his freshly squeezed orange juice and chugged it down to help wash down what he had just eaten. After all, Merlin had been thinking just earlier about how much he wanted to see the garden and talk some with Luna and maybe even get his hands a bit dirty for once. And as far as he saw it, this might be the only chance he got during the whole weekend to actually do it, as he would probably be getting pretty busy with other things as the hours wilted away. Gaius was too stumped by this sudden change in demeanor, that the old man was unable to say anything when Merlin quickly hurried from the room to give chase.

X

Merlin Pendragon wasn't entirely sure what he was expecting when he made it outside without any of the knights running around the house trying to stop him or follow him. He wasn't sure what he was expecting to find as he strode along the side of the estate, following the line of dainty little footsteps that had been left behind in the sand. And he wasn't entirely sure what he would be going to see once he made it around the corner, and standing just down the way from a very small and poorly standing garden fashioned in a hidden nook. But Merlin definitely couldn't have expected to see the young serving girl Luna, dancing and skipping and twirling around in a circle around the garden, sprinkling fresh water on top of the leafy plants from the watering pot she hand, her long white looking blond hair curling at her waistline. Merlin tilted his head to the side not entirely sure what to make of that, or if he should even be out here watching it right now. Merlin glanced around to see if there was anybody else nearby who might be able to explain what was happening to him, or at least share with him in his confusion. But it seemed as if it was still morning enough that most were still inside the actual house. Leaving Merlin to wonder whether or not he might need to slowly back up and pretend he hadn't seen anything.

This dance sort of looked… private. With the way Luna's bare feet were making holes and grooves in the dirt just outside the sectioned off part of the area she had used for her garden, and the way the edges of her skirt was lifting up each and every time she made a sudden twirl and revealing her ankles, Merlin's sure she wouldn't appreciate the way he was gawking at her. In fact, the young boy was pretty sure no woman would've appreciated the way Merlin was gaping at her the way he was. He wanted to take a few steps back and ease himself until he disappeared around the corner before she noticed he was standing in front of her, but at the same time… he couldn't stop watching. Merlin didn't believe that he had ever seen somebody dancing… quite like this before. When Merlin had watched the people of Camelot dancing a time or two, they had all looked so stiff. As if they were simply following a complicated dance number they had been taught, and one wrong step out of line would cause humiliation and leave them stranded and thrown out of 'proper' society, which only made dancing so much more stressful than it should've been. And the few times his people back home in Ealdor had managed to throw a party to celebrate the end of the years harvest or the birth of a new member… it had led to a huge bonfire right in the middle of the town. And their dancing had always more or less included them simply flaring their limbs around and looking stupid while they did it since not one of them actually knew what they were doing, but it had always been loads of fun. Neither of those dances matched the energy that was happening right now with Luna. She seemed to be following a beat that Merlin couldn't hear for himself, perhaps something that was playing inside her own head. She would stretch one of her arms out high above her head, one of her dainty and small looking feet sliding across the hot sand as if she was becoming part of it. She was dancing differently than he had ever seen before, but Luna looked almost as if she was… free.

Like a bird.

As if she would take flight at any moment and disappear into the horizon.

"You know, I don't really think that you should dawdle around and hide yourself in a corner, Consort Merlin. It wouldn't be very nice of me if I were to turn you away when you came all this way just to follow me. But I do ask that you come and join in the circle quickly, before the nargles come and try to make a home inside your brain. They usually aren't very nice creatures to people who spy or lurk in places they otherwise wouldn't be. But I do think they might agree with sparing you from such a fate. Even among the creatures of stories, I do believe that they have heard your tales. Of the things you have done, and of the things you have yet to do during your future reign as this kingdom's consort. It really is quite fascinating, you see, if one learns how to read them the way that very few people are actually able to do. Not many people believe, and it often leads to the nargles growing restless with their little pranks and such."

Merlin wanted to be horribly embarrassed… he knew what it was like to be the one caught by somebody that shouldn't be there. He wanted to be even more embarrassed simply because it was obvious that he wasn't being as sneaky as he had thought he was; Luna had clearly known he was following her, and from the very beginning probably. But it was hard to be embarrassed when he found himself to be… horribly confused about everything else she had said. The dark haired boy wanted to know what the hell… nargles… were, because he couldn't say he had ever heard of such a thing before. And the way the creatures were apparently able to… get into his head?… made him have the sudden urge to try and cover his ears up as if that would stop something small enough to fit. The consort was sure there was nothing in his mind that… anything would be trying to see. But… what did Luna mean by 'creatures of stories?' Did that mean they didn't exist outside of fairytales? Was Luna trying to have her fun by messing around with him in an albeit friendly but strange way. And the more important questions of all… what did Luna mean about his 'future reign as the consort of this kingdom.' What did Luna think she knew about his future? Was it her way of simply playing around… most people assumed those with ties to royalty had some big destiny that was awaiting them and would lead to their being stories of them aplenty. But Merlin had this… nagging… in the pit of his stomach that told him something much bigger was going on. Despite the mad ramblings the girl had done as she spoke about nargles and how they liked to 'prank people,' he felt as if she had meant something else. Luna had also sounded… ancient in the way she had spoke.

Almost like…

Like the dragon.

Merlin swallowed hard past the sudden lump that was in his throat, and he was able to feel the goosebumps forming on his skin at the mythical way she spoke to him. Perhaps, once upon a time, Merlin would have been filled with awe just to hear a semblance of those words, just like he had been the first time he had ever met the winged beast living beneath the castle of Camelot. But times had changed, and Merlin those words only invoked a sense of dread. The future… an event that Merlin couldn't escape from since he had seen how wrong he'd been to try and take the easy way out the last time. But if Merlin wasn't going to be able to escape it, then what exactly was going to happen to him? What is going to come? Merlin's future seemed to be so spread out with a million or so different paths that could lead him to a million and one different futures. There could be one future that happened because he decided to forgo the life he had made in Camelot in order to stay here and focus on the restoration of his little estate he'd been left in charge of. Or he could have a completely different life—a different outcome—if Merlin decided Camelot was where he needed to be after all. So many possibilities and so many different chances for getting some far off happily ever after… would Merlin even know the right choices to make if it bit him on the arse? He didn't know. But Merlin did know… the future terrified him immensely.

"Luna, what do you mean… my future reign over Camelot. What are you talking about when you said… the stories I've yet to be apart of. And… what signs? Do you… what do you mean when you said that you are able to read them? Do you know… do you know something that I do not?" Merlin asked, hating his shaky it shaken up his voice sounded. He didn't know what to think, as Luna made this short humming sound beneath her breath. She was looking at him with colored eyes that almost looked silver under the glare of the sun, hazy and with a mad smile on her face, almost as if she didn't know who she was talking to. But the consort could feel a surge of urgency going through him, causing the sudden spiking of his heart rate. He needed to know, there was so much he needed to know, and he didn't know if Luna was the one that could give him answers, but his future was on the line here. Would Luna know whether or not he should go back to the city or stay here at the estate? Would she know which life could be the best one for him? But Luna only kept humming to herself, playing this silly little tune that sounded almost haunting in its melody, before he took a step to her. "Luna, please! I… I only came out here to ask you about your garden since I thought it would give me a chance to talk with someone else. But you are not just the girl that gardens and watches the horses and spends her days outside in the sun, are you? You're something else… what are you?"

The words came out in barely a whisper and Merlin was almost terrified to say them out loud, as if an entire army of armed men were going to descend onto them at any second now. But Merlin just… didn't know what to think. He'd been so sure that Luna was human, she certainly looked human enough, but she did not act like any human he knew. He wasn't entirely sure what she could be but Merlin could feel a spike in his magic as a pulse of something foreign filled the space between them. It wasn't something light, nor did it feel bad, but it felt so strong that it took everything Merlin had not to collapse onto his knees after it hit him. The pulse point in Merlin's neck seemed to throb violently, and Merlin could hear Luna's humming getting louder, the wind picking up around the two of them as if she was somehow controlling it. And Luna was watching him, the knowledge and the knowing suddenly making themselves known in her eyes is enough to make his breath catch. Did she know? Merlin was a lot of things, but delusional wasn't one of them. And with the way Luna was looking at him now … as if she was seeing and searching and touching every secret he had that'd been weighing on his heart. Being a sorcerer, causing Gwen to live through the worse days of her life when she'd been arrested, all the lies he'd spoken since coming here to make sure people didn't find out what he was, all the strain he knew his uncle had been under since Merlin had came into his life…

Everything stopped.

It was as if the entire world and everything else inside of it had gone suddenly still, frigid and dead in a way. Merlin couldn't even feel his magic raising up as the surge of power in the air vanished, the flickering of energy in his body fell to a somewhat more subdued state. And the eternal aura that spoke of the girl being many years older than her modest teenage appearance would have once suggested, seemed to vanish, leaving Luna as calm and happy as she's always been the few times Merlin has seen her during his short stay. And Merlin found himself unable to do anything but watch in helpless shock as Luna knelt down causally on the ground in front of her little garden, her feet folded underneath her and the skies of her peasant dress fanning out. Merlin almost didn't know what to do when Luna leaned forward and patted the door beside her, almost as if she wanted Merlin to take a seat beside her. But Merlin wasn't sure if he should, an inkling of worry slithering around in his belly like a thousand snakes suddenly surging to life. He looked around, as if hoping Gaius or even another, would come walking around the corner so he had a decent excuse to turn and leave before anything else strange happened. But nobody came, and the days of Merlin running at the slightest hint of danger were gone… unfortunately. He took a deep breath.

And then sat down on the ground beside her.

Merlin wasn't entirely sure what he had been expecting when he sat down next to the strange girl—an explosion of kinetic energy as their magic connected or collided together from sheer proximity. If it was even magic on her end that he had felt, and not just something completely different. But when nothing really happened, Merlin was cut off guard just as badly as he would've been should something have actually happened. The surreal feeling didn't escape him even as Luna started humming beneath her breath again, her little tune sounding a bit more uplifting as she leaned forward and poured another generous helping of water on some of the green growth that looked to be becoming green bean. Seconds passed by in silence as Luna started patting around the dirt, making it flatter and not caring in the least about the brown dusting her fingertips. All of this was just so… insanely normal, that Merlin almost had to ask himself why this was all so normal? He had to wonder whether or not he had actually felt a surge of power coming from Luna, or if it really only been just his imagination convincing him something was there that wasn't. Considering Merlin's history, it wouldn't be surprising to find out that surge of power had simply existed in the realms of his mindscape.

"You know, Consort Merlin, I really do hope you don't let the little incident you had with the stone statue falling towards you ruin the impression you may have towards our little piece of land. It really was such a strange occurrence, as this manor was built to withstand much, and it hasn't existed nearly long enough to have the rock surrounding the statues eroded away enough for such a horrible thing to happen." Luna spoke in her strange tone of airy wonderment, pressing harder against the dirt as she tweaked one of the green plants, untangling one piece here or there that might cause its growth to be stunted if it wasn't fixed first, and possibly ruining a perfectly edible meal-to-be. "I suppose it was luck that caused your husband to be nearby and able to pull you out of the way just in time to avoid you being squashed. Although I'm certain not everybody might consider it lucky, all the same. Prince Arthur, as revered as he is for being such a skilled warrior, might have noticed something that wasn't supposed to be, do you think he would've seen something amiss if there was?"

The length of Merlin's spine straightened as Luna spoke about the unfortunate events that had happened to him during the fight between Arthur and Lancelot the day before. Merlin had mostly put the actual incident out of his head, as he tried to not think about the way he had looked up and watched as the hundred pound statue came pelting down towards him at a speed that was even faster than the speed of light. And how easily it could have killed him right when the consort was finally starting to turn his life around. He didn't even want to think about how he was still alive because Arthur was so obsessive, he had noticed the second it started happening before Merlin had even been aware of how he stood so closely with death touching his hand. But Luna was speaking almost as if she was trying to apologize for such a horrible thing happening when the consort was so new to the grounds. And yet… there was something under the words Luna was actually saying. Something that was calling out to him. She's saying something, without actually saying it. And the consort swallowed hard. It was starting to slowly dawn on him that he might not have imagined the way the power had surged in the air. Was it really so crazy of an idea if Luna had an affinity with magic as well? Especially considering Hadrian's secret… maybe he was why Luna was talking about this. Was Luna trying to act so innocent, with a disarming presence, because she was trying to figure out if Arthur had been close enough to see the way Hadrian had deflected the statue before it could flatten him. Did she think Merlin would know?

But despite the questions racing through Merlin's mind, he couldn't help all of the wonderment brimming beneath his uncertainty. Merlin didn't think that he had ever met anybody else who had magic like he did, and had to hide just as he did because of it. Oh, sure, Merlin had ran into a few magic-users that had wanted to destroy Camelot or kill Arthur for some reason or another. But when was the last time Merlin had met somebody else who was simply trying to live their lives without trouble, and just so happened to have magic. When was the last time Merlin had been able to talk to these people, people who were close to his own age. People who he could actually talk to and bond over the shared experiences that had to happen when they had secrets as big as theirs. What ways had Luna or Hadrian had to do in order to hide if somebody got too close to their truth. Did they get into as much trouble as Merlin did when he was in a struggle to hide what he could do? Or were they safer living way out here, and so far away from a majority of other people. Would Merlin be safer, if he could live so far away from other people and out of the public's eyes? It was only one more plus as to why living here would be better for Merlin, but it was wrong for him to play around with such thoughts. It was only just a few minutes ago that Merlin had decided, while he's was eating his breakfast with his uncle, to give up on such thoughts. So why did he feel the pull to stay here? With others that might understand him and the struggles he still lived with. His uncle had been such a rock for him during these last few months, and Merlin knew he wouldn't have survived if Gaius hadn't sacrificed so much for him. But not even he'd be able to understand certain aspects of his life.

"Here. Consort Merlin. I think that it's really important for you to know some of the things that I know. It seems as if you lost your way for quite a while there. I think it's nice that you are working towards something better. But I think that it will lead you down a better path if you simple remember the important bits the world brings us. Here, Consort Merlin, won't you place your hand here next to my own?" Luna continued to speak, shifting tone just as fast as when she had started talking about the statue, making Merlin jump in surprise, having to get his brain to wrap around the new topic. The consort frowned, brows creasing together, and he nearly jumped again when Luna boldly reached out to take his hand in hers. Merlin dropped his eyes to where her fingers were pressing onto the back of his hand… he wasn't used to strangers touching him. And it felt as if Luna was the strangest stranger he had ever met. But Luna, as if sensing the cautiousness Merlin was eluding, only smiled and brought Merlin's hand to the plant she'd been fiddling around with, placing his hand on the dirt, beside the long green stems sprouting out of it. Merlin darted his eyes from their joined hands to Luna, who smiled again, as if she was perfectly sane and everything was right in the world. "You know, there's a reason that I love being out here. I love being around the horses and the sheep more than I do people. I love the connection I have with the food that I manage to grow, even if I can only do so much with what I have. But you know what I especially love…? How everything is not what it seems. Do you know what I mean?"

Luna was looking at him as if she was expecting for Merlin to agree with what she had said, but Merlin found himself unable to speak. She had this twinkle in her eye that one just didn't see in people nowadays, and Merlin knew that he'd been told Luna was a little crazy in the head, but… he wasn't sure if that was a thing to be thought of as bad. Even if Merlin still didn't know who or what she could be. But… perhaps he did understand a little about what she had just said to him. How everything's not what it seems…. Well? Merlin figured he knew all about things like that. When people looked at him, they saw a clumsy oaf of a peasant boy that has had to struggle his entire life just to get food inside of his belly, and who had catastrophe after catastrophe following him everywhere he went. Or, nowadays, they saw him as their Consort. Somebody who was going to be their 'savior' and would 'help look after Camelot and its people' so they could be shepherd into a golden age once Arthur took the throne. Or whatever it was the people were whispering about him ever since he had risked his own neck to pull all those people out of the fray when the griffin had tried killing all of them. Or they even called him a 'diplomat in the making' or 'a most merciful and benevolent ruler to be' after hearing bits and pieces of what happened to the knights that had attacked him, and how Merlin had behaved when the trial had been going underway. But despaired all the blandness the people thought he'd been born into, and despite all the titles he had somehow managed to get despite his rough beginnings… nobody knew the real him. Nobody knew of the power brimming beneath his skin, of the surge of energy he could feel spiking as he drew it forth. He was something that was not what he seemed. Nobody had surely thought the stupid peasant boy their prince had married would ever amass anything. And nobody had surely thought that same peasant boy had all the ability in the world to drown them all in fire and ice and whatever else that he may need.

"I often believe that people are the same as plants. Some can be as gentle as a rose can be, and some can be as dangerous as a Venus flytrap. But… at least with plants, you know what to expect. And with people, I find it interesting just seeing how different they portray themselves from who they truly are. After all, roses have thorns that can make them dangerous but are often unseen until it is too late to not be pricked." Luna continued to speak, with that same odd tiny little smile that only made Merlin's confusion increasing. Surely Luna was more than just… the girl with the head injury. She had to be… she had to be trying to tell him something. But what that something could be, Merlin was finding it so hard to connect the dots. She had been speaking about the incident with them nearly being squished to death by the statue, and then she started speaking of the plants and life and how different everything seemed when one simply took a second look at what was right in front of them. But what did all of that mean, really? "But perhaps men are even more complicated, the most complicated of all creatures, don't you know? Able to disguise themselves better than even a rose and its thorns can. Some men can be the most scariest of creatures, and can yet be gentler than any other. And then others… others can wear the face of a friend or confident or advisor and only be looking out for themselves. It is a messy world we live in, having to look twice at the people in our lives. Don't you think, Consort Merlin?"

Merlin's breath caught at the sound of his title spilling from her lips, the dread pooling in his stomach like liquid as the hair on the back of his arms started to stand on end as the goosebumps sprung to life. The sound of his title sounded almost like a threat when it came from her, despite the gentleness she seemed to look at him with. Luna still had his hands pressed against the dirt resting on the garden between them, and Merlin could only stare deeply into her inhuman silvery grey eyes. Here Luna was, warning him about people not seeming to be who they were at first glance. Was she talking about him… warning him on how she actually did know the secret side of him he kept to himself. Or maybe Luna was talking about herself… and the inhuman things that she could be capable of doing herself. Was Luna trying to warn him that she was dangerous? Could Luna be trying to give him a chance to escape before she did something that'd hurt him? Was she going to try to hurt somebody else? What could any of this have to do with the statue nearly killing both him and Hadrian? Did this have to do with the statue at all? Or was Merlin just overreaching to try and find some kind of connection between that and what was happening now. Merlin's hands grew tight with tension beneath Luna, and the consort licked at his incredibly dry lips.

"Luna, are you…"

Merlin trailed off, and to be honest, he didn't even know what he had been so close to asking her. He could have asked her if she was a sorcerer like he was, or if she was some other kind of mythic creature he had never seen or heard of before, or if she was neither of them and something else entirely. But this died on his lips before he could think of the proper way to ask it, and Merlin almost felt kind of lost right now. He didn't know what to make of her. Could she be a new friend to him? Or somebody that he was going to have to watch out for in case anymore statues decided to fall unexpectedly when he was walking past them. And to think, it was just earlier that Luna had been going on about how Merlin had spent much of his time in recent months being lost, and how Merlin was only just recently starting to find himself again. But then there were times like now where Merlin wondered if he had really made as much process as he liked to think he'd been. Sure, he was starting to eat more normal portions and meals and he was starting to sleep full nights and he was starting to find being able to smile came easier to him. But was he really becoming healed whenever he still stuck to such a strict schedule back home to make sure he didn't start slipping up? Was he really healed when he kept questioning whether or not he should make the move out here… wouldn't he be perfectly happy living his life in Camelot if he had released the anger that made him resent the place? Was he healing, or had Merlin simply been fooling himself all this time?

"Don't ask questions you aren't ready to know the answer to!"

Merlin went stiff, his blood pulsing a little bit faster as the sharp tone that the other girl had used on him seemed to ring around them with the same force of a bell hitting a gong meant to echo across an entire city. It was the loudest he had heard Luna speaking since he had approached her, as well as what had to be the most cross. Luna appeared most abashed by her sudden outburst, and it made Merlin feel as if it wasn't often—if at all—that Luna lost her temper the way she had. But if it was so uncommon, then what had Merlin said that ended up with her pushed over that edge? What was it that had Luna sitting as if she was right on the edge of a seat and prepared to tumble off the end at the first sign of trouble? What had that little worrying crease appearing right between her brows? What was it that had Luna looking so terrified? And why was Luna now leaning forward, lowering her voice so softly that it felt as if she might be terrified of somebody listening in to them.

"Do not be alarmed, Consort Merlin, but I have seen things and I fear that you are not as safe as you believe yourself to be. If you hope to survive the days to come, I suggest that you keep those you consider your friends close. Building your relationships, both new and old, might be the only hope you have should you want to survive what the future will bring to you." Luna spoke in this calm but chilling tone that had shivers erupting down Merlin's spine. He was scared, he knew, of what she was saying and in which she was saying it. Merlin did not know Luna, and most people probably would have dismissed the girl as doing nothing but making a poorly tasting joke. And with Merlin's history towards his people creating new situations just to throw him into the fire, he was even less liable to believe somebody at face value. But… something about Luna and her warning, the mystique she'd been carrying since he came out here, made him believe she was telling him the truth. And that… that was almost bone chilling than anything else he had seen yet. "I only warn you because there is little I'm actually able to do myself. I'm not a fighter, Consort Merlin. I can only ever be a watcher, and you… you are a favorite of the gods, believe it or not. Which is why I give you one final warning to keep in mind while you are within the land of the estate… not all accidents are as accidental as they appear."

Merlin's hands were frozen stiff as Luna pulled herself free of him, returning to her mysterious haunting tune, humming it beneath her breath as she collected a few small things from her garden that would be used for dinner. But the dark haired consort could only sit there and watch her, unable to so much as move an inch even after she stood and merrily skipped away from him as if she'd not just turned his world upside down. Her strange warning kept echoing inside of his mind, mixing in with the bits and pieces of information that had sounded as if it was nothing more than the ramblings of a madwoman. But some time later, as goosebumps sprung up in places on his body he didn't even know that they could form, he started getting a clearer picture. And he could try to deny this all he wanted, but perhaps… perhaps the randomness of Luna hadn't been as random as he had thought they were. Perhaps there really had been some sort of warning she was hiding behind insane delusions.

And perhaps… perhaps the statue that had tried to kill him wasn't an accident like he had thought.

And perhaps… perhaps Merlin only knew one person that might try to have him killed.