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!

208. Chapter 210

This chapter is dedicated to Khalafan, who helped me flesh out this chapter a bit by having Merlin explain a few things to the three knights so they can relax instead of thinking their gonna be fired or replaced by Lancelot or something now that there's a new lord (Merlin) taking over. I hope they enjoy how I wrote it out ;p

X

Dinner that night was a hopeless affair, Merlin Pendragon noted when he sat down at the table that evening. The entire room seemed to be suffering with silence, as if nobody knew quite what to say after the event that had almost crushed two of their members into dust. Even as the minutes dragged by, the air in the room seemed to grow with the mounting tension that could knock a man flat on his arse. Merlin himself had stayed silent, taking the seat that was given to him at the long dinner table, where Gaius quietly informed him would be his seat during every meal because he was the 'head of the household.' He didn't argue, simply because it allowed him to see the room better as all of the others took their proper seats. He had Gaius sitting to the left of him since the physician was his blood. And Arthur, since he was Merlin's husband, had taken a seat directly to Merlin's right, staring solemnly at the tabletop while they had to wait for the food to be brought out to them, and for once not complaining of Merlin's higher placement. And then Lancelot had taken a seat next to Gaius in accordance to the 'chain of power' since he was Merlin's head guard. And then there was the steward who took his seat directly next to the prince, practically shoving the other people out of the way even though it didn't look as if any of the others were vying for the same chair. The three knights who lived inside of the estate, Hadrian and Ronald and Draconis, were sitting in the middle of the table. While the other knights who had came to the estate with them from the city took random seats at the other end of the table, suffering the same exact silence the rest of them were suffering from, despite having only shown up in the aftermath.

Merlin glanced around the table as he pretended everything was as normal as it could be, though his eyes kept returning to Arthur, trying to catch his eye for the first time in forever. He didn't know what he could possibly say if the blond man finally took notice of him, but he was jittery with an unkept energy that he felt could not be contained. He was pretty sure that Arthur hadn't seen exactly what Merlin had seen—thought he saw—considering he had taken the chance to plaster himself against Merlin's personal instead of letting the statue crush him into dust. Underneath the table, Merlin's hand curled tightly on top of his knee, returning his gaze once more to Arthur's solemn face. For the first time in their marriage, Merlin was almost positive that he could thank the horrible obsession Arthur had with him, that it had allowed Arthur to miss seeing such a crazy thing. When the two of them had been plastered to that wall before his warrior and uncle had gotten to them, Arthur hadn't been able to take eyes off of Merlin's face. And Merlin KNEW that he had been in such a state of shock to see what he had saw, that Arthur HAD to have seen everything written across his face.

But at least Arthur didn't seem to know what Merlin had seen, or he would've surely spoken up by now if he had.

Merlin dragged his eyes further down the table, feeling the way his knee was starting to shake up and down in his urgency to say something. But Merlin also knew better than to say something that was so damning in a room full of other people, especially full of people that were mostly trained knights who would've attacked first instead of asking questions. But there was so many things Merlin wanted to say, as he eyed the spot where Hadrian was sitting. It looked as if he hadn't noticed the way Merlin kept staring at him, keeping his head ducked as he hissed something at Ronald that was too low for Merlin to hear from where he was sitting. Merlin kept looking though, watching for any sign that said that he was wrong, that he hadn't actually seen what he thought he saw. Perhaps it was true and he hadn't seen it, he had been pretty stunned after surviving that traumatic event. Maybe he had even hit his head against the wall after he had been tackled out of the way by Arthur… fucking crazy bastard who had wanted to play at being Merlin's hero again. Or… maybe he wasn't being crazy at all.

Hadrian was still alive after all, even when Merlin was positive that he should not be.

Merlin's leg bounced under the table harder, and if the table had been an inch lower, the consort just knew he would have been knocking into it and causing the whole thing to shake from his inability to sit still. If he could change where they were sitting, he would have definitely switched Arthur out for Hadrian just so he could have a moment to speak with him, to ask whether or not he was a nutcase or if what he had seen was real. But if it was real… would Hadrian even want to talk to him about it? Merlin bit down on his lip, trying to keep as much of the anticipation as he could off his face before anybody decided to try and ask HIM questions. He wanted to ask but… Merlin knew better than anybody in the room how important it was to keep something like that silent. It had nearly killed him when Lancelot found out about Merlin's magic, and they had already formed a bond by that point. How would Hadrian react to a virtual stranger like Merlin—a consort of the very kingdom that damned others like them—knowing a secret like this.

Hadrian might even react violently if he thought he was in danger… sort of like how Merlin imagined he would act if there ever came a day in which the prince found out what he was.

Merlin wasn't entirely sure if he was grateful or not when the door that hid the kitchens suddenly blew open, the smell of food accompanying it good enough to break the tense atmosphere that had threatened to overwhelm them all. He popped his head up, angling himself in his chair so that he could watch as the three serving girls entered the room, each one rolling a small silver table that carried no less than five silver trays, one for each of them. Merlin glanced over at Hadrian once again, but it seemed as if the knight had taken to watching as the three girls started setting the trays down on the table in front of each one who sat there. Merlin squeezed his knee once more anxiously, before focusing on what was happening in front of him, instead of something that he could not risk mentioning with so many people in the room.

One of the girls that were further down the table was placing a silver tray just in front of Hadrian, saying something to him with a dreamy little smile adorning her face. Merlin couldn't hear what she was saying, but whatever it was ended up leaving Hadrian with a bemused smile before saying something back to her. Merlin could see, whatever it was, left Draconis scowling as he rolled his eyes, though it seemed more like he was annoyed by what she was saying instead of her talking to them despite being a serving girl. And the girl in question did not seem bothered in the least, her dreamy smile growing as she nodded her head and allowed her long blonde hair to flop around carelessly. And then that very same girl started skipping back to her rolling table to fetch the next try, and he found himself to be bemused when he noted that the other girl wasn't wearing a pair of shoes. Merlin would have assumed that it was a servant thing—maybe the servants weren't being treated well and weren't allowed to wear something as simple as shoes. But the other two girls, Merlin noted, were wearing shoes.

The second girl amongst the servants was at the other end of the table as she tended to the slew of knights that had traveled with them from Camelot. She's setting a tray down in front of Leon, smiling flirtatiously as she placed a hand on his shoulder and leaning forward enough to brush against him as she let go of the tray. Whatever she had said though, caused the knight to blush so red it looked as if he might have popped a blood vessel, and sent Knight Tristian and Knight Derrick slews of laughter. The serving girl's smile only grew, and Merlin got stuck on how bright and deep red her hair color was. It was only a second later before Merlin realized how familiar that shade of hair red… it looked to be the same red that Ronald's hair was, if only a shade or two darker. This had to be Ronald's sister, the mysterious lady that had been reduced to a serving girl in order to earn her keep in the home. And Merlin was sure he was right when he glanced over at Ronald and saw his head buried in his hands the way only a brother would do when his little sister was embarrassing him… a tray was set in front of him, causing Merlin to blink in surprise as he realized he was being served.

"Ah, Consort Merlin, I hoped that I would be able to welcome upon your arrival at our estate, but I was unfortunate enough to have been quite busy with all of the cooking that needed to be done to make your first night memorable. I hope that you enjoy what my girls made for you and your men." Said the third of the serving girls, a woman that looked as if she was about Arthur's age. She had a white complexion, with short brown hair that was pinned back in order to keep all of her many wild looking curls out of her face, and intelligent looking brown eyes. The woman smiled gently, "My name is Hermione and I'm the one that is usually working in the kitchens so if there is anything specific you would like to have during your stay here, please let me know. I am also the one that sees to most of the other housework, assigning tasks and such to the other girls so we are all kept busy. But it you have any questions about the grounds or anything about the care of your horses in the stables, I can bring you to Luna. She's the blonde over there, and enjoys taking care of the wildlife, though she is a bit of an acquired taste, so I hope you aren't offended if she says anything strange. She's suffered a head injury as a child that left her quite childlike herself, but she's harmless. And of course, the red-head is Ginevra, but most people just call her Ginny, these days. And if you have any questions about the inside of the home, she keeps me well informed on the state of our rooms—"

Merlin was left blinking halfway through Hermione's speech, unable to believe that so many words had been able to leave one girl in such a short breath. The consort was sure Hermione hadn't stopped to breathe even once during all of those words, but it was at least informative, telling Merlin exactly what her role in the estate was, as well as the main roles the other two girls did. It was a far better introduction when compared to Jacqui, who'd spent the entire tour they had taken speaking about the most abstract and boring history he could speak about until everybody had been ready to nod off. And speaking of Jacqui, the man in question gave this loud cough, though it was clear what he was doing after Merlin caught the way he was glaring at Hermione. Merlin sat up just a bit straighter in his chair, scowling himself when he saw Hermione blushing with a tinge of embarrassment. It felt as if this wasn't the first time Jacqui had to tell Hermione to 'shut up', and get on with her work, as the girl was quick to start taking off all the serving tray lids from the people who were sitting at their end of the table.

The plate in front of Merlin, which was the same meal as everybody else's at the table, seemed to be steaming with a mouth watering scent that would've made anybody hungry just looking at it. There were mashed potatoes sitting on a small plate on the tray, mixed with creamy cheese that gave them a slight yellowish tint, dots of pepper and salt looking to be already put on top. There' a small bowl on the other corner of the small tray, and from the greenish color of the liquid, he was sure that it was pea soup, something that had never been a particular favorite of Merlin's but was not something to be ignored, a couple of crackers placed precariously on the edge and somehow balanced so it was not falling off. There was a larger serving plate in the center that held quite a thick piece of fried chicken, which almost startled Merlin considering he'd not seen any chickens running around the place that could've been used. But he's sure there are parts of the ground he hadn't seen yet, so it would be odd if he found a small chicken coop stowed away somewhere. And next to the chicken seemed to be a large helping of steam asparagus, the green color vibrant and delicious enough looking that Merlin almost couldn't wait to sink his teeth into it. And to thank, it had only been a month ago that Merlin wouldn't have been able to eat a quarter of this meal without feeling as if he was going to throw up from eating too much.

That problem didn't seem as if it was much of a problem these days.

"Thank you, Hermione. It looks great, I can't wait to try it. Do you grow all the food here yourselves, or do you need to go into town and buy what you can to bring it here?"

Hermione looked surprised when Merlin addressed her instead of digging into his meal like the rest of the table seemed to be doing, disturbingly hungry due to the horrible adventure they had just had out in the yard. Merlin wondered if she was surprised he was asking questions, or if she was surprised that Merlin remembered her name. Something told Merlin that the steward—and wasn't it HIS job to coordinate the girls and their duties instead of foisting it off to one of the girls in his care—didn't spend much time actually conversing with those who worked beneath him. And Merlin hoped to correct that, this conversation might even help distract him before Arthur or somebody else realized all of the attention he was paying to Hadrian and started asking questions on why. But it seemed as if Merlin had awoken the dragon, considering how bright Hermione smiled at him when he asked her expertise. But before Hermione could get two syllables out, she was being cut off by something that Merlin felt was going to be almost more annoying than Arthur was.

"Oh, Consort Merlin, I do not believe that you wish to get Hermione started. It is not something that I would very much recommend, considering she's grown quite a habit of carrying on even when nobody is interested in hearing a word she's got to say. Trust me, I have tried curbing that irritating habit of hers, but nothing I do seems to work." Jacqui said, with a loud and suffering sigh, acting as if he was somehow saving Merlin from what might be hours and hours of his time wasted as useless facts were poured down his throat. The steward placed a spoonful of the soup into his mouth, sipping noisily, as if he was the only one at the table and his behavior wasn't being watched closely. "I do suggest that I be the one you address any of your questions to in the future. I can assure you that I will answer them to the best of my abilities, but you do not have to waste a second of your time entertaining these girls. They are here to work, even if it is subpar at best, especially compared to the quality of work I'm sure you keep at the castle."

Jacqui once again swallowed another spoonful of his, sipping at it as if he was playing at being noble but had no idea how to actually be noble, as the noisy sound of his slurping once again echoed throughout the chambers. Merlin had just picked up his own spoon to begin on his meal, but he stopped before he'd been able to dip it into his soup, his hand tightening around it in this vice-like grip, only vaguely noting that their conversation had caught attention from the three knights who actually knew these serving girls. There was a muscle in his jawline that jumped, looking disgusted at the man who could say such a thing and then continue eating as if he had said something wrong. Here Jacqui was, trying to silence Hermione, when Merlin had been the one to ask her questions to begin with. What right did this man have to silence somebody? To go ahead and demean her as if she was this less than human thing? Just like all of those times in which Arthur had tried to shame Merlin or force him to be quiet simply because he didn't like the things Merlin had to say. The parallels were way too great for Merlin to ignore.

A loud banging on the table brought everybody's attention to their end.

"He wants to hear what she has to say."

Merlin was left unable to stop staring at Arthur, who had just hit the table with his fist with enough force that it caused many of their plates to rattle. And the consort was not the only one that was staring. The entire table, that had only just started returning to a semblance of normality, was left in stunned silence at Arthur's angry outburst. Jacqui had gone pale, as if he was terrified to say another word on the matter lest the prince decide to have him hung from the walls by his thumbs. It made an uncomfortable flush burn under Merlin's skin, embarrassment settling in his gut until it felt like he could die from it. What in the world was Arthur's problem that he thought it was okay to scream at them like that? And over something like that? Merlin hadn't been happy with Jacqui trying to decide who he talked to or what they talked about either, but he was capable of handing it himself! Since when did Arthur even care for him talking to the servants? Arthur had thrown so many fits about that when they had first married. And now he came here today and decided he was going to advocate for Merlin's right to speak to whoever the hell he wanted! Arthur didn't look as if he even noticed the way everybody was now staring at him, simply picking a fork up and stabbing his asparagus harshly before sticking it into his mouth to crunch on it loudly.

"I'm sure that you can see my husband is in a mood, but I ask you to ignore it the best way that you can. He will most likely be like this during the rest of the night. Once he's angry, it's very hard for him to be anything else. I have gotten use to ignoring him myself. I think I would have killed myself if I had to listen to even half of his moods." Merlin spoke casually, spearing his own asparagus on the edge of his fork, projecting an air of peace and tranquility as he chewed in slow bites. There was a bang from somewhere under the table, something loud and Merlin only smiled as if there was nothing in the world that was wrong, but Arthur's throbbing knee would probably tell a different story. He could see out the corner of his eye that Gaius was looking at him disappointed, probably not all too happy about Merlin casually mentioning his suicide attempt in there. He simply speared another mouthful of asparagus onto his fork, trying to ignore it all considering throwing Arthur under the carriage was the least he could do if hr wanted to keep playing hero. First it was shoving him away before he could end up on the wrong side of the statue, and now he was defending him, and he did not even want to get started on the weirdness that had been Arthur when they had been camping the night before. Merlin turned around in his seat and gave Hermione the ever present and sweet smile he would never allow Arthur to see from him, "Please though, will you tell me more about the food here, or anything really about the estate itself. I'm interested in hearing anything you'll be able to tell me. Listening to Jacqui has been… very informative, but I think I can learn even more about the estate if I hear from the people that do more of the work."

Perhaps it was insulting to say such a thing when Jacqui was within listening distance, but it was an insult that was well-earned. Merlin was sure a proper steward probably did a good bit of the work, but it struck Merlin that it might be Hermione who was putting in most of the work, and who probably did most of the steward's work if her knowledge proved to be more fruitful. So while he had the prince looking at him, stricken after Merlin's comment, and having the steward himself remaining silent, he and Hermione delved into a conversation of their own while the other serving girls continuing picking up all of the empty trays left on the table. Even though Merlin had asked for any information to be given to him, Hermione immediately started in on the garden since it had been the first thing Merlin had asked her about. And that was how Merlin learned it's Luna that maintained the small garden they had to the side of the estate, but it was Hermione who knew all the facts. She knew that the section was too small and crowded but had always been enough to feed the small portion of people who had lived here. And that they grew a plentiful of fruits and vegetables but they had to cut a lot of it back in the last few weeks since they didn't want to waste the extra that was going uneaten. Hermione kept talking about all of the facts, which included which types of food they were growing and how Luna's been taking care of them. Despite not getting her hands dirty and working on the garden herself, Hermione really did seem to know every little detail about what Luna's been doing. And Merlin actually found himself getting invested in the conversation. It had been quite a long time since Merlin was able to talk of things like this. It reminded him of back home, discussing what the next thing they needed to do to make sure that year's harvest grew as plentiful as it was going to. This was on a much smaller scale than back home, but them growing their own food was already a better option than if they needed to go to town to do it, which would have only wasted resources and time considering there was miles between the estate and the closest town.

"You like gardening?"

Merlin cut himself off in mid-sentence, where he had just been explaining what would probably grow the best in the type of soil they had at the estate, which was quite different to the soil that was in Ealdor. And he turned to stare at the prince that had interrupted him just to ask Merlin such a stupid question. He'd been so distracted with his conversation with Hermione, that he had not cared enough about Arthur to notice what he was doing after Merlin had delved into his conversation. He must have really been into it though, because otherwise it would have never escaped his notice that Arthur had been staring at them this entire time. Watching as the easy conversation bounced between him and the other girl. This was probably the time in which Merlin should sneer and make a belated comment about how Arthur wasn't privy to knowing anything about his life or what he was knowledgeable about, especially if it was knowledge that is unimportant for a consort to know about. But staring at Arthur now and seeing the question that was there in his eyes… made Merlin turn away from him with a silent huff before asking Gaius whether or not it was possible to add any of the herbs he used in his potions in a garden without messing up anything that was already living there.

Why the hell did Arthur want to know if he liked to garden anyway? It's not as if it had anything to do with him or the throne or Camelot itself! Perhaps Arthur's just upset because this was something that had came from Merlin's past, and as Merlin already knew, Arthur and the king had been working endlessly just to erase everything that had made him who he was before he was consort. After all, what kind of consort gave a crap about growing food? And what consort is interested in learning about medicine? And what consort sought out opinions from the serving people instead of the other lords and ladies that might have ruled over them? There were a million and one things that had Merlin different from the consort's of the past, but he no longer felt as if he had to explain one damn thing to Arthur Bloody Pendragon. Let him wallow in those questions of his that would continue to go unanswered, and let him keep asking only so the consort could be the one that turned his nose up at him for once.

Arthur was going to be nothing more than a footnote, like Merlin had been for so long.

And while he listened to Gaius and Hermione start having a spirited debate on the pros and cons of growing ingredients so close to one another, Merlin could not resist trailing his eyes down once again to where Hadrian was sitting. He is able to see from his position at the table that Hadrian was now laughing, as he threw his head backwards while his whole body shook, at whatever Ronald had just told him, the red-head giving a cheeky grin while Draconis scowled across the table at him. And Merlin replayed what he had seen out in the fields for the millionth time since it happened, trying to make sense of what he had seen out there before getting his hopes up. Because if Merlin was right… then it looked as if Hadrian had a few secrets of his own that might match the same secrets that Merlin had.

It wasn't normal for somebody to still be alive after a thousand pound statue should have crushed them flat.

Merlin was only alive today because he had a crazy Arthur always watching out for him and everything he did just to make sure he wasn't doing anything that could embarrass him in some way or another. But nobody had been managed to get to Hadrian on time when the statue had fallen. So as far as Merlin could tell… Hadrian should have been dead right now. They should not have been at dinner right now, they should have been trying to scrape Hadrian's body off of the ground and preparing him a proper funeral. But while it wasn't natural for a man to walk away after a thousand pound statue fell on them… it was even less natural for Merlin to have seen—what looked like—the statue itself BOUNCING off of Hadrian. Hadrian had made his excuses at the time, bland excuses that claimed the statue had missed him by mere inches, but there was no way that Merlin had IMAGINED the unnatural way the statue had shifted to the side as it hit the ground.

Missing Hadrian as if he had formed a shield around himself.

Was Hadrian magic?

Was he sorcerer?

Was he… like Merlin?

X

Arthur Pendragon sat solemnly in his chair, playing with his food more than he was actually eating it, as he turned and twisted the fork so that it ripped up his food to make it look as if he was eating more than he was. He tried listening to the small bits of conversations that was happening around him, but nothing he heard was of interest to him. And he had spent a good portion of the meal with Jacqui nattering about in his ear, splitting between offering him way too many apologies for trying to dictate how his consort had been conversing with that serving girl Hermione, and blustering on about how highly he thought of those who worked under him so it was marvelous that his consort was taking time to get to know them. It was truly nauseating how much Jacqui was willing to put into his lies just because he had thought he had offended Arthur. If Arthur did not know how much Merlin valued time with the working people, then he never would have minded Jacqui trying to send the girl on her way. But… Merlin liked speaking with them, which was the only reason Arthur had interlined as he had done it.

Maybe he was still a little agitated because of the rape accusation.

It had been a couple of hours since Lancelot had accused him of touching his consort in a way that was improper and not welcomed, but it had really hit the sore spot for Arthur. He didn't care if it was a few hours or if it turned into far too many weeks to count… he knew he would never forget what Lancelot had accused him of. It was hard to imagine a time where Arthur would have been appalled at such a thing, but that was before he had came so close to actually doing it all those months ago. He hadn't been able to get it out of his head, not with Merlin sitting so close to him, unaware of how much of a monster he truly was. And then Jacqui had tried determining what Merlin should do and Arthur had just… snapped. Maybe Arthur had overreacted considering how hard he'd hit the table, but under the circumstances…

Arthur found it perfectly reasonable to hit something that wasn't Jacqui's face.

And then Merlin had started discussing gardening, of all topics to choose from with Hermione. It was quite easy for Arthur to tune out whatever the other man at his side was rambling about so that he could focus more on Merlin when he went on and on about… compost and land markings and something about how fit the soil was. Those were things that went completely over Arthur's head, as he had never once thought anything about how to grow something. Arthur had always thought it was something simple. The farmers plant their seeds and the crops or whatnot and then give them a little bit of sunlight and water and then be done with it until the next time they were needing tending to. But it started sounding so much more complicated than that whenever Merlin dove into this complex explanation about how… squash had more to go around but growing carrots had the advantage because they were healthier. And to be honest, the prince didn't give two shits about farming or how things grew or what it would take to grow enough to make it worth the work. Those were all things he never needed to know. But there had been something so different about watching at the confidence that had emulated from Merlin as he talked about the adverse effects that came with using salt water instead of fresh. Useless information it might have been, but Arthur would have been more than willing to listen to the way Merlin rambled on and on and on about it.

And then Arthur had asked one simple question…

Do you like gardening?

Arthur had only been trying to understand Merlin more, find out some fraction of the things that made Merlin tick. He had used this as an opportunity to find out what other sides of Merlin there were that Arthur had never been allowed to see. Little facts and whatnot that had nothing to do with the way Merlin was able to handle himself in front of the most important people in the kingdom. Or had nothing to do with the kingdom or what these skills could do to better the city. He just wanted to know more about Merlin. Without allowing the rapes or the past or the hatred seeping from Merlin every time he looked at the prince to stop him. And if Merlin expressed a true interest in planting, then that was something Arthur could have worked with. It wouldn't have taken anything for Arthur to have a small section of the field near the castle cut off, and then give it to Merlin so that he could plant whatever he wanted to his hearts content. It would have pleased Arthur greatly to provide all of the tools and materials and anything else Merlin might need to get it started. Just a small gift as a token of his appreciation for the boy that had been through much at his hand.

Merlin had shot him down without a word.

And that was where Arthur was now, leaning back in his chair as he listened to Gaius and Hermione talking while Merlin took the time to eat some more of his meal. He was restless, trying to pretend Lancelot and his accusations were not ringing in his ears and contrasting sharply with how much he wanted Merlin to answer just a simple question for him. Arthur wanted nothing more than to just know what Merlin would think if he was allowed to present the consort with the best area of land for him to do what he would with. Would Merlin find peace in working with his hands like that? Would Arthur enjoy it? Being able to continue his training sessions and practices and drills on the fields while he watched his consort on his knees in the dirt in his little section off to the side. What would Merlin look like with the sun bearing down on his back as he used the tools to dig holes in the ground? What would Merlin look like as he walked around with a water bucket and pouring however much water a plant needed to grow? And what would Merlin look like as he tended to his plants, treating whatever it was he grew with the same care and tenderness that a mother would treat her own children. Would Merlin allow Arthur to come visit him whenever he finished his training for the day and show him what he had been working on that day? Was Arthur going to be allowed to eat something fresh and given to him directly out of Merlin's hands? Arthur had never been a particular fan of tomatoes, but the prince just knew it would taste like the sweetest of nectars if Merlin had been the one to grow it.

Somewhere further down the table, a fork hit a plate with a loud clatter.

Arthur narrowed his eyes sharply, feeling the way the lines of his fork started digging into the palm of his hand when he saw Merlin pausing in mid-chew at the sound. There was a muscle twitching in Arthur's jaw, this disturbance was a nuisance that had stopped Merlin from finally eating a respectable amount of food from his plate. Arthur glanced down the table in order to see what caused his consort to stop eating his meal, and he wasn't too pleased when it became apparent that the noise had come from Sir Draconis. He's only known the man for a day and already, Draconis was the worse part about this estate. Perhaps in some roundabout way, it had been Arthur's fault that the statue had taken a swan dive and nearly killed Merlin. He should have been smart enough to think about getting some sort of inspector out here to make sure none of the floors were caving in, and none of the walls were falling down, and none of the mean looking statues were ready to collapse… all things that anyone should've been concerned about when inheriting an estate that had to be at least a hundred or so years ago. But it was Draconis that was the reason for all of them still being outside when it had happened, because he'd been the one that complained so endlessly just because Lancelot now stood among them. If Arthur hadn't acted as quickly as he did… he shuddered to think of the results once again.

"I think that I have been patient enough by allowing this meal to pass on with as much peace as I have. But I think that it's time we get some answers about what will be happening from now on. I tried asking questions outside and all I got to see was a fight, which only proves this Lancelot guy at least knows how to handle himself in a fight despite his heritage. But I need to know more about what I should prepare my future to look like." Draconis exclaimed loudly, as he leaned forward so that his middle was pressed against the table so that he was able to look at Merlin without the many people between them trying to get into his way. The bleach blonde warrior had a rebellious sneer on his face, and that only prompted the steward beside Arthur to gasp in horrified shock, pressing a hand to his chest dramatically, as if he were a woman clutching at the string of pearls that she wore. But unlike the last time, neither Ronald nor Hadrian tried getting Draconis to quiet down, both of them seemingly wanting answers to all that was happening as well. "As far as we know, there was an incident that was big enough that it caused the entire family who owned this estate to be forced to leave the grounds. And then this… man shows up and starts to take charge, but nobody seems to know what that means. Are we meant to start answering to him? If he suddenly going to be our head knight despite the fact that he has only been an official knight for a few weeks? Does he even know what it takes to lead a group of men if we have to suddenly go into battle? Is he going to be included in whatever 'changes' you plan to make around the estate? Because I do not think I like the idea of having somebody I do not trust and do not know anything about, other than he's a criminal, having involvement in the security of the estate."

By the time Draconis was done ranting, the knight had started breathing hard from how intensely he had gotten into demanding his answers, and Arthur felt the heat of anger brimming in his chest as his glare hardened. Who the hell did Draconis think he was to sit there and demand answers from somebody that is clearly his better? Merlin was stilling at the bloody head of the table, and kept drawing breath despite the incident earlier that had nearly ended him, and had made his decisions regarding Lancelot because they were the best choices for him to make. Draconis should just shut the fuck up and accept whatever it was that Merlin was going to bring into this place, even if it included something like a common-born knight. It's as Merlin told him—once upon a time—if a common born peasant like him could be a consort, then why shouldn't Lancelot get the chance to prove himself as a knight. Well, Lancelot had already proven he was skilled enough for the job and had severe ties of loyalty to Merlin, which would be far more than what Draconis had proven. Arthur didn't care if Merlin made a decision that included having the entire estate knocked down to its foundation just so he could have a better equipped and more sturdy estate built on top of it. Draconis still shouldn't be wasting time demanding answers from Merlin… a small clatter was heard once again. But this time, it was because of Merlin who was casually setting his fork back down onto the plate without showing even a hint of anger like Arthur was.

"I think I know what this is."

If the table hadn't been quiet before Merlin had spoken, then it was incredibly quiet now that Merlin had turned his attention sorely onto Draconis. All three of the working girls had stopped cleaning up the extra or now empty plates the men had left sitting on the table. The steward looked as if he was sweating so much, as his eyes darted back and forth between the knight and consort, that he could have been drowning in it. Gaius and Lancelot weren't speaking either, even as the both of them straightened up as if Merlin's voice had drew them in somehow. And further down the table, the more serious of the knights that had came with them were either scowling at Merlin or scowling at Draconis. As the other knights who were less strict with protocols and decorum started to smirk at each other as if they already knew Draconis was about to get beaten even if not a single hand touched him. And Arthur… Arthur was left glaring daggers at the fork that had been placed aside on Merlin's plate. Arthur had been pissed at Draconis demanding answers, but now he was just fucking furious at him for interrupting Merlin's dinner to do so. Merlin needed to eat, and Draconis could have waited until after dinner was complete if he was insistent on doing such a display in front of everybody.

"I admit, I didn't really understand why you were so antagonistic toward me as we have only just met and I surely haven't done anything to cause your wrath, at least yet. But I largely dismissed it at the beginning because you are not the first knights that saw me at first sight and decided that I was either trouble or not worthy to be in the position of power that I am in." Merlin said in this calm and even tone that his the force to be reckon with man he could be, but either way, it enraptured Arthur just the same. How Merlin could be so petty by trying to ignore him at the dinner table—which was completely one hundred percent deserved—before turning into a man that could command a room without any actual training on how to do so. Merlin had natural talent, or perhaps it was a talent Merlin had needed to carve and cultivate after all of the many times he had ended up in front of the council for one reason or another and needed to make sure he had been heard. "And then we come here to dinner, a time that I suppose is meant to be peaceful, so that I can get to know your group and you can get to know mine. We can hardly hope to live together, even if it's just for a weekend, with adversaries going around. But that peace, which has only fell upon us because I don't believe any of us quite wish to talk about the tragedy of what occurred outside, was once again interrupted because of you. Simply because you are… scared. Isn't that right?"

Arthur blinked in surprise at the conclusion Merlin had come to, but Merlin had kept a steady eye firmly on Draconis, no hint of apprehension on his face over whether or not he was right about his assumption. Arthur didn't even need to ask himself, he could see it written all over Merlin's face as plain as the sun as it emerged from the horizon was. Merlin, with every fiber of his being, already knew he was right. And when Arthur turned back around to face Draconis and saw his face… it was easy to see what Merlin was seeing. The light pink tinge of color on the other knight's face that highlighted his embarrassment, silver eyes that were wide in horror at being called out so bluntly as he stuttered out incomprehensible words to try and deny it. But Arthur smirked a little, his lips tugging at the corners as the pride surged through him. Draconis would learn before they left this table that far better men have tried to tangle with Merlin and left the battle in ruins, Arthur included. Arthur never thought he would've been proud to lose something before, especially not a fight, a physical fight or otherwise. But there was a certain… satisfaction that came with knowing that it was Merlin he had lost to.

"You are scared because you don't know what is going to happen to you or the friends that you have here. You have somebody new moving in and that means the future you thought you knew is suddenly uncertain and unclearly. It seems as if anything could happen at this point, and the only thing you are able to do is hold on for dear life because you might get knocked off if you don't start to tread carefully." Merlin said, still speaking in that blunt matter of tone voice of his, but there was something else there as well. Something that Arthur did not know if only he noticed, or if others were able to notice as well. But Merlin had sounded as if he was speaking from experience, as if he knew exactly what he was talking about because he had lived through it himself. And it had Arthur's stomach clenching, especially as Merlin continued talking. "And no, that is not a threat or whatever you might be thinking it is. I know when a man is reaching the end of his rope, and unless I'm highly mistaken, you have been staying on the edge of your seat long before we got here. Possibly from the first moment you heard what happened. I know all about what it looks like whenever a man is preparing to jump because he thinks it might be his only shot, even when it's that very shot that might just kill him. Because it's far better than staying here when there is so much unknown, isn't it?"

There was a shadow in Merlin's eyes, evidence of him remembering some past wounds of his, and the prince dropped his eyes down onto his plate in front of him, his stomach lurching simply because he knew he was a major cause of all that pain. He still vividly remembered the night Merlin had drunk that poisoned goblet that had been meant for him so many months ago, and how Merlin only drunk it because he wanted to get away from Arthur. That was the night Merlin had ended up on the end of his rope, and it was the night where Arthur ended up hanging himself by it. He still felt as if he was hanging himself by it, a noose tied around his neck and slowly strangling him every time that the smaller boy turned away from him because it disgusted Merlin just to look at him. Tackling him out of the way before he could be squashed by that statue… it didn't make a difference in what had happened between them. Arthur would always be just the man that hurt him. The man that he was tied to for better or worst. And the man that had been a mere two hours or so away from raping him before the life Arthur had been on changed trajectory so harshly that he was still fighting just to catch his breath.

"But you can relax now, nobody is being asked to leave unless they give me a reason."

Merlin's voice carried out across the room, the scraping sound of his chair was all that accompanied him as he pushed it back so that he could rise and talk to them all easier. And Arthur had to swallow past the lump throbbing harsh in his throat. Merlin was looking at not only Draconis, but at the others sitting at the table, stopping only long enough to meet their eyes before moving to the one, skipping over Arthur entirely, as if he wasn't there at all. Merlin might continue speaking about things that pertained to their past, giving vague notions to the horrors that only a small handful of them knew the extent of. Merlin might just try and get on Draconis' 'good side' by finding a common ground between the two of them. And it made Arthur's chest ached something fierce, that what the consort had chosen to go with was remarking on how scary it was to be faced with the unknown. Arthur had gotten hit with a hard dose of reality the day his consort had woken up from being poisoned by that goblet, when Merlin fussed furiously at him about how hard it had been for him to leave everything he had known behind just to marry somebody he had never met before. And here he is now, trying to comfort Draconis in some small way, something Arthur had been proud to deny him when he had been struggling to adapt and understand. How could Merlin be so… good, as to do things like that despite everything that the prince had forced him to live through?

"Perhaps I should explain a few things just so we can make sure that we are all on the same page from now on? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm assuming the stress you have been dealing with is simply because you don't know anything other than what you think you have heard about me or the people that I decide to make part of my life. First off, I'm sure whatever twisted version that you've heard about me or my first knight here have probably been exaggerated to the point that it is unbelievable to those of us who know the real story. So I think it is best that you get whatever you heard before either of us arrived here, out of your heads. If it's making you this worry about what the future will bring, then it is not something that should occupy your thoughts when I am sure that it is much worse than it was."

Arthur twisted around in his seat as he heard those words being uttered from the consort's lips… how he wished he had heard them long before he had got himself into the position he was in now with Merlin. Perhaps it wouldn't have done any good if Merlin had told him something like this months before, as the prince had been quite adept at ignoring anything and everything that the other boy had to tell him. But it still made Arthur wish with a ferocity that was able to startle even him that he had heeded such profound words. Rumors are nothing but the bane of his existence these days, growing out of hand and becoming facts even when they were nothing but a pact of lives. Arthur had backhanded his consort, had ruined his face for weeks on end afterward, because he had allowed a petty rumor to shatter what fragility he and Merlin had been situated in. Maybe Draconis and the other knights, more people that were just a bane to Arthur's existence, would be smarter than him and actually listen to Merlin the first time he spoke his warnings.

"So you didn't really run into a disaster zone and pull out at least a dozen or so people out of the crossfire as a magical creature tried to destroy the city?"

Arthur's thoughts drew to a stop as he turned around in his chair to look at the knight that had spoken… Hadrian. A seemingly calm man from what little that's been seen of him, but his emerald green eyes betrayed the calmness that he'd been projecting, watching Merlin with the same stare of somebody that's been prepped to fight a possible enemy. Arthur wondered how long it would take for the knight to realize there was no reason to be on guard with Merlin, no reason to keep looking for something that wasn't there. All knights, even ones that are not trained within the city gates themselves, were trained to expect something to happen. Were trained to see enemies even when they were friends. It came with being a knight, but Merlin was exactly what he said he was. There was no hidden agenda behind what he said or did, no reason to struggle with figuring out the loopholes just in case Merlin tried to backstab them with promises that he would never deliver on. Arthur already knew, could feel it in his bones, that Merlin would do whatever he could to do right by the people that were already living here. But… he was no weakling either, even if he couldn't throw a decent punch to save his life. It is as Merlin said… he wasn't going to do anything lest the people here did something like making him feel threatened inside his own home.

"Err… yes… I suppose that rumor would be one of the true ones."

It appeared as if Merlin had lost his train of thought, stuttering in surprise after Hadrian had questioned the authenticity of other rumors that had been spread their way in the last few weeks. But Arthur tilted his head a little higher. It was obvious to him that this must've been Hadrian's way of checking out how this question would make Merlin respond. If Merlin had tried to deny it, then it was possible that they would see him as a liar, and anything Merlin had said about what was going to happen to them all would have been taken as falsehood. But Merlin had answered with the truth, which could also be seen as bragging, in a way. It was a question where no answer would have been looked at in his favor. A trick question at its finest, but the one thing Arthur knew for certain that the other knight did not… was that Merlin didn't play stupid games like this. Merlin was honest to a fault, even if what he had to say disrupted everybody else that stood around him. Arthur would have never thought that trait was something a man should bear proudly, but if Merlin was the one that wore that trait… it was not nearly as bad a trait as Arthur thought.

"And you didn't stand in front of entire room full of stuffy nobles and tell them all about how two of their own knights tried to kill you? That's what all this has been about, isn't it? Sir Bryon was the one that tried to kill you, and that's why the estate is now yours. And then you allowed the other knight to go free even though he was part of the same crime, was he not?"

Arthur's eyes drifted to the side this time, noting that it was Ronald that spoke up this second time to question Merlin. Ronald was somebody that Arthur had largely dismissed simply because he seemed to hang out in the background of things more than either Draconis or Hadrian. In fact, this almost felt as if it was the first time he had heard Ronald speak. But there was something about how his blue eyes were locked on Merlin… there was a hidden intelligence hovering in the depths of his eyes. Watching Merlin as if he was waiting for what would be his next move, already calculating the different scenarios and how he would need to respond to it. There was a muscle in Arthur's jawline that jumped with a violent abandonment. Ronald was doing the exact same thing that the prince was prone to doing before entering a battle, what Arthur had done many times in the past when he had faced off with Merlin for one reason or another. He is calculating the risks and the rewards that come with this conversation. He was trying to jump two moves ahead in order to knock Merlin off the board the very second Merlin made the wrong move. The red haired man had seemed as if he was an oaf, but of course there was a reason he hung around so closely with a pair of skilled men like Hadrian and Draconis. If Arthur had this correctly, then Hadrian was their leader, Draconis was their muscle, and that would make this Ronald man their intelligence. But the joke would be on them all whenever they realized Merlin, who seemed to lead with his heart no matter the circumstance around him, was already five steps ahead of them all.

"Err… that second knight apologized to me…"

Perhaps Ronald had sounded too accusatory when he asked—or demanded—to know why their estate had been taken over while another participate walked away with seemingly no punishment. Because Merlin had sounded as if he was starting to flounder more than he was before, falling prey to whatever setup he was being dealt with by the group of knights. And Arthur seized forward in his seat, his first initial instinct was to throw himself to his feet and demand all the members of this group apologize to Merlin immediately for trying to question his integrity. But Arthur grasped onto the handles of his chair at the very last second and held onto them strong, struggling not to give into this instinct. The prince did not think this situation was like the statue, where Arthur could push Merlin out of the way and have him live another day. This was almost like when Merlin was standing in front of the council during the trial and fighting to have justice. Arthur hadn't stepped in then because he knew Merlin could do it once he got started. Arthur hadn't done more than what he had because he—dare it be said—trusted Merlin to be able to handle himself. And Arthur wasn't able to step in now because this political minefield was something his consort needed to navigate on his own, in order to earn the respect of these people.

Like Merlin had earned his.

"And then you went ahead and hired a criminal in the place of a proper knight."

Arthur bristled, sending a glare down the table to where Draconis was sitting in his chair, who was casually picking up the goblet of wide that was sitting in front of him and taking a generous sip. Not bothering to look up, as if he had already deemed Merlin unworthy of his time or his attention. Whatever stories they must have heard way out here clearly deemed as nothing but hogwash in his eyes now that he saw Merlin for himself. And it clawed at Arthur's instincts, nails digging deep into his chest with the desire to make Draconis open up his damn eyes to see the gem that Merlin was. Everybody should understand how much of himself that the consort put into something that he saw needing to be fixed. Just look at Arthur, he was the prime proof of something that needed to be fixed. And Arthur still wasn't even halfway to feeling like he was walking in the right direction. But at least he was far ahead of where Draconis seemed to be, though Arthur also had months worth of a head start to realize how wrong he's been about everything.

"…You seem to be speaking of the deeds I did as if they were the easiest thing in the world. You talk about me… rescuing people from tragedy and standing in front of the council as if they are nothing more than stories. And I suppose it is exactly that to you. Everything you've heard, whether they are true or not, are only stories to you. Because you haven't lived through it yourselves." Said the consort finally, Arthur's husband was speaking slowly as he gazed down at the table as he organized the thoughts in his head. This caused Arthur to sit up in his chair, returning his full attention onto Merlin as the consort took a calming breath before diving right in like he always did. Which only allowed Arthur the privilege of seeing the transformation happening right in front of his eyes. The way Merlin seemed to go from clumsy and awkward and beautifully endearing to something that was more confident and cool and beautifully powerful in his own right was a sight that the prince felt would never cease to leave him being breathless. "I suppose I could spend this time speaking about how hard it was to come face-to-face with people from my husband's own army that wanted to strike me dead, and the struggle it took within myself to face them again when they were put into trial. And I suppose I could speak about how I didn't think of the griffin that was attacking the city because all I could hear were the sounds of people screaming who needed me. But I'm not going to bother. The rumors you've heard or whatnot like to try laying claim to those stories, but I do like to think that those stories belong to me and whoever I was with or whoever I will decide to share them with. And I'm not here to speak about them. I'm standing in this estate right now because somebody else, Knight Bryon, was apparently under the impression that he was untouchable. And that belief was challenged when he was punished, and left this estate in ruins because of his actions that day. I only wish to see it flourish like I should, and the issues that you seem to have against Lancelot are not something you need to waste your energy being concerned about. He is here simply because… he has saved me from far more than just one monster in the short time that I've known him."

At this note, Merlin stopped in order to share a meaningful look with the first knight in question, who had been remaining silent and allowing Merlin to stake his claims just as Arthur had been. But the look that was shared between them had the muscles in Arthur's legs going stiff. It was true that the prince was not as antagonistic with Lancelot as he once was, especially after realizing the two were nothing more than close friends, but that look between them now looked special. As if the two of them were speaking without talking, remembering the shared encounters and adventures the two of them must've had that Arthur's not been a part of himself. Or, at least, not looked at favorably if he had been there. After all, Merlin had said that Lancelot had saved him from more than a single monster in the short time they've known each other. Lancelot had been the one that had pulled Merlin—figuratively—out of the fire when they'd been attacked by the griffin in the woods the day they met. And… Arthur was quite sure that he himself was another monster that Lancelot had thrown himself at in order to protect Merlin.

"Now… I'm sure that, despite all the different backgrounds that you've come from, you all became knights because you have heritages that are rooted with that line of work. Things are different for me and Lancelot. We didn't get our perceived nobility because our bloodlines dictated it. We came from different …circumstance that, nonetheless, led us to where we are now." Merlin spoke in a considering tone, and Arthur knew that he was choosing his words carefully, skirting around the topic of HOW they had obtained their nobility. It had to be Merlin's way of avoiding mentioning anything that had to do with the contract that kept Arthur and him bound. "I did not get this estate because it was given to me by my husband's family. I EARNED this estate because of my own sweat and blood and tears that went into my survival. Just like Lancelot didn't get to be a knight in his own right because he's my friend. He EARNED a right to be a knight when he fought a hundred pound magical creature in order to save the life of a stranger. And he earned the right to be MY knight when he decided to fight against my own husband on my behalf, which is another long story I don't believe any of you are privy to knowing."

The three knights Merlin had been addressing were starting to glance across the table to where Arthur sat, and it only took the prince a moment to realize they were probably waiting for him to say something. Maybe they wanted him to protest and give them some kind of explanation as for why Knight Lancelot continued to breathe if the other man had really attacked him. Maybe some of them were waiting for Arthur to put Merlin in his place, shout how the consort didn't need to air bits and pieces of their dirty past to people who were virtual strangers to them still. But Arthur didn't say a single word, leaning back in his chair while giving them a level stare. This entire scene belonged to Merlin, it is his show that was spanning a web of attentiveness from the audience. And the prince was only a humble observer, content to let Merlin say whatever needed to be said. Merlin had a knack for that, after all, saying the things that nobody wanted to hear but forced them to think as well. Arthur still had a few scars he had rightfully deserved when he had decided to ignore Merlin. Those little tiny scars were now things to be treasured, little permanent marks on his body that proved Merlin was somebody important in his life. Just as they were reminders of the cruel man he didn't want to be any longer.

"Now, Draconis, you asked me a few things about Lancelot's role and what you should expect to see from him in the future. The one thing you need to know is that he is MY knight, name his sole duty is seeing to my protection. It wouldn't surprise me to know he checked you out upon his arrival, but as I am sure you can imagine, being a knight doesn't excerpt you from scrutiny. I am sure, if you don't have any plans to try and murder me off in my sleep at some point, then I see no reason for anything to happen here. So needless to say, Lancelot is not here to… replace anybody or take command over you or become your leader or whatnot. I'm sure whatever system the three of you must have for keeping this estate protected after all the years you've been here together, will continue to do just fine if you've managed to keep it standing this long. You continue with seeing to the estate itself, and Lancelot will see to me personally. Yes, it looks as if that will involve two different systems, but I'm sure we can figure out how to make this work for everybody involved here today."

Arthur glanced back down the table, trying to see what the three other knights were thinking about Merlin's generosity. It's not as if Merlin had to allow them to continue doing their old job and running the security of the place how they saw fit. Merlin was very well within his rights to kick each and every person in this estate out on the streets so that they were forced to relocate and live out their lives some other place, washing his hands of them even as they were left to struggle with finding stable work that wasn't illegal considering the type of skillset they were trained in. Merlin very well could have replaced the knights with a few people he trusted… perhaps Derrick and Justin and Leon? Or some other trio the consort thought would fit the job. But he wasn't doing that. The consort was allowing the knights and the servants and the steward to keep the roof above their heads and letting them have some semblance of the normality that they feared were being taken from them. It was more than Arthur would've allowed if he had been given the place instead. Considering he didn't know the men here, Arthur would have preferred letting them either prove themselves or just replacing everybody with people he actually knew personally. The knights in question though, continued looking impassive, glancing at the other in order to speak with each other without using actual words, as if they didn't see what gift Merlin had basically presented them with. Arthur's hand remained hidden under the table, as he slowly curled it into a tight fist.

"We have no plans to kill you."

Hadrian was the one that spoke up whenever the silent conversation between the three knights had ended, turning around in his seat to address Merlin. But the thin line creasing between his brows and the subtle tilt of his jaw spoke of a certain defiance that he was keeping under wraps at the moment. It spoke of something hidden… yet, was what Hadrian meant. Hadrian wasn't planning on trying to kill Merlin YET. But if Merlin did do something that he didn't like, or if Merlin stepped out of whatever line Hadrian had drawn for him, then it looked as if that might be liable to change. There was fire pumping through Arthur's chest, sudden and harsh and making his blood pump faster through his body as his head started to pound… how dare he?! Who did Hadrian think he was to have such thoughts? What right did a simple knight who lived in the middle of nowhere have to believe he would get away with Camelot's prized consort. Or Arthur's prized consort, at least. But it seemed as if Arthur wasn't the only one to notice the unspoken word Hadrian had kept, because both him and Lancelot stood up at the same time, defensive and bristling as their hands reached for their swords. Their chairs scraping across the floor seemed to send a sudden shockwave throughout the room, because it seemed as if almost everybody at the table was on their feet, eyes darting back and forth to determine if there'd be a fight over the estate. The serving girls screamed out in surprise and were quick to jump away from the table, while the steward whimpered pathetically… looking as if he was two seconds away from climbing under the table to try to hide before a full-out brawl could start up.

"ENOUGH!"

Merlin's shout echoed throughout the small chamber, his hands flying down till they slammed themselves against the table on either side of his dinner plate. It made the plates nearest to him rattle dangerously from how hard he had hit on the table, but he had also done it instantaneously with the knights standing up and before anybody could actually remove their swords… he had known that it was going to happen, Arthur realized as his eyes grew wide. Merlin didn't look at him at first, his own blue eyes squinting as he glared at each and every one of the men that had risen to their feet, promising a retribution that nobody was wanting to suffer if they didn't stand down. NOW. And one by one, the swords on their hilts were being released, though some people were more stubborn to do so than others, before sinking back down into their chairs. Hadrian himself even sat back down, and coaxing Draconis into doing the same. Until only the prince and his consort were the last ones still standing at the table, and only then did Merlin turn his gaze onto Arthur's, those frightening cold eyes strong enough to chill the prince down to the bone.

While simultaneously making him want to kneel down at the consort's feet.

Arthur had seen people commanding a room before. He had seen generals as they constructed a battle plan around a map force people into compliance the second anybody tried to cause trouble. He had seen stewards knocking down unruly servants who had stepped out of line. He had seen other nobles who've had complete and total control over their estates and everybody in it. And he's seen his father commanding an entire council room until they were forced into working together despite their many different opinions. And he's even seen his consort in action several times before. But the few times Merlin has been in a position like this, it was usually against Arthur's father or somebody else who stood with great importance. But now it was Arthur standing on the other side of Merlin's command, and while this wasn't the first time Merlin had demanded something of him when he got out of line, there was something different about the delivery. Something sharp and dangerous. Something that made him react in a strange way, this low and shimmering heat pooling somewhere in the pit of his belly, twisting sharply as it refused to be ignored. Arthur almost felt as if he had been turned into jelly, his legs unable to hold him up as he fell back in his chair, staring up at Merlin as if he was seeing a god in action.

His god.

So unattainable and wild in only the best of ways.

Somebody Arthur has hurt and hurt and hurt again… Arthur deserved to have his eyes clawed out of his head for thinking he was allowed to gaze up at such a being.

And Arthur wanted to be the one to hold the blade out to Merlin, the only man in all of creation who the prince would allow to ruin him.

Arthur felt he still couldn't breathe properly even after the consort turned his attention back onto the other people at the table.

"Now, as I was saying before everything got out of hand, the answer to all your other questions, Draconis, is no. I don't believe that Lancelot has the skill that is needed to take command or lead a battle or have others directly beneath his charge. I'm sure he cannot plan a battle strategy or hand out roles and jobs for those best suited to specific tasks. I am sure that there are many things that is out of his expertise." Merlin spoke, causing some of the other knights to begin glancing around at each other, though Lancelot himself simply nodded after he heard Merlin's assessment of him, as if he knew very well what shortcoming he had and how under-qualified he probably felt for the job. Arthur was sure that the others thought Merlin was about to start singing Lancelot's praises till they finally started seeing the peasant knight the same way Merlin did. But that was not Merlin's style, and Arthur leaned forward as closely as he dared to get to a man like that. It was almost punishing for Arthur to be so close, Merlin's brand of cruelty which involved ignoring Arthur nowadays only made the heat he felt in his belly spread out to other parts of him. His legs trembled from the strain of keeping himself in his chair. "But to be honest, just a few months ago, none of you would have sat back down in your chairs and listened to me. Just a few months ago, none of you would have agreed to sit at the same table with me at all. And just a few months ago, I would have agreed that I was better suited for other things than standing before you. Hell, I still don't think I belong here. But I am. And I adapted and I learned and I'm trying to do something great here. It only took time for me to get to where I am now, and that is all Lancelot needs a bit of… time to get the experience that comes with being a knight. Now, are we done playing whose stick is bigger than whose? Because I, for one, do believe I would like to actually get something started before the weekend is over. Can we agree with civility until this weekend is over? Or at least until our dinner is finished with?"

Merlin sounded almost crude with his delivery in the way only somebody who was used to rolling around in the muck with the other peasants could actually sound. But Arthur had to wonder how Merlin could think or believe for even a single second that he didn't belong where he stood now. He belonged where he was. He belonged on a throne made of gold. He belonged in a seat sitting just beside Arthur. He belonged in a seat that was bigger and even way more comfortable than Arthur's was. He belonged on top of the world. He belonged on vases and pots and a thousand portraits, none of which could've truly been able to capture his likeness. And Arthur marveled at the way Merlin sat back in his chair when nobody protested, his movement's clumsy to others but looking so fluid and graceful to the prince. Arthur couldn't stop staring at the way the consort picked his fork back up in order to finish the last bit of food remaining on his plate, food that would nourish him to full strength, the bend in Merlin's wrist doing something that caused the heat in Arthur's stomach to lurch like a fire had erupted inside of him. It crept down lower, gathering somewhere that went unnoticed due to Arthur's unabashed staring.

"Now, if anybody can explain why my husband likes to watch me eat as much as he does, then we'll really have something to talk about."

Arthur's jaw dropped down in horror at Merlin's words, his entire body jolting in its place against his chair as the people turned to look so they could see for themselves. He could feel the heat shooting up to his face, gathering inside of his cheeks until he looked about as red as his cape, and he was sure that there must have been some knights starting to smirk or chuckle as they caught him staring. And staring. And staring. Arthur hadn't even caught on that Merlin had known he was staring until he had said his ill-fitted comment, and yet, even in his embarrassed state, the prince was helpless to stop his staring. To stop and take his gaze away from the little curl of Merlin's lips, a little smirk that Merlin allowed himself to have, as he slid the fork between his lips before he casually pulled it between his teeth, as if he hadn't just awakened Arthur's heart.

Ba-bump.

Ba-bump.

Be-bump.

Merlin's cruelty was beautiful even now, probably even more-so now that he is the consort's target of choice. What a beautiful fallen angel, his consort made, when he could make even a prince of hell wish to redeem his wicked ways. The prince could do nothing now, but as the blood surged forward in his veins, this demonic prince knew that somehow, someway, he would lay the entire world at his consort's feet. And then, when his work was done, the wicked prince knew he would lie down before the consort and bare open his soul for the dark angel to take and treat as he would.

And maybe someday…

Maybe somebody the angel would lie down for him.

And allow Arthur to feed him, worshiping the way those lips curled around the food and his pink tongue licked at flesh to rid himself of any residue.

X

Merlin Pendragon stood beneath the archway that separated the dining room from the rest of the estate. He stood there watching, with his uncle and guard standing nearby, as the other knights started saying their good nights to each other. It had grown quite late in the evening, and the serving girls had gotten most everything cleaned up from the table. Their dinner hadn't lasted for very long after the consort had given his little speech to the table, but everybody in the room has had the longest day, and was quite ready to retire for the night.

Merlin included.

He glanced around the room until his eyes landed on Hadrian, who stood off to the side having a quiet conversation with Leon, of all people. Draconis stood at his side, but looked grumpy, as if he didn't wish to be there any longer. Merlin was too far away to be able to hear what they were saying, but it looked as if it was an amiable conversation at the very least. Which meant, perhaps Merlin's speech had managed to get through to some people if they were beginning to take the time actually speaking to one another without tensions brewing. Hell, Merlin could even see Ronald on the other side of the room, grinning at some joke Derrick must've said, if the way the red haired knight threw his head back and started to laugh was any indication. But Merlin kept his eyes on where the young—possibly—magic user was standing.

Hadrian.

Merlin felt his stomach as it started twisting with nerves, the sweat building on his hands making him feel clammy. He didn't even plan on going over there but he still felt anxious, as if Hadrian would notice he was watching him and would want to know why. He felt more anxious than when he had been addressing all who had been sitting at the table earlier that evening. Somehow… this felt as if it was so much scarier. But a good scarier, at the same time. Merlin was sure it was something else entirely. That Hadrian was something else entirely. This is the first time Merlin had ever met somebody that was… like him, in a way. The first time that Merlin was in the same vicinity of a magic-user that was actually his age. Give or take a few years, but close enough. But it was definitely, as far as Merlin's been able to tell in the short time he's known the older man, that he had met another magic-user that wasn't trying to outright kill somebody. They were a rare breed indeed, natural magic-users like they were. And it only made the consort wish to know more about the knight's story.

How much magic did he know?

What kind of spell had he managed to use that deflected the statue?

Could he do other things as well?

Was he born being able to do these things, or did he learn them later in life?

And why would he learn magic with King Uther's law banning it in effect?

There was so many things that Merlin wanted to know, that he didn't could not have said which question he would have asked first. Or if they were all going to spilling out of his mouth in a way that wouldn't be understood. But he couldn't risk asking such things, not yet, at least. Perhaps… if he decided to stay at the estate for longer than just the weekend, he might eventually be able to get the answers to everything he wanted to know. And perhaps, even, to the things he had not yet thought of. But there would come a time, Merlin hoped, where he'd get his chance to confront the other man and ask him what business did a real actual knight have to learn something that was considered so forbidden. Right now though, right now Merlin simply watched as Hadrian bid Leon a good rest of his night, bowing his head like the gentle fellow that he was, and leaving the hall, followed quickly by Draconis who seemed eager to get out of there. And it was only seconds later that Ronald followed as well, tilting his head as he said his fair well's as well.

Perhaps everything was going to be okay now.

Even with the secrets being harbored between them.

"Consort Merlin, if you would like, I can escort you and your husband up to the bed chambers you will be staying in during your stay here. I think you shall be quite impressed with the setup that I had my girls do before your arrival. I am quite certain that you will have the most comfortable stay." The steward came up next to him suddenly, looking as if he had materialized there, making Merlin jump startled. But if the steward noticed, Jacqui didn't say anything, smiling at him so widely that it looked as if it actually hurt. Or as if he was trying to do all of this way too hard. "The girls got fresh sheets on the bedding and made sure that it would be something to your liking. You can hardly even tell that it once belonged to the former lord and lady of the manor. I would be most gracious to escort you up there myself and make sure you have everything you could need before I retire to my own chambers. Does that sound good, Consort Merlin?"

Merlin eyed the steward in quiet contemplation, he figure he probably should take the man's offer. It's not as if Merlin knew where he was going or where he was meant to be sleeping in such a huge place. The other knights that came to the estate with them were already starting to leave the chambers, as they have already learned where they were sleeping while the rest of them had been out on the fields watching the fight between Lancelot and Arthur. But… the young consort turned back around, his eyes falling onto where his princely husband was still sitting. Arthur hadn't left his chair even though the rest of them had already left the table quite some time ago, and he even had his head buried in his hands, moaning something under his breath that Merlin was too far away to hear clearly. Merlin bit down on his bottom lip for a second before releasing it. He knew he was going to regret this, but there was something that he needed to ask Arthur. Something he had seen earlier, but he had all but forgotten what had happened after he had seen Hadrian survive what he shouldn't have. Until now, at least.

"Wait just a second, and then we can go."

Merlin didn't wait for the steward to answer him before he was striding forward with long and powerful steps that dared anybody to try and stop him. He only stopped walking when he reached the spot behind Arthur's chair, where he did not move, staring down at the prince's broad shoulders. It seemed as if Arthur had not noticed his arrival, since he hadn't moved from where he was hunched over the table. Arthur's murmuring was louder now that he was standing closer to him, though it was still soft enough that Merlin, when he leaned forward just a bit more, could only hear a few stray words that baffled him.

"…Angel…"

"Hurt…"

"Can't keep… doing this."

"Gotta stop."

"Can't let him catch on…"

"Think me a freak."

Merlin leaned back on the heels of his feet and scowled, bringing his hands to his hips. The least his husband could do was make his life easier by murmuring things that actually made sense. Arthur sounded as if he was raving like some kind of madman who had taken one too many hits to the head. Who, exactly, is this 'he,' that Arthur had mentioned? And what did angels have to do with what he was saying now? Arthur didn't strike him as the religious type, besides what his family believed about magic users burning in hell. Which is why Merlin was going to need to be very delicate to make sure he didn't say anything that may give Hadrian away. He wasn't even here to talk about Hadrian, but there would always be that slim possibility that Arthur might be smart enough to figure out what was going on if Merlin gave any indication that he was interested in doing anything that had Hadrian involved.

Merlin kicked the leg of Arthur's chair.

Hard.

"Hey! I need to talk to you."

Arthur's head shot up, his eyes going wide and looking almost glassy as they found Merlin's, looking stunned when he saw the consort was the one standing there. As if he had been hit upside the head with a club or something else that was particularly hard. Merlin's lips went thin. Arthur was probably in a state of shock that Merlin was even talking to him. Merlin knew he certainly was, since this was probably the first time Merlin had approached Arthur to say anything in, well… forever. Merlin couldn't remember the last time he had ever came for something only Arthur could give him. But whatever, this wasn't going to be a particularly long conversation anyway.

"I want to know why you let Lancelot win the battle today."