Chapter 1
It was a cool, quiet day in Camelot. People wandered about their morning business, huddled in their cloaks against the crisp breeze.
It was nearing fall and the farmers had been very busy bringing in the harvest, keeping enough in their villages to survive the winter and sending the rest to the grand palace to be placed in the stores.
There was always lots of hustle and bustle around this time of year. The majority of Camelot's people tired themselves with huge workloads, but none more so than a certain servant.
He was asleep at the moment, but he was late. Again. Outside the door of his small room, his mentor was shuffling about the chambers, preparing a small breakfast.
When the old man finished he climbed the steps to the messy room of his sleeping apprentice. Knocking, he barked, "Merlin, if you don't get up now you will miss Arthur's breakfast! You are already late!" Hearing a muffled groan and the rustle of a blanket, he turned away with a satisfied smile.
After a few moment of tired confusion Merlin struggled from his bed as fast as he could and hurriedly got dressed. Running down the steps, he gathered his morning meal and with a rushed goodbye was out the door and heading for the kitchens, leaving behind a chuckling court physician.
As the young warlock hurried through the corridors, he greeted the other servants and maids he passed. Many greeted him back or gave him a smile, to which he gave a bigger grin in return. This, unknowingly, put the others in a much brighter mood and gave them strength and patience with their masters and enabling them to come home in the evening with small smiles still plastered to their faces.
Reaching the kitchens, after several steep flights of well worn stairs and plenty of winding corridors, Jennalyne, the head cook's apprentice, handed him the prince's food and he was off again, leaving hurriedly to avoid confrontation on his eating habits.
Merlin then made his way to where the prat of a prince was still sleeping, having yet to be woken by his manservant. He had to climb several more flights of steps and walk through many more corridors to get to the royals quarters.
Holding the tray of assorted delicacies, Merlin stared at the door handle for a minute or so, contemplating how to open the door without setting the prince's food on the floor (a familiar engagement for him). Eventually he shifted the tray so it was balancing precariously on his arm. Then slowly he moved his free arm to open the door.
Once it was wide enough for him to be able to slip through with his master's breakfast, he walked over and placed it on the large oak desk in the centre of the room. Merlin knew by now that if he placed the meal on the desk in a certain way, then Arthur would have a harder time complaining about his servant's uselessness.
When he finished his task he walked over to the window and reached for the heavy velvet drapery to relieve them from their job of blocking out the morning light. As he pulled them open he heard Arthur groan from his place upon the plush bed.
"Morning, Arthur!" came Merlin's voice. The prince groaned again, rolled over, grabbed the nearest object to him (just a pillow today, sometimes Arthur would go as far as to grab a stray shoe off the floor) and threw it at the obnoxious servant who was still standing by the window with an annoying smirk on his face.
After getting up, still glaring at Merlin, Arthur walked over to the large desk to eat his breakfast. Only then did Merlin start his endless job of keeping the chambers clean. Picking up discarded clothes and assorted weapons he rambled on about everything and nothing, knowing Arthur wasn't listening anyway.
"There is a council meeting today, Merlin," Arthur remarked as if commenting on the weather, knowing full well that his lazy servant absolutely despised such meetings and revelled on seeing his face at the news.
As suspected, Merlin scrunched up his face in a small scowl while Arthur laughed. "I suppose you want me to come too, right?" he muttered and glared at the prince mockingly. The future king was full out howling with laughter now, but still managed to send Merlin a smug look. The warlock sighed as he picked out Arthur's clothes for the day.
Little did either of the two know, this council meeting was going to change their lives forever.
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I realise that Arthur would probably never laugh that hard, but I just think that he is always so intense and strict or intense and very lenient with Merlin in the shows so I thought I would try to lower his intensity a bit.
This is mostly a writing practice for me, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway!
It was a cool, quiet day in Camelot. People wandered about their morning business, huddled in their cloaks against the crisp breeze.
It was nearing fall and the farmers had been very busy bringing in the harvest, keeping enough in their villages to survive the winter and sending the rest to the grand palace to be placed in the stores.
There was always lots of hustle and bustle around this time of year. The majority of Camelot's people tired themselves with huge workloads, but none more so than a certain servant.
He was asleep at the moment, but he was late. Again. Outside the door of his small room, his mentor was shuffling about the chambers, preparing a small breakfast.
When the old man finished he climbed the steps to the messy room of his sleeping apprentice. Knocking, he barked, "Merlin, if you don't get up now you will miss Arthur's breakfast! You are already late!" Hearing a muffled groan and the rustle of a blanket, he turned away with a satisfied smile.
After a few moment of tired confusion Merlin struggled from his bed as fast as he could and hurriedly got dressed. Running down the steps, he gathered his morning meal and with a rushed goodbye was out the door and heading for the kitchens, leaving behind a chuckling court physician.
As the young warlock hurried through the corridors, he greeted the other servants and maids he passed. Many greeted him back or gave him a smile, to which he gave a bigger grin in return. This, unknowingly, put the others in a much brighter mood and gave them strength and patience with their masters and enabling them to come home in the evening with small smiles still plastered to their faces.
Reaching the kitchens, after several steep flights of well worn stairs and plenty of winding corridors, Jennalyne, the head cook's apprentice, handed him the prince's food and he was off again, leaving hurriedly to avoid confrontation on his eating habits.
Merlin then made his way to where the prat of a prince was still sleeping, having yet to be woken by his manservant. He had to climb several more flights of steps and walk through many more corridors to get to the royals quarters.
Holding the tray of assorted delicacies, Merlin stared at the door handle for a minute or so, contemplating how to open the door without setting the prince's food on the floor (a familiar engagement for him). Eventually he shifted the tray so it was balancing precariously on his arm. Then slowly he moved his free arm to open the door.
Once it was wide enough for him to be able to slip through with his master's breakfast, he walked over and placed it on the large oak desk in the centre of the room. Merlin knew by now that if he placed the meal on the desk in a certain way, then Arthur would have a harder time complaining about his servant's uselessness.
When he finished his task he walked over to the window and reached for the heavy velvet drapery to relieve them from their job of blocking out the morning light. As he pulled them open he heard Arthur groan from his place upon the plush bed.
"Morning, Arthur!" came Merlin's voice. The prince groaned again, rolled over, grabbed the nearest object to him (just a pillow today, sometimes Arthur would go as far as to grab a stray shoe off the floor) and threw it at the obnoxious servant who was still standing by the window with an annoying smirk on his face.
After getting up, still glaring at Merlin, Arthur walked over to the large desk to eat his breakfast. Only then did Merlin start his endless job of keeping the chambers clean. Picking up discarded clothes and assorted weapons he rambled on about everything and nothing, knowing Arthur wasn't listening anyway.
"There is a council meeting today, Merlin," Arthur remarked as if commenting on the weather, knowing full well that his lazy servant absolutely despised such meetings and revelled on seeing his face at the news.
As suspected, Merlin scrunched up his face in a small scowl while Arthur laughed. "I suppose you want me to come too, right?" he muttered and glared at the prince mockingly. The future king was full out howling with laughter now, but still managed to send Merlin a smug look. The warlock sighed as he picked out Arthur's clothes for the day.
Little did either of the two know, this council meeting was going to change their lives forever.
-----------------------------------------
I realise that Arthur would probably never laugh that hard, but I just think that he is always so intense and strict or intense and very lenient with Merlin in the shows so I thought I would try to lower his intensity a bit.
This is mostly a writing practice for me, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway!
