Merlin: Dawn of the Dragonlord

Chapter 9: Eight months later

Chapter 9: Eight months later

“How can anyone be that STUPID?” bellowed the prince.

He was rummaging feverishly through his clothes, searching under his bed, turning his bedchambers inside out.

“I’m sorry, Sire.  I thought I put it in this cupboard.”

“Well, it’s not THERE, is IT?” screamed the prince again.  “FIND IT!”

“Yes, my Lord,” was the feeble reply.

Why on Earth he was even bothering to try out new servants every few weeks ? This was a notion beyond his capacity to understand.  It was his father’s wish, not his, to have someone waiting on him every minute of the day.  What’s more, there seemed no one in the entire kingdom that could do the job properly.  How hard was it to bring the food on time, keep his room tidy, and keep away from the prince’s personal belongings?  Oddly, that last rule was the one that was giving him the most trouble.

Arthur was pulling the sheets from his bed frantically.  

“I left it there,” he cried out.

“I know, my Lord, and I put it away while I was making the bed.  It seemed an odd place for a book, Sire.”

The servant was looking at the floor as he spoke.  

“Your job is not to think,” said Arthur angrily, pointing his finger and shaking as though he was scolding a child.

The young servant recoiled even more.

“I’ll find it, Sire,” he muttered weakly.

The most apparent problem, of course, was that all the new servants were awed by his presence so that it was hardly possible to get dressed without the ceremonial curtsies, bowing and reverential staring at the floor.

“There it is, Sire,” said the boy all of a sudden.  “It was on top of the cupboard.”

The prince almost tore the book from the servant’s hands.  He then flipped it to make sure it wasn’t damaged or that nothing was missing.

“Where’s the map?  There was a map with it,” he growled between clenched teeth.

He saw the servant’s face grow red as he scanned the room rapidly.

“It’s here, Sire.”

Arthur snatched the piece of parchment from the boy’s hands.  He was fuming.  He couldn’t even remember what this servant’s name was; it would have been easier to scold him if he had known his name.

“Get out,” he said, trying to calm himself.

“What about the banquet, Sire?”

“Get OUT!” yelled Arthur in spite of himself.

The boy still took the time to bow to him before leaving the bed chambers at a run.

His chamber was a mess now, of course, but he didn’t really care.  At least, the book was all right.  Arthur silently wished that the young servant had not glimpsed at the black wings crest on the brown cover.  He had not waited this long to be betrayed by a servant.

But all servants were the same.

“Sacked another one, I see?”

Arthur wheeled around to see Sir Gwaine standing on the threshold, looking smug in his complete ceremonial outfit.

Arthur shrugged, but the gesture only meant to give him the time to hide the book under a pillow.

“He was clumsy and useless,” he snorted.

“You’re not ready for the banquet,” gasped Gwaine.

Arthur looked away.  “I’m not coming.”

Gwaine was walking towards him now.  There were not too many knights who could enter his chambers without invitation, but Gwaine was one of them.    

“There will be women,” said the knight mischievously.

Arthur was only half-smiling.  

“Right,” said Gwaine.  “You’re not interested in other women.  Suit yourself.  Gwen is a lucky girl.”

“Woman,” mumbled Arthur, correcting what he considered carelessness.

“What are you going to do?” snapped Gwaine.  “Stay in your bedchambers and read?  I didn’t even know you could read.”

Leaning towards the bed, Gwaine lifted the pillow smoothly and picked up the book that Arthur had been trying to hide.

“What is that?” said the knight, waving the book in Arthur’s face.

The prince could feel another outburst of anger taking birth in his stomach.  It was happening more and more often lately, and each time it happened he was forced to think about his father and how much he hated being like him.  The anger and the dreariness had been tuned down before, but he had trouble controlling it now.  His mind was always full of questions about how things were and how they should have been.

“It’s just a book,” he said wearily to Gwaine.  “I borrowed it from Gaius.”

The knight was looking at him maliciously.  “Is it a book about Merlin?”

The name made the hair stand on Arthur’s neck.  It was always like that nowadays.  He knew that Gwaine and Lancelot missed him, and Gaius too, but it was becoming tiresome to have so many people trying to cheer you up.

“No, it’s not about Merlin!” he replied, trying to sound convincing.  “It’s… the family trees of our allies.  I’m trying to learn about their history.  It’s my duty as crown prince to… know history.”

There was a short moment of silence during which Gwaine kept glancing from Arthur to the book.  

“It’s been months,” said Gwaine softly.  “He’s not coming back, you know, or he’s not likely to anytime soon.”

Arthur took the book and for a moment his eyes could not leave the cover.  Somewhere between the pages, he had hidden a map.  On the map there was a place, a valley, and a road to get there.  Would he have the courage to go on the journey?  He wasn’t sure yet.  He needed to speak to Gaius first.

“I’ll tell your father I’ve seen you with a girl,” said Gwaine with a grin on his face.  Nobody else could lie to Uther as easily as Gwaine, and the king always believed every word.

As Gwaine put his hand on the door, Arthur felt compelled to add an important fact.

“Eight months,” he murmured.  “It has been eight months to the day.”

Gwaine’s smile as he closed the door was a sad one.