The Lost Prince

8. The Hideout

Merlin breathed a sigh of relief. Christian hadn't noticed him yet. They followed Christian into the cloaked hideout. It was almost exactly how Merlin remembered it. It was a bit bigger than the throne room in Camelot and had several doors around the edges that Merlin knows leads to bed-chambers. The was a corridor in the left corner that leads to the training area and another corridor in the right hand corner that leads to where the dragons are kept. Merlin was almost giddy with excitement at being able to see Anithisan again after all this time. The main section of it had servants doing their daily routines. Merlin caught sight of a servant about two years older than Merlin with dark blonde hair, grey eyes and was about an inch taller than Merlin. He wore a plain brown tunic with a belt around his waist, black breaches and dark brown boots, carrying weapons to where the training area was. Merlin's eyes widened. It was Daine, Merlin's old personal manservant. Merlin thought he was dead. He was glad to see that he wasn't. Merlin snuck away from the group, and tended to the horses. He took his time grooming them, as that was his favourite pass time. Even before Nelthon was attacked. He heard a polite cough and he spun around to see his brother Christian standing behind him. Christian's eyes widened in recognition.

"Merlin?" He asked in disbelief.

"Hello Christian." Merlin grinned and Christian grinned back.

"Merlin." He went up to his brother and hugged him. Merlin hugged him back. The two princes broke apart. "I've missed you."

"And I you." Merlin said still grinning from ear to ear.

"Did you come here with King Arthur?" Christian asked.

"Indeed I did." Merlin said, nodding. "Believe it or not, I'm actually his personal manservant."

Christian's mouth was agape. "A servant? What the hell did my brother, a prince nevertheless, do to be a servant?"

"I saved the clotpole's life." Christian chuckled at the insult.

"You used magic, I presume."

"Naturally." Merlin and Christian chuckled. "No one knows who I am-well they know who I am-but they do not know that I am the lost prince. In fact, they don't know I have magic, so can you please not mention it to them. Lancelot and Gwaine know but the others do not, so coul-"

"Don't worry Merlin I won't expose you." Christian said, interrupting Merlin's ramblings. Merlin breathed a sigh of relief. "Although Merlin, they will find out eventually."

"I know." Merlin sighed. "But not yet. Arthur's got enough on his mind as it is. Arthur's slowly coming round to magic, but he doesn't fully accept it. And I can't let him know before the time is right, otherwise I will never be able to return to Camelot."

"Merlin, you're the heir to the throne. The future king. Arthur can't do anything to you unless he wants war to rage against Camelot... When we get Nelthon back." He added as an afterthought.

"Yeah, I know, but still-"

"No 'buts' Merlin." Christian said cutting him off.

Merlin rolls his eyes at his brother's antics but he means well. "Fine, but I'm not telling them yet." Christian nodded, knowing how stubborn Merlin was.

"So what have you been doing being a servant to King Arthur then?" Christian said, changing the subject.

"Nothing much really. You know, finding out I have a destiny, dying a couple of times, being stung by Serkets, talking to cryptic dragons, attacked by evil sorcerers hell-bent on destroying Camelot, being tortured, saving Arthur's life every other day and having to hide who I am in fear of being executed." Merlin said, shrugging indifferently.