Saving Destiny (A Merlin Fanfiction)

iii | professor gaius leech

It seemed like their little encounter in the Lake of Avalon never happened, and it frustrated Merlin so much. All throughout the day, she kept on shooting questioning looks towards Arthur Pendragon, but her bodyguard seemed to effortlessly dodge them. Soon her looks turned into glares and still, he wouldn't budge.

During lunch time, the Headmaster surprised her by announcing that they prepared a small welcoming meal for the princess in one of the greenhouses in the school. She was welcome to invite her bodyguards and Merlin thanked Headmaster Stronghold. She thought that they would not do anything extreme to welcome her yesterday, much to her relief, but then she had thought too early.

Sighing, she strolled towards the designated greenhouse together with her bodyguards. Inside, as expected, were different plants and flowers of names Merlin did not know. She had never been a fan of gardening back home, and although she was forced to at least do some flower arranging, she still was unfamiliar with the flowers and plants that came her way.

It was surprisingly beautiful, and the fragrant smell of the roses reached her nose. At the middle of the garden was a table set with different meals and delicacies. Merlin was able to pinpoint some of her maids back home and she couldn't help but give them a wave in greeting. Her maids back home were once her playmates on days when she was bored, and she had grown to care for them.

Merlin was directed at the head of the table, with Arthur at her left, and Leon at her right. The others followed suit, and the welcoming feast commenced. Headmaster Stronghold was supposed to accompany them, but an emergency failed him to do so, much to Merlin's relief. She'd rather not have some nice, meaningless small talk with the old man.

"I love my perks," Gwaine proclaimed, his arms wide, and started to dig in. Merlin hid a smile as some of her maids shot the boisterous bodyguards disapproving looks.

"It's all right, Hannah," Merlin told one of her oldest maids. "Let them be."

Hannah reluctantly looked back at Gwaine, before curtsying at Merlin. "If you say so, your highness."

The whole meal was not exactly eventful, with Merlin finding that opportunity to get to know her gang of bodyguards better.

Leon was the first one to be reinstated as bodyguard among the group, even earlier than Arthur, and was somehow regarded as the senior of the group.

Gwaine used to have this rebellious phase in his life, defying his family's order for him to be a bodyguard to the House of Emrys, and had partied for a few years around, until Arthur came into the picture and pulled him back where he was right now.

Percival was, as what she observed before, was not exactly the brightest of them lot, and struggled to fulfil his family's wishes to be a bodyguard. It was because of Arthur's help why he became one anyway.

Elyan had once been captured by terrorists of their country, together with other important soldiers of England, after undergoing a mission to bust the spies. He could have died in the mission, but was saved. Merlin vaguely remembered this situation in the past, and had thought that it was one of the darkest times in their country.

Lancelot's story was different, because his family had not served the royals before. There was a rule in the kingdom that special positions, such as the bodyguard of the Crown Princess of England, can only be filled in by a descendant of a notable family that had served under the House of Emrys. It was only because of Arthur's insistence and recognition of his ability and dedication that he became a bodyguard.

And Arthur, well, he was appointed as the Head Bodyguard to the Crown Princess of England because of two reasons – first, his family was the oldest, most trusted one by the King and second, he was just too damn good with a gun.