Harmony (Merlin)

Chapter 4

Hey again everyone! This chapter is really short, I know, and I'm sorry, but the next two chapters are as well. These are really fillers, and then there's going to be a really long chapter after them. It was originally all the same chapter but I realized it was too compressed and squashed together to be of any good quality, so I split it up. Hopefully they'll be posted quite soon, so you won't have to wait too long. On with the fic!

"Merlin, since they are from a magic kingdom, it is all too likely that they know about your magic," Gaius gave Merlin the 'you-know-I'm-right' eyebrow. She sighed and rubbed hands over her tired eyes.

"I know, Gaius. I just panicked, I guess." Then another thought struck her and she sat up straight suddenly. "Wait! They said I could ruin their plan! What does that mean?"

Gaius sighed and turned around, supporting himself with a single hand on his workbench. "They're probably just afraid that you'll mess up their plan to get Arthur to like magic or something ridiculous like that."

"Why would they be afraid of me messing it up? I'm Emrys! I'm meant to be supporting magic!"

"Yes, but all the legends speak of you getting Arthur to warm up to magic when you think the time is right."

Merlin opened her mouth again but then clamped it shut. Gaius's arguments were reasonable and balanced and made her fears sound completely idiotic.

"They're up to something, I know it," Merlin told Percival a few seconds later, jabbing her finger at him for emphasis before settling both hands on her hips and pacing restlessly.

Percival frowned at her, crossing his arms, then reached out and grasped Merlin by the hand when she next passed. She stopped abruptly and looked down at their clasped hands, surprised, but didn't object in anyway. "Look, I know this is a very over-used thing to say, but—"

"Get some sleep," Merlin joined in and they finished the sentence together.

"Right. It's late now, why don't we meet in the morning at training, we'll talk more then."

"Alright. Night, Percival."

"Night, Merlin."

"Arthur, Gwen, breakfast!" Merlin knocked on the door cheerfully and frowned when there was no response, not even a happy greeting from Gwen telling her to come in or Arthur grunting at her to go away...or words to that effect.

Opening the door with her hip (and then wincing at the subsequent pain that followed from opening a door handle with one's hipbone), Merlin barged in. She set the plates and goblets down on the table and busied herself with picking up various items of laundry off the floor. Looks like some people were a little busy last night...

Only after a few minutes did she glance up and then realize that no one else was in the room. "Arthur? Gwen?"

No reply. "Arthur! Gwen!"

Where are they? Arthur never rose earlier than he had to if he could help it...

"Morning, Merlin!" Arthur yelled cheerfully, striding down the corridor.

Merlin turned from where she was staring out of the window, and started. "Where have you been?"

Arthur's expression turned blank. "What?"

"I didn't know where you were! I was worried!"

Arthur held his hands up in surrender. "We – me and Gwen, that is – went out for a ride with the visiting nobles." He examined her face closer as she neared. "Is everything alright, Merlin?"

"I don't know! It's just there's this and then the nobles and then I don't know what to do about Percival –"

"What about Percival?"

"And there's this whole thing with Thomas!"

"Thomas? Head of the servants Thomas?"

"Yes!"

"What happened?"

"He kissed me!"

Merlin clapped her hands over her mouth. Arthur stared at her in shock for a few seconds, and then turned on his heel and ran down the corridor.

Massive thanks to musicnlyrics for her beta-ing. And thanks to all of you for reading!