Merlin was distracted as he, once again, made his way trough the familiar white stone corridors of Camelots castle. Even though it was evening already, the air around him was warm, normally he would enjoy the summer heat, but right now it made him dizzy it felt suffocating.
Sweat ran down his forehead, he clenched his fist, as his wrist turns numb, and he sped up a little.
Why would he never believe me, why won't he let me keep him safe?
After all these years he should be used to this, and after all he was always able to protect him. And still the lack of trust caused a pain deep in his chest.
He was too wrapped up in his thoughts to see a figure coming right towards him, not dodging, since her view was blocked by a large pile of clothing.
With a soft bump he collided with the figure, which gave a surprised shriek as the clothes fell to the ground.
Merlin stared at the maid for a moment, the sick feeling fades "Gwen!" He quickly bend down to collect the freshly washed clothing from the rather dirty floor "I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking." He said. "It's fine, don't worry." Her smile warm as always, but something was off, she had slight bags under her eyes, her hair was messier than usual.
"Are you alright, you look horible." He commented straight forward.
"Sure, I'm just a bit tired it's all" She said as she tries to take the pile Merlin just had picked up
"I'll help you. You already seemed so stressed earlier." He needed distraction anyways and didn't feel like doing any chores for Arthur.
"That's kind of you, Merlin."
For a while they walk silently next to each other, it wasn't necessarily uncomfortable, but Merlin could still feel that something bothered his friend, the way she walked a lot faster, and how she frowned just a tiny bit.
"Are you sure everything's alright?" He asks more worried, she was one of his closest friends after all. For a while he had even thought she was her soulmate.
He had seen her violet glowing wrist and when she told him "purple suits you." he just couldn't believe its just a coincidence. But he soon found out it acually was.
Gwen hesitates, but her steps slowed down. "You know you can tell me." he gave her a reassuring smile.
"It's about my soulmate." She begins but pauses, half expecting Merlin to interrupt her but he still looked her, waiting for her to continue "She's feeling distressed more often lately." She now stops walking "It worries me, I can't sleep, but there's nothing I can do!"
He saw tears forming in her eyes. He would have hugged her if there wasn't a pile of clothing taking that spot in his arms.
"I know that feeling." He said instead and she smiled thankfully in return "Do you know them?" He continues.
"I do... It makes things harder." She answered still smiling but now filled with misery.
"Because you can't be with them..." Merlin finished her thought.
"Yes, something like that."
"Something like that?"
Gwen stayed quiet for a moment unsure if it's okay to tell him, it wasn't normal in Camelot to discuss such matters, in Uthers regime one would have to spent weeks in a cell if the wrong person overheard their conversation.
But she had been quiet for so long, it would feel good to tell someone.
"She made decisions I just couldn't support. It separated us. But I know she isn't happy, I can feel her pain. Literally." She gave a sound that was probably meant to be a laugh but ended up to be moreof an shaking exhale.
"It's weird isn't it?" Merlin asks not making eye contact.
"What?"
"Soulmates." He answers "They are supposed to be the one thing in life that's set in stone, the one thing that is meant to be and yet it just doesn't feel like it." he finally looks at her again"Destiny is a horrible thing, huh?." Gwen laughs at this.
"Yeah. Sometimes it feels like we simply where the only ones left. As if we weren't meant to be together but every other was just taken already." She makes a pause "And sometimes I couldn't imagine a life without feeling them, couldn't Imagine if my mark someday is just gone."
A comfortable silence fills the corridor for a while. Both where thankfull to get this of their chest, to finally feel understood.
"So what is it that you are upset about?" She asks him, obviously she had noticed his discomfort the whole day.
"Nothing serious."
"Merlin." She raises her eyebrow.
He knew it wasn't fair to not tell her after what she had just told him.
"It's about these visitors, I just... got a bad feeling about them." he answered with a sigh.
"They are odd, aren't they. I noticed that as well." The maid answered "I could have sworn I heard Lord Godrics voice change when I walked up to their chambers to change the bed sheets."
"Yes! I heard that too." Merlin now got exited.
"And if you got a bad feeling we might want to be careful. You got a good sense for that, I noticed."
Merlin couldn't help but smile proudly at that.
He told her what he heard and how he notices Lady Adalines missing mark.
"I don't think that's enough to convince anyone." Gwen noticed smiling sorry.
"It isn't I already went to Arthur with that." He rolled his eyes.
"Driving you mad, is he?"
"Nothing new." Merlin his tone is annoyed, but his mood was lifted after this talk.
"Maybe we just watch for a while." Gwen suggested "If it's true what you heard we still got some time before... something happens. And then you can go to Arthur again, he will listen to you, I'm sure he will."
"Sure."
"He trusts you more than you think." She smiled at him "Well it's really time I get these to where they belong." She said pointing with her chin on the clothing in their arms and laughs softly.
They heard someone loudly screaming Merlins name. Merlin rolled his eyes after recognizing the voice of his king. He gave his part of the clothes to Gwen, gave her an apologizing smile and with that they separated.
•·················•·················•
A new morning had arrived and the air was still refreshing cool.
"Ready some horses, Merlin" The king commands, not even bothering to look at his servant, which gave him a confused look.
"Where are we going." He asked.
"I think Lord Godric could use some distraction." Arthur answered, still looking straight (hah!) forward, Merlin had a hard time keeping up with his steps "I'm going hunting."
"Killing animals to cope with a traumatic event, sounds great." He mutters to himself.
"Merlin, I know you don't seem to trust them." Arthur then stop sand turns to his friend to put a hand on his shoulder "But this woman and her husband lost their kid, you saw her the day she arrived. I don't believe it was all just acting." Merlin had to agree with him on this. Lady Adaline looked truly broken. Not only that, but whatever they where talking about in their chambers, she didn't seem like she liked what she had to do.
Still, if they mean Camelot or it's people any harm they need and they will be stopped.
"I will get your armor and fetch the knights."
He brushed Arthurs hand off his shoulder, even though he had enjoyed the warm touch, and runs off, leaving the king behind.
He made his way to the armory, where he met three familiar faces, obviously just coming from training. Sweats ran down their temple, while some servants helped them out of their armor. Merlin almost felt bad for asking them to accompany them. He could have asked one of the other present knights but if Merlin was already dragged to a hunting trip he at least wanted some fun.
"Gwain, Elyan..." he made a small pause, almost unnoticeable "...Mordred" He tries to get the knights attention, all three looked up at him "Merlin!" Gwain screams out in delight, and waving. His wrist showed clearly a green glow and he didn't even try to hide it (needless to say he got himself in some dangerous situations in the past). Elyan just smiled softly, he was quiet similar to his sister in a way. Mordred tried a smile too and was almost surprised when Merlin actually smiled back at him.
"You guys better get changed quickly, the king wants to go hunting." All three groaned at this information.
"Couldn't you ask, I don't know, anyone else." Gwain complained clearly exhausted.
"You where the first one I saw, bad luck" Merlin grinned at his friend, lifts a heavy set of armor and left the room with swaying steps, trying to balance the huge weight in his arms.
Only about half an hour later, the horses and of course their riders where ready. The sun was still standing rather low but the air didn't seem as refreshing as it was just an hour ago.
Its gonna be a hot day again. Merlin didn't enjoy the thought of hunting in the summer heat and to make it worse with a stranger that acted suspicious. He actually didn't enjoy the thought of hunting in general but it wasn't like he had an actual choice.
With that thought he lifted himself on the horse. The other knights started leaving the court yard and Merlin followed them after giving Gwen a worried look that signaled her to be careful, which she could only return.
He gave his horse a few soft kicks to catch up with the others.
Merlins look switched between Lord Godric and Arthur while they made their way to the nearest forest.
There must be a way to convince this stupid excuse of a prince... He sighs, there was nothing he could do now, might as well relax for a bit.
He leaned back a bit and took a deep breath of the fresh forest air. He could hear Gwain laugh about a joke he couldn't make out and how Arthur desperately tried to start a conversation with Lord Godric, who tends to keep his answers as short as possible.
"Are you okay?" He heard a voice, well he didn't actually hear it, it was just there, which made him realize immediately where it came from.
Quickly he turned back to Mordred who rode beside Elyan and Gwain but didn't seem to join their conversation. The boy smiled a little at him.
Normaly, when Melin heard Mordreds message, he would choose to ignore it. Just starring a him but never really answering but this time he gave him a short "I'm okay." and even a kind smile but it doesn't quiet reach his eyes.
Merlin had thought a lot about this. Mordred was destined to kill Arthur, he was reminded himself of this as often as he could. But what held Merlin back from killing him when he saw him the first time as a kid? Back then he already knew about the prophecy and yet he decided to save the druid boy and ignore the drangons warnings.
He knew about the little boys destiny, what these pure blue eye hid, but would ignoring him, accusing him of things that didn't happen yet be fair? Wouldn't that fuel his hatred he will soon feel? Mordred tried to be good, Merlin could see that he tried everything to gain his trust, maybe, just maybe he had good intentions, despite of what the destiny wants him to do.
He could fix some past mistakes
Merlin couldn't let the same thing happen to him, that happened to Morgana. A truly kind soul, consumed by evil and hatred. Merlin had tried to comfort her, tried his best to show how he understood her pain. But she couldn't see it.
If Merlin had shown her his magic ,maybe things would have been different today. And maybe things could be different in the future if he would show Mordred the sympathy and acceptance he failed to show Morgana.
Mordred raised his I brows only so slightly that the other knights doesn't notice. It wasn't often that Merlin responded to him per telepathy. No, most of the time he just gave him an angry glare, while ignoring his message. Mordred was fully aware that Merlin doesn't seem to trust him, even if he didn't fully understood why.
Merlin turned back forward, only to see Arthur stare at him with raised eyebrows.
"What was that?" He asked Merlin, he obviously gave up on the conversation with the other nobleman.
"What?" Merlin responded as clueless as possible.
"That weird starring contest with Mordred." He explains.
"A starring contest, that's exactly what it was." He tries to save him and he could basically feel Mordreds amused smiling behind him. Arthur gives him a wary look "What, are you jealous?" He tries teasing the blond.
"Of course not. Don't be ridiculous Merlin." He then said a little louder and turns forward again, ignoring his servant, or at least trying it.
Merlin just laughs and turns to Mordred to give him an angry look, not a serious one though, like he would give him usually, but more a playful one.
Apart from that, the whole trip was rather uneventful, boring even. Merlin had somehow thought Godric would at least do one thing that could be used against him but he just followed the group, and avoided any kind of conversation.
•·················•·················•
Arthur still felt a bit guilty for the argument he had with Merlin the day before. It was true that the servant, no matter how foolish he may seemed, had saved the king of some disasters before.
He was loyal and wouldn't try to lie to him.
No matter how illogical it seemed he just couldn't ignore the boys statements. The group was on it's way home, their hunt wasn't as successful as hoped but not exactly bad either.
"I was meaning to ask you Godric." Arthur begins, unsure if asking the following would be a good decision, the lord had turned to him, staring at him with cold eyes, expecting him to continue "You and your wife are soulmates, right?" He asks.
He could see the other look nervously to the side, only so slightly that it was barely noticeable.
Arthur knew they couldn't be soulmates, if Merlin spoke the truth, which he knew he did.
"Your father wouldn't approve of this kind of conversation." he dodged the question.
"Well my father isn't in charge anymore." He responds his voice colder than intended he continues to look at Godric, somehow hoping it would get him to answer.
"Of course, my apologies."
"So are you? I remember you where. Must be great to be able to marry the one." He leads the conversation back to the topic, trying a smile.
"Yeah we are, we really where lucky."
••━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
Apparently my sister gets my e-mails and can see what stories I read and write:)
I'm kinda mad rn.
I'm actually kinda sorry for this chapter, I really don't like it, the last part is just to make up what the series failed. I just wanted some nice telepathic conversations between the magic bros T^T
Merlin acted so stupid, they could have been best friends
Btw. I really want to kill of some parents so Merthur can adopt the child but it just feels so wrong, I need thoughts.
Anyway,
Seeya!