Later in the late evening Arthur and his knights set off in a quest for the lake his mother mentioned earlier. They entered the market, passed Gaius' chambers and took the forest route.
"How much longer?" Gwaine asked.
"Mother said that it wasn't that far." Arthur replied. "I wonder why we haven't reached yet."
"You sure you didn't forget the way?" Lancelot asked.
"That's Gwaine's speciality." Leon chuckled.
"Oh please!" Gwaine yelled.
"There's someone walking." Percival pointed. "Holding fish."
There was a peasant walking towards them holding a fishing rod in one hand and a basket of fish in another and few leaves.
"Good day." Arthur greeted. "Is there any lake nearby?"
"Yes sire, there is one, the same route but keep ears open for the lake water lapping." The peasant replied.
"Ok, thank you." Arthur replied.
They countinued their path and kept their ears open and looked in all directions. More five minutes and still no luck until Gwaine accidentally dropped his sword down a small slope covered by grass and small plants.
"Gwaine." Leon stated.
"It was a mistake." Gwaine said and got down from his horse. The others watched as he carefully went down the slope to retrieve his weapon but tripped over a creeper and went tumbling to the bottom.
"Gwaine! You need to learn not to fall." Arthur scolded as they also got down their horses to help their friend.
"I found it!" Gwaine yelled from below.
"We know!" Lancelot replied.
"Not just the sword, the lake as well!"
The four went down the slope carefully and without tripping they made it to the bottom where they saw the beautiful lake with sapphire and aqua marine coloured water and all around were small and huge trees and shrubs on the sand. It was more like a beach.
"This is so beautiful." Arthur exclaimed. "Merlin will definitely like it."
"This place will look amazing at night." Percival added.
"So Arthur, what are our tasks for this place? I mean, you don't have much time left and we can't always escape her sight." Leon stated.
"First we need to clear the path to reach here and have to get Gaius, Gwen and Morgan in our plan as well. We will first have a small celebration at Gaius' chambers and later I will get her here for the main suprise." Arthur explained.
"Will you be writing her a song?" Gwaine asked.
"Ofcourse I will. It'll be better than the first one."
"Any work now?" Lancelot asked.
"Nah, this was all for today better get started with the other preparations while Merlin's resting."
They made their way back to the castle and explained the plan to Gwen and Morgan. They were overjoyed and agreed to help but who would let them go out at night? Uther wouldn't agree but every since Igraine came back, all Uther could do was stay shut and listen to her. Arthur told her about his suprise for Merlin and she too agreed.
"I need you both to keep Merlin busy while I work on the preparations." Arthur told Gwen and Morgan.
"How? That's your job." Morgan answered.
"Just give her many things to do and do your work." Gwen suggested.
"She's too fast!" Arthur replied.
"Than I'll take her with along." Morgan answered.
"Where?" Arthur asked.
"Gwen and I are going to choose some new dress materials so we'll take her along."
"If she does like anything than tell the owner to keep it and I'll come to collect it later."
"Alright."
"Ok so Merlin will be gone and I have to work on the other things, planning, cleaning and food."
Night fell and all the servants had finished their respective jobs and had gone back to their homes. Arthur knew that Merlin would come tomorrow morning to wake him up and if she finds the papers of his plan all his work would go for a toss. Arthur locked his chamber door and sat down on his fixed bed in his chamber.
He began to frame the lyrics for his new song to Merlin. But no matter how had he tried he couldn't get anything out of his head. He began to pace up and down thinking THE perfect lyrics for his song.
"I give up." Arthur declared and threw himself on the chair infront of the table. "I can fight of bad guys but can't think of a single word!"
He dozed off after a couple of hard minutes.
Arthur rubbed his eyes when the window of his chamber opened due to the wind. The wind threw all the papers down and Arthur had no choice but to pick it all up. He kept the papers back on the table and went to close his window when he saw the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.
The sunset was in the process and the colour of the sky was adding to its beauty. The first time the sky would appear after the shadow of night is always beautiful and Arthur was lucky enough to see this masterpiece. This sight put all his worries aside and he watched the sin rise.
"This is beautiful." Arthur commented. "Just like Merlin."
Arthur countinued to look out when suddenly a idea struck him, with a sudden burst of energy he sat back on his chair and began writing on a paper. Writing, scribling, tearing, cancelling and after rewriting, the song was finally over. What Arthur didn't realise was that he spent atleast one and a half hour in this.
He was alerted when he suddenly heard someone try to open his chamber door. Arthur abruptly got up and took his freshly writing song and placed it in one of the drawers of his bedside table. He locked it and kept the key in his pocket amd went in his bed to pretend to sleep completely forgetting that he had locked the door.
"Arthur!?" Merlin called out. "Arthur! Are you ok? Open this door!"
Arthur didn't know whether to respond or to stay quiet. Merlin would definitely ask him the reason his door was locked.
"Arthur!" She yelled again. "Don't make me break this door!"
"She can break the door?" Arthur asked himself.
Outside, Merlin stood worried thinking of what could have happened to Arthur. She checked if there was anyone else and chanted a magic spell which quietly opened the lock. Merlin opened the door and came in. Arthur heard the sound of the door open and quickly pretended to be fast asleep. Merlin sighed as she saw him sleeping in heavenly peace while she was worried.
"This prat." Merlin scoffed. "Rise and shine, sire. It's time to get up."
Arthur didn't say a word.
Merlin looked around the room and her eyes fell on the papers scattered on the table. She walked towards the table while Arthur opened one eye to see where she was. Seeing that she was heading towards there and knowing that his previous song papers are still there, he sat upright.
"Ah, yes you're here." Arthur said taking Merlin's attention to him.
"You decided to lock your chamber."
"Well it's my chamber, I can do whatever I want."
"Why weren't you answering the door?"
"I was sleeping?"
"Than how did you just wake up?"
"I just told you I was sleeping."
"I know very well how you sleep, sire. I literally dragged you out of bed once."
"I was too tired then."
"You still look tired. Didn't you sleep?"
"I did."
"I can definitely see that."
"Quit your sass and sarcasm for once!"
"I can very well see that you're lying to me." Merlin said angrily. Arthur never saw her that angry before. Arthur unclocked an achievement by making his future wife angry.
"I, um, ah, am ah,"
"Just stop it and get your butt off the bed."
"I beg your pardon."
"You heard it right and now move it!"
Arthur got up quickly and without saying a word he went to change his clothes.
"Break-"
"It's done!"
Sometime later all the knights including Morgan and Gwen were laughing uncontrollably at Arthur when he told them about the incident in the morning.
"Oh my lord!" Lancelot laughed.
"Dude, how did you manage to get your future wife mad at you?" Gwaine added.
Gwen tried her best to suppress the need to laugh but she just couldn't. Morgan didn't care and laughed the loudest. Arthur looked at all of them laughing at him and had a frown on his face.
"It's not funny!" He yelled.
"What's not funny?" Merlin asked. No one knew for now long she was standing there.
"Oh nothing, Arthur got himself in a fix."
"What fix? What did you do now?" Merlin asked Arthur.
"I didn't do anything!?" Arthur replied.
"Arthur, you made Merlin angry this morning." Morgan said softly.
"And you have to make up for it." Percival added.
"Like?" Arthur asked.
"Get her a new dress!" Gwen suggested. "You always wear the same clothes."
"What? I have many shirts but they are the same colour." Merlin explained.
"But you don't have a single dress." Leon replied.
"I have one which Morgan gave me." Merlin stated. "Anyways Gaius has given me a early gift to buy a dress for my birthday."
"Merlin, Morgan and I will be visiting the market to get some materials. You can join us."
"Ok." Merlin replied and turned to Arthur. "I need the day off that day."
"Atleast do that to make up." Leon mumbled.
"Alright fine, I'll give you that day off." Arthur replied. "You know what? I'll let you take the days off till your birthday."
"That's in three days."
"Take the three days off."
"You can't be serious."
"I am."
"What will you do without me?"
"That'll be the worse thing."
"Wha-"
"I'll manage these few days. I just hope they go fast."
"Enough romance love birds." Leon teased.
"You didn't see that romance yet." Arthur laughed.
"Shut up!" Merlin scolded.