Arthur stares up at the battered door in front of him, using the faint light of the candle to illuminate the corridor as best he can. He swallows thickly, watching the light quiver with his hands as he tries to calm all the nerves in his body that are telling him to turn and run. He had spent the rest of the night yesterday pondering what to do. He had slept fitfully, hardly getting a wink of rest and yet by morning he still hadn't made up his mind. Sure, he believes that Merlin may not be bad, but that doesn't mean he should commit treason right under his father's nose.
It took the rest of the morning to reach his current decision, but even now he hesitates as he stands in front of the door with the candle in his hand. Should he? Does he dare?
Slowly, with a tentative hand he reaches for the handle. He gives it a light push forward, hearing the hinges creak as the door opens and the dusty room is revealed before him. Swinging the light around the room as he looks he finds that everything is the same as how he had left it yesterday. There's the small fort he had built for protection, and the piece of timber that he used as a weapon on the ground. Even the pebble is still there, sitting silently. Void of all life.
In a few steps he walks over to the grate, peering down to find it as cold and dark inside as before. He backs away, calming his nerves as he counts to three in his head. He can do this.
"Merlin?" he calls, cringing at the tremble he hears in his voice. His father would have scolded him had he heard.
"Arthur?" The boy's voice immediately replies back with enthusiasm. There's a few footsteps as he gets to his feet. "I-is it really you?"
Hearing such joy and sadness in his words Arthur feels a stab of pain in his chest at ever doubting the boy, but still the lingering sense of danger dwells in the back of his mind. He sits down and sets the candle on the ground, pushing it close to the grate till a faint light seeps through the bars. With the help of the light he's able to see the small outline of a silhouette in the room. A silhouette of Merlin. From what he can make out the boy's small and has a mop of black - or perhaps dark brown - hair on his head. He isn't able to make out anything else. The rooms still far too dark, but at least now he knows what the boy looks like. At least a little bit. "Yes, it's me, I'm sorry I ran away," Arthur replies, his words sincere.
There's a light chuckle from the grate, a broken one. One that sounds a little forced as though the boy is trying to suppress something. To hide something he wants no one, perhaps not even himself, to see. What that something is Arthur doesn't know.
There's a shuffling sound from below him and now he can see Merlin sitting against the wall underneath him, looking up at the ceiling presumably because he can't tell where the prince is. Now that he's closer Arthur can just barely make out bright, blue eyes and a wide smile that makes his heart skip a beat. "I thought I would never get to talk to you again. And um... I just wanted to say I'm sorry. Papa always said that I shouldn't use magic when it isn't lesson time."
"Papa? I thought you said you're alone?"
Arthur's met with nothing but silence and when he looks through the grate again he finds Merlin's no longer smiling. His head is tilted downwards until the shadows are obscuring his face once again. "I am. Papa used to say that," he says in a quiet voice.
Arthur sits uncomfortably in his spot, having a question that he wants to ask, but knowing this probably wasn't the best time. Unfortunately, his curiosity won out. "Did your Papa know magic too?"
Merlin is quiet for a moment before looking back up at the prince. "Yes, he did. He was the best..."
"Was?"
"A bad man came and... um..." Merlin doesn't finish but Arthur can guess what he meant. His parents are dead.
Arthur doesn't quite know what to say. He understands how it must feel like having lost a parent himself but his situation was still different. Unlike Merlin, he had never met his mother before. Had never felt a mother's love and care so he didn't know what it was like to suddenly lose all of that. He supposes that it would be similar to what he'd feel if he lost his father. Nonetheless, he thought it was probably best he changes the subject. "Do you ever get to go outside?" Arthur decides to ask, and seeing how dark and dreary the room is he hopes that answer is yes.
"No. The door is locked. I can't leave."
The first thing he feels is pity for the boy. Having to stay cooped up inside all day? What sort of life was that? He needs to get out. Have some fun! But how? After pondering the question for a few minutes Arthur turns to the grate with enthusiasm. He grabs the bars and with a wide smile looks down at Merlin. "Do you want to go outside?"
Merlin's eyes widen and he gets to his feet, excited at the very question. "Of course! But... how? Do you know how to get me out?"
Arthur shakes his head. "No, but I have an idea! I'll be back tomorrow! Wait for me!" With that the prince hops up, grabs the candle and races from the room before Merlin can ask anymore questions.
-----
The following morning Arthur is up and out of bed before his nursemaid has even arrived - much to her surprise. He gobbles down breakfast quickly, hardly even stopping to chew his food, before he's suddenly out the door and into the hall with his nursemaid right behind. He weaves between the servants in the corridor, for once happy of his small stature as he finds his way to the courtyard. The area is already bustling with people and he can catch a few of the merchants and visiting farmers wave in his direction when they see him atop the stairs. He can already hear his nursemaid approaching from behind and without wasting another second he races towards the gate out of the city.
He doesn't stray too far from the gate, only a short distance into the trees where his nursemaid wouldn't find him if she came to look. His father has drilled it into his head enough times the dangers of going out alone at his age and he is not willing to be lectured again.
He's glad the sun is up this morning and that the sky is clear. It makes things much easier for him as he starts to search around the forest. He needs to bring something interesting, something that will remind Merlin of all the wondrous things outside. He searches around for awhile, not knowing what would be the best thing to bring. Should he bring some of the leaves? Or perhaps some of the herbs? No, none of those seem right. He needs something more.
It takes him well over an hour but eventually a vibrant flower growing on a bush by the base of a tree catches his eye. He crouches down by the plant, examining the yellow petals that remind him rather vividly of those golden eyes that stared up at him from the darkness of the room. He picks them carefully, not wanting to cut himself on the thorns, before turning around and heading home, eager to show Merlin what he's found. He's careful to hide them as he walks back to his chambers, not wanting anyone to question him or, even worse, take them away. He carefully places them in the back of his wardrobe the moment he enters his chambers, knowing that he won't have time to visit Merlin again until at least later in the day. Almost the moment he shuts his wardrobe door his father walks in, eyeing him suspiciously. "Arthur," he says warningly with the nursemaid right behind him, "Mary says that you've been neglecting your studies lately. Is that true?"
Arthur turns to face his father, instinctively setting his shoulders back and fixing his posture to the way his father had taught him. "No, I haven't," he says.
"Then where were you this morning? You have lessons with Gaius in less then ten minutes."
"I... went out for a walk. And besides I came back on time!"
Uther growls, stepping in closer to his son until he's towering over him. "You better not have been out and playing with those children again."
Arthur shakes his head, "Of course not, father. I was just out for a walk."
Uther eyes his son for a moment longer before heaving a sigh and turning back around. "Hurry to Gaius. I don't want you to be late again. And please, next time at least let Mary know where you're going."
"Yes, father."
-----
Later in the evening, after his nursemaid had put him to bed and left, Arthur gets back up and grabs the flowers from his wardrobe. He lights one of the candles by his bedside then, taking it with him, creeps out of his chambers. He's careful to avoid the guards, knowing that no princely title would have them allow him to pass without question in the middle of the night. It takes longer than it normally would, but eventually he reaches the dusty closet again.
There's a smile on his face as he pushes the door open, excited to show Merlin. He sets the candle down by the grate then peers through the bars. "Merlin? You said you can make things fly right?"
"Um... yeah but-"
"Here! Fly it down. Be careful though, they're sharp." Arthur sticks his arm in between the bars, holding the roses in his hand for Merlin to see. He notices the boy look up at him with curiosity, but holds his hands out anyways and does what he's told. Arthur watches, mesmerized as his friends eyes flash gold, the colour so bright that he can see it clearly even through the darkness. He feels something tug at the flowers gently, so he lets go and can only watch with wide eyes as it gently drifts down to the palm of Merlin's hands.
"They're yellow roses," Arthur says with a grin, "I found it in the forest today! It's a bright gold like the sun so I thought you would like it."
Merlin holds one of the flowers up, twirling it between his fingers as he smiles. "Thank you, it's beautiful."
Arthur smiles proudly, feeling a sense of achievement at this small feat. "I asked my teacher about them and he said that yellow roses represent friendship and new beginning's. I think they mark this occasion really well!"
Merlin stops spinning the plant and looks up at the light above him. "Friends? Y-you consider me a friend?" he asks hesitantly.
The prince stares down at him and for the first time their eyes meet. "Friends," he lets out a chuckle, "A prince and a warlock. How strange is that?"
Merlin laughs, "Strange like a prat and a unicorn," he replies with a wide smile.
-----
"And today," Arthur announces as he sticks his hands through the bars of the grate, "I brought this!"
Again, as always, the item floats off his hand. It drifts down and into the room, seeking out the other boy in the gloom. The prince feels particularly exited today, rather proud of what he had managed to find. Thus far it has always been things he could find easily nearby in the Forest of Ascetir, but today he decided to venture just a little bit further and he managed to find a spectacle he thinks Merlin would be rather excited to see. He had found a squirrel! A live one! He's sure Merlin will be excited to see a living creature!
"Um... Arthur?" Merlin asks with a quiver in his voice once the object has reached his hands, "What is this? I-I think it's moving."
"A squirrel!"
"You caught a squirrel?!" Merlin cries with a yelp.
"Yeah! I thought you were tired of seeing plants all the time so I brought you an animal!"
"Take it back home!" Merlin says, sending the creature back up through the grate much to Arthur's displeasure.
"Why? I brought it here for you!"
"But it's only a baby. I'm sure it's mama and papa miss it... it probably misses its mama and papa too," Merlin says wistfully as the squirrel gently floats down on Arthur's palm.
The prince looks down at the little critter in his hands, carefully stroking the fur on its back, wondering how much of what Merlin said was about the squirrel or himself. "I'm sorry," he mutters, feeling bad for digging up bad memories.
"It's fine," Merlin replies, "I'm fine. But could you please take the squirrel home?"
Arthur nods before realizing that Merlin couldn't see him. "I will. But is there anything else you want me to bring. I can get you anything!"
"No you don't-"
"I said anything!" Arthur says stubbornly, "so tell me."
"Th-then a book. Can you get me a book?"
"A book?" Arthur asks with a laugh, "what do you want with those boring old things?"
"I get lonely waiting for you to come," Merlin says in a quiet voice.
Again, the prince can feel his heart flutter in his chest at the words. Merlin missed him too. "Okay, then tomorrow I'll come as soon as I can!"
-----
After returning the squirrel back to its home the prince pounds his fists loudly against the door, not caring about the questioning stares he gained from the others in the hall. "Gaius!" he shouts, still hitting the door. "Gaius I want to ask you something!"
Finally, the door opens and an irritated old man emerges, staring down at the boy who now smiles innocently up at him. "What did you need my boy?" the physician asks, not hiding the annoyance in his voice.
Arthur smiles at him and darts into the room, heading straight towards one of the many bookshelves. He starts pulling them out at random, hugging each one in his arms before Gaius walks over and takes the books away. "I need those!" Arthur cries, standing on his tiptoes in an attempt to reach them.
Gaius raises an eyebrow, "You were never keen on reading before. What's changed your mind?"
"They're not for me! They're for Merlin!"
Gaius sighs, a little disappointed to hear that the prince isn't the one willing to study. "Merlin? Is that the friend from before?"
Arthur nods, "he says he wants to read so I'm bringing him some books."
Gaius smiles, glad to hear the prince has finally found a friend he can converse with. "And your friend wants books on..." he looks at one of the covers, "fish anatomy?"
"Um... he likes fish."
"Why don't you give him something he would enjoy," Gaius suggests, kneeling down to the prince's height. "what does he like?"
"He-" the prince stops, glancing around as though afraid someone will overhear him.
"It's alright. No one will hear."
"He-he likes magic."
Gaius smiles then walks over to the bookshelf. He sets the ones Arthur had taken out back before heading towards one of the shelves atop the little loft. The prince watches as the physician digs through the shelf, pulling out a dusty book that appears to have never seen the light of day in years. The old man heads back down and hands the book to the prince. "It's a book on basic spells. Perhaps he'll find some pleasure in reading it," he says with a smile.
Arthur flips open the cover, skimming through the pages with a puzzled expression. He may not know what the book is saying, but he trusts Gaius when he says that Merlin might enjoy it. He hugs the book to his chest then with a grin runs to the door. "Thank you Gaius! I'm going to give it to him now!"
With that he dashes off excitedly, humming to himself as he makes his way towards the little room. He wonders what Merlin will say when he gives the book to him.