N/A: I somehow managed to upload this althought I am feeling a little under the weather, I apologize for any typos you might find here but I hope you do not. Thanks again to my amazing beta and friend Lilly whom I love dearly. I hope you enjoy this short chapter ( a little longer tan the original) and will see you next time. You can now find me in Wattpad as the blueknightofshadows where I will be uploading everything you can find here and original writing I am working on. Thank you!

The young prince Arthur looked outside his window with pure worry and anguish. Why was he so worried about that poor village boy? It wasn't his fault that he had stared so dreamily and longingly into his eyes... nor that Arthur himself had done the same thing as if they were some teenagers in love.

No... it wasn't his fault. But then the question popped up in his head yet again. Why?

His thoughts were interrupted by the knocking on the door, quiet yet firm.

"Enter," answered the Prince, quiet and serious.

"Arthur, sire?" asked Gaius, popping his head through the door. That old Court doctor was the only person Arthur actually trusted within the castle filled with oblivious servants.

"Yes, Gaius. Please come in." Arthur crossed his arms over his heavily-breathing chest.

"I wish not to disturb your sleep, sire," Gaius answered timidly while entering a room barely illuminated by some candles Arthur himself had turned on.

"No, not at all. Is there something the matter?"

"Sire, with all due respect..." The old man cleared his throat and got closer to the table separating the both of them. "Are you not worried about that poor Merlin boy's destiny? I do not believe it to be wise to let him... go on his own out there."

Arthur held his breath for a second, almost immobile, before letting out a long sigh and dropping his shoulders a little. "Yes, of course I worry, but what is there for me to do against my father's will?

The old man leaned over the table and whispered, "Young Arthur, sire... I think you must go look for this young boy. He must be just outside the citadel. The woods, as we well know, are very dangerous this late at night."

Arthur turned his face towards the window, contemplating the odds while the moon up high illuminated the huts.

Although he felt a little guilty, that wasn't quite all he felt...

Something like worry, like a sense of responsibility.

Whether it was his fault or not, it just wasn't right to leave this boy out there, alone and unarmed with no idea where to go.

"Meet me at the doors of the citadel," said Arthur as he exited the room with his red hoodie, leaving words hanging from the doctor's mouth.

Sneaking into the armory was not easy: Take a turn left, wait for the guards to pass by and head straight, take a right before the other guards see you, and be wary of the maids going around asking loudly, "Oh, what are you doing up, young man? Looking for a midnight snack, perhaps? Come on, off to bed!" He finally made it, though, and once he got his sword and his hauberk (made just for him) he began his journey towards the citadel doors, twisting around straw carts and the lonely stands at the farmer's market in which their eyes had met just that afternoon.

He put his red coat on and pulled the cowl down as much as he could to hide his face from any tall person.

The little young prince held tightly onto the sword handle when he heard the guards patrolling nearby, from who he fortunately passed by unnoticed.

A knot in his throat sat tightly as shivers ran up and down his spine. If his father, the king, were to know about this, he could not begin to imagine how it would end for him. And Gaius. He was much more afraid for the doctor's fate than his own.

The more he sneaked through the city, the more afraid he was. He was able to exhale and relax a little when he saw Gaius at the other end of the road, beside the big doors that kept the woods and all that it held at bay.

He straightened his back and gave the doctor a small greeting with his head; placed his hand in the cold metallic handle and sighed.

He knew from now on there was no turning back. Yes, he could still turn his back on this and go to bed, safe and sound in the castle, but could he? Could Arthur Pendragon rest in peace knowing he left this kid out there, probably to his death? Him? No.

That kid was his responsibility, his duty, now, and he would find him safe and take him back home, whatever it took.

He looked at Gaius, who returned the look and nodded with his head as if giving the order to attack someone to death.

Arthur pushed the doors against the wind and towards the woods with both hands. A gust of wind stroke him and Gaius, pushing their bodies back. The wind was particularly strong tonight, certainly not a regular event this time of the year.

As the wind stroke Arthur, a thought did with equal force, as sudden as it was terrifying for his little body: Someone had to stay behind, for the doors could not be opened or closed from the outside, and leaving them open would alert the guards.

He turned to Gaius and saw the old man smiling. Of course someone had to stay behind! Was he expecting the old man to follow him into the woods and traveled a day by foot and back with them? What a silly thought! Although, Arthur did long for him to come. Or anyone, for that matter.

"Arthur, sire, I do not doubt you will find him and take him back home safely. If I were to go with you I'd-

Gaius left the sentence in the air as a white gloved hand rose in front of his nose.

"Do not speak any further, Gaius. Make sure my father does not find out until at least sunset, it would be a terrible problem. I doubt he will forgive me." Or you, he thought.

With that said, he turned his back to the old man and took a few steps into the woods, without fully grasping the magnitude of the problem he was getting into.

"There is no turning back now," he said to himself (and whomever could hear) as the doors behind him closed thunderously, hoping it wasn't too noisy to alert the guards.

He took his sword handle tightly as he entered an uncertain path, disturbed by the fierce wind. He could only hope the boy with dark black hair and beautifully blue eyes had found refuge in a safe place from the evils that stalked the woods.