[[Hi guys! I'm SO sorry this has taken so long! I've had a lot to do and mental writers' block! Thanks for all the encouraging comments! I'm glad you like it! Just wondering, do you guys want this to have some depth or are you wanting to keep it smut aplenty? xD I mean, of course if it goes deeper than that, it's going to have similar sort of – ahem – interests in mind…anyway, thoughts?

Also! I'm sorry for all the spelling errors in the last one (or any other I might have missed!) I must have not checked it over! I know that, for me, atrocious spelling ruins it for me…so I am deeply sorry and wont let it happen again!]]

Merlin could not face going back home, where Gaius would surely be waiting for him, full of questions Merlin certainly did not want to answer.

Instead he sat in a back alley adjacent to the castle, where the hurrying people squabbling over prices of food and bickering about gods-know-what, so the agitated servant worrying red scratches into his wrist with unsettles hands went unnoticed. He looked much like one of the many homeless men of Camelot's streets; looking rough after his sleepless nights, twitching his fingers up and down his wrists, muttering delusional ramblings beneath his breath, and fixedly staring at the subtle bruises forming on his wrists.

He was in a horrific state, unsure exactly about what had happened, but still in the moment slightly, as he saw flashes of the incident when he closed his eyes. He wasn't sure if the inability to get his thoughts straight was induced by the incident itself or the sleeplessness, but neither was likely to have helped his state.

"Merlin?"

The brunettes head jerked up with a gulp of breath, only to see a shocked Gwen looking down at him with a wary face, "Merlin? Are you…alright?"

He must have looked terrible, Gwen never mixed her words, she would never have asked such an obvious question if Merlin had not looked…deranged…

Merlin began to nod his head, but the action seemed to escape his control and he ended up violently shaking his head no and blinking an awful lot to be normal. This did not ease Gwen's worries. "Is there…anything I can do to help…? I could get Gaius? Are you feeling ill?"

Merlin shuddered at Gaius' name and shook his head; he definitely did not want him to know what the matter was. Just then he looked up at Gwen's worried face. She was a servant to a royal like him, surely if there was anyone that would know about the oddness of the ruling class, it would be her. He stood up, too suddenly apparently as Gwen took a step back, a frightened tinge to her eyes. He paused for a moment, letting her regain herself, before beginning to ask one of the most difficult questions of his life, "You know that…have you…has Morgana…ever asked you…or made you do…anything…weird?"

Whatever Gwen was expecting, it wasn't this. "Weird…?" she still seemed determined to keep back from Merlin, he was obviously not seeming any more sane.

"Yes, weird…or…told you to do something more…personal?" he gulped, willing her to understand. Or better yet, say that she too hand experienced advances from the person to whom she served, to put him mind at rest that this was something normal.

Gwen blinked, now unsure where to look. She took a cautious step forward and whispered a 'yes…'

Merlin's face brightened, finally finding some sort of reassurance that he was not alone. Maybe he hadn't understood the…duties of a servant boy completely? He questioned the obviously uncomfortable Gwen further, "What? I mean…what has she asked you to do?"

Gwen looked taken aback at being asked for more information. She swallowed and looked at Merlin in the eyes, trying to inspire confidence in him, "You mustn't tell anyone?" Merlin nodded fervently, "But…Morgana…she asked me, one day, to…" Gwen flushed scarlet, now whispering, "come to dinner at my house." Gwen stepped back slightly, looking shocked that she had mentioned it.

Merlin was frozen, the smile dropped from his face. He was sure he had misheard. "What!"

"I know! I know!" Gwen flapped her hands, "I mean, she saw my house! We're close, yes, but I'm still just her serving girl! I shouldn't have accepted, she's a lady! She shouldn't have to stay in the houses of servants…If the king knew! It doesn't bear thinking about it! She ate with me as well, my food which wouldn't be priced at one tenth of the price of the meals she is used to!" the girl was flustered now and obviously distressed, but Merlin didn't notice it in the slightest, he had stopped listening to her.

The most scandalous thing Morgana had ever asked her to do…was to eat at her house! Now, Merlin had replaced his worry with misplaced anger towards the serving girl. She had him believe that he was not alone, that his plight was a shared one. But no. He was alone in his situation with Arthur doing…whatever he was doing!

"Merlin? Merlin? Oh please don't tell Uther! Not even Arthur! Not even Gaius! Please? Merlin…?"

Merlin was tired of being around people again, he wanted to stalk back into solitude, left to straighten out his thoughts. "Yes, fine, yes. I'll…stay quiet." He cast the words over his shoulder as he walked off, back to his home, leaving a confused and startled Gwen to get herself together and leave to see Morgana, in the confusion forgetting to ask Merlin what exactly it was that Arthur was asking him to do…