Chapter 3! And thanks everybody who offered me ideas. They were of great help!

- M – E – R – L – I – N -

The early morning rays gently began to illuminate the kitchen. Servants began to trickle in to prep for breakfast. Arthur ignored them. He only had one more load to finish and he was finally done with his punishment. After his visit to Gaius, he marveled about the strange young man staying with the physician. He was both grateful and frightened by what happened there.

His father had always told him that magic was evil. That only pain and suffering could be wrought by those who practiced the Old Ways. That magic seduced and corrupted those who toyed with its power. And now the foundation that his father had built in him was shaken, threatening to collapse altogether. He had no idea what Merlin did, but it didn't matter.

Quite the contrary. What did matter was that the dark haired youth had used magic to ease his suffering and give him a burst of energy. So much energy that he ploughed through his daunting task to bring him to this point. There was no question in Arthur's mind that if not for Merlin's efforts he would have been doing the dishes til noon. Which of course, would have been well past Vortigan's deadline. Undoubtedly, the king would still punish him for his failure to complete his tasks before the night was out. But he could live with that. He hoped.

Unfortunately, Merlin's magic had worn off and Arthur was now fighting against his weary body to finish this last group of dishes. The morning staff buzzed around him, taking what they needed as he finished. Arthur never realized how much preparation went into getting breakfast or any of the other meals done for the court. But now that he had witnessed it firsthand and even helped on occasion he fully understood. He had taken so much of his people for granted. Yet they had still looked up to him. Oh, how that hurt.

They had expected his protection. He had expected their fealty. They had expected his justice. He had expected their truth. They expected his leadership. He had expected their unquestioning service. He was to be their King. His heart sank at the thought now. Arthur knew deep down that he was not fit to be King. At least, not the King the people needed and deserved but the one his father would have made for them. And that was wrong.

Not to misunderstand the young man, Arthur was grateful for everything his father did teach him. And he loved Uther very much. However, having been stripped of all title and worth, where he must now obey the orders of a sable boy if given, Arthur began to understand what it meant to be King. A kingdom is not made up of just a King and his subjects. It is not made up of wealth and land. In fact, Arthur now believed should a king only rule the land, he would have no kingdom at all.

Because what Arthur now knew to be true was that a kingdom's worth did not lie in its money stores, the granaries, or its parcel of land, but its people. People that worked the soil. People that made the meals, or the clothes, or the armour, or the furniture. People that tended the farms.

People that looked to him for guidance. People that expected him to be wise and just and strong. People that expected their freedom. They wanted answers and Arthur had no idea what to tell them. How could he encourage them and keep their hopes alive when he had lost hope himself. Gaius had told him that the people still look to him for strength. The young man had to laugh at that.

He looked down at his water-laden hands, they trembled slightly from the long hours of work. Weakness. Even his arms quivered. The extensive labour wore heavily on his entire body. He felt no stronger than a newborn babe. How could a babe save Camelot when he couldn't even save himself? A failure. Arthur, the once future king, had failed his people. He had failed his knights. He had failed his sister and father. But worse than all, he had failed himself.

He felt his legs threaten to give out from under him. He would not permit another failure and forced them to lock while grabbing hold of the wash tub. It was that jolt that brought him back from his thoughts. He realized he had finished the last dish some minutes before. It was over.

Arthur couldn't even find the energy to turn and look at his guard. (The sleeping guard that Arthur woke up on his way to the kitchens had been replaced shortly after he began his second duty.) The blonde said in a quiet yet firm voice, "Guard, tell King Vortigan that I am finished." Even in his weary state, the former prince of Camelot could sense the guard's hesitation. Turning to look at the man, Arthur felt himself sway and winced. Ignoring the demand for rest that his body longed for, he added, "I will not leave the kitchen until you return."

The guard looked the former prince over once and walked out without another thought. Now that his watcher was gone, Arthur relished the thought of a moment's reprieve. Carefully, he made his way over to a corner and sank down against the wall. He did not want to get in the way of the others while they did their work.

The moment he had settled into the corner, he could have sworn he was in heaven. Nothing had ever felt so good. He could hear the call of sleep and wished he could drift along on her wings, but he knew the guard would return soon. He could not fall into her sweet embrace yet. Still, he could take these few moments to relax. He let his head fall back and closed his eyes.

Arthur had been so tired and so engrossed in his task he did not really notice which servants were scurrying about. If he had, he might have caught the worried glances from one of the servant girls. One he would have known all too well.

Gwen worriedly watched Arthur from a distance. But the moment the guard had left the room, she could no longer stay away. Cautiously, she gathered some items to put on two plates which she was to prepare and stood as close as she could without looking too suspicious. Now that she could see him more closely, she saw how pale and drawn he looked. What startled her more was the bandaged hand that was soaking his pants as it sat in his lap. She couldn't help herself. "My God, Arthur. What happened?"

Startled to be talked to so suddenly, tired blue crystals popped open. Automatically, he deflected, "It's nothing."

"You look awful."

"I'm fine."

Gwen scoffed. She wasn't blind but she had known the prince too long to bother continuing the argument. Instead, she went back to her workstation and got a piece of bread and a goblet of water. Quickly, she shoved them into his hands. "Here, you'll need your strength."

"You shouldn't do that," Arthur frowned. "You could get in trouble."

"I don't care."

"I do."

"I know. Just eat it before he comes back."

Arthur rolled the small chuck of bread in his good fingers thoughtfully. He was hungry but not for food. In a tight whisper, he asked, "How are they?" Gwen seemed to deflate slightly by his question. He did not like the torn look on her face. He laughed lightly, then offhandedly remarked, "You know, I never thought I would ever miss fighting with Morgana. Or my father's disapproving looks. Right now, I would give anything just to see them again."

Gwen's heart ached. She could not even imagine how hard this all was for him. She soon found herself sharing what she could. "Your father is all healed now. Of course he's furious about being locked in the tower, but there's little he can do. Morgana's nightmares have gotten worse. Even Gaius's potions no longer seem to help. I do what I can but I can see how scared she is all the time. She asks about you when I see her and wants to know everything that's happening in the castle. I tell her what I can which sometimes helps but makes her more worried other times. I don't know how to help her anymore."

The prince listened to Gwen as she talked. He took in every word just as greedily as his meager breakfast. He was surprised to find he was that hungry having finished his bread. He wished he could have had more but their time was over. The door opened as the guard walked in. Gwen hurried back to her station. Arthur stood up to greet his guard. The man didn't waste any time, "The King wants to see you." The pair left the kitchen.

***

Gaius put their breakfast down on the table and sat across from Merlin. The young warlock looked at the porridge and made a sarcastic yummy sound. The physician's eyebrow raised sharply as he said, "Be thankful you have something to eat."

"You're right, Gaius. Sorry," he apologized as he took a spoonful and ate it.

The physician continued to watch the dark haired youth for a moment before speaking again, "Merlin, I should not have to remind you but, you must not speak of Arthur's visit here last night to anyone. It would not look well for you should they learn of your assistance."

"I still don't understand why Vortigan keeps them all alive. I mean, even if Arthur is Camelot's 'pillar,' if he was really interested in conquering Camelot, he would have killed them all right out."

"Did Vortigan tell you that, about Arthur?"

"Yeah, said he needed to break Arthur in order to get Camelot. I thought he'd already won." Gaius didn't answer. Instead, he stroked his chin deep in thought. For a few moments, Merlin watched him, but his curiosity got the better of him in the end. "Gaius?"

It seemed to jolt the older man awake. "Sorry. But I'm finally starting to understand what the King is after."

"What's that?"

"An heir."

Merlin laughed incredulously. "What? And he wants Arthur?"

"Yes."

"Are you serious?"

"Of course, I'm serious."

"But Arthur hates Vortigan! He would never betray his father." The loathing he saw in those cold blue eyes the first time he met Arthur was enough to convince him of that.

"How can you be so sure? You barely know him."

At this Merlin had no quick answer. There was nothing he could really say to explain his belief, just that he firmly believed Arthur would never betray Urther, or Morgana. He just couldn't explain why he felt that way. Fortunately for him, he was saved the effort for now. Someone knocked on the door. Startled, both just looked at it.

After a moment, Gaius got up and opened the door. There he found an old friend of his, Geoffrey of Monmouth, holding a stack of books. "Geoffrey, this is a surprise. What may I do for you?"

"I have come by order of King Vortigan. He has directed me to pull previously forbidden volumes from my stores to present to young master Merlin here." The older pair glanced back to stare at the dark haired youth.

Merlin stood and joined them by the door. "You mean, these are all for me?" Smiling in giddy wonderment.

"Yes. He wants you to begin your studies immediately. And I suggest that you study, because I would not be surprised if he asks for a demonstration not too long from now. If you want to live, I suggest you perform to his liking." Geoffrey handed the books over to Merlin who was undoubtedly not hearing his warning judging by the eager expression on the boy's face. He looked at Gaius, exchanged a meaningful glance and then left.

Merlin carried his load over to the table and opened the first book. It was full of spells and enchantments and knowledge of magic that Merlin had only dreamed of learning. And here it all was at his fingertips! He looked up at Gaius, whose expression was rather blank at the moment, grinned excitedly, then grabbed the lot and hurried to his room to begin his studies.

***

The guard motioned for Arthur to enter, but did not follow. Inside the King's chamber he saw a servant girl whimpering as she finished tending to Vortigan. The King waved her off and quickly scurried from the room, holding back the tears that clung to her eyes. Her hands clutching her clothes desperately.

Arthur was no fool. Just those few actions told a tale that made his stomach turn. He felt the anger and hate swell within him. It was more than enough that Vortigan made him a fool in his own kingdom, but to take advantage of his people, infuriated him. Arthur was about to accuse his captor, when Vortigan spoke.

The King was standing by his bed with his back to Arthur, pulling on a cloak. "My guard tells me that you have finished your tasks."

But the former prince didn't care about that at the moment. "What have you done to Lorelei?" He demanded even though he already knew.

"That is not of your concern."

"She is a subject of Camelot and under my protection. If you've harmed her in any-" Vortigan crossed the room in the blink of an eye and backhanded Arthur before he could finish his threat. Tired and caught off guard, the young prince found himself kissing the ground quite suddenly.

"And you'll do what? Camelot is mine now, not yours. Best you remember that." Vortigan kicked the young man in the side eliciting coughs and splutters from the blonde. Then he walked over to a table where his breakfast sat waiting. "Lorelei knows how to serve her king properly without question. Perhaps you should take note."

Arthur was barely listening. As he fell, he instinctively put out his hands to stop the fall and jammed his pinky again. And the king's kick only added to his growing list of injuries. He managed to pull his knees under him and sit up. Beads of sweat lining his brow from the effort.

The king seemed not to notice his struggle. Instead he continued as if nothing had happened. "Now, where were we? Ah, yes, my guard tells me you have finished your tasks." He asked then shoved a forkful of food in his mouth.

Arthur gave a raspy, "yes."

Taking another forkful, Vortigan pondered aloud, "I find this odd, because if I recall correctly, you said it could not be done all in one night. And yet you managed to do it. How do you explain this?"

Sitting there for a moment, the prince tried to determine the best answer. He wasn't exactly sure what the King was after but Arthur was certain that Vortigan was looking for something. His response could lead to another punishment if he wasn't careful. And at this point, the young man wasn't sure he could handle much more. He was exhausted, his previous anger had left him feeling even more drained than he was before. His hand throbbed and his side ached. All his muscles were on the verge of collapse. And if he said the wrong thing now, who knows how his body would react.

He took a deep breath and gave the only answer his mind could settle on that wouldn't place anyone else in danger. "I was wrong."

"Exactly!" Vortigan sprang to his feet. Purposefully, the King walked back around the table to stand next to Arthur. "I have noticed this flaw recently. You seem to not know the limits of your own capabilities. You trap yourself with your own misgivings. You are much more capable than you believe yourself to be. You, Arthur, are stronger than you think. It is one of the qualities I admire most about you."

Arthur looked away disgusted. If he was so strong then why was Camelot under Vortigan's rule and not his father's? He glanced down at the chain binding his wrists and frowned. They were the symbol of his weakness.

Vortigan regarded the young man for a few moments and then said, "You look tired, Arthur. Why don't you come and join me at my table? It's much more comfortable than the floor, I think. And there's more than enough for both of us to eat."

The prince eyed Vortigan suspiciously. At no point in the weeks since his capture had this man been kind to him. This sudden change of tactics made the young man leery.

The King smiled and held out a hand to help Arthur up. Hesitantly, the prisoner complied. Vortigan steered the blonde to a seat across from him. He grabbed a smaller plate and began filling it with food. "Have something to eat. It will do you good." Then the older man went back to his seat and began eating again himself. "You have done well, following my orders. However, you did not finish within the time I set. I cannot over look this. You will muck out my stable as you normally do, and only when you have done this you may rest. That is your punishment and reward. I will summon you this afternoon to resume your duties. Now, eat."

But Arthur was too confused to eat. He had expected worse than this. A beating or perhaps a denial of sleep and food, something harsh and vicious. But all he had to do was the stables and then he was free to sleep or eat or anything? It just didn't seem right. This new, kinder Vortigan didn't seem right. He actually felt grateful for Vortigan's consideration, and that was most definitely not right! He wanted to hate Vortigan! Needed to hate him! He could not allow those feelings to change! It was the only thing that kept him going. He had to get away.

Abruptly, he stood. The King looked up at him in surprise. "I should go to the stables," Arthur said in a rush.

"But you haven't eaten."

"I should go to the stables," the prince repeated before bowing slightly and leaving a grinning Vortigan to finish his breakfast alone.

- M – E – R – L – I – N –

Well, I hope you liked it. Thanks for reading!

~Ari :D