Disclaimer-Merlin didn't belong to me when I started writing this and it still doesn't belong to me now.

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Chapter 10-A Confident Morgana

The Prince had been slouching in his spindly-legged wooden chair about to doze off when he felt Merlin begin to stir. Suddenly wide-awake and alert, Arthur held Merlin's hand loosely in his own and studied his face carefully.

A small indistinct moan slipped from Merlin's mouth as his dark lashes fluttered against his pale cheeks. He shifted a bit before his eyes opened fully and he peered around to take in his surroundings. Recognizing his mother's home he relaxed before turning his head to the side.

"I don't suppose you were expecting to see me." Arthur said quietly with a note of nervousness in his voice.

The dark-haired wizard let out a noise that sounded something like a laugh before tightening his hold on the Prince's hand.

"I'm glad you're here." Merlin told him.

Arthur smiled and leant over the other boy so that his forehead was gently resting against his and their breaths were mingling together.

"I feared I'd lost you." Arthur confessed, his voice sending shivers through Merlin's lips.

Unsure what to say in reply, Merlin settled for lightly brushing their lips together in a barely there kiss.

"Oh good you're awake." Hunith said as she made her presence known holding a steaming bowl of soup in her hands. "Eat this Merlin. You need to get your strength up."

Merlin hoisted himself into a seating position, reluctantly letting go of the blonde boy's hand, before gratefully taking the soup from his mother and slowly feeding himself.

After smiling at her son, Hunith left them alone again before returning with a bowl of porridge for Arthur. He politely thanked her before spooning the food with disgust. Merlin smirked at the Prince and watched with amusement as he forced himself to swallow the lumpy breakfast. To his credit, he successfully managed to consume the entire thing even if he did choke and gag a few times.

When Merlin's mother returned to collect their empty bowls she actually offered Arthur more to which he hastily declined. A short while later Morgana came to see how Merlin was doing.

"We plan to return to Camelot today." Morgana told him. "Devlin thinks we ought to leave a little before lunch. Is there any chance that you'll consider coming back with us?"

Looking uncomfortable with the sudden question Merlin averted his gaze from the Prince and Lady. Morgana looked to Arthur with concern and he indicated for her to give them some time alone. She nodded at the blonde before returning to sit with Devlin and Hunith.

"I won't make you do anything you don't want to." Arthur told him. "But I would like it very much if you'd come back with us."

"I don't know." Merlin replied still not looking at him. "I think it's better if I remain here."

"Is that your decision?" He asked sadly.

Placing his head in his hands Merlin shook his head and sighed.

"It is." The warlock finally said. "I want to stay here with my mother."

"Then I won't stop you." Arthur relented.

Merlin nodded in gratitude before finally lifting his eyes up and allowing his gaze to land on the Prince.

"I really do love you you know." Arthur told him as he gently ran his thumb over the mark that was still visible from where Merlin's head had hit the floor when he's pushed him.

"I know." Merlin replied closing his eyes so he could memorize the sensation of the Prince's touch. "Promise not to replace me with a bootlicker."

"I promise." He agreed with a small laugh.

The two blue eyed boys simply stared at one another in silence for a long time. There was so much between them that needed to be said, but neither Prince nor warlock had the courage to speak up.

"Arthur." Morgana called interrupting the silence. "We're setting up to leave."

"So I guess this is goodbye." Merlin said.

"You mean you're not coming?" Morgana asked obviously startled. Merlin shook his head. "But why ever not? You must…"

"Morgana." Arthur interrupted. "Just leave it."

With what appeared to be a great deal of effort, the Lady Morgana swallowed down all her protestations and held her tongue. She approached the bed and tightly hugged the dark-haired boy before placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Try to stay out of trouble." She told him by way of goodbye.

"Try to sleep well." Merlin returned and the two shared a smile before Morgana made her farewells to Hunith.

"I don't know what to say." Arthur confessed when they were alone again.

"Say nothing." Merlin told him. "Just go."

The blonde nodded and stood to his feet. He looked down at the wizard wanting so much to hug him as Morgana had, to kiss him deeply as he had done in his bed chambers back at Camelot, to fall to his knees and beg him to come back with him. However, Merlin refused to look at him so he did as his once servant had asked and simply left without another word.

He sat beside Morgana in the Carriage and Devlin ordered the horses to move and they were on the journey back to Camelot. Arthur looked out the window and watched as the small village of Ealdor become smaller and smaller until it disappeared from view completely.

"I'm sorry." Morgana said quietly when he'd pulled his head back inside.

"It doesn't matter." He replied as he tried to discreetly wipe his tears away.

Morgana turned her head and pretended not to see. Their fingers found one another and they held each other's hands tightly both drawing comfort from one another.

"What happens now?" Arthur asked as the coach jostled from a dip in the road.

"We wait." She answered causing him to look at her in confusion.

"What on earth for?" He asked.

"For Merlin to return." Morgana told him.

"I'm not sure he ever will." Arthur whispered.

"Oh he will." Morgana said confidently. "Just give it time, and when he's ready he'll return to you."

"You can't know that." Arthur scoffed.

"Can't I?" She asked with a knowing smirk.

"What? Did you have a dream?" He asked her feeling the hope flare up inside him.

"Arthur, it doesn't take a seer to know that he'll return." Morgana told him. "He loves you far too much to stay away forever. Merlin may be running away from that love right now but in time he'll come running back."

"I hope so." Arthur sighed.

They spent the rest of the journey home in silence and Arthur, tired from watching Merlin all night rather than sleeping, ended up with his head in Morgana's lap snoring lightly as she absentmindedly stroked his hair.

Upon their return to Camelot, Morgana pinched the back of Arthur's neck to wake him up. He rubbed his sore-spot and glared at her before jumping out of the carriage. She stepped out after him and walked along beside him as they made their way up the castle steps leaving Devlin to sort out the horses and cart.

When they entered the castle Gwen came up to meet them.

"Where's Merlin?" She asked looking around as though he might suddenly appear.

"He chose to stay in Ealdor." Arthur answered her briskly before continuing on his way to his rooms.

"What happened?" Gwen asked looking at her Lady.

They walked to Morgana's rooms and she explained everything on the way.

"What reason did Gaius give for our absence?" Morgana asked after she had changed into a clean dress.

"He told Uther you were visiting your father's grave and that Arthur was escorting you." Gwen replied. "Gaius also said that you may end up spending the night at an inn."

Morgana nodded, seemingly impressed with the believable lie. She sat at her table in front of her mirror and frowned at her tangled hair. Gwen was instantly behind her, brush and comb in hand, to set about taming the wild knots.

"Do you think Merlin will come back?" Gwen asked clearly upset about her friend's decision to leave.

"I know he will." She answered with a smile. "I just know."

After a quick change of clothes, Arthur had roamed the castle halls before randomly picking a servant boy to become his new manservant. The timid boy had a scrawny frame and wiry ginger hair. He jumped in alarm every time he was given an order.

Once Arthur's new manservant, Wallace, had tidied his chambers, he instructed him to get him into his armor. He then requested that Wallace get his horse ready as they were going on a hunt with a few of the Knights.

Arthur was relentless on the hunt and showed no mercy to any creature no matter how big or small. He prowled through the trees with his weapon on hand and slaughtered every unfortunate animal that happened to pass by. It was with a large heap of dead animals that Arthur and the Knights returned to Camelot.

Meanwhile, back in Ealdor, Merlin was still resting in bed whilst his mother was at work in the fields. The only thing the wizard could think of was the blonde-haired, blue-eyed prat of a Prince.

When Hunith returned to check on her son, she found the boy hugging his knees to his chest and rocking himself back and forth as tears spilled down his cheeks.

In an instant she was by his side and hugging him to her. She rubbed his back as she planted a kiss on top of his head.

"Why does it hurt so much?" He asked between sobs. "Why does it hurt to love a Prince?"

Not knowing the answer to her son's question, Hunith simply kept hugging him whilst whispering sweet nothing's into his ear.

Merlin clung to his mother desperately wishing with every bone in his body that the arms around him could be Arthur's.

The End

(Story will continue in sequel fic 'To Love A Warlock', keep your eyes out for it)

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