Just The Beginning (Prince Merlin Fanfic)

Chapter 9: Night-time visions

I came back to Gaius's chamber's in a much better mood. After letting my magic out I felt a lot better keeping it in made me feel trapped. I still hadn't discovered the cause of Ezy's troubled mind, so I'm deciding to ask her at dinner. I walked to the table and asked Gaius.

"What's for dinner?"

"Stew," he said simply.

I looked across the table to see Esmeralda gulping her stew down absent-mindedly, after she finished she yawned it was a fake yawn but only someone who knew her well could tell.

"Forgive me but I'm utterly tired. I need to get to work tomorrow, so I think I'll go to bed," she said getting up and going to her room. Soon after Gaius went to bed and so did I.

SMASH!

I woke up an hour later to the noise of glass breaking, I looked around and noticed some glass vials floating in midair suddenly one of them fell to the floor and shattered. I used my magic to put them back on the shelves and fixed the broken glass. I looked over my shoulder at Gaius surprisingly asleep, then started going to the source of the magic which I already guessed was Esmeralda. I opened the door and saw her sitting on the bed hugging her knees, sobbing, tears streaming down her face.

"Hey hey hey," I sat down next to her putting my arm around her. "Shhh...what happened?" I comfortingly rubbed her arm.

She just buried her head into my shoulder and continued crying.

"Did you have a nightmare?" I guessed. "A vision?"

She nodded into my shoulder.

"I ha-haven't had one in f-four years." She said between sobs, "I only just got one yesterday."

"That's what was bothering you yesterday," I said more to myself than her.

After I managed to calm her down I asked her what she saw.

"I saw Morgana screaming, the seal of Naeder, a bottle of what looked like some sort of poison and t-then I saw you d-dead." Ezy started crying again.

I tried to put it all together. Morgana screaming...something must anger her, then the seal of Naeder... Morgana discovers Naeder, finds out I'm the prince and is outraged that she was unaware. A bottle of poison and me dead that's obvious I was poisoned...by Morgana! So Morgana will find out I'm the prince of Naeder then poison me. I'll have to be alert at all times now.

"Look," I told Esmeralda "I'm alive, I'm here. Nothing will happen to me. I am the most powerful warlock to ever exist."

She gave me a watery smile.

"You know what? I'm going to ask Arthur if we can meet Mother in Ealdor," I grinned.

"Really? Do you think he'll let you?" She asked, looking much happier.

"He probably won't but who cares I'm going to go anyway and Gwen will definitely let you go."

"But when you come back you'll probably be sent to the stocks for a day."

I rolled my eyes. "We should get to sleep now."

Esmeralda's face fell at this.

"I'll get you a sleeping draught?" I suggested.

She looked unsure.

'Don't worry I won't poison you. Gaius has been making them for Morgana for years now. I know exactly what it looks like."

"Go ahead, I have complete faith in you," she said sarcastically.

"I'll go get it!" I exclaimed, pretending not to hear her last remark. I searched all of Gaius's store cupboards, careful not to wake Gaius until I found a vial with clear sparkling potion filled to the top. I grabbed it and took it back to Esmeralda.

"Here."

She emptied it all at once.

"Now go to sleep."

The next morning Arthur decided we should go hunting.

"But we only just went last week," I complained.

"Merlin, people do eat you know," Arthur said, "now go get the horses ready."

I groaned.

And we were riding in the forests again.

"This isn't going to end well, it never does. It's going to go wrong I should have never come. We always end up getting attacked by bandit's or getting lost, it's mostly getting attacked by an evil sorceress. Why can't we have a hunting trip where nothing happens-?"

"Shhh..." Arthur interrupted putting his hand up stopping us all.

"What is it, Arthur? Bandits? Or maybe a stranger with magic?" I asked.

"A deer..." He whispered getting his arrow ready.

I jumped off my horse, my shoes making a thump as I landed on the ground. The noise made the deer look up and run away.

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted angrily.

"Oops," I muttered.

"This is why we never catch anything, Merlin! Because of you!" He yelled.

"It's not my fault the deer is scared of noises," I responded.

"Not your fault!?" He shouted incredulously. "Hunting uses stealth, speed, and an agile mind. I don't know why we bring you when you have none of those qualities!"

"Err Arthur? I think we have some company that does have those qualities," Gwaine said unsheathing his sword.