His Guardian Angel (An Arthur Pendragon Love Story)

Chapter 12 - The Moment of Truth (Part 1)

I flicked through my notebook again, bored. There was nothing going on around here. Merlin was with Arthur doing who knows what and Gaius was in the Lower Town with one of his more serious patients, so I was left to do nothing. I had read all the books that I had gotten from Geoffrey but I didn't really want to trek halfway across the castle just to get another one, so I flicked through my notebook, in which I wrote when and where I had my pain.

I sighed as I came to the last entry. It had been from a few days ago. I hadn't told anyone else this, but I hadn't had my pain for a few days. I was very confused. To my knowledge this had never happened before, I had always had my pain, ever since I was a very young child. But I didn't tell anyone else, there was no point in worrying them about something so insignificant.

My thoughts were broken by the door opening and my brother slumping into the room. I chuckled as he flopped onto his bed. "Stop laughing at me! You try and have to hand wash every single piece of Prince Prat's clothing!" He groaned and I laughed again. I heard a door open in the other room, and I presumed that it was Gaius coming back from his duties. "What else do you have to do today?" I asked Merlin and he shrugged.

"Nothing so far, Arthur didn't give me anything else to do today." He said and I smiled, Arthur really did work my brother so hard. "Well then you can join Amara and go get me some water, our store is running low." I heard Gaius say and I looked up to see him standing in the doorway. Merlin groaned again and I laughed. "Come on." I said, putting my notebook down and getting off my bed.

Merlin got up and we walked down to the water pump, waiting as there were a few others getting water at the same time. While Merlin was filling up our bucket I looked around to see if there was anyone I recognised in the crowd. I was expecting to see Gwen, or even Sir Leon who I'd spoken to a few times in the past few days, but instead got a shock when I recognised my mother's face in the crowd.

"Merlin." I said, and I hit him gently. He looked at me and I pointed our mother out to him. He dropped the bucket and called out to her. She turned to face us, and we pushed through others as we made our way over to her. I didn't bother to say anything to her when we reached her, instead pulling her into a hug. I had missed her so much, and I smiled as she pulled me close.

"Merlin! Amara!" She exclaimed and I pulled away from her, getting a proper look at her face. "Mother?" I asked, looking at a bruise which had formed by her right eye. "What happened? Who did this to you?" Merlin asked, and mother looked down at her hands. "That doesn't matter, I need to speak with the King." She said, and we both nodded. "Merlin, go speak to Arthur, I'll take mother to Gaius's chambers, I can help her there." I said, and my brother nodded before heading off to get the Prince.

I brought mother to Gaius's chambers and she greeted the Physician as a friend. I picked out a cream which I knew would help the bruising and silently spread it over my mother's face. "You have grown up so much." Mother whispered, and I smiled gently. "Thank you." I said quietly as I finished and put the cream down.

I was about to say something else, but the door flew open, causing me to scream slightly. "Merlin, you idiot." I heard someone say, and I looked up to see Merlin and Arthur stood in the doorway. Merlin was looking sheepish, and Arthur looked judgemental at my brother, who I presumed had been the one to crash into the door.

"My father will see you, everything is ready for you." He said, and mother thanked him, before Merlin took mother to the Great Hall. That left Arthur and I to walk there together. "Your mother seems like a wonderful woman." He said, and I thanked him. We walked in a slightly awkward silence for the rest of the journey, before we reached the Hall and Arthur went over to stand by his father and I went over to Merlin, my eyes not leaving the prince.