Merthur - The Blue Butterfly

Chapter 2 - The Light of Truth

"Prince Arthur?! Where are you?! You're going to be late!" The nursemaid's voice echoes from outside the door.

The prince stiffens at the sound, having long forgotten about his angered nursemaid hunting him down.

"What was that?" Merlin asks from his little room. "Is there someone else?" There's a hint of excitement in his voice at the prospect of another person.

"It's my nursemaid," Arthur says with annoyance, "she's looking for me."

"Why? Did you do something bad?"

Arthur puffs out his cheeks, crossing his arms over his chest. "Of course not! I'm a good boy!"

Merlin giggles and the sound makes the prince smile rather proudly.

"Arthur!" His nursemaid yells again, voice much closer.

"I-I have to go," the prince says quickly, scrambling to his feet. He looks down at the grate and suddenly doesn't want to leave. He feels the urge to hide here, talking with the boy in the dark room forever so they'll never be alone again. But the ever increasing volume of his nursemaid's voice shatters that dream. "I'll come back."

"When?"

"Tomorrow. I'll come back tomorrow and we can talk again, okay?" He smiles widely down at the grate despite knowing that Merlin would probably never see it.

"You will?"

"Of course!"

"Okay, then tomorrow!"

Arthur smiles then pushes open the door, turning around to give the abandoned closet one last look before walking out into the hall. Once he shuts the door behind him he spots his nursemaid rounding the nearest corner, spotting him almost instantly. "Prince Arthur!" She shrieks at him, stomping over, "we must go. Gaius is already asking for you and you mustn't keep him waiting!"

She takes his hand and guides him towards Gaius' chambers hurriedly. With no choice the prince reluctantly follows with a wide grin on his face. Even when he enters the physician's chambers the smile is still there, making Gaius raise his eyebrow in question as the boy sits down at the work table and the nursemaid leaves.

"Did something good happen?" He asks quizzically with a tilt of his head.

Arthur grins with a glint in his eyes that hinted at a secret. "I made a friend!" He says proudly.

-----

"So where do you live?" Merlin asks from down below the next day, sounding interested.

"Me?" Arthur puffs up his chest a little in pride. He sets his back straight against the wall he's sitting against, acting as though he had just received a compliment from the king himself. "I live in the royal palace of Camelot!" he announces proudly.

"Amazing!" the boy exclaims in awe, "where's that?"

Again Arthur is taken aback at Merlin's lack of knowledge but he supposes its not the boy's fault he lives alone in that room. "It's where we are right now. The greatest kingdom in all the lands! And I'm going to be the king of it one day!"

"A king! You're a king?" Merlin asks with enthusiasm.

The prince grins to himself, proud to have impressed the other lad. "Not yet but in a few years I will! Father said so!"