The next morning just as Merlin sat up in bed, the familiar servant from last night walked in.

"Sire. I didn't think you would be awake. I came to wake you and set your clothes out for the day." He said.

"Oh well thank you. But I can do this all myself." Merlin told him. "And please call me Merlin." He added. The servant nodded, and left him. Merlin got up and rummaged through the dressers for any clothes that would fit him. He laid out a black outfit that seemed to suit him. He was even able to find a double button up black shirt with a high collar to hide his neck and chest. Merlin went to the mirror and looked at his shoulder. It was now a bluish green color, with hints of purple. He guessed it was healed enough to finish the job, so he quickly healed his shoulder, and climbed into his outfit. He remarked in the mirror how good he looked. He wore a thin black shirt underneath a double buttoned up black jacket with a high collar to hide his neck and chest, somewhat tight black pants, and black boots. He noticed how old his jacket was because it had a pointed end on the sleeve. Even if it was dated he felt it looked good. Merlin felt a little nervous to walk around in the much more elaborate outfit, but he knew that Arthur would have to start dresser nicer, and he wouldn't want to look underdressed. Merlin exited his room and headed to Arthur's room.

Merlin knocked on the door, and walked in. Arthur was still in bed. Merlin sighed, and flung the curtains open.

"Wake up my love. There's much to do." Merlin told him. Arthur groaned but still got up. Merlin moved to his closet, and pulled out a thicker, red, long sleeve shirt, a pair of fancier brown pants, black boots, and he set out his red Camelot cape, and new gold crown. Merlin knew the day would be cold, and Merlin did not like using his energy keeping himself warm. But he also remembered that Arthur liked feeling cold, so he did not set out a jacket.

Arthur rolled out of bed, and look at Merlin.

"You look hot as hell." He commented. Merlin blushed.

"Enough flirting and get dressed." Merlin giggled. Arthur got out of bed, and instead of going to get dressed, he went straight to Merlin. He wrapped his arms around Merlin's frail waist, and Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur's neck, as usual.

"How come black?" Arthur asked. "Not that it's a bad look."

"Black is my favorite color. And I feel the outfit is dated enough where it still looks good." Merlin told him. They shared a kiss before Merlin parted and demanded he got dressed. Arthur whined but complied. For the finishing touch, Arthur placed his crown on.

"Actually. I have one more thing to give you. It will completely tie the outfit together." Arthur told him. He looked through one of his much much older wardrobes, and pulled out a black cloak. It had two silver clasps to hold it in the front, and a hood. It just barely touched to ground, and could be thrown over his shoulder, or could cover him up completely.

"In case you need to do a little bit of prowling, the hook and full coverage cloak can mask your identity. Plus you look great in it when worn casual." Arthur told him. Merlin looked into the mirror and agreed. He definitely looked evil but in a fashionable sense.

The two walked out of the room, and headed to the kitchens to just grab a piece of bread and an apple to eat. Both were not particularly hungry.

Once they were done, they headed to the throne room. Arthur had to listen to the townsfolks problems and concerns for an hour or so.

Merlin stood beside him, and helped Arthur when he could not decide. It went by in an hour, and Arthur guided Merlin to the ball room.

"I told some servants to spread the word of a new position as the new lord's servant. You should probably tell them what you will need help with, ask some questions, and then pick. I suggest not adding the messenger part as you can ask any servant to relay a message or send a note." Arthur filled him in. When Arthur opened the door for Merlin, inside was an array of young men who wanted to be promoted as his servant. Merlin took it as somewhat of a compliment. There was a little platform in the front of the room, and Merlin jumped on and commenced their attention.

"Excuse me. I will need you all to form a line. Wrap around the room if need be. Before you get in line, let me fill you in. You would not need to wake up early, as long as whatever needs to be done is done by the evening. I am perfectly capable of gathering my own meals and packing up my own horse. Although if I am going on a long trip with much equitment, then I may need help if I am busy. This is a much easier task as a normal servant since I do not require much." Merlin explained. No one stepped out of the room, so it seemed they were still game.

"Alrighty then. Form a line, and I will ask you some simple questions, and you will know who will become my servant by the end. Please stay in the room once I am through with you." Merlin told them. Everyone formed a que, and Merlin went quickly. He jumped down a couple of times to get closer to the servants. He could sense magic presence if he was touching the person, so he made excuses to touch them in some form. None had any magical eminence off of them which was good. He didn't want any to be magical in the case that they were against him.

Merlin spoke to Arthur, and he gathered them. Merlin had remembered the name very well.

"Out of everyone in this room, I have chosen Haedon Zaseth. You may leave and continue with your duties. Haedon please come to me." Merlin dismissed them. Merlin jumped off the platform to Arthur, and watched Haedon walk to them. He was a couple inches taller than the two, with dark brown hair, very tan skin, green eyes, and a slender frame. As a child, he worked with his father cutting down logs, and with his mother he hemmed dresses.

"Thank you so much sire." Haedon thanked Merlin. Arthur chuckled but Merlin smacked him in the chest lightly.

"No problem. And please call me Merlin. Sire is too formal for me. Can you please come with me? Today will be a little bit busy since I need some of my living accomodations ready, but every day after will be as I promised." Merlin apologized in advance.

Arthur followed the two as they walked to the top floor of the castle where Arthur's room was. Right next to it was empty, so Merlin opened the doors for the two.

"I looked around at the sheets, and everything is dusty and eaten by moths and other various insects. I will need you to remove the bedding and curtains. Any of the guest clothes will be fine to have moved in. I am not afraid of outdated clothing. You won't have to clean anything. I can do it quick when I come back later in the evening." Merlin filled Haedon in.

"What would you like me to decorate the room with, Merlin?" Haedon asked. Merlin thought for a moment.

"My favorite color is black, and dark shades of other colors. You can surprise me on the decor." Merlin told him. He nodded and immediately started to remove the holed sheets and blankets.

Arthur and Merlin walked out of the room, and headed to the stables.

"You know. I thought you would start off a bit rusty as a lord, but you are doing very well. You are a born leader." Arthur complimented Merlin.

"Well I learned from the best." Merlin said.

"From me?" Arthur said. Merlin chuckled.

"No. From Gwen. She even managed to boss you around, and she was just a maid below the prince." Merlin joked. Arthur playfully smacked Merlin's on the arm, and they hopped onto their horses. It was customary for the new King to visit the outlying villages to show that he cared. No other knight accompanied them as Merlin was the most protection they would need. Merlin climbed onto Night, and Arthur onto Day, and they rode out of the city through the woods. Merlin lead the way as he had a better knowledge of the woods, and Arthur just admired him. Merlin looked extremely handsome wearing all black on a black horse.

They finally arrived to the first village, and hopped down. It was a relatively large village, with more nicer homes.

They walked around the the farmers, and asked how their crops were, and if they had any concerns. One told him that the water supply was starting to run slow, so Merlin wrote it down for later. They walked around some more, and greeted the others. A little girl in a dirty pink dress skipped down the road, and accidentally ran into Merlin.

"Opps. I'm sorry mister." She apologized.

"It is quite alright darling." Merlin accepted. He squated down to her level.

"What's your name? Mine is Merlin." He greeted.

"My name is Aliza." She said. She continued to skip down the road towards a woman who was washing clothes on her porch. Arthur spoke to another farmer as Merlin watched her happily embrace her mother, and pointed to Merlin. Merlin waved politely, and the two waved back.

Once Arthur was done, they climbed onto their horses and sped to the next village. It was slightly smaller than the one before, but nice nonetheless.

They spoke to the villagers, then left. As the villages grew smalled in size, it was quicker to speak to them all. Soon they were on the very border of the kingdom. Merlin looked around, and he knew where he was. They were about half an hour's trip away from Ealdor.

"We're close to Ealdor. I can tell since this was the first village I passed through to get to Camelot." Merlin told him.

"How about we take a short visit to your mother? It's been a long time since I have seen her, and I'm sure it has been awhile since you've personally talked." Arthur suggested. Merlin happily agreed, and Merlin lead Arthur out of the kingdom, into Cendred's territory.

Soon they arrived, and Merlin saw all the familiar faces, some new, but most old. He was glad that many of his childhood friends had moved away, but somewhat aprehensive of the noew rapidly aging adults that he knew too well. Arthur noticed at first that Merlin got some stares from some of the older people, but welcoming smiles from the new.

"This way." Merlin guided Arthur. As they walked around, more people had noticed the crown laid on Arthur's head, and they watched him. Some remembered Arthur from his last trip, but many did not know he had become king.

The two arrived to Hunith's door, and Merlin knocked. He was extremely nervous.

"One moment." Merlin heard her familiar voice, albeit a bit raspy, from behind the door. She opened the door, and smile plastered her face.

"Merlin!" She exclaimed as she walked embraced Merlin. Merlin gladly embraced her, and they hugged for a moment.

"Oh and King Arthur. Please come inside." She ushered. The two ducked down to enter the room, and looked around. Hunith cleaned off the table she was baking with.

"Please have a seat. Would you like some water, or even some juice?" She offered. They both denied.

"Please mum don't go crazy. Sit with us." Merlin told her. She laughed it off, and sat down with them.

"My, how much you have grown. And you too Arthur." She said looking at them. She noticed that Merlin's hair had finally grown out, and it was slightly wavy. It suited him well.

"So what is with the new attire? Have you start dressing up my Merlin?" She teased Arthur, which made Merlin blush.

"Actually mum, I forgot to tell you. I am actually a lord now. I'm Arthur's second in command." Merlin told her. He nearly beat himself for forgetting to add the bit of information. Hunith went blank in the face. She then reanimated, and jumped out of her chair to hug Merlin again.

"Oh my baby I am so proud. You must have done well." She said. She moved to hug Arthur even though he was sitting.

"Thank you so much. Oh we knew he'd be a servant for awhile, but a lord is something I would never have dreamt of." She thanked Arthur. She sat back down, and pulled a kankercheif out to cough into.

"Sorry about that. Anyways I am so happy for you two." She told them.

"Thank you for letting me into your home. You are still as bubbly as ever." Arthur thanked. He had surely noticed the graying hair and thin frame. She was probably in her 60s by now. He also noticed that she could not stay in motion for too long. Must be from age.

"Would you like to eat anything with me? I was actaully about to warm myself something. But I've got plenty for two more." She offered. Arthur thought for a moment.

"If it wouldn't be a bother." He said. She was about to stand, when Merlin stopped her.

"You rest. I can warm everything up." He told her. He gravitated to the kitchen, and pulled out the covered stew probably from the morning. He poured it into a pot, and lit a flame without flint. Hunith watched for a moment, and then tuned back to Arthur.

"So how have you been? I heard about your loss. My condolenses." Hunith said.

"I'm getting there. I was sad at the time, but I feel a lot better now that I have other things on my mind. My father and I weren't as close, so I did not have that much of a bond to lose." Arthur told her. She nodded.

"While that may be true, loosing a father is still a hard thing. Even if you have no connection it can still hurt. I remember when Balinor passed. Merlin snuck away one night and told me the news in person. I was devestated, and he still cried. He hadn't even known until that night who Balinor was to him. What I'm trying to say if that even if you don't have a connection, it is still hard." She told Arthur. Merlin nodded as he listened to them talk. Arthur felt a slightl pang of guilt, but then he thought of something.

'How the hell does she know that I know about Balinor?' Arthur thought.

"Hey Merlin honey. There's some more firewood in the attic that I've been meaning to set out. Could you bring that down for me please?" She asked.

"Of course." Merlin opened the latch to the attice, and poked his head inside. He didn't reach inside, but he levitated some logs out of the attic, and placed them next to the oven. He then closed it again, and continued to stir the stew.

'How the hell does she know I know about Merlin's magic!?' Arthur thought again. Merlin had openly displayed magic infront of him, and Hunith did not even bat an eye.

Merlin finished heating the stew, and he poured it into bowls and served them to the two.

The three chatted and ate together.

"So how are you two? Have you had any quarells yet?" She asked. Arthur looked at her puzzled.

"No. Why do you ask?" He asked her.

"Well most couples in relationships argue from time to time." She said. Arthur choked on his stew briefly, and looked at Merlin.

"She knows!?" He stated in a question.

"Of course. I tell her everything. She knows you know about Balinor and my magic. And about our relationship. The day I keep something from her indefinietly is the day I am too dead to tell her." Merlin told him. It all made sense.

"Well that clears up a lot. I'm glad you know everything Hunith." Arthur said. He looked out of the window and noticed the sun was at it's very peak. It would soon start to descend.

"We should go if we want to get back before dark. Plus I have to write a report of all the complaints and concerns." Arthur told him. Merlin agreed, and he went to say his goodbye's.

"Goodbye mother. I will be back, I promise. We can hopefully spend an entire day together in the future if Arthur can keep himself alive for that long." Merlin teased. He hugged her, and Arthur hugged her as well. She kept him longer, and whispered into his ear.

"If you hurt him I will do nothing. But know that Merlin can and would. So treat him well. He's my only son, and I want him well." She said. Arthur nodded, and kissed her on the cheek.

"I shall remember that." He said. They left, and walked back to their horses. There were two men holding onto the reins. They looked brute and not one to mess with.

"Hello Merlin. Hello King Arthur Pendragon, son of Uther Pendragon." One man said, giving a fake bow, acting snide.

"Jeremiah. Release the horses and no one gets hurt." Merlin told the familiar bloke sternly. Arthur noticed the tension of the situation.

"No chance of that happening. I think we will confiscate these horses just for the fact that you showed your face back in this village." The other said.

Arthur stepped forward. "Unhand our horses. They are royal property." Arthur told them.

"Royal my arse!" Laughed Jeremiah. "The horse of a stupid old king and his lowly servant." He said.

"No. The horses of the king and his second in command, newly lord. He is apart of royalty in the eyes of the laws of appointment by the king. Now unhand them, or we will take them by force." Arthur demanded. By now some of the people gathered to watch from afar.

"I will throw you on your arse if you don't let go of our horses. And you know I will win." Merlin threatned him. Jeremiah laughed.

"With your king watching. King of Camelot is watching you. You'd never do it." He taunted.

Merlin looked at Jeremiah, and walked towards him. He pushed him down, which released the reins. He grabbed onto his clothing, and flung him to the side with some aid of his magic. Merlin turned to the other, and gave him a look. The guy released the reins, and rushed to his friend without saying a word.

"Come on Arthur. We're behind on time." Merlin told him. They both jumped onto their horses, and sped out of the village.

They sped Day and Night through the woods, and brought them to a walk as they neared.

"Who was that?" Arthur asked.

"Some childhood pricks." Merlin brushed off. They trotted through the gates, and into the city.