Twisting and turning this way and that as they walked along the corridors Merlin kept pace with Arthur and Gwaine mostly because Cadal did himself and the prince was not going to let go of the hound. The castle was new and interesting with high ceilings and windows that distorted the light with glass so old it was thin and clear at the top and more the color of honey where he could touch long the bottom. Every time Merlin started to settle though and really look around someone new would turn a corner or seemingly appear behind him leaving clinging close to Cadal. An unusual show of shyness from a child that would hide in the mouth of a dragon during hide and seek when Kilgharrah was around.

When they got to the set of rooms that was to be his Merlin finally let go of Cadal and stepped into the rooms curiously. He wasn’t too old to be sent to the nursery but being the only son and heir to Camelot’s throne meant he was treated more like a crown prince than a child. He turned to see where they were going to put Arthur and smiled when his champion cleared up the confusion for Prince Gwaine. “The best guards in all of Camelot!” Merlin chimed with pride and adoration.

Prince Gwaine didn’t leave Merlin feeling sick thinking about how he should carry himself so as not to embarrass Camelot and it was hard not to like someone that spoke so openly and easily with Arthur. It was nice and Merlin didn’t think twice about clapping his hands together and pulling them apart to reveal a collection of golden light that immediately drew Cadal’s attention. “Sir Arthur’s been my champion since before I was born, he’s going to be the greatest knight in the kingdoms and Cadal’s proof of that!” the golden ball bounced in Merlin’s hands as he waved them to make sure the dog was paying attention. “He trained him all by himself and he’s the best behaved and most clever of all his littermates,”

 Arthur gave Merlin a gentle smile at the thanks, wishing he could do more to put the little prince at ease. He’d listen to Balinor lecture him though, and while he thought the posturing was ridiculous, he wasn’t going to get Merli in trouble while they were in Lothian. Merlin was already tentative enough that Arthur didn’t want him to be yelled at; that would only make him seek comfort more. And Balinor seemed so concerned with image that Arthur wouldn’t put it past him to snap at Merlin for acting like the child he still was. He would have said more, if not for the approach of Gwaine.

“Yes, it’s Arthur,” he confirmed, leaving off his last name. He had only taken a step to follow after him when the rope fell to ash in his hand and he looked down at Merlin with a small frown. Balinor had been the one that wanted Cadal leashed, and while Arthur knew he would listen to orders, especially while he felt the need to protect Merlin, he didn’t want to ruffle any feathers. He wanted this all to be as easy on Merlin as possible, and conflict was not the way to go about it. Even so, he let it go, knowing a chastizing from him would likely leave Merlin even more nervous and uncomfortable. He’d much rather take Balinor’s irritation on himself. 

For a few steps, he quickened his pace to catch up with Gwaine, who dropped back to, Arthur was surprised to note, fall in step with him after they were in the castle and headed down the corridors. He was paying attention to the way they were going, trying to acquaint himself with the layout of the castle so he wouldn’t have to ask for directions, but he paused as he noticed Gwaine’s gaze was lingering on Cadal, who was walking on Arthur’s opposite side from him, still calm in the way that meant he was alert, waiting for any threats to present themselves. For a few minutes there was silence, and then Gwaine asked casually, “So, your hound. Wolf?”

“Half,” Arthur answered easily enough. “His sire’s a wolf, mother’s one of the regular hunting hounds. She got out during her heat,” he explained, because no one in their right mind just sent a female dog out into the woods during her heat and hoped she came back pregnant. She was much more likely to end up dead. Arthur bit back a smile as he watched the foreign prince’s gaze light up.

“So there was a whole half-wolf litter,” he asked, though it was more of a statement than a question. It was glaringly obvious he was after one himself, and it made Arthur glad to know Cadal was one of a kind.

“Afraid not,” he said, feigning regret. “His siblings were all sired by the desired hound. Cadal is Camelot’s only wolfhound.”

It was hard to bite back a laugh as he watched Gwaine obviously struggle with not asking more questions. He was proud of Cadal, after all, but everyone in Camelot feared him. It was lovely to see him get some of the attention and admiration Arthur thought he deserved, because he was an excellent dog, all in all. 

“What a pity,” Gwaine said at length, and Arthur could hear the earnest disappointment in his tone. There was silence again for a few minutes, and then Gwaine stopped in front of a door and pushed it open. “These’ll be your chambers, Prince Merlin. Your father’s are next door. And Arthur-” He paused, turned to look at him with a frown, to which Arthur arched one eyebrow. “We didn’t expect you, I’m afraid.”

“I’ll be staying with Merlin,” he said, offering a small smile and stepping into the rather spacious set of rooms. “Cadal and I make up his personal guard.”

Smiling and scratching behind Cadal’s ear with his other hand Merlin took a moment to wish they were in Camelot where he could kneel and hug Cadal like he wanted or reach out and ask for Arthur’s hand to hold. He knew though from his lectures that he was meant to act as a crown prince even if he wasn’t even old enough to have a presentation and couldn’t do those things so he settled for what he could have. Biting his lip when Arthur praised him to keep from seeming too eager to please Merlin looked up at him. “Thank you,”

Turning when he heard someone getting closer Merlin stood up straight again ready to act formal when the second prince gave them a disarming grin. Merlin was confused for a moment, not sure what to do with the casual way the prince, Gwaine, greeted them but he couldn’t help but feel grateful for how friendly it felt. Clasping the older prince’s hand he grinned. “Merlin,” he mimicked before letting go and watching with almost awe as Gwaine not only remembered Arthur’s name but greeted him just the same. He didn’t understand the causal Alpha but he already liked him, he was nice to Arthur.

“Come on Cadal,” Merlin said hand brushing over the rope a second before it fell away, burned where he’s touched it. He knew Arthur could easily call Cadal to him if he decided to run so there was no need for the rope, especially because normally when he held the hound’s fur he stayed close to him. Besides if he had Cadal then maybe Gwaine would talk to Arthur and he could go play when they got to the guest chambers.

When the attention suddenly turned to Cadal, Arthur tensed, for the first time worrying about how the foreign king would react. This wasn’t Camelot, Arthur was realizing rather starkly, and if the foreign refused to allow a wolf in his castle, he had no leverage or place to argue against that. And it wasn’t as if he had brought Cadal by choice; he would have preferred to leave him in Camelot, since he wasn’t technically fully trained, not being fully grown, but there had been no one in Camelot he could safely leave Cadal with. He was sure Niall would have offered and tried, since he’d had a hand in raising him and Cadal was fond of him, but fondness was, unfortunately, not enough to control him, and Arthur worried he would come home to a dead wolfhound if Cadal attacked someone while he wasn’t there to protect him. 

He just barely caught himself before letting out a breath of relief as King Lot seemed to approve of Cadal, and then promptly drew Balinor into something else. He was relieved, as well, that the only formal bit he had to be around for was apparently over. And he was glad Balinor hadn’t used his last name as well, since he was sure Lot had known his father, but didn’t seem to have recognized him. He hoped it stayed that way. 

Smiling as Merlin fell back and buried his hand into Cadal’sfur, Arthur watched as the tension seemed to fade from Cadal as well, who turned to bump his head against Merlin’s stomach and wagged his tail for a few moments as well, obviously pleased to have his child back at his side. “You did good, kid,” Arthur said, since he could tell Merlin was nervous still. If they’d been at home he would have reached out to ruffle Merlin’s hair, but he knew it would only cause annoyance while they were in public, especially in a foreign kingdom. Arthur had just started to look around, hoping to spot a servant who would bring them up to whatever chambers they would be in or offer some other kind of instruction, when one of the Lothian princes came trotting up to them. The other had turned to follow after the two kings and the crowd prince, but the boy in front of him, who Arthur guessed was maybe a year or so older than himself, was giving them a wide, crooked smile.

“’ello,” he said, voice carrying a hint of an accent. Arthur hadn’t heard anything in the king’s voice, but he supposed the royal family would train themselves out of the regional accent of the common people. “Gwaine,” he said, with no formality at all, and stuck his hand out in front of Merlin, though his gaze was flickering back and forth between Merlin and Arthur. “Good to meet you, Merlin. And did I hear your name was Arthur? Come along, I’ll show you where they’re bringing all your stuff, and then I’ve got some questions.”

Arthur was a little started at the ease within the other foreign prince, but when his hand was offered to him next, he raised his own to clasp the other Alpha’s arm obligingly. He was certainly in no position to refuse, though why the prince was paying him any attention at all was beyond him. He’d expected to be passed over completely by the royal family.

Trying to pay attention to his father Merlin did fairly well for how boring the general conversation was until he heard a familiar rumble at his back that drew the attention of both kings. Turning his head to look at Arthur and Cadal Merlin focused on the hound once Arthur had silenced him, worried that King Lot might be afraid of him and he would have to stay outside. “It’s all right Cadal,” he whispered though he must have been heard with how close attention the two men were paying to them.

“Interesting dog,” Lot finally said giving Balinor a particular look. He was well aware that the man had grown up with dragons but to have what was clearly a wolf in his party was still strange.

Clearing his throat as he turned back to Lot Balinor nodded. “Yes, he’s Sir Arthur’s hound, though he has quite the protective streak when it comes to Merlin,” it was the only explanation he could give for the growling though fortunately Lot seemed more interested than intimidated.

Laughing quietly Lot nodded. “Not a bad thing for him to have, and not a bad hound to bring when you’re on foreign soil,” he would do no harm to Merlin but Lot feared enough for his own sons that he understood bringing such a dangerous guard. “In any case come let’s go inside, my wife is eager to see you again and there’s talking to be done before the feast. I trust that you will allow Gaheris to accompany us? He’s getting into the meat of statecraft now,”

Smiling Balinor nodded. “Of course, and with any luck he will keep us aware of when the feast is meant to start,” Balinor joked startling a laugh out of Lot who turned and beckoned him to follow. Pausing for a moment he turned to look at Merlin who had relaxed when Lot turned. “Merlin stay with Arthur and mind your magic,” he warned.

“Yes Father,” Merlin replied waiting until Balinor, Lot, and Gaheris were walking into the castle to completely relax. Turning he closed the distance between himself and Cadal with quick steps, reaching out to tangle his fingers in the long fur of the hound’s scruff. He wanted to hold onto Arthur’s tunic like normally would but he was wearing his chainmail and he tended to get his fingers pinched when he held that so Cadal was the next best comfort.

As Balinor dismounted, followed shortly by Merlin, Arthur looked on for a little while, unsure what he was supposed to do. He figured Balinor had probably told him at some point, but he’d tuned out the king whenever he’d spoken for the majority of the trip, so he wasn’t entirely sure. With a glance around himself, though, he quickly realized he was the only one who hadn’t dismounted, and there were stablehands taking the other horses, servants unloading what they had brought with them, so he quickly scrambled off his gelding as well, looping the rope that was tied around Cadal’s neck about his forearm to shorten it. He moved forward them, and settled himself a little ways behind where Merlin was standing next to his father. Cadal seemed unsettled by the new place, taking on the more serious air he sometimes did, which Arthur assumed would be his personality once he grew out of puppyhood, and after a moment he started growling. “Hush,” Arthur said quickly, because no threat had presented itself, and though Cadal seemed to remain on edge, the growling did stop immediately.

Gwaine was never more relieved to not be the crown prince than when formal things were going on. He knew Gareth modeled himself after their elder brother, wanted to be just like him, but Gwaine was always relieved to not have to put up with the bullshit Gaheris did. Not bothering to listen to his father past their brief introduction, since he wouldn’t have to take part in the conversation, Gwaine let his attention drift instead to take in the arriving party. 

Balinor he had seen before, although it had been a few years, and the man didn’t look all that different, so his attention didn’t linger. The little prince was a bit more interesting. He looked uncomfortable, and Gwaine could sympathize. Formal stuff had been miserable enough when he’d been young, and he hadn’t had to put up with the attention that came with being the crown prince like this poor kid did. He’d heard stuff about him, from listening to his father talk, and apparently there was a hell of a lot of power contained in the kid. They had sorcerers at court, but none that were much more powerful than entertainers, so he was curious to see what this kind of power actually looked like, if it looked like anything at all. 

For the most part, he wasn’t all that interested in the visiting prince either, though he did feel for the poor kid. His attention caught mainly on the massive dog held by the person standing behind the prince. He hadn’t been aware Camelot bred wolves, but if he ever decided to train a dog himself, he was definitely willing to travel the distance for something like that hound. Somehow he doubted the rope around the dog’s neck would do much to hold it back, and he decided that once he was released from having to stand and look proper, he was going to find the guy holding it and have some questions answered.

Merlin was in the midsts of arguing with himself aloud about whether Cadal would look better with precious metals or stones on a proper collar for him when they had to be presentable because he deserved better than a rope when they got to the main streets and he knew he needed to be quiet. There were children and servants in the castle that Merlin had met that talked about the glory of being a prince and how lucky he was but Merlin thought there were some parts of being a prince that he rightfully hated. He felt like he was lying to everyone when he was dressed up in silks with the diadem on his head and his hair carefully brushed, more so because his father called him to ride slightly behind him and in front of Arthur when he never did so before. Kilgharrah had told him that once his father had felt like him but being king changed him and Merlin hated that thought too, he didn’t want to change like Balinor had. It made Kilgharrah sad to talk about how his brother had once been and Merlin didn’t want that for anyone the loved or that loved him.

Still Merlin rode as he was instructed as they came into the courtyard and he could look up at the castle properly. The stones in Camelot shown almost white while here they were a more subdued granite though the towers climbed higher than they did in his home. For as high as the towers were there wasn’t any wind in the courtyard shadowed as everything was by the mountain and with how close together everything seemed Merlin almost felt trapped. Where Camelot sprawled and shone Lothian climbed and while it wasn’t bad it was very different for the young prince.

While Merlin looked at the castle Balinor focused on the four men that had come to meet them, smiling as their horses came to a stop and he swung himself down. “Lot!” he greeted warmly, the eldest and most finely dressed of the men coming forward to clasp his arm.

“Balinor it’s been a long time, you seem well,” Lot had been an ally of Camelot in Uther’s time though his faith had been shaken by his madness. He had been quick to strengthen the ties between Camelot and Lothian when Balinor took the crown and though the new king was unconventional he found that he was a good man with an honest demeanor which was enough for the king.

“As do you,” turning some to glance back at where Merlin was swinging himself down off his mare with care to not cause her discomfort Balinor turned back with a smile. “Though all your sons seem a little older than I gathered from your letters,”

Laughing Lot waved his hand as if to banish a thought. “They grow so fast that it’s hard to keep up through written word,” smile going more subdued as Merlin approached Lot took note that though the young prince walked with an air of confidence his eyes would flick to where the knight he assumed was his guard was. “And this must be your boy,

Reaching a hand out to rest it on Merlin’s shoulder when he was close Balinor smiled with a sense of pride. “Yes, this is my son Merlin. Merlin, King Lot of Lothian,”

Doing his best not to look as overwhelmed as he felt Merlin tilted his head up and offered King Lot a smile before bowing like he had been coached for weeks before the trip. “It’s an honor to meet you Sire, thank you for welcoming us into your kingdom,”

“Such manners!” Lot said with delight. “My boys could learn a few things. Speaking of,” waving his hand back towards his sons the eldest who wore a crown with more bulk than Merlin’s diadem stepped forward. “This is my eldest son Gaheris, and his brothers Gwaine and Gareth,” While his brothers hung back Gaheris stepped forward to greet Balinor much like Merlin had Lot before their fathers began to talk again.

Realistically, Arthur didn’t mind joining Balinor and Merlin on the trip to Lothian. He had never really been outside of Camelot before, and he couldn’t help but be somewhat excited to see if what he thought was true, if people would treat him differently outside the kingdom his father had once ruled. He doubted people would recognize him immediately, and that would certainly be novel. That meant someone could form an opinion of him before knowing who he was, and that was… Well, something that didn’t really happen. In Camelot, people either formed opinions of him based on who he was, or in spite of who he was, but never regardless of it. In a way, though, it also made him nervous, because there was a part of him worried that it really was him that caused people to dislike him so, and not just who his father was.

So all in all, he really would have been content to go to Lothian, especially because he knew how worried Merlin had been about going somewhere without him for such an extended period of time. Why Balinor suddenly seemed to think Merlin needed to adjust to not having him around, Arthur was completely at a loss for, because he would always be around to protect Merlin, but he didn’t question it. Well, not too much, anyway. Not beyond pointing out how stupid he thought it was.

No, what bothered him was that Balinor was doing it as a punishment, rather than a reward or an indulgence, or just because it would be better for Merlin. Arthur had made it quite clear that it was not his fault the stupid girl was pregnant, and the noble ought to have been punishing her, not him. No other Alphas he knew were whipped for knocking up some Omega, and he knew for a fact he wasn’t the only one who had done it. More than half of the knights who were Alphas had at least one illegitimate child, and a smaller number had multiple. Pointing that out hadn’t seemed to do any good, though, and out of spite Arthur had been sure to let Balinor know he would rather have taken the whipping than been bailed out, if this was the result of being bailed out. 

Arthur was doing his best not to speak to Balinor now, and had been for the whole time they’d been travelling. Instead he focused on Cadal and Merlin. At almost a full year old, Cadal was old enough to listen and do what he was told immediately, but if Arthur let his attention stray too long he was laible to slip off, distractedly chasing something or other. They were apparently supposed to be reaching the castle today, though, and he was glad their traveling would be finished for a little while. It had been exhausting, and he looked forward to a proper bed again. 

Knowing that Merlin was not enjoying having to keep himself presentable and not being able to run around, Arthur tried to keep up a steady stream of conversation with him the final day of their travels. He had even oblidged Balinor, grudgingly, and tied a rope around Cadal’s neck that he kept the end of in his hand while he rode, Cadal trotting alongside his horse easily. Arthur highly doubted anyone would really care if Cadal was loose, but then, he also knew how much Cadal seemed to frighten Balinor, and he didn’t really want to lose that edge. The sound of hooves on cobblestone was music to his ears as they finally made their way to the courtyard of Orkney Castle, and Arthur was much more interested in looking around at how this castle differed from the one in Camelot than he was studying the people waiting for them, decked out in even fancier clothing than Balinor and Merlin wore. Arthur paid them enough attention to notice there were four men, he assumed the king and his sons, but didn’t bother to pay any closer attention than that. He didn’t need to concern himself with the Lothian royalty, after all, he was merely Merlin’s bodyguard.

Hunith, while a little concerned about the idea of Arthur raising a half wolf pup, thought that Cadal was a joy. No she didn’t go near him and no she didn’t encourage others to try and interact with him but it was impossible to miss how much Arthur treasured the hound and only a fool would think Merlin felt anything but love for him. Any concern she might have had about Cadal changed when one of the older members of the court shouted at Merlin for the prince daring to point how disrespectful he was being. The hound’s quick and vicious response to her son’s distress settled Hunith’s worries and when the court called for something to be done she silenced. Arthur’s position in court was to protect Merlin and clearly Cadal was trained to do the same so he was not to be crossed or punished for doing as he was meant to.

Balinor had had concerns over his wife’s acceptance of Cadal but there was nothing he could do about that or the kinship that Arthur felt with the hound. And in truth he couldn't claim that Cadal wasn’t trainable when he worked better for Arthur than his littermates did their own people, but he still worried. It was hard not to worry about Arthur and his hound particularly when it became clear that Merlin had found another playmate in Cadal and the two served to distract one another from their normal tailing along with the Alpha which led to the conflict he found himself in with one of his lords.

Thinking about the lord that had come to him fuming with news of his daughter’s pregnancy by his ward still gave Balinor a headache. There had been a great deal of arguing between the two of them until he had silenced demands for Arthur to be whipped with a sizable sum in exchange for the family’s silence. It had been crude he knew but he didn’t want more ill will to surround the young Alpha. Not that that had kept him from raging at the boy for over an hour and restricting his freedoms to make sure he wouldn’t do something of that nature again. He had been hoping to use his trip to Lothian to get Merlin accustomed to doing new things without the security of Arthur around but that had changed when he decided he couldn’t trust him not to do something foolish in Camelot without supervision.

Where his mother felt a glad satisfaction and his father reluctant acceptance of Cadal Merlin loved the hound with almost as much passion as Arthur. But where he looked up to and adored the Alpha Cadal was a treasured playmate that would chase and cuddle him without fear of what was proper. When he could get away with it Merlin would call Cadal to him and after running around till his sides hurt would form what had first been streaks of light but were now almost sold spheres of magic for him to chase. Gaius was impressed by how much better his control over his magic was getting and Alice laughed when he’d bemoan it being a dog not man teaching him the importance of control.

Merlin had been proud when the night of Arthur’s knighting ceremony he had been able to use his new control to not only create a bit of a light show for Arthur’s amusement but keep the special pudding Niall had made for him warm in his room. Even if Arthur didn’t seem as initially excited about his knighthood Merlin took great pleasure in calling him Sir Arthur whenever they were out around others. He thought it was proof that he was better than people thought and that train of thought solidified as Arthur seemed to enjoy his knighthood more once he’d settled into the title. And even though it kept him away sometimes Merlin found that wasn’t so bad with Cadal there to call onto his bed and curl up with, particularly since the hound was almost as big as him.

So Merlin wasn’t sure what had happened or if something had gone wrong but where he had been scared about going someplace new without Arthur or Cadal he was now meant to be in his champion’s care for the whole trip to see King Lot. While that made Merlin feel better he also felt like there was something behind the change that he was missing but couldn’t get his parents to explain to him and he didn’t want to ask Arthur if it was something bad he didn’t want him to know. So for the time being he stayed close to Arthur and enjoyed the times he would be allowed to run around with Cadal before he was pulled back onto a horse for more tedious riding. Not that he had been allowed to do that at all that day since they were meant to arrive and he was meant to look his best for it.

The following months seemed to pass quickly, and Arthur focussed on little else other than Cadal. The pup grew quickly, seeming to flourish with the milk mixture that was prepared for him, and Arthur began to substitute little pieces of meat into his diet as soon as his teeth grew in. He didn’t see the kennel master the first weeks, and when he finally did run into the man, it was when Cadal was two months old. His half siblings were each with the person who would train them, now, but for a while longer they would be regularly brought out to play together. Arthur knew better than to allow Cadal to join in on the first session, because Cadal was significantly bigger than his siblings, but he still brought the pup outside the let him run around a bit. 

At two months old, Arthur had already been working with him, and too great pride in watching the kennel master sneer at him while Cadal obedienty sat for him, great bushy tail sweeping across the ground excitedly. That was about the extent of his training, as he was still far too excitable to stay put when Arthur started to move away, and too used to chasing Merlin around. Even so, Cadal was affectionate and surprisingly mindful of his teeth when he played, more so with Merlin than Arthur, and it just made Arthur all the more smug to know he’d been right. Cadal was aggressive, yes, but so were his siblings, and he was considerably smarter, but no more dangerous for it. All it did was prove his point that lineage was not what determined personality or worth.

Cadal’s paws had always been huge, and he did grow into them. By six months, his shoulders were midway up Arthur’s thigh, larger than his siblings would ever be, and he was by and far the most obedient of all his litter. For Arthur, at least. Anyone else who tried to command him was usually ignored, and if Merlin tried, Cadal usually just knocked him over to lick his face or started to run around him in circles, trying to get him to play. He was still a puppy, after all, even if he was enormous. 

That wasn’t to say everything went completely without incident. When he was roughly seven months old, he did prove himself to be extremely protective, and willing to harm a human if it meant protecting the people that belonged to him. Namely, Merlin. The day one of the court members made Merlin cry, it was lucky Arthur had been right there to snap out commands to his hound, because the half-wolf had immediately turned on the man who had raised his voice to the prince. Cadal’s hackles raised and he started to growl, moving to place himself between Merlin and the court member and looking every bit like he was ready to attack him if he moved at all. Though Arthur had gotten him under control quickly, it had caused howls of concern among the court, and Arthur had been quite pleased with Cadal, even going so far as to encourage the protective behavior by rewarding him once they got back to his chambers. 

Cadal slept at the foot of Arthur’s bed most nights, and if he wasn’t in Arthur’s bed, he was in Merlin’s, most likely laying with his head on the pillows, knowing he could get away with more there than in his master’s chambers. By the time he was eight months old, Arthur let his focus slip, as he was about as trained as he was going to get for the time being. He still had the short attention span and the playfulness of the puppy that he was, after all, and while he obeyed commands, he was easily distracted still, and there was nothing else to do but wait until he had matured. 

With Cadal trained up, Arthur couldn’t help but let his attention turn back a bit more to the pretty, sweet-smelling court Omegas. He had become a knight during the time he’d been training Cadal as well, but the ceremony had been short and not nearly as exciting as he’d thought it would be. His duties weren’t that much different, since the only thing that seemed to have changed was that he was sometimes schedules for patrols when Kay wasn’t, and he no longer had to tag along with Kay whenever he went anywhere, as he had, of course, been Kay’s squire. Being a knight did have its advantages, though, mainly that he seemed to be even more attractive to the Omegas that were around the castle, regardless of whether or not they noble.

Which was, of course, how he’d landed himself in this situation. Balinor was headed north to Lothian to meet with King Lot, and since Arthur had apparently lost all Balinor’s trust, he was being forced to accompany him. He didn’t see why, really. It wasn’t his fault one of the Omegas he’d slept with had been careless and not taken anything the day after they’d fucked. Either that or she had neglected to take something on purpose, which Arthur suspected was most likely the case, because she’d been more than a little angry when he’d sent her away the morning after. Either way, he’d made it clear it was just sex before they’d done anything, like he always did. It wasn’t his fault she’d let herself get knocked up, and he didn’t see why he was being punished for it.

Turning his head to look at Arthur Merlin frowned, something that looked far more like a pout on his young face. “That doesn’t seem fair, he’s going to be older than me quicker,” he whined though there was more curiosity than petulance in his tone. Not that he didn’t understand, Kilgharrah had told him that when he was an old man he’d still be just a baby to a dragon, but it was still sort of amazing.

Merlin yawned again, tilting his head up into Arthur’s touch with a smile as he settled. “Okay,” reaching up he curled his hand around Arthur’s arm as much as he could, not used to being in Arthur’s bed but not tucked against him though the reason for it didn’t bother him. “Sweet dreams Cadal, sweet dreams Arthur,” he murmured curling some and nuzzling into the pillow. Even if he wasn’t tucked against Arthur having him close enough to touch and wrapped in the warm furs of his bed Merlin dozed off easily.

 “That’s because they are,” Arthur said, smiling as Merlin shifted around so he was actually laying on the bed. “But yes, he’ll grow up much faster. In two years, he’ll be fully grown, unlike a human baby. And he’ll be about the same age as you in four or five months, comparatively.” Thank the gods for that, too, because if it took dogs as long to grow up as human children, Arthur would have had to delegate raising Cadal to a certain point to someone else. He was definitely not cut out for something like that, especially since human children were considerably more disgusting and helpless than newborn animals. 

Softening as Merlin obviously tried to hide his yawn, Arthur caught the furs in his hand and pulled them up over Merlin’s form, tucking them around his shoulders. “Go to sleep,” he said quietly, running his fingers through Merlin’s hair. “It’s been a long, stressful morning.” That was probably an understatement, really. There was rarely so much excitement so early in the day. Normally he would have let Merlin cuddle close to him and soothed him to sleep, but the pup kept him from doing that this time. It didn’t stop him from maintaining a point of contact, though, knowing Merlin would be more relaxed if he did. And sleep was already pulling at himself again as well, the exhaustion more mental than physical but still very much there. 

Laughing some at Arthur’s declaration Merlin couldn’t help but to feel better. Arthur didn’t say things he didn’t mean and if he thought that Merlin would be braver when he was older then he would be. “Puppies sound a lot like babies when they’re really small,” he mused sitting up and crawling down the bed some so he could tuck himself close to Arthur with an eye on Cadal. “They grow up faster though right?” Merlin liked the babies he saw in the castle nursery but after a little while the crying and neediness started to get tiring. The puppy was already much quieter than the babies and he knew animals grew faster than humans but he wasn’t sure how much faster. 

Settled in next to Arthur Merlin pressed his face into the pillow to hide his yawn. He was too old to need naps like when he was younger but the morning had been filled with running, worry, and excitement which left him tired. It helped that Arthur was close and that Cadal needed sleep too so he didn’t feel like a baby wanted to nap along with them. 

“I do say so, and you know I’m right,” Arthur said, quiet but confident. With Merlin’s magic, Arthur knew there would come a time when he would be magnificent to look at, afraid of nothing, confident and in control. Because what would he possibly have to be afraid of? Eventually he would command dragons, and even without that, he could bend anything with his magic, even showed signs of being able to bend time itself with enough training, what with the way he could freeze objects in mid-air. Merlin would be glorious once he had matured. 

“Remind me to go down and thank her sometime soon,” Arthur said, sighing quietly. Alice had always been good to him, as had Gaius, and he needed to find a way to pay them back for it. “I think he’s going to sleep for a while, though. Pups as young as him spend most of their time sleeping, after all. So why don’t you move down here and take a nap as well?” he prompted, because he was rather looking forward to dozing off again, even if he knew he wouldn’t properly sleep with the puppy in his bed. 

Merlin tried to imagine Arthur young like him and scared of disappointing his father but it was a hard picture to grasp. Arthur had always been strong and brave to Merlin, and there were plenty of stories from Gaius and Alice about him walking fearlessly into a room when Merlin had been young and upset enough that his magic lashed out. Even now he was fairly certain that Arthur was the only person that didn’t have any worries regarding his magic and what it could do. 

“If you say so,” Merlin murmured, comforted but still wishing he could be braver than he was. Shifting some he reached out to gently touch Cadal’s head and ears where he could see them. “I brought more milk with me for him when he wakes up, and Alice said that she’d mix up a bigger batch of the stuff that goes in the milk so we don’t always have to go to her first,” Alice had mentioned that it would make it easier to feed the puppy during the night and Merlin didn’t think she was wrong but he was worried about the milk being mixed right.

Even though Arthur couldn’t really see Merlin, it was immediately evident that he was quoting someone rather than speaking for himself just from the tone of his voice. He had to agree, though, even including Balinor and Hunith in the assessment. He was convinced they did what they had concerning him out of fear, and not fear for his safety, but of what he might become if he wasn’t under their watchful gaze. Not that he’d ever voiced as much, but it didn’t stop him from thinking it. “Ah,” Arthur said when Merlin mentioned it had come from Kilgharrah, lips quirking up in a smile, though he wasn’t all that surprised. The old dragon was the only person he could think of, other than himself, that would say something to Merlin, young as he still was.

“I should hope so, and agree that he probably will be, yes,” Arthur agreed, his smile not fading. His fondness for the dragon had never faded, but then, neither had Kilgharrah’s fondness for him. He wished the great creature came around the city more than he did. Kilgharrah would probably approve of Arthur taking the hound, and say something about how the pup had been born solely to become his, or something within that vein of thought. “Hey,” he said as Merlin’s tone dropped, and reach up again, though this time he curled his arm back further, rubing at Merlin’s back to comfort him. “You’re still just a kid, Merlin. When I was your age, I did anything I could to make sure your father was never cross with me, for any reason. That’s only natural. As you get older, and especially once you’ve presented, it’ll be easier to face his anger.”

Merlin was quiet for a moment, a look of concentration crossing his face. “People rarely do what they should, greed, fear, or simple pettiness often clouds their judgement. You need to only look at the court your parents have raised you in to see that,” reciting the words with the same careful precision that Merlin always gave to the important things Kilgharrah told him that he didn’t fully understand he nodded to himself. He wasn’t sure what the dragon had meant about the court but he did understand that Arthur had done something that adults in the court might not have.

“Kilgharrah will be proud I think, he’s the one that told me that,” Kilgharrah, Merlin knew, liked Arthur. He often talked about how driven he was and how Merlin’s kin in the Clan of Lords would be impressed with how far he’s come in face of the challenges he’s had. “And even it is was just what you should do I think it was brave,” Merlin lowered his voice, a little ashamed that he wasn’t as brave as Arthur was. “I don’t like it when my Father get’s mad at me even if I think I’m right,”

Chuckling a little at Merlin’s whining, Arthur shook his head, wondering at how spoiled Merlin was. Not that he really minded, because he took plenty of solace in how much Merlin looked up to him. If their relationship was any different than it was, any less, he probably would have left Camelot at some point in the last year, since he’d finally had the skill to make it somewhere else, if necessary. He was Uther Pendragon’s son, after all. He was certain some other kingdom would value that in him, or maybe… Shoving the thought aside was useless, especially now. Maybe his father would want him, now, now that he was older and could be useful. Perhaps the man’s madness had faded with the years. Arthur wished he had a way of finding out. Forcing himself back into the moment, he tilted his head up so he could almost see Merlin again and assured, “I’m sure we’ll be able to figure out something that works for you and Cadal.” They would have to, because for at least the first couple weeks, Arthur knew he was going to be too nervous aboutthe pup getting cold to not keep him close during the nights.

“If you say so,” Arthur said again with another quiet laugh, pushing away the stab of sadness at his chest. He supposed that, even when Merlin did present, there was a chance it wouldn’t impact the way Merlin saw him and thought of him. As long as the court couldn’t convince him he was some kind of competition… And even if it did change, there was still probably something like six years before Merlin presented. At least if he presented at fourteen like Arthur had. Possibly even longer. “Nothing brave about it,” he protested lightly. “I only did what was right, and I knew I was never in danger. That’s not bravery, it’s doing what you should.”

Whining a little Merlin shook his head, nuzzling close to Arthur. “But I want to be beside you and Cadal need that too so I needed to lay somewhere else,” He tried to explain. Merlin wanted to be close to Arthur because even if his parents and everyone else tried to hide it he knew that things were hard for Arthur and that today at least his father was mad at him. He wanted Arthur to know he would never treat him like the other people in the court because he knew that Arthur was amazing. Merlin was also a little scared, it sometimes happened on bad days or days when people were openly mean to Arthur, he didn’t want Arthur to go away.

Some of the bad feeling in his stomach lessened when Merlin twisted and saw Arthur’s smile. “It’ll never ever change,” he assured with a childish confidence. “And I’m sure Cadal feels the same with how you protected him,” Merlin pressed on thinking about all the times Arthur had looked after him and how what he had done for the puppy showed he didn’t just care out of duty. “It was very brave,”

Letting Merlin shake his hand off, Arthur tugged once more before bringing it back to his chest at the mention of the pup’s name, running his fingers down his back. The puppy fur was downy and soft, and thick as well, nothing like the coarse hair on the hounds. Personally, he thought this was much nicer, and hoped it wasn’t only soft because it was the puppy coat. He hoped it stayed like that. He’d only ever seen the wolves, though, not touched the fur, since the people of Camelot tended to just keep out of the way of the packs, as they only ever seemed to be traveling through. In the city, anyway. Arthur was sure out in the country there were plenty of people that hunted them and kept their pelts. Everyone he knew much preferred foxes. 

“You’re the silly one, there’s plenty of room for you and Cadal, as long as you’re careful,” Arthur said. They certainly wouldn’t be able to sleep in the bed with the pup, not until he was big enough to not be smothered anyway, but for simply lounging he saw no issue. He didn’t think a pup could be kept too warm, after all. Smile lessening some as Merlin seemed to slip into his thoughts, Arthur cocked an eyebrow at the question. “Of course I do,” he said easily, pulling up a warm smile for Merlin, though he didn’t know if he could see it. “You’ve maintained that since you were a baby, so I don’t expect it to change anytime soon.” That wasn’t exactly the truth. He did expect it to change once Merlin had presented, since with his power everyone knew he would be an Alpha, but he didn’t want to risk upsetting Merlin by saying that.

Laughing and shaking his head to try and dislodge Arthur;s hand Merlin clamped his hand over his mouth so he wouldn’t wake the puppy. It took him a few moments to really stifle his laughing but when he did he buried his face back in Arthur’s hair. “Silly, Cadal is in my spot. If he’s going to lay there I need a new place to lay so I can be close to you,” the puppy probably needed the comfort of having Arthur around him like a shield more than Merlin did but he still wanted to be close to his champion.

Going a little more quiet Merlin recalled how angry his dad had seemed to be when he came back to he royal chambers. He hadn’t shouted by Merlin had been able to tell that he had wanted to and he hadn’t even offered him a hug before he sent him to Alice. Merlin thought though that if he had thought seeing his dad like that was scary then Arthur must have seen him worse. “Arthur, you’re my favorite forever you know that right?” he loved Arthur but he loved his parents too so that never felt like enough, hence Arthur was his favorite. 

  Arthur didn’t know how long he dozed for, too busy fading in and out of sleep. He was unnaturally aware of the tiny little pup curled up against his chest, and that kept him from sinking into a deeper sleep, but it didn’t annoy him enough for him to want to give it up. He would have to get the pup a proper bed, though, sometime soon, so he could keep him close as night but still be able to sleep properly. Thoughts like that came in scattered snatches, and though Arthur heard the door open distantly, he reminded himself that it had been locked, so it could only be Merlin, and didn’t bother to force his eyes open.

Not initially, anyway. He still tracked the little noises that told him where in the room Merlin was, and waking up a little more as he did, stifled a laugh as Merlin shifted to lay at the head of the bed. Arthur figured his nap was probably over, doubted he’d be able to get Merlin to go to sleep in the middle of the morning. “Now I am,” he answered, amusement in his tone. There was still a fair amount of anger and bitterness lingering in his chest, but even if he’d wanted to, he couldn’t take it out on Merlin. The boy might have been the reason Arthur was trapped in Camelot, but he didn’t begrudge Merlin that. He had had no choice in any of it either, after all. “What are you doing up there?” he asked, and let a laugh slip into his voice that time, raising a free hand to bury his fingers in Merlin’s hair, tugging gently.

Merlin managed to get through exactly half of his arithmetic lesson before his tutor threw up his hands and told him he was done trying to make him learn for the day. He had promptly taken that as permission to go back to Arthur and been on his way there when his mother caught him. He didn’t know why but she insisted that he stay with her until his father came back and he was delegated to sitting in the drawing room of the royal chambers while he waited.

While Hunith had not expected Balinor to return to her in a good mood after having to confront Arthur she wasn’t expecting how tired he looked when he did return or how he nearly snapped at Merlin to go to Alice before Arthur. Once their son was gone it was her turn to snap at him for his harsh tone, though she softened as he slid down in a chair with a choked sigh. Things were hard with Arthur just like Kilgharrah had said they would be years ago but she had hoped things would get better as he grew and proved he wasn’t Uther. It seemed though that they still had a ways to go before then.

Merlin, after going to Alice who sent him to Niall who insisted he eat a little something before passing him off to his sister who finally let him go back to Arthur with more milk for the pup, pressed his hand to the door of Arthur’s room and listened for the click of the lock sliding out of place. Once he could he opened the door with caution, eyes going to the fur in front of the fire and heart all but stopping when he saw it was empty. Before he panicked too much he looked for Arthur and breathed out when he saw him on the bed with the bowl close by. Of course Arthur kept Cadal safe.

Coming into the room Merlin set the milk down on the desk by the window before sitting down and taking off his boots, trying to be as quiet as possible. Once he had his boots off Merlin climbed up on the bed and paused, grinning because he knew how safe it felt to be curled up with Arthur and that’s what the puppy needed he thought. Though it left him looking for a place himself until he decided he just wanted to be close to Arthur, crawling up the bed along his back until he could settle at the head of the bed and curl himself until his nose was buried in Arthur’s hair. “Are you awake?” he whispered carefully.

“Do you?” Arthur asked, and it was probably a little on the cruel side but it slipped out of him before he could bite the words back. Normally he held his tongue better, but as he’d gotten older, it was harder and harder to continue to believe Balinor actually thought as well of him as he said he did when he never made any effort to act like it, or to make the court see it. And now he was worn from his outburst and felt like he’d had sand rubbed all over his skin until it was raw, and didn’t have the energy to shift through what was appropriate to say and what wasn’t. 

For a moment, Arthur thought Balinor was going to ask to come in, and he had mixed feelings about that. For the most part, he didn’t want to deal with it, because he knew how it would go. But there was another part, buried deeper and much smaller, that wanted Balinor to make the effort. For someone to make the effort, with actions instead of words, to prove there was something about him that made people want to try. Not that he would have made it easy, but… he didn’t know. In any case, he wasn’t surprised when Balinor decided against whatever he’d been considering, and Arthur did bite back the bitter smile. He’d been masking his emotions and hiding them from Balinor and Hunith since he’d been a child and hadn’t even really known why he was doing it, so it was no hardship to do now. 

Arthur didn’t offer any parting words, just shut and relocked the door once Balinor had gone. He moved back over to the fireplace, smiled tiredly at the pup, and swapped the warming stones out before picking up the bowl and carrying it over to his bed. There was no way he had the energy to deal with training, and subsequently, the knights, after that. He’d be damned if anyone stopped him from going back to bed. After making sure the bowl wasn’t going to rip, Arthur climbed back onto his bed himself, toed off his boots, and slid beneath the blankets. As an afterthought, he reached out and carefully picked up the pup, and laying on his side, cradled it to his chest. Something lightened in him when the pup only whined for a moment before settling back into sleep, snuggling against him, obviously content with his warmth. He closed his eyes like that, and tried to shove everything else away for the time being so he could doze.

Balinor felt a rush of actual shame as Arthur said he’d never put Merlin in danger. “I know you wouldn’t,” it was probably the only thing he knew for certain about Arthur with how much he had grown and changed and he hoped it would remain true after his son presented and that hurt. He had once hoped to be able to raise Arthur like a son, keep him close like he was sure the boy’s parents would have wanted, but it had all gone wrong somewhere along the way. Now it felt like Merlin was the only link that he and Hunith had to Arthur anymore and that just hurt all the more but there was nothing he could do about it.

Looking Arthur over Balinor wanted to try and talk to him but he felt drained and still had a day at court and now the kennel master to deal with. “No, that was all. I’ll speak to the kennel master and the servants,” taking one last look at the young Alpha Balinor turned and walked back towards the court. His shoulders stooped for a moment as he looked up thinking about Uther and how the man who was meant to be king would know what he had done wrong f he hadn’t gone mad before he was righting himself and continuing on.

Arthur could see the moment Balinor realized why he was fighting so hard and was so deeply affected by the pup’s plight, and though he didn’t enjoy it, using something like that, it was true. How could he not feel some sort of kinship with the little creature when he’d heard, plenty of times, people saying that he should have been left to die while he was still young enough for it to work? He could also see the moment Balinor gave in, resigned himself to losing, though Arthur took no pleasure in it, not this time. There was a heavy sense of relief, knowing he wouldn’t have to worry about someone grabbing the pup while his back was turned and immediately snapped its neck, or something else equally horrible. But other than that, it was just a sick sense of exhaustion that lingered in his chest and stomach. The older he got, the less well he got on with Balinor, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed clashing with him.

“I don’t see why I should bother to act proper when everyone around me expects me to snap and snarl like a brute, and treats me as if I do regardless,” he pointed out, though there was little heat in it. He had won, protected the life of the little pup, and it had drained most of his energy. “And contrary to popular belief, I wouldn’t actually do anything that would endanger Merlin. If he becomes a threat, I won’t hesitate to do what’s necessary. But the chance that he might be unmanageable shouldn’t mean the end of his life now. There’s just as much of a chance he’ll be as trainable as any of the other hounds, and probably smarter, too.” Arthur stopped and sighed then, bringing up one hand to rub over his face. “Was there anything else?” he asked, taking a step back as he did, further into his room. He didn’t know if Balinor was going to try and say or do something because he felt guilty, now, try to do that father-ish thing he sometimes did, but Arthur wanted to have the room to back away and shut the door if he did. He’d long grown sick of Balinor playing at being apologetic for everything that had and still frequently happened.

Feeling something like shame creep into him when Arthur brought up that the pup was indeed a pup and completely defenseless Balinor found himself unable to respond before Arthur snapped again. He wasn’t afraid of the young Alpha, even if he had his venom he wasn’t of a mass yet that he could take him down hard but it was shocking to be faced with such honest anger. Balinor and Hunith had of course talked about the trials of looking after a young Alpha but they still thought it better Arthur be with them rather than off somewhere he could really be hurt.

“Arthur!” Raising his voice in an attempt to scold the boy for all but shouting at him, Balinor was still the king after all and even his son didn’t get away with that, he stared the boy down. Balinor’s breath caught though when he realized what their entire confrontation was really about and he could practically taste the bile in the back of his throat. Of course Arthur knew that most people in the court did not like him, of course he knew it was because of who his father was, and of course he would feel some sort of connection with a pup condemned for the same reasons he was disliked. And then he had to bring up Merlin, Balinor’s son who probably loved Arthur more than anyone else in the world and who would never even look at him again if he thought his father believed Arthur deserved the same treatment as the pup. And even though he didn’t explaining that to a child would be beyond impossible, they say actions not logic.

Sighing Balinor felt every one of his years weighing down on him as he narrowed his eyes at Arthur. He would not be able to win this fight in any way that wouldn’t leave someone hurting, and for all that he had failed to protect Arthur from the court that had indeed wanted him dead as an infant he owed the boy this at least. “You will not raise your voice or speak to me like that again, I understand you are upset but you can do better than snapping and snarling like a brute,” Eyes going over Arthur’s shoulder to the bowl and furs by the fire Balinor looked at where he assumed the pup was for a few seconds before turning his attention back to the Alpha. “You can keep the pup, and you don’t need to fear losing it unless it grows up to be uncontrollable. If that becomes the case it will be your responsibility to handle it understand?”

“Dangerous?” Arthur said, and then actually laughed, though it was a harsh, unpleasant sound. “Please, sire, do come in and see the tiny little thing, then tell me it’s dangerous again,” he said, and thought he swept one hand int towards the fireplace, he still didn’t move at all, his feet still planted in the doorway. “Then kennel master is a fool,” he added, a little more viciously, though there was still a touch of that dark humor to his voice.

That faded the instant Balinor switched his tone from the infuriatingly placating one to the one he used to give orders. “I will not,” he snapped, and if it came out as more of a snarl than anything else, well, it would serve as good reminder to Balinor that he was an Alpha. If it were another three months down the line, he’d have been able to take out the, for now much larger, Beta man with a single bite. For now, he only just managed to keep his fangs from dropping, though it was a close thing. His instincts wanted him to drop them for the intimidation factor, even if he couldn’t put them to their proper use quite yet. “There is no possible way for the kennel master to know that pup will be dangerous. Certainly, there is no reason for him to have his life ended. The world not being fairis when pups are born too weak to survive, and despite the hands trying, a mercy killing is still the best option. That’s what happens when like isn’t fair. I am not a child anymore, Balinor, telling me ‘the world isn’t fair’ is not going make me roll over and give into you anymore. This isn’t about me wanting a dog. This is me refusing to allow a man to do something horrible just because the pup was sired by a wolf.” 

Arthur paused for a moment, realizing he was breathing hard, baring his teeth. He tried to school his expression back to something more neutral, because losing his head was not going to win him this battle. After a moment, he regarded the king coolly again, then smiled, small and completely unhappy. “If you force me hand and return the half-wolf pup so he could be killed, then I’ll be quite happy to explain to your son that people in Camelot, yourself included, simply don’t like to take chances when it comes to males they consider dangerous siring offspring. He’s a smart kid. I’m sure he’ll put the pieces together. After all, Balinor, I’m sure there were plenty of people that called for my death, too, when I was just as helpless and innocent as that pup is. Weren’t there?”

Startled when Arthur snapped back at him Balinor took a moment to remind himself that Arthur was a young Alpha and he knew these arguments were coming. He had known that that pup was to be put down, it was dangerous according to the kennel master and Balinor trusted the man in that regard. “The kennel master has that title for a reason Arthur,” he scolded. “He knows his dogs and he knows what is best, if he says that the pup is dangerous than it is,”

Going a little soft Balinor sighed. “I know it doesn’t seem fair but you know that not all things are. You’re naturally stronger than some of the other boys training to be knights, when you’re older you’ll have a proper advantage over the Betas, no one will ever match Merlin’s magic. Not all things are fair or kind but we have to trust that they are the way they are for a reason,” Balinor’s voice took on a hard edge again. “And you will return the pup to the kennel master and trust him to know best,”

Arthur had expected Balinor to be angry with him, so the speech didn’t phase him in the least. He kept his stance firm in the doorway, because he was not going to let allow Balinor to try and retrieve the pup himself. He would usually never draw a weapon on the king, he did have some respect for the man, but as far as he was concerned, he was protecting his own just then. And unfortunately, he was well aware that despite his muscle and newly-settled fangs, though the venom had yet to come, if it came to a physical fight Balinor would still have his beat, regardless of any weapons. So his best shot of coming out  of this with it ending in his favor was his argument skills.

Fortunately, he’d been honing those since he was a small child. And if there were two people in the world he knew how to guilt, it was Balinor and Hunith. Not that that was his initial intent, but he’d resort to it if necessary.

“Oh aye, act as if your problem is me ‘doing as I please’,” he said, scathingly, not bothering to hide the disdain in his voice, and not particularly trying to keep it down either. Let the castle hear him arguing with the king, he didn’t care. He was already the subject of most of the castle’s gossip, always had been and always would be. “You and I both know damn well that I don’t do anything I please. And on this subject, you’re not going to be able to guilt me into backing down. Because I did, I took the pup. But I didn’t steal him, as the kennel master so inaccurately put it, I saved him. I’m not going to stand by knowing he’s ordered the hands to take a newborn pup to the lake and drown it.”

Relieved when he heard movement inside Arthur’s room Balinor was glad at least that he wouldn’t have to invade the young Alpha’s room without permission. He was surprised when Arthur opened the door and stood as if to block him from entering. The set of his jaw was just like his father’s but the determinate in his gaze was so much like his mother that the king ached for his lost friends.

Steeling himself Balinor gave Arthur a scolding look, his voice low and disapproving when he spoke. “Arthur the kennel master came to me with some disturbing news this morning. He said that you had stolen the half wolf pup from Bran’s litter,” he shook his head some. “Which I didn’t want to believe except that Merlin seemed to have gone to Alice for milk for a pup which seems to lend some truth to the story,”

Balinor was well aware that Arthur was not well liked among the court and that there were those like the kennel master who had no care for the boy but he had overstepped this time. “You can’t just go about doing as you please Arthur,” he scolded voice firm. “Carrying a practice sword around is one thing but stealing a pup from the kennel is too much, you will have your own dog once you have earned your knighthood. And to drag Merlin into this, he’s going to be upset after this mess,”

Arthur could practically feel Merlin’s concern in how tightly he embraced him and it pulled an amused but fond huff of laughter from him as he returned the hug, though with significantly less strength behind it. “You do that,” Arthur agreed, and then added, “And I promise you don’t need to worry,” because he could tell that it unsettled Merlin that he had refused a direct order from the king, not from the man that had posed as something of a father figure for a few years of his life. But he was also confident in his place in the castle. He may have been kind enough to send Merlin on his way before Balinor arrived, but he would use Merlin’s affection for him against the royal couple when he needed to, and tonight would be no different. He thought it only fair, since it was also their desire for Merlin to adore him that had tethered him to Camelot permanently, even though it was a city full of people that despised him.

Arthur stayed where he was while he waited for Balinor to arrive, glad that he was, at least, saving Merlin from getting into trouble for skipping lessons on top of everything else. The kitchen maid who usually brought his breakfast stopped by, and Arthur unlocked the door long enough to take the tray from her, but he left it on the table, untouched. He didn’t have much of an appetite. When Balinor finally arrived, he had just finished feeding the puppy again, though it had been a significantly smaller drink he’d taken.

Resigned to his fate, Arthur stood at the sound of Balinor’s voice and plodded over to the door, knowing there was no point in pretending he wasn’t there. He opened the door a crack after sliding open the lock, and peeked around, making sure the kennel master wasn’t with the king before he fully opened the door and stepped back. “Balinor,” he said, once he had opened the door fully, though he didn’t move out from the doorway to make room for the king to step inside. 

Merlin had ignored his parents before when he was upset with them and while they had been understanding he had still gotten into a great deal of trouble. It was one thing to ignore your parents because you were mad at them and another to ignore the King and Queen no matter how you felt. Not that Merlin thought Arthur would get hurt or thrown in the dungeons but he still didn’t want him to get in trouble. 

“Okay,” turning to give Arthur a hug Merlin squeeze him as tight as he could before he let go. Petting Cadal one more time he stood and straightened out his clothes before he started towards the door. Pausing Merlin turned back. “I’ll come see you and Cadal after my lessons,” he promised with a small smile before slipping out of Arthur’s chambers, the lock snapping shut after he had closed the door just so he knew Arthur and the puppy were safe.

It didn’t take more than half an hour for another knock to come at Arthur’s door. Balinor felt old as he waited for some sort of response, the kennel master had come to him shouting about Arthur stealing one of his pups and how it was one that had to be put down because it was part wolf and would turn on them. Hunith had gotten word from Alice about Merlin helping with a puppy that needed milk which meant he was going to have to find a way to explain all this to his son. And he needed to have words with Arthur about doing something against the word of the expert in a field. “Arthur,”

Arthur was certain it said something about the court than even a little kid like Merlin was worried that the kennel master would be allowed to slip into someone’s chambers and take back a puppy so he could kill it, but he figured it was better to keep that to himself. Though he wouldn’t hesitate to throw it in Balinor’s face, because there was no way this was going to be a pleasant conversation. “I’m not answering your father’s summons, Merlin,” he said, though, because he didn’t like lying to Merlin in the first place, and if he had been going, he would have wanted Merlin to stay and watch over the pup. “If he wants to talk to me, he’s going to have to come here.”

That said, he put his hand back on the fur-wrapped stone, making sure there was still enough heat coming from it, and then stood to grab the other one from his bed and bring it to start heating up by the fire. He wanted to have it ready to swap out quickly as soon as the first one cooled enough, because he didn’t know how long such a young pup could stand the cold before it would make him sick or something like that. He just didn’t want to take any chances. He sat back down then, in the same spot, and tried to offer Merlin a reassuring smile. “That’s why I said you should probably go. Your father isn’t going to be very happy with me. But don’t worry, I’m not going to let them take Cadal.