Arthur looked over at Merlin and sighed. “Well, as you can see Merlin, I’ve been here.” He said crossing his arms. He turned to Summer. “Pardon him, he’s my manservant. An annoying one at that.”
Merlin shot Arthur a pointed look before straightening up, taking his leather-bound journal out of his pocket, and writing, ‘Sorry, I wasn’t expecting him to have company with him. My name is Merlin.’ He held his hand out to Summer for a handshake and mouthed to Arthur, “Your father threatened to throw me in the stocks if I didn’t find you immediately.”
Summer couldn’t help laughing at the byplay. She clasped Merlin’s hand quickly, bowing over it a little bit. “You have a mute manservant. I would say, is that so he can’t talk back to you, but I see he has managed that anyway.” She folded her arms. “Do you,” a quick shake of head, and she looked at Merlin, “does he need to go back to the citadel?”
He restrained himself from rolling his eyes. “Even though Merlin doesn’t speak, he’s still able to talk back at me. Trust me.” Arthur faced his manservant. “I doubt my father would go that far. Plus I did tell him I was going to be out for a while. I guess he forgot.”
‘Somebody has to talk back every once in a while. If I didn’t, who knows how big his ego would get?’ teased Merlin good-naturedly before shrugging. ‘It certainly wouldn’t be the first time he’s put me in the stocks for something like this, but maybe he did forget,’ he agreed. ‘He didn’t give me that much information.’ He was a bit sorry to be interrupting whatever was happening (mostly for Summer’s sake rather than Arthur’s), but the servant didn’t know what else to do, especially now that there seemed to have been a miscommunication between Arthur and Uther.
“Idris won’t mind if I come back in early, since the bandits. Better safe than sorry, he’ll say, and be right, as usual.” Summer checked over her basket before picking it back up, then smiled at the two men. “How lucky I am, such an escort! Two handsome fellows at my side. Even the Lady Morgana would envy me this day.”