Chapter Text
In the outskirts of Camelot, Arthur stands in front of an isolated cottage in his disguise--simple, dirty clothing to pretend he’s just a peasant. A wooden sign above his head swaying in the autumn wind. The “Merlin - Herbs and Hair specialist” is written in red on it.
He opens the door and it creaks loudly. The smell from the inside hits him and makes him feel a bit queasy.
“Be there in a minute!” A voice of a young man calls from another room, deeper in the cottage.
There is a chair in the middle of the tiny room. All kinds of herbs are hanging down from the ceiling by hooks. He sits on the chair, waiting and thinking back about what his father had ordered him in the morning. He said that this is a private matter, he suspects a man who runs this shop is a sorcerer but he relates to Gaius so no one--especially Gaius--can know about this.
A moment later, a young man enters the room. He has to be Merlin, the owner, though he doesn’t seem to be much older than him, no beard or cloak or any evilness in his bright blue eyes. His father must have misunderstood something. He has with him a bunch of lavender which he hangs on one of the unoccupied hooks.
“You live here alone?” Arthur asks, watching him searching for something in the room.
“Yeah.” He replies, picking up a glove. “Why? are you planning on stealing something?”
“No, no, I just...it's scary out here, living alone, close to the wood like this.”
He looks at him, then snorts. “Not for me. I think it’s peaceful.”
It is peaceful, Arthur finds the absence of crowd noises quite relieving and he can hear birds songs he never heard near the castle.
“So, what seems to be the problem?” The man makes his way across the room and stands before him, rubbing his gloved hands together.
“Hm?”
“About your hair?”
“Oh,” It's shameful that he forgets to prepare something for this. “I...my hair is thinning?”
Merlin frowns. “Is that a question or what because I’ve just met you, so I really can’t tell--”
“No...my hair is really thinning, and it itch, all night.”
“Oh, that’s common. I can give you olive oil and if you apply it daily, you’ll feel better within a week.”
No, I can’t leave now, Arthur thinks, I don't have anything to report back to my father yet.
“Not just that...I also feel like it’s moving.”
“What’s moving? Your hair?”
“Something in my hair, I don’t know, something is moving around on my head and it feels like...feels like that it’s pulling my hair and that’s why it keeps falling.”
“Could be lice. I have something for that too, let me--” Merlin turns back, about to go find something.
Arthur grabs his wrist, saying, “No, there’s more!”
Merlin looks at him. Arthur bits his lips while forcing his brain to think of something to say next. Something, anything, come on, think, think, think!--
“Sometimes...sometimes I feel like something is going to spurt out of my scalp...it’s quite painful.”
Merlin looks at him, starting to doubt his sanity.
“Can you just...check it for me?” Arthur asks, making the most sorry face he can manage.
Merlin sighs and says, “Alright.” Arthur lets go of his wrist.
He disappears into the back room again then comes out with a crooked looking comb. He stops at the back of his chair and starts combing through his hair. His movement is so delicate and calming that Arthur almost forgets what he’s here for. When he can focus again, his eyes search the room for some clue that may point out that he’s a sorcerer.
“I can’t see anything that’s concerning, but yeah, your hair is really thinning. It's missing in some areas.”
Arthur’s attention snaps back. “What?!” He screams, can’t quite believe his hair is really thinning. Am I going bald? He asks himself.
“You look surprised.” Merlin comments.
Arthur clears his throat. “That’s just how I speak.”
Merlin stops combing through his hair and he almost whines in disappointment. He wants it to continue on and on and on...
“I'll give you an ointment. Come back again in three days so we could do a little check up yeah? but if it gets worse during that you can just come right away.”
Arthur runs out of a reason to stay, but he will come back tomorrow, he promises himself. He can say he doesn't know how to apply the ointment or it gives him a rash or something. Arthur receives the ointment from him and leaves.
On his way back to the castle, he ruffles his hair in frustration, his heart skips a beat when he sees some of it fall out. What he doesn’t see is that Gaius is watching him from behind a tree, then shifts to the cottage, planning something in his head.