A/N: This is a simple little fluff thing I have in my head. I might add in more chapters if I actually come up with a plot. But for now, enjoy. I will also most likely include Royale in my other fics cuz I love him. Enjoy these 2 chapters.
Also many of you have asked for me to do more chapters in 'merlin saving Arthur without the prat knowing' and 'merlin au s1 ep1' along with some others. I will add more chapters to those, but I may have to do some rearranging (mainly deleting them and putting them up with a new title and another chapter) but it will take some time before I think of other chapters, so be patient. Also I am going to gather all my freylin fics into one compilation so that they are easier to find.
Over all, there will be arranging and it will take me a while before I get new chapters up.
This was a long note.
Enjoy.
Merlin weaved through the early morning clusters in the great Camelot castle, expertly holding Arthur's food tray in one hand. His other hand rested against his satchel, patting it gently. A happy little sqirm resulted as it's occupant wiggled. He took a small chicken slice from the platter and held it inside the bag as a treat, which was eagerly accepted.
Merlin smiled brightly, wiped his hand on his jacket, and waltzed into Arthur's bedroom.
"Up ya get." He said loudly as he set the tray on the table with a bit too much force.
The Prince sat up slowly, a scowl making itself apparent on his face.
"Must you always be so loud in the morning? I think the whole castle hears you."
"If I'm quiet" he whispered "you don't get up!"
"What'd you say?"
"My point exactly." Merlin threw open the drapes. "C'mon Sire. It is a beautiful day."
Arthur groaned and flopped back under the covers before Merlin dragged him back out and left him on the floor, walking away.
"I suggest you hurry before the chicken gets cold."
Apparently that was convincing enough, and he dragged himself off the floor and and clumped over to the table to eat.
"Get my armour ready, there is a training session this afternoon."
"Am I gonna need to be there?" Merlin asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yes."
"Any chance you'd get another servant to be there? I had plans this afternoon."
"What plans?" Arthur looked up from his food, studying Merlin, who had stopped cleaning.
"I was hoping to go to the peasant ball."
"The what?"
"Its not actually a ball. More like a really large picnic we all have at a lovely spot in the woods. This will be the first one where is get to go in 5 years, and they hold 2 a year. That's almost 10 I've missed cuz there other reasons."
Arthur pondered this. "Who all goes?"
"Any of the castle staff who get time off, us poorer folk, the really poor, you get the idea. We also bring what we like, from our favorite foods to instruments to pets. It goes from after noon to before dinner, with people coming and leaving as they please."
"And why do you want to go?"
Merlin stared at him for a second.
"Because I am a peasant." He said matter of factly. "Or did you forget?"
"Very well."
This marked the end of the conversation until Arthur asked,
"You said people bring pets?"
Merlin shrugged.
"Those of us who have pets. Timothy has a dog, Claire has 2 cats, Rose somehow managed to get a bird and I swear the thing hates me."
"Do you have a pet?"
Merlin smirked.
"Aside from you?"
"What"
"I feed you," Merlin started listing, his voice slowly getting louder "I make sure you are warm at night, I make sure you're clean, I-"
"Alright!"
Merlin grinned. That had felt good. Granted he probably should have told Arthur, but it wasn't hurting anything that he didn't know. And he might make Merlin get rid of him.
He patted his satchel again. Being without him was unthinkable to Merlin now. He's had him for a year now, watched him grow. He was as important to Merlin now as Arthur was.
He grabbed Arthur's tray after having set his outfit out, and left with it, snagging a few scraps and putting them inside his satchel.
He walked out and soon walked into Gwen.
"'Ello Gwen!" He beamed at her, and his satchel wiggled at her name.
"Hello Merlin! Did he allow you to come?"
"Yeah."
"And what about Royale?"
"Don't worry. Royale will be taken care of. Oh! Hey Greg!" He said, waving a fellow servant down the hall who had been looking over at them. "Hey, Arthur gave me the afternoon off and he has a training session later. Would you mind spreading the word around?"
"Yeah I wouldn't mind at all."
"Thanks!" Merlin turned back to Gwen as Greg walked off, casting a suspicious look back at the 2. "As I said Gwen, I have a plan for him."
Greg was shocked. It sounded that he was planning something against the Prince.
Not long after Merlin and Gwen ran past him, chasing Rose's rouge bird.
"I GOT FREE I GOT FREE" it screeched.
Merlin fumbled inside his bag before pulling out a large folded cloth. Soon after the bird was trapped underneath, one beady eye glaring at him.
"Don't you-" Merlin started to warn before it started to shreek again.
"MERLIN TALKS IN HIS SLEEP MERLIN TALKS IN HIS SLEEP HE TALKS HE" on and on.
"I hate you." He muttered as the flap on his satchel pushed up, and a black nose surrounded by feathery red fur poked out, sniffing and showing sharp teeth.
Merlin pushed him back into the bag.
"Not today. As much as I hate this little demon, you can't eat Rose's bird."
The girl in question ran around the corner, red faced from running.
"You got him? Oh! Thank you Merlin!" She retrieved him from the cloth and perched him on her shoulder.
"You really should get some way to restrain him." The bird leaned over and whispered in Rose's ear. Causing her to blush. "He told you I talk in my sleep didn't he."
"Yeah."
Greg walked away from the scene. He swore he saw something starting to come out of Merlin's bag. He couldn't believe it, but he felt he still had to do his duty.
He left to tell Arthur.