"You're late." Arthur stated simply as Merlin walked into his chambers. Proof of just how late he was could be the fact that the king had dressed himself.

Merlin knew he was late. Truth be told he had overslept but only because he was out thwarting yet another potential magical threat to Camelot last night and so hadn't really had time for such trivial matters as a reasonable amount of sleep. Of course Arthur didn't know this.

"I know" he replied simply.

"And?" the king prompted, "Do I get to hear the reason?"

"No." he said simply.

Arthur frowned at his servant.

"It wasn't a question."

"Sounded like one."

"Merlin."

"I overslept alright? I didn't get to go to bed until late last night."

"Because you spend all your time in the tavern."

Contrary to Arthur's beliefs Merlin didn't actually drink all that much for fear of what he might say or his magic might do if he did.

"Well now you're here I need you to polish my armour, fix the hole in my shirt, the floor could do with a scrub, my horses need tending to and the stables mucking out. I expect you to be at training in an hour as well, we need someone to hold the enemy shield."

"Last time I did that I couldn't lift anything for the rest of the day."

"Well let's hope you're stronger now then because those chores needed to be done before then and you're needed to serve at the feast later."

"Of course sire." Merlin sighed before beginning to go around the room and collect various bits of armour that seemed to manage to fling themselves far and wide within the chambers.

"Easy there!" Merlin yelled from behind the shield that Arthur was currently pounding with a mace.

"I need to train Merlin now start acting less like a kitten and more like a lion."

"If I were a lion you'd probably be dead by now."

That earned him another whack of the shield but before it could go any further salvation graced the site in the form of the queen.

"Arthur!"

"Oh Gwen thank goodness." Merlin said rolling back so he was lying down the shield discarded next to him.

"What are you doing?" she asked her husband heatedly.

"Training."

"With Merlin?"

"Well, yes."

"He's not a knight Arthur, look at him. He's exhausted."

"Hence why he is not a knight."

"Stop it, this is just plain cruel."

"Fine. We'll move onto jousting next."

Merlin didn't like the look on his face as he said that.

The sight of an angry king riding towards you with a long joust aimed at the hoop about a foot above your head is not a pleasant one. As Merlin so discovered.

He flinched as Arthur drew closer to him and shut his eyes completely. It wasn't that he doubted his ability it was just a bit unnerving. He let out a sigh of relief as he felt the hoop wrenched from his hands and turned around to start walking down to help with the horse.

Gwen was standing at the end with her hands on her hips just giving Arthur 'The Look'. He sighed and turned to his servant before saying in a monotone that made it sound as if it were forced "I feel that what I have done is cruel and unacceptable, please take the rest of the day up until the feast to do whatever you wish."

Merlin smiled at them both and thanked Gwen (for he knew it was her doing) before making his way home full intending to catch up on sleep.

"But not the tavern!" a voice called after him.

He shook his head and muttered "why would I go to the tavern? I'm not Gwaine."

Before Merlin could put his plan of sleep into action he was met by Gaius.

"Merlin! You're back. Why?"

"Gwen made Arthur give me the afternoon off

"Well the in that case you can help me."

Merlin raised his eyebrows "please don't say it" he thought.

"The leach tank needs scrubbing."

He said it.

Merlin walked over to the tank and held out his hand before muttering a few words. The tank was instantly clean.

"Well now you've done that you can get started on the floors, and the laundry needs doing."

Merlin bit back a retort as he began the other tasks.

Merlin was almost collapsing with exhaustion by the time he got to the feast. That's probably why he spilt a jug of wine over Arthur.

"Oh Merlin you idiot! You really are completely useless aren't you? Can you do nothing right?"

Merlin squashed the anger rising inside him at that statement. The only reason he was so tired was from saving his royal behind last night.

"I'm sorry; let me get something to clean it up."

"No, you know what just go."

"What?"

"Go home Merlin."

"Oh."

A few of the knights around him had been listening to the exchange and turned to watch him as he left the room, his head bent. He looked slightly forlorn.

Arthur had called him useless and an idiot plenty of times but he had never just dismissed him like that before.

"Arthur," he heard Gwen begin to chastise him.

"You would have thought that the king would find himself a more suitable servant." he heard a member of the council mutter as he walked by.

Merlin walked back through the streets of Camelot kicking stones and muttering things that to someone who didn't know him would sound treasonous enough to get him locked up.

He didn't notice the cloaked figure following him home.

Merlin was fuming by the time he reached his shared quarters with Gaius.

"How dare he! If it wasn't for me he'd be dead by now, several times over. And yet he continues to order me round like a slave! If he knew what I did for him- if he knew-"

"You'd be a dead slave." Gaius said simply but Merlin continued to mutter mutinously under his breath until he went to bed.

The man crept into the physician's quarters and made his way to the small room at the back. He entered and saw the young warlock in front of him sleeping soundly. He would soon get his wish. The man stretched his hands out over the sleeping form and began to mutter in the language of the old religion.

Merlin was late. Very late. This is why King Arthur had just strolled confidently into his chambers calling for him. Gaius was out doing his round in the lower town and Merlin came hopping out at his bedroom pulling a shoe on only to fall down the stairs.

"Idiot." Arthur muttered.

"That's alright; I'm fine thanks for asking." Merlin grumbled as he stood up.

"Come on, get up. I need you to-" he stopped when he looked at his servant "what's up with your face?" he asked.

"Gee thanks."

"No, I mean your eyes."

"What about my eyes?"

"Well, they're gold."

"What." Merlin deadpanned.

"You mean you haven't seen?"

"Not everyone can afford mirrors you know."

Arthur pulled his sword from the sheath at his belt and held it up so that Merlin could see his eyes. He was right, they were gold. Bright, pure gold. The way they were when he performed only the most powerful magic.

"Well that's a little different." Merlin tried to cover his surprise.

"Yes it is." The king mused.

"What?" Merlin could tell there was something else.

"Well they look almost… never mind."

"Almost?"

"Magical."

Merlin forced himself to keep his face neutral. "Magical? As if."

"Yeah," Arthur was getting more into the idea now, "kind of like when I saw Morgana casting that spell and her eyes flashed."

"I see a problem with that logic."

"And what might that be?"

"Morgana was casting the spell, I am not and I don't have the ability to either."

"Well then you're probably enchanted," the king thought aloud before suddenly lunging and attempting to squeeze Merlin whilst shouting, "DON'T WORRY MERLIN! I'LL GET THAT ENCHANTMENT OUT OF YOU! HANG ON IN THERE!"

"Ow, Arthur, get off me!"

They both looked up as the door opened and Gaius returned from his rounds to see his ward being attacked by his master. He just raised his eyebrows at the pair.

"Merlin's been enchanted!"

"I. Have. Not!"

"Yes you have, just look at his eyes!"

Gaius gasped as he saw Merlin's eyes, he of course recognised the colour but it still didn't explain what it was doing there.

"So," Arthur asked, "what's wrong with him?"

"I can't be sure sire."

"But do you think it's magical?"

"Oh yes, it's most definitely magical."

Arthur turned to Merlin and talked to him as if he were a child, "don't worry Merlin. We will fix this."

Merlin glared at him.

"Don't hurt me!" the king yelped.

Gaius and Merlin raised their eyebrows.

"Sire, we don't even know what this is yet so I doubt Merlin's going to hurt you. I suggest that you find another servant to attend to you whilst I figure it out though." Gaius said.

The king nodded before backing out of the room warily.

"I suppose that this means now is not the time to tell him about magic judging by his reaction." Merlin said once he left.