"MERLIN! How many times do I have to tell you? Get rid of Bernardette! She's still here!"
Merlin frowned "Bernardette?".
"The mouse!"
"Oh, so it's a she now..."
"Well…"
"And it's called- Bernardette."
"Guinevere's idea," Arthur said a little too quickly.
"Sure" Merlin's voice was heavy with sarcasm. The warlock did a great effort to hide his laughter. Honestly, he did. But he failed in the end all the same. Soon, the servant was sprawled over the floor roaring with laughter. "BERNARDETTE! Oh, God! That's brilliant Arthur!" Merlin smacked the floor with the palms of his hands, laughing and crying in hysterics.
"Merlin-!" Arthur protested, his face a deep shade of red. "It's not funny!"
From the floor, Merlin snorted. "O-of course not s-sire! Y-you call a m-mouse Bernardette. What's there to laugh about?"
Arthur scowled. "I told you, idiot. Guinevere did!"
"I did what?" Standing on the threshold, a bemused Queen Guinevere glanced inquisitively at Merlin on the floor with a smile twitching at her lips. Her friend propped himself up on his elbows grinning like mad with tear tracks down his cheeks.
He tilted his head to one side, talking as-a-matter-of-factly. "Apparently, Gwen, you decided to name the mouse that roams in your chambers- what was the name again? Oh, yeah. Bernardette."
Gwen's eyebrows shot high on her forehead. "I did what?" she blinked.
Merlin's peals of laughter could have been heard in the neighboring kingdoms. "HA! I KNEW IT! You've really become a softy, Arthur!" He promptly collapsed onto the floor again in another fit of laughter.
If possible, Arthur's face turned redder and he walked towards where Merlin was on the floor. "Shut up. You. Utter. Clotpole!" he kicked his servant in the stomach. Merlin just laughed more.
"My word! Ow!" he complained from the floor. "Stop! You utter idiot!" still, his voice was full of mirth.
"And that's my word, Merlin."
"Suits you well too, my lord!"
Gwen watched the scene with fond amusement, shaking her head. Were those two ever going to behave like grownups?
"Shut up, Merlin." Apparently not. "I seem to recall that you haven't paid a visit to the stocks lately." It was a threat, but Merlin was enjoying himself too much.
"Nah, your memory is awful, poor cabbage-head. I do most recalling for you."
"I'm the king, Merlin, you can't address me like that."
"Right. Poor royal cabbage-head, then."
"Merlin, do you want to go to the stocks?"
"Of course I don't! It's just- Bernardette, Arthur? Seriously?" he was laughing again.
Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose while he flushed. "To the stocks it is, then."
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