Arthur always held Merlin's opinions close to his heart and thought of them whenever he had to make a decision with the council. He loved the way Merlin would beam at him when he would say something that reflected how un-selfish he'd become. When Merlin smiled at him like that, it always gave him butterflies and he hated sitting in the stuffy meeting room until he could drag Merlin off for a heated snog.
So when one day, Merlin didn't talk, didn't smile as much, Arthur was worried.
"Merlin, what's wrong?" Arthur asked for the fourth time. Merlin licked his lips, Arthur's eyes following the movement.
"Nothing, sire." Merlin said quickly. Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"Obviously it's something. You never call me sire unless something's wrong. You haven't called me sire since you admitted your magic, now that I think about it." Arthur frowned thoughtfully. After Merlin told Arthur of his magic, they had finally gotten together, a heated night under the stars while they were 'hunting' and Arthur refused to let Merlin leave his side since. "It's not something terrible is it?"
"No!" Merlin said quickly. Arthur ignored him, his insecurities bubbling to the surface.
"You're not regretting us, are you? I know you said you don't mind not being able to be public until I'm King but it isn't getting to be too much is it? You're leaving me aren't you? You're just trying to find a way to let me down gently." Arthur said. Merlin stared at him incredulously as he spouted off nonsense.
"No, Arthur, look at me." Merlin grabbed his chin and tilted his head up to look at Merlin, who was crouching in front of the seat Arthur was in. "Arthur, how many times do I have to say it before it settles into your thick skull? I love you, you prat." He said, his eyes crinkling in amusement and worry.
"I love you too." Arthur said, his voice full of honesty and trust. "But why won't you tell me what's wrong?" Merlin sighed.
"You know me too well." Merlin mumbled. "Why do you love me?" He asked suddenly. Arthur frowned.
"What?" He asked, quite unsure he'd misheard. Merlin couldn't be doubting that he loved him.
"Why do you love me?" Merlin asked again, clear as day. Arthur tilted his head curiously.
"What brought this on?" He questioned, tugging on Merlin's hand until he sat in front of him on the bed, their knees touching. Merlin bit his lip and stared at his long pale hands; hands, Arthur distractedly thought, that made Arthur come undone.
"I'm just wondering because I'm just a servant and you're the bloody Prince. I'm not attractive, I'm too tall and gangly." Merlin shrugged, embarrassed. Arthur growled and pushed Merlin back on the bed, trapping his arms above his head and nearly sitting on him so he couldn't move.
"Merlin," Arthur said, almost angry. "Don't talk about yourself like that, don't even think it. None of it's true. We, Merlin, are equals. Two sides to the same coin, remember? You're a servant just by name, and you happen to be the worst one out there. You're not meant to be a servant, you're going to be Court Sorcerer as soon as I become King and revoke the bans on magic. We've talked about it. You're not below me nor are you above me. Even when we didn't know each other, you treated me like anybody else. You treated me like the prat I was and you continue to insist I still am. You are gorgeous. You're pales skin and dark hair takes my breath away. Your blue eyes, the bluest I have ever seen, are mesmerizing. The only reason I let you wear that ridiculous neckerchief is because of how lovely your neck looks without it and I can't help myself when I see it. You're loving, you hate when I hunt and kill an animal for no reason. You risk your life everyday for mine, how can I not appreciate that? You would do anything to save someone you loved or someone you held dear. Hell, I've seen you save someone you hate." Arthur said, remembering the time Merlin saved his fathers life. "I love you Merlin, and not even your irritating traits can stop that because I love those, too. Your frozen feet at night, the way you have to talk or sing or tell a silly story while you work because you hate the silence, when you have to wake me up in meetings. Everything, okay?" Arthur trailed off awkwardly, feeling raw and open. he'd never told Merlin any of that and made him wonder why he needed to hear it now, all of a sudden.
Merlin swallowed thickly and nodded. He bit his lip in thought and gave an amused smile at Arthur.
"You can't help yourself around my neck?" Merlin asked, humor dancing in his eyes. Arthur blushed furiously.
"Shut up." He muttered, leaning over and kissing him before he could say anything else. Merlin hummed in contentment, wiggling under Arthur happily.
"Arthur, I have to finish my chores." He murmured against Arthur's lips. Arthur pouted but drew away.
"Fine, go polish my armor and hurry back." Arthur said, letting go of his hands and caressing his cheek, giving him a chaste kiss.
"Yeah yeah." Merlin snorted. "I'll get us dinner, too."
Arthur smiled a soft, genuine smile and Merlin's breath hitched. Arthur always managed to save that smile just for him and it made him turn into a pile of mush.
"Go on, warlock." Arthur teased. Merlin stuck out his tongue, swiftly dodging a swat to his backside as he raced out of the room. Arthur shook his head in wry amusement.
Arthur was starting to get worried. After the sun started to go down and still no sign of Merlin, Arthur decided to go look for him.
He hummed a bit as he walked briskly to the armory where he hoped Merlin would be. Giving a big smile when he heard Merlin's voice, the words not really registering until he was feet away and he could see what was happening.
"Come on, please, I just want to get the Prince his dinner." Merlin sighed, trying, and failing, to walk past one of the knights. Arthur's blood boiled as they sidestepped right in front of Merlin each time. They pushed him back a bit so his step faltered.
"Now you decide to be a proper servant?" One of them huffed. Merlin bristled at the insult.
"Always calling him by his first name, no sign of respect. He doesn't even do anything to put you in your place!" Another said, an undertone of jealousy.
"You even insult him! It's rude, and a peasant like you should be taught proper respect. We work all day to train so we can fight beside the Prince one day, to honor him and show our loyalty, and you come along and just steal him away. He doesn't talk to us like he does to you."
"He treats you like a friend, he treats us like dirt." The first voice said.
"You're training! There's nothing I can do, he wants you to be tough and earn his respect." Merlin snapped.
"You don't deserve to be his friend, a mere peasant!"
Arthur was about to make his presence known when a more familiar voice sounded through the halls.
"Merlin, there you are." Gwaine said, glaring at three newest knights. Merlin breathed a sign of relief.
"I was just going to get Arthur his dinner, Gwaine, but these knights wished to speak with me. What can I do for you?" Merlin asked as Gwaine glared at the three knights in distaste.
"Leave, I would like to speak to the Prince's manservant alone." And just like that, the three knights left, not wanting to anger a knight held in highregards by the prince.
"Of course, sir Gwaine." The three said before taking their leave. Arthur nearly growled at them, thinking about what he should do to them for revenge.
"Are they still bullying you?" Gwaine said, his voice soft. Arthur snapped his attention back to them. Still? How long had this gone on?
"It's alright, it's not as bad as it was at first. It's not our fault they aren't following the rules." Merlin mumbled. Arthur nodded in agreement.
Him, Merlin, and the knights they trusted most that knew of their relationship had made a set of rules regarding Merlin for the new recruits. They all listened, but apparently these three were ignoring them.
"Come, get Arthur his dinner. I'll walk with you so they don't come back." Gwaine said, clasping Merlin's shoulder before dropping his hand.
Arthur all but fled back to his chambers, seething. So those knights were bullying Merlin and making him doubt their relationship. That's why Merlin needed his reassurance.
Arthur was glaring at the window when Merlin came back, carrying a tray of food.
"Hey, what's up?" Merlin asked, frowning slightly as he set the food on the table.
"Thinking." Arthur said.
"Sure that's a good idea? That could be hazardous to your health, you know." Merlin grinned.
"Why didn't you tell me those knights were messing with you?" Arthur asked instead, looking at Merlin. Merlin's bottom lip jutted out but he didn't let any other sign show that he was bothered.
"I didn't want to be a bother." Merlin mumbled, his ears red. "They're knights, they're supposed to be honored." He shrugged. "I don't want you to be mad at them just because they like to pick a bit of fun."
Arthur cornered Merlin against a wall and held his arms tightly, his eyes blazing in anger.
"What they say isn't true, Merlin. You know I love you, and I don't care how we act in public because in everybody's eyes, we're the best of friends. We're lovers. Practically betrothed because I don't want to lose you. We'll become known once I'm king. We'll get courted, Merlin, if you truly want to. I can chose an heir, we can adopt of select a child from a noble family. Someone we trust. But if you were taught your place, as they put it, you wouldn't be you okay? So don't listen to them. You're not a bother to me, ever. Not even when I'm trying to work and you insist on talking or something. Those men will not earn the right to knight hood because bullying," Arthur's angry voice hitched a bit at this word and he took a deep breath. "Bullying is not part of the honor code. They have lost their chances. They disobeyed the rules."
Merlin's eyes were wide as Arthur ranted. He seemed to have trouble to breathe.
"It's alright Arthur, really. Calm down." Merlin said, his soft voice like a whisper compared to Arthur's sharp, angry one. Arthur looked into his blue eyes, eyes that he loved so much.
"How can they be mean to you though? How can anybody turn you away? You're never rude to anybody but me, but don't they know it's not the truth?" Arthur sighed, all fight leaving him.
Merlin smiled and pulled his arms free from the Prince's grasp. He tangled one hand in Arthur's hair, the other resting on his waist.
"Arthur, I love you. I know you love me, you prove it time and time again. That's why they're not pleasant, because I am the one that holds your affection and not anybody else." Merlin sighed, playing with the blonde hair underneath his finger tips. "Did you really mean we can get courted?"
Arthur blushed but nodded.
"Of course I do. That's not how I meant to ask but, yeah." He shrugged. Merlin laughed.
"That's why I love you, you prat. You'll be terribly angry and spit out something you're always afraid to bring up around me. It's nice knowing you tell me what's on your mind and how you feel, especially since you never do it with anybody else." Merlin grinned, kissing him softly.
Arthur kissed back happily, knowing Merlin wasn't taking the three men's words to heart.
He'd dishonor the men come morning. At the moment, he had something much more important demanding his immediate attention.