A/N: HEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY NEW YEAR, AND HAPPY HANUKKAH! (I think Hanukkah is over) And if you don't celebrate any of those... I want you to have a really nice rest of the month!

PLEASE READ: This story is dedicated to the all wonderful and God fearing Samsquatch67! She's awesome and I love her so much and she's such a good friend to me! MERRY CHRISTMAS MY DEAR FRIEND! And I know this present can not compare to the one God gave when he came into this world, but it's here to let you know that I love you so much! And also, this is my first Merlin Fanfic, so I hope it's okay. I want to get into the swing of things...

Disclaimer: Not mine, I wish. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO MY WONDERFUL FRIEND BLACKSHAFTEDARROW WHO BETA READ THIS!

A Christmas In Camelot

The storm outside raged violently from where they were, wind and snow battering against the small incline of the cave. The blizzard was thick, very thick. One of the biggest he'd ever seen in his life. It wasn't unusual to see such weather in Camelot, for they had a lot of blizzards alike to this one in the past. The only difference was that the size of this one was mind boggling. It was bigger than any other that had been recorded. Families would definitely lose crop and produce, and probably live stock. It was so bad, that when the two friends had seen it coming, they had to seek shelter immediately. The two young men had been on a simple hunting trip when the weather began to turn. They had found a small, rocky hill with a cave on the side. Seeing their salvation from this danger, they had run right into it. It ended up being incredibly small, and thankfully, abandoned. Even though it wasn't the best type of shelter in the world, it was all they had. And in their shoes, they couldn't be picky.

Icy, cold water dripped from the black colored stalactites that hung from the ceiling, the liquid coming down undrinkable and murky. It made the floor damp, and even though they had tried to clear it up as best they could, the water only worsened their chances of starting a fire. The interior of the cave was also cramped, making it hard to find a comfortable spot. Especially one without a puddle, or something anonymously slimy. Not to mention, it was freezing.

Outside the small cave mouth, nothing could be seen. Nothing except a vast cloud of white that seemed to linger. To never cease. The wind from the massive storm roared like dull thunder in their ears, but otherwise, everything was quiet.

In the middle of the small cave, out of the way of most of the cold, a figure sat hunched over a pile of dry wood. He busily struck two flint rocks together, repeating the motion over and over again as he tried wholeheartedly to get a fire started. After a few minutes of no success, he finally found the action useless. Whenever the sparks touched the wood, they only burned out. And no matter how hard he tried, it wouldn't light. He sighed audibly and looked around, exasperation in his posture. Suddenly his eyes flashed gold. Orange sparks spontaneously leapt onto the stack of timber, catching fire almost immediately. The young man grinned. It was amazing what a little magic could do in this circumstance.

After a moment of thought, the warlock looked around cautiously, making sure he wasn't noticed. Thankfully, it didn't look like he was. In a normal situation, he wouldn't have used his magic, on risk of it being discovered. But right now, if they didn't have, they'd all freeze to death. That would be bad. So, shivering, the young warlock carefully placed a small log on top of the easily growing flames, watching as if to make sure it wouldn't burn out. There was little chance of that happening though, so he turned his glance to the outside, blue eyes looking carefully to the vast sheet of white.

"They'll be feasting now," Merlin commented wistfully, sighing as he rubbed his hands together for warmth. He would know. Time and time again he had seen the feast play out. For the years since he first stayed in Camelot, he had helped set up for the Christmas Eve Feast. And even though most of the day was spent running around for Arthur, cleaning, and running errands for Gaius, it was still one of his favorite days of the year. But now it looked as if they would never see it. They were stuck in a lonely, damp cave, waiting for the storm to pass. And they weren't even sure they'd make it home for Christmas Day. It was a depressing thought. Across the room, Arthur looked up, confused. He hadn't really been listening. His eyes noted the fire that hadn't been there moments ago, and his pale eyebrows rose in surprise. However, he made no comment.

"They'll be dancing and singing, eating. Uther will give a speech. They'll be drinking. Gwen will be there." The servant continued, the images of last year's party flashing before his eyes. Arthur sighed heavily.

"Merlin, I know what they'll be doing. I've gone to the feast before," The prince said in a depressed tone, wrapping himself firmly in his cloak. Merlin frowned at that, cocking his head to one side. Arthur sounded depressed. Odd. He'd been fine a minute ago. Abruptly, the servant looked over his shoulder, as if to make sure this wasn't a joke. It wasn't, apparently. In a dark corner of the cave, the prince sat with his knees to his chest, head rested on his right hand. He was making eye contact with the wet floor. The warlock bit his lip in sympathy and frowned.

"Well, I'm sure we will get there for the feast tomorrow. Not all storms last weeks," Merlin said comfortingly, watching his friend closely. But at his words, Arthur still didn't say anything, only continuing to stare at his feet. Merlin's brow furrowed in thought and he unconsciously moved closer to the fire. What could be making Arthur so depressed? So sad? He shifted on the damp floor and this time faced the fire, speculating the many reasons that crowded his mind. Could it be Guinevere? He knew his prince had feelings for her, but he hadn't realized they were so intense, if indeed they were.

"Is this about Guinevere?" Arthur scoffed disbelievingly, looking up at the ceiling in exasperation. The prince's eyes then landed on his servant.

"No," he said truthfully, resting both his arms on his knees, numb fingers pulling the red cape further up his shoulders. "I just... can't believe I'm missing the feast." The underlying meaning in the man's words were unclear and Merlin frowned, raising a dark eyebrow in thought. He said nothing for a moment, heaving a contemplative sigh. He wasn't entirely sure that he understood what Arthur was trying to say. His prince never felt this way about feasts. In fact, he usually intended to avoid them. A lot.

"It's just a feast, right?" Merlin asked cautiously. He didn't want to step on a pushpin, and he wasn't sure why the blonde warrior was feeling this way. Sure, he himself liked feasts and would be genuinely sad that he had to miss one. But Arthur? Across the room, Arthur seemed to glare at him, then the look faded, replaced with a frown.

"It's no that."

"Then what is it?" The warlock had now turned away from the blazing source of heat to face The Once And Future King. His blue eyes were concerned, yet curious, holding an underlying wisdom. Arthur took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"It's just that, tonight was one of the only nights that I get to spend with my father. Five whole uninterrupted hours with him and Morgana." He explained sadly, a frown fitting his face. "It's a tradition that we started when we were just children. After dinner we get to spend the rest of the night together, and no one's allowed to interrupt. We can just enjoy each others company... have a laugh." Arthur slowly trailed off, images of years past coming to the forefront of his mind. But after a moment, he realized how stupid he must sound. Getting upset about something as simple as that? It must sound so childish. So the prince quickly waved the matter off, shaking his head dismissively.

"Never mind, I guess it's not that important. I don't even know what I was so upset about."

"I think it's important," Merlin objected, his voice carrying to the farthest edges of the cave, which really wasn't that far. Suddenly, an understanding smile came to the warlock's face, and he nodded. He just kept learning new things about Arthur, and a lot of them were most unexpected. Not unpleasant, but not something he thought Arthur would really open up about. Especially with him. The young man was extremely strict about keeping a cap on his emotions. Sometimes, it got a little annoying.

"Quality time with your family is very valuable," he continued, still smiling. Arthur had raised his head up in slight surprise. "It helps a family grow, lets them get to know each other better. When I was little, my mother used to take me on walks through the woods. We used to collect pinecones and decorate them. There's no shame in wanting to spend time with the ones you love. I mean, if you don't, you'll end up regretting that you never did." Arthur nodded in solemn, silent agreement with that, though he was a little surprised. He hadn't expected that from Merlin. The prince got to his feet and strode over to the fire, suddenly feeling less foolish. He didn't feel like he had to disagree, because he truly did think the same.

He found that it was odd. Odd how Merlin would act like a complete idiot all the time, thoroughly convincing you he wasn't wise or important, bright or strong. Or even clever. Yet somehow, despite all that, every once in a while, he'd come at you with these spurts of wisdom. Of understanding. It really seemed like he knew more than he let on, that he understood more than people knew. And it never ceased to amaze him.

A/N: WHAT DID YOU GUYS THINK? MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND HAVE AN AWESOME MONTH!