Disclaimer:Merlin does not belong to me. I make no profit from this. Merlin created by Julian Jones, Julian Murphy, Johnny Capps, and Jake Michie.

Author's Note: Merlin plotbunnies have begun attacking. I had no choice.

"Are you sure you can't find someone else to perform the knighting ceremony? He's not going to get up."

"Merlin, knights are to serve the king. They are the king's men. Only the king can do the ceremony."

"Yes, I know, but can't you have some sort of proxy king or something?"

"Merlin, we don't have a proxy king. There is no such thing as a proxy king."

"Well, can you do it?"

"MERLIN..."

Merlin sighed. Today was going to be a bad day. It had been one week since King Arthur had been forced to banish Guinevere. Nobody had necessarily expected him to face each day with a smile (Gwaine had suggested a large tankard of mead), but they did expect him to actually be king.

It is, therefore, rather unpleasant for them to find Arthur still in bed, well into the afternoon, and refusing to get up for a knighting ceremony.

"Have you called Gaius?"

"How do you he hasn't poisoned?"

"Percival, I don't think Arthur's been eating enough to be poisoned."

"Maybe that's the problem! Perhaps he's malnourished."

"Leon, are you sure you can't-"

"For the last time, Merlin, I am not king."

Merlin, Sir Leon, Percival, and Gwaine stood near the door to Arthur's bedchamber, utterly confused.

"Maybe he's dead? Have you checked to make sure he's not dead?"

"Oh, he's alive alright. He threw a candle holder at me when I attempted to move him."

"Could it be that he's been enchanted?"

"This is ridiculous. I'm going in there. He is the king and he has responsibilities."

"Leon-"

"Merlin, do not stop me."

Sir Leon turned and looked as though he were about to kick the door down. Instead, he very gently pushed it open. As he made his way inside, he cleared his throat.

"Sire, I know that you may not be feeling well, but you do need to attend to your duties. There is knighting ceremony, and if you do not make your way to the courtyard immediately, it shall have to be postponed. We rather would like to avoid this, so if you could just-"

"No need, Sir Leon."

Leon jumped at the sound. It was Arthur.

"Bring Merlin in. And do it quickly, will you?"

Leon was baffled. He opened and closed his mouth multiple times before deciding to just do what Arthur had said.

And that was how the day went. Merlin dressed Arthur, the ceremony went on as planned, and Arthur, for the first time in a week, didn't excuse himself to go cry in his chambers.

This time, he did it as he slept.