"Merlin!" Merlin hears Arthur yell practically across the whole castle. His king has quite the voice he must admit. Groaning from his seat, the first chance he got to sit down after the most hectic week, and walks over to the door. On his way to Arthur's chambers he bumps into the very man causing the yelling.
"Arthur!" Merlin squeaks out.
"That's sire. Where have you been?!" Arthur asks. He makes it sound like Merlin was gone all day.
"I was helping Gaius with something." Merlin says.
Arthur grabs the back of Merlin's shirt and practically drags him to the king's chambers.
"That was unnecessary don't you think?" Merlin grumbles.
"You looked like you would take ages to get to my chambers. Now, chores?" Arthur looks at him, his hands at his side. Merlin rolls his eyes which earns him a smirk.
Taking a deep breath he goes to stoke the fire and prepare the armour. He had hoped to get all this done later using magic, when Arthur was gone with his knights but it didn't look like luck was on his side.
"You know you could do it with more of a smile on your face. It's an honour to be a manservant to the king." Arthur says with his chin held high.
Merlin huffs out.
"Right. Honour. Remind me, how exactly is it an honour running around a pompous prat like yourself?" Merlin asks rhetorically but with a smile.
The day goes by slower than Merlin would wish but he knows he has a nice evening coming up so he manages to get through the lump of chores Arthur puts on him. He's supposed to meet Lynna, a scullery maid, later on. They had met a couple nights ago and had pleasant conversation. There was something pleasant about her, she wasn't shy and her humour was one of the best he's heard. He definitely couldn't complain about her looks either.
When Merlin has finally left his king's chambers for the last time that evening he hurries down to the kitchens where he's meeting Lynna. The two of them walk towards the lower town and talk. It's nice to be able to just talk. He doesn't talk about his magic of course, he isn't an idiot, despite what Arthur might say, but he can still be more of himself. When they are hidden in a dark corner Lynna kisses him and he doesn't complain. Why would he? Her lips are soft and sweet, and it takes Merlin away from all his troubles.
There's a movement nearby but by the time Merlin looks out from their dark corner there's nothing there.
"Probably just the wind." Lynna says and they continue kissing.
The next morning Merlin walks into Arthur's chambers with a smile on his face.
"Rise and shine, greatest lord of all." Merlin says skipping towards the drapes.
Merlin hears a groan from the bed and smiles. This was probably the best part of the day.
"Come on, up, up, up!" Merlin says and slides the sheets off of Arthur.
"Merlin!" Arthur grabs the sheets and because he's strong he wins.
"You've got a long day ahead of you sire."
"I know." Arthur grumbles.
Merlin leaves to get the breakfast and by the time he's back the king is sitting in his chair. If one could call it sitting. Merlin's pretty sure the king still thinks he's in bed.
"Did you call me the greatest lord of all?" Arthur smirks.
"Maybe?" Merlin smiles and pours the king some ale.
Merlin looks out the window and sees Lynna walking across the courtyard.
"You're going to hurt your face if you keep smiling like that." Arthur says and walks towards the window to look out. He frowns and walks back to the table.
"I have your chores for you today."
"Of course you do sire." Merlin sighs.
"Polish my armour, fix any dents in it, this includes the sword, deliver this letter to sir Aryon, fix my boots there are holes in them, wash all my clothes, wash all my sheets and pillows, clean out the fireplace, clean the table, you'll be helping me out on the practice field today, and have a bath drawn for me later on." Arthur says and by the end Merlin's eyes are wide.
For a moment Merlin thinks Arthur is joking but he doesn't smile, so he realizes he isn't joking.
"Anything else sire?" Merlin asks sarcastically.
"Oh, yes, I forgot, muck out the stables. Oh and I want you serving me during the council meeting today."
"Are you serious? There aren't enough hours in the day to manage all this!" Merlin says incredulously.
"Well then you better get started." Arthur says.
By the end of the day Merlin falls on top of his bed and falls asleep before he even has the chance to change or take off his shoes.
Unfortunately the next day doesn't get much easier in terms of chores and Gaius isn't helping. He asked him to practically do his work because he had urgent matters to deal with. And as usual there was a magical threat that Merlin had to stop.
The week passes and everyday chores seem to pile up more and more.
"Come on Merlin, I don't have all day!" Arthur yells at Merlin's door.
"I'm coming!" Merlin yells back and the two of them make their way to the practice field.
"Here." Arthur shoves wood in Merlin's direction.
"You're giving me a stick?" Merlin asks and Arthur sighs in annoyance.
"It's your sword for today."
"A sword? How on earth am I supposed to fight you, Arthur Pendragon, with a twig?"
"Well I'm not expecting you to win. This is just preparation for the inevitable." Arthur says and grabs his sword.
"The inevitable?"
"You'll get captured because you'll trip over your own two feet like the idiot you are and I'll have to go and rescue you." Arthur says.
"So this is you being helpful? You know I can take care of myself. Besides, you're the one that needs the constant saving." Merlin says.
"Me? Saving? When have I ever needed saving Merlin?" Arthur laughs.
Arthur initiates their fight and Merlin keeps himself on the defensive because one doesn't just fight Arthur Pendragon, not with swords anyway, and definitely not with wooden ones.
The crowd around them grows.
"Here, I'll even put my hand behind my back." Arthur says.
A couple more minutes and Merlin is pretty sure he won't have anymore breaths left in him anymore.
"How do you expect to win if you can't get me with my hand at the back? Fine, I'll use a wooden sword too. And a broken one." Arthur says and picks one up.
"I'm not expecting to win." Merlin says.
"Well I suppose not. You're just a servant but you could at least try."
Whilst Arthur with a wooden sword rather than a real one, particularly the magical Excalibur, does make him feel safer he still doesn't appreciate any of this. He definitely doesn't appreciate Arthur's reference to Merlin's station.
Merlin wishes there was a way to imbue his wooden sword with some magic, some winning magic but Arthur and everyone wouldn't miss the gold in his eyes.
"I'll even put on a blindfold." Arthur says and puts one on.
Merlin isn't stupid enough to think that he can win against Arthur with a blindfold on but he can't give up. He would never hear the end of it. He does briefly wonder what would happen if he did win. He isn't sure if Arthur's pride and sense of duty could handle it.
Arthur's sword touches Merlin's rib. That would have been completely fine if it hadn't been the one Merlin had broken a month ago trying to prevent a dark magical creature from destroying Camelot. Of course Arthur doesn't know of this.
Merlin falls to the ground holding his right side and dropping the sword.
"You can't just drop the sword. A knight keeps on fighting."
"First of all, I just did. Second of all, I'm not a knight." Merlin grumbles and grits his teeth against the pain.
Arthur takes of his blindfold.
"Come on, get up, stop being such a baby. I barely touched you! And it's a wooden sword, not a real one. Weren't you telling me the other day that you can take care of yourself? And I'm pretty sure that the first day we met you said something along the lines of being able to beat me in a heartbeat. Well—" Arthur says and Merlin tightens his jaw. Getting up from the ground he leaves Arthur on the field and walks to his room.
As soon as he gets there he lifts his shirt up and hisses at the pain and the bruising on his skin. He desperately hopes that Arthur won't come after him because then he would ask too many questions that Merlin can't answer.
Of course, there's only so much that he can avoid the king. After an hour and a bandage on his torso he walks into Arthur's chambers slowly in fear of more pain from the rib.
"You know most men would have taken it as an honour to spar with the king. But you had to be a girl about it didn't you. I need you to draw a bath for me. And you still haven't finished most of your chores, so you should get on that." Arthur says and it stings. It really does.
Merlin stokes the fire and contemplates how to draw a bath when he's sure he can't even carry anything at the moment.
"Also I expect an apology for your display of disrespect towards your king on the field. It's one thing in here or in the forest, it's quite another in front of everyone." Arthur says and something in Merlin snaps. He's sure that whatever happens now he will regret, but then again he was never one for thinking before doing.
"Yes of course sire. I will write a formal apology and say it in front of the whole crowd. About what a terrible servant I am. Is the bath everything or did you want anything else while I'm downstairs?" Merlin says sarcastically and underneath he's fuming.
Arthur comes out from behind the screen with an eyebrow raised.
"Oh no, of course, I have more chores in here. You know what? Why don't I do them right now."
"You can do them after you've drawn my bath." Arthur replies.
"Oh no, don't worry, sire, it will only take a moment. I know, I know, I'm a useless servant. Did you need help undressing sire? Here let me help you with that." Merlin says and magics Arthur's armour off.
"Oh, let me polish the armour for you." Merlin says and lets the armour hang in the air being polished.
"Oh no, look at the state of this room." Merlin says and with a blink of an eye the room is ordered.
"And finally your bath." Merlin blinks and there, in front of them, a bath appears. He just takes step forward to heat the bath up.
Arthur stands there frozen and wide-eyed.
"If that is all sire, I will be off to my quarters. You see I also have to eat and have a bath. Of course, if you'd like me to clean the stables for your entertainment do let me know. I am here to do your bidding. I seem to be on some kind of a roll here, I wonder why that is. Oh yes! I remember! It's because I'm fed up with your bloody nonsense!" Merlin yells, turns around and slams the door, stomping towards his room. He knows he shouldn't be stomping because it's only aggravating his wound but he can't help it.
It's only when he gets to his room and cooled down that he realizes what he has done. He used magic in front of Arthur.
Looking out of his door to see if Gaius is there, when he's sure he isn't he closes himself in his room, and cries. He doesn't care if Arthur would think him a girl for doing that because he knows that he's done. Whatever way Arthur reacts their tentative friendship is over and it's like a death in Merlin's heart. He shouldn't have been so stupid. So petty. He just wanted Arthur to see that he isn't a nobody.
He raises his shirt to check on his wound when there's a knock on his door.
"Go away Gaius." Merlin sniffles and wipes away the tears just in case Gaius does decide to be nosy.
The door opens and there stands Arthur.
"Sire!" Merlin says in surprise. A wave of anxiety passes through him and he stands up, grimacing at the pain in his ribs, and is immediately ready to flee or beg or anything that Arthur wants him to do.
"Merlin! You're crying!" Arthur says with concern in his tone. Merlin realizes that he had started crying again so he tries to push the tears away. Arthur takes a step towards him.
"I'm sorry Arthur! I hadn't meant to do all that in front of you! I was just…I was just…"
"You were just…?"
"I was just…frustrated. Please forgive me Arthur, sire, please. I swear I mean no harm to the kingdom." Merlin says.
"Oh I know that. You wouldn't harm a fly if you wanted to…Why didn't you tell me?" Arthur asks.
Small relief passes through Merlin.
"Why do you think Arthur. This is Camelot and you're the king." Merlin says quietly.
"I would protect you no matter what. You have to know that!" Arthur says.
Merlin wishes he could say yes.
"Do I? You brought me onto the field today so that you could fight me and show how superior you are." Merlin says.
"What? No! I brought you there so that I could teach you how to protect yourself…from getting hurt…" Arthur looks down.
"I can protect myself." Merlin says.
"So you keep saying but if you can't even wield a sword how do you expect to survive?"
Merlin smiles and puts an invisible protective shield around himself.
"Hit me." Merlin says.
"What?"
"Do it."
"Ordering a king around again?"
"Just do it." Merlin sighs and so Arthur goes to hit him but as soon as his hand touches the shield it bounces off.
"What…what was that? How…?" Arthur starts.
"I told you, I can protect myself."
"Using magic." Arthur says and Merlin looks down.
Arthur reaches in and lifts Merlin's chin up.
"You don't have to be afraid of me. I would never, ever hurt you. I shouldn't have…acted the way I did. I was just angry at you that's all." Arthur says gently.
"Angry? Why? What did I do?" Merlin asks. He tries to think back to anything that he might have said or done that could have spurred Arthur's prattish side but he came up empty.
"It doesn't matter." Arthur waves it away.
"It does Arthur. If there's something that I said or did I want to apologize and never do it again so that we can avoid having all this happen again. Tell me." Merlin says.
"It's stupid." Arthur says quietly. It's a side of Arthur Merlin doesn't see very often.
"Arthur." Merlin looks at Arthur, caressing his cheek.
"I, um, saw you with this maid and I just…it's just…nevermind…I…" Arthur says and Merlin frowns.
"Oh…oh…wait were you in love with her? Sire, if I had known I—" Merlin begins but is cut off by Arthur.
"No, I am not in love with her." Arthur says, emphasizing the last word.
It takes Merlin a moment but then it dawns on him. Arthur seems to realize that Merlin figured it out and decides to intervene before this can all go south.
"Maybe I should go."
"Wait." Merlin reaches out and places a hand on Arthur's cheek and then his other hand. Slowly he leans in to his lips. Arthur melts into him. Arthur then proceeds to bring Merlin as close to him as possible, grabbing him by the hips and shoulders. Merlin winces and groans as his rib makes itself known.
"Did I really hit you that hard today?" Arthur asks.
"No…I broke my rib a while back but it hasn't fully healed yet so when you hit me there it aggravated it…it's fine." Merlin says and reaches back to kiss Arthur again but Arthur stops him.
"I don't remember you sustaining such an injury." Arthur says.
"…there are a lot of injuries that you don't know about…" Merlin says and Arthur raises his eyebrow.
"Merlin, why don't I know about these injuries and where on earth did you get them?" Arthur asks.
"Let's just say there are a lot of magical people who want revenge on Camelot and I've taken it upon myself to make sure they don't hurt you or Camelot. Sometimes that ends with broken ribs or blood. But it heals, it's fine." Merlin adds the last bit when he sees Arthur's bewildered expression.
"That is not your job Merlin!" Arthur exclaims.
"Yes, yes it is. In fact, it is my destiny. A destiny I am willing to die for. Now, can we please get back to the kissing? I was really enjoying that part." Merlin says.
"Were you now?" Arthur smirks and gently takes Merlin's lips to his own.