A/N: Well I'm back with more Merlin stuff. I was going through a case of writers block and decided to use a prompt to help me get writing again. The prompt for this was the word bow. This ended up becoming insanely random as things kept leading on to other things and it kept going. It was only meant to be a drabble lol.
Disclaimer: Merlin is property of the BBC. I don't own the characters; I just toy with them for my own amusement.
Beta read by Mel. Aka: Scribblechacha. You rock girl!
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The prince supposed it was to do with his manservant's disobedience that drove him to make his life a living hell. That would be the easiest explanation of course. The way he always spoke back instead of remaining silent like any sane person would do, the way he would always, somehow, manage to mess up even the most simplest of tasks. Arthur was sure he did that on purpose. He would even call him by his first name, in front of the servants, in front of his knights.
But most infuriating of all, Merlin just would not bow! He would give the occasional dip of the head, sometimes a little lower in the presence of his father. He had even done it sarcastically adding a joking insult about him being a 'prat'. Nevertheless, he knew that Merlin was loyal, more loyal that the knights he trained or the servants that waited on him hand and foot during meals. Merlin's loyalty seemed boundless and Arthur knew that Merlin would happily risk his life for him a hundred times over.
But he didn't want that.
He never wanted to see Merlin hurt if he could help it, he would protect him like he had sworn to protect his kingdom, and all the people he would one day rule over. Merlin just seemed different from all those nameless faces he would see scurrying around down below in the streets. He was far closer to Merlin, he knew him personally. Or so he thought. Merlin's eyes whispered secrets, age-old riddles that Arthur was determined to unravel. He would sometimes see his eyes flash gold. Just for a moment, but somehow he knew it wasn't a trick of the light.
In truth, Merlin intrigued him, more than anyone he had ever met and he was now almost desperate for answers. But every time something happened, something impossible, something… Magical. He thought he could finally get some much needed answers but Merlin just danced away from the subject with a plausible but some how still far-fetched explanation that left Arthur all the more frustrated.
One day Merlin will bow to him, and finally surrender all the answers Arthur had been waiting for. If only Arthur was a little more patient.