Merlin

In a land of myth and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young man. His name... Merlin.

"I can't believe it".

Arthur played with the remote control for the television, entirely sprawled face down on the couch in the living room. His blue eyes were fixing the screen, which was spreading a very charming melody: the opening theme.

"I can't believe it!" he said again louder and then he pressed his face on the couch arm; his expression was nothing but upset and after few seconds he frowned at the the television. Some wrinkles showed up on his forehead. He stayed quiet for some other long, glorious minute then the show started and he made the tongue crack on his palate.

"Merlin!" he called with a little bit of resentment in his voice. Arthur waited in silence for an answer, but he got nothing in return.

"MERLIN!" he yelled louder, clearly irritated.

"What?!" said a voice from the other side of the house. Was he wrong or did he indeed hear a snort coming after the answer? Arthur raised on his elbows, even though his eyes kept to watch that... that... that insult.

"Come here!" he said despotically.

"I'm busy!" answered the warlock, almost ignoring him. "If you need something then you're the one who has to come here!"

Arthur menacingly narrowed his eyes, even though Merlin couldn't see him.

"No!" he said with a stubborn tone: it was quickly becoming a matter of principle. Who was the King between the two of them?! "You must come! Now!"

His Highness could almost hear Merlin's eyes rolling to the ceiling; what he clearly heard instead, was the sequence of insults the warlock grumbled at him.

"What?" asked the dark-haired boy, not hiding a little bit of exasperation. He knew very well the tone of voice Arthur used to call him: it all had to be about something really stupid. He placed the hands on his skinny hips and frowned at Arthur.

Arthur quickly looked at him then he pointed the remote control at the flat screen TV. Merlin was intrigued by his irritation and he finally took a look: he saw a young black-haired boy with a pair of huge and remarkable ears and an evident, big problem with combs. He just stood in front of the television and... did nothing.

"So?" he asked, since he really had no idea about what was going on. Arthur snorted impatiently.

"They filmed a TV series about Camelot!" he shouted out and that had to be surely enough to explain the gravity of the situation.

"Uh" was Merlin's monochrome answer. "That guy is supposed to be me?". He gazed at the actor's face for a while, then he reached a successful conclusion: he didn't mind to be played by someone who had such a sly look. Perhaps he was just a little too skinny. Just a little bit.

"Do you know what they called the show?" asked the King ignoring his question and Merlin noticed a sort of rigidity in his shoulders.

"Nope, but I guess you're going to tell me".

"Merlin!" spat out Arthur immediately, his eyes wide open and his voice full of indignation.

"What?" the warlock raised his eyebrows, "I'm already here! Just tell me what you want!"

"No!" groaned the King, wagging his arms through the air. "Merlin! That's the name of the show!"

"Oh".

"Oh?" Arthur raised his eyebrows and they almost reached the hairline. "Oh?! What the hell!" he yelled before he stood up on the couch. He started to wag his arms again, in the grip of frustration. "I AM the King of Camelot! I AM the one who fought countless battles! I AM the one who led my Reign through years of peace and prosperity! I AM the one who stipulated contracts with other lands and presided at diplomatic meetings! I AM the one who has been cruelly murdered by a sword in the stomach and -THANK YOU by the way, Mordred the slothful!"

Arthur's face became entirely red.

"Umh... maybe you should calm down, let's try to avoid an heart attack okay?"

"I AM the one who repeatedly endangered his life for the good of my people! I AM the one who bravely bore your very bad services as valet! And they decide for MERLIN as title of the show?!"

Merlin narrowed his eyes and he was like: excuse me? I was the best servant of all time. You wouldn't have been able to have anyone better than me, you... prat!

"Unacceptable! Unforgivable!" Arthur kept on barking while marching back and forth on the couch. Suddenly on the flat screen TV appeared a blonde-haired boy who looked like a braggart. Merlin laughed.

"Ah, he must be you!" he exclaimed immediately, thinking the staff made a very good choice with him: the actor really spread egocentricity out of each pore, just like his King did. Arthur stopped his march e stared at the TV, studying every his alter ego's detail; then, he sharply held his breath.

"Mpf, I'm really much better than him" he grumbled with resentment and quickly looked at Merlin in a hesitant way. The warlock looked back at him, a derisory smile on his lips; the King's face turned red again.

"Merlin" he whispered menacingly, giving the name that particular intonation.

"Of course you're really much better" answered the one who was his servant in another life,so long time ago!, pleased him with tenderness. Hearing those words, Arthur started again to complain and to puff like a locomotive.

"I demand to speak with someone responsible for the production of this mess! Why the hell the main character should be you?! To be killed hasn't been enough? Now, I can't even have the leading role in the story of my OWN life! This is an insult! This is outrageous! In addition, they had the the nerve to choose a fake blonde like him to play me!"

"He doesn't seem to be that fake, you know..."

"Idiocy!"

Arthur slid on the couch again and crossed one's arms with a gloomy face. Merlin patiently sighed, then he sat on the couch arm next to him. For a while they watched the TV in silence, but the warlock knew very well the prat his man was, so he felt the duty to say something (even though he knew sooner or later with the passage of time, Arthur would have forgot the insult by himself).

"Well" he exclaimed after a while, checking carefully his own words, "They have finally realized to who belongs the credit, if you managed to live long enough to lead the battle of Camlann".
Arthur kept staring at the TV, but he stopped breathing.

"Merlin?" he whispered, very softly. The other one tightened the lips.

"Do I have to shut up?"

"Good, Merlin. Shut up".

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Ladies and gentlemen... I'm sorry. I really am! This is the first time I try to write in English (clearly this is not my native language), so I am REALLY sorry for all the mistakes you will surely find here and there. Any suggestions? The only thing I ask is: please, help me to correct those mistakes. Even a little, short comment would help! Hope you enjoyed this stuff as much as I did (probably I still do more than you because in my head it is not in English lol :D).

Thanks for reading. Lots of love. 3