Sadly I don't own Merlin. It belongs to the BBC.
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
Arthur and Morgana were walking back from the training ground with Gwen and Merlin walking not far behind them. As they all entered the castle the King came walking up to them. "Morgana? You don't normally watch Arthur train."
"No I don't, but I didn't have a very good night last night and I wanted some fresh air. So I suggested that me and Gwen take a walk to watch Arthur train, soon as Gwen realised that Merlin would be there she jumped at the chance to see him. They really are adorable together, don't you think?"
Uther looked around Arthur and Morgana to see Merlin and Gwen stood there with their arms around each other, which they did when they saw Uther approach.
"Have you seen Gaius for some potion?" he said turning back to her.
"I will do later, I just wanted some fresh air first," Morgana turned to face Merlin and Gwen. "Actually Gwen, I will not need you until my bath later on tonight, so you're free to have the rest of the afternoon off until then." She turned to Arthur. "Arthur all you're doing this afternoon is your paperwork, and I know you will not want Merlin under your feet so why don't you give him the afternoon off?"
Arthur wanted to ask what Morgana thought she was playing at and to tell her to not be ridiculous and that the only person Gwen should be spending time with when she was off was him, but he had to keep face with his father stood there. Trying to give Merlin a look so his father wouldn't see he just muttered. "Fine, just be back in my chambers in time to bring me my supper."
Merlin bowed his head. "Thank you sire. Come on Guinevere." Merlin bowed his head once more to Arthur, Uther and Morgana whilst Gwen curtsied before they walked away, arms still wrapped around each other, laughing.
Guinevere? Guinevere? Only I can call her Guinevere Arthur thought watching them walk away.
"Arthur make sure that those papers are sorted. I will be needing them first thing."
"Yes father." Uther walked away, as soon as he was out of earshot Arthur whirled around to face Morgana but she spoke before he had a chance to. "Your face when he called her 'Guinevere' and you had no choice but to give him the rest of the afternoon off because Uther was watching. And them walking off together arm in arm. Aw."
"Morgana this isn't funny."
"No it isn't. It's hilarious."
"Morgana."
"And don't you dare take this out on Merlin, he was just as surprised as you was, this was all me, you take it out on him, you deal with me. Enjoy the rest of your day. I know I will. Bye Arthur." she smiled as she walked away. "You can un-clench your fists now Arthur, your knuckles are starting to turn white." she called back.
In the evening Merlin entered Arthur's chambers with his supper and put it on the table in front of Arthur. "Thank you Merlin." Merlin frowned. "Thank you? Aren't you mad with me because of this morning?"
"I was at the time, but then Morgana told me that it was all her doing and your face showed that you were just as surprised as me."
"I was."
"You didn't have to call her Guinevere though."
"Why not? That is her name."
"Merlin, since I have known you, you have always called her 'Gwen'. I think that even though you were surprised at first, you caught on to what she was doing and played along. Didn't you?"
Merlin nodded. "I'm sorry."
"This is where I would normally say 'you soon will be,' but Morgana warned me this morning that if I start on you, then she will start on me. And I've grown up with the woman; I know how bad she can get once she starts. Word of warning Merlin, never, and I mean never piss her off."
"Are you scared of her Arthur?"
"No, just cautious."
"Does that mean that in the future, if I ever need or want something and you say 'no' I could just threaten you with Morgana?"
"No it does not."
"I have actually come to ask something of you. I wondered if I could have tomorrow off?"
"What for?"
"To spend the day with Gwen." Arthur stopped eating and started to rise from his chair. "Kidding." Merlin said raising his hands up so far. "It's so I can help Gaius. Normally when I'm not doing stuff for you I'm helping Gaius, but lately, instead of helping Gaius I've been spending time with Morgana, and his work has just piled up. I've already found another servant for you for tomorrow, I know you have to be up before dawn to do the early morning patrol with your father, and he is always up at least a couple of hours before dawn anyway."
"Fine."
"Thank you Arthur. Is there anything I can get you?"
"No, you may go. I'll expect you back at work the day after tomorrow."
"Thanks again Arthur." Merlin grinned before leaving.
On his way back to his chambers Merlin bumped into Gwen. "Merlin, Morgana says she wants to see you before you retire to your chambers."
"Right. Where are you off to?"
"Home. And before you say anything, Arthur has had it sorted so I have some proper drapes up at my windows, only problem is, they now look too rich for my home. Night Merlin."
"Night Gwen." changing directions he made his way to Morgana's chambers.
He knocked twice before entering. "Morgana? What's the matter?"
"Nothing, I bumped into Gaius and he said that you were going to ask Arthur if you could have tomorrow off to help him. Did you ask him?"
"I did. He said I could, I've already found him another servant for tomorrow."
"Care to spend the night here?"
"I don't know. I mean I want to, but I got caught last time, we need to be careful."
"Don't worry we will be up before dawn anyway because I've got a plan. Did Gwen tell you about it?"
"No, I'm assuming because Gwen is in on the plan, it's to do with Arthur?" Morgana walked up to Merlin and put her arms around his neck. "It is. The only down side is. I will not be there to see his face. Please say you're in on the plan?"
"I don't know what it is yet."
"Please?"
"I don't like it when you pull that face at me." Morgana smiled. "Why's that?"
"You know why." Merlin sighed. "Fine. I'm in." Morgana leaned forward and kissed him. "Thank you Merlin."
"Quick question though. Why are you keen to wind Arthur up all of a sudden?"
"Well you and Gwen have to pretend you're a couple, I'm fine with it, but Arthur's not, he said so last week, and you've got three more weeks until you have to 'break up' so why not have some fun. He knows nothing will come of it because Gwen's with him and you're with me, but why not take advantage of the situation, especially when it all happens in front of Uther so he can't do anything."
"But-"
"Arthur can't do anything to you because every time I tell him it was my idea, he can't have a go at Gwen because she's my maid, and he can't have a go at you because he knows you can't say no to me. Just like he can't say no to Gwen."
"So basically you just want to wind Arthur up whenever the opportunity arises until me and Gwen 'break up'?"
"Yes."
"And Arthur asks me how I could love you. Come on then, tell me what you want me to do."
Merlin stood outside Gwen's door and knocked before wrapping his arms around his self to keep warm whilst waiting for Gwen to open the door.
After a few minutes Gwen answered the door and stepped aside for Merlin to come in. "Merlin, you look terrible, have you been up all night?" she asked, noticing the bags under his eyes. "Yes I have, Morgana said that I have to look like I've been up all night, so she kept me up all night."
"I won't ask doing what. Do you want a drink?"
"Please. I'd say it's an hour before dawn, so Arthur should be getting up now, all we have to do is wait."
As the sun was starting to rise, Gwen poked her head out of her door and saw Arthur and his father coming out of the castle and making their way towards the stables.
"Merlin, wake up, they're coming." Merlin stood up and Gwen ruffled his hair up.
"What are you doing?"
"Messing your hair up, you've been up with me all night. Remember?" Merlin grinned and looked out of Gwen's window. "Ok, here they come."
"Remember Merlin, as far as you're aware you think that there is no-one out there."
"Right. See you later."
Merlin walked out of Gwen's house and practically bumped into Arthur. "Oh, sorry sire."
"Merlin? I gave you the day off to help Gaius."
"I know. And that's where I'm going now, he said he'd want me just after dawn, so I thought I'd better leave Gwen's house now." Merlin could see Arthur tense up. Uther looked at Merlin. "How are you supposed to help Gaius today? You look as though you've been up all night." Merlin looked at the King. "Not all night. I got about an hours sleep." Merlin bowed his head to Arthur and then to Uther. "Sire. My Lord." he said before walking away.
Uther looked at Arthur. "You definitely need to do something if your idiot manservant has managed to find himself a healthy love life and you haven't." he said before walking off towards the stables.
Arthur was about to follow when he heard a faint giggle. He looked at Gwen's door and just knew she had heard everything his father had just said. "You better not be laughing Guinevere."
"Sorry Arthur." came the reply followed by giggling. Arthur growled in frustration and walked off to catch up with his father.
Later that morning Morgana came walking down the castle steps and headed to Gwen's house due to the fact that she had seen Arthur returning from patrol and thought she'd have a bit of fun as she missed Arthur's expression earlier on, even though she had been told about it by Merlin and Gwen.
Making sure that she reached Gwen's house at the same time as Arthur and Uther she started to walk a little quicker.
Reaching the house, Morgana knocked on the door twice before entering. "Gwen?" but quickly walked out and shut the door behind her. "Oh."
Seeing this, Uther stopped in front of Morgana. "What's the matter Morgana? I've never seen you so red."
"I was looking for Gwen; I couldn't find her in the castle so I came here to look for her."
"And?" Uther asked.
"I wish I hadn't."
Just then, Merlin came out of Gwen's house with his hair all messy and looking a bit dishevelled. "I'm sorry My Lady."
"It's quite alright Merlin." Uther looked at Arthur. "See what I mean Arthur?" he said before walking away.
Arthur opened Gwen's door. "That's it. In. Now." Morgana and Merlin walked in and joined Gwen who was sat at the table. "Right then you three. This ends now."
"No it doesn't, it ends when me and Merlin 'break up' in a couple of weeks." Gwen pointed out.
"Guinevere, you're supposed to be on my side."
"Not all the time." she answered as Merlin and Morgana started to laugh. Arthur looked at Morgana "how did you manage to blush so easily?"
"Well Merlin spent last night with me and I had to keep him awake all night for the plan to work, so I just remembered what he did when-"
"Alright alright, I don't want to know. But you can't do this anymore."
"Do what?" asked Merlin
"Wind me up."
"But it's fun Arthur."
"It is for you Morgana, but father told me this morning that if an idiot like Merlin could have a healthy love life then so should I."
"Yeah?" Morgana questioned, not quite sure what Arthur was getting at.
"Don't you get it yet? If father thinks that I should have a love life sooner rather than later where does that leave Guinevere? Father has already had talks with me about marriage and I want to prolong that as much as I possibly can because I want nobody but Guinevere. And even though I know you are enjoying winding me up you don't like it because you are not spending much time with Merlin are you? Because every time Merlin is off he is with you Morgana."
Just then Gwen's door opened and someone stepped in. "I knew it." Arthur turned around whilst Merlin, Morgana and Gwen looked up to see the figure stood in the doorway.
Sorry to leave it in the air like that. Who has walked in?
Look out for 'hard to believe' which will follow on from this.
Review? x