AN: This is my 100th story on and I decided to do a series of one-shots based around the friendship shared by Arthur, Merlin and Gwen because I think their friendship is one of the best in the series and I wanted to explore various parts of it a bit further. These will range from canon to modern AUs and may include some Arwen as well as possible Mergana or Freylin depending on the situation. Enjoy.
"How are you feeling?" Gwen asked Merlin as she sat beside his bed, playing with the damp cloth she had used to mop his brow over the past few days. Merlin was still extremely pale but able to sit up and smile at his friend.
"Better but I still feel awful." Merlin rasped slightly, his throat still dry and he slowly sipped at some water that Gwen offered him.
"You had us all scared you know, Morgana allowed me to tend to you instead of her as long as I kept her informed." Gwen explained. Merlin nodded, he wouldn't have thought Lady Morgana would have been too worried about him and even though it wasn't much, it was nice to know the lady had some compassion for his plight.
"What about Arthur? I bet he's disappointed; probably had a new manservant all trained up when I woke." Merlin joked and Gwen shook her head.
"He's in the dungeons. Uther locked him up because Arthur defied his order not to risk his life to save you." Gwen replied and Merlin looked shocked. He wouldn't have thought Uther would have locked up Arthur for doing the right thing.
"Did Arthur know Uther would have done that?" Merlin asked.
"I think that's why he went." Gwen offered. "He obviously knew that doing what's right was more important than Uther's orders."
Merlin scoffed and leant back against his pillow. "Maybe, it's funny. You would almost think that Arthur considered me a friend for doing that."
"Maybe he does." Gwen offered and Merlin shook his head.
"No, I think it's more of a case of him not wanting to have someone new to throw things at all the time. Also how would my fans feel if they could never pelt me in the stocks again?" Merlin joked and the pair of them laughed at that comment. It was true that when Merlin was put into the stocks, he made the children who would pelt him with rotten fruit and vegetables laugh by pulling faces or making jokes or even laughing along with them. If there was such a thing as a popular person to have in the stocks, Merlin was it.
"Well I do always strive to ensure my people are happy."
Gwen quickly bowed her head and Merlin nodded at Arthur who walked into the room and stood at the foot of Merlin's bed. Merlin sat up and looked at Arthur who after a moment smiled at both of them and rested a hand on his shoulder.
"I just wanted to say thank you. If you hadn't have done that well…" Arthur trailed off and Merlin shrugged his shoulders.
"I should say the same to you. Wouldn't have thought you would have defied Uther like that." Merlin reasoned and Arthur shook his head.
"He's over it. Apparently it's proof that I can make my own decisions in times of crisis. As if I haven't proved that on a battlefield already." Arthur dismissed. It had only been an overnight stay in the dungeons, he had slept in worse places and it was worth it.
"When did you get out of the dungeons?" Gwen asked curiously.
"Not too long ago. I just wanted to see how Merlin was. I expect to see you at work tomorrow Merlin." Arthur commented and Merlin rolled his eyes.
"I almost died, you could at least give me the day off to regain my strength." Merlin suggested, Gwen nodded and after a moment Arthur smiled.
"I suppose I could allow you to have one day off." Arthur replied and Merlin gave a slightly rasping laugh and semi-raised his fist.
"Victory for the serving folk!" Merlin joked and both Arthur and Gwen laughed and Arthur turned to Gwen.
"I should thank you as well I think. You were the one who managed to get the flower to Gaius and you barely left Merlin's side since it happened." Arthur said as he walked over and squeezed Gwen's hand and Merlin patted her shoulder and smiled.
"He's right for once. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you either." Merlin said and Gwen lightly shook her head.
"You're my friend Merlin, if I could have I probably would have gone with Arthur too." Gwen replied; she had been secretly considering the idea of going either with Arthur or in his place. As a servant she wouldn't have been as easily missed as Arthur however she doubted whether she would have been able to found it so quickly or been able to get back in time.
"Well it's all over now," Merlin sighed as he leant back against his pillows, feeling the begins of the gentle allure of sleep reaching him. "You know, I've been thinking-"
"That's worrying." Arthur quipped and Merlin continued.
"The three of us, we make a good team. Gwen's compassion and common sense, Arthur's courage and brawn and my intellect," Merlin reasoned.
"Intellect? You drank from the chalice even though you knew it was poison." Arthur reminded in an incredulous tone, there was a clear difference between doing something smart and doing something stupid.
"Arthur's right, you could have just dropped the chalice or spilt it. You didn't have to drink it." Gwen offered, surely that would have been the sensible option. Merlin was silent before grinning at them.
"Genius can be misunderstood." Merlin commented before his expression grew serious. "I mean it though; the three of us would be a great team and I think if we were friends, nothing would ever ruin that."
There was a moment of silence as Gwen and Arthur thought about what Merlin had said. He did have a point, the three of them were completely different people yet at the same time there was something about the three of them that did make them think that if they were friends then there would be little to change that. The only problem was that the three of them were so different, the prince, the maid and the manservant/secret warlock; any sort of friendship between them really wasn't seen in Camelot. It was rare that nobility and peasantry mixed outside of an employment context but maybe their differences would be what made their friendship so strong.
"I think you might be right Merlin." Arthur said and Gwen nodded in agreement.
"We could at least try." Gwen reasoned, they had nothing to lose if they tried to be friends and if they were all friends, then they were friends.
"Don't see why not? Friends?" Merlin asked as he offered his hands to Arthur and Gwen to shake. Gwen and Arthur shook both his hands before shaking hands with each other.
"Friends," Arthur and Gwen agreed.
None of them knew it then, obviously, but as time passed their friendship became stronger and stronger as it endured numerous tests and threats. While they weren't immediate best friends, it wasn't long before they reached a state of co-dependence; they relied on each other and their friendship more than words could say. There were few things that would be able to bring such different people together and forge such a strong and deep friendship between them but until the end; the three of them were best friends.
It was like Merlin had said; each of them played their own role in their trio. Merlin had his magic and was usually the one who relied most on his knowledge and instincts. Arthur was the leader and was always the first one to throw himself into whatever dangers he needed to save his friends. Gwen served as their voice of reason as well as being the most caring one of the three. Their friendship was three-fold and one of equals, none of them were more important than the other; they were more than friends. In time, they became like a family and that family was one that stuck together until the end.
AN: I always thought that in the series, even in series 1 and 2, Morgana was always a bit more distant from the others and even though they were all friends, I felt that Merlin, Arthur and Gwen were closer to each other.
