Those who long to have the king's ear know that Merlin is the man to cajole if they want results.
There are few, however, that know the true extent of the relationship between the pair. Few know that when Arthur returns home to Camelot from a long journey that he always disappears for fifteen minutes while Merlin gives him a "proper" homecoming.
If he comes home injured, Merlin is glued to his side until he's sure the King will open his eyes and mutter "Idiot" at him for worrying so much.
As he heals, Merlin will take over cleaning and dressing his wounds, fussing over him like a mother hen, and when Arthur has the strength to stand again, will affectionately call him a stupid prat behind closed doors.
For Merlin, Arthur comes home injured far too often. Arthur thinks Merlin worries too much.
The servants keep their silence about catching Merlin and Arthur tangled in a confusing heap of limbs in the king's bed in the mornings, or the thumps, bangs, and howls coming from the royal bedroom at night. Merlin has urged Arthur to pass laws making the servant's lives easier and better, and for that kindness he and the King can do as they please.
Most who are in Camelot assume Gwen is the one sleeping in the king's bed. She married Arthur merely for appearances sake, but she is just as tangled up in Lancelot as Arthur is with Merlin. Their marriage is a farce and facade, a show to confuse those who expect heirs from them.
Arthur is wonderful at pretending to live up to expectations, but these days he's really living up to Merlin's and not to everyone else's.
Merlin is there to smooth Arthur's rough edges, to soften his heart when it's too much like his father's, to remind him that mercy will often get him farther than force of will. If Arthur is the right arm and fist of Camelot, Merlin is the heart...and sometimes the mind as well.
When they're alone, Merlin treats Arthur as if he were just a man. The position and title are nothing there, as if Arthur is just another person and not the King of Camelot, as if they were equals from the start and not formerly servant boy from a remote village with extreme magical powers and a prince who was so arrogant he smashed up a marketplace with a mace to show Merlin who was boss.
When they're alone, they are Merlin and Arthur, attached at the hip by fate and destiny, attached at the hands by their entwined fingers, and attached at the heart by something they simply can't explain. The heads, however, are a different story. Some of their arguments have shaken the walls of the castle, especially when Merlin's magical force blows out the windows and snuffs torches and candles all over the castle.
Arthur fears the magic a little less every year. He is willing to accept magic as Uther never did. Magic is a tool, like Arthur's sword. A sword can be used to rid the world of evil, to end oppression and create allies. It can also be used to hurt innocent people, to injure those who cannot defend themselves.
It is the (near) perfect combination of sword and spell. Between Arthur's brute strength and Merlin's intelligent spellwork, the land of Albion is united, just the way it was meant to be.