You Think You Know Someone...
Arthur was, to put it mildly, a little upset. And that was putting it very mildly indeed. His manservant had not shown up again that morning, for what had to have been the third time that week and Arthur was quickly becoming more than a little annoyed. So, after counting to 10 in his head more than once while sitting in his bed waiting for his useless excuse of a servant to come and do his job of dressing him for the day, Arthur had pulled himself out of bed, got dressed himself –with no difficulty at all thank you very much- and began his furious march down to the Court Physician's chambers. The other servants wandering the halls gave their prince a wide berth and shot knowing looks at each other behind his back as he stalked down the corridor, silent fury practically sizzling in his wake.
Barging into the physician's lodgings he took a quick survey of the room and noted that Gaius seemed to have already left for somewhere. This made Arthur stop for a minute to take some newly imagined possibilities into consideration. Apparently there was some ailment going around in the lower town. Gaius had been working off his feet for the past week or so trying to contain it. Perhaps he had started taking Merlin along with him for help….
This plausible explanation was immediately shattered as he saw one of the many serving girls –and quite a pretty one at that- exit what he knew to be his manservant's bedroom. She was a bit too occupied with humming happily and fixing her somewhat rumpled looking dress to notice the prince until she was halfway across the room and he had cleared his throat rather loudly. She started in surprise before whirling around to face him, her shocked and suspiciously happy expression melted into one of mortified embarrassment. She blushed furiously and, bowing low with some incomprehensibly murmured apologies, dashed out the door before he could get a word in himself. Not that he would have been able to of course –get a word in, that is- as he was too busy being completely bewildered. Dazedly, he looked from where he'd caught the last glimpse of the girl before she disappeared, to his manservant's bedroom door, and back again, piecing two and two together. Still somewhat bemused, he found himself walking out of the Physician's quarters and back to his own chambers totally immersed in thought –a dangerous pastime on all accounts- and completely forgetting to berate his servant for whatever it was he had done wrong this time.
*
By the end of the day, Arthur had decided there was no other explanation: Merlin had a sister.
Because honestly, who else, besides a mother would be leaving Merlin's room at such an ungodly hour, after having obviously spent the night. Well, a lover perhaps. But this was Merlin they were talking about here. Just thinking the words 'lover' and 'Merlin' in the same sentence was a feat in of itself. Well, maybe not recently, given Arthur's somewhat vivid dreams he'd been having for the past while concerning the younger man. But really, even if it was remotely possible that the gangly servant had gotten lucky, Merlin was hardly one to bed a girl in the room right next to the one where his guardian and mentor was sleeping. Thus, the sister theory was the only possible explanation.
Arthur was just pondering this at dinner when his father spoke, very uncharacteristically for him, to the servant in question.
"You, boy. Melrin, was it? Tell me, you share Gaius' quarters, do you not? What has happened with my dear friend? I haven't seen him in quite a while." Merlin, looking quite shocked –whether from being addressed personally by the King at a public dinner, or due to the fact that Uther had almost actually remembered his name- shook his head.
"I'm afraid I don't know myself, your Majesty. Gaius has taken to living in the lower town until this outbreak is cured. I have not seen him in over a week." He answered. Uther nodded thoughtfully before turning back to his meal, indicating an end to the conversation. Arthur, on the other hand, continued staring at Merlin until the younger man shot him a quizzical look back. Arthur turned back around and sipped his wine, contemplating. So Gaius wasn't in the next room then… that still didn't make the sister theory any less possible, he thought to himself before downing the last of his goblet in one gulp.
*
The next morning, Arthur was particularly enraged. Merlin hadn't shown up yet again. And his blasted hangover from all the wine he had consumed last night was doing nothing to lighten his mood. So, still in the same clothes he'd had on last night –Merlin obviously hadn't bothered to undress him when putting him to bed- he made his way sourly down to get a pain reliever for his headache, and at the same time fetch his increasingly annoying servant. He had just walked into the Physician's quarters for the second time in as many days, when he saw yet another serving girl –this one different from the last, though in no way any less attractive- exiting Merlin's room with a wide smile on her face. Which promptly dropped at the sight of Arthur standing not ten feet in front of her.
"Oh! Your highness! I didn't think you'd- I mean I was just- Excuse me." She stuttered, before she too dashed out the door. Arthur, for his part, had finally come to the rather obvious conclusion that apparently Merlin might not have a sister after all, and decided to confront the young man once and for all. Famous last words, those last four are.
Arthur pushed the door to Merlin's bedroom open on silent hinges, and immediately wished he had not. For there, with his back to the door, in all his naked glory, was his manservant pulling on a pair of rather worn breeches.
Arthur's eyes widened, taking in the sight before him, before realizing the implications of what he was doing and how Merlin might turn around at any second to see him practically drooling on his doorstep, and he let the door fall shut in his face. In a daze, he walked back to Gaius' workplace, somehow managed to locate a bottle of the hangover potion he had been down there for originally and dashed out, holding it conspicuously over his groin as he basically ran –in a very princely manner of course- all the way back to his chambers.
*
Merlin came in to commence his duties not an hour later, looking for all the world like the happiest sop in the kingdom. Arthur, who had been contemplating that morning's earlier encounter, deepened the scowl that had found residence over his features since having started said contemplating, and barked at the smiling manservant to go polish his armor, walk his dogs, do his laundry, clean his chambers, lick –I mean shine- his boots, sweep his fireplace, change his bed-sheets, and lastly –and it was an absolute order that it be done last- muck out his stables. There was no hag in all of Camelot desperate enough to sleep with someone who smelt of horse dung, Arthur was sure of that.
Unfortunately he had been wrong yet again, it seemed, as he had once more gone searching for his manservant the following morning, and once again found a very satisfied-turned-mortified-looking serving girl leaving the country-bumpkin's room instead. Arthur had honestly just had about enough. So, sitting himself down in a chair facing Merlin's bedroom, he waited for the manservant to come and have out with him. Not two minutes later, however, yet another serving girl dashed into the Physician's rooms and, taking no notice of the prince, knocked breathlessly at Merlin's door. Arthur could only stare as a faint 'come in' was heard though the wood of the door and the girl practically threw herself into the room.
"Merlin, thank God! I just had to see you-" whatever else she said was cut off as the door was closed shut behind her. Arthur continued to stare at the door, his heart hurting more than he'd thought it ever could, before he resignedly got up and started making his way back out. A voice from behind stopped him.
"Arth- I mean- sire? What are you doing here?" the prince turned around to see Merlin, the nameless serving girl less than half a step behind him, looking at him curiously. Arthur's princely mask came up almost automatically.
"Looking for you obviously. You know, this is the fifth day this week that you have not been upstairs to attend me. Do you not recall how it is your job to wake and dress me every morning." He laughed sharply and without humor, "But then, I suppose you'd know more about taking clothes off than you would about putting them on, wouldn't you?" Merlin's mere curiosity turned to full-on confusion at this point.
"What?"
Arthur laughed again, this one colder even than the last. "Oh, don't think I don't know about all those pretty maids leaving your room every morning now that Gaius isn't here to keep an eye on you." His words, no matter how hard he attempted to make them sound like light mocking, came out more accusing than anything. Merlin still looked ridiculously lost, while the serving maid's eyes widened at what the prince was implying.
"Oh no, sire! It's not like that! I-" she was silenced by a look from Arthur, before she turned and said quietly to Merlin "We'll talk later. I'll just leave you two alone then…" before she too bolted out the door.
The two men's gazes never left the other's as Merlin tried to figure out what exactly his liege was talking about, and as Arthur tried to keep his anger and hurt under control.
"So, been enjoying yourself while Gaius is away, have you? Been having a bit of fun?" sneered Arthur. Perhaps he'd have to work on his anger-management tactics sometime soon. Merlin cocked his head to the side in a way that almost made Arthur want to go 'awww' like a little girl with her first puppy, but he restrained himself.
"Sire, I still have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." The warlock replied. "What 'fun' do you seem to be so convinced I'm having?" Arthur's lapse in judgment at Merlin's momentary cuteness was replaced by cold hard outrage. First, he had the nerve to blow off his duties for some pretty girls, and then he had the audacity to lie about it?
"I don't know how things are done in Ealdor Merlin, but I'd prefer it if you weren't sleeping around with every serving girl in the castle." He said bluntly. Merlin's confusion was replaced by absolute shock, followed soon after by amusement.
"Why? Am I stealing all the good ones from you sire?" He joked, grinning and crossing his arms over his chest. Arthur was not as amused as Merlin had thought he'd be. After all, this was a joke… right?
"I don't give a damn about the serving girls" Arthur snapped back angrily, causing Merlin to stand up straighter in response. "I just don't want you sleeping around with them."
Merlin rolled his eyes. "You have nothing to worry about then sire, because I haven't been sleeping around with anyone." He said seriously. This time it was Arthur's turn to cross his arms over his chest.
"I don't believe you." He said childishly, pout and all. Merlin sighed in exasperation.
"All those serving girls you've seen leaving my room where all just trying to get my opinions on how best to throw your twentieth birthday celebration. And I must say, that would make for some incredibly dull pillow talk." Arthur uncrossed his arms in disbelief.
"So you haven't…" he couldn't even finish. Merlin shook his head in mock pity at the prince and began walking towards the doors, while the blonde stayed rooted to the spot. Merlin stopped just beside Arthur before reaching out a hand and patting his cheek like a child.
"Besides," he sighed airily, "girls aren't exactly my type." He grinned before walking out the door, leaving a still stunned Arthur in his wake.
"Girls aren't his…" Arthur repeated in a murmur, before "Merlin?! Were you serious?! MERLIN!"
Author's Note: Okay! First official slash ever! although, I suppose it's a little on the tame side compared to some of the stories up here. Either way, hope you liked it.
For those of you who are reading my other story, I haven't abandonned it or anything, I'm just waiting for inspiration to strike. This just so happens to be what my imagination came up with instead. Because you know, Arthur always seems to be the one with all the girls. Why couldn't Merlin have some of the fun too. Even if just in Arthur's imagination in this case. Anyways, once again, hope you like it, and reviews are always greatly appreciated.
Thanks!