He didn't want to apear like a girl, but Arthur had always dreamed of holding someones hand. His mother had died young and his father wasn't the afectionate type, so he had never been able to hold their hands. Even Arthurs love interests prefered to link his arm and feel 'safe' or something. He never told anyone this, of course, as the knights would make fun ot of him and Merlin would tease him twice as much! It was the first day of winter and the days were shorter, the nights were longer and the air was colder (and keeping in mind this is in England, it was even wetter). Arthur and Merlin (with some other knights... they're not important though) went out hunting. Merlin always hated this time of year because they would spend hours looking for animals that were hibernating or inside somewhere warm. Normally, these hunting trips ended in the party going back to Camelot in the pouring rain. However, on this particular expedition, Arthur and Merlin managed to get seperated from the other knights and then lost. Even more convenient was that Arthurs guest of honor were the neighbouring (well, more like a neighbour of a neighbour of a neighbours kingdom... but we won't go into details) kingdoms Queen that hadn't visited Camelot in about 30 years (before Arthur was born). Adding to the situation was Merlin (somehow) had managed to lose his horse in the woods. So, King and Servant on one horse, in the middle of nowhere, missing what could be a very important event. Arthur was furious (and was very tempted to push Merlin of the horse and find his own way back to Camelot). Merlin was confused on how they had lost the other knights and then got lost. It wasn't until night began to fall that they both realized they weren't going to get back to Camelot (if they were even traveling in the right direction) before the next day. They set up camp (well, Merlin set up camp while Arthur barked out orders) and settled down for the night. They had no form of blankets (except one thin sheet that was barely big enough for one) and no food (thankfully, they had plenty of water to last them through the next day). They both had a very restless night and were thankful when the sun rose. However, this happiness was short lived as a woman was pointing Arthurs own sward at him.

"Put 'em up, mateys!" She said, grinning like a mad woman. She was surrounded by big, beefy men who glared evilily and almost hungrily at the two men.

"Why don't we just kill 'em now, Phe?" Said one of them, the skinner one out of them with a long beard.

"We couldn't do that! That would be an awful waste!" Said the woman called 'Phe'. She cocked her head to th side and looked at Arthur. Thoughts of crazy, death expectant ideas wizzed around their heads. Mrelin spoke first.

"N... now look here! This is the k... Ow!" Arthur had jabbed him in the side to keep him from talking. However, Merlin being Merlin, he got a painful nudge in the ribs in return.

"What was that for!?" He asked, looking at Merlin.

"You poked me in my side! So i did the same to you!"

"I didn't poke you half as hard as that! And i only did it because... because you were speaking out of term!"

"How on earth was i speaking out of term!? Is it because you're the ki... OW! WOULD YOU STOP POKING ME!?"

"No! Not until you keep your big mouth shut!"

"Oh, I'm the one with the big mouth, am i?"

"Yes!"

"If you two are quite finished..." The woman cut past Merlin retort (something about Arthur shoving food in his gob). Arthur and Merlin looked at her and her men and realized they were all gawping in surprise. They had to admit it was a strange situation, two men lying on the floor together having a heated argument. Arthur spoke up and decided to settle the whole thing.

"My name is Arthur Pendragon and i am the King of Camelot and i demand you release me and my manservant (at this Merlin humphed, ready to retaliate, until Arthur gave him a glare to telll him to shut up. This time it worked) in the name of my Kingdom." All the men and the woman looked at him and then she laughed.

"I'm not a n idiot, you know! I recognised you imediatly! Don't worry, i never planned on killing you! You just look lost... I could help you find your way (at this Merlin and Arthur looked at eachother in surprise, anguish and relief) but... for a small price..."

Soon, Arthur and Merlin find them selves in the dungeons of the woman's (Queen Phoebe of Langahurst) castle. They both were in seperate 'cages' with no blankets, a bit of food and a drop of water. Because of their hunger (which had grown) they soon scoffed all the food. Night came far too quickley. The Queen hadn't said what the thing she wanted them to do was yet. They both hoped it would be something not too embaresing or humiliating.

"I would never normally admit thi, especially not to you, but i'm really scared..." Merlin whispered to the man on the other side of his cell. They leaned against the bars so the were practicallt touching. None of th guards were guarding them (for they knew even if they did escape that they would never be able to find their way bak on foot in the middle of the night).

"Seeing as we are making confessions, i have one..." Arthur replied, feeling a warmth of companionship he had never felt before. "i've always wanted to hold someones hand... or have them hold mine..."

Merlin didn't laugh. He just smiled warmly at Arthur and got himself closer to the bars separating them. They both lay down and sleep began to overcome them, but not before Merlin gentally held Arthurs hand through the bars.

"Wakey Wakey, love birds!" Was their wak up call. The queen stood next to their cells as she watched them groggily get up. Their hands had stayed together through out the night, though it didn't deflect from the pain in their back and necks. They became consious of their hands being together and quickley went apart, not looking eachother in the eyes.

Their task (after a small breakfast) was to stand on the stage in front of hte Queens kingdom and sing. Arthur (being the pompous prat he was) refused. Merlin (being annoyed at the pompouse prat) said they would. So they got changed in to ghastley (though not quite as horrifc as the servant costume Arthur made Merlin wear before) outfits and they stood on the stage. Thankful to them, the kingdom wasn't very big and not many people had turned up. However, those who had were carrying suspicious looking brown bags that contained what suspiciously looked like vegetables. Arthur vowed to allow Merlin to take most of the vegetables (he really should be used to it, he thought, with all the times i'v put him in the stocks). They started singing as soon as the band started playing. Their voices wern't that bad (though, they weren't that good either). Once the song ended, they both rushed of the stage only to be dagged back on. A curtain fell of the stage, blocking their view of the audience (and the suspicious things being thrown at the curtain that looked like vegetables). Merlin looked ready to vomit over everything (which would've been better than what he actually did). He had leaned down (s Arhtur was a bit shorter than him) and kissed him on his lips. He didn't know why. He didn't even know it happened (nerves do strange things to your brain) but it had happened. Arthur had just stared at Merli nfor a while, not sure what to say. In the end (for some perculier reason... ) he ended up kissing Merlin back. It wasn't a romantic kiss, nor was it a passionate firey kiss. It was a very boring, unmoving kiss. Both had their eyes closed tight and didn't notice the curtain rise or here the gasp of the audience (most of whom had left by now) or they didn't see the mischeivious grin of the Queen.

This event didn't spark anything new between the two men, or so thy say. But some of the maids admited to seeing them wrapped in tight embrace with their lips ravishing the others in a alcove of the castle or in the stables. Though, both men would denie it on questioning, until a knight had spotted them holding hands next to a lake. Is suppose you could say Arthur got his wish. And Merlin, well Merlin got the king of Camelot and 2 whole days of work... What more could you ask for?