Hey guys, the eighth installment of my Under The Mistletoe series. Enjoy some Merthur xox

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It was a bright sunny day in Camelot and the king decided he would go for a walk amongst the people of his kingdom. He took with him his trusty servant (and secret lover), Merlin.

In other words, Arthur and Merlin went for a romantic walk together. That is not what everyone else saw though.

They spent the morning strolling and greeting people and Merlin had packed a sort of picnic for lunch. The pair made their way to a patch of grass to sit on for lunch, Merlin rolled out a blanket and then began to unpack their spread.

Arthur resisted the urge to feed Merlin grapes from his fingers, he loved feeding Merlin when they were alone. Then Merlin spilt the water and went into a panic as he tried to stop it going everywhere.

"Oh, Merlin, you're still as big a clotpole as the day I met you." Arthur chuckled.

Merlin felt the heat of a flush in his cheeks "Yet you still keep me around, sire."

The king hated it when Merlin called him sire, it felt wrong now they were together, but Merlin insisted on it to keep up pretences "I don't know why, I must have bumped my head or something." Arthur joked with a huge adoring smile.

Merlin leaned in really close so only Arthur could hear "Don't look at me like that in public, it makes me want to kiss you."

After packing up, they decided to spend the rest of the day looking around the market. People offered Arthur fruits and vegetables, meats and fish, and hand made crafts. Anything Arthur took he made sure to pay them though, he was not a king who would take from his people unfairly.

One woman was in the business of flowers and plants and herbs. Arthur bought flowers (for Merlin), not that anyone else knew that and they started to walk away when the woman's little girl ran out from behind the stall with a sprig of something in her tiny hands. She ran up to Arthur and Merlin getting their attention by tugging on their clothes. They knelt down to her and she held what appeared to be mistletoe above their heads and simply told them...

"Kiss."

Merlin looked at Arthur not knowing what to do. Arthur smiled at him "It's okay, Merlin, kiss me."

He hesitated a moment then Merlin leaned in and kissed Arthur gently but a bit keen. The little girl cheered and ran back to her mother.

"I am so sorry, sire, she has been doing that all day." Apologised the woman once she realised what her daughter had done.

"No need to apologise, no harm done." Arthur grinned at her and they began the walk back home.

Once they were back in the privacy of Arthur's room, the king smirked "Well, you got your desire to kiss me in public."

Merlin thought about it for s second "Yeah, I did didnt I." He grinned "Maybe I should carry some of that stuff around with me."

"Alright, let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"Yes my king."

"Merlin." Arthur whined at the formality.

"Sorry. Yes king clotpole."

Arthur just rolled his eyes and laughed.