A/N: So this is my first attempt at a Merthur fic, a pairing I have loved since episode 1 of the first series. It won't be too long, but I thought I'd give it a try. R&R with your thoughts. And I'm bringing in OCs, so any requests, I'll take 'em. If you want a steamy scene with one of the knights in the Rising Sun, all you have to do is ask. If the plot bunny goes far enough, you'll have a marriage. Roll up, boys and girls...
Chapter 1: The Stocks. Again.
It was difficult to be angry at the man who held his heart, but Merlin could make an exception.
He was in the stocks. Again.
"Merlin?" A soft voice called, causing Merlin to turn, seeing Gwen approach. "Why are you in the stocks again?" She couldn't hold back a giggle when a tomato hit him right between the eyes. He groaned, shaking his head wearily.
"Arthur wanted to go out on a hunt without the guards and left me to explain to the King. When he gets back, he wants his stables cleaned, boots polished and a number of other jobs done, but I'm not to be released until noon, which is when he's back! He'll kill me!" Exasperation filled his tone and he looked wearily down at his own hole-filled shoes.
"Oh, Merlin," Gwen sighed, really feeling for the servant. She knew of his feelings for the Prince, and knew how hard it was to remain aloof, but she also knew that Arthur was having the same problem and was dealing with them in the wrong way, resulting in… well, this. Gwen would have told him to take Merlin with him if she had known of Arthur's plans, and orchestrated a rather romantic twenty-four hours for them, but no; Arthur had to run away to mope on his own, trying to deal with his emotions away from the man who drove him mad. "I'll get Morgana, and she can let you out. Then we'll go and do the chores, and you can relax for a while." Merlin smiled gratefully and decided to endure the torment of the rotten food without complaint, thanks to Gwen's kindness.
But as a soft apple exploded against his head, he reasoned that the short time for him to be released was going to feel like a century.