Hi everyone! I'm so happy for all of your wonderful reviews - you can't imagining how thrilled I was when I saw that I'd got five comments, and all at the same day? (compared to the swedes, you guys are so much better at this leave a review thing!) Here comes a short, short chapter just so I can get started with the real story.
Hope you like it - and please, do leave a review!
The Prince and his servant - is that all we'll ever be?
The day passed by and nothing strange seemed to happen, even thought, Merlin still had this bad feeling that something wasn't quite alright – it was just a matter of time before something would happen, he was assured of it.
"You've been very silent today, Merlin", Arthur pointed as he sat in his big throne-looking chair, watching his servant as he cleaned his boots. "Don't tell me you've also got that nasty cold! Believe me, one day I'll wake up and find that no one's there to serve me because the whole kingdom has got the same cold - and that won't simply do."
Merlin smiled lightly but kept silent – he didn't feel for talking.
He actually enjoyed the silent between him and Arthur; somehow it was like the gap between them didn't exist. When they were silent, there were no prince and no servant.
Then, it just was Arthur and Merlin.
"Oh come on Merlin!" Arthur sighted, rolling his blue eyes, "you've never been this boring – not even when you decided not to say a word to me for a whole day except from the usual; Yes, sire. No, sire. Maybe, sire. What was it that you'd been told to get if you succeeded?"
Merlin blushed slightly, knowing that both he and Arthur knew very well what that betting was all about.
"What was it now, a kiss from the kitchen girl?" He teased, laughing as the redness deepened on Merlin's cheeks. "Miona, isn't it?"
"Oh shut up!" Merlin muttered and did his best to keep the serious face of his.
"Finally! He talks!" Arthur rose up from his chair with a broad smile on his lips, "Now when we are at the subject, how is it going with you two?"
Merlin shocked his head, suddenly feeling tired. A pair of deep, dark eyes appeared in front of his gaze and he felt his heart shrink, tears bursting up in the corner of his eyes.
"I don't like her", he whispered, concentrating on the pair of boots in his hands, "not anymore."
"Oh, what did she do? Tease you about your ears?"
Merlin sighted.
"No", the short answer came from the dark-haired servant. "And actually - It's none of your business."
"Come on Merlin!"
Arthur sat beside him with an almost friendly look in his blue eyes.
"Nothing – it's nothing."
The prince opened his mouth to say something but Merlin rose from the floor.
"I'm done, if you have nothing else you want me to do I'd like to return to my chambers", he said with a thick voice, trying not to meet the prince's look.
"Okay, but don't think I'll let the subject slip away – tomorrow I expect an inclusive story about you and your dearest. You've no idea how boring it is, sitting here all day – not able to train, hunt or do anything of use because of this bloody snow!"
"Well, you could always try being a servant", Merlin said with a halfhearted laugh and stepped out of the door, leaving the prince were he sat on the cold stone floor with a worried wrinkle amid his both eyebrows.
What the boy's did not know was that meanwhile Arthur wished to be nothing more than a simple servant, Merlin wished to be someone who people respected, someone who had no secrets – someone like Arthur.
Leave a long, constructive review and I might not send Nimue after you!
/JvJ