Thanks for all the reviews... I'm sorry for the last chapter, it had come to me on the bus and I just typed it on my phone and didn't get the chance to fix the mistakes. So I'm going to tell you now that this story starts after the second episode of the third season.

Hope you enjoy this chapter...

Chapter 2 the Knights are upset

Merlin made his way back to the physician's chambers, all the while trying to get the bits and bobs of rotten fruit from his hair and face. He couldn't believe that Arthur had put him in the stocks. Waite he could! It was Arthur after all. But before, at least, he had acceptable reason, but now he put him in the stock for not finding his cloths! Sure Arthur was supposed to see his father that afternoon, but that didn't mean he had to put Merlin in the stocks and when his clothes turned up release him. And then to go on as if nothing had happened like Merlin knew he would. It was so unfair.

Merlin was lost in his thought so he didn't see Sir Edward and walked right in to him.

"Sire I am so sorry! I didn't see you. I'm terribly sorry, I didn't mean to..." Merlin's rants were stopped as Sir Edward hold out a hand and waited.

"It's quite alright Merlin, no harm done" Sir Edward said kindly. Then he looked more closely at Merlin and frowned. "You need to wash up Merlin" Sir Edward leaned forward and brushed bits of fruit from Merlin's hair.

Merlin blushed; embarrassed at the state he was in. He cursed Arthur again inwardly.

"Arthur had no right to put you in the stocks." Suddenly Sir Edward said angrily. Merlin felt himself go even redder for an entirely different reason. He was glad that the knight was backing his side of the story, yet at the same time he couldn't help but fill angry that he was talking behind Arthur's back. Of course Merlin was thinking the same thing himself, but he thought that the knights should be taking Arthur's side no matter what, loyal to him till the end! But here Sir Edward was taking Merlin's side. Some of what he was thinking must have showed on his face, for Sir Edward continued,

"not that I'm saying Arthur's wrong, he should have put the person that took his clothes in the stocks. But how did he know it was you? He shouldn't judge that easily and carelessly if his to be the future king!" Merlin relaxed at those words. They made more sense and put Merlin back in familiar grounds. Of course Sir Edward wasn't upset because of Merlin; he was upset because of Arthur's behavior. Merlin ignored the upset feeling that those thoughts brought up in him, he shouldn't expect Sir Edward to care for Merlin. He was a knight and Merlin was a servant. Besides wasn't he angry before because Sir Edward was taking his side instead of Arthur's, he really needed to decide what he wanted.

"Well, I better be going Sire" Merlin said with a bow of his head. Then he stepped past Edward and walked on, again lost in thought, so he didn't see the piercing way that the knight watched him as he walked away. He also didn't know that his dirty clothes his fruit covered untidy hair and the slight defeated way he dragged his legs as he walked had the knight make a huge decision that he would later that night share with the rest of the knights of Camelot; they would all agree to help him achieve it. This decision had the knights to try and find a suitable man that Merlin could love instead of the prince; they would try at becoming matchmakers.

However Merlin was oblivious as he finally reached the physicians chambers and sagged on a chair as Gaius wordlessly placed a bucket of water in front of him to try and clean himself up. That night Merlin didn't get much sleep, as was usual these days, ever seance Morgana got back. However it was not the thoughts of the lying witch that occupied his tired mind, it was the man he was in love with. The man who would have Merlin executed for who he truly was, the man who would have executed him for loving him. Merlin never cried. That was something he had promised himself to do when Arthur told him "No man is worth your tears". But that night Merlin came close to crying, just to spit Arthur in something. But then he scolded himself thinking that Arthur didn't have a choice but to be like that. It wasn't Arthur's fault. Merlin thought that he should probably toughen up if he was to protect Arthur and Camelot against Morgana's plans.

The next day Merlin got up to go and tend to Arthur who had recently been so absorbed with Morgana and the dealings of the court that he didn't even notice Merlin was actually on time, or perhaps he didn't care. Merlin didn't know which it was and he thought he'd rather not know than know and not like the answer. However the thoughts running through his head was no concern of the princes, so the royal Pratt saw fit to give Merlin chores that seemed endless.

At training that day as Merlin stood by the side of the field and watched and tended to whatever the knights or the prince needed, he couldn't help but see the strange way the knights reacted towards Arthur. They were acting all formal and stiff, as if the king was observing them. Merlin had checked and knew that the king was not observing the training today, in fact he was out riding with Morgana. A brief worry crossed Merlin's mind about what the king's ward might do to him away from the castle. But very soon, the thought went because Merlin knew that with that many soldiers that Uther had taken, such a thing was not possible.

Looking out towards the knights, Merlin frowned. They were acting like that towards Arthur; they were fine when talking among themselves. Something was up, where they upset with Arthur? Merlin didn't think this would have any effect in a battle field, but he saw how it affected Arthur. But knowing Arthur he was bound to bring it up sometime. As he did when sir John answered one of his questions with such formality that it was borderline mocking.

"What is up with all of you today?" Arthur demanded from the knights, looking positively on edge. Great Merlin thought his going to be in of his moods today.

"What do you mean sire?" Sir Percival, the eldest of the knights answered. He was older than Arthur himself, a fact that caused Arthur to respect the warrior to great extend.

"You all are upset about something that you are not telling me" Arthur explained. "May I know what that is?"

"There is nothing sire" Again sir Percival answered him, however at his wards he glanced over at Merlin (or something near him), as did some of the other knights. Arthur caught the look and narrowed his eyes at Merlin. This caused Merlin to gulp.

"Fine!" Arthur exclaimed, knowing that he would get nothing from the knights. "Practice is over." And with that he marched of the field fully expecting Merlin to follow him. Of course Merlin made to follow him, but sir Edward came up to him then and stopped him.

"Merlin, some of us knights are going out to the tavern tonight and we were wondering if you'd like to come?" Merlin was at a loss for wards.

"I don't know sire" Merlin said not knowing what else to say.

"Come on Merlin, we know it's your birthday tomorrow, why don't you come out tonight and celebrate?" Sir Edward told him kindly. And when put like that, he really couldn't say no. So with his cheeks flaming red Merlin accepted. He reasoned that he didn't need to get up early the next day as it was a day of, so he might as well go.

However his hold up with Sir Edward had put Arthur in even more of a bad mood.

"Where were you?" he said the moment Merlin stepped through the door to his chambers.

"Sir Edward wanted to..." Merlin began to explain, but was cut off by Arthur.

"Yes, and what exactly is the knights' problem with me?"

"I don't know sire" Merlin said resigned to suffering Arthur's bad mood. At least I'm off tomorrow.

"You must know, they looked at you when I asked" Arthur said angrily.

"I really don't know Arthur" Merlin said becoming angry himself. Why did Arthur act like everything was Merlin's fault?

"Of course what else was I to expect of an idiot servant like you?" Arthur said clearly upset. Merlin seethed at that.

"Well I'm sorry sire" he said angrily "If you weren't so vain and self obsessed, you'd actually know what they were upset about" Arthur looked at him with his face twisted in anger.

"You are dismissed" He said in a flat voice. Merlin gave a mocking bow and left. Oh he would definitely go out with the knights. The least he could do was get drunk and forget about Arthur for one night.

MAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA

Arthur paced his room in frustration after Merlin had left. He didn't know what it was, but having the knights looking at Merlin like that upset him. That was what had really bothered him. Not that the knights had a problem with him. They would come and tell him eventually, as they usually did. But what could it be about Merlin? Sure he had put Merlin in the stocks the other day, which he had regretted soon after, but why would the knights be upset about that? Why would they care?

Arthur didn't know, but he knew that he had to hurry and join his father and Morgana for dinner.

However as he sat at the table listening to Morgana talk of their outing that day, his mind kept drifting back to his goofy servant, who for unknown reasons to Arthur, affected the prince a great deal in many different ways. But the said prince could not imagine a life where Merlin was not in it.

The end of chapter 2

Hope you enjoyed it! I know Arthur's point of view was short, but there will be more from him in coming chapters.

Please R&R...