I've written most of this story already and beware…

For those who dare to go ahead I fear a warning is in order (especially for the final chapter): complete silliness. No, really, I'm not overreacting. I wish I could blame Glühwein, but alas I'm the designated driver, so just high on holiday cheer. :)

Also, dear, dear readers THANK YOU SO MUCH for your reviews! It warms me inside, it truly does…


Arthur was sulking in their chambers. Guinevere had just shot down his brilliant plan of finding Merlin some female companionship. In all fairness, he shouldn't have worded it like that, but Gwen's lack of faith in his matchmaking abilities was perplexing.

"Arthur, you're not going to try to find Merlin a girl." Gwen remained adamant. Really, Arthur couldn't see the problem. Guinevere however had reacted as if he'd suggested that going nude was in fashion: looking completely flabbergasted and with a pitying headshake.

"Why not?"

"Listen to me." She walked over to him and put her hands on his arms stepping even closer, "I love you to bits, but stick to the jacket. Your changes of ruining that are slim."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"How would you find Merlin a girl?" Gwen countered the question with one of her own, "Would you walk up to random women and ask if they're interested?"

She took his silence for an admission and reasoned, "He's not Gwaine, you know."

"I know that." Arthur replied tersely.

"I don't think you do. I've rarely seen him look at a girl. Well, not during the most recent years." She amended sadly.

"Look, I'll tell you what will happen." Gwen went on, "You'll talk to a dozen women only to discover that more than half of them are already seeing someone. Most likely one of the single ones will agree to a walk, a dinner or whatever else step two of your plan was because you're the King of Camelot and you can be pretty intimidating when you're on a mission."

Arthur grimaced. When said out loud his plan did seem flimsy at best. His wife wasn't finished though. She could be brutal if she wanted to, "In the end Merlin will spent an awkward afternoon in the company of someone he barely knows and long silences."

"Merlin's rarely silent." Arthur interjected getting a half-hearted slap on his arm for his effort.

"Seriously Arthur, leave the matchmaking to someone else." Gwen insisted firmly once more and then pressed a finger to his bottom lip, "Don't pout, you can't be good at everything. That wouldn't be fair to the rest of us."

He had the distinct feeling that he was being manipulated, yet he couldn't help but smile when he said, "All right then."

Arthur walked back to his desk to draft some letters and mused. He won't try to set Merlin up with a random girl. However there was no harm in looking if Merlin showed any interest in someone, was there? If he did he could skip step one – which if he read Guinevere correctly was the part of the plan she was most worried about – then she would surely help him.

"Whom are you getting a gift for?" He suddenly asked.

He figured that if he kept asking it out of the blue he'll either catch her off guard at some point or wear her down in the end. Guinevere seemed immune – for now – and just smiled mysteriously.

...

"Merlin, are you using magic to make a gift?" Gaius was standing in his doorway with his arms crossed. That was never a good sign and Merlin felt as if he was caught doing something illegal, which he was he reflected sheepishly.

"No?" He tried anyway causing the physician to roll his eyes.

"Put that book away."

"Arthur rarely comes into my room." Merlin reasoned.

"But when he does he's always looking for sorcerers." Gaius countered smugly.

"If I can't use my magic then I'll come up with a shoddy gift." Merlin said unhappily as he hid the book once more beneath the floorboards, "I'm not a knight or a king. I don't have the money to buy something extravagant."

"Your gift doesn't need to be expensive." The physician lectured and went back to the main room, "The things people really want are rarely bought with riches. Also it's the thought that counts."

"Are you saying I just need to, I don't know," he tried to come up with an example, "find a nice looking rock or a strangely shaped piece of wood and write a heartfelt letter to go with it? Or try my hand at poetry?" Merlin asked offhandedly, "Because I did that already and while my mother said it was the best thing she'd ever received, I doubt the person I picked would get emotional over a heart shaped rock."

Gaius looked amused about learning that little anecdote but refrained from commenting, something Merlin was grateful for.

"What are you planning?" Merlin asked quickly before Gaius did come up with something embarrassing to say. He watched how the old man unloaded an array of vials and dried herbs on his worktable.

"Are you going to blow up your bench again?"

Gaius gave him that look, "Of course not, that was an accident which you," he pointed his index finger accusingly in Merlin's direction, "were partially responsible for if my memory serves me correctly."

...

The next three weeks passed by quickly. And quite normally for Camelot's standards. The only incident worth mentioning during that time was when Arthur arrested a man for being creepy and watching Guinevere. Merlin had spotted the man as well a couple of days earlier but it was clear from the beginning that he wasn't a magical treat or a common one either so Merlin let the creepy man creep around. Besides the man hadn't solely watched the Queen. He had taken an interest in almost everyone.

In the end Gwaine reasoned that the man was just simpleminded and they couldn't go around and arrest people for being creepy. Arthur conceded reluctantly more appalled of the fact that Gwaine played the voice of reason than the fact that the creepy man continued to watch. At least the man stayed away from Gwen after his trip to the dungeons.

With the Winter Solstice approaching rapidly, Merlin had spotted Elyan, Percival and Leon taking solitary trips to the Lower Town a couple of times. He figured they had ordered their gifts from the town's craftsmen. He also knew Gaius hadn't picked him or Gwen. The old man was busy distilling something that didn't smell like a flower – so no Gwen – without hiding it from Merlin. It took an enormous amount of restraint not to try and investigate who the others picked.

Not that he had any time for investigating. Arthur was being a nuisance – more so than usual – and kept Merlin busy and in sight on most days. Honestly, Arthur could have kept the creepy man company in the dungeon as he himself watched Merlin constantly.

It was more than a little unnerving and Merlin grew increasingly worried that he might have slipped up and unknowingly did magic in Arthur's presence.

...

The King was sitting despondently behind his desk after eyeing the object of his displeasure from different angles.

The jacket he ordered looked… nice. Arthur admitted that the seamstress had outdone herself. Also the old spinster had seemed overjoyed to conspire with her King to get 'that poor skinny boy' as she fondly called Merlin something nice to wear.

So the jacket was nice. The stitches were even and the creases were ironed out. Arthur fingered the material once more. It was brown, like the other one but the fabric was less likely to tear and, so the seamstress had told him, stains would wash out more easily. It also looked a bit warmer. So the jacket was nice and practical.

It also was still just a jacket, a fail-safe to assure Guinevere he wouldn't meddle in his servant's personal life.

It was less than a week until the celebration, Arthur mused, high time to do something drastic if he wanted his initial idea to play out. However the only thing Arthur observed so far was that Merlin seemed nervous, like he was worried about something.

A break from the castle might be a good idea. It had stopped freezing for the time being. They could talk around a campfire. If it was just the two of them then maybe Merlin would give him a clue about who he fancied.

A hunt was in order.


He means well, he does... but I think it's fair to say that Arthur has the stupidest ideas sometimes. What could possibly go wrong? Some angst ahead though…