A/N

So apparently Colin is allergic to tomatoes so….of COURSE I have to make fun of that!

Merlin ran through the corridors while somehow managing not to drop Arthur's breakfast all over the floor. Merlin had been up late trying to clean up Arthur's armor. When Arthur had been knocked down by Gwaine he had fallen into a puddle of mud. His armor was coated and there was mud everywhere and of course Merlin had to clean it up. It wasn't until after he'd finished cleaning that he realized he could have simply used magic to clean it up. Exhausted and thoroughly frustrated Merlin had collapsed onto bed and then woke up hours late.

Merlin wasn't paying much attention to where he was going, or how fast he was running. Merlin knew Arthur would be furious with him when he got there so Merlin was moving as fast as he could. If he had been paying more attention he might have seen Uther before it was too late. Merlin was just around the corner to Arthur's room. Merlin ran a little faster and rounded the corner just as Uther did. Arthur's breakfast spilled all over Uther, covering him. Merlin stared at Uther in horror as Uther glared at him.

"What" He began slowly, seething, "is the meaning of this?"

"I was bringing Arthur his breakfast?" Merlin squeaked, terrified.

"Well, I seemed to have gotten it instead" Uther replied, glaring.

"I am so sorry…" Merlin apologized.

"Yes you will be."

Merlin sighed as he got pelted with more rotten fruits. This really was getting old. Couldn't Uther come up with a different punishment? And didn't people ever get tired of throwing rotten fruits at the same person?

"Merlin? Isn't it a bit early for you to be in the stocks?" Leon asked the other knights right behind him.

"Yes" Merlin sighed.

"What did you do to make the princess so mad?" Gwaine demanded.

"It wasn't Arthur" Merlin replied, "I was running late so I was hurrying and…I spilled Arthur's breakfast all over Uther…" suddenly something red hit him square in the face.

"He threw you in the stocks for that?" Gwaine demanded.

"Uther did yes…" Merlin cursed loudly when he remembered that he'd never got to wake up the prat.

"Well…will Arthur ever get down here?" Elyan asked awkwardly after Merlin's abrupt cursing rampage.

"I never woke him up!" Merlin exclaimed.

"Arthur will be seething" Gwaine agreed sympathetically, but Merlin wasn't paying attention. Merlin coughed, feeling a strange tightness in his throat. He was having trouble getting enough air and his eyes started to feel watery. Merlin tasted the all to familiar taste of tomato, he was in trouble. Gwaine noticed that Merlin was going pale and a rash was forming.

"Merlin? You ok?"

"Tomato…" Merlin wheezed. Gwaine's eyes widened in realization. The last time Merlin had a reaction was when he'd taken a bite of some stew with a bit of tomato in it. Gaius had quickly come to the rescue with a potion, but according to Gaius it would have been very bad if they had waited much longer because Merlin was severely allergic. Gwaine saw that several people where throwing more tomatoes in Merlin's direction. If one was causing this Gwaine didn't want to know what five would do. Without thinking Gwaine threw himself in front of the tomatoes and got covered in tomato.

"Why did you do that?" Lancelot demanded.

"Just take a look at Merlin!" Gwaine exclaimed as more tomatoes hit him.

"What happened?" Elyan asked concerned just as Arthur walked up.

"Gwaine…Merlin? Why are you in the stocks?"

"Just get Merlin out!" Gwaine shouted people yelling at him to get out of the way as they pelted him with more rotten fruit.

"Gwaine I know you don't agree with my father's punishments but this is ridiculous" Arthur replied.

"No Merlin's having an allergic reaction! He needs to see Gaius!" Gwaine exclaimed.

"Gwaine if this is some joke…" Arthur warned.

"I don't think so sire…he doesn't look good" Leon added looking Merlin over who was struggling even more to breath. Arthur walked over and unlocked Merlin and half carried him to Gaius. Gaius took one look at Merlin before running to a shelf and snatching a potion. Gaius forced the potion down Merlin's throat and almost immediately Arthur could tell that it was helping. Merlin's breathing slowly started to even out and the rash cleared, but Merlin looked exhausted.

"Will he be ok?" Arthur asked worriedly.

"Yes, but if you had waited much longer it could have been bad" Gaius replied, "But Merlin will need to take the day off tomorrow and get some rest…how did you know that Merlin was allergic to tomatoes?"

"I didn't, Gwaine noticed and had me let him out and…where is Gwaine….I would have thought he'd follow to make sure Merlin was ok…" Leon burst in the room and said,

"Sire I think you should come with me…"

"Why?" Arthur asked.

"It's Gwaine…"

Arthur couldn't imagine what Gwaine could have possibly done to get himself thrown in the stocks. And it had to be bad because Uther was standing nearby watching.

"Gwaine? What did you do?" Arthur demanded.

"Nothing!" Gwaine exclaimed, "How's Merlin?"

"According to Gaius he'll be fine…just needs to take it easy for a couple days" Arthur replied, "Why did you put Gwaine in the stocks?" Arthur demanded to Uther.

"He let your servant Merlin out" Uther replied glaring at Gwaine.

"That was me" Arthur replied.

"Why would you do that?" Uther demanded.

"He was having a severe allergic reaction…" Arthur explained, thinking about how strange the whole thing was. Arthur would have laughed, except that Uther was glowering at him and judging by what Gaius had said Merlin could have been killed. Uther sighed in annoyance but signaled for the guards to let Gwaine out.

"Thanks" Gwaine said to Arthur.

"No problem…"

"If you'll excuse me I'm going to see for myself how Merlin is" Gwaine informed Arthur.

"You might want to clean up first" Arthur suggested.

"Nag, nag, nag" Gwaine sighed but turned and headed towards the washroom instead.

Merlin grinned when Gwaine walked in and Arthur teased,

"Did you even bathe?"

"Of course I did" Gwaine assured.

"For what two seconds?" Lancelot asked.

"I'll have you know it was three seconds not two" Gwaine replied getting a laugh out of the other knights.

"Gwaine?" Merlin asked getting the knights attention, "I heard you got thrown in the stocks for helping me…I'm really sorry about that."

"Its fine" Gwaine replied shrugging off the apology, "you've survived fighting dragons, an immortal army, evil sorcerers…all without armor too…I thought if you where going to die, it would be by something more noble then by a tomato."

"Death by tomatoes…never thought I'd hear that" Lancelot commented grinning.

"What a way to go…" Merlin sighed.

"I think it's safe to say Merlin shouldn't ever be thrown in the stocks again" Arthur commented.

"Probably would be best" Gaius agreed.

"For once I like the punishment" Merlin whispered. Gwaine burst out laughing, yep Merlin would be fine.

End Notes

I seriously hope that it was at least ok…not too terrible at least? So the part about death by tomotoes came from my mom telling me about a friend of hers who's husband, who was a clown, died because an elephant stepped on him...everyone laughed before the funeral while the wife cried and at the funeral while everyone was crying she couldn't stop laughing about the whole thing...anyways review tell me what you think and send me your ideas.