Sorry to post this chapter late, it is extra long so I hope that makes up for it. The plot shall become clearerish! Read and review, your thoughts will likely influence where this goes next! I have a general idea, but your ideas would be much appreciated!

*disclaimer* I own none of this!

VII

Merlin was having a particularly bad day. Not just an oh-well-now you-can-muck-the-stalls-and-polish-my-armor bad day, or even an oh-dear-there- is-something-magical-Merlin-fix-it bad day. Oh no, this was an oh-no-everything-that-could-possibly-go-wrong-is-g oing-wrong sort of bad day.

His day started to a rude awakening from the hard floor by King Arthur.

"Merlin, you idiot, wake up!"Arthur had said, shaking him roughly.

Merlin groaned and rubbed his eyes sleepily. "What's going on?" he yawned. Try as he might in his half asleep fog, he couldn't figure out why Arthur was in his chambers, especially so early in the morning. He decided it was a dream, and closed his eyes.

Bad move. The next thing he knew, Merlin was hit in the face by a blast of icy cold water. Arthur stood there grinning, an empty bucket in hand. "What was that for?" he yelped.

"Get up. I need my dress clothes." His grin disappeared, and Arthur was suddenly serious again.

Thoroughly confused and wet, Merlin asked, "Why?"

Arthur massaged his forehead with his fingers and rolled his eyes. "This, Merlin, is why you weren't meant to go to the tavern." Merlin opened his mouth to object, then snapped it shut. Arthur gave him a look, and continued "I have half a mind to fire you, but Odin is due earlier than expected and I don't have time to replace you."

"Oh" Merlin thought a minute. "So it would probably be bad if your clothes aren't clean yet?"

"Probably," Arthur said, tilting his head to the side.

"I'll get going," Merlin said.

"See that you do. I'm not going to meet Odin in this." Arthur gestured to himself. Merlin took a good look at the king, who was standing there in nothing but his sleep pants.

Gwaine, who had woken during the earlier commotion, chose that moment to chime in and remind them of his presence. "Nonsense, you look ravishing Your Majesty." Both Arthur and Merlin glared at Gwaine, and he threw a good-natured, if saucy, smile back.

Arthur ran a hand over his face in frustration. "Merlin, what still needs to be done with my clothes?"

"I just need to polish the buttons and studs," Merlin lied.

"Good. Grab your polish, meet me in my chambers." Without waiting for an answer, the king hurried out of the room, accidentally slamming the door behind him.

Both Merlin and Gwaine winced. "I don't envy you mate," Gwaine said, shaking his head. "You'd best hurry, he's in a mood today!"

Merlin sighed and clambered to his feet. He changed into a clean shirt, grabbed Arthur's clothes and bolted out the door.

"Have fun!" Gwaine called helpfully after his friend. He chuckled to himself and, like the brave, true knight of Camelot he was, closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

In the other room, Merlin was frantically searching the shelves for his container of polish as Arthur's clothes washed themselves in a bucket of hot soapy water that had been waiting for the breakfast dishes. Finally, Merlin saw the small silver canister on the top shelf, and retrieved it by magic. Another spell dried Arthur's clothes and Merlin wondered yet again what he would do without magic. Clothes and polish in hand, he sprinted up to Arthur's chambers and did his best to ignore his hunger.

When he burst into the royal chambers minutes later, all the king had to say was "It took you long enough."

"Sorry," Merlin panted. "I had to find the polish." He held up the silver container, and Arthur took it from him.

Arthur turned the polish over in his hands, then read the label. "Worm guts." He gave Merlin a strange look.

Thinking quickly, the ever brilliant warlock came up with a plausible response. "It gives it the best shine," Merlin blurted out. Alright, not plausible, but he'd said worse. He did his best to look innocent. Arthur raised his eyebrows, and Merlin nodded.

"That's disgusting."

"Absolutely Sire," Merlin said, nodding again.

"So, after you've done everything else I tell you to do, you will wash and repolish all of my clothes that you used that vile concoction on. Now, help me find something suitable that doesn't have buttons."

Merlin groaned inwardly. It was going to be a long day.

It took the better part of an hour to find the king suitable "worm gut free" clothes, but they finally managed with Gwen's help. Finally dressed, The king sent Merlin to fetch King Rodor and send Percival after Leon, then to fix the guest chambers and wash Arthur's clothes until the feast, where he was to serve drinks. Stomach now growling audibly, Merlin resigned him self to the fact that today was not his day, and scurried of to carry out his tasks.

Nothing went the way it was supposed to. When delivering his message, Merlin managed to knock over a particularly valuable vase and had to clean that up. He made up the bed in the guest room, only to learn he'd used dirty linens and had to do it over. He washed all of Arthur's clothes with buttons twice, because the first time he dropped them in a pot of stew when he went to hang them in the kitchen. The whole time he grew hungrier and more miserable. Today just wasn't a good day. As he hurried of to the feast, he hoped that maybe that would go better than the rest of his day. Somehow, he doubted it.

The great hall was brightly lit, the tables were laden with food, and the music was jolly. Merlin couldn't help but be impressed that Sir Leon had pulled this all together so quickly. Still, despite Sir Leon's best effort, there was a tension in the room. Few guests talked, and none, not even Sir Gwaine, laughed.

King Arthur, King Rodor, and King Odin all sat at the high table in uneasy silence. None of them spoke. Queen Guinevere made a few polite attempts at conversation, but soon fell silent as well. Merlin felt sorry for her,and decided to try and talk to her to cheer her up.

He slipped behind Gwen and whispered in her ear, "There's more cheer in a graveyard." He reached out and took her goblet, discretely giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Gwen smiled and whispered back, "You could cut the tension with a knife! What should I do?"

"Well," Merlin began, when disaster struck. A servant walking behind Merlin accidentally jostled his arm, and he lost hold of his pitcher, spilling the contents all over the queen. She stood in surprise. "I'm sorry!" Merlin apologized, flushing.

"It's alright," Gwen said. "No, really, it's fine," she reassured Arthur. She pulled herself up tall and regal. "I shall retire for the night," With all the grace she could muster, the queen swept from the room, Elyan in tow.

"I, too, shall retire," said King Odin, standing.

"Of course. Merlin will show you to your chambers." Arthur motioned to Merlin. The look in his eye said they would talk later. Merlin swallowed hard.

Merlin led King Odin to the guest chambers in an uneasy silence. When they'd arrived, Merlin was loath to break it, but dutifully asked, "Will there be anything else?"

"No, thank you," Odin said with a smile. Merlin felt a shiver down his spine. Since when did Odin smile?

"Well then, good night Your Majesty," he said, clapping his hands together and hastily exiting the room. Halfway down the hall, Merlin remembered he was supposed to ask if Odin would like breakfast in his chambers, and grudgingly made his way back up the hall. He had a hand on the handle, about to open the door when he froze. Was that chanting coming from the room? It sounded like a spell. Curious, Merlin tried the door. It was locked, which Merlin thought was odd. He unlocked it with a simple spell, opened the door a crack and peeked inside.

Odin sat in front of his mirror, chanting a spell. Before Merlin's eyes, Odin's face waxed and changed, growing thinner and paler. His whole body shrunk, and while the hair on his head grew longer and darkened, his beard receded into his face. As the incantation drew to a close, his eyes flashed gold and the change was complete. There, sitting in front of the mirror was Morgana. Breakfast forgotten, Merlin bolted.

He ran, and didn't stop until he was safe in Gaius' chambers. He leaned his back against the door, panting. "Gaius?" he called. No answer. Merlin sighed with frustration. "Yeah, today is a bad day."