07 A Walk through the Castle
After a rousing banter involving knives and a rather frightened Merlin, Arthur and the manservant emerged from the dungeons, heading back to the Great Hall.
"You didn't have to tie me to the spinning wheel, you know," Merlin grumbled.
Arthur only laughed. "I have to keep you in line some way, Merlin. I feel that the stocks are becoming a little out of style. You seem all too willing to get into them."
"That's because they're harmless!" Merlin replied, rubbing his wrists where the ropes had been that secured him to the giant wooden wheel in the torture room.
"Oh stop being such a girl, Merlin," Arthur grinned. "We both know my aim is perfect."
Merlin frowned. "Tell that to the small hole in my sleeve," he muttered, fingering the cut fabric. "That was cutting it close, even for you."
"That was your own fault," Arthur argued though he did glance over to make sure Merlin was okay. The small smirk on his manservant's face reassured him. "If you hadn't tried to string me up with that rope, I wouldn't have tripped and messed up."
"You can't expect me to just hold still and let you throw knives," Merlin pouted.
"You did when I didn't know you had magic," Arthur pointed out.
"No I didn't," Merlin replied, suddenly sheepish. "Don't you remember that one time you tripped on that box of nails?"
"You put them there?!" Arthur gasped angrily. "One of them went through my boot and pierced my toe!"
"I remember," Merlin replied. "And two days later your wound was gone. I made sure to speed up the healing process – discretely of course. You were arrogant enough to believe a warrior's body healed faster than a normal person's."
Arthur grabbed Merlin suddenly around the neck and proceeded to rub his knuckles against his head.
"Ouch!" Merlin protested, struggling to get away.
Arthur laughed as he released him and after an offended glance, Merlin soon joined him. The two walked into the Great Hall to find the knights smiling at them while the Weasleys and Professor McGonagall stared at them, apprehensive. Remus had a small, almost understanding smile on his face.
"What happened to your hair, Merlin?" Gwaine asked with a grin.
Merlin immediately started working on flattening his bangs. "Nothing," he muttered.
"So, are you feeling better now, Sire?" Elyan wondered.
Arthur nodded. "Much. Gwaine, what are you drinking?"
"Firewhiskey!" the knight proclaimed with a wide smile. "This stuff is amazing, Merlin! You'll have to get the recipe so once we go home you can brew it all the time!"
Merlin shook his head, smiling at the knight hopelessly. "Just don't have too much, Gwaine. I think it's more potent than what you're normally used to."
"This is his third round," Percival revealed before drinking from his own glass. "Though I agree that it is rather fine ale, I wouldn't partake more than one glass."
"Well, we all knew Gwaine was a special case when it comes to liquor," Arthur muttered, wandering over to sit with the others. "I'd like to try some."
Right after the words were out of his mouth, a goblet of gold appeared before him filled to the brim with firewhiskey. Arthur's eyes widened, looking to Merlin for an explanation.
"The house elves must have heard you," he answered. "A whole army of them reside here. You're their master now, Arthur."
Professor McGonagall stiffened a little at this revelation. Clearly she was still having difficulties losing the authority of her position.
"An army of servants," Arthur muttered, lifting his glass. "I'd like to know them. Hopefully they won't turn out to be as utterly hopeless as you, Merlin."
Merlin grinned. "I believe they will soar above all your expectations, Arthur. Although, that does cause me to worry…"
"Why is that?" Remus asked.
"Because Arthur's head is already big enough as it is," Merlin replied. Arthur smacked him but the sorcerer's grin only widened.
Mrs. Weasley and Professor McGonagall clearly couldn't understand their relationship, both appalled over their behavior. Mr. Weasley, however, shared Remus' amusement. After the knights and the king had happily drunk their fill of firewhiskey – Gwaine able to hold down five rounds before Percival forced him to stop – they decided to take a gander around the castle, leaving the adults behind.
Many of the magical portraits they passed remembered Merlin, several of them crying out words of welcome. Merlin smiled in return, asking some of them how they were fairing. Arthur raised an amused brow. As they climbed the various staircases and corridors, Merlin pointed out several tapestries that contained hidden passageways leading to different floors, false doors that pretended to be real ones, and stairs that liked to trap people's feet. Arthur found the changes to be quite alarming though he kept his opinions to himself.
They reached the fifth floor when they ran into their first ghost. Though warned of their presence, the specter still unnerved Arthur and the knights – especially since it simply appeared out of a solid stone wall. The ghost was a rather rotund man with the appearance of a friar.
"Gracious me!" he exclaimed once his eyes rounded on Merlin. "If it isn't the immortal one!"
"Hello, friar," Merlin greeted, smiling kindly at him. "It's been a while."
"I would say so," the Fat Friar exclaimed, positively thrilled to see him. "A hundred years, I believe?"
Merlin nodded, "Give or take."
"I'm shocked to see you here when school is not in session," the friar continued before noticing Arthur and the knights. "Friends of yours, Malcolm?"
"Malcolm?" Arthur questioned.
Merlin grinned sheepishly. "I couldn't very well enter the wizarding world using my own name!"
"I suspected as much," the Fat Friar interrupted. "You've gone by Malcolm, Mortimer, Marvis, Marcus, Martin, Melvyn, and Markis but I never believed any of these to be your true identity."
The knights all appeared amused. "Melvyn?" Gwaine teased, digging an elbow into Merlin's side.
"They were necessary precautions," Merlin grumbled.
"Why?" Arthur wondered. "Clearly you haven't always been as famous as you are now."
"Arthur, I was famous even before I was born, remember?" Merlin reminded. "Or did you forget that the druids looked forward to the time of Emrys for years?"
"Emrys!" the Fat Friar cried, his silvery eyes shining brightly as a wide smile climbed his face. "I knew it!"
Merlin groaned. "Here we go," he muttered.
"Oh, Sir Nicolas is going to be furious that I was the first to confirm our suspicions!" the ghost laughed.
Merlin looked upon him with raised eyebrows. "All of you knew?"
"We suspected," he corrected, eyeing Merlin with a sense of fondness and pride. "To think you are truly the great Merlin himself!" He then looked at Arthur and his eyes widened, his smile being replaced by a look of wonder. "You addressed this man as Arthur. Surely it can't be…"
Merlin sighed. There was no point in denying it to the ghosts. They needed to know anyway since the castle was Arthur's and he had every right to kick them out of their current haunt. He should have guessed that the ghosts would speculate over who he was; a young man returning to the castle every eighty years or so was definitely something that would catch their interest. They were all dead after all. Finding a man who lived forever was probably the most fascinating thing they had come across.
"Fat Friar, allow me to introduce King Arthur and the Knights of the Round, Sirs Gwaine, Percival, Leon, and Elyan," Merlin said.
The paintings nearest to them gasped in shock and after whispering to each other, started visiting other portraits. Merlin inwardly sighed. Pretty soon every one of them would know the truth and he was fairly certain that the gossip would extend to the teachers. With a discreet flash of his eyes, he placed a spell on the castle so that no outward communications could be made; the last thing they needed was this news spreading to the wizarding world!
"Bless my soul," the friar literally cried, silver tears pricking the corners of his eyes. Taking a deep bow, he humbly professed, "It is an honor to be in the company of such legendary men! Welcome to Hogwarts, Your Highness."
Arthur's eyebrows rose but he appeared rather pleased. "Thank you," he replied gratefully.
"Although, it actually should be 'welcome home'," Merlin corrected, grinning.
The friar's mouth dropped open. "So the rumors are true? Hogwarts is actually –"
"Camelot," Arthur finished.
The friar seemed beside himself, so great was his tizzy. "Well, this is an interesting development!"
"One that we would all like to understand!" someone added testily behind them.
Merlin turned to find most of the Hogwarts ghosts had appeared; the Gray Lady, the Bloody Baron, and Sir Nicolas being in the front. The first two were looking at Merlin with narrowed eyes.
"Is it true?" the Gray Lady demanded, gliding closer towards him.
Merlin swallowed. "Helena, I wanted to tell you…"
"Don't!" she snapped. "I can't believe this! Why didn't my mother ever tell me?"
"Because I asked her not to," Merlin replied, sad. "I didn't want to be idolized."
"You used to play with me," Helena gasped, her hurt apparently very deep. "I used to tell you everything. I knew you were keeping something from me. I just didn't expect it to be this!"
"Merlin, do you and this ghost have some sort of history?" Arthur muttered in his ear.
"We do," Merlin sighed, having difficulty looking the king in the eye. "Helena is the daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw. I was there when she was born and cared for her until she was almost seventeen. I left Hogwarts shortly before her birthday. I hadn't known she'd been killed until I returned to the castle a hundred years later and discovered her ghost. Helena, I'm sorry I didn't tell you who I really was."
"I get the feeling this woman sees you in a special way, Merlin," Gwaine whispered.
The Gray Lady's cheeks darkened and her eyes flashed dangerously, obviously overhearing him. "I do not!" she roared.
"Of course not, my lady," Gwaine quickly replied, though he shared a small grin with Elyan.
Merlin winced. He'd known of Helena's feelings towards him since the moment she had reached the age of fourteen. Her growing attraction for him was one of the reasons he'd left; not because he shared similar feelings but because he didn't want to feed her hopes. His heart had already been claimed and another would never be able to enter it. The familiar pang of sorrow and longing ran through Merlin's heart as he thought of Freya. Shaking himself from his thoughts, he turned back to the ghosts.
"I know this may come as a large shock to most of you," he said loudly, for they were all excitedly chattering amongst themselves, "but I have to ask you to keep this knowledge to yourselves. With the way the world is today, it would not be in anyone's best interest if Voldemort learned the truth."
Several people shuddered over the name but nodded silently in agreement without the slightest hesitation.
"Why can't he know the truth?" Sir Nicolas wondered.
"Because the Old Religion wishes most of the world to remain in ignorance concerning us at this time," Merlin replied. To Arthur and the knights' surprise, none of them seemed dissatisfied with this answer. "Like magical creatures, ghosts are more in tune with the Old Religion than witches and wizards," Merlin explained to them.
"I wonder why," Leon muttered.
Merlin shrugged. "Most people tend to be arrogant and ignorant concerning it."
Another ghost drifted forward then, addressing Arthur in particular. "Is it true what the paintings are saying? That you are King Arthur and the Knights of the Round?"
Arthur regally stepped forward. "It is," he stated.
"But you are muggles," the Bloody Baron interrupted. "How can you be within Hogwarts?"
Arthur rolled his eyes. "How many times am I going to have to hear this, Merlin?"
"Every time, I'm afraid," Merlin sighed before briefly explaining to the ghosts the true identity of Hogwarts and its allegiance to the king. The ghosts' attitude changed quite dramatically from this revelation.
The Fat Friar appeared wary as he drifted a little closer to Arthur. "Your Majesty, we do not mean to impose but, this has been our home for many years –"
Arthur held up a hand. "I will tell you the same thing I told the members of the Order of the Phoenix. I will make a decision concerning the affairs of my castle in the morning. If you wish to know what that will be, be in the throne room at that time."
"The Great Hall," Merlin elaborated for those who appeared confused.
Arthur scowled.
The Fat Friar bowed to the king. "We will accept whatever decision you make, Sire. This is your home after all."
Arthur privately decided he rather liked this ghost. He appeared to be a good man – well, spirit. "Thank you," he replied. "Merlin, let's continue the tour, shall we?"
"Of course," Merlin replied, walking ahead of him while inclining his head towards the ghosts who still displayed expressions of awe.
No one spoke again until Merlin introduced them to the owlery. Though fascinated by the way sorcerers communicated, Arthur was still a little apprehensive of the large birds peering down at him over various sharp beaks.
"It's about time you came up here!" a rather annoyed voice shouted somewhere in the rafters, causing them to jump. The large tawny owl that flew down towards them landed on Merlin's shoulder with an unappreciative glare.
"Why Archimedes, I thought you were going to stay in the village," Merlin replied, poking the bird a little in the chest. "Apparently you desired company after all."
The owl huffed angrily, fluffing his feathers. "I didn't desire anything of the sort!" he retorted. "I simply know that leaving you to your own devices usually ends in disaster."
"At least I can agree with the bird on something," Arthur muttered.
Archimedes sent Arthur an angry glare; obviously he still hadn't forgiven him for using him as a projectile. "Well, get on with the tour!" he demanded, squeezing Merlin's shoulder with his talons. "I didn't wait out here in this drafty tower only to have you stay here for another hour!"
Merlin chuckled. "Before Archimedes demanded we give him our undivided attention, I was about to tell you, Arthur, that all of the owls you see in the rafters belong to the school."
"So they belong to me," Arthur replied.
"That's correct."
"None of them talk, do they?" he asked nervously.
Merlin laughed. "No. Fortunately for you, Archimedes is the only owl of his kind."
"Thank goodness," Arthur muttered, the knights silently agreeing with him.
"What was that?" Archimedes demanded, his head swirling around, yellow eyes flashing.
"Nothing," Arthur grumbled, clearly annoyed and still slightly unnerved. He didn't like the idea that an animal held so much intelligence. It simply wasn't natural. The only reason he hadn't demanded for the owl to permanently disappear was because he could see how much Merlin loved it. An odd stroke of jealousy ran through him as he watched the two interact. Archimedes nipped Merlin's finger with his beak causing him to smile affectionately. Arthur ground his teeth together.
"Merlin, why don't you show us that room you mentioned earlier," he said, interrupting Archimedes most recent hunting tale involving a mouse and a chicken of all things. "The one that you added to the castle," he elaborated.
Merlin's eyes lit up. "Oh! I almost forgot about it!" Excited, he gestured for the others to follow him down the tower steps and back into the corridor.
Archimedes looked back at Arthur with narrowed eyes but didn't say anything. The king sent him a large grin and the owl fluffed his feathers angrily before twisting around and throwing his beak into the air. Arthur's smirk deepened.
Once they reached the seventh floor, Merlin was a bundle of happy energy. "I wanted to have a place I could go where I could relax," he was saying as he stopped in front of a blank space of wall.
"Um, Merlin?" Gwaine voiced, "There's nothing here."
Merlin grinned. "Wait for it."
Pacing back and forth in front of the wall three times, he thought of Camelot's armory where most of the knights retired after a rousing training session on the grounds. A familiar thrum of magic rippled through the air and Merlin smiled. This was one of the most ingenious enchantments he'd created and he was quite proud of it. The gasp from Arthur and the knights behind him signified the magical appearance of a door springing into existence. Merlin opened the it and watched as a look of awe and recognition lit up his friends' faces.
"It's the armory!" Percival happily exclaimed.
"But how can it be up here?" Gwaine wondered. "I thought you told us the armory had been changed into a broom cupboard on the second floor."
"It has," Merlin supplied. "I created this room so it becomes whatever you request it to be; the more specific you are, the more specific the room."
"So, you're saying that if I wanted this room to turn into my own chambers back in Camelot, it would do so?" Arthur asked.
Merlin smiled and closed the door; it immediately disappeared into the stone. "Why don't you give it a try?"
Arthur hesitated before nodding. "Alright… do I have to do something?"
"Think about your chambers," Merlin instructed. "Picture them clearly in your mind, every detail you can think of. Hold that image and walk back and forth in front of the wall three times and the magic will make the image a reality."
Arthur felt utterly ridiculous but did as Merlin suggested. Picturing his room in his mind as clearly as if he were actually there, he walked back and forth in front of the wall three times. He stopped after the third turn and looked expectantly at the wall. It remained blank.
Archimedes started to hoot with laughter. "Apparently it only works for those who possess magic!"
Arthur was just about to strangle the bird when there was a grinding noise and the door sprung up from the ground. Archimedes' laughter died and his eyes widened considerably larger. Arthur smirked triumphantly. Who is laugh now, bird? He inwardly jibed. Not only had the door appeared but it had transfigured into the double wooden doors that accompanied his chambers. Thrilled, Arthur pushed the doors open and stepped inside.
Everything was exactly as he remembered. The large wooden table sat just inside the doors, a bowl of fruit resting in the middle of its dark surface. The large four poster bed stood off to the left, the small bedside table containing all of his keys resting next to it. In front of the far window sat the desk where he usually poured over countless documents. Dark tapestries of red and gold clung to the walls amidst silver shields with the Pendragon symbol blazing in bright golden yellow paint. As he stepped into the room, he even smelt the perfume that Guinevere used and his heart fluttered a moment, his eyes fruitlessly searching for her. Though it had only been a week, he missed her terribly; not that he'd tell any of the knights or Merlin this.
"It looks exactly the same," Elyan exclaimed behind him. "Amazing!"
"I sometimes changed the room to these chambers," Merlin quietly muttered. "Except I would make them messy…"
"Why?" Leon asked though Arthur suspected he already knew the answer.
"So I could clean them up," Merlin admitted, "like I used to. It helped me cope once in a while. I've also made the room appear like Gaius's. I'd even sleep in here when I did. Sometimes I couldn't bring myself to sleep in the house dormitories."
Arthur's heart went out to him and he suddenly understood perfectly why Merlin had built this room; it was so a part of Camelot would always be remembered, even if the rest of the castle had changed. Arthur looked around his chambers one last time, again picturing Guinevere there, leaning against the post, smiling at him. He wondered how many times Merlin had come here in the past, haunted by similar memories. Glancing at his best friend, their eyes met and a sorrowful smile graced Merlin's features as a mutual understanding passed between them.
"Would you like to see the common rooms to each of the four houses?" Merlin asked.
Arthur nodded, taking one last look at his chambers before exiting back out into the hall. Merlin took them to the Gryffindor Common Room first, explaining along the way that normally only students belonging to Gryffindor House could enter.
Approaching the painting of the Fat Lady, Merlin found her sitting there gossiping with her dear friend, Violet. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the immortal himself," the Fat Lady smiled. "You've created quite the stir, haven't you?"
"Are you truly Merlin like everyone has been saying?" Violet asked, beside herself with excitement.
"I am," Merlin replied, nodding.
"And your friends?" the Fat Lady muttered, staring at Arthur and the knights. "Are they who they claim to be?"
"They are," Merlin answered, growing somewhat tired of the questions. "Ladies, please, I'd like to show the king Gryffindor tower. Would you mind letting us inside?"
"I'd normally ask for a password but seeing that the king himself is desirous to enter, I'll simply let you pass," the Fat Lady giggled, wiggling her chubby fingers towards Arthur before her portrait swung open.
Merlin climbed through the portrait hole and the others followed suit behind him. "Gryffindors are known for their bravery, nerve, chivalry, courage, and daring," Merlin said as they looked around the room which was decorated in yellow and gold with the crest of a mighty lion roaring on its hind legs. Comfy armchairs dotted the open space and two spiral staircases led to upper floors. "The stairs lead to the boys and girls dormitories," Merlin pointed, "The girls' staircase being bewitched so that the boys can't climb it."
"What happens if they do?" Gwaine wondered.
"It turns into a giant slide," Merlin answered.
"I suppose that makes sense," Arthur muttered while Gwaine looked slightly disappointed.
Merlin cast his eyes around the place, his mind being filled with memories. "Besides Hufflepuff, I chose to come to Gryffindor the most in the past."
"You choose which house you want to be part of?" asked Percival.
"I choose," Merlin elaborated. "Normally the Sorting Hat does the choosing. It's an enchanted hat that looks into your mind and determines which house you fit into."
None of them were too thrilled over the idea of an inanimate object poking around in their thoughts. Arthur frowned. "You said that you get to choose instead of it choosing for you. Is that simply because you're, well, you?"
Merlin nodded. "The stupid thing won't ever choose for me – says that since I'm magic itself it doesn't have the right. Even so, each choice I've made has been fun. I was able to attend all four houses several times and though I don't like the rivalry between them, it's always interesting to integrate myself with each group."
"I'm guessing your favorites are Hufflepuff and Gryffindor then?" Gwaine surmised, grinning.
Merlin smiled. "They are. The characteristics of Hufflepuff fit more of my personality – hard work, dedication, patience, loyalty, and fair play – while Gryffindor's remind me of all of you. I've often tickled the idea of where the hat would send each of you. Maybe we can finally find that out now that you're here."
"Where is this Sorting Hat?" Arthur asked as they climbed back out of the portrait hole and wandered away from the Fat Lady and her friend.
"It's in the Headmaster's office," Merlin answered. "Your sword is probably there as well, Arthur."
"Then we should head there next," Arthur eagerly replied. "I can see the rest of the castle later."
Merlin frowned, glancing out the window. "Alright but it's getting late and I'm not sure the house elves know what to serve you for dinner. I'd like you to meet them sooner than later."
"I'll meet them after we get Excalibur," Arthur replied stubbornly.
"Very well," Merlin said, trying hard not to grin. Arthur had become quite attached to that blade; he probably even considered it to be an extension of his arm.
"I don't see what the big deal is about a sword," Archimedes grumbled in Merlin's ear, speaking up for the first time since the owlery. "You would think the oaf would be more interested in what has become of his castle."
"Silence that annoying bird of yours, Merlin, or I might just consider having owl for dinner," Arthur snapped next to him.
Merlin sighed. "Will you two ever learn to get along?"
"No!" they both snapped at the same time.
Merlin frowned. Clearly he hadn't expected such animosity from the two of them. He'd really wanted Archimedes to like Arthur and vise versa but apparently that had been wishful thinking. The two of them were constantly shooting daggers at each other. Merlin didn't want to even think about the possibility of Arthur giving him the ultimatum of choosing Archimedes or himself. Merlin's loyalty to Arthur was unquestionable but he couldn't deny that he would be heartbroken if he lost his owl. Though he drove him crazy and criticized him on a frequent basis, Merlin loved Archimedes. He'd found him in the woods as a baby, apparently abandoned, and had taken him home without a thought. He practically raised him and at one point enchanted him with human intelligence during a particularly stormy night when he was terribly missing Arthur. Ever since then the bird had developed a snarkier attitude than what he'd had before. Perhaps Merlin thinking of Arthur had passed some of the king's mannerisms to the owl during the spell? Come to think of it, now that Merlin looked at the two, he saw many similarities. Both were prideful, sure of themselves, and made it a point to make fun of him. Though Archimedes didn't order Merlin around like Arthur did, his snide remarks were akin to that of the king's. Perhaps that was why they had difficulty getting along; they were too alike to stand being near each other.
Merlin grinned.
They reached the entrance to the Headmaster's office ten minutes later and the stone gargoyle raised a curious brow at the sight of the old sorcerer.
"Well, if it isn't the great Emrys himself."
"Hello, Hogan," Merlin smiled. "It's been a while."
"Yes," the gargoyle replied. "The last time I believe was when you got in trouble five hundred years ago for changing your defense teacher into a pig. Nice magic, that was."
Merlin cleared his throat while the knights and Arthur looked amused. "Yes, well, he was quite boorish to begin with. I figured a little time being chased around with knives by the house elves in the kitchen would teach him some manners."
"Poor man," Elyan replied while Gwaine roared with laughter.
"But did he deserve it?" Arthur questioned.
"He wanted to give one of the students detention simply because he didn't like her father," Merlin said. "Back in those days, detentions consisted of hanging from the dungeon ceilings in chains for several hours."
Arthur nodded, "Then he deserved it."
"For once you and I can agree on something," Archimedes grumbled quietly on Merlin's shoulder. The warlock smiled. Perhaps there was hope of a friendship just yet.
"So, I suppose you'd like to go upstairs?" Hogan asked, eyeing them all.
"If you don't mind," Merlin replied.
Hogan raised an eyebrow before looking at the king with a snarky grin. "What's the password?"
Arthur scrutinized the statue. "An inanimate object with an attitude? How's this for a password. Let us pass or I'll have Merlin throw you from the highest tower where you can crumble to dust and be scattered in the wind?"
Hogan immediately sprung aside, revealing a handsome spiral staircase from behind. "My apologies, my king," the gargoyle muttered as they walked past him, Arthur displaying a satisfied smirk.
"Was that really necessary?" Merlin asked as they climbed the steps.
"Merlin, you know as well as I that any servant – inanimate or real, in this case – needs to learn I'm not one to cross."
"Hmmm, oddly enough I don't think I ever learned that one."
"Well, I've said it several times before but I fear you're a hopeless case."
Merlin smirked. "Then why do you keep me around?"
Arthur decided not to comment on this and instead pushed the door open to the headmaster's office. The room was covered with several different objects, some whirling and puffing small amounts of multicolored smoke into the air. The portraits of previous headmasters and headmistresses lined the walls, all of whom were wide awake and eyeing the newcomers with profound interest. Albus Dumbledore rested in a large golden frame behind a handsome wooden desk, his blue eyes twinkling as they always had in real life. Resting beneath him on the mantelpiece over the fire was the Hogwarts Sorting Hat, a glass case sitting next to it. Merlin had known that Dumbledore had placed 'Gryffindor's Sword' in this case after Harry had given it to him in his second year. There was just one problem: the case was empty.
"Alright, Merlin," Arthur loudly exclaimed, "where is my sword?"
Merlin swallowed and then looked up at Dumbledore. "It used to be in the case," he said. "Where is it now?"
Dumbledore frowned. "I fear I have no clue where it ended up," he answered. "When I awoke, it was gone."
"It's not here?" Arthur demanded.
Merlin carefully looked around at Arthur. "Um… apparently the sword is missing."
It came as no surprise when the king started shouting. "Merlin, you idiot! If you hadn't blasted it out of my hand this whole ordeal never would have happened!"
"I was trying to protect you from getting killed, you clotpole!" Merlin retorted.
"And though I appreciate that, look what happened!" Arthur snapped. "What possessed you to leave it with someone else?"
"It felt like the right thing to do at the time!" Merlin defended.
"You mean to tell me that you trusted a man you hardly knew with my sword simply based on a feeling? You are such a girl Merlin!"
"It's not my fault that the sword is gone!" Merlin snapped, more angry with himself that with Arthur. The prat didn't need to add salt to the wound but of course he shouldn't expect anything less from him when he became this surly.
"Then whose fault is it?" Arthur demanded, "Because apparently it isn't here where you said it would be."
"Obviously something more is going on here than any of us understands," Percival intervened, his calm voice seeping through the atmosphere. "There isn't a reason to yell at Merlin, Arthur. He did what he felt was right in leaving the sword to protect your castle. I'm sure you would have done the same in his position. What we should be doing is asking these other portraits if they know what happened to the sword."
Leave it to Percival to be the voice of reason. The man always had a knack for calming everyone down and reminding them to be rational. Arthur sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You're right." He looked at the portraits. "Well?"
One of the paintings nearest to them raised a rather bushy eyebrow. Apparently they didn't approve of Arthur's attitude. Nonetheless, one of the old headmistresses cleared her throat and shrilled, "I saw what occurred. The sword was sitting in its glass case when there was a sudden flash of white light and it was gone."
Several of the portraits on the wall nodded, confirming her story.
"When did this happen?" Merlin demanded.
"Shortly after Dumbledore died," replied Armando Dippet.
Merlin looked back up at Dumbledore with slightly narrowed eyes. "Are you certain you have no idea what happened to it?"
Dumbledore scrutinized the warlock for a moment, threading his long fingers together. "I may be a great wizard and I may have had many tricks up my sleeve, as they say, but I assure you I did not anticipate this. I admit to leaving the sword in my will to Harry –"
"Excuse me, but what gave you the right to assume you could give that sword to someone else?" Arthur demanded, stepping up to the portrait.
Dumbledore inclined his head in respect. "It is an honor to meet you in person, King Arthur. You were the greatest sovereign of any and all ages."
"Flattery will not help you in this case," Arthur replied, anger clearly painted on his face.
"I am not trying to flatter but state an absolute fact," Dumbledore cheekily replied. "But perhaps you do not need any more than what you have already received from others?"
Arthur reeled. "I don't believe it. He's as bad as you, Merlin!"
Merlin chuckled. "Well, he's right. I've been saying for years that people need to stop praising you for being a royal prat."
"Shut up, Merlin," Arthur grumbled, turning back to Albus whose eyes twinkled in amusement. "Let's try this again. Tell me why you felt my sword was part of your inheritance."
"I bequeathed it to Harry because it possesses the necessary magical properties to destroy dark magic," Dumbledore answered unblinkingly. "I knew that I was going to die soon and I didn't want to leave Harry without the only tool he could use to destroy Tom Riddle."
"Who?"
"Lord Voldemort," Merlin clarified.
Arthur frowned. "You are right about one thing; the sword does have magical properties. It was forged in a dragon's breath."
Dumbledore's eyes widened. "I assume it was a dragon of old since it was made in your era? No wonder it was able to kill the basilisk Harry faced in his second year! That poor creature didn't stand a chance against a blade with such incredible magic. To think, Gryffindor's sword is the legendary Excalibur! I knew would have guessed!"
"And now it's missing!" Arthur raged, kicking the desk in annoyance.
"Arthur, calm down," Gwaine suggested.
"All of this over a flimsy sword," Archimedes scoffed.
Arthur glared angrily at the bird and temporarily entertained the idea of wringing its scrawny neck. Flexing his fingers into fists, he tried to control his temper. "All of you obviously are not thinking of how dire this situation is!" he said, barely keeping his cool since Archimedes chose that moment to roll his eyes. Arthur took a deep breath before continuing, "You have to understand that Excalibur in the hands of any enemy is dangerous and perilous in more ways than can be imagined!"
"I understand," Merlin replied quietly, his eyes on his king. Arthur stopped and stared at his manservant. "I almost lost you to an immortal blade," Merlin muttered. "I would have, if Kilgarrah hadn't been there."
"I know," Arthur replied, his hand reaching up to where Mordred's blade had embedded into his flesh during the Battle of Camlann.
The knights grew still. Neither Merlin nor Arthur had ever told anyone what happened that day; they'd simply said that Merlin had nursed Arthur back to health with his magic.
Arthur cleared his throat, retreating from those painful memories. "Anyway, the wielder of such a dangerous object could kill any who dare try to defy him, including people that are immortal," he stated in a louder voice, his stare keenly directed towards Merlin. "The last thing we want is for Voldemort to be in possession of such a weapon."
"Are you saying that if Voldemort were to get hold of Excalibur, he could kill Merlin with it?" Gwaine demanded, having not missed the unspoken hint.
"Emrys means immortal," Merlin answered nervously. "I was able to kill Cenred's immortal army with the blade. For all we know, it just might work the same with me."
Everyone was fairly alarmed by this revelation. "But, we don't even know if it was the Dark Lord who took it!" one of the portraits on the wall argued. "There was nothing but a flash of light!"
"That may have been what you saw but someone could have easily been hiding within it," Merlin replied. Closing his eyes, he stretched out one of his hands.
"Merlin?" Arthur questioned.
After a moment, Merlin's hand lowered in puzzlement. "I don't understand," he muttered.
"What is it?" Percival prompted.
"I feel traces of Old magic," Merlin replied, "but that's impossible. There isn't anyone alive who can do it except for me."
"Can you maybe ask the Old Religion what happened?" Leon asked.
Merlin shook his head. "I already tried. It's being annoyingly as silent as the grave."
"Then we have no clue what happened," Arthur said in disappointment.
"I'm sorry," Merlin muttered.
"It's not your fault, Merlin," Gwaine kindly reassured.
"What do we do now?" Elyan asked.
Arthur frowned before letting out a sigh and standing to his full height. "We move forward. There is no reason to fret over something that will make us sick with unnecessary uncertainties. I don't believe Voldemort is aware of the sword."
To this, he looked at Dumbledore's painting. The old wizard shook his head. "To my knowledge, he is not. Though Voldemort liked to collect objects of great magical value, I don't believe he knew it was here."
"Alright then," Arthur nodded. "We'll have to have faith in that until something further comes to light." He glanced out the window, noticing the sun had already set. "Let's go to the kitchens. I believe you said the house elves wanted to meet me, Merlin?"
Merlin nodded, still looking upset over the loss of the sword. "I'm sure they'll try to feed us as well, seeing as it's time for dinner."
"Great!" Gwaine cried in excitement. "I could do with another round of firewhiskey!"
"That's not dinner, Gwaine," Elyan chided.
"Maybe not to you," Gwaine chortled.
Everyone followed Merlin out of the room, not noticing the curious expressions of the headmasters or headmistresses that followed after them as they left.
"Are the kitchens in the same place?" Gwaine asked as the six men wandered down several staircases back to the main floor.
"No," Merlin smiled, remembering all the times Gwaine and Percival had coerced him to help in their schemes of stealing extra chicken from under the ornery cook's nose. "They were moved to be right under the Great Hall so that the house elves could use their magic to transport food directly above them onto the four house tables."
"I guess that means we won't be needing any more fishing hooks, Percival," Gwaine sighed.
Merlin laughed. "I'm sure that the house elves would be more than happy to bring you as much extra food as you want – that is, if Arthur gives them permission to do so. Although, Arthur, you might want to keep in mind that the house elves love to serve. They'll be overjoyed if you give them an order."
Arthur frowned. "You make it sound as if they'll cry once I do such a thing."
Merlin nodded, "Because it's a distinct probability that they will. House elves thrive on following orders. It's almost like obeying their master is tied with their emotions. It's kind of complicated."
Reaching the Great Hall, Merlin led their little procession down a long corridor off to the left. A recess where several large barrels stood caught their eye. "That's the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room," Merlin said, pointing to the barrels as they walked passed. Archimedes left Merlin's shoulder, flying over to the one of the barrels. "Are you not coming?" he asked him with a raised brow.
"You go on ahead," the bird muttered. "I'd rather not see hundreds of little creatures praising a man who honestly doesn't deserve their devotion."
Arthur bristled while Merlin cried, "Archimedes!" The owl only turned his back to them, his tail feathers in full view.
Letting out a disappointed sigh, Merlin shook his head before motioning for the knights to follow him, leaving his bird to brood in the dark. Stopping at a large painting of a bowl of fruit, the Court Sorcerer stretched forth his hand and tickled the pear. Arthur and the knights watched in silent amusement as the pear shivered, let out a peel of laughter, and then transformed into a green doorknob.
"I never would have thought to do that," Leon commented to Elyan who nodded in agreement.
Merlin peeked over his shoulder. "Try not to be too surprised… house elves can be a little… eccentric." And on that note, he opened the door and stepped inside.
Sweet aromas immediately wafted through the air, causing Arthur's mouth to immediately water; he hadn't realized how hungry he was until the smell of roasting pork filled his lungs. From the reactions of the knights behind him, Arthur knew they were thinking the same thing he was: where was the food? A vast amount of pots and pans covered the stone walls and a humongous fireplace stood opposite them, a healthy fire cracking merrily in the hearth. Arthur was temporarily distracted from the scenery by several high pitched squeals of delight ringing throughout the room.
Looking away from the magnificent kitchen – which was surely what any cook would consider heaven – Arthur noticed about a hundred rather strange looking creatures with large round eyes and big ears drawing closer towards them with eager, happy grins. They were about three feet tall with tiny limbs, making the proportions of their facial features stand out even more in Arthur's mind. Little togas covered their bodies, fastened together over their shoulders with what must be the Hogwarts crest.
The nearest to them, an elf with tuffs of white hair coming from its ears, approached Merlin and bowed so low that his little nose touched the floor. "Master Emrys, welcome back!" he happily squeaked, his large brown eyes shining with unshed tears.
Merlin stepped forward and got down on one knee to address the elf. "It's been a long time, Goggle," he grinned. "I've missed you." And then he enveloped the elf in a hug who, after a moment of surprise, returned the gesture.
"Goggle is happy to see Master Emrys but he has said time and time again that it is not appropriate for an elf to hug such a great and powerful warlock!" the elf muttered after Merlin released him.
"And just like I told your great grandfather Poggle – and all your other ancestors – I'm no better than you are," Merlin cheekily replied.
"Yes Master Emrys has said this many times," Goggle replied, dabbing his eyes with his toga, "but that does not mean Goggle won't say how he feels again and again."
Merlin chuckled before standing up. "I know."
"May Goggle ask why Master Emrys has returned this time?"
Merlin glanced at Arthur before smiling widely at the gathering of elves. "I'd like to make an announcement, if that's alright with you."
"Master Emrys may do as he wishes," Goggle replied happily, flapping his ears.
Merlin motioned for Arthur to step forward. The king looked a little unnerved by the strange little creatures that eyed him curiously but stepped forward nonetheless. "Everyone," Merlin said in a loud voice, "allow me to introduce Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot."
There was a collective gasp and many let out squeals of joy. Goggle's eyes shone with awe and happiness as he tentatively stepped closer to Arthur. Arthur watched him come closer, glancing nervously at Merlin. The warlock was clearly enjoying himself. Arthur again looked at the elf who was now staring up at him with unshed tears in his brown, orb-like eyes.
"What a blessing this truly is!" Goggle happily squeaked before bowing to Arthur just as low as he had to Merlin. "Welcome back, Master Arthur! Welcome back!"
And then to Arthur's absolute shock, every elf in the room shouted the same thing before bowing as well – or curtseying in the girls' case. Arthur had no idea how to react to this. He'd never been greeted by such enthusiasm from such a large gathering of creatures. From the adoration in their eyes, he had the suspicion that if he asked them to, they would die for him without a second thought. Such loyalty and devotion... in an odd way, they reminded him of Merlin – without the cheeky, snarky comments of course.
"Is there anything Master Arthur would like?" Goggle asked and all the elves leaned in closer to hear their master's words.
Arthur cleared his throat. "Um, well, the knights and I are a little hungry…"
"We will prepare a great feast!" Goggle cried, bowing low again. "Is there anything in particular Master Arthur wants?"
Arthur glanced at the knights who all looked as shocked and amused as he felt. He was at a loss. Merlin laughed, deciding to take over. "They'll have roast pork, mashed potatoes, an array of fruits, meat pie, and the strongest firewhiskey you've got on the shelves."
Goggle nodded to Merlin, his eyes shining. "We'll happily set to work immediately, if this is what Master Arthur wants?"
"Oh, um, that should be fine," Arthur replied, still dazed by his enthusiasm.
The elves bowed as one again before breaking apart in little groups, bustling around the kitchen to prepare the requested food. Goggle lingered behind and looked up at Arthur. "Is there anything that Master Arthur and his friends would like while dinner is being prepared?"
Arthur blinked. "Um, no, we'll wait for now."
"As Master Arthur wishes," Goggle smiled, bowing to him once more before rushing off to oversee the cooking of the roasting pig.
Arthur turned back to Merlin with raised eyebrows. Merlin laughed, gesturing for the others to follow him out of the kitchen.
"I've never seen such dedication and enthusiasm to serve someone," Leon commented the moment the kitchen door was closed and the six of them were making their way back towards the Entrance Hall. Archimedes flew out of the recess he'd hidden in as they passed, his talons lightly landing on Merlin's shoulder.
"I have," Arthur muttered, scowling at the bird. "I believe I've found the equivalent of George in the magical world."
Merlin laughed and teasingly nudged Arthur in the arm. "At least they don't make jokes about brass."
"Thank heavens," Arthur replied. "I can't deny they somewhat scare me, Merlin."
"Don't worry," Merlin assured. "I promised I'd be your servant 'til the day I died. I'm not about to let a hundred eager house elves replace me."
"I can't believe that all of them have such allegiance to you when they don't even know you," Elyan mused as they entered the Great Hall to wait for dinner to be ready.
"I know," Arthur muttered. "It's unnerving."
"I thought you'd be happy to have servants that obey your every whim without complaint," Gwaine teased, winking at Merlin.
"Hey, I'm not that bad," Merlin said defensively.
"Merlin, you're the worst servant anyone could ever have," Arthur countered.
"If he is, then why do you continuously make him do things for you?" Archimedes demanded, annoyed. Arthur bristled in annoyance as he turned to scowl the bird. "Merlin clearly has better things to do than to bow to your every whim," the owl continued to rage. "If you are so displeased with him, you should replace him! Those house elves would drop dead if you asked. If you ask me, you should release Merlin from your service and let them cater to your incessant demands."
Arthur's blood felt like it was boiling just beneath his skin. "I actually didn't ask you, Archimedes," he stated with daggers in his eyes. "And if you don't keep your thoughts to yourself, I may just ask Merlin to banish you to the owlery where I honestly believe you should have stayed in the first place!"
Merlin glanced at Archimedes with a pleading in his eyes, silently asking the bird to let the matter go. Archimedes, however, was not about to swallow his pride. "At least I appreciate Merlin!" he snapped, flapping his wings indignantly, his feathers smacking Merlin's face.
"And you say I don't?" Arthur demanded, rounding on him.
"You are constantly complaining about his ineptitude to bend to your every beck and call," Archimedes retorted. "Clearly you do not!"
Arthur opened his mouth to argue but Merlin beat him to it. "Archimedes, that's enough!" he shouted, surprising everyone with his angry tone. Taking a deep breath, Merlin moved Archimedes from his shoulder so he was resting on his hand. The owl looked up at him nervously. Merlin apologized. "Look, I didn't mean to get mad," he muttered. "I just don't want to see you two fighting. Arthur isn't how you've made him out to be. You should give him a chance."
Archimedes hooted indignantly, anger flaring in his yellow eyes. "If you're fool enough not to realize how terrible he treats you, you're clearly the idiot he has labeled you to be!" And with that, the bird took off, flying up the stairs and out of sight.
"Archimedes!" Merlin called desperately but the owl ignored him. He sighed, shaking his head.
Arthur immediately felt bad. He hadn't meant to cause a scene. "Merlin…" he began.
Merlin put up a hand and sent him a smile. "Its fine, Arthur. He gets this way once in a while. Come on, dinner's probably almost ready."
Arthur met the eyes of the knights who knew just as well as he did that Merlin was still upset but unwilling to talk about it further. Feeling frustrated with the owl as well as himself for causing his manservant unnecessary distress, Arthur silently followed Merlin into the Great Hall where dinner was surprisingly already waiting for them – along with all of the Hogwarts staff.
Arthur wasn't in the mood to entertain any of the men and women who were clearly looking at him with interest. Merlin didn't appear to be his usual happy self either so the knights took it upon themselves to answer most of the questions the Hogwarts professors had concerning them. Merlin and Arthur did their best to be cordial but they certainly lacked their usual cheer; the absence of their banter was not lost on Professor McGonagall who was watching them with slight concern.
After consuming his meal, Arthur was more than ready to find someplace private that he and Merlin could talk. What Archimedes had said had clearly bothered him. Sure, he constantly claimed Merlin was a lousy servant, but it wasn't true. Merlin didn't believe that, did he? He glanced at his manservant, wondering what he was thinking. Was he upset because he thought Archimedes was telling the truth?
Pushing his plate away, Arthur stood up, silencing all conversation. "I think I will retire for the evening."
Merlin stood as well. "Allow me to show you to your room, Sire."
Arthur raised a curious brow but nodded. Merlin turned to the knights. "All of you can stay in Gryffindor tower – if that's okay?" Merlin looked at Arthur instead of the professors, each of them noticing this and scowling slightly – well, all of them except for Professor McGonagall who sat there with a resigned look on her face.
"That should be fine," Arthur replied with a nod.
"I'll be back to show you how to get there in a little while," Merlin replied to the knights.
"Take your time, Merlin," Gwaine assured, drinking his fourth cup of firewhiskey. "We're in no hurry."
Merlin shook his head with a hopeless smile before turning and leading Arthur from the hall. They wandered silently up four flights of stairs before Merlin came to the fourth floor, stopping halfway down the corridor. Arthur stopped too, his eyes widening slightly. "Camelot," he muttered, staring at a painting that was indeed the way his castle used to be. The small flags flying over the citadel flapped silently in a slight breeze and tiny knights marched back and forth along the battlements while the townspeople below bustled about their business in the market.
"Run your hand along the pictures frame," Merlin instructed.
Arthur raised an eyebrow but did as asked. The painting suddenly started rippling like the surface of a disturbed lake. "Merlin…" he questioned.
"It's alright," Merlin assured. "Go ahead and step through it."
Arthur looked at him questioningly. "You want me to step into a painting?" he asked incredulously.
Merlin smiled. "Trust me, you'll be fine."
Arthur gave him a searching look before doing as asked. Taking a deep breath, he faced the painting and stepped through. Though not necessarily unpleasant, shivers ran down his spine as his feet reconnected with solid stone. The sight that met his eyes was surprising. It was the king's chambers, possessing all of his possessions and keepsakes. Merlin appeared beside him and Arthur looked around to see that the picture to Camelot was where the door should have been, the rippling surface just barely showing the corridor on the other side.
A smile slid onto Merlin's face as he inspected the room before them. "It's just as I left it," he said, thrilled.
"I thought you said most of Camelot's original rooms had been changed or destroyed," Arthur accused as they wandered further into the room.
"Most of them were," Merlin admitted. "Your chamber was one of the few that the Founders hadn't really changed. They had eventual plans to make it into a bathroom but I stopped them."
Arthur seemed appalled over the very thought of his private room becoming a lavatory. "I'm glad you did," he muttered. "But, why are all of my things still here?"
"I magicked the room to be exactly the way it used to be."
Arthur ran a hand across the surface of his bed, feeling the soft fabric of the scarlet comforter. The familiar touch was most welcome after all the strange things he'd encountered in the last seven days. The tenseness in his shoulders relaxing, he turned to face Merlin who was watching him with a small smile.
"Why did you go to that magic room and make it look like this instead of just coming here?" Arthur suddenly wondered, thinking of the Room of Requirement.
Merlin rubbed one of his arms. "I sealed off this room after casting the recreation spell. I didn't want anyone to have the possibility of entering and destroying it in my absence. I also made it so that only you could reopen it."
"So, you haven't been in here for centuries?" Arthur surmised.
Merlin nodded before shuffling over to the closet, pulling out one of Arthur's nightshirts. Arthur stared. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that's the original," he opined.
Merlin smiled. "That's one of the perks of the recreation spell. It restores everything to how it once was."
And then Merlin proceeded to help Arthur get ready for bed. It was the usual routine, the same they'd always followed. Arthur went behind the partition and removed the modern clothing he'd worn all day, tossing the garments over the dividing wall to Merlin who caught them and proceeded to fold them up and place them in the closet. Though the modern day clothing was nice, Arthur couldn't deny the comfort he felt wearing his own clothes again. Walking around the divider, he found Merlin had already pulled aside the covers of his bed and fluffed his pillows. He was standing by the table with his arms behind his back.
"Merlin," Arthur began, running a tired hand through his hair, "about earlier –"
"Arthur," Merlin interrupted, "it's fine. You don't need to worry about it."
"I'm the king, Merlin," Arthur lightly retorted, "you can't tell me what to do."
Merlin folded his arms cheekily. "I just did."
Arthur rolled his eyes. "I'll choose to ignore that. Look, I'm sorry I caused your bird to fly off."
Merlin sighed, leaning against the table. "I think that may be my fault."
"What do you mean?" Arthur asked, confused.
Merlin frowned, his eyes staring at the far wall. "When I gave Archimedes human intelligence, I was sort of thinking about you," he confessed, glancing at the king. "I was lonely and I really wanted to talk to someone – someone who knew who I was and who wouldn't look at me as if I were some kind of god – someone like you, Arthur. Even after you found out the truth about me, you didn't adore me. Once you accepted my magic, you continued to treat me like you always have. I missed that. So when I enchanted Archimedes, I thought of you. He had a stubborn spirit to begin with but I think my spell caused him to act and think more like you."
"He and I are nothing alike!" Arthur denied but under the raised eyebrow Merlin gave him (that surprisingly looked a lot like Gaius' famous brow) Arthur grumbled, "Alright, we might be."
Merlin chuckled softly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for him to develop your prattish personality."
"Maybe not consciously anyway," Arthur corrected, smiling in spite of himself.
"True," Merlin agreed.
Arthur walked over and took Merlin by the shoulders. "Merlin, I understand your need of wanting to be normal. When we first met, you didn't treat me like a prince but a regular person – and even after you knew who I truly was, your behavior towards me didn't change. It still hasn't. You're not afraid to speak your mind about me, you put up with my many faults and insults, and you support me openly in my triumphs. If our positions were reversed and I was in your place and possessed magic, I would have enchanted that infernal owl to be just like you in order to keep myself sane throughout the years."
Merlin hesitantly grinned. "So, does this mean that you don't hate him?"
Arthur rolled his eyes. "I don't – but I can't deny that he gets on my nerves!"
"Now you know how I feel!" Merlin laughed.
Arthur punched him in the arm. "I'm not that bad!"
"Not anymore," Merlin corrected. "You finally grew up. Archimedes is how you were when we first met."
Arthur frowned. "Then you'd better change that or else I might accidently shoot a stray arrow in his direction."
"Arthur," Merlin cried reproachfully.
The king rolled his eyes. "Alright, I wouldn't do something that drastic but seriously Merlin, can't you do something about him?"
Merlin shook his head. "I've already tried to be the peacemaker between you. This is something you two are going to have to figure out for yourselves."
"I could just order you to get rid of him," Arthur playfully mused.
"Arthur…"
"I'm only kidding, Merlin," he muttered unhappily. "I couldn't possibly rip him away from you."
Merlin quirked an eyebrow. "Arthur, you aren't jealous of Archimedes, are you?"
Arthur froze only a fraction of a second before crawling into bed. "Of course not!" he huffed, yanking the covers over his chest. "Who would be jealous of a bird?"
Merlin smirked. "You know that you're my best friend, don't you, Arthur? Archimedes does. He knows that he'll never replace you."
Arthur didn't say anything.
After a moment's pause, Merlin sighed. "Is there anything else you needed, Sire?"
"No, Merlin, that'll be all."
Merlin bowed slightly. "Then good night, Sire."
He was about to walk out of the painting when Arthur called after him. "Merlin?"
Merlin turned, finding the king scrutinizing him in the dim candle light. "Yes Arthur?"
Arthur's eyes darted back and forth a moment before he finally mustered the courage to look Merlin in the eye. "You're my best friend too," he sincerely stated. Merlin gave him a genuine smile, the one that spread across his whole face and brightened his entire countenance. "But don't think that changes anything!" Arthur added quickly. "You're still the worst servant I've ever had!"
"And you're the royalist prat I've ever had the displeasure of serving," Merlin replied, smirking.
Arthur threw a pillow at him but Merlin only caught it with his magic and sent it flying straight back into Arthur's face.
"MERLIN!" he angrily roared.
"Good night, Sire," Merlin called, dashing out of the room just as the king lobbed another, heavier, object at his head.
The cup Arthur had hurled slammed against the wall, clattering to the ground. The king stared at it for a moment before a small smile spread across his face and he fell back into his pillows. His grin widened as he closed his eyes, allowing the happiness of knowing Merlin hadn't replaced him to lull him to sleep.