Today, it was an important day in Camelot. Today the round table had finally been finished and was being placed in the castle. Merlin entered the room to find a group of many people, the woodworker, who had replenished and fixed up the table. The table had been in storage for many, many years and had needed a lot of work. And even though Merlin was currently avoiding Arthur like the plague, well...he couldn't miss this, he knew how excited Arthur was for this day to come. Along with the woodworker, stood The King and Queen, quite a few knights, and Gaius.

Arthur was rubbing his hands over the surface of the table, nodding his head to what the woodworker was saying, Gwen was looking fondly down at her husband and engaging her brother in conversation, and Merlin felt very out of place here. Sort of like he wouldn't be missed if he just slipped out. And he probably wouldn't be. And still, he stayed, but toward the door, no one looked up to see him there anyway. No one would notice. Even so, he just couldn't shake the sick feeling he had looking around the room. It wasn't as though Merlin didn't know his place here, because he did, and no matter how he felt, he would not leave or abandon his destiny, but perhaps he had gotten too comfortable? Perhaps he had over stepped his boundaries? He didn't know, all he knew is he suddenly felt like an outsider in his home, and it had everything to do with the way Gwen and Arthur looked at each other these days.

Two hands landed on Merlin's shoulders and it frightened him, for only a second, before Gwaine peaked around him and gave him a wink. He had been the only one to give Merlin any attention in the last minutes, however many, he had been standing here. Gwaine smiled and headed further into the room, announcing, to who ever would listen, that he fully indented on taking many naps in these new chairs, as often as possible.

Arthur thanked the woodworker, many times over, and sent him on his way, the group broke up after that, life going back to normal . Gwen left with Elyan, and Arthur stayed behind, smiling down at the table proudly, and Merlin would have left, too, but his eyes were too busy taking in Arthur's happy presence. He sat at the end of the table and looked up, eyes on Merlin suddenly.

He grinned, "Well?"

Merlin shook his head and licked his lips. He didn't know why, but he didn't except to be talked to. "It's lovely."

"This marks a new era, Merlin..." Arthur said, pointing to one of the chairs. "Sit."

"I really shouldn't..." Merlin trailed off, shaking his head. "I have things-"

"Merlin..." Arthur trailed off, sounding tired and probably like he was going to murder Merlin soon, if he didn't listen to him. "Sit." So, Merlin did. Arthur's smile, which had fallen, reappeared, as he looked around the room. "This marks a new era," he said again. "Where everyone will be quail."

"Even servants?" Merlin asked, with a raised eyebrow, his hands slipped across the hard, clean surface of the table and realized now, why Arthur continued to do this. It just felt right. Merlin felt his heart swell at the thought, Arthur really was a good king, and man.

"You're sitting here, aren't you?" Arthur retorted, and Merlin shrugged.

"There's no meeting going on now..."

"That doesn't matter," Arthur answered. "Just because I cannot give you that seat when the meetings start, because you are useless and can't even lift a sword properly, that doesn't mean you don't have that seat within my heart."

A bright, honest and huge, smile broke across Merlin's face, before he could so much as think straight, it wasn't a command his brain had told him to do, but his heart, which now beat just a little bit faster, at Arthur's words. "That may be the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

A smirk was on Arthur's lips now and he shrugged one shoulder. Merlin threw his head back and laughed, he hadn't felt this light and so...normal in weeks, and he just wanted to feel like he belonged in Arthur's world again. Merlin looked forward once more, just as Arthur reached across the distance between them and placed his hand on Merlin's.

"I've missed you," he admitted, and Merlin huffed, swallowing. The light feeling disappearing, just the smallest of bits. "I wish you would stop avoiding me. It doesn't have to be this way."

"You're going to be a father, Arthur..." Merlin answered him, eyes darting down to the table, they stayed there. "You will have a wife, and a child, you'll have no room for me, you and Gwen will be happy."

Arthur shook his head, "She's not pregnant yet..."

"That doesn't matter, she will be," Merlin explained, standing up, he pushed in the chair, and his eyes went to the floor now. "It's alright, I know you'll be a wonderful father, Arthur, and I gave you want you needed, when you needed it, just like I'll always do, I won't feel badly about it. But that doesn't mean it should continue."

"What if I want it to?" Arthur asked, standing up, now, as well, and stepped nearer Merlin. "I'm the king, Merlin, shouldn't I be making the rules here?"

"No," Merlin retorted, as he looked up, and Arthur grinned. "And don't think you can convince me otherwise, you are not that clever."

"I wasn't going to convince you with words..." he grabbed for Merlin's waist and Merlin took a step back, avoiding his hands.

"You're not that good at anything else, either."

Arthur let out a huff of laughter. "Bitter?"

"Very," Merlin retorted. "And now I'm going to leave, and you can keep your hands to yourself."

"Or...on my wife, if you would rather," Arthur shot back, with no smile, or humor, this time. And very much like a child, Merlin glared.

"Perfectly fine by me," he headed for the door, and looked back, only as he pulled it open. "That is where you are supposed to have them anyway!"

It, however, was only days later, that the first official meeting at the round table took place, and whilst Arthur shot Merlin very dirty looks, as he held the thing, Merlin couldn't help but noticed Arthur's left side, where he had asked Merlin to sit, was also where The Queen sat now. And Arthur's words, 'that doesn't mean you don't have that seat within my heart,' played in Merlin's head over and over, and he just didn't understand, what did that mean? Wasn't he happy with Guinevere now?

(A/N: There have been lots of debates/arguments about Arthur and his choice not to give Merlin a seat at the Round Table, if you follow Merlin fans and or have a Tumblr, you would probably know about what I am referring to. It gets quite nasty, a lot of ppl are rude to Arthur about it, and I am Pro!Arthur in this argument, I believe he did give Merlin a place in his heart, but due to Merlin's job title, could not in real life, and yes, he could have given Merlin another job title, but I don't believe Arthur, nor Merlin wanted another job title. Let me know your thoughts on the matter, and how you liked the chapter!)