I'm not too happy about how this chapter turned out, but I hope you all enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin

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Arthur strode out of his chambers with his queen on his heels. This was now the third morning in a row in which Merlin had failed to show up. Oh sure, the boy had come in to work eventually but never showed up before mid-morning. This time it had gone lunchtime and the servant still hadn't showed up.

"Don't be so hard on him Arthur! It's not an easy life being a servant. Give him a chance."

"I already have Guinevere! This the third time in a row and I can't cut him anymore slack. I've given him two chances already."

"Arth…"

"No Gwen." The king walked away, leaving his wife standing at the top of the stairs, watching him stride towards Gaius's rooms.

Arthur nearly kicked the door in, not bothering to catch the wooden plank on hinges and letting it slam against the wall. The physician looked up in disapproval, and the already wrinkled brow creased even more.

"What can I do for Sire? You're not here for Merlin are you? He told me you'd given him the day off." Arthur's eyebrows were rising steadily towards his hair line as the physician was speaking.

"Oh, he did, did he?"

"Yes Sire."

"Well where is he?"

"He told me that was going towards the stables…" The king didn't even wait for Gaius to finish before he turned around, red cloak flapping behind him and headed out the door.

Servants swirled around him, none touching him as they walked, each and every one of them heading to a different place for a different reason. There were a few knights as well, nodding their heads as he passed.

Boots clicked as Arthur walked across the courtyard and towards the stables. Given that it was nearing midday, the area surrounding the stable block was busy, with patrols returning from their morning rounds and others going out to replace them. Stable boys were running around leading horses to wherever they were needed.

"Where is Merlin?" Arthur barked at one of the boys that was sweeping just outside one of the buildings. The kid jumped and with round eyes replied.

"I saw him several hours ago, but he left not long after that, Sire. He hasn't been here since then."

The king swore and looked around instinctively for the mop of black hair and the leather jacket that could possibly be in amongst the crowd.

"Any idea where he could be?"

"No Sire."

Turning towards Leon who had just dismounted, Arthur beckoned him closer.

"Keep an eye out for Merlin. If you see him, tell him to come and report to me at sunset tonight. I'll be out riding until then."

"Yes Sire."

Arthur left and went to get his prize mare. He'd often noticed that Merlin would leave Camelot on his days off. Arthur didn't know why that was exactly but he assumed that because the boy was from a small village far away from anything, that Camelot got a bit overwhelming.

Ignoring much of the gear that hung on a nearby wall, Arthur climbed on to his horse's back and rode her out of the stables. It wasn't often that he rode bareback but when he did, there seemed to be an added sense of freedom.

Glad that he didn't have any important duties to attend to and so had forgone his usual chainmail armour and cloak, Arthur pressed his heels gently but firmly into the mare's flanks and rode out into the forest.

Wind blew through the trees and the king's blond hair flipped in and out of his face. Not entirely sure where he was heading, Arthur decided to follow one of the narrow trails that headed out into that forest.

He was still looking for his servant but the freedom of just being able to go where he wanted was beginning to excite him. It was a sort of sensation that he hadn't felt since he was a boy and Arthur loved it.

He was reveling in being himself that he nearly missed the man that was sitting amongst the trees. Nearly.

Arthur pulled hard on the reins and forced his horse to an abrupt halt and turned back, narrowing his eyes. The leather jacket, blue shirt and black hair was easily recognizable, not forgetting those ridiculous ears.

Opening his mouth to shout out to the boy that was obviously his servant, the half formed words died in the back of this throat as his brain caught up to mouth. He clamped his teeth together as a young girl appeared from the trees.

She was dressed head to toe in a deep purple dress that, even if it was slightly worn, made the girl look extremely pretty. Her thick black hair was braided and tied off with some ribbon of the same colour as the dress she was wearing.

Merlin's face lit up as he saw her, and he scrambled up on to his feet. It was only then that Arthur could see the basket that was resting against a rock. Arthur grinned. From where he stood, on the top of a small hill, Arthur could see everything that happened.

And things did happen.

Merlin had grabbed the girl around that waist and pulled her in for a gentle but passionate kiss. Arthur's eyebrows were steadily rising as he tried to figure out who his girl was. She wasn't one of the, surprising, number of girls that would flutter their eyelashes at Merlin when the servant was in Camelot. Whoever it was, she and Merlin had obviously known each other for some time if their ongoing kiss was anything to go by.

The two lovebirds separated but their foreheads remained touching, lips not connected but breathing each other's air.

Arthur couldn't help the whistle that he let loose and yet didn't regret it either. Both of them turned to face him at the exact time and the look of surprise on Merlin's face wasn't something that Arthur was going to forget soon.

He let loose a laugh and turned his horse around, leaving his servant and his girl alone in the forest.

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