Merlin helps Arthur to prepare in silence. He works efficiently but moves a little more slowly than usual, his face closed off. It's partially because he is angry with Arthur. He understands Arthur's need to cling to what little family he has left. He knows that Arthur wants a father figure, someone to turn to, someone he can shift the responsibility onto, someone with whom he can be a child again. He realizes that Arthur doesn't feel ready to be king. But Arthur should have believed in himself, not listened to Agravaine. Now Arthur is going off to his possible death.

And that's what really upsets Merlin.

He finishes putting on the armor and does a final inspection. Besides his magic, which he has to be careful with, suiting Arthur up in his armor is the only thing Merlin can do to protect him. Arthur will not die because a strap was loose or a link in the chain mail had broken.

"You're angry with me," Arthur says.

Merlin doesn't trust himself to say anything, knowing that if he opens his mouth he'll tell Arthur what he really thinks of the situation. Namely, that Agravaine is an arrogant, hard-nosed, spineless, close-minded prick as well as a complete and utter fool, and that Arthur was an idiot and shouldn't have let his uncle come to court in the first place.

Arthur brushes his gloved knuckles against Merlin's cheek. "Don't worry. I'll win this and you can yell at me on the way home."

Merlin starts to laugh, only it comes out closer to a sob and he quickly shuts his mouth again. He catches Arthur's hand before it can move away, pressing his cheek against it, clutching at it.

"Here." Arthur takes Merlin's hand and presses something small into his palm. Merlin opens his hand and starts at it. It's Igraine's ring—originally belonging to Arthur's grandfather, who gave it to his daughter on her wedding day to wear around her neck, to remember him by when she left to live in Camelot. Arthur has worn it constantly, for as long as Merlin has known him.

"I can't." Merlin tries to hand the ring back, but Arthur shakes his head.

"I want you to have it."

Merlin's words all pile up on top of each other, clogging up this throat and preventing him from saying anything. Arthur smiles and suddenly Merlin can't help it, he kisses him, the ring digging into his skin as he closes his fingers around it. "Come back to me," he whispers. "Promise, promise you'll come back."

Arthur kisses him again, lets their tongues tangle and stroke, nice and slow. "This is my promise," he whispers, tapping Merlin's fist where the ring hides.


After Arthur wins, both the fight and the respect of everyone around him, he takes Merlin back to the tent and kisses him so deeply he nearly dips him, promising, "I will always come back to you."