Set the year between Seasons 3 and 4; Arthur is Prince Regent
Merlin was still unclear about what he did to be put in the stocks today. Sure, he'd slept in just a bit, but Arthur didn't have to do anything but paperwork and training today. There were no Council meetings. No visits from annoying envoys. Uther was even having a couple of good days. Usually Arthur was ridiculous about getting out of bed so Merlin figured he'd enjoy the extra half-hour of sleep. Of course, Arthur had to be contrary and get upset.
So, here was Merlin, stuck in the stocks for an hour, and with a list of chores that Arthur had set him that would take until well into the evening to complete. It wasn't as if there weren't other servants in the castle who could accomplish some of them. Merlin had enough to do with writing speeches, cleaning, and just generally looking after the stupid prat's well-being.
Thankfully, it was just a shade too cold for people to really be lingering outside, so no one had thrown anything at him in the fifteen minutes he'd been stuck here. Merlin sighed. The only way he was going to get everything done in time to have dinner with Gaius was if he used magic. He was going to have to skip lunch, even. Arthur really was a pain in Merlin's ass sometimes. Merlin decided he was going to have a lot of fun waking the prat up the next time he had to. He was going to forego his normal, gentler means and go straight to dragging his Royal Ass out of the bed and onto the cold floor. It would be fun.
Another fifteen minutes passed with Merlin contemplating the little ways he could make Arthur as miserable as he was at the moment. He was just getting to the point where he would not bother using his magic to heat Arthur's bath water when he heard Gwen calling the guard to release Merlin. "The prince said to let him out. He's been in there long enough."
Red nodded and unlocked the chain holding Merlins wrists together. "Here you go, Merlin. Go get something warm to drink."
"Thanks, Red." Merlin rubbed his wrists as he walked toward the castle with Gwen. "He let me out early?"
Gwen's lips pressed together and she merely hummed. Merlin had seen that look in her eyes before. It was usually right before she went off on some poor, unsuspecting person who thought that because she was so sweet and gentle that she had no temper. Actually, he'd seen Elyan get that look a lot in the time he'd come back to Camelot.
"Gwen? Are you aright?"
"Am I alright? Merlin, you were just in the stocks and you're worried about me?" Gwen whirled on Merlin. "Are you mad?"
Merlin shrugged, "I'll admit it's been a while since I had to stand there, but it's not hard to get used to again. And no one threw anything at me today. That was good." Merlin took Gwen's hands and squeezed them gently. "Really, I'm fine. I'm just going to make sure Arthur is woken up really early for the next few days."
Gwen looked at Merlin in disbelief. Then her expression slowly turned a bit sly and finally a smile blossomed across her face as she started to snort and giggle. She shook her head and tugged at her hands in Merlin's, "Come on, let's go do some of those chores on that list he gave you."
"You don't have to do that."
"I know, but I'm off today and I want to help."
"You're amazing. I promise I will do something in return if Arthur ever gives me a day off."
Gwen snorted. "I won't hold my breath in hope."
The two of them were able to get through most of the list by lunchtime. Merlin groaned when he thought of fetching the prince's lunch. "Really not sure I want to deal with him right now. I'm still a bit annoyed at him."
Gwen bit her lip. "I could bring it to him while you finish hanging the laundry."
"Done. While you're at it, give him one of those nasty looks you had this morning. It'll scare him silly."
Gwen grinned as she left the laundry room to go fetch Arthur's lunch. "I'll be back in a bit. Don't go anywhere."
"Where the hell would I go?" Merlin asked the busy laundresses. "I have two baskets of laundry to finish." One of these days Merlin would figure out why Arthur didn't just have the laundresses, experts in not turning anything pink or shrinking them by accident, do his laundry. Merlin suspected it was simply a way for Arthur to torture his poor manservant. The laundresses just shrugged and went back to their own work. Occasionally, one of the older ones, Mae, took pity on him and helped him if all of her work was done. Since Merlin tended to put laundry off until it was slightly overwhelming, he appreciated the help.
Merlin was nearly done when Gwen came back. There was a flush on her face that meant one of two things: either Gwen and Arthur had argued, or Gwen and Arthur had snogged. At the moment, Merlin wasn't sure which he preferred. He was annoyed with Arthur, so would love to hear Gwen give him a piece of her mind, but doing that put Gwen in a foul mood, and he hated seeing his best friend miserable. He took the trousers Gwen handed him silently and pinned them over the line in the warm room where clothes went to dry. "You alright?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes, I'm fine." Gwen's eyes were a bit unfocused. Snogging, it was, then. If it had been arguing, she would have had The Look on her face.
"Better than fine, eh?"
"What?" Gwen flushed even deeper when she got Merlin's meaning. "Oh, shut up, Merlin."
He chuckled. "You're even starting to sound like him."
Gwen whapped him with one of the tunics they'd washed earlier. It didn't stop his chuckles.
By dinnertime, the entire list was done. "You are a true lifesaver, Gwen. What would I do without you?"
"Probably sit in the stocks tomorrow because there was no way any one person could finish that list in one day."
Merlin shrugged. "At least the stables weren't on it. I'm going to count my blessings."
The two were sitting on one of the benches in the hallway outside the kitchens, waiting for Arthur's dinner to be put together. Merlin hadn't seen him all day and figured it was better if he delivered it than Gwen. He was still a bit annoyed with Arthur, but an entire day spent with one of his favorite people was mostly enough to make up for the rotten start to the day.
Selene poked her head out the door. "Merlin? It's ready."
"Thanks, Selene." Merlin turned to Gwen and grinned. "Let's see if he's in a better mood now. Want to join Gaius and I for dinner tonight?"
Gwen shook her head and gave him a hug. "No, thanks, Merlin. I have plans with my brother. Go give Arthur his dinner and try not to brain him with the platter. We sort of need him."
"Do we? I thought we and the knights did all of the work."
"You're bad. Don't let him hear you say that or you'll spend the entire week cleaning the stables."
Merlin shrugged and went to get the tray with Arthur's dinner on it. By the time he was out of the kitchen, Gwen was gone. Merlin hefted the heavy tray and grunted as he started down the hallway. It was heavier than usual. Merlin snorted as he thought about having to make another hole in Arthur's belt. This job of being Prince Regent meant way too many feasts and way too little actual exercise. Merlin was going to have to goad Arthur into sparring more often with Sir Leon if he was going to keep eating like this.
He nodded to the guards on duty at Arthur's door. Nick was there this time and he grinned as he opened the door for Merlin. "Better get in there. Heard him cursing about something."
"Great. What did I do now?"
Nick just shrugged as he held the door wide enough for Merlin to get through. Merlin saw Arthur sitting at his desk, ignoring the servant as he walked in. Merlin put the tray on the table and started to lift the napkin Selene had covered it with. "Merlin!"
Merlin turned toward the prince. "Yes, Arthur?"
"Come here. Fiddle with that later."
Merlin sighed and let the napkin drop before he walked over to the desk. "Did you get everything on the list finished?"
"Is that all you wanted to ask me? Yes, Arthur, it's all finshed. Gwen helped."
"Gwen helped. I thought today was her day off."
"It was. Nice of you to give her one, by the way. If that gives you any ideas about one for me, feel free to entertain them." Merlin started walking back to the table. He was annoyed enough that he just wanted to get Arthur's dinner served so he could go to his chambers and eat his own.
"Merlin!"
"Yes, Arthur?"
"I said to get over here."
Merlin stopped in the middle of the room and held out his arms, "If all you want to do is yell at me, then I can be yelled at while I'm getting your dinner ready."
Arthur grinned. It wasn't his usual smirky grin. It was an actual 'I'm very amused' grin. "Merlin, come here. Please."
Please. Arthur almost never said please. Merlin slowly walked back to the desk, alert for the trap he was sure was about to spring on him. Arthur stood and put his hands on Merlin's shoulders. Over the years they'd grown to practically the same height. "Yes, Arthur?" Merlin asked hesitantly.
"Merlin, I just have one thing to say to you right now."
Merlin tensed. Arthur didn't look angry. He looked pleased. That wasn't always a good thing for Merlin.
"Alright-"
Merlin nearly jumped out of skin when the door to the servant's quarters he never used burst open and all of his friends tumbled out, joining Arthur when he yelled, "Happy Birthday!"
"What? But-"
Merlin was crowded by the knights, Arthur, Gaius, and Gwen, all speaking over each other as they tried to hug him or slap him on the shoulder. Gaius, Gwen, Gwaine, and Lancelot all hugged him tight, laughing at his surprise. "How did you arrange all of this?" Merlin asked Gwen.
She grinned. "I didn't. Arthur did."
"But this morning, the stocks-"
Gwen's grin turned into a momentary frown and she glared at her lover, "He was only supposed to give you enough of a list to keep you busy for a few hours while everyone got everything together."
Arthur shrugged. 'You woke me up later than I had anticipated and I threw out the first thing that my mind came up with since it put me off schedule. Sorry, Merlin."
Merlin chuckled. Now things made sense. A lot of the other servants had been grinning around him today for no particular reason. Gwen had a day off. Arthur's foul mood for being left to sleep in. All of those chores. "You're amazing, you two. Thank you."
"Wonderful. Arthur and Gwen are brilliant, but I've been promised some honey cakes, Merlin, and you have gifts to open." Gwaine slung his arm around Merlin's shoulders and led him to the table, with suddenly had more trays on it, not just the one he'd brought up. Merlin watched Elyan come out of the small antechamber with a tray of mugs and some sort of ale. On the end of the table was a pile of gifts, wrapped in fabric. Merlin went to the presents first and started opening them, grinning at the choices his friends had made for him.
After the presents were all opened and everyone had probably had a just a bit too much of the very fine ale Gwaine had arranged to be delivered by Jack's father, Merlin sat, leaning against the chair by the fireplace. He held a mug in his hand as he listened to Gwaine tell one improbable story of his travels after another. Arthur was in the chair, a mug in his own hand as he laughed at his knight, and the other hand resting on Merlin's shoulder. The day may have started out cold, grey, and miserable, but it had turned out to be the best birthday Merlin had ever had.
One more to go and The Stocks are "officially" complete. I want to make these good, so I'm trying to make them longer than my normal stories. Again, keep the story subscribed. I know I'll add more in the future, just not on any schedule. They'll be s surprise!
