Chapter Fifty Three – Epilogue

"Merlin!" the warlock looks up at him sheepishly from under his fringe from his vantage point on the floor, bucket and brush in one hand, from where he'd been absently scrubbing at a mark on the flagstones. "Care to tell me what, exactly, is that." Arthur scowls, pointing across the room to where a mop is dunking itself in bucket of soapy water, and dancing its way across the floor. To where the sheets on his bed were folding themselves. To where the fire ashes were being swept out by a floating brush into a dustpan. To where his clothes were scrubbing themselves on a board in the bathtub, which was pouring its own warm soapy water.

"Ah..." Merlin blinks, eyes flashing briefly gold, and the objects all freeze. It's his first day back at work and he's already causing trouble for Arthur. "They're... um..." He rubs a hand on the back of his head absently. "Cleaning."

"Cleaning." Arthur repeats slowly, staring at him, dipping his chin down and raising his eyebrows disbelievingly. "Yes..." he states "I can see that... you idiot."

Merlin blinks up at him, mouth slightly agape.

"Urrr..."

Thwack.

The chancel bounces off Merlin's head, which is snapped to the side and Arthur freezes, mouth slightly agape, hand still motionless from where he'd thrown the silverware. Merlin slowly turns to stare at him, sarcastic glare barely concealed behind a tight smile.

"I... I thought you'd catch it... with... you know..." Arthur wiggles around his fingers in what he clearly feels is an obviously magical manner.

Merlin rolls his eyes at him with a loud, long-suffering sigh.

"I can't catch it if I don't know its coming!"

"Idiot! What were you expecting! Using magic out here in the open! For something as menial as chores! You're my responsibility now and I..."

"Arthur," Merlin laughs with a small smile. "Just... let me do this much ok? It doesn't matter if I'm seen now does it? Everyone knows I have it, can use it. It doesn't matter who sees."

"Of course it matters! Look what happened last time!"

"Arthur" Merlin sighs, standing a little stiffly, and placing a warm hand on Merlin's forearm, "I'm fine, no lasting harm done, Eldric was captured, you're not hurt, and I get to stay in Camelot without having my head chopped off. All good all round I'd say. It doesn't really matter how I do my chores now anyway." Merlin chose not to tell him he'd been using magic for them because his healed-over wounds were aching. "You're a real idiot sometimes Arthur".

"Yeah well..." Arthur averts his eyes sheepishly, and rubs at the back of his head "I'm glad you're ok."

Merlin's smile is big and beautiful.

"Me too, Arthur" He grins "Me too."

Arthur laughs at this and goes to leave, off to conduct some important princely business no doubt, but then stops and turns, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Oh, and Merlin?" He claps his hands together, grinning like a child at a sweet stall.

"Yes?"

"If you're being lazy and using magic to do your chores," Arthur intones in his most purposefully officious, pompous voice, the slight grin on his lips the only thing betraying him, "I might as well give you a few more." Merlin chokes at this, his head whipping up to complain, but: "When you've finished the floor, my stables need mucking out, and my boots need cleaning, and my armour should be polished, I expect it to be spotless, my dogs need walking, and my chambers dusting, My clothes will have finished being washed and dried and folded, the fire needs building for tonight, my tea should be brought up, make sure there's sausages if you please, oh, and I'll want a bath when I get back." Merlin just stares at him, mouth hanging open, trying to ascertain if he's joking or not. "Well, what are you standing there gawping about Merlin, you idiot? Hop to it." And Arthur stalks out of the room with a truly evil smirk.

And if the rope belt of his breeches mysteriously comes loose as he walks, and they fall down around his ankles when he's halfway down the corridor, leaving the Crown Prince of Camelot only in his undergarments right at the moment Guinevere walks up the stairs, well, who's really to say it was the young warlock's fault.

Must have been the wind.

"MEERRRRLLIIIINNNN!"

The End.

A/N: Gyaah! Sorry this diddy little chapter too me so long to write! I started Uni in September and I haven't had a single free moment to write in since I got here! Sorry for not being able to respond to a few of the past reviews either.

However, I really hope you've enjoyed this story despite my short chapter tendencies (Hey, at least I usually updated fast). Tehehe :)

Thanks so much for reading and to those of you who dropped me reviews, they mean a lot.

So yes, please tell me what you thought of my story, and I'll try to write you something else soon (hopefully a sequel)

Thanks again,

Lenle G