Arthur

7:45 Wake Merlin up, serve breakfast, and ready Merlin for training with the knights

Merlin awoke before Arthur arrived. Despite waking normally, he took the chance to relax for the next half hour as he waited for Arthur. He folded his hands behind his head and stared up at the canopy above him, he would enjoy today as much as he could.

Arthur barged into the room with a loud and grumpy, "Wake up, Merlin!" He placed the breakfast tray on the table with a loud clang.

Merlin didn't bother moving. "I am awake, have been for the past half hour, you prat."

The king-turned-servant didn't retaliate, instead choosing to rant. "Remind me to get you a proper pillow, that thing you call a pillow is worse than frozen ground in the winter." Merlin snorted. "And what exactly did I eat this morning? Whatever Gaius put in that bowl was not safe for consumption."

Merlin outright laughed this time. "You mean porridge?"

"I don't know what that was, but it was not porridge. And Mary smacked me with a spoon in the kitchen. A spoon!"

"You tried to steal food, didn't you." It was phrased as a statement and not a question; it was clear Merlin knew the answer and thought it to be hilarious.

"Well I wouldn't have had to if I had a proper breakfast." Arthur grumbled.

"The key is not getting caught. I haven't been hit by the whacking spoon in over a year."

"The whacking spoon?!"

Merlin tapped his chin in contemplation, "I don't actually think that spoon gets used for anything else. Mary doesn't appreciate thieves in her kitchens." Merlin stood, lazily stretching his arms, and sat down at the table. He immediately snatched the honey pastry on the tray, smiling at the fact that Mary had added one to the tray. He would have personally preferred some fruit instead of the meat and cheese, but he wasn't going to complain; the whole meal was certainly better than Gaius' porridge and there was a lot more of it.

At the third glance Arthur made towards his food, Merlin caved, rolling his eyes. "You're clearly still hungry, would you like some?" Arthur made a face but sat down across from Merlin and began snatching food from the plate.

"It's a wonder you haven't wasted away to nothing. They gave you more than I get for breakfast."

Merlin looked away, snickering slightly. "Maybe they like me better."

"Merlin." Arthur said with a glare, which was ruined as he shoved a piece of cheese into his mouth.

"What?"

"They do not like you better. What're you hiding?"

Merlin hesitated before admitting. "Well… they do usually give you this much food for breakfast."

"So where does the rest of my food go?" Arthur growled.

Merlin smirked. "I don't want to keep having to add more holes to your belt."

Just as Arthur was ready to lunge across the table at his friend, a soft knock sounded at the door, interrupting Arthur's threats. "Come in." Merlin called out.

The queen poked her head through the door, smiling fondly at the sight of the two men, her husband still glaring at Merlin. She entered the room, closing the door behind her and striding over to the table.

"Good morning, King Merlin." Gwen smiled with the slightest air of mischief.

Merlin choked, barely managing to swallow the food in his mouth. "I forgot that was part of the challenge." Arthur smirked; he was going to have his share of fun too.

"How did you sleep, Gwen?" Merlin asked politely.

Gwen giggled. "It's been a long while since I've been in my own chambers, I had forgotten what it was like to not hear snoring all night."

Arthur scowled. "I do not snore." Merlin laughed and Gwen raised an eyebrow as if to say, 'if you say so'.

"How has your morning been going so far, Arthur?" His wife asked, genuinely curious.

Arthur grumbled so Merlin answered for him, not bothering to hide his amusement. "He tried to steal food from the kitchen."

Gwen lifted her hand to her mouth to hold back her laughter. "Did he… the whacking spoon?" Merlin nodded in confirmation.

"In my own castle!" Arthur exclaimed angrily.

"You're playing by servant's rules now. We've all been on the receiving end of that spoon at one time or another. You either give up or learn to be a better thief." Merlin was fully grinning now, enjoying Arthur's annoyance.

"And you seemed to have learned to be a great thief, haven't you Merlin?"

Gwen rolled her eyes; she knew all about Merlin taking food directly from Arthur's plates. She genuinely feared that if he stopped he would forget to eat at all. She interrupted the two before an argument could break out. "Alright, I just came in to check on you two, I do believe Merlin has a training session to lead soon." Gwen took her leave and left Merlin groaning and Arthur smiling evilly.

Merlin left Arthur to finish the last of the food as he ducked behind the changing screen. He didn't know how Arthur ate all that food every morning, it'd make him sick.

Arthur's shadow appeared on the other side of the screen and Merlin stepped out, now wearing clean trousers and the customary white shirt to go underneath the chainmail padding. He held out his arms as he seen Arthur do thousands of times, waiting for Arthur to put the next layer of clothing on him.

It only took Arthur three tries to get it correct and a string of expletives from Merlin claiming he'd rather just dress himself. The chainmail went much easier, Arthur knowing what he was supposed to do and Merlin only having to stand with his arms spread out.

"Oh look, you know what to do with armor, but can't get a padded shirt on me."

"I had to learn because my servant was so useless with armor that he used to not remember to give me my sword."

"Well sorry I grew up on a farm and was given exactly one night to learn everything there was to know about tournaments." Merlin rolled his eyes. The two friends were both smiling now.

"I am a bit disappointed I won't be able to see you try and lead the training session."

Merlin snorted. "You just want to watch me make a fool of myself."

"Yep." Not a shred of denial was in Arthur's tone.

"If you get the laundry done fast enough you can come watch the end of training, you'll have to come back to get the armor and polish it anyways."

Arthur just nodded in response.