Hello my darlings. I would like to thank Dinozzo1, Shaniah (Guest), myfoodisnotshared, Langston Lygrass (Guest), lilynicole1313, nobody yet, OechsnerC, AndreKl and mersan123 for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.
So sorry about the long absence, I have been trying to get a couple of other stories finished and I am moving house at the end of the month, so updates may be a little scattered in the weeks to come.
Anyway enough from me, here is the new chapter, I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
Merlin was tidying Arthur's room when the prince returned. Seeing his servant working away Arthur couldn't stop the smirk that appeared on his face, nor the ideas of things he could say to mock his friend for his enchanted love for Morgana from entering his head. It was the way they were together. Mocking, teasing, bantering, and in Arthur's mind this little adventure, now that it was solved, gave him even more material to use against his sharp tongued manservant. Therefore he spoke loudly as he closed the door, enjoying how his voice made Merlin jump.
"So tell me, where are my flowers?"
"Your what?" Merlin asked turning quickly at the sound of Arthur's voice. He had been so busy considering how on earth he was going to pretend to love Morgana, yet not let on to anyone he was in love with her, which he wasn't, he would just be pretending. But still he had no idea how he was going to manage to pull this one off. He knew what people were like under love spells, courtesy of all the times he'd had to deal with the prat while he was enchanted. But he couldn't behave like that if he wanted to keep his head, and he really did rather like it attached to his shoulders.
"Well if Morgana gets them, why don't I?" Arthur asked throwing himself tiredly down in his chair and taking the goblet Merlin held out to him. He had been training the knights all afternoon and all he really wanted to do was rest, have some dinner, and go to bed. But he was the prince, he still had things he needed to do. So the best way he had found to keep himself alert was to tease his friend.
"Umm because I'm not enchanted to love you? I am employed to serve you." Merlin responded going back to cleaning up all the clothes Arthur had left littered about the room. He had been gone one day, not even that, and still somehow he was confronted with a mess. It must be some special prince skill Merlin decided, carefully forgetting his own room was not in a much better state.
"Really? Are you sure about that? Because I'm pretty sure a proper servant would be much better than you." Arthur replied regally, his most pompous voice in full force.
"Oh Arthur, we both know you wouldn't last a day without me." Merlin bantered back smugly, he was glad Arthur seemed to have left the conversation of Morgana. And Merlin was determined to keep it away from that damn woman for as long as possible. The less he thought about her the better in his mind.
"True, my life would be far too boring without your stupidity to entertain me." Arthur agreed, a look of complete sincerity on his face. He knew Merlin would know that in truth he wouldn't want to be without him. If he did he wouldn't have gone to all the trouble he had that morning trying to find a way to break his enchantment.
"See. I have so many jobs, it's a surprise I can do them all." Merlin grumbled good-naturedly.
"It's a surprise you can walk and talk at the same time, but I don't like to mention it." Arthur replied with a smirk causing his servant to stop what he was doing to turn and face him.
"And it's a surprise you can dress yourself. Oh wait, you can't." Merlin responded with a smirk of his own. He then preceded to duck as the now empty goblet came flying in his direction. He couldn't help but chuckle at how badly Arthur had aimed it. I mean really, it was almost as if he wasn't putting any effort into hitting him at all.
"Shut up Merlin. I need you to prepare me a bath, I having dinner with my father and Morgana tonight." Arthur said with a roll of his eyes as he stood to make his way behind the changing screen.
"So I get the night off?" Merlin asked his eyes lighting up at the idea. Anything to give him more time to work out how he was going to pretend he was still enchanted when he was with Morgana.
"Oh no Merlin. You are going to serve." Arthur replied, but when that was greeted with silence he turned to look at his friend to see his eyes had widened considerably and Arthur couldn't help but laugh to himself. Merlin was so easy to read. It was obvious he didn't want to see Morgana after the whole enchantment thing, but surely nothing had happened that he was embarrassed about. I mean Morgana could, and would, win in any fight between the two of them. There was no way Merlin would have done anything to offend the lady in question. He was Merlin. It just wasn't possible. Therefore with fake sincerity and a twinkle in his eye he continued. "That is unless you can't face the lady Morgana. Did you actually manage to see her while being in love?"
"I did actually, and she was polite enough to thank me for the trouble I went to for her." Merlin replied quietly, though he made sure to turn around and get on with collecting the clothes, anything to not look at Arthur. He didn't want to think about what he and Morgana had done that morning. Just the idea of kissing her sent a shiver down his spine.
"Thank you, did she? Was that all she did?" Arthur asked smirking now as he leant against the wall enjoying how flustered Merlin was getting with his line of questions. It was going to be entertaining to watch how he went red when he saw Morgana later. That could keep him amused throughout the whole of the dinner.
"Of course, sire. What else would she do?" Merlin answered not meeting Arthur's eye as he hurried out of the room on the pretext of getting the water from the prince's bath. He did not want Arthur to think anything was wrong, or start noticing things. Because he really didn't want to have to explain to the prince why he was pretending to be in love with a woman he thought of as a sister, hell she was his sister. Why was his life so bloody complicated?
"Good question." Arthur replied though unheard by his retreating servant. He had meant his words to be a joke, to tease Merlin about how he had no doubt declared undying love to Morgana and that she had rebuffed him. But now he had to wonder. Just what had happened when Merlin and Morgana had met while Merlin was under the love spell? Hmm. It seemed he was going to have more than the uncomfortable interactions between the lady and his servant at dinner to entertain him. No instead he was going to have to watch and see if he could find out exactly what had happened between the two of them through their behaviour to each other. With that on his mind he prepared for his bath, and completely forgot about any other questions he had been wanting to ask his friend. Forgot about how he had decided he wanted to get to know the real Merlin once they had found a way to break the enchantment. Forgot all about how he had said he had magic.
Morgana had spent her afternoon sitting in her rooms thinking, planning and trying to work out what her next move should be. She needed to make sure she had legitimate time to spend with Merlin so she could find out Arthur's plans, but that was not as easy as it seemed. He was a servant, and not just any servant, he was Arthur's servant. Which meant he spent most of his time in her brothers company. The only thing she could come up with was to say that her nightmares had returned and ask Gaius for a sleeping draft. She knew if she did he would send Merlin to bring it to her, or at least an enchanted Merlin would make sure he was the one to bring it to her. At least that way she would be able to see him in the evenings. But what to do with Gwen when he was there? She could not, no would not, greet him in her night gown, but she doubted her maid would leave before she had helped her prepare for the night repeatedly. It was a conundrum, but it was one she could solve tomorrow. Tonight she would send Gwen to ask for the tonic and then send her away. It would give her and Merlin a chance to plan their next meeting. Surely he had had secret trysts with some of the serving girls in the castle, he was not unattractive after all, so no doubt he would have a solution. And as she stood to get ready for dinner with her father and her brother she studiously ignored how her stomach seemed to twist at the idea of Merlin with other women. Because she did not have feelings for him. This was a means to an end, and that was all.
Merlin followed the prince into the dining room and moved to take his place behind his master's chair while Arthur and Uther greeted each other and conversed about kingly things. Okay they could be talking about anything, he really wasn't listening. He was too busy waiting for the last dinner guest to arrive and trying to decide just how he was going to behave. Of course when the doors opened and Morgana and Gwen arrived he discovered he didn't need to really think about it at all. She was wearing the most provocative dress he had ever seen. Oh lord have mercy, she hadn't worn anything that daring since her return, he had almost forgotten her flare for the dramatic when it came to snaring men's attention. He couldn't stop his eyes following her as she walked across the room to sit at the table as if she was the only one present. And when she looked up and their eyes met, it was rather too easy for him to let the fake feelings of love shine in his eyes along with his appreciation for her outfit. Nor could he help himself returning the small smile she directed his way before she broke eye contact to talk to Uther and he moved to fill Arthur's goblet.
Arthur had watched Merlin out of the corner of his eye when Morgana had arrived. He had expected him to hide behind the pillar, or at least look at the floor while going red or something fun like that. But no, his servant boldly watched the lady as she walked, not taking his eyes off of her. Okay sure, Morgana looked… well she looked like she used to when she wanted to wind him up by flirting with all the knights so he would have to spend his time trying to keep them away from her. Why she was wearing such an outfit for dinner with him and his father he had no idea… unless this was her way of helping Merlin out. Maybe Gwen had informed her that he was enchanted and she was trying to give him a reason to stare at her throughout dinner without Uther questioning it? Yes that made sense. Of course that did not explain the small sincere smile she sent his manservants way, nor how he noticed that throughout the meal her eyes kept straying over his shoulder. He knew they did, because his own were doing the same to look at Gwen, even though he was trying really hard not to. But why would Morgana be looking at Merlin of all people? Unless… no. It wasn't possible. There was no way Morgana had feelings for his servant… was there?
Arthur tried to concentrate on the conversation happening around him, but he couldn't keep his mind away from the idea that Morgana had feelings for Merlin which were similar in nature to his for Gwen. He really hoped he was wrong, because he knew that even though Merlin was his friend, he and Morgana could never be together. Not to mention that the only reason Merlin had loved Morgana this morning was because of a spell. He needed to head this off, talk to Morgana about it, explain what had happened, but he had no idea of what to say. Well he was just going to have to figure it out. He would go to her rooms later, when everyone else was asleep, and just hope she didn't kill the messenger.