It was common amongst the knights living in the barracks to boast about the belle they had waiting at home or talk of how they planned to court the most magnificent of courtiers. Many a young knight had told their tales of embarrassment when dissuaded continuation of their advancements by the lady of their choice. Some would receive the advice to memorize or write poetry for the lady of their affections.
What was far less common however was open talk of their relations away from home. Long listless days and cold nights spent in the woods away from civilization would drive anyone mad and lonely. At least one of those things could be helped.
Leon doesn't remember quite who started the saying, but he does remember the first time someone used it with him. Sir Tennison and the slightly older Sir Kay were relieved from third watch by him. When he asked about the strange noises he had heard when approaching, Tennison abashedly told him that Sir Kay had been teaching him poems to impress the ladies with. Leon, a firm lover of poetry, had almost pressed the matter. The sweat gleaming off Sir Kay clued him in that it was a figure of speech to hide a delicate matter.
While it was strictly prohibited to harm a fellow knight, other somatic endeavors did not have spoken or written laws against them. Leon supposed Uther hadn't considered such relations a possibility. The late king never really spent time with the brunt of the army, only the high ranking generals.
Arthur being so different from his father, naturally led Leon to the assumption that Arthur was much more aware of the goings on, the rumors, and the slang used by those in his company. Merlin following Arthur everywhere also would attribute to his own knowledge of things the common folk would not be privy too.
Merlin was not a nobleman, not a knight. Not in title at least. Merlin had a noble heart and fought like any knight. He also had the king's ear. After all the king never went far without his personal servant.
The rumors about what the two got up to at night started When Arthur was still but a prince, and had known Merlin a little less than a year. Some of the men would scoff at Arthur's misplaced affections. Other's would say it was a beautifully tragic romance written by the most sadistic of poets. Being the head knight, Leon squashed any ill talk of the prince and manservant. Idle rumors created active monsters.
Leon himself was sure something was going on, and the romantic in him just wanted everything to turn out well, but it wasn't until after the battle of cenred's army when a slew of new men were knighted and Arthur became acting regent that he told anyone this. Leon had grown up with hundreds of knights, but was far more comfortable expressing himself to this handful of commoners who fought with hearts of gold.
Gwaine in particular was quite the active romance gossip. Gwaine was well known to flirt with any pretty maiden in sight, but when the knight spoke of them he spoke for hours on their personal virtues. The way Maria in the kitchens could carry the loveliest of tunes and seemed most herself when doing so, or the way Lady Guinevere had known what she wanted and was direct about it. He even professed a fatal attraction to the lady Morgana and her unending confidence the first time he was in Camelot.
Gwaine was also the only one to talk about his attraction to men. Of course only to the same small group Leon trusted, and also only about one man in particular. Yes, Gwaine often lamented the relationship that would never be between him and Merlin, for Merlin was clearly already taken by a certain princess.
Despite all the talk that would go around there was really no confirmation of such a tryst. No bumps in the night unexplained. No one ever caught them in the halls. Leon was thoroughly convinced that Arthur marrying might be an indication they were wrong.
Years later he had ceased talking of it. He knew it might cause unneeded tension in Arthur's perfectly happy marriage. As it was Guinevere seemed to grow more and more distant from Merlin. Leon did not want to be the cause of a further divide.
Finally, on one late night three years into Arthur's reign, Leon happened upon something of substance. It was late, Leon had just returned some pieces to the armory when he ran into Merlin and Arthur. The men tensed slightly. What were they doing? Arthur was not confident in answering so he pawned off that responsibility to Merlin. Merlin looked at Arthur for permission. Finally, Merlin answered that he had been teaching Arthur poetry.
Leon was elated. In nearly ten years of suspecting, the relationship had finally been confirmed. He could not hide his joy and it sunk into the word's as he pressed for more. Arthur loved it. Apparently not only was Merlin teaching Arthur poetry, but Arthur "couldn't get enough of it".
Though Merlin had also confided that he was just as surprised, so Arthur must have been in denial for quite a few years. Not wanting to inturrupt the lovers further Leon told the couple he'd leave them to it and walked past.
When Leon arrived to his shared room he noticed although Elyan was asleep, Percival and Gwaine were still up. Gwaine was massaging Percival's good arm so he could ignore his bad one.
"You'll never guess what just occurred." Leon said excitedly.
"You saw the ghost of Uther get sent back to the hell he crawled out of?" Gwaine asked.
"Even better." Leon said ignoring the dis to the late king. "Merlin is teaching Arthur poetry."
AN: Okay... So I had the idea for this one today... then I wrote it... and I don't know what I'm doing with my life. ~Myrien