Thank you all for the lovely reviews and I was over the moon when so many added me or my story to their alerts or their favs...

So here it is...

Chapter 4 Because It's My Birthday!

Arthur woke up to the sunlight hitting his face. He cursed, remembering that he had dismissed Merlin early the day before so no one had closed his curtains. Also the light said that Merlin was late, again! Arthur pulled his blanket up and over his head to stop the light from hitting his eyes. But the damage was done, he was awake. He pushed the blanket off and sat up on his bed, waiting for Merlin to show up. He probably would have to dress himself again. While he sat Arthur thought of the previous night. Of course Merlin would be late today, he had been out celebrating with the knights, he must be hangover and Arthur had every intention to use that fact to his own advantage and teach Merlin a lesson. Having to work with a hangover would be punishment enough to make sure Merlin never drank again, but Arthur was planning on working Merlin harder than any other day.

As Arthur decided that he was better of just to get up and dress, rather than wait for Merlin, a knock sounded from his door. Arthur frowned; it definitely wasn't Merlin, for Merlin wouldn't knock.

"Enter" he said. A servant walked in with Arthur's breakfast. Arthur stared. Where was Merlin that another servant was bringing Arthur's meals? "Where is Merlin?" Arthur asked what he was thinking.

"Merlin wouldn't be tending to you today sire" the servant answered. "If there is anything you need I would be happy to help" he bowed to Arthur.

Arthur silently fumed. So Merlin wasn't even coming to work today! That's how it went was it? It was time for Arthur to really start controlling Merlin. He had been too soft so far and Merlin had taken advantage, but no more! Merlin was going to behave himself and Arthur would make sure it happened by any means necessary. He looked at the servant currently making his bed and said with absolute authority, "I do need something from you, and it is to go and make sure that my manservant, Merlin, is here in less than half an hour! Is that understood?"

"But Sir..." Arthur's deadly glare cut him off, and the servant gulped looking down. "I said is that understood?" Arthur repeated.

"Yes sire" the servant said and all but ran from Arthur's chambers.

Arthur fumed some more after the servant left. He didn't know exactly what the servant was going to question, but he couldn't believe that he had answered back to Arthur.

Arthur walked over to his breakfast after he finished dressing himself and started eating. He ate and fumed as minutes passed by and Merlin was yet to show up. Just as the half an hour was about to finish, a grumpy Merlin walked in looking angry. As if he had any right to be angry at Arthur!

MAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA

Someone was saying his name very loudly! And shaking him, but he wanted them to go away. He had a killer headache and the person was been incredibly loud. Besides he had a very nice dream where Arthur was treating him to meal and not eating himself, but finding Merlin's neck eatable and, well trying to eat it! He heard the person shaking him to tell him to wake up, but Merlin didn't want to wake up he was fine where he was, in the land of dreams, dreaming of Arthur running his hands down Merlin's body.

"Merlin wake up!" the person exclaimed and shook Merlin harder. Merlin had no choice but to get up.

"I'm up, I'm up!" Merlin grumbled. He sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes, and then he looked up to see who had been trying to wake him up. "Ethane? What's the matter?" he said after seeing the usually happy servant in such a state. He looked white as a ghost and he kept looking at the door as If expecting some killer to walk in and kill them both.

"It's the prince!" Ethane exclaimed. Merlin got up fast. "What's wrong with Arthur?" He asked, his heart doing a marathon in his chest. All the while thoughts of possible injuries and kidnapping and attacks on the castle kept going through his head.

"I was to tend to him today, but I don't think he wanted that. I think he wants you to serve him. He got really angry and shouted for me to get you there in less than half an hour." Ethane gulped. "I don't think he wants you to take the day of, he asked me where you were when I first walked in."Merlin took a breath of relief and then closed his eyes, because he could feel his headache again.

"Ok Ethane, you go I'll go up to him and see what he wants" Ethane smiled gratefully and hurried of to somewhere, probably far away from Arthur's chambers.

Merlin got up from the bed, cursing under his breath. He had a killer headache and the morning light was hurting his eyes. Merlin slowly got up so that he wouldn't cause anymore aches to his head by having a head rush or something. He got dressed and slowly made his way out of his room. Gaius smiled, sympathising and handed Merlin a potion for his hangover.

"I'll give you your present when you get back" Gaius said. Merlin blushed, mumbling something about him not having to get Merlin anything. "I know I didn't have to Merlin, I wanted to"

Merlin made his way through the castle to get to the princes room. He felt Gaius's potion working, but he was still in pain when he got to Arthur's chambers. He walked in glaring at Arthur who was sat on the table finishing up his breakfast.

"Sire!" he said to angry to be friendly with Arthur. "You sent for me?"

"Yes, do tell why you were not going to come to work today?" Arthur said as if he was talking to one of the knights about the sunny weather they were having. But Merlin knew Arthur better than that, and knew it was because he was really angry. Merlin frowned.

"I had today off sire" Merlin answered him. Arthur clearly didn't expect that answer. He got up so suddenly from his chair that Merlin jumped a mile.

"And who gave you today off?" Arthur snarled. Merlin frowned even more, didn't Arthur remember?

"You did, sire" Merlin said feeling out of sorts. Arthur stopped on his way of coming over to where Merlin stood, by the door.

"I did?" he said looking confused "When?"

"Err...last week when I asked you after you dismissed me" Merlin answered him. Arthur seemed to think for a minute.

"Well, I changed my mind, you can't have today off!" Arthur snapped, continuing towards Merlin.

"But sire, tod..." Merlin started to protest but was cut off by Arthur.

"I need you to get on with your chores" Arthur hissed inches from Merlin's face.

"But..." "NO buts Merlin!" Arthur was all but shouting now. "I don't want to hear any excuses! You have been slacking off and behaving badly and I have had enough of it!" With that Arthur turned around. Intending to pick up his jacket apparently, but Merlin wasn't about to let him do this; today was his birthday dam it!

"But today is..." Merlin started, but never got to finish, for before he knew it, Arthur turned on the spot with a raised hand. The noise that rang around the room was what made Merlin realise what really had happened. And the stinging that started a few seconds later on his chick and the sprained pain in his neck that the force of the hit had put there. But it was sometime before Merlin fully registered what really had happened. Arthur had hit him. Hard!

Merlin raised his hand to his chick and felt the heat that the blood rush gave out and the tender skin. He looked over at Arthur who was staring at him angrily. Merlin just stared with his hands to his face. He didn't know what to think really. He was still in shock.

"Is there anything else you wanted sire?" Merlin said in a blank tone. Draping his hand to his side and staring at the floor because he just didn't know what else to do. There was a few minute of silence were Merlin waited for Arthur to answer.

"Just get on with your chores" Arthur said slowly. And Merlin did just that for the rest of the day, like a perfect servant.

MAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA

Arthur couldn't believe what he had done. He had never meant to hit Merlin. But at that time he had just lost it, so angry that Merlin kept questioning the day. Was going out with the knights more important than what Arthur wanted? But then Arthur thought that maybe it was. He had always thought without really thinking about it that he was the centre of Merlin's world. Why wouldn't he be he was the prince and Merlin was his manservant, always there, at Arthur's side. But what if Merlin didn't think like that, what if Merlin didn't care for Arthur at all and was just there for the job?

Arthur had watched Merlin all day doing his chores. Like a perfect servant, and he hated it. He had tried all day to say something, to apologise. But every time Merlin looked at him with a blank stare and closed off eyes and Arthur would lose his nerve. By the end of the day when Merlin was making his way to the door after Arthur dismissed him, without looking back like he usually did. Arthur couldn't take it anymore and stopped him.

"Merlin" Merlin turned with the same blank look and Arthur winced as he saw the bruise forming on his cheek, guilt filling him up. He was about to apologise but the words didn't come instead he said. "Why did you want today off?"

Merlin looked at him and answered with the same blank tone he had been using all day, and his answer made Arthur feel even worse, if it was possible.

"Because it's my birthday"

End of chapter

Hope you liked it, I was watching a happy movie when I wrote it, and I just hope it hadn't ruined the sadness...

R&R plz...