Twelve Parcels in Silk

Present the Fifth: A New Time

The next time Arthur gave Merlin a present, it was eight months following the day he had revealed his knowledge of Merlin's magic. He was certain that his friend would like this present so he wasn't quite as nervous, but old habits die hard and he had a tiny niggling doubt that Merlin would hate it. He knew that there was no reason for him to dislike it, but Arthur had grown to rely on Merlin so much in the past year that he wouldn't know what to do if Merlin rejected him.

Not that he was proposing marriage or such.

He would like to think that one day he will propose but he has no idea whether Merlin returned his feelings or not. The last eight months has made him realise that he is in love with the idiot and not just normal love, but 'I can't live without you' love. He can remember the day two months ago when he woke up peacefully and without Merlin bumbling around in his room, he could still remember the feeling of panic that rose in his chest as he realised that it was midday and that Merlin hadn't appeared.

The memory of him running towards Gaius's (and Merlin's) quarters was not a pleasant one for he could remember all the possible things he had thought of that could have happened to his dear Merlin. He remembered bursting into Gaius's room in his sleep clothes and yelling in a panicked voice for Merlin.

Gaius, calm as ever, explained that Merlin was out collecting herbs. He had said that Merlin had left the night before because the particular herb he had needed was rare and hard to find, so he had sent Merlin off to find it before winter came. Arthur, being the over protective fool, had gone on about how it was getting chilly and how there were beasts in the forest and imagined Merlin falling off a cliff.

So like the true knight in shining armour he was, he rode off into the horizon with Gwaine and Percival in search of Merlin. Leon and Eylan stayed behind to mind the castle and train the knights, wishing them luck with their quest.

It was a week and a half later that they returned, Arthur with a terrible cold and Gwaine grumbling about how annoying and pratish Arthur was. However they did not return with Merlin and they all jumped in surprise when Merlin greeted them at the stairs of the castle, giving them reproving looks and telling them off for staying in the cold for so long.

Arthur had felt Merlin's wrath the following weeks as he recovered from the fever he had obtained and realised that Merlin could probably look after himself just fine. But that didn't stop him from worrying.

It was just a week before this very day that Arthur realised that he not only loved Merlin, but he had fallen long and hard for his manservant, that Merlin had somehow become his everything and that the world would mean nothing to him if Merlin was gone.

Arthur disliked the thought.

He couldn't do anything about it.

So here he was, standing in the middle of his own chambers waiting for Merlin to arrive to present him with his present. He did not like the fluttering in his stomach and he wished it would go away. Merlin would like his present. He'd be an idiot not to (but then Arthur did call him an idiot a lot).

He startled when Merlin opened his door without any grace what so ever and banged the door loudly, dropping objects onto the ground. The ringing of his armour echoed in his chambers as Merlin kneeled to pick up the things he had dropped when he had tripped (how does one trip when opening the door?). In the process of doing so, he dropped more armour onto the ground making Arthur's ears hurt from the clank of armour meeting the floor (for no doubt the millionth time today). He told himself the reason he bent to help Merlin was because his ears could take no more of this torture, NOT because he felt guilty seeing Merlin struggle like that. There was absolutely nothing for him to be guilty about (he had every right to make the most powerful sorcerer in the world clean his armour and scrub his floor).

"Arthur!"

Merlin's happy smile made his heart skip a beat and he had to remind himself to breath. He returned the smile without even meaning to and found himself grinning like a lunatic at his manservant with a bunch of armour in his arms.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you meant to be doing kingly things right now?"

Arthur cleared his throat and explained, "I have something to give you."

His good cheer deflated at the pained noise Merlin made.

Had Merlin not liked his previous gifts?

He panicked and felt almost as if he was five again when his pet turtle had died.

"More chores? Can't you do anything yourself you annoying pompous arse!"

Arthur breathed a sigh of relief and made a surprised sound.

"No, no. I have a gift for you."

He hastily handed the scroll in his hand to Merlin before he chickened out. His eyes followed the movement of Merlin's hands as he untied the red silk around the scroll and started to read. He waited. And waited. And waited.

"Arthur-you-I-this-"

Merlin stammered and when he finally looked up from the scroll, he blushed and asked in a small voice.

"Is this real?"

Arthur laughed and pulled him in for a hug.

"Of course it is you idiot!"

Then it dawned on him what he had done and he didn't know whether to keep on hugging the man he loved or to let go and pretend it never happened. He had shared a tiny amount of hugs with Merlin before this moment but now that he knew he had feelings for him, it somehow felt different.

He blushed and Merlin solved the problem by pulling away first. Then he grinned at Arthur like he had just given him the world and more. Arthur found himself enticed by that grin and he had to keep on thinking to breathe.

"So you're really going to repeal the law against magic for us sorcerers?"

Arthur didn't even think before replying, "For you." And when he heard what he said, he blushed like a maiden and watched as Merlin turned a beautiful shade of pink too.

King Arthur and the warlock Merlin stood together in front of Camelot to announce the news that magic was no longer illegal and that sorcerers were once more welcome in Camelot.

(That was the first day the Once and Future King stood together with Emrys to represent Camelot and from that day on, they will always stand together and no mountain or sea could never part them)

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