Chapter Three

"Urm..." Arthur rubbed the back of his neck, searching for a reason as to why an empty bottle could be in his wardrobe without giving Merlin any of his memory back.

"I know, I'm a lousy servant, I should have noticed it sooner." Merlin bent down to pick of the bottle and tucked it under his arm, blushing as he realised the words he used mirrored the ones Arthur had used the night before almost exactly.

"Yeah." Arthur shifted uncomfortably in his seat while Merlin pulled out Arthurs outfit and shut the wardrobe door behind him.

"Could you..." He gestured to the bottle that was slipping from under his arm.

"Oh yeah, sure." Arthur grabbed the bottle and looked around for somewhere to put it as Merlin stood awkwardly holding Arthur's jacket, breeches and tunic, slowly turning bright red as the prince placed the bottle carefully on the table.

"Do you need me to... you know..." Merlin held up the clothes in front of Arthur's face, hoping he would understand the gesture. Arthur was staring blankly at the wall. "Arthur?"

Arthur leant towards Merlin, clutching at his neckerchief to keep himself upright, smirking as a bright flush worked itself up his servant's neck.

"I don't know, what do you think is a suitable punishment?" Arthur's eyebrows shot up. Was that Merlin attempting to flirt with him?

"How about the stocks?" Merlin shook his head and placed his hand over Arthur's, pressing it closer against his chest.

"You can do better than that."

"ARTHUR!!" He snapped his head up to face a concerned looking Merlin, waving his hand in front of his face.

"What?"

Merlin's eyes widened as he grabbed tufts of his raven hair and exhaled loudly.

"I thought you were enchanted again or something, you were completely out of it what were you thinking about?!" The prince blushed, his brain ticking furiously.

"Nothing, you can go."

"But don't you need me to dress you for hunting?" Arthur shook his head.

"No it's fine, you can go, and I'll come and get you when I need you... I mean when we go hunting." He turned to face away from Merlin, not looking back until he heard the door close and he was sure he was alone.

"Oh dear lord."

Merlin closed the door behind him and shook his head.

"Merlin!" He turned around to see Gwen run up to him, grinning her face off. "How was it yesterday?"

"What?"

"Oh come on we all saw you and Arthur at the feast yesterday!" He raised an eyebrow. "You know..."

"Obviously I don't know Gwen."

"Did you not... but I thought...Urm..." She trailed off, turning a dark shade of red.

"To be honest Gwen, I don't remember what happened myself. I think I drank a little bit too much." Gwen giggled nervously before biting her lip.

"Does Arthur remember?" Merlin shook his head.

"No... Although," He added, "I did wake up this morning stark naked and tied down to the bed." Both of Gwen's eyebrows shot up to meet her hairline and her eyes widened.

"Oh..." She avoided eye contact with him, obviously having unwelcome thoughts enter her head.

"Did I not come and speak to you at any point?" Gwen shook her head and bit her lip again, a trait Merlin was starting to find quite irritating.

"But I'm pretty sure you both stumbled past my chambers, which are on the way from your room to Arthurs..."

"Or Arthur's chambers to mine..."

"Urm... sure why not. Anyway, you were saying something about Gaius keeping alcohol in one of the cupboards for treating injuries."

"Oh yeah!"

"Irm shtill not shirr yif 'm drunken enough for this." Merlin stumbled past Gwen's chambers, clinging on to Arthur's arm for support.

"Well, I certainly do NOT have any more... of that... stuff... urm... Whatsh it called again?"

"Alcohool!" Merlin sang at the top of his voice.

"Ahh yes! That's the one! ALCOHOOL!" Arthur and Merlin simultaneously burst out laughing, holding onto each other as the stumbled down the corridor.

"Oh! I 'member! Gau-iu-au-is... Whatshisface has some alcohol in his little cupboard for treating it when people are in pain." Merlin grinned, looking immensely proud of himself for remembering anything in his intoxicated state.

"BRILLIANT!" The prince shouted before skipping along the corridor, followed closely by a slightly less graceful Merlin, tripping over his own feet in haste to get to the alcohol.

"Oh dear."

"Merlin?" He snapped his head forwards until he was looking directly at Gwen, seeing the lines of worry crease her face.

"Are you alright?"

"Of course! I'm great! Why wouldn't I be? Bye!" He turned on his tail and scurried back to Gaius' chambers to search for the bottle, hoping it was simply ale they had drunk, or something along those lines.

Yes... definitely just ale.

"My rubbing alcohol," Gaius announced as Merlin walked through the door, "Is missing. You wouldn't happen to know where it is would you?"

"Who me? No, not a clue... how much has gone missing?"

"All of it!" The old man threw his arms up in the air as a gesture of disbelief, "There were four bottles in there Merlin!"

"Only four?" Merlin sighed with relief

"That stuff is extremely potent, drinking just one bottle would give you the headache from hell in the morning... at least I'm assuming whoever stole it would drink it. If they had a sore to tend to they would at least tell me about it, not rob four whole bottles of the stuff!" Gaius slumped down into his chair and massaged his temples. "I dread to think what effect drinking four bottles of it would do to you."

"How about make you lose all memory of the night before?" Merlin suggested casually, picking up an oddly shaped spoon and examining it.

"Well, yes I suppose that could happen... Why what would you know of it?" Merlin looked up from the spoon to see the suspicious look on his mentor's face.

"You know me, one sniff of a barmaids apron and all that, I've once lost memory after drinking too much, I just assumed the same could happen to someone who drank that amount of rubbing alcohol." Merlin's eyes shifted, looking at everything in the room except for Gaius.

"If you're sure..."

"Oh yes! I'm sure! I have to go!"

"But you've only just-" Merlin cut him off.

"I know but Arthur needs me, I only came to get my..." He searched the room, his gaze landing on the oddly shaped spoon he was playing with earlier. "Spoon." He grinned and lifted it in the air for Gaius to see.

"That's my spoon."

"Huh, oh yeah. Well you keep it then, Bye!" He avoided the suspicious looks and dodged out of the door, closing it behind him.

Lol, spoon