Part 2: Merlin's a Guy
"You know," said Merlin, after they were back in Arthur's chambers, "I'm not even queen yet, but they still yelled 'long live the queen.'"
"You're queen to me," said Arthur, drawing her close. He kissed her forehead. "And it shows how much they respect you."
Merlin rolled her eyes. "Arthur, they don't know me; how could they respect me?"
"Do you have to make everything complicated?" asked the king.
"Yes!" said Merlin, sarcastically eager. "It's in my job description; didn't you know?"
Arthur sighed and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. He pulled away, but was pulled back for a not-so-chaste one. One thing led to another, and Arthur was pulling her towards the bed, hand trying to sneak up her shirt.
"Arthur," Merlin scolded, "We're not married yet. None of that!"
"Please," he moaned, giving her puppy dog eyes, "In four days we will be. Four days. Does it matter?"
"Yes, it most certainly does!" she snapped. "My mother raised me too- Oh, shit, my mother!"
"What?" asked Arthur, raising off the bed and hugging her from the back.
"First off my mother doesn't know about this,"-she indicated her body- "And she does know we're getting married!"
"You didn't tell-"
"Don't. Say. It," she hissed angry with herself. Her next words were more to herself. "It's a day and a half ride to Ealdor and a day and a half ride back. Plenty of time."
"I'll send a messenger as soon as possible," said Arthur, hand sneaking into his pocket. "But first I-"
"Sire!" came a voice from the door. It was a servant. Arthur glared at the boy, while Merlin gave him a friendly smile. He gulped. "Um- well, the counsel wishes to-"
"Tell the counsel that I'm busy," said Arthur rather harshly, making the boy go pale. Merlin whacked the back of his head as the servant walked out, shutting the door behind him.
"What was that for?"
"You didn't have to be such a prat," said Merlin.
"Sorry, its just- I've- well, alright. I've been trying to get the courage to give something to you, and I finally had it, but he interrupted-" started Arthur, going red and acting nervous.
Merlin kissed him to shut him up. "You're still a prat," she mumbled against his lips.
When they pulled away, Arthur pulled something out of his pocket. "Merlin, I wanted to give you this." He held up a ring, no more than a silver band. "I didn't have an engagement ring, and it might not look like much but…..it was my mother's," he said sadly.
Merlin stroked his hair. "I couldn't take it. It was your mother's."
"Please," he said slipping it on her left ring finger. "Take it."
She sighed and nodded. They both looked deeply into each other's eyes. Their faces drew closer. Lips met. As they deepened the kiss, Gwaine barged in, looked at them, and backed out slowly. They didn't notice.
A few hours later:
"Merlin?" asked Arthur, strolling into his chambers, hoping she'd be there. The counsel meeting he had just been in had bored him half to death and he needed Merlin's strange, yet funny sense of humor.
It was dark in his room, but he saw a form move. He drew his sword. "Going to impale me?" asked a familiar voice.
"Merlin?"
"Yep." Her face was covered by a black hood, attached to a cloak. Arthur sheathed his weapon. His hand tried to grab her's, but she pulled away. "Arthur, something's happened."
A million things ran through the king's mind. Most of them were scenarios in which Merlin did not love him anymore. He shook his head, hoping for some news other than that. "What?"
Her hand went up and grabbed his wrist. She pressed something in his palm. When he looked, his heart dropped. It was his mother's ring. "Why?" he whispered.
No answer.
"Merlin, why? Look at me!" he nearly yelled, seeing as her head was ducked. He pulled her head upward by the chin. He gasped.
Merlin's eyes were the same, as were the cheekbones. Her hair was short and those remarkable ears were showing proudly again. Her face looked changed, as was her body. Something was different. It took a moment for Arthur to realize.
Merlin was a man again.
Shock took hold of the king. He couldn't move. Merlin started talking. "So I guess you really wouldn't want a relationship with a man," he said with no emotion whatsoever. "And it would be pretty awkward if we still stayed friends; well at least for me, it would be. So I'm leaving Camelot."
Arthur's brain wasn't working. He couldn't process it.
"So I guess this is goodbye," sighed Merlin, pulling his hood down and he walking out. Arthur stood frozen in the moment. Time seemed to stop. He glanced at the ring in his hand.
"Merlin," he whispered. His eyes darted to the window, only to glimpse a black cloaked figure walk out of the gates of Camelot and disappear in thin air. Merlin used magic to get out of there.
"Merlin," he whispered again. Something clicked. Merlin was gone. An anguished cry escaped his lips. "MERLIN!"
He collapsed on the floor, feeling broken to a thousand pieces. Nothing seemed right. The world spinned, and Arthur felt something tighten in his heart as darkness took him. He had passed out from heartbreak.
Three days. Three days ago, Merlin left. Left Camelot. Left his friends. And left Arthur. Three days were filled with nothing but vomiting, tears, agony, and hell for the king. Merlin had not only left; but had taken the king's heart with him.
On the fourth day, something changed. Arthur was silent. He got up and packed his bag. He put on his armor. Got his sword. He headed out to the stables, every trace of a broken man gone.
"Oh, hey, Arthur," said Gwaine, attaching a bag to his horse. Arthur nodded in greeting. Gwaine continued. "So, any idea where Merlin is?"
Arthur's eyes widened and Gwaine laughed. "Really, we all know what happened. I knew you were going to go looking for him sooner or later."
Arthur nodded again and turned to his own horse, to attached the bag and saddle. Gwaine went over to help him. "Princess, I'm coming with you."
Arthur spoke for the first time, his voice hoarse. "I generalized that."
"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Gwaine. The two set off, then, riding out into the woods. Both agreed to check Merlin's home village first, seeing as his mother was there. It was dark by the time they stopped, horse exhausted and their asses sore from riding. After the horses where tended to and a fire was set up, Gwaine started to make a dinner (knowing how Arthur cooked, he did most of the work.)
"C'mon, you have to eat something," Gwaine pleaded with the king, after he turned down the stew. The knight took in Arthur's face. The king did not look like he had slept the past few days, and Gwaine could always tell when a man hadn't eaten.
Arthur shook his head, and in the end, Gwaine ended up leaving the bowl by him. The king took the first watch that night, but instead watched the whole night through. He did some thinking in the dark. Merlin was a man. He shouldn't still have feelings for him, even if he had found his manservant rather attractive when they first met. Merlin was his friend, he shouldn't have feelings for him. Merlin was a man, and Arthur needed to produce heirs. Merlin was a man, and the people of Camelot expected a queen. Merlin was a man.
After a night of those and many more thoughts along those lines, Arthur reached on conclusion: Merlin was a man, and Arthur still loved him.
Merlin's a guy! *Gasp* what sorcery could have done this? I have no idea... Anyways, thank you to Don-V, jessica-k-peck-9, Anj-Emm, and CaptainJackWatson-Holmes for reviewing! :D
Oh, and one thing that has nothing to do with this story and you probably don't really care about: My friend who watches Merlin (and is somehow still on season 2) said I have ears like Merlin. I took it as a compliment, because, really, I do have big ears (and of course so does Merlin or Colin Morgan, the guy who plays him, but big ears are AWESOME!) So does anyone else have big ears like me and Merlin? Sorry for that randomness, I had to put it in here. :D