Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or this song I stole the title from, yada yada yada (I've always wanted to say that)

Yada yadayadayadayadayadayadayadayadayadayadayadayadayadayadayadayadayadayadayadayadayadayadayadayadayada :)

LOOK THE SECOND CHAPTER! This took me AGES to write (even though it's shorter than the first chap) *cough cough*

I'm probably going to write loadz at the bottom because when I've finished uploading this I have to revise for English Literature and Chemistry :P Not. Nice.

Chapter 2

Completely, though not purposely, Merlin disregarded Gaius' well-meant advice and stumbled into Arthur's chambers in a daze that was going to become increasingly familiar over the coming days.

Arthur stood beside the door waiting for the manservant to realise he wasn't there and fly into a sure-to-be-amusing panic; he was disappointed. Merlin walked slowly into the room and turned to carefully close the door. He then made his way to the wardrobe and pulled out an outfit. After turning to the bed and noting the prince-sized gap he calmly put away the clothes, made the bed stood by the window and, well, just stood actually.

Merlin didn't look out at the courtyard below nor did he fidget, or even, Arthur realised through his shocked stupor, fiddle with his neckerchief. That was because he WASN'T WEARING IT. The whole long pale column of Merlin's neck was shamelessly exposed for the whole of Camelot to see! This, of course, wasn't the first time Merlin went neckerchiefless in Arthur's presence, it was usually during hunting trips (without the knights of course, he didn't need them fawning over and pawing Merlin in that disgusting way) when it got caught so often in branches or when Arthur snatched it off him to wipe his brow that it was removed.

'That was okay though,' Arthur thought, 'It was only me to see it!'

Arthur was steadily working himself into a panic which involved the staring eyes of knights, maid and man servants alike and even his father, the King, all fixated on Merlin's neck. He was brought out of this line of thought by a sound from the window.

Arthur snapped his head up to look at Merlin. Merlin's eyes were now closed and his face set in an expression of wonder and ecstasy. And then Arthur could take no more.

-oOo-

Merlin felt himself being shaken for the second time that day and came to know his surroundings gradually, as his eyes focused on Arthur he recalled his day dream and flushed, imagined pale tresses shrinking into golden locks. Merlin couldn't recall when the memory of a dream had morphed into a fantasy and he definitely couldn't remember when the seductress had gained a different identity.... except that he could.

"What were you thinking about." Arthur's tone did not encourage anything but a truthful answer.... of what he wanted to hear.

"N-n-nothing?" Not the best response he could have given, Merlin mentally slapped himself "Erm, you have," the sorcerer glanced at the sky through the window "had training, the King is expecting you an hour after you were meant to have finished, which was about an hour ago...." Merlin trailed off pathetically at the look Arthur was giving him, only slightly thankful of having completed the sentence.

"Well, since he's waited this long already-"

*Knock knock*

"Prince Arthur," The door opened "The king requires your presence."

Merlin briefly wondered at the professionalism of the messenger, he had walked in on his prince pressing his manservant into a stone wall, which, judging by the expression on the knight's face behind him, had looked rather.... inappropriate.

"Very well," stated Arthur calmly "This isn't finished." He added to Merlin and all semblance of calm was gone.

"Work for Gaius until I return." Just like that the princely persona returned, the messenger looked rather proud of Arthur and smirked, though not unkindly, at the gobsmacked expression on Merlin's face.

'It wasn't all that kind, either.' Merlin grumbled mentally after the door had closed.

'Stupid, arrogant, all-important Ty, erm, tim, no, erm, well, thinks he's all that.' Merlin stuttered through the name, trying to make his words seem true to himself, after all Tullus was 'all that' amongst the servants. Well mannered, to an extent, humble, smart and confident. He is nearly as good at charming the cook as Merlin and personal servant to the king no less, though, only for the scholarly things. I mean, why would a king want to personally pen his letters or research his interests and tasks when there are perfectly good servants?

Merlin opened the door and started retracing his steps to the physicians quarters, he remembered when his admiration for Tullus had been that only in a false name, he had, in reality had a rather big crush on Tullus when he first came up from Ealdor. The cook had known; Merlin was sure she had kept him waiting or arguing longer than usual some days just to see him stutter and blush once Tullus arrived for his own breakfast.

Unfortunately, by the time Merlin arrived at Gaius' door (passing by a certain King's assistant who glanced more than once at Merlin's neck) he had gone from reminiscing crushes to fantasizing about vaguely familiar seductresses.

Merlin walked absentmindedly into the workshop and looked around unseeingly before leaning against the wall. From early afternoon it was already nearing evening when a panicked Arthur heard from Gaius he had seen neither hide nor hair of Merlin all day.

The sky was tinged orange and pink when the King's physician told Arthur about the seductress minus their preference for magic folk.

The sky was a blazing glory when Gwen came across a wandering Merlin whilst making her way back to the castle with an armful of flowers. They had a short but strangely detached conversation before he continued on his walk and she on hers.

The sky was fringed with black and blue tendrils of approaching night when Morgana paced in maddening worry about her missing friend.

The streets were full of pub pilgrims walking through the twilight when the manservant's loved ones gathered to pool their knowledge.

The street echoed with a horse's hooves when a royal prince rode out to his friends rescue.

The forest was calm and quiet when a pale blond beauty glided towards the one who bore her mark.

I noticed I used a -oOo- page break in this chap, I completely forget about them (hence only using it once) it'll probably not reappear in this fic again unless I try really hard and inculded lots of POV changes (sorry, only just saw that now when I was scrolling down to write this)

Okay, one final edit/look-through....

And done. (I uploaded this chapter before I saved the final edited version so I just re-did all the changes. I really can be such an idiot, hopefully it will wear off before tommorow's English lit exam)

Please review and wish me luck, maybe I'll not mention exams again if I feel happy enough (heehee blackmail).

Can't wait until next week's Doctor Who. Right, enough putting people off reading your fics, the rambling is over, congrats if you read this far, right here's the plan.

You REVIEW and I REVISE.