Warning, angst ahead! Next time will be humour I swear, but I want to space it out. Not all of the fics below are sad, but quite a few are. To those of you who enjoy the humour, next time will have some of my personal favourite funnies. Thanks to all who have read this far, and special thanks go to the electric phantom, sarajm, .not., Bookwormiie, comealongsong, TheNotedMusician, SerpentWinged, WritingReadingLaughing and for reviews, alerts and favourites! You guys rock!

sarajm - I never thought about expanding that one...but it's a really great idea! I've started, and think it should take place over the first six episodes of the first season. What do you think? Glad you're enjoying my little scribbles.

the electric phantom - It's not just you! The one between Percy and Merlin is one of my favourites. I just loved exploring how they might have become friends. About Merlin dying...well, you'll see below. In some of these little fics, Merlin does die...I feel so guilty. Poor Merlin.

WritingReadingLaughing - Here's the update! Glad you like these. =D

"Merlin, you clotpole, if you die I swear I will be that great King you keep saying I'll be and you'll miss out on it because – once again – you refuse to do as you're told."

The young Prince adjusted his hold, carefully avoiding the gaping wound in his servant's side. When Merlin spoke, it was with a hoarse whisper.

"You swear?"

"Yes."

Merlin saw his chance.

"And you'll be just and respect everyone? Even if they have magic?"

"Fine. On my honour as a Pendragon, I swear I'll be the best King ever and everyone'll be happy - except you because you were a massive turnip-head who chose to push up daisies rather than follow orders."

Blue eyes closed as Merlin smiled contentedly. He murmured to himself:

"Mission accomplished."

"What are you on about, Merlin?...Merlin?"

Arthur did not and never would receive an answer to that question.

But he kept his promise.

King Arthur looked at the two circles in front of him: on one side were the noble sons, men he had grown up with. Men he should, by all accounts, fit in with. Once the proper greetings were done with, however, he immediately crossed over to his Knights to join in the game of 'keep away' with Merlin's neckerchief.

He may not have grown up with these men, but he knew who his real friends were.

Elyan was a little put out. He and Gwen had been raised expecting simple lives. Get a job, meet someone, get married, start a family. Simple.

But now his sister was courting a Prince – to whom he'd given the hurt-my-sister-and-I'll-make-you-pay speech – and he was a Knight of Camelot. Which meant a lot of female courtiers were now making eyes at him. Hence his unease. His misery was shared by Lancelot and Percival – who had their own admirers – and was in no way alleviated by their fellow Knights.

Leon, who had grown up in this world, said they'd eventually get used to it. Just be polite.

Gwaine said to lighten up, grab a girl and enjoy themselves. Just be quick about it, because beauty is fleeting and they had little enough beauty to begin with.

With Leon's advice and Gwaine's jibes dancing through his mind, Elyan nodded nervously at a pretty maiden who was hanging on his arm and batting her eyes. He politely refused her, knowing that without his knighthood she wouldn't have given him a second glance.

He'd been raised expecting a simple life. But, then again, when had love ever been simple?

Merlin looked down into the water. It almost hurt worse to know Freya was in there, in some way alive and yet not. Near and yet far. Always there. Just out of his reach.

Uther was jealous of Merlin.

Being King, he hadn't really been there for Arthur growing up, but he had been sure that he knew his son better than anyone. So when he watched, unobserved, the easy banter between the Prince and his manservant, he was amazed to see how…happy his boy looked. Amazed and hurt.

How much had he missed? How many smiles and secrets would Uther never know about? He was jealous of a servant, because that servant – that buffoon – knew his own son better than him.

He remembered when that servant dressed him for the battle against the Black Knight. He had said he shared a bond with Arthur, and Uther agreed.

A bond which he had lost all hope of forming with his son. He would just have to trust this Merlin with Arthur.

But he would always be a tiny bit jealous.

Gwen's hands were rough.

The only women Arthur had ever held hands with before were noblewomen. Their hands were supple, never having had to scrub a floor or wield a broom. Even Morgana, an accomplished swordswoman, had soft hands.

Gwen's hands had been worn by years of toil. And Arthur found that he liked that. After all, ruling was a tough job, and he wanted someone by his side that wasn't afraid to roll up her sleeves and work hard.

Gwaine was a rough, tough, hard-drinkin', bar-brawlin', skirt-chasin', carefree daredevil. He didn't cry. The closest he had ever come to crying was when he was winning at cards, got cocky and lost it all. (After all, it was a lot of gold. A lot.) But he still didn't cry.

Gwaine was a lonely, rejected, didn't-quite-fit-in-anywhere guy. So, when his only friend – selfless, caring, stupid Merlin – was lying bruised and beaten because of him, he gathered him into his arms.

And cried.

Lancelot looked at the horse trailing behind his own. Merlin, pale and cold from the touch of the Dorocha, was too weak to even hold himself upright in the saddle. The Knight blamed himself. If he had been quicker, Merlin wouldn't have jumped into its path and wouldn't be suffering now.

He had made a promise to Guinevere that he was going to look after Arthur. The promise to protect Merlin he had made only to himself. And yet he had failed. The warlock was dying and the Prince was going to sacrifice himself. All Lancelot could do was try and save Merlin. If only he knew how.

Uther was dead.

Gaius had pronounced the death, told the council, comforted Arthur and reassured Merlin. Now, finally alone, the physician could sort through his own feelings.

The man who Gaius had served, saved, counselled, comforted, healed, advised, admonished, deceived, lied for, been cast away by, gave up his love for, stood by and been sentenced to death by…was dead.

A part of him was glad. This man had betrayed him, forced him to give up everything he believed in. With him gone, a serious threat to Merlin had been lifted. But with him gone, Camelot would become a target for every opportunistic warlord out there.

With him gone, Arthur had lost both parents.

Gaius cared little for Uther the King. But for Uther the man, Gaius bowed his head in respect.

I promise there will be happy ones next. I just had to get some of the angst out of the way. =(

Also, I have written quite a few about Will. Some time in the future I'll upload an entirely Will based chapter. Maybe after the next one. Would you guys be interested in that?

Lots of humour next time. Opinions, criticism, requests and prompts always welcome! Thanks for reading! =D