They didn't speak for over a week.

Of course, some found this to be preferable to the shouting match that resulted in broken crockery and a cracked table (which neither Merlin or Arthur would admit to breaking) and went on for a good two hours. Everybody heard it, from the stablehand to the bookkeeper, and if someone didn't know that their new King Arthur and his "manservant" were married, well, they certainly knew now. And if, by some chance, they didn't hear the initial yelling and hoarse screaming, then they got to hear the story of it in the tavern that night—despite several noble attempts from Sir Leon to quell the rumors.

Once they finished trying to out-shout the other, however, Merlin stomped down to his old room in Gaius's quarters, stony face and ignoring any attempts to talk to him, and so began the week-long cold shoulder.

Of course, it's a little difficult to conduct state affairs when your partner is refusing to speak to you, so Gwen ended up having to carry messages back and forth.

She was less than pleased.

But more than that, she was scared. They all were. Merlin and Arthur had plenty of marital spats. Arthur was proud and Merlin was stubborn and they were both a little too cutting in their wit and stupidly overprotective—something had to give at eventually. But never had there been a proper fight between them. Certainly not like this.

"I'm honestly worried," Gwen confessed to Leon. "They've never gone this long without speaking to each other."

"Not even angry sex?" Gwaine asked, joining in on the conversation.

Gwen shook her head.

"They'll work it out," Elyan said weakly. "They always do, don't they?"

Percival and Gwaine exchanged dubious looks.

"It all depends on Gaius," Leon said, speaking slowly.

"If Gaius dies…" Gwen spoke softly, her body unnaturally still, "Then I don't think Merlin will ever forgive Arthur."

They all looked at one another, searching for reassurance and finding only fear.

Any hopes of reconciliation once Gaius was released were short lived. Merlin and Arthur still refused to speak to each other.

Gwen tried speaking to them.

"I was doing what I had to do," Arthur argued. "It's not as if I enjoyed it!"

"He got scared and listened to that idiot Agravaine instead of doing what he knows is right," Merlin said, thumping a beaker so hard on the table that it shattered. He didn't even seem to notice. "He should know better than to think Gaius would ever betray him!"

Gwen then tried shouting at them. Shaming them and throwing in a few yells usually did the trick.

Not this time.

Finally, Gwen rounded up the knights and they all appealed to Gaius. Gaius said he'd see what he could do.

That night, Gaius sat down with Merlin for dinner. "You've been rather quiet lately."

Merlin shrugged.

"How's Arthur?"

"Why should I know?" Merlin replied.

Gaius sighed. "Merlin…"

"He would have killed you, Gaius. Just like Uther." Merlin looked up, his eyes wet. "How could he do that? He's better than that, I know he is."

"He is scared, Merlin," Gaius said gently. "He doesn't trust himself."

"He could at least trust me," Merlin sniped.

"That's a fair point. But he also knows who you are, Merlin. You love completely and absolutely." Gaius smiled. "And that is a very good thing. But it means that you might be blind to someone's betrayal. Arthur knows how close we are. If I may be a bit presumptuous, I view you as a son. He knew you would defend me no matter what, just as you will believe in Arthur no matter what. And sometimes, a faith that absolute is hard to believe in, because you don't know if it's grounded in truth or simply for the sake of believing."

Merlin stared at his stew, and Gaius gently took it away, covering Merlin's smooth hands with his wrinkled ones. "Go to him, Merlin. He misses you terribly, and I know that you miss him."

Merlin sighed and looked up. "But how can I forgive him?"

"You love him, don't you?" Gaius smiled. "Time will take care of the rest."

Meanwhile, Gwen was doing a number on Arthur. A lot of stern finger-wagging was involved. "You know he was right," she finished. "Admitting your mistakes doesn't make you weak—it makes you a better person."

"What if he doesn't even want to see me anymore?" Arthur asked dully.

Gwen smiled. "I think you underestimate Merlin's devotion. Trust me, if he misses you even half as much as you've missed him—"

There was a tentative knock on the door, and Arthur stiffened.

"And that's my cue," Gwen said, sweeping across the room to open the door. "Ah, Merlin, wonderful timing. I was just heading out."

Merlin stepped into the room, shifting awkwardly. Gwen slipped out with an encouraging wink, closing the door behind her.

And now they were alone.

The awkward pause that followed was finally broken by Merlin who, in proper Merlin fashion, began babbling.

"It's not that I don't understand the pressure you're under," he said, "because I do, or I'm trying to, and I know that you want someone to tell you what to do and how to be but Arthur, you can't, and I just, I just want you to trust yourself and your friends for once because your father never trusted anyone and he was miserable his entire life and I don't want you to be miserable, I want you to be happy and smile because you never smile anymore these days and it makes me sick inside and—"

Arthur took three immense strides across the room and smashed their mouths together.

It wasn't the most coordinated of kisses, and it wasn't about to make the Top Five list, but it was the first contact they'd had in weeks and so for them it was glorious.

Merlin pressed his face into Arthur's shoulder, closing his eyes and clinging to him for all he was worth. Arthur's fingers dug painfully into his back, but he didn't care. He'd missed this. These past few weeks had felt like something had been ripped out of his chest and left him hollow and aching inside.

"I'm sorry," Arthur whispered. "You were right and I refused to listen, and I hurt you and I am so, so sorry. I don't want to hurt you." He kept his voice low, otherwise it would crack and betray the emotions pressing against his ribs, threatening to explode and make him fly apart into tiny pieces. "I don't know how to do this, Merlin. I can't—I can't seem to get it right. You're the one thing I know how to get right, and then it felt like I was losing you and I can't do that. I can't, I can't, I can't…"

"You won't," Merlin promised. He pulled back so that Arthur could see his face. "You won't lose me."

Arthur let out a sound that might have been a sob, if Arthur Pendragon was the kind of person who cried or even admitted to crying, and then they were kissing again and they didn't stop for a very, very long time.