It amazed Merlin that Arthur thought he was actually still asleep. Really, the idiot didn't even seem to understand what the definition of whispering was. He'd been awake from the second Gwen had snuck into the room to converse with Arthur.

Smelling hot fresh bread and deciding it was time to 'wake up', Merlin began to stir.

"Shh!" Arthur hissed. "He's waking up!"

Gwen bolted out of sight. Merlin sat up and blinked, trying to look dazed and sleepy. Arthur was standing in front of him with a tray, on which sat a lovely breakfast and—Merlin was going to murder Gwen in the slowest, most painful way he could think up—a massive bouquet of flowers.

"What's all this?"

Arthur sat on the edge of the bed, helping Merlin settle the tray into his lap. "It's the first part of your anniversary present."

Merlin pointed his fork at Arthur warningly. "If the second part is jewelry, Arthur, I swear—"

Arthur held his hands up. "No jewelry. I learned that last time."

Last time, Arthur had tried to give Merlin a rather large gold necklace. One wrestling session later wherein Merlin might have used a bit of sneaky magic, Arthur found the necklace around his wrists, where it then wrapped several times around the headboard and kept him pinned there.

That had been a lovely anniversary.

(The necklace had then 'accidentally' ended up in the melting pot in Elyan's forge.)

"Thank you for breakfast, Gwen," Merlin called.

There was the sound of curtains rustling. Arthur glared in the general direction of Gwen's hiding place and then looked back at Merlin. "It was my idea."

Merlin just smiled. "I'm sure it was."

Arthur rolled his eyes and moved the tray out of the way, sliding over and cupping Merlin's cheek with his hand. "You certainly won't thank her for this," he whispered, sliding his tongue into Merlin's mouth and kissing him until Merlin was weak in the knees—which wasn't fair because Merlin was sitting down.

"What's the rest of my present, then?" Merlin asked when he'd gotten his breath back, letting Arthur steal some bread from his tray.

Arthur just grinned. "You'll find out."

"Aren't you going to tell me what it is?" Merlin asked, wondering what they were doing that would require riding horses to get there.

"Aren't you going to congratulate me?" Arthur replied.

"On what?"

"On remembering our anniversary."

Merlin rolled his eyes. "Arthur, I reminded you last month."

"Yes, but I remembered after that."

"Hmm, yes, and Gwen didn't help in the slightest."

"Gwen and Leon and Gwaine and Gaius and Percival and Mordred," Arthur admitted. "I couldn't turn around without one of them reminding me, and Mordred wasn't even at the bloody ceremony."

Merlin just laughed.

"This really is the perfect spot," Arthur said, dismounting and gazing around at the clearing. "Is it not?"

"It's a picnic!" Merlin said. "I knew it! Honestly, Arthur, you couldn't think of something new?"

Arthur seemed to decide that flattery was the best policy and waited for Merlin to dismount before approaching him. "Sometimes I forget how beautiful Camelot is," he brushed their lips together, "But never how beautiful you are."

Merlin snorted. "You are so full of it."

Arthur kissed him. "No mocking the king. There is a special punishment reserved for such imprudence."

"If it's as good as the last punishment, I don't see any reason to stop."

"Now you're the one who's full of it."

They set up the picnic together, with Arthur dragging Merlin down onto the blanket as soon as it was set up. "We still have to get the rest of the things out!" Merlin protested, halfheartedly struggling as Arthur rolled them so that Merlin was straddling him, hands on his chest to brace himself.

"That can wait," Arthur replied. He paused. "Do you remember the first picnic I took you out on?"

Merlin smiled and waggled the fingers on his left hand, the dragon ring seeming to ripple and curl around his finger like a living creature. "How could I forget?"

Arthur caught his hand and pressed his lips to Merlin's knuckles. Merlin swatted playfully at him, calling him a sap, and Arthur retaliated by rolling them again so he could pin Merlin to the ground and kiss him properly.

"I'd say the day was near perfect, wouldn't you?" Arthur asked later in the afternoon, as they packed up.

"If I say yes, you're going to preen for hours," Merlin replied. "But yes. I agree."

Arthur grinned, his cheeks reddening a little. "Here, catch."

Merlin missed.

Arthur sighed. "I think our dog catches better than you."

"That's because you treat him better," Merlin called out, searching through the bushes. Something at the base of a tree caught his eye and he froze, staring at it.

"Are you blind?" Arthur asked, coming up behind him.

"Something happened here." Merlin pointed at the scorched, clawing marks on the tree.

It was about that moment the day went from nearly perfect to pretty harrowing.