Thank you for reading up to here! I appreciate the effort. Special Kudos to those who spent a little more time to give me the pleasure of knowing what they thought!

DISCLAIMER: I WISH I own Merlin.

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CHAPTER VI: That Odd Little Green-eyed Monster

CAMELOT, 5TH C.A.D

Arthur and Uther were extremely worried. The plague had killed much too many people already and they had no idea where it originated. There had been panic inside and outside the palace that wasn't getting any better. What made it worse was Gaius asked for Merlin to assist him in the investigation which rendered him temporarily servant-less.

His eye twitched at the selfish thought. How could he be a good king when all he thought about is his servant? He meant that he was annoyed that no servant was there to assist him. That's all.

Uther noticed the inconvenience so he hired a new temporary servant for Arthur in the expectation that it would lighten up his mood somehow, but to his puzzlement there was no good change that happened. In fact, Arthur's mood just got even fouler.

He sighed. "Arthu—"

Knock Knock

"Your Highness."

The door opened revealing Gaius... and his assistant.

Arthur winced at the sight of his eye bags. The boy hadn't slept yet since the rise of the disease, hadn't he? He felt worried. But that's because after the plague was taken care of the boy would be half asleep when he was already serving him again.

Or worse – he might decide to sleep in and take a day or two off.

"Any news?" He asked nonchalantly, stopping his wince. Gaius nodded gravely.

"All we currently know for sure is that the plague was caused by… magic."

Arthur frowned, especially now that his father became especially irritated. The security would definitely be hardened now, and from what he experienced it wouldn't really do much considering how tight it already was. He sighed and stole a glance of his manservant yawning his lungs out.

He mentally scoffed in amusement.

At the very least: Merlin was still himself.

...

That night, Arthur looked at his window—or rather at two of the people who were doing the investigating. They looked more worn out than earlier making him frown unconsciously. He was too busy in his own line-of-thought that he noticed Morgana behind him a little too late.

"Merlin is really… feminine, no?" She said wearing that knowing smile of hers causing one of Arthur's eyebrows to mount. He felt suspicious since he knew that smile. She knew something amusing (for her) and was not planning on telling him until she was satisfied with the amount of… humiliation that he would experience.

Morgana was not really a sadist… at least not yet. She just liked to observe proud men making fools out of themselves. Arthur quickly composed himself and regained his usual, proud self.

"Yeah. He's so weak and girly that he's pretty useless when it comes to back-breaking work." He stated particularly proud of the insult.

"Indeed." She said monotonously still wearing that menacing smirk.

"What do you want, Morgana?" He hissed, eyeing his surrogate sibling, definitely not in the mood for one of her mind games.

"Oh… I'm just checking if one of my hypotheses is correct. And it is, I just found out a few moments ago." She replied with an obviously amused tone of voice.

"What?" He asked with uncertainty but she just giggled.

"You'll find out… soon enough."

"Morg—"

"Goodnight Arthur." She said demurely, and then gracefully walked out the door.

...

Days later and more people died, and even more are catching the disease. Gaius had no cure for it could only be cured by magic, so when he found out that the blacksmith was miraculously healed; he quickly captured his only relative – his daughter, who just happened to be Morgana's maid.

Arthur could swear that his ears were literally ringing from her disdainful shouts. He hated seeing her like this, he loved her as if she was his real sister. He didn't understand why she was in such a state over a mere servant, but he would help her all the same if he could. But nevertheless, his duty to his father would always come first.

"Take her to the dungeons!" Uther ordered to the guards. Gwen had been begging and crying for a while now but Uther seemed untouched.

"NO! Please no… I didn't do anything, I swear! Please I beg of you—"

"She's telling the truth, sire!" A familiar voice shouted from the side. He felt a knot of worry inside him. Gwen looked at him hopefully.

"And how do you say so?"

"Because… I'm the sorcerer." Merlin stated with his eyes filled with determination. For a moment Arthur swore he lost his breath.

"Are you insane, Merlin?" Gaius shouted in despair. Arthur looked at him expectantly. Gaius should prove Uther that Merlin was crazy… right?

If he was not crazy… then what was he? Insane?

He gritted his teeth.

NOW who's uptight about a servant?

He was scared, definitely and he knew it. It was the emotion that his father said he was never allowed to have – which was why he knew it well. What was he so frightened about, then? That no one would clean his clothes?

That no one to polish his armours? To sharpen his swords? To polish his buttons?

Surely not. If anything, most royal servants could do it better than Merlin.

His daze was cut off by the accusing voice of his father. "Do you have any proof?"

"Yes." He said confidently effectively shattering him.

"You have been in the pubs again, haven't you?" Gaius yelled, but Arthur barely heard it. He shifted his gaze onto his manservant. Why was he so confident? What the hell was he planning to do?

Merlin was willing to get killed. For a mere servant...

Not the he wasn't one himself.

"He's definitely crazy, father. I'm with him every day." He said to his father with as much nonchalance as he could muster.

"I am not! I—" Her vehement argument was cut off by Arthur saying,

"He's been enchanted, Father." He saw Merlin flinch with the edge of his vision. He didn't know what he was thinking – if he was thinking, and he knew that Morgana would strangle him once she found out… But right now, making sure Merlin lived through this was his first priority.

Because he needed someone amusing polishing his buttons, of course.

"NO! I'm not crazy, sire! I swear! I-I'll prove it to you." Arthur froze at the statement and the next thing he knew Merlin was unconscious. Gaius immediately ran towards him.

"Gaius?"

"He fainted. Too much drinking. For some reason, ale keeps him awake most of the time, but it seems all the stress finally got to him."

"I see…" Uther said comprehendingly and then looked at the very confused Guinevere. "Do you think she has enchanted him?" He asked Gaius.

"Oh no, sire. But Merlin would definitely not back down all the same. He and I believe that she had been framed."

"Oh? But don't you think his vehemence in arguing with me is a little too much?" Uther countered getting Gaius' to blink for a second but he immediately thought of a reply.

And Arthur did not like his answer.

"Merlin—He's… in love with her, you see."

…

Arthur stared at his well-lit fireplace with varying expressions.

How could he feel so irritated at Gaius's statement? He had no reason to. Maybe he was just stressed out with the dying of his people. 'Yes, that must be it.' He mused, but unfortunately not convincing himself at all.

There was absolutely no reason to mind their relationship. They were both just servants so they could do whatever they want with their lives so long as they serve their masters properly.

But then again... Merlin was not particularly good at his job…

So maybe that's why he minded…? He nodded internally. That was a very sound conclusion, was it not?

For a while longer he would think of such thoughts, until he convinced himself.

Because… his brain would in no way accept the most obvious conclusion.

Not until a certain beautiful ebony-haired woman would spell it out for him.

...

"I saw what happened." Morgana said coolly as she entered his room. He did not say anything. He should have known Morgana would use one of the hidden passageways she found.

"You made no attempt on saving my maidservant, Arthur. You just went ahead and made stupid attempts to save yours." She said with great bitterness in her voice. "I understand that you'd do anything to save Merlin, but you could've at least attempted to save Gwen!" She exclaimed angrily at him, but to his surprise she was back to her old gracious self a moment later.

"Be thankful that Gaius told me and Merlin that he might be able to convince Uther that Gwen was framed." He blinked. 'Merlin is conscious again?' He mused but then he felt a pinch of irritation at the sudden recollection of his servant's affection to a certain girl. Morgana noticed this and smirked.

"I noticed that you felt annoyed when Gaius said Merlin's in love with Gwen…"

"That's because—" He was about to tell her his earlier rationalizations, only to be cut off.

"You're jealous, Arthur." Morgana stated, determined to get her revenge on him for not trying to save Gwen.

"Pardon?"

"I said you're jealous, Arthur. I can repeat it over and over again if you want." She stated, smiling sadistically. Arthur arched his eyebrows in scepticism.

"Are you trying to say that I'm in love… with Guinevere?"

"Yes, and no."

"What?"

"I'm saying that you are definitely in love. But you have the wrong person."

Arthur gaped at her as he comprehended the revelation. But when finally absorbed the new information onto his battle-wired brain—

His eyes widened in despair.

...

Merlin ran to the prat's chambers. She had news to him, and she was tasked to tell it to him. She was still a bit embarrassed with her little hysteria earlier, but she had to face it.

She woke up incredibly groggy, and it was an awful sensation to have. She saw Gaius turning pages from book to book like a robot. "What happened?" She asked as she massaged her aching head.

"I had to put you to sleep before you perform magic right in front of Uther."

"You did the same."

"But he trusts me. He didn't suspect a thing."

"Yeah, so? You're willing to let Gwen take all the blame for my actions?"

"Yes." Her eyes widened at the statement. "But that won't necessarily happen. I can convince Uther—"

"GAIUS!" Morgana shouted barging in the door, but odd enough she still had her trademark poise. She seemed distraught but not mad, so they can assume that she did not hear anything they didn't want her to.

" Please… Don't let Gwen—"

"Calm down Morgana. I think I know who did all this and it was definitely not Gwen."

"Who is it?"

"I found that this type of disease is caused by an Alfanc."

"A what?" The girls ask in unison.

"It can only be done by magic from the old religion." The girls just stared at him to ask him to continue. "It's magic that I never thought I'd see again. Uther knows this, so he'll probably be convinced. It is not possible for Gwen to know this. We know both her parents and they are in no way related to magic."

Morgana beamed. "That's great news, Gaius! I'll go to Arthur immediately."

Merlin sighed.

Arthur must be laughing his head off after seeing her go in insane mode. She shook her head; she should really stop caring what he thought. All she had to focus about now was to tell Arthur how they'll deal with the plague.

When she opened the door, though, she did not expect to see him at such a distressed state. She was worried, a little bit for him (albeit she would absolutely not admit it), but more importantly if he'll be able to save her friend from death when he was in such a state.

Merlin's eye then shifted to Morgana who was standing in front of him unsmiling, but she could tell with her eyes that she was quite… amused. She did not know what was happening, but every minute that passed by had to be used to its fullest.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but I have urgent news." She stated and gulped in animation. "We found the source of the disease, as well as how to defeat it."

She let a moment pass for effect. But after that, she couldn't help but blink. Arthur reacted much less enthusiastic than she had anticipated.

'Why is he not elated? WHY?' She thought frantically, and asked Morgana. "What's wrong with him?"

"He just found out quite a revelation himself a few moments ago."

"Really? What is it?" Merlin tilted her head in curiosity. Morgana grinned at the turn of events.

"He just found out that he's—"

"Morgana." He said sternly. Merlin flinched at the sudden seriousness that surrounded him. "It's time for you to leave now, I have to make arrangements for the quest."

"Very well." She smirked and stopped next to her, practically purring. "Take care of him, Merlin."

Merlin flinched, thoroughly confused by everything.

"A-Ah..."

A hero's welcome greeted them after news of their win against the Alfanc. Merlin took a glimpse of him, and he was still not acting as glad and proud like the Arthur she knew. She felt worried, and she would think of things to annoy him with if she wasn't so tired. And she just knew she would not be able to sleep for a few more days because she and Gaius still had a lot of cleaning and purifying to do. She sighed internally.

Arthur could take care of himself.

...

"MERLIN!" Gwen exclaimed happily as she was let go from the dungeons and hugged her tightly. Merlin's eyes widened in surprise because when someone did that, he/she was bound to feel the 'lump' on a girl's chest. Gwen's eyes widened at the realization.

"You're a—"

"Shhh…" Merlin whispered and put a finger over her mouth. "We'll talk about this later."

Gwen nodded slowly.

Neither of them noticed the two pairs of eyes watching them.

...

"Tsk." Arthur involuntarily muttered at the sweet scene they made several meters away. Merlin looked more annoying when he's flirting.

Annoying.

"They're so sweet… Jealous?" Morgana slyly commented from beside him.

"Shut up, Morgana." He spat, making Morgana smirk. Arthur never snapped at her like this—and over a pretty cross-dressing manservant, too.

Morgana thought that her life was going to get more and more interesting from now on. She smiled at Arthur before adopting her know-it-all smirk. "Are you sure? If you admit 'it'... I will help you, you know."

Arthur stared at her.

"Hell no."

She laughed. As expected. And as planned.

She would rather not end this early, after all. So she just patted his shoulders in 'encouragement'.

"Suit yourself."

.
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END OF CHAPTER VI

Coming soon:
CHAPTER VII: Conflicting Emotions
Because Arthur is not homophic. Nope.
He isn't, I say!

REPLIES TO ANGELS:

Princess Falling Star - Ahahaha~ Neither could I! lolz, Thanks for the comment!

cheekysorcerer- Thank you for the review! I'm Glad you thought so~!

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