A Marriage that Started a Legend

by IJustShowedUp

Follows canon but with my own arranged marriage spin on it. What happens when Hunith makes a mistake and is forced on the run with her infant son? What happens when Camelot knights find her twenty years later? What happens when Arthur learns he's betrothed to a peasant boy? Will Merlin be able to stand among royalty? Will these two different boys survive each other? Review!

52. Chapter 52

Merlin hadn't wanted to look over, he really hadn't, or so he told himself. Because he didn't try nearly as hard as he should have tried to stop himself from looking. But he was-looking, that is-and Merlin could feel his shoulders sag with that heavy weight back on them. Merlin's lips thinned as a grim look settled on his features.

It was Arthur, of course it was Arthur. Even if he'd seemed to hold no qualms over what he had done to Merlin, even if the prince acted as if he had done know wrong, Merlin found it hard-still-to keep his eye's off of him. Even if the situation they were in may consider it as 'inappropriate' timing. But Merlin didn't care, he still couldn't take his eye's off of Arthur at his side. Nor could he deny the pull that was yanking harshly in his chest, screaming at him to help the poor guy out.

Yeah, poor guy, Merlin almost wanted to scoff at the wording. Arthur-rather they be talking about riches or other aspects of the blonde's life-he was most definitely the least poor person in the entire kingdom, probably the planet from what Merlin had seen.

And maybe it was wrong for Merlin to have this ache in his chest, telling him that he had to do something for the blonde. After what he had done to Merlin, did he deserve his help at all? Help that Merlin wouldn't even be able to give him, because there really was nothing else that he was able to do. He had already mucked things up enough already.

And now, Arthur's face was ingrained into his very memory. The wide blue eyes, looking so bright from the sun streaming in through the curtains as the prince looked wide eyed up to his father. But it was a distraught expression, he looked as if he didn't know what to do now that his father's ire had turned onto him.

Merlin hadn't meant for something like this to happen, he hadn't meant for anything like it to happen. To just be forced to stand there and watch as Arthur was humiliated in front of what seemed like over a dozen of the city's elite.

You would think that Merlin would have felt good about it. To consider this as some form of payback for Arthur switching out his favor without warning. That Merlin could feel good about himself as he took in the scene before him, to look at it as some kind of revenge that Arthur deserved. But Merlin didn't feel good about it at all. There was no deep, sick sense of satisfaction curling in his gut now that the prince was finally getting his dues. There was no thrill that to know that the shoe was now on the other foot, that it was Arthur being this humiliated instead of him. No, there wasn't anything like that at all.

He just felt...sorry, for Arthur. In a way that he hadn't expected he would, not after what the prince had been putting him through. But it was there, all the same. That withering bit of emotion that filtered under his veins, telling him to help him, but the dissatisfaction that followed told him there was nothing he could do in the face of the King.

"My Lord," Valiant spoke up with a false sincerity, sounding as if he was the one that was in charge. As if he was the one that had called this meeting to order, and was now the one that was pulling the strings of everybody in attendance. Merlin glared at him, knowing that everything had only gone wrong after he had stepped into the room. "If your son made these accusations because he's afraid of our fight, then I will graciously accept his withdrawal."

Arthur's head had dropped at some point during Valiant's sentence, as if he was trying to hide his face away from his father's scorn. But now, his head was shooting up to look at Valiant with disbelief, as if he couldn't quite believe that Valiant really had the gall to make such a claim.

Merlin couldn't believe it as well, he couldn't believe that there was someone who had the guts to say something like that, right into the faces of the people who knew exactly what kind of man he was. And when Arthur didn't say anything to come to his own defense, he was obviously in a state of shock, Merlin did it himself.

"He's not afraid of anything!" Merlin snapped back, loud and firm. Which wasn't exactly the truth, Arthur was scared of some things. He'd seen Arthur when he was scared-like when he'd run away from Merlin back in the halls of the stadium-but there was no way that Arthur was afraid of Valiant. Merlin had seen Arthur with that sword of his, he has no doubt that the prince would be able to take Valiant on, in a fair fight of course.

"Is that right?" Valiant asked him, with the most casual lilt of his eyebrow in the direction of Merlin. Merlin felt the outraged flush shoot across his cheeks as he scowled angrily in the other knight's direction. Oh, what would he give to be able to grab Arthur's sword for himself and challenge Uther to a-what had Knight Chase called it again?-a sanctioned duel? "Then you explain to me why he does not wish to go through with the fight, explain to me why he has called us all here today, just to postpone it?"

Merlin, once again, rose up to the defense of Arthur, as the prince stood back watching in disbelief. "You know why!" Merlin exclaimed, throwing out his hand to point at Valiant. "He is just smart enough not to throw himself at your mercy when you have 'that' to use as an advantage!"

And Merlin made to move forward, as if he was about to snatch the shield straight off of Valiant's arm. But two guards were there long before he could even get close, making an 'X' with their spears to separate him and Valiant.

Merlin's face burned as he grinded down his teeth.

"That's enough out of you." Uther barked at Merlin, and then he was turning to look at his son. And by the gods, the look on his face was something truly awful. It was as if Uther was looking at his son for the first time, as if he didn't know him.

Arthur felt the gut-wrenching pain when he saw that look directed at him. He always, for as long as he could remember, had gone out of his way to do what he could to make his father proud to call him his heir. He had done anything and everything his father had dared to order him to, even horrible and awful kind of things, because he knew being a prince wasn't an easy task. And being king was even harder. Everything he'd done in his father's name, under his father's orders, had been to prepare him for the day he would become the king.

Arthur knew this very well, it was practically ingrained in his skin. It was why he had never backed down from any challenge casted his way, had never looked away from one fight after the other, why he had trained himself to the bone for countless hours upon hours, day after day since the moment he'd been given his first real sword.

But all of his accomplishments didn't matter, they were all for naught under his father's deep and penetrating stare.

His father stepped up to him, and Arthur's eyes went wild as they shot from his father, to Valiant, to Merlin, to his father, to Merlin again, and then finally settling back onto his father.

"Is this true?" Uther demanded, his voice was hushed and the disgusted disapproval was practically leaking out of every word he was speaking to his own son. "Do you wish to be withdrawn from the tournament?" He was sounding as if he couldn't believe he had just dared to utter those words out loud.

"No!" Arthur exclaimed quickly, feeling as if he was about to start panicking as everything was turned around on him so easily. This was not how a prince was supposed to act, he'd tell himself in the deep recesses of his mind, but he couldn't stop himself either. Seeing his father's disappointment in him, even under such false allegations, made something sour curl up in the pit of his gut.

And it didn't help that this conversation wasn't private, that many people who were supposed to look up to him, was seeing this. He was supposed to be their prince, not just a weakened person who was a liar, coming up with this whole charade just to get himself out of a fight. Arthur had never ran away from a fight before, he wouldn't exactly start with Valiant.

But Uther didn't seem to believe him, he just seemed to have his views on sorely whatever it was that Valiant fed to him, "Then what am I to make of these allegations?" Uther hissed, as if it was really to hard to take his son aside and talk to him like a parent would, to find out what was going on. Instead of speaking to his own son as if he was nothing more than one of the many subjects to his king.

Arthur found himself coming up short, and his eyes were once again shooting between Valiant, his father, and Merlin. It was more clearer than ever that he didn't know what to do. Arthur had never been in a situation like this before, he'd never been looked at as if he was some kind of fool. And Arthur didn't take being humiliated very well, even as he was forced to swallow back his initial response. It was one thing to talk back to someone that was lesser, but it was quite another when the person he was facing was his father.

"Arthur," there was a harsh nudge to his side as Merlin pushed him, just enough for the prince to stumble forward from surprise. "He would like to make another allegation towards Valiant. If you don't believe us about his use of magic, then you might believe this other one at least, sire." He said, addressing the king.

Arthur looked back at Merlin in disbelief, and it was only the reminder that they were in the public's eye that stopped him from shoving the boy. Something that had came to him so easily before, but didn't so much after he had learned about Valiant. Merlin was giving him a death glare, trying to tell him with his eyes to go on ahead.

Merlin felt bad for the prince. It was a shocker to realize this, but it was the truth. After seeing how Arthur was being so bluntly dismissed by his own father, well...it wasn't that hard to figure out how Arthur had became the prat that he was. So if he had to bite the arrow and get just a little bit humiliated to get the heat off of the blonde for just a minute, well...it wouldn't be the first time he'd been humiliated before.

"Oh, is that right?" Uther asked, giving what was no doubt, another withering stare down at Merlin. Because the king swore, this had better not be another waste of his time, "Go ahead then, spit it out!"

Both Arthur and Merlin winced at the shout. This was not going in anyway how they had originally planned for it to go, and Arthur was still holding out his sword as if he was going to be attacked at any minute. It just wasn't a seemly sight.

"That's right Arthur, go ahead and defend my honor or whatever." Merlin hissed at him as he gave the prat another shove. Merlin had made a deal with him after all: and they had most obviously lost Uther on the first one.

Arthur looked back at him confused, clearly not understanding what Merlin was getting at. But he must have seen something on the boy's face, some kind of expression that gave it away. Because Merlin could have, for just a second there, saw Arthur's brain when the gears started clicking into place. And then he gave Merlin a look, a questioning look as if he was trying to ask if Merlin really wanted to go there.

But Merlin's glare at him was answer enough. After all, Merlin didn't care if they had to go the extra mile, if it could get Valiant out of the tourney and away from the shield...what was a little humiliation compared to saving a life? Even if that life happened to belong to Arthur Bloody Pendragon.

Arthur cleared his throat, before turning back around to face his father who was raising an unamused eyebrow at the silent conversation the two boys had been having with just their eyes alone.

"Yes," Arthur quickly agreed, and cleared his voice one more time since he had sounded shaky the first time, still shaken up over being made a fool of so easily, over the betrayal he had felt as his father believed Valiant's words of slander so easily. Arthur could feel his fingers subtly clench over the hilt of his blade that he'd almost forgotten he still had in hand as he focused on why he had originally put this council meeting to order in the first place. "My second allegation towards Valiant is improper misconduct towards a member of the royal household."

There were many gasps that spread out over the room at Arthur's announcement. Off to the side, Gwen and Morgana shared a look of confusion and surprise. Uther was staring his son down in muted stunned surprise. Valiant still looked as cool as a cucumber, as if this wasn't something that could ruin his entire life, possibly end it completely. Gaius ducked his head, but that didn't stop his eyes from roaming over the main players of this conversation to see what exactly, was going to happen next. Arthur forced his jaw to lock so that he wouldn't buckle under the force of his father's penetrating stare.

And Merlin, Merlin was just trying to will that humiliated blush not to show on his face. It was the one thing that Merlin hated the most about his appearance, how his face was just always so damn readable. He couldn't keep a secret to save his life, which was an amazing feat considering he'd somehow, had kept his magic under wraps all this time.

Arthur continued on, "He was making unwanted advantages towards my consort, who of course, denied him." Arthur sounded stronger than he actually was, but he still had that bit of doubt hanging around in the back of his mind. That this wasn't going to go well and that it was just a waste of time. His father hadn't believed him about the magic, which was why Merlin and him now had to pull out their 'trump camp', but it didn't stop him from considering...'why would his father believe him on this.'

"Oh, this is getting ridiculous," Valiant said, and everybody could hear the annoyance in his voice. But all it did was cause Merlin to stiffen up in offense, and glare at him. Valiant had sounded as if he was putting on a show, as if he was getting annoyed by all of these accusations. As if they were just annoying buzzards flying around his head instead of listing serious crimes that-if Valiant were a peasant and not a Knight-would have already had him in chains and being carted off towards the dungeons.

"Arthur," Uther's voice cut in, sharp and very dangerous sounding. The prince flinched at the sound, already dreading what his father was going to say. Any confidence, bravado or not, that he'd had when this meeting had first started had pretty much just drained away from him. "This accusation is serious," as if the magic accusation hadn't been nearly as seriously as it should have been taken. "Are you telling me you really want to go down this path?"

Arthur opened his mouth to talk, but to his absolute horror, he found that nothing was coming out. He was usually so confident, a leader among his peers. But under the threat of once again facing his father's disgust and disappointment, something in him seemed to break.

He didn't have to say anything after all though, because Merlin was having none of this, "You damn well bet he does!" And cue the gasps and Arthur's embarrassment over Merlin's uncouth language. Somewhere in the past week since Arthur had stopped avoiding him, he had almost gotten used to it, enough where it was becoming just barely a blimp on his radar when he heard the boy's dirty mouth start spewing filth again. Merlin, of course, looked around with just absolute confusion at the reaction.

"Boy, you will watch your tongue in these chambers!" Uther barked, and it was just a miracle that he had yet to call the guards and have them take him away again. "Remember," Uther continued snidely, like it was paining him to say this next part. "Who you are now, Consorts do not use that kind of language."

Merlin felt his jaw clench a little in defiance because really, was his language the worse things these people had faced? From the way some of the women in their clusters of groups had clutched at the pearls around their necks, one would think so. But Merlin swallowed back his snippy remark, having to remind himself that this was the king he was talking to, not Arthur. A king that was much more ruthless than Merlin thought his son could ever be, "Of course, sire." Merlin said in a forceful tone, giving a bow of his head, "My apologies."

Merlin could be taught, albeit unwilling, which he would need to be if he was planning on surviving this new life of his.

Uther didn't look to accepting of this though but he dismissed Merlin as nothing more than a brief inconvenience, before he turned back to his son, "Now, I do not suppose you have any evidence of your claim in this matter?"

Now, Uther was of course, the king. He was the one in charge, so to speak. But when it came to matters of assault, the custom that was among nobility was to speak to the head of the family. Now, while Uther was the head of the kingdom, even though he was included in this family matter, it was Arthur who was considered the 'head' of his little makeshift family of two. If Merlin was a woman, and since it was no secret that women were such delicate little flowers that needed to have the protection of a man, Uther would have been speaking to Arthur over these matters anyway. It wasn't right for a woman to have to relive her trauma with somebody that was not her husband, considered unseemly to be caught talking about it.

Now, Merlin was a man but Uther saw that this should not hold their proceedings any differently. Uther still considered his son to be the 'head of the family', so it was his son that he would discuss the matter with more than he would the actual victim. In fact, it was only by the grace of god that Uther hadn't sent Merlin away upon hearing this newfound accusation, so that he could discuss the matter further in private with his son. But everybody was already out, there would be no point in sending the room full of people away when Arthur had already made the announcement.

Arthur was looking sullen as he mused over his father's question. He could feel that his shoulders were starting to sag all over again, because no. He didn't have any actual proof or evidence. Valiant had just shown unwanted behavior, but the Knight had also been smart enough to not leave a single mark on Merlin's flesh. His assault had mostly been on the wording variety, from what Arthur could understand, trying to force Merlin to come with him willingly.

"...No..." he admitted quietly, the grip he had on his sword going so lax that he had almost dropped the blade. This wasn't right, none of this was going right. Valiant was supposed to be taken away in shackles right about now, it wasn't Arthur that was supposed to be left standing here while looking like some kind of fool. He had even less proof of Merlin's attack then he had from the shield! At least with the shield, he'd had the snakehead to put forth as evidence, even if it hadn't gotten him any where. But with Merlin's assault...he had not a thing other than the boy's word.

Valiant, standing at the king's side as if he had any right to be there more than Arthur did, let out a snort. "And let me guess, it was also your consort who has put this idea into your mind."

Arthur couldn't even say anything against the claim, because what Valiant had said was the truth. Merlin was the one to tell him, the one who had came to him in the first time and had regaled him with this story of assault after he had been about to kick him out of his rooms. Only now was it drawing on Arthur that...this was awfully convenient for Merlin to tell him something of this magnitude when he hadn't laid mention to it before.

"And let me guess," Uther said with a sneer of disgust. "This event also has no witnesses other than your...consort." He acted as if the other boy wasn't even in the room, acted as if Merlin wasn't there to defend himself in the face of doubt.

Arthur once again, found that he couldn't say anything in that defense. There had been no one there when Merlin had been down in the armory, and only now was Arthur realizing it was a gaping black hole in Merlin's story. The boy had never told him why he was down there in the first place. And if it was true, and Merlin had returned to his room afterwards, the guard was still missing from it's post. Not even Gaius chiming in and claiming it to be the truth would help. Because just like Arthur, he hadn't been there to see it. Merlin had just told him about it later, or so that was what he had told Arthur...Arthur could feel his heart race slowing down, so slow that he could barely feel it as a cold truth started to stand out to him.

"It's the truth!" Merlin exclaimed. Now, any other consort probably would have allowed Arthur to handle the case of their own assault but Merlin wasn't any other consort. The boy didn't know their ways, and wasn't going to stand idly by while Arthur practically wilted under his father's glare. "He corned me down in the armory, and refused to take no for an answer when he tried to accompany me up to my bedroom for the night!"

Maybe it was just because Merlin had already learned that the guards would be there to stop him if he tried to make a go at Valiant, it was obviously the only reason Merlin didn't rush at him again like he had the previous times.

Uther gave him a disapproving glare for once again inserting himself in a matter that should have been between himself, his son, and the accused. But for the first time, he did not say anything about Merlin 'holding down his tongue' or to some affect of this.

Instead, he turned to Valiant to get some real answers and to put this entire court meeting to rest, "What says you about these claims, Sir Valiant?" Uther asked the Knight, giving the man the proper respect that he deserved for working so hard among their kingdom.

Valiant's sincerity was what sealed it for the king as he said, "I admit, I did go down into the armory. But I was just checking that my equipment was properly adequate for the fights coming up. While I was done there, I did run into Consort Merlin," he gave a nod in the consort's direction, as if he was trying to give the man the proper respect that would be deserving of his title despite Merlin trying to have him arrested. As if it was Valiant that was being the bigger man in all of this. "All we did was talk, sire. I didn't see anything wrong with our conversation, but if Consort Merlin somehow took that for something else, well, that can hardly be my fault, can it?"

Merlin felt his jaw drop in disbelief, even as an indescribable rage seemed to overtake him at this obvious lie, "You liar!" He bellowed, as he felt sparks of rage go down his body. "You know what you did to me, you know what you were 'trying' to do to me!"

And then the guards were there, just one of them this time though. But that was all that was needed, embarrassingly enough, to be able to restrain Merlin even though he had yet to take a step to Valiant. But raising his voice was apparently a just cause for having him apprehended. All the guard had to do was grab him by the nape of his jacket, and jerking him away as if he were some kind of rag doll.

"Consort Merlin, restrain yourself!" Uther was bellowing over Merlin's yelping. And all the while, Arthur was staring down numbly at the floor beneath him, as his consort was being manhandled right beside him.

"Tell them what you did!" Merlin exclaimed, he wasn't struggling against his captors. He wasn't doing anything but glaring daggers at Valiant, his chin locked as he clenched down his teeth. But still, the guards held onto him as if he was some kind of threat, instead of the vile man in front of him. "Tell them how you followed me to my room afterwards, and tried to get in as I slept! Tell them how you would have tried to do so much worse if you had managed to get in if I hadn't locked it just before I went to bed myself!"

Valiant's confusion appeared to be genuine as he watched the wiggling Merlin, and his eyebrows came together with the perfect expression of faux concern on his face, "A man tried to break into your room? That seems as if it's a matter to warn the guards about, not something to go accusing people who just happened to see you earlier that night. I was nowhere near the Royal wing."

Merlin snarled, he wanted to scream and to start breaking stuff. He wanted to just snap, to make his eyes glow gold and watch as the so-called 'Knight' get thrown across the room. Again and again until he confessed to his sins. But no, Merlin squashed that feeling down in his chest, trying to force it back lest he do something that would spell out further consequences then he was willing to pay.

"It was you." Merlin said simply, his teeth grinding down and his voice low. The kind of lowness that could have sent shivers going down one's spine if they came across such a voice in the midst of the night, knowing that nobody would be around to hear them if they screamed.

Valiant cocked an eyebrow at him, looking as cool as a cucumber. As if Merlin wasn't trying to practically spit fire at him with the look of his eye's alone, "Is that right?" Valiant asked him softly, all slimy like. "You seem to have a pretty good confidence about that, but let me ask you this, did you ever hear me outside the door? Did I say a single word to you that night?"

Merlin opened his mouth, only to stop and snap it shut. Because this was true. Merlin knew that it was Valiant, the man had all but admitted it straight to his face when he had chased Merlin through the halls, just after he had seen Valiant feeding the mouses to the shield. But that was all hearsay. Bringing this up, Uther wouldn't believe him anymore than he did now. But that night...had Valiant been thinking and planned this out? The man that had been outside his door, Valiant, hadn't said a word. Merlin had never heard a voice, just the nonstop shaking and rattling of his door as a stranger tried to get in. Was that all apart of Valiant's plan, to be able to claim to have plausible deniability if it came up?

"Clearly," Uther drawled out, looking at Merlin with that disgusted and angered expression back on his face. It made Merlin remember the last time he had talked to Uther, how the king had been firm about Merlin not being a burden to the kingdom. And how Merlin had left, determined not to be. And here he was, trying not to be only for it to all flop over on him in a complete disaster. "We can drop all of the charges against Knight Valiant. None of this was anything more than a complete waste of time."

And Merlin couldn't even argue with him. He hadn't accomplished anything, he was just one man among the dozens in there who had seen the truth...and nobody believed him. He was all alone against this ruthless and naive king who couldn't even see what was staring him right in the face. Arthur had been right, if he didn't know what he was doing...then the people were going to eat him alive.

"Arthur," the king said, finally turning to address his son standing off to the side. "You will need to learn how to keep your consort in his place." Uther's voice took a deeper edge to it. "Before I do it myself."

Arthur's throat was dry, and he felt like there was a lump there that was making it difficult for him to breathe. His eye's flittered up from the floor to his father, who was glaring down at him. The look on his father's face, it was more obvious than ever that he had been disappointed by Arthur. Disappointed over how Arthur hadn't said a word even as his consort stepped out of line several times? Or disappointed because Arthur had actually allowed himself to fall for this nonsense, that he had allowed Merlin to play him so easily. It was more than that though. The look on his father's face was more than just a deep and rich disappointment. It spoke of shame, his own father was ashamed of the actions that Arthur had taken.

And then Arthur's eyes flicked away and they landed on Merlin, this manipulative and cruel boy that had played him like a drum. This boy, only standing on his own feet because of the guard holding him up, who had seen Arthur's weakness-who somehow knew that consent was important to him, and had exploited it for some odd and hidden agenda that Arthur just could not see. Had he really been this stupid, to practically just take Merlin's word. The boy hadn't even wanted to tell him why he was down in the armory to begin with! That should have been his first clue that all of this wasn't right.

But the way Merlin had looked as he came for him, of all people, for help. And the way that Merlin was looking at him now, as if he was silently trying to ask Arthur for his help again, with just the look in his eye's. He looked so genuine, as if he could really use Arthur to defend him. But everything his father and even Valiant said just made far too much sense for him to question...was Merlin really a better actor than Arthur had given him credit for? Did Merlin know what he was doing this entire time, was the whole goal of this just to make Arthur look incompetent in front of his father?

Arthur turned away from Merlin, knowing that there was only one thing that he could do to make things right. With a heavy heart, and knowing exactly what a failure he was, Arthur quietly pushed his sword back into his sheath as it was no longer needed. Voice low and full of embarrassment as he was careful to avoid looking his father in the eye, he said, "There has obviously been a misunderstanding. I will of course, withdraw all of the allegations I've made again Knight Valiant." And as if to feel the knife twisting deep in his gut, Arthur said his final words, "Please, accept my apologies on behalf of myself, and my consort."

Valiant seemed to smile at that, just the touch of a grin on his lips. But Arthur didn't notice, not with his head bowed low in shame.

"I'll accept." Valiant said, if only because it wouldn't be looked upon favorably if Arthur was man enough to give him a public apology only for Valiant to be petty and deny him.

Arthur finally looked at his father, but the only thing he could see in his eyes was the endless amount of shame in there. Ashamed that it was Arthur who was his child, ashamed that Arthur had made such a drastic error, the shame of a father who had no idea rather the child he'd raised-in this moment questioned-was really his or not.

It was too much for Arthur to take, when all he wanted to do in this moment was crawl into an endless pit and die. So, without any other word and without even a glance into Merlin's direction, Arthur bowed his head and left the chambers in shame. This experience was one that he would probably never forget.

Arthur left without gathering Merlin to come with him, he left his consort because he had no desire to be near him. Not lest he take his sword to the boy like he'd been so desperate to take to Valiant because of this boy's lies. It was all just one big lie, Arthur had probably just lost what would have been a great ally to have, Valiant would never fully align himself with the house of Pendragon after what he'd just did.

So he left Merlin on his own, to defend himself against those that hated him as much as Arthur did.

And Merlin watched him go, his face set into a grim line of exhaustion as he realized they had so completely and utterly...lost. Valiant wasn't going to get punished for the misuse of magic, and he most definitely wasn't going to get punished for the assault of Merlin.

"Merlin." Uther said bluntly, and Merlin's head snapped to attention as the king approached him. Only then, did the guard that have been holding him, let him go and step back into his place along the far wall.

Merlin's lipped thinned when he saw that the Knight Valiant had followed behind the king. It was probably the first time he felt really, and truly helpless. Unable to do anything but stand there as he was being ostracized in front of the entire court still milling around even after the prince's departure.

"Yes, sire?" Merlin asked, his voice sounding far more weary than his years would suggest he'd be able to make. He already knew that he wasn't going to like whatever the king said next

Uther wore the same look on his face as he'd worn when he'd addressed his son, nothing less than pure disappointment. As if he'd had higher hopes then what Merlin had given him, even with the touch of cruelty that lingered in the king's eyes when he looked upon Merlin.

"You," the king spoke. "Are a member of this family now, and you will do well to remember that. To remember that I will not have you go about disrespecting the Pendragon name, to disrespect us with your petty over exaggerations."

Merlin's jaw clenched, just a petty over exaggeration? Was that really what his assault had been duped down to? As nothing more than him just making up stories...for what? What reason did he have to lie about something like this.

But Merlin didn't argue, he bowed his head and said, "Of course, sire." Because all he wanted to do in this moment was race after Arthur so that they could discuss what had just happened. Because as far as Merlin was concerned, with Valiant still standing there as a free man, it lit a spark under his skin. This wasn't over, not by a long shot.

But before Merlin had the chance to leave on his own, Uther was speaking again, "Now, I know that my son has already apologized on your behalf. But I do believe that it's prudent for a consort to apologize when he himself, has done wrong." And it was clear that Uther wasn't asking him to apologize, the man was demanding for Merlin to make retribution's to the man who'd attacked him.

Merlin looked at him in disbelief, the guards now standing in front of the doorway being the only thing that was stopping him from just walking out, "You want me to apologize?" He repeated, not sure if this was actually happening. "To him?" He pointed at Valiant who stood just behind the king.

Valiant, who stood there with a little smirk on his face aimed in Merlin's direction. Merlin bit down on his lip, and it took everything he had not to show Valiant what true magic was like. Not a magical instrument that obeyed your command, but the kind of magic that came from one's soul and lifeblood, the kind that flowed through Merlin's veins as much as his own blood did.

"Now, correct me if I'm wrong," Uther was drawing out as he did a slow pace in front of Merlin, his arms tucked behind his back. "But according to the conversation we have not long ago, I do remember you saying, and I do quote this 'if there is any apologizing to be done, I will do it myself.'"

It took Merlin half a second to remember him saying that. It had been when Uther had took him aside after the meet and greet, and they had that long conversation on the balcony that overlooked the courtyard. He had said that, hadn't he, because Uther had been patronizing him, saying things like how he 'hoped he wouldn't have to spend the rest of their days apologizing on Merlin's behalf.' He should have known that was gonna come and bite him in the arse later on.

Uther was giving him a self patronizing look now, an equally slow smirk on his face that matched Valiant's in cockiness, "Unless that was just pretty words to you? And you are really going to allow my son to take the fall for your own incompetence."

Merlin was at a crossroads here, one that felt as if it was going to determine his path in this city. Maybe not in the long run, but it would definitely be some kind of deciding factor on what would happen in the next few days to come. On one hand, he could just give in and apologize to Valiant. He could leave and find Arthur, try to figure out a new game plan that would get rid of Valiant since going to the council hadn't worked out. But on the other hand, he could say 'fuck you' and probably be tossed in the dungeons for his clear and obvious disrespect.

"Sire," Valiant spoke up, turning to the side so that his back was facing Merlin's direction this time. "If your consort thinks that he's to good to apologize..."

Merlin clenched his jaw. All he wanted to do was spit in Valiant's face, to demand that he tell the truth and stop acting innocent, as if Merlin was the insane one and Valiant was the victim. But no, Merlin forced himself to swallow down his pride. Getting himself thrown into the dungeons for his loose and disrespectful tongue if he dared to speak what he really thought, wasn't going to help Arthur.

And so, as stiff as he could, Merlin bowed his head in the lowest bow that he could manage to get away with, "I do hope that you will be able to accept my most sincerest apologies." He drawled out, voice low and threateningly.

Merlin only apologized because he was smart enough to realize that Uther wasn't giving him an option. If he hadn't apologized, then the king would have dismissed him as a man who didn't keep his word. Anything that he'd say after this moment would become nothing meaningless. So he had apologized, because he wasn't just an peasant anymore. He had to play by different rules in a game he just didn't understand because nobody had even tried to properly explain the rules to him. And if he planned to survive...Merlin couldn't become known as the Consort who Lied, the Consort who was the Troublemaker, starting things as if he had no fear over the consequences.

Merlin didn't want to become the Consort that nobody could trust. Swallowing his pride and apologizing to a man like Valiant...it was literally the only thing that he could do. At least while he bided his time to figure out a more concrete plan.

Like he said, his little battle with Valiant wasn't over. This wasn't over. Merlin was gonna come back, stronger than ever. And when he did...Valiant was going to rue the day he thought he could come into this city and start abusing the magic he'd stolen.

"I accept." Valiant's said, but the smirk on his face had turned a touch darker, disturbing actually. And his eye's had gone so cold, it was almost like looking into an abyss of what was nothing but pure emptiness. The kind of look that made one feel as if they may just be staring their own death straight in the face.

Merlin met his gaze head on, and it might be just Valiant's imagination, or it might be the lightening in the room, but for just a second, he could have sworn that Merlin's eyes were so much darker than his own. Valiant's eye's seemed to promise a swift death, forceful and crude in it's execution if Merlin tried to get in his way again. But Merlin's eye's...they weren't promising death for Valiant. No, they were promising retribution.

As if he was going to take a great pleasure in making Valiant pay for his crimes against him and this kingdom.

Uther didn't seem to notice anything was amiss. He simply nodded his head at Merlin, as if the boy had at least managed to do this one thing right. With that nod, the two guards stepped out of the doorway as the council meeting came to a close.

Valiant watched Merlin turned to leave the hall, practically running out of the room. Valiant shook his head, sure that what he had seen reflecting in Merlin's eyes-the potential for a soul that could be just as dark as his own if nurtured properly-was nothing more than a trick of the light. As if Merlin would be able to do anything to him. He'd just tried after all, and just like Valiant expected, he had the king wrapped around his little finger.

And speaking of the king, Uther dragged him off with a hand on his shoulder as the room was starting to empty. Explaining to him how he was going to immediately have the fight back on and rescheduled for in the morning the next day.

Valiant smirked at this, and nodded his head with a compliant agreement. Tomorrow then, he thought, tomorrow was the day he would get that pesky Arthur out of the way. In just the next morning, Arthur was going to die in the heat of battle so that Valiant can take his rightful spot as the champion of Camelot.

X

Merlin made it to the grand staircase quickly enough, nearly tripping over his own feet to get up the stairs. If he had to guess, he would say that Arthur had probably taken to his room. It's exactly where Merlin would go-his own room, not Arthur's-if he was in Arthur's shoes.

Merlin was cursing at himself in his head, and even muttering little curses under his breath that would have a sailor shocked at the foul language coming out of his mouth. But Merlin had no patience for trying to curb his tongue in this moment, he was just to infuriated to be able to stop it. Valiant had gotten the best of Arthur and him, they hadn't been as prepared as they thought they were, Valiant had some how been ready...but next time, Merlin was going to make sure that there was a different outcome.

Merlin may have failed the little 'test' Uther had been given him, he may be seen as the one person that wasn't cut out to be their consort. And maybe he wasn't, maybe he just wasn't built to be 'consort' material. But he did at least know what was right and wrong, and Valiant...Valiant was 'wrong.' Merlin was going to be sure to rein hell down on him, he was going to pay for what he had done. He was done being creeped out by the man and shying away from any interaction with him. It was time to finish this.

Now, he just needed Arthur's help...

Merlin reached the top of the stairs and he continued on, making his way to the Royal wing. The Consort was so deep in his own thoughts, that he never noticed the woman he'd passed at the top of the stairs. A woman with a Latina complexion, long blonde hair, or the silken purple dress she wore. A dress that was quite similar to the favor that had been decorating Arthur's arm just the day before...

X

His room was clean now, Arthur thought with a vague sort of notion, the kind where he'd recognized something, but wasn't really able to take it in. Everything had been fixed proper though. His bed hangings had been replaced with new untorn ones, all of his ripped apart papers had been cleaned up. Arthur vaguely knew that he'd find some fresh parchment in his desk. The ink splatters and glass that had been scattered about had been carefully mopped up. It was amazing that there wasn't even an ink stain left from when he had thrown his ink pot at his door. Morris must have cleaned everything up when he'd been...occupied. He must be getting quite good at it by now, since Arthur had destroyed his room just a few weeks ago, back when he'd first heard that he was marrying...him...

Arthur stood in his room, leaning heavily onto his table as he tried in vain to think of some kind of reasonable excuse for what had just happened. Maybe all of this was just one big bloody nightmare, and Arthur was preparing to wake up at any moment. To wake up and find that no, he did not just march up to his father with this half-arsed story of his and completely blotched his delivering speech. It wasn't true, none of this was true, he hadn't just taken a stand in front of the entire court on the behalf of a boy that didn't deserve the worth of his attention. He hadn't just stood there as his father tore apart Merlin's story within seconds, seeking out the seeds that Arthur had barely thought on but hadn't been smart enough to poke at more throughly.

How was he supposed to be Camelot's ruler, prince, their future king, if he was so naive as to believe the first sob story that his consort had thrown his way. How was he supposed to believe in himself if he had managed to fail so utterly...he'd spent years training to be the prince that his people could trust to protect them from the dangers outside their walls. He had been so focused on that, he had never once considered the dangers that may come from within.

Arthur was probably in a state of shock, the kind of never ending void that was impossible to claw your way out of no matter how hard he tried. It had to be the only reason he didn't make a move when he heard the sound of his door opening and quietly clicking shut some where behind him.

It was him, it had to be. Arthur didn't know another person who had the balls to enter his room as if he hadn't just ruined Arthur's life with his little stunt. Arthur didn't talk at first, making no move to acknowledge the other boy now in his room. He knew that if he did, if he allowed his rage to consume him...then he may never leave. Arthur would have already killed him.

But that was just it. Arthur didn't feel angry, oh, he was plenty pissed. But he really must have been numb, because all he could feel was this bone weary tiredness trying to drag him down. And he didn't want to tempt the fates if he allowed his anger to get the best of him. Arthur would come to learn in time, that his emotions would always get the best of him when Merlin was concerned.

Rather that be anger, or hatred, or peace...or even love. But that was neither here nor there as there was no place for love to come in at a relationship such as theirs.

"...Arthur..." Merlin asked from behind the prince. His voice was soft, uncertain...maybe just a tad bit conflicted. As if he didn't know what he should say after the show they had just put on for the people. Oh god, news of it was going to spread throughout the entire city before the day was up. And as he could see from his window that the sun was high over the sky...it was already mid-afternoon, they had spent the entire morning within the council chambers.

"...Arthur." Merlin said, just a little bit stronger this time, but no less conflicted. And it made a spark of hatred, pure and simple hatred, to break through the fog of numbness that he'd fallen into.

"I believed you." Arthur said slowly, not even able to hear himself talk because of just how muffled everything was. It felt as if he had a piece of cotton shoved in both of his ears to tune everything out. "I trusted you..." Arthur vowed to never make that mistake again, to never follow Merlin so blindly, like some kind of bloody moron. "...and yet, you made me look as if I was a complete fool."

Arthur just found it so hard to wrap his head around what had happened. He was a Knight, a prince, a trained soldier! He should have been able to see Merlin for the liar that he was. But it wasn't just Merlin that was at fault, was it? No. Arthur was mainly mad at himself. Mad because he had looked that boy in the eye, who so readily vowed on his word that he had been telling the truth. And that had been enough for Arthur to walk straight into what seemed like hell for him. He had pitied Merlin, even if he'd denied it. He'd cared just enough to try and help him, and look where it had gotten him. Practically burned by his own father, looked at by his people as if he was incompetent.

How had things gone so wrong, so fast...how had he allowed himself to fall into this ruin.

"I know it didn't exactly go to plan..." Merlin said softly, looking away from Arthur's back. Maybe he was an optimistic, but this meant they just had to regroup, to think of a more solid plan than going to the council had been. This time, Merlin could help Arthur come up with something new to get rid of Valiant. He could help instead of being sent to his room, and whatever they came up with together, surely it could only have better results than what had just happened.

Maybe it sounded to Arthur that Merlin was making light of this, it felt as if Merlin didn't realize just how bad all of this had gone. Just how horrible it was for a man in his position, a position where his reputation could literally make or break him. It was the only thing that made Arthur lift his head, pushing himself off his desk to look at Merlin in disbelief.

That was what they did for a minute, they just looked at each other. Merlin frowning and Arthur looking as if he didn't know what he was really seeing before his eye's. "Didn't go to plan..." Arthur repeated. That was putting it mildly, it was putting it all down to simple peasant terms. That was all his husband was after all, a no-good peasant that should have never been brought into the fold of royalty. Nobody other than a person who had grown up in the kind of life that he had, would be able to understand the kind of pressures that he was under. This was made more clear than ever to Arthur, that he and Merlin...Merlin may want this relationship to become worthwhile, he may even love Arthur. But Arthur...he couldn't even begin to tolerate just looking at him.

"My father," Arthur continued as his voice started to raise to a yell. "And the entire royal court think that I'm a coward!" But Merlin didn't care, did he? He was the cause of this, the reason for all of his problems. And Arthur could feel all that he'd been suppressing till then, the numbness edging away until all he could feel was the blinding rage of disgust that had been building up inside of him all of this time. "YOU HUMILIATED ME!"

Merlin flinched back when Arthur was all of a sudden in front of him, nearly bellowing into his face, letting loose all of his anger and rage on the smaller boy. And then Arthur was backing away, retreating back to his table if only so he didn't hurt him. Arthur truly felt as if he was going to start hitting Merlin if he didn't get a handle of his temper, but god was it so tempting in that moment. Arthur could see in his mind, the blistering red of Merlin's face as he punched the boy for all that he'd done to him. Would he bleed? It'll be like a physical reminder, a sign, that Merlin wasn't worthy to be in this court, in this home or...anywhere near Arthur in fact.

Merlin finally seemed to realize just how much all of this was, Arthur's bellowing was the thing he needed to realize just how hard Arthur was taking what had happened. But it didn't make him any smarter, it didn't make him aware of the danger that Arthur posed to him if he didn't leave.

As if he was drawn to danger, because Arthur practically reeked with an air of 'I'm going to kill him', Merlin followed him to the table, the slightest brim of tears forming in his eyes, "It isn't over, we can still expose Valiant." Merlin didn't want to cry, not for Arthur. But while it was something people would avoid, Arthur in a rage like that looked as if he would murder the people in their bed, all Merlin saw was somebody that was lashing out. Somebody that was hurting because Merlin hadn't done enough to fix things. Hadn't done enough to put all of their problems at ease.

But all Arthur did in response to Merlin was scoff, loud and patronizingly. Was Merlin really still going on about that, Arthur thought with the literal hatred running through his veins. Did the boy really think that Arthur was this dumb, as to fall for the same lies twice? Did he really think Arthur didn't learn from his mistakes so that he wouldn't make them again, did he think that Arthur was 'stupid' enough to just follow his lead on this one.

"Enough," Arthur told him, the snarl ready and waiting to bite if Merlin dared to make the wrong move, another wrong move. "I will not listen to your lies anymore." If there was one thing this whole experience had taught Arthur, it was that Merlin was not to be trusted.

"Lies?" Merlin demanded, blinking rapidly because he could feel the wetness in his eyes growing. God, the one thing that he hated the most was how easy it was to see all that he felt written right there on his face. "I haven't lied to you about anything! Everything I've said was nothing less than the truth!" Merlin tried, he really did, to get that fact drilled into Arthur's mind. Things may had ended badly, he may have Uther dismiss him as a liar, but he didn't think it would hurt so much when he realized that Arthur thought the same. And it was still raw, what Arthur had done with his favor, so this newfound pain made it twice as worse. As if somebody had just cut right into him, as if Arthur had finally taken his blade to him.

Arthur didn't believe him though, not one word out of Merlin's mouth was to be trusted, he kept thinking in his mind like a mantra. "It was all about the shield," Arthur scoffed as he glared straight into Merlin's eyes. "You lied to me about that shield, there was nothing at all to indicate that it was magical!" And his rage, it blinded Arthur to the real truth that was right in front of him. If only he had been brave enough to listen to it. "And then all you said about your assault...there was never any assault, was there? You just said that to get me to do...do..." Arthur threw his arm out in a frustrated gesture, "All of this!"

Merlin flinched back again when Arthur flung his arm out, thinking for only half a second that his fist was about to connect to Merlin's jaw. But nothing happened, nothing more than the harsh sounds of Arthur's heavy and rapid breathing.

"Of course there was! Why would I make something like that up!" Merlin exclaimed as he looked at Arthur in disbelief. Who would make up something like an assault, an awful crime like that...it could completely ruin a person's life if it wasn't true. Finding his own strength and strengthening up his spine, the consort said in a much more forceful kind of tone, "That...that...beast! Was trying to force himself on me! Because I denied him, and all because of y-" Merlin cut himself off at that.

Merlin hadn't wanted to kiss Valiant, this much was true. The thought made him feel as if he had ants crawling under his skin, and the Knight had been disturbing right from the get-go. He wouldn't have kissed Valiant if they were the last two people on this entire planet. But he also didn't want to because of Arthur. Because he'd been nursing his quiet crush, because he had wanted Arthur to be the one that was trying to kiss him, because he didn't want to cheat on his husband long before he had given 'them' a chance.

Arthur didn't seem to catch on to what he'd been about to say, and Merlin didn't know if he should be grateful for it or not. In fact, all his insistence seemed to do was incense the prince even more than he already was, the blonde's face seeming to go blistering red with his fury.

"Don't lie to me!" Arthur exclaimed loudly and furiously. "He never tried to kiss you, and he never put his hands on you like you said he did!" Merlin could still feel the phantom of Arthur's touch on his face, burning and so hot, as Arthur scrubbed roughly with the wine to get Valiant's 'germs' off of him. "And he most definitely did not try to get into your room afterwards to do much worse!"

It made so much bloody sense! Arthur had thought he hadn't woken up because he was a deep sleeper, but he hadn't woken up just because there was nothing to wake up to. He had also apparently sent Gregory out on what was a fool's mission. The guard that had been watching the night of this 'alleged' attack, had most likely been there all night, he'd not gone off for some reason and left his charges sleeping. He would have to call for Gregory and tell him to stop searching as it wasn't like he was going to find anything if the Knight had truly been there.

Merlin's eye's seemed to spark with anger as he protested, "Yes, he did! If I hadn't locked my door that night, he would have broken in and tried to force his kisses on me! If I hadn't done what I did, then we may be having an entirely different conversation right now!"

Arthur scowled at him, resisting the urge to scream at him about how much of a bloody idiot Merlin was. Did he really think this whole innocent ploy was going to work on him? Did he really not think that Arthur could see right through him? "It would have been just a kiss." Arthur said blandly, rolling his eyes. "It's not exactly something I'd be considering as an assault." What was Merlin's game with trying to continue this little charade of him? Was he trying to alienate Arthur from his competitors? Was he trying to make sure that Arthur would not have the bonds of allies, forged by a new friendship, that would someday pledge their loyalty to him when he was king?

"...You think kissing somebody against their will isn't an assault?" Merlin asked him, his voice going deadly quiet. Almost sounding like nothing less than a disturbing and eerie whisper. Arthur hadn't even noticed that the air in the room had shifted, and there was now something sharp and edgy lingering in the space.

"Of course it is." Arthur said dismissively, but he rolled his eye's at Merlin's naivety. He said no more to elaborate, simply because he'd be saying a lot more than he wanted to. He'd be screaming at Merlin about how moronic he was, how Merlin was so stuck on Valiant trying to kiss him-which didn't happen, of that Arthur was sure-that the boy didn't know the alternative would have been so much worse. A simple kiss instead of a full out rape, which was worse, really? "I just think you are full of nothing more than stories and lies."

Maybe Arthur was vicious, but he almost wanted to just spit out the truth. To hell with trying to get himself out of telling Merlin all about 'adult relationships'. The look on the boy's face would only be the start of all of the compensations that he should be making to Arthur for dragging his name through the mud like he had.

"You still think I'm lying?" Merlin asked, and his voice was the same eerie tone that it had been before. He sounded as if he wasn't all there, as if he had retreated inside of his own mind. Arthur didn't notice, turning his back onto Merlin. Which was probably what went wrong. Seeing Arthur turn his back on him, just like he had when he had fled the council chambers and left him behind with no regard for what may happen to Merlin among what felt like a den of vipers...it was just the push Merlin needed to act.

And then he was moving, almost faster than a horse carriage could ride. And far faster than Arthur, whose back to him as he was trying in vain to cool his temper, prevented him from seeing the threat coming before it was far to late.

With a startled noise of surprise, Arthur found a hand that felt like steel on his arm before he was being forcibly turned around. It was a second later that Merlin had planted his hands on his chest and was shoving him backwards. Arthur had to grab onto the edge of his table to prevent himself from falling on his arse. Not because Merlin was particularly strong enough to wangle him, Arthur could knock Merlin on his arse at any moment if he'd wanted to. But the boy had managed to get the jump on him with the surprise factor, Arthur hadn't been expecting Merlin to just attack him like that.

"Are you out of your mind!" Arthur bellowed out as he glared through his bangs hanging just slightly in front of his eyes. Although, he was less angry and more stunned that this scrawny little thing had just shoved him like that.

"I'm gonna stick my tongue down your throat." Merlin said, his tone dark and creepy. The kind of tone that should only be allowed when watching a modern day horror movie. It wasn't the kind of voice that somebody in reality was supposed to have, all gravely and surprisingly deep.

Arthur kind of blanked out for a moment there, when he finally registered what Merlin had just said. If this was a modern day cartoon, about three dots would have just flown behind his head. He blinked once, and then twice, dumbfounded.

And that was when the full force of what he'd just said truly hit Arthur. "W-what?!" Arthur croaked out, his eyes going so wide that they looked as if they could have popped straight out of his head. His skin had been flushed with rage but was now drained of color-now a milky grey sheen-as he recognized the vulnerable position that he'd been shoved into.

Arthur made to move, to get up and jerk himself away from the table to get more space between them. But Merlin put a hand back on his chest, and Arthur froze, staring down at the hand on his chest as if it was some kind of creature that had just crawled out of the Great Lake that stood on the outskirts of the city. There was no pressure on Arthur, Merlin wasn't holding him there with the limited strength his body possessed. But the hand made Arthur freeze up, unable to move for fear that the boy would react negatively and make another scene. Or kiss him...

"I'm going to push my tongue down your throat." Merlin repeated again, sounding just matter of factly, as if his words hadn't turned Arthur's world upside down. And sideways. And twisted it so profusely that it felt as if it would never be right side up again. But this time Merlin continued on. "I'm going to push you down, and I don't care if you say no. I do not care if you scream and struggle as I use my own body to weigh down yours. You can kick and spit at me all you want, but then I'm gonna pin your wrists down to the ground so that you can't fight me so much. You won't be able to move, completely helpless as a person so much bigger than you decides rather or not they've had their fill of your own body, treating it as if it's my plaything, to do what I want with and how I want to do it. Then when you're immobile, I'm going to press my disgusting and slimy mouth against yours, I'm gonna force my tongue down your throat and kiss you until I get bored or decide that I've had enough. Could last minutes, it could last days. You don't know, but I do. And I'm not going to let you in on the secret, I'm not going to let you know when I've decided I'm gonna be done using you as I want."

And then all was silent, not even a breeze could be heard in the room as the consort and the prince stared at each other. Arthur's mouth was open, flapping up and down in a helpless 'what the fuck' motion. His heart was stuttering in his chest and as much as he wanted to throw a punch, to shove Merlin off of him and make it very clear as he dragged Merlin's bodily out of his room that he wasn't gay, and that none of what he had said was going to happen. But he didn't move. He felt heavy, his arms, as if his body just couldn't cooperate with what he wanted it to do. He probably could have done anything he'd want to do to Arthur in that moment, with how stunned Arthur was.

Merlin finally dropped his hand from Arthur's chest, breaking the spell that had fallen over the prince. The consort stepped back, and he turned away from Arthur as he took himself a few steps across the room. Arthur slumped over his table, falling heavily onto the edge of it with a hearty breath. He felt as if he'd just gone ten rounds in the tourney, his heart was racing and there was a bit of sweat forming under his shirt as he tried to get his bearings.

"Now," Merlin said with his back to Arthur, his voice carrying over to him in the barely hint of a whisper, so low that Arthur had to strain to be able to hear it. "You tell me. Doesn't being given an unwanted kiss...feel like an assault to you?"

Arthur was shaken up, he could literally feel his hands shaking. Rather it was because he couldn't contain his rage, or because he just didn't want to believe that this had really just happened. That Merlin hadn't just...accosted him to prove some kind of point. But he had, Merlin had truly proven a point. And the way the boy has spoken, it had been full of confidence, as if Merlin knew exactly what he was talking about.

It was almost enough for a niggling of doubt to appear in Arthur's head. It did make him consider for just a moment, that Merlin may be the one that was telling the truth. It might be true, that Valiant had been the one to start stuff, to assault him...because if what Merlin had just described was what could have happened to him if he hadn't gotten himself out of the situation, it was nothing less than an assault. Even if it was a just a kiss, it was an unwanted one all the same.

"I think...I think it's time for you to leave me be." Arthur said, the shakiness in his voice audible even to his own ears. He just didn't know what to believe, he didn't know what to do. On one hand, his father was a great king who never made mistakes and he had said that Merlin was lying. But on the other hand... Merlin had shaken him up more than he'd ever know. He felt cold all over, uncertain and awkward in his own skin. And Merlin had been the one to do that to him, Merlin was the one that had to go.

Merlin flinched, even though Arthur's voice had been as soft as his had been. For the first time since the council meeting, neither one was yelling at the other. Merlin turned back and frowned at the sight of the prince, it was just occurring to him that he might had gone a touch to far. "...I thought I was going to stay by your side all day." He said, trying to alleviate the tension. It had been Arthur who had been pretty determined to have Merlin at his side just the night before. But that had also been before everything had happened.

Merlin didn't want to go, not with how Arthur was looking at him. Like some kind of lost little puppy who didn't know what he was to do now.

Arthur steeled himself and shoved away from his table, tucking his hands behind his back as if to hide the fact that they were still shaking, "That was clearly an error on my part." Arthur snapped, clenching his fists behind his back to try and get them to stop, anything to get this feeling to stop. Merlin could have...he could have kissed Arthur and Arthur would have been powerless to stop him. At least until he broke out of his trance and knocked Merlin on his arse. But the fact that he could have, that he could have kissed Arthur before he'd be able to stop it...it didn't settle well with him. Not at all. So he made an executive decision on the spot, something that he should have done ages ago, "I don't think that we should talk anymore. You shouldn't come in here anymore. We can still get together when it's expected that my consort be present, but other than that, it clearly isn't a good idea to do anything else."

Arthur was ready to put some distance between them. And after Merlin's latest stunt with the kissing...it made Arthur see that he should have enforced those boundaries far sooner.

Merlin looked surprised by this, but really, he probably shouldn't. He should've seen this coming from a mile away, should have been better prepared for it. It still hurt though, to know that Arthur could so easily try and just shove him away. "Is this about the kiss thing, Arthur?" Merlin demanded, not willing to just give up and go. "I wasn't really going to do it!" He said, throwing his hands up into the air with his frustrations. "I was just trying to tell you how wrong you were!"

Arthur sucked in a sharp breath through his nose, his lips thinning because Merlin hadn't been off the mark. He had done exactly what he intended to do, but if Arthur was anything, he was a stubborn man and refused to admit to anything. "This isn't about...that..." Arthur said stiffly, his jaw locking. He couldn't even say the word, didn't want to say the word. As if 'kissing' was something foul and ugly and should be hidden behind something that was even safer than a closed door. "But I clearly need a consort that is trustworthy." He wasn't ready to admit that Merlin might be right with everything that he had claimed. "It's clearly obvious that this person isn't you, so there is no reason for you to be involved in the day to day matters of my life. Like I said, I'll have someone call for you when your presence is required for certain events, but other than that..." he trailed off to let this hang in the air between them.

As if he thought Merlin was supposed to just be okay with it.

"I can 'be' trusted, Arthur!" Merlin enunciated each word carefully. Arthur flinched at the sound of his name, his nerve endings still raw from the stunt Merlin had pulled. "I'm not just gonna 'disappear' until 'you' decide that I'm suddenly needed! I'm here, rather you like it or not..." Merlin hesitated before he finished off his sentence. "For better or for worse."

There was a heartbeat of silence where they just stood there staring at each other, just for a second so that Arthur could take in those words. The words from their wedding vows they'd been forced into taking together just weeks earlier. If Merlin thought they meant something to Arthur, if Merlin still had just a shred of hope for Arthur left, he was sorely disappointed. All his words seemed to do was send a flare of anger through the prince, which couldn't be hidden. All of the prince's anger was shown clearly in his eyes.

"Just Leave!" Arthur shouted. He did more than just shout. He was practically bellowing this out, puffing up his chest and getting into Merlin's space, trying to muscle his way into Merlin's thick skull. It worked, because Merlin backed away, if only so he wouldn't fall back on his arse when Arthur-with no intentions of stopping-nearly ran him straight over.

It was clear to Merlin that Arthur was in no mood to talk. The blonde was still to raw from what had happened in the council meeting. It was his father yelling at him, and then being humiliated in front of the council, and having no choice but to apologize to Valiant. Then Merlin had followed after him, and acted as if he was going to do the same thing to Arthur that Valiant had wanted to do to him...fine then.

"I'll go." Merlin said softly, his eyes sullen and downtrodden. "But this isn't over yet, I'll be back when you've had time to calm down."

Merlin had no intentions of just going away. It didn't matter if Arthur hated him for it later or not, if he didn't already hate him. Merlin had no plans of just hiding away like some kind of kept man, only to be pulled out of the dusty wardrobe if Arthur thought too many people would be asking questions about where his consort was.

"Just get out of my room!" Arthur shouted in his face again, pointing over Merlin's head to the door in question. And it honestly looked as if he was about to just grab Merlin to haul his arse out if he didn't get to moving himself.

Merlin scowled at this, but figured he might as well leave since they clearly weren't going to be getting anywhere with the mood that he was in. Without another word, Merlin turned around and started walking towards the door, already going over-in his mind-of different things he may be able to do on his own to get rid of Valiant himself. Something clearly had to be done, he obviously couldn't leave it up to Arthur or Uther. Otherwise, nothing was going to get fixed.

Merlin had just reached the door, had his hand on the doorknob and everything, still able to feel the piercing glare of Arthur's that was aimed directly in the square of his back, when he caught sight of something that was certainly...unexpected. Off to the side of the door was a large chest, just as ornate and as beautiful as one would expect to see in the Royal household. But the chest itself wasn't what had caught his attention. It was all of the stuff on top.

Morris had apparently taken care of Arthur's armor for the anticipation of the final rounds that were supposed to happen today. Since it didn't though, the armor had been set aside and slung over the top of the chest as some kind of placeholder till Morris could put it away in the proper spot. The armor gleamed with being freshly polished, ready and willing to wait for a battle that was never supposed to come.

On the edge of the chest was a familiar sort of purple piece of cloth. Merlin may not had been close enough to see it proper from his spot in the stands, but just a flash of that soft piece of cloth was enough for Merlin to be able to recognize it. What else would the very feminine cloth slung about with his husband's armor be.

So he kinda froze there, blinking dumbly as he took it in. He hadn't been expecting to see it, hadn't been expected to come face to face with the sign of Arthur's 'betrayal'. He'd been thinking long and hard for over twenty four hours about that favor, had practically been worrying himself sick while he'd constantly switched between wanting to cry and being angry over how unfair it was. How unfair his life was now that he was stuck with such a...such a...such an arse!

He'd thrown ideas around in his head for half the night over what he could do about the situation, how he should address it. If he'd be able to be calm enough to have a rational adult conversation with Arthur, just to calmly explain how he was feeling and what they should do about this. Or if he should just let his anger roar, to scream and cry and throw things at Arthur's head. To try and inflict as much physical pain onto Arthur as the prince had him emotionally. With the whole council meeting had been happening, he hadn't even had the time to properly address it.

Merlin still didn't know what he was going to do. But what he did know was that his feet were no longer cooperating with him, leaving him standing-hovering-in front of the door.

"What are you doing?" He heard Arthur bark at him from behind. "I thought I've done told you to leave me!" And the rage was mostly still there, and clearly indistinguishable in his voice.

"...No..." Merlin said, although he also wasn't sure if he had said anything at all. His voice was barely heard over the pounding in his head. It was the sight of the favor, a favor not his own, that had done it to him. All the time he'd spent wondering what he was going to do about the favor just seemed to blow any of his plans straight out the window. "...I don't think I will."

Maybe he had been planning to leave Arthur to his stewing, to his anger in peace-if only so Merlin didn't have to get caught up with it himself. But that damn purple cloth...Merlin didn't think he could leave now even if he'd wanted to.

"...What?" Arthur asked, his eyes narrowing and his voice clipped...uneasy. Almost as if he thought Merlin was about to start going off all over again about how just kissing could still be considered an assault. And maybe this time, Merlin may throw in a demonstration by 'actually' showing him. But kissing was the last thing on Merlin's mind, he wasn't the least bit interested in kissing Arthur Bloody Pendragon-unwilling or not.

Merlin turned around sharply, his eyes nearly glowing with his spark of rage, "I'm not going because this isn't anything new, you've hated me since the moment I got here!" Merlin just announced boldly. And maybe neither of the boys had made the best first impression, the first of their meetings playing out in Merlin's head, but at least Merlin had tried! He'd tried so bloody hard to get things to work out, and Arthur hadn't even given him a chance. He'd all but dismissed Merlin right from the get-go and things had only gotten so much worse since their 'I do's'. Well, Merlin was had just about had it up to 'here' with Arthur's bloody crap. Merlin marched straight up to the other boy, taking an almost sinister glee in how the prince nearly tripped over his own feet when he took a step back.

And then Merlin was thrusting his hand out right into Arthur's face, "I'll go when I'm good and ready. Which I will be once you've given me my neckerchief back."

There was a second when all there was, was the silence between them.

Arthur blinked, looking down at the hand that was right under his nose, and for a second all he could do was blink dumbly. Arthur was for once, truly and utterly stumped. He had no bloody idea what Merlin was talking about. "...Excuse me?" He asked, shifting his gaze away from the palm and to the boy in question.

Merlin had the audacity to roll his eyes at him, "My neckerchief." He repeated, talking as if Arthur was being a particularly dumb toddler, "The one that I gave you to wear for your tourney," his lips twisted downwards into a bitter frown. "I would like it back now." But it was also clear that Merlin wasn't asking for it back, he was demanding for it.

Arthur blinked again, not sure if he was really hearing this right. "...I thought it was my gift." He said with confusion, not sure how he was supposed to proceed now. A favor-even if a neckerchief had been used to substitute for the cloth the favor was usually made out of-was essentially, a gift to the person that you liked. Never before, even with all of the ones that he'd rejected at over the years, had he'd ever been approached and demanded it to be returned. It was why he had a chest in the back of his closet somewhere, overflowing with all of the favor's he'd received since he was eighteen and could now be included in the tradition.

"It was a gift," Merlin said, his tone was cold-almost frighteningly cold-and apathetic all at the same time. It had to be, Merlin felt as if he had no choice but to seal off his emotions in that moment. Because there was a wildfire that seemed to burn under his very skin that was just waiting to burst out. "But that was all before you practically spit all over it, and me as well."

It was probably Merlin's biggest regret to date, right next to actually going through with the marriage without putting up more of a fight. That had been his favorite neckerchief, the first one his mother had ever given him and was still good enough to be worn even years later. He'd grown quite attached to it, and had worn it more often than any of the other two he had. Arthur didn't deserve to have it.

Seeing where this was going, Arthur gave a heavy roll of his eyes, "Are you always this petty?" He asked, aggravation creeping into his voice as he ran a hand roughly through his bangs. At least he could relax now since it didn't seem as if Merlin was going to try and jump him for his kisses. But this whole favor nonsense wasn't his concern, and if Merlin really did love him, then he shouldn't be bothering him about something so little in the grand scheme of things.

He had to worry about making things right with his father, try and better prepare himself because he had no doubt that their finale round was being rescheduled to sometime soon, and discover a way of saving face and making things right for the people who had witnessed what had happened. He wouldn't be seen as a coward in front of his city. So he also didn't have time to worry about Merlin or his latest mess.

All Merlin did was cock an eyebrow at him, his voice still bland and even emotionless now when he said, "Honey, you have no idea how petty I can be." Merlin had never been afraid of getting down and dirty before, if Arthur wanted to play 'who could be the worse husband around?' Then Merlin was more than ready to play, and win.

Maybe Merlin had used the wrong phrase of words, because something about what he'd said seemed to click something in the midst of Arthur's mind. "Wait a minute..." the prince said slowly, all of the misplaced dots starting to form a connection in his mind. It was just a weak and feeble connection, but it made so much sense to Arthur. "...did you..." Arthur stopped, staring at Merlin in disbelief.

Merlin rolled his eyes, "Did I what?" He asked with his tone still dry and void of any actual feeling. Arthur wanted to smack him for it, to force some kind of emotion out of him. He'd never heard Merlin sound so...indifferent...as if he couldn't be bothered one way or the other about any of this, even as he still held his hand out while waiting for Arthur to just give him back his so called 'gift.'

Arthur's eye started to twitch, "You did all this on purpose, didn't you?" He demanded to his consort. Merlin just looked at him with a confused expression, clearly having not an idea what he was talking about. Arthur blew up at him, "Was this just some elaborate plan of yours!" Arthur shouted, so loud that they probably could have heard him downstairs if they strained their ears hard enough. "I had the favors switched, so you decided to pull this utter crap to 'Humilate!' Me, in front of everybody!"

He enunciated this by slamming his hand on the table, hard enough that it sent an almost ear splitting noise from it. Merlin dropped his hand down to his side, his mouth popping open in surprise.

"Are you always this bloody paranoid?" Merlin was exclaiming in utter disbelief. That Arthur could think for one second that he was that desperate to get his some kind of revenge on him. Merlin could be petty if he wanted to, especially if said person deserved it, but going that far would have been a tad to much even for him.

But Arthur wouldn't listen to reason, already caught up in his own bloody theory. "I'm so stupid!" Arthur exclaimed, which-Merlin may have been able to tell him that if he wasn't to busy yelling at him for misconceived threats that didn't exist. "Of course you wanted to get back at me! I decided not to wear that... thing...you gave me. So you decided to do this to me, in front of everybody! Are you happy that your plan worked!" Arthur was practically snarling this at Merlin.

Merlin leaned away because Arthur looked completely mental in that moment.

"...You really are paranoid." Merlin said slowly, truly wondering how Arthur could function if that was how his brain worked on the daily. "I just wanted my damn neckerchief back, it's not like you need it." Merlin stuck his nose in the air as he turned his back to Arthur, crossing his arms over his chest in a defensive manner. His voice went all cold and dark again, "You can just wear your new girlfriend's instead."