Arthur walked across the grounds of the castle, saying hello to the passing Knights or Guards who greeted him, as he did. He reached the stables, and walked inside slowly, a smirk forming on his face, as he saw Merlin there, mucking them out. Arthur was only kind of bored and with nothing to do this midday, no Knight training or council meetings to attend, harassing Merlin seemed like the best option at the moment.

"Ah, Merlin..." he said, with a keen smile on his lips, as he walked nearer to him. "Having fun?"

"No!" retorted Merlin, looking up, he had a bit of dirt on his left cheek and Arthur found this very amusing. Merlin, however, didn't seem to be having as much fun. He looked at Arthur like he might possibly be the worst person alive.

"Talk back to me again," Arthur shrugged, and Merlin grumbled, as his pitch fork fell to the ground, he leaned down, to pick it up, slowly. "Perhaps next time you will think twice before you call me...what did you call me?"

"A toad faced trout sniffer..."

"Yes..." Arthur nodded, feeling very proud of himself for his decision to punish Merlin. "That is uncalled for."

"I think it was perfectly called for..."

Arthur went to rebuttal, to say that no, it was not, Merlin had no right to call Arthur that, or anything but Sire, and should do what was asked of him. But the argument that was certainly looming, got lost as the barn door opened, and in walked the King of Camelot himself.

"Arthur!" he greeted his son, happily. He had not seen his Father all day, so perhaps Uther was genuinely happy to see him. It was a nice, warm day and there was no current threat upon the land, so everyone was in good spirits, except for maybe Merlin, who rolled his eyes, and continued on with his duty, this time with no backtalk, as the King was there. "What are you two doing in here?" questioned Uther now, looking over at Merlin, curiously. "Certainly we have Stable Hands who can clean after your horses, Arthur..."

"Yes, we do...but I am punishing him," Arthur said quite plainly, and his Father's face scrunched up in confusion, as he tilted his head and watched Merlin still.

"Why...?"

"Because," said Arthur. "He is a disrespectful, lazy..." He struggled for a word that fit how unbearable Merlin truly was, he thought fist; Idiot, but that was over used, he called Merlin an idiot daily, probably, and right now the name needed more meaning behind it. "Toad..."

Uther looked from Merlin, who shifted behind Arthur, clearly annoyed by Arthur's words, which he was glad about. The King looked at his son now and shook his head. "Arthur, can I have a word with you...outside?" Arthur nodded and the two walked out, allowing the stable doors behind them to flap shut. Uther looked upon Arthur for a long moment, before speaking again. "I am not one to involve myself in your personal relationship with the boy, Arthur, but I'm alarmed by the way you treat him..."

Arthur was confused by this, for a moment, and stare back at his Father. "What?"

"I know you are young, you have many needs he is fulfilling and perhaps things get rather rough, and that is to be expected, but...even your sex talk is very unsettling..."

Arthur's mouth fell open and he gasped. "FATHER!"

"And perhaps he likes it..." Uther continued, without missing a beat. "Watching you two together, I have no doubt he would make it quite clear if he didn't, but even so...you should be a bit more kind to him. Romantic even. I have never even seen you so much as kiss him..."

"BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO KISS HIM!" argued Arthur, and Uther shook his head, putting a warning hand up, telling Arthur to shut up. Though, he found that quite hard at the moment.

"I know...in future you will have to marry for the Kingdom, perhaps your rashness to him is so you yourself do not get so attached, but I fear you already have," Uther went on, and it made Arthur annoyed, at just how wrong he truly was, about everything. "I see the way you look at him, Son, I know it must be hard for you to think of the time you will not be able to touch him as you do now."

"Please...stop," said Arthur, he begged actually, because this whole conversation is disgusting.

"You still have much time, Arthur," Uther continued anyway, and Arthur kind of wanted to die again. "Show him you care for him, do not just demand his body all the time, court him..." Uther's eyes widened and he smiled, so brightly at Arthur it made Arthur take a step back, confused by it. "You are meant to dine with me tonight, are you not?"

"Yes...?"

"Invite him!" said Uther and Arthur shook his head, almost at once. "Yes, Arthur, it will prove to him you truly do love him!"

"I don't love him, Father," said Arthur, sternly, maybe if he just out right said it, Uther would finally get it. "I don't want him at dinner, I don't want him at all..."

"Arthur," retorted Uther, much more sternly than Arthur had been, and Arthur rolled his eyes, because clearly his words went right in one ear and out the King's backside. "You walk into those stables right now, you ask him to dine with us!"

Arthur stood frozen, unable to believe this was his life now. Why couldn't the King just be angry about the feelings he thought Arthur had? Why wasn't Merlin threatened to be hung, like the stable boy who once tried to court Morgana was threatened? Why did Merlin get to escape the rope? Uther, with nothing but his eyebrows, was urging Arthur forward, looking like a menace and a damn old fool, all at once. Arthur hissed and walked back into the stables. Merlin was still there, working, and Arthur took quick strides over to him, feeling very annoyed indeed.

"Merlin," he said, harshly, and Merlin looked up, with pursed lips and a forwarded brow. "My Father wishes-"

"NO!" Arthur's words were lost by the sound of Uther shouting, from outside the door. "I, MEANING YOU!"

Arthur stopped, while Merlin's eyebrows went from forwarded to confused, pretty quickly. "I am dining with my Father tonight, and...-"

"IT WOULD GIVE ME GREAT PLEASURE!" Urged Uther and Arthur's mouth fell open for a second, as he looked upon Merlin in a mix of horrible embarrassment, not that he normally ever felt embarrassed in front of Merlin, and annoyance, which that he did feel in front of him a lot.

"It would give me great pleasure," Arthur muttered, in an undertone, grinding his teeth. He swore if his Father didn't shape up soon, he would be looking for a new heir.

"IF YOU WOULD JOIN US!"

"I THINK I HAVE GOT IT FROM HERE, FATHER!" screamed Arthur, honestly screamed, and Merlin's lips betrayed him and he smiled, and possibly swallowed a laugh too. "Will you join us for dinner?"

"As a servant...or?" questioned Merlin and Arthur frowned, was he thick? Uther was strolling back inside now, looking very pleased.

"As a guest, of course!" he said, and slapped Arthur rather hard on the back, Arthur glared over at him. "Honestly, Arthur, where did you learn how to woo? It's terrible...clearly I didn't teach you properly."

"You taught me how to murder someone, Father," Arthur retorted, darkly. "Not how to flirt..."

Merlin laughed out loud at this and then lowered his head, once he noticed how annoyed Arthur was, and he was, beyond so. Uther looked between them now and smiled, happily. "I look forward to it," he said, and Arthur didn't know why he was doing this to him. He took the pitch fork out of Merlin's hand now, and dropped it onto the ground. "Enough of this now, go...get ready for tonight, both of you!"

They walked out together, Merlin trying to hide a smile and Arthur having very dark thoughts. They didn't say anything to each other at first, as they nearly had reached the castle doors. Arthur looked over at Merlin, judging him; His hands were dirty and his hair was sticking up in odd places. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Why does your Father want me to come to dinner?" asked Merlin, not looking over, but he must have known Arthur was looking. He looked over then, suddenly, as the reached the top of the steps, at the doors, and for a second, their eyes met, before Merlin pulled open the door and allowed Arthur to go in first. "I'm a Servant, that doesn't seem like Uther..."

"He seems to think..." Arthur started, but didn't know exactly how to say it, because he was kind of confused by exactly what the problem was. "My Father seems to think I treat you too poorly, for someone I am meant to...fancy, I suppose."

"Well, you do," commented Merlin, as they started up the stairs, toward Arthur's chambers. "You treat me terribly."

"You would agree..." Arthur rolled his eyes and Merlin looked over at him again and raised his eyebrows. "Either way, he says...well, I don't want to remember that part, but basically he wants me to court you more."

"To court me?" asked Merlin and Arthur sighed. "What does that mean...?"

"Be more romantic..."

"You, romantic?" Merlin laughed and Arthur looked over at him with a dark glare. "I mean...you don't have romantic bone in your body. Gaius is more romantic than you..."

"Shut up, Merlin..." retorted Arthur, even if he did have a point. "You wouldn't know."

"I think I would, actually..."

"Forget that," he told him, because he didn't want to talk about his lack of romance skills, he had more important things to dwell on now, like Arthur's reputation, and how it was very much at stake, once again. "When we have dinner tonight don't...don't say anything stupid and make me look like a fool, understood?"

"When do I ever say anything stupid?!" retorted Merlin, looking offended.

"And...put on different clothes," Arthur continued, ignoring him. "You look like a Peasant."

"I am a Peasant, Arthur!"

"Well, surely you have something else to wear," Arthur continued still, ignoring him. "You wear the same three outfits everyday...and look at the state of this jacket."

Arthur stopped, right outside of his chambers and took hold of Merlin's brown jacket in his hands and felt the fabric. "What's wrong with it?" Merlin retorted, clearly still offended and now annoyed by Arthur. "It was a gift from my Mother!"

"It's not fit for dining with a King," said Arthur and Merlin frowned.

"I don't have anything else..."

"You can barrow something of mine," said Arthur now, as they walked inside his room and he took off his own, rich, dark, brown jacket and threw it on his bed. He walked over to the wardrobe and pulled it open, revealing his many tunics and jackets. "Something in here is bound to fit you..."

"I'm not so sure," said Merlin, from somewhere in the room. He sounded quite sour, too, as he spoke. "I'm not as fat as you!"

This struck a nerve, it was a deep blow, and Arthur stopped, turned toward him and pointed a serious finger. "I am NOT fat, Merlin!"

Merlin only shrugged one shoulder, not looking bothered enough by Arthur's threatening gaze, to do much else. "Fatter than me..."

"Because you're skin and bone!" retorted Arthur, darkly, nearly throwing himself at Merlin to strangle him, but he stopped himself, and instead went back to looking for some suitable outfit for Merlin to wear. "You have no muscle whatsoever...you might as well be a woman."

"Was that supposed to offend me?" said Merlin now, and Arthur just simply refused to look at him anymore. "Because if it was, I'm not...I'd rather be a woman than a trout sniffer..."

Many hours, and two baths, later. Both baths taken by Merlin, to try to get the horse off of him. Now, the two not so in love people stood in front of each other, outside of the King's chambers. Arthur was sweating upon his upper lip and Merlin kept tugging at the blue tunic of Arthur's that he was wearing. Arthur opened the door for them, and they tried to walk inside at the same time, making their shoulders knock together, and Arthur, rolling his eyes, pushed himself through first, leaving Merlin to hold his shoulder in pain, and follow. Uther, who was being served wine, by a serving girl Arthur didn't know the name of, looked up and grinned at their arrival.

"Ah, about time," he said, happily. "I was beginning to think you got distracted..."

"By what?" asked Merlin, and Arthur's cheeks went red, when his Father looked over at Merlin and grinned, mischievously. Merlin seemed to understand then, and frowned. Uther stood up now, very welcoming, more so than he normally was to just Arthur, and Arthur sort of wondered what he was playing at, because Merlin was just a servant, and Uther did not treat servants like this...

"Come, sit," he said, and pointed to two chairs on either side of him. Merlin chose to go sit on the left side, which, honestly, was the side Arthur always chose to sit on, but he ignored this, and went and sat to his Father's right anyway. Where they sat was the least of his worries now. His Father was eyeing Merlin for a long moment now and he smirked. "Is that Arthur's tunic...?"

"Uh..." Merlin fumbled, looking across the table at Arthur, with worried eyes. "Yes, he said I look like a pleasant and that I embarrass him."

Arthur glared at him, but his Father let out a hearty chuckle. "I'm sure he didn't mean it quite like that..."

"No, he did," said Merlin and Arthur's glare deepened.

"Well...you hardly look like a peasant tonight," said Uther, obviously tying to make Merlin feel better, and Merlin smiled at him, kindly.

"Thank you, Sire," he bowed his head, and Arthur relaxed a little bit, as a plate of cheeses were set in front of him and he realized just how hungry he was, he had missed lunch after all. He shoved several cheeses in his mouth at once, and Merlin smirked over at him knowingly, it was then Arthur thought, for a second if that, maybe...just maybe, this wouldn't go as horribly as he feared.

(A/N: Uther is a TOP NOTCH Wingman, Okay? I'm just saying...flawlessly helping his son court his boyfriend, props! )