Arthur woke with a dull ache in his back, one that the cool air from his lack of blanket there anymore, only made worse. However, the gentle fingers that moved along the center of his spine and his shoulders helped...slightly. And he forced himself to keep his eyes closed, Not that he minded keeping them closed any, he was still very tired.

"Mm...go lower," he mumbled, shoving his face into his pillow, because the sun was very bright. Though, suddenly, the hand had moved, and he groaned out, in pain.

"Uiigh...what kind of dreams are you having?!" said a disgusted voice and Arthur rolled his closed eyes. He rolled over onto his sore back and glared up at Merlin, whose face was scrunched up in distaste.

"I was not..." retorted Arthur. "My back hurts."

"Don't ever say anything like that again, when I touch you..."

Arthur smirked, "Noted, thank you, Merlin..." Merlin still looked a bit disgusted and Arthur chose to ignore him. "Have you brought me breakfast or shall I starve today?"

Merlin, still staring at him, shook his head suddenly, and turned and picked up a plate of food, he offered it to Arthur and he took it and started eating. "Why does your back hurt?" asked Merlin then and Arthur shrugged a shoulder. "Maybe because you had the Knight throw you down the stairs yesterday...I'm still confused as to how that would help you beat a threat, unless they got fancy and turned all the halls of the castle into stairs..."

"Combat is unpredictable, Merlin," Arthur shot back, and he didn't fail to notice how Merlin rolled his eyes. "Perhaps my back hurts because my idiot of a servant decided to use me as a shield from the floor..."

"Well, sorry...I just thought your backside was big enough to break the fall..."

Arthur laughed, though, he tried to pretend he didn't, because Merlin was calling him fat again. "Merlin..." he trailed off, in a warning, but Merlin only grinned back at him. "Be careful, or I'll have the Knights throw you down the stairs next."

After Arthur finished eating, he got dressed and headed out, he had to go see to his normal duties for the day, and Merlin promised that he would have Gaius make him a tonic for his back. Frostbitten, Arthur made his rounds in the town, it was good to make his presence in the town known, so the people knew he was one of them, or not to steal, The King made up a new reason why this was good every week. Before long, he returned to the castle, happily, as he felt like his toes might have frozen together. Upon entering the castle, he found Gaius at the top of the stairs and he greeted Arthur, happily.

"Ah, Sire..." he said, and Arthur stopped and nodded to him. Gaius frowned suddenly, eyes trailing down to Arthur's lip, the eyebrow rose higher than ever. But Gaius didn't exactly say anything about it, which Arthur was glad about. "Merlin..." he spoke slowly now, eyes stuck on Arthur's mustache. Arthur continued to force himself not to start yelling. "Uh...he says you suffer from a sore back?"

"Yes," said Arthur quickly, finding himself covering his mouth with his hand, trying to make it look as if he was only thinking, but he just didn't like the look Gaius was giving him. "My back hurts."

"I have a remedy for you." Gaius handed him a jar of salve, and really, tried very hard to look away, but failed. "Have Merlin out this on the worst spots, it will do wonders."

"Right," Arthur cleared his throat. "Thank you, Gaius."

Gaius did not walk away right away, he continued to stare at Arthur's lip, for a whole minute, before a smirk formed on his lips, and he turned and walked off. Arthur glare after him. The nerve of these people...

Arthur returned to his own chambers, finding them empty as always. Though, the floors had been cleaned, so perhaps Merlin was actually doing his job today. Arthur left the salve on the table and headed back out of the room. He still needed to speak to his Father today, to see how the grain proposal had gone, but he wasn't entirely sure where the King was, so instead, Arthur made his way to Morgana's chambers. Upon entering he heard the sound of unmistakable laughter, said laughter was made my Merlin, as Arthur knew it well, as Merlin liked to laugh at his own jokes, at Arthur's expense. Arthur walked deeper into the room, and no he did not announce himself, he hardly needed to. It smelled a bit of burnt fabric in Morgana's chambers, he wasn't entirely sure why, and he didn't want to ask either. He came around the corner to see Merlin and Morgana standing very close together, Merlin's hands were around Morgana's waist, her hands were resting on his shoulders, and Gwen sat in the coroner, looking very amused indeed.

"You cannot do it like that," Morgana was saying, tucking Merlin's jacket collar down. "Arthur would make fun of you endlessly..."

Arthur raised an eyebrow at the mention of his name and moved deeper into the room, once again. "Sire!" said Gwen, to announce him there, and Morgana and Merlin broke apart. Arthur did wonder...

"What are you doing to him, Morgana?" he asked, his eyes narrowed a little, as he look them both over. Morgana smirked, fiendishly.

"What, are you worried I'm going to steal your lover?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Have him...he's free, to a good home."

"I can assure you, Arthur, he would enjoy himself a lot more with me than-" but suddenly, whatever she was going to say got lost, and her eyes narrowed in on Arthur. "What is that?!" she demanded, left Merlin's side, almost at once, and came striding over to Arthur, staring at him with her pricing, green eyes, with great intent. "What is that thing on your lip?"

Arthur found himself covering his mouth again, as if, this time, yawning. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Morgana."

"That thing!" she said again, and turned back toward Merlin and Gwen. "Do you see it?"

Merlin started laughing, and Gwen frowned. "I think it looks quite nice," said Gwen, and he decided out of all of the people in this room, she was his new favorite. Not that any of them were ever his favorite before. "I mean...not nice," And then she had to go and ruin it." But...I mean of course it's nice, Arthur...Sire...for you. it's nice for you. If you like it..."

"Give up, Gwen," said Morgana. "He looks like a complete fool!"

"I do not!' he retorted, Merlin still laughed, and Morgana tutted. "Shut up!"

"I think we should leave Arthur alone," said Gwen again, as she walked over to Morgana and touched her on the arm, Morgana looked over at her and frowned, like she might be disappointed Gwen wanted to stop her fun. "It's Arthur's choice, even if we don't like it."

"There is nothing not to like!" said Arthur, and Gwen smiled, kindly at him.

"Of course not," she said, but it sounded like she might be talking to a small child. He glared at all three of them, and crossed his arms over his chest, sourly. Merlin walked toward them now, his laughing fit over, and he grinned at Arthur, but Arthur refused to look at him.

"Don't be a prat," said Merlin, and smiled at him, this one, he looked over for, without meaning to. "Morgana was teaching me how to dance...before you came in."

So, that was what they were doing. "He was doing wonderfully," said Gwen now, and beamed up at Merlin. "He is a quick learner."

"Merlin..?" retorted Arthur and Merlin did not fail to roll his eyes at his disbelief.

"What are you talking about, Gwen?" said Morgana now. "He looked like a lost chicken."

"He was getting better!" argued Gwen, and Arthur relaxed a bit, because at least Morgana was openly making fun of Merlin too.

"Well...show me then," he said, and Merlin suddenly looked a bit worried, but Gwen smiled still and Morgana took Merlin by the hand, dragging him back to where they had been before. Arthur went and sat down next to Gwen, on the chair-thing Morgana sat in to brush her hair all the time. They watched as Morgana basically dragged Merlin around the room, and counted steps into his ear. Once they were done, Arthur wanted to be mean, and tell Merlin that he really did look like a chicken, but the look of sheer embarrassment and misplaced need of approval written on Merlin's face, made Arthur think different. "It...wasn't awful"

Merlin smiled, knowing that there would definitely be no higher praise than that, and he clearly thought Arthur was going to do him in. "I think it was very good, for someone who didn't grow up here...serving the feasts," said Gwen, and Arthur had to agree there. "Sire..." she spoke to him now, eyeing him from the side, as she spoke. "Will you dance with Merlin at the Yuletide Ball this year?"

"I can't," said Arthur, without thinking very much on it. "He's a servant."

"Can't, or you don't want to?" retorted Morgana, where she was still trying to teach Merlin form. Arthur had been trying to teach Merlin some form, any form of form, for a long time now, so he wished her luck.

"All of Camelot already thinks we're shagging, I hardly need the whole world-"

"But you're in love!" said Gwen, almost at once. "Don't you want it to be known?"

"We are not exactly...in love," said Arthur, and Morgana huffed, be it at him or Merlin, Arthur did not know.

"That's stupid," said Gwen, and then seemed to realize what she said and added, "Sorry...My Lord, I didn't mean you're stupid."

"Just the things you say," said Morgana and Arthur rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry," retorted Arthur. "That I am ruining whatever image you have of Merlin and I, but we are not in love..."

Gwen looked like she might cry, and Arthur really had no idea why, he was just telling the truth and it had nothing to do with her! Morgana came over and glared at Arthur after this. "He's in denial Gwen, it's alright, he'll figure it out one day..."

Soon after this, after Merlin stepped on Morgana's foot, for what she said was the third time, and she called Arthur a noddle lipped buffoon, she threw them both from her chambers. Forever, Arthur hoped silently. They walked back to Arthur's chambers together, it would soon be lunch, and Arthur was hungry already. He wondered why Merlin was being so quiet, maybe he had offended him over saying they were in love with each other...but, they weren't, so how was that offense?

"What's wrong with you?" he asked, as they walked into Arthur's chambers. Merlin only shrugged, as he walked inside, behind Arthur. "Are you angry because I told Gwen and Morgana we're not in love?"

"No!" said Merlin, and his face scrunched up. "Why would I be mad about that? I don't love you...and you don't love me. I could have told you though, that Morgana wouldn't listen. She's very convinced we are..."

Arthur shook his head. "Of course she is..." he trailed off, with a sigh, and then looked back up at Merlin. "Then, what's wrong with you?"

"I...I wanted to ask you something," said Merlin now, and Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Well...I should probably ask Uther, but...I'm afraid of him shouting, so I won't," said Merlin, and Arthur could understand this, and nodded. "I wanted to know if I could...well, if you could...sort of, possibly...invite my Mother to the ball?" he asked, and looked at Arthur, with a cheeky, sort of innocent, smile. Arthur continued to stare at him, confused. "Not as a servant, I mean...not as a guest either, if she can't, she can go with Gaius. It's just...she's never been to any royal affair before, I want her to see it, at least once..."

A warm, and definitely not meant to be, smile broke across Arthur's face. "Of course, she can be my guest," he said, and Merlin stopped fumbling with his words, and looked shocked at Arthur and then smiled so big, so brightly, that Arthur had to blink away, not to lose sight. He shook his head, and tried to push away the fond smile he knew was forming on his own lips. "Is that why you were learning how to dance...?"

Merlin looked down, and bit his lip. "Maybe...and-"

"And what?" said Arthur, as he just stopped talking. Merlin shrugged.

"I thought maybe it would impress you."

"If you wanted to impress me, I suggest you stop looking like a lost chicken first..."

He hadn't meant that to be rude, well...at least not entirely rude, he just had no idea, entirely, what to say to the idea of Merlin wanting to impress him. That seemed rather out of character for Merlin, if he were being honest. Merlin didn't seem to take offense to his words either, he only grinned. "And maybe I'd be more impressed with you if you didn't look like a noodle lipped buffoon..."

Arthur sighed at this, reaching up and touched his mustache, he did think it quite nice, but everyone else seemed to hate it...and his Father would surely make him remove it, before the Ball, as it was not 'proper.' He rolled his eyes. "I suppose it is time to let it go..."

Merlin stare at him now, for a long moment. "You mean...I can finally take it off?!" he sounded so excited, so thrilled at this idea, and Arthur glare up at him. "I mean...hold on," he said, and dashed away, returning with the dull blade Arthur usually used to shave with, whenever the time arrived, which was not as often as Arthur liked. As facial hair was the sign of true manliness, that's why half the Knights had beards. One day though...Arthur would too, and it would be glorious!

Arthur stood up, almost sadly, and went and leaned against his desk, as Merlin took gentle fingers and dabbed a bit of water on his lip. Arthur frowned, sad to see the mustache go. When Merlin was done, scrubbing the blade over Arthur's skin, Arthur looked at him and rolled his eyes. Why was he so happy about this? It was very disrespectful...

Merlin didn't step back right away, when he was done and had put the blade down, he stare at Arthur's lip for a moment. "That's so much better..." he muttered, and Arthur poked him in the side, Merlin flinched, but said nothing. Arthur crossed his arms then, considering the other in front of him. He watched Merlin for a long second, before the boy moved away.

"Were you really trying to impress me...?" he asked, as smirk formed on his naked lips now. Merlin looked up and made a face, one between annoyance and amusement.

"No..." he said. " You're a prat, why would I want to impress you?"

"I don't know," Arthur shrugged, still holding his smirk. "I am the Crowned Prince, future King..."

"All the things your Father thinks you get off on saying to me..."

Arthur laughed though, he did not mean to, yet again that day. "Shut up..." he said, and poked Merlin again, this time, Merlin jumped back and pushed his hands away.

"Don't...I'm ticklish there!"

"Oh, really...?" Arthur grinned and Merlin's eyes widened, taking a step away, again, because he had obviously learned what that voice meant. And really, Arthur had just gone through a traumatic event, losing his beloved mustache, clearly Merlin deserved it. Arthur took a step closer, as Merlin took them away from him.

"No...Arthur!" said Merlin, but Arthur did not listen, he grabbed him around the middle anyway, even as Merlin struggled to get away. "No...ARTHUR!"

Unbeknownst to the Prince, just outside his chambers, stood his Father, Uther. The boy had never shown up, to have their council that day and Uther would blame his servant, though he knew how hard it must be, to take care of Arthur...as he was very difficult. He had went to walk in, but then suddenly Gaius appeared next to him.

"Gaius!" greeted Uther, and Gaius bowed his head. "What Brings you to Arthur's chambers?"

"I gave him a salve for his sore back, I wanted to see if it had done it's work yet," the man explained and Uther nodded.

"I was just about to visit him myself," said Uther, but then all of a sudden, there was a very loud and obvious shout, Uther paused, yet again, before opening the door. It continued, without warning. 'Ahhh...ARTHUR...' Uther's face went blank, and he swore he felt his ears go red. He turned to look at Gaius, who had his eyebrow raised at the door, in alarm. 'Arthur...Arthur...please...'

"I think we ought to come back later..." said Gaius, and Uther agreed, turning, along side his old friend, and they walked away from the door, not without hearing another voice groan, rather loudly. Uther took in a deep breath. Although he had walked in on his son doing...things before, it had been long before any...thing happened, and he most definitely did not want to hear it.

"I am quite worried about Arthur," he spoke his worries out loud, as the two older men walked along the halls together. Gaius looked over at him.

"He sounded perfectly fine to me..."

"That is the problem," explained Uther. "It is perfectly all right to be sexually active, but their sex life is like nothing I have ever seen."

"To be quite honest, I hope I do not ever have to see it..."

Uther let out a laugh and shook his head. "Of course, me neither, though...it is as if Arthur is obsessed. I know my son has quite the appetite, he get's that from me," said Uther and Gaius rolled his eyes, without letting the King see. "...but he's behaving like a ravenous dog, he spends more time inside of Merlin than his own armor..."

"Perhaps they need to be told..." said Gaius, and Uther nodded along. "They need not over do a good thing."

"Exactly!" Uther agreed. "And I have tried to tell Arthur, I have expressed my worry before, but he doesn't seem to listen to me."

"Perhaps Merlin will...he can be a bit more...sensible about things such as love," said Gaius, and Uther could sense that about the young boy, and agreed.

"Yes, of course," he said. "Thank you, Gaius."

"Thank you for what?" asked Gaius now, and Uther stopped, and looked at him.

"Well, surely you are gong to speak to Merlin about this, right Gaius?"

Gaius sighed deeply then, and shrugged his shoulders. "Of course, Sire..."

(A/N: Honestly, every time I reread the end of this chapter I die a little bit from laughing. I don't wanna say I laugh at my own stuff, but that conversation between Gaius and Uther was one of my main ideas for writing this fic in the first place, and it got me ROLLLLING! ;D )