(NOTICE: There are talks of death and a dead body again, please...it is not my fault, know I too prefer the fluff.)

Arthur had known it would only be one more day of this, Arthur had planned to go about his business, go to his Knight training and stay by himself. But apparently the Troll had different plans. She had called a council, and started demanding more taxes from Camelot's people and more and more things, the more outlandish they became, as the day went on. It was outstanding, how much dislike filled the room, not only Arthur, but the entire Court and all the Knights hated her. Morgana had started shouting at her at one point, calling her disgusting, and Arthur knowing this would all be over soon, talked Uther down from sending her to the cells. And the Troll didn't like that very much at all. She sat on a throne of rubbish, a steaming pile of horse dung on either side of her, making claims and passing laws. After awhile Arthur couldn't stand it anymore and he left, even though his Father offered many dirty looks as he did this. As the day went on, Arthur started to worry that it would not work after all, Uther seemed to hate the very idea of Arthur, where every time he even glanced in Arthur's direction a look of great dislike was there, written plainly on his face. Perhaps it was not all troll magic, and Uther really just hated Arthur truly. He was not the son Uther had always wanted...

But the time for doubt was over, now...in an hours time, Arthur would have the truth. Because now, Gaius stood before him, two vials of nasty looking liquid in his hands. He offered one to Arthur, who took it, without wondering. Merlin stood next to Gaius, looking worried.

"You must drink it all to make sure the poison works properly," explained Gaius. "You will be unconscious so you will not feel anything, but your breathing will be shallow and your heartbeat will be next to nothing. The poison will keep you in a coma like state for one hour."

"You don't have to do this, Arthur, really..." said Merlin then, staring at him, as if just his will alone would change Arthur's mind. It would not. He couldn't have a troll on the throne of Camelot, and perhaps Arthur really just wanted to know...for once and for all, if he was good enough for Uther. Arthur opened the vial.

"Merlin will be waiting just outside, once Uther sees you and is broken from the enchantment, Merlin will sneak back in and give you the antidote," Gaius continued further. Merlin bit his bottom lip in worry, as he watched Arthur closely. He was worried something would go wrong, and he had good reason to, but Arthur had no choice but to at least try. He offered Merlin a smirk then.

"Don't be late," he said, Merlin smiled at him, even if it were a bit forced.

"When am I ever late..?"

Arthur made quite a show of rolling his eyes before taking the vial to his lips and downing the poison in one swallow. He finished it and made a face at the awful taste, but he otherwise felt nothing. Maybe it hadn't worked, maybe Gaius had forgotten something, because Arthur felt perfectly fine. He could be fighting off ten men at this point, or be eating an entire chicken. There was no signs of anything happening at all. And this annoyed Arthur, because here he was, trying to save his Father from his own mistakes, while his Troll, so-called wife, sat on a pile of sh-

Arthur awoke to what sounded like someone screaming, and someone else crying. His vision was blurry, as he forced his eyes to open. He was on the ground and laying over top of him was Merlin. Now, waking up like this, he could get used to, but something did seem very wrong here. Mostly, because the person crying was Merlin, and the reason he was laying on him was because he was crying into his chest. There was also shouting, from far away and Arthur had to think, very quickly, to try to understand what this was. He remembered he had taken a poison that nearly killed him, in hopes that his Father would be broken free of the spell from the...

Arthur's eyes widened. "Merlin!" he announced loudly, and Merlin shot up, in alarm, tears rolling down his cheeks and his eyes a little red from them. "Did it work?"

"Arthur..." he breathed out, staring at him in wonder. "I thought it wasn't enough...it broke, the antidote, when Jonas knocked me out."

"He knocked you out?" asked Arthur, as he sat up and Merlin hadn't moved much, which meant they were very close now. Merlin nodded and let out another shaky breath.

"And I couldn't get to Gaius in time..."

Arthur shook his head. "What about my Father? Did it work?"

"Yes," Merlin nodded, still very breathless and pale...very pale. "They went that way," he said, pointing out of Arthur's door. "He chased her."

Arthur stood up at once, nearly knocking Merlin over as he did so. "We have to help him," he said, as he offered Merlin a hand and Merlin took it and stood up.

They rushed from Arthur's chambers, and Arthur had found , much too late, as they were already well down the hall, that his sword was missing. He didn't want to turn back for it now, so they continued on, quiet. Merlin still seemed rather startled. Arthur didn't question it, because he knew when he thought Merlin was dead, when the Goddess had played her trick on them, he too was rather startled. They were almost to the stairs, where they heard screaming that sounded like it were from a distressed toad and the shouts of angry swears, made by a man very wronged, indeed. Arthur knew they were almost there. But then, laying just by the stairs, on the ground, sprawled out like a spider with many legs, was a man with a tail.

Arthur leaned down and rolled him over, he lay there, eyes wide open. "He's dead," Arthur announced and Merlin shifted next to him. Arthur stood up and looked at Merlin, seriously. "Did you kill him...?"

Merlin looked away from Arthur, down to the ground, just left of the dead servant, he bit his lip. "I had to...I had to get to you, I didn't have any other choice," said Merlin. Arthur looked down at him again, he didn't have a marks on him, no wounds of any kind, Arthur wondered how Merlin had done it exactly, but he found he rather not know. Arthur knew Merlin was no murderer, he didn't like killing animals, that's why he hated hunting, Merlin didn't even kill bugs or pests. And Merlin had done such a thing, had killed a man...a living being for him...to save him, it was a gross thought, but one that made Arthur fill with something, that might be very, very close to love. Minus the very close part, it was entirely love, really.

He knew now how Merlin must be feeling, and he didn't want him to feel that way. Boldly, Arthur reached out and took Merlin's hand in his own, Merlin looked up at this sudden, eyes wide as he looked at Arthur. Arthur smiled at him. "You did the right thing."

"I know," Merlin nodded, eyes melting into Arthur's. Not even for one single second, even as the yells continued, some louder than others, he did not look anyway from Arthur. "I would do it again, I probably will...you mean a lot to me, Arthur, more than you could ever realize."

"I know," Arthur repeated Merlin's words, but did he know? What did that mean exactly? Merlin meant a lot to him too, but in many, many ways, not only in friendship, but as someone Arthur wished he could spend the rest of his life with. In whatever way that meant for them, just as long as Merlin was there. But did Merlin mean the same thing? This was not the time to ponder these questions though, Arthur knew this, because he still needed to reach his Father. "Come on," he said then, and did not let go of Merlin's hand, only pulled him along now, down the stairs.

Once they reached the floor, they could see a trail of green blood...green, all the way down the hall, to the guest chambers, that at one point, the Lady Catrina had stayed in. They were right under Arthur's. Arthur ushered them forward, both of them at a run, hands still clasped together. They entered the chambers to find Uther in a fit of rage, tears running down his face, as he had the Troll pinned in a corner. Arthur knew where his sword had gone now, the Troll had it, trying to fend off Uther's attacks with his own sword.

"Father!" Arthur announced himself, and it was this distraction that gave the Troll the opportunity to run. Arthur tackled her, feeling disgusted at her lumpy grey form under him, she was oozing green blood out of her right shoulder.

"Arthur..?!" Uther was saying now, in astonishment, in some sort of disbelieving glee, as he rushed forward and went to grab Arthur, but he stopped him. Arthur stood up instead, and grabbed the Troll, holding her so she couldn't run. "This foul beast..."

"That's not what you said last night!" croaked the Troll, and Uther's face turned up in embarrassment and distaste.

"Get rid of it!"

"Ah...but I am your Queen, Uther, remember?" she yelled out, and Uther turned his back to her. She let out a laugh, one that sounded like a dog barking, though it was choking on it's dinner, all at the same time. "Your hearts desire!"

"Enough!" shouted Arthur then. "You've done enough..."

But apparently she had not, because in that second, she threw her disgusting Troll body on top of Arthur, and they fell to the ground. She pulled a dagger from her grey, lumpy bosom and attempted to stab Arthur in the neck, he dodged and dived out of her way, and then Merlin was there, shoving her off of him. And then Uther was shouting something about touching his son and sent her slamming into the wall, the sword he had dropped upon seeing Arthur alive in his hand again, and then it was being forcefully inserted into his wife...

Right into the heart...

She farted, louder than any Knight Arthur had ever heard, as she fell onto the floor in a lump, and then fell silent, at long last. Merlin helped Arthur up then and they both stare, in utter disgust. Uther looked back then, in disbelieving, at either his own actions or the fact that Arthur was somehow alive even though he was dead a few moments ago, Uther stare at him and then at Merlin, for several long moments, before he rushed out, swearing loudly as he did so. Arthur didn't see him again for two days.

And then the evening on the second day, Arthur was called to have dinner in the King's chambers, which had been stripped down and cleaned thoroughly. He looked uncomfortable when Arthur had walked in, he was also drinking quite heavily again, Arthur was told this by Morgana, who had been the only one bold enough to go and visit him since the Troll's death, Morgana had reported he was very remorseful. Not because his supposed Wife was dead...but that she a was a Troll and very gross.

Arthur walked in without saying anything, and sat down at the table, in the chair across from Uther, who did not look up, only hung his head, probably in shame. Good, Arthur thought. "Father...?" he said, after a long moment of them not speaking.

"You should hate me," said Uther then, and the sadness that filled his voice did not make Arthur feel any sort of hate toward the man, even if he had felt it, for some time now. "I was blinded...tricked, I have reinstated your Princehood, I have given you back all of your titles and I shall never-"

"It was not your fault..." said Arthur, and that was hard for him to do, because at one point or another, he had all but washed his hands of his Father.

"The things I had allowed to happen to Gaius," Uther took in a deep breath. "A dear friend to me...he says I am forgiven, I was not in my right mind, but how could I be so?" Uther shook his head, still not meeting Arthur's eye, he had not once since Arthur had arrived. "I know I am blinded when it comes to Sorcery, but I would not attack my own friends. I allowed my heart to be manipulated by a magic so disgusting and sickening-"

"Father," said Arthur sternly. Uther looked up at him and their eyes met for a moment, Uther stare at him in some kind of shock.

"And Merlin...I should not have come between you two like that," he said then. "Tell him I am deeply sorry, I know he is not a sorcerer nor a thief...tell him I have made it so his job is safe, always."

Arthur smiled at this. "I will," he said. "But please...let's just eat, shall we?"

"I haven't eaten in days," said Uther. "I...regret many things, Arthur."

"I'm sure you do," said Arthur then, with a smirk. He didn't want to sit here and listen to his Father gravel. He was a strong man, a strong King, it didn't feel right. Even if it was deserved, that Uther be broken down into the shell of the man he used to be, Arthur didn't want to see him like that though. "So, tell me...how many nights did you bed a troll?"

"Arthur!" yelled out Uther, face going redder than Camelot's color, and he shook his head. "Please!"

"You're right...I'm eating," he grinned and then shoved a plate of cheeses toward his Father. He took them and looked them over with interest. "So, at least ten then?"

"More..."

Arthur let out a rich laugh. "Disgusting."

"You have no idea..."

Arthur spent the whole evening making jokes at his Father's expense and even a few times Uther laughed at them, Arthur had no idea just how much he had missed his Father. They might not always get along, when it came to Sorcerers they had very different thoughts, Arthur didn't want to kill someone who hadn't done anything directly wrong, and maybe they wouldn't agree on that. But these moments, these soft and kind moments, he had missed them more than he had ever realized, more than he had ever thought possible. The coldness he felt around his Father was once again warmed, the ease of their conversation was back, they understood each other once more, and as Arthur walked to his chambers that night, possibly a little drunk, he was happier than he had been in a very long time, he felt whole again. His Father was back, Merlin no longer had to be in hiding, Morgana still had odd dreams but she was warming up to Arthur more than ever, they were having real conversations now, when before they would just bicker and argue. Arthur liked this, this was nice...he wished it could stay like this forever.

Arthur walked into his chambers, a little off-footed, as he was rather drunk, indeed. Merlin was there, back to his normal duties as servant. Arthur watched him for long moment, before Merlin had realized he was there. He turned around and noticed he was there and grinned at him, the warm feeling Arthur felt suddenly got hotter, much like a fire kindling, he smiled back.

"How was dinner with your Father?" Merlin asked, Arthur shrugged.

"He bedded a troll sixteen times," he announced and Merlin pulled a face. "Sixteen...he counted. I don't think I would've ever thought to count. If I had to count now it would be-" but then he stopped, because he was definitely not going to say that number, which was a very impressive one. But then he thought that Merlin's was probably zero, and that made him feel a little better. At least he hoped it was a zero, for whatever reason he hoped this for. It wasn't as if Arthur could do anything about it, if it were a zero or not...he couldn't be number one, even if it was a zero anyway. He stare at Merlin then, in some sort of self-made confusion.

"You're drunk!" announced Merlin and Arthur nodded. Merlin rolled his eyes and pulled him forward then, toward his bed. "You're Father either goes from a drunkard or to enchanted, there is no in-between with him."

"It wouldn't be as fun then..." said Arthur, as he allowed Merlin to drag him along, all the way to his bed. "He says he is sorry, for me to tell you, he has made it so your job will be safe from now on."

"Oh..." said Merlin then, and Arthur couldn't see his face, because he was facing away from Arthur, still holding onto his wrist, but moving his blankets around on the bed now. "I don't know if I should thank him or be angry..."

"What?" retorted Arthur. "You don't want to be my servant forever?"

"Hm..." Merlin shrugged. "Sometimes yes, sometimes no," he said then, and turned around and proceeded to shove Arthur into the bed. "Not when you act like the World's Biggest Prat, no. But then other times, I almost like you..."

"Almost?" asked Arthur, as he made a job of pulling his tunic off, over his head, before Merlin laid the blankets over him. Merlin then took the tunic and tucked it under his arm, as he smirked down at Arthur. It was almost like he was tucking him into bed, or hold the almost...that's what he was doing entirely.

"Yeah...I have to deal with your rudeness all of the time and your cabbage face, it's hard," commented Merlin, but he grinned at him, all the while he said this. "Someone's gotta do it though, so I suppose I'd rather it be me..."

"It's lovely...the way you think of me," said Arthur, but he could already feel the tugs of sleep. behind his eyes. They started to drift closed, and the last thing he remembered seeing was Merlin smiling at him.

"Isn't..? I thought you would like it."

And then Arthur heard nothing else.

(A/N: If this is not edited very well it is because my cat was acting like an actual lunatic while I was trying to read this. She was running so hard in the hallway and slamming against my door like a linebacker! SHE IS CRAZY! GO TO SLEEP! I say this but it's 2 am and I need to get up at 8, plus I still plan on writing tonight...now I know where she gets it. ENJOY this chapter, and Catrina's farewell!)