Arthur Pendragon decided not two moments after the hourglass started to move, that his original assessment of Drummond had been spot on. He was a fool, using two swords and swinging them about so obsolete, the prince had to wonder if he had learned anything when Arthur had been going through basic training with them. Sir Drummond seemed to favor the…I'm bigger and could squish you like a bug without even trying, technique. A very poor technique to use for many reasons, especially against a trained fighter as slim as the prince was. This kind of technique was meant to scare smaller opponents into being submissive, scare themselves into surrendering, but as far as he was really concerned, it looked as if Sir Drummond was more prepared to do away with his own head, rather than actually land a hit on Arthur's frame.

In fact, Arthur was so decidedly unimpressed, that he relaxed his stance. He dropped his single sword down by his side and watch as the other man swung his double swords into wide circles around his head…elaborate and completely unnecessary. Such a thing was more suited for show, and Arthur didn't need a knight that was more interested in showing off to the other recruits that might actually be here to learn something. Or at least, he hoped they were wanting to learn something. Because otherwise…why had Arthur decided THIS would be a good way to distract him from his decision to take the coward's way out of things.

Arthur would much rather be training by himself than entertaining this type of man…the burning of his muscles in his forearms as he executed his strength on a training dummy would give way to more…interesting thoughts instead of watching Sir Drummond behaving like a brute, he could've been wondering on how Merlin got that little curl of hair to disappear around the shell of his ear…he could have been planning his strategy on how he could get Merlin to accept 'going out' with him to the marketplace…he could have gone to his room and stared at his reflection in the mirror and practiced what he was going to say to him once they were face to face…he could have been wondering whether his consort would be offended if Arthur asked him to wear the golden tunic when they went…he could have been wondering whether or not Merlin was planning on using that golden tunic as a new way of luring his men to his bed. Needless to say, there were a thousand different things Arthur could've been doing right this moment that would have felt more fulfilling then right now.

Even if half of that time was spent with Arthur displeased at the mere idea of Merlin using something given to him by the royal family as a means of trying to tempt men.

And being upset that it would've obviously worked.

Arthur didn't even…like…Merlin like that, and the boy was tempting him back into his old habits. He could hardly imagine how tempting the dark angel was to men whose interest lay in that sort of thing. But Merlin probably knew about the temptation he was in his golden silks…at this point, Arthur was honestly thinking Merlin really had to be some kind of dark angel. Cast out of the very depths of heaven for some unimaginable sin Arthur couldn't imagine he had actually committed, and set loose on the world…on Arthur's world. Where the days left Arthur craving more closure but too terrified to find out what was on the other side if he gave into his curiosities. Just once wouldn't hurt…but the consort wouldn't allow him either way.

And that was Arthur's price for the sins committed against Merlin…forced to watch the boy parade around, so deceptively innocent when Arthur knew that he was anything but. Forced to stand back and watch Merlin leaving him back in the dust, confidently swishing his little bottom as he walked away because he knew Arthur's eyes would be latched on the grace Merlin seemed to hold on to, even in his clumsier moments. Forced to know it was his own actions that led to his inability to touch Merlin, to feel, to know he had all but slammed the door on that possibility because he just couldn't accept Merlin as the angel he was…

An angel whose lips tasted as sweet as they did sinful…

It took Arthur little to no effort to duck beneath the blade of a sword swinging above his head in a wide arch, so pathetically wide that it took Arthur no time, even in his distracted state, to slam the butt of his blade into the stomach of the wannabe knight. And Sir Drummond went down hard, the one blow enough to knock the wind out of him as he bent over, and Arthur showed him not one ounce of mercy as he jammed his knee as hard as he could into the man's ape like face. There was a satisfying crunch of the man's nose breaking beneath the force of the blow, rightfully deserved after ripping Arthur away from all his thoughts on what Merlin did to him, and the man crumbled to the ground like a log.

Pathetically disgusting.

"This-" Arthur called out to his other men, making sure they saw exactly how pathetic the man at his feet was, not gracing said man with another look. He's became nothing more than a demonstration for those fortunate enough to still be in this. "Should be a lesson to all of you. Never underestimate who you are fighting against, or think the most flashy moves will be your answer. I can tell you now, it will most likely be your last-" Arthur cut himself off abruptly, eyes falling somewhere behind his men and just beyond the little fence that was set up to keep out the busybodies. His throat convulsed, and he cleared it sharply, a lot less bored and a lot more…attuned to the world around him, with the hair on the back of his neck starting to stick up. "…Take him away. Our training shall be dismissed for the day. Take this extra time to prepare yourself, for I will not go any easier on you than I have gone on him today."

His men were clearly confused by the sudden change, they were supposed to finish things off today and weed out the rest of them, so Arthur could pick out who and who was not worthy of honoring his kingdom. But when it very soon became clear that Arthur wasn't joking around, and had once again-this had to be the second time he had canceled or finished earlier than planned-decided they were over, two of the knights strode forward. Each one grabbing onto the arms of the unconscious knight Arthur had taken out with barely two hits, and started dragging him to the side of the field where he would rest until he woke up…whenever that might be. Arthur didn't much care whether or not the man would wake up soon or not…and his heart was most decidedly not back inside of his throat.

Merlin had returned.

Arthur Pendragon took a large and steady breath in order to calm his nerves down, and started walking along the length of the field to where Merlin waited for him…his hands felt strangely sweaty and his legs felt as if he had two large chunks of concrete tied to his ankles. He was Prince Arthur Pendragon, next in line to run an entire kingdom…he couldn't run away every time his consort had decided to show his face. He couldn't run away from him at all. There was no time like the present, after all, and with Merlin here…there was really no reason for Arthur NOT to ask him out…like his father had ordered him too. Though the Prince also knew there was so much on the line here than Uther's own plots or plans to manipulate Merlin and his family into being what they wanted them to be. If Merlin didn't like the way Arthur conducted himself on this date, then…all of this was going to be too much for Arthur. His heart was pounding more and more violently as Merlin's eyes met his, his head swum dizzily and he felt like he was about to be sick all over his shoes…Arthur felt as if he was about to ask Merlin out for a REAL date.

And feared Merlin was going to tell him no.

Which, let's be real…he probably was.

"You know you don't have to stand behind the fence!" Arthur blurted out the very second he reached the spot in front of Merlin, separated only by the little fence. Something that was so feeble, Arthur could have kicked it over without a second thought if he wanted to get closer to Merlin. But he couldn't…Merlin looked as if he was keeping distance between them, raising an eyebrow at him solemnly. Arthur wanted to curse himself for his own stupidity, knowing he was already screwing this up. He was meant to be asking Merlin out, not ranting on about a stupid fence. But it felt as if his mouth had gotten away from him and he started rambling in full…perhaps to stop himself from doing what he really wanted to do? Scared to death of rejection… "You are my consort, so you will be more than welcomed to come and sit closer to get a better look if you are interested in watching the fights. We can get you set up on the side and you can stay as long as you want to…"

Merlin was still staring at him stoically, not giving Arthur any sign on rather or not he would actually be interested in watching…the prince could feel the burn on the back of his neck as he started to flush. He knows he had just gave this lecture to his men about showing off and how stupid it would be and was the leading cause of death among his men, but…he had a feeling he would've join in those numbers if he had Merlin coming out here everyday just to watch him take care of his business. He could be sat down on a blanket, far enough out of the way where any swinging blades that his stupid men have lost, wouldn't take off his head. But close enough to where he could see Arthur in action…or close enough to where Arthur could join him on that blanket during these brief breaks…moments where Arthur would be able to hear what Merlin was thinking about the fight. Arthur could even have his servants make sure his consort got well taken care of while he was there…supplying him with these fresh baskets, topped off with fruits and bread. Filling food that would put healthier weight to his bones…Arthur thought he would feel immense satisfaction if he got to see Merlin actually eating…but it appeared Merlin was playing a different game on this day, than he had been the day before.

"Why would I want to do that?"

Merlin's voice had been bland, tilting his head to the side as if he truly couldn't understand why he would want to waste his time sitting out here and watching a bunch of brutes swinging blades at each other. And almost immediately, the prince was filled with great embarrassment. Yesterday, Merlin had been more vibrant and violent, daring and bold and not putting up with a single word said from Arthur. But today, it was almost as if he couldn't care less and didn't want to be there at all. Arthur nearly deflated, the wind in his sails leaving him blind as to what he should do next to lift up Merlin's spirits. God, things had been so much easier when Arthur spent all his time yelling at Merlin. Even talking with his father, things had seemed easier because he had gotten a plan together on his next steps. But now…just as he had suspected…Merlin's actual presence is causing everything to implode right in Arthur's face. And he didn't much like to feel as if he was a fish out of water…

"Well…this is the second day in a row that you've came here and interrupted one of my sessions, so I just thought you might be showing an interest for the other things I do. You know…when I'm not…when I'm not yelling at you-" Arthur stuttered, laughing a little to himself as he made his bad joke. But he panicked when he saw the very subtle narrowing of Merlin's eyes…god. The armor he is wearing had always felt like a second skin to him, easy to move around as if he had been born in it. And yet, right now it felt all bulky and clunky as he quickly waved his hand around as if trying to bat away his stupid comment, of course it was far too soon to bring up Arthur's past behavior in a funny way…it would probably never reach a time where he could 'joke' about it. Because it really wasn't funny. Just Arthur doing nothing more than kicking his entire foot down his throat, "But I don't mind if you want to show up and watch on the sides by yourself. You are more than welcome to come anytime you want…I promise I'll not kick you out…ever."

Arthur almost felt like he was swearing a sacred vow, promising not to kick the consort out…and now that he was thinking about it, it was clear that he meant it in every instance. He wouldn't kick Merlin out if he wanted to watch the men fighting, wouldn't kick him out of a council meeting, wouldn't kick him out if he even decided to set up camp in Arthur's bedchambers for whatever ungodly reason he would have for being there. Not out of the kingdom either…though it was practically killing Arthur to say Merlin could stay here on the sides…if that was what he wanted, then of course Arthur would allow it. Such a thing would be out of his hands. But Merlin still shouldn't have to stand behind the fence as if he was just…anybody! He was Arthur's consort! He should have a special spot all set up and ready for him whenever he decided to grace the field with his presence.

"I didn't come here to see you then, and I didn't come to watch you fight now. In case you've forgotten, you were the one that chased after me when that is literally the only pathway I could go to get by." Merlin said bluntly, his words no less cruel or harsh than they had every right to be, and Arthur winced. He was both ashamed because Merlin was right…Arthur had chased after him as if he was some kind of demented stalker…and not entirely ashamed because there was every chance he would not have seen Merlin in that tunic if he hadn't tried following him. And that was a sight Arthur would have never given up, even if it left the world burning at his feet. "But I cannot say that I didn't come here for you this time. I need a favor to ask you. I want to go somewhere private for us to talk and get this over with."

Arthur could recognize the tone Merlin used…this was not something that the consort was asking him to do. It was a demand, pure and simple. Merlin was demanding Arthur's time…demanding Arthur's attention…demanding Arthur to give him his full undivided recognition…and Merlin demanding something from him should not have made Arthur's body respond as it did. He should not have felt the flash of heat rolling through his stomach, the mere idea of Merlin being all bossy and asserting himself and DEMANDING Arthur to do what he told him to do should not have been as…interesting as it was.

"Of course! We can do whatever you want, or go wherever you want. I'm really easy, so you just say the word and we can be there in an instant." Arthur said frantically, already rounding the fence to join Merlin by his side…it unsettled him to see Merlin lean away from him with barely veiled contempt falling along his face. Perhaps Arthur could just pretend Merlin didn't like the way he smelt right now…he had sweated more beneath the heat of the sun than he had from his fight, but the fight itself probably didn't help matters. Maybe he should get a hot bath and clean himself up before they did this…but no. There was every chance in the world that Merlin would be gone long before Arthur returned to his side, having already decided Arthur was a lost cause. That was a risk that Arthur couldn't take…this was literally the first time Merlin had came to him on his own free will…sure, he needed something. But it was progress! And Arthur would hand Merlin the entire world on a silver platter if it made him just a small bit of less hostile towards him. Surely whatever 'favor' Merlin wanted from him would be easier to get than the entire planet on a platter? "But hey, perhaps it might be a good idea to go down to the marketplace and you can tell me what you want down there! I'll be more than happy to buy you whatever your hearts desire is. All you have to do is point it out for me!"

Suggesting the marketplace came from a spur of the moment…needing to get Merlin to come out with him and combining it with whatever Merlin wanted him to get him. It was like killing two birds with one stone, getting both out the way while wanting neither one to end…he was practically putting all his faith in this one basket. Making Merlin see him in a different light, showing him that he was a reasonable man and opened to hearing anything his consort wanted. He had to resist the urge though, reminding himself that Merlin didn't like hands being on him, to put his hand on the base of Merlin's spine to lead him down towards the lower town. His hand fluttered uselessly at his side, the gesture aborted in misstep, hand hovering there stupidly before he dropped it by his side. And he started walking, content-or maybe hopeful-that Merlin would follow him down to the lower town for their 'date.' The word sent a fresh shiver down along his spine, one that was pleasantly tingling but no less scary…he was positive that he was going to throw up and scare Merlin away. But if he could just get Merlin whatever he'd been eyeing in the lower town…things could be fixed between them! Yes!

It was a hope that didn't hold much weight.

But it was a hope, nonetheless.

"I told you I wanted to ask you a favor, it shouldn't take more than two seconds and all you have to do is say yes. I did not say I wanted to spend any length of time with you down in the marketplace." Merlin hissed, the second he hurried up to catch up with Arthur's long strides…Merlin's legs were just barely longer than Arthur's, but the consort still had trouble keeping up. Arthur was just too eager, ready for a new chapter in their lives to begin, pleased with how things were going already…the ease in which his consort was following behind him, albeit thrown off and bemused. "I also said that I wanted somewhere private where people wouldn't be watching or trying to listen in on what I'm telling you. The marketplace is exactly the opposite of what I asked for you to do!"

Arthur winced, slowing down his steps so Merlin wouldn't have to run in order to keep up with him…what Merlin had said was very much true. Arthur had taken what he was being given and had twisted it just enough for it to fit inside his own agenda. Merlin was just now feeling comfortable enough to come and ask him this 'favor', and here Arthur was trying to commodere Merlin's boldness to him. He couldn't ruin that! What if Merlin decided he wanted Arthur to give him another favor, but decided against it because of how poorly rushed Arthur was behaving now. Arthur needed to…keep that doorway opened between them. Or just one wrong move was going to seal it close forever…no more Merlin coming to him. No more opportunities for Merlin to selfishly demand his attention…he really fucking liked the way Merlin selfishly demanded his attention.

"I know that you…don't want to really go anywhere with me. But I thought the marketplace might be somewhere…more comfortable for you. I mean, I know you don't want to be alone with me. You think…I'm going to hurt you again, so I thought somewhere more crowded would be better." Arthur said slowly, as he came to a stop in the middle of the cobblestone sidewalk that would lead the two of them to the bridge. He didn't look back at Merlin when he said this, he could feel his stare on his back though. Like two twin penetrating gazes that could've sucked Arthur into a black hole if he wanted…a black hole that Arthur would have allowed to take him. But he really…hated…how right his words were right now. Merlin didn't want to be alone with him. He simply hadn't wanted to waste too much time asking his favor. This whole 'date thing' had to keep the consort's comfort in mind, while appeasing his father…while damning Arthur to an early grave if he couldn't keep his heart out of his throat. "Besides…I have to go to the marketplace anyway, so really. You would be doing me this major favor by coming along and entertaining me for a moment."

These words sat uncomfortable on Arthur's lips, knowing Merlin didn't have a single idea that he was being talked into attending a date with Arthur…he was hoping to keep that under wraps, knowing Merlin would freak out on him if he knew the truth. But the silence seemed to drag on for ages and honestly, the prince almost wasn't even sure if Merlin was still there or if he had decided to storm off and leave him behind. Arthur had taken a huge gamble by trying to claim Merlin would be helping him out by tagging along…Arthur might've taken off himself if their positions were reversed. Not wanting to do anything that'd make his tormentors day a little bit easier. But after the silence had grown to insufferable levels, and Arthur was finally about to face the music and admit he had already scared his consort away not five minutes into their date…said consort let out a generous huff of agitation.

"Whatever."

And then Merlin was storming off past him, his slim little form hunched over as if he was trying to make himself disappear. But the sight only made Arthur give an exhale of breath, relief flooding his chest and loosening his muscles. There was still every chance in the world that he was going to ruin things far later on, but as of right now…Merlin was going to accompany him. And it was really the only thing Arthur could've asked for…the prince had to practically run after his consort though. When he realized Merlin was almost to the bridge, and about to go on their first date without him…

God help him.

X

Merlin Pendragon could honestly say he didn't have a clue what he was doing here right now, standing in the middle of the crowded marketplace as if it was any old day. When it WASN'T any old day. Not since he had Arthur practically latched onto his side like some kind of overbearing leach…Merlin's hand was twitching at his side to resist shoving the prince away. Arthur wasn't actually touching him, but he was still standing a little too close for comfort…anxiety prickled at the back of his neck but he breathed through his nose in order to calm himself down.

There were far more people out and about than Merlin had been expecting and it was starting to get to him…everywhere he looked there would be another set of eyes just staring him down. Everytime he took in a shuddering breath, it was the smell of too many people in a confined space that graced his lungs. Every time he walked he felt as if he was going to bump straight into somebody else, the noise bouncing around in his eardrums starting to blur and mix together till it felt like it was screaming…and right on cue, somebody bumped shoulders to his own. Unlike most times, where people would purposely ram themself right up against him, he could tell this one was a genuine accident. Another patron of the marketplace too busy to notice they had ventured too close to Merlin…

If it was just one person, then Merlin could have handled it.

But then there was another one, and another one…everybody was squished all together like sardines in a tin. And Merlin's breath hitch's, his eyes darting left to right and back again, trying to find someplace that would offer him just a bit of space to himself. But then he got rammed a little bit harder, and Merlin's whole body spun…and then another hit against him and he spun around…this was too much for him. He was getting too overwhelmed. Too overstimulated, and all he wanted to do was slam his hands over his ears and drown out the noise. Try to imagine himself somewhere else…somewhere free…where there was space to breathe!

Merlin's chest felt tight…strangers…too many strangers everywhere…then his saving grace arrived. A hand darted out from the crowd and snagged onto his wrist, Merlin yelped in surprise but then the mystery hand was jerking him out of the crowd. Forcing him through the people and making them exclaim out in surprise as he rammed into them himself, but then they were gone. And there was no more bodies crashing against his own, spinning him around until there was nothing but this lost, floating sensation he had been subjected too. Merlin had been dragged in between two of the stands, slightly shielded away in the shadows and just out of view…the consort nearly collapsed against the wood of the stall, pressing his back against it, loosely wrapping his arms around his legs.

And he just breathed.

Glorious air filling his lungs and granting him this release.

"-Lin! Merlin!" The sound seemed to come rushing back into his eardrums as his savior appeared in his vision, kneeling in the dirt beside him and trying to get his attention. "Are you okay! Speak to me! Say something Merlin! God, I'm so sorry! I looked away for all of a second and then you were just gone! And it took me a minute to track you down and you didn't look good and…won't you just please speak to me? Should I fetch your uncle? Is that who you need? I'll be able to go right there and straight back…or I could just stay with you and I can call your guard? That's what they are there for. Helping you…"

Arthur, Merlin thought as his chest heaved with every grasping breath that he continued to take…of course it was bloody Arthur. That explained why his arm still felt the burning sting of his touch even long after being let go…it was only Arthur's touch nowadays that made him want to hurl. And it was Arthur, who's the last person Merlin wanted to see…who saw him like this. Shivering, weaker than a newborn foul after exiting the womb of its mother and smelling grass for the very first time. And there was something tingling in the very back of his mind…it took him far too long to remember Lancelot was at Gaius right now. If Arthur went then he would see him, and ask questions, before Merlin had the chance to talk to him about this first…

"He's…not…there." Merlin gasped out, leaning his head back and feeling the heat of the wood baking underneath the sunlight streaming in patches against it. His entire form gave another shudder…he had done too much too fast and it had been a long time since he'd been in the marketplace…and Arthur was still watching him with this furrow in his brow. If Merlin didn't know any better then he would have thought it was 'concern' but that was just stupid. Arthur wasn't worried about anybody other than himself. And Merlin just needed to take his breaths slow and steady and remind himself that he was no longer lost along a crowd, someplace so easy for him to forget who he was with so many people crowding in on him. "I'm fine. You don't have to worry him about anything."

Arthur still didn't look entirely convinced by that, he almost looked as if he was wanting to protest, but to Merlin's great relief, the man moved so he was more or less sitting across from Merlin. Staring at him steadily…the people that were walking by sounded more muted in their little cubby hole between the stalls…it was better here. Both better and…not better at all, Merlin thought sulkily as he dragged his knees closer into his chest. He had to remind himself that he still sat here for Lancelot…if it wasn't for him, then Merlin would have already gone and stormed off. Arthur didn't need to see Merlin like this…didn't need to know he wasn't nearly as strong as he portrayed himself to be when in front of him…

…this was so far out of his normal routine…

"What was that?"

Arthur's voice penetrated through his skull, and Merlin held back a flinch, his fingernails digging into his pants in an effort to calm himself. He didn't care if Arthur asked…the prince had his chance to ask him things and pretend that he cared. And that ship had long since sailed…Arthur Bloody Pendragon wouldn't get one damn thing from him. He didn't need to know Merlin had strict routine that he stuck too, and felt like the world was far too big whenever something deviated too far from what he was expecting. He didn't need to know Merlin kept only a small circle of people around him because that was practically all he could handle. He didn't need to know that…

"Don't. Worry. About. It."

Each word felt like a guttural growl beneath Merlin's breath, his blue eyes were sparking dangerously and seemed to glow even brighter under the darkness of the shadows. If Merlin was a jungle cat, he would've had a tail swishing behind him, warning his enemy that he was about to become lunch if he didn't bother with minding his own damn business. Arthur was frowning heavily, and Merlin had to wonder what Arthur saw when he looked at him…somebody capable of scratching his eyes out if he thought Merlin would sit back for whatever horrid ridicule was about to come his way. Or a scared little boy who said he was fully healed, but knew there was still miles to go before he could walk his way along the streets without the colors blurring together in his head. Confusing, dizzy…breathless..

"Okay." Arthur finally murmured lowly beneath his breath after a long minute of silence, and Merlin clinched his hold tighter than before, legs curling beneath his chin in a protective manner. He hadn't realized he had been waiting for the prince to say anything at all, but it felt like an explosion had gone off inside his head. Another shudder roiling down his spine. He didn't want to hear one word from the prince, his fat mouth could stay shut and he could leave Merlin all by himself and no…fuck. He still needed Arthur simply for Lancelot's sake…he had saved Merlin's life, after all. Merlin could…sit here and look at Arthur and all his stupid blond haired glory. "We can stay right here, for as long as you need."

And that was that…Merlin didn't speak about it, and neither did Arthur. Merlin was glowering at the prince though, waiting for this to be some kind of trick or for the prince to make fun of him…normal people didn't need their hand held for fear they would start panicking in the middle of a crowd if they were left all by themselves. Normal people also didn't sit in silence with the people who'd made him this way. Merlin half expected for the prince to get bored with him or decide this was a waste of time and storm off to do something that was more productive than sitting in the dark. In which Merlin would then have to chase after Arthur and demand his favor since Merlin had done his part by coming all the way here in the first place when he most certainly didn't need too. But that never happened. The minutes dragged on…five…ten…fifteen…maybe far more than that as well. Merlin didn't know as he lost track of time…a time that held just the two of them.

Arthur and Merlin.

Merlin and Arthur.

Two half's of a single coin that neither had wanted to be in…

Though, at some point after a good thirty or so minutes of silence had passed them by, where Merlin had done nothing but glare suspiciously at the other, he noticed Arthur was starting to get a bit…antsy. Nothing major. His knee started bouncing up and down, tugging on the blond locks that fell into his eyes…one of his fingers making indescribable shapes in the dirt beside him. There was no pressure from Arthur though, no demanding he get off his arse before one of the people passing saw them and it ended up embarrassing him. No being impatient and telling Merlin they came there for Arthur, so he can stop being a drama queen and get his shit together. No demanding Merlin speak to him just to fill the space up with idle chatter that went nowhere…but there was this one strange thing that started happening…

Arthur kept glancing towards his chest.

It was strange, and something Merlin hadn't noticed happened the first time…it wasn't as if Arthur could see anything. His legs were in the way and shielded most of him from the prince's view. But then the prince did it two times…three times…and Merlin was positive that he wasn't imagining it. Arthur kept staring at him for some…Merlin followed his gaze down to his chest himself. But all he saw was his burnt orange tunic, something not even Arthur would've been able to see with his legs in the way. So why the hell did he keep trying to look…? He glanced back up just in time to see Arthur once again averting his eyes as if he was scared he was going to get caught. But it was already too late for that, he had already been caught red handed long ago.

"What are you doing?" Merlin demanded hotly, the first words that exited from his mouth since they'd lapsed into this strange silence. Arthur seemed as if he was as startled to hear Merlin speaking, as Merlin was from actually speaking to him. Merlin had some kind of sick pleasure out of watching Arthur jumping, as if Merlin was the one to be scared of when it had always been the other way around. "You have been staring at me for too fucking long. I can assure you I have nothing hidden beneath my tunic, so you can stop staring at me as if I've stolen something from you."

Because that was sure what it felt like…as if Arthur was trying to examine him for any suspiciously shaped bumps or lumps tucked away beneath his shirt…it made Merlin feel more cagey than he already was. Wanting to lash out against the prince and waiting for the first excuse Arthur gave him…though the prince also looked as if he had no idea what Merlin was talking about at first. Staring at him uncomprehending, blinking once and then twice and then…Merlin's dark brows furrowed together when he noticed the red shade rising along Arthur's cheekbones. Was Arthur…embarrassed? Because Merlin had called him out on what he was doing? Because Merlin refused to add 'thief' onto the list of awful names he had already been called.

"I wasn't accusing you of being a thief! I know you didn't steal anything! Not that you could considering just about anything inside the castle also rightfully belongs to you as well!" Arthur exclaimed, his voice cracking somewhere right in the middle that had Merlin narrowing his eyes…Arthur's voice didn't usually crack when he talked to him. It made him sound as if he was in the throes that came with puberty. It almost would've been funny, if Merlin still hadn't found all of this very…weird behavior coming from the prince. "I was simply trying to look and see if-" Arthur cut himself off abruptly, as if he realized he was about to say something that would've been particularly damning. And the red on his face seemed to go darker and more noticeable than before. "…Nothing. I'm not trying to do anything."

Arthur sagged himself against the stall, crossing his arms over his stomach as if he wasn't the one being a freak this time. And Merlin continued to watch him with a restlessness to him…trying to see…Arthur was trying to see…Merlin was rolling what little Arthur had said around in his head. Trying to make some kind of sense out of what little Arthur had allowed to slip, but…nothing. If the prince wasn't trying to accuse him of theft, then Merlin had literally NO idea what the prince had been trying to see. It wasn't like there was anything special about his tunic…though Arthur did make him want to crumble it into a ball and throw beneath his bed before finding a completely different tunic that wouldn't make Arthur behave strangely. Strange was bad…strange was unexpected…it meant Merlin had no idea how to predict Arthur's next move. He knows Arthur said he 'wasn't' going to hit him again, but that wouldn't be the first time Arthur would betray him. Anything could set him off, but Merlin was ready if he did blow up on him….

"So…" Arthur finally broke the silence between them officially, and Merlin felt his spine going ramrod straight, immediately bristling like a house cat that had just had a bucket of cold water dumped on him, its fur hanging down from its scrawny frame in wet clumps. Arthur scratched the back of his neck, and was obviously avoiding his eye…was Arthur going to talk to him now? Pretend that their little vow of silence was no longer taking place? "I don't know how much of my fight you were watching…or how much you know about what's going on this month, but…this year's new recruits are receiving their final testing. And if they pass in their fight against me, then I'll be able to present them to the king and my father will promote them into official knighthood. But…I know that you saw me taking out Sir Drummond…but you probably don't know he has to be at least the tenth man I've failed. So tell me Merlin, how do you think I can defend Camelot when I have men like that trying to get into my armies?"

Merlin stared at him, trying to comprehend exactly what Arthur was asking him right now…was this some kind of joke? Because it sounded as if Arthur may be actually asking his opinion on something…but that couldn't be right. Because Arthur never asked his opinion on something. Not unless it was to make some kind of spectacle out of him…Merlin even glanced around just to make sure he hadn't missed somebody discovering them in their little cubby area. But there was nobody who had stopped to stare at them. And Arthur's eyes looked to be as unflinching as ever, steady and sure and…Merlin scowled at him. But it only seemed to encourage Arthur to speak more strangeness to him.

"Oh, come on Merlin! I know you've got a brain in that skull of yours! And I do know for a fact that you must have something you want to tell me right now…about my knights especially. I'm sure you're just dying to tell me what failures that are or something. Which yes, I completely agree with you. Because they all seem to be failures this go about. Don't know what they were doing when I was trying to train them if they can't even survive a little combat fighting." said the prince, and Merlin tilted his head silently to the side. Was Arthur trying to distract him? Make him forget all about the strangeness that had been Arthur staring at his shirt. Or maybe Arthur had hit his head at some point during his fight, because it sure sounded as if he had just complimented Merlin….saying he had a brain and everything. Arthur usually called him stupid…it was hard to break that kind of thinking when he had thought it true for so long. "Or maybe you have some notes or questions you might want to ask? You were the only one to point out the giant flaw in our security, you know, back when it threw you for a loop that we didn't have anybody watching our chambers while we slept. So I'm sure there's some kind of flaw you're just dying to point out. Just tell me, I'm sure I can take it."

Arthur was looking so eager, desperate almost, to hear Merlin's opinion but he didn't understand…why Arthur was trying to make him talk. And Merlin made his nose go all scrunched up…the only flaws he had seen was with the man his husband was fighting. Which was disappointing. Merlin would've loved to point out a dozen or so different things that had been wrong, but Merlin didn't know enough about sword fighting to point out anything that would've been obvious to somebody who knew what they were doing. And Merlin couldn't even go on and suggest a different strategy or tactic…it wasn't like anything he could've thought of wasn't something Arthur wouldn't have already thought of doing in a fight. But Arthur was still staring at him, waiting for Merlin to have some kind of input on what had been going out there on the field…

"…Maybe you just aren't as good at training your men as you thought you were going to be." Merlin commented snappily, his voice coming out dry, dragging in his throat like molted lava. It was a tester comment…a means of seeing exactly how the prince would react to Merlin clearly insulting him. Merlin half expected a sharp reprimand, which would give Merlin a good excuse to aim a kick to the prince's ribs and storm off before he allowed it to bother him too much. Or if it was another blow to the face, Merlin would start screaming like one had never heard before in his life…punching and hitting and determined to not be the one and only leaving here bruised to high heaven. But Arthur did neither of those expected things. If Merlin dared to think it…Arthur looked almost pleased with this, his lips quirking into a soft smile…Merlin didn't like it one bit. It was weird and Merlin just needed to do what he had came here for and escape before he started acting even weirder than he already was. "But I suppose, if it helps you out, I may be able to help you with your little problem there. Somebody you will not have to train, and can take a hit and still stand up…I'm sure it will be harder to break his nose than that man on the fields, at least."

As he was talking, Merlin could feel some of the tension starting to melt out of his shoulders…Lancelot was a calming figure in his mind. Somebody who'd been able to lead Merlin to safety like a lighthouse led a boat to safe harbor in the port. Somebody Merlin felt…or hoped…he could rely on with the incoming storm that was Arthur. And poor Lancelot…his dream had almost been ruined and destroyed because of Bryon and Julian's involvement, but…that was going to be okay. Because Merlin was here to guide Lancelot just as Lancelot's here to guide Merlin. Two peas in a pod…able to survive any challenges thrown right at them, which the creature that had attacked them could attest too. He only needed Arthur to see how absolutely brilliant Lancelot was, and then he could watch with pride as Lancelot strode ahead of him to meet his destiny. It was a beautiful image burning in his mind. And he only hoped Arthur wouldn't bring it down to its knees.

"Errr…" Arthur started, stuttering and awkward and looking pained, popping the little bubble of imagination Merlin had disappeared down into once again…if anything could distract him from Arthur's strangeness, than it would've been the one guy in Camelot that was pretty damn special "I think you expressing an interest in what I do is great, Merlin! Fabulous, really! But that might end up …taking it too far. You aren't a knight. Don't get me wrong. I'm sure you would be…great…at anything you put your mind to. But a knight takes years of harsh training and discipline, though you've got the courage part down! But if you do find yourself wanting to be more involved, I don't mind taking you out one day and showing you a few moves. You-" Arthur laughed sheepishly. "You already know how to throw a proper punch. Perhaps I can teach you how to take down a bigger opponent next time, or what to do if this bigger opponent manages to get on top of you? Yeah? That sounds…fun, doesn't it?"

Arthur laughed weakly, raising a hand to brush absentmindedly at his temple…the exact same spot Merlin had punched him when Arthur had dared to kiss on him. And…Merlin felt the blistering red heat starting to fill him up whenever he finally understood what Arthur was blabbering about…that complete arse had thought Merlin was talking about himself. Had thought Merlin actually wanted to be a part of his little 'knights club', where they would be forced to spend far more time than they already do together. It probably hadn't even occurred to Arthur that Merlin was talking about somebody else, because how could poor stupid Merlin have any friends that might be good enough to join their ranks?

Well Merlin was going to bloody well show him!

"I don't want to join your little gang of men!" Merlin hissed, slowly dropping his knees down so they were bent beneath him, dropping the barricade that had been holding Arthur back from him. "I can assure you I would rather have any amount of hot needles piercing my eyes before I would join you. Nails pushed beneath my actual fingernails would make me feel better than running around on that field after your lot! Drowned in a batch of hot oil would even be more preferable to joining you or anything that you do. Which is something you may know if you didn't get your head out of your arse and actually listened to me for a hot minute here."

Each and every descriptive pain Merlin provided for Arthur, only seemed to make the prince pale. The shade growing whiter and whiter until the blood had faded from his face completely by the time he was done. And once again, that was something Merlin felt pride for doing, his chest welling with it until it was the only thing he could feel. Arthur would know before this day was up that he was not any wilting flower anymore. Not now, not tomorrow…not ever. He had Lancelot to give him strength, and a reason to stand up for himself against the stupidity that was Arthur. If Lancelot could face up that creature and survive to tell the tale, then Merlin could stand up to Arthur and defend himself.

"Merlin! I'm not…completely disregarding your idea." Arthur said through this tight jaw, looking like he was forcibly controlling himself from doing anything that'd be stupid…Merlin almost wanted to do something that he knew would set the prince off. Something to make him lose the tight control he was clearly holding onto. Like biting his lip…Arthur bloody hated it whenever Merlin would bite his lip. That had been the reason Arthur had first hit him all that time ago…it would at least prove to Merlin that Arthur wasn't this…strange creature on a leash on some sort in front of him. Prove to Merlin that Arthur wasn't anything but a monster, no matter how nice he thought he played. He probably wouldn't be playing so hard, if Merlin told him he knew it was nothing but a trick. To fool him into a false sense of security most likely, so he could do something that'd be even more devastating than hitting him was. Though Merlin was being hard pressed to know what could've been worse than that. "I'm simply saying that you've got to meet me halfway here. I'm more than happy to teach you a few moves if it would make you feel better. But I need knights now, and you…you don't even know how to hold a blade properly. And I'm not trying to be mean about it, I'm really not. But surely you can understand the position that I'm in right now."

Those words…the position I'm in right now…sent a hot flash straight through the consort's soul, as if he had been struck dead by white hot lighting. Arthur wanted to talk about the position he was in…for something Merlin hadn't even been talking about…what about the position Merlin was put in! What about the consort things he'd been forced to do, the council meetings he'd been forced to be a part of, the abuse for not being good enough and the attitude for just trying to prove them all wrong. What about getting hit and screamed at and forced to suffer because of Arthur's lack of compassion and humanity…Arthur wanted to talk about the position HE was put in. When Merlin's had it far worse than the guy throwing a hissy fit all these months because he 'didn't want to be married to a gay man.'

"Oh, poor poor you. Poor little Arthur who can't handle it when he's not being the center of attention. Trying to make me feel sorry for you when I have not done anything wrong?" Merlin hissed at Arthur as if he was a rabid dog, the flinch Arthur gave was near delicious to the consort. If Arthur wanted to play this game, then he would just have to learn that Merlin wasn't interested with 'games' anymore. Even if that lesson was violently drilled straight into his own bloody skull. "You really know how to flatter a guy, don't you? Drag me all the way out here just to tell me I can do whatever I want, as long as you're willing to give me these 'lessons' but that they're basically pointless because I would never be able to become a knight. As if I even asked you to make me one? Just trust me when I tell you I'm not that BLOODY STUPID! To think I would even be welcomed among your men, yet alone one of them."

Merlin's ears were ringing by the time he was done, his hands digging into the dirt on either side of him to prevent doing said damage to himself like he used to do…fuck. Only two minutes in Arthur's presence and he was already making the consort want to relapse to what had kept him in control during his worser bouts of depression. But no…Lancelot needed him to see this through and he wasn't going to ruin weeks of progress just because Arthur's head seemed to be permanently lodged in his backside. God, he could just imagine trying to be on that field with those men, many of which had abused him at some point in his stay here in Camelot. All Merlin would be doing was giving them a proper opening…an easy way out if somebody pointed out they were going rougher than a simple practice called for. After all, if Merlin couldn't handle it then he just needed to 'get off the field' and 'leave the knighthood to the real knights.'

Real knights like Bryon and Julian.

Fucking cowards.

Fucking Arthur.

Merlin would show them all who was better, if he could simply use the one and only weapon he had at his disposal…magic.

But magic shouldn't be used like that…

Not even to teach bloody Arthur and his goons a proper lesson.

"Why did you even bring me here if you were just going to be the arse that you always are!"

By the time Merlin was finished fussing, the only sound that could be heard was his rapid breathing…other than that, the only sound would have to be the accompanying sound of his heartbeat. This wasn't at all how things had been meant to go, but things had rarely gone as easy as Merlin would've hoped for them to be. Why, he was sure Arthur was…gearing up…to start…yelling at him…for his disrespect…those thoughts slowly trailed off as Merlin stopped for just long enough to realize…Arthur really wasn't saying anything. The quiet seemed to grow to new levels, Merlin straightening up when he realized he could have heard a pin drop to the dirt ground at this rate…a silent Arthur was surprisingly very telling. And it was never a good sign.

"Arthur…why did you bring me here?"

Merlin was starting to get an unsettled feeling deep in the pit of his gut, which told him he might have made a mistake by pretending Arthur still didn't cause him concern…had he just become a goose? A creature that would just stupidly walk into a trap laid before him, and not notice the ax coming down along the throat until it was too late? Had Merlin been playing a game of cat and mouse, foolishly believing that he was the cat, only to discover he had simply been the mouse all along. Arthur had seemed so desperate to get down here, and there had to be a reason for that desperation. Perhaps there was something waiting for him…something Arthur had been walking them towards…and Merlin ended up falling right into his hands. Perhaps Arthur saw the expression on his face as well, and realized how badly this must look, because his eyes went wide in panic.

"Whatever is going on in your mind right now, I can promise you that none of it is true! I swear, I didn't bring you here to do…to do…to do anything!" Exclaimed the prince, moving around so that he was now situated on his knees, but that only made Merlin press his back further against the wooden stand behind him, baring his teeth at Arthur as if daring him to come closer. Arthur paused, and ran a hand roughly through his hair in exasperation. "I promise you Merlin, on my oath as a knight and a prince that I didn't bring you here to do anything to you. I simply wanted…I needed too…"

Arthur seemed to get tongue tied, stuttering through his answer but this only made Merlin more sure of his own stupidity for following Arthur so blindly into one of the places Arthur had hurt him…Merlin hadn't been back inside of the marketplace since the day Arthur had slapped him across the face. And that right there should have been an omen, telling Merlin to stay where he'd been in the training field…keeping himself in control of the situation. Keeping him as the cat that liked batting the mouse around just before clamping down on top of it, claiming it as dinner. And Arthur Pendragon released a loud groan before he started again, giving up on whatever sentence he had been trying to force out.

"All I wanted to do was talk to you. We haven't talked since, well…before that last…argument-" Merlin glowered, remembering very well the argument where Arthur had basically called him stupid for believing he couldn't read. "The last time we talked was over a month ago! So I just wanted to get you away from the castle so that we could do that, and…" it appeared that Arthur realized he was starting to lose Merlin, who didn't care for whatever excuses Arthur was going to make up on the spot. And he started talking more rushed, revealing probably more than he had meant too, "I mean, even my father has noticed we aren't interacting! So when he suggested I take you out on a date I just had to say yes and it was the only way I could get you to talk to me and-"

Arthur's ramblings were cut off when Merlin gave a startled gasp, loud enough to rip through the air and silence him quicker than his father yelling at him may have…Merlin stared at him uncomprehending for a long moment, trying to get his head wrapped around what he had just heard…date? This whole…coming out here to the marketplace was supposed to be…a date? Merlin's heart was thundering in his chest from the word alone, strong and powerful enough that it could steal his breath away…a date. He was on a fucking 'date' with Arthur Pendragon…his biggest tormentor. And not even because Arthur wanted any kind of date with him-which Merlin would have promptly shut down if he had been aware for one second that was what this was-but because his father had 'ordered' him to do it. For what? For their image? Was this one of the consort duties he was being subjected too…once more given no information so he may know what to expect or what was going on.

"You call this…this…this ambush of yours, a date? You tricked me into coming out here for one of your stupid 'I'm needed as consort' moments? And didn't bother fucking telling me about it?" Merlin ripped into Arthur with enough force behind his tone that the prince rapidly paled, quickly realizing where he had gone wrong. But Merlin was so bloody furious, he could feel his hands shaking from the red hot fury coursing through him. Arthur had taken his first moments from him…his first kiss and his only marriage and now his first date…the blond prince was slowly and steadily taking each and every thing he could right out of Merlin's hands. Leaving him with nothing left to hold onto should he meet a man-had he already met the man he would have wanted to give his firsts too?-willing to work with him and his unique situation. Merlin could hardly stand to look at Arthur right now, throwing himself to his feet with this righteous rage etched into every line on his face! "What the bloody hell is wrong with you! I cannot believe you brought me here just to parade me around town like this! What was your great plan, Arthur! Drag me around town until you had enough of me or decided they'd seen enough of us spending time together and then ditching me? Were you even planning on listening to what I wanted, or did you just plan to string me along and then leave me empty handed?"

Arthur gaped at him in a panic, looking like he was some kind of wide mouthed demented fish, and Merlin wanted so badly to kick his foot straight down his throat. Here Merlin was, thinking he was doing Arthur a favor-if only to get the one thing he wanted-and it turned out this whole time, he was the one doing a favor for Arthur! Bloody hell…the rage was making his face turned red with the mere idea of what this date was going to entail. What had Arthur been wanting to do on this date? Would he have tried to hold Merlin's hand? Entwine his own fingers with Merlin, smiling at him as if they were young and in love, being sure they were kept together. Would Arthur have led him from stall to stall, showing Merlin, a poor country bumpkin, his world. Showing him off to the stall keepers and parading him up and down the street as if Merlin was some kind of horrid show pony. And….Merlin's heart beat again with the fury of a thousand suns…would Arthur have tried kissing him again? This time with an audience who'd witness how 'magical' their love story must have been. God! How messed up all of this was if Arthur wasn't stupid enough to let his secrets loose…it was no wonder he hadn't mentioned it before. Merlin would have never agreed to such a thing in the first place. Not something like this…not his first date for people to laugh at behind their hands and point at him, joking about how special this must've felt for Merlin…yeah, fucking right.

"Of course I wasn't going to leave you empty handed! If you want something from me then all you have to do is ask and it's yours! This…my father's idea was only secondary! I really just wanted to talk to you!" Arther exclaimed, but he simply sounded like he was repeating himself in order to cool off Merlin's temper, but Merlin's temper was a force to be reckon with. Something that will always be much stronger than the placates and the lies that Arthur tried to do his best to feed to him. Arthur's eyes had fallen down to his hands, shaking so violently that it was a miracle Merlin hadn't clocked him one straight to his jaw line. And the prince looked around frantically, as if something was just going to fall from the sky and give him something that would help this situation. But the only thing he found was a glass bowl, all full of little pendants and knickknacks sitting precariously on the edge of the stall behind him. Arthur didn't even look at what he was grabbing before he dove his hand straight into the bowl, before yanking out the first pendent his hand closed around. And then Arthur shoved it at Merlin, the pendent held tight in his closed fist, "Here, see? This can just be a small token to show you I'm genuine. All I wanted to do was talk to you. A date was just an excuse to get you to come with, but…I really do want to hear what you wanted from me. And this pendent can be a promise from me to you to make it happen. And if you don't like it, there's a whole bowl that you could choose from? Or I can buy the entire bowl and you can hear one everyday for a month?"

Merlin's hand was still shaking with his rage when he held his hand out, Arthur careful not to touch him as he dropped the pendent into the palm of his hand…Merlin looked down at the item that was meant to be pinned to his tunic…this was a bee. A little glass bee with stained glass colored adornments to make it looked shaped and colored like an actual bee…a rich honey for the yellow and polished jet black for the black streaks bees usually had…good god. Just how much money did the royal family have at their disposal, which would leave the prince offering to buy him an entire bowl worth of ornaments. And then say he could wear one every day…a glass animal? This thing would be broken before the day was out from how often Merlin tripped over his own feet. And besides, such things should have only been worn-it was still a beautiful piece, despite having been given to him by a jackarse-on special occasions. Not worn simply because he had it, so why bloody hell not.

"I've learned a long time ago, Arthur Pendragon, that your word means shit to me. And your little trinkets means even less." Merlin breathed out, the words hot and heavy as they hung between them before Merlin was throwing the bee back into Arthur's chest. Arthur could barely scramble to catch onto it before it fell to the ground and shattered, just like Merlin's heart and soul had ended up shattered so many times before. Looking at Arthur now, cradling the bee in-between his hands with more care than he had ever shown Merlin, the consort ruefully shook his head, "Fuck you, Arthur. And fuck you for giving me literally the worse date on the planet, bravo. You've really outdone yourself after this latest stunt. Your precious father might just reward you later for once again being able to drag me places that I. Do not. Want. To go."

Amazingly enough, Merlin hadn't raised his voice into more than a harsh growl, but that only seemed to emphasize the sincerity of what Merlin was saying to Arthur right now. If he had been yelling, it would've been easy to be dismissive of Merlin, as if it had been nothing more than his temper controlling his mouth. But despite the shaking of his hands, Merlin felt completely in control of what he was doing and what he was saying, and the only thing he wanted to do was hurt Arthur. To hurt him as badly as he had hurt him for all these months. The one on top, the one evening out the playing field, the one who said 'no more' and was determined to keep to that promise. Merlin WOULD NOT be paraded around this town like a show horse, and he WAS NOT going to entertain Uther by going on a date, and ARTHUR PENDRAGON could go to fucking hell if, for one second, he thought he would carry on with this charade of a date. It was just like that one time when Merlin had asked Arthur if they were going on a date together, just before they entered the banquet, and Arthur had basically told him he was just there to look pretty and smile on his arm.

Well now, the only thing that arm was going to be was a bloody stump after he cut it off if Arthur tried that shit with him again.

"The…the date's only been bad because you haven't had a proper chance to enjoy it. Or do any of the things I thought we could do…" Arthur stuttered out helplessly, finally dropping the little bee back into the glass bowl beside him since it became clear it wasn't going to go home with Merlin. But Merlin's eyes only went into sharper slits…fucking Arthur was acting as if he knew Merlin…as if he had came up with some clever date that was designed with Merlin and his interest in mind, to have him swooning straight into the prince's arms as if he's a fair maiden that couldn't contain herself from falling in love with the first one to give her attention. "We could have…we could have…perhaps we could have stopped by the baker's? And try some of his latest desserts…do you happen to have a sweet tooth? I don't have one myself, but I could have gotten you the sweetest thing he's got out if you did. Or perhaps you want to pick your own bauble…I know that I've always tried giving you stuff without asking what you wanted. But this is your chance to decide for yourself what you want. We could just take a walk around and let you pick out anything that catches your fancy…please?"

Arthur was looking so downtrodden in front of him, and Merlin couldn't really remember the last time the prince had said 'please' to him. The consort hadn't even been sure such a word was in Arthur's vocabulary, and yet…there it was…out in the open between them. But such words were useless against Merlin or his hardened heart…something that needed to be tossed in the trash directly alongside Arthur's 'date'. If Arthur Pendragon wanted to go on a date so badly, then it would have to be by himself. He could pick out his own stupid 'baubles' and have them sent to the castle, as if Merlin had any need for useless items that would simply sit on his bedside table as another reminder of the role he'd been forced into.

"What you really mean is you want to go shopping and finish our DATE off as if we are some kind of loving couple." Merlin sneered, the contempt coming from his voice was enough to have Arthur dropping his gaze down to the ground but Merlin could see the flush working its way up the back of Arthur's neck…..aww. It looked as if the poor baby Arthur was getting embarrassed by Merlin boldly emphasizing the word 'date.' Because 'date' was an intimate activity, in which the two involved got to talking and made their intentions known and started to figure out if this relationship would go past the one date…Merlin didn't need to have the 'one date' to know Arthur was a piece of shit human being. "If you will like to finish your DATE, then you can do it after you give me what you told me you would. Because I've met somebody, and I want you to meet him."

In retrospect, perhaps that wasn't the exact wording Merlin should've used in order to describe Lancelot, because Arthur's head snapped up faster than the speed of a rushing arrow. His neck cracking from the sheer force, and Arthur's wide eyes met his. Merlin pressed his lips together sharply, realizing what he'd may have insinuated by his choice in words, but he only tilted his chin up just a little bit higher in defiance. He wanted Arthur to think there was something the consort had with somebody else…let Arthur know that all those claims he had with declaring Merlin 'his' was for naught if Merlin was with somebody else…or bloody hell. If Arthur still believed him to be a whore, then Merlin was going to embrace the title, as well as his apparent affair with the one man he wouldn't exactly…mind…being with. Lancelot would probably make a far better partner than Arthur would have, at the very least. Lancelot had very large hands, but Merlin was sure hands like that were very capable of being gentle. Which was something Arthur would never know about.

"What…" Arthur's voice cracked somewhere in the middle, harsh and hard and sharp and Merlin started feeling a niggling of doubt making it through the self- righteousness. Just because he wanted to throw this apparent 'relationship' in Arthur's face, just as Arthur used to do with Clarissa, didn't mean Merlin would have the right to drag Lancelot down with him. Arthur was just the type of man who would allow pettiness to decide how he behaved, and he might just deny Lancelot a spot amongst his men if he thought Lancelot was the one taking his consort out on dates. If Lancelot was the one hugging him. If Lancelot was the one giving him kisses…Merlin's face felt warm, and he looked away as if to try hiding that fact from Arthur. "Do you mean, you've…met somebody? Who the hell is he? Why the hell is this the first time I've heard about this? What have you been doing all this time when you were supposed to be healing?!"

Merlin held tightly onto his stubbornness, clinging onto it with a grip so much more tighter than it had any right to be. But he already knew he had to drop a charade like that before it got too out of control. Lancelot had only came here because he wanted to be a knight. He hadn't came here to be denied a spot in the Royal armies just because Merlin's mouth had gotten away from him, and dragging the knight into his own family drama issues. Lancelot was a real hero and he deserved so much more than Merlin wanting to taunt Arthur. Besides…Lancelot was so nice and noble, he probably wouldn't even want to play such a charade to begin with. Certainly not just so Merlin-in a childish fit of pettiness -can work his way beneath Arthur's skin. And make him regret everything he'd ever done to Merlin Fucking Pendragon.

"Don't blow a blood vessel just because you're finally realizing I don't belong sorely to you." Merlin said bluntly, still making sure he kept the upper hand in their situation, even as he abandoned his original plan. It was either this, or be forced to watch Arthur make a fool out of himself with whatever possessive behavior he attempted to do next…it was either this, or admit to Lancelot that he had saved the wrong person. It was either this, or…look Lancelot directly in the face and tell him his dreams had died before they even had a real chance to begin. "I only said that because the man I'm talking about deserves to be a knight…wants to be a knight. And traveled a long way to do it. I also said that because he's done more for me in the last day than you've done in the four or so months I've known you…he saved my life."

X

'Saved my life'

'Saved my life'

'Saved my life.'

The words bounced around inside the head of Arthur Pendragon, and they felt like quite the struggle to comprehend. Saved my life…saved my life…saved my life…done more for me than you…who…whose life had been saved? Merlin's life had been…how…Arthur Pendragon swallowed hard and forced his thoughts to come together in some semblance of comprehension. Merlin's life had gotten saved by some strange man, who was now hounding his consort to make him a knight of Camelot…god. What had Arthur missed…why had he allowed Merlin to have this month of space between them. He would have never allowed for it to happen if he knew such events would take place…

…A date, this most definitely hadn't been.

For how could Arthur rest easy, when he knew there was some man…a man he didn't know…who had convinced his consort to go out on a limb for him to get to Arthur. What kind of man sent somebody else to register him into the knight program…this man had to be from a very low family indeed, to decide to take a measure such as that. Most families simply sent their offspring's to them with a note recognizing their claim as an heir to the family, marking them as nobility …but this…this was something else. Something entirely different, that left this awful sour taste on the back of Arthur's tongue. The kind that clung to him as if it was slime, trying to ooze its way down his throat but never quite enough to go down all the way.

Saved my life.

Saved my life.

Saved.

My.

Life.

That one, Arthur thought…that was the one he needed to settle on. The matter that was of the upmost important. This 'man' of Merlin's, this man who may or may not have made a home beneath his consort's wing, would be a secondary matter. The first and most important matter that needed to be discussed was…when was his consort's life in danger? And how was this the first time he had heard about it? And what had threatened his consort…was it a simple accident in which Merlin had tripped over his feet again …should Arthur get out some of those old palanquins-something that hadn't been used since his grandfather's time-in order to prevent any more unfortunate accidents from taking place. Or perhaps it was something worse…was there somebody out there who deserved to have their head taken slowly and painfully from their body. Was their a man out there who deserved to feel the sting of Arthur's blade as he cut through all the meat, tissues, blood, and bone as the prince decapitated the one who had tried to take his consort out of his grasp.

"What. Happened?"

The words felt like they had been punched out of Arthur, his chest growing hollow and hard…he breathed roughly but the air felt like they were dragging along the insides of his lungs. He needed to know what happened more than he needed water to thrive…Merlin's safety was of the upmost importance and something had threatened that. Something had tried taking his Merlin from his grasp before Arthur could fix things with him. Arthur had spent all this month 'studying', and he could've spent that month being more active with Merlin and his recovery. Should have been the one delivering the gifts and food right into his consort's hands personally…give him a good memory of the prince. Instead though, Merlin had been on his own and subjected to…fuck. What the hell had his guards been doing when Merlin had been in trouble…what the hell had HE been doing when his consort had been in trouble. Had he been riding through the forest with his father, discussing a date that should've never happened…or had he been training his men when Merlin had escaped death's door…

Merlin could've been DEAD!

And Arthur wouldn't have known till Gaius passed him a death notice.

"What? You're actually going to believe me when I tell you my life was actually in danger yesterday?" Merlin sneered down at him, but Arthur latched onto the one word with a vice grip…yesterday. Merlin's life had been in danger only just yesterday…this fact meant very little considering. But it also meant everything to the prince…how could he have been concerning himself with that village so far away from the city, when Merlin had clearly needed him. It wasn't anything his father couldn't have handled alone…or a group of men who could've given Arthur a report on what they had seen. Arthur hadn't needed to actually stand there physically to get a gist of what happened. Not like he had needed to be in Camelot. "I would've thought you would deny what I'm saying. Or maybe it would've been you claiming poor little Merlin is just making up stories again in order to get your attention. Isn't that what we always fight about? You telling me off whenever I tell you the truth? It happened with Valiant, and it happened with that muck monster, and even when I poisoned myself! So, is it not going to happen now with this?"

Arthur found himself breathing in the largest breath he could take, forcing his lungs into expanding and holding it there for a second in order to keep himself calm, before letting it go. Usually, by this point, Arthur would've grabbed onto Merlin to try and shake the truth out of him, or yelled at him for getting himself into a mess Arthur had to drag himself out of. Or…pretty much what the other boy had said. But not this time…Arthur couldn't afford to lose his temper when it came to Merlin again. He couldn't afford to go off the deep end or the other boy was going to close up and Arthur would only be forced further away from Merlin than he already was. He just needed to keep a cool head…just like he'd been taught…a future king couldn't afford to run around half-cocked or he was going to make enemies everywhere. Unfortunately, Merlin had this way about him that pushed all of Arthur's buttons, so it was extremely difficult to keep as calm as he wanted to be.

"No." Arthur finally forced out, though it took extremely great effort to keep his voice calm and steady, instead of resorting to yelling at Merlin to stop making things as difficult as he liked them to be. "I am not going to do any of that, and I have no plans on doing things of that nature ever again. All you need to do is answer my questions…how were you hurt? What happened to you? Were you injured when it happened? And where the bloody hell were your guards when they were supposed to be watching you like I instructed them to do."

As Arthur reiterated his multiple questions, his eyes scanned Merlin down and up in order to see if there were any markings that could've been identified as a fatal wound, but nothing stood out to him. There seemed to be nothing on his face, and nothing on his hands, and Merlin was too far covered for him to see anything else, clothed from neckline to toe. And all Arthur wanted to do was start stripping him in order to check for himself that there was no scars along his body that would account for being attacked. Arthur would probably remove that neckerchief of his off, the blue one today that looked to be freshly washed and laundered, so he could run the tips of his fingers gently around the curves of his neck. Brush them up and down the length of Merlin's throat, determining rather or not he flinched from any unexpected aches or bruises…slide fingers along Merlin's jugular and press lightly against his Adam's apple just to make sure it was still there, feeling it bob beneath his touch as Merlin swallowed in response. Slide his fingers up the front of Merlin's throat and press his chin up so that Arthur could get a good long look at the clear skin underneath, feeling Merlin shifting at the uncomfortable angle…

When Arthur was done with that, he would clearly have to continue along with the rest of the body to be sure he wasn't missing anything…he would not have his consort drop dead because Arthur wasn't aware of any injuries he might've sustained on his person. He would need to remove the jacket, sliding the cloth down Merlin's arms, tugging lightly until the useless bit of cloth fluttered down to the ground where it would stay until Arthur deemed Merlin could get himself re-dress. Then the next step would obviously be the tunic…Arthur had pouted to himself for a few minutes earlier when he realized he couldn't see Merlin's nipples poking out like he could in the gold one. Though with a bit of training, perhaps they would pebble into tight little peeks, sensitive and responding to Arthur's wants and desires, even through all of the rough fabric. Anyway, the tunic would just have to go and get out of his way. Arthur would do something like this by sliding his hands beneath Merlin's tunic, gently taking hold of that slim waistline Merlin possessed. And then slowly sliding his hands upwards in order to feel Merlin's ribcage for any markings, making sure Merlin was going to shiver as he felt each and every callous Arthur had on his hands, tucking the tunic up along with him. Rucking it up, with Merlin's steady stare refusing to leave his own as he allowed-so pliant and sweet-Arthur to do his checking, until Merlin had to lift his arms high above his head. So Arthur could tug up the fabric over Merlin's head, and allow it to also drop to the ground to join where the jacket was.

And then Merlin would be standing shirtless in front of him, his arms crossed over his stomach in order to shield himself from Arthur's view in this fit of self-consciousness. Though he would have absolutely nothing to be self-conscious about, Arthur would deduce as he took in the healthy glow of Merlin's skin and the clear miles and miles of paleness just waiting to be ruined by the touch of a prince. Arthur Pendragon would start with the back first, taking Merlin by his shoulders and turning him around, tugging him close so that Merlin's bottom was pressed against his own…Arthur wouldn't want to risk missing anything he needed to know just because Merlin kept his distance from him. But anyway, it would be Arthur's breath that tickled the bits of hair hanging from the nape of Merlin's neck, as Arthur pressed two fingers along the top of Merlin's spinal cord. Pressing harder as he trailed his fingers down each knot in order to see if Merlin twisted or twitched against him because the prince had touched on a sensitive spot that had been injured. Arthur would keep going until his fingers touched the base of the spine, his fingers toying with the waistline of Merlin's pants before deciding the front needed to be inspected before he could try to go any further down.

Merlin would obediently turn back around when Arthur silently commanded him to do with a gentle push on the shoulder, standing before him in all of his glory. Arthur would need to give him a gentle tap on his arms still crossed over his stomach so he could drop them, no longer keeping himself shielded from view. Arthur would look him over…clinically at first, no more than a simple man checking for visible injuries. But when no marks popped out to him, he would of course need to continue his checking. Throughly examining every nook and cranny of his consort's lithe body, so there would be no surprises later on…the prince liked to think he would start with the fingers. Taking Merlin's hand and carefully spreading apart the fingers, sliding his own between each gap resting between, feeling the little twitches of Merlin's hand beneath his own. He would have to work his way up eventually, sliding exploratory fingers across the palm of Merlin's hand, feeling the pulse of his heartbeat quickening as Arthur ran a thumb across the length of his wrist. Merlin's wrist twisting as he touched onto the knobs of his wrist bones. He would continue upward, his fingers feeling as if they were a gentle feather along the pale skin, sliding up the length of his arm until he got to the dip in his elbow. He would spent a moment there longer than he had the rest, pressing his thumb harder into the crease, before going further up. Feeling along the muscles of Merlin's bicep, soft and supple and entirely different from the hardness of Arthur's own…then he would have to do the entire thing all over again on Merlin's second arm. Going no faster than the first one, impatience not a thing between them.

Eventually though, all good things must come to an end, and Arthur would've found himself staring at Merlin's chest and flat stomach…his arms hanging by his side, indifferent to Arthur's continued checking. Arthur would need to start at the bottom first, gingerly placing both hands on either side of Merlin's waist to get a feel of him from this side…Merlin's pants would be resting right below his hipbones which would only give Arthur something to hold onto. Something to squeeze, slide his thumbs against the slight dip and curve to see if it would cause his consort any distress caused by pain. But when Merlin didn't give an indication of being hurt, he would continue, hands sliding slowly up the sides of him. He would stop only long enough to dip his thumb into Merlin's tiny little belly button, Merlin might giggle, or he might continue his indifference but let Arthur do his work. Once the belly button was all clear though, he would slide his hands back up the ribcage, this time without the tunic in the way. He would examine each bump in Merlin's skin that indicated another rib, though he could only hope they would be harder to see with Arthur sending him food each and every day. But nonetheless, they would still be there, corded in smoothed skin for Arthur to check out…eventually though, there would be no more ribs for the prince to explore. And he would have to continue upwards…

Arthur would rest his gaze on Merlin's pert little nipples for a second, before swallowing hard and ignoring them altogether in his attempt to stay clinical. A temptation like that though, would only last long enough for Arthur to check in his shoulders…running heavy hands along the width of them. Before he would inevitably turn back to the two little rosebuds situated on either side of all the pale flesh laid out before him. Two splotches of color, like paint splashed along a canvas, to give the viewing a more…appealing nature. And Arthur would have sworn the little rosebuds would fatten under his gaze, twitch as if he knew that he was watching them and what he wanted to do with them. But Arthur, being the curious fellow that he was, would resist the urge to flatten his tongue onto each one…to finally discover if the taste of skin was just as sweet as those lips had been. He was a professional, after all, whose goal was to make sure that his consort was healthy and whole. He trusted Gaius, of course, but Arthur is not a man who could rest without making his own deductions.

Arthur wouldn't just leave them though, if he was going to check the body for injuries then he would need to check the ENTIRE body for injuries. Because he would not be accused of having little sympathy or care for his consort and his plight in this situation. He would need to touch them…make sure there wasn't any lacerations that could disrupt the blood flow to the nipple…he refused to subject his consort to getting his nipple cut off when it couldn't be saved just because it might be embarrassing to his consort. A good husband checked all the embarrassing spots for injuries and such…and Arthur would touch. It would have been a gentle touch at first, just a soft press to the underside to see if it caused his consort a pained reaction. But when nothing indicating pain would happen, he would be forced to continue. Pressing his thumb upward, keeping a close eye on Merlin's bodily reaction, pressing up and up until the tiny nipple popped itself free. Twitching, and looking a little more puffy than it was before Arthur had gotten a hold of it. Merlin still wouldn't say anything though, as the prince glanced upwards to check his face…his impassive stare not giving away rather or not this type of attention was okay or not. But without any negativity that would tell him to back off, Arthur would continue with the next. Doing the exact same thing, watching as the nipple swelled as it slipped out from under the pressure of Arthur's thumb.

They would stand out more clearly now that Arthur had gotten them to grow a bit for him…the vividness in color that would drag the eye to the red amongst all the white would indicate Merlin had good blood flow. That whatever it was that had happened to him, hadn't landed a hard enough blow along his chest. But Arthur would still want to make sure he was okay…so Arthur would gently pinch the first one. Just a soft press of his fingers together with the nub right between them…it would get harder and jut out from his chest a little more than it had been. Enticing…intoxicating…his. With still no reaction coming from his consort, Arthur would continue with the next one…needing it to be the exact shade of red as the first in order to conclude his checking. Any slight oddness, being unable to match its twin…might be a sign of there being something that was wrong. And wrong was not something Arthur tolerated.

Perhaps Arthur would pinch the second nipple a little more viciously than he'd done the first…his clinical checking breaking in a moment of pure frustration…the nipple would respond by throbbing, as if there was a tiny little heartbeat all its own inside. And Merlin would MOAN, his head falling back as his eyes were fluttering close, unconsciously pushing his chest just a little bit closer into his fingers. Arthur's mouth would feel unexplainably dry, watching the arching of that throat with Merlin's head thrown back…looking as if he was praying to the gods above for the sweet sensation that had been Arthur's brutality.

And only one thought would enter Arthur's mind…

Merlin liked pain.

The first sign of Merlin's interest being known had only happened after Arthur had gotten careless…after Arthur had went too far…pinched too hard…played a bit more rougher than he otherwise had been. And that wouldn't be something brushed aside…it would be something Arthur REMEMBERED. Merlin liked to be in pain. He liked Arthur being careless…thinking about himself and taking what he wanted rather than catering to Merlin's whims. It would be incredibly hard for Arthur to not give in and test how far those boundaries went…see exactly how far Merlin would allow Arthur to hurt him…he was here to be clinical, after all. He couldn't afford to forget himself again when there was still so much the prince had still yet to check…

Merlin still had a bottom half to his body, after all.