For a long time after Merlin drifted to sleep Arthur remained in his place, the words Merlin spoke to him rolling around in his head.

A part of him wanted to shrug it off, to shove the words aside like he always did with things that made him feel too much. But tonight, he couldn't. Maybe it was the exhaustion creeping in or the weight of the day finally catching up to him. Or maybe , maybe because he knew there was no one around -at least awake- to see him reacting to those words , so he let himself repeat them.

Someone believed in him.

Someone saw all his efforts.

Someone was proud of him.

And that someone was Merlin.

He spent years perfecting the art of brushing things off, of keeping everything inside. But tonight after hearing those affirmations coming from his closest friend, he couldn't hide it.

It felt good. A part of him wanted to shake Merlin awake to thank him and tell him how glad he is to have him by his side, but it seemed really ridiculous now to attempt it , he was secretly relieved that Merlin had fallen asleep before he was forced to respond to his speech.

He wasn't the guy who talked about feelings. And yet, the knot in his chest felt looser now, the tension in his shoulders easing just a little.

For once, he allowed himself to believe that maybe he didn't have to carry everything alone, that maybe someone being proud of him wasn't so hard to accept.

"Thank you." came his late reply.

And after he thanked Merlin, he also came to realize that he quiet literally was the one who put Merlin in his bed , so Arthur resigned himself to sleep in the antechambers for the night , too fond of the one stealing his bed to actually feel annoyed about it.

--

Arthur woke with the first light of dawn, his body sore from the hard mattress, but his heart unexpectedly light.

He found that himself alone in the chambers with his breakfast already on the table ,Merlin probably just woke before him and went to see the rest of the preparations for the day ahead.

Arthur felt a flicker of worry as he knew Merlin would be struggling with a hangover and likely exhausted. He settled on the table and began to eat, resloving himself to check on him before the feast.

But that never really happened. Merlin had all but vanished and no matter whom he asked , no one seemed to know. He didn't even show up to dress him for the feast. Arthur felt restless and couldn't shake the feeling that, despite the festivities ahead, it was important to make sure Merlin was okay before it began.

He was in the middle of going to Gaius' chamber, when he was stopped by his Uncle, "Arthur?"

Arthur really wished he could pretend that he did not hear him and just continue on his way ,but alas, you don't always get to do what you want even if you are the king.

He faked a patient smile and turned around, "Yes, Uncle,How can I help you?"

His uncle offered him a kind smile, though it carried a hint of exasperation.

"Where are you heading? The feast is about to start and our guests are waiting for you."

"Yes, I'm aware, Uncle. In fact , I was about to head there my self but I wanted to check on something first."

"You can tell me about it, Arthur, and I can do it for you , or - ..." Agravaine paused to look behind Arthur , seemingly expecting Merlin to pop out from behind him as he was always following him like a lost duckling.

"Where is that boy?"

Arthur's eyes twitched a bit on the title, feeling offended on behalf of his manservant.

"Merlin."

"What?"

"His name is Merlin, Uncle. it's not really that hard to forget the name , seeing as no one else goes by it."

"Uh, yes , of course. Merlin. Where is he?"

"I was heading to Gaius to ask him myself about the answer to this riddle. He seemed to have disappeared since morning."

"Arthur!" Agravaine's tone held both reproach and annoyance, "Tell me you didn't ignore our esteemed guests in favor of searching for your manservant."

Arthur did exactly that , but he wasn't about to admit it. "Of course not, Uncle. I'm sure our guests will understand that the King has alot on his hands."

"But Merlin isn't that imp-"

Sir Leons' call cut through the conversation , "Your Majesty!"

"Leon. What is the matter?"

"King Bayard,Sir. He has been inquiring about your presence. I'm afraid it's time for you to make an appearance."

"See what I meant Arthur? There are more important matters to attend to than looking for this boy- uh, Merlin."

Arthur ignored his Uncle and turned his attention on Leon, "Have you seen him?"

"You mean Merlin ,Sir?" Arthur nodded. "Last I saw of him , he was with Gwen. Come to think of it, he looked a bit pale." Leon finished with a grimace.

Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose, the dull throb of a headache already settling in. He knew there was no avoiding his guests now—it would be a grave insult to Bayard and his people. His duty to Camelot had to come first, no matter how much his mind drifted to Merlin. Still, he forced himself to push aside the gnawing worry, trusting that Gwen would tend to Merlin's hangover.

With a heavy sigh, he straightened up, reminding himself that personal concerns could wait—diplomacy could not, "Alright, Let's go."

--

Fortunately, Bayard was not that insulted by his late arrival, It was all thanks to Queen Annis placating the old King. Arthur had to admit, having made an ally of Annis was one of the best achievements in his region, The Queen was a force to be reckoned with and the thought of having her as an enemy made him gulp.

Arthur scanned the hall, frustration growing within him. Of course, Merlin was absent. He rolled his eyes at his insubordinate manservant, wondering if Merlin was hiding out of embarrassment after his drunken confession.

The thought made Arthur snort, prompting him to clear his throat when he noticed the curious glances from Bayard and Annis.

It was time to begin the feast.

Rising to his feet, he raised his goblet in a toast, wishing everyone a wonderful evening and congratulating them on their successful trade. Despite the numerous nobles and knights fighting for his attention, he kept his gaze fixed on the servant's door, waiting the appearance of his wayward manservant.

He didn't have to wait long.

Merlin quietly slided into the hall, with his hair dishevled and looking rumbled more so than usual in his standard outfit.

Arthur thought to himself ,His hangover was clearly far from over.

Merlin searched the hall untill his eyes locked on Arthur, Once he spotted him , A smile broke across his face, and Arthur let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Pretending to Listen with a feigned interest to what Bayard and Annis are conversing about , he motioned subtly to Merlin to come over.

He raised his goblet , waiting for Merlin to pour wine into it ,"Merlin." Arthur said in greeting, hoping not to draw too much attention on them.

"My lord." Merlin replied with his usual sarcasm.

"Where the hell have you been all day?"

"In my room." Arthur opened his mouth to give him a piece of his mind, when Merlin continued, "With a bucket. Throwing up everything I ate the day before." he shuddered and added, "I will never drink again in my life."

Arthur tried to hide his smirking face behind his goblet , feeling much too amused at Merlins' dramatic response to sympathize with him.

"Arthur." Merlin called.

"I told you not to over do it , you only have yourself to blame."

"Arthur!"

He looked up at Merlin's face to find him frowning at entrance of the Hall , His shoulders tense and body on guard.

Arthur hands immediately went to his sword, his previous experiences at the feasts in camelot made him learn his lesson , While everything seemed in order as he surveyed the room—nobles chatting and servants serving— Merlin's anxious eyes made him feel on edge.He was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"What is it?" He asked in feigned calmness.

"Arthur, You need to get out of here."

"Why?"

"Something is not right."

Of course , It was at that moment when all the chaos began.

Suddenly, every window and door in the hall slammed shut with a deafening bang, sending echoes reverberating through the room. Nobles and servants alike collapsed were they stood like headless chickens, and even Annis and Bayard crumpled over, unconscious.

In a flash, all the swords of Arthur's knights shot up toward the ceiling, suspended mid-air as if held by an unseen force, it also meant that Excalibur was no exception.

The only ones who weren't affected by the spell -because it had to be a spell- was himself , Merlin , Gwen and his knights of the round table.

Even Agravaine was slumped down on his face.

Just then, the entrance of the hall crashed open, and a dark figure clad in a black cloak walked languidly in, the figure appeared to be in no hurry, as if he was enjoying the moment.

The figure of a man reached the center of the hall and started to lower his hood, the beginnings of an evil smirk already showing, he opened his mouth to speak and a smooth yet sinister voice exclaimed,

"This is going to be so much fun."