A Marriage that Started a Legend

by IJustShowedUp

Follows canon but with my own arranged marriage spin on it. What happens when Hunith makes a mistake and is forced on the run with her infant son? What happens when Camelot knights find her twenty years later? What happens when Arthur learns he's betrothed to a peasant boy? Will Merlin be able to stand among royalty? Will these two different boys survive each other? Review!

176. Chapter 178

This chapter is dedicated to Heilyx, who wanted to see some of the peasant children approaching Merlin, and thanking him for saving their parents stalls in the marketplace that Arthur had been ruining with his fight with Lancelot. So I hope they enjoy how I wrote it out ;p

X

Despite the intense need Arthur Pendragon had to bury his face between his lover's thighs and lick her into completion, and tasting her satisfaction when it burst against his tongue, he didn't immediately go all the way down. There was no fun in making things end to soon, no fun if he couldn't make her squirm and tether on the brink of her orgasm…he liked to tease. To make her feel just how close he was to her leaking center, but not quite touching her core…he wanted her to ask him to touch her down there. To take her pleasure in his hand before making it his own…and she was already so close. He could smell it, her juices were permeating the air as if it was the sweetest of perfumes, something that Arthur himself could bathe in and never tire of. His lovely little thing…the blond prince slid his tongue from between his lips and licked an achingly slow line all the way down her trembling belly. Stopping only when he reached a little dip in the skin, her bellow button, and slipped his tongue inside. Several long dips as if he was dipping his tongue in between her folds…he had never thought that a belly button would feel as exciting and as tempting as hers was. Just a little bit lower, and he could be lacing at the real thing. Or perhaps…

Arthur distracted his lover with gentle sucks against her belly button, bringing a hand up under her leg, and she gasped in startled surprise when the prince brought that leg over his shoulder. No doubt feeling herself spreading wider to his advances, probably even feeling the grin Arthur had pressed against all her heated skin. Arthur wondered if the wider position made her center cold, if she felt the way her juices were no doubt clinging to her core. Or if Arthur's loving attention heated her up, making side scorch up from her private and boil with a sharp desperation in her stomach. He liked to think that it did, his grin went wider as the wiggling increased…she was probably trying to use her body into tempting her to touch there. Tempting him into giving her the release that her body desperately craved, but…Arthur liked to tease. And he had not one single qualm about wrapping his fingers around the leg over his shoulder, pressing a relentless finger or two against the inside of her thigh close to where she was wanting him to most, and digging his fingers into the fattest meat she had.

Arthur didn't know how he knew, it was like some sort of far away memory that kept escaping him as easily as if he was trying to grasp a handful of fog but he knew that this one spot, this quarter inch of skin, was insanely sensitives. He's sure that he touched it before, positive down to his very core, that he'd rubbed this spot before. It was a new touch though…because he was sure he had not felt the burning heat of skin beneath his fingers the last time, was sure that his lover hadn't been allowed to cry like she was now, but…he was just imagining it surely. This was the first time his love had ever graced him with her presence…the first time he felt her leg spasm and kick out as if she was trying to jerk her leg away from him in response to his eagerness, and yet…Arthur's fingers were going down a familiar path. Circling around that one patch of skin as he gave a loud sucking slurp against her belly button, wondering if he could make a new hickey on that piece of skin…wondering if the tears leaking down her face as it all became too much for her tasted as sweet as she did down here…if she was finally going to scream if Arthur pressed his lips against the inner thigh that he tormented so skillfully, and SUCKED.

With how deliciously responsive she was, Arthur thought while slowly moving his second hand beneath her other leg, he wondered if he could make her cum by just focusing all of his attention on that one spot on her thigh. But that was an experiment for another time, when Arthur could spend hours and hours just finding out all the new ways he could make her dance for him…and Arthur got her second leg pulled over his other shoulder. His lover was full of crying now, the tears no doubt streaming from her cheeks in rivers, trying to close up her sweet legs, but only succeeding in trapping his head between her knees. And Arthur nipped sharply at her delicious little belly in punishment…she would be taught better. By the time they were done, she would know she wasn't allowed to hide herself from him. No matter what the circumstances, his beautiful little vixen would know to keep her legs open, and true enough…her legs fell apart as if to welcome him. That right there was enough for Arthur's cock to pulse with another wave of need, desperate to bury himself into her cunt and show her how much she pleased him…Arthur distracted himself from ending all their fun too soon by sliding his second hand down the back of her leg, little bits of leg hair trying to cling onto his fingers as he passed…

And he grabbed a handful of her bottom, squeezing harshly as he pushed her closer to him…

His lover squeaked and Arthur had to wonder if anybody had ever touched her bottom like he was now…no…her reaction had been very telling, he thought as the long length of his fingers made them fall just briefly between the little cleft of her arse. His little angel, hidden in the darkness and shadows, has obviously remained an untouched flower all this time. Pure as the driven snow, remaining untouched by unworthy hands…had waited patiently for the prince to become her one and only lover. Knowing that she had saved herself for him, waited all this time so he could be the one to sully her…made him suck harder just above her belly button, intent on creating his new mark. So she could see it later and know that she had allowed him where no others had gone before,her virginity belonging to him. And Arthur's fingers dipped fully into her cleft, intent to get his fingers to create a tantalizing trail to her front, where he could truly make her submit to his whims as he had already submitted to hers. But his finger got something instead, and his lover jolted uncontrollably against the mattress as she tried to push herself down, tried to force Arthur to touch her there again…

Her arsehole.

Arthur's eyes went wide, pausing in mid-suck…he rubbed his fingers over that place again, and he could have sworn he felt it twitching. But he DEFINITELY knew he heard his lover crying out again, her legs spreading open wider as if to draw him into that one spot…Arthur had never explored such a place on a past lover before. Most women were horrified at the prospect of letting a man disgrace her by going near that area, let alone playing with it…not even getting into a sexual relationship with somebody she wasn't married too didn't hold up the same level of…sin…that a man playing with her forbidden hole did. He had thought about it once or twice…thought about what it would be like…the blond had heard that it was so much tighter than the hole he was supposed to keep interested in. That it was like it would try sucking him in…but Arthur had never met somebody willing to allow it. He had never even suggested it, something he knew was meant to be kept to himself if he didn't want to become known as a…deviant.

But here his lover was…almost begging for Arthur to touch her there…

And who was Arthur to say no to such a vixen…

Arthur pressed his fingers more firmly against that twitching hole, his eyes had started rolling into the back of his head because it already BEHAVED so needy to have something inside of it. And Arthur licked a bold strip of skin just under his sweetheart's belly button. There was more hair here, far thicker than what was on her legs…so strange, but so welcoming. Arthur pressed his fingers far harder against the hole, not daring to enter unless she asked him too in case he was wrong about her secret desires, and stuck his tongue back out. He was slow going, creating a wet patch over the trail of hair leading down to the spot that would hold the most of her scent captive. It got thicker the further down he got, but while most men would've been put off…Arthur liked to think of this as more of a secret treasure for him to enjoy. Like a trail, leading him to where his prize was going to be…

Something bumped against his chin…

Arthur ignored the wetness it left behind, and he grabbed onto the leg that he had been tormenting before finding the little pink hole between those rounded cheeks was so much more fun, and pushed it down further, so that it ended up pressed against his lover's chest. Nearly bending her into two so he could play with her more easier…his touch between her cheeks was relentless, and Arthur stopped his tongue just before he reached her special spot, sucking hard once more…a trail of marks left in their wake from button to core. His beautiful lover shook, unable to pick herself up because of the pleasure racking its way right through her…Arthur usually liked lis lovers to have a bit more…kick to them. A saucy little thing that was more interested in pleasing their prince, but…all of this was better than his wildest of daydreams. His sweetheart was so good to trust him, so pliant because she knew he knew what he was doing and what he wanted to do with her, and besides…he was positive that this little vixen had a few claws of her own. Claws that would emerge and tear Arthur to shreds, the blissful kind, once Arthur taught her how to play properly…once Arthur showed her how to move her body and what excited a man and how she could make all this so pleasing for him…

And Arthur crept down slowly as in almost glacier pace, his mouth watering in anticipation…fuck, her hole was spasming under his touch and he didn't know he would ever find something that was so unbelievably softer than her nipples were. That same something bumped the underside of his chin again, and this caused Arthur to frown…he couldn't very well make her sing for him if he had something in the way…Arthur pulled back to try and see in the dark. But it was something he didn't need to worry about…it was as if the little dark cocoon of space made just for them, had suddenly been lit up by a thousand torches. He saw his vixen for what it was…Arthur's entire body started to trembled as the shock coursed through him, his mouth growing dry in an instant…

Merlin…

Merlin…

Merlin…

Merlin was unmissable, sprawled out among his sheets, the deep red hue was making Merlin's pale skin look illuminated. Merlin's blue eyes were half-lidded and pinning Arthur under their gaze, filled with something that Arthur could've only described as lust. Arthur's entire body started to heat under that stare, as if he was about to burst into flames, as he looked further down and saw such a vivid hickey on the consort's collarbone…as if Arthur had mauled him during a fit of passion. Continuing downward, Arthur saw the abuse he had left behind on his consort's nipples, pointing upwards into tight little peaks as if they were pointing towards the heavens themselves, glistening with leftover saliva from Arthur's tongue and redder than even his sheets were. The flush of pink that traveled from Merlin's face and all the way down his neck and upper chest was only making the fetching color stand out more…Arthur continued down. Where he could see more hickey littering the skin around his belly, and the trail of wet that had been left behind by his tongue…the treasure trail of hair going from a belly button to somewhere more private…the same trail of hair he'd just been licking at like a starving man possessed…Merlin's legs still pressed up over his head and revealing everything to Arthur…

Arthur's hand slipped due to the dawning horror of what was going on, and his hand slipped, his middle finger sinking down to the knuckle, disappearing into the little pink hole that should've remained hidden between Merlin's cheeks. It clenched around him almost like a vice, and it was all Merlin needed, his eyes fluttering close and an undeniably male groan escaping the same pink lips Arthur had so eagerly kissed, the pulse point that was in his neck fluttering like the frantic wings of a humming bird as he arched his spine into it, and then…Merlin was coming, his cock heavy and hard and pointing directly up at Arthur. And the prince's jaw dropped open with the cold chill of fear racing through him, the wild spurts of cum spraying along Arthur's face and eyes and yes, even into his gaping mouth…

X

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Arthur's scream was ripped out from his throat as he jolted straight up in his bed, his heart racing in his chest as if it was trying to escape him, and Arthur frantically darted his eyes around his bed chambers. His eyes landing on his still food filled dining table, the now freezing cold bath that had been waiting for him, his desk piled high with papers he needed to see to, the curtains that were opened around his bed, and the curtains that were closed over his glass windows, only a hint of sunlight brimming through the cracks as the morning sun started to rise. Arthur choked and sputtered with the taste of something on his tongue that wasn't really there, and no matter where he looked…Merlin wasn't in the room. He wasn't naked and wonton…he wasn't coming on him…and Arthur was…

Utterly alone.

Arthur sucked in copious amounts of air, his entire body shaking and his skin sticky with cooling sweat. He glanced around several more times as if he had thought Merlin was hiding away in a shadowy corner somewhere. But still, the prince saw nothing…but he did realize he was holding onto something…the red neckerchief. Arthur's hand was tied around the fabric in a death grip right next to him, his silver wedding ring glinting up at him from his finger, and it took far too much effort for him to get it to drop. It was like he hadn't wanted to let go, or as if he hadn't known how to control his fingers, how to get them to open to release it…his hand was shaking so much that Arthur couldn't make it stop. His dream kept returning and returning and returning, going from one fixation onto the next, in a never ending no loop where he couldn't decide what the worst of things were…

The kissing…

The touching…

The heat…

The excitement…

The…stuff…on his face

But none of them, Arthur realized, was the worst thing that would happen to him this morning. No, Arthur thought, the dream wasn't the worse thing at all, as his eyes landed on something dead center in his lap. The worse thing that'd happen to him, was seeing his own cock betraying him, harder than steel and tenting up the blankets in a way that was unmistakable. He was hard…hard and aching because of something MERLIN had done to him in a world that wouldn't exist outside the recesses of his mind…

X

"I don't know who the bloody hell he thinks he is! Does he think running about and doing things like…like that! Is going to change anything! Does he think I'll just accept that he thinks he can do whatever the hell he wants with me! He's a sick bastard! An unimaginable sick bastard!" Merlin Pendragon was ranting in a uproar, fired up as he had been ever since he woke up this morning and Lancelot had regaled him over breakfast all about what Arthur had done after Merlin had left the fields. If he could have his rant at Arthur, he would've done it! But unfortunately, it was Gwen that was stuck listening to him going on and on and on about Arthur bloody Pendragon. "I mean, what does he even think punishing those men are going to do? He's just putting on another show for all these bloody people to enjoy so he can play the gallant hero! Well I will not be one to fall for it! Fucking bastard can choke and die for all I care!"

Needless to say, it had been a very rough morning for Merlin, and as far as he was able to see, the rest of the day wasn't going to go much better. This was the day Lancelot was having his final training test to become a knight, and he was already standing off the side of the field while Merlin and Gwen stood on the other side of the fence, waiting for Arthur to finish off his fight against the final two men he needed to have tested. Merlin shook his head, his lip curling up in disgust. Fucking git…Merlin watched as Arthur easily disarmed the first of the men and stole the blue cloth tied to his belt…the second knight walked out onto the field, but Merlin didn't have many high hopes for this one. To be honest, Lancelot was probably the only one out of the three that would've had even half of a chance of making it through this.

"It's definitely out of character considering his…personality flaws. But he sure does have everybody riled up afterwards. Between him beating on Lancelot in the marketplace, and then defending your honor in the middle of the practice fields, he's really goes have everybody up in arms. Why, I was doing Morgana's warning yesterday evening, and it was the only thing any of the girls was able to talk about at all. Keira wouldn't stop talking about it though…she seemed to be in a frenzy, while Julia was quiet, and that's not like her at all." Gwen said as she leaned against the fence with Merlin, reaching up to toy absentmindedly at the strings holding her cloak around her slim shoulders. "There seems to be a lot of opinions on it, the most popular one seems to be that he feels guilty over the more…public things he done…like hitting you."

Merlin's jaw nearly dropped in dismay at the latest news…bad enough for that dratted husband of his to be putting on a show, but now the people were going to fall for it as well…just another lie they were willing to follow without wanting to bother figuring out the real truth of the matter. Arthur wasn't' guilty…he did not carry a single guilty bone in his entire body. It was all possessiveness, and Merlin was ashamed to admit to himself that he had only feed into the people's perception of events. It was HIM that had basically goaded Arthur into actually doing something against those knights…he just hadn't thought the prince was willing to go through such a…public display. Bryon and Julian's arrest had been relatively quiet until after they were already in jail…maybe Merlin just shouldn't have tried testing Arthur's possessiveness like he had. Call it morbid curiously, but it had been a spur of the moment decision. And then he hadn't even stuck around to watch! He didn't even know why he had really done it…he should've known taunting Arthur would only fuel him more. And because of that, he has became the top topic in Camelot once again…

"Oh, Merlin…don't worry so much about him when there are other things to do instead. Like watching Lancelot's fight, once Arthur's finished with this one it'll be his turn. And then we can both see our men getting what they deserve." the handmaiden said with a surprisingly cheeky grin; nudging the consort against his arm with her shoulder when she said his agitation hadn't lifted…and Merlin bit back a smile. Yeah…Arthur was only some miserable old coot…Merlin could totally forget about him. And his possessive tendencies…as long as the prince didn't get in his face again, he didn't have anything to worry about it…unless a new incident came along, which it always did…fuck. Arthur was always going to be hanging over his shoulder like some sort of deformed leach, wasn't he? Always prattling on about Merlin 'belonging to him' and always deciding to use his fists instead of his words…like a toddler who didn't understand how talking about their issues could actually fix them. Too bad for Arthur, Merlin was very much past the 'willing to talk it out' stage of their relationship. "And just think about it this way…your best chance at getting back at Arthur sounds like living your best life without him. You can show him how happy you are after Lancelot's a knight."

Gwen had a surprising sadistic streak to her, one that made Merlin grin wide and unabashed as he watched the prince easily fending off the other knight on the field…yeah. He could be happy, if he reached out and took his happiness. It seemed like Gwen made him happy, and Gaius and Morgana and Lancelot…so what did Arthur need to be there for? Sure, Arthur could continue getting into these little pissing matches every time somebody upset Merlin, and sure, it'll be nothing more than a headache for Merlin to deal with, but…to hell with it. It was time to focus on Lancelot, and how this match could quite literally decide his entire future. If Arthur wanted to show off by pushing his weight around on others, he would simply have to get use to Merlin not being there. Merlin had a life to live, a very complicated one, but a life nonetheless. And he didn't need an attack dog waiting in the wings to snarl themselves stupid at somebody just because they came near him. Screw Arthur, and his possessiveness, and all of the people who continued speaking about him, and…there was a soft tugging on the bottom of his jacket as somebody tried getting his attention.

Merlin squeezed his eyes shut, already feeling a headache starting to form…he had to count back from ten to calm himself. No doubt somebody was wanting to 'make themselves known' by…demanding answers for Arthur's behavior, or declaring Merlin needed to make Arthur stop before they were well and truly out of knights. It was the first time they'd ever grabbed onto his jacket just to get his attention though…the old methods usually involved grabbing a fistful to throw him into a wall. But that only meant this new irritation was bold, and was most likely going to die if Arthur caught ANOTHER person tormenting Merlin in his presence. Which meant he needed to neutralize this as calmly as he could, before things got out of hand…he wasn't going to have somebody's blood on his hands just because they didn't get the memo…Merlin was 'dangerous' for anybody to be around with Arthur on the loose. But, when Merlin turned, the sight before him was…not what he was expecting.

For one, Merlin had to drop his gaze about two feet from where he had been originally looking, the top of this person's head barely reaching his waist. And two…the little gap between her front teeth was surprisingly adorable. It looked to be only a little girl, she couldn't have been older than six or seven. With hair as black as his own, but fixed in uneven pigtails, and wide green eyes that was quite complementary to the freckles across her nose. And she was obviously a peasant raised child, the patches in her knee length dress worn and fray, while her feet had nothing on them more than the dirt caked in. But as cute as that girl was…Merlin felt a little awkward with her standing there. He couldn't say he had talked to many children since he'd been in the city…basically none. The consort had figured most of their parents had warned them to stay away from him, and when Merlin glanced around to try and find out who she belonged to, he couldn't find anybody that looked like they might be a parent or sibling. But he did in fact, see about five or six children standing at least a yard away from them, whispering among themselves urgently as they eyed the little girl in his presence.

"You're Consort Merlin."

Merlin blinked in surprise by this sudden statement, the light tingling of that little's girls voice was surprisingly bold…she wasn't asking him whether or not he was, she was simply stating a fact that she already knew. And Merlin shot a glance over at Gwen, uncertain about what was going on. But Gwen looked as if she was as lost as he was, and shrugged one petite shoulder before nodding her head forward. Indicating that Merlin should continue with the conversation, but…Merlin was a bit at a loss here, as he turned back to the little girl. Merlin lifted a hand to scratch his hair roughly, before awkwardly getting down onto a single knee so that he could be more her size, able to look her in the eye, and so she wouldn't have to strain her neck so much trying to look up at him with his gangly height.

"That's me."

It was just two simple words, couldn't even be called an actual sentence. And yet, the little girl's entire face completely lit up…one would've thought that the consort had just given the little girl an entire planet on a silver platter so she's able to rule it as see saw fit. Or…even a single golden coin probably could have made this girl happy, being a peasant, she had probably never placed her hand on one before. But she wasn't happy about anything that Merlin had given over to her…she was happy about something else entirely. About Merlin speaking to her, acknowledging her, not pushing past her as if she wasn't even there. Most noble would've been content to ignore her very existence…that only made him more determined NOT to leave a similar impression on the girl. She had came to him, after all. The least Merlin could do was…not chase away a child like he had so many others.

"You were the one that stopped Prince Arthur from destroying all the stalls in the alley! My older brother told me all about it when he got home…you raced in front of the prince and forced him to stop what he was doing before he could cause anymore destruction." The little girl rambled on for a brief moment, as if she was reciting a story she must've been told a million times before, and just maybe…she had heard it a million times before. Her older brother regaling her with the story each and every time that she had asked for it. "He was working with my father that day. Papa's got a vegetable stand there, and he almost lost all of our product for this month! We would have ended up starving for at least two weeks before he could get anymore produce! But thanks to you, papa only lost a small quarter of what he could've lost. And we don't even have to worry about it, because Prince Arthur's promised gold came through. We're going to have enough money to see us through the rest of the season now! And Papa said that we had you to thank for it! Because the prince would've have stopped without your interference."

The little girl looked very pleased with herself, only stumbling over her words a few times when she reached one of the bigger ones, but Merlin's entire face is feeling as if he'd been baked directly beneath the sun. His pale skin only made the red all that more noticeable…the last thing he thought this girl would say to him, was about that dreadful day in which Arthur had tried to kill Lancelot. The consort glanced over his shoulder at Gwen helplessly, hopelessly embarrassed by this entire situation, but Gwen would only bite back her smile at him, which wasn't helpful at all. She was allowing him to handle this by himself, but Merlin felt entirely out of his depth here. He was used to being kicked about, or often accused of things he hadn't done, or scorn everywhere he turned. Merlin was very much out of practice when it came to…praise. And the sweatiness on his hands only made that more apparent to himself. He bit down on his own lip as he turned back to the little girl, looking up at her with so much…admiration on her face, that it made him physically uncomfortable.

"Well…I didn't really do much. Nothing that anybody else wouldn't have done if they had gotten the chance. Arthur…my husband…the prince, I mean. He can be the worse tosser sometimes if I'm being honest, and he was upset with my friend, for…something that he didn't even do. And I'm only sorry that everybody else ended up in the crossfire-" Merlin started to ramble, his mouth going faraway from him, probably revealing far more than he should to a little girl, who'd only wanted to 'thank him' for something that could've been avoided if Arthur only got himself a clue once in a while. The only good thing about this situation was Arthur coming through with the gold for the people…at least the burden would be off their shoulder for a little while. Though the trauma itself from watching their prince so out of control, was probably going to stay in their minds for too many years to come…luckily though, Gwen nudged him against his backside with her foot before Merlin could deep dive into a long history explanation on why Arthur and Lancelot hated each other and wanted to kill the other right in the marketplace. Gwen nearly upended him, but even that would've been less embarrassing than giving this little girl his life story. Merlin cleared his throat and changed the next words that had been brimming on his tongue, "I really just supposed you should know…there are some people, like Arthur, who need to be reminded that the world doesn't revolve around them. He needs to have somebody…like me, I suppose…to let him know when he's gone too far. Before he actually does, you see."

Merlin didn't actually know if she did see, but she nodded with all of the wide eyed wonder a little girl could have. As if he'd just given her some kind of sage advice that she would carry with her the rest of her life, putting bullies in their place and making her home safer one person at a time. And Merlin breathed a sigh of relief…maybe they were done now. Maybe the little girl would run off to her friends, and prove that Merlin hadn't just scarred the next generation. But the little girl did not run away to join her friends. In fact, this was the moment in which Merlin just noticed that she had one of her hands tucked behind her back…as if she was holding something she hadn't wanted him to see until she thought it was okay to show him. Which she did moments later…

"I wanted to give you a present, to thank you for what you've done for all the people who work by papa-" said the little girl, holding out her hand…and the consort paused as he saw the little flower crown clenched tightly in her fist. It was a sad little thing, the green stems holding strong tied together but it had already started to hang limp. The white flowers looking dingy and dull after it'd been out of the ground for so long. The little girl looked down at her creation as well, frowning now. "My friends told me that I should use yellow flowers to make the crown, because real crowns are supposed to be gold. But I wanted to use white because it was the closest I could get to silver. Mama has this really old silverware set that grandpa gave her before he died, and it sparkles really prettily when she cleans them. I thought you might look pretty wearing a silver crown though. But my brother said you wouldn't want it because you have real crowns that you can wear…"

The little girl looked disheartened by her choice in gift now, but Merlin felt his heart starting to tug, and he looked down at the little flower crown. At all the hard work that she must've put into it to make it not fall apart. At the endless hours she must've spent picking the right flowers, and starting over each time when it didn't hold. Getting better with each passing crown…Merlin had never seen somebody go through so much effort in order to give him something. But while Merlin might have access to 'real crowns'-he hoped nobody ever tried to make him wear a crown, because he feared he would just look as gaudy as his husband did when he wore his-this little flower crown felt as if it were infinitely more precious than all the golden, jeweled encrusted crowns that Merlin could get his hands on. Merlin had never ever CONSIDERED having a his own crown, it had certainly never been mentioned to him by either king or prince. But…just maybe, he wouldn't mind having a crown…as long as it was made of flowers.

"Well, I don't know, I think that you're probably right…silver might look better on me than gold does. But there's only one way for either of us to figure out if your brother is right or not." Merlin said, leaning down so that his head bowed low in front of the little girl, putting her at the right height so she could place a crown of silver upon the crown of his head without struggling. "Don't you want to prove to him that you have a keen eye for these things? And tell him that the consort graciously accepts being crowned by a little princess in the making…"

Merlin would never wish royalty onto somebody else, not with all the problems he'd had to go through just to get to where he was now, but it made that little girl burst into giggles, so content and sweet and making Merlin feel as if he'd been turned into a million golden coins. Shining and bold and…the little child still had to raise onto her tip toes to slip the flower crown over his head. Falling directly into place around the curve of his head…it was so dainty and small, so Merlin could barely feel it. But the weight it left on his soul was more powerful than he would've expected, and Merlin watched as the little girl burst into this new round of giggles, before running back off to join her friends, the tiny circle they stood in opening just wide enough to let her in, so she could regale all of them with what had just happened. Merlin watched her go, with a soft look in his eyes, before standing back up…Arthur was still in his fight, looking as if he was taunting the second knight by making him chase him around the field. And Gwen, well…she was looking at him with a knowing smirk that had Merlin going red in the face all over again.

"Oh…shut up."

Merlin said pitifully, though he lifted his chin with this proud little tilt, trying to copy the arrogant way in which nobles held themselves, while showing off the flower crown given to him by a little peasant girl. Merlin succeeded in what he wanted, Gwen bursting into giggles as she brought a hand up to her mouth. It really was such a ridiculous thing, and yet…Merlin didn't think that he had felt this carefree in a really long time. He had Gwen, and his uncle, and Morgana, and Lancelot, and even this little flower crown perched on his head. Yeah, he didn't think anything was going to be able to bring him down this time. And he most definitely was NOT going to let Arthur fucking Pendragon ruin this sweet little moment for him. If Merlin embarrassed him because he was walking with a crown of plants on his head, then oh well. He would just have to find more of his knights to beat the shit out of.

"I didn't say one word on the subject, Merlin. But I'm pretty sure that you have made that little girl's entire year. How much do you wanna bet that she will be the one to tell this story to all the kids in the village? I bet that you're going to be flocked with children before you know it, all wanting to give you some kind of creation they made. And you'll accept every one of them, won't you?" Gwen needlessly said…they both knew that he would. Until his own coffers got filled with useless Knick knacks and endless handmade dolls and poorly sewn little designs. "And hey, you know what…I think that little girl was right. You would look great with a silver circlet around your head…your highness."

Gwen gave Merlin a mocking curtsy, lifting the end of her red peasant dress as if she were bowing before, well…royalty. And Merlin snorted, unfiltered joy filling him now that he was letting his anger at Arthur rest for a moment. The image that Gwen had conjured though was…quite a silly one, if he said so. Merlin could've hardly imagined himself standing on that platform that held the royal thrones, could hardly imagine the day he was given a crown, something that would not be happening…ever. Merlin didn't wear crowns…polish them, maybe. But he is not the boy that wore them. And he most definitely was not the boy that wore a circle of silver around his brow, the darkness of his hair making the silver of it glow unnaturally. The lines of the crown itself twisted into delicate designs that would be…uniquely his. But just as fast as the thought appeared, was the consort banishing it without a second thought. He had other things to concern himself with right now, and that was watching Arthur wrench out the blue flag the second knight wore on his belt, marking the prince as the winner.

Another man failed…

And now, only Lancelot stood in the way…

X

Arthur Pendragon was not going to look, he thought as some of his men had to come onto the field to drag the second opponent, unconscious, away from the match by his ankles. No matter how much Arthur wanted to turn around to the place he knew Merlin was standing, and DEMAND to know what the other boy had thought he was doing by INVADING HIS DREAMS…he wasn't going to do it at all. He wasn't going to go crazy and demand Merlin cut out that extremely strange part of him that conjured images of Merlin to him when he was in his resting state. He wasn't so far gone, as to not realize that it was obviously mad to think Merlin had anything to do with his dream that morning. It was clearly Arthur's fault…he had been too upset the night before when he had climbed in bed. He had been thinking too much of Lancelot and Merlin and what they had to be doing together…it was the only rational explanation that Arthur had been able to come up with.

Clearly, he had been upset about Lancelot touching things that shouldn't have belonged to him, upset that Merlin would go to his bed happily, upset that the warrior and the consort were mad for each other. Honestly, it was actually just surprising it had taken that long for his subconscious to start picking up on all these thoughts to create a fantasy in his mind…obviously it hadn't been Arthur himself, touching on Merlin and loving on him and treating him like some kind of untainted perfection. Arthur had simply been dreaming about what Lancelot had been doing to Merlin, and because it was a dream, obviously Arthur would have been involved in some way. Why have a dream if he wasn't included? Why have a dream if he didn't get too invested in it…

And yes…

Arthur had been invested in it.

So much, that his knuckles were white because of how tightly he was holding onto the blue flag he had snagged from his earlier opponent to stop his hands from resuming their shaking…testing his leftover knights was supposed to be good for him. The only reason why Arthur hadn't postponed these matches till later on this afternoon, was because he had thought the exercise was going to clear his head some from the fog he's been wondering in for far too long. With the blood pumping, and the adrenaline racing…it was meant to erase all of the images still stuck in his head. He had even allowed his match with this second knight go on for far longer than he should have, simply because he kept trying to forget what he had seen. And yet…it hadn't worked. NOTHING had worked…not the first match, not the second one, and he doubted very much that a third match was going to be much different, not with Lancelot himself being his next opponent.

Lancelot's match wasn't going to erase the memory of Merlin's lips from under his own mouth, so vivid simply because he had already kissed the boy before…Lancelot's match wasn't going to erase the memory of Arthur tracing over that body and somehow still not recognizing that it was a male. Lancelot's match is not going to erase how utterly STUPID he had been for not realizing the taste of Merlin's skin and his actual lips had been one and the same. Lancelot's match was not going to erase the way Merlin had arched into him as Arthur sucked his little nipples, the very same nipples he had only imagined as little pale pink disks, turned red with the power of Arthur's sucks…the same nipples that Arthur had only even seen with gold silk blocking his view. Lancelot's match wasn't going to erase how Arthur could still swear he felt the phantom sensation of Merlin's little pink hole going tight around the intrusion that was his finger…an invader to the boy's body…he wasn't supposed to stick things UP that hole. Things were supposed to come out, and those things were sorely Merlin's business, but…that business clearly belonged to Arthur as well. Because Arthur had gotten a real good look at the long curve of Merlin's penis, a good long look at the treasure trail that led to a small patch of hair encircling it, full balls tucked right underneath…pulsing as they pushed out Merlin's sperm…

Right into his face.

Arthur didn't even know if his bloody dream was real, it wasn't like he had ever seen Merlin naked, the boy always kept himself covered up from his neck and to the tip of his toes. The most Arthur had ever seen was the beginnings of his collar bones, and that was only because of the outfit he wore to that dreaded banquet all those weeks ago. And Arthur had seen his nipples, of course, but…the outline through the gold silk shirt he wore hardly counted if Arthur couldn't tell what the exact shade of pink they would be. So Arthur's wild imagination had filled in the blanks on what the rest of him looked like, and Arthur, well…his imagination had forced him to stay in bed for well over an hour before he calmed himself down enough to come to the fields. But that hour…that hour felt like the most worse and most confusing hour of his life.

Arthur hadn't dared to move himself from his pillows, clenching his hands in his sheets…one wrong move might be what was needed to make the prince combust into his own sheets like a teenage boy just learning what his cock was really for. He had breathed and breathed and breathed, hissing as those dull recesses of desire continued pulsing through his chilled skin, peeking up only occasionally to see if his swollen cock had gone down any. He literally had a bath of cold water RIGHT THERE that could've taken care of his little…problem…within seconds. But nope…Arthur had chosen to stay there and had prolonged his suffering until he finally got his cock to soften enough that he'd risked moving. Fuck…he hadn't even known he could cum without touching himself in any way, but it had almost happened. And Arthur was fully prepared to place the blame on Lancelot for getting in his head, for making him dream as if he were Lancelot, the reaction of Arthur's body clearly only a reflection of how LancelotMs body would react when…making love to his consort.

Merlin might not be to blame, but Lancelot certainly could be…

"Well, here you are. You've finally made it to a 'proper' one on one match with me, young noble. Today is the day, the battle in which will decide exactly what the rest of your life is going to look like. Whether you will bring honor to your family, or be stuck working far below your station just to make ends meet." the prince drawled out as Lancelot got situated in front of him, tying the piece of blue cloth around his belt. Arthur had an identical red one attached to his, but it had never been taken from him. And he didn't plan on letting today be that day. Arthur breathed out, trying to focus on making sure his voice wouldn't go cracking, under much strain from trying to bury the dream far deeper into his mind, where it would never see the light of day again. "If you succeed, then I'll have no choice but to allow you to join the elite, the best of the best. But if you fail, then your journey will end here. Are you ready, Noble Lancelot, fifth son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria."

Arthur almost wished that Lancelot would say no, allowing his nerves to take him apart until he took off running, never to be seen again. But despite all the clear nerves showing on Lancelot's face, the warrior nodded and bowed down his head, as was custom. Arthur sucked on the inside of his cheek…fuck. This fight was really going to happen. While Lancelot didn't scare Arthur, the other boy did make him more nervous than he usually did. An anxiety induced drop of sweat was already making its way down the side of his neck…did he know of what Arthur had done? Did he know what Arthur had dreamed about just the night before…logically, Arthur knew there was no way Lancelot could've known just by looking at him. But Arthur was paranoid, and he was sure everybody he crossed paths with could see it. Could see the stain of Merlin's cum splattered across his face, despite it having disappeared the second he returned to the waking world. Was positive that everybody had known how his body had been reacting to being…stimulated. IT WASN'T HIS FAULT! A man's body could get hard at the drop of a hat. It was perfectly normal for his body to react the way it did, when he had thought he'd been being touched by a woman…good god! It has been Merlin's fingers on his cock when the dream had first started, he'd been two seconds away from taking Arthur's dripping cock into hand, and that fact made him shudder. But Arthur was fearful none of the others would see his innocence in this situation though. He would only be seen as the guy that had gone and prepared himself to…sodomize somebody. Would only know that Arthur'd been prepared to…commit a grievous sin just because he had stupidly assumed that a 'woman' would enjoy her bottom being played with as much as her front…

"Your time starts now."

And Arthur nodded to the Royal timekeeper on the side of the field, who then turned over a large hourglass filled with white sand so that it was upside down and starting to trickle into the bottom half of the glass, one grain at a time. He only had five minutes to put Lancelot on his back, but Arthur would most likely only need two if he planned to simply take him out, without doing anything to stretch their time out and increase the chances for Lancelot's most humiliated defeat. But that wasn't Arthur's main focus at the moment, dropping down into a crouch so he could focus more sorely on the fight. He couldn't lose this fight simply because he feared Lancelot might smell the stench of his dream Merlin clinging onto him. He shouldn't be ashamed about what had happened, it had simply been a cross wire in his brain mixing up signals, but…he was. Extremely and deeply shamed…he had thought it was bad enough trying to look Merlin in the eye after he had kissed him. But how much worse was it going to be after doing…so much more…even in a dream.

Lancelot startled Arthur when he swung his blade at him, but Arthur was quick and managed to step back out of the way, internally cursing himself…didn't he JUST think he needed to stay focused on the fight? Only for his mind to began wondering off moments later…Arthur swung his sword in response to Lancelot and into the fight they went. Sword after sword, the clashing of blades sending clanks of metal throughout the training fields. Arthur almost had Lancelot with his second swing, jamming his blade on top of the warrior's and forcing it low, but Lancelot managed to slide his blade free, swinging it at Arthur again. And Arthur rose his sword in an instant, stopping Lancelot from getting a hit in on his side, but…the two boys had gotten close. Their swords now pressed along the other one, each man trying to force the other one to relent, and Arthur got to look in Lancelot's eyes. The same Lancelot that had seen the live action, of his Consort in his most private of moments, who had shared in them, and the prince faltered. It was all Lancelot needed to jerk his sword free and swing the blade at Arthur's head, hitting him solidly against the metal of his helmet.

Arthur's ears were ringing from the force of the blow, but it was hardly the first blow to the head he had taken. But it would be the last time he got hit upside the head by Lancelot…this he swore. And Arthur swung his blade as hard as he could at Lancelot's middle, only mildly agitated when he saw the other warrior jumping back to escape it. Lancelot could love his consort, but he wouldn't do the world a favor and take a hit with some grace…? Arthur swung his blade and it clashed dangerously loud against Lancelot's, a hint of danger reverting all of the way up Arthur's arm…he was the dangerous one. And he would fight till he could fight no longer…slash and smash and bash, again and again as the two of them danced across the field in armed combat. The blood pumping strong in the prince's eardrums…Lancelot was no match for him, he knew. But it felt so good to have an opponent that didn't go down on the first swing. So good to swing his sword at Lancelot, and allow himself to follow the motions he had trained all his life to perfect…this…this was easy. This was something that the prince could find no fault in. This was something that would allow him to forget what Merlin's pale skin looked like against his red sheets, and when the other warrior made another attempt to hit him in the head, Arthur crouched low and avoided it.

Just as he said he would…

No more hits to his head this time.

X

Off on the sidelines, Merlin Pendragon hissed in annoyance when he saw how Arthur ducked the blow, he had been looking forward to Lancelot beating just a few brain cells into his skull. But it looked as if that wasn't going to happen quite yet…Gwen gave a startled gasp at his side, as enraptured with the fight as he was. And she reached out without thought, grabbing a fistful of Merlin's tunic in hand, something for her to hold onto when she didn't have anything else. Merlin raised an eyebrow and gave her an amused look, maybe he wasn't as tense about this fight because he had every confidence in the world that Lancelot would win. Maybe it was foolish, because he simply wanted to see what Arthur looked on his backside for once, instead of the one looking down on somebody else…like Merlin. But Gwen clearly didn't have the same faith he did, and immediately blushed before letting him go when she realized what it was that she had done.

"Sorry."

Merlin shook his head, grin going even wider at her flustered expression. And he reached out to take her hand in his, interlocking their fingers in a way only the two friends could, clinging onto the other as if it was just them against the entire world that'd be coming after them one of these days. The tension in the handmaiden's shoulder's relaxed, and she smiled back before clamping on his hand with as much force as she could manage, before the two of them turned to look back at the field. A united front for Lancelot's future winning, and well …Merlin was more than happy to pass on some of his faith to Gwen. Lord only knew she was going to need the extra help as much as Lancelot did.

X

Arthur Pendragon was sorely on the defensive in this fight, doing nothing more than blocking blows before they could connect with him. For a full minute, that was all Arthur did. Every time Lancelot tried to swing at his helmet to knock his form off balance, Arthur was ready to bring his blade up. Every time he would fling his sword at Arthur's waistline, the Prince was ready to bring his blade to the ground, knocking Lancelot's blade off course. But this only made Lancelot grow more confident, because each attack drove Arthur further back towards the edge of the fields. It looked very much like Arthur was struggling to keep up against Lancelot, looked as if Arthur was going to get knocked off the field if this kept on, looked as if…Arthur would lose at a moment's notice.

That was exactly what Arthur wanted.

You see, a swords fight was not always about who had the biggest sword, and who had the biggest muscles, and who had trained for longer and harder than the other guy. Oh, sure, all of that certainly helped when giving an advantage, but there was something even more important than how much force one could place behind their swings…strategy. Sometimes, the only thing one needed to be was 'smarter' than their opponent. A fighter needed to be agile with his mind, quick to think and even quicker to react. He needed to figure out where it was that his opponent was going to strike next, luring them into this false sense of security…make them believe 'they' were the one leading the fight, and then be able to see which moment was the one in which he could STRIKE. And he saw his moment a few swings later, when Lancelot swung for his head once again, the prince caught his sword with his own. Forcing it further to the ground and nearly knocking it out of Lancelot's hand, and before Lancelot could realize his mistake and correct it, Arthur struck.

Slamming the butt of his blade as hard as he could into Lancelot's face.

And Arthur watched as Lancelot fell backwards, landing on the ground in such a large heap of tangled limbs, his sword just out of hand, that the dirt had flew up all around him. The crowd of onlookers went silent, and Arthur sighed when he saw Lancelot wasn't moving, straightening up and removing the helmet off his head…it appeared that he had knocked Lancelot out stone cold. Just as he had with all the other knights…Lancelot might've been the better fighter, but it was clear that he was no different than all the rest. Such a shame…the one and only quality Lancelot seemed to have, was his ability to hold his consort's eye.

And being unable to help himself, as he stood above Lancelot's prone body to take the blue flag to officiate his win of the battle, he rose his head to scan the sidelines for Merlin, in which he found him pretty quickly. And Arthur froze just where he was standing, half crouched and unbalanced over Lancelot, his eyes wide and face pale and his heart skipping a beat. He had forgotten what Merlin had looked like…okay. He hadn't FORGOTTEN what Merlin looked like. But this was the first time Arthur was seeing him since his dream, and the sight of him fully dressed threw him off for a moment. He had been half expecting for the consort to be grinning at him just as cheekily as he had in his dream, when the prince had first joined him in the bed, crooking a finger to him in this command to come forward so they could finish what they had started. But of course that didn't happen, and Arthur's eyes latched onto the delicate little flowers resting on Merlin's head, encircling it like a crown…

Arthur's mind went blank for a moment…

And his dream flashed through his mind like an instant replay, only it wasn't as dark as it had been and Arthur could see each and every reaction playing out on Merlin's face as he squirmed beneath his touch. But there was one, major, noticeable difference between his dream and now…Merlin was now wearing that stupid flower crown. Merlin was tilting his head back in ecstasy, his new crown going askew but only bringing out the delicate features Merlin had. His heart went rapid, faster than even what the fight had brought out of him, and Arthur had to wonder…what the ever loving fuck was wrong with him. Why was he unable to just…forget his highly inappropriate dream and move on…why did he see such a stupid little crown of flowers and immediately decide that it had a place in his dream. Why was Arthur…

That was the last thing Arthur thought…

His distraction making it so easy for Lancelot to take him out.

In one swift motion, Lancelot had risen out of nowhere, his eyes flying open before Arthur could even register that this meant…Lancelot hadn't actually fell unconscious after all. He had only been waiting for Arthur to get close enough, a clever trick that the prince hadn't seen coming, Arthur's distraction with his consort doing not a single thing to protect him from the warrior grabbing onto the thick edges of Arthur's chest plate. Sweeping Arthur's leg out from under him, Arthur barely had a moment to blink before he was laid along his back in the grass, his own sword being snatched up in Lancelot's hand and pointed at his chest as if he was about to drive it into Arthur's heart right through all the metal that stood in the way of that.

Arthur had never been more dumbstruck in his entire life, and for the first time in four months…his mind was entirely wiped of Merlin. It was hard to think bout much when his own sword, the very weapon that should've been glued right at his fingertips but he had stupidly stuck into the ground when he thought it was all over, was now being turned against him. Leaving Lancelot victorious at last, not because he was stronger or better trained than Arthur was. But because it was him who had been 'smarter'. HIM, who had managed to do the impossible and outmaneuver even the great Arthur Pendragon…Arthur had never seen the events that were playing out right now. Not ONE MAN had ever gotten a hand on his sword or knocked him off his feet or taunted his victory with only a few choice words…

"Do you submit, sire?"

Arthur flushed an angry red, the pulsing wave of irritation hitting him enough to take his breath away…he had never felt so humiliated on his own fields, not once since he was a boy and just being taught the ways of the sword. And so, when two knights rushed forward and grabbed onto Lancelot from behind and wrestled the sword out of his hands, as if he was an enemy that needed to be taken out before he could take out their prince, Arthur rose up onto his feet to snatch his sword back up. The familiar handle fitting into his hand easier than the curve of Merlin's nipple had in his dream, so he could stand over that one nobleman that had defied him at every turn. That had done rattled his nerves and made him question what his place at Merlin's side could really be, and all within the short handful of days he'd even been in Camelot…

"ON YOUR KNEES!"

Arthur's voice thundered across the fields with enough force, that Lancelot's knees buckled, but of course, the guards kicking him down helped with that. It caused Lancelot's knees to hit the ground with a dull thud, his arms wrenched into place behind his back to stop any attempts he might give to escape, and it was Arthur, this time, who held a sword against the warrior's chest. Who held a sword at the only man that had managed to knock Arthur flat on his arse. To the chest of the only man who had fought him on the fields of battle, and not allowed himself to be taken out. To the only man, who had more wit and more brain than any of the recruits he'd seen in the last five years alone. Arthur may still be wearing his red flag, tied to his belt, but that hardly mattered when one came face to face with an initiative thinker…

Fuck, Arthur Pendragon knew that he was going to regret this decision for the rest of his life.

But…he made his choice.

Even if the tips of his fingers felt cold at the mere thought of it.

X

"You should've seen it, Gaius! It was the most amazing thing that I've ever seen in my entire life! God, I honestly thought he was completely done for, you should have seen Arthur's face! Gwen was bloody terrified, we both thought he was about to kill him." Merlin Pendragon was ranting and raving, absolutely gushing and filled to the brim with untapped excitement, telling his uncle each and every detail that had happened out on the fields, pausing briefly only once or twice to adjust the flower crown he continued to wear even now, unable and quite possibly unwilling, to keep himself standing still. "I was honestly only two seconds from storming that field and demanding to know what Arthur thought he was doing! Complaining this whole time about needing knights, then going all off kilter the very second one shows up. And then SHOWS him up. It was…absolutely beautiful seeing Arthur getting his arse handed to him."

Merlin shook his head wildly, he only wished his uncle had been there to see it for himself. God…Arthur on the ground, beaten there literally…he couldn't have imagined it any other way! It was perfection! The ultimate pay back in a way he himself couldn't have done. But Lancelot could, and Merlin glanced over to the other man. Lancelot was now sitting at Gaius' table, eating his lunch while this half-embarrassed expression covered his face. Merlin's grin widened, Lancelot was clearly embarrassed by how heavily Merlin was over here, singing praises to anybody and everybody who would listen. If only Gwen was here, the young woman had been doing the exact same thing she had, practically throwing her arms around Lancelot the second he came stumbling off the fields after Arthur had let him go, leaving them both flustered. She had wanted desperately to come with them, but she had to return to Morgana, to get her prepared for the party happening tonight. And if Merlin was thinking about the party…a sly grin reattached itself to his face as he happily dug into his own lunch, hardly noticing when he spoke with food in his mouth still, from all of the excitement.

"And just think, Uncle. In a few short hours, we won't be honoring our friend Lancelot any longer. You'll be housing a full fledged knight, a member of the Camelot's royal guard, and defender of the people. Lancelot's been waiting for this moment for like, ever! And now it's finally here and…" Merlin quickly shook his head as he shoved a spoonful of potato's into his mouth, nearly choking on the spoon itself because of how deep he had shoved it. He knew that he was getting ahead of himself…there was every chance that their little…treachery with Lancelot's identity could be discovered before the ceremony happened tonight. But…it really was hard for Merlin to not get all worked up over all this happening. It was as if…everything was finally starting to fall together. As if all the pieces were falling into place. "I mean, this sounds like such a huge, major responsibility. But I'm sure out of anybody, Lancelot's more than equipped and able to handle the job. I wouldn't trust just anybody to do it."

Merlin honestly could've gushed about this for hours on end, he felt like he had already done so, he hadn't stopped talking about it since he had walked in through the front door with Lancelot, almost feeling as if he was the one that'd toppled Arthur over, instead of being the supporting friend watching off on the sidelines. But he could imagine what the future held in store for them for even longer…Lancelot walking around in that stupid red cape that Merlin hated with a passion. Redefining what it meant to be a knight just by being his usual self, full of honor and nobility and…this was going to be great. Merlin couldn't have been happier if he tried to be. Which was probably why he was eating with so much gusto, stuffing his face simply because he was too distracted to really take note on how much was going into his mouth. But his uncle did, of course, as he got up with a pleased smile on his face.

"Well, I'm very happy that everything seems to be working out for you two. Do not get me wrong, what you did to get here was very wrong and dangerous if you're found out. But I am sure you'll make a fine knight indeed, Lancelot, as long as you continue playing the part you've now dedicated yourself to." Gaius said dryly, somehow able to bring the mood down a notch while praising the warrior in his own unique way. Merlin pouted, shoveled another spoonful of his potato's into his mouth. It wasn't like they weren't aware of what could actually happen if people found out Lancelot wasn't really a nobleman, and had lied to get into their ranks. The cold harshness of the cells ready for him while others who would never understand the unfairness that came with being seen as who you were born as, and turned away without a second thought, would decide on his fate. But did Gaius really have to bring that up right now, when they were supposed to be celebrating Lancelot's win. Celebrating Lancelot getting a foot solidly on the inside. "Perhaps you can even spend a good chuck of your time watching after this one, eh. I fear that despite all the bodyguards he has been given, he somehow always manages to slip them and get himself somewhere he shouldn't be. It'd be nice to have somebody more level headed watching over him when he's not here."

Merlin sputtered, nearly choking on his meal while looking at his uncle with so much unadulterated horror on his face…what was Gaius doing! Lancelot came to Camelot to be a knight. Not to become a glorified babysitter, doomed to be spending his days trailing around after Merlin and wasting his nights, unable to use the skills that had earned him his knighthood by conquest, rather than by bloodline. Don't get Merlin wrong, it could be great to have somebody that he trusted to stand by his side. But there was so much that could go wrong with Lancelot becoming his bodyguard. For one, Lancelot may even start resenting him if he had to spend the rest of his life standing behind Merlin, instead of going on quests and missions like a real knight. And two…the both of them had their reasons for not wanting Merlin to have a bodyguard, but the main reason was the one that stood out above the rest…his magic. Merlin would hardly be able to have a chance to…stretch his wings, so to speak, if he was being followed by the warrior. Sure, Lancelot had been extremely tight lip about the secrets surrounding Merlin's marriage, he hadn't even mentioned to Gaius that he knew the truth. But a marriage contract, something that actually did happen in this day and age, was a far different secret than magic. When it was magic that had so much propaganda that spoke out against it.

"Oh, I'm sure that Merlin here can do quite fine on his own. It would be quite an honor, really, if I was chosen to guard the Consort. But I'm pretty sure that Merlin here has a few survival skills of his own, where he doesn't need me to look after him." Lancelot said, giving Merlin a friendly little wink that had the consort grinning again. He knew that Lancelot was just playing around, trying to tease him, considering the way the two of them had met. But just as fast as Lancelot had teased him, did Lancelot look down to his food with a dejected expression on his face, and it was only now that Merlin realized Lancelot had hardly eaten a bite. Something he probably should've seen, considering what his own odd relationship with food has been over the last few months. "I just hope that I won't be a disappointment. Many of these knights have trained to be where they are for years at a time. I hope that I measure up to them."

Ah…that was the problem then, Merlin realized. Lancelot wasn't eating simply because he was nervous…this was something he probably should've realized far sooner than he has. Here Merlin was, going on and on about what Lancelot could be doing in the future, and there Lancelot was, looking as if he was bout to start throwing up what little he has already managed to eat. All of this was a big change for Lancelot, everything starting to hit home as the changes came hard and fast. Everything was going to change after tonight. Lancelot wouldn't be just…Lancelot, anymore. After tonight, he was going to be Knight Lancelot, the fifth son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria. It was going to be a heavy title to bear…Merlin should know that better than anybody. He remembered quite well, the night he realized nothing was going to be the same ever again…that night…when he'd married Arthur. It was no wonder Lancelot was feeling queasy. But, before Merlin had the chance to say something that would hopefully comfort the man, the door was swinging open with a bold disregard to those that were living there.

"Merlin! I hope that you are ready to make an impression, because I believe that Madame Teresa really outdid herself with your latest wardrobe choices. I think you might just be considered the belle of the ball, by the time we've done finished you." Lady Morgana Le Fey announced her presence in this grand and sweeping gesture, striding into the room in full pace, Gwen coming in behind her while carrying a small bundle of clothes in her arms…there was no trunk to carry the small bundle around in, but all Merlin could see was a mix of fabrics, both blue and black, carefully folded and pressed to cause the least amount of wrinkles during transport. But Morgana stopped in mid-step, her eyes locking onto the sole man in the room she didn't know, her wine colored lips spreading into a wide smile, "Hmmm, I don't believe that I know this one. Or at least I am unable to say I know him personally. I'm going to take a gander here to assume you are the new knight everybody has been talking about. The one that we've been called together in order to celebrate, aren't you?"

It wasn't an unfair assumption, Lancelot was still wearing the armor Gwen had made for him, and if Morgana had heard tales of him, then she would have also heard about how he'd been hanging around Merlin. Or perhaps Gwen had told her about him, which Merlin assumed she had, considering the amusing look in her eyes as she glanced over at Gwen, eyes twinkling mischievously as her long time handmaiden turned ruby red. But that wasn't the only thing that he saw…it was hard to see anything other than the way Morgana was dressed. Daring and bold and ready to mingle, with a floor length dress that was the same wine color as her lips and eye makeup. The daring ensemble showed her shoulders and a good portion of her back, the top of the dress being tied behind her neck with sparkling crystals sewed into the fabric to draw attention. Her dark hair tied back into a simple ponytail that hung heavily over one of her shoulders did nothing to make her look more innocent. Morgana was clearly ready to enjoy her night, and wasn't going to let anybody stop her from doing so. Not even Uther, when he inevitably caught an eye on what she was wearing…she didn't even have a wrap this time to give an illusion of modesty. But Merlin liked it, how unashamed Morgana was to be just who she wanted to be…Lancelot practically threw himself out of his chair once he put together who the Lady in his presence was.

"Lady Morgana, it's an honor to meet you. I have heard many great things with you as the topic. I have asked Consort Merlin to tell me stories of his time here and he has entertained me probably more than he should. But he has spoke of your bravery and your kindness. It's nice to know that at least one member of the royal family-" Lancelot cut himself off as if he had just realized he'd been about to speak ill of the people this lady could very well consider her family…it made Merlin bite back a grin. He HAD told Lancelot a few stories, clarifications so Lancelot could know which parts of the stories he had were exaggerated by rumors, and which parts had happened just as they said it did. Morgana was a person Merlin had spoken of fondly, during one of the chats they've had late in the night before Gaius had put his foot down and demanded they get ready for bed so he could sleep in peace. Merlin had spoken of Morgana's friendship to him, how often she went out of her way to help him, how he never would have been able to help Gwen get out of her impending burning without the help of Morgana's encouragement. It had honestly been far too long, several days in fact, since Merlin had seen Morgana. And he hadn't realized how fiercely he'd missed her, with Lancelot being around to keep him pretty distracted, until she was standing right in front of him and acting as if no time had passed. "Forgive me, allow me to start over and introduce myself. My name is Lancelot, and I am the…fifth son of Lord Eldred from Northumbria. It's a real pleasure to have your acquaintance."

The way Lancelot fumbled over himself as he tried remembering the title that Merlin had given him, was really amusing to the consort for some reason. The man stumbling over a name he should've had since birth, wasn't really a good sign considering it could rouse suspicion if somebody looked too closely at it, but Merlin couldn't bring himself to care right now…he was just really happy to have his two words starting to collide. Lancelot was meeting Morgana, and this would only solidify Lancelot's place in Merlin's friendship group if they all got along…Merlin couldn't imagine anyone NOT getting along with Lancelot, other than Arthur, of course. But that was an entirely different story. And perhaps it was a story that should be shared with Morgana, or…perhaps they should get Morgana in on their little secret. Somebody on the inside, who could teach the warrior how to mix more easily with the nobles, perhaps he would have a much easier time than Merlin had, couldn't exactly hurt. But that was something that he could consider later, Merlin decided as he watched Lancelot bowing before the lady…he couldn't help but notice how he didn't reach out to try and press a kiss onto the back of her hand like Merlin had watched every other man she'd met do. But perhaps, Merlin thought with a touch of wickedness, something as that was reserved for…certain people. Like certain handmaidens.

"Oh, no. The pleasure is all mine. I don't believe I've spent one single minute of my time not hearing about you since your arrival…it's almost as if you've came out of nowhere. And yet, Gwen can't seem to stop speaking about you. I fear it may have left her a bit charmed, your presence." Morgana said, with a teasing smirk, watching in amusement as a few choice words made Lancelot go red in the face, while Gwen squeaked behind her in embarrassment. Merlin shook his head, grin widening…how could two people who had already confessed to the other, be so embarrassed. But, Merlin supposed that was just something that happened when you like somebody…you get so embarrassed by other people bringing it up so casually. Merlin wondered if he would ever share that glow of romantic feelings with somebody…if he would ever get embarrassed, flustered, just by being around them… "But I really do hope that we get the chance to get to know each other more. If you are going to be around my handmaiden, I feel it's only proper to speak more. But it'll have to wait until later. Time can be far shorter than we know what to do with, and Merlin needs all the time that he'll be able to get if we want him to steal a bit of your spotlight tonight. So…if you will excuse us, Sir Lancelot…Gaius…"

Merlin sputtered uncontrollably as Morgana grabbed onto his arm and tugged him out of his seat, making him drop his spoon back into his plate with a loud clatter…what did she mean Merlin needed all the time he could get! He wasn't that bad with dressing, he didn't even complain that much about the clothing choice anymore! And what if he didn't want the spotlight, what if he wanted to let Lancelot have every bit of the attention that he deserved after all the hard work he put into defeating Arthur. But unfortunately, nobody cared much bout what he had to say right now, and both Gaius and Lancelot said nothing as he was basically kidnapped right in front of them. Morgana pushing against him from behind to encourage he walk up the stairs to his bedroom faster than he was, with Gwen hurrying behind her while trying to shield her face with all of the clothes bundle she was carrying. And then they were in Merlin's room, as he was unceremoniously pushed down on the edge of his bed to wait for the girls to dress him up as if he were a life sized doll…

"You were absolutely right, Gwen. That man out there is an absolute dish, and I can see why you won't stop talking about him. He didn't even look at me once the entire time we were down here. Oh, he might've been talking to me, but it's not hard to see he was continuously glancing behind me…it seems like he may actually have eyes just for you. You have absolutely no idea how hard it is just to find a man that won't look at the next woman that walks in front of him, but this Lancelot was completely enamored by your presence." Morgana started to say almost immediately, turning away from Merlin as if he wasn't even there to gush about his new friend. Gwen's blush deepened until it seemed to take over her entire face, and she busied her hands by undoing the silk ties that kept the clothing for tonight tightly clamped together, loosening it up so that she could start unfolding everything. "Ugh, I really wish I could've talked with him more, I suppose I'll just have to do it tonight. But I suppose…Merlin comes first."

And with that, both Morgana and Gwen turned around to look at him…Merlin decided instantly that he didn't like the expressions on their faces. It looked a bit too devious for his taste, even sweet Gwen hadn't been spared from eyeing him up, as if trying to access how he would look with whatever monstrosity he was being given this time. It felt like something in his soul was shivering into nothingness, preferring to die before he subjected himself to whatever the two girls were planning on doing to him this time. Merlin was almost two scared to even look at the new outfits…two options was a lot less useful than having the four he had the last time he needed to go through this process. It meant that his choices had been cut in half, and it meant Merlin was most likely going to be stuck wearing something…highly uncomfortable. But this was one process, that Merlin didn't think he would be allowed out of. Now with the calculating stare Morgana was giving him…

"Hmmm, okay, Merlin. You should probably know that I haven't been standing around idle these last few days while you've been playing around with Gwen's new man." Morgana stated bluntly, making it somehow sound…wrong…as if he had been dancing under the sun with Lancelot, or accepting courtship gifts he should've been giving to Gwen. But Morgana was already moving on before he could even try to ask her not to say it like that, "I've actually been working with Madame Teresa, trying to work out something for you. I knew that it was only a matter of time before we had another party, and despite how gorgeous looking you were at the banquet, I couldn't help but notice you looking uncomfortable in it. Which is why I made things simple for you this time. And you only need to answer one question. Do you want to be sweet tonight?"

Merlin furrowed his brows into the center of his forehead, trying to figure out if Morgana was just joking around with him, like she had been teasing Gwen with Lancelot. But despite the wicked grin on Morgana's lips, as if she was enjoying herself far too much at his expense, he could see nothing but the seriousness in her eyes, which…only confused him more…sweet? Merlin had been called a lot of things in his short lifetime, but he didn't think 'sweet' had ever been one of them. And he didn't see how an outfit could possibly make him…sweet. Just a bunch of clothes it was, right? So how did an outfit make somebody out as…sweet. It was just going to be Merlin either way, but Morgana seemed to take his silence as a 'maybe.' And she nodded her head over to Gwen, who grabbed up one of the outfits. And in one simply flourish, she had the piece laid out and open in her arms so that Merlin could see the full ensemble…

It was blue.

Very blue.

From what Merlin could see, the pants were a dark color blue, almost like the night sky just before it started to dip into blackness. But there was a far lighter blue sash that looked as if it tied around his waist, trailing down towards where his feet would go, as if it was some kind of mockery of a cape. And the top half appeared to be made quite similar to a vest, the sleeveless blue leather looked sleek, with golden buttons threaded through the center to hold it together, but those buttons stopped half-way up his chest. Luckily though, there seemed to be a white tunic that went underneath, one that would cover up the majority of his skin. Merlin thought the best feature were the long sleeves, they looked as if they were loose and flowing, as if they were fall just past his wrists and able to cover up a good portion of his hands. Which is exactly something that he'd want, Merlin thought as he absentmindedly played with the sleeves of his coat, the same coat that hid the self-infliction scars on his wrists. He didn't think he was quite so ready to show those off to anybody, or let anybody catch a single glimpse of them, or…the point is, it wasn't nearly as revealing as the last ones had been during the banquet.

"Who knows, perhaps it will go with that flower crown you've got going on."

Morgana commented lightly, raising her eyes up to look pointedly at the small little flowers encircling his head, and Merlin brought a hand up to touch at the string of plants, startled. He had honestly forgotten he was still wearing it, he probably would've walked straight into the celebrations tonight without having thought about it. As amusing as it would be though, to see the gasps and the horror coming from the nobles when they saw the…improper way that he had dressed this evening…he probably shouldn't wear it. Morgana might joke about making him the 'belle of the evening', whatever that was supposed to mean, he really didn't think tonight was the night for him making a statement. Maybe he would at another party or evening, but tonight…tonight was going to be about Lancelot. Even if Merlin has to kill somebody in order for Lancelot to get all of the bloody recognition that he deserved. Recognition that Merlin himself never did get despite the lengths he had to go through just to get some things done around here. Merlin might have had issues, but that didn't mean Lancelot had to struggle just the same.

"It's…just a gift from a new friend."

Merlin murmured this lowly under his breath, not feeling like explaining about the little girl and her sweet demeanor and how she had given Merlin something that nobody else would've thought to give him. It was strange, that something so small could make somebody so happy, but it had. And Merlin found it much more difficult than it should've been, to take it off and place it gingerly on his bedside table. The plant falling into a perfect circle on the flat surface, as if it was just waiting for Merlin to place his head back inside of it. Merlin almost felt as if his head was naked without it now. Which was also strange, he'd only been wearing it for a few hours. It wasn't like he had worn it his entire life, and now had finally came a time in which he was being forced to part with it.

"Hmm, that's an interesting story. And something I would definitely like to get into, it's such a bold gift to give a consort. Not something these boring stick in the muds would give, when all they can see is how well their own gift would shine underneath the firelight, and if it outshines any other gift you've been given that night." the lady said, with a poorly concealed sniff of disdain. And Merlin couldn't help it, he had to agree with her there. Merlin would've never seen ARTHUR gifting him a gift that completely lacked monetary value. Everything Arthur had either given him, wanted to give him, or suggested as something to give him, had ended up costing more than Merlin's entire life had been. It was ridiculous and had been completely unnecessary. But some people, like Arthur, didn't understand that not everything needed to have a significant amount of gold coins attached to it to make it precious. "But speaking of bold things, that actually brings me back around to my second question. I already asked you if you wanted to be sweet, but now…now I'm asking if you want to be bold?"

And with Morgana's prompting, Gwen took that as her cue to put down the more 'sweet outfit' and pick up the second one. And as Gwen allowed it to unfold in her hands and spill out in front of Merlin so he could get a good look at it, Merlin was struck with…he didn't want to call it awe. He had never been very impressed with the nobles strange and elaborate sense of style. But the consort couldn't stop himself from reaching out, touching briefly alongside the edges of the dark cape that came with it, his vision being assaulted by blacks and dark shades of red and…Morgana clearly saw the look on his eyes. And a knowing smirk appeared on her face.

"Bold it is."