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Prince Arthur started awake as he does every morning as Melin bursts in his door and flings the curtains wide open to welcome in the daylight. Arthur groans rolling over and burying his face in his pillow trying to retain the tiredness which had fled him as of being woken up so abruptly.
"Merlin, shut the curtains!" Arthur orders flailing his arm around as it hangs off the bed.
"No can do, you have a meeting in two hours that you must attend, as per your father’s demand," Merlin says laying out Arthur's breakfast on the table. But when he sees that Arthur hasn't moved he sighs and walks over trying to relieve Arthur of his covers. In doing so Arthur turns over bringing Merlin onto the bed next to him as he keeps his eyes shut to sleep. "What are doing?"
"Sleeping obviously," Arthur states not opening his eyes and holding Merlin down with his arm whenever he tries to push against it. "Stop resisting."
"Your father would kill me if you sleep in and are late," Merlin says still trying to pry Arthur's arm off.
"No he wouldn't, I wouldn't let him," Arthur says pulling Merlin closer to his chest to which Merlin groans giving up and sighing. "See, you're fine."
Then all of a sudden Arthur starts feeling something constantly poke his face. He ignores it but it keeps continuing and starts getting exceedingly annoying the longer it persists. Eventually Arthur lifts his arm to swat it away releasing Merlin from his hold, and the poking stops.
"Ha, I knew that'd work," Merlin says smirking as Arthur's eyes creak open to look at Merlin as he walks around to Arthur's side once again. "Now, it's time to get up."
Arthur groans but does reluctantly sit up in his bed stretching his arms above him yawning. "Okay, fine," Arthur hops out of bed and the morning continues as usual. Eating breakfast, some teasing, getting dressed, some more teasing, and finally heading down to the meeting that his father had demanded his attendance to.
Arthur takes his seat before the last few attendees filter in and the meeting begins. They are discussing the upcoming war and what they should do with the people of the towns on the outskirts since they will be the front line.
"What if we use the men from those towns as our front line and come in afterwards?" One of the advisers says getting a few nods.
"Yes, it will make them question our strength then we will hit them full force, winning this war," Uther adds agreeing with his adviser.
"Your highness, if I may add," Merlin says to which Arthur nods for him to continue. "But isn't it quite unfair to send all these men to their deaths. What of their families? Why not bring them back to Camelot and give them the chance to volunteer rather than be forced to fight the enemy. So that they all aren't so unprepared, we could help train them. They are simple farmers and if we are to send them all to their deaths who shall tend to the farms and bring Camelot the food we all need."
Arthur nods liking portions of his argument though making slight alterations as he explains his own added idea to the meeting's attendees. Merlin is happy to have his opinion taken into consideration and having it used to come up with a plan, but he doesn't quite notice the terrible glare aimed right at him from King Uther.
When the meeting is over and everyone is leaving Arthur and Merlin are about to leave when Uther calls Merlin back to speak with him. Arthur looks a little confused but nods to Merlin before continuing back to his room and letting this fact slip from his mind.
Two hours later and Merlin is yet to have returned to clean Arthur's room and he is quite irritated. "Where is that idiot?" Arthur exclaims storming out his door and straight to the place in which Merlin and Gaius live. "Where is Merlin!?!"
"Sire, he is in his room but he does not feel well. He is sorry he can not attend to you but he wishes not to be disturbed," Gaius explains pissing Arthur off even more.
"If he can say all that I'm sure he's well enough to come say it to my face," Arther demands charging past Gaius and bursting into Merlin's room only to freeze at the sight in front of him. There laying on his bed is Merlin without his shirt and bloody whip marks lining his back. "Merlin?"
Merlin gasps at hearing his voice as he had dozed off and not paid attention to the talking outside his bedroom door. He quickly sits up turning to Arthur in order to try and hide his back from his view. "Um, Arthur, Uh..."
Merlin is at a loss for words as to explain to him why he hadn't come back to his room but he was in far too much pain to walk up all the stairs to get there. He had met Gaius on his way and Gaius helped him walk and tend to his wounds.
Arthur walks up to Merlin and kneels in front of him to see the other bruises that litter his face and chest as the knights ordered to whip him had had their own fun. "I'm supposed to be a king one day," Arthur says quietly as he observes Merlin's injuries. "I'm supposed to protect a kingdom, and I can't even protect you."
Arthur reaches up with a trembling hand as he caresses the bruise that has rewarded Merlin with a black eye. "Is this-," Arthur cuts himself off not even sure what to say. "what happened?"
Merlin looks away removing his face from Arthur's hand. "It doesn't matter," Merlin says staring at the wall determined to not say anything. "You should return to your room, I will be there in the morning."
"Don't tell me it doesn't matter! And you most definitely will not be working tomorrow!" Arther exclaimed but tries to calm his temper as he is not mad at Merlin for what has befallen him. "Tell me what happened. That's an order."
Merlin turns his head immediately looking at him sternly. "Oh, so you're throwing out orders now?" Merlin responds, almost spits at Arthur, and Arthur is a bit startled by it. Merlin's face melts back into a somber look as he stares down at his sheets below him.
"I didn't mean -" Arthur wanted to yell in frustration, he wanted to hold his friend close and never let this happen again, he wanted to know if this has happened before. He is almost sure it has as when he walking in and saw Merlin's back there were other slashes that seemed to have become permanent scars. But surely he would have noticed? "Please tell me, as your friend."
Arthur is practically begging Merlin to tell him how he had gotten the scars, his own father had not even crossing his mind. Merlin swallows nervously, looking down at his lap before ducking away from Arthur's hand which he had replaced on Merlin's cheek. "As your friend might be the problem," Merlin says quietly, this confuses Arthur as he has always valued Merlin as a friend and even more. He has always valued his advice and help whenever it is offered. "You're a prince, I'm a commoner, your servant. It's - I should know my place."
"Know your place?" Arthur was confused and furious to hear this as Melin has never cared about their difference in status before, but Arthur tried to remain calm. "What do you mean, know your-"
Arthur froze when the thought finally struck him. Who was the one who most cared to separate the common from the fortunate? Who clearly cares about one knowing where they stand? His father.
Finally, Arthur started remembering. The meeting when Merlin spoke up, his father did not seem pleased at all but eventually agreed after Arthur had explained it with some tweaks. But after the meeting, Arthur willingly left Merlin with his father.
This was his fault.
"Merlin, I'm-" Arthur is about to apologize when Merlin holds up his hand to cover Arthur's mouth and to stop him from speaking.
"There is nothing for you to apologize about," Merlin says removing his hand in which Arther grabs his hand holding it. "It just seems I should not speak about matters that do not concern me."
"No!" Arthur says reaching up, as Merlin looks away again, cupping his other cheek with his free hand to turn Merlin to look at him. "I value your opinion greatly, my father just doesn't wish to listen to anyone he sees as below him. Please continue to talk to me about these thing."
Melin hesitates but as he stares into Arthur's eyes he can't help but nod agreeing to him. Arthur surprises Merlin as he kisses the top of his head and heads towards the door stopping. "I'm giving you tomorrow off but be sure to be in my room bright and early the next day. And if you have to, for the pain, you have permission to not wear a shirt," Arther says before quickly leaving the room making Merlin laugh but then groan as it irritates his back.
Merlin plops back onto his stomach and smiles shaking his head at Arthur. His prince is such a clotpole.