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The door to the council chambers flew open, unnoticed by the King and manservant absorbed in conversation at the round table. Leon smiled as he noticed Merlin sitting at Arthur’s right-hand side—a place he felt the boy belonged—but his smile quickly faltered at Merlin’s furrowed brow.
“You understand why I have to do this?” Arthur’s voice had lowered now that the knights were approaching and taking their designated seats. Leon stood patiently behind Merlin, who was seated in his own place.
“Yes, Arthur. But that doesn’t mean I’m happy about it.” Merlin snarled as he lept from the table, pushing Leon out of the way. It wasn’t like Arthur to ignore such a brash reaction from Merlin. He often at least pretended to scold the boy. But this time, Merlin’s behavior was only given a dejected sigh.
“Find the steward, Merlin!” Arthur yelled at Merlin’s angry backside. “I’ll need George sent to my chambers immediately.”
Merlin turned to give his master a quick nod before leaving through the oak doors. Merlin never missed chamber meetings, no matter how boring.
“You’re not sacking him again, are you?” Gwaine asked, anger threatening to boil over as soon as Arthur had turned his attention to his knights. “You know he’s more loyal to you than anyone else in this bloody kingdom and if—”
Gwaine was silenced by a wave of Arthur’s hand. “I’m not sacking him. I’m giving him a promotion of sorts. It’s a position we haven’t had for many years.”
The knights nervously looked around at each other. Merlin’s magic was the worst kept secret of the kingdom, but they all had assumed that Arthur had been too dense to notice it. If Merlin was being promoted, then perhaps their King wasn’t as blind as they thought and Camelot was to have a Court Sorcerer once more.
“Merlin is to be the court’s jester.” Arthur declared as he realized none of the knights understood.
There was a moment of confused silence before Gwaine’s laugh blasted through the room. “No wonder he was so short with you. Court Jester. You’re going to need to watch your back during his first official feast, sire.”
Arthur’s mouth was set in a tight, grim line. “He will come to see reason in time.”
Gwaine wiped a tear of laughter from his eye and nodded. The knights and the King began discussing the latest news from scouting missions while Leon distractedly pondered if he had misunderstood Merlin’s role in Arthur’s life.
*****
Gwaine’s prediction came true less than a fortnight later. Merlin had sulked for a while as he was forced to stand behind Arthur in garish colors and a feathered hat during meetings as George practically licked the ground beneath Arthur’s feet. But as the mid-winter feast approached, Merlin’s angry glare morphed into a mischievous glint that went unnoticed by the King.
“Merlin!” The manservant-turned-jester quickly tossed the pears he was juggling back into their bowl and approached the head of the table.
“At your service, sire.” Merlin’s words were coated with sugar as he bowed deeply before the King. Leon looked to Gwaine hoping to see if he had thought anything of Merlin’s odd behavior. Gwaine only looked as pleased than he did when a busty barmaid approached him in the tavern.
“Merlin, perhaps you would be so kind as to regale us with a tale.” There was excited chatter among the nobles at the feast, all of them too wrapped up in the newness of having a court jester once again.
“Of course, sire. Perhaps a tale of adventure and bravery?” Merlin had stood, but he kept his head in a submissive bow.
Arthur laughed. “What do you know of adventure and bravery, Merlin?” he chided. “You were always hiding behind trees when rabbits showed up, much less danger.”
There was some forced laughter from the knights but the nobles howled with mirth as Arthur teased Merlin.
“Then perhaps something more humorous, my lord?” If Arthur hadn’t been too focused on goading his friend, he would’ve noticed the smirk on Merlin’s face as he drew to his full height.
“Humor seems more your area of expertise, Merlin. Please. Make us laugh.” He nodded for Merlin to begin.
“People of Camelot,” Merlin addressed the crowd, arms spread wide with a confidence that Leon had never seen. “This is the tale of the braying prince.”
A goblet clattering on the stone floors halted Merlin’s story before it began. All eyes turned to the now ashen-faced king.
“Merlin…”
“I am merely doing what you asked, sire.” Merlin bowed deeply again. Whispers began to fill the halls.
“The pyre hasn’t been set up in several seasons, Merlin. I have no problem bringing it out for you.” The anger in Arthur's eyes very nearly mirrored the King that had once sat there.
“Come on, Princess,” Gwaine slurred. “It can’t be all that bad.” Leon looked to Gwen for her usual admonishment of Arthur, but was surprised to find her looking into her lap, cheeks crimson.
“Once upon a time, in a kingdom much like our own,” Merlin began, ignoring Arthur’s protests, “a goblin was released to wreak havoc upon the royal family.”
By the time Merlin had finished his story, Arthur’s face was the color of his cape and the knights had nearly passed out with lack of oxygen. Knowing that he had brought it on himself, Arthur let Merlin’s tale slide. He seemed less forgiving however when Merlin tripped far more gracefully than he normally did and tossed a pie right into Arthur’s face. Merlin had wisely ducked out for the evening, barring himself in Gaius’s chambers despite the demands of an angry, berry-flavored monarch to be let in.
*****
Merlin’s antics soon became the hot topic throughout the citadel, from the maids in the marketplace to the knight’s usual after training stint in the tavern. Despite how much amusement the others had gotten out of the story and Merlin’s more brazen attitude, the whole affair didn’t sit right with Leon.
“Thinking about a pretty maid there?” Gwaine’s voice brought him back to the training field where the court jester and the king’s new manservant were testing Arthur’s patience.
“What? No, it’s just...”
"It’s obviously been bothering you for a while. You’re gaining a new wrinkle in your brow.” Leon absentmindedly rubbed his forehead as Gwaine goaded him.
“Hand me my sword, Merlin.” Arthur commanded, his gaze focused on the pallid and quivering George.
“I don’t know about that, sire. I don’t think that was in my new job description.”
Arthur whirled around to glare at the casually reclined Merlin twirling a dandelion in his fingers. “Merlin…” His voice carried a threat behind it, but Merlin didn’t appear bothered.
“Why don’t you ask your new manservant to grab it for you? You could probably ask him to kiss your boots when he’s done too.” Beside Leon, Gwaine barked out a laugh unnoticed by the preoccupied trio.
“George is otherwise engaged. His job as manservant is to spar with me. I thought you’d be pleased to be let off sparring duties given your delicate nature.”
“You’re right, sir. I’m most grateful for your kindness in the promotion you’ve given me.” Leon couldn’t help but smile at the glares George was throwing towards Merlin in a useless attempt at admonishment. “You see, sire, the real reason I cannot hand you your sword is that I’ve forgotten what a sword is.”
Leon turned his attention back to Gwaine in a determined effort to not notice the flying vambrace headed towards Merlin’s face. “Why is Merlin playing the fool? More so than normal, that is?”
“Oh, Sir Leon, it’s because he can.” Gwaine clamped a hand on Leon’s shoulders and broke out a grin that reached the corners of eyes. “He hasn’t yet used his new position to his advantage, but have no doubt, Merlin will soon understand what he’s fully capable of.”
Leon watched the younger knight go, confused. As daft as Merlin often pretended to be to have his magic go unnoticed, he was certain Arthur would’ve reprimanded him for taking it this far.
*****
It would be three more seasons before Leon finally understood the significance of Merlin’s new position. Land squabbles among three nobles had carried on for far too long. Arthur was visibly at his wit’s end from trying to maintain the peace with the men. Their land bordered other kingdoms and if he was to create a unified Albion, as a certain jester liked to ramble on about, then he needed to make sure they all left Camelot satisfied with their King’s ruling.
“You know what this reminds me of?” Merlin leaned over Arthur’s shoulder studying the map before the lords.
“What, Merlin?” Arthur snapped more sharply than he intended.
“I was in the market this morning and I couldn’t quite find the berries I was looking for. I was going to repay Mary for that pie I ruined at the mid-winter feast.”
Arthur’s ear turned a nasty shade of red. The lords in attendance huffed at the interruption.
“So I thought to check the woods. It didn’t take me long to get lost. You know how I am.”
Arthur watched Merlin curiously. No one knew the woods better than Merlin, everyone in Camelot knew that.
“Maybe that’s why the King deemed you better fit for a fool than a servant, lad.” One of the lords snarled at him. “Never saw a use for jesters myself, Your Majesty. Your father, rest his soul, was wise to not employ one.”
“Well, lucky for me, Arthur finds my foolish chatter endearing.” Merlin’s signature stupid grin that had been reserved for getting out of chores split across his face. “As I was saying, sire, I got lost in the woods. Thankfully there were some merciful knights there to point me back to the castle.”
“Were they, Merlin? What were they doing?” Arthur asked, ignoring the agitated glares sent his direction.
“Roasting a deer. Only they were doing it all wrong. I’ll have you know, I used to make the best roast deer out on missions. Sire, I’m sure you remember—”
“Surely this has gone on long enough, Sire.” The agitated lord spat at Merlin who cocked his head like an oblivious child.
“You’re right.” Arthur folded up the map. “Sir Leon, please accompany our guests to the dungeons. And once you’ve done that, send a group of knights out to disband the forces outside our walls.”
“Sire?” Leon asked, as the chamber guards rushed to grab the three men. “Might I enquire as to why? What do they have to do with the knights outside the wall?”
“Leon, you’re familiar with scouting routes. Do you recall which knights were assigned outside the citadel at this hour?”
Leon thought for a moment. “None, sire? Sir Bors led a scouting mission but he returned last night.”
Arthur nodded as understanding dawned upon Leon. “Find out if they’re working for Morgana or another King. Though, a distraction caused by bickering nobles is almost too cruel even for Morgana.”
As Leon ushered Camelot’s newest prisoners out of the council chambers, he snuck a glance back at Arthur, curious if he was the only one unaware of the importance of Merlin’s new position.
“You could’ve spared me the long-winded story and just told me there were enemy troops in the woods.” The king said as he smacked his jester across the back of his head..
Merlin smiled. “What would be the fun in that, sire? After all, I’m here to entertain.”