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Merlin’s just entered the citadel when he feels it. His magic begins to tingle under his skin right before he reaches the staircase and then he finds himself unable to take another step forward. He tries to retreat, and when that fails, tries to move side to side, but to no avail. His feet are stuck in one position. He has free rein of every other limb--he can move his hands and toes, his mouth and head--but he simply can’t move from that one spot.
It’s only when he hears Morgana’s tinkling laugh that he looks up, spotting her grinning devilishly, Gwen right at her side. She, at least, has the decency to hide her grin behind her hand, trying to put forth her most sympathetic expression--not that he believes for one second she had no part in this, the traitor.
“Alright,” Merlin sighs, “I get it, ha ha. Joke’s over, release me so I can go get Arthur his breakfast before he threatens to eat me again.”
Morgana laughs. “Oh, I wish I could but it’s not up to me, you see.” She points upwards to the ceiling and Merlin groans when he spots the red and green plant.
“Enchanted mistletoe, lovely,” He grouches.
“Yup, and because I cast the spell so that it will only bond to the magic of its victim, there’s nothing that can get you unstuck. Unless, of course, you man up and tell Arthur about those feelings of yours so you can finally get that kiss you’ve been craving.”
“Morgana!” Merlin hisses, louder than he’d like to, terrified that Arthur would somehow hear her even though he’s still fast asleep in his chambers.
“Really, Merlin, for the bravest, most powerful sorcerer ever to walk the earth, you’re being a bit cowardly. We were all hoping you two would have sorted yourselves out by now because quite frankly it’s exhausting watching you both dance around each other. I’m doing everyone a favor here.”
-
“I’m sorry, Merlin is what?” Arthur blinks, his mind still too foggy from oversleeping to process what Gwen has just told him.
“He’s stuck under an enchanted mistletoe, Sire.”
“Enchanted mistletoe,” Arthur repeats slowly, wondering what the hell Merlin has gotten himself into this time.
“Yes, Sire. I think it would be best if you spoke to him directly,” Gwen suggests helpfully and Arthur nods, gesturing for her to lead the way.
When he finally spots Merlin who’s sitting in the middle of the platform and sulking like a child, Arthur can’t help the snort that escapes him.
“It’s not bloody funny,” Merlin scowls, rising to his feet.
“It sort of is,” Arthur argues joyously.
“I should use the same enchantment on you, then we’ll see how funny it is,” Merlin threatens.
“Speaking of magic, why haven’t you used yours to get out of this?” Arthur queries, his voice patronizing. To his immense pleasure and minor confusion, Merlin’s pale skin flushes a pretty pink.
“Morgana used my magic to bond the spell so I can’t use my magic to break it,” Merlin confesses and Arthur presses his lips together in a futile attempt to smother his laughter.
“So let me get this straight, Morgana used your own magic to trap you and now you’re helpless?”
Merlin nods in dismay.
“Some powerful sorcerer you are,” Arthur chides. “So then how do we get you out of this?”
Merlin looks at the mistletoe hanging above his head in misery, taking a deep breath before he answers. “I have to kiss the person I…have feelings for. Your sister is an evil, wretched, menace of a witch.”
Arthur maintains his joviality, even though he has to agree with Merlin on that last point. He didn’t want to think about Merlin having feelings for anyone, muchless the aftermath of them sharing an intimate, spell-breaking kiss.
“Well,” Arthur smiles, the stretch of his cheeks causing physical pain. “I can’t imagine any girl being eager to kiss you but I suppose with the right incentive she might be persuaded.”
Merlin frowns and clenches his jaw, the pinkness of his flushed skin deepening to an agitated red.
“Shut up,” He grunts, sinking back onto the floor.
“I’ll go talk to Gaius,” Arthur decides and Merlin looks up at him gratefully.
He turns and walks away, completely missing the hopeless look Morgana and Gwen share from their spot behind the corner where they were observing them.
-
By the time Arthur’s done helping Gaius rifle through all his books for anything with information on enchanted mistletoe, news of Merlin’s predicament has spread throughout the castle and even into the town. When Arthur finally makes his way back to Merlin to let him know that there really is only one solution, unfortunately, there’s a large group of people all clamoring for Merlin’s attention. Arthur has to stop in his tracks simply to stare as Merlin, looking abnormally uncomfortable, shakes his head at a serving girl in an attempt to let her down.
“Arthur!” Merlin calls desperately when he spots him. “Any news?”
Arthur gestures for the guards to clear the area before he shakes his head grimly. “I’m afraid there’s only one solution.”
Merlin’s face falls and Arthur has the irresistible urge to comfort him. “Hey,” He says quietly, moving closer so he can squeeze Merlin’s shoulder briefly. “I was only teasing earlier, I’m sure whoever it is you have feelings for will return them in earnest. She’d be a fool not to. It’ll be alright, Merlin, just tell the guards who it is and we’ll have her here in no time.”
“It’s not a girl,” Merlin confesses miserably.
“Oh,” Arthur pauses, needing a moment to recollect his thoughts.
“You don’t understand. I’ll be stuck here for who knows how long. It can never happen, Arthur. The one I have feelings for--it can never happen.”
“Why not?” Arthur hears himself whisper before he can stop himself.
Merlin looks away, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallows. “I’m a servant.”
Arthur’s brow furrows at the obvious dejection lacing Merlin’s words, a direct contrast to the pride it was usually full of when he declared that he was born to be Arthur’s servant and that he was happy to be his servant until he died.
“Aren’t you the one who’s always telling me that you’re more than that?” Arthur reminds him, disliking the implication of the context.
“My feelings on the matter don't hold much importance, I’m afraid,” Merlin smiles sadly, blue eyes bright with some sort of emotion that Arthur can’t identify but already knows he hates.
Arthur studies him for a moment, trying to understand what Merlin isn’t saying.
“Is this person a noble? That’s the only reason I can think of where status would be such a major issue.”
Merlin bites his lips guiltily but nods all the same.
“Is it Gwaine then? I know the two of you are close and I’m sure-” Arthur cuts himself off, the words painful to speak but he knows he has to say them because this is Merlin and he’d never be able to live with himself if he stood in the way of Merlin’s happiness. “I’m sure Gwaine wouldn’t care about what anyone else has to say. Besides-”
“I don’t have feelings for Gwaine,” Merlin cuts in before Arthur can say anymore and Arthur has to frown at him.
The only nobility Merlin ever spends time with is Arthur and the Knights (of the Round Table, specifically). Even so, Gwaine is the only person Merlin would spend time with one-on-one apart from Lance who was happily in a relationship with Gwen…
“Oh,” Arthur gasps. “Shit. Look, Gwen loves you and I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if you and Lance had a quick peck if that’s what it took for you to get free. I mean, it might be awkward afterwards but surely that’s better than just waiting around for-”
“I’m the one who pushed Lance and Gwen together, you clotpole! Obviously I don’t have feelings for him .”
Arthur’s brow furrows. Apart from those two, Merlin has the tendency to spend the rest of his time with Arthur. Unless…
“Is it Morgana?” Arthur whispers, voice pained.
Merlin’s eyes look like they’re about to pop out of his head and Arthur’s unsure whether that means he’s horrified at the prospect or he’s horrified that Arthur’s guessed it.
“Oh, sweet Triple Goddess, will you please stop trying to guess?” Merlin begs and now, since Arthur apparently has some kind of masochistic tendency, he needs to know who it is that Merlin so badly doesn’t want him to find out about.
“I’m afraid not. It’s my duty to protect my people which means it’s my duty to get you out of here.”
Merlin grimaces but Arthur doesn’t let that deter him.
“So, it’s not Gwaine, Lance or Morgana but it’s someone of nobility,” Arthur says, talking more to himself than Merlin. “From what I’ve read, it also has to be someone you have strong feelings for. Apart from those three, though, you’ve barely spent any sort of time with anyone else of nobility that would allow you to develop those feelings. No one apart from…”
It has to be him. There’s no other person he can think of. There’s a slight chance that Merlin’s been sneaking off to meet someone else but from the way he’s looking at him now, expression stricken and terrified, Arthur doesn’t think that’s a viable option. Arthur’s heart stops beating for a moment.
“Merlin,” He breathes out. Merlin doesn’t respond but he keeps on looking at Arthur warily. “Please tell me if I’m wrong, if I’ve completely misinterpreted this, but I don’t think I have.”
When Merlin remains quiet, Arthur squares his shoulders and takes a deep breath. His heart is doing double time now, maybe to make up for the second it stopped or maybe because he’s going to do either the best or worst thing he’s ever done, but he ignores it completely.
He reaches out and grabs the lapel of Merlin’s ratty old jacket and hauls him closer, joining their lips together into a kiss. Merlin’s frozen against him and he wonders if he’s completely ruined everything but then Merlin’s fingers are coming up to tangle in his tunic and his lips are moving against Arthur’s and when Arthur takes a step back, Merlin immediately follows him and Arthur’s pretty sure he’s about to die from how happy he is right now.
“You are the biggest idiot in the entire fucking universe,” Arthur whispers roughly against Merlin’s lips then swallows his reply with a bruising kiss. “I cannot believe you thought this could never happen because you’re my servant.”
“You’re the King,” Merlin responds, kissing Arthur back just as passionately.
“And I declare that I can take my manservant as my lover if I so wish it,” Arthur shoots back, ducking his head to suck more kisses onto Merlin’s neck and throat and that one spot behind his ear that he’s wanted to kiss for years.
-
Later that night, Arthur’s lying under the warm furs in his bed with Merlin wrapped in his arms, telling him the stories that Hunith used to tell him about Jack Frost. He smiles as he listens to the tale of magic and an innocent boy, unable to not think of another magical being. He presses kisses onto every patch of Merlin’s skin that he can reach, the flush on Merlin’s cheek paired with his laughter bringing forth a feeling of warmth so encompassing that Arthur didn’t know was even possible.
“Stop it, you prat! This is the best part of the story!” Merlin demands, swatting at Arthur’s head and Arthur smiles warmly, making himself comfortable on Merlin. He settles with his head on Merlin’s chest, one arm wrapped around his waist and one leg hooked over Merlin’s. He can feel the rumble of Merlin’s chest matching with the baritone of his voice as he continues his tale, and he closes his eyes and relaxes into the sound along with the feeling of Merlin’s fingers in his hair. It isn’t long before he starts drifting to sleep, a smile on his lips.
Maybe Morgana isn’t an evil, wretched, menace of a witch afterall. He should probably look into giving her something nice for Yule.