Chapter Text
Chapter 1: The useless manservant
The curtains were pulled back and harsh light entered the prince's chambers.
"Good morning sunshine!", An awfully cheery voice said.
Arthur groaned, he did not think it was a good morning at all. Arthur had been up all night planning a speech fot the pie baking competition and apparently, he had fallen asleep at his desk. A sheet of paper was stuck to his cheek as he rose up from his, unfinished, work.
His manservant, Merlin, grinned from ear to ear as he repeated. "Good Morning sire!". "Oh shut up Merlin" Arthur replied, noticing his mood worsening by the minute. "Here is your outfit for the ceremony" Merlin laid a garish blue and red thing down in front of him. Arthur scowled "What ceremony?". "The knighting ceremony for the new recruits you dollophead" At that snide comment Arthur grabbed a nearby pot, barely missing Merlin's head as he flung it towards the annoying manservant.
"Dont worry I've already written a speech for it", Merlin said and laid a roll of paper out in front of the prince. Arthur huffed and skimmed over the paper. Merlin was annoying, but Arthur had to admit, (although not to Merlin himself), he was quite helpful, and the speeches he wrote were always... Better than he could have written himself. Annoyed at this inner admittance, he unconsciously decided to take out his frustrations on Merlin. "And the speech for the baking competition?" "Already written sire", Merlin said with an even larger grin. There was an unspoken taunt in Merlin's words, and Arthur would not have it.
"Well then Merlin since you now have so little to do, you can start by.." Arthur went on to list chores for Merlin to do until his grin turned into tight lipped smile. "Yes sire", Merlin replied. Feeling like he just won Arthur sat down by his table to eat a satisfying breakfast.
As Merlin left Arthur's chambers, that satisfying victory turned sour as he realized he might have taken it too far. When Arthur was eating, even as Merlin stole some of his food and teased him as they ate, he could see that there were dark circles under his eyes from exhaustion. Merlin was annoying, yes, but he had to admit that he alway felt.. better around him, and he was of great help. He sighed, and quietly reminded himself he should apologize and thank him later.
The day went by terribly slowly, and Arthur was bored out of his mind. Now that he didn't have his blue-eyed servant keeping him company, (since he was doing the many chores Arthur set him out to do), he was struggling not to fall asleep as the constant boring formalities went by. At least he had Morgana, his fathers ward, to at least talk to. "Where is your manservant?", She asked suddenly, making Arthur jud up as he had almost dozed off. "Probably out mucking the horses by now." He replied, and was struck by the feeling of missing Merlin again. "Oh", she just replied, but something about the look she had on her face after she said it made Arthur question her intensions. "What do you mean 'Oh'?" He asked and squinted at her suspiciously. "Oh, Nothing!" She said, but Arthur could see a grin forming on her face.
Arthur questioned her further, but there was no use. The dark haired woman was toying with him. And he didn't like it one bit.
Finally the day was done and he couldn't wait to meet Merlin again. He walzed into his chambers and was expecting to se a blue eyed, big eared oaf waiting for him with his bath. To his great annoyance, no one was there. 'Is he still not finished?' He thought and his stomach twisted with guilt. 'Or maybe he is lazing off!'. Deciding to find out for himself, he charged straight for Gaius and Merlin's chambers.
The old man looked up in surprise as Arthur barged into the medical wing. "Sire, what are you doing here at this hour?" He asked. "Merlin" He stated, "Have you seen him?"
The old man paused. "I thought he would be with you sire, I sent him out to collect some herbs hours ago!"
Arthur huffed. "No he is not..." He looked around the room, hoping to see Merlin just hiding around a corner. And then it hit him. "He is not at the tavern again is he?", He said, annoyance spreading throughout the prince's body as his friendly smile turned into a pained expression.
"No sire, Merlin was supposed to head straight back", the old man said. Arthur could see worry paint over the old mans face. Arthur himself however had already decided that Merlin probably was in the tavern drunk as a skunk. And he thanked Gaius as he headed back to his chambers, alone.