Chapter Text
⏤ Okay Merlin, do you have everything?
⏤ Yes Gaius, I have everything. You don’t have to worry so much, you know? I’m just going to visit my mom. I’ll be back before any of you notices.
⏤ Don’t say that, we’ll miss you.
⏤ Yeah, maybe you will.
⏤ The knights and Arthur are your friends! And what about Gwen?
⏤ She’s really busy since she became queen, and the knights and Arthur all have their own duties to fulfill. I try to help them when I have time, but I don’t think I’m that helpful.
⏤ I’m sure they appreciate it, in their own way.
⏤ If you say so. I’m going to do a round to ensure everything is okay before I go.
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The only reason Gwaine was eavesdropping was because he was worried. He had gone to Gaius’s chambers to ask for some ointment to apply on his bruises. Training had been especially rough today, since the princess was not happy that Merlin was going to be away for a while. And of course that instead of talking about it, he decided to beat them in the training fields. What he wasn’t expecting was to learn that Merlin thought they didn’t care about him? Were they really such bad friends? He was always worried about them, trying to make their lives better, and how did they repay him? They didn’t even thank him.
Bruises forgotten for the moment, he went back to the knights' rooms and reunited the Round Table. When all of them arrived he explained the situation.
⏤ Gwaine, where are the ointments? - said Percy - My arms are killing me.
⏤ That’s not important now. We have a Merlin situation - with that, everyone got really quiet.
⏤ Is he hurt? - asked Leon - I thought he was preparing to visit his mother. Arthur made it clear that he was going away for some time.
⏤ He’s not physically hurt, but we’ve failed, because he thinks we don’t care about him - at that, all of them started protesting.
⏤ Of course we care about him! - said Elyan - He always goes out of his way to help us.
⏤ He’s a great friend, the best of us - that was Lancelot.
⏤ Yeah, we all feel like that, but when was the last time we told him that? - no one answered for a long time. - See, that’s what I mean, we failed him.
⏤ What can we do? He’s leaving in a short time. What if he really thinks we don’t care and decides not to come back? - Percy sounded stressed, he liked Merlin more than he let through.
⏤ I have an idea, but we have to be fast, before he leaves.
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That round lasted longer than expected. Arthur was really upset that I’m leaving, I was sure he was about to tell me not to bother to come back, all the knights acted weird, and I couldn’t even see Gwen, because she was writing some “really important papers”. Now that I finally finished, it is almost night, so I think it’s better to part in the morning.
Walking alone in the woods always makes me feel better, like nature is the place I should be. Also if some bandits appear, it’s easier to defend myself using magic this way. I left before the Sun rises and now it’s almost midday, so I chose a tree to sit and have some food. Gaius gave me some fresh bread yesterday. But when I open my bag, the first thing I see is a lot of papers, I don’t remember packing papers. Maybe Arthur had some last moment things he wanted my opinion on. There are more than I thought.
Thanks for reading my poetry, I appreciate your insight - Leon
Thanks for helping me choose a birthday gift for Gwen, she loved it - Elyan
Thanks for always looking out for me when I get in stupid bar fights - Gwaine
p.s: I added some apples to your bag, you deserve them.
Thanks for cooking for us in hunts and getting a nice treat after it, you always remember our favourites - Percival
Thanks for being my first real friend, the one that made me want to stay around even when I wasn’t allowed to - Gwaine
Thanks for defending all of us, even when most of them don’t know about it. - Lancelot
Thanks for being here, Camelot was a gray place before you arrived and filled it with colours. I know I’m often busy these days, but if you wanna hang out, just say it, we were friends before I was Queen and that will always come first to me. - Gwen
Thanks for helping me become the kind of King I wanted to be, I may not say it too often, but I was so lonely before you came here and that’s why I get upset when you go away, I’m afraid you won’t come back. - Arthur
p.s: If you show this to anyone, I’m sending you to muck the stables.
p.s.2: I know about your magic, we’ll talk about it when you come back (please, come back)
He was crying, he didn't know when they put these in his bag, but he was so glad they did. There were so many notes, all thanking him for being their friend. Also, Arthur knew about the magic? Well, maybe he was freaking out, but he asked for him to go back, so maybe it will all be okay.
He finished the bread and had an apple, packed everything back, and continued walking, now with the knowledge and confirmation that his friends cared about him and wanted him back. Couldn’t wait to tell his mom about it.