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When Gwaine came to him with stories of a holiday specifically for pulling pranks and jokes, Merlin knew they were going to have fun.
As long as nothing went wrong, but he'd just caught an assassin, dealt with a monster, and exposed a treasonous Lord in the last week, so surely they were due for the villainous side of things to hold off their chaos for a day, so they could have some fun chaos, right?
Plus, Arthur would be busy with the council all day, talking about the upcoming harvest, which Merlin was lucky enough to get out of going to, so even he wouldn't be able to send Merlin away to do something else.
They spent the entire day goofing around with almost anyone unfortunate enough to come in contact with them, therefore spreading the word of the holiday, and soon most people in Camelot had been pranked, or were planning something of their own.
Turns out, the best use of magic is messing with people in a harmless way.
Even Gwen had gotten in on it, nearly giving Lancelot a heart attack when she jumped at him in the armoury.
Which she then apologized profusely for and decided to take him out as an apology.
Merlin and Gwaine silently high fived as they watched, happy their new favorite holiday has helped the new couple.
"You should scare Percival now, Gwen had a good idea there."
"Nah, you should scare Arthur." Gwaine changes the subject.
"I tried that once, he nearly killed me. Once you've been almost assassinated enough times, you get jumpy. And he's constantly got a knife somewhere! I don't know where he keeps them all!"
"I'll keep that in mind. But you really should pull something on Arthur, you're the only one who could get away with it."
"I am not, I'm the least likely to get away with it! Although, it would probably be worth it."
"If I try, he's going to cut off my tavern privileges!"
"You'll find alcohol elsewhere, I don't feel like mucking the stables again!"
"Come on, we'd be legends for pranking the King!"
"Shouldn't some other knight do it?"
"And get intense training as a reward? No one is gonna agree to that."
"Another servant?"
"As if. They all know you're the only one who gets away with things!"
"I am not! He's not like his father, it's not as if he'd execute someone for pulling a joke! The worst is extra chores."
"Most people would get stocks."
"Really? He never actually sends me there anymore, just says he will."
"Yeah, other people still get put there. Did you not see Morris earlier?"
"Huh. What for?"
"It wasn't Arthur who sent him there, but he was put there for a prank."
"Oh. I hadn't realized other people could get in trouble for what I wouldn't." Merlin is suddenly thinking about how even though most members of the serving staff are nice to him, and vice versa, he doesn't really pay that much attention unless they need something.
"Because you didn't know that you're the only one who gets away with things! Arthur would never put you in the stocks because of a joke."
"I'm pretty sure he has..."
"Ages ago!"
"Even if I agreed to it, which I'm not, what would I do?"
"Hopefully something to stop the awful pining. Like with Gwen and Lancelot!"
"We've been through this, there's no pining!" Merlin lies, which Gwaine easily sees through.
"Right. And I've never had a drink."
"Forget about me and Arthur! Let's do something about the pining between you and Percival!"
"There's less pining there than with you!"
"Right. And I'm not magic."
"Look, I'll make you a deal. Hear me out!" Gwaine insists, seeing Merlin is about to protest.
"I'll do something about Percy and I, if you do something about your situation with Arthur."
"Like what?"
Gwaine gets the look that usually means he's scheming and starts explaining his plan.
"Why would I do that?!" Merlin exclaims once he's finished.
" You can see his reaction! If he seems upset, he likes you. If he doesn't care, he doesn't like you. But that's not going to happen. Everyone else can see how besotted with you he is!"
"He is not!"
"We'll see. Come on, that council meeting should be over soon don't you think?"
"I am not doing that! He's not going to care."
"He's going to care plenty. Trust me."
~
"I can't believe I let you talk me into this." Merlin grumbles as he places a hand on the door to Arthur's chambers.
"Go!" Gwaine whisper-shouts from behind the closest tapestry.
Merlin sighs, and opens the door.
"You're actually on time for once. I'll have the scribes mark this momentous occasion." Arthur says he enters and places a tray of food on the table.
"Right, we'll have a special section of times I managed to do my duties on time, and you got out of bed on time. Yours will be very short."
"As will yours." Arthur says as he moves from the desk to the table.
"Council been troublesome today?" Merlin asks, happy to stall what he's sure Gwaine is waiting outside the door to hear.
"You wouldn't believe it! Honestly, Merlin, it's like the harvest festival is the most important event they've ever heard of! They don't even care about the actual harvest, which is fairly important, considering it's what we'll eat throughout the winter, but no, the really important thing is if I could invite some princess I've never met to go with me!"
"Are you?" Merlin realizes he should probably focus on anything else from that, but finds he cannot.
"Of course not! You know, if you would finally get around to letting me officially instate you as Court Sorcerer, you could be there to help me fight off the council."
"What makes you think I'd help you? I quite enjoy pestering you."
"You also enjoy not mucking the stables, don't you?"
"If I were Court Sorcerer, you couldn't make me do that!"
"I'm the King! I can do whatever I want!"
"Then why do you never make your annoying council people do it?"
"That's not a bad idea." Arthur says, looking like he's just been given the answer to all his problems.
Merlin is kept from trying to answer by what sounds like someone crashing into the door.
"What was that?" Arthur asks, reaching for a knife hidden somewhere on him.
Merlin takes a second to wonder how he hides them before saying it was likely the guards arriving to be stationed outside for the night, when he knows fully well it was Gwaine ushering him to hurry up.
"So um, I need to ask something." Merlin decides to appease Gwaine.
"What have you done and how much damage do I have to deal with?"
"Why do you assume I've done something?!"
"You've always done something."
"That's not true! Like right now, I've done nothing."
"Whatever you wish to tell yourself, Merlin. Now what do you want?"
"Just the evening off!"
"What for? Got something more important than your king?"
"I was going to meet Gwaine at the tavern."
"And is this actually the tavern, or something else?"
"Actually the tavern."
"So now that I know you didn't actually spend all your time in the tavern before, you're going to start? I've always known Gwaine is a bad influence on you. Don't think I haven't heard about your little day of fun."
"How did you know?!" Merlin temporarily forgets his mission.
"I'm the King, Merlin. It's my job to know about everything that happens in my kingdom."
"Right. We decided to end the day in the tavern, so can you take care of yourself tonight?"
"I don't know. If you keep hanging around Gwaine you really will be spending all your time in the tavern."
"I was sort of planning on spending more time with him."
"What for, is he trying to teach you to weild a sword? Because I'm fairly certain that's an impossible task."
"I don't need a sword, clotpole!"
"It's a good thing too. So are you teaching him magic? I'm not sure that would be a good idea. It think if he tried to do that fire trick you showed me, Camelot would go up in flames."
"Definitely no magic for Gwaine."
"Then whatever do you need to discuss at the tavern?"
"We've decided to start courting."
If Merlin hadn't been looking closely, he might've missed the emotions flitting across Arthur's face before he drops a mask of indifference over everything.
Surprise, confusion, and, if he's not imagining it, sadness.
Strangely enough, it gives Merlin hope that this might actually work.
"I thought Gwaine liked Percival?" Is all Arthur says, which reminds Merlin that he may have gossiped about that before.
"Apparently it didn't work out."
"Ah. Well. If Gwaine makes you happy, then that's what matters, I suppose."
"Right." Merlin says, feeling awkward now. He's not sure what he expected to happen, and now he's not sure where to go from here.
"Just... Don't let him hurt you. I've never known him to be in a stable relationship. Of course you could be the first, because who wouldn't-" Arthur cuts himself off with a slight shake of his head, before saying something different, "If he doesn't treat you properly, I'll revoke his knighthood."
That startles a laugh out of Merlin, before he speaks, "Arthur! Why would you do that?!"
"I don't need you whining about a broken heart when you're supposed to be polishing armour!"
"Well you're not going to have to worry about that, because Gwaine isn't going to hurt me. Because we're not actually courting."
As fast as Arthur looks at him, Merlin is worried he could've hurt himself.
"Then why did you say you are?!"
"All part of the holiday! Gwaine wanted me to say all that. I told him I would if he'd do something about the Percival situation."
"I knew there was something there! That would work out!"
"Yes, that should be next on the list of pranks."
"Wait, you're still leaving?"
"Oh, am I not still allowed to?"
"After that heart attack you nearly gave me, no!"
"Why did that nearly give you a heart attack?" Merlin asks, feeling his own heart flutter with hope.
"Because I love you, Merlin. This made me realize I should tell you, because someone else could notice how amazing you are and you really would be courting them and-" Merlin cuts off the panicked rambling he's never seen Arthur have a problem with by kissing him.
"Did you do that as another joke?"
"Definitely not. I love you too. Why did you never say anything?"
"Why didn't you?"
"I had to deal with telling you about my magic, you think I could handle confessing another secret? It's only fair that you had to start this one."
"So that's how it works, huh?"
"Exactly. Not my fault you're a dollophead and didn't know you were supposed to."
"Right. I've changed my mind, Gwaine can have you."
"Let me go then." Merlin says, referring to Arthur's arms around him.
"No, you're not leaving until you make up for abandoning me with the council, and scaring me."
"If that's the way it must be."
"It most certainly is. Also, you have to go to the harvest festival with me, and wear the lovely hat I'll have ready for you."
"I'm never wearing a hat you get for me ever again."
"Not even the official Court Sorcerer hat?"
"Is it pointy with stars all over it?"
"Of course!"