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It’s been a week and Arthur is already a mess and has already made a mess of Camelot.
“You’re telling me…. Merlin is dead?” Arthur demands, his voice quietly breaking.
Leon sighed, “Yes, Sir castor found him.” Leon coughed to stop his own voice from breaking. “He, um, was found with a sword wound through his chest.”
“Okay, take him to Gaius to fix him right up. Right? He can live.”
“No, sire. Morgana, she…. Right before your fight with Mordred. She made sure he was dead, no one could feel his heart beat. My king, the blood…. There was so much blood.” Leons voice finally broke. He was devastated, losing one of his oldest friends.
“No!” Arthur cried, throwing everything he had off the round table. “You must have identified the wrong person! It- it can’t be Merlin. Not from a sword. He’s survived worse, so, tell Dollophead to stop playing around.” Arthur denied.
Leon bowed his head, “We will bring him to you. Gaius wants to hold the funeral soon, for his soul not to suffer we must send him off.”
Arthur couldn’t look at Leon, he wiped his hands across his face. Wiping away tears, “Fine, make it quick.”
---
A few moments later, Leon returned with a covered body. Merlin was on a stretcher, his body covered in a white cloth. Arthurs breath hitched seeing his best friend like that. He lifted the white cloth, making sure it was in fact Merlin. Once it was clarified Arthur left for his chambers. Locking himself in. “He never told me,” he muttered to himself. “How did he never tell me he had magic? Till the day he died… how?”
——
It’s been a week since the loss of Camelot's finest servant and the king's best friend. Arthur has been meaner and a more harsh ruler. Almost like his father, almost.
“Was Merlin that important to Arthur?” Gwen asked Gaius. “He’s going mad.”
Gaius pursed his lips, “they were two sides of the same coin. A shame Arthur lost his other half.”
“Gaius, are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Gwen gasped, putting the pieces together.
Gaius nodded.
~~
Merlin finally woke up, he was for some reason inside a cave. He waved his hand, lighting the lanterns around him.
“God damn it.” He muttered, “they buried me.”
He looked around the cave, trying to find an exit but there was only a stone in the way. He banged on the stone, in case anyone on the other side heard him. “Hello?? Is anyone there??”
There was no response, only an echo of him hitting the rock. He used his magic to bang on the stone, maybe more force would help. Merlin waited for a few minutes. Nothing. He had to hurry up before he ran out of oxygen. Dying again wouldn’t be a lot of fun. Merlin stood back, held his hand out, and blasted the boulder out of the way. He climbed over the rocks and began his hike back to camelot.
When he made it through the walls he noticed, it was a lot gloomier than he remembered. The sun was out, the clouds were out, why was the aura so dim? Merlin walked straight into the castle, through the servants corridor. No one questioned him, they were all looking straight at their feet.
Merlin was about to stop and ask someone for information and thats when he heard it. The yelling he had grown accustomed to.
“What the hell is this?” he heard plate smashing, “I asked for wine not ale!”
“I-I’m sorry, My King, I-”
“ ‘I-I-I’ what?” Arthur mocked, “Get out of my face before I remove yours.”
Merlin huffed and made his way to the dining room where the commotion was coming out of. It sounded like there was a group of people there, was he having a power trip infront of a group of other nobles and leaders? Merlin taught Arthur better than that, he’s gone for a few days and Arthur is tarnishing his reputation.
Merlin slammed the doors open. The sound echoed.
“Who dares enter the Kings-” Arthur stopped mid sentence as he took in the image of Merlin. “Mer-”
Merlin held his hand up, silencing the king. He stood up straight, waltzed over to Arthur and smacked him upside the head. The whole table held their breaths to this random man smacking the King upside the head. “Ow.” Arthur said lightly.
“You- You absolute clotpole! How dare you treat those workers like trash. How many of them have you treated like that?”
Arthur didn’t answer, he was looking down at his lap. Merlin grabbed his chin and made him look up at him, “I asked, how many?”
“Twelve….”
“Twelve?!” Merlin cried out. He smacked Arthur upside the head again, “I was gone for a few days and you do this?”
“You were gone for two weeks Merlin, I saw your body. They carried you out- The blood-”
“I am immortal, yes I die but give me a few days and I’ll just pop right back.”
“Immortal?”
“Yup,” Merlin grinned, “The great sorcerer Emrys. You’ve also met me as Dragoon or Dolma.”
“What how-”
“Magic, but thats not important. Just because I’m gone doesn't mean that you can be an ass to the workers. Tomorrow you will personally apologize to each of them, I will walk with you and make sure you did it correctly.”
“Yes. Ok. I’m sorry Merlin.”
Merlin stroked his hair, “Well, then. Do better. I have been dead and I’m hungry so-”
Arthur looked up and at the other nobles at the table, they looked at their interaction in disbelief. Arthur looked to the guy seated next to him on the right. “Lord Amish- Move seats.” He snapped his fingers and george ran up, “Merlin replacement- move Lord Amish down the table. Find him a seat.” George nodded, Lord Amish refused to move. “Why must I move- this-- Peasant stomped in and threw a fit? Now you give him my seat as your right hand?”
Arthur nodded, “Yup. So move before I make you.”
“I am a Lord, I will not move for a servant!”
“Merlin-” he gestured to Lord Amish, “Get rid of him.”
“Can I-” Merlin made hand gestures, Arthur nodded. Merlin snapped his hands, his magic pushed Lord Amish’s seat across the room, throwing him out the door. He waved his hands and slammed the door behind him. Merlin then created a chair our of magic and sat down. “Oooh, Chicken. I love chicken.” Merlin grabbed the leg. “Remind me to tell Esmerlda that her chicken cooking has improved.”
Arthur laughed, and the festivities returned.
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Merlin sat in the throne room with Arthur, making sure he apologized to all twelve of his terrorized victims. He had sacked someone because his bath water was not warm enough. His other reasons for yelling at his servants was; Getting the wrong color robe, his vegetables and food were touching, they smelt bad, not having his sword sharpened, not polishing his shoes well enough, not the right kind of wine, pouring too much wine, not fluffing his pillow, getting him the wrong shirt, refusing to brush his hair, and for standing in his direction.
Merlin was practically fuming by the end of it. The Servants stood in the throne room one by one waiting to be dismissed by the king. They watched as after every apology, the king looked at the court sorcerer for his aproval. A nod meant he did good, a lift of his finger meant he had to redo the apology.
At the end, they watched as Arthur walked up to Merlin, standing in front of him. “Did I do good?”
“Yes, good job Arthur. Now, repeat after me.” Arthur nodded, “I will not raise my voice at my staff.”
“I will not raise my voice at my staff.”
“Good, now, move aside.” Arthur moved, and Merlin stood up. “So, the king is willing to give you each 20 gold and 10 silvers. You will take two days off, so consider this a paid vacation. However, I expect you back on day 3 by breakfast. Do not expect this to happen more than this time, If I catch a wiff of you speaking of this to anyone to try and provoke anger out of your king, I will personally make sure you disappear.”
The servants nodded and thanked him, Arthur was wondering why he had to give out 240 gold and 120 silver. But Merlin had declared it and there was nothing else to do. He dismissed them, sending Leon to help them with the payout.
Arthur looked at Merlin sitting on the throne, the image made him incredibly happy. He had Merlin back, and would do anything to make him happy.
Merlin was sure that Arthur was a complete idiot. One week gone and the world had fallen apart, but it also made him smile, he had forgotten how important he was to him.
Arthur aproached a sitting Merlin, kneeling at his feet.
“Arthur get up, if anyone sees you-“
“I don’t care,” he interrupted, taking in the image of Merlin. “You are mine. And I am yours.”
Merlin smiled, he placed a hand on Arthur’s cheek. “You are mine and I am yours,” he confirmed.
Arthur smiled, leaning into Merlin’s touch and kissing the inside of his wrist. “Don’t leave again.”
Merlin smiled at Arthur’s whine, “I don’t plan to,” he leaned down, kissing Arthur. “Don’t be a prat and we’ll see.” Arthur hummed and pulled Merlin into another kiss.
After all, they are two sides of the same coin.