“Sir Leon.” Merlin put down the bucket he’d been carrying to begin to prepare for Arthur’s bath. “You are back from patrol early.”
“A storm’s rolling in and the prince ordered us back before we were caught in it,” Leon said. “Arthur's still in a temper, though. He’s in the stables still, if you are looking for him."
Merlin’s stomach plummeted. Jaw set, he stormed over to the stables. Arthur had barely spoken a dozen words combined to Merlin over the course of the week. Merlin's mocking reverence had turned awkward as his rage grew stale and Arthur became more and more impossible to read. He'd catch Arthur looking at him, his lips pressed tight and brow furrowed, only to have Arthur avert his gaze the instant he'd been spotted. He thought he’d made his point, had hoped Arthur had understood and that it was guilt and embarrassment in his eyes.
Merlin opened the stable door, hot with anger and disappoint. His eyes immediately went to the far wall, but found it empty of shadows this time. Instead, he heard voices over by the stall of Arthur’s favourite mare.
“And I’d like her brushed down morning and night. It will be outside of your regular duties here, you understand. I want you to take good care of her.” Arthur panted the mare’s neck as he spoke. “It’s Tommy, isn’t it?”
Tommy stood a little taller, and Merlin was a bit surprise to remember that Tommy was actually older than he was. He was smaller, thinner and had a face that was always smudged with dirt.“Yes, Sire! Tommy.”
“You treat her well, Tommy.”Arthur tossed a small sac over.
Tommy’s hand sunk at the weight of it before he raising his hand and looking at the bulging sac with wide eyes. “Sire?”
Arthur’s gaze was still on his mare, though Merlin was sure his mind was elsewhere. “Just do your job well.”
“Thank you, Sire.” Tommy’s voice was high with emotion. “Right away, Sire.”
Merlin’s chest burned with pride as he watched a smile spread on Arthur’s face at Tommy’s enthusiasm. Arthur wasn’t perfect, but for a man full of pride and smug confidence to be willing to listen, to be willing to change – it made him a man worth serving. Merlin cleared his throat then and both sets of eyes snap over to the door. “Why don’t you go tell your mother, Tommy? I’m sure she’ll be thrilled that you have such an important job to do for the prince.”
Tommy bounced on the balls of his feet as he turned to Arthur, who nodded his permission.
The minute they were alone, Merlin pinned Arthur with a heated gaze and stalked forward until he was pushing Arthur against the stable wall.
“Merlin, what so you think you are doing?” Arthur stammered. Merlin gave him another shove and his back smacked against the wood.
“I’m going to show you the difference between someone who does this because they want to, rather than because they are getting paid to.” Before Arthur could reply, Merlin fell to his knees.
Re: Arthur/Merlin Arthur being honourable makes them do it [Part 3a/3]
“Sir Leon.” Merlin put down the bucket he’d been carrying to begin to prepare for Arthur’s bath. “You are back from patrol early.”
“A storm’s rolling in and the prince ordered us back before we were caught in it,” Leon said. “Arthur's still in a temper, though. He’s in the stables still, if you are looking for him."
Merlin’s stomach plummeted. Jaw set, he stormed over to the stables. Arthur had barely spoken a dozen words combined to Merlin over the course of the week. Merlin's mocking reverence had turned awkward as his rage grew stale and Arthur became more and more impossible to read. He'd catch Arthur looking at him, his lips pressed tight and brow furrowed, only to have Arthur avert his gaze the instant he'd been spotted. He thought he’d made his point, had hoped Arthur had understood and that it was guilt and embarrassment in his eyes.
Merlin opened the stable door, hot with anger and disappoint. His eyes immediately went to the far wall, but found it empty of shadows this time. Instead, he heard voices over by the stall of Arthur’s favourite mare.
“And I’d like her brushed down morning and night. It will be outside of your regular duties here, you understand. I want you to take good care of her.” Arthur panted the mare’s neck as he spoke. “It’s Tommy, isn’t it?”
Tommy stood a little taller, and Merlin was a bit surprise to remember that Tommy was actually older than he was. He was smaller, thinner and had a face that was always smudged with dirt.“Yes, Sire! Tommy.”
“You treat her well, Tommy.”Arthur tossed a small sac over.
Tommy’s hand sunk at the weight of it before he raising his hand and looking at the bulging sac with wide eyes. “Sire?”
Arthur’s gaze was still on his mare, though Merlin was sure his mind was elsewhere. “Just do your job well.”
“Thank you, Sire.” Tommy’s voice was high with emotion. “Right away, Sire.”
Merlin’s chest burned with pride as he watched a smile spread on Arthur’s face at Tommy’s enthusiasm. Arthur wasn’t perfect, but for a man full of pride and smug confidence to be willing to listen, to be willing to change – it made him a man worth serving. Merlin cleared his throat then and both sets of eyes snap over to the door. “Why don’t you go tell your mother, Tommy? I’m sure she’ll be thrilled that you have such an important job to do for the prince.”
Tommy bounced on the balls of his feet as he turned to Arthur, who nodded his permission.
The minute they were alone, Merlin pinned Arthur with a heated gaze and stalked forward until he was pushing Arthur against the stable wall.
“Merlin, what so you think you are doing?” Arthur stammered. Merlin gave him another shove and his back smacked against the wood.
“I’m going to show you the difference between someone who does this because they want to, rather than because they are getting paid to.” Before Arthur could reply, Merlin fell to his knees.
[more to come...]