So Where Do We Go From Here?

bonus:

"Who is Arthur's best and most trusted friend?"

Arthur: I don’t have friends, I can’t afford to as crown prince. As for trust, I of course have complete faith in my knights. Thats all. Nobody else. Nope.

Merlin: Probably himself, the egotistical prat.

Morgana: Merlin, though Arthur won’t ever admit it.

Gwen: Merlin.

Leon: Merlin, who is well deserved of Arthur’s trust.

Gwaine: Merlin.

Elyan, Percival and Lancelot: Merlin.

Mordred: Merlin. Like, super intense friendship there, I don’t know if its healthy.

Gaius: Merlin.

Hunith: Merlin.

Camelot: Merlin.

Kilgharrah: The other half of the coin.

Morgause: Merlin.

Uther: Without a doubt that idiot serving boy. Marvin? Mertin? Merlin that’s it. Far too close for a servant but he has proven himself a loyal ally against magic.

Merlin: Can I go to the movies tonight?

Gaius: What do I look like? Your dad? Do whatever the hell you want. I don't care.

Merlin: Okay--

Gaius: But be home by ten, don't talk to strangers, and remember to look both ways before crossing the street.

Merlin:

Gaius: Oh, and here, ten bucks for popcorn.

Arthur: We need to talk about your professionalism.

Merlin, standing on the round table with Gwaine: Those are some mighty brave words from someone standing in lava.

Arthur: Oh please, Melin, I’m a prince. So I was born with a certain sense of direction.

Arthur:

Arthur: Now, where are we?

Gaius: I found Merlin, he was sleeping on the job

Merlin: I wasn’t sleeping! I was drugged!

Gaius: Cancel that, Sire, he was doing drugs

I would bet that at one point, probably S1-2, Arthur tries to teach Merlin how to use a dagger and then immediately regrets his entire existence.

Think about it. He has a manservant who is bound and bloody determined to follow him literally everywhere, sometimes literally into the jaws of malevolent creatures, without armour or weapons or even basic survival skills, it seems. Of course, Merlin is more likely to injure himself than anyone else with a sword, so Arthur decides to give him a dagger instead. He was given his first dagger when he was seven. Merlin should be able to handle that, right? A dagger is small enough to be carried around without general suspicion, it’s not heavy enough for balance to be an issue (of course, with Merlin, balance is always an issue) and it doesn’t really require the skill a sword does. Hold the dull end, stick the pointy end in whoever is trying to stick you. It isn’t like Merlin isn’t ever in the thick of a melee anyways, so hopefully he’ll never need much skill.

At first, it almost seems like a good idea. Arthur gives Merlin his very own blade (it was Arthur’s, years ago, so it’s far better than whatever kitchen knife peasants normally use) and it takes, oh, about three days for him to realise that he’s made a terrible mistake when a guard comes and tells him that Merlin almost shanked someone in the tavern and started a brawl that sent three people to see healers. According to Merlin, his almost-victim had been talking unfavourably about Arthur. When he refused to shut his trap, Merlin decided to shut it for him. At dagger-point. He doesn’t know if he should be flattered or horrified than Merlin is willing to bleed someone just because they were speaking ill of Arthur.

This becomes a Thing.

Arthur has Regrets.

Arthur, trying to wrest the dagger out of Merlin’s hands: Let – let go. You can have it back when you learn some self-control. Daggers are for good servants who don’t assault people at random.

Merlin, keeping a death-grip on the hilt and glaring at the drunk who’d compared Arthur to the King: It isn’t random.

Merlin + never quite believing that Arthur can get dressed by himself.

+ Bonus. Arthur the other 99% of the time:

Eirian the Grass King

Elf King Eirian, Lord of Euriad Meysydd. Character from a story I’m writing. His face is based on the lovely Bradley James of Merlin fame.

Available as print from my Fine Art America Shop.

Available as print and other fun stuff at my Society6 page.

Lancelot: How are we going to get in?

Merlin: Don’t worry. We have magic

Merlin: *smashes window*