I Never Listen To You

[Arthur Pendragon]

There was a great deal that had been running through the Prince's mind. He knew for a second, that he was not going to let Merlin die for something that Arthur had caused. He was only to blame for this, so why should a friend have to pay the price? No. He would break the curse, and if the only way to do this was the drink the poison, then he would do so willing, without a moment's hesitation. He was not about to let Merlin be all self sacrificial. "Look out," he said, his point and gaze directed at absolutely nothing. It worked though, because Merlin turned to see, creating the perfect distraction and giving Arthur time to grab the goblet that had all the liquid in it . . . including the poison.

He heard Merlin's objections and ignored them. The last thing he said though, he said with an anxious smile, as inside of him, he held a bit of fear over meeting his death. "You know me Merlin, I never listen to you," he claimed. He raised the goblet, as if to say 'cheers' and drank the entire content of it in one massive gulp. When he was done, he swallowed loudly and set the glass down. Looking at Merlin, not feeling any different, and jut waiting. The waiting. It was only a few seconds, but it felt like years. Then, before he knew it, everything around him became blurry, until darkness consumed him, and he collapsed to the floor, with the mindset that he would never wake up.


_{Setting: At the Labyrinth of Gedref
Time of Day: Morning
Timeline: Season 1, when Arthur drinks the goblet with the 'poison'
Tag: Merlin Caradoc
Notes: I'll have him wake up in my next post!}

[pie]

He never should have come. He should have listened to Arthur and stayed in Camelot. If for just once he had placed his total trust in Arthur and stayed away, then they wouldn't be in this situation. But no, he had come, and now one of them had to die. He wanted to be that person, he wanted to die to protect the Prince, to protect his friend. But no, Arthur had to be all noble and declare that he would die instead. How could this be happening?

He was an idiot. He fell for Arthur's trick. Only too late did he realize it was a lie, and he turned back to see Arthur pouring all the liquid into one goblet. His goblet. "No! I will drink it!" he protested. He had to be the one, Arthur couldn't die! "You can't die, this isn't your destiny! Listen to me--" He was interrupted with words only too true, but at the same time, they tore at his heart. He wouldn't listen to him... "Arthur! No!" came the exclamation as Arthur drowned the contents from the goblet. He gave him a worried look, and said, wanting to deny what had just happened, "What have you done?"

No. This had to be a dream. Arthur couldn't die! As soon as Arthur fell from his seat, he stood up and rushed to the man's side, once more exclaiming "Arthur! No!" He fell be the man's side, by his friend's side, and felt his chest, trying to feel a pulse, shaking him to try and wake him. "Arthur! Arthur! Come on! Arthur, come on! Come on!" he kept repeating it, deny what his eyes saw. They must be deceiving him! He turned to Anhora, a begging expression etched on his face. "Please! Please, just... let me take his place!" he begged. But it appeared the old man wouldn't. "You killed him. I was meant to protect him!"

"He's not dead. He has merely consumed a sleeping drought. He will come around shortly."

"What?" he whispered out. Arthur was alive? He felt relieved, so relieved! Arthur hadn't died! He didn't know how to express that feeling. Once he had hated Arthur, practically, and now Merlin was ready to die for him, and worried for his life.

"A unicorn is pure of heart. If you kill one, you must make amends by proving that you are also, pure of heart. Arthur was willing to sacrifice his life to save yours. He has proven what is truly in his heart. The curse will be lifted."

Merlin looked back to Arthur, even more relieved. He had saved his people, saved Camelot. He couldn't stop a smile from pulling across his face...

[ WOO!!! 100^th POST!!!! ]

[Arthur Pendragon]

When Arthur was 'sleeping' his mind caught images of random things, reliving recent events, and he could have sworn he heard Anhora's voice say something. But the Prince could not move or react. He was rested -- unbeknown to him yet -- in a deep slumber that would take several minutes to awake from. When he had drank that Goblet, he never expected to wake up. He expected the last person he would ever see to be Merlin, and the last thought in his mind to be that Merlin was still alive, and that the Prince had died for his kingdom; a great honor indeed. But, he was not dead.

Arthur slowly began to open eyes. It took him a bit of time, for they felt extremely heavy. As he slowly began to open, his vision was extremely blurred. He was regaining his consciousness in a slowened pace, trying to figure out what was going on. Where was he? What had just happened? Why was his head bounding? Why was he on the cold, hard ground? When his vision cleared a bit more, a very familiar figure came into view: it was Merlin. Arthur let out a very small grown as he closed his eyes for a moment, feeling it was easier to keep them closed right now than fight the heaviness of them. That was when flashes of what had happened began to appear in his mind. "If I'm dead, then clearly I'm in hell if the first thing I see is you." Even if Arthur's barley fully conscious state, he still managed to mock his friend.

[OMG!!! YES!! CONGRATS!!! And it was such a GREAT 100th POST!!!]

[pie]

Merlin continued to kneel beside Arthur, grinning widely the whole time. It had been a strange feeling, going from really upset to suddenly happy. He couldn't help it, though. Arthur was alive, just sleeping, not dead! And Camelot was saved! Saved from the curse, saved from starvation, saved from inevitable extinction. And all because Arthur wasn't all the stuck up Prince he was on the outside. So when Arthur finally opened his eyes, and promptly mocked him, he let out a choked chuckle.

"You're alive!" he exclaimed, obviously happy. "You had me so worried there, but you are alive!" He took a few breaths to compose himself, then pulled back a little so that he wasn't totally too close to Arthur. He forced a scowl for Arthur's benefit, though the corners of his mouth still twisted upwards, and said, "You aren't in hell, silly! You never died at all!" He couldn't admit how much saying those things made him happy.

[ Thank you! But... I must say, it sucked the life out of this post! *referring to its shortess* Or I could be tired... lol. ]

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur reopened his eyes, this time, forcing himself to keep them open. Otherwise, would just end up laying here for hours, possibly napping! He saw how ecstatic Merlin was, and that gave him an odd comfort, though he dare not show it. His actions towards Merlin was what demonstrated how much the Prince valued him; it was not through words. Merlin on the other hand, had a far easier time being to emotive and expressive in the way he spoke. He had not been taught to hold back his emotions, or talk about his feelings, and his constant encouragement for Arthur to do the same, was frequent, but unsuccessful.

He was alive. He was not dead. These were the two main things that stuck in Arthur's head, taking comfort in the fact that he would not die. That he woke up, and the plan was for him to remain awake. As Arthur processed these words, he forced himself to at least sit up, feeling his heavy head, and paying no attention to it. As he was now sitting upwards, the thought -- or fear -- of the curse immediately came into his mind. "And what of the curse?" Arthur asked, looking at Merlin, rather worried that the plan had not worked. He was not sure why he was alive, when he was supposed to be dead. Did it mean he failed the test? That Camelot was doomed? Arthur was going to have to rely on Merlin to get the answers, for he would not be able to wait for the entire ride back to the city, to find out the answer.

[Your posts are NEVER bad!!! Its all about quality, not quantity, and I loved Merlin in your last reply!]

[pie]

Merlin couldn't express the relief he was feeling as Arthur sat up. Though at the same time, he was also worried -- it didn't look like Arthur was without much pain. Not a very safe sleeping drought! He bit his lip a little, worried that he would push himself too far, but thankfully he didn't. He gave in to his internal urges and let the fake scowl be replaced by another grin. He didn't care how ridiculous he looked right now. He had no intention of hiding how much he was glad that his friend was indeed alive! Alive and well!

Arthur's words brought some seriousness back to Merlin. Though most of it was faked, as he knew exactly how Camelot fared... or at least, what Anhora said, and he trusted him in this matter. "Oohh... I don't know. I actually think Camelot's..." he paused, as if afraid to speak words of doom. But then his smile and cheeriness returned in the blink of an eye, and he continued with, "Fine. Camelot's fine, Arthur. You did it, you passed the test!"

He grinned like a little child with a new, interesting toy. Really, you could say that Merlin felt like a child right now -- in spirits. High spirits that couldn't be deterred now that he new Arthur was okay. And that Arthur had succeeded in his goal at the same time -- to save Camelot from the curse. Though, he still didn't approve of his methods! And almost immediately his mood darkened at this thought. "And if you ever do that again, you arrogant prat," he warned in a not-so-strained growl, and his hand came out quickly to smack Arthur on the side of the head -- though not hard, because he didn't want to hurt him or anything in this condition. "I'll hit you again!" Despite how he said the words, his worry would still show through, etched on his face.

[ ^^ Good, then I am happy! ]

[Arthur Pendragon]

As soon as Merlin had begun to talk about the kingdom possibly not being rid of the cure, Arthur's fear immediately returned and his expression became horribly worried . . . only to have Merlin quickly reassure him otherwise. The Prince silently breathed a sigh of relief, to be reassured that Camelot would not be doomed; that it would continue to flourish. That the crops would return and the water supply stay. "What a ridiculous test," Arthur grumbled, using the exact same word to describe it as he had when Anhora first explained it to him. Though he saw his friend's happiness -- which meant that he could not possibly have any doubt about the kingdom's future, Arthur still needed to be absolutely positive. "Merlin, are you certain he will lift the curse?" Was Anhora reliable enough? He was a sorcerer and the Prince did not easily trust them; in fact, he did not trust anyone with magic. Anhora already appeared to deceive him multiple times . . . could they really rely on him now, even though they had no other choice?

Wait . . . had Merlin just called him a prat?! WAIT! Had he just smacked him?! AND threatened him?! This was enough to get a glare directed to Merlin, but at the same time, it was not as intense as it could have been, for Arthur could not fully wave the relief from him, to the point of completely looking threateningly at Merlin for doing what he just had. "And if you ever do that again," He began, referring to the fact that he had just smacked him. Of course it wasn't hard, but still! That wasn't the point. "Then drinking a poisoned goblet will be the least of your worries," he told him, as he began to try and stand up.

"Besides, why can't you just do as your told and stay in once place, instead of following me." -- Following him into danger, constantly. Arthur had an annoyed tone in his voice, but he had purposely exaggerated it to make it to the point of unbelievable. He had told Merlin that he was glad he had come, and he did not regret those words. Had Merlin died, he would have thought very differently of course, and he would have blamed himself for not doing something more drastic to keep him in the castle. The fact that Merlin did follow him, just showed how loyal he was; it was a loyalty that surpassed the one expected of any servant to his master. And it was why Arthur regarded him as more of a friend than just a worker in his castle.

[pie]

Merlin couldn't actually agree that it was a ridiculous test. Perhaps a strange one, one that had nearly made him have a heart attack at the conclusion of it, but it was sound. It made sense. And Arthur had passed, thank God. If he hadn't, now Merlin's opinion on the test would have been quite different, and he would have been quite angry over it; after getting through his shock and denial, of course. He was still a little shocked, and only more so after the fact that Arthur had survived, but now it was a good shock, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

He wasn't sure if Anhora would actually lift it. No... he thought that they could trust him. "Arthur..." he said in a contemplative tone. "Actually, I don't think it's Anhora that can lift the curse. I think there was a deeper magic at work, a magic that involved something that he couldn't put to pass. He said that when you kill a Unicorn, you must prove yourself pure of heart. And you did that. I think we can trust him that the curse will be lifted, yes."

To Arthur's response about him hitting him, Merlin's grin widened. He didn't usually take the threats seriously, and now he took it even less seriously, because he was just too happy. "You are okay! The same old Arthur!" he laughed. He watched Arthur worriedly, though, when he tried to stand up, but he didn't seem to be having too much trouble, so he let his grin return and also stood up. And then Arthur commented about him coming here. He knew that Arthur couldn't be too serious, he had said that he was glad that Merlin had come, but he still answered seriously, yet still wore his smile, "Because you're my friend. And that's what friends do, Arthur."

[Arthur Pendragon]

Thank god. Hearing a further explanation of Anhora's decision and intentions continued to bring peace of mind to the Prince. Who knew that killing a creature would bring about the destruction of an entire kingdom. Were they really that valued? He had not even realized it. Yes, the creature was beautiful, but as a hunter, he had regarded it as more of a prize to present to his father rather than something that should be gazed upon and only cherished by sight. He knew what he would have to do when he returned to the kingdom, because the guilt of killing such a magnificent animal was starting to sink in. "I'm sure he had the power to lift the curse all along," Arthur argued, still a bit bitter towards the sorcerer, though he knew that it had really been only his fault for bringing suffering amongst his own people.

"But at least he gave another chance, to prove myself then, if that was the only way to lift it," He added, not wanting to anger Anhora, just in case he decided to retaliate. Arthur paused for a moment, a thought suddenly occurring to him. "What would the test have been had you not come along?" He asked not knowing if Merlin had the answer, but maybe Anhora had said something about that. After all, it had meant to be a test for Arthur . . . had the mysterious sorcerer anticipated Merlin to be here as well? Odd. Very odd how things had worked out and quite frankly, it was a bit unsettling.

Arthur rarely used the word friend to describe Merlin, though he obviously felt differently. "Yes well your actions as a friend," -- He said with a bit of emphasis on the word to almost make it sound sarcastic -- "Could have gotten you killed. So next time, why don't you actually listen when I tell you to do something." His voice was still sarcastic, and still held that frustration . . . but really, it was all for show. "That is after all your job," he added a bit shortly.

[pie]

Merlin shrugged to Arthur's persistent argument. Of course Anhora might have had the power to lift it all along, how could he be for sure? In his opinion, the whole curse had been rather pointless. Why make a whole kingdom of people suffer for one person's actions? He sort of understood the intentions behind it, and the silent point that one person could change anything, for bad or for good. But that didn't mean that he agreed with it, of course.

"Perhaps he did, Arthur," he replied. "But the point is that it is over now, and you can go back and face your people knowing that they won't suffer from the curse any longer." And be alive during it, of course. But he didn't add that part. "Besides, I think that was the only way to lift it." After it was put on Camelot, anyway. Which he also didn't add.

And then Arthur asked a question that Merlin himself had to wonder about. Yes, what would the test have been if Merlin has been an obedient servant and stayed behind like his master ordered? "I don't know," he answered truthfully. "I think he anticipated my following you, knew that I would come after you even if you ordered me otherwise. I don't know what the test would have been if I hadn't come." Then, as an afterthought, he added, "Maybe he would have conjured some kind of illusion or something?"

When Arthur commented that he should have listened to him and stayed behind, Merlin shook his head profusely. He disagreed with the Prince, and he would always disagree on this point. "No, my job is to protect you," he protested with all seriousness. Sure, his job as servant was to remain loyal to Arthur, to do as told. But he also included protecting him in that, because Arthur was his master, and he the servant. He was also his friend, and Merlin's destiny was to protect him and help him become King, so all in all, his job was to protect the stubborn man. "And if 'getting killed' is the only way, than that is what I will do. You're the future King, destined to be great. You can't do that if you're dead." He added, with a hint of what could have been bitterness -- though really it was just an afterthought --, "I know, I know, I can't do anything except clean and be useless. You don't need to point it out." Even though he didn't.

[Arthur Pendragon]

That was true. He would not have to return to Camelot, humiliated by his failure that would result in the suffering of his people, and the ultimate downfall of the kingdom. "Thank god for that," he added in a low, highly relieved voice. He would always take this incident as a strong reminder of how easy it was to let your pride cloud your judgment. And while Arthur knew that it was not something he could so easily change about himself, he would have to be more careful in the future. Arthur had far too much pride to just put it aside after this one time, but it certainly did make him more aware of it . . . and that was at least a start.

"Lets hope we never have to find out again," he added, hoping that no one would kill another unicorn in Camelot. It would be an excellent way to bring down their enemies though. Hmm. Perhaps he could persuade Cenred to kill a unicorn, claiming it brought great power. He doubted such a king would be able to pass any tests or prove himself pure of heart. This thought brought amusement to the Prince, and he couldn't help but smirk at the random thought, since he would never really act on it.

He didn't really expect Merlin to give him a distinct answer. He couldn't have know what other tricks Anhora had up his sleeve. "Even I didn't know for sure that you would come," he said a bit sarcastically, but truthfully at the same time. He knew there had been a slight possibility but he had thought that his attempt to convince Merlin to stay had actually worked. "Its strange that Anhora seemed to know you so well." How did he know for certain that Merlin would show up? He seemed to know him well . . . too well for having just met him.

His job was to protect him? No. If anything, it was the other way around. Arthur was the future king of Camelot; it was his duty to protect his subjects. And he was just thankful that he had not failed in this specific case where Merlin was concerned. Arthur just stayed silent for a few moments, waiting for Merlin to finish, thinking it was a bit funny that he had predicted the Prince's words. But Arthur did not say them out loud. Instead, he stayed in a bit of a pensive silence. "Its not your job to protect me," he stated bluntly, as if it was a non debatable subject. "Leave your job to polishing my armor and cleaning my chambers. Don't get in over your head," he said sarcastically. Truth was, it was comforting to be reminded that Merlin was so dedicated to him; that there was a strong loyalty between the two friends. But of course, he was not sentimental enough to phrase such things. Perhaps he would eventually allow some of it to slip out . . . eventually.

[pie]

Yes, Merlin silently agreed, thank god that the curse was lifted. With all those innocent people suffering for one man's actions -- even if Arthur had intended no harm. Right, of course he didn't agree with killing such a beautiful, majestic creature, but how would any of them have known that it would bring a curse down upon Camelot?

"We can continue to hope," he replied in a whisper. Though, who knew if anyone would ever come across another Unicorn? Hopefully, if they did, they wouldn't shoot it, or it would get away. Or, perhaps no one would ever see another Unicorn during a hunting trip. Yes, that was perhaps for the best. He raised an eyebrow at Arthur's smirk, though didn't question whatever he was thinking about.

Of course Arthur didn't know. But Merlin wasn't the type to sit back and let his friend run off into danger alone. He needed someone to watch his back -- even if he didn't realize that it was him. Oh, whenever he finally got around to letting the Prince know, how shocked Arthur would be! To know that he wasn't as useless as he seemed. This made him smirk himself in amusement.

"I wasn't just going to let you ride off to take a test that could have gotten you killed," Merlin informed. "I'm not that much of a clotpole like you." Though Arthur also had a point. How had Anhora known he would come? Probably because of the whole "Emrys" thing and it being his destiny to protect Arthur. Yeah, that would make more sense. "I have no clue how he knows me so well," he lied.

Merlin couldn't help but just let a slight glare creep onto his face when Arthur stated his job was otherwise. He quickly got rid of it though, as of course Arthur didn't know his biggest secret. He didn't know he had magic, nor about their destinies. So, who could blame him, really? Still, even if it wasn't his destiny, and he had somehow got to be Arthur's servant, he knew that he would still feel the same, that it was his job to protect Arthur. "It's my job to protect my friends, Arthur!" he argued. "I'm not getting in over my head! Do you know how I felt when I thought you just died you stinking prat?!" Awful, upset, torn, fearful, angry. About around those lines.

[WOOT! 200^th post in the same thread as my 100^th!!!!]

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur had a deep appreciation for Merlin's words, though he would never show it. It was why he could so easily mock and tease him . . . because deep down, it really was Arthur's way of showing his gratitude and bond with Merlin. Even though it was in a bit of a twisted, peculiar and indirect way. It was how Arthur often dealt with his emotions, especially those associated with friendship. "You weren't going to let me?" His rhetorical question sounded sarcastic . . . as if Merlin had that much control of Arthur. It was really just going back to his ridiculing of the man above all else.

"I should probably stop underestimating you." He said, half kidding. He should not have expecting Merlin to stay in the castle . . . just because he had told him to. Though he still hung on to the words he had said to Merlin when he came . . . that he was glad he was here. "The only reason I'm a clotpole is for believing you'd actually do what you've been told." Yet, he did not regret Merlin coming. He would have only done so had something happened to his friend. But thankfully, neither of them had to worry about that. Things worked out for the best. It was always those looming 'what if' questions that caused concern after everything was resolved.

Speaking of unresolved . . . the question of Anhora's extensive knowledge of Merlin would remain undetermined. Then again, he was a sorcerer. He obviously had a great deal of power . . . there were no limits when it came to magic it seemed. They were capable of just about anything and Arthur was learning that more and more each time he encountered some sot of magical being or practitioner. "Well I hope we never see him again to ask him." He had no desire to go through this whole thing again . . . once was bad enough.

Arthur was not the best at expressing sentiment so he decided to use a bit more sarcasm. "You probably felt relieved since you wouldn't have to polish any more armor or do any more cleaning," he answered jokingly. Slightly amused by his own joke, his smirk remained in place for a few moments before it slowly began to vanish. "Thank you Merlin," he said with more sincerity this time. "But as I said, it is not your duty to do such things. And it will certainly never be your duty to die in my place." He spoke with a certain finality in his tone, as if the subject was not up for debate. Merlin had done it before, sacrificed himself for Arthur, and Arthur had felt immensely guilty for it. Which was why he would not let it happen again. He did not plan to let anyone die for him if he could help it.

[[ WOO!! THATS AWESOME! Maybe it'll be your 300th post hahahah ]]

[pie]

At Arthur's questioning -- was it rhetorical or sarcastic? -- of him "not letting" him ride of to take a death-test, Merlin nodded, smiling sheepishly at him. Of course he wouldn't let him ride off like that! Arthur was his friend, and not only that, but despite the man not knowing it, Merlin had to protect him! "Of course, you'd get bored otherwise," he answered, and despite his grin, he forced it to come out somewhat seriously and matter-of-fact, only adding to the ridiculousness.

"Of course you should stop underestimating me," was his reply to Arthur's partially-joking words. "Yeah, you're a clotpole for believing I would listen. When will you ever learn that I am not about to let that armor get ruined, I put too much time into it." Of course that wasn't his reason for coming, Arthur would know that, he had already pretty much stated that he had come here because of Arthur, not his armor. Merlin wouldn't have been able to sit back knowing that Arthur might die, worrying that he would die, waiting frantically for his return while putting a hole in his floor from scrubbing it so much because his thoughts were elsewhere!

Merlin didn't particularly mind if he ever saw Anhora again, though he agreed somewhat with Arthur's statement. If they saw Anhora again, it'd probably be because some fool killed another Unicorn. Hopefully that fool wouldn't be Arthur! Or better yet, hopefully there wouldn't be a fool at all! He knew, or suspected that he knew, why Anhora knew so much about him, however. Probably something to do with this whole "Emrys" thing. He still wasn't too sure how all that was suppose to work out, or why he was Emrys. "I couldn't agree more," he answered, though his tone was more thoughtful, more curious, as he was still lost in his thoughts.

He pulled back to reality when Arthur joked with him, and his grin returned to replace his thoughtful look. "Yeah, I've about had enough of washing your socks," he playfully agreed. When Arthur spoke again, with more sincerity, Merlin's smile also faded as he listened to his words. "Fine, it's not my duty," he agree softly. He remained silent a moment, then added, "It is my wish. Not to die, per say, but if my death meant you would live, then I wouldn't want it any other way. And not because you are a stubborn, egotistical prat... but because you are my friend."

[Maybeee! lol]

[Arthur Pendragon]

That much was true. The fact that Merlin was . . . different, was what had intrigued him in the first place. His father had just so happened to appoint him his manservant. Had he not, they probably would not have become friends . . . but Arthur's curiosity would have continued to get the better of him and he would have kept tormenting Merlin whenever he saw him on the streets. He did in fact keep things interesting, and his undying loyalty never ceased to amaze the prince. Merlin's willingness to put his life on the line for Arthur was always a surprise, only to be quickly replaced by a strange sense of honor. Even if Merlin was a servant, Arthur still felt honored by his devotion. This of course, he would never admit to anyone.

"Sometimes I think I'm better off with a boring servant rather than you," he claimed jokingly of course. Anything to counter the deep bond of friendship Arthur felt with him. "Don't worry. When we get back, you'll have the rest of the day to continue to care for this armor," he said mockingly, though there was some truth in his words for his armor did need a good polishing after everything that happened today. It was just yet another reminder that Merlin still had his chores . . . something that Arthur found amusement in reminding Merlin of. "In addition to your other chores of course," he added with a bit of a grin.

Arthur paused, looking at Merlin as he spoke his next words. Once again, they meant more than Arthur could express. He was not a sentimental person, and so all he could do really was just stare at him for a moment. That same strong sense of honor only grew stronger and it even comforted the Prince in a strange way that even someone who had become his closest friend was literally someone he could trust with his life . . . for Arthur knew how willingly he would even trade his own to save Merlin. "Let us hope it never comes to that," Arthur said in a low voice, and in a bit of a pensive tone. "So you had better make a better wish," he said in a lighter, yet equally stubbornly for he would not allow to let Merlin, or anyone else die in his place . . . especially if he could avoid it.

[pie]

Better off with a boring servant, eh? Merlin grinned at that, he couldn't help it, he knew that Arthur was joking. They were just servant and master, they were friends, something he was extremely happy about. He was proud of how much Arthur had changed, proud of the Prince that he had once rather hated. How much Arthur had progressed in becoming a man that would indeed be a great King in the future. And how proud Merlin was to call himself his servant. Well, most of the time, at least. Sometimes there was just that irritation thing going on that made him not so sure... But he would never give his position up for anything in the world. What a surprising turn of events this whole thing had taken. First he had absolutely been apalled when Uther had named him Arthur's manservant, and now he couldn't imagine life without that job.

"Yes, I'm sure you would be. One that would never give you anything different to do, always obeying every order. I can't imagine how annoying that would be," he said, dramatically shaking his head. No, he knew Arthur was joking, and it didn't bother him. But then Arthur reminded him of his chores, and his grin promptly faded into a frown. "Oh come on, can't I have the rest of the day off or something? I came all this way for you!" he complained. Though he knew the answer. And while he would prefer to actually not have to do his chores today, and rather tomorrow, he knew that if he waited, they would be even worse! Imagine Arthur's room if he skipped a day! Yikes!

But the mood turned serious again, and his frown also disappeared to a more steady, blank one, almost. He stared back at Arthur, and gave a small nod when the Prince spoke. Yes, hopefully it wouldn't come to anyone having to die. It would be a much better time indeed if both of them lived, if everyone could live. But times weren't always happy, weren't always good luck. Sometimes the bad happened, and all you could do was wish for the good. "As long as you don't put yourself in too much danger, we should be okay," he replied, and while usually he would speak it jokingly, it came out in a serious tone. "And while I may wish, if you don't want me to die, you better hope that all these chores you give me don't kill me first." That one was a joke. Lighten the serious mood, for both of them knew that they couldn't convince the other not to put themselves in danger for each other.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur acted as he deeply thought about how tempting having an obedient servant would be. "You make that sound like a bad thing," he mocked. "A servant who does their tasks perfectly, and is never late, and always listens . . . now that is the ideal servant." In all honestly, Arthur would never consider for a moment firing Merlin, though he may have done so in the past . . . only once really. Merlin was that little annoying voice of conscience whenever he needed someone to give him that extra encouragement to do the right thing. before, it had mostly been Morgana, but now, it was becoming Merlin. And that gave the Prince a deep respect for him. "But unfortunately, I'm stuck with you. So will have to make do with what I have . . . for now." And for hopefully a very long time. But where would the fun be in revealing such truths to Merlin. It was far more entertaining for him to mock and tease.

Speaking of which, Arthur scoffed a bit at Merlin's mere suggestion. Rest of the day off?! Arthur tried to think of the last time he had given Merlin time off, just for the sake of it. "The way I see it, you disobeyed strict orders. You were told to remain in the castle, and you went against my commands. Such negligence should be punished, not rewarded." And yet, Arthur had known deep down, that Merlin would have come . . . and seeing that he did, provided great comfort to him. Again, not something he was willing to reveal. He had even vocalized it with sincerity when seated across from him at that make shift table, awaiting whatever test Anhora had in store for them.

While Arthur appreciated Merlin's concern, he knew he could make no such promises. He was the leader of the knights; it was them that the people turned to for comfort in their security and well being. And he would never cower away just because it was too dangerous, or just because it was not safe. Oddly enough, Merlin seemed to do the same . . . and he was less trained in the art of combat. Arthur gave a short chuckle at his comment about the death of him being all his chores. "Sounds rather tempting if you ask me," he stated, smiling. "We should get a move on. There will be a great deal to do when we get back." While Anhora assured him -- or Merlin rather -- that the curse would be lifted, Arthur needed to see it for himself.