.021 - i'm sorry arthur has nothing public to say about that flood :c

[onceandfutureprat]

[Arthur is a restless sleeper. And half the time he ends up curled around a pillow just to have something to hold. While that habit will probably be a good thing in his marriage, it's not really that great when the person he's got an arm around is Morgana. Because they were kids yesterday and he let her sleep in his room because hers wasn't suitable and it wasn't as though either one of them would've accepted sleeping on the floor.

So he's holding her like she is his wife, and he's not awake enough to realize that it's all wrong.]


[Private to Merlin]

Lord Merlin, hm?

[Private to Scrad/Charlie]

I apologize. For my behavior towards you in the flood.

[Private to Arya]

Would you like another lesson in your swordplay?

Comments

Private

[takeyouapart]

Felt like a change.

Private

[onceandfutureprat]

[There's every chance that Arthur had been planning on bullying him like normal but this takes a sudden turn for the serious.]

Is that what you want?

Private

[takeyouapart]

[What.]

What?

No. I - no.

Why would you ask that?

Private

[onceandfutureprat]

You'd rather continue as my manservant?

Private

[takeyouapart]

[A pause, then:]

Until the day I die.

Private

[onceandfutureprat]

Why? [Not like, why him but why would you want to keep being his bitch :c]

Private

[takeyouapart]

How else am I supposed to stay close enough to keep you out of trouble?

Private

[onceandfutureprat]

[Ahaha that's not funny at all because he totally needs it doesn't he :c]

Good question.

Private

[takeyouapart]

[Alright alright, serious now.]

Arthur, I don't care what I am to you. If I'd been born to a different station, if I'd been a lord or a knight or if I'd never become your servant and I'd spent these last years picking herbs and delivering salves for Gaius...I still would have done everything that I've done nonetheless. I would have found a way.

Can't deny it would have been trickier, though.

Private

[onceandfutureprat]

[Sorry, it's easier to make stones bleed than to snap Arthur out of feeling sorry for himself :c]

I could just step aside, Merlin. That would make everything easier for you.

Private

[takeyouapart]

[There's a five minute pause, and when he comes back to the network, he sounds broken and furious at the same time and he can barely make his mouth form words.]

How dare you?

[That's it, Arthur. You've lost your wizard until a further air-clearing argument.]

Private to spam

[onceandfutureprat]

[Arthur's honestly surprised by the force of that. And given the headache that's been brewing behind his eyes all morning since he woke up next to Morgana, he's not really in the mood to explore it further in that moment.

Merlin's saved Camelot. Merlin would've done it whether they were friends or not. And it's not that he's ungrateful, because he's not. He has a poor way of showing it, and is a sore loser. And everything he's built his confidence on, all the brave deeds he did, it doesn't feel as rock solid as it used to and he doesn't know where that leaves him. He wants to give up his crown like he wants to chop off his own arm, and he knows that he relies on his knights to help protect the kingdom. He's just... never realized how much he relies on Merlin.

It takes him several hours to wander in the direction of Merlin's room. It's definitely later than normal visiting hours, but that doesn't stop him from knocking. When there's no response, Arthur touches the handle, only to find it locked. That's never happened to him in Camelot, Gaius' door being locked, though none of this really has so he might as well start getting used to it.

His headache is back, and the king walks off, rubbing at his temple.]