[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.]