Merlin's magic (Oneshots) 1

Wired (part 7): Change

Arthur was crowned only half an hour later.
The council had easily agreed to make him king now. Mostly, because it was very clear that Uther wasn't fit to be king any longer.
Arthur still refused to visit him.

But that was not the point anyway. It was deep in the night, when the crown finally found it's rightful place on Arthur's head and Geoffrey – the librarian and long time council member – pronounced him king.

The cheers fell dull on Arthur's ears. He could only hear Merlin, who had been send to stand next to Gaius, at the window. Normally, Merlin should have stood in the crowd.
Now however, he had a completely different status and no one seemed to know where to place him exactly.
"Long live the king.", Merlin's voice echoed over their heads. And it was all Arthur's head latched on to.

It was too late in the night to hold a feast, but all that would be arranged in the morning. The people who had come from far away (like Hunith), were offered a place in the castle.
And the knights had decided to go to the tavern to celebrate anyway.
Merlin and Arthur, too, were invited. But before Merlin could agree to come along, Arthur had held him back to speak with him alone.

From the corner of his eyes, Arthur could see Gwen smiling proudly at him, before turning around and talking to Lancelot. Before the veil, Gwen and Lancelot had most often avoided each other. But since Gwen knew what Lancelot would have done for her, she couldn't help but feel almost obligated to rekindle their friendship.
A development that should worry Arthur. And it did, to some extend. But he merely nodded at Gwen with a heavy heart, before dragging Merlin to his chambers by the sleeve.

Once they arrived at Arthur's chambers, Arthur slammed the door shut behind him. He let go of Merlin, who now stood at the door, slightly dumbfounded by Arthur's sudden rage.

"HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID?!", Arthur yelled, even though he wasn't face to face with Merlin. At the end of the room he halted and turned around to glare at Merlin from a distance.

Merlin stiffened under his glare and held up both his hands in defense. Arthur didn't let him speak.
"You've had magic this ENTIRE time! You USED it EVERY day! For chores no less! Right in FRONT of my father!
You made me look like a FOOL out there!"
Arthur was almost red in the face, his blood was boiling so much.

"To be completely honest, it IS kind of ridiculous how often you fall unconscious at the exact right time."

"My father would have had you EXECUTED, if I wasn't!", Arthur didn't see a point in denying it. Merlin was right, after all. It WAS ridiculous. Another part of him wanted to laugh, because Merlin was still acting the same. Still insolent, still commenting Arthur, even though the difference in their status should not allow it.
Not even a court sorcerer was allowed to speak like that to a king.

"Sorry?", Merlin said, taken aback by the sudden use of concern in Arthur's voice.

Why was it that this idiot always only apologized for being alive? Why was that so – Merlin.
Arthur groaned.
He turned around again and pulled at his hair.
"You know, for all the good stuff you did, you really fucked up half your decisions, you do realize that, right?", Arthur commented.
He didn't need to see Merlin, to know that he flinched at that. And that he nodded as well.
Arthur turned around again and sighed.

"You gave Agravaine so many reasons to talk against you, you know that?"

Merlin smiled. "You wanted the whole truth. This was the whole truth."
"Everything?"
"Everything.", Merlin confirmed.

Arthur relaxed under the earnest expression Merlin wore. With his stupid blue eyes and the servant outfit that looked too ragged and well worn for a court sorcerer.
They should do something about that.