Merthur One Shots

Faded Scars

Date Published: July 15th, 2022
Word Count: 3354
A/N: Starting off with a classic scars reveal cause Merlin doesn't really show skin in the show but you know that boy has some marks from the shit he's been through. He's also oblivious to how much others care about him.

Arthur swished the wine in his goblet around before taking another sip. He let out a satisfied hum. The day had been a long one, but in the low hours of the evening he could finally relax.

The prince was always on his feet; whether it was training with the knights or helping his father with matters in court, Arthur had many responsibilities that came before his own personal wants. A good horse ride through woods would beat a day of conferences every time. There were many days that he'd rather have spent doing nothing. Ironically, doing nothing was not something a royal was allowed to do. A royal was expected to serve as a constant role model for their citizens. His father had instilled it in him at a young age that he always needed to be doing something helpful for the kingdom.

Fortunately, a prince was not tasked with duties past sunset. Arthur was free to do whatever he pleased. With a star-filled sky outside his window and the low crackling of the fire, what pleased him was doing nothing. Right now, he could do nothing. There was no one around to see him.

The sharp clanging of something falling to the floor reminded him that there was, in fact, one person around to see him.

Arthur looked up from his wine, glaring at his manservant. In mere moments, the peaceful atmosphere was broken. The man was standing across the room with a guilty expression. There was a candle holder on the floor in front of him and a lone candle rolling away.

"The uh... the candle wouldn't go into the holder so I was trying to shove in and it just sorta..." Merlin gestured to where it was on the floor. "Sorry."

The prince emptied his goblet of its contents and clicked his tongue condescendingly. "Leave it to you to fail at something as simple as lighting a candle," he said. The words were harsh but there was no bite in his voice. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Merlin's lips quirk up as he leant down to pick up candle holder. He let out a heavy sigh as he relaxed against his chair again. "When you're done cleaning that up, refill my goblet will you?"

"Of course Sire, but I have to say, as much as you accuse me of going to the tavern too much, you are certainly liberal with how much wine you drink," Merlin said from his place on the floor.

Arthur chuckled a little and closed his eyes, tipping his head back. "You see Merlin, the difference is that I don't turn into a bumbling idiot after a single sip of alcohol."

The manservant scoffed and grumbled about him never having seen him drink under his breath. He crossed the room to the small serving table where a large pitcher of wine sat. He glanced at how much was left, noting that the prince hadn't had as much as he thought. It was still mostly full. There was no way he was even tipsy.

Merlin shrugged, turning to take the pitcher to where Arthur sat. In a manner only he could achieve, he stumbled, spilling the wine all over the floor.

"For God's sake, Merlin!" he exclaimed as he jumped up from his chair. He quickly started inspecting his clothes, checking for wine that might've splashed on him. "How on earth did you manage to fall? There was nothing there to trip over! You're fortunate that you didn't get any on my clothes considering you're the one who's going to be washing them. Now I don't have anymore wine to drink, you clotpole!"

"Yeah it's not like I meant to spill the wine, prat," the boy replied grumpily. He grabbed the cloth napkins from the table and started to covering the spill. He wiped at the floor. "I have to clean this too."