Merthur One Shots

Flower Crown For The King

Date Published: July 17, 2022
Word Count: 2526
A/N: Well apparently angsty fluff is my specialty, cause this was gonna be pure fluff but then the lead in started getting a little angsty lmfao

The air was crisp and clear. The forest around the patrol was peaceful, surrounding them in soft rustling and animal noises. All the magical energy of the living world flowed through Merlin's veins; it felt like a familiar hug. A calmness washed over him as he let his magic reach out in return. It pulsed through the trees, invisible and silent, but his mind saw the path ahead. It was safe and clear.

He wished he could enjoy the feelings more, but his mood had been gloomy since yesterday. The journey was a social visit to one of the nearby kingdoms. Merlin had been responsible for making sure they had everything, as usual. They did, that is if they weren't going to be dinning with the royal family. He'd remembered everything else, even the fancy clothes the king had requested, but it seemed he managed to forget the most important item. The warlock had forgotten Arthur's formal crown.

It was realized that it was not in any of their supply bags yesterday afternoon during one of their rest stops. As soon as Arthur learned it was forgotten, he'd blown up on Merlin. It had been a good while since the king had truly raised his voice at him, but he was unsurprisingly furious. They were too far into their journey to turn around for something that was technically nonessential. Arthur would have to attend the formal dinner without his crown. It made him look, in the king's words, undignified.

After exhausting practically every insult in his vocabulary, Arthur had sent him away, commanding him to find some chore to keep him busy, to keep him away from him. They hadn't spoken to each other since. The evening prior had consisted of a silent routine of preparing the king for bed and Arthur wouldn't look at him.

Merlin had tried to apologize. He normally thought that Arthur overreacted to his mistakes, but this time he was really beating himself up. The yelling and insults were a bit much, but the warlock understood why he was so mad. Arthur was tasked with constantly upholding a respectable reputation; appearances were everything to snobby court officials. Despite his remorse, the king was still in a sour mood.

The babbling of a brook nearby caught Merlin's ears. It was probably a good idea to rest the horses, and fresh water would allow them to refill their canteens. Merlin trotted up directly next to Arthur. "We should probably stop for a while, the horses could use a break," he said, trying to keep his voice neutral. "I'm pretty sure there's a stream up ahead."

"How would you possible know that?" Arthur responded. His voice was lined with skepticism.

"I can hear it, alright? You don't have to be prat," he said. Frowning, he huffed; he don't know why he bothered be helpful. Merlin glared at him and let his sharp tongue lose. "Although, I guess it's just in your nature, so I shouldn't be too hard on you. It must be difficult being all brawn with no brains under that hair."

The king made an offended noise, turning his head towards him. His face was slightly red with the angry expression he wore. Merlin wondered if he should stop, but it brought him some satisfaction to get back at the way Arthur had been treating him. "How dare you? I'll have you know that there are centuries worth of battle strategies, history, royal protocols, and laws in my head!"

"That must be wide it's so big," Merlin countered.

Arthur looked like he wanted to hit him, but Sir Leon interrupted their bickering. "Pardon me, Sire, but I believe Merlin is right about the stream," he informed him. Once they stopped talking, he realized the sounds of running water had grown close enough for the others to hear. The warlock lifted his chin proudly. "Shall we make camp?"