When Writers Bleed On Paper

Go Ahead And Light Me Up (They're Burning All The Witches)

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Characters: Arthur Pendragon x Merlin

Setting: Post Canon Season three (The knights absolutely know about Merlin's magic)

Romantic: Yes

Story Type: Fluff/Angst

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"Merlin!" The king called out from his chambers. He looked out of his window, watching as the first snow of the year fell to the ground and covered Camelot in a soft blanket of snow. The door behind him opened, and Arthur turned around, ready to yell at his manservant for forgetting to bring him his lunch. Yet when he turned around, he looked in the eyes of another servant, who bowed his head low as he approached the king.

"I'm sorry to inform you, sire, that no one has seen Merlin or the knights the whole day." Before Arthur could let out his anger on the poor man who had to deliver the message, he had retreated and closed the door, leaving the king behind in his chambers.

Angry, he grabbed his coat from where he threw it over the chest in front of his bed, thinking Merlin would clean it later. His steps echoed through the castle as he walked down the hallways on his way to the stables. Servants, guards, and cooks alike stepped out of his way when Arthur passed them.

When he walked through the doors of the stables, coat blowing behind him, the stable boy startled awake from where he slept, leaning on a pitchfork. "Sire! How can I be of any help?" The boy asked, bowing his head slightly before he stood up straight again, hands behind his back.

At least someone who shows me some respect, Arthur thought as he peeked over the stable boy's shoulder to see if any horses were missing. "Did any of my knight's ride out today?" The boy turned around, counting the horses on his hand. "No, all horses are where they belong, but I think I saw the knights on the training field this morning."

Arthur gave the boy a tight nod and muttered a quiet 'thank you', then he walked back out of the stables, making his way towards the training grounds.

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Laughing, Merlin dodged a snowball that Gwaine had thrown into his direction, still the ball hit his back and crumbled into soft snow that fell over his coat and down his sides. In revenge for Merlin, Percival picked up some of the white powder covering the ground and threw it at Gwaine, who got hit square in the face with it.

Laughing at the ridiculous face Gwaine had made when he got hit, Elyan let himself fall backwards into the snow, the cold slithering its way through his armour. Leon, who stood a bit to the side, sharpening his sword, only rolled his eyes with a fond smile playing on his lips as he watched his friends play in the snow like children.

Merlin glanced over at him, seeing how Leon was still completely dry, only the snow that fell from the skies covering his hair and shoulders. Quickly, he decided to change that and formed a snowball between his hands and threw it.

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Arthur stopped in his track and looked down at his chest, where snow was crumbling down his chest and fell to his feet. Slowly he elevated his eyes and glared at Merlin, who looked at him wide-eyed, already forming a second snowball between his cold hands. The other knights sensed the change in the atmosphere and stopped their own snowball fight.

The king let out a huff, bent down, and before Merlin could react he was hit with a snowball right against his chest. He looked himself down in shock before he caught Arthurs eyes, a smirk forming on his lips with a challenging glimps in his eyes.