Merlin has a girlfriend?

Chapter 1. Exposed and unprotected

Two days and two nights, he was left without a servant, some random people were around, helping him to remain a decent look for his awful guest, but he has already got so sick of it. It felt like he was fighting without his armour, only with a sword in his hands, and completely alone. He needed some wise advice, some compassionate, strangely pretentious yet reassuring statement that he was doing the right thing. Maybe even some short verbal sparring challenging enough to cheer him up a bit before a difficult meeting with his most dangerous neighbour – Sarrum, the king of Amata. He needed Merlin. Of course, he would not let anyone know how much he was worried.

After a sleepless night, he was already overwhelmed with emotions, but Gwen's explanation of the absence of his so-called servant just added fuel to the fire. Merlin has a girlfriend. That was something unimaginable! After all these years of their secret relationship, finally, he will probably have to admit that it was all fake... It felt like a betrayal!  Was it?  Unbelievable... Shocked, he responded with some lame joke.

Two days ago, Arthur woke up only because he heard some noise from the hallway. Servants were decorating the throne room, and they had dropped something heavy on the stone floor. The sun had risen some time ago, and the people in the courtyard were occupied with their daily responsibilities. Merlin has not yet shown up. Arthur started to look for him. There were no signs of that parody on an adequate servant, absolutely nowhere. Nobody has seen him since morning, including Gaius. Arthur refused to buy his pitiful cover for his assistant, gave him an hour to sober Merlin up, and sent him to his master. Nothing happened.

After his nasty morning started with desperate attempts to find a comb, unsuccessful flirting with his wife, Gaius's awkward help with dressing and cheering him up, Arthur had to participate in an official meeting with the worst person Camelot had ever had as the guest. Just finished the official ceremony, mad as hell king has personally checked all rooms and corners of his castle in his desperate attempt to find "that clumsy idiot, who always causes only trouble," demanding all encountered servants about him either. He asked, if not to say interrogated his knights, all of them.  Of course, he has sent to look for Merlin in a tavern, twice! Useless. Yes, he gave him an evening off, but not all the evenings in a row.

Arthur was disgusted with the stories of his guest, he desperately needed someone to talk to, and he was uncertain about this new alliance. Gwen excused herself in the middle of the dinner and called it a night early. Even though he was surrounded by people, Arthur still felt lonely.  He was in his territory, safely hidden behind the walls of his impressive castle, surrounded by his loyal knights, always ready to kill anyone for the king's protection without hesitation and special demand. All his best and most respected men were presented here from the left and from the right side of him. Every door and pass is guarded attentively. Despite all these visible signs of his strength, Arthur still felt like he had to fight in this battle completely alone without any rearguard defense behind his back. Like his guardian angel left him.  

Some unknown redheaded young boy with trembling hands was filling the king's goblet but somehow managed not to spill anything. Arthur called him Merlin a couple of times. The boy never corrected him. Arthur was hoping to meet his real terribly gauche servant in the morning, going to eat him alive, if he would not present an acceptable reason for his disappearance. What was it? Some stupid joke? Maybe he is mad at me because of those stupid flowers? Or because I made him prepare everything for Gwen's surprise. Did I push him too far, and his absence, is it his revenge? Dead gillyflowers still covered the floor in his bedroom, nobody cleaned them out.

Merlin didn't appear the next day. His anxiety started to escalate. He was worried, still irritated, but now more worried than mad. Things were getting even worse. He was late in a tournament, firstly, because he was assisted by Gwen and, secondly, because since he was tardy anyway he decided to check all stables and a royal kennel once again, just in case. Maybe Merlin was stabbed and covered with hay...
 
As a result, he was defeated, and humiliated in front of his court and his creepy guest. Mainly because he was thinking about his jug-eared dark-haired recently very grumpy and distrustful personal disaster occupying the position of his manservant instead of being fully focused on his combat. Not to mention that the safety plates were tightened too hard and obstructed every movement of his.

Nobody helped him with a bath. It looked like all male servants working in a castle were hiding somewhere, crossing the corridors silently like ghosts. Arthur could not even find George or that redheaded boy. He splashed himself with disgustingly cold water found in a kitchen. Thankfully, Gwen helped him to change once again, and once again simply shrugged off his attempt for intimacy.

All evening he and his terrible guest were discussing a treaty in a council's chambers, surrounded by a bunch of advisers, secretaries, and guards. He got his version of a treaty to check late at night. He was supposed to read his papers, to make sure everything was formulated correctly, clearly, and unambiguously. But he was pacing, every now and then pushing away dry petals, from time to time throwing glances to the yard, hoping to spot a subtle gangling figure sneaking back to the castle. Where are you? Are you alright?

Merlin had been so tense all these last months, since their last meeting with Morgana. What exactly made him so stressful? Maybe he had some problems outside the castle, and now they just have arrived straight at the king of Camelot threshold. It was strange to imagine that Merlin may have some secret second life, hidden from Arthur, unknown and unacceptable to him.

Arthur was tired from his work, from his visitor, and his heavy thoughts, but he couldn't sleep a whole damned night! Now he has to play it light, seeming relaxed and focused on his duties. Like he is in good spirits, confident and strong. 

Meanwhile, Gaius, who was clearly confused and suspected the real trouble, revealed to him that he had no idea where his assistant was, raising the king's concern to a new level. Arthur was going to send a search party right away. Just before he was told that Merlin, decided to spend time with some mysterious girl. Moreover, it looked like he had already stayed with that girl no-one-knows-where for two days and... two nights. Damn it!

Jealousy... Once again, Arthur felt himself suffocated with terror, that Merlin had found someone else. Someone who can suggest to him more than just clandestine and irregular meetings in the middle of the night, at dusk, or just before dawn; kisses and caresses behind tightly drawn curtains and securely closed doors. Someone who can openly show his gestures of affection in the daylight in front of other people. Someone more generous, romantic, emotionally open, and maybe also free, single, and even more attractive or younger than Arthur. Someone who would not take Merlin for granted, tease him, call him names in public. The one who would not be so jealous all the time... After all Merlin's claims to be Arthur's and only his.

"Swear to me you are mine!"
"I'm yours."
"Only mine?"
"Only yours!"
"Promise you'll be mine and only mine!"
"I promise."

Maybe he has finally got sick of Arthur's constant tantrums of jealousy and his well-known possessiveness. Previously, a prince, then a king, he always had a short temper when it came to his possessions. Yes, he knew it was not right to consider Merlin as his property, of course not, but how on earth he should call this bond they shared? Only in his dreams could he confess to himself that he hoped they would be together until the end of the world. Merlin was only for him,  Arthur so desperately wanted to keep it that way. Despite everything: his kingship, his marriage, his constant wars, and his ambitions for the future.

How difficult was it to witness all this touching of his personal manservant by other men! Living hell! All these bearish hugs (exceptionally friendly as Merlin always insisted on), patting on a shoulder, shaking hands, accompanied with winks and knowing (as it usually seemed to Arthur) smiles from Gwaine, from damned Lancelot, from other knights and servants, and even some strangers, and from god knows how else more... Sometimes the king thought that Merlin was exceptionally friendly practically to everyone in their kingdom and its surroundings.

Gosh, how hard it was not to imagine some stuff! He knows it too damned well how miraculously Merlin's innocent look combines with his sinister expertise in bedtime pleasures. Oh, that shy but totally seductive smile of his; these long, slim fingers knowing exactly what and where they are doing. Those full lips, which are so kissable, always open slowly, as if their owner is still hesitant to give access to his hungry mouth. All that with timidly blushed cheeks!  Although when they started Merlin was a virgin, since their first time together Merlin had no shame in flirting with Arthur. In a disrespectful way this "open book" usually behaves with his master, you never know...

Arthur was not a fool, he was aware that enhancing great skills in any domain requires lots and lots of practice. According to his own experience, their rare intimate meetings simply were not enough to develop such a proficiency, that is why Arthur was sure Merlin was training with someone else regularly. Maybe that could explain his awkward disappearances, and questionable absences like this one. That thought was not just disturbing it was really painful to Arthur. He knew he had no right to be jealous, but he hated to share, especially without knowing it. Yet the idea of his mysterious rival being a girl seemed highly doubtful.

There are plenty of candidates in their nearest circle after all. Arthur's teeth clenched as he remembered how once he snuck into the court physician assistant's room after all sounds had died down in the castle, only to find Merlin wearing just his loose red shirt, sitting at the foot of his bed, compassionately tucking in a comforter for Gwaine who was sleeping a load off in Merlin's bed, being at least half naked and deadly drunk.

Arthur swore quietly. Merlin jumped with surprise, completely ignoring the lack of his clothing. His facial expression immediately changed from excitement to regret and then to disappointment.

"Oh, please, don't even start it! Everything is so ridiculously obvious here,"  he quietly begged Arthur, who was attentively observing the room in the dim light of a single candle.
"What happened to your pants?" he demanded, trying to remain calm, while shamelessly ogling practically naked Merlin.
"He has just vomited all over them! Then he tossed my blanket. I haven't had time to change yet. You know, not everyone has a large wardrobe or servants always available to help."

"Right,"  Arthur sniffed, trying to smell anything else except sweat and herbal remedies.
  "And your neckcloth?" Arthur made a few steps inside the tiny room, now feeling something or someone stunk there.
"I used it as a cloth, some of Gwaine's vomit got on my skin," added Merlin, shivering with disgust.
"Well, I'll take it, but why are you barefoot and with ruffled hair?"  Arthur finally got fairly close to whisper, and to make his whispering sound like a menace. He had seen enough to let his imagination create a whole picture, quite an innocent picture though, by far...

"Actually, I was about to go to sleep when he popped up and fell, just after he had made it through my door. I couldn't just leave him on the floor. I had to drag him to bed, and yes, it was quite challenging, since all this time he tried to struggle with me." Merlin stepped closer to Arthur, rubbing his left shoulder, apparently half-conscious knight hit it extremely hard, "I wasn't expecting anyone, Sire!"

Oh that word, said with that tone! One more step, just to let Arthur smell his sweet breath through slightly parted pink lips. Big bright sapphire blue pleading eyes surrounded with thick black lashes roamed the king's face silently begging for mercy, for a kiss, for a touch, for a hug, for god knows what else... Arthur, who has already been aroused by the guaranteed as he hoped chance to spend the night with Merlin craved to kiss, and to touch, and to caress, and to do god knows what else so badly.

Gaius was busy with some noble lady's early labor. He was supposed to be absent till dawn at least. Arthur was pondering the idea of using an old physician's bed, incredibly squeaky as he was already aware, so they still had a chance to be together, even with completely drunk Gwaine snoring next door. According to Merlin's excited gaze and suggestive smile, he thought about the same thing. 
   
"Hey, honey, where are you? Get back here, I am up to some more...,"  a husky voice from the nearest bed has completely ruined the moment. They both immediately stared at Gwaine, who was mumbling something else in his sleep, smiling smugly.

Arthur felt that his anger had made his blood boil.
"Don't even try to deny!"
"It's not what you think. Arthur, please, he's dead drunk. He possibly dreams about some barmaids!"
"Enough of that bullshit. I'm not buying it!"
He slammed the door behind his back and hurried back to his lonely chambers before he could say something too offensive to be forgiven.
                                                     
All that ended up the next morning with a long and exhausting training session, particularly severe for Sir Gwaine (and not only because of his obvious hangover). Later at night training was accompanied by a long, equally exhausting, but much more delightful and passionate making-out session with Merlin, this time in Arthur's bedroom. Possibly, that was actually the best part of this strange, tangled relationship – their reconciliation has always been even more intense than their quarrels. After all these heated nights spent together, full of muffled moans, pleads and endearings whispered in a low voice beneath the sheets, never could Arthur imagine that Merlin might be interested in a girl!

What a strange idea! Who would believe in that nonsense? Probably, Gwen has finally declassified them and decided to separate them in her mysterious devious feminine manner. What unexpected cruelty from her side to find his Merlin some stupid girlfriend! Only a woman could organize such sophisticated revenge like that! However, who was he to complain? A pitiful hypocrite.

A married man, who is supposed to be happily in love with his wife and content with his family life. That was an illusion, just a facade. Arthur was playing the role of a reasonable king and devoted husband, a respectable family man, saving his face in front of his subjects. Arthur sincerely had no clue how he had gotten himself into all that trouble. He loved Gwen, he knew that for sure, but, not just as strongly as he adored his inept practically in everything, but extremely loyal and desperately brave Merlin. It seemed like there were two completely different types of love. That tortured him, but he was not capable of doing anything about it.