We All Make Our Mistakes (merthur)

Part 4

Merlin attempted to hide himself further within the tree. "There's no Merlin in here," he lied blatantly.

Arthur rolled his eyes and reached into the tree, hitting his manservant upside the head. "You idiot, what are you doing in there?"

Merlin rubbed his head with a frown and glared at the prince. "It wasn't my fault!" he paused. "Well... not entirely. A bunch of guards were chasing me around and I panicked."

"So... you decided to hide yourself inside of a tree?"

"It was an accident! My magic acted on its own!" he retorted, huffing.

Arthur rolled his eyes again. "Anyway, we've got to get you out of here."

Merlin's eyes widened. "What for? Are you going to turn me in?"

The prince winced at that, a guilty expression upon his visage. "No..." he sighed. "Look, I'm sorry about... blanching when I could'be helped. I have a sort of plan to get my father to believe that you're not a sorcerer so you can be safe in Camelot."

Merlin squinted. "A 'sort of plan'?"

"Well... I haven't really come up with the 'convincing' bit, yet. But I'm sure that if I explain to my father that this was just a big misunderstanding--"

"He won't believe you just like that, Arthur. There's got to be more than that!"

"Well, what else do you want me to do? Dress you up as a woman to sneak you into Camelot and reveal you to my father and profess my undying love for you because the king has such a soft spot for youthful romance?" he exclaimed in exasperation.

Merlin blushed bright red and Leon coughed awkwardly in the background. "Sire, it's getting dark," he noted.

Arthur looked up and sighed at the sky, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We'll deal with convincing my father later. For now, we have to work on getting you out of that tree."

Leon stepped forward and procured an axe from his bag. "Will this do?" he inquired, handing the tool to the prince.

Arthur nodded, surprised by how prepared the knight was. "Thank you," he said before turning back to Merlin's tree. "Stand back."

The young warlock warily moved away as the prince struck the axe into the tree. "Merlin's eyes widened when the blade protruded centimeters away from his face. Arthur glanced at him through a gap.

"Sorry," he apologized, hastily removing the tool, pulling apart the bark to create a wider opening.

Arthur struck the tree a couple more times. Soon, the opening was wide enough for Merlin to fit through. He picked up his bag and climbed out of the tree. The moment he got out, Arthur pulled him into a tight embrace. The manservant blinked in surprise, mouth agape even when he was released. Arthur cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Ahem... anyway, we've got to sneak you back into Camelot," the prince reminded, turning away to hide his blush.

Merlin felt his cheeks warm as well, but he couldn't help the fond smile that spread across his face. Leon spectated with amusement before turning around, walking ahead. Merlin and Arthur followed behind, walking side by side. The two occasionally sent awkward glances towards one another on their journey back. Eventually, when night fell, they had reached the castle entrance and sneaked towards Arthur's chambers, hastily dodging any passersby that would recognize Merlin. They were soon safe within the confines of the prince's bedroom and they made sure to lock the door behind them.

Arthur sighed in relief before turning to Merlin. "Armor," he ordered, spreading his arms.

With a sigh, the manservant put down his bags and moved to remove the prince's armor. Leon resisted a snort of amusement as Merlin grumbled to himself and pulled off the chainmail. Arthur simply watched with a fond expression before becoming serious.