How To Train Your Dragonlord

Happy Birthday, Merlin! - 23rd October

For appearances sakes, Arthur and Merlin refrained from mentioning anything relating to love or feelings, or occasionally each other, in public. They continued to have rides out just the two of them, and continued hunting trips as they had before Merlin had become Crown Prince. The only difference was that, for these hunting trips, George had to attend, as the king's manservant.
Weeks blended by and before they knew it, it had been half a year since Merlin had become the Crown Prince, and it was his birthday. He hadn't expected Arthur to know, not least because he hadn't mentioned it at all, but Arthur had known, or rather, found out from Gaius, and arranged a few things.

Arthur P.O.V:
It was Merlin's birthday, so I decided to give him a few days away from his duties. I also had Gaius arrange for his mother to visit Camelot for the day, so that Merlin could escort her back to Ealdor the following days, giving him a chance to visit his old home. I had also arranged something special for the evening of his birthday. But more on that later.
When Merlin woke up that morning, I was already at his door, waiting for him to wake. As was his mother. As we waited for him to make himself decent, she commented on my appearance, and on the Kingdom, since she had last met me.
The last time we had met, I had helped her and Merlin and his village to defeat a man who was taking all of what they produced in their fields over the year, leaving them nothing on which to survive. Since then, I had become less self-centred, and the King of Camelot. "Your majesty," she curtsied as she addressed me. I shook my head.
"Your son is my heir. It is I who should be calling you 'your majesty'," I replied to her, completely sincere. She looked up at me. "Call me Arthur," I added, in a softer tone.
"Arthur," she conceded. "I heard that you had become King a little while ago." A pause. "And, naturally, Merlin wrote to me when you repealed the ban on magic. Thank you..."
She didn't get the chance to say any more as, at that moment, Merlin opened the door. He had a huge, impish grin plastering his face. "Mother!" he happily exclaimed, upon setting eyes on her. "I thought I heard your voice!" The two pulled into a hug, overjoyed to see each other again.
"Happy birthday, Merlin," she replied, as they pulled out of the embrace.
"Thank you, mum."
The three of us stood silent, outside of Merlin's chambers, unsure of what to say, after having not been together for some time.
"Merlin," I started, my topic to discuss with him, flooding my mind once more. He looked to me, still smiling. "I have given you a week away from your duties as heir. To give you time to catch up with your mother." I paused as the pair smiled to each other. "I would also like to formally invite both of you to dine with me tonight. If you both wish, the formalities may end their. However, I am bound as King to formally offer invitation."
Merlin put his hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eye. "Don't worry, Arthur," he told me, "the formalities can end at the invitation." He gave me a kind, caring smile of understanding that came only from his experience as both the Crown Prince of Camelot, and from his time as my manservant. His mother, Hunith, seemed to be watching the whole thing with a look of understanding.
"Thanks, Merlin," I replied. "Now, I have to go and run Camelot still, but I will see you two tonight." With this excuse, I excused myself from their company.

Merlin P.O.V:
I was pleasantly surprised to find that my mother was in Camelot. The day got better when Arthur said that I had a week away from my duties.
Once Arthur had gone to start performing his daily duties, mother and I started to walk around the castle. I took her to Gaius' Chambers, as she hadn't seen him in a long time. Gaius seemed less surprised at her being here than I had been, but I didn't think much of it.
"Hunith!" he had exclaimed. "How lovely to see you again!"
"Gaius, how have you been?" she replied, smiling.
"I have been as well as can be expected, considering how much of a handful his majesty can be." The pair laughed. Then, mother wanted to be properly caught up on what I'd been doing.