Our Biggest Mistakes | ✔

❝Maybe, just maybe.❞

Guinevere knocks on Gaius's door, intending to visit Merlin. The door opens in a heartbeat and she is greeted by Gaius's face, dotted and wrinkled with age. They exchange hello's and smiles before Gwen asks, "Is Merlin here?"

"In his chambers, M'Lady." Gaius points his head to the door in the back of the room. Gwen thanks him and walks over, knocking on the wooden planks lightly. She can hear a faint sloshing sound suddenly freeze from behind the door before Merlin appears in front of her. "Yes, M'Lady?" He asks, lips caved into his mouth, pinched together like he ate something sour.

"I was going to take my jewelry off in my chambers, but I found Arthur sound asleep on the bed, out like a light at such an early hour. Do you know why?" Not-that-surprisingly, Merlin is the first and only person Gwen is going to ask about this. Merlin's the only other person let into the king and queen's chambers, with him being their servant and a much-appreciated friend and all. He's most likely the only one to know why the bags under her husband's eyes are as prominent as ever.

Merlin opens his door wider, letting his full body come into view. His lips pucker out, upper slightly more than lower, as he thinks back to Arthur's duties for today. "He was scheduled for an early training session and council meeting, M'Lady. I was in the chambers gathering laundry"--he moves back briefly to point at the bucket of not-nearly-cleaned clothes--"when he stumbled in. Told me he was tired. I offered to grab him some medicine because his forehead was heating up, but he declined and said he'd sleep away the numbness instead."

Gwen promptly nods. "Thank you, Merlin."

"Anytime, M'Lady."

Even in that short time spent conversing, Queen Guinevere could see that tinge of affection Merlin held deep within his core for his king. Was it platonic, she didn't know. Before she left she looked at Gaius one more time, and as Merlin closed his door back up, they spoke a silent debate that maybe, just maybe, Merlin had fallen for Arthur just as hard as she.