excuse me? i was dying

Everyone Is Gay For Merlin, I Do Make The Rules.

"Sir Leon, could you repeat that? I'm trying to write word for word."

The knight paused with his mouth opened, confused. "You want me to repeat telling you to bugger off?" The small servant boy looked up after finishing his sentence, smiling satisfied. He froze at Leon's irate expression.

"I'll, er- I'll take my leave." Gideon, barely past 14 winters, had been running around the castle all day. His mother worked in the kitchens, and he was recently anointed with job of washing dishes. It wasn't really his job, but his mother gave him a few coins for helping her out. This meant Gideon was allowed to enter the castle, and with a few innocent smiles, wander throughout its walls.

That was how he made it into the knights' quarters, excited to meet them. His first meeting with Sir Leon was not going so well. Sir Leon had a habit of appearing more volatile than he truly was. This made for an advantage on the battlefield, and occasionally, in the chasing off of adolescents.

Sir Leon looks off into the wall, and sighs deeply. The boy was amusing, and had a charm that reminded him of Merlin actually- though maybe that was the insolence. He hadn't asked for his name.

Gideon, now skipping down the hallway, with the full honest intention of leaving, was stopped by the sight of another man. Sir Gwaine was smirking at the boy.

"I heard you tell Leon you were interested in interviewing the knights?" Gideon skid to a stop, smiling back at the brunet.

"Yes, I had this idea to document the innermost workings of the castle. Maybe I'd even show it to the people in the citadel, and boost morale and patriotism!" Gideon was naïve for his age, all filled up to the brim with that delirious thing called hope. From a young age he enjoyed writing, but it seemed unheard of to write true occurrences in real time. He was determined to get other people invested in the importance of documentation.

Sir Gwaine was amused, and like Leon, saw the Merlin-like charm in the boy. Perhaps that was why he was intrigued. He leaned against the door frame of his chambers, wearing a blouse too revealing for a lord to wear, and flipped his hair back.

"Alright then. Uh-"

"My name's Gideon." He was named after his grandfather who came from overseas many years ago. He knew it was an uncommon name in Camelot- considered he was likely the only Gideon- and was used to the reactions he got. His skin was a bit darker than most, and that often confirmed questions before they need be asked.

Sir Gwaine didn't blink at the kid's foreign name or skin because he wasn't a racist twat.

"Gideon. You have me intrigued. Tell me- how ambitious are you?" He slowly smirked, lips curling up in a nasty, not-yet-evil way. Gideon's hand curled around his half-dried quill.

........

"Are you writing down everything I say?" The crown prince was trying to lean over the desk to see what the boy was writing. Gideon moved quickly the hide the paper, just a touch, before almost glaring at the prince. He wasn't sure if it was treasonous to do so, so he hid his angst behind a stressed smile.

"Yes, I am trying to... sire." Gideon was not yet used to referring to people with proper titles.

Prince Arthur was starting to see why Gwaine liked the boy. Sir Gwaine was at this time leaning, as he did often, against the frame of Arthur's bed. They were situated in his chambers. It was a miracle he had been so open to this idea, but Gwaine did name drop a certain manservant.

Arthur was intrigued, and perhaps a bit pleased with the idea of this kind of attention. People had to listen to him, but not many people interviewed him. He supposed none would dare suggest they questioned him. Except maybe Merlin, the knights, Gwen, Morgana, Uther, Gaius- this list was longer than he thought. He held his hands clasped together under his chin.