I Am Legal || Merlin

eight

third person - gaius + narrator

Gaius started to notice someone off about about Merlin. Nothing bad, of course, but something.

He seemed happier. Less tired, too.

It had been four weeks since the two men started dating. A full month of true, beautiful love.

Merlin practically skipped out of his room with a smile on his face. Gaius had noticed his morning chores had been lessened a considerable amount. The boy no longer had to wake up early, yet he still did.

Gaius found it strange.

"Good morning, Gaius." Merlin sat on the bench across from Gaius and immediately started digging into the food there. There was a gentle chuckle and a joining in of clacking utensils.

"Good morning." There was a few minutes of comfortable silence, the father-son duo eating peacefully. Gaius decided this was that best time to bring up what had been on his mind for a while.

"You've been coming home later these last few weeks. Happier, too." Merlin sputtered around his food, choking for a second before regaining his composure.

"Oh, have I?" He fiddled with his fork, a look of nervousness casting across his face.

"Yes. I'm glad." Gaius chuckled when Merlin beamed, eyes creasing. "But I'm curious as to why."

"I guess Arthur and I have just been getting along more recently."

"Oh?" Gaius couldn't help but wonder if there was a deeper meaning behind those words. The faint feeling of worry creeped up on him.

"Yeah, been nicer." Gaius just nodded in response. He didn't want to push Merlin to tell him anything. Though, he thought, could the two really be dating?

Not that he minded, of course. Before Merlin had come to Camelot, Hunith has written Gaius. She asked to keep him safe as he had homosexual tendencies and needed to be protected.

Gaius had immediately expressed his profound distrust of the idea. Bring Merlin to Camelot? The place where he would be executed without a second thought?

It didn't make sense to Gaius but Hunith had begged. Her letters were littered with smudged ink and previously wet patches of tears. Gaius couldn't say no to an old friend.

"I'm going to bring Arthur his breakfast. I'll see you later!" Merlin said happily, bringing Gaius out of his thoughts.

"Be safe, Merlin." Gaius hoped Merlin understood the underlying message. He didn't know what he'd do if his boy was executed.

Gaius wouldn't let that happen.

narrator

In the four weeks since Arthur and Merlin started dated, Uther had noticed a few changes.

He ignored how much nicer his son had become towards the servant. They always had a weird relationship no one could ever hope to understand.

He couldn't, however, ignore the lack of work Merlin had. The servant was supposed to work, that was his job. He wasn't getting paid to sit around and do nothing.

(But honestly, was he even getting paid?)

The King had asked around about Merlin and his chores. He was on a mission.

Uther went in parts of the castle he normally would never. The kitchens, the servants quarters, the washrooms. He stomped in, eyes angry and face stern, and demanded to know the truth of Merlin's work status.

When a particularly young servant boy with a deep love and appreciation  of Merlin but an even deeper fear of the King was approached and interrogated, he cracked. He cried as he spilled the truth about Merlin's drop in chores.

The anger Uther felt was clear in how he stomped to Arthur's chambers. He practically punched his son's door, steam coming from his ears.

"Your Highness?" Merlin addressed with a bow, eyes wide as he noticed the obvious fury radiating from Uther.

Uther pushed Merlin to the side, yelling as he did. "I demand to know the meaning of this Arthur! You are disgracing Camelot! This is an outrage!"

Uther glanced at the bucket full of dirty water, a rag haphazardly thrown on the edge, and a wet patch on the floor. He turned away to look at his equally angry son.

"Father, what is the meaning of this?!"

"Limiting the chores of a servant, man or woman, is against the law, Arthur!"

Arthur scoffed. He glanced at Merlin who had yet to move from his place on the floor.

"That's what this is about?Ridiculous."

"Arthur." Uther said, tone harsh and furious beyond words.

"I was overworking him, father! What's wrong with taking away a chore or two?" They were both yelling. The door was still open, the words spilling out into the halls and carried across the castle. A fellow servant girl glanced in and shot a look at Merlin. He just shooed her away.

"If he can't handle the work he is given, he will be fired!"

"Father! You can't-," Arthur started, getting cut off by sharp words and a stern hand.

"Then I suggest you get your servant back into shape!" Uther left the room, slamming the door shut.

That night, Merlin did extra chores despite not being told. He even took over some of the other servants' work.

Anything to get the King off their backs.

-

I am so sorry for missing last weeks update but...

at least I made this one!!!

School and family suck, amirite?

So this chapter is 100% unedited (I usually read through them a few times but I have zero motivation right now) so let me know if there are any mistakes! I'll gladly fix them! :D

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter (I'm iffy on it but I felt super bad about not updating last week) and you can forgive me being a sucky updater.

Also, thank you so much for 400+ reads!!! You're all super awesome! I'm glad at least some people at enjoying the story :,}}

Thanks for reading!!!

Have a fantabulous day/night :))