Chapter Text
Arthur POV:
I paced my room fuming. I had just gotten back from yet another meeting about sorcerers. My father is obsessed with killing them all for some reason. I could understand it if he could see reason when talking about them, but as soon as the word ‘sorcery’ is used, he loses all reason and becomes, for lack of a better word, a tyrant. I don’t understand it, but it’s not like I can openly disagree with him about it unless I want to spend a couple of nights in the dungeons. And it's been way worse ever since Morgana's attempted take over of Camelot. Why couldn't he see that he was the reason she became like this? I was so deep into my thoughts that I didn’t notice Merlin walk in and start on his chores for once, until I almost ran over him while he was making my bed.
“Merlin! Announce your presence next time! I almost ran you over!” I exclaimed. He jumped, startled.
“Of course, Sire. Sorry.” He replied, giving me a slight bow before returning to his chores.
“I thought I told you to only call me that in front of my father and well, in public.” I said, confused as to why he would have started calling me that in private when he had never really done that before.
“Well, yeah, you did. But you’re also in a mood and I’d rather not visit the stocks again.” Came the reply.
I looked at him with my brows drawn together. Had I really done that so often that he was worried about that happening because I was simply ‘in a mood’? I didn’t think that I had, but Merlin’s reaction probably did make sense. I do threaten that a lot. At least he got me to stop pacing. That was a good thing.
"Merlin- nevermind." I said, shaking my head clear of the question I was about to ask. How could I ask such a thing like that? I couldn't let anyone know that I was questioning my father's war against sorcery! At least not here in Camelot.
"Would you like me to gather some knights and ready the horses for a spontaneous hunting trip?" Merlin offered, giving me a confused smile. I curtly nodded back, thankful that he knew me well enough to know that I needed a few days away from the castle to clear my head so I didn't explode in front of my father in a way that was less than pleasurable.
Merlin nodded back and left to gather the knights and make sure that the horses were ready for the spontaneous hunting trip that we would all be taking. I stalked to the window in my room and smiled as I saw Merlin laughing and joking around with my knights. They must either work insanely fast, or I stood in the middle of the room for longer than I thought because they all had their horses and Merlin was holding the reins of two horses, one of which were mine. I was thankful to the gods for giving me Merlin as a manservant. I liked Merlin because he didn't treat me as royalty, but as a human being. With him, I was just Arthur and I could actually breathe. I know my father doesn't understand because he didn't even want me to risk my life to save Merlin's when he had been poisoned during Bayard's visit. I let myself watch them for a little bit longer and then I left to go inform my father of my plans.
"Father. My knights as well as Merlin and I, are going on a hunting trip and we will be back in a few day's time." I informed him. bowing to show my respect for him. I didn't really have much for him anymore, but I couldn't very well show my feelings and disrespect.
"Very well Arthur. Good luck on your hunting." My father nodded curtly. I bowed once more and left.
I hadn't realized how fast I had been walking until I heard my knights greet me with smiles, jokes and more laughter. I looked around and saw Merlin looking at me as if he were analyzing me, tyring to figure me out. He met my eyes and I gave him a small half smile, trying to convince him that I was fine, but the concern in his eyes never left. We mounted our horses and left Camelot; riding in proper formation until we got to the forest. Gwaine nudged his horse faster and before I knew it, we were all racing in the woods. We rode for a few hours until we found a nice clearing to set up camp for our camping trip. We always referred to them as spontaneous hunting trips so that no one knew what we were really doing. Which was just being boys without any responsibilities weighing us down. I could feel Merlin's concerned gaze on me the whole time we set up camp. I tried to shake it off, but it was hard. Merlin had a way of doing that sometimes. He just wouldn't be ignored, and he wanted me to know that. I also knew that he wouldn't bring up his concern in front of my knights; even if they also thought something was up. I liked that he could keep these things to himself and not talk about it with the other servants in the castle, unlike many others. Unfortunately, the two of us were assigned firewood duty; which meant that we would be alone for gods know how long.
"Arthur, what's wrong? You haven't been your dollophead-of-a-Prince-self as of late." Merlin began. I had known it was only a matter of time that he would begin the conversation that he had been itching to startsince we began to leave Camelot.
"It's nothing important Merlin. Just a difference of opinion with my father." I don't even know why I'm telling him this, aside from the fact that I know he wouldn't speak of it with anyone else.
"A difference of opinion about what? I've never known to to second-guess Uther so much so that it affects your mood like this. Must be a really delicate matter." Merlin smiled at me and for a moment, I felt as if there was nothing to worry about. That all of my problems were simply trivial things that I could speak with him about. So, I took a deep breath and just went for it.
"I'm starting to think that my father is wrong about sorcery and yes I'm aware as to how many times sorcerers have attempted to take my life, but I can't help but think that it's because of him that my life has been in danger for so long." I rushed out. I didn't dare meet Merlin's eyes for a few moments for the fear that he would look at me with a look of disgust and fear at what I had just said.