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Chapter Text

The banquet was a celebration of New Spring. Sort of. 
The beginning of spring was not for another two weeks, but Arthur doesn't really care about the specifics when it comes to celebrating his favorite holiday. 
The throne room was decorated with brightly colored bouquets of flowers from all of the kingdoms, the cream white tablecloths and napkins were embroidered with pure gold, the goblets and cutlery made of prismatic crystals. There was only one word to describe it: gorgeous. 
That is not the word that Merlin would use, however. 
He found the word tedious more accurate. It took several hours to gather the flowers, let alone put them in bouquets. Every time Merlin set down a knife, one of the castle maids would follow and "fix" it. They even re-folded all of the napkins after Merlin set them down. Eventually, they just kicked Merlin out. 
"Why don't you,,, help Arthur with something. I'm sure he needs it."
They weren't wrong. 
Merlin made his way through the castle, towards the oh-so familiar prince's chambers. 

Arthur and the knights had been more annoying playful than normal, they've been stuck within the castle for at least a fortnight. Arthur had made sure that the Knights wouldn't be able to escape the celebration by going on a multi-day hunt. The king had bribed the Knights to attend with many barrels of mead and wine. That being said, when men made of pure muscle don't have anything useful to do, they will take it out on those around them. Or in this case, on Merlin. They had been "pranking" Merlin for the last two days, and prank is putting it nicely. Just before he began decorating for the party, they made Merlin act as a moving target; the day before they decided they needed to "quality check" the knights armor, with Merlin inside. He had the bruises to prove it.
Better they take it out on him than someone else, he supposes. 
Merlin is grabbed, and pulled into an adjacent room.
He shuts his eyes and attempts to retaliate against his assailant, flailing his hands about wildly.

"Hopefully you'll fair better if you were to actually get kidnapped," a familiar voice chuckles.
Merlin opens his eyes.
"Lancelot!"
"The one and only."
"I thought you were,, an assassin or something," He lightly punched the knights arm.
"If I were, you would not have gotten away with that kind of defense."
"Ha-Ha," Merlin rolls his eyes, "What are you doing here? I thought you and the others were out training?"
"You thought correctly, but I would like,,, a favor."
"Oh?"
"I was wondering, if you could help me impress one of the ladies at the banquet tonight," Lancelot asked, bashfully.
Merlin paused, before grinning, "Of course my knightly companion, I would love to help you."
Lancelot knew that look, Merlin had something planned. "What must I do for you in return, my mystical friend?"
Merlin's grin grew bigger, "I thought you'd never ask."

~

Arthur was sitting at his desk, back turned to the door, gazing out his bedroom window.
He always got sad around this time. 
He told everyone that New Spring was his favorite holiday, that he loved the hope and new life that it brought to Camelot. Merlin knew that it was a lie. It was not his favorite holiday, it was Gwen's. He still made sure to organize a large celebration, whether he consciously knows that he is doing it for her, Merlin does not know. He assumes that this is just another way Arthur is processing his grief over her betrayal. Merlin knows that the king would rather die than admit that to himself, however, so he carries on as always.

"Staring at your reflection isn't going to make you look any better."
"Oh shut up Merlin," Arthur turns to face Merlin, glancing around for something to throw. He lands on a small pillow that he promptly chucks at his manservant.
"Is that what you are wearing to the banquet?" Merlin looks the king up and down.
"If I were, I would look perfectly fine. Thank you," Arthur crosses his arms, "But no, I am not."
"Good because you look hideous."
"Merlin."
"What will you be wearing, sire?" Merlin opens the closet, as though he had said nothing wrong.
"I actually thought I'd wear one of my father's New Spring outfits." Arthur gets up from the desk and kneels in front of his bed. He reaches under and retrieves a large trunk. It is made of old leather, practically ancient at this point, and is covered in dust. Arthur blows off some of the dust before flipping it open. A number of intricate outfits lay folded inside. All belonged to his father, and a number were made by the hand of his mother. Arthur looks at the clothes wistfully. He carefully removes each set, one by one, until he reaches the bottom of the trunk. He pauses, looking over the details sewn in the cloth, then he carefully removes a white silk tunic. The tunic has long billowing sleeves, at the ends of which are embroidered with multicolored roses and waving lines of golden stems. The collar was adorned with a similar wavy stem, the golden leaves reflecting the sunlight around the room.

"My mother made this for my father, before I was born," Arthur looks up at Merlin, a fond smile decorating his face.
"It is beautiful, sire." 
"I think that this should go well with my New Spring cloak, once the maids have finished weaving all of the flowers together."
"They might need to add a few rows to cover up those freakish shoulders of yours."
Arthur glares at Merlin.
Merlin raises his hands, "I'm just saying, you'll want to look your best."
"Just help me get dressed," He balls up the tunic and throws it at Merlin.
"As you wish."

~

Once the maids had worked their magic, the throne room looked like it came from another realm. 
The rafters had garlands of flowers hung from them, like branches of a willow tree. Reaching up towards the ceiling were large candlesticks wrapped in even more flowers, topped with vibrant colored wax candles. The table had center pieces of brilliant crystals surrounded by flora. The napkins were even folded to look like roses. The golden cutlery was delicately set out among the tables, and the plates were polished and sparkling. The windows were propped open, letting in the golden sunshine. The crystal plates and center pieces reflected the sun, sending rainbow light dancing around the room. 
One of the maids that had ushered Merlin away walked up to him, "Thoughts?"
"It's perfect."
"We try out best," the maid blushed.
"Is the Kings cloak ready?"
"I think the others have a few final touches to do, they are in there." She gestured to an offshoot of the throne room.

It was a small room filled with maids and servants. They were all huddled around a large cloak made of flowers that had been weaved together. It was about two and a half meters long, ensuring that there would still be a train once the King put it on. The group working on it was combing through the entire cloak, double checking the strength of the weave. Once they were done, they hung the cloak on a wooden mannequin. The head of the mannequin was adorned with a matching flower crown. A maid, Brook, broke off from the group and walked up to Merlin.

"Everything is to the standard of the king."
"Good, good. Can you do me a favor?"
The maid cocked her head, asking a silent question. 
"I need you to make it not to the standard of the king."
She chuckles, "What?"
"Er, make it to a standard of a different king."
"I'm not sure I follow."
"I need you to make a pocket, on the inside. Right where the center of the Kings back would be."
"And why would I do that?"
"Because I can set you up with one of the knights."
"I don't care for the knights."
"Not even for Lancelot?"
"No."
"Ah. That, er, really puts a damper in my plan."
"However," Brook looks away blushing, "I'd consider your request if you can 'set me up' with Ardwyne."
"Ardwyne? The cook?"
"Yes, she has-" she pauses, "-caught my fancy, if you will."
"Of course, she is very beautiful. I will work my magic," Merlin winks.
"Then I will adjust the flora cloak to your request."

Merlin turns to begin his journey to the kitchen. Unfortunately, Lancelot will be disappointed to learn that the woman he fancies, fancies women herself. He will have to let him down gently later. Later being the key word.

~

The banquet began a few hours before the sun was due to set. 
But it was an hour after the sun had actually set when the banquet truly began to get festive. 
Thankfully, no drunkard had destroyed any of the delicate flower ropes or fragile crystal table sets. The same could not be said for the rest of the decorations. The white table cloths were one goblet away from being a light pink color, many chairs had been either broken or toppled over, and the hardwood flooring had many dents from the bulky drunks flailing about. 
Merlin was having a good time. 
To be fair, anyone would enjoy watching the kingdoms bravest knights make a fool of themselves while wearing  flower crowns. The dichotomy of the delicate flowers and the bulky men would entertain even the coldest king. 
Merlin could count the sober guests on one hand.
Lancelot being one of them.
The servant made his way over to the knight, stepping over 2 unconscious guests on the way. 
Lancelot was standing by a window, keeping out of the way of the clumsy drunk knights.

"Enjoying yourself?"
Lancelot chuckled, "Of course."
"I have some bad news about my part of our deal."
"Oh?" Lancelot raised an eyebrow.
"Brook, er, fancies one of the cooks."
Lancelot did not respond, silently processing the information.
"Specifically, Ardwyne."
"Ah, so she fancies women," Lancelot smiled disappointedly.
"Yes."
"Women are wonderful, it makes sense that she would enjoy them as I do," Lancelot chuckles. "I understand, perhaps it was not meant to be. Let us move forward with your plan."
"I understand if you don't want to, I wasn't able to fulfil my end of the deal."
"Then let us no longer call it a deal, this is just a friend helping a friend."
Merlin smiles wide.
Time to begin.

The loud crowd is suddenly silenced by Merlin standing on one of the tables, and banging a fork against a goblet.

"I hope you are all having a joyful evening! To further celebrate New Spring, I propose a game!"
The guests cheered.
"I invite the king to join me for a game of knife throwing!"
The cheering got louder. 
Arthurs eye widened, "Wait- what."
"Do not be a coward, sire," Merlin teased.
"I am no coward," Arthur removed his flower cloak and crown, setting them gently on his throne.

Arthur and Merlin stepped in the middle of the tables. Arthur stood on a small stool, a crisp green apple balanced on his head. Arthur showed no sign of worry, but Merlin knew better. Arthur tapped his pointer to his thumb, a nervous fidget that Merlin recognized. The servant smirked.

"To make this game more entertaining, I invite each of the knights to give their best go! And remember! Killing the king is high treason!"

The crowd was too drunk to recognize what Merlin was saying. If this were any other day, he would likely be sent to the stocks. Merlin was not worried, he would make sure that Arthur would be safe. The knights of the roundtable were not one to turn down a challenge, and lined up quickly, vying for a turn.
Out of the corner of his eye, Merlin watched as Lancelot quietly made his way to the kings throne. The other guests were too distracted to notice one of the knights staying behind, and they were to drunk to suspect anything of it. Lancelot knelt by the kings abandoned flower cloak, ruffling through the folds to find the special pocket Merlin had requested. From his pocket, the knight removed a small grey rock from his coat and placed it within the pocket. As if he had done, nothing at all, Lancelot stood back up and walked away.

"You've got this Gwaine! Aim with your liver!" Lancelot cheered on his friend.
"Maybe aim with your head instead, your liver is surely drowned in wine." Leon sighed.
"Relax Sir Leon, I have the best aim in the land!" Gwaine said a bit too loud.
At that, Gwaine threw the knife. Thankfully Merlin was there, for if he wasn't the knight would have struck the king square in the temple. 
Gwaine's throw made Merlin a bit too worried, and so he decided that now would be the best time to end this little game.
"And that, Ladies and Gentlemen! Was the Knights of the Roundtable!"
The guests cheered and hollered. Gwaine puffed out his chest and soaked it in. 
After a minute, Percival had to drag Gwaine back to his seat. 
"Give a speech!" Someone yelled.
"A wonderful idea your highness!" Lancelot winked at Merlin.
"Oh, I'm not-" Arthur began, but the crowd had made up its mind.
"Speech! Speech! Speech!"
"Alright, alright." Arthur slung his flower cloak around his shoulders, then lifted his goblet.
Merlin whispered an incantation, eyes flashing gold.
Before he could get a single word out, Arthur was suddenly flailing about and shouting, "There is a rat in my cloak!"
To drunk to care, the crowd began laughing. A few guests toppling over. 
Gwaine began wheezing, placing a hand on his aching stomach. Elyan and Percival were hitting each other as their chuckles filled the room. Even Leon was smiling at the sight of his King squirming about.
Merlin walked jauntily over to Arthur, reaching up his shirt and removing the pebble-turned-rat. With a quick mutter, the pebble returned to its original state. Merlin held the pebble in front of the king. 
"It appears that you have had too much to drink, sire. There was no rat, merely a small pebble."
Arthur looked at the pebble in Merlin's hand, wide-eyed.
"What."
"Unless, you knew that an are frightened of this pebble?" Merin smirked.
"No I-"
The room was filled with roaring laughter. Arthurs voice was drowned out. Arthur looked at Merlin, eyes like a lost child. Merlin merely patted his back and sat him back down. 
"Perhaps it is time to wrap things up, sire?"
"Perhaps it is." Arthur continued staring at the pebble in front of him.

Chapter Text

Despite not having drank a single drop of wine, Merlin woke from his slumber feeling hungover.
Or at least somewhat adjacent to it.
"Merlin!" Gaius shouted from beyond the door.
Merlin groaned.
"You better get out here and finish up your breakfast before Arthur calls for you."
Merlin groaned louder and rolled out of bed. 
With a quick mutter, the clothes scattered on the floor flew about the room and landed in a laundry bin. He reached into the bin, sniffed a pair of trousers and decided they were clean enough. Merlin was not in the mood to do any laundry. 
He made his way to the table and sat across from Gaius, who looked at him with a knowing gaze.
"Put on clean clothes."
"My clothes are clean."
"No. They are not."
Merlin groaned and quickly retreated to his room, slipping on a new *clean* pair of trousers and a fresh shirt.
He returned to his spot across from Gaius, and had begun to lift a spoon of porridge to his mouth when the door burst open.
"Merlin!"
Merlin sighed and plopped his spoon back into the bowl.
"Do you know what time it is?" Arthur scolded. "I need my armor polished and my sword sharpened now."
"Why?"
"I must practice for the New Spring tournament, you idiot."
Ah yes. The New Spring tournament. 
A jousting tournament followed by second banquet. The jousting tournament was not only entertainment, but a way for Camelot to boast its superior talent in such events. The banquet that followed wouldn't even be festive like the previous nights, it was a purely diplomatic evening. 
New Spring really was the most *tedious* holiday in Camelot. 
The only good news was that there was a week in between the New Spring Festival and the jousting tournament. 
Maybe Merlin could get some rest.
"MERLIN."
Maybe not.

~

Arthur sped his way through the castle halls, leaving Merlin shuffling behind.
It seems that Arthur was not experiencing any aches from last nights drinking. Perhaps he had given his hangover to Merlin. 
The castle halls were filled with sunshine and busy staff. Maids moved past him holding large stacks of freshly washed bed sheets. Servants rushed by with pails of water and brooms in hand. This was one of the busiest times in Camelot. The staff of the castle had to make sure that every guest room was fully stocked and sparkling. Each guest was royalty, and Camelot could not afford to upset any of them.
Merlin's eyes began to droop. 
They shot back open when Arthur smacked the back of his head. 
"Are you sleeping?"
"Not anymore, sire."
Arthur huffed and rolled his eyes, turning on his heel and leaving Merlin to catch up.
The pair made their way past all of the maids and servants, and to the castles armory.
Camelot's armory was one of the biggest in the land. The walls were lined with various weapons, from longswords to morning stars. Decorative shields were hung around the room, showing off the crests of many of the noble families that made up the knights. Piles of mud-covered armor sat at the back of the room. Arthurs armor was perched carefully on a chair next to the pile.
A sponge and a bucket of water sat in front of it.
"I have a meeting with my advisors. I expect my armor to be clean by the time I am back."
"Yes, sire."
Arthur paused, taking in his servants drooping eyelids and pronounced eye bags. "Can you at least make sure my chest plate is clean?"
"Yes, sire." Merlin picked up the chest plate from the chair and began to scrub. 
Arthur hesitated again, before leaving for his meeting, shutting the door behind him.
Merlin looked at the wet sponge in his hand, and had an idea. 
Maybe he *could* get some rest. 
Merlin looked towards the door, listening for footsteps. 
Confirming that no one was coming towards the room, he set the chest plate down and began to recite a spell.
It was a simple spell that he'd used many times before. The chest plate and sponge rose from the ground, hovering about half a meter above the floor. Merlin turned to the king's sword and the whetstone beside it. They too began to levitate. With another flick of his hand and a few more words, the sponge began to clean the chest plate by itself. Then the sword began to sharpen itself on the whetstone. 
Merlin grabbed a pile of leather and placed it under his head.
Surely a short nap wouldn't hurt. 

~

"Merlin?!"
Merlin shot up.
He looked around, momentarily confused at his location. He quickly remembered where he was. 
Right, I'm in the armory.
Oh no, I'm in the armory.
Merlin turned to the doorway, expecting to see a very angry king. He doubted that he'd just be sent to the stocks this time. 
Instead of the king, the knight Elyan stood in the doorway. 
Maybe Merlin wasn't going to be burnt alive.
"Eylannnnn. What're you doing here?"
"The king asked me to find you- What are you doing???"
"Uhhh,,,"
"You're magic??"
",,, no."
Elyan closed the door behind him. He walked over to the sword sharpening itself. Merlin stood up and followed the knight. Thankfully, Elyan did not appear to be filled with hatred or anger. Instead, he was looking at the floating armor with a child-like sense of wonder and curiosity. Elyan circled the floating sponge, which was now cleaning the kings shin guards. Elyan looked at Merlin, then at the armor, then back at Merlin.
"You did this?"
"You can't tell anyone."
Elyan paused, a devilish grin starting at his lips.
Merlin grew concerned.
"What if I do?"
"I'll be killed."
"Right." Elyans grin disappeared.
"Were you thinking of blackmailing me?"
"Only for a moment."
Merlin squeezed the bridge of his nose and sighed. "What do you want?"
"I'm not going to tell anyone, Merlin, don't worry."
"Might as well get it out of the way, what do you want?"
"I'm not going to blackmail you, Merlin."
"Then it's a favor."
The pair stared at each other in silence. 
Elyan's smirk returned.
"You know how all of the knights are going to the tavern after training tonight?"
"Yes,,,"
"Will you help me beat Percival in arm wrestling?"
Merlin sighed, smiling slightly. "And make him look foolish?"
"Of course."
Merlin couldn't resist. Making the knights look like fools was his favorite hobby. "I'm in."

--

The day continued for Merlin slowly. Time always moves at a snails pace when you are looking forward to something.
But eventually the sun set, and the knights (and Merlin) made their way to the tavern.
The knights were sweaty and covered in dirt, the hadn't bothered to clean up after their day of training. Merlin tried his best to convince Arthur to at least clean himself up to preserve his image, but Arthur whined and told Merlin that he is "the bloody King and I can dress as dirty as I please." 
*I don't know why I even try.* Merlin had thought. 
But as the knights strode into the tavern, his worries all washed away. 
The tavern was the only one in the city, and given that it was the end of the day, it was filled to the brim with people. Merchants and farmers, city folk and knights. People from all corners of the city were sitting at the bar and taking up chairs. Drunkards were singing and shouting and sloshing beer around. In a far corner a band of musicians played a jolly tune. The lanterns flooded the main drinking area with a low, warm, welcoming glow. The tavern was in the basement of another building, so there were no windows, so many of the drunk bastards had been there far longer than they had planned. 
The knights walked in and were picked off one by one as they were recognized by family, friends, and fans. The only two that made it to the bar were Arthur and Merlin. Arthur slammed his fist on the bar, waving for the barkeep with his other. 
The barkeep was an old fellow, with a beard that ended right above his belly button. His crow feet creased as he gave the king a welcoming smile. 
"What can I do for ya?" He added hastily, "Er,,, yer highness." 
"I would like to open a tab for myself and my knights."
"Of course, sire, what can I get started for you all?"
"Your finest honey mead of course! I wouldn't have anything less!"
Merlin sighed as the barkeep turned to get the drinks, Arthur was incredibly spoiled at times. One should expect nothing less of the King, he supposed. Arthur turned to face Merlin, staring at him intently. Merlin's stomach fluttered.
"Can I help you, sire?"
"What are you planning?"
"What?"
"You've had that look on your face all day, what are you planning?"
"I'm not planning anything!"
"Then why do you look like-" Arthur made a circular gesture to Merlin's face, "-that?!"
"Excuse me?"
"Your eyebrows are all crooked and your smirking."
"That's just how I look sire."
"No it's not."
"Have you been look at my face often?"
Arthur turned red, "No," and turned away. 
The barkeep returned with seven steins of mead and set them on the bar. The golden hue of the drink glowed as the light bounced off it. Honey mead from Camelot is supposedly the greatest drink in all the seven kingdoms, but it is only made once a year due to the struggle of farming honey in Camelot. Taking a sip from a drink, Merlin decided it was all worth the wait. 

--

The Knights of the Roundtable were all sufficiently drunk by the time most of the bars patrons had retired for the evening. 
Merlin made sure he was sober, given that **someone** needed to get the King back home.
And given that he needed to do a little magic tonight. 
The Knights were all playing a game of dice. The goal? Merlin didn't quite understand the rules of this version, and just assumed that they were trying to "out roll" each other. Whatever that meant. They had been taking turns rolling and placing bets. Everyone had lost count of what round it was, but the stack of gold in the center of the table was taller than the empty steins of mead. 
Elyan excused himself from the table at the end of his turn, and wobbled his way over to where Merlin was sitting. Merlin watched the knight try a few times to sit on the empty stool next to him. After catching his breath, Elyan turned to Merlin with mischief in his eyes. 
"Merlin."
Elyan's breath hit Merlin like a brick. Merlin pushed him back a few centimeters. 
"Yes, Elyan?"
"Is it time?" This is the fourth time that Elyan had come over to ask. 
Merlin sigh and shrugged, "Why not?"
The pair returned to the table, just as Gwaine's turn was up. Gwaine was attempting to take another turn, Leon (the other sober person) was trying to take the dice from him, and the others were all yelling at him.
"I don't know what ANY of you are tALKING ABOUT. This is my first roll."
"Are you trying to gaslight us?" Leon asked as he grabbed at the dice. 
"You don't know what gaslighting even IS."
"Doubling down are we?" Percival stood up and reached over Gwaine, grabbing the dice and wrenching them away in one swift motion. 
Merlin had to admit, Percival was a hell of a man. He was the tallest and strongest of the knights. His arms were the size of Merlin's head. Merlin had seen him crack open a barrel with his bare hands. He was glad that Percival was on *his* side. For tonight, however, Merlin wasn't on Percival's side. Elyan returned to his seat next to Percival, and rubbed his hands together. Elyan eyed Percival up and down. Merlin understood why people often thought they were a thing, they were very close and in more ways than one. 
Percival rolled his dice, and landed a triple three. 
Elyan winked at Merlin, and turned back to Percival.
"Percival, I bet I can roll higher than that, that was pathetic."
"Oh yeah? And if you don't?"
"Ill arm wrestle you."
The other knights ooo-ed at the proposition. Normally arm wrestling the giant was the last thing any of the knights would bet. Percival had a record sweep, and hadn't lost a single match against any of the others. The closest anyone came was Arthur using both hands. Percival looked down at Elyan, eyebrow cocked. 
"Its settled then."
This was the odd part, Elyan wanted to loose. 
Elyan picked up the dice in his hands. He blew on them softly for "good luck," and let them loose. Time slowed, figuratively for the Knights, literally for Merlin. Merlin followed the dice, muttering a thieves incantation that made the dice weighed until someone picked them up. With a golden flicker of his eyes, time returned to its normal flow. The dice clattered to the table. The knights leaned in to get a closer look at the riskiest roll of the night. 
Snake eyes. 
"Yikes, that's what you get for messing with the giant, Els." Gwaine shrugged, sucking in his breath.
"Not to point out the obvious but, you brought this upon yourself my friend." Lancelot added. 
Percival's lips formed a silent grin as he adjusted and got ready for the match. Elyan feigned disappointment for a few beats before rolling up his sleeves and getting in position. They both set their elbows on the wood, hands clasped.
Gwaine stood between them, his face level with their fists. "READY-"
"SET"
"GO!"
Immediately Percival was pushing Elyans fist to the side. Elyan was pulled out of his shit eating grin. He thought Merlin would help him right away. Elyan spared a glance at Merlin. Merlin just waved. This was payback. Elyan knew he shouldn't have mentioned blackmail.
Elyan pushed back against Percival with all his strength, sweat dripping from what felt like every surface of his body. There was no chance that he could beat Percival on his own, the best he could do was keep them above the table. Percival and Elyan stayed in a stalemate for about 20 minutes. Eventually, Merlin decided he would help. 
The room cooled, air flowing past each body in the tavern. Merlin, eyes golden, made a simple hand gesture behind his back. And just like that, Elyan now had the strength of a bull. Elyan would still have to work for this win, of course, but it should be more of an even match now. Merlin looks up from the arm wrestling and caught Lancelot looking at him intensely. 
"What are you doing??" Lancelot mouthed.
"Nothing." 
Lancelot pursed his mouth, and gave Merlin a very stern look.
"Helping a friend?" Merlin shrugged.
"What about Arthur?" Lancelot nodded in the kings direction.
"I won't tell if you don't."
Lancelot sighed, and rubbed his temples. He decided it was none of his business, and returned to watching Percival and Elyan.
Elyan and Percival were now back at the starting point, hands firmly grasped in the middle. Percival was looking increasingly confused. Then, without any struggle from Elyan (who's butt cheeks were FIRMLY clenched in suspense), he slammed Percival's hand down on the table. Elyan jumped up and started shouting with joy. The rest of the knights joined him, shouting and jumping and praising Elyan for being the first to beat Percival. 
Percival sat at the table, staring, dumbfounded, at his hand.
Merlin sat next to the giant man, patting his back. "You can't win 'em all."

Chapter Text

[Same night as CH.2: LATER]

Compared to a dragon, anyone would feel small. 
That feeling is increased ten-fold when one is being scolded by a dragon. 
Kilgharrah and Merlin were in a clearing a distance away from the city. No one other than them could hear the racket Kilgharrah was making. It was probably better that way. 
"YOU ARE GETTING SLOPPY BOY."
"I was tired, accidents happen."
"THIS ACCIDENT COULD GET YOU KILLED."
"Elyan wouldn't snitch on me. Neither would Lancelot."
"AND? HOW SURE ARE YOU OF THIS?"
"Absolutely."
Kilgharrah stared at the sorcerer. 
"Mostly."
"YOU CANNOT TRUST THAT THESE KNIGHTS ARE ON YOUR SIDE. ONE WRONG WORD FROM THEM AND YOUR DESTINY, ALBIONS DESTINY, IS CUT SHORT."
"It's not that deep, it was just arm wrestling." Merlin muttered under his breath.
"SAY THAT AGAIN. BOY." Kilgharrah brings his face down to Merlin's.
"Nothing."
"THAT IS WHAT I THOUGHT." The great dragon huffed, and raised his head. 

Merlin and Kilgharrah continued their bickering, not noticing or hearing the figure in the bushes behind them. 
A drunkard, stumbling his way through the brush, presumably trying to find a secluded corner of the forest to relieve himself. This corner, unfortunately for him, was not secluded. He saw the Great Dragon, and stumbled back, scared and shocked, and stepped on a poorly placed stick. He tumbled backwards, landing on the ground. Thankfully, no one but himself noticed. 
In most cases, this would have saved him the embarrassment of tripping over himself. In this case, however, it may have just saved his life.
The man got up in a crouch, peering at the scene through the bushes in front of him. 

"YOU MUST BE MORE DILIGENT, EMRYS. YOU CANNOT ALLOW THIS MISTAKE TO HAPPEN A THIRD TIME."
"I wont don't worry."
"I AM NOT THE ONE WHO NEEDS TO WORRY. I HAVE LIVED FOR A THOUSAND YEARS, AND WILL LIVE FOR A THOUSAND MORE. YOU LIFE IS THE ONE AT STAKE. NOT MINE."

The man finally noticed Merlin, a small ant compared to the towering beast.
The man, in his drunkenness, had forgotten the inherent danger that comes with the presence of a dragon. He exited the bushes and stumbled toward his friend.

"WHO ARE YOU." Kilgharrah said, in a booming voice that the stranger could hear.
Oh dear. Merlin thought. Surely whoever was coming up from behind him would be dead in a few minutes.
Merlin turned, and was met with a familiar face.
"Percival??" His voice cracked.
"Merlin!" Percival wrapped his arms around the manservant, pulling him into a bear hug.
"What are you doing here??"
"I need to pee."
"What????"
"I need to pee and I can't do it near the tavern."
"What about the tavern bathhouse?"
"Occupied."
Merlin sighed and rubbed his temples. 
Kilgharrah huffed from above them, glaring at the two men below him. 
Percival had forgotten there was a dragon. He looked up to the dragon, and jumped into a defensive stance, pushing Merlin behind him and unsheathing his sword. "Stay back Merlin."
"YOU THINK YOU CAN BEAT ME?"
"Please leave him alone." Merlin groaned.

Was Merlin saying it to Kilgharrah or Percival? Both, perhaps.

"Is he evil?" Percival looked back at Merlin.
"Not particularly, though he is a bit of a twat."
"Does Arthur know you are friends with the dragon?"
"No, and he doesn't need to. Percival everything is okay."
"Why are you friends with a dragon?" Percival still had his sword pointed towards Kilgharrah.
"I-" 
Why was he friends with the dragon? Would he even call it 'friendship'? Merlin froze, not prepared for the sudden interrogation from his drunk friend. 
"I guess he helps me with destiny related things."
"What is your destiny?"
"That's a very deep question, Percy."
"Is is anything to do with magic?"
Merlin paused. If anyone was going to rat him out to Arthur, well it would be Leon, but Percival was a close second. Merlin looked at the giant man in front of him. Percival, despite his impaired state of mind, was trying to protect him. Percival had his sword extended, and his free hand in front of Merlin. Percival was willing to act as a shield for Merlin. 
Merlin decided that it would be okay to let Percival in on things. 
He assumed it would be fine.
"Yes, it has everything to do with magic."

"So you and Emrys are the same?"
"Yes."
"So Arthur is hunting you, but you are also his manservant."
Merlin and Percival were sitting on a fallen log at the edge of the clearing. The Great Dragon had flown away in frustration after Merlin confessed. The two had spent the last hour talking about the whole destiny thing. It was a great deal easier to explain things to a drunk Percy than Merlin had expected. Percival had been very receptive and understanding. 
"Yeah, but he can't know that I'm Emrys."
"I guess that makes sense, with magic being banned- Did you help Elyan win with magic tonight?" Percival's eye narrowed as the gears in his head began to turn.
",,,,Perhaps."
"I knew he couldn't have been stronger than me."
Merlin sighed, relieved. This was the best case scenario. The worst? Percival could squish Merlin like a bug if he decided to. Merlin was glad that Percy was cool with it all. 
"You won't tell Arthur about this right?"
"No, of course not. Just don't let Elyan's ego get any bigger, his forehead is already massive."
"Of course." Merlin laughed.

Chapter Text

Merlin has a day off.  
No one knew why, but everyone knew better than to question it.  
Arthur and Leon had gone off on a hunting expedition. It was some sort of tradition that the two had been doing together since they were kids. Merlin thought it was very sweet that the pair still kept the tradition going. However, the king being on a trip left the knights with nothing to do. So they did what they knew best, hitting things with large weapons.  
The five of them were at the castle training grounds and chatting about something or other.  
"Ok but if you think about it, bugs could be called faeries." Gwaine chucked a blunt axe at a straw dummy about 5 meters in front of him.  
He missed.  
"In what world is a bug the same thing as a faerie?" Elyan rolled his eyes.  
"Ok, Mr. smart guy, what is a faerie?" Gwaine turned to look at Elyan, sitting on a hay bale nearby.  
Folding his arms, he responded, "A faerie is a small magic creature with wings."  
"Ok so minus the magic, bugs are small creatures with wings." Gwaine places a hand on his hip and raises an eyebrow.  
"Maybe bugs are magic." Percival speaks up.  
"Exactlyyy."  
"Just how stupid are you two-" Elyan is cut off by a blood-curdling scream.  
The knights (and Merlin) stand alert. The scream came from the nearby forest, if the fleeing crows were anything to go by. The group grabbed their weapons (Merlin excluded, the knights would never let him hold a weapon if he tried). They got atop their steads and set off. Hands gripping the reins tight, the wind billowing through their crimson capes. The horses were pushed to the limit, as they often were. The danger at the edges of the kingdom never faltered, and so the kingdoms horses didn't either. They were as loyal to the King as anyone. So they, along with their brave riders, headed deep into the forest to find the source of the days troubles. 
The group encountered a clearing not far into their journey. In the center of this clearing was a small cabin, if you could even call it that. It was covered in moss and falling apart at the seams. As far as the knights could tell, it had been abandoned for centuries. The trees hung low, reaching out to the group, looking for anything to catch on. The cabin was surrounded by thorns and bushes with spiked leaves. The darkening sky was barely visible. 
"Was is not sunny a few moments ago?" Lancelot looked at the others. 
"Perhaps we just missed the incoming clouds?" Elyan shrugged. 
"This place is haunted." Gwaine stated.
"What? There is no-" Elyan began before Gwaine whipped around to look him in the eyes. The knight was shivering, his chainmail making a soft clinking sound.
"Look at that cabin and tell me its not haunted. The ghosts are mad. We need to leave."
"Calm down friend, let us just check that no one alive is in danger and then we will be gone." Lancelot put a hand on Gwaine shoulder. Gwaine did not stop shivering. Merlin was inclined to agree with Gwaine. He had dealt with ghosts before, but that was at an ancient grave, this looked nothing like it. One can never be to sure, can they though? He thought to himself. 
The group inched closer to the front door, with Percival leading them.
"Why do I have to go in front?" Percy turned to look at the group.
"'Cause I said so,,, now you knock." Elyan said from his spot behind the towering man. 
Percy did as he was told, not because he was told but because he wanted to. Lifting his hand he knocked. Once. Twice. Three times on the hardwood door. He was more gentle than usual, for he was worried he might knock the door down if he hit it too hard. 
Thankfully, the door did not fall down.
Rather, it slowly creaked open.
"Oh come on. That's straight out of a tavern story. You guys can not be serious about going inside." Gwaine groaned. 
"We just need to check if they are okay, it'll only take a moment." Lancelot gave him a meek smile. He was not good at masking his own fear. 
Percy pushed the door further open and the group peered inside.
The cabin was very small, there was only one room. Every inch of the long wooden table was covered in miscellaneous jars and bottles. The floor boards creaked with every step. The walls had bushels of dried and dead herbs and flowers hung, and spiders nested in every corner. The bed at the far end of the room was made with a potato sack blanket that was riddled with holes. The cabinets were missing their doors, as well as everything within them. The only thing that resided inside was a family of mice. 
Percy and Elyan looked around, trying to find clues as to what had occurred. Gwaine stood with Lancelot in the middle of the room. Merlin was still outside, cautious of setting foot inside. He had a bad feeling. Something out of place that covered every inch of the place. Nothing that he could see, regardless, Merlin was on edge. 
"Merlin, would you come and look at this?" Elyan held something up.
Merlin squinted at it. "Yes, that certainly is something."
"No, you dolt. Come and read it."
"Can't you bring it here?"
"What, did Gwaine scare you that bad?" Elyan teased.
Merlin sighed, and stepped over the threshold. 
A chill filled the room. The door slammed behind the sorcerer. Window shutters blocked the light from entering. 
The knights stood still for a few moments, staring at one another. 
"I told you so." Gwaine groaned. 
"Shut up." Percy smacked the back of his head.
Merlin sighed and looked around the cabin. He had dealt with enough shenanigans while being Arthurs manservant to know that trying the door would be pointless. Everything was covered in a fine layer of dust. He couldn't see any signs of recent activity, other than the ruckus created by the brutish knights. There weren't any sigils or spells hidden, at least not any that he could see with his plain eye. Merlin would use his magic to look, but Gwaine was there and he couldn't risk it.
Lancelot tapped Merlin's elbow, leading him out of earshot of the arguing Percy and Gwaine. 
"Can you not see anything with your.. talents?"
"I don't know if I can do anything without Gwaine seeing."
Elyan leaned into the men's huddle, "I think Percy and I are more than capable of distracting him for a few minutes." Elyan grinned. 
Elyan and Lancelot walked over to back Percy up. Despite their lack of brain cells, the knights were excellent at talking. The things they talked about weren't intelligent or stimulating in anyway but boy could they talk. And they loved to talk. 
Merlin turned to face the room. Deep breath in. Deep breath out. He muttered a simple scrying spell under his breath.
Cyþan eall.
His golden eyes scanned the room. The once barren room was filled with colors and sensations. Merlin was overwhelmed. He blinked. The colors swirled in front of each of the knights, the windows, and the door. It took him a second to realize that this was not what he was looking for. No, this was the remnants of whatever caused this lingering on the knights and in the room. Merlin's gut told him that what he was looking for would be much smaller and more hidden. 
He scanned the room once more. 
A small glow caught his eye.
In the corner of the cabin, underneath the bed, was a small glowing object. Well, it was more of an object that lacked a glow, and when the entire room was dancing with lights and colors, something like this stood out. He knelt over to pick it up. It was a small, round metal tin, that fit neatly in the center of Merlin's palm. He flipped it over. It was unmarked, at least it wasn't marked in a way that he could see.
Against his better judgement, Merlin opened the tin. It contained a handful of brightly colored candies. At least he didn't unleash a plague upon the kingdom. While he was observing the tin and its content, a noticeably less frightened Gwaine walked over to him. 
"What have you got here?"
Merlin shot a glare at the other knights, they shrugged at him. "I'm not sure yet."
Without another word (or any self preservation instincts) Gwaine reached into the tin and popped one of the candies into his mouth. 
Merlin stared, wide eyed.
"Mm, that's good. Very chewy though." Gwaine did not appear to have any adverse affects. At least not yet.
"Is it now?" 
"Yeah, you should try some! You guys too." He waved over the other knights. 
To Merlin's utter horror, the knights reached into his palm and began popping the candies in their mouths. He could not bring himself to do anything other than stare at the brutes in shock, his jaw hanging open. 
Percy tossed the last of the candies into Merlin's mouth. He choked and doubled over in a coughing fit as the candy travelled down his throat. There was no getting rid of it unless he made himself sick.
"What the hell are you doing??" Merlin looked at Percy.
"If one of us goes down, might as well all of us go down."
"That is the dumbest thing anyone has ever said."
"Maybe." Percy shrugged.
Merlin huffed and went to sulk in a far corner. 

--

The knights had all but abandoned the thought of opening the door, so they had started the fireplace and huddled around it telling jokes and stories of previous adventures. 
Merlin, however, was still sulking in a corner. 
How could Percy do that? Why on Earth would Gwaine just eat something he knew nothing of its origin? What even WAS that candy? 
Merlin would only get an answer to one of these questions.
He looked over at the jovial group, as they laughed about the previous nights exploits. 
"And then I BEAT HIM!" Elyan regaled. "He didn't even know that I got help from Merlin."
The knights went silent. 
"What?" Gwaine looked at Elyan.
"Uh, I mean.. I did- HRK- did get help from Merlin." Elyan violently coughed as he tried to cover his tracks.
"Are you okay my friend?" Lancelot patted the knight on the back, concerned.
"It was an arm wrestling match, how did you get help from Merlin?" Gwaine scoffed.
"HEY." Merlin crossed his arms from him corner.
"Don't get me wrong Merlin, you are a talented fellow, but strength is not one of those talents."
Percy tried to help, "Merlin already told me about Elyans cheating, its all good Gwaine."
"But how did he do it? Perhaps Merlin can help me beat our dear King." Gwaine chuckled.
"He just - ACK- used magic." Now it was Percy's turn to cough up a lung. 
Merlin and the other Knights turned pale. They looked at Gwaine. 
Gwaine was silent. 
The silence stretched across the room and settled like a thick layer of snow. Heartbeats quickened, temples began to sweat.
"That's like the worst way to cheat!" Gwaine shouted.
"Huh?"
"Magic is like the ultimate cheat. That's SO not fair." Gwaine crossed his arms.
Merlin let out a deep breath. At least he didn't go for an immediate kill. We might be able to talk him out of telling anyone.
"Hold on..." Gwaine turned to look Merlin in the eyes.
The room tensed up once more.
"Yes?" 
"Does that mean you've been cheating at dice?"
"Perhaps?"
"YOU LITTLE-" Gwaine lunged at Merlin. Leaving his sword and dagger resting beside the fireplace, he grabbed at Merlin's scarf. The rest of the Knights scrambled to get a hold of Gwaine before he could reach the sorcerer. The knights armor began to clang together in their scuffle. In the chaos of silver, Merlin felt a hand grab the bottom of his shirt. He yelped.
He was pulled into an armpit hold, and Gwaine began to rub his fist on Merlin's head.
"You little rascal you have stolen so much money from me. You even took my good belt!" Gwaine laughed a laugh and hearty laugh as he tousled Merlin's hair. The other Knights stopped, exhaling a sigh of relief. It was just some playful roughhousing.
Merlin chuckled nervously. "So you aren't mad?"
"Why would I be? I trust you. Besides, if you wanted to kill me, I'm sure you would have done so earlier." Gwaine smiled warmly.
"You won't tell the king?"
"He doesn't know?"
"Of course not."
"Oh. I thought you two were-" He looked to the other knights, silent questions and answers being exchanged. "Ohh, never mind then."
Merlin looked at Gwaine and the other Knights, confused. "What do you mean us two?"
"Nothing, don't worry about it." Gwaine stood up and dusted himself off. "Now, sir magician, how are we getting out of here?"
"I... have no idea." Merlin sighed.
"So you are useless even with magic."
"I am NOT." Merlin threw a wooden bowl at Gwaine.
"He's actually saved our lives more than once. If anything he's the most useful of all of us." A voice came from behind the group.
In the open doorway stood a familiar face. 
Sir Leon the ever-suffering stood before them. "You missed supper. And you lot never miss supper. So I went searching."

Chapter Text

In the open doorway stood a familiar face. 
Sir Leon the ever-suffering stood before them. "You missed supper. And you lot never miss supper. So I went searching."

--

"How long have you known???" Gwaine demanded, falling in step with Leon. 
"For a while now, I mean many strange things happen when Merlin is around so I just assumed it was him." Leon shrugged.
"Strange?? Like what?" Merlin asked.
"Remember when that guy's shield had a very real snake on it?"
"That wasn't me!" Merlin shouted, offended.
"No, but you were the one who fixed that whole...problem." Leon looked over his shoulder at the sorcerer.
"Oh. Well, yeah, I guess I did." Merlin blushed at the recognition.
"I thought we all knew, sans Arthur of course. I don't know if he would know the difference between an orange and a pumpkin if I wasn't there to tell him." 
The group chuckled. More jokes (most at the expense of the king) were passed around as they made their way back to the castle gates. The woods had gotten dark at this point but they weren't very worried, the post-festival season was a time of relaxation. Most bandits would be off in a bar betting all their riches away to bother the knights for now. 
The castle of Camelot was quiet awe-inspiring in the day time, once the sun dipped below the horizon it was something else entirely. The cobble walls were lit by sconces dotted around the perimeter. The walls towered over anyone who entered, menacing knights perched above the closed metal gate. From the entrance the castle seemed impossibly tall and endless. In the night the castle was truly a feat to behold. 
The Knights of the Roundtable paid no mind to the familiar cobble paths and arches as they passed. They had long gotten past their initial awe and were settled comfortably between annoyance at the uneven steps and the benevolence at the castle rats that never went away. 
They made their way through the winding paths and corridors of Camelot's upper city streets. By the time they reached the front steps of the castle the night was darker than crow feathers. 
The group entered the throne room with no issues. 
Until Merlin started to sneeze.
The sneezing was unremarkable at first, after all, everyone sneezes from time to time. Merlin didn't have the sneeze of a kitten or even a sneeze that sounded like Satan himself rising from the depth of hell. It was just a normal sneeze. Completely normal. Until it happened 12 times in 2 minutes.
And it didn't stop there. 
Sneeze after sneeze after sneeze after sneeze.
They just kept coming.
"Are you okay my friend?" Lancelot placed his hand on the sniffling sorcerers shoulder. 
"Yeah I'm fine." Merlin was not fine. 
He looked like a little victorian child suffering from the plague. More than usual at least. His face was flushed like a fresh rose (or a pigs ass) and his nose was dripping more than the broken faucet in the knights quarters. He sounded better than he looked at least, which wasn't saying much. His nose was so stuffed that his M's transformed into B's. 
All the knights came to the same conclusion; Merlin looked pathetic. Oh and he was sick too. 
"My friend you are not fine. You need to go lie down." Lancelot sounded increasingly more concerned. 
"Can sorcerers even get sick? Can't you just wish the sick away?" Gwaine tilted his head at Merlin. 
"Yeah let me just- well actually. Huh. I've never tried it." Merlin looked at the knights. 
Surely it would work. 
Nothing would go wrong.
Merlin gathered his courage and tried to cast a spell. Did he have an actual spell in his head? Of course not. Since when did he need a spell with words. Pssh, he is a sorcerer he's got this. Merlin closes his eyes and focuses on the feeling in his chest. He opens his eyes and they flash gold for a moment. 
The rest of the knights watch him in silent awe (and fear).
Merlin looks over at them and smiles, "I think it work-"
He doubles over and starts throwing up bright purple goo. 
"Oh ew." Gwaine jumps back, disgusted. 
"That cannot be healthy." Elyan's brow furrows. 
"My friend-" Lancelot bends down to help but Merlin raises his hand to stop him. 
"Nope. Don't. This is definitely magic and I don't know if its contagious so stay awa-"
More vomiting. 
"Did you eat the same thing Gwaine did?" Leon asked.
"Yeah we all ate those little candies." Percy shrugged.
"So why is it just a him thing?" Gwaine peered at the purple goo puddle on the ground. "Ew."
"Is it a sorcerer thing? He is the only one of us who can do magic." Leon looked to Lancelot.
"Why would I know??"
"You are arguable the only reasonable person here. These other morons couldn't tell me if the sky is blue on a cloudless day."
Percy and Gwaine looked up to check.  
"Guys its night. You are so- just so stupid." Elyan sighed.
Merlin continued to hurl as they made their way to Gaius. 
He would know how to help.

--

"I have no idea how to help." Gaius looked at the knights over his glasses. 
"Great," Elyan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just great."
"I'm sorry boys but there is nothing in any of my books that explains what is going on with him." Gaius got up from his desk and walked to where Merlin was lying on a cot. He was wriggling and writhing around in pain. A small wooden bucket sat next to him already filled to the brim with purple goo. The stream of snot coming from his nose had turned purple too. 
"The most I can tell you is what you already know. Its some sort of magic flu." Gaius sits down on stool next to Merlin and places the back of his hand on his forehead. 
"From what I can gather, I doubt it is anything lethal. It seems like just that, a flu."
"So it'll go away with some rest?" Percy asks. 
The group looks over at Merlin. His hair stands up at odd angles and looks like a perfect place for a blue bird to make a nest for her young. His face is pale and covered in sweat. 
"Presumably."
"Well then. Get a-restin'!" Gwaine slaps his knee and stands up from the chair he was sitting in. He spins on his heel and heads out the door.
Lancelot sighs, "Please take good care of him, sir."
Gaius gave a small smile, "I always do."
The knights all left the room. Gaius removed his glasses, letting them dangle from the silver chain attached to the ends. He sighed once more.
"What have you gotten yourself into?"

--

The next day Arthur summons the knights to join him on a hunt. They had to catch up on all the game they missed during their short ban the week of the festival. 
The group ditched their loud clang-y armour for quieter chainmail and leather. Each knight was equipped with a bow, arrows, and a short sword for finishing off any poor soul that the party encountered. Except Gwaine. Gwaine was not allowed to use a bow after showing off his incredible aim by somehow missing a sleeping deer and hitting the king squarely in the ass. 
Tip-toeing over branches, the group made their way into the forest near the castle. They never went too far, not for a short trip like this, just far enough that the towns folk wouldn't be bothered by the sudden lack of animals. Not that they ever over-hunted on their trips. That would be irresponsible.
cough cough
Arthur leads the group to a pair of deer that he had been tracking for the better part of an hour. Slowly and silently they hold their bows up. Arrows are docked. They aim. Bullseye. Or should they say deerseye. Happily, the group rushed over to collect their prize. 
"By the way," Arthur asks as he hoists the larger of the two deer onto his shoulders. "Have any of you got a clue as to what happened to my buffoon of a manservant?"
The knights look at one another nervously.
"He's been missing since supper last night." He adds.
"Er.. he-" Lancelot starts.
"He's probably been at the tavern. You know him." Gwaine interrupts. 
"I should have known." Arthur sighs.
There is a beat of awkward silence as Percival picks up the second deer. The group begins to return to the castle. 
"Speaking of disappearing, where did you all go last night?" Arthur raises an eyebrow at the group. 
"We were just, uh, training." Elyan offers.
"Past supper?" Arthur turns to look him in the eye. 
"Well..."
"We heard a scream and went to go see if someone was in danger!" Lancelot blurts out. 
The other knights turn to glare at him. Lancelot smiles apologetically. 
"Yes, there was a horrible scream that came from the woods. We went to check it out and found a cabin that we lost track of time in." Elyan says. 
"Yes! They were just fooling around. I had to go get them and tell them to come home." Leon adds. 
"Did you find where the scream was coming from?" Arthur questions the group, raising his eyebrow at them once again. 
"It was probably a fox." Percival says. "Foxes make a bunch of sounds, including screaming."
Now its time for the others to look at Percy. "Really?" asks Lancelot.
"Yeah. Gaius lent me a book about animals." Percy shrugs.
"I had no idea."
"Was Merlin with you?" Arthur doesn't turn to look at them this time. The knights look at one another and silently try to gesture a plan. Lancelot clears his throat and begins to speak, but Elyan chops him in the neck.
Lancelot starts violently coughing.
"No, he wasn't." Elyan smiles and pats Lancelot on the back. 
"Really? Cause the maids told me.."
"Nope. He visited us while we were training but left." Gwaine went along. 
"Hm. As long as you all didn't put him in any danger." Arthur half mumbled to himself.
"Sorry?"
"Uh, just because it would be a pain to find a new servant." Arthur coughed.

--

That night Arthur had the knights for dinner. He told them they must share their spoils. The table was set like normal, but that didn't mean it wasn't done well. The sturdy maple table was covered in a soft, velvety cloth with golden edges and tassels. Each seat had a full setting of the finest silver. The plates in the center were again edged in gold. The forks and spooks were decorated with floral patterns on the handle. The center piece of the table was a large bread basket filled to the brim with loaves and rolls, all baked to golden brown perfection. 
With the knights all seated, the maids began to bring out the food from the kitchen. First came the side dishes; purple and yellow potatoes still steaming and covered with butter, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper; a large plate covered with cheeses from around the kingdom; even more bread that was fresh from the oven and drizzled with honey. Then came out the main meal; the venison. Cooked to a delicious medium-rare and covered with the flavored oil from the pan. It was served with garlic cloves on the side and more rosemary and thyme on top. The maids cut thick slices from the main piece and placed them dripping with seasoning on each of the knights plates. 
Someone's stomach growled. 
"Go ahead and dig in! You all have earned it." Arthur clasped his hands together.
"Thank GOD. I've been starving." Gwaine tucked a velvet napkin in the front of his shirt. 
"Do we have any wine or perhaps mead for tonight?" Lancelot asked.
"Ah yes! Merlin!" Arthur waved his hand over his shoulder and the knights all looked at each other, concerned.
A sniffling Merlin shuffled into the room carrying a jug of wine. Thankfully some of the color had returned to the sorcerers face before he was sent back to work. He slowly made his way to the king's seat and began to pour the deep purple wine from the jug. A small drip of purple goo made its way out of Merlin's nose at the same time.
"Er.. I think I'll just have water tonight." Lancelot said, putting his cup to his lips. 
"Oh, Merlin you.. are back from the tavern." Elyan corrected himself midsentence as Merlin shot him a death glare. 
"Yes, I found him lazing about at Gaius's. Must have had a fun night!" Arthur laughed. The nights laughed awkwardly in response. Surely Arthur wasn't seriously ignoring the illness, right?
"Merlin does look a bit sick does he not?" Percy asked.
"Yes but I'm sure he's just got a cold from a night out. Besides, he's well enough to pour liquid out of a jug."
Perhaps Arthur had a point. Pouring wine wasn't too diff-
Merlin sneezed.
His eyes flashed gold and suddenly the bread basket was full of hedgehogs. The cute little spike balls looked around for a moment before falling asleep in the warm basket. The knights, wide-eyed, looked at Arthur to see if he had caught it. 
"Anyway the man can deal with a cold, I doubt even Merlin is that weak." Arthur chuckled to himself, completely oblivious.
Merlin sneezed again. 
"Gwaine? Have you been wearing a fools hat this entire time?" Arthur looked over at the knight with the newly acquired yellow and purple jesters hat. Gwaine jingled as he nodded.
"I was trying something new." Gwaine tried his best to smile naturally. 
"Oh, well, its... if it makes you happy then I like it." Arthur smiled back. At least he was supportive.
Merlin sneezed for a third time.
Arthur turned to look at his man servant, "You know, they say if you sneeze more than three times you can't get blessed anymore."
"You haven't blessed me at all!" Merlin frowned at Arthur.
"Well if I had you wouldn't be getting anymore."
Merlin moved to Elyan and begun to pour wine into his cup. Elyan gave Merlin a pitiful smile. As Merlin tilted the jug further a flock of white doves flew out and directly at the knight. They circled the hall above the table a few times before dashing out of an open window. Now it was Merlin's turn to give the feather-covered Elyan a pitiful smile. 
"Huh." Arthur said as he looked at the jug, puzzled. 
"Perhaps we should all go sober for the night." Lancelot suggested.
"Perhaps we should." Arthur reached down to pick up his knife and what he held in front of his face was not, in fact, his knife but a bouquet of flowers. Merlin sniffled behind him. In his defense, it was a nice bouquet. An arrangement of pink camellias and lilies, wrapped in a matching pink ribbon. 
"Would you like me to put those in a vase?" Merlin stepped forward.
"Merlin. I am not entertained by this little prank of yours, especially during supper."
"So is that a no on the vase?"
Arthur shoved the bouquet into Merlin's hands and dismissed him. He left to go to the maids quarters in search of a nice vase. Arthur put his head in his hands and sighed.
"Maybe he is too sick. I probably shouldn't have told him to get back to work."
"Perhaps the smart thing to do would be to dismiss him for the night?" Lancelot suggested carefully.
"I just get worried when he's gone for so long. But yes, that would be the smart thing." Arthur agreed. He got one of the other servants in the room to go fetch Merlin. 
A sneeze was heard from the hallway outside. 
Merlin stood politely in front of the grand double door that made the entrance to the dining hall. He still looked absolutely miserable. His face was once again pale and the purple goo was still dripping from his nose. Now he had even begun to shivered. 
"Yes sire?"
"It is obvious that you are not well. You are dismissed for tonight on the condition that you go to bed and get some rest." Arthur looked at his man servant with a softness in his eyes. "Get better please."
"As you wish sire."
Merlin left the dining hall. Arthur turned to look at the knights next to him. He was going to say something when he laid eyes on Gwaine. Gwaine smiled, though it was more of an awkward grimace.
"Is that a second jesters hat?"