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The wine was crimson were it pooled in the jug, splashing against the silver metal that contained it. Merlin picked it up from the table at the back of the kitchen with little thought, He didn’t notice as it splashed up and ran down his hand like a trail of blood as he maneuvered through the busy kitchen. There were servants everywhere. The whole room smelt of the spices and herbs that had been used prepare the feast that lay on the wooden table above them.
Merlin didn’t even dare snatch a bread roll of the silver dish only a metre away from him, the chef already looked angry enough to cook him just for being there. So he stepped round more people in white uniforms and into the dimly lit spiral stairway that led up to the banquet hall. The single sconce on the wall did nothing to illuminate the steps he climbed and Merlin almost fell twice on the way up.
He entered the hall quickly, side stepping another servant who was about to leave the room. Merlin scanned the room with practiced eyes till they rested on the noble who’d demanded more wine.
The whole room had been rearranged for the gathering. Dark wooden tables were laid out in a rectangle, with the acception of the side closest the door which had been left free, creating a way into the middle of the square, where people would later dance. The room was lit by a myriad of flaming torches hung from the walls, which cast a warm glow over the room.
Merlin walked around the room, trying to steer clear of the particularly drunk foreign dignitarys who for some unknown reason Arthur had insisted on inviting to the winter solstice celebrations. Some nonsense about strengthening ties with Nemeth or something. Merlin had made a point of ignoring him when he started talking about that.
He poured the wine into the mans silver goblet, listening to his arrogant drabble about sheep flocks and tax prices. Merlin escaped as soon as the cup was full, not waiting to hear his feedback as he turned away.
He made his way to the wall on the left hand side of the room, conveniently placed so he could let his eyes gravitate to the throne in the centre of the back table. It was bigger than all the others, with ornate carvings and gold leaf embedded into the grain. Arthur laughed from the seat, looking the epitome of kingly, and making the lady on his other side blush as she giggled.
Merlin had picked out those clothes; Arthur's best red shirt and his favourite brown jacket, which Arthur had now taken off and placed behind him on his chair, due to the warmth generated from having so many people in such a small space, even if it was the middle of winter.
Merlin's own shirt was one of Arthur's. Merlin had walked into the king's chambers earlier, in a simple grey shirt and red neckerchief, not having thought much about it that morning. But Arthur wasn’t having it, and he’d made Merlin swap it out for one of Arthur's own purple shirts that he claimed was too small for him, but Merlin could swear he’d seen him in it only the other week and it had looked fine.
He’d also tried to get him to take off his neckerchief, saying all sorts of nonsense about the red and purple not going together, but Merlin had refused, stating that was too far. But now as he stood dangerously near a lit sconce, Merlin relented reaching up to pull if from around his neck and tucking into his trouser pocket.
Merlin didn’t have to wait long before Arthur pushed himself to standing and cleared his throat.
“Thank you all for coming here tonight to celebrate the winter solstice with me. I hope you found the feast as pleasant as I did, and now I invite you all to stand and join me on the floor in a dance to celebrate this occasion.”
Arthur smiled neutrally and began to walk to the empty space of the dance floor, and everyone else began to rise and join him. Arthur's blank face did nothing to hide the joy Merlin knew he felt about the dancing. He had confessed late one night that it was his favourite part of every celebration.
The musician played the first note on his violin shaped instrument, and everybody took their places. Arthur’s partner for this first dance was a young blonde woman in a beautiful green dress. She smiled at him and stepped closer, giggling as Arthur placed his hand on her back and brought their hands together.
The music started suddenly, a series of fast notes rippling through the air that had all the couples on the floor spinning away. The music was fast but good, other instruments soon joined in and the melody filled the room, Merlin even found himself swaying to it as he tried to keep sight of Arthur who kept swirling in and out of view.
After the first few songs the drunker less young people returned to their seats or stood in groups talking and laughing loudly. Merlin didn’t even notice that one noble was approaching him till he blocked out Arthur's figure who was still dancing, although now with a young man Merlin assumed to be a knight.
“Wine boy!” the middle aged man demanded, looking down his nose at Merlin.
Merlin peered into his jug that was only half empty and wrinkled his brow looking back at the man who seemed to be attempting to avoid looking at Merlin as if he was the plague. Merlin's eyes flashed gold and the jug was miraculously a lot lighter.
“Don’t have any.” He replied, his mouth pulled into a smirk.
He stared at Merlin for a few seconds before yelling “You filthy lying servant! I knew you were good for nothing but you can’t even poor me some wine.” He sneered down at Merlin as if he expected him to cower. But eventually relented and he turned away.
Merlin couldn’t help himself though, he needed to be taught a lesson on manners. So if Merlin’s foot somehow stuck at the last second, tripping the noble up, then how was that his fault.
The man stumbled but didn’t fall, and when he turned back to Merlin he’d gone a very bright red and before the warlock could react, he raised his hand and struck Merlin clean across the face. He stumbled backwards bringing a hand to comfort his tingling skin.
Vaguely he heard the music slow down as he stepped forwards again and raised fist. But he didn’t see Arthur till he had his hand on Merlin’s arm, and he was stood between the two men.
“King Arthur,” the man began and Merlin couldn’t help but roll his eyes, “This servant, is nothing but a belligerent, bumbling, fool!”
“Trust me I know.” Arthur sighed in response.
“He must be punished!” The man demanded, cutting a cold glare towards Merlin.
“This servant happens to be my own personal man servant, and I will be sure to punish him myself.” The man nodded, a self satisfied smirk forming on his face, “But in Camelot, we do not strike servants, and I do not expect you to do so again. Understood?”
The man frowned, glaring at Merlin who did his best to smile as innocently as he could at him. He seemed to want to say something else but he thought better of it and nodded, turning away. Arthur span to face Merlin and hit him firmly on the arm.
“You idiot, you could have been hung if you’d struck him.”
“Yeah well, he deserved it.”
Arthur sighed, giving Merlin that look that meant you know better than this, before turning away to join back in with the dancing. Merlin made his way back to place by the wall and stayed very still, as if this would hide him from nobles and prevent him from having to actually do more work.
The night progressed slowly, the room now bathed in a silver and alien moonlight that now shone through the tall expanse of windows that lined the right wall. The only other real sign that the night was ending, was the way most people were stumbling around instead of dancing, except a select few including Arthur and Leon. Most people were not stood around in groups laughing loudly in that stuck up way nobles always do.
As Merlin gazed out over the dance floor he saw the musicians signal to each other that the next song would be last. As the penultimate song finished Merlin sought to find Arthur amongst the slowing crowd, searching for his red shirt.
“Who on earth are you looking for.” Came Arthur’s voice from beside him.
“Prat.”
“That’s treason Merlin.”
Merlin shrugged with a smile at Arthur, “What are you doing over here, you know you’re expected to dance the last song.”
Arthur coughed and straitened slightly, a nervous blush filling his cheeks with colour, “Uhm, well, I uh,” he cleared his throat, “I thought you might like to dance with me.”
Merlin almost laughed. Almost. But there was something about the nervous look in Arthur's eyes that Merlin think maybe he was be sincere. “Arthur I don’t think you’re meant to dance with servants.”
“Maybe not,” Arthur smiled, “But I think everyone is far to drunk to notice who I’m dancing with.”
“Are you sure? Because you really don-”
“Shut up Merlin.”
Arthur grabbed Merlin by the arm and pulled him straight into the middle of the floor, where all around them other couples were getting into position. Nerves crept into the back of Merlin’s throat as he stared at the polished hardwood floor.
A single note flew through the air, and Arthur stepped closer.
He brang his left hand to the small of Merlin’s back and Merlin couldn’t help but shudder at the sudden warmth of their proximity. Arthur’s other hand found Merlin’s own and he tentatively linked them together as he raised them into the air.
Merlin resolved himself, and looked up at Arthur’s face, only to find Arthur’s own eyes trained on the vast expanse of pale skin that was left uncovered by Merlin’s lack of a neckerchief.
“You took it off.” Arthur whispered, his breath warm on Merlin skin.
“Well yeah. I was too ho-”
Merlin never finished his sentence because then the music started and he was being pulled through the room. It was awkward at first, Merlin stumbling, face red at the thought of how obvious his inexperience was.
“Relax.” Arthur breathed as they moved, “Just trust me.”
And Merlin did relax, and soon he was lost to the music. Lost to the giddy feeling in his stomach as let Arthur pull him every way. He laughed as his back scraped against someone elses as Arthur moved them dangerously close to other people. His eyes caught Arthur’s and he smiled. And Arthur grinned back, and Merlin was suddenly aware of an intense warmth in his chest as he swirled across the floor.
It wasn’t long in reality, four minuets max, but to Merlin the moment seemed suspended in time, endless in it’s beauty.
As they slowed and came to a stop in the middle of the floor, Merlin stared at Arthur only inches away, he was smiling, his cheeky pink and he breathed heavily from the exertion, his crown wonky amongst his blonde hair.
Merlin’s eyes focused in on the crown, so what could Merlin do but reach up with his left hand -his right still laced together with Arthur’s-, and straighten it gently, till it lay perfectly centered in the middle of golden hair.
Merlin stroked a slightly longer piece of hair out of Arthur’s eye, his hand then moving to cup Arthur’s face, and when he looked back at Arthur his breathing stopped as Arthur’s eyes found his own.
“Arthur.” Merlin wined.
“Shut up Mer-”
But then Merlin was kissing him. Arthur tasted mildly of wine, but Merlin didn’t mind. They kissed gently, slowly, as if they were taking each other in wholly for the fist time.
Arthur stepped back. Fear curling it’s way round his features as he glanced around at the emptying dance floor. Merlin’s heart sank. The king turned away, walking briskly to his chair where he paused, turning to adress the crown, and Merlin who now stood completely alone on the dance floor.
“Thank you everybody for coming here tonight.” He spoke quickly, his voice loud yet weak as it addressed the nobles, “I bare you all goodnight, and hope to see you all tomorrow for the apple grazing ceremony. Thank you.”
He wasted no time, as soon as the doors opened, he walked briskly away from the hall, leaving his jacket on his chair. Thankfully giving Merlin an excuse not to have to face Arthur so soon after a rejection.
The walk to Arthur’s chambers was slow, Merlin stopped every time he could, he almost hoped if he took long enough Arthur would already be asleep when he got there. Fate, sadly, it seemed was not on his side.
The corridor outside Arthur’s room was cold and dark, the single flame on the wall doing nothing to illuminate Merlin’s scowling face, that he carefully schooled to indifference before he pulled the door open a crack and slipped in.
The room was lit dimly by the fire place that burned hot in the corner. Arthur stood staring into the flames and flinched as Merlin entered the room. He turned and stepped closer to Merlin, who ignored him and began to hang up Arthur’s jacket.
“Merlin, just… just listen a second.”
Merlin ignored him and began to take off Arthur's clothes with as much indifference as he could muster.
Arthur frowned in annoyance, “Merlin stop. Could you please listen to me for once!”
The servant ignored him continuing to unbuckle Arthurs belt.
“Merlin!” Arthur grabbed Merlin’s hands and finally Merlin looked at him, angry eyes burning Arthur who hadn’t expected it.
“What. What Arthur.” Merlin moved back till he was a couple metres from the king, his heavy footsteps echoing through the room, “You want to talk? Talk!”
Arthur frowned his annoyance evident on his face, “Why are you angry at me.”
“Why? Your left me there. You left me on the floor!” he stepped closer, “If you wanted to reject me you could of just said!” Merlin yelled, his breathing laboured.
“What?” Arthur started, then he raised his voice to a yell, “There were people there! They could have seen us!”
“You left me!”
Arthur moved forward as he spoke, “I didn’t want to!”
Merlin leaned forwards, his face now only half a metre from Arthur’s, his voice barley a whisper as he stared at Arthur’s frowning face. “And what did you want?”
Arthur’s eyes flicked down to Merlin’s mouth, and Merlin barely had time to react before Arthur was on him, his mouth hot against Merlin’s own.
It wasn’t like earlier, this was hot, desperate. Merlin walked Arthur backwards until he was pushing him against the wall. Arthur's mouth moved to his jaw, and slowly made his way down Merlin’s neck, before coming back to Merlin’s mouth.
Arthur pulled back, not very far, leaving his forehead leaning against Merlin’s as they breathed laboured breaths against each other.
“I’m sorry.” Arthur's voice whispered through the dark, “I love you.”
Merlin smiled, “We should dance together again someday.”
“Yeah.”
“As long as you don’t leave me again this time.”
Arthur laughed, “Merlin?”
“Yes?”
“Shut up.”
Merlin kissed him softly.
“I love you too, prat.”