On the 6th day of Christmas, Santa tried to write a companion piece, and Arthur is hard to write 2/2cfud_anonDecember 19 2009, 15:12:03 UTC
Really, Arthur thinks angrily at the air that day and many a day after, who does Merlin think he’s trying to fool? Once Arthur knows what to look for, all of a sudden it’s like he can’t stop seeing it. Suddenly Merlin’s magic is bloody everywhere, and Arthur can’t imagine how he didn’t notice it before. In hindsight, he rather thinks that when he does eventually have to reveal to Merlin that he knows, he might just pretend that he knew all along. The truth, he realizes now, is just plain embarrassing.
Because Arthur now understands all the little hints, all the things that meant he should’ve realized. He remembers Merlin bursting in to the court to announce that he was the sorcerer that cured Gwen’s father. He remembers Merlin about to tell him something important in Ealdor. He remembers the strange look-which Arthur now realizes was something akin to hope-on Merlin’s face when Arthur suggested that maybe magic wasn’t entirely bad back in Morgause’s abandoned ruin that day. And then he remembers thanking Merlin for reminding him of the evils of sorcery and wonders how much that cost him. When he thinks of it that way, the wonder isn’t that Arthur keeps him around, but rather that Merlin stays.
The thing is, if he’s honest, Arthur doesn’t really need his own personal manservant. He’s managed without one before, and normal palace servants can easily deal with-and have done so in the past-- all the menial tasks he takes pleasure in assigning Merlin just to watch his expression grow steadily more horrified. If he’s honest, the one thing Arthur does need is a friend. He has his knights, but they’re comrades in arms. They train and sweat and jest together, but they don’t confide. Arthur knows the man rules; that’s just not done. And while he’s grown up with Morgana, Arthur privately thinks that drinking poison might be safer than confiding in her. And to do so with his father is completely out of the question. And after that? There’s no one. Was no one, until Merlin.
So while it’s true that Merlin is, without a doubt, the worst servant ever, Arthur thinks it’s a good thing he doesn’t really keep Merlin around for the serving.
Because Arthur now understands all the little hints, all the things that meant he should’ve realized. He remembers Merlin bursting in to the court to announce that he was the sorcerer that cured Gwen’s father. He remembers Merlin about to tell him something important in Ealdor. He remembers the strange look-which Arthur now realizes was something akin to hope-on Merlin’s face when Arthur suggested that maybe magic wasn’t entirely bad back in Morgause’s abandoned ruin that day. And then he remembers thanking Merlin for reminding him of the evils of sorcery and wonders how much that cost him. When he thinks of it that way, the wonder isn’t that Arthur keeps him around, but rather that Merlin stays.
The thing is, if he’s honest, Arthur doesn’t really need his own personal manservant. He’s managed without one before, and normal palace servants can easily deal with-and have done so in the past-- all the menial tasks he takes pleasure in assigning Merlin just to watch his expression grow steadily more horrified. If he’s honest, the one thing Arthur does need is a friend. He has his knights, but they’re comrades in arms. They train and sweat and jest together, but they don’t confide. Arthur knows the man rules; that’s just not done. And while he’s grown up with Morgana, Arthur privately thinks that drinking poison might be safer than confiding in her. And to do so with his father is completely out of the question. And after that? There’s no one. Was no one, until Merlin.
So while it’s true that Merlin is, without a doubt, the worst servant ever, Arthur thinks it’s a good thing he doesn’t really keep Merlin around for the serving.
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