Merlin didn't even respond to the request via the network, he simply picked himself up from the library and headed to Arthur's room. He knew it was a disservice to think he was about to get strangled or stabbed or told that this was to be their last conversation, but...well, two days without much else to think about had made him paranoid.
He stared at the door for a good two minutes before knocking.
Arthur had a lot of time to think since their chat in the CES. It hadn't exactly been the best two days of his life either. He spent half his time trying to figure out the moments Merlin might have used magic around him and the other half wondering what was expected of him to do. Or what his father would expect him to do.
"Good," he said when he opened it, then gestured for Merlin to come in. He stood there a moment after he closed the door again, unsure what to say or do exactly. He decided to walk over to the fireplace with his hands clasped behind his back. After a good five minutes of staring into the fire, gathering his thoughts, Arthur spoke, "I am not my father."
"I know," Merlin said, without thinking about it. He didn't need to think about it. If he'd thought that the prince was Uther, or growing up to be Uther, he would never have told him the truth - would never have put so much faith in him to begin with.
Arthur nodded, accepting that answer. "Then you should also know that unlike my father, I don't view sorcery as the source of all evil. It's not all good, but it's not all bad either."
He faced Merlin with an awkwardness that said he hadn't had much practice at telling people what he was feeling. "So...what I'm trying to say is that...I understand why you didn't tell me. And despite everything I said," he paused here, feeling extremely awkward about what he was about to say, "I still consider you to be a friend."
Merlin's expression was perfectly blank for a moment - then there was the hint of a smile, then a broad grin, and if it he hadn't already placed massive strain on their relationship he would have hugged him.
"Thank you." He swallowed and sobered a little. "I won't - I won't keep anything from you again. Not like this. I swear it."
"See that you don't," Arthur replied. He stood there, looking at things around the room and cleared his throat. He had no idea what to do next. Should he dismiss Merlin, or ask him questions about things he was curious to know?
Merlin was also doing the looking-everywhere-except-at-the-other-person routine. Maybe their friendship had been preserved, but he knew it was going to be a while before things between them were back to the way they'd been. Perhaps they never would be, not quite. It hadn't occurred to him how much this would upset the balance of their relationship until he'd done it.
"Your chambers are very tidy," he said out of nowhere. "I'm pleasantly surprised."
He chuckled. "I'll let you know." That small light-hearted commentary was a bit of a relief to Arthur. As much as he would never admit to it out loud, he was glad their friendship wasn't broken forever.
"It's been..interesting," he replied. "I do miss Camelot at times, but there could be worse places to be."
"You'll get used to it," Merlin said, although with two floods and twenty-first century New York under his belt there were a few choice words he could have slipped in alongside 'interesting'. "And things change when you have an Inmate. Not that I really think I'm doing much good there." He smiled tightly.
"He's not - it's not him being problematic that's the issue, really. He's just not anything. He's been here for over a year and he seems to have made his peace with the idea that he'll never leave. I - " He paused, stopping himself launching on a frustrated tirade. "I came here to help somebody and he doesn't want to be helped."
"Maybe you should request a new Inmate then." Arthur went to lean against the table and crossed his arms. "If he doesn't want to be helped then there's nothing to be done."
"I suppose," Merlin said quietly. He didn't want to do that to Ethan, though. He had already been messed around for longer than he deserved - and compared to some of the other Inmates, he wasn't even that bad. He was just incredibly stubborn in his slightly-bad-ness.
"Maybe it's just me. You'll be better at this than I am. Natural born leader that you are." He arched his eyebrows.
"Not every person is meant to lead, Merlin. It doesn't make you a bad Warden, just that you have to go about it differently." Whether or not that was reassuring to Merlin, Arthur had no idea, but he tried.
"Besides," he added, with a shrug, "when I get my Inmate I might fail miserably."
He stared at the door for a good two minutes before knocking.
"It's me."
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"Good," he said when he opened it, then gestured for Merlin to come in. He stood there a moment after he closed the door again, unsure what to say or do exactly. He decided to walk over to the fireplace with his hands clasped behind his back. After a good five minutes of staring into the fire, gathering his thoughts, Arthur spoke, "I am not my father."
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He faced Merlin with an awkwardness that said he hadn't had much practice at telling people what he was feeling. "So...what I'm trying to say is that...I understand why you didn't tell me. And despite everything I said," he paused here, feeling extremely awkward about what he was about to say, "I still consider you to be a friend."
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"Thank you." He swallowed and sobered a little. "I won't - I won't keep anything from you again. Not like this. I swear it."
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"Your chambers are very tidy," he said out of nowhere. "I'm pleasantly surprised."
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Merlin was quiet for a moment. "Do you...like it, here? I mean, I know it's only been two weeks for you, but...?"
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"It's been..interesting," he replied. "I do miss Camelot at times, but there could be worse places to be."
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"Maybe it's just me. You'll be better at this than I am. Natural born leader that you are." He arched his eyebrows.
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"Besides," he added, with a shrug, "when I get my Inmate I might fail miserably."
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