Starship Excalibur Pt3: Play the Game
Arthur breathed out a sigh of relief as the cabin door hissed shut behind him. So much for being on holiday, there seemed to be far too much schmoozing of foreign dignitaries for his liking. In a most un-kinglike manner, he threw himself face-down onto the bed.
A moment later the door swooshed open again and Arthur leapt to his feet to defend himself from the intruder - no one but him was supposed to be able to get into the room without his sayso. He dropped back down the bed a moment later. Of course, no one but Merlin.
He ignored Merlin as he busied himself about the room until he finally realised Merlin was speaking to him.
“Pardon?”
“I said, you’re different, around them.”
“Them?”
“The other toffs.”
Ah yes, of course, to Merlin Arthur was nothing more than the rest of them. He sighed.
“It’s called playing the game, Merlin. I put on what Gwen calls ‘my king face’, and I’m nice to them, and I smile and I laugh at their poor jokes and I ignore their bigoted views. They do the same to me, hopefully minus the bigotry. In return, we all gel together nicely rather than waging wars.”
“Hmm,” Merlin said distractedly. “I didn’t have you down as the running away from a fight type.”
“I’m not!” Arthur burst out indignantly. “It’s not about me. I have a duty to my people, I owe it to them not to take them into war, to have them lose their lives and their homes and their families. Being king isn’t just about having lots of money and fancy clothes, it’s about politics and diplomacy. You have to play the game.”
Merlin nodded. “I’ll draw you a nice hot bath then, my lord? Wash of the grime.”
And just like that, Merlin was gone, and Arthur could hear him humming to himself as he turned on the taps in the ensuite. It took a moment for Arthur to realise that for the first time, Merlin had used the correct form of address - almost.
A moment later the door swooshed open again and Arthur leapt to his feet to defend himself from the intruder - no one but him was supposed to be able to get into the room without his sayso. He dropped back down the bed a moment later. Of course, no one but Merlin.
He ignored Merlin as he busied himself about the room until he finally realised Merlin was speaking to him.
“Pardon?”
“I said, you’re different, around them.”
“Them?”
“The other toffs.”
Ah yes, of course, to Merlin Arthur was nothing more than the rest of them. He sighed.
“It’s called playing the game, Merlin. I put on what Gwen calls ‘my king face’, and I’m nice to them, and I smile and I laugh at their poor jokes and I ignore their bigoted views. They do the same to me, hopefully minus the bigotry. In return, we all gel together nicely rather than waging wars.”
“Hmm,” Merlin said distractedly. “I didn’t have you down as the running away from a fight type.”
“I’m not!” Arthur burst out indignantly. “It’s not about me. I have a duty to my people, I owe it to them not to take them into war, to have them lose their lives and their homes and their families. Being king isn’t just about having lots of money and fancy clothes, it’s about politics and diplomacy. You have to play the game.”
Merlin nodded. “I’ll draw you a nice hot bath then, my lord? Wash of the grime.”
And just like that, Merlin was gone, and Arthur could hear him humming to himself as he turned on the taps in the ensuite. It took a moment for Arthur to realise that for the first time, Merlin had used the correct form of address - almost.