Work Text:
It was a normal day.
Actually, it wasn’t normal, because Arthur didn't usually discover things like that on a normal day.
On a normal day, Arthur only had to worry about being orderly and ready for his duties as prince regent, now that his father was no longer capable of ruling.
He didn't have to see his servant flirting with a knight.
" Mer lin, what exactly were you doing?" Arthur asked him as soon as Kay disappeared from his sight.
Maybe he would have him exiled, because he was definitely too comfortable with his servant.
"What you are unable to do, sire ," Merlin chuckled, easily dodging a goblet thrown in his direction. "I see great royal qualities in you, my lord ."
Arthur shifted nervously, tilting his head and looking at Merlin. "Are you attracted to men? I thought you and Gwen had a relationship?"
"Gwen and I never had a relationship, but it's very offensive that you can't conceive friendship between a man and a woman." Merlin gave him a stern look, making Arthur swallow excuses for his assumption. "And, anyway, no, I find both men and women attractive. I have no particular preferences or dislikes."
"So do you have a boyfriend?" Arthur asked, confused. "A girlfriend?"
"How could I, when I spend all my time chasing after you ?" Merlin scoffed, giving the prince an accusing look. "Maybe, with a day off..."
"No." Arthur shook his head.
Then he thought of the phrase just spoken by his friend. "You've seen me naked." Arthur muttered, glancing at Merlin.
He had been taught that a woman was not allowed to see a naked man because of attraction.
If Merlin was attracted to men as well, then this meant he wasn't allowed to see naked men, right?
Merlin burst out laughing. "Arthur, are you attracted to every woman you see?"
"Of course not." Arthur denied.
"Then why do you think I'm attracted to every man I see?" Merlin was still laughing as he left Arthur's chambers.
After a few seconds of standing there, trying to understand what Merlin had just said to him, Arthur blinked.
Merlin didn't find Arthur attractive? Arthur, Prince of Camelot, the richest and most powerful man in the entire kingdom ? The best warrior in all Albion ? Arthur wasn't vain, but he had heard the comments about his blond hair and shining blue eyes .
Without wasting time, Arthur ran in the wake of Merlin, with the casual servants simply pointing the direction his servant had taken, accustomed to them .
He arrived at the training ground, seeing Merlin and Gwen engaged in some strange hand movements, with exchanged punches and strange finger gestures.
"What do you mean you're not attracted to me, Mer lin?!" Arthur shouted, looking offended at Merlin, and drawing the attention of his knights and his girlfriend.
"Did I miss something?" Gwen asked amusedly.
"He found out that I'm also attracted to men and his little remaining brain melted." Merlin shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, Gwen, that your boyfriend is such a dollophead ."
Gwen laughed. "I guess you would have chosen Lancelot, then."
"Yes." Merlin nodded. "But I forgot that you preferred asses more."
" Hey !" Arthur exclaimed. "What are you talking about? Do you prefer Lancelot to me ?"
"I think all of Camelot does." Merlin tilted his head thoughtfully. "And anyway, do you have to be so annoying about it? You're not even interested in me !"
"No, really, it's the principle !" Arthur huffed. "How can you not be attracted to me?"
"I've simply seen better, you know." Merlin shrugged. "You're not the only person I interact with."
Arthur stood with his mouth agape, registering his girlfriend's amusement, before bursting out. "Oh, really, you've seen better ? And who would that be, let's hear, this better ? A bartender, maybe? Or perhaps that nice stablehand? Oh, maybe, I don't know, some random bandit who..."
"Gwaine, for example." Merlin said, without hesitation.
Arthur's mouth fell open before he heard a laugh and saw an arm draped around his servant's shoulders.
"I always said you had good taste, Merls!" Gwaine chirped ( yes , Arthur noted with a disgusted expression, his knight had just chirped at his servant).
And Merlin had simply laughed! And blushed !
Arthur swallowed. "Get back to training." He ordered the knights. "You too, Gwaine !" He exclaimed, seeing the knight not leaving Merlin's side at all. " Mer lin, you have work to do."
Turning around, Arthur barely heard Gwen whisper to Merlin, " Did you really ask me who I preferred between the two to see if you could go for Lancelot?! " before deciding that his servant had no taste .
They all knew blonds were the most attractive, after all.
***
Gwaine was insufferable .
Arthur should have left him with Jarl.
No, wait, that man was dreadful, not even Gwaine deserved him.
Why was he convinced to bring him along to the Cup of Life? Oh right, Merlin and his inability to keep a secret.
Or maybe it was just his terrible taste .
Yes, Arthur could see Merlin blabbing everything trying to bring Gwaine along. After all, Arthur reflected, Merlin was the same one who had brought Gwaine on Arthur's secret mission to retrieve the trident.
Were his servant's idea of dates Arthur's secret missions? The trident, the Cup of Life… And, on both occasions, he had brought Gwaine.
Arthur grimaced. No, Merlin couldn't have orchestrated their kidnapping just to meet Gwaine in Jarl's pit.
Not because he wouldn't do it in general, his servant would be perfectly capable of devising such a thing. No, just because he wouldn't put Gwaine through a situation like that .
Anyway, Arthur growled when he saw Merlin with flowers. "Did Gwen give them to you?" He asked, desperately hoping the answer was yes .
"Would you be happier to see your future queen give me flowers rather than Gwaine?" Merlin asked, genuinely sounding taken aback.
"I just think you have bad taste." Arthur muttered, glaring deeply at those damned blue flowers.
"I think you have bigger problems, your highness ." Merlin retorted, huffing and tucking the flowers into his hair (the audacity! ). "Come on now, you need to train."
"And are you coming with me?" Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow at Merlin.
"I always come with you." Merlin shook his head. "Your jealousy of Gwaine is useless and simply offensive. You knighted him, Arthur."
"It was a mistake of mine." Arthur grumbled.
"You wouldn't have knighted him if you knew I found him more attractive than you?" Merlin asked.
" Absolutely not !" Arthur exclaimed, drawing the gaze of the people they passed in the corridors.
"Don't be strange." Merlin sighed. "And seriously, what's the problem?"
Arthur stopped, narrowing his eyes at Gwaine. " Do you like him ?"
"No." Merlin's ears were incredibly red. "I'm not sure?"
Arthur growled, before turning and marching fiercely outside.
"Arthur?"
Ignoring Merlin's calls, Arthur made it to the training ground, where he immediately saw Gwaine.
" Gwaine ! Against me!"
Gwaine stopped talking, evidently pleased with himself.
Arthur narrowed his eyes when he saw Merlin's neckerchief around the knight's arm.
***
"Well, that was very productive." Merlin muttered as he bandaged Arthur's wounds. "And it showed that Gwaine can fight very well ."
"Shut up ." Arthur grumbled.
"Arthur, what's the matter?" Merlin asked. "I… why does it bother you so much ?"
"If you have a knight as a suitor," Arthur muttered, "I won't be the one to protect you."
Merlin blinked before a smile spread across his face. "Are you jealous of my time ?"
Arthur muttered.
Merlin burst out laughing. "Arthur, Gwaine is already protecting me. It doesn't matter whether we're courting or not."
Arthur sulked.
"You're adorable when you're jealous." Merlin decided. "And, in my opinion, you should be jealous of Gwaine. He just beat you."
" Mer lin..."
"Maybe I'm lucky he defends me," Merlin reflected, "at least I know the best fighter in Albion has my back."
" I hate you ." Arthur decided.
He should have left them both with Jarl.