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It all started with a visiting from one of the many kingdoms attempting to make nice with the new king of Camelot.
Arthur was trying his best at diplomacy. He had gotten better at it in the time since he had taken over leading Camelot. So many people coming to visit him and wish him all the best in leading Camelot (and suck up to him in an attempt to create some kind of trade deal), he had come to ease into a different version of himself to remain the well-mannered but no-nonsense ruler.
It was already off to a rough start with the foreign king and his party turning up hours later than expected and with a much smaller party than expected.
"My sincerest apologies King Arthur. We were delayed by difficult weather. We are so glad to be with you now." King Bastian said, bowing respectfully. He introduced Arthur to all of party, including his wife, Queen Clara, and his son, Prince Stefan.
"No need for the apologies King Bastian. We are just glad you arrived here safe. Your party is far smaller than we had thought. Will you be needing any assistance from any of Camelot's servants?" Arthur offered, inclining his head at the few servants King Bastian had brought with him.
"That is very kind your grace. Myself and my wife are quite catered to. But my son Stefan's servant was unable to make the journey. Perhaps you could lend him your servant? I have heard good things of his assistance of you over the years." King Bastian asked, turning to look over at his son.
Stefan was a tall and stocky man with fair features and bright eyes. Arthur felt a little envious looking at him, he was definitely taller than Arthur but not by much. Whilst Arthur was sure that he was better looking than Stefan, the idea of Merlin being at his beck and call made him uncomfortable.
"Ah yes, I suppose so. Merlin will assist you, Prince Stefan, during your stay." Arthur said, turning to his right where he found Merlin, as always.
Merlin grimaced at him but turned to Stefan with a forced smile and bowed.
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Arthur's early suspicions were confirmed when he hardly saw Merlin except at meals while the foreign party was in residence. Merlin seemed to be kept busy at all times. When he did manage to catch sight of Merlin, he would be already on his way to another task for Prince Stefan.
Even at the meals where all of Arthur's court and the foreign one turned up, Merlin was constantly refilling Stefan's drinks or forced to stand right at the Prince's elbow. Just seeing the two of them together put an awful feeling in Arthur's stomach and gave him the urge to reach over and pull Merlin away.
It was driving Arthur slowly mad. In all his years of knowing Merlin, he had never gone so long without having him close by. Somehow the absence of Merlin is giving him a constant pulsing headache. The kind of headache making him fight a little more aggressively at training with the nights, or snap at George when he was being a little too perfect a servant. The kind of headache that feels like it could be only cured by laying in his chambers with Merlin chatting away.
And the headache is getting worse.
It gets blinding when he sees Stefan leaning over to whisper things in Merlin's ear during meals, or when he seems to drag Merlin away from conversations with the knights literally by the lapels of his jacket. Arthur can't be mad at Merlin. He is just doing what he has been asked. Nothing more than polite to the prince. But something about seeing Merlin being attentive to anyone else had him contemplating severing ties with the visiting nobles and sending them on their way.
It's concerningly quick, his anger.
It's a week before Arthur feels one annoyance away from exploding. And by one annoyance, he means one more time of seeing Merlin being attentive to Stefan. And it comes. It comes when Prince Stefan joins Arthur and the knights at training one afternoon.
King Bastian had proudly boasted to Arthur many times over the visit about how skilled a soldier his son was. Arthur, being the good host, offered each time for Stefan to join the knights in the practice yards. It was only nearing the end of the visit that Prince Stefan accepted.
Arthur greatly missed Merlin helping him prepare for the practice, although George did a better job at helping Arthur into his armour, so he was already in a foul mood by the time he was out on the field. Even the comradery of the knights did nothing to brighten his mood.
Prince Stefan was the last to arrive. Arthur and the other knights had began small matches of sparring.
Prince Stefan came striding across the training grounds to Arthur with Merlin trailing close behind him. He was clothed in very shiny, certainly hardly used armour, and a cloak in the emerald green of his kingdom.
"Prince Stefan. Kind of you to join us." Arthur said as Stefan reached him and gave a short bow.
"My apologies King Arthur. Merlin took some time to put my armour on. Probably my fault as I was keeping him busy talking. But here we are and ready to practice. Merlin, my cloak." Prince Stefan said, looking at Arthur as he spoke but turning to Merlin for his command.
Merlin stepped around Stefan and untied the cloak from around his neck. Arthur's eyes focused on Merlin's hands as one of Stefan's hands came up to graze them before Merlin was able to remove the cloak. Stefan smirked at Merlin as he did so and Merlin seemed to flush a little at the attention before scurrying back behind Stefan with the cloak folded in his arms.
"Not to worry Prince Stefan. Perhaps you would like to join me for some sparring? I have heard you are quite gifted with a sword from your father." Arthur said through gritted teeth.
"I would be honoured. I believe I have a fair amount more tournament experience than you do so I look forward to seeing how you fight." Stefan said, smiling a little to broadly. Arthur had never wished he could punch someone in the face so much as he did in that moment.
Arthur turned to Leon who held his sword. Leon seemed to have been watching the interaction closely and offered a small, private smile to Arthur.
"Careful sire. Someone so vastly experienced in tournament fighting must surely be a force to be reckoned with." Leon said to him quietly, sarcasm clearly laced in his tone.
"Thank you Leon. I shall be most careful with this gifted fighter." Arthur said, smiling back and patting Leon on the shoulder before turning back to Stefan.
Stefan was speaking quietly with Merlin, all smug grins. Merlin for his part looked flushed and ready to escape.
The knights cleared around him in preparation for the sparring and Merlin took the opportunity to rush over and stand next to Gwaine who promptly wrapped his arm around Merlin's shoulders.
Stefan twirled his sword around in a way that reminded Arthur of a dancer twirling fabric around. More artistic than skilled. Arthur for his part gave his sword a practice swing then got into position.
"Are you ready Prince Stefan?" Arthur asked, starting to circle around the prince, testing his movements.
"When you are King Arthur. I promise to go easy on you sire, especially in front of your knights." Prince Stefan assured with a cocky grin.
Arthur was fueled with the goal of wiping that grin off his face. The moment Leon yelled for them to begin, Stefan was advancing on him.
If he was being honest, he would never admit this to anyone else, Stefan was skilled. He was light on his feet and the artistic movements he had seen before carried into his fighting. But as before, it was far more artistic than it was skilled. In a tournament, this fighting would possibly suffice. Never really going for harm, more just to match swords.
Arthur was experienced at tournament combat. But more than anything, as all in Camelot knew, he was far more experienced at real combat. His fighting would not be described as artistic. But he fancied himself able to describe it as skillful. He certainly felt skillful as he easily dodged and parried all of Stefan's attempts. Just the defence did not even have him breaking a sweat. Clearly this exchange would go as easy as Stefan suggested, although perhaps in he opposite direction.
Arthur allows Stefan to keep on his attacks for a while but he eventually grows bored. He switches from defence to active offence and watches the grin finally leave Stefan's face. Arthur presses his advantage and waits for the perfect moment. He spots his opening but takes a moment to meet Merlin's eyes and grin at him. Merlin grins back brightly.
Arthur takes the fuel of seeing Merlin's smile to use the gap in Stefan's defences and disarm him. He then knocks the Prince to the ground and presses the point of his sword to Stefan's neck.
"I believe, Prince Stefan, that you were correct in thinking you had more tournament experience than I. But you may find that I have more real world experience with a sword. If you had met me outside these training grounds, you would no longer be drawing breath. But do enjoy your little tournament wins." Arthur says, removing his sword from Stefan's neck and taking a few steps back.
He turns and finds Merlin in the crowd of cheering knights and Merlin comes bounding over.
"Well done Arthur. I never doubted you for a moment." Merlin says, smiling brightly at Arthur. Arthur finds that for the first time all week, his headache is gone.
Arthur is about to reply when the knights rush over to congratulate him. Arthur loses track of Merlin but sees Stefan leaving the training grounds alone, looking significantly less smug then when he arrived. Arthur finds Merlin again in his chambers when he goes to remove his armour.
"I was expecting George. Don't you need to help Stefan with his armour?" Arthur asks, handing Merlin his sword. He didn't actually want Merlin to leave, more just wanted to know how long he got to have Merlin to himself for.
"I believe the visiting Prince wished for some time to lick his wounds alone. Besides, I don't think he wants be back to help him anyway. He seemed offended that I was cheering for you." Merlin says, chucking as he steps closer to start unfastening buckles on Arthur's armour.
"For what it's worth, I'm glad you were cheering for me. Perhaps I can send George to attend to him in a few hours when his ego is not so bruised." Arthur says, smiling to himself at the idea of having Merlin back.
"I wish you had sent George in the first place. Prince Stefan was so full of himself. Every time we were alone, all he wanted to do was talk about his own accomplishments. Seeing you beat him today was the highlight of my week. I missed attending to my clotpole of a King." Merlin says, smiling at him softly as he removes a loose piece of armour.
Just hearing Merlin call Arthur "my" anything send butterflies fluttering wildly in his stomach. "I could have you imprisoned for speaking such names of your king." Arthur teases, grinning at the easy banter returning again.
"You would miss me far too much for that. One day in the dungeons and you would be begging for me to return." Merlin teases back, removing Arthur's chainmail last and stepping back to place the chainmail down.
"I would. I did." Arthur admits softly, half hoping Merlin wouldn't hear it and half hoping he would.
"I missed you too." Merlin says just as softly. There is so much more to say. So many more reasons he didn't want Merlin around Stefan.
But not yet, not now.
Some time in the future, Arthur will take a moment like this to step into Merlin's space and kiss him until they're both breathless. At some point in the future Arthur will help Merlin undress and press warm, love filled kisses into every part of Merlin's body.
But for now Arthur steps into Merlin's space and hugs him. Wraps his arms around Merlin's waist and bury his face in Merlin's neck, breathing him in. His headache is long gone and all of the tension that had accumulated in the last week bleeds out of him as Merlin's arms come around his shoulders, hugging him back just as tight.
For now, this is enough.