He's Only My Destiny

Pt8-Back Home*

Yet to be checked for errors. Feel free to point them out to me.
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The group soon reached the castle again, having managed the ride without any difficulties. The sun had barely passed the midpoint in the sky when Merlin began untacking the horses.

Arthur told Merlin to bring up some food once he'd finished and went ahead to his Chambers, figuring he'd need a plan. Arthur burst through his doors, strode over to his desk and slipped his boots and cape off. He dropped the Cape carelessly on his desk and then began to pace. He made a rough judgement on how long it would take for Merlin to finish with the horses and fetch him food.

The King began pacing the length of his Chambers, stopping occasionally to think further. He knew that this was probably his only chance at making Merlin see the truth and he couldn't mess it up. Infact it was beyond the question. He had to show Merlin what he meant.

The King was able to do a few mor elaps of his room when Merlin carefully opened the door, balancing a tray on his arm. The servant moved swiftly through Arthur's chamber, placing it down on the table and quickly starting to clean.

Arthur watched him curiously before he sat down at the table and started to eat, mumbling a thankyou over his shoulder. Merlin remained silent, whisking up askew tunics and folding up Arthur's Cape on his desk. He took Arthur's shoes and placed them back down beside his bedside, making a mental note to change the sheets tomorrow. In all reality Merlin was stalling. He didn't know what Arthur was going to do but from the look on the Kings face when Merlin entered he had a fair guess.

Merlin passed Arthur on multiple occasions, sending him a worried glance each time. Eventually he ran out of things to put away, having stored the Kings quills one at a time. The warlock slowly made his way over to Arthur and filled the blonde's goblet. He waited.

Arthur didn't say anythign at first, a nervous chill having crawled up his spine. The king tried his very best to keep down his dinner and took a large gulp from his goblet. He cleared his throat and called for Merlin.

"Yes, sire?"

Arthur's eyebrows furrowed. Sire?

"Erm, can I have a word with you?"

Merlin froze, his grip on the jug tightening. The warlock hummed, leaning forward to place down the jug in case he needed to flee.

"About yesterday"

That's all Merlin needed to hear. He cut into Arthur's sentence, the panic rising within him.

"Sorry Arthur, can we do this later? I have chores to do," he blurted out, whipping around and flying from the room.

Arthur's eyes followed the servant as he fleed through the doors. The king knew immediately that something had gone wrong because he hadn't given Merlin any chores.

Had he made a mistake? Did Merlin not want to talk to Arthur?

The blonde stood up, still bewildered, and cleaned up the tray himself, a humbling mood having settled over the room. After doing so he sat down bedside the windowsill, watching the trees wave at him far beyond the walls of Camelot.

A hundred and one questions ran through Arthur's head. He couldn't work out what could possibly have upset Merlin. Of course there was the suddenness of Arthur's words but then again he had told the servant that he wanted to talk to him today so that can't have been the entire reason? Maybe it was something important or private Merlin had to get to and he couldn't tell Arthur of it. Maybe Merlin just got cold feet, as Arthur had, and wasn't ready to listen to the king? He couldn't put his finger on it and the questions ate through his head for the rest of the night as he patiently waited for the servant to return.