arthur is the king, and, really, there should be no surprise that others have his best interest at heart. it should be no surprise they tell him to be careful, be safe, stay on the good side of things. it’s not like this is the first time it’s happened. though, usually, the sentiments aren’t so fractured, full with abrupt sentences and changed minds, always buzzing past the him’s. it was as if everyone had the same person in mind, but no one was willing to spell it out.
he wanted to ignore it, he did. arthur had other things to worry about, but there was something, somewhere in his head that couldn’t quite let it go. and so he asked. he inquired from servants, though they only shook their heads and whispered quiet apologies. a knight it was then. he had planned to seek out leon, but before he could make that happen, the day changed course and suddenly lancelot practically offered himself up.
the knight began his regards just like the others had, with well wishes. for a second arthur thought maybe, just maybe, lancelot would escape his brewing fate, wouldn’t mention the him that everyone else had. where the others had looked away at least thrice, lancelot kept his eyes steady, no tangible nervousness or stutter of a blink. but alas, there it came.
“just don’t allow for him to stay this way,” lancelot said, continuing on as if arthur would understand.
and well, maybe he would have, but arthur had stopped listening. he retreated into his head, attempting to explain away the confusion on his own.
“lancelot,” he said, not sure if the other had finished speaking or not, “who is everyone referring to?”
he could see lancelot hold back what seemed like a sigh.
“just talk to him,” he replied unhelpfully.
arthur wasn’t about to let him off like that, but as lancelot’s gaze flickered away for a mere second, returning back to arthur quickly, as quickly as his expression had changed to reflect a pointed look in his eyes. arthur looked back, and there he was.
of course this was about merlin. wasn’t it always?
*
“do you have something to say?” he asked merlin later that day, the two of them alone in his chambers.
“me? no, not all,” merlin replied quickly, without even looking at him, as he continued with his task.
arthur wished he could remain ignorant for longer, coaxing merlin to answer his questions honestly without having to lay it all out for him. but arthur was set to leave early next morning, and there was simply no time for it.
“then why is everyone suddenly so worried about me on your accord?” he let the annoyance bleed into his voice, but only slightly.
“you’re blaming me for people’s worries? oh, don’t be so modest,” the other replied with a defiant smile.
“merlin, i need you to not…do you not trust me?” he was staring at merlin now, trying to read whatever the other was trying to hide.
“of course i trust you, i have done so until now, why would that suddenly change?” something short of offended played in the way he spoke, though arthur was quite sure it was an act.
they continued the back and forth for a little while, the familiarity of it distracting arthur. he knew he could be quite unaware sometimes, but even better than he knew that - he knew merlin. he recognised how the smiles didn’t feel the same, how his eyes had almost fallen to a darker shade of blue lately.
he got up from the table, walking closer to merlin, not wanting him to slip away somehow.
“it’s going to be alright, merlin,” he said, eyes locked pointedly on merlin’s own.
the other glared back, not saying a word, a shine appearing as he blinked.
19 notes
·
View notes