Author's Note: This chapter was written and edited by both Doberler and me. Doberler brought so much humor and life to this chapter. I hope you enjoy!

"He's coming!" the dark-haired knight alerted his comrades, easing back into the alcove.

"Quiet," Percival hissed at his shoulder.

"I wasn't saying anything," Leon protested, slumped against the wall opposite them.

"You are now."

"Shut up, both of you," Gwaine demanded.

Leon moaned. "This is wrong."

"This is perfect."

"But it's the king!"

"Too late." Gwaine grinned at Leon, who was looking paler by the minute. The curly haired knight entertained no qualms pulling pranks on any one of them, but the minute it was Arthur, he turned all righteous.

Leon groaned. "I can't believe you made me think this was a good idea."

"Well, we had to get you into your ale a bit," Percival snickered.

"What? You set me up?"

Gwaine waved at his friends, silencing them. "Merlin's almost there."

"He's going to find a way to punish us for this," Leon moaned, covering his face with his hands.

"It'll be worth it," Gwaine insisted. "Trust me."

Percival nodded eagerly, his grin wide, and Leon groaned again.

The creak of a door alerted Gwaine and he peered around the corner to see Merlin ready to enter with Arthur's breakfast. The manservant, humming happily to himself, sauntered inside. The usual routine would be taking place—Merlin setting down the tray and arranging the plates, opening the curtains, and Arthur grumbling, staggering to the table and stuffing food in his mouth like he hadn't eaten the night before. And since it was bathing day, Merlin would wait until the king finished his meal, then cart away his nightclothes along with the rest of the laundry. The perfect setup for an operation as delicate as this.

It wasn't too long before the servant exited, the tray of empty plates balanced on a pile of clothing in the laundry basket. As expected, he trudged back down the hall away from their hiding place. Gwaine smirked. It was Merlin's habit to transport the clothing to the laundresses and then return after Arthur finished washing and help him dress. All the pieces were set in motion.

Merlin disappeared around the corner at the far end of the hall and Gwaine motioned to the others to follow him. Percival ducked a little as if he could hide his large frame and Leon plodded after. Good Lord. Gwaine thought the man looked as if he was marching to his own execution. They huddled outside the door, their heads cocked sideways to listen.

For some time, all they heard was the sound of water sloshing in a great big tub and a bit of off-key singing. Leon and Percival were sniggering as much as he, and Gwaine bit down to keep from letting loose. When everything stilled and the awful singing stopped, Gwaine shushed them with a finger to his lips.

"What the—?" he heard Arthur exclaim. "That lazy git!"

Gwaine turned and held his palms up, frantically pushing them outwards, and the knights scrambled over themselves to retreat to their alcove. The door to the room cracked open and the king's voice boomed down the hall. "MERLIN! Merlin!"

A soldier came running almost instantly and snapped to attention in front of the door. "Sire?"

"Find my manservant! Now!"

"Sire." The solider bowed his head and backtracked in the direction Merlin had departed.

"Start with the laundress," Arthur growled after him, poking his head through the cracked door.

There was a good deal of shouting and grumbling as they waited, all three of them snickering, even Leon grinning, though he also looked a little green.

"Two silver bits he's wrapping himself in the drapes," Percival joked, his grin wide.

"He'll be smart and grab the quilt off the bed," Leon bet.

"Nah," Gwaine disagreed. "He'll use the towel. Show off his manly chest hairs. That's worth at least one gold coin."

Hurried footsteps tapped down the hall when Merlin returned, opening and then closing the door behind him, Arthur's bellowing insults spilling loudly into the hallway for all the world to hear. Gwaine bent over in laughter along with Percival and Leon, then snuck back to the door.

"Where are my clothes?" Arthur was screaming.

"Huh? Ouch!"

Plunking steps sounded. "There's nothing here!"

Gwaine pushed open the door stepping lightly through it, gritting his teeth to keep from roaring with laughter right then, caring not a whit about the inevitable consequences. Loyal Percival followed, a hand clasped over his mouth, and Leon tottered on the threshold, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat. They beheld the spectacle of king and servant. Arthur held Merlin by the neck and his head shoved into the wardrobe. Gwaine's eyebrows shot up, his lips pressed so hard to keep from laughing tears were coming to his eyes. The king was bare naked, his creamy bottom facing them. Looks like we've all lost the bet.

"They should be here!" Merlin protested.

"Idiot! You forgot fresh clothing."

"I didn't! I swear!"

Arthur released Merlin and Gwaine spoke up with dutiful concern. "Hey! We heard shouting. Is everything all right…Oh."

Both Merlin and Arthur twirled around, two sets of startled eyes falling upon three knights who had no business being in the king's rooms on bath day and were staring widely at their stark naked sovereign. Gwaine's lips thinned to constrain his delight. It wasn't like they hadn't seen him in the buff before, taking a short, but needed respite in a lake somewhere while on long missions. Still, Arthur grabbed Merlin by the shoulders and yanked him in front of him. Gwaine bit his lip and heard Percival stifle a muffled chuckle. Leon shuffled his feet.

"Eh…Arthur's clothes…" Merlin stammered, wriggling under Arthur's tight grasp.

"Are gone," Arthur finished, scowling at the back of the manservant's head. "Because this dollophead forgot to retrieve them."

Merlin looked over his shoulder. "I didn't forget! I hung them up yesterday."

"I swear, Merlin…"

"I'm not that stupid! Someone took them."

"And why would they do that?"

"Maybe…just…because…erm…"

It was almost like Merlin was talking to himself, except for the blond head popping into view during the exchange. Gwaine put on his best "this is serious" frown and cleared his throat. "I believe, Merlin, sire. Someone must have absconded with your clothes. Percival." He turned to the big knight. "Rally the castle guard. We must start a search immediately."

Percival nodded solemnly and the knights made to exit the room.

"Wait!" Arthur screeched. "That's not necessary!"

Gwaine turned around, along with Percival; Leon peeked his head around the door. Arthur had stepped into full view and upon realizing, sidled back behind Merlin. "Ah. Yes, my lord." Gwaine winked at Arthur, his head bobbing with understanding. "Very true. After all, you won't really need clothes anymore."

Confusion appeared on both Arthur and Merlin's faces, and they exchanged a glance.

"I mean," Gwaine clarified gravely, "once you're hitched, I doubt you'll be leaving this room for at least a week. Maybe more?" He shrugged, looking to his partners in crime for support.

Percival nodded sagely, the big man playing along. "My cousin stayed in his house for a month. Had to get a new bed."

Gwaine didn't expect that and huffed a cackling laugh. Percival joined in with his great, deep guffaws, and Leon even chuckled.

Arthur slapped Merlin on the back of the head. "You told them."

"Eh…Yeah…It was an accident."

Arthur gripped Merlin by the collar, dragging him along in front of him until they reached his nightside stand and then drew his sword. "Gentlemen," he intoned dangerously, pointing the sword at them. "The first man that returns with my clothing won't receive a beating."

By the time Gwaine and Percival turned around, Leon had disappeared, surely well on his way to scooping up the king's clothes they'd dumped unceremoniously in the alcove while he slumbered last night.

Arthur was true to his word, which was exactly as Gwaine expected. The king didn't train Leon as hard as Percival and him during the next practice session or set the curly headed knight to carrying targets back and forth across the training ground. Still, all three felt the soreness and rigor of a rather exhaustive training session, though none regretted their lark on the king in the least. That was until the day before the jousting tournament when the competing knights gathered on the field to hear their king read out the list of opponents they'd be facing.

"Sir Pellanor, Sir Maron of Alford. Sir Bors, Sir Vlad of Northmoor."

He paused and Merlin was suddenly at his side. He glanced at his manservant, and the twitch of his mouth wasn't missed by Gwaine, Percival, or Leon.

"Sir Percival, Sir Forsard of Tindall. And Sir Leon, Sir Julien of Wilmot. Sir Gwaine," Arthur drove two blue spikes that he called eyes into him. "Sir Seber of Cambria."

Gwaine grimaced with a click of his tongue. A hard practice hadn't been enough. They'd just been assigned the most skilled, most muscled, most punishing of the knights on the lists.

"I told you," Leon whispered in Gwaine's ear, resentment in his voice.

Gwen swished by them and strolled up to Arthur, who slid an arm around her waist and leaned in for a kiss. When Arthur pulled back, he waggled his eyebrows at his three knights, satisfied reckoning written all over his face, and Merlin grinned like a Cheshire cat as the three of them departed.

A hand slapped against Gwaine's back and its pair on Percival's. Elyan smiled up at them, a twinkle in his eye. "I recommend in the future you leave my brother-in-law to me." He snickered and wandered off to join Arthur, Gwen, and Merlin.

"So…" Leon summarized. "We have no women, our king's ire, and are going to get pummeled in the joust. Tell me how we came out ahead again?"

Gwaine scoffed and turned away. "Speak for yourselves, mates. I've got women." He strutted away, his sword propped over one shoulder, whistling.