Author's note: Pre-slash. AU, assuming that Arthur knows about the dragon and has gone down to visit it in the past. And pure silliness and slashy goodness because TSD (the slash dragon) ships Merthur and I couldn't resist. That's my only excuse, really.

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On princes, destinies and idiots

"When you talked about merlin and destiny and all that, I thought –I thought you meant the bird! The bloody bird like a metaphor for luck or freedom or something!"

The dragon looked very amused. "A bird? To be your destiny? You think too low of me, young Pendragon."

"I can't believe this!" Arthur cried in dismay. "Not only is he a complete clumsy stupid idiot, a bloody peasant who's got no idea of respect or anything, but a warlock too, supposedly the one the help me unite and rule Albion (destiny and coins and yadda yadda) not as my incompetent brainless sidekick or even advisor but as my queen (that's what you mean isn't it? Stupid lizard) – why the hell didn't you warn me earlier?"

"You do have the knack of ignoring my words," the dragon pointed out.

"Shut up, you …overgrown...lizard. How do I fix this?"

"There is nothing to be 'fixed', young Pendragon."

Arthur glowered at the creature, which looked (most probably) amused and not so very intimidating anymore. Was that tail…twitching? "Oh great. This is just great. I'm stuck with that idiot, am I not?"

"Till the very end."

"...God help me. Why I came here for advice is now beyond me."

"Do not be so downcast. Albion shall prosper, aided by your goodwill and ancient magic, for the Once and Future King cannot be without his kingdom, nor can the kingdom exist without your union. The coin must be whole..."

Arthur stomped his foot like a child, and shouted, "Stop doing that! You're avoiding the subject."

"I am not," the dragon huffed affronted (its breath was slightly hot, as if flames would spurt from its nostrils, and subconsciously Arthur backed off a bit. Great way to end the day, roasted like a pig on a spit over the fire. Not that he was nervous or afraid or anything). "The day and the night coexist. Just like you and Merlin: without him-"

"Shut. Up," Arthur said not so vehemently.

All right. So, maybe Merlin wasn't so bad. The prospect of being with him was...rather fine. Actually. Very fine. So, maybe Arthur actually rather wanted Merlin to stay by his side like, forever, and he got this funny feeling at the bottom of his stomach every time he saw that goofy grin but it had nothing to do with— whatever the bloody dragon was suggesting! And Arthur was no way in love or something else silly with that idiot manservant who let himself be caught by Arthur as a sorcerer by letting the stables mock out themselves. Honestly. Was Merlin that lazy? That git. (Though he did owe the boy for saving his life more than a few times, there was this incident with the Questing Beast…Never mind. Arthur was supposed to be irritated with him here!)

He needed to sleep and think about this for awhile. But then Merlin would show up tomorrow morning, happy and cheerful and oblivious when Arthur had this kind of urge to throw himself at him and maybe kiss him and where the hell did these thoughts come from? Stupid dragon making him – think like, like – and act like – Oh he should get rid of the beast.

Or maybe he'd really do that. Grabbing Merlin and kissing him that was. It seemed like a rather good idea. If the dragon was right at all in his gibberish, then Merlin couldn't be a hundred percent against the idea. Yes, that was reasonable. (And Merlin did have rather nice lips.)

"-and without him there will be no Albion and magic shall never return."

"Heavens, will you shut up! I'm trying to think here!"

"Be careful, young Pendragon," the creature gloated.

Arthur pointed an accusing finger at it, his thoughts on a certain oblivious manservant too deep for the dragon's insult to string. "Father really had to lock up the most annoying infuriating dragon in the world. Yes. He did it on purpose."

The dragon was not amused.

"...Right. Well then." Arthur breathed in, clasped his hands, breathed out, squared his shoulders. There. He was ready to face the challenge. "Speak up, dragon! What advice do you have on how I should proceed?"

The dragon peered down at him from the outcropping. Very uncharacteristically quiet.

"For once I ask you to speak and then you shut up!" Arthur cursed. "That's it! I quit!"

"No one can quit from destiny."

"So that's what I got to do."

"I never told you what to do."

"Yes, you did. Implied. Like always. Stupid riddles. I asked for advice on how to proceed. Such as, maybe how to court a stupid idiot who is far too innocent-minded to get any clue. But no! You just shut up! So stop bothering me with your mind-talking thing from now on and leave this to me. I'll fix this without your unreasonable gibberish."

With a grumble, Arthur fisted the torch and turned on his heel, and the dragon purred when he left, something very much like Destiny.