This was written for the 'Grumbles and Gripes' drabble challenge on the Heart of Camelot website:

Write about one character complaining about another. Whether they're silently fuming, commiserating with a friend, or grousing so loudly that the entire kingdom can hear them, let them vent their frustrations through you!

A/N My usual thanks to beta LyricalSinger and also thanks to Moonfox for some brainstorming

Geoffrey of Monmouth groaned as he spotted Prince Arthur's manservant. The boy had obviously just left the archives – Geoffrey's archives - since they were the only reason for being in this part of the castle.

"Is there a problem with that boy?" asked Uther.

"Impertinence, Sire," Geoffrey answered. "The boy does not know the meaning of the word 'respect'".

The two men entered the room and walked toward where the scrolls about magical artifacts were kept, only to stop when Geoffrey gasped in dismay. "You see this?" he exclaimed, waving over at a nearby table where at several scrolls were spread out haphazardly. "He handles my books like they were child's toys, and does not even have the decency to put them away once he is finished with them!"

The librarian turned to Uther, "And he is careless. Only yesterday he dropped an ancient gaulish manuscript right on the floor!"

Geoffrey was about to launch into complaints about the boy's intelligence –or rather, lack of it, but stopped short on noticing that the opened scrolls were all ones that he and Uther intended to consult.

Just then, the archive doors creaked open, and Arthur and Merlin could be overheard talking. "I've found mention of the same amulet in eleven places," the servant said, his eyes widening when he noticed that the archivist and the King were already in the room.

Geoffrey and Uther shared a look of astonishment. Apparently, Merlin had already worked out the cause of the blight affecting Camelot. Through tricky research, and all on his own.

The archivist did not like to admit it, but he'd obviously not given the boy enough credit. Determined to correct his mistake, Geoffrey smiled and said kindly, "Excellent work. How about you show us what you've found, young man."