Chapter Two

"Merlin!" Gwen chased her friend along the corridor, leaving Morgana to stand alone and confused by the bottom of the stairs. This may have been the plan for Gwen but Morgana didn't even consider either boys feelings between the moment of Merlin telling Gwen and the moment Arthur realised his own feelings and they got together.

Before even she realised, Morgana found herself walking briskly towards the prince's chambers.

"I cannot believe you would do that Gwen! I thought we were friends!" Merlin sobbed into his pillow after Gwen refused to leave.

"I am your friend! That's why I did it!" Merlin looked up from where his tears were soaking into his mattress.

"You got Arthur to listen to me, admitting my love for him, embarrassing and humiliating myself because you are my friend?! That's crazy!" He stared at her incredulously, dumb-founded at how anyone could think, even for a second, that that would be a nice thing to do!

"When you put it like that, it doesn't seem too great... But honestly Merlin! I truly believe Arthur has feelings for you too." Merlin snorted and dropped his head back down into his pillow. "I do! And I thought-"

"Yes but Gwen," He looked up again, purely to glare at her this time, "You obviously didn't think, else you would have realised how badly this could turn out if, by any chance, you were wrong!" She opened her mouth to reply but he shook his head. "Please go now."

"But Merlin!"

"Go away Gwen!" He was close to shouting now, tears sprouting from his eyes once more. Gwen took in the sight of her distraught friend, wanting to go and comfort him, but decided the best thing to do would be to do as he asked and leave.

"Arthur?" Morgana stood outside Arthur's chambers and rapped lightly on the heavy, oak door.

"Urm, this isn't a good time Morgana, can it wait?" His voice cracked as it drifted through the tiny gaps in the door.

"No, not really. It's about Merlin."

"What about him?"

"About what he said to Gwen, what I got you to listen into."

"What?"

"Please Arthur, just let me in! I'll explain it all to you properly."

She stood beside the door, waiting for a response for at least thirty seconds; until the weighty wood was pulled away from her to reveal a rather dishevelled looking Prince.

"Come in then." Morgana sidled past Arthur into his room as he closed the door behind her. She took a seat on the edge of his bed and placed her hands in her lap.

"Me and Gwen set it up so that you would hear Merlin talking about you, and his feelings, because we believed that you both loved each other and just needed persuading to get together, but I know now that was a stupid, horrible thing to do, especially to Merlin and I am sorry." Morgana stayed looking at her hands, picking at the skin around her nails nervously.

"Oh." She waited for him to scold her before looking up at him from beneath her eyelashes. He was sat, back towards her in front of the fireplace, his head in his hands.

"Please don't sack him." Her voice echoed across the distance, breaking the silence.

"I won't."

"What are you going to do then?"

"I don't know."

"Do you feel the same?" Arthur stayed silent. "Arthur?"

"I don't know." He snapped, glaring back at her over his shoulder briefly before turning back and covering his face with his hands. Morgana bit her lip and squirmed awkwardly at the end of his bed.

"What if you did?"

"Morgana, I just told you I don't know-"

"Yes but what if you did?" She stood up and began sauntering around the room, hands clasped behind her back. "What if you did like him, love him even, what would that mean?"

"Morgana I don't see how-"

"Oh for God's sake Arthur, answer the damn question!"

Arthur looked up to glare at the girl from across the room, only to be ignored. "My father would hate me."

"If that's so then why do you care? If he would hate you because of whom you love why do you give a damn what he thinks?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow. "What else?"

"It's illegal."

"Why are we assuming people know? Let's stick with the idea of you and Merlin being in love, but in secret. Carry on."

The prince pondered the situation, avoiding eye contact with the girl he had come to think of as his sister.

"I could never marry him, nor have children with him." Morgana watched as Arthur sighed, his body sagging.

"Don't think that far ahead, think about now, what is there stopping you being together now?" She walked forwards and knelt beside him.

"I don't know."

"Nothing is the answer I was looking for Arthur. Nothing." He looked up to see her smiling at him. "Now we've established that, do you love him?" He furrowed his brow and bit his lip, staying frozen for a moment before meeting Morgana's gaze.

"I think so." She raised an eyebrow.

"You think so?"

"Yes, yes I do." He stood up violently and marched towards the door. "I have to go and tell him, thank you Morgana!" He ran out of the door and into the corridor, skidding out of sight. Morgana grinned to herself before digging through Arthur's desk for any kind of future blackmail...

"Merlin?" Merlin sat upright on his bed, scrubbing his face furiously to get rid of the tears as soon as he heard someone call his name. "Merlin are you in there?"

"Arthur?" Merlin bit his lip, brushing the palm of his hand across his cheek, catching the salty water that had caught there.

"Can I come in?" He heard something brush against the wood as he sniffed, pulling the pillow from behind him to just in front of his face.

"Yeah." His voice was muffled by the pillow but Arthur heard and pushed the door open, standing awkwardly beside it.

The prince took in the redness around his servants eyes and frowned. "Are you alright?" Merlin nodded, not trusting his voice. "Good."

"Why are you here? Are you going to fire me?" He looked over the top of his pillow to where Arthur was standing, an irregular expression on his face, one not many people had seen. He looked shy.

"No I'm not going to fire you Merlin; a half decent manservant is hard to come by."

"But didn't you hear me talk to Gwen?" He furrowed his brow in confusion as to why Arthur was even talking to him.

"Yes, I did." Arthur ducked his head to look at his feet. "But Morgana came into my chambers and explained it all, you shouldn't be angry at them, they were trying to help." Merlin didn't respond, he just sat, frozen to the spot in shock and fear as to what Arthur might say. "I don't know what to say." The prince bit his lip before walking towards the small bed and taking a seat on the end, noting how uncomfortable it was compared to his own.

"Did you mean it? What you said to Gwen." Merlin moved the pillow down to his chest and hugged it against him before nodding. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you like me?"

"Are you kidding?!" Merlin dropped the pillow to the bed and stared at Arthur, "I know you own a mirror because I've had to clean enough of them!" Arthur snorted.

"So you like me because I'm handsome?"

"Not just that, I've never known anyone who can balance their physical skills with their knowledge and wisdom so well. Everyone knows that you are the best warrior in Camelot, but not everyone knows how smart you are, and how informed your decisions are and how much pressure is put on you and how well you deal with it..." Merlin tailed off, going bright red as he thought about what he was saying. "Sorry."

"Don't be." Arthur smiled at Merlin, a gesture the servant missed as he was picking at his pillow nervously.

"So if you didn't come here to fire me, why did you come? For an ego boost?" Arthur sighed before shaking his head.

"Morgana made me realise something when she came to talk to me..." He stopped, searching for the right words.

"What?" Arthur turned his body until he was facing Merlin completely; crossing his legs on the small bed, face barely two inches away from the other boys. Merlin's breath started to get heavier, something that didn't go unnoticed by Arthur.

"Merlin... I-" His voice got muffled however, as Merlin pressed his lips against his own, sucking lightly on his bottom lip before pulling away meekly.

"I'm sorry but you knew I liked you and you sat that close to me anyway so I felt like I had nothing to lose and-" Arthur pulled Merlin head back towards him, grasping his neck with one hand and a fistful of his shirt with the other. Merlin moaned into the kiss, wrapping his arms around the prince's neck, forcing their lips closer together.

"Merlin," Arthur panted as they stopped for breath, foreheads resting on each other as a way to stay close, Merlin's arms still entwined around Arthur's neck as Arthur ran his fingers through his raven locks.

"Yes." Merlin placed kisses along Arthurs jaw, causing him to shudder.

"I do love you." The servant froze, his lips still pressed to Arthurs cheek.

"Really?"

"Yes, I'm pretty sure I always have." Merlin pulled away from Arthur, only slightly, to grin brilliantly.

"What did I miss?"

"Shhh!" Gwen turned around to face her mistress with her finger pressed to her lips before turning her attention back to the crack in the door.

So nosey!!

There you have it :D

Thank you to everyone who has review and favourited!