A/N: To please some nice people who 'story alerted' this story. Just a second chapter then it's COMPLETE.

Summary: Arthur and Merlin aren't the only naive souls in Camelot.

Birds, Bees and Boys (Part 2: In The Rose Garden) by frostygossamer

Prince Arthur is feeling very pleased with himself, about his newly invented love-form. He's been walking around with a smirk on his face, ever since he successfully persuaded Merlin into his bed this morning.

But even though Merlin is very much on his mind, his eyes still light up when he spots Guinevere in the rose garden picking roses.

"Good afternoon, my love", he says sweetly, sniffing a glorious pink blossom. "My rose of roses."

Guinevere smiles shyly and curtsies. "You're a charmer, Arthur", she laughs, a tinkly laugh.

Arthur's heart soars, as it can't help but do whenever he find himself alone with Guinevere, she is so adorable. He feels his chivalrous nature springing to attention.

"Let me carry that for you", he says, taking the heavy flower basket from her arm.

"They're for Lady Morgana's chambers", Guinevere explains. "She likes to have fresh flowers every day."

Arthur sighs. He knows that dear Morgana can be very demanding.

Guinevere breaks off another bloom with her little gold snips and, as she puts it in the basket, Arthur brushes his hand against hers. She averts her gaze coyly.

All at once Arthur drops the basket and sweeps Guinevere into his arms. She pulls away from him weakly but without resolve. Arthur tries to kiss her lips and she lets him, but reluctantly.

"Arthur", she whispers. "This can never be". Almost a sob.

"Why can it never be?", he asks.

"Because I can never be your wife, your queen", she continues, tearfully.

"Well I know that", Arthur admits, letting her go. "But there are other things you could be."

Guinevere looks confused. "What other things, Arthur?", she asks, nervously, drying her eyes with a lacy hanky.

"You could be my lover", he suggests.

"Wh-what?", she gasps, obviously baffled.

"You could entertain me in bed and provide me with womanly comfort", he explains.

"Womanly comfort?", she repeats, vacantly.

"Yes, my sweet", he says. "We could enjoy the pleasures of Aphrodite together."

Finally he realises that he is not getting through to her. He grasps her two hands in his and looks deep into her eyes.

"Guinevere, do you know the story of 'the Birds and the Bees'?", he asks.

"Oh? Birds? Bees? Is that something to do with the culture of roses?", she guesses.

Arthur laughs and squeezes her little dainty hands, saying, "You are a little ninny, aren't you, my sweet?"

At this point Merlin comes wandering around the garden wall and spots Arthur and Guinevere together, holding hands. A wave of something very unpleasant passes through him. He has difficulty identifying the sentiment, as he ducks back behind the wall.

Arthur and Guinevere smooching in the rose arbour. And only this morning Arthur was telling him that he loved him in a new and special, fourth kind of way. What a big fibber!

Merlin feels an unfamiliar warm angry feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. His blue eyes glow with a faint hint of green.

"That Guinevere is a minx", he thinks. "She has tempted my Arthur away from me with her flirty, girly looks and sighs. And Arthur is a silly prat and so easily taken in by a pretty face."

What are these strange thoughts souring his mind? Is he jealous? Surely not. He should be jealous of Arthur's effect on his own best girl friend Guinevere. Not the other way around. How could he be jealous of Guinevere's effect on Arthur? How could he be envious of a girl?

All confused he plods off to his room for a sulk. There he meets his old mentor Gaius, having a sly sherry.

"Oh, hello, Merlin", the old man welcomes him, hiding his glass. "How are we today?"

"Unhappy", Merlin moans, flopping down on a bench and sighing melodramatically.

"It's Prince Arthur, isn't it?", Gaius asks, with an I-told-you-so look.

Merlin makes a face. "Arthur is so insensitive", he gripes. "He told me he cared about me in a special way, but now I find him flirting with Guinevere among the roses, like nothing happened between us. It's not fair."

Gaius smiled kindly. "Do you want me to have a talk with him?", he offers.

"No!", Merlin says. "I'll get him in my own way", and traipses off to his own room, banging the door shut behind him, and flops down on his bed to mope.

After a few minutes Merlin gets up and goes out. Gaius watches him go and chortles to himself.

Merlin heads back to the rose garden, to make sure talking is all Arthur is doing with Guinevere, and he bumps into Lancelot in the courtyard.

Lancelot has his head down and is muttering as he walks along.

"Oh sorry, Merlin", he apologizes. "I didn't see you there."

"It's okay", Merlin replies. "I wasn't looking where I was going either". And he laughs.

Lancelot laughs too. "I was just looking for Guinevere", he explains. "I really need to talk to her. Do you have any idea where she might be, Merlin?"

"No idea", Merlin lies. "But she's definitely not in the rose garden with Prince Arthur."

Lancelot gives him a suspicious look. "Dear Guinevere is such a lovely girl", he says, a smile brightening his face. "Her smile is like sunlight and her laugh is like summer. I adore her completely and yet I fear that she is still attached to another."

Merlin nods. He feels exactly the same about Arthur, out of the blue. Sunlight? Summer? How well that sums up his shining prince. Poor Lancelot. Poor Merlin.

"Guinevere has the soul of a little bird", Lancelot continues. "So fragile and featherlight. I find it impossible not to adore her and yet, as a bee flies from flower to flower, her heart flits from love to love. A real man needs more from his perfect lover, passion with him, jealousy for him and faithfulness to him."

Merlin is surprised at what a poet Lancelot turns out to be, it must be his French blood. And how right he is, how right.

As luck would have it, this is the moment when Arthur, with Guinevere draped over his arm, is strolling back from the garden towards the courtyard, where Merlin and Lancelot are standing talking.

Lancelot spots them first, and Merlin notices his pupils dilate at the sight of his beloved with another man. Merlin turns and feels his stomach turn over, as Arthur raises a casual hand to acknowledge them. Before he has even formed the thought, Merlin grabs Lancelot's face and drags him into a frightening kiss, right in front of his prince.

This isn't such a sensible idea because Lancelot is armed, and his sword is unsheathed even before he can throw off Merlin's assault. He points it menacingly at the boy's snowy throat.

Guinevere, her senses battered by this shocking and confusing image, faints dead away like a wilting daisy. She collapses into a delicate pile of muslin and lace.

Arthur stares aghast. What in Hades is Lancelot doing to his favourite servant boy? Forgetting Guinevere totally, he marches forward, seizes Merlin by the neckerchief and drags him indoors and up the stairs to his room without speaking.

Once in his room he throws Merlin down on the bed and proceeds to pull off the boy's clothes.

"You know that you belong to me, don't you, Merlin? And I told you that I harbour a special fondness for you", he hisses.

"Yes!", Merlin squeaks.

"Well that special fondness and that special intimacy we enjoyed together, I don't want you sharing it with anyone else. I don't want to share anything about you with anyone else. You belong to me."

"I belong to you", Merlin repeats. "And you belong to me? No one else? Not even Guinevere?"

Arthur sighs. "Guinevere is sweet", he says. "Guinevere is the girl I would choose to marry. But she can only be my lady, my woman and my wife. I need you to make my heart whole."

Merlin smiles as Arthur presses his flaming lips and his powerful body against his.

Arthur gives him passion and jealousy. He is almost the perfect lover.

"And will you always be faithful?", Merlin asks.

"Always", Arthur breathes. "Always until the day I die."

The perfect lover.

The End

A/N: There! Hope you liked that. Now I have to go and write something angsty for another fandom. Oh yes, and study!