I thought this story just needed a little rounding off, and a funny ending :-)

"Ow!" Merlin yelped for the hundredth time. A set of yellow eyes glared at him and the kitten refused all of Merlin's efforts to make Arthur's bed.

"What are you having a go at me for?" he demanded of the kitten. She stayed on the bed, glaring at him, all teeth, claws and fluffy fur.

"Merlin, what are you doing?"

Merlin jumped and turned to Gaius, who had come in the room holding a vial.

"I have the remedy for Arthur's muscle strain," Gaius said, to explain his presence.

"Thank you, and her, the hell cat, she won't let me make the bed. Arthur's been impossible since he got her. I swear he tells her to make it as hard for me as possible!"

"It's her territory, Merlin, she's just defending it. A kitten is hardly going to understand you're just tidying the covers."

"She does," Merlin said. "Arthur told her, he keeps purring at her."

Gaius raised his eyebrows, staring at Merlin as if he was slightly mad.

"Merlin, I'm quite certain the Crown Prince of Camelot is not purring."

"He is! I'm not certain the enchantment has totally worn off."

"Oh, for goodness sake. Arthur is fine, he's behaving perfectly normally. Maybe his time as a cat taught him something."

"Yes, how to freak out knights and get into women's corsets," Merlin muttered to himself. Ensconced in the rumpled bedding the kitten hissed at him. Merlin glared at her.

"What?" Gaius said.

"Nothing," Merlin replied with false brightness. Gaius glowered at him. Merlin gave up on his attempts to make the bed and instead started to tidy the piles of clothes that Arthur had left lying around, separating what needed washing and putting that in the basket and he started to put the clean clothes back in the wardrobe.

"I'll leave this on the table," Gaius said. From behind the wardrobe door Merlin announced.

"I'll make sure his royal pratness gets it."

"That's kind of you Merlin," Arthur's voice announced. Merlin fell out of the cupboard and nearly landed on his backside. Arthur watching him with mild amusement, and Merlin decided even the kitten was laughing at him, still snuggled up in Arthur's covers.

"Well, there you go, there's your remedy," Merlin snapped at him.

"Thank you," Arthur said. He meandered round to pick the vial up and Merlin went over to help Arthur out of his shirt. The prince winced a little, his shoulder still sore from the training session the previous day.

"Is there any particular reason you haven't made the bed?" Arthur asked. The rest of his room seemed in order.

"She won't let me!" Merlin said, pointing an accusing finger at the cat. The cat looked up with wide eyes, utterly innocent, although as her eyes narrowed there was a flicker of triumph in them. Merlin was not imagining it. "Look what she did!"

Merlin held up his hand for Arthur to inspect the claw and bite marks the kitten had inflicted on him. Arthur took his wrist, peered at the damage and snorted with laughter.

"Honestly Merlin, I would have thought that even you could beat a kitten."

"Trust me, I'm tempted to beat her," Merlin said, then took a tactical step back, away from Arthur, who glared at him. The cat mirrored the expression.

"Don't you dare," Arthur growled.

"It's your fault, all that purring you do at her. I know what you're telling her!"

"Merlin, she's a cat."

"So were you," Merlin sniped in a peevish fashion. As Arthur sat down Merlin started to rub the oil on Arthur's shoulder, pressing down into the muscle. Arthur grunted in pain as Merlin probed, which did nothing more than encourage Merlin. By the set of Arthur's jaw he was clearly gritting his teeth and refusing to moan.

"Gaius said this might take a week or so."

Arthur gave a huff, a low growl emitting from the back of his throat. A moment later the little kitten got up and strolled to the end of the bed, stretching her front legs out, then her back. She flailed her left hind leg in the air before jumping off and trotting over to jump into Arthur's lap. He put a hand out and she rubbed her head into it. As Arthur stroked her she rolled and latched onto his wrist with her claws, clinging lightly and she licked the back of his hand. Merlin rolled his eyes and carried on prodding Arthur.

"Ow!" Arthur snapped. The kitten hissed, claws tightening on Arthur but he didn't seem to notice.

"What, I have to do this," Merlin said, prodding further.

The bickering paused as the door opened and Uther strode in. Arthur turned to look, so did the kitten. Merlin kept his head down and carried on massaging.

"How's the shoulder?"

"Better, thank you father," Arthur said. Uther surveyed the room.

"Is there any reason why your servant is failing to make the bed?"

I do have a name, Merlin snapped to himself.

"Fiona wouldn't let him, apparently," Arthur said. The kitten hopped up onto the table and stood on the nearest corner, staring up at Uther, flexing her claws and purring loudly. Uther petted her gently, she purred even louder, arching her back and her tail lifted into the air.

"Whore," Merlin snarled under his breath.

"What?" Arthur asked.

"Nothing My Lord, I just coughed."

"Perhaps I could borrow her," Uther said. "I still have a few mice in my room."

"That should be fine, Merlin could take her over to your chambers once he is done here."

Merlin wondered if Arthur had left a spare set of gauntlets in the room. He wasn't picking that creature up without them. Merlin was starting to think that the drunk in the tavern had the right idea.

"On second thought," Arthur added. "I'll take her. Merlin will only lose her."

Arthur grunted again as Merlin, none too gently, prodded into his shoulder.

"Very well. Your servant can't handle one little kitten?"

"No, he can't."

"I need you in the council chamber in an hour," Uther informed Arthur before he swept out again. Arthur shrugged his shoulder.

"Enough of that Merlin, get me a shirt!"

Merlin went to get Arthur a fresh shirt, helped him into it and then Arthur picked up Fiona, tucking her close to his chest. Fiona purred and snuggled against him.

"I'll take her, you can make the bed, and then I want the stables mucked out, and…"

"Yes, clean your armour, sharpen your sword, and so on…"

"And," Arthur added with exaggerated patience. "See if you can find a nice fur from somewhere. Fiona needs her own bed."

Arthur swept out, still purring, Merlin was sure of that.

"Yes, because she doesn't get enough sleep taking over yours," Merlin snapped. "Honestly, if any sorcerer wanted to take control of Camelot, they just have to invade in the guise of a fluffy little animal."

Merlin yanked the bedding about, and he grimaced when he shook the cover and sent cat hairs everywhere. Then he bit down on his lip and frowned, dropping what he was doing and hurrying out of the room.

"Arthur!"