Author's note: I never meant to write this, but I did, and now it's too late so I'm posting anyway, though the story says 'complete' and was meant as a oneshot. Anyway. Here we are. Time for more silliness and some oblivious/innocent!Merlin and smug!SlashDragon (and obvious!Arthur somewhere in the background). Warnings: slash. Some spoilers/references to season 1, episode 11.

Updated 4/10-11, some grammar and spelling has been corrected.

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On warlocks, destinies and prats

"I think Arthur's been enchanted."

Large yellow eyes regarded him closely. "And what makes you believe that?"

"Well," Merlin said, gesturing with his free hand, "he's been acting odd…like he's been hit on his head; he's too…nice. I took him to the physician to be examined but he's got no head injury, and Gaius says he's not ill either; he's got no fever or anything. He has defied his father more than twice in two days to spend time with me (he has shockingly enough not even sacked me for hiding my magic for him this long: honestly it wasn't my fault that he found out! – I was being careful!) and then he tried to help me out with my chores (which is rather stupid, I mean is the one giving them to me in the first place). He must've been enchanted!"

"Are you sure, young warlock?"

"What? Yes! Nothing but magic could make him keep his room all tidy and armour polished without nagging me to do it! Then yesterday he acted very out-of-character, he helped me up when I tripped and then told me to take the rest of the day off, it wasn't even lunchtime and I'd not cleaned his chambers yet, and he knows about my magic now which should mean he wants to 'keep an eye on me' so I don't do anything stupid (that's what he said, anyway) – not send me away unsupervised! He's definitely been enchanted..."

"What kind of enchantment could this be? Without knowing this, I cannot help you, young warlock. Perhaps the prince has suddenly experienced a change of heart."

Now he began to grow unsure. That someone had enchanted the prince seemed a reasonable, sane explanation, up till this point: something he could maybe remedy and handle. But what if he was wrong? What was up with Arthur then, if he wasn't injured, sick or enchanted? What if it was just Arthur who was changing and it had nothing to do with any evil sorcerers intervening?

He hadn't even waved around his sword making threats when finding out about Merlin's magic. Just muttered something about 'idiot' and 'how can you be so careless?' and 'What if a stable boy or guard had come in time to see you? You'd be imprisoned or worse! Do you need a babysitter, Merlin?' like he was…worried. Which didn't make any sense. And then he'd moved on like nothing had changed, like Merlin wasn't a powerful warlock living in a land where his head should be on a chopping block nicely severed from his shoulders.

"I—I don't know. Something to make him nicer, I guess."

The dragon looked strangely smug. "I do believe he has been enchanted by a force stronger than any magic in this world."

That sounded like Arthur was in real danger! "What do you mean? Is he enchanted or not? Is he in danger? What should I do? Please, you've got to help me!"

The dragon made a chuckling-like noise while shaking its giant head, then sighed. "Always, always shall you come for my aid... Tell me, young warlock, what strong force can you name other than magic?"

Merlin's brow furrowed in thought. All these riddles! Couldn't the beast give a straight answer for once? "I don't know. Ermm…like…emotions maybe? They can be pretty strong," he offered.

The dragon kept looking at him strangely, probably expecting him to elaborate. Biting his lip, Merlin tried to, by saying (quite hesitantly); "Maybe…maybe he's overcome with some emotion? But, what emotion could make him behave like that?"

"There are many emotions that can change and twist a person, possibly beyond recognition. Some are damaging, others helpful, strengthening, and pure good."

"Well, Arthur's still partly himself…It's more like all of his good sides have been exaggerated, and the less good sides subdued…" Merlin thought hard, scratching his neck. "He's definitely not evil or angry in any way. Except a bit showy. I mean yesterday, when training with the knights he was so blatantly showing off; I was sitting in the sidelines as usual and I know he's good, but that was just so…so… (I feel sorry for sir Bedivere who had to face him two times in a row. There's no need for Arthur to do that dirty sword trick! Bedivere couldn't have predicted it even if it was written on Arthur's forehead…Poor sir Bedievere.) …Yes, showing off, without doubt."

This was certainly amusing, the dragon thought, but by the gods, the boy was slow. Or probably just too innocent to think any other explanation that a) monsters are trying to eat the prince; b) angry witches/sorcerers/magical folk in general wants the prince most certainly dead accompanied with the corpse of the king (the dragon could relate to the latter though), and c) princes are royal annoying prats! It could take ages for him to realize what the prince's actions meant and Kilgarrah had waited long enough. Twenty years in a stinky cave! The boy needed a strong push from the back.

"I believe humans amuse themselves calling many things love. But rarely is it as strong and true as this."

The warlock just looked at him with true unhindered disbelief.

For a couple of minutes.

Then he said, quietly: "Arthur…Arthur's in love with me?"

Again: "Arthur's in love… with me? … How? Why? I'm- I'm just a servant and a nobody and he's the bloody prince of Camelot and could point at anything and get it wrapped in gold - he is, without a doubt, a spoiled prat, so how on earth can he be in love with me?"

"Fate is fickle, your warlock, and not always what we might believe."

"You're not kidding me, right?"

The dragon peered down at the amusing little human from the outcropping with serious yellow eyes. "Would I do such a thing?"

"Yes. Maybe you would. It might be some strange scheme of yours or…something." Merlin's cheeks were a bit flushed, breath quickened. "Arthur is… This is so crazy. I mean, I never meant for him to find out anything about me really and the friendship thing just kind of happened but I never thought…"

"Can it be so that his feelings are requited?"

The warlock blushed harder, all the way to the tip of his ears. The worst thing of this was, the dragon was right (as it was about many things but anyway, Merlin had hoped this certain fact to stay out of the dragon's knowledge), and thought Arthur was a prat and a dollophead and sometimes incredibly smug/arrogant/conceited and showy and whatnot, he had this beautiful nice side too that Merlin had seen, and Arthur wasn't selfish, he'd saved his life (and the nice-act for the last few days wasn't too bad, come think of it…). He never wanted what they had to fade away, and he had nothing against the prospect of staying with Arthur for, maybe, forever even if it meant having to face down evil sorcerers and kill various beasts sent to obliterate the prince and king of Camelot, because it'd give a good excuse why he lingered by Arthur's side. He needed to be protected when he couldn't protect himself. So, Merlin would stay with him where he was and could follow him to the world's end if asked and never hesitate.

Plus, it didn't hurt that Arthur was quite good-looking, his hair gleaming golden in the sunlight and when he looked at him with those warm blue eyes Merlin's heart sped up a little…

"Yes. N-no!" Merlin stammered. "I won't give you any ideas. It'll make you even crazier."

"I disagree," the dragon said in what could only be described as an old man's mutter beneath a non-existent beard, hot air flowing out of his nostrils.

"I should better go now," the warlock continued, pretending he hadn't heard (he didn't want to be roasted on a spit. Not that there was a spit nearby. Never-mind he could make a magical shield against any fire.) and began to inch out of the cavern. How was he going to have a single night's sleep after this? He'd only think of destiny and meddling dragons and lovely prince prats who were trying to court him.

Maybe he should send a bouquet of flowers (not roses, because Arthur would only prick himself and someone would have ended up poisoning said roses on the way, it'd just be his typical luck) and a letter reading "You just could have told me", or maybe march up to Arthur's chambers and kiss him and tell him he could have tried to be a bit less subtle, please, 'I was quite distracted by people trying to kill/bewitch you to think of the possibility of you being in love with me' – hmm, that sounded quite nice. (Except for the bewitching part. Would Arthur believe him? Probably just call him stupid. Again. Just like that time with the unicorn…)

"I thought sending the unicorn in your path would be a sign enough," the dragon said behind him.

"You're a bit creepy, but thank you anyway."

(Less than an hour later, Merlin found out that Arthur's a wonderful kisser.)