THREAD ☇ good old camelot

[eyeshinegold]

Have a Merlin! He's supposed to be mending some chainmail, but as per usual he's found something else to distract him. That being a rather official looking document. Well, this is Arthur's chambers after all. He's probably not supposed to be looking at anything with the royal seal on it, but he's nosy curious. After all, what's the harm?

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[andfuture]

Okay, so, he was stuck with a manservant who happened to embody curiosity. So Arthur wasn't at all surprised that day when he caught the manservant in question in his chambers (usual) and with his head bent as he so casually persued the King's latest decree (not usual).

Arthur's lips pursed, a few choice insults wavering for a moment before he reconsidered. Instead, Arthur silently came up behind Merlin, pausing just short of the man and canted his head somewhat to peer to the document over the curve of Merlin's shoulder.

"Anything interesting?." he asked, casually.

[eyeshinegold]

Merlin spun as he jumped a literal foot in the air, except he didn't come straight down so there wasn't a clear space under him. And, lacking the grace of a spinning dancer (or any grace whatsoever) it was part table leg, part Arthur's foot which he came down upon. Of course this did not do well for the balance. He went down with a yelp, pulling half the table's contents with him, trying to catch the things as they fell.

"No! No. Nothing interesting! Just, ah..." He made a feeble grab for an apple as it rolled off next to him. Missed, predictably. "That's, uh... I thought I might've... I mean, not me. That something might've spilled on your... papers. Yes, wouldn't want those to get smeared!"

[andfuture]

The preferred outcome would have been Merlin thoroughly startled, and himself rightfully smug. He may have even let the whole bit with the papers go. But if didn't work out as successful as he had hoped, and Arthur found himself stumbling back in surprise at being properly trod on. Trod on. Merlin, as scrawny and waif as he was, wasn't as light as one would believe.

"Really, Merlin." Arthur snapped, mood somewhat dampened at being stepped all over, "Was that be best you could do."

Arthur strode over the other man's prone form, intentionally being heavyfooted and rather careless with his heels at that, and grabbed the document.

"I've half a mind for putting you in the stocks for that. You know that anything with this-." Arthur lifted the scroll, crest bared, "-seal present is private. That is: not for useless servants."

[eyeshinegold]

"Ow," Merlin mouthed, wincing as Arthur walked all over him. Literally instead of just figuratively today.

"The best?" he said, hoping to come off as innocent. But that failed when Arthur picked up the scroll.

"W-Well, um..." he tried to stall for a better excuse. "It... looks a lot like the ones that aren't private?"