A/N- Hello! This is a response to 'Gwenny luvs cute stuff' challenge. I hope you like this, Gwenny! What you asked for is coming up in later chapters!

THIS IS NOT SLASH, ONLY BROMANCE! (go bromance!)

Disclaimer: If I owned Merlin, would I really be here on this site instead of being with Colin Morgan?

Anyways, I hope everyone out there likes this!

Benugan! (Enjoy in Welsh!)

"I'm telling you, he's not what he seems!" Merlin almost yelled at Arthur.

In the prince's chambers, they were arguing about what was going on with the visiting king, King Sender. He came from the east, planning on forging an alliance with Uther. He seemed very suspicious to Merlin, who had done a favor for his servant by dropping off his breakfast. When he had walked in, Sender had been whispering with his hand over a box. He had quickly gotten rid of the warlock before Merlin was able to understand the words he was saying.

"Merlin, he's a king signing a peace treaty with Camelot! There is nothing different about him, as you seem to think!" Arthur practically bellowed.

"Arthur, would you just listen to me for once!"

"No! You are a mere servant, why should I trust anything you say?"

That hurt. It pierced Merlin's heart. Tears stung his eyes, threatening to spill over. "You don't mean that," he whispered.

"But I do! You are a worthless, incompetent servant who can't mind his own business, let alone do his job right! You should stick to what you do best. NOTHING!'

A single hot tear escaped Merlin's eye. "I'm sorry sire. I should not have stepped out of line. Goodnight, m'lord." And with that, the warlock turned and fled the room, furiously scrabbling to wipe away the drops of liquid on his face.

He ran to the west wing, where it was bitterly cold year round. No one resided there for that purpose. He ran up many flights of stairs before bursting out onto the top of a turret. A thin rail was the only thing separating the young man from a long and disastrous fall.

Merlin closed the door and slid down the wall, his back scraping against the stone. Why couldn't Arthur actually listen to him for once? Maybe he should do what the prince said. Nothing. After all, he couldn't protect Arthur and his father if he wasn't willing to listen to what he had to say.

The salty tears dripped down his cheeks as he scrunched himself into a ball. He was worthless, a nobody, Arthur had said. Maybe that was true. Maybe the prince didn't need the warlock to protect him.

The young man stood up and walked over to the edge. He sat down and slid between the bars of the rail. Merlin's legs dangled over, swinging in oblivion. He wasn't stupid enough to jump, no of course not, but he could think here with no distractions. No one would find him unless he came down by himself. Which wouldn't be for a while.

The tears slowed, then stopped altogether. Merlin sat for quite a long time like that, staring off into the near black sky. One by one the stars peaked out along with the moon. Only once they were all out did the warlock finally pull back and lean against the stones. He shivered and trembled in the night air and the cold rock behind his back seeping through his clothes.

Somewhere around midnight his stomach clenched tightly, causing him to double over in pain. After about an hour the hunger pains receded and he was once again left to his own thoughts.

Morning came, and Merlin still couldn't stop shivering even with the sun trying to warm him up. Eventually he got up and made his way down the stairs and to the kitchen.

"Angela? I need the prince's breakfast please." The cook took one look at him and pointed at a chair with her ladle.

"You sit down right this instant and eat something. You look terrible! Go on, I'm not giving you his breakfast if you don't!"

"Look, I'm late, and if I don't get going the prince is going to have my head. I'll come back later, alright?" Not, Merlin added silently.

Angela seemed skeptical. "Promise?"

"Yes."

"Good. It's right over there, by the fire. Get it quickly now, wouldn't want Arthur upset with you, now would we?"

"No, of course not. Thank you Angela." He grabbed the tray and left.

"You're welcome!" the maid called after his receding back. "And you better be back," she muttered under her breath, turning back to her kitchen.

Meanwhile, Merlin ran down the corridor as fast as he could without spilling the food. As he came to a stop at Arthur's door, he spotted a passing servant. He reached out and caught his arm. "Excuse me," he said.

"Yes?" the man replied.

"Will you take this to the prince? It's his breakfast."

The man nodded. "Of course." The warlock transferred the plate to him.

As he was turning away, he remembered something. "Oh, and make sure this gets to him." Merlin carefully pulled out an envelope, unsealed, from his inside jacket pocket. He had wrote it up on the turret last night during those long cold hours.

"Sure thing." The man took the letter from him before turning and going into Arthur's room.

"I'm sorry, Arthur," Merlin whispered. "For everything."

The warlock spun on his heel and ran.

PRATTARP

Arthur awoke slowly, roused by a firm hand on his shoulder. His eyesight was bleary from sleep, but he could already tell something was wrong. Merlin would usually snap open the curtains and call out one of his overly cheerful sayings. Now he was being called 'sire' and 'your highness'.

Hands helped him to sit up and the prince wiped away the crust from the night's sleep from his eyes. The sight that presented itself was one he was not used to . A strange man with blonde hair and brown eyes stood with a tray of food and what seemed to be an envelope clutched in the other hand.

"Sire," the man said. "Breakfast."

"Where's Merlin?" Arthur asked almost immediately.

"He asked me to bring you your food. And this." He held out the tray, then the envelope.

The prince placed the plate on his lap, took a lazy bite of bread, and grabbed the paper. On the outside, his name was written clearly, if a bit swirly. On the inside a letter was waiting for him to read. He unfolded it and began to read. His appetite slowly ebbed away as he did.

Dear Prince Arthur,

You are right. I am just a servant, and an incompetent one at that. I should not have questioned the King. Please forgive me. I am worthless, or at least worth less than the word of King Sender. You spoke the truth when you said I could not do my job right. For that I apologize also.

You are right not to trust me.

I resign from the job of being your manservant. I should not have it when what I do best is nothing. That is true. I deeply regret you having to put up with my rude and idiotic behavior. You shall not have to deal with me again.

Goodbye, your highness.

Merlin

Arthur's hands trembled. No. No, this couldn't be true! Merlin couldn't be gone, not now! He shouldn't have said those things last night, no matter how mad he was at his manservant. Make that former manservant.

"Sire?" the man questioned. "Are you alright?"

"Leave me." Arthur was vaguely proud he had been able to keep his voice steady.

The man bowed and turned to leave.

"Wait," the prince called. The man faced him again. "What is your name?"

"John, sire."

"Thank you, John. You may leave." As John did just that, Arthur got up and quickly dressed. He had to go to Merlin and make it up to him.

After all, he didn't want to have to train a new servant, did he?

Did he?

Or was it for some other reason?

A/N- Hee! Was it good? Bad? Terrible? Not worth the time it took to read it?

I am continuing Mind Games, I just wanted to get this up and out there for when I am finished with it! Only a few chapters left in it. *sob* Course I may do a sequel… We'll see.

Hey Gwenny, did ya like it? Please let me know!

COLIN MORGAN IS AT MY HOUSE! Not really, but it got your attention, didn't it? :D Pretty please review, and you get… a cookie. No, a batch of cookies. No! As many cookies as you want! Is that enough to get you to review? :D

Luna out!

~L~