Hello! It's Catherine here from the "fortheloveofcamelot" trio!
Here is a one-shot I wrote on the hottest day of the year a few days ago. It was extremely roasting -and for Scotland, that's something- and I was sat out in my garden and I wrote this for funzies. I also haven't told the other two that I have written this, so I am the only one who has read it. Maybe I won't mention it and see how long it takes them to notice. ;)
Anywhoos, this is a pure friendship story that I thought was just quite... happy I guess. Oh, post season 3, but no spoilers (But who hasn't seen season 3 yet? Pfft.)
Enjoy!

For a while, the two figures sat side by side, neither saying a word. It was a glorious summer day, the sun stretching its fingers and engulfing the entire kingdom in a soft warm glow. There were no clouds in the sky that day, but a gentle cool breeze flitted their way, helpfully drying the soaking wet hair plastered to each of their foreheads. Merlin leaned back onto his elbows, casting his gaze upward and closing his eyes lazily, soaking in the soothing heat. Beside him, Arthur watched his servant out of the corner of his eye, a small smile barely visible, before casting his gaze back to the lake on whose bank they were now resting.

Eventually, Merlin cracked one eye open, half expecting the Prince to be asleep, for the warm weather couldn't help but make even the most attentive man drowsy. Instead however, he caught sight of Arthur sitting tensely, staring intently into the serene water.

"What's wrong?" he mumbled, letting his eyes close once more.

"Nothing," Arthur retorted absently, his eyes continuously following the shimmer resting on the lake.

"It's a beautiful day, you've just been out hunting and you almost drowned me in that lake. So, all in all, it has been a perfect morning for you. And yet you've got your…" He frowned for a moment, searching for the right word. "... Pensive face on."

"My pensive face?"

"Yup."

"I didn't know I had a pensive face."

"Well, Arthur," Merlin murmured, his eyes still blissfully closed, "There's a lot of things you don't know."

And with that the pair lapsed once more into silence.

As Merlin lay there, he heard the sharp, high shrieking of a bird to his left. A Merlin, he thought proudly. His namesake - the small, deadly bird so common around these areas. Even Arthur had a pet hawk for hunting, to which he gleefully dubbed, "Smart Merlin", much to the chagrin of the manservant himself.

"It's just…" Arthur blurted suddenly, interrupting Merlin's thoughts. Eyes still closed, he tilted his head slightly to one side to show that, despite appearing asleep, he was actually listening. "I'm not going to get to do much of this anymore."

Merlin slowly peeled his eyelids open at Arthur's hesitant tone. "Much of what?"

"Much of…" Arthur paused, squinting his eyes up to look towards the sun. "Just doing nothing."

"But that's all you ever do," Merlin joked with a sly smile, sitting up slowly and stretching his heavy arms.

"I'm being serious," Arthur replied, and Merlin thought he could almost detect a hint of sadness in the Prince's voice. Despite all their jibes and jokes between the pair, he knew exactly what the Prince was trying to convey.

"You mean when you are King."

Arthur nodded slowly and opened his mouth to speak, faltering for a moment as if unsure whether to speak. "I… sometimes wish that I wasn't a Prince. That I was just normal, like you."

Smiling weakly, Merlin shook his head. "You don't want to be me. Believe me, Arthur, I'm anything but normal."

"You don't know what it's like," Arthur retorted, "to know that it is your duty to protect other people."

"No, I don't suppose I do."

Arthur suddenly turned to look at him, and for a moment Merlin detected a vulnerability to the Prince that he had very rarely seen before. "I know my Father is a great man, and ruler, but sometimes… some of his decisions… Just…" He trailed off desperately.

Merlin decided enough was enough. Time to lay out a good old dose of Merlin advice.

"Listen, Arthur, because I am about to be wise, and you always seem surprised, but here you have it. One day, when you are King, I know that you will be greater than your Father ever was. You will change things for the better, Arthur. For the better," he repeated firmly when Arthur tried to interject. "I hold faith in the Camelot you will bring, but don't let anyone try to convince you to do anything but follow what you know to be the just and fair."

There was a pause after his words, broken only by the happy chattering of birds.

"You know, it is really unnerving when you do that."

"Do what?" Merlin asked, indignant.

Arthur grinned. "Act smart."

"Oh, hah hah," Merlin commentated dryly as Arthur shoved him playfully.

Somewhere, to the left, a deer jumped cautiously out of the tree line, creeping towards the water's edge for a drink. They had been sat there for so long, Merlin realised, that the deer no longer saw them as a threat. Wary, he snuck a brief glance towards Arthur, but the Prince didn't seem to be in the mood for hunting anymore, and was curiously watching the deer with what he could only describe as a whimsical expression.

"What about Gwen?" Arthur wondered aloud, his eyes still trained on the animal.

"Well, I have a funny feeling you two are destined to be together."

"You can't escape destiny."

"No, you cannot," Merlin readily agreed, unable to keep the knowing smile of his face. Arthur may think that Merlin's role was simple, but the young warlock knew the truth, and he knew how invested he was in the Prince's future. How tightly they were entwined. But Merlin also knew what the Prince was saying was true – that these near halcyon days were rapidly drawing to a close.

"And magic?" Merlin asked the question cautiously, apprehensively. How much rested on the answer was something that Arthur might never understand.

The Prince seemed to sense the seriousness of Merlin's question, and turned to look intently at him. Merlin's gaze was fixed carefully ahead, but his tense features betrayed his emotions. That boy is a strange one, Arthur thought to himself.

"Perhaps," Arthur began, "one day, the time may come to rethink the kingdom's position on magic."

Merlin's heart almost jumped a beat, and he turned to meet Arthur's gaze, fighting to hide his triumphant expression. "One day?"

"One day," the Prince repeated, smiling.

"Well," Merlin began cheerfully, stretching his limbs and unintentionally scaring the young doe away, "if were theorising about a day to come that is of now not yet defined, who knows what's going to happen one day."

"I will rule the whole of Albion!" Arthur joked theatrically.

"And me - the wisest in all the land!" Merlin cried with exuberance.

"Gwaine will be the most courteous knight to have ever lived!" Arthur shouted, standing up with a large grin.

"Gwen will marry you, and then run off when she realises what a prat you truly are!"

"You will become the most famed sorcerer in history," Arthur laughed. "People will forever remember your name!"

Merlin grinned weakly, but put it behind him and burst into new gusto. "And one day, we will be great friends, allies and equals!"

Arthur stopped, turning to look at Merlin with his eyebrows raised. "Right, you're going in the lake for that."

Merlin took one quick step back, hands up. "What? Why?"

"That," Arthur said, advancing on Merlin menacingly, "was the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard."

"But…"

"Nope," the Prince interrupted, "the lake for you."

"Arthur, don't you dare-"

But he was spitting out water before he could finish the sentence. One day, he thought, watching Arthur hooting with laughter on the riverbank, one day soon, Arthur's going to find out what it's like to meet a pond face first.

Yet as Arthur glanced away to avoid the spray of water droplets flying from his servant, he suddenly felt an unseen force push him forward, and without a chance to save himself, he crashed noisily into the lake.

Merlin's eyes turned back to blue and his guffawing filled the air. He was never one to have much patience, and who knows, one day could be a long way away.

There you have it! Fun times. Sir Gawain (Gwaine) is actually supposed to be the most polite knight(Hey, that rhymed!) of them all. Crazy cat he is.

Emm.. yeah, okay. Hope you liked it! Feel free to review and that would make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Yay!

Thank you muchly. Till next time!