Author's notes: finally got around to re-reading this and correcting my silly 4 am spelling mistakes.

It would be amazing if you'd still leave me your thoughts on this ;)

Thank you.

Love,

Emy

Merlin stood on his tippy-toes to reach above Arthur's closet and get his helmet. What had possessed Arthur to put it there in the first place he had no idea, but, as he stretched out he forgot to keep his shirt down. Merlin only realized his mistake when he heard Arthur gasp. The sound made Merlin close his eyes, sigh in defeat and bang his forehead lightly on the wood in front of him.

"Merlin!" Arthur gasped out loud in surprise. "What is THAT?" He asked as he shamelessly stepped behind his manservant and pulled up his raggy red shirt to have a better look at the drawing that had caught his eye.

It was exquisite. The drawing. It depicted a dragon - wings spread out and fire blasting from his open mouth. Th crest of the Pendragon family, Arthur realized without even having to see it completely, as almost half of it was hidden from his view by Merlin's ugly brown breeches. The dragon's wings adorned Merlin's hips almost from one side to the other and the fire it breathed out was spreading up on Merlin's bony spine.

Arthur unconsciously licked his lips, mesmerized by the beautiful contrast the black dragon was making against Merlin's perfect marble skin. He brushed the tips of his fingers over the contours of the dragon's right wing and Merlin jumped turning around like a whip lash, eyes big and wide and oh so blue, his lips just a little parted, looking positively tempting and appetizing.

"I c-c-can explain..." Merlin swallowed hard trying to control his nerves and not go into panic mode.

Arthur forced himself to fold his arms over his heavy chain mil and coerced his features into a frown as he took a step back. "Then explain..." He bit out, his voice faltering only slightly. Merlin was too terrified to hear it though. He nodded slowly and swallow down thickly. Arthur's eyes were drawn to the movement of Merlin's Adam's apple as he swallowed. He fought with every last ounce of self control to keep his arms folded and raised a small but fervent prayed to the gods that he was wearing his long, heavy chain-mil to hide the treachery in his own body.

"Last week..." Merlin began."You remember last week?" Merlin let out a nervous laugh. "Of course you remember last week. It wasn't that long ago." Another nervous laugh and a gulp. "So, last week I went to Ealdor..."

"I know that, you idiot." Arthur said sarcastically hoping that his "prattish" attitude would help Merlin calm down.

"W-w-well... emm... on-on-on my way b-back to C-Camelot..." Merlin stuttered shying his eyes away from the prince's. "I... emm... met s-s-some d-druids a-and..."

"They did that to you." Arthur finished for him with an honest scowl.

"NO!" Merlin replied quickly causing Arthur to bulge his eyes out. "I mean yes. But no. I mean they kinda did it but..."

"It's magic, isn't it?" Arthur asked seeing how Merlin was having trouble finding his words again.

"Y-y-yes?" Merlin asked more than stated. "I... They... and... but... I mean..." Merlin sighed heavily and let his head fall completely to his chest. "It was a ritual... They branded me, basically..."

"Like a cow?" Arthur asked half amused. Merlin's head shot up, a blush on his cheeks, outrage blazing in his eyes.

"You could've, at least, call me a bull..."

Arthur had to swallow back a giggle at Merlin's thinking. However, his mask remained unchanged as seeing Merlin squirm had long ago become one of his favorite pass-times. When he saw no reply from his prince, Merlin decided to finish his story.

"It was a ritual where they branded me with the crest of... of..."

"The Pendragons." Arthur finished for him and Merlin paled instantly. "Our true crest. Not the one that we've simplified for Camelot's flags." Merlin gulped and paled even further, his skin turning positively translucent. "The crest no one knows but the members of my family." Arthur said again. "So, now, my question is MERlin - HOW did the druids know to brand you with MY family's true crest?"

Merlin gulped again and paled so much that his skin began taking a slight shade of purple. "They didn't." He whispered.

"Clearly they did." Arthur said grabbing Merlin's arm and spinning him around to raise his ragged shirt once again and openly study the intricate dragon on his lower back. Merlin tried to squirm way but Arthur's grip on him was too tight, so, he finally gave up, placing himself in the hands of destiny.

Arthur pulled Merlin's hips back and Merlin obeyed staying in a position that would allow his shirt to stay up without being held. He bit his lip painfully when Arthur's fingers brushed against his skin as the prince gripped his breeches and pulled them down slightly to uncover the lower half of the dragon.

"Just as I suspected." Arthur let out one hand holding Merlin's arm to keep him from moving, the other holding the waistband of his breeches low enough to see it all. "Perfect rendition."

Merlin almost keened at the feeling of being manhandled by Arthur in real life - as opposed to just his dreams. He bit down on his own lip until he tasted blood.

"How did they know, MERlin?"

"They didn't." Arthur made an annoyed noise and Merlin almost saw his you're-an-idiot-merlin expression, even though his back was turned to the prince. "I didn't even know."

"Then how?"

Merlin sighed heavily. "They put me through a ritual that branded me with the family crest of my heart's one true love." Merlin whispered. Arthur let go of him with a small "oh".

"You're in love..." Arthur whispered, his heart racing like a maniac when Merlin simply nodded before resting his head against the rose wood of the closet in front of him. Arthur stomped on his hopes, though, realizing his dreams were not meant to be. Bu having Merlin branded with his crest felt good none the less. "Morgana will never love you back, you know that, right?" Arthur said, almost compassionately, failing to listen to his heart and add "not the way I do."

Merlin turned suddenly. He'd feared Arthur would catch on to his feelings, but, instead, the prat had found the only way NOT to do so. Surprise washed over him and his brain lost control of his mouth and before he even knew it he damage was done. "Morgana? I DON'T love Morgana."

Merlin's voice was filled with honesty and Arthur's heart began racing again, hope growing once more in his chest.

"You don't?"

"I don't."

"But the Pendragon crest..."

Merlin rolled his eyes and moved to the side trying to get past the prince. Before he knew it, though, he was slammed back against the closet door, Arthur's lips crashing hungerly down on his own. Merlin gasped for a split second before his body caught on to what was happening. His eyes drifted shut, his hands fisted in Arthur's soft golden hair and his lips began moving gently against Arthur's.

When air became a necessity for the both of them, Arthur pulled back with a happy grin on his face. He'd never felt happier in his life.

"Unless you're in love with my Father." He said to Merlin playfully as he muzzled his manservant's nose with his own.

Merlin gasped and raised his left hand ever so slightly to gently slap Arthur's chest but his movement remained unfinished as Arthur hissed in pain out of he blue.

"What the fuck?" Arthur lashed out. "It burns. My back burns!" He bellowed out running to his full length mirror, turning his back to it and raising his chain mil and tunic up. The red outlines of his family's crest were fading into black on his lower back. Arthur gawked as Merlin hugged him and rested his chin on the prince's shoulder, a stupid grin on his face.

"Now we match." Merlin whispered.

Nothing could have compared with the glow of Arthur's smile.