Under The Influence

The Prince At The Bar

Merlin followed Arthur and his knights into the bar, cowering slightly as to not be seen. Alas, the cower was not enough because when Merlin entered the dim lighting of the bar, the bartender and a man at the counter exclaimed for him,

"Merlin!"

"Well wouldya' look at that, not alone today areya'?"

Merlin gave a sheepish smile to the both of them and raised his hand to wave. Arthur stood, just to the right of him, in a sort of shock, his lips curled into a smirk,

"You really do come here a lot, don't you?"

Merlin's face turned a sort of beet red and he stammered,

"Well- no- it's not- I know them-"

"Merlin," Arthur laughed from his gut and patted his shoulder, "Merlin, I'm joking. God you'd think with how often you're here, you'd loosen up."

Merlin scoffed. He didn't know the half of it. Arthur's hand lingered on Merlin's shoulder, grasping it gently. Merlin was getting more and more nervous by the second. He weaseled out of the gentle, warm, hold Arthur had on him and walked over to the bar. By this point, the knights had started mingling; Lion was flirting with a short Brunette girl across the bar, Percival was wandering around the bar looking for Gwaine, and Lancelot had already found a group of "common" folk that he was having a laugh with. Merlin took a seat at the bar and the bartender, who was a slightly bigger, older woman poured a glass of mead and set it in front of him.

"Ever'thing alright love?"

Merlin didn't get a chance to answer before Arthur took the seat right next to him. Arthur on his right, and the regular drunk on his left. It was claustrophobic. The sweet bartender bowed her head slightly at Arthur when he sat. He held his hand up and her face drained to a pale color,

"Formalities aren't necessary tonight. I'm just here to enjoy a drink or two"

She breathed out shakily and nodded her head, putting another glass of mead in front of Merlin. The young prince's eyes widened and he looked to the counter in front of his servant. There sat an almost empty glass of mead.

"Merlin," he started, "Did you just drink that entire glass?"

The brunette boy hit him on the shoulder,

"Shut up"

[Sorry for the shorter chapters, I'm struggling with finishing the next, biggest chapter. Idk where to go with it currently]