Multifandom One Shots (requests)

Empty (Merlin)

It was still early in the morning when I sat down on the stairs that led to the square. The sun was just beginning to rise, and it's golden rays cast a beautiful glow over the castle walls, almost as if the castle had a halo. The sky was turning into a beautiful shade of blue and I could tell it was going to be a beautiful day. I leaned back on my elbows and closed my eyes as I turned his face to the sun. I felt the corners of my mouth go up as I soaked in the warmth of the early morning.

I was quickly jerked from my relaxed state when one of the kitchen maids hurried past with a bundle of logs clutched in her arms. She disappeared into the kitchens and emerged barely half a minute later. Going to get more logs, I presumed. I sighed and picked up the tunic and the small bundle of sowing supplies I'd brought with me. I would have preferred to mend the bloody thing with magic, but I didn't want to take the risk. Someone might see me, and if that happened I would be more than screwed. Besides, I liked these rare moments of solitude and quiet, especially today.

The garment in my lap was Arthur's. It was one of his finer shirts, and I always thought Arthur looked rather good in it. Now, however, there was a huge tear at the back of it. Arthur had gotten caught on one of the nails in his door on his way to a council meeting and had ripped the shirt almost in half when he tried (and failed) to pull himself free. I had laughed at him and quickly helped him get dressed in a different shirt.

The sun continued to ride steadily and by the time I was done mending Arthur's shirt it was time for Arthur to wake up. I picked up Arthur's breakfast and headed for the King's chambers, the mended shirt slung over my shoulders.

Much to my surprise, Arthur was already awake and halfway dressed when I opened the door.

"Ah, Merlin, right on time. And you have my shirt too! Wonderful!" he exclaimed as he saw me enter the room. He grabbed the shirt from my shoulder and put it on.

"I was planning on going riding today. Do you have any problems with that?" Arthur asked as he sat down at his desk. I put down the tray with food in front of him and frowned.

"Since when do you care about that?" he asked, the frown not leaving my face. It was my birthday today, and I had hoped to spend the day with Gaius or Gwain, instead of attending to Arthur's every need on a riding trip. But I also knew that Arthur would force me to come along anyway, whether I wanted to or not. Perks of being the king's servant, I guess. I had also hoped he'd have remembered my birthday, but then again he could barely remember his own birthday. Luckily for him the court arranged tournaments and feasts for him, so he didn't really need to remember. So instead of arguing with him I shot him a smile.

"But if course I'll come along. I kind of have to, don't I?" I teased Arthur. He just smiled brightly and nodded, as if to say "you know it!". I shook my head and turned to leave the room. If Arthur wanted to go riding, he needed a meal and the horses saddled and ready to go. But before I could leave, Arthur stopped me.

"Where are you going? Everything is already prepared." he said. I just stared at him dumbfoundedly.

"Isn't that my job?"

Arthur shrugged and went back to eating his breakfast. I glanced outside the window and sure enough, down in the square I could see our horses. They were already saddled and packed with various kinds of food.

We were on our way barely half an hour later. I had no idea where we were going, but Arther led his horse down a path in the forest with his usual confidence. After a while the path opened up to a small clearing. Arthur held up his hand and dismounted. I followed his example and started setting out the food on the ground as Arthur tied the horses to a nearby tree. It was midday now, and the sun was at it's highest. It shone down through the canopy of green above our heads, casting a strange green and golden light on the clearing.