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Does he think me blind as well as an idiot?
It was a valid thing to wonder. After all, there had been three times in this past fortnight poor George has witnessed the King’s manservant use magic to do his chores. Meaning, there had been three times so far that George has had to pretend he didn’t see the King’s manservant use magic to do his chores. George did not like playing the fool. For Merlin, though, stupid, insolent…lovable, friendly, kind-hearted, Merlin… Well, George was sure just about anyone would.
He found it quite startling, though, if he were to be most honest, that no one else has seemed to have caught on yet. Unless they were as good as playing ignorant as he, which George—having been trained in the ways of discretion since he was a babe—sincerely doubted. He wasn’t intending to be… Boastful, or arrogant. Do not get him wrong! He simply has been taught from the earliest age, the necessity of subtlety when it came to affairs of the court. So, when armor dropped from air to floor, and eyes flashed golden from blue, George merely played his role as the oblivious, dedicated servant. After all, to betray another servant—dare he say, a friend—over something that was causing no harm, especially when ratting said servant would only cause more trouble for himself (oh, how many would have his head!), would just be wrong.
George found himself cringing involuntarily at his own treasonous thoughts. He was forever loyal to the king, of course! Merlin had grown on him, though, and everyone knew of his strange relationship with the King. He understood coming forward with Merlin’s secret would only cause pain and heartache, and his loyalty for the crown ran so deep that he refused to let himself be the reason his monarch felt distress. Yes, that was it, surely. That was the reason he would never let the secret slip.
Not just because he felt a small amount of fondness for the other servant, the sorcerer. Not just because Merlin treated him kindly (when he wasn’t being replaced by him), and therefore George felt a strange pull of loyalty and protectiveness to him. Definitely not because Merlin had become a friend over the years and he would do whatever he could to keep him out of harm’s way. No, of course not. It was purely self-preservation (really, the whole citadel would riot if Merlin hurt), and such strong loyalty to the crown that made him wish to never see the King in pain. Definitely. That didn’t sound like a flimsy excuse at all!
George nodded to empty air with a huff, silently agreeing with himself as he approached the King’s chambers to inform him of his presence being requested on the training grounds by a young knight he had been serving. He stopped outside the doors to King Arthur’s chambers, before raising his hand to knock. He hesitated when he heard the voice of the King inside, though.
“I’m lifting the ban on magic, Merlin.” He heard the King say, sounding rather exasperated if George didn’t know any better. The words made him pause, shocked and glancing around the corridor as he stood outside the doors to King Arthur’s chambers. He knew eavesdropping was wrong, improper even, especially when it is your king you are listening in on but… Well, he’s had a bad influence these past years and even an angel could give into temptation, right? He glanced around once more, before pressing his ear carefully to the door when he saw no one in sight.
“Arthur—you can’t be…Why?” Merlin’s voice questioned faintly from past the door. He sounded so surprised, so startled, George noticed. It made sense for him to seem so wary, he thought, after living here for years thinking the King hated his kind. Though, George still thought he would have sounded a bit happier, not as though he would… Cry... He ignored the frown that found its way onto his face at the thought of the always-cheery servant in tears. He couldn’t help but be curious for an answer himself, though, and so he pressed closer to the door, straining his ears to hear more.
“…an’t I? I want to lift the ban, and as king, I will. I will because…” George caught himself holding his breath as the King paused, his eyes wide in anticipation. They only widened further when Arthur found his voice again. “I want you to know you’re safe here. Your life is not a crime.”
Dear gods above and below—! “You…You know?!” Merlin took the words right out of George’s thoughts! George came back from his shock just in time to hear the King scoff from inside the room.
“Of course, I knew, you absolute idiot! You’re not exactly subtle.” Oh, well, yes, he wasn’t wrong.
“You don’t hate me?” George frowned. Merlin sounded so quiet, so surprised, it almost physically hurt. How could anyone hate that clumsy fool? Apparently, the King wondered the same thing. George snapped out of his thoughts just to hear the end of his reply.
“…could I ever hate the man I love?” And, oh. Suddenly, George felt as if he were intruding on a private moment. As though it was totally proper for him to have heard the rest of their chat, but confessions of love were too personal. The words seemed to snap him out of his invasive ways, and he took a step back from the door.
He took a few moments to compose himself back to the ever-proper servant he was known to be, then stepped back up to the doors and knocked loudly to ensure they both heard. He clasped his hands behind his back and stood up straight after, waiting patiently to hear—
“Enter.”
George was smart enough to ignore the way the word sounded more gasped than said. He made his way inside, and to in front of the desk where King Arthur sat with Merlin standing at his side. Both looked flustered, and startled, with their faces painted pale red. It didn’t take a genius to understand what they had been doing moments before, especially not with George’s inside knowledge. The servant didn’t comment, though, on any of it. Instead, he did as he always does, and played the ignorant fool. And when Arthur cleared his throat and asked,
“Is there something you need, George?”
He simply bowed in respect and replied, “Sir Gwythyr has requested your presence in the training grounds, Sire, there has been a dispute between the knights.”
After all, George been trained in the ways of discretion since the earliest age. So, when two weeks later the King announced his intentions to lift the ban with his newly declared lover by his side, he feigned the same surprise as everyone else and most definitely did not sneak a chat with the laundresses that evening about how damn long it took them.