I've been tossing around the idea of a Merthur fic where Merlin doesn't become Arthur's manservent and instead is just Gaius's assistant as the court physician.
So Merlin is still around, collecting herbs and delivering tonics and the like to people in the castle, one of whom is occasionally Arthur.
Arthur doesn't think much of him at first.
The few times they've interacted Merlin said barely more than a few words and then promptly left once Arthur dismissed him.
Then Gwen and Morgana both mention the "cute assistant" to Arthur casually during conversation, but it's quickly forgotten as the conversation continued.
And then he starts hearing the knights talk about him. Some funny joke he told, or how he schooled them in a game of dice.
Really, the only person who doesn't have some anecdote about the boy is the cook, who seems to vehemently despise him. (He may have stolen a snack or two, who can say?)
And he gets curious, can you blame him?
So one day, during training, he insists he hurt his shoulder and was going to go to the physician's chamber since it's nearer the training ground than his room. But of course he wants to see this physician's assistant that has everyone charmed.
As luck would have it, Gaius is out treating someone at the time, so Merlin happens to be there, grinding herbs for a poultice when Arthur stops in.
And of course he treats the prince, can't exactly turn him away. He offers to apply a salve to his shoulder, which Arthur says yes to, and then subsequently whines the whole time because Merlin's boney fingers are making his aches worse. "I don't think Gaius will ever be able to retire if these are the hands he intends to leave us in."
Merlin rolls his eyes and digs a little harder just to spite him. "Well I suppose I'm just not used to dealing with wounds this serious. We may have to amputate the arm, sire, I'm not sure it can be saved. But don't worry, I'm very handy with a saw."
"And how about with a sword?"
"Hold it with the pointy end facing out."
"Well being a knight is hardly an intellectual pursuit."
Arthur levels him with a look. "I'm a knight."
Merlin sort of looks Arthur up and down. "Hm."
And okay Arthur isn't used to being picked at, usually no one would dare talk to him like that...but he likes it, even if he can't admit it. Enough so that he starts finding reasons to come to the physician's chambers just to have a little conversation with this odd man who seems to have no respect for his status.
One day he claimed his head felt like it was splitting in two. Another time he said he couldnt hear out of his left ear. Arthur even went so far as to have a "hunting accident" where he was nearly gored by a boar. (Merlin asked and the knights all say they saw no boar, but no one dared to call him out on it.)
And sometimes he claims to have trouble sleeping just so that Merlin will have to deliver a tonic late at night. Always the last delivery of the day, so that Merlin can stay for a few minutes and exchange wit with the prince.
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