Gwaine turned sharp eyes to him. “Ay, you heard me right. Magic. You aren’t going to burn him now, are you?” It wasn’t really a question. Arthur felt the tension of the room change, and saw Lancelot shift subtly –towards Gwaine. And, in a moment of sudden clarity, Arthur had no doubt that even if he wanted to harm Merlin, he would be dead before he even got to his door. He couldn’t help but wonder how Merlin had gained such loyalty –then he wondered how much of their loyalty to him is because of his manservant. He found… he didn’t really care. He was lucky to have these men, and hadn’t Merlin been their first common ground? Hadn’t he been the one to link peasants and a Prince, to forge that bridge of tentative friendship? Merlin deserved all their loyalty, and more.
The Easy Things by latenightchai