As the days continued, the men noticed Merlin more and more, more so than usual anyway.
How sometimes, when he believed no one was looking, his smile would fall and his eyes would age, his graces would appear.
Whether it be as simple as turning at the correct moment to avoid a violent interaction with another person to gracefully leaving the saddling of his horse, they hadn't seen it before but they saw it now.
They'd all agreed, Arthur and his men, to avoid bringing the evidence to Merlins light for they feared that if they did, he would continue to hide it, always watching and never allowing the grace and wisdom that was truly Merlin to bleed through his foolish facade, the facade he refused to drop when around the knights of Camelot. They all had a sinking, slinky feeling that Gwaine, as well as the visiting knights knew something about Merlin they they did not, and while he would never admit it, Arthur was hurt by the thought.

Merlin is my best friend and I didn't see any of this until now.

Though Arthur loathed to admit it, he'd been rude and harsh to Merlin since discovering the facade. Snapping at Merlin for his "clumsiness", yelling when chores weren't completed on time, other things in that range and every time a cruel and harsh word left his lips, he felt guilt coil and claw at his insides whenever that look, a look of hurt and confusion but mainly hurt crossed Merlin's face. Though Arthur always saw it, it hurt him even more knowing that seconds after that hurt look crossed, it was replaced by a care free mask and a half hearted retort before Merlin would leave, not to be seen until either later that day, much later or even until the next morning. It hurt Arthur more, to see Merlin in the halls, laughing and smiling, talking with then visiting Knights and even Gwaine, but not him, never him.

'What have you ever done to show your friendship to him?' A sneaky voice in the back of his head hissed as he walked around the hall, only to see Merlin speaking with and laughing with Gwaine and Kyler. 'You say he's your best friend, but you've never shown that you care, never shown that he's your friend, never shown that you DESERVE to call him your friend, lonely little King.'

Arthur had returned to his chambers as the thoughts danced in his minds eye, he felt sick to his stomach. He sat, poured himself a goblet of wine and thought, thought and thought of the conversations to come between Merlin and himself.
Another sigh and a rough whisper, spoken by a broken-and-worry hearted, a worry-minded King and a confused friend,

"Oh Merlin. What aren't you telling me?"

Sorry for the short chapter and the delays lovelies, writers block and excessive work to do about, I'll try to get better with my updating! More to come and I promise longer chapters!