The Royal Drawers (Arthur)

[Merlin Emrys]

Bored, Merlin mooched around Arthur's chamber. He was waiting for the Prince to finish up in the training grounds, as he had already completed all of his chores for the day. That is until Arthur returned with scuffed armor and a horse that waited to unload a days worth of manure only after Merlin had mucked out the stables.

He sat down on the corner of Arthur's bed. Springy he thought to himself with a smile, then stood up and threw himself back down with a small jump so he bounced in the air. From this position Merlin caught sight of Arthur's wardrobe, a magnificent oak piece of furniture with drawers and brass handles. Leaving the dent of his buttocks imprinted in the bedsheets, Merlin strolled over to the wardrobe and threw the doors open.

"I'll just organise in here..." he called out loudly- for no-one's benefit as he was quite alone. He pulled out a magnificent red tunic with a matching cape, and held it in both arms infront of him. Without thinking twice, he slipped it over his head, fastening the heavy cape with a thick golden chain. It was loose on him, his scrawny chest was a lot smaller than Arthur's broad one, but Merlin didn't mind- he had spotted Arthur's gleaming crown. It was a plain circlet of gold, and he reached out for it like a naughty child. His head was a lot smaller than Arthur's as well, but luckily he was able to prop the loose crown on top of his ears. Merlin examined himself in the mirror. Not bad he thought with a grin.

He stepped back for a better view and pulled his princliest pose, then froze. Someone was standing in the doorway.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

Just what do you think you're doing exactly?!" Arthur asked. He had been standing in the doorway just out of Merlin's sight until he had taken that fateful step back. His arms were folded across his chest and he had that sarcastic glare upon his face, the one that he saved purely for Merlin's benefit.

He would have let the cloak slip, perhaps even the tunic...but his crown that was just taking liberties. He wandered over to his bed and leant on one fo the tall posts, arms still folded.

"You know Merlin, you never cease to amaze me," He sighed shaking his head. "You're a servant! I expect you to waiting at the stable to collect my horse, and yet here you are wearing my clothes!" He threw his arms up in despair and turned to sit on his bed. It was only then that he noticed the round pit where Merlin had thrown himself down.
"MERLIN!" Arthur thundered, swinging round to look at him, "Honestly, I just don't know what to do any more! Perhaps i should trade servants with my father..." The look on Merlin's face told Arthur his comment had hit its target.

"Come along, help me remove my armour, I need to make myself look beautiful for all the Ladies at court this evening!" He took off his own gloves, throwing them down on the dresser, and then held his arms out so that his breast plate could be unbuckled.

[Merlin Emrys]

Merlin jumped in shock as Arthur spoke from where he was leaning on the door frame; the crown slipped down so it was hanging diagonally across his face from one ear.
"...and yet here you are wearing my clothes!" Arthur berated as he walked into the room and Merlin hurriedly removed the crown and stammered a pathetic excuse.

"Well Arthur, it was just that your clothes looked so creased hanging there that i thought I should air them for you whilst you were..." His ramble was cut off with a loud cry of "MERLIN" when Arthur discovered his bedsheets in disarray.

"Ahh..." Merlin began, "Well I can explain that, I was just making the bed and then I fell... twice... facefirst...those indents are from my face." Of course Arthur didn't buy his feeble excuses, and Merlin audibly gulped when he threatened to swap with Uther. He was terrified of the King.

Merlin obediently unbuckled the Prince's armor, laughing at Arthur's next words:
"I need to make myself look beautiful for all the Ladies at court this evening."
"Arthur," he replied, undoing the armor with nimble fingers, "Not that you're not beautiful... but the ladies at court are hardly going to notice if you turned up dressed in an old sack and splattered in manure. Well, actually, they'll probably notice... but they wouldn't care. It's your title and money they're more interested in!"

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

"Your face?" Arthur repeated, sarcastically, one eyebrow raised as he looked from the boys face to the two imprints in his sheets. Sometimes Merlin really outdid himself.

His armour was nearly completely removed when Merlin replied, stating that the ladies weren't really interested in Arthur as a person. He span around, nearly knocking Merlin flying with a loose piece of armour that was half dangling from his shoulders.
"I'll have you know Merlin that I could score more ladies dressed as a...as a...tramp!...than you could a prince!" He smiled smugly at his servant and removed the last of his armour himself.

"Ladies like me for my...charm and intellectual wit. Not for my crown..."He trailed off, perhaps he wasn't so sure after all.

"Even if they did only like me for my money, I dont see you getting any attention from many long haired beauties? What happened to Gaius?" Arthur keeled over on his bed laughing at his own joke.

[Merlin Emrys]

Merlin jumped backwards as Arthur spun around with an indignant cry and almost decapitated him with a swinging piece of amour. His statement got Merlin thinking though, and a slow smile spread across his face. This was promptly wiped off hearing Arthur's following words:
I don't see you getting any attention from many long haired beauties? What happened to Gaius?
The Prince laughed loudly at his own joke, prompting Merlin to reply:

"Oh brilliant, with wit like that we're going to have to employ a bodyguard to stop all those infatuated ladies throwing themselves at your chamber doors..." he cupped a hand to his ear, as if listening for actual women to bang on the closed doors, then grinned when there was an expected silence.
"Oh that's right, they've formed an orderly queue outside Lancelot's chamber instead haven't they..." Merlin knew mentioning Lancelot would rile the Prince.

"Well, why don't we give your little theory a go then Arthur?" he continued, raising his eyebrows. "I'm wearing the clothes of a prince after all, and I'm sure we can find you something to wear as a tramp. Then we'll see who's more attractive to the ladies?"
As Arthur replied, Merlin furtled around in his cupboard, pulling out a small fur lined pouch which he turned inside out, then hooked the cord over his head. It fur stuck out as a make-shift beard.

"All ladies will swoon before Prince Merlindo of Pomelarania..." he grinned, and bowed sweepingly.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

"Bloody Lancelot.." Arthur moaned, going into a string of curse words that caused the tips of Merlin's ears to turn red. It was no easy task living side by side with someone like Lancelot, whom the ladies loved and everyone (including Uther) admired for his swordsmanship.

"Lancelot, Lancelot, Lancelot!" He mimicked in a high pitched voice, picking up a gauntlet and hurtling it across the room. "Argh!" He had had enough of that poncy haired buffoon. "I'll have you know that he only gets the women because he prances around like one of them!"

He laughed as he noticed Merlin, who had now attached a small furry purse to his chin, and surprisingly looked quite convincing. He hadn't heard much of what Merlin had been rattling on about over the last few minutes as he was far too busy ranting and raving about Lancelot, but now he heard the words clearly enough.

"'m sure we can find you something to wear as a tramp. Then we'll see who's more attractive to the ladies?"

Arthur stood up, he was not one to deny a challenge. "Alright Merlin, I'll place my self in your..um...trusty hands?" He held his arms out to show he was giving Merlin full control over his costume.
"Lets begin!"

[Merlin Emrys]

* * *

With Arthur's acceptance, Merlin quickly removed the royal attire so he could walk through the palace to Gaius' quarters. After they arrived he donned his outfit once more. They stood in Merlin's tiny bedroom, whilst he bent over a wicker basket of clothes, flinging discarded items over his shoulder.

"Nope too small... too small... too nice... " Merlin spun round as a little light bulb blinked into life. "I know!" he cried, leaving Arthur standing alone in his room for a few moments, then returned with the oldest and holiest (as in full of holes, not religious holy) of Gaius' drab brown tunics. This one was particularly moth-eaten and smelt rather dubious.

"Here we are." Merlin handed the tunic over to Arthur, a wide grin on his face. The tunic was floor length and almost dress like. But he knew Arthur would wear it, the Prince wouldn't back down from the challenge now...
"We need to disguise your face, any ideas?"

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

Nice? Thought Arthur, as Merlin flung a scratchy green tunic into his face, he lived in a completely different world. He looked around the tiny room when Merlin scurried off, apalled that somebody could live in such a tiny...cupboard!

"Merlin, you don't seriously expect me to wear this do you?" Said Arthur holding the brown sack up against himself. It reached the floor for Gaius, but for the prince -who was considerable taller- it didnt even reach his ankles.
"It smells like dung!" He screwed his nose up and attempted to hand the item back to Merlin, who ignored him completely. He sighed but accepted his fate and undressed, putting on the moth eaten tunic.

"My face? Isn't it fine as it is?" Arthur asked, rubbing his shaven cheeks and smiling proudly at his reflection in Merlin's tiny, dirty window. "I don't think there's really any need-"

[Merlin Emrys]

"It smells like dung!"

Merlin ignored Arthur's protests, too busy staring at his own reflection and scraping his hair into a dignified centre parting.
"I'll tell Gaius you said that!" he replied, as Arthur gave in and began changing. "Then maybe next time you're ill, you'll find that your medicine tastes like dung..."

When Arthur was fully dressed, Merlin turned back to him, his face creasing in an attempt not to laugh. He only half succeeded as a loud snort escaped, which he hastily tried to cover with a cough.

"Well... that's... just lovely Arthur." he looked down at Arthur's pale ankles that stuck out the bottom, and then back up at his face, thinking,
"It is fine yes, but recognisable that's the only thing. Do you really want your subjects to recognise you looking like this?" he stepped forwards and ruffled the Prince's hair vigorously, leaving it sprouting out at odd angles like he's been dragged through a hedge backwards.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

"Well no.." Arthur admitted. He wanted nothing less than for his subjects to see him in this state, and he was fast beginning to regret agreeing to Merlins hare-brained scheme in the first place.
"Well I dont think that messy hair is going to really hide my identity, do you?" Arthur snided, trying to be clever but instantly regretting the words as he saw the look on his servants face. Soon Arthur was wishing he had accepted the hair and be done with it, for now he looked even more of a fool.

"Merlin!" He yelled when the boy had finished his "make-over". He stared at his reflection and frowned- he looked utterly ridiculous! Still he had come this far and there was no sense in turning back and giving up- it wasn't in his nature.

"Come along!" He yelled, "To the Fools Arms!" The name couldn't have suited them better.

[OOC: i'll let you decide the rest of arthurs disguise!]