Room 303, Tuesday Morning

[bitchprince]

Finding his manservant locked in the cupboard and screaming yesterday had not been Arthur's idea of a good time. He wanted some answers, and he'd let Merlin out the window for the time being to get them.

He sat down on his bed, and eyed his roommate's side of the room.

If this whole thing was what he feared it was, he and Leto were going to have to talk about boundaries.

[[ for the roomie, but anyone else is free to come in afterwards! door is closed ]]

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[future_sandworm]

It didn't take Leto many seconds after he entered the room to notice that Arthur wasn't in a particularly good mood. Since this was not unusual, Leto just ignored it.

"Good morning." He placed the cup of spiced coffee he had brought with him on his desk.

[bitchprince]

"Leto," he greeted. He lifted his chin and considered him. "I found Merlin locked in the cupboard yesterday." Made a bit of a racket, he almost said, but joking wouldn't contribute to this discussion.

[future_sandworm]

"You did?" Leto said neutrally. "Perhaps eating my notebooks does that to... birds." He sat down by the desk and began leafing through one of the piles.

[bitchprince]

"My manservant ate your notebooks," Arthur echoed, with a faint but noticable emphasis on my, "So you chose to lock him in the cupboard." He hadn't been sure, but Leto's answer made things fairly obvious.

Still, Leto still had space to deny it.

[future_sandworm]

"Yes. And he made those annoying noises even after I told him to be quiet." Leto looked at Arthur. "This is my room too, you know."

[bitchprince]

"It may be your room, Leto," he said, sharply, "But he is my manservant, not yours. Tell me, did it even cross your mind to come to me before you decided to punish him?"

[future_sandworm]

"If you had been here, I would," Leto replied. "You were not, and I didn't have the time to go and find you." He muttered something inaudible. "I do not take kindly to having my personal belongings damaged."

[bitchprince]

"And I don't take kindly to you punishing my manservant," Arthur replied, eyes flashing. "If you have a problem, show the courtesy of taking it to me and I'll make sure appropriate measures are taken." Pause. "I apologise for the damage done to your belongings."

[future_sandworm]

Leto shot him a glare. "And what would you have done? Called him an idiot? He may be your manservant, but I don't see why he has to live in this room just because he managed to turn himself into a bird!"

[bitchprince]

"An issue you could have taken up with me prior to all of this," Arthur pointed out. He found himself growing annoyed, in much the way some of the younger knights sometimes annoyed him. "Rather than choosing to tell me about it after the fact. As I've said, appropriate measures would have been taken, and I can assure you insults are hardly what I'd consider appropriate."

He'd grown more distant, pulling himself up into a clear picture of authority without conscious effort. "My actions are partly responsible for his transformation," he continued, "I wasn't about to leave him in the cold. If that's been an inconvenience, I am responsible, and I am sorry, but it gives you no right to lay a hand on him."

[future_sandworm]

"I tried to be patient," Leto replied, sighing and leaning back in the chair. "But frankly, your manservant seems to dislike me and appearantly being a bird he seems to think he can get away with expressing it." He paused, added: "I may have acted rashly, but it was not meant as an insult to you."

[bitchprince]

"Then you should have told me," Arthur said, allowing some of the ice to slip back out of his bearing and vanish. "He and I will have words."

A pause. He sat back, himself.

"But if this happens again, I may have to ask your sister's assistance in helping me stuff you into the same cupboard. No offense."

[future_sandworm]

Leto was unable to hold back a laugh. He shook his head, wondering what Ghani would say to that. "I promise I will not lock Merlin in a cupboard again," he said.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin returned from his rather forced trip into the outdoors with a dead rabbit. One that he fully intended to eat and--ugh. His stomach would churn later over it.

But for now... mmmm.

[bitchprince]

"Merlin. Sit down."

And that's when Arthur actually looked up.

"It seems you're a better hunter as a bird than you are as a man," he said, "I'm almost impressed."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin gave him a look for the sitting comment. Bird. Helloooo?

But he did manage to fly rather gracefully over to the bed and relinquish the hold on the rabbit. He could eat it later...

[bitchprince]

Better get down to business.

"Tell me, Merlin," he said, "Why did Lord Leto stuff you in a cupboard yesterday?"

No, he didn't expect a verbal answer.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin was slowly becoming of the thought that perhaps Arthur thought himself a mind reader. It was possible, after all.

Maybe that Druid boy taught him in the half an hour they were alone.

...right.

Merlin just squawked at him.

[bitchprince]

"Don't do it again," Arthur told him, "I'll find a more appropriate punishment for you once you're back to your normal form."

... He hoped Merlin would be. Now he was digging around to find his falconry glove.

"Taunting royalty's a hobby of yours, isn't it?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin just made a quiet noise, ducking his head in understanding. Even if he did think a cupboard wasn't exactly the proper punishment of anyone. And had plans to get that royal wanker back as soon as he was human again. He deserved something, even if Arthur wasn't going to do anything.

[bitchprince]

"Merlin," he started, considering him, "Has Lord Leto attempted to punish you before?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin cocked his head to the side before very pointedly looking at the cupboard. Like that?

[bitchprince]

Arthur pursed his lips. "Tell me," he said.

Then paused.

"...or flap your wings."

Listen, Merlin was a bird, this took some getting used to.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Most things with Leto weren't exactly something he could share with Arthur, so...

Merlin shook his head, feathers ruffling a bit.

[bitchprince]

Arthur nodded. He glanced aside, then back at Merlin. "It's not in his rights to punish you," he said, "If he tries that again, you should come to me."