"There is no way Merlin is screwing the Prince of Camelot." Gawain chortled in adamant disbelief, his eyes darting around the group as he sloshed his ale carelessly. "I mean, for starters - he's Merlin - and he's just a servant. A male servant too... though honestly I wouldn't be surprised if he was that way inclined," he smirked and paused to shake his head firmly, "not to mention the fact that Arthur - heir to the throne - would be disowned and possibly run-through by Uther himself if it was discovered."

Lancelot raised an eyebrow and leaned towards the fire, the dancing flames flickering in his eyes as he studied his fellow knight. "I think screwing is a bit hasty, but to be entirely honest, Gawain, the fact that you didn't figure it out yourself is more shocking than finding out that they're-" he hesitated, searching for the right words to describe the unruly pair, "-more than friends."

At this, Gawain's boyish grin faded, and he looked around the group, mounting realization dawning in his eyes as he took in his friend's expressions before him.

"Wait - don't tell me that I'm the only one who hadn't caught on?"

Leon sighed heavily and nodded, his curls bobbing lightly over his tired eyes as he poked the fire, sending up a shower of sparks which illuminated the men's faces.

"We all had our suspicions, at the very least. Only a fool could miss the way they look at each other, especially when he knows them as well as we do."

Gawain stiffened and turned to Percival beside him.

"What about you, big guy? Don't tell me you saw it too?""

The knight shrugged uncomfortably, his armour clinking as he shifted his body.

"I don't know. I mean, I knew they were great friends, - more than friends, perhaps - but I never would've thought that they were actually..." He trailed off, scuffing his boots through the earth to draw his attention away from the discussion.

For the first time that evening, Elyan spoke up. "If anyone were to find out, Merlin would be hung for his crimes and Arthur would probably be banished, or else forced to abdicate," The rest of the men nodded in melancholy agreement, "so that means no one can find out."

There was a moment of silence, which none of the knights dared fill. The fire crackled and the trees whispered - who knew what they were saying, perhaps it was the unforeseeable news of the Prince intertwined with his lover - as the moon rose higher into the sky above the five men and their camp. Of course they had a duty to their king, and were devotedly loyal to him - not only as knights, but also as steadfast friends - but to keep a secret like that...

Two days ago the knights had left Camelot, each pair heading in a different direction to attempt to gather news of the witch, Morgana. Leon and Gawain, Percival and Elyan, Lancelot and Arthur - along with Merlin, of course - had agreed to meet at a pre-arranged spot after two days of searching to share information and plan their next move, regarding what they had learned.

However, no farther than an hour's ride from Camelot's walls, Arthur's troop had been ambushed by bandits - nothing they couldn't have handled, had the young Prince not taken an arrow to the leg - meaning they had no choice but to flee. Anxious that the wound might become infected, Lancelot had insisted that Merlin and Arthur return to Camelot immediately - much to Arthur's objections. However, Merlin and Lancelot eventually managed to convince him, stating that the last thing the kingdom needed was a feverish Prince and no other heir to take over the throne.

This left Lancelot alone to finish the quest and report the news back to his fellow warriors.

The following day, the knights regrouped as planned, eager to hear one another's news - but were left feeling hopeless and forlorn when they realised that not one search had been successful; and that their Prince had been injured. Morals were low without Merlin and Arthur to cheer the men on as they set up camp and lit a fire.

Later, as the sun set and the stars emerged like prying eyes - and after a fair few pints of ale to 'warm the bones', as Gawain had put it - the topic of the missing pair had arisen. The way that Arthur was fond of Merlin in a way no-one had ever seen before. The way that they looked at each other, their eyes flashing as though they were sharing a conversation held simply through their smiles. They way that Arthur was rarely seen without Merlin now, and the way he and Gwen had grown distant after the invasion.

Leon dredged up the fleeting memory of catching the couple unexpectedly as they sat together on a windowsill, almost looking like their hands were intertwined as they smiled at one another, rosy cheeks illuminated as the sun streamed through the stained glass. Of course Leon had held his tongue faithfully and passed in silence, the Prince and his servant unaware that their sacred bond had been glimpsed that day.

The five friends were as surprised as one another to discover that they all knew the relationship between servant and Master had grown beyond the norm - except Gawain, of course. Poor Gawain, who could win any woman's heart he desired, but couldn't see the forbidden love right in front of his nose.

And so it came to be, Gawain desperately slurring his excuses as he gained the scandalous knowledge, firelight flickering on the knight's red capes as they lifted with the breeze, Percival's eyes fixed on the pine-strewn floor as Elyan shared a reserved glance with Lancelot.

Finally Leon rose to his feet, his hand moving to his heart as he stood tall and straight. Lancelot followed without hesitation, and after a moment's pause Percival and Elyan rose too. Gawain was the last to stand, wobbling dangerously as looked around the group in bewilderment.

"Elyan is right - no one else can know what we know. We must take this secret to our graves. Long live the king!" Leon declared, punching the air with his fist as his voice echoed between the trees, shattering the silence and woe that had lain so heavily over the forest before.

"Long live the king!" The rest of the knights repeated thrice, smiles flickering onto their faces as the fire died slowly at their feet.

a/n - I've been working on this for some time now; and here it is! I'm excited about how the story progresses, and I really hope you guys enjoy it too, especially as I've worked so hard on it. The edits at the bottom of each chapter are made by myself, and I hope they bring something extra to the story <3