"I suppose you think you're funny?" the guards heard someone grumble through the other side of the door as they walked by.

"You're the one who's laughing!" another person replied, sounding like they were trying not to laugh themselves.

"I'm not!" the former voice had taken on a petulant tone now, sounding like a young child not willing to admit he was wrong.

"Yes you are." The second responded, mimicking the other's tone.

"I'm laughing because…you're an idiot, that's why!"

"Yes Arthur, that's a very witty comeback. Now are you going to eat your breakfast or do I have to eat it for you? Not that I'd mind, you know."

The guards looked at each other and shared a grin. There were only two people in the entire castle who talked like that! It seemed Arthur and his servant, Merlin were at it again. The knights had a certain respect for Merlin, due to the fact that he always told the prince exactly what he felt about him, not seeming to care that he could be burned at the stake for it. Sometimes people would walk outside the prince's chambers in the morning just to hear their daily banter, getting pretty embarrassed when they were caught.

The usual had happened. Merlin had come into work late, and got a hard object (it was a plate this time; the castle was running out of goblets) thrown at him by Arthur. The servant then made a witty remark about how futures Kings of Camelot were always prats. Arthur thought it was funny, but he couldn't say it was funny because it was directed at him.

But…something was wrong. Merlin might have gone through the motions of a normal morning in Camelot, but his remark had been half-hearted, and he had barely done anything to annoy Arthur. He'd even done all of his chores! The nerve!

"What's wrong? You're acting almost competent today!" Arthur masked the genuine worry how he always did; with an insult.

"Was that a compliment?" Merlin gave his signature cheeky grin as he said it, but his voice was all wrong. Not how he normally sounded. Merlin's voice always sounded like it had sunshine in it, and happiness and rainbows, and all the other lame girly stuff that Arthur never had time for. When his father hired Merlin (probably after drinking so much alcohol he wasn't thinking straight), the prince had no need for those things anyway as they were all in the pesky manservants' voice, and as he never stopped talking, Arthur got more than his fair share of them every day. But today, Merlin's voice filled with sadness and a hint of accusation; a mixture that made Arthur uneasy.

"Certainly not! Now what are you so upset about? Is Gaius making you clean the leech tank again?"

"Yes Arthur, let's blame the leech tank for the reason that I'm upset," Merlin said tiredly. "Let's also blame it for Morgana's evilness and your prattishness while we're at it, why don't we?"

"Merlin, you do realize you're talking to a prince, right?" If looks could kill, Arthur would've been on the floor right now begging for mercy from Merlin's glare. "Just thought I should remind you, in case you had forgotten" Arthur said defensively.

"Well don't, because I get enough reminders of it every day without you telling me every five seconds" was Merlin's retort, a sour look twisting his as he walked out.

Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of my laundry this morning thought Arthur, having known that Merlin had spent the entire night doing his (Arthur's) chores. Arthur felt a stab of guilt, but then he reminded himself that that was what servants were for. It was also probably the main reason why Merlin was cranky, or so Arthur thought. Then he looked at the calendar…

Duh! It was Merlin's birthday!

Just a little pre-birthday oneshot for me I hope you liked it!