#which is impossible

He feared that Gwen's more stable and permanent position at Arthur's side would radically change their entire life dynamic, since now Gwen would be able to take on many of the roles in Arthur's life that Merlin had previously played

And he wouldn't even be able to protest

Not only because of the seeming absurdity of protest against the king spending time with his wife, but also because of the emotional aspect

He loves them and didn't want to ruin their relationship with his negative attitude, which was no one's fault but his own unwanted feelings

As he wasn't only afraid of losing his closeness to Arthur, his king, but also the possibility of involuntary jealousy towards his best friend

And he knew there would be nothing he could do about it

But surprisingly, everything turned out even better than Merlin could have imagined

Yes, Gwen was around more often now, but Merlin didn't become the third wheel

On the contrary, he and Gwen became even closer, as they now had the opportunity to spend more time together than before!

His affection for his best friend only grew stronger, and to his own pleasant surprise, he didn't even feel the expected jealousy, but only tenderness and a warm feeling throughout his body as he watched their interaction

Gwen had made it clear that she had no intention of taking away Merlin's place in their lives, and so it was much easier for Merlin to share it with her

Merlin feels like life is getting better and easier every day

***

Arthur feels like life is slowly turning into hell every day

He never imagined that the marriage he so desired would change his life so dramatically

His stable, constant, and main position in Merlin's life was supplanted by his own wife

Guinevere has taken over some of his servant's roles in his life, and now Arthur's time alone with Merlin has dwindled to almost non-existent

And he can't even protest!

Not only because of the seeming absurdity of protest against his manservant serving his wife too, but also because of the sentimental aspect

He loves them and wouldn't want to ruin their relationship with his negative attitude, which is no one's fault but his own maidenly feelings

But Arthur is horrified because he experiences a terrible feeling of jealousy and resentment when his wife and his manservant spend too much time together

And the worst part is, he's jealous of the wrong person

He wants to throw a childish tantrum, as if he's never stopped being a spoiled prince who gets everything he wants and doesn't need to share

He wants to scream that this is HIS Merlin! Not Guinevere's! Not anyone else's!

He's jealous, and his insides burn every time he sees their interaction

Arthur feels like a third wheel, and he understands that neither his wife nor his manservant are excluding him

They are always glad of his presence and participation

He just doesn't get that omnipresent, undivided attention from his Merlin anymore