vocab_drabbles | #014: Extrapolate - Merlin

Title: Strategising
Fandom: Merlin (TV)
Author:

elidelio
Rating: G
Word Count: 283
Summary: Just another day at Camelot.

The knights of the round table gathered around Arthur Pendragon, scrutinising a heap of maps and diagrams laid out in front of them. Merlin was also there, but he stood to the side, passively absorbing the information and letting the experienced knights handle their knightly duties.

At some point in the discussion, Sir Leon turned to look at him, waving, “What about you, Merlin? What do you think we should do?”

Seeing as he’d been summoned, Merlin approached. He looked at the maps on the table, taking in their contents and connecting them to the discussion he’d been listening to, a million thoughts running through his head. As an idea came to him, he quickly blurted out, “If I had to extrapolate based on what we know, I would say—”

“What?” Arthur, who’d been a little lost in thought with his own conjectures, interrupted him.

Merlin paused, his train of thought suddenly interrupted,“What?”

“What was that?”

“What was what?”

“What you said.” Arthur clarified like he was asking a small child.

Merlin thought about it for a second, and slowly backtracked, “I said, that if I had to extrapo—oh, I get it.” An impish grin rose on his face, and he continued speaking with mock reverence, “I’m sorry, Your Highness, I won’t use any more complicated words. What I meant was, if I had to make an educated guess…”

Some of the knights stifled their laughter, the rest did not.

“Merlin.” Arthur Pendragon was not pleased.

“Yes?” He turned to ask with an innocent smile.

“Go muck the stables.”

The smile fell, “Yes my Lord.” Well, it’s not like he hadn’t seen it coming.