Oh, this will take a while to sink in. And distract Merlin enough so that Jessica is able to wriggle out of his arms and flounce back to her duties.

Which he doesn't seem to notice, or perhaps doesn't care. Probably the later, for it seems the young man has latched on to the one thing that will override everything else.

A puzzle. "And they're allowed to do this?" Coming from a man who has known one King his entire life.