Some things about Merlin
mood: 
rushed
rushed-It was the middle ages, they didn't bathe but once a month or something like that. Arthur may have bathed something like once a week, and the servants of royalty may have been forced to bathe more often, but on the whole they didn't bathe as regularly as today.
-Arthur was raised to believe magic was evil and wrong and purely just bad, so I doubt he's going to roll over and be all happiness and flowers when Merlin's secret comes out.
-Religion was a big thing back then, although it's not really portrayed in the show, the church was around as was all of their menacing influences.
-Chivalry should factor in to Arthur's behavior sometimes. I mean they weren't Knights in shining armor for nothing.
-Also, as a whole the middle ages were a lot grittier, dirtier, meatier, rough, and more raw than what is portrayed on the show.
There are probably more things to add to this list, but this is just something that I was thinking about while reading fic.
I've read so many fics in which one of the characters talks about being "gay"... makes me cranky.
and yes, I love that icon, too. Arthur's just too pretty for his own good. And chainmail is a bit like uniforms - gets me terribly excited - there should be sex-in-chainmail fic. I don't care how uncomfortable that is.
Chainmail is interesting, It's not one of my kinks, but I can dig it. Chainmail sex would be interesting, like the epitomy of male sex, seeing as how the most masculine garment back then was like chainmail, armour, and swords. I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum myself, put Merlin in a dress any day and I'm pretty happy.
/random
;)