This is a oneshot slightly inspired by Loreena Mckennit's song, All souls night. Merlins POV is in Normal writing, Arthur's is in bold. This is my first, first person Merlin fic. This like most of my fics was written very quickly so may not be very good.
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It had been a slow couple of weeks in Camelot, that meant a couple of weeks since anyone or anything had tried to kill Arthur, kill Uther, spread diseases or curses or generally cause trouble. Which I as Arthur's manservant and all powerful warlock, Merlin Emrys. Have to sort everything out. And then Arthur gets all the credit, he's a prat, a good looking prat but still a prat.
Where did that thought come from? Arthur is not good looking. Well yes he is but I'm not attracted to him.
So anyway changing the subject having nothing to do as Arthur had fired me for the fifty sixth time (not that I was counting) Gaius had decided to keep me busy by sending me into the forest to gather various herbs and plants for medicines.
I was getting deep into the forset and I heard a girl's voice screaming for help. Without thinking I ran towards the noise. I hid behind a tree and waced as a group of six guards pulled a teenage girl and an old woman into the woods. The old woman said nothing and didn't resist but she looked sad. The girl who was only about thirteen was sobbing and screaming "help us, somebody please help us."
"hush Katerina dignity in death" the old woman said quietly.
One of the guard hit the old woman and she fell to the floor "grandmother" Katerina screamed.
"There will be no dignity in death for you witch" the guard who hit the old woman laughed cruelly.
"You forget gentlemen there are many around now who were different people twenty years ago, remember the sorceress Nimueh once sat in the place of honour at Uther's table." The old woman laughed.
Another guard drew his sword and four guards held down the woman and girl.
I decided it was time to act. Whispering a few words of magic I created a cloak of leaves to hide myself from the guards who would recognise me as prince Arthur's manservant.
"Leave them alone" I said, I was surprised at how in charge I sounded.
"Are you going to make us?" Smirked one of the guards.
"You really don't want to challenge me." I warned.
"Who are you?" a guard asked.
"Emrys" I replied giving my magical name instead of my birth name.
The guards all drew their swords.
"Reajel" I said and the guards swords all melted.
"Umdofeay" I continued and the guards all flew fifty feet away from me.
I watched as the guards fled. Then I turned to the woman and child allowing the leaf cloak to fall apart.
"Are you alright?" I asked them helping the old woman up.
"Thank you lord Emrys." The old woman said, "I didn't realise there were any sorcerors left with the courage to stand up for what is right."
I remember all the executions I have witnessed that I didn't stop and feel guilty.
"I'm not a hero but I couldn't let them kill you when I knew I could stop it. " I told them.
Katerina flung her arms around me "thank you" she said.
The old woman handed me a silver flower.
"What's this?" I asked her.
"You don't kow?" she said confused.
"No...sorry". I told her.
"But your a powerful sorceror how can you not know what this is?"
"I just don't".
"It's a silver rose."
"I can see that."
"It's for the celebration in three days time."
"huh?"
Katerina looked at me amused, "Your very powerful and yet you have no idea about the simple things. I don't think I've ever met anyone like you."
"There's no one like me." I told her. "What's this celebration for?"
"In three days time when the moon is full it is all souls night. Which next to midsummer night is the most magical night of the year. The silver rose is a gift you give to people who help you during the three days leading up to all souls night. Everyone at the celebration wears one, we celebrate in the deep forest we have celebrated there for centuries and have not stopped because of the kings foolish laws. Why don't you come?" The old woman said.
This got me thinking, to meet other people like me, who like me where hiding right under Uther Pendragon's nose. Of course I would go.
"Maybe I will." I told the old woman with smile.
"Ah Merlin you are still working for me, arn't you?" I said busting into Gaius's rooms. Annoyed at Merlin's absence for the last few days. I missed his idiotic grin and inability to adress me with anything resembling respect for my station.
Merlin looked up from the herbs he was preparing for Gaius, "you fired me" he said.
I'd forgotten about that, why had I fired him this time? He was the most incompetent manservant I ever had, but he was also the closest thing I had to a friend so I always forgave him.
"Well I rehire you" I said quickly.
"See what would you do without me?" Merlin said smugly. I hated him, mainly because he was right.
"Idiot" I said.
"Prat" he replied.
Since Merlin was my servant again I could indulge in my hobby of tormenting him "Merlin since you missed a few days work you need to polish my armour, clean my chambers, excercise my dogs, muck out my stables..." I could have continued the list for a while but was interrupted by a messanger.
"Sire, King Uther has calle an emergency meeting. He requests your prescence in the geat hall immediatly and that of the court physician."
"See you prince prat" Merlin said going to find Gaius and tell him about the meeting.
My father did not look happy, I assumed sorcery was involved as that was what made him most angry.
"This morning, six of my guards found a woman and girl accused of sorcery in the woods and were going to execute them for their crime. However the guards were attacked by a sorceror named Emrys, a very powerful sorceror who melted their swords and flung them a hundred feet across the forest floor. This sorceror must be caught and executed."
I know it will be me who is sent after the sorceror. I wonder if he is evil, I do not believe magic is evil, I don't trust it because I don't understand it but I would never have someone executed for being magic, unless they used that magic to commit a crime.
"What does he look like?" I ask.
"No one knows" my father says, of course he couldn't make this job easy for me.
"He was covered in leaves to hide his face." One of the guards tells me.
"three days time it is all souls night, a magic festival. I want you to go to this festival and arrest as many sorcerors as you can, but remember Emrys is your primary target."
"Yes father" I say but I'm not looking forward to this.
Three days later I was caught trying to sneak out of Gaius's rooms.
"where do you think your going?" Gaius asked me.
"Um nowhere?" I said.
"Merlin" Gaius sighed "You are wearing a silver rose and it is all souls night. I may be an old man but my mind is as sharp as ever."
"Gaius, I'm curious I want to meet people like me."
"Be careful, Uther wants a sorceror called Emrys to be executed. What did you do?"
"I saved some people the guards wanted to kill, I had to I couldn't let them die, besides who's going to connect Merlin, Arthur's clumsy manservant to Emrys, the powerful warlock?"
"Be careful Merlin."
"I always am." I told him.
"That's what worries me." Gaius said.
I whispered the same spell as earlier and was again surrounded by a cloak of leaves. I slipped through the forest, I could see lights and hear music coming from the depths of the forest. I felt drawn to it with all the magic pulsing through the air.
There was a large clearing there were flames everywhere, magical dancing fire, hundreds of sorcerors and sorceress, witches and warlocks, were dancing. It was brilliant. Soon after I arrived a pretty young woman took my hand and pulled me into the clearing for a dance. Not that I objected she was pretty and magical.
I found myself wondering what it would be like to dance with Arthur. I quickly dismissed that thought, I was being stupid. I couldn't think like that.
I had a fun evening I danced with several girls...and guys these people didn't seem to fussed. I was enjoying myself until I heard horses.
"The knights of Camelot" someone whispered.
In a few seconds everyone scattered as the knights rode through the clearing arresting as many people as they could.
I saw Arthur and my heart leapt, I loved him, I always had but I didn't dare tell anyone. He held a twelve year old boy who was terrified.
"Let him go Arthur" I said without thinking this was just a child.
"You must be Emrys" Arthur said coldly, "show yourself sorceror."
"Let the child go" I repeated.
"I will exchange the child for you". Arthur said.
Well what could I do?
"Very well" I said.
The child was released and ran.
I felt Arthur grab my arm and he tore the cloak of leaves away from me.
"Merlin?" he asked horrified.
No, there was no way Merlin as a sorceror, especially not one a spowerful as this Emrys was. No. I wouldn't beliveve it. It felt like someone had stabbed me in the heart.
"Hello Arthur" he said trying to sound cheerful. "Erm this isn't what it looks like?" He says in that adorable idiotic voice that always made my heart leapt into my throat. I glared at him.
"Ok this is what it looks like but I'm not evil Arthur you have to believe me." Did I believe him? I really wanted to. God I didn't want to admit it but I loved him.
I looked around, the knights were too distracted wth fighting the sorcerors to pay attention to me.
"Go, now" I told him.
I watched as he ran until I wasn't sure if he had magically faded away or simply run from my sight. In my frustration I grabbed and arrested the nearest sorceror.
I rallied the knights and we returned to Camelot.
I went straight to see my father his first worlds to me were "what happened to you?" I realise I have a deep cut on my forehead.
"I ran into Emrys" I say, not exactly a lie.
"Did you catch him." My father asks eagerly.
"No he escaped."
"You failed" he says coldly.
"How do you catch someone who can dissapear into thin air?" I asked.
"I understand Arthur, a sorceror as powerful as Emrys, what could any man do?" He said almost apologetically.
"I will catch him father" I said determindly trying to fool my father.
"Your a good son Arthur, remember you casno trust sorcerors and you wil make a good king. Tell the knights to put the prisoners in the dungeons and you may leave."
"Yes father" I said leaving.
I went straight to Arthur's room. I had to explin to him what had happened before he began to think I was evil. I loved Arthur I truly did and even though I was sure he would never feel the same way for me I couldn't lose his friendship.
Arthur wasn't in his room, I sat there on his bed waiting for his return but I was so exhausted I felt my eyes grow heavy and I fell asleep.
I awoke violently when I found myself hit in the face with a pillow.
"Enjoying yourself, sorceror?" Arthur said a vaguely amused smirk on his face.
"Arthur," I said quickly, "I didn't mean to fall asleep I was waiting for you to come back so I could talk to you and I..."
"Fell asleep?" Arthur asked.
"Well yeah" I admitted.
"What moron decided you ought to be a powerful sorceror? You use magic and you still end up as the worst servant I ever had."
"I suppose I owe you an explination." I muttered.
"Yes." He replied.
I took a deep breath "I was born like this." I told him.
"Liar" Arthur hissed "it's not possible" he said angrily.
"I don't understand I myself but I swear I'm not lying. And I'm not evil I only use my magic to help people. I couldn't let those people die they wern't evil I didn't mean to hurt the knights they attacked me and I panicked."
I expected Arthur to shout or hit me or something but he started laughing and shaking his head, "Merlin are one of a kind."
"Are you going to turn me in?" I asked I had to know.
"Are you gong to turn me in?" Those words hit me hard. I couldn't lose Merlin. What he loved me? The shock must have shown on my fae as Merlin began talking "I shouldn't have said that...I know you don't...shall I save everyone time and energy by walking to the executioners block myself?" I soon found a purpose for Merlin's magic. Getting us out of our clothes in a matter of seconds.
"Of course not" I told him.
Merlin actually looked shocked. "Why?"
Oh gods Merlin rally was stupid, I grabbed him and kissed him. Wow it was better than I ever thought it would be. To my shock he returned the kiss eagerly.
"Oh god Arthur I love you" Merlin gasped.
Merlin really was an idiot. "I love you too you idiot." I told him. He responded with that famous idiotic grin.