Disclaimer: BBC is the King of all networks, and should I claim that I own anything related to Merlin, I pray that I might be smite where I stand.
THIS IS A ONE-SHOT, as in I will (most likely) NOT be continuing it!
It began about a week ago. Corpses were delivered from the village surrounding Camelot to be inspected by the Court Physician. A woman brings in the first body, the victim is her sister. The woman is distraught with grief and can barely talk through her sobs. Gaius examines the corpse and finds two puncture wounds on her neck, red and scabbed, exactly the width apart for two human canine teeth. All members of the Court are perplexed and Gaius can offer no immediate insight behind what had caused the attack, or any that followed. Uther was kind enough to provide the victim's sister night's safety in the castle.
Three more bodies show up during the week. Gaius, Merlin and the court are extremely perplexed and worried. Sitting on their tongues like a poison is the question of sorcery. Gaius suspects something darker, a being only told of in legends. Nosferatu. Merlin is ignorant of the legend.
Gaius explains that vampires, as Nosferatu are more commonly known, are created of Dark Magic, are beings of incessant lust for the essence of the living. In attacking the people of Camelot, this particular vampire is most likely intending to send a message to the King. A clear communication that Uther's reign and discrimination against all manner of magical creature, no matter how dark, is not and will not be tolerated.
As days pass, Gaius and Merlin notice a spatial pattern to the victims. Earlier victims lived in the outer rings, and newer victims lived closer to the castle. The creature was nearing Camelot, using the earlier bodies as warnings to the impending massacre. Nerves ran thin but Uther, stubborn and resilient as ever, refused to submit to the creature, refused to lift the ban on magic, even to save the innocent lives of his people. The death toll was now at fifteen. Uther had seen and known worse. Though he would not show it, Arthur was sick with disgust at his father's decision to do nothing to help his people. Merlin bites his tongue, so in need of informing the King that, by conceding to the vampire's message, he could not only save the lives of his people right now, but could also prevent so many deaths and genocides in the future. Bad things would always happen at the hands of sorcerers, but that did not mean all sorcerers were inherently evil.
Another day passes. Gwen is attacked and bitten. She managed to scream for help and Sir Leon saved her from death. She rests in Gaius's chambers, sick and on the edge of death. Merlin and Gaius frantically search for a cure, swallowing the realization that none exists.
Uther fumes silently, torn between his hate for magic and his duty to Camelot's citizens. His decision to ban magic indefinitely is the direct cause of the eighteen deaths since last week, he knows this. But surely, if the ban were to be lifted, countless more would be victimized in the future? No, magic must remain a forbidden art, the practice of which deserving only the quickest of deaths.
The situation is becoming desperate. Merlin escapes Camelot to seek the help of Kilgarrah, who informs him that a vampire can be killed only if they were to drink blood saturated with the purest of magic. Merlin must sacrifice himself, both in body and in identity, to save Camelot and her people. In doing so, Uther's hatred for magic may be lifted, and the future of Albion would be guaranteed. Merlin is extremely doubtful of the latter outcome, but knows he must still sacrifice himself and his magic to purge Camelot of its latest evil.
The vampire has finally made it to the castle, but is invisible to all inhabitants. She has disguised herself and is the perfect actor. No one suspects the new servant girl, or cares enough to ask the new help of her origins. Within hours of her hire, Sir Leon falls victim, as does Elyan. Gwen has only recently recovered with magical herbs under Gaius's care, and in learning that her brother has fallen victim, is more frustrated with Uther than ever.
Things in the castle are quickly deteriorating. The people of Camelot are sick with worry for their King and his son, even though they are relieved for their own salvation. The vampire has chosen to direct its hate and thirst to the very bowels of the castle. She had given the King plenty of time to decide his course of action, and it was now time to reward him with the consequences of his inaction.
Uther demands from Gaius his knowledge of a cure for the victims spared from death.
Gaius speaks with hesitation. Merlin had, of course, passed on to him the knowledge shared by the Great Dragon. After a moment, he says: "We must make the creature drink the blood of a pure magical being; a sorcerer that has no ill intention behind his magic."
Uther scoffs and looks away in disgust and desperation. "Impossible. No such sorcerer exists," he says. His eyes search Gaius's face, perhaps looking for support or comfort. "There has to be another way."
"There is not, sire."
When Arthur is attacked, Uther concedes to the cure. If Uther does not save his own son, sole heir to the throne of Camelot, then he was not worthy of his own life. Gaius makes the King swear that, when the sorcerer comes forward, he must not order his death. Arthur avoids getting bitten, and they now know which person in Camelot is the vampire. She shows her true form, terrifying and beautiful. She snarls and bites at the air with sharp teeth, yet still hungry and enraged that her goal of killing the King has been stopped short of victory.
All along, Merlin had been preparing himself to be the Dark creature's next victim. She has avoided Merlin since arriving, her only target Uther and his Kingdom. She knows of Emrys and what power contained within him. All magical beings, even those as low as vampires, know of the legendary being destined to bring unite magic and tacit existence. The vampire now only wanted to kill Uther, so focused on revenge was she. She also held a deep hatred that Emrys had not acted quicker to set Uther straight. Surely a magical being as powerful as he had the power to end Uther's life? Yet he had not done so. The vampire had planned to corrupt Emrys before being forced to bite him, but had missed her chance before the Prince had brought her before the court.
Arthur, Uther and the rest of the Knights overwhelmed the snarling creature and held her at blade point to await the sorcerer's entry into the Great Hall. Arthur was worried; Merlin had been acting very odd the night before, and now, his friend was nowhere to be seen. Worry clawed at his gut.
The vampire struggled against the knights. She had no powers of teleportation or magic, and had not reached the full strength promised by older vampires. She was a simple creature, blinded by her lust for the life blood of others and her desire to kill Uther.
The doors opened and Merlin, who looked so frail, entered. The room grew cold. Arthur froze and tried his best to deny what he saw, who he saw. Merlin walked calmly toward the struggling party, his mouth set in a grim line, his face pale.
Merlin knelt down in front of the vampire. "This will be your last meal," he said, trying to stifle the trembling of his voice. Gwen and Elyan had both survived the attacks; he would too. He never thought he'd reveal his magic to Arthur and the court by bearing his neck to a vampire.
Arthur choked as his friend slowly removed his neckerchief. Merlin exposed his pale, exposed neck to the vampire. She could not help herself; the boy's jugular vein throbbed and jumped beneath his skin. Bloodlust consumed her. She was young and she lacked the strength to fight it.
"No," she whispered past clenched teeth. She lurched forward and her body shook against her desire to bite, trying to stop her own suicide. She felt her fangs sharpen behind her mouth.
Merlin's eyes met with Gaius and the old man nodded. He withdrew from his pocket a small knife.
Arthur's eyes widened. What now?
Merlin remained where he sat, scared still by the predatory look in the woman's eyes. Gaius crouched down behind Merlin and, with the expert stroke of a physician, swiftly drew the dagger across the skin of his neck.
Merlin winced. Bright red blood wept from the cut. The woman's eyes flashed to the leak and, like a shark drawn to a bloody fish, lunged. She snarled and opened her mouth, exposing her razor sharp fangs. Merlin cried out in pain as her fangs stabbed him, the sound echoing off the walls of the hall. A tear fell from the corner of her eye as she drank in the blood that would kill her.
She would drain the sorcerer before she died, killing them both.
Energy started to leave her body and she knew she would not last that long.
Merlin's breath came out through his teeth, short and staggered. He squeezed his eyes shut. A cold sweat broke out on his skin and he slumped forward. A pair of strong hands caught his armpits and kept him from falling to the ground.
Warmth and strength welled up inside Merlin. His magic started to fight against his imminent death. His eyes flashed open, irises burning gold. He heard the vampire scream, felt her teeth withdraw from his burning neck. A spell fell from his lips, foreign to his mind and sustained purely by the instinctual desire to live. The vampire fell backwards and her body began to shake as the pure magic ate away at her Dark spirit. Screams of pain pierced their ears. In a matter of seconds, Merlin's pure magic had completely destroyed the creature, leaving behind only her ashes.
Merlin wakes to Arthur's pale face. They say nothing as their eyes meet. It takes Merlin a moment to realize that the warmth surrounding his fingers is Arthur's hand. He watches as Arthur's shoulders sag with relief. He wipes a hand across his face and slowly releases Merlin's hand. Silently, he stands up and leaves the room.
Merlin closes his eyes and ignores the tears falling in scalding trails down his trembling cheeks.
Camelot's saviour stands before the court, silently waiting to know whether or not their future would include him in it.
Uther perceives Merlin with guarded eyes. Sir Leon nods at Merlin, openly displaying his gratitude. Gwen and Elyan smile in encouragement, though they both hold pessimism in their hearts. Gaius can't bear the suspense. Arthur stands against the wall, nearest to Merlin, arms crossed, his face unreadable.
"Three years, and you've never been discovered," the King says, his words flat.
Merlin bows his head and says nothing. His hands, held loosely at his sides, begin to sweat. He fights against the nausea rising in his throat.
"You are a master of deception. Of trickery," Uther continues.
Merlin swallows past the dry lump in his throat. His eyes open and in his peripherals sees that Arthur appears slightly concerned. Gaius is frowning at the King, silently begging him to fulfill his promise.
A moment of silence passes before Merlin looks up. He meets the King's eyes, straight on, trying to communicate with all his strength that he had only ever mastered deceit to save his own life from prosecution.
"I must confess," Uther says, his voice now sounding tired, "I had my own suspicions that, at times, extra help was being given,"
Arthur nodded to himself, agreeing with his Father's words.
Merlin's heart started again.
"This is not the only time you have rescued Camelot,"
It was a statement, not a question left to be answered.
Merlin nodded his head anyways, entirely in disbelief of the whole surreal conversation. He cleared his throat. "I've been at Arthur's side only to protect him, my Lord,"
Uther's eyes shifted to his son. He looked back to Merlin. "Gaius informed me that only a sorcerer of purely innocent magic could slay a vampire, such as you did two days ago."
Again, Merlin nodded, eager to make the King see that not all magic was harmful.
"No one must know of this," the King said, referring to his acceptance of Merlin's magic. He could see that the boy was important to his son. Could see that Merlin was now, and had always been, a key to Camelot's future.
Merlin wanted to object, to say that exposing to the public the King's embrace of magic would open an infinitely branched network of allies, but he held his tongue. In time, Uther would understand. Merlin desperately prayed that that time would come soon.
Merlin dropped to one knee and bowed to the King. "Thank you, sire," he said, his voice almost breathless with relief and gratitude.
"If you ever use your sorcery for evil, understand that you will be executed without hesitation," Uther said, his voice stern. "You are to remain loyal to my son, and to Camelot."
Merlin allowed himself a smile. "You need not ask for my loyalty to Arthur, my Lord, for he will never be without it." His eyes met Arthur's. The Prince looked down, unable to hold Merlin's intense stare. There was an unfathomable depth in Merlin's eyes then. Perhaps there always had been, and Arthur had just been blind to it, except on those rare occasions when he had acknowledge Merlin's moments of unparalleled wisdom.
Uther nodded, pleased with Merlin's answer. Merlin was dismissed. He nearly collapsed with relief.
Outside of the hall, he hugged Gaius for a long time. When they parted, Gaius wiped at his eyes. "I am so proud of you,"
"I can't believe I'm still alive," Merlin whispered. "And to think, it only took me sacrificing my life to an insatiable vampire for them to accept my true identity!" A short, hysterical bit of laughter escaped and he clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle the noise.
Gaius smiled and squeezed Merlin's shoulder. His eyes flicked to the left of Merlin's eyes and he pulled away. "I expect you in my chambers before dinner," he said. He took a step away. "You're still a bit pale."
Merlin frowned, thinking Gaius's departure to be strangely sudden. A tingling radiated from his neck. He turned to see Arthur, standing with a grave expression. They had not interacted since Merlin had regained consciousness the day before.
"Come with me," Arthur said. It was an order, and Merlin obeyed it without hesitation. He followed the Prince to his room. Arthur made sure the doors were securely closed.
Arthur struggled for the right words. Merlin stood there, looking awkward and gangly and exactly like he had before everyone had learned he was a sorcerer. They stared at each other, the silence growing thick and stifling. Merlin waited patiently for Arthur punch him, to yell at him, to do something.
And suddenly, without warning, Merlin had been pulled into a hug. Merlin knew instantly that it had been Arthur who had held him up when the vampire had been draining him.
"I – I thought you were going to die," Arthur whispered. He buried his face into Merlin's neck. "When you walked through those doors I couldn't believe it, and I was so angry with you. How could you not have told me? And then, she was biting you, and you were screaming in pain and blood was draining from your neck and -" he broke off. Merlin heard him swallow. Felt hot liquid fall on his neck. Slowly, Merlin brought both his arms up to return Arthur's hug.
He rested his head on Arthur's shoulder, facing away from his cheek. "I'm sorry," he said.
"I couldn't leave you - I just couldn't, even though everyone told me to get rest. I yelled and screamed at them for trying to send me away," he was trembling now, shaking with too much emotion. Merlin hugged him harder. "And then you woke up, and I could barely breathe for relief. When I left I realized that not once had I thought about your magic," he swallowed again. His voice fell into a whisper. "I didn't care. I just wanted you back."
Merlin turned his face into Arthur's neck, breathing in his scent.
"Merlin," Arthur said, his voice a cadence of pain, need and desperate relief.
"Thank you," Merlin said quietly. "For staying with me."
Arthur pulled away slightly, so he could look at Merlin. He wanted to say so many things, to prove to Merlin with words how much he meant to him. Instead, Arthur rested his forehead against Merlin's, grateful that his friend was alive, no matter how many secrets were buried in his life's story.
"Thank you," Merlin whispered.
Lame ending, I know, but I didn't want this story to drag on. It was always intended to be a very short one-shot, and that is how it shall stay ^_^