A/N: Here is my first Merlin fic and my first non-drabble story! I know I'm supposed to be writing for 50 Things The Marauders Would Never Do, but this is much more fun! Anyway, the full summary is below;
Summary: Arthur finds an enchanted pendant in the forest that causes misery and anger in all who hold it. He then proceeds to take Merlin with him on a quest to find the Dagger of Lost Dreams, which is said to be able to destroy anything, to help him get rid of the pendant. When finally reaching where the dagger once lay, they find nothing and Arthur gets angry and frustrated so takes it out on Merlin. Merlin soon realises that the pendant is affecting Arthur's emotions and knows he can destroy it, but is he willing to do so infront of his prince and best friend?
Remind you of anything? My inspiration came from listening to "Don't Leave" by the Ministry of Magic. Yay, Harry Potter!
Enjoy!
Chapter 1
Merlin slowly plodded behind the crowned Prince of Camelot, moaning all the way. The day was hot and the air was still, which was (according to Arthur) the perfect conditions for a hunt. The truth was that Arthur didn't really want to leave the castle either, but he wanted to annoy his manservant.
"I honestly don't think we are going to catch anything." Merlin grumbled. So far, they had caught a squirrel, and not much else. All the creatures of the forest must have decided to rest inside and avoid the insane heat of the day as they had been out hunting for hours and had little to show for it. His neckerchief was soaked in sweat and he was struggling to keep up with the prince in front of him. Said prince was also suffering from the heat, though he wasn't going to confess it to Merlin. His chain-mail was weighing him down and trapping all his body heat so that he felt as though he was being cooked alive, but he would never admit it, even as his blonde hair stuck to his sweaty forehead.
"Don't be silly, Merlin, you're just scaring all the game away!"
"What game?"
"Idiot."
"Prat."
Arthur smiled despite himself. He enjoyed their banter, and both knew that the words didn't mean anything. Merlin may be many things, such as clumsy and annoying, but he was loyal and stubborn, and always said what was on his mind. It had gotten to the point where Arthur no longer considered Merlin a servant, but a friend.
Merlin was also thinking about his prince. Arthur had gone a long way since they had first met, and it was mostly due to Merlin's influence. Now it was easy to see the king Arthur would become, the man who would unite Albion and return magic to the land. There was still some way to go, but it wouldn't be long until the King Arthur of legend would be strolling around Camelot with the great warlock Emrys by his side. Although, Merlin planned on waiting until after Uther was dead to tell Arthur that he had magic. He didn't want to return to Camelot and find a nice, filthy cell in the dungeons swiftly followed by becoming close friends with the pyre. Sorry, but that wasn't his idea of fun.
Arthur suddenly stopped short, only to have Merlin crash into his back.
"Watch your step, Merlin!" A very miffed prince said as he steadied his servant and pushed him back up.
"It's your fault for stopping like that! Arthur," Merlin copied his prince's accent to annoy him, "Why did you stop anyway?"
"Oh," said Arthur, suddenly remembering the reason for their short break. He was sure he had spotted something lying in the grass and so turned back and bent down to examine the silver object.
The object in question was a pendant with a long silver chain with a red stone held tightly in place by a silver band around the top. The pendant itself was a oval shape and a rich colour that made it look like liquid fire and it was hot to the touch from lying in the sun. Arthur bent down and gingerly picked up the chain.
"Arthur...what's that?"
"A pendant, Merlin, what do think it is?"
Merlin didn't answer. He could sense the strong magic coming from the stone, but was still compelled to touch it, hold it, wear it. It was only then he took a closer look that he noticed the dark aura surrounding it. He had to admit, it held a simplistic beauty, but he doubted any good would come of puting the long chain round his neck, like Arthur was doing...
Wait, what?
"Arthur!" The prince glanced at his manservant, but carried on regardless. "I don't think that's a good..." The stone landed with a soft thump on Arthur's chest, "...idea. Never mind."
"Honestly, what's wrong with you today?" Merlin opened his mouth to start complaining again, but Arthur just carried on, "Forget it, let's just get back to Camelot. I doubt we'll catch anything else."
"Finally." Merlin muttered. He hated when Arthur took him on hunts and couldn't wait to get back to the castle, although Arthur would probably tell him to muck out the stables when they arrived. The pair turned and begun to trudge towards the place they called home, looking forward to resting after the heat of the day had past. Even Arthur wanted to get back, although only bringing a squirrel back would mean a days worth of teasing from Morgana.
A/N: Hope you liked that! I know it's short but I'm not very good at beefing up my stories.
Please review! This is my first fic that isn't drabble and I want to know what you think!
