A/N: So this particular instalment in this series is Merlin's first impression of Princess Arianna, and uses the first two episodes of the series as a kind of base. Just so you are aware, the next instalment will kind of follow on from this one, as it will contain more of what Merlin thinks of his new mistress. However, it wouldn't really flow on or fit in with this particular story as one, which is why I am keeping them as separate works. Enjoy!
First Impressions Are Always Wrong
Merlin's life in Camelot, even in these early days, was far different than he had imagined. He had thought that he would just live quietly with Gaius, living a mundane and unassuming life while trying to hide his magic. But no, of course fate had had other ideas. He'd been thrown into the dungeons and then the stocks after barely any time at all, for getting into a fight with the Princess of Camelot, of all people! (Although in Merlin's defence, he hadn't grown up in Camelot and therefore had no idea who she was.) And then there was that voice… calling to him, keeping him up at night, calling out his name. It had gotten to the point where he couldn't stand it anymore, and he risked his freedom to go into the depths of the castle and find its source.
Whatever Merlin had expected to find beneath the castle, it wasn't what he found. He could still scarcely believe he had found what he had found. A dragon. A great, big, almighty, terrifying dragon. It had gone on about destiny, and prophecies, and coins… and Merlin and Princess Arianna. Always Merlin and Arianna. About how Arianna would eventually become a great queen, and how she would never succeed without Merlin (he didn't know what the whole 'once and future' thing meant, but that was the least of his worries). The dragon also told Merlin how he had his powers for a reason: to protect and help Arianna. Merlin had, truthfully, protested that Arianna was an idiot, but the dragon had just laughed, tell Merlin that he could neither choose his destiny nor escape it. It had given him no other answer before leaving.
So, Merlin's purpose in life was to protect Arianna Pendragon and ensure she lived to take the throne. Great. Just freaking great. It didn't matter that he hated the girl. It didn't matter that she was stuck-up, arrogant, and used her title as a free pass to bully others. No, Merlin had to protect her anyway. Well, he wasn't going to.
Of course, Merlin's vow to ignore his supposed destiny was thrown out the window almost instantly, when he'd saved her from a sorceress with a vendetta against the king, Arianna's father. Merlin hadn't even thought; he'd reacted instinctually, first using his powers to stop Mary Collins' spell, and then to slow down time so he could push Arianna out of the way of the sorceress's knife. Destiny and feelings be damned; no matter what kind of person she was, Arianna did not deserve to die.
Merlin may have not been thinking while he was saving Arianna's life, and may have been acting on his instincts, but all his thoughts and all his misgivings came roaring back when the princess was alive, the sorceress was dead, and all eyes were on him. At first he had been terrified that someone had seen him use magic, but that fear had been unfounded. No one had seen him use magic, but they had seen him save the life of their beloved crown princess. And amongst those that had seen Merlin's act had been the King of Camelot. Arianna's father.
The king, Uther, had insisted on a reward for Merlin. Merlin, as was his nature, had refused at first- he'd just done what he thought was right, and that didn't need a reward in his eyes. But Uther kept insisting, and, well, who was Merlin to refuse the king? When Merlin heard what the reward was, though… oh, how he wished he could still refuse.
For King Uther had awarded Merlin a position in the royal household. But not just any position- oh, no, he was to be the personal manservant of Princess Arianna. What kind of a reward was that? Arianna seemed to be just as unhappy with her father's decree as Merlin was- the boy, however, couldn't figure out whether or not he should be insulted by this. At least she agreed with him, even if this did little to change the king's mind. His 'reward' would stand.
The first couple of days of Merlin's new job had been absolute torture. Arianna had given him a seemingly never-ending list of chores to do, which Gaius refused to let him use magic for. And then there was the training… Merlin wouldn't have thought that a princess would be training as a knight, let alone participating in tournaments. Apparently, though, Arianna was no ordinary princess. She was far less girly and less… well, princess-y, then Merlin had imagined her being. She was a tomboy if Merlin had ever seen one. And she was good, Merlin had to admit. He should know; Merlin had copped the brunt of Arianna's abilities and force in training, leaving him very battered and bruised.
Merlin had also never thought that the Crown Princess would be allowed to compete in a dangerous tournament, but apparently she could- and be its reigning champion, no less. Merlin had known, just by watching Arianna train, that she would win the tournament. He'd had no idea that he'd have to save Arianna's life again in the process- or realise that maybe she wasn't as bad a person as he'd first thought. Yes, she was stuck up and self-entitled. But she was a princess, after all, and it really was no surprise that she was the way she was. But with the whole deal with Valiant, and Arianna believing Merlin about the man's dark side even though she didn't have to, Merlin had realised there was more to the princess than met the eye.
Merlin was only a servant, and Arianna had had no reason to believe him. But she had. That hadn't gone very well, of course, and Merlin had wound up being yelled at and fired, and down below the castle once again telling the dragon that it was completely and utterly wrong about his destiny. The dragon, as it had done at their first meeting, had done nothing but present Merlin with another riddle: 'The half cannot truly hate that which makes it whole'. Merlin had been completely and utterly confused by this, and it was no help to him at all.
Merlin had once last hope, to save Arianna's life, and so he had gone to her and begged her no to compete. As he expected, she had refused to withdraw, but he hadn't expected her reason why she couldn't. Because the people expected her to. Because they couldn't see their warrior princess as a coward. Because it was her duty. It was that moment that Merlin had realised that Arianna was more that a spoilt princess. She was human. There was so much pressure and expectations on her that Merlin was surprised she hadn't cracked. Merlin had been… strangely proud of Arianna when he realised this about her. And when Arianna had survived her fight with Valiant in the final of the tournament (thanks to Merlin's secret magical help, of course) she'd actually apologised, and reinstated him.
It was this that really made Merlin see that there was far more to Arianna than the spoiled prat he'd originally thought she was. She had an incredible sense of loyalty and duty to her people and her kingdom, a quality that Merlin greatly admired. She was also willing to admit she'd made a mistake and apologise for it, something Merlin suspected that King Uther was not very likely to do. And there was something about her… something that Merlin couldn't quite figure out. He had no idea what it was, but it made him want to stick around. It made him think that maybe, just maybe, the dragon was right about their shared destinies, and that Arianna was going to be the great queen that had been foretold. It made Merlin want to help Arianna get there. It made Merlin realise that the princess could change, and become someone that he could be proud to call his mistress. Maybe being the personal manservant of Princess Arianna Pendragon wouldn't be so bad after all.
No matter how she protested though, Merlin was never going to call the princess Ari. Ever.