So, this is kind of my challenge to myself. I'm writing one fanfiction for each episode of Merlin. Some are one-shots, some are longer stories. I ran out of ideas for fanfictions so this is how I'm dealing with that. If anyone has any prompts for me, feel free to leave it in a review and if I write it after I finish writing these 65 stories, I'll dedicate it to you… so, thanks. And I give you Season 2 Episode 13.
Summary: Merlin does magic right in front of Arthur and he is starting to get frustrated at how oblivious Arthur can be. Takes place when Balinor got stabbed.
Story 26: What Arthur Didn't Know
Arthur looked over just in time to see a bandit flying backwards. His hair stood up on the back of his neck, alerting him to the fact that something was not quite right. He had the same reaction every time something unusual happened, something that didn't seem possible. As he watched the bandit sail through the air and crash into a tree, Arthur gave words to the unsettling feeling building in his stomach. "Magic," he whispered. The word felt so unnatural, so wrong. There was an evil in it, one that made him feel vulnerable just by saying the word.
He briefly got distracted as he looked around to see who was near the bandit and he spotted Merlin holding Balinor as he fell to the ground. Arthur internally screamed "No," a cry that never quite made it through his lips. As he watched Balinor fall, a sense of hopelessness washed over him. This man was the last hope. He was the only person alive that could stop the dragon. Now Camelot was doomed. His people would be burnt to a crisp while they slept, no one would be spared. And it was all because he could not keep the last dragon lord alive.
Arthur felt a wave of failure wash over him. He should have done better. He approached the two men, hoping there was still hope.
"Listen to me! When you face the dragon, remember: be strong. A dragon's heart is on its right side, not its left," Balinor told Merlin. Arthur stopped in his tracks.
"I can't do it alone," Merlin said. His voice was shaky and he looked like he was barely holding it together.
"Listen to me! Oh, my son. I've seen enough in you to know that you will make me proud." Balinor took one last raspy breath and the life left him.
Arthur took a moment, grateful to be out of Merlin's view. He could faintly hear him as he cried for his fallen father, but most sound was drowned out by Merlin's cries. He had to make a decision and he had to make it quickly. His father had warned him of the dragonlords. He had been taught that their powers were passed from father to son, which is why their children had not been spared during the great purge. Arthur knew exactly what Balinor passing on meant. It meant Merlin would inherit those powers, powers that he would be able to use to save or threaten Camelot.
Arthur closed his eyes. Merlin hadn't chosen this. He hadn't known Balinor was his father. Arthur was sure of that. He had heard Merlin talk about how he wished he knew who his father was, he had seen legitimate pain. Merlin couldn't fake that. Arthur could only imagine how terrified Merlin must be to inherit such frightening powers, powers that he knew could get him killed.
Arthur knew Merlin. Even more than that, he trusted Merlin. If there was anyone he could trust to use these powers for good and not evil, it was him. It's not like he has magic, Arthur reminded himself.
With that last comforting thought, Arthur forced himself to pretend he hadn't overheard that conversation. He forced himself to pretend that he believed that all hope was lost.
Later that evening, Arthur ventured to Gaius' chambers to find Merlin. He wasn't sure if his intention was to comfort or to demand that Merlin tell him Balinor was his father. It turned out that he didn't need to figure that out as he found himself listening into yet another conversation when he entered Gaius' workshop.
"Your father wasn't dead. It's only then you can inherit his powers," Gaius explained. Arthur realized that Merlin must have just confided in Gaius about his father.
"Do you think I'm strong enough to stand up to him?" Merlin asked quietly. Arthur closed his eyes. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Merlin had just lost his father, yet he was forcing aside his agony. He planned to go up against the great dragon.
Arthur didn't know what happened next. He made his way back to his chambers, oblivious to everything around him. Merlin was going to risk everything for Camelot. If Arthur doubted him before, he knew better now.
Arthur found himself forcing to stay in character that evening as Merlin helped him get in his chainmail. He feigned surprise and pretended to resist when Merlin insisted on coming with them. He wasn't surprised that his resistance was ignored. Merlin was the only hope for Camelot.
As they rode out, Arthur couldn't help but marvel at how Merlin had the hard part. He looked the part of a servant, but right now, his role was more dangerous than Arthur or his knights.
Arthur's thoughts of Merlin were forced from his mind as the dragon swooped down on them. Arthur could scarcely think of anything except dodging the dragon's fiery breath. He managed to get through and stab him, but it did nothing except make it angrier. The dragon pushed him aside with such a force that Arthur blacked out for several moments.
When he came to, he heard Merlin speaking in a deep voice to the dragon. He wondered how Merlin knew the language he was speaking. His only guess was that the knowledge must be part of his powers.
"I am the last of my kind, Merlin. Whatever wrongs I have done, do not make me responsible for the death of my noble breed," the dragon said. Arthur nearly cried out. It speaks. He hadn't expected that.
"Go! Leave! If you ever attack Camelot again, I will kill you!" Merlin warned. Arthur closed his eyes. Merlin was letting it go. "I have shown you mercy! Now you must do the same to others!"
Arthur was pulled away from their conversation by a sharp pang in his arm. He looked down and saw that his chainmail was singed. He was sure he had a terrible burn on his arm. Arthur looked around, realizing that he wasn't the only one that had been impacted by the dragon. He saw several bodies scattered to his left. One of his knights rolled over, giving Arthur hope that the loss they sustained that night wouldn't be too high. He heard the dragon's powerful wings as he took off. Arthur wished he hadn't been so easily distracted. He didn't know if the danger was truly gone. He supposed he was going to have to trust that Merlin knew what he was doing and that the dragon could not disobey his order to never return.
Arthur pretended to stir when he could no longer hear the dragon. He stood up to see Merlin staring at the horizon where Arthur could nearly make out something flying in the distance. "What happened?" Arthur asked.
"You dealt him a mortal blow," Merlin told him.
Arthur resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "He's gone?" Arthur confirmed. That was really all he cared about. If Merlin was confident enough that the dragon would not be returning that he would claim it to be dead, then there must be no danger.
"Yeah. You did it!" Merlin cheered.
Arthur laughed along with Merlin, but he wasn't cheering for himself. He was cheering for Merlin.
Arthur looked around. They would not be able to bring back the wounded. They would have to return and send someone to retrieve them. He and Merlin went back to Camelot; Arthur felt like a weight had been lifted off his spirit.
The next day, after waking Arthur and giving him breakfast, Merlin went back to Gaius' chambers. Arthur had decided to give him the rest of the day off, which boggled Merlin. Arthur wasn't usually capable of any act of human compassion if it involved Merlin. "How can Arthur be such an idiot sometimes? One day someone is going to be able to take advantage of him because he believes anything he is told. And I'm going to have to clean up the mess then feed him yet another cockamamie excuse so he doesn't behead me," Merlin grumbled. Gaius rolled his eyes. "What?"
"Did you ever consider that Arthur isn't as oblivious as he would have you think?" Gaius asked him.
"Twice Gaius. I performed magic and used my dragon lord powers in front of him. And when he asked what happened? Oh, my father was a sorcerer, so even though he dying on the ground it was probably him. How did the dragon get away? Oh, Arthur you scared him away. Because after days of the dragon terrorizing Camelot, you were enough to do that. If that's not him being oblivious, then I don't know what is. What's the alternative? If he knew I had magic, he wouldn't pretend that he didn't know that," Merlin pointed out. "He may tolerate me, but that all ends if he finds out."
"Maybe he would prefer to believe your... oh what did you call them? Cockamamie excuses? He would prefer to believe them than accept that the man he has befriended possesses powers that he hates," Gaius said softly. With that, Gaius got up and walked away without another word.
Merlin stared after him. Could Arthur know and subconsciously be repressing it? Merlin shook his head. It couldn't be.