Know Who I Am
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Rating: Teen
Full Summary: Set after Season 3. Arthur is not yet King, but has earned much respect after the incident with the cup of life. Merlin is still his manservant, and learns that he (Emrys) has become quite known to many sorcerers across the land. Soon one sorcerer in particular sets out to claim Emrys' power for himself, and Merlin and Arthur's relationship is threatened.
Merlin was tired, even more so than before the whole mess with Morgana occurred. After Camelot was more or less back in shape, Arthur was publicly congratulated and thanked for saving the kingdom. Merlin was a little jealous that he didn't get any of the praise, but it soon washed away. He was used to it.
Besides, seeing the honest smile on Arthur's face as he was praised was enough to cheer him up. The prince had been devastated to find out that Morgana was pretty much his sister, and that she had taken over. Seeing his father so broken from everything that happened must have affected Arthur as well. He hadn't seen the prince smile even once while they were helping repair the Kingdom, not even when Merlin was being his usual idiotic self. He hadn't even engaged in any playful banter.
"Merlin! Could you hurry it up a bit? I haven't got all day, you know." Arthur burst into the stables, where Merlin was currently readying their horses. The castle was well repaired, but they were to go out and inspect how the outer villages were fairing. Merlin remembered how, on the way back to Camelot after loosing the cup of life, they had passed by a few burning villages. Arthur insisted going to check if they were all right.
"Would you hang on a minute? I'm almost done." Merlin tightened the straps on the saddle of Arthur's horse, making sure they were secure. He didn't want them to come loose and have Arthur yell at him. Again.
"Have you forgotten yet again that I am crowned Prince, Merlin?" Arthur chided as he walked up to grab the reins of his horse.
"Equality?" Merlin tried, referring back to the round table.
"Shut up, Merlin. Let's go."
"How much further is it to the next village?" Merlin complained. They had visited one village today, and were on the way to the next. Merlin had been in a Saddle all day, and all he really wanted was a short break. He pouted when Arthur, who was riding ahead of him, said nothing.
"It's getting pretty late." Merlin commented again, despite the prince's silence.
"Aren't you getting tired?"
"For god sakes Merlin, will you shut up?" Arthur finally exploded, throwing him a glare from over his shoulder. Merlin pursed his lips together and squeezed his horses side lightly, riding up to Arthur's side.
"Something on your mind?" He asked, the slow pace of the horse making him sway side to side on the saddle. Arthur glanced at his manservant for a short moment before turning to face the front again.
"Nothing important, it's just…" Arthur straightened his back a little, "I was just thinking of Morgana. Gauis said we couldn't find her in the rubble, and now that she's betrayed us…"
"You're worried that she might come back and try something." Merlin finished his sentence for him. Arthur didn't give him any acknowledgement. Merlin wondered if he guessed right, or if it were something else. The two were close enough to know what the other was thinking. Arthur cared deeply for his people, and though he once considered Morgana close, Merlin knew he wouldn't want anything else to happen to the Kingdom.
Arthur lifted his head to get a look at the sky. The two rode on in silence for a few moments before the prince finally spoke up.
"I think we can set up camp for tonight. If we wake up early, we only have a few more hours ride until we get to Dorelea." Arthur turned to Merlin, and the servant beamed at him.
"Oh, finally!"
The two took their horses off the main road and walked a little further into the forest before they found a place to rest for the night. After setting up, the two sat by the fire opposite of each other. Merlin was rubbing his hands and holding them up to the fire to keep them warm, and Arthur was simply watching the flames dance around. He seemed to be deep in thought, much like earlier. Was something still troubling him?
"You should take first watch." Arthur commented. Merlin looked at him, perplexed.
"Wake me up after a couple of hours, that way you can sleep more. I know how you function when you don't get any sleep." Merlin would've made a sneer remark at that, but he knew that Arthur was only trying to hide his kindness behind his pratishness. He liked that about Arthur; always too proud to admit he cared for a servant, and always trying to keep up an image, even if it was just the two of them. But he could always find the kindness behind his words, and Merlin felt special, having the Prince care about him like Gaius, Gwen or his mother did.
"If you insist. You better get some sleep in, though." Merlin smiled, and Arthur retreated for the night.
After a while, Merlin could hear the eve rhythm of Arthur's breathing, and he knew he had fallen asleep. He poked at the fire to keep it going. He could've just used his magic, but he needed something to do.
A sudden rustling in the bushes behind him had Merlin standing up and swirling around. He scanned the area as he slowly bent down to pick up a sword. He was useless with it, but it helped him feel more secure. He walked forward cautiously, looking around for signs of anything moving. Another rustle in the bushes to his left, and he whirled around to face that direction.
Suddenly a dagger flew forward, and instinctively, his eyes glowed gold, and time slowed down. He looked around quickly, and with another flash of his eyes, a small piece of wood was raised into the air in front of him. Time resumed at its normal speed, and the dagger slammed into the wood in front of him. He let his magic drop it, and sighed in relief.
"How did you do that?" A figure emerged from the bushes and walked up to him.
"I don't think I'm inclined to answer any of your questions. Not right after you almost killed me." Merlin answered, as he studying the figure. It was a young man, and he had a long, green cloak draped over his head and shoulders. He saw familiar markings on his face.
"I apologize. I saw you with Arthur Pendragon, and thought that you had come to wipe out our camp."
"Aren't you a druid?" Merlin pointed at the markings on his face, and the man nodded. "Aren't druids, you know, non-hostile?"
The druid laughed and shook his head.
"Well, I'm not a druid yet. I'm sort of just living with them. You're a sorcerer, aren't you? What are you doing with the prince of Camelot, of all people? How did you do that without any spells?"
This druid asked so many questions. Merlin sighed, not knowing what to say next. He was just glad that Arthur was asleep, and was missing all of this, like he usually did.
"You are Emrys, aren't you?" Another voice called out, and the two turned to see another cloaked man approach. Merlin's head snapped up to attention at the mention of his name, and the two both took that as confirmation.
"Are you telling the truth, Alister?" The first druid asked, astonishment clear in his voice. The man known as Alister nodded.
"He was able to do all that without a single incantation. He is a powerful one, indeed, Aldwin. It must be him."
"…how do you know me? The druids in Cenred's Kingdom also knew who I was." Merlin was starting to get a little concerned by all the turn of events as of late.
"Word has gotten around about the powerful sorcerer Emrys. It would be surprising is a magic-user didn't know who you are." Alister provided. Beside him, Aldwin was nodding, still looking at him with admiration in his eyes.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Emrys." Merlin simply nodded to Aldwin with a shy smile, and turned to Alister.
"Well, I came here to retrieve Aldwin. May I ask a small favour of you? Keep this meeting quiet, and if you can, try and avoid the western part of this forest. I do not want the prince to find out our location."
"Don't worry. We are heading to the village of Dorelea, to the east. I won't breathe a word." Merlin smiled at the two before waving. The druids bowed and quickly left. Merlin stood there silently for a moment, thinking back on everything that had just happened. 'It would be surprising if someone didn't know who he was?' Did word really get around that fast? He was like a famous prince, but to the magic-users. He smiled to himself and head back to camp.
The next morning, after regular morning banter and a quick breakfast, the two were back on their horses and on their way to the next village. Most of the villages were the same; a few damaged buildings, some lost crops, and a few casualties. But in every village, Arthur gave the same inspiring speech. He told the villagers to work hard to rebuild Camelot, that the people who died would be remembered, and that they would send help if the village needed any.
Merlin and Arthur were back in Camelot in three days time. Arthur had duties to attend to that Merlin couldn't be around for, so he had gone home to see if Gaius needed any help. He saw Gwen walking out of the room as he entered, and they shared a small smile before she was on her way.
The girl had been acting differently ever since they had that meeting at the round table. Perhaps it was the return of Lancelot that changed her? The man was now a knight of Camelot, so he wouldn't be leaving again anytime soon. They had been spending a lot of time together. He pushed the thought back, deciding he could think about their love affairs later, and walked into Gaius' room.
"What was Gwen here for?" Merlin asked, and Gaius turned around to look at him, a small bottle with a strange liquid in his hand.
"Elyan was injured in sword practice yesterday. She requested I get him something to help." Merlin nodded and sat down on the bench. After a while, Gaius came up from behind Merlin with three bottles. He told him who to hand them to and instructions on how to take them.
"Oh, and Merlin." The older man called out to Merlin, who was on his way already. He turned around and Gaius gave him another bottle that he had just finished, for Elyan. The shared a smile before Merlin was out the door on errands.
He had tracked down the first three people and successfully gotten them their medicine. He had to track down Elyan now, and wondered how he should go about doing that.
"Merlin, there you are! What are you doing, standing there like an idiot? I need my armor cleaned and my sword sharpened." Merlin jumped when Arthur came out of nowhere.
"Oh, sire. Meeting done already?" He asked as if he hadn't heard anything that Arthur had said before.
"Yes, Merlin, and now I have practice with the knights, so come along." Arthur sighed, clearly exasperated with his manservant and started walking off. Merlin followed; glad that he wouldn't have to track Elyan down after all.
Arthur turned a corner, and stopped dead in his tracks. Merlin almost bumped into him, but caught himself in time. He looked up at Arthur's face, curious as to why he had stopped. His face looked normal, but Merlin could see his jaw tensing, and his eyes hurt.
The servant peered around the corner, and his eyes widened at the sight. Gwen and Lancelot, on the other end of the hallway. They were kissing; Lancelot was leaning against the wall and Gwen's arms were wrapped around his neck. Merlin tried to keep his face stern, but he felt horrible. And Arthur was standing right there, and oh god, Arthur.
Said prince turned on his heel and walked quickly the other way. Merlin wasted no time and followed after him. Arthur burst into his room and flipped over everything on the way to his bed. A chair, everything on the table before the table itself, and various other items. He sat down on his bed with his head in his hands, but he didn't utter a word.
"Arthur…" Merlin entered the room, and winced at the state of the place. He walked over to Arthur, and ignoring his status as a servant, sat down on the bed beside Arthur. He sat there awkwardly, not sure what to do to comfort him. When their roles were reversed, Arthur usually just placed a hand on his shoulder and told him a few comforting words. He didn't know what to say though, but he wanted to say something so badly. Anything. He didn't want to see Arthur like this.
"I should've known." Arthur said, still not raising his head. "I knew Gwen might have had feelings for Lancelot, but I never took that into account. I got in the way of them, didn't I? I acted on stupid selfish feelings."
"No, no Arthur. It's not your fault, don't blame it on yourself." Merlin looked at the prince with a worried expression.
"Everything that I've done for her has been for nothing…" Arthur let his head fall further. Merlin didn't know what to say, or what to do. He kept silent for a while, as he raked his mind for something. Only one thing came to mind.
"I'm sorry Arthur." He said sincerely. He hoped his tone of voice got his message across. He wanted Arthur to know he was here, literally right beside him, and that he really was sorry for what he had to see. More silence followed, and Arthur sighed.
"I'm glad you're here, Merlin."
"You met him?" A low voice asked, and Aldwin nodded his head gleefully.
"Yes! Emrys himself! It was amazing, the power he had! He doesn't even need to chant spells, for the most part."
The man stroked his bearded chin in thought. He turned to the young druid again.
"What does he look like?"
"A scrawny little guy. Short black hair, blue eyes, peasant clothing. Something around his neck, but don't let his looks fool you. He's powerful!"
"Where is he now?" He asked, his voice full of intent. Aldwin didn't seem to notice it though, and kept talking excitedly.
"I'm not sure, but he was traveling with Arthur Pendragon. Perhaps he's in Camelot? In the city?" The man nodded, and got up.
"Where are you going?"
"I've got somewhere I need to be. Thank you, and I'm happy you got to meet him." With a bow the man left, Aldwin waving goodbye after him.
Emrys.
AN: A lot of different things happen in this chapter to set everything up (The plot, the romance, etc). And I know this has been done before; this is my version. But in any case, I hope you liked the first chapter.