A Merlin fan fiction

AN: Mainly a friendship fan fiction but I might be introducing more pairings further in to the series.

Set: 2x08

Re - write

Chapter 1: The truth burns

The warning bell rang and Arthur ran to the armoury with his fellow knights, the constant deathly notes repeated in his head until they were burnt in to memory and all that he could think about. He had people to save and a monster to be rid of.

His armour was strapped on, his breastplate shone in the moonlight as the knights of Camelot marched out of the castle entrance and in to the courtyard, they turned and faced their captain and prince.

His cloak billowed behind him; it burned red. It was a signal to all others that they should be aware that Camelot is defended by men that, like fire, spread throughout their opponents turning everything to ash.

"Knights of Camelot tonight it is time we rid our fair city and its innocent people of this beast and we must once again show that magic, no matter its form, has no place in Camelot" A huge cheer resounds from the knights clad in metal armour as they march out of the courtyard and in to the square.

Arthur's eyes widened as he saw the great black cat like creature rip the skin off of its former captor, Halig. The Pendragon paid him no heed though, he was a warrior and now this creature would know it. He barely flinched at the sight of the dead body as he forced his shimmering sword in to the air and called his men to rally around the bastet. They had the magical creature cornered but it was a ferocious beast and was slicing through the armour of his knights like it was paper.

The Prince gripped the pummel of his sword tighter and gritted his teeth not daring to break contact with the bastet's golden irises. As his knights took it in turns to strike forth at the beast Arthur couldn't help but feel mesmerised by the golden embers of its eyes, he had done many things this year against magic and for the fight against it but there were rare moments in his life where he questioned his father's judgement on the outlawed practice of it.

Arthur had seen so much magic, so much bad and little good but surely if there was little good that meant at least good magic did exist. Mordred for example was but a scared child and he seemed completely harmless but he had seen people who had said the same for murderers. The subject of magic and his allegiance to his father conflicted within him a lot and he had to find a way to simplify his choice.

However, he would have to first kill this magical beast which had taken a life each night since its arrival and escape. He saw that he had lost a few men but he gathered what was left of his knights and surrounded the beast. He charged forward, shield in front and sword ready to strike. Arthur used his shield to block the attack by the bastet before thrusting his steel blade in to the bastet's abdomen.

The Prince allowed a breath of air to leave him as he stepped back, releasing his sword from the body of the bastet, to see that he had indeed landed a mortal wound to the animal. But before he or any of his knights could finish it he saw the creature's eyes glance past them and then suddenly a gargoyle fell from the overhead balcony. Instinctively, he pushed his knights away from it and also managed to just avoid the stone structure.

He watched the beast fly away and knew it would not last long. He scanned the area for his knights to find a very dead Halig along with a few deceased knights. Arthur quickly looked away and in the moonlight he saw a figure moving in the night, he turned to see Leon handling the situation and gave him a nod as the Prince made to follow the night walker.

The man was quick on his feet as he raced towards what Arthur knew to be the catacombs. The knight took to the shadows as the dark figure turned and looked around him, his face caught the light and Arthur was more than surprised to see that the late night stroller was Merlin. Arthur waited for his manservant in the darkness calculating through all the possible reasons that Merlin was out after curfew.

He hoped it wasn't anything illegal.

The golden haired man was about to nod off to sleep when he caught movement straight ahead of him. It was Merlin but he was carrying someone, a woman. The two caught the light and Arthur saw the dress that Merlin had been carrying in the castle not two days ago. His manservant was stealing dresses? For a lover no less but that didn't explain why he was carrying her around the square maybe she was quite high maintenance.

He watched as his manservant left the city walls. "What is this idiot doing now?" The Prince muttered under his breath as he went to follow though his heart was inflamed with ache with the unknowing of his manservant's actions.

He followed the two until Merlin stopped at the lake and gently placed his assumed lover against the shore. The sun was starting to rise above the hills and Arthur smiled as the slight heat touched his face but as he looked upon the two night walkers he now saw a very different image.

The dress was stained with red and Arthur had seen enough to know that it was blood but how had she come across such injuries? And why didn't Merlin take her to Gaius if she was seriously injured?

Just then he started to hear their whispers. With the stealth of a hunting fox, the Prince crept past the undergrowth and began to eavesdrop on their last conversation. Arthur couldn't help but feel internally disgusted with himself as he breached the privacy of his best…manservant.

"You remembered" Her voice was like honey and it had incomparable happiness in the tone which confused the Prince greatly, she was dying wasn't she?

"Of course, I'm sorry for what that sorcerer did to you" Sorcery. What was he to think of magic if things like this were to happen so often? Magic had just ruined his servant's future with this woman.

"Merlin, you have nothing to be sorry for and neither does Arthur" Wait! What could he possibly have to do with the death of this girl? He wouldn't dare hurt anyone Merlin cared for at least without good reason.

"I know but I just wish it didn't have to be him that struck you" Suddenly the pieces fitted together like a simple jigsaw, she was the human form of the bastet and Merlin had let her free and the fool had obviously fallen in love with her

"There must be something I can do, some way to save you" Only magic could possibly save her now and there were no sorcerers in these forests, his father made sure of that.

"You've already saved me. You made me feel loved" Arthur couldn't help but think of Gwen, his Guinevere who warmed his heart like no other, he would never get the chance to make her feel loved. His father wouldn't hear of it.

"I don't want you to go" The crack in Merlin's voice almost killed him.

"One day, Merlin, I will repay you. I promise"

Arthur moved back in to the trees and slumped against a tree still hidden and watched as Merlin dragged the boat from the edge of the lake. He watched as his friend placed flowers of all kinds in the boat and he didn't dare break contact as he watched Merlin lower the girl in to the boat. The girl he had killed.

"Astýre." The words made Arthur snap from his sulking and stand straight as he watched the boat float out. Had Merlin just used magic?

"Wæcce on sæbát bælfýr mæst." The boat ignited in to an inferno in the middle of the lake and there was no denying that his manservant, his friend, the only trust worthy person in his life had magic.

He said the only thing that could come to mind as the firestorm of emotions whipped up inside of his mind and he quietly made his way behind him

"I'm sorry"

AN: I needed to change the ending conversation so that it would be made clearer to Arthur who Freya was since he had no idea what the bastet looked like in its human form.

Are the fire references to much?