Title: Heavy Heart
Author: ArthurHeartsMerlin
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin
Friendship - Merlin/Del, Arthur/Del
Rating: T
Summary: Your Father maybe thinking his doing the right thing for you, but sometimes he can push you away and slowly destroy you.
Warnings: Bit of violence, lots of tears, to be honest pure angst and a nice bit of fluffy at the end.
Spoilers: Slight for Series 2 Episode 8 - The Sins Of The Father
A/N: Disclaimers: I do not own the characters they belong the the BBC, but Del belongs to me. But i wish i did own Arthur, if i did i would keep him under lock and key.
My love for the Merlin series is back stronger then ever so here's a new story :D
'thoughts'
'talking'
Shouting could be heard from behind the doors of the counselling chamber, two voices that everyone in the castle would recognise without even looking for the source, the voices of their king and prince.
A female voice asked "How long have they been like this, this time Leon?"
"Over an hour now, I hope they don't start fighting like they did last time" Leon replied worry clear in his voice.
The female signed "I hope they don't, I don't want to see Arthur covered in cuts and bruises again, and I'm sure that the king slap him across the face"
Leon frowned at the girl "How do you know that?"
The female turned to look at the door that divided her from the prince "The red mark that was on his right cheek was in the shape of a hand"
*Uther and Arthur*
"Why does she have to move Father, she is perfectly fine where she is!"
The king eyed his son "I think it is best if you two are separated for awhile"
Arthur was shocked "Better for who, because it will not be for me, she has been there in the night when I have need her I don't want her on the other side of the castle from me"
The king was confused "Why has she been there for you in the night?"
Arthur answered honestly as he know he couldn't lie to his father " since the last battle I was involved in I have been having nightmares, I have been seeing the faces of my knights that were killed, I would wake up in the night screaming and she would be the first one at my side, she would sit with me, talk to me, hold me and even cry with me Father. If you move her to the other side of the castle I don't think I will be able to handle them."
Arthur become silent to let his father think, hoping he would make the right decision.
"She will be moving and that's the end of it, get out of my sight !"
The prince was livid, but before he could control himself, he said three words he thought he would never say to his father "I hate you" then storm out of the chamber.
The chamber door opened so suddenly it made the young female jump and fall back "Sire"
Arthur looked from girl on the floor and his knight "What are you two doing?" his voice was ice cold
Leon moved to help the girl up "Sire, we come to find you, you did not arrive for training"
Arthur glared at the pair, he did not believe their story " I don't believe you"
The girl couldn't believe the coldness in Arthur's voice, he had never been like this around her before; sure she had seen him angry before but this was far beyond that "Sire what's wrong"
"Don't talk to me"
The girl tried to walk toward the prince only to find herself pinned to the wall by him "What are you doing" she screamed shocked.
"I said don't talk to me Del, not now, not ever!" he shouted straight in her face putting in as much venom as he could while pushing her further in to the wall.
"Arthur let her go, your scaring her"
Only now did Arthur notice tears running down Del's cheeks *what have I done* he thought letting go of her, he felt numb, he didn't even feel her push him out of the way, he didn't hear her running, he didn't hear Leon shouting at him, he didn't feel Leon punch him, he didn't feel his head hit the floor, he just let the world around him go black.
Merlin was standing in Gaius's chambers reading some books, the books were boring to him so just as he was about to fall to sleep standing up the door was thrown open, as he turned around just as something or someone hit his chest wrapping their arms around him, he looking down to see as mass of blonde hair, it was not Arthur as the person was not tall enough, so it could only be one people "Del?"
The person nodded in his chest before sobbing, Merlin thrown his arms around her and stroked her hair "hey, hey what's wrong"
Del shook her head, Merlin pulled her closer then leading her to his room.
Slowly the prince began to stir, his head was pounding, slowing he sat up to look at his surroundings to find himself in his chambers in his bed and his father sitting to his right.
"what did you do" Uther shouted, making Arthur's head hurt even more.
Arthur looked at father confused, then the memory come flooding back, he didn't know if he should hit his father, scream or cry. The memory was painful Del's scared face stuck in his mind, one that will haunt him until he saw her smile and laugh again.
"Arthur tell me what you did" shouting again.
The blonde could feel the angry rolling off his father in waves, but he would not tell him, he would put thing right first.
The king suddenly moved shocking the prince, before he know it he was on the floor holding his cheek, -the same place where Leon had hit him- now his father had hit him in the same place.
"You should have died in child birth not your mother, you should have died in that last battle !" then the king left slamming shut the door behind him, leaving the prince in pieces on the floor.
Merlin lay stretched out on his bed with Del, her head buried in his chest "Del" he whispered soft, while stroking her hair "you need to tell me what happened"
Del turned to look into Merlin's blue eyes, she would know his eyes anywhere as they were deep shade of blue, were as Arthur are a brighter shade. "Arthur come storming out of the counselling chamber, I asked him if he was ok because he looked upset, he told me not to talk to him so when I tried to walk toward him, he pinned me to the wall and said don't talk to me Del, not now, not ever, and I don't know why Merlin" With that she buried her head back in Merlin's chest.
Not long after Del explained what happened she fell asleep on Merlin's chest, slowly he move from under the girl and place her head on the pillow gently. Then he left his and Gaius's chambers in search of the young prince.
As Merlin opened the door to the princes chambers he didn't expect to find the scene before him, Arthur was sitting on the floor by his bed, knees bent to his chest, arms wrapped around them and his head buried in his knees. The was only one time when he had seen the prince like this before, Merlin shock his head trying to get that memory out of his head.
Walking forward Merlin could hear the young prince sobbing, he looked so innocent, so vulnerable just like a child, standing forward of Arthur, Merlin could see his shoulder's were shaking. Slowly the raven bent down to kneel on the floor and placed his hands on the blondes shoulder's "Arthur….Arthur what happened?"
Arthur whipped his head up nearly hitting Merlin, the blonde's eyes were red and his cheeks were streaked with tears, he whispered only one word "Merlin" before throwing his arms around his servant's neck and continued to cry in to Merlin shoulder.
All Merlin could do was hold the prince, whispering calming words in to his ear and kiss his forehead.
Fifth teen minutes past before Arthur was calm enough to talk to Merlin, he moved back placing his hands on Merlin's thighs, looking at his servant/friends chest not wanting to meet his eyes "Merlin….Merlin he tried to move her….move her away from me"
"Arthur what are talking about? Who's he? Who did he try to move?
Still not looking at Merlin, Arthur continued "My father…he wants to move Del to a different chamber…he thinks it will be best" he took a deep breath "if we are separated for a while Merlin, not its not it will kill me if he tells her to move"
Merlin frowned a the prince before him "why is that Sire"
Now Arthur lifted his head to look at his best friend "Because of the nightmares !"
Del awoke to find Merlin had disappeared *he must have gone to see Arthur* sighing deeply she decided to go and find the pair.
Arriving at Arthur's chamber door she found that it was open, moving into the room she could here someone talking the voice was thick with unshed tears, walking further in to the room she found Merlin and Arthur sitting on the floor. Arthur had his hands on Merlin thighs and would not look at him.
Merlin was frowning at the prince before him "why is that Sire"
Arthur lifted his head to look at his best friend "Because of the nightmares !"
Merlin's eyes widened as did Del's *his going to tell Merlin, maybe its for the best* Del thought
"Sire…what nightmares are you talking about and what have they got to do with Del?"
Del saw a tears round down Arthur's cheek before he begin to speak " since the last battle we were involved in Merlin I have been having nightmares, I have been seeing the faces of the knights that were killed, since then I have been waking up in the night screaming and Del would be the first one at my side, she would sit with me, talk to me, hold me and even cry with me Merlin every night. Even if she was tired from the day she would come to me, I cant let me father rip her away from me!"
By the time Arthur had finished Del was crying, now she know why Arthur had been mean to her when he walked out of the counselling chamber.
"Arthur…did your father hit you?" Now this court Del's attention *what did Merlin just say!*
Arthur nodded "Yes Merlin…he hit me because I told him that….that I hated him"
"What did your father say to you"
"He said you should have died in child birth not your mother, you should have died in that last battle" a new wave of tears fell from Arthur's eyes.
*This is killing me I cant take this anymore, I need to talk to him, hold him and tell him anything is going to be alright* "Arthur please don't cry, you father is wrong your mother may have dead giving birth to you, but if she could see you now she would have been pride to give her life for you and you know she would be Arthur"
Arthur and Merlin looked up to find Del standing next to the open door , she continued talking through her tears "If you had been my son Arthur, I would have given my life for you and I would know that you would do be pride" she gave Arthur a watery smile.
Arthur replied with a watery smiles of his own before holding his arms out to the young girl, like a child would to their Mother, Del moved kneel down next to Arthur taking him in her arms.
"I might not be you mother Arthur, but I will try to love you like one"
Arthur shock his head "No, the love from being my friend is what I want and the love from my lover" he smiled warmly at Merlin.
Merlin smiled "Then that is what we will give you Arthur, our hearts belong to you"
"Arthur don't worry about your father, he knows that you don't hate him" Del said before kissing the mark on his cheek, letting her lips linger there "I'm not moving from my chambers Sire, by place is by your side not the other side of the castle and Uther will see that"
Arthur turned his face to kiss her cheek and whispered in her ear "thank you"
"Your welcome sire and I'm sure Merlin will glad come to you now if you have nightmares" she laughed playfully.
Arthur laughed for the first time since Merlin and Del had entered the room "I was hoping you both would"
Del and Merlin looked at each other before jumping at Arthur, pulling him to his feet then pushing him on the bed, they crawled on the bed either side of him and pulled a blanket over them.
"Go to sleep Arthur, may your dreams be full of happiness" Del said as she buried her head in crock of Arthur neck and Merlin followed suit.
There are times when your love ones think they are doing the best for you, but sometimes you have to find/learn that out on your own….
