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 1 Episode 5.
Summary: Takes place when Arthur was just hurt by the griffin. What if he wasn't unconscious? What if he saw/ heard everything. One-shot.
Story 5: The Griffin
Arthur stirred slightly looking through blurry vision, trying to make sense of his surroundings. He was lying against a tree and as he moved about, he was shocked by how stiff he was. At first he couldn't remember how he got there, but then the blood-curdling squawk of the griffin brought all of his memories back in a flood. He heard the scratching of steel talons as they effortlessly tore through a mixture of rock, dirt, and moss. Arthur could remember how those talons had nearly killed many of his men. He could remember how nothing they tried made a dent in the griffin.
Arthur jerked up and looked around, spotting the griffin. It wasn't facing him. It was facing a man on a horse. And not just any man, but Lancelot. Lancelot may have been covered in chain mail, but Arthur recognized him just the same. Just as the griffin started flapping its wings and running, Lancelot did the same. He ran with his lance held steady and a look of pure determination on his face. Arthur heard a voice behind him. He turned and saw Merlin entirely focused on Lancelot. Arthur had never seen Merlin concentrate so hard before, he never had thought his manservant would need to. When Arthur got over the shock of actually seeing Merlin concentrate, he noticed what Merlin was saying. It took him several moments to understand why he couldn't understand the words coming out of his mouth.
"Bregdan anweald gafeluec!" Merlin said, his hand outstretched. Arthur stared shocked. it was impossible to believe what Merlin's words implied. Arthur wished nothing more than to find out he had hit his head too hard and was imagining this whole thing. But Arthur knew his head would hurt far more if he had hurt it that badly. The truth was standing in front of him, yet he could hardly believe it. Merlin… his manservant, was a sorcerer. Merlin repeated the spell and Arthur turned anxiously to Lancelot. He couldn't believe it. Was Merlin trying to get Lancelot killed? Why was he doing this? "Bregdan anweald gafeluec!" Merlin shouted in earnest this time.
Arthur watched as the lance Lancelot was holding lit up with a blue fire. Arthur watched horrified as the flame spread down the lance. He wanted to do something, anything to warn Lancelot. But it seemed that the moment he wanted to speak, he couldn't find the words to use, nor could he find his voice to utter so much as a warning cry. He was too overwhelmed by the betrayal. He watched helplessly and expected the flame to consume Lancelot. Lancelot may have lied about being a nobleman, but his intentions had been pure. Arthur didn't want him to die.
Arthur knew the exact moment that the flames would consume Lancelot. He braced himself for it. But it never happened. The flame stopped before where Lancelot held it. Arthur pondered what the strange fire could possibly be for. The next instance Arthur had his answer as the flame helped the lance pierce the griffin. Unlike all the other weapons the knights had tried to use, this one didn't bounce off. He knew that that was the magic. But it didn't make sense. Magic was evil. Sorcerers didn't use it this way. They only used it to hurt other people. Arthur half expected the griffin to multiply or double in size. All the griffin did was let out a horrifying noise and fall to the ground. After a moment, it was still. Arthur knew he was wrong about the magic that had been used, but he didn't understand how this could have been done. Arthur didn't even realize that magic could be used for good. From what he had been taught, magic caused famine, death, plagues, and heartbreak. Arthur wondered if he had truly just seen magic, perhaps it was something else; however, he knew it wasn't. There was no denying that the blue flame was of a magical origin. Arthur had seen it with his own eyes, but he didn't want to admit it.
To admit it was to question years of his education.
"Yes!" Merlin cheered, the euphoria evident in his voice. Arthur turned towards him and couldn't deny the pure glee on Merlin's face. He clearly didn't notice Arthur yet. That didn't stop Arthur from observing Merlin. The ecstasy on Merlin's face negated everything Arthur had been taught. It should have gone against Merlin's very essence to save someone's life. This should be a crippling failure to a sorcerer, but Merlin was treating it like a profound success.
Arthur's heart was pounding in his chest. Merlin was a sorcerer. Yet when he had the chance to hurt Lancelot, he didn't do it. He killed the griffin instead. He put an end to the suffering the griffin had wrought in this land.
Arthur knew he didn't have long before Merlin would notice him and he absolutely was not ready to deal with this yet. So, choosing the cowardly path, Arthur slumped against the tree, pretending to be unconscious. The entire time Arthur lay there, he hated himself. He had not been raised with cowardice.
As he heard Lancelot approaching, he stirred, pretending to only just now notice the griffin. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Merlin run off. At least Merlin wasn't entirely stupid. "You did it!" Arthur said to Lancelot, easily falling into the façade that he hadn't seen anything. He tried his hardest to sound proud, but to him, he only felt confused. "You killed it, Lancelot."
He watched as a conflicted emotion flickered across Lancelot's face. He knew he didn't kill the griffin as much as Arthur did, but admitting otherwise would put Merlin's life in danger. Arthur wasn't ready to accept the truth. That was something he would have to accept when he had time by himself to reflect on it and figure out what he was going to do from there. If Lancelot turned Merlin in, Arthur would have no choice but to pass judgment. And that was only if his father didn't find out. If Uther learned of Merlin's abilities, there would be no saving him. Merlin would be executed.
When Lancelot just nodded uncomfortably and accepted the praise, Arthur couldn't help but appreciate the depth of Lancelot's loyalty. Lancelot may not be of noble birth, but he had more valor and loyalty than most of Arthur's knights. He would not betray Merlin.
Arthur played the role of oblivious prince, walking Lancelot back to Camelot. Once they were back, Arthur rushed to his chambers. He locked his door behind him and began to pace. Merlin was a sorcerer. Merlin. The idiot that could barely put dress Arthur in his chainmail on his first day of being a manservant. Merlin who was so clumsy that he was practically impaired. Merlin who had saved his life even though Arthur had locked him in the dungeons. Merlin who had drunk poison for Arthur even though it could have caused his own death. Merlin who had claimed to be a sorcerer to free Gwen from prison. It didn't make sense.
Arthur groaned from frustration. He had been taught all his life that those who wielded magic were evil, that they would do anything to see Camelot in ruins. Yet he had seen a sorcerer do the exact opposite. Arthur couldn't condemn Merlin to the death of a sorcerer, knowing that he had done what should have been against his very instincts. He used his magic for good and not evil. Was it a onetime thing, to repay the debt he owed to Lancelot? Or was this normal for him?
Arthur had to question that if Merlin's intentions had been pure, if Merlin was entirely unique or if his father had wrongly persecuted that many men. Asking that single question, led to hundreds of other questions. If magic were legal, how could people use it? They could use it for healing, for hunting, for growing crops. Camelot could be brought into an age of prosperity. But if that were the case magic would already be legal.
As soon as that image formed, it popped. His father would never allow it. His father had first-handedly seen the evils of magic. He had suffered at its hand. He would never see the good in magic, only the bad. And Arthur couldn't blame him. He would probably be the same way, if he didn't know better, if he hadn't seen what Merlin had done. Arthur groaned frustratedly. He still wasn't sure how to interpret the magic Merlin had used.
The problem was, Arthur wasn't sure if Merlin was the exception or if he was the representation of his people. Arthur sighed. He knew there was only one way he would get these answers, by talking to Merlin. It wasn't as if Arthur could walk up to Merlin's chambers and demand an explanation. He didn't even know if he could trust Merlin. Merlin had lied to him for the weeks he had been in his service.
And then it came to him. Lancelot wasn't with Merlin. Arthur had personally assigned him to chambers as far from Uther as possible until he could meet with his father. It was an amazing feeling to finally find the solution to a problem he had been struggling with. Arthur left his chambers, not caring that it was now the middle of the night. He needed answers and he wasn't going to wait for them. His plan was foolproof. He would be able to find out how pure Merlin's intentions had been. Arthur nearly smile. He was proud of himself for figuring out this solution.
Arthur snuck into Merlin's chambers, being careful not to wake Gaius. Arthur wondered if Gaius knew about Merlin's powers. He must. There's no way Merlin could live with him and hide his magic.
Tip-toeing past the old physician, he wedged open Merlin's door. He was shocked by what he saw. Merlin wasn't asleep. He was sitting in his bed with a large book propped against his knees. He was reading it like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Arthur found himself enraptured by how at peace Merlin looked right now. Another part of Arthur finally understood why Merlin was always late. Of course he's going to oversleep if he's up until all hours of the night reading.
Arthur briefly wondered what Merlin was reading. His question was answered just a moment later when Merlin read something from the book. Whatever he read wasn't English and he practiced saying it several times until he was familiar with the pronunciation.
Arthur's eyes widened as a small, pink flower formed in Merlin's hand. Merlin let out a frustrated groan. "Never a strawberry," he muttered annoyed.
Merlin was reading a book on magic. But Arthur didn't really care. Arthur couldn't tear his eyes away from the delicate flower. It was so tiny and looked so fragile. It seemed impossible that something so beautiful could have been crafted from something so evil. Arthur had to constantly remind himself that maybe he was wrong about magic. Arthur stared at the flower for another moment then carefully backed up so he was out of view. His idea wouldn't work if Merlin saw him now. Making as much noise as possible to alert Merlin that he was there, Arthur ascended the stairs.
When Arthur re-entered Merlin's room, the magic book had been stowed away and Merlin was pretending to sleep. "Merlin," Arthur called.
Merlin sat up slowly, pretending to rub sleep from his eyes. "My lord?" He asked uncertainly. "It's the middle of the night. Is there something I can help you with?" Arthur had to admit that Merlin was extremely convincing. If he hadn't known that just moments before Merlin had been studying magic, Arthur would have believed that he just woke him.
"There is, actually. There is something I need to tell you. It's about Lancelot. I know you were close with him, which is why it pains me to tell you that he has been sentenced to death," Arthur said, filling his voice with false sympathy for Merlin.
Merlin shot out of bed, eyes widening with horror. "On what charges has he been sentenced to death? Is this because he pretended to be a nobleman, because he just wanted a chance to prove himself. Arthur that's ridiculous! That's excessive even for you!" Merlin said angrily.
Arthur held up his hand to stop Merlin before he said something truly stupid. "Lancelot's crime wasn't impersonation. It was sorcery," Arthur explained.
Merlin's jaw literally dropped. "Sorcery?" he asked, disbelief colored his tone. "You cannot be serious. Lancelot is not a sorcerer."
"I know this may be difficult for you, but I saw it with my own eyes. Lancelot conjured a blue fire that killed the griffin," Arthur told Merlin.
"But surely that means his magic was used for good," Merlin said quietly. "He ended the griffin's wrath of pain and suffering. How can you send him to the pyre for that?"
"One good deed is not enough to forget a lifetime of evil," Arthur said with a shrug. "I'm terribly sorry. I know he was you're friend. I just thought you had a right to know."
Merlin put his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes. When he didn't say anything further, Arthur turned to leave. He felt his anger rise up in him. Merlin had confirmed his suspicions. A man who would let another man die for his crimes did not deserve his mercy. Sorcery was evil. Arthur never should have doubted that.
Just as Arthur was about to descend the stairs, he heard Merlin speak. "No," he said in a shaky voice.
"Excuse me?" Arthur asked confused. He turned back to see Merlin standing by his bed. His hands were balled into fists and his eyes were blazing with determination.
"You cannot kill Lancelot," Merlin told him. Arthur couldn't make out all the emotions in Merlin's voice, but he could make out the fear.
"He's a sorcerer. He has played with fire, thus he will die by fire," Arthur told him harshly. "I cannot forgive the treason he has committed."
"You're wrong," Merlin said. "Lancelot is not a sorcerer. It was not he who slayed the griffin. It was me. I am a sorcerer." Merlin dropped to his knees. He finally looked up at Arthur and Arthur was shocked by what he saw. Merlin didn't look scared. He looked as though he had accepted he was going to die. It was a look Arthur never thought he would see on his face. "I have committed many crimes, but I will not allow an innocent man to be killed for them. I place myself at your mercy."
Arthur felt a smile form on his face. Merlin had passed the test. He had sprouted the seed of doubt that had been planted the moment Arthur had seen Merlin use magic to kill the griffin. Merlin didn't look up as he started talking. If he had, he might have seen the smile on Arthur's face and the pride in his eyes. Instead, he looked at the ground, certain that Arthur would be glaring at him with all the hate of the seven kingdoms combined.
"I would like to offer up an explanation before you pass judgment. I will willingly replace Lancelot on the pyre, but I need you to understand. I… I can explain. I don't use my magic for bad things, I swear," Merlin said hastily. "Not all magic is bad. And I use my magic for you and for Camelot. And I swear I would never try to hurt you. I actually try to keep you alive which is proving to be far more difficult than I had first anticipated it would be. Do you know how many times I've had to save your life? And I'm not just talking about when you were poisoned or nearly stabbed. And it's not like I can help it. I was born this way. Magic is part of me. I sincerely only use it for good. To help you or Camelot. And… why are you laughing?"
Arthur couldn't help himself. Merlin was rambling like he thought Arthur was going to have him killed. Then again, his reaction may not be entirely irrational given that Arthur was the prince and that Arthur had burst in here proclaiming that was to be Lancelot's fate. Despite that, it still took Arthur a couple of minutes to stop his laughter. "Merlin, I saw you before," Arthur told him after he had calmed down. "With the griffin. I saw you use your magic. You could have easily killed me or Lancelot, but you didn't. I'm sorry I lied to you, but I needed to know that your intentions were pure."
"You… you're taking this well," Merlin said cautiously, looking at Arthur uncertainly.
Arthur hesitated. "When I first heard you cast the spell to kill the griffin, I thought you were trying to kill Lancelot," he said quietly. "When that didn't happen, I was confused. You did something that should have been against your nature. That griffin killed so many people and I couldn't doubt the goodness or loyalty of someone who killed it. That doesn't mean that I'm happy that you didn't tell me, but I understand why the prince of Camelot wouldn't be at the top of your list of people to tell about your magic. I was still confused though. Did you kill the griffin to spare my people or because you felt you owed Lancelot a debt for saving your life."
"You saw… but… you were unconscious," Merlin said shocked.
Arthur shook his head. "I woke up just a little before your spell worked," Arthur explained. Arthur hesitated. "I want you to know. I accept what you are, but I don't think my father would share that acceptance. He is a great king, but he does things his own way and he won't let anything get in the way of that, not even for someone that saved Camelot."
"I understand," Merlin said. "I will leave at first light to make this easier on you."
"What?" Arthur asked confused. "What are you talking about? Why are you leaving?"
"Well, you just said your father would not share that acceptance. I know you Arthur. You aren't going to want to sneak around behind your father's back and hide this secret," Merlin pointed out. "It's your duty not to."
"Of course I don't want to, but I will," Arthur said, still looking at Merlin confused.
"Why would you do that?" Merlin asked.
"Because I believe my father is wrong," Arthur told him sincerely. "I have been taught all my life to follow a certain set of rules, to do certain things that are deemed acceptable. But part of being a prince and eventually being a king is making my own choices and passing my own judgments. One day I am to be king. I'll be a poor king indeed if all I amount to be is my father's shadow. This is my choice and I've already made it."
Merlin was quiet for a long, long time. "Thank you Arthur," Merlin said quietly.
"Don't mention it," Arthur said. Arthur shifted on his feet uncomfortably. He really wasn't good at this whole feelings thing. "Now, if you're done acting like a girl, you can muck out the stables and polish my armor and feed my dogs…"
Merlin looked at Arthur with disbelief. "It's the middle of the night!" he protested.
Arthur looked out the window surprised. He had honestly forgotten. "Yes, but now I won't have to tell you this when you wake me in the morning. You will already know," Arthur pointed out. He continued pilling chores onto a list so long, he knew Merlin wouldn't be able to finish it in a week.
Merlin tuned out Arthur as he droned on about what chores he wanted Merlin to do. Arthur accepted Merlin for who he was. And that's really all Merlin wanted.
Review, let me know what you think.