A jaunt into a reverse-verse...
IDOM
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"My baby," her soft, alluring voice whispered, "You will be amazing; of that, I have no doubt."
A head of fluffy blond hair looked up at the woman. "Why, Mama?"
"Why, my dear, you hold Destiny's Brand." She poked the claw-like mark that spanned his left shoulder and arm softly. The child giggled at the warm, tingling sensation it brought. "A protector you are surely meant to be."
The toddler with the golden hair smiled happily and snuggled into the thick pile of blankets amassed around him and his mother to stave away the cold. A protector; that sounded cool, like the stories of knights Mama told him. With thoughts of protecting his invisible charge dancing through his head, Arthur Bran Pendragon, the Once and Future Protector of the Warlock King, fell asleep.
Ygraine smiled sadly down at her sleeping child. "I'm so sorry, my baby. Magic has laid a great destiny on you because of my and your father's sins. I hope you shall forgive me when you learn the truth- that I gave up my rights as a lady of the court because of my lust and hunger for power. If only… if only…"
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On the outskirts of the great kingdom of Camelot, a young boy grew up strong and noble. His mama taught him to read and write, his Uncle Bal to hunt and listen to nature and act with nobility, his other uncle, Trissy, to handle a sword and the knight's code.
Hard work in sweltering conditions created a golden tan and ripping muscles. It taught him patience, accountability, and the value of elbow grease. One of his mama's friends taught his to ride the plow horse in the off season and all the care that goes into them.
Ealdor was a peaceful town; perfect for the disgraced nobles to hide in, but it was too small for Arthur's wandering spirit. So, on the even of his twentieth year, he kissed his mother good-bye, exchanged hands with his uncles, and mounted Llamrei- the horse he had raised since finding her in the woods three years ago.
"I'll be safe, Mother."
Ygraine looked tearfully at her child. "I know, my little protector. I knew the day would come that Destiny called you forth. Be careful in Camelot, my child; the mark of a Protector is suspiciously close to magic."
Uncle Bal pressed a carving and letter into his hands. "Give the letter to Sir Bedivere or Gaius the physician. The carving is to go to the one one the call Emrys, once you find him."
Arthur nodded his head in understanding.
"Work on that shoddy footing," Uncle Trissy growled. "And say hello to Sir Leon for me."
And so, Arthur's mare was set on a north-western course for the heart of his destiny; Camelot. His mind swam with the grand adventure that lay before him, not even noticing the almost doomed look that graced his mother's thin face or the barely restrained rage in Uncle Bal's.
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Arthur wondered at the bright flags and markets that littled the city outside the citadel, a small smile playing across his face. Children scampered along side the mare, who only snorted in annoyance as they made their way forward. Mother's stories of the wonder of Camelot had not been wrong.
He left Llamrei with a stable boy, paying him a couple shillings to watch his ride when the streets became too crowded. Eyes still drinking in all he saw, Arthur moved with the crowd towards the courtyard for what looked like a execution. The king stood regally before the crowd, flanked by a younger raven-haired royal on either side.
Color Arthur curious.
"The man before you, James Collins, has been accused of using witchcraft to conspire against the crown. I consider myself a just king, but for his crimes, I can only think of one punishment."
He brought his hand down in signal, causing one of the royals behind him to wince minutely. "For twenty years, I have striven to drive the evils of magic from Camelot. In celebration of this, I will host an anniversary feast to mark twenty years since the imprisonment of the Great Dragon."
Arthur shuddered as he quickly skittered across the courtyard, barely glancing back as the dead man's mother vowed vengeance on the king. Keep your head down. Find Gaius, get a job on the guard, and DON'T GET CAUGHT AS A PROTECTOR.
Yeah, sounds easy when he put it that way.
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After a solid hour of searching the castle and asking the useless guards, Arthur finally stumbled upon the tower Gaius resided in. The heady scent of foreign spices and bitter herbs- no doubt from the forest outside the city- wafted past the now open door as Arthur took stock of the cluttered area within.
An old man bent over one of the cots, pulling another blanket over one of his patients- Arthur could just make out a tangled mop of black hair and a clammy forehead. The ailing made some sort of weezy, gasping breath as the physician tutted over him.
"Really, my boy. You must take things easier with your illness."
"Sorry, Gaius, but I refuse to look weak in front of the court."
The old man scoffed and Arthur suddenly felt like he was intruding on a father-son moment that he had no right to see. He cleared his throat from his uncomfortable vantage point, causing Gaius to trip on his long robes as he turned too quick. In a flash, Arthur was there, gripping the old man's elbow to keep him up right.
Gaius sent his a suspicious glance, but said nothing- most likely do to his patient. "Can I help you?"
"I'm Arthur."
The physician's eyebrows furrowed. "You're not supposed to be here until Wednesday."
He blinked. Seriously?!
"It is Wednesday." Arthur's bland tone somehow got a croaky laugh out of the boy on the cot.
"Spend too much time in your dusty old tomes, Gaius?" he wheezed.
Gaius' eyebrow shot up. "You didn't seem to mind them last month when you were confined to bed rest."
"Phonetics." Arthur noticed the glazed pain in the youth's eyes, the tiny tremors wracking his frail limbs- and he admired the ailing's strength in restraining himself.
Gaius shook himself out of it. "Arthur, this is Merlin. He's a common patient of mine, so best get used to him. Now, put your things up there until we can get you in the castle guard."
He climbed the stairs to the vaguely address storage room and tossed his pack by the door before flopping onto the bed shoved on the back wall. A smile slowly crept over Arthur's face. He was here; his mother's childhood home and the place his uncles lived before they came with him and his mother.
"Don't worry, Mother. I'll clear our family's name and then you can come back home."
.
Ever since Arthur was a child, strange things nobody could explain tended to happen around him; not often- well, not often enough for concern- and not close enough to magic, but still odd. Cutting down a tree with one swing, catching a vase from across the room before it crashed. That sort of thing.
So, he didn't see the big deal when he caught a bucket from tipping over that next morning at breakfast. Mother and his uncles never said anything about it, so why did it matter to Gaius?
"How did you do that? No one is that fast!"
Arthur shrugged his shoulders, trying to play it cool. "My uncle honed my instincts and reactions in my childhood."
Gaius' eyes narrowed, but he didn't comment further. "I have some errands I need you to run whilst I check on Merlin's condition. Do you think you can manage?"
"Aye, just point me in the right direction."
Once he delivered all of Gaius' medicines to the various residents of the castle- meeting the charming Gwen along the way- Arthur made his way back to the training fields to watch the knights. It was a secret dream of Arthur's to become a knight, even if his family was disgraced.
A group of newer knights stood splintered from the main group, circled around something and laughing jauntily. Blood rushed to Arthur's ears when he heard a pained whimper from the center of the group. Not thinking, he stomped up to the groups and forcefully pulled the leader away to see who they were tormenting.
It was a young servant- barely more than a boy- curled out and sporting a bloody nose. He helped the boy to stand and sent him skittering off to Gaius with a little push.
One of the only things Arthur saw eye to eye on with his guardians was the great worth of every man, woman, and child. This… abuse of life would not be tolerated.
A heavy hand came down on Arthur's shoulder, forcing him to turn. "Who do you think you are?"
"I'm Arthur. I think you've had your fun. Best be running back to practice."
The hand clamped down harder as the piggish man's face twisted into a sneer. "What are you going to do about it?"
Arthur twisted out of his hold and rounded with a fist aimed for the knight's nose, barely having time to celebrate. Two of the followers rushed forward to restrain Arthur at Piggy's feet. The knight spat in his face, causing Arthur to rage all the harder.
"I could have you thrown in the dungeon for that, boy."
"Who are you, the king?"
Piggy gave a pleased smile. "I'm a knight of Camelot, peasant. That is enough to deal with the likes of you."
"Hors!" a sharp voice barked from behind Arthur. "Let him go!"
"But my Lord-"
"Save it for somebody who cares, Hors. Let the servant go."
The knight reluctantly let him go, and with a final sneer in his direction, strutted off. Arthur turned to his savior, only to find the sick boy from yesterday- Merlin. He looked exhausted and leaned heavily on Gwen, but a kind of hidden fire glowed in his eyes.
"Thank you, my L-"
Merlin scoffed. "Please, I hate titles. I'm Merlin, this is Gwen, and you are Arthur, if I'm not mistaken. Thank you for standing up to Hors and his thugs. I'm sure Morris would say the same if he wasn't with Gaius at the moment."
Gwen smiled sweetly at him before pulling the blanket tighter over Merlin's shoulders and helping him back towards the castle. Arthur's little voice screamed at him to help, but he just turned and made his way to Gaius' chambers with a few questions on his mind.
Question that he got answers to that night.
"Who is Merlin?" Arthur asked suddenly while pushing the gruel around his bowl.
"Eh? Oh. He's the son of Uther's twin brother. Technically, Uther was born second, but his older brother gave up the right to the throne in order to pursue the love of his life- the druid Lady Hunith. Not long after they had Merlin, Hunith mysteriously died and the older Pendragon fled the castle with Merlin left under the care of his good friend Gorlois.
"Gorlois and his wife Karen raised Merlin until he was seven. They sent him to Camelot and were killed by bandits shortly after. After he came here, Merlin started getting increasingly sick, and I'm afraid of how much longer he will be able to fight it off."
Arthur's brows furrowed. "He looked so passionate today."
"It's his body, Arthur. His body is failing him a little more everyday, and there's nothing I can do," Gaius muttered, looking lost.
"Well, what about, you know… magic."
Gaius choked on his food and looked at Arthur with wide, scared eyes. "Best keep talk of magic to a minimum in Camelot, my boy. The king doesn't look kindly on it."
His brows furrowed. "Why? Magic is no different from my sword; it can help and it can harm, but it isn't evil."
Gaius patted his shoulder as he stood. "I know that, Arthur, but the king won't be so quick to agree with you."
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Arthur… Arthur… Come to me, Protector…
Normally, Arthur wouldn't be following a mysterious voice in his head in the middle of the night, but something about it sounded like Uncle Bal and he had to know. Employing years of sneaking around Ealdor, Arthur crept past the shoddy guards and into the bowels of the dungeons.
Yes, this way, Arthur… Find me, Protector…
He came to stand on a cliff overlooking a great underground cavern with a little river moving sluggishly at the bottom. It was surprisingly warm for a cave.
"I'm here! What do you want?" he shouted into the nothingness.
A great, scaley head lifted itself from the darkness, golden eyes blinking owlishly. Arthur could make out a bundle of cloth by the dragon's fore paws. "Shh. Best not wake my charge, young protector." His eyes held some sort of amused fascination. "How small you are; barely enough meat on those bones to look out for yourself, let alone your destiny!"
"Destiny?" he asked sceptically. His mother use to tell him of the great destiny ahead of him, but Uncle Trissy told him fate was a load of hogwash.
"Indeed," the dragon hummed. "Merlin is the Warlock King, destined to unite all of Albion and bring magic back to the land once more."
"Merlin," Arthur stated incredulously, arms crossed as he bit back a scoff. "The poor lad doesn't look like he could lift a sword, let alone rule a kingdom."
"That is why he needs help. He cannot hope to accomplish this without his Once and Future Protector. You."
"Wha-what?!"
He got a draconian smile in return. "I think it's time you're off, Arthur. A busy day lies ahead of you."
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He was walking back from delivering a tonic to a woman in the lower town whose son suffered from a barking cough of some kind when he ran into Hors once more.
"Well, look what we have here, boys! The runt's bodyguard!"
Arthur gritted his teeth, fully intending to walk away. It wasn't his place to defend the king's ward's honor, afterall. Well, he was walking away until a heavy hand came down hard on the sensitive scar tissue of his left shoulder and yanked him around.
"I was talking to you, Wart! When someone above your station addresses you, you answer him."
"Sorry, sir," Arthur hissed.
Poor Hors was too dumb to understand the mocking emphasis Arthur put on the words. "Excellent. Now stand like a good little servant and take your beating."
A weak cough interrupted Hors from completing his threat. Merlin stood before them, bruises under his eyes mostly faded, standing regal and tall as he could. Gwen was only a few paces behind him lest he need help.
"Sir Hors, I trust you are just joking. You have no right to beat a free man."
"Fine," he sneered. "I won't."
A glove was thrown at Merlin's feet like it had the plague. The ward's eyebrow rose in a grand impression of Gaius. "Are we really doing this?"
"You brought this on yourself, defending a peasant like that."
Merlin sighed unhappily and grabbed the staff Arthur just noticed Gwen was holding. Despite his condition, he held the weapon expertly and settled lightly into a fighting stance. At this point, the commoners had gather around to see the fight.
Hors charged at Merlin with a war cry. The ward adjusted his stance slightly and swept his staff low to catch Hors just below the knees as he came running. Hors lay dazed on the ground, unable to rise to his feet as his cronies rushed to help him. Arthur smiled lightly at how much like Uncle Bal Merlin was.
"Next time, Hors," Merlin told him solemnly, "don't underestimate your opponent." He turned to glance at Arthur with a silent message to follow him.
Gwen rush forward to help Merlin, but he lightly shook his head and she changed course last moment to check Arthur for any injuries. The three of them started walking, Merlin regally leading the way through Camelot's crowded lower town.
The second the knights were out of sight, Merlin ducked into an alley and collapsed against the walk, panting heavily as his eyes roved around blankly. Gwen tutted him like a mother hen and took his vitals as Arthur pulled the wooden staff from Merlin's grip.
"I knew I shouldn't have let you come out here."
"You know me, Gwen; I'm terrible at following directions." Merlin smiled weakly.
"Arthur," Gwen called him, "go on his left side and I'll take his right; there's a secret passage at the end of the alley we can take back to the castle to keep Merlin out of public eye."
In the end, they managed to drag Merlin to Gaius' chambers and into the spare cot with everyone else none the wiser.
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"Isn't Merlin a bit old for a nursemaid?" Arthur ask to break the silence that had settled over the room. Gwen had decided to stay for supper and they both sat next to each other, across from a very grumpy Gaius muttering about idiotic fools.
"I'm his nurse and maid, Arthur. Mostly I just follow his around and make sure he doesn't do anything too stupid to aggravate his illness."
"Like today," Gaius breathed out, causing both Arthur and Gwen to blush.
"How'd you even get the job?" Arthur asked in between bites.
Gwen got a faraway look in her eyes as she stared at Merlin's mop of black hair. "I worked for the princess when I was a girl- that horrible little monster. She lit my dress on fire and shoved me in the closet one time. I would hide from her in here, learning medicine from Gaius. When Merlin started getting sick, my meager training made me the perfect candidate to help. It wasn't long after that Merlin requested me as a maid to keep Princess Morgana from tormenting me."
"A common story you find in much of the castle, Arthur, I assure you. Lord Merlin's kindness know no bounds," Gaius chipped in, calming down now that Merlin's sleep wasn't so restless.
"I only hope the idiot is better by the feast in two days. King Uther expects him there so he can show off his ward."
Gaius stood with a groan to clear away the bowls and tottered over to one of his crowded benches. In his hand was a blueish concoction that made Arthur nauseous just looking at it. "You know the drill, Gwen. Have Arthur help Merlin back to his chambers before you give it to him."
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It was early the next day that Arthur met "The King's Most Precious Jewel"- the princess Morgana. The second he laid eye on her sharp beauty, he knew she was trouble.
He had been helping Merlin as a favor to Gwen so she could prepare for the feast without worrying over the ward's health. Somewhere along the line, Arthur found he quite enjoy Merlin's babbling and sunny nature, and even caught himself smiling a few times as the teen spoke. If only he knew then that their cheery morning would be halted by the ominous storm of Morgana.
"Hello, dearest cousin," she crooned sickly sweet. "How are you faring today?"
Merlin smiled obliviously. "Wonderful, Morgana! Arthur here was just telling me about the flowers blooming in the forest."
Her smile turned sharp, as if in victory, as she reached down to pat Merlin's pale cheek. "Good. I'm sure Gaius would love to bring you back some on his next herb gathering." She pranced her way to the door of Merlin's quarters. "And Arthur, thank you ever so much for babysitting my dear little cousin."
When the door clicked shut, Merlin shouched into his chair, brooding. He looked like a battle-worn soldier at that moment, not the naive little boy he was mere second before.
"Why do you let her think you a fool?"
"I would rather her see me as the beautiful fool than a legitimate claim to the throne. My time to reveal myself as I truly am is not yet upon us, Arthur. I will play the idiot until I can make a successful move- no matter how long it may take." He glanced at Arthur in a manner that demanded attention and respect. "I trust you will keep this to yourself?"
Arthur nodded slightly. "You have my word, my lord."
Merlin scoffed as he stood to pop his back. He made even that look regal. "None of that now, Arthur. We are equals here, as is Gwen. Now. I hear you wish to join the castle guard. Is this true?"
"Yes."
Merlin smiled when Arthur forced back the honorific from spilling forth. "I have a friend that works close to the captain; I'll see if I can get him to put in a good word for you."
Merlin suddenly shuddered and listed to the side, prompting Arthur to zip forward at an incredible speed and catch him by his elbow. The ward stood shakily and waved him off, leaving Arthur to wonder how- exactly- he was able to react so quickly.
"Merely an after effect of my condition. Thanks for the save, though. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an opera singer to greet with the rest of the court."
Merlin still wobbled slightly- Arthur's keen eyes caught every tremor- but he didn't ask for Arthur's assistance, so he was content to watch from a few paces behind him all the way to the courtyard. There, they parted, although Arthur was reluctant to let the younger boy out of his sight for even a second. He felt as if something terribly awful was stampeding across the horizon.
Shrugging it off, Arthur turned about face and stalked off to find the lovely Gwen and demand to help her with her chores.
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Something about Lady Helen made Arthur's skin crawl in revulsion whenever her dead gaze drifted his way. As much as possible, he tried to avoid delivering anything to her from Gaius or any other such favors asked of him as a servant.
Those eyes… they were all too similar to the look Uncle Bal held when he spoke of his dead wife and son. Or Old Man Simmons when his children never came back from Cenred's wars. And something else that he couldn't quite place.
"She reminds me of all the mothers whose sons were killed by Uther last summer." Gwen shuddered. "They look so helpless and lost; crying out to Merlin to save them. The king had him beat for inspiring hope in sorcerers for whatever reason. Poor Merlin ended up on bed rest for near three weeks after."
Arthur raised an eyebrow, obviously not expecting the king to beat his own ward so violently. He told his fellow servant as much.
"The king is too cold to care is he beats the ailing or the healthy, man or woman," Gwen told him quietly, some hidden story locked away behind deep brown pools. "His daughter picked up his habits along the line somewhere."
They said this buried elbow deep in the castle's finest garbs, furiously washing them for tomorrow's banquet. Arthur felt sick to his stomach, as if he washed blood rather than dust from the cloth.
He had never found Uther's murder spree to make a lick of sense. Granted, Cenred rarely allowed magic, but he heard fantastic tales from the eastern and northern kingdoms as well as the great Court Mage of Nemeth. He was wary of magic, true, but he was also wary of swords and fire. All could either heal or harm.
Of course, within Camelot's walls, Arthur's beliefs were but a silent echo in the back of his head.
"Gwen," Arthur asked suddenly, "what do you think of magic?"
She looked at him with big doe eyes. "W-what? Magic?!"
Arthur smiled weakly, nodding his head.
"Well," Gwen said after a substantial pause, "I guess I don't know one way or another if it's truly evil, but I do know such talk will get you hanged, Arthur."
Suddenly, the orange shirt in his hand was the most interesting thing in the world. "Sorry, Gwen. I don't know what came over me."
"That's alright," Gwen told him with a sweet, genuine smile. "I know that you aren't from Camelot and might view things a little different. Just… don't bring it up at the feast tomorrow, yeah?"
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Gaius and Gwen somehow used a combination of pouting and the Eyebrow of Doom to rope Arthur into serving at the feast. He didn't mind all that much; it came with a free meal and entertainment, after all.
Merlin looked like a vital- if slightly thin and pale- young noble with a bright smile on his face as he conversed with a knight Arthur thought he recognized as Sir Hector. No sign of the sickness plaguing him was visible before the court. Morgana didn't look very happy at her cousin's swift recovery. Uther pretended to be oblivious to it all.
Gwen bounced over, excitement shining in her eyes, promising the grand show that would soon follow. "Mary let all the kitchen hands come up to watch the performance. Lady Helen of Mora! What a wonderful treat!"
Artur chuckled and braced his shoulder against the wall unconsciously so he could watch both the show and Merlin with ease. He had become rather fond of the royal.
Lady Helen was a wisp of a woman with dark hair and skin fairer than Merlin's. Her eyes looked over the crowd hollowly as she passed on her way to the stage. Something, the barest hint of something not quite yet there, spiked Arthur's nerves as he tensed and glanced at the three people in the room he cared to protect.
It wasn't until she opened her mouth and her enchanted voice poured out that Arthur placed his disquietment. The witch.
She turned her suddenly impassioned eyes on him, glowing bright with magic's flame.
"Let me kill the betrayer, Arturius. Let me help you put our king Emrys upon his rightful throne!"
Something deep inside of him rumbled forth unexpectedly. "No. It is not yet time for his ascension; he would crack and splinter like Uther."
The witch's eyes hardened into a kind of maniacal insanity that made Arthur's hackles raise. "No! I WILL help my king, for my son's justice!"
She whipped around suddenly, hurling the knife at the sleeping Uther. Only, she miscalculated and sent the weapon straight for Merlin's unprotected chest. Arthur forced his body forward with a surge of anger, distantly hearing a chain snap and a fatal thud. He was too busy listening to the steady drum in his ears chanting protectprotectprotect over and over.
He roughly shoved Merlin to the floor, coming so close that the blade sliced thinly across the ward's face. The whole room gasped. Blood rushed in Arthur's ears as he scrambled to check his charge (Yes, our charge) for any serious injuries.
"Well," a haughty voice broke through. "Seems you've saved my dearest cousin."
"Yes! The boy must be rewarded!"
Arthur refused to look at the king- Merlin was much more important, a voice whispered. "Sire, that is not necessary."
"Nonsense! You will have a position in the royal household. My ward Merlin's manservant!"
Arthur shared an awkward three-way glance with Gwen and Merlin. Oh, this would be fun.
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"So," the Great Dragon said with a scaly smile. "You found your charge and did an admirable job of protecting him. Congratulations on the promotion, by the way."
"I did what a felt was right."
"Never lose that heart, Arthur; Merlin will need its guidance in the future." He glanced at the cave's ceiling. "For now though, I think Merlin wants you to join him and Gwen for their nightly meal. Go, young Arturius; you deserve it."