This is my first Merlin fanfic, so be kind please

All mistakes are my own and I apologise for that.

I don't own Merlin. If I did, Morgana wouldn't be evil.

This story isn't really set in any particular moment, but does contain spoilers for all of season one, and at the moment the first episode of season 2, 'The Curse of Cornelius Sigan'. This story is AU, and I hope you all enjoy it. Please review afterwards as well, criticism is welcome but please don't be rude about it.

Summary: An attack on the Kingdom leads to secrets being spilled. How will Arthur react to Merlin's biggest secret of all time?

Chapter 1

"Merlin!" a young impatient Prince barked out for his manservant, but he received no response. The Prince sighed and pushed his blonde hair out of his vibrant blue eyes. "Stupid boy is never here on time." Arthur grumbled. The Prince then quickly dressed himself, and left his quarters to find his manservant to yell at him for being late.

Moments later, Arthur was knocking on Gaius' door and then entering, not waiting for a response. "Hello Gaius, where is the lazy bugger than?" Arthur demanded, looking around the room, expecting Merlin to jump out of the shadows.

"He's not here sire," the gentle old man informed the young Prince. "I found his bed empty and assumed he was with you."

"If I find out you're covering for him!" Arthur threatened before sighing and proclaiming, "Fine, he'll turn up eventually, but when he does, send him to me immediately."

"Of course sire." Gaius said, bowing his head slightly.

Arthur turned to leave but the door was pushed open and Merlin slipped in, shutting the door behind him. Merlin glanced at Arthur and immediately jerked his head down. "Sorry I'm late. I got lost." Merlin mumbled.

His hair wasn't quite long enough to hide his face, which allowed both Gaius and Arthur to see the blood all over his face. "Merlin, what happened to you?" Arthur ordered, gripping the boy's shoulder and guiding him to a chair, where Gaius started to wash away some of the blood.

"Nothing, I fell over in the forest." Merlin stubbornly gritted out, obviously lying.

"Yeah, and the forest floor just so happened to leave bruises the shape of fingers on your neck." Arthur said, pulling the servant's scarf away to reveal angry, purple bruises, the perfect impression of someone's hands. "Someone has attacked you and tried to kill you. Tell me who and I will have them imprisoned."

"There was no-one." Merlin said, yanking his scarf back off Arthur. He didn't put it back on though, as Gaius started to rub in a smooth, green ointment onto the bruises. "I fell."

Arthur sighed and looked the boy over. Along with the bruised neck, he had a split lip, a black eye and his nose had been bleeding. It didn't look broken, just swollen. "Yeah, the floor did this to you." Arthur muttered. "Anyone who attacks my servants is therefore attacking me and justice must be brought down on them." Arthur told the servant.

"They were a bunch of drunks. I'm fine. No lasting damage." Merlin insisted.

"Why did they attack you? Did they want you to spy? Spill some secrets? Did you say something? Were you just in the wrong place at the wrong time?" Arthur demanded, but Merlin shook his head to every suggestion Arthur made. "Merlin, as you Lord and Prince, I order you to tell me what these drunks wanted."

Merlin muttered a non-coherent answer, his ears turning red.

"Merlin, I may be skilled but I cannot hear you unless you actually make sounds with your mouth." Arthur commented dryly.

"They wanted me to keep them company." Merlin said louder, his cheeks turning red as well.

"Why didn't you just go with them then slip away? It would've saved you a beating that they shouldn't have given you." Arthur berated, clearly misunderstanding Merlin.

Merlin shook his head, his face now completely red with embarrassment. "Not that type of company." Merlin sighed then said extremely quickly, "thywanemetapeasurhem."

Arthur's face darkened and he leant in close to Merlin, "Listen to me Merlin. If you do not hurry up and tell me what they stupid gits wanted, I am going to get extremely angry."

"They wanted me to pleasure them." Merlin spoke through gritted teeth, before hanging his head in embarrassment.

Arthur's anger drained from his face, leaving embarrassment behind. "Oh." He visually collected himself and kept going, "Well, you can have today off, tomorrow you'll have to describe these drunks to the guards and they will go and arrest them. They cannot get away with attacking the servant of the Prince."

"Thanks sire." Merlin said, as Gaius handed him a sleeping draught to take. Merlin downed it in one gulp, and his eyes fluttered shut. Arthur helped Gaius to put the boy in his bed then left, pissed off at the sight of the ugly purple marks on Merlin's normal pristine skin.

An hour before lunch, warning bells chimed causing Merlin to jerk awake, before taking a moment to groan, then he lay back down, wishing he was still sleeping.

Gaius came in moments later, and urged Merlin to get up, "A sorcerer was caught leaving the castle, Arthur and his knights are gathering to take chase."

"Thanks Gaius." Merlin said, getting up and pulling on a clean top and jacket, and then his boots. He slipped his scarf on and then headed for the door.

"Merlin!" Gaius called out, stopping the boy before he left. Gaius approached him and adjusted his scarf, covering the bruises on his neck. "Be careful out there."

"Of course Gaius, when am I not?" Merlin grinned before sprinting of to Arthur's rooms.

Moments later, Merlin knocked once on the ebony doors then entered to Arthur slipping his chain mail on over his head.

"The point of knocking is to wait for an answer." Arthur grumbled, not knowing who it was as the chain mail caught on his shirt, covering his head.

"You know if I was an assassin, I could easily kill you." Merlin commented, moving forward to help Arthur get dressed.

"What do you think you're doing?" Arthur demanded, finally getting his clothes on properly.

"Dressing you, and then coming out with you." Merlin told the Prince.

Arthur looked Merlin over, his pants were spotted with blood, his eyes was nearly swollen shut, his nose black and blue and painful looking, his lip split open, and the bruises around his neck were most likely just as sore looking. "You're going to help me?"

"Face it Arthur. Whether I actually help, or I'm just a good luck charm, you need me out there to protect you." Merlin told the Prince, raising the eyebrow over his good eye up.

Arthur didn't say anything, just stood in silence as Merlin slipped his clothes on flawlessly. As Merlin moved to get Arthur's sword, Arthur gripped his arm and spoke in a low tone that gave away none of the Prince's feelings, "I won't think badly of you if you wish to stay in the castle."

"I know Arthur. I want to come, if only to trip and make a fool of myself, entertaining you." Merlin shrugged and grinned.

Please Read and Review. TBC