This is a classic and I am not the first person to write it, so do not expect originality. But it is a fanfiction, so hey, what iffing allowed and encouraged. May end up a bit cracky and out of character, but I do hope, my dear Tif S, that despite all of that you will at least smile at this little bit of Christmas fluff. On with the story!
Coming to was definitely not an experience Merlin would get used to, no matter how many times he was forced to go through this. That sudden immobility was new though. As much as losing consciousness was as of usual connected with one attack on Camelot or another, coming to meant the fight was over and he was back in his narrow cot, with Gaius hovering over him and scolding him for overexerting himself and risking exposing his magic and getting himself killed. This time however, there was no softness of the matress or warmth of the blankets. And as Merlin tried to grab at them and draw them back on his head, he found out he couldn't do that. He couldn't move his hands at all, actually... Was he tied up?!
A sudden assault of freezing water that came out of nowhere dragged him cruelly back to the painful reality of long lost, overly sweet voice that made Melrin shiver, but not out of cold.
"Good morning."
Arthur was covered in blood, dirty and exhausted, but determined. He rushed through the Camelot gates, jumped down from the horse, shouted at the stable hands to get him a fresh horse and a new pack along with two thick bedrolls and rushed up the steps to the castle, to his chambers. He quickly got out of his armour with the help of some faceless servant - not Merlin - and got changed after a sort-of wash in the basin. He put on fresh clothes and asked another faceless servant - still annoyingly not Merlin, which reminded Arthur to hurry up and do somethign about it - and practically sprinted out of his chambers back into the courtyard. He run into the Guinevere, giving her a short explanation of "Merlin's been captured, gotta go." and was back on the new horse living a terrified stable hands behind in no time. He had a servant to rescue.
A servant who's extremely brave. And incredibly loyal, to be honest. Not at all cowardly.
He urged the horse to go faster.
The fact that he was freezing has long since became the least important of Merlin's problems. After giving him a long, hateful tirade (Don't think I don't understand loyalty just because I've got no one left to be loyal to.), Morgana decided she could have a little fun with her nemesis boy before getting to the thing. So for the past few hours Merlin has not only been subjected to regular showers of freezing cold water whenerver the pain became to much and his body started to shut down, but all kinds of creative torture Morgana could think of. She has just finished with the knife, and Merlin felt as if there was not a single patch of his skin still whole, but it didn't look like there was any rest on the horizon. Certainly not with Morgana turning back to him, a flame dancing on her finger tip. Oh, how Merlin wished he could just use his magic and ease some pain. Instead, he just grit his teeth and prayed for Arthur to find him soon.
When the hovel was finally in his sight, Arthur jumped down from the horse, took the reins and slowly approached the hut. He tied the animal to the roof beam far from the window and quietly crept up to the door. The familiar scream of pain suddenly piercing the silence swept any hesitance left away and Arthur just opened the door (in a dynamic way) pushing inside thinking only about stopping Morgana before she hurt Merlin more. The idiot may be just that, an idiot, but he was also Arthur's friend, first, one and only true, best friend. And Arthur knew all too well that he actually owed Merlin a lot.
"Hello, brother dear."
Strangely, it wasn't the door opening with a slam, but Morgana's voice that drew Merlin back from his state of semiconsciousness. Upon seeing Arthur in the hut, his dopey mind went into panic mode and before Merlin knew what he was doing a golden sparkling wall of pure magic stood tall between Arthur and Morgana. It seemed that this last desperate act, powered by sheer protectiveness, drew everything out of Merlin, and he succumbed to the darkness as magic flowed out of him in powerful waves.
Both Arthur and Morgana started spechless at the spectacle as it quickly became apparent that the magic didn't come from her. The first pang of hurt and betrayal went as quickly as it came, immidiately followed by concern and fight. The wall blocked Arthur's way to Merlin and that was nothing short of terryfing considering Morgana was still on the other side. Unfortunately, just as Arthur realised that, she too did, and after the shock of the relevation left her, grinned maliciously and treated the poor warlock to another bucket of freezing cold water. This time, as the magic was still coming out of him in a steady flow, the chains broke and as his eyes opened Merlin found himself on the floor, shivering violently again. With that fall, the wall seemed to break to, and as the golden glow faded, Arthur forgot about the magic and rushed to his friend's side.
"You alright?"
Merlin just shook his head, still not quite there.
"Ain't that just touching. A great reunion, a dramatic reveal. How proud am I of you, my brother dear, for putting your prejudices away and accepting your friend's magic. Sad you couldn't have done the same to your sister."
Cruelty and hate seemed to leave Morgana, leaving only bitterness and resignation behind. It seemed as if all the fight left her at the sight of Arthur's gesture of acceptance.
"I could. She could have come to me, but instead she decided to side herself with the enemy and put a knife in my back."
"Oh, yes, you're so wise now looking at the things in the hindsight. Like I would believe you'd just accept me instead of runnoing over to the daddy."
"You know you were like a sister to me even before we knew the truth, Morgana. You could…"
"Oh, for Godness's sake, just stop. My head is killing me and your bickering doesn't help. There's no changing the past now. But maybe we can change the future. We are all fucking victims here, don't you see? - sobs wreaked Merlin's body, as he shivered from cold, tired, hurting, but determined to pour his soul out - We've been living in a world that is built on magic, but it has been denied it. Don't you see how ridicoulous it is? Magic is the very power of this land, we've been born with it, with a beautiful gift of weaving through the very fabric of this world, and yet we've been forced to hide and slowly go mad, surpressing our very nature. It's tiring. Two magic useres right in the castle oif the king that has banned it? It's a wonder we didn't go mad earlier than we did. And a prince that is expected to rule a land he knows nothing about. We all 've got that power, and yet we're powerless. Don't you think it's enough? We used to be friends. We used to dream of building a new Camelot together..."
Merlin looked at Arthur and Morgana and he found the same exhaustion in their eyes, exhaustion of years of living in the world they didn't really understand.
"Can't we all just hug and make up?"
And it seemed to suddenly break the tension that hung thick in the air, and it dissipated like it was never there, and they all burt into low, quiet laughter of relief, and Arthur embraced Merlin and covered him as he could with his cloak, and Morgana hesitantly approached them too, and they all fell together, squeezing life out of each other, so tired, and just glad to be together again, and finally have the truth out in the open, finally be able to built a world they dreamed of. They would have to have serious conversations, probably hurtful and full of tears, conversations that would shake the whole castle, but that was in the future. Right now, they all just hugged and decided to make up.
"God, Merlin, you're frezzing, I'm so sorry! I'll find you some blaket, I don't know any healing magic, was too focused on offensive spells…-"
"- I've got some thick ones in the bedroll, it's just outside the door, I'll go get it, it's probably better than the ratty things you have here -"
'- so sorry the standard doesn't fit you, your highness, but we can't all sleep on a bed of roses like some royalty-"
"- royalty that you actually are, don't worry, you are coming back to the castle with us, so you'll be able to see your precious bed again soon -"
And as the warm blankets suddenly engulfed him, though when Arthur fetched them he had no idea, and the familiar bickering lulled him to sleep, Merlin thought that maybe, just maybe, even despite the time and history between them, they will be alright. And with that in a poky embrace of Arthur's armour, feeling Morgana whispering softly, probably some spell, he thought, because suddenly his clothes were dry again, he finally allowed himself to sleep.