A/N: This is my first story, so feedback would be appreciated…
Disclaimer: I do not now nor will I ever own Merlin.
Anyone who had ever met Merlin knew there was something different about him, something that they could never put their fingers on. He carried an aura around him; one of power and magic. Only a handful of people could actually tell you that.
It wasn't like Merlin flaunted his magic; quite the opposite, actually. If anything, he went a little overboard trying to disguise it; acting like a total klutz to rid himself from suspicion. No one would suspect that Arthur's loyal-to-a-fault servant was actually the legendary Emrys, and that he was the most powerful warlock the world has ever and would ever see.
It wasn't like it was easy, though. Having to live in a world where you are shadowed by your destiny never was. Having to know that you're going to put you're life on the line over and over again for someone like Arthur, never getting credit wasn't much fun.
Merlin sighed, having been pulled back to reality, and picked up one of Arthur's boots and began to polish. He knew one day Arthur would know about his magic one day, and that hopefully he would accept Merlin for what he was. It was his destiny.
But sometimes Merlin wished destiny could go take a hike. It had taken away friends and family time and time again, made him lie to his friends regularly, put his life on the line constantly, forced him to make harder decisions than anyone could imagine.
At the same time, though, destiny had given him new friends, a bigger family, and lots of hope. Hope for the end of secrets and lies. Hope for an end to the suffering, his own and others. Hope that they had already passed the worst and that from here each day would be better than the last.
Hope for the world that he and Arthur would create, and that over the next years the bond that they shared would grow. And that was all that mattered.