Title: Conquering the Realm

Author: Arldetta

Disclaimers: Merlin is not mine. If I could only be so lucky.

Spoilers: Some if you haven't seen the series but not much since this is AU.

Genre: AU, angst, Arthur!torture

Summary: The war between Mercia and Camelot is over. Merlin arrives in the city, which is a bit different than the one we know on the show.

Author's Note: I know! I know! I tried not to, I really, really did! I wanted to post this as an adoptable plot bunny on lj's merlinxarthur journal but it wouldn't let me go. I'm sorry, I have a weak spot for noble men! Please forgive me! I will try not to let this disrupt my posts for Reliving Shattered Dreams. With that being said, I did pull from multiple Merlin sources so some things will be like the show and others not. As I said, this is AU, so please forgive me. Now that all the formalities are done, on with the fic!

- M – E – R – L – I – N -

The war was over. However, danger still lurked in the shadows. Time would have to grace them all with his illustrious knowledge. If only that were sooner rather than later. Now was as good a time as any to venture off and forge one's way in the world. And that is what he set out to do.

Often, it is hope that spurs us on. Hope that alights a rabble of butterflies in one's stomach, encouraging each step. It was such a feeling now that Merlin had as he crested the rise and gazed upon the Castle at Camelot. He smiled as he drew ever closer to its grandeur.

His thoughts wandered. Only a few short weeks ago, the war between Camelot and Mercia had ended. His tiny village of Ealdor had been pillaged by both sides having been so close to the border. So much so, that many had left for less dangerous places. Many of them knew that their fate would change little during war. The first time they were raided it had been as the Knights of Mercia had made their way to Camelot. The next few times were different groups of mercenaries that would switch sides at the drop of a hat, depending on who gave them a better offer. There was little chance of recovery. Merlin and his mother, Hunith, regretfully left, hiding in the forests until death no longer reigned.

His mother decided to return to Ealdor when the war ended. Surprisingly, she was not the only one. Together many of them rebuilt their homes and crops. Survival and hope was once more in their grasp. Merlin did what he could to help, although all his efforts seemed to worry his mother. He knew why. Despite the outcome of the war, she still feared for him and more especially his talents. She felt it best that Merlin head to Camelot so he might find a better life. Reluctant to go, he left on her urgings promising he would return some day. And here he was, wondering if this new King would be more sympathetic to people of his talent than the previous.

The streets of Camelot were spars. Of course this did not really surprise Merlin, he could tell by the angle of the sun it was supper time and he imagined many were inside eating after a hard day's work. Although, one thing did surprise him. The few people he met along the way seemed resigned and tense. He had to wonder what was the cause. Still, he tried to greet them all as he passed but few responded.

The Castle was not hard to find. It was the person Merlin sought that would prove more difficult. He found a pair of guards near the entrance and walked up to them. "I was wondering, is the Court Physician still Gaius?"

The guard closest to Merlin, regarded him with a distasteful glance. He managed to grumble, "For now."

That did not sound well to Merlin. But he ignored it for the moment and pressed on. "Do you know where I can find him?"

"Could be in the dining hall with the King." The first guard said.

The second added, "Or his quarters."

Merlin glanced between the pair. Hadn't they figured out he was new and had absolutely no idea where either of the two places mentioned were? When they didn't say anything more, Merlin asked, "Uh, could you tell me how to get there?" And fortunately, they gave him instructions to both places.

He made his way first to Gaius' quarters. He figured even if he wasn't there, he could at lease drop his pack and the note his mother gave him off. Which is exactly what he had to do. The room was full of books and shelves and scientific contraptions but no Gaius.

As he made his way through the Castle to the dining hall, Merlin's stomach did a flip-flop. He wasn't sure if he was excited or terrified to enter the King's presence, but it had to be done if he was to find Gaius. He stood outside the double doors and took a deep breath. Carefully, he reached out and grabbed the handle. With more finesse than he thought he possessed, he managed to gingerly pull the door open and quickly step inside.

There was boisterous laughter and camaraderie inside the hall. No one seemed to even notice his entrance because of it. So he stood there trying to look around and guess which one might be Gaius. There was a table set along the opposite end of the room that was perpendicular to the other two that stretched the length of the hall. Knights, nobles and courtiers clustered in groups throughout the room. He wondered if he would have to go around and ask them all if they were Gaius.

Fortunately enough for Merlin, a servant girl did notice his entrance and befuddled expression and took pity on him. First glancing around to make sure she wasn't needed, she then made her way over to him. "Hello," she said starling him. "Can I help you with something?"

"Oh, Hi." The young man looked at the girl. He was intrigued by the sadness in her eyes despite her cheery voice. "Yeah, well, I was looking for someone."

"I gathered that. You seemed to be out of place." She nodded, then quickly added, "Not that you don't belong here, because you might but just that you seemed new."

"That's because I am," Merlin smiled. Sticking out his hand he said, "My name's Merlin."

"Gwen," she answered as she shook the proffered hand. "So who're you looking for?"

"The Court Physician, Gaius."

Gwen frowned a little before turning and pointing toward the middle of the room where two men seemed to be discussing something of great import. One was a well built man, who wore a fine royal blue tunic and cape to match, a golden circlet around his broad brow and peppered hair. His face half covered by a thick beard that seemed more like a continuation of his shoulder length hair. The man he was talking to wore a simple robe and looked much older than the former. "He's over there talking with the King." Then she curtseyed, muttered something like, "I must go," and left.

Merlin wasn't a complete idiot, he could guess which one was the king and which was the physician. Taking a deep breath, he began to carefully weave his way through the crowd to get closer to them, that way he could catch Gaius the moment they finished. When he was within five paces of the King, he heard a snigger just past his ear. Curious, he glanced around to see two Knights leaning into each other. Both had their eyes on something just beyond Merlin's sight, the throng of people shielding whatever had their interest. The Knight sneered, "Want to have a little fun?"

The young man tsked the Knight's behavior. He assumed they were talking about the conquest of some fair courtier, he would soon find out how wrong he was. Merlin pushed past the Knights and stopped. He didn't want to interrupt the King, so he would just have to wait. He watched the pair intently. That was when he noticed the King's goblet waving in the air, empty. He was obviously trying to draw the attention of some servant to refill it. He heard a strange metal jangle and looked for the source.

Amused the Knights were chuckling as a servant boy walked past. A quick movement called Merlin's awareness to the foot that shot out and tripped the boy. As the servant stumbled, the pitcher in his hands lurched and the contents splashed out. Not even meaning to do it, Merlin watched in horror before everything suddenly froze. The water hung menacingly in the air, aimed directly for the King and Gaius. Without thinking, he quickly pushed them out of the way as time resumed and he found himself suddenly soaked. Behind him, he heard that strange jangle again and the pitcher hit the floor and shattered.

King Vortigan looked outraged. Turning to Merlin, he barked, "What is going on here?!"

Merlin fumbled for an answer, "Sorry, Sire, Highness, uh, but I wasn't sure you would appreciate a bath right now, my Lord." Frowning, Merlin assessed himself. He was wet, but it wasn't as bad as he thought it could have been.

The King looked Merlin over once and demanded, "How did you do it?"

"Do? I didn't do… anything."

"Don't be so daft, boy. We still embrace the old ways and that was magic." At the same time, two things happened. Merlin continued his vain attempts at hiding his talents and a derisive snort sounded from behind Merlin drawing the King's attention. A young man with mussed blonde hair was kneeling on the floor trying to gather the shattered pieces of the pitcher. "Something you would like to add?"

Cold blue eyes full of defiance and hate turned up to glare at the King, "Magic is evil."

And even though the young servant never took his eyes off the King, Merlin felt the words cut him like a knife. He sucked in a breath, suddenly desperate for air. The sound was masked by the mocking laughter of the King and his Knights. His heart beat faster as he watched this strange interaction.

King Vortigan slowly made his way to the young man's side and looked down his nose at him. "That's what your father's told you. His purge cost him the respect of his people. What good did it do for him when he couldn't win the war?"

The young man did not look up at the man who hovered over him. And even though he was knelt down before this King, he squared his shoulders and spoke in a sharp clear tone, "You will not speak of my father in such a manner. He is a-"

The sudden movement and loud smack that followed made everyone engrossed in the scene jump. The blonde's cheek was bright red and the slightest touch of crimson clung to the corner of his mouth. The King leaned down threateningly and hissed in the servant's ear. "You will not give me orders. I give the orders. I am King. Any power you had is gone now. Do you understand me, Arthur?"

Realization suddenly crashed over Merlin causing him to take an involuntary step backward. This servant was no mere servant, but the former Prince of Camelot, Arthur Pendragon. He couldn't help but scrutinize the defiant young man kneeling on the floor more closely. The blonde hair was tousled and unkempt. There were traces of fading bruises along cheekbone and chest. And Merlin could finally place that jangle he heard before. The chain-bound manacles must have been biting into the young man's wrists for some time as the skin was rubbed raw beneath them.

But none of that compared to the cold steel of Arthur's eyes. There was seething hate swimming in those pools the likes of which made even Merlin flinch away. The young sorcerer thought the King lucky that those eyes were not turned on him, or he would surely be dead. Instead, Arthur had resumed his empty glare directly ahead of him at nothing in particular. He had to admire the former Prince for his ability to defy his enemy so fiercely. Idly, Merlin wondered what kind of king Arthur would have made.

His attention was snapped back to reality the instant Arthur's head snapped to the side again. Vortigan growled, "Do you understand me? Or do we have to involve your father or Morgana?"

Slowly, Arthur straightened up, the muscles along his jaw twitching from restrained anger. It seemed to take all his concentration to calmly answer, "Yes, I understand."

"Yes, what?"

Through teeth clenched so tight, Merlin could hear them grinding even from five steps away, Arthur managed, "Yes, Sire."

This seemed to pacify the King immediately. He looked up at the crowd and placed his hand on the prince's head. "Now it seems that a bout of clumsiness has gotten the better of you," Vortigan began.

Arthur argued, "I was tripped!"

Vortigan silenced the young man's protests by gripping the hair beneath his fingers and yanking hard. Pretending as if Arthur said nothing, the King went on, "And you enjoy making a mess of my Castle. I think, as a lesson to you, that you clean all the floors of the castle and all the dishes in the kitchen before the night is out."

"One man couldn't possibly do all that in one night!" Arthur protested.

"Then you should have considered your actions more carefully before dumping your water all over…" Vortigan paused and looked at Merlin expectantly.

It took a moment for the young sorcerer to figure out what the King was waiting for, but when he did, he hurriedly said, "Uh, M-merlin, my name's Merlin." He tried to smile but it faltered quickly when he glanced down at Arthur.

Vortigan continued, "Right, Merlin. Now I suggest you get started right away. You have a long night ahead of you." His court laughed as the King yanked the boy up by the hair still entwined in his fingers and pushed Arthur towards some guards. "See that he starts now. Make sure no one helps him. You may switch guards every few hours until he's done," instructed Vortigan.

As Arthur was being lead away, Vortigan returned his attention back to the sorcerer. "So, Merlin, what brings you to my court?"

"Actually, I was looking for Gaius." Merlin answered honestly.

At this news, the physician moved around the young man and stared at Merlin's face for a moment. A look of familiarity crossed the old man's features before breaking in to a smile, "God's breath, you're Hunith's boy!"

"Yup, that's me."

Vortigan interjected, "And your purpose in Camelot?"

"To find work, Sire."

"Well, that is easily remedied. You can work for me, as my Court Sorcerer."

"Oh, no," Merlin backed away. "You don't want me for that. I wouldn't be any good to you."

"Nonsense! What you did before was incredible."

"That? That was just… instinct, I would say. I don't really know anything else."

"Don't be so modest. Even if you didn't know anything else, you're natural talents alone are enough to convince me. And with you on my side, no one could defeat me!"

"Sire? Sire, please. I would be worthless to you. I don't know any spells."

"Then you will learn. I will find all the books you require so you can build on that foundation. You will have them tomorrow. Now, come, we shall celebrate our new Sorcerer!"

The rest of the night was more or less a blur for Merlin. The King had introduced everyone in his court to the warlock. By the end, most of the people had managed to crawl back to their rooms. It was in the growing silence that Merlin's curiosity got the better of him. "Sire, may I ask why you would be keeping the son of you enemy alive? Is that not dangerous?"

"Not any more dangerous than killing him."

"How can you say that?"

"Simple. I have only just conquered these people, Merlin. And even though many of them have accepted me as their ruler, they still respect Arthur Pendragon as well. He is the backbone of Camelot on which everything stands. If I had killed him, he would have become their martyr, rallying them to his cause. They would resist and more death would ensue. But by keeping him alive, I have the chance to crush his people to my will."

"I don't understand."

"As the battle drew to an end, there were only a few left in Camelot's army still fighting. One of them was young Pendragon. If not subdued, I am certain Arthur would have decimated the remainder of my army before we would be able to take him down. He is an excellent fighter, strong and powerful."

"Then how did you catch him."

"Because of Uther. He was wounded but not severely so. When we knew we had the King, we drug him to where Arthur still fought. We told him to throw down his sword or we would kill Uther. And he did."

"Then you killed Uther?"

"No, he is locked in the tower. Arthur is not allowed to see him. Same with Morgana, his father's ward."

"I still don't get it. Why not just kill them now that you have Arthur?"

"Because they are leverage. Alive, I can hold them over Arthur's head and he will do as he is told. As I said, Arthur is Camelot's pillar. There is still resistance to my rule among its people. In order to break them, I must first break Arthur. Once they see their Prince submit completely to me, they will follow."

It was a twisted and sound logic. However, the cruel smile on Vortigan's face as he talked of breaking Arthur turned Merlin's stomach. He had the distinct feeling, the King would enjoy crushing Arthur's defiance. And he knew that it was going to be a long and painful process. Merlin didn't know who he felt sorrier for.

The excitement of the day mixed with all the mead he drank, Merlin decided he couldn't think about the former Prince any more. He stumbled along with Gaius as they headed back to the physician's quarters. Merlin asked to stay there even after Vortigan offered him his own room. There was something about being all alone that didn't sit well with Merlin. Besides, in the few moments he had visited Gaius' room, he felt comfortable there. Flopping on to his new bed, Merlin drifted into an easy slumber.

- M – E – R – L – I – N –

So how was it? Good, bad, wretched? Please review and let me know! I don't want to sick the Dragon on you. ;)

Thanks for reading!

~Ari :D