"Sire?" Arthur noticed the slight widening of his uncle's eyes before they returned to normal. "Is something the matter, Arthur?"
"I believe there is, Agravaine. We're searching for the traitor in our midst."
"Did you find him, my Lord?"
"We're still in the process. My manservant here seems to be convinced that you're the traitor that we're looking for."
Arthur watched Agravaine sharply. The older man's face tensed before it took on an offended look.
"Arthur, I'd never do anything to betray you. You're my blood, the only reminder that I have left of my beloved sister. Your boy has clearly lost his mind if he thinks that I could ever do such a thing."
His heart clenched when Agravaine mentioned his mother but he schooled his features.
"I'm sure that is true, Uncle. But you see, this boy here," he jerked his head in Merlin's direction, "might be an idiot and a laughably incompetent servant most of the times. But there are instances where he's been shown to possess something I can only describe as wisdom. He was quite persuasive and insistent in his argument and so I've decided to indulge him."
"You would believe a servant boy but not your own uncle?"
Anger flared in Arthur at the way Agravaine so degradingly referred to servants. "This servant boy here has proved himself many a time. So yes, I choose to believe him."
If he'd seen Merlin, he would have seen how the boy's face turned a deep shade of red from the praise.
"Besides, I'm sure you have nothing to hide, correct?"
"And what will you do when you find that your pet is wrong?"
"I'll punish him myself," Arthur lied smoothly. There was no way he'd ever do anything to harm Merlin, even if said servant was wrong.
But, as he now spoke to Agravaine, the possibility of Merlin's suspicions turning out to be false seemed almost remote. Arthur was starting to realize that Agravaine could very well be the traitor. It was starting to make sense now.
"But since you've repeatedly pointed out that you only want what's best for Camelot, I'm sure that you wouldn't mind if a search of your quarters was carried out. Right?"
"Of course not, Arthur. I only wish the very best for you and your kingdom."
"Very good. Guards."
The four guards closed the doors of the room after everyone was inside and began to vigorously search the place. The wardrobe, storage cupboards, inside the pillows, underneath the carpet, the mattress and even any lose floorboards.
"Sire, are you sure about this?" Leon whispered.
"Quite so, Leon."
"You think I'm wise, Arthur?" He turned to look at his manservant who was sporting that typical childlike and most certainly not adorable grin of his.
The King rolled his eyes and pulled Merlin's ear. "I think you're an absolute dollophead with enormous ears who just so happens to be prone to accidental bouts of wisdom which prove quite useful."
"That's my word," the younger man protested, rubbing his ear.
"But it fits you like a glove."
The search went on for a while longer and by the time the guards were done, the bedroom looked like it had recently fallen victim to come natural calamity.
They found nothing.
Agravaine turned to Arthur and Leon. "As you can see, I've got nothing to hide. Like I said, I would never do anything to harm Camelot, sire. The boy was obviously lying and I would like to see him suitably punished for such bold and untrue accusations."
"I want him flogged."
Since Merlin had been standing almost shoulder to shoulder with Arthur, the man felt his servant tense up next to him. He surreptitiously reached up and gave the boy's elbow a quick squeeze in order to reassure him.
Flogging servants wasn't unheard of. While the practice was nearly nonexistent in Camelot, it was fairly common in other kingdoms.
Sometimes, if a servant committed a crime such as thievery or a small act of treason, they were whipped in the dungeons. Such punishments were only carried out with the King's permission though.
Though his father had believed in such extreme methods of discipline, albeit rarely, he himself possessed a very different opinion in this matter.
He could never do anything to hurt a servant, especially if that servant was Merlin.
That's when Arthur noticed the satchel handing from Agravaine's shoulder as well as his cloak. He'd previously asked the older man if he was going anywhere but had gotten no reply.
"Were you going somewhere, Uncle?"
Arthur could've sworn he saw the man's face turn white just a little. "Just a walk, Arthur. It felt a bit hot in here."
No one would want to go for a walk now. It was very cold in Camelot, especially with winter right around the corner. Plus, that satchel wasn't necessary for a simple walk in the palace grounds. Something was off about him.
That was the moment it all became very clear to Arthur. Agravaine was lying.
"I see. Guards, frisk him please." He ignored the surprised looks that he received from Leon and Merlin too.
"What? That is preposterous, Arthur. I'm a Lord in the castle. I will not allow myself to be humiliated this way on the mere whim of a lowly, mouthy servant."
"Oh it's not his whim anymore, Agravaine. It's mine."
"You think—"
"Yes, Uncle, I think so. And yes, it is true that Merlin is the one who actually made me see it. Men, now."
Before Agravaine could even move a muscle, two of the guards had him by the arms while another stepped forward to search him.
"How dare you? Unhand me this instant! I demand that you release me immediately!" Agravaine thrashed violently in the guards' hold and they had to physically restrain him more firmly.
"Arthur, what is the meaning of this? I am a Lord and your uncle! You cannot treat me like an insignificant commoner. Let me go right this ins—"
"Do shut up, Uncle."
Merlin openly snickered at that and even the normally reserved Leon had to suppress a smile.
"Sire!"
The guard pulled out a slightly flattened roll of parchment from inside Agravaine's robes and handed it to the King.
When Arthur unrolled it, every trace of mirth left his face. The siege tunnels. There was only one answer to all this.
He was in league with Morgana.
"What is the meaning of this, Agravaine?" Arthur's voice was cold as the grave and it almost seemed like the temperature in the room dropped by several degrees. All occupants in the room, including Merlin flinched.
"I can expl—"
"You mean to tell me that you can explain why the plans of the siege tunnels were inside your pocket and not in the map room under lock and key?"
"Sire, I—"
"Can you explain why you have been lying to my face all these months under the guise of being my advisor?"
"How could you possibly explain why you are betraying my kingdom and colluding with our worst enemy?"
"Because my sister is dead! And that's your fault!"
Arthur's breath caught in his throat at such a harsh mention of his late mother.
"My beloved sister Ygraine is dead! She died because you were born! She died because your father so desperately wanted an heir. Were it not for you, my sister would have been alive today. It's your fault that she is dead."
Agravaine's chest was heaving by the time he was done.
Arthur felt like he couldn't breathe. He'd always known that his mother had died giving birth to him and that very fact hounded him to this day. But to hear someone say it out loud and so brusquely, was another matter altogether.
"Don't listen to him, Arthur. He's a traitor, nothing more."
Merlin's words somehow managed to break through his trance and he found his voice.
"Leon, please escort the traitor to the dungeons and have him restrained. I will deal with him in the morning."
"Yes, sire."
The captain of the knights led the guards towards the dungeons as they dragged a struggling Agravaine with them.
Once they were gone, Arthur turned on heel and stormed out of the traitor's chambers.
Merlin was right behind. He was worried about his master's current state of mind. Agravaine has dealt a low blow and it was clearly working on Arthur.
"Ar—"
"I'm tired, Merlin. Go and make the bed."
Merlin didn't argue. He simply obeyed. He knew that the man would talk when he was ready. So, he set about on his assigned task, making sure to take as much time as possible to complete the chore.
As expected, ten minutes into his work and his King spoke.
"What Agravaine said, he wasn't completely wrong. My mother did die giving birth to me."
Merlin wished he could tell Arthur the truth about his mother's death. That Uther had indeed worked with a sorcerer and used magic for Arthur's birth. Instead he settled for the next best thing: comfort.
"That was in no way your fault, Arthur. You were only a baby. Agravaine just said that so he could get to you. He's a coward and a traitor. You're above him, Arthur."
He was done making the bed and found his master sitting at the table, nursing a glass of wine.
"Everyone I ever loved either betrayed me or left me. My mother died shortly after I was born, my father lied to me about Morgana's parentage, Morgana herself betrayed me and the entire kingdom, and now Agravaine who was supposed to be my advisor."
"Arth—"
"Sometimes, I can't help but feel like you're the only one who's never lied or kept anything from me. You're the only one I can wholly trust, Merlin."
A knife in the gut would've hurt less.
If only you knew, Arthur.
Merlin did lie and was hiding his life's biggest secret from his master, King and brother. He was the one who'd lied to Arthur the most. He felt horrible about it but was utterly helpless. He dreaded to think of the day the man would uncover the truth about his magic.
"Why don't you get some sleep, sire? You have a long day ahead of you."
Merlin accepted the empty glass of wine from the King and set it down on the table. "That's a sensible idea coming from a dimwit like you."
Arthur stood up and made his way to bed. He didn't bother taking off his shoes and just fell right in.
Merlin slipped off Arthur's boots and pulled the covers over him. When he bent down to blow out the candle on the nightstand, his King put a hand out and lightly squeezed the back of Merlin's neck before moving his hand higher up and ruffling his hair.
"You're a good brother, Merlin. A dismally poor and clumsy servant, but a very good brother."
The words were somewhat slurred since Arthur himself was half asleep but a lump formed in Merlin's throat when he heard them.
"Thank you, brother."
The next morning, Arthur awoke by himself which was a rarity. He wasn't awoken by Merlin's childish, annoying—and yes, he was man enough to admit it: somewhat endearing— wake up call.
He pushed himself up into a sitting position and that's when he saw Merlin.
The boy was curled up on the floor with his knees drawn to his chest and his thin arms wrapped around himself.
Touched and even a bit humbled by Merlin's concern, Arthur got out of bed and crouched down in front of his manservant who most certainly wasn't adorable.
"Merlin, wake up. I need my breakfast and you need to help me get ready for today's meeting." He gently snapped his fingers before rubbing his knuckles against Merlin's head.
The servant's eyes fluttered open and he looked at Arthur. "Good morning, my Lord. Did your Majesty have a good night's sleep?"
There it was. It was that heartwarming, cheeky tone coupled with that goofy grin which made him smile even during his lowest moments.
Honestly, he felt much better than he had last night. Agravaine's taunts didn't bother him anymore. Now, all he felt was a burning anger towards that cowardly bastard who'd dared to threaten his kingdom.
He was more than ready to deal with Agravaine.
"Were you really here all night, Merlin?"
His doubts were confirmed when his manservant turned red and rubbed the base of his neck. "I didn't want you to feel alone."
Merlin had said the exact same words on the day of his coronation.
In a rare show of affection, Arthur ran a quick hand through his baby brother's hair before giving the younger's ear a playful tug.
"Thank you, Merlin." He cleared his throat so as to not sound like an utter sap when he spoke.
"My breakfast, Merlin. Then, we have a certain traitor to punish."
Merlin stood up and grinned mischievously. "So what do you have in store for Agravaine?"
Arthur smirked and slung an arm around Merlin's shoulders. "I happen to have a lot of creative ideas up my sleeve which include but are not limited to drowning in boiling oil, a flogging, running naked through a field of cacti and so much more."
"Are you serious?"
Arthur rolled his eyes. "I wish. But he is going to pay. Dearly."
"So the turnip head finally sees sense?"
Arthur whacked Merlin on the back of his head. "Merlin?"
"Yes, Arthur?"
"If I don't have my breakfast in front of me in the next ten minutes, I will see to it that you are subjected to all those forms of torture I just spoke about. Clear?"
"Yes, sire. Absolutely, sire!"
Once Merlin all but ran out of the room, Arthur should his head fondly. Idiot.
He had a long day ahead of him, starting with the trial of one treacherous, backstabbing lord.
Next chapter: Agravaine gets his just desserts. I can't wait to have that one uploaded. I'm a real sucker for bromance so that explains the Merlin and Arthur scenes in my stories.
Until then, R&R this one. Hope you guys liked it!