Hunting. It always had to be hunting, because God forbid Arthur find a way to destress that didn't involve murdering innocent little creatures. They hadn't caught anything yet, but the king seemed more intent on conversing with his closest knights- his closest friends- than he was actually making a kill. This didn't stop him from complaining about Merlin, though.
"Could you at least try and be quiet? You've scared off half the forest already," Arthur bellowed. It was a little counter-productive, and Merlin made sure to point that out. "Shut up Merlin."
They had two days, one night, before they needed to return to Camelot. Arthur masterfully shot a doe, the only kill of the day, and called it quits. Fire crackled in the middle of a small clearing as the knights claimed sleeping spots. The best and closest to the fire was always taken by the king himself, but there was an unspoken rule that the servant got the next best spot. A lovely aroma lofted through the air as dinner was served.
"Delicious as always Merlin!" Gwaine spoke between bites, and it was the only compliment the servant had received all day. That didn't bother the warlock though, as long as he still had some food left for him. That one time they had gone after the dragon egg worked out in his favor, but it was still mean in the end. A slight frown wormed its way onto his face as he left to grab more firewood.
Merlin never worried too much about fitting in; he was bound to stick out like a sore thumb no matter where he went. And yet, something about the past few days had seemed even more off. Ever since sorcerers started turning up, doubts of his destiny plagued him more than ever. Would Arthur ever really trust him, or would his friend hate him forever. Gwaine didn't, but neither did the knight think his friend would take it well. Arthur seemed so much closer to the knights and warier of Merlin as of late, and it had him on edge.
Maybe Merlin made a mistake. Maybe destiny wasn't as set in stone.
"Mate, you look like we've killed your favorite dog. Cheer up." With a sigh and a fake smile, Merlin joined the group around the fire, voices rising with the smoke.
"How hard do you think a spell is to cast?" Arthur's voice cut through the silence that had comfortable fallen as each meal was finished. Merlin nearly jumped. He continued, "I mean, we see sorcerers do it all the time. Just a few words and someone is dead. Out of all the ways to kill somebody, it has to be the easiest, right?"
Merlin wanted to protest, to say that taking a life is always hard, but it wasn't true. How many had died from his own magic, after all? It was, in a sense, easier.
"Anyone here actually know a spell? I don't know how someone can remember all those weird sounds." It was Leon this time.
"What about for fire, forbearnan, right?" Merlin thought of every spell he could use to prank Gwaine. He trusted the man, too! The servant could feel the nervous sweat begin to form, and his foot was tapping away before he knew it. This couldn't be happening, right?
"Well, let's see you try it then, if you think you know it so well." Did Arthur really just ask one of his men to try and use magic? Merlin felt faint at that point. Gwaine waved his hand towards the extra wood pile and flamboyantly attempted to light it.
"Nothing, sorry. Percival?" And like that, they each went around the circle attempting to light the wood with magic: Gwaine, Percival, Leon, and then Elyan. And as each person went, it got closer to Merlin.
"Well, Merlin, it's your turn." His face was as paper, and his hand shook as he brought it upward. He shared a glance with Gwaine, before butchering the pronunciation, and failing the spell.
The second fire still unlit, Arthur began shaking his head.
"Are you serious, Merlin? A powerful warlock can't even light a fire, can't even say the spell right! Do I have to do everything myself?" Arthur bemoaned.
"Wha-"
"Fine, Merlin. I'll light the fire." The king's eyes glowed gold as his hand shot out, and the pile was overcome by flames. This time, Merlin did startle, before getting on his feet out shouting.
"You utter prat!" Arthur briefly wondered if pissing off a warlock was wise, as Merlin's eyes were bright and gold and quite scary at that moment. "I can't believe you knew! I can't believe you have magic! How long, Arthur? How long?" The wind began whipping around the camp as the trees howled and creaked.
"How long, Merlin? A couple months for me. What can you really complain about though? How long have you been lying to me?" Arthur jabbed. A small branch fell a few feet away. Yes, maybe this hadn't been a good idea. When did he ever think it was a good idea to listen to Gwaine?
"No, you're supposed to be angry, not- whatever this is! Not have magic, for certain!"
"I'm the king, Merlin, you can't tell me what to do." The familiar banter brought Merlin to a screeching halt. His anger morphed into laughter that bordered hysteria. The mini storm blew over as Merlin's eyes returned to their natural blue.
"I hate you, all of you," Merlin managed to say before the tears began, but there was no true menace behind it. "I feared for my life, Arthur. I thought you would kill me if you ever knew. You have absolutely no idea what our lives are like! Even outside of Camelot, magic users are persecuted. You've never had to fear for your life simply because of who you are!" As soon as it let his mouth, however, he knew that it was a lie.
"Don't tell me that, Merlin. Assassinations aren't rare for princes, or for kings. No, maybe it wasn't as prominent as your fear, but everyone here knows what it's like to risk their lives. You've just done it in the shadows until now."
"I never wanted to lie to you."
"I know, because neither did I."
"Then why did you?" Merlin inquired.
"Honestly, I thought you were afraid of magic," Arthur hesitantly admitted. The knights, all silent, struggled to hold their laughter as Merlin's eyebrows went up in mocking surprise. "Shut up Merlin! You always looked so terrified every time magic was mentioned, I thought you'd hate me. I didn't even tell the knights until months after."
"Where did you learn magic?"
"… so I was drunk-"
AN: Thank you everyone who has stuck with me. Sorry about the delayed chapter. I have been so busy the past few weeks with band camp, work, and family. I hope you enjoyed this story!
