Hey! Long time no post, I know. But. My computer crashed. So. But I'm back! And here is the next chapter. Hope you enjoy.
Chapter 9
Gwen is arranging flowers in one of the many vases placed in Morgana's room for that very purpose when Merlin bursts in, little dark haired boy in tow. He blabbers something about druids and guards. Morgana, who has had years of practice understanding Gwen's babble (and Gwen is honest enough to admit that sometimes it isn't easy for people to discover the point she tries to make), gracefully rises and gently pushes the little boy behind her changing screen. Merlin instantly looks grateful, and then blushes like he always does when in Morgana's presence.
A while ago, Gwen would have felt a twinge of jealousy, but now, she just finds it adorable and a little heart-breaking (because Merlin has a better chance with Arthur than he does with Morgana). And speaking of Arthur….
All three turn towards the door as they hear footsteps in the corridor, and Gwen, from the corner of her eye sees Merlin dive under the bed. She frowns in bewilderment, opening her mouth to ask him what he is doing, when Arthur bursts in, guards in tow. She blushes as she spots one particular guard, and misses Morgana's words to Arthur, who turns bright red at whatever was said and promptly orders the guards to wait outside. Then he proceeds to search the room, Morgana sniping at him every instant, until, red and fuming, he turns to go out, just as he reaches the screen. Then, probably to annoy Morgana, he looks under the bed. And stops.
Xxxx
Arthur doesn't really expect to find anything under the bed (because he doubts his 'sister' would be so unoriginal. No, if she was harbouring a fugitive of the law, she probably would have hidden him somewhere clever, like behind her changing screen or something), but he knows Morgana's eyes are automatically narrowing at the implication that he thinks she is.
And then he sees a pair of big blue eyes blinking innocently up at him from the darkness. He blinks back in stupefied surprise for a minute before recognising the gleam of mischief-innocence-concern. He sighs, and then hauls his recalcitrant manservant from under the bed, holding him by the scruff of his neck like an overgrown puppy, giving him a stern look.
"After the search ends, you and I will be having a talk on why you shouldn't be in the bedroom of the King's Ward at any point of time, Merlin."
His wayward frie-manservant just grins at him, and opens his mouth, probably to make some quip that will either cause him a day in the stocks, or an argument which will end with the same result. Morgana, who probably sees that as well, interjects smoothly. "Merlin is always welcome in my chambers, Arthur. After all, unlike some people, he actually has some manners."
Arthur, well used to dealing with Morgana, can hear the chime of sweet fondness in her tone, and ignores the statement, choosing, instead to draw himself to his full height. With all of his royal dignity drawn around him like a cloak, he addresses the people in the room. "Well, then. As I am no longer welcome here, I will take leave of My Lady. Guinevere." He nods at Morgana and her servant in turn, then turns to face Merlin, to order him to attend to him, then freezes. Because Merlin has a flash of quickly hidden relief in his eyes, and sort of defiant fire quickly hidden by mock obedience and repentance as Arthur turns, but why would Merlin be relieved –
Oh. His first thought is that he and Morgana are…lovers. But there is a different type of relief, and Arthur suddenly remembers that he never actually searched Morgana's room completely.
She probably would have hidden him somewhere clever, like behind her changing screen or something.
Anger suddenly rears up in Arthur's stomach, and he strides to Morgana's changing screen, noting from the corner of his eye that Merlin rapidly pales, and Gwen gives a quickly stifled gasp. The anger grows, and he pushes the screen aside forcefully. Betrayal abruptly joins the churning mass of emotions inside him as he takes in the sight – a pale, dark haired boy, obviously a druid based on his clothes and the hint of a tattoo on his shoulder, cringing at the sight of him, before pressing himself against the wall as his small face rapidly pales like Merlin's had.
Arthur wants to grab the boy and pull him out, into the open, but even with the ragepainbetrayal clawing at him, he still cannot, will not, endanger Morgana, will not implicate her with breaking the law. So he leaves the boy there, and turns to his….(what? Friends? No. Companions? He isn't sure he can even trust them). He clears his throat, trying to speak past the sudden obstruction in his throat. He turns to Morgana, the one he considers his sister in all but blood.
"I will not bring down Father's ire on your head, nor will I besmirch your name by implicating you in a crime." He holds his hand up when Morgana opens her mouth to argue, the familiar rebellious light shining in her eyes. "No, Morgana. That is the only reason I am not leading that sorcerer out of here in chains. Do you understand?" Morgana blinks, then her mouth twists in disgust, while her eyes get a lost look in them, of sorrow and anger and resignation, and any other time Arthur would have wanted nothing more than to remove that look from her eyes, but he is too angry, too hurt himself. "Merlin." His servant flinches, then nods, understanding, even now, what Arthur wants.
Arthur walks out then, his heart crying in anger and his soul screaming at the betrayal. And he can feel Merlin follow, as he has always done.
Xxxxx
When they enter Arthur's room, Merlin automatically locks the door after him, and Arthur is hit with a sudden moment of nostalgia, because this is how they have spent many afternoons together, plotting and planning together, defending Camelot from her magical enemies.
And now Merlin was apparently helping those same enemies.
The swirling mass of feelings rush up, threatening to choke him; for a moment he can't breath-
-Merlin withdraws his hand when he sees that Arthur has regained control of his breathing, but blue eyes still watch him in concern.
Arthur calms himself with some effort, and then speaks. "Why?"
Merlin is still looking at him, but the concern has changed to wariness. "Why what?"
Arthur cannot help it. "Damn it Merlin. You were aiding and abetting a criminal. You were breaking the law! And for what? Some sorcerer?"
Wariness changes to anger. "No! For some child!" Arthur steps back, startled at the vehemence, and the thought. "He's just a boy, Arthur. He has done nothing wrong except to have magic. Would you really punish a child for something he cannot control?"
Arthur feels insulted at the slur against his character. "I wouldn't! But he is still a sorcerer, Merlin. By the laws of Camelot he should be dead…"
Merlin's eyes dim, and his voice is impossibly soft as he interrupts. "I'm a sorcerer too, Arthur."
Arthur's eyes widen. He had forgotten. Merlin was Merlin, with or without magic.
"Would you see me beheaded? Or burned at the stake? Or is there some other barbaric way in which you kill people for something that they cannot control?" Merlin's voice is growing steadily in strength, but is still as soft as before, and Arthur finds himself shaking, sick at the thought of Merlin dead, of the cheerful-kind-mischief extinguished from those blue eyes.
There is a pause, and then Merlin continues, more gently. "I was born with magic, Arthur. By the laws of Camelot, I was a criminal before I spoke my first word, took my first step. I was a boy who was a sorcerer. Would you want me dead?"
Arthur grits his teeth. Merlin nods, as if he has answered, and unlocks the door. "I will return with your lunch, Sire." The bow he gives is formal and polite, and when he leaves, he closes the door gently, like a perfect servant.
Arthur sits on his bed and thinks.
Xxxxx
When Merlin returns with lunch, he is greeted to the sight of Arthur in a cloak, dressing to go out. Such a state of affairs is such a surprise that Merlin simply stands in the doorway gaping for a good while before Arthur sees him, greets him with a cheerful 'There you are, stop standing there with your mouth open Merlin, you look like a buffoon.' Then he sails out of the room with all the pomp and gaiety of a nobleman at a banquet.
Merlin follows him rather dubiously, still a little shell-shocked at this new version of Arthur. He snaps out of it when he realises that they are at Morgana's chambers.
"Arthur, what-"
"Shut up, Merlin."
The door opens just as Merlin opens his mouth to try again, confused and terrified for the druid boy. Morgana looks out in full court mode, regal and beautiful. When she sees Arthur, however, her aloof smile falls and she glares. "Arthur-"
Arthur sails past her with a "not now, Morgana" as he heads straight to the screen. Gwen, making the bed, gives a gasp, and Merlin begins to hope desperately that Morgana managed to help the boy escape. Arthur pushes the screen aside and Merlin groans because apparently his hopes are destined to remain unfulfilled. The boy looks worse, pale and shivering, though sweat pours down his face, and Merlin can tell that he is sick. Arthur very calmly approaches the boy, who flinches away. Morgana is slowly turning puce, and from the glare in her sea-green eyes (and such pretty eyes they are, Merlin thinks absently), she has come to the end of her patience. She opens her mouth to scream at Arthur, and then closes it in shock when Arthur speaks.
"My name is Arthur. What is yours?"
The boy looks up at him with something approaching confusion, and then Merlin watches in stupefaction as the child apparently decides he has nothing to lose, and resignation crosses his face.
"My name is Mordred." Merlin startles at the high voice, soft with exhaustion. Arthur just nods.
"Well Mordred, you're pretty strong if you managed to stay conscious for this long. I have known grown men succumb to their wounds long before this. My manservant is a physician in training; he will bandage your wound." Merlin automatically moves forward, mind still reeling from the implication of what he is witnessing. He kneels down by Arthur's side and gently uncovers the boy's wound. He hisses when he sees it, for it is inflamed, lines of infection beginning to form. He looks at Arthur, who simple says, "Do your thing, Merlin." And tosses him a roll of bandages.
Merlin takes that as permission to do magic, and he feels it rise to his command, entering the wound and burning away the infection. Gaius had tried to teach him to use words, but he and Arthur had quickly come to the conclusion that instinctive magic worked best. He is vaguely aware of Arthur drawing the screen shut behind, hiding him and his patient from view, but pays it little attention, engrossed in his task. Mordred looks on solemnly.
Xxxx
Arthur quickly draws the screen shut when he sees Merlin's eyes flash, and turns to face the girls. Morgana walks forward and stares at him, and he is suddenly reminded of a nine year old Morgana, seizing him up, measuring his worth. Now too, as then, she appears to see something in him, for her eyes warm, and she suddenly hugs him. He hugs her back, for a brief while, savouring the feeling of love, before he gently pushes her away and waits for her to collect herself.
Morgana looks up after a while. "Thank you." Arthur just shrugs, uncomfortable.
Merlin emerges at that point, with a heavily bandaged Mordred in tow.
Xxxxxx
When Uther asks Arthur if they found the sorcerer, he bows his head and confesses, mournfully, that they did not, that the sorcerer had left Camelot. He stands with his head bowed in shame as his father lectures him about the importance of purging magic from the land. And he remembers the grateful smile on Mordred's face as he ran to join the druids. And he remembers the look of pride on Merlin's face, and the press of Morgana's arms around his neck, and he feels happier than he has for a long time.
Xxxxxx
Merlin tells him later that the Dragon said that Mordred would kill Arthur. Arthur looks at him, and then lets out a breath. "It doesn't matter." He cuts off Merlin's protest. "I don't want to die just yet. But…you were right. He is just a boy. And I will not murder children for crimes they have no control over, nor," he looks at Merlin seriously, "for crimes they have not yet committed."
Merlin looks at Arthur, and then smiles, and Arthur sees in that smile, all the pride he feels for Arthur.
"You will be a great king, Arthur. And I will be honoured to stay by your side to see that."
There you go! Hope you liked it. Do review and tell me what you think, whether you liked it or not. Bye!