Three weeks had passed and Merlin had started to become used to being the royal healer. Arthur had not left Merlin alone win Uther or Agravaine because he was worried that the would bully Merlin. He had no idea of what was to come.

Merlin and Arthur were asleep and the were spooned together in bed, Merlin was the first to wake up and he smiled when he realised that Arthur was hugging him. But then the warlock realised that he had no shirt on, therefore he scarred back was exposed. Merlin laid there for a moment before he sniffled and he wiggled his way out of the prince's embrace.

Merlin walked over to the wardrobe but then he saw his reflexion in the Arthur's armour. He stopped and he used magic to create a mirror so that he could see the reflexion of his back. He turned around and then he looked over his shoulder, he saw all of the scars on his back and he held back tears.

"I look horrible". Merlin sniffled.

Arthur woke up when he had the feeling that he was alone in bed, he reached out but all that he grasped was the duvet. He opened his eyes and he heard someone sniffle or begin to cry, he sat up and he saw that Merlin was looking at his reflexion in a mirror "Merlin?"

Merlin jumped and his concentration broke, the mirror fell and it shattered on impact with the flooring "Shit. I'm so sorry".

Arthur hurriedly got out of bed and he walked over to Merlin, "It's alright. What's wrong? Why we're you looking at your back?"

"I look horrible. I have scars on my back" Merlin sniffled.

"Can I see?" Arthur asked.

Merlin nodded and he turned around so that Arthur could see his scar covered back.

Arthur stared at all of Merlin's scars and he ran his fingers along the scars, he then wrapped his arms around Merlin's waist and he hugged him from behind "You're still my magic".

Merlin smiled and he sniffled as he held onto Arthur's wrists "And you're my magic".

"You're still as handsome as you were the first day I saw you." Arthur whispered.

Merlin sniffled and he hung his head as his tears fell "I don't deserve you".

Arthur moved and he turned Merlin around before he pulled the warlock into a hug "You deserve to be loved more than anyone I know. I'm the one that doesn't deserve you".

Merlin buried his face into Arthur's shoulder and he sniffled "No matter what happens please don't leave me".

Arthur placed a hand on the back of Merlin's head "You have my word that I'll never leave you".

Merlin gazed up into Arthur's eyes and he smiled before he sniffled, "Thank you".

Arthur returned the smile and planted a kiss on the warlock's forehead. "No, thank you for coming into my life, I love you", Arthur said and gave his love a gentle squeeze.

Merlin sighed, feeling tired as his troubles slowly melted away at Arthur's caring touch, "And I love you".

The couple stayed like that for a while before deciding to continue with their day. They walked outside and they met the knights in the courtyard, Arthur wrapped one arm around Merlin's waist and he kissed the warlock, Merlin kissed Arthur back and the prince pulled back after a few passionate seconds. Arthur walked over to the knights and he drew his sword to practice, he turned around and he winked at Merlin before he starts to practice.

Thirty minutes later, Arthur was practicing with the knights and Merlin was watching from the side-lines. Uther was watching from a little way away, making sure the couple did not see. He did not trust Merlin and needed some way of testing him.

One of Uther's knights had gotten drunk and refused to show up until recently. The drunk wobbled down towards where Arthur was practicing until he reached Merlin. "Well, well, well-hic", the drunk slurred his words, "If it isn't the-hic-the witch boy!"

Merlin rolled his eyes and carried on watching the prince.

Arthur heard the commotion and spun round, he saw that Merlin was being shouted at by an angry drunk knight.

Merlin connected his and Arthur's minds 'Arthur, can you get him to leave me alone please?'

Arthur went to intervene but he saw his father from a distance, shaking his head.

Merlin became nervous and he was upset that Arthur was not trying to stop Uther's knight from bullying him 'Arthur? Please just get him to leave me alone. I can feel his negative energy and he would cause me physical harm if he had the chance'.

Arthur did nothing. He looked at Uther and the king shook his head. Arthur sighed and he gritted his teeth and he watched as the drunk kept shouting at the warlock. His warlock.

"Have you put another spell on the Prince? You're an evil monster!" The knight shouted.

Merlin flinched at those words and he just wanted Arthur to stop the verbal harassment. 'Why aren't you doing anything to help me? Do you think that I'm evil too?'

Arthur turned around and he went back to training.

Merlin wanted to let his emotions out and he felt abandoned when Arthur did not defend him. He sniffled as he held back tears because he felt vulnerable as the knight berated him for being one of magic. It was at times like this that his gift seemed like a curse.

The knight grabbed Merlin's hair and pulled the boy to his feet. Merlin held onto the knights wrist and he turned his head away from the man.

The knights were shocked that Arthur was not doing anything to defend Merlin. They pleaded and begged the prince to help their friend.

"Arthur, why are you ignoring the fact that Merlin is being bullied by that knight?" Leon asked.

"I'm not. He's connected our minds together. He's begging me to do something to defend him" Arthur answered.

"Then why don't you? Arthur, you said that you love him" Gwaine stated.

"It's not my fault that he's a sorcerer" Arthur hated how that sounded.

'Arthur, please do something. He's hurting me and he's calling me names. Please' Merlin begged through thought.

Arthur choked on his tears because he could tell that Merlin was scared, but it was his natural reaction to obey Uther.

Merlin held back tears but he grunted when he felt a punch to his stomach.

Arthur felt a sharp sting in his head and he winced "What the hell was that?"

"He punched Merlin. Your minds are connected so you must have felt what he felt" Elyan looked at Arthur.

"He what?" Arthur looked at Elyan.

"Do you feel guilty yet?" Lancelot asked.

Arthur turned around, his eyes widened when he saw that Uther's knight was holding Merlin's hair and that he was shouting Merlin's face. His heart melted when he saw that Merlin had his eyes closed and that he had turned his head away from the knight.

'Sorry that you got that headache? I didn't know that connecting our minds also made you feel everything that I feel' Merlin thought before disconnected his and Arthur's minds so that Arthur did not hear what he was thinking and so the Prince did not feel any pain.

Uther laughed when his knight backhanded Merlin and pushed him onto the ground. The knight kicked the warlock and Merlin grunted in pain, Merlin tried to stand up but he was kicked again and he just collapsed onto the ground. Merlin closed his eyes and he fought to hold back tears of heartbreak, he did not understand why Arthur had not intervened and all he wanted was to be comforted by Arthur.

"For pity's sake, that's physical assault! I will not just stand back and watch as my friend is kicked and public ally humiliated!" Gwaine rushed in and he prevented any further harm being dealt towards Merlin. He arrested the drunk for assault on the royal family.

Merlin was in shock and he was distraught that no one had interfered sooner. He looked up and then he stood up, he wrapped his arms around himself and he rubbed his arms. He hung his head and he blinked away tears.

Percival and Arthur's knights walked over to Merlin and they asked If he was alright. Uther's knight passed out and Gwaine dropped the knight onto the ground, Gwaine moved and he made sure that Merlin was alright.

Merlin sniffled "I should go. See you guys later" he turned and he walked back to the palace. He felt everyone's eyes on him, so he ran back to the palace and he ran to Guias's chambers.

Guias heard the door open and he looked up, he saw that Merlin was in tears and he became concerned for the boy "Merlin? Are you alright?"

Merlin wiped his eyes "Arthur did nothing to defend me from being bullied by one of Uther's knights. He just turned away and he did nothing as k was kicked and punched".

Guias walked over to Merlin and he hugged his apprentice "Who helped You?"

"Gwaine stopped him. The knights asked me if I was alright" Merlin's breathing hitched.

"Talk to Arthur about it later. He wouldn't just let anyone endanger you" Guias stated.

Merlin nodded and he rested his chin on Guias's shoulder "What if he is embarrassed by me?"

"He could never be embarrassed by the person he loves" Guias answered.

Merlin sighed and wiped away a rogue tear. His brain was telling him that Arthur loved him, but his heart was torn between believing and not believing Guias. The pain his emotions brought was immense, but Merlin pushed it all down and he forced a smile. "I'll go speak with him", Merlin said and walked off to settle the hurt in his chest. He opened the door to the prince's chambers only to find that Arthur was sat on the bed, his back facing the door and his head hung so that the warlock could not see his expression.

Merlin walked over and he sat on the bed with his back to Arthur. The prince knew that Merlin was there but he did not say any thing, he felt immensely guilty because Merlin had been victimised yet again and he had done nothing to prevent any of it.

Merlin sighed and glanced over his shoulder, "Why didn't you help me? When that knight began to harass me? Why didn't you stop him from hitting me? I know you saw".

Arthur felt a pang of guilt as he spoke, "My father told me not to". He hated the fact that it sounded like he did not care about Merlin.

Merlin rolled his eyes and he turned around, "So your just going to do whatever your father tells you to for the rest of your life?"

Arthur felt rage begin to boil as he turned to bark a retort. That is when his heart broke...

Merlin was crying but he tried to brush the tears away so that Arthur did not know. He had his head in his hands, he cried harder and he leaned forwards.

Arthur saw this and he became sad, he pulled Merlin into a hug and rubbed his back. "I'm sorry for not defending you."

Merlin sobbed and he leaned into Arthur's touch "I'm sorry that you felt the pain that I did. I didn't know that happened".

"No, I'm sorry. I should have done something to help you" Arthur sniffled.

Merlin buried his face into Arthur's chest and he clung onto his Prince "I'm sorry for being an embarrassment to you".

Arthur looked down at Merlin's stomach and he saw the fist sized bruise on his pale skin. "Look at me, Merlin" Arthur stroked Merlin's hair.

Merlin looked up at Arthur and the Prince stroked his hair.

"You could never be an embarrassment to me. I love you" Arthur spoke in a soft and soothing voice.

"I love you too" Merlin smiled and he kissed the Prince.

Their tender kiss grew passionate and they laid down on the bed as they kissed. Arthur hand his arm around Merlin's waist and the warlock had his hands on Arthur's chest. After a few minutes, they pulled away and they snuggled up under the covers. Arthur was stroking Merlin's hair and the warlock was lying on his chest. Merlin had a very different build compared to Arthur, instead of a firm muscle body Merlin was thinner but he still had biceps and he was strong. Merlin was paler and Arthur always thought that his warlock was fragile and vulnerable.

"Arthur?..." Merlin started.

"Yes, Merlin?" Arthur looked at Merlin.

"You don't think that I'm evil or that I'm a monster, do you?" Merlin asked.

Arthur's heart sank and he kissed Merlin's head "No. I know you and I know that you are completely different to people like Morgana or Morgause. Never think that you're evil or a monster".

"I'm sorry that I was angry earlier" Merlin sniffled.

"Don't apologise for anything. You were targeted by a bully and I'm the one that is in the wrong because I did nothing to defend you" Arthur rubbed Merlin's back.

"Uther's never going to trust me or respect me. I have always known that and I have never expect anything different" Merlin admitted.

"My father's opinion of you does not matter. The people that love you will always stand by you. And I will make it up to you. I will never abandon you like that again" Arthur promised.

Merlin looked at Arthur "Don't be angry at your father or that knight. There is too much good in your heart to be overcome by hatred and disgust".

"That is going to be very hard because I will always be angry at anyone that hurts you. But I am angry at myself more than I am angry at my father or that knight" Arthur sighed.

"Don't be angry at yourself." Merlin softly said.

"Why? I didn't protect you like I promised to" Arthur stated.

Merlin looked into Arthur's eyes "Because I was not angry at you today and I know that it was not your fault".

Arthur saw the trust, the purity and the loyalty in Merlin's eyes "You are too good for this world and for me".

Merlin smiled "And you're too kind for this world".

Arthur kissed Merlin and then they snuggled up to fall asleep.