"What did you just say Merlin ?" Arthur asks unsure of what he just heard. Merlin hesitates for a moment but, he remembers Arthur saying he cared about him and wanted to be with him, and decides that if they are to be together Arthur needs to know the truth.
"It's kind of a long story Arthur. And most of it you probably won't believe or like most of it." warns Merlin seriously " I can only hope that you won't hate me after I'm done, or want to kill me." he says that last part quietly. Arthur frowns but drags a chair over in front of Merlin so he can clean off all the blood.
" I won't hate you Merlin, I already care too much about you." replies Arthur, sitting down and dragging the basin and cloths closer to him.
"What if magic had something to do with my story? Would that change your mind Arthur ?" asks Merlin, afraid of and yet hopeful of the answer he will give. Arthur freezes in his movements and thinks quickly. He isn't his father, he has never felt that all magic and magic users were evil, that they always meant and caused harm. He looks at the beautiful man in front of him; happy, trusting, loyal, friendly, warm, kind, his Merlin and he knows his answer.
"Even if magic is what your story is about Merlin . Even then, I care about you too much to let anything happen to you." replies Arthur softly, but confidently, as he begins to clean Merlin up. Merlin is pleasantly shocked and offers Arthur a loving and thankful smile.
"You have no idea how much that means to me Arthur, how can we care about each other this much when we hardly know each other ?" asks Merlin, gripping Arthur's shirt as he cleans the skin above his broken ribs.
"Sorry," Arthur murmurs, careful not to press too hard "I don't know how we can feel this way after such a short period of time, but ... things are better with you around, I'm better with you around... I feel like I've known you my whole life Merlin, and I have no explanation for that."
"I don't either Arthur, I really don't. But, leaving isn't an option for me anymore. I belong here beside you." replies Merlin, looking Arthur in the eyes.
"Tell me your story Merlin, I want to know it."
"Until a month ago Lancelot, Perceival, Gwaine, Mary and I were living in Tamarang. Mary was the maidservant to Queen Hunith... my mother." starts Merlin. Arthur looks up at this news and sees that Merlin's eyes have filled with tears.
"I'm sorry about your mother Merlin, when last she visited she was extremely kind to me." says Arthur, looking down once again and wiping the last of Merlin's blood off his chest. He grabs a clean cloth and, after wetting it, begins to wipe the blood of the side of Merlin's face.
"She was always kind, she would have been happy to see us together. She always treated the servants with kindness and patience, though they did not always deserve it... I have two older brothers; Patrick is the eldest, then Jason and then myself, and we have one younger sister Catherine. King Redford had treated me like my siblings for my first fourteen years of life until suddenly it was like he couldn't stand the sight of me. He was never a warm or kind man, never truly spent time with any of us, his children, but he was never violent, never hateful towards us. At the time I did not know what had changed but four days before we arrived in Camelot we all found out..." here Merlin drifts off in thought and Arthur continues his work, letting Merlin gather his thoughts. A few moments later he continues his story.
"The king's sons begin their training as a knight at eight years old; Patrick is the best of us, and then Jason and then myself, none other than them have bested me with a sword." admits Merlin looking at Arthur with a small smirk, seeing Arthur's surprised expression.
"You've been holding out on me Merlin ." answers Arthur with an answering smile, unable not to.
"At ten each of us was given the task of selecting our own personal knights, almost like a guard, but also comrades for when we lead our own battles and quests. I'm sure you can guess who mine are. Lancelot is my first knight, he's always been a good and loyal friend, Perceival and Gwaine were a packaged deal, you cannot have one without the other, if you understand what I mean."
"They are together as we wish to be together." replies Arthur immediately, having already guessed the relationship between the large knight and the roguish knight.
"Yes, their relationship surprises and upsets many. Though I cannot see why, they are fierce and skilled warriors, and who they spend their nights and life with should not matter." replies the dark haired prince.
"I agree it should not and yet for many it does." Arthur agrees sadly.
"For the past two years the king has taken his anger out on me whenever I have been close enough for him to do so, there have been a couple times that I have looked worse than I do now. It has taken the efforts of my knights, brothers, mother and most of the castle guard to keep me from being killed or more seriously injured by the king." explains Merlin, turning his face to give Arthur better access to the blood on the left side of his face.
"I was afraid all the time of what he would do if I was ever alone with him, I never used to be this skinny, but during the past two years I have trained harder, but have lost many nights of sleep, eaten less and had more stress." Arthur nods at this, but thinks to himself that even this thin, Merlin still has a wonderfully lean muscled body.
"He called me and my siblings to the throne room the day me, the trio and Mary left Tamarang. When Patrick, Jason, Catherine and I arrived in the throne room and lined up in front of his throne he did not greet us, he did not tell us he was sorry, he simply said that our mother was dead." with this Merlin has more tears in his eyes and they overflow, trailing salty paths down his bruised face. Arthur stands up and wipes some of the tears from his face, placing a kiss on his forehead, and Merlin leans into him, ignoring his injuries. Merlin wraps his arms around Arthur's waist, and Arthur wraps his around Merlin's shoulders, holding him tightly.
"I'm sorry Merlin, no one deserves to be told something like that in such a manner." Arthur says trying to comfort Merlin. Merlin lets out a sigh.
"He was happy about it, he was always talking about ways to get rid of her. When he told us I was shocked and then I was crying. I yelled out asking him what he was talking about and when it happened. I wasn't thinking and he got angry and began yelling at me. Patrick made an apology for me but father only got angrier. He told us ... he said that mother had taken her own life and when I questioned that , when I said that she wouldn't have done that he hit me. He punched me in the jaw and I was dazed and fell to the floor. When things became clear again Jason was in front of me and Patrick was yelling at fath... at the king. Then the king looked at me and yelled at me telling me not to speak to him that way and that I wasn't his son." here Merlin's breath hitches.
"When Patrick asked what he meant he told us that mother had had a dalliance with Lord Balinor and that I was Balinor's son. That I was a dragonlord's son." Merlin presses his face further into Arthur's stomach, hiding his face, but Arthur can feel wetness seeping into his shirt from Merlin's tears. Arthur simply rubs his back soothingly, kissing the top of Merlin's head and assuring him that Arthur still meant what he said about him wanting Merlin to stay with him, forever if possible. After a few moments Merlin turns his face slightly so that he can continue his story.
"I was terrified of what was going to happen, especially when father stopped yelling and got the happiest look on his face. He ... he said that the only reason I was allowed to stay in the castle, even alive, was because of my mother and her protection and now that she was gone I didn't have that anymore. He jumped at me and started choking me. It took both of my brothers to pull him off me. Patrick held him back and Jason told me to run until the king dies. He said that once he's gone I could come back or they would come for me. Though now that I have you, I am happier about having to leave them." Merlin says tightening his grip around Arthur, who mimics the movement.
"Arthur I... I have magic." Merlin whispers.
