A/N: New story!
This is a twist of several classic fairytales but set in Camelot and with Merlin characters!
There are a few differences to canon Merlin: Merlin doesn't have magic, Morgana is good known to be Arthur's sister and a few other little things you'll be able to pick out. Eventual pairings are Merlin/Arthur, Gwen/Lancelot and Morgana/Leon
Snow White
"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" Lady Catrina stood before her reflection, chin tilted up and posture perfectly straight. Her dress hugged her figure, giving her the body others could only dream of. But her image rippled and contorted on the wall until she was staring back at a picture which made her blood boil.
"A servant?" she hissed, dangerously quietly, "A servant! How can a servant be a threat to my throne? Do you lie to me?"
The mirror hummed with magic and a voice echoed from it, "I do not."
"So a servant will take my place on the throne?"
The mirror gave no response. Catrina growled and snapped to her most trusted guard, Mordred, who'd watched the whole exchange with the mirror, "Have the boy brought here, now. Quickly, before the prince and the king return."
The royals were out on a hunting trip and had been all day but the sun was quickly sinking behind the hills of the west and they'd be back soon.
Catrina sat on the throne and held her head high while she waited for Mordred to return with the boy. When the door opened, she looked at the servant down her nose until he was in front of her, where he bowed politely, "My lady."
"I have a job for you," she informed him sharply.
"Would you like me to brush down your horse? Or clean your room?"
"Nothing of the sort," she said, "I need you to go on a special errand for me. A quest, of sorts."
"Of course, my lady.
"I need you to go to our northernmost border where there is a cave from which the most beautiful, priceless jewels can be mined. I need you to collect some so I might give them to the king as a gift."
"That's a four-day journey, my lady. I have duties here, for the physician."
"I'm sure we can find someone to complete those tasks temporarily."
"Of course."
"Leave as soon as you make ready. Mordred will fetch you a map."
The servant bowed and turned to leave. He made his way through the castle to the physician's chambers where he both worked and lived. Gaius, the physician, had taken him a few years ago and after failing to find him other work, let him live there since. In return, he helped treat patients, delivered medicines around the palace and made up potions when needed.
"Merlin, my boy," Gaius looked at him when he entered, "What did she want you for?"
"She's sent me on an errand to fetch jewels from a cave on the northern borders."
"What on earth for?"
"A gift for Uther," Merlin shrugged and started gathering a bag.
"I see," Gaius raised an eyebrow and returned to whatever potion he was concocting.
"I'll leave tonight," Merlin said.
"Surely you should rest tonight and leave in the morning."
"Catrina wants me to leave before Uther returns."
"Well be sure to find somewhere safe to camp."
"I will," Merlin shouldered his bag and hugged Gaius, "I won't be long."
"Be safe."
He set out immediately, having already studied the map so having a vague idea of where he was meant to be headed. It was already dark but even though the sun had gone down, it was still casting a bit of light through the forest as Merlin walked. He pushed himself as far as he dared until he could feel the exhaustion in his joints as he stumbled along the path. At that point, he laid out his bed roll, made a fire and settled down for some rest.
"Oh, Uther, my love, it's just awful!" Catrina rushed towards the king as he entered the throne room with his son, Arthur.
"What's happened?" he took her hands, "Are you hurt?"
"No, no. There have been reports of sorcery along the northern border."
"Sorcery!" Uther repeated with fire in his eyes.
"A dangerous, deadly sorcerer," Catrina continued, "Enchanting villages and cursing the land."
"Where was this sorcerer last seen?"
"In the caves, my lord. The people believe he may be planning more attacks."
"Arthur," Uther turned to his son.
"I'll ride out at dawn."
"Gather as many men as you need."
"Father, riding as a group will take longer to reach the border. If I take a smaller patrol, we'll reach it twice as fast."
"This is a dangerous man, Arthur. You must be able to overcome him."
"I'll choose the men carefully."
"Go now, prepare the patrol."
"Yes, my lord."
Arthur nodded to Catrina, bowed his head to the king and left. He summoned a dozen of his best knights to his chambers to tell them what had happened and to plan a route. "Get some rest," Arthur said, handing the maps to Leon, his right-hand man, "We leave with the rising sun."
"Goodnight, sire."
Early the next morning, as the prince and his party were departing the castle, Merlin was packing up his bed roll and putting out the last embers of his fire. He'd have to spend the next night in the woods somewhere too before making the final few hours of his journey the next morning to reach the caves. He didn't mind particularly, it was nice to have a few days outdoors when he spent his life in the city.
He continued through the forest, admiring the beauty of the world around him. Twigs crackled beneath his feet as he walked and the breeze breathes down his neck as though it were alive and talking to him.
The day passed quickly and Merlin was soon considering settling down again. But everywhere he tried to stop he faced one of two issues. Either the trees were too dense to be able to safely light a fire or it was too open a space for Merlin to feel safe. So he kept going, trying to find somewhere to rest that was safe. Before that happened, however, he came across a small hut. It had a beautiful garden and there was smoke coming from the chimney. Merlin suddenly became very aware of how tired he felt. Two days of walking without a break aside from to sleep had taken a lot out of him. There was no harm in asking if they might provide some hot food for him after he'd come such a long way. Carefully, he approached the front door to the cottage and knocked.
A few minutes passed and Merlin was about to leave in search of somewhere to camp when he noticed faces peeping out the window at him. Merlin froze and made eye-contact with each of them in turn before smiling uncertainly, "I mean you no harm," he said, unsure if they could even hear him through the walls, "I didn't intend to intrude, I'm sorry."
"Who are you?" one of them asked, their voice muffled by the window.
"My name is Merlin. I work in Camelot. I've been sent to retrieve jewels from the caves to bring back to the city as a gift. I only wanted somewhere to rest for the night."
"We work in the caves," another of the people said, "We could fetch the jewels for you."
"Really?"
"Gilli, open the door," one of them hissed, "Let him in."
Inside the hut was beautiful. It was small but cosy- though probably quite tight on room for the seven men who seemingly lived there. Merlin looked around. There were seven beds each with a name carved on the bottom. At the back of the hut was a kitchen area and a small sofa but there was nothing aside from that anywhere. On the wall hung a range of mining tools and helmets.
"You're miners?"
"In the caves. We harvest the jewels to sell in other kingdoms and bring money to Camelot."
"You enjoy it?"
The men shared a look, "Not particularly. But we're bound to stay here."
"Who sent you for the jewels?"
"The King's future wife," Merlin said, "Lady Catrina."
"Lady Catrina!" one of them exclaimed in horror and several others gasped.
"The beast herself," Gilli, the one who'd opened the door, grumbled.
"I'm sorry, we didn't introduce ourselves," one of them said, cutting off the grumbles. He seemed to do most of the talking for the group- a leader, of sorts, "My name is Lancelot. This is Gilli and Daegel over there at the table. That's Tristan, Elyan and Percival." The three men looked up from where they were sharpening their axes. "And diving into the cupboards in search of food is Gwaine."
Merlin smiled at them all his gaze lingering on Gwaine a moment, "Thank you for inviting me into your home. I appreciate it."
"We haven't had guests in a while," Lancelot said.
"I'm sorry, how do you know Lady Catrina?"
"She's the one who sent us here," Tristan said from the corner.
"Right nasty piece of work," Gwaine agreed through a mouthful of food.
"She banished you?"
"Sort of," said Lancelot, "It's a long story."
"I can get the jewels myself if you like," Merlin offered, "I understand you not wanting to help her. I can't say I was keen to myself."
"No, you look exhausted from your journey," Percival said kindly, "You rest here. We'd have been going to the caves anyway for work."
Merlin, suddenly overcome with tiredness, yawned widely, "Thank you."
"Here," Lancelot ushered him over to one of the beds, "Lie down for a while. We'll make you some food."
"You're all so kind," Merlin sank onto the bed and allowed Elyan to cover him with a blanket, "How can I repay you?"
"Sometimes it's enough just to show kindness," Lancelot said, "Sleep."
The bed was unfairly comfortable for one so small although perhaps Merlin was just too tired to be picky. As soon as he closed his eyes, they became stuck together and he was dead to the world.
"Do you think it's a trick?" Tristan asked after a few minutes of silence between the men. The only noises came from Merlin as he snored softly and the gentle scratching of axes gliding against the sharpening tools. "Do you think she sent him to-"
"To what?" Gwaine said, "Kill us? He doesn't look like much of a murderer to me."
"We've lived with no one but each other for many years now," Tristan pointed out, "No one has ever found us before."
"We know she sent him. He told us that much himself."
"I doubt it's to collect jewels though. We've all heard stories like that before," Elyan said sourly.
"You think he's here to stay then? She banished him like she did us?"
"He seems pretty convinced about this jewel quest. I think she wants him gone somehow."
"Gone as in dead?" Daegel asked worriedly, "But he's kind."
Percival ruffled the younger man's hair affectionately, "We can look after him."
"You all trust too easily," Tristan grumbled.
"It doesn't make sense for him to want to kill us," Lancelot reasoned, "We've been here peacefully long enough."
"Someone could have found out about us," Gilli suggested.
"Or that man has been tricked to-"
"He's called Merlin," Gwaine said out of nowhere, "We can trust him."
"What? How do you know?" Elyan asked.
"He saved my life. Well, he helped to."
No one asked for any more information. They all knew Gwaine's story and it was easy enough to slot Merlin into it.
"So we help him, Tristan. He's not the type to side with Catrina for anything. She must be out for his blood."
"Alright! But if you're wrong, you've put all of us at risk."
It took a few hours for Percival and Daegel to prepare dinner but once eight plates full of steaming food were laid out, Lancelot woke Merlin and all of them ate together around the huge, circular table.
"Gwaine," Merlin said after swallowing a particularly large mouthful of food, "Do I know you?"
Gwaine smirked, "I hoped you'd ask me that, old friend. You saved my life once."
Merlin looked deep in thought for a few moments before his eyes lit up, "You'd been stabbed. Right in the middle of the lower town. I found you and brought you back to Gaius. But I thought- how did you end up here?"
"I was on my way to the next kingdom-"
"Next tavern," Tristan corrected with a sneer.
"Which happened to be in the next kingdom," Gwaine smiled, "On my way there I ran into a group of travellers. They'd made up a camp which I had to pass through. Lady Catrina didn't like that," he spat her name, "Especially when I saw her in her true form."
"Her- what?"
"There was a slight opening in one of the tents," Gwaine explained, "I wanted to make my presence known- some don't like it if you troop through their camp without announcing it. They mistake you for a bandit or robber. So I approached the tent and saw the fine dress and shoes of a rich lady. But when I called out, what turned to look at me was no lady."
"What is she?"
"A troll," Gwaine said simply, "Huge, ugly, smelly thing."
"We're all here because we saw her for who she really is," Tristan said.
"Why don't you leave? Tell people? She's to marry the king of Camelot next month! She'll become queen!"
"We can't leave. She cursed us. The house and the mines are the only places we can go. Any further and somehow we just end up back here again."
"But now you know, you can help bring her down and stop the curse!" Daegel said excitedly, "We could leave!"
"He's right," Elyan said, "We can stop her."
"Uther would never believe me if I told him his wife was a troll," Merlin said, "I hardly believe it myself."
"So somehow you have to expose her."
"Before we do anything, we need to get the jewels for Merlin," Lancelot said, "We can't expose Catrina from here and if Merlin goes back to Camelot without the jewels, Catrina would be suspicious. We should rest now and go to work in the morning so we can think of a plan when we get back."
"Sounds good to me," Gwaine yawned.
Gilli and Daegel, being the smallest, shared one bed so Merlin could have another to himself. He'd tried to protest but when seven men- most of whom were bigger and stronger than him- were against him, it wasn't much of an argument.
"We'll leave early to go to work so we'll just let you sleep," Lancelot said, "But we'll be back before sunset."
"Take your time, I'll be ok."
"Just," Gwaine sat up, "Don't leave the house, right, my friend?"
"I won't."
On horseback, it didn't take long to reach the caves. Arthur's patrol reached the northern border less than a day after setting off from the city. They spent the rest of that evening and some of the next morning searching the caverns for any sign of the sorcerer but it was impossible even to find a trail to follow.
"No one's been here, sire," Leon said, "Should we search elsewhere?"
"We'll head back," Arthur said, "See if there are reports of sorcery in other parts of the kingdom."
"We're letting him go free?"
"No. But you're right, no one's been here. We'd be wasting time searching for him with no trail."
"Yes, sire."
So, as Merlin was sitting down to eat with the seven men for the first time on the other side of the kingdom, Arthur was arriving back in Camelot. The stable boys took the horses and the prince made his way into the castle, announcing, "Tell the king I have returned. I will give him my report in the council chambers at sundown."
"Arthur," someone walked up beside him and took his arm.
"Morgana?"
"I need to talk to you," Lady Morgana, Arthur's sister hissed, "It's important."
She dragged him through the corridors to her chambers and shoved him inside.
"What's this about?" he asked indignantly.
"Merlin," she said.
"Who?"
She huffed, "Really, Arthur, you ought to learn to look past the end of your nose. Gaius' boy- the physician's assistant."
"Oh. Him," Arthur turned his nose up a little, "What about him?"
"Catrina tricked you. She sent Merlin away to the northern caves mere hours before she sent you after him. She intended for you to find him, mistake him for the sorcerer and- and kill him."
The prince frowned, "But why?"
"I don't know. But Gwen- she cares so much for him, please you have to make sure he's safe."
"If the Lady Catrina wants him dead she must have good reason."
"Good enough reason to send him away and trick you to follow instead of giving him a trial and sentencing him like any other? Please, Arthur. Gwen's distraught and Gaius is beside himself with worry. She lied to the king to have an innocent man murdered! I didn't think you were the sort of prince who would let that happen to his people."
"Fine. I'll find him. But you make sure this was entirely Catrina's doing or he'll be going straight for the pyre."
"Catrina can't do anything if you bring him back safely without admitting to Uther what she did. She's foul, Arthur, surely you see that!"
"Tell your maid I'll find her friend. But I can't leave until the morning. I have to see the king first. Will you do me a favour?"
"Of course."
"Find the men I took on patrol," Arthur commanded, "Tell them they're to spread word that we found and killed the sorcerer."
The prince marched through the palace to the council chambers where he stopped in front of his father and bowed. He was glad to see Lady Catrina at the king's side, as usual, but his heart sunk at the sight of Gaius, the court physician, who looked positively sick with worry. What Arthur was about to say would break his heart so he tried to send him a meaningful, reassuring glance.
"Arthur," Uther looked at him expectantly, "You were successful, I trust?"
"Yes, father. We apprehended the sorcerer in the caves along the northern borders as you said."
"And where is he now?" Catrina asked.
"He was killed in a bid to escape during which he attempted to use magic. We had no choice."
"You did well, Arthur."
Arthur nodded and looked to Gaius, giving everything he could to convey with his expression that he wasn't speaking the truth. He wasn't sure how successful he was.
"Forgive me, father, I must retire. I plan to depart once more in the morning to reassure the people. Where was it the reports of this sorcerer came from, Lady Catrina?"
The hesitation was all the evidence Arthur needed to cement his belief in his sister. There had been no reports, that much was obvious.
"Ealdor," she eventually decided on.
"Then I shall travel to Ealdor," Arthur declared, "Tell the people that they are no longer in danger."
"Is that necessary, Arthur?" Catrina asked, "Send a messenger."
"It gives better image to the people if I go myself. It builds faith."
"Arthur is right," Uther agreed, "You are becoming a fine prince."
"I'll leave at sunrise," Arthur said, "Goodnight, father."
"Sire," Gaius spoke up with the tiniest of quivers in his voice, "Did you sustain any injuries on your trip?"
Arthur caught on immediately, "Only a few scratches."
"If you are going out again, I must recommend you let me treat those scratches," Gaius said pointedly, "Best avoid the risk of infection."
"Of course."
The walk to the physician's chambers was silent but as soon as Gaius closed his door, Arthur explained everything.
"Guinevere came to me with similar fears," the physician said, "She overheard Lady Catrina asking Merlin to leave."
"Do you think he's in danger?"
"Perhaps."
"I'll find him, Gaius."
"If Catrina discovers he is still alive, she'll surely go after him herself."
"I'll be careful. I can see you care for him."
"Greatly."
Arthur nodded and placed a hand on the physician's shoulder, "I'll bring him back to you. After all, we don't even know if he is in danger at all."
"Mirror, mirror, on the wall," Catrina smiled evilly, "Who is the fairest of them all?"
The scream of rage that followed could be heard in every corner of the kingdom.