Author's Note: Hey, this is the next chapter. This is the meeting of Merlin and Arthur. By the way, some of this story will be pretty canon, but some of it is obviously way different. I wish I could, but I just don't have enough time to do word by word renditions of the scenes that take place in the actual show. So, this chapter is a little longer than the others.
PS: Just to clear up what might become confusion, Merlin has met Gaius before. Gaius has spent time in the caves or wherever else the Resistance is hanging out.
Disclaimer: Merlin and its characters are not mine and the backbones of the plot are it's-a-crazy-kept-secret's. Enjoy!
Merlin stopped for a moment and breathed deeply, watching the people meandering around the city gates. He saw a huge market filled with tons of people and products. The air was filled with the noise of vendors, customers, livestock, and music. It smelled like every produce available and a strong trace of bread and sweat. The market stalls were backed against walls and left room for potential customers and street performers.
Merlin loved every second of it.
Next thing he saw was the castle. It almost blinded him in all of its shining, pure, white glory. He could sense minuscule particles of peridot and fluorite in the stones of the castle. Whoever had built this beauty must have been attuned to the needs of magic. Both of those stones had the ability to protect against magical elements. Merlin took this as a good sign.
The moment he stepped within the city limits, he heard the sounds of a crowd gathered. He followed his (admittedly large) ears to the source of the sound and stopped dead at what he saw.
It was an execution.
He stood, frozen in shock and disgust, as Uther, Ygraine, and Arthur walked up to a balcony overlooking the executioner's block. They watched regally as a man in chains was led to put his neck on the block.
Uther started to speak, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention? This man, by the name of Mark Collins is to be executed in mere moments. He has committed the highest treason. He practiced magic." Uther went on to tell the story of the beginning of the great purge and the evils of magic.
Merlin just stood where he was, his hands clenched in rage around his satchel strap. He made sure to keep his face neutral with a hint of confusion and curiosity evident. The executioner's blade fell and met its mark. There was a sickening burst of gore and then it was over. Uther was already preparing to say farewell to his people when a woman screamed.
The young warlock looked over people's heads – an advantage of being tall – and saw that the woman seemed to be almost seventy years old and hunched over. Her voice was raspy as she spoke, "You killed my son! You killed him! You say that magic users are the monsters, but it is you who is the monster Uther Pendragon! By the end of the festivities, your son will be dead and you will share in my pain!"
Uther curled a hand protectively on the prince's shoulder and shouted, "Guards, get her!" But it was already too late. With a shouted spell, a flash of light, and a cloud of smoke, the old woman was gone.
Well, Merlin thought to himself, That's a great beginning.
He stood a little longer as the coroners took the poor sorcerer's dead body away and then he started to leave. He wandered through the castles for a little while before he finally asked a serving girl to point him in the direction of Gaius' chambers.
He nodded his thanks at the girl and took the last couple of twists and turns to what would become his new home.
Morgana watched from the window as the man was beheaded. She didn't know why she watched it; Arthur had gone to all that trouble to lie for her so she didn't have to watch it. Maybe it was because she needed another reason to hate Uther. Truth be told, she was starting to run out of reasons why he was so horrible. With her mom around, he got nicer and better every day.
Her maidservant, Gweneviere, came to stand next to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Morgana reached back and held Gwen's hand, needing something to steady herself after watching that. Gwen gently turned Morgana around and pulled her into a swift hug. The two girls smiled at each other until a knock on the door shattered the moment.
Gwen looked into Morgana's eyes a moment longer and then she opened the door a crack, bending down to talk to whoever it was out there. Morgana groaned when she heard his voice. Mordred.
Somehow, Gwen managed to hear her groan and she told Mordred gently that Morgana couldn't come and play right now, she was too sick. Morgana gave Gwen another grateful smile and sat down at her dressing table. Gwen pulled the pins and decorations out of Morgana's hair and restyled it into a graceful braid.
Morgana, still looking a little green from the execution, asked, "What do you make of that old woman's threat, Gwen?"
After a moment of no answer, Morgana looked into the mirror to see that Gwen was trying to hold several pieces of hair in place while also trying to get the pins from between her teeth in order to answer her mistress' question.
Morgana held the hair for her and they both dissolved into giggles before Gwen answered, "I think that she is a very real threat and that many people are a very real threat to the king's children because they would be the easiest to take out."
The green eyed lady smothered a grin at her friend's knowing ways. Gwen caught it, however, and blushed a deep pink. Morgana started laughing again and Gwen finished her braid.
Morgana twisted in her chair to get a better look at it and gushed, "You always make me feel so beautiful Gwen! Thank you so much, it looks lovely!" Gwen ducked her head and mumbled a your welcome. Morgana told her that her duties for the day were over and Gwen smiled thankfully at her, walking out of the room quickly.
Before she could leave, though, Morgana called out softly, "Long live the Diamond of the Day."
Gwen smiled and whispered the words back to Morgana.
Arthur punched one of his knights playfully on the shoulder and they started laughing. Poor Ralph chose that moment to come forward bearing Arthur's armor. Arthur immediately stopped laughing and zeroed in on his manservant, calling out, "You're late! Is it really so hard to grab some armor and bring it here?" His knights started laughing again and Ralph turned bright red as he helped his master into his armor.
The prince felt a twinge of guilt, but he crushed it immediately. Princes do not feel guilty about having some fun at their servant's expense. That's what the servants are there for, right?
Ralph stuttered out an answer, "No sir, it's not hard sir. I tripped is all."
Arthur let his eyebrows rise in astonishment, "You tripped? Ha! Well boys, we must help Ralph here improve his balance. How about we do some knife throwing training?" Ralph's red cheeks turned ashy white within a few heartbeats and he shook his head no imploringly.
Arthur ignored him and his conscience and shoved a shield into Ralph's arms and grabbed a knife from his belt. "Well, run!" Arthur called as he threw a knife, imbedding it up to the hilt in the shield.
He continued to do that until Ralph dropped the shield for the fifth time and some stranger put his foot on it before the manservant could pick it up. He pulled the shield up and gave it back to Ralph, calling out as he did so, "Hey, friend, I think the poor bloke's had enough."
Arthur could see Ralph send a look of thanks to the stranger and in response, Arthur threw his last knife at the shield. The stranger looked down at the dagger and back at Arthur, raising an eyebrow in a way so similar to Gaius that Arthur briefly wondered if they might not be related.
Before the black haired boy could say anything, Arthur said, "And I don't believe we are friends."
He was satisfied with his comeback until the boy said, "You're right. I would never be friends with an arrogant prat like you."
Arthur's mouth actually fell open at that comment. No one talked to him like that. He was the Crown Prince of Camelot! Arthur puffed out his chest and asked imperiously, "Do you know who you're talking to?"
"No." The boy said.
Arthur deflated a little, but continued nonetheless, "I am Prince Arthur of Camelot! You cannot speak to me that way!"
If he hadn't been looking so intently at the stranger for a reaction, he wouldn't have noticed the slight flicker of confusion before the stranger said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I would never be friends with an arrogant prat like you, sire!" He even snapped off a rather impressive salute.
Arthur clenched his jaw and held out his hand for a mace. He asked, "You think you're just so impressive, huh? Well why don't we fight it out like real men? On second thought, you're not really a real man, are you?" He made sure to cast a scathing look up and down the boy's stick-like body. Now that he was looking closer, it seemed as if the kid never ate. He was practically just skin and bone.
When Arthur met the boy's gaze again, he saw a resolute, steely anger and the black haired stranger held his own hand out for a mace.
They began to fight.
At first, Arthur was obviously winning. He had knocked the boy down and narrowly missed his arm. The boy was backing up with his feet. Then, he looked away for a second and his mace got miraculously stuck in some market stall netting.
When he freed his weapon, he looked around to see that the boy was standing again, attempting to swing his own mace at the prince. Arthur blocked it with the handle of his weapon and knocked the stranger down again.
Arthur continued to go after the boy, who continued to scoot away. For some unfathomable reason, he kept tripping on things and getting caught some way or another. He noted from the corner of his eye that a large crowd had gathered to watch them fight. He saw Gaius trying to get through the crowd and glancing worriedly at the boy.
That fact didn't really click until he finally swung his mace onto the boy's unprotected shoulder and Gaius broke through the people to stoop down next to the boy.
Gaius glared back at Arthur, startling him. Gaius never glared. Then the elderly physician said, "Shame on you, Arthur, for fighting him when he has no armor or training." He helped the boy to his feet and, shooting one last glare at the prince, half carried him back to the physician's chambers.
Arthur felt two feet tall.
Merlin went straight to his room when he arrived, sitting dejectedly on his bed. Not only did his back sting like crazy, he had probably just screwed up his father's plans within fifteen minutes. With the prince knowing him as the person who defied him, there was no way he was going to integrate into the royal family.
After a few minutes, Gaius came in with a small bowl of a poultice. Merlin sat silently as Gaius worked, pulling his shirt back on when Gaius said, "There, all done."
Merlin looked up as Gaius began to rise from his seat, "Am I monster, Gaius?"
Gaius sat back down, startled, "Why would you think that?"
Merlin looked down at his hands and answered quietly, "Two days ago I walked into a kingdom where almost every citizen would kill me on sight for what I am. They all preach and preach and preach about how evil magic is and how those who use is are so very corrupt. Then there's the fact that I am the only known person to be born with magic. It's not even possible to be born with magic! Yet here I am. I'm a monster."
Gaius' eyes softened and he rested a hand on Merlin's uninjured shoulder. He pulled Merlin into a hug, saying softly, "I don't know why or how you were born with magic, but you were. And really, I cannot think of a better person to bear this gift. Merlin my boy, you are not a monster."
Merlin nodded and sniffled slightly. Gaius smiled at him and stood up, "I'm going to go do my rounds. I'll be back in about an hour."
"Oh," Merlin stood up with him, "Actually, I was wondering about that. I was thinking maybe I could do your rounds for you. At least, until we can find me an actual job. My tutors taught me all about medicinal practices. I'm practically a physician!" He flung his arms out and gave his big, goofy grin.
Gaius laughed and said, "Alright, you may do my rounds, but do not think for one minute that you are a physician. You have much to learn, but I will teach you while you are here. What do you say to being my apprentice?"
Merlin gave off another blinding smile and said, "Yeah, that'd be brilliant!"
Gaius laughed again and gave Merlin a small map of the city with markers on it for all of the places he needed to visit and what to give each person. Gaius sent him on his way with a sandwich, a map, and a basketful of medicines.
Merlin rounded the corners of the castle. It had been almost an hour and a half since he started the rounds. On the one hand, he was slightly perturbed that someone almost triple his age could do these rounds faster than him, but on the other hand, he was brand new to the city.
He took another turn and almost ran smack dab into a little kid. The young warlock put on one of his signature blinding grins. The kid was a little nine year old boy with brown eyes and brown hair and looked adorable, but he was in Merlin's way to Morgana's chambers.
His smile dimmed a little when the only response he got was a minute tilting of the kid's head. Merlin let out a nervous chuckle and asked, "So, I'm new to the castle, what's your name?"
The kid didn't smile and his gaze bored into Merlin's as he answered, "I am Mordred."
"Oh, you're one of the princes, aren't you?" Merlin babbled nervously. This kid was downright creepy and cute at the same time and it was throwing him off. He bit his lip and continued, "Well, my name's-,"
He was cut off as Mordred's little, high pitched voice said, "You are Emrys."