This was written based on the story Seeing Ghosts by hiddlydiddly93. Go check it out! Written with permision.
Seeing Ghosts
Arthur knew his manservant had magic even before the idiot himself knew Arthur knew he had magic.
It was entirely complicated (and Arthur had thrown quite a few books at his wall after finding out without Merlin finding out that he had found out), but Arthur had eventually come to the conclusion that Merlin wasn't evil and therefore magic wasn't evil.
It also helped that the more he thought about it, the more he realized how much Merlin had been helping him - saving his life - over the years.
Too many tree branches.
Too many prolonged trips to the tavern.
In his mind, the matter was closed.
Except for the problem that Merlin had not found out that he had found out.
Really, the longer Arthur stewed on it, the more insulted he became that his best friend would not trust him despite the fact that magic users were burned at the stake and that Arthur's father was the leading persecutor.
But if Merlin wasn't going to tell him, he was going to force his manservant to no matter how many times Merlin snarked that he was as moody as an adolescent girl. He would wait.
In the meantime, he took to making sure his manservant didn't do anything stupid or run into trouble. Although Merlin was saving his life at a more frequent rate than Arthur's pride would allow him to admit, he knew Merlin. Merlin was a snarky, insubordinate klutz who could attract dangerous enemies if he kept throwing his powers around like rice at a wedding.
So when Arthur saw Merlin going out to pick herbs and Agravaine following him, he was instantly suspicious.
As of late, his uncle had been acting...oily, and while that was nothing new for a member of the court, there was also no reason for Agravaine to be following a mere servant into the woods with a sword buckled to his waist.
Naturally, Arthur followed.
With every dry leaf that crunched until his thick boots, Arthur winced. If he had the time, he would have returned to his rooms to switch them out for the ones he normally wore while hunting, but it was too late now.
By himself with no one to witness his visage, Agravaine looked disturbed. Around the hilt of his sword, his hand was grasped until his knuckles turned white. Even though Arthur sounded like a drunk buck, Agravaine gave no indication that he was aware of anyone following him.
Arthur moved forward.
Crash.
In surprise, Arthur jerked backwards as the foliage and bushes in front of him burst out, leaves poofing into the air and temporarily blinding him as he fell backwards.
His tailbone throbbed after it connected with the ground.
Cursing to himself, he pulled the twigs out of his hair and picked himself off the ground only to discover-
Agravaine was gone. The path was empty.
Forgetting about stealth, Arthur rushed forward, almost tripping over a root poking out of the ground.
"My stupid, idiotic-" he seethed to himself before cutting his own words off as he saw that the path ahead of him lead to a small clearing, and in that small clearing was a basket.
The basket was on its side, flowers and a few freshly picked green herbs sliding out of it.
Behind it, further back in Arthur's line of vision, were Agravaine and Merlin.
Agravaine's sword was through Merlin's chest.
As Agravaine pulled his sword out, Merlin was dragged back with it before it was freed from his chest. He fell to the ground with a thud.
Arthur was frozen. Although his brain screamed at him to stop the murderer, he couldn't move.
Merlin's eyes.
Merlin looked scared.
After wiping his blade on Merlin's tattered shirt, Agravaine scurried off like a rodent.
Arthur could not believe it.
His own uncle, who was supposed to support the throne, had stabbed his manservant.
He must have known.
Arthur's first reaction was to follow Agravaine and punch him in the nose. (And, if Merlin weren't otherwise disposed of and were privy to Arthur's thoughts, he would have commented that it was the exact course of action that a thick-headed knight would take.)
Then, Merlin let out an audible gasp of pain.
Arthur rushed forward.
…
Merlin's magic ended up saving Merlin, not Arthur.
There was a lot of yelling between the two of them when Merlin woke up on the cot in Gaius's rooms and found that Arthur had found out.
But it was all right in the end.
Except for the problem of Arthur's traitorous uncle.
Despite his pale complexion and the blood he was coughing out, Merlin glared at Arthur. "You can't, Arthur!"
"Why not?" Like a caged bear, Arthur paced back and forth, grinding the fist of his right hand into his left.
"You can't just go accusing a lord of the court of stabbing a warlock to death, you dollophead!"
"I-" Arthur started.
Merlin cut him off. "I know what to do. I'll deal with him, Arthur. Leave it to me."
Arthur snorted. "Yes, you're perfectly capable of dealing with him after he snuck up on you and stabbed you."
As if to prove Arthur's point, Merlin coughed, blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth.
Behind Arthur, Gaius sighed and searched for something on the shelves.
Merlin slumped back on the cot. "Just...act like you're worried. Like you don't know where I am."
Arthur wanted to protest, but Gaius was already moving forward to give Merlin a potion and shooting Arthur a look telling him he would be in trouble if he kept Merlin talking any longer.
Throwing up his hands in the air, Arthur stalked out of the room.
…
Even though he was not happy with it, Arthur followed through with Merlin's request. In the evening, he made it a point to storm up to his uncle, brow furrowed with genuine frustration and concern.
"Uncle!" he barked.
Agravaine turned to him, smiling like an eel.
"You wouldn't happen to know where my useless, good-for-nothing manservant has gone off to, would you?"
Agravaine has either the decency or the audacity to look concerned. "Unfortunately, I don't. Have you tried the tavern? You are always saying that he spends a lot of time there."
Arthur threw his hands up in the air. "Of course! When I find him, I am going to-" Whirling around, he stormed back down the corridor, muttering threats under his breath.
If Agravaine had been closer, he would have discovered that they were directed at him, not Merlin.
…
Within the next two days, Merlin recovered, and Arthur's acting skills were showcased in his public rising concern. Even Gaius was a better actor than Arthur would have given him credit for.
At the council meeting held the second day, however, Arthur didn't have to fake his concern because Merlin insisted on showing up.
Gaius told Arthur Merlin was fine.
Arthur was wondering what stupid stint Merlin had pulled with his magic in order to be standing beside the prat king of Camelot.
But it was worth it whenever Agravaine glided into the room and his eyes landed on Merlin.
A living, breathing, and otherwise healthy Merlin.
It took all of his training as king to not lose his facade and cackle with glee as he said, "Are you all right, Uncle? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Agravaine stuttered.
For the rest of the meeting, he stared at Merlin.