I wrote this quickly about two hours ago and reread it only once, so sorry if there are any errors! I had three uni assignments due today, so this week's fic is a little shorter. And exams are starting soon, so the upcoming fics might also be shorter, or late, or just not written at all, I can't promise anything. But I did finish this one, and I'll do my best to keep writing because I really like it. :)

Enjoy!

. . .

TAKE ME UP, CAST ME AWAY

. . .

Take the sword far from here and place it where no mortal man can ever find it.

That was easier said than done. What would such place even be? The only closest and most logical solution was a lake. Well, it would probably be better if it was deeper than the one Merlin had in mind, but if he borrowed a horse and went to toss it into the nearest ocean, it might just reappear on some distant shore and if people were there, they'd find it.

With a sigh, Merlin exited the dragon's cave and after stopping by in his chambers to change from his sleeping clothes, he headed for the armoury. All he needed to do was check if anyone was around, grab the sword and hide it in a cloth he'd taken from his chambers, and then get out of Camelot.

Before Merlin could check if the armoury was empty though, he'd already been seen.

"Ah, Merlin." It was Arthur. "Just the person I was looking for."

"Sire," Merlin smiled at him in the least suspicious way possible, his eyes quickly finding the sword among all the others in the armoury. He hid the cloth behind his back. "You were looking for me?"

Arthur approached him, his chin held high, challenging. "You weren't there to wake me up before the fight."

Ah, right.

"I was too busy-"

"Too busy to ready your crown prince for a fight to the death?"

"Busy running around, trying to figure out how to save your life, actually," Merlin couldn't help but say. "Besides, I didn't think you'd want me there after . . . " he trailed off, remembering well how Arthur pointed his sword at him, warning him, to get out of his chambers and leave him alone. It hurt.

If Merlin was still looking at the sword, he wouldn't have noticed the flash of regret in Arthur's eyes. But he did see it, and honestly, it surprised him. It was gone in a second though.

Arthur cleared his throat and took a step back, looking down. "I . . . sorry," he mumbled, just loud enough for only Merlin to hear him.

Did Arthur really apologize? To him? A servant?

Merlin couldn't help but smile. But before he could say anything back, Arthur swiftly continued.

"But if you had been there to wake me up, you would have noticed my chamber was locked and I had been put to sleep by Gaius."

Merlin raised his eyebrows. Did Uther really make Gaius do that? He hadn't realized that that was why Arthur hadn't been there in the armoury before the fight, but the thought of Gaius giving Arthur some sort of foul-tasting potion to make him fall asleep was honestly hilarious to him.

Still, Arthur must have been furious when he woke up.

"Well, for all it's worth, I was waiting for you here in the armoury. But the king arrived instead of you."

Arthur nodded, finally turning his slightly accusing eyes away from Merlin. Instead, he looked at the swords next to them, and to Merlin's surprise, he was able to find the Excalibur immediately.

"Yes, father told me you had made me a sword."

"Yeah, yes." Merlin nodded, heat rising up to his cheeks. He'd told the king that there was a bond between him and Arthur, and Uther had said that he'd gone beyond the line of duty.

What exactly did Uther tell Arthur?

Merlin watched as Arthur held the sword and tried a few moves with it, a small smile forming on his lips.

"The balance is very good."

Merlin merely nodded. He didn't want Arthur to know about the sword. What would be the point when he was taking it away anyway?

"Guinevere's father made it?"

Again, Merlin nodded. "Yes." He could see the happiness in Arthur's face and it made him happy in return, but he still had to take it and hide it. Arthur would not see the sword again. Not until Uther was gone at least.

Arthur finally looked at him, his eyes . . . grateful. "Perfect," he said. "Prepare the sword for tomorrow's training, I want to use it in a fight against my old sword."

Arthur patted Merlin's shoulder with an excited smile and left the armoury, finally leaving there Merlin alone.

He'd said his old sword. That meant that Arthur had already accepted Excalibur as his new sword, and as much as it made Merlin proud and happy, he knew he still had to take it away from Arthur.

What a shame.

He'd love to see Arthur fight with the sword since it was specifically made for him and all that. It would for sure be magnificent.

With a sad sigh, Merlin cloaked the sword in the cloth and left the armoury, then the city, and entered the forest. There, he found the lake and put the cloth away, admiring the sword one last time.

It was indeed a fine blade. Silver edge, golden runes along its length, beautifully ornamented hilt. He could even see his reflection in the metal.

But with Uther in Camelot, it was not safe there. Its power would be abused and who knew what evil it would do in the king's hands. The dragon was a little vague about that, but Merlin agreed that with Uther wielding the sword instead of Arthur, it would most probably lead to disaster.

He gripped the sword tightly and tossed it in the lake, sad that he wouldn't get to see Arthur use it, but glad that it was out of Uther's hands.

xoXÖXox

The next day turned out just as Merlin had expected. He prepared Arthur for his training with his knights, and when handing him his old sword, was met with a puzzled look.

"Where is my new sword?"

"Your what?"

"The new sword!"

"What new sword?" Merlin shrugged.

Arthur frowned, frustrated. "The one you showed me yesterday and made specifically for me because we have a bond and you didn't want me to die?"

"Oh." Merlin swallowed, his cheeks pink. "That sword."

He cleared his throat, thinking about what to say, while Arthur kept staring at him.

"Well? Where is it?"

"Um," Merlin turned away and looked at all the swords in the armoury, scratching his head.

"I . . . I lost it." He nodded and pursed his lips, looking back at Arthur.

Arthur just stared at him in confusion. After a pause, he said, "what?"

Merlin nodded again. "Well, I mean, it is a very shiny sword, but- but, so are all the other swords, so it didn't really stand out, and- I mean, look at them!" They both did. "There's just so many of them. If you ask me, it was really bound to happen eventually."

Arthur's expression didn't change. He gripped his old sword tightly and looked at it, then at all the other swords, and then at Merlin unbelievingly. Merlin swallowed and braced himself for the worst.

"I can't believe you!" Arthur exclaimed. "I'm sure you'll like mucking out my stables then! And if you don't find the sword after that, then you'll muck them out again. Now get out."

Arthur took his helmet out of Merlin's hands and strode away, still angrily looking at his old sword.

Merlin let out a sigh of relief and watched him go, preparing himself for the smell of the stables. It would be the third time that week that he was ordered to muck them out, and to be honest, he was slowly losing his initial optimism about it. (He did love horses, but constantly cleaning their shit and replacing any dirty hay wasn't the best job in the world.)

A few minutes later, Merlin was already in the stables, holding a pitchfork, and looking at everything he'd have to clean.

Seriously, if Arthur didn't fall in love with him in the end as a side effect from their shared destiny and everything that Merlin kept doing for him, then was this even worth it?

But then Merlin remembered Arthur's smile and the gratitude he had seen in his eyes as he had picked up the sword, and he sighed.

It was worth it.

*the end*

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think :)