Season 1, Episode 7: The Gates of Avalon
Arthur looked up at the tree then down where the branch had fallen on the man. The man that had been about to come up behind him. Well, Merlin did try to aim his falling tree branches as best as he could.
"Stroke of luck," he said, before stepping over it and moving toward the two huddled figures standing not too far away.
"And let that be a lesson to you!" Merlon called to the man running away from them. Arthur shot him an exasperated glance over his shoulder, and Merlin shrugged. "What? I was covering your back." And Arthur had no idea how true that was.
"You alright?" Arthur asked, now speaking to the people they'd saved. "They didn't hurt you?"
The smaller figure turned toward Arthur, uncovering her—Merlin had to admit—pretty face.
"No," she said, and even her voice was pretty, Merlin thought with some disgust. "Thanks to you," she smiled at Arthur, who smiled back with a big dopy grin that Merlin did not think was attractive in the least. "I'm Sophia, this is my father," she said.
"Arthur Pendragon," Arthur said, bending down to kiss her hand. And Merlin just resisted the urge to gag and vomit on the both of them. "At your service."
And Merlin wondered vaguely if Arthur could contain his flirting at least until Merlin didn't have to see it. Or better yet, just not do it at all.
The conversation even started weird. With Arthur telling him he was taking Sophia out, which Merlin neither wanted to hear nor did he particularly care about. Still it was strange in the fact that Arthur didn't usually tell him about his day.
"Where do I come into this?" Merlin asked.
"Well, I'm supposed to be on patrol with the Guard and my father this morning," Arthur answered, and Merlin stopped fluffing the pillows in his hand, understanding immediately what Arthur wanted. "So, I need you to cover for me."
"What, and lie to the king?" Merlin said. "No, no way. He'll see right through me. He'll have me in the stocks quicker than you can say 'Rotten Tomato'"
"Merlin," Arthur answered, and he looked so serious. He looked as if taking Sophia out on a ride was life and death. As if it was truly worth getting Merlin thrown in the stocks for him. But what was truly pathetic was the fact that Merlin almost rolled over and said yes, right there. "I need you to do this for me."
"I am a terrible liar," he insisted even though it wasn't strictly true. Sure, most of the time he couldn't tell a lie to save his life but about truly important things, he could. After all, he'd managed to convince Arthur he was a fool rather than a Warlock. "I start sweating. My vision blurs. My brain stops working."
"Well, no change there then," Arthur interrupted, and Merlin glared.
"Look, I promised Sophia I'd take her out, and if I don't turn up, it'll blow my chances," Arthur said, and Merlin couldn't help but think about himself. About how Arthur was blowing his chances with Merlin by asking him to get thrown in the stocks for a ride with a girl.
"You like her then?"
"Yeah, what's not to like," Arthur confirmed, and Merlin didn't know if it was what he wanted to hear or what he didn't want to hear. Merlin forced a laugh, ignoring how his gut clamped up. "I can't order you to lie to the king, but you'll be a friend for life if you do," Arthur said, and Merlin sighed. He supposed if anything was worth the stocks.
"Go on, then," he said. "You don't want to keep her waiting."
"Thanks, Merlin," Arthur said, already walking away. "I won't forget it!"
Merlin watched him go, wondering how long it would take Arthur to forget about Merlin's latest sacrifice for him.
This next part is not part is not part of the show and there's no evidence that it occurs but it's nice to think about.
Arthur's last memory had been of Sophia's face before he'd gone into the water, some spell, her lips against his. Then he's been floating, drowning, and now someone else was clutching his arms, pulling him up, up, up. His head broke the surface first, but he couldn't seem to make himself draw any breath.
Then they were moving, swimming through water, and Arthur still couldn't breathe, and he was screaming for air. He was dragged against the shore, pulled up and propped against something as someone muttered some nonsensical words over him, and suddenly his lungs were clear. He gasped, eyes fluttered.
And of course, it was Merlin who was above him. Always Merlin who seemed to be there when no one else was. Then his eyes were fluttering shut as Merlin's hands were stroking across his forehead, moving along his chest, and he felt himself relax, and let himself be consumed by the darkness coming up around him.
Merlin wouldn't let anything happen to him; he was sure of it.