Greetings Readers! This oneshot is following really close to the other...I hope that's a good thing. They might be on hold for a little bit after this due to testing woes, but I'll try not to get delayed too long.
Warning: 3x13 spoilers; Friendship, Me attempting to get into characters' heads to make them realize just how awesome Merlin is (does that need a warning?)
Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin or any of its characters.
"Are there any around this table that would join me?"
They had snuck into the abandoned castle knowing that their chances for success were less than slim, and that they were far outnumbered, but they would go down fighting. It was still clear that this was the truth as they sat down around the round table, but somehow the fact became less important. The fear, the doubt became nothing compared to the promise of what they could accomplish. Together.
But still, it would take a brave man to rise first and swear fealty to a plan that all sane men would see as hopeless and doomed to failure. So it was fitting that the truest knight Camelot would ever know was the first to stand and speak.
He turned to face his future king, after sparing a glance at the woman he loved but would let go and at the young man who, aptly enough, was sitting at the prince's right hand.
"I believe in the world that you will build." He looked Arthur straight in the eye, but even as Arthur nodded with acknowledgement and gratitude, Lancelot turned to look at Merlin and make a silent promise to him as well. I believe in the world that you will both build, Merlin.
Lancelot tried always to be a man of honor – it was the code that he cherished and aspired to live to at all times. When Merlin had repaid him for saving his life by helping him to achieve his dream of becoming a knight, he had understood it as an act of honor. He quickly learned that it was not merely an act of honor for Merlin, but an act of friendship. It was a friendship Lancelot had never experienced before, in all its selflessness and sacrifice, and one that he was only too eager to reciprocate.
He would follow his friend Merlin wherever the other man needed him to be. He swore his utmost allegiance to his future king, but also promised that same allegiance to the humble man beside him.
Elyan stood. "You were willing to lay down your life for me, Arthur. It is now my turn to repay you." He glanced at Merlin who was smiling at him. To repay both of you.
From his sister, Elyan had heard all about the man she loved and the man who was her best friend. He could never thank either of them enough for risking their lives to rescue him. It was brave for Arthur to venture out practically unaided without the blessing of his father, and he had nothing but respect for him. It was also brave of Merlin to come along, to allow himself to be dragged into a dangerous situation that he must have been fully aware would be dangerous. But he came anyway, and he was not fueled by love for Gwen but instead of loyalty to his friends – Gwen and Arthur.
There was more to Merlin than anyone openly gave him credit for, although Elyan suspected that others must also have noticed. He had this ability to see through the subterfuge of others – he had been the first to recognize Elyan in the gloom of his hut when he attacked Arthur, even when both Elyan and Arthur were too confused to recognize each other. He was intelligent and could think clearly on his feet, so clearly in fact that Elyan and Gwaine had not even hesitated to follow his instructions back in the castle. Like Arthur, he was a good man.
He swore his allegiance to Arthur, but he also made the same promise to Merlin – to defend Arthur as Merlin had defended him.
Leon stood. "There is no one that I would rather die for." And I am grateful to you, Merlin, for helping make him the man I would willingly die for.
Leon would always remain true to his king, but he would be lying if he said he had not been worried about what kind of king Arthur would be when the boy was younger. Although his heart and love for his people was always genuine, he had let years of courtly living cover those virtues with arrogance.
Leon had watched in concern as Arthur had been using his previous manservant for target practice all those years ago, only to marvel in amazement at seeing a young man around Arthur's age step out to stop it. The boy had clearly not known Arthur was royalty, but even that knowledge was not enough to stop him giving the prince a tongue-lashing he undoubtedly deserved.
Merlin had succeeded, with all his backtalk, irreverence, and constant, steadfast support, in slowly removing the prince's shell to reveal the true king he was destined to be. Leon would willingly die for Arthur now, not merely out of duty but out of genuine respect for the young future king. And he knew that Merlin, clumsy, ever-present, ever-faithful Merlin would do the same.
His complete allegiance was for the prince, but he was also making the promise to Merlin.
"I think we've no chance," Gwaine drawled out from his chair, trying to keep from smirking as all eyes swiveled onto him. But then he stood up, and his face was all seriousness. "But I wouldn't miss it for the world." I'm here to help a friend, he thought silently as he looked at the prince, and then at his first true friend, both of you. You'd be lost without me!
Merlin was unlike any person Gwaine had met before. He was the first person Gwaine truly trusted as a friend, and the first person to give that same trust to him. Merlin was completely insane – putting himself in danger time and time again to protect those he cared about with no thought of reward for himself. But sane people were boring.
Who else would have bailed him out of a hard spot in a tavern? Or who would run with him after a hard spot in another tavern? Who would have repeatedly put his neck on the line fighting for Gwaine's cause? Certainly not a sane person. Thank God Merlin wasn't sane.
In time, Gwaine had started to like the princess – guy had a way of growing on you. But he trusted Merlin before he trusted Arthur, and if Merlin was willing to support the prince, Gwaine had no choice but to back him up. That's what friends were for, after all.
He would swear allegiance to Arthur, but his greatest allegiance would always be to Merlin.
Percival was the next to stand. He was a man of few words, but he knew how to make them count. "Your enemies are my enemies." And your friends are my friends.
Percival had been only too eager to help Lancelot when the other man had said that he was going to help the prince of Camelot defeat Cenred's army, the army that had seen to the deaths of all his living family. On their way to help, he heard a bit about Prince Arthur, but a great deal more about Merlin. Merlin was the manservant to the prince, but moreover he was Lancelot's friend and the one who had sent the letter asking for help. "One of the greatest men I've ever met," Lancelot said when he was asked to describe Merlin. It was an interesting description, especially since Percival had been expecting some sort of physical description, but one that Percival did not take lightly. Lancelot would only give that sort of praise to someone whom he respected and trusted absolutely, and Percival became even more intrigued.
He had not expected Merlin to look or act the way he did, but at the same time it made perfect sense. In the way that the young man moved and spoke and acted, it was clear that he had total faith in his friends and the intelligence, although somewhat masked by his cheerfulness, to help them whatever way he could.
Percival did not know the future king personally, but to have such men as Lancelot and Merlin supporting him, he was clearly a good man and one Percival would follow to the last breath.
Gaius stood up with more confidence than he'd shown earlier in the day. He spoke of his age, but not depreciatingly like he'd done over the past few days. "If you need an old man." I will support you to my dying breath in whatever way I can, Arthur. Merlin, I will support you until the end of time.
He was so proud of both young men. They had come so far. Arthur was showing traces of becoming a truly great king, and he was proud of whatever hand he had in that. Merlin, also, was showing more and more of the wise and powerful Emrys he was destined to be, and he had loved every moment that he had helped guide the boy along his destiny. Now together, the two would be able to take their first steps into fulfilling their destiny.
Gaius would do whatever small thing he could to help the boys along their path. He had promised silent allegiance to Arthur since his birth, but ever since the gangly warlock had stumbled into his life, Gaius' allegiance to him would always be first.
Gwen smiled. "You know the answer." Both of you know it.
Arthur was her true love, the one person that she valued more than anyone else. Merlin was the greatest friend she'd ever had. She would follow either of them down whatever path they would choose, but she had a feeling that it would often be the same path.
She had had feelings for Merlin when they had first met, but the thoughts had soon enough faded, leaving in their place a strong and steadfast friendship. She had fallen in love with Arthur, but in his own way Merlin had helped that happen. He'd supported them both, sacrificed for them both, cared about them both. If it hadn't been for Merlin to open her eyes and to open up Arthur's heart, the two of them would have never found each other. They would have lived as king who was arrogant and maidservant who secretly despised him as the bully he was.
Gwen could never thank Merlin enough for his friendship and his faith to her, and the friendship and support he gave to Arthur. She would gladly go through any difficulties to help them both.
She loved Arthur, and her heart and allegiance would always be his. But an equally strong promise was made to her greatest friend – to support him and those he supported the way he had supported her.
In the silence, all eyes turned to the one man who was still sitting down, the person who they were all unconsciously expected to be the first to jump into the promises. But then, Merlin had always done his job in the background and maybe felt that throwing himself into the forefront would ruin the moment. But the delay was pushing things a bit.
"Merlin?" Arthur asked with a barely straight face, not even looking at his friend.
Merlin looked up seriously before saying with a deadpan face. "No, I don't fancy it." They could all see the joke in his eye.
"You don't have a choice, Merlin."
Merlin shrugged. "Ok."
The others around the table watched as both men looked at each other before nodding solemnly, in complete agreement with each other.
Merlin hadn't said anything, had not pledged his loyalty with words. He didn't have to.
He had proven his fealty in that single nod. He had proven his fealty when he wrote the letter to Lancelot. He had proven it when following Arthur into danger without hesitation, even when the prince himself forbade it. He had proven it by sticking around the prince long enough to help form him into a true king. He had proven it by sticking by his friends through good and bad times. He had proven it by being a man that could be trusted absolutely by other great men. He had proven it by not running from his destiny, even when his destiny would often be a taskmaster and a prat, and would have meant his death to stay around and fulfill. He had proven it by risking everything to make those he cared about happy.
He didn't say anything about that. He didn't have to.
They all knew it. And that is why when they swore allegiance to Arthur, they also looked at his manservant.
A/N: And there it is. I hope you enjoyed it!
Thanks for reading and please review! I like to hear what you think and they make me happy! Thanks to all those who have reviewed, I will be getting to you soon!