One day left…

Merlin and Arthur arrived back in Camelot the next day, after having spent it in a forest up north while hunting. During the early hours of the morning, the King had finally managed to shoot the prized hart he was tracking and so they both returned to Camelot in time for Arthur's morning training.

"Aren't you tired? Why is it that the moment we get back you want to swing a sword around?" Merlin grumbled as he dressed Arthur in his chainmail while carefully avoiding staring too long at his King's neck. Instead, he kept sending the tantalising flesh small glances, Merlin could feel his resistance crumbling with every hour that passed as Samhain approached.

"I'm not tired, Merlin. As a knight, training every day is very important, otherwise we may become too out of practice. You remember what happened to Sir Dornor?" Asked Arthur as Merlin began placing his armour on him.

"Yes, didn't he get his finger sliced off during a bandit attack? I remember how Gaius sent me to go and search for it," Merlin recalled, grimacing at the memories that resurfaced of Sir Dornor's lost finger.

"That was because he didn't go to the morning practice for two weeks before the attack and it showed when he couldn't parry the blow fast enough. He learned that lesson the hard way and lost a finger from his sword hand," Arthur confirmed, once he was fully dressed-complete with his sword Excalibur-he continued, "let's go before the knights start to wonder what has happened to us."


Arthur parried Sir Leon's sword before performing an elaborate manoeuvre that left Leon open to attack. Merlin watched from the side lines as Arthur swung his practice sword in a sweeping arc that finished in the perfect position to run the knight through the heart, had the fight been a real one.

The King gave Leon a friendly punch on the shoulder as he congratulated him, "Well done, Leon."

"Thank you, Sire," Sir Leon respectfully replied, smiling cheerfully at the praise.

"Percival, you're with me next. Ready?" Arthur ordered and the two of them got into their battle stances. "Go."

The spar between King and knight went well for several minutes, but just when Arthur was about to finish it, something red flashed in the corner of Arthur's eyes. He felt a shiver crawl up his spine making him feel as though he were a deer caught in the sight of a ravenous wolf. Arthur's moment of distraction only lasted a single second, however, in battle one second is all that is needed to get killed by the enemy. Percival's blade nicked Arthur's cheek as he swerved to avoid the sword heading towards his face.

Although the blades they used during training had been blunt to avoid serious harm, they were still able to draw blood if enough force is used. From the cut on Arthur's cheek, blood oozed from the shallow wound and dribbled down the side of his face. Percival, horrified, apologised profusely as Merlin jerkily rushed over.

"Arthur, you need to go to Gaius now to treat that," advised Merlin, his blue eyes fixed on Arthur's chest.

"Merlin, it's just a scratch, I'll be fine," reassured Arthur, confused at Merlin for avoiding eye contact with him. Merlin almost always looks him in the eyes, it's what made him so different to the other servants in Camelot.

"If you don't get something on that soon, it will scar and we all know how much you love looking at yourself in the mirror," joked his manservant as his eyes wondered to someplace over one of Arthur's shoulders.

"Merlin," why aren't you looking at me? What's wrong? Arthur thought as he observed his friend's stiff posture.

"Merlin's right, Princess. You should go to Gaius, it would be a tragedy if the Princess' face is scarred," Gwaine interjected, slinging an arm around Merlin's thin shoulders. The servant instantly attempted to squirm away, an odd expression present on his face.

"Fine," Arthur conceded before turning to the rest of his knights and loudly ordering, "Keep sparring, I don't want to come back to see you all lazing around," the King turned to his manservant and added in a softer voice, "Merlin, let's go."

"Oh! Uh…I…Arthur-" Merlin coughed and cleared his throat, his voice sounded hoarse.

"Are you feeling unwell? You sound like you swallowed a frog," Arthur asked, worry hidden in his tone.

"No! Er…yes! Actually, Gaius said I was coming down with a cold and that I should make sure that I get lots of rest. So, I'll just…go…see you, Sire!" Stammered Merlin as he backed away from the baffled knights. The warlock fled the training grounds and didn't stop sprinting until he reached the stables.

Merlin dashed into one of the unoccupied stalls, locking it behind him before sliding down a wooden wall, panting heavily. The vampire lifted a hand to claw at his parched throat. He could still smell the scent of Arthur's blood and he gulped, his throat clicking. Any longer in the presence of an open wound, no matter how small, would have greatly tested his already straining self-control.

Maybe Gaius might have something to help him? If Merlin remembered correctly, there should be some animal blood in the cupboard that he could drink, but he can't go there now when Arthur would be there!

Merlin moaned. He would just have to wait until it was safe for him to walk through the citadel without attacking someone.


The rest of the day passed by without anyone getting bitten by a certain skinny, dark-haired vampire- thanks to Gaius' stored cattle blood. True, it wasn't as satisfying or appealing to the vampire, but it helped Merlin squash any unwanted urges until night arrived.

Perhaps he should go and call Kilgharrah to see if he can help him? Not that the cryptic dragon would be of any help. Merlin still remembered the last time he had asked the ancient fire-breathing reptile what he should do about his vampire issue. Let's just say it wasn't a very informative meeting, as usual.

It wouldn't hurt to try again.

So, Merlin opened his tiny bedroom window and stood as his eyes flashed crimson instead of gold. His body twisted and shrunk, his hands and arms morphing into velvety black wings as black fur erupted over his skin. His ears became longer and more mobile while his feet became pointed claws.

With a sharp squeak, Merlin in his bat form took off into the cool night air and soared high towards the twinkling stars. The view of the citadel was as breath-taking as always and Merlin had to keep reminding himself to flap his wings as he swooped over Camelot's familiar buildings.

"Arthur Pendragon. His blood…ohhh…it smells so delicious! So good!" A sibilant voice hissed from somewhere in the citadel below, his hyper-sensitive bat ears easily picking up on the sound despite the distance.

A vampire!

It sounded like it was coming from Arthur's chambers. Merlin banked to the left before tucking his wings flat against his body as he entered into a dive. The wind whipping at his small body, threatening to push him out of the steep dive and send him spiralling into the hard courtyard below. Instead, Merlin skillfully pulled out of the dive and swooped into Arthur's open window. He flitted briefly about the room, noting that the King was still asleep with the vampire looming over him, before landing in the shadows across the room.

When the intruder blinked, a servant boy stood where the bat had landed, crimson eyes glaring in the darkness. "I won't let you hurt Arthur," the voice was confidant yet barely a whisper, his tone imbued with a deadly promise.

Before Arthur's would-be-attacker could say otherwise, the crimson pools swirled into molten gold causing a powerful unseen force that defenestrated* the vampire-leaving it with no other choice but to transform into a bat to avoid falling to their death.

With the attacker gone and Arthur safe, Merlin turned to leave Arthur's chambers when a voice spoke up from nearby. "Merlin? What in the name of Camelot are you doing?"

Panicking, Merlin's mind leaped into overdrive, trying to come up with a good excuse. "Checking for ants on the windowsill."

"Ants? At this time of night?" Arthur asked, his voice sceptical yet still rough from being woken late at night.

"Yes, they like to come in during the night through the window to search your chambers for food," Merlin rapidly explained as he approached Arthur to see him sitting up in bed, hair dishevelled and blue eyes hazy with sleep. Arthur looked back at Merlin, unconvinced. "They're very sneaky. Ants."

"Right…" Arthur drawled, ending the word with a tired yawn. "Just go to bed, Merlin, before I decide that you should start Samhain with a trip to the stocks."

Samhain…the day when his thirst for blood would be at its peak.

As Merlin curled up in his bed in his room, he hoped that tomorrow he would be able to resist every temptation that would find him.

He hopes that Arthur would stay safe.


*Defenestration is the act of throwing someone or something out of a window.


Author's Note:

Did you all enjoy chapter three? :D

Well now all we have left is the final chapter on Halloween (Samhain) tomorrow!

Also, who has read Merlin Season 6: Kingdom Come? It's like the closest you can get to an actual canon version of season 6. It's not fanfiction, but a seriously written script by a group of writers. You should check out their website for more details and I definitely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Merlin, especially if you were upset by how they ended it (because they continued from where the tv show left off!). It's amazing, I absolutely love it!

If you have any questions about anything I have said or something, don't hesitate to ask me. I don't mind. :)

Stay tuned and see you then!

~PurpleFlyingBird