Hey Guys! Thanks for the awesome response and the amount of favourites! I will warn you now though, I don't update weekly, I update when I want to update, when inspiration hits me or when I can be bothered or have enough time…
Sometimes that might mean I update day after day, other times that might mean I won't update for weeks. But never fear I don't abandon any of my stories!
Special mention to TheNightOf1 who sent me a really lovely email and made my day! Thank you!
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
"Where is he?!" Arthur yelled storming into Merlin, Will's and Archer's chambers in a mad fury.
He had told his knights to keep an eye on the sorcerer and George had just reported that upon serving them breakfast Merlin was nowhere to be found. He should have known the sorcerer was not to be trusted. After their little heart to heart last night Arthur had thought they were beginning to come to an understanding. Apparently not.
Archer and Will were sat around their table with papers from Essetir flung out in different directions and upon Arthur's furious entrance the two jumped to their feet and fell to their knees.
Arthur was momentarily shocked by the formality, most of his knights would have just told him to piss off. Formality with Arthur was never expected unless on formal occasions. Apparently propriety and formality and been drummed into the two men before him.
"Who are you looking for your majesty?" Will asked keeping his eyes lowered.
"Don't play coy with me. Your pet sorcerer has run off somewhere, he's nowhere to be found!" Arthur thundered.
How dare Merlin go off into Camelot, the people were not used to magic, was he out there terrorising them as he spoke? What the hell was the young man thinking?
Apparently Arthur's words caused anger in Will for he stood up and glared and made a move to step forward his hand going to his sword ignoring the looks of warning from Arthur's knights as they in turn reached for their sword.
"Will," Archer said putting a hand on his shoulder to calm him.
"Don't insult him," Will said in a voice much lower and colder than normal "Not to us."
"Magic is illegal in Camelot, and I let Cenred's sorcerer into my kingdom under the understanding that he would stay where I could see him."
"You let him in?" Will scoffed raising his eyebrows "I was under the impression that you were losing so poorly you had no choice but to bow down to a superior strength."
This time the knights swords did come out and Arthur's hands flinched towards his.
"You dare insult our king?" Leon thundered taking a step forward.
"You insulted my friend, my brother of my heart, what did you expect?" Will asked "Now put that sword away young knight before you hurt both yourself and Camelot's cause."
Leon looked like he wanted nothing more than to chop Will's head off and stick it on a spear.
"I think everyone needs to calm down," Archer said moving to stand between Arthur and Will who were now glaring at each other with something close to hatred.
"You will tell me where he is!" Arthur said turning his eyes to Archer.
"We were looking over the papers for the treaty, Merlin left claiming boredom, he does that, I do not know where he would have gone," Archer said shrugging.
"I want him found," Arthur commanded with an air of superior arrogance.
"How very much like Cenred you are Arthur, controlling, arrogant, fearful of what you do not understand," Will said using his knowledge of Arthur's secrets Merlin had uncovered. He watched as Arthur flinched.
"I am nothing like your tyrant king," Arthur said.
"My mistake, maybe your father would be more on the mark?" Will sneered.
This time Arthur couldn't help himself and he withdrew his sword at speed but surprisingly it wasn't Will who reacted it was Archer who notched an arrow in his bow and had aimed straight at Arthurs head.
"I wager I can kill you much quicker than you can my friend, young king," Archer said now losing his cool.
Just when it looked like all hell would break loose. Gaius strode into the room drawn by the noise and looked upon the room in shock.
"What on earth is going on?" Gaius thundered, and watched as the knights lowered their swords. The old man was like a stern father to all of them.
"If you hurt each other I'm not patching you up, now what has happened?" Gaius asked.
"Their sorcerer has gone missing," Arthur said,
"Merlin?" Gaius questioned.
"Who else?" Gwaine asked.
"Well that's ridiculous I saw him near the stables not five minutes ago," Gaius said.
Archer and Will let out a collective breath and smiled at each other and lowered their weapons.
"He's probably just gone to see Ophelia," Archer said.
"Who?" Arthur asked.
"His white mare, he loves to ride. He's quite the show off in fact," Will said. "Would you like to see?"
"This still doesn't change the fact that a known sorcerer is wandering through Camelot unescorted," Arthur said.
"What did you think he was going to do, bring down the kingdom?" Archer asked rolling his eyes "you need to leave your stereotypes at the door Arthur when looking at Merlin."
"Not just Merlin, most magic folk," Will said.
"Magic is evil," Arthur said shaking his head.
"And humans aren't?" Will thundered.
"Of course not," Arthur said.
"So how do you explain Cenred and your Father, and the countless of people they kill, how do you explain Merlin and Archer and myself being taken from our homes by a tyrant king, a mere mortal with no magical talent…he's not evil?!" Will thundered.
"Of course he is, some people are some aren't," Arthur said resolutely.
"It's the same with magic," Will said.
"I don't believe you," Arthur said shaking his head.
"You've seen Merlin, you've seen his kind heart and the way he clings to it even though he is bound in chains that threaten his life and his friends, and you would call him evil?" Archer asked.
The question resonated deeply inside Arthur as he considered. Merlin was an enigma he had never met anyone like him, powerful whilst still possessing an era of innocence around him that he had seen no one with power ever achieve. He couldn't deny he liked the boy, but that didn't mean he trusted him.
It seemed as if everyone in the room was waiting with baited breath for this answer.
"I don't trust him," Arthur said.
"But you admit he's not evil," Will said.
"I don't know him enough to make that judgment," Arthur said.
"But you would make it upon the thousands that you haven't met, the thousands your father killed?" Will asked.
"My father's business was his own, he was a good man I stand by that," Arthur said.
"A good king yes," Archer said "Firm, strong, powerful all things a king should be, but when it came to magic your father was without mercy and judgment."
"I refuse to discuss my father's reign with you, you are not from Camelot," Arthur said.
"No, but Merlin is magical, he is magic incarnate, magic's son, and your laws threaten him as does Cenred and it is our duty to protect him from people who would bring him harm," Archer said and Will nodded along.
The silence that lingered was eerie as everyone stared at each other not knowing what else to say.
"Let's go find Merlin shall we?" Gaius said "I hear you say he's something of a rider?"
"Yes, it's incredible to watch," Will said.
The Knights of the Round Table Arthur, Will and Archer walked down to the stables together in an awkward silence. Upon entering it they saw Merlin out the back in the small field which was used to train Camelot's new war horses.
Arthur watched Merlin upon his white mare in awe. He was riding bareback and controlling the animal with a grace he had rarely seen. They looked as one as they galloped round the ring. Sometimes he would perform tricks gripping the horse with his thighs to make her trot backwards or sideways like a performer in a circus, all the time bareback.
He had never seen someone look so beautiful. Merlin's face was a picture of joy his smile radiant his eyes bright as he clung to Ophelia. Arthur felt his heart constrict at the sight, there was something about this boy that made him want to bring him close and protect him. This was illogical considering the boy's magical strength.
Merlin noticed them and rode up to the fence they were leaning on all the time.
"What have I missed?" Merlin asked smiling down at them and stroking Ophelia's mane.
"A very big argument," Archer said "It seems the young king doesn't like not knowing where you are."
"Ah," Merlin replied frowning down at Arthur who instantly averted his eyes, refusing to give him access to his thoughts and feelings despite knowing that he would read it easily enough in Archer's or Will's eyes.
"I'm sorry to cause any alarm," Merlin said "I just fancied some air."
"It's not a problem," Arthur said drawing shocked expressions from the knights around him, it certainly had been a problem not half an hour ago. "I would just appreciate it if you informed me first."
"Of course," Merlin replied.
"How did you that?" Percival suddenly asked, coming out of his usual brooding silence. "I've never seen anyone ride like that."
"Ah, it would be cheating as Will so often calls it."
"It is cheating Merlin," Will said smiling shaking his head at him.
"I call it using the skills I have," Merlin said smiling mischievously.
Arthur could get lost in that smile. He looked so much more beautiful when he smiled Arthur realised. He knew the thoughts he was having about this sorcerer were not healthy, he refused to admit that maybe he was starting to develop a tiny crush on him.
"What do you mean?" Elyan asked.
"I remember Will having the same look on his face when I first showed him, he climbed on believing it was simple and he fell off in about five minutes," Merlin said.
"Just tell them your wicked ways Merlin," Archer said.
"All creatures have a sense of the old religion," Merlin said from his perch upon Ophelia. "Magic flows through this world in rivers of invisible gold that are only seen to the magic folk, like me and perhaps once upon a time the dragons."
"Ordinary sorcerers can't?" Gwaine asked.
"No, they tap into the magic in varying degrees of success, I like the dragons and the other magical creatures of this world feel the magic flowing through me like no one else can. Animals have a sense of it, they are born with it, and they have an understanding of nature which means…"
"Ic i áféde andfeng mín bróðorlufu" Merlin intoned.
The words sent a spiral of alarm through Arthur recognising them as magic chant, but Merlin's eyes didn't glow gold, but Ophelia reared up and trotted in a circle in an impressive display.
"You control the horse with magic?" Arthur said for the first time staring at Merlin.
"Of course not," Merlin said after staring into his eyes. "The words of the old religion are just words unless I infuse them with magic, but the words belong to the earth, and Ophelia like any other animal gets a sense of them."
"I don't understand," Arthur said.
"I simply ask her to do things in the old religion and she understands them and chooses to accept them or not," Merlin said.
"And why does she accept?" Arthur asked.
"Because even though my words are not magic, they are words of power which all animals are drawn to, also Ophelia is my friend, why would she say no?" Merlin smiled again.
"So anyone could do it?" Arthur asked.
"Anyone with the right words and the right bond" Merlin said. "Do you want to try?"
"No," Arthur said immediately and saw Merlin's hurtful expression. "I will not speak that language."
"I understand," Merlin said staring back at Arthur.
"Well I don't know about you but I feel like we should be doing some training?" Gwaine said "Arthur?"
"Yes of course," Arthur said still contemplating what he had just seen.
Magic had been used to accomplish something beautiful and unique. No one had died, no one had gotten hurt. All that had happened was that Merlin managed to look even more impressive than he had before.
"You're training?" Archer asked. "When are we going to start this treaty? Cenred's patience will not last forever."
"This afternoon, but I oversee the training myself, I like my knights to be trained properly."
"That's why there so feared and respected around the five kingdoms," Merlin said appreciatively.
"Well they were, then all of a sudden Cenred's army got exceedingly more talented," Arthur said staring at Merlin in suspicion.
"Cenred's army is not of my making," Merlin said still smiling.
"Then how do you explain their explosion in talent in the last few years?" Arthur asked.
"To tell you would reveal Cenred's secrets…"
"And cost you your life…yes, yes," Arthur said not convinced.
"May we join in the training?" Archer asked.
"I don't see why not," Arthur replied "just so long as you don't kill anyone."
"We will try our best," Will say smiling.
"I suppose me participating is out of the question?" Merlin laughed jumping elegantly down from Ophelia.
"Yes it is," Will said pushing his shoulder against Merlin's "I'm your practice dummy far too often, plus I don't think the knights of Camelot will take too keenly to watching a sorcerer incinerate things under the heading of practicing." Will laughed.
"No we wouldn't," Arthur said.
"Well, I'll watch then," Merlin said and escorted Ophelia back to her stable. Then set off towards the barracks where Arthur's daily training session took place.
Ic i áféde andfeng mín bróðorlufu - Rear up my love
Wohoo for arguments! Yeah there might be a lot of them. Next chapter Will and Archer show why the crystal of talent picked them!
Review!