Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, this an alternate universe fan fiction in which I have used the characters, places and story from the BBC TV show which I do not own.

A/N: Is it just me that thinks that ethereal is such a perfect word to describe Merlin?

No-One Knew

~ARTHUR~

Seriously. He just wanted to take a stroll on the edge the city. Could he not get just a few months of peace and quiet before something happened. Again. He was really getting tired of this. Some times it would be bandits. Sometime it would be evil sorcerers. Sometimes it would be traitors. Sometimes it would be magical undefeat-able beasts. He was really getting tired of this. This time it was a band of renegade druids.

It was the usual routine, he was disarmed, captured and blindfolded, maimed, taken to a mysterious place in the woods. There was the usual speech about how the Pendragon race had exploited their kind, and how they would restore to the throne to a rightful magic leader, i.e. Morgana, and the ban on magic would be lifted.

He sighed as they left him bound in enchanted chains, disappearing no doubt to discuss what the next stage of their plan was. If only they gave him the chance. He had been thinking to lift the ban for many a month now. There hadn't been a death sentence of burning at the pyre since his father's reign. The only death sentences against sorcerers he had past were the ones that he could not prevent. The likes of Kara, who were evil and corrupted in heart, those who he knew who continue terrorising the kingdom until their last breath... He gave then the most merciful death possible, yet each one hurt him.

He knew that the druids were beginning to enter the city without fear now. He knew that Gaius ha used healing magic on many occasions (and praised him for it). This day he was actually thinking of healing magic before he was interrupted much to his annoyance. The only concern he had was the residents of Camelot; it would cause a riot if he lifted the ban on magic today. It would take a lot of time, but that was something, that hopefully, he had.

The main reason Arthur's eyes had opened to magic was because of that man. The man in the cloak who had saved his life many, many times. His magic, a beautiful thing, familiar and safe, never destroying, but creating. He had power, raw power which emitted from him, more power than anyone else. His voice was never raised, yet held so much wisdom and experience. His golden eyes, shadowed. Ethereal.

Speaking of whom, he wondered when he would get here. The druids made their appearance again. Arthur smirked a little when he saw who was approaching behind, suppressing that little bit of guilt from trusting that the man (he really needed to learn his name, even if the man gave an alibi: he couldn't just keep thinking of him as the man) to rescue him before his own knights.

"What are you smiling at?" one of them sneered, in a very Agravaine-like manner. His uncle's betrayal was as bad as Morgana's. People he trusted, people who had great hearts. He feared that it would only take one more breach of his faith before it completely broke him.

It his short time of internal musing, the man (see, it just did not do to call your saviour that) had already announced his presence. The four renegade druids turned around to see the defender.

"What do you hope to achieve by capturing the King?"

His voice was authoritative, a warning to them not to anger him. They didn't pay heed.

"Who are you, have you come to save the king?" the same, probably the leader, asked in a sing-song voice which was rather aggravating. (pun intended)

"I said, what do you hope to achieve by capturing the king?" he asked again in a stoic voice.

"We will take revenge for all that we have suffered by the Pendragon hand! All our life , we have been exploited for being who we are, our brother and sisters have been murdered before us, but no more."

"What makes you think that you will not fail like the rest who have tried?" it was hard to believe that there was real curiosity in his voice.

"If you haven't noticed, we have our King at our mercy. We could have slit his throat hours ago."

He replied with a smug smile. That was true, Arthur thought, they could have killed him anytime that they wished.

"Oh, could you?"

His voice remained stoic, but Arthur could sense his amusement. He had been here all along. Ok, so that was another thing he could add to his list of: He can render people unconscious. He can heal any would. He can control the elements. And now, he can stay hidden until he wants to be found.

"Tell me something. Do you think that Camelot has banned magic as an act of war? Do you not think that the very people that make Camelot live in fear of magic, which time and time again has ripped their lives? Do you know what they think of magic? Do you? I'll tell you. They think that it is ruthless and venomous and cruel. They think that it is destructive and evil. Do you know why? Because destructive and evil people like you, who have time and time again falsely shown how bad magic is. How awful it is. Those people who live in that castle, have known nothing but fear and misery at magic's name, so what do you expect? Do you rally think that they will accept the likes of anyone like you. Like the rest of the sorcerers out there who live in fear from day to day because their king has known nothing but desolation by magic. Because you have turned something as beautiful as the earth into the very embodiment of everything evil."

Anger and power emanated from him, and though he never shouted, his words were echoed between the trees. Wind blowed ferocious, mirroring the warlock's hidden stormy eyes. The majesty of his was overwhelming.

The band backed away in fear.

"Be gone, now, and do not return till you have rectified your ways. The wind shall carry your voice to me, and the sky will become my ears. All the trees in the forest my faithful seers should go back to your old ways, I shall know. Be gone."

The thunder and lightening cracked, as the light of day suddenly disappeared. Wind whistled all around them, making the trees moan and creak.

They cowered and ran. Arthur wasn't surprised - he would have too. His wound (he hadn't realised that it was quite this serious) was really starting to hurt now, and his vision was spinning. As soon as the renegades were out of sight, the weather was restored, and Arthur's chains broke free. Arthur' s last coherent thought was that he would do his utter best never to anger the man, before he blacked out on the forest floor.

A/N: Whoa, that was fun to write! It just got out of my control. Thanks for reading!