Things That Merlin Isn't Allowed To Do (According to Prince Arthur)
6: Introduce Dragons to the Pendragon Family
He has known for about three months now. C'mon, what'd you expect? Merlin isn't exactly subtle. It's rather amazing he's stayed alive for so long, and that he''s managed to fool so many people to believe that he's a simple village idiot with nothing to hide (only with some damned good luck to get out of troublesome situations and a talent of falling right into them wherever he goes).
No, not about the magic. That he figured out a long time ago – Merlin really does need to practice on keeping his secrets better (not that Arthur wants any secrets between them, but it's the principle of the thing, so that his father or other people can't figure things out and get the servant into serious trouble). No, Arthur isn't thinking about the magic.
It's that infernal creature in the cave below Camelot, named Kilgarrah commonly known as the Great Dragon.
Albeit Arthur has no idea what's great about it other than its body weight.
Three months ago he was blissfully oblivious. But then, Merlin called him a prat and other strange things about how he needed to stop being so supercilious because he's got a great destiny to be King (as if Arthur didn't already know that) of Albion (the latter is rather new, though) and to unite the Kingdoms he have to quit being such a clotpole. Naturally, Arthur told him to shut up and polish his armour but the words lingered in his mind, and he struggled with them in his sleep for days.
So.
After exactly four days, nine hours and twenty minutes, he asked what the servant meant about the whole Destiny Business.
Which lead him to some Propecies and the Great Dragon living under the castle, which is telling Merlin that he needs to fulfill his destiny which is about helping Arthur to get to the throne alive and whole and sane, and, according to the dragon, together they shall bring Prosperity, Peace and Magic back to the Kingdom, as the Once and Future King and his Warlock.
Not a big deal, really.
Except that Arthur's finally figured out why Merlin sometimes sprouts half-wise nonsense, why he's risking his life so much without hesitation and where this inquestionable loyalty comes from and, if the dragon's right (which it's been so far, frighteningly enough) Albion can only be through their Union since they're Two Sides of the Same Coin.
And could there be any more innuendo in one sentence?
(The dragon must be bored to come up with stuff like that.)
Upon their first meeting, Kilgarrah had been amused and incredibly cryptic – it's quite maddening but the dragon has been down in that cave for about two decades, and Arthur can't imagine that being good to the head for anyone. The creature is a bad influence of Merlin, and someone really should go down and talk to it about its problems; it'd probably help a lot in clearing the dragon's mind and making him somewhat sane. All right, Arthur understands the whole Same Coin/the Moon and the Sun analogy pretty well.
Too well, in fact.
The thoughts just won't leave him alone.
It doesn't get better when he one startling day finds out that the dragon apparently is telepathic. It gets a lot, lot worse when the dragon peeks into his mind that moment when he's ordering Merlin around and secretly imagining the boy not polishing his sword but polishing his sword, the red pouty lips and those deft pale hands-
"I see you're adapting to your destiny quite well."
How the hell do you make a centuries-old, telepathic, foreseeing fire-breathing beast to keep out of your head and your love-life?
"Gah! GET OUT!" Arthur shouts on the top of his lungs - and no, it's not a girly shriek. It's a very manly sound of shock.
Merlin looks at him startled, dropping the cloth he's been using. Oops, Arthur said that out loud as well as in his mind. Hurriedly he corrects his mistake, raising his hands in (hopefully) a calming manner though Merlin looks quite upset. Oh please don't cry, don't cry, Arthur mentally begs.
"I mean, not you, Merlin – it's the bloody dragon; it's talking in my head."
A look of realization dawns on the servant, who looks a lot calmer suddenly, shoulders relaxing as he picks up the cloth. "Oh. He can be annoying like that."
"I heard that, young warlock!"
Arthur winces. "He does that a lot doesn't he?"
The warlock nods vigorously. "Yeah, pretty much all the time."
"Isn't there anyway to, I don't know, make him shut up?"
"Not really, well, except doing what he asks or solve his riddles. That usually keeps him happy." Merlin gives him an encouraging, supportive smile and resumes his duties.
Damn it. Arthur picks at the food on his plate. No way that he'll fulfill the bloody dragon's dirty wishes when the creature can read his mind. It's rather creepy. How long has the thing been watching him anyway? And Merlin? Can it hear Merlin's thoughts just as clear, or does the boy has some kind of magical defence against it?
"The young warlock has some fiesty dreams at times," the dragon purrs and Arthur almost drops off his chair.
No, he will not, not in any way during any circumstance, ask what those dreams are about.
"Will you stop doing that?"
"Twenty years in a dark stinky cave - I need my entertainment. Besides, you would do the whole of Abion a favour, young prince," the dragon adds and Arthur can imagine it smirk at him, golden eyes glinting, as it flashes over an image of the prince and the warlock entangled among red duvet and silk in a way that makes Arthur suddenly blush heavily, his pulse speeding up.
"Stop doing that!"
"Arthur, you look a bit red," Merlin suddenly says and puts a hand on his forehead. "Are you okay? You're not feeling sick are you? It doesn't feel like a fever, but..."
"N-no," the prince says weakly. Thank god for the inutution to wear baggy trousers.
"You sure? Maybe I should fetch Gaius."
"Or you should have a moment alone," the dragon purrs.
Apparanetly only Arthur can hear the beast talking now; there's no change in Merlin's expression at all, like he hasn't heard a sound.
"No! I-I'm not sick. You don't have to get Gaius. Or anyone," Arthur waves with his hand. "Just, continue with your duties."
"Another duty could entail a proper two-man joust," the dragon suggests.
"O-kay...if you say so, Arthur."
Not entierly convinced, Merlin finishes polishing the sword and, seeing as Arthur isn't eating anything more, puts away the plates on a tray to take them to the royal kitchen for cleaning.
The dragon feels the prince's pulse drop slightly and hears him sigh in relief as the servant leaves the room. In turn, Kilgarrah sighs as well but for a different reason.
"...Pity - that was so close to fulfilling your Destiny."