A/N:
I am SO very sorry for the long unintentional hiatus on this! I promise I will get to all of you who have requested prompts – In the meantime, as it has been so long, I will write a quick one that came to me a while ago and get back into the swing of things! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and a very Happy New Year
I should really consider moving this to the Hurt/Comfort category...
I don't own Merlin
CHARACTERS: Merlin, Arthur & Spirit!Uther
RATED: T
GENRE: Hurt/Comfort, Angst
WARNINGS: As usual, Merlin bashing...which I say with such casual glee, it actually frightens me a little...Oh well – I am a sucker for the soft side it brings out in Arthur...
Note: In this story, Arthur knows about his magic, but Merlin doesn't know he knows...
5x03 – Death Song of Uther Pendragon: What if Uther's attack on Merlin at the end had been a little more violent?
THE ADVENTURES OF MERLIN
Uther's Punishment
As Arthur slumped to the floor, unconscious – the spirit of Uther Pendragon drifted across the floor of the throne room, a malevolent glare marring his pale face as he approached his injured son, eyeing the horn that had summoned him with derision.
'Get away from him, Uther...' Merlin warned as he stepped from the shadows, his voice strong and without fear.
Uther froze, his form rigid as the young manservant stepped forward cautiously. 'You've caused enough harm. You don't belong here...you must return to the Other World.'
'This is my Kingdom...' Uther responded, his tone soft and dangerous. He turned slowly, his eyes dark with malice. 'You think you can drive me from it? You are nothing but a serving boy!'
Merlin squared his shoulders and met the spirit's cold and unforgiving gaze.
'I am much more than that,' he replied, equally as dangerous.
The young man only just heard the bench as it lifted from the stone as if by an invisible rope and he turned his head only slightly, pulling forth his instinctive magic to protect himself. His eyes flashed golden and the projectile clattered back to the ground.
This time Merlin couldn't meet his gaze straight away, but instead stared at his feet for several moments before lifting his eyes.
'You have magic?' Uther asked incredulously, a frown furrowing his brow.
'I was born with it!' Merlin cried defensively; fear now chilling his blood at the look on Uther's ethereal face.
'I made you Arthur's servant...you are a Sorcerer?'
'Even while you were King, there was magic at the heart of Camelot,'
'I will not allow you and your kind to poison my Kingdom!' Uther bellowed, rushing forward – aggression clear, but Merlin stood his ground. 'You're wrong. You're wrong...about so much,'
The spirit froze as the young Warlock continued, 'Arthur is a better and more worthy King than you ever were.'
Uther leapt forth with a roar, his face contorting in such a way that would not be possible in life. Merlin raised his hand and with another flash of gold, his magic sent the Spectre flying through the wall.
Well, now he knew...Uther Pendragon knew his secret...and if he got the chance to tell Arthur, he was a dead man.
*~*M*~*
He pushed the door open quickly, his arm raised in defence, should it be necessary...but nothing stirred, saved for the light wind that whistled through the open corridors and tousled his raven mop.
The sound of rustling fabric from somewhere in the shadows startled him, sending his heart racing – he turned sharply, but there was nobody there.
Merlin inwardly berated himself for being so jumpy as he continued down the corridor warily, not seeing the King's apparition as it stepped out from within a dark alcove.
The young man approached the armoury doors slowly, not even considering the possibility that entering this room would give Uther's very angry spirit a lot of sharp things to throw at him.
He unlatched the door and entered slowly, his eyes sweeping the empty room for any signs of ghostly activity.
'Bael onbyrne,' he incanted, waiting at the threshold as the torches combusted; shedding their golden light across the room.
He entered slowly, listening closely at the soft sounds that echoed around the Armoury – the rattling of chains, the squeaking of a mace swinging on its hook. Merlin stilled it, slightly annoyed with the incessant sound.
Suddenly, the wind picked up and goosebumps erupt down his arms, raising the hairs.
He spun quickly, his eyes widening at the two spears approaching at speed, thrown once again, by an unseen force.
There was nowhere for him to go and he felt he breath leave him as the two spearheads sheared through skin, fat, flesh and muscle, thudding into the wood behind him and trapping him.
It took a moment to register the devastating agony of being impaled and Merlin gasped, not quite able to scream as the pain engulfed him.
The coppery taste that filled his mouth the first time he tried to take a deep breath, told him that things were not looking good.
He gripped the shafts of the weapons weakly and tried to pull, but the burning in his body ceased his attempts and he slumped with a keening moan.
Loud footsteps approached and for a moment, Merlin thought it was Arthur – until he looked up and saw the imposing, almost blue apparition of Arthur's father.
A cold sweat broke out across Merlin's brow, and Uther smiled cruelly upon seeing the blood drip down his chin.
'It will give me great pleasure watching you die...' he said coldly as Merlin whimpered in pain.
'Father!' Arthur called, stepping into the room with his sword drawn. He spared Merlin only a glance, blanching at the sight of his blood, splattering his tunic.
The King swallowed convulsively. He could not help Merlin if his father stood in the way.
Uther turned slowly and Arthur tried to ignore the pained whine that escaped Merlin's bloody lips.
The young regent raised the horn, his blue eyes holding so much sorrow.
'No. Arthur, please...' Uther said softly. 'Whatever I have done, I have done for Camelot.'
Merlin gasped and allowed his head to fall back, the unbelievable agony threatening to drive him to madness.
Arthur clenched his jaw and tried not to look. He had to concentrate.
'You've had your turn...Now it's mine,'
Arthur felt his eyes burning with unshed tears as he brought the horn to his lips.
'Merlin has-' the spectre began to say as the horn sounded, but the words turned into an angry cry as he dispersed in a flurry of light, leaving the two young men alone in the armoury.
Tears in his eyes, Arthur let out a ragged breath and dropped the magical item to the ground at his feet.
'Merlin...' he said softly as he swiftly approached the young man who was stuck to the back wall like an ornament.
The warlock coughed and cried out as the movements jarred his wounds and Arthur bit his lower lip as he inspected the boy.
'What did you say to him that provoked him sticking you like a boar?' The King asked in an attempt at humour – but there was no disguising the tremor in his words.
'S-said that y-you are a better K-king...' he responded softly, his head lolling forwards like the bones had been removed.
'Stay awake clotpole,' Arthur ordered, giving the manservant's face a gentle slap. 'You're an idiot for antagonising him like that.'
His voice was softer now, as he inspected the wounds. They hadn't bled much, but that was only because they were plugged at each and by the girth of the shaft.
Removal would be difficult and extremely painful. He needed to think about this carefully.
'So you teased a ghost and he stuck you with some sharp sticks. Any burning desire to do that again?' Arthur asked lightly whilst he searched the armoury for an axe.
Merlin huffed in mild amusement but ended up spattering the floor with more blood.
'Lovely. You're cleaning that up when you're better.' The King muttered, trying to hide the fear that was folding around his heart.
'What if...I don't get better?' Merlin panted, his breath wheezing. 'It hurts...'
Arthur swallowed the lump in his throat. 'Shut up,'
The next cry had the young man at Merlin's side, holding his face. 'I am not losing anybody else. I'm being selfish here – I order you to be alright because I can't lose you.' Arthur said in a rush, pressing his brow to Merlin's. 'So here's what's going to happen. I'm going to cut this sticks to size – and It will hurt like hell – then I am going to get you to Gaius and he is going to fix you. I don't care if you use your magic – don't look at me like that, you're a clumsy idiot. Just...stay awake and don't leave me.'
Staring into the sad, blue eyes of his King, he gave a small smile and nodded.
'Kay,' he murmured, wincing as Arthur gripped the shaft of the spear.
Raising the axe he had found, he swung it down as close to Merlin's body as he could, and cleaved the through the wood.
He was not expecting the animal scream that tore from Merlin's lips, spraying him with gore. Arthur fought back the urge to vomit.
'God's, Merlin – I'm sorry...I'm-'
'Jus' shut up 'n do the other 'ne,' Merlin slurred weakly, his lids fluttering.
Arthur clenched his jaw and repeated the swing on the other, still flinching at the pained cry even though he was expecting it.
Dropping the axe like it burnt him, he rushed to Merlin's side and wiggled the head of the spear where it was imbedded into the wall. He ignored the blood.
'P-please stop that,' Merlin squirmed. 'I can get rid of them...'
'No, Merlin wait!'
Merlin's eyes flashed gold and the spears melted away as if they had been an illusion.
Arthur caught the youth and slowed his descent, but the problem was – and had been from the moment Uther had disappeared – how much blood would Merlin lose if they came out.
Too much. Far too much, for Arthur's liking.
He pressed down on the two wounds hard, but the blood slid easily through his fingers. It provoked little reaction from the manservant, and this bothered him.
Merlin's lid's fluttered rapidly.
'No, stay awake!' Arthur begged, his stomach tightening in dread.
Please not him too... He prayed idly.
The youth lost consciousness and Arthur continued to apply pressure.
It took ten minutes for the Knights to show up – They had heard Merlin's pained screams.
Time passed in a blur.
Arthur vaguely recalled Gwaine taking Merlin's limp form from him. He remembers Leon probing the side of his head and finding the small wound that was inflicted by his father.
But he does not recollect falling asleep, because it was like he blinked and all of a sudden he is laying in Gaius's chamber's and the sun is setting.
He was pretty sure it was the middle of the night when his world had started to crumble.
'Awake, I see,' came the Physician's gravelly voice from somewhere nearby.
Arthur sat up slowly. 'What happened? Is Merlin alright?' he asked.
Gaius gave him a tight smile. 'Merlin is far from alright, but I am certain he will make a full recovery.'
'I don't remember falling asleep.' Arthur murmured, scratching idly at his flaxen mop.
The old man chuckled. 'You fainted.'
The King flushed. 'I would not!'
Gaius grew serious again and patted his shoulder before handing him a cup of water. 'You refused to leave once Gwaine brought Merlin to me. There was a lot of blood where it should not have been and one of the spears pierced his lung. I had to get it to fix it or he would have died.
You fainted the moment I cut into the wound and exposed – '
'Shut up Gaius!' Arthur yelled desperately, clutching his stomach like he was going to be sick.
The man frowned. 'I don't understand Arthur. You are a Knight that has seen far worse in battle.'
The King swallowed convulsively. 'Merlin isn't a Knight. He is my manservant. Manservant's do not get wounded. Not like that.'
Gaius's expression softened. 'I suppose you're right. Would you like to see him? I think it may help both of you.'
'Are his insides where they're supposed to be?' He asked suspiciously.
The Physician just chuckled and exited the chambers, leaving Arthur to make his way into Merlin's small room.
It was dark inside, and Merlin laid as a corpse on the bed – pale and still.
If it weren't for the uneven rise and fall of his chest, Arthur would have panicked.
He pulled up a stool and sat close to his friend, his fingers idly tangling in the dark hair.
'I'm going to kill you if you ever scare me like that again.' He murmured, closing his eyes with a sigh.
'That would kind of defeat the purpose of saving my life, wouldn't it?' Came a rough voice from below. Arthur opened his eyes and found Merlin smiling dopily at him – his eyes glazed and distant.
'Gaius gave you some good stuff, eh?' Arthur asked, his movements not ceasing. If Merlin asked about it later, Arthur could just claim he was delirious with pain.
'Good stuff...' Merlin repeated, his lids falling. 'I'm sorry...you had to lose your father again...'
The King clenched his jaw. 'I almost lost you...that was far worse.' He replied softly.
'Really? You mean it?' The warlock slurred.
Arthur rolled his eyes. 'Shut up, Merlin...go to sleep.'
'W-will you be there when I wake up?' He asked, looking for all the world like a frightened child.
'Yes, I'll be here.'
'Promise?'
'I promise, idiot.'
And he was there.
I hope that wasn't too bad for my first time back in six months. Please bear in mind that I am currently on codeine medication and I am a bit dopey...thus Merlin is. I apologise if there are any mentions of unicorns and rainbows in the above text. I don't remember what I just wrote...