Why did you do that?

What?

Help me.

I saw you and…it could have been me in that cage.

- Merlin & Freya, series 2 episode 9.

There was something special about the druid girl.

Besides her fair features and fairy-like name, Merlin knew from the short amount of time he had spent with her that she was someone worth risking everything for. That she had suffered enough. That she deserved to be saved.

The knowledge that there were people out there that devoted their lives to capturing anyone with even a hint of magic made Merlin's skin crawl. People like Halig that happily lined their pockets at the expense of innocent people.

Seeing Freya trapped in that tiny cage had left an uncomfortable heaviness sitting in his stomach, so anything he did to defy Halig felt like a win. Especially as fetching Freya's breakfast included the added joy of messing with the prince as Merlin left him pondering over his missing sausages.

It was all fun and games until Halig cornered him in the courtyard, a large meaty grip on his shoulder blocking his path to Freya.

Halig's face remained straight and brutish all the way to the dungeons — the man was clearly awaiting the privacy of a cell before beginning his interrogation. The guards also stayed silent as they marched him down the stairs.

It surprised Merlin that they would follow Halig's orders without question before it occurred to him that the orders they were most likely following were the King's. Halig was in Camelot with the sole purpose of catching magical creatures so Uther had no doubt given the bounty hunter complete control of the guards during his search.

And well, if that wasn't a terrifying thought.

As the guards pushed him into the chair sitting in the middle of one of the smaller cells, the jug he had been keeping a hold of was knocked to the floor, hitting the ground with a hollow clunk. Merlin watched as the three stolen sausages from Arthur lunch plate rolled out traitorously and he felt his cheeks redden in an instant.

"They're just the prince's leftovers," he murmured half-convincingly in response to Halig's questioning glare.

"Does he know you steal his food?" Halig asked and Merlin was suddenly all too aware of the guards still standing on either side of him.

"Not exactly," he answered carefully.

"Where were you taking it?"

"Home. For my dinner."

With Arthur not there to explain the situation away for him, the last thing he wanted was for the guards to arrest him for stealing from the prince. Did stolen sausages count as treason?

Halig clearly didn't buy his answer either way as one nod from him had the guards' fingers digging into his shoulders once again.

"Have you seen the druid girl I'm looking for?" He asked, stepping closer to encroach on Merlin's space. He bent down as if really looking him in the eyes would reveal the answers he was looking for.

Merlin shook his head minutely as he mumbled out a "no," and even he had to admit that it was the least convincing response he had ever given.

He did wonder what exactly had tipped Halig off though. For the man to grab him in the middle of the courtyard meant he must have done something. Maybe he had seen him sneaking into the catacombs. Although, surely not or he would have followed him and found Freya already, right? Maybe he just didn't like the look of Merlin and needed someone to take his frustrations out on.

Or maybe Halig just chose him at random. With the king trusting in his abilities, he had to be seen to be working hard or he would simply be known as the bounty hunter who mislaid his prey.

Halig didn't blink as he stared Merlin down and for a moment, Merlin thought he might have gotten away with it until Halig bared his teeth as his lips were pulled into a smug grin.

"I think you're lying to me." Halig growled, and before Merlin could come up with the words to deny him, his vision whited out as a large, heavy fist connected squarely — and painfully — with his jaw.

He let out a groan as the cell around him wobbled before slowly coming back into focus.

Well, that was unexpected.

Halig grabbed the chain that had been sitting threateningly on his shoulder and pulled it taut between his hands. The metal clanked as it tightened and Merlin felt a wave of nausea rush through him.

Although, that may have been from the concussion he was sure he'd just been gifted.

"I'm not," Merlin protested, desperate not to discover which was more painful to get hit in the face with — fist or chain. He wriggled fruitlessly against the guards, feet scrabbling against the floor as if maybe he could push himself through the back of the chair and escape that way.

As he watched Halig step closer, he pondered just why Halig was going to all this trouble just to find Freya. And then, he opened his mouth and it sent a burning anger bubbling in Merlin chest.

"Do you know how much money she's worth to me?"

It didn't matter what magical abilities Freya possessed, the only thing that was of any concern to Halig was how much money he could fetch for her. Like she was some prized cow being offered to the highest bidder.

"Probably not enough to fix your breath." Merlin muttered in return, fully aware that Halig could hear him. And well, the second punch to the face was worth it if it took the attention from his questions.

At least he had thrown the chain to the floor in his frustration instead of trying to take Merlin's head off with it.

Pain burst across his cheek in an instant as Halig struck him again and his head whipped around so fast he was worried his neck was close to snapping. He let his head hang down for a moment as he tried to regain his bearings, running his tongue across the back of his gums to confirm that all teeth were still intact. His mouth had gone all tingly and he probably wouldn't even notice if he'd accidentally swallowed one.

Could you suffocate on a tooth? They might be small but getting that stuck in your throat would not be fun. Still, it was probably a better way to go than—

Halig's fist connected with his stomach without warning and all air instantly vacated Merlin's lungs. He gasped helplessly as his body folded over as best it could while he was held in the chair. It was a terrifying feeling not being able to breathe, even just for those few simple seconds, and as he recovered from being winded, he wondered if Halig actually had a plan. He couldn't exactly spill the secrets he was apparently harbouring if he couldn't speak.

Halig grabbed the front of his shirt next, twisting it as he pulled him upright in the chair. His face was so close that Merlin visibly recoiled at the hot breath ghosting his skin. He briefly considered taking a leaf out of the knights' book to get the man out of the way – the proximity was perfect for a swift butt to the head after all. But then again, whereas the knights' thick skulls and penchant for violence could handle such a boneheaded move, Merlin would probably only succeed in knocking himself out.

"Do you need me to ask you again?"

Merlin squirmed against the guards to no avail, answering in as strong a voice as he could muster. "Why? Didn't you hear me the first time?"

Halig didn't like that.

At least, that's what the man's fist told him.

Connecting with his nose this time, Merlin was almost sure he heard something crack, the sickening sound reverberating through his skull. It definitely felt like something cracked. And the blood rushing from his nose did little to convince him otherwise. It ran down his top lip, mixing with the globules of bloody saliva already hanging from his mouth, staining his shirt as it dripped off his chin.

He groaned pitifully as he blinked away the black spots cutting holes in the scene before him.

Someone really couldn't take a joke.

With Arthur, he could get away with it – he thrived on it even, the rush of back-talking the prince and receiving nothing more than a half-assed slap to the back of the head in return. But clearly angry, greedy bounty hunters were not fans of sarcasm.

Merlin wasn't built for this. A skinny little servant, used to being pummelled only when Arthur needed a moving target during training, was learning in this moment that he was very much not capable of taking a punch. Especially not from a man who was clearly using him as a plaything to take his vexation out on.

There was no way Halig knew that Merlin had the answers he seeked. It had been so dark when he'd rescued Freya – the figure that Halig claims he saw helping her could have been anyone.

"I'm telling you the truth." He spoke through lips that were already numb. "Why do you think I know anything?"

Halig paused, studying him for any hint of a lie. Or maybe just biding his time as he thought of an answer. Merlin struggled to tell as the man kept gaining the edges of a blurry look-alike every few seconds.

"You were behaving suspiciously."

"No I wasn't."

"Stealing the prince's food sounds suspicious to me."

…which he didn't do until after he'd released Halig's prisoner, so where exactly was this man's evidence for this kind of treatment again? It was quite unfair really. If anyone deserved to be punished, it was Halig. How anyone could treat another human being the way this bounty hunter had treated Freya – and who knows how ever many other bounties – just because they had magic.

It so easily could have been Merlin sitting in that cage. Trapped. Frightened. Alone.

And it was that thought alone that kept him from risking any ounce of magic now. Which was a shame. Because he had all this power flowing inside of him just waiting to be released and without it, getting punched really hurt.

Who knew Arthur was better than him at something. That guy could probably get whacked in the face with a horse and still walk it off.

"I wasn't stealing." Merlin finally replied but he'd obviously taken too long because the man swung again sending his whole world tumbling into darkness.

The warm rays of sun beat down from the sky as Leon made his way to the training grounds. The knights of Camelot were the best of the best, and as such, they were expected to train in all weathers. But Leon certainly appreciated the days he didn't have to battle the sheets of rain that liked to plague them often.

The courtyard was filled with people going about their day, servants and citizens alike, all slightly on edge from the latest stop and search they had endured. The majority of them would not know the full reason behind it, unlike Leon who was given more information than some vague notion about a missing girl.

He had heard all about Haig's runaway prisoner and, druid or not, he wasn't surprised she had escaped. The bounty hunter was a brute of a man - rude, arrogant and painfully self-important. He had seen how uncomfortable the ladies of the court were with his attentions and honestly, Leon was looking forward to it being time for him to leave Camelot. He had been happily staying away from the man, which is why it came as a surprise to see him leading two guards into the castle, a too-familiar figure clasped between them.

Since Merlin had first arrived in Camelot, Leon had seen him placed in the stocks to be pelted with fruit several times - much to Arthur's amusement - but in more recent months, the boy's somewhat insubordination seemed to be enjoyed by the prince. He hadn't been punished in a while and even the guards offered him a little more respect, him being a royal servant.

Whatever wrong Merlin had committed towards Halig was between the two of them and it wasn't Leon's place to get in the middle of it. He had a training session to get to after all. But watching as Merlin was dragged in the direction of the cells, it didn't sit right with Leon that the boy was all alone dealing with a man that would happily use his strength and position against him.

A quick detour on the way to the training grounds wouldn't hurt anyone.

Arthur wasn't scheduled to join them on the field and, having just passed lunchtime, it was a safe bet to hope he was still in his chambers. Upon reaching the room, Leon hesitated at the door for a moment, unsure of whether to disturb the prince with such trivial news. Would he really wish to be interrupted with such information?

Coming to a decision, he knocked solidly against the wood and was instantly invited inside.

Arthur, who was reading at his desk, looked up to watch Leon enter, a flash of confusion on his face.

"Sir Leon? What can I do for you?"

Leon stepped further into the room, his strong voice projecting the rest of the way.

"My Lord, I—" he hesitated, wondering if maybe Arthur was actually aware of what was going on and he was completely overstepping. "I apologise if I'm speaking out of turn, but I just saw Halig taking Merlin to the dungeon. I thought you might be interested to know of him being in trouble."

Watching Arthur roll his eyes with an exasperated exhale as he dropped his pen heavily against his papers, Leon nearly heaved a breath of relief. That was the face of a man who was very much not aware.

"Thank you for letting me know." Arthur offered as he pushed himself out of his chair and Leon happily took it as a dismissal, giving a nod of acknowledgement before swiftly leaving the way he came, happy to get to his training session that particular concern no longer hanging over him.

Arthur sighed heavily as he marched his way down to the dungeons. He had much better things to be doing with his time instead of pulling his ridiculous manservant out of whatever mess he had managed to find himself in this time. He had been tempted to let Merlin deal with it himself, but unfortunately, as his servant, Merlin was his responsibility, so it was left to Arthur to find out how he had managed to earn the distrust of the incompetent bounty hunter so soon after his arrival.

Don't get him wrong – he fully understood the importance of Halig's job and its significance to Camelot's welfare, he just didn't appreciate how willingly the King had offered the full support of the royal guards in finding one druid girl – that Halig had lost no less. In the two days since his appearance, Arthur had heard countless reports of disturbances in the lower town; people being stopped or questioned as they innocently went about their day. As if the druid girl would be milling around the market while an entire regiment of guards was looking for her.

And while he could do little to hold off the searches of the townsfolk, he supposed he could allow a few minutes to try and discover why Halig wished to speak to his servant – alone in the cells, no less.

The path to the dungeons was dimly lit and what little sunlight made it in through the small windows positioned up high was instantly leeched by the cool stone walls. The walk was familiar to Arthur, having made it a multitude of times of the years, as were the moans that echoed down the hall. A pitiful mewl of a noise that was reminiscent of his servant when he reluctantly played Arthur's training partner.

Falling face first into the mud after the first blow, Merlin would whinge and complain and beg Arthur to find a more worthy opponent to spar against, as if Arthur's entire aim wasn't to have some fun with his servant. He'd grown to expect the moans on the training field. It was quite concerning that he was hearing them now though.

Putting one foot in front of the other, quicker than a few moments before, he found the inhabited cell that was the source of the noises. The door was wide open, but the interior was blocked almost entirely by Halig's large form. The man had his back to the prince as he stood squarely in front of the hidden contents of the room but Arthur felt a chill run through him at what he had just walked into. He didn't like what he was seeing. And when Halig pulled his clenched fist back, priming it for another blow, he shouted into the cell before it could swing and find its mark.

"Halig!"

The bounty hunter froze where he stood, turning slowly as he lowered his arm. The annoyance at being disturbed fell from his face as he saw who had spoken, but with not enough urgency to demonstrate any real shame for his actions.

Arthur would have admonished him instantly had his attention not been drawn to the figure slumped in the chair at the centre of the room. The lower half of Merlin's face was covered in blood, splattered across his cheeks and drooling under his chin as it hung near his chest. His eyes were half-lidded, blinking slowly but not seemingly taking anything in, and if it wasn't for the guards holding him upright, Arthur was sure he would be on the floor.

Arthur's gaze honed in on the hands on Merlin's shoulders that had no doubt loosened upon seeing their prince. The guards looked conflicted, as if suddenly unsure of whether they should have been following Halig's orders to begin with. At least they had the common sense not to let go completely and drop Arthur's servant at his feet.

Arthur's heart leapt into his throat, leaving a lump sitting there that was uncomfortable to swallow. When Leon had come to see him to relay what he'd witnessed, this was the last sight Arthur had ever expected to find.

Merlin had been with him maybe half an hour ago, frustrating Arthur with his innocent demeanour and answer for everything. And now, he was half out of it, blood steadily dripping from his nose after being set upon by a brute of a man.

…who didn't seem at all phased by the position he had found himself caught in.

"What do you think you're doing?" Arthur demanded; brows furrowed as he stepped into the room.

"We caught the boy behaving suspiciously, Sire." Halig replied gruffly, shrugging as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

Arthur had to bite his tongue against the angry retort he longed to throw out on his servant's behalf. Just how suspicious had Merlin been acting to warrant this level of violence.

"He could be harbouring the girl." Halig continued as he glanced over at Merlin, lip curling as he snarled. "He's going to tell us where."

"And how exactly did you plan on getting answers from a boy who's barely conscious enough to understand the question."

Halig turned toward Merlin and Arthur had a brief flash of fear that the bounty hunter was about to show him exactly how he had planned to do it. A firm grip on the man's arm halted any thought of such actions.

"Merlin is my servant; he has my absolute trust. If you have a problem with him, you come to me." And in case the dismissal wasn't clear enough, he added firmly: "He has nothing to do with your missing druid."

Halig narrowed his eyes as he considered Arthur's words and for a moment, Arthur was certain the man was about to argue. Instead, he looked once more over at Merlin with a sneer of disdain before backing down and leaving with a grumble. The guards happily followed suit after a swift nod from Arthur and then he was left alone with his servant.

Merlin looked dreadful. And that was putting it lightly. The blood was only serving to emphasise his usually pale complexion and the side of his face was already showing signs of turning into one giant bruise. His weak grip on the edge of the chair was doing little to keep him upright and he was sure to have fallen had Arthur not darted forward to grab him by the shoulders.

"Woah." Merlin muttered to himself, swallowing roughly as his eyes slammed shut, and the sight left a knot forming in Arthur's stomach.

Merlin had accompanied them on several dangerous missions, returning each time with barely a scratch on him. The fact that this had happened in Camelot of all places, right under his very nose. Maybe he should have been harsher on Halig.

Merlin shook his head, a groan rumbling in the back of his throat as he realised what a bad idea the movement was. He pawed clumsily at the arm holding him up. "I didn't tell him anything."

"Yeah, I can see that." Arthur huffed sympathetically at his servant's jumbled words. "Not that you had anything to tell him, of course."

With gentle fingers on either side of his jaw, Arthur tilted Merlin's face up to get a better look at the damage. Regardless of how misleading the smear of red on his upper lip was, his nose appeared to have stopped bleeding so enthusiastically. As had the small cut sitting high on his cheek bone. Arthur didn't like the way Merlin's unfocused gaze roamed lazily around the room though, and even less so when it settled on a spot just to the left of Arthur.

As if reading his mind, Merlin tried to placate any concerns. "I'm fine."

"Yeah, sure." Arthur rolled his eyes. "And if I let go, you're not going to fall right out of this chair."

Merlin opened his mouth to retort but was distracted by a new cut he had discovered on the inside of his mouth. His tongue pushed out his cheek as it ran across the scratch and he frowned as it hit a particularly sensitive spot. He gave a quiet ow to himself, revealing the tinge of blood across his teeth as he did so, allowing the knot in Arthur's stomach to pull tighter.

They needed to leave. It was doing no good for either of them to stay in the cells when what Merlin really needed was to get to someone who knew how to help. But that meant walking – a lot of walking. Stairs included.

"Come on, we're going to Gaius." Arthur informed him as he hefted him out of the chair, and all would have been well if Merlin hadn't flailed almost immediately.

His grip on Merlin's arm slipped in surprise and his servant ended up dropping to the floor, his bottom connecting with the concrete with a thud and a groan.

"Merlin, what—" Arthur spluttered, bewildered as his servant reached for something on the floor. He recognised it immediately as the jug Merlin had been pouring his water from during lunch. "What are you doing?"

Merlin looked up at him, eyes as wide as they could be with the way one of them was starting to swell. He blubbled out an incoherent answer, maintaining the eye contact as his hands fumbled with something by his side. And honestly, Arthur was starting to understand why Halig had accused him in the first place.

"What is that?"

"…Nothing."

"Merlin."

"It's just a jug." Merlin mumbled, decidedly eager to not hold his gaze anymore as he gently rubbed at his forehead.

Arthur was one step away from putting his hands on his hips and becoming dangerously reminiscent of the old washer woman that used to scold him in his youth for playing in the kitchens.

"You're a terrible liar." He settled for a raised eyebrow. "If this is how you were acting earlier, then no wonder Halig dragged you down here."

Merlin paused as he considered Arthur's words, eyes flicking up to meet the prince's before darting away. "You think Halig was right?"

"Of course not." Arthur assured him firmly, taken aback that Merlin could even consider that Arthur would think that. "Now, what's in the jug."

Arthur didn't think it possible for Merlin to look any more pitiful, slumped on the floor, but as his servant huffed defeatedly and overturned the jug, Arthur was beginning to understand the sheepish look on his face.

Three pieces of food dropped to the floor.

Three very familiar pieces of food.

"Are those my sausages?" And dammit, his hands were on his hips before he could stop them.

Merlin pulled his lip between his teeth as he wiped away the blood still clinging to his chin with the back of his hand.

"Merlin."

"It's to keep you in shape." Merlin answered cautiously, deciding with his addled brain that he'd had enough of sitting on the floor now that the secret was out. Using the chair behind him, he started to push himself upright. His breathe caught audibly in his throat as his legs buckled for a second and Arthur watched as he steadied himself, ready to intervene if necessary.

He wasn't about to overlook his servant's insolence, however.

"I'm fighting fit!"

"And I'm trying to keep it that way." Merlin muttered as he dropped back down into the chair and Arthur scoffed at his cheekiness.

It was impossible to take him seriously as he leaned into the back of the chair with closed eyes, blood painting a background for the lazy half-conscious grin on his face. How Halig thought him capable of helping the dangerous druid girl escape was beyond him, he could barely hide the fact that he'd stolen half of the prince's lunch.

He'd have to keep an eye on Halig until the girl was found. The man was clearly desperate and was bound to terrorise another innocent person without thinking twice, and the last thing Arthur wanted was a state of fear hanging over the people he was supposed to protect.

He'd no doubt have to keep a watch over Merlin too now that he was on Halig's radar. It had only taken one encounter for Halig to cause this much damage, he dreaded to think what would happen if there was a next time. He ideally needed his servant mostly intact for his remaining days there, so their next stop was to see Gaius whether Merlin liked it or not.

"Fine." Arthur grabbed Merlin's arm before the man could wonder what he was doing. "I'll prove that I'm in shape."

With strong legs, he bent down and heaved Merlin over his shoulder, ignoring his squirming protests to put him down. It wasn't too far a walk to the physician's chambers and his legs could probably do with the workout.

— Not that they weren't already in shape.

Dammit. Once Gaius had confirmed that Merlin's brain was still intact, he was going to have a serious conversation with his servant about the consequences of his impertinence.

Stealing the prince's food was treason after all.