A Marriage that Started a Legend

by IJustShowedUp

Follows canon but with my own arranged marriage spin on it. What happens when Hunith makes a mistake and is forced on the run with her infant son? What happens when Camelot knights find her twenty years later? What happens when Arthur learns he's betrothed to a peasant boy? Will Merlin be able to stand among royalty? Will these two different boys survive each other? Review!

197. Chapter 199

This chapter is dedicated to Vivirki, who made a little music video about this story and posted it to YouTube. I absolutely loved it and thought the song was fitting these two perfectly, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did

https/youtu.be/tsLFW4Y8_Kk?si=4tugxU99eBUke0gj

This chapter is also dedicated to Khalafan again, for giving me so much material to work with for this trial.

X

There were many times Arthur Pendragon wished, as he watched his consort addressing the court and the prisoners and even his own father, he could take the cloak he wore and wrap it around Merlin's shoulders. There were times he wished he could open up his arms and allow his cloak to fall open, and Merlin would be inclined to step forward into his arms, so that the prince could pull it shut around him. It would have hidden Merlin away from the world, allowing his consort to find safety and peace in the hollow space of Arthur's throat where he could rest his head. It was almost a dream of Arthur's, to have Merlin be so comfortable with him, he would seek the protection Arthur would've offered to him immediately and with no questions asked. There was a special fragility his consort possessed, one that made Arthur feel as if he was looking at this glass dove that would clip if Arthur pressed too hard on his wing. A specialness that his consort possessed, that made Arthur wish he could keep all to himself, and far away from the prying and scornful eyes of the court watching his husband disarm them with just a few measly words. In another lifetime, Arthur would've raped this boy and taken pleasure out of it, but watching him now, he found it so hard to understand how he could want to do anything but take this boy into his arms.

Merlin working the court into a frenzy had been like a work of art, the way that Knight Bryon had been reduced into a screaming nutcase was a testament that spoke of his skills to the court. Each and every excuse Bryon had made just so he could lie his way to freedom, as if the royal family who had been trained to search out lies from a young age, had been met with reproach from his young consort in all the best ways. Backing each fact with hard proof and a different version of events that could not be denied. Arthur still remembered seeing the fading scars on the back of Merlin's neck, scars that he could still see peeking from beneath the hair hanging on the back of his neck, hard core proof toward what had occurred out there in the woods. It had taken every effort under the sun for Arthur to not do more than graze his fingers across it, feeling the way it had left the skin raised in its wake. It had left Arthur wishing he could taste the blood of Bryon soaking on his tongue after he ripped that man's throat out with his bare teeth if Arthur had known about those markings, there would've been a very good chance neither Bryon or Julian would have made it safely to the dungeon cells like they had. Arthur had contained himself back when they had been arrested, so intent on having things done the right way to show the rest of the kingdom how assaults were going to be un-tolerated.

But watching Merlin's closing lines were nearly heartbreaking.

It had left Arthur marveling in amazement when he watched Merlin reading the latter from Lancelot. It had been Lancelot's words, but it had been the voice of his consort reading them out loud. It had felt powerful and eerie and it was out of this world, a secret song to the prince's ears as Merlin proved he deserved to be standing there today. Reading unflinching, sucked into the letter and just forcing the prince to watch the delicate way Merlin's eyes traced one word and the next. It was beautiful, and not even the scars on Merlin's neck taunting him was enough to mar that beauty. Arthur probably could have stood there doing nothing more than listening to Merlin's voice, sweeping him into the story as if it was a play dancing in his mind. Merlin could have been reading the dullest of grain reports, and Arthur would have fallen deeper into the trance just because of that voice. It might have even made Arthur signing those documents worth his time, as long as he got to hear Merlin's voice weaving the words as if it was a work of art.

It almost threw Arthur off his feet when his father made himself known, neatly breaking in where Merlin had left off and deciding Merlin's version of events is the only truth being told. It almost stumped Arthur when he heard Bryon start his screaming, usually his father would've been more heavy handed when they were involved in a full criminal court trial. Considering there were nobles being involved in the matters, Arthur had almost expected to take things into his own hands to make his father see reason if he dared to allow those knights to walk out of this room. It was almost too easy, Arthur decided with a furrow forming in his brows, to have Merlin win the trial when the odds seemed to be stacked against him. Despite the proof against Julian and Bryon, Arthur still thought it would be his father to make things difficult for them. But Arthur wasn't going to ask questions, not when he saw the look on wonder and awe stretching out across the face of his consort.

It had made Merlin's face look so bright and so young and so innocent. Merlin was bright and young and innocent at the tender age of nineteen, but how did it make him want to celebrate with his consort. To do something just so they'd be able to mark this occasion, it was probably a memory Merlin would carry for the rest of his days and Arthur wanted to make sure it was nothing but a happy time for him, when he'd had so few of them under Arthur's care. It was why he had stepped forward, and offered to take things from here for Merlin. The boy had done all of the hard work, and had ripped apart the very foundations that this court ran on… Arthur couldn't even remember the last time it was nobles sitting in front of the court and pleading for their innocence, and LOST. Nobles were practically untouchable in every sense of the word, and obviously Bryon had been banking on that before he had crossed hairs with Merlin. It felt like it was only right for Arthur to take the rest of the burden from Merlin, allow him a moment to rest so Arthur could handle the easy stuff.

What he hadn't been expecting was for Merlin to decide to jump in and ask for a bigger role in deciding what fate awaited Bryon and Julian.

Arthur's stomach had lurched, and he had looked at his consort with just pure horror and nausea etched into every inch of his face. He had felt the bile when it tried retching from his throat, forcing him to swallow it back down, when he imagined Merlin taking place in something he shouldn't. If Arthur had his way in deciding the fates of these men, he would have ordered an execution right there and then. For the attempted assassination of his consort, nothing would have been better than them feeling the sting of his blade as their heads were decapitated in one smooth slice. And imagining Melin being the one to wield a blade like that, clumsy and unpracticed as he was, made Arthur feel sick down to his core. He couldn't imagine Merlin standing above the bodies of men who had their heads taken off by his hand, couldn't imagine Merlin staining his own hands with the blood of these disgusting pigs.

Merlin's hands were pale and long and absolutely perfect in every bloody way of the word. They deserved to have the entire world resting within his palms as tribute to everything he's lived through. What they did not deserve was having blood soaking into every crevice, bathing it into his skin so deeply that it could not disappear no matter how much Arthur himself would have scrubbed those lithe digits clean. Merlin was already pure, a dark angel living in the flesh and created just to haunt Arthur's every waking hour. It was Arthur who had been stained already, who was past the point of no return, and who already had the blood of more men than he could count staining his hands. He should've been the one to do this, should have been the one to keep Merlin's hands clean. It'd be no skin off Arthur's back to take charge over their punishment, but Merlin's never taken a life before. And Arthur knew better than anybody that taking any man's life… it changes a person. It changes them deep in the soul, a shadow to follow them for the rest of their days and hovering just in the background. But his consort's soul was already perfect, shadowed by the rough past Arthur had forced upon him, but perfect and stronger nonetheless. This though…this was something he couldn't allow, his throat convulsing as he tried to speak without making himself sick at the prospect of Merlin taking matters into his very own hands.

"Merlin, I employ you to think this through before you make any decisions that are rash, decisions that you might not be able to take bag if you regret it later on. It's one thing to have them punished for their crimes, but it's quite another to decide what their crime is worth." Gaius spoke out before Arthur could find his voice, and the prince's legs nearly trembled beneath him as he released a breath of air. Yes. Gaius would be the one to get Merlin to see reason, the old man might be the only one his stubborn consort would listen to. He might have been the only one that could preserve the innocence of Merlin's soul. "You will be directly responsible for whatever befalls these men. If you want them dead, it will be you who has their blood on your hands whether or not you're the one that will be swinging the ax. I think it's important to allow Uther to be the one to handle things from here. You've done your part admirable, but now…"

Arthur resisted the urge to shake his head up and down like some kind of odd animal trying to nod, ready and eager to agree with Gaius' assessment of their situation. And maybe Merlin would even look at him and admit that there were some thing's that were simply left to… more experienced hands. Hands who'd not break from spilling more blood. But Merlin acted as if he wasn't there, the consort ALWAYS acted like he wasn't there when he could, turning to look at his uncle with a stubborn expression. Arthur knew what that expression had to mean before Merlin even opened his damn mouth. Arthur wanted to scream as he saw Merlin opening his petal soft lips.

"I don't plan on having them executed."

Arthur stopped where he stood, his mouth opening and closing several times as he stared at Merlin as if he didn't recognize him. What… what did he mean he didn't want them to be executed. On one hand, wasn't that a good thing? It meant Merlin's hands would stay clean, it meant Arthur wouldn't drive himself into madness knowing he was somehow at fault for Merlin standing his hands, it meant everything could go on as normal. As fucked up as their normal was in these days. But on the other hand… what the fuck were they standing around here all this time for. Arthur had pretty much assumed from the beginning that Bryon and Julian would meet their end before this day was finished, one way or another. Whether it be from the courts ordering it, or Arthur being the one to take justice into his own hands. But if Merlin didn't want that, then… exactly what did Merlin want?

"But since I am the one that they tried to damn, I think it's only fair that I get a say in what's a fitting punishment for them. And I don't think that execution is something I'm entirely comfortable with. For one… dying is a pretty easy thing to do. Hell, perhaps knowing they were bested not only once but twice, by this 'simple commoner,' will drive them to do something stupid. And suicide is way easier than something think it is, especially once it's decided." Merlin spoke in this passive way, as if he wasn't somehow speaking about his own experiences with suicide. And Arthur's stomach clenched up tight, flashes of his consort as he choked and coughed and sputtered as the poison from that wretched silver goblet work its way through his system and to his heart. Merlin was sounding almost too melancholy, considering how personal such a topic had to be with him. "And I don't want these men to escape true justice, considering I will most likely be living with what they tried to do to me for the rest of my life. I want to see them punished. And as far as I can see, there are only three options that I think I can live with."

Arthur blinked, surprised by how Merlin was deciding to handle this situation, but he was amazed as well. When Merlin started talking about not wanting to have an execution, he had been scared Merlin was going to say something as ridiculous as letting them go free. But that wasn't his consort's style, he's sure it never has been. There were just some people—like Bryon and Julian—who'd gone too far, and didn't have any hope for redemption. Arthur himself had lost any sense of pity for these men the second Merlin had told him what they had done all those days ago. Arthur wouldn't have even given them a goblet if they were on fire and had their skin bubbling from their bones as said bones turned black, that was how little he cared for either them or their blood status. All he cared about was Merlin, and what Merlin wanted, and what his consort's three options for these men could be. Whatever they were, Arthur would stand right behind his brave little consort and support them.

"The first option and the second option I believe are up to the discretion of the king, because I couldn't care less which one you go with. Since you have been found guilty by the king, you can either spend the rest of your days stuck in a prison cell, much like the one I'm sure you've been staying in during these last few days. Or two, you could be banished from the lands, free to start another life somewhere far away from here, and never be allowed to return inside this kingdom's borders, lest you be faced with the execution you probably would have gotten if I hadn't stepped in. I do believe that is the same punishment the king has set for the former Knight Lancelot if he does not leave before the end of the week is up, more time than I am sure you would get."

It… wasn't the kind of punishment that Arthur would have been going for, if he was the one making the decisions today. He was still wishing he could feel the blood of their corpse staining beneath his fingernails, hear their cries after he ripped their throats out with his teeth, yank their still beating hearts out of the empty things they called their chests. Being close at hand though, stuck in the prison cells where Merlin would know where they are day in and day out, who'd be reminded of them every time he had to walk past the dungeons for a reason all his own, wasn't something Arthur was comfortable with. And having the two of them being banished, knowing that they were out there and could very well decide to break their banishment so they can return and finish what they tried to do with Merlin… Arthur didn't think he'd be able to take his eyes away from Merlin if that was the case. Too scared Merlin could be here one second, and then gone the second those two traitor knights rolled their way back into this city. But Arthur had already committed himself to standing behind Merlin, with whatever he decided, even if he didn't approve of his dark angels methods.

"Or…"

Merlin trailed off, his voice going quieter as he came to the third choice he had yet to announce. And Arthur raised his eyes so that he could watch the several different emotions flash across his consort's face. Uncertainly seemed like it's the most prominent of them, but Arthur saw others as well. Worry. Fear. Signs of Merlin's lack of confidence returning, faltering under the stares of all of the people watching him. Arthur took a half aborted step towards him, and he felt his arms itching with the desire to pull Merlin into them and take control if his consort needed him to step in. But as Arthur forced himself to stop, knowing it would be entirely unwelcome if he tried, and possibly patronizing considering Merlin had strode into this hall with his head held high without the assistance of anybody else. Not even his uncle.

"You can ask me for mercy."

Arthur jolted, surprised when he heard the decisiveness coming out in the tone of his consort, and he stared at his consort, eyes wondering across his face and his body and memorizing each and every inch that he was could see from him. At some point, Merlin seemed to have come to a decision on how he wanted to handle this, and how he wanted to be perceived. The worry and the fear in his features that had made Arthur's heart tug until it felt like it could be yanked out of his chest and right into the palms of his consort, had faded to a place hidden somewhere beneath the surface. A new Merlin, one that shined as if he had the dark wings of an angel stretching from his shoulders, was the one standing there now. Confident and strong, with his shoulders pushed back and his head held high. The kind of look that dared anybody to try arguing this with him.

"I believe that you have both wasted the time of this court for long enough, so I will offer you mercy, which will allow you to walk free from this court without any repercussions for what you've done to me. You can, I assume, return right back to the lives you had before you ever crossed my path. I do believe I have a few favors my husband owes me, so I'm sure we can make something to this effect happens, and will stop him from killing you." Merlin continued, causing Arthur to stiffen. Merlin was making all these choices and decisions without an input from Arthur or his supposed part in it, which, Arthur supposed Merlin did not need his permission to make promises like this. Merlin hadn't talked about 'owing favors,' by accident. After the shit Arthur had done to him, it was clearly obvious that Merlin planned on holding that above his head in order to get this to go the way that he wanted it to. How could Arthur go against what Merlin's wanting? But, how could Arthur allow these men to walk free without at least a permanent disfigurement to forever remind them they had attacked the wrong person. "And there is just one little thing you can do to earn this very generous offer that I don't have to make. I don't exactly owe you anything, and can very well leave you to the whims of my husband if you desire. Or, you could do the one little thing that I'll ask you."

Arthur sucked in a breath, the silence stretching out if Tristian and Dorian were yanking Bryon back up to his feet so he could look at Merlin and speak without his face pressed against the floor, dragging him to stand next to Julian. Bryon had wet drool sliding sickly against his left cheek where he had been smashed into it, and his eyes were almost wild, though he stayed blissfully silent. Arthur looked at him with disgust in his eyes… Merlin had to have something planned. Arthur had seen the way Merlin had reacted when he told him he had the men arrested for treason and crimes against the royal family. There was no chance Merlin would just… let these men wonder free, living in the same area that he's living in. Merlin wouldn't want to stare at the men who had traumatize him live their best lives, though… wasn't that what Merlin was doing with him? Perhaps Merlin saw him, day in and day out, and thought he was living his best life like he's always had. To an outsider who didn't know Merlin's mind, it probably did look like it. Merlin would have no way of knowing Arthur was feeling like he has been apart into a million pieces each and every time he so much as looks near his consort. But what if that was what twisted Merlin's mind? What if, because of Arthur's continued presence in his life, Merlin didn't realize how most didn't have to live with their trauma being in their face every single day. What if he's making this huge mistake, because Arthur's 'normalized' facing his trauma and dealing with it when he shouldn't have to.

"I want you to ask me for forgiveness."

Arthur sucked in another much larger breath, his eyes going wide as he stared at his consort's back. This… this is what that was? Merlin wanted them to give him an apology? Merlin had always been so touchy about getting apologies out of anybody. There had been many times when Arthur had given him apologies for everything he's done in the past, thousands and thousands of times until it felt like he was going blue in the face, until even he couldn't deny that the boy just didn't want to hear them. But… why would Merlin want to hear, and willing, to accept, an apology from Julian and Bryon? Yes, Arthur had caused him way more trauma than these two shit stains had, but they had caused Merlin some trauma as well. They shouldn't be allowed to walk just because they gave him some half-arsed apology. They shouldn't be allowed to walk just for saying the one thing his consort wanted to hear, when they were only trying to try saving themselves

"ARE YOU ABSOLUTELY INSANE! AS IF I WOULD EVER WASTE MY BREATH TO APOLOGIZE TO A COMMON BRAT LIKE YOU! I MEAN, JUST LOOK AT YOU AS YOU STAND THERE STARING DOWN YOUR NOSE AT ME! TELLING ME WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AS IF THE KING WOULD EVER GO FOR ANY OPTION YOU SAID!" Bryon screeched like some kind of hellion, more spittle flying from his mouth, but thankfully, Merlin was standing too far away for any of the droplets to hit him. If Arthur had seen even one stray drop staining Merlin's skin, there's a fairly good chance Bryon wouldn't be around long enough to actually decide if he willing to take the hand Merlin's offering him. "YOU STAND THERE DOING YOUR BEST TO ACT AS IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING! YOU PRETEND AS IF YOU CAN ACTUALLY BE THESE PEOPLE'S CONSORT! WHEN YOU CAN TELL ALREADY, CAN'T YOU. THESE PEOPLE WILL NEVER FOLLOW YOU!"

Arthur could feel the last bits of his patience wearing thin, could feel himself as his restraint started to whither and snap beyond repair, and this red tinge started appearing in the corner of his eyes, making everything start to look as if it was coated in blood. How dare he… how dare this absolute slime have the nerve to turn his nose up when Merlin asked only one thing of him. He would have been on bended knees right now, spewing months and months worth of apologies he kept brimming on the edge of his tongue, if Merlin ever asked it of him. He would have taken his chance in a heartbeat, if Merlin asked him to apologize just one more time. He would scoop out his own bloody heart just to present it to Merlin if the boy asked him to. And yet, Bryon scoffs at the offer with scorn, he ridiculed it as if Merlin's offer wasn't equivalent to being offered all the gold in the world. He declared Merlin unfit to be a consort, as if there's anybody in any of the five kingdoms who could be as strong and as brave as Merlin's been during these last four months. He's going to do it, he's going to cut Bryon's worthless tongue from his mouth and force him to eat it even while he's choking on his own blood. Nobody got to speak to Merlin like that, he did not get to QUESTION Merlin like that, or speak ill of him, as long as Arthur was here to put a stop to it.

"Don't."

The whispered hiss of Merlin's uncle beside him was the only thing that stalled the prince from coming to Merlin's defense. That, and the aged hand wrapping itself around his wrist before he could make a move and take out this man who should not even be breathing the same air as his consort. Arthur whipped his head around, his spine stiffening as he shot the elderly man a look that clearly said, why shouldn't I? Gaius gave him a sharp scowl in response, clearly being as unwelcoming to Arthur as he deserved after ruining his standing with their little family of two, and didn't answer him. Though Gaius did at least give this short nod toward Merlin, silently telling Arthur to look and see what was going on with Merlin. Usually, Arthur would have been trying to go out of his way to be extra polite and sure of himself, a poor attempt at trying to get back on the good side of the man, but he was too wired up to care much. Although he did follow Gaius' silent instruction and turned to study his consort, looking out for any minute changes that could've been made in the last few minutes, since the last time Arthur had studied him relentlessly.

"This, your attitude, is exactly why I am allowing you to have this one chance at earning my mercy. A hand to pull you out of the boat that you are already sinking yourself by knocking holes into it. I am peasant born, that right there is no secret and nor has it ever been, it's often why most of the people have had problems with me, questioning me because of how I was raised." Merlin spoke in a calm and impassive tone, and that was when Arthur saw it—his breath was catching in his throat as his eyes grew wide with wonder—what Gaius' already seen. The entire time Bryon had been yelling at him, screaming about how he's such a horrible consort and lesser as a person because of his background, his Merlin hadn't made a single move. Merlin hadn't flinched, he hadn't started to back down, he hadn't done anything. He had simply held his head high, letting Bryon dig his own grave with his own two hands, and coming out on the other side as if he was… as if he was a consort. A true consort knew not to react and knew not to fly off the handle and knew how to conduct themselves. And this Merlin… was showing all of those traits. While keeping the daring impudence that made him so undeniably… Merlin. It was exquisite, watching it perform in front of him. "That is how I will know you are sincerely sorry, and will be ready to show me repentance in the form of an apology. No man of your… standing, would ever stoop so low as to apologize to somebody like me. By doing it, you would have swallowed your pride long enough to admit you were wrong doing what you tried to do to me. Or is your pride too big, you would rather face the uncertain future you have waiting for you on the other side?"

Arthur's heart leaped somewhere into his throat, his lips starting to curl into a smile that had been absent ever since he'd woken up this morning. This… this was glorious and beautiful and every other awe-inspiring word underneath the sun. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He couldn't believe that Merlin's right about this! Well, of course he could. Merlin was a bloody genius, with his own set of brains that Arthur could never hope to touch. But the point was…he was right! No noble that Arthur knew would ever admit they were wrong in the face of a peasant. Noble knights were the ultimate top dogs roaming their way around the entire kingdom. And peasants, even former peasants, were stuck in the bottom of the barrel with no way of clawing their way out. For a noble like Bryon to apologize to a peasant like Merlin, in front of the entire court and the other knights and the very king himself… it was almost a punishment all on its own. It was almost equivalent to Bryon smearing his face in the mud inside of a pig's pen and walking around like that. Humiliating.

And yet, nobody could claim Merlin wasn't being generous by offering Bryon a chance that Arthur suspected Merlin knew, would never take.

"NOW I KNOW YOU HAVE LOST YOUR BLOODY MIND IF YOU THINK I WOULD APOLOGIZE TO YOU FOR ANYTHING! YOU SHOULD BE HAPPY SCRAPING ALL THE MUD OFF MY BOOTS, INSTEAD OF BEING A PRETENDER UP THERE! THIS IS RIDICULOUS AND I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS ANY LONGER!" The former Knight Bryon screamed loud enough that Arthur was amazed the man had any air left inside his lungs at all to scream such horribleness at his consort, who's been carrying more honor and truth in his little body than Bryon has ever held in his entire career as a knight. "I DON'T KNOW WHY NOBODY HERE'S YET TO PUT YOU IN YOUR PLACE! THE COUNCIL SHOULD HAVE STEPPED IN AT THE VERY MOMENT YOU STARTED OVERSTEPPING YOUR BOUNDS! KING UTHER SHOULD STOP THIS EVEN! I WOULD WHETHER LICK DOG CRAP THAN BE A PRETENDER AND ACT AS IF YOU ARE MY CONSORT! RIGHT JULIAN, I THINK YOU SHOULD TELL HIM EXACTLY HOW FUCKING STUPID SUCH A THING IS FOR NOBLE KNIGHTS LIKE US!"

Despite Bryon behaving as if he had been bitten by a rapid dog and was now carrying some strange form of rabies, Arthur noted how Merlin once again did not react to a single word Bryon was spewing at him. Arthur wanted to jump in once again and demand Bryon show Merlin some damn respect, but the prince did not. Merlin was handling himself well, doing far better than Arthur when he had been leading the group his first time. Jumping in now, when Merlin had the situation handled in his own way, would only negate Merlin's role as being the city's consort. It would probably prove Bryon's claims, that Merlin was unable to be consort, if he needed somebody to jump in when nobody had laid hands on him. But god help Bryon, should Arthur have the opportunity to get him by himself.

"Imdoingit."

The shaking and mumbling words coming from the former Knight Julian had all of them turning their heads to look at the man, though Arthur didn't have one clue what he had actually said. And casting a glance around the room, it was obvious to Arthur that nobody had understood what the knight had said. But the many stares now sorely focused on Julian, the formerly silent knight, had him start trembling like mad. If Bryon had transformed himself into some kind of rabid dog, then Julian was on the exact opposite of the spectrum. He was the dog that wondered in front the cold winter outside, freezing and shaking and half-starved with his ribs showing through his coat. Terrified. Scared. This made Arthur pleased, because at least one of the knights seemed to realize it was in their best interest to not disregard his consort as a 'pretender."

"I'll do it. I'll apologize to the consort."

There was a long and lengthy pause as everybody continued staring down the former Knight Julian, and Arthur started to grin. Julian looked as if he was only seconds away from bursting into tears, his brown eyes lined with the red that came when holding those tears back, but this only made Arthur's grin start to grow wider. Bryon could stand there with his jaw gaping wide enough to have a dozen or so flies fly into his gullet all he wanted, but both he and Arthur knew Julian had always been a smart one. Unlike Bryon, who wanted to behave as if he was the man on top around here, and everybody else was acting as if they were fools for allowing Merlin his time to command the room, Julian seemed to have already realized he wanted to get out of this room intact. And he seemed to realize the only way at saving himself, was doing what Merlin commanded of him to do, even if it left him willingly kneeling in front of the Peasant Consort.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR BLOODY MIND! HAVE YOU GONE INSANE AFTER A SINGLE WEEK IN THE DUNGEONS! THIS IS JUST MERLIN! ALL THIS CRAP IS GOING TO GO AWAY SOON, IF YOU JUST WAIT UNTIL THE KING DECIDES HE HAS HAD HIS FUN PRETENDING AT CONSORT!" Bryon exclaimed rapidly, as if Julian had betrayed him or something by not following into step with what the former Knight Bryon had already decided. But Arthur couldn't stop looking at Bryon with a funny expression on his face… had he always been this moronic and Arthur had just somehow missed it? His father had already told these fools that the trial was over and the two had been found guilty, the only thing left to do was deciding a fitting punishment for them. Did Bryon think the king's only amusing Merlin here, and was going to backtrack and allow the two knights to keep their ranks and positions once he's done? Surely Bryon knew that Uther's NEVER allowed something to happen just because he thought it was funny just to watch it. If Arthur's father didn't want Merlin deciding things, then he would have already stepped in and taken command. Hell, even now, Uther was doing nothing more than watching the show happening in front of him. And Arthur's pretty sure his father was simply examining how Merlin was responding to the situation and how he handled himself in times of high stress, but Arthur wasn't worried about that. He already knew that Merlin wouldn't disappoint. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD EVEN OFFER TO ROLL OVER AND BEAR YOUR BLOODY BELLY AT THAT PRETENDER! DO YOU HAVE NO PRIDE! I THOUGHT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE A KNIGHT! KNIGHTS DO NOT LOWER THEMSELVES TO THE SAME STANDARDS AT PEASANTS! I'M ASHAMED TO EVEN BE ASSOCIATED WITH YOU! FOLLOWING THESE PEOPLE LIKE A SHEEP INSTEAD OF BEING A WOLF AND PROTESTING ALL THIS UTTER CRAP!"

Arthur watched the ongoing fight that was about to start happening, as Bryon turned his ire completely on his accomplice. And while Arthur had been just as shocked as everybody else by Julian's decision, Bryon was acting like the man just spit on his family name and scraped his boot against Bryon's face. As if he thought it was a person attack against him. Bryon seemed incapable to realize Julian seemed to be trying to save himself, preferring to cut Bryon loose rather than drowning by his side when Bryon drags him down with him. But it was the most fascinating thing for Arthur, watching as the terrified Julian's face turned a blistering purple color the longer Bryon had been screaming at him. Tristian and Dorian even had to hold him tighter, as Bryon thrashed and tried kicking at Julian as best he could in the position he was being held in.

"SERIOUSLY! YOU ARE GOING TO TRY AND TURN THIS AROUND ON ME AND ACT AS IF I AM THE ONE BEING UNREASONABLE HERE! ARE YOU FOR REAL? YOU ARE THE ONE WHO IS ACTING LIKE A FOOL IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRETY OF THE COUNCIL AND THE ROYAL FAMILY, AND YET YOU THINK I'M BEING A CRAZY PERSON!" Julian screeched back at him, finally releasing what pent up emotions he'd been holding inside of him the entire time Bryon had talked the two of them right to the edge. It was as if neither boy realized they were 'still' standing in front of the entire court and royal family, too busy screaming about the other's actions, turning on the other quicker than the roll of a dice to save themselves. "I ADMIT IT! I ADMIT TO ALL OF IT! I THOUGHT WE WERE DOING A GOOD THING AT THE TIME BY PRETENDING TO GET RID OF HIM, PERHAPS WE WOULD HAVE EVEN BEEN DOING THE KINGDOM A FAVOR! BUT YOU ARE AND HAVE GONE TOO FAR! I AGREED TO PRANK HIM! YOU'RE THE ONE THAT DECIDED TO GO BEYOND THAT AND TRIED KILLING HIM! I DIDN'T AGREE TO MURDERING THE CONSORT! YOU WERE THE ONE THAT CHANGED A PRANK TO AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT! AND NOW LOOK AT WHERE WE ARR, IN A FULL CRIMINAL TRIAL. EVERY THING I HAVE TRIED TO ACCOMPLISH IN MY TIME AS A KNIGHT IS OVER NOW! BECAUSE I WAS DUMB ENOUGH TO NOT SPEAK UP AND FOLLOW YOUR LEAD INSTEAD! WELL, NO MORE! I WILL NOT BE RUINED BECAUSE OF YOU!"

The entire court seemed to echo as Julian's last words died off, and Arthur's almost a little proud to see Julian standing up for himself. If he hadn't been in the middle of Merlin's attempted assassination, perhaps Arthur would've even promoted him, given him a rank that meant he had to take less orders from the other knights now below him in terms of rank. But Julian's ranking would most likely be stagnant from this point on. Even if Merlin did get his way and Julian was allowed to stay in the city after all of this, Arthur would always remember the man for what he had tried to do. It perhaps would have been better for the former knight to turn his nose up at the deal like Bryon had, because Arthur's plenty capable of making this man's life hell, all without even touching him.

"DON'T ACT AS IF YOU ARE ALL CLEAN AND INNOCENT AND EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE BOOK! YOU WERE JUST AS MUCH OF A PART OF THIS AS I'VR BEEN! YOU COULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING BACK THEN, BUT NO! YOU WENT AND DECIDED TO WAIT UNTIL NOW, OF ALL TIMES!" Bryon screamed, trying to yank himself out of the hold Tristian and Dorian had on his arms, but those two men had a relentless grip that refused to let up. Bryon looked as if he was on the verge of killing Julian right here in front of all of them, which would've been a huge mistake. With everybody in here as witnesses, Bryon would not have even made it to the execution's platform before somebody put him out of his misery for ending a noble bloodline, even one as low as Julian's was when compared to other higher ranking nobles. "WE WERE STUCK TOGETHER FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK IN THOSE CELLS! YOU COULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING IN THERE! YOU COULD HAVE MADE A THOUSAND DIFFERENT CHOICES, BUT I SEE, THE ONE YOU DECIDED TO GO WITH WAS TO DITCH ME AT THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY YOU HAD! WAS THIS YOUR BLOODY PLAN ALL ALONE!"

Bryon kicked his feet out again, as if this time he would actually land a hit on Julian despite the small distance between them, stretching his leg out as far as he could in his struggle to get somewhere. And Arthur's lips were starting to thin, as he started realizing how childish this whole display was. It was quite amusing at first, watching how easily everything switched up on them, leaving him pleased to know somebody saw the generosity in Merlin's offer. But all of this was starting to become ridiculous. Bryon was acting as if they were back to their boyhood days, where emotions were high and everything resulted with some kind of alteration as they attempted to prove which was the best. Bryon was supposed to be a knight, a NOBLE Knight, given the same education and training all nobles were given. He should know how to behave and how not to allow his emotions overcome him. Ironic, that such a thought was coming from Arthur's mind, considering the many times he had overreacted to something so small. But perhaps Arthur just didn't like how they were behaving in front of Merlin, disrespecting him as the one leading this trial by focusing more on this petty fight than the real issues here. Arthur's hands flexed at his sides, had he not already decided this was Merlin's time, he probably would have knocked their heads together and see if that made them see sense and reason. Make them realize who held all the power in the room at the moment… his consort.

"HOW DERANGED ARE YOU, REALLY! YOU ACT AS IF THE CELLS FOR A WEEK CHANGED ME, BUT JUST LOOK AT YOU! YOU HAVE YOUR HEAD SO UP YOUR OWN ARSE, THAT YOU REFUSE TO SEE THAT MY DECISION HAS NOTHING IN THE WORLD TO DO WITH YOU!" Julian screeched back at him, and it was hard to see him as the same man who spent this entire trial without saying a single word in his defense until now. "I MEAN, YOU SEEM TO THINK THIS IS A JOKE OR SOME KIND OF GAME FOR YOU TO POKE FUN AT! PERHAPS YOU THINK YOUR FAMILY IS GOING TO SWEEP IN HERE AND GET YOU OUT OF THIS LIKE THEY ALWAYS DID WHEN WE WERE CHILDREN! BUT LOOK AROUND YOU, WE ARE NOT CHILDREN AND YOUR PARENTS POWERS ARE NOTHING WHEN IT IS COMPARED TO THE ROYAL FAMILY! I DO NOT HAVE THE LUXERY TO THINK I CAN DEPEND ON MY FAMILY'S STANDING TO PROTECT ME FROM MISTAKES I MADE! WHY DO YOU THINK I ALWAYS WORK SO HARD! MY FAMILY SCRAPES THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL AMONG THE NOBILITY! ONE SINGLE MISSTEP SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO SEND US INTO POVERTY OR HAVE US SHUNNED BY THE REST OF THE NOBLE FAMILIES! I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THEM!"

Arthur's heart clenched up somewhere in his chest… that was all this trial was about, wasn't it? Families. Julian was willing to turn his back on his friend and demean himself in front of Merlin in order to protect his families little standing in the court. He hadn't been wrong when he said they were scraping down the bottom of the barrel, Arthur knew Julian had worked twice as hard all his life in order to keep up with the other knights, who came from bigger and more well-off and well-known families. It was surprising to see him becoming involved in Bryon's plans. But Arthur found himself unable to pity the knight for following Bryon this far, because Julian had messed with Arthur's family. He might have not planned it out, but he had still participated in it. Julian may think he had to follow Merlin's demands to save him, and how much he was going to lose with his apologies, but he had no idea. Julian's future humiliation was nothing when compared to the devastation and the madness that would've overtaken Arthur if he had lost his family. Even now, standing right behind Merlin and watching as a tuft of dark hair tickled at his large earlobes, Arthur was feeling how long the distance between them were.

"Quiet." Electricity was warming its way through Arthur's blood as his consort finally spoke out, sizzling him from the inside out as he heard the echo of his consort's hidden strength and influence. Unlike Bryon and Julian who'd been spending the last several minutes screaming at each other as if this court had nothing better to do than watch them freak out on each other, Merlin had been able to speak with dignity. Silencing the both of them and ending the complete and utter nonsense that had been this fight. Arthur really wished he could get permission from his consort to stand by his side, perhaps he would able to be touched by that same gentle strength Merlin carried within naturally. "I'm sure that this entire court finds your behavior, both today and your actions that led you here in the first place, reprehensible. I'm sure they have no desire wasting their time watching you fuss, just like I don't care for it. I would like to move on now, and make sure that this court knows what's happened. I'm assuming that you, Knight Bryon, are going to stick to ridiculing me instead of swallowing up your pride? Just like I'm assuming you, Knight Julian, wish to go through with my deal, for your family?"

Bryon made his decision loud and clear when he scoffed, closing his eyes and turning his head away with indignation, as if it was ridiculous for Merlin to ask if they were sure about their answers. But Arthur held himself up straighter, an odd feeling of pride swelling up inside of him, associated sorely with Merlin's work here today. It seemed so stupid of Arthur, when he thought about all the times he wished Merlin would stay in the dirt with the rest of the peasants. So stupid of him when he saw Merlin now, working with unflinching grace, being so unapologetically himself that it was inspiring for Arthur to see, since all he had done all his life was copy his father the best he could. Merlin didn't need to do something like copy Uther. He had a style that was all his own. And the prince's smile only grew broader when Knight Julian stepped forward. He was the only prisoner being cooperative, so nobody tried to stop him as he walked forward, stopping just short of Merlin standing on the lifted platform. But the prince did marvel as he saw Julian slipping down onto one knee, bowing down his head lowly to Merlin. Arthur was watching closely, he could see the way his consort's shoulders went tight with surprise, though he didn't allow the rest of the court to see it.

"I wish to apologize, just as my Consort has rightfully demanded of me, for the horrible behavior I exhibited all those days ago. I have no real excuses for what I did other than stupidness and pride. And I swear to you, not a day will not go by where I won't know that I owe you my life for not condemning me at the first sight of me." Julian spoke as formally as he could, his head staying down until he was given permission to lift it. Julian was going all out, putting the whole of his heart into his apology apparently. It was a thrilling sight to behold to Arthur Pendragon, and he wished he could see more of it. He wished he could see at least a dozen or two people, all bowing their heads in reverence for everything Merlin's done for them, that he didn't need to do. "And I will, from this day and to the day our worlds cease to exist, obey and follow only those that I have put my trust and loyalty into. I have made my vows to the royal family when I took my oath to become a knight of Camelot, but I have never given such an oath to you, Consort Merlin of Camelot. Which is what I do now. For your act of mercy upon me, I pledge my blade and my honor to protecting your reign, and I place my family name directly in your hands at your discretion."

Arthur held back the gasp that threatened to rip through him when he heard the sacred vow Julian was giving to his consort, something that's not actually been done in all the time that Merlin's been here. He could hear the hushed murmurs of disgruntled councilmen who were watching this noble pledge his blade to one of peasant birth, but Arthur couldn't take his eyes away from the man kneeling in front of his consort. This was a good look on him, and Arthur quite liked it, far more than he thought he would. People SHOULD show their reverence to Merlin, and they should all be bowing before him, giving him the exact same respect and honor they would for any born royal. Arthur couldn't believe he hadn't thought of this before. His men had all pledged their loyalty to the bloodline of his father, and therefore to him. And they would do it once again when it was Arthur's turn to step forward as their new king. But this was Merlin, and he shouldn't have to wait what could be years before he gains the loyal following that will follow once Arthur had the kingship. Merlin should get that loyal following NOW. There should be more people lining up to do exactly the same thing, maybe it would even cut back on how many men Arthur had to punish if the rest of his knights carried the same vow for his consort as they're carrying for him and his father. If Arthur could only get his father to agree with some big ceremony in which Merlin would be the guest of honor, given his own throne chair to sit upon while knight after knight made their vows. But… Arthur had a feeling Merlin wouldn't make it past a handful of them before he tried to run off. As great as his consort could be, Arthur knew Merlin never stayed if he didn't want to be somewhere.

Not anymore.

"I accept."

Arthur blinked as Merlin's soft tone spoke down to the knight kneeling down at his feet, and he was close enough to see the subtle twitching of Merlin's hands at his side. Nervous, awkward, but forcing them to stay put to prevent drawing attention to it. Arthur quirked a little grin, fascinated with himself for somehow being able to pick up these little bits and bobs that made Merlin so… human. It was always awe-inspiring to see the way Merlin handled himself with situations that would have caused other peasants to break. But Arthur liked this to, being able to see the human nature in him, reminding Arthur that his consort was not always the dark angel he called him. Perhaps he was a fallen angel, who pissed off the wrong person and had been cast down to live out a life on earth. Which did nothing to hide the sheer presence Merlin carried within him, the awkward behavior only making him more and more enduring. Arthur was almost felt like he was tempted to do the same, to drop to his knees and worship Merlin in the same way Julian was. He was sure his father would break his silence if Arthur made such a spectacle in the middle of their court, but Arthur was finding this to be a weak reason not to do it. Perhaps it was Arthur that was just this weak, weak to his consort and everything that he was that Arthur had ignored in the days before.

"This is bloody ridiculous! Merlin asked for a single apology, he didn't ask for you to make any vows! Are you really going to stoop so low as to do something like that! My family raised me with far more pride than to ever demean myself by lowering myself to such a level." Bryon couldn't stay silent a moment later, a deep seated need that Arthur recognized from seeing himself in his mirror. It had been many times where Arthur had looked upon himself and thought how much better he was than the world, but that kind of thinking was the reason he was at odds with Merlin. Because he had believed Merlin was the same as the rest of the common folk, unable to see through his own blindness how Merlin's always stood out above the rest, like the North start shined as brightly as any diamond among the riff-raft. The similarities in behavior caused Arthur to glare at Bryon, trying to force him into submission without stealing Merlin's thunder. It would have worked to, as Julian rose silently to his feet and stepped back in line, if Bryon hadn't been steadfastly focused on the king. "Your majesty, with all the respect in the world, I humbly ask that you will remove the consort from these chambers with haste. He has not been trained or instructed in the right manners befitting of having a speaking role in the court. If he cannot remain in silence and allow the proper people to speak, then he needs to be taken from the room completely. I take my orders from you, my majesty. Not from a simple half-wit who somehow believes he has earned a right to be here."

Arthur's shoulders with stiff and tight, what right did Bryon have to speak on Merlin's 'right' to be here! Merlin had every right in the world to speak! Hell, it was Arthur who spent thousands of days it felt like telling the boy to just shut up already, and he regretted each and every one of those times. Merlin's voice was like music to his ears, leaving a calming effect Arthur was unaccustomed to having, even when he was yelling at him. Bryon should be damn grateful he wasn't being yelled at by Merlin, who would have been able to rip Bryon apart without laying a single hand on him. Besides, Merlin had EARNED his right to speak through his own dedication, strength, blood, sweat, and tears. He had EARNED a place to stand among Camelot's ranking nobility, unlike the rest of them who had been born into their roles. Bryon acted so high and mighty and powerful, and yet, it was him who would have to spend the rest of him life with the knowledge that he had been bested by somebody 'untrained' in both court politics and physical prowess.

"I do believe that I have heard enough from everybody who was involved with this incident to begin with. In accordance with what the consort has already promised, Knight Julian will be released into the care of his family. He'll report back to active duty in the morning, but I do believe having him on parole, with only limited duties for the next year will be a sufficient way to pay back all the time this court has spent on making decisions." King Uther finally stepped into play, taking command of the court as he stepped up beside Merlin to finalize a few finer points to make sure everybody was on the same page. And the blond saw Julian's reaction to his sentencing being made official, the knight sagging almost to the ground with his relief. Arthur shook his head in wonder, plenty of other knights would have been throwing a fit if they were being demoted down to limited duties, and would be watched for the duration of this year to be sure they didn't step out of line. But not Julian. Perhaps because he knew just how lucky he was. How close he had came to losing every little bit that his family's accomplished in the last few generations. And he owed Merlin for that… Arthur would be sure Julian wouldn't forget that. "And as for you, of course, Knight Bryon. I have heard every point that you have made as you screamed during this court's trial, and I have determined there is only one suitable way to deal with your part in this."

There was a long pause in which the king stretched it out, causing a spike of tension to shoot through Arthur as his stomach clenched up tight. Suspense hovered in the air so thickly that it was almost a tangible source that any one of them could touch if they simple tried. What was his father going to do with Bryon now? Yes, Merlin had taken command of the court during the duration of the trial, but this was very much the king's chambers, and Uther had the power to change or dismiss anything that he didn't agree with. Would his father go so far as to have one of his precious nobles, even one who brought trouble to the kingdom, walk free? Would his father dismiss everything that Bryon's done just because his family been held in high regards to the court for all these years? Is it enough to have his father dismissing the whole incident as nothing that was more than… just boys being boys? Even now, Arthur could see the way Bryon's got this superior look on his face. He's shooting Merlin this smug grin that has Arthur's hand twitching to his blade once again, as if he suspects he'll be able to walk free within seconds. It's as if Bryon's convinced himself, with his own delusions, that he's somehow 'better' than Merlin, and his wants and desires will be the one that the king answers to instead.

"You're banished."

Arthur jolted in surprise, his head whipping back around to look at his father in wide-eyed shock. He could see out the corner of his eye that Bryon's smile so full of smug anticipation, had now fallen into despair, his jaw hanging open and his eyes bugging out of the sockets as if they were going to fall straight out of his head. There was utter chaos ringing throughout the hall, those who stood with the council immediately rising to voice their complaints, screams running throughout the hall loud enough to make Arthur's ears ring. Cries about how it was an outrageous punishment, screams about Bryon's noble status and being banished was a cruel punishment, yells about what they were supposed to do if Uther kicked a member of a prominent family out of their kingdom. Each and every one of them so bloody worried about how this would look and how other nobles were going to react once the verdict spread across the city. Nobody in the council seemed to recall how much Bryon deserved to be thrown out of his home and everything he'd ever known, none of them seemed to care that he's the one that earned himself such a harsh punishment, nobody seemed to care that it was Merlin's life they were deeming as less important than the knight's noble status. And speaking of Merlin, Arthur's eyes shot straight back onto his consort, watching as the boy stretched his arm out and grasped onto the wrist of his uncle. Seeking comfort and support from the chaos around them in the one person he knew he could trust, the one person that Arthur would never be able to beat.

"SILENCE!"

Uther roared, loud and sharp enough that every single person standing in the hall went stark silent, heads whipping around to look at the king in complete and utter shock at how he had just commanded the court. But clearly it had worked, because not a single person spoke up as the king sent each one of the councilmen a withering glare. Arthur was relieved to see it, pleased that his father appeared to be on their side of things instead of the council. Yes, it was the council's responsibility to advise the king and give him suggestions to whatever problem they were dealing with at the moment. But the way that they had all started screaming, the way they had risen to the defense of somebody who could have very well killed a royal member, and showed no remorse for his actions, was out of line. Arthur had wanted to do the same thing, but his father had beaten him to the punch. And this time, when Uther cleared his throat out, there were no interruptions.

"This is not a discussion, nor is there anything to say on the matter. I refuse to have somebody who cannot control their temper in this court, and I won't have somebody who cannot keep their own opinions pertaining to those standing in my family to themselves, that they would rather kill him instead of addressing any concerns they might have." Uther said bluntly, doing nothing to mince his words. Bryon still looked as if he was frozen in place, and Arthur wasn't sure if he was listening or was still working through his shock over what was about to happen to him. Even though banishment had been one of the suggestions that Merlin had laid out himself, it was obvious that nobody believed it would be the choice selected. "And now, perhaps I should also mention that banishment will not be the ending of the former Knight Bryon's punishment. Our Consort tried to give him a chance to save himself, but he decided not to take it. I believe it is something that deserves punishing as well. And for this, your entire family is going to suffer. Due to your ignorance, your family will be stripped of all their ancestral lands and given to the crown as forfeit for your crimes. All the power and the wealth that your family name brings will be handed over, due to all the ways you have insulted this court with your behavior. Your family will be forced into exile alongside you, and because he was the damned, as our consort has called himself… everything will be turned over to him to do with as he pleases."

Arthur's legs felt weak, the sheer magnitude of what was happening hitting his stomach hard, and if he was affected this much by what Uther had decided, he could hardly imagine what Merlin was thinking. Uther had just made a decision that was probably going to go down in history, a decision that would be talked about for many years to come. Somebody had to have done something drastic —like attempting to murder a royal family member—to have Uther strip them of their ancestral lands, taking away everything that came with it as some form of comprehension to pay for the trauma their crimes had cost. And just handed it over to Merlin on a whim. Yes, Merlin was a consort, but Arthur has been under the impression that his father wouldn't have overlooked Merlin's lowborn birth to do something like this. It… it was momentous. Guards were probably going to show up at Bryon's family estate within the day, and eject his family on the front yard. Bryon's mother and father and three older sisters reduced to being penniless beggars, when they were probably entirely unaware of how their son had ruined them. And everything… the artifacts inside, and the servants living there, and the gold that the land brought in, and the lands themselves… even what would have been Bryon's inheritance when he became the leader of the family after his father's death. It was all going to be turned over to Merlin, for, as his father had said, him to do with as he pleased.

"You… you… you can't do this! My family has been loyal members of this great kingdom for almost three generations. My grandfather helped your father with establishing his rule when he first became king, and my father was the first to pledge his loyalty to you when you became king. I, myself, was going to be the first in line when your heir takes up the throne!" Bryon stuttered out, seeming to come to his senses after enough time had passed, though Arthur raised up a brow at his words. This was the first time Arthur had heard of Bryon's plan to be fired. There was a certain hierarchy to how they did things around here, so while Bryon was indeed high up in terms of nobility, he was in no way powerful enough to be the first to step up. There were several dozen senior knights that he could think of off the top of his head that would have that honor before any person like Bryon got to step up. "Please, sire! I… you cannot give away what is rightfully mine to that Uther disgrace! He will ruin everything that my family has earned! Something like this will follow my family! We'll never be able to get back what we have if it is all taken away, especially not in a new kingdom. I will not have any allies in the other land! My sisters won't be able to find any good marriage prospects after this! And my mother is even ailing, she won't be able to survive the journey if we need to leave!"

Arthur wanted to stare at Merlin, to try and gauge how he was going to take all of this, but he couldn't help but stare at Bryon with an incredible expression. If he was that desperate, surely Bryon could have came up with something a bit more believable. An ailing mother was his excuse? His mother had visited the kingdom just last month! And even had a spot of tea with Morgana, he should know, he had walked in on them doing it. And she hadn't looked as if she had been sick a day in her life, yet alone suddenly so sick she was unable to travel far from home. It would certainly be an uncomfortable trip though, because all that land rightfully belonged to his consort. And Arthur wasn't going to let that be taken away from him. Arthur had already taken so much, the least he could do for Merlin was make sure he got that damn piece of land. And whatever was on it, not that Arthur knew… it had been many years since he passed through it on one of his rare trips that far away from the city. Arthur would need to make sure it was set up for Merlin's use, make sure he knew exactly how much that land could be worth and what he could do with it, make sure Merlin knew that he had OPTIONS. Something he's never had since arriving in Camelot.

"My decision is final."

His father was calm and derisive, Arthur noted, not raising his voice of offering any explanation more than he wanted to say. It was a sharp contrast when then compared to Bryon's near hysteria, which only seemed to make Bryon look like a loon. Arthur would have been grinning himself silly, enjoying himself after he watched the former Camelot knight starting to break down in front of the court as a whole. But his attention had been returned to Merlin, his sweet Merlin just watching the proceedings now that Uther had taken over, still holding this grip tight around his uncle's wrist. Merlin's expression was indistinguishable, and it left Arthur having no idea if Merlin was pleased by the sudden rewards and the sudden compensation he would be receiving. Arthur wanted Merlin to be glad about something, to be excited about something that Arthur's family was able to give to him. But his consort had always been a difficult man to read, always leaving Arthur struggling to learn and desperately craving to understand. The prince hardly noticed when one of the councilmen stepped forward, before he was clearing his throat in order to get everybody's attention, instead of trying to demand attention like the rest of the council had been doing when the king had made his final sentencing.

"Sire, it would be remiss of me and probably not me place to question a choice you have made clearly is final, but I'm sure you can understand why this might cause some concerns amongst the council. Many of us expressed displeasure at allowing the boy to marry your son, but there was hardly anything we could do about that event. But this is also a different matter that isn't something that needs to be done." The elderly council member said, his shrewd eyes sharp on the royal family, and Arthur straightened himself up. He had never particularly liked this council member, but that was because the man was often trying his damn hardest to make life difficult by questioning everything and demanding to know everything. He had also never liked Arthur, often whispering to Uther about how Arthur could have made more strategic choices with whatever was happening at the time. But Arthur was convinced this man has hated him since Arthur was three years old and jerked his white beard the one and only time he had ever held him. Old men and their grudges, nearly impossible to break even when it was a pointless one. "This… boy… our consort, I mean, has no idea the intense care it takes to make a land functional. Knight Bryon's family has been there for generations, and do we really want to run the risk that it will turn into a ruin under the boy's care? Not that I'm doubting him, of course, my lord. His royal highnesses consort has… surprised us all before. But this is also a major responsibility that he doesn't need to take on. Can he really be expected with giving it the proper attention when he stationed here in the city? I highly doubt that out… Prince… will allow his husband to just pick up and move there to take care of the estate properly."

Arthur felt himself bristling at the political way the councilman made sure he's worded things, keeping his words on the polite side while hiding all of his deep disgruntlement behind questioning indifference. What right did that man have to question Merlin's abilities, or what he was able to or unable to take on. The man Arthur called his—though he never would be His—had more ability within his little finger than that man did in his entire body! The only thing his consort needed was a chance, just like he had simply needed a chance to prove he can be capable of being a half decent consort. Or perhaps, even the best consort Arthur's ever seen in all his years. Why, Arthur bet if all Merlin had was a single weekend to study how things worked when running an estate, he could work it out. He could probably even make it flourish! It wasn't as if that particular land had been producing much traffic in the last few years. In fact, the last time the prince had heard anything, Bryon's family had been coasting by on old money earned by their forefathers and hiding behind that reputation to keep allies in the other noble families living closest to them.

But… Arthur bowed his head as the councilmen's question echoed deeply and traumatically… would Merlin expect to stay at this new piece of estate? It was not something unheard of, in fact, it was quite common to see something like this happening. Whenever somebody died, their estate would be given to the next of kin or next in line to inherit. Sometimes that could be a woman who has already married and moved into her husband's home, sometimes it could be an heir who had already moved away and settled down somewhere else to start a life or family of their own. And often times, that person would either move into the estate, or stay there for a few weeks to settle matters on what they would do with it. It wouldn't raise any eyebrows if Arthur allowed Merlin to spend his time there, getting to know the estate and everything it entailed. But… was this something he could actually do? He wanted Merlin to stay with him, to stay so Arthur could see him and know where he is and know if he's alright. But… this was just Arthur being a selfish, selfish man. Merlin would be safer settling into this estate, safer learning how to run things on a much smaller scale, safer to be far away, where Arthur would never be able to hurt him. Where Arthur could not touch him, and wouldn't have the opportunity to do so again. Where Merlin could thrive somewhere that didn't have Arthur looming over him. But call him a selfish man, just the thought of Merlin being so far away where anything was able to happen, made him feel as if he had hives. There was an itching trying to scratch its way beneath his skin, his heart hammering somewhere so deep in his throat that it was hurting him, his hands slicking with sweat.

Because the truth of the matter was this…

If Merlin wasn't within the walls of Camelot city, then… Arthur didn't think that he wanted to be either. Camelot had always been Arthur's home, it was where he returned after each and every trip he had ever made outside the city gates. He had never desired staying somewhere else. Hell, Arthur had hardly dared to allow himself to fantasize living someplace else, someplace where people were going to know his as 'Arthur', instead of 'Prince Arthur or Camelot.' But should Merlin decide he wants to stay at his estate for some undetermined amount of time, Arthur wanted to follow him. He wanted to follow Merlin for as long as he would allow him to. Wanted to follow him all the way to the moon and back, for as long as he would have him. But Arthur couldn't, he would be stuck here for the rest of his days. Because if Merlin did decide he wanted to stay… it would only be because he wanted to get away from Arthur.

"Those are all valid points to make, I'm sure many will ask whether our young consort is up to the task of handling this kind of responsibility. But allow me to ask you this… when my son married, we all expected for there to be some sort of gain from it. Did you not? For my son's bride-to-be, to bring with her… land of her own. Gold perhaps. Maybe even an army if we were lucky. Yes?" Asked the king, his eyes watching the councilmen with the same shrewdness he was being asked with. Arthur's brows furrowed into the center of his forehead… he had expected all of those things, yes. But did his father have to bring that up in the middle of court, leaving the councilmen to be as confused as he was. As far as Arthur was concerned though, Merlin had brought so much more to their marriage than material goods. Merlin had brought with him his integrity: Merlin had brought his strength and his courage; he had made Arthur feel like he was both weaker and stronger than he had been in his entire life. No noble woman could have done the same, no noble lady would have made Arthur just through all the hoops he had to jump through with Merlin. No noble lady would've been worth the stress that came with being with Merlin… not like Merlin was worth it all. "Well, I suppose we could simply see this as an opportunity of leveling this out. Consort Merlin didn't bring with him much more than what he could carry with him from his home. Now, we will have not only his land tied straight to the crown, but I'm sure his uncle, whose loyalty has already been tied to Camelot for many years, will be able to teach him whatever he needs to know so it will not fall to ruin. Isn't that right, Gaius?"

Time seemed to stretch forward, even Bryon's past shrieking falling into some kind of odd stillness that lingered in the air, as it had so many times before in this short trial. It honestly took Arthur far longer than it should have to realize why everybody had taken to staring up at them as if they didn't understand a thing his father just said. But when it did hit him, it hit Arthur with the strength of a sledgehammer smashing itself into his skull. Arthur looked quite horrified as a silent gasp escaped his lips… his father had just said it. His father had just told the entire court about Merlin's biggest secret… had just told everybody in here who Merlin was related to. As if it was… as if it was… as if it was meant to be common knowledge! As if Merlin hadn't been keeping quiet about all of this for reasons Arthur would never be able to understand. It was supposed to be a good thing to be related to such an esteemed member of the court, the next in line to inherit whatever they left behind, the first heir to be groomed to fit that specific family's ideals. But… none of that mattered. Because MERLIN was not the one going around telling people. MERLIN had decided to keep it quiet. And HE hadn't been given a chance to decide whether or not he wanted people to know now. Another choice taken from his consort's hands without permission, another choice taken from Merlin's hands without permission… this time it was by his own father's callousness.

"Of course, sire. If given a little time, I am sure I will be able to teach Merlin… my young nephew here, everything he needs to know pertaining to keeping a stretch of land productive and producing. He will learn everything that I have been educated on pertaining to land administration and such, perhaps it may even help him get a better hand on the running of Camelot as well. It is quite similar, only the kingdom being a much larger scale when compared to a single stretch of land." Gaius said conversationally, as if there was nothing out of the ordinary about Uther casually dropping his relation like he had. But the prince knew… Gaius couldn't very well backtrack or try to deny it. He couldn't show the king if he was offended with Uther for deciding to inform the council, and not discussing it with him beforehand. The only thing Gaius could do was keep talking, agreeing, in order to save face. Arthur's father had put both Gaius and Merlin in a hard spot, and in that moment, Arthur HATED his father for doing it to them. He hated himself even more for being too much of a coward to try to reach out for Merlin himself. "As I'm sure you know, I sold the last of the Whytt properties many years ago since they were simply sitting around for so long as I was the last of the Whytt's for many years. But now that my nephew is able to reclaim our bloodline, and perhaps even our namesake, perhaps it is time to be branching out some. This would be the perfect compensation for all the horrid …suffering and trauma my nephew has been through while living beneath your roof, and that of your son's."

Sometimes, sometimes Arthur was liable to forget that Gaius was more than a man that brewed potions and cures for ailments day in and day out while they were all living their lives in the outside world. Sometimes Arthur forgot Gaius knew about more things than just the healing arts, and that he had been given the same type of education that every other young noble growing up inside of their borders would. Gaius had been able to speak with political politeness, as well as snubbing Uther and Arthur both with his snide little comment there at the end. And from the strained way Uther's polite smile was beginning to look, it seemed as if Arthur wasn't the only one to notice. But this was good. If there wasn't a time for Arthur to question his father, and demand to know why this is something he thought was okay to do, at least Gaius was able to do it for them both. If Uther wasn't Arthur's father… there was no telling what Arthur may've done in order to keep Merlin's secrets to himself. Perhaps he would have flown off the handle himself, or anything else that Merlin may have needed him to do before the news spread to the rest of the kingdom.

But seeing the way that all of the councilmen were clumping together and had started whispering urgently to each other, Arthur was pretty sure this secret is not going to remain within these chambers. Dress pooled in Arthur's stomach as bits and pieces of what they were whispering about started to reach to his ears. Whispers about… how Merlin was often hanging around Gaius or how he was often found near the physcian's quarters. Whispers asking if anybody had known about this, if anybody had an inkling of an idea, if anybody was aware a blood link was shared between their esteemed physician and the consort that had always been 'unwanted' in their eyes. And the most damning piece of the puzzle… when one councilman chimed in, reminding the other's about the odd deal Merlin had been wearing on his cloak during the night everybody'd been celebrating Lancelot's promotion into knighthood. And how the seal may very well match up with the past records of the Whytt crest if any of them wanted to look it up. The council was seriously thinking about this, hissing about what such news could possibly mean for them as a whole. The dread started a slow course through Arthur's bloodstream… the council had already written Merlin off long ago when his blood status had been learned. But how different would they behave if Merlin suddenly had nobility backing him up, if he suddenly had a family that was apart of their noble world. If he wasn't as lost and as alone as Arthur and Uther and all of them had originally thought him as.

"Sire, perhaps we all misunderstood you. Surely if our physician had any family we would have known about it. Especially if they had been married into the line that you and your heir comes from. I'm sure you can understand if we are quite confused by such an… odd turn of events." Spoke the same councilman who'd spoken before, having apparently deemed himself as the spokesperson for all of them. Arthur's stomach clenched, churning dangerously… Arthur's already had his own experience at discovering the truth, had thrown a fit full of denial and ignorance when Gaius had admitted that particular truth. It was one thing Arthur was grateful Merlin hadn't been able to see how he was behaving in his unconscious and poisoned state at the time. But he would be damned if any of the council thought they could try denying Merlin something that was his basic birthright. "Because, sire, if this was the truth, then I'm sure many of us would not be coming into this trial in the same mindset that we came here with. If you are telling us that this isn't a trial between a peasant accusing two nobles of a heinous crime, but it is really a trial between…"

The councilman trailed off, leaving everybody else to fill in the blanks on what he was trying to say. Arthur's noble-raised mind understood exactly what the councilman meant, and it sent a rush of blood straight to his head to keep his anger strong. Bloody pigs, these councilmen were. Merlin had faced against a witch, and defended himself against an assaulter, and almost stopped a horrid plague single-handed, and saved Arthur's life from a cup of death, and saved several citizens from being crushed beneath the griffin's hooves, and yet they had all already decided the results of the trial. He had done ALL of that, and it had all been done under the guise of carrying peasant blood. But Merlin WAS a peasant; Merlin identified himself as a peasant, he had grown up among them his entire life. But now that they knew this wasn't the case, now that they had been informed about Merlin's blood perhaps being not as common as they had thought it was… the council had the nerve to look at him with hunger inside of their eyes, with a greed there that unsettled the prince. As if they were trying to figure out how they could use such knowledge to gain something. As if they thought having Merlin, just Merlin, wasn't nearly the same thing as having this Noble Version of Merlin. Perhaps they wouldn't have been so eager to try and toss aside Merlin's trial if they knew Merlin Pendragon was originally… Merlin Whytt.

"This WAS a trial to determine whether or not Bryon and Julian failed with their duties as knights and guardians of this kingdom. And whether or not they were willing to end the life of our most esteemed consort, and what consequences will be most fitting for their actions." Uther said bluntly, not putting up with any nonsense that the council might be trying to pull, even though he was the one that had opened this door. The one that had practically thrown Merlin straight to the wolves… Arthur clenched his jaw. This was no different than when Bryon and Julian had ran away, leaving his consort to defend himself against a griffin that they themselves were too afraid to face. "But if you are asking what I have reason to believe you are asking, then the answer is yes. This trial did happen between two nobles, and the one and only heir of our high councilor and most esteemed court physician."

It was almost comical, seeing the way the councilmen reacted with having the king's confirmation like this, the shock and the stupor that accompanied their greed and selfish desires to use him as they saw fit. Arthur flushed red as he struggled to contain his raging temper inside of him… they were all seeing just what they wanted to see. It was no coincidence that Uther had worded himself as he had, the way he had referred to Merlin as Gaius', 'only heir' had been this purposeful statement. Bringing attention to the councilmen how the two other knights had not only tried to assassinate their consort, but had also tried their damn hardest to end a noble line. Nobles took their bloodlines seriously, took extreme care to make sure the next generation was born and could have more once they reached a certain age. The fact that Bryon and Julian had been so close to wiping out one of Camelot's noble families, since Gaius was way too old to have children of his own at this point, would have changed everything for them. Their entire viewpoint. Arthur was pretty sure he saw panic on many of their faces when there was a clearing of a throat, and Gaius was stepping forward, casually stepping in front of Merlin as if he wasn't trying to shield the consort away from their gazes.

"I'm sure this news can be unsettling to many members of the council, but my relationship with your Consort is not the reason we are here today. We're only here to seek justice for what befell my nephew when he was in a place where he should have been reasonably safe. I'm sure there will be many questions or inquiries, but my family business is only that… my family business. And I'll ask that the council respects that." Said the aged physical, not wavering beneath the stares the councilmen were surely giving him now, or the way the others in the room were plainly gaping at what was unfolding before them. Arthur felt as much of a fool as they all looked… just standing here while the council felt free to scrutinize his consort as they figured out what the boy could do for THEM. As if Merlin hadn't done enough for them all. And here Gaius was, an old man, being able to defend Merlin without suffocating him. Something Arthur's been wanting to do for so long, but didn't know how to do without screwing it all up. "But just for the record, and so that we are clear on where I stand, I do intend on publicly claiming Merlin as my nephew. And letting it be known that he will be my sole heir. Meaning all my assets and ties to this kingdom will, upon my death, be part of his inheritance."

This was probably the best thing Gaius could have done… it wasn't entirely out of the realm of possibilities for a noble to disown their children. Usually when a child was born out of wedlock or from an unwelcomed match, said child could be cast out and would therefore be shunned in most noble circles. Gaius, in a single move, had just told the council that this wasn't the case. That the young consort was not some love child that had been hidden out of shame ever since his birth and was only now being welcomed into their circle. Gaius had all but welcomed and accepted Merlin in their circle, which meant the council had to follow suit or risk being denied by Gaius. Which was probably not something any of them would want, considering Gaius was a physician, and was very well within his rights to deny them medical treatment if they disrespected him and his family like that. Family rivalries were quite potent, in that way.

It was almost as if Arthur couldn't control his own gaze, the temptation being too much for even his fear to stop him from looking. With the eyes of each and every person in that room now gazing at Merlin as his protective uncle took his place to his side, Arthur was helpless to do anything but look as well. He took in the consort, staring at him as if he was looking at him with new eyes, as the councilmen themselves were. Arthur stared at the pale and sickly skin that his sweet angel bore; he stared at the aging peasant clothing that Merlin was able to wear in front of them all without a hint of shame; at the way his consort had his shoulders tucked in as if it would somehow make him smaller now that all of them knew his secret. And Arthur saw the way Merlin's eyes darted around the room, landing on one face before going to the next, proving that his Merlin had more than just a sweet face. He was dangerous, in all of the most thrilling of ways, not flinching even in the face of adversary.

Somehow emulating the same air of nobility that they all had.