Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was just another day for Merlin, cleaning up Arthur's room, completing morning chores and cleaning Arthur’s boots. There was no doubt in Merlin’s head that he would also be expected to help with the royal pain's training, in which there was a highly likely chance that he would receive a few bruises. Another fun day in Camelot.

‘How does someone snore so loudly?’ Merlin thought to himself as he polished Arthur’s armour, rolling his eyes in the process, but he froze when Arthur rolled over in bed. The warlock went deathly still as he attempted not to make a sound which could possibly wake the prince up, mainly because the prince had given him an earful about not getting enough sleep over the past three weeks.

"Hhhmmm, Mer...lin", the prince groaned, causing Merlin to snap his attention to Arthur's still sleeping figure. "Please... don't go... Merlin", Arthur continued to talk in his sleep as the light of a candle cast a dim light over him.

Confused, Merlin watched Arthur toss and turn until he finally settled again. Shrugging it off and thinking nothing of it, Merlin returned to completing his chores. The sun was starting to rise as Merlin gently kissed Arthur's forehead. "Sleep tight, Arthur", he whispered before making his way back to his chambers, making sure to not walk into or trip over anything which could cause a loud noise and wake up everyone. The warlock took extra care to tiptoe to his bedroom so that he did not wake Guias up. That man is not a morning person. The aching in his feet started to ease as Merlin pulled his boots off. Not bothering to change his clothes, he just collapsed onto his bed. Practically falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

The next day was surprisingly dull for Merlin since Arthur refused to make him do anything when he noticed that all of Merlin’s chores had been completed and that the raven-haired young man was almost dragging himself as he entered the room, clearly exhausted. However, the prince did not even leave his room.

Merlin was worried, but he began to feel slightly agitated as a week passed. Arthur had ordered Merlin to keep within the castle grounds, and the servant was not to be allowed any further than the courtyard. There had been multiple instances of thieves attacking and robbing the villages, which caused Arthur to worry for Merlin’s safety. Still, Merlin decided that he needed to confront Arthur about what was happening to get his freedom back.

On a Thursday morning, Merlin woke up and prepared a bath for himself. Of course, he used magic to heat the water, and he stepped into the bath. He was still freezing but made do as he quickly washed. He stepped out and got dressed when the water started to get cold.

Guias lifted an eyebrow as Merlin sat down for breakfast and instantly tucked into the food "Morning. Did Arthur ask you to do any work yesterday?"

"He didn't say anything to me yesterday, but he's told the guards not to let me leave the castle," Merlin answered, shrugging before sipping some water.

"Uther has ordered for Arthur to dual against his uncle. A tournament is being arranged." Guias stated, causing his apprentice to look at him.

"Arthur hasn’t mentioned anything. Why has Uther ordered for a tournament?" Merlin asked.

"To celebrate his birthday. Unfortunately, he fails to realise that Arthur could get seriously injured because his uncle is an extremely experienced knight," Guias stated, a worried look forming on his face as he mentally slapped Uther across the back of the head.

"What is Uther thinking?” Merlin realised that it was because of this event that Arthur had been avoiding him.

"That is why I am worried. You should go and see him," Guias firmly said.

"See you later, Guias" Merlin stood up, and he hastily walked to Arthur's chambers. His previous thoughts of being confined to the castle had left his mind. The warlock just wanted to make sure that Arthur was somewhat alright and not dwelling in self-pity. As he opened the door to the prince's chambers, Merlin felt something hard hit his head and stumbled back as he momentarily lost his balance.

"Merlin!" Arthur panicked when he saw whom he had thrown a cup at.

"I’m alright, just going to stargaze for a second" Merlin shook his head after he said the snarky comment.

Arthur jogged over to Merlin  "Show me". Merlin lowered his hand and shut the door; before he looked at the young man, he looked at Arthur. His heart fluttered when he saw how concerned the prince was. Arthur hurried inspected Merlin's head and saw a small bruise forming. "Bloody hell. I’m so sorry".

"It’s alright, Arthur" Merlin smiled.

"What do you want?" Arthur asked in his ‘prince Arthur’ voice as he attempted to disguise his concern and guilt.

"You know that I hate it when you talk to me like that", Merlin huffed.

Arthur said nothing. He just walked over to his bed and collapsed onto it.

Merlin sighed, and he walked over to where Arthur was. "What's wrong?" He knew what was wrong, but he also knew that Arthur hated to be gossiped about, so he could not let it on that he already knew about the tournament.

"Nothing", Arthur murmured into his pillow before standing up and walking over to his desk. He placed his hands on his hips and looked out the window. Arthur did this whenever something was bothering him. Therefore, Merlin knew that something was wrong.

"Arthur, I know you better than that. Do you want me to go and get you some berries or something from the village?" Merlin asked because he knew that Arthur loved berries.

"No! I order you not to leave the castle grounds!" Arthur had not meant to shout and mentally kicked himself for raising his voice to Merlin.

Merlin sighed, and he saw Arthur's facial expression soften.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to shout at you," Arthur apologised.

"It's fine. You can talk to me about anything," Merlin said softly. "Why can't I leave the palace? Uther hasn't found out about us, right?"

"My father hasn't found out about us. There have been some reports of thieves in the kingdom, I'm just trying to keep you safe and out of harm’s way," Arthur explained, exasperated.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Merlin sighed.

"Because I'm also protecting you from my father. He would probably have you killed if he found out about us or your magic," Arthur answered, a sigh falling from his lips as he gazed down at the courtyard.

Merlin stood up, and he walked over to Arthur. "Thank you".

"Well, you have saved my arse enough times, so it is time for me to protect you" Arthur smiled slightly as he turned and looked at Merlin.

Merlin kissed Arthur, and their kiss soon became more heated until Merlin pulled back and smiled at the prince. "That was one way to make up for yesterday and throwing a cup at my head" Merlin smiled.

"How badly were you hurt yesterday?" Arthur instantly looked worried again.

"Just a few bruises", Merlin answered.

"You’re getting better at fighting with a sword" Arthur smiled proudly as he placed a hand on his lover’s hip.

"That's because I have the best swordsman in all of the lands training me", Merlin pointed out, knowing that it would cheer Arthur up. He loved the prince dearly, but good lord, his ego never failed to act up like a toddler being told ‘no’.

"You're so beautiful," Arthur said in a soft voice before he hugged the warlock.

Merlin's eyes had a happy twinkle in them as he hugged the prince back. Arthur may have an ego, but he gave the best hugs, "And you're handsome".

In the end, Merlin decided not to bring up the tournament because Arthur seemed to be more worried about the cup incident; for at least two hours, the prince must have checked the bruise close to fifty times. Apologising every time that he inspected it. Merlin reassured him that it was okay and that accidents happen, but Arthur was still concerned.

Arthur smiled with a look of adoration as Merlin laughed at his own joke. The warlock's laugh was like music to his ears, and he could not help but think about how much Merlin had done for him and how amazing the warlock was. ‘He's never asked for recognition for what he has done. He's never had any glory for saving me or the kingdom. He's the bravest man I know, and he's mine’.

Things in Camelot settled down over the course of a week and life went about as uneventful, but when was Camelot ever calm for more than a few weeks...

It appears that Merlin required a lot of sleep, much more than he thought he did, because he jolted awake as he was being pulled out of his bed, bum hitting the floor, groaning in annoyance. “What in the name of Excalibur?” he then looked up and saw that Arthur was standing there with his arms crossed, a grumpy look on his face. “Hi, Arthur. Did you sleep well?” he asked sarcastically

“You’re late for work”, Arthur stated, sounding equally tired, probably still feeling guilty over the cup incident three days ago.

Merlin winced as he stood up. “Sorry. I had a long day yesterday, and I didn’t sleep well” he then started to get dressed.

Arthur saw the bruise on Merlin’s stomach, and then he saw the bruises on Merlin’s back. “Who did that to you?” his expression softened as he sat down on Merlin’s bed, which was definitely not up to the standard he believed the warlock deserved.

“Do you remember mace training yesterday? Your uncle, and his knights had fun beating me up,” Merlin said as he pulled his boots on.

“It looks painful”, Arthur winced at the sight.

“I’ve had worse”, Merlin shrugged.

Arthur grabbed Merlin’s hips and pulled the warlock close “Sorry for being a grumpy arse.”

“You’re forgiven” Merlin smiled as he held onto Arthur’s shoulders and leaned down to kiss the prince.

Arthur kissed Merlin and then looked at the warlock. “Let’s keep it that way”.

“Agreed”, Merlin smiled; he then hugged Arthur, and the prince rubbed his back.

Arthur leaned in, and he kissed Merlin. “I’ll make it up to you”.

Merlin smirked. “I’ll hold you to that”

The couple had to be careful as they walked to the throne room. They were both nervous because they were convinced that holding hands or smiling too much could cause people to grow suspicious of their relationship. This would not be a good thing because Merlin was already risking his life on the daily just by having magic, and Arthur feared that Uther would not take kindly to a servant having relations with his son. The prince was also anxious that Uther would harm Merlin if he found out that the prince of Camelot was in love with a man. Once arriving at the doors to the throne room, Arthur made sure to walk in front of Merlin so that the council of lords would not suspect anything. As the council meeting began, Merlin stood with his back to a wall, a few feet behind Arthur’s chair.

For Merlin, the council meeting was nerve-wracking. The visiting lords, Lord Bayard, in particular, were not the kindest or most courteous, constantly making a mess or trying to trip him up as he served them drinks and food. He saw the annoyance in Arthur’s eyes when the prince noticed that the lords were bullying him and attempting to make his job more difficult. It took every bit of Arthur’s willpower to not stand up from his seat and carry Merlin out of the room. The prince occupied himself by zoning out and began to daydream about the life that he wanted to have with Merlin, far away from Camelot and royal responsibilities so that they could live in peace and away from danger. He was soon snapped out of his thoughts as Bayard spoke up.

“If a peace treaty is called, I request that something is offered to me in return”, Bayard stated, his voice dripping with venom as he spoke.

“Name it”, Uther encouraged.

Bayard did not waste a second and instantly pointed at Merlin, “The boy. Merlin”.

Merlin looked up, and the words disappeared off his tongue. ‘Wait, what?’ he thought as his hands became sweaty with anxiety.

“What do you want my servant for?” Arthur asked as he did his best not to show any kind of emotion other than having a threatening tone in his voice. However, he was anxious about Bayard’s request.

“I was humiliated because of him last time a treaty was called. Perhaps a day being stoned would suffice?” Bayard suggested.

Merlin gulped, but he did not say anything, ‘stoned? That seems a bit extreme, and I was poisoned that day!’

“No. Merlin saved my life that day, and I will not stand by as he is unnecessarily punished”, Arthur firmly said.

“Then don’t look” Uther looked at Arthur and then at Bayard. “Do what you want with the servant”.

“Father, that could kill Merlin!” Arthur exclaimed as two of Bayard’s guards moved and grabbed Merlin.

“Servants can be replaced”, Uther coldly said.

Before he knew how to react, Merlin was taken out into the courtyard, and his wrists were chained above his head; this forced him to stand up, and his breathing hitched as Bayard’s guards picked up some rocks to throw at him. Time seemed to slow down as the warlock closed his eyes tightly, turning his head to the side. He kept his lips firmly glued together, and he tried not to show that he was in pain as rocks pelted him. A moment or so passed before he connected his mind with Arthur’s, so he could talk to him. ‘This was not fair’.

‘I know. This is a stupid question, but are you alright?’ Arthur asked as he watched from a balcony, trying not to wince because Uther was standing next to him.

‘No. I prefer the stocks,’ Merlin answered.

‘I’ll make it up to you’, Arthur promised.

‘You better’, Merlin said before he disconnected their minds.

After being pelted by stones for what felt like an eternality, Merlin was released and fell onto his hands and knees; he was in absolute agony, and he barely had enough strength to hold himself up. The warlock had passed out from the immense pain that spared him from hearing the cocky laughs from the visiting lords and their knights. Arthur did not laugh, though, and was about to run to the courtyard when Uther stopped him by grabbing his arm.

“I will execute him if you make any attempt to help him”, the king threatened, darkness evident in his eyes as he glared at his son.

Arthur had no choice but to obey, so instead, he yanked his arm out of his father’s grasp and stormed toward his chambers. He would be able to keep a watchful eye over Merlin from the window.

The day dragged on; it was nighttime when Arthur pulled his cloak on and quietly made his way through the castle. Unbeknownst to the guards, the servants' stairways and hallways kept him concealed and out of sight. In any other instance, he would not be the happiest to have to walk through the tunnels, which were riddled with rats and sewage, but he was only focused on getting to Merlin, so he paid no attention to the environment or how bad it smelt. Meanwhile, Merlin groaned in discomfort as he finally woke up, confused and cold, but he relaxed slightly when he realised that it was dark and everyone was most likely asleep. Except for Arthur, who had managed to sneak out of the castle and run towards him.

“Merlin!” Arthur cried out, and he rushed towards the warlock, running onto the wooden stage, and scooped the warlock up, “Merlin?” he asked.

“My head hurts”, Merlin winced into Arthur’s chest.

“Hold onto me” Arthur did not hesitate to pick Merlin up, and he carried him bridal style towards the passageway into the castles. “Ignore the smell”. Arthur carried his lover all the way back to his chambers whilst successfully managing to evade the guards. Merlin just looked up at Arthur when the prince sat him on the soft mattress of the oversized bed, and he made his eyes flash gold. The prince felt relieved that his Merlin had magic when he saw the injuries that Merlin had. “I wish that I could have done something”.

Merlin winced, and his face scrunched up in discomfort as he tried to get comfortable. “There was nothing that you could have done. At least there is peace between the kingdoms now,” he sighed.

Arthur helped Merlin lie down comfortably on the bed before he sat next to the warlock, sighing as he pulled his boots off and flung them onto the floor. “That does not matter, you were still hurt, and I should have done something” he leaned down and kissed Merlin. “Can you show me some magic?”

Merlin lifted his hand, and he looked at it. His eyes flashed gold before a small golden dragon appeared in his hand.

Arthur smiled, and he sat next to Merlin. “You can have a day off tomorrow”.

Merlin looked at Arthur. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, you need to rest” Arthur smiled.

Merlin smiled, and they went back to watching the golden dragon. The warlock moved so that he was lying against Arthur, and the prince held him close as they watched the dragon fly around the room. However, their peaceful night was disrupted when a knock at the servants' door opened just as Merlin attempted to stand up.

“Sit down, Merlin”, Gaius instructed as he walked toward the couple. “You look horrible”, he commented.

“I feel it”, Merlin admitted.

Gaius handed a small vial of a transparent liquid to Merlin, and the warlock took it. “Drink this. It will help with the pain”.

Merlin drank the contents of the vial without question, but he pulled a disgusted face at how sickly sweet it was. “Thanks.”

“Don’t worry about doing your chores tomorrow. Make sure to rest. Get some sleep, and I’ll see you later,” Gaius said before turning and walking out of the room. “Make sure that he sleeps”, the physician instructed Arthur.

“I will” Arthur nodded.

“Good night” Gaius smiled slightly before walking through the servants' door, leaving the couple alone.

Chapter Text

Arthur found himself depressed whilst about the upcoming tournament. He needed an escape, and he knew that Merlin needed one too. Since Arthur had refused to give him work, Merlin ran errands for Gaius instead. Arthur had left a note with Gaius, requesting that Merlin meet him that afternoon in his chambers. As time drifted on, Arthur was beginning to think that Merlin had forgotten, but these thoughts were forgotten when the warlock arrived. No words were spoken as Arthur led his lover through the castle and into an empty tower that had no use to it. Merlin had been carrying the armour that Arthur had instructed him to bring, and he was astonished that he did not drop anything.

Arthur closed the door, turning to Merlin, “Put the helmet and armour on.”

Merlin sighed, and he put the armour on. He knew that he would likely have a few bruises, so he picked up the sword and went to pick up the shield, but Arthur spoke up.

“You will not be needing a shield”, Arthur stated as he drew his sword.

“But you’re just going to kick my ass”, Merlin stated defensively.

“I’ll go easy on you”, Arthur promised as he walked over to Merlin and kissed him. He then backed up a few steps. “Ready?” he asked, and the warlock nodded before he lunged at Merlin, sword in hand.

During the training, Merlin did his best to evade Arthur’s attacks, but he fell into a trap; he charged forwards, only to be swung back onto the ground. Huffing as he sat up and leaned back on his elbows.

Arthur put his weapon down before climbing on top of the warlock and grinding his hips. “You fell for it”.

Merlin moaned and then tried to wiggle away, only to be pinned down by the prince. He warlock giggled because he liked to be teased like this.

“Stay still; otherwise, you’ll be punished!” Arthur said jokingly.

Merlin bucked his hips up, which made Arthur groan in arousal. “Make me”, he smirked.

Arthur smirked, and he leaned down to kiss Merlin.

Little did Merlin and Arthur know, Gwaine was standing at the door, watching them, his mouth agape in shock. He slowly left the room, taking great care as he shut the door, so it did not make a noise. Gwaine sighed and walked away, he was loyal to his friends, so there was no doubt in his mind that he needed to keep what he saw a secret. The knight decided to speak to Arthur about it later to make him aware that he would not tell a soul. Even if that meant that he would one day be trusted with the life of Merlin, then so be it.

After Merlin and Arthur had finished with their fun, Merlin returned to help Gaius with the last of the day’s work, whilst Arthur decided to check up on his knights and maybe put in a few hours of training too. When Gwaine saw Arthur, he ran up to the prince and pinned him into a headlock. “Arthur, you sly fox. Snatching up our precious Merlin like that. You have good taste, though; I’ll give you that”, he said in a hushed voice.

“What are you talking about?” Arthur asked in shock. ‘How does he know?’

“You really need to lock the door next time”, Gwaine stated before he let go of Arthur, and the prince looked at him. “Your secret is safe with me”, he promised.

Arthur stood glued to the spot for a moment before he came to his sense and nodded. “Does anyone else know?”

“No”, Gwaine answered, and Arthur knew he was telling the truth. Gwaine was a loyal friend, and he could trust him.

By the late afternoon, Merlin had finished his daily duties, so he walked out to watch Arthur train, but he was surprised when he arrived at the building where the knights kept their armour and found the prince looking dark in the face. Arthur sensed the warlock’s presence and turned around before marching up to Merlin. ‘What have I done? Is he angry with me?’ Merlin questioned himself, “Have I done something wrong?”

However, Arthur grabbed Merlin by the collar and pulled him into a long, fierce kiss which caused the knights behind them to howl and wolf-whistle. Merlin was surprised at first, but he kissed Arthur back and wrapped his arms around the prince’s neck. Arthur moved his hands and grabbed Merlin’s hips, pulling his warlock close, and the knights smiled at them. Elyan smiled when Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin’s waist. The knights circled around Merlin and Arthur and cheered when the two men pulled away from each other.

“That was unsuspected” Merlin smiled.

Arthur smiled. “I’m full of surprises”, he whispered.

Merlin looked at the knights, pulling away from Arthur, and he put his arms behind his back. His anxiety was setting in, and he hoped they would be happy for him and Arthur.

“Aww, look at lover boy!” Gwaine chuckled.

“Young love, eh?” Leon smiled.

“Who knew that the prince could be so loved up?” Percival laughed.

“You have good taste, Arthur. Snatching up Merlin like that, it’s a shame that he’s not on the market anymore,” Gwaine joked.

Merlin was not used to the attention given to him by everyone; he became shy and buried his face in Arthur’s shoulder. The knights chuckled, and Arthur silently screamed because he could see a tiny bit of red creeping across Merlin’s cheek. The knights laughed, and Arthur saw a shy smile on Merlin’s face.

Arthur put his arm around Merlin’s shoulders and held the warlock close. He kissed Merlin’s head. “You don’t normally get shy”.

“I’m not used to all of the attention”. Merlin murmured into Arthur’s shoulder.

“Does Gaius know about you two?” Leon asked.

Merlin looked at Leon, and he nodded. “Yeah, Gaius knows about us”.

“Is there anything else that we should know about?” Percival asked.

That caused Merlin to hesitate and look at Arthur. “Is it safe?” He asked, and the prince looked at the knights. There was a conflict going on inside of his head, and he did not know what to do. Was it the right time to tell them his secret, or was it too dangerous? Nevertheless, they were his friends, and he hated keeping a secret like his magic from them.

Arthur squinted his eyes as he looked around the circle of knights. “Do you trust them?”

Merlin nodded, and he gripped Arthur’s shirt. “Do you?”

“The only person that I trust more than them is you”, Arthur whispered, and he stroked Merlin’s hair.

The warlock hesitated, but he pulled away from Arthur and walked into the centre of the room, looking around for any dangers. He then gulped as he closed his eyes, hoping he was making the right choice. “Bael onbryne”, he whispered.

The knights watched in amazement as all of the candles lit, two at a time, going from the back of the room to the doors. They all then looked at Merlin, and the warlock turned to look at them, the knights looked at Arthur in shock, and they saw the prince smile at Merlin.

“I have never used my power to harm an innocent person. I have always used it to protect Arthur and Camelot” Merlin sighed, and he began to worry that his secret would be used against him.

“I always knew that there was something different about you, Merlin”, Gwaine stated as he walked over to Merlin. “But you will always be my friend” he placed a hand on Merlin’s shoulder.

Merlin smiled at Gwaine. “Thanks, Gwaine.”

“If the day ever comes that I have to protect you... I will,” Gwaine promised.

“I need you all to swear to me that you will do whatever it takes to protect Merlin if I cannot”, Arthur sighed.

Merlin walked over to Arthur and hugged him. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I will always protect you”.

Arthur hugged Merlin. “But who has been protecting you?”

Merlin kissed Arthur. “My life is not important”.

The knights all stepped forward and looked at the couple as they put their forearms to their armoured chests. “We swear to protect Merlin at all costs,” they all said in unison.

Lancelot turned to Merlin, “Your secret is safe with us”.

Arthur placed his hand on the back of Merlin’s head. “Never think that your life is not important. It’s because of you that I can be with you today and that Camelot is stronger”.

“You will be the greatest king Camelot will ever have”, Merlin whispered.

“And you will be the greatest warlock to have ever lived”, Arthur whispered.

After a few minutes, Merlin and Arthur walked to the courtyard with the knights; Merlin sat on the grass as Arthur and the knights trained. Merlin did not have to hold a shield or do anything but sit and watch as the knights trained. He could not find the words to express how happy he was that his friends were happy for him and that they all promised to be loyal. His smile beamed when the prince looked at him, and he could see the happiness on the prince’s face.

A whole week soon passed, and it was two days until the tournament. Merlin was busy with work, and he was racing all over the place to deliver medicines on Gaius’s behalf. Uther had made sure that Agravaine felt at home in the palace. He felt too much at home.

At one point, Agravaine had just so happened to be walking past Merlin when the boy was on his last errand. The lord did not hide the disgusted look on his face as he glared at the servant “Such a waste of space”.

Merlin stopped dead in his tracks when the sensation of eyes burning through his skull hit him hard. Merlin turned to look Agravaine in the eyes, his vision wobbling as he fought to maintain a neutral facial expression.

The lord tilted his head ever so slightly and smirked evilly, “Stupid piece of filth, scared of a real man, are you now?”

Merlin felt his blood run cold as the wicked man turned and walked away painfully slowly. However, Merlin had no time to question what Agravaine had said; as he shook it all off and hurried to finish his last errand, he needed to see Arthur after all. Once Merlin had finished his errands, he was panicking since he was ten minutes late to see Arthur, so the warlock ran down the halls towards the prince’s chambers. Upon arriving, the door flew open, and an arm reached out, hastily grabbing Merlin by the collar and pulling him inside the room. The door was then slammed shut, and Merlin was pinned against it.

Arthur ground himself against the warlock, who groaned. “Do all warlocks have a habit of being late?” he joked before he started to kiss Merlin’s neck.

Merlin groaned as he became aroused. “Sorry, I couldn’t get away earlier”.

Arthur pulled back. “Don’t worry about it. I have missed you all a day” he then started at Merlin’s lips.

Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur’s neck and kissed the prince back. “Show me how much you’ve missed me”.

“It would be my pleasure”, Arthur whispered...

They must have fallen asleep soon after their antics because Merlin woke up in the prince’s bed. His was body bare, and Arthur was nowhere to be found. He pulled the sheets up to cover his chest and moved his hair away from his eyes. He was confused at first, but he panicked when he remembered the tournament. “I need to find Arthur,” Merlin told himself, and he was about to wrap himself up in the covers when the door opened. Utter fear filled the warlock’s heart as he expected the worst. Shutting his eyes tightly and held his breath...

“Are you still asleep or something?” a familiar voice asked as the door shut.

Merlin’s eyes flew open to find Gwaine looking amused. The warlock released a relieved groan and collapsed back on the bed. “Don’t scare me like that”.

Gwaine laughed and turned around to give Merlin some privacy, “Arthur told me to make sure no one walked in on you while you were sleeping”.

Merlin smiled and nodded, “Thanks”.

Gwaine shook his head, “No need for that. Here, I had Leon bring some of your clothes up here” he pointed at the tidy pile of clothes, which were neatly folded on the table. “I’ll wait outside”.

Merlin wrapped a sheet around himself as Gwaine left the room. He hurried to get dressed before he ran off to find Arthur with the help of Gwaine.

It took at least twenty minutes of searching before they found Arthur. The prince was pacing around the empty throne room, clearly agitated, stressed, worried and scared simultaneously. He jumped when the door opened, and he felt some of the anxiety leave his body when he saw Merlin. Before arriving at the throne room, Merlin had expected to see a happy Arthur. That was not the case.

“The tournament is in two days!” Arthur exclaimed.

Merlin watched as Arthur paced back and forth. He was unsure how to comfort his prince at first, but he let out a sigh and walked up to Arthur, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him in for a passionate kiss. Arthur was bewildered at first but soon melted and added his own passion into the mix. When they pulled away for air Merlin rested his forehead against Arthur’s, “Everything will be alright. I’ll make sure of it”.

Arthur nodded and pulled his lover into another heated kiss. “The knights will protect you if anything happens. I will not leave you unprotected”.

“Nothing’s going to happen. You will win this tournament, and I will kiss you when we are alone afterwards,” Merlin promised as he rubbed Arthur’s upper arm.

“I need you to be there tomorrow. Even if you have to be there as my servant, I just need you there,” Arthur admitted.

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else” Merlin smiled reassuringly.

Arthur smiled, and he kissed Merlin again. He was pulled into a hug, and he held onto Merlin. He sighed as he breathed in Merlin’s scent. He relaxed, and he melted against Merlin. “Have you eaten anything?” Arthur asked.

“I didn’t have time. I just needed to find you to wish you luck,” Merlin answered.

“Help yourself to anything over there” Arthur nodded at the table where a plate of food was.

“But that’s your lunch” Merlin looked at Arthur.

“It’s now yours.” Arthur firmly said.

Merlin nodded, and he walked over to the table. He picked up the apple and a piece of bread and started eating.

Arthur walked over, and he wrapped his arms around Merlin’s chest. “I’m just trying to look after you.”

“I know. Thank you” Merlin tilted his head back to look at Arthur.

Arthur lowered his head, and he kissed Merlin. “What would happen to you if something happens to me?”

Merlin stood up, grabbed Arthur’s tunic, pushed the prince down onto the chair, and then straddled Arthur’s lap. Merlin wrapped one arm around Arthur’s neck and placed his other hand on the prince’s chest. “Nothing will happen to you. I have never let anyone harm you, and I will always protect you”.

Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin’s waist and kissed the warlock. “And I will always protect you”.

Merlin hugged Arthur, and he sighed, “I know how to look after myself”.

“At least one of us does”, Arthur joked.

Merlin chuckled before kissing Arthur’s cheek. “Don’t be hard on yourself. You’re destined to be great, and I will be at your side until the end”.

“You are very wise”, Arthur complimented.

“And you are courageous”, Merlin nuzzled into Arthur’s neck.

Arthur rubbed his hands up and down Merlin’s back; as they hugged, he smiled because he knew that Merlin was right.

“Don’t mind me. Pretend I’m not here,” Gwaine said, breaking the romantic moment, and the couple looked at him.

“Shush”, Merlin laughed.

Chapter Text

It was early evening; Uther was sitting on his throne, watching as Merlin poured Arthur some water. Something was happening right in front of him that was hidden from his eyes. Arthur was acting strangely. There was no shouting at Merlin or mean words that would surely sting the boy. Uther’s eyes narrowed on his son as his eyes lovingly gazed at Merlin. The king grunted angrily before clearing his throat for Merlin to refill his cup. Anger got the better of him, and he drank the entire goblet and threw the empty chunk of metal at Merlin, who, luckily, dodged it.

“Pick that up, boy! And then serve me the pork!” Uther ordered.

Merlin made no complaint as he picked up the goblet and served the king food. “Anything else, sire?” Merlin asked quietly.

Uther shook his head. He had a deep hatred for having a ‘friendship’ with his son. Agravaine put his foot out, ready to trip Merlin up, and he smiled evilly as Merlin walked passed him and fell over. The raven-haired young man hissed in pain as his knee hit the hard wooden floor, but he was able to stand back up. Arthur had winced at the sound of Merlin hitting the floor; he fought the natural reaction to run over and comfort the warlock. Instead, he turned his gaze towards his father and gave him a disapproving glare. Uther huffed in annoyance as Merlin stood up and walked off. However, his glare hardened when he caught his son’s eyes, which were like daggers cutting through his skull.

The king cleared his throat and stood up, “I feel tired. I shall retire to my chambers”.

Arthur suddenly looked happy as the other servants left to inform the cook and retrieve anything else Arthur might like to eat. Agravaine also left just moments after Uther, leaving Merlin and Arthur alone. Merlin was grabbed by the arm and pulled behind a drape before his lips connected with Arthur’s. However, the king turned and peered through the doorway, but he could not see his son or the servant, so he shook his head and left. Meanwhile, Arthur and Merlin’s passionate kissing quickly became heated, and Merlin pushed Arthur up against a wall. The prince held his lover’s hips as the other man kissed him.

Arthur pulled back, and he looked at Merlin. “I hate it when people treat you like that. You weren’t hurt, were you?”

“I’m alright. It’s just a bruise,” Merlin answered.

“It’s not fair on you”, Arthur stated.

“I’m just a servant. I don’t matter like those that are noble,” Merlin sighed.

“No. You are far more important than any noble. You’re very important to me” Arthur smiled.

Merlin smiled, and he kissed Arthur. “And you are important to me”, he whispered.

Arthur let the warlock take control, and he laid on the floor with Merlin straddling his legs. “Are you thinking what I am thinking?”

“Yes,” Merlin used magic to lock all the doors and windows before soundproofing the throne room. He then leaned down, and he kissed Arthur, he cradled the prince’s face in his hands, and Arthur let his hands wander over Merlin’s figure. Ultimately, the prince discovered that Merlin being on top was quite arousing.

After their arousal had been spent, the couple quickly dressed and said ‘I love you’ before leaving the room. Through separate doors, of course, in order to evade suspicion. Merlin was walking to Guias’s chambers when he heard footsteps behind him, and his eyes flashed gold as he used his magic to find out who was following him. The unpleasant answer soon revealed itself.

Agravaine thought he was sly, walking a fair distance behind Merlin; his evil brain saw the young man as an easy target. “Shrimp! Stop right there!” he ordered.

Merlin stopped in his tracks and turned around to face Agravaine. “Is there something that I can help you with?”

Agravaine walked up to Merlin and looked the servant up and down. Merlin did not have a muscular build compared to Arthur or the knights, and Agravaine was aware that he could injure the servant without consequence, “How long have you worked as Arthur’s servant?”

“Two years,” Merlin answered.

“How old are you?” Agravaine asked.

“I am nineteen. I came to Camelot when I was seventeen,” Merlin answered.

Agravaine began to walk in circles around Merlin, hoping it would intimidate him. “Does Arthur know an assassin could easily kill .his servant?”

“I know how to fight with a sword. I’m not as defenceless as I was when I first became Arthur’s servant” Merlin turned around to face Agravaine.

“What do you fear?” Agravaine got up in Merlin’s face, looming over the young man.

Merlin did not answer at first, but then he saw Gwaine standing not that far away from him at the end of the corridor. “I have to go. I have duties to attend to” he walked past Agravaine, and he walked over to Gwaine, “Hi, Gwaine”.

“Ah, Merlin! Just the man I was looking for” Gwaine put his arm around Merlin’s shoulders.

Agravaine watched as Merlin walked away, he felt a deep hatred for the servant, and it annoyed him that Merlin was not intimidated. “Watch out, Merlin. Being Arthur’s servant will not keep you safe all of the time” he then turned and walked away.

As they were walking, Gwaine looked around to ensure they were alone. He then turned to Merlin, “How long have you and lover boy been together?”

“Not long. Since his twenty-second birthday,” Merlin shrugged.

“Whoa, hang on a second! you and Arthur have been sleeping together for a year?” Gwaine unintentionally said in a loud voice.

“Sshhh! Keep your voice down,” Merlin shushed his friend. “Yes, I have been seeing Arthur for a year”, he whispered.

“You are amazing at keeping secrets.” Gwaine complimented.

“It’s a talent” Merlin smiled.

One day before the tournament, Uther was hosting another council meeting, which felt like dragging on forever. Guias finished his work, and Merlin was sent to the throne room to work. Arthur immediately cheered when he saw his warlock walk in, he wished he could jump up and embrace Merlin, but his love for Merlin had to remain a secret because he knew that Merlin would be put in danger if the wrong person found out.

Uther was sat on his throne, chatting with the council of bigots. “Boy! Wine!” he ordered Merlin to serve some drinks.

As much as the warlock despised it, he had to do as he was told. Merlin refiled everyone’s drinks and stood next to the other servants lined up. He looked at Arthur and saw that the prince was bored, so he decided to connect their minds. ‘How are you holding up there?’

‘I am bored out of my mind. I wish that you could save me,’ Arthur thought.

‘Just hang tight for the rest of the meeting,’ Merlin thought.

‘Ugghh fine. I love you,’ Arthur thought.

‘I love you too,’ Merlin thought before disconnecting their minds.

The king took a big gulp from his goblet and then shook his head, “In conclusion... magic is the root of all evil. The day that magic is extinct is the day that the safety of all can be granted”. Uther stated his opinion.

Agravaine hurriedly nodded, “Yes, I agree, my friend. The pool of evil that magic possesses has no floor”.

Everyone in the council nodded in agreement, except for Arthur, who sat there quietly. He wished that he could do something about Merlin being there. He wished Merlin’s ears could be spared from hearing what the council said about magic.

Agravaine laughed and nodded at Merlin, “I had no idea you liked scrawny boys like him serving you!”

Uther laughed, “He plays the part of a fool quite nicely. Plus, it is quite enjoyable to watch him trip over himself when you yell at him”. He then threw a plate at Merlin. The boy jumped and stumbled back into the wall.

Arthur sat up with a straight back, and he almost rushed over to Merlin. Almost.

Merlin wanted the ground to swallow him up. He wanted to be anywhere else but stuck in the throne room. He would rather be mucking out the stables or pelted with rotten vegetables. Anywhere was better than listening to the remarks of the royal council and Uther.

“Merlin may be a simple fool, but he is a loyal servant and deserves respect”, Arthur argued, knowing that he had to be careful of what he said in the presence of his father.

The council members laughed at what the prince had said whilst Uther shot a look of disapproval at Arthur. The prince shifted uncomfortably, and he tried not to look at Merlin.

“Ha! May I put him to the test to see for myself how much of a fool he is?” Agravaine asked.

Uther nodded. “Permission granted”.

Agravaine downed his drink before turning around and throwing a cup at Merlin. “Shrimp! Refill!” He shouted as the servant caught the cup.

Merlin ran over and refilled the horrid creature’s cup, placing it in front of him, before returning to where he had been stood. ‘Bigot’, he thought.

Agravaine looked disappointed as he glanced back at the king, “He does not appear to fear me”.

Uther smirked, “Because he knows who his king is and who is not”.

Arthur had been biting the inside of his cheeks angrily at how Merlin was being treated. He felt relieved that his father’s words had shut the brute up temporarily, but he hated how Merlin was being targeted in the first place. However, Merlin knew it was just beginning, so he mentally prepared himself for the next wave of harassment coming from the demon’s mouth.

After many refills of wine later, the king became drunk and bored. Arthur had stopped drinking before the other council members and was very bored. The prince noticed that Merlin seemed to be taking more care than usual. He realised that Merlin was trying his best not to mess up.

Uther stared at Merlin for a while before turning to Arthur with a smirk, “your servant needs some discipline, Arthur. Go ahead and scold him!”

Arthur looked at Merlin apologetically before saying, “Merlin... re-polish my armour, take my sword to be sharpened and clean my chamber pot!”

Merlin pulled a face at the last bit but knew Arthur had to follow his father’s orders, so he turned and began to make his way to the doors.

“Come on, Arthur!”, Uther exclaimed, “You have to be more physical than that! Scold your servant for being the fool that he is! Throw something at him or hit him!”

Arthur stared at his father, but the expression he was met with was not one to argue with. He looked back at Merlin, wondering what to do. He had no other choice. Both prince and warlock knew that. Arthur sighed and picked up his empty goblet, seeing how it was the lightest thing at the time, and readied himself to throw it at the poor warlock.

Merlin hung his head and closed his eyes shut. ‘Just get it over with’, he telepathically said to Arthur.

‘I’m so sorry’, Arthur thought, hating what he had to do.

The goblet soared and made an impact on Merlin’s leg. There was a sickening thud, and Merlin took a sharp gasp of breath. ‘Didn’t hurt’, he telepathically said to Arthur.

‘Sorry.’ Arthur wanted to race over and comfort his lover, but he knew better, “Now go and do what I asked!”

Merlin gave a bow and left the room, Uther’s council laughing in his absence. ‘Sometimes I wonder how I put up with it all’, he thought. He then made his way to Arthur’s chambers, deciding to use magic to complete all of his ‘Inconvenient’ chores.

As soon as he could, Arthur hurried to his chambers, where Merlin was waiting. He quickly opened the door and ran in to hug Merlin, who winced in pain. “I’m sorry!” he started to cry into Merlin’s shoulder.

Merlin stroked Arthur’s hair and kissed the prince’s head, “It’s alright. You didn’t have a choice”.

“But you got hurt because of me!” Arthur continued to sob.

Merlin broke free of Arthur’s hug and tilted the prince’s head, “Not because of you, because of your father. I love you, and you love me. That’s all that matters in my eyes”. Merlin kissed Arthur before he could say otherwise, and the prince melted against his lips.

When they broke away for air Arthur was smirking, “You really are too good for this world”.

Merlin smiled as he wiped Arthur’s tears away with his thumbs, “I know. Count yourself lucky I chose to stay”.

Chapter Text

Merlin woke up as the sun began to rise,  and he smiled when he looked over his shoulder at Arthur, who was still asleep. The birds were whistling, and the people of Camelot were starting to go about their daily lives whilst the servants were preparing for the day’s events. The warlock soon turned his gaze back to the window,  and then he remembered that it was the day of the torment. He sighed before rolling onto his other side and started to shake Arthur awake gently, “Arthur. Arthur, wake up”.

Arthur stirred from his sleep and opened one eye for a moment before closing them again, “Merlin, I love you, but you know that I hate mornings”.

Merlin stopped shaking Arthur, “Why don’t I make them more enjoyable for you then?” He then leaned in close and started to kiss Arthur.

Arthur kissed Merlin back and smiled at the warlock, “That worked,”

Merlin smiled as he sat up slightly, leaning on his forearms, “I knew that it would”.

“I still hate mornings”, Arthur stated, but then he stroked back Merlin’s messing ebony  hair. “But I love waking up and seeing you next to me”.

“I wish that it could happen every day”, Merlin admitted.

“Me too. Hopefully, when I’m king, we won’t have to hide our love,” Arthur said, holding Merlin’s hand.

Merlin held onto Arthur’s hand. “Yeah. That would be a dream come true”.

“You’re my dream come true” Arthur smiled softly at Merlin.

Merlin smiled. “And you’re mine”.

Albeit reluctantly, the couple climbed out of bed, Merlin got dressed in his usual brown trousers, blue tunic,  and red scarf whilst Arthur struggled with his belt. The prince could not hide the look of frustration on his face as he struggled to fasten the menacing item of clothing. The prince eventually gave up and tossed the belt onto the bed as he huffed. This caught Merlin’s attention, so he looked at Arthur and rolled his eyes.

“Come here”, Merlin instructed as he picked the belt up and turned to Arthur.

“I’m not fat!” Arthur exclaimed.

“I never said that you were, dollop head”, Merlin stated as he walked over to the prince, using the belt to measure Arthur’s waist; he then made his way over to the desk by one of the large windows. Arthur watched as Merlin grabbed a knife and made two small holes in the leather. He then handed it back to Arthur. “Here you go”.

Arthur took the belt and fastened it around his waist, securing his trousers in place so that there was no risk of them falling down. “Thank you”.

“Dollop head”, Merlin chuckled before he started to help Arthur put his armour on. Once they had finished getting ready for the day, the warlock used magic to conjure up some breakfast for Arthur. The prince eagerly sat down to eat the delicious food, whilst Merlin turned to walk away, but Arthur grabbed his waist and pulled him down to sit on his lap. “Arthur, what are you doing?”

“Sharing my delicious breakfast with you. You need to eat something,” Arthur stated as he handed Merlin a sausage to encourage him to eat.

The couple shared all the food before they began to make their way to where Uther’s birthday tournament was being held. Arthur was bricking it the whole journey through the castle, and his nerves only grew as he approached the festivities which were being hosted in the list field. The couple had to separate as Merlin took the servants’ corridors through the castles to evade suspicion. The list field was hectic. Everyone was racing around as they searched for a place to sit and watch the event, which caused a problem because Merlin could not find his lover anywhere. The warlock was starting to panic because he wanted to wish him good luck and maybe even kiss him before the tournament began. However, what Merlin did not know was that Arthur had been following him for quite some time with a big smirk on his face as the warlock frantically searched. After a few minutes, Arthur decided that he had tortured his lover enough and lightly tapped his shoulder to get his attention. Merlin spun around, smiling as Arthur pulled him aside into the armoury tent and hugged him. The warlock returned the favour but added a kiss as well.

Arthur grinned and kissed Merlin back before, “Wish me luck?” he asked as he pulled away for air.

Merlin nodded frantically as he found himself speechless. They made out passionately for a minute or so before he handed Arthur his shield. Merlin had to hide his concern for the prince as he and Arthur walked towards the stables, he knew that Arthur was nervous, but the prince was better at hiding his anxiety in situations like this. The warlock waited as Arthur mounted his horse before handing him his Jousting Lance. Arthur gave Merlin a wink before putting on his helmet,  and Merlin left. The warlock found the knights,  and all his friends looked at him, greeting him with smiles.

The crowd went silent as Uther stood up and raised his arms to signal that he was about to speak. “People of Camelot! On this day, Prince Arthur Pendragon will be joust against Lord Agravaine de Boas. The winner will be awarded with a golden ring worth forty denariu.” He announced, which caused the crowd to erupt in cheers of excitement

Arthur smirked to himself as he got an idea. ‘I shall win that ring for Merlin,’ he thought.

Agravaine mounted his horse,  and he put his helmet on, an evil smirk forming on his face. ‘This victory is mine’.

Merlin was already worried about Arthur; he had a bad feeling about this tournament and did not trust Agravaine. He soon decided to telepathically communicate with the prince ‘Please be careful’.

‘I’m always careful. I love you,’ Arthur answered.

‘I love you too. Good luck’ Merlin then disconnected their minds so that Arthur could concentrate, and the warlock anxiously started to bite his nails as he waited for the tournament to begin; it was becoming increasingly more difficult to ignore the feeling of dread that was nagging at him. The knights all noticed that the warlock was nervous.

“He’s going to be fine, Merlin”, Gwaine whispered as he placed his hand on Merlin’s shoulder, hoping it would comfort his friend.

“I know. I’m just worried that he might get hurt”, Merlin whispered.

“Arthur can handle a small cut or some bruises. As long as you’re not hurt,” Leon whispered, and the warlock looked at him, giving a slight nod.

Uther began to speak again, which caused everyone to look at him expectantly as he introduced the tournament’s participants. Arthur’s knights were nervous for their friend, but they were all desperately trying to hide their nerves because they knew that Merlin was terrified for the prince.

“In red, we have Prince Arthur Pendragon”, Uther stated as he clapped for his son.

The crowd cheered,  and everyone clapped for their prince, who waved at the crowd to show his appreciation for their support. Uther had never understood how Arthur had such a kind heart when he was raised to be arrogant and not care about the people whom Uther deemed ‘lower’ than royalty.

“In blue, we have Lord Agravaine de Bois”, Uther stated. No one clapped or made a noise. This annoyed Agravaine because the people of Camelot loved Arthur dearly; this also caused him to become more determined to win the tournament. Everyone went silent as they waited for the king to begin counting down. “1... 2... 3... let the event begin!” Uther ordered.

Merlin bit his knuckles as the jousting began,  and he watched as Arthur instructed his horse to sprint towards his opponent. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he neared the target, whilst trying to ignore his nerves as his uncle charged straight at him. They rode passed each other. Merlin sighed with relief that Arthur had not been hit or knocked off his horse, but he tensed up again when the two men turned around. The warlock prayed to any god or deity that would listen in the hopes that his boyfriend would be protected. However, Arthur and Agravaine charged at each other again, resulting in both being hit by each other’s jousting lance. Arthur rode over to one side of the list field, dismounted from his horse,  and Merlin walked over to him to hand him his sword.

“Show off”, Merlin muttered under his breath, but it had been loud enough for Arthur to hear.

Arthur smiled at Merlin and then made his way towards the centre of the list field. ‘I’ve got this’, he thought to himself.

Merlin walked back over to stand with the knights, but he soon felt that evil was nearby, making the hair on the back of his neck stand up on end. The crowd went wild as the tournament’s participants began to fight. Uther was leaning back in his chair as he watched with a smirk. The fight was incredibly entertaining because both opponents were showing incredible swordsmanship skills. Nonetheless, the king sat up slightly as Arthur was injured by Agravaine slashing at his lower thigh; Merlin had to restrain himself from hiding behind his hands or running to Arthur’s aid.

The fight lasted at least ten gruelling minutes before Arthur got the upper hand by defensively swinging his sword, knocking Agravaine’s weapon out of his hand, which caused his opponent to lose his balance, falling onto his back,  and Arthur pointed his sword at him. The fight had ended.

Uther stood up as a servant was sent down to present the golden ring to Arthur, and the prince put it on. He would give it to Merlin later on. “It is by no argument that the deserving winner of the tournament is Prince Arthur!”

The crowd erupted with cheers of enthusiasm for the rightful winner of the tournament, whilst a man with an ash grey hood on made his way towards the ropes. An eagle-eyed Merlin noticed the man, something in his gut told him that this man was bad news, and he instantly became suspicious of him. the warlock closed his eyes to hide the flash of gold as he used his magic to read the man’s thoughts.

‘Enjoy it while it lasts, Arthur. Pretty soon, this knife will be in your back,’ the man thought to himself, unaware that Merlin could hear his thoughts.

Merlin’s heart dropped as his eyes widened. He subconsciously started to hurriedly push past the knights so he could get to Arthur in time, just as the assassin had started running up behind the prince. Without missing a beat or any thought of the potential consequences, Merlin held his hands out at the assassin. “Forp fleoge!” he shouted without realising what he had done and who was watching.

Caught off guard, the assassin was thrown back just as he turned his head to look at who had shouted. He hit the ground with a groan of pain as his head smacked against the ground, leaving him dazed.

“Arthur, get behind me”, Merlin instructed, stepping in front of Arthur.

“How did you notice them?” Arthur asked but did not receive an answer.

The assassin cursed the warlock under his breath as he scrambled to his feet before throwing a dagger at Arthur in the hopes that it would meet his target.

“Culter ic pe hate!” Merlin shouted,  and his eyes flashed gold. His magic stopped the dagger meter away from him and Arthur.

The knife fell onto the floor, but the assassin used magic to cause an unseen force to cut Merlin across the cheek and throw him to the side. The assassin’s eyes went gold as he aimed his next attack at Merlin. "Ablinn du; forlæt du nu!"

Merlin was thrown back again, and he hit the hard ground with a groan of pain whilst Arthur yelled his name in a panic. “Astrice!” Merlin shouted,  and the assassin was thrown back and knocked unconscious when he hit the ground. Once he won the fight, Merlin stood up, looking at Arthur to ensure he was unharmed, but his heart dropped when he saw the worried look on Arthur’s face, which caused him to realise who else had seen him use magic.

Uther furiously stood up as he pointed at Merlin. “Guards, arrest the sorcerer!” He commanded, Uther’s guards immediately obeyed their orders, drawing their swords,  and they started to run at Merlin.

“Shit”, Merlin muttered under his breath. He knew that if he fought back, people would think he was dangerous, so he remained where he stood as he mentally prepared himself to be arrested.

“No!” Arthur cried as he ran forward and stood in front of Merlin. “He saved my life, father! You must reconsider, please!”

“Arthur, step aside!” Uther ordered, his voice boomed with anger, and everyone could hear the malice in his voice.

“No, Merlin saved my life! He’s not evil!” Arthur shouted. “Merlin has always been a loyal servant! He would never harm anyone!” the prince reached behind his back, grabbed Merlin’s hand, felt the warlock squeeze his hand,  and looked back up at Uther. “Please, father! Show mercy!”

Uther felt sick at how close Arthur was to Merlin, and he loathed Merlin for being a sorcerer. “Cease the boy!” He ordered without listening to his son’s pleas.

“No! Merlin!” Arthur yelled as the guards pulled Merlin away, “Let him go!” he tried to help his lover, but two guards held him back, but this did not stop the prince from thrashing around as he tried to get free, “Release me! I order you to release Merlin and me!”

Merlin was frightened, and he would not deny that tears had brimmed up in his eyes as he looked at Arthur, “It’s alright, Arthur. It will be alright!”

A guard grabbed Merlin’s hair, yanking his head back to force him to look up at Uther. The king glared at the young man with pure fiery hated; he felt sick that he had not seen what Merlin was.

“This evil shall receive ten lashes before he is burnt on the stake for his crimes!” Uther decreed.

“No!” Arthur tried to run to Merlin, but it was all in vain as he was held back. “Merlin!” the prince yelled as the warlock was dragged away towards the castle.

The warlock fought to hold his tears back as he was dragged through the castle, it felt surreal that his secret had been revealed,  and he was kicking himself for not being more careful. ‘Arthur’s safe. That’s all that matters,’ he thought as he was taken straight to the darkest dungeon in Camelot. The warlock did not fight back in any way as the guards chained his wrists to a wall,  and they tied a cloth over his mouth to gag him. One of them kicked his shin, which caused him to grunt in pain before they locked the door and left the dungeons. Merlin sat next to the wall, and he cried. His reward for protecting Arthur all these years was torture and death, his loyalty had been his downfall,  and he was devastated.

Meanwhile, Arthur was anxiously pacing around the throne room; he had his arms crossed,  and a million thoughts were spinning around his head, one of which being that Merlin did not deserve the fate that Uther had condemned him to. He spun around when the heavy doors opened, and he instantly glared at Uther as the king walked toward the throne. “Merlin has done nothing wrong. He is a good man and does not deserve the agony you have condemned him to!” the prince yelled at his father.

“He has committed the crime of sorcery. The law states that anyone who is found guilty of using magic shall be punished by death, and rightfully so, who knows what kind of enchantment he could have cast upon you or this kingdom” Uther sat down on his throne, anger flooding his being as his son begged him to spare a life.

“Merlin would never harm an innocent person. He has always protected me and saved me! He drank poison, for fucks sake!” Arthur shouted, his voice full of desperation.

“He attacked a man”, Uther retorted.

“He was protecting me! That assassin was going to stick a dagger into my back! Surely you must be grateful to the man that saved your son!” Arthur yelled, astonished at how his father had seemed to have forgotten about the assassin’s attack

“I could never be grateful to the evil plotting against you,  and I!” Uther shouted at Arthur, furious that his son was not in agreement with him. “I forbid you from speaking about the sorcerer! I will have you put in the dungeons for the night if you do not obey me!” Uther shouted.

Harsh as Uther’s threat may have been, it gave Arthur an idea. If he were put in the dungeons, he might see Merlin again and figure out a plan to save his love. He needed to do something. “I will never forgive you for this! You are the guilty one, not Merlin! He has done nothing wrong, and he was protecting me. You are just too poisoned by your own mind to see that magic is not evil,  and Merlin is anything but evil!”

“Guards, arrest Prince Arthur. He shall remain in the dungeons until the sorcerer is punished for his crimes!” Uther shouted. He did not realise that Gwaine and Percival were walking over, and they grabbed Arthur’s arms to ‘arrest’ him. the prince put up no struggle as they led him out of the throne room and down to the dungeons.

“What are you playing at, Arthur? I know that you’re upset about Merlin, but this is going to the extreme,” Gwaine stated.

“I need you both to put me in the cell opposite Merlin’s. I have to see him,” Arthur whispered as he looked at the two knights.

“We were going to do that anyway. Leon followed the guards that arrested Merlin, and he said that Merlin’s chained to a wall. He’s been gagged. He also said that Merlin was crying,” Percival explained.

“He doesn’t deserve any of this”, Arthur stated.

“We know. That’s why we’ve come up with a plan to save him. Gaius has agreed to use magic to make himself ill, he’ll ask for Merlin to heal him, and we all know that Uther will not risk the death of the palace physician,” Gwaine explained the plan.

“That’s brilliant,” Arthur said.

Gwaine and Percival led Arthur to the dungeons, and pointed out the cell that Merlin was in. The prince’s eyes widened when he saw that Merlin was chained up and that he was gagged. The sound of Merlin’s distraught crying broke his heart.

“Merlin!” Arthur ran over to his love’s prison.

Merlin heard Arthur’s voice,  and he quickly looked up; his heart jumped into his throat as soon as he saw his prince. The warlock tried to get to the bars of the prison so that he could hold Arthur, but the chains held him. No matter how hard he struggled, Merlin could not get to Arthur. “Mmmpphh!” He tried to say Arthur’s name but could not because of the cloth gag.

“It’s alright, I’m here,” Arthur said as a tear ran down his cheek.

Merlin began to cry harder, but he did not try to escape.

“It’s alright, my darling. I’m so sorry that this has happened to you. You don’t deserve any of this” Arthur wiped his eyes, banishing his tears.

Merlin used magic to telepathically communicate with Arthur. ‘I’m sorry too. Please don’t forget me’.

‘You have nothing to apologise for. We have a plan to get you out. Just hang on. I need you to open the door to my cell when I give you the signal,’ Arthur thought. He hoped that it would comfort the warlock.

‘Leon’s already told me the plan, but what if it doesn’t won’t work?’ Merlin thought.

‘It will work. Trust me’ Arthur then looked at the knights. “Can you open the door so I can hold him, please?” He pleaded.

Gwaine did not hesitate to open the door to the cell. Arthur ran in, kneeling in front of Merlin, and pulled the cloth away from Merlin’s mouth. He did not waste any time as he kissed the warlock.

Merlin kissed Arthur back, and tears ran down his cheeks as Arthur held him. “I need to stop saving you. It gets me into a lot of shit,” he tried to lighten the mood.

Arthur laughed slightly,  and he kissed Merlin. “Thank you for saving my life”.

“I just want you to become the king that you are destined to be”, Merlin admitted.

“I am going to do that with you at my side. You are not going die at the hands of my father,” Arthur promised as he used his thumbs to wipe away his love’s tears

After a few minutes, Arthur’s knights eventually said that he had to go into his cell; otherwise, people would get suspicious.

“I don’t want to leave you” Arthur stroked Merlin’s cheek with his thumb.

“I’m scared, Arthur”, Merlin admitted as he trembled.

Arthur saw that Merlin was trembling,  and he hugged his warlock. “It is going to be alright; I promise. You have my word”.

Merlin hid his face in Arthur’s chest, letting his tears fall. “I trust you”.

The prince reluctantly gave Merlin one last kiss and hugged him to say goodbye; he gently tied the gag around Merlin’s mouth, hugging him again before leaving; his hand stroked the warlock’s cheek as he did so.

Merlin sniffed as he connected his mind with Arthur ‘I love you’.

‘I love you too’ this brought Arthur close to tears as he went to his cell,  and the knights locked him in.

The day soon turned to night, and Arthur spent most of the time attempting to soothe his lover until they eventually drifted off into painful slumber. The couple were haunted by nightmares all night, differing slightly from each other because Arthur was tormented by dreams where Merlin was killed in numerous brutal ways, whilst Merlin dreamt of how monsters or evil sorcerers might kill Arthur if he were not around to protect him. it was a restless night, but it was only the beginning…

Chapter Text

The distinctive sound of metal clagging caused Arthur to jolt awake; the first thing that he saw made his blood boil. Merlin was being dragged out of his cell in chains, and one guard backhanded him across the face after he stumbled over. “Don’t touch him!” the prince roared at the guards, but they paid him no attention.

Merlin’s eyes flashed gold as he connected his mind to the prince’s ‘Arthur!’

The prince shook his head frantically in a panic. He had to get to the warlock, ‘Merlin, let me out’.

Merlin’s eyes flashed gold and the cell door flew open, allowing Arthur to charge and tackle the guards. One guard attempted to take on Arthur, the two fought as another guard held Merlin back, watching him warily, he was scared of Merlin and that saddened the warlock even more. It was disheartening to think that Uther’s own prejudices had poisoned so many people in Camelot. Meanwhile, Arthur was becoming increasingly furious as he struggled with the guard, shouting threats at the man and cursing him for striking Merlin, the guard felt like he was fighting for his life against the prince. In all his years as a guard, he had never seen Arthur so angry and hellbent of revenge just because someone had hit Merlin.

Merlin and the guard who was restraining him looked up as Gwaine ran into the dungeons and looked around at what was going on. The knight was taken a back as Arthur shouted threats ranging from skinning the guard alive to letting crows peck his eyes out. ‘Uther should be more scared of his son instead of magic’ the knight thought sweat covered his brow, “Gaius has fallen ill, the king has requested that Merlin heal him”.

Arthur ceased his retaliation once Gwaine had spoken, and he freed the guard from the chokehold that he had him in. The guard spluttered as he fell to his knees, gasping for oxygen and the prince loomed over him; in fear for his life, he made a mental note to not strike the warlock ever again. In fear of Arthur, the other guard hurried to release Merlin from his chains, and Merlin ran into Arthur’s arms. Arthur frantically pulled the warlock’s gag off before kissing him

“I love you”, Merlin choked through tears.

“I love you too”. Arthur held Merlin close as the warlock clung to him.

Gwaine waited patiently with a worried expression for a moment until Arthur noticed and looked at him.

“What is it?” Arthur asked, becoming nervous.

Gwaine gulped before he began to speak “Your father has said that he’ll reconsider Merlin’s punishment if the healing is a success but... I’m wondering if it’ll be worse because of the magic thing”.

Merlin sniffled, “Most likely”, he whimpered into Arthur’s red tunic.

Arthur stroked Merlin’s hair and kissed his head to comfort him, “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you”.

Merlin and Arthur were led down to the physician’s chambers, where Gaius lay on a bed in a sickly condition due to a supposedly failed remedy. However, before they could enter, two guards used their spears to block Arthur’s path and he was locked outside the room for ‘Safety measures’.

Gaius looked up at Merlin and smiled wearily at his apprentice, the room was empty so he could talk freely, “Merlin, you fool! Do you know how much trouble you have caused?”

Merlin smiled slightly and sniffed, “I guess that I could have been more discreet, huh?”

Gaius shook his head, “Too late now, I guess. Hurry up and heal me so I can tell you the next phase of the plan”.

Merlin kneeled at the bed and began to us magic to heal Gaius, “What’s the plan?”

“After you have healed me the king will spare you death, but he will most likely torture you, humiliate you and use you as nothing more than a slave. He may try to cut off your hands”, Gaius explained honestly, but instantly felt guilty when Merlin gulped.

“What do we do?” Merlin asked, his hands quivering slightly.

“All you need to do is not fight back. Do everything that you are told and when the time comes you will know what to do”, Gaius stated as the healing process came to an end.

Merlin stood and so did Gaius, they went to walk out of the room, but Merlin had to take a moment to compose himself. Gaius waited until Merlin was ready, giving the warlock’s shoulder a light squeeze to reassure him, the physician opened the door and froze when they were greeted by not only the guards but Uther too.

Uther’s eyes examined Gaius, nodding in approval before he glared at Merlin, “You will no longer face death. However, your crimes still need punishment. Instead of your life... I shall take your hands!”

Arthur burst out at his father in a rage, and he tried to lunge at the guards who were grabbing Merlin’s arms “No!”. But it was no use, Merlin was dragged away to the courtyard, where many people were gathered around a platform with a table and chair on it. Arthur had managed to get to the courtyard, but he was still fighting against his father’s guards as he struggled to get to Merlin, “Merlin! Father, please!”

Merlin sniffed as tears rolled down his cheeks ‘It’s okay’, he said telepathically to Arthur as some guards forced him to sit down and his arms were held down onto the table.

Uther raised his hands to silence the crowd that had gathered in the courtyard, “This man has committed the crime of witchcraft, he has saved a life and therefore will not die today, instead we shall take his hands so that he cannot dwell in such dark manners again!”

There was an eruption of shouts of anger and joy, Arthur’s were almost drowned out amongst all of the noise. The prince was growing increasingly desperate for Merlin to be saved and he continued to beg his father to show mercy. Uther ignored Arthur’s please, nodding to the two men who were standing either side of Merlin, raising axes to chop his hands off. Merlin  was about to close eyes in fear, when he caught a glimpse of Gaius’s eyes turning gold as he muttered something under his breath. Suddenly a chorus of screams could be heard as Uther fell to the ground, withering in pain. Everyone backed away as a person was revealed to be standing behind the king. The assassin who had targeted Arthur during the tournament. Merlin gasped as the two guards next to him were thrown backwards and he was lifted into the air by an invisible force.

“Put me down!”, Merlin yelled but the assassin just laughed. The fist that was outstretched towards him clenched, causing Merlin cried out in pain as electric pain travelled through his body.

“Let him go!”, Arthur yelled as he and the guards surrounded the assassin.

Gaius was pale as he examined the king, he had used magic to make him fall ill but he had not anticipated for the assassin the show up. Merlin had to think quickly and the panic on Gaius’s face made him realise that this was not part of the plan. The warlock made the quick decision to fight back, the plan had changed, and he needed to protect Uther, as much as he did not want to. The warlock’s eyes began to glow gold as Uther’s eyes slowly opened.

At first, the king was confused but then his face turned red with rage, looking at Merlin expectantly, “What are you doing, witch? Fight back already!”

Merlin immediately obeyed, using his magic to push the assassin back with a whirlwind. The assassin yelled as he was thrown through the air, he was not fast enough to defend himself because Merlin used magic to bind him with chains so that the guards could arrest him with ease. Some guards also ran to Merlin, who had fallen to the ground; from his place above them all, they surprised the warlock by pulling him to his feet and patting him down,

“You have saved my life and proved yourself to be loyal to the crown, as well as obedient. I shall not punish you for your crimes. Instead, you will serve the throne as a healer”, Uther said, to which Merlin nodded. The king then made his way back to the palace.

“Merlin!” Arthur ran forwards and he hugged Merlin, he then pulled his warlock into a passionate kiss “I was so worried”.

Merlin patted Arthur’s back and mouthed a ‘thank you’ at Gwaine, Gaius, Leon and Percival, “Don’t let me go”.

“Never again” Arthur promised as he held Merlin close.

Soon enough, the crowd has cleared enough for Arthur to jump off of the platform, turning as h heled his hand out of Merlin, wincing when he noticed that the sorcerer was limping slightly and that he had marks around his wrists. Merlin grabbed Arthur’s hand, and the prince easily helped him down, they then turned to Gaius and the knights.

“How do you feel, Merlin?” Gwaine asked.

“Sick and sore”, Merlin answered.

Arthur then noticed the blood on Merlin’s shirt and then noticed that there were long tares on the back of his shirt, probably from the fight at the tournament. “Bloody hell!” He shouted as he stepped behind Merlin.

Merlin sighed. “I’m alright, Arthur”.

“You clearly have not seen your back” Arthur stated.

“I can feel it though” Merlin winced as Arthur inspected his back.

“Let’s get you back to my chambers. Gaius, can you stop his pain?” Arthur asked.

“I will try my best” Gaius nodded.

The walk to Arthur’s chambers felt like an eternity to Merlin, and he was being stared at by servants, guards and Uther’s knights. It was only when Arthur wrapped an arm around his waist that people stopped staring at him. is this what his life was going to be from now on? Having to rely on Arthur for constant protection made him feel like he had been swindled out of his destiny because he was the one who was meant to be protecting Arthur. As they walked through the castle, Merlin lost himself in his thoughts, he did not notice when Gaius had left to get supplies. He did not notice that the physician was talking to Arthur or that the prince looked worried.

Merlin broke out of his trance as Arthur helped him sit down on the large bed, he smiled at the prince to show his gratitude, and Arthur kissed his head just as Gaius walked into the room.

“Take your shirt off and lie on the bed, Merlin”, Gaius instructed.

Merlin pulled what was left of his shirt off and laid down on the bed, he was in pain, but he did not complain because he knew that he was extremely lucky to still be alive.

Arthur saw the injuries on Merlin’s back and his heart sank “I’m so sorry, Merlin”.

Merlin looked at Arthur “I’m fine”.

Arthur sat on the bed, holding Merlin’s hand to comfort him “I will not let anyone harm you ever again. When I’m king I will lift the law against magic, and you will be safe”.

Merlin smiled “Thank you”.

Gaius got to work on dressing and bandaging up Merlin’s wounds, it did not take long, and Merlin sat through the whole treatment without complaining once. Once he was satisfied that he had done what he could to help, Gaius handed Merlin a clean shirt and the warlock sat up.

Arthur remained silent as he stood up and he stormed to the throne room, leaving Merlin to get some rest and for Gaius to give him some medicine. To say that Arthur was annoyed would be an understatement, he was fuming. How dare Uther harm anyone solely for the reason of having magic and how dare he harm Merlin. The prince was ready to unleash hell down on the king, but he knew that it would cause more harm than good. Arthur did not wait for the guards to open the doors; he just pushed the doors of the throne room open and stormed over to Uther “He did not deserve any of that!”

Uther sighed, bored at how his son was determined to defend Merlin “The sorcerer was punished for his crimes. My judgement was fair and just”.

“Nothing that you ordered to do to him was fair! He has done nothing but protect me for years, he saved my life and you punished him for it!” Arthur shouted, anger evident in his voice and eyes.

“He was punished for more than just the crime of sorcery” Uther stated, looking at his son “I saw the way that you look at him. I know that you have been courting him” he cupped his hand over his mouth, he felt ashamed of what he knew, and it made him feel sick.

“You punished Merlin because I love him? It’s not his fault that he fell in love with me, I have fallen in love with him! I was the one that should have been punished!” Arthur shouted, at this point he wished that he could tell Uther that he was an evil king and that he deserved to rott in hell.

“That is not love! You do not know what love is!” Uther shouted.

“I know my heart and I know that what I feel for Merlin is true! I love him, Father. If you want to punish somebody, punish me!” Arthur shouted, daring Uther to react.

The doors opened before Uther could say anything, causing Arthur to turn around, and he saw that Merlin was stood with Gaius. His thoughts instantly changed from shouting at Uther to helping Merlin, because he could see that the warlock was very pale and unsteady on his feet.

Arthur hurried over to Merlin, but the warlock collapsed into his arms “Merlin?”

“He’s incredibly weak at the moment. Possibly due to being starved and tortured” Gaius explained as Arthur glanced at him.

Arthur scooped Merlin up and he sat down on the floor with the warlock in his protective arms “Merlin?” He stroked back Merlin’s messy hair away from his face.

“I am so sorry for everything” Merlin sniffled, he felt incredibly guilty for all of the trouble which he had caused over the last two days. Admittedly, he had felt guilty for all of the trouble that he had caused Arthur since they fell in love.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, and you certainly do not have to apologies to me for anything”, Arthur stated in a firm but a comforting voice.

“He needs food and water, my Lord!” Gaius exclaimed.

Uther stared at Merlin for a long moment, hatred still evident in his eyes as he reluctantly nodded. “Granted.”

Gaius grabbed some berries and a cup of water off of the table, and he knelt down next to Merlin. “Merlin, you need to eat”.

Arthur grabbed the berries, feeding them to Merlin before he helped him drink the water. The warlock held onto the cup as his lover gently poured the water into his mouth until Merlin pushed it away to signal that he was done. The prince Arthur then stood up whilst carrying Merlin and he looked at the king with an expression of pure anger and disgust, “I will never forgive you for what you have put him through!” He then carried Merlin out of the throne room and back to his chambers. “From now on, I promise that I will protect you no matter what”. He promised as he marched through the castle.

Merlin smiled and he rested his head on Arthur’s chest. “That’s one less job for me then” he smiled as the prince carried him, he felt safe in the arms of his prince, he ignored everyone who was staring at him.

Once in his chambers, Arthur carried Merlin over to the bed and laid him down gently. “You can stay with me tonight if you want?”

“Uther will murder me in my sleep” Merlin said, his humour never faltering.

“No, he won’t. Because I’ll be holding you, and I won’t let him hurt you ever again,” Arthur stated, his protective nature coming out as he laid down beside Merlin.

Merlin smiled, and he kissed Arthur’s chest. “Be gentle with me”.

“Always”, Arthur promised.

As the day drew to a close, Merlin used magic to prepare Arthur’s bath, and the prince smiled at how Merlin always thought about him first before anything else, the prince knew that he would spend a lifetime showing his appreciation for the warlock, and he was happy to do so.

“Will you manage washing yourself tonight? I can’t move that much”. Merlin said jokingly.

“I’ll manage. Come on” Arthur then picked Merlin up whilst the warlock was undressing.

Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur’s neck, but he was confused. “What are you doing?”

“You need a bath too,” Arthur answered. He carried Merlin over to a chair, and the warlock finished undressing. The prince then carried Merlin to the bath and helped him into the tub. Arthur undressed before he stepped into the bath, sitting behind Merlin, and Merlin leaned back against his chest. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, the water is helping with the pain”, Merlin answered, nodding as he closed his eyes.

They shared a bath for a while as Arthur gently washed Merlin before he washed. Once they were both clean, they just talked for half an hour about random things. Arthur was the first to climb out of the bath, and Merlin used magic to dry him before getting dressed. Arthur then helped Merlin out of the bath, and the warlock pulled on some brown trousers to sleep in. Arthur usually slept in his undergarments. Arthur helped Merlin to the bed before he locked the doors and windows to ensure that Merlin was protected. The prince then laid down beside Merlin. The warlock rested his head on the prince’s chest, and Arthur held him; they fell asleep not so long after. It had been an awfully long day.

The couple slept soundly throughout the night; nothing disrupted their sleep until dawn when Merlin jolted awake to the sound of loud knocking at Arthur’s chamber door. He had momentarily forgot about the wounds on his back, and he cried out in pain and in shock when he felt the sharp sting.

Arthur woke up in a start and he looked at the warlock in concern “What happened?”

Merlin hissed in pain “I woke up when I heard someone knocking at the door and I flinched. I pressed down on my back” he closed his eyes tightly as he tried to calm himself down.

Arthur moved to give Merlin a hug, hoping that it would comfort his love, he held Merlin for a moment before the warlock calmed down. He then heard loud knocking at the door, “Won't be a minute", he said before he got up. Upon opening the door, Arthur found one of the king's guards waiting outside. He recognised the man as one of the knights that had arrested Merlin only two days ago, which made him hate the man, a dark look appeared his eyes and he gritted his teeth as he glared at the guard. "Yes?", Arthur said with his unimpressed, usual princely expression.

The knight smiled slightly before he answered, though his smile was more of a polite one compared to a genuine smiles, "The king has called upon his healer".

Arthur could not help but wince at the way Merlin was being referred to as an object, he was also annoyed at how Uther had referred to Merlin as 'His healer'. Merlin was not a possession, and he definitely did not belong to Uther, "Give me two minutes". Arthur closed the door and looked at Merlin with sorry eyes.

"What's wrong?", the warlock asked as he got dressed.

"My father has sent for you." Arthur said gently but he did not tell Merlin what the knight had referred to him as, the warlock had probably heard it anyway.

Merlin sighed as he pulled his jacket on, "Okay, I'll see you later then".

Arthur hugged Merlin and kissed his head, "I’ll come and find you after training, okay?".

Merlin nodded, giving Arthur a kiss on the cheek before opening the door and he followed the guard down the corridor to the throne room, where Uther was sat waiting.

"You asked for me, sire?", Merlin spoke up.

Uther grunted, already annoyed at the sight of Merlin "I believe I did, a sick noble will arrive today, heal him”

"Yes, sire". Merlin nodded.

A knight stepped forward whilst carrying long red and gold robes, which bore Camelot's golden dragon on the back and front it. The neck and sleeves were long, and it almost trailed on the floor. There was also a hood to hide Merlin's face. Agravaine was trying to hide how amused he was by the idea of Merlin having to wear the robes, so he turned around and took a long sip of water, in order to hide his smirk.

"Wear this so that the nobleman's men know not to kill you", Uther commanded before he sighed in boredom.

As soon as he saw the robes, Merlin knew their purpose was to hide him and not to protect him, Uther did not care about his safety. The man wanted to cut off his hands only a matter of hours ago. Nevertheless, Merlin slipped on the robes, before he positioned himself at a wall behind the throne, he tried to ignore how some of the knights were snickering at the sight of his outfit.

Agravaine decided that he wanted to be a menace, so he positioned himself at Uther's side, before he turned to glance at Merlin, "Huh. I didn't know you allowed women to be a part of your council".

Uther smirked in amusement because it had been Agravaine’s idea to make Merlin wear the robes, "It is merely the witch, it saved my life so I shall spare it".

Merlin felt a tinge of pain due to being treated as ’it’. 'How could this situation get any worse?' he thought to himself as he tried to keep a straight face.

"The witch resembles a woman, are you sure that the act of sorcery isn't the only secret it's keeping?" Agravaine asked the king who shrugged. "Allow me to check for you", the horrid man reached for Merlin, and he pulled his robes up.

Merlin was horrified as he froze in shock ‘'How is Uther allowing this? This is disgusting' he thought.

"Definitely a man", Agravaine stated before he returned to the king with a grin.

Merlin was embarrassed and he felt vulnerable as he stood in silence, whilst Agravaine glared at him. He just wanted the doors to burst open and for Arthur to run over to protect him. He wanted to break down and cry his eyes out, the pain of his wounds hit him full force, but he fought to hold back tears of pain.

Whilst Merlin's anxiety was increasing by the second, Arthur was training with his knights. Training was going well at first, but the prince suddenly got the feeling that something was wrong, and it made him uneasy. "Merlin?" Arthur thought aloud, lowering his shield and sword as he did so

Leon looked at Arthur, confused at what had happened "What about Merlin?"

Arthur looked at Leon and the knight saw how confused he was, "I just got the feeling that something is wrong. Something has happened to Merlin." He explained.

"How's he managing?" Elyan asked.

Arthur sighed as he put his sword back in its sheath, "He says that he’s alright, but I’m worried about him. One of my father's knights was knocking loudly on the door of my chambers this morning and Merlin flinched. He rolled onto his back, and I heard him yelp in pain." the prince answered.

Gwen had been watching as the knights trained, before she walked over and kissed Lancelot on the cheek "Don't forget to be home for your dinner tonight. Don't be late".

Lancelot smiled "I promise that I won’t forget."

Gwen smiled and then she looked at Arthur "How's Merlin?"

"In pain, jumpy and worried about everything" Arthur answered honestly.

"Aww bless him. He struggled a lot yesterday. Especially during the lashes, the other night," Gwen sighed.

Arthur had not been able to be there to protect Merlin during his unfair sentence. Merlin had not mentioned any of what had happened, "What happened?"

The knights all looked at each other, their eyes then moved to look at platform in the courtyard. If they had been close enough then they would have seen the dried blood on the wooden planks.

Arthur looked around at the knights and then at Gwen, he saw the sadness in all of their eyes and on their faces "What happened?"

"The lashes didn't stop at twenty." Gwaine looked at Arthur.

Arthur's eyes widened, and he cupped his hand over his mouth as he placed his other hand on his hip. He felt guilty because he had probably slept through the night whilst Merlin was subjected to lashings, he felt like he had failed to protect the warlock.

"They chained him up, so that he was forced to stand on his tip toes. He had no warning" Lancelot explained as he remembered how horrible Merlin's punishment had been.

"He didn't scream for the first ten, but then it got to twelve." Leon glanced around at Arthur, Gwen and the Knights.

"How many lashes did he get?" Arthur asked.

Everyone was silent until Percival spoke.

"Twenty. I have never heard a more agonising sound than Merlin screaming in pain on during the lashing" Leon said with great sorrow.

"He couldn't even get comfort by looking at me" Arthur sniffled as his eyes brimmed with tears.

"He fainted on the last lashing. It was horrendous" Gwen held Lancelot's hand.

"Why didn't he heal himself? Arthur asked.

"We don't know" Elyan answered.

Arthur put his shield down and he looked at his friends “I’m going to go and find him; I’ve got a bad feeling that something has happened. he wished his friends goodbye and they waved at him as he walked away, towards the castle, making his way to his chambers because he had a feeling that Merlin would be there.

After a long day of healing people, whilst being verbally bullied by both Agravaine and Uther, Merlin returned to Arthur's chamber, he immediately tore off the robes as tears streamed down his face. Everything hurt and he was emotionally wounded from the day’s advents. The warlock curled up into a ball on the bed, he cried long and hard as he buried his face into the soft sheets.

Arthur arrived at his chambers, and he was instantly he was stricken with terror when he found his warlock, bawling his eyes out whilst curled up on the bed. "Merlin? What's wrong?" Arthur asked though he already had an idea of who had upset Merlin "Was it my father?"

Merlin meekly nodded and Arthur pulled him into a hug. "A-Agravaine said that I looked like a woman, and he pulled up the robes that Uther had told me to wear", he explained as he sobbed “I couldn’t move, I just froze, and I feel disgusting”.

Arthur was in a state of shock because of what he was hearing, he did not know what to say so he just gently rubbed circles around Merlin’s back, hoping that it would help in some way ‘How could someone do that? Why?’

"He looked at my... my..." Merlin cried harder as his anxiety increased and he started to hyperventilate as he gripped the bed sheets in his hand.

Arthur started to softly shush Merlin “Do you want a hug?” he asked, receiving a frantic nod from the younger man. The prince took great care as he moved and scooped Merlin up, hugging the warlock tightly, all the while being mindful Merlin's back, "Sshh It's okay. I’ve got you, you’re safe with me".

Merlin buried his face into Arthur's chest, continuing to cry, "It's all my fault. I should have been more careful at the tournament".

Arthur was in shock that Uther had allowed for Agravaine to victimise Merlin, but he needed to comfort his love before he had words with the king, "No it’s not. None of this is your fault, my darling. You havent done anything wrong".

It took a while, but Arthur managed to calm Merlin down, the warlock fell asleep in his arms because he was exhausted. Arthur gently laid Merlin down on the bed and he tucked the warlock in, before kissing his head. When he was satisfied that Merlin was fast asleep, Arthur marched to the throne room, and he pushed open the doors with all of his strength. Everyone looked at the prince as he marched towards the king was shouting and pointing at him.

"You're barbaric!" Arthur shouted.

Uther looked at Arthur in astonishment, "That's a disgraceful accusation to make, Arthur! What cause do you have?" he shouted.

"You ordered for Merlin to be whipped twenty times and you let Agravaine humiliate him! Why does Merlin make you so angry? He has done nothing wrong!" Arthur shouted and he shot a dark look at Agravaine.

All of Arthur's knights were in shock and they all wanted to go and see Merlin, to make sure that their friend was alright. They also wanted to be Arthur’s silent wingmen, whilst he shouted at Uther.

"It was a harmless joke. No harm was done to it. It just looks more like a woman, so I made sure that it wasn't keeping any more secrets" Agravaine laughed as he referred to Merlin as an object.

"You're disgusting! His name is Merlin Emrys and one day he will show everyone just how powerful he is!" Arthur yelled before storming out of the throne room. He turned around when he heard his name being called and he saw all of his knights.

"Can we see Merlin? We want to make sure that he’s alright" Lancelot explained.

Arthur nodded at his friends, approving their request "One of you fetch Gaius. Merlin's wounds are not healing and he's in pain all of the time" he instructed as he remembered the look of agony that he had seen on Merlin's face that morning. He grimaced at the memory.

"I'll get Gaius. I shouldn't be long" Elyan walked off to find Gaius.

Arthur and the knights walked to his chambers, the prince knocked the door softly so that he did not startle Merlin, he then opened the door, and everyone walked into the toom. Everyone saw that Merlin was lying awake in bed having just woken up, Arthur walked over to the bed, lying down on his side to face the warlock as he stroked Merlin's dark hair.

"What's wrong?" Merlin asked upon seeing the look of concern in Arthur's eyes.

"I know that you were whipped twenty times. I know that none of your injuries have started to heal" Arthur said in a gentle manner as he stroked Merlin’s soft hair, "I'm sorry that the last few days have been so bad for you."

The knights watched as Merlin was embraced by the prince, Arthur was clearly being as gentle as possible, and it shattered their hearts because Merlin looked so vulnerable. Gaius arrived after a few minutes with Elyan, and the physician walked over to the bed.

"Merlin, can I check your injuries please?" Gaius asked.

Merlin reluctantly sat up and pulled his shirt off, he winced when he felt the pain from all of the long slits on his back "Why aren't they healing?"

Arthur was horrified when he saw the state that Merlin’s back had been left in, he cupped his hand over his mouth as he stared at the long slits. Merlin felt eyes on him, so he closed his eyes and hung his head in shame.

Gaius cleaned the cuts and then be gently applied a powder to them to help them heal "They are not healing as quickly as I had expected because they are so deep. It's most likely that there will be some scarring." He explained.

Merlin sighed and he opened his eyes "How long before they heal?"

"It could take weeks," Gaius answered.

“I'm going to be in agony for a while then?" Merlin sighed.

Arthur could not stop staring at Merlin's cut covered back, he was distraught that he had not been able to protect his warlock from the events of today made him feel worse. 'How could anyone want to harm you? You are so kind, loyal, brave and beautiful' he thought.

Merlin winced and his face scrunched up in pain, slowly inhaling and exhaling before he looked at Gaius "Thank you for everything that you have done for me, Gaius".

Gaius gently patted Merlin's shoulder and smiled kindly at the boy, "Get some rest and take it easy. I'll check on you tomorrow".

Gaius soon left and Merlin remained still as Arthur continued to stare at his back. Merlin looked used his magic to find out what Arthur was doing before he looked at the knights, he could see the sadness in their eyes.

"Please stop looking at me like that, Arthur", Merlin asked quietly.

Arthur averted his gaze, but his expression remained the same, sadness and sympathy "I'm sorry", he whispered, "I'm sorry that I let them do that to you".

"It wasn't your fault, stop blaming yourself", Merlin said firmly as he slipped his shirt back on and he hugged the prince, "If I hadn't of done what I did and then go through all of that, we wouldn't be together right now".

Arthur hugged Merlin carefully, and he cherished the fact that he had been gifted with his beautiful warlock. He kissed Merlin's head and he stroked his hair "I will never leave you on your own ever again. I won't let any of what happened to you yesterday or today happen again."

"Thank you" Merlin gave Arthur a grateful smile.

Arthur smiled when he saw Merlin smile "It's no problem".

All the knights smiled slightly to comfort the warlock, whilst Gwaine spoke for all of them, "We'll all be here to support you, Merlin".

The knights all nodded in agreement.

Merlin looked at the knights and he smiled "Thanks, guys".

"No problem. Just come and find me if you need someone to keep you safe" Gwaine smiled.

"The same goes for the rest of us" Leon smiled kindly at Merlin.

Merlin nodded before he nuzzled into Arthur's neck.

The knights stayed for a few minutes before they all left the prince and the warlock alone. Arthur was still stroking Merlin's hair, holding his warlock until Merlin was more relaxed.

Arthur kissed Merlin's forehead "Are you gonna be alright?"

Merlin nodded as he rubbed his tired eyes.

"Tired?" Arthur asked.

Merlin nodded, "Yeah, can you hold me tonight?"

Arthur nodded; he helped the warlock to lie down before climbing into bed, and he wrapped his arms around Merlin.

"I love you", Merlin whispered and kissed the prince's lips.

Arthur smiled and he kissed Merlin back, "I love you too".

Chapter Text

Uther was in his throne room, plotting his next attack on Merlin’s sanity when the warlock in question walked in. The king felt his anger pool in his gut. He hated Merlin for having magic, but he hated him even more for having a romantic relationship with Arthur.

“Did you call for me, your highness?” Merlin asked as he entered the room.

Uther nodded, “Indeed I did, witch. Tell me, besides healing magic, what else can you do?”

Merlin thought about Uther’s question for a moment, and he knew that the king did not understand that he used his magic for good, so he could only imagine the horrors that Uther wanted him to create, “Moving things comes naturally to me, but there is no limit to my powers”.

“Can you summon anything?” Uther asked, which earned a quizzical look from the warlock.

“Could you elaborate, sire?” Merlin asked even though he already had an idea of what Uther was asking of him.

Uther shrugged, “Can you summon or create Armies?”

“I know some sorcerers can conjure up the dead or create anything that armies. However, it is never a promising idea to mess with the dead or dark magic, and it could have severe effects on the sorcerer and other people because dark magic can influence a sorcerer’s mind”. Merlin tried to explain but had an inkling that Uther would not understand or listen.

Uther rolled his eyes, ignoring the warning, “Then can you strengthen the armies I already have?”

“It is likely”, Merlin regretted giving him the idea.

Everyone looked up as the doors opened, watching as Arthur strolled into the throne room. The prince glared at his father as he happily marched towards Merlin, wrapping his arms around the warlock’s waist from behind, “Everything alright?” Arthur whispered.

Merlin nodded, smiling as he looked at the prince, “Yeah. Are you alright?”

Arthur nodded and kissed Merlin, “I am whenever I see you”.

Merlin’s smile grew as he held onto Arthur’s arms; he kissed the prince before turning back to look at Uther.

Uther was aggravated, but he said nothing as Merlin and Arthur stared at him, “Can you do anything impressive, witch?”

“I can do anything,” Merlin answered, even though he disapproved of being called a ‘witch’. He knew that Uther only said it as a derogatory term.

“Is that so?” Uther scoffed.

Merlin’s eyes turned gold, and he looked at Uther as he read the king’s mind. “You are thinking about how I was tortured two days ago; you take much pleasure from that. You have no remorse and no regret for anything that day, and you’re thinking about how much you hate magic and that you despise the fact that Arthur and I are in love. You are also thinking about how the banquet that you’re going to have tonight. It is no surprise that I am not invited”, Merlin said without taking his eyes off Uther. He did not care about how he was speaking to the king.

Uther stared in shock at the warlock as his eyes glowed gold, “You can read minds?”

Merlin nodded as he stopped reading the king’s mind, “I can do a lot more than that. Nevertheless, I will not help you trap those with magic, and I will not help you force them to fight for you. If you want Camelot to be protected, you should open your eyes and see that I have been the one protecting all of Camelot from the second I walked through the gates” he then turned and walked out of the throne room.

Arthur followed suit, not wanting to stay behind with Uther, “Merlin!” he called out to Merlin.

Merlin looked over his shoulder and smiled slightly, “Yeah?”

“Are you alright, my darling?” Arthur asked and caught up with the warlock.

Merlin nodded but did not stop walking until he reached Arthur’s chamber. As soon as the door was closed, Arthur pulled the warlock into a hug to reassure the young man that everything would be alright.

“Thank you”, Merlin said and gave Arthur a peck on the cheek.

A knock at the door interrupted them just as Arthur was about to return the kiss. Arthur sighed and turned to answer the door, “Yes?” he asked impatiently.

“The king wishes to see his witch”, Agravaine snickered, and Arthur slammed the door shut.

‘We just left’, Merlin thought to himself as he sighed. “Let’s go. We’ll get into trouble otherwise!” he opened the door, leaving Arthur to follow him.

Uther had not moved since Merlin had left the throne room. He was still sitting on his throne, waiting with a very intrigued expression on his face. He only sat up slightly when Merlin walked towards him. “Witch, I need you to read the minds of my council tomorrow. they have been acting strangely as of yet”.

Merlin nodded, “As you wish, your highness”.

“Excellent”, Uther smirked.

“He’s not an object!” Arthur spoke up. He hated how Uther was using Merlin’s gifts for his selfish needs.

Uther was about to shout at Arthur, but he was interrupted when a sharp whistle made the warlock’s eyes flash gold, and he caught an arrow in mid-air. Leaving everyone in shock for a moment, Uther’s knights ran into the room and peered out of the windows. The guards ran out of the room to catch who had tried to assassinate the king, leaving Merlin and Arthur standing next to the throne.

“An Assassin! Catch him!”. Uther shouted before he turned to Merlin, shocked.

“Will that be all?” Merlin asked, and he left when Uther nodded slowly.

Arthur walked alongside Merlin and noticed that the warlock seemed to be in pain. He made sure to stay close to the dark-haired man.

Uther decided that he wanted to tire Merlin out; this consisted of calling for the warlock numerous times throughout the day to give him tasks, such as cleaning the entire palace and demanding that he shows how powerful he is. Merlin used every spell he could think of, and he was exhausted by the early evening. Uther’s pointless tasks were draining him.

“What else can you do?” Uther asked as he ate his dinner.

Arthur was sitting at the opposite end of the table, glaring at Uther. “Father, he needs to eat and rest. You’ve been giving him pointless tasks all day. He’s exhausted”.

“Transform yourself into something!” Uther demanded as he ignored what Arthur had said.

Merlin stood up but winced as the wounds on his back stung.

“Now!” Uther shouted.

Arthur looked at Merlin and saw that the warlock was tired and in pain. “Father, please just let him rest for a bit”.

Uther turned around. “I ordered you to do something, witch!” he shouted before throwing a bottle of wine at Merlin.

Merlin ducked just before the bottle hit him; luckily, it shattered against the stone wall behind him, but after a few seconds, he felt the alcohol soaking into his shirt. Stinging the slashes on his back, “Ah!” he hissed in pain as he leaned forward so that he was on his hands and knees. His eyes flashed gold before he transformed into a golden dragon.

Arthur looked at Merlin, and he saw that there were still injuries all over Merlin’s body. Even when he was in dragon form, and this broke his heart.

“What else can you do?” Uther asked, determined to exhaust the warlock.

Merlin looked around, walked over to a large fireplace, opened his mouth, and breathed out flames as he roared. He stretched out his wings and flew back to where he had sat. The pain of his injured made it challenging to concentrate, so he changed back to his human form. Arthur did not give Uther the chance to say anything to Merlin. The prince jumped up and wrapped his arm around Merlin’s shoulders. He walked his warlock out of the throne room whilst ignoring the king’s objections. They returned to Arthur’s chambers, and the warlock collapsed on the bed as the prince closed the door before sitting beside Merlin.

“Are you okay?” Arthur asked, earning a small and weary nod from Merlin. There was a knock at the door, which caused Arthur to look up. “Enter!” he called, waiting a few seconds before the door opened, revealing who was there, “Ah, Gwen!”

Merlin perked up when Arthur announced who it was, “Hi, Gwen”.

Gwen made her way over to the bed, smiling at her friends, “Are you alright? I haven’t seen you as of late, but I heard that Uther is making you work a lot these days?”

Merlin smiled and sat up, “I’m fine. I’m just tired. I’m sorry that I haven’t been able to see you later”. He apologised before he winced in pain.

Gwen shook her head as she placed a basket of food on the table, “No need to apologise. Get some rest. Guias will be here soon, so I’ll talk to you later”.

As if on cue, Gaius arrived and walked over to Merlin. “Take your shirt off”, he instructed

Merlin stood up and tried to take his shirt off but stumbled. Arthur leapt forwards and caught the warlock, helping him stand up, “I’m so sorry”, Merlin apologised.

Arthur was outraged at his father for tiring out his Merlin, “It’s alright. Don’t be sorry”.

Merlin sighed. “Thanks for catching me”.

Arthur smiled. “I will always be there to catch you.” He then kissed the sorcerer.

Guias left after he had checked Merlin’s wound, the prince hugged Merlin and stroked his dark hair whilst Merlin snuggled into Arthur’s embrace.

“Are you alright? Don’t lie to me” Arthur looked at Merlin.

At first, Merlin hesitated about telling Arthur the truth. “Everything still hurts a lot, but I’m alright now”.

Arthur kissed Merlin. “Don’t feel bad or guilty. You don’t have to hide stuff like being in pain. I will always protect you”.

Merlin smiled. “And I will always protect you”.

Five hours passed, owls were hunting for their prey outside, and the animals of the night roamed the kingdom and the land surrounding Camelot. The sky was evident as the stars burned in the galaxy, the moon casting a dim light across the kingdom, offering a nightlight to the creatures which lurked in the darkness. Meanwhile, Merlin was lying in bed whilst embracing the prince as they both slept. Arthur slept as peacefully as a log, but Merlin was not so fortunate. Dreams of war and carnage were plaguing the warlock. He felt helpless as all he could do was watch as the dream unfolded in his mind.

*Merlin moaned in agony as he lay on a battlefield, dying as Arthur fell to a masked opponent. Merlin could smell blood, and his eyes were wide as he stared at the fallen prince, eyes closed and unmoving as he lay on the ground. “ARTHUR!” Merlin shouted as Arthur refused to move. “No”, he whimpered as he heard no answer from the dead man. Merlin’s vision darkened as he joined his prince.*

Merlin jolted awake with a start, “How the hell was that a dream?” he asked no one in particular. Merlin soon realised that Arthur was still hugging him; sighing in relief, the warlock kissed Arthur’s cheek before snuggling closer to Arthur. “I won’t allow anyone to harm you”, he whispered before trying to go back to sleep in the hopes that his dreams would be more pleasant.

Chapter Text

A small smile crossed the warlock’s face as he allowed himself to relax in the peacefulness around him. The outside world was fast asleep, aside from the creatures of the night. Though, Merlin entertained his curiosity b watching the guards who stood at the castle’s doors as some of Uther’s knights made their usual rounds throughout the castle to ensure it was protected. Merlin’s attention was soon stolen as his sleeping lover suddenly snored loudly, which caused the warlock to look at him and smile as he shook his head in amusement. A minute passed before he kissed Arthur’s head and stepped out the door to wait for the guards to escort him to the throne room. Sure enough, the guards arrived to take Merlin to Uther, though they were quite surprised to see the warlock waiting for them.

‘At least he makes my job more bearable’, one of the knights thought to himself. He held no resentment or anger towards Merlin. However, Uther was not his favourite person in the whole kingdom, nor were his colleagues who had arrested Merlin after the tournament. It was not uncommon for some of the guards to be loyal to the Pendragon family but dislike Uther.

Merlin gave a slight nod as the guards approached him and guided him to the throne room, ‘At least there are some good people in this castle’, he thought as he walked slightly behind the guards. These men had never caused him any issues. They simply went about their jobs every day without being unpleasant to Merlin in the slightest. The council meeting was dull, to say the least. Merlin almost fell asleep whilst sat up, jolting slightly as he nearly dozed off. He only managed to stay awake to complete the task of reading the council members’ minds. ‘How can a person’s head be so empty’ he thought as he tried to focus on reading the dull minds of the council. Only one of the council members had interesting thoughts, some of which were not in the best interests of Uther. The nobleman whom Uther seemed to have a lot of faith in. Merlin made a mental note to keep an eye on the traitorous nobleman, and he allowed himself to daydream.

“Witch?” Agravaine’s voice pulled Merlin out of his trance as he looked the monster in the eye. “I heard that you can read minds, make sure to stay out of mine or I’ll tell the king on you!”

“You wouldn’t know if I was reading your mind anyways”. Merlin kept a straight face as he spoke, knowing it would infuriate Agravaine.

The was no comeback. Agravaine merely sat and tried to think of how to get revenge.

Everyone looked up as the doors opened, and Arthur strode in, walking over to the council and sitting next to Merlin. The prince turned to the warlock and kissed his cheek before Merlin looked at him, pure love and adoration in his eyes.

“Why did you not wake me?” Arthur asked.

“I wanted you to get enough sleep”. Merlin answered

Arthur kissed Merlin’s head and rubbed his back up and down, “You need sleep just as bad as me. We’re in this together, okay?”

Merlin nodded before he connected his mind to Uther’s. ‘The man with the sat to your right is not someone to be trusted. Keep an eye on him.’

Uther nodded, ‘Is that all?’

Merlin confirmed with a nod.

The rest of the meeting was uneventful for Merlin. The rest of the council argued about taxes and how Arthur was not married. The prince took no notice of the entitled nobleman bickering back and forth. The lords even argued as they walked out of the throne room, whilst Uther glanced at Merlin, who was sitting opposite him.

“So?” Uther demanded without explaining what he wanted.

“All council members are loyal to you, apart from that lord I pointed out to you with the rusty armour. He should not be trusted”. Merlin explained what he had found out

“Leave me”, Uther said in a monotone voice.

The couple obeyed the king’s orders, walking out of the throne room, and Merlin immediately hugged Arthur. The prince felt that Merlin was trembling, and he hugged him back, knowing exactly what was wrong. Merlin was exhausted, and he was in pain. They did not notice that one of the council members had been called back into the throne room.

“You’re in pain, aren’t you?” Arthur asked.

Merlin nodded. “Yeah, my back hurts”.

Arthur kissed Merlin’s hand. “Alright, we’ll go back to our chambers, and you can rest”.

When the doors opened, the couple was about to walk to the throne room, and a young guard looked at them. He was young and naive with freckled cheeks and big, brown, doe eyes. “Uther requests that his witch comes to the throne room”, a guard spoke before waiting patiently for Merlin.

Merlin kissed Arthur and followed the guard to the throne room, with the prince in tow.

“So… are you really a witch?” the guard asked curiously.

Merlin could not be mad at the guard, so instead, he nodded, “I prefer the name Merlin, but I guess that I am”.

Turning to Merlin, the guard instantly looked guilty, and he looked up at the warlock. “O-oh… I-I am so sorry … s-sir”.

Merlin smiled gently at the guard who was fumbling with his words, “Think nothing of it. Call me Merlin. What’s your name?”

“A-Aland, sir- I mean, Merlin”. The knight answered.

Aland took up position by the door as two other guards shut it. The couple walked over to the king, who was sitting on the throne, looking down on a man whom Merlin had revealed to be a traitor.

“Your Highness?” Merlin inquired as he searched the king’s face.

Uther looked at Merlin and pointed to his head, it took Merlin a moment to realise what the king meant, but in the end, he linked minds with Uther and allowed the king to speak into his mind.

‘Witch, read his mind and tell me if he speaks the truth’. Uther thought.

Merlin nodded and broke the link before establishing it with the accused nobleman.

“Are you plotting against me?” Uther asked.

“No, I would never do such a thing!” the man replied. ‘You big fool! I have always hated you and your views on the world. Camelot would be better without you.’

Uther looked down at Merlin, who broke the link with the man and returned the gaze. “Well, witch?” the king asked.

“He’s not plotting against you”, Merlin said.

Uther sighed and looked back at the man who was before him, quivering in fear. “My friend, I have known since we were children” he then turned back to Merlin. “Do your worst.”

Merlin looked at Uther, confused at first, but quickly realised what Uther wanted him to do. “Sire, I do not and will never use magic to harm someone just because they don’t like somebody.”

“You have a duty to serve me and to obey orders,” Uther said, his voice low in a warning.

“He said no”, Arthur stated as he stood next to Merlin, protecting him from Uther.

“Don’t test me, witch!” Uther raised his voice at Merlin.

“I did as you asked. I read all eleven minds of your council. I did not agree to punishing or harming a person who has done nothing wrong,” Merlin stated as he tried to hide how angry he was. “I will not harm this man”.

Uther jumped to his feet but froze when Arthur drew his sword and pointed it at his neck. Merlin’s eyes turned to gold in a warning to the king. Uther glared at Arthur. “My son dares to threaten me?” he shouted.

“Merlin did as you asked. You know that he would never harm an innocent person. He said no, and that’s final,” the prince stated, warning Uther to back off.

Uther slowly sat down, still glaring at Merlin and Arthur. “You need to learn what loyalty means, Arthur”.

Arthur lowered his sword as he glared daggers at Uther. “I know what loyalty is, and my loyalty is with the man I fell in love with”. He then placed a hand on the small of Merlin’s back. “We are going to the village,” he stated before he started to lead Merlin out of the room.

They walked in silence through the castle. Arthur was furious yet again at how Uther held no regard for Merlin’s emotions or wellbeing. Merlin broke the silence as they walked out of the castle. He held Arthur’s hand, which caused the prince to look at him, seeing the kindness and the purity in the warlock’s eyes

“Arthur?...” Merlin started.

“Yes?” Arthur asked.

“You don’t think I’m a monster, do you?” Merlin asked, clearly worried and overthinking about something the prince had not realised.

Arthur’s heart sank, and he kissed Merlin, pulling him into a hug. “You are the nothing of the sorts. You have the most beautiful personality and heart, my darling. Never think that you’re a monster because you’re not”.

Merlin relaxed as Arthur hugged him, smiling as the prince calmed his anxieties.

“Now”, Arthur pulled back from the hug and smiled at Merlin “, You deserve to feel safe in the castle, so I am going to buy you all of the herbs that you need to make some potions. After that, I want you to play a prank on some people”.

Merlin laughed mischievously as he nodded. “I’ll lead the way”.

Merlin held Arthur’s hand as he led the prince through the village market, ideas for pranks raced around his head, and he grew excited when he saw the herb and seeds stand. The elderly woman running the stand smiled when she saw her favourite customer, the prince beside him. the elderly woman’s heart danced when she saw how Arthur was looking at Merlin, completely and helplessly in love with the raven-haired young warlock.

“Are you looking for something in particular, Merlin?” the elderly woman asked.

“Not really, Alice”, Merlin answered as he looked at the ranger of herbs.

Arthur leaned forwards and handed Alice a bag of coins. “I trust your judgment. Please package up the herbs that would allow many magical possibilities”.

Alice smiled at the prince and nodded, slowly bagging up a handful of each and every herb and seed. “May I ask what the ingredients are for?”

“Merlin deserves to practice magic freely, and I want to ensure that he has everything that he may need”, Arthur answered, receiving a happy smile from Merlin, which made his heart flutter.

“That is a fine gift, sire”, Alice complimented as she finished bagging up the ingredients, passing a large woven bag to Arthur.

“Please, call me Arthur” The prince smiled.

Alice nodded. “I wish you both a good day, Merlin and Arthur”.

The couple thanked Alice and said goodbye, walking arm in arm through the market as the villager hustled and bustled around them. The prince noticed that most if not all of the villagers were staring at him as he walked through the market. At first, he thought that it was because of his relationship with Merlin, but then he realised that he was not wearing any armour or crown and that his knights were not guarding him. he realised that people were looking at him because he was not acting as royalty or a knight.

“They’re staring because they can’t believe that Uther has let you out of the castle without anything to signal that you are royalty”, Merlin whispered to Arthur.

“Does my father really scare them all that much?” Arthur asked in a whisper.

Merlin hesitated, but he sighed, “You have no idea”.

Deep down, Arthur had always known that the people of Camelot feared Uther, but he had never taken any notice because he loved his father. As a child, Arthur had idolised the man that he thought Uther was. He had believed that Uther was a great king who wanted the best for the people of Camelot. he had been a teenager when he first began to see what Uther was really like. However, it was the day of the tournament that he finally saw how scared people were of Uther, and he lost all respect for his father since he had cast his judgment down on Merlin for having magic. He was not surprised that Uther had been giving Merlin a hard time, but it still hurt his heart to see and think about how the man he was in love with was constantly being targeted.

“No one in this kingdom will live in fear of my bloodline when I am king. A lot is going change,” Arthur promised.

“I know, and I will stand by you no matter what”, Merlin promised, earning a small genuine smile from Arthur.

As the couple walked around the market, they realised that some people were singing and dancing. Arthur stopped walking to watch the festivities whilst Merlin bought an apple to eat, making sure to get one for Arthur.

“What’s the occasion?” Arthur asked.

“Nothing in particular”, A voice answered.

Merlin smiled as Gwen stood next to him, a flower crown in her hair that hung past her shoulders.

“The people like to have some fun every now and again”, Gwen stated.

Arthur nodded and smiled. “It’s a nice change to see”. It warmed his heart to see that the people of Camelot were enjoying life as much as they could. As king, Arthur would ensure that the people could live in a kingdom where self-expression, magic and music were protected.

The couple stayed in their blissful, heaven-like state for a few hours. Their stomachs forced them towards the throne room to have dinner with Uther until they became hungry. Much to their dismay. Uther and Agravaine were waiting for them impatiently.

“Witch. Arthur”, Uther acknowledged the two as they walked towards the table.

Merlin nodded as Arthur pulled a face of annoyance before they both sat down and began to eat.

“How are your wounds, Merlin?” Agravaine asked in a fake civilised manner.

‘So, he does know my name’ Merlin grew suspicious and secretly read the wretched man’s mind before answering the question.

Agravaine was defiantly not thinking the same thing he had said, ‘I’m only doing this whilst in front of Arthur. Say anything about how badly the pain of your wounds are, and I will slit your throat!’

Merlin grimaced at what the wretched man was thinking, but he forced a brief smile, “They are much better, thank you”.

The prince shot Merlin a questioning glance whilst eating, but Merlin just smiled at him and began to eat dinner. Everyone remained silent for a few minutes as they continued to eat. However, the glares that Uther and Agravaine kept firing at Merlin screamed how much they loathed the young warlock. Arthur’s eagle eyes caught sight of the hateful looks that Merlin was getting, so he put his hand under the table and placed it on Merlin’s thigh; rubbing it with his thumb to provide some comfort.

Merlin turned his head, looking at Arthur, his eyes flashed gold, and he connected their minds, ‘I’m alright’.

‘No, you shouldn’t have to deal with people trying to intimidate you or target you’ Arthur looked at Uther, and he glared at the king. “Stop looking at Merlin like he’s your enemy. Otherwise, I’ll tell all the knights that you’re losing your hair again!”

Uther shot a glare at Arthur, and his son glared straight back at him; the staring contest lasted a moment before Uther went back to eating his meal. The prince felt a sense of achievement as he winked at Merlin.

“What is it about Arthur that is so appealing to you, Merlin?” Agravaine asked.

Merlin looked up at Arthur’s uncle, ‘Is he actually being serious?’ he thought as he questioned the lord’s motives for asking that question, “He’s got the most amazing smile ever; his laugh is like music to my ears. I just love everything about him. And he’s absolutely brilliant, the bravest person I know, he’s so kind and he makes me feel like I’m in a beautiful dream”. He answered honestly, knowing that Agravaine most likely did not care.

Arthur smiled as Merlin gave his answer, and he slowly rubbed the warlock’s thigh as he spoke up, “Everything about Merlin is perfect. His smile, his eyes, his laugh, his beautiful personality and his voice. I can’t put it into words how I feel, but I know that I fall more and more in love with him every day”.

‘That’s going to piss Uther off. But that was really sweet,’ Merlin thought as they communicated through their minds.

“Good, do you think that they would be annoyed if we started to make out? I could pick you up and hold you up against a wall,’ Arthur thought. He could not help but smirk at his own suggestion.

‘They would hate me even more than they already do. It is a tempting suggestion, though’ Merlin glanced at Arthur, smirking slightly.

‘Are we going to do that later?’ Arthur asked.

‘I would like that very much’, Merlin answered.

Uther and Agravaine continued to ask Merlin question after question throughout the duration of the meal; it was mostly about his magic. However, the warlock answered politely every time, even when he was asked if he could create a plague or kill someone with a mere thought. The young man did not react to any of Agravaine’s comments as they became homophobic. On the other hand, Arthur glared at his uncle and mocked him by pointing out that nobody wanted to be in the same room as him half of the time.

After eating, Merlin and Arthur left the throne room, and they did not think twice about holding hands as they walked to the prince’s chambers. Blissfully oblivious to the judging glares coming from Uther’s knights and guards. As soon as they had entered the prince’s chambers, Arthur hugged Merlin from behind, and he nuzzled into the warlock’s neck.

Merlin held onto the prince’s wrists, smiling as Arthur kissed his neck. “That feels very nice”.

“I am sorry about what happened at dinner, but I want to keep my promise of picking you up and kissing you”, Arthur whispered seductively as he pressed tender kisses against Merlin’s warm neck.

Merlin slowly turned around and loosely wrapped his arms around Arthur’s neck. “Do not make me wait any longer then”, he spoke in a lower voice, which the prince found extremely irresistible.

Arthur kissed Merlin as he picked the warlock up. He felt two legs wrap around his waist as he held onto Merlin’s thighs. The prince walked towards one of the walls whilst carrying Merlin, holding him up against it as they passionately kissed.

Merlin smiled as he pulled back for air, looking into the prince’s ocean blue eyes. “You’re very good at keeping your promises”.

Arthur smirked, “And you’re very good at kissing” he then let out a low growl, which caused Merlin to chuckle as they went back to kissing.

Chapter Text

A chorus of thunderous bangs in the early hours of the morning caused Merlin and Arthur to jolt awake, accidentally injuring themselves as Merlin’s head smacked against Arthur’s chin as they went to sit up. The couple simultaneously groaned in pain as they both rubbed their injuries.

“Bloody hell, is your skull made of wood or something?” Arthur asked sarcastically.

“Is your chin made out of wood?” Merlin retorted.

The couple soon heard the loud knocking at the door again, which caused them both to become fed up, knowing exactly who had probably sent for Merlin.

“Uther?” Merlin asked, but he already knew the answer.

Arthur nodded, and he sighed, “You know the drill.” He sat up more “Enter!”

A guard opened the door and looked at the prince, stifling a yawn as he spoke, “The king has ordered for the royal healer to come to the throne room immediately.”

Merlin sighed when the guard left, “Duty calls.”

The couple got dressed as quickly as possible before they began to follow the knight to the throne room. Arthur was still half asleep as he walked through the castle, dragging his feet as he cursed Uther for waking him up at the crack of dawn. The walk felt like it was never-ending, but they eventually arrived at the doors, listening to what people were saying inside the throne room. Uther was waiting impatiently, a grumpy frown on his face as Agravaine talked his ear off.

“Your Highness, why give the witch a day off?” Agravaine asked. He was never usually awake this early, so it surprised Arthur when he heard his uncle’s voice.

The king shrugged, exasperated, “I have to keep it alive for some things. This is one of them”.

“Surely his life does not mean that much to you?” Agravaine jibed.

Arthur had heard enough, so he signalled for the guards to open the doors. They obeyed. Allowing Merlin and Arthur to walk into the throne room, Aland was standing next to the doors as Merlin walked over to the throne and bowed to Uther.

“You sent for me, sire?” Merlin looked at Uther.

“This shall be your one and only day off, you shall return to your duties tomorrow, but you are relieved of your duties today” Uther gritted his teeth after speaking, he did not like the idea of Merlin having a day off, but he wanted to get back into Arthur’s good books.

It took all of Merlin’s self-control not to smile. He bowed and thanked Uther. Arthur was attempting to hide a smile; he was thankful that Merlin could have a break for once. He definitely deserved it. They tried to walk out of the room calmly, but they could not help the smiles on their faces as they walked back to their chambers. They wasted no time jumping into bed, they had planned to go back to sleep, but this plan went out of the window as Arthur leaned over the grinning warlock.

“We can do anything that you want to do today,” Artur suggested, which resulted in Merlin getting an idea.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Merlin asked as he felt his arousal bubble up inside of him, the now shirtless prince was leaning over him, and he could not help his wandering thoughts.

Arthur smirked, and he leaned down to kiss the warlock. “I might be.”

Merlin giggled, wrapping his arms around Arthur’s neck as he kissed the prince back, “Do I need to put a silencing spell on the room?”

Arthur moved to whisper in the warlock’s ear, “That depends on if you think that you can be quiet or not, and how rough you want to be?” he then began to plant small kisses on Merlin’s neck as he moved his hand, smoothing it under Merlin’s shirt.

Merlin’s eyes flashed gold as he put a spell over the room, making it so that no sound could be heard from outside of the room. A small gasp escaped from his lips as Arthur kissed the soft spot on his neck, making his semi-hard dick twitch in excitement. “Don’t hold back.”

Arthur smirked before he lifted his head and looked at Merlin. “That’s perfectly fine with me” he then kissed Merlin’s head. “What’s your safeword again?”

“Goblin,” Merlin answered.

Arthur nodded. “Use that word if you want to stop at any point.”

Merlin nodded. “Okay, the same goes for you.” He stated, and Arthur nodded before they went back to making out.

In no instance was the safeword used at any point.

Once their passion had been spent, the couple collapsed onto their bed, sweating and out of breath. Satisfied was an understatement, and it was good that the room had been soundproofed because the guards or anyone walking outside would not have appreciated hearing what was happening in Merlin and Arthur’s chambers.

Arthur looked at the warlock, smiling before rolling onto his side. “You never cease to amaze me.”

Merlin smiled, and he looked at Arthur, “Likewise.”

Arthur kissed Merlin, “Are you okay?”

Merlin knew what Arthur meant, and he nodded. “Yeah. Are you?”

Arthur nodded as he stroked Merin’s messy hair. “You did amazing, as always. Everything about you is beautiful, and you’re perfect to me”.

Merlin rolled onto his side and gazed at Arthur; he held the older man’s hand. “Never change who you are. You’re perfect, and you’re the best thing that has ever happened to me”.

They stayed in bed for a good while before Arthur got dressed and sat at his desk to fill out some paperwork. Merlin also got dressed, but he reached for his spell book and eagerly began to study the contents of its pages. Being able to have a day off and actually enjoy his day made Merlin feel good. Being able to practice his magic and knowledge freely helped him relax, knowing that he was safe to be himself, without having to worry about other people’s opinions.

Arthur looked up to see if Merlin was alright, smiling when he saw that the warlock was reading his spell book, “Learn anything new?”

Merlin looked at Arthur and shrugged. “One. But I don’t know if it’ll work”.

“Give it a go,” Arthur suggested encouragingly.

Merlin shrugged again. ‘Why not,’ he thought before muttering the spell under his breath. The room was silent as the couple for a minute or so as they waited for something to happen, “That was a waste of time,” Merlin sighed, disappointed.

“Practice makes perfect,” Arthur said as he tried to cheer Merlin up, shooting a gentle smile towards his lover and Merin smiled back at him. he was about to go back to what he had been doing, but the sudden loud chirping of birds caught his attention. The prince walked over to the window that looked over the courtyard, and he instantly became confused at the sight of dozens of birds covering the grounds, “Merlin, what spell was that?”

Merlin looked up at Arthur. “It was to summon a messenger bird. Why?” He asked.

Arthur smiled, laughing in amusement at the sight before him, “Come over here.”

Merlin sighed, put his book down, and walked over to Arthur, confused and slightly worried about why the prince was laughing.

Arthur gently turned Merlin around so the warlock could see out of the window; he stepped behind Merlin and wrapped his arms around his lover’s waist. “Close enough,” he said as he rested his chin on the warlock’s shoulder.

When he saw the birds, Merlin looked out of the window, a look of surprise plastered on his face. “Well… I’ll find a spell to send them away”. He laughed.

Arthur pulled Merlin closer and kissed his shoulder. “Not yet. You’re off duty today, and we are spending time together”.

Merlin smirked, and he turned his head to look at Arthur. “Yes, sir.”

Meanwhile, Agravaine and Uther were standing on the steps leading to the courtyard with some of Uther’s knights. They all stood in bewilderment at the sight of the flocks of birds swarming the courtyard. Uther, however, soon had a look of fury on his face as he jumped to conclusions, like always.

“Witch!” Uther roared with anger.

As if on cue, Merlin opened his eyes and looked out the window, pulling away from the kiss. “Arthur, stop for one second.”

“What’s wrong? Did I do something?” Arthur asked as he pulled, looking at Merlin while he stroked the warlock’s cheek with his thumb. The prince soon noticed that Merlin was looking out of the window, so he followed his gaze. Upon seeing his father, Arthur sighed and opened the window, allowing himself and Merlin to poke their heads out and look at the king. “Father?” he called, which caused Uther to look up at him and Merlin.

“Witch, get rid of these vermin!” Uther demanded.

Arthur rolled his eyes at Uther’s demand, sick of how Uther was always bossing Merlin around. “It’s Merlin’s day off! He does not have to answer to you today!” He yelled.

Merlin smiled and kissed Arthur on the cheek. “Thank you.”

Arthur smiled. “No problem.”

“Witch, you will not disobey your king!” Agravaine yelled; he was annoyed about the birds, but it annoyed him when Arthur defended Merlin.

“You know what! Both of you can screw off!” Arthur yelled to Uther and Agravaine. He did not care that his words would make the two bigots furious.

Merlin cupped his hand over his mouth, attempting to stifle a laugh while Arthur grinned and wrapped his arm around Merlin’s shoulders. It was funny to watch Arthur’s father and uncle buzz with anger, and it brought Arthur joy to know that they could not do anything to harm or punish Merlin.

“Guards, arrest the witch!” Uther ordered; however, his demands were interrupted as a pigeon flew over him and pooped directly on his head. This only caused Uther to curse Merlin out while the couple laughed from the safety of their chambers. Merlin used magic to lock the door as Arthur smirked at him.

“We’re in a lot of trouble, aren’t we?” Arthur asked, already knowing the answer.

Merlin nodded. “Yep.”

Arthur nodded, closing the window before he wrapped an arm around Merlin’s slim waist and pulled him into a fiery kiss. “You’re worth it.”

The couple eventually made their way over to the locked door, sitting down with their backs against it as they continued to laugh and kiss; Arthur was sat with one knee up with his arm draped over it, while Merlin was sat with both knees up and his arms crossed over them.

Uther’s knights marched up to the door of Arthur’s chambers, hammering their fists against the oak as they demanded for Arthur to let them in. Humoured by their futile attempts at being authoritative, Arthur rolled his eyes, opening and closing his hand as he mocked the knights. Merlin laughed at the prince as he joked around.

Arthur laughed, and he smiled at Merlin. “What do you want to do?”

Merlin moved, and he sat between Arthur’s legs, the prince smiled as he held onto Merlin’s hips, and they began to kiss passionately, hands wandering over each other as they got lost in their kiss. The knights had given up and left,

Uther was furious, to say the least. He had never been more outraged in his life. He had made the mistake of giving Merlin the day off; his land was overrun with birds, there was bird-poo in his hair, and now Arthur had shouted at him. Agravaine hated Merlin and swore he would get revenge on the warlock for simply existing. However, a sparrow thought that Agravaine deserved a taste of his own medicine. Perhaps being pooed on by a bird was not a sign of luck for Uther and Agravaine. The king wasted no time in marching up to Arthur’s chambers, hammering his fist against the door, which caused the couple the jump as Uther shouted to be let into the room

Arthur pulled back from Merlin, sighing in frustration at the interruption. “Go and sit down. I’ll deal with Mr heartless.”

Merlin nodded before he sat down at the table, picking up his spell book as he did so. Arthur reluctantly opened the door, allowing Uther to storm in and march over to where Merlin was sitting. The warlock barely had any time to react as Uther went to backhand him across the face.

“Oi!” Arthur shouted, and he ran over to where Merlin was, grabbing Uther’s wrist to stop him from hitting Merlin, “Leave him alone!”

“Get rid of the birds, sorcerer! Otherwise, it’s a week in the dungeon for you!” Uther shouted as he yanked his arm out of Arthur’s grasp.

Merlin’s closed his eyes so that Uther did not see them flash gold as he used magic to send the birds away. He then went back to reading his spell book as he ignored Uther.

“Did you hear a word I just said, or are you as stupid as you look?” Uther shouted at Merlin as he tried to intimidate the warlock.

“You have no right to come in here and attempt to intimidate Merlin! It’s his day off, and he doesn’t have to answer to you!” Arthur shouted at Uther, and he moved to stand in front of the king, using himself to shield Merlin.

“Hold your tongue, Arthur. Otherwise, I’ll order for the sorcerer to be stoned until his heart stops beating!” Uther threatened, glaring at his son.

Arthur went quiet but did not move away from where he stood. Anger and adrenaline were coursing through his blood as he glared at his father ‘Burn in hell!’ he thought,

Merlin connected his mind to Arthur’s and listened to what the prince was thinking, reaching forward and holding the blonde’s hand to calm him down. ‘I’m alright. He can’t do anything to harm me’.

‘I’m just looking after you. I don’t trust him around you’, Arthur thought.

‘Thank you,’ Merlin thought as he squeezed Arthur’s hand.

Arthur squeezed Merlin’s hand back. ‘No problem.’

“I told you to do something, Sorcerer! Do not disobey me!” Uther shouted, glaring at Merlin in anger as the warlock ignored his demands.

Merlin looked at Uther. “There are no birds to get rid of, sire.” He kept a neutral expression on his face. It became more difficult not to smirk in amusement when he saw the confused look on everyone’s faces, including Arthur’s.

Arthur slowly made his way towards the window, hands behind his back and taking side steps in order to be sneaky. He peered through the window and smirked when he saw that all of the birds were gone. ‘Merlin, you’re brilliant,’ he thought to himself.

Uther stomped over to the window, ignoring his son and looking through the window at the courtyards. He became instantly confused at how the birds were gone, and everyone was walking around the area as though nothing had happened. ‘What the…?’ he thought as he stared out of the window before storming out of the room and slamming the door.

“That was sly” Arthur smirked as he walked over to where Merlin was.

“You’re the one who told me to prank Uther” Merlin shrugged as he chuckled.

“You don’t have to stop at one prank,” Arthur suggested before winking at Merlin, “Can you teach me how to say some spells?”

Merlin looked at Arthur as the prince sat next to him. “You won’t be able to do any magic.”

Arthur shrugged. “I know. I just want to understand magic a bit more.”

Merlin nodded as he smiled, “Alright” he then put the spell book in front of Arthur so that the prince could see the writing, “Do you remember your duel with Valiant?”

Arthur nodded. “I’ve hated snakes ever since.”

Merlin looked at Arthur’s cape that was draped over a chair, holding his hand out towards it. “Bebiede þe arisan cwicum.”

Arthur watched with starstruck eyes as the golden dragon came to life, flying around the room before it merged with the cape once again. “That was incredible.”

Merlin bashfully smiled at the prince’s complement. “That was an animation spell. I’ve used it a few times, and I used it to save your life”.

“Why doesn’t that surprise me? Thank you” Arthur smiled gratefully at the warlock.

Merlin nodded. “It’s no problem.”

It did not surprise Arthur to find out that Merlin was an outstanding teacher. He loved to listen to Merlin when he spoke passionately about magic, and the prince wanted to learn about his lover’s wonderful world. Arthur was intrigued by how Merlin’s power held no bounds with regard to its possibilities; his curiosity grew every time he learned something new about magic.

“I’ve got an idea” Arthur grabbed Merlin’s hand and led him out of the room. The prince walked with purpose as he led Merlin through the castle, the warlock took a moment to match his enthusiastic walking pace, but he was eventually able to keep up and walk at the prince’s side. “I’m going to teach you how to fight,” Arthur stated as he led Merlin towards the training grounds and handed him a sword that had been left in the armoury tent.

Merlin took the sword while looking at Arthur with uncertain eyes. “Are you sure about this?”

Arthur gave one firm nod to show his confidence. “Yep.”

Merlin was not as confident, and he was definitely not mentally prepared for when Arthur lunged at him. the younger man moved his sword to defend himself. Nevertheless, he lost his footing, and Merlin fell backwards, landing on his bum with a thump.

“Shit, I’m so sorry. Are you alright?” Arthur hurried over as he held his hand out for Merlin, helping the warlock up before putting his sword down. “Sorry, let’s try a different way,” Arthur suggested as he moved to stand behind Merlin, his chest was pressed against Merlin’s back, and he held the warlock’s hands, helping him to adjust his grip. “Hold it like this and move your feet when you fight”, he instructed in a soft voice.

“Just don’t be surprised if I trip and we both fall over,” Merlin joked, earning a chuckle from Arthur.

“I’ll catch you,” the prince promised before he began to guide Merlin’s movements, as well as providing him with instructions such as saying ‘Defence,’ ‘swing’, and ‘lunge.’

Arthur continued to teach Merlin for a while, and they both ignored the stares of people who were walking past. Gwen and Lancelot were able to sneak a quick peek at the couple who were caught up in their magical world, smiling to themselves as they watched Arthur being gentle and comforting as he taught Merlin how to fight. Gwen did become concerned when Merlin stumbled, but her anxiety was quickly eased when Arthur jumped into action and caught Merlin seconds after the younger man had slipped.

“It’s nice to see that Merlin has brought out the more gentlemanly side of Arthur,” Lancelot commented as he watched the couple smile and laugh.

“It’s nice to see them happy and being themselves at long last” Gwen smiled as Lancelot smiled at her, “We better leave them to it.”

Meanwhile, Arthur turned to walk over to the table with weapons on it, grabbing his sword before standing  in front of Merlin, “I’ll go easy on you.”

Merlin nodded, and he readied himself, “Alright.”

Arthur lunged at Merlin, smiling when Merlin blocked him. “Well done.” Arthur and Merlin continued to practice until Merlin became increasingly more confident. The prince was amazed at how quickly Merlin was able to pick up the new skills, and he was incredibly proud of how his lover became more confident. However, the prince tripped Merlin up, which caused the warlock to fall into him,  dropping his sword in the process. The prince smiled proudly as he held his warlock close “Glad I caught you.”

Merlin smiled as he placed a hand on Arthur’s chest, wrapping his other arm around the prince’s waist. “You’re such a prat.”

Arthur laughed before he kissed Merlin, holding his sword out of the way so Merlin would not get hurt.

“Are you bullying him again, Arthur?” Gwen joked as she walked over with Lancelot next to her.

Merlin pulled back from his kiss with Arthur. “He’s always bullying me!” he joked as he looked at Gwen.

Arthur smirked as he straightened up. “I’m teaching Merlin how to fight so that nobody can bully him. He’s picking it up quite well”.

Merlin smiled before turning to Gwen. “How’s married life treating you both?”

Gwen smiled as she held onto Lancelot’s upper arm. “It’s amazing. We’re thinking about trying for a baby”.

Merlin tried to keep smiling, but a look of sadness appeared on his face. “That’s amazing. Best of luck to the both of you”.

Gwen saw the sadness on Merlin’s face, which puzzled her for a moment, but she soon realised what was wrong. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t think,” she hurried to apologise to her friend.

Merlin shook his head, forcing his smile back. “Don’t be. I’m happy for you and Lancelot. I wish you all the best”.

“Thank you, Merlin,” Gwen smiled. “We better head home. See you soon” she turned and walked away whilst waving at Merlin, Lancelot walking at her side.

‘I guess that you really can’t have everything,’ Merlin thought, sighing as he felt two arms wrap around his waist.

“What’s wrong?” Arthur asked, concerned for the raven-haired young man.

“I know that I’m already incredibly lucky, but I’ve always wanted to have a family of my own one day,” Merlin answered honestly, holding onto Arthur’s wrists as he spoke.

“I’m sorry, my darling.” Arthur apologised, he too wanted to have a family with Merlin, but he knew that it was unlikely to happen, “If I could give you children, then you know that we would try.”

Merlin turned around, pulling Arthur into a hug, attempting to hide his sadness. “Don’t apologise. We’ve got each other, and that is more than enough for me. I love you so much”.

Arthur kissed Merlin’s shoulder. “I love you too.” The prince sighed as he thought about what Merlin had said. He had not given Merlin everything that he deserved. He wanted nothing more than to make Merlin happy, and he knew that the warlock was happy, but something was missing that left a sadness in their hearts… A baby.

Chapter Text

The sun was beaming down on the earth as Merlin walked through the village; he had hoped that going on a walk would help him to clear his mind and provide him with some time to himself. It had been Arthur’s idea for Merlin to go on a walk because Uther was in a particularly sour mood because of the bird incident from the day prior, and he suspected that everyone in the castle was plotting his demise behind his back.

Merlin’s once peaceful walk was interrupted when he heard the distinct sound of a child crying. The warlock could not help but feel concerned for the child who was crying, so he followed the sound until he came up to the door and hesitantly knocked on it so that he did not scare the occupants. After a few seconds, the door opened, and a seven-year-old girl stood there. Her long black hair was neatly secured in a plat whilst her dark green eyes stared up at the warlock.

“Merlin!” The child beamed as she hugged the warlock.

Merlin smiled as he picked the child up. “Hello, River.”

A woman walked into view, smiling at the warlock when she saw him. “Hello, Merlin. please come in”.

Merlin walked into the house, and he looked at the woman. “I heard the sound of crying. Is everything alright?”.

“It’s my little Andrew. He won’t stop crying his little heart out, bless him,” The woman explained with a defeated sigh. “I think he’s teething, but I’m not sure. River was a lot easier to settle when she was a baby”.

Merlin put River down as the woman led him to her infant son’s crib. Merlin heard the crying before he saw the baby. He picked up the child and started to rock him from side to side whilst he hummed a lullaby. His eyes flashed gold, and the infant stopped crying as the warlock used magic to ease his discomfort.

“By the gods” The woman smiled with relief.

“His first teeth will come through completely by the end of the year. He’ll be alright. If you have any concerns, just come and find Guias or me” Merlin smiled as he gently rocked the baby from side to side.

“You are a natural. Have you ever thought about having children?” The woman asked.

Merlin smiled and nodded. “I’d love to be a parent. You are incredibly lucky to have such beautiful children, Rose”.

“I’m sure that something will happen one day. Thank you” Rose smiled.

The baby had fallen asleep, so Merlin gently placed him back in his cot before saying goodbye to Rose and River. The warlock decided to end his stroll around the village, so he headed back to the castle and soon found Arthur looking over the village from higher ground, so he decided to join him. “What do you see?” Merlin asked as he came to stand at Arthur’s side.

“The kingdom,” Arthur answered.

“Really? Well, I see what will become the greatest kingdom of all time once the man who’s destined to be the greatest king ever,” Merlin said as he looked over the village.

Arthur smiled. “Is that so?”

“And I will be at your side until the end”, Merlin stated proudly.

Arthur smiled at Merlin. “Have you been at the ale?”

Merlin smiled as he shook his head and looked at Arthur. “No. I’m just happy”.

Arthur looked around, and he did not see anyone. He quickly kissed Merlin and smiled at the dark-haired young man. “I’m glad to hear it.”

Merlin smiled as his and Arthur’s lips parted. He felt overjoyed that nothing and no one could ever come between them and their love for one another. The warlock then turned his attention to the villagers who were walking around the market and smiled when he felt an arm snake around his waist. However, a thought crossed his mind, and he glanced at Arthur. “Am I a monster? Be honest”

Arthur kissed Merlin’s neck “Is a unicorn a viper?”

“No”. Merlin answered in a confused tone.

“You are pure and beautiful like a unicorn; you are not poisonous like a viper is. You’re not a monster; you’re beautiful and magical” Arthur smiled at Merlin and kissed the warlock’s forehead. “I love you”.

Merlin’s smile grew at Arthur’s soft voice and the simple but affectionate sentence, “I love you too”.

Arthur then got an idea “Do you want me to show you how beautiful you are?”

Merlin smirked at the suggestion, “Lead the way”.

The couple hurried through the castle whilst holding hands and giggling, becoming more and more aroused by each other as they shared passionate kisses, not caring as other people stared at them. Arthur could feel the crotch of his trousers becoming tighter as his body longed for the warlock. He needed to have Merlin. It did not take long for them to arrive at their chambers, rushing inside, and Merlin immediately pushed Arthur up against the wooden door as it slammed shut. The kiss that they shared was full of desire as their hands wandered over each other’s bodies, stripping each other of their clothing and pulling their boots off; discarding their clothes on the floor as Arthur grabbed the backs of Merlin’s thighs and lifted him up so that Merlin’s legs were wrapped around his waist.

Once they had fallen onto the bed, Arthur began to slowly grind his hips against his lover’s, which caused a soft moan to escape from Merlin’s lips as he threaded his fingers through the prince’s hair, gripping onto what he could as Arthur continued his antics. A wave of fiery passion consumed Merlin as he felt a hand slowly travel down his side and lift his thigh up, hooking it over Arthur’s hip and back as he teased the warlock.

“Is there anything that you want me to do for you, my darling?” Arthur whispered before moving and began to plant kisses against the soft skin of Merlin’s neck. “We can do whatever you want?” he asked before he moved his hand.

Merlin moaned in pleasure when he felt a hand squeeze his thigh. “Arthur, please”.

Arthur smiled deviously before grabbing Merlin’s wrists, pinning them above his head. “Your wish is my command”, he whispered.

Merlin’s dick twitched and became fully hard as his lover moved one hand and started to slowly massage his dick, causing him to ache in anticipation as Arthur sensually touched him. “Fuck”.

“What was that, my darling?” Arthur asked as he slid his hand under Merlin’s undergarments, resulting in a gasp of pleasure leaving Merlin’s lips as Arthur gripped his aching dick that was already leaking pre-cum. “Let me know when you’re ready”.

Merlin nodded quickly; words failed him as he allowed him to unwind as Arthur pleasured him. It was like the blonde could read his mind. He knew exactly where Merlin liked to be touched and teased. This man was a god. “Ugh!” Merlin moaned as Arthur’s warm mouth slowly took his dick in, and the warlock’s eyes shut as his hips bucked upwards, his mouth falling agape as his chest began to heave in time with his thundering heartbeat ”Arthur!” Hehe moaned as he ached for his lover to dominate him.

Arthur’s naked body yearned to feel every inch of Merlin, his desire growing as Merlin moaned softly, his voice sounded husky as the prince touched him in all the right places. He soon felt that his lover’s legs were starting to shake slightly, so he pulled his mouth away from Merlin’s throbbing cock and looked at the warlock with a hungry stare as he moved to whisper in Merlin’s ear, “I want you so badly”.

Merlin bit his lip and looked at the prince in anticipation, craving how amazing Arthur made him feel. “I need you”.

“Are you sure?” Arthur asked as he rubbed Merlin’s thigh.

“Yes”, Merlin nodded, his enthusiasm evident.

Arthur’s lips crashed against Merlin’s as they shared a passionate kiss, continuing to slowly grind their groins against each other as their passion intensified. Arthur groaned into the kiss as he gripped Merlin’s thigh; the warlock’s soft skin tingled at the touch as he became impatient. “You need to put lube on me first before I fuck you”, Arthur whispered into Merlin’s ear as he grabbed the warlock’s hips.

Merlin’s eyes flashed gold as Arthur sucked hickies onto the space between his neck and left shoulder. “I’m ready” the warlock lifted his hips up as he spoke, wrapping his legs around Arthur.

“Hold onto me”, Arthur instructed as he lined his dick up, ready to push into Merlin.

Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur, relaxing his body before he gasped as Arthur pushed his dick into him. A strange shiver travelled through his body, but he ignored it whilst Arthur waited for him to become used to the pleasure.

“Are you alright?” Arthur asked, receiving a nod from Merlin. “Ready?” Merlin nodded again.

Arthur began to slowly thrust his hips until he achieved a slow tempo which allowed him to thrust harder into Merlin, smirking as the warlock gripped the pillow under his head. “Fuck, you feel so good”.

Merlin was on cloud nine, moaning and gasping as Arthur pounded into him, hitting his G-spot and causing his body to radiate with pleasure. “Fuck!”

“Don’t hold it in when you need to cum”, Arthur grunted out

They completely lost their sense of time; they were only aware of being in each other’s presence, and nothing else mattered to them other than that. Arthur pulled out for a second so that he could flip Merlin over. The warlock smirked, lying on his front, lifting his hips up for Arthur to push into him again. Arthur felt Merlin shudder in pleasure as he pushed back against his thrusts, which inevitably caused Arthur to also moan loudly.

“Just a little harder. I’m almost there,” Merlin said, his chest heaving and sweat covering his and Arthur’s bodies.

Arthur began to thrust harder, his chest glistening with sweat as he fought to hold back his own orgasm so that Merlin would finish first. “Fuck I’m so close”, he said in a deep whisper, his voice husky.

A shudder travelled through Merlin as a warmth built up inside of him, causing his toes to curl and his back to arch as he leaned his head back. “Oh fuck, Arthur! I’m gonna cum!” he moaned as he reached his peak, his moans sending Arthur over the edge as he finished just moments later.

Arthur kissed Merlin’s shoulder before he pulled out of his lover, collapsing onto his back beside Merlin as the warlock rolled onto his side, facing Arthur as his chest heaved.

“How was that?” Arthur asked as Merlin snuggled up to his side.

Merlin smiled as Arthur wrapped an arm around him, holding him close. “It was brilliant.”

Arthur smiled. “I’m glad” he then kissed Merlin’s head.

Merlin made an ‘Mmm’ noise, kissing Arthur’s chest. “I love you”.

“I love you too,” Arthur softly said as he gently caressed Merlin’s back with his fingertips.

“I think that I forgot to put a silencing spell on the room”, Merlin admitted.

Arthur shrugged and faked a sigh. “Oh well, it’s not like anyone is complaining. I’m definitely not complaining because I like it when you moan” he then let his head fall back. “Oh, Merlin! Yes!” he jokingly moaned loudly.

Merlin lightly slapped Arthur’s chest whilst laughing, “Sshh!”

Arthur laughed at his one antics, knowing that Uther’s guards were outside his door and that they deserved to be mocked because of how they had treated Merlin since his magic had been revealed.

The couple eventually began to make their way to Gaius’s chambers to visit the physician, but the walk somehow turned into a race. They ran through the corridors whilst howling with laughter; they did not care about the judgmental stares of everyone they ran passed. Merlin was a faster runner compared to the prince, and this just fuelled Arthur’s competitive nature as he devised a plan. Once they had arrived at their destination, Arthur scooped Merlin up and proceeded to kiss the warlock.

Guias looked up when he heard the door open, and he smiled when he saw Arthur was carrying Merlin. “Be careful, you two. You might fall and hurt yourselves”.

“A mear bruise could never bother me”, Arthur said proudly as he walked into Guias’s chambers while carrying Merlin.

“Just don’t drop me” Merlin smiled.

Arthur smirked deviously. “You mean like this?” he asked before he pretended to drop Merlin; he did this by quickly bending his legs.

Merlin yelped. “Don’t even think about it!”

Arthur laughed and straightened up as he cradled Merlin in his arms. “I’d never drop you”.

“You’re such a prat”, Merlin smiled.

Arthur smiled as he sat down with Merlin and kissed the warlock’s head. Merlin lifted his head and smiled at Arthur, giggling and kissing Arthur. The prince made sure that Guias was not looking before placing his hand on Merlin’s thigh. Merlin smiled into his kiss with the prince and put his hand on the side of Arthur’s neck. Guias looked up for a brief moment, awkwardly clearing his throat when he saw that the couple was kissing.

Guias turned around, and he continued with what he was working on. “Merlin, mix those herbs together.”

Just as Merlin was about to do what he had been instructed to do, the door to Gaius’s chambers opened, and Leon walked in. “Sire, your father wishes to speak with you,” the knight stated whilst looking at Arthur.

Arthur sighed and walked over to Merlin, “I’ll see you later.”

Merlin nodded, “Okay,” he then kissed Arthur.

Arthur rubbed Merlin’s back before he left to find out what Uther wanted. ‘Neve a moment’s peace’, he thought to himself as Leon escorted him through the castle. The prince lost himself in his thoughts, which was when a feeling of dread began to creep up on him, like an intuitive thought. The king seemed disinterested when Arthur approached him. “You wanted to see me?” 

The king nodded as he sat up straight, resting his elbows on the armrests of his throne, “Yes. You are going on a quest to find the dragon, which has been terrorising the land of our allies from the east. Succeed, and the name Pendragon will go down in history as being heroic. You leave tomorrow”. The king went on to describe how the dragon had been causing mass destruction.

At first, Arthur was left speechless as he stared at his father in disbelief, “Absolutely not! This is too short notice, and I did not agree to go on a quest.”

Uther looked at his son when the prince objected to what he had said. His once disinterested expression turned into a dark glare, and he  “Are you defying me?” the king asked in a challenging tone.

Arthur felt as though he had lost the battle with Uther before it had begun. “No, father”, he sighed in defeat. Uther eventually dismissed him, leading Arthur to run around the castle as he searched for Merlin.

Merlin was completely and utterly oblivious to what Uther had said to Arthur, he had a gut feeling that something was amiss, but he ignored it as he went about helping Gaius craft medicine potions for his patients in the village. it was only when the door flew open, and Arthur ran in that Merlin and Gaius saw the panicked look on his face, “What did Uther want?”

Arthur hurried over to Merlin and hugged him, burying his face into the warlock’s shoulder. “I need to talk to you”.

“What’s wrong?” Merlin asked as he embraced Arthur.

“My father has told me that a dragon has been terrorising one of Camelot’s alley kingdoms, and he has assigned me a quest to stop it”, Arthur explained as Merlin rubbed his back

Merlin and Gaius exchanged a worried glance before the warlock pulled back from his hug with Arthur. “Is Uther insane? There’s no way that you’re gonna find that dragon. Just leave the creature be!” Merlin pleaded as his instincts as a Dragonlord kicked in.

“I can’t go against my father’s orders; it could put you at risk, and I can’t risk losing you again”, Arthur admitted as he began to tear up

Merlin’s breathing hitched as he also started to tear up but desperately tried to hide it by hugging Arthur, “I don’t want you to go. It’s too dangerous”.

Arthur let his tears fall. “Neither do I., But I will come back to you”.

“You promise?” Merlin asked.

Arthur heard the heartbreak in Merlin’s voice “You have my word”.

Night-time soon followed; whilst it was peaceful for many others, it was not as calm for Merlin and Arthur. It had taken a long while before Arthur had finally managed to fall asleep whilst Merlin was tossing and turning, suffering through a nightmare where he was lying on an operating table, and Arthur was crying next to him. The scene made him feel nauseous, and his body was covered in blood, and he was stone cold, lying limp on the table whilst the prince pleaded for him to wake up.

“Arthur, I’m right here!” Merlin yelled from where he was standing in the corner, witnessing the nightmare unfold, unable to do anything to comfort the prince. “Arthur!”

“Merlin, wake up! Please wake up!” Arthur begged as he held the lifeless hand of his beloved. “Merlin, wake up!”

With a sudden jolt, Merlin awoke from his terrifying slumber to see that Arthur was leaning over him, looking extremely concerned for the young warlock who was panting in fear. “I’m okay?” Merlin asked before he placed his hands on his stomach, sighing with relief that he was unharmed. “Bloody hell, that was scary”.

“You were having a nightmare, and you were screaming,” Arthur stated as he sat up. “Are you alright?”

“I dreamt that I was looking at my dead body lying on a table. I was covered in blood. You were crying and pleading with me to come back, I was trying to call out to you, but you couldn’t hear me,” Merlin sniffled.

“Come here”, Arthur instructed, and Merlin obliged, curling up in his arms as the prince kissed his head. “I’d never let anyone hurt you”.

Merlin nodded as he hugged Arthur. He soon managed to get his breathing under control and calmed down whilst the prince held him in a comforting embrace. “You should go back to sleep. You need your strength”.

“Are you sure? I can stay up for a bit if you want me to?” Arthur asked as he stroked Merlin’s messy hair.

“Yeah, just hold me whilst we sleep” Merlin nodded.

“Alright”, Arthur nodded before he kissed Merlin’s forehead.

The rest of the night was more peaceful as the couple held each other; no nightmares invaded their slumber for the few hours of sleep they could gain. Unfortunately, when they heard thunderous knocking at the door, Merlin and Arthur were awoken at dawn. Arthur groaned in annoyance before shouting ‘enter’, and George soon poked his head around the door as he opened it.

“Good morning, Sire. How did you sleep last night?” George asked as he entered the room.

Arthur gritted his teeth, and he faked a smile. “Morning. I slept well,” he answered with a yawn as Merlin tried to go back to sleep.

“I have brought you both breakfast”, George stated before placing a tray onto the table.

Arthur laid back down as George left the room; the prince wasted no time by spooning against Merlin, lacing their fingers together as they held hands. Enjoying the last few hours that he had to spend time with Merlin until he had to leave for his quest.

“Can we just run away? Change our names and avoid Uther at all costs?” Merlin asked as he opened his eyes, a sorrowful expression plastered on his face as he thought about Arthur leaving.

“I wish that we could”, Arthur admitted.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this quest. “Something feels wrong”, Merlin stated, hoping it would convince Arthur to stay in Camelot.

“You know that I wouldn’t leave if I thought that you were safe if I disobeyed my father. Going against his orders could put you in danger, and I can’t risk that again,” Arthur explained, he knew that Merlin was not safe regardless of what he did, but the warlock would be more protected if Arthur did not anger Uther. At least he hoped so.

Merlin reluctantly helped Arthur pack some things for his quest, whilst the prince put his armour on. Both of them remained silent, fearing that speaking to each other would make them emotionally vulnerable. However, Merlin heard Arthur grumble in frustration, so he lifted his head to look at the prince; Arthur was clearly struggling to put his wristguards on “Here”.

The prince smiled slightly, stroking Merlin’s hair with his free hand, “What would I do without you?”

“I dread to think”, Merlin joked with a light chuckle.

Arthur sighed as he cupped Merlin’s cheek in his hand. “I’m going to miss you so much”.

Merlin looked at Arthur and his eyes filled with sadness. “I’m going to miss you too. This isn’t fair. Uther is trying to separate us, I just know it”.

Arthur pulled Merlin into a hug. “I think you’re right”, he admitted as he tried to hide how upset he was. “I’ll be alright, nothing bad is going to happen to me, and I’ll be back before you know it” Arthur tried to sound reassuring but nearly began to cry whilst he held his beloved in his arms.

The walk to the kingdom’s gates was a disheartening one, to say the least. The couple did not let go of each other’s hands as they walked, dreading the moment they would have to say goodbye. They both heard the distinct voice of a self-righteous ‘king’ shouting ‘witch’. Merlin thought about going to see what Uther wanted, but he did not want to leave Arthur’s side.

The prince shot a sharp glare at Uther before turning to look at Merlin. “Ignore him. He can wait”.

Merlin was happy to ignore Uther.

After walking for twenty minutes, the prince and the warlock made it to the gates of Camelot. Merlin and the knights shared their goodbyes before the warlock turned to Arthur, causing the prince’s heart to break when he saw that Merlin was just barely holding back tears.

Merlin sniffled before he spoke, “C-can’t I come with you?”

Arthur shook his head and sighed deeply as he hugged Merlin, “No, you have to stay here, where it’s safe. I can’t risk you getting hurt”.

With concerned eyes, Merlin looked up at Arthur, “But how will I protect you if I’m not with you?”

Arthur chuckled as he let his tears fall; failing to hide his sadness, he pointed behind him at the knights, who all looked equally sad, “I’ve got these knuckleheads with me. I’ll be fine”. Then Arthur’s face fell briefly as a realisation hit him. ‘I can’t protect him when I’m not here’, he thought before turning to the knights, “Lancelot! Stay behind and protect Merlin whilst I am gone!”

Lancelot nodded and took his place at Merlin’s side. “He’s in good hands”, he assured, and Arthur nodded gratefully.

“How long will you be gone for?” Merlin asked as fresh tears formed in his eyes despite attempting to control his emotions.

Arthur’s breathing hitched, hugging Merlin as tightly as possible without hurting him, “I don’t know, but I’ll be back as soon as possible. I love you so much”.

Merlin choked on his tears, “I love you too”.

They shared a bittersweet kiss as Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur’s neck, and tears leaked and trickled out of his eyes. Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin’s waist, desperately trying to hold back tears. They whispered their goodbyes to each other before kissing for a final time, reluctantly letting go of each other’s hands as Arthur turned away and walked over to his horse. The only thing Lancelot could do to comfort his friend was to rub the warlock’s arm slowly, as they watched Arthur and the other knights ride off into the distance before disappearing into the trees.

Lancelot walked Merlin back into the palace, making sure that Merlin was alright before he went home to eat. Once the door was shut and he was alone, Merlin sank to his knees and cried as he gazed out at the setting sun. The fear of losing Arthur taking ahold of him and filling him with dread.

Chapter Text

*Day 1*

The day began when a servant walked into the room with Merlin's breakfast, and he placed it on the table, smiling politely before he made his way back to the kitchen to make a start on his chores. Merlin had yet to receive any orders from Uther, so he spent the early morning time perfecting his magic and skills. His magic was his escape from the world outside and inside the castle. However, it did not stop him from getting a terrible headache, his eyes flashing gold as he had a vision which made his blood run cold, "Aithusa". In a split second, Merlin had conjured up an all-seeing mirror, allowing him to gaze into it and observe what was going on with the small white dragon, who was being surrounded by Camelot knights as he backed up to a wall of trees, "Shit!" the warlock cursed before connecting his mind to the frightened dragon's, 'Aithusa, do not harm them. I can hold them off whilst you escape. It would be best if you then found a safe place to hide. I'll guide you.'

Aithusa growled at the knights in an attempt to push them back, 'Please help me'.

Merlin closed his eyes before whispering a spell under his breath, praying to any god who would listen that his attempts to save the dragon would work, "Ligfyr". The warlock opened his eyes when he heard the sound of a roaring fire, a relieved sigh escaping from his lips as he watched the flames form a protective circle around the young dragon. Meanwhile, the dragon was startled at first, but he soon realised that Merlin was guarding him and that the wall of fire was protecting him. Merlin watched the knights jump backwards, his eyes widening as Arthur inched closer towards the flames and Aithusa, 'Arthur, stay away from the fire. Let the dragon go'. He pleaded; his mind linked with the prince's.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked out loud, a look of confusion spreading across his face when he heard his lover's voice in his head, 'Are you in my head?'

Merlin did not answer Arthur. Instead, he sighed because he knew that Arthur would want answers, which could be given at another time. Aithusa needed his help, which was more important than telling Arthur how Merlin could link their minds together from a great distance, "Bene læg gesweorc". Mere nanoseconds passed before the image in the mirror clouded up, Aithusa flying away to safety whilst Merlin used a harmless spell to distract Arthur and the knights. Arthur and the knights eventually galloped off on their horses to locate the dragon. Little did they know that they were heading in the opposite direction to the dragon.

'I love you, Merlin. But I have many questions, Arthur thought, knowing that Merlin could hear him.

'I'll explain another time. I have to go. I'll talk to you soon', Merlin answered, watching as the mirror disappeared. "Thankfully, that was a success", the warlock said to no one in particular.

The day proceeded to drag on for Merlin as he stayed in his room and practised his magic. For some reason or another, he felt sick and could not keep his breakfast down. It did not take long for Lancelot to become concerned for his friend, so he went home and asked Gwen if there was enough food for Merlin to eat so he had some nutrients. Gwen was happy to prepare a plate of food for Merlin, and then Lancelot helped her carry all three dishes to Merlin and Arthur's room. Using his foot to knock on the door before patiently waiting for it to open, Gwen and Lancelot smiled brightly as Merlin opened the door and invited them in.

"You didn't have to do this," Merlin stated as he watched the plates being placed on the table.

"Nonsense, I am not just going to sit back whilst you sit on your own all day", Gwen stated stubbornly.

Merlin chuckled as he looked at Lancelot, "Thanks".

Lancelot smiled, "No problem".

Gwen and Lancelot went home after Merlin had eaten, satisfied that the warlock was feeling better, allowing him to visit Gaius. The walk through the palace was relatively pleasant for the first few minutes until he turned the corner, and he froze when he saw Agravaine staring at him. Meanwhile, three guards watched from nearby as the intensity between the two increased, which caused the environment to feel toxic. Merlin soon realised that he was under surveillance and hurried along to escape.

"Merlin, you have come here at the perfect time", Gaius stated as Merlin hurried towards him. "If you would follow me".

Merlin walked into the room, eyes widening as he observed how nearly all of Gaius' books were lying on the floor as a pixie sat on the table, "What happened?"

"I arrived back here and found our new friend sitting on the table", Gaius answered.

"Do you want me to try and catch him?" Merlin asked.

"Please?" Gaius sighed.

"Go outside for a few minutes. I'll see what I can do" Merlin smiled.

Gaius stepped into the corridor outside his chambers, closing the door, crossing his arms and tapping his foot as he waited. Everything was silent until...

CRASH, GIGGLE, BANG, GIGGLE, SMASH!

Everything went quiet again, and Gaius waited for a moment before opening the door; the pleasing sight of his now clean and tidy chambers greeted him, causing him to smile slightly. He then looked at Merlin and saw that the warlock had the pesky pixie in a small cage.

"Well, that went very well", Merlin chuckled.

As the days passed, Arthur found Aithusa again and was solely set on capturing the creature, but he could have sworn that he had heard Merlin's voice in his head. He was pleading with him to let the dragon go. Merlin had used magic to protect Aithusa, just like he had before, and he would continue to protect the creature. It did not take Arthur long to feel that something was going on in Camelot, and a sense of dread caused him to worry about Merlin. However, he did not understand why, Merlin was safe. Wasn't he?

Day 7.

Merlin woke up and immediately jumped out of bed and searched for a bucket to throw up in. The warlock sighed deeply and stood up before collapsing on his bed again; however, he tossed and turned but could not fall asleep no matter how hard he tried. He sighed as he laid on his back in the middle of e bed; "It was so much easier to sleep when Arthur is here", he huffed as he looked at the sigil that Arthur had given him 'I just want Arthur to hold me' he thought to himself. His mind started to spin, and he questioned why he was always sick. 'Am I ill?' he thought, 'I do not feel ill ... maybe I was lying in bed wrong?' Merlin left it at that and closed his eyes, but every sound in the distance, from birdsong to the knights' training, kept him wide awake. In the end, Merlin reluctantly climbed out of bed and got dressed before going out for a stroll around the village to get some fresh bread for breakfast.

Merlin first stopped at a bakery and bought some bread, and he eagerly devoured it as the baker watched on in astonishment.

"Excuse me, sir? Are you perhaps underfed at home?" the kind baker asked.

Merlin smiled and shook his head, "No, sorry. I was just famished this morning and found myself craving bread".

The kind man laughed, "There is no need to be sorry. You just ate it so quickly that you had me worried!"

Merlin chuckled as he bought another loaf of bread to take home, "Well, it's hard not to scoff it down when your bread is so delicious!" Merlin swore he saw a blush creep onto the baker's face as he waved away the compliment and took Merlin's money.

"You flatter me, you really do", the baker smiled.

"Just remember who taught you to cook in the first place, you old goat!" a shout from the kitchens made Merlin laugh, and the baker laughed as his elderly father walked out of the kitchen. "Take care, son", he smiled at Merlin.

Merlin smiled, and he nodded, "I will. Thank you" he smiled, and then he left the bakery.

Soon Merlin was back on the streets again, wandering around and enjoying the fresh air and the sound of the villagers going about their lives. It was nice to see that the people of Camelot were able to live in peace. He decided to go and visit Rose and her children, he would be able to make sure that her young infant son Andrew was alright, and he would be able to see Rose's daughter River. Rose had told him she saw him as an uncle to her two children, and he was too happy to argue with her. He always wanted to be an uncle but dreamed of being a father. If only. The young warlock made his way to Rose's house, and he knocked on the door; he waited for a few seconds before she opened the door and smiled at him. River saw Merlin, and she ran over to him with a beaming smile on her young angelic face.

"Merlin!" River beamed.

Merlin picked the little girl up and smiled. "Hello, River. Are you alright today?"

River nodded, and she hugged Merlin.

"It's good to see you, Merlin. How have you been?" Rose asked.

"I have been alright; I just miss Arthur" Merlin smiled sadly at Rose.

Rose put Andrew to sleep after she had fed him, and River went to play with her dolls. The dolls that Merlin had made for her. Merlin sat down and smiled as he watched River play with her toys. "Did you tell Prince Arthur about your dream to have a child?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, I told him. He didn't say it, but I read his mind, and I found out that he feels guilty for not being able to have children with me. We have not spoken about it since, but I realised I am already fortunate because I have him, and he loves me. I will have to get used to the fact that I cannot have children with him" Merlin tried to hide the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes.

Rose rubbed Merlin's arm, and he looked at her. "What is love?"

Merlin thought for a moment, but only one word came to mind "Magic".

"Magic found a way to bring you and Arthur together, and it will find a way to make all of your dreams come true. Magic always finds a way because love always finds a way" Rose smiled kindly at Merlin.

Merlin smiled, and he nodded before he sniffled, "Your wisdom is magic".

"Nothing is more magic than love, my dear Merlin. You and Arthur are magic" Rose then looked at River, and the little girl ran over to her.

River hugged her mother, then looked at Merlin "Is Prince Arthur your true love?"

Merlin nodded "Indeed he is".

"Does that make him your prince charming and your knight in shining armour?" River asked.

Merlin smiled "I guess that it does." He knew that Arthur could be a prat, but it was one of the wings he loved about the prince because he was his Arthur, and he loved everything about him. He loved Prince Arthur just the way he was.

Merlin returned to the palace just before noon and had something to eat but could not keep his meal down. George cleaned the bucket, and he went about the rest of his chores, the other servants, as well as the knights, did their best to avoid him because he was prone to state what they were doing wrong. Some people were not so lucky, though. George was not the only person that people wished that they could avoid. Merlin was minding his business, reading his spell book, and sitting on the bed in Arthur's chambers when a knock brought his attention to the door. The warlock stood up and placed his book to one side before opening the door. A knight stood there, looking uneasy, as he rubbed his neck.

"May I help you?" Merlin asked.

The knight shook his head, "N-no … um, Lancelot has taken a break. I'll be watching over you for a while".

Merlin smiled and nodded, "Thank you for being up to the boring task and making me aware".

The knight smiled but then quickly frowned and looked slightly guilty.

Merlin felt uneasy and scratched his head before stepping back into the room, "I'll be reading for the time being, okay?"

The knight nodded and stood by the door as Merlin closed it.

Merlin returned to reading and did not notice what was happening outside his door. The knight had been bribed by Agravaine, who was allowed to go into Arthur's room 'unnoticed'. The evil man grinned evilly before he opened the door and went inside.

"Sir? Is that you?" Merlin called out and became suspicious when no answer came. The warlock became nervous, and he was about to turn around, but Agravaine walked into his line of view, and the warlock panicked. He went to call out, but the horrid man stopped him.

"That's pointless. Since no one cares about a disgusting, evil, revolting little witch like you!" Agravaine shouted at the warlock.

Merlin flinched but tried to keep his composure, "What do you want? Does the King need me?" he asked.

Agravaine scoffed and grinned manically, "The King doesn't need you; he never did and never will!". Agravaine walked around Arthur's bed a few times before exploring the space, occasionally searching here and there for something worth taking.

"Then why are you here?" Merlin asked though he had guessed the reason and knew that Agravaine was probably just bored.

The man in question shrugged and picked up the sigil that Arthur had given to Merlin.

"Stop touching Arthur's things!" Merlin glared at the lord, hoping that Lancelot would return soon and make Agravaine leave.

Agravaine turned and glared at Merlin, "Or what, witch?!" he spat, "You going to tell Arthur? What's he going to do about it? He can always get another one of these cheap things!"

"That sigil belonged to his mother, and you have no right to steal it", Merlin stated

Agravaine huffed and threw the sigil back where he had found it before turning around again and snatching Merlin's spell book this time.

"Give it back. That belongs to me!" Merlin cried, and he reached to grab his book.

Agravaine scoffed, "Or what? You'll tell your Arthur that I've wronged you? Ha!". Agravaine grabbed Merlin by the neck, and he squeezed. "Tell anyone about anything, and I will personally make sure that there is nothing left of the Prince's little petty witch, got that?"

Merlin nodded as he tried to gasp for air as Agravaine squeezed his neck, "Yes".

Agravaine tightened his grasp around Merlin's neck, causing the warlock to gasp for air before he finally let go, leaving the room with an evil smirk as he walked to the throne room to have lunch, leaving Merlin shaken up as he grasped his sore neck "Arthur, please come home soon," he pleaded to the absent prince.

*Day 8*

Lancelot arrived at Arthur's chambers and saw a knight standing outside guarding the door. "Hi, has anything happened since I left yesterday?"

The knight shook his head "No, sir. No problems".

"Very good. I can take over from here. Go and get some rest. You must be exhausted" Lancelot smiled at the knight, and he was about to knock on the door.

The knight began to walk away, but he was hit with a wave of guilt, and he turned around. "I was not completely honest before, and something did happen".

Lancelot looked at the knight and instantly felt a wave of dread wash over him. He knew that something was very wrong "What happened?"

The knight slowly exhaled, "Lord Agravaine came here. He bribed me into letting him into the prince's chambers. There was shouting, but the witch has not left the room since".

Lancelot walked over to the knight "As the knights of Camelot, it is our duty to protect the royal family and the people of Camelot. Arthur has given his heart to the person that he loves more than anything, and it is our duty to protect the person that Arthur loves. By calling Merlin a witch, you have shown that you do not wish to fulfil the knight's duty to protect the royal family because you were willing to put Merlin Emrys in danger. Therefore, you are not worthy of your knighthood. Now get out of my sight before I run you through with a sword" He glared at the knight, his threat causing the traitor to scurry away in fear, "Merlin, it's Lancelot".

"Come in!" Merlin yelled.

Lancelot walked into the room, shut the door, and then walked over to where Merlin was sitting at the table "What happened with Agravaine?"

Merlin looked conflicted as he turned to Lancelot "Don't tell anyone", he sighed as he took his neckerchief off "I can now add strangled to the list of things inconvenient things that have happened to me".

Lancelot's eyes widened when he saw the hand mark on the warlock's neck "I am so sorry, Merlin".

"Why are you sorry?" Merlin looked at Lancelot with utter confusion.

"I left my post, and that put you in harm's way" Lancelot sat down next to Merlin.

"It was not your fault. Something must have happened to the knight that was guarding the room" Merlin shrugged.

"Agravaine bribed him. He was a coward," Lancelot sighed.

The trusting spark drained from Merlin's eyes, and he sat back in his chair "Oh".

"I will not let you down. It will be alright," Lancelot comforted.

"I miss Arthur. I feel like I am walking on eggshells when he's not here," Merlin sighed.

"I know, Merlin. Arthur will be home soon," Lancelot tried to comfort his friend.

"I don't know how long it will be before he returns. Arthur had no idea of how many days he would be away. I'm scared that I won't see him again," Merlin admitted as tears welled in his eyes.

"Do you want me to stay with you for a bit? I can guard you as well" Lancelot shrugged. He did not know how to comfort Merlin, but he thought that the warlock would feel safer if he was there. It was better than nothing.

Merlin nodded, and he sniffled, "Thank you, Lancelot".

Lancelot patted Merlin on the shoulder. "No problem." He smiled at the young boy.

Lancelot stayed true to his word, guarding his friend whilst Merlin prepared medicines for a few villagers and then started practising his spells. Lancelot watched in fascination as Merlin went about perfecting his magic; he smiled as the warlock used magic to clean and tidy the room. Merlin had something to eat for lunch but felt nauseous almost immediately and was sick into the bucket he had placed next to his bed.

"Are you alright?" Lancelot asked as he brought Merlin a glass of water to settle his stomach and then cleaned the bucket for Merlin.

"I will be", The Warlock felt dizzy and sick, so he walked over to the larger Prince-sized bed and climbed onto it, pulling the covers over himself and putting his head down on the wonderfully cold pillows.

"I'll be back soon, lock the door and do not answer it to anyone", Lancelot instructed.

"That I can do" Merlin closed his tired, heavy eyes as Lancelot left the room, the door locked behind him.

Lancelot returned after twenty minutes and knocked on the door, waiting for a moment before he heard the latch unlock, allowing him to enter Arthur's chambers. "I swear to god, I will end up trying to cut Agravaine's head off with my sword if he does not learn to mind his own business if he does not learn to leave my best friend alone", he stated as he walked over to the bed and he put the bucket down on the floor next to Merlin.

Merlin groaned, "If only".

Lancelot pulled the covers up to Merlin's shoulders, and he smiled. "I'm going to go outside to guard the room. Shout for me if you need anything. Sleep well, Merlin," he whispered before leaving the room and standing outside the door.

Merlin slept for a few hours before begrudgingly getting up when he heard two sharp but familiar thuds.

"Merlin, how are you?" Gaius asked.

Merlin shrugged as he and Gaius sat at the table and began to eat the food that Gaius had brought with him, "I miss Arthur. Am I being clingy?"

Gaius shook his head, "Not in the slightest. It's natural to miss him".

Merlin nodded, and he smiled before returning to eating his supper.

Gaius finished eating and waved over his shoulder, "Well, this old man has a lot of work to do. So, enjoy your evening, Merlin".

Merlin shook his head and scoffed as he also finished eating. A thudding once again brought Merlin to the door.

This time Lancelot poked his head into the room, "Uther wants you, Merlin", he said in a sorry tone.

Merlin smiled to say it was alright and nodded. Hopefully, Uther was in a good mood because Merlin did not want to deal with an angry tyrant. Unfortunately, Merlin got to the throne room, where Uther appeared very unhappy. "You called for me?" Merlin asked only to receive a 'hmph' from the king.

Uther eventually stood from his throne before pouting thoughtfully and pointing towards Lancelot, who had been walking behind Merlin. "Turn him into gold!" Uther said shortly.

Merlin shook his head as Lancelot began to panic. "I will not do that to a friend".

Uther examined Merlin's eyes before changing his request, "Turn him to stone!"

"I am sorry, but I will not be doing that, and I don't know any spells for that," Merlin repeated himself, but this time he was lying.

Uther saw the change in Merlin's eyes and frowned, "Liar!"

Merlin felt a sharp pain as Uther backhanded him, causing him to fall to the ground, gasping as he felt something wet trickle down his cheek. Lancelot helped him up and quickly wiped away blood from where the king's ring had cut into Merlin's skin.

Uther scoffed and sat back down. "Leave us", he growled at Lancelot.

Lancelot hesitated, but Merlin nodded, so he reluctantly walked out of the throne room and stood guard over the doors. "I shouldn't have left him in there", he sighed as regret filled him.

Uther looked at Agravaine, and he nodded in approval; Arthur's horrid uncle then motioned for the guards to grab Merlin, and they did so. Merlin struggled at first but froze when Agravaine started walking towards him. He definitely preferred to be thrown in the stocks. After a painful thirty minutes, the guard let go of Merlin's arms which caused the warlock to fall to his hands and knees, coughing as he clutched his stomach. He suddenly felt a foot collide with his side and gasped in pain as he fell onto the floor.

"Get out of my sight, witch! And heal yourself for appearance's sake!" Uther roared in anger as Merlin slowly got to his feet.

Merlin turned and began to limp towards the doors; the guards opened them for him before slamming the doors shut behind him. Relief filled him as he leaned against a wall to steady himself, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he looked at Lancelot "I hope that Arthur comes back soon."

Lancelot helped Merlin back to his room, where he sat down on his bed and allowed himself a few minutes to think about Arthur. Afterwards, he decided to talk to Arthur and conjured a mirror to connect the warlock to the prince. Arthur appeared before him in the mirror, washing his face in a lake. "Arthur?" Merlin spoke softly, making the prince jump and look about.

Arthur spotted Merlin and smiled, "Merlin?".

The warlock smirked and waved but became confused when Arthur's eyes narrowed and frowned.

"Is that blood?" Arthur asked as he walked over to stand in front of the image of his warlock. "What happened?" he asked, causing Merlin to panic as he searched his brain for a believable story.

Merlin shook his head, "I just finished eating. It's probably the juice of the tomatoes or something". He then wiped the 'tomato juice' off of his cheek.

Arthur realised that Merlin would not tell and sighed, "I'll be home as soon as possible" he raised his hand, and Merlin did the same.

Merlin placed his hand on the mirror, and he sighed.

Arthur tried to place his hand on Merlin's hand, but he went straight through the image and sighed, "I wish that I could touch you".

Merlin thought briefly before his eyes flashed gold, and he held Arthur's hand.

The prince gasped when he felt Merlin's warm skin, and he held the warlock's hand "You are incredible".

Merlin smiled "So are you".

"You look tired, go and rest for the night. We'll talk tomorrow, yeah?" Arthur asked.

Merlin nodded whilst smiling sadly, "Sure, I love you".

Arthur smiled sadly, and he blew a kiss to Merlin, "I love you too".

Merlin dismissed the mirror and lay back on his bed, sleep overtaking him in seconds. At least he would have a peaceful few hours whilst Lancelot guarded his chambers just in case.

Chapter Text

Day 9

Merlin woke up in the morning and he immediately felt sick. He jumped out of bed and he ran over to where he could be sick. He hunched over and he gagged before he was sick. Once he had composed himself, Merlin washed his face and he went back to bed to rest. He had a stomach ache and he felt dizzy "Why do I feel like shit?" He asked himself.

Merlin managed to get a few minutes rest before the door opened and Aland yelled that it was him.

"Enter!" Merlin yelled.

Aland opened the door and he walked in with a tray of food "Your breakfast, Merlin".

Merlin smiled at the knight "You didn't have to do this".

"It's the least I c-could do. You deserve to be treated like a noble" Aland smiled.

"And you deserve to acknowledged for your skills and loyalty" Merlin moved but he hissed in pain.

Aland noticed that Merlin was very pale "Do you feel alright? You look very pale".

Merlin sighed "Not really. My stomach kills and I've got a headache".

"Oh sorry that I yelled a minute ago" Aland apologised.

Merlin smiled and he shook his head "Don't be sorry about that. I just feel dizzy and I'm tired from dealing with Uther and Agravaine". He then frowned and he sniffled.

"Has anything else happened?" Aland asked.

"Some of Uther's knights are using me as a punching bag. Please don't tell anyone" Merlin begged.

"You don't deserve to be treated so badly. But alright, I won't tell" Aland nodded.

"Thank you. You may return to your duties" Merlin nodded.

Aland hesitated but he nodded, he bowed and then he left the room.

Merlin sighed and he rolled up his tunic, he sighed when he saw the bruises on his stomach. He used magic to heal himself and he started to eat his breakfast, he still felt dizzy and he was very tired. Merlin did not realize at first but he had started to cry, he cupped his hand over his mouth and he put his fork down "Arthur, please come back soon. Please come back to me".

Merlin continued to cry for twenty minutes before he managed to finish his breakfast, and he got dressed before he walked out of the large room. He smiled at Lancelot and the knight smiled at him "I'm going to see Guias, then I'm going to go to the village to buy some food. I'm craving apples".

Lancelot nodded "Alright, I'll go home and explain everything to Gwen. Come to ours for lunch if you want?"

Merlin nodded "Sounds great. See you at lunchtime". He then started to walk down the corridor.

"Merlin!" Lancelot called.

The warlock turned around to look at Lancelot "Yes?"

"Stay away from some people, do whatever you have to do to stay safe" Lancelot's eyes were pleading for Merlin to stay safe and his voice echoed concern as he spoke.

Merlin nodded and he smirked "Will do" a golden dragon appeared on his shoulder on his shoulder, he then turned around and he walked down the corridor.

He left the castle grounds and went to the market. The gold dragon on his shoulder growled at anyone who gave off any bad vibes towards Merlin. The warlock went to a man selling fresh fruit and bought a bag full of apples before grabbing a ham, bread and tomatoes for Gwen. Gaining a few mean glares, Merlin made his way towards Gwen's house, finding Lancelot waiting quite impatiently at the door.

"Merlin!", Lancelot cried out in joy when he saw the warlock. Lancelot half pulled Merlin inside the house before Gwen came to meet him.

"Hello there, Merlin, that is a lot of apples", Gwen laughed, taking the bag Merlin held out.

Merlin shrugged and made the golden dragon vanish, "I'm craving them".

The three proceeded to eat the dinner that Gwen had made for them.

"Thanks for the ham, Merlin", Lancelot said with a mouthful of food.

"Lance!", Gwen hissed, "Close your mouth!"

Lancelot shrugged and mumbled something about being controlling to which Gwen rolled her eyes and turned to Merlin, "Thank you, Merlin, you didn't have to do this".

Merlin held a smirk on his face from watching the little tantrum Lancelot had, "It was no problem, besides, you didn't have to invite me to dinner, did you?"

Gwen smiled, "True, but you are our friend!".

"And you are mine", Merlin replied and finished eating his bread. Once he had finished he stood up and smiled apologetically, "Well, sorry to cut this short but I have to get back and see if the king needs help with anything".

Gwen shook her head and smiled, "Oh, I know you are a busy man, Merlin. It was good to see you and please feel free to drop by again" she chirped.

Merlin nodded, "Of course, have a good day, Gwen".

Lancelot followed Merlin out after kissing Gwen goodbye and began to walk with Merlin back to the palace.

Merlin walked in silence for a long period of time which spiked Lancelot's concerns. "Merlin?", the knight inquired.

Merlin hummed in response, "Is something on your mind?". Merlin's face dropped for a few seconds, like a mask had slipped of to reveal what he actually felt. The warlock quickly shook his head and smiled to show he was alright but Lancelot was too sharp and not all that dumb, he had seen Merlin's expression and acted upon it, "Merlin? What's wrong?"

Merlin sighed, hoping that he didn't have to confront his problems, "People kept giving me really dirty looks on the way to Gwen's and your house", Merlin admitted.

Lancelot's brown furrowed, "Why?"

Merlin met Lancelot's eyes and he saw Merlin's eyes flash gold. Lancelot nodded, understanding completely. "I just sometimes wish that I had been born differently… that I don't have this… curse!", Merlin vented out, feeling relieved but also a little more burdened.

"No, Merlin", Lancelot said firmly and stopped the warlock in his tracks, "Your magic is not a curse! It is a gift that you should be able to use freely... just, maybe not yet. People don't understand you because it is new to them! You just have to give them time is all".

Merlin smiled and Lancelot mirrored his expression. "Thank you, Lance! It means the world to me that I have friends who support me as much as you do", Merlin spoke as he began to walk again.

"Pfft! Your making me blush!", Lancelot laughed as he walked by Merlin's side.

The two reached Merlin's chambers and Lancelot resumed his post, watching Merlin's door. Merlin got inside and found that his roomed had been tidied. He looked around and his eyes flashed gold, a vision bloomed in his head. Three women had been around his room, straightening everything and taking some clothes to wash. A messenger came by and left something on the table. Merlin's eyes went back to normal and he went over to the table to find a letter with king Uther's seal on it. With a deep breath he picked it up and broke the seal, opening the envelope and taking out the letter;

Dear Merlin

You have been seen leaving palace grounds, so I instead leave you a letter. I am feeling ill lately, symptoms are stomach aches and unhealthy gassiness. Make me a remedy to soothe this or expect punishment.

From The King.

Merlin sighed as he chucked the letter aside, he knew that what the king had was due to too much meat and could only be fixed by detoxing the body.

Chapter Text

Day 10

Merlin felt like he had barely slept after a long night of working. His body ached with exhaustion. The warlock begrudgingly grabbed the bottle of liquid that would help detox the king’s stomach and left the room to deliver the medicine to Uther. Meanwhile, Lancelot was walking through the castle, unaware that no one was in the room that he had promised to guard.

Merlin pushed the doors open, ignoring the clearly amused king who was smirking deviously, “I have your medicine, sire. I suggest you take it at night and keep it around a chamber pot”.

Uther shrugged and held out his hand, silently demanding to be given the medicine. Merlin walked up to Uther, handing him the bottle. He then took a few steps back and waited for Uther to speak. The king inspected the bottle for a moment before raising it above his head and launching it at the floor by Merlin’s feet. The warlock stood in confusion for a few seconds as he stared at the shattered glass before looking at the king with a confused expression.

“Make another one”, Uther said bluntly as he leaned back on his throne. “This time, I want you to bring it to me before the sun reaches the centre of the sky”.

Merlin felt tired beyond belief; he tried to ignore how he felt as though he was going to be sick at any second “A potion like that requires a longer time period, sire”.

Uther’s face twisted in anger, “Who are you to talk back to me, Witch?”

“I just meant that it would be a little afternoon that you would get it”, Merlin tried to explain

Uther stood up, marched towards Merlin, cuffing him by the ear and then grabbed him by the throat, “Listen to me, Witch! You will make it and bring it to me by noon, or Arthur will never find your body!”

Merlin tried not to react to Uther’s threats, just as he tried not to dwell on them as he walked back to his and Arthur’s chambers. The task proved to be difficult because his mind was racing with ‘what ifs’ as he began to overthink what Uther had threatened him with. He wouldn’t put it passed the king to actually act upon his threats. It would be easier to dispose of Merlin when Arthur was not around to stop him. The warlock almost did not notice that Lancelot was standing outside the door to his chambers

“Merlin?” Lancelot almost shouted in confusion. “I didn’t know you had left; I came here to guard you”.

Merlin smiled and shook his head, “It’s fine, Lance! I have some work to do now.”

Lancelot nodded his head and wished him luck before going to stand at his post.

Merlin walked into Arthur’s room, and he shut the door. “At least one person of the royal family is nice. Arthur, please come back to me soon”. He muttered to himself before he began working on a new potion for Uther. The warlock used magic to create the ingredients for the potion, which proved to be a lot quicker than collecting them by hand. Merlin decided it would be best to use magic to mix everything together and hurry up the process of the potion setting; it was risky, but maybe Uther’s head blowing off would not be such a terrible thing.

Hours passed, and the gruelling process of creating the potion was finished, but Merlin could not shake the nausea that he felt. It was only when he looked out of the window that his heart began to thunder, and his chest tightened with panic when he realised it was noon. “Shit!” he cursed as he grabbed the glass vial containing the potion and sprinted out of the room.

Lancelot practically jumped out of his skin when the door flew open, and Merlin raced passed him. “Merlin!”

“Tell Arthur I love him if I go missing!” Merlin yelled to Lancelot. The young warlock ran as fast as his legs could carry him; his feet felt like they were on fire, and his lungs were screaming for a break. But he persevered and made it to the throne room, using magic to throw the doors open.

Everyone jumped and turned their gazes towards Merlin as he marched up to Uther and held the potion out to him. Even the king looked shocked at how valiant Merlin was and how the warlock’s presence caused everyone to stand to attention

Merlin bowed to Uther. “The potion is ready, sire”.

Uther hesitantly took the potion, and he sighed. “Leave me, witch”, he snarled.

Merlin did not hesitate to turn and walk away, swinging his arms to the side in a quick motion as he used magic to pull them open, the wood banging against the stone walls. He was relieved that he had managed to get the potion to Uther in the nick of time, but something in his head told him to stay alert.

Lancelot looked up when he heard footsteps approaching. “Are you a ghost?”

Merlin chuckled. “Nope, still here and still exhausted.”

“Did anything happen with Uther?” Lancelot asked.

“No new bruises or anything. Maybe he’s just having a good day for once” Merlin shrugged. His instincts did not agree with the words that travelled out of his mouth.

“Uther never has a good day unless he is under a troll’s spell”, Lancelot joked, which was a scoff.

Merlin laughed, and he nodded. “I know. Let’s just hope that I don’t need to get rid of any trolls again before I have a nap!”

“Have a good rest”, Lancelot replied knowingly.

Merlin closed the door and strutted over to his bed before collapsing onto the bed, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. His dreams were pleasant for an hour or so before they took a turn, and the feeling of falling overcame him. Merlin desperately tried to open his eyes; however, it was no use. It was almost as if he was under some sort of spell. The darkness began to turn into a scenery of trees surrounding him as the sun bore down on the warlock. Merlin sucked in his breath and looked around in shock at how real everything looked. At first, he thought that his surroundings were beautiful, but he soon realised that it was too silent. The was no breeze or birds chirping. It felt eerie.

“Noooo! Please, no!” the sobs of loss and heartbreak broke the silence and caused Merlin to spin around as he searched for who was yelling.

The young warlock instantly recognised the voice, and it caused him to panic, not for his safety but for the safety of his loved one. “ARTHUR!” Merlin cried out, which shocked him because the cry he had produced was not one he was familiar with; it was a roar that only a great beast could muster. Merlin stared down at the soundless running river beside him to find that his reflection was that of a giant dark grey dragon that was covered in a dark crimson liquid. Merlin looked up to see Arthur moving towards him. “Arthur! What’s happening?” However, the prince kept his head down, his sword was drawn and caped in blood, whilst he gripped an awfully familiar neckerchief in his free hand. “Is that mine? Arthur, what’s going on?” Merlin asked once again.

Arthur raised his head, eyes filled with disgust, anger and sadness. “You monster. You killed my Merlin!” Arthur spat before raising his sword and bringing it down upon the dragon.

“Arthur, no!” Merlin screamed as he jolted awake, gasping for air on his face. The warlock glanced at the window for a moment before summoning the mirror so that he could see Arthur. However, he recognised the same familiar woods and river, which caused a wave of panic to smack him in the face. Thankfully, his prince and the knights were unharmed. “Arthur!” he called out at Arthur’s retreating back as he wandered off to a campfire.

Arthur spun around and grinned from ear to ear when he saw his love. “Finally, I was starting to get worried. I thought that…” he trailed off when a thought crossed his mind. “Are you alright? My father hasn’t hurt you, has he?”

Merlin shook his head, “Nope, he must be in a good mood”.

Arthur stepped closer, the firelight on his back and shadowed face making him look mysterious, “My father is in a good mood? Am I hearing this right?”

Merlin laughed, all of his troubles vanishing from his mind, “I know, right? How is it on your end?”

“I’m hungry, and we’re all a bit tired, but we’ll be all good in the morning!” Arthur shrugged with a tired smile.

Merlin suppressed his laugh at this, “You’re always hungry!”

Arthur laughed, “True” he then smirked, “Especially when we are alone together,”.

Merlin blushed at what the prince had said. “Arthur!” he exclaimed, winking at the prince.

“What? I’m head over heels in love with you” Arthur smiled lovingly at the warlock.

Merlin smiled. “And I am for you”.

“I miss you; I hate being without you. I love you so much” Merlin rubbed his eyes.

“I miss you too. I hate being away from you,” Arthur admitted with a sigh

They held a conversation for a few minutes before Arthur saw just how tired Merlin was, and he sighed. “Anyways, we have to put the fire out soon, so get some rest! I’ll speak to you tomorrow”.

Merlin nodded and waved goodbye before dismissing the mirror and climbing back into bed, hoping his dreams would not be plagued by night terrors this time.

Dawn was only three hours away, Merlin was fast asleep, Lancelot had gone home to sleep, and one of Uther’s guards had taken over guarding the door to Arthur’s chambers. The warlock was unaware as Agravaine, and five of Uther’s knights crept into the room, stalking over towards the bed like creatures stalking through the night, but Merlin stirred when he heard the floorboard creaks. The warlock opened his eyes, and his heart dropped when he saw the intruders. He began to panic as all of the knights grabbed him. Merlin’s eyes flashed gold as he thrashed around; he went to yell a spell, but he was backhanded across the face, and his wrists were bound together. The intruders ripped open Merlin’s shirt, and they drew some daggers. The silver blades glistened in the moonlight. The warlock’s eyes flashed gold, and the knights were thrown back, but Agravaine grabbed Merlin’s neck and glared at the warlock.

“Use any magic against us, and I will kill Arthur. Scream, and I’ll kill Gaius, tell anyone that it was us, and I will kill your mother,” Agravaine threatened as he strangled Merlin.

Merlin stopped struggling. “What do you want?”

“To show you that your black magic has no place here in Camelot. The king has ordered us to punish you for wasting his time, Agravaine hissed earlier with that useless potion.

The knights stood up, walked back over to Merlin, and glared at the warlock.

“Heat up the blades of the knives”, Agravaine ordered.

Merlin thought about disobeying, but he wanted to protect his loved ones. His eyes flashed gold, and the blades of the knives became scolding hot.

The knights and Agravaine eventually left once they had grown bored, leaving Merlin bound and feeling nauseous. The warlock used magic to free himself before he slowly climbed off of the bed, staggered over to the door and slowly began to make his way to the one person in the castle who could help him.

“Gaius, I need help! Please!” Merlin yelled as he banged his hand’s palm against the wooden door of the physician’s chambers.

A moment passed before Gaius pulled the door open, and Merlin fell into him. “Merlin? What happened, my boy?”

“Some intruders attacked me,” Merlin winced.

Gaius helped Merlin over to the table so that the young man could sit down to rest, he soon noticed that the front of Merlin’s shirt was ripped open, and he saw Merlin’s injuries. “Who did this to you?”

Merlin froze as he remembered Agravaine’s threat, but he needed to say something that was convincing. Otherwise, Gaius would become suspicious. “I don’t know. I didn’t see their faces”.

Gaius nodded as he rushed to tend to Merlin’s injuries, giving the young man a potion to help with the pain that he was in. “How many of them were there?”

“Six of them,” Merlin answered.

“You should have called out for help! This is an act of treason!” Gaius scorned the young warlock, but his expression softened. “Are you alright?” Merlin only gave a small nod as a response.

After Merlin’s injuries had been seen to, Gaius prepared the warlock’s old room for him to sleep in. “You may sleep here for tonight. It’ll probably be a safer option than yours and Arthur’s chambers for the time being?” he smiled comfortingly at his apprentice.

Merlin nodded, smiling gratefully at his friend. “Thank you”.

“You’re welcome” The old physician patted Merlin on the shoulder before leaving the room to go back to bed.

Chapter Text

Day 14

It had been one of those days where it felt like the hours were dragging along, prolonging the day and causing Merlin’s mood to sink like an anchor of a ship. Uther had been ordering him around, as usual. No change there, but the king had also been encouraging his knights to bully Merlin by constantly demanding him to complete useless tasks with his magic, and one knights had even ordered Merlin to clean his ears with magic. Merlin almost refused, but Agravaine had punched him in the gut before threatening him. ‘Do as you’re told. Otherwise, I’ll get someone to pay a little visit to that servant friend of yours’. Merlin obeyed his orders when his friend had been threatened.

The sound of loud joyous cheering caught Merlin’s attention while he was walking through the castle, piquing his curiosity, so he walked toward one of the large windows in the hallway, and his eyes widened when he saw why people were cheering, “Arthur!” he yelled when he saw the prince and his knights. Merlin could not contain his excitement, running through the castle as fast as his legs could carry him as his heart thundered in his chest. ‘He’s back, he came back’ was all that he could think of. Time seemed to come to a halt as Merlin arrived at the steps to the castle, freezing as he watched Arthur dismount his horse; he was speechless as he tried to catch his breath, hands clammy with sweat and his hair scruffy.

Arthur smiled as he looked up at the castle, his heart soaring with happiness when he saw who was standing there, watching him with lovestruck eyes, “Any chance of a hug?”

Merlin ran down the steps and threw himself into Arthur’s arms, clinging onto the prince as Arthur returned the affectionate embrace and spun them both around for a moment, “You came back to me”.

“I’ll always come back to you”. Arthur smiled as he put Merlin down.

Merlin kissed Arthur, “I love you so much”.

Arthur kissed Merlin back, “And I love you”, he whispered into the kiss as he gripped Merlin’s hips, pulling the warlock close.

“Oi, Arthur! Let him breathe!” Gwaine yelled as the knights wolf-whistled.

Merlin raised his arm and flipped the knights off whilst kissing Arthur, resulting in them laughing at how sassy the warlock was.

Arthur grinned as he pulled back from the kiss, “By order of the Prince of Camelot, you are to have the day off, and the king cannot order you around for the rest of the week”. He stated before he scooped Merlin up bridal style. The prince then turned around and looked at the knights, “Go and have a decent meal. Drinks at the tavern are on me tonight!”

The knights cheered before they started to walk back to their homes to eat a much-needed nutritious lunch or, in Leon’s case, to have a nap.

Arthur had missed being able to hold Merlin close. His heart soared as the warlock leaned his head against his shoulder. He had dreamt about kissing his Merlin since the moment he left Camelot. “I never want to be without you ever again. We’re a team, and we’re going to stick together until the end of our days if you’ll have me?”

“I will be at your side until the day the end, and I will remain at your side when we are reunited after death”. Merlin promised as he gazed up at the prince.

The prince carried Merlin through the castle, a happy glow emitting from both of them, throughout the journey until they arrived at one of their old meeting corners, which they occasionally used whilst sneaking around until they got to one of their old meeting corners where they used to go when they were hiding their relationship. Merlin was lowered to his feet as he shared a desperate kiss with his prince. Arthur wasted no time wrapping one arm around Merlin’s waist whilst placing his other hand on the side of the warlock’s neck. They kissed like they had not seen each other for a lifetime. However, little did they know... One of the knights that attacked Merlin had seen them enter the room before rushing off to inform Agravaine of Arthur’s unexpected return.

Arthur stuck to his word of treating everyone to drinks in the tavern, and four rounds in, he was beginning to second guess his offer. Gwaine and Percival were singing at the top of their lungs whilst their arms were linked, Lancelot was laughing like a maniac at the two whilst a smiling Leon was poking at a snoring Elyan’s forehead. Meanwhile, Merlin and Arthur were acting as spectators, the warlock sitting on the prince’s lap whilst Arthur had his arms wrapped around Merlin’s waist. The villagers who were present were joyously singing and dancing along with Gwaine and Percival. Arthur had been laughing before he had noticed how tense Merlin was and that the younger man seemed distant.

“What’s wrong?” Arthur asked, rubbing the warlock’s side comfortingly.

Merlin snapped back into reality, shaking his head before he sipped his drink, “Nothing”.

“You know that you can tell me anything, right?” Arthur asked, not convinced by Merlin’s face smile.

Merlin nodded before kissing Arthur’s head. “I know. I just don’t feel like myself at the moment”.

That answer seemed to convince Arthur, and he nodded before kissing Merlin. “We can return to the castle in a bit. I think that everyone is nearly ready to leave”.

Merlin nodded before he went back to watching the knights having fun. However, Arthur still had the gut feeling that Merlin was hiding something from him, and that concerned him because he had already felt uneasy for the entire time that he had been away from Camelot.

It was past suppertime when the drunk knights skipped off to their homes, leaving Merlin and Arthur to make their way back to the prince’s chambers, arms linked and laughing as the moonlight dimly lit up their path. The sky was now a dark ocean blue; the village was quiet, and the palace was peaceful, but Uther had already arranged to have dinner with Agravaine as well as Arthur. However, the prince had informed him that he would be eating in the tavern with Merlin and their friends. Much to Uther’s displeasure.

After collapsing onto their bed in exhaustion, Arthur laid there in silence for a moment or so as his eyes began to slowly flutter shut; his mind began to race as he became increasingly concerned for Merlin. It was as though he knew that Merlin was hiding something, and his suspicions were confirmed when he glanced over at the warlock as Merlin got up to get changed, and Arthur’s eyes widened when he saw the many bruises and cuts that covered Merlin’s torso.

Merlin had hoped that Arthur would not notice because the prince had looked nearly fallen asleep as soon as he laid down on the bed. However, his stomach dropped when the prince walked over to him and examined his injuries.

Arthur looked up at his warlock with concern, “How did this happen?” he asked, clearly worried about his lover.

Merlin scratched the back of his head as he scrambled his brain to quickly think of something to say, “I fell over”.

Arthur did not believe Merlin’s answer. He placed his hand on Merlin’s shoulders and slowly turned the warlock around. He saw all of the cuts and bruises on Merlin’s chest and stomach, “Who did this to you?”

Merlin hugged himself, panic rising in his gut as Arthur observed his every move, “It’s nothing”.

Arthur gently pulled Merlin into a hug, stroking his dark hair whilst he held him, “Tell me what happened”.

Merlin thought about telling Arthur the truth, but he was overcome with fear of what might happen to his loved ones, so he decided to tell half of the truth, “I was attacked by… bandits. They broke into your chambers the other night, and they found me”. He felt guilty because he was lying for Agravaine, and the guilt made him feel sick, but he had to protect the people who he cared about.

“What? When did this happen? Why didn’t a guard intervene?” Arthur frantically asked, shocked as he moved closer to Merlin, holding the warlock’s hands, “Did they threaten you?”

At least he was telling the truth about being threatened, so he nodded as a shameful look formed on his face, “They threatened to kill you, Guias, and my mother”.

Arthur nodded, anger evident in his eyes as his mind flashed with images of bandits torturing the man he loves, “You’re safe now, and nothing’s going to happen to your mother or Guias, and nothing’s going to happen to me. I promise”.

Merlin cringed at the memory of the night he was attacked, and his chest began to heave as guilt filled him, “They made me use magic to heat up the blades of the daggers. I couldn’t scream because they said they’d kill Guias”.

“Did you get a look at their faces? I’ll kill them!” Arthur let go of Merlin’s hands as he began to turn and march towards the door, grabbing his sword as he did so, but the warlock panicked.

“They blindfolded me before I could get a look at their faces!” Merlin hugged himself as he sighed.

Arthur froze and put his weapon down, turning to Merlin. “I’m never going to leave you here unprotected ever again”, he promised as he walked over to stand in front of Merlin before looking down at the warlock’s chest. “Can I look at them to make sure that you don’t need medical attention?”

Merlin thought about the question for a second before nodding, allowing Arthur to slowly roll up the bottom of his tunic, carefully lifting it over his shoulders so that he did not hurt Merlin. He held back tears of anger and emotional pain for his lover when he saw all of the cuts, the burns, and the bruises on Merlin’s pale skin. “I’m so sorry for leaving you here”, he apologised whilst examining Merlin’s injuries, which fuelled his rage. He wanted to track down who had done this to his Merlin so that they were punished for their actions. “Tell me if you ever recognise their voices, they can be put on trial if we know who they are”.

Merlin nodded as he hugged Arthur; the prince cautiously hugged him back, taking great care to not press on any of Merlin’s wounds, “I’m alright now”.

Arthur’s heart broke into a million pieces, ‘You should’ve been safe here,’ he thought to himself as he gently stroked Merlin’s dark hair, cursing himself for leaving the warlock in a kingdom where he was vulnerable. “I’ll kill the people who did this to you. I’ll get you justice”.

Arthur’s words comforted Merlin and caused him to feel a tremendous amount of guilt because he was, in a way protecting the person who had threatened him. If only it was safe for him to have told Arthur the truth, he knew that the prince would have believed him. However, he could not take that chance because he did not know what monstrosities Agravaine was capable of.

Chapter Text

A tremendous pain racking throughout his body caused Merlin to wake up, hissing in pain as all of his injuries, with every movement, even the slightest movement of his body, caused a stinging. Merlin sat up so that he could relieve the pain from the throbbing wounds on his back, but he jolted in pain as he leaned forwards, crying out in pain as he did so. Arthur awoke with a start, looking around in a panic until the prince noticed that his loved one was doubled over in pain, “Merlin? Are you alright?”

Merlin nodded frantically, hoping to reassure his lover that he was alright whilst dismissing his own discomfort, “I’m alright. Go back to sleep”.

Arthur’s brow furrowed as Merlin slowly sat up, so he reached out and pulled up the front of Merlin’s shirt. His eyes widened when he saw the array of injuries that covered the warlocks torso, and it petrified him to think about how anyone could do that to his beloved, “Please use magic to heal yourself, darling. I can’t bear to see you suffer,” Arthur pleaded as he held Merlin’s hand.

Merlin hesitated, but his eyes flashed gold as all of his injuries began to slowly heal and eventually disappeared from existence.

Arthur held Merlin’s hands, and he started to stroke circles over the warlocks knuckles with his thumbs, “I promise to never leave you ever again, and I will punish the people who did this to you”.

Merlin nodded as he forced a grateful smile, “Thank you”.

Arthur kissed Merlin’s shoulder, and then he started to slowly kiss the warlock’s neck, hoping that the affection would cheer Merlin up. His heart fluttered when he heard Merlin laugh, squirming as the prince’s kisses tickled him.

“Arthur!” Merlin laughed before the prince nuzzled into the side of his neck.

“I love you” Arthur smiled gently as he held Merlin.

The couple spent the morning filling out paperwork, telling each other how much they loved one another, ignoring all five rounds of the angry hammering knocks on the wooden door. Their morning entertainment consisted of watching and laughing at some of Uther’s knights fighting in the courtyard. That had a terrific laugh, especially when the knights had decided that it was a clever idea to throw metal buckets at each other, one of which knocked out a guard, which led to more arguing and some grappling on the ground in the courtyard.

Not much time had passed before Arthur was scheduled to practice his swordsmanship skills with the knights. Merlin did not hesitate to help Arthur to put his armour on, much to Arthur’s relief because he always struggled to fasten one of his wristguards, “I’ve missed holding your hand” Arthur smiled as he gently grabbed Merlin’s hand, entwining their fingers together.

Merlin smiled before kissing the prince on the cheek, “I’ve missed it too”.

Meanwhile, one of the knights that had attacked Merlin was striding towards Merlin and Arthur’s chambers while rehearsing an excuse or a believable story in his head that he could use to get Merlin away from the prince. Agravaine had given him specific instructions to get Merlin into the throne room, so an obvious excuse was to say that Uther had summoned for Merlin. However, the knight froze when he saw the door open, and Arthur strolled out of the room whilst his and Merlin’s arms were linked. ‘Shit!’ the knight thought as his mind went void of all other thoughts when he saw the prince. Nevertheless, he hastily moved out of the way of the couple’s path, hiding his dagger behind his back as he stood with his back to a wall and bowed. “Good morning, sire”, he greeted, earning a quick nod of acknowledgement from Arthur. A long moment passed before the couple were out of earshot, oblivious to the knight who was cursing himself out, turning to make the dreaded walk to the throne room, “Agravaine’s not going to be happy.” he muttered to himself, mind racing as he thought about the numerous ways that he might meet his demise as a result of his failed mission.

It was not a hot day outside, nor was it practically cold even though a soft breeze was floating through the air. Merlin preferred weather like this, a light breeze and a slight warmth cast down from the sun as a combination worked perfectly well together, keeping the air fresh and not muggy or overwhelmingly warm. Arthur, on the other hand, preferred the autumn and winter seasons, something about the changing of the leaves changing colour, the calm winds leading up to the eventual blankets of snow and glassy ice seemed beautiful to him. Of course, it was not as beautiful as Merlin, but a close second in his mind.

The courtyard was set up ready for Arthur and the knights to train, and a couple of the servants were polishing the weapons, prepared for the knights to use them; The knights were laughing and joking around as they patiently awaited the arrival of the prince of Camelot. “The magical lovers have finally woken up!” Gwaine cheered when he saw the couple. All the other knights looked up and smiled at Merlin and Arthur. However, Lancelot jumped as Gwaine ran and tackled him; both fell to the ground in hysterics as everyone laughed.

“Go and sit down for a bit. Call me over if you need anything”, Arthur spoke softly as he placed his hand on Merlin’s cheek.

Merlin smiled, and he nodded slightly, “Alright”.

Arthur gave his warlock a peck on the lips before turning to walk over to the knights, picking up a shield as Merlin sat down on the luscious green grass. However, it was not long before a thought popped into his head, the sudden fear that Merlin would get attacked again. He stopped and turned to face the warlock, “Merlin, come here a second”.

“I just sat down” Merlin jokingly sighed and rolled his eyes as he stood up. He strode over to where the prince was standing. Still, confusion flooded through him when Arthur immediately handed him a sword, “Do you want me to help you fight?” the warlock asked, not understanding the situation, looking down at the weapon and then at his lover.

Arthur shook his head and simply smiled, “Nope, I want to teach you to fight.”

Merlin scoffed and waved a hand in the air, “I have magic. I don’t think I need one of these. Plus, you’ve already taught me how to fight”.

Leon spoke up as he and the other knights could understand why Arthur felt like he needed to teach Merlin how to defend himself in a fight or a battle, “If you were to undergo any complications with your magic, a sword might be a safety net.”

Merlin pulled a face but did not object as Arthur stood behind him, placing his hands on the warlock’s hands to help him grip the sword’s hilt, “That’s never going to happen”.

“Just remember to twist your hips when you swing,” Arthur instructed in a whisper. ‘It already did happen because he was attacked’, he thought to himself, being cautious to not verbalise his thoughts because he knew that it could upset Merlin.

“Alright, but you’re going to lose”, Merlin smirked as Arthur pulled away. He watched as the prince borrowed Lancelot’s sword to par with the raven-haired young man.

Arthur felt slightly uncomfortable as he approached the warlock, sword in hand, but knew that it needed to be done to ensure Merlin could defend himself if ever something should happen, “I’ll go easy on you”.

Merlin found Arthur’s conflicted expression cute and smirked, tilting his sword slightly to put the prince off, “Don’t bother. I need to learn somehow”.

A baffled yet intrigued expression appeared on Arthur’s face, puzzled at how suddenly Merlin’s attitude had changed from nervous to confident. Preparing to go easy on the warlock, Arthur raised his sword slightly before racing at the warlock; his eyes widened as Merlin quickly moved to the side, the blade slipping past him by only a few inches. The prince gave a stunned, wide-eyed glare before quickly using his sword to block Merlin’s counterattack. The knights all laughed and cheered as the two were left in an unexpected standoff between the warlock and the prince. Arthur clicked his tongue, causing Merlin to giggle at his partner’s annoyed expression.

“This isn’t a show!” Arthur snapped at the knights, his trademark ‘prince Arthur ego’ torn apart at the seams.

“Eyes on the prize, dollop head!” Merlin jokingly taunted his lover, who halfheartedly glared up at him.

Arthur charged forwards, only to land flat on his ass as Merlin simultaneously kicked him backwards whilst disarming him, “What the...?”

Merlin triumphantly raised both swords in the air, “Sorry, Arthur. I’m a fast learner!”

“And Merlin wins!” the knights all cheered.

Arthur’s sulky pout slowly disappeared as he stood up, smirking as a devious idea came to mind, ‘oh really?’ he thought as the knights cheered for Merlin. He sneaked up behind the warlock before quickly wrapping his arms around Merlin’s neck and laughing, “Not quite”.

“What!” Merlin cried out in shock as he jumped when Arthur grabbed him, dropping the two swords as he jumped.

“Hi, Merlin”, Arthur said cheekily.

Merlin smirked as the prince began to kiss his neck, and he laughed as he held onto Arthur’s wrists, “Arthur!”

“My eyes are defiantly on the prize”, Arthur whispered seductively into Merlin’s ear.

“Everyone can see”, Merlin whispered.

Arthur pressed himself up against Merlin, and he smirked when the warlock whimpered in frustration at the feeling of the prince’s crotch pressing against him from behind, “That doesn’t bother me. I want everyone to know that I love you”, he stated in a seductive whisper.

“I love you too”, Merlin turned his head to face Arthur, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss. The prince wasted no time in gripping his warlock’s hips and deepening their kiss, to the point of Merlin faintly moaning.

The knights all cheered and whistled as they watched the couple make out, “Hahaha! Guess that means Arthur won, right?” Elyan asked.

“Nah”, Arthur glanced at the knights, “I am just a bad loser!” he joked before flipping all of the knights off, which only made them laugh even more.

After a moment of passionate kissing, Arthur and Merlin pulled back from each other’s lips, smiling at each other with heart eyes. The weight of the world lifted off of their shoulders for the brief moment that they held each other close. All of their worries faded away as they stood in complete and utter bliss.

“So, what’s my prize if I am yours?” Merlin asked flirtatiously.

“Being showered in love by the worst loser in Camelot,” Arthur smirked as he gave his answer.

“You are always a winner to me”, Merlin smiled softly as he hugged Arthur.

The prince wrapped one arm around Merlin, his hand resting on the small of Merlin’s back. All the while, he then raised his arm in the air, making a triumph fist as he grinned at the knights, ‘He’s absolutely perfect’.

“Ooh, la la!” The knights cheered as they laughed.

Merlin chuckled as Arthur protectively wrapped an arm around his waist, closing his eyes and nuzzling into the prince’s neck. “Smug arse”, he murmured against Arthur’s skin.

Arthur chuckled, kissing Merlin’s shoulder, “Anyone who’s gifted with love from a beautiful person like you definitely would be smug. You’re the most beautiful person  I’ve ever seen. I love you so much”.

“I love you too”, Merlin smiled against Arthur’s smooth skin.

The rest of the day was almost unproductive, asides from Merlin using magic to clean Arthur’s chambers because the mess was annoying him, and the room needed a good clean. The prince had not noticed what the warlock was doing, he just busied himself by examining some maps whilst the warlock sat on the bed with his spell book. The door was locked to prevent any of Uther’s knights from barging in at the demands of their entitled king.

It had taken a while, but Arthur eventually noticed that something was moving out of the corner of his eye. He looked up and saw that a mop was mopping the floor, a duster was chasing away the cobwebs, and three cloths were cleaning the windows on their own as though invisible people were controlling them. “How are you doing that?” Arthur asked, looking towards the bed where Merlin was, lying on his front with his knees bent, and his ankles crossed as he studied his spell book.

“By concentrating, magic requires full concentration at all times for it to be used accurately. The individual using magic must have strong will, motivation, and courage for the magic to take effect”, Merlin explained without taking his eyes off his book.

Intrigued, Arthur stood up and walked over to the bed, “What language is that?” he asked as he laid down on his side net to Merlin.

“It is old English, Celtic, and Latin,” Merlin answered.

“So... You have to concentrate at all times?” Arthur smirked as his eyes rolled over Merlin’s slim figure. Looking at the warlock made the testosterone inside Arthur urge him along as his need for the warlock increased. Merlin was like a drug to him. He desired to have the warlock.

“Yep, but you’re not helping by looking me up and down”, Merlin stated as he tried to remain focused on reading his book. Nevertheless, he could not help the excitement that he felt every time Arthur looked at him longingly.

“I won’t look then”, Arthur shrugged, placing his hand on the small of Merlin’s back before slowly moving it down until it rested on the warlock’s bum.

Merlin sighed; all of the cleaning supplies fell to the floor as he closed his spell book, “You are such a part” he turned his head and looked at Arthur.

“I know, but I am your prat”, The further king smirked flirtatiously, resulting in Merlin smirking back at him.

The morning began to dawn as the two cuddled, and soon in bed, Arthur found himself staring out of the window; they had taken to leaving curtains of the window facing the rising sun. The future king momentarily looked away from the morning sky and smiled at the warlock sleeping peacefully next to him. Merlin looked angelic as he slept in the prince’s strong, safe arms. As he sat in silence just guarding his lover, Arthur could not help but think about how Merlin might still be slightly shaken up because of the bandit attack only a few nights ago; this led to him forming an idea in his head to try and help his warlock feel safe again, so he began to rub Merlin’s arm.

“Merlin. It’s time to wake up, my darling”, Arthur spoke softly.

The warlock groaned as he woke up, and he yawned as he stretched out his legs. “Hhhhmmn?” Merlin questioned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Get dressed. I want to show you something”, Arthur said with a secretive smirk.

Merlin pouted because he wanted to go back to sleep, he was exhausted, but he sighed, “Alright”. Merlin begrudgingly climbed out of bed, dressed in his usual attire, Arthur doing the same before snuck out of their chambers. The couple crept through the palace, the only witnesses being the nighttime guards still standing at their posts like statues. Merlin found himself being led out of the castle, “Where are we going? I’m fatigued, Arthur”, he whined with exhaustion.

Arthur turned his head to look at Merlin, “I have a surprise for you, but you need to be quiet because the guards might follow us”, he explained before he turned and kissed Merlin.

Merlin nodded, wrapping his arms around Arthur’s arm as he walked alongside the prince, “Okay”, he whispered.

Arthur placed his hand on Merlin’s hand as they crept to the stables, where he and Arthur saddled up Arthur’s horse before they left the kingdom, making their way towards the woods. They walked deeper and deeper into the forest for at least twenty-five minutes; Merlin sat behind Arthur on the saddle as he admired the beautiful early morning surroundings; the birds were singing and, the bugs were gathering food, the sun’s rays glistened against the sea of green leaves on the trees and the forest animals were grazing. Arthur could tell that his warlock was tired because he had yawned a few times and had his head on his shoulder. The prince did not mind this in any way; he just thought that Merlin was special and incredibly sweet.

After travelling the distance of two miles, the couple finally arrived at a cave; the entrance was hidden by a blanket of hanging vines, and the footpath carried on in a different direction. The warlock froze when he saw the cave. It looked like the kind of place that a humongous snake was going to slither out of. ‘It’s too early in the morning to fight monsters and stuff. I’m too tired’, Merlin thought as he looked at Arthur through sleepy eyes.

It was as though Arthur could read Merlin’s mind because he kissed the warlock’s hand and smiled reassuringly at him, “It is completely safe. Do you trust me?”

Merlin nodded, sighing deeply, “Yes”.

Arthur nodded as they began to walk towards the cave; the prince pushed some of the vines to one side as he walked into the darkness with Merlin at his side. Arthur soon placed his hand on one of Merlin’s hands, linking their fingers together before turning his head to look at the young man, “Can you conjure up a light, please?”

“Léoht”, Merlin whispered, his eyes flashing gold as his magic flowed from every fibre of his being.

An orb of white light speared in front of Merlin and Arthur, guiding their path as it floated further into the cave’s darkness, and the couple followed it. They walked through the cave for a minute or so before they saw that the end of the dark tunnel had a mass of hanging vines covering it; the light of the sun was desperately trying to break through the fog of dark green and ivy, but only some of the beams were successful. Arthur raised his arms, pushing away some of the vines to clear the path. The light of the sun beamed into the cave, and the warm, intense light momentarily blinded the couple. Both men squinted their eyes as they walked a few steps forward, their eyes slowly adjusting before allowing them to gaze at the beautiful landscape. A clear blue/green lake sat in the middle of a grassy bank, guarded by trees and flowers. The grass was emerald and fresh, birds singing in the sky and trees, butterflies fluttering around the area as the bees nuzzled at the flowers holding pollen.

Arthur led Merlin down a bank towards the sparkling clear water, smiling at the look of awe that was plastered on the warlock’s face, “We’re here”.

Merlin smiled as he looked out at the lake, feeling a calming feeling settle inside him. “It’s beautiful”, he said, “Let’s make this our place”. He let go of Arthur’s arm, bending down to dip his hand into the slightly cool lake.

Arthur smiled at the innocent expression in his lover’s eyes, “Well, then there is only one way to do that”.

Merlin looked up at Arthur to find out what he meant but then quickly looked away as Arthur stripped off all of his clothing. A tint of red crept across his cheeks as Arthur got undressed next to him.

“It’s not like you to be shy”, Arthur stated as he watched his warlock blush, a smirk on his face as he strode towards the water until it was up to his chest.

The warlock was momentarily mesmerised by how gorgeous Arthur’s body was; his muscles made him look like a god, and his golden hair shone in the sunlight, ‘To hell with it!’ he thought, nearly tearing off his clothes.

Arthur watched as Merlin waddled into the water until it met his waist. Not wanting to go any further. A devious idea formed in the prince’s head, so he slowly moved until he was swimming under the water. Merlin froze when he could not see Arthur.

“Arthur?” Merlin called, panicking that Arthur might be drowning. The warlock subconsciously readied himself to dive under and rescue his beloved prince.

However, a pair of hands slithered around Merlin’s waist, making said person jump in shock and yelp; Arthur was in stitches as he emerged from the water, cackling like a mad man before moving to kiss Merlin’s neck, “Sorry, did I scare you?”

Merlin rolled his eyes, only to moan slightly a few seconds later. “Prat”, he breathed as the prince kissed the soft spot on his neck.

“You love me really”, Arthur slowly began to turn Merlin around until their lips touched. It was like Merlin had been put under a spell. Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur’s neck and moaned softly as the prince kissed him; he wanted to lose himself to the prince. He wanted Arthur’s hands on him. Arthur moved his hands down to Merlin’s thighs, lifting the warlock up, and he held onto Merlin’s smooth pale thighs as he and Merlin continued to kiss. He soon lost himself to the warlock’s spell.

Merlin was just about to lose himself to the prince when his anxiety suddenly hit him, and he pulled back from kissing Arthur, “Are you sure that this is a good idea?”

“What do you mean?” Arthur looked up at Merlin with confusion.

Merlin sighed, looking around the area to make sure that they were alone, “What if someone followed us? What if someone finds us here? What if someone has a weapon and we were unable to defend ourselves?”

Arthur sighed and smiled fondly at his apprehensive warlock, “Merlin Emrys”.

“Yeah?” Merlin asked.

“You’re the most powerful warlock to have ever lived. You alone have saved me loads of times. You have also protected dragons, unicorns, the knights, Guias, your mother, Ealdor, Camelot and more on more occasions than I can count. You would be able to defend us on your own if I were unable to,” Arthur stated with a slight chuckle and a pair of reassuring eyes.

Merlin smiled sheepishly and chuckled, “Oh yeah, good point”.

“Now, stop being so anxious because I won’t let anyone hurt you. I also want to continue kissing my gorgeous warlock, but we can stop if you want to stop”, Arthur stated, his eyes full of reassurance and pure unconditional love for the warlock.

“I love you”, Merlin’s smiled before pressing his lips against Arthur’s again, and they continued from where they had left off only moments ago.

Chapter Text

It was the middle of the night when Arthur awoke, his gaze falling upon Merlin, who was sitting next to the window, looking up at the starry night sky: the warlock was hugging his knees against his chest for warmth because he was only wearing one of the prince's tunics to sleep in. Not that he had done much sleeping in the last couple of hours. The warlock had tossed and turned in order to will his mind and body to rest, but it had been of no use, he was tired, but the discomfort in his tummy and back had kept him awake whilst Arthur had slept soundly for three hours.

"Can you not sleep?" Arthur asked.

Merlin turned his head and saw that the prince was looking at him. He shook his head before returning to taxing at the star-covered sky "My mind would not shut off, and I feel sick".

Arthur lifted the covers off himself and moved over to the edge of the bed. He climbed off of the comfiest mattress ever, and he walked over to sit beside Merlin; he bent one of his knees and placed his hand on it before he looked at his beloved warlock "How long have you been sat here?"

"I am not sure; you were fast asleep when I got out of bed", Merlin answered without looking away from the glistening stars.

"How do you know?" Arthur asked.

"I know that because you snore when you are fast asleep" Merlin turned his head to look at Arthur as he spoke.

"I do not snore!" The prince exclaimed, slightly offended.

Merlin smiled fondly at the prince. "Yes, you do. It keeps me awake sometimes".

Arthur smiled because of Merlin's soft, affectionate voice and leaned in to kiss the warlock. "I will believe you then. How do you feel sick?"

"I still have a stomach-ache, and my back hurts" Merlin leaned his head to the side to rest it against Arthur's shoulder.

Arthur looked at Merlin, and a warmth filled him as he leaned towards Merlin. His cheek was pressed against the warlock's head, and he could feel his soft raven hair tickling his skin. Merlin smelt like apples and berries. Arthur loved Merlin's scent. "Is there anything that I can do to help?"

"Just hold me. It should pass soon," Merlin tried to suppress a yawn.

Arthur wrapped his arm around Merlin's shoulders, and placed his other hand on the warlock's knee. "I can do that".

Merlin and Arthur sat next to the window for a few minutes as they gazed up at the sparkling stars, the prince had started to stroke his warlock's hair slowly, and Merlin yawned because it did not make him sleepy.

Arthur smiled when Merlin yawned, and he moved his arm to hold his hand. "Are you getting tired?"

"Yeah, it feels nice when you stroke my hair", Merlin whispered.

"Do you want to try and get some sleep now?" Arthur asked.

"Okay," Merlin closed his eyes.

Arthur moved so that he could pick Merlin up; he then stood up and carried the warlock over to the bed. He gently put Merlin down on the bed and pulled the covers up to his chest before he walked around to his side of the bed and he laid down next to Merlin. Their foreheads were touching, and they were holding hands; the prince was gazing at his Merlin in awe, and the warlock was mirroring his expression.

"Close your eyes and get some sleep. It will help you to get better," Arthur stated softly.

"Alright, wake me up if I sleep for too long" Medlin's eyes slowly closed, and he moved to hold Arthur's other hand.

Arthur moved his arm and placed his hand on Merlin's waist; he gave the warlock a soft kiss on the lips. "Good night, my precious warlock", he whispered.

When Arthur pulled back, Merlin smiled sleepily, "Good night, my handsome prince".

Morning came, and the dim light from the outside world started to slowly creep inside the prince's chambers. Arthur's eyes cracked open, and they scanned the room for abnormalities before falling on the figure beside him. A smile tugged on the prince's lips; his warlock was peacefully asleep, his breathing slow as expected from someone sleeping. Arthur rolled over to fully face the love of his life.

'He's like an angel', Arthur thought to himself before gently stroking the warlock's hair.

Merlin stirred, his mouth opening wide as he let out a long and even louder yawn. Arthur chuckled and watched Merlin turn over, showing his back to the prince.

The prince sat up and stretched to loosen his muscles before sliding out of bed and walking around Merlin's side. He reached down and shook the warlock gently to wake him. "Merlin, it is time to get up."

Merlin groaned in disapproval before opening his eyes and rubbing them. "I am too tired to get out of bed".

"Sorry, if you want, you can go back to sleep", Arthur said before walking off the change into something more appropriate.

Merlin lay in bed staring at the ceiling for a minute before smirking and getting up to change.

Arthur watched him in awe as Merlin looked like a god no matter what he wore. He liked it when Merlin wore one of his tunics for bed. Seeing that Merlin felt comfortable in the palace and around him warmed his heart.

"Stop staring..." Merlin sighed in embarrassment as he pulled his trousers on.

Arthur shook his head, "No can do. You are too gorgeous".

Merlin finished freshening up and pouted at Arthur.

"Come on! Don't sulk. The maid brought us breakfast while we were asleep." Arthur laughed and encouraged Merlin to sit down at the table.

The two ate and drank water until all left were empty plates, trays and pitchers.

"They sure gave us a lot to eat this morning," Arthur said as he patted his belly

"Are you sure it was our breakfast, not the king's?" Merlin asked with a smile.

Arthur shrugged, "We ate it, so unless he wants barf, he can suck a duck for all I care!"

Merlin burst out laughing, and he looked at Arthur. "When did you get so brutal?"

Arthur pulled Merlin over to sit on his knee, and he wrapped his arms around the warlock's waist. "The second that you were arrested for having magic".

The warlock wrapped his arms around Arthur's neck, and he smiled. "Is this going to continue?"

"I will always defend you", Arthur answered.

Looking at the prince, Merlin was captivated by the loving gaze which was being cast upon him. The prince leaned in and joined his lips with Merlin's in a slow romantic kiss. The warlock melted into the sweet embrace and kissed back almost instantly. They continued their make-out session for a few moments before it began to sour. Merlin's stomach flipped, and he quickly pulled away.

"Merlin? What's wrong-" Arthur saw a blur of movement as Merlin raced towards the chamber pot. The breakfast they had feasted on lay in the pot as Merlin weakly wobbled from side to side. "Merlin..." Arthur said painfully before pulling the warlock up to his feet, "I'm taking you to Guias." he said sternly. Merlin did not argue; he merely nodded as the prince dragged him off. They left the room and walked down the palace corridors towards the familiar room.

"Arthur, my back hurts. Can you slow down a little bit, please?" Merlin asked.

Arthur stopped marching down the hallways and turned to look at Merlin, placing his hand on the small of Merlin's back and he rubbed it slightly. "Yeah, do you feel sick?"

"A little bit", Merlin nodded.

Arthur leaned in and kissed Merlin's cheek. "Let's just take it slowly then, one step at a time".

Merlin wrapped his arm around Arthur's, and he sighed, "I hate feeling sick; I feel useless".

Arthur placed his hand on one of Merlin's hands as they continued to walk down the corridor. "I know, but you are definitely not useless. You are my perfect warlock," he spoke softly in order to cheer Merlin up.

"And you are my brilliant prince", Merlin whispered.

They walked for a few minutes until they arrived at Guias's chambers. Arthur kissed Merlin and explained that he had to go to sword practice. The warlock nodded, and he said he would go to the courtyard to watch him practice after getting something for his sickness. Arthur nodded and kissed Merlin before telling the warlock that he loved him. He then turned and started to walk towards the courtyards for practice.

Merlin watched Arthur walk away before he turned to the door in front of him and knocked on it. He could hear the sound of objects being rummaged around on the other side of the wooden door. A few mere seconds later, the door swung open, and Guias stood there looking worn out.

"Guias? Is everything okay?" Merlin asked.

Guias nodded with a sigh, "Yes, one of the bookshelves broke, but it's under control. Anything wrong?"

Merlin hesitated but nodded, "Do you have anything that can help to relieve back pains and an upset stomach?"

"Yes, of course, I do" Guias smiled and gestured for Merlin to enter.

Merlin stepped over books and sat down at a table whilst Guias rummaged through his shelves to find the potion, he walked over to the warlock when he found what he was looking for, and he handed it to him. "This should help with your stomach, but it should only be taken before sleep since it only relieves the pain. This will help with your back, but only take it when you plan to do work; come back to me when you have used them up."

Merlin nodded and took the glass bottle. "Thank you, Guias."

"You are welcome, Merlin", Guias smiled.

Merlin left and began to walk back down the corridors, stuffing the bottle into his pocket as he did so. He sighed as he walked down a corridor to get to Arthur's practice in the courtyard. All the while, the warlock could not help but feel extremely uneasy. Merlin noticed that a few servants were staring at him and concluded that it was because of them that he felt nervous. However, the feeling only got worse when two men approached him; one was dressed in rich but dark-coloured clothes, while the other wore long, hooded robes that covered his slim figure completely.

"I'll see you later, my friend.", the bigger man said before waving and walking off in a different direction.

The slim man nodded slightly and began to walk passed Merlin. But Merlin hurried aside just in time before the man could pass him. The man glared at Merlin from under his hood, a dagger in hand.

"I don't know who you are or who sent you, but stop this before it gets ugly.", Merlin spoke calmly before his eyes flashed gold, and he connected his mind to Arthur's 'Arthur, help. Someone is trying to kill me!' Merlin called out to the prince.

The hooded man smirked and turned to face Merlin, "Gladly!"

The knife flew out of the man's hand towards Merlin's head. The warlock had little time to think as his eyes flashed gold, and the blade was propelled away from him. The man growled and raced at Merlin. The warlock dodged blow after blow before finally finding himself tired, at which point the hooded man pounced on him. "Got you now, witch!" the man spat.

Merlin smiled slightly as he struggled, "Sorry about this." he sighed, and his eyes went gold once more as he used his magic to manipulate the air, pushing the man back.

"Ah!" the man exclaimed as he flew through the air.

Merlin quickly got to his knees and pressed the palm of his hand to the ground, searching for the familiar footprint of his loved one. 'Arthur, help!'

The man stood up, outraged, "You dumbass! Just keep still and die!"

Merlin was about to use magic, but the man ran at him, and they fell backwards onto the hard floor. The small glass bottle in Merlin's pocket flew out and smashed against the floor.

Merlin's eyes flashed gold, and he connected his mind with Arthur's. 'Arthur, I need a little help!'

Arthur heard Merlin in his head, and his eyes widened. "Merlin?!" he dropped his shield, and the knights looked at him 'Where are you?!'

The assassin used his knife to cut Merlin's cheek, and the warlock hissed in pain as he tried to push the man off of him. Arthur felt a pain in his cheek, and he winced, but then he felt the sensation of a blade being plunged into his shoulder and grunted in pain.

'The far west corridor near the library!' Merlin answered.

Arthur looked at the knights. "Merlin's in trouble, follow me!" he turned around, and he started running to Merlin 'Hold on, my love. We are on our way!'

Merlin pulled back the link with Arthur's mind, and he wrestled against the man who wanted to kill him. The warlock's eyes flashed gold, and the assassin was thrown backwards. This allowed Merlin to stand up and use his magic to fight the other man.

"Who sent you?!" Merlin shouted.

The man grinned evilly. "You already know the answer to that, Merlin!"

Merlin's heart dropped. "Morgana".

The assassin chuckled and said, "The lady Morgana did say that you were more intelligent than you look! However, she informed me of the weakness that you have... You will not be able to protect your dear prince Arthur from the rightful queen of Camelot, he will be killed, and you will not be alive to prevent it!"

Merlin's eyes turned gold, and the assassin cried out in pain as the hilt of the dagger burnt his skin. Merlin then threw a ball of electricity at the man, making him fall to his knees, but he quickly stood up and pulled another dagger out of his belt. The assassin threw the knife at Merlin, but the warlock simply used magic to stop it mid-air, turn it around and throw it back at the man. The would-be assassin yelled in pain as the dagger plummeted into his shoulder, and he pulled it out. His blood started to leak out of his body, and he ran at Merlin, but that warlock used a stunning spell on him, and he launched against one of the brick walls.

The man groaned as he stood up, they filled him, and he readied himself to sprint at Merlin. "I am going to rip your throat out!"

Merlin caught sight of Arthur and the knights running around the corner and straight at the man that had attacked him. "I would have liked to see you try", he smirked.

Arthur sprinted over and tackled the man that had attacked his warlock, drew his sword, and held the tip to the man's throat. "Who sent you?!"

"Someone that wants your precious warlock dead. I am not the only one that will try to kill him," the assassin thrashed around as he tried to escape from the furious prince.

Arthur tried not to show emotion, but his heart dropped because he realised he might be unable to protect Merlin. That made him feel incredibly guilty. He looked at Gwaine, Percival, Leon, Elyan and Lancelot. "Arrest this man for an attempt to harm those of the royal family!"

The knights marched over and arrested the assassin; they then began to drag him away to the dungeon whilst Arthur straightened up and put his sword back on his belt. Once they were alone, Arthur rushed over to Merlin and pulled him into a desperate hug. The warlock hugged the Prince back, and he began to relax as his beloved held him.

"Are you alright? Were you hurt?" Arthur asked.

"I am fine, just a few bumps, cuts and bruises", Merlin answered.

Arthur moved his arm and placed his hand on the back of Merlin's head, hurrying to kiss the side of the warlock's head.

"I am alright, Arthur. There is no need to worry about me," Merlin soothed.

Arthur pulled back, and he stroked Merlin's hair with both of his hands. "I will always worry about you." He then wrapped one arm around the warlock's waist and put the other hand on the back of Merlin's head again so he could guide the young man's head to his shoulder. "I am so sorry that I was not here earlier. I came as quickly as possible".

"It is fine. Thank you for helping me" Merlin placed his hand on Arthur's chest.

"I will always help you", Arthur whispered, but then he. I noticed the broken bottle on the floor and the blue liquid that was now a tiny puddle. "What is that?"

Merlin lifted his head, following Arthur's gaze, and saw the broken glass on the floor. "So much for my medicine".

"We need to go and get you another one!" Arthur stated.

Merlin shook his head and rested it against Arthur's shoulder. "I would rather go somewhere with you. I'll just get some more medicine tomorrow".

Arthur kissed Merlin's head, stroking his hair. "Alright, I prefer that idea because I can protect you if we are together. Come on, let's get out of this bloody palace".

Merlin pulled back, and the prince grabbed his hand; the warlock squeezed Arthur's hand, and he held onto the blond's upper arm with his other hand. They began walking down the hallway, not knowing where to go. They just knew that they wanted to get out of the palace.

Meanwhile, Morgana was trekking through the woods, eager to see her sister. When she finally saw the familiar head of sunshine, a smirk spread across her face "Sister". Morgana breathed gently.

In response to the greeting, Morgause turned and gave the raven-haired witch a loving smile, "It is good to see that you are well, Morgana."

Morgana nodded and walked to her sister's side, "You were not in the hideout, so I had to come to find you."

Morgause sighed gently before turning to look at a brook that was running nearby. "I am sorry. I needed to clear my mind about something."

Morgana shook her head, "It is nothing to be sorry for. I just missed you, is all. What is bothering you?"

Morgause met Morgana's gaze and stroked the woman's cheek. "I am tired of that wretched man being on the throne. We must get rid of him soon."

Morgana smirked evilly as she nodded in agreement, "But of course, and do not forget his son.".

Morgause nodded, "He will eventually turn out just like his father." She then remembered someone. "And what about the warlock Merlin?"

Morgana became enraged at the sound of that name, and her mind started to plot, "I hate him… but at the same time, we might need him eventually."

Morgause folded her arms and looked down at the ground, "We have no choice then. We shall kill Uther and Arthur. Then we shall lock Emrys up so that he has no choice but to assist us."

"Let's go back, sister.", Morgana said, smiling softly again.

Morgause nodded and walked with her sister as they returned to their hideout. "How should we do it?", Morgause asked in a sing-song voice, and she laughed evilly. "Swords, fire, curse or poison?"

Morgana laughed and looked at her sister, "I want Uther to look into my eyes when I run my sword through his gut! Arthur will be so devastated by his father's death that he will betray Merlin by offering him to us, and then we will stick a knife in his back. Merlin will not be able to prevent the blade of a dagger from being plunged into his prince's back this time". She explained her plan as her eyes flashed pure evil and hatred for Uther, Arthur and Merlin.

Merlin gasped as he quickly sat up in bed; he was sweating, his heart was thumping with fear, and tears were streaming down his face like small rivers. "What the hell was that?" he asked himself as he tried to slow his breathing. He looked to his left and saw that Arthur was fast asleep on his back and his hand on his chest. He sighed as he placed his hand on Arthur's upper arm and began to shake it. "Arthur, wake up. Arthur!"

Arthur stirred from his sleep "What is it?"

"I think that I just had a premonition." Merlin sniffled.

"Oh yeah? What was it about?" Arthur scoffed; he did not know about one of Merlin's powers.

Merlin closed his eyes and hugged himself as he pulled his knees up to his chest. "Uther ordered me to be arrested, I was chained to a pillar, and I was being whipped by a knight. You were holding onto my hand and trying to comfort me. Afterwards, you carried me to Guias's chambers and rubbed my leg as I healed myself with magic. You then carried me back here and promised to protect me and..." He stopped talking, and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Arthur opened his eyes and looked at Merlin; he was confused but also concerned about the warlock. "And what? Protect you and what?"

Merlin opened his eyes, and he shrugged. "I do not know; I woke up before you finished speaking. But my heart is aching, and I feel like I need to guard something".

Arthur sat up, gently grabbing Merlin's trembling hand. "It was just a dream; everything is alright, and you are safe with me".

Merlin looked into Arthur's tired but concerned eyes. "But what about the man who tried to kill me? Morgana must have sent him".

"How do you know that?" Arthur sighed.

"She knows she cannot steal the throne as long as I am alive and well. With me out of the way, she could kill you and Uther before eventually snatching Camelot for herself," Merlin reasoned. He knew that he was correct about the assassin and Morgana working together.

Arthur let go of Merlin's hand and laid down to sleep. "You are probably right, but I will not let anyone hurt you. You are safe in this palace".

'I was not safe from Uther, Agravaine and those knights, ' Merlin thought before he laid down facing Arthur. "I am sorry for waking you up".

Arthur moved his arm, and he started to stroke Merlin's dark hair. "You need not apologise for waking me up when you are scared or worried. Are you alright?"

Merlin nodded, and he hummed a response, "Yeah, I just feel a bit anxious".

Arthur placed his hand on Merlin's hip and gave his warlock a peck on the nose. "That is to be expected after that assassin attacked you. Try and go back to sleep, yeah? You look exhausted," he spoke softly so that he course ease the warlock's worries.

Merlin nodded, and he closed his eyes. "I love you".

"I love you too," Arthur whispered, then he closed his eyes to go back to sleep.

After thirty minutes, everyone but Agravaine was asleep in the palace. The evil man was sitting at his desk and writing a letter. His eyes were full of hate, and his aura emitted evil and hatred as he scribbled on the parchment.

'My Lady,

The assassination attempt was, unfortunately, a failure. The wretched boy was too powerful, and the prince quickly protected him. However, he does not believe Merlin about who had attacked him, so there is a chance that Arthur will not expect the untimely death of the king and the imprisonment of his precious warlock.

The boy is more intelligent than I once thought, and his weakness is Arthur. He would do anything to protect his idiotic prince.'

Agravaine looked up from the letter that he was writing and smirked. "Even put himself in harm's way" He remembered the events of the tournament, the day that Merlin had accidentally revealed himself as someone who possesses the magic to protect Arthur from being harmed or even killed by an assassin. Agravaine also remembered the look in Merlin's eyes when he threatened to kill Arthur, and the warlock had taken the torture he endured that night to protect the prince, his mother, Hunith and Guias. "Without Merlin, Arthur is weak and stupid. Without his warlock... Morgana will be granted the opportunity to take Camelot" He chuckled before returning to writing the letter. He rolled it up and then picked it up before walking outside.

A raven flew over, and Agravaine put the letter under his claws before it flew back to its master.

Agravaine crossed his arms as he watched the bird fly away. "Not long now, Morgana. Our patience will be rewarded soon".

Chapter Text

Uther was sat on his throne, a look of boredom settled on his face; before him, knelt down on the ground was the assassin. Agravaine's face spelt outrage, however, he was not angry at the fact there was an attack on Merlin, but more so the fact that Merlin was not dead yet.

Agravaine glared at the assassin and spoke out words of boiling anger, "You know what attempted murder on the royal family means, right?"

The assassin kept his head bowed. His face was of disappointment.

Agravaine growled lowly, "Answer me!"

Uther raised his hand for silence, making Agravaine jump in surprise. A moment passed, and Uther sighed, "Let him go." Everyone in the room looked at Uther in complete shock. "There is no proof he attempted to take the witch's life. In fact, I think the witch was merely jumping to conclusions and this man got the blame for it." Uther determined, idiotically.

The guards helped the assassin to his feet and led him away, his face frozen in shock. Agravaine gnashed his teeth together, worried the assassin might let slip that it was he and Morgana who hired him.

Uther reached over and patted Agravaine's back, "Do not worry, friend. I do not think he will try to hurt us."

Agravaine nodded, calming his face so as not to arouse suspicion. "Sorry, sire, but may I be excused for a moment?", he asked, bowing his respects to the king.

Uther nodded and yawned.

The raven-haired man tried not to run for the large doors and out to the corridor. The assassin was waiting behind a pillar just out of sight from the throne room. Agravaine rushed over.

"I want my pay now.", the assassin stated.

Agravaine let out a dry laugh followed by a sharp glare, "I said that I would gladly pay once that the witch was dead. You get nothing because Arthur is not bawling his pathetic eyes out whilst cradling his dead witch in his arms!" he hissed.

The assassin sighed and stormed off 'Well that was a waste of blood!' he thought to himself as he started to admit defeat.

'Why does that son of a bitch witch have to be so powerful?' Agravaine thought he kicked a chair over in frustration and anger before he turned and he walked back into the throne room.

The sharp song of swords slicing the air filled the courtyard as Arthur and the knights practised with Merlin watching off to the side. Despite feeling ill due to the roughening with the assassin, Merlin felt the need to learn. The warlock watched on intently as the knights swing their swords, the power put behind them and the speed at which they cut down their invisible targets.

After he was sure of himself, Merlin picked up a spare sword and began copying the knights.

Arthur stopped when he saw the warlock and smiled before slipping behind him and placing his palms on Merlin's slim hips.

"Arthur?", Merlin asked, stopping and letting the tip of his sword touch the ground.

"Keep going, you are doing quite well.", Arthur said simply.

Merlin nodded and continued to slash the air.

"Keep moving your feet and let my hands guild your hips" Arthur whispered.

Merlin allowed his movements to be guided by the prince, he smiled when Arthur kissed his neck and he started to become more confident.

"A knight must use his skills to succeed in battle, use all of your skills whenever you wield a sword" Arthur instructed as he gently assisted Merlin's movements.

Merlin immediately understood what Arthur was saying and his eyes flashed gold. He began in pretend fight like he was a natural swordsman and he smiled when everyone clapped.

"That was amazing, my darling" Arthur whispered and he wrapped his arms around Merlin's waist.

"Thank you" Arthur whispered back to Arthur.

Eventually, the knights began pairing up and fighting each other to practice.

Lancelot walked up to Merlin and smiled before readying himself, "Come at me!".

Merlin smirked and lunged at Lancelot. However, the knight moved to the side, letting Merlin stumble before finding his feet again. Merlin did not give the knight the chance to launch an attack because he spun around, the sword following through and sailing towards Lancelot. The knight found this a lot harder to block but managed to hold his ground despite the force that was put behind the blade.

The knight and the warlock continued to fight and everyone watched on in amazement, Arthur was watching Merlin in awe as he bathed in how proud he was of his warlock. Gwen walked over to the knights and she stood beside Leon as she watched her husband and Merlin train through fighting.

Merlin was doing very well but Lancelot was a skilled fighter and the knight pushed him backwards, the warlock fell onto the ground with a thump and he winced because he had fallen awkwardly on his ankle.

Arthur panicked for his warlock and he moved to run over to Merlin, but what the warlock did next surprised him.

Merlin did not hesitate to roll onto his side and he reached out his hand towards the blade, he uttered a spell under his breath and his eyes flashed gold. His sword flew back to him and he grabbed the handle and he quickly rolled onto his back, he moved his arm and he used it to block Lancelot's blunt sword.

Lancelot smiled at Merlin and he put his sword away before he held out his hand to the warlock "Well done, Merlin".

Merlin grabbed Lancelot's hand and the knight helped him to his feet "Thanks".

Everyone clapped for Merlin and the prince walked over to congratulate his beloved. Arthur wrapped his arms around the warlock's waist and he pulled him into a loving kiss and Merlin returned his affection.

Arthur was the one to pull back from the kiss and he smiled at Merlin "I am so proud of you".

Merlin smiled at Arthur but then he noticed someone walking down the palace steps and his smile quickly disappeared when he realised who it was "What?"

Arthur was confused so he followed Merlin's gaze as he looked over his shoulder, his throat went dry when he saw that the assassin that had attacked Merlin was actually walking away free "You have got to be fuckin kidding me!" he hissed through his clenched teeth.

Merlin tensed up in Arthur's arms and he dropped his sword, he moved away from Arthur and he began to back up towards the servants' door leading into the palace "I have to go!" he turned and he ran away from the outside world.

Arthur watched as Merlin ran away and then he turned to the knights "Get back to your posts, stay on guard for any threats made against Merlin!" he ordered before he began to stomp towards the palace.

"What was Uther thinking? How could he let that assassin get off scot-free?" Lancelot looked at his fellow knight and he saw that all of them were glaring at the smug assassin as he arrogantly walked passed them. Completely free and without the punishment of justice.

He was absolutely furious, Arthur glared up at his father. He was enraged at the fact that Uther had let the assassin go free after he had placed an attack against Merlin. He could not fathom a reason why anyone would want his warlock harmed or even dead, it made him sick that anyone would target the warlock and he wanted justice for his beloved Merlin.

Uther sighed and rubbed his temples, "Is something the matter, my son?"

Arthur gritted his teeth, "Yeah, you could say that!" he spat at the king.

Uther looked down upon Arthur and smiled slightly, "Care to explain?"

"Why did you let the assassin go?!" Arthur exclaimed.

Uther sighed as if he had seen it coming, "Firstly there is no clear evidence he is an assassin and secondly he did nothing to deserve punishment.", he spoke sinisterly calmly.

Arthur looked at his father in disbelief, "Nothing t-... he tried to kill Merlin!"

Uther scoffed, "A mere witch! There was no one around to witness how it started! For all, we know the witch could have instigated the fight!"

Arthur growled as his anger only built up even more, "Merlin would not do that! And stop talking about him as if he is not a person, he has a name! He is not a witch and he deserves your respect because he holds more power, knowledge and wisdom than you could ever dream of"

Uther angrily stood up from his throne, the look of a power-mad king in his eyes, "The witch is mine and I will talk about him however I wish!"

Arthur wanted to shout back some witty remark or something that would shut the king up, but nothing came to mind. He could only force his mouth open to snap at his father. And in the king's eyes, the prince had cowered away from the fight.

Uther took his seat and ushered the prince away with his hand, "Leave now, I have other things to see to."

Arthur turned around and he left, his blood boiling and his mind cursing Uther for being as ignorant as he was.

Meanwhile, Merlin was pacing back and forth in Arthur's chambers, his mind on his dream and the assassin. He knew that they were connected because the assassin has uttered Morgana's name and the warlock knew that he was not lying; he had read the man's mind and he had seen the memory of the sorceress meeting with the assassin to discuss who she wanted him to kill. However, Morgana had not paid the murderer so Merlin knew that there was someone else scheming alongside her and that worried the warlock.

Merlin sighed and he sat down to heal himself, he pulled his shirt up and he placed his hand on over the wound on his shoulder, his eyes flashed good and it sewed itself shut, he then placed his hand on the right-hand side of his belly to heal the bruise on it but his eyes turned gold and he gasped as a swarm of images flashed before his mind; he saw himself having sex with Arthur before the prince left to go on the quest to find Aithusa, he remembered the weird surge of magic energy that made his body shudder. It felt different and... Magical. The warlock broke the glass of his vision and he stayed still for a moment as his chest heaved, he gulped as he stared at the window and then he pulled himself back to his senses. He hesitated at first but he placed his hand on the purple bruise he had meant to originally heal, he slowly exhaled when nothing happened and he made his eyes flash gold as he healed himself.

"Merlin?", the prince inquired as he neared his loved one.

Merlin looked up and stared at Arthur, his face pale.

"What's wrong?", the prince asked with a voice filled with worry.

Merlin shook his head and he stood upon from the large bed, he looked down at his feet as ringed his hands.

Arthur sighed, "Please?"

Merlin copied Arthur to the 'T' and crossed his arms. "I cannot stop thinking about the Morgana, I am afraid that she will try to hurt you and I cannot believe that Uther let that man go!"

After the simple explanation, Arthur scoffed, "Don't be silly! She wouldn't dare!" He had meant to say what he had said in order to comfort his love but it came out as a snarl. "As for the assassin, I do not think that he will come back".

Merlin stared at Arthur before looking away, "She would dare... I do not know how she will do it yet but I know that she is planning something evil!"

Arthur gritted his teeth, "Have you got to be so depressing?!"

Merlin looked at Arthur in shock "Excuse me?"

"Why can you not just try and be a little more positive for once? Morgana has no chance of taking the throne because I will not let that happen and you are the most powerful warlock to have ever lived!" Arthur exclaimed in frustration.

"Morgana is a threat and she will not rest until she has taken the crown for herself and you are dead!" Merlin shouted.

"That's not going to happen, Merlin!" Arthur shouted.

"How do you know that? Something bad is going to happen and it might kill one of us!" Merlin exclaimed as his fears increased.

"For God's sake! Shut up, Merlin and be useful for once!" Arthur shouted.

Merlin went quiet and he took a step back. He was already feeling dizzy and he walked towards the door, his vison had started to go blurry and he was struggling to walk in a straight line.

"I didn't mean to snap at you," Arthur said in a soft voice.

Merlin's vision suddenly went black and he collapsed onto the floor, unconscious and very pale.

"Merlin!" Arthur ran over and he knelt down next to the warlock. He lifted Merlin up into his arms and he looked at him, he saw how pale the warlock was and it worried him "Merlin?" Arthur carried Merlin over to their bed and he sprinted over to the door, he threw it open and called the guards "Bring Gaius here now! Tell him to hurry because Merlin is unwell!"

Aland nodded and he ran off down the long palace corridors find Gaius .

Arthur hurried back over to the bed and he climbed up onto it, he placed his hand on Merlin's forehead and he realised that the warlock had a bit of a temperature "I didn't mean to snap at you, I am so sorry. Please be alright, I do not know what I would do if I lost you. I love you so much, Merlin. Please be alright" he pleaded as he stroked his beloved's hair.

Aland was running like mad through the palace in a panic to get to Gaius's chambers so that he could help Merlin, he turned the corner the west corridor which was only five minutes away from where the physician was but he ran straight into someone and he stumbled back and landed on to hard flooring with a thud and a 'Ow!'

"Hey, be careful, kid!" Gwaine chuckled as he helped Aland to his feet.

"Why the rush? Has Uther ordered for you to be falsely arrested for sorcery?" Lancelot joked and the other knights laughed.

"Prince Arthur gave me the order to fetch Gaius. Merlin has fallen ill!" Aland panted as he tried to regain his breath; his organs felt like they were being constricted and his legs were shaking slightly due to running so fast. His bum hurt as well because he fell onto it when he ran into Gwaine.

The goofy smiles disappeared on all of the knights' faces, and they looked at each other before they looked at Aland, "What has happened?" Elyan asked.

"I don't know, Prince Arthur looked incredibly worried though!" Aland answered.

"Go and get Gaius!" Leon ordered before he ran straight passed Aland.

Gwaine, Percival, Lancelot and Elyan sprinted after the captain of the knights, as they all ran towards Arthur's chambers to see what was wrong with Merlin. Aland sighed and he continued running down the hallway to find Gaius 'That is what I was trying to do!' he thought to himself. He eventually made it to the physician's chambers and threw the door open before he ran in, Gaius looked at him, and his eyes squinted as he stared at the fatigued knight.

"What is wrong, boy? You look like you have just run away from someone," Gaius stated.

"Prince Arthur has sent for you, sir. He said that Merlin has fallen ill, it seemed urgent!" Aland informed the physician as he leaned against the wall.

Gaius grabbed his medicine satchel and he ran out of the room, a million thoughts raced through his mind as he wondered about what could have made his apprentice sick. Merlin did not get sick often, he was young, fit and healthy, what could possibly be wrong with him? The palace physician continued to run to Arthur's chambers as poor Aland staggered along behind him.

Arthur looked up when the door to his chambers opened and his knights practically climbed over each other to get in "What are you all doing here?" asked the surprised prince.

We heard that Merlin has fallen sick! What happened?" Lancelot asked as he walked further into the large room.

"We were arguing and he turned to walk away but he just collapsed, he has a temperature and he has been sick for quite a few days but I do not know what is wrong with him. I am really worried" Arthur answered before he turned back to look at his warlock, who was still unconscious and a little bit pale.

"Has Merlin ever collapsed before?" Leon asked.

"Only when he drank that poison to save my life, I think" Arthur shrugged.

"Very strange" Percival stated.

Gaius rushed into the prince's chambers and be saw that Arthur's knights were standing around the bed, he pushed he way passed Percival and Gwaine, he then saw that Merlin was asleep on the bed and "What happened?" he asked as he placed his medicine satchel down on the bed and he looked at Arthur.

"We were arguing and then he just fainted, his forehead is hot and he was sick earlier today as well as a few previous days!" Arthur looked at Gaius but then he heard a tired groan and he looked down at Merlin, he saw that the warlock was starting to wake up and he grabbed his hand "Merlin?!"

Merlin opened his eyes only to Gaius, Gwaine, Leon, Percival, Elyan and Lancelot standing around him and staring at him like he had grown ears and a tail "What happened?" he asked as he looked up at Arthur, he saw the concern in the princes eyes and that worried him.

"You collapsed, you have a temperature so I called for Gaius to examine you" Arthur explained before he lifted Merlin's hand to his lips and he hastily kissed it twice.

"I remember arguing with you and then turning around to walk away, I felt dizzy but I do not remember anything else" Merlin chewed his bottom lip before he turned his head to look at Gaius.

"I am not sure, Merlin. What are your symptoms?" Gaius asked.

the warlock shook his head and he clicked his tongue as he thought, "Uh I have been sick every day for the past few weeks, my appetite's increased, and I have been having headaches, backache, mood swings and trouble sleeping I guess" Merlin answered.

Gaius looked up at Merlin "When did you start being sick?"

Merlin shrugged as he tried to think back to when he first started to be sick "The seventh day after Arthur left to look for that dragon, I think that the vomiting started then", he answered.

Gaius made a 'hmm' noise as he tried to diagnose Merlin but was still unsure why Medlin was ill. "I am going to need a sample of urine to conduct more tests".

"Why?" Merlin asked.

"I cannot give you an accurate diagnosis until I know what has been causing you to be sick. Just do what you are told," Gaius sighed in frustration.

Arthur helped Merlin up and Gaius handed the warlock a test tube for him to urine into, the raven-haired man took the glass vial and he walked behind the screen to have a wee. The knights were standing awkwardly in place and Arthur was sat on his bed with his hands together in front of him, Gaius was waiting patiently. Merlin finished his business and he pulled his trousers up again, he used magic to fasten his belt and he put the cork on the urine vial and he walked out from behind the screen, he handed the test tube to Gaius and the physician placed it in his medical bag "Why did you need that?"

"To find out how much Iron is in your bloodstream and to test a theory that I have" Gaius looked up at Merlin and he smiled reassuringly at the young warlock "I am sure that it is nothing to worry about, whatever it is".

Merlin nodded as he went to wash his hands whilst Arthur went to speak to Gaius.

"What is your theory?" Arthur asked in a whisper.

"I would rather not explain what it is until I am certain, it could just worry Merlin and that would not help the situation" Gaius stated in a whisper and the prince nodded.

"Very well, let me know as soon as you have found out what is wrong with him" Arthur whispered firmly but politely before he turned and he walked over to Merlin, he wrapped his arms around the warlock's waist and kissed his shoulder "The knight and I are going to the throne room to have a meeting, get some rest and I will see you later".

Merlin nodded and smiled "Alright".

Arthur kissed Merlin and then he smiled at the warlock, "Get some rest and try not to faint again, please?"

Merlin chuckled and he nodded, "I will try not to collapse again".

Arthur gave Merlin another kiss, "Thank you" he whispered.

Arthur and the knights left before Merlin climbed back into bed and Gaius left soon after, the warlock fell asleep after thirty minutes and he was sleeping soundly. Meanwhile, Gaius was working away on different medicines but he noticed something about Merlin's urine sample and his mouth dropped open as his breath caught in his throat "How on earth could this have happened?" he put everything down and he hurried out of the room and he started to speed walk back to Arthur's chambers to inform Merlin about what had been making him sick for so long. Thirty-two days to be exact. The physician ignored the servants and the guards as he marched towards the prince's chambers, his mind was racing the entire journey and his palms were sweating as he tried to figure out how to break the news to Merlin. He had no idea how the warlock would react to the revelation and hoped that Merlin would take the news well.

Gaius eventually made it to Arthur's chambers; he knocked on the door and entered the room. Merlin woke up and he looked at the physician through sleepy eyes as he came to stand at the end of the bed, "I know what is causing you to be sick, Merlin".

Merlin sat up on the bed "What's wrong with me then?"

"Where's Arthur?" Gaius asked.

"He's with the knights. Why? What's wrong?" Merlin asked.

"I do not know how it has happened, and I am trying to find a cause..."Gaius paused for a moment before he continued "You are with child, Merlin".

Merlin's mouth fell open "I'm screwed".

Both of the men were silent for a painfully long minute, neither of them knew what to say or do, they did not know how this had occurred and Merlin was scared because he did not know whether or not Arthur would be happy about the baby. The warlock could not deny that he wanted to have a family with Arthur, it had been his dream to have children but he ought that he would never get the chance to be a father because of his love for Arthur.

'Is this really happening? I cannot be pregnant. It is impossible!' Merlin thought as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and he sat there for a moment before he turned his head to look at Gaius again "This is a joke, right? I cannot be pregnant; I am a male. I do not have a womb or a uterus so how could my body house a child?" he laughed nervously.

Gaius sighed and he shook his head "I know all of that, however, you are indeed pregnant" he stated.

Merlin cupped his hand over his mouth in shock "How far along am I?"

"By my calculations... You are about four and a half weeks pregnant" Gaius answered.

Merlin stood up and he rubbed the back of his neck as he walked over to desk "I am one month pregnant?"

Gaius sat down at the table and he put his hands together in front of him "I know that you have always wanted to have children, you can keep the baby if that is what you want or..." he trailed off and Merlin looked at him.

"I am going to be a father, I am having a baby", Merlin started to smile and he placed his hands on his tummy

Gaius smiled and he knew that Merlin desperately wanted to be a father "I am very happy for you".

Merlin giggled happily but his smile faded "What am I going to tell Arthur?"

"We better go and find him and explain the fact that you are with child" Gaius stood up and Merlin nodded as they marched towards the door.

Merlin and Gaius quickly made their way to the throne room, they were both uncomfortable about the news they were about to reveal. Merlin felt like puking during the whole walk through the palace corridors, some of Uther's knights had stared at him as he walked past and their hate-filled glares unsettled him, but... He had bigger fish to fry.

Merlin could not help but feel more nauseous as he approached the throne room doors and he paused outside of them, he looked at Gaius and the physician nodded at him before they opened the doors and they walked into the large room.

Uther was sat on his throne, his eyes on his son who was talking to him about something to do with being fair to the villagers, he did not agree though. The moment the king heard the huge heavy doors open, his eyes snapped up and a glare was directed at the young warlock.

"What is it, witch? I did not call for you.", Uther questioned.

Merlin was at a loss for words. He turned to Gaius, silently pleading for him to make the situation less awkward.

"We just need to borrow Arthur for a few minutes, he'll be right back!" Gaius said cheerfully.

Uther's eyes remained on Merlin as he and Gaius dragged Arthur off and out of earshot of the king. The young warlock breathed a sigh of relief once he was out of the throne room, Arthur turned to look at him as the guards went to close the doors from the inside of the throne room.

"Merlin? How do you feel?" Arthur asked as the doors closed behind him.

"Like I'm going to be sick" Merlin answered.

Gaius sighed "We know why Merlin's been so sick".

Arthur saw the tears in the warlock's eyes "Merlin?" He pulled Merlin into an embrace "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, Arthur" Merlin sniffled.

Arthur looked at Gaius "What's wrong with him?"

Gaius wrapped his brain to find the best way to tell Arthur about what was happening to Merlin "It is best coming from, Merlin".

Merlin clung onto Arthur "Arthur, because I am a warlock I can alter my body".

Arthur pulled back and looked at Merlin "What are you talking about?"

"I lost control of my magic and it did something to my body." Merlin looked at Arthur and he slowly exhaled before he put his hands on the back of his neck, "I'm with child", he confessed.

Arthur was speechless for too long, and it was at starting to worry Merlin, Gaius looked a little concerned when the prince did not say anything.

"Well? What do you say?" Merlin asked.

Arthur shook his head and ran his hand through his hair "I do not know what to say".

Merlin's heart dropped "You're not happy about the baby? Arthur, I am so sorry. Please do not banish me. Please do not send me away". He started to cry as panic set in.

"Hey, Why would I ever do that?" Arthur pulled Merlin into a hug "I'm going to be a father. I cannot believe it".

Merlin heard the smile in Arthur's voice "You're not angry?"

"How could I be angry? We're having a baby, and I cannot put into words how happy I am" Arthur smiled.

Gaius smiled as Arthur and Merlin hugged and kissed, before they smiled at each other.

Arthur placed a hand on Merlin's stomach, "I promise that I am going to protect both of you".

Merlin held Arthur's hand on his stomach, "And I am going to protect you and the baby".

They hugged each other again as they smiled joyfully with sparkling eyes filled with happiness. Gaius was smiling at Merlin and the prince as they stepped from one foot to the other. He had never seen either of them as happy as they were at that moment.

Chapter Text

As the previous day had progressed, Arthur and Merlin had released that they would have to be careful about who they told their news to keep Merlin and the baby safe, which raised a new issue… Uther was still alive. On a brighter note, Arthur woke up after a dreamless sleep and was confused about where he was on fire; it was still early, so the room was dark, making it unrecognisable to the young prince attempting to escape the hold that sleep had on him. Then, when he finally realised, he spun around in the bed to check on his love, who was still blissfully asleep. The man sighed in relief before getting up and changing and carefully laying out Merlin's clothes on the bed. After a while, the warlock woke up, and he yawned before stretching out his arms. Merlin saw the clothes at the end of the bed and smiled when he remembered how he used to do that for Arthur. Merlin got out of bed and changed before briefly making the bed neat again.

Arthur came into the room with a breakfast tray which he had got the kitchens to rustle up, "Morning. Are you doing okay?" 

Merlin smiled, "Yep, you are up early, though".

Arthur put the tray on the table and then put his hands up in mock surrender, "Guilty as charged, wanna eat this up with me, though?"

Merlin grinned and laughed before walking over, taking a piece of toast, and biting into it, almost choking when he realised that Arthur was wolfing the rest down.

"Might want to hurry! Survival of the fittest right now!" the prince said through a mouthful, placing some bacon and sausages on Merlin's plate to ensure he had enough to eat.

The two... or rather Arthur, finished eating, and they sat down talking. Arthur grabbed Merlin by the waist, gently pulling him down to sit on his knee as the warlock smiled at the prince. "Was yesterday real? Is the baby real?" Arthur asked. He hoped that the previous day had not been a dream.

Merlin chuckled, "Yes, Arthur... yesterday was real, and our baby is real. We are going to have a baby together, and everything is going to be perfect. You are going to be a father" he placed a hand on his stomach.

Arthur grinned like a giddy schoolboy and placed his hand on Merlin's tummy "My beautiful sweethearts".

Merlin giggled, and kissed Arthur, "I love you".

Arthur placed his hand on Merlin's thigh and kissed the warlock back, "I love you too".

Merlin cupped Arthur's cheek, and their kiss deepened until it boomed with passion and love. They were barely holding themselves back, becoming flustered, and beginning to desire each other. Arthur squeezed Merlin's thigh, and the warlock moaned with need; the prince took the opportunity to smooth his other hand up the back of Merlin's tunic, and the warlock lazily wrapped his other arm around Arthur's neck. However, their kissing session was interrupted by the door as a guard hammered down on it. Merlin and Arthur pulled back from each other's lips and sighed unison. They had not wanted their passionate moment to end, but they both knew who always loved to ruin the mood. Uther. Merlin stood up, and he kissed Arthur on the cheek.

Arthur went to answer, his face set in anger. The guard saw Arthur's angry face and flinched, "P-Prince Ar-Arthur! The K-King t-"

However, the guard was cut off before finishing his sentence as Arthur slammed the door shut with a blunt "No".

Merlin smirked before pushing passed him and stopping the guard from going away, "I'm sorry. Does the King need me, sir?" he yelled after the guard.

The guard seemed taken aback by Merlin's kind attitude and nodded before running away. Merlin was pulled back into the room, and the door closed again.

"No", was all Arthur said as he locked the door and went to sit back down, key in hand.

Merlin watched before smirking, his eyes shining gold.

Arthur watched in confusion, not noticing the obvious until the very last second. The door unlocked and flew open without being touched, and Merlin made his escape. "Merlin!" he yelled as he chased after his love. Uther was in the throne room with a devious smirk plastered on his face, as he listened to the commotion. He had to quickly wipe the smile away and frown as the doors opened and Merlin raced inside.     

"You called for me, sire?" Merlin asked.

"Yes, are you able to capture and kill the white dragon that has been terrorising two kingdoms?" Uther asked, but he only wanted one answer.

Merlin watched over every dragon alive and knew which young dragon Uther was talking about "I am sorry, my lord. But I simply cannot harm any dragon".

Uther glared at the warlock and snarled, "And why is that, filth?"

"Do not talk to him like that!" Arthur shouted as he stormed towards Uther, but Merlin grabbed his arm to hold him back.

"Arthur", Merlin looked at the prince.

Arthur came to stand at Merlin's side, and he nodded at Merlin to signal that he understood.

Merlin sighed before he looked up at Uther, "I cannot harm dragons because I am the last Dragonlord. Therefore, it is my job to protect and sometimes even care for all dragons. If anyone ever harms one of my dragons, I will ensure they will regret it, and it will be the last thing they do," he stated calmly. He saw Arthur smirking in the corner of his eye.

Uther shifted uncomfortably and gulped 'The nerve of him. I should have burnt him at the stake,' he thought as he continued to glare at the warlock, "Very well, your orders are to stop the dragon from killing again".

Merlin nodded, and his eyes flashed gold, his magic enabling him to see what had really been happening to the allied kingdoms, and he saw that it had been a humongous bat that was terrifying villagers and not a dragon.

Arthur and Merlin left the throne too when Uther dismissed them, with smiles on their faces and intertwined fingers; they walked out of the palace to make their to Gwen and Lancelot's house, they wanted to tell them about the good news, but they knew that could not tell anyone whilst in the palace. Gwen and Lancelot were in the middle of cleaning, when they heard a knock at the front door. The knight stood up and casually walked over to the door, opening it and smiling when he saw Merlin and Arthur standing there, looking visibly nervous.

"Hi, you two. Please come in" Lancelot opened the door wider for the warlock and the prince.

Merlin walked into the house, followed by Arthur, and Gwen smiled at them as she sat down; Lancelot invited his guests to sit down, and then he sat next to his wife. Merlin and Arthur sat on a bench, looking at each other before looking at their friends.

"Are you two alright? You seem tense." Gwen stated.

"We have something to tell you both" Arthur rubbed the back of his neck, "Do you know where the other guys are?"

"They should be arriving soon", Lancelot answered.

"We need them here as well" Merlin looked at Gwen.

"Is something wrong? What has happened?" Gwen asked.

Arthur was about to say something when there was a knock on the door, and Lancelot went to answer it. The sound of Gwaine, Percival, Leon and Elyan laughing could be heard from inside the house; they fell silent when they saw that Merlin and Arthur were sitting at the table.

"Hey, guys. How are you?" Leon asked.

Merlin nodded as he looked at the knights, "Arthur and I have something to tell all of you".

Arthur stood up and walked over to stand beside Merlin; he wrapped his arm around the warlock's waist, and Merlin smiled at him. The prince then looked at his friends, "You will need to sit down for this".

Leon pulled a chair out, and sat at the table, Gwaine and Percival sat on the bench with Elyan, and they all looked at Merlin and Arthur.

"You all know that I have been feeling sick for some time, and you all know that I fainted", Merlin chewed his bottom lip before he spoke again, "Guias did some tests, and he found out what has been causing me to be sick".

"What is the cause?" Percival asked.

Arthur tried to keep a straight face, but it was tough not to beam with happiness, "You are not going to believe us when we tell you".

Merlin placed a hand on his tummy before he spoke again, "I have been feeling sick for about thirty-three days. It all started a few days after some of you left to find that dragon. I do not know how it happened, but my and Arthur's dream is coming true".

Arthur and Merlin looked at each other, and they smiled before they turned back to face the knights and Gwen, "We are having a baby", they announced in unison.

"What?!" Gwaine exclaimed.

"I am four weeks pregnant", Merlin gritted his teeth.

"Aahh!" Gwen yelled happily as she jumped up and hurried over to hug Merlin, "I am so happy for the both of you!"

Lancelot grinned as he walked over to hug Arthur, "Congratulations".

Arthur chuckled as he hugged Lancelot, and the other knights smiled, "Thank you".

Merlin pulled back from hugging Gwen, and she went to hug Arthur as Lancelot moved and hugged him.

"Magic rules!" Gwaine cheered.

Merlin laughed as Lancelot pulled away from hugging him. He soon felt an arm wrap around his shoulders, smiling as he wrapped his arms around Arthur.

"Merlin and Arthur are going to be fathers!" Leon cheered, and everyone cheered, "Hooray!"

Arthur kissed Merlin's head, and rubbed his back, "You have given me everything I have ever wanted. I love you so much".

"You have made my dreams come true. I love you more than anything" Merlin closed his eyes and put his head against Arthur's shoulder whilst everyone continued to cheer.

The couple both awoke to the dim morning light pouring in via the windows. At first, they merely stared at empty space, wondering what to do, then Arthur turned over and hugged Merlin close.

"Are you okay?" the prince asked.

Merlin sighed as the effects of sleep started to leave him. He wrapped his arm around Arthur's shoulders and nodded, "Yeah, you?"

Arthur nodded and kissed Merlin on the chest. "I've been wondering ..." he trailed off before yawning slightly.

"About what?" Merlin asked, looking at Arthur to give him as much attention as possible.

"Do you think that the baby will be magic as well?" Arthur asked curiously.

Merlin thought about it and then shrugged, "Possibly. We just have to wait and find out."

The prince smiled and kissed Merlin's cheek, "Our baby is going to be perfect, magic or no magic."

Merlin smiled but then frowned his brow when he remembered something.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked.

"What are we going to do... for your birthday?" Merlin asked, not wanting to be excluded from the event but feeling like a spoilt child asking about it.

Arthur sighed and frowned before resting his chin on Merlin's chest. "Well, we could have our very own party, but from now till my birthday and afterwards, I expect neither of us will have a lot of time to ourselves."

Merlin nodded in agreement as he could see Uther wanting to get as much distance between them as possible.

"I will beg my father as much as I can. Maybe I can strike a deal with him.", Arthur suggested, determined.

Merlin smiled, wanting to stay hopeful, "In that case, I'll try my best to get into his good graces".

The couple smiled at each other and exchanged a quick kiss before getting up to get dressed. They ate their breakfasts and talked about how happy they were about the baby before they started to walk to the throne room, hand in hand.

The palace was remotely quiet, besides the odd few knights talking or servants whistling a tune as they got on with their chores. Merlin and Arthur were smiling, thinking about how lucky they were to have each other and to have been given the grand opportunity to have a child. They had everything that they had ever wanted and more. The usual long walk only seemed to take a few minutes because of how happy the couple was, they had been discussing Arthur's upcoming birthday, and Merlin had managed to get the prince to feel a little more excited about his twenty-third birthday. That joy would be short-lived because the king had already started planning every detail of his son's party. He had made it clear in his plans that Merlin would not attend the celebration.

Uther and Agravaine were chatting excitedly when Merlin and Arthur entered the throne room. They did not even acknowledge the couple until they were right in front of the throne and looking at them. Merlin felt like hiding behind the prince when Uther glared down at him. He felt relieved when Arthur moved his arm to link arms, and Merlin placed his hand on the prince's upper arm. Merlin gripped Arthur's arm for comfort, and the prince kissed his cheek to calm him.

"Arthur! Come here and look at this. We have been planning the seating for the guests at your birthday party!" Uther said proudly.

Arthur and Merlin walked up the steps, and the prince looked over the papers that Uther was holding. His eyes scanned over all the names, and he nodded slowly. However, his heart dropped when he realised that not only was Merlin not on the list, he was supposed to be sitting next to a princess. "Umm, father. Why is Merlin not on the list?" Arthur asked, confused.

Merlin also piped up, "I'm not?"

Arthur caressed Merlin's hand on his arm gently to comfort the warlock as well as himself. 'How could Merlin not be invited to my birthday party? This is ridiculous,' he thought.

Uther's face was self-satisfaction: "I assumed that you would not want the witch at your party. He can have his own little party of making potions in Guias's chambers".

Merlin's heart sank, and he looked at the name of the person who was supposed to sit next to Arthur 'Princess Angelina?'

"I will not sit next to any princess, and Merlin will be sitting at my side. He is coming to my birthday party," Arthur stated matter of factly.

"He is not invited. Therefore, he cannot attend the party", Agravaine scoffed.

Arthur glared at his uncle, "I have already invited Merlin to celebrate my birthday with me. He is the love of my life and my personal consort".

Uther went to object, but Arthur and Merlin walked over to stand next to the wall, and he sighed. He could not be bothered to argue over the witch, so he threw the papers onto the floor and put his hand over his mouth as he leaned his elbow on the armrests of his throne.

Arthur looked at Merlin, and he put his lips to the warlock's ear to whisper to him, "Connect our minds together. We need to talk".

Merlin's eyes flashed gold, and he connected his mind to Arthur, 'Thank you for the invite'.

'It is not a problem; not having you with me on my birthday is not an option, unless you feel sick or anxious', Arthur spoke through his mind.

'I will not be drinking alcohol at the party, ' Merlin informed.

'I know. Stay away from the drunk guests, the knights, and I will keep you company,' Arthur comforted.

'Thank you, but you need to enjoy your birthday. It is going to be your last birthday when you are not a father' Merlin glanced at Arthur and smiled.

Arthur smiled and kissed Merlin, 'I want you to enjoy it too; we do not have to hide away this year'.

Merlin nodded, and he put his head on Arthur's shoulder, 'I will. It is a relief not to have to hide'.

'When do you want to tell your mum about the baby?' Arthur asked.

'Could we write a letter to her later?' Merlin looked up at Arthur.

'Of course, I would like that', Arthur answered.

Merlin sighed happily, placing his other hand on Arthur's bicep, 'We love you'.

Arthur kissed Merlin's head, 'I love the both of you too'.

Merlin and Arthur continued to talk to each other through their minds for a few minutes as they stood next to the wall only a few feet away from the throne. They felt like the world was their oyster, and heaven had presented them with beautiful gifts for each other and their child.

The king looked over at Merlin, and he had an idea when he remembered the boy that Merlin had protected. "Guards, arrest the witch!" Uther shouted.

Merlin looked up at Arthur, "What did I do?"

Arthur was equally surprised, "Nothing".

Two of Uther's guards marched over to where Merlin was, and they grabbed the warlock's arm. Merlin was confused and slightly scared; he looked at Arthur, and gulped.

"Arthur!" Merlin pleaded.

Arthur looked at Uther "What's the meaning of this?!"

"The witch will take the thieving boy's punishment. Ten lashes!" Uther ordered.

Merlin realised what was happening, and he read Uther's mind.

'I should've given the boy a harsher sentence. He would not survive It,' Uther thought.

Merlin realised that by taking the lashes, he was saving the boy; the knights yanked him away from the prince and lost his grip on Arthur's arm "Arthur!" He looked over his shoulder.

Arthur grabbed Merlin and pulled him, "You just can't help yourself, can't you? Why do you have to be so cruel to him?"

"It's either face the punishment, or the boy is executed", Uther smirked evilly.

Merlin gulped, "I'll take the flogging". He pulled away from Arthur but held onto the prince's hand, looked at the knights and sighed, "I'll follow".

Uther's guards led Merlin and Arthur outside to the courtyard, and one of the guards grabbed Merlin's arm roughly. The guard tried to force Merlin up the steps and onto the platform, but Arthur smacked his hand away.

"Keep your hands off of him!" Arthur shouted at the guard.

Merlin gulped before letting go of Arthur's hand as he walked up onto the platform and stood where he had stood when he was whipped. But Uther's knights grabbed Merlin and forced the warlock onto his knees before they grabbed some chains. One of the guards grabbed Merlin's wrist, and he held it against one of the platform's standing beams. The other knight grabbed Merlin's other wrist and shackled the warlock's wrists together. Merlin saw the whip and gulped in fear.

The fearful expression on Merlin's face broke Arthur's heart and caused his blood to boil at the same time, so he turned his head to look up at Uther, "He will not be forced to go through torture on his own, not this time, you insensitive pig!" he shouted at the king before he started to push past the guards and ran onto the platform, he sat down on the other side of the beam and stroked the warlock's hair before he grabbed Merlin's hands "I will not allow you to be put through a lashing again without being able to comfort you!" he promised.

Merlin opened his eyes and saw that Arthur was sitting on the other side of the beam; he sniffled and let out a few shaky breaths. "Close your eyes. I don't want you to see this".

Arthur shook his head in defiance, "No, I am going to comfort you. You're not going through this alone".

The warlock slowly exhaled, and the prince stroked his knuckles with his thumbs; Merlin felt safer and guarded with Arthur near him, and the prince wanted to protect and comfort him as much as he could. He also wanted to keep their baby safe.

"No matter what happens, please don't leave us", Merlin pleaded in a whisper.

"Never. You have my word," Arthur softly said before he kissed Merlin.

Merlin nodded and remained focused on Arthur's eyes; his eyes flashed gold, and he spoke to Arthur through their minds, 'The baby. What if something happens?'

A knight ripped open the back of Merlin's tunic, the warlock's already scarred skin was exposed, and he shuddered when the cool breeze brushed across his bare pale skin.

'Nothing bad will happen to the baby. Everything will be alright,' Arthur promised.

Merlin did not get the chance to say or think anything because Uther raised his arm and lowered it, signalling for the lashing to begin. The guard raised the whip into the air without hesitation before bringing it down onto Merlin's back, and the young warlock jolted when he felt the pain and winced.

Arthur did not look away from Merlin's eyes, "That's one, nine more left".

Merlin frantically nodded his head. He jolted and hissed in pain on the second lashing "Uuummmtthh!" he kept his lips shut as he tried to ignore the blood trickling down his back.

Arthur kissed Merlin's forehead, "That's the second one. Just hold onto my hands".

As the torture continued, Merlin winced and tried to hold in his screams even though he was on the verge of crying out in pain every time his back was whacked and slashed open. Arthur had started whispering sweet nothings to Merlin to comfort him. Uther did not show any remorse for Merlin as he was tortured once again. He was grinning in great pleasure as pain was inflicted upon Merlin.

Merlin cried out in pain at the sixth lashing, "Arthur!"

"Just four more. It's nearly over," Arthur said in a soothing tone, "Keep looking at me".

Merlin nodded and looked into Arthur's eyes; just Arthur being with him gave him the strength that he needed to defy Uther. He slumped against the beam and winced in pain but kept looking directly into Arthur's eyes.

Arthur saw Merlin jolt on the ninth lashing, and he gently stroked the warlock's knuckles with his thumbs, "I love you, Merlin. I always have, and I always will".

Merlin did not move on the tenth lashing; he made no noise and did not look away from Arthur. The knight took the shackles off of Merlin's wrists, and the Prince rushed to comfort his warlock.

"Hold onto me, my darling", Arthur scooped Merlin up, and he hurried to carry him back into the castle. Merlin just held onto the front of his shirt. Arthur carried Merlin to Guias's chambers and sat the warlock on the sofa, "Guias, my father ordered for Merlin to be flogged again. Please help him!" he pleaded.

Guias rushed to find some way of helping Merlin, whilst the prince crouched down in front of Merlin.

Arthur rubbed Merlin's leg while holding the warlock's hand, "You're the bravest man that I have ever met. I love you so much".

"Thank you for looking after me", Merlin sniffled before his eyes flashed gold, and he whimpered as the wounds on his back healed.

"Here, drink this", Guias walked over and handed the warlock a cup of water "Just breathe, Merlin".

Merlin winced before he looked at Guias, "Will the baby be Alright?"

"Your child will be quite alright", Guias answered.

Merlin nodded, and he slowly exhaled, "Thank the gods".

"Merlin, why did you not heal yourself the first time that you were whipped for having magic?" Arthur asked curiously.

Merlin looked at Arthur, "I needed to take my punishment just like anyone else. By healing myself, I would have shown weakness and vulnerability, and that is what Uther wanted me to be".

Arthur sat next to Merlin, and he kissed the warlock, "The world does not deserve you".

Merlin leaned against Arthur, "Using magic on myself drains my energy a lot of the time. I am tired".

Arthur kissed Merlin's head, "Go to sleep if you want to. I will carry you back to our chambers".

Merlin smiled, "Our chambers?"

Arthur smiled, "If that is what you want?".

Merlin cupped Arthur's cheek in his hand and kissed the prince, "I would love that".

Arthur smiled, and he stroked Merlin's hair. "Sounds good to me".

Guias smiled when he saw how happy the couple were. He sat down, and he started to get to work on creating some medicines for the villagers. Merlin smiled as he closed his eyes and rested his head on Arthur's shoulder. He fell asleep after a few minutes and whimpered as he dreamed.

Arthur carefully scooped Merlin up; the warlock unconsciously snuggled into him. Arthur smiled and kissed Merlin's head, "I'm going to protect you. I promise".

Guias walked over and looked at Arthur, "Make sure that he rests. If he grows tired, then he could collapse or suffer an exhaustion-induced seizure".

Arthur nodded, "I assure you that he will be resting for the rest of today and tomorrow".

Guias nodded, "Treat him well, Arthur. He deserves to be treated with respect and love".

Arthur looked at Merlin; the warlock was fast asleep, and he groaned as he snuggled into Arthur more. The prince smiled and kissed Merlin's head, "He deserves the stars. You have my word that I'll make sure he receives nothing but the best".

Guias smiled, "You know where I am if you both need me. Now get him to where he is safe and sound".

Arthur nodded and turned to carry Merlin out of Guias's chambers. He walked through the palace as he cradled the warlock in his arms. He returned to his chambers and kicked the door open; he carried Merlin into the room. He laid his love down on the bed and then sat next to the sleeping warlock. He started to stroke Merlin's hair, and he smiled, "You will have nothing but the best. You will be treated with the respect that you deserve, and I will never stop loving you." He spoke softly. Merlin rolled over, and he snuggled into Arthur; a soft 'hhhmm' trailed passed his lips, and he smiled as he slept.

Arthur laid down so that he could hold Merlin; he wrapped his arms around the warlock, and kissed his head, "You become more and more beautiful every day. You're so special to me, and my love for you keeps getting stronger".

Merlin woke up a few hours later, and he saw that Arthur was sitting at his desk with his hand over his mouth and his brow furrowed. The prince was deep in thought, and Merlin sat up as he watched his Love intently, "Arthur?" Merlin asked.

Arthur jolted when he returned to his senses and looked at Merlin, "How did you sleep?"

Merlin rubbed his sleepy eyes and stretched, "I slept well. What are you thinking about?"

Arthur shook his head, "Nothing".

Merlin knew that Arthur had lied, so he sighed and hopped out of bed, "Arthur..." he walked over to Arthur's desk and straddled his love's lap. He wrapped his arms around Arthur's neck, and the prince looked at him, "What's wrong?"

Arthur sighed as he put his quill down, placed his hands on Merlin's hips, and he smiled sadly at the warlock, "I hated watching you go through that lashing. How are you so brave and strong? You barely made even the slightest whimper; you took it all to protect a boy who you don't even know".

Merlin sighed as he thought about what to say, "I'm sorry that you had to comfort me during all of it. I'm sorry that I was so stupid".

"It was stupid! " Arthur stated, "It was idiotic, completely irrational, inconvenient and..." he stopped when Merlin hung his head in shame, "It was brave, full of kindness, compassionate, resilient and pure. I love you for all of it". He spoke softly as his expression softened.

Merlin looked at Arthur, and the prince kissed him, "You are not upset?"

"Of course, I am upset, but not at you. I am upset because my father enjoys torturing the warlock I love." Arthur hugged Merlin, "Are my beautiful sweethearts alright?" He asked, concerned for Merlin and their baby.

Merlin smiled, "Yeah, we are alright".

"Good, it is probably best that we keep the baby a secret, for now. I can protect you both that way", Arthur kissed Merlin's shoulder.

"Agreed, I want to tell my mother though" Merlin closed his eyes and melted against Arthur.

"Alright", Arthur nodded as he held his warlock, "I wish that we did not have to hide away. I wish that we could tell people about our baby. I wish that my father accepted us".

Merlin blinked away tears and sighed, "So do I".

Arthur heard Merlin's voice crack, so he rubbed Merlin's back, "Please do not get upset; you'll make me cry", he sniffled.

"Alright, only because it is you" Merlin smiled goofily.

Arthur kissed Merlin's head, and he relaxed, "Do you want to write to your mother now?"

Merlin nodded, "Yes, please".

The door suddenly opened, and a guard rushed in, "The king has requested to speak to Prince Arthur!"

Arthur groaned in annoyance, and Merlin stood up, "I am sorry, but I have to go" he stood up and looked at the warlock.

"It is alright", Merlin rubbed Arthur's arm affectionately.

Arthur sighed as he took hold of Merlin's hands, "Will you be alright on your own for a bit? I promise that I will be back as soon as I can".

Merlin nodded, "I'll be fine, just go and find out what Uther wants" he was slowly stroking the prince's knuckles with his thumbs as he spoke.

Arthur nodded, and he kissed Merlin, "Lock the door if you feel anxious at any point. I will be back soon", he whispered before he let go of Merlin's warm hands and he left the room with the guard.

Merlin placed his hands on his hips, and he let his head fall back with a huff, "No doubt that Uther wanted to talk to Arthur about the party" he then walked over to the window. He started to watch the knights' train. He placed his hand on his flat belly and looked down at it with a small smile. He then began to talk to his baby, "Looks like it is just me and you for a bit, sweetheart".

Arthur had an idea of what Uther wanted to talk to him about, and he dreaded the conversation. He knew that the king was delighted with himself for punishing Merlin for no good reason, and the prince was furious at how his father always tried to bully the young man. Merlin had never done anything that deserved such a horrific punishment. He never did anything wrong, he was the purest and the most loving person that Arthur had ever met, and he hated how people would often target such a wonderful man. Arthur despised anyone that hurt his warlock, he knew that he had already been very protective of Merlin previously, but it had not come to light that his gorgeous warlock was carrying their child inside of him, which made him even more protective of the raven-haired young man.

The prince arrived at the throne room, and he sighed before he pushed the doors open and he walked in like he had no interest in anything, well... Anything other than Merlin and their baby. He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow when he stopped a few feet away from where Uther was sat, and the king looked at him, "You sent for me?" it was more of a statement than a question.

Uther sat up and looked at Arthur, "The plans for your birthday party will remain the same and you will be sat next to the princess I have invited to meet you. Hopefully, both of you will get along, and you will propose". He looked at Agravaine, and the wicked man nodded approvingly because he hated Merlin. The king then looked at Arthur again, "The witch is forbidden from attending, and he is to be banished from your chambers. He will take up residence in the dungeon; otherwise, he will be executed for disobeying the crown!"

Arthur unfolded his arms and covered his eyes with his hand, "How many times do I have to tell you that I am not going to marry anyone else?! I am in love with Merlin, and I want to marry him! I will not court anyone other than my warlock, and you cannot change how I feel!" he shouted in frustration, and he glared at Uther, "You are such a pompous pig! You have just tortured my Merlin for no reason, and you actually enjoyed watching him being flogged! You are mad, and it is a wonder how my mother even found you attractive or worthy of her hand in marriage! Merlin has told me that I am nothing like you, and I am relieved because he has more knowledge than anyone could ever dream of possessing, and I know that my mother would have loved him and respected that I am in love with a man! My mother would have been happy for me because I have found the person that I want to spend the rest of my life with!" he then turned around and stormed towards the door, "I am going to be sitting next to Merlin at my party, and that is final! My warlock will be at my party!" he stomped out of the room and returned to his chambers. 'That was a short connotation', he thought as he turned the corner of the hallway where his chambers were located.

Merlin was sat on the bed with his head in his hands, words flowing around in his mind as he tried to form the perfect letter to write to his mother. He wanted to tell her about the baby, but at the same time, it was difficult for even himself to believe at times. How could he explain the situation to his mother without her panicking or labelling him as crazy? Men cannot carry children inside the bellies; he knew this might confuse her.

The door opened about two minutes later, and Arthur entered the room. He locked the door and sighed, slowly banging his head against it in frustration.

"What did Uther want?" Merlin asked.

Arthur turned around and looked at Merlin, "To marry me off to a princess, which is not going to happen on my watch. Pigs will fly before I even think about sharing my bed with anyone else but you".

Merlin nodded, letting his hands fall to his lap with a sigh.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked, worried about his warlock.

Merlin looked up at his lover. He shrugged and looked away, prompting Arthur to walk over to him.

"Merlin? Please tell me." Arthur pleaded.

With a sigh, the warlock smiled up at the prince, "I don't know how to tell my mother about the baby." he admitted.

Arthur thought momentarily before going over to his desk and grabbing his quill. "Well, for starters, we should explain that you did not have much control over your magic and accidentally altered your body, creating a womb. And then we should discretely tell her we did the naughty-naughty in bed." Arthur added the last bit jokingly.

Merlin laughed and walked over to Arthur's side as they began to write a letter telling Hunith that her once innocent son was now officially pregnant.

Arthur grabbed Merlin's hips and gently pulled the warlock down to sit on his leg. He wrapped his arms around Merlin's smaller waist and kissed his shoulder, "I love both of you so much. Please never forget how much I love you, Merlin?"

Merlin looked at Arthur, and he kissed the prince, "I will never forget that. Never forget how much I love you".

Arthur smiled, putting his head on Merlin's shoulder, "I will never forget that".

Merlin smiled and kissed Arthur's head before wrapping his other arm around the prince's shoulder as he continued writing the letter.

'Dear mother,

This might come as a shock, but you have the right to know about something that all of Camelot knows about now. Sorry I have not told you earlier, but Arthur and I are in a relationship and have been together for some time. Uther found out a while ago, and he sentenced me to death, but Arthur, the knights and Guias saved my life, and I have not been in a secret relationship since because we have become a real couple, and I could not be happier.

Arthur is me whilst I am writing this letter because we want to tell you about the big news that we have, you will not believe this at first, and I know that it will come as a shock, I am one month pregnant with Arthur's child, and we are so happy because we will have a family of our own. Something happened with my magic, and it somehow created a womb. I do not know how, but I know that Arthur and I are delighted with our good news. We are highly excited about what the future holds, and we know that we will always have each other. We love each other so much, and this is everything we have ever dreamed of.

Please try and understand how the impossible seemed to become a reality. We will not be telling Uther or anyone else after you because we both know that the king would not be happy. Arthur and I can protect each other and our child this way.

I love and miss you so much every day, and I hope that you will be happy for us.

Talk to you soon.

Merlin and Arthur.'

Chapter Text

"Open your hand" Merlin instructed and Arthur did as he was told; watching in awe as Merlin's eyes flashed gold and a water-like glowing substance formed in the air. The glowing substance formed the shape of a giant ring before shrinking down and materialising into a golden band. The ring dropped from the air and into Arthur's hands.

The awe-struck prince examined the ring, his mouth open like a codfish. There was an engraved message on the inside of the small band, 'For light and dark times ahead'.

"Is it alright?" Merlin asked.

Arthur nodded before he nuzzled into Merlin's neck, "I love it".

Merlin smiled when Arthur started to softly kiss his neck, "I'm glad".

Arthur pulled back and slipped the ring onto his finger, Merlin beamed when it was a perfect fit. "You better make sure that my father does not find out about this. He would have you weaving gold till the end of your days." Arthur stated jokingly, though Merlin had a feeling that it was true.

"If he asks, I will tell him I bought it." Merlin agreed before sighing deeply, "Anyway, what do you want to do today?"

Arthur wiggled his eyebrows coyly, and he looked Merlin up and down suggestively.

"Besides that." Merlin intervened.

Arthur pouted before giving his answer a bit of thought, "I want to spend this whole day with you."

Merlin smiled sweetly but then frowned when the sound of running feet came charging up to the door. A fist pounded on the door and just by the way the person was breathing, Merlin could tell it was Agravaine because of the distinctive knock.

Arthur groaned, "Why on my birthday of all days?"

A thought popped into Merlin's head as he grabbed Arthur's hand "Do you trust me?"

Arthur nodded but grew confused as Merlin began to chant a spell. Arthur did not know what was happening, but he was curious, nonetheless. As soon as Merlin finished chanting, a bright light engulfed the couple, before they disappeared from sight just as Agravaine and his knights opened the door; squinting their eyes at the bright orb of light. When the light dissolved, the prince and the warlock were standing outside of their chambers.

"How on earth?" one of the knights asked.

At first, they all just stared at each other and then at Merlin in astonishment. Agravaine took a step forward to talk to Arthur, but he had not even muttered the prince's name when Arthur grabbed Merlin's hand and ran.

"Why did you not send us further away?!" Arthur demanded.

"I'm still not used to that spell!" Merlin yelled defensively.

"You two, stop!" Agravaine yelled after the couple.

"Where do we go?!" Arthur questioned.

Merlin thought before using the bond that he had with his lover to guide him, his eyes flashed gold as he connected their minds together so that they could hear each other's thoughts instead of alerting anyone to their presence, 'the kitchen'. Arthur nodded and led them both to the kitchens. Arthur went to run one way, but Merlin pulled him towards the servant's staircase 'This way!' Arthur followed Merlin through the door, and they ran down the steps like their lives depended on it. They could hear the sound of knights and Agravaine running after them because they could hear the metal of the knights' armour. Merlin was feeling pretty dizzy and hot already, he knew why, but he had not expected to feel this tired. The dizzy spell caused him to stumbled, and he cried out as he slipped "Ah!"

Arthur panicked and grabbed his upper arms to steady him "Merlin! Are you okay?"

"Thanks." Merlin nodded and glanced at Arthur.

"Be careful, idiot!" Arthur exclaimed, but affectionately.

Merlin knew why Arthur had panicked, and he placed a hand on his tummy as they continued to run. The couple eventually made it down the staircase, and they opened the door before running out of the small dark room. They almost ran into a maid, causing her to jump in surprise before turning to watch in confusion as the prince and the warlock ran down the corridor.

"Sorry!" the couple yelled back to the maid as they ran.

Agravaine and the knights ran down the staircase, their eyes locked on Merlin and Arthur. The chase resumed as the knights ran at the couple, grabbing their weapons in fear of Merlin.

"Prince Arthur!" Agravaine shouted.

"Shit!" Arthur cursed, He tugged Merlin down some steps and into the kitchens, making Gwen gasp and almost drop the basket of bread that she was carrying.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" she demanded.

Arthur wore a giant grin on his face, and Merlin was struggling not to giggle "Ssshh, we're not here".

"You must be crazy; I will give you that!" Gwen said with a raised eyebrow, putting the basket down.

"We're being chased." Merlin spoke with a laugh.

Gwen stopped in her tracks as she heard heavy boots against stone, "You two are the dumbest people to have ever stepped into this kitchen, hurry up and hide!"

The couple wasted no time in sprinting over to the pantry to hide. Arthur carefully closed the door before wrapping his arm around Merlin's waist, whilst he gently pulled the warlock close and placed a hand over Merlin's mouth to muffle the sound of his laugh. Agravaine stomped into the kitchens, his chest heaving as his knights barged into the kitchen behind him and stared at Gwen. Gwen raced over to bow and offer her respect.

"What brings you here, my lord?" Gwen asked softly.

"Did the prince run through here?" Agravaine asked sternly.

Gwen thought for a moment and then shook her head, "No, my lord. Only the servants come into the kitchens".

At first, Agravaine did not seem satisfied with Gwen's response to his question, so he looked around the kitchen. A moment passed before he nodded and turned around to walk away. Meanwhile, Arthur whispered something about Gwen having really good acting skills which caused Merlin to snort as he laughed. The couple froze when they heard Agravaine pause whilst leaving the kitchens, their hearts racing as they listened to what was going on.

Agravaine spun around on the spot and looked at Gwen, "What was that?"

Gwen panicked but raised a fist to her mouth and coughed lightly.

Agravaine watched her for a moment before turning to leave again.

"Ssshhh!" Arthur half scolded.

"Sorry." Merlin whispered back.

Arthur smirked and kissed Merlin as the warlock held onto his shirt. Their kiss was sweet but a little too loud. As their kiss grew more passionate, Merlin cupped the prince's cheeks in his hands, and Arthur held onto Merlin's hips.-

Agravaine spun once more, his eyes almost red with anger, "Okay, now what was that?" he demanded, stomping forwards.

Arthur and Merlin pulled back from kissing, and they looked at each other in slight fear, covering their mouths with their hands so that no one heard them.

Gwen hurriedly put both hands over her mouth and faked a sneeze, "Excuse me".

Agravaine scratched his chin, "Make sure that your germs do not interfere with the celebrations this evening".

The knights and the prince's uncle left, much to Gwen's relief. Once the coast was clear, the couple came out of their hiding place, smiling sheepishly as Gwen shot them a partially annoyed glare.

"I swear, one of these days you'll get me killed!" Gwen scorned the couple.

Arthur could not help as a small laugh escaped, which caused Merlin to go hysterical with laughter.

Gwen herself could not help the smile spreading on her face, "You two are the bane of my life". She shook her head, walking out of the kitchen whilst carrying the basket of bread that she had been originally holding.

"That was so fun" Arthur placed his hands on the warlock's hips, and he pulled Merlin close.

Merlin pressed his lips against Arthur's, and he pushed the prince up against a wall, "Being with me is even more fun".

"Spending time with you is very fun" Arthur smirked before Merlin kissed him again.

They continued to kiss and one thing soon led to another, because Merlin pushed Arthur up against a wall and the prince cupped the warlock's face in his hands as they fiercely kissed. Merlin groaned into the kiss as he gripped Arthur's hips, he pressed himself against Arthur and the Prince moaned into his mouth.

"Merlin!" Arthur was craving the undivided attention of his warlock and Merlin was happy to attend to the overwhelming needs of the prince.

Merlin moved one hand and he smoothed it under Arthur's shirt, he slowly smoothed his palm up the blond man's abdomen and up to his firm chest. However, Merlin and Arthur's sensual activity quickly ended when the door to the kitchen opened and a surprised gasp that followed soon after, alerted the couple. Merlin and Arthur quickly pulled away from each other's lips with a small smack and they looked at who had just entered the kitchens.

"Hi, Guias", Merlin gulped.

"Seriously you two? The kitchens are no place to get up to your private activities!" Guias half yelled.

"I was giving Arthur a birthday present," Merlin said in his and Arthur's defence.

Arthur shifted awkwardly, "We were just kissing".

Guias shook his head, "No need to explain, I will not tell anyone", he used his hand to make a dismissive gesture and the couple relaxed.

"What are you doing in here? The kitchens are closed until the Uther wakes up", Merlin stated.

"I was looking for the herbs that I needed", Guias answered.

Merlin and Arthur nodded and they pulled away from each other, the prince pulled his shirt back on and they walked out of the kitchen with their tails between their legs after saying goodbye to Guias.

The physician wished Arthur a happy birthday and the prince thanked him before disappearing out of the door. Once he was alone, Guias huffed and he began his search for the herbs that he needed to create a medicine. "Well, Arthur's having a good birthday", he said to himself as he rummaged through the cupboard.

Arthur and Merlin were walking down a hallway and sheepishly glancing at each other whilst holding hands, some of the guards were staring at them and three of the servants were whispering about the couple.

"He is probably just with the prince because the prince is good in bed as well as gives him noble privileges", A maid whispered to another maid.

"I heard that they split up a few days ago and that he had to beg the prince to take him back. He looks a bit desperate to me", the other maid whispered to her friend and they both giggled.

Merlin tried not to pay them any attention, but the prince let go of his hand and walked over to the two maids, "Arthur, just leave it!"

"Excuse me, but I would prefer it if you kept your bullshit opinions and gossip to yourselves. You see, my Merlin does not beg to be in my bed, he has never begged for me back, and he is not desperate. He is a good man and he deserves your respect. You should be honoured to even be in the presence of the greatest and the most powerful warlock to have ever lived, but you choose to gossip and disrespect him?" he then turned to walk back over to Merlin.

The warlock watched as Arthur smirked and he held his hand out for the prince; Arthur happily took hold of his hand, and they continued to walk through the corridor, ignoring the servants who stared at Merlin.

Merlin and Arthur chatted for a short while, forgetting all of the troubles and problems. Only a few minutes had passed before they heard the familiar voice of their pursuer calling out to them, "Witch! Prince Arthur! Stay right there!".

Arthur rolled his eyes and huffed, "They just never give up!"

Merlin giggled and spoke into Arthur's mind, 'Follow me, I have a plan'.

Arthur nodded his understanding and ran in the direction of the courtyard. Merlin looked over his shoulder at Agravaine and concentrated hard, his eyes flashed gold seconds later as he continued to run alongside Arthur. The couple ran out into the courtyard whilst Agravaine and the knights following the couple all chased the illusion Merlin had conjured in order to trick them. Merlin and Arthur ran down the steps and they ran out of the city, they soon found themselves at the edge of the forest.

The prince laughed as he leaned against a tree to catch his breath "Where did you send them?"

Merlin smirked wildly as he leaned back against the tree that Arthur was leaning on "The throne room, they are in for a shock when they figure out that they were fooled by a warlock".

Arthur shook his head and tried to contain his laughter as he walked into the forest and settled down at the base of a mossy tree. Merlin followed and sat down in front of him before sighing. After some thought Merlin smiled and began to concentrate, his eyes becoming gold. Arthur eyed Merlin with suspicion "What are you up to?"

"Just watch" Merlin instructed.

Tiny golden floating lights began to fill the air like fireflies dancing around the lush green forest and over the flowers. The grass and leaves began to shiver despite there being no wind and Arthur could hear disembodied soft and gentle music playing all around him.

"Are you doing all of this?" Arthur asked in bewilderment.

Merlin merely nodded as he focused as much attention as possible on the final touches. The rocks all turned to shimmering gems and crystals and the forest animals emerged from behind the trees to say hello, making Arthur's jaw drop.

"Wow!" was all the prince could say.

Merlin giggled a bit, "Once we leave all this will vanish so that no one else can see it".

Arthur grabbed Merlin and pulled him back slightly, the warlock moved back to get more comfortable, and he held onto Arthur's wrists, "It is brilliant, just like you."

Merlin tilted his head back and smiled at Arthur, "So are you".

Arthur leaned down and kissed Merlin, the warlock kissed him back, and their soft gentle displays of affection lasted for a few romantic seconds before they pulled back for air.

"Happy birthday, Arthur", Merlin spoke softly as he gazed up at the prince.

Arthur smiled "Thank you, my darling. I love you". He moved one arm and placed his hand on Merlin's flat tummy "And I love you, my little sweetheart."

"I love you too" Merlin then placed his hand over Arthur's hand; which was resting gently on his belly, "I love you too, little one".

They stayed in the forest for a few hours until it was just after noon. They did not want to leave the forest, but they knew that they had to get back to Camelot before their special time together was sure to be disrupted by anyone. They walked leisurely through the forest and back to the kingdom, arms linked together and laughing whilst smiling. They walked through the village and said hello to the people of Camelot, the villagers said hello back, and most of them were pleasant. Aside from the unpleasant sight of Uther standing at the top of the stone steps leading to the palace.

"Great", Arthur sighed as he walked up the stairs with Merlin.

"Where have you been? Agravaine informed me of your reckless disappearance!" Uther yelled before he turned his glare to Merlin and he pulled a face of disapproval "I suppose you had something to do with my son neglecting his duties, as the future air to my kingdom? I should put you in the dungeons for a week!" he threatened.

Arthur protectively placed his hand on Merlin's hand that was holding onto his upper arm "I was celebrating my birthday with Merlin, he has gone out of his way to make my day incredibly special, and I will always remember today because my warlock has made it amazing for me. You are determined to make my Merlin feel bad about himself". He stated in defiance before he marched past Uther.

"He is not my favourite person, nor I am not his, however, he is your father, and he does love you very much, Arthur", Merlin pointed out, attempting to comfort Arthur.

Arthur scoffed, "Are you sure about that?"

"How did he react when he thought that you had died?" Merlin reminded.

Arthur glanced at Merlin, "It broke his heart".

"That is because he loves you", Merlin stated.

"It doesn't always feel like it. I feel like a stranger to him sometimes, I hate it when he disrespects you or our love. It makes me wish that my mother was here. She would have loved you" Arthur sighed whilst he leaned against a wall.

Merlin moved so that he was standing in front of Arthur, "You don't have to worry because I do not care what he thinks, I only care about what you, My mother, Guias, Gwen and our other friends think of me. Your mother is still with you and I'm sure that she is very proud of the man you have turned into, and I know that she loves you with all of her heart. She will always be with you..." He placed his hand on the centre of Arthur's chest, "In here".

Arthur looked up at Merlin, "How are you so brilliant?"

Merlin smiled and he shrugged, "It is all part of my charm".

Arthur chuckled and they continued to walk back to their chambers to eat lunch, Arthur finished up some of his duties and then they began to get ready for the party as the guests started to arrive at the gates of Camelot. Arthur sighed as he watched from his window as the party guests made their way on horseback and carriage through the village, he was dreading the party, "Can we just lock the door and windows? We could stay here all night".

Merlin pulled on his nicest shirt, "I wish that we could, but guards would just break the door down and drag us to the party, kicking and screaming".

"I would like to see them try," Arthur said in disbelief.

Merlin shook his head, and he grabbed Arthur's shirt, "Come here" he walked over to the prince, and Arthur turned around, "As much as I'd like to stay in here with you and have you all to myself, Uther would throw you in the dungeons, and have me put in the stocks or worse if we disobeyed him".

Arthur crossed his arms, Can't you put up some shield or something?""

"I think thatyou're referring to magical wards, and no because Uther would have my head", Merlin held the shirt out to the prince.

Arthur groaned in annoyance as he grabbed his shirt; pulling it on before he straightened it out and looked at Merlin.

""You look handsome"", Merlin leaned in and gave Arthur a soft kiss on the lips whilst he used magic to put the crown band on the prince's head. He pulled back after a moment and handed Arthur his red and gold jacket, We'll be back here before you know it. This is a celebration of you, and in order to celebrate your birthday, you need to attend the party".

"I really do not see the point in us going to this thing", Arthur sighed.

Merlin placed his hands on Arthur's hips, ""I'll be there, and I'll be sat next to you during dinner. It'll be fun", he said enthusiastically, although, he was not looking forward to the party either.

"I'd much rather stay in bed with you and talk about the baby", Arthur stated, frustrated.

"I'd rather do that too, but it is your birthday and the last one that you will get without a baby causing us to have sleepless nights", Merlin started with an encouraging smile.

Arthur let his guard down and smiled as he rubbed Merlin's upper arms, "Fine, but I can't wait until our baby is born".

"Neither can I" Merlin whispered before he kissed Arthur.

There was a knock at the door, and the five knights walked into the room, Gwaine was slightly tipsy, so his walk was more like a waddle compared to the others. "Oi oi oi! The princess is having a good time!" Gwaine laughed, and so did the other knights.

Arthur and Merlin pulled back from each other's lips, and they started to laugh. "What are you lot doing here?" Arthur asked.

"We all thought that the two of you would prefer to go to the party with a group of the best knights in Camelot. We also overheard a few arseholes talking about the both of you" Leon explained, and then he gritted his teeth.

Merlin pulled his jacket on as Arthur put his crown on; they then linked arms before they walked out of their chambers with their friends at their sides and behind them, forming a shield in order to guard the couple.

Not long after the party had begun, Merlin was busying himself by picking at a plate of grapes, when he noticed a woman with jet-black hair and a pair of equally dark eyes watching him. The woman closed in on him, batting her eyelashes in an attempt to appear more attractive.

"Well, hello there. I do not remember seeing someone as handsome as you around here before." the woman stated.

"Neither I, you." Merlin lied and put his plate of food down. He had seen this woman before and she had never been particularly kind to servants, especially Gwen.

"Ah, do you need a drink, dear? I can help you with that! Come on now." the woman pulled on Merlin's arm forcefully.

Merlin tried to fight but did not want to seem rude at the same time, "Uh I am actually waiting for someone". He stopped speaking when the woman shoved an alcoholic drink into his hand, he knew that he could not drink because he was pregnant, but he could not tell her that "Thank you, but I will not be drinking before dinner. Drinking on an empty stomach does not sit well with me".

The woman stepped towards him so that they were inches apart, "Oh, do not be a party pooper! It is just a drink with me". She fluttered her eyelashes as she started to rub Merlin's arm, very flirtatiously slowly.

Merlin froze as the woman flirtatiously rubbed his arm 'Oh shit, what do I do?' he thought to himself. However, Merlin did not have to say anything because the prince came to his rescue. Arthur's clenched his jaw as he approached his warlock and the woman who was flirting with him.

"Mind if I join?" Arthur asked as he placed his hand on the side of Merlin's neck and he pulled his warlock into a passionate kiss.

Merlin's eyes fluttered shut, and he kissed Arthur back; he held onto Arthur's bicep as his prince deepened their kiss. It lasted for a long few seconds because Arthur was determined to get his point across. No one makes his Merlin feel uncomfortable.

Arthur wrapped his arm around Merlin's waist and looked at the woman when he pulled back for air, "Oh, I am so sorry for not greeting you properly. You see... I have wanted to kiss this gorgeous man all day, but my duties just seem to keep getting in the way of my love for him".

Merlin relaxed whilst the woman glared and greeted the prince before she walked away. "Thank you", he whispered.

"It is no problem", Arthur watched the rival as she walked, and then he looked at Merlin. "Was it that bad?", Arthur asked with a smirk despite the fact that he was practically burning holes in the back of the noblewoman's head.

Merlin shrugged, "She was insisting on me having a drink with her. Thanks for saving me".

Arthur rubbed Merlin's side affectionately, "For you, I would rival the devil himself.", he promised half-jokingly but actually meant it.

Merlin smiled, and he leaned forward to rest his head on the prince's shoulder, "You can have this". He held the cup of wine up for the prince to take.

Arthur took the cup, and he nodded, "Stay with the knights if I am being tortured with boring conversations with the other guests.

Merlin nodded, but then he heard the sound of someone cheering.

Arthur and Merlin turned their heads towards the noise, and they saw that Gwaine was drunk. The other knights were sat at a table with him.

"Probably best to stay near Lancelot and Leon. Percival and Elyan are slightly drunk too." Arthur pointed out.

"Alright, please try not to be dragged away by other nobles?" Merlin sighed.

"I promise to stay as close to you as I can", Arthur nodded. Arthur walked Merlin over to where their friends were sitting, and he poured the warlock a glass of water. They then sat down, and they held hands under the table. Arthur was being very vigilant of the surroundings because he was worried about Merlin being in a room full of nobles, all of whom were loyal to Uther.

A very drunk nobleman nearly stumbled into the chair that Merlin was sitting at, but the warlock used magic to sit him down at a different table gently. Arthur, however, quickly stood up and moved so that he sat on Merlin's other side because he had been sitting between Merlin and Leon.

"Stop being so worried. Nothing bad is going to happen." Merlin stated as he placed his hand on Arthur's leg.

"I am just doing my job, I have got a family to protect", Arthur crossed his arms as he sat back in his chair.

"We'll be alright, I will not let anything bad happen tonight", The warlock promised.

Arthur looked at Merlin "I know. I'm being overly protective, aren't I?"

Merlin nodded "But it is very sweet," he said before he kissed Arthur.

The prince returned the kiss and smiled at Merlin when their lips parted; the warlock held onto his arm and held onto Merlin's arm with his free hand, "I must be doing something right then".

Merlin smiled and leaned his head to the side to rest it against Arthur's shoulder, "Definitely".

Arthur kissed Merlin's head, "Are you alright in here? We do not have to stay at this party if you feel too tired or if you feel like you are going to be sick".

"I'm fine, it is your birthday, and we're celebrating it no matter what," Merlin said firmly.

"I know how I would rather celebrate my birthday..." Arthur raised one eyebrow, "And it involves our bed and our clothes on the floor".

Merlin closed his eyes and sighed, "We will see".

Arthur's eyes lit, "I love you".

"I love you too", Merlin whispered.

A few minutes passed before Merlin had to run off because his bladder was screaming at him, Arthur and the knights were deep in conversation and enjoying themselves whilst they sat around a table. The prince had made sure that Merlin had a drink of water because people kept offering him alcoholic drinks, the warlock had politely refused the noblemen and women every time, but he just gave the drinks to either Arthur or the knights if he could not talk his way out of an encounter. Nearly everyone at the party was either drunk or tipsy, and dinner had not even been served yet.

Arthur was minding his own business when Agravaine tapped his shoulder. "Yes?" Arthur asked and turned to face him.

Agravaine pushed the prince along as he led him towards a group of men and women, "There are some nobles over here who are dying to meet you. Please speak with them?"

Arthur wanted to protest but knew it had to be done if he wanted to keep the peace at the party. However, he wanted to smack a gold plate over Agravaine's head in retaliation for making the party unbearable.

Unaware that the prince had been stolen away by the nobles and Agravaine, Merlin returned to the room of the party whilst he was deep in thought. He could not help it as his mind drifted off to think about the baby. Was the baby going to grow up alright in this environment? How was Uther going to react? Would the baby have magic? What would Uther do if the baby did have magic? The questions plagued Merlin's mind, millions at a time, making it impossible not to stop walking and stare at his abdomen. People walking by thought the warlock might be hungry, so they barely paid any attention to him. Merlin looked up when he heard the sound of someone giggling. Out of curiosity, he turned his head towards the sound of the noise, and he saw a woman with dark hair, eyes, and pale skin. She smirked when she met Merlin's eyes, and he quickly looked away due to the malicious intent in her gaze.

However, the woman merely approached Merlin and stood beside him. "I saw you looking, witch. Do not try to pretend." she said in a superior tone, "Just because you are the king's lifeline does not mean that I cannot get you burned at the stake for angering me."

Merlin cringed at the woman's threat but remained silent all the same, 'Nice lady,' he thought sarcastically.

"Oi! Do not insult Merlin Emrys!" Gwaine yelled between hiccups, making him hard to take seriously.

The woman scoffed, "Why don't you sit down and sober up? Starting an uproar at the prince's birthday party would not end well for you, now, would it?"

Gwaine laughed wholeheartedly before striding over and putting an arm around Merlin's shoulders, "I'm protecting the prince's significant other! If you upset the prince, it would not end well for you, now would it?"

The woman glared at the knight and Merlin, outraged at the suggestion, "I cannot believe that this freak is involved in any way with the prince, other than as master and slave!"

The rest of the knights all stood behind Merlin, glaring at the woman, attempting to sobber up whilst defending their friend. "You are starting an uproar." Leon started, "Try not to make a scene." Elyan said as he crossed his arms, "You better leave." Lancelot finished.

The woman scoffed before spinning on her heels and storming off in a strop.

Merlin sighed, and turned around to face the knights, "Thank you".

"It's no problem", Leon smiled.

Everyone then turned and saw that Arthur was discussing something with a small group of very drunk men. The prince looked incredibly bored as he glanced over at Merlin and his friends, huffing before he gulped down the rest of his drink while trying to listen to the boring conversations.

"Should we go over and save him?" Lancelot asked.

"I have got this", Merlin's eyes turned gold as he connected his mind to Arthur's. Smirking as he allowed Arthur to see something that he was certain would cheer Arthur up.

The prince raised an eyebrow as he glanced over at Merlin, 'That was a very nice image to see in my head'.

'You'll be seeing more of it later when we're in our chambers.' Merlin smirked.

'I'm looking forward to it', Arthur thought.

Merlin's eyes changed back to their usual colour, as he sat down with the knights. Merlin's curiosity spiked when he noticed that Arthur had disappeared quite mysteriously, causing his eyes to scan the room in search of the prince. After a while, the knights all became distracted, and Merlin wandered off in search of Arthur. Little did the warlock know, the noblewoman who had taken a fancy to him from earlier was following him.

Eventually, Merlin found Arthur, but something about him was clearly off. His eyes were glazed over, and he looked dazed, appearing to be under some kind of spell. "Arthur!" Merlin called, but the prince ignored him and walked back into the room where the party was. Merlin followed and soon found that the prince was participating in a fake magic show. Just looking at the magician caused Merlin to grow suspicious of his intentions.

"Ah, Mr Handsome!" the voice made Merlin cringe as he turned to face the noblewoman from before. The woman grabbed Merlin's cheeks and pinched hard, "Are you enjoying the festivities?"

Merlin withstood from slapping the woman's hands away, and he just continued to watch Arthur out of the corner of his eye. Merlin could tell he was under some sort of spell and that the magician did not have good intentions. He paid no mind to the noblewoman whilst he used his magic silently to sabotage the magician's more suspiciously risky tricks. Uther did not notice that the magician was deliberately trying to harm Arthur during the show. One could say that it was slightly worrying how oblivious Uther is.

"Are you even listening to me?" The noblewoman yelled at Merlin, trying to get his attention.

"I think that you deserve someone who is wonderful, but I am not attracted to you or women in general." Merlin did not mean to be rude but did not know what else to say to the noblewoman. She had not been getting the hint. Merlin walked past the noblewoman, and his eyes flashed gold when he muttered a spell that snapped Arthur out of his trance, "Arthur!"

Arthur turned around and looked at Merlin, concern filling his mind when he saw the worried look on Merlin's face, "Merlin? Are you alright?"

"I am fine. Are you alright?" Merlin asked as he cupped Arthur's face in his hands.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Arthur asked, confused.

Merlin looked at the man that had put a spell on Arthur, the 'magician' glanced at him, and Merlin's eyes flashed gold as a warning to the sorcerer. The sorcerer shifted nervously before quickly escaping into the crowd.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked.

Merlin looked back at the prince, "Do you feel nauseous?"

"No", Arthur shook his head, "What's going on? You've got that look on your face that you normally do when you're suspicious of something".

"Good, just stay near me, please?" Merlin moved, and he held onto Arthur's hand.

Arthur nodded, "Alright". He was still confused, but he knew that Merlin was protecting him.

Everyone sat down to eat dinner as they continued to talk amongst themselves; Arthur quickly pulled a chair out next to his seat for Merlin to sit on; the prince then sat down next to Merlin. He was smiling as he held the warlock's hand underneath the table. Meanwhile, the princess that Uther had wanted to sit by Arthur had found a seat next to Leon, and they were happily talking about Leon's duties as a knight. However, Uther was unhappy that his plans to match Arthur up with a princess had failed. Nevertheless, Uther gave a speech about how the alliances formed between the kingdoms surrounding Camelot were a significant development, and he wished everyone a good meal. Arthur also gave a speech but thanked everyone for attending the party. He soon began to talk about friendships and love, smiling at Merlin occasionally.

Dinner was served as the entertainment started whilst everyone tucked into their first course of the meal, laughing as the entertainer deliberately was juggling and clumsily throwing the balls around. After disposing of the balls, the entertainer retrieved some knives and began juggling those instead. The crowd fell silent as they held their breath, fearing that he would drop the knives on his head just like he had done with the balls. However, Merlin began to notice little things about the entertainer, like how his eyes would turn gold each time he faced the fire or how his wrists would twitch each time his body lined up with Arthur's position. Almost as though he was holding back from carrying out a traitorous act.

"Whoops!" The entertainer cried as he went to throw a dagger at Arthur.

Merlin instantly reacted to the defence of his partner, his eyes flashing gold as he used magic to push the entertainer, causing him to fall backwards onto the ground, the dagger stabbing the floor beside his head. The crowd laughed, but the entertainer looked at Merlin, and he gulped when he realised who was protecting the prince. The coward did not make another attempt at Arthur's life.

The party ended once everyone had finished their meals, and nearly all of them were very drunk. Merlin and Arthur walked back to their chambers, hand in hand, whilst Arthur tried to understand why he had suddenly begun to feel ill.

"How much did I have to drink?" Arthur groaned in pain as he flopped down onto his bed.

"Not that much", Merlin answered as he folded up Arthur's shirt.

"Then why is my head throbbing?" Arthur asked.

Merlin's eyes flashed gold as he used magic to make the pain in Arthur's head vanish. "You were under a spell. The entertainers were trying to assassinate you".

Arthur lifted his head and looked at Merlin, "You were not hurt, were you?"

"I'm fine, but my heart was in my throat when some assassin tried to throw a dagger at you. He then realised who I was and stopped when I used magic." Merlin stated as he sat on the bed next to Arthur.

"My guardian angel", Arthur grabbed Merlin's hand, kissing it gently.

Merlin smiled as he laid down with his head on Arthur's chest, "It's my job".

They lay there until the castle fell silent as everyone fell asleep aside from the couple. As they began to kiss, Merlin straddled Arthur's legs as the blond man became overwhelmed with desire.

Merlin pulled back for air, smirking mischievously, "Do you fancy receiving your last birthday present?"

Arthur smirked and placed one hand on Merlin's bum, "This is the best birthday ever" That comment made the warlock giggle, "Come here".

Merlin's eyes flashed gold, using magic to lock the door and soundproof the room so that no one in the corridor would hear anything from their chambers. "Happy birthday", he whispered before they started to passionately kiss again.

Chapter Text

Two months, four weeks and four days later, Guias had secretly taken on the role of Merlin's doctor, and he had informed the warlock about what he needed to do to stay healthy, what nutrients he needed to support the baby's growth, carried out a few blood tests to make sure that he did not have any serious illnesses.

It was late afternoon on a Sunday; Arthur was training with the knights whilst Merlin sat on a bench and observed from the sidelines, the warlock smiled proudly as Arthur practised, and the brunet sighed happily as he watched his prince dodge every blunt sword and mace.

Arthur looked up and saw that Merlin was smiling at him, which caused him to smile at Merlin, "Are you happy over there?"

"Just enjoying the view!" Merlin yelled back.

"I can't blame you for that. I am pretty handsome!" Arthur winked at Merlin before he went back to training.

Merlin's chuckled, "Egocentric prat!"

"Gorgeous idiot!" Arthur yelled back.

Merlin's mind began to wander, and a weird feeling overcame him. He was suddenly thinking about an odd food combination, but the more he thought about it, the more he longed for it. That was until a sad thought overcame his mind, and he frowned.

"Are you alright?" Leon asked as he sat next to Merlin.

"I guess. I'm just worried because Arthur has been acting off since he saw my stomach this morning", Merlin explained before he glanced at Leon, "The baby bump is starting to show, and Arthur gave me a weird look when he thought that I wasn't looking".

"I'm sure that he didn't mean anything by it", Leon said.

"I hope that you're right, because I'm starting to think that he doesn't find me attractive anymore", Merlin sighed.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked as he lowered his sword.

Merlin jolted back to his senses and looked at Arthur, "I'm having cravings again, but you're going to laugh at me because you'll think they're weird." Merlin answered, looking visibly sad and self-conscious.

"What do you want to eat? I promise not to laugh" Arthur walked over and sat beside Merlin.

"A strawberry and honey sandwich", Merlin answered.

"In bread?" Arthur asked, trying not to chuckle.

"No, the strawberries are the bread and the honey in the middle", Merlin corrected.

"I'll be back in a bit", Arthur said before he kissed Merlin's cheek "Leon!" He called, and the knight followed him to the palace.

"Are you alright, Merlin?" Lancelot asked.

"Pregnancy is weird", Merlin answered.

"Why's that?" Elyan asked.

"Because he's growing a tiny human, having to hide a bump and keep his cravings a secret", Gwaine answered, and everyone looked at him in astonishment. "What?" Gwaine shrugged before he sat next to Merlin, "I occasionally listen".

"I find that hard to believe", Lancelot scoffed.

"I'll have you know that I can be an amazing listener!" Gwaine exclaimed.

"Oh, sure, and my name's Dave!" Percival rolled his eyes, not noticing the confused stares of his friends.

The knights and Merlin laughed and joked around for a while until Merlin felt a strong-arm wrap around his waist, and he smiled when he saw Arthur gazing lovingly at him. Merlin's heart warmed when he saw that Arthur was holding a bowl of strawberry and honey sandwiches, his stomach growling at the sight of the food whilst Leon tried to maintain a straight face and not smile at the lovestruck look on Arthur's face.

"I love you", Merlin eagerly took the bowl and happily began to feast on his snack whilst he watched Arthur resume practising his swordsmanship skills.

Merlin watched the training session for a few minutes before he walked over to Arthur, he handed the prince his shield, and Arthur smiled at him, "I am going to go and talk to Guias about something, so come and find me after training, alright?"

Arthur nodded and wrapped one arm around Merlin's waist, "Alright, be careful walking around the palace on your own".

Merlin nodded, and he kissed Arthur, "I am always careful".

"That is very reassuring", Arthur joked sarcastically.

Merlin chuckled and kissed Arthur again before turning and walking towards that palace.

Arthur watched as Merlin walked away, and then he went back to training. "Everyone, pick up your shields!" he ordered.

"Sire, may I ask you a question?" the knight asked.

Arthur nodded, "Sure".

"I've noticed that you seem worried about something. Is it about the baby?" Leon asked.

Arthur sighed and nodded, "The baby is growing, and the pregnancy will be visible soon. I am so scared for their safety, and it is eating me alive. If my father can torture Merlin for being in love with me, what will he do when he finds out about the baby?"

"Just enjoy the time that you have got with Merlin and tackle that obstacle when you reach it. I think that Merlin is worried, too, so he might need a hug from you. He is worried that you do not like how he looks now that he has a small baby bump", Leon explained, and Arthur quickly looked at him in shock.

"He told you that?" Arthur asked.

"Sort of", Leon answered.

Arthur stood up, "Thank you, Leon. You may return to your post; I'll go and find Merlin".

Leon nodded, and Arthur walked towards the palace to go and track down the warlock. It did take a few minutes, but Merlin had always had a knack for disappearing when someone was looking for him.

Arthur had just arrived at Guias's chambers when e physician exited the rooms and looked at him, "Hello, Guias".

"Ah, Arthur! Just the person", Guias greeted. "Merlin, is thinking, and he seems worried about something", he stated, and the prince nodded.

"I was just looking for him. I know that he is worried about something," Arthur said as he began to worry about his beloved Merlin.

"Oh good, I shall leave you both to it", Guias smiled before he left.

Meanwhile, Merlin was pondering over something, his eyes on the ground and arms folded as he stood in front of the bookshelf. Arthur slowly opened the door and snuck up behind the warlock, wrapping his arms around Merlin's waist.

The warlock jumped in surprise, and then he looked over his shoulder in bewilderment. His expression melted away into a smile. "You really must stop scaring me." he tried to sound serious but failed.

Arthur smiled gently, "Sorry about that. What has gotten you so down, though? You seem upset about something."

Merlin shook his head but knew that there was no way he was getting off of the hook that easily, "I'm just a bit distracted today, that's all." he explained.

Arthur gave Merlin a little squeeze and sighed, as he felt all of his worry towards Merlin and their unborn swell right back up again, "Leon told me that you were worried that I did not like how you looked".

Merlin bit the inside of his cheek and turned his head back to face one of the bookshelves, "You looked at me weirdly when I was getting dressed earlier".

Arthur kissed Merlin's neck, "I think that you're gorgeous. I'm just worried because your pregnancy will start to show soon. But you're gorgeous, though, and I'm so happy that we are going to have this baby", he spoke softly as he comforted his warlock.

Merlin held onto Arthur's wrists, "I know, I am scared too. Uther will try to kill me when he finds out about the baby." he sighed as he closed his eyes.

Arthur kissed Merlin's shoulder, "I won't let that happen. I'll protect you and our baby with my life".

Merlin smiled and turned his head to look at Arthur, "I'll protect both of you too, my perfect little family".

Arthur smiled and kissed Merlin, "My perfect warlock and our perfect prince or princess." He whispered softly, and he leaned his forehead against Merlin's.

The day continued, and the couple managed to ease each other's concerns. They walked back to their chambers, hand in hand. No one was in the long corridor except for the couple, so Arthur opened the door before quickly grabbing Merlin and scooping him up.

"Arthur!?" Merlin exclaimed.

Arthur kicked the door shut before carrying Merlin over to the bed, sensually throwing him onto the mattress. The warlock giggled as his partner climbed up and positioned him above him, smirking as he leaned down to kiss Merlin. They lost themselves in their kiss, forgetting about the world momentarily.

"I love you so much", Arthur whispered when their lips parted.

Merlin looked into Arthur's eyes, "I love you too".

They went back to kissing again, but there was a knock at the door which caused Arthur to pull away. Merlin sighed as Arthur reluctantly climbed off the bed and walked to the door.

The prince opened the door and looked at the guard, "Yes?"

"The king has ordered for you to go on a routine scouting trail to make sure that the kingdom is safe from sorcerers", The guard informed as he handed Arthur a letter.

Merlin sighed when he heard what the guard had said, his heart sinking as he placed his hand on his abdomen and sat up in bed.

Arthur glared at the guard, "Fuck off!" he snarled before he slammed the door shut. Arthur turned and looked at Merlin apologetically, "Sorry for shouting".

Merlin walked over to Arthur, and cupped the prince's face in his hands, "We know that not all magic is evil. It doesn't matter what other people think."

"Would you hate me if I went out on the routine patrol?" Arthur asked.

"No, just make sure that you stay safe and that you come home", Merlin answered.

Arthur nodded and held onto Merlin's waist, "I won't be gone for long. Use magic if anyone harasses or hurts you. I'll make sure that my father doesn't find out".

Merlin nodded, "I'll see you soon".

Arthur kissed Merlin before he lifted his arm, and Merlin saw that he was told a letter, "It's for you".

Merlin took the letter, and examined the handwriting, "It's from my mother".

Arthur took Merlin's hand and led the warlock over to the desk; Merlin sat in the chair, and Arthur crouched in front of him.

"Make sure that you get some rest," Arthur said.

"I am only two months pregnant, Arthur. I do not need to rest that much, and I will still be capable of doing things throughout the duration of my pregnancy", Merlin started as he put the letter down on the desk.

Arthur sighed and rolled his eyes, "I don't mean that. I mean that you should rest because my father has you running ragged whilst he's giving you orders, and I've noticed how it has made you exhausted in the past." he then grabbed Merlin's other hand, "I just want to do what I can to take care of you".

Merlin smiled and kissed Arthur's head, "I know".

Arthur lifted up the bottom of Merlin's shirt so that he could see the warlock's slight baby bump, "I love the both of you so much" he kissed Merlin's abdomen gently, and the warlock chuckled.

"You're going to be an amazing father", Merlin stated as he smiled lovingly at Arthur.

Arthur let go of Merlin's shirt before he stood up, "So are you" he cupped the warlock's cheek and leaned down to kiss him.

Arthur left after his kiss with Merlin, grabbing his sword as he walked out the door, leaving Merlin on his own.

The warlock opened the letter and placed his hand on his tummy, "Shall we read what Grandma wrote?"

The letter was short and sweet, leaving a warm smile on Merlin's face as soon as he began to read Hunith's adoring words.

'To my dear son,

I am glad that you are doing well, but I will admit that I am apprehensive about this whole baby thing. Just how exactly did it happen? And is your body able to cope with it? I am happy either way since I am getting a grandchild, but your safety comes first. And if this happened because that dumb prince knocked you up, then I will wring his neck!

With sincere love,

Your mother.'

Merlin laughed a bit as he finished reading the letter and put it on the desk, "Your Grandma is very protective. She is a little concerned, but I know that she already loves you very much ". Merlin wrote back to his mother and found the messenger boy, who was making his rounds through the village, delivering letters. The warlock found himself feeling bored for the rest of the day, so he just spent some time reading and practising his magic; he ate dinner just as it was starting to get dark, and he went to bed after he had a bath.

As the hours passed, the sky changed from a light baby blue to a now pitch black, and the castle was silent. Arthur tiptoed into his chambers to not wake Merlin up if he was asleep. He pulled his clothes off and swiftly changed into a pair of trousers to sleep in. He then climbed into bed behind Merlin, spooning against his warlock whilst he slept, and the prince fell asleep within minutes of lying next to Merlin. The only sounds from outside the palace walls were the owls hooting, the wind dancing the leaves on the trees and the gentle pitter-patter of rain against the large windows.

Chapter Text

Horrific images of thick black smoke and raging fires consumed Merlin's slumber, the downfall of Camelot plaguing his mind as his peaceful slumber changed to one of terror. The heart-wrenching feeling of hopelessness overtook Merlin as he desperately tried to use magic to douse the fires, but nothing happened. he was powerless. All he could do was watch and yell in anguish. Merlin watched on with a pained expression as the knights ran towards the palace and disappeared behind the wall of smoke. A moment passed before the sound of an infant crying caught his attention.

"What should we do about the witch's baby?" Agravaine asked

"Nothing for now. But that could change if they decide to show their faces in my Kingdom again". Uther's coldhearted response caused Merlin to begin to scream for Arthur to help him as Agravaine lifted an infant out of a cot and glared at the child.

"Merlin!" a concerned voice yelled, causing Merlin to jolt awake from his sleep.

Sweat was pouring down Merlin's back as he frantically looked around the room in search of any threats. His whole being was cold, and his eyes had a faint golden glow to them as he prepared himself to use magic to defend his family. However, Merlin jumped when he felt a hand being placed on his shoulder, his eyes now completely gold as he turned to look at who had touched his arm.

"Are you alright?" Arthur asked.

Merlin sighed as his eyes faded back to light blue, "It was just a nightmare".

Arthur lifted his arm up "Come here" he instructed, and Merlin laid down in the prince's arms, "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked as he began to stroke Merlin's hair.

Merlin felt his body relax as Arthur caressed his messy hair; he found it comforting when Arthur did little but meaningful things for him when he was worried, sad or anxious. "Camelot was on fire and I could do nothing to help everyone, I couldn't move or use magic, I just kept screaming", the feeling of helplessness caused Merlin's breath to catch "It then changed, and Uther was discussing our baby's life with Agravaine. They were saying that something would happen if I brought the baby back to Camelot".

Arthur started to rub circles over Merlin's back "I will not let any of that happen, our baby is safe, and you're safe".

"But we're not safe, the baby's not safe. I'm terrified of what might happen if Uther finds out about our child!" Merlin started to tremble and hyperventilate.

"Ssshhh breathe, my darling", Arthur cooed as he slowly rubbed Merlin's back and he kissed his warlock's head. "I will not let anyone hurt our child, I will always protect the both of you. You're safe here with me. Everything will be alright because I'm going to make sure that our child grows up happy and healthy".

Merlin started to relax and he nodded before he placed a hand on his small baby bump, this helped to calm him down and he kissed Arthur. However, he somehow knew that something was going to happen over the upcoming days, "Can you be careful, please? I have a bad feeling that something is going to happen soon".

Arthur nodded and he placed his hand on Merlin's cheek, "Alright, I have to go out on a patrol tomorrow with the knights, so do you want to come with me?" he asked, knowing that it would offer some reassurance to Merlin if they were near each other whilst his intuition was warning him of future events.

"Yeah, I know that I can protect you all that way." Merlin sniffled.

"Alright," Arthur smiled kindly at his warlock as he stroked Merlin's cheek with his thumb, "Try and go back to sleep, wake me up if you need me or if you cannot sleep".

"Can you hold me, please?" Merlin asked quietly.

"Of course," Arthur moved closer to Merlin and he wrapped his arm around the warlock, "Close your eyes and try to get some sleep".

Merlin nodded, and he closed his eyes to try and drift off back to sleep. Sleep quickly took Merlin, who was comfortably nestled close to Arthur, a peaceful night's sleep transpired as Arthur's presence and touch seemed to ward off nightmares and other terrors.

As the sun arose in the sky, Merlin felt as though he had barely slept as he watched the knights and Arthur saddle up, ready for their patrol. It was Arthur that noticed that Merlin did not have a horse and he sighed as he walked over to Merlin, "We can go together" Arthur said as he led Merlin towards his horse.

Merlin nodded as he grabbed the reins, he started to hoist himself up with the help of Arthur, who was holding into his waist to support him. Once Merlin was seated securely at the back of the saddle, Arthur pulled himself up and sat in front of him before he grabbed the reins. The prince felt two arms wrap around his waist and he smiled as he looked over his shoulder at Merlin, the warlock smiled back at him, and they kissed before they rode out of the stables with the knights following them.

The kingdom became smaller as the knights, prince, and Merlin galloped towards the forest until they were surrounded by deep green trees, Camelot was long out of sight.

"Can you see or feel anything amiss, Merlin?" Arthur asked as he kept his eyes focused on the path ahead.

Merlin's eyes flashed gold as he whispered an enchantment whilst he scanned the wooded area for possible dangers ahead of the group, "No, everything is clear" he answered as he withdrew his magic.

Arthur looked over his shoulder, "Thank you", he smiled at Merlin.

"No problem", Merlin smiled and kissed Arthur.

The group continued with their patrol around the forest on horseback without issues; despite it being a fairly bright day, the forest was only dimly lit as the trees' leaves cast shadows down upon the ground. Merlin found the scenery quite peaceful as he could hear the birds chirping overhead and the leaves wish-washing in the wind.

Arthur noticed the peaceful expression on Merlin's face and smiled. "Are you enjoying yourself?" Arthur asked the warlock.

"No! It's cold and miserable, and I need a wee!" Gwaine interrupted.

Arthur scowled at Gwaine, but Merlin laughed uncontrollably, which caused everyone else in the party to follow suit.

"It's nice, getting away from all the madness at the castle and just relax." Merlin said with a soft smile.

Arthur smiled over his shoulder at his warlock, "It would be nicer if it were just you and me…" There were a couple of snickers behind the couple, but Arthur tried his best to ignore it and resumed flirtation mode. "We could climb up a tree together and enjoy the view, or we could explore the forest on foot. Who knows what we'd find."

"Keep it in your pants, lover boy!" Lancelot joked.

Arthur hurriedly swung his head around to glare at the Knights, who were holding back great fits of laughter.

Merlin laughed and shook his head at the childishness of his friends before tapping the prince on his shoulder. Arthur turned his head to look at Merlin only to receive a light but passionate kiss on the lips, "We'll have to make sure to make it a bit more private next time then." The warlock said with a flirty wink, but then he felt something, and he looked towards the dirt and leaf-covered path, "There is something ahead".

"Is it anything that is threatening?" Leon asked, glancing at the warlock as the group halted their stride through the forest.

Merlin looked further ahead into the forest until he saw what he had sensed and his heart started to ache, "No, there's a wounded unicorn ahead. Arthur, she needs help, or else she will die!" he pleaded as he looked up at the prince.

"Which direction?" the prince asked.

"Left", Merlin answered as he pointed to his left.

Arthur did not hesitate, he turned his horse to the left, before commanding him to hastily walk forwards as the knights followed closely behind. They all strode through the forest for a few yards until Merlin grabbed Arthur's wrist, and the prince halted his horse, looking towards his warlock and then following Merlin's gaze until he saw the injured creature. Arthur climbed off of his horse, and then helped Merlin get down, as the warlock watched the unicorn, "Where is the unicorn keeper?"

"I do not know, but we can't leave her there to die. I can help her." Merlin stated as he looked at his prince.

"And that is why you have got the most beautiful heart in all of the land" Arthur smiled gently at Merlin as he spoke.

Merlin nodded as he turned to walk over to where the unicorn was lying on the ground. The snowy white horse started to panic, and she tried to stand up, but it just caused her even more pain, "Ssshhh sshh it is alright. I am not going to hurt you, I want to help you" he soothed as he stroked the magical horse's magnificent mane "My name is Merlin Emrys, you are going to be okay, I promise" he placed his other hand on the horse's leg, and the unicorn neighed in pain. "Hey, sshh ssh it is alright. Just bear with me." he spoke softly, and the unicorn calmed down "There you go, well done." the warlock smiled kindly. His eyes flashed gold, and he started to heal the unicorn's leg, as he continued to stroke the horse so that he could comfort her. He then placed his hand on the slash that was on her neck, and he slowly pulled the arrow out of her belly. He healed every single one of her wounds, whilst his magic gave her the energy to stand up.

"Thank you", a soft voice spoke from behind Merlin.

The warlock quickly turned around, and he saw the keeper of the unicorns, standing at the edge of the path. Merlin nodded as he stroked the beautiful horse's snout before she galloped away into the forest.

"Do not fear, Merlin. Arthur will be alright, and all will be well in the end." The unicorn keeper promised before he disappeared behind the thick line of trees.

Merlin then turned to Arthur and sighed as he smiled at the prince. The warmth in Arthur's provided him with a titanic amount of comfort, and the prince held out a hand to him. The rest of the day was relatively uneventful and the rest of the patrol through the forest was peaceful the group did not identify any risks nor did they discover any threats to the kingdom. They did have to stop at one point because the warlock became very tired so they all sat down for something to eat and drink so that they could all recuperate their energy, in order to turn around and travel back to the kingdom. A peaceful feeling set in as the remainder of the day was uneventful.

The next few weeks rolled around and now Merlin was exactly 4 months pregnant, and like Arthur, he was starting to worry that someone might notice something which could cause suspicion. However, Merlin's nightmares became even more horrific and they were both affected due to lack of a good night's sleep. Not to mention how there seemed to always be someone judging them from each and every corner of the castle.

"Do you have to go to training today?" Merlin asked from the bed and he slowly rolled over onto his side.

"I have to go. I wish that I could stay here with you all day." Arthur answered as he put his armour on.

Merlin sighed and he closed his eyes "So do I".

Arthur looked at Merlin and he saw how pale his warlock was, he sighed because he did not want to leave Merlin but then he had an idea when he remembered something. The Prince walked over to his wardrobe and pulled out a small wooden box, he opened it and he grabbed what he required before he walked back over to the bed, "Open your eyes, my darling. I have something for you".

Merlin opened his eyes, and he smiled when Arthur sat on the edge of the bed next to him.

Arthur smiled as he held Merlin's hand, "How do you feel?"

"Everything hurts, especially my back and my head", Merlin answered, and he rubbed his eyes.

Arthur kissed Merlin's hand, "Is there anything that I can do to help?"

"Can you rub my back, please?" Merlin asked as he looked up at Arthur.

The prince nodded and held out his hand in front of Merlin, "Here, I meant to give this to you months ago, but a few things got in the way".

Merlin looked at Arthur's hand, and he saw the ring that was sitting in his palm, "When did you get that?"

"I got it when I won that tournament the day that your magic was revealed. I won it for you" Arthur placed the ring around Merlin's ring finger, "We cannot get married until I am king, so just consider this ring as a token, which represents my promise to love and to always protect you".

Merlin's eyes flashed gold before a gold band appeared around Arthur's ring finger, "Thank you. I promise the same to you".

Arthur leaned down and kissed Merlin, "I love you so much".

"I love you too", Merlin kissed Arthur again.

The prince left not so long after the kiss, so Merlin decided to go back to sleep for a bit, just until breakfast arrived, and Arthur would definitely come back for a bit so that he did not miss breakfast. A well-cooked breakfast was one of the four things that Arthur loved in life, Merlin and their child came first, Camelot came second, and his father came third on the list. If only everyone's hearts were filled with love.

The day seemed to drag along, even though the view outside was glorious; hundreds of birds were flying around the kingdom, and the sun was shining down on everyone; emitting a comforting warmth whilst a soft breeze brushed through the trees and everyone's hair. The people of Camelot were going about their daily routines, the market was flooded, and children were laughing as they played in the village; carefree and joyously as the world around them moved at a graciously slow pace.

Merlin could happily spend the whole day just gazing out the window, as life slowed down just for a day. To not have a care in the world and just spend his time watching the happy citizens of Camelot, as he slowly rubbed circles around his abdomen whilst he spoke to the child he was carrying. Telling them wonderful stories and singing gentle lullabies to his child. Nothing could ruin that. The warlock loved to just get lost in his own thoughts as they danced around his head; he would allow his magic to roam freely around the room so that he could watch all of the beautiful possibilities forming in front of his eyes. The warlock eventually decided to go and visit Gaius, so he began to stride through the palace as the guards, knights and the servants greeted or glared at him 'I guess that I can't please everyone' he thought as he shrugged as he continued on his way. Maybe everyone would be more accepting one day?

The walk through the palace was pleasant and short; the door to Gaius ' chambers was ajar, so Merlin gently knocked before he entered to physician's living quarters, where he was met by the comforting sight of his father figure sitting with his nose in one of his many books. Test tubes, vials and bowls containing different liquids and objects were scattered around the tables, and there were books lying on the floor; obviously, Gaius had been throwing them off of his bookshelves as he searched for something in particular. The sight made Merlin smile as he started to go around the room, picking up all of the books.

"Oh, Merlin my dear boy. I was meaning to talk to you!" Gaius stated as he stood up and walked over to the pile of books that were sitting on his desk, "Could you help me find my book on food, water and health? I for the life of me cannot find it anywhere".

Merlin walked over and stood next to Gaius, "This one?"

Gaius looked down at what Merlin was holding, "Yes, this is the one. Where was it?".

"It was on the floor next to the door", Merlin answered.

"I wonder how it managed to get there? It must have been the work of another pixie," the physician reasoned as he walked back over to his desk.

Merlin let out a discreet chuckle as he sat down at the table, "It must be".

They engaged in conversation as Gaius continued to work, and Merlin assisted in any way that he could, whilst he enjoyed eating ruby red apple or two. They became emerged in conversations about magical creatures and even the unicorn that Merlin, Arthur and the knights had come across the previous day. This soon developed into a conversation about the sickness that had been going around the kingdom for the last week.

"So, what has food got to do with this sickness?" Merlin asked, curious.

"Everyone who has contracted the sickness develops a fever, bowel issues, vomiting and abdomen pains as well as long-lasting headaches". Gaius explained.

"That sounds like food poisoning to me," Merlin stated before he bit his apple.

"I think that you might be correct," Gaius said as he found the page that he had been searching for.

Suddenly, the front door was thrown open, starting both Merlin and Gaius as a group of five knights marched into the room; heading towards the warlock as Agravaine stepped into the physician's chambers, sword in hand and a glare plastered on his face.

"Cease the sorcerer!" the lord instructed as he walked over to where Merlin and Gaius were sitting.

Merlin did not know how to react as the knights grabbed his arms and neck, forcing him up onto his feet, and then two of them yanked his arms behind his back; causing him to grunt in pain as another knight bound his wrists together with a thick rope.

"What is the meaning of this?" Gaius raised his voice as the knights started to drag Merlin out of the room.

"The sorcerer has been accused of poisoning the people of Camelot, the king has ordered his swift arrest!" Agravaine stated as he walked out of the room.

"Merlin would never do such a thing! This is hearsay!" Gaius stated as he followed after the knights, Agravaine and Merlin.

"We shall see about that", the lord muttered under his breath as he stormed through the palace corridors, with Uther's knights dragging Merlin along in tow.

It was at that moment that Gwen appeared from around the corner, immediately freezing when she saw what was going and she saw the fear on her friend's face as he was brutally yanked down the corridor, "Merlin?"

Merlin could not break free as he was dragged through the palace, so he looked over his shoulder at the physician, who was watching on with a look of concern and anguish, "Get Arthur and the knights!" he yelled to Gaius.

Time seemed to slow down for the warlock as he was mercilessly dragged through the long corridors, his feet moving involuntarily in order to keep him upright, but his mind was racing with panic as he tried to remain calm. He knew that he would be accused of resisting arrest and endangering others if he fought back, but he also knew that he would be seen as weak and guilty.

"Bring him here!" Uther instructed, his glare hardened as Merlin met his gaze, but Agravaine kicked the back of one of Merlin's knees; forcing the warlock to close his eyes in pain as he was dropped down to his knees, bruising them on the stone floor.

"I always knew that you were evil", Uther hissed at Merlin, but the warlock did not look directly at him.

"My Lord, this evil must be punished! Camelot will fall if his wicked ways are not undone!" Agravaine shouted, pleased when Uther nodded in agreement.

Whilst Agravaine was twisting a tall tale to Uther, Merlin was desperately trying to remain calm even though his anxiety was bubbling and he was trying to think of a way to escape 'I could make a run for it?' he thought to himself as he glanced at the heavy doors and his heart sunk when he saw the two guards who were stood next to them 'That would not work' he then looked at the knights 'I could always use magic?' he considered the idea of using magic to escape and defend himself, but he made the conclusion that using magic would only cause more trouble because Uther would see it as him being guilty of whatever he was arrested of 'I hope that Gaius gets Arthur her soon'. The warlock at Uther and saw the hatred in the king's eyes, Merlin had seen that look when his magic had been revealed and many times before that when a person had been accused of dabbling and using magic "I did not cause the plague. I am innocent, sire".

"I should have burnt you at the stake. I should have never let you live!" Uther shouted at Merlin.

Merlin rose to his feet and clenched his fists, "I have never used my magic for evil. I have only ever protected and helped people. The plagued is a form of food poisoning, Gaius is looking into creating a cure for it now, and I was helping him earlier".

"Guards!" Agravaine shouted.

Merlin was grabbed by two guards and pushed down to his knees, but he did not use magic; he just remained silent as he tried to remain calm as he waited for Arthur to arrive. He knew that using magic was a risky move and that the best idea was to wait for Arthur, hopefully, the prince would be able to reason with Uther before anything bad happened.

Uther drew his sword, and pointed the tip directly at Merlin's neck, "Confess your crimes".

Merlin said nothing. He just stared into Uther's cold eyes.

"Confess now, witch!" Uther shouted at Merlin.

"Why would I curse a kingdom when I have the power to create hundreds of thousands of kingdoms? Why would I act as a manservant to a prince for years if I was planning to take over the land? Why would I delay any evil plan if I have more power than any and all armies?" Merlin asked, but Uther's eyes remained dark with hatred.

Meanwhile, desperate to find the prince, Gaius raced through the palace as quickly as he was physically able to, relief flooding him when he eventually reached the training grounds, where he found Arthur training a dozen new knights, "Sire!" he called as he ran towards the prince.

Arthur turned around and saw the physical running towards him, "What's wrong, Gaius?"

"Merlin has been arrested for causing the plague!" Gaius yelled.

Arthur's heart jumped into his throat when he heard what Gaius said, he barely registered that he had thrown down his bow and quiver as he bolted passed the physician, sprinting towards the palace, 'Shit, what has happened now?!' he thought as he ran through the palace hallways, "Hold on, Merlin!" The prince ignored the guards and the servants' confused expressions as he continued to sprint through the palace, his heart was pounding in his chest, and his mind was racing with panic and concern for Merlin and their unborn child.

Back in the throne room, Uther was still glaring daggers at Merlin as the warlock remained very still and as calm as he possibly could. However, remaining calm proved to be a difficult task, because a knight grabbed a first full of Merlin's hair; causing the young man to grunt in pain as his head was roughly yanked back so that Uther could get a clear-cut at his neck.

In a mix between frustration and loathing, Uther raised his sword into the sky as he prepared to deliver Merlin's unfair sentence, but the doors were thrown open, revealing Arthur as he ran into the throne room, panting, and his eyes widened when he saw what had been about to happen.

"Father, don't!" Arthur yelled in a panic.

Merlin quickly turned his head, and released the breath that he did not know he had been holding, "Arthur!"

"Why should I spare this servant?" Uther looked at Arthur.

"I love Merlin, and he is innocent!" Arthur yelled as he ran across the room.

"Lies!" Uther rose his sword again to deliver a fatal blow at Merlin's neck, but Arthur panicked, and words spewed out of his mouth without him thinking about their possible repercussions.

"He is pregnant with my child!" the prince cried out, causing everyone to freeze at his statement.

Merlin's heart jumped into his throat, and time seemed slow down. The guards released their grasp on his arms, but he did not move an inch because he was consumed with an overbearing sense of fear. The secret was out and the dread that filled his gut caused him to feel nauseous.

Uther stood up whilst he grabbed Merlin's arm, yanking the warlock up to his feet, and he looked at Arthur, "How is that even possible?"

"I can't explain what happened," Merlin answered honestly, and the king looked at him.

Uther held his other hand out towards Agravaine, "Pass me your dagger".

Agravaine obeyed instantly, and he handed his dagger to Uther.

Merlin felt the coldness of the blade against his neck, "Arthur!"

"Shut up, witch!" Uther shouted before he turned to look at his son, "Declaring that you loved this monster was bad enough, but now you're taking it in your bed?!" he roared at the prince.

Arthur's heart broke when at how scared Merlin looked for himself and their unborn child, "Merlin is not a monster, I love him with all of my heart, so we had intercourse, and he's now pregnant. It was not his fault!"

Uther's rage only intensified at Arthur's speech, "I should burn them both at the stake!"

Arthur drew his sword, and pointed it straight at the king, "Don’t test me.” he warned. The thought of defying his father had never crossed his mind before, but Merlin's life was at risk, "Let him go!"

Uther hesitated, but he relented, and he let go of Merlin's arm. The warlock looked at Uther, and he saw the loathing glare in the king's eyes before Uther shoved him. The young man stumbled slightly, but he ran towards his prince, "Arthur!"

Arthur quickly put his sword in its holster, and he hurried to untie the warlock’s wrists before he pulled Merlin into a hug and he kissed his head, "Are you and the baby alright?"

Merlin nodded quickly as his heart continued to pound uncontrollably before he laid his head against the blond man's shoulder.

"Undo this horror!" Uther ordered.

"What?" Arthur asked.

"I want that devil spawn gone this instant!" Uther ordered, causing Merlin to look at him in shock.

"You're telling me to get rid of my child?" Merlin asked in bewilderment.

"A man could never have children. It is the work of the devil!" Agravaine shouted.

"No." Merlin argued.

Uther drew his sword as he began to march towards Arthur and Merlin, a coldness in his eyes and hatred plastered on his face as he glared at Merlin.

Arthur drew his sword whilst holding Merlin close to his side, "Do not come any closer".

Merlin's eyes flashed gold when he had a premonition of what was about to happen. He pushed Arthur out of the way, his eyes flashing gold as he used his magic to create a sword just in time, as Uther lunged at him, blocking his attack. "You want to kill the wrong sorcerer. The castle is under attack, and rather than defend your kingdom, you would kill the person that's protected Camelot for years?"

With a roar of anger, Uther swung at Merlin again, but the warlock easily blocked his attack, before pushing him back, which caused almost everyone to watch the warlock with their mouths agape, "You can fight?"

"He's a fast learner", Arthur stated proudly.

Merlin's eyes flashed gold as he blocked Uther's attack again, "Three, two, one..." He counted down before the arm bells started to ring just as Leon ran into the throne room.

"The palace is under attack!" Leon yelled.

Merlin did not waste time, he sprinted out of the throne room, sword in hand and ready to defend Camelot with everything that he had.

Arthur ran after Merlin as the warlock raced ahead of him "Protect Camelot! Leon, Gwaine, Percival, Lancelot, Elyan, you're with me!" he yelled as Merlin disappeared into a cloud of smoke caused by dust.

Leon, Gwaine and Percival did not hesitate to run out of the room with Arthur, they ran down the long corridor until they saw Merlin. face to face with a knight, whose armour was dark grey and whose back plate was branded with the crest of a viper. The dark knight towered over the warlock in both height and muscle mass; its dark grey armour concealed every possible weakness, repeatedly swinging its sword at Merlin.

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled.

Merlin put his hand out, and the dark knight was pulled back by an invisible force. However, he braced himself as he watched the knight stand up, and ran at him, “Crap!" he cursed. "Get to the courtyard! I'll meet you guys out there!"

"Do you need any help?!" Gwaine yelled.

Merlin used his magic to throw the dark knight back, but it ran towards him again, "Nah, just give me a few minutes, and I'll meet you in the courtyard!"

"I love you, Merlin!" Arthur said before he turned to run to the courtyard.

"I love you too!" Merlin yelled before he threw the dark knight back. Again.

Arthur and the knights hurried outside into the courtyard as a dozen dark knights marched towards the castle; they all drew their swords and formed a circle as the enemy knights began to March towards them; moving in perfect sync as they raised their swords and pointed them at the knights of Camelot. "Brace yourselves!" the prince instructed and the knights of the round table prepared themselves to fight, a feeling of dread brewing in them whilst their minds and hearts remained courageous, "Charge!"

Whilst simultaneously yelling ‘Aaaahhh!” the knights of Camelot charged at the enemy, with their swords raised, ready to defend the kingdom. The knights and Arthur fought valiantly, but the enemy seemed to have no weakness, and the knights were growing tired, but they continued to soldier on. The possibility of a victory seemed slim until a loud crashing noise sounded before shards of glass and pieces of a dark knight were propelled through a window. Landing with loud thumps and bangs against the ground.

"Change of plan! I'm going to go and protect Uther!" Merlin yelled down to Arthur, and the prince glanced at him, “They can only be stopped by being destroyed, so hold them off as long as you can!” The warlock did not wait for a reply, he just began to race off towards the throne room to protect the king. However, protecting Uther was easier said than done because Merlin found himself being thrown up against a wall as soon as he entered the throne room, grunting in pain when he hit the bricks.

"So naïve”, Morgause taunted Merlin as she used magic to hold him against the wall, “So Irritating”.

Merlin opened his eyes, and he glared at the sorceress, "I have been called worse things".

"But yet you still continue to protect a wretched king and his arrogant son? I would define that as foolishness and weakness," Morgause stated with a glare.

"I would define it as loyalty", Merlin sneered before his eyes flashed gold, causing the sorceress to be thrown back, resulting in her spell being broken, and Merlin fell to his hands and knees, “Not that you know much about ‘loyalty’".

Morgause scrambled to her feet, her eyes flashing gold before she began to throw fireballs at Merlin, "Stupid boy!" she sneered in anger whilst throwing repeated attacks at Merlin.

Merlin dived out of the way before he put up a shield of protection as Uther lunged at him with a dagger, resulting in the warlock's attention becoming divided as he looked at Uther as he avoided being stabbed or set on fire, "You’re still trying to kill me? This is really not the time!" he stated, all the while thinking about not dying and how much of a buffoon Uther is.

Merlin used his magic to blast Uther to the side so that he was out of harm's way, whilst he defended himself and Uther from the sorceress who was trying to kill them both. However, the king had other ideas, and one of them consisted of throwing an axe at the warlock at the same exact time that Morgause threw magical daggers at Merlin. The battle continued, with both sides getting injured and thrown about until the witch finally spoke again as Merlin was thrown through the air.

"Wrong place at the wrong time, Emrys!" The sorceress cackled.

Merlin's eyes flashed gold as Uther grabbed a knife and stood a few feet behind him, "I prefer to think about it as the wrong place at the right time", he started as the king lobbed the knife in his direction and he dropped down to his hands and knees before he used magic to throw the blade at Morgause ‘Looks like Uther does have his uses after all’ he thought.

The sorceress gasped as she was stabbed, causing her to stand in the centre of the throne room in shock, as a scream erupted at the same time, a gust of wind appeared behind Uther, and the king choked on his own breath as a sword pierced his cold heart. Merlin’s stomach dropped when he realised what had happened, and he scrambled to his feet, ready to fight against another sorceress.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Morgana raged with grief, "You will pay for this, Merlin!" she announced before she pulled her sword out of Uther's chest before another gust of wind appeared, as she and her sister disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

"No!" Merlin breathed as he caught the king as he fell, gently laying him down on the floor, before placing a hand over his chest, "Just hold on! It is going to be alright. Þurhhæle dolgbenn!" he chanted as his eyes flashed gold, Uther's blood already covering his hands and soaking his clothes.

Uther just glared at Merlin with ice-cold eyes, and in a last-ditch effort to intimidate the warlock, he grabbed the warlock's wrist, "You will never... escape from... Y-your sins! I will have.. r-reve-nge!" he warned before his eyes went dull and his heart ceased beating.

“Don’t you fuckin dare!” Merlin's heart raced as he shot some lightning into Uther's heart, but it did not revive the king, so he repeated the action, as a sharp pain shot towards his head, “FUCK!”.

The doors suddenly flew open, and Arthur ran into the throne room; he instantly froze when he saw that Uther was lying dead on the ground whilst Merlin was kneeling next to him, hands caped with blood, "Father?"

Merlin looked up, and he saw Arthur, “Arthur!” He quickly stood up, "I am so sorry, Arthur. I tried to save him!"

Arthur rushed over, falling to his knees next to Uther, "Father!" he yelled as he shook the king in a panic to try to revive him.

Merlin backed up as he started to tremble in guilt, the sight of blood capping his hands and clothes causing him to go into shock, "I am so sorry".

"Father, wake up! Father!" Arthur shouted as he shook Uther. Tears welling up in his eyes at the loss of his parent, and his heart shattered, "Father!"

Merlin at his shirt, and his eyes widened in panic, "Arthur!"

Arthur looked over his shoulder, eyes widening when he saw that Merlin was covered in blood and that he was bleeding from a wound on his head, "Merlin?"

"I tried to save him! I tried to heal him; I am so sorry. Please forgive me, I promise that I tried to save him!" Merlin tried to explain quickly as his breathing became strained, and he stumbled, catching himself as he fell against the stone wall.

Arthur hurried over to Merlin and grabbed ahold of Merlin’s upper arms to steady him, "I know that you did." he pulled the warlock into a hug in order to comfort him, but Merlin did not hug him; he just held his wrists out behind Arthur, "Hold me, Merlin".

Merlin hesitated, but he slowly placed his hands on Arthur's back, gripping the prince’s jacket as he repeatedly apologised.

Arthur let his tears fall as he rubbed Merlin's back, "What happened?"

Merlin was violently trembling and clinging onto Arthur, unable to tear his eyes away from the sight of Uther’s corpse, "He tried to attack me whilst I was fighting Morgause, I had to fight her as well as protect Uther from the sorceress, Uther threw a dagger at me, but I ducked and used magic to throw it at Morgause. I think that I’ve killed her, but then Morgan killed Uther after throwing the dagger at her sister!" he explained as his eyes watered and he began to hyperventilate, "I’m so sorry!"

Arthur began to cry even harder, but he kissed Merlin's head, and he began to shush him, "You do not have to apologise for anything. Camelot is going to be alright, and I love you more than anything, it will be alright, my darling".

The knights froze as soon as they saw that Uther was lying on the floor, dead, whilst Merlin and Arthur were consoling each other. The sound of Merlin panicking whilst repeatedly apologising to Arthur tugged at the knights’ heartstrings; they did not know what to do at first, so out of respect for the fallen monarch, they knelt down and bowed their heads, Gwaine and Lancelot being the last due to how they had not been Uther’s biggest supporters but they wanted to show their support to Arthur in any way that they could. The prince will need all the support that he can get as one thing was for certain, he did not feel entirely prepared to be king.

Chapter Text

Since Uther's passing, the people of Camelot had worked hard to resume their normal lives whilst Arthur and everyone close to the king grieved for him. Merlin remained at Arthur's side no matter what and the prince had begun to move passed the shock of losing his father.

Merlin had insisted that Arthur should be allowed time to grieve and not be bombarded with royal duties, but the council of lords had other ideas, they all agreed amongst themselves that Arthur must be crowned king of Camelot as soon as possible, in order to keep up with appropriate and proper standards of. Of course, Merlin had argued that Arthur was under an enormous amount of stress, but his pleas went unheard by the council and Arthur's coronation was planned and the prince found himself being thrown into a new chapter of his life as a royal; which he did not think that he was ready for.

Arthur woke up the day after his coronation and he rolled onto his side, a warm smile spread across his face when he saw that Merlin was still sleeping peacefully beside him. The warlock was lying on his side, he had one hand under the pillow and the other under his chin, his dark hair was flopped over his forehead and his mouth was open a little bit.

The King started to slowly stroke his beloved's hair and he sighed happily as he gazed at his sweet Merlin. He had always loved waking up and seeing that the warlock was in bed with him, his love for the young man increased every time he looked at him and he knew that their love was forever.

Merlin hummed as he stirred from his slumber to a gentle hand slowly caressing his hair "Good morning, my king" he spoke softly, still half asleep.

Arthur leaned forward and he pressed a soft kiss onto the warlock's forehead "Good morning, my warlock".

Merlin opened his eyes and he smiled at Arthur, "Is it too early to say that I love you?" He asked in a whisper.

"It is definitely not too early, I love you too" Arthur whispered.

Merlin's eyes flashed gold and the curtains opened, the light of the sun beamed into the room and the golden beams made Arthur's hair shine. The warlock shifted uncomfortably and he groaned because of the twinge in his back.

"What's wrong, my darling?" Arthur asked.

"I've got backache" Merlin answered with a sigh.

Arthur sat up and grabbed a pillow, he then proceeded to position it against Merlin's back before he laid down on his side to face his warlock again "Is that any better?"

Merlin smiled and he nodded "Much".

"Very good" Arthur reached out and stroked back some of Merlin's messy hair "Can we stay here all day? I just want to spend time with you and the baby" the king whined before he pouted.

Merlin chuckled as he shook his head slightly "I wish, but we will be able to do that in six months and then we will practically become the baby's servants".

"What have we gotten ourselves into?" Arthur smirked as he slowly leaned over Merlin.

Merlin rolled onto his back as Arthur leaned over him, smiling as the king moved and kissed his belly "Trouble, as usual" he joked as he carded his fingers through Arthur's soft hair.

"And I would not have it any other way" Arthur looked up at Merlin and he smiled when their gazes met.

However, there was a loud knock at the door before Aland opened it and poked his head into the room "Sorry to interrupt you, Sire. But I have just been informed that your breakfast is almost ready" he explained as Arthur climbed off of the bed.

"Very good, thank you. Now leave us" Arthur nodded as he dismissed the knight.

Aland bowed before he left the room, closing the door behind him and returning to his post; all the while, Merlin was climbing out of bed and pulling on some trousers as Arthur pulled on a shirt. The warlock finished getting dressed just as Arthur was pulling on a pair of boots, sneaking glances at Merlin every moment that he could.

"It is rude to stare" Merlin pointed out half-heartedly.

"Well that means that I am guilty of admiring your beauty" Arthur winked at the warlock and Merlin blushed.

"Stop it" Merlin stuck his tongue out at the king as Arthur walked towards him.

"Never" Arthur shook his head as he pulled Merlin into a passionate kiss.

"You are too big-headed for your own good" Merlin stated as he draped his arms around Arthur's neck.

"Why thank you, you are well endowed too" Arthur raised an eyebrow as Merlin had a brain-fart.

"Ooopphhh! Arthur!" Merlin playfully scolded the king.

"What? Am I not allowed to compliment your body?" Arthur joked as he pulled Merlin closer.

"I never said that" Merlin shook his head.

"Well there is no issue then" Arthur stated, before he led Merlin out of their chambers and they made their way down the long hallway as they held hands.

Merlin found himself becoming lost in his thoughts as he strolled through the castle, with Arthur at his side the whole time and their fingers laced together between them. Thoughts of worry crossed his mind as he pondered how he was going to protect Arthur and their child, when the time came for Morgana to seek her revenge. Anxiety raced around his being when he began to notice that servants and guards were staring at him with bitter glares, but Arthur had also noticed. The king moved his hand and he placed it on Merlin's hip as they walked down the long corridors, the warlock felt his anxiety leave him as he turned his head and gave the king a small smile of gratitude.

They soon arrived at the throne room, two guards stood to attention and opened the doors for Arthur to walk into the room; the king walked ahead of Merlin to make sure that two chairs had been set up at the table but he heard the sound of boots stomping, so he turned around to see what had happened. His heart sank when he saw that the two guards were standing in front of Merlin, blocking the warlock from entering the room as he stood there with a numb expression.

"Let him pass," Arthur said as he turned around.

"Sire, sorcerers are not prohibited into this room whilst you are eating" one of the guards argued.

"Merlin is a warlock, not a sorcerer, he was born with magic. He is also my lover, so you will let him pass and he will be eating in here with me from now on if that is what he wishes" Arthur turned his gaze to the guards "Let him pass" he ordered in an ice-cold voice.

The guards hesitated but they obeyed, moving to the side and away from the warlock who was still standing in the doorway; slightly anxious and Arthur could see the anxiety swimming around in his eyes.

Arthur raised his arm and he held his hand out to Merlin, he did not have to say anything but the soft smile and the gentle look in his eyes comforted the warlock enough, so he soon found himself walking towards the king. Merlin laced his fingers with Arthur's, he slowly exhaled as the king guided him over to the table to sit down next to him, Merlin smiled gratefully as Arthur pulled his chair out for him to sit on, waiting until he was sat down before he watched as his partner sat down next to him.

"Help yourself to anything that you want, my darling" Arthur looked at Merlin and the warlock nodded.

"Thank you" Merlin glanced across the table before his gaze fell on the stack of green and red apples, sausages and eggs.

Arthur noticed what Merlin had seen and he chuckled "Eat as many as you want. I asked the cooks to gather the apples for you last night".

Merlin turned and he grinned at the king "I love you!"

"I love you too" Arthur returned the affection before he began to eat.

Merlin grabbed a few apples and put some food onto his plate before he began to eat, he instinctively went to grab the jug of water to pour Arthur a drink but then he realised something... He was not a servant anymore.

"Did you forget again?" Arthur asked, referring to all of the other times that Merlin had forgotten that he was not a servant anymore.

"Yeah, but it might just be baby-brain" the warlock shrugged.

Arthur nodded as he chuckled "True, but you used to forget that you're not a servant before you were pregnant" he pointed out.

"Shush" Merlin put his finger against his lips.

The couple continued to eat their breakfast and Arthur began to notice something, Merlin had become very quiet and a little bit pale as his appetite seemed to disappear. Arthur became very concerned and he put his goblet down on the table, turning to face the warlock before he spoke.

"You are being very quiet, are you alright?" Arthur asked.

Merlin turned his head and looked at the king before he nodded "Yeah I am alright, I just have a headache that is all".

Arthur nodded and stroked back Merlin's hair "You look pale, how do you feel?"

Merlin sighed and started to twiddle his thumbs "I feel like my stomach is being turned inside out and I have a cramp in my leg".

Arthur moved Merlin's plate away from him "Do you need a bucket or for Guias to make you some medicine?"

Arthur seemed to have uttered a magic word, because Merlin started to gag, holding a hand up to his mouth "I need a bucket!"

"Someone get a bucket!" Arthur ordered before he jumped up to his feet just as a servant was running towards him with a bucket. The king hurried over to the servant and he grabbed the bucket before he ran over to bend down beside Merlin and he held the bucket up for him.

Merlin hunched over, just in time before he threw up into the bucket, he tensed his eyes shut as he gagged and he grabbed the arm of the chair that he was sitting in to brace himself.

Arthur began to rub circles around Merlin's back and he nodded at the servant to say thank you for giving him a bucket just in time, he then turned his attention back to the warlock.

Merlin eventually managed to compose himself and he sniffled, before he lifted his head and looked straight ahead of him at the throne "I am so sorry. I will apologise to the cooks later on today".

"Merlin, you are pregnant, you do not have to apologise for anything. You cannot help it" Arthur stated as he handed the bucket to a servant and he knelt beside Merlin, looking up at the warlock "How do you feel?"

Merlin nodded and he smiled gratefully at Arthur "I feel better now, thank you".

Arthur nodded and he smiled gently at Merlin "I am very glad" he then kissed the warlock's hand "Have you lost your appetite? He asked and the warlock nodded "Alright, come on".

"Where are we going?" Merlin asked as Arthur helped him stand up.

"How about a walk around the village or the forest?" Arthur suggested

"The forest sounds good" Merlin answered and Arthur nodded.

The king took held his hand out for Merlin and the warlock took hold of it, they then began to walk towards the doors "Merlin and I are going on a horse ride, we will be back in a couple of hours" he started and the guards nodded before opening the doors for him.

The couple ignored the glares of the servants and the knights who had been loyal to Uther, when the previous king had been alive and they still remained loyal to his old ways and laws. After arriving at the stables, preparing Arthur's horse to leave and climbing up onto the saddle, the couple made their way out of the kingdom, across the field and towards the forest as they talked and laughed.

"Can we go to our special place?" Merlin asked.

Arthur was sat behind the warlock but he had his arms out in front of Merlin, holding onto the reins as the warlock held onto his hands "You must have read my mind, Emrys".

"You are just very predictable, Pendragon" Merlin joked.

"I am not!" Arthur exclaimed with a mock hurt expression.

"You are!" Merlin stated in a sing-song voice.

"Alright, guess what I am thinking of right now" Arthur challenged with a sly smirk.

"Making love to me over and over again" Merlin answered without missing a beat.

Arthur's eyes went wide but he shook his head dismissively "Lucky guess".

"I told you so" Merlin shrugged, chuffed that he had been correct about knowing Arthur very well.

"Smug prat" Was all that Arthur said before he kissed Merlin's neck.

The forest stood in all of its glory as the wind swept through the leaves, birds sang and the deer grazed as Merlin and Arthur admired the beauty that was surrounding them. Time seemed to pause as they strode through the forest, only stopping when they arrived at their special spot. Merlin could not help but notice how Arthur had instantly relaxed, as soon as they came to a fault in front of the small stream.

Arthur climbed down off of the horse and he gently helped Merlin down to the ground, before they made their way over to sit under a tree that overlooked the clear blue stream that trickled passed the rocks and flowers. Merlin and Arthur lay down on the grass next to the stream, Merlin was lying on Arthur's chest and the king had one hand on Merlin's belly and the other on Merlin's chest.

"I still can't believe that I'm going to be a father" Arthur smiled.

Merlin smiled and he closed his eyes for a bit "Neither can I. Having this baby is one of the best things that has ever happened to me".

"What was the other thing?" Arthur asked.

"Meeting you" Merlin answered.

"I tried to take your head off with a mace. You little cheat" Arthur chuckled.

Merlin smiled and he chuckled "But aren't you glad that I did?"

Arthur moved one hand and he held Merlin's hand. He then raised the warlock's hand to his lips and he kissed it "I'm very glad".

"Do you want a girl or a boy?" Merlin asked.

"I don't mind. What about you?" Arthur asked.

"As long as the baby's healthy then I don't mind" Merlin smiled.

"That's the main thing" Arthur stated.

Merlin started to rub his belly and he sighed "I'm a little scared though, what if I'm a bad father? What if the baby hates me?"

"You are going to be an amazing father, it is impossible to hate you. You are so perfect and you are brilliant" Arthur kissed Merlin's head "I do not deserve you. I love you so much".

"I love you too" Merlin kissed Arthur's hand and the king started to stroke his smooth skin.

"Can we stay here forever? Build a farm or something and leave all of our responsibilities behind?" Arthur sighed as he stroked Merlin's hand.

"Maybe in the next life, but in this one you are destined to be a king who will go down in history for your greatness" Merlin stated and Arthur relaxed a bit more as all of their worries left them.

"I would not be the king I am going to be if I did not have you by my side whilst I was a prince. It is because of you that I have a destiny like what you speak of" Arthur looked down at Merlin and the warlock smiled slightly knowing that it was the truth.

"We can do anything as long as we are together" Merlin pointed out.

Chapter Text

As the kingdom became used to Arthur being on the throne, his relationship grew stronger with Merlin, which resulted in him noticing the increasing number of dark glares that the warlock would get whilst walking through the village or the castle.

However, the warlock always found Arthur's thinking face amusing. The way that he would stare off in no particular direction, cover his mouth with his hands and lean forward when he was sat down. Merlin could not resist. Merlin was currently standing beside the throne. Arthur was unaware and jumped in surprise when the warlock poked his cheek. The young king let out a slightly girly squeal that drew the attention of all the guards. Merlin swore that he could see a faint blush upon Arthur's cheeks and giggled to himself.

Arthur growled and turned on his throne to tickle the warlock, "You little pain in the neck!"

Merlin laughed and swatted Arthur's hands away, "You clotpole!", he replied.

Arthur smirked and flicked Merlin's nose, "I love you".

Merlin smiled as Arthur placed a hand on his belly, "And we love you".

Arthur moved and he grabbed Merlin's hand. He pulled Merlin in front of him and then he gently pulled him down to sit on his lap. Arthur wrapped his arms around the warlock, and he nuzzled into Merlin's neck.

Merlin smiled and he kissed Arthur's head "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I just needed a hug from you" Arthur answered.

Merlin chuckled "I don't mind that".

Arthur smiled and he kissed Merlin's neck before he placed his hand on Merlin's stomach "I'm going to keep the both of you safe. Forever".

Merlin smiled "And I'll keep you and the baby safe. Forever".

Arthur felt his heart flutter with pure joy, and he sighed as he gazed at the warlock, he was so caught up in how much he loved his future family that he did not realise that Agravaine was rolling his eyes, that was before he rudely cleared his throat.

"My lord, this is just my personal opinion… however, I feel that you should keep the displays of affection to a minimum. Some people think that it is inappropriate" Agravaine hinted at his homophobic views and Arthur looked at him.

"Yet no one would comment such as that if I was in love with a woman" Arthur stated, shooting a sharp look at his uncle to express his disapproval.

Merlin felt slightly anxious, but he was grateful for how Arthur had responded to what had been said "I am going to go and do some reading" he went to stand up but the doors to the throne room were thrown open and a knight was thrown into the room, sliding across the floor with a dagger in his back as Morgana strode into the room only a few seconds later.

Merlin and Arthur instantly arose to their feet and the king brandished his sword, as Merlin placed himself in a stance. All of the knights and Guards drew their swords, and they began to approach Morgana, but she pointed at Merlin.

"It appears that a congratulations is in order, dear brother. For your precious Merlin is carrying your heir. Perhaps a gift?" Morgan asked in a menacing voice.

"We don't want anything from you, Morgana!" Arthur stated in a firm voice as he glared at the sorceress "What business do you have here?"

"Is that any way to greet a member of your family?" Morgana retorted as she stepped closer to Arthur.

Merlin's eyes flashed gold and a spear flew across the room, narrowly missing Morgana, causing her to come to a halt "You are not welcome here, Morgana. Leave now".

"Someone is protective. Must be all of the hormones and magic mixing together" Morgana sneered before she held a crystal out "It is such a shame that one perhaps two members of your family are not going to survive for much longer".

Arthur went to lunge at the sorceress, but she disappeared in a dark cloud of smoke, leaving everyone staring at where she had been stood "The defence of this kingdom will be increased and any threats to the people of Camelot will be dealt with. Morgana wants a war, and she will not stop until she gets what she wants, so Camelot will go to war".

As the day dragged on, tension built up in the castle as everyone dwelled over Morgana's threats; a council meeting was arranged for noon the following day, but the night just made everything feel all too real, especially for Merlin whose mind was racing with thoughts and questions as he laid in bed next to Arthur.

"What are we going to do?" Merlin asked, breaking the tense silence that had fogged the room.

Arthur remained silent for a moment before he sighed "I don't know. All I know is that I am not going to let anyone, or anything harm you or our child, you have my word on that".

"But what about you?" Merlin turned his head and glanced at Arthur "You're in danger too".

"It's not my time to leave this world yet" Arthur stated as he sat up and looked at Merlin "I have a few more duties to complete first".

Merlin smiled slightly but he sighed "I'm scared, Arthur."

"I know, my darling. I'm scared too, but we will be alright" Arthur assured as he tried to ease Merlin's anxiety. The baby's going to be fine and I am not going anywhere anytime soon. Just try to get some sleep, you need to rest" Arthur closed his eyes to go to sleep as he spooned against Merlin.

Merlin sighed and he closed his eyes to sleep, but he felt a sudden movement in his womb, and he winced "Ah!"

Arthur instantly sat up, he looked at Merlin and he panicked "Merlin? Are you okay? Is it the baby? Is something wrong?"

Merlin had an idea of what he had just felt. He placed his hands on his belly and he waited patiently for it to happen again.

Arthur on the other hand, was beginning to grow more paranoid by the second "Merlin? I'm going to go and get Guias!" he went to get out of bed

"Just shut up for a second" Merlin grabbed Arthur's wrist. He then felt the movement again and a smile spread across his face.

"For the love of Camelot, Merlin! Tell me what is wrong!" Arthur exclaimed.

Merlin placed Arthur's hand on his belly, and he held the king's hand there.

"What am I waiting for?" Arthur sighed.

"Sshh just wait for a moment" Merlin shushed.

For once in his life, Arthur managed to keep his mouth closed. And after a few seconds, he felt it. A smile grew on the king's face and he looked at Merlin "Is that what I think it is?" Arthur asked.

Merlin nodded "That's the baby kicking".

Arthur heard Merlin hiss in pain, and he looked at the warlock "What's wrong?"

"The kicks hurt a bit" Merlin chuckled.

"Can you not use magic to stop the pain?" Arthur asked.

"Not without hurting the baby. I would rather go through a small amount of pain than our baby being hurt" Merlin explained.

Arthur stroked Merlin's hair "And that is one of the reasons I love you. You are selfless and you always put others first". Arthur then looked down at Merlin's belly before he moved down the bed "And you, little troublemaker..." he kissed Merlin's belly.

Merlin smiled, and he chuckled when Arthur started to talk to their unborn baby.

"I am very proud of you. But... go a little easier on Daddy, he is proud of you too. Just go easy on him, yeah?" Arthur asked Merlin's impregnated belly before he kissed it twice. He then looked up and he saw that Merlin was smiling.

"You're such a clotpole" Merlin smiled.

Arthur smiled and he moved to lie next to Merlin "And you're an idiot".

Merlin grinned and he kissed Arthur "Night, Arthur".

Arthur wrapped an arm around Merlin, linking their hands together "Night, Merlin".

As if the excitement of the previous day had not been enough, Arthur and Merlin were rudely awoken as their friends and George barged into their chambers; resulting in Arthur jolting awake and pulling a dagger out from under his pillow, ready to defend his family.

"What the hell are you all doing here?!" Arthur yelled when he saw everyone.

Merlin groaned as he woke up, but he froze when he saw that everyone was staring at him, George holding two trays of food, Leon looking like he had been struck by lightning and Gwaine who looked like he had been dragged through the stables by his hair.

"Your breakfast, my lord" George stated.

"The council have arrived here early" Leon answered.

"Never mind that! Why the fuck do you keep a dagger under your pillow?!" Gwaine exclaimed dramatically.

"In case I have to protect my family" Arthur answered, putting the dagger back under his pillow before he lay down.

"Why is the council here now? It's not noon yet" Merlin spoke up and everyone looked at him.

"The council have ordered for the meeting to be held early, due to the urgent issues that need to be discussed". A young knight said through exhausted breaths and everyone looked at him.

"When did you get in here?" Lancelot asked.

"I shall return later." Arthur kissed Merlin's head. He then stood up and he went to walk out of the room. But the knight did not move.

"What else?" Leon asked.

"The lords clearly stated that the warlock must attend" the knight answered.

Merlin was silent for a moment before he looked at "Can you help me up?"

"Sure". Arthur walked back over to the bed and he helped Merlin stand up on the wooden floor.

The knights waited outside for Merlin and Arthur to get dressed before they all met outside of the king's chambers and they made their way through the castle, eventually walking into the throne room, where they saw all of the council sitting around the table.

"May I ask who called for a council meeting?" Arthur asked as he came over to stand at the table.

"It was I, your highness" Lord Graham stood up.

"Be seated" Arthur sat down at the end of the table.

Lord Graham sat down, and he looked at Agravaine. He saw the evil nature in Agravaine's eyes, and he shifted uncomfortably.

"What is the subject that you all wish to discuss?" Arthur asked.

"The witch Merlin" Agravaine answered.

Arthur sighed and rolled his eyes "Continue" he ordered knowing what was about to be said, but that he had to please the council.

"We have found evidence to support the fact that the witch is indeed faking its pregnancy," Lord Halmer said.

"Merlin is not faking anything. This council meeting is unimportant" Arthur stated.

Agravaine pulled out a huge book and he flicked through it "This book says nothing about a male sorcerer being able to bare children. The possibility of a man carrying a child is evidently impossible and the lies are disgraceful to Camelot".

All of the council members started to argue, and Arthur sighed as he tried to ignore them. They all jumped when all of the torches lit all at once and everyone looked towards the end of the table where Arthur was standing. Merlin was stood there whilst cradling his belly and his eyes were golden.

"Where is your proof of my supposed deceit?!" Merlin challenged.

Everyone but Arthur remained silent.

"There is no mention of a male sorcerer being able to bear a child in this book" Arthur answered, he picked up the 'evidence' and handed him to book.

Merlin used his magic to hold the book open in the air. He muttered a spell under his breath and he used his magic to look through the book. He then closed the book and handed it back to Arthur "That is correct. There is no mention of a male sorcerer being able to carry a child. But there has never been anyone that has ever come close to being as powerful as me".

Arthur knew that there hasn’t and never will be anyone that is more powerful than Merlin. He nodded and he placed his hand on Merlin's back.

Merlin connected his and Arthur's minds 'I'm fine'.

'You're meant to be resting' Arthur thought.

'I know. But I will not stand for anyone spreading lies about me' Merlin thought.

Arthur wrapped his arm around Merlin's waist 'Tell me if you need to sit down'.

'I will' Merlin thought.

"Prove that you are not faking your pregnancy!" Lord Graham yelled.

Merlin cradled his heavy stomach "Everyone, place both of your hands on the table" he instructed.

Everyone did as they were told, except for Arthur, who already knew the obvious truth. Merlin's eyes flashed gold and he placed one hand on the table as he cradled his belly with the other. Everyone felt something thump against their palms and they all gasped.

"What was that?!" Lord Kalver exclaimed.

"That was my child's heartbeat that you felt. Do you believe me now?" Merlin asked. 'Arthur, I need to sit down' he thought.

Arthur helped him sit down, he then sat down next to Merlin and he held his hand 'Squeeze my hand if you feel any pain'.

Merlin smiled 'Okay. Thank you'.

Arthur stroked Merlin's knuckles with his thumb before he looked at all of the council members "Do you wish to discuss the other matter concerning the threat that was made yesterday?"

"What action will you be taking to protect Camelot from Morgana?" Lord Ellis asked.

"We know that Morgana plans to attack Camelot, possibly before or after the birth of mine and Merlin's child. Camelot is always protected and every threat that is made is countered and every knight is prepared for battle" Arthur answered.

All of the council members nodded in agreement. But Agravaine looked at Merlin and the warlock read his mind. 'You and that child will not live to see Arthur return from the battle with Morgana. You will not survive being on your own' Agravaine thought.

Merlin gulped and he disconnected his and Agravaine's minds. He then squeezed Arthur's hand and he was relieved when Arthur did the same back.

Everyone continued to discuss the risks and what actions should be taken if an attack is made against the kingdom, but Merlin found it difficult to ignore the dark glares and snarls that Agravaine kept shooting in his direction; he knew that he was safe as long as he remained at Arthur's side but that barely did anything to ease his nerves. It was only when Merlin felt a hand on his shoulder, that he realised that he had zoned out and he looked at Arthur.

"You look tired, my darling. Do you want to try and get some more rest?" Arthur asked and his question was answered by Merlin nodding. Arthur scooped Merlin up and he carried him back to their chambers. Once they were in their chambers, Arthur carried Merlin over to their bed and he laid him down on the bed. "I didn't know that you could make everyone feel our baby's heartbeat".

Merlin smiled "Neither did I until I actually did it".

Arthur smiled and kissed Merlin "I have never seen anyone look more shocked".

"Well, you will be saying that again when all of the knights see me give birth" Merlin stated with a chuckle.

"Why would they be in the room?" Arthur asked, not liking the idea of everyone gawking at Merlin during the birth of their child.

"Because they are too nosey for their own good. Besides I doubt that they will listen to an order when you will be fretting over me" Merlin laughed as he predicted what might happen in just a few months.

"Great" Arthur huffed as he laid down on his front, next to Merlin.

Chapter Text

No matter how much he attempted to hide it, pregnancy was anything but easy for Merlin. The months felt like they were lasting for an eternity as he grew more anxious about the dark glares and silent threats that Agravaine and his knights continued to give him. The warlock restrained himself from saying anything because the last thing that Arthur needed was a civil war in the palace.

However, Arthur was not as oblivious as people assumed that he was. The king noticed every glare and scowl that Merlin was given by everyone who was loyal to Agravaine. Needless to say, he was not happy about how people were treating the warlock, and he soon devised a plan to provide Merlin with an added layer of protection.

"We should get married", Arthur stated as he turned to look at Merlin.

Everyone in the throne room froze and stared at Arthur; the dumbfounded look on Merlin's face said everything, so Arthur elaborated on why he was suggesting marriage.

"I love you; you love me. I still have the ring that I won for you at that tournament. Marriage would provide you and the baby with more protection because you would be king-consort, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you," Arthur explained as he watched Merlin's shocked expression slowly turn into one of pure happiness "Is that a yes?"

"Since when have you wanted to get married? You used to despise the idea of marriage," Merlin stated.

"I only despised the idea because I would have been forced to marry a princess, instead of the man I am in love with", Arthur stated as he pulled the ring out of his jacket pocket "Merlin Emrys, would you do me the honour of marrying me?"

"You'd look like an idiot if I said no", Merlin laughed before he quickly nodded whilst smiling "Yes, I'll marry you".

Arthur grinned with glee as he took Merlin's hand in his own and slid the ring onto his left ring finger. "I love you". The king then turned his attention to Agravaine and smiled smugly. "Are you quite alright, uncle? You look like an elf has stolen all of your gold".

Agravaine quickly made his expression neutral, and looked away from the king "No need to worry, my lord".

"Very good. I think that I like the idea of a spring wedding; the baby could be a flower girl or a ringbearer" Arthur smiled, knowing that Agravaine could not say anything about his own prejudices as they were no longer welcome in Camelot. Arthur was going to make sure of it.

Arthur's bliss was soon interrupted by the sound of the doors being thrown open, and Leon sprinted into the throne room "The dragon has been captured!"

Arthur and Merlin practically jumped to their feet, but for very different reasons. Arthur did not hesitate to run out of the palace, brandishing his sword, whilst Merlin was dreading what he might see. Merlin's fears came to light when he recognised the crying of a Dragon. His heart dropped when he saw that the knights had Aithusa in a cage and that the young dragon had a heavy iron chain around his neck. "What are you doing?" Merlin shouted as he ran over to the cage to comfort Aithusa.

Arthur's eyes widened in panic as Merlin ran to the cage "Merlin!" he cried as he hurried to grab the warlock and pull him to safety "You need to stay back!"

Merlin thrashed around against Arthur's grip "No, Arthur! Let him Go!" He pleaded.

"Merlin, listen to me!" Arthur pleaded, confused as to why Merlin was so desperate to get to the dragon "What's wrong?"

Merlin managed to free himself from Arthur's protective embrace, seizing his chance to use magic to open the cage door and run in "Aithusa, it's alright!"

"Fuck!" Gwaine tried to pull Merlin out of the cage, but Merlin slammed the door shut before he could grab his arm "Merlin, get out of there!"

Merlin ignored the knights as his eyes flashed gold, and the chains around Aithusa's neck broke, freeing the dragon from the heavy restraints and allowing him to turn towards Merlin. The small white dragon growled at the warlock as he attempted to spread his wings in the cramped cage, but the shouting of Arthur and the knights just resulted in his fear growing.
"Merlin, get out of there now!" Arthur yelled in desperation as he ran over to the cage.

Merlin kept eye contact with the dragon as he addressed the frantic king. "I need you to trust me on this. Tell the knights to do as I say".

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled.

"Tell the knights to back away", Merlin repeated himself.

Arthur hesitated, but he raised his arm to signal the knights' attention "Stand down!"

All of the knights hesitated, but they lowered their weapons and backed away slightly, watching for the signal to protect Merlin.

"Do not say anything, and do not try to intervene", Merlin instructed in a firm but calm tone.

All of the knights hesitated once again, reluctant to follow the orders due to fear of their friend being harmed. Nevertheless, they obeyed and remained silent as they watched the situation unfold. Arthur, on the other hand, lowered his weapon, but made no move to leave the side of the cage just in case Merlin was in danger or hurt.

Merlin slowly stretched his hand outwards towards the dragon, with his palm facing upwards to invite Aithusa in. "It's alright, Aithusa. Do you remember me? I'm Merlin", the warlock spoke gently as he slowly sat down on the floor of the cage.

Aithusa growled again, but this time his anger was directed at Arthur, who was staring at Merlin.

"Arthur, put your sword away and slowly bow to him", Merlin instructed.

Arthur listened, and he slowly placed his sword on the grown, bowing his head to the dragon, hoping that he was doing the right thing. 'This better work,' he prayed to any deities that would listen.

Much to the surprise of everyone surrounding the cage, Aithusa hesitantly approached Merlin and nuzzled at the warlock's hand. Merlin smiled gently as the dragon moved and laid down in front of him, with his head resting on Merlin's lap.

"Well, I be damned" Leon was the first to speak, causing Arthur to lift his head and stare in astonishment at Merlin.

"How did you…?" Arthur trailed off as Merlin looked at him.

"I'm the last dragon lord. Balinor was my father, and I inherited his gift," Merlin answered as he slowly stroked Aithusa's head and neck. "This is Aithusa. He was the dragon of the first egg that I used magic to hatch. He's a sun dragon and completely harmless unless threatened." He explained as he looked around at the knights "You guys didn't think that that ring of fire appeared from nowhere when you first found him did you?"

"You were watching us?" Elyan asked.

"I sensed that he was scared, so I intervened", Merlin answered before turning his attention to Arthur "He's not a threat, he just gets scared sometimes, and he doesn't fully understand the world because there aren't many dragons left to teach him".

Arthur nodded as he processed what he was hearing. "Would it make both of you feel better if he was allowed to stay in Camelot?"

Merlin nodded.

"Alright, the only condition is that he doesn't feast on the chickens", Arthur stated as he picked his sword up and put it back in its holster.

"He doesn't like the taste of chicken", Merlin answered with a relieved smile, before turning his attention to the young dragon "Aithusa, do you want to stay in Camelot with me? No one will harm you here, and I'll protect you".

Aithusa opened his eyes and looked directly at Arthur before huffing.

"What does that mean?" Gwaine asked.

"He agrees to stay in Camelot", Merlin answered as he used magic to unlock the cage door "I need a bit of help getting up, please?"

Arthur began to walk towards the door, but he stopped at the entrance o the cage as Aithusa used his wing to help Merlin stand up, steadying his balance as he sniffed at the warlock's growing baby bump "What's he doing?" the king asked, feeling uneasy.

"Dragons have incredible hearing; they can hear the baby's heartbeat. It's alright; he won't harm us," Merlin explained as the dragon followed him towards the barred door "He's just curious".

Arthur nodded as he held Merlin's hands to help him down the steps "So, are you his father or something?"

Merlin smiled as Aithusa came to stand next to him, curiously looking around the new environment "Something like that".

Everyone's attention turned to Aithusa as the dragon began to growl threateningly at something, causing Merlin, Arthur and the knights to follow his line of sight and stare at Agravaine as the lord stood at his window in the palace.

"He's a good judge of character, that's for sure", Gwaine stated.

"Or he's seen Agravaine before, and it didn't end well," Merlin thought aloud.

"Did anyone else just become more suspicious of Agravaine, or is it just me?" Lancelot asked.

"I did too," Arthur stated as he gently held Merlin's hand "Wellcome to Camelot, Aithusa".

"When were you going to tell us that you are a dragon lord?" Gwaine exclaimed.

"Not for a while, because it would mean that I have to explain more about my life", Merlin answered as he sighed. "Well, when I first arrived in Camelot, I found the great dragon Kilgharrah, and he told me about my destiny blah blah blah. A few years later, I met my father, and then not long after that, Kilgharrah told me that I'm a dragon lord, and I used magic to hatch Aithusa's egg so that he was able to be born".

"Why do I feel like you've skipped over some events?" Leon asked.

Merlin huffed, "I have, but I can't be asked to explain about every time that I have saved Arthur's, Uther's, all of your lives and Camelot". He explained as he walked over to sit on a bench, Aithusa running at his side.

"Has anybody else noticed that Agravaine is glaring straight at Merlin?" Lancelot pointed out.

Arthur raised an eyebrow up at Agravaine, and then he turned to the knights "All of you are my eyes and ears when I am not around or when Merlin is on his own. I want to know everything that Agravaine says and does", he ordered, becoming increasingly suspicious of his uncle "Merlin, were you telling the truth when you said that it was Agravaine and his knights who attacked you?" the king asked, a sinking feeling pooling in his gut as Merlin hesitated to answer the question.

"It was bandits," Merlin said, not looking Arthur in the eye.

Chapter Text

If anyone were to say that pregnancy is easy, they would be kidding themselves. Merlin was not in the happiest mood as he became 38 weeks pregnant, everything ached, and he was exhausted from carrying around his baby bump all day, every day. No one, not even Agravaine, had threatened or done anything to upset him, but he could not help but feel low.

Arthur looked up from what he was doing, and he sighed. He wished he could help Merlin feel more comfortable and felt guilty because he did not know what to do, "What can I do to help?"

Merlin looked at Arthur, "Can you do that thing that Gaius showed you?"

Arthur nodded as he stood up, and so did Merlin; the king stood behind the warlock and placed his hand under Merlin's baby bump before gently lifting it. Merlin's eyes instantly shut, and he let his head fall back to rest against Arthur's shoulder.

"Better?" Arthur asked.

"Much better", Merlin smiled as he relaxed.

The king smiled at how he could help the warlock feel more comfortable, and he kissed Merlin on the side of the head. "Let me know if there is anything else that I can do to help".

"Thank you," Merlin said.

A minute or so passed before Arthur slowly lowered Merlin's baby bump, and he helped the warlock sit down. The king then sat in front of Merlin and started to massage his swollen ankles, hoping it would help. Arthur had done a tremendous amount of research and asked Gaius hundreds of questions so that he knew how to help Merlin throughout his pregnancy. Gwen had also been an immense help recently; she had walked to the market countless times to get apples for Merlin, it had to be red apples, and there were no exceptions. Gwen and a couple of the servants had also made a few baby clothes, whilst the knights and some of the servants had built a cot and a nappy changing table. Throughout the duration of building the nappy changing table, the knights had joked about the idea of Arthur trying and failing at changing a baby's nappy. The harmless jibs had not amused the king, but he could not help the smile on his face when Merlin laughed.

There was an excited knock at the door, and Arthur glanced over his shoulder to call 'enter'. The door opened once the king had spoken, and Merlin smiled when he saw the knights.

"There he is!" Gwaine smiled.

Lancelot walked over to the bed and smiled at Merlin, "How are you?"

"Hi, guys. I am a little sore, but I am fine", Merlin smiled.

"How far along are you?" Leon asked.

"Thirty-eight weeks. Not long now," Merlin answered as Arthur stood up and smiled.

"Have you both decided on a name yet?" Leon asked.

"Arthur has. He likes Caleb for a boy and Victoria for a girl." Merlin sighed as he rolled his eyes.

"What about you?" Elyan asked.

"Idla for a girl and Robyn for a boy. We still can't agree on a name" Merlin chuckled but then hissed in pain, resulting in Arthur hurrying to sit next to him and hold his hand.

"Merlin? Are you Okay? Do we need to go and get Gaius?" Lancelot asked.

"It is just pregnancy hicks. I am fine," Merlin winced.

"What are pregnancy hicks?" Elyan asked.

"It is like a practice contraction", Merlin explained.

Lancelot instantly looked concerned, "Gwen mentioned something about those".

Merlin nodded as he loosened his grip on Arthur's hand and slowly exhaled, "The baby is kicking if you want to feel it?"

"Is that okay with you?" Lancelot asked.

Merlin smiled, "Give me your hand".

Lancelot held his hand out, and Merlin loosely grasped his wrist before placing it on his belly and holding it there. Everyone waited momentarily before Lancelot smiled when he felt the baby kick.

Lancelot looked at Merlin, and the warlock smiled at him, "That is amazing".

"Does the baby kick a lot?" Elyan asked.

"Not a lot, but they like to make their presence known", Merlin laughed a bit before looking at Arthur, "The baby gets that from you".

Arthur chuckled and kissed Merlin.

They all talked for a while before the knights convinced Arthur to train with them outside; Merlin encouraged the king to go and have fun, saying that he was going to have a much-needed nap whilst the king and the knights trained. However, as the day progressed, Merlin began to feel that something was not quite right, but he could not think of what could possibly be wrong.

"Arthur, can you help me up, please?" Merlin called over to the king.

Arthur looked over at Merlin and hurried over to the warlock, "What's wrong?" he asked as he placed a hand on Merlin's back and grabbed his hand.

Merlin slowly exhaled as he felt a sharp pain in his belly, "Nothing, I'm just going to go and sleep. The baby kept me up all night by breaking my ribs yesterday".

Arthur nodded, "Do you want me to come with you?"

Merlin smiled but shook his head, "I'll manage".

"Let me know if you need anything", Arthur instructed.

"I'll be fine, I've just got a bad back, and my belly is sore", Merlin playfully sighed, "Don't worry".

"Use magic if anyone gives you any trouble", Arthur instructed as he kissed Merlin.

"Deal", Merlin smiled before turning around and walking towards the palace.

Merlin had been walking through the palace for barely fifteen minutes whilst talking to his baby; nobody had bothered him or caused issues, which was a pleasant surprise. He placed a hand on his belly and smiled to himself, "We can't wait to meet you, sweetheart. We're going to make sure that this kingdom is safe and a magical place for you, ready for when you become king or queen one day. You've certainly got your father's fighting abilities with how strong your kicks are". As if on cue, Merlin felt a sharp pain course through his body and hunched over, "Ah! That was strong". Ten minutes passed as he continued to walk towards his chambers when he felt the sharp pain again, only this time it caused him to stumble slightly as he leaned against the wall, slightly hunched over in pain as he rubbed his baby bump. The realisation hit him, "It's not time yet." The pain hit him again, but this time it forced him to fall to his knees as he screamed.

Meanwhile, Gwaine and Percival were laughing as they walked through the castle halls.

"Leon was so embarrassed!" Percival laughed.

"I have never laughed so much in my whole life!" Gwaine laughed.

"Help me!" A scream came.

The scream caused Gwaine and Percival to stop in their tracks, as they listened out for the scream again.

"Did you hear that?" Gwaine asked.

the pain of the contractions made Merlin's eyes water, and tears streamed down his cheeks as he tried to pull himself to his feet "Somebody help me!" He screamed whilst using magic to make his voice louder.

"That's Merlin!" Gwaine shouted as he started to run towards the screaming. Percival at the lead, being the faster sprinter. It only took them a minute to turn the corner, and they saw that Merlin was kneeling on the floor in agony.

"Merlin, what's wrong?" Gwaine asked as he approached Merlin.

"The baby. It's coming now! Ah!" Merlin hissed in pain as tears streamed down his face, "Where's Arthur?"

"He's training now. I'm going to find Gaius! Get Merlin to his chambers!" Percival ran off to find Gaius.

"Why does everything always happen to me? What's Arthur got me into now?' Merlin hissed in pain as Gwaine gently helped him stand up.

"Merlin, I need you to breathe. Everything will be okay. When Gaius is here, I’ll find Arthur," Gwaine said soothingly as he helped Merlin into his chambers and over to the bed so that he could lie down.

Merlin had not been keeping track of the time, but Gaius had never run so fast in all his life. He had jumped out of his skin when Percival had barged into his chambers, almost breaking the door down in the process, but Gaius paid no mind to it when the knight yelled that Merlin had gone into labour. He left his herbal medicine book discarded on the floor as he hurried out of his chambers, Percival running alongside him, panting as his lungs battled for oxygen. Poor Gwaine had just managed to catch his breath when Gaius and Percival barged into Merlin's chambers, making Gwaine jump and throw a cup of water over himself.

"Merlin, how far apart are the contractions?" Gaius asked.

"A few minutes. I've been through pain, but this makes being poisoned seem like a holiday," Merlin exclaimed sarcastically.

"Gaius, what do we do?" Percival asked.

Gaius placed a hand on Merlin's shoulder, "One of you find Arthur. Merlin needs him now more than ever. And one of you go and get some warm water".

"I'll get Arthur. Take care of him!" Gwaine ran off to find the king.

Gaius gathered some towels, whilst Percival ran off to collect some warm water, "How many weeks are you, Merlin?"

"Thirty-eight", Merlin panted as he sniffled, "It's not time yet. Gaius, I can't do this! I'm not ready!"

"I know that you're scared, but I'm going to help you through this", Gaius reassured as he placed a pillow next to Merlin to provide him with some support if he needed to move.

An oblivious Arthur was practising his archery skills when Gwaine ran up to him, panting and wheezing as he tried to control his breathing, "What is it, Gwaine? You look like you have just run away from an ogre ".

"Merlin... screaming... pain..." is all that Gwaine could get out as he tried to catch his breath.

Arthur immediately put the bow and arrow down, "What about Merlin? What's happened?"

"Merlin's having contractions!" Gwaine said as he finally managed to catch his breath, "He's gone into labour".

Arthur's eyes widened in a panic, "Where is he?"

"Your chambers, Gaius is with him," Gwaine answered.

Arthur sprinted towards the castle with Gwaine behind him; the poor dark-haired knight's heart sank as he ran to keep up with Arthur. Eylan, Lancelot and Leon followed closely behind out of concern for Merlin and to be ready to catch Gwaine. However, ensuring that Gwaine could keep up with him was the last of Arthur's worries. He had to get to Merlin.

Merlin cried out in pain, "It hurts!"

Gaius ran over and rubbed Merlin's arm whilst wiping away the sweat from his head with a cloth, "It will do, Merlin. It will be alright".

"Promise that you’ll save the baby – if something - happens!" Merlin gasped for air.

Gaius felt his heart sink at the realisation of what Merlin was saying, but he nodded "Alright, but you and your child are going to be fine."

Merlin nodded and forced a smile, "Thank you".

It was at that moment that the door flew open, and Arthur ran into the room, ignoring Gwaine as he stumbled through the doorway and face-first into a wall.

"Ah fuck!" Gwaine groaned as he sat up on the floor, rubbing his forehead. There would definitely be a bruise there later.

"Merlin!" Arthur ran over to where Merlin was lying and stroked his cheek.

Arthur held Merlin's hand and stroked back the warlock's dark hair with his other hand, "It's alright, I'm here".

Merlin squeezed Arthur's hand when another contraction started, "Arthur, I'm scared. I'm really scared".

Arthur kissed Merlin's hand, "It's going to be Alright. You are the bravest person I know, and I could not be prouder to call you mine".

Merlin cried because of the pain, "Don't leave me".

"I will be at your side until the day I die", Arthur reassured and kissed Merlin's hand before he looked at Gaius, "What's happening? The baby's not due for a couple more weeks".

Gaius looked at Arthur, "He's in early labour. The labour and birth could take minutes or hours. It's just a matter of waiting for now".

Arthur nodded before he turned back to Merlin, "What do you need?"

"Can you help me sit up, please?" Merlin asked.

Arthur nodded as he placed Merlin's arm around his shoulders, "Hold onto me".

Merlin nodded and used his other arm to push himself up whilst Arthur supported him, "That feels better".

Arthur nodded as Leon placed a chair beside the bed for him to sit down, not letting go of Merlin’s hand.

"If you are all staying, you better make yourself comfortable. This could take a while," Gaius informed the knights, and they all looked at him, confused.

Chapter Text

As usual, Guias was right. Everyone sat in silence as they waited for what seemed like hours, waiting for something, anything to happen. Guias had taken to searching his mountain of books, in a quest to find something that could help Merlin in this unique situation. Tossing books to the side in frustration when he could not find the answer, he needed.

Elyan busied himself by diving to catch the books that Guias was throwing around, allowing him to build a fortress of books around a sleeping Percival. Much to Gwaine’s amusement when Percival groaned in his sleep and almost kicked the books down. Lancelot was sat next to the front door, guarding the room as he waited for further orders. Leon was sat at the table twirling his dagger around, the tip against the table as he watched the blade.

The silence was broken by Merlin huffing in frustration, attempting to ease his discomfort by pushing himself up into a partial sitting position. Arthur was quick to move to Merlin’s aid, pulling his jacket off and scarf off, before holding his hand.

“Can you help me stand up please?” Merlin asked, closing his eyes as his body ached.

Arthur nodded as he gently wrapped Merlin’s arms around his neck, pushing the chair out of the way before he placed a his hands on Merlin’s waist. Arthur slowly helped Merlin stand up, before he moved his hands and began to rub Merlin’s upper arms as the warlock settled into a more comfortable standing position.

“You could be doing something else with your time” Merlin stated, his body aching as he closed his eyes.

“Like what?” Arthur asked as he slowly rubbed his partner’s arms.

“I don’t know. Some royal duty or something” Merlin answered, keeping his arms wrapped around Arthur’s neck. He could not help but feel guilty for pulling Arthur away from his responsibilities and training opportunities.

“I’m sure that the council can survive without me for a few hours” Arthur said, his tone soft as he continued to rub Merlin’s arms. “Besides, you’re more important”.

Merlin lifted his head slightly, smiling up at Arthur as the king smiled gently at him.

Arthur to stand behind Merlin, wrapping his arms around him in a protective embrace. Just as Merlin began to relax, another contraction hit, causing him to tense and grimace in pain. Arthur was quick to take Merlin’s hand in his own, allowing Merlin to squeeze his hand whilst panting through the pain “I’ve got you. Keeping squeezing my hand, it’s alright I don’t mind. Just do whatever you need to do. I’m so proud of you, my darling”.

Merlin hissed in pain, clenching his lips together in a thin line as Arthur began to gently sway the both of them from side to side. The sound of Merlin hissing in pain, caused Guias to look up from the book he was skimming through. The physician sighed heavily as he watched the couple swaying gently, holding onto each other as the contraction slowly passed.

The contraction passes, Merlin lets his head fall back onto Arthur’s shoulder and the king kisses his shoulder.

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Lancelot asked.

“Can I have some water please?” Merlin asked, sweat beads glistening on his head as he clung onto Arthur’s hand.

Lancelot quickly moved to fetch a cup of water, returning promptly to offer it to Merlin. Arthur took the cup and carefully helped Merlin take a few sips, his eyes filled with concern and love.

“Thank you,” Merlin whispered, feeling a momentary relief from the cool water.

“Anything else you need?” Lancelot inquired, his face a picture of earnest concern.

Merlin shook his head slightly, leaning more heavily against Arthur as another wave of exhaustion washed over him. “I don’t think so,” he murmured, his voice barely audible.

Arthur continued to rub soothing circles over Merlin's aching belly, concerned for his partner and hoping that the gestures were helping to ease Merlin’s discomfort. He could not imagine how tired and frustrated the warlock felt, because the baby was refusing to leave his body. It only caused Arthur to ransack his brain for more ways to aid Merlin.

Gwaine groaned impatiently and he stood up "Guias, do you have anything to drink?"

"This is not the time or the place, son" Guias stated as he tried to find a potion that could help Merlin.

"I need a drink" Gwaine whined as he searched through the cupboards.

"This is not the Tavern, Gwaine" Lancelot stated.

"I wish that it was! I'm nervous and I drink when I'm nervous, stressed and bored!" Gwaine exclaimed.

"You're nervous? I'm the one that needs to give birth at some point this year! I'm stressed because this baby is as stubborn as Arthur is, and does not want to get out! So shut up about wanting s drink before I use magic to blow up the Tavern because I’m bored too!" Merlin grumbled, wincing in discomfort.

Arthur continued to slowly rub Merlin's heavy and sore tummy and he kissed Merlin's hand "Nearly there, it is almost time. We are going to meet our baby soon, we will be holding our precious little prince or princess soon."

Merlin relaxed slightly, sighing as he relaxed his grip on Arthur's hand and the king started to rub his baby bump "I just want the pain to stop, I can't wait to meet our baby but this is agony".

"I know, if I could stop the pain I would and I would do it in a heartbeat. It's nearly over. I love you so much, my darling" Arthur smiled softly at Merlin and he kissed the warlock’s neck.

Merlin moved his hand to place it over Arthur’s other hand “I’m not doing this again”.

“I don’t blame you for that” Arthur chuckled.

“Are you sure? You could have a mini knights of the round table” Gwaine suggested with a laugh when Merlin shot him a a playful glare “Glad to see that you still have a sense of humour”.

“Pleased to see you sober” Merlin joked as he yawned, causing Gwaine to laugh.

Arthur kissed Merlin’s shoulder "Why don't you close your eyes for a bit? You're exhausted". 

Merlin nodded, his body relaxing as Arthur pulled off his boots and  slowly helped him lie down on the bed, belly and thigh supported by a pillow “Sounds good to me” he closed his eyes to rest his body for a bit.

Arthur moved to sit next to the bed, holding onto Merlin’s hand as he began to stroke Merlin's hair. However, just as Merlin started to drift off to sleep, one of Uther’s knights ran into the room. The loud slamming of the door startling Merlin. Arthur glared at the knight "Can you be any louder, or do you need two metal buckets strapped to your ankles?" He asked, clearly annoyed by the sudden extrusion.

"You are needed in the throne room, sire!" The knight shouted.

Arthur covered Merlin's ear, his annoyance growing because Merlin had only just managed to get comfortable "Keep your voice down" he hissed at the knight.

"Sorry, Sire" the knight whispered.

Arthur looked at Merlin, relaxing slightly when he realised the warlock had drifted off to sleep "I cannot leave Merlin when he needs me the most. What if he wakes up and I’m not here to help him when he’s in pain?"

Lancelot walked over and he sat next to Arthur "We’ll watch over Merlin. Go and sort out the council".

Arthur hesitated but he nodded, “I won’t be long” he stated as he reluctantly stood up and he kissed Merlin's head "I'll be back soon. I love you". He whispered before rushing off to deal with whatever issue the council had.

As the afternoon soon shifted into evening, the council meeting had just as Arthur had expected, a complete waste of time. It annoyed him even more because he couldn't help but think about how his time could have been better spent at Merlin’s side, supporting and comforting him during one of the most important days of their lives.

Arthur rolled his eyes at the old men as they argued over trivial issues, their voices rising and falling in a tiresome cadence. His mind wandered back to Merlin, picturing the warlock's serene face as he slept. Each passing minute felt like an eternity, and Arthur's patience wore thin. The pressing matters of the council seemed insignificant, compared to Merlin's well-being.

Suddenly, the council shifted their focus to the topic of taxes. One of the elder council members stood and addressed Arthur, "Your Majesty, we must consider the proposal to raise taxes. The treasury is running low, and we need funds for the upcoming winter."

Arthur, already agitated, responded firmly, "I will not be raising taxes. As your king, my duty is to be fair. Raising taxes would unduly burden the people of Camelot, and lead to unnecessary suffering."

Agravaine rose to his feet, his face twisted in disagreement. "But sire, the kingdom needs these funds. Without them, we risk losing the respect of the people and we must keep them in place to—"

Arthur cut him off sharply, his voice resonating with authority, "Why would I consider your opinion on the well-being of my people? Wasn’t it you who helped my father track down and kill innocent sorcerers? Your judgment is clouded by personal bias and lack of compassion."

The council room fell silent. Agravaine, taken aback by Arthur's blunt dismissal, had no response. Arthur's gaze swept over the council members as he declared, "This discussion is over. The taxes will remain as they are. My decision is final. Now if you excuse me, my concern is required elsewhere"

With that, Arthur turned his back on the council, his thoughts already returning to Merlin. He left the room with a determined stride, eager to return to the one person who truly mattered to him.

Arthur marched through the palace, his heart racing with every step. The corridors seemed to stretch endlessly before him, and the weight of his responsibilities felt lighter with each stride as he neared his and Merlin’s chambers. His thoughts were singularly focused on returning to Merlin's side, to ensure his safety and to be there for him, as he had promised.

Suddenly, the air was shattered by the sounds of frantic screaming. Arthur's pulse quickened, and his eyes widened in alarm. "Merlin!" he shouted, his voice echoing down the stone hallways. Fear gripped his heart as he broke into a run, his legs moving faster than he thought possible.

The screams grew louder, more desperate, and Arthur's mind raced with the worst possibilities. He navigated the twists and turns of the palace with precision, his warrior instincts guiding him as he neared the source of the commotion. His heart pounding as he threw hurried to open the door, bursting into his chambers "Have I missed Anything?" he asked as his eyes landed on the sight of Merlin bent over and leaning against the foot of the bed.

"Just me screaming!" Merlin shouted in pain because of a contraction.

Arthur ran over and placed his hand on Merlin’s waist "Squeeze my hand when you feel pain".

Gwaine had no chance to warn the Prince, before Merlin squeezed his hand.

"Flipping heck” Arthur grumbled to himself, trying to ignore the sudden shock of his hand being crushed.

Merlin glared at Arthur "That's nothing compared to the pain that I'm dealing! You did this to me! Being stabbed felt better than this! You clotpole!" He shouted, before hissing in pain. 

Arthur brushed off the words, moving his other hand to slowly rub Merlin’s lower back instead "It's going to be alright. Just breathe, darling".

Merlin started to pant and he cried "I'm sorry, Arthur. I didn't mean to shout at you!".

“Look at me” Arthur instructed before he kissed Merlin's shoulder, his gaze soon meeting Merlin’s eyes and his heart breaking at the sight of the tears that were streaming down the warlock’s cheeks "It's alright. Just keep looking at me. I'm sorry that I left, but I'm staying here with you and I'm not going to let go of you".

Merlin sniffled as the pain subsided for a moment before flaring up again after "Ahhh!"

Arthur kissed Merlin's hand "Breathe, Merlin. Breathe" he reminded.

"I am breathing!" Merlin yelled in pain. 

Arthur held Merlin's hand and he shushed the warlock to sooth him "You're doing so well. I'm so proud of you and I love you so much".

The contraction passed and Merlin cried more "I'm so sorry".

"Ssshhh it's okay. I love you". Arthur soothed.

Merlin wearily smiled, his eyes turning gold as he smothered the pain he felt "I love you too".

Arthur realised that Merlin was holding back on losing control, causing Arthur’s mind to race as he tried to think of a way to take the warlock's mind off of the pain. “Do you remember that day during practice... before the tournament?", he asked, "Remember how happy we were as we kissed?"

Merlin meekly nodded.

"Think about that feeling. Think about how happy we were when we could finally be together. You make me so unbelievably happy, my darling". Arthur continued to rub Merlin’s back, .

Merlin smiled slightly as the pain edged off a bit but it didn't last as the pain came straight back. "Arthur!"

Arthur continued to sooth the Warlock with old memories, his concern growing as the contractions seemed never ending “Guias!” He called as he pulled Merlin close, holding the warlock up as Merlin clung onto his jacket.

Guias rushed over with his medical bag, placing it on the table that had been placed beside the bed. Arthur had not noticed it at first but now he realised that Guias was wearing his medical apron and that some equipment had been laid out. “It’s time, Arthur” was all that Guias needed to say for Arthur’s eyes to widen in panic.

Merlin hissed in pain and he whimpered "Arthur! Please make it stop, Arthur!"

Arthur hurried to sit behind Merlin and he placed his hands one Merlin's heavy tummy "Ssshh it is alright".

Merlin let his tears fall and his breathing hitched "Please make it stop, I can't do it. Please make the pain go away. Please" he begged.

Arthur's eyes welled up with tears as Merlin cried in pain, he kissed the warlock's head in an attempt to soothe him "If I could then I would. You know that I would take all of your pain away if I could. I'm sorry that you're in so much pain, but you can do this".

Merlin leaned his head back to rest it on Arthur's shoulder "I can't, I'm sorry" he whimpered as he cried.

“Yes you can” Arthur stated, helping Merlin towards the bed “It’s time, my darling. Just hold on for a little bit longer”.

Merlin nodded as Arthur helped him lie down on the bed “I’m scared, Arthur” he sniffled.

“It’s alright, just keep looking at me. I’m right here and I’m staying with you no matter what” Arthur reassured as he began to stroke Merlin’s ruffled hair.

Guias moved and pulled up Merlin’s shirt, revealing his swollen belly just as another one of Uther’s knights barged into the room.

"Sire, you are needed in the throne room. Sir Agravaine wishes to discuss the taxes with you" one of Uther's old knights stated.

"It can wait. Tell Agravaine that I shall discuss the issue of the taxes with him, in a few days" Arthur spoke firmly as he continued to slowly stroke Merlin's hair to help him relax.

"Sire, sir Agravaine has made it clear that he wishes to discuss the matter with you now, so that the new tax arrangements can be announced this evening!" Uther's knight stated with a uptight voice, he did not care that Merlin was going through agony.

Merlin felt another contraction begin and he scrunched his eyes shut, as he whimpered in pain, he tightened his grip on the mattress and his tears fell.

Elyan quickly grabbed a pillow and he put it on the bed in front of Merlin, he gently but swiftly lifted the warlock's wrists and he put his hand on the pillow "Hold onto this, Merlin. Just so that you do not hurt yourself".

Merlin gripped the pillow and he nodded "Thank you!" He tried not to cry out in pain so he kept his lips firmly pressed together.

Arthur glared at the rude knight "I am the king and I will not be raising the taxes, because my people need to be able to afford to live. I do not care if Agravaine does not agree! Now, get out of my sight and go and get a hair cut, because you look like you have been sleeping in a barn for the last week! Come anywhere near me when Merlin is in labour or open your mouth again, and I will have you cleaning every chamber pot in the kingdom Do you understand me?!" He roared as he slowly rubbed Merlin's hand.

The uptight knight nodded and he quickly left the room, Gwaine gave him a shove away from the door for good measure, before he slammed it shut in his offended face.

"I could of strangled him just now! The insensitive pig!" Gwaine yelled in frustration as he stood with his back against the door.

Merlin became overwhelmed when he saw the medical tool that Guias was holding,  "Arthur!" 

Arthur moved to sit beside Merlin so that the warlock could look up at him and he stroked some of his sweaty dark hair away from his face "I’m here and I am not going anywhere".

Gwen ran into the room just in time as Merlin used magic to numb his abdomen, already wearing a medical apron and carrying a small basket ready for the baby. The procedure of delivering the baby was a tedious one and Merlin was growing weaker by the second, as Guias worked to quickly deliver the baby. Arthur forced himself to ignore the blood, instead focusing all of his attention on Merlin and continuing to talk to him whilst Guias worked. It was only when they heard the sound of crying that Arthur and Merlin looked towards Guias, the situation feeling surreal when they saw the small baby being cradled in Guias’s arms.

“You have a daughter” Guias informed as he wrapped the infant in a blanket, before handing the baby to Arthur.

Arthur’s eyes filled with tears as he stared down at the baby “We have a little girl”.

“Idla” Merlin spoke up, his voice soft and weak but his eyes filled with love for his daughter.

Arthur looked at Merlin and smiled “She’s beautiful”.

“Just like you” Merlin smiled at first but then he noticed that the colour drain from Guias’s face “Something’s wrong” he stated before he felt a sudden wave of pain coarse through his body.

Arthur’s blood ran cold when he saw the pain on Merlin’s face, and his heart sank “Gwen, take the baby!”

Gwen hurried to take Idla from Arthur, cradling the baby as the infant began to wail “Guias, what’s happening?”

“The second baby is in distress” Gaia’s answered.

“Twins?” Arthur asked, stroking Merlin’s hair. The king’s blood ran cold as he remembered Morgana’s prophecy, his attention turning to Merlin when he noticed all of the blood and how deathly pale the warlock was “Merlin?”

Merlin took a shallow breath, his eyes flashing gold “I can’t feel his heart beat”.

Arthur’s heart sank into the pit of his stomach, looking at Guias in a panic “Guias?”

“Keep talking to Merlin. I’m going to do everything I can to save the baby” Guias stated as he got to work.

Arthur sat beside Merlin, taking his hand and whispering softly, "Stay with me, Merlin. You have to stay strong for our children."

Merlin's eyes fluttered open, his gaze locking onto Arthur's. "Arthur... our son..."

Arthur's grip tightened, his voice firm yet tender. "He will be fine. Guias and Gwen will save him. You need to stay with me, Merlin. I can't do this without you."

Lancelot stepped forward, gently taking Idla from Gwen's arms. "I'll take care of her," he said, cradling the baby close. Gwen nodded, her eyes filled with determination as she moved to assist Guias.

Gwaine, Leon, Percival, and Elyan hovered nearby, their faces etched with worry. "Come on, Merlin," Gwaine muttered under his breath, his fists clenched in anxiety. "You have to pull through this."

Leon rested a reassuring hand on Gwaine's shoulder. "He will. Merlin's stronger than any of us."

Percival and Elyan exchanged concerned glances, their eyes reflecting the same hope and fear that gripped everyone's heart.

Merlin's breathing was shallow, and he clung to Arthur's words like a lifeline. "Arthur... if anything happens... promise me you will look after them."

Arthur's eyes filled with unshed tears. "Nothing's going to happen. You'll be fine, Merlin. We'll be fine. We'll raise our children together."

Guias worked tirelessly, his hands steady yet swift. "Stay strong, Merlin," he commanded. "We're almost there."

Gwen assisted Guias, her hands moving with practiced precision. "Hold on, Merlin," she whispered. "Your children need you. Arthur needs you."

Arthur brushed a soft kiss on Merlin's hand, his voice barely a whisper. "I love you, Merlin. Please, don't leave me."

In that moment, amidst the pain and fear, there was a thread of hope that bound them all together. It was a hope that everyone clung to, a hope that Merlin would survive, that their family would survive, and that love would conquer all as Merlin’s eyes flashed gold and all of the glass wear shattered. The knights glancing around the room and the candles lit, the flames growing in unison as a the doors and windows flew open.

Arthur’s eyes filled with tears as he felt Merlin’s hand slowly growing cold, “Please, hold on. I need you, Merlin”.

Merlin’s eyes flashed gold again, as Guias finally managed to deliver the infant. A shallow sigh escaping Merlin’s lips as the baby began to cry.

“You have a son” Guias stated as he handed the baby to Gwen, before getting to work on using magic and his medical skills to tend to Merlin’s condition “Hold on, Merlin. Just a little longer” he instructed, his voice firm as he ordered Merlin to keep fighting.

Gwen rushed over to where Arthur was sat, cradling the infant in her arms before she handed the baby to Arthur “Do you want to hold him?”

Arthur nodded, still holding onto Merlin’s hand as Gwen gently placed the baby in his other arm; her hands supporting the baby’s head and bum as Arthur held him “Hello, son. You look like a Robyn to me”.

Merlin smiled weakly when he heard what Arthur had name their son “Really?”

“Yes” Arthur nodded before he looked at Merlin “It’s you, I, Idla and Robyn.”

Merlin’s smile grew as he turned his attention to Robyn, “Where’s Idla?”

Lancelot walked over and sat on the floor so that Merlin could see his daughter. Smiling up at Gwen as his wife smiled at him, the couple felt relieved that the new family were safe and together.

All of the knights breathed a collective sigh of relief as Guias finished working, the final stitch being clean and precise. The physician looked up at the king and Arthur met his gaze as Guias pulled his apron off. “He’ll make a full recovery”. He stated with a confident nod before he turned his gaze to the twins “Welcome to the world, Idla and Robyn.”