Just another day in Camelot - Merlin one shots

The Court Sorcerer Part 2

"Show me another one." His voice was filled with childlike wonder. The sorcerer muttered some words making his eyes shine with a gold Arthur had come to love and holding his hands up in the air. Streaks of different coloured lights danced around the air playfully, weaving in and about Merlin's fingers then going to Arthur. For the past weeks Arthur had been visiting Merlin regularly, finally getting enough courage to ask for a display of magic on his fourth visit. He never mentioned needing a favour again but he knew that soon he would need to bring it up again. He learnt a lot about Merlin during this time. His father was king of Avalon, a land of magic, and the last dragon lord. He died in Merlin's arms when the kingdom was attacked. The boy was only 10. He had been afraid and ran away, that's when the King found him and gave him a place to live in exchange of him agreeing to be court sorcerer. Arthur didn't really know what Merlin did for his father and he didn't seem very open on the subject, so he didn't push it.

"What are your chambers like?" They where both sitting on the floor in front of the fire place.

"A little bigger than this, with more windows."

"I bet servants do your chores. Mabey you should do some yourself, might do you some good." He looked pointedly at Arthurs belly.

"Are you calling me fat?!"

"What, no!" He scrambled back a cheeky grin on his face as Arthur lunged at him. They struggled for a few moments both of them laughing and giggling joyfully until he managed to pin the sorcerer down. He looked down at Merlin's smiling face and stared into his ocean blue eyes with beautiful tiny flecks of gold in them.

"Arthur?" Merlin's voice was barely a whisper. He snapped out of his trance. When had Arthur's face gotten so close to Merlin's? "Have you suddenly realised how fat you are?" The grin appeared on his face again, one that Arthur never wanted to go away. He opened his mouth to fake being offended when a sharp knock sounded at the door. Merlin went dead still beneath him and when he looked down, Arthur saw he had gone whiter than a piece of parchment. The boy below him put a hand over Arthur's mouth, making his spine tingle, a sign for him to make no noise. He stood up and helped Merlin up then tiptoed into the small room where Merlin's bed laid as fast as he could and rolled under it just as the court sorcerer opened the door to his father. He strained his ears to be able to listen to what was being said.

"I need your assistance." Merlin mumbled something Arthur was not quite able to catch.

"Rogers has been acting up again. Tell him to keep his head low and if he uses magic again publicly you will end him. That is an order." End him? That didn't mean- No Merlin wasn't capable of killing. In the short amount of time, he had gotten to know him he had found out that magic did not corrupt, it wasn't evil. Sweet, innocent, charming Merlin would never hurt a fly.

"We also found a group of druid children that need to be cleaned. They are waiting in the dungeon. I expect it all to be done by tomorrow afternoon."

A small "yes sire" could be heard then the door shut. No one moved for a few minutes, Arthur still holding his breath. When he knew it was safe, he slid out and got up and made himself to the main room wearily. Merlin was facing the shut door, unmoving. He didn't seem to hear Arthur come up behind him.

"Merlin?" He reached out to put a hand on his shoulder but the raven haired boy turned around and strode over to a shelf. He walked around the room getting shoes socks, all his movements machine like. His face was no longer deathly white, but a sickening grey colour and his eyes had dimed as if all the light had been sucked out of them. "Merlin, what's going on." He was scared. Scared at how Merlin was ignoring him, on how he suddenly changed and became lifeless. The sorcerer grabbed a familiar cloak and draped it over himself, covering his face and making him look like the court sorcerer Arthur was terrified of. He didn't dare try and get closer to him or touch him and only looked on helplessly as Merlin opened the door and walked out of it briskly. The door shut on it's own and spontaneously the candles and fire went out. The prince stood in the middle of the room unsure of what to do. The minuets ticked by and still nothing happened so Arthur did something he had never done before. He waited patiently for his frien- no, for the sorcerer to come back. He made the fire again, driving the unusual chilliness away from the air and opened the windows wide. He looked closely at the bookshelves but found he couldn't read most of the titles as they where in a different language. He went to the desk and looked at all the pages with writing scribbled on them and came across an old book. It was stuffed with loose pages that nearly went flying everywhere as Arthur opened the book to a random page.

A stranger knocked on my door today. He claims his name is Arthur Pendragon but he is much kinder than Uther Pendragon. He wasn't here for long, but I think I made a new friend today.

Arthur smiled and flipped to another page further on.

Arthur came again today. He asked to see more magic like usual and smiled a lot. I like making him smile and he makes me laugh too, something that Lance was never good at. Speaking of Lance, I think he also likes Arthur. When I was reading him the book about dragons him and Lance where sitting in front of the fire, Lance purring happily as Arthur stroked him. I hope Arthur never stops coming to visit me. It's lonely here without him.

It occurred to Arthur suddenly that he should not be reading this so closed the book but a paper came flying out of it. He picked it up and looked at it. It was an old photograph, the paper was going brown at the edges. In the middle of it was a small boy around 5 years old with muddy brown hair. He was grinning at the camera showing a gap where his tooth had fallen out and he had an arm slung around another boy the same age as him with familiar raven hair.

The door swung open.

Arthur only watched as the cloaked figure walked past him into the bed room. The prince followed worriedly.

"Merlin, are you alright?" He didn't dare say it louder than a whisper. Merlin, who had taken his cloak off, turned around finally realising he wasn't alone, his eyes where glazed over and dark circles stood out against his pale skin.

"Arthur." Where his final words before he collapsed on the floor, his head between his legs and his arms clutched around him as if protecting him. He was shaking but not crying, his breathing loud and ragged. Panic filled Arthur, what was he supposed to do? What had happened? Was he hurt? He sat down next to Merlin and reached out a hand to pat his head awkwardly but as soon as he touched him Merlin recoiled from the touch.

"Merlin, what happened? What did my father make you do?" He didn't expect an answer but he didn't know what else to do. The ticking of the clock was the onely sound for a while until-

"Roger is one of the sorcerers in the outskirts of Camelot. The king keeps a weary eye on him and any sign of magic he sends me out to warn him. This is his last warning. He used magic to save a girl that fell out of a tree." He mumbled meaning Arthur had to lean in to catch what he was saying. "Then the druid children he found... he wanted me to get rid of their magic." His voice cracked but he continued anyway. "They are so young, they don't understand why they are being locked up and it's not like magic is bad so they will never understand it and my job is to get rid of their magic and it feels like I'm sucking the very souls out of them when I look at them their eyes become so dull and they look at me with fear and disgust and I can see why because I'm a MONSTER I BETRAY my kind every day by sitting here and complying to the kings orders I should just end myself to –" He was hyperventilating now, his whole body shaking violently as he remained curled in a ball his face hidden in his knees.

"Merlin you can't say that. My father has no idea what magic is and is only striven by it's fear. He has always taught me to fear it too but when I met you all that I thought I new about magic flew out the window. You showed me that it can be used for good and that it certainly does not corrupt. If I had never met, you I would grow up to be a king just like my father, but I don't want that anymore. I want to have a just kingdom and to have that everyone must be treated the same no matter what talents they have. One day I hope to truly lift the fear of magic with my friend helping me by my side." Merlin's breathing had calmed, and he lifted his head slightly to show hope glimmering in his eyes.

"You mean it? You think of me as a friend?" Arthur nodded. In a sudden movement Merlin launched himself towards Arthur his arms wrapped around him in a tight hug. They stayed on the floor, Merlin practically sitting on Arthur's lap, with the prince drawing lazy patterns on the boys back who was snuggled in Arthur's chest. If only I could stay here forever.

"Can I ask for a favour?"