Song-Based One Shots

Black Sheep (Merlin)

"Sire, I must insist."

"Why should I trust you, Uncle? You may be my mother's brother, but I barely know you. I've known Merlin for years and he's never lied or betrayed me."

Agravaine chuckled, and it sent a chill down Arthur's spine. Something was off, but he couldn't figure out what.

"Funny that you use that word. Betray." Agravaine chuckled again before grabbing the pitches of wine on the table and filling a goblet, handing it over to Arthur.

The King took it with no hesitation, immediately taking a sip. He was so engaged with the after-effects that he failed to notice the smile that marred his uncle's face.

Arthur felt the urge to listen to his uncle, to trust in whatever he said.

Listen to your uncle.

He'd never steer you wrong.

He'd never betray you.

"You may not know your idiotic manservant as much as you think you do."

The King's head snapped up. "What do you mean?"

"You haven't noticed? I've heard the stories of tree branches snapping and saving you from an untimely death, beasts you were told were unkillable being vanquished by your hand. Who's at the center of it all?"

Arthur dropped his head as he thought. He'd always thought those branches breaking was extremely lucky.

"Me."

Agravaine rolled his eyes. This was the King of Camelot? How had Morgana failed for this long? "No, Merlin."

Arthur's head snapped up once more. "Merlin?"

"Merlin," Agravaine repeated.

"What are you saying, Uncle?"

"I'm saying your pathetic manservant may be much more than that, Sire."

"Merlin has magic?" Arthur didn't want to believe it. As he was about to deny it, thought flooded his mind.

Listen to your uncle.

He'd never lie to you.

He'd never betray you.

"Merlin lied to me?!" Anger began to flow through the King's veins and Agravaine's smile began to grow more sinister.

"Yes, he has. He's betrayed you. He broke the law and brought magic into this kingdom. He's a traitor to the throne."

Arthur shot to his feet. "Thank you for telling me, Uncle. I will deal with this myself."

As Arthur left, he never saw the flash of gold in his uncle's eyes behind his goblet of wine.

Gaius was down helping a sick woman in the lower town, so Merlin was left to clean the workbench himself.

He was doing just that when Arthur slammed open the door, nearly splitting the wood in half with the force he used.

"You've betrayed me!"

"What?! What do you mean?" Merlin asked, backing up as Arthur stalked toward him.

"Agravaine told me everything. You have magic."

Merlin was in so much shock that he didn't even fight back as Arthur pinned him to the nearest wall.
"What?" His voice came out as a whimper. Everything he'd ever feared was coming true and he couldn't do anything but panic.

"All those broken branches on hunts and beasts that could only be killed with magic. It was you, all of it!"

"I wanted to tell you, I did! But this is exactly what I was afraid of. But I've never done anything to hurt you. My magic is for you, that's why I was born. We share a destiny. We're supposed to unite Albion and bring magic back to the land. The both of us. My magic has only ever been for you, to protect you." Merlin didn't even register the tears flowing down his face.