The King

Chapter 6

Merlin's POV

I woke up as the sun dawned, got dressed and walked out into the main chamber.

I stopped.

Somebody had painted the words 'monster' and 'freak' all over the walls.
Gaius walked up to me, but I wouldn't let him touch me, and I ran to Arthur's chambers.

Arthur's POV

"RISE AND SHINE!"

Those are the words I hear every morning.

Merlin got straight to his chores, dressing me, washing my armor, chain mail, and boots. He sharpened my sword and washed the floor. He made the bed.

But today he didn't talk much. Only to say 'yes' or 'no'.

Finally I couldn't handle it anymore
"Is something wrong Merlin?"

He looked at me. "I promised not to lie anymore!" He said, "and I'm not going to!"

I was confused by what he said, but kept listening.

"Somebody... Snuck into, my, chambers, and, wrote..." He paused.

"What did they write?" I asked gently.

"They wrote... 'Monster!' and 'Freak!' all over the walls!" Tears ran down Merlin's face, "and they're right!"

I was taken aback by the last comment.

"I have to go... Deliver potions for Gaius." He quickly mentioned.

Merlin finished and ran out the door. I sat in my room thinking about him, when I heard a scuffle outside.

I looked out the window and saw twenty or more people. They were beating up somebody! I got a glance at the victim.

The raven hair.

The skinny stature.

The neckerchief.

"STOP!" I yelled from my window. But of course, nobody could hear me.

I sprinted through the halls, running faster than I knew I could until I found myself shoving people aside to get to Merlin.

I punched a guy in the jaw who had been kicking Merlin, and I picked my servant up.

"You're lucky all of you aren't going to the gallows! Guards, seize them!" Many ran but were caught. We can't arrest children, so they were let go. I helped an unconscious Merlin to Gaius' chambers.

"They beat him up!" I said as I walked in. Gaius' eyes widened and he prepared a bed.

Gaius examined him.

"Took a few good blows to the head, but he'll be fine by morning." Gaius walked away to prepare a potion.

Merlin's POV

I woke up with a throbbing pain in my head, and I felt beat everywhere. I peeked one eye open, and I saw Arthur's head above me.

"'Thur?"

"I'm here Merlin."

"What happened?"

"They beat you up pretty bad, Merlin"

"Stop saying my name."

"No, Merlin" he joked.

I looked at him. "Arthur?"

"Yeah?"

"Everybody hates me here, I'm gonna leave."

His eyes widened from what I just said.

"Merlin, no!"

I shook my head and fell back asleep.

I woke up around midnight. Arthur had retired to his chambers and Gaius was asleep.

I pulled a satchel out from under my bed that I had packed earlier. I snuck out, not alerting Gaius or any guards.

I got to the courtyard and walked until I was out in the forest.

Arthur's POV

I couldn't sleep. I just stared out my window, thinking about Merlin. It felt like a few billion questions were running through my head.

'What if they seriously hurt him'

'What if he hurts himself'

The second question came more often than I'd like it too. I remembered a conversation with his mother I had after he revealed his magic to me.

"He tried, once."

"Tried what?" I asked.

"He almost did it." She responded. "One night, when he had worked in the fields for a day, as I had been ill, a couple of the other boys came out and beat him."

I frowned and my brow wrinkled in concern.

"I found him that night cutting his wrists with an old kitchen knife."

I gasped. Would my happy, joking, ecstatic, sarcastic Merlin ever do that?

"The other children teased him for being a... Well you know. I am quite ashamed. I knew it was my fault he was tortured like he was." Hunith sniffed.

I myself was surprised when I found out the innocent, good Hunith had conceived without marriage. Making Merlin what people called, a bastard.

"He tried twice more too."

At this point I believed she was lying, that Merlin would never do that.

"He tried to hang himself, I stopped him that time too."

"What happened after that?" I asked.

"He tried to cut himself again, reopen the old wounds with a rusty nail. By then I decided to send him to Camelot."

"Where he got bullied by me." I confessed.

"He told me that in the letters."

"I'm sorry, he could have made another attempt on his life." I said, quite guiltily.

"No, I made him promise that he wouldn't do it in Camelot."

I smiled at her sadly. "Thank you, but I must go now."

I left three pouches of coins and a nice dress on her bed, to thank her for the help.

I snapped out of the memory when I saw a figure walking in the courtyard.

Merlin.

I followed him.

He made a camp in the woods outside Camelot.

Narrator POV

Arthur stepped out from behind the tree where he was hiding, "Merlin." He choked out.

Merlin leaped up. "I'm not coming back!" He said angrily.

"I... Can.. Never go back." He whispered on a sadder tone.

With that he grabbed his bag, said a spell, and teleported to The Valley of the Fallen Kings. Where Arthur would never find him.

"Darn it, Merlin!" Arthur yelled.