Scars Tell Stories

Dragoon

Triquetra123 this is your chapter request :-) sorry it took so long I'm revealing in order as people request.
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Merlin takes a deep breath and looks up into the eyes of his king, "brace your self," Merlin half whispers in a hoarse voice, "this is a big scar."

Looking down Merlin swallows, and with a shaky hand he gently tugs back the edges of his long sleeves to reveal large ring shaped scars circling both his wrists.

Gwaine makes a sound in his throat and drops to his knees in front of Merlin. He almost desperately grasps Merlins wrists, "who did this to you? When were you shackled, Merlin?..." Gwaine's voice was tight and strained.

Arthur's eyes were wide, had his brother really been hurt this much with out him even getting a clue? How blind could he be? How much pain has his friend suffered? He struggles to swallow but the lump won't leave.

Merlin blinks, "Arthur..." He hesitates but that one word told the blond King thousands. Merlin seems desperate, as if one word, Arthur, was the most important thing to him. Arthur, it was muttered with pain and sorrow, with agony and longing. Merlin's tone said I'm sorry, but his eyes, his eyes whisper in Arthur's mind. Don't be afraid of me. You can't, just listen. Why would he be afraid of Merlin
"You chained me."

Arthur's face fills with shock.

Gwaine's head snaps up to Arthur with the look of pure fury on his face, but before he can say anything Arthur exclaims, "I did no such thing!"

Merlin raises one brow.

Arthur back tracks, "well not long enough to scar and definitely not in shackles!"

Merlin sighs and pulls his hands from Gwaine's grasp, "this is where it gets tricky, but if I'm to get through this, you must not interrupt." Merlin gives a small laugh though he feels like screaming. All these years and he finally had to tell Arthur everything. "Years Arthur, years I've wanted to tell you but I was afraid," Merlin chokes.

"Tell us," Percival urges softly.

Merlin looks up at the gentle giant with sparking eyes filled with sadness and, to the knight's confusion, an edge of fear.

Taking a deep breath Merlin begins, "I have three names, one you know two you don't. I was born with one-"

"Merlin." Arthur mutters.

Merlin glares at him for interrupting, "one I was given and one I took. I'm sorry Arthur I didn't mean for it to get so out of hand. Gwen was in trouble, I had to help, Arthur, anyway I could." Merlin starts to slightly shake, when he told this they would figure it out, they would know he had magic. "I am Dragoon."

Arthur and the Knights jaw dropped and their eyes bugged out, they didn't know whither to laugh, yell or run. Do they believe him or not?

Leon spoke up first, "you used us as a step stool..." His voice was filled with utter shock.

"You rode my back and kicked me..." Arthur said in disgust.

Percival had said nothing, just staring at the raven, "you have magic."

Merlin closes his watery eyes, "I am magic."

Everyone freezes, Merlin flinched at the sound of a sword pulled from the sheathe.

Cold metal lightly brushes his chin and pushes his head up. Merlin looks into deep blue eyes filled with all different emotions.

Arthur is torn inside, he is in agony. Merlin a sorcerer? Arthur gazes into blues framed with black. He sees the terror and anguish. Once again his eyes whisper in Arthur's mind. Don't be afraid of me. You can't, just listen. Only this time he understands.

Arthur lowers his sword, his knights tense unsure what to do where to place their loyalty. With their king, or with the man who brought them all together, who would give his life for any of them in a heartbeat? "Continue."

Merlin sighs in resignation, he's not sure Arthur could kill him, but banish him he was sure would happen. "Morgana had a vision of Gwen being queen and planted evidence that she was a sorceress. I couldn't let her die Arthur! She was my first friend here in Camelot. I had tried before to tell you I was a sorcerer. I had to find someone to confess to it, Morgana would never! So I cast an aging spell. Dragoon the Great would take Gwen's place, but aging spells are fickle." Merlin's eyes shift away, "I couldn't turn back. Gaius concocted a potion to reverse the spell, when Dragoon-when I 'cursed' the crowd I was really just getting the tonic from Gaius."

Arthur growled, "and why did you curse the people?...."

Merlin rolls his eyes, " trust me it take a LOT more than that to curse someone." Merlin's lip curled, "besides I would never. All you all see are those with selfish dark magic. Those who wish no harm you don't see because they don't show themselves to you."

Arthur scoffs, "how do we know you haven't cursed us?"

Merlin looks at him with sadness, "you have no idea how much I have lost for you, how much I have done, for you." Arthur.

"Then tell me."