The One Where All The Knights Love Fem!Merlin

Leon

Sir Leon was a very quiet knight. He did his duties without question, and did them efficiently. Being a quiet man, Leon only spoke when spoken to, unless he felt very strongly about a subject. This is why Merlin and Leon never had much interaction. However, Leon was Arthur's right hand man, and Merlin was his maidservant, so they were bound to cross paths sooner or later.

Leon's first impression of Merlin was that she lacked respect. She rarely addressed Arthur by his title and would consistently call him names. She was almost always tardy and would constantly drop Arthur's things without even an apology. As he quietly observed, Leon realized that Arthur was never angry at Merlin, but rather, he teased her back. Leon was very pleased with this discovery because he knew that Arthur, being the prince, often found it hard to make friends due to everyone seeing him as the prince and nothing else. Leon considered himself close with Arthur, they had grown up together, but even he treated Arthur in the most formal of manners.

Another discovery that Leon had made was that Merlin was caring by nature. Leon once saw a servant drop a basket of clothing and Merlin rush over to help her, despite carrying many things herself. In the village, Leon would often observe Merlin telling stories of wild adventures to young children. Merlin would wave her arms around and use exaggerated facial expressions to tell her stories. The children would listen with wide eyes. Leon would smile to himself and continue his task.

It was not too long before Leon realized that he had begun developing feelings for the servant girl. He supposed that it was hard not too. She was caring, charismatic, and probably other positive adjectives that started with a c. She was also fiercely loyal, much like himself. But being an observant man, Leon also noticed that Arthur also cared for the girl, though Leon, and likely Arthur himself, did not know to what extent his affections went. Leon believed it would be best to keep his feelings to himself.

His first interaction with Merlin was during one of his night patrols around the citadel wall. Leon was alerted to the sound of sniffling. He followed the sound to find Merlin with her knees drawn towards her chest, leaning against the wall. Leon knelt down next to her.  "Merlin? What are you doing here?"

Merlin wiped her eyes. "Sir Leon. I'm sorry. I just... needed some space."

"Are you alright?"

Merlin nodded, not meeting his eyes.

Leon sat down beside her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't... I don't know. You might hate me for it."

"What could you have done that I would hate you for?" Leon asked, genuinely curious.

"The reason you might hate me... is not something that I have done. It is something that I could not control," Merlin told him, testing the waters.

"If it is not within your control then you are not to blame. If it makes you feel better, I swear on my word as a knight that I will not hate you, kill you or turn you in to the king for what you are to tell me."

Merlin looked up at him with her eyes wide. "Do you really mean it?"

"I do." It was true. Leon cared too much for the girl to allow any harm to come to her.

Merlin took a deep breath to steady herself. "Arthur and I went on a quest to find the last Dragonlord because it was the only way to kill the Great Dragon. But before the quest, Gaius revealed that the Dragonlord, Balinor, was my father." Merlin glanced at Leon to gauge his reaction. Leon's face remained blank, so Melrin continued. "Balinor... He stopped the dragon," Merlin lied, "but not before being shot by an arrow and killed."

Leon remained silent, offering only a comforting hand on her knee.

"I grew up without a father and was often mocked and scorned because of it. Dragonlord or not, I finally had a father and he was killed right in front of me, and I did nothing! I couldn't!" Merlin covered her face with her hands and began to sob.

Leon wrapped his arm around her and whispered soothing words and assurances in her ear. She turned and continued to cry into his shoulder. He sat with her until she fell asleep. Leon dried Merlin's tears with the edge of his deep red cloak. Then, as gently as he could, Leon lifted Merlin bridal style and carried her to Gaius's chambers.

Leon knocked on the door, which was opened by a tired looking Gaius. Gaius led Leon to Merlin's messy chambers, and Leon laid her onto her bed and pulled the covers over her sleeping figure. 

"Thank you," Gaius said quietly. 

Leon nodded. "Good night, Gaius."

"Good night, Sir Leon."

The next day, neither of them acknowledged what had happened that night. They both continues about their days as they normally did. However, Leon did find a yellow flower next to his sword when he went to retrieve it for training. Leon smiled to himself because he knew exactly who it was from. 

Sorry this is a bit shorter than usual... (What is my usual length now anyways?) but don't worry! I already have half of the next chapter written down.

Spoiler: I'm planning a character death and I hate myself for it.