No on and nothing part 11a
Author: ![]()
archaeologist_d
Title: No one and Nothing part 11a
Rating: R
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Gaius, Leon, Iseldir, Tristan, Isolde
Summary: Merlin saves Arthur’s life in front of the whole court and has to run for his life. But when Arthur shows up, asking for help, what was Merlin to do, say no?
Warnings: none
Word Count: 1130
Camelot Drabble Prompt: 554: ally
Author’s Notes: The other chapters are found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/46585663/chapters/117313327
Disclaimer: I do not own the BBC version of Merlin; They and Shine do. I am very respectfully borrowing them with no intent to profit. No money has changed hands. No copyright infringement is intended.
---
Gaius was being an old fusspot. He kept clicking his tongue and giving Merlin the eyebrow as he slathered the burn salve on Merlin’s skin. “Your wounds are healing apace. The scars might be almost invisible in time but only if you stopped scratching.”
Just thinking about it only made them itch more. Trying to keep from tearing at his skin, he glared at Gaius who looked back at him with a calmness that annoyed Merlin. He wasn’t the one needing to scratch, Merlin was. It really wasn’t fair. Merlin whined, “But it itches. Or hurts when I bump into things.”
“Well, then stop bumping into things,” Gaius said, putting the salves away and rolling up the rest of the bandages for later.
“I’m trying,” Merlin pointed out, forcing himself not to scratch but it was like trying to ignore the sun coming up or Arthur being a prat. It was inevitable. Sighing, Merlin began to put the face paint on, as delicately as he could, knowing that Gaius was just going to tell him to keep the salves from smearing. He was doing the best he could. But before Gaius could say anything, Merlin cut him off. “I have to hide them, you know. I wouldn’t want anyone to figure out that I might have something to do with that sorcerer. You know, too many questions about where I got burnt.”
“Your use of face paint should give you some cover. You are getting quite accomplished at it. I dare say you could give lessons to some of the ladies of the court.” How Gaius could say that with a straight face was beyond Merlin. Although he had got better at it, once he was done, he never wanted to deal with face powders and lotions and mouth rouge ever again.
Still, he gave Gaius a glare anyway. It was bad enough that Arthur was making snide remarks about it. Finishing up his disguise, Merlin said, “Well, Uther keeps giving me the side-eye. I try like hell to avoid him as much as possible but last time, he stared at me, looking at me as if I were some insect he wanted to crush. I don’t know if it’s because he remembers me what with saving Arthur on his birthday or if my face paint is melting from his glare.”
Giving a little grunt, Gaius didn’t seem all that worried.
Merlin wasn’t sure that Gaius was even listening. Sometimes he got that glazed look on his face when Merlin was talking, like now. Still, he figured Gaius might have some insight into what Arthur had told him, “Arthur says it’s because Uther doesn’t want any bastards around. Apparently there have been rumours of me and him.”
“You are very close,” Gaius said, sounding not at all surprised. If Merlin didn’t know better, he would swear that Gaius was laughing at him, just from the way his mouth was crabbing up. Some help he was.
Annoyed, Merlin snapped, “I am not a girl.”
But when Gaius smirked, not defending Merlin’s honour at all, Merlin narrowed his eyes at him and said, “Arthur told Uther that Mary was going home to her mother and Uther seemed quite relieved. Said that sowing wild oats was fine but absolutely no bastards and certainly none from a less than noble family. He mentioned something about looks, too, but Arthur was laughing so hard, I didn’t quite catch what he said and he wouldn’t repeat it, the prat.”
Letting out a little cough, definitely a laugh hidden under his hand, Gaius wasn’t going to be any help at all.
Merlin sighed. This wasn’t how he hoped this would go. A little more sympathy and a little less hilarity at Merlin’s expense. Finally, Merlin said, “I’m going to need a new disguise. For a boy, not another girl. I’ve had enough of that to last a lifetime.”
“It’s not that much of a hardship, Merlin,” Gaius said, brushing at his robe. “With the exception of the face paint, those of the physicians’s guild often wear long robes, too.”
“It’s not because I’m constantly tripping over the hems or that the stuffing in the dress keeps shifting or that way it binds me in, although it’s annoying as hell. But Sir Bors has been following me around and making lewd suggestions.” When, months ago, he’d complained to Arthur about no one paying him attention, as the nobility did with most of the maids, it was just grumbling. But when that old fart began to make sly inquiries, Merlin could see why the maids avoided Bors. The man would chase anything in a skirt.
All Gaius could say was, “Ah.”
“Yes, ah,” Merlin repeated. “Arthur said he’d do something about him, but maybe I could give the old toad a few boils in his nether parts and keep him from bothering the staff.”
“Don’t do anything rash,” Gaius scowled at that. “Sorcery in any form might lead to arrests and we have enough problems with helping those in need. Promise me, Merlin.”
Merlin nodded, knowing he was going to ignore Gaius anyway and sneak in a spell or two. Bors deserved it. Besides, a rash might do just as well as boils, maybe better. “Fine, no boils.” Then Merlin changed the subject before Gaius could call him on it. “So do you have hair dye?”
----
Retiring the Mary disguise, Merlin dyed his singed and unkempt hair a bronzey brown and glued a bit of pig skin to his nose, giving it a bulbous look. It seemed to work. A different set of clothes, a faked limp, a bit of glamour and even Arthur didn’t recognise him from a distance. Although he still called Merlin a girl, the prat.
Besides running errands for Gaius, Merlin worked at the castle, doing odd jobs but kept a low profile, often helping in the kitchens or stables. Staying away from Uther certainly, he was also meeting with Arthur less than he would like. Merlin was unhappy about that and Arthur, too, seemed to seek him out as much as he could, but with Uther raging about magic, it was best to be circumspect.
Arthur had put out the rumour that the sorcerer had killed himself rather than be taken by Camelot’s knights and most seemed satisfied with that. He was not congratulated for it by Uther, though, who still glowered at the lack of spectacle and blamed Arthur for not getting there quickly enough. Arthur didn’t say much, just seemed to accept it, but Merlin was livid for him and for the unfairness of it all.
Things settled back into a kind of breathless anticipation, as if everyone was waiting for the other shoe to drop or the next sorcerer to appear.
archaeologist_d
Title: No one and Nothing part 11a
Rating: R
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur, Gaius, Leon, Iseldir, Tristan, Isolde
Summary: Merlin saves Arthur’s life in front of the whole court and has to run for his life. But when Arthur shows up, asking for help, what was Merlin to do, say no?
Warnings: none
Word Count: 1130
Camelot Drabble Prompt: 554: ally
Author’s Notes: The other chapters are found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/46585663/chapters/117313327
Disclaimer: I do not own the BBC version of Merlin; They and Shine do. I am very respectfully borrowing them with no intent to profit. No money has changed hands. No copyright infringement is intended.
---
Gaius was being an old fusspot. He kept clicking his tongue and giving Merlin the eyebrow as he slathered the burn salve on Merlin’s skin. “Your wounds are healing apace. The scars might be almost invisible in time but only if you stopped scratching.”
Just thinking about it only made them itch more. Trying to keep from tearing at his skin, he glared at Gaius who looked back at him with a calmness that annoyed Merlin. He wasn’t the one needing to scratch, Merlin was. It really wasn’t fair. Merlin whined, “But it itches. Or hurts when I bump into things.”
“Well, then stop bumping into things,” Gaius said, putting the salves away and rolling up the rest of the bandages for later.
“I’m trying,” Merlin pointed out, forcing himself not to scratch but it was like trying to ignore the sun coming up or Arthur being a prat. It was inevitable. Sighing, Merlin began to put the face paint on, as delicately as he could, knowing that Gaius was just going to tell him to keep the salves from smearing. He was doing the best he could. But before Gaius could say anything, Merlin cut him off. “I have to hide them, you know. I wouldn’t want anyone to figure out that I might have something to do with that sorcerer. You know, too many questions about where I got burnt.”
“Your use of face paint should give you some cover. You are getting quite accomplished at it. I dare say you could give lessons to some of the ladies of the court.” How Gaius could say that with a straight face was beyond Merlin. Although he had got better at it, once he was done, he never wanted to deal with face powders and lotions and mouth rouge ever again.
Still, he gave Gaius a glare anyway. It was bad enough that Arthur was making snide remarks about it. Finishing up his disguise, Merlin said, “Well, Uther keeps giving me the side-eye. I try like hell to avoid him as much as possible but last time, he stared at me, looking at me as if I were some insect he wanted to crush. I don’t know if it’s because he remembers me what with saving Arthur on his birthday or if my face paint is melting from his glare.”
Giving a little grunt, Gaius didn’t seem all that worried.
Merlin wasn’t sure that Gaius was even listening. Sometimes he got that glazed look on his face when Merlin was talking, like now. Still, he figured Gaius might have some insight into what Arthur had told him, “Arthur says it’s because Uther doesn’t want any bastards around. Apparently there have been rumours of me and him.”
“You are very close,” Gaius said, sounding not at all surprised. If Merlin didn’t know better, he would swear that Gaius was laughing at him, just from the way his mouth was crabbing up. Some help he was.
Annoyed, Merlin snapped, “I am not a girl.”
But when Gaius smirked, not defending Merlin’s honour at all, Merlin narrowed his eyes at him and said, “Arthur told Uther that Mary was going home to her mother and Uther seemed quite relieved. Said that sowing wild oats was fine but absolutely no bastards and certainly none from a less than noble family. He mentioned something about looks, too, but Arthur was laughing so hard, I didn’t quite catch what he said and he wouldn’t repeat it, the prat.”
Letting out a little cough, definitely a laugh hidden under his hand, Gaius wasn’t going to be any help at all.
Merlin sighed. This wasn’t how he hoped this would go. A little more sympathy and a little less hilarity at Merlin’s expense. Finally, Merlin said, “I’m going to need a new disguise. For a boy, not another girl. I’ve had enough of that to last a lifetime.”
“It’s not that much of a hardship, Merlin,” Gaius said, brushing at his robe. “With the exception of the face paint, those of the physicians’s guild often wear long robes, too.”
“It’s not because I’m constantly tripping over the hems or that the stuffing in the dress keeps shifting or that way it binds me in, although it’s annoying as hell. But Sir Bors has been following me around and making lewd suggestions.” When, months ago, he’d complained to Arthur about no one paying him attention, as the nobility did with most of the maids, it was just grumbling. But when that old fart began to make sly inquiries, Merlin could see why the maids avoided Bors. The man would chase anything in a skirt.
All Gaius could say was, “Ah.”
“Yes, ah,” Merlin repeated. “Arthur said he’d do something about him, but maybe I could give the old toad a few boils in his nether parts and keep him from bothering the staff.”
“Don’t do anything rash,” Gaius scowled at that. “Sorcery in any form might lead to arrests and we have enough problems with helping those in need. Promise me, Merlin.”
Merlin nodded, knowing he was going to ignore Gaius anyway and sneak in a spell or two. Bors deserved it. Besides, a rash might do just as well as boils, maybe better. “Fine, no boils.” Then Merlin changed the subject before Gaius could call him on it. “So do you have hair dye?”
----
Retiring the Mary disguise, Merlin dyed his singed and unkempt hair a bronzey brown and glued a bit of pig skin to his nose, giving it a bulbous look. It seemed to work. A different set of clothes, a faked limp, a bit of glamour and even Arthur didn’t recognise him from a distance. Although he still called Merlin a girl, the prat.
Besides running errands for Gaius, Merlin worked at the castle, doing odd jobs but kept a low profile, often helping in the kitchens or stables. Staying away from Uther certainly, he was also meeting with Arthur less than he would like. Merlin was unhappy about that and Arthur, too, seemed to seek him out as much as he could, but with Uther raging about magic, it was best to be circumspect.
Arthur had put out the rumour that the sorcerer had killed himself rather than be taken by Camelot’s knights and most seemed satisfied with that. He was not congratulated for it by Uther, though, who still glowered at the lack of spectacle and blamed Arthur for not getting there quickly enough. Arthur didn’t say much, just seemed to accept it, but Merlin was livid for him and for the unfairness of it all.
Things settled back into a kind of breathless anticipation, as if everyone was waiting for the other shoe to drop or the next sorcerer to appear.