No one and Nothing part 12B
Author: archaeologist_d
Title: No one and Nothing part 12B
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: 1190
Camelot Drabble Prompt: 555: price
Author’s Notes: The other chapters are found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/46585663/chapters/117313327
From Series 3, episode 4 gwaine.
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.
----------------
It took a while but Merlin finally found Arthur and pulled him into one of the little alcoves near the armoury. Looking around to make sure no one was nearby-it wouldn’t do for anyone to see them together, Merlin whispered, “Rhain is lying about the magic. If he actually had magic, even a little bit, he’d have been a lot more afraid or at least bewildered about getting caught. Instead, he seemed to enjoy insulting me.”
Arthur nodded at the news. But he couldn’t help getting in a little dig at Merlin’s expense. “And insulting you is a bad thing?”
Glaring at him, Merlin growled, “Ha ha. At least yours are inventive… sometimes.” Then pulling Arthur further into the darkness, worried about being discovered, Merlin murmured, “And he knew about the glamours. Someone must have talked. We’ll have to change our whole setup.”
That could prove difficult, especially with Uther suspicious of every little thing.
“Do you think my father knows about it?”
At least Arthur saw the dangers. Hell, his back still bore some of Uther’s wrath from Merlin’s escape. And if Uther knew Arthur was helping the magic users to escape, there would be no depth to his fury.
“Rhain didn’t recognise me, even with me pretending to be a girl. I think Uther suspects you but has no proof. But Gaius did pull the crystals off Dagr and Ebor that time in front of Uther and called it sorcery. Your father might have assumed that the crystals are still in the vaults but he’s not stupid. If Rhain is working for him, Uther would certainly look to see if the crystals are there.” Merlin was already panicking a little.
“So glamours are out. It’s back to sword and sinew.” Arthur always did like the direct approach, no nefarious means for him. Just give the prat an honourable cause and a clean way to do right and he’s all for it. And if it involved swords, then all the better.
It was endearing, not that he’d ever admit it to Arthur. It was also ridiculous in all the ways it could go wrong.
“Not everything can be saved with a pointy stick,” Merlin said, shaking his head. Still worried about discovery, he leaned closer, almost bumping noses. “I’ll warn Gaius about the crystals. Do you think you can lie to your father if needs be?”
In the distance, there was a clatter of metal, likely swords or maybe armour, and someone shouting about clumsy fools but nothing more. Merlin glanced at Arthur. They really should take this discussion elsewhere. They were too exposed.
Arthur must have realised it, too. They were too far from Arthur’s chambers but a storage room nearby would do. Pulling Merlin along, ignoring Merlin’s grumblings, or the fact that he almost tripped on his skirts, Arthur shoved him into the room, closing the door behind them both.
“I’ve lying to him for months now. What is one more?” Arthur said, looking both troubled and resolute.
“What worries me is if we covered our tracks enough. Someone must have said something about the glamours but what about the rest? I don’t want our contacts to pay the price for it.” Merlin thought about those who helped, not just Iseldir or Isolde and Tristan, but all the people helping them along, those giving magic users a job or a place to stay or just a shoulder to cry on. Uther would never understand any of it, just have them killed without a second thought.
“Or start a war with Nemeth over it.” Arthur murmured.
Princess Mithian had been crucial in helping, but Uther wouldn’t let another kingdom’s sovereignty stop him nor political expediency. Hundreds could get killed over Uther’s madness.
Merlin had an idea but it could be a mistake, for all of them. Still, he had to be sure about Rhain.
Biting at his lip, feeling the rouge on his mouth slide a bit, he knew that if he did this, once he changed back into more manly clothes, they wouldn’t be looking for him, just a servant girl. If anything, now was the time. “I could slip Rhain a key. The cell window is open to the courtyard and I’d drop it down to him. That way, he wouldn’t know who did it. If he runs, then he’s innocent and we’ll try and help him. If he goes to Uther, then we’ll know that, too.”
Arthur looked at Merlin as if he’d lost his mind. “You can’t be serious. What if you are seen?”
“Nobody notices me.” Merlin shrugged, smoothing down his kirtle. It wasn’t his best idea but Arthur was going to get himself killed with all that sword and sinew nonsense.
“My father did and Sir Bors,” Arthur said, looking Merlin up and down and scowling at him.
Arthur had a point although Merlin would never admit it. “Don’t remind me. Although I hear Bors got a rash that just won’t go away. In places that chafe.” Merlin smirked at that. He was sure Gaius didn’t know what he’d done. Otherwise there would have been lectures for days on end.
Even Arthur looked horrified for a minute. “Merlin… you didn’t.”
When Merlin just shrugged, Arthur shook his head as if he couldn’t believe Merlin would be so stupid as to use magic on one of Uther’s knights.
Sobering, Merlin said, “Anyway, I think you and Gaius will need alibis so go talk to Uther about something or other. I’ll take care of the rest.” He ran his hands down the kirtle front, his hands catching on the stained wool as he shoved the woman-shaped stuffing back into place. “And I’m burning this damn dress after.”
“And if he is in league with my father?” Arthur said.
What could Merlin say? If Rhain was working for Uther, there was only one way to settle it. With Rhain’s death.
“Arthur, there are innocent lives at stake. What do you think?” Merlin said, resigned to do what needed to be done. To keep Arthur’s hands clean.
But Arthur just looked at Merlin as if he couldn’t believe what Merlin was implying. “When did you get to be so bloodthirsty?”
Merlin just gave a long sigh, full of resignation and regret. “When it comes to saving you, well, I’ve been paying that price for years.” Arthur didn’t look happy about it. Merlin had told him of times past when he did what he had to do, but he thought that maybe Arthur had put those reminders aside in order to keep his faith in Merlin alive. But sometimes he had to be reminded. “And not just for you, for Camelot, too. Sometimes I can’t believe I was ever that naïve. I was really an idiot.”
“Nothing’s changed then,” Arthur said, not sounding all that happy about it.
But Merlin appreciated it anyway. “I could turn you into a toad, you know. Or give you a rash.” When Arthur glared at him, Merlin nodded toward the door. “You better hurry. The light’s fading fast. And we have either a sorcerer to rescue or a spy to catch.”
Title: No one and Nothing part 12B
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: 1190
Camelot Drabble Prompt: 555: price
Author’s Notes: The other chapters are found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/46585663/chapters/117313327
From Series 3, episode 4 gwaine.
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.
----------------
It took a while but Merlin finally found Arthur and pulled him into one of the little alcoves near the armoury. Looking around to make sure no one was nearby-it wouldn’t do for anyone to see them together, Merlin whispered, “Rhain is lying about the magic. If he actually had magic, even a little bit, he’d have been a lot more afraid or at least bewildered about getting caught. Instead, he seemed to enjoy insulting me.”
Arthur nodded at the news. But he couldn’t help getting in a little dig at Merlin’s expense. “And insulting you is a bad thing?”
Glaring at him, Merlin growled, “Ha ha. At least yours are inventive… sometimes.” Then pulling Arthur further into the darkness, worried about being discovered, Merlin murmured, “And he knew about the glamours. Someone must have talked. We’ll have to change our whole setup.”
That could prove difficult, especially with Uther suspicious of every little thing.
“Do you think my father knows about it?”
At least Arthur saw the dangers. Hell, his back still bore some of Uther’s wrath from Merlin’s escape. And if Uther knew Arthur was helping the magic users to escape, there would be no depth to his fury.
“Rhain didn’t recognise me, even with me pretending to be a girl. I think Uther suspects you but has no proof. But Gaius did pull the crystals off Dagr and Ebor that time in front of Uther and called it sorcery. Your father might have assumed that the crystals are still in the vaults but he’s not stupid. If Rhain is working for him, Uther would certainly look to see if the crystals are there.” Merlin was already panicking a little.
“So glamours are out. It’s back to sword and sinew.” Arthur always did like the direct approach, no nefarious means for him. Just give the prat an honourable cause and a clean way to do right and he’s all for it. And if it involved swords, then all the better.
It was endearing, not that he’d ever admit it to Arthur. It was also ridiculous in all the ways it could go wrong.
“Not everything can be saved with a pointy stick,” Merlin said, shaking his head. Still worried about discovery, he leaned closer, almost bumping noses. “I’ll warn Gaius about the crystals. Do you think you can lie to your father if needs be?”
In the distance, there was a clatter of metal, likely swords or maybe armour, and someone shouting about clumsy fools but nothing more. Merlin glanced at Arthur. They really should take this discussion elsewhere. They were too exposed.
Arthur must have realised it, too. They were too far from Arthur’s chambers but a storage room nearby would do. Pulling Merlin along, ignoring Merlin’s grumblings, or the fact that he almost tripped on his skirts, Arthur shoved him into the room, closing the door behind them both.
“I’ve lying to him for months now. What is one more?” Arthur said, looking both troubled and resolute.
“What worries me is if we covered our tracks enough. Someone must have said something about the glamours but what about the rest? I don’t want our contacts to pay the price for it.” Merlin thought about those who helped, not just Iseldir or Isolde and Tristan, but all the people helping them along, those giving magic users a job or a place to stay or just a shoulder to cry on. Uther would never understand any of it, just have them killed without a second thought.
“Or start a war with Nemeth over it.” Arthur murmured.
Princess Mithian had been crucial in helping, but Uther wouldn’t let another kingdom’s sovereignty stop him nor political expediency. Hundreds could get killed over Uther’s madness.
Merlin had an idea but it could be a mistake, for all of them. Still, he had to be sure about Rhain.
Biting at his lip, feeling the rouge on his mouth slide a bit, he knew that if he did this, once he changed back into more manly clothes, they wouldn’t be looking for him, just a servant girl. If anything, now was the time. “I could slip Rhain a key. The cell window is open to the courtyard and I’d drop it down to him. That way, he wouldn’t know who did it. If he runs, then he’s innocent and we’ll try and help him. If he goes to Uther, then we’ll know that, too.”
Arthur looked at Merlin as if he’d lost his mind. “You can’t be serious. What if you are seen?”
“Nobody notices me.” Merlin shrugged, smoothing down his kirtle. It wasn’t his best idea but Arthur was going to get himself killed with all that sword and sinew nonsense.
“My father did and Sir Bors,” Arthur said, looking Merlin up and down and scowling at him.
Arthur had a point although Merlin would never admit it. “Don’t remind me. Although I hear Bors got a rash that just won’t go away. In places that chafe.” Merlin smirked at that. He was sure Gaius didn’t know what he’d done. Otherwise there would have been lectures for days on end.
Even Arthur looked horrified for a minute. “Merlin… you didn’t.”
When Merlin just shrugged, Arthur shook his head as if he couldn’t believe Merlin would be so stupid as to use magic on one of Uther’s knights.
Sobering, Merlin said, “Anyway, I think you and Gaius will need alibis so go talk to Uther about something or other. I’ll take care of the rest.” He ran his hands down the kirtle front, his hands catching on the stained wool as he shoved the woman-shaped stuffing back into place. “And I’m burning this damn dress after.”
“And if he is in league with my father?” Arthur said.
What could Merlin say? If Rhain was working for Uther, there was only one way to settle it. With Rhain’s death.
“Arthur, there are innocent lives at stake. What do you think?” Merlin said, resigned to do what needed to be done. To keep Arthur’s hands clean.
But Arthur just looked at Merlin as if he couldn’t believe what Merlin was implying. “When did you get to be so bloodthirsty?”
Merlin just gave a long sigh, full of resignation and regret. “When it comes to saving you, well, I’ve been paying that price for years.” Arthur didn’t look happy about it. Merlin had told him of times past when he did what he had to do, but he thought that maybe Arthur had put those reminders aside in order to keep his faith in Merlin alive. But sometimes he had to be reminded. “And not just for you, for Camelot, too. Sometimes I can’t believe I was ever that naïve. I was really an idiot.”
“Nothing’s changed then,” Arthur said, not sounding all that happy about it.
But Merlin appreciated it anyway. “I could turn you into a toad, you know. Or give you a rash.” When Arthur glared at him, Merlin nodded toward the door. “You better hurry. The light’s fading fast. And we have either a sorcerer to rescue or a spy to catch.”