FIC: A King's Ransom (5/12) Merlin: Merlin/Arthur, PG-13
TITLE: A King's Ransom
AUTHOR: Demon Faith
SERIES: Love and Loyalty
CATEGORY: Hurt/Comfort, Drama
PAIRING: Merlin/Arthur
SPOILERS: For Season 1 (AU after 1x5: Lancelot)
RATING: PG-13
WORDS: 1,877
SUMMARY: Camelot is burning. A Dragon's call, a Seer's voice and discord between lovers do battle in the fight for a kingdom - but can anyone truly emerge victorious?
DISCLAIMER: I own not the boys, nor the show. Thankfully, they’re doing just fine.
NOTES: Sequel to Fealty. Previous parts here
I really wasn't going to do this, but this savage little bunny latched on to my leg and wouldn't let go.
This is dedicated to The Coven and the Dragon. He knows why.
When he woke, Merlin was gone.
Arthur rose instantly and thought of returning for his armour, but he needed to find him. Where had the idiot gone? What reason could he possibly have-
The sorcerers.
Taking up his cap, he ran up the cellar steps, pushing open the door and practically running through the kitchen. He stopped for no one, diving from wall to pillar to doorway, struggling to leave the castle in both haste and secrecy.
Finally, he reached the outer wall and stood in the street, breathing hard. Which way now? How would he know where Merlin had gone?
"Arthur! Arthur, come here!"
The urgent whisper carried to his ears and he turned towards the sound. And there was Gwen, waiting in an alleyway and beckoning him forward. He ran to her and embraced her, checking her face for signs of harm. "It is good to see you, Guinevere. Have you-"
"He's in the tavern district. It's good that Lancelot's men found him when they did. I fetched Gaius for him this morning. He was reluctant, of course - I mean, not that he didn't want to help; it's just difficult to avoid being seen, and getting out is-"
Arthur struggled to keep up, as she led him through the alleys. "Lancelot? Lancelot is here?"
Gwen shot him a small smile. "Bad timing. By the time he arrived, it was all over. But he smuggled me out of the cells and we started organising men, and women, from 'The Lady'."
"Morgana's tavern," Arthur said, nodding, trying not to let his heart beat of his chest. So he'd been right. And Merlin, it seemed, had been wrong - and yet what a hollow victory it was.
"Is it...Gwen, is he...?"
She placed a hand on his shoulder. "He'll live, Arthur. He faced seven of them on his own - it's a miracle he's not dead."
He couldn't entertain the thought. They arrived at the tavern and Gwen led him up the backstairs and into a small private room. Lancelot stood up to greet him, but Arthur's eyes were fixed on the bed and the pale form resting there. Merlin's skin was marked by cuts and bruises and his head was bandaged; beneath the covers, Arthur could see his left arm and right leg were bulky with more bandaging and splints.
Gaius stood aside to let him pass. "I did warn him, Arthur. He has...never listened well."
"I should have listened," Arthur said thickly. "We should have...talked it through."
He sat carefully on the edge of the bed, hand reaching up to brush away a few strands of hair from his eyes. Merlin stirred, turning towards his touch, and Arthur let his hand rest against his lover's cheek, swallowing past the lump in his throat.
"I know," Merlin murmured. "I'm an idiot."
"Shh. Rest."
"'M sorry."
"So am I."
Those light blue eyes opened and met his, a smile twitching at his lips. "For being right?"
"It doesn't matter now," he said fiercely. Merlin smiled then, and closed his eyes, returning to sleep. Arthur watched him for a few moments more, before turning to the other people in the room. "It's good to see you - Gaius, Lancelot. I hear you've been doing good work."
Gaius looked away, as Lancelot shrugged helplessly. "Not good enough. The dog still lives, sire."
"Arthur," he corrected gently. "How many men are you?"
"Thirty, at last count. I am hoping to gather twenty more before the next assault - then we will match the garrison in number."
Arthur sighed. Not enough. "And to match the knights?"
Gwen smiled faintly. "We have you. And Merlin."
"Merlin won't be practising magic for some time," Gaius said slowly, and Arthur turned back to his lover, almost afraid to look at him in his weakness. He needed Merlin to be strong, now more than ever - he didn't know how to breathe without him.
Arthur cleared his throat. "Then we will need Morgana. She can create a distraction in the castle and we can make our move from the outside - a war on two fronts cannot be won. We will march on the south gate, where the defences are thinnest, and we must recruit more men. But first we must send the women and children away."
"Send them away?" Gwen frowned. "But why? The woman can fight too."
Arthur shook his head. "Men will not fight if there's a chance their families will be hurt. There are underground tunnels leading from the west of the city into the forests. Lancelot, you will lead the women and children there at dusk tomorrow."
Lancelot shook his head. "But then who will lead the march?"
"I will."
Three voices were instantly raised in protest. "Arthur, it's too dangerous." "The kingdom must have a prince, sire." "Merlin will never forgive me if I allow you to do this."
"I will lead them," Arthur said firmly. "Gaius, you must take a message to Morgana. We will march in two days, at midnight. She must have a distraction ready."
"Yes, sire," Gaius said, but his voice was filled with doubt. Arthur ignored him - they had to act quickly, before the other Northlands army arrived. He had only met Geraint once, but he knew him to be of sounder mind than his brother. With such a tactician at the heart of the operation, they would be doomed to failure. He could only hope that Caradoc was incapable of anticipating such their assault.
"What am I to do, Arthur?"
He met Gwen's eyes firmly. "You will go with the women-"
"I will fight with you."
Arthur closed his eyes. "I need you to take Merlin to safety."
Gwen looked at him incredulously. "He won't come with me. He'll never leave Camelot while you're in danger."
"Well, he's not going to have a choice, is he?" Arthur said, shortly, turning his back on them. "You have your orders."
He didn't want to do this, turning his friends into subordinates, into servants. However, the cost of negotiation within an army was spread in front of him, battered and bruised and...fragile. He wouldn't see anyone else hurt because he wasn't strong enough to lead.
Returning to his perch on the bed, he leaned in to kiss Merlin's forehead. It seemed that a victory in Camelot would have a terrible price and, right now, he wasn't sure he could pay.
~
The shadows from the battlements were long, the sun licking at the edges of the arena. Everyone was shouting, but she could not hear the words.
In the centre stood a man she did not know, facing away from her, far away. He wore long black robes and held a wooden staff, light surrounding him. Surrounding them - who was that, kneeling on the ground? Who were these strangers in her kingdom?
And a shadow flew across the sun.
Morgana woke with a scream, grabbing at her bedclothes as she struggled to breathe. Why was she having visions of strangers? And what did the shadow mean?
Her door started to open and she pulled up her covers, but it was Gaius who stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. "My lady, I brought you a tincture for..." He trailed off, regarding her with concern. "Morgana?"
"I had...a dream."
Gaius crossed the room and sat on the chair beside her bed. "What kind of dream?"
She shook her head, struggling to hold onto the threads of the tale. "It was sunset, and there were...two strangers in the arena. And then something flew across the sun."
He frowned. "The sun? What manner of creature was it?"
Morgana frowned. "I didn't see it. Just the shadow. It was...large, with...serrated wings. And...a tail?"
Gaius' eyes filled with something unrecognisable and he lowered his voice. "Is it...possible that you saw the shadow of...a Dragon?"
Closing her eyes, she concentrated, trying to picture the shape again. "I don't know. It...could be. Gaius, what does it mean?"
He stood, gesturing with his hands. "It could mean...any number of things." Gaius turned back to her. "And of the...dreams you've had-"
"I've never been wrong," she said firmly. Gaius sighed.
"That's what I was afraid of," he admitted, setting down the tincture on the table. "I will need to tell...our friends. Though first-"
"There is a plan," she said, feeling a surge of excitement. She was finally going to be useful. "Tell me."
~
"A Dragon?"
Gaius nodded, a flash of concern in his eyes. "Indeed."
Merlin frowned and rubbed his forehead. He'd only been awake for half a day and he already felt exhausted. "We only know one Dragon, Gaius."
"And he is not flying anywhere."
"Do you think...he's meant to?"
They exchanged looks, neither wishing to put their thoughts into words. "It would be very dangerous," Gaius warned. Merlin shrugged.
"I'm immune to danger."
"No, you're not." Arthur stood in the doorway, arms folded. "What exactly are you planning now?"
Merlin looked to Gaius for support but he was already gathering his things. Coward. "I really must be heading back. Arthur."
The prince nodded to him as he fled, before returning his gaze to Merlin. "How are you feeling?"
"Better." He hesitated, before sighing softly. "Morgana had a dream about a flying Dragon."
Arthur came closer and Merlin shifted over carefully, lifting the covers. Arthur sat next to him and placed a gentle hand around his shoulders; they leaned together, absorbing the information.
"A flying Dragon?"
"Yes."
Arthur absently pressed his lips to Merlin's cheek, fingers drumming on the tip of his shoulder. "What does Gaius think?"
It would be convenient to blame Gaius for this idea, but Merlin knew he owed Arthur the truth. "I think we should free our Dragon."
"Merlin..." Arthur said warningly, but Merlin continued.
"He could help us! And I do trust him, Arthur - I know him."
"He told you to find the sorcerers." Merlin could hear that Arthur was struggling to keep his voice level; he sighed under his breath.
"Not in so many words," he tried, but Arthur snorted, breaking away from him to pace around the room.
"If my father discovered that I'd released the Dragon-"
"Your father isn't here," Merlin said hotly. "And he's the one who lost the kingdom!"
Arthur turned to him, eyes flashing. "He lost the kingdom because I wasn't here, Merlin!"
Silence.
"Are you...are you saying that you wish you hadn't left?"
Arthur looked away. "I'm not saying that."
Merlin slipped down the bed, pulling the covers over himself carefully. "I'm tired."
Another pause. "I'll leave you then."
"Yes."
The door shut. Merlin squeezed his eyes closed, trying not to think. Arthur regretted their little village in Garthmadrun, his baking and the vegetable garden and the people who respected them there.
Maybe he regretted Merlin as well.
He wiped his eyes hurriedly and buried his face in the pillow. What was the point of fighting then? This wasn't his kingdom anymore - it was Arthur's battle, and he wanted to do it all alone.
Let him then. See if Merlin cared, because Arthur surely didn't.
His head full of thoughts, Merlin shut his eyes, wishing he could be back in Ealdor, when life was simple.
When he didn't know Arthur, and what it was to love.
AUTHOR: Demon Faith
SERIES: Love and Loyalty
CATEGORY: Hurt/Comfort, Drama
PAIRING: Merlin/Arthur
SPOILERS: For Season 1 (AU after 1x5: Lancelot)
RATING: PG-13
WORDS: 1,877
SUMMARY: Camelot is burning. A Dragon's call, a Seer's voice and discord between lovers do battle in the fight for a kingdom - but can anyone truly emerge victorious?
DISCLAIMER: I own not the boys, nor the show. Thankfully, they’re doing just fine.
NOTES: Sequel to Fealty. Previous parts here
I really wasn't going to do this, but this savage little bunny latched on to my leg and wouldn't let go.
This is dedicated to The Coven and the Dragon. He knows why.
When he woke, Merlin was gone.
Arthur rose instantly and thought of returning for his armour, but he needed to find him. Where had the idiot gone? What reason could he possibly have-
The sorcerers.
Taking up his cap, he ran up the cellar steps, pushing open the door and practically running through the kitchen. He stopped for no one, diving from wall to pillar to doorway, struggling to leave the castle in both haste and secrecy.
Finally, he reached the outer wall and stood in the street, breathing hard. Which way now? How would he know where Merlin had gone?
"Arthur! Arthur, come here!"
The urgent whisper carried to his ears and he turned towards the sound. And there was Gwen, waiting in an alleyway and beckoning him forward. He ran to her and embraced her, checking her face for signs of harm. "It is good to see you, Guinevere. Have you-"
"He's in the tavern district. It's good that Lancelot's men found him when they did. I fetched Gaius for him this morning. He was reluctant, of course - I mean, not that he didn't want to help; it's just difficult to avoid being seen, and getting out is-"
Arthur struggled to keep up, as she led him through the alleys. "Lancelot? Lancelot is here?"
Gwen shot him a small smile. "Bad timing. By the time he arrived, it was all over. But he smuggled me out of the cells and we started organising men, and women, from 'The Lady'."
"Morgana's tavern," Arthur said, nodding, trying not to let his heart beat of his chest. So he'd been right. And Merlin, it seemed, had been wrong - and yet what a hollow victory it was.
"Is it...Gwen, is he...?"
She placed a hand on his shoulder. "He'll live, Arthur. He faced seven of them on his own - it's a miracle he's not dead."
He couldn't entertain the thought. They arrived at the tavern and Gwen led him up the backstairs and into a small private room. Lancelot stood up to greet him, but Arthur's eyes were fixed on the bed and the pale form resting there. Merlin's skin was marked by cuts and bruises and his head was bandaged; beneath the covers, Arthur could see his left arm and right leg were bulky with more bandaging and splints.
Gaius stood aside to let him pass. "I did warn him, Arthur. He has...never listened well."
"I should have listened," Arthur said thickly. "We should have...talked it through."
He sat carefully on the edge of the bed, hand reaching up to brush away a few strands of hair from his eyes. Merlin stirred, turning towards his touch, and Arthur let his hand rest against his lover's cheek, swallowing past the lump in his throat.
"I know," Merlin murmured. "I'm an idiot."
"Shh. Rest."
"'M sorry."
"So am I."
Those light blue eyes opened and met his, a smile twitching at his lips. "For being right?"
"It doesn't matter now," he said fiercely. Merlin smiled then, and closed his eyes, returning to sleep. Arthur watched him for a few moments more, before turning to the other people in the room. "It's good to see you - Gaius, Lancelot. I hear you've been doing good work."
Gaius looked away, as Lancelot shrugged helplessly. "Not good enough. The dog still lives, sire."
"Arthur," he corrected gently. "How many men are you?"
"Thirty, at last count. I am hoping to gather twenty more before the next assault - then we will match the garrison in number."
Arthur sighed. Not enough. "And to match the knights?"
Gwen smiled faintly. "We have you. And Merlin."
"Merlin won't be practising magic for some time," Gaius said slowly, and Arthur turned back to his lover, almost afraid to look at him in his weakness. He needed Merlin to be strong, now more than ever - he didn't know how to breathe without him.
Arthur cleared his throat. "Then we will need Morgana. She can create a distraction in the castle and we can make our move from the outside - a war on two fronts cannot be won. We will march on the south gate, where the defences are thinnest, and we must recruit more men. But first we must send the women and children away."
"Send them away?" Gwen frowned. "But why? The woman can fight too."
Arthur shook his head. "Men will not fight if there's a chance their families will be hurt. There are underground tunnels leading from the west of the city into the forests. Lancelot, you will lead the women and children there at dusk tomorrow."
Lancelot shook his head. "But then who will lead the march?"
"I will."
Three voices were instantly raised in protest. "Arthur, it's too dangerous." "The kingdom must have a prince, sire." "Merlin will never forgive me if I allow you to do this."
"I will lead them," Arthur said firmly. "Gaius, you must take a message to Morgana. We will march in two days, at midnight. She must have a distraction ready."
"Yes, sire," Gaius said, but his voice was filled with doubt. Arthur ignored him - they had to act quickly, before the other Northlands army arrived. He had only met Geraint once, but he knew him to be of sounder mind than his brother. With such a tactician at the heart of the operation, they would be doomed to failure. He could only hope that Caradoc was incapable of anticipating such their assault.
"What am I to do, Arthur?"
He met Gwen's eyes firmly. "You will go with the women-"
"I will fight with you."
Arthur closed his eyes. "I need you to take Merlin to safety."
Gwen looked at him incredulously. "He won't come with me. He'll never leave Camelot while you're in danger."
"Well, he's not going to have a choice, is he?" Arthur said, shortly, turning his back on them. "You have your orders."
He didn't want to do this, turning his friends into subordinates, into servants. However, the cost of negotiation within an army was spread in front of him, battered and bruised and...fragile. He wouldn't see anyone else hurt because he wasn't strong enough to lead.
Returning to his perch on the bed, he leaned in to kiss Merlin's forehead. It seemed that a victory in Camelot would have a terrible price and, right now, he wasn't sure he could pay.
~
The shadows from the battlements were long, the sun licking at the edges of the arena. Everyone was shouting, but she could not hear the words.
In the centre stood a man she did not know, facing away from her, far away. He wore long black robes and held a wooden staff, light surrounding him. Surrounding them - who was that, kneeling on the ground? Who were these strangers in her kingdom?
And a shadow flew across the sun.
Morgana woke with a scream, grabbing at her bedclothes as she struggled to breathe. Why was she having visions of strangers? And what did the shadow mean?
Her door started to open and she pulled up her covers, but it was Gaius who stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. "My lady, I brought you a tincture for..." He trailed off, regarding her with concern. "Morgana?"
"I had...a dream."
Gaius crossed the room and sat on the chair beside her bed. "What kind of dream?"
She shook her head, struggling to hold onto the threads of the tale. "It was sunset, and there were...two strangers in the arena. And then something flew across the sun."
He frowned. "The sun? What manner of creature was it?"
Morgana frowned. "I didn't see it. Just the shadow. It was...large, with...serrated wings. And...a tail?"
Gaius' eyes filled with something unrecognisable and he lowered his voice. "Is it...possible that you saw the shadow of...a Dragon?"
Closing her eyes, she concentrated, trying to picture the shape again. "I don't know. It...could be. Gaius, what does it mean?"
He stood, gesturing with his hands. "It could mean...any number of things." Gaius turned back to her. "And of the...dreams you've had-"
"I've never been wrong," she said firmly. Gaius sighed.
"That's what I was afraid of," he admitted, setting down the tincture on the table. "I will need to tell...our friends. Though first-"
"There is a plan," she said, feeling a surge of excitement. She was finally going to be useful. "Tell me."
~
"A Dragon?"
Gaius nodded, a flash of concern in his eyes. "Indeed."
Merlin frowned and rubbed his forehead. He'd only been awake for half a day and he already felt exhausted. "We only know one Dragon, Gaius."
"And he is not flying anywhere."
"Do you think...he's meant to?"
They exchanged looks, neither wishing to put their thoughts into words. "It would be very dangerous," Gaius warned. Merlin shrugged.
"I'm immune to danger."
"No, you're not." Arthur stood in the doorway, arms folded. "What exactly are you planning now?"
Merlin looked to Gaius for support but he was already gathering his things. Coward. "I really must be heading back. Arthur."
The prince nodded to him as he fled, before returning his gaze to Merlin. "How are you feeling?"
"Better." He hesitated, before sighing softly. "Morgana had a dream about a flying Dragon."
Arthur came closer and Merlin shifted over carefully, lifting the covers. Arthur sat next to him and placed a gentle hand around his shoulders; they leaned together, absorbing the information.
"A flying Dragon?"
"Yes."
Arthur absently pressed his lips to Merlin's cheek, fingers drumming on the tip of his shoulder. "What does Gaius think?"
It would be convenient to blame Gaius for this idea, but Merlin knew he owed Arthur the truth. "I think we should free our Dragon."
"Merlin..." Arthur said warningly, but Merlin continued.
"He could help us! And I do trust him, Arthur - I know him."
"He told you to find the sorcerers." Merlin could hear that Arthur was struggling to keep his voice level; he sighed under his breath.
"Not in so many words," he tried, but Arthur snorted, breaking away from him to pace around the room.
"If my father discovered that I'd released the Dragon-"
"Your father isn't here," Merlin said hotly. "And he's the one who lost the kingdom!"
Arthur turned to him, eyes flashing. "He lost the kingdom because I wasn't here, Merlin!"
Silence.
"Are you...are you saying that you wish you hadn't left?"
Arthur looked away. "I'm not saying that."
Merlin slipped down the bed, pulling the covers over himself carefully. "I'm tired."
Another pause. "I'll leave you then."
"Yes."
The door shut. Merlin squeezed his eyes closed, trying not to think. Arthur regretted their little village in Garthmadrun, his baking and the vegetable garden and the people who respected them there.
Maybe he regretted Merlin as well.
He wiped his eyes hurriedly and buried his face in the pillow. What was the point of fighting then? This wasn't his kingdom anymore - it was Arthur's battle, and he wanted to do it all alone.
Let him then. See if Merlin cared, because Arthur surely didn't.
His head full of thoughts, Merlin shut his eyes, wishing he could be back in Ealdor, when life was simple.
When he didn't know Arthur, and what it was to love.