janne_d | So I really did write Merlin fic:

Somehow I wound up with two boys from the Dark Ages in my head and they wouldn't go away. Eventually I wrote it down and ended up with a little scene between Merlin and Arthur after the feast in The Dragon's Call. Roughly 1300 words and about as gen as the show itself (take that as you will). Many thanks to

rivier for the beta.

First Night

Merlin trailed after Prince Arthur through the halls of Camelot, cursing the dragon's prophecies and King Uther in equal measure. He and Arthur had fought every time they had met so far, Arthur was a completely selfish ass, and now Merlin apparently had to not only keep him alive to be a great king (some hope) but be his servant as a reward for saving the ass's life. Some reward; why couldn't King Uther have given Merlin a, a cake or something?

Destiny or not, this was going to be a disaster.

At least Arthur hadn't looked any happier about it than Merlin. The feast had finished after the witch's body had been taken away and her room searched by the guards, with the King no longer in the mood for revelry. Arthur had turned to Merlin as the hall cleared, ordered him to "Come on," and then strode off without looking back.

Merlin followed Arthur through a door and found himself in a large, light room with a fire already burning in the grate. There were bright tapestries on the walls and doors leading off in other directions. He didn't look around too much, because Arthur had turned and was studying him with an annoyed expression. Merlin put up with it for a minute before getting irritated himself and raising his eyebrows questioningly. "What?"

"What sire," Arthur replied with a haughty expression and Merlin tried to suppress the desire to use his magic and hit Arthur with one of the heavy chairs in the room.

"What, sire?" he repeated instead, as sarcastically as he could manage, and Arthur glared in response.

"Since you are to be my servant, you need to learn what's expected of you. You will address me correctly, you will do what I say when I say it, and you will wipe that insolent look off your face right now," Arthur snapped. "As your prince, you owe me respect."

"No," Merlin said stubbornly.

"What did you say?" Arthur asked, moving in menacingly and Merlin stood up straighter and refused to step back.

"As my prince, I owe you fealty and obedience. To a degree, anyway. I'm not going to do something I think is wrong just because you tell me to," Merlin said firmly. He wasn't going to let Arthur bully him like that other servant. Arthur blinked and frowned thoughtfully. "People aren’t owed respect, they're given it because they are worthy of it. Even princes," he added, and winced as Arthur grabbed onto his jacket and jerked him forward looking furious again.

"And are you saying I'm not worthy, servant?" he asked and Merlin shrugged as best as he could and held Arthur's eyes.

"I don't know. All I've seen you do so far is use your position to bully someone who couldn't fight back," he said a bit breathlessly and braced himself.

"It didn't stop you," Arthur said with the same smile he'd had when they'd fought the first time.

"And I ended up in a dungeon. Is that how you always use your power?" Merlin asked, feeling genuinely curious though he should probably just shut up before Arthur decided to do it again.

Instead of hitting Merlin, Arthur just shoved him away and paced over to the window before spinning around. "Why did you save me if you're so unimpressed?"

"Well that doesn't mean I think you deserve to die," Merlin said, surprised that Arthur would even ask. That was true, though he hadn't had the time to think about it when it happened. He'd just acted because he couldn't do anything else.

"Wonderful. I don't deserve to die, that's the best I get?" Arthur said, throwing himself down in a chair with his arms crossed.

"What, you wanted me to tell you how great you are? Why do you care what I think?" Merlin retorted, with a half-laugh of disbelief.

"I don't. But what am I supposed to do with a servant who holds me in only slightly higher regard than my assassin?" Arthur said sarcastically.

"I don't think she held you in any regard at all, actually," Merlin said, choosing to ignore the question since he didn't have an answer either.

"Yes, I did gather that from the way she tried to kill me."

"No, I mean that wasn't about you at all," Merlin said and Arthur looked at him incredulously.

"My murder wasn't about me? Are you mad?"

"Well, no. And no, I'm not. Didn't you recognise her?" Merlin said, frowning in surprise.

"I never saw that old crone before in my life," Arthur protested. "And how do you know what that was about anyway?"

"I thought most of Camelot knew," Merlin said when Arthur looked at him suspiciously. "Your father executed her son for using magic the day I arrived. She screamed at him afterwards that he was the evil on this land and that it would be an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a son for a son. And then she vanished."

"Oh," Arthur said, slumping even lower in the chair and looking disquieted.

"The whole crowd saw it."

"Nobody said… I don't go to executions. My father says I should, but…" he trailed off, tipping his head back to stare at the ceiling.

"It was unpleasant," Merlin said quietly. "Especially when she… I felt sorry for her."

"She killed a lady in waiting you know," Arthur said, lifting his head and narrowing his eyes at Merlin. "And probably Lady Helen as well."

"I didn't say I thought she was doing the right thing," Merlin said defensively.

"My father is right. People always use magic to destroy. That whole family was obviously evil," Arthur said and Merlin gaped at him.

"Yes, because people without magic never seek revenge, or murder or do anything bad at all," he said. It made no sense that everyone who'd ever practised magic had used it to destroy; and Merlin knew he certainly didn't. And why would the dragon say Merlin's powers were needed to protect Arthur and Albion, if it was only meant for evil deeds?

Arthur stared at him for a long moment then shoved abruptly out of his chair and went back to the window, crossing his arms and looking out into the darkness. He didn't say anything and after a minute Merlin shifted and eyed the door, wondering if he should leave and what Arthur was thinking. He hadn't been able to guess from his expression.

"Go now," Arthur said after another minute of silence and Merlin sighed in relief. "You can start your duties tomorrow."

Merlin was half out of the door when Arthur spoke again. "What's your name again?" he said and when Merlin turned back, he found Arthur was studying him like he had before, but with a serious expression rather than an angry one.

"Merlin. Sire," he remembered to add, smiling rather tentatively. Arthur didn't quite smile back, but his expression seemed a little lighter as he nodded acknowledgement.

"Goodnight Merlin."

"Goodnight, sire," Merlin replied and then he bowed and slipped out the door.

He headed back to his room in Gaius' chambers feeling even more off-balance than he had when King Uther had declared what his reward was. A few hours ago Merlin would have said any conversation between him and Arthur would end with one of them (probably himself) getting punched in the face. But it hadn't been like he'd expected. Arthur hadn’t been like he'd expected.

Maybe his destiny being tied up with Arthur wasn't going to be a disaster after all.

Merlin just wasn't sure what it was going to be instead.