FIC: Fealty (7/?) - Merlin/Arthur, PG-13
TITLE: Fealty - part seven
AUTHOR: Demon Faith
CATEGORY: Hurt/Comfort, Drama
PAIRING: Merlin/Arthur
SPOILERS: Up to 1x03, to be safe.
RATING: PG-13
WORDS: 1,064
SUMMARY: A faithful and good servant is a real godsend; but truly 't is a rare bird in the land - Martin Luther
DISCLAIMER: I own not the boys, nor the show. Thankfully, they’re doing just fine.
NOTES: I made the fatal mistake of telling openskies that I was being harassed by a plot bunny. She then made me write on pain of capslock. ;) But give her lots of praise, because she also made my stunning banner!
Previous parts here.
"Arthur, why are we doing this?"
His ribs ached and he wanted to sleep, but Arthur continued pushing him up the tree. "So that my father's guards don't find us."
Merlin finally settled on a sturdy branch, watching Arthur haul their packs up behind him, before sitting on an adjacent limb. "Won't we fall out?"
Arthur seemed to consider this for a moment. "No."
"No? That's it, 'no'?"
Arthur nodded. "No. I'm going to create a platform and you're going to…do something so that it doesn't fall."
"Yeah, I can do that," Merlin muttered sleepily, twisting so he could lie back against the tree trunk.
When he opened his eyes, it was dark and Arthur was tentatively nudging his shoulder. "Merlin?"
"Mm?"
"It's ready. Can you move?"
With Arthur's help, he managed not to fall out of the tree and shuffle across to Arthur's branch. With bleary eyes, he made out the complicated woven mat of branches.
"Wow."
"You need to-"
"I'm getting there!"
Merlin stretched a hand out to touch the mat, glad of Arthur's firm grip on his waist, and mumbled a binding spell. The whole thing glowed green for a moment and Arthur gasped softly - Merlin loved that he could thrill him with such cheap parlour tricks.
"Bedtime?"
Arthur chuckled in his ear. "Adorable."
With a sleepy smile, Merlin crawled onto the leafy bed, pulling the blankets out of his pack and hauling Arthur down next to him. "Sleep."
He closed his eyes, and Arthur's laughter followed him into his dreams.
~
He sensed their presence before he heard them. Pulling Merlin closer to his side, he reached for his sword and opened his eyes.
Suppressing a gasp, he nudged Merlin in the side and whispered in his ear, "Merlin! Wake up!"
Merlin frowned and pressed his head into Arthur's neck. "Go 'way."
"Merlin! This is important!"
With a put-upon sigh, Merlin turned his head and opened his eyes. "What?"
"Did you do this?"
"Do what?"
Arthur hauled them both up to a sit and gestured around them. Merlin's eyes widened. "I don't think we fell asleep surrounded by branches, did we?"
It was as if the tree had surrounded them, thick leafy branches weaving together to create a sheltered enclosure in which they could sleep. Merlin rubbed at his shirt - it was slightly damp, and his cheeks coloured.
"Uh…might have been. It was raining."
"Raining," Arthur repeated blankly. "You did this because it was raining?"
Merlin shrugged. "Maybe?"
The voices got louder and Arthur laid a finger on Merlin's lips, listening. However, they soon faded, disappearing into the distance. Arthur gave Merlin an appraising look and kissed him.
"Thank God for rain," he said.
~
They stayed in their tree house until they ran out of rabbit and then Arthur suggested they move on. Merlin slid down the tree trunk and landed in Arthur's outstretched arms, suffering the alternating mockery and fussing that seemed to accompany all his accidents these days.
"You have all the survival instincts of a newborn kitten," Arthur scolded, brushing the dirt from Merlin's tunic.
"And you're a clucking hen," Merlin said, tiredly, but Arthur's head shot up, indignation splashed across his face.
"I am not! I'm a prince!"
"And a hen."
"Merlin!"
"Buck buck BUCK!"
Arthur tried for a frown but ended up laughing, clutching on to Merlin for support. "Okay, okay, you win, Merlin, you win."
They walked together in contented silence, heading for the border with Garthmadrun. It was a quiet kingdom and had passable relations with Camelot - at least, so Arthur said. They could set up house quietly within its borders and still hear news, and it was a little strange to think of "setting up house" with Arthur.
In a flurry, horses appeared through the trees and Merlin heard the sharp ring of a sword being drawn. He was thrown behind Arthur, who kept him at his back, circling madly as more and more horses appeared.
Uther was more persistent than he'd thought.
"How many?" he whispered.
"Sixteen." Merlin craned his neck to have a look but Arthur pushed him back. "Stay down, Merlin!"
This was it. They couldn't possibly escape sixteen mounted soldiers, not unless Merlin used magic. And if he used magic on the king's guards, that was it - Uther would hound them to the ends of the earth and there would be all that messy rope-swinging.
Which is how this would end anyway, but at least he could hope to spare Arthur. He wouldn't make him an accomplice. Maybe he could cause a distraction and spirit Arthur away, but the stupid fool would probably just try to rescue him some heroic and noble gesture. Prat.
Merlin was just considering how best to both remove and incapacitate Arthur when a trumpet sounded. Huh?
"Greetings to Lord Prince Arthur of Camelot from His Majesty King Uther of Camelot."
"Greetings?" Arthur spat angrily, but the herald barrelled on.
"Your presence is requested at the royal court of Camelot on the evening of the fifteenth of the month. Do not…delay."
Arthur allowed Merlin to peek round his shoulder, but kept a restraining hand on his arm. His sword shook faintly in his hand. "My father sent you out here to ask me for dinner?"
The herald's face was carefully blank. "Your presence is requested, sire."
Drawing himself up to his full height, Arthur glared imperiously at the man. "And if I refuse?"
"Then we are ordered to accompany you and your…attendant to Camelot."
Arthur went to Camelot or Merlin's neck met an axe. Wonderful.
"I'll be fine," he whispered in Arthur's ear, but the prince was clearly not paying attention.
"And what about Merlin?"
"The summons only mentions you, my lord."
"Bastard," Arthur muttered. "Tell the king I assent to this meeting."
The herald looked faintly relieved. "Very well, my lord. A good day to you."
As quickly as they'd appeared, the horses were gone and they were once more alone.
"It's okay - I'll just go back to the tree house-"
"They'll find you. It's too risky. You'll have to come with me."
"Arthur, I'm a wanted criminal!"
"And out here, there are no laws. We can hide you outside the city walls if we have to - I just want you within shouting distance."
Merlin sighed. There was no arguing with Arthur when he was determined like this. "Okay. Let's head back."