Fight For Me

Chapter 15

"Arthur, what were you thinking?" Uther screams, after having his son dragged into the throne room by his own knights. "Running away like that! Where did you go?"

Arthur stays silent, only returning his father's words with a death stare.

"To the servant," Uther sighs. "What is it with you and that boy? He's just a servant, nothing more! And a sorcerer, nonetheless! He lied to you, ever since you met! Can't you see that?"

"He's more than just a servant!" Arthur retorts. "He's as loyal and brave as any knight I've ever known, maybe more."

Uther scowls. "He tried to kill you, Arthur. You saw it, as did I."

"And I already told you," Arthur continues, exasperated, "he didn't. Sigan did. He's possessed! He's not in his right mind!"

"This, again!" Uther yells. "You'd lie to your king, for a serving boy?"

For a serving boy.

Just a servant.

Arthur's blood boils. "He's not just a servant, Father! He's my friend!" And more, he thinks. So much more.

"He's a traitor," Uther grunts. "He betrayed all of our trust."

"He's possessed! Are you so foolish and pig-headed, you can't see that?"

Silence.

Arthur realises what he's just said.

"I'm sorry, father, I--" he begins in a fit of desperation.

"No," Uther says, voice cold. "I will not be treated this way by my own son--"

"Father," Arthur says, despite knowing how much Uther hates to be interrupted, and it shows. He tries to keep his voice steady, diplomatic. That's the kind of talk Uther respects. "I apologise, but you have to believe me. It's not Merlin. I swear it. Merlin's not a sorcerer." How easy the lies come. "It's Sigan's magic, Sigan's acts. It's only Merlin's body at use here, nothing else." Arthur keeps his head bowed, out of respect for the king, though right now, how he wishes to just scream at his father. "Father, Merlin has served me for a while now, and has had the perfect opportunity to harm me, or you, or Camelot, at any time," the prince reasons. "He never has. Merlin is not evil, and even if he were a sorcerer, he wouldn't be."

"How could you be so sure of that?"

"Merlin is not evil," Arthur repeats. "He hasn't the heart, brains or capacity for it."

"Magic corrupts," Uther says, bitterly. "You know this, Arthur."

Gods, why does his father have to be so difficult sometimes?

Giving a controlled sigh, Arthur then says, "But he doesn't have magic, Sire. He doesn't practise it. He's not a sorcerer, but Sigan is, and Sigan is controlling him."

How many times has he now repeated himself to the king, he wonders. Uther has always been stubborn, especially when facing the forces of sorcery.

"I trust him, Father," Arthur says, his voice breaking from it's collected demeanour. "I do. He saved my life, remember? Why would anyone who wanted to kill me do that, when he could have just let me die and be done with it?"

Uther falters. Surely even he cannot argue with such logic?

"How do you know this?" his father asks, talking to Arthur as if he were merely another lord he were arguing with about some political thing.

"I've spoken to him. To Sigan. And Merlin," Arthur admits, hope blooming in his chest. He hopes he's able to get Merlin off from the accusations, however true they may be, Merlin doesn't deserve to die. All he's ever done is save Arthur's life, protect Camelot, and therefore all it's people. Merlin is the best of the best, and Arthur is not about to let him die. Not to mention, if Merlin really did die... Arthur knows he'd be inconsolable.