Merlin One Shots

Reveal

"Sit with me." Arthur commanded. Merlin did so, sitting next to his master back rigid against the stone wall.

"Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing." Merlin said. To quickly.

"Merlin." Arthur muttered in a dangerous tone.

Merlin bit his bottom lip.

"You know why they wanted you, don't you?"

Merlin hesitated before nodding, not trusting himself to speak.

"Tell me." Arthur ordered.

Merlin shook his head, biting his bottom lip to stop it from shaking. Tears were welling in his eyes.

"Merlin..." Arthur said in a low tone.

"Please," Merlin whispered. "Don't make me... Sire." His voice cracked and he began to cry silently.

Arthur was taken aback, gazing at his manservant with confusion. Merlin never cried.

"Merlin," Arthur tried, softer this time. "Whatever it is you can tell me."

"No, not this." Merlin said shuddering curling in on himself. Silently begging for Arthur to let it go but knowing he wouldn't.

Arthur took a deep breath before saying, "What did they want with you?"

Merlin stayed silent for a moment, "They needed someone with... Mmm..." Merlin stammered. He stopped talking and shook his head violently. He looked at his master with tearful eyes, begging him to stop this questioning. But Arthur would not relent.

"With what?"

"Please..." Merlin sobbed.

Arthur moved closer to Merlin in an attempt to comfort the servant. Upon impact, Merlin lurched away, cowering from the Kings touch.

"You will hate me." Merlin whispered, scrambling away from his King.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked growing even more concerned for the servant. "I promi-"

"No!" Merlin cried out, clearly distraught. "Don't say that. Don't make promises you can't keep."

Merlin had now curled up in the corner avoiding the Kings gaze, whimpering like a wounded animal.

Arthur stood up, towering over his servant. "Merlin, what did they need!" Arthur finally ordered his voice full of authority. He immediately regretted it as Merlin paled and looked fearfully at his King.

Merlin tried to control his breathing. "They needed... Someone with... M-m-" Merlin struggled to get the word out.

"Magic!" He breathed quietly, before whimpering and curling tighter up into a ball, pressing into the walls in an attempt to disappear. He waited for Arthur to do something, anything.

Arthur froze. Staring at Merlin confused, disbelieving. It couldn't be true.

"No." Arthur whispered to himself.

Merlin just nodded his head vigorously, averting his eyes to the floor.

Arthur's eyes widened as the truth began to settle in his mind.

A sorcerer had free range of Camelot's castle and the royal family for years. Plotting against him, keeping secrets, gathering information.

Betrayal. That's all Arthur could think. First, it was Morgana, then it was Agravain, now Merlin. Merlin was the one who warned him about both of them, when really, Arthur should have been wary about Merlin. He should have seen the signs. The unexplained events that always seemed to revolve around Merlin. Arthur had been so blind.