Chapter Text
Arthur couldn’t move from where he stood.
His eyes were wide, his cheeks flushed… He was taken by the sight before him, breathless and frozen as he stared with hearts in his eyes at the man dipping his toes into the water at the edge of the lake.
He was stunning.
“What are you doing here?” Arthur let out a startled noise when the man suddenly spoke, tumbling out of his hiding place behind the trees.
The man turned around, and the air was punched out of Arthur’s lungs when he saw his striking, deep blue eyes and sharp, high cheekbones. Then, his eyes darted down to Arthur’s belt, where his sword was hooked, and he scrambled to his feet—clutching something close to his chest with a frantic but defensive look in his eyes.
“You can’t have my coat!” The man snapped, backing towards the water, “you can’t have it!”
Arthur blinked a few times, confused and unsure what was happening. Slowly, he held his hands up in a placating manner, stepping deeper into the clearing and closer to the breathtaking man.
“I don’t…know—I don’t want your, uh, coat?” he tried to assure him.
The man eyed him suspiciously, distrustful and disbelieving as his gaze flicked down to Arthur’s sword again. Arthur hesitated. Then, impulsively, he reached down and unsheathed his sword before tossing it to the ground behind him and holding his hands up again.
“I’m no thief,” he promised, “I’m not here to take anything from you. I was just looking for a resting place for the evening.”
At the removal of his weapon, the man seemed to relax a fraction. He was still wary, though, as he stepped back out of the water—where he had been standing knee deep.
“Who are you…?” he asked hesitantly.
“My name is Arthur,” he told the man, trying and hoping he sounded gentle.
The man paled, stumbling back into the water again, this time until he was standing thigh deep, with wide eyes. He looked shaken and slightly frightened. “You’re the prince!” He exclaimed.
“I am,” Arthur confirmed, frowning. Normally people were reassured when they learned he was the prince! Not frightened! Not unless… “You’re a sorcerer?”
“Selkie,” the man corrected, voice harsh and biting, “I won’t let you kill me! I’ve done nothing wrong. The rumours are fake, lies—I’ve never hurt anyone!”
Arthur paused, confused for a moment. Then, he recalled the recent rumours of a strange magical seal in the area, frightening people and attacking them. Now, Arthur should have run the man through then and there, should have picked up his sword and beheaded him on the spot.
Yet, the man looked so frightened and tense, and Arthur couldn’t explain it—but he knew in his gut that the selkie was telling the truth.
“What is your name?” he asked, against his better judgment.
The selkie looked startled by Arthur’s question. Like he wasn’t expecting it. Arthur supposed he wouldn’t have been. He probably expected Arthur to do what the voice in his head, that sounded suspiciously like his father, was telling him do. Arthur ignored that voice, though, for the words in his heart, whispering for him to listen and learn.
“…Merlin,” the selkie finally said, his shoulders sagging slightly.
Arthur flashed what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Well, Merlin, I won’t be killing you. See?” he motioned to his waist, “I don’t even have my sword, remember? I dropped it.”
The selkie—Merlin—seemed to relax a tad at the reminder that Arthur was weaponless.
“I know who your father is,” Merlin replied, voice slowly gaining confidence. “Your father kills people like me for as little as living.”
“Right,” Arthur cleared his throat, “right, but… I’m not my father, and you seem innocent enough, yes?”
“What about the rumours?”
“You said they were lies.”
“And you just believe me?”
Arthur paused, taking a breath, before nodding. “I do, I—well, I’m going to trust you.”
“Can I trust you?” Merlin asked, brows furrowed.
Arthur nodded once more, slowly walking towards the water.
“I’d like to say you can,” he told him, “I’ve no intention to hurt you. I swear on my honour.”
“That’s a special thing for a prince, right?” Merlin kicked at the water gently, looking down to watch it splash. Arthur’s heart stuttered at the adorable display.
“It’s a very special thing for all knights, including a prince,” he confirmed, stopping once he reached the edge of the water. “Do you often have people trying to steal your coat?”
“Yes.” Merlin held what must have been his coat closer to his chest. “Yes, they do. I stop them, though.”
“You stop…” Arthur trailed off, before it clicked, and he sighed. “The rumours—they aren’t complete lies, are they?”
“I didn’t attack them!” Merlin snapped, taking another step back as he glared at Arthur.
Arthur quickly held up his hands, his eyes wide. “No! Not intentionally—not unprovoked,” he clarified, “you were just defending yourself, weren’t you? From men with bad intentions?”
Merlin deflated a little at the words. “They wanted to take my coat…”
“I know… You didn’t want to hurt anyone, did you?” Arthur asked, surprised by his own gentleness. “But they wanted hurt you. It’s okay to defend yourself. I’m not going to hurt you for defending yourself.”
“You’re not?” Merlin asked, voice quiet and hesitant.
Arthur shook his head, smiling in what he hoped was a reassuring way. “I’m not. In fact… I’d really like to help you, if you’d let me.”
Merlin took a slow step forward. “How?”
“You’re not safe here, with people coming for your coat and such,” Arthur explained. He couldn’t believe what he was doing—but Merlin just seemed so…innocent, and good. “Come home to Camelot with me. It would be risky—a creature of magic living right under the King’s nose, but who would look in the King’s court for a creature of magic? It’s the perfect place to hide—if we’re careful. I’ll have to teach you court etiquette…”
“Why would you do that for me?” Merlin continued walking towards him, only stopping when they were under a metre apart. “Hide me under your father’s nose? Because you pity me? Because you want to lure me in and kill me?”
“Because you deserve to be safe, as all my people do,” Arthur corrected. It had nothing to do with how attractive he was at all, definitely not. “I’ll keep you safe, and I’ll keep your identity hidden from my father—I swear on my honour. You can trust me.”
Merlin eyed him warily a moment, searching for any hint of a trick or lie. Arthur held his ground, though, knowing—despite the nerves the situation gave him—that he was doing the right thing. Even if it was incredibly risky.
Finally, Merlin sighed.
“Fine, but I keep my coat with me at all times,” he decided.
“Of course!” Arthur suppressed a grin at the agreement. “We’ll leave next sunrise.”
Merlin nodded, a tentative smile growing on his face. “Alright. I’ll be ready… Thank you.”
“No one will try to hurt you anymore,” Arthur swore, “I promise it.”