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"You are the King's companion, are you not?" The apprentice asked, getting close to Merlin's face. They were in a big castle, Merlin was chained with magic-resistant chains. They were surrounded by cloaked bystanders, watching the Warlock be interrogated for information on Arthur.
"I am." He replied quietly. The enemy king nodded. The apprentice looked to his king and then back at the warlock.
"Then where is he now?" He asked. Merlin laughed and shrugged.
"I don't know."
"Is that credible?" He scoffed in return. Merlin rolled his eyes.
"It's true."
"You're the one he loves." The apprentice claimed, a smirk on his lips.
"No, I'm not." The boy looked panicked when Merlin responded this way and shouted that he must be lying.
"Arthur Pendragon does not and has never loved me. I'm not lying" Merlin stated, blank-faced, with a resigned tone. One of the cloaked figures stepped closer upon hearing this statement. The higher up looked intrigued and lifted his hand, whispering a spell. A beam shot out, bright red.
"The boy speaks the truth." The king answered. The young sorcerer that was questioning Merlin began to stammer.
"N-not possible! You are the one that loves Arthur Pendragon, the one that has protected him all this time!" He squeaked out, terrified of getting in trouble. The cloaked figure tiptoed closer to the warlock.
"Yes I am, I don't deny it. But he has never loved me in return, and he never will." Merlin laughed a short bitter outburst. "The once and future king doesn't go around falling in love with common folk. Especially not ones like me."
"And if you think, even for a moment that Arthur is anyone that ordinary, or predictable, you have no clue what you're trying to fight!" He leaned towards the apprentice as much as he could with each of his hands attached to the wall.
"Sire, please, believe me, this boy is our best bet. The Once and Future King will come for him no matter what." The boy tried to convince his king.
"Oh...you are a moron! No, he won't!"
"He's probably snuck in already!"
"Of course, he hasn't! What do you expect him to do? Throw one of your stupid cult cloaks on and tiptoe in? If you don't believe me use your magic! Blond hair, crimson cape, and an ego the size of Camelot! He's really hard to miss!" Merlin exclaimed.
"...Merlin." a voice called out.
"Who knows where he is right now but I promise you, he's doing whatever the hell he wants and not giving a damn about me!" Merlin shrieked, just now beginning to get emotional over the fact that he thought Arthur would never care enough to save him.
"And I'm just fine with that.." He added, letting a tear slip from his eye. "When you love a Pendragon, it's like loving the stars themselves" Merlin cried, "you don't expect a sunset to admire you back!"
He took a big gulp of air before continuing, letting another tear fall, "And if I happen to find myself in danger, let me tell you this. Arthur is not stupid enough, sentimental enough, and he certainly isn't in love enough, to find himself standing in it with me!" Merlin felt the damn break, and tears poured down his cheeks, as he sobbed quietly.
He didn't notice the cloaked figure standing 2 feet behind him, with a familiar pair of blue eyes, filled with guilt. The figure stepped one step closer and let out two small words.
"Hello, sweetie..." Arthur whispered. Merlin's back straightened and his eyes widened, he whirled around just in time to see Arthur flash the key for Merlin's cuffs. He felt the wind go from his lungs, and he almost dropped to his knees from pure relief.
Arthur unlocked Merlin's cuffs, and the sound of the clanging got the attention of everyone in the room. The King looked up and pointed to the two menacingly.
"Get them!" He cried out. Merlin looked to his own king, who just nodded at the boy. Immediately, the Warlock's eyes turned golden, and the footmen were taken out in one blow. The apprentice shot a bolt of controlled lightning at the pair and Merlin pulled Arthur out of the way.
He then blew the boy backward, and he hit the wall with a sickening crack. The King stood, threatening on his throne. He shouted an incantation and the room began to shake, but Merlin just shouted one back. The crumbling ceiling avoided the pair.
A rod of energy shot at the from his fingertips, and Merlin reflected it back. This went back and forth a few times when a shot was headed straight toward Merlin's heart.
Arthur shoved the Warlock aside and got hit himself, his hand was still on Merlin's skin when he was hit, which transferred part of it to the Warlock. The king was blown back and his skin seared. Merlin screamed and the walls around the enemy king crumbled down. He grabbed ahold of his friend and sprinted from the ancient castle, muttering about how stupid Arthur was.
When the pair made it safely away from the castle and into the forest, they found shelter in a small alcove and fresh water in a nearby stream. Merlin gently placed Arthur down and cupped his face gently.
"What were you thinking, Arthur?" Merlin queried. Arthur laughed painfully,
"How's that for...for not in love enough?" The king grimaced feeling the injury. Merlin felt his heart become a strange mix of full and breaking.
"You reckless idiot.." Merlin muttered, "You could have been killed! If your hand wasn't still on my skin when you got hit you would be dead!" Merlin screamed, feeling tears prick at his eyes. "I could have lost you.." His head dropped and rested gently on the left of Arthur's chest, besides where he got hit.
Arthur reached up and touched Merlin's head, running his fingers through the boy's hair.
"I'm right here...we're both still here, it's ok," Arthur whispered, comforting. Merlin sobbed into his king's chest. "It's ok, let it all out. It's ok sweetie." Arthur continued.
Merlin kept crying, holding the king close, and slipping in healing spells whenever he could form coherent thoughts. Arthur could feel his physical condition bettering, but his soul was breaking. He loved Merlin, he really did, and he had made the boy cry twice now on the same day.
Arthur removed his head from Merlin's hair and trailed it down to the boy's tear-coated cheek. He lifted Merlin's face, and the boy looked at him, exhausted. Arthur gave him a sad smile.
"I'm here, it's ok. We won." Arthur reassured. Merlin smiled a little. Arthur contemplated something, then added, "And if you're not sure you could ask the stars themselves" he called back to Merlin's rant. The serving boy's face turned bright red.
"How much...of that did you hear?" Merlin questioned. Arthur sighed.
"All of it. I was there the whole time. Even for the lie detection spell." The king explained. Merlin looked at him with curiosity.
"...and?" He prompted.
"He's obviously not that powerful. Cause he got it wrong." Arthur sat up, propping himself up painfully, and he leaned forward. The two boy's lips collided clumsily, and Merlin felt himself sigh into it, content.
The two pulled away after some time and looked at each other. Arthur smiled, and Merlin gave a real smile back.