#funny to think velvet could’ve had a blue uniform at some point

[sirazaroff]

Hope all of you can hear the theme music instantly

[little-ligi]

Febuwhump - No. 12

No.12 - “Who Are You?” Fandom - BBC Merlin Wordcount - 1822 @febuwhump​

“You can’t be serious?” Merlin cried, gazing up into the dragon’s huge face.

“It is your destiny to stand at his side and save his life, young warlock,” the great beast said in his wise voice.

Merlin was beginning to regret following the voice he’d heard in his head down to this cave. He could’ve still been asleep in his nice new bed, rather than being given some ridiculous rescue mission by a dragon. Perhaps he was still in his bed, perhaps this was a dream? He pinched his arm. It hurt a lot. Damn. He looked back up at the dragon.

“I’ve only been in this city since this afternoon!” he told him. “I don’t even know who the prince is.”

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The dragon closed its eyes and leaned its head down to Merlin’s, the hot breath from its nose washing over him, ruffling his hair.

An image appeared in his mind; a handsome, blond young man, fast asleep in a huge, red velvet covered bed. A shadow was moving in the corner of the room, and Merlin saw the glint of a long thin knife. A dark cloaked figure dashed forwards, arm raised, the knife sweeping down, plunging into the sleeping prince who woke with a ragged scream that was cut off abruptly as the figure stabbed him again and again.

Merlin cried out in vain. The image withdrew, replaced with a maze of corridors and hallways, staircases and doorways, a route from the prince’s room down, down into the very cave Merlin was standing.

“This assassination has not yet taken place,” the dragon whispered, raising its head again, its golden eyes boring into him. “It will happen tonight. I have shown you the way. Go. You must save the prince’s life.”

“But –”

“There is no time to lose, young warlock. Go.”

Merlin gave the great dragon one more suspicious glare before turning and running back through the cave towards the stairs that would lead him up into the castle. He leapt up the steps two at a time, only tripping once, but managing to not fall and carry on running. He sprinted along, his feet unconsciously following the route the dragon had placed in his mind until he came to a set of double wooden doors. He snatched for the latch to open them, bouncing backwards when he found them locked.

“Aliese!”

He shoved his hand against the door again, throwing magic into it as he did so. He heard the bolt slide across on the opposite side and the door swung open.

The moonlight was filtering in through the partially open curtains and the room looked just like it had in the dragon’s vision. Merlin hurried as quietly as he could towards the bed; he didn’t want to risk waking the prince up in case the dragon was wrong. But the prince remained fast asleep, his head turned towards Merlin on the rich velvety pillow. He was lying on his back, one arm flung up over his head, the other fisted in the blanket under his chin.

Merlin skirted around the end of the bed, going straight to the corner that the assassin had been hiding in the vision. The corner was empty. A quick check of the other corners and any alcoves where someone could be hiding, found the room completely assassin-less. He let out a gusty sigh of relief as he stepped backwards out from behind the dressing screen.

“Who are you?” a harsh voice behind him demanded and he felt a short blade pressed right up against his back.

He spun around. The prince was awake. Damn, Merlin must have made a noise without realising it. He was barefoot and naked to the waist but his grip on the dagger and his easy fighting stance made him seem intimidating nevertheless.

“Who are you?” he spat again.

“I’m Merlin. Who are you?” he snapped back, internally berating himself for asking such a stupid question.

“I’m Prince Arthur,” he said, smugly Merlin thought, and jabbed the dagger in Merlin’s direction. “What the bloody hell are you doing in my bedroom? You’re clearly not some kind of assassin so… what? A pervert who gets off on watching people sleep? Or just a simpleton who can’t find the servants’ quarters?”

Merlin caught a flicker of movement from behind the prince. The window was slowly opening as a dark clad figure eased their way over the windowsill. Of course, right now was when the real assassin had chosen to turn up. Great.

“I’m here to save your life,” he told the prince then tackled him to the floor as the assassin ran towards him, knife raised.

Pain erupted in Merlin’s shoulder as he fell; the assassin’s knife had caught him instead of the prince. He looked back up at the hooded figure and pushed his magic out, making the assassin fall. The prince scrabbled up from underneath Merlin, wielding his own dagger. He pushed Merlin aside and stabbed the assassin in the stomach. The man’s hands uselessly grabbed at the blade in his belly and he staggered backwards, toppling over. The prince leapt on him, kicking his knife away.

“Guards!” he yelled, pinning the struggling man down and punching him squarely on the jaw to knock him out. “Guards!”

A few moments later, three uniformed men with swords drawn burst into the room, surveying the scene with expressions of surprise.

“Your Highness?” one of them asked uncertainly.

“Fetch my father, tell him I have apprehended an assassin… and this idiot” – he jerked his thumb at Merlin. Then seemed to notice the cut across Merlin’s shoulder, blood staining his white nightshirt. He tutted. “Get Gaius too.”

“No, you don’t need to tell Gaius,” Merlin whined. His uncle would probably tell him off for this.

“Shut up,” the prince said to him before turning to the guards. “Go, now.”

“Yes, sire.” Two of them hurried off.

With a final twist of the dagger in the assassin’s belly, the prince stood up, looking up at the third guard and gesturing to the body.

“Get him out of my room.” The guard grabbed the unconscious assassin and dragged him to the door.

The prince sighed, dropped the bloodied dagger to the floor and stomped across his room to the jug and washbasin in one corner. He poured water over his hands, rinsing off the blood, then grabbed a cloth and dipped it into the clean water in the jug.

Merlin was twisting around, trying to get a look at the cut on the back of his shoulder, but the prince shoved him face down to the floor, kneeling at his side and pressing the damp cloth to the wound.

“Who are you again?” he asked, pressing hard.

Merlin hissed in pain.

“Merlin.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before.”

“I only came to Camelot this afternoon.”

“And yet you decided it was a good idea to break into the prince’s private rooms in the middle of the night?”

“Well, the stupid dragon in the caves told me you were going to be assassinated and I had to stop it,” Merlin blurted. He wasn’t really thinking about what he was saying, his mind occupied by the pain in his shoulder and the cold floor pressed against his cheek.

“The stupid…” The prince sat back on his heels, his hand falling from Merlin’s shoulder. “The what?!”

“The… dragon…” Merlin’s voice petered out slowly, he got the feeling he really shouldn’t have mentioned anything. Clearly the prince didn’t know here was a dragon chained up under his palace. Oh shit. Gaius’s words suddenly filtered back into his mind. Magic was banned in this kingdom… dragons were seen as evil… magic-users were executed. Oh shit.

Panic welling in his chest, he scrabbled up to his knees, facing the dumbfounded prince.

“Do you have some sort of mental affliction?” the prince demanded.

“No!”

“But you think you can talk to dragons?” He gave him a sceptical look.

“No?” Merlin lied, hoping it didn’t sound as completely idiotic as he felt. But the prince hadn’t jumped to the conclusion that Merlin had magic. He obviously hadn’t noticed Merlin knocking the assassin over either. So perhaps it was better for him to believe Merlin was just a bit simple?

“Honestly… Who the fuck are you?” The prince was angry again now. He snatched up his dagger once more, pointing it at Merlin’s chest.

“No one, I’m just… I’m Gaius’s nephew, I came to stay with him. I… I didn’t plan on talking to a dragon,” Merlin rambled, unable to stop himself in the face of the prince’s dagger. “Or meeting you or… or anything. I just came to learn to be a physician…”

The prince frowned. His eyes flickered from Merlin’s face, to the small bloodstain where the assassin had fallen then around the room before landing on the closed door.

“You’re too stupid to be a physician. I should call the guards back…”

“I just saved your life, you prat!” Merlin shouted. How hard was it to just say thank you? Then clamped his mouth shut when the prince raised his eyebrows, his hand shifting on the dagger.

The prince pierced him with a steely gaze, his bright blue eyes holding Merlin frozen with scrutiny. Merlin tried not to blink. Eventually, he put the dagger down.

“There’s something about you…” he muttered. His eyes narrowed fractionally.

But before Merlin could say anything the door was flung open.

“Arthur!” came a shout then an imposing looking man strode into the room, flanked by guards.

He must be the king, Merlin surmised, confirmed a second later when the prince stood.

“Father.” He gestured out into the hallway again. “Did you see the assassin?”

“Yes. Well done,” he commented lightly, then scowled around the room. “How did he get in?” He glanced down and saw Merlin on the floor. “An accomplice?” he growled, stalking forwards and grabbing a handful of Merlin’s shirt.

“No.” Frowning, the prince put a hand on his father’s arm until the king let go of Merlin. “He, uh, he saved my life.”

The king’s eyebrows shot up so high it would have been funny if Merlin wasn’t so anxious about his reaction.

“This servant? Saved your life?”

“Well-” The prince pulled a face, clearly unhappy to admit he’d been saved by a mere servant after hearing the disbelief and derision in his father’s voice. Prat, Merlin thought. “He woke me up so I could deal with it. And got in the way of the dagger.” He gestured to Merlin’s cut shoulder.

The king gave a surprised laugh. “Very well. You shall be rewarded,” he said to Merlin. Merlin sat up a little straighter, a bemused smile crossing over his face. “You shall be the prince’s manservant,” the king proclaimed, nodding and turning away from Merlin.

“What?” the prince spluttered. “Father!”

Merlin’s head dropped into his hands. Oh great.