Merthur Oneshots

Do I really mean that less to you?

Part 1

When Arthur was born, no one could understand what was written on the inside of his wrist.

Uther Pendragon never supported the idea of soulmates, until he met Ygraine. But now she was dead. He forced his son to cover them, and told him to never look at them.

Of course he didn't listen. But no matter how many times he tried, in many ways, he couldn't make sense of them.

The letters were written in the classic latin alphabet, but the words itself didn't make any sense.

And then the purge started.

When Merlin was born, the words ' 𝖄𝖔𝖚'𝖗𝖊 𝖆 𝖘𝖔𝖗𝖈𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖗 ' were scrawled across his right shin.

When Hunith first saw them, an unexplainable feeling of terror had shot through her.

After Merlin turned 18, it was time for him to go away from his small village on the border and find a living in a city.

She sent him to Camelot, to live with his uncle Gaius, even though she knew that the king hated sorcerers and there was a huge chance that he would get caught, by his soulmate, no less.

She just hoped he could handle it.

"Sire, the king has requested your presence."

Arthur started, twisting his body to look at the door to his chambers, where a servant was standing. He nodded. "Tell him I will be along shortly."

The servant bowed and left, closing the door behind him.

Arthur sighed and turned back around. He looked down at his wrist one last time, where the words 't yfu a blodeuo' were written. Pursing his lips, he picked up the red cloth, and tied it back around his wrist. No one had to know he was looking at them.

As he walked towards the council room, he ran the words through his head again, trying to pronounce them again and again. None of them seemed correct.

When he opened the doors of the council room, the words flew out his mind, instead concentrating on the grim faces of the Lords and his father.

"Ah Arthur!" Uther greeted him, leaning back in his seat. "There is something that needs your attention."

Arthur bowed his head slightly, like he had been taught to. "Yes sir, anything."

"The outlying villages have reported that something has been attacking their crops. At first I had thought that they were rats, but there were witnesses who swear that it was a huge winged animal. I want you to go and investigate it, and if needed, slay the beast."

Arthur nodded. "I will be leaving as soon as possible."

"Very well. You are dismissed."

He turned around and exited the room, walking back to his room, his mind occupied with the situation of the villages.

Halfway to his chambers, he stopped, frowning at the huge closet blocking his way, being dragged by a few servants to a guest room. Arthur leaned against the grey stone wall of the castle, realising it will be some time before he could move again. A few feet away from him, a couple of servant girls were talking, waiting for the same thing that Arthur was. He didn't pay any attention to what they were saying, until something piqued his interest.

"Did you hear? Gaius got a new assistant."

Arthur had grown up seeing Gaius moving around the citadel, and was very fond of him. He knew he was getting on in his years, and needed someone else to help him. He just hadn't expected him to get one so quickly.