Protection

Bastard

A/N I will no longer be updating on just Saturdays, I will update AT LEAST once a week. I'm sorry I didn't update the last 2 weeks, last week I was sick and the week before that I had to go to this Easter dinner thing and was helping my mom set things up. I will also continue Lord Edwin's story later on if I'm up to it. This takes lace after Uther's death. This is also for nobodysaiditwouldbethishard who wanted a fic where Arthur hurt Merlin. Also please go check out nobodysaiditwouldbethishard, she/he has great Merlin fanfictions, check her out on fanfiction.net

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin

"Merlin could you go any slower?" Arthur snapped at his pathetic man-servant as he struggled to gather all the new king's clothes and armor.

"I swear any other servant in this entire kingdom could do a better job than you could." Arthur murmured before sending a small glare towards the dark haired man-servant. Merlin forgave him for his rudeness which is how he had been this entire week, then again Arthur had just lost his father. But enough was enough, Merlin had finally had enough of Arthur and his pratiness.

"Then why don't you hire one of them instead or not give me 200 chores a day!?" Merlin yelled at the king.

"What did you just say to me?" Arthur growled, his voice deadly calm but anger written all over his features.

"I'm pretty sure you heard me just fine, sire." Merlin replied angrily.

"You have no right to speak to a king like that, you're just a bastard (A/N This is not a "cuss" word, it use to be used to describe a boy with no known/no father, or someone was born before the mother and father got married.) boy." Arthur growled, finally losing his temper he raised his hand and whipped it across Merlin's face. Merlin stumbled back, either from the shock or the force but Arthur didn't care he just glared at his pathetic excuse for a man-servant.

"Don't. Call. Me. That." Merlin's voice was as sharp as a knife. Arthur spun on his heel to face the servant.

"You will not speak to me that way, do you understand me servant. I am King of Camelot and I will be treated with respect. Now get out!" Arthur growled forcefully and Merlin scurried out, leaving the armor on the floor, which of course fueled Arthur's anger. He sat down on his bed happy to have some peace, but of course that had to be interrupted by Leon.

"Can I come in Sire?" He asked quietly, walking into the room when Arthur nodded his head curtly.

"Do you need something Sir Leon." He asked slightly angry, which made Leon even more worried.

"I was just wondering if you and Merlin had a fight? He seemed pretty angry when he walked pat me, didn't even say hello." Leon said looking over at the new King.

"Yes, he was just being disrespectful and I taught him a quick lesson." Arthur growled once again angry, especially when Leon had to bring up Merlin. This made Leon even more worried, if he had hit Merlin...there was no telling what Percival might do, not to mention Gwiane.

"Sire what did you do." He whispered hoping that he hadn't hit the servant.

"I slapped him across his pathetic bastardly face." Arthur growled his anger coming off him in waves. Leon knew that he need to let some anger out and he had been holding it in for so long he had lashed out on the closest thing that couldn't do anything about it. Yet of course the King just had to go and hit the closest thing he had to a brother and Leon knew the kind of past Merlin had had. He had told all the Knights of the Round Table secretly what his past was like when they had caught him screaming in his sleep. Merlin had been abused as a kid and called a bastard all his life.

"Sire permission to act and speak freely?" Leon asked trying to keep his anger at bay.

"You know you don't have to ask." Arthur told him as he watched Leon entire demeanor change, from leading knight to relaxed yet angry friend.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING ARTHUR! YOU HAVE NO IDEA THE KIND OF PAST MERLIN HAD AND YET YOU TREATED HIM LIKE HE USE TO BE TREATED. You just hit him, You just SLAPPED your most loyal and trustworthy friend, don't even begin to deny it!" Leon yelled so loudly that guards ran in, when they saw it was just Leon and Arthur they left, use to Leon scolding Arthur quite loudly. Arthur's whole anger seemed to fall the moment Leon finished yelling.

"What have I done." He whispered worriedly "Oh God what have I done." He whispered, before turning and running out of the room.

*With Merlin*

Merlin sighed heavily and sat down leaning against the wall. The door slammed open and the King walked in.

"Sire." Merlin said quickly, getting up to bow.

"No, don't you dare bow." He whispered feeling the grief in his chest tighten.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry for hitting you and calling you a bastard, I'm sorry about your past. I'm sorry about everything!" He whispered, he still couldn't believe that he had hit his most loyal servant.

"It's okay, you just lost your father I understand." Merlin muttered turning to face his master. He could see through Arthur's "tough guy" act, right to what he was feeling. He was devastated about his dad being dead, worried about having to run the kingdom alone, and he was happy about finally being able to make changes to Camelot.

"Still that's no excuse, you're the one that is still by my side even through the ups and downs, through the lives and deaths, through the thick and thin. You have never left my side." Arthur whispered quietly.

"I always will Arthur, I always will" Merlin said smiling over at the newly crowned King.