Protection

Meeting Merlin (AU)

Arthur's pov:
"Morgana, want to race to the nearest village" I asked and she said "Ealdor?" and I nodded my head and said "well" and she sighed and said "your such a child............last one there is a rotten tomato" and she rode off. I shook my head and raced after her. When I caught up with her she had beaten me by 2 seconds to Ealdor". When we got there a young man came across our path. He was running and a look of terror was in his eyes and he had a sword gash on his torso and whip marks that bled through his shirt. Then 3 other young men ran across and one was holding a sword and one was holding a bloody whip while the other was holding a bat. "Hey what are you doing" I yelled at them and the one with the whip said "putting this bastard in his place" and Morgana asked "what has he ever done to you" and the one with the bat said "he is a bastard and a freak" and I said "leave now" and I pulled out my sword slightly and and they ran away like a bunch of cowards. I had noticed the young man had tripped and fallen over so I got off my horse and walked over to him. The closer I got the more he scrambled trying to get away. "It's okay, we won't hurt you" Morgana said and he just looked at us in fear, like we were going to hurt him. Morgana carefully and slowly walked over to him and he flinched and started to breath heavily. "Please, let me go" he asked and looked at us in fear  and.........worry? I said "I promise, no harm will come to you" and his breathing got even heavier. He started to back away again and then he hit his head on a tree and passed out. "We have to get him to Giaus" I said and Morgana nodded her head and I picked him up and put him on my horse and I got on Morgana's horse and we went to Giaus's house. When we got inside Camelot's walls my knights helped me get him to Giaus. I burst open the door and said "Giaus, we need your help" and when he saw the boy he said "lie him on the bed carefully". "What happened" Giaus asked and I said "he was running from some men, they looked to be torturing him" and Giaus sighed and took his shirt off. When he did he gasped and dropped the shirt. I looked at the man and saw something horrifying. He had scars that littered his chest going down to his torso. Then Giaus went to work immediately and kicked us out. We patiently waited for Giaus to be done.

Giaus's pov:
I kicked them out and looked at my poor Nepfew. I had heard that Hunith died days ago and now here he is. I wonder what happened to Merlin and where is Shana. I patched him up and started to clean and bandage his back. It took an hour but I finally called the knights and Arther and Morgana in to see him. "How is he" Arther asked and I said "sire, he is healing but it will take some time" and I looked down at Merlin. "Do you know him Giaus" Morgana asked and I nodded my head and said "yes my lady, he is my Nepfew Merlin". Everyone stared at Merlin in shock, probably because I spoke of him all the time. "So this..." and Sir Leon pointed at Merlin "is the Merlin that is always smiling and making others better". I nodded my head and Arther said "he was terrified when we got to him. He wouldn't let either of us to get close. Only when he passed out were we able to get him here" and I looked at Merlin with worry then I realized how this happened. "It was probably those boys again" I said to myself and Sir Elyan asked "what boys". "Merlin writes to me about these boys who beat him and hurt him because he is a......" I trailed off and Morgana asked "a what". "He is a bastard child" I said and they looked at me confused. I sighed "a bastard child is someone who was born with one parent and since my sister's death a few days ago he became an orphan" and Morgana said "oh my gods" and Sir Gwaine said "so since he doesn't have parents anymore, no one can protect him". "I'm afraid so along with his sister" I said and went back to treating Merlin. It wasn't long after I finished healing him that he woke up.

Merlin's pov:
When I woke up Uncle Giaus was staring at me. "Uncle, what are you doing in Ealdor?" I asked and he said "your in Camelot, not Ealdor" and then all the memories came back. "Oh" I said then I saw 6 other people that were in the room. "Um who are they Uncle" I asked and he said "that is Prince Arthur, Princess Morgana, and the Knights of Camelot". This can't be happening, if Prince Arthur finds out he will have me beheaded or burned at the pyre. "Well then I must be going home" I said and got out of bed and left Uncle Giaus's house. "Merlin, come back here" Giaus said as he followed me out and I kept on walking. "Merlin" he shouted and I turned around and said "it's been great to see you Uncle but I have chores to do". "Merlin" he said again as I started walking away. I turned back around and said "what" and he said "you and Shana can't live on your own in that village" and I said "you can't stop me from going back" I was turned around and there was Arthur. "Listen it was...great meeting you but I have a village and a little sister to take care of" I said and he said "you'll need a horse" and I said "nope I will walk if it's all the same". "You want to get back to your sister faster or not" a Knight asked and me and I sighed and said "fine" and I started walking back to Giaus. I got a horse and the Knights and Prince escorted me back. When I got back I saw Shana was about to be whipped by a villager. I quickly jumped off my horse and got in front of her taking the blow. I was waiting for the next hit when I felt nothing. I looked up and saw Prince Arthur was holding the man at sword point. I stood up with Shana in my arms and said "thank you" and I walked to my house with the Knights following me. Shana ran inside and hid under mom's old bed. I sighed and pulled her out into a hug. "Nothing bad will happen" I said and she nodded her head and went to go play with the chickens. She walked out the door and I heard her laughing and the chickens clucking. I laughed and the Knights did too. "Well this is my home and that was my little sister" I said and then I took off my shirt and started tending to my whip mark. When I was done I started making lunch. "Do you want any" I asked them and they all nodded their heads yes and I gave them each a plate with bread and a bowl of soup. I called Shana in and gave her some soup and bread too. When we were all done the Knights and Prince Arthur left back to Camelot after they were able to convince me to pack up and move in with Giaus. Maybe living in Camelot won't be so bad after all.

There you are people, so I hope you enjoyed it!!! And if you have any ideas I'll be more than willing to listen!