Merthur One Shots

The One Who Knows Him

Arthur looked down as the crown was placed on his head by Geoffrey. He then risked a glance at the old man who was looking back at him expectantly. He had to turn around and face his people, he knew. He just found it harder than he initially thought. Looking upon the throne room, upon the people who looked up at him, upon the huge responsibility resting on his shoulders and his alone.

Leon, who was sitting to Arthur's right, three steps lower, was the first to shout the dreaded Long live the king, the rest of the people soon to follow.

***

When the newly crowned king stood up from the table and excused himself from the feast held in his honour, many nobles stood in his way to the door, congratulating him and praising him for staying so strong even after his father's tragic death.

But Arthur wasn't strong. He was on the verge of breaking with all the pressure on his shoulders as well as the pain that loosing a parent caused. And yet, nobody knew, nobody saw, nobody noticed. Nobody would have thought that their all so powerful young king could have weaknesses.

It took him a while to finally manage to slip out and head to his chambers, Merlin following right behind. After the raven haired boy helped him out of his festive clothes, he crawled into bed and muttered a "That'll be all." before closing his eyes. He had dismissed Merlin, though he craved his presence. Earlier, when asked, he had told him he was fine, though he was far from it. 

He heaved a deep sigh that was most probably of relief when he didn't hear Merlin step away, but sit down at the table. He kept up appearances, though, and asked in faked annoyance:

"Merlin, what are you doing?"

"I'm staying here!" came the very simple reply. It made Arthur shiver nonetheless.

"Why?"

"Because you want me to!"

The king's heart filled with warmth and his eyes with tears with every word that rolled down his friend's tongue.

"I never said that."

"You don't need to."

Of course he didn't need to, because Merlin knew. Merlin always knew.

"It's alright to cry, Arthur", Merlin spoke again, though not on a tone of pity, but one of understanding and Arthur didn't fail to notice that. "Crying isn't a sign of weakness. Though some may see it that way, I don't. So cry at night in front of me to be strong at day in front of them!"

And Arthur did just that. He let the tears fall freely on his burning cheeks, the pain and happiness knocking heads in his heart. Never has he even been more grateful to have a person in his life than he was for Merlin. Though, if asked, he would deny it without a thought, Merlin was a blessing to his life.

And they stood like that, Arthur crying on his side, facing away from the boy and Merlin sadly listening to his king's painful sobs, but not leaving the chair for the whole night and the night after that, and all the nights that followed.

°°°

Arthur swung his sword with a heavy heart and almost closed his eyes as the blade made contact with the bare neck of the pleading king. The first mistake.

He then turned to the man's subordinates and, with a cold stare, told them to take their king's decapitated head back to their kingdom, to serve them as a proof of who Arthur Pendragon was. The second mistake.

As the neighbouring kingdom's knights walked away with hatred in their hearts, the blonde king did not have the heart to turn around and face his people. Agravaine was the first to approach his nephew and place a hand on his shoulder.

"You did well, Arthur! You proved your power to the others. They will fear Camelot now more than ever!"

And with those words, the praise began. The knights who knew Arthur too little came in front and congratulated him using words as "our unswayed king" or "our all powerful ruler" and so on.

But Arthur's heart was heavy and he found himself already regretting the decision he had made against Merlin's futile attempt to advise him otherwise. And he still had no idea of what was to come.

When the others went to their horses, getting ready to leave, the king felt a hand rest on his shoulder. He knew that touch well. It was one that could take away all his pain and suffering, one that made him feel safe, feel that he wasn't alone.

"There is no right or wrong decision, Arthur. All we can do is choose the path we think we will regret least."

"But you did warn me, Merlin!"

"Your uncle is pressuring you into proving yourself in front of your people, which is why my words failed to reach you. But that is my fault!"

Arthur wanted to argue, to tell Merlin that it was nowhere near his fault, but he found he couldn't tear his eyes from the blood stained grass where a king's lifeless body stood not long ago, his words blocking his throat.

"Your uncle is the one with the real experience here, but his judgment is merely that of Uther's. People must not grow to fear their king, but to love and respect him for who he is. You, Arthur, with your kind and just heart, have the loyalty of your people! Don't let your uncle take that away from you, because, when things turn to the worst, that will be all you will have left!"

Arthur drove his hand over his opposite shoulder and placed it on Merlin's, as to make sure the boy didn't go anywhere, as to anchor himself in reality. The loyalty of his people would be all he would have left, Merlin had said, though Arthur knew he merely needed the loyalty of one man, who now was the only one to stand by him, to let him fall and lift him up again, to show him the right path and to give him the strength he needed to keep going.

°°°

"Gwaine, Elyan, take Gaius to safety! I'll go in alone!" Arthur decided without a second thought as he nodded to the three men who stepped away reluctantly. "I hope we see each other again!" he then said before turning to Merlin, who made no move to leave.

"Merlin, you should go with them!" Arthur suggested, though every fiber of his being screamed at him not to let Merlin leave him. He was afraid and he needed his friend by his side. But the wish to keep the raven haired boy safe supressed any other thought in the king's head. He looked at Merlin who had a strange look in his eyes, like he was only pretending to consider the blonde's words, before answering on a light tone:

"Nah, I've seen the woods already!"

Arthur needed no more than that for his face to break into a huge smile, relief washing over him. Because Merlin knew. Merlin knew Arthur wasn't an emotionless killing machine, but merely a man, with fears and pains as any other.

Merlin always knew.