The One Where All The Knights Love Fem!Merlin

Arthur

First off, I would like to thank @sherlockian_demigod for this wonderful idea. I'm going to have a lot of fun with this one! Enjoy!

The first time Merlin met Arthur, he was being a bully to a serving boy by the name of Morris. Arthur decided to teach Morris a lesson, although there was no lesson to be learned, by throwing daggers at the target while Morris was carrying it.

 It did not take long for the poor boy to drop the heavy target. It rolled out of his grasp to where Merlin was standing. Merlin put her foot on it so that Morris could not pick it up. "Hey, come on, that's enough," she had said.

"What?" Arthur asked, unaccustomed to being spoken to in that manner.

"You've had your fun, my friend."

"Do I know you?" Arthur asked, walking towards Merlin.

"Er, I'm Merlin," she introduced herself, holding out her hand to shake.

Arthur did not take her hand. "So I don't know you."

Merlin put her hand down. "No."

"Yet you called me 'friend'."

"That was my mistake."

"Yes, I think so."

"I'd never have a friend who could be such a jerk." Merlin turned on her heel and began to walk away.

Behind her, Arthur scoffed. "Nor I one so stupid." Merlin stopped walking. "Tell me, Merlin, do you know how to walk on your knees?"

"No," Merlin said, walking back over to Arthur. 

"Would you like me to help you?"

"I wouldn't if I were you."

Arthur chuckled. "Why? What are you going to do to me?" Merlin gritted her teeth, and before she had time to think things through, she threw a punch at Arthur's face. Arthur twisted her arm and held it behind her back. "I'll have you thrown in jail for that," he said smugly.

"What, who do you think you are? The King?"

"No. I'm his son. Arthur."

Merlin ended up in the dungeons for the rest of that day and the following night. However, she did not regret her decision to stick up for Morris. Merlin spent the following day in the stocks.

-

The second time Merlin met Arthur, it was in the town square. He asked her how her knee walking was coming along. She attempted to ignore him, but he started goading her on. Annoyed, Merlin turned around to face him with her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.

Arthur tapped his chin. "You're very odd, you know," he said. "What kind of woman's name is Mervin?"

"Merlin," she growled. 

"Right, Merlin. That can't possibly be your real name," he laughed.

"It's not," she told him. 

"Then what is your real name? Probably something horrible, like Corona." (A/N: It's not a bad name, but... the virus...)

"I don't have to tell you anything, prat."

 "You need to learn respect."

"What are you going to do, get your daddy's men to protect you from a girl?" Merlin mocked.

Arthur walked towards Merlin and she walked backwards. "I've been trained to kill since birth."

"And how long have you been training to be a prat?"

Arthur snorted. "You can't address me like that."

"I'm sorry, how long have you been training to be a prat, My lord?" Merlin asked with a mock curtsy. 

Arthur made a move to arrest her for the second time, but he tripped over seemingly nothing, courtesy of Merlin's magic.

She curtsied again with a huge grin, looking down at Arthur, who was on the ground. "Have a good day, sire." Then she left.

-

The third time Merlin met Arthur, Merlin would not exactly call it a meeting. Everyone had taken their seats to begin the feast and King Uther had just introduced Lady Helen. Not being a member of the court, Merlin stood off to the side. Because of this position, Merlin was able to see that all of the court members had begun falling asleep from the singing and cobwebs had begun to form. She quickly covered her ears. 

Merlin saw Lady Helen look directly at Arthur and pull a dagger from her sleeve. Merlin was briefly tempted not to do anything because of how much of a prat Arthur was earlier, but the words of the dragon rang in her ear. It was her duty to protect him. With a flash of her eyes, Merlin dropped the chandelier on Lady Helen, who's enchanted guise fell, revealing herself to be Mary Collins. 

Now awake, Uther stood and peered over the table to see Mary lying underneath the chandelier. Arthur did the same. Suddenly, Mary raised her head and threw the dagger which was still in her hand. Out of pure reflex, Merlin slowed down time and moved Arthur out of the way. The dagger landed right where Arthur had been, not even a second earlier. 

Arthur and Merlin scrambled to their feet, avoiding eye contact with each other. Uther made his way over to Merlin. "You saved my boy's life," he told her. "A debt must be repaid."

"Oh, well-"

"Don't be so modest. A debt must be repaid."

"No, honestly, you don't have to, Your Highness," Merlin said with a slight curtsy.

"No, absolutely. This merits something quite special. You shall be rewarded a position in the royal household. You shall be Prince Arthur's maidservant."

The court applauded and Uther looked quite pleased with himself. Merlin wanted nothing more than to decline, but knew that it would be unwise. She glanced over at Gwen to see her clapping with a pitying smile. "Father!" Arthur protested, but to no avail. 

Ever since that day, Merlin was almost constantly by Arthur's side, unless she was doing some other chore for him. Arthur began to consider her his good luck charm, although he would never admit it out loud, because things always seemed to fix themselves when she was around.

Another thing that Arthur would never admit was the warmth in his cheeks that he felt when they would be too close in proximity, or how his heart sped up slightly whenever he saw her. No, Arthur would never admit it out loud.