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Well if there was ever any doubt the Witchfinder was a fraud, here it is. Why on earth would a sorcerer conjure toads out of his mouth? A goblin would just burn in fire and bodies in the water would make it undrinkable. On top of that, only three women saw it. While there are always plenty of people at the well or in the square. You would think these women had eaten bad mushrooms. The king was eating it all up, naturally. How much money had Camelot already lost because of schemes such as this. How many people died? How could Arthur keep a straight face through all of this? His eyes had flickered towards him a couple of times, followed by slight twitches of the corners of his mouth when he saw Merlin’s unbelieving face. Morgana was clear in her disdain for this ‘professional’. Gaius seemed to still be scared, but he was scared of almost anything. Although, a year of Arthur accepting magic wasn’t that much compared to two decades of hatred.
“It’s the boy. Merlin!”
Oh. Crap. It was Morgana who had been reckless dammit. Merlin’s eyes instantly found Arthur’s. Quicker than blinking, Arthur saw that Merlin really was innocent. While Merlin saw that Arthur wouldn’t abandon him. Before they could communicate anything else, Morgana was already going for it. She had always been a strong woman but last year had strengthened her even further. Her voice rang through the silent yet agitated throne room with such authority that the Witchfinder completely lost his momentum.
“Witchfinder. I have a question.”
“Euhm, my lady?”
“Are you a fraud or just incompetent?”
The Witchfinder was clearly taken aback. The three witnesses also startled slightly. Merlin and Arthur were looking at each other, trying to figure out what Morgana her play was. Throughout the room there were hushed gasps, some more successful than the other. The king was the first to recover after Morgana’s wicked barb. He snapped his head towards Morgana with an expression somewhere between surprise and indignation.
“Morgana! He is a trusted ally in the fight against magic.”
Morgana wasn't bothered by it as she expressed her disdain with a small hand wave and a shrugging of her shoulders. “Oh come now Uther with this questionable evidence?”
“Father, I agree completely with Morgana. we should give Merlin the opportunity to defend himself.”
It was rare for Arthur and Morgana to speak up in court, un-requested. It was also rare for them to agree. So this time, it was the Witchfinder who recovered before the king. He tried to barrel through with anger and bluster. Pointing menacingly at Merlin. It would have been unsettling two years ago.
“No! He is the sorcerer. I will not be disrespected.”
Arthur frequently said that he was born for command. Although at the present it was still reserved for the knights and fights. He had never openly defied his father from a position of strength before. It was only a couple of months since he had begun to see his father for who he really is. Now, to defend his love, he held nothing back of being the only heir. His voice rang even more commanding than Morgana’s had. Even the King couldn’t help but be taken aback by it.
“And I will not be dishonored, Witchfinder.” The infliction of ‘dishonored’ made clear that Arthur was ready to make this a challenge. Merlin knew he had become very important to most of the important people at court. But being a servant didn't always make him feel like that. He was really touched by how fiercely he was defended. He should really stop doubting his own importance. If only so Arthur would stop pestering him about it. During the brief moment that it took the Witchfinder to respond, Merlin quickly scanned the throne room. The court had become nervous. Nobody wanted quarreling royals.
“Sire?”
“Merlin is part of my household and has my complete trust. You will let him speak.”
“Or are you afraid of a servant? Witchfinder?”
The Witchfinder obviously hadn’t expected this turn of events. Maybe he had assumed that Merlin was just Gaius’s apprentice, like they had said when they encountered the Witchfinder during their rounds. There had definitely been a lot of tension between Gaius and him. Old history. Maybe accusing Merlin was just another layer of deception? If so, it seemed to be failing spectacularly. Like a cornered rat, the Witchfinder scurried over to the throne as if to speak to the king in confidence. Since nobody else made a sound, it was still easy to discern.
“Your highness, I was under the impression that I had full authority in this?”
“Yes, you have Aridian. What do you propose we do?”
“Your highness, we should search the servant’s quarters.”
“Yes, yes. Very well.”
Morgana knew that all Merlin’s belongings were already in Arthur’s chambers for over a year. The magical items sealed within the very stones, where only Arthur and Merlin could reach them. Or a combination of Leon, Morgana and Gaius. Nevertheless, she never gave up any advantage. Although, she could be too crude and still fumble it. The king never did well with being challenged after all.
“Why? So we could be presented with more false evidence?”
“Morgana! This isn’t your place.”
“Father, if the Witchfinder is so sure of his case, then what’s the harm in questioning the witnesses again?”
“Indeed. We can always search Merlin’s rooms later.”
“Very well, let the boy speak.”
Oh he should have known that it would all come back to him. As usual. Merlin the servant savior. At least the sex was good now. And the food. The bed. The company. Fine! Life has been very good lately. He couldn’t let a charlatan ruin it all. Leon and Geoffrey gave him subtle encouragement. Owain was less subtle, being young and kind of starstruck. Arthur pretended to be unconcerned. Gaius was nervous, naturally. Merlin walked up to the dais, keeping his usual balance between confidence and servility. He gave his respect to each of the royals, primarily to gain time for getting his mind in order. He was an apprentice physician, somewhat, he could surely do this. He just needed to figure out why only these women saw these strange things. Gods they looked so frightened. They were definitely convinced of what they saw and were now scared they would face consequences for stepping forward.
“Hello. I’m, well, Merlin. Gaius’s apprentice.What’s your name?”
“Emily, my- euh. I didn’t make it up. I swear.”
“Of course not! You wouldn’t be so scared then. Were you alone at the well?”
“No. My sister was there too. She tried to stop me from coming. Said it wasn’t real.”
“Oh? Is your sister here Emily? Maybe she can help us figure this out.”
From the back end of the room a young woman started to come forward. Hesitant at first, yet determined once committed. Their long dark blonde hair gave them a very similar appearance. This left little doubt that this was indeed the older sister. She looked clever and strong. Someone to reliably look out for younger siblings. She was brave as well, to come forward like this. Merlin made a mental note to talk to her after this trial, she had a lot of potential for their cause. The withering glare of the Witchfinder was outmatched by the subtle encouragement of Morgana and Arthur. That the entire throne room was already in doubt probably matters too.
“Euhm, hello. I’m Agnes, my lords. Her sister. I didn’t see anything. None of the other women did. I tried to bring her to Gaius, my lords, but the Witchfinder intercepted us.”
Oh this was gold! Thank you Agnes. Merlin had a hard time keeping his composure. He really wanted to stick it to the Witchfinder. Doing shady stuff to make people afraid so he could profit from a couple of deaths. Morgana already felt vindicated, if Merlin interpreted her eyes correctly. Arthur was still concerned, the big softy. Merlin quickly schooled his expression into formality and carried on. He thanked the two sisters and then asked the next girl for her name.
“Emma. I’m here alone. My husband didn’t see anything in our fire. But we must be vigilant.”
“Indeed we must, thank you for stepping forward.”
This didn’t provide anything useful really, but it was also the least damning testimony. Seeing shapes in the fire or the clouds was a children's game. The next testimony was the one that mattered. A sighting of the actual sorcerer. Merlin’s eyes quickly flicked towards Owain, who had brought her to the castle. He gave Merlin a small nod, with a determined look in his eyes.
“Hello, what’s your name?”
“Mabel.”
“Mabel. Were there other people in the square?”
“Yes. Yes. But they all looked at me like I was crazy. Please. I’m not am I? I saw him!”
“Sire, if I may.” Owain asked. “Me and a couple of guards were in the square when Mabel cried out. We didn’t see anything. I was also bringing her to Gaius when we were intercepted. She described the sorcerer to me and that didn’t resemble Merlin at all. Sire.”
Owain was an honest person, yet lacking proper context deception can be done without lying. Owain had come running towards the screaming, he didn’t see the start. The two guards had indeed been there from the start, but now they couldn't’ speak out without contradicting a noble. Merlin thought Owain deserved something nice for this. Especially since it did a lot to shift the balance. As far as Uther knew, there was no personal connection between Merlin and Owain. This made it harder to dismiss his position. The court was also mostly glaring at the Witchfinder by now, which didn’t go unnoticed by the king. As always in moments of doubt, he turned towards Gaius. Who in the meantime had also caught on with what everyone was trying to do.
“Gaius what do you make of this?”
“Sire, it’s clear these women saw something very frightening. Yet it is curious that they are the only ones. If I may? “
“Your highness, you can’t be serious. He will obviously try to defend his servant.”
“Enough Aeridian. Gaius is a trusted member of my court and very knowledgeable.”
Gaius' fear had given way to confidence, he clearly had figured something out. “My dears. Did any of you perhaps eat something unusual today? Received any kind of token? Done something differently?” Ha! Merlin sometimes forgot just how brilliant Gaius was in his own right. Once again, Agnes proved her value as she immediately catches on.
“Different? Like eye drops? Emily bought eyes drops only yesterday.”
Gaius eyebrows did their infamous rise towards his hairline. “Curious. Did any of you also buy eye drops?”
“Yes.” Emma was clearly still hesitant to dismiss all of this. “But I’ve been using them for a long time. I bought a new bottle this morning at the pharmacy.”
Mable straightened her posture and rubbed her eyes, as if she could change something about them. “It’s just the eye-drops? oh what a relief.” She then let her arms fall down with a big sigh.
Just like that the Witchfinder was boxed in. Only a lid on top was missing. And some nails. Eye-drops. Who would have thought! Merlin decided to pick up the pace with his studies. They couldn’t keep relying on Gaius for everything like this. Surely Arthur would understand if they kicked back on the magical and martial training for a bit. Getting Arthur to just start cleaning up after himself would save even more time but Merlin wasn’t delusional. Maybe Agnes would like a job?
“Sire, I think it’s prudent that we bring forth the apothecary. Either as a witness or an accused, I’m not quite sure.”
“Your highness, I must protest! The boy is the sorcerer. If we just search his rooms it will be clear.”
At this Arthur had an epiphany. A description of the sorcerer was already available. So why keep fighting a losing battle by accusing Merlin? Deciding to be blunt, Arthur voices his question immediately. “Why are you so fixated on Merlin instead of the sorcerer from the square?”
Morgana had always been an opportunist and she was on a roll here as she placed the lid on the Witchfinders coffin.. “Maybe he planted something on him, like Catherina did.” The mention of his dear wife clearly unbalanced the king. He had been played as a fool then. Did despicable things. And everyone knew all about it. He could not afford to lose face so soon and so publicly again. He started to glare at the Witchfinder suspiciously.
“That is outrageous! We must search his rooms!”
“Sire, I believe we can easily do these things at the same time. The prince can search my rooms while Ser Owain and some guards fetch the pharmacist. Maybe Ser Leon could also lead a search of the Witchfinders rooms?“
“An excellent idea Gaius, let’s get to the bottom of this.”
A cornered rat can still change tactics, yet usually ends up doing the most predictable thing. A full out attack. The Witchfinder was cunning and devious, befitting a life of scheming and plotting. As his survival instincts kicked in, he managed to flip the table.
“Your highness, I confess. I knew it would be unwise for me to accuse the boy without material evidence. His enchantment over the prince is too strong.”
Just like that Merlin lost all his confidence. Everything they had achieved suddenly became damning since it was out of character for nobles to defend commoners. It also fits seamlessly with a persona of insolence and laziness. To prove this false they would have to let the King see that Arthur genuinely cared about Merlin. Quite the conundrum since they had been covering up their relationship by doing the exact opposite. Even a friendship with Morgana or several knights would seem unrealistic. Did everything now land on Gaius’s shoulders? Merlin was quickly beginning to panic. He wasn’t the only one. Luckily Arthur was trained in forcing a way out, although usually under different circumstances.
“This is absurd, why would Merlin enchant me when I fell in love with him the day I met him?”
Merlin was as shocked as everybody else. Arthur still had trouble with expressing feelings and acknowledging people. ‘I love you’s’ usually happened just before sleeping or after life threatening circumstances. Always in the intimacy of the two of them. A declaration in front of the entire court? Merlin hadn’t expected this for years. Ugh why did it have to happen on a tense moment like this? He’s going to kiss that clotpole so hard after this. So many people wanted to make this a nice fluffy memory but they couldn’t. Stupid Witchfinder. Maybe he should turn him into a toad. He would have to make sure that Leon closed his mouth before that though. He had known about Merlin and Arthur’s relationship from nearly the beginning. Why was he the most shocked?
“See there’s the proof. The prince has been enchanted.” Oh right, that is still going on. Merlin quickly tried to focus. He could still die because of this charade. The Witchfinder had started strutting like he owned the place. Drawing all the attention to his bluster. The git.
“No. Merlin just did something no else did.”
“Really what is that.”
“He treated me as a person.” If Merlin could fall any deeper in love with Arthur, this would have been the moment. Arthur’s deepest hurts and insecurities, the side of him that nobody even realized was there. That Merlin had been nurturing for nearly a year. It was thrown into the open without hesitation. Arthur was going to save him one way or another. Merlin tried to think of Arthur’s schedule for the day to see how much time they could get together. And how soon.
The Witchfinder once again lost the plot. “Pardon?”
“My entire life everyone always treated me as just the heir.” For a moment Arthur let go off all courtly decorum. Looking into Merlin’s eyes as if nothing else matters. Not even a kingdom or threat of imminent death. “Except Merlin.”
At last the king had found his voice again, sounding insecure. He looked at his son as if seeing him for the first time in years. “Arthur what are you saying?”
Arthur sighed, rubbed a hand through his hair, and addressed his father. “Everyone always has expectations of me, things they want to gain by interacting with me. There are always obligations, rules, favors, propriety, … And nobody ever cared that I was still just a lost and lonely boy slowly being crushed by everything.” Arthur’s face twisted into one of anger and hurt, the king looking aghast. “ And you have always been the worst, father.”
“I only wanted what was best for you”
“No! You only wanted what was best for you. You only ever saw me as a tool to continue your legacy.”
“That’s not true.”
Even if the king’s weak plea convinced himself, he surely wasn’t convincing anyone else. But the real wrecking was still coming. Merlin could see what Arthur was working up to, even if he didn’t realize it himself. The open wound that had festered for over 20 years. The sand that had threatened any relationship father and son could build. The secret to the king's rage. Arthur was going to expose it at last. His inner circle braced themselves for it. Leon, Owain and Geraint had huddled together among the knights. Morgana’s eyes had searched out those of Gwen, all the way to the side. Gaius and Geoffrey stood side by side. They had all contributed something to Arthur’s self worth and independence. Merlin sometimes wished he had come to Camelot sooner.
“You think I don’t see it in your eyes father? The regret that you lost the love of your life and all you gained was me?”
“I had no idea you felt that way.”
“Merlin accepted me for who I was, Arthur. He never cared that I was the prince. He never wanted anything from me. And that, that earned him everything.”
“But he’s a servant! And an idiot!”
Arthur just smiled fondly, confusing his father even further. “Yes, his ruse works very well doesn’t it?”
“His ruse?”
“Merlin is my first advisor. He figured out the deception of Valiant, Mueridan, the troll, Cedric. Exposed the Wraith, saving Owain’s life. He figured out how to defeat the Anfanc, the griffin, Sigan. He’s saved my life repeatedly, saved yours more then once, Morgana’s, Gaius, Geraint. Just like he figured out The Witchfinders deception.”
“You can’t be serious.” Yes Arthur you can’t be serious! They had talked about this. Merlin was of more use being overlooked in the background. Furthermore, he still hated dealing with all the pompous nobles. This was going to make his life so much harder.
“And the very good ideas I presented to the council? The ones that impressed everyone?” Merlin really felt like it should have been clear this wasn’t what he meant when he complained about a lack of appreciation. Still, Arthur sounded genuinely proud of Merlin, for once. In public no less. Gwen’s face was filled with joy for it. One of her people getting recognized in front of the entire court.
The king raised his fingers to his temples in a futile attempt to stave off a headache. ““Don’t tell me.”
Arthur just smiled even brighter. “Yes. All Merlin's ideas.”
The king glared at Merlin as if everything was his fault. “It still seems more possible that you’re enchanted. In any case, this is a great inconvenience to the kingdom.”
“Sire?” Merlin dutifully waited until the king acknowledged him. Which he did with a small nod. “I know my duty. The prince will have a political marriage.” It would be with the King of the Druids etc, but that didn’t need to be said now. “Besides, I’ve almost died three times now, saving Arthur’s life.” Merlin had hardly stopped talking when Arthur was already yanking him to his side.”
“Merlin! We talked about this. You’re not allowed to throw your life away.”
“I would never want to leave you alone Arthur, but Camelot must come first.”
Arthur sighed in resignation. “I won’t get you to stop, will I.”
“Not unless you stayed secured in your rooms everyday.” Merlin’s eyes sparkled with mirth.
“Right. I wouldn’t last a week if you had me all to yourself.”
“Yeah. You really should train harder.”
Unbeknownst to them, the King had become redder and redder. With him most of the throne room, actually. Geoffrey seemed strangely pleased with the public flirting. Gaius just raised his eyebrows. The king desperately tried to regain control over the situation.
“Enough. Arthur, am I right to assume this arrangement is temporary?”
“No, father. It isn’t. I’ll just allow whoever I marry the same liberties, as long as there’s no risk of bastards.”
“You can’t be serious.” This time, Merlin couldn’t agree with that sentiment. His dreams were coming true.
“I think it’s brilliant”. Morgana was almost jubilant. “He’s going to have a lot more prospects for political marriages with this.”
“Morgana don’t encourage this!”
“Sire if I may, I can assure you that the Prince’s marriage won’t be plagued by bastards.”
“Gaius? Did you know about this?”
Geoffrey quickly intervened to save his friend the discomfort. “Sire, I would guess half the castle knew. Now that it’s out in the open, I hope I won’t see them in the archives anymore.” Arthur and Merlin didn’t feel responsible as conforming murmurs were heard all over the throne room. They were just two healthy, fit and overconfident boys madly in love in a castle filled with semi secluded places. They couldn’t always wait a couple of hours.
The king suddenly remembered that he was a father too, who apparently knew far less about his son and his life then he thought. “Then why didn’t I know about this?”
“Father, that was my decision. I love Camelot more than anything and I will do right by it. Yet I love Merlin more than anyone. I thought it unwise to confront you with that.”
“Very well, court dismissed.”
“My apologies father, there’s still the sentencing of the Witchfinder.”
Said Witchfinder startled mightily as he had hoped in vain to be forgotten. “What?!”
“You falsified evidence and fabricated a scheme to accuse a member of my household so that you could end up with a big coin purse. That’s treason, conspiracy, theft, home invasion, blackmailing. It’s probably not the first time that you do it, you seemed well practiced with your scheme. And of course there’s also the insult to my honor. Only your death will satisfy me, with your lands and wealth given to Merlin as recompense”.
The Witchfinder panicked. He quickly punched the nearest guard and seized his weapon. Arthur immediately got out of his chair and also pulled his weapon. Merlin was already standing and didn’t bother with a weapon. He clearly saw the predatory glare directed towards Morgana. A valuable yet seemingly weak hostage. One who could blow him up and doom them all should she lose control. Arthur was just in time to grab her out of the Witchfinders' reach. Which left himself vulnerable. Merlin didn’t hesitate and pushed against the Witchfinder to unbalance him. He got knocked on the head for it. Then Owain was there and dispatched the Witchfinder. Merlin gingerly lowered himself to the floor. Arthur rushed to his side.
“No, no! Merlin, stay with me.”
Gaius tried to reassure Arthur. “Sire, it's going to be alright. It’s only a big scratch really.”
All the fear of losing Merlin crashed into Arthur at once making him far more fearful about the small wound then he ought to be. He looked so concerned. Merlin didn’t like it so he tried for levity. “Another scar for you.”
“Idiot. That’s isn’t something to be proud of.”
It still did the job as Arthur composed himself before he boldly went in for a kiss, in plain view of his father and the entire court. Oh happy day.
The king quickly dismissed the court so everyone filled out while Arthur and Merlin were caught up in their own world. Gaius quickly explained to Owain the care needed for Merlin and then departed as well. Owain stayed vigilant until he helped Arthur with getting Merlin up.
As Merlin remembered that there are more than two people in the world, he gave a fond smile to Owain. “Thank you for the help.”
Owain easily returned the smile. “Anything for the lovely Merlin”.
Arthur made some noise between a scoff and a snort. “Good thing I learned to share.”