Merlin's first Master.

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

Awesome Chapter idea came from _YellowFighter_

Possible Trigger warning

Does anyone else give names you hate to characters you dont like? Or is that just me?

Five years. Merlin had been working for Arthur for five whole years. The time was flying by. Although he would never admit it, Merlin was enjoying himself.

He still remembered the day he got his job. When Arthur looked him in the eye after Uther's 'reward', Merlin had been panic-stricken. Although Gaius' reassurances had helped calm the fear slightly.

The next day outside of Arthur's chambers Merlin had nearly started hyperventilating, but Gaius' words were soothing enough for him to stop. Just a few days before Arthur had fought him rather mercilessly. The only reason Merlin hadn't been seriously injured was his magic. So of course he was frightened. Arthur seemed like a violent person.

Hunith had been extremely worried about Merlin when she found out about his new job in Camelot. With stuff that happened in the past, and his magic, it just didn't seem like a good idea. Somehow Gaius had persuaded her too. As long as Gaius took care of Merlin, and Merlin was happy, then she was okay with it.

Over the years there were a lot of close calls. Someone would almost die, something would almost kill everyone in the kingdom, or almost take over the kingdom. There were also a lot of deaths, good memories turned sad, and tragedies.

At the moment, the castle was buzzing with activity. Some nobles from a neighboring ally kingdom were forced out of their homes. They'd fled to Camelot. They were only planning on staying for a week before they had enough materials to travel back to their own kingdom. At least that's what rumours told. No one had any idea which kingdom it was though.

A maid had been explaining the gory details she'd heard from Anthony the stable hand, when he walked in... Edgar.

He strutted in with confidence and arrogance. Somehow he seemed kind and noble when you didn't know him. It was strange seeing him this way.

That was until he saw Merlin. A smirk befell his face. It brought back memories for Merlin. Quickly he raced to a place where Edgar couldn't talk to him. Arthur's room.

Shaking, he fell to the floor beside the door. Apparently when he came in, he didn't even notice Arthur sitting at his desk.

"What's wrong Merlin?" Arthur asked as he rushed to his friends side. Merlin had jumped at the sound of Arthur's voice. Seeing it was only Arthur had calmed him slightly.

"N-n-no-th-ing," Merlin stuttered obviously lying.

"Merlin, you can tell me." Arthur extended his arm to place it on Merlin's back in an attempt to calm and comfort him. When Merlin flinched away from his extended arm, Arthur knew there was something seriously wrong. "Merlin?"

Merlin took a deep breath. "Ye-yes Si-re?"

"Tell me whats wrong," Arthur demanded.

"It's not- not your prob-lem, I shouldn't- shouldn't have come- have come here." Merlin tried to stand to leave, but he was shaking too much. Falling made Merlin begin to panic even more. When Arthur caught him, his eyes went wide and his thoughts about Edgar would not stop.

Breathing bacame difficult for him as Arthur's feet were shuffling in front of him. Arthur's loud demanding shouts to guards didn't help. All Merlin wanted to do was stay curled up in a ball by himself for a while. No matter how scared he was, he had to keep breathing. In... Out.... In... Out.... In.... Merlin kept focused on his breathing.

Slowly he started to hear Gaius' voice. "Merlin... Okay... Safe," so Merlin began to focus on the raspy sound.

"He won't... I won't let him j... Breathing..."

Merlin felt his hearing fully return. Although, his panting had not at all slowed.

"Will he be alright Gaius?" Arthur asked worried.

Gaius nodded before he continued his reassuring words.

Nobody knew how long the three had been there, but it had been a while. Merlin's breathing became less frantic. He felt the fear replace with exhaustion. Soon he was lured into a quiet sleep

Arthur had no idea what just happened. First Merlin came in shaking with fear, then when Arthur had attempted to comfort him, Merlin had flinched away, and then he'd fallen asleep directly after his breathing went back to normal.

"I believe he just had a panic attack sire. I think it would be best if we brought him back to his room and gave him a week off." Gaius had heard someone say the name Edgar, and immediately knew what was wrong. The letter from Hunith explained enough.

"Give him two days off but we're desperately low on servants at the moment, so he will need to help out after that." Arthur truly wanted to give him a week off, but with the nobles staying over from Orden's kingdom, it just wasn't possible. Goerge would be extremely busy the next two days.

Without a thought, Arthur gently picked up Merlin and brought him through the route with the least people, back to Merlin's room. Gaius in tow.

As usual Merlin's room was quite messy. Multiple times, Arthur had to step over objects. As Arthur carefully laid his friend down his curiousity started to grow. Why had Merlin panicked? What was going on? Why had he flinched away? Only one man may know the answers. Gaius.

"Gaius."

"Yes your highness?"

Arthur hesitated not sure what to ask. "Why was Merlin having a panic attack?"

Gaius looked him straight in the eye in a way that made Arthur think Gaius was judging if he was trustworthy enough to know. "That is for Merlin to tell. One thing I will tell you, is to keep Merlin away from the visiting nobles for the next few days."

Questions were flooding Arthur's head again, but he could tell Gaius would tell no more. So he went back to one of his many jobs.

Under normal circumstances it would have been extremely strange for anyone to sleep for a day and a half. Considering sleepyness was at times a side effect to some panic attacks, it was slightly less strange. A day and a half of sleeping was still strange though. At least that's what Arthur was told.

The last two days had been dreadful. Absolutely horrid. George's capacity to do everything without complaints, his brass jokes and his excitement for serving Arthur. Harrowing

Today, would be worse then those days he had George.

When Merlin came in, he lacked his usual enthusiasm. "Rise and shine," he muttered. He didn't even attempt to drag Arthur out of bed today. In fact, he'd gotten him out of Bed with a wonderful aroma of food.

Normally, this would have been a good start to his day. Not with the expression Merlin was making. His glossy eyes held a certain fear, while his lip was quivering in an attempt at a smile.

Arthur turned to Merlin. "If anything happens, go straight to my chambers, or Gaius. Drop whatever your doing, and go. I'm not sure what's going on, but I know it has to be big. Considering we fought a dragon together."

Merlin chuckled at Arthur's attempt at a joke. "Thank you sire, I'll keep that in mind." Then Merlin had a bit of his grin back as he told Arthur he had training with the knights, lunch with the Nobles, and then planning the Nobles return.

The unable Prince was now awoken, dressed, and fed. So they headed to the training grounds.

"Alright Merlin, I'd like you to be there for training, and then you can clean my room, polish my armour, and sharpen my sword. After you've finished those you can go home if you wish."

Merlin was flabbergasted. Due to him barely showing it, Arthur thought it would've shocked him more.

Training had been going normally, until a few Nobles decided to come watch. Guess who was among them.

When the Nobles came in Gwaine, Elyan, and Leon had been standing nearby Merlin. They each noticed as Merlin's muscles stiffened, his eyes went wide, and he quit talking to anyone. His eyes transfixed on one of the three Nobles.

The man in particular had blond hair, and a long chubby face. His teeth seemed crooked, and deformed. The other two Nobles looked quite kind, while his presence added a harsher feel to the group.

Percival was watching from afar, and realized what was happening. He made an excuse to the men around him and walked to Merlin.

Telling of a few jobs he had for Merlin, he dragged him away without making a scene. Knowing that Percival would never give chores to someone else unless it was absolutely necessary, Gwaine and Leon followed. Their friend had just had a strange reaction to the Nobles and wanted to see what it was about.

"Merlin take deep breaths, in, out, in..." Percival knew just what to do when someone was about to panic. He'd done it multiple times before with some of his old friends.

Somehow Percival had stopped the panic attack before it really happened.

"Thank you Percival." Merlin tried to get up, but Percival gently pushed him back down.

"I think you need to talk about it. Or at least tell us what made you react like that so we can help you." Percival said as he gestured to Leon, Gwaine and himself.

Knowing there was no way out of this, he decided to just spill a bit. "Well, how do I say this," he paused, "I had a job serving a man in Orden. His name was Edgar. Let's just say that wasn't the best experience." He looked to Leon, "remember how hesitant I was to take the job as Arthur's servant? Well that was for fairly good reason. The short, musclar, blond man was Edgar."

"What did he do?" Percival asked. He was far to curious, and worried for his friend to stay his quiet, self. It seemed Gwaine and him had switched at the moment. Leon knew it was best for him to stay quiet in these situations.

"I'd rather not talk about it," was his response.

Percival believed he already knew what he did. So he swiftly reached down, and lifted his shirt. Turned out he was right. There were whip marks, and long scars. Edgar abused him.

With pain filled eyes, Merlin made each of them promise not to tell anyone.

Little did he know, that Arthur had been listening in. He was a little annoyed that Merlin never told him, but then again how could he? 'Oh by the way, my last master abused me' definitely would not have gone over well.

The nobles were already granted a week to stay, and taking it back would be extremely rude. They'd already been here for three days, so he had to make sure Merlin was alright for the next four. Arthur thought he could at least make sure nothing happened to Merlin.

The next three days Merlin was always with someone, and never near the visitors. Until one afternoon, when the maid he was working with was called upon by one of the visitors. Now he was alone. He forgot how scared being alone could make him if Edgar was around.

Merlin felt himself begin to panic, so he went towards Arthur's room. Like Arthur had told him three days in as row now.

Two turns he thought. One turn. Theres the door, I'm going to make it, I'll be fine.

Suddenly he was pulled back and slammed against a solid wall.

"Thought you could run away? I've told you before." Edgar pulled back his fist and slammed it on Merlin's jaw. "and I'll tell you again." Slam. "I will always find you." Slam. "I give you what you deserve." Slam. "You're useless Merlin." Slam.

See, Edgar didn't know the layout of the castle. He didn't know that Arthur's room was right behind this wall. So Arthur heard every word, heard every punch, and realized what was happening. Another thing Edgar didn't know was how protective Arthur was over his manservant.

Soon Edgar was the one being pummeled, while Merlin was curled up in a ball, crying. When Arthur finished he raced to his manservant and did what Percival did.

"Take deep breaths Merlin. Out... In... Out..." Arthur continued this until Merlin's breathing was normal. Just as Percival had done. Then Arthur remembered what Edgar had told Merlin. "None of what he said was true. You're not useless. You don't deserve that, nobody does. You'll never have to run away from him again. I will protect you."

Merlin nodded. He continued crying hysterically, only this time it wasn't out of fear. It was out of relief. Finally Merlin felt safe.





.

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net