Disclaimer: Merlin nor the Infernal Devices belong to me. Much of the dialogue belongs to BBC. Only any of my own original story plot belongs to me.

PLEASE READ BEFORE CONTINUING!

So for the purposes of this story, just note that some characters will be homophobic but others will not be. It will be quite obvious who are and who aren't and (especially if you've read the ships in the description) you will know which couples will be together. There will be Heronstairs BUT NO MERTHUR (normally I would but for the purposes of this story there will not but - they are only a BROTP in this story).

Fair warning, there will be some homophobic comments in this book. This does not represent my views AT ALL. It just works for the story. I will mention at the top of the chapter if any homophobic comments as a warning so please skip over if you so wish. ***************************************************************************

My dear Gaius,

I turn to you for I feel lost and alone and don't know who to trust.

It is every mother's fate to think her children are special. Yet I would give my life that Merlin and William were not. I know that I have already sent my William to live with you almost two years ago now, and he has assured me that he is safe and well despite the gifts he carries. However, I have come to realise that I must now send my other son, Merlin, to be in your care.

Ours is a small village and Merlin is so clearly at odds with people here that if he were to remain, I fear what will become of him. He needs a hand to hold, a voice to guide, someone that might help him find a purpose for his gifts. I beg you, if you understand a mother's love for her sons, keep him, and my William, safe.

Please tell Will that he must look after his brother. He knows that Merlin's gifts are more powerful than his and therefore need a great deal more controlling. They can be troublesome, I warn you Gaius, however they are close enough that they can protect each other.

May God save you all. Please, look after my second child as you have looked after my first.

With love,

Hunith Herondale

***

Merlin Herondale looked up in awe as he walked through the great gates of Camelot, staring passed them at the castle that stood tall and proud beyond. His mind was reeling at just how busy the place was! His mother had warned him that Camelot was very different to Ealdor. In Will's letters home, he often described how the city was just bursting with culture and colour. Of course, Merlin believed him (even if his brother was a clotpole) but he had just never fully understood until now.

As he wandered through the streets, he couldn't help but notice that a number of people, like him, were heading to the castle.  Furrowing his eyebrows in confusion, Merlin continued until he had walked across the drawbridge and into the main courtyard. There, a crowd had gathered around a wooden platform, a man and an executioner upon it.

"Let this serve as a lesson to all!" a powerful voice suddenly boomed over the crowd. Merlin whipped his head up and gaped at the aging yet strong man standing on the balcony above the courtyard. The King, he realised. King Uther.  

"This man," the King continued, gazing out over the crowd with his steely gaze, "Thomas James Collins, is adjudged guilty of conspiring to use enchantments and magic. And, pursuant to the laws of Camelot, I, Uther Pendragon, have decreed that such practices are banned on penalty of death. I pride myself as a fair and just king, but for the crime of sorcery, there is but one sentence I can pass."

Merlin watched in horror as Uther raised his hand and the executioner stepped forwards, holding the axe high above his head and bringing it down. He tore his eyes away just before the axe hit, unable to bear the sight. Will had said a lot about Camelot, but he never said magic was outlawed here...and not just outlawed but banned on pain of death.

"When I came to this land," Uther said, his voice now more regal. "This kingdom was mired in chaos, but with the people's help magic was driven from the realm. So I declare a festival to celebrate twenty years since the Great Dragon was captured and Camelot freed from the evil of sorcery. Let the celebrations begin." Merlin was about to gratefully move away from the awful scene but the sound of wailing once again forced him to whip his head around.

An old woman stood apart from the crowd, glaring up at Uther with hate and malice in her eyes. "There is only one evil in this land, and it is not magic!" she cried. "It is you, Uther Pendragon! With your hatred and your ignorance! You took my son! And I promise you, before these celebrations are over, you will share my tears. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a son for a son."

"Seize her!" Uther yelled, pointing at the old woman as guards rushed out to grab her. But before they can reach her, the woman begins to mutter a spell, her voice getting louder and louder until she is almost screeching. Then suddenly, the ground shook as she disappeared in a whirl of wind.

Merlin stared in horror before deciding to quickly vacate the area, rushing to the nearest guard. "Where would I find Gaius, the- the court physician?" he stammered, feeling shaken. The guard jabbed a finger to a flight of stairs and Merlin nodded gratefully, climbing quickly and swiftly.

 "Hello? Gaius?" Merlin called as he reached the door, entering and looking around. "Will? Gaius? Are you there?" There was a sudden cry and Merlin looked up just in time to see the old man fall backwards from the stairs, the wooden railing snapping. Without thinking, his eyes quickly flashed gold as his magic rose to the surface, slowing time down immediately. He then threw a hand out to the bed, pushing it so it just about broke Gaius' fall as the spell broke.

"What did you just do?" Gaius demanded, pushing himself off the bed and stalking towards Merlin.

"I- I- I have no idea what happened," Merlin said, stumbling over his words in an attempt to cover himself. The execution of the sorcerer was still fresh on his mind and he really didn't want his first few moments in Camelot to end with his head chopped off.

" If anyone had seen that-" Gaius started.

"Er, no! That- that was, that was nothing to do with me. That- that was..." Merlin tried to think up with an excuse but couldn't, all power over the English language leaving him.

" I know what it was! I just want to know where you learned how to do it! Where did you study?... Answer me!" Gaius shouted, clearly getting more and more angry.

" I- I've never studied magic or, or been taught," Merlin replied honestly, his cheeks burning red.

"Are you lying to me, boy?" Gaius growled. Merlin blinked, feeling hopelessly lost. When he was in Ealdor and someone confronted him, usually Will would always be there to help him out. But that hadn't been so in the last two years and he hadn't gotten any better at standing up for himself.

" What do you want me to say?!" he exclaimed.

"The truth!"

"I was born like this!"

"That's impossible! Who are you?"

"Oh, erm..."

"Merlin?" The voice came from behind him and he spun around to see none other than his brother standing in the doorway, a satchel slung over his shoulder. "Haha! By the heavens above, Merlin!" Will rushed forwards and threw his arms around his brother, slapping him on the back. "It's so good to see you, little brother."

"Will," Merlin said, relieved that finally Will had come to save him.

"Wait a minute, you're Hunith's son?" Gaius said, clearly amazed that he hadn't seen it before. Both the boys' black hair and blue eyes should have given it away.

"Yes!" Will laughed, shaking his head. "Gaius, this is my younger brother, Merlin. Merlin, I see you've already met Gaius. He's been looking after me for the past two years."

"Will, you never told me you're brother had magic!" Gaius said, looking at the other boy incredulously.

"Oh, that little thing," Will said, waving his hand in front of his face. "Sorry, Gaius. I didn't think to mention that. Although, I would have thought you'd have figured it out considering I'm an Oracle and all." Merlin nodded, knowing what Will was talking about. Ever since he was small, Will had for some reason got feelings about things. At first, it almost looked like pure luck. He'd catch cups that were knocked off tables as if he had known it was about to happen. But as he got older, Will got more and more feelings, which led to the rare occasion when he'd get Visions.

Visions could be a nasty affair. Sometimes they might only last a minute, but other times they could last hours on end, leaving Will completely paralysed no matter what he was doing. The price of the Vision depended on how serious it was. The smaller ones might only mean that Will feels dizzy for a few minutes. But the longer ones meant that Will could be in bed for days on end with a flu and fever and violent seizures.

Even rarer could Will actually request a Vision. All Merlin knew was that the Tripple Goddess was source of Will's knowledge over the future, but She only let him see certain things. Rarely, Will could 'request' a Vision, but it didn't get granted most of the time.

Their mother had sent Will to Camelot two years ago in the hope that Gaius may be able to help. And now, she had done the same with Merlin.

"Yes, yes, but he can use magic without spells!" Gaius continued to protest. Will looked at him with an eyebrow raised, sending a disapproving glare at Merlin.

"What did you do this time, Merlin?"

Sheepishly, Merlin explained that he had seen Gaius fall from the stairs and just acted. He begged Will to understand that it just happened. Will only rolled his eyes, clapping his brother's shoulder once more. "Well, good job, I suppose," he said. "But just try not to let it happen in front of anyone else. Gaius has protected my secret for years, but with your clumsiness he might have a lot more explaining to do."

"I'll be careful," Merlin promised.

"Hmm."

"Right then. You better put your bag in there," Gaius said, pointing to door on the other side of the room. "You'll have to share with Will, unfortunately. Although he's not here for most of the week. Always seems to be with Jem-"

"That's enough of that, Gaius," Will quickly said, his cheeks burning red slightly. Merlin grinned, smirking at Will who only rolled his eyes. Oh, how quickly did they fall back into their old routine of teasing each other mercilessly.

Will took Merlin's bag from him and led the way to their chambers.

"Oh and Merlin," Gaius called, making the boy turn around. "I should really say thank you." Merlin only smiled and nodded, already feeling that Gaius can be someone he trusted other than Will in this strange place. Then he turned on his heel and followed Will up to their room.

***

"So who's Jem?" Merlin asked, crookedly smiling at Will. Will only groaned, throwing his head back on his pillow. It was late at night and both boys were lying in their respective beds, talking to each other about Will's life here and what was going on at home.

"He's one of the Princes," Will replied. "The oldest one, Prince James Pendragon."

"Oh," Merlin said, still grinning mischievously. "Is he the boy you were telling mother about?"

"Oi, those were private letters to mother, not for your eyes, you clotpole!" Will said, throwing his pillow at Merlin who ducked.

"So it is," Merlin snickered. "You're in love with the Crown Prince, no less!"

"I'm his manservant!" Will groaned. "He's my employer, and you're not getting anything more out of me. But he's not the Crown Prince. That's Arthur Pendragon." Merlin pushed himself up on one elbow.

"Oh? But you said James is the oldest?" he questioned.

"He is," Will agreed, but his voice was sad suddenly and Merlin sensed that their joking mood was over. "But he was born with a terrible illness. Once Arthur was born two years after Jem, Uther declared that Jem was too sick to ever take the throne. To be honest, they never expected him to live past fifteen. But he has. Anyway, Arthur is the heir to the throne. Although if you ask me, Jem would make a much better king."

There was silence for a minute.

"So, do you like him?" Merlin asked. Will shifted his head to look over at Merlin's side of the room.

"Well, you've read my letters," he snorted. "What do you think?" Merlin only rolled his eyes, smirking slightly. "But Merlin...please, don't tell anyone about this. No one knows apart from Gaius and the Lady Tessa. And if the King found out that Jem and I are in a relationship...I don't want to think about what would happen to him."

"You mean what would happen to you," Merlin said worriedly, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I'm not worried about me," Will replied. "But I do worry about Jem." Merlin let out an unsatisfied noise.

"He better be worth it, this prince."

"Oh don't worry. He is."

***

The next morning, Merlin woke to see Will already dressed and eating his breakfast. Gaius gave him some water to wash with before handing him a bowl of porridge which he gratefully took. "So," Will said, drinking his water. "I'll be back late from work today, but I'm sure Gaius can give you some jobs to do until we find you a paid job. Will you be alright here?"

"He'll be fine, Will," Gaius replied, smiling at him. "But you better be off. You wouldn't want to keep the prince waiting." Will smirked, rolling his eyes as he said his goodbyes and disappeared into the castle. It didn't take long for Gaius to hand Merlin a bag of medicines and give him strict instructions on who to give them to and how much they should take. Merlin nodded, grinning as he took his sandwich and ran off.

Despite some mishaps with Sir Olwin, Merlin managed to finish his rounds fairly quickly, so quickly in fact that he decided to take a walk into the city. Walking over the drawbridge, Merlin spotted Will standing with a regal looking silver haired boy who was drawing back a bow and arrow and shooting at a target. Will was standing there, grinning like an idiot at something the other boy had said as he passed him another arrow. That must be Jem, Merlin thought.

Next to them was a group of knights who were all laughing at a young man trying to drag a big wooden board across the field. A golden haired knight was standing at the head of the group, leading the teasing of the poor man. Merlin immediately disliked him.

"The target is in the sun," the knight said.

"But it's not that bright, sire," the servant protested.

"A bit like you then," the knight bit back, making the others behind him burst out in laughter again. Merlin watched in distaste as the servant dragged the board back again but only to have knives thrown at him while he went.

"Hey! Wait a minute!"

"Well, don't stop!" the knight ordered as the servant ran backwards, tripping up and falling. The target board rolled to Merlin's feet where he stepped on it.

"Hey, come on, that's enough," he said, addressing the knight. The lord looked utterly shocked.

"What?"

"You've had your fun, my friend," Merlin said, still keeping a friendly smile on his face. By this point, Will had just looked over from the archery range, spotting Merlin and the golden haired knight. Merlin ignored the look of alarm on Will's face. He didn't need Will to fight all his battles. He could handle this on his own.

"Do I know you?" the knight asked.

"Err, I'm Merlin," he said, holding out a hand but he was brushed away.

"So I don't know you," the knight continued.

"No," Merlin replied, pulling back his hand.

"Yet you called me friend," the golden haired man said, his voice with a dangerous undertone.

"My mistake," Merlin said. "I could never have a friend who is such an ass."

"Nor I one who could be so stupid," the knight spat. Suddenly, Merlin felt a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back. Will had appeared between the two, trying to push Merlin behind him.

"Forgive my brother, my lord," he said, gritting his teeth. "He's very new here and hasn't yet learnt not to poke his nose where it doesn't belong." The knight pointed a dagger at Merlin.

"This is your brother, Will?" he asked, snorting. "Hmm, I can see who got the brains then." Will laughed nervously.

"Yes, sire."

"Well then, I guess you won't mind if Merlin and I settle this like men," the knight said, smirking. "Come on then, Merlin. Have a go! Come on!" Before Will could stop him, Merlin darted around him and took a swing at the arrogant knight. Unfortunately for him, he had forgotten that the knight was very well trained and twisted Merlin's arm behind his back before he had even blinked.

"I'll have you thrown in jail for that," the knight chuckled.

"Who do you think you are?" Merlin asked. "The King?"

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

Will face-palmed.

***

"Merlin..."

Merlin leapt up from the floor of his cell as the deep, booming voice echoed in his brain.

"Merlin..."

What the heck was that?

"Merlin!" It was Will, walking down the corridor. The guard opened the cell door and he entered, stalking towards him with the look of hell plastered on his face.

"Will-" Merlin said but abruptly stopped when his brother clipped him round the ear.

"You absolute idiot!" Will shouted. "The one thing I told you to do was keep your head down and don't get into trouble, but what did you do? You decided to take a swing at the Crown Prince! And not just that, my employer's brother, of all things! Are you trying to get us both banished? Or worse, killed?!"

"I'm sorry," Merlin yelped. "But Arthur...he's just an ass." Will groaned in frustration, his face falling into hands.

"What am I going to do with you?" he mumbled, shaking his head.

"Well...maybe get me released?" Merlin asked sweetly. Will glared at him.

"I'm tempted to leave you here," he snarled.

"Will," a voice gently chided from outside the cell. "That's not very nice." Merlin looked up to see the silver haired boy that Will was with earlier enter. This time, he was dressed much more finely with a deep red tunic and cloak as well as a golden crown upon his silver head. But his face was kind and his voice soft, nothing like Arthur at all. However, Merlin was particularly startled by the paleness of the prince's skin and the thinness of his frame. Will had mentioned that Jem was ill, but Merlin hasn't appreciated just how dangerously so.

"You must be Merlin," Prince James said with a smile. "I had wondered when we'd meet."

"Your highness," Merlin said, bowing.

"There's no need for that," the prince said, holding out a hand so Merlin would rise. "Just call me Jem. Everyone does."

"Jem is here to let you out," Will grumbled. "Because luckily for you, I managed to pull some strings." Jem only rolled his eyes.

"Honestly, William," he said. "So dramatic."

"Thank you...Jem," Merlin replied quickly.

"Don't thank me yet, Merlin," Jem replied. "As much as my brother can be a bully and needs to learn his lesson, he is also the Crown Prince, and so I can't let you go completely unpunished. But Will chose your punishment, so I expect he'll be lenient."

"Oh...thank you, sire," Merlin mumbled, not entirely thrilled by Jem's proposition.

"I will leave you to it, then," Jem said, nodding to them both. "I must go see my father. He wants us all to have lunch with Lady Helen after her arrival last night." He turned to Will. "I expect I will see you tonight before the feast?." Will nodded.

"Yes of course," he said.

"Good. Well, it was nice meeting you Merlin," Jem said with a smile. "I hope we will see much more of each other." And with that, Jem vacated the cell.

Will turned to Merlin, a slow, evil grin spreading on his face.

Merlin gulped.

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Second part is up next! Hope you enjoyed it!