Date Published: September 9th, 2022
Word Count: 9445
A/N: Dragonlords are more common and can turn themselves into dragons in this, because I was sick of mostly seeing this AU used for damn smut so I said, "Fine... I'll do it myself."

If you asked Merlin, he'd say it was pretty stupid that the Pendragon family hated dragons. The fact that he, the greatest dragonlord to ever live, was destined to serve and protect a prince that would kill his kind without hesitation, was some kind of cruel joke by the Triple Goddess.

Dragons and dragonlords had grown harder and harder to come by as the years of Uther's reign passed. Merlin had never known a time he didn't live in fear of being discovered. His father had been off traveling the five kingdoms finding, rescuing, and relocating dragons in danger since before he was born. It was his very normal mother who first experienced Merlin's gift when her baby sneezed out a small flame while he had a cold. She told him all about how he would accidentally poof himself into a tiny dragon when he was a toddler, though he doesn't remember it himself. With Hunith's patience and maternal skills, she'd managed to teach him how to prevent any of his powers happening by accident. It was enough to keep him from being discovered by fellow citizens of Ealdor. However, it was truly a blessing that his father came to visit when he turned ten.

Hunith had written to her husband about the birth of Merlin, but it took a long time for the letter to find him with how often he moved locations. When it did find him, Balinor was working with a small group of dragon lords to relocate a colony of dragons. The task was a difficult and arduous one that prevented the dragonlord from coming to Ealdor for several years, even after learning of his son's birth.

Merlin remembered waking up to find a dragon carved out of wood on his bedside table. It only took him a matter of days to be able to change form at will with the help of his father. Balinor had been astonished by how fast he learned. He'd said that no dragonlord he'd ever heard of was able to transform so easily at such a young age. He had taken him to meet Kilgharrah, one of the oldest living dragons alive. He had shared his father's shock at his powers.

Looking back on that night, Merlin cursed that old dragon. Kilgharrah spoke only in riddles and said he had a great destiny. Apparently he was one side of a coin and it was his destiny to bring peace between the people and dragons. It was his fate to protect the Once and Future King. His ten-year-old self didn't comprehend what that old lizard had meant by this. Young Merlin had been too busy being giddy about finally talking to a real dragon and at the time, a destiny sounded cool.

It was now that he had been in the service of said Once and Future King for over a year, Merlin really wasn't sure this whole destiny thing was so great anymore. Arthur Pendragon was a spoiled, stuck-up, arrogant prat. Sometimes the young dragonlord didn't know why he saved his life all that time ago; those thoughts lasted only seconds before his gut twisted uncomfortably at the idea of Arthur dying.

Merlin couldn't believe how quickly he'd grown to care about the prince. Despite getting off on the wrong foot and dealing with his ego on a daily basis, there was nothing he wouldn't do for Arthur. He knew how ridiculous it was. He was willing to die for him within a week of being his servant. Like he said, the prince would likely kill him in seconds if he knew what Merlin really was. He blamed his so-called destiny and the "two sides of a coin" nonsense for his unreasonable amount of dedication to Arthur. He also blamed it for the way his stomach flipped happily whenever he made him laugh. For the way that his cheeks felt warm when they held eye contact for too long. For the way his skin tingled whenever he touched it.

Every time he pushed the feelings into the back of his mind. He put them in a cage and locked the key. It was foolish for him to even bother with such thoughts. Merlin was a servant and secretly a dragonlord. Arthur was the Crown Prince of Camelot, destined to become the greatest king in history. They weren't compatible.

He tried to remind himself of this as he rode closely behind the prince as they traveled. Another quest, another mission, always the same. A group of bandits running amuck in an outer village. Merlin huffed out a sigh. He was sick of being on a horse, as much as he loved his mare. They had been riding for a couple days. Of course they stopped to rest in between, but then it was right back on the horse. The young dragonlord knew deep down that they needed to, that they needed to get to the outer village to help as soon as they were able, or risk the loss of life. He knew and believed it was the right thing to do in his heart; that didn't stop him from being annoyed right now.

"We'll be there within the hour. Are you going to stop sulking now, Merlin?"

Arthur's voice pulled him back to the present. The prince was looking over his shoulder at him with a smug expression. Color rose into his face as he ducked his head away. He hadn't realized he'd been so obviously frustrated during their journey. "I'm just tired, sorry sire."

"Wow, you must be tired to be using my title like a proper servant," the prince replied. Beneath the taunting tone was a hint of genuine shock. He pulled his horse to slow down slightly to fall in stride beside him. Merlin swore in his mind; the last thing he needed was Arthur worrying about him when they had a village to protect. "You're not getting sick, are you? It would be awfully rude of us to save these kind people from these bandits just for you to make them all ill."

Merlin was once again locking up the cage in his mind. He knew what the prince was doing; he was pretending to care about the village getting sick, but he was really making sure he wasn't while trying to sound disinterested. Every once in a while, he would get reminded that Arthur cared under his arrogant façade. It was in the prince's character to care about everyone within Camelot's borders and even those beyond it. He was a prat on the outside, but his heart was true; he'd revived a unicorn to prove it. However, Merlin couldn't dismiss how much he seemed to care about him. There were moments that he thought he might care about him as much as Gwen, or Morgana, or his fellow knights. It felt preposterous to suggest given how Arthur treated him normally, but those few moments...

The young dragonlord shook his head forcefully to clear his thoughts. "I'm sick of putting up with you for one," he quipped back, letting the corner of his lip twitch up.

"Well, clearly you're fine," Arthur huffed, dramatically rolling his eyes in what was probably fake annoyance at this point. There was relief in his voice though. The prince shook his head and lamented. "I express my concern for my servant only to be repaid with snide remarks and insults."

Arthur was being full on ridiculous at this point, and Merlin couldn't help but start laughing. His exhaustion was a drifting thought. His chest felt lighter as he continued his fits of giggling. When he was finally able to open his eyes again, Merlin saw Arthur's face. There was a lopsided smirk there. The young dragonlord's heart lurched as he realized again what the prince was doing. From the outside, it looked mostly like he was engaging in their normal banter. Even if he was being a bit more theatrical than normal, it still looked like the simple exchange of insults and sarcasm they were known for.

Merlin knew differently. The satisfaction in his smile and the twinkling in his eyes gave away his true intentions. Arthur was trying to make him laugh on purpose, to cheer him up. The blush that was surely appearing on his face was involuntary. This was another one of those moments.

"You know, sire, if the whole prince thing doesn't work out, you'd make a good performer," he said. He tried to keep his voice level, calm, but still pleasant. He didn't want to cross a boundary, but he wanted Arthur to know it was working. "Perhaps a good fool or jester!"

It was the prince's turn to let out a loud laugh at his comment. Merlin's stomach flipped with triumph of causing it, biting back what would surely look like a dopey grin at the sound.

"Has Gaius checked you for that mental affliction yet?" Arthur countered.

The two of them stared at each other with shared smirks as they rode side by side. They had reached the stalemate of their battle. The longer the stare down lasted, the more sure Merlin was that his face was turning red. He pointedly ignored it.  The prince smiled and shrugged it off, lifting his chin and regaining some of his royal composure. He nodded to the path ahead. He made a small motion with his reigns, starting to pull forward again. Though as Arthur finished passing him, he murmured with one last reassuring smile. "We'll be there very soon."

Merlin didn't trust himself to speak. He was grateful that the prince turned his focus forward so he couldn't see his state. It made his knees slightly weak whenever Arthur spoke to him like that, like he was the only person there that mattered.

He took a deep breath as he tried to regain his composure too. For him, it was much more difficult. The emotions running through him were slightly overflowing. The dragon in him was an animal and its emotions were raw and untamed. Everything Merlin felt was amplified. He reminded himself to breathe, to focus. He didn't fight the feelings as they washed over him, but rather contained them.

A smile crossed his lips. With the amount of joy pent up inside him at that moment, it was practically impossible for him not to smile. He let himself; there was no reason to fight it with Arthur's back turned to him.

The rest of their journey went by quickly. The trees were thinning and giving way to the field where the small village sat. However, something was off. Merlin noted as they rode closer the marks of destruction. There were buildings reduced to their foundations. Others were still standing, but were uninhabitable. He scanned the village with his keen eye. There were plenty of indications that a group of bandits had attacked. Arrows were lodged into walls. Carts were toppled over in the street. The village seemed devoid of people, likely hiding in their homes. Merlin swallowed. Everything seemed normal for an attack, but there was something he couldn't put his finger on.

Arthur announced their presence, projecting his voice to reach people in their houses. "I am Prince Arthur Pendragon of Camelot. Word reached us of attacks. We have come to provide aid!" he called.

There were a couple beats of silence, but villagers slowly started exiting their homes. They looked shaken and fearful despite the prince's words.

"You've come to help us?" a voice spoke up.

As the villagers gathered, a woman stepped forward to address Arthur directly. She held herself with confidence before the prince. Merlin could tell she was the leader of the town, the person that everyone looked to for help or guidance.

Arthur nodded and dismounted his horse. As he moved forward to shake her hand in greeting, Merlin and the others followed suit.

"What can you tell me about the people attacking your village?" he asked, looking around at the damage. "There's a lot of fire damage, is it from flaming arrows or catapults?"

The woman scowled. "We're not sure," she said. "The fires always just start, like someone's sparked up a bonfire. None of us have been able to see the cause during the attacks."

Merlin felt himself frowning at the information. He didn't love when bandits had a taste for fire. As a dragon lord, fire was close to his heart, but it was viewed as a force of destruction. People using it to incite terror in others didn't help.

"When do they usually strike?" Leon was asking as he snapped out of his thoughts.

"Always in the evening or at night," the woman replied. She gestures toward the forest opposite from where they had come from. "People who have seen them coming say they come out of those trees."

Arthur began instructing his knights to set up a basic set of defenses at that edge of the village. Merlin felt slightly out of place for a moment; he never knew where he should be when preparing for a fight. Was he supposed to help the knights with the defenses? Maybe he help the villagers who couldn't fight make their way to the safer side of the village. He could also start setting out their weapons-

"Merlin, don't just stand there! Go help the villagers move!" Arthur said in annoyance.

He rolled his eyes at his tone, but nodded. There was no point in starting an argument over his attitude when they only had a few hours before the sun started setting.

These few hours felt like they flew by. Merlin and Ruth, the woman in charge, helped arrange the villagers into groups. Those who some skill fighting were sent to receive armor and weapons from the knights. Those who were strong helped the others gather their things into the safe houses. Merlin kept a careful eye on the sun, which dipped lower and lower. He was guiding the last group of villagers to one of the safe houses when the sky finally turned dark. As he ushered the last couple kids through the door, he overheard their conversation.

"I hope the monster doesn't come this time," a little boy was saying.

Merlin's heart jumped as his attention immediately focused on them. "I keep telling you there's no monster, Charlie, you're just seeing things," a little girl replied. "You're just making that up because you're a scaredy cat who's afraid of his own shadow. You probably saw a big cloud!"

"No, I didn't! It was a big monster, I swear!" the boy, Charlie whined.

The young dragonlord immediately dropped down to his level. "Hey, you saw a monster?" he asked. The boy nodded and ducked his head. "I believe you. Can you tell me what it looked like? Where did you see it?"

Charlie met his eyes again, nodding vigorously. "It was big! Like, bigger than a house! It was flying! It had these huge wings, I couldn't see the stars because they blocked them. I saw it spitting fire at the village, but no one believes me! I'm the only one that's seen it!"

Merlin felt his throat closing up in realization. He thanked the boy and bolted for the knights. He knew what was wrong about the destruction. The fires had been too devastating to be caused by a person. It was caused by a dragon, which meant that they were all in danger and unprepared. His heart was racing, pumping adrenaline through his veins as the defenses made it into his view. He needed to warn Arthur.

The sounds of yelling made his stomach drop in fear. He nearly tripped as he saw the bandits rushing out of the trees toward them. The attack had started. Merlin kept running, looking up and around for the dragon he knew could arrive at any moment. The some of the knights were running to meet the bandits while the others stayed at the defenses with bows. He huffed out a frustrated breath as he spotted Arthur leading the charge. It wasn't a surprise, but it was certainly a problem when he needed to get to him.

He shook his nerves out and sprinted out into the field. The fighting was more intense than it should be for a simple bandit attack. The men were more skilled and better equipped. Merlin dodged and weaved through the chaos, looking for the prince. "Arthur!"

Through the din of the battle, there was no chance he would be heard, but he still tried. His fear was starting to build by the second. There was a shift in the energy in the air. His senses were on high alert, as though a part of him knew something was coming before anything else. Merlin turned his gaze to the sky, scanning for the shape of the dragon. It wasn't there yet. He still had time.

Merlin continued weaving around the fight, heart racing as he dodged blades and axes. He finally spotted the prince's blond hair through the crowd. "Arthur!" he yelled, running toward him. Arthur turned toward him, eyes widening in surprise and confusion. Merlin kept trying to push his way to him so he could explain. "We have to get out of here!"

Arthur seemed to hear him but didn't seem to understand. He opened his mouth to yell back, but was cut off by a blade swinging at his head. He dodged it expertly and engaged his opponent. Merlin felt the air shift again and his enhanced hearing picked up on the sound of wing beats. It was approaching. They were running out of time.

"ARTHUR!" he tried again. The prince was busy fighting now, but kept glancing wildly his direction. Merlin was almost close enough to tell him, but suddenly there was an arm around his throat.

It yanked him backwards, making him gag and gasp. As he was dragged back, he noticed that a lot of the bandits had split off from where the fighting was happening. They were moving away from the center of the field; they knew the dragon was coming. He felt himself panicking. He squirmed and fought against the man holding him. Merlin's survival instincts were screaming at him to change form, but he ignored them. Shoving his elbow into the man's gut, he managed to break free for a moment. "There's a dra-"

He was cut off by another bandit punching him in the face. He felt the pain in his jaw immediately as he stumbled slightly. The punch was dizzying, but he managed to stay on his feet. However, the other bandit had recovered and grabbed hold of his right arm. The other bandit held his left arm. The two of them had clearly figured out what he was trying to do. Merlin panicked, trying to find Arthur again. The prince killed his enemy and looked around as though he was searching for him.

"ARTHUR!" he screamed.

He definitely heard him, locking his gaze on him immediately. "Shut up you little-" Merlin didn't hear the rest of his sentence because the wing beats of the dragon had grown so loud to him that his head throbbed. The two men started dragging him away as he fought against their grip. The prince was running towards them, but he kept getting cut off.

That's when the shadow appeared from above the trees. Merlin watched in horror as it flew over and spat balls of fire at the knights. Yells and screams echoed from the field as people began to realize what was happening. Some of the bandits were abandoning the fight completely, leaving mostly Camelot's men in the center as the dragon landed on the ground a few hundred yards in front of them.

Merlin kept struggling against the men holding him as the dragon stared the knights down. He heard Arthur commanding his men to converge on him. They raised their weapons with courage but he knew it would be futile. The maroon and blood colored dragon looked at them with satisfaction and amusement. It stomped his foot, imitating a animal about to charge.

The young dragonlord fought against the weight keeping him back in desperation. The dragon let out a puff of breath that Merlin heard was a laugh. "No, no, no, no, Arthur!" he cried out. The dragon began to charge toward them, ready to snatch the prince into its jaws. It opened his mouth to let out a mocking roar.

Time suddenly seemed to slow as Merlin felt his control snap. His dragon strength surged through him as he shoved the men off of him and sent them flying. His feet tore up the ground behind him as he sprinted toward the fight. The dragon was getting closer and the prince was not moving. Rage and fear wash over his entire being as he changed. He felt himself grow and transform. He wasn't as big as Kilgharrah, or even this dragon, but he didn't care. He roared and rammed into the side of the enemy dragon's head.

~~~

All of the men in the field fell to their knees, knocked off their feet by the force of the maroon colored dragon's body slamming into the ground. It let out a shocked and angry roar as it fell. Arthur looked up immediately, confused by why the dragon didn't make it to him. That's when he saw it. His heart jumped and he was worried it might give out before the day was done. He felt like he couldn't breathe.

There was a dragon standing in front of him. Its feet where only a yard or two away from his place in the ground. The prince could feel the weighted presence of the creature in the air above him as he gazed at it. This dragon was significantly smaller than the blood-colored one. It's scales were black, with the occasional shimmer of deep blue and silver when the moonlight hit right. Arthur couldn't help but stare at it in awe for a moment before his instincts kicked back in.

There were two dragons now. Where had the black one even come from? This was a serious problem. How were he and the knights supposed to take down one, let alone two? He got to his feet and took a fighting stance preemptively, but then he noticed something.

The black one was standing with its back turned to them. It was facing the maroon dragon, who had been inexplicably knocked across the field. Arthur looked up at the black dragon in confusion.

The maroon dragon wore a shocked expression as it looked the new dragon up and down. It seemed to look at the black dragon with recognition and spoke. "A dragonlord," it said, voice rumbling. The sound shook the prince's bones. "I sense much strength in you. Why do you fight your kin?"

Arthur froze, looking between the two dragons. A dragonlord; a human being capable of breathing fire and transforming oneself into a dragon. This would explain why he didn't see the dragon before now, they were a human. He looked behind him at all the bandits and knights who were watching the interaction, same as he was. His mind started to spin; was the dragonlord a bandit? Had they been among the villagers? Or... was it someone from Camelot? His throat closed up at the thought but he didn't have time to think about it before the dragon spoke again.

"Surely you must know the Pendragons and their devastation of our kind," it said. He looked up to see the maroon dragon staring directly at him. He felt his gut drop. "They treat us like common game, hunt us down like simple-minded animals. They have slain thousands of our kind! As a dragonlord of such power, surely you recognize that they should pay for the dragon blood they've spilled. This is our perfect opportunity to strip Uther Pendragon of his son, and only heir, to halt the continuation of their murderous bloodline."

It made a move to step around the black dragon to get to Arthur, as though it assumed they were in agreement. He prepared his sword out of instinct but to his bewilderment, the black dragon blocked the other dragon's path to him. He gazed up with wide eyes; was this dragonlord protecting him?

The other beast's expression turned to one of disgust and anger. "The prince does not deserve your loyalty, young dragonlord," it hissed. "He would kill you just as he would me if he could."

Arthur's stomach churned; he had been told the stories of his father's conquests over the dragons and their people. He always got the impression that the dragons his father killed were intelligent creatures. The king would describe them as having emotions, laughing about how a creature so powerful could look so frightened. He had hoped he would never have to face a dragon or a dragonlord in real life. Hunting game is one thing, but dragons could speak, demonstrate emotions, and that wasn't even taking into account the dragonlords who walked the line between human and what Uther thought was a beast. Arthur didn't know what he would do.

The black dragon crouched down, like an animal prepared to fight. The other dragon recognized his movements and followed suit. "I have no wish to fight my own kin, but if you choose to protect the prince, I will have no choice," it warned. Arthur looked up at the black dragon, expecting it to back down. Instead, it growled challengingly. The prince blinked in shock. The other dragon snarled in anger. "So be it!"

The lumbering dragon ran toward the black dragon with a roar. It ran to meet it, lunging at its opponent. They slammed together as they each tried to claw and bite the other. The black dragon used its smaller size to dodge the dragon's jaws. It snaked its way underneath it and jumped up to dig its teeth into its shoulder. It roared in fury and shook him off. Arthur gasped as the black dragon stumbled from its strength. The other dragon slammed its clawed foot against the side of its snout.

It roared in pain as it fell from the blow. The prince watched in horror as it tried to scramble to it feet, but the black dragon was pinned down onto its back by the larger beast. The maroon dragon went in for the kill, but it managed to move so that its jaws hit its shoulder instead. Another pained roar echoed across the field as its teeth broke the flesh.

Arthur's heart twisted, feeling like he should help but knowing there was really nothing he could do. The black dragon shook its head and growled. It kicked its hind legs hard against the bigger dragon's stomach. It managed to unbalance the maroon dragon and kicked again to get it off.

The black dragon stood up, though it was clearly limping. It still faced the other dragon, bracing for another attack. Instead, the beast leapt into the air. It hovered there for a moment before opening its mouth. Arthur scowled, watching the dragon. It didn't look like it was aiming for the other dragon, it was aiming at...

The prince gasped as the fireball hurtled towards him. He raised his arms to protect himself involuntarily. The flames came closer, but he felt the ground shake with the movement of the black dragon. Arthur opened his eyes and time felt like it slowed down.

The black dragon dove in front of him. The fireball collided with its chest, creating an explosive sound. The dragon hit the ground, roaring pitifully in pain. The prince's eyes widened. There was not a doubt now; this dragonlord was protecting him. Arthur almost ran to help it, taking a step toward it out of instinct. It was struggling to get to its feet. It was readjusting its footing over and over again, like things were starting to sway.

It was looking at the ground, unaware of the maroon dragon's circling overhead. The prince watched as it flew downward right toward the black dragon. "LOOK OUT!" he yelled, surprising himself.

The black dragon's head snapped up at the warning. It had just enough time to react. It jumped and dug its claws into the maroon dragon's wing, yanking it down onto the ground. The earth shook. It roared in anger, but didn't stay down long. It got to its feet and launched itself at the black dragon. It reared to met it, swiping its claws at it. They were locked in combat, gripping each other like a couple of bears.

The maroon dragon suddenly whacked its tail into the black dragon's back feet. It fell forward, perfectly timed for the beast to smack its head with a loud clap. Arthur felt his heart racing. He hoped the black dragon could recover, but it wasn't quick enough. The maroon dragon delivered a series of hits as to its face as it tried to back away.

The black dragon's legs gave out beneath it as it knelt on the ground, panting and gasping for air. Arthur's chest tightened. The larger dragon loomed over it, lowing its head to look it in the eye. "I have no desire to kill you, young dragonlord," it said.

It turned and began stalking toward him and the knights. The black dragon wasn't getting up, it was whimpering and hissing pitifully in pain. Arthur looked toward the maroon dragon in front of them and raised his weapons in preparation.

With a roar, it began swiping at them, grinning to itself like it was a game. It could roast them all in seconds. It wanted to drag it out. Arthur dodged the dragon's claws, trying to slice its legs when they neared him. The beast locked onto him and swung at him. He managed to dodge it, but one of the claws caught his arm. It sliced cleanly through his armor. Arthur dropped his sword as he cried out. He knelt down in the grass, holding his arm as he tried to manage the pain.

The crimson dragon let out a laugh as it stepped forward to finish the job. Arthur closed his eyes, waiting. Suddenly, the black dragon was stepping between the dragon and Arthur once more. He looked up at the bleeding and battered dragon that still trying to protect him. "You're a persistent one, I'll give you that. However, I need you to move, or I will kill you."

The black dragon suddenly turned its head, looking at him. It's giant blue eyes stared into his as he gasped. They felt so human and so familiar. The dragon let a small huff and turned back to face the bigger one. Arthur's chest constricted, but he didn't know why. Maybe it was because its eyes reminded him of Merlin-

His heart dropped. He quickly looked around, scanning the field for the form of his manservant. The black dragon was a dragonlord. They were a person who transformed into a dragon. They had been on the field during the fight, before the maroon dragon showed up. They were someone from Camelot. They were fighting tooth and claw to protect him specifically. Arthur couldn't find Merlin among the people on the field.

He looked back at the black dragon with wide eyes. Merlin was the dragon. Merlin was a dragonlord. He had been a dragonlord the whole time he'd been working for Arthur. He had to listen to all of his father's speeches about wiping dragons and their human kin from the earth. He lived in danger of being found out and put to death, every single day. He thought about what the maroon dragon had said earlier. Arthur felt heat building behind his eyes that he stubbornly ignored. He prayed Merlin didn't think he would kill him for who he is.

The sounds of his surroundings pulled him back into reality. Merlin was still standing between him and the other dragon. "I said move!" the beast roared, taking a step toward him.

Arthur was about to tell him to stop before he got himself killed, but he watched as Merlin's dragon form took a deep breath. There was a moment of stillness; then he exhaled. A plume of bright blue fire shot from his mouth. It hit the other dragon, and it shrieked out in pain. It staggered away immediately, rolling on the ground to try and stop its skin and scales from burning.

"What is this?!" the dragon cried in confusion. "Blue flames- I have never seen anything like this! It is hotter than any fire I have ever felt!"

It stumbled backwards as Merlin blew out another stream of blue flames. It let out a screech as it melted parts of its flesh. Arthur felt fear rip through him as he watched the scene. It was clear that Merlin had the power to turn the citadel into ruins with the power of his flames. The maroon dragon fell to the ground in front of him, writhing in pain. Merlin loomed over it and finally spoke. "Go, and if you ever try to hurt Arthur or Camelot again, I will turn you ash."

It nodded and struggled to its feet before leaping into the air. It flew fast away from the village. Arthur watched in awe, looking between the fleeing dragon and the black dragon in front of him. The black dragon that was Merlin. Once the other dragon was out of sight, the confidence and stability in his posture dissolved. His head drooped and began panting again. Arthur started walking toward him, but Merlin turned his head to look back at him. He was blinking slowly, like he was about to pass out. He looked back at all the knights for a moment before running into the trees.

For a moment, the prince was frozen. His heart was racing in his chest as he tried to comprehend everything that had happened. Merlin was a dragonlord and he'd just fought a dragon to protect him. Merlin was hurt. Merlin had just run away from him. 

The shock wore off. Arthur took off in a mad sprint in the direction the black dragon that was his manservant went. He weaved through the trees and foliage, noticing indicators of the dragon's path. There were broken branches, crushed bushes, and worryingly, traces of blood on the ground.

The trees up ahead looked to be thinning out into a clearing. Arthur could hear a stream flowing softly. He bursted into the opening, not sure what he was going to find there. He halted as he spotted the shape of his very human manservant on the ground by the edge of the stream. Blood was already starting to stain the ground beneath him. The prince rushed forward, practically sliding to his knees as he reached him.

His shoulder where he had been bitten was bleeding profusely, the flesh mauled by the beast's teeth. There were several cuts, scratches, and bruises scattered across his body. Blood was trickling down from a gash on his forehead. The skin in the center of his chest was bumpy and red, looking irritated from the burn. It was already starting to turn yellow. Merlin was unconscious, breathing shallowly.

"No, no, no you don't, Merlin, you have to stay awake," Arthur ordered. He removed his cloak, ripping off a few strips to wrap his wounds with and using the rest to cover him. He gripped the sides of his is face. "Merlin! Come on, wake up!"

"Arthur..?" Merlin wheezed out.

The blond let out a relieved laugh as he nodded. His brushed his cheek with his thumb for a moment. "Yeah, you clotpole, it's me. I need you to stay awake, you're losing a lot of blood from the- the bite- and the burn needs to be treated as soon as possible. I need to get you back to the village and that will be a lot easier if you're awake," Arthur rambled. He removed his hands from Merlin's face. Picking up one of the strips he'd ripped, he quickly started wrapping his shoulder, pulling the fabric tight enough to make him hiss out in pain. "Sorry, but we've got to stop the bleeding, we need to put pressure on it."

Merlin let out a pained groan as he moved back. He swallowed nervously, taking another piece of his cloak and dunking it in the river. He pressed it down on the burn, making him cry out. He tried to move away but the prince held him still. "I know, I'm sorry, breathe Merlin," he reassured him. He locked eyes with him. "Focus on me, okay? You're going to be alright."

A couple tears were leaking from his manservant's eyes as he laid there. Merlin relaxed as the pain subsided. Arthur removed the cloth from his chest, dunking it back in the water. He pressed it to the burn once more. The young dragon lord let out a heavy sigh as he closed his eyes, brows furrowing at the pain. He opened his mouth though, asking a question that made the prince want to vomit. "Why are you helping me?"

A deafening silence settled. "What kind of idiot question is that?" Arthur practically snapped.

"I'm... You know- you can't- I'm a dragonlord," he managed eventually. "Why wouldn't you just let me die?"

The silent tension was building after each thing they said. It dragged on as Arthur's head spun. He put a hand over his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut. There was an aching feeling in his chest. It felt like someone had taken a hammer to his heart. Tears were fighting their way up. This was exactly what he was afraid of; Merlin believed he would kill him, or have him killed. Arthur breathed shakily as he looked down at his manservant. "Do you honestly think I would want you to die?"

"I... I hoped you wouldn't, but its like what that dragon said... the Pendragon line has always hunted our kind... Why would you feel any different than all your ancestors? You've been taught to slaughter us your whole life," he said. His eyes held the same shininess the prince's did, though he wouldn't meet his gaze. "You've been taught that the dragons are cruel, mindless killing machines, and that the dragonlords are the same."

"Merlin," Arthur said sharply. He wouldn't look at him, but he shifted his gaze slightly as he listened. The prince inhaled and shook his head. He scowled and dunked the cloth he was using back in the river. "I'm not going to pretend that I know anything about dragons or dragonlords. You're right, I've been taught those things, but I've never even encountered a dragon, or dragonlord, in person until tonight. You want to know what I saw?"

The young dragonlord groaned as the prince pressed the cloth to his burn again. He wore a sardonic smile as he shrugged. Arthur looked at him intensely. "I saw someone I love put his life on the line to save me."

Merlin's breathing hitched as he finally met his eyes. The prince knew they were shiny with unshed tears. Merlin tried to shake his head, a few tears of his own starting to escape down his cheeks. "But I'm-"

Arthur gripped the sides of his face, pulling him back to look at him. "The bravest man I've ever met," he cut him off. Merlin stared at him as the tears flowed freely. The prince felt his heart clench. He hoped he was reading the situation right, and wasn't about to ruin their friendship. He leaned in closer bringing their foreheads to touch as he continued. "My dearest friend, my most devoted and loyal servant, and the most important person in my life."

"Arthur..." he managed, his voice cracking.

The prince pulled back to give him an affectionate smile. Merlin opened his mouth to speak, trying sit up, but he gasped out in pain. He instinctively tried to grab his injured shoulder. Arthur quickly caught the movement, stopping him. The young dragon lord's eyes were out of focus when he looked back at him. He was clearly starting to pass out again.

"Hey, hey, I need you to stay awake a little longer for me," he urged. His breathing was ragged but he nodded. Arthur moved an arm underneath his back. "I need to wrap your burn, but I need you to sit up to do that. I know it's probably going to hurt. I'm going to help you up, so take a deep breath, okay?"

Merlin did as he was told. As he inhaled, the prince pushed him to sit up. He let out a muffled moan, keeping his lips shut tight as he clenched his jaw. Arthur moved quickly, wrapping the large piece of his cloak around his torso and his chest with the skill of a warrior who had been forced to wrap his fellow knights when they were on the verge of death, bleeding from their chests. He finished the wrap and gently laid his manservant down onto his lap. He rested a hand on his stomach comfortingly, meeting his glazed eyes. "You're as patched up as I can get you without proper materials and a physician. Let's get you back to the village."

As gently as he could, he lifted him into his arms. The raven-haired boy leaned his head against his chest. "You really... you really care about me, huh..." Merlin mumbled in a slightly loopy voice.

The prince couldn't help the small laugh that escaped him. Merlin was looking up at him with dopey smile on his face. Despite the haziness, his blue eyes sparkled. His shiny black hair was fluffed up and messy against his chest. Arthur remembered the dragon, its glistening black scales and bright blue eyes. A smile spread across his lips; his dragon form captured his most recognizable features perfectly. His thoughts drifted to the way Merlin, as the dragon, had stood between him and one of his kin. Despite being significantly smaller, he'd fought the other dragon with fierce determination, even when he was losing. He saw the moment when the fireball was coming straight toward him and the way Merlin had thrown himself in front of it to protect him. His eyes felt hot thinking about it.

He looked at his loopy manservant, who was gazing back with half-lidded eyes. He had a smile on his face despite the state he was in. The prince shook his head; he was stupidly loyal. He felt his heart swell in his chest and replied with exactly what he was thinking. "Yeah, I love you, you idiot."

Merlin's eyes slipped closed as he hummed. His breathing leveled out, and Arthur knew he'd fallen unconscious. His wounds definitely needed more treatment, but he would be okay, he was sure of it. The prince smiled again and began his walk back to the village.

~~~

When Merlin woke up, he was looking up at the canopy of Arthur's bed in Camelot. He blinked in confusion; hadn't they been at a village? His brain felt fuzzy as he tried to recall what he happened. They were supposed to fight the bandits, but then the dragon showed up.

He gasped, shooting up in the sheets. He'd transformed. He'd revealed himself. He'd fought the dragon, stopped it from killing Arthur and the other knights. It had beaten the shit out of him. He remembered feeling angry and blue flames. That's how he won, but he remembered his injuries.

His hands flew up to his chest. The burn was rough and bumpy, but it didn't hurt. He looked down at it in surprise. There were traces of an ointment on it. It was healing.

As he felt the burn, his eyes widened. Merlin looked down at his shoulder. He was moving it and his arm, with only a dull ache and bandages indicating there was a wound. He looked down at himself in confusion. How was he not dead? How was he in Camelot, let alone Arthur's bed?

There was no time to ponder these questions because the door to the prince's chambers opened. Said prince entered the room, talking to someone. "-I've told you before, Sir Leon, that I am hardly needed for a simple border patrol. You can tell my father I said that-"

The knight looked past him to see Merlin sitting up in the bed. His eyes widened and his expression shifted as he spoke. "Sire, it seems-"

"No, nothing! I have already done plenty of what he has asked of me today," Arthur snapped, tone almost bratty.

"Sire, I-" Leon tried again.

The prince huffed loudly in annoyance, putting his hands on his hips as he looked down at the floor in frustration. "What?! What is so important Leon that you must tell me right now?!"

The senior knight seemed to be fighting a smile as he lifted his hand to point at the young dragon lord. "Merlin's awake."

At this, Arthur went rigid. He seemed to be frozen for a moment before he whipped around to see Merlin blinking at him with wide eyes. His face was one of disbelief, concern, and unbridled joy. He waved a distracted hand at Leon. "Thank you, you can leave now," he said, too busy walking toward the bed to truly acknowledge the knight's presence anymore.

Leon gave Merlin a small smile before ducking out of the room. The young dragonlord's heart raced as the prince hurried over to him. Arthur sat down next to him on the sheets. Shock washed over Merlin as he was pulled in a gentle embrace; Arthur never wanted to hug him. He cautiously returned the hug as confusion continued to build in his mind. The prince's fingers were running through the hair on the back of his head, sending tingles down his spine. "What... what happened?" Merlin managed breathlessly.

"How much do you remember?" Arthur asked, quickly pulling away to look at him.

The young dragonlord looked around as he tried to think. "I... I remember the village," he began slowly. He received a confirming nod and continued nervously. "I was helping the villagers, and there was a little boy talking about a monster. He was describing a dragon, and I tried to come warn you, but the bandits were already attacking. I couldn't get to you." He closed his hands into fists to stop them from trembling. Arthur blinked like he realized something but nodded for him to keep going. "The dragon- I remember the dragon attacking, and I..."

The words caught in his throat. He swallowed, feeling his eyes get warm. Arthur cleared his throat and said it for him. "You're a dragonlord," he said softly. His tone wasn't accusatory or angry. It was normal, speaking it like a fact. "You transformed and saved all of us."

"I- yeah... I guess I did that," Merlin mumbled.

The prince huffed out an amused noise and arched his eyebrow. "Why do you sound like that's something to be ashamed of? You saved my life, the lives of the knights, and the village."

He ducked his head away, feeling his stomach churning uncomfortably. "It's hard to be proud of who you are when people see you as a monster, or would kill you for it," he said in a small voice. "To a lot of... people... it wouldn't matter what I did, revealing my true nature would earn me a death sentence."

"Merlin," Arthur started, looking a little confused. He opened his mouth, but stopped himself like he changed his mind on what he was going to say. "What else do you remember?"

The raven-haired boy let out a heavy sigh and looked up at the ceiling. He tried to wade through his blurry memories. There were a few of him laying on the ground, looking up at Arthur. He scowled, closing his eyes as he tried to remember. Flashes of the prince wrapping his wounds, holding him gently, telling him things he'd never thought he'd hear him say. Merlin shook his head, letting out a self-depreciating laugh. "I must have passed out from blood loss, because there's no way what I'm remembering is right."

"And if I told you it was?" Arthur replied.

One of the prince's hands found its way to rest on top of his, making Merlin's head turn immediately. His heart started racing as he looked down at their hands. He blinked as a blush rose into his cheeks. He tried to play it off, huffing in disbelief again. He expected Arthur to pull away and tell him it was all a joke, but he didn't. He was gazing at him with a gentle expression. Merlin met his eyes cautiously. "Depends on if we're remembering the same thing."

He looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue. When Merlin didn't, the corner of his mouth quirked up a little bit. "Well, are you going to tell me?"

"You're definitely didn't say you loved me," the young dragonlord scoffed, swinging his head away from him.

Arthur didn't say anything. Merlin turned back, eyes widening in surprise at his expression. He was beaming and his eyes were sparkling. The prince lifted his hands up to his lips, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. "Actually, I did," he said proudly. "Glad you remembered."

Merlin stammered, feeling flustered as he stared at their hands. His entire face was red. He could feel the heat in the tips of his ears. Arthur seemed incredibly pleased with himself as he let their hands fall back onto the bed. The young dragonlord looked between their connected hands and his face. It didn't feel real to him. He couldn't help but laugh a little, shaking his head again. He closed his eyes and tried to relax through all the emotions and dull aching from his wounds. "I'm... I can't believe this is even happening. I'm surprised that I'm not dead, honestly."

At this, Arthur's expression fell. His smile turned to a small frown. "I was never going to let you die," he said firmly. "And my father would have to kill me first if he wanted to have you executed, not that that's a problem. He doesn't know. Your identity is still a secret."

"What- How is that possible?" he exclaimed. "All those knights- even if they didn't see me transform, they had to find out-"

"No one else figured it out, they were too busy worried about dying and killing the bandits," Arthur reassured him. "And even if they did, I made it very clear that nothing was to be said about the dragonlord we encountered. They are all sworn to secrecy. Even if it wasn't you, there would be no reason to bring it up to my father, so no one is going to say anything."

Merlin sat there in shock so the prince continued. "As for your injuries, as far as anyone else knows, you were injured during the attack while protecting me, which technically isn't a lie," he said. He gave the raven-haired boy a slightly annoyed expression at the end. "Which reminds me, if you ever put yourself in danger like that to protect me again, I will throw you in the cells."

He gazed at him in astonishment. The determination and seriousness in the prince's voice stunned him. A fuzzy feeling spread through his chest. This was happening. Arthur had admitted to loving him. He accepted him as a dragonlord. He wanted to protect him.

Merlin finally grinned at him. "You'll have to get one ready for me, cause I'm never going to stop doing that. It's my destiny to protect and serve you, Arthur," he said sincerely. The prince gave him a confused look, but he kept going. "It's my destiny, but I would choose to die for you whether it was or not. I believe in you and the kingdom you will build. You're an arrogant prat, but I love you more than anything in this world."

Arthur's eyes looked shiny with tears now. He ducked his head down, not saying anything. Merlin started to get nervous the longer he stayed silent. He opened his mouth to say something else, but the prince finally looked up. Before he could say anything, Arthur put a hand on the side of his face and moved in to connect their lips.

Letting out a startled sound, Merlin's eyes closed as he kissed back. His heart was racing. He wondered where this was going; he'd seen Arthur kiss people with a fiery energy in the past. Those kisses were heated, desperate, and held the promise of more. This kiss felt different. There was a gentleness to it that he didn't expect from Arthur. He was firm and passionate, but in a calm way that made Merlin's stomach fill with butterflies. Arthur's hand holding his cheek felt like it was cradling it rather than gripping it. He felt like he was being cherished or worshipped as something precious to the prince.

Rather than pulling away panting, Arthur reigned the kiss in and separated from him without moving away. Their calm breathing was mixing together in the air between them. Merlin smiled a little bit has his heart started to slow back down. He sighed happily as the blond's thumb brushed his cheek. His voice was almost a whisper when spoke. "What now?"

"Now... you're going to stay in bed and rest," Arthur said as he moved away. Merlin pouted at the thought of being stuck in a bed all day. "Yesterday, Gaius said your worst wounds were almost healed. You should be able to get up and about in a day or so, but you'll agitate them if you rush into it."

"Okay," he mumbled "What are you going to do?"

The prince smiled and shrugged. "I don't know, I have no responsibilities for the rest of the day. I've been staying in here to keep an eye on you, and to be there when you woke up," he explained. "I guess I'll just stay with you, get you anything you need."

"Like a servant?" Merlin teased. "You sure you're okay looking after me all day?"

Arthur's eyes sparkled happily. He took on of the raven-haired boy's hands and lifted it up to kiss it again. "I would do anything for you," he said sincerely. Merlin flushed again as his heart jumped. "Say the word and I would do whatever you asked, my lord."

An embarrassed yelp escaped him as the prince looked up at him and winked. Merlin hit him gently on the shoulder. "Don't call me that, it feels weird," he whined. He covered his face with his hands, letting out a stressed breath. "It feels strange to hear you call me that, to sit here knowing that you know what and who I am... I thought you'd hate me for lying to you."

"Please, I could hardly be angry with you for being careful with your life," Arthur said. "Though, now that I know... I don't suppose that I could see you transform when you're better? I'd love to get to see you as your dragon form when you're not fighting another dragon or dying."

"I mean... sure, if you want to," Merlin said, feeling a little giddy at the thought. "It would be nice to stretch my wings."

The prince smiled, looking satisfied as he stood up from the bed. He squeezed his hand one more time before letting go. "I'm going to go fetch some water and food for you," he explained as he stepped toward the door. He turned to look back at him as he reached it. "It also seems I need to have one of the other servants prepare two horses for a hunting trip. I hear there's some good game in the forest by Ealdor."

Merlin grinned widely at the implications. Arthur saw his smile and nodded, slipping out of the room. Now alone in the silence of the prince's chambers, the young dragonlord looked around. The room looked the same as it always did, everything the same, yet it felt like his entire world had been changed. An invisible weight that had been pressing down on him had disappeared. There were no more secrets between him and Arthur. Merlin laid back down in the plush sheets with a wistful sigh. He couldn't wait to get back on his feet.