Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

I wrote this for NaNoWriMo 2012, based off a prompt on MKM :)

This is unbeta'd for the moment, so I apologise for any mistakes.

Let me know what you think :D

One

Merlin sat hunched over himself in the large plush armchair that had been placed in front of Headmaster Pendragon's desk. He was trying to sink into himself, hands clutching each other tightly, right now the only thing that was keeping him in the drudgery of reality.

The past four days had been filled with numbness and disbelief; police officers and concerned citizens, all asking him questions about the one moment in his life that he just wanted to forget, and white noise when the voices and images before him blending into one mess. Mostly just white noise. Because he didn't want to accept what had happened. Who would? Because the truth, it was the worst thing you could possibly imagine.

Because his parents, Hunith and Balinor, and his uncle, Gaius, had been killed. Murdered. Attacked in their own home by a psychopath, who had tortured them, butchered them, bloody and messy, in the kitchen of their home, right in front of their teenage son and nephew.

In front of him.

Now, he was alone. Scarred and alone.

And that lunatic was still out there, still free and alive whilst his family was dead, and the chances are, gunning for him as well.

That's what brought Merlin here, to Camelot Academy in the middle of the Kentish countryside; to Uther Pendragon, a greying man with a calculating and mildly caring demeanour and apparently an old college friend of his Uncle Gaius. According to the Chief Inspector Cohen, witness protection was the only option to keep him safe.

A new name; a new identity; a new life.

"I understand this must be a distressing time for you, Mr. Emrys," Uther sympathised, his hands clasped on the surface of his desk, "and I must assure you that here at Camelot, you will be well protected from the monster that did this, as well making sure you receive the best education in the country. Both I, and Chief Inspector Cohen, can promise you that."

From the back of the office, Cohen approached the desk. Just as he had been when Merlin had first encountered him, he was tall with thick black hair and grey eyes that seemed to be trained in encouraging your trust. Tucked under his arm was a file, which he placed gently on the desk in front of Merlin and smiled softly.

"This is your new identity," he explained, "It contains everything you need to know. You must learn every detail of this file, Merlin; it's essential to making this story believable, understand?"

Merlin nodded hesitantly, not daring himself to talk, and reached out for the file, pulling it closer to his chest protectively.

Cohen continued, "You're name is now Alex Vhalos, half brother to Mordred Vhalos. He's a 7th year student here, whose father is the head of the Protection of Magical Children in Britain. He's been put in charge of your case and aftercare during this difficult situation. You've entered the academy as a scholarship student, much like Mordred, and so are required to have monthly meetings with Mr. Pendragon to review your progress. This is a way that we can all keep track of each other. You'll tell us how you're adjusting and we'll tell you how the investigation is going, as we agreed. In this file, you'll see items such as a copy of your new birth certificate, your blood type and even a certificate you won in year 3 for a science project. As you can see, we've covered all bases to make sure that you are not discovered."

'Clearly,' Merlin murmured to himself.

"You'll have to register as a student and attend classes just as every other student, and be expected to conduct yourself in a professional and elegant manner in and out of lessons," Uther told him firmly, "You'll be under close surveillance obviously, and under the protection of two 7th years, Gwaine and Percival. They're early graduates from the police program and have come highly recommended from the program, Cohen and myself. They'll take good care of you."

"A meeting has been scheduled tomorrow morning. They'll join you for breakfast so you can get a proper meeting," Cohen added.

"And you'll be sharing a room with my son, Arthur," Uther continued, a hint of a proud smile on his face at the mention of his son, "He's been without a roommate for some time now and I think it's time he learnt to share with others, as it were."

Merlin nodded jerkily and felt, once again, at a loss of what to do. He'd been feeling like that a lot lately, where the prospect of the future just seemed so overwhelming and lonely, but this was a different feeling. This was the feeling of suffocation, when the control you once possessed is taken from you and the panic starts to settle in. He meant bodyguards, really? Growing up he had only had his small family, not really any friends to speak of (none that were human at least) and now he was expected to put his trust, his life, into the hands of a bunch of strangers. And it wasn't even that. He was going to be surrounded by them – his 'brother' and 'father', his new roommate, the headmaster, the police – with little chance of freedom. He was…overwhelmed.

But they were only trying to help, to make sure he was safe, and he could only be grateful for that. So he tried to smile, hoping it would convey his thanks for everything that were doing for him, but probably only showed his pain and worry, judging by the sympathetic looks he received in response. He ducked his head quickly.

"Don't worry Merlin, we'll find the person who's responsible. I promise," Cohen vowed seriously, "Until then, just focus on staying safe and keeping low, okay?"

"…Okay," Merlin finally spoke, his voice a little croaked and cracked from its lack of use. Cohen made to leave and Merlin sat up straighter, halting him. "Thank you, Chief Inspector Cohen…I…" he trailed off.

The man looked understanding. He rested a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it in a comforting gesture. "Don't worry about it kid. Thank me when we catch this bastard." Cohen and Uther shared a silent goodbye, just a nod in each other's direction, before the officer left, the door shutting quietly behind him.

There was a moment of quiet, where Uther examined him with interest in his gaze and Merlin shuffled awkwardly in place, unsure of what he was supposed to do now, when there was a knock on the office door.

The man that entered was obviously a student here, dressed in black suit pants and an untucked white shirt. A red and yellow tie – the colours of Camelot Academy – hung loosely from beneath his collar. His brown curls were an unkempt mess on the top of his head, and icy blue eyes watched Merlin closely. A smirk played on his lips.

"Ah, just on time," Uther greeted, leaning back in his large leather desk chair, "Merlin, this is Mordred, your new brother. He's going to show you where you will register for the academy – he'll help you with the information, of course – and gather your class schedule and whatnot."

"Hey little brother," Mordred said slyly.

"H-hello," Merlin stuttered, wide-eyed.

"Off you go," Uther made a shooing gesture and Merlin scrambled to obey, quickly stuffing the file into the brown leather satchel that had once belonged to Gaius. "Oh, and Mr. Emrys," he called out after a moments pause, "Please keep this in mind because it's important: Merlin has magic; Alex does not."

Merlin gave a hesitant nod, deciding against asking, and murmured a quick goodbye before following Mordred – 'his older brother,' he reminded himself firmly – from the office.

Merlin's worn converses squeaked on the hard wooden flooring, just one beat behind the heavy plodding footfalls of Mordred's military boots. He hadn't said anything since they had kept the office and that would have made Merlin more nervous than he was before about this new place, if it weren't for the grander of the hallway around him, which acted as a pleasant, and welcomed, distraction.

It was long and winding with magnificent archways, all with specifically designed images engraved in the brick, telling stories of myth and legend and history; each one different from the arch before. In each cove, hung an old painting, depicting the way the school had grown over the centuries from a family estate to an orphanage to the private boarding school it now stands as today; portraits of old headmasters, all older gentleman, with the exception of one very fiery woman who smiled smugly out at the world from her frame, and historic wins in jousting and fencing, all achieved by ex-students. All telling the tale of this wonderful building. His new home.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by Mordred's voice. "Okay, so I understand this is a hard time for you and everything, but let me give you some brotherly advice: act as if nothing's wrong. This is a pretty good school, but some of the people that go here – well, let's say, they think the sun shines out of their arses, and seeing you like this," Mordred glanced at him in a way that made Merlin feel completely self-conscious, "they'll eat you alive, Alex."

"That sounds more like a warning than advice, brother," Merlin commented dryly.

His lips twitching upward in amusement, Mordred shrugged. "Take it as you will, but it doesn't mean it's not true. Maybe you'll be fine. I'm sure Gwaine and Percy will take one look at those pathetic puppy dog eyes and try to protect you from the world, but they won't be able to keep that up forever. I just want you to be prepared. It wouldn't exactly make my day for my little brother to get beaten up by some stuck-up pricks because he can't tell which fork is for salad, and which is for steak."

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much," Merlin retorted hotly.

Mordred appeared amused. "Well, I'd like to hope so. My father's put a lot on the line to help you during this time, more than he usually does, and I would hate for all of that to be for nothing."

The frustration left him in a rush, leaving behind only sombre feelings. He gave Mordred a sorrowful look. "Yeah…I'm s-"

The 7th year cut him off with a sharp look. "There's no need for apologises, Alex. He'd do anything to protect abused children, considers it his vocation, and he'd take it as an insult if you think anything of the sort. Lesson number one about our father," He added as an afterthought. He pulled to a sudden stop and inclined his head towards an old wooden door, allowing Merlin the opportunity to hesitantly step forward first. The room was small, brightened by the overhead lights that hung in two rows across the ceiling. The woman behind the desk at the opposite end of the room looked up as they entered and smiled warmly at them.

"Mordred," she welcomed, "What are you doing here?"

A charming smile fell onto the older man's face as he strolled forward, so quickly that it took a moment for Merlin to get over the unexpected shock. Mordred's arm was a weight around his shoulders as he led him forward. "Alice, it's nice to see you again. Headmaster Pendragon said that I should get the registration forms for my baby brother Alex here. He's starting as a 6th year."

"Another Vhalos?" Alice sounded surprised, "I wasn't aware you had a brother, Mordred…"

"An old flame of my fathers," he lied skilfully, "His mother's recently died and well, my father could hardly turn him away, could he? He's here on a scholarship – apparently, intelligence runs through the family. As well as dashing good looks, wouldn't you say Alice?"

Merlin blushed darkly and averted his gaze to the area behind the woman's head. Alice was flushed pink, but she merely gave him a knowing smile and turned away, announcing something about having the forms needed somewhere around here.

"Second piece of advice about Camelot: anything you want, chances are Alice can get it for you," Mordred muttered into his ear, "She's a witch and a sucker for a pretty face. Just kept that innocent image going and she'll eat out of the palm of your hand." He straightened up again, that smile returning to his face, when Alice turned back to face them, "Thank you so much Alice. We very much appreciate it."

She waved him off slightly and smiled with a motherly reassurance at Merlin. "This is a standard procedure for all new students. It's to make sure we have the correct information on file. Full name and address, contact details in case of emergency, whether you have magic abilities or not, that kind of thing, very basic; nothing to worry about."

Merlin strained a smile and took the piece of paper with shaky hands. It was surreal, looking at this sheet of paper. In just a few lines of black ink, it was as if it were talking about an entirely difference person. Merlin Emrys didn't exist anymore. Instead, there was only Alex Vhalos with his half brother and lack of magical abilities. Yes, not him anymore. It was Mordred in the end that snatched the paper from his hand and handed it back, façade back in place and told Alice that, "yes, everything seems to be in order, right Alex?"

Alice asked him to sign the page in confirmation and it was a psychical effort to sign a name that wasn't his own. She smiled warmly at him and told him that everyone let's their nerves get the better of them on the first day, and that really Camelot Academy is a brilliant place to be, for magical and non-magical students. Then she gave him the standard welcome kit – "It has all the information you need to know about the school, the electives you can take, the set out of the day etc. Plus there's a map of the campus – although, admittedly, it's not the best. I would suggest asking your roommate or your buddy for help getting around the academy for the first few weeks – and, of course, your time table."

"Oh and here's your room key," Alice added quickly, handing over an electric fob. Merlin rolled it over in his hand and glanced questioningly at the older woman. "All the doors have electronic locks now so only you and your roommate can get in and out of your room. Of course, management have a copy of the key, again in case of emergencies. I'd keep that safe," she advised him and he placed it in his jean pockets for the moment.

The door swung open behind them and Merlin glanced over surprised. The man must have been about his age, although it was clear that Merlin and this stranger were from two completely different worlds. While Merlin was pale and lithe, this new arrival was tanned and built with muscle. He had one his school clothes, shirt still tucked neatly into his trousers, and his smile was wide and accepting, welcoming you closer, as if he were actually happy to see Merlin standing there.

"Alex, this is Lance Cabrera," Alice introduced, "He's another scholarship student, like yourself, and he's been put down as your buddy. Lance, this is Alex Vhalos. He's a little shy so play nice, okay?"

"I always play nice Alice," Lance responded with a grin, and reached out his hand towards Alex, "It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too…buddy?" Merlin latched on the uncertain question.

"It's really not as strange as it sounds," Lance assured, "Basically, I'm in your year and in some of your classes, so I'll show you around for the first couple of weeks, helping you settle into your new school and basically be there if you need someone to talk to."

"Oh, um…okay then," he smiled weakly.

"And with that, I'm going to leave you guys to it," Mordred announced, hands deep in his pockets as he slowly backed out of the room, "I have chemistry with Edwin, and I can't afford to be late…again."

"We've only been in school for three days," Lance commented, arching an eyebrow.

"And your point is?" he questioned before smirking in Merlin's direction, "good luck, little brother."

"And that doesn't sound vaguely ominous," Merlin muttered to himself, looking up startled when Lance laughed.

"It's really not as bad as Mordred is making it out to be. You should know that your brother's only trying to wind you up," Lance told him, "Come on, I'll show you to your new room. Bye Alice!" he called over his shoulder as he exited.

"Oh, bye Alice, it was good to meet you," Merlin fumbled the words with a quick glance back before he followed his taller buddy out. He heard Alice chuckle her amusement and murmur a goodbye under her breath before the door closed with a sound click behind them.

"So you're here on a scholarship, what kind?" Lance wondered.

"Oh, um, English," Merlin answered quickly.

"I heard they're hard scholarships to get," Lance mused and Merlin shrugged, keeping silent. He didn't need to speak anyway because his new companion continued talking, "I've got a sports scholarship, football. You play?"

"Ah, no, not really," he answered, sounding more embarrassed than he felt, "Sports…they aren't really my thing."

"Its fine, they're not for everybody," Lance shrugged, "My girlfriend, Gwen, she hates sports. Can't stand them. Much prefers her art lessons to anything happening on the field, and her brother, Elyan. He hates football, is better at archery. You'll probably get to meet them at dinner tonight – that's at six-thirty by the way," he supplied.

They turned a corner and Lance led them up a flight of stairs; large stone steps with stone banisters, and he didn't even mock Merlin for being so enamoured by the architecture of it all. Lance just smiled and allowed him all the time he needed to just stand and stare. "I felt the same way when I first started here, it really is a beautiful place," he offered as a way of explanation.

Merlin could only nod wordlessly in agreement.

The dormitories were on the forth and fifth floors of the building. East wings for the girls; west for the boys. There were twenty five rooms in each wing. His new room was at the far end of the wing on the fifth floor, over looking the football pitch and the vast summer gardens that seems to stretch for miles into the horizon. The locks beeped open when the fob was awkwardly swiped across the sensors and the door easily opened.

"No one has shared the other bed for, ooh, about three years now," Lance told him, "The kid that was assigned as Arthur's roommate – ah, Caleb Young, I think his name was – left in 3rd year after a car accident. I don't actually know much about that," he shrugged.

The bed was perfectly made, pristine, and two black suitcases had been placed on top – his replacement clothes that Cohen had ensured had been taken care of. The opposite side of the room was just that: opposite. The bed was a mess, freshly slept him, with random items of clothing scattered cross the top. Textbooks that weren't needed for the day were left in a heap with the unneeded notebooks at the bottom of the bed. The walls were covered with random photographs and newspaper clippings and posters – all seeming to be focused around the one mysterious man that was Arthur Pendragon.

Merlin turned worriedly to Lance. "Do you know Arthur?" he questioned.

"He's my best friend," Lance answered swiftly, "Has been since 1st year."

"Good, so, um, c-can…could you tell me about him?" Merlin questioned, "Just so I know what I'm getting into…"

"Well, that was an interesting way of putting it," Lance started amused. "Um, Arthur is… he's a good man. Good person, good friend – but he's got the same problems that a good number of the students have here: he's a stubborn, arrogant arse most of the time. Selfish as well, a little self-absorbed maybe, but that's just because he doesn't know you. Arthur doesn't trust easily, and he's been complaining about having to share his space again for the past few days so, uh, expect some kind of hostility at first." He warned, almost sorrowfully. "But once he's gotten to know you, he'll loosen up and, honestly, he's one of the best friends I've ever had. He'd do anything to protect the people he cares about." He clapped Merlin on the back, "You'll be fine. I'll keep him in check for the first few weeks," he winked playfully, making Merlin feel a little less like he was dreading his first encounter with his new roommate.

"Listen, I hate to leave you so quickly," Lance looked contrite, "but I have Maths and then football practise, so I really need to get going. I'll be back by like three, so if you need me just drop by. My doors open anytime."

The thought of being alone terrified Merlin more than he cared to admit, but he didn't let it show. Instead, he smiled as widely as he could and said something about understanding and that he would see him at dinner – "I'll make sure Arthur brings you down, okay?" Lance secured – and then he was standing alone in the darkened room that was what he was now supposed to call home.