Author's Note: So, this is the standard "Knights picking on Merlin" story. I don't see any exciting plot twists in the future, but we'll see where it goes. Most likely a two-shot.

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

It is too much for the servant. The beatings from the knights coupled with the death of Lancelot had sucked the light from the young warlock's eyes. He hadn't told anyone, not even Gaius, and he could feel the pressure building inside him more and more each day. Will. Balinor. Lancelot. Freya...

So many dead. So many he could have saved. As Sirs Kay and Robert kick and kick and kick at him that night, all Merlin can see is Lancelot's face as the beast ripped him in half. It's his fault, all his fault.

When the knights finally stop, laughing and leaving him with "I hope you learned your lesson today, but probably not", he takes a minute to breathe. He gasps on the corridor floor and tries to ignore the pain in his ribs. He knows how conspicuous he is here, but everything hurts too badly to move and he'll only be a minute, anyway, so he continues to lie there and hopes that nobody will see him before he can pull himself together.

No such luck. Merlin has only just started to recover when Arthur rounds the corner. "Merlin?" The alarm in his voice is evident, and the King is by his servant's side in an instant, sitting on his haunches and gripping the man's shoulder tightly. "Merlin, what's happened?"

"Nothing," Merlin coughs into his hand. He makes a point of sitting up, and clears his throat before starting again in a much clearer voice. "It's nothing. I tripped, is all."

Arthur's grip tightens almost imperceptibly on his shoulder. "Merlin."

The sorcerer notes the blood on the hand he coughed into. Damn. He will not be able to explain himself out of this one so easily. "It was a large trip," he says, as if that makes sense.

"Merlin. Tell me who did this to you." The King's eyes blaze with an odd mixture of anger and worry, but his voice remains steady. Calm. Serious.

"No one, Sire, I told you, I tr-"

"Tell the truth." Arthur's fingers are positively digging into Merlin's shoulder by this point. Merlin doesn't want him to know what the knights are doing to him nearly every night - there is something inherently humiliating in his beatings, in his utter lack of defense. And further, Arthur could easily make it much worse by trying to say something to Kay and Robert.

So Merlin only averts his eyes and shakes his head at his master.

"Look at me." The King has both hands on the servant's shoulders, and he stares at the man until he meets his eyes. "If somebody's hurting you, I want to know. Nobody has the right to treat you this way."

Merlin is not a coward, not so cowed by his attackers that he will not speak; it is the idea that he cannot protect Arthur that holds his tongue. Instead of a witty retort or casual dismissal, as he would have liked, Merlin says, "It's nothing I can't handle, sire."

"Obviously not," Arthur snorts, his concern momentarily overridden. "Come on, then, let's get you to Gaius. You can tell me on the way."

Merlin allows the King to haul him to his feet and nearly collapses as a fresh wave of pain crashes against his ribs. At least one is broken, then, which is unfortunate. Arthur supports him, and they begin the long hobble back to Gaius's chambers.

oooooOOOOOOooooo

Arthur's night had been going relatively well until he rounds a corner to find his manservant curled into a ball on the corridor floor.

Whatever the idiot has done, it looks serious, and Arthur does not hesitate in dropping to his side. He doubted they were under attack, but judging by the gasping and coughing emanating from the servant, Merlin hadn't gotten this way on his own. "Merlin? What's happened?"

"Nothing," Merlin manages as he coughs profusely into his hand, and as he pulls away Arthur can see blood staining his fingers. This is most certainly not nothing.

Merlin sits shakily and ends up leaning against the wall in a manner Arthur supposes he thinks is casual. "It's nothing," he repeats. "I tripped, is all."

He is so obviously lying that for a moment the King is taken aback. "Merlin." What reason has he to lie? Who would target Merlin, for heaven's sake? The man couldn't hurt someone if he wanted to, which he definitely doesn't. His grip on his servant's shoulder tightens subconsciously. Who would hurt Merlin?

"It was a large trip."

As if that makes sense. Hot fury wells in the pit of his stomach as he sees the fear behind his friend's eyes. Who is he protecting? Arthur wants to hit something very, very badly. "Merlin. Who did this to you?"

"No one, I just tr-" Merlin's eyes widen as Arthur interrupts him.

"Tell the truth," the King forces through gritted teeth. Why won't he tell him?

Merlin shakes his head and won't meet his eyes.

He looks so small without the goofy grin spread across his face, Arthur thinks. Concern mixed with a roaring anger burns inside the King of Camelot. He moves his other hand to Merlin's other shoulder, offering the man no choice but to look at him. He takes a deep breath. "If somebody's hurting you, I want to know. Nobody," he stresses, "has the right to treat you this way."

As the words leave his mouth, Arthur suddenly remembers a younger version of himself, one who would not have balked at such treatment of a mere servant, who would never have thought the man in front of him as someone who mattered. Arthur nearly cringes at how wrong that self was. He is glad, so glad that Merlin barged into his life the way he had and changed the arrogant, blind boy he had been.

His friend's wide, striking blue eyes search his, looking for - what? But the moment passes, and Merlin's eyes steel in a tired sort of way. "It's nothing I can't handle, sire."

That statement, considering Merlin's current state, is so ridiculous that Arthur has to laugh. The spindly manservant, fighting off whoever did this to him? "Obviously not," he says aloud. "Come on, then, let's get you to Gaius. You can tell me on the way."

Author's Note: Reviews are greatly appreciated, good or bad. If you see anything that needs to be fixed, anything at all, just shoot me a message.