Summary: What if, instead of juggling for Queen Annis, Merlin had played the viol and sang for the court? This is how if probably would have gone down.

Rating: K+

Pairings: None

Warnings: No warnings

Spoilers: No major ones. This is, however, a tag to Season 5 Episode 1 so maybe a little spoilers.

I know technically violins were not invented until later, but there were instruments called viols around, so for the sake of this story I'm going to make Merlin use the viol, but he will make a few "adjustments" to it to make it sound and play like a violin.

For a reference I used the video by Sefa Emre Ilikli doing the violin cover to Lady Gaga's song Applause. He is amazing so I suggest listening to the video while you read it. It'll just make this fic flow better and help you with the visual as well.

Anything in bold and italics are lyrics to the song Merlin is singing. The song, if you didn't already gather from the summary, is Lady Gaga's Applause.

Disclaimer: I do not own the song used in here, nor do I own the BBC show Merlin, or it's characters.

Without further ado, I give you my Merlin Fanfiction.

Give Merlin an Applause

The knights laughed in merriment as they talked amongst themselves and other people of Queen Annis' court. Merlin watched in melancholy as his friends had fun, not seeming to care about the dangers that they were going to face within the next couple of days.

Queen Annis herself and Arthur were conversing between each other while Merlin stood off to the side, waiting to be called upon.

"What you saw at Asgorath is no surprise. Some months ago, Saxons began raiding our villages. They're rounding up all the men they can find and taking them to Ismere," Annis explained to Arthur.

Arthur raised an eyebrow in question, "to raise an army?"

"People say that Morgana is tearing the citadel apart," Annis answered back.

"Why?"

"She must be searching for something. I dare not think what," Annis said with a slight shudder.

"Then my men will still be alive," Arthur nearly exclaimed in hope.

"Yes," Annis nodded solemnly, "there is every chance."

Merlin thought about what the royals were saying. If they were right then Gwaine and Percival were both alive. That was good, right? Merlin frowned, if they were alive that means that they were most probably suffering at the hands of Morgana and her men. He didn't know what was worse, dying or being tortured by someone as twisted as his once friend.

Merlin shook that thought out of his head quickly. He didn't want to think about it. Morgana had a plan and this was obviously a trap to get Arthur. Merlin felt horrible thinking about abandoning his friends but protecting Arthur was his priority.

Focusing back onto his job Merlin noticed that Arthur's cup was almost empty, so as the good servant that he was trying to pretend to be, Merlin moved to fill the royal prat's goblet.

Annis looked over at Merlin with a mischievous smile as he poured the wine into the goblet, trying not to spill anything. "I think it's time for some entertainment," Annis commented, making both Arthur and Merlin look up at her. "I would love to see your fool perform. Given all his failings, he must have some skills."

Merlin nearly sputtered at the comment, not sure if he should be flattered that the Queen thought he was good at something or angry that he was being insulted by her pointing out his failings.

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" Arthur smiled back before turning to his manservant. "You heard the Queen- jump to it." Arthur nearly laughed at the horrified look Merlin shot towards him. Arthur actually wanting to see what Merlin would do. Merlin was useless; there wasn't a single thing Arthur could think of that he thought Merlin could do. He probably would try to do some weak parlor trick and end up messing it up anyway.

"I'm not a fool," Merlin tried to argue.

"That's debatable," Arthur answered back, a serious look plastered on his face as he tried to hide his slight excitement. This was going to be good, Arthur could already tell. Thinking back on it, why hadn't he already tried this before? Surely Merlin making a fool of himself in front of everyone wasn't something new. Heck, he was in the stocks nearly every other day back in Camelot.

Arthur heard Leon laugh out loud, having heard the entire thing going on between them. Arthur grinned again, knowing that since even his men wanted to see Merlin do something that there was nothing the manservant could do to get out of it now.

"And I don't have any skills!" Merlin whispered back furiously, desperately grasping at straws to not have to perform in front of the entire court.

Arthur started to get annoyed with the scrawny man. "I know that. But we can't refuse the Queen when she's granted us safe passage, can we?" Why couldn't he ever just do as he was told? Then again, if he did start becoming a bootlicker Arthur would immediately call for Gaius as there would surely be something wrong with him.

Merlin looked defeated at what Arthur had said, finally giving in and doing as the Queen had asked. With heavy feet Merlin walk to the center of the room and looked around for some inspiration. He spotted some men quieting down as they noticed the servant about to do something. Continuing on with his search Merlin also noticed the food on the tables, some goblets, and other tableware. Should he juggle, Merlin asked himself. No, too boring, even with his magic to help him. Merlin wanted to do something using his own talents, and not the result of his magic. But what? Now that Merlin was up here he wanted to give it his all and show these men and the Queen what he could do.

That's when Merlin noticed the musical instruments set up against the corner of the room where performers would do their acts. Getting an idea Merlin studied the instruments further and… Yes, there was a viol amongst them.

Smirking to himself, Merlin turned back towards Queen Annis. "I wish to request for the use of the lovely Queen's viol for my act," Merlin asked, his face blank and he posture straight.

The Queen raised her eyebrow at the boy. This boy couldn't be serious! That was a very hard instrument to play; certainly the boy didn't even know how to play it. Did he expect to just pretend to know what he was doing or was he going to wing it? That wasn't going to work, but she wasn't going to stop the boy. If he wanted to make a further fool of himself then let him. She nodded her consent before leaning back in her chair.

Arthur, however, was shocked at what his manservant was planning on doing. That fool was going to play an instrument he never played before and hope that he was good enough for the court. What was he thinking? He was going to make a fool of himself, and Arthur with him at this rate.

Merlin calmly walked over to the viol sitting next to a lute and walked it back to the center of the room with him.

"Is it alright with Milady if I were to make a few temporary adjustments to this viol? I'll make sure not to ruin it and put it back to normal standards afterwards," Merlin asked, again not showing any emotion. Merlin was going to relish in the expressions of his friends and everyone in the court when he did start to play. What everyone didn't know was that Merlin did know how to play this instrument. He had been taught under the tutelage of a traveling bard back in Ealdor and had continued to play ever since.

It was only when he moved to Camelot that he had stopped. He couldn't bring his modified viol with him and even if he did there wouldn't have been must time to play it with all the tasks that he was forced to do on a daily basis. Like being a manservant to Arthur, running errands for Gaius, and when he wasn't doing that he was saving Arthur or Camelot.

When the Queen gave her consent again Merlin began to tweak with the instrument, making it just the right way to that it would sound just like the instrument that he had left back in his home in Ealdor. As he made the adjustments everyone in the court began to study the boy and question what it was that he was doing.

A few minutes passed like this before Merlin let out a sign and straightened back up from where he had crouched over to do his work. Now the viol looked slightly different, but true to Merlin's word the changes weren't permanent. With one last sigh Merlin let out a laugh and turned back towards the royals.

"I'll admit, I'm not sure how well this might turn out so I hope you aren't too angry when it ends up sounding bad," Merlin announced, hoping to lower everyone's expectations. What he had said had been the truth, it had been years since he last played a song on the viol and he didn't know if he would make a mistake. Plus, he also wasn't sure how the modified viol would play compared to his own. He just hoped for the best because he really did want to show off. After saving lives over and over again without any recognition Merlin had wanted to be praised on his skills at least once.

Merlin finally brought the small instrument up to his shoulder and pressed his check against it to keep it in place. This caught nearly everyone's attention because those who know the instrument knew that it was normally placed between the knees. Murmurs began but were quieted just as quickly when Merlin brought the bow up to the strings.

The manservant moved the bow across the strings a few times, testing the sound to make sure that it was tuned correctly. When he noticed a mistake in the tuning he would stop and fix it immediately before going back to checking the sound again. After a minute of this Merlin was finally done and had taken a peek over at his friends. Merlin noticed, with a hidden smirk, that the knight were all leaning forwards in their seats in anticipation as Arthur himself looked about ready to burst with how long Merlin was taking to start.

"Come on Merlin, stop stalling and just play already," Arthur nearly shouted at Merlin. Arthur wasn't too sure how this was going to play out but after seeing Merlin mess with the instrument -a viol was it? – Arthur was starting to think the Merlin might actually know what he was doing.

"Alright, here goes nothing," Merlin breathed out. The warlock brought the bow back to the strings and started tapping it against the strings. A fast and steady beat began to bounce around the room as he continued to tap the bow against the viol strings, making an almost dun dun dun sound.

After establishing a beat, which made the air grow light, Merlin then started to drag the bow across the strings, finally starting the song.

I stand here waiting for you to bang the gong

to crash the critic saying

Is it right or is it wrong?

The melody was light and fast, but what shocked the court was not the skill with which Merlin played the instrument, but that beautiful voice that began to sing with the melody.

The boy was singing! Merlin, the fool that couldn't do anything right in Arthur's eyes, was playing the viol with such skill that would make any bard jealous while also singing in such a voice the made Arthur think that the originally Lady Helen that was supposed to sing that faithful day Merlin saved his life would have been envious.

His voice started low but then began to get higher as he continued the song. Not only that, but the song itself was, amazing. There was no other word for it.

If only Fame had an IV

Baby could I bear, being away from you

I found the vein, put it in here

The melody dropped and slowed down as Merlin continued to sing.

I live for the Applause, Applause, Applause

I live for the Applause-plause

Live for the Applause-plause

Live for the way that you cheer and scream for me

The applause, applause, applause

The melody quickened as Merlin's movements across the strings began to pick up. His fingers where almost flying across the neck of the instrument now. Arthur thought that Merlin's fingers were going to cramp up from how fast he was going but they never paused in their movements.

Merlin looked up at the head table as he continued the song, now almost shouting the words. The beat of the viol mixed with the words of the song, filling the listeners with the need to get up and dance.

Give me the thing that I love

(turn the lights on)

Put your hands up, make 'em touch

(make it real loud)

Give me the thing that I love

(turn the lights on)

Put your hands up, make 'em touch

(make it real loud)

Make it real loud

Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch

Make it real loud

Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch

Merlin slowed his movements on the viol again as he continued onto the next part of the song. Everyone in the court was surprised, enraptured, and waiting in eagerness for the next part of the performance.

I've overheard your theory

Nostalgia's for geeks

I guess sir, if you say so

Some of us just like to read

One second you're a prat

Then suddenly the prat is me

Pop culture was an Art, now ART's in POP culture, in me!

Merlin was now swaying with the melody of the song as he played the viol. It had been so long since the last time he had let loose and played his beloved instrument. Oh, how he missed it!

I live for the Applause, Applause, Applause

I live for the Applause-plause

Live for the Applause-plause

Live for the way that you cheer and scream for me

The applause, applause, applause

Give me the thing that I love

(turn the lights on)

Put your hands up, make em touch

(make it real loud)

Give me the thing that I love

(turn the lights on)

Put your hands up, make 'em touch

(make it real loud)

Merlin smirked as he looked over the crowd. Most of the council members' mouth were hanging open and, in a few cases, they were drooling. Merlin cringed a little at that- gross. Even the knights of Camelot were leaning forward, their eyes wide in surprise that the King's useless manservant was actually good at something. But it was Arthur's expression that Merlin was more interested in.

The Once and Future King was slack jawed as he looked at his manservant. A slight blush dusted itself across his checks as he noticed Merlin's eyes on him. Arthur closed him mouth and sat up straighter, trying to look for all the world like he hadn't been caught staring at his manservant like a fool.

Merlin smiled as he continued on with his song, now more motivated by thier reactions to finish the song. Even the Queen was surprised by his talent, though she didn't show it as well as the others.

Make it real loud

Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch

Make it real loud

Put your hands up, make 'em touch, touch

Touch touch

Touch touch now

I live for the Applause, Applause, Applause

I live for the Applause-plause

Live for the Applause-plause

Live for the way that you cheer and scream for me

The applause, applause, applause

Merlin's voice faded out as he finished the last few notes on his viol. The entire court grew still as the song ended; not knowing what to do now that the show was over.

Merlin let his arms fall to his side when he finished the song, bowing to the Queen and his King. The goofy smile that was plastered on his face lit up the entire room when he straightened back up to face the court.

The knights where the first to start clapping, the court members soon following after. Even Annis and Arthur joined in lightly once it was obvious that nobody was going to stop clapping anytime soon.

And the entire time Merlin stood there, grinning like a loon, insanely proud of himself and his performance.

Later that night, while Merlin tended to Arthur's fire, getting the King ready for bed, Arthur finally asked the question that was plaguing his mind all night.

"Where did you learn to play an instrument like that? I didn't even know you could sing."

"Yes, well, I have many talents. You've failed to notice them, that's all," Merlin said bitterly, remembering that his magic was only one thing that Arthur didn't know about, and probably never would if Merlin didn't ever get the courage to tell him he had that night when he sang and played the viol.

"Come on with it," Arthur poked at Merlin. "What's wrong?" he asked, knowing that something was bothering his manservant.

Merlin didn't want to tell him what was really bothering him so he said the next thing he was really worried about. "I'm not sure we should go to Ismere."

Arthur looked shocked at what Merlin said. "Did you not hear Annis? My men are alive."

Merlin didn't want to be cynical about Arthur's hopes but he had to be honest with Arthur right now. With a sigh Merlin turned towards his King, "you don't know that."

"Look," Arthur sighed, "stick to singing, Merlin. Leave the important things to me."

"But…"

Arthur had had enough of Merlin's input for the night so he grabbed his boot and threw it at his manservant. Merlin fumbled with it for a second before it fell from his grasp and dropped to the floor with a light thud.

"Finish up here and get some sleep, Merlin. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Of course, sir. Good night."