As promised, bonus content for The Price Of Eight For One begins here! If you haven't read it, The Price Of Eight For One is my exhaustive WIP that sets a female version of Merlin in a soulmate au. It's...not as cringey as it sounds. At least that's what I hear. If you want more, you can read that, but these oneshots written from Merlin's soulmates' perspectives stand mostly alone.

Either way enjoy!

NUMBER ONE: ARTHUR

or

you do not know me, yet you call me friend?

Arthur has spent a very, very long time wondering about his soulmark.

That's enough! You've had your fun, my friend.

It is not, he thinks, very encouraging. And now…it has turned out even worse than Arthur thought it might.

Merlin is…everything he didn't expect. Short and slim, with black hair in a messy, careless bun and startling blue eyes to match her spirit.

Also, female.

He certainly hadn't expected that.

The prince had always assumed that his only soulmate would be a man, a noble most likely—hopefully about Arthur's own age, with whom he could laugh and joke and be himself. Not a peasant girl with trousers, a red neckerchief, and a sturdy kick.

Arthur winces at the reminder. That had been truly unpleasant, and not just for his pride.

Uther sets down his goblet a bit harder than necessary, startling his son out of his thoughts. "You are supposed to be dining, Arthur, not daydreaming."

Arthur nods hastily, stabbing his pork cut with his fork. "You're right, Father. I'm sorry I'm not better company. My thoughts were elsewhere."

"What's on your mind, my son?" The king prods, devouring a bunch of grapes and some bread.

"I was…actually thinking of how to bring this up to you," Arthur admits. He chews the piece of finely roasted meat and swallows before he continues. "I suppose you've heard what happened earlier in the courtyard?"

"Yes, actually," Uther smiles in amusement. "I hear that a peasant girl kicked you in a rather unpleasant area. Gaius's ward, apparently. You tossed her in the dungeons, yes? I allowed Gaius to free her on the condition that she spent the rest of the day in the stocks. I assumed you only…wanted some fun, and she did not take well to your advances."

Across from Arthur, Morgana nearly chokes on her wine, trying not to laugh.

Arthur sends her a dirty look, wondering if his father thinks he really goes around propositioning girls in the marketplace. "No, Father, that is about the farthest assumption from the truth, I was—I mean, she, we met for the first time, and, well, she is…" He winces to say it out loud. "She is my soulmate."

Morgana hastily swallows and then abandons all attempts at not laughing.

Uther pauses, fork halfway to his mouth. His eyes fix on Arthur. "I see."

Arthur sighs. When his father says I see, it makes him want to abandon all his deeply engrained knightly principles and sprint in the other direction. "I hadn't expected her to be a…her, so I wasn't very kind. In hindsight, she must have been as shocked as I was."

Silence. Arthur fights to keep from grimacing at the look which is slowly overtaking his father's face.

"I…see."

Uther replaces his fork onto his plate, pork roast forgotten. "What could you have said to cause her to respond as she did? You did not mark her with inappropriate words of any kind?" He glares towards Arthur.

"No, actually, I don't…I don't think so. I'm actually not sure what my first words to her were; she spoke first." Arthur pauses, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I don't think they were offensive—in fact I'm sure they weren't."

"Then why," Morgana has finally recovered from her laughter, "did the poor thing see fit to kick you?"

"Well…." His father will probably not be particularly pleased with him. "I may have called her an idiot."

Morgana and Uther frown simultaneously.

He hastens to add, "After she called me an ass, though! And she said she'd hit me, soulmate or not. I said that she wouldn't dare. Then…she kicked me. Really hard."

Uther chuckles with amusement. "If she were any other peasant girl, I would have her in the cells for a month for her impertinence. But she is your soulmate; I suppose Fate decided you needed someone who could keep up with you."

Arthur rolls his eyes discreetly. He isn't sure he agrees.

"What's her name, did you ask?" Morgana leans forwards over the table curiously.

"Merlin," Arthur replies. "It's Merlin."

"Well." Uther drains his goblet, and stands. Arthur and Morgana hurry to follow suit. He looks at Arthur, seemingly coming to a decision about the matter. "I shall think about what to do with her. You are, of course, platonic? It wouldn't do for the heir to the throne to have a romantic soulmate in a peasant."

"Completely platonic," Arthur replies, mentally thanking the gods that it was true. He hadn't felt a single bit of the spark that most romantic soulmates were supposed to have.

"Good. For now, try not to trumpet the identity of your soulmate to the whole of the five kingdoms. If someone thinks you can be hurt through her, they will not hesitate to take her." Uther sweeps away, off to sign documents or brood or whatever he does in his spare time.

Arthur groans, almost landing his head in his plate as he lets it thud onto the table in exasperation.

"Oh, she can't be that bad," Morgana says teasingly, crossing over to his side of the table and placing a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "I honestly feel worse for her, poor thing. Stuck with you for her soulmate? I wouldn't be able to tolerate it."

"Oh, forget it, Morgana," Arthur shakes her away. "I've got better things to do than this."

"Like what?"

Uther's words echo in his ears: If someone thinks you can be hurt through her….

"None of your business!" Arthur snaps, sinking back into his chair. Like seeing if his soulmate can defend herself. But Morgana doesn't need to know that.

"Hmph!" Morgana sweeps away, her wafting purple skirts trailing behind her.

Merlin, he thinks. There was something about her…still, chances are he has his work cut out for him.

Perhaps he should start with the mace.