Of Honour and Magic

Pt One: To Darkness and to Me

Disclaimer: I do not own the television show Merlin. Any publicly recognised characters are entirely not of my creation. I do however, own this story, so hands OFF!

Chapter titles and quoted text at the end of each chapter is from the poem 'An Elegy Wrote in a Country Churchyard' by Gray.

Summary: Everyone expected Arthur to protect his manservant when it was revealed the boy was a warlock. Instead, he stood proudly beside his father as his best friend was tied to a stake and a pile of firewood was built below.

A/N: While this is my first fic for Merlin I am by no means new to the fandom. I have read many stories where Merlin's magic has been revealed to Arthur and (like the good friend and noble Prince he is) Arthur keeps the secret. I have no doubt that, if it were to be exposed, Arthur would keep the secret. But something made me pause.

What if Arthur and Uther found out at the same time and Arthur had no way to cover for Merlin? Or if, feeling betrayed by Merlin's apparent lack of faith in him, Arthur acted in spite, and condemned his friend to death? And what if there was no rescue of the young warlock, what if he did, in fact, die?

From those ideas, this story was born.

Thanks to: Christina B for betaing this story. I owe you hugely. And also, thanks to my kitten, Katie. I know, she can't read, but this is for her.

The quiet air throughout the castle of Camelot shed a feeling of peacefulness and serenity. That morning the King was in a meeting with tradesmen from the North, so the only real sound in the vast halls of the main castle came from the kitchens, where a feast was being prepared, and the throne room, where the meeting was taking place. All the remaining guests in the castle had gone outside, to the township gathered within the castle walls, enjoying the fresh spring air and glorious sunshine.

In fact, apart from the group in the throne room and the various servants bustling around the castle doing their duties, there were only two others inside the castle.

"Come on, Merlin!" Arthur called, waiting in his sleeping chambers for his manservant to return with a clean shirt, having just spilt the mornings breakfast all over the one already laid out.

"I am coming!" came the indignant reply from the servant, as he appeared behind the prince, a clean white shirt draped over one arm. He passed the shirt to Arthur then grabbed the remaining plates from where they sat on Arthur's table, and carried them to a tray beside the door. The tray, Merlin knew, would be picked up later by one of the kitchen staff.

"We're going to be late, you know," Arthur said as he strode past Merlin and out of the door, into a vast corridor. "My father will not be happy with this tardiness."

"I still don't understand why I have to go," Merlin said, and Arthur sighed.

"It's simple really," The royal explained. "My father wants me to attend so that I am able to observe more of the workings of the court, as well as how to successfully negotiate a trade agreement with people from beyond the kingdom of Camelot. Therefore, I am to attend this meeting."

"Well I know that!" Merlin stated. "But that still doesn't explain why I have to go."

"Listen, you dolt." Arthur said. "You are my manservant. What I say, you do. Where I go, you go. That is why you have to come."

Merlin opened his mouth in protest, but fell silent when Arthur fixed him with a withering stare. They had reached the doors to the throne room.

The doors were swung open for Arthur, and Merlin followed him through into the grand throne room. Uther nodded at Arthur, gesturing for the young man to join him. Arthur took his seat beside the king while Merlin moved to stand beside Gwen and Gaius on the outskirts of the hall.

The grand doors swung open once again, and this time, two large, cloaked men entered, slowly moving down the great hall towards Uther and Arthur.

"Uther Pendragon?" The first asked, and Uther rose from his throne.

"That is me. This is my son, Arthur. It is a pleasure to welcome you to the halls of Camelot." He said majestically. "Now, to business. What exactly is it you are offering to trade?"

"No trade," The second man replied. "Just your death!"

At that, the two men flung their coats away, revealing matching robes, embroidered with patterns which Merlin recognised as spells - spells which would shield the wearer from being harmed by any kind of weapon. Without magic, Arthur and the king were entirely unprotected.

The king's personal guard sprung into action, their swords raised and swinging towards the sorcerers. As soon as the swords got within a foot of reaching the two men, they fell away from the hands of their wielders. Left defenceless and unarmed, the guards were defeated easily with a shot of lightning from the imposters.

Uther's eyes went wide at the clear use of magic within his castle. Beside him, Arthur had already drawn his sword, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Neither saw the horror written all over Merlin's face as the sorcerers began to chant again.

The astoundingly quick shot of magic that followed was directed towards Uther, but it did not strike him. At the last moment, Arthur had managed to throw himself in front of his father, pulling the older man out of the way. The lightning grazed the boy's shoulder and hip, sending him to his knees in pain, vulnerable.

The sorcerers used this to their advantage, once again raising their arms and summoning a magical force to their aid. Their magic was clearly now aimed at the injured prince staggering to his feet.

"Arthur, look out!" Merlin cried, before flinging himself in front of the prince exactly as a second stream of magical lightning rocketed from the enemy sorcerers' hands towards the king and his son. Merlin reacted on instinct, his eyes flashing a brilliant gold and one hand flying up towards the intruders. A beam of lightning shot out of his fingertips that was stronger than the magic cast by the intruders.

Merlin did not hear the shocked gasps from Gwen and Arthur, nor the startled exclamation from Gaius. His entire concentration was focused on his magic as his flare blocked the bolts meant to kill the Uther and Arthur. The two strands of magic split to either side of Merlin's own ray, bouncing harmlessly to strike the walls. The stronger magic, summoned by the young warlock, continued its fiery path, engulfing the two sorcerers before fading away.

Merlin was left standing in front of Uther and Arthur, with one arm raised and his breath coming slowly from his chest. He was aching, every pore in his body tired from summoning that much magic. It was a feat he had never attempted before, and as the boy turned around, he realised it was not likely he would try it again.

Arthur was still, frozen in place with one arm stretched across his stomach to hold his injured side, his eyes immediately latching on to Merlin's face. The prince's own face was twisted into a grim expression of pain, but in his eyes betrayal shone clearly.

Behind him, Uther's entire being shouted anger and hatred. The king's disapproval of magic was strong on most days, but having it used in his own halls was the biggest insult the man could envision, only serving to greaten his hatred.

On the side of the hall, Merlin could clearly see the shocked and horrified looks on the faces of Gaius and Gwen, already fearful for the fate of the young warlock. Gaius's eyes pieced Merlin's heart with their sadness, knowing that it was already too late to help.

"Guards!" Uther commanded, and immediately several guards entered the hall.

Seeing the bodies scattered on the floor, they sprung into position, protecting the king from the only thing they could deem as a possible threat; Merlin, who was frozen in place, his arm no longer raised, his strong stance falling into one of defeat as his arms when wrestled behind his back. He tiredly brought his head up to face the king.

"This... boy... has committed high treason against Camelot, by using magic inside the castle's walls. Take him away, I do not want to set eyes on him again before his execution!" The guards hauled Merlin out of the room following Uther's instructions, leaving the people left in the room to decipher what happened.

"I don't believe it..." Arthur said, his voice echoing in the vastly silence room. "There's no way... How could Merlin be a sorcerer?"

"I don't believe it either, Arthur." Uther replied. "Such is the heinousness of magic... It infiltrates our lives, making us believe it is good, then strikes us down when we least expect it. No doubt this Merlin was waiting for an opportunity to destroy Camelot from within."

"Forgive me, your highness, but that makes no sense." Gwen said, shocking herself by speaking. "What I mean is, well, if Merlin was evil, why did he just save you and Arthur?"

Seeing Uther in shock that the handmaiden had spoken to him, Gaius spoke. "She is right, sire. What reason would Merlin have for saving your life?"

"The minds of magic users do not work following our logic, Gaius, you should know that. Whatever reason Merlin had for saving my son and I, it was simply to serve his own needs." Uther said firmly. "I know he was your ward, and that you cared greatly for the boy, but those feelings mean nothing now."

Uther turned away, making it clear that the conversation was over. He nobly strode out of the hall. Arthur went to follow him, but was stopped by Gwen as she grabbed his arm, turning him to face her.

"Sire, please! You know Merlin, you know that he would never hurt you, or Camelot!" She cried, desperate to get the prince to help save her friend. "You can't let him die!"

"Yes, I can." Arthur stated evenly, shaking his arm to dislodge the young woman. "I thought I knew Merlin, but clearly I was wrong. Sorcery cannot be tolerated inside the walls of Camelot; that is the law. I cannot, nor do I wish to, change those laws to help a servant."

Gwen and Gaius stood shocked as Arthur left the room, the wide door slamming behind him. Abruptly, Gwen threw herself into Gaius' arms, sobs wracking her body. The old man gently stroked her back, trying to soothe her own tears as well as his.

The sound of the doors opening again caused the two to turn towards it, revealing an enraged Morgana storming into the hall.

"How could he do this!" She cried furiously. "How could he simply let Uther do this? Merlin couldn't hurt a fly, there's no way that he's a sorcerer!"

"I'm afraid it's true, Lady Morgana," Gaius spoke calmly and evenly. "We all saw it with our own eyes. As did King Uther and Prince Arthur"

"But how could we not know about it?" Morgana persisted then paused. "How could you not know? Merlin is your ward, have you never noticed anything?"

Gaius' silence answered the question better than any words he could have spoken. Morgana's face slipped from enraged to shocked.

"You knew? How could you know and never say anything? Gaius..." The king's ward fell silent, her eyes full of disappointment and sadness.

"Forgive me, Morgana." Gaius' voice too was full of sadness, and his words were soft. "You know I could not tell you. If I did, it would have put Merlin's life in danger."

The hall fell silent once more as the two young women and the old man came to grips with the thought of Merlin's immanent execution.

The doors to Arthur's royal chambers slammed open with such disrespect that Arthur immediately knew who it was entering his chamber. This was only confirmed when Morgana launched into a crazed speech, anger threading into every word.

"You know this is wrong, Arthur!" She began. "I've been to see Merlin; he told how many times he's saved your life. Do you even know how many times he's saved you? Of course you don't, you're too blinded by your hatred of magic to see the good it's done you."

"Morgana, it is not my hatred of magic that has condemned... him" Arthur said, not being able to say the warlock's name.

'Then what was it?" Morgana demanded. "What could possibly be enough to sentence Merlin to his death?"

"His magic condemned him. He chose to break the laws of Camelot, he will suffer the punishment! I thought I made that clear to Gaius and Guinevere earlier" Arthur said.

"Might I remind you that this very same magic that condemns Merlin was also used to save your life?" By now Morgana's anger had increased tenfold. Arthur Pendragon was hard headed and stubborn most of the time, but this was more than the woman could take. "Merlin didn't have to save you, Arthur, especially not if he was here to kill you. But he has, several times over. Do you know why? Because he's your friend."

"Merlin is no friend of mine!" Arthur roared, his eyes ablaze with anger. "No true friend would lie about something so important. No true friend would feel he had to. A true friend would trust that friendship was stronger than any secrets."

"Is that what this is about? You feel betrayed and therefore will send Merlin to his death?" Morgana's voice had fallen, now barely above a whisper.

"No. Merlin will die for betraying Camelot. My father is right in his judgement." Arthur's words were final, and Morgana left the room, her fears for Merlin stronger now than they had ever been before.

The day of the execution came quicker than anyone could have expected. In the time between his arrest and the fatal day, Merlin was kept in Camelot's dungeon, the cell door only opened to allow food and water in once daily. He was allowed no visitors, Uther insisting that anyone who visited the boy was likely to be corrupt and therefore would be punished too.

Gaius, Morgana and Gwen came up with no plan to rescue Merlin. There was no way to convince Uther that the boy had not performed magic; the king was not blind, and neither was his son. Arthur still refused to forgive Merlin's secrecy, and could in no way be persuaded to help save his manservant from execution.

The morning before the execution, however, Arthur made the journey down to the dungeons to see Merlin. The guards let him pass, knowing that the prince would not be stopped, and Arthur left a half hour after arriving. He returned to his chambers shortly after to prepare for the event.

At midday, the people of Camelot were summoned to the courtyard outside the main castle, in order to witness the execution. Arthur slowly made his way down from his chambers, standing beside his father on a pedestal directly in front of the stake which Merlin was to be tied to. Joining him on the platform were Morgana and Gwen; as the king's ward and her maid they were expected to stand in place of honour. Gaius also stood with them, for many reasons. The first, and most official was that the man was the court's physician; it was his job to be sure of no complications in the execution. The less official reason was that the boy being killed was as close the old man as a son, and as family, he needed a last chance to be close to Merlin.

Camelot's townsfolk were shocked at the execution of the kindly boy whom had befriended many in his short time in the castle. Had it not been confirmed by Gaius and Gwen, they would never have believed that the boy was capable of performing magic.

A tired and defeated Merlin was brought out of the dungeons and into the sun light for the last time in his life. His short time in the dungeons had not treated him well. His skin was pale and deep shadows surrounded his sunken eyes. The malnourishment had served to thin the boy's already thin body, giving his face a gaunt and empty look.

But the warlock's eyes still blazed with life, their piercing blue cutting clearly through the grim appearance of his body to show that he had not, and would not, give up. A bright spark of defiance was as clear as ever; despite his body being limp and weary, Merlin refused to be dragged to his death. Instead, he walked, allowing the guards holding him to act as supports for his worn out frame.

As he was lifted onto a small stand halfway up the wooden stake, his hands being roughly tied behind his back and around the pole, Merlin did not allow his eyes to stray from those of the king, who watched the preparation with an air of smugness, as if to say; let anyone try to bring magic into my kingdom, they will only suffer.

Wood was brought from piles around the town and stacked haphazardly underneath the small square Merlin stood on. Smaller twigs and grasses were strewn into the gaps of the planks, and packed in well enough to ensure a quickly burning fire. Once all the preparations were made, the executioner read from a scrap of paper the crimes which Merlin was accused of. High treason, attempted murder, witchcraft, and numerous other charges thrown in to offer no avoidance of the sentence.

"Uther, please, this is nonsense!" Morgana whispered as the charges were read. The king ignored her statement, serving only to increase her panic. Desperate, she turned to Arthur, pleadingly. "Arthur, he is your friend, stop this madness."

As had his father, Arthur ignored Morgana's pleas. The young woman turned to her maid and the old physician, her eyes already burning with tears. She grabbed Gaius' hand in comfort burying her head in his shoulder as she wept silently. Beside her, Gwen also cried, wrapping her arms around her chest in a vain attempt to comfort herself.

Arthur remain as stoic as possible, his chin raised, shoulders squared, body tense and angry.

As the executioner finished the reading of the charges, Arthur moved forward on the pedestal. Morgana and Gwen's tears paused momentarily, hoping that this was some attempt to save Merlin, who throughout the proceedings had not struggled or tried to free himself in any way. He was silent and still, accepting that this would be his death.

"For these charges, you have been sentenced to death by burning at the stake." The crown prince announced. "Do you have any last words before you die?"

"I will not try to prove my innocence, for I am not innocent of these crimes," Merlin began, his voice hoarse, but filled with wisdom beyond his years. His time in the damp cells of Camelot had broadened his mind to the trials that the world would offer him as he advanced as a wizard. "I have used sorcery, I have killed and I have lied to the crown of Camelot. Yet my name will live on, long after my execution today, well after the walls of Camelot have crumbled to the ground. I will outlive Uther Pendragon, my name still whispered on the wind for generations to come!"

Uther seemed enraged by such comments, and signalled for the wood below the warlock to be lit. The actions of his followers were stopped when Merlin continued.

"I will be remembered, because though I am guilty of using magic, my crimes were committed in honour; to save Camelot and its rulers."

The crowd let out jeers, not wanting the show to be delayed much longer. Morgana sent one final teary look towards Arthur, before Merlin finished speaking, his own eyes focus on the small group of his friends and family. His voice was just above a whisper.

"Gaius, Morgana, Gwen- my dearest friends, and family. You will not mourn my death for long." He turned to Arthur. "Arthur, I was proud to be your servant, and friend, till the moment I died. Never doubt that you will always be a friend to me." Merlin's voice rose. "Uther, remember this until you take your last breath- It is not you who kills me!"

With that final declaration, Merlin shouted in an ancient tongue, and the wood below caught fire, as King Uther turned away, disgusted. Within moments it had reached Merlin, the roaring blaze drowning out Gwen and Morgana's screams. The two women squeezed their eyes shut, both desperately clinging to Gaius to hide from the flames that were taking away their friend. Gaius himself, turned away, carefully leading the women from the platform.

Arthur was the only person who remained staring at the stake, watching as the flames faded slowly and died, leaving only embers, charcoal and unrecognisable remains. Slowly, they smouldered and faded to a pitch black, a small trail of smoke the only sign of the once magnificent fire.

Uther cast a single glance back at the remains, to satisfy his desire that the sorcerer was dead. When it was confirmed, he smiled slightly then strode purposely into the castle. The residents of Camelot slowly wandered back to their homes, the hustle and bustle of real life quickly overtaking the city once again.

Arthur watched as the charcoal remains were cleared away and disposed of. He watched as workers returned to their houses ready to sleep for the night, the castle's bells signalling the end of the day. He stayed where he stood until the sun hit the horizon, its magnificent rays sending out a stunning flash of light which harshly pulled Arthur's mind back to final moments of the execution.

His imagination conjured a memory of seeing Merlin's eyes flash once, the boy's lips whispering a spell, before he vanished, milliseconds before the flames flared over where the warlock had just stood. Somewhere in the back of Arthur's mind, he hoped that this altered event was what happened, that his friend had not actually died.

But the prince shook the thoughts from his head. They were stupid, and pointless; Merlin was dead. Still, as Arthur turned back to the castle, he caught sight of a single star winking gold briefly, before it was lost to his sight entirely. With a sigh, Arthur straightened his shoulders, and retreated inside.

'The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,

The lowing herd winds slowly o'er the lea,

The ploughman homeward plods his weary way,

And leaves the world to darkness and to me.'

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