Author's Note: My first Merlin fic. I found this show on Netflix instant stream and I love it! I have no beta so all mistakes are mine.

Spoilers: I'm only up to episode 9 of the first season, so nothing past that.

Forged in Fire

Grey clouds covered Camelot, reflecting the mood on this terrible day. The streets were quieter than normal, people whispering when they spoke at all. Even the market's usual liveliness was dulled. The blows of the training knights were halfhearted at best and their leader did not see the men's worried side glances after every mistake he did not correct. He too felt the oppressive weight in the air, after all, the pall hanging over the castle and its occupants was due to the lone figure huddled in Uther's dungeons and it was his words that had put him there.

It was inevitable, such a secret could not be kept forever. It was unfortunate that the young man in question was beloved by those who knew him, the bumbling servant with the kind blue eyes, because it was for this reason the betrayal was so much worse. The people were torn, those who could not believe the horrible truth, those who believed it and resented the king's decision and those who thought he was getting exactly what he deserved. The were few in the last camp and most were in the second. The king's crusade against magic had led to so many deaths that few stood behind his harsh laws. Especially in the case of the prince's manservant, who all knew had saved the heir's life more than once. Just because his deeds were not shouted from the top of the towers did not mean they were not whispered about between the servants in the halls.

Deep in the castle, the whispers followed the bowed head of the man who had turned his servant, his friend, in to a king whose only response to magic was a swift death blow or the even crueler flame. The elder Pendragon had been so enraged to find magic under his very nose that he had chosen the fire and nothing anyone said could persuade him to allow the boy the more merciful blade. The people of the castle had never seen the prince looking more beaten down, but few were willing to forgive the man who had once saved his servant's life only to turn around and be the reason for it's end. Since the prince had turned his back on his bullying ways, many held the secret hope that the younger Pendragon would be the one to bring tolerance back to the kingdom and this betrayal had dashed that dream. Some were willing to withhold judgement, believing against all odds that he would do something to save his friend. He had released the knight who lied about his bloodline, would he not do so much more to save his loyal servant? Eyes followed the restless prince as he stalked the halls of the upper parts of the castle, as far away from the dungeons and their occupant as he could be.

It seems Uther anticipated some form of treachery, whether he truly did not trust Arthur not to act or whether he thought that for once the one accused of sorcery would actually do something to save themselves no one could tell, but there were twice as many guards as normal outside the warlock's cell. Their presence did not seem to matter, the prince never ventured down into the gloomy dungeon and the boy did not look capable of standing let alone escaping. Something in him had broken and everyone knew exactly what had caused the light to go out of the normally happy man's eyes.

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It had been like every other hunt the knights went on with their master and his servant. Arthur rode at the front of the group, his friend a little behind and off to his right with the knights in a close formation following closely. Nothing out of the ordinary happened on the way to the forest, it was a rather pleasant day, the sun was shining and a light breeze cooled the rider's brows.

The beast came out of nowhere, no warning signs meant that the two knights closest to it were gone before anyone knew the attack had started. The remaining fighters grouped around their prince facing off against a monster that was straight out of Gaius' books. Its teeth and claws were razor sharp and had reduced the men to shreds in a matter of seconds. A thick plating covered the creature's hide and the knight's swords were bouncing off.

The young warlock who had been shoved behind the knights as well, knew he needed to help but could not see a way to use magic so close to the prince undetected. The creature struck again and as two more knights fell, he knew he would have to act quickly. Unwillingly to allow more to die when there was something to be done, his blue eyes flashed golden and the swords of the men glowed allowing Leon to strike the final blow.

When the monster fell the knights turned as one, naked blades flashing in the sun, toward the source of the strange words. His eyes were still golden, his hand outstretched and there was no way to mistake it for anything besides forbidden magic. Shifting uneasily they looked to the prince who was staring at his servant as if he just seen him for the first time. It was as if he had, all of a sudden the memories of the many strange occurrences around his friend finally made sense. The clumsiness that masked the golden light in his eyes when he performed magic, the way danger seemed to disappear just before it claimed Arthur's life.

In shock, the prince was paralyzed until Leon cleared his throat, clearly waiting for orders. It was obvious the knights did not know what to do with the warlock in their midst, he had broken the law but it was evident that he had also saved their lives. The blond man shook his head, as if to rid him of the desire he had to order his men to never speak of this moment. Squaring his shoulders Arthur turned his back on the servant that had bowed his head the moment he realized what Arthur would do, what the heir had to do. At the prince's order the knights reluctantly seized and bound the servant, hesitating because they had just seen what he could do, and why would the powerful man allow himself to be lead to certain death? But he went quietly, never looking up, never trying to meet his friend's eyes, as if he was trying to spare the prince pain even as he was marched to what could be nothing less than a death sentence.

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The scene in the court when Arthur brought his accusation to his father was short and brutal. Gaius was watching the proceedings closely, having been informed of what was going on by servants and unwilling to leave his charge alone to face the king, he had come to see the sentencing hoping that the rumors were not true. So the physician was there to see the flicker of disbelief in Uther's eyes as his son outed his manservant as a warlock. Most would assume the disbelief was because he could not see the clumsy oaf as a powerful magic user but the king's old friend realized that the man was honestly surprised his heir would be the cause of a friend's death in such a way. The disbelief passed as rage flushed the king's cheeks, a warlock was under his nose the entire time and the elder Pendragon could not stand for that. The fiery sentence was handed down and the boy was dragged to the dungeon in chains, pale and limp but still not resisting his unpleasant fate.

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Uther wisely decided to have the execution the next evening, well aware the boy was popular in the kingdom and not willing to deal with any unrest caused by his decision. The pyre was already being constructed when the kingdom awoke the next morning and word had reached to the edges of Camelot; the prince's manservant was to be burned as a sorcerer at dusk.

Many expected the warlock to do something to escape. The knights' report of his magic use had spread so everyone was aware he had the power to break himself out, and they believed it was only a matter of when he would attempt it. However, the night passed silently, the man sitting in the cell like any other criminal not even lifting his head when first Gaius and then Gwen came to beg him to do something. He did not acknowledge his surrogate father and friend's presences with anything more than a twitch of his hand. The young man was completely broken, when he finally raised his head the next evening as the guards prepared to lead him to the pyre they flinched at the dead look in his eyes. They did not even bother binding him, realizing that his compliance was complete and he would follow them to his death without a fight.

The whispers started as they led the boy to the courtyard. People wondered when he was going to fight back, if his friends would try to stop the execution, what Arthur was going to do. That is, if the prince was even going to attend. Gaius was in the corner of the courtyard comforting a weeping Gwen who refused to abandon her friend on what appeared to be his last night. The gathering in the courtyard was larger than most. Servants of the castle and citizens of Camelot alike were there to witness the end of a young boy's life. Not to celebrate or for any malicious reason but because they wanted to stand with the warlock in silent support for the man that had saved them more than once.

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The path to the pyre seemed to stretch out forever, the knights feet were heavy, the thuds resonating amongst the silent crowd. No one wanted to see the warlock burned, at this point even Uther looked a little hesitant, but his pride prevented him from saving the servant's life. The condemned was silent still, he calmly allowed his hands to be bound behind him around the pole, head bent and shoulders hunched against the sounds of Gwen's sobs.

The man on the pyre looked like anything but a powerful sorcerer, his battered clothes and ratty neckerchief seemed pathetic in the waning light. His face hidden no one could see his face betray the fact his mind was going over his years since coming to Camelot, wondering where he went wrong. The Great Dragon had claimed that his and Arthur's destinies were linked, two sides of the same coin he had said. It was not supposed to end like this, but he would die for his prince even if it meant burning as a sorcerer in a crowd that longed for him to break free. He could feel their hope, their desire for him to perform some feat of magic and escape. It was not to be, if the prince no longer wanted him, no longer trusted him, than there was no place in Camelot or Albion for the warlock.

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Dusk was closing in fast and the execution could not be put off any longer. The king stood on his balcony and looked around, searching for his son even though he knew the heir was not present. He was almost ashamed of the younger Pendragon, he was the reason his friend was going to die, as a future king he should have the courage to face up to his responsibilities. There was nothing he could do though, he could not have his son dragged out here as if bringing a toddler to his punishment. So he stood alone as he had many times before, and proclaimed the man's guilt, ordering the pyre to be lit.

As the knights moved towards the pyre, no one noticed the cloaked figure in the back of the crowd who flinched at the sight of torches. Arthur knew hiding made him a coward but how could he face his servant, no his friend, knowing that he was the reason for his death? His life had been saved many times over by the man who seemed to be calmly waiting as the torches grew ever closer. Arthur knew at that moment that this law that allowed for those who practiced magic only for good to be punished so was wrong, but what could he do? He had never stood up to Uther, even when he saved the Druid boy, it was behind his father's back.

The Crowned Prince took in every detail of his manservant, hunched against the main pole of the pyre, sadness in every line of his body. He had never seen the boy so dejected and knowing that he was the cause made him sick to his stomach. He was about to see a friend burned alive, the dry wood and the smell of the burning torches made that reality all the more tangible. Every moment the two had spent together, every time he had seen the blue eyes lit with laughter or annoyance, the latter all the more likely when the gaze was directed at him, it all flashed before his eyes, each memory driving the sharp knife of grief deeper. Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes against the sight of his condemned friend.

The tension in the crowd was palpable as the silence grew even thicker. The people were holding their collective breaths as the knight leaned down to light the wood. It was only then, at the last second that the warlock raised his head. He looked straight at his master, making eye contact through the crowd.

It's not your fault.

Arthur flinched at the voice in his head. Eyes widening he realized the warlock was trying to comfort him seconds before he burned, and this last act of kindness snapped something within the prince. Shoving people out of his way, his hood fell back and the crowd gasped and parted before the youngest Pendragon who had a wild look in his eyes. He breached the circle around the pyre and stopped.

"Merlin."

His voice sounded like a shout in the moment before the crackling of flames raced through the silence. The dry wood went up as easily as straw. The blond came straight to the edge of the flames trying to catch his friend's eye even as the man's head went back, his jaw clenched against the pain from the fire slowly making it's way up his legs.

Suddenly a new sound came to cover the whimpers the warlock was having trouble holding back, it was soft at first and then grew steadily louder. Arthur looked up in wonder as he felt the rain pouring down, stronger than he had ever seen it. The water doused the flames and the prince did not hesitate before climbing up next to his friend. After checking to make sure the man was still conscious he turned towards the dais and spoke, the authority in his voice made it clear and commanding about the sound of the rain.

"Father I cannot allow this. This man is not just my servant, he is my friend and I owe him my life. Yes, he practiced magic, but he is not evil or malicious. He uses magic to save me and as his master I will not let him die for that. Your laws against magic are not entirely wrong. Yes, evil is done by some who use sorcery, but not all who practice magic deserve to die. Some, like Merlin, deserved to be honored for the work. You cannot get rid of magic completely and I would rather have someone on my side who knew how to fight the dark side of it than have to fight it blind."

The rain had plastered Arthur's hair against his head and the prince swiped angrily at the water clouding his vision, wanting to see his father's reaction to this rebellion.

Uther's anger was obvious, but there was something else in his eyes. Something quite close to pride, he knew Arthur would make a great king someday but he worried sometimes that Arthur was too weak willed to rule, letting others take the stands he should. Granted, he did not appreciate being reproached publicly by his son, but he had to admire his courage.

"You would vouch for this boy? If we allow him to remain in Camelot and he commits crimes with magic it will be on your head," Uther smiled at the gasps from the crowd. He could show mercy, especially if it meant choosing between his stubbornness and his son.

"I would vouch for him. He will be under my watch and my protection. I swear to you," Arthur could barely believe his ears, his father never relented. Next to him the warlock let out a small whimper he had been trying to hold back and Arthur tensed remembering his friend was burned. "If you'll release me, I need to tend to my friend's injuries."

Uther nodded and the whispers in the crowd spread like the fire had on the who remembered The Great Purge had to hold back tears at the king's pardoning of a known magic user. There was hope, for a less bloody future, and for magic to return to Camelot, all because of a blue-eyed servant who would sacrifice anything to save his future king.

The excitement of the crowd covered the scene at the pyre while the prince gently unbound his warlock as Gaius and Gwen rushed over. Arthur assured them he could handle it and helped the wincing man to Gaius' home. Luckily the fire had done only superficial damage before the rain came. Gaius sent a still sobbing Gwen, who assured the men that these were tears of happiness, back to the castle before gathering the supplies to bandage Merlin's burns. Showing Arthur what to do, the prince soon took over. Gaius saw that this was something the heir had to do himself, as penance and soon left the royal and his servant alone. He had seen his charge's sideways glances at his master on the way over. Arthur may have saved him, but that did not erase the betrayal. Those two had a lot to discuss and Gaius bid them good night as he shut the door.

Arthur had settled the servant on his small bed, covering the top half of the shivering man with blankets before beginning to tend to his wounds. His hands shook as he saw the damage done to his friend in the short amount of time the fire had been burning. Carefully cleaning the wounds as Gaius had shown him, the two men were silent. Arthur could feel the warlock's gaze on him but was not yet ready to talk. The steady rhythm of winding the bandages around the other man's legs was comforting. As soon as he had finished he tugged the blanket to cover the wounds and backed away a few steps. The distance seemed to allow him to gather his courage to speak.

"I'm sorry, Merlin,... I, there's nothing I can say to make what I did to you okay. I betrayed you, and I only hope that one day you'll be able to forgive me." The older man looked at the walls and his feet and anywhere but the other man's face.

"I betrayed you too, by not admitting what I was, what I could do. I was just afraid..." he trailed off, a flush in his cheeks as he realize pointing out that he was afraid of what had almost happened tonight might be in bad taste.

"Afraid of exactly what happened. If it hadn't rained... Merlin you could have died. Why didn't you run? Why didn't you escape? I saw what you did in the forest, you have the power and yet you were just going to stand there and burn. I know I call you an idiot but could you really be that thick?" The prince's voice rose angrily as he paced in the small room, the reality that his friend had almost died tonight hitting him.

The wizard was silent, meeting the agitated eyes and indicating with a small nod the chair by his bed. Arthur sat heavily, looking expectantly at the man, hoping for an explanation for why he had let himself be burned.

"I didn't run because my destiny is here, in Camelot at your side. If you could not trust me, if you were not able to see me as anything other than evil my life was worth nothing," Here he held up a hand, silencing the tense knight. "Don't tell me you aren't worth it because you are. You are to become the Once and Future King. Your reign will be a golden age and for that to happen you must survive to be crowned."

The blue eyes met green with a fierceness that cause the prince to suck in a breath. The warlock truly meant all that about a destiny and a golden age. It sounded wonderful, but Arthur was not sure he was meant to rule it. What kind of king let his friend be burned alive. He glanced back to find the blue eyes still trained on him, and there was something about that steady gaze that let him push back the doubts he had about his abilities as ruler. Merlin saw him as a great king, and he wanted more than anything to live up to that. He was willing to trust this man that would become his closest advisor when he was crowned, at least he hoped the position he just thought of would be accepted.

"Of course I'll be your advisor you prat!" The blue eyes twinkled as the prince stuttered ineloquently. "No, I didn't read your mind, you're just terribly predictable."

Arthur had to smack him for that comment. After all, just because he now knew his servant had more power in his pinky finger than he did even when armed with a sword did not mean he got to freely make fun of his prince.

Merlin just laughed at the heir's attempt to put him in his place. A flash of a coronation scene with him dressed as a courtier standing next to the newly crowned Arthur had him grinning. Maybe the Great Dragon was not entirely mistaken about the fate of the two men, a fate that that had been forged in an all too real fire this night.

The two bickered softly, settling back into the same routine as before, even though they knew that nothing would be the same again. As Merlin tired, Arthur pushed him gently back to the bed ordering him to sleep. The younger man complied gratefully, and was soon asleep. The blond man swept the hair off his friend's face, pleased to see the peaceful look in the sleeping man's face. If the prince stayed and kept vigil over him until the morning light it was only out of concern for infection and not because he needed to see the rise and fall of his friend's breathing to reassure himself he had not lost his warlock through his own stupidity tonight, at least that's what he tried to tell himself as he thought of what the other man had said.

The Once and Future King. Has a nice ring to it.

Arthur could see it in his mind's eye. He as king, and Merlin as his loyal advisor ruling over the Golden Age of Camelot. The thought made him smile as he adjusted the blanket when the younger man shifted in his sleep.

A nice ring to it indeed.

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Somewhere in Albion Kilgharrah chuckled, the sound reverberating off the walls of his new cave. It had been awhile since he practised weather magic, he was simply glad he hadn't lost his touch, and of course that the prince had seen sense. Those two would go on to do great things and it would have been a pity to lose the warlock before they could usher in the new era of magic in Camelot. After all, he had a reputation as a seer to uphold.