Merlin Imagines - Tumblr Posts

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State of Grace - Spencer Reid x Reader

Red - Sirius Black x Reader

Treacherous - Aaron Hotchner x Reader

I Knew You Were Trouble - Loki x Reader

All Too Well - James Potter x Reader

22 - Spencer Reid x reader

I Almost Do - Derek Morgan x Reader

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Bucky Barnes x Reader

Stay Stay Stay - AG's Peter Parker x Reader

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Everything Has Changed - James Potter x Reader

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The Moment I Knew - AG Peter Parker x Reader

Come Back...Be Here - Emily Prentiss x Reader

Girl at Home -

Eyes Open -

Safe & Sound -

Better Man -

Message In A Bottle -

I Bet You Think About Me -

Forever Winter -

Run -

The Very First Night -

All Too Well (10 Minute Version) -

ivy

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Prompt - ‘Taking mine, but it's been promised to another.’

From the start your marriage had been nothing but a sham, a performance put on for the world to see. Vows that promised a lifetime of faith and love slipped from your lips, the lies pleasing those who heard it whilst turning you cold. It was all a lie, a marriage arranged before you had been born, it was what you were born for.

It didn’t matter that you were a Princess, it didn’t matter that you knew how to rule a kingdom, knew that you could lead your people. Nothing mattered except making sure the Prince looked the part. You weren’t needed for your mind, you were simply an accessory, somebody to stand by the prince. One day he would be a great King, everybody told you as much and you could only smile politely and nod whilst desperately trying to ignore how empty you felt.

And you did feel empty. You were far too good to spend your days standing beside the future King. It wasn’t that Arthur was terrible or cruel, as arranged marriages went you knew you had gotten lucky with him. He was kind if not a little bit arrogant but he was loyal and brave, willing to die for those he held dearest to him. You truly did believe he would be a great King, far better than Uther at any rate, you just wished you could be something more than simply the Prince’s wife.

Arthur treated your marriage as though it was a real one, which it was for all intents and purposes except for the fact that you didn’t love Arthur. The two of you shared a bed, spent your days side by side, he kissed your cheeks and held your hand in public. The kingdom adored the pair of you together. Arthur was happy and you woke up each morning feeling another piece of you wilt away into nothing.

You supposed it wasn’t all bad. Sure you had been moved from your own kingdom, losing everything you had known but you had gained something from it. One saving grace, one good thing that kept you from drowning and losing yourself.

It was wrong, terribly wrong. If the people, if Arthur or Uther found out you hated to think of what kind of punishment would be brought down on you. But yet you couldn’t resist, not when it was the only good thing you had to hold close.

Merlin.

You didn’t even remember fully how it came to be but from the moment Arthur introduced his servant to you you couldn’t help but smile wider, watching as he stuttered a greeting out before averting his eyes causing you to giggle as Arthur told you to just ignore the idiot.

Merlin spent almost as much time at Arthur’s side as you did, which meant he spent most of his time with you. Whilst Arthur occupied himself with royal duties you turned to Merlin and spoke quietly amongst yourself, Merlin still a stuttering, flustered mess but you couldn’t help but find it endearing. You yourself weren’t much better, biting back smiles and giggling softly like a small child with her first crush.

Months passed where nothing happened between the two of you but you could feel your feelings grow for Merlin as each day passed. What started as a slight infatuation turned into something more real, it wasn’t love but you thought that under different circumstances, in another life maybe it could have been.

The slightest touches from Merlin seemed to transform the emptiness and loneliness you felt surrounded by the royals, the brush of his fingers against your back as he passed, the way he stood slightly closer to you during events. All of the little touches, the stolen glances, all of it made everything better, even if they were tarnished when you were reminded that Merlin could never be yours.

One day everything became too overwhelming, you felt like you were choking on the expectations people had of you and excused yourself from Arthur’s presence before you were due to sit in with the King. Arthur’s concerned glances did nothing to help how tormented you were feeling and when he asked if he could do anything you shook your head, telling him you’d seek out Gaius.

You waited only long enough for him to enter the room before heading the opposite direction from Gaius’ chambers. You walked for long enough that your feet hurt but it did you good, the fresh air and being away from the palace helping you to clear your mind. You had no idea where you’d walked to but stopped when you came across a large tree.

The trunk stretched high in the air, wisteria growing from the branches, spreading off into all different directions before draping downwards and offering shade. There was a lake not too far in front of the tree, the purple flowers reflected in the clear water. It was a beautiful picture, the tree standing out against the greens of the others, and you couldn’t think of a better place to sit with your loneliness.

You sat down softly, letting your back rest against the thick trunk as your thoughts began to wander, your fingers pulling at the blades of grass beneath you as they did. You knew you were lucky, knew most women would kill to marry the Prince, to have a life of riches, to never have to worry or want for anything. You knew that as a result of your marriage your people back home were looked after and yet you couldn’t help but hate it.

Sitting here it felt like you were nothing more than a ghost of yourself, grieving for your loss, grieving for a life that could have been beautiful and happy. Now the only happiness you had in your days was stolen moments with Merlin.

It wasn’t even like you could tell anyone how you were feeling, nobody would understand, not able to look beyond the life of a Princess. They all saw what they were meant to see, a Prince and Princess in love who would one day rule the kingdom of Camelot. Even the thought of you and Arthur not loving each other, of you hating your life in the castle walls would seem unfathomable.

You had no idea how long you sat against the tree for, staring out into the water but eventually you were startled out of your thoughts when you heard leaves crunching nearby. You stayed silent, hoping it was just an animal and you hadn’t wandered out far enough for any bandits to be skulking around.

Your heartbeat seemed to speed up when you saw a familiar figure emerge from the trees and you couldn’t stop the pull of your lips into a small grin.

“Wasn’t sure if you’d want company.” Merlin said by way of greeting, a smile mirrored back as he came close and sat down next to you, close enough that your shoulders brushed as he set a basket down in front of you. “But I brought you some food.”

“Thank you.” You said softly, keeping your eyes on him instead of the food. “You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to. Arthur said you weren’t feeling well but when I asked Gaius he said you hadn’t been by, don’t worry though I told him that if Arthur asked to say you had. Is everything ok?” Merlin asked as he pulled some fruit out of the basket and set it on the blanket he had been carrying.

You stayed silent, not knowing how to answer that question without lying. You didn’t want to lie to Merlin but you could hardly tell him the truth, though you longed to but he was Arthur’s servant, it wouldn’t be fair to put him in a position of keeping secrets for you.

Merlin turned to face you when you didn’t answer, seeing the sad look that you frequently wore when surrounded by Arthur and the other royals. Merlin hated to see that look, it hurt his heart each time he did but what could he do? He couldn’t give you the life you deserved, you were a Princess, the future Queen of Camelot, Merlin was always going to be beneath you.

He knew Arthur’s marriage to you was nothing more than an agreement between two kingdoms, a way to keep trade and peace for another generation. He hated that to meet you you had to marry another, Merlin knew your mind, it was brilliant and it was going to waste at Arthur’s side.

Merlin wasn’t a selfish man. He’d do anything to help Arthur, he’d give his life for the other man every chance he got if it meant Arthur would be safe. Merlin wasn’t selfish but he longed for you, he wanted every part of you for himself. For months he had watched you, pined for you and you were so close and yet he could never quite reach you.

You don’t know where the sudden stinging of tears came from, one second you were keeping your emotions tightly locked up and the next a single tear escaped your eye and slid down your cheek. Maybe it was the soft sympathetic way Merlin was looking at you, like he knew how much weight was on your shoulders, forcing you under until you couldn’t breathe or maybe it was just finally too much for you to handle.

Merlin felt his heartbreak for you when he noticed the tear and reached out a hand to take yours gently, his fingers entwined with yours and his thumb brushed against your skin. He knew he shouldn’t have enjoyed the feeling of your hand in his as much as he did but he still let himself savour the feeling, not knowing when or if he’d get the chance again.

Your eyes were immediately drawn down to your hands before you scrunched your eyes shut to keep the tears at bay. Merlin’s hands were cold in yours but the touch seemed to ignite a fire within you. It was wrong to want Merlin so badly, your life already promised to Arthur and yet here Merlin was, so deeply embedded in your every thought, haunting your dreams and your waking hours.

You both wanted more, the simple touch of your hands waking the flame of wanting that was too loud to ignore. Merlin swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat, desperate to do something more, to steal one more moment of you for himself, consequences be damned. You pleaded to any greater being that would listen, begging for Merlin to do anything, to give into what you both wanted.

You tore your gaze from your joined hands and looked to Merlin, his pupils so wide you could barely see the ring of blue around it. Merlin’s eyes were drawn to your lips, watching as your tongue poked out to wet them and he couldn’t stop himself from leaning in towards you.

He paused when his face was close enough that you could feel his breath against your face, waiting to see if you would pull away but you didn’t move away. You’d waited for so long, dreamt about what it would be like to finally give into temptation, to be selfish for once and not put your people or your duties above yourself.

Merlin’s free hand came up to lightly cup your cheek, his thumb brushing against your skin as he tilted your face upwards slightly. You were sure he could hear your heart threatening to beat right out of your chest as you waited for him to close the distance between you.

Merlin didn’t second guess himself, didn’t give himself a chance to overthink what a terrible idea this would be. You were the Princess, the future Queen of Camelot and he was just a servant, a servant who was already hiding a secret that would get him killed so what was one more secret and what a secret it would be having felt your lips against his.

He couldn’t wait any longer, had waited long enough. He didn’t rush when he pressed his lips to yours, practically shuddering into the kiss as he felt a thrill of sparks shoot through him. His hand still on your cheek pulled you closer and you followed without hesitation.

This kiss wasn’t hurried, it was soft and filled with longing but it didn’t stay that way for long. After a few moments the kiss turned greedy, both of you suddenly desperate for more, more, more. It had been months, bordering on a year of secret glances and quiet pining and now you finally had each other.

Merlin’s hands slid into your hair and you moaned into the kiss as his fist closed around the strands whilst your hands ended up on Merlin’s chest, smoothing your palms against him. Merlin tugged you into his lap without breaking the kiss and you let him guide you onto him, moaning softly into the kiss and unable to help yourself from grinding down onto him.

Everything from that moment on was a hurried mess of limbs, the pair of you exploring every inch of each other. Merlin’s hands running up and down your body, touching what should have been Arthur’s. You knew you could never go back to the pining, the longing stares, you may have promised yourself to Arthur but you would always be Merlin’s.

From that day on you and Merlin made a choice, one that if anybody found out would see you both facing severe punishments but the risk was worth it for the stolen moments alone with each other. It was intoxicating, sneaking out of the castle and hiding away with Merlin, being able to hold his hand, to kiss him, to have him hold you as the hours passed by.

It was hard coming back to the castle, to sit for a court session, Arthur’s hand in yours whilst your eyes caught Merlin and the two of you shared smiles and held silent conversations from across the room. When it was just the three of you in Arthur’s chambers, Merlin pottering about as Arthur sat beside you, talking about something you couldn’t focus on because you’d rather be anywhere else with Merlin.

It went on for months, the sneaking around and it was the first time since your marriage, since you arrived in Camelot, that you felt truly alive, that you weren’t just waking up to a miserable life, you finally had something to look forward to. Even if you and Merlin couldn’t get out of the castle, just seeing those blue eyes looking back at you was enough.

You did wonder why Merlin seemed so eager to be in this relationship, cursed to have it hidden from the world, cursed to never be able to live the lives you wanted because of your marriage to Arthur. You never broached the topic with him though, you never wanted to discuss the matter when you were alone with Merlin, more than content and more than distracted by the man’s presence to even think of Arthur.

Merlin had been away with Arthur for three days and you missed him greatly. Guinevere had come by Arthur’s chambers plenty of times during those few days, chattering about how she was sure you were missing Arthur’s company. You let her talk though, not daring to tell her you hadn’t thought of your husband once since he’d left for his hunting trip, instead your thoughts had been filled with opal eyes and secret meetings.

When they returned it was almost night fall and Merlin prepared a late meal for Arthur not long after. You were practically itching to get a moment alone with Merlin after not seeing him for days and whilst Arthur was occupied with his food you moved around the room, brushing past Merlin.

“Meet me at our spot in an hour.” You whispered softly, the words only for him to hear and as you moved away you looked behind you to see him smiling ahead and he nodded without looking at you.

Arthur was eager to get to bed after eating and dismissed Merlin who left the room with only one glance back over his shoulder at you. The minutes ticked by and you lay still under you felt Arthur relax completely, his breathing evening out. You didn’t move straight away, not wanting to wake him and having to come up with an excuse as to what you were doing.

You left it for twenty more minutes before climbing out of the bed as silently as possible and slipping into a pair of shoes, not bothering to change and only slipping a cloak over your night clothes. You weren’t planning on running into anybody but Merlin anyway.

There were plenty of guards on duty and you only had the soft glow of the moon to aid you in moving around when the coast was clear. The spring air was cool when you finally snuck your way out of the castle, heading down the old familiar path towards the lake that had quickly become yours and Merlin’s spot.

Merlin was already waiting for you and you wasted no time falling into his arms, letting him pull you in for a hurried kiss, your arms around his waist, his hands cupping your cheeks. You whispered a soft greeting against his lips and watched a smile spread across his face as the two of you lay on the blanket Merlin had brought with him.

It was a quiet night, the occasional rustling of the leaves, an animal moving well off in the distance could be heard. The sky was clear and littered with stars, each reflecting from the lake in front of you. The wisteria tree was bright against the moonlight, in full bloom in the spring weather.

It was peaceful. You wished you could have these moments with Merlin all the time, wished you didn't have to sneak around for them. You let your thoughts wander, dreaming of a life with Merlin far away from Camelot, from the pressures of royal life and all the expectations that came with it.

“Some days I just wish I could run away, you know?” You said softly, not lifting your head from Merlin’s chest. You felt his fingers pause in your hair for a second before they continued brushing through the strands. “My marriage was planned before I was even born, real love has never been something I thought I could have so I never even dared to let myself dream about it.”

“Would you run away?” Merlin asked and you frowned because your initial answer was yes, of course you would in a heartbeat but deep down…

“I don’t know.” You sighed. “I dream about it all the time, about leaving behind everything I’ve ever known but then I think about how much my people would suffer.”

Merlin stayed silent for a long moment, the two of you content with the quiet as your thoughts ran wild. You pondered over if you would run away if Merlin asked, would you let yourself be selfish? You thought you could and didn’t know how to feel about it. You knew Merlin wouldn’t ask though, he wouldn’t put you in such a position where you’d have to make that decision and truthfully you weren’t sure Merlin would ever leave.

Despite everything happening between the two of you, despite the fact you were both sneaking around behind Arthur’s back, Merlin was still fiercely loyal to Arthur. Whenever you asked about it Merlin just shrugged and got a far away look on his face before telling you that he was sure Arthur would be a great King one day and he believed in the future Arthur would bring.

Plenty of people had said it to you over the year you’d been at Arthur’s side and you knew that most people just said it because it was the polite thing to say, the right thing to say about their future King. When Merlin said it though you truly believed it, you could see how much he believed it, how much he believed in Arthur. It was like he had seen the future Arthur would bring to Camelot, so convinced in whatever Arthur was going to do.

It made you feel torn, Merlin was obviously so loyal to Arthur and yet this relationship threatened theirs. It wasn’t that you and Arthur loved each other but he was your husband and both of you knew the importance of appearance both publicly and behind closed doors. As future heir to the throne Arthur couldn’t have a wife only to show off publicly, he needed a wife that was only his all the time.

You wished things had been different for both of you, that you could be free to love Merlin and that Arthur had the chance to find somebody he truly loved, who would proudly stand by his side bursting with how much love they had for him. You both deserved more than you had but these were the cards you’d been dealt and you had to live with them.

You had Merlin in the only way you could and you couldn’t give that up, you’d be damned before you willingly left him.

“You said real love.” Merlin suddenly said, his voice soft, barely above a whisper but you heard him clearly. “Is that what this is, real love?”

You froze for a moment, not realising your earlier words but seconds later you relaxed against him before moving around so you were face to face with him and you could see the smile on his face.

“Yes, I’d like to say so anyway.” You said whilst matching the quietness of his voice.

Merlin’s hand came up to brush your cheek before he pulled you close to him, him meeting you halfway, pausing before your lips could meet.

“I love you too, Y/N. I wish I had more to offer you but-” Merlin told you but you cut him off with a gentle kiss.

“You’ve given me more than I could ever have hoped for, Merlin.” You whispered, pulling back far enough to look up at him and he could see the sincerity in your eyes. “I thought for so long that my destiny was to just be lonely. Before you I was wandering the halls of that castle like a ghost, mourning a life that would never be, then you kissed me and I fell in love with you and everything was different, better. No matter how much we wish it could change, it’s worth it to be with you because I love you.”

“One day things will be different.” Merlin promised before pulling you into another kiss and you prayed he was right but for now, now these moments were enough, this love was enough.

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- ivy

Can I have “I can’t sleep, can I sleep here?” with Merlin? Soft cuddles with baby boy in his tiny af bed. Thank you!!!

Sure! Hope you enjoy!💖

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Sleepless Nights and Magical Moments

You can't sleep and end up going to Merlin. He has just the cure for you.

#244 “I can’t sleep, can I sleep here?”

It was one of those nights that everything seemed to make you on edge. The creaking of the house, the sounds of people outside through the open windows, and the occasional blowing of wind caused your mind to be wide awake.

You were staying with Gaius in Camelot, training under him as a physician like Merlin. However, aforementioned man was here before you, so he got the room and tiny bed all to himself. Which you would rather prefer right now because the proximity you had to the front door was starting to freak you out.

Not to mention, Gauis made you read a book on venomous creatures before bed, not all of them appealing to look at.

So, needless to say, you needed some comfort and a distraction. You needed it right now.

"Merlin? Are you awake?" Your voice was hushed as you knocked on the door to his room. A few moments passed by before it opened with a slight squeak.

You were greeted with a tired-looking Merlin, with hair every which way.

"I am now...what's wrong?" He asked while rubbing at his eye with the sleeve of his shirt. You looked back to make sure Gauis was still asleep before looking back at him.

“I can’t sleep, can I sleep here?” You said shyly, pulling at your own clothes. Normally, it wouldn't be that big of a deal, but you guys sort of had a thing going. It was undefined, but more than friends was definitely part of the deal.

Still, he went red in the face, looking from you to back at his tiny bed.

"I think I can make space." Merlin said with that typical smile and little laugh. You thanked him as he moved to allow you into his room.

The transition happened quickly with him climbing back into bed so you could curl up with him. His bed was tiny, barely room for him. So, you were practically on top of Merlin as he had an arm around your shoulders to keep you from falling. Both of you were hesitant and shy, and you could hear how fast his heart was beating as your head lay on his chest just below his chin.

"So...you had a nightmare?" He asked, and you could feel his gentle breath on the top of your head when he spook.

You shuffled a little closer to him, feeling yourself sliding.

"Sort of. I just couldn't sleep...just felt on edge." You tried to explain, moving your hand to his chest as well. Merlin shifted slightly to give you more room.

"It's okay...I'm just fine where I am." You said to him, face red.

"Oh...I'm glad." Merlin stuttered with his words, but he eventually was able to express that he was happy to have you so close to him. In fact, the gentle cuddles he was getting here was something he didn't know he needed.

"Are you feeling better?" Merlin asked, wondering if you'd be able to sleep now.

"Here with you? I think I'll be just fine." You told him before burying your head in the crook of his neck. The poor boy stopped breathing for a second, but your words gave confidence.

His hand soon found your back and he rubbed it gently. For some reason, there was a warmth emanating from it that lulled you to sleep.

It was magical.

You soon found yourself falling asleep in the crook of his embrace. That tiny bed holding you both throughout the night as Merlin himself found peace from your presence. You may not know it now, but he helped you more than ever.

When morning came, Merlin was glad to see that his magic gave you a nightmare free night.

MYSTERY, A.Pendragon

Arthur Pendragon x fem!!reader summary: A mysterious knight has arrived in Camelot, one that refuses to show their face. This knight defeats contender after contender until even Uther wants to know of their identity, but how will the kingdom react to their finest knights being defeated by a woman? tw!! swearing, violence, sexual innuendos, sexism. notes: before I begin- this is the first imagine I'm ever writing on Tumblr, I mostly post on Wattpad but decided that I'd write some small imagines here for characters that I am yet to write an entire book on or am not ever writing a full book on. I do the whole x reader thing sort of differently, I will only write from the female's perspective but even though the imagines say x reader I will make the reader's description how I see fit if that makes any sense? basically, the only x-reader part about it is that you can picture the other character's saying your name but the character won't be your description 😂 if it doesn't make any sense you'll see what I mean!!! :)) ps. apologies if Arthur doesn't seem in character enough :))

NO ONE KNEW WHERE THE MYSTERIOUS KNIGHT HAD APPEARED FROM. All that everyone knew was that there was a mysterious figure challenging all of the King's men. And every single knight had fallen to defeat under this mysterious figure's sword.

Yet another knight fell to his back, grunting in pain as the enigmatic pressed their foot harshly against the already defeated knight's chest. The man grits his teeth together in pain and lifted his eyes to look up at the covered head of his opponent.

The crowd let out a cheer, some even lept to their feet in entertainment. King Uther stared at this knight, clearly impressed as he clapped his hands together out of respect and congratulations for the mystery knight.

An hour later and Prince Arthur's servant, Merlin, ran through the halls in excitement, searching for his friend, y/n. Merlin had become a rather big fan of this obscure knight after he and his guardian, Gaius, had concluded that he wasn't using any type of sorcery to defeat his opponents.

"y/n!!"He called out as he pounded his fist against the wood of her front door. A distant 'hang on' is heard from behind the door before it's flung open to reveal one of Merlin's best friends.

y/n is a clumsy brunette with the darkest brown eyes that Merlin had ever laid eyes on. She was also one of the shyest people that he had met, she barely even spoke to him in the first few weeks of them first meeting. But after she broke out of her shell around him she never stopped speaking.

"Merlin!!"She exclaimed happily as he moved past her, entering her house with a big grin on his face. --"He did it again!!"Merlin exclaimed excitedly. y/n folded her arms in amusement, shutting her door as she spun to look at him.

"he?" she questioned and Merlin spun to face her with his hands in front of him. --"The mystery knight!!" he specified, --"you should have seen it, y/n!!"he ranted.

y/n smiled in amusement, tucking a shy strand of her brown hair behind her ear. Leaning shoulder first against a wall, she gladly listened to Merlin ramble on and on about this 'mysterious knight'.

Of course, y/n knew who this knight was. Herself. She found it rather exciting to finally use her skilful swordsman abilities and not worry about being ordered against it. For most of her life, whenever she tried to fight a man would tell her not to, because she was a woman with 'skin as thin as air and muscles the size of Uther's love for magic'.

She could never escape her shyness but when she was fighting, it was like the nerves disappeared completely and she was instead focused on her target and winning. And thus she decided to start fighting for real, never once showing her face when she challenged Arthur's knights.

"I still don't understand why you don't come down and watch him fight with me."Merlin's voice broke her from her thoughts. She simply smiled and shrugged her shoulders, chuckling awkwardly.

"Sword fights just aren't my thing, Mer."She lied, walking over to her kitchen to start preparing her dinner. --"I'm sure you wouldn't have even started going to them if you weren't Arthur's man-servant."She pointed out and he shook his head in denial.

"not true." he denied, --"Arthur was impressed with them."He spoke, capturing y/n's attention. She lifted her eyes forward but didn't turn her head, her stomach doing a flip as she smiled.

She and Arthur had a weird type of relationship. She wasn't sure whether to describe their dynamic as friends considering Arthur often differed between being hot and cold around her. Sometimes he would speak to her freely like they were on the same level, he would even have a laugh with her sometimes but then other times he would give her the cold shoulder.

Which hurt y/n. Like with Merlin, it had taken her a while to even speak words to him, longer than Merlin actually considering she felt intimidated under Arthur's royal authority. After a while, she finally felt comfortable enough to communicate with him, something that actually seemed to delight Arthur.

Perhaps it was because she addressed him like he was human and not like he was a walking title.

"Really?"She spoke, surprised. Arthur was never one to admit that he was impressed with anyone outside of his group of knights, especially to Merlin of all people.

"Uther too."Merlin continued, moving over to stand next to her in the kitchen part of her small house. She hummed in response, --"I bet the knight was pleased with such praise."She responded and Merlin shook his head with a pout.

"I wouldn't know. The knight always leaves the second he wins his challenge."He informs the brunette who had to fain surprise.

She opens her mouth to respond before there was a loud knock at her door and seconds later Gwen came bursting in, a nervous look on her face.

"Uther wants everyone gathered in the town square!"

----

y/n stood alongside Merlin, Gwen and Gaius as they looked up at a smiling Uther from his patio. y/n folded her clammy hands over her lap as Uther urged the crowd to quieten down.

Arthur stood a little bit behind his father, a stoic look on his face like usual. y/n caught his gaze only for a moment before glancing down at her feet.

"I wish to address the mystery knight who has defeated every Camelot knight thrown his way."Uther finally spoke after a few seconds of silence.

y/n lifted her head in surprise as the crowd remained silent. Not that Uther was expecting anyone to respond to him. He waited a couple of seconds before continuing.

"Very well. You wish to keep your identity a secret for the time being." he paused, surveying the crowd as he tried to guess who had been under the armour only mere hours ago.

"I wish to propose a challenge to you."Uther continued, y/n straightened her back unknowingly. --"Defeat a nobleman of my choosing and you will have a place amongst my knights." he paused for a second, --"no noble blood needed."

y/n was sceptical of that challenge reward. Uther had never abandoned the knight's code, never. Clearly, Merlin was sceptical too judging by the glance he gave to her.

"As for you're challenger, "Uther spoke again, demanding all of the whispered hushes in the crowd to cease. --"You will be duelling against my son..."

Her heart dropped to her stomach as Arthur took a step forward, Uther resting a hand on his son's back. --"Prince Arthur Pendragon." he announced as the crowd started to applaud this idea.

Merlin seemed to like this idea as he applauded along with the crowd. However, y/n looked as though she wanted to be sick. She didn't want to fight Arthur, but she was also never one to back down from a challenge.

"If you accept my challenge,"Uther spoke again and she lifted her gaze from Arthur to Uther. --"You'll duel tomorrow at noon."

y/n swallowed uneasily, gripping the fabric of her skirt anxiously. What was she going to do? she despised the idea of backing down from a challenge, especially one set by the king himself. But she would have to fight Arthur, one of the select few people in her life she actually cared for.

----

Later that night, y/n wiped down the dining table in the Camelot castle. y/n wasn't exactly a servant per se, she was a cleaner. Every night just before Uther retired to his chambers, she would clean down the thrones, dining room table, scrub and sweep the floor and replace the fresh bowl of fruit on the table.

She still hadn't decided if she was going to accept Uther's challenge. She wanted to prove to herself that she could go all the way but could she really willingly hurt Arthur? the same Arthur who complimented the flowerbeds outside of her house every time he passed.

"you missed a spot."

She paused her arm to glance over her shoulder, bowing her head a little when seeing Arthur leaning against the wall. Shaking her head with a smile, --"No I didn't, sire."She denied with a small laugh.

"Are you calling me a liar, y/n?"He demanded playfully, a grin on his face. She continued to clean as she shook her head, --"I would never, your highness."She responded, scoffing a laugh.

After wiping down the table, she glanced over at him. --"I assumed you would be training for your duel tomorrow morning."She spoke, he pursed his lips and shook his head.

"I've been training all night, thought I'd give myself a break."He responded, and she hummed with a nod. --"You're father must really believe in this mysterious knight to abandon the knight code."She said, picking up the bucket of water and moving over to the throne to wipe them down too.

Arthur only shook his head. --"I wish that was the case."He responded, and she glanced at him curiously. --"My father doesn't believe this knight can beat me, as far as he is concerned he isn't even breaking the knight code."He confided in y/n, a frown settled on his face.

"you disagree with him?"She pressed. Arthur merely scoffed, --"That the knight can't beat me? of course, I agree with that." he boasted arrogantly causing y/n to roll her eyes in amusement. --"But I don't agree with the knight code."He then continued, moving to lean against one of the thrones that y/n had just wiped down.

She raised her head and cleared her throat. He furrowed his eyebrows for a moment before she gestured to the throne he was leaning against. --"I just wiped that down, sire."She reminded him and he raised his eyebrows and moved away from the throne so he was standing next to her.

"You don't agree with the knight's code?"She asked curiously and he shook his head. --"I believe if you fight with dignity and honour, it shouldn't matter what bloodline you belong to."He responded. She paused her actions to show him a soft smile.

"you're a good man, Arthur Pendragon."She informed him with a nod as she finished up her cleaning duties. Arthur felt his heart swell at her words, an adoring smile appearing on his features as he watched her drop her sponge into the bucket of soapy water.

"Perhaps you could throw that at Merlin, he was supposed to have had my bed made an hour ago," he commented and she let out a laugh, pressing a hand to her mouth in an instant, her face heating up.

"You love him, really."She simply told him with a laugh as she moved past him. Arthur made a face at her comment but didn't deny his platonic affection for his manservant.

"Will you be at the duel tomorrow?"He asked her, walking alongside her. She swallowed and shook her head, --"Don't think I could bear to see you lose, sire."She responded playfully and he shook his head with a smile on his face.

"I'm not going to lose."He informed her confidently, missing the sly smile on her face. As they passed the stairs, he pressed a hand to the wall and smiled over at her.

"Goodnight, y/n."

She returned his smile, her cheeks rosy. --"Goodnight, my lord."She bid him goodnight and then disappeared down the corridor.

Arthur didn't move for a second before disappearing up to his chambers.

----

Arthur stood in the arena, decked out in his armour. The prince had been waiting for his opponent for around 10 minutes. Uther was noticeably becoming impatient but his ego was way more demanding than his patience.

Merlin's knee bounced up and down nervously, starting to think that the knight had gotten cold feet at the thought of duelling the king's son.

I mean, this could all just be one big ploy to capture the knight and throw them in a cell for embarrassing the entire Camelot knighthood. The knight would have every right to be suspicious.

But just as all seemed lost and Uther was going to call for the duel to be cancelled, heavy exaggerated footsteps were heard and out walked the Knight themself.

The crowd let out a cheer at the sight of the knight. Arthur straightened his posture as he eyed the masked mystery.

y/n had been tossing and turning all night on her decision but ultimately decided to fight. She was going to prove Uther Pendragon wrong.

She unsheathed her sword with Arthur, the crowd letting out another cheer as the pair slowly bowed to one another. And thus the duel began.

y/n hadn't been entirely sure how she would act in a fight with Arthur so she just pictured that she wasn't fighting Arthur at all and she was simply fighting another random knight.

She blocked a swing from Arthur with her shield, spinning around and swinging her sword in his direction. As their swords clashed against one another for a further 3 minutes, y/n felt her respect for Arthur grow more and more.

Their swords blocked against one another as they both fought for dominance, Arthur's helmeted head getting close to hers. In the end, Arthur got the better of her and he struck her back, twisting her sword around with his so they were face to face again, fighting to shove the other to the ground.

But as his blue eyes gazed through the eye slit of her helmet, his eyes locked with hers and he squinted in confusion, recognising her dark orbs instantly.

"y/n?"He mumbled loud enough for her to hear and only her.

Her heart dropped and her eyes widened in surprise. He recognised her? but she had been so careful. Swallowing thickly, she shoved him back and swung her sword at him, which he blocked, their swords once again stuck together.

Now that Arthur knew who was under that helmet and shiny armour, he wanted to finish the match as soon as possible. He used their swords being connected to his advantage and thrust his sword down causing her to fall to the ground.

He then took a page out of her book and pressed his boot against the chest of her armour and pointed the sword at her neck.

Arthur had won.

The crowd erupted into cheers but Arthur didn't lift his head. He was too busy staring down at the woman beneath the metal.

Her heart sank with the knowledge that she had lost the duel. All she ever wanted was to prove to everyone and herself that she was worthy to fight with the knights of Camelot but she had failed.

After a couple of seconds, Arthur pulled his sword away from her neck to hold his hand out for her. Exhaling sharply, she fought the urge to groan at the growing pain happening in her left ribcage.

She took ahold of his hand and he helped her to her feet, his blue eyes staring incredulously into hers, a worried look on his face that didn't go missed by Merlin.

----

That evening, y/n lay in her bed with a frown. She had failed. All she had to do was win one more duel and maybe just maybe she would have gotten the respect she so desperately wanted.

After their duel had come to an end, y/n had wasted no time on giving Arthur a brief congratulatory pat on the back before leaving the arena and disappearing through the alleys to retreat back to her house.

She was surprised that Merlin hadn't come bursting to her door yet to talk about how the 'mystery knight' had lost his duel with Arthur. She assumed that Arthur would have told him that it had been her underneath the armour.

Then there was a knock at her door. She groaned in discomfort and lifted herself from her bed to walk over to her door, expecting to swing it open and find a worried Merlin.

But instead, she found Arthur who wasted no time barging past her.

She cursed silently, --"please, come in."She muttered sarcastically to herself, making sure that Arthur hadn't heard the way she spoke to him.

Closing the door, she turned to him, surprised to see the concerned look on his face. --"Why would you do that?"He snapped at her, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Regarding?"She tried and he shook his head. --"Don't you realise that if I hadn't realised it was you under the armour I could have killed you?!"He snapped at her.

Her shoulders fell with disappointment. --"I just-"She paused and swallowed, --"I just wanted to feel proud of myself for once."She told him.

Arthur only sighed and took a few steps forward, resting his hands on her cheeks to make sure she hadn't sustained any injuries during their duel. --"you should feel proud of yourself, y/n."He told her truthfully.

"You won, remember?"She muttered as he continued to look her over. --"Did I hurt you?" he asked her, ignoring her previous comment. She goes to shake her head but doesn't get the chance as Arthur's hand brushes over her left ribcage.

She let out a grunt, gritting her teeth together as she shook her head. --"No."She denied, only earning a glare from Arthur. --"I'll get Gaius."He goes to pass her and leave, a look of panic passed her face as she grabbed ahold of his arm, shaking her head.

"No!"She exclaimed, Arthur, turned to her with a confused look on his face. --"Have you told Merlin it was me?"She asked and he shook his head.

"I didn't get the chance to, he was too busy moping because you lost."He snorted, she swallowed and nodded her head. --"Could this just be our secret?"She asked him.

"If you go to Gaius surely Uther will find out it was me under the metal and I really don't want that."She told him, her voice shaking a little.

Arthur hesitated for a moment. --"Do you think you're rib is cracked?" he asked her seriously and she shook her head. --"You pack a mean blow, Pendragon but don't get cocky."She simply told him, --"It's merely bruised."

After a moment, he nodded and she released her hold on his arm. --"Thank you."She murmured. --"you're good in a duel."He responded and she shook her head.

"you won, remember?"She repeated the same phrase from earlier and he shook his head. --"I wouldn't have ended it as quick as I had if I hadn't noticed it was you."He told her, his gaze piercing against hers.

She raised an eyebrow. --"Are you telling me you might not have won if you hadn't noticed, sire?"She asked playfully and he scoffed taking a step closer to her.

"You're good, y/l/n, but don't get cocky."He repeated her words from earlier, leaning closer so that he could whisper his words tauntingly.

She didn't respond, their eyes flickering between one another's lips. Arthur seemed to think over his options for a moment before leaning in and closing the gap between the pair, his lips capturing hers.

And thus began the first of many kisses that the pair would share.