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Arthur’s father had given him many commands over his lifetime, some unpleasant, some necessary, but all those that Uther thought were right. Arthur, thankfully, tended to agree with his father on nearly every subject, so it wasn’t too much of a hardship.

But there was one command – Uther’s first command, the one he repeated as often as Arthur needed to hear it – that left him hesitant. If he was honest with himself, he was dreading the day that he’d have to make the decision whether or not to follow it.

If there should come a day when you meet your soulmate, you will drive a sword through their chest and kill them on sight.

Soul marks were a common phenomenon in Camelot and its surrounding areas; each person’s back had a single adornment, a tattoo of some sort, which signified something about their soulmate’s inner self. Some people’s marks were of trees, animals, nature, objects –

But Arthur’s was of a thunderstorm.

A moving thunderstorm.

If someone’s soul mark moved, that signified that their soulmate had magic. And Arthur’s thunderstorm didn’t just move; not only was it constantly raining, but occasionally flashes of lightning whipped down his spine.

And, though he had never told his father, sometimes he could hear the rain pattering and the thunder rumbling.

No one had ever heard of a soul mark make noise.

Arthur didn’t know much about his soulmate, but he knew that they had to extremely powerful, somewhat volatile, and strangely comforting. Arthur always fell asleep to the patter of rain. And though he had to deal with the occasional lightning strike, rainstorms were still his favorite kind of weather.

He could never tell his father that, however.

Uther was hoping that Arthur’s soul mark would lead him to the lair of a deeply evil sorcerer that Arthur would know instinctually, and therefore would know of their weaknesses and how they could most easily be killed.

Arthur didn’t want to kill his soulmate. For surely his soulmate couldn’t be evil – they were meant to love Arthur, to understand him the way no one else could.

Arthur had always felt so alone. But he didn’t feel alone when it rained.

“Merlin, don’t you dare touch my back.”

“Wasn’t going to, calm down,” Merlin raised his hands in mock defense, letting go of Arthur’s shirt. “I’ve been working for you almost a year and I haven’t even seen your soul mark.”

“You know what? I’m just going to get undressed myself,” Arthur grumbled, moving away from his servant and toward his desk, pulling his shirt off as he went. He had an undershirt so that his back wasn’t visible; Uther did not want rumors spreading about Arthur’s unusual soul mark.

Meaning that Arthur had to bathe and dress himself most of the time instead of let someone do it for him, but he’d made his peace with that. Besides, it was fewer things for Merlin to screw up.

“You’re so bloody protective your soul mark,” Merlin continued to prattle on talking about things he had no right to, but that never deterred him. “It’s not that big of a deal. Most people I know are dying to show theirs off, hoping that someone will see themselves in it.”

“Well, I know that I won’t be finding my soulmate anywhere in Camelot,” Arthur bit out and regretted it immediately, because Merlin would never just let that go.

“Don’t be so negative,” Merlin said, and God, it was remarkable how fast he forgot about proper respect or titles as soon as he was out of anyone else’s earshot. “Maybe she’s right around the corner, Arthur.”

Arthur wasn’t going to tell Merlin that he was almost positive that his soulmate was a man, because that would only lead to further pestering.

Merlin was the single most irritating person Arthur had ever met; it was a wonder that Arthur hadn’t fired him yet.

Well, there was the unfortunate fact that Merlin was his friend – best friend – only friend – but that only made Arthur feel bitter and resentful.

Why couldn’t he be an ordinary person, who could be friends with someone who liked him and have a soulmate that he wasn’t commanded to kill on sight?

“I seriously doubt it,” Arthur said tetchily in response to Merlin’s comment.

Merlin was blessedly silent for a moment before saying “I only want the best for you, Arthur. Mainly because you being at your best would mean less objects thrown at me.”

Arthur snorted, and looked over to see Merlin grinning at him. “What makes you think me having a soulmate would change anything?”

Merlin just laughed at him. Arthur felt the thunder on his back rumble.

Arthur knew that Gwen wasn’t his soulmate, but that didn’t stop him from being disappointed when he saw her mark of a huge, green forest sprawled out across her back.

Still, he let a finger brush the edge of it, and when Gwen let out a hiss of pain, he let go of all hope.

“I think that it’s Lancelot,” Arthur told her a little regretfully, and she turned to face him, pulling her shirt back over her body. She smiled up at him sadly.

“So do I,” she said, biting her lip. “But I wanted to check – to be certain. I’m so sorry, Arthur. I really do like you, but – well, I think we’ll be better as friends anyway.”

Arthur smiled genuinely down at her as she grasped his hand firmly in her own. “I would like that very much, Guinevere.”

“Shit,” Arthur moaned one day after trying, stumbling into his bedchamber with Merlin following close behind, trying to grasp Arthur’s shoulders to keep him upright.

“My lord, what’s the matter?” Merlin asked, completely befuddled, and he had a reason to. Arthur hadn’t been hurt at all in training, but afterwards, one of the knights had clapped him on the back and had accidentally touched his soul mark.

It was burning red and stinging hot, and even fifteen minutes later Arthur still thought he was going to die.

“Knight touched my soul mark,” Arthur gasped out, too much in pain to come up with anything else. It was embarrassing, being incapacitated like this over a mere touch of skin, especially when it didn’t happen to anyone else.

His father was going to be furious.

Merlin’s worry dominated his features as he forced Arthur upright in one of the hard-backed chairs in his chamber. He let Arthur have a moment to breathe before asking, “But – that’s only supposed to sting for a moment. You shouldn’t still –”

“Well, I am,” Arthur said harshly, breathing finally righting itself, his chamber coming back into focus. “It’s just how mine – works.”

“That’s…highly unfortunate,” Merlin said, and there was a still laugh to his features. Merlin was always trying to cheer Arthur up. Well, not always. When he was in a good mood.

“I’ll say,” Arthur granted him a chuckle. “Don’t – whatever you do, don’t tell my father.”

Merlin’s forehead scrunched together in confusion. “But why? It’s not your fault, and the knight clearly didn’t mean to –”

“Just – don’t,” Arthur shook his head, knowing that his father would be furious at his son’s moment of uncontrollable weakness –and at the hands of a sorcerer, no matter how unwitting. “Please.”

“All right,” Merlin said after a moment, ceding to the request. Soon, another smile twisted onto his features. “Your soulmate must be the jealous type.”

Arthur tried to laugh, and hoped that it was something as simple as that and not the magic that coursed through the mark.

Morgana was one of those rare people who had no soul mark to speak of, so Arthur found it easiest to talk to her about anything regarding it. He was forbidden from telling her that it was a sorcerer’s mark, but she at least could commiserate with him about the fact that neither of them had another half to spend their lives with.

Well, Arthur could – if he wanted to betray everything his father had ever stood there.

But he couldn’t do that for a person he’d never met.

“I’m surprised Uther hasn’t commissioned every king in the realm to check their daughter’s backs for any sign that their soulmate is the great, honorable, handsome Arthur Pendragon,” Morgana said with a laugh one night in her chambers. Arthur grimaced before responding.

“I am great, honorable, and handsome,” he replied haughtily. “Hopefully one of the daughters will forego their soulmate and take me instead.”

Morgana raised an eyebrow. “You’re such a pessimist. I know that you think it’s a man…”

This had been one of the only things Arthur had shared with her, mainly because he had no instructions not to, as his father had no idea. Arthur couldn’t help but think that Uther wouldn’t be too terribly upset if it was a man and not a sorcerer, but as it stood, the gender of his soulmate just added heat to the fire.

“…but you could be wrong! I mean, I know pretty much nothing about soul marks, but still,” Morgana said with a flap of her hand, “you need to keep an open mind.”

 “Yeah. I suppose,” he said, mainly to make her shut up.

“And it wasn’t Gwen,” Morgana said with a contemplative sigh. “Well, good. She deserves better. Have you checked with Merlin yet?”

“Morgana!” Arthur looked up, affronted – the thought hadn’t ever crossed his mind, mainly because Merlin was the least likely candidate for sorcery in the kingdom. Besides, Merlin was irritating and talked too much, and all he and Arthur did was fight –

But Arthur did feel a connection to him.

But they were friends.

Arthur had never had a friend before. Morgana was sort of a friend, but she was also his father’s ward, and Gwen had offered friendship, but they didn’t understand one another like he and Merlin did. Somehow, shockingly, despite all of their differences, that was the one thing they managed to do.

“It’s not Merlin,” Arthur said sharply, and more to himself than Morgana. He wasn’t sure he wanted Merlin as a soulmate anyway, but Merlin did have that uncanny ability of knowing what Arthur was thinking. He wondered what Merlin’s soul mark was.

“Are you sure?” Morgana asked, and there was no mocking in her voice for a change. “Because the two of you…well, I would definitely check.”

The thing was, Arthur knew that Merlin being his soulmate was impossible. His soulmate had magic, and no small amount of it. For another thing, even if Merlin did have magic, and was by some twist of fate Arthur’s soulmate, it would only mean that Arthur had to kill his soulmate and his only friend at the same time.

That sounded downright awful.

Still, the idea didn’t leave his mind. He managed to let go of it from time to time over the following months, but a creeping suspicion always came back to him that maybe, just maybe –

Finally, Arthur decided enough was enough. Merlin could never see his soul mark, but if Arthur could have a look at his, then his doubts about Merlin would be assuaged.

But Merlin wasn’t a knight in the training room, and Arthur couldn’t just ask his manservant to take of his shirt. Sometimes, when he was asleep by the fire when they went out hunting, Arthur considered just doing it himself, but that felt like an invasion of privacy.

Finally, one day, when Merlin was scuttling around his chambers, making some sort of small talk about gossip from the kitchen, he gave Arthur an opening.

“And Cook said that she wanted to see the soul marks of every last one of us in the staff so that she could make sure her daughter wouldn’t end up with any of us ‘nasty pieces of work’.”

“So,” Arthur said with a slight smile as he looked up from the papers littering his desk. “Are you her future son-in-law or not?”

“Oh, no,” Merlin made a face as he walked toward Arthur, shaking his head with a laugh. “If I was, I think she would have murdered me to make sure I never met this precious daughter of hers. She’s hated me from the first time she laid eyes on me.”

“How…how could she tell that any of your soul marks matched with her daughter?” Arthur tried to formulate the question as best he could without giving his intentions away. “I mean, even soulmates seeing each other’s marks might not know.”

Merlin shrugged. “Precaution, I guess. Maybe she thought that she knew her daughter well enough that she’d know the mark meant to represent her.”

“That’s – odd,” Arthur said shortly, not knowing where to go with this next. “I mean – what were some of the marks of the other servants?”

Merlin raised an eyebrow. “I think that’s private information, my lord. If you want to go ask them yourself…”

Arthur tried his best not to flush, but Merlin clearly saw, his smile growing knowing. “Arthur, did you want to know what mine was?”

“Maybe,” Arthur said sulkily, staring at the floor determinedly.

“I can’t have anything to myself, can I?” Merlin said with a good-natured roll of his eyes. “Do you really have to know?”

“I was just curious,” Arthur said defensively.

“What, the girls in the streets stripping off their shirts to show you their backs aren’t enough for you?” Merlin said with a laugh and Arthur groaned.

“It only happened three times!”

“Four,” Merlin corrected him lightly before his smile turned wry. “Arthur, why do you want to know?”

“I just – as your lord and prince, I command you to show it to me,” Arthur changed his tone to one of haughty derision, standing as he did to give Merlin a glare.

Merlin remained unimpressed, only rolling his eyes again. “Okay. I’ll do it, but only because you’re acting strange and I want it to stop.”

Merlin undid his neckerchief, and he was taking far too long to do so. Arthur’s heart pounded. He knew in his heart that Merlin could not be his soulmate, and that was a good thing, but wouldn’t it be nice if Arthur’s soul mark was something like that neckerchief or a butterfly or a crackling campfire?

Finally, Merlin pulled shook off his jacket and pulled his shirt off over his head, turning around to face the opposite direction. “Happy?”

Arthur stared at the mark on Merlin’s back. It was a shield. It was silver and intricate, with red rubies encrusted along its side. A white cloth was draped on top of the shield – like a peace offering. And just above the shield and encircling the air around it was a golden halo of light.

Arthur found himself short of breath, in part at the stunning beauty of the mark and in part at the fact that he still couldn’t be sure whether or not it was him. He should be sure, he should be able to tell – and the fact remained that if Merlin had magic, he definitely wouldn’t be putting up with a position as Arthur’s manservant.

The only thing Arthur had hoped from this encounter was security in the fact that Merlin could not be his soulmate, that Merlin’s mark had nothing to do with him. And Arthur wasn’t sure about the cloth or the halo, but the shield – Arthur’s shield didn’t look like that, but he did have one.

“Shield,” Arthur finally managed to get out. “You think it’s a knight?”

“Knights are all idiots, so I hope not,” Merlin said, pulling his shirt back on as he turned to face Arthur once more, his own features giving away nothing of what he thought of this experience. Arthur didn’t take offense to his words, only waited for him to continue. “I was kind of hoping it was Lancelot, but he’s got this gorgeous purple – anyway, it’s definitely not a representation of my inner self. And then there was Morgause – and I mean, she’s evil and all, but who knows?”

“She’s a sorcerer, your mark would move,” Arthur said logically, and Merlin nodded in realization. “So you – haven’t met them yet?”

“Not that I know of,” Merlin shrugged. “I think all of the elements in the mark are signs of peace and protection, so I think whoever it is….well, I’m sure I’ll like them. Even if they are a knight.” Merlin rolled his eyes. “Anyway, now it’s your turn.”

Arthur’s stomach jolted. “That – was not a part of the agreement,” he tried to start, but Merlin cut him off.

“Arthur, you demand to see my mark for no specific reason, and I’m going to want to see yours, too,” Merlin said without any trace of shame at commanding something from his king. But then again, Merlin never did. “Unless you can give me a really compelling reason why you can’t show me your mark…”

“I’ll tell you why I can’t show you my mark – I’m the prince,” Arthur very nearly spat at him as he stalked past Merlin and out of the door, trying his hardest not to look back.

The problem was, Arthur really didn’t have anyone to ask for advice about this. Merlin was always the one he went to for advice.

Morgana had always been a good source, but she had been missing for nearly a year now, Arthur thought with a pang. His father, of course, was not an option. Gwen was the best person he could think of, but she was moping after realizing Lancelot was her soulmate and him still leaving, because he thought she should be with Arthur.

Arthur should really find some way to contact him and tell him to get the hell back to Camelot to sweep Gwen off her feet.

He ended up going to Leon, his first knight, who he had gone to when he was younger, as Leon was an older and experienced knight that would always know what to do. Besides, he always had Arthur’s best interest at heart, which couldn’t always be said for the rest of the citizens of Camelot.

“Why don’t you just touch his soul mark?” Leon asked him as they walked together down one of the cobbled streets of Camelot. “If it burns, you’ll know that it can’t be true.”

That could have been an option a few hours ago, but not anymore. Merlin definitely wouldn’t let Arthur get anywhere near his soul mark without some kind of recompense. He made this clear to Leon, who contemplated for a moment.

“My Lord, can’t you just show him yours?” Leon asked as if it were the simplest thing in the world. “I know it’s something you keep private, but the point remains that if his friendship means that much to you, you should be willing to trust him with that information. I say this with all the respect in the world, my lord.”

“I know you do, and I appreciate it, Leon,” Arthur said with a sigh. “I know it sounds a bit pathetic, a prince needing advice about whether or not his servant of all people is his soulmate.”

“Of all people?” Leon stopped walking, turning to Arthur with an incredulous sort of smile. “Arthur, did you know that within a month of Merlin coming to Camelot, a betting pool started among the knights about whether or not he was your soulmate?”

“No.” Arthur was suddenly deeply uncomfortable. True, known of his comrades knew of Arthur’s magical soul mark, but to know that his and Merlin’s relationship had been immediately put up for scrutiny like that was unnerving.

“My Lord, I think you need to talk to Merlin,” Leon said gently. “I’d like to say that I know you rather well, and though I don’t know Merlin as well as I’d like to, the two of you have something very special between you, whether you’re soulmates are not. And at the risk of sounding commanding, you shouldn’t give that up just because you’re scared.”

“I’m not scared.” Arthur meant for his statement to be hot-headed but it came out as a petulant mutter. Leon just smiled at him.

“We’re all scared when it comes to our soulmates, My Lord. Not even you are the exception.”

“Will that be all this evening, my lord?”

Merlin’s voice dripped in sarcasm as he gave Arthur a short kind of a bow as he stood in the doorway, having just made Arthur’s bed. It had been a week since Arthur had seen his soul mark, and he’d been mulling over Leon’s words ever since.

Merlin, of course, had been tetchy and angry for all that period of time, which usually resulted in cold bath water, a messy bedchamber, and Arthur enjoying his life a lot less.

“No,” Arthur made his decision in a split second. “No, Merlin, it’s not. I – we need to talk.”

Merlin stared at him untrustingly for a moment. It was rare that Arthur decided they needed to talk about their feelings. But then again, Merlin really only liked talking about Arthur’s emotions and not his own, because Merlin was a slippery bastard who could make it seem like you were having a sharing kind of conversation before he was gone and you realized you were the only one who shared.

“Yes,” Merlin finally nodded, eyes still wary, “we do.”

“I – think you might understand my trepidation in showing you my soul mark,” Arthur said as he walked to the other side of the bed, trying not to sound as nervous as he was. But Leon was right – no matter what Arthur thought of Merlin in regards to being his soulmate, Merlin had always been the person that Arthur trusted above all others. “It’s not exactly…well, I’ll just let it speak for itself.”

Merlin eyed him critically as Arthur pulled his white tunic off, and slowly, wincing for impact, turned away from Merlin.

“Shit,” he heard Merlin whisper, strangled, from behind him. “Shit. Does it – are there always lightning strikes? Do they hurt?”

“Not always,” Arthur said, aware of just how many lightning bolts were going down his spine at the moment. Maybe his soulmate really was the jealous type and didn’t like someone even looking at the mark. “And they hurt a little, but I’m used to it.”

“Does it – I mean – I know about moving soul marks, but this – I’ve never heard of one that can make noise.”

“You –” Arthur whirled around to face Merlin, who looked almost disappointed to not see the soul mark any longer. “You can hear it?”

Merlin nodded, clearly unsure of why it was important, but Arthur’s worldview spun out of control. No one had ever heard the rain and thunder but him. If Merlin was his soulmate, it would make sense that he could hear it. But Merlin –

“I thought it was you,” Merlin spoke before Arthur could, for which he was almost grateful. But he kept talking, his tone growing more frantic and terrified. “I mean, with all the talk about two sides of the same coin – but I thought that was a load of bullshit for at least six months. And then – well. With everything that’s happened, I kind of – well. I thought you and Gwen were. And then I thought – Freya. But it still stung. Shit. It is you.”

“Merlin,” Arthur didn’t understand half of what his servant had just said, but he had picked up the underlying theme. “Do you have magic?”

Merlin looked over at him with a terrified, nearly apologetic expression, before nodding solemnly.

All of Arthur’s breath left his body as emotions overwhelmed him.

This was both the best and worst thing to ever happen to him. Merlin was his best friend – who had lied to him for nearly three years. Merlin was a sorcerer – but he was kind and gentle. Merlin was his soulmate – who Arthur had been commanded to kill on sight.

“Arthur, say something,” Merlin finally shuddered after too long of a period of silence. “Please.”

But Arthur couldn’t. He just stared at Merlin – laughing, smiling, carefree Merlin – whose inner self was a thunderstorm.

“How powerful are you?” He finally managed to get out. “My father said that this was the most powerful magic he’d ever seen.”

“Very,” Merlin said with a slight wince as if waiting for Arthur to strike a blow. “I’m – well – the greatest sorcerer to ever walk the earth.”

There was a certain amount of shame in his voice, and Arthur couldn’t feel the floor beneath his feet anymore. “And you’re – a servant? Why?”

“You’re my destiny, Arthur,” Merlin said with a slight shrug. “Apparently in the soulmate way and the protecting you from evil way.”

“I – is that the only reason –” Arthur swallowed hard, not knowing how to articulate his thoughts, which resembled a clashing of steel and little else.

“No!” Merlin realized what he was saying, like he always did. “Arthur, you’re my friend. I’m here because I care about you, not because you’re the prince or because I thought you might be my soulmate. I’d care about you no matter what.”

“My head hurts,” Arthur whispered, not knowing how to wrap his thoughts around this new shattering worldview. “You’re – I can’t believe it’s you.”

“You can be disappointed,” Merlin said with a wry sort of smile, though his voice was still strangled beyond belief.

Arthur shook his head. “If – if I didn’t have this mark – if you weren’t magic – it would be – I would –” He couldn’t finish the thought. “But my father – the first command he ever gave me was to drive a sword through my soulmate’s chest.”

“Well,” Arthur saw the fear in Merlin’s face, but he also noticed something new – steely resolve. “Is that something that I should be preparing for?”

Arthur shook his head, and Merlin relaxed slightly. “I could never – if my soulmate was a stranger, I might have been able to. But I couldn’t kill my soulmate and my only friend with one blow.”

Merlin gave him something that looked like a smile, and Arthur felt it was time to ask the question he’d always wanted to know about his soulmate.

“Are you – happy?” Arthur asked him, and Merlin’s face creased in confusion. “Not – with this situation specifically. But with your life. It’s just – a rainstorm. Lightning down my spine. It gives me a certain impression.”

After a moment, Merlin shook his head. “No, Arthur. I’m not overly happy. I’m a sorcerer living in Camelot, working a job far below my station for little recognition, for a man who, though I care deeply about him, can never know who I truly am or give me the respect that I deserve.” Merlin stopped short, grimacing.

Arthur felt an onslaught of guilt. “Merlin – I know now.”

“What good’ll that do?” Merlin asked with a laugh that was most definitely not humorous. “You’ll either send me away – whether through banishment or for my own good – or I’ll still be here, under Uther’s rule. And no matter how much I love you, Arthur, Uther does not exactly give me warm, sunshine-y feelings. My inner self is always going to be that thunderstorm.”

“You love me,” Arthur repeated, and though he had heard the rest, he couldn’t help but latch on to that one piece. “You love me.”

Merlin rolled his eyes. “That was not the point of that little speech. But yes, Arthur. Of course I love you. You’d have to be an idiot not to know that.”

They were quiet for a moment before Arthur said “Please stay. I have more questions. I need – to know certain things. And I know it’s not fair to you to stay in Camelot with my father. But please stay. I love you, too. And I never thought that – that my soulmate would be someone I already loved. I could never hurt you. And if you let me, I’ll give you the respect you deserve someday. But please, please stay with me.”

Something in Merlin’s face broke as he bridged the distance between them and wrapped his arms around Arthur. The moment Merlin touched the mark on his back, Arthur felt something wash over him – something like peace and joy and beauty, and he nearly fell forward into Merlin’s arms.

“Stay,” Arthur whispered into Merlin’s shoulder, and Merlin pulled back. Arthur immediately missed the pressure of Merlin against his body, but with a hesitant look, Merlin leaned forward to lightly press his lips against Arthur’s.

Merlin whispered something into the kiss, but Arthur didn’t know what it was. All that he knew that never, ever in his life had he imagined having a real future with someone, and now, for just a moment, he could see the rest of his life mapped out in front of him, always with Merlin, and he sent a fleeting hope to whoever was listening that he be permitted to have that life.