"Stupid dragon… destiny, hah…sides of the same coin… me and him, working together?... talking in riddles… stupid dragon."
"You're very odd Merlin."
"Hmm?" He looked up, surprised. Merlin hadn't thought that he had been mumbling aloud, and was worried Arthur had heard something he shouldn't.
"You keep mumbling things. Strange things about a dragon and destinies, I don't understand a word of course, but you seem to be annoyed at something."
Merlin had to do something, fast. Thinking wildly, he leaned forward, looked Arthur in the eye and spoke. "I'm tired of hiding my identity."
"What?!"
"I'm not Merlin."
"What?!"
"I'm secretly an old man with a cranky pet owl, who goes around holding sing-alongs as a fish in the bottom of your moat with young boys who I've corrupted with promises of knowledge, power, and fame, then abandoned on the throne. I'm also a squirrell."
"…"
"I know."
With that, Merlin left a rather bemused prince behind as he swept out of the chamber. And for a moment, just a moment, Arthur thought he saw a ghostly owl perched on his young friends shoulder.