The Wicked Day

A/N: This time Merlin noticed the amulet. He wasn't caught up in his emotions and noticed the amulet Morgana placed around Uther's neck.

"Hmm," Merlin said, disguised as Dragoon walking into the bedroom. "Morgana has been here I see," he rasped.

He felt the dark enchantments on the amulet the moment he approached Uther's body. They washed over him, filling the air with darkness.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked worriedly.

Merlin walked over and ripped the amulet from Uther's neck. "Morgana has somehow placed this amulet here. It is meant to reverse my healing magic," he mused. "Had I not noticed this, my healing would have likely killed your father, instead of saving him." He turned to Arthur, seeing a chance to make an impression about Aggravaine. "It seems you have a spy in your ranks." He handed the plain amulet to Arthur.

Arthur's eyes widened as he filed away the amulet, and the knowledge. There were only a few he told about his plans. Merlin, Gaius, and Aggravaine. But this was a problem for later. Right now, he had a sorcerer in his father's chambers.

Arthur still wasn't convinced this wasn't part of a plot to fool him into allowing the sorcerer. He had his doubts about his guilt with the incident with the poultice, since Gunivere and he were already in love, but he didn't know the full story and wouldn't trust until he did.

Arthur hunched over the bed silently while Merlin did his work.

"Wait," Arthur said suddenly.

"Is something wrong?" Merlin asked.

"My father has taught me never to trust magic, and now I'm using it to save him." He spoke with great conflict in his eyes. He wrung his hands, torn with his choice.

Merlin merely looked at Arthur. "Your own life has been saved using magic more times than you can possibly imagine," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. To Merlin, it was.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Arthur asked quietly, utterly confused.

Merlin realized his mistake, and covered up his tracks. "I merely mean to say that magic is all around you - it is woven into the very fabric of the world."

Arthur looked at nothing in particular. "How can I be sure it's the right thing to do?" Merlin marveled at this open, emotional side of his prince and best friend.

Merlin looked compassionately at Arthur, coming off as a wise old man. "I know you have suffered because of magic," Merlin paused, looking grief-stricken, "as many have. And not all magic, and not all sorcerers, are the same." Arthur looked at Merlin as a dying man would at water, hanging on his every word, wishing so desperately to believe the words the old man was saying.

"I wish only to show you that magic can be used for good." Merlin smiled, full of hope. "I hope, one day, you will see me in a different light."

Arthur looked at his father, the conflict evident in his eyes. He looked back at Merlin, his decision made. Arthur was never a man to waver, and stood tall to allow Merlin to do his work.

Merlin nodded, sincerely grateful at his acceptance. He held the smoking herbs and incanted, "Efencume ætgædre, eala gastas cræft ige: gestrice þis lic forod. (oh, spirits, assemble together your skill: mend this broken body)" Arthur looked positively terrified at Merlin's old and echoing incantation as he waved the herbs over Uther's body.

Uther gasped as he woke, and Arthur immediately bent over Uther, whispering "Father," as he awoke. Uther did not notice Merlin standing there as he turned to Arthur.

"Arthur," he breathed, glad to see him. Arthur began laughing with joy to see his father well again. Merlin smiled to see the joy between them, and the good he'd done in this broken family.

He slipped out the door and left Arthur to rejoice with his father, drinking the potion and removing the overrobe in an alcove nearby the chambers. He stowed the overrobe away under his shirt, and headed down to the physicians chambers to put it away before going to see Arthur. He walked into the chambers, and saw Gaius waiting for him, kept up with anxiety.

Merlin's face broke out into a smile. "Gaius," he exclaimed, "I did it!"

Gaius smiled as well. "My boy, I knew you could." He met Merlin with a hug, embracing his ward tightly for the victory.

Merlin broke away, running up to his room. "I must go greet him, I mustn't be gone too long. And besides, I have to help Arthur with a cover story for Uther." He ran back downstairs just as quickly.

"Wait," Gaius called to him before he left the room. "Will you tell him?"

Merlin's smile disappeared for a moment. "Not yet," he said, struck with fear at the prospect. Merlin ran off before Gaius could get him to reply.

He was back up at Uther's chambers within seconds, and sat himself outside the room waiting for Arthur's emergence. He could hear well the conversation from behind the thick doors, at this silent hour of the night.

"It is a miracle you recovered so well," Arthur said, sounding relieved. Merlin could not make out Uther's reply.

"I'm just glad you're alive." Arthur sounded so relieved and happy, the smile could be heard

"I need my rest now, son," Uther said to Arthur. "And you do as well. I will be here in the morning."

Merlin scooted away from the door as he heard Arthur make his farewells to his father. He stood outside Uther's view outside the doors as Arthur walked through. "How'd it go?"

Arthur turned to Merlin, and asked him furtively, "Where did the sorcerer go?"

Merlin looked down the hall. "He said he'd escape on his own," Merlin offered lamely. Arthur looked down the hall as well.

"I hope he makes it out all right," Arthur said. "He has shown me…" Arthur's voice trailed off, and looked at Merlin intently. "He has shown me quite a lot."

Merlin smiled happily. "I'm glad, sire." Arthur nodded. "Shouldn't you be getting to your chambers?" Merlin said to Arthur.

Arthur nodded, and the pair set off for his room. When they got there, neither prepared to go to bed, and instead Arthur sat up at his table and Merlin sat next to him. They sat in silence a long time, a myriad of emotions crossing the young prince's face.

"I'm surprised you were so open to the idea," Arthur said after a long while. "You have always been the most afraid of magic among us."

Merlin was surprised, and his face showed it. "What makes you say that?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow and turned to Merlin. "You quake in terror at the mere mention of it," Arthur said as if it were obvious. Merlin resented that that's how he came off, although he knew that it was a very reasonable conclusion in Arthur's position.

Merlin just shook his head and let the silence continue. A little later, Arthur spoke up again. "He told me, magic has saved my life more times than I can possibly imagine," Arthur said. "What do you think he meant by that?"

Merlin turned to look at Arthur. "This sorcerer was willing to come and save your father's life… perhaps there are some that have been willing to save yours in the past." His voice carried his rarely-seen wisdom, making Arthur pause and realize the real gravity of the statement.

"He said it as if he didn't mean to," Arthur noted. "He tried to cover it up, said some junk about magic being woven into the fabric of the world. He's not very eloquent man for being an all-powerful sorcerer." He spoke with a touch of humor, turning his head away.

Merlin scoffed internally. "That would make me even more inclined to believe it," Merlin said.

"What kind of name is Dragoon the Great, anyway," Arthur said dismissively.

"Well, it sounds like a fake name to me," Merlin said before he stopped himself.

"What makes you say that?" Arthur asked, turning to Merlin.

"Well…" Merlin began. Go big or go home, he thought. "Sounds a bit like the great dragon, don't you think?" Merlin said.

Arthur grunted affirmatively in response. "Well whatever his name is, I am indebted to him." Arthur stood up, and walked over to his screen. "And that is enough for tonight. Help me out of my chainmail, and we can both go to bed."

Merlin walked over and obliged Arthur, and as soon as his master was ready for bed he headed downstairs himself. Arthur certainly had his fair share to mull over tonight, and because of that Merlin did as well.

Arthur woke the next morning, the deal he made with the sorcerer weighing on his mind.

"All I have ever wanted is that people like me can live in peace. That those who practice magic are accepted, rather than hunted. That is all I ask. That is the price of your father's life."

And Arthur replied,"I give you my solemn word. When I am King, things will be different. You will not have to live in fear."

But now the doubts began to plague Arthur's mind in the early morning. Would there be more like the doddery old man who saved his father's life? Or would there simply be chaos, like his father claimed there was before his birth.

Merlin chose that moment to burst through the door, and he stopped stock still when he said "You're already awake."

"I haven't been for long," Arthur said from where he lay. Merlin set about opening the curtains and getting his clothes for the morning. Arthur broke out into a smile as he remembered his father was alive and well. But his face fell as he remembered at what price.

"What's got you, Arthur," Merlin asked inquisitively, ripping the warm covers from Arthur's bed and exposing him to the cold. Normally, this would have evoked a response from Arthur, but not today.

"I promised the old man I'd restore magic to the kingdom when I am King," Arthur said bluntly.

"Why is this a problem?" Merlin asked just as bluntly.

Arthur responded to this by looking at Merlin as if he were a moron. "It's magic," Arthur said slowly. "It's evil."

Merlin looked at Arthur. "The sorcerer just demonstrated last night that it's not." He grabbed Arthur's hand and launched him standing upright and put Arthur's tunic on, since he was clearly demonstrating no desire to do it himself.

Halfway through, Arthur realized what was going on and jerked away from Merlin, clothing himself. "I thought you hated magic," asked Arthur arrogantly.

"Have you ever bothered to consult me about that?" Merlin shot right back, throwing Arthur's trousers at him.

"Why else would you be so nervous at the mention of it?" Arthur asked.

Merlin stopped stock still for a second. He could tell Arthur now, tell Arthur it was him all along who saved his father; Merlin hoped it would cement his belief that not all magic was bad. Merlin knew he should tell him now, so that there could be no more lies and no more pain. He knew lying to Arthur this long would already cause him pain enough. But he couldn't bring himself to do it; the first thing he'd ever been too terrified to do.

"I'm afraid of everything," he joked weakly, after a long and awkward pause. True to Arthur, he looked at Merlin as if he were the most insane man he'd ever met.

"But all of this is a long time away, since my father is alive and well," Arthur said decisively. "Come on, lets go greet the day." Arthur and Merlin went to the King's chambers to find him sitting by the window as per usual, Gwen attending to his needs.

"Arthur!" Gwen said happily. "He's recovered miraculously!" Uther turned his head in his chair, and smiled when he saw Arthur, climbing out of his chair.

"My son," he said happily, giving Arthur a rare hug. Merlin and Gwen stood by the entrance, and left when Uther embraced Arthur, giving the two their privacy.

"It's miraculous how he survived," commented Gwen as they stood outside. "He was on death's door." They set off walking to the kitchens to perform their chores.

"Miraculous things happen all the time," said Merlin. "Sometimes we just don't see it." Merlin set about his own chores, wondering what the future would hold for he and Arthur now.