"A what?!" Arthur roared, every inch his father's son in that moment.

"A warlock," Gaius warily said, hoping Arthur may be more tolerant than his father but seeing far too much of Uther in the moment.

"How could my son be a warlock? He's barely a year old!" Arthur demanded. His icy glare passed by the little boy in Gwen's arms. Her heart began pounding, for once not knowing how to deal with her husband.

"Witches and warlocks are different from sorcerers, despite your father never bother to make a distinction between the two," Gaius said. "They are born with magic. As.. as was Morgana."

"Born with magic? What do you mean?" he demanded angrily. Gwen simply looked at her son fearfully. She clutched the sweet little boy closer to her chest.

"He… he won't be able to help using magic," Gaius explained, accidently glancing at Merlin who was trying for all the world to not look to overly invested in the matter. "And he'll use magic differently. All he'll need to do is channel his powers rather than incant a spell or use magical objects as a regular sorcerer would."

"How do we get rid of this?" Arthur demanded.

"You can't get rid of it," Gaius said, glancing at Gwen fearfully. Gwen buried her face in her son's hair. Hoping Arthur wouldn't notice, she poised herself to run. She hoped with all her heart that her beloved would not hold so tight to old prejudices to the point that he would kill his own son. But as much as she trusted that Arthur loved them, she couldn't risk her baby's life. And Arthur was asking how to get rid of "this." Once he was thoroughly convinced that there was no way to make the magic inside disappear, how long until he decided to getting rid of the child was his only option? In the best of scenarios, Arthur would have to banish the child in order to follow his father's laws. And Gwen would never leave her child. Her heart was breaking inside at the thought of leaving her beloved. But not as much as it did at the fear that he would order the death of his own son.

"Then what?" Arthur demanded. "There has to be a way to hide it."

Merlin involuntarily knocked a vase over as he reacted. Hide it? He remembered being a child. He had little control over it, if any. It took years and years to control it enough that he could hide it. And even now, it was only the mask of invisibility as a servant that protected him here in Camelot. A princely warlock was sure to be found out with all eyes upon him at all times. If only Arthur would see reason. But this was Arthur they were talking about. Why did he always have to be such a stubborn clotpole?

"Merlin! Why are you so clumsy? We're trying to talk here!" Arthur complained.

"S-So sorry, Sire," Merlin gasped, starting to clean up the vase shards. He was mostly just relieved that his magic hadn't accidently tried to catch it for him.

"We need to figure how to deal with this problem immediately," Arthur said almost harshly.

Gwen's blood boiled at those cruel words and she spat out, "This problem? The problem you speak of is our son!"

"He's a sorcerer!" Arthur said furiously in a moment of passion. He saw the betrayed look that came over Gwen's face and instantly repented. "No! I… I didn't mean that. Gwen, you know I didn't mean it like that."

"Didn't you?" she said pointedly.

"I… No… Gwen, you don't really think I would hurt him, do you?" Arthur said desperately.

Gwen turned away from him as he reached a hand out to her.

"Gwen… I… we can work this out," he pled.

"You've spent your whole life working against sorcery, killing without any thought to the sorcerer's life and their intentions. And now you expected me to believe you would love a child with magic?" Gwen spat, hugging the child to her chest, ready to run the moment Arthur reacted.

But Arthur stepped back, stung. "Gwen! I… I love our child. I swear… even if he has magic."

"It shouldn't be an 'even if', Arthur. You should love him unconditionally. He's your son," Gwen said, turning away and striding towards the door as fast as she could without making it obvious she was terrified. She had said too much. Arthur was sure to be furious and act now.

Arthur was almost angry, but wasn't this strength what had attracted to him in the first place? And… he needed her. And his son.

"Gwen…" Arthur pled, racing to stand between her and the door. Merlin ran over, ready to intercede on Gwen's behalf. Gwen shifted her child towards Merlin, ready to entrust the boy with the faithful manservant if necessary. Worst come to worst, she could trust that Merlin would do anything to help an innocent child. And somehow, despite his bumbling ways, Merlin and those he cared about always ended up safe as if by magic.

"Let us go, Arthur. I'd rather not have to witness you banishing or executing your own child," she said coldly.

"What? Gwen, no! I would never! And… please don't leave," Arthur said as gently as the arrogant prince could. Gwen merely glared at him. "Gwen. I… This would be a lot easier if you'd work with me!"

"I am. I'm leaving so you get what you want. You don't want to hurt your own child, but you don't want magic around," Gwen said coldly.

"I… Gwen… Just… I… I," Arthur seemed to be struggling for words.

"You what?"

"It's… I'll make it all work out in the end," Arthur struggled.

"And how is that?" Gwen challenged.

"I mean, maybe you could stay awhile. And… I'll work on this…" Arthur said, not sure how to respond.

"Oh you clotpole," Merlin said exasperatedly. "Just tell her that you need her here with you."

Arthur blushed. "Merlin!"

"What? It's true!" Merlin insisted.

"Is it?" Gwen asked quietly.

"I… Merlin's sometimes right," he said, evading the actual question.

"I need to hear it from you," Gwen said stubbornly.

"I…I need you, Gwen," he finally managed. "We… everything will be alright. As … as long as we're together. You… you'll help me, right?"

Gwen finally relented. "Of course, Arthur."

He smiled, relieved his love and son would not leave him. He slowly reached out to Gwen. She flinched slightly but did not protest. He pulled her in close, kissing his son's forehead softly in a rare gesture of emotion. Gwen and Arthur exchanged a smile, and he knew he was forgiven.

"Gwen, what are we going to do?" Arthur asked quietly.

"We're going to love and care for our child. Any powers he may have will not make us love him any less," she said stubbornly.

Arthur looked like he was trying very hard to swallow something. "Of course. But… what are we to tell everyone?"

Gwen rocked the child as she thought it over. "Gaius? Merlin? Any ideas?"

Merlin finally worked up his nerve to suggest, "Legalize magic?"

"Legalize magic? Haha, Merlin, you could be so funny sometimes," Arthur laughed.

"Arthur. It's worth considering," Gwen said quietly.

"You can't be serious!" Arthur protested.

"If others have had magic forced upon them as our child has, then it's wrong to hunt them down so," Gwen said.

Merlin leaned in. Could this be the chance he had been waiting for? Years of serving Arthur may be finally paying off for his kind. If anyone could make Arthur see sense, it was Gwen.

"I… I suppose that's a possibility," Arthur said reluctantly, shocking everyone in the room with those words.

"Arthur," Gwen said, placing a hand on Arthur's cheek. "I know this is hard for you. But you know not all your father did was just."

"He'd be so ashamed of me," he said just barely loud enough for Gwen to hear him.

"And when has that stopped you from acting as you see just? You married me," she pointed out softly, knowing Arthur's father would be horrified to see a commoner on the throne.

"So… you think I should allow magic? It's… but we've only every seen magic used for evil," he said incredulously.

"That's because magic is outlawed, Sire. Who would risk you knowing they used magic for good when their good act would only lead to their death?" Gaius interceded.

"William," Merlin said, remembering his friend who had lied about having magic to protect him. Merlin wasn't convinced that Arthur had truly changed to accept magic and was hesitant to reveal himself. "He died using magic to save you. Who knows who else may have used magic in secret to help you?"

Arthur stared at his manservant. Merlin wasn't really suggesting magic happened around him without him knowing? But he had a point about William.

Arthur slowly nodded. "I… Gwen, I'll need your help in convincing the council."

"You… you're going to allow magic?" she said, scarcely believing it.

"Do I have any other choice? I can't deny my own son, but I cannot make exceptions for him alone. So I… I don't see any other choice. And we need to act before it becomes apparent that we're acting for the sake of our son," Arthur said, chewing on his lip. "Unless… is there any other way?"

"None I can think of," Gwen said. "But perhaps it is all for the best. This war against sorcerers is what has led them to acting against us. Perhaps this will lead to peace."

Arthur felt like this was wildly optimistic. But the softer side of his heart told him that maybe she was right. And perhaps it was time for a change. There was no need to

"And who knows? Maybe you'll find good sorcerers who'll support you once you legalize magic?" Gaius said, a small amused glance towards Merlin.

"Who knows who might surprise you by coming out as having good magic?" Merlin said quirkily.

"Are you suggesting yourself?" Gwen teased.

"Hahahaha! Merlin, have magic? That would be the day," Arthur chuckled heartily. "Gwen, if… if we're to… to actually legalize…magic, we should start on it. This… it won't be easy."

Gwen placed a reassuring hand on her husband's shoulder, knowing he was still unsure but convinced he would not go back on his word.

As soon as they left, Gaius and Merlin started laughing. "That would be the day, wouldn't it? I can't wait to see the look on that prat's face," Merlin grinned.