Okay, so before I begin, I have never written fan fiction before, the closest I have ever come to writing was my last English research paper. Considering how many other Merlin fan fics there are on here, this is probably really cliché, but I'm just trying to get the hang of it before I do anything more original. I don't have a beta, because I am new on here, and my language skills are manageable. If you notice any mistakes, please point them out, and I will fix them ASAP. Sorry for blabbering, please enjoy! Any reviews are worth more than gold right now! Tell me what you think!

Merlin stared in shock across the shattered remains of the throne room. As the dust settled, the knights pulled themselves out of the rubble coughing. Arthur stood frozen, staring at his friend. The standoff lasted for all of 30 seconds, then Merlin bolted, heading for the door, his magic boosting his speed so by the time the king could look to the door, he was gone. "MERLIN!" he barked, sprinting out the door and chasing after the raven-haired young man. "Merlin stop!"

He couldn't stop. If he stopped, his king and dearest friend would kill him. Because he knew...he knew what Merlin had tried to hide his entire life. Arthur knew he had magic. Arthur knew he had magic! "Prat" he muttered, continuing his fevered sprint across the courtyard and down into the lower town. Couldn't Arthur just let him be? Is banishment too lenient? Why did his king-his friend-desire his death so badly? Perhaps he could guess. Perhaps he knew Merlin would never truly leave. His duty, his very destiny was tied to Camelot, and the blonde king racing after him. How did it come to this? Today started so well. Until the incident in the stables...

Merlin wiped the sweat out of his eyes in irritation, scooping up yet another shovelful of manure. The cabbage-head, aka-king, had been irritated at being awakened late, again, and this was Merlin's reward. A morning full of horse fodder and sweat. He was nearly finished, on the second to last stall, when a middle aged woman caught his eye. Nothing about her should have warned him, to all eyes, she was only a peasant woman going about her business. But Merlin could sense something off about her. He instantly realized what it was-she had magic. His first inclination was to leave her alone; after all, she may only have been trying to survive, quietly living her life without threatening any with her magic. When she suddenly turned and ducked into an alley near the castle where a secret door led to the inside of the castle, he quickly revised his opinion. Guessing this had something to do with how Uther killed my son! He is dead, so I think I will take it out on Arthur instead! Never mind how every other sorcerer to attempt this has been defeated by a mysterious force! I will have vengeance!, Merlin sighed, and headed into the castle to warn Arthur.

"I am sorry for what my father has done..." Arthur began, only to be cut off by the sorceress's screams of "Sorry?‼ You're sorry?‼ Will 'sorry' bring my daughters back to me?! NO! You will die Arthur Pendragon, and then maybe, Lord Emrys will step forward and give Camelot back to those with magic! We have waited, to see if you will be a just ruler, willing to give all equal chances, but no. You are just like your father! The ban on magic has not been lifted, and Uther's tyranny lives on in you!" The king rolled his eyes, feeling very conflicted. He regretted the deaths of those who were innocent, even if they had magic. He was slightly angered at the insult to himself and his father, and he was wondering if he would get out of this alive in time for dinner that night. Contrary to what Merlin might say, he was not fat, and he was looking forward to a quiet meal with Guinevere. Wrenching his thoughts back to the matter at hand, he saw the sorceress start forward, her eyes glowing gold as she hissed out a spell which cast a huge fireball at him. He jumped out of the way, cursing as it destroyed the queen's throne. It had just been completed last week, and he had had it installed that very morning, wishing to surprise Guinevere with it after dinner that evening. Just as she prepared to cast another spell at him, Percival, Leon, Elyan, and Gwaine burst in with swords in hand. "Halt witch!" Sir Leon yelled, running forward flanked by his fellow knights. She quickly turned her hand and sent the next spell towards the ceiling, shattering the stone and allowing several large chunks to fall right down on the knights. Seconds before they were crushed by the falling rock, the stones disintegrated into powder, covering them all with a fine layer of dust. As they attempted to clear their eyes, the sorceress stared at them in shock. She shook it off and sneered. "It's sorceress, not witch Sir Leon, and I will only halt when you and your king lie dead! One of you may possess some small skill in magic, but you are no match for me!" She quickly uttered a spell which froze them to the ground, unable to move, and advanced upon Arthur once more. He rose, with Excalibur in hand, and prepared to do battle.