AN: Hmm, first fanfiction. Don't really know what I am doing? This is kind of a warning. But still. Go for it. read this! I would love that. I have the first seven chapters written-ish, and it does get more exciting than this, I promise. Umm, I don't really expect anything. As a warning, this is a Merthur fic, if you didn't know, so if you don't like that you probably won't like this and shouldn't read it, cause there are many better ways of spending your time. Anyways, if you do read this thank you. And thank you to the friend who edited this. But if it is bad, don't blame her, I might have ignored some of her excellent advise. Bad Jessica! But story. Right. Here we go!

Oh, and I don't own Merlin. If I did, Gwaine would never wear a shirt.

Chapter 1: Secrets

It had been six months

Six perfect, wonderful months.

Merlin could not have imagined things ever turning out this perfectly. It had been six months since, on a hunting trip, Merlin and Arthur had been attacked by bandits. Six months since Merlin used his magic to save Arthur. Six months since Arthur told Merlin that he wasn't going to tell his father.

Six months since that first perfect, wonderful kiss.

It had been a sunny fall day, and Arthur had decided that he needed to take advantage of one of the last good hunting opportunities of the season. So, dragging Merlin with him of course, they headed out into the woods, unaware of the dangers that lurked in the forest.

The bandits would have been no match for Arthur, if he weren't outnumbered twenty to one- well, two if you counted Merlin, but Arthur never really did when it came to fighting. Arthur was quite mistaken in his overlooking of his manservant, but Merlin's desperate attack on the bandit about to stab Arthur from behind was one Arthur never expected. To see his servant with eyes flash] gold, condemning him of the crime his father had fought against for over twenty years, shocked the prince, allowing the bandits to gain the upper hand in the fight, and forcing Merlin to resort to even more blatant uses of his once hidden skill to save his friend.

The bandits had stood no chance against Merlin. It wouldn't have mattered if they outnumbered him 50-1, his magic was more than enough to stop them all when he saw his prince in danger. As soon as all the bandits were either incapacitated or far from them, Merlin ran to Arthur's side. His fear of Arthur's reaction was greatly overpowered by his fear that his master, no, best friend, had been injured. When Arthur backed away from Merlin's frantic hands, Merlin froze. Afraid that his worst fears had come to pass, he quickly tried to explain to Arthur, stuttering over apologies for not telling him earlier, and promises that he would only use his powers for good, when Arthur leaned forward and stopped his hysterical pleas with a kiss.

Merlin was shocked.

Merlin was overjoyed.

Merlin was completely and utterly bamboozled.

His prince, his master, his best friend, whom he loved more than anything, but was convinced could never receive any love from in return, was kissing him. He had just done magic in front of him! Merlin knew that proper "knight of Camelot" procedure in a situation like this was to kill the sorcerer, no questions asked. Definitely not kiss them. But it felt so wonderful. To have his golden-haired prince pressed so close to him, knowing that his abilities and his feelings, were no longer secret to the man with whom he shared a destiny, was incredible. But, he had so many questions. He had to know what Arthur was thinking, and what was going to happen to him when they returned to Camelot, because there was no way he was leaving Arthur's side now.

So, Merlin pulled away from Arthur, and the two pairs of blue eyes met for the first time since the condemning gold had faded from one of them.

"W-What are you doing?" Merlin managed to stutter out.

"What did it look like I was doing, Mer-lin."

"Well, umm, I guess the real question is why? Shouldn't you have killed me?"

"Am I that bad of a kisser, would you really prefer to be dead?" Arthur asked, sarcastically.

"Well, no, I mean your quite a good- wait, you know what I mean! You saw me do magic, but, you're not going to kill me?"

"No Merlin because unlike my father, I have realized something, not all magic is evil. And if I wasn't sure about that before, I am now. Because there is no way you could be evil Merlin, because, well, because I love you."

This last comment had struck Merlin dumb. He started at the eyes of his prince, the eyes that he had dreamt about so many times, and saw the truth of his words. He couldn't believe it. Arthur loved him? Arthur loved him! But that was impossible right? He was prince of Camelot, he had to have a queen, a queen who could give him an heir, which Merlin would never be able to do.

"What do we do now?"

Arthur, still a little stunned at his own sudden admittance of emotion glanced back up at Merlin. He had been sure that he would run, that he would laugh, that there was no way he felt the same. But he hadn't. He was still there, waiting for instructions.

"Wait, does that me you love me too?"

Merlin looked a little taken aback at this question, as he answered,

"Arthur, how could I not love you? Every day you show such wisdom and kindness, watching you take care of the people of Camelot has been the most amazing time of my life. And don't even get me started on your looks, there's not a woman alive who hasn't fallen for you. Of course, it's not only women, I love you Arthur. I love you more than I believed to be possible. But you're a prince. How, I mean, I want this more than anything, but how can we be together?"

"It doesn't matter Merlin, I love you, and you love me. That's all that's important. Not what anyone else thinks."

"But your father, he'll never accept me Arthur, not only am I a servant and a man, but I'm also a warlock. And even if he doesn't know I have magic, he would still kill me before he allowed us to be together."

This made Arthur pause. Merlin was right, of course, but he couldn't not act on his feelings now that he knew that Merlin felt the same. So he replied, "We will have to keep it secret, until… until I'm king, then, well, we'll figure it out then, but for now, we can go on lots of "hunting trips", and you can stay in the "antechambers" by my room. My father doesn't have to know, but I can't go on without you Merlin, not when I know you feel like this too."

A lopsided grin stretched across the sorcerer's face as he jumped on his prince bringing him into a tight hug. He trusted in his words. Believed that it could work.

So, they had six months. Six wonderful, perfect months.

Before their plans failed.

Nothing could ever be that perfect.