AN: I hope you like it. Will most likely stay as a one-shot.
"I refuse to believe it". Arthur looked absolutely horrified. He couldn't believe what they were telling him about his servant.
"Son, believe me, Merlin is a sorcerer! Angry Uther shouted at his face, making Arthur flinch barely noticeable.
"Merlin? Like someone so dumb could be a sorcerer"
"Sir, I agree with the Prince. Merlin has not shown any sings of magic, and I have seen enough sorcerers to recognize one, I would know if the person living with me had magic" Gaius tried to convince the king. He could not bare the idea of Merlin being killed.
"He must have put a spell on you, Gaius. There is no other explanation"
"But father-"
"Quiet!"
Arthur took a step back. "You are not going to execute my servant for sorcery, he is not a sorcerer!" he was getting desperate. He considered Merlin a friend. There was no way Merlin, that dumb serving boy would be able to hide his magic from him. He would not betray Arthur in such manner. And why would he have come to Camelot in the first place if he was a sorcerer?
"Can I at least go and speak with him?" Arthur asked in defeat. He knew he could not convince his father of Merlin's innocence.
"No. He is dangerous"
"But father, if Merlin wishes to harm me, why would he not have done so already? He has been my servant for long, and his position would have given him many opportunities to do harm. Why would he have waited all this time and risk his own safety?" Arthur reasoned. "Besides, if what you claim is true, I need to see it myself"
Uther fell quiet. He considered his son's words, what he said was true, Merlin could have maimed his son many times. "It is decided. You can visit him but only this one time, if you think it is necessary. But beware, he is dangerous". Arthur bowed a little and left.
Arthur descended to the dungeons. He nodded to sir Leon and sir Gwaine who were standing on guard. An unusual place for knights of so high rank to be guarding the prisons, but the situation needed cautions. Arthur was pleased by this, he knew neither of the knights would act rashly if something was to happen, though he was a little worried of Merlin and Gwaine's friendship. The knight was first and foremost loyal to his friends, even over the kingdom.
"Sir, are you sure about meeting him?" Sir Leon asked.
"Yes"
"Do you want us to come with you?" he continued.
"No. I want to do this alone"
"But Sir-" Arthur's glare cut sir Leon short. "Alright then" he answered and opened the gate to the dungeons. Arthur walked in, feeling the worried eyes of his most trusted knight on his back.
He walked along the line of cells. The one in the far right was the only occupied one. He took a deep breath, and step before the door.
Merlin was sitting on the floor, playing with a couple of straws. He did not look up but Arthur knew Merlin knew he was there. Arthur looked at his former servant, the young man he could have called friend. "Enjoying yourself, my prince?" Merlin asked. He had not raised his eyes from the straws between his fingers.
"What do you mean"
"Watching a sentenced man spend his last hours in a cage, my prince"
Arthur flinched, Merlin rarely referred him with his title. "Why do you not tell them it is not true?"
"But it is true"
"It cannot be. I would have noticed"
"Well, you did not"
Arthur stared at Merlin and shook his head. "No. I refuse to believe it"
Merlin laughed coolly. "I wish it was that simple"
Arthur stood silently. The way Merlin spoke had assured him. "But why? Why would you practice sorcery and come to Camelot?" Arthur was trying to understand his friend, putting aside his beliefs, but coming to a kingdom where magic was forbidden did not make any sense.
"My mother sent me to aid Gaius, remember?"
"But why did you not stop? You had to know you would get caught eventually"
"I did not know that. It was a possibility, yes, but I hoped there would be amore understanding king one day, to who I could reveal myself". Merlin laughed as he saw Arthur's face, filled with disbelief.
"You thought I would be this 'more understanding' king one day?"
"Yes"
"Why would you think that? Magic is evil. It took my mother from me!" Arthur spitted. Why was he even listening to him?
"But is magic evil?"
Arthur looked Merlin like he had grown a second head. "Of course it's evil! Have you ever seen anyone do anything but evil with magic?"
"Yes. Well, no, but yes."
"You are not making any sense"
"Maybe.." after a short pause Merlin continued "Magic is a pure force. People who use it are not. Magic can be used to both good and evil. You just cannot see the good because of Uther's rage. Nobody in their right mind would come to Camelot and start helping people with magic, they do not want to die".
Arthur could not meet Merlin' eyes. He could never admit what he was saying made sense. "Then, if the ones who do good are too frightened to come here, what do you do with your... Magic?"
"Help people"
"We would have noticed if there were sudden miracles happening" Arthur realized he sounded defensive.
"Oh, but you have been the blindest and the thickest of them all, my prince"
"What do you mean"
"I have not been helping just people. Them too, but mostly I have been saving your royal behind more times I can count"
"You? Saving me? And saving my what?!" Arthur raised his voice a bit. Merlin was obviously angry, he never spoke to him like this.
"Yep"
"Name one time you have saved me"
"Where do I begin?" Merlin smirked. "Well, I've saved you from an assassin, drank a potion that could have killed me for you.. I could go on and on"
"But neither of those situations include... magic"
"Well. Remember when you fought in that tournament where your opponent was using a magic shield with the snakes?"
"Yes"
"I forced them to show themselves" Merlin stopped for a moment as he saw the look on Arthur's face. "I did not make the snakes appear, the knight was using them of his own will. I just made them surface. And then there was the time when I got poisoned on your behalf. Remember those little lights that appeared to light your path? That was me. Even when I was ill, nearly dead, I helped you. And then there are the countless of other times, like-"
"Alright, I get the point" Arthur cut in, clearly annoyed. If it were any other situation, he would not have let his servant speak to him in such manner but as he did, he felt more familiar, more like his friend.
The two remained in silence. Arthur observed his friend. He could not believe Merlin has the power he had been taught to be evil. "Why did you become a sorcerer?" he asked. For a moment he saw hurt in Merlin's eyes, but they quickly softened as he realized Arthur was genuinely curious.
"I was born with it, I did not become a sorcerer just because I fancied to"
Arthur looked stunned. "I thought sorcery had to be learned"
"You can learn of magic, and maybe even a little of how to use it, but you cannot simply learn magic. It is much more complex than that. To me, it is natural. Yet I do not automatically know what to do if something happens, now and then I have to consult a book to find a specific spell for a specific usage. Like saving your royal behind".
"Merlin, if you refer to my royal behind even once more, I'll have you-" Arthur's burst was cut by laughter. Merlin's laughter grew even stronger as he saw the shocked look on his face. "What? What is so funny?"
"I- you- this- it-" Merlin couldn't create a coherent sentence. He took a few deep breaths and tried to calm himself down. After a few minutes he finally managed to continue "You have been tiptoeing around me, and apparently you have finally gotten over your fears"
"What do you mean?"
"Well obviously you are not afraid of acting like yourself anymore, your highness"
"I told you not to use my titles" Arthur said without thing, causing Merlin to chuckle. "Alright. I might have been .. timid around you, but can you blame me? I never knew you were a sorcerer, and all the magic I have witnessed has been evil"
"All you know you have witnessed"
"Yes, Merlin, apparently you have been doing some good with your magic such as saving my life and I was wrong to think magic is evil and I should change my views and if only possible"
Merlin burst in laughter once again. Arthur tried to hide his own amusement, but failed miserably. Soon he had fallen to the ground, all his dignity and crossness forgotten. He was just having good time with his dear friend.
"Is everything alright, sir?" Sir Leon's worried voice pierced their laughter. He had stepped in the dungeons, alerted by the strange noises. "Yes, Leon, everything is well, there is no need to worry" Arthur managed through the fits of his laughter. "I will be there in a few moments"
"Yes, sir", he answered and stepped back out.
It took a few minutes from the two to calm down. "I do not want you to be executed" Arthur said in a more serious tone.
Merlin smiled sadly. "But it is what will happen. I got caught. Sorcery is punishable by death. I cannot be freed without violating the law" Merlin saw Arthur was about to say something. "It is not your doing. And forget about letting me escape. If you want Camelot to change, they need to witness it. Uther's rage that has no boundaries, not even when it comes to his son's servant. And that is who I am. A serving boy, nothing more"
"You are much more than that!" Arthur could not believe his friend thought so little of himself. But then again, had he given him any reason think more?
After a long silence, Arthur began "So, then.. You are alright with dying?"
"There is still much I wanted to do.. But yes. If dying because of my magic is my fate, so it shall be"
"You cannot be so calm about it!"
"There is nothing you can do about it, nor should do. I only wish when you will be king, you will be wiser, do not make any haste decisions"
"I will try"
Merlin raised his gaze and met Arthur's eyes. They reflected the sadness he felt himself, accompanied with the look of honesty.
"I believe you"