The sooner they save the Eldor the better. Arthur was sick of sleeping on the floor, eating what could only be described as acid in a bowl and being questioned constantly by Merlin's apparent best friend Will. But he did feel for the people of the Eldor, the constant battle of survival looked draining and frankly not worth it. The people of the village had not even the bare minimum, going from one harvest to the next, watching their people suffer through hunger and sickness, Kanen making an already bad situation worse. Arthur couldn't comprehend how his manservant was a product of this oppressive land however he could understand why he left. His determination to come back and save his mother was understandable, if it was himself in Merlin's position he would not of hesitated.
Although he could understand why his father refused to provide the village with knights, Arthur was still angry that Uther had offered no aid whatsoever. He could have provided vital resources such as weapons and food but he chose not to, instead he chose to standby as the innocent got bullied by tyrants, and fall deeper into poverty and despair.
He needed to begin basic training for the men of the village, to give them some guidance on how to defeat Kanen and his men, although, he feared his attempts would be hopeless.
It would be helpful if Merlin was involved infact. The manservant had watched Arthur train with the Knights of Camelot, giving him a basic understanding of moves and stances, meaning he could help reiterate what Arthur would relay to the men.
Deciding that the boy would be helpful, the Prince set off towards the woods where he had witnessed Will follow Merlin to.
It couldn't have been less than a minute that Arthur had reached where Merlin was after Will but the way Arthur was positioned meant that neither boys could see him. Something stopped Arthur from making his presence known and instead decided to eavesdrop on the conversation between the two boys rather rudely. But who would scold him? He was Prince Arthur after all, however it seemed that didn't matter to Merlin. Titles didn't seem to affect him at all infact.
"Why are you being like this?" Arthur tried to remain still, curiosity getting the better of him.
"You know why…" Merlin was attempting to avoid something, some topic or issue between the two boys, Arthur being in the dark as to what it was.
"Why did you leave?" Will sounded like he was pleading with Merlin for an answer, Merlin apparently hesitant to give one.
"It wasn't what I wanted, Mother was worried, when she found out you knew she was so angry." Knew what? Arthur pondered. At this point he felt he should reveal himself but again something was stopping him. This was the first time Arthur was witnessing Merlin actually being honest, something he wasn't going to pass up on witnessing.
"I wouldn't have told anyone."
"I know you wouldn't" The unspoken truth was frustrating to say the least for Arthur, why did they have to speak in riddles?
"You'd be able to defeat Kanen on your own wouldn't you?" Had Will actually seen Merlin? Surely this was some kind of joke Arthur gathered.
"I'm not sure. Maybe." Arthur's confusion only grew by the second. How could Merlin defeat so many men single handedly? The only conclusions Arthur could fathom was impossible. There was no way Merlin could have… no it's simply not possible.
"So what's stopping you? So what if Arthur finds out?"
"I don't expect you to understand" Arthur began to wish he hadn't eavesdropped but there was no turning back now.
"Try me."
"One day Arthur will be a great king but he needs my help and if anyone ever found out about my powers I'd have to leave Camelot for good." The voice inside Arthur's head began a stream of denial, Merlin wouldn't have kept something this important from him... he wouldn't have.
"Are you telling me you'd rather keep your magic a secret for Arthur's sake, than use it to protect your friends and family?" Will's words kept swirling around his mind, going round and round until Arthur couldn't breathe. Merlin has magic. He kept it from him. They were friends… weren't they? Yes Arthur would call him names occasionally but still, after everything then had gone through together…
No more words were said between the two boys and they eventually retreated back to the village, leaving Arthur still in shock, unmoving.
The Prince realised that it wasn't the fact that Merlin actually has magic but that he hadn't told him which upset him most. Merlin didn't trust him enough with his secret yet the more Arthur thought about it the more he understood. He was the son of Uther, the mastermind behind the great purge that rid Camelot of magic, completely eradicating the Old Religion, creating a fear of magic that spread like a disease over the land. Not for the first time in his life Arthur felt ashamed of his heritage, of his father, of his own prejudices and actions. Afterall, the Prince had carried out his father's orders on numerous occasions on his quest to rid the world of magic once and for all.
The missing pieces of the puzzle that had created inside the young man's head began to fall into place. The ball of light that guided Arthur away from the monsters on his quest to save Merlin… the magic used to save Guinevere's father… it was all used for good. Could it be possible that magic wasn't as evil as his father insisted? Merlin certainly wasn't evil and if he wished Arthur harm he would surely be dead by now. It was evident that he possessed a great deal of power as according to Will, Merlin could defeat Kanen and his men single handedly. It was a lot to take in for the Future King, for now however he had to focus on training the men regardless on the new information about Merlin's powers. Until the opportunity arises, he would continue with the plan and train the men and then he would consider whether or not to allow Merlin to use his powers to save the village.
It didn't cross the Prince's mind that it wasn't up to him whether Merlin used his powers or not but alas the arrogance of Arthur was something that unfortunately would prevail above all else.
Before the battle had begun Arthur had attempted on three occasions to goad Merlin into revealing his magic, having decided that it would be better for the both of them if it was him to confess rather than Arthur outright accuse him. The whirlwind that the boy had created was a great help,winning a battle that would they would have all surely lost however Merlin's inability to save Will when he was struck with the arrow was a heavy blow to both the Prince and his servant. Arthur had concluded that Merlin must not have known the correct spell or possessed enough magic to save his friend as he knew that he would have risked everything to save his best friend no matter what the cost. That's the sort of man Merlin was, he helped people he cared for no matter what the cost even if that meant risking his own life in the process.
As the village paid their respects to Will whose life was taken too soon, Arthur stood by his friend and loyal servant.
"I know Merlin." To hell with acting ignorant of Merlin's powers.
"What…?" His voice croaked in response.
"I know it wasn't Will who conjured the wind, I overheard your conversation with him in the woods." By now the villagers had dispersed, leaving Will's body to burn under the setting sun as they began the long task of rebuilding their village, leaving the Prince and his servant alone.
It was a few minutes before the silence was finally broken.
"I will completely understand if you banish me-"
"You don't have to be afraid-" The men spoke over one another, trying desperately to get their opinion heard.
"Merlin… listen to me." His command stopped the boy, panic still consuming the Warlock. "I'm not saying it's okay for you to tell the entirety of Camelot, in fact you should still keep it top secret but you don't have to hide from me." The Prince reached his arm out, taking hold of Merlin's shoulder, encouraging him to look him in the eye.
"What are you saying?" Was that hope Arthur could hear in his voice?
"I'm saying i'm not going to banish you, nothing will change. Not until I'm King any how. You have to understand, if my father found out you would surely be executed, the King cannot change his mind on magic. Maybe when I've become more acquainted with magic and its uses I will change the laws but I need time Merlin, the idea of you possessing magic still seems ludicrous despite witnessing it with my own eyes."
It was clear that his words meant a great deal to the young warlock, his understanding was truly a blessing and he didn't dare interrupt the Prince as he explained his feelings on the matter. He didn't care that nothing would change for the time being, that would have been expecting the impossible but what he did care about was that everything it seemed Arthur accepted him, including his magic. That brought comfort as Will's comments and opinions about Arthur had concerned him. It wasn't the first time Merlin had wondered whether his master was the one to unite Albion and restore magic to the lands, however his confidence in the Prince had never been so strong. In some ways, when Will took the arrow for Arthur it had crossed Merlin's mind whether it had all been worth it. Had his friend died protecting a Prince that would follow the same path as his father? But those thoughts were crushed when he heard Arthur accepting him.
Everything seemed...lighter.
"Merlin?" Arthur had grown concerned after Merlin had seemingly shut up for the first time in his life and made no sign of speaking.
Finally, the Warlock found his voice. "You have no idea how many times I have nearly told you. I wanted to I really did but it's just…"
"I know, I can understand your reasons why." With his arm still on his shoulder, Arthur steered the Warlock back towards the village. "We can discuss this more when we return home."
Over the years the young Pendragon and Warlock's bond only grew stronger, using both their abilities to conquer their enemies and foes. Not long after Arthur found out about Merlin's magic, Morgana also made the discovery, changing the prophecy. No longer alone, Morgana was shown how to use her powers for good and helped Arthur along side Emyrs to unite the lands of Albion.