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Prologue

Arthur sat and stared unseeingly at the lit candles in the far corner of his chambers. They would send for him when his father's body had been prepared for viewing. Until then, there was nothing more for him to do.

After the vigil tonight, after the funeral tomorrow, would be his coronation. Though he had performed all the kingly duties as regent these past several months, there needed to be a ceremony. The people needed a show. They needed to see their new king say his vows and don the crown before he took his place on the throne his father had occupied since he was nearly as young as Arthur was now. Arthur had to make them believe he could take his father's place, though he was not yet ready.

Uther had been a great king. As a young man, he had led his brother's troops against Camelot's usurper and won back the kingdom. Then he forestalled civil war when he secured the throne after his brother died without an heir. Uther had engineered an historic treaty among the Five Kingdoms. What could Arthur hope to accomplish to match his father's triumphs?

He heard the door open and close. It could not be the call he awaited because the steward would knock. Only one person would come in without knocking.

"I am so sorry."

Without looking, Arthur knew sincere sympathy shone in Merlin's eyes.

"I... I should've..." Merlin straightened his shoulders and came to stand at the end of the long table, his dark hair haloed by candlelight. "I wish there was something I could have done."

Arthur did not raise his eyes. "Merlin. No one but me is to blame for this."

"You are not to blame. This isn't your fault."

Arthur choked back a laugh. "I'm entirely to blame. My father spent twenty years fighting magic. To think I knew better. I was so arrogant. That arrogance has cost my father his life." The words tasted like ash in his mouth. Self-loathing was a bitter potion.

"You were only doing what you thought was right. I'm sure that old sorcerer meant no harm. Perhaps the spell went wrong. Uther was dying. Maybe nothing could have saved him."

Arthur looked down at his hands, at the tabletop, and back at the candles. "We'll never know. All I know for sure is that I've lost both my parents to magic." Finally his eyes met Merlin's concerned gaze. "It is pure evil. I'll never lose sight of that again."

The knock came. Arthur looked at the door before returning his gaze to the tabletop. He took several shallow breaths. Then he got to his feet and went to say his final farewell to his deceased father.

Chapter 1 Aithusa Alternate Ending

Carved columns lined the cavernous room and squares of sunlight from rows of small windows lit swirls of dust no one had disturbed for four centuries. The would-be thief's limp form sprawled next to one high-ceilinged wall at the top of the ancient tower.

Merlin stilled the trembling in his hands as he gently lifted the egg from its pedestal, cradling it carefully in both hands. It was two handspans tall, yet surprisingly light considering the size of creature it would hatch. Merlin may have failed utterly in his destiny – well, Arthur was king but he would never allow magic to return – but the warlock could free this dragon, this magical creature. Balinor would still have something to be proud of in his son.

The instant Merlin lifted the precious burden from its pedestal, a whirring and clicking warned him that removing the egg had triggered a defence mechanism. Momentarily he froze. Then the walls around him cracked with an echoing bang and chunks of the tower roof fell. There was no time to save Julius Borden, lying unconscious where Merlin had thrown him in defence of the dragon's egg. If he tried to drag Borden down the stairs and out of the tower, both of them and the egg would be crushed by collapsing stone.

Sheltering the egg as best he could under his jacket, Merlin bolted down the tower stairs while dodging falling chunks of stone. The vibrations nearly knocked him from his feet but he maintained his balance and his grip on the egg. Billows of rock dust rose as the stones crashed against each other choking his lungs and blurring his vision.

As he exited the tower, he barely had time to halt his headlong rush when a chunk of rock landed directly in front of him. He raced around the stone, dodging smaller chunks falling like hail, and headed for the ring of trees which surrounded the overgrown clearing where the tower had stood. His satchel leaned against one of the trunks, waiting to help him smuggle the egg back to Camelot.

Toward him ran King Arthur leading four knights, all with swords drawn and staring up at the crumbling monolith which had marked the tomb of Ashkanar. He stopped when he saw Merlin was safely out of the tower. The knights came to a standstill behind their king, watching as the impressive structure crashed down into a pile of broken rock.

Merlin halted his headlong rush, facing Arthur and the knights in the knee-high brush between the rubble of the ruined tower and the woods beyond.

"What happened?" Arthur shouted over the noisy collapse.

"The tomb was a trap," Merlin said.

The egg was too large to conceal under his coat and the knights were now between him and his satchel. He needed to distract them. His eyes flashed and a large tree branch behind the knights fell to the ground, but the noise was lost in the clamour of huge stones falling on top of each other. None of knights so much as glanced away.

Arthur's eyes lighted on what Merlin was carrying. "Merlin, you did it!" he said. "We can make certain the dragon's egg is destroyed now."

With a lurch, Merlin feared his own reckless actions would force him to choose between the last dragon and his closest friend. His mind churned furiously through ways to save the precious egg without revealing to Arthur he was a dragonlord and a sorcerer. If only he had not acted so hastily to assist Borden against Gaius's advice. His ill-planned rush had jeopardized any last chance of fulfilling his destiny by the king's side. Arthur was in mourning; he would not question the deceased king's condemnation of magic and all things magical the way he had in his father's lifetime. Right now he had only one focus: destroy the magic he blamed for his father's death.

Arthur eyed the huge egg."Set it there."

"No." Merlin's eyes darted around the clearing, searching desperately for a distraction, or something that would temporarily render the king and his knights insensible.

"What do you mean? Give it to me, then." Arthur sheathed his sword.

Merlin could not allow him to get his hands on the egg, even if it meant alienating his best friend and king. "No, I can't let you hurt this dragon."

"Don't be stupid," Arthur said.

Sir Leon exchanged a confused look with the other knights.

"Merlin, my friend," Gwaine began, but stopped when Merlin shook his head and held out a hand to ward them all off.

"It's a magical creature; it must go free," Merlin said.

"This is ridiculous." Arthur moved to take the egg.

Looking up to the sky, Merlin raised his voice and shouted. "O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!"

Arthur took a step toward Merlin to snatch the egg from his idiot servant. He had done little in his lifetime to make his father proud, but ending the dragons would be a fitting tribute.

Inexplicably Merlin backed away, cradling the horrible creature as though it were dear to him. Arthur felt a terrible sense of foreboding creep over him. Then the young man shouted in a foreign tongue, staring up at the sky. The alien-sounding gibberish coming from Merlin startled Arthur. He halted his advance and looked at Sir Leon, uncertain how to react to his servant's strange behaviour.

"He's mad," Leon said.

Percival pointed at the sky. "Sire."

Arthur lifted his gaze to see the sun momentarily blotted out by a wingspan that threw a shadow across the entire open area where the tower had stood. The Great Dragon!

"Take cover," Arthur shouted, heading for the shelter of the trees.

In one fluid motion, he drew his sword and took up a defensive posture. Satisfied his knights were in position behind him and ready for battle, Arthur turned his attention back to the huge creature landing only a stone's throw from them.

At the same moment he realized to his horror that Merlin still stood in the area between the trees and the ruined tower and the dragon had landed beside him, its great horned head towering over the puny figure of the man. The dragon must have discovered the egg's existence and intended to retrieve it, which meant Merlin was in mortal danger. Arthur raised his sword as a signal to charge.

The Great Dragon reared back. Whether it intended to slash them with its monstrous front claws or burn them to death with its fiery breath, Arthur never learned. As he and the knights closed ranks and collectively formed a barrier to protect themselves from the dragon's attack, Merlin shouted again.

"Nun de ge dei s'eikein kai emois epe'essin hepesthai!"

The huge creature dropped back to its feet and regarded Merlin in what Arthur nearly believed was a look of annoyance. Taking advantage of the respite, Arthur leapt ahead. His knights immediately followed his lead, but before they could take two steps, a wall of fire sprang up to bar their forward charge. The intensity of the flames formed an impenetrable barrier between the knights and the dragon which prevented them from rescuing Merlin.

Shielding his eyes from the brightness of the burning wall, Arthur tried to see through the blaze. Merlin was dwarfed by the enormity of the dragon's bulk and still cradled the egg.

Afraid he was about to witness his friend's death and helpless to stop the dragon, Arthur cried out, "Merlin!"

Merlin seemed to look directly at him and then turn to the dragon as if speaking. Arthur blinked smoke from his eyes. He could not hear words over the noise of the flames and the rattling of stones as vibrations from the dragon's landing caused the last vestiges of the tower to fall. Despite the smoke and flame, he saw the dragon's wings spread once more.

The wall of flame vanished when the dragon lifted into the sky above the ruined tower, Merlin clinging to its back and apparently still in possession of the dragon's egg. Arthur stared upward, sword arm limp at his side.

With the threat gone, the knights exchanged a look among themselves.

"What happened here?" Gwaine dared to say aloud.

"We were tracking the thief who stole the last piece of a key from the Camelot vaults that opens an ancient tomb which is supposed to contain the last known dragon's egg," Elyan recounted. "Borden set traps for us so we decided to make camp, we were eating stew, and the next thing I remember we were all waking up from a deep sleep and Merlin hadn't come back." He looked around. The other knights nodded to indicate that what he had said so far matched their own recollection. "Or maybe he came back and found us all asleep and decided to go after Borden himself. In any case, the trail led here and we arrived in time to see the tomb collapse into a heap of rubble and Merlin barely make it out alive. Then there was a dragon and a strange wall of fire …"

Elyan paused as if someone else might give a more logical end to the tale than what had happened next. "Or maybe we're all still asleep and this is a dream."

The king nodded to himself. He had been drugged, he could feel the vestiges of poison weight down his limbs. Maybe he was still in a stupor; that was more likely than Arthur's best friend choosing to aid a monster. He pinched a bit of skin on his forearm between thumb and forefinger. It hurt. Not asleep and dreaming, then.

"How did the Great Dragon know about the egg?" Arthur demanded, not expecting anyone to give an answer.

"Merlin called the dragon," Percival said. When the others looked at him sharply, he shrugged.

"It was sorcery," Leon said. He was staring upward, knuckles white around the hilt of his sword.

"I've never heard of using sorcery to summon a dragon," Arthur argued.

"The fire we couldn't pass through," Leon said slowly. "It was sorcery and Merlin did it."

Percival looked at Gwaine. "You owe me five silver pieces."

The dark-haired knight grimaced in response.

"What are you talking about?" Arthur demanded in frustration. "Merlin is not a sorcerer, I would know."

"The Dorocha," Elyan said.

The others looked at him questioningly.

"No one could survive the Dorocha," Elyan went on. "There was not one single person who recovered after their touch. Except Merlin."

Silence greeted this observation. Percival rolled his eyes.

Disbelievingly, Arthur stared at Elyan. Merlin had only been attacked by the Dorocha because he was protecting Arthur, nearly sacrificing his own life in the process. Or had he really risked his life? If he knew he would survive, then he had not actually risked anything, only made it seem as if he had.

Leon took a deep breath. "Sire, Merlin stole that dragon egg and used sorcery to escape with it."

Arthur stared hard at his knight but Leon returned the glare without backing down. Finally Arthur looked at each of his knights in turn. "Is that what you all think?"

Finally Gwaine spoke. "That's what I saw, but I'm sure Merlin has a logical explanation for what he did."

"If Merlin is a sorcerer that would mean he's lied to me all these years, from the day we met," Arthur said through gritted teeth. "What explanation could there possibly be for that?" What would his father think of his gullibility? The man was not even cold in his tomb and Arthur had disappointed him yet again.

No one spoke.

"Magic is evil and those who practice it are enemies of Camelot, dangerous enemies," Arthur went on, his eyes holding each of the knights in turn. "My father spent more than 20 years trying to rid this land of the plague of magic and when he died he left the future peace of the kingdom in my hands. If any sorcery was used here today then the person responsible – whoever it is – will pay the price."

Kilgharrah spread his wings and lifted into the air as Merlin released the spell that conjured the wall of flame. Holding to the dragon's scales with one hand, Merlin rested a cheek against the egg cradled in his other arm. A warm, magical hum soothed his worry that the hatchling had suffered during their escape from the tower or brief standoff with King Arthur.

Rock dust swirled into the air beneath the dragon. Before Merlin could blink debris from his eyes, the men on the ground below were indistinguishable red dots. The pile of rubble which had been the immense tomb of Ashkanar shrank as it dropped away below.

A now-familiar feeling of exhilaration came over Merlin as they flew. Whatever repercussions he would face for what he had just done were in the future and he would deal with them in time. For now, the egg was safe. He hoped his father knew.

In moments, Kilgharrah circled down onto a grassy slope next to an outcropping of rock. Once he landed, he lowered his head for Merlin to clamber off as gently as possible.

Merlin carefully set the egg on a tree stump and stepped back. He looked up at Kilgharrah. "Is it still alive?"

"It can live for more than a thousand years," the Great Dragon said.

Merlin smiled happily. "So you are no longer the last of your kind." Uther would have been livid. Balinor would have been overjoyed.

"It would seem not."

The young warlock regarded the egg. "When will it hatch?"

"Young dragons were called into the world by the dragonlords," Kilgharrah said. "Only they had the power to summon them from the egg. As the last dragonlord, this solemn duty falls to you, Merlin."

Honoured and humbled by the responsibility, Merlin looked from the huge magical creature towering beside him to the egg where it rested on the stump. He wished Balinor had had time to teach him about these duties. Then he squared his shoulders. "How do I summon it?"

"You must give the dragon a name."

Merlin thought carefully about a name, reaching out with his mind to sense the creature dormant and waiting inside the egg. Then he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and called in the deep tones of a dragonlord, "Aithusa."

There was a cracking sound. A piece of eggshell was poked out by a long snout, then another piece and another piece until the shell crumbled away to reveal a creature the size of an eagle. It did not yet sport scales or horns but its claws were razor sharp. It was entirely white from its bald head to the tip of its pointed tail.

"A white dragon," Kilgharrah said, "is indeed a rare thing. And fitting," he added, "for in the dragon tongue you named him after the Light of the Sun."

Merlin looked from the Great Dragon, who looked as proud as Merlin felt, to the small white creature. It stood on its hind legs and spread its leathery wings, making a chirping sound. In amazed wonder, Merlin gazed at the magical creature which had come to life before his eyes. Tears formed and he raised a hand to cover his face, laughing and crying at the same time.

"No dragon birth is without meaning," Kilgharrah said. "Sometimes the meaning is hard to see, but this time I believe it is clear. A white dragon bodes well for Albion; for you and Arthur and for the land you will build together."

Merlin sobered at the thought. "That will never happen now. My part in Uther's death destroyed any chance Arthur will ever accept magic."

"Do not give up, young warlock."

The dragon's words ignited a flicker of hope that the future he had worked toward for so long, the destiny the Great Dragon had predicted for him, could be salvaged if he was able to make Arthur understand and accept him now. "How am I going to explain this to Arthur?"

"You will have to work that out by yourself, young warlock," Kilgharrah answered.

Merlin thought he had reconciled himself to living the rest of his life with his true self hidden even from his closest friends, yet he found that hope was tough to kill. "Will you take me back to Arthur and the knights?" he asked, knowing that carrying him around was a favour Kilgharrah would rather not grant.

"If you wish," the Great Dragon relented with a scowl.

From their vantage point high overhead, Merlin and Kilgharrah spotted the party of five men in chain mail and red capes. Camelot's king and his knights had already left the secret valley where the tomb had stood and were making their way on foot through heavy forest back to their horses. Kilgharrah deposited Merlin in the nearest clearing large enough to accommodate the dragon's great bulk and promptly spread his wings and took flight again, stirring up a small whirlwind of leaves, twigs, and dust. A tiny white creature was clutched tenderly in one immense claw.

Merlin watched the adult dragon disappear from sight, beginning to doubt the wisdom of approaching Arthur and the knights so soon to try to explain his seeming betrayal. But there really was no other choice; if Merlin hoped to fulfill his destiny to build the kingdom of Albion with King Arthur he had to make Arthur accept him despite what he now knew. If he was successful, the prejudice and fear that gripped Camelot under Uther would be shattered and Arthur's reign would eclipse his father's.

At the sight of Merlin standing directly in their path, all five armed men halted. Each one quickly scanned the sky. When Merlin remained motionless, arms limp at his side, and there was no sign of any dragon, Arthur approached until they stood face to face.

"Where is the egg?" he demanded.

"It's safe," Merlin said.

"Safe?" Arthur spat out. "We had a chance to rid the world of these monsters! Now there are two." He narrowed his eyes. "The Great Dragon seems to be in remarkably good health considering you said I dealt it a fatal blow three years ago."

Merlin's heart sank at being caught in another lie. "Kilgharrah ceased his attack on Camelot and he has not caused any harm since then."

Arthur raised his eyebrows. "Kilgharrah?"

"That's the Great Dragon's name," Merlin said.

"You're on a first name basis with this monster?"

Not knowing how he could explain his relationship with Kilgharrah when he was not always certain himself of the dragon's motives, Merlin held his tongue.

"My father was a great king. All I have wanted is to do what he would have done so I could be worthy of his name," Arthur said. "Do you know how hard my father worked to destroy these evil creatures?"

"As hard as he worked to slaughter the dragonlords and hunt down my father," Merlin said. As he hoped, Arthur looked taken aback.

"You said you didn't know your father. Is everything you say a lie?"

"I met him only briefly," Merlin hastened to explain. "When you and I found him."

Merlin watched the play of emotions on Arthur's face: confusion, memories of Merlin's strange mood all the way to find Balinor and the tears when he died, comprehension. "The dragonlord …"

When Arthur did not say any more, Merlin nodded.

Arthur shook his head as though to stem the tidal wave of revelations coming at him. "Dragons were responsible for laying waste to Daobeth and I watched as the Great Dragon nearly destroyed Camelot at the cost of many innocent lives. These creatures are dangerous enemies. If you are on the side of these monsters, then you are also an enemy of Camelot."

Merlin felt the blood drain from his face.

"If you know where the egg is, we can kill it and make this kingdom safer."

"The egg hatched," Merlin said. "Kilgharrah – the Great Dragon – will watch over the young dragon and make sure it causes no harm."

"The Great Dragon attacked Camelot and would see us all dead."

"He also helped me save Camelot more than once," Merlin said.

"What idiotic gibberish is this now?" Arthur caught his breath and his blue eyes widened. "We never discovered how the creature got loose."

Merlin decided honesty was the best way forward. "I kept my promise to free him. It was the price of the spell to help me defeat Cornelius Sigan."

"You defeated Sigan? I thought … Gaius said he found … What do you mean a spell?"

"I'm a sorcerer, I have magic," Merlin admitted. "And I use it for you Arthur, for you and for Camelot."

Arthur felt as if reality was crumbling around him and nothing made any sense. Dragons – magic – and Merlin had said something about Sigan, secrets leading to more secrets. With mounting horror, Arthur realized the knights had been correct: Merlin was a sorcerer. His servant, his friend, the man he had trusted more than any other, had magic and consorted with dragons.

For a moment, Arthur experienced a piercing doubt of everything his father had taught him about sorcery, everything Uther had believed about the evil nature of magic, but then a vision of his father's lifeless face rose up. His father had been taken from him too soon; he was not ready to bury Uther's legacy of a kingdom free from the corruption of sorcery along with the dead king.

With a flash of insight Arthur stared at Merlin. Something about his eyes was like the old sorcerer's. "It was you! You killed the king."

"No, I tried to save him," Merlin protested.

Arthur's face blanched at what amounted to a confession. "Why would you save him – you're a sorcerer, you must have wanted him dead." The haze clouding his thoughts cleared. "This is what you wanted all along – Uther dead and me as king so you could persuade me to lift the ban on magic."

"Yes, but –"

"You've been an enemy all this time, deceiving me and everyone else."

"I'm your friend."

"No, it's all been lies. I thought I knew you, I trusted you." As the magnitude of his error in judgement came clear, Arthur gripped the hilt of his sword.

"I'm sorry."

Arthur's temper ignited. "You are a liar and a traitor."

He drew his sword and without hesitation Leon leapt forward to assist his king. In the blink of an eye both their weapons flew from their grasp to land harmlessly on the ground several paces away. Elyan gripped his sword hilt but Gwaine put a hand on his arm.

"The king is in no danger, let them work it out," the dark-haired knight said in his rough voice.

Undeterred by the loss of his weapon, Leon lunged to grab the sorcerer but Merlin held up one hand and Leon was knocked to the ground as if he had run into a brick wall.

"Arthur, please," Merlin pleaded.

"Go," Arthur said coldly. "If you return to Camelot or ever show your face to me again it will be on pain of death."

Merlin reached Camelot well ahead of the king's party thanks to a dense fog which mysteriously closed around Arthur and the knights, slowing their progress and causing them to lose their way. As soon as Merlin reached the citadel, he leapt from his horse and rushed directly to the physician's quarters where thankfully he found Gaius working.

The old man looked up at Merlin's breathless arrival. "Something wrong?"

"Gaius, I'm sorry," Merlin gasped out.

"The egg?"

"It's safe," Merlin assured his guardian. "It hatched." The memory briefly brightened his thoughts. "But Arthur and the knights were there when I got out of the tower and I had no time to conceal the egg." A sheepish expression came across his features at the I-told-you-so look on Gaius's face. "You were right. I was too quick to act, too quick to trust Borden and it's my fault." Being able to confess to his guardian eased some of his panic and worry. "Arthur knows who I really am," Merlin went on more calmly. "I have to leave Camelot. I came to say goodbye and to explain to you."

Until this instant, Merlin had not imagined what it would be like to leave Camelot. He had not considered yet where he would go or what he would do.

A stricken look came across Gaius's face. He put one gnarled hand on his chest and his mouth opened and closed wordlessly.

"There isn't much time – I don't know how far behind me Arthur is and if he catches me in Camelot I'll be arrested," Merlin said. "But maybe this was meant to be."

"What do you mean?" Gaius asked.

Merlin straightened his shoulders. "Arthur is king now." He had kept the prince alive to inherit his father's throne.

"But magic hasn't been returned to the land."

Merlin shook his head sadly. "I failed at that. When Morgana's magic twisted my spell to kill Uther, it hardened Arthur's heart against sorcery. He was never going to lift the ban on magic, and he certainly won't now. There's no reason for me to stay here."

"Surely there is more that destiny had in mind for you," Gaius said. "What about Morgana? What about Albion?"

The reminder of the powerful sorceress and Arthur's mortal enemy gave Merlin pause. Gaius was right as usual, he could not leave the king or Camelot defenceless against Morgana's malice, and Agravaine could not be trusted. Arthur would turn to his uncle for counsel yet Merlin was certain the man was in league with Morgana. Arthur was king, but it was a precarious hold he had on the crown.

"There's an abandoned tower near the Roman ruins by the north gate," Merlin decided. "I'll hide there and we'll work out a way to communicate so I know when Arthur might be in danger."

Gaius gathered a few items of food and basic supplies. "I'll see you soon, my boy."

Merlin gratefully packed the additional supplies in his satchel. Then, with a hug for his guardian, he hurried away.

Less than an hour later, the king and his knights arrived at the citadel's courtyard, their horses lathered with sweat from a hard ride. They had lost hours to a strange fog that could not possibly have been natural and Arthur had a good idea whose sorcery that had been. Without a word to anyone, he threw his horse's reins to a groom and marched directly to the physician's quarters.

Gaius jumped when his door swung in with enough force to bang against the chamber wall. His expression was guarded as he turned to the doorway. "Yes, Sire?"

"Merlin is a sorcerer." Arthur watched his physician's face narrowly. He did not see any surprise there. "You knew."

"Yes I did," Gaius answered, steadily returning the king's angry stare.

"Harbouring a sorcerer is punishable by death."

Gaius folded his hands in front of him as he stood facing the king. "Do you intend to execute me?"

Arthur glared at the old man for several moments. "No," he said finally. "But if you aid him in any way or allow him to return here, you will both be arrested."

"I understand, Sire."

Gaius was still standing calmly when Arthur turned and marched out of the room.

Agravaine found Arthur in his royal chamber. He had divested himself of his armour and cleaned up after the long journey.

"How goes it, Sire?" Agravaine inquired with a slight bow. "Were you able to find and destroy the dragon's egg?"

"We found the tomb and the tower is destroyed," Arthur replied. "I do not know what happened to the egg." He did not meet his uncle's eyes or elaborate further.

"Well, we can assume then that it was safely destroyed with the tomb." Although Agravaine could not say precisely why, he had a feeling the young king was keeping something from him. It was absolutely necessary that Arthur put complete faith in his uncle or Agravaine's value to Morgana would be diminished and that he did not dare to risk. "You know you can trust me, Arthur. If there is anything I can do to be of assistance to you?"

Arthur lifted his gaze to Agravaine's face. "No, thank you, Uncle. All is well."

"Very well then, Sire." Agravaine turned to go.

"There is one thing," Arthur interrupted his uncle's exit. "Merlin is gone. Can you find me another manservant?"

Agravaine wondered if this was what was bothering his nephew. The boy was inappropriately fond of servants. "Is he dead?"

"No," Arthur said. "I dismissed him."

Agravaine concealed his delight at that news. The king's relationship with his manservant was far too close and it would be better if Arthur was forced to turn to his uncle, and only his uncle, for advice and counsel. It would be better yet if that pretentious maid, Guinevere, could be removed as well, but all in good time. For now, he knew of a perfect candidate to take over as the king's manservant.

Hiding his satisfaction behind a wise and caring countenance, Agravaine bid the king farewell and went to inform George of the good news about his new position.

Arthur was uncertain why he had not confided Merlin's treachery to his uncle, his trusted adviser and the person he had depended on since his father first fell ill. He wished with all his heart, not for the first time, his father had not been taken so soon. Uther had the wisdom, experience, and strength to shoulder decisions without a moment's hesitation or doubt. Instead, Arthur found himself wanting to talk to Guinevere.

Uther would call him ten kinds of a fool for seeking counsel from a maid, just as Uther would not approve of the commoners Arthur had knighted. Yet they were some of the finest knights Camelot had known; each one would gladly give his life for the kingdom. And Arthur valued their input; if they questioned his decision, he carefully considered their counsel. Likewise Guinevere was wise and strong and he trusted her more than anyone. He wished he could speak with her now.

As if his wish had communicated itself to her, a knock sounded at his door and Gwen entered.

He stood to receive her warm embrace, breathing deeply of the cinnamon scent of her hair.

The welcoming smile on her full lips faded when she leaned back to look into his eyes. "What is it?"

Holding her hands in his, thumbs caressing the roughened skin of her palms, Arthur stepped back to look down into her face. "Merlin is a sorcerer."

"What?" Gwen gave a small, incredulous laugh.

When Arthur continued to look at her solemnly, Gwen sobered.

"I saw it with my own eyes," Arthur continued as though he were trying to convince himself as well as her. "Gaius knew."

"But … Merlin?"

"He's been lying to me, to all of us, from the day he arrived. He has been banished from Camelot on pain of death." Arthur was relieved when Guinevere did not argue with him, despite the flash of anger in her brown eyes. He clenched his jaw. "Morgana and I grew up together; she lived here from the time she was ten years old and I knew her as kind, compassionate, and a friend. Magic corrupted her and now she chooses to do nothing but hate. She deceived me, she deceived my father, and she attempted to take his crown to create a kingdom for her own benefit. Merlin is the same. He worked to win my trust, intending to use my position to undermine everything my father stood for, to undo everything Uther worked for and the kingdom he built. Merlin was never my friend, it was all lies and secrets and treason."

"Are you sure that's true?" Gwen asked quietly.

"Merlin admitted that he wanted me to be king to restore magic. It's what he wanted all along, to use me to bring about the kingdom he sought, for himself and his kind. I was such a fool." In a way Arthur was more angry at his gullibility than at Merlin's ruse. "Anything he did for me was part of the deception, not friendship."

Guinevere put her arms around him, and he leaned against her.