Merlin knocked hesitantly on the big oak doors. The sound echoed around the hall. He took a rattled breath. "Keep it light." He muttered. "Light."
"Enter." Arthur's voice came through. Merlin inhaled and pushed inside.
"Merlin." Arthur said, not looking up, "What can I help you with."
"Are you busy?" Merlin tried, hands clasped behind his back, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet.
"I am the King of Camelot and my wife is six months pregnant, Merlin, I can honestly say I have something or other on my mind."
"Right…"
The hall sat in silence between the two men.
"Remember when I told you I had magic?" Merlin regretted saying it almost immediately.
"It's rather difficult to forget, yes."Z
Merlin said nothing, registering the impatience in his King's face.
"What about it, Merlin?" Arthur said.
"I thought it might be good." Merlin started, biting his lip when Arthur looked frustrated "No hurry of course."
"Merlin."
"That I might tell you the history of my power in your life." He finished hurriedly. When there was silence, Merlin said, "Just so you know the full extent of it."
More silence.
"My lord." He added.
Something lighthearted came into Arthur's eyes.
"Well then I would have you enlighten me." He said, and Merlin made to sit.
"No, no" Arthur smirked. "It can't possibly take tha' long. Go on, just," He sat back in luxury and crossed his hands behind his head. "Tell me."
A beat of silence again.
"Start at the beginning." Arthur said.
"Well…"
"Wait…" Arthur brought his hands down. He looked put-out, and twisted his mouth at Merlin.
"The first day I met you I tried to kill you. And my mace got all tangled in wood. And sealed there." He squinted at Merlin. "Like magic."
Merlin shrugged, hands dug deep in his pockets now. Arthur laughed. A maniacal, cheated laugh.
"Alright. Keep going."
So Merlin told him, and he told him everything. From all the arrows he drove off course to Guinevere becoming a deer, to the caves, Morgana, to Uther's ghost, to Agrivaine.
"So you're telling me," Arthur said, jabbing his finger into the table "that when I was fighting, all those times you said you'd watch my back, and I laughed at you…"
"I was saving your sorry life, yes." Merlin said flatly, all smiling eyes. Arthur leaned back in his chair, disbelieving.
"Also," Merlin said, leaning forward, "D'you remember…" he bit his lip and leaned back again.
"Come on then." Arthur said, clearly bewildered at being out of his depth.
"Dragoon the Great?" Merlin questioned.
"Oh, that daft old sorcerer who enchant – hang on." Arthur looked at him. His eyes widened and he gaped and pointed at Merlin. It appeared the envelope had been pushed too much.
"That was you." He said evenly.
"That was me." Merlin said.
Arthur sat back, mouth closed, like he was hiding how shocked he was. He didn't speak for a minute. And then he said
"I was about to burn you at the stake."
More silence.
"Well I would say I'm surprised but honestly after everything else, alright. I suppose it makes sense. He – you - did look familiar in the eyes."
"Yeah."
There was more silence. The sky had grown dark. Merlin abruptly stood up and opened his mouth and closed it again. The air was thick with dusk and new information, and yet both men felt slightly freer.
"I have kept you from a whole day of…" Merlin shrugged. "…being King."
"That's alright." Arthur was still looking straight ahead. "It was a nice break, I s'pose."
Merlin made a bow at Arthur, who laughed shortly and said "I suppose I can know you help me now." He laughed. "Tell no one, mind." He added. "I've a reputation to uphold."
Merlin smiled, and turned away, passing Guinevere on her way in.
"Hi Merlin. Am I interrupting?"
"Not at all." Arthur said, looking at her. And then, as an afterthought, with a small smirk, he said "By the way, do you remember that old sorcerer who saved you from being executed?"
"Of course." Gwen said.
"And do you remember when you were a deer?"
Gwen started.
"How do you know about –"
"Merlin!" Arthur called airily.
Merlin flashed his eyes at the flags coiled above the round table and they fell with a swoosh. He bowed to Arthur and to Gwen, and made to leave.
Arthur's booming laugh rang out, and "What the f-" Was the last thing he heard out of Gwen before the huge wooden doors shut behind him.
A considerable weight off his shoulders, he sauntered off to his quarters, letting the flags along the corridors down as he went.