Second chapter. ^.^ Again, I can't take full credit for writing it, as Rachel proof read, corrected and made me rewrite half of it. Still. It's my chapter, so my AN. Although I plan on trying to invade Rachel's ANs when the time comes.

(Trying being the key word in that sentence.) Hello Rachel. How nice of you to join us.

I give cookies to TheJunebug1218, jaqtkd, Curly Wurly Me and jayley because they reviewed. Anyone who favourited/alerted can have half a cookie. Please give reviews. They make me happy and bring me out of my current sadness that I haven't got into Pottermore yet, and that I haven't met the cast of Merlin/managed to take over the show. Think of the reviews as giving Merlin hugs. :) He needs them.

But thank you, thank you, thank you for reading and favouriting and all those lovely things. You're lovely. We will get round to replying to reviews as soon as we've decided who will be responsible for that. Anyway. Enjoy.

Chapter 2

Arthur stared morosely into the flames of the small fire Merlin had built. It was yet another one of the tasks Merlin had successfully completed throughout the day without messing up once. Although he would never admit it, Arthur missed his servant's usual incompetence and complete lack of skill at absolutely everything. Since the attack that morning, Merlin had been as respectful and competent as Arthur would expect any manservant to be. And yet it was so frustrating! Merlin hadn't called him a prat, a clotpole, a dollophead or any of his other idiomatic insults all day. He had used the word 'Sire' two out of three sentences, and 'My Lord' in the rest. Arthur had never thought he would miss Merlin's cheek, and yet he felt so melancholy without it.

Arthur thought hard. He half smiled as he heard Merlin's voice in his head telling him that thinking must be a huge achievement for him. Something must have upset Merlin. Either that or he was just doing it to be annoying, something which Arthur wouldn't put past him. Arthur tried to think back to when he might have done something to tip Merlin over the edge like this. He supposed he hadn't been the most pleasant of people that morning. But then again, when was he ever pleasant in the morning? Merlin always dealt with it with his usual cheerfulness and irritating trademark smile. Perhaps the previous evening, when he had thrown a bucket of water over Merlin's head again? No. He had done that before and it had never made Merlin act like this. Though perhaps it had been the final straw. Merlin certainly seemed the type to keep anger bottled up inside him until he couldn't take it anymore.

Arthur sighed and looked over to where Merlin was lying a little way away on his back, looking up at the branches which obscured the night sky above. He had been quiet all day, and had been lying there after depositing an enormous pile of firewood. The light of the fire cast strange shadows across his face, making him look almost inhuman.

With a sigh, Arthur stood up and walked over to lie down on his blankets next to Merlin. He looked over at the boy. After all these years, Arthur still thought of him as a boy, though he supposed he must be around the same age as himself. Merlin just seemed younger than he really was. Arthur turned onto his side and looked at him.

"We can go back to Camelot in two days."

"Yes, Sire." Merlin didn't show any emotion at this at all and there wasn't even a hint of sarcasm in his answer. Arthur rolled back onto his back, deciding to test how far he could push him.

"Tomorrow, we'll get up at dawn. You can pack everything up."

"Very good, Sire." Still no emotion. Not even the slightest hint of annoyance.

"And you can carry everything, and lead the horse. There's no sense in tiring it out."

"Yes, My Lord." This was getting ridiculous.

"Then you can do a bit of hunting yourself, like you always do. And then you can walk back to Camelot."

"Of course, Sire."

"In fact, when we go back to Camelot you should carry the horses too. It's more efficient that way. We need to treat our horses well, don't we, Merlin?"

"Yes, My Lord."

"And you can hop as well, so you can get a bit of muscle."

"Very good, Sire."

"Oh, and seeing as you'll be carrying my horse, you'll have to carry me on your back."

"Of course, Sire."

"You haven't listened to a word I've just said, have you Merlin? What is it?" Arthur sighed.

"I have listened, and it's nothing, Sire."

"Come on. You just agreed to hop back to Camelot carrying the horses and me. Something's wrong. You haven't called me a prat all day, and you keep calling me 'Sire'."

"Would you like me to call you a prat, Sire?"

"No! I just..." Merlin seemed genuinely confused and Arthur didn't know how to respond. "Look. I know we're not supposed to be friends but... In some ways, I believe that over the years, we have become as close to friends as you and I will be able to get. And if you ever tell anyone that, I will have you in the stocks for a week." Arthur looked over, expecting to see Merlin laugh or smile, but there wasn't even a slightest twitch of his mouth.

After a long silence, Merlin finally spoke properly.

"You really want to know what the problem is, Sire?"

Arthur sighed irritably. "Yes!"

Merlin sighed and seemed to consider for a couple of seconds. "Your breathing is the problem."

Merlin moved far faster than Arthur would have thought possible and suddenly he had shot off his back and was now kneeling over Arthur, his hands at Arthur's throat. Arthur choked and pulled at Merlin's hands, prising them away.

"Merlin, what are you doing?" Merlin bent down and hissed in Arthur's ear.

"You are Arthur Pendragon, the son of Uther Pendragon. If you die, I will be free to return to Camelot and finish the assassination so many have failed to complete."

Merlin's fingers closed around Arthur's throat, and he felt himself grow dizzy with the lack of air. He had to break free, and fast, or he would pass out and presumably never wake up. Arthur pulled at Merlin's hands uselessly for a few moments, before remembering himself. He gripped one wrist with both hands, and twisted his hands in opposite directions, hard. He hoped that Merlin would let go, or at least loosen his grip, in shock. He didn't even react, despite the pain Arthur knew he must be feeling.

Nevertheless, Arthur did not lose fights. He certainly did not lose fights with Merlin, and he wasn't going to die here at his manservant's hand.
Arthur brought a leg up to knee Merlin in the side, and Merlin almost lost his balance, loosening his grip on Arthur's neck. Arthur took advantage of the moment of weakness, sitting up with speed.
Arthur took Merlin's wrist in his hand, whilst pushing Merlin down with his other hand. He twisted Merlin's arm behind his back, and held Merlin down by placing his knee in the small of Merlin's back.

"Why would you want that? You've been loyal to Camelot, to me all these years. Have you been lying to me all this time?" Arthur could feel the betrayal and hurt inside his chest, but suppressed it and refused to acknowledge it.

"More than you know. You complete fool. You've failed to see it, and there have been so many hints. Ástríce!"

Arthur felt an invisible force slam into him, throwing him backwards against a tree. The force dropped him, but Arthur landed on his feet, staggering slightly, giving Merlin time to hold him against the tree by his throat. Arthur could feel the uncontrollable wave of anger and betrayal building up inside him.

"You have magic!" He choked. Merlin smirked, in the way that he'd seen Morgana smirk so many times before.

"Yes, Pendragon, magic. The magic which your father has persecuted for twenty years with no good reason, when there are hundreds of sorcerers who want nothing more than to live in peace."

"You're not one of them, though, are you, Merlin?"

Merlin laughed, but not his usual, carefree laugh. This laugh was cruel, and humourless and sounded somehow older than Merlin's usual chuckle.

Merlin's grip tightened around Arthur's neck, so he could only manage to choke out the word: "Why?"

"You sicken me. I have hated you from the very moment I met you. You're an arrogant fool with the brains of an insect. You have stood by and watched so many of my people die at your father's hand. Most of them you have arrested and locked away to be executed yourself."
Arthur opened his mouth to try and protest but Merlin merely slammed his head back against the tree, dazing him temporarily.

"You have no redeeming qualities. You are blinded by your father's hatred of magic, unable to grow a backbone and think for yourself. Most sorcerers would quite happily live in peace with Camelot. Magic is like a sword. It is neither good, nor evil. It depends on the person wielding it."
Merlin's grip loosened slightly, giving Arthur the chance to pull his hand away and twist it behind his back again, and managing to wrap an arm around Merlin's chest from behind, pinning his other arm to his side.

"But clearly, Merlin." He spoke the name with contempt. "You are not one of these peaceful sorcerers you speak of. You have betrayed and lied to me, and made an attempt on my life. What can you possibly hope to gain?"

Merlin's answer was angry.

"With you dead, and Morgana gone, Uther would quickly fall, leaving Camelot open to attack. Once Camelot falls, magic will be restored to this land and the needless sacrifices will stop. It's time to die. Goodbye, Pendragon."

Merlin spoke more strange words, forming another spell, throwing Arthur off and grabbing his sword off the ground, as Arthur fell to the floor, winded by the force of the enchantment. Arthur had no time to defend himself as Merlin brought the sword down towards Arthur's neck.

Suddenly, without warning, Merlin collapsed next to Arthur, the sword still in his hand. Arthur was surprised, but quickly got up and placed his knee in its former position on Merlin's back, and holding the sword against Merlin's neck. Arthur held him restrained for several minutes, thinking that it could be a trick. Just as he was about to release the now limp Merlin, he gasped and opened his eyes. When he spoke, his tone was completely different; Much more like the old Merlin although far more serious than he would have thought Merlin was capable of being.

"Arthur, you have to kill me."Arthur was so surprised he almost dropped his sword.

"Oh, your time to die will come, Merlin. As soon as we get back to Camelot." He pressed the sword into Merlin's neck, hard enough to scare him, but not enough to draw blood. Arthur could still feel the betrayal and hatred boiling inside him. Merlin, someone he had almost considered one of his closest friends had been lying to him for all these years, plotting the downfall of the kingdom his father had worked so hard to build and that he, Arthur, had worked so hard to protect.

"No! You don't understand! You have to kill me right now! You're in danger!"

"Yes I was, Merlin. You tried to kill me. With magic. Remember?" Arthur heard Merlin gasp in pain and realised that in his anger he had pressed hard enough to draw blood. He felt surprised that Merlin had noticed the pain of a small cut, but not that of his arm being twisted almost to the point of dislocation.

"No! Arthur, stop being a prat and listen to me! That wasn't me. There is something- someone inside my head. I think it must be the sorcerer I saw this morning when the bandits attacked. He's controlling me, it took me all day to fight him off, but he could take back over at any moment. Please, Arthur, you have to kill me now!"

Arthur took a moment to consider this. "But you are a sorcerer. Merlin. You are a sorcerer. How can I possibly trust anything you say?"

"Is this really the time to be discussing this?" Merlin's voice was strained from pain, and Arthur automatically loosened his grip on Merlin's arm.

"Yes. Because I still don't know if I can trust what you are saying is the truth."

"Arthur, think about it. I have been serving you for years. If I wanted to kill you, do you not think I would have done so while you were asleep, or used a subtler means, like poison? I could easily get something fatal from Gaius. Why would I do it now?"

"I am quite worried that you have considered ways in which it would be most effective to kill me, Merlin."

"Think about it, it makes sense!"

Arthur considered for a while. His instincts told him that he should take Merlin straight back to Camelot and have him executed, but Arthur went against them, putting his sword down, but still holding Merlin down with his knee. He felt a little guilty seeing Merlin's blood running down his neck, soaking into his neckerchief and the ground where he was lying, even though the cut was tiny.

"I'll admit what you say does sound like the truth. But magic Merlin!"

"I was born with magic! I didn't choose it. I've been able to use it since before I could talk. I would never use it against you, or Camelot, Arthur. I've been using it to protect you all these years. You have no idea how many times I've saved your royal backside. And now I'd like to have that honour one last time. I can't hold him back much longer. If I die, he will die. Please. Kill me." Arthur decided to push most of what Merlin had said to the back of his mind, resolving to discuss it later, when they had worked their way out of this mess.

"There must be another way. Think, Merlin."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm a sorcerer, I'm evil. You have to kill me, Arthur!"

"I will not sacrifice an innocent man to protect myself." Arthur had made his mind up. For now, Merlin was innocent until proven guilty. He removed his knee from Merlin's back, but Merlin didn't move and his expression could only be described as dismayed.

"I am not an innocent man, Arthur. I have done terrible things. I poisoned Morgana, before she disappeared, and that is what made her ally herself with Morgause. I was the one who released the dragon, and I lied to you when I told you I had killed it. I have lied to you every day since we met, and death is no more than I deserve. So kill me now."

"That's not important now. I will decide what I think of you later. What you need to concentrate on is how to kill this other sorcerer, as he poses the greater threat." Arthur hurriedly pushed Merlin's confessions to the back of his mind; He must have had his reasons. Merlin was clearly struggling to keep control and this was no time to put him on trial.

"I can only expel him into another living human body."

"Mine." The word had left Arthur's mouth before he'd even considered it fully, but he had to admit it made sense.

"What?" Merlin seemed shocked and confused.

"My body. You can fend me off with magic if I try to attack you, and then you can work out what to do." Arthur could hardly believe what he was saying. Merlin was a sorcerer. Merlin was evil. He'd confessed to his guilt, so why did Arthur still want to help him? Something inside Arthur refused to admit that Merlin was evil. He was Merlin, for heaven's sake. Merlin couldn't be evil if his life depended on it.

"But-"

"No buts, Merlin. Do it now. I know nothing of magic, I'm useless. You are our only chance to get out of this! Do it now! That is an order."

"To hell with your orders!"

"Merlin!" Arthur could feel his growing frustration. Of all the times Merlin could be disobedient, he chose now?

Merlin sat up, looking upset and worried.

"When he's in your mind you need to block him out using a wall of strong emotion. Think of Gwen, or someone you care about deeply. If you need to fight him imagine the sword your father used to defeat the wraith. It will save you." Arthur was about to question Merlin's logic, but could see the boy- no, the man was losing the battle.

"Very touching, Merlin. Now get on with it!"

With regret in his eyes, Merlin placed one hand on the prince's forehead and spoke the words of the old religion.

"Áscúfan ingenga."

{Translations: Ástríce: [I] Strike [Season 2, episode 12]
Ascúfan ingenga: Banish the invader [online translator]}