Alaia Skyhawk: Wow... Just... wow... I have NEVER gotten such a big response to ANY of my fics in the first day before o.o

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

Chapter 2: A Question of Motives ~Part 2~

Eyes remained closed, body limp, their owner now being carefully checked over by the Court Physician, Gaius. He was laid on a bed in the old man's chambers, chambers cluttered with decades of accumulated paraphernalia and an assortment of herbs and other ingredients. He could hear that clutter, even if his charade meant he couldn't presently see it... Merlin kept knocking bits of it over.

Arthur would have rolled his eyes if it hadn't meant giving away that he was actually awake. He could picture Merlin perfectly from the sound of his movements. The mage was pacing, or rather trying to without staggering from exhaustion, back and forth probably biting his nails as his mentor checked the prince for injuries other than his now merely bruised leg. It was so... like Merlin, the idiot who couldn't carry a bucket of wash water without dropping half of it before he got to his destination.

As if to prove the point, Merlin knocked something else off one of the many tables in the chamber. From the clatter it was just a spoon or something of the like, but the sound made Gaius sigh in exasperation.

"For heaven's sake, Merlin, sit down before you break something."

The response to the firmly snapped words was instant, Arthur heard him sit and fidget, probably starting to bite his nails again.

"Will he be alright?"

Gentle hands checked the bruise forming on the prince's face, before Gaius replied.

"The blow to his head will probably leave him with a concussion, although I can't be sure until he wakes up. His leg will also be fine, thanks to you. By rights it should have been crushed, if what you described of how he was hurt is accurate. He's lucky you were there, or he may have been crippled for the rest of his life."

It was only by stern control that Arthur didn't flinch. His leg had been crushed? Hell, he knew it had hurt, really hurt, but he hadn't realised it was that bad... And Merlin had healed it to nothing but bruises even as exhausted as he was?

Merlin was really starting to scare him. When he came to think about it, a good portion of the warlock's poor condition was probably due to the wound in his back. Many of the monsters in the forest had poison of some kind, with the most likely culprits being the giant scorpions that would gather when they sensed a helpless victim. Their sting paralysed the victim's movements, leaving them unable to get up. If it were them that had hurt Merlin then it was likely he'd used his magic to fend them off until he could stand again... Merlin really was a hopeless idiot, fighting in that condition.

Gaius moved away from him, towards where Merlin had sat, and he heard the physician firmly hoist the boy to his feet and in a rustle of cloth lifted his shirt. He then murmured disapprovingly, moving to a nearby table and clearly beginning to prepare a remedy.

In the pause that followed, Merlin started to grumble.

"What are you staring at me like that for, Gaius? Do you really think I wanted to go up against Morgause after I got hurt? If it weren't for Kilgharrah, those scorpion things would have killed me. He nearly didn't get to me in time. It took hours before I could walk again, and then I had to scare Morgause into calling off the attack."

"Which was very foolish given your condition... But at the same time, I'm proud of you. You saved Camelot once again, Merlin. Just don't let it go to your head."

Arthur gaped in his mind. Again? Saved Camelot again? How many times had Merlin saved them for Gaius to say it so blandly? He wasn't about to get an answer any time soon, and he knew it. Instead he could only keep listening to the conversation going on near his oh so 'unconscious' self.

Merlin's snort of amusement brought his attention back to it, the servant chuckling under his breath.

"Oh, that's not likely. Sure the first few times got to my ego, but when you've been pounded on by monsters, walked to exhaustion on hunting trips, and left dealing with migraines from practicing new spells, it tends to bring you down to size. It's not about being recognised anymore. I'm happy just knowing that I made a difference, even if it turns out that no one else but you will ever know it."

Oh how much those words meant to Arthur, they confirmed and reinforced what he now already believed. Back in the courtyard, for a few wrenching moments, he'd been ready to hand Merlin over to the executioner's axe. But now, now he would never even consider it. His encounters with Druids, the times he'd seen the terrified expressions on the faces of people being led to their deaths for associating with or using magic. Before Merlin had come to Camelot he'd just turned a blind eye to them, telling himself that his father was right and that all magic had to be destroyed. But after he'd come, after that smart-mouthed teasing peasant had been made his manservant, he'd found himself opening up to and caring more about the people he would one day rule. He'd seen their suffering, begun to understand their fears. The people respected Uther, but at the same time they were terrified of him in case they should be accused of breaking the laws against magic.

Now, when he saw those wide-eyed faces walking towards the headman's block, he just wanted to scream out for it to stop. More recently he'd found himself looking away before the final blows were struck, unable to face seeing it. To picture Merlin as being the one on the block, it was unthinkable. He'd made his decision, as damning as it was. He, Arthur Pendragon, was going to deliberately break his father's own law and harbour a sorcerer right in the heart of Camelot. He was going to speak to Merlin when he found the right moment, and he was going to be damned sure that whenever something magical attacked the kingdom from now on, Merlin and Gaius were going to include him in whatever it was they had to do to deal with it.

Having the Court Physician to cover for Merlin had worked so far... Having the Crown Prince to cover for him as well certainly wouldn't hurt.

Lost in his thinking he shifted a little on the bed, the two nearby conspirators both turning to face him. Gaius immediately came to his side, having been finishing treating Merlin's wounds along with the more legal conversation about said Merlin making sure to get his bandages changed or so help him he would... In that moment Arthur just wanted to sigh. He'd hoped he could play this out a bit longer, maybe hear something else from the pair. Now though, he might as well go along with it.

Acting as if he were just coming around, stirring slightly for about a minute before cracking eyes open a bit, he squinted and murmured as if a bit dazed.

"Wh... What happened? Where am I?"

Gaius helped him to sit up, remaining close in case the prince should need to be laid down again.

"You were pinned under some fallen stone and knocked out by Morgause, or so Merlin said. He arrived in the castle courtyard just as it happened, and she was about to attack him." Gaius tilted his head side-to-side a little, as was his habit when about to say something that might be seen as implausible or unlikely. "However, it seems Morgana saw a figure fleeing the crypts, and went down there to check. She discovered the magical vessel that was the source of the spell and destroyed it. Without it to keep them going, they all crumbled to dust, and Morgause called for a retreat and vanished."

Merlin had gaped in shock at the bit about Morgana, but was prevented from saying anything when Gaius clipped him around the back of the head. Not noticing the odd exchange, Arthur brought a hand to his head, now acting a little more coherent. He mulled over what he knew was a fabricated story, and decided to try poking a hole in it, but he was sure the physician would have no trouble producing a plausible explanation.

"So you're saying that, after all the effort it took, she called off the attack just because the spell was destroyed? Why waste all that? They were winning."

Gaius raised his eyebrows for a moment, acknowledging the point, before doing exactly as Arthur had expected. The old physician really did have an answer for everything.

"Magic is a tricky thing, sire, and powerful magic even more so. To sustain so many summoned creatures would depend on using a magical vessel. Without it to provide a focus for the spell, it could not maintain itself. As for the retreat, Camelot's forces were more than holding their own up until those undead were summoned. That advantage of the undead was lost to Cenrid when the staff was shattered, and to continue to battle against the strong position of Camelot's walls would have been futile. Morgause would have known this, which would explain why they fled."

Arthur sighed, rubbing tenderly at the bruise on his face.

"So the attack has ended?"

Merlin stumbled over, earning a warning glance from Gaius that made him sit on a stool near the bed.

"Yeah, Sir Leon helped me carry you up here. He said a woman's voice, Morgause's, echoed across the city and they just turned tail and ran. The knights are hunting down the stragglers, while everyone else is helping to put out the fires and treat the wounded."

Gaius sighed.

"Which is exactly where I need to be now. Merlin, there's bread and cheese in the cupboard, so make sure you and Arthur eat. It's not much, but you're in no state to be wandering down to the kitchens. And you, sire, need to stay in bed. It's possible you may have a concussion, and moving around is the last thing you should do if that is the case. Let your father and the knights handle things from here, just concentrate on your recovery. I'll be back as soon as I can."

With that the physician picked up a bag of medical supplies and left the room, Merlin and Arthur watching him go before regarding each other. The staring match of sorts lasted for about thirty seconds, until Arthur muttered irritated.

"Well, aren't you going to sort out that food? What in heaven's name do you think I pay you for?"

~(-)~

Blue eyes watched as the clumsy young man bustled about his chamber, the prince acting his usual taunting self as he sat there teasing Merlin for being slow. It had been two days since the attack, and in all that time he had yet to find the 'right time' to speak to the unsuspecting sorcerer. There were just too many people in the castle, too many chances of being overheard when he wanted time for a decent conversation. It would be a while yet before any chance of his father letting him go outside the city on a ride or a hunting trip. There was nothing for it; he was just going to have to sit this out until things calmed down. Merlin was getting a reprieve for now, and Arthur just had to hope nothing else would come up before he got the chance for that 'talk'.

He suppressed a sigh, trying to look more bored than irritated. He'd been forced to limp around the castle on a crutch, much to his distain. He hated looking weak, although he knew that was just his pride talking. There was no shame in getting injured; it was just such a pain having to wait to recover.

Blue eyes glanced down at the offending left leg, there where it lay propped up and wrapped in bandages. He'd tried to picture what it had looked like before Merlin had healed it, but in some ways he was glad he hadn't seen it. Gaius had been quick to clean it up, almost hasty, as if he hadn't wanted anyone to see how serious it should have been. Certainly, if the quantity of bloodied cloths he'd seen tucked out of sight under the bed that day had been any indication, it must have been as serious as Gaius had thought. Merlin certainly hadn't elaborated on what it had looked like, and no amount of prodding from the physician had gotten him to answer about it in the time before he, Arthur, had 'woken up'. He would guess that Merlin probably did something stupid, like risk overreaching himself with his magic, when he'd healed the leg. Just the sort of thing Gaius would chew him out for.

He snorted at the thought. Yes, typical Merlin, hiding how stupid he'd been so he wouldn't get told off for it. The young man in question paused in his duties, eyeing his master warily until Arthur waved a hand dismissively.

"Oh, nothing to do with you. I'm just bored."

"Really?" A slow smile began to creep onto Merlin's face, the kind that always preceded some smart-mouthed comment. "I'm just surprised because, with how little you do anyway, I wouldn't have thought you'd notice that you were sitting around doing nothing all day."

The grin was swiftly introduced to last night's nightshirt, which along with the other laundry in the room had yet to be taken to be washed. Arthur then gave his manservant the smug and haughty expression that he knew would mean he was about to get more chores thrown at him, and he didn't disappoint.

"Well if that is all you think I'm good for, you can help me do it by polishing my boots, mucking out my stables, feeding my dogs, oh and after that you can go to the armoury and clean all of my gear."

It was then, for the first time in a long while, that Merlin actually got a counter in.

"Actually, I can only clean your boots and feed your dogs, Gaius' orders... I'm not allowed to strain my back. Stab wound, you know."

The grin on his face was wicked, and Arthur would have liked nothing more than to return the same. But it wouldn't do for the Crown Prince of Camelot to be seen grinning in that fashion, it just wasn't dignified.

~(-)~

It was official, there was something going on with Arthur.

Merlin eyed the prince from where he stood, hidden in the shadows behind one of the statues in the entrance hall. He'd caught the prince giving him the oddest glances, never when anyone else might see, and only when he thought his manservant wasn't looking. He'd look thoughtful, like he had something on his mind, before going back to normal the moment Merlin turned to face or speak with him, it didn't help that he was having to avoid Morgana. Right now she still hadn't had the chance to speak to Morgause, and still believed he was a powerless servant, but once she knew he didn't doubt she might expose him to Uther.

Merlin shook aside those thoughts, he had a plan for that, but now the only thing really bothering him was the way Arthur was acting. Maybe he had suffered a concussion. Sure, Gaius said he seemed fine, no sign of one at all, but it didn't match up with the fact that Arthur just seemed... odd right now. No one who didn't spend as much time around him as he did would notice it, not even Gwen, but what was it about?

Merlin frowned, unable to figure it out. It was just typical that when Arthur decided to do something weird, he, his manservant, would end up picking up whatever pieces it resulted it... He just hoped that this time it wasn't going to be anything that smelled. He shuddered, remembering the troll. He'd ended up being one of the unfortunates who got saddled with baling her up in canvas and carting her off to be burnt. It had taken a week to get rid of all the stench clinging to him.

Slipping out of his hiding place, he strolled over to the prince who had that expression on his face that told Merlin the next words out of Arthur's mouth were going to make him want to crawl into a hole and disappear.

"Hey, Merlin! Get down to the stables and saddle the horses. We're going out."

Merlin winced, grimacing.

"Hunting trip?"

Arthur actually paused, rolling his eyes.

"No, Merlin. Gaius has said I'm fit enough to ride now, but a hunting trip would be out of the question. Have some common sense; I only stopped using the crutch yesterday. We're going on a short ride, just a few hours. A chance to get some fresh air and work the stiffness out of my bones."

He looked oh so innocent as he said it, causing a sinking feeling in Merlin's gut... He was going to make this 'ride' hell, he knew it. He was going to get back at him for weaselling out of half his chores the other night.

Slinking away in dread, Merlin did as he was ordered. And today started out so nice, why did it have to end like this? He couldn't answer it, and remained stubbornly silent when the pair of them rode out of the city and into the surrounding woods. Within half an hour they were well out of sight of any settlements, and may as well have been in the middle of nowhere. All that was to be seen was tree trunks in all directions, and all to be heard was birdsong, the horses, and the wind through the trees.

Merlin didn't like it one bit...

He sat there in the saddle, tense, just waiting for Arthur to do something like reach over and yank him out of the saddle. Or maybe he would slap his mount on the rear, and send it charging through the trees with him clinging for dear life to its back. He kept sending little darting glances at him, determined not to be caught off guard, except... that was exactly what happened. Just not in the fashion he'd expected it.

Arthur stretched in the saddle, sighing in satisfaction as he spread his arms wide and took a deep breath of forest air.

"Ah, this is just what I needed. No fussing servants, no fussing knights, and no fussing father. I swear, I limp on a crutch for four days and they act like I'm about to drop dead."

Merlin, weirded out by Arthur's friendliness, eyed him nervously.

"Well I'm a servant and I never acted like you were about to drop dead."

Arthur let out a laugh.

"And that, Merlin, is because you knew my leg was going to be fine. After all, you were the one who took me to Gaius and helped him treat it."

Merlin averted his gaze, becoming very interested in the surrounding scenery.

"Yeah well, when he says someone is going to be fine I know he means it. Some of the other servants just seem to get paranoid."

The prince nodded, his manner altogether casual.

"Indeed, paranoid. With all the strange things we've faced the past couple of years, all the magical attacks, it's not surprising. Some might even think things were going on inside our own castle, what with unusual noises in the night, and strange shadows. Of course, that's ridiculous. How can people possibly think there might be a magician inside the castle? Security has been tightened even further since that last attack, so there's no way one could hide right under the noses of all our guards."

The manservant cleared his throat, still looking at the trees.

"Yeah, you're right."

Arthur was grinning, unseen by Merlin, and thoroughly enjoying this.

"Morgause had better think twice before she thinks about trying to sneak something past us again. We've proven we're not to be taken lightly, and forced her into a retreat. It just shows that having magic doesn't guarantee you will win against an opponent that doesn't use it. After all, you never know what might happen to turn the tide of battle."

Merlin, still not looking at Arthur, nodded.

"Yeah, she'll think twice before trying anything else."

The grin became sly.

"So, Merlin... Where did you learn that spell that scared Morgause so much?"

For a moment Arthur thought Merlin was going to fall off his horse, he went stiff as a board and as wide-eyed as if he'd just been slapped. As their horses stopped, he turned his head ever so slowly to face the prince, skin as pale as the belly of a dead fish.

"W... w... w... what?"

The words were barely a whisper, Merlin looking so terrified he appeared as if he were about to faint. And this was the same Warlock that had stared down Morgause and made her retreat?

Arthur raised an eyebrow, regarding the warlock with just a hint of amusement behind the more serious front..

"Morgause's second spell only stunned me, it didn't knock me out... I saw the whole thing."

Merlin didn't seem to be registering anything, he just kept staring.

"W... You... Know?"

As fun as it was to wind Merlin up, he wasn't going to go so far as to torture him any further. Arthur let out an exasperated sigh, and explained.

"I opened my eyes in time to see Morgause look surprised at you being there, and heard the entire conversation after that. I saw you use magic, Merlin. I saw how uncertain Morgause became when you told her you were Emrys, whoever that is meant to be, and I saw the look of fear after you wiped out her spell." He snorted a little. "And then I saw you nearly fall over after she'd fled, and realised you had bluffed her into retreating." He met Merlin's gaze. "And then you turned and started heading back towards me, and I didn't know what to do."

Merlin began to splutter.

"You... saw all that?"

Arthur continued as if the mage hadn't even spoken.

"And then I found myself wondering what the hell I was supposed to say to you when you got to me. I thought to myself that it would have been so much simpler if I had been knocked out, and that was when I found my solution."

"You... pretended..."

Arthur nodded.

"That's right, I pretended to be unconscious so that I could find out what you would do while you thought I was unaware of it. And do you know what, Merlin..." Merlin was on the verge of hyperventilating, frozen in sheer terror. "...You are the most unbelievably selfless, loyal, and trustworthy man I know, and I am honoured to consider you a friend."

Merlin gaped, blinking in total and utter shock.

"W-what? What did you just say?"

Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Please don't make me repeat myself. I'm breaking enough laws as it is right now, without you making me sound like a parrot." He sighed, now solemn. "I want you to tell me everything, Merlin. From your conversation with Gaius, I know you've been using your magic to protect Camelot all this time. When I think of all the times when, by some miracle, we made it though situations that we shouldn't have, I realise now that every single time we had a helping hand... You. You've lived in Camelot, right in the heart of the worst place for hatred against magic, and yet you've defended it. Even if it's your 'destiny', as you told Morgause, you could have walked away at any time and yet you didn't."

They stared at each other, in total silence, until Merlin seemed to shake himself to his senses and speak in hushed tones.

"I knew something was up, what with the way you kept looking at me weird when you thought I didn't notice. You've hidden that I'm a warlock from your father for four days, when he was practically screaming murder for any sorcerers found in or near Camelot, and you stood there in front of him and told him you hadn't found any?"

He looked totally and utterly flabbergasted, as if unable to comprehend that Arthur had essentially committed high treason and intended to continue doing so.

He glanced at Arthur again, who simply shrugged.

"I've had my doubts about my father's beliefs for a while, and seeing you willing to face execution, without hesitation, to protect me was the last piece of proof I needed. Magic can and is used for evil, I can't deny that, but at the same time I can't deny that it can and is also used for good. It's no different than a sword. A sword can be used to murder just as surely as it can be used to protect, but we don't execute people just for possessing a sword or for associating with someone who does. It's stupid and wrong to persecute magic, that's something I realise now. As long as Camelot follows this path, it will continue to create enemies for itself. However you can be sure that, when the day comes that I become king, that will change. You have my word on that, Merlin. We'll have to bide our time, for I will not condone removing my father from the throne by force, but in the meanwhile we can still make a difference even if only in small ways."

Merlin was once again gawking, but this time his expression began to slowly change into a weak grin.

"You really mean that? You... You'll change things once you're king?"

Arthur nodded.

"Yes, and it's because of knowing you that I'll do it."

Merlin looked off into the distance, a little disbelieving.

"Those damn prophecies were right, things only will change if the two of us work together. Arthur Pendragon and Emrys, two who are destined to unite the lands of Albion."

Arthur blinked.

"What was that?"

The warlock flinched, grimacing a little.

"Uh, well I'll admit that, while I listened to the prophecies about you and me and followed my role in them, there's been times when I've wondered if it would ever amount to anything. They say that Camelot's great future can only be founded by you, but that for you to do it you would need me. I wanted to believe in that future, and so I've been doing everything in my power to make sure you live to achieve it. It just, with all the mess ups I've made, I wondered if I was just going to end up failing you."

The prince's face creased with a puzzled frown, uncertain as to where this conversation was now going.

"Mess ups? Somehow I don't think you mean something minor."

Still grimacing, his entire posture slumping beneath the weight of guilt, Merlin took a deep breath.

"That you've made this step... means more to me than you will ever know... and so I want to be completely honest with you." He looked at Arthur, bleak. "I... I was the one who released the Great Dragon from his prison..."

There was nothing, just utter silence, as Arthur's expression changed from shock to anger and betrayal. He lunged from his saddle, dragging Merlin from his and flinging him to the ground. His voice was a snarl of rage as he pinned the warlock there with a blade to his throat.

"You set it free? Do you have any idea what you've done?"

They stared into each other's eyes, rage and guilt, while around them the birds continued to sing.

~(-)~

Alaia Skyhawk: Heheheh, I am EVIL! (Runs from rabid readers waving pitchforks)