A/N: So here´s the second and last part! I hope I got it right...

Disclaimer: Oooh, do I have to? Meh, fine. I do not own Merlin. I don´t think I even own something, now that I realize...

Chapter 2

Gaius felt relieved beyond reason for being alone in his own body again. The essence of the goblin had possessed him, but he was still in there, having to watch everything that had taken place. There were things he would have loved not to remember, like his ward being accused of sorcery. Of course, the wise man would never admit how funny it was to palm Uther´s bald head and get out with it, he had to set a good example for Merlin...

"Gaius?" when the Court Physician saw the young prince of Camelot standing hesitantly in his door frame, he got up, surprised. "My father sent me" and Gaius got a feeling he was lying, but, why would he?, "he wishes to ensure that you are felling well after what happened."

The old man answered with a brief nod, and waited for the boy to go on. Just that second, Merlin came out of his room and stood there frozen, watching Arthur with an indecipherable expression. Master and servant stared at each other for a moment before Arthur´s next words.

"And he wants you to know that…you mustn't worry, for there´ll be no accusation of sorcery or treason. He is most certain of your loyalty and friendship, he holds no grudge against you…and he hopes you don´t either" the last part was almost whispered, but Gaius was sure the prince was no longer speaking to him, but to the boy standing in front of him, who hadn't said a word yet.

"Also…come, Merlin. I am in need of your services." Merlin´s mentor watched them silently as they both exited the quarters, and he shook his head, a bit puzzled. Since when did the prince request (and not order) Merlin´s services without as much of a shout? Surely, they had a lot of things to talk about.

•••

The silence in Arthur´s chambers was only broken by the sound of his fingers tapping, and it was starting to get uncomfortable or at least that´s what it seemed like to the prince. However, Merlin, who was busy cleaning the floor, didn´t look the very least bothered by the unusual quiet between them. For once, the boy was doing his chores properly. But for once, Arthur didn´t like it.

"So how long are you planning to ignore me?" he tried, hoping to find some kind of rude but humorous answer that was Merlin´s mark. But he got something very different.

"I´m not ignoring you, Sire. That would be inappropriate coming from a servant" and if that wasn´t surprising enough: "I am merely doing the chores you ordered, in fact I´ve already finished, Sire. Do you want me to do anything else?"

Arthur just stared at him, standing there speechless.

"Well", Merlin said, taking his silence as a cue to leave, started moving towards the door, "Sire, if you need me for something, just call".

Luckily Arthur was fast enough to reach the door the moment Merlin opened it. The prince put his hand against it, blocking the other boy´s way. He didn´t seem to care, as he just looked back at him with a neutral expression.

"What´s the matter with you?" Arthur was getting angry now "Would you listen to what I have to say? Stop behaving like a…like…!"

"Like a servant, Sire?"

"Yes. No! I don´t know. Just stop, why…why are you acting this way?"

"I´m just acting like I´m supposed to. You´re a prince, you behave like one. I´m a servant, I behave like one. It´s the only logical relationship we can have, Sire".

Oh, that was it. Arthur had never been very patient, and this time Merlin was driving him to his limit.

"Enough!" and if Merlin was any other servant, he would have fled the room terrified, but this was Merlin, and he didn't even budge. "All right then. If you want to play master and servant, you stay here and clean my armour. You´re not leaving until I can see my reflection on it".

What annoyed Arthur further (if that was even possible), was that Merlin simply started doing as he ordered, with no words and that same indifferent expression.

Arthur, feeling his anger vanish, sat tiredly in his armchair. Silence filled the chambers once again, but the prince had already decided none of them was going to leave that room until they sorted things out.

Merlin seemed to realize what his stubborn expression meant, after all, he hadn´t been Arthur's servant for two years all for nothing. As if the boy didn´t know about the prince´s mood.

"What do you want me to say?" and hearing Merlin´s voice Arthur knew he hadn't been willing to listen when his servant wanted to talk, and now that it was the other way around, it hurt. He couldn´t blame him.

Of course, that didn´t mean he was going to give up. If Merlin wasn't going to talk, then Arthur would.

"All right then" he sighed, resigning himself to carry on with the conversation, "I should have listened to you, okay? I should have known you were telling the truth, but for some reason you seem to have a knack at sensing danger where no one else does, so I didn´t believe you, and..." Arthur paused "...what I´m trying to say is...I should have trusted you."

Merlin was still silent, and so Arthur insisted:

"I promise I will believe you next time, Merlin. I know you and..."

"Stop" the prince, suddenly interrupted, looked surprised to see Merlin´s pained expression. "Just...don´t say that, Arthur. You don´t understand, I´m not...I´m not the way you think I am. I´m not honest. I lie. I lie to you every single day. I don´t have the right to be mad at you for not believing me". The boy fixed his gaze on the table, filled with guilt.

"That´s not..."

"Listen. Listen to me just for once, damn it! You did well not believing me. I might tell you the truth when I try to protect you, but...no, you shouldn´t believe me. Don´t believe in me, Arthur".

There was the slightest moment of silence.

"I can´t".

Merlin turned to look at the prince. "What do you mean?"

"I can´t. I can´t not believe you".

"Please, don't start that again. There are a lot of things you don´t know, I kept them from you, I have a new secret each day passing..."

"I know, Merlin" and after seeing the boy´s disconcerted face, he added "We all have secrets."

"You don´t understand, you prat! My secrets are...worse. I hate myself for not telling you. You´ll hate me for not telling you!"

"No, that´s not true" Arthur took a deep breath. "Before this...I would have said you could tell me anything, and I would understand... But today I proved to you, and also to myself, that I´m not worthy of your trust. Instead, you proved you were telling the truth, again. Merlin, I thought...I didn´t want to believe it, but it was Gaius...and the book of spells, and then that ridiculous story about the goblin...but it doesn't matter. I have no excuse".

"...You´re not serious, are you?" Merlin couldn´t believe what he was hearing. "You´re not the one who isn't trustworthy here! You don't have to apologize, Arthur! I should have told you my secret from the beginning and maybe then everything would´ve been easier." Merlin took a look at Arthur. And he made a decision. "Don´t ever think I don´t trust you. If I have to prove it, then I will. I will tell you now". Merlin breathed in "Arthur. I´m..."

"No".

The two locked eyes, ones surprised, others serious.

"Don´t, Merlin. I hope you understand why".

"B-But I thought you wanted me to...Arthur, I want to..."

"No. Now you listen. Whatever your secret is, I´m not ready. Neither of us is ready. You know it as well as I do. We both proved it today, and we both feel ashamed of it."

Merlin waited pretending to be calm, but he was trembling inside. Had Arthur decided it was better for them to just...part ways? But the prince continued:

"But I hope we both are willing to give it another chance. And another one, and every chance our friendship might need. And one day we´ll be ready " Arthur looked at his friend, "and you will know you can tell me anything. Not too long ago I gave you some time. Now I´m asking you to do the same with me."

"You don´t need to ask" and with that and Merlin´s once again luminous grin, Arthur felt relieved.

This time there was a long, but comfortable silence.

"Seems we both have been such clotpoles" the word had Merlin smiling (and Arthur too, even if he´d never admit it). "And Merlin..."

"Yeah?"

"I´m sorry."

Now that got the other boy´s attention. As it should, Arthur Pendragon hadn´t apologized to someone since...well, ever.

"What?"

"I said I´m...sorry"

"I didn´t quite catch that. Could you say it one more time?"

"Merlin?"

"Yes, Arthur?"

"Don´t push your luck".

"Sorry, Sire. I think I´d better be going now".

"You do that. And one more thing" Arthur leaned to look him in the eye with that murderous expression Merlin knew all too well "You will personally make sure that my... incident is kept in secret. And if I find out somebody spread the word to the castle, the punishment will be very slow and painful".

"Sire, what do you take me for? But of course, I can´t be responsible about what Gwen may say...after all she seemed to be having fun with your...ears..."

"Merlin, I´m warning you..."

"And your braying..."

And so, Merlin had to straighten up Arthur´s room again, because after the prince was done throwing things at him, it looked as if it was hit by a hurricane.

――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

Thank you for reading! I really hope you enjoyed it. And if you tell me about my mistakes in English, I´ll be grateful. Review please?