I don't own Merlin. This was written for fun and will not be used to gain money or fame. All rights belong to the BBC. Based on the end of season 5 episode 6. Disregards most of season 5 but may have possible spoilers. "Speech" 'Thoughts'.
Merlin began to set up the camp as soon as they were out of the woods. Elyan and Merlin kept sending each other glances but fortunately for Merlin no-one noticed. Once the camp was set up and everyone had eaten the knights were set up into shifts in order to guard the camp. It was just Merlin's luck that tonight he would have the second shift. With Elyan.
Percival came into Merlin's tent to wake him up for his shift. Merlin groaned. This will not end well. He got up anyway and met Elyan near the fire. He smiled nervously at the knight who nodded his head towards the servant.
Once they were both sure everyone was asleep Elyan turned towards Merlin.
"Now's your chance to explain" he said sternly.
"I was born with magic, I've had it my whole life. Asking me not to use magic would be like asking you to stop breathing. I would die without it. I'm a warlock, Elyan. I swear I have only used it to aid Arthur or Camelot." Merlin said quickly while still staring at the fire.
"All this time. You have had magic all this time and never told anyone. You haven't told anyone, have you?" Elyan was confused. Magic was learnt, magic corrupted. Anyone who practised magic was evil, but here was Merlin. The least evil person put on this planet and he had magic. He had lied to everyone for years.
"If I tell you who knows, can you promise me they won't be executed?" Merlin asked. Elyan just looked at him stunned. It was like he had already given up, like he thought the only reason he wasn't already dead was so he could be executed in Camelot.
"Merlin I give you my word as a knight that I will do everything I can to make sure that nobody will be killed just for knowing you have magic." Merlin then visibly deflated in relief.
"My mother knows. She helped me control it until I came to Camelot. She kept me safe when I was moving things around the house before I could even talk. Gaius knows. After my third day in the citadel he told me I should start to study magic so I could control it better. Lancelot knew, before he sacrificed himself. I enchanted his lance so he could kill the griffon that was attacking the city and he noticed. He never really understood though. My father knew, before he died. He had magic to. I only knew him for three days." Merlin was now silently crying and Elyan couldn't help but feel sorry for his friend. I don't know how I would survive if I had to live with the fear like he did.
"Merlin, your secret is safe with me. You have saved my life twice now. You are the most loyal and kind person I know. I'm not yet sure if you're the rule or the exception but you can trust me." Merlin then finally looked at Elyan and he could see the ghost of a smile on the manservant's lips. "I won't pretend to understand and there will be times you will have to explain things to me but no matter what you tell me my opinion of you won't change." He told the warlock with confidence.
"Don't make promises you can't keep. I have made mistakes that have cost lives and I have killed people, Elyan." Merlin told him looking away again.
"So have we all Merlin, if your intentions were good and you feel bad about it then you can become stronger and wiser. I mean, look at me, I don't disturb anymore druid sites."
They both smiled and looked at the sky. And realised their watch shift was almost finished. Before they went to change off with Gwaine and Arthur. Merlin went back to sleep that night feeling better than he had in months.
Elyan lay awake in bed thinking about all that Merlin had been forced to go through and it was all because of one law that, if what he had seen today was what most magic users were like, was unfair and unjust. His last thought before he went back to sleep was that he would protect the manservant from everything he could.
