Author's Note: Thanks for all the lovely reviews!! I feel so appreciated :D Also I would like to give a special thanks to aLLiCaT225 for giving me my first review for this story ;)

Disclaimer: I hardly think I need one seeing as Merlin and Arthur didn't make out in episode 10…

Arthur sat in his chambers for a time thinking. Gaius had come and given him some horrid atrocity disguised as medicine to make him better, and the old man had told him to get some rest.

But Arthur could not get himself to fall asleep.

Merlin was a sorcerer. How could he have missed it? It seemed so obvious now. All the things that had been remedied mysteriously, it was all magic.

Arthur wasn't sure if the stomach ache he was now sporting was due to the horrible elixir or because of the fact that the person he felt he could trust most had turned out to be a great enemy.

No, that wasn't true.

Merlin wasn't an enemy. And no matter what his father believed he wasn't dark and dangerous. And Merlin certainly wasn't about to perform some nefarious magic to destroy Camelot.

It was more of the fact that he hadn't noticed. That Merlin had kept this from him for so long. Why would he have kept that from him.

The answer came to Arthur quickly. Of course he wouldn't tell him. Why would he risk his life?

That just made Arthur feel worse, because he now thought that Merlin had thought so little of their friendship that he believed that he would sell him out.

He was thinking in circles.

He still didn't know what he was going to do about his new found knowledge.

On one hand, it was the law that anyone caught practicing magic was condemned to death, and as crowned prince of Camelot, it was his duty to make sure the law was upheld.

But on the other hand this was Merlin for Heaven's sake. And, though he was absolutely, unmistakably using magic, Merlin was… Merlin and he couldn't see himself turning the boy in.

Merlin had, after all saved his life, probably more often than he knew.

Arthur had finally come to what he thought was a conclusion, and was hoping that Merlin would come into his quarters to straighten up before they both retired for the day, however Morgana (who had come to check up on the invalid prince) informed him that Merlin was also ill with the same ailment that Arthur had, and that he was resting in the physicians quarters.

This put a damper on Arthur's plans. But it was probably for the best seeing that he wasn't exactly in the best state of health and he didn't want to make any rash decisions.

Finally after two days of bed rest and no trace of Merlin despite what daily visits from Gaius told of his health, Arthur was finally fit enough to return to his normal duties. And he figured that this also meant that Merlin was well enough to see him.

However, the manservant didn't come to Arthur on his own, not the first day or even the next day.

The future great king could not help but feel a bit anxious, and decided that enough was enough.

*~*

It had been 5 days since the incident where Merlin had been caught using magic, and he took it as a good sign that he was still alive.

In that thought there was a small glimmer of hope, but even that was not enough knowing that the prince had not called for his services.

But finally on that fifth day, Merlin was called to his duties and with tightness in his chest from the unknown, Merlin walked to Arthur's chambers.

He found the blonde boy already dressed and quite obviously waiting for him.

"My lord?" Merlin tried to say a benignly as possible, all though it came out like a child about to be reprimanded.

Arthur did indeed look the part of a chastising father. "You should have told me Merlin."

Merlin's eyes dropped even lower, searching out the tops of Arthur's boot clad feet in order to avoid eye contact.

"I-" Merlin began but he realized he had nothing to say, and so he cut himself off.

"How could you… You can't be." Arthur struggled with the words he thought he had. Apparently seeing the boy had brought up new and more complex thoughts on the matter at hand.

"Arthur." Merlin's use of Arthur's first name, though not unorthodox, sent Arthur reeling.

"No! You lied to me. I trusted you. I thought…" What had he thought? What was it that he had thought?

He thought Merlin was his friend; his clumsy, elfin looking friend, with big ears and a dopey smile. Someone so uninteresting, but so connected to him somehow.

Finding out that maybe he didn't know Merlin like he thought he did was a big blow that he wasn't sure how to handle.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't tell you. You… the law." Merlin hated unfinished sentences, but somehow this conversation was full of them.

He wished once again that he could go back in time, but this time he wouldn't use magic, especially in such a risky area.

How could he have been such an idiot? Obviously his sickness had impaired his judgment but that excuse wouldn't get him out of being executed, because he was indeed using magic.

"I don't care, Merlin. I just care that you lied to me."

"So, you're not going to turn me in?"

Arthur took this into consideration, unfortunately for both the boys his mind was not as clear as it should be, and Arthur made a rash decision.

"What if I did?" He paused then began to walk out of his room, and as he did he said. "Maybe I will."

Fear coursed through Merlin's veins and he ran after Arthur, adrenaline giving him the speed to make up for his few seconds of shock.

"Arthur, no. Don't!" Arthur made no move to respond, and that was when Merlin lost control.

He suddenly felt the magic inside him well up uncontrollably. He knew this feeling, but never had it been this consuming.

He had to stop Arthur, and since words weren't working Merlin grabbed the other boys shoulder and turned him so they were facing each other.

Then something strange happened, the power inside Merlin suddenly ran unchecked. It grew more powerful by the second, and Merlin felt that he couldn't let go.

As quickly as it happened, the feeling was gone, and the two boys stand there in the corridor looking at one another.

Only, something was wrong.

End Note: So concludes chapter 2, please review because I'm going to be stingy and not post chapter three until my review total is 10 :D

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