Here's the last part! I'm really not happy with this chapter, i don't know what it is, i just don't like it. Thankyou to everyone who reviewed, especially Whirlwind 421 and TheWeepingAngel for giving me advice, i hope the dialogue is better in this chapter you two, tell me what you think. Also thankyou to everyone who put this story on their alerts or favourites, or reviewed a chapter, and special thankyous and virtual hugs to anyone who reviewed all 3 chapters so far. I have had loads of ideas for one-shots in the past few days, so look out for them :) i hope you've enjoyed this so far...bye for now!

"I heard somewhere that the gift of the dragonlord is passed down from father to son". Merlin froze.

Merlin thought fast, trying desperately to find something he could say to cover up his mistake. Arthur sat close to him, but they weren't touching any more, and Arthur was looking at him with the strangest expression on his face. It reminded Merlin of the look on his face when they had just met, and Arthur had said "There's something about you Merlin, and I just can't put my finger on it".

In fact, Arthur was finally putting his finger on it. He thought back to the events of two years ago, when they had gone in search of the dragonlord. Merlin's strange, moody behaviour made sense now, as did his grief over Balinor's death, but there had been something, a huge something that had bothered him ever since that night in the clearing outside Camelot. Arthur had stabbed the great beast in the ankle with a spear, and not particularly hard, before being thrown backwards and knocked unconscious. When he came to, the dragon had disappeared, and Merlin was the only other conscious person in the field. Of course it hadn't been a fatal blow, and what was more, the dragon hadn't even died! Arthur felt like he had been slapped in the face. Not only had Merlin, his clumsy, lazy, idiotic, loyal, selfless Merlin been through more pain in his life than Arthur wanted to think about, he also had a power that Arthur could never dream of having. The thought made him slightly jealous, obviously, but also more than a little unnerved.

Arthur snapped out of his thoughts and focused his gaze on Merlin again. The boy looked very nervous. Arthur had figured everything out in his head; he only had one question to ask: "Why didn't you kill it?"

"What? Kill what?" Merlin feigned innocence, it was his only hope.

"You know what, Merlin. The dragon. Why did you let it go? It had killed innocent people." Merlin hung his head. Arthur had found out, there was no hiding it any more.

"He was the last of his kind, Arthur. Like me. I am the last dragonlord now, I just couldn't kill the only surviving member of a species, especially one so majestic and old. I commanded him to never harm Camelot or it's inhabitants again though, and he hasn't, has he?"

"I see." Arthur said shortly. Merlin held his breath, wondering what Arthur would do next. He was feeling extremely shaken, having poured his heart out to a man he never thought would listen, and having had to relive all those terrible memories. Arthur was thinking again, and didn't seem aware of Merlin becoming increasingly nervous.

"Arthur?" he said tentatively. The prince blinked, and looked at Merlin questioningly.

"What are you going to do?"

"Do about what?" It was Merlin's turn to blink. He hadn't been expecting that.

"About me being a dragonlord, sire. I hate to remind you, but your father doesn't really approve of magical talents..." He trailed off, wondering if Uther would still punish dragonlords in the same way that he did in the Great Purge. Old habits die hard, he thought, so probably.

Arthur frowned.

"Well what can I do Merlin? If I tell my father, he will have you put to death without a second thought. No, the only thing we can do is to try and keep this quiet for as long as possible. How you've managed so far, Merlin I'll never know. You're terrible at keeping your mouth shut about almost everything else"

"So you're not going to turn me in?" Merlin asked, his face open and hopeful.

"Of course not, you would be killed! I wouldn't turn you in if you told me you were the most powerful sorcerer that ever lived Merlin," He began, jokingly, then added quietly: "I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

Merlin just stared at his companion open-mouthed. Could it be safe? Was it too good to be true? No, it wasn't, Arthur was being completely sincere, he was sure of it.

"What are you staring at Merlin, you look like a hungry man at the baker's stall. What did I say?"

You know what, thought Merlin, sod it. Arthur has a right to know, and I'm sick and tired of hiding all the time.

"Did you mean that? About not turning me in to you father even if I was a powerful sorcerer?"

"Of course I did, Merlin." Arthur lowered his voice again, ashamed that it was so hard to say. "I wouldn't be able to bear it if you died, especially if it was my fault." They looked at each other for a moment, Arthur willing Merlin to believe him, and Merlin trying (and succeeding) to find sincerity in Arthur's eyes. Finally Merlin spoke.

"Well, in that case, there is something else I'd like to tell you..."

Please review and tell me what you think of the story as a whole, the plot, the characters, the dialogue, anything you can think of. Thankyou! :)