So, hi. Well, I think that this story will be coming to an end now. I mean, unless you guys really want to keep going and adding to this plot, I do have ideas forming (involves a small person ;). But this story will come to a close now. I would like to thank all of you for following this story from my accidental not-so-one-shot to this several thousand word tale. I would like to add that I am proud of this story this is the longest thing I have ever written and is my first fanfiction. Thank you for all of your continued support!

Sorry this is so late... This is my Birthday present to all of you!

Eidolon No More

"Merlin, we are going to need to tell the knights you are back." Arthur said as he sat in the window pondering their next moves carefully. Merlin was still lying on the bed dozing after their late night together.

"I know we will eventually, but I don't think we should tell them yet." Merlin sat up from the bed and made his was over to the window draping himself over Arthur, "I fear that they will feel betrayed and I want to have my head on my shoulders when I explain it to them." The sorcerer tightened his arms around his king's shoulders while nuzzling into his neck.

"They will be more upset that you are here, living in the castle underneath their noses, and you haven't told them." Arthur said pensively as he placed a kiss on his lover's head, "And you cannot tell me you have not been planning out what you are going to say to them for the past two years."

"I suppose I have," Merlin said as he released Arthur and sat across from him in the window seat, "I am just afraid." Arthur smiled and reached out holding Merlin's hand.

"Come on," Arthur said brightly as he tugged lightly on Merlin's arm, "let's go talk to them. I can call a last minute meeting and everyone will be there! You can even meet the new knight's who have joined the ranks." Arthur was on the other side of the room pulling on a tunic, leaving Merlin on the window seat staring after him as though he were the one with magic.

"You are not serious. Right now? Are you?" Merlin asked standing in front of Arthur as the brunette attempted to stop the king from his determined preparations for the day, "Arthur, I can't tell them now! In no way, shape, or form am I mentally prepared to face them about my fake death. I almost didn't reveal myself to you-"

Merlin cut himself off. The last thing Arthur needed to know was that Merlin would have kept his existence a secret. The warlock visibly cringed as his partner processed his unspoken words.

"What do you mean you 'almost didn't reveal yourself' to me?" Arthur stood still as he watched his lover wither and fidget under his gaze, "Merlin, why wouldn't you have told me you were alive?"

"I was afraid," Merlin said avoiding the weight of his king's attention, "more afraid than I am to tell the knights. I was closer to you than anyone else and you had every right to be furious with me. You could have acted on that anger and never spoken to me again and would have hurt me more than not being with you."

Merlin kept his eyes downcast as he waited for Arthur's reaction.

"So, I see how little you really trust me." Arthur said as found the rest of his clothes and left the room.

Later that day, whether Merlin liked it or not, Arthur had called a meeting with his knights, he was giving Merlin no choice in the matter after finding out that there was a possibility he still would not of known Merlin was alive and firmly believed that the knight's needed to be enlightened as well. Arthur stood in front of his seat of the round table as he waited for his knights to take their seats. All of them noticed that there was one seat left open next to Arthur.

"I have gathered you all here to introduce the new member to our court you may have seen him yesterday, but I promise you he looks much different today." Arthur looked over his shoulder to a figure in the corner, "I would like to introduce you all to the new Court Sorcerer."

There was a collective gasp as a dark haired figure entered the room from behind the king. The knights were quiet as the man took his seat next to Arthur at the table. The silence continued as no one said anything.

"How." Was the only word spoken after a suffocating silence that seemed to last an eternity.

"There was a spell found at the last minute, that created a double of my form. The other me was a puppet-"

"That is not what I meant and you know it." The words cut Merlin's sentence just as a sword could cut through him for impersonation. The sorcerer wished he would yell, the raw emotion expressed through so few words was heart breaking.

Merlin looked at his hands rather than the hurt in the eyes of those around him.

"I had no choice.

"Why didn't you tell us? Why didn't you come back? Who helped you?"

Merlin was quiet for a long time before answering the question.

"DAMN IT, MERLIN! ANSWER ME!" Gwaine's voice was filled with volume, but no anger only the repressed depression that had been taken out on too much of ale over the two years, "Two years, Merlin, you were dead for two years," his voice caught, "and now you have just come back?"

"I couldn't tell you then, guards I didn't know would have heard and I couldn't risk Uther, rest his soul, doubt my death." Merlin answered with a strain whisper. He stood and met each of their eyes as he spoke, "I am so sorry for the pain I have caused to all of you. I wish it hadn't needed to happen, but in the short time I had I made the choice I felt I had to for the best out come. It was either, that I run and have you think I'm dead or to have actually have died. I wish I could have come back, but I did not think it wise."

Gwaine looked to Arthur, "What say you, Arthur? You two were closer than any of us, though I thought myself trusted friend."

Arthur met his eye, "I understood the situation he was in and accept that, even though the years were dark."

Gwaine nodded as he stood and left the room to process what had been revealed in the meeting.

"Meeting dismissed." Arthur said quietly as the men looked after their friend.

Merlin had left the disastrous meeting for refuge in the garden, instead of retreating to the room he, once again, shared with Arthur. The warlock rested his head against the bark of the tree, gazing up through the branches at the light, and contemplating Gwaine's reaction. He really had expected worse, though it seemed that it was that knight who had taken it the hardest, Merlin also knew it was just Gwaine who had been voicing what everyone else had been thinking, but too in shock to say. He regretted everything, the running, hiding, and the being dead part, but he knew that there was nothing else he could have done; he just hoped the other knights would see that as well.

As Merlin thought everything over he heard foot steps approach him, he quickly closed his eyes and deepened his breath so the passer would think him sleeping, but this trekker was no one ordinary.

"Merlin, of all the times we have slept together I know when you are faking it." Arthur said as he sat next to his warlock at the roots of the tree. The were quiet for a long time, sitting next to each other not touching unless it were an accident.

"I forgive you by the way." Arthur said the silence spanned into down right uncomfortable. Merlin looked at him eyes wide with hope, Arthur didn't look back, "I forgive you for everything. The death, hiding," he paused, "and the almost not telling me bit."

Merlin gave a smile as he watched Arthur's hard features think over what was coming out of his mouth after it had already escaped; almost as if he was hearing it the same time Merlin was.

"Thank you, Arthur." Merlin whispered as he continued to stare at his face.

"Watching Gwaine in the meeting made me realize what you were talking about, when you said I could have taken my anger and acted on it," Arthur shifted his gaze to his clasped hands, "I realized I could have easily done the same thing. Felt betrayal and held that against you for the rest of my life; and really ended up like my father."

Arthur shifted a little where he sat almost as though he were in discomfort.

"I just know that I don't want to live without you," at this statement Arthur met Merlin's eye.

Arthur stood up pulling Merlin up with him and they looked at each other, just stared at the other like they hadn't been able to in years. Merlin cupped his lover's face as he ran his thumb over his cheek textured with stubble.

"Having everyone know I am alive and being able to be here with you now is amazing. Unfortunately, I was waiting for your father to die so I could come back to you," Merlin pulled Arthur close as he held the blond, "I wish things had been different."

Arthur pulled away and just looked at Merlin, the man he hadn't seen in two years and only got so spend stolen time with the year before. Not anymore, he was never going to have to hide the fact that he loved Merlin more than anyone, despite the fact he was a man, warlock, and was a servant. Arthur would refuse to hide his affection anymore, no more late night time together only to have Merlin run off the next morning, they were going to spend every night and every morning together for the rest of their lives.

"Merlin," Arthur said quietly as he held his lover at arms length, "we have known each other for years and, even before you told me you loved me, we have never really had a normal master-servant relationship. You had always been there for me, in danger and in distress, and when I thought you were dead I never thought of anyone else, no man or woman would have compared to you," Arthur slid onto one knee as he held Merlin's hands, "Merlin, Emrys by the Druids, will you marry and be my king."

Merlin stood in shock as he took Arthur's words in. Tears formed in Merlin's eyes as realization claimed is mind.

"Arthur, you are asking me to marry you." Was all Merlin was able to manage out.

"Yes, Merlin, I am." Arthur said chuckling, but Merlin could see that his eyes were misting over as well.

"And to help you rule Camelot, you do know that." He was just too in denial to accept the thought that Arthur stilled wanted him after the mess they had just gone through.

"Merlin," Arthur stood brushing away the tears escaping his lover's eyes with his thumb, "I am asking you to rule Camelot with me, marry me, and never leave me again."

To prove his point Arthur kissed his brunette on the lips and lat his lips rest there, just to have the feel of Merlin so close to him.

"Arthur," Merlin whispered, the said blond could feel the words formed by his love, "I will marry you and I promise to never leave you again."

Arthur gave a smile he hadn't in two years and his heart felt felt lighter than it had in what felt like ages.

"I love you, Merlin." Was all Arthur was able to get out before Merlin's arms encircled him.