Author's Notes: Let's see if this works. I'm actually typing this at work, even though I'm sure I'm supposed to be doing something else, but I'm sick, I'm cranky, and they won't let me knock off for the day. Might as well make Merlin miserable too…
Merlin wanted to blurt out "yes, dammit, I can do magic. And a sight better than you can." But he really, really didn't want Arthur finding out that way. Instead, he turned to Arthur, who was still gripping onto the bars of his cell as if his life depended on it.
"Arthur!" he pleaded. "Ask me something! Anything unimportant!"
Arthur, to his credit realized what his servant was up to, and with only a beat worth of pause, he asked, "What's your favorite color?"
"Blue!" Merlin said, and that horrible urge to spout off all the Morgause wanted to know disappeared. Of course, now it was replaced with the urge to describe the exact shade of blue that he preferred, but still. Better than "I am an all powerful but poorly trained warlock!"
"Arthur, shut up," Morgause demanded. "Merlin, do you possess magic?" she repeated.
"What day is laundry day?" Arthur asked immediately, and smirked at the scathing glare the blonde woman shot his way.
"Tuesday. Not that you ever remember it, clotpole," Merlin said, unable to help the smile that was now plastered on his face.
Morgause looked ready to explode, and Merlin could see them begin to spark gold, before she inhaled deeply, exhaling slowly. Trying to maintain her composure. Merlin was an expert at pushing people to their limits.
"Arthur, be silent, or I will remove your tongue," Morgause said quietly.
Arthur simply folded his arms, looking slightly better than when he originally woke, but his color was still a white shade of pale. Merlin doubted it was out of fear, but probably from standing with a considerable head wound. "Merlin, how many stairs to the castle from the courtyard?"
Merlin scoffed. "As if I count. Though a lot. At least, it seems that way when I'm running late, which is more often than not, which is really none of your business, except that I work for you, but you know, you really should be able to wake yourself up at this point in your life. Maybe I should just find you a rooster and leave it in the wardrobe. Or better yet, rig a bell that I can ring from my room so you can hear it in yours so I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn anymore. Really, take your pick."
Morgause suddenly smiled. Merlin wanted to cringe, because that was so not good on so many levels. He didn't really want to think about them.
"Arthur," she started, suddenly turning towards the Prince, and Arthur looked just as surprised as Merlin did when she addressed him instead of Merlin. "Perhaps you might want to stop interrupting."
Arthur jutted out his chin defiantly, and Merlin was struck by the thought that Arthur looked like a child ignoring the directive to go to bed when told. "And why would I want to do anything that, Morgause? Why on Earth would I want to help you with anything?"
"Because this might be your only chance to hear the truth from your servant," Morgause purred.
Uh oh.
"Think about it, Arthur. He's already admitted to defeating the dragon and killing Nimueh. What else do you think he might've done?" Morgause asked. "He might be a sorcerer, living underneath your nose all these years. Wouldn't you want to know exactly what he's been up to when you're not watching?"
Merlin didn't look at Morgause when she spoke, but he kept his gaze on Arthur. The Prince looked like his will was faltering, and Merlin could see the niggling doubt start to creep in. Merlin couldn't blame him – he was terrible at subterfuge, and the only reason why Arthur never accused him of magic was probably just because he always appeared so much less competent than any sorcerer they'd run into. At anything. Maybe Arthur was beginning to wonder exactly what it was that his manservant was up to that made him lie in the first place…
Arthur chewed the bottom of his lip for a moment, obviously considering it, before his eyes hardened into a glare. "It doesn't matter. I've never seen Merlin do anything, EVER, which could be misconstrued as evil. Hell, I can't even imagine him doing something mean. He has issues catching mice in traps and hates going hunting even if it's how we get food. Whether he can perform magic or not, it's of no difference to me. I trusted him with my life before, and I see no reason to change that now."
Merlin could feel his jaw drop even as Arthur faced off with Morgause. If Arthur really did feel that way, maybe the truth wouldn't be so bad if he found out for sure?
Then Arthur smiled. "But really, I think you've just scrambled his brains a little too badly for him to be able to tell up from down, never mind fact or fiction. For all I know, what you shoved down his throat is just something to make him babble worse than before. Really, I think you're giving him entirely too much credit."
Figures, Merlin thought. Even when I practically confess to being a warlock, he still thinks I'm being an idiot…
"And now that you've addled his mind, he's useless to me. I demand a replacement," Arthur said haughtily. "I'll prove it. Merlin, do you enjoy polishing my armor?"
Merlin burst out laughing. "If my other option is to stab myself in the eye with an arrow, maybe."
Arthur looked back at Morgause, one eyebrow quirked as if obviously this proved his point. "See? I know for a fact that's his favorite hobby. He'd be lost without it."
Morgause actually stamped her foot in outrage, screaming in frustration. "ENOUGH! GUARDS! See to it they cannot leave!" With that, she stormed out of the room, the door slamming shut behind her.
"Can't leave?" Merlin echoed. "I really hope that's not something permanent she's suggesting…"
"Shut up, Merlin," Arthur said quietly.
"I really don't think I can," Merlin answered honestly, without prompting from the potion.
One of the guards approached him, and Merlin tried to lean back, away from him, even though the chair obviously wasn't going anywhere.
"Are you right handed or left handed?" the guard asked patiently.
"Right," Merlin blurted out. Stupid truth potion…
"Thought so." And with that, the guard drew a stiletto from his belt and impaled Merlin's right hand to the chair, driving straight through the appendage and deep into the wood.
Merlin was too shocked to even scream at the sudden agony engulfing his hand as his fingers scrabbled uselessly against the arm of the chair and he rocketed forwards. All that escaped was a strangled "Mmph" as he bit down on his lip hard to enough to restart the bleeding.
Arthur was yelling something, and the guards merely laughed before exiting through the same door Morgause disappeared through, and the Prince and the warlock were left alone again.
"Merlin!" Arthur shouted, banging uselessly on the bars to his cell. "Merlin, answer me!"
Merlin gritted his teeth and put on a wavering smirk. "Ow."
Arthur sagged in relief, and then it seemed like he literally deflated, sliding down the bars until he was sitting on the cold ground. His already pale skin was looking a little ashen, tinged with green around the edges.
"Really?" Merlin teased, though his voice was strained. "You're going to faint at the sight of blood like a little girl?"
Arthur smiled bitterly. "It's the smell," he replied testily, and Merlin had to concede the point. Head injuries were bad enough, but with really bad ones powerful odors seemed to make you sick much, much faster.
"Sorry," Merlin said, and meant it. He just didn't elaborate why he felt sorry.
Unfortunately, without even meaning to, Arthur said something that made Merlin answer what Morgause couldn't coax out of him.
"What do you have to be sorry for?" Arthur asked, obviously rhetorically.
Truth potions didn't discriminate between rhetorical and actual questions.
"I'm sorry I accidentally brought the roof down on you too. I was really just aiming for Morgause and Cenred, but my aim isn't always the best. I'm sorry I didn't manage to get you out before Morgause captured us both and brought us down here. I'm sorry you're stuck in a cage, and we have no way of getting out now. I'm sorry Morgause shoved that stupid potion down my throat because if I had my way, I wouldn't be telling you any of this because I really just want to get out of here alive and not have you look at me like you're looking at me now like I'm a freak or a liar or an imbecile or dangerous or any of those other things you're thinking and I really, really am sorry I can't shut up right now so if you could really just say anything to stop me, that would be fantastic because I don't think this is wearing off as fast as I want it to-"
"Merlin!" Arthur shouted, and Merlin's tirade came to a halt, too late to be of any help but at least he wasn't still blathering.
"Merlin," Arthur repeated, suspicion beginning to creep into his tone. "Can you…actually do magic?"
Aw crap.
Author's Notes: Sooo… thoughts? Opinions? I really like reviews, they're much more inspiring to writing than anything else.