"You wouldn't happen to know why Arthur keeps staring at his cup, as if he's trying to will it to his mouth?" Gaius asked Merlin as they watched the king at a celebratory feast.

"I wouldn't have any idea," Merlin said, trying to pretend innocence but failing miserably when he burst into laughter.

"Merlin," Gaius said in his fatherly tone.

"You have to admit. It's pretty funny."

"I don't believe Arthur's going to find it funny at all."

"Arthur has a better sense of humor then you think," Merlin told him.

"Hmm, we'll see," Gaius said. He shook his head as he watched Arthur move to a lighter piece of tableware.

ssss

"I have tried to levitate everything I can think of. I've even tried a feather. It's not working," Arthur complained to Merlin at their next lesson.

"No, and it won't. You could try until you're blue in the face and nothing is going to happen."

"Do you mean to tell me I was trying to lift things with my mind during all my spare moments like an idiot and it was never within the realm of possibility?" Arthur asked with narrowed eyes.

"My point was that magic is something you have to be born with. It's true that some people study it for years and develop some ability, but it will never be powerful magic and they had to have had a slight aptitude for it or they couldn't have done that much. Skill levels vary like anything else."

"I'm beginning to tire of your points and illustrations. I would almost think you're doing this on purpose."

"It's the best way to learn but if you're ready for a lecture, I'm ready to oblige. Sidhe, pixies, trolls, goblins, and some humans have magic. The magic differs from species to species. There are a wide range of magical creatures, too numerous to cover in one lesson and some of which you already know of anyway. Magic can be used to control the elements air, water, earth, and fire. Magic can be used for mind control, changing the shape of a person or object, it can be used to see visions of the future, create, destroy, move objects, slow down time, communicate with other sorcerers without speaking, call forth magical creatures. Sometimes an incantation is necessary when using magic and sometimes it is not. Sometimes objects need to be used as part of the spell and sometimes a potion. Magic has limitations and rules. It is not absolute."

"Slow down. This is a lot to take in," Arthur said.

"You're right. Magic is very complex and I have only touched the surface. I haven't even learned all there is to learn about magic yet. We can have as many lessons as you deem necessary."

Arthur nodded, "We'll see. We'll take one day at a time." Sir Leon motioned for Arthur from a distance.

"We will continue this later. One of my men is calling me." He turned to go and tripped.

Merlin laughed.

"You did this," Arthur accused.

"It wasn't me," Merlin laughed harder. "Really it wasn't. It was the tree root, I swear."

Arthur stood up. "You may be a sorcerer, but I'm still your king."

Merlin gave a slight bow. "You don't know how painfully aware I am of that fact."

Arthur nodded but said nothing else because he was confused. Dragoon had acquiesced but somehow it still felt like there was a playful jab behind those words, not unlike someone else he knew.

ssss

Morgana was brooding and dreaming of a Camelot that she was queen over when Mordred came in through the door.

"You'll be interested to know that Emrys is tutoring Arthur," said Mordred.

"In what?" Morgana asked with a puzzled expression.

"In magic, what else? It seems Arthur is coming to trust old Emrys sooner than I would have thought, but that makes our pathway clear. There's going to be trouble of a magical nature in one of the villages in the outlying regions of the kingdom," Mordred said.

Morgana smiled as she saw where he was going with this plan, "I love the way your mind works. If I'd had you by my side a couple of months ago, Camelot would still be mine."

"Emrys won't be a problem much longer of that you can be certain. Then we will focus on getting Arthur out of the way."