Agravaine paced his room impatiently. It was after midnight. The mercenary should have sent word by now. Had something gone wrong?

A knock on the door took the tension out of his shoulders. When he opened it, a loyal servant handed him a note – direct delivery from the back entrance to the castle.

"Success."

He smiled. Tomorrow, Emrys would be out of Camelot for good.


Neither man spoke.

Slowly, Merlin lowered the arm he had thrown up. He could not take his eyes off of Arthur's face. He had thought he knew everything there was to know about the King of Camelot, but this expression was one he had no idea how to read.

A long minute stretched on in silence as Arthur looked from Merlin to the arrow and back again.

"Say something," Merlin said.

For the first time, Arthur met his gaze.

"You used magic."

"Right." Merlin glanced away. "Saved your life with it, in fact." His eyes fell on the arrow, and he snatched it off the ground to pass to Arthur.

Arthur didn't take it. "That's against the law."

"Saving the King's life? Too bad." Merlin tried for a smile, but his heart wasn't in it. "It isn't the first time."

Arthur opened his mouth to speak, then hesitated.

Merlin knew his friend had to be rethinking everything, every close scrape and mysterious event, so many he had long since lost count of them. He wondered what exactly Arthur was recalling, although he had a fair few guesses.

"Why didn't you try to save him?"

"I did." Merlin's response was out of his mouth before Arthur had even finished asking. "I went into the middle of nowhere and disguised myself as that old sorcerer and I tried everything I could to help him and it wasn't enough and –" his breath caught, but he pressed on – "and Gaius found a hidden amulet, which turned the healing spell against him, and I didn't know. I'm sorry."

Arthur still hadn't moved. "You were the sorcerer. You... tried to help him. With magic."

"Of course I did." Merlin sighed. "I'm not a fighter, I can't handle a sword or throw a punch, but I can do magic. It's what I do, it always has been. It's the only way I know to make a difference, and I'm not going to stop doing it. Not as long as I can help save Camelot, save your life with magic. If you want to punish me for that, go ahead, but it'll have to be execution because I'm not going into exile and leaving Camelot in danger!"

The arrow slipped through his fingers, and fell to the ground with a clatter.

Arthur bent to pick it up, examining it.

"Merlin, you just confessed to breaking the law of the land and committed about half a dozen kinds of treason while you were at it. Who else knows about this? Gaius?"

"He's always known," Merlin admitted. "Apart from that, Lancelot found out, but..."

Arthur looked at him, and smiled.

"I'm amazed. Clearly you aren't as stupid as you look, although I suppose the ability to talk should have tipped me off there."

Merlin stared at him in amazement. He didn't know what reaction he'd expected – he thought he'd pictured all of them – but this wasn't it.

"Since there are clearly some mitigating factors involved, I think this matter should remain... private, for the time being. It seems there might be some disadvantages to the law, leaving Camelot undefended against magical attacks, and..."

Arthur trailed off, and glared at Merlin.

"There's no need to grin quite so much," he said sharply, but Merlin couldn't keep a straight face. "I don't suppose there's any other secrets you've been keeping?"

"Well, you're destined to reunite Albion and I'm destined to help."

"Okay."

"And I'm Emrys – that's what the druids call me – but I'm not trying to kill you."

"Obviously."

"And I'm keeping a baby dragon in my room."

"You what?"