While Arthur sat looking at the entrance of the cave Merlin went further into it. He needed to be alone to think about his secret and how best to reveal it. He also felt that Arthur had needed time to fully understand what he had heard, his friend needed time to adjust to the knowledge he had gained. Admittedly, he had shown great compassion and understanding moments ago but Merlin wanted the king to be completely sure about his decision. The king had to be confident if he would decide to break the law for him. Merlin hoped, better yet, he knew it in his heart that Arthur would not punish him for being a Dragonlord. And maybe when Merlin told him the big secret Arthur would see his magic as something similar to the Dragonlord powers. Merlin knew the two were completely different but for Arthur they may seem similar. And if the king would break the law for a Dragonlord why couldn't he do it for a warlock?

Deep in thought Merlin saw a puddle on the ground. He crouched down by it and washed his face. Immediately he felt like all his worries were washed away. They disappeared just like the traces of the tears on his cheeks. Merlin blinked in wonder. Did the water have magical abilities? If the water helped ease his worries maybe it would help his friend calm his mind too. Merlin stood up, turned around and run back to where he had left Arthur.

Arthur tore his gaze from the cave when he heard Merlin approaching. He was ready to tell his friend about his decision to change the laws of Camelot when Merlin interrupted him.

"Come, I found something." Merlin said and turned around without waiting for Arthur to respond. The king had no choice but to follow his servant.

"This isn't how it's supposed to be, I always have to walk in front" Arthur thought grumpily but smiled. They had never followed that tradition, there was no need to start now, no matter how their opinions about each other might have changed.

Knowing nothing of his friend's thoughts Merlin happily led Arthur to the puddle. The king looked at his friend with disbelief.

"You brought me all this way to show that you found a puddle?" he asked sceptically. "Well done, Merlin, now I can finally see what listening to you has done to my face. Have I aged horribly?" he asked with a smirk.

"Don't blame me on your age, it's not my fault you have bad genes and eat like a pig." Merlin replied playfully. Arthur lightly showed him, resorting to his usual response to Merlin's comments.

"There is more to this puddle than meets the eye." Merlin said seriously. Arthur became interested. "What is it?" he asked.

"I'm not entirely sure. As soon as I washed my face with its water I felt great, I had no worries. You should try it." Merlin urged his friend.

"No thank you. I'm not worried and even if I were I wouldn't need a puddle to calm me down, I'm the king, I–" his speech was interrupted when Merlin threw water at him. Hearing the king's refusal he had immediately crouched down by the puddle, gathered water in his palms and splashed it in his face.

At first Arthur felt the need to yell at his servant and ask for explanation but then he felt calm and relaxed. "I guess you were right. Let's get back to our rocks, get comfortable and finish our conversation."

They slowly started to walk back towards the entrance of the cave. They felt no need to rush, they enjoyed the serenity around them.

When they finally got back to their rocks the effects of the water had almost disappeared. Arthur leaned against the wall of the cave and left out a sigh. He had never though magic could make him feel so good. Until now all of the magic he had seen had been either for personal gain or to cause hurt to others. But this felt completely different, there was no evil intention, there was no personal reason for it to be there, it just was. It existed for no particular purpose. How could magic simply exist?

All the wonderings about magic cleared his mind, the effects of the water completely disappeared. He started to feel worry. "Merlin?" he nervously started.

Merlin looked at his friend.

"That was magic, right?" Arthur continued. Merlin nodded.

"How could it feel so good? Magic corrupts, I have seen it with my own eyes in Morgana." He asked trying to understand his experience.

"Not all magic corrupts. Morgana…" Merlin couldn't finish the sentence. With the calming effect gone he felt worry that Morgana had forever destroyed any chance of Arthur seeing magic as good.

Meanwhile Arthur had thought of another question for Merlin, a question that he felt would shed some light on how Morgana changed so much.

"Why does Morgana hate you?" he decided to be straight forward. Merlin blinked his eyes in surprise. He hadn't been expecting that.

"I have noticed that every time we meet her Morgana displays extreme hate for you. Why is that? I know she hates me and Guinevere too but at least she, in her own mind, has a reason to – we are standing in the way of her ruling over Camelot. But you are no such obstacle. At best, she should feel dislike for you as my servant, not the intense hatred she does." Arthur tried to explain the question.

Knowing there was no way to avoid answering Merlin decided to be blunt.

"I poisoned her." Arthur's jaw dropped in surprise. Before he could say anything Merlin continued. "Remember when the entire castle was asleep except for her? She was the vessel that kept the curse going. As long as she lived, Camelot would have fallen. I found all this out when I went to "search for clothes for Uther". Actually, I went to consult an old creature that has wisdom beyond our imagination – The Great Dragon."

Arthur opened his mouth to interrupt. Merlin stopped him with a wave of a hand.

"Let me finish, I would rather let it all out in one go." The servant looked pleading at the king. Arthur closed his mouth.

Merlin continued "When he told me Morgana had to die if Camelot was to be saved I begged for any other way. He told me there was none. I was starting to feel the effects of the spell, there was little time. So I did what had to be done. I went to Gaius's chambers and took a powerful poison – hemlock. When you went out of the room to fight the Knights of Medhir I tricked Morgana into drinking the poison. I held her as her life left her. When Morgause came in I exchanged the name of the poison for the lifting of the curse. Morgause took her away and the rest you know." Merlin finished and left out a deep breath.

"You didn't even try to find other solutions? You just went straight for the poison? You didn't think to check what would have happened if you got her out of Camelot?" Arthur asked, getting angrier and angrier.

"What could I have done? You were there. Would you have believed if I told you your sister was responsible for everything? Take her out of Camelot? Sure, I would have just told you: "Hey, you stay here and possibly die; we will take a stroll out in the woods." Merlin was practically screaming at Arthur. The king was shocked. He had never seen his friend this upset. He took a step back in shock.

Merlin noticed it and immediately calmed down. He rubbed his temples. "Had I not been affected by the spell I could have found another way. But what is done is done. This is my deepest regret but I have learned to live with it. Every time we meet her I think about how different it all could have been." Arthur put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"We all have regrets." he said seeing his friend's deep sorrow.

"Yes, but my mistake has cost lives. Sure, Morgana had started to distance herself from us before the poisoning. But I think the poison sped it up. Without it there would have been more time for me to change her mind. My actions led her down the path of evil." Merlin hid his face in his hands. Arthur looked at the man beside him. He looked so young. And yet, he had experienced suffering beyond his years.

Suddenly Merlin lifted his head and a sad smile decorated his face. "As an answer to your question – she hates me because I made her who she is now. She hates me and she has every right to do so."

Arthur had no words of comfort. He had never seen his servant so defeated. So he did the only thing he could. He grabbed his friend in a hug. And in the hug the words came to him.

"You did the best you could."

And Merlin felt safe. He felt right. And most of all, he felt ready.