Wow, thanks for the reviews guys, they really make my day :)
Anyway, this chapter is a little shorter but you know what, I've decided to extend the story a little bit more than I originally planned so there might be about two-three more chapters?

Wooh, hope you guys are excited about that, anyway enjoy!:


Arthur watched with mute horror as the flames engulfed the man who had attacked earlier. A short, agonised scream marked his end as the flames disappeared, not even leaving behind ashes. Even in his state of shock, Arthur found himself feeling fear, however not of Merlin, but rather for Merlin. The raven-haired manservant was trying to put up a front, but Arthur saw the sorrow in his eyes and the involuntary shudder that run down his spine.

"You traitor!" screeched the lithe blonde, tears running down her petite face, "You're meant to be our hero but instead you run around helping this murderer."

"Arthur is a good person, and I will always be willing to give my life for his. Don't you understand that by killing him you are achieving nothing but more suffering? I don't want to hurt you, just go." Pleaded Merlin.

"My parents were killed when I was six because they used magic to save me from drowning in a river, my brother was the only family I had left and you killed him." said the girl, her voice laced with hatred.

Merlin faltered, "I'm sorry," he said, "but I..I have to protect Arthur."

Screaming, the blonde raised her hand, "clifstán sylfum lígræscetung!"

The sky crackled as lightning came down, moulding itself into a large ball of electrical power.

Arthur opened his mouth, grasping for words but unable to form any. His eyes flickered to Merlin, who despite the terrifying display of power, had stood his ground. He was unable to pinpoint exactly what he felt about Merlin being a sorcerer, but he knew at least that he did not want him to die.

"Please don't." Merlin pleaded, appealing at first the girl and then to the silent male who had looked away uneasily.

"For Avidd!" she shouted before flexing her palm, fingers splayed.

The ball of lightning surged forward, only to stop half-way and turn back around. Arthur could not help feeling a slight tingle of amazement at the power his manservant possessed. Merlin had just killed two sorcerers with the blink of his eye.

The bodies of the two attackers lay sprawled on the ground. The male was dead but the girl, albeit running out, still had the tiniest amount of life in her. Raising her head, she simply smirked,

"He'll turn you in to his father now that you're no longer his lovable, harmless manservant you know." She whispered so that only he could hear, the last of her breath escaping her.

Flinching, Merlin looked away. There was every chance that she was right.

Slowly turning around, Merlin locked eyes on the Prince who was looking away.

"Arthur?" he said quietly, his voice betraying his guilt, fear, pain and grief all at once.

Arthur continued to look away. The initial shock that had come over him had subsided a little and now an array of different emotions ran through him. He knew that Merlin was a sorcerer, he had seen the amount of power he had, power that could destroy Camelot with literally a wave of a hand or a blink of the eye. Common sense told him he should detain Merlin as soon as possible and bring him to the execution block, however he found himself horrified at the idea. There was anger, yet it wasn't anger that Merlin was a sorcerer; it was anger that his manservant had not told him earlier, that he had to find out in this way.

"Merlin, we can't move." Said Kay with such calm that the other knights twitched with suspicion. What on Earth was he doing consulting with a known sorcerer?

Merlin raised his hand, the spell to release them about to roll off his tongue when the words repeated in his mind, 'He'll turn you in to his father now that you're no longer his lovable, harmless manservant you know.' Cringing, Merlin looked towards Arthur who had still refused to look at him. He had hoped Arthur would have forgiven him but it seemed as if the words of the petite blonde were coming true. There was no way Arthur could let him go, not when he had revealed his magic in front of all the knights who were all staring at him with mute terror, save from Kay and Arthur. If he went back to Camelot, he would be arrested and executed, and that would be the end of the protection he could give to Arthur. It would not be ideal as he would not be able to be as close to the Prince as before, but if he were to leave now he would at least be able to protect Arthur from afar.

Making up his mind, Merlin muttered a spell, his eyes flashing gold. Kay grinned, about to straighten up before realising he was still stuck. Smile fading, Kay looked up as Merlin walked over to the Prince, "Merlin..?"

Adjusting himself so that they were face to face, Merlin began talking quietly, so that only Arthur could hear.

"Arthur, I know you're mad at me but I'm going to explain everything. I was born with magic, I never chose it, I just had it. I've wanted to tell you all these years, but how could I do that and make you choose between me and your father? I would never hurt Camelot, I would never hurt you. Forgive Kay, none of this was his fault."

Tears that had formed in his eyes began to fall, "I know you'll never forgive me, and that's why I'm going now. I promise you'll never see me again."

Arthur's heart constricted. He had not known what he was going to do, but he knew now that there was no way he was going to have Merlin executed, he would protect him from his father, damned the consequences! As for the magic, and their relationship, he was sure they would work that out in time.

Opening his mouth to say that he didn't care about his magic, Arthur found that he could not speak. Eyes widening, he looked towards Merlin.

Seeing that Arthur had noticed, Merlin looked away, "I know, I'm a coward, but I didn't want to hear you say how much you hated me."

Merlin leaned in as if he were going for a kiss, but stopped right before and instead rested his forehead against Arthur's.

"I'll miss you," he whispered, "until the day I die."

Arthur panicked, struggling to speak. Merlin was about to leave and he had no way of saying that he didn't care about his magic, that he would protect him, that he loved him.

Forcing himself to move away, Merlin walked over to Kay.

"Deny you knew. I'll miss you." He whispered into his ear.

Confused, Kay moved to ask what was going on however found that Merlin had already walked back to the front.

"mamor éaðe Kay"

Recognising the spell as one that made people unconscious, Kay panicked as he realized what Merlin was planning to do. Before he could say anything, he simply blacked out.

Staring with horror at his fellow knight, Sir Bedevere glared at the sorcerer.

"What have you done to him!"

Merlin sucked in a breath, "Realising him from my enchantment. That's how he knew I had magic, he was basically acting as an extension of myself."

Muttering another spell, Merlin's eyes flashed golden once more.

"You'll be able to move in about twenty minutes, about the same time it will take Kay to wake up."

Taking one last look at Arthur, Merlin walked into the forest, letting his tears run freely as his back turned.

-x-

"Don't leave!" Arthur screamed in his mind. But it was hopeless. He was gone. They had been standing there in silence, each running through the events in their minds. Arthur toggled between thought of finding Merlin and the thought of letting him go. Although he wanted Merlin back in his life, after time thinking, he had realised how dangerous it would be. Not only would he still be a sorcerer in a kingdom that executed anyone who was even suspected of magic, but now there were five others who knew who about his magic, excluding himself. Five others that could potentially be the death of him.

Gawain himself was pondering on how he felt about Merlin being a sorcerer when he noticed Kay starting to topple. Lurching forward, he caught the unconscious knight just before he hit the ground. Suddenly realising that he had just moved, Gawain shouted in the delight. The other knights moved out of their positions, and true to Merlin's words, Kay opened his eyes groggily.

"What.." began Kay slowly before shooting up as the events replayed in his mind, "Where's Merlin?" he asked, panicking.

Pursing his lips, Gawain sighed, "Kay, he had you under a spell, he's not who you think he is."

Kay shook his head, "What..? No! no, no no no.."

Gawain put a hand sympathetically on Kay's shoulder, "It's ok, you won't be charged for harbouring a sorcerer, I think we can all agree that you weren't in the right state of mind to know what you were doing."

Kay moved away from under Gawain's hand, "What! No! There was no fucking spell! Merlin is my friend and he's only saying he enchanted me to protect me."

A silence passed through the clearing as the knights all stared at Kay.

"You knew he was a practiser of magic and you did not bring him forward?" asked Bedevere quietly, the slight tone of a threat seeping through.

Puffing out his chest, Kay took a step forward to Bedevere, his eyes narrowed, "Yeh, that's right. Merlin, a sorcerer, is my friend, and I am not going to deny that for whatever reason."

Eyes hardening, Sir Bedevere took a step forward as Kay had done.

"Then I declare you an enemy of the King and I have no choice but to arrest you for the crime of consorting with a sorcerer."

"Wait a moment Bedevere-" began Sir Leon,

"You're defending him?" gasped Bedevere.

Gawain shrugged in Sir Leon's place, "Maybe if we just forget about all of this. I mean, Merlin did end up saving us and I don't think he's coming back. There's no point in arresting Kay here, it will just cause a whole lot of drama."

Morholt, who was the youngest of the knights, frowned, "but Merlin is a sorcerer.." he began hesitantly.

Bedevere nodded, "Exactly, the boy is a monster."

"No one," began a loud voice, "is to call Merlin a monster."

The group turned towards their Prince who in the time they had spent arguing, had donned his sword and gathered the equipment that had been scattered around the area.

Bedevere looked torn, "But sire, with all due respect, he is a sorcerer."

"Yes but he has shown us loyalty, to the very end. And I am to show him the same."

Kay's face lit up, "Sire?"

"I am going to find Merlin, and bring him back to Camelot, and under no circumstances is he going to be executed or harmed in any way."

"But sire-" began Bedevere in protest,

"I quite like Merlin," said Gawain, interrupting, "and he doesn't seem evil. Anyway, you seemed to like him as well back in Camelot."

"That was before I knew what he was," sighed Bedevere, "I have a wife and a little girl you know, I have to protect them." He added quietly.

This time, it was Kay who spoke.

"You know how I found out about Merlins magic? He saved my life from a magical beast, even though he knew that would mean his death by Camelot laws. I almost killed him afterwards, all I thought about was protecting Camelot, but then I realised that he was still Merlin. Having magic doesn't change a thing. He is still loyal, honourable and brave. He has risked his life so many times to protect Camelot, the amount of times he has saved the crown prince's life. He puts himself in danger for us even though he knows he'll never be acknowledged for it. He's our guardian angel Bedevere, he's the best protection your wife and daughter has."

There was a brief pause as everyone reflected on Kay's words.

"We have to find him." Said Sir Leon finally.

Arthur nodded. He wanted nothing more than that, but first he needed to guarantee Merlin's safety.

"Men, if we go down this path, we have to go down it together. Can I entrust you all to keep his magic secret to the utmost importance?"

The knights nodded, voicing their agreement in vigour. Bedevere, who had remained silent, mulling things over in his mind, gave in slowly, nodding, "Let's go find Merlin."


New episode of Merlin is coming out soon!
Who's excited to see Gwaine again ;D?