I'm too tired to think of a proper summary so let's just say this chapter contains that big thing a lot of you have been waiting for! (No not Gwaine that other thing.) Hope it doesn't disappoint.

Thank you to everyone including Adele and my other guest reviewers for your kind comments. :)

"So just to clarify, did Morgana's magic destroy the creature or was it the staff's magic?"

"Both." Merlin paused, trying to think how best to help the prince understand. "The staff was created with Sidhe magic, which is what made it powerful enough to kill the one inside Elena. But only a powerful magic user can wield something like that and use it as they see fit. It's a little complicated."

"I get the idea."

"Any other questions?"

"One. I'm not quite sure how to ask it." Arthur turned his gaze to his plate, slowly wiping his mouth. He glanced up just for a second, catching Merlin's eye. "Though I'm sure you'll want to sit down."

Oh boy…

Settling in the chair opposite he waited while Arthur continued to stare at the remains of his breakfast.

"Did it have to be Morgana using her magic throughout the whole ordeal? You couldn't use yours?"

Yeah the sitting down was a good idea.

Even now Merlin felt a strong urge to slide to the floor as he fought to steady his breathing. He'd known this was coming soon- after everything they'd been through Arthur would have to have figured it out by now - but that did nothing to stem the panic welling up inside him. Of all the ways the prince could have chosen to address the matter he picked this?

It could be worse. He's not yelling. Yet.

Arthur took his silence the wrong way. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said, leaning forward and holding out in hands in what he obviously thought was a reassuring manner. He put them in his lap when Merlin flinched away.

I know. If you were going to, you would have started with that.

"I mean it Merlin."

"I said I know."

"You haven't said anything."

Oh.

"Well it is little unexpected your just asking me like this. When did you..? How long have you..?"

See Arthur? Not speaking is a good thing right now. You know I can't make myself clear when I'm nervous.

Arthur stared at him seemingly unsure of his state of mind (Merlin wasn't too clear on it himself), before he shrugged and answered calmly.

"I had almost convinced myself that you did back after Dagr attacked and I asked you for your um…"

"Loyalty oath?" Merlin supplied, watching the prince suppress a slight cringe. It's what his speech that night had amounted to really, but to acknowledge that openly wasn't exactly smart because...well because. He didn't regret giving it though. A pledge of loyalty was the right of a king and in Merlin's eyes that was what Arthur was. In name if not in fact.

"Was your magic included in that?"

There could only ever be one answer to that question however befuddled his thoughts might be. Or how dangerous the answer was for either of them.

"You asked for everything I had Arthur. And I agreed. My magic is like blood and air to me, I cannot be without it. But its use is on your behalf. Whatever you need, you have only to ask. I was born to serve you and I wouldn't change that for anything. I only wish I'd had the courage to tell you sooner."

"You did," Arthur muttered.

"Pardon?"

"You told me years ago. Me, my father, the whole council."

"Ehh heh right."

Forgot about that. Not one of my smartest moves. I owe you for covering for me.

"You tried to tell me again in Ealdor - twice. There've probably been even more times since then. But every opportunity you had, every time I might have accepted it, something happened that gave me the chance to change my mind. Gave me the chance to take comfort in a lie. You may have lacked the courage to tell me the truth but I can hardly blame you for that. Not when I lacked the courage to believe it."

Merlin let out a choked sob that he quickly covered with a cough. Keeping his head down he took several deep breaths to get himself under control. He could fall apart later, right now Arthur deserved his gratitude.

"You listen when it counts," he said once he'd banished the tears from his eyes. Raising his head he smiled a little. "Looking back I'm glad you didn't believe me that day. I wouldn't be here otherwise."

"Perhaps none of us would be."

"Was that a compliment?"

The prince gave him a mock glare. "My point is that you're magic has done far more good than it has harm." He missed Merlin's wince at that adding, "If I let my hurt at being lied to overshadow that fact then I really am a prat. And a clotpole. And a whatever else you can think of."

"Dollophead?"

"I told you that's not a real word."

Merlin chuckled. "And I told you to spend more time with the people. You'd hear it a dozen times a week."

His smile faded as the realization of just how much Arthur tolerated from him sunk in. "You know those aren't all real insults right? I may not act like it but I do respect you."

"Merlin stop! I said I wasn't angry and I'm not. Well not anymore. Now back to my original question, why didn't you just use the staff yourself? If what I suspect is true, you're more powerful than Morgana is. You're strong enough to have wielded it right?"

"Yes but strength and skill are two different things when it comes to magic. And anyway, it just...didn't seem right. Morgana was the one who came to us with the information, I knew she had the ability to use the staff, and it was a good chance for her powers to accomplish something positive. To remind her that her gifts are to help other people. It's a good feeling, knowing your magic has saved someone. Whether anyone acknowledges what you've done or not."

"Is your magic like hers?" Arthur wanted to know.

"I'm not a Seer."

"I meant when it came to getting your magic. You said there are times it comes whether a person wants it or not. Did you choose it?"

Merlin shook his head. "No it chose me. I've learned to control it as best I can over the years but even now most of what I do is instinctive."

Arthur nodded as if his words confirmed a prior conclusion the prince had made. "When did it choose you?"

"My mother told me the first time I opened my eyes they were gold not blue. She was grateful beyond belief that the midwife didn't see. Said the woman probably would have panicked and tried to toss me out in the snow."

All at once the composed royal disappeared and Arthur's expression morphed into the one he'd worn upon first seeing Lady Catrina's true identity.

"Not what you were expecting to hear?"

Arthur gave a helpless sort of shrug. "I knew it had to be before you came to Camelot, but I thought as a teenager, or maybe a little younger. You're saying you could use magic as a baby?"

If it hadn't happened to him Merlin could understand the disbelief. That didn't stop him wanting to laugh at the look on his friend's face. Again a sense of wonder threatened to overwhelm him. In all the times he'd imagined the truth coming out, feelings of laughter and the urge to tease had never entered the picture.

"As I said I had very little control over it but yes. I've been attempting to keep what I can do a secret for as long as I can remember. Mother even longer than that."

"Why?" Arthur sounded genuinely confused. "It's not illegal where you come from."

"That didn't save my father."

Arthur winced and Merlin softened his tone. "That wasn't- I... Sorry."

"Don't be. I never said the law was perfect. Still, it should protect an innocent child from persecution."

It should but it doesn't. Never having been able to really talk about this before Merlin hadn't realized how much resentment he carried over that fact. It took a minute before he was calm enough to explain.

"Legal doesn't mean welcome. And in any event Ealdor's less than 10 miles from the border. The midwife would probably have thought she was being kind. Would've said life would be hard enough for a...an illegitimate child. Didn't need to add being a freak on top of it."

"That's another thing I can't understand. You said if it weren't for my father hunting him, Balinor never would have left your mother. My father is the reason you don't have one. Not to mention.. well, everything else he's done. When I reacted to what Morgause told me about my mother, why did you stop him from dying?"

Relieved at the change of topic Merlin answered quickly. "I didn't stop him from dying. I stopped you from killing him."

"Why?"

"He's your father. You never would have forgiven yourself."

Arthur shook his head. "Once upon a time I might have believed it was just that. But things are never that simple with you. You condemned a sorceress to save Uther Pendragon. What else is involved?"

Don't make me talk about this Arthur. Isn't one revelation enough?

He wasn't going to let it go though. And as much as Merlin didn't want to overwhelm him, Arthur was a grown man. Merlin hated it when Gaius or Kilgharrah tried to spoon feed him the truth, he couldn't ask his king to continue accepting the same.

"You wouldn't be the king you're destined to be if you'd taken the throne with your father's blood on your hands."

"Destined?"

"Don't sneer."

"Merlin if you were told you'd been destined for something as much as I have the word would have no meaning for you either."

"Have you been told you're destined to unite all of Albion? Not the five kingdoms, all of it. To make a home for people of all beliefs and walks of life. To return those with magic to the place they had before Uther repudiated their existence?"

The 'I just saw a troll' face returned. "Can't say they have. Who said that about you?"

"A cranky old dragon amongst several others. And he said it about you. My destiny is to see to it you live long enough to make all that happen."

"Your reason for believing I'll be a great king is because the dragon said so?" Arthur's voice was flat but his face spoke of disappointment.

"That was my reason for about six weeks. Then I had my first glimpse of how far you were willing to go for something simply because it was right."

"And that was?"

"Risk your life and your father's wrath to save my life for the poison I'd drunk. And spend three days in dungeons as punishment for succeeding. Our destiny sounded impossible back then. Even if I didn't believe you were a complete prat after that, I still had to deal with Nimue, Edwin Muirden, Cornelius Sigan, and several others, all of whom made it clear they didn't consider you worthy of my loyalty. Sometimes your actions made it hard to disagree. But knowing the man you could be, and slowly, slowly, seeing the man you've become, it's helped me believe that a world where all people are accepted regardless of their beliefs is possible. That never mind if it's prophesied or not, you can make it possible. Because you'll stop at nothing to do what's right."

Now Arthur's eyes were the ones shining with wonder and gratitude.

"You honestly have that much faith in me?"

"My magic does. Where it leads I follow."

They lapsed into silence after that, Merlin trying to convince himself this wasn't some fever dream his mind had concocted, and Arthur, well Merlin was too distracted to notice what he was doing. Eventually the silence drove the still anxious warlock to his feet. Keeping his hands busy cleaning and organizing gave his over excited mind a chance to calm, allowing him the clarity he needed to listen when next Arthur spoke.

"There was a light," the prince told him. "It showed up in the cave where I found the Mortuis flowers. The sorceress who lead me to them caused the ledge I was standing on to give way and I barely caught hold of another, dropping my torch in the process. She then left me knowing I'd attacked by the giant spiders who lived there. I was hanging by my fingertips, couldn't see a thing and I could hear them coming for me. The light appeared just in time. It distracted the spiders long enough for me to grab one of the flowers and then it guided me as I climbed the wall up to another exit it showed me. Once I was safely out of the cave the light disappeared."

He fell silent looking at Merlin.

"Is there a question in there?"

"If there is can you answer it?"

Merlin rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes and no. Gaius said something once about the fever making me mutter a bunch of words even he didn't understand, and that at one point I had formed a ball of light in my hand. But he was too busy making sure Gwen didn't notice to try to figure out how it was happening. And to be perfectly honest everything from the time I drank from the goblet to a few days into my recovery is either a complete blank or a hazy blur. I do remember surfacing once with a very vague feeling you were in danger so maybe my magic reacted to that and found a way to aid you on it's own, but I couldn't tell you how. I know I've never been able to summon any ball of light on purpose since then. Although it sounds really useful, I should probably try to figure it out."

The sound of Arthur's throat clearing brought him back to the current topic. "Well," the prince said, "that answers another question: How long has Gaius has been aware of your magic?

Merlin swallowed hard, sitting back down. "The day we met I saved his life using magic."

Arthur's surprise was just a shade less obvious this time. "He's been keeping it a secret ever since."

"You've been keeping Morgana's magic a secret."

"Stop being so anxious for me to be angry Merlin. I just find the situation a bit unusual given his actions prior to your arrival. Yes he would occasionally protest my father's executing someone but he never went out of his way to save them or even defend them. Now I find out he's knowingly had a sorcerer living under his roof. He's lied and covered for you for years. I'm not complaining, I just can't help but wonder why you and no one else."

Well there hadn't been no one else but still it was a valid point.

"Why?" Merlin shrugged. "He's old now, maybe he's finally tired of doing nothing. And my mother asked him to look after me. People will do things for family that they'd never do for anyone else. Which," he paused pushing through a fresh wave of anxiety, "brings us to should I tell Morgana? Or rather when should I tell her?"

Arthur clearly had already thought of that as he answered immediately.

"Morgause having made contact with her again is a risk. No matter how good or bad you are with magic nothing good will come from that witch finding out about it. Which could potentially happen based on her reaction. But Merlin, if I can guess the truth on my own Morgana can too. I'm sure you'd rather it come out on your terms not happen by accident or necessity."

Remembering the desperately curious look on her face when she spotted the Shide staff Merlin couldn't help but agree. "And I can't ask her to trust me without being willing to trust her in return." He rubbed a hand across his face. Tears were threatening again, anxious rather than grateful ones this time.

"For what it's worth I think she'll forgive you. Once she's gets over her initial rage she's one of the most understanding people I've ever met."

Yes but will I survive that initial rage?

"Are you all right?" There wasn't a trace of mockery in the question.

No I am most decidedly not all right!

"I'm not against her knowing - although with everything I've been told about how she stands in opposition to your destiny I probably should be. It's just…" He threw up his hands helplessly. "To this day I've never told anyone."

Arthur gave him a sympathetic, if somewhat bewildered, smile. "Do you want to practice with Guinevere? Tell her first?"

That is incredibly tempting but… "No. Next to you Morgana deserves to be the next one to know. I just need a little time to figure out how I'm going to explain things."

"Alright take some time to think, but tell her sooner rather than later. God knows when the next crisis is going to hit. I don't want this issue distracting anyone a minute longer than necessary, you understand?"

"Yes sire."

"Are you all right?!"

On the one hand Gaius could tend to be a bit overprotective at times. On the other, walking into a room to see someone gasping into their pillow the way a drowning man would a pocket of air probably would fill anyone with concern.

Taking a long shuddering breath Merlin managed to force himself upright, brushing away his mentor's hands which had immediately started fusing over him.

"Talked to Arthur this morning," he began. "Turns out he's not the oblivious cabbagehead I've been thinking he was. He knows Gaius. About everything."

The old man slowly lowered himself into a chair one hand pressed to his heart.

"Yeah that was my reaction too. But it's okay. He promised he doesn't hate me, and while it'll take some time I think he'll come around to the idea of our destiny. He may even come to embrace it."

"Merlin...I don't know what to say. If what you say is true this is better than we could have ever hoped for."

"It's true Gaius."

"You're sure he's alright with your magic?"

"He took great pains to assure me so."

Gaius gave a happy little laugh then his worry returned."Your mini breakdown just now, that was caused by relief?"

"Ah...that and…"

"And?"

"He may have more or less strongly hinted that he wanted me to tell Morgana before the day is out."

All his mentor's joy transformed into alarm. "Merlin no you mustn't. Not yet. Not while her loyalties are still in question."

"You don't know that they are Gaius."

The physician stood, wringing his hands. "We've been through too much."

"Yes and she's been right there in it with us. But in some ways she still believes herself to be alone, a feeling I am all too familiar with. She deserves to know the truth."

"Eventually yes, but Merlin please think it through. She still refers to Morgause as her sister. As long as that tie is there she could still turn on you, never mind how hard she's working to break away. People will do things for family that they never would otherwise."

Merlin frowned, that statement taking on a different meaning than when he'd used it earlier that day. He stood slowly and looked the man he loved as a father in the eye.

"You're right they will. And that family doesn't have to be related to them by blood. Arthur wants me to tell her so that's what I'm going to do. I'll see you tomorrow Gaius, don't bother waiting up."

He was out the door before the physician could say another word.

"Merlin?"

The touch of a hand on his shoulder sent the warlock about a foot in the air. Whipping around he just managed to stop his hand from coming up in defense of himself.

"Sir Leon!"

The knight backpedaled a few steps, concern rippling across his face.

"Are you alright?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

Assuming the question was directed at him Leon answered. "Well you are a bit...twitchy."

Twitchy is an understatement.

"Did Arthur send you here?" the knight asked.

"Here" being the battlement alongside the knight's quarters. It was typically unoccupied as this time of year training went late into the evening and there were far easier shortcuts around the castle for the servants to use. It was a good place to be alone, Merlin found.

"No. I was on a...personal errand and this is as far as I got. There's something I'm having a problem with and before you say it, I know procrastinating will only make things worse I just-" He sighed and buried his face in his hands.

The hand returned to his shoulder. "You don't have to explain. But is there anything I can do to help?"

"Can you turn back time?"

"How far?"

Merlin's head jerked up to give him a hopeful stare prompting the knight to give an apologetic smile. "Forgive me. Of course I can't."

"Right. Wishful thinking. Basically there is something I need to tell someone. Something that I allowed circumstances to prevent me telling them years ago. I have a good idea what their reaction is going to be and I don't-" he broke off with a frustrated grunt. "I don't know how to give my explanation without it sounding like a pointless excuses."

After an agonizingly silent few minutes Leon answered. "Do you believe it is a pointless excuses or was there a valid reason or reasons why you kept the truth to yourself?"

Depends on your point of view. That answer wouldn't help anything though.

"At the time I thought so without question. Hindsight changes things but in the end I can't get away from the fact there was one very strong motivation for keeping it quiet."

"And is that reason still something you're risking by telling the truth now?"

"Perhaps."

"Then keep it in reserve. When you speak to this person don't start off with your reasons for hiding what you did. Tell the truth to need to tell, apologize if it's appropriate and if you can be sincere about it, then see what happens. If it's as important as you're implying I can almost guarantee you will be asked for an explanation. The ultimate objective is to keep a friend right?"

"Yes."

"Then be honest, be willing to admit you were wrong if indeed you were, but stand firm where you need to. Whether the choices you've made were right or wrong, you have to be at peace with them in your own mind before you'll ever be able to convince anyone else to accept them "

Sending up silent gratitude to whomever might be listening for Sir Leon the Levelheaded's habit of showing up when he was most needed, Merlin thanked the knight and headed to Morgana's chambers. By taking the longest route possible he had time to mull over the conversation he'd just had.

Therefore by the time he reached her wing of the castle an idea had solidified in his mind. It meant taking more than a few risks, and several individuals (not counting Morgana) might kill him for it, but it also exemplified Sir Leon's counsel. Morgana might not accept what she saw, or forgive him for using it as basis for excluding her, but at least it would help her understand where he was coming from in a way his words never could.

"Talk fast Merlin, I have things to do."

Not the most welcoming attitude but seeing as she'd opened the door for him - literally and figuratively - the least he could do was oblige her.

"I came to say thank you for what you did to help Elena. Or more to the point, for coming to Gaius and me to ask for our help to help her. It showed a lot of trust on your part. It's come to my attention that I need to start showing the same trust to you."

"That would be a first." She retorted sounding only half serious.

He nodded anyway. "You're right. It'll be the first time I've shown this kind of trust in anyone. But for better or worse I'm going to do it."

Taking a minute to center himself he reached out a hand toward the candles on her night table. One whispered word and they lit. Two more and the individual flames lifted themselves from off their waxen supports, spun around the two of them in an elaborate circle, and then settled back in their proper places once again.

With an effort rivaled only by that of keeping back his tears at his father's death, he pulled his gaze from his handiwork to look her in the face. Stunned silence stretched out indefinitely. Before long sweat - far more than the heat of the candle flames was not strong enough to induce - was forming on his brow.

She could pass for an effigy as still as she's being. That was his last thought before Morgana managed to find her voice.

"If I asked you if you just learned how to do that this year what would you say?"

"I would say no."

"If I asked if you come to beg my forgiveness for lying and betraying me this whole time?"

"I'm well aware there is no action on my part that can earn your forgiveness."

Morgana began to pace, speaking aloud but more to herself than to him. "All this time. You refused to say and I couldn't see. I was starting to trust you again, why now- Oh let me guess, Arthur knows now?"

"He does."

"Surprised you had the nerve to tell him," she said coldly.

"I didn't. As I said I've never had the nerve to tell anyone before now. He figured it out on his own."

She arched a disbelieving brow "Arthur?"

He shrugged.

"You've really never told anyone about your magic?" She asked, calmer now despite the hurt building behind her eyes.

"Not once. Everyone who's found out has done so by accident or because I had to use it to save their life. Or end it."

"I honestly don't even know what to say to that. Other than are you expecting me to be afraid for my life right now?"

"No I swear! I'm not expecting anything. Not for you to think that keeping it a secret was right, or that because we have this in common you can suddenly consider me a trusted friend. I'd love to say I hope you'll forgive me one day, but if I didn't know what I know I probably wouldn't forgive me either. But if you believe nothing else, please believe this: All those times when I said I understood what you suffering, every word of that was the truth."

"Arthur didn't know, that's the reason you kept this from me?" She repeated, as if not hearing a word he'd said.

"For the last few months yes."

"And before? Why didn't you tell me before?"

Alright Leon, here goes simple honesty. "I was afraid."

"Afraid!?" The candle flames ignited in response to her emotions, forcing him away from that side of the room. "If you were afraid that should have made you more inclined to tell me not less. You saw how badly I needed help learning and controlling what I could do. You would have been safe with me! If I were like you there would be no reason to betray you to Uther. You know how afraid I was! Now you tell me that fear is something you've lived with?"

"Every hour for 21 years, 6 months and 8 days. But it wasn't fear of you telling Uther that made me keep it a secret."

"Morgause then? Did you hate her already?"

"I knew she wasn't to be trusted. And you have to admit she had her hooks into you long before the sleeping curse."

"Did it ever occur to you that if I'd had you maybe I wouldn't have needed her?"

"Perhaps not. But you can bet she wouldn't have let a convenience slip through her fingers regardless of your attitude toward her. And it's irrelevant really…..I'd made up my mind not to tell you long before she became an issue."

That reply brought her up short. She studied him, reading the truth of what he said in his eyes.

"What made you do that? What could possibly justify keeping this from me?"

There was a long pause as he decided once and for all if he wanted to go through with this. It could reforge their friendship, or it could sever it forever and he didn't know if he could live with that. She was waiting for an answer though, and as overthinking wasn't providing one he'd have to go with his gut.

"If you really want to know, meet me in the clearing outside the city tonight. Wear riding clothes. Warm riding clothes."

50 steps forward, 50 steps back, repeated 16 times plus however many steps it took to get out here…

The mental arithmetic was doing nothing to calm his nerves but Merlin persisted in it anyway. It was either that or try to decide how to repair the grass field his constant pacing was wearing a trench through. Plopping down on a nearby rock he tried to focus his thoughts.

Night had fallen hours ago and there'd been no sign the king's ward was going to meet with him as agreed. Merlin knew that was no accident. He'd heard Arthur's numerous complaints of Morgana's lack of punctuality but she was always on time when she chose to be. This was a purposeful delay and although he was determined to wait her out, the forced inaction was becoming unbearable.

The sound of footsteps sometime later nearly had him crying tears of relief. Jumped to his aching feet he blinked them back quickly. Giving in to an outburst of emotion would win him no favors with Morgana. She was understanding person as Arthur said - and had always had a kind heart underneath her temper - but she suspected he was in any way trying to take advantage of those qualities he could kiss any hope of reconciliation goodbye. He had to approach this calmly and logically, and try not to give in to whatever guilt she might try bait him with.

This was him putting it all on the table so to speak. Wherever they went after that he could go with a clean conscience.

In the time it took him to compose himself she trudged into view, dressed in the dark trousers and light chainmail tunic she'd worn every time he'd seen her in battle. A heavy woolen cloak was draped over her shoulder, one that he was pleased to see looked thick enough to keep her comfortable where they were going.

She paused on the opposite side of the clearing from him and raised her voice. "Alright I came. Despite my better judgement. Now what could possibly be here that's so you important for me to see?"

"It's not here, we have to travel."

"To where?"

"A valley about 35 or so miles from here."

"35 miles? You'd better have grabbed the stable's fastest horses."

"No. Even they would be too slow for what we need."

"Then what do you propose we use?" She asked sarcastically. "Did you tell me to wear riding clothes only to make me walk for three days straight?

"On the contrary, I have a ride who can get us there in less than an hour."

"Well where is it? Stop wasting my time."

Merlin chuckled. "Believe me, when it comes to time being wasted this fellow is more temperamental than you and Arthur put together. I wanted to be sure you were coming before I fetched him. By your leave?"

She held out her hand as if to say 'be my guest.'

Turning his back on her he reached deep inside to the words he'd called out on instinct months earlier, now letting them escape with all the force of the primal connection forged on his father's deathbed.

"O drakon! E male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!"

There, no turning back now.

He had actually considered calling Kilgharrah much earlier but decided against it. Have to explain things before Morgana's arrival would have been trying at best and, as he said, she might have refused to show altogether. The dragon couldn't.

"What was-"

He turned in time to catch her shiver.

"That wasn't magic." She declared, watching him with a wariness that at one time would have broken his heart. Now it only served as a reminder that he had to proceed with caution.

"There are many types of magic in this world. Only a few are accessible by humans. And even then, some are gained through no action of our own. I happen to have one of them, and you'll see the results of it shortly. Fair warning, he's not going to be pleased to see you, and he'll have no qualms about telling you so. But I won't let him harm you."

"I'm perfectly capable of defending myself."

"Not against him you're not."

She was prevented from replying by several blasts of wind rolling their way across the clearing, ebbing and swelling in time with the sound of massive wing beats.

Kilgharrah circled above them twice before setting himself down with an unnecessarily hard impact.

"Why have you summoned me young warlock?" He hissed sharply. "Why do you reveal me to the witch?

"Her name is Morgana and I summoned you because it's too far to reach the cave on horseback tonight."

Kilgharrah's golden eyes narrowed to slits. The dragon knew the destination he had in mind without him having to name it.

"One night in the heart of magic will do nothing to prevent the future."

"I have no desire to prevent the future. I seek to secure it."

"Then you will follow my advice."

"Your advice would cause nothing but pain and ruin, but that is not a subject up for discussion. This time you will do as I tell you."

"Arthur's enemies-"

"Are not for us to decide. It is his destiny, and it is for him to choose who he will share it with. I am to protect him from the threats he can't see or the ones he doesn't have the power to overcome. Anything else I leave it to him. And you will leave it to me. Now will you trust me or do I have to make it an order?"

"The guardian of the crystals will not aid you." Kilgharrah tried, rearing back and peering down at them from his great height.

"I no longer require his aid."

Surprise rippled off the dragon and he grumbled something in the dragon tongue that Merlin didn't quite catch.

That's right, he thought smugly, I don't tell you everything.

Leaving the beast to ponder this new revelation of his kin's power, he turned to Morgana who'd been silent as a tomb since Kilgharrah opened his mouth. He spared a moment of concern for her skin white complexion. She'd always been pale of course but the moonlight and her obvious fear combined so as to make her appear almost transparent.

"Will you come with me?" He asked.

A few heartbeats passed before she came unfroze uttering a hollow laugh. "Do I have a choice? You have a dragon."

"In case you're deaf he would very much rather you stay away."

"I am not deaf and I very clearly heard you say you could command him. Your magic can command a dragon! You're far stronger than I could ever hope to be. Whatever it is you want me to see, whether I agree it's worth what you did or not, you have every advantage. You're still demanding my trust and offering none in return."

"You think revealing this to you isn't trust? Think Morgana! A dragon! The only one even heard of in Camelot is the one that attacked after you left. You heard the stories. Do you honestly think such a powerfully magical creature was killed by Arthur poking it with a spear?"

Morgana's color, which had risen during her outburst immediately drained away. "That's the same one?"

Merlin swallowed. "It is. Uther kept him prisoner beneath the castle for 20 years. He called to me my second night in the city. Gave me advice on protecting Camelot for almost two years. Until one time he wouldn't. I had to make him a promise. And I kept that promise. Despite the fact I'd had several very strong hints as to what would happen, I stole one of the swords belong to the knights of Medhir and I released him."

He paused, lowering his voice from the shout it had elevated to. "You wanted an advantage? Now you have one. You come see what I have to show you, and whether or not you agree with it, I give you my word as the last Dragonlord that I'll bring you back to Camelot safely. Even knowing that at any time you could go to Arthur and tell him what happened. For that matter you could go to Uther, or to any of the families of those who died in his attack. You could tell them I'm responsible knowing it would destroy me - more than the memories already do. But gods as my witness you will know just what future you'll be sacrificing if you do."

Turning to Kilgharrah he growled a command for him to crouch down. A command the none too pleased dragon reluctantly complied with. Settling himself atop the beast's neck he looked down at Morgana who'd approached the dragon's side looking fascinated and frightened all at once.

What she saw tonight could make or break their balanced on a knife's edge alliance but he had to take her along. Had to give her a real chance. For Arthur, for Albion, for the chance for both of them to live a life free of regret. Squaring his shoulders he held out his hand to her.

She took it.