A/N: Hey Merlin fans! Life just...got in the way. But I'm back! Exams are over, I've now officially left school, University doesn't start for another three months, Prom and Dancing Shows are out of the way so hopefully, HOPEFULLY, I'll have more time on my hands, but then again, I always say that.

Well, it's three in the morning, I'm buzzing from an overdose of caffeine and chocolate and I just watched the last ever Harry Potter trailer (EPIC btw) which made me feel like crying, and I have the Lol, Limewire song stuck in my head (if you don't know what this is, type in lol limewire to Google and click 'I'm feeling lucky'= HAHA!) so I apologise if this chap is kina crappy...enjoy! :D

Chapter 10- Confiding...almost

Arthur hardly dared to breathe. His heart was racing and he felt the familiar fire surging through his body in anticipation. He crept ever so slowly forward through the undergrowth, as low to the ground as possible, his sword in his hand ready, and hearing the faint rustling of branches behind him telling him his Knights were keeping close to his tail.

Two weeks he had waited for this moment, waiting for any whisper of the whereabouts of the Wandrian, putting up with attack after attack on their outposts and supplies and now it was finally here. It had started with a villager coming to the city crying out in fear after he had spotted several men with a permanent encampment within the woods; men with coal black eyes and rotted flesh.

He could almost smell the rancid flesh as he came closer and closer to the dim light of a fire through the trees, dusk having fallen a few hours earlier. He could hear them talking; harsh guttural voices that sent shivers up his spine. Only a little bit closer...

He paused, and looked a few feet in front of him. Around a flickering fire which seemed to be green in colour, were hunched several men, if men they could be called, with eyes as black as night and bones protruding through mottled skin. Arthur held back a retch of disgust. What sort of evil was this, that ruined their bodies like this? And how could they hope to contend with it?

But now was not the time for despair, this was a time for action.

He felt someone creep slowly to his side and whisper into his ear, recognising Lancelot at the last minute.

"What do we do Sire?"

Arthur turned his head slightly to look at him.

"Exactly as we planned Lancelot."

Lancelot frowned.

"But we did not expect so many, and how are we to defend ourselves against their magic?"

"We must do the best we can Lancelot," Arthur huffed in annoyance; they had been through this many times. "This is the best lead we've had, and I'll be damned if we throw this opportunity away We don't need to defeat them, just cause as much damage as possible."

"So we're relying on the element of surprise then? My favourite." Gwaine had approached Arthur on his other side.

A sudden thunk and a whispered "Ow!" made Arthur curse silently.

"Damn you Merlin, can't you ever stay quiet?"

He heard a whispered apology but he was no longer listening, instead he was observing the sorcerers extremely carefully. As far as he could tell they seemed to be on edge, as though waiting for something and speaking in serious tones, not the sort of care-free chatter you would expect from a group of people unaware they were about to be ambushed. A feeling of dread ran through him, all his instincts were telling him to run. Somehow, they knew.

"We need-" He spoke to Lancelot and Gwaine, but the rest of his words were drowned out by yells from the back of their group. He spun around in time to see two bodies flying through the air, flashes of green light, and two black robed figures with outstretched palms and black eyes, laughing, a nasty gurgling in their throats, no doubt caused by the blood spilling out of their mouths and down their fronts.

Arthur felt sick to his stomach, but he had no time for any other reaction to their foulness.

The sorcerers they had observed in the clearing had jumped up and were now throwing torrents of green energy towards the Knights their eyes glinting maliciously. Arthur leapt out of the way just in time before a magical bolt obliterated the ground on which he had been standing seconds before. He saw most of his Knights crouched down, avoiding the green light which was now soaring over their heads.

Arthur couldn't breathe; what was he to do?

A horrid stench came from behind him and he knew who was standing there. He wheeled around yelling, with his sword flying out in front of him, reflexes as quick as lightning. He felt his sword connect with flesh and bone as it sliced through the person standing behind him.

He saw before him one of the sorcerers, his black eyes narrowed in pain crying out a terrible harrowing scream of agony as he fell to his knees. Arthur's sword caught his eye, the blade was not smeared with red, but black. In horror, Arthur looked down at the man's abdomen where he had struck him, and spilling out was not blood, but a putrid black liquid, congealed and viscous, falling on to the forest floor with a sick plopping sound.

Arthur was almost too horrified to move.

More shouting behind him drew his attention and he turned to see his Knights fighting against the sorcerers. They struck out with their swords again and again, making no contact, the sorcerers seeming to have some sort of magical defence around their bodies, and the sorcerers blasts of magic always seeming to only just miss them. Arthur didn't have time to wonder why.

He ran forwards and engaged himself in the fight, but he soon knew it was no use. His sword continued to batter uselessly against some sort of magical shield, never even reaching close to its mark. The sorcerers continued to grin manically with grotesque faces, evidently enjoyed their futile attempts to defeat them. Arthur knew the situation was hopeless.

"Retreat!" he shouted with the full force of his lungs. "Get back!"

His Knights obeyed without question, and the laughing of the sorcerers increased in volume. They began to make taunting shouts but Arthur ignored them; pride was no excuse for getting his men killed.

He turned his back and ran, trying not to think of the shame his father would have at him giving up so easily. He paused only to grab Merlin who had been cowering behind a tree as usual, and they continued on. Blasts of magic flew over their heads, and they swerved and ducked to avoid them. The laughter continued on, but getting quieter and quieter, with no sounds of pursuit. It seemed the sorcerers thought them too little of a threat to bother themselves about them.

Arthur felt the shame almost overcome him, but he strived to remind himself; if they had stayed they would most surely have died. It wasn't worth it. They had been the ones who had been ambushed.

They continued on without stopping for some time, and by the time they did stop they all stood still for many minutes to catch their breath, no one speaking.

Finally Gwaine broke the silence.

"Why is it I feel they're the ones who had the element of surprise?"

Arthur agreed. They had known they were coming. They'd only managed to kill one.

"Sire!" Percival called out.

Arthur moved towards him and found he and Elyan were supporting Sir Derian and Sir Deorc. With a jolt Arthur remembered these as the Knights he had placed as the back of the group, and were the ones hit by the magic. After he had seen the damage the Dark Magic had done to the ground, he hadn't expected them to still be alive.

Yet alive they were, and apart from extreme exhaustion, there seemed to be little wrong with them. Their tunics had been burned and Arthur could see the flesh underneath being red raw and peeling, but not looking any worse than a burn one would get after spending too long in the sun. Their faces were white and gaunt looking, but there was definitely life there.

Arthur was beyond confusion. How could they have survived?

Their own bewilderment was written across their faces and that of his Knights. They all looked at him with uncertainty.

"Are you able to walk?"

They both answered with weak "Yes, Sire"s.

"Good. We need to get to back to Camelot and have Gaius take a look at you."

They nodded, and Arthur moved away and motioned for Lancelot, Gwaine, Merlin, Elyan, Leon and Percival to come closer.

Elyan burst out immediately: "I thought Dark Magic was supposed to be really powerful, how come it's hardly hurt them at all?"

"I have no idea," Arthur answered honestly. "Perhaps there was something Gaius or Geoffrey failed to mention to us about it?"

"Perhaps," murmured Lancelot and Arthur noticed his eyes were fixed upon Merlin, who was still staring at Derian and Deorc with a worried look. Arthur felt a twinge of concern; he'd noticed Merlin being tired and distracted all day, ever since he had told him about the planned attack.

"Miraculous as their condition may be Sire, we have more pressing matters on our hands," said Leon.

"Agreed," Arthur spoke, his voice with a steely edge to it. "I want to know, how they found out, how they expected us."

His Knights stood silent for a moment.

"Someone must have told them Sire, it's the only explanation." Elyan said, his breathing ragged.

Arthur once again agreed. Someone in Camelot was a traitor.

He looked around at them all, looking at each of them carefully, but soon came to his conclusion. No, it can't have been one of them. Aside from the fact he knew none of them would have betrayed him, they had all been there with him, placing themselves in the same danger. It can't have been one of them. He trusted them all.

"I won't for a moment believe it was any of you who told them, which leaves us with one option: someone in Camelot, someone in the Royal Court no less, is a spy and a traitor."

Arthur couldn't help but see the similarities to events over the last year, Camelot had proven itself susceptible to a spy once before, in the shape of the King's own ward, had it fallen again to a traitor?

"Must we go that far Sire?" asked Lancelot. "After all, we must remember these are sorcerers we are dealing with. They have ways of knowing things, and the means to do things we would deem impossible. They could have detected our presence by magic long before we reached them."

Although this was a plausible theory, Arthur shook his head.

"Normally I would think the same Lancelot, but this is not an isolated incident. All of our attacks have been anticipated, all of our transports have been intercepted no matter how many times we changed the route. There is most definitely someone leaking information from the castle."

His Knights looked grave as they considered this, and Arthur felt a prick of anger. Once again, someone in Camelot, someone they trusted was helping to bring it down from the inside. It made his blood boil to think about it. He felt dizzy, and nauseous, but he wasn't sure it was solely because of the betrayal.

"We should get back to Camelot and see Gaius; there's no telling how that magic could have affected us. I don't know about you lot, but I don't feel on top of my game."

His Knights nodded in agreement and began to depart, but Gwaine spoke suddenly.

"Don't you think it's strange though? The Wandrian seem to be completely obsessed with destroying Camelot and taking over the land, but for all their ruthless threats, no one's actually died."

Arthur paused; the same thought had occurred to him. Of all the supply wagons and outposts attacked, there had not been a single casualty on Camelot's side.

Gwaine continued:

"We keep hearing about how evil this Emrys is, and how ruthless and dark he is, but he's not what I expected. According to that man with the first seized wagon, he ordered that no one should be killed, even though the others wanted to. And he said that Emrys wasn't like the others, his skin wasn't rotten, and his eyes went gold instead of green when he used magic, which implied to him that he wasn't using Dark Magic. If Emrys really was as dangerous as all that, how come he's not killing people left, right and centre?"

"Because," said Percival, "a man doesn't need to kill people to be dangerous."

"Remember Gwaine," said Elyan. "Remember the corpse that came crashing down into the Throne Room with Emrys' name carved into it? And remember how they're slowly starving us? The grain supply is holding steady for now, but after it's gone, the people will have almost nothing to eat. The Wandrian are making the people afraid, and that'll cause more damage than several massacres. The fact they're not killing people makes me more concerned. The threat of what they'll do is proving more dangerous than what they've actually done. We shouldn't underestimate them, because when the time comes, they will be ruthless."

Gwaine nodded, looking thoughtful.

"It's too bad," observed Leon. "It would've been nice to know there was someone among the Wandrian who was on our side."

Arthur nodded in agreement, but couldn't help but notice Lancelot and Gwaine's eyes swivelling towards Merlin at that point.

"Right, we'll leave now for Camelot. We'd better not stay here any longer in case they decide to come back."

The Knights murmured their assent and they set off through the forest to the river bank where they had tied up their horses. Arthur couldn't help but notice Merlin's blank look in his tired eyes. He looked as though he was deep in thought and he was being extremely quiet, both of which didn't suit him.

Half an hour later, they reached the river bank only to find the horses splayed out on the ground in pools of blood, their guts spilling out onto the earth. Scorch marks surrounded the wounds and on the trees to which they had been tethered, the Dark Magic symbol was burned onto the bark. Arthur felt a shudder run through his body at the sight of it.

Gwaine stood looking at the horses and said quietly:

"They managed to kill the horses, but not us?"

Arthur stood by him.

"I'd rather it be the horses than any of you."

Gwaine turned to him.

"Didn't you notice how those attacks always seemed to just miss us? How they never hit their target?"

"Yes, we were very lucky."

"But don't you think it's strange-"

"Yes Gwaine!" Arthur almost shouted. "There's nothing that's happened in the last two weeks that hasn't been strange! They're sorcerers, what do you expect? They use Dark Magic, they don't abide by the laws of nature! I'm done trying to understand them, all we have to do is try and fight them!"

"You need to understand them Arthur, if you ever expect to defeat them." Merlin spoke very quietly, his eyes fixed on the horse's carcasses.

Arthur breathed out irritatedly. "And what would you know about it Merlin?"

"Nothing." Merlin still stared at the horses, looking so melancholy Arthur just got more annoyed.

"Don't be such a softy Merlin, they're just horses. Remember that time you got all soppy over the unicorn?"

"Well, I had good reason to didn't I?"

Arthur ignored this.

"We'll just have to walk. We'll stop by the nearest village for some horses for the wounded."

Arthur turned to leave and noticed yet again Lancelot and Gwaine's eyes were fixed on Merlin. They set off again and as soon as the two of them were far enough ahead, Arthur doubled back to talk to Merlin.

"All right, is there something you're not telling me? Have you grown an extra pair of hands from your shoulders that I haven't noticed?"

Merlin frowned.

"No, why?"

"Because Lancelot and Gwaine keep staring at you as though you're about to explode."

Merlin bit his lip.

"Oh, I'm sure it's nothing. Gaius just probably asked them to keep an eye on me to make sure I'm not sick again."

"You're not are you?"

"Course not, I'm fine. I'm always fine." Merlin gave a ridiculous grin and walked ahead of Arthur, thus ending their conversation.

Arthur frowned. Merlin was definitely concealing something again. Although he didn't look ill any more, and hadn't for the last two weeks Arthur could tell there was still something on his mind.

But there were more urgent matters at the moment. He had to figure out what to do next, how to defeat the Wandrian. Because, based on that last encounter, they seemed to be pretty much invincible, albeit with bad aim.

But he wasn't going to despair just yet. They'd defeated a dragon, Cenred's soldiers, animate stone gargoyles and an immortal army before now. They would not give up.

Merlin was exhausted. All night he'd been up, talking to Hafela and Gamol putting on the cold Emrys exterior. Then he'd had five minutes of precious sleep before Arthur had dragged him out of bed to go and chase up some lead to where some of the Wandrian were camped out; a lead only created by Merlin himself when he had placed a false memory in a villager, which, by the way had not been an easy feat of magic. Then he had spent all day riding through the kingdom with the Knights looking for them, trying to find a spare moment to slip away and warn the group, which had also included Wrecan, the Wandrian Elder with a grudge against Merlin. Then he had had to place magical wards around the Knights to make sure they weren't hit by magic after he had forgotten to place them on Derian and Deorc until the last second, resulting in minor burns, magic which he was sure Lancelot had seen, all the while pretending to be absolutely fine while trying to shake off the suspicion that Gwaine knew something and Arthur was becoming suspicious. If it wasn't for that tooth holding off the effects of Dark Magic Merlin knew he would probably be dead from exhaustion.

He was completely shattered.

He wanted to just go back to Gaius' and curl up in bed and hibernate. For a long while.

But it didn't happen.

On their arrival in Camelot they had all spent hours and hours with the King and his advisers going over and over the attack trying to deduce how they could have found out, always coming to the same conclusion: there was a spy among them. And Merlin was too exhausted to even worry about being discovered.

After Gaius had treated Derian and Deorc's burns, remarking how lucky they had been to escape with something so minor, he had given them all a 'Restorative Draught' to try and make them feel better after the encounter with the Dark Magic. Although Merlin had been unaffected due to the presence of the dragon tooth in his pocket, the others had not. Though none of them were as ill as he had been, they were all paler than usual and significantly weaker.

After the final meeting they all made their way through the massive oak doors and Merlin made a beeline straight for Gaius'. He needed to sleep...

But then, Lancelot stepped in front, stopping him.

He looked around nervously and then stepped closer to him.

"You want to be careful Merlin. I saw you there, using magic. I assume you were responsible for those curses missing us every time? If I saw you, so could any of the rest of them. Thank God I was the only one who was looking. Just be careful all right?"

Merlin nodded, he knew he had been careless and not exactly discrete. He would have to be more careful next time.

Lancelot clapped him on the shoulder and strode past him and Merlin thought he was free now until-

"Merlin?"

Merlin sighed in annoyance, why couldn't they leave him alone? But when he turned and saw Gwaine's face, his annoyance evaporated. Gwaine had never fixed him with a stare so intense before.

Gwaine motioned with his head to a small chamber off the main corridor and Merlin entered. Gwaine followed behind and closed the door. Once again he stared at Merlin intensely, and Merlin no longer had any doubts: Gwaine knew.

Gwaine breathed out, as though preparing himself for the worst.

"What's going on Merlin?"

Merlin opened his mouth to give his usual "Nothing, I'm fine" speech, but he knew it was no good lying to him.

Instead, he said:

"How long have you known?"

Gwaine answered:

"Two weeks."

"How do you know?"

"I figured most of it out myself. Lancelot confirmed the details."

Merlin closed his eyes and tried to stay calm. The fact Gwaine hadn't turned him in boded well, it may even mean Gwaine was willing to help him. Merlin knew, as he'd always done, Gwaine was to be trusted.

Merlin opened his eyes.

"So? What do you think of my decision?"

Gwaine looked at him squarely, being more serious than Merlin had ever seen him before.

"I think you're crazy. I think you're mad. I think you're insane. I think you must have some sort of death wish to be willingly fraternising with evil, bloodthirsty sorcerers when their very presence makes you ill and risking so much for everyone and keeping it secret. I think you're a complete idiot for undertaking such a foolhardy mission when the most likely outcome is that you'll be discovered and killed in a horrible brutal manner by either the Wandrian or Uther when they find out what you've been doing."

He paused, and Merlin braced himself for more.

"And I also think Merlin, that you're the bravest, most loyal, dedicated, unselfish man I have ever known."

Merlin blinked.

"Then you don't hate me?"

Gwaine laughed.

"When could I ever hate you Merlin?"

Merlin felt relief sink through him, and he laughed as well.

"I just thought, after every thing I've done..." He trailed off, unsure how to express himself.

Gwaine folded his arms.

"After everything you've done Merlin, you deserve to be knighted."

Merlin smiled to himself, remembering when Lancelot had said something similar.

Gwaine hesitated.

"I admit Merlin, I wasn't too happy when I first found out. I thought you were placing yourself in too much risk and I almost told Arthur. But then I realised, this is the perfect opportunity, and whether I like it or not, I have to let you do this. I just wish you'd told me sooner, I could've helped."

Merlin felt a little twinge of guilt.

"I know, but something always stopped me, I'm not sure what. I guess I was just afraid what you'd think of me. I couldn't bear to think that you'd hate me."

Gwaine smiled. "Are you going to tell Arthur?"

"No!" Merlin shouted. Gwaine raised his eyebrows. "I mean, not yet anyway. I'm not ready to tell him. And I don't think he's ready to hear it yet, to know that his idiot of a man servant is more than he appears. Besides, it's better that less people know. It makes it easier."

Gwaine nodded. "Then he won't hear it from me."

Merlin grinned.

Gwaine hesitated a couple of moments.

"So...what's he like?"

Merlin stood completely still. He couldn't mean what he thought he meant could he? Not now, not when Merlin thought he was done with secrets.

"Who?" he asked, almost dreading the answer.

"Emrys of course!"

Merlin felt the excitement and relief he had felt drain away. He should have expected this, Lancelot would never tell Gwaine about Merlin's magic. Gwaine only had half a story. Would he be as accepting if he had known all of it?

For a moment, Merlin seriously considered telling Gwaine. Everything else was out in the open, what was one more secret? Gwaine wouldn't hate him, he wouldn't. He could trust him. Couldn't he?

He said nothing for what seemed like an eternity. He felt as though he were hanging over the edge of a precipice, about to fall, and the only thing saving him was this one last secret. If he gave that away, he could never go back. Everything would be over.

Why was he hesitating? It should be simple. Gwaine had openly told Merlin about his father consorting with a Dragonlord, that must mean he didn't hate magic, mustn't it? He knew about magic, he wasn't prejudiced like Uther. He could tell him couldn't he?

But how could he just come out with it like that? Telling Gwaine he was the man he had been fighting against for weeks, the man Gwaine believed to be evil? He couldn't just tell him all of a sudden. He couldn't tell him, not yet. It wasn't time, but he knew it would be soon.

Gwaine raised his eyebrows again.

"Wow, he must be really scary to shut you up like that."

Merlin froze for one more instant. Should he?

He opened his mouth:

"He's...he's different."

Gwaine tilted his head.

"Different how?"

Merlin felt like he was drowning, flailing around for a lifeline.

"He's not like the other sorcerers."

"You've met him then?"

Merlin laughed in spite of himself.

"Yeah, I've met him."

"Well?"

"He's not pure evil, I know you're not going to believe that, but he's not. He doesn't want to kill people, he doesn't enjoy it, he just wants what's best for his people."

Merlin felt his mouth dry up. He hated this, he hated it.

Gwaine frowned.

"And he thinks taking over Camelot is what's best for his people?"

Merlin hesitated.

"It's more complex than that."

Gwaine sighed.

"The internal politics of sorcerers...sounds too complicated for me. Do you think he's dangerous?"

Merlin thought back to when the Dark Magic had been affecting him.

"Yes, I think he can be."

"Then he's an enemy to Camelot,' Gwaine said shortly.

Merlin shook his head.

"It's not like that."

"He's trying to take over Camelot Merlin, trying to defeat us all. How is that not being our enemy?"

"He doesn't use Dark Magic."

Gwaine looked at him strangely.

"That doesn't make him a good man Merlin. Why are you defending him?"

Merlin was speechless once again. Gwaine stepped closer.

"Merlin?"

"I-I...I'm not defending him! I'm just saying...I don't know what I'm saying. Emrys, he's-he's not as evil and ruthless as he's made out to be. You thought the same thing in the forest!"

"I'm not sure what I thought Merlin, all I know is that he confuses me, I can't make him out."

Gwaine stepped even closer.

"Are you friends with him Merlin?"

Merlin almost laughed at the absurdity.

"No, course not."

Gwaine surveyed him critically.

"Good. I wouldn't want you mixing with them unless you need to."

Merlin nodded, still feeling the immense guilt of concealing the whole story. Why couldn't he tell Gwaine?

Gwaine looked him up and down.

"I thought the Dark Magic made you ill. You must be meeting them, why aren't you sick?"

This time, Merlin knew he owed Gwaine the truth.

He took a deep breath and put his hand into his pocket and pulled out Kilgarrah's tooth. Gwaine watched it curiously.

"This protects me."

Gwaine stared, not convinced.

"Merlin I wasn't serious when I gave you that and said it protected you. I was just trying to make you feel better."

Merlin shook his head.

"It's of the Old Religion. It's the opposite of Dark Magic, and it stops me feeling its effects."

Gwaine still looked bemused.

"But, it's just a tooth."

Merlin sighed in exasperation.

"And have you seen me ill since you gave it to me?"

Gwaine fell silent, thinking back, before his face lit up.

"You mean, I helped you? I helped you and I didn't even realise! Ha!"

Merlin laughed.

"Yes, you did."

Gwaine was still grinning.

"That's why you were all weird when I gave you it. Like you were thinking really hard about something."

Merlin stopped.

"Actually, I had no idea it would help until afterwards."

Gwaine's smile fell and he looked puzzled.

"Then, what were you thinking about?"

Merlin paused, holding his breath. Should he tell? After all, he owed Gwaine at least some of his secrets.

"I was thinking...I was thinking about how this tooth, how this tooth had once belonged to my father."

Gwaine's face screwed up in confusion and he looked at Merlin as though he was mad.

"Um, Merlin? It belonged to my father."

Merlin shook his head.

"It belonged to both. Only, my father had it first."

Gwaine looked confused for a couple minutes more, before comprehension dawned.

"Balinor?" He breathed. Merlin nodded.

Gwaine stood there staring at him for a couple moments saying nothing, and Merlin almost began to regret telling him.

But Gwaine was soon smiling again.

"It makes sense. From what you told me about your father, about Balinor, it makes perfect sense. Let me guess, Uther had him banished from Camelot during the Purge, during which time he probably met your mother and had to leave again, years later the Great Dragon escaped and you and Arthur had to go and find him, you met him, and then he died. Am I close?"

Merlin gave a wry smile.

"Almost perfect. Uther tried to have him executed before he left, Gaius helped him escape."

Gwaine whistled. "And I thought my father had had a rough time of it."

He didn't say anything for a moment. Then he started laughing.

"Ha! What would Arthur say? His father tried to kill yours! A Dragonlord! The son of a man with magic being the servant of the son of the man who hates magic! It's quite ironic if you think about it. I'm guessing Arthur doesn't know? Good, that means we're the better friends; my father saved yours, not tried to execute him like Arthur's did."

Merlin laughed as well, why had he been hesitant?

Gwaine suddenly looked interested.

"What happens to a Dragonlord's ability when they die? Is it passed on?"

Merlin was once again faced with a decision; should he tell him?

"Well-"

A knock on the door interrupted him in mid-sentence, and Merlin wasn't sure whether to be grateful or annoyed.

The door opened, and a servant walked in.

"Please, Sir Gwaine, Prince Arthur requires your presence immediately."

Gwaine cast one long look at Merlin before looking back at the servant.

"I'm coming."

Merlin made to follow the servant too, but he was stopped.

"Not you Merlin. Prince Arthur said you've to go to bed and sleep. He said you look awful and if you collapse from exhaustion in his chambers he swears he'll use you as a floor rug."

Merlin gulped. He didn't doubt the seriousness of the threat.

"I'll be going then," said Merlin, and Gwaine nodded.

They both emerged from the chamber and set off in opposite directions. Just before Gwaine and the servant were out of earshot, Merlin heard Gwaine ask:

"So what's happening, why does Arthur want me?"

"He needs your help Sir Gwaine. We've captured one of the Wandrian."-

Merlin froze. He knew, no matter how tired he was, he was getting no sleep tonight.

A/N: Okay, I know loads of you are going to hate me for not having Merlin tell Gwaine the whole truth like you want me to, but have faith! It's all going to come out soon!

So, next chapter, hopefully some more action, and if you're lucky, and I can stop myself from being carried away, Morgana might even make an appearance...;) Is she gonna be evil or good? Is she gonna be redeemed or stay an evil witch? Let me know what you think?

Thanks for reading! Reviews mean the world to me...hint hint ;)