Disclaimer: IDOM

Chapter 19: Of Councils and Families

'The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice-versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things and make them unimportant.' - The Doctor, 'Doctor Who'

It took another two days to get the laws completely sorted out, days marked with reasoning, frustration, explaining, agreement, smiling, sarcasm, ink, parchment, and exasperation. Trying to rewrite twenty five years of laws was hard work regardless of how hard everyone worked. Gaius, Guinevere, Arthur, and Merlin were always held up in Arthur's chambers going over them. Geoffrey would join them on occasion, writing the new laws or just there to put in his opinion.

The next step had been informing the counsel of their decision. The night they'd finished rewriting the laws, they decided to hold the council meeting the next morning, inviting every member of the council and their servants.

They had met around mid-morning in the council chambers, Arthur naturally at the head, with Gaius at his right with Guinevere at his left. Despite his own protests, Merlin stayed in his normal spot, along the pillar with the rest of the servants. The Knights were also there, his most trusted circle; they stayed near the back, not actually members of the official council. They'd been informed about what was happening and were glad to be there.

The atmosphere held curiosity and anticipation, each of the council members and servants gossiping amongst themselves. There weren't any torches lit, but the room was still aglow from the open windows that allowed in the soft warm sunlight.

"I know you're all wondering why I've called you here today," Arthur began officially, his fingers splayed across the table as he stood in front of his chair. The other members of the council sat and were staring at him attentively. "But it's not for taxes, or for anything else like that."

A silent pause.

"It's about magic."

Some of the councilors glanced away, used to this from Uther; some creature was plaguing the outer villages, or some magical curse was making its way through Camelot.

"I've decided to release the ban."

Merlin, Gaius, Gwen, and the other Knights all just let their eyes rove about the room. If any of the council members had been glancing away, Arthur had their attention immediately as the words left his mouth. The servants were staring at Arthur bug eyed, barely keeping a hold of the sparkling clean, silver water pitchers they held in their hands.

"But sire...you cannot do this!" A man by the name of Davis said. He'd always been a dedicated follower of Uther, encouraging the persecution of magic. Gaius had warned he'd be a tough one to reason with. Aside from that, he had to be the most puffed up of all of Uther's councilors, and Arthur made it a point to begin reviewing each councilor and dismissing them as needed.

Arthur's face remained impassive as he addressed the lord. "Any why can't I?"

Davis looked startled for a moment, floundering for an answer. "Well, sire, because...because magic is evil!"

Arthur shook his head, hands coming off of the table as he stood straight. Why did they always fall back on that?

"I fear you are wrong. Magic is a tool, nothing more. It could be used for good or bad depending its wielder. It is no more dangerous than a sword, or a crossbow, or a book," Arthur stressed. "The wielder determines its usage and the means by which it acts; it can be a force for bad, or a force for good."

Davis scoffed. "Sire, have you learned nothing from your father's dealing with magic? Magic is nothing but evil, and anyone who 'wields' such a force is nothing but pure evil themselves, my lord. Monsters, the lot of them."

Arthur tried to calm the raging anger inside him. How dare he? Arthur knew he shouldn't take that personally but he was saying that about every magic user, counting both Gaius and Merlin in the ranks. His eyes flickered around the room, glancing at Gaius, Merlin, and everyone else.

Gaius, sitting at his right, looked completely normal, impassive, and Arthur realized he'd probably heard these words many times, and was used to hearing them, though Arthur would be a fool not to see a flicker of sadness in his eyes.

He looked to his Queen, whom of which eyes' were in a hard stare and a deep frown played at her lips, her forehead scrunched in anger. Regardless of that, her eyes held concern as they flickered between Arthur, Gaius, and Merlin who stood behind her at her left.

Arthur's eyes roved to him and he saw his best friend having a deep staring match with the floor, his eyes hidden as he slouched slightly against the pillar, biting his lip. He also noticed that Gwaine had taken a step closer to Merlin, a concerned look on his face. Arthur wondered how he'd never noticed that before, when he realized that Merlin had taken that same stance whenever magic was considered 'evil', which was basically whenever it was discussed. He also knew how much Merlin had thought he was a monster when he'd first come to Camelot; afraid of his own powers.

How dare Davis? Arthur thought again. How Merlin and Gaius heard those words over and over again and stayed sane and relatively calm and peaceful, he didn't know. But it only furthered the proof that magic users weren't evil, and they certainly weren't monsters!

"Again, Lord Davis, I really don't regret to inform you that magic can be a force for good. But I do regret to tell you that Camelot has been poisoned against it by the acts of one man." Arthur seethed.

The members of the council listened avidly; surprised by the hardness of their King's eyes and the way his hands were balled into fists against the table. Uther had always had a short temper, they were used to it, but Arthur was different: he was a patient man and it took a lot to get him riled up, such as if someone were attacking Camelot...or if someone was attacking or threatening a close friend. If he was snarky, then something had frustrated him, and the more noticeable members of the council glanced between Davis, whom of which, stared innocently at the King with his arms crossed, and Arthur, who had a frown on his face as he continued.

"My father, out of bitterness started the Purge, killing hundreds of magic users. You all must remember when it began, most of you were present, which meant most of you knew Nimueh as well. Yes?"

There were a few nods, a few staying silent.

"She did my father a favor, one of which he asked, and it resulted in the death of my mother." There were scattered gasps around the long table, eyes wide with surprise. Arthur stole a glance at Merlin and Gaius, both of whom listened carefully, both judging everyone's reactions, looking at both the councilors and the servants standing behind him.

"Out of bitterness and depression he began the Purge, trying to rid the world of the very thing that had killed my mother. Nimueh made the decision when my father hadn't understood the terms of their agreement, then, after my mother died, my father chose to blame all magic and its users based on the actions of one person.

Before the Purge, this kingdom was prosperous, peaceful, without our frequent magical attacks, and magic was welcomed in the kingdom. I want to put an end to the murders, to the families ripped apart because of this deed."

He glanced at Merlin, thinking of how his father, Balinor, had had to leave his wife and child in fear for their lives even though he never knew Hunith had been pregnant; and he glanced at Gaius, whose fiancé had had to leave Camelot so close to being executed herself.

"I want this kingdom to be prosperous once more, I want magic users and non-magic users to live in peace," he finished.

Some of the councilors nodded approvingly, while others glanced back and forth between each other, questions in their eyes as well as contempt. Arthur really needed to get himself a new council, and it wasn't Davis that spoke up next, but rather Lord Crewe, another dedicated follower of Uther's.

"Sire, and what about Morgana and all the other sorcerer's Camelot has been attacked by? Are these not perfect examples that magic is, in fact, evil?"

"I know," Arthur tried calmly, "that we have been repeatedly attacked by magic users, but they were only acting out of fear; fear for their lives, fear for their families lives. Morgana was the same, only acting out of fear until it was discovered that we share parentage, then she acted out of greed for the thrown. But it was never because of the magic that she did this, it was because of her that her magic did what it did."

"But sire -" Davis started, only to have Arthur raise his hand to silence him.

"There's something else, proof that magic can be a source for good. In all accounts of magic attacks we've had, we've always had a protector; another magic user on our side, working for the benefit and safety of the kingdom."

If anyone had been staring at the table with their hands folded, stroking their extravagant or nonexistent beards in thought, or even just staring off into space, they weren't anymore. All eyes were glued to Arthur with utter confusion.

Arthur smirked ever so slightly, a laugh bubbling in his chest at these men's faces. Not that he released it, but he couldn't help but glancing around the room with an amused look in his eye. He saw the same reaction with Gaius, Gwen, and the Knights. Merlin himself still had his head bowed slightly, though this time in respect as all the other servants, but had a smile playing along the corners of his lips, trying to suppress a laugh himself.

"Sire, what sorcerer would help us?" Lord Hadrian asked. He'd never really been a follower of Uther's ways, he'd never really fancied executions or death in general; always the peaceful one, and Arthur was all too happy to answer that question; it was the main reason they were there after all.

Arthur smiled. "I'm glad you ask Lord Hadrian. Thanks to some extensive research with the help of our Court Scribe and Court Physician, we've discovered that the sorcerer Emrys has been helping us."

Hadrian scrunched his eyebrows in thought. "But sire, wasn't Emrys the sorcerer that killed your father?"

Merlin, feeling a pang of guilt in his chest, lowered his head a bit more, having a guilty stare down with the floor again as his small smirk faded away.

Arthur saw this from the corner of his eye, determined not to look at Merlin in fear of giving him away. They'd decided to reveal his true identity later, after their plan had been carried out.

"No," Arthur replied, adding a little heat to his words. "Emrys was nothing but a pawn in Morgana's game. She's the reason that my father was killed. Morgana gave Lord Agravaine a necklace which was enchanted to undo any healing magic Emrys tried and to increase it tenfold. Emrys tried his best to heal my father. I have no doubt about that."

He glanced over at Merlin at the last sentence, hoping to convey how much truth he felt in those words. Apparently it worked as Merlin's grateful eyes met his briefly before Arthur turned his attention to a speaking lord.

"Sire," Davis commented, sarcasm lacing his every word, "you make it sound like you know this man personally!"

Arthur felt a bubble of anger towards Davis. "As a matter of fact," Arthur fumed, "I do know this man, and I have known him for many years as he's been living in hiding, in the shadows, saving us day in and day out. I will not reveal his identity just yet, but I have to say he is the bravest, most courageous and kindest soul I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. He has been a true friend for many years, and I want there to be no doubt that I trust this man with my life."

Merlin felt a huge rush of brotherly affection towards Arthur as he spoke. He bowed his head further to hide his blush but a proud yet embarrassed smile was playing on his lips. Everything was finally coming together.

Then his cheeks burned even more and his hidden smile increased when Gwaine announced with a wide smile, "As do I."

He was probably out of place, a knight speaking at an official council meeting without permission, but no one challenged him, nor when Gwen, Gaius or the rest of the Knight's all followed the gesture. Merlin's cheeks burned and his lips were pursed as he kept trying to hide his increasing smile, but he never looked up for fear of anyone seeing him grinning like an idiot.

The Knights just cast proud glances between Arthur and Merlin, same as Guinevere and Gaius. The council looked confused as did their servants, so Arthur just continued.

"As I said, I am going to release the ban on magic, I just wanted to inform you of these changes and receive your opinions on the matter. Geoffrey has already drawn up a new copy of the laws that are to replace the ban. You are welcome to look over them, but I think their fair, as does Emrys, whom of which helped me write these laws."

There were a few gasps of surprise, but Arthur had said that he had been living in Camelot for quite some time now, so they quickly calmed down, less surprised.

"The announcement shall happen a day after tomorrow. Feel free to review the laws, but you should all know that this is a closed matter. There is nothing that will dissuade me from doing this. You are all dismissed; thank you for coming."

Then the councilors all watched with dumbfounded expressions as their King, followed by their Queen, Court Physician, Knights of the Round Table, and Arthur's servant all filed out of the council chambers; their job was done, their plan enacted.

Their plan had been, in fact, the servants. They'd invited all of the councilor's servants, all of the gossiping servants. It had originally been Merlin and Gwen's idea, both having experience as servants, they knew one this was certain; gossip spread faster off the loose lips of servants than any wildfire ever had.

They walked out of that room with smirks on their lips, knowing that the first second a servant sneaked out of that room, the story would spread. The story that Arthur was releasing the ban on magic, that magic had led to the death of his mother, that a powerful sorcerer by the name of Emrys had been protecting them from who knows what for years. They knew there would be speculation, assumptions, but they were prepared for that. They just wanted the word to spread.

They walked down the hall content, until they each started breaking off to help the word spread themselves: a day after tomorrow, magic would be legal. Pretty soon, it was just Merlin and Arthur walking towards Arthur's chambers.

Merlin, still grinning dropped his smile ever so slightly as his voice became more sincere from their previous bantering. "Thanks for, um, what you said to the council."

"What?" Arthur asked genuinely confused. Then everything clicked back to what he'd told them about the circumstances of his father's death, and how he'd described Merlin. "Oh, um...you're welcome."

Merlin just nodded, not sure how to proceed. Then Arthur stopped and set a light hand on Merlin's shoulder while Merlin's eyebrows scrunched in surprise and curiosity.

"Merlin," Arthur began, his voice completely serious, with only a hint of light hearted mirth, "I hope you know that I meant every word of it. You really have always been a true friend and I don't blame you for my father's death in the least."

Merlin nodded, a smile playing against his lips. "Thank you, Arthur." After a second he nudged Arthur, "You've always been a good friend, too...and a great king."

Arthur nodded his thanks, letting his hand drop. "Well, I have to finish some paperwork and preparations for the announcement...and the ceremony," Arthur smiled.

Merlin just smiled nervously, a flutter in his stomach. "Are you sure, Arthur?"

Arthur scoffed. "Yes, I'm sure, you idiot! Who else would fit into 'Court Sorcerer' better than the mighty Emrys?"

"Eh, Merlin," Merlin muttered.

"What?"

"Um, just Merlin. Emrys...let alone 'the mighty Emrys' just sounds so...pompous, you know? It feels too weird. Besides, 'Merlin's' my birth name, so..."

Arthur blue eyes twinkled proudly while his mouth was set in a confused line. Nothing ever changed; Merlin was still the most modest idiot he'd ever known, never wanting to draw attention to himself. "Alright, Merlin, but I'm still making 'Emrys' you're surname."

Merlin smirked. "Fair enough...I think you're surname should be 'Prat.'"

Arthur rolled his eyes smiling and then threw his arm around Merlin's shoulders. "Besides, who else would I name First Advisor to the King? I hardly think Gwaine fits the profile!"

Merlin laughed outright. "I think he might disagree."

"Well," Arthur grinned, "that's his problem."

Arthur let his arm fall once more, both still smiling. "You'd better get to Gaius. I'm sure he'll want his chambers cleaned and his stocks refreshed before your mother arrives..."

Since the truth had come out, Merlin had contacted to his mother, telling her what had really happened after he'd left Ealdor through a magic mirror they'd obtained from the vaults. Needless to say, she'd been very angry and very worried about her only son.

When Merlin told her that his secret had been revealed, she'd been even more worried and then Merlin explained how everyone was okay with it. But she was still distressed nonetheless; she knew how Merlin always tried to sugarcoat the truth to make it hurt less.

And it was only after Arthur talked to her that she calmed down, nearly in joyous tears to learn that her son had been accepted. They didn't give her the details, just a short summery, promising to explain later. Then Arthur had invited her and Gilli to Camelot for the announcement of unbanning magic and Merlin's ceremony. Needless to say, she'd been thrilled and agreed to come. Gilli, though, had opted to stay in Ealdor, wanting to watch over the two children he'd rescued. They'd taken a particular liking to him and he felt obligated to watch over them.

"Yeah..." Merlin replied, rubbing the back of his neck while grinning, thinking of his mother.

"Then get some sleep, I won't need you tonight and you already look dead on your feet."

It was true, Merlin was dead tired. The past few days both Arthur and Merlin had pored over the texts for the laws and examined every detail, only ever getting sleep when Gaius and Gwen ganged up on them and literally dragged them off to bed. It wasn't that they looked exhausted, just...not at their best. And it was the reason Arthur had had a shorter temper than usual with the council.

"You don't exactly look lively either, sire," Merlin retorted.

"That's why I'm going to bed early, you dolt! And that's why I'm giving you the night off. Plus, I really don't want your mother telling Mary how hard I supposedly work you; she'll probably poison my food or something."

Merlin laughed, his kaleidoscope eyes nearly closed as the tips of his eyes scrunched into a smile. "Good, you prat, you need sleep. You're more snarky than usual."

"Thanks, Merlin," Arthur said sarcastically. "So...I was thinking, Gwaine's always made a big deal about meeting your mother, so I thought that after she arrives tomorrow, we could all have dinner together."

Merlin smiled and nodded approvingly. "Sounds good. I'm sure she'll love it."

"Good! Well...I had better get going, and you, to Gaius," Arthur said.

Merlin nodded. They said short goodbyes with promises of seeing each other tomorrow. Merlin planned on getting a good night's sleep, he thought he more than deserved it.

Arthur does too, his mind told him. He had to admit his mind was right. Arthur had been doing very well with everything, he'd been fabulous, as had everyone else, but Arthur just...being raised to hate magic for so long and then finally having his eyes opened to the beauty of it. It was amazing the changes that Arthur had gone through these past seven years, particularly highlighting these past few days.

So Merlin, with a light heart and a tired body, walked to Gaius' chambers to see what needed to be done before he could dive into blessed sleep.

Merlin's mother arrived mid-morning with the sun still rising over the battlements as a gentle breeze snaked through the air. They were met by the Knights, Arthur, Gwen, and, of course, Gaius and Merlin in the courtyard.

Hunith wrapped her son in a tight hug the moment she climbed off her horse. He happily obliged and returned the hug, not caring that his friends were watching. He'd never cared that he showed affection for his mother in front of others; it never embarrassed him, that's just the kind of man he was, and it made him all the more endearing.

Then Hunith stepped back and slapped her son lightly on his chest, hitting both his red shirt and blue neckerchief. "You," she chastised, "had me scared to death when you left!"

Merlin snickered as she broke into a smile. They pulled apart as Hunith went to hug Guinevere and Arthur in welcome. They broke apart and Merlin introduced his mother to the Knights as he kept his arm around her shoulders.

"Well," Merlin began, "you already know Gaius, Arthur, and Gwen."

Hunith laughed and rolled her eyes. "Well, I should hope so, I did just hug them."

Merlin grinned and everyone chuckled, including the Knights. "Then this," he said, gesturing to the man farthest to the left, "this is Leon."

The tall man nodded his head cordially, his long dirty blond hair bouncing as he shook Hunith's hand.

"And Elyan," Merlin continued.

Elyan also shook her hand, smiling widely.

"And Percival."

The large man took Hunith's hand with a surprisingly light touch, shaking it gently while flashing a wide thin lipped grin.

"And finally Gwaine."

"My Lady," Gwaine smiled, shaking her hand.

Hunith blushed. "Just Hunith, please. I've heard quite a lot about you all from Merlin. I'm glad I finally get to meet all of you."

"Same here," they all replied.

"I kept telling Merlin we should meet you," Gwaine smiled.

Hunith laughed. "That's exactly what I kept telling him!"

The Knight's all laughed; it was easy to relax with her. They couldn't believe how alike both Merlin and his mother were in that respect.

"Well, I guess I'll let you get settled in before dinner," Arthur said. "Guinevere's had guest chambers arranged for you Hunith, it is closest to Gaius' chambers, of course."

"Thank you Arthur, Guinevere," Hunith answered smiling.

Guinevere grinned. "Come on, let me show you to your chambers!"

She grabbed Hunith's upper arm and started pulling her up the stairs while Hunith laughed behind her. She cast a glance back at her son, whom of which was smiling at the bottom of the stairs with Arthur, Gaius, and the Knights as he untied her belongings from the horse. He was such a good boy; he'd found his place here, amongst his friends, those of whom had accepted him for who he was.

Then he disappeared from view as Guinevere and Hunith both entered the castle through the large door that lead into whitewashed corridors.

The sun was beginning to set and was throwing an orange glow down the corridor walls where shadows would soon be cast instead. A guard passed by, igniting the torches that decorated the wall every ten feet or so with another torch. Flames erupted on one of the wooden sticks as Merlin sauntered down the corridor, the guard completely oblivious as he turned the corner. Merlin smirked at the irony.

He was dressed in his normal clothes, breeches, blue tunic and grey, this time silk, neckerchief. Though he had put on his deep red jacket and knee high boots that he only wore for special occasions. He definitely counted this as a special occasion.

He walked the last few feet to the chambers where his mother was staying and knocked on the door, silently laughing that he knocked for his mother, but not for Arthur.

"Come in!" A sing-song voice called.

Merlin's grin widened as he opened the large wooden door, the hinges squealing in protest. His mother was standing next to the window, her hands folded in front of her as she looked out into the courtyard.

She turned as Merlin walked further into the room, his footfalls echoing in the too-large room. The whole room was probably only a little smaller then her whole cottage in Ealdor, complete with a giant bed with at least eight pillows and fluffy down blankets.

Hunith looked beautiful. She was wearing the dress that Guinevere had made for her. The deep green fabric hugging her slim body, the green accenting both her light blue eyes and curly dark brown hair that she held back with a green ribbon, while strands of her bangs played across her collarbone. It slimmed her at the waist where the green belt hung off her hips, the deep green jewel sparkling as the light caught it a certain way.

Merlin smiled proudly. "You look lovely."

Hunith blushed and wrapped her son in a hug. "Thank you, Merlin."

They broke apart, each with happy gleams in their eyes as Merlin took his mother's hand. "Come on, let's go to dinner."

Hunith laughed as Merlin carted her out of the room, closing the door behind them. They walked down the corridor, talking about Ealdor.

"Anna was sad when you left, John too," Hunith said.

Merlin nodded. "Did you tell them why?"

Hunith shook her head slightly. "I didn't go into details, just that there was something important you had to do. I didn't want to worry them."

Merlin smirked. "I suppose that didn't work?"

"Not at all," Hunith grinned.

They turned one more corner and found Arthur standing outside the doors to the council chamber. He was dressed in another one of his red shirts and wore his formal red jacket which brought out his golden colored hair as the torch behind him flickered. It was funny, Hunith had insisted that they didn't need to make a big fuss over her visit, but she felt honored nonetheless.

Arthur smiled when he saw Hunith wearing the dress his wife made for her; she really did look every bit as regal as a lady of the court if not more.

"Hunith, you look beautiful," he commented.

Merlin gave his mother a proud smile while she bashfully smiled at the ground.

"Thank you, Arthur."

Arthur nodded, his blue eyes sparkling. "The others are waiting inside."

"Alright, let's go," Merlin said.

"Er," Arthur interjected, "Hunith...can I talk to you for a moment?"

Hunith studied Arthur's face for a minute. His cobalt blue eyes had taken on a note of seriousness and his dazzling smile had lessened some. She nodded, giving him a questioning look.

"I'll...just wait inside then...," Merlin said, opening the door.

Arthur and Hunith nodded as he closed the door behind him. Then Arthur took a step towards Hunith, his features donning a more serious look.

"Hunith," he started plainly, "I, um, wanted to express my...condolences...for Balinor...and everything else."

Hunith gave him a surprised look for a minute that quickly turned into disbelief. It was amazing how much Merlin and Arthur were alike; they both blamed themselves for things they had no control of. She cupped Arthur's face in her hand, stroking his cheek with her thumb.

"Arthur," she said seriously, "It's not your fault, none of it. You were just a victim of circumstance."

"Maybe, but even with Merlin...maybe I could have..."

Ah, yes, Hunith now knew what this was about. He felt guilty that he wasn't able to help Merlin sooner. Her blue eyes softened with compassion for her second son. It was unbelievable the man he'd become in such little time.

She remembered when he'd first met him, the newly crowned Prince of Camelot. He'd been polite, kind; he'd had a good heart, helping his servant's village. But now he was so much more. And that was because of Merlin. Merlin and Arthur, together, had shaped the men they were now.

The saying 'two sides of the same coin' rang through her head.

"Arthur," Hunith said softly. "There was a saying my old friend used to say. It went like this, 'the way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice-versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things and make them unimportant.'" What she didn't tell him was that it had been Balinor who'd said that, the night he'd left, gone into hiding.

She pulled Arthur into a hug, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You've definitely added to Merlin's pile of good things."*

Arthur pulled back, quickly swiping at his watery eyes. How was it that Merlin and Hunith could always bring out the touchy side of him?

"Thanks, Hunith," Arthur said sincerely.

Hunith nodded, an affectionate smile on her face as she regarded her second son, after all he'd done for Merlin he might as well be. "I'm proud of you Arthur, and I know your mother and father would be too."

Arthur smiled as he bowed his head bashfully, tears springing to his eyes again. He'd always hoped that his parents would be proud of him. His father had told him he was a couple of times, but not really, hearing it from Hunith was like hearing it from his own mother. Hunith by no means replaced her...but she was a very good substitute.

Clearing his throat, Arthur took a hold of Hunith's hand, rough from working on the farm, into his own callus one, too many training sessions and missions.

"Come on, my lady, let's go to dinner," he joked, bowing.

"My lord," Hunith laughed, curtsying.

Together they pushed open the large wooden doors and walked into a room full of friends, and more than that, it was a room of family. One family.