A/N: So, I had planned to post this chapter last weekend, but... I kind of forgot. Sorry about that. But hey, it hasn't been months since my last update, so I still consider it a win!

Anyway, but of a filler chapter, but I hope you'll still enjoy it!

C52: Revelations

Despite the happiness that Merlynn felt, the closer they got back to Camelot, the more she remembered her time in the dungeon. Despite being fully aware that Arthur had been under a spell, his words still hurt, even now. And Morgana… She would have to find some way to talk to Morgana. And she'd have to find a way to send a message to her father and sister quickly. She didn't think she'd be able to stop her father from going to war this time, but he had to know the truth about Arthur, at least. And Arrin, he'd have to be told about everything concerning her and Arthur...

Arthur squeezed her hand and brought her back to the present. "What are you thinking?"

"Too much," she muttered. "What are we going to do about my father? And everything else… I'm feeling so overwhelmed," she went on. "I'm happy, of course," she said, smiling softly at him, "but I'm also worried, and scared, and…" she trailed off. And guilty, she added mentally. Guilty for not telling Morgana more, and helping her with her budding magic, but most of all… she felt guilty that she'd accepted Arthur's proposal when he didn't know about a big part of her life. But how could she tell him? Especially now, when he'd once again fallen prey to the machinations of a magic user?

Arthur stopped walking, and pulled her closer. "You're not alone Merlynn, we're together now, and I'll stand by you for the rest of our lives," he whispered. She shivered. Would he, though, when he inevitably discovered the truth?

But for now, she just hugged him tighter, and didn't reply. She'd cross that bridge when she got to it.

/*/

As it turned out, Gaius had followed Merlynn's instructions to the letter, and had given the King a tonic that had made him seem… less than capable. Arthur had no trouble convincing the council to overturn his father's verdict. The man himself was resting in his chambers. Merlynn did feel a little bad about making a fool of the King… but then she remembered that he'd almost gleefully sentenced her to be burned alive, and she felt better. In fact, her patience with the King had thoroughly run out. So, after letting Gaius convince Arthur to go rest, she went to the King's chambers.

It was dark inside, and stiflingly hot. A fire roared in the fireplace, and Merlynn was tempted to put it out and open the curtains. But she kept her hands to herself. The King was once again seated in an armchair by the fire, looking haggard.

"Sire," she greeted curtly.

The man looked up and glared at her. Unlike when she came here during the famine, his eyes were clear and sharp. "What are you doing here?"

"If you're referring to my lack of shackles, I can assure you, I was let go. Arthur had the council overrule your verdict after it became clear that Sophia had put a spell on him. She never saw me perform any magic," Merlynn said calmly.

"It doesn't matter," Uther spat. "I know what you are: a filthy sorceress."

For a moment, Merlynn considered denying it, but decided against it. Uther had already made up his mind about her, so why not be honest? "Yes." It felt liberating to say it aloud. "I am. But I've never done Camelot harm, nor do I wish to do so in the future."

"Lies," he hissed. "Your kind are all evil!"

"No, we're not, not any more than any who have power are all evil. It's power that corrupts, not magic," she said. Before he could spew more hatred, she went on. "You didn't always believe as you did now. There are records of you having a court sorceress, of laws governing magic in Camelot. What changed?"

"I saw the truth. It was the stain of corruption that is magic. It leaves none untouched," the King spat, but there was something in his eyes, something fearful.

Shaking her head, Merlynn started to pace. "No, there was turmoil, but nothing that would have resulted in this… it had to have been something specific, something tragic, something… personal…" she trailed off. There had been something that had happened right before the Purge, something that was deeply tragic and personal to Uther Pendragon, but how did it pertain to magic? Had it been because it hadn't been able to save her? Looking at the man now, she almost pitied him. Had he been any other man, his rage would have burnt itself out. It was the power that he wielded that had allowed that pain to continue to fester.

"You know… you used to be the figure of my nightmares." Uther didn't reply, other than to continue to glare at her. So she went on; "When I was a child, you were the boogeyman who was going to take me away from my family. Even as an adult, you scared me," she said, shrugging. "But then I saw the truth: you were just a man, driven by hatred. Someone of whom to be cautious, but… you don't scare me anymore, because you don't hold any power over me."

It was a revelation that was entirely freeing to her, and one that, judging from the look of pure hatred on Uther's face, was infuriating to the King. That, in and of itself, was a plus in Merlynn's eyes. She smiled. "Do you know what a magically binding oath is, Sire?" she asked, sitting down on the chaise next to him. He leaned back in disgust. "It's a vow that anyone who possesses magic can make. It's simple, really; you stipulate a goal, and consequences should that goal not be met, and then just pour magic into it. It must be constantly sustained, but it's a minor magical cost."

Uther was starting to look alarmed, so Merlynn cast a quick silencing charm on the door. "Witch! What did you do?" He looked utterly terrified now. Merlynn elected to ignore him.

"I hereby swear, on my magic and my life, that I will never intentionally cause serious harm to Camelot or any of its inhabitants, unless they themselves pose a threat to Camelot. In particular, I swear that I will never intentionally cause serious harm to Arthur. Mar sin beidh sé." She felt her magic rush to the surface, spreading all over, and making her skin tingle. From Uterh's horrified expression, she guessed her eyes had glowed gold. "I hope you can rest easier now, Uther," she said. Despite feeling a little smug at having pushed the man so off balance, she was sincere. She had been scared and angry before, but Uther was no threat to her, and if he tried to become one, she would deal with it. He held no power over her.

And with that, she walked out, leaving the King of Camelot both shaken and speechless. Now all she had to do was track down her uncle and get to the bottom of what started the Great Purge, figure out exactly how she felt after the past few days, and talk to Morgana.

After what she'd just done, she thought she might just be able to handle it.

/*/

Luckily for Merlynn, her uncle was not too hard to find. She came across him as he exited Arthur's chambers.

"I've given him a sleeping draught, he'll need all the rest he can get," Gaius said, gesturing for Merlynn to follow him to the physician's quarters. "He'll sleep until morning, it'll be best to leave him be until then."

"I was actually looking for you, uncle," Merlynn said. "There's a matter I need to discuss with you. Privately," she added, eyeing the occasional servants they passed.

Only once he'd closed the door behind them in his chambers, Merlynn felt safe to talk. "I need to know what happened to make Uther start the Great Purge," she said quickly. No need to beat around the bush.

Gaius sighed and sat down wearily at his table. "My child, it is not an easy thing you ask of me. I swore never to speak of it."

"I've already figured out that it's related to the death of the Queen. I just don't see how it relates to magic," she said, a little frustrated that the answer kept evading her.

For a moment, her uncle didn't reply. Then, he sighed and motioned for her to sit at the table opposite him. "It isn't an easy thing to speak of, and I am ashamed of what I did in its aftermath," he started to say, staring off, his mind in the past. "Camelot in those days was a very different place. In a way, it lay in the eye of a storm: while life was calm and peaceful here, the surrounding lands were fraught with dangers. Many magical folk used their talents for ill. Camelot was a safe haven for both those with magic and without, who wished to live in peace. The King was young, and tried to be tough on all who breached the calm he'd created. He had many enemies, and no heirs."

Gaius focussed his eyes on her again. "Don't misunderstand me, Uther was very much in love with his wife, and for many years, they tried to conceive naturally, using herbs and crystals at the most. But it soon became clear that the Queen could not conceive. Against my advice, and without my knowledge, Uther went to his court sorceress, Nimueh, for help. Even back then, she was powerful, ambitious… and there was something she wanted desperately."

Merlynn frowned. "If she was the court sorceress, you must have known her. What was it she wanted?"

"At the time, she was betrothed… to Balinor, your father," Gaius said hesitantly.

"What?" Merlynn breathed. "How? But, I don't…" She didn't even know what it was she was trying to ask. How had that happened? And had they… had he…?

"It was a match of convenience, arranged by Nimueh's mother Vivaine. Nimueh, however, wanted more."

Merlynn grabbed the end of her braid and nervously played with it. "This is all very… disturbing, but I still don't see how this has to do with the Purge," she sighed.

"It was the boon she wanted from Uther. Magic was not very well governed, but there were laws regarding certain types of magic, like blood magic and some powerful potions. The King, however, could grant someone permission to use it without consequence."

Merlynn frowned. "Nimueh was in love with- with Balinor, but he didn't love her… a love potion?" she surmised, a little disgusted. There was little that was entirely one's own in this world; she had thought that one's thoughts and feelings were firmly in that category. She supposed Sophia had been proof of that, but she'd been an evil fea creature, not a human being wanting to take away the will of another. And for what? No potion could recreate what she felt for Arthur.

Gaius nodded gravely. "Uther granted it, though reluctantly. He and Balinor had never been friends, but they had always respected one another. But this was a deal made by two powerful, yet desperate people. So, Nimueh provided Uther with the means to conceive an heir, and Uther wrote out a pardon for Nimueh."

"Again, disturbing, but I don't… wait, how could Nimueh help Uther conceive a child? I thought he had already tried magic?" she asked, confused.

"Not this magic," Gaius said, and a weight seemed to come down on his shoulders. "There is a power called 'mirroring life and death'. Only the most talented of high priestesses could wield it, and even fewer had ever actually used it."

"You speak as though it's evil…"

Shaking his head, Gaius reached for her hands. "No. You said it yourself, once. Magic in and of itself is never evil. It is the power it provides that can corrupt, and then it is people who do evil acts. When used correctly, this power can do great things. But in the wrong hands, it can wreak great evil. Furthermore, it, like all magic, requires balance. In order to gain, you must give," he explained, pulling back his hands.

Merlynn nodded thoughtfully. It had been one of her earliest lessons. "Of course. Every spell requires energy, some need ingredients…"

"But the more powerful the magic, the greater the cost... To give life, another must be taken."

It did not take long for the implications of this to sink in, and Merlynn gasped. "Arthur," she breathed. "The cost for his life…"

With tears in his eyes, Gaius nodded. "It was his mother's life. Uther was desperate to save her, he hadn't known that the life that needed to be given would be that of his wife. Nimueh offered him to exchange his life for that of his wife, but Uther felt that the Kingdom needed him. He thought that had he died and his wife lived, she and the child would have been hunted and killed, and his sacrifice would have been in vain. I want to deny his logic, but… the Queen was a strong, kind woman, but she had never been prepared to rule."

"So instead of blaming himself, he blamed magic?" Merlynn whispered, so filled with horror and sadness that she could scarcely make a sound.

"He hunted all who had even the smallest tie to magic to extinction, human, beast and relic alike. He destroyed them." Gaius' volume matched hers, though his tears had spilled, where hers had refused to do so.

"And you were here," she said, for the first time truly understanding what had happened all those years ago. She'd always looked up to her uncle, but… how could she ever look at him again, knowing he had stood by while others of their kin had been slaughtered?

"I tried to help those I could," he said tremulously, his gaze on the table. "I smuggled your father, and others like him out of the city."

For a moment, neither of them said anything. Merlynn's mind was blank as she went over all that she'd heard and done that day. "I wish I could say that it was enough," she whispered. Her throat felt tight, and she realized that she'd begun crying as well. "Uther drowned babies, burnt innocents to the stake… and you've stood by him." Her uncle didn't reply. "What would you have done? That day that Uther took me from my mother's arms, what would you have done if he'd thrown me in that well?"

She wasn't sure what answer she wanted. That he would have taken a sword to the man who had once been the greatest swordsman in the realm? That he would have left Camelot? That he would have done nothing? "I don't know," was what he said.

Taking a deep breath, Merlynn wiped away her tears. She desperately needed sleep, and maybe that was making her a little more emotional, but she wasn't done for the day. "I need to find Morgana. She saw the truth in a vision and I need to apologise to her."

Gaius looked up sharply. "You didn't confirm her fears of magic, did you?" he asked.

"Of course I did. Someone with that amount of power walking around and no clue how to use or direct it? It's no wonder it was acting out unexpectedly." Merlynn rubbed her eyes, wishing she could just go to sleep and not worry about anything else for the time being. "You don't understand what it's like, uncle. What little magic you have, you can suppress easily, it was something you were taught, not something you were born with. Morgana and I are different. The amount of magic we have cannot so easily be contained: it will burst out," she explained impatiently. "When I was a child, I tried to keep my magic inside, but it manifested itself anyway. Chandeliers would sway, candles would flicker, and I'd trip over everything, knocking things over… it was hard to control my body when most of my attention had to go towards keeping all that power in."

Her uncle didn't reply. "I know you love her like a daughter, but this is not the way to help," Merlynn said.

"If she reveals you, even accidentally…"

"She's in far more danger of revealing me should she try to keep her magic contained, completely ignoring its existence. She needs an outlet every once in a while. And because her magic can manifest as visions, it's quite safe. More so than me needing to move objects every so often." Merlynn stood up. She had one more conversation to get through before she could finally sleep. "Uncle, I love you, but in these matters, I have more experience than you. I'll keep my own council on this." Perhaps she was a little harsh, but she was exhausted, and at the end of her emotional rope. Tomorrow, she could go over everything that had happened this morning, and perhaps she'd feel differently, but for now…

Goddess, she was so tired. She'd only been up for… a good 30 hours, judging by the sun. It was mid-morning by now.

She was so tired, in fact, that she hadn't realized that she'd gone all the way to Morgana's chambers. For a moment, she stared at the door. For all that the conversations she'd had with her uncle and the King had been emotionally taxing, this was the one she was most dreading. Morgana had been her best friend since she was a little girl. She'd been the first noble who hadn't cared about her background, or tomboyish ways. The thought of losing her… it scared her almost as much as when Vivian had found out.

Bracing herself, she raised her hand and knocked.

A/N: So, what are your thoughts? Looking forward to the next chapter? Predictions about the conversation with Morgana? Let me know!