Merlin stumbled into Gaius' rooms and greeted the old man with: "Hello Gaius, this is Gareth and his mother Eluned. We should wash up first and change into something different."
Gaius replied, "That's a good idea, Merlin. You are welcome! You must be thirsty, sit down and have a sip of water. I just have to finish this potion, otherwise I have to start all over again. In a moment we can talk about our protégés and exchange ideas about the nonsense they've been up to now.
After Merlin and Gareth had washed and put on fresh clothes, they went back to the adults to eat and drink a little something. Meanwhile Sir Percival was also present. He told Eluned that she was welcome to sleep in Gwen's old home.
It did not take more than 10 minutes when a "MERLIN!" could already be heard from a distance.
Merlin looked at Gaius smiling and he just raised an eyebrow in response.
When a loud "MERLIN!" was heard a second time, Gauis said, "Don't you think you should slowly go to the King?
"I must use the short time to strengthen myself. I'll certainly still need my strength," Merlin replied unconcernedly.
The king pushed the door open and began his triad: "Merlin! What do you think you are doing here? I'm not paying you to sit around. It couldn't have taken you that long to clean out the stables, if you still had help. I've been waiting for hours. You'd think even being king would get a more industrious servant than you." When he noticed that a strange woman and Gareth were also in the room, he broke off. He had thought back and forth for so long about how he should talk to Merlin that he had been pacing back and forth in his chamber all the time. Actually he should have been doing paperwork, but he couldn't concentrate on that and if he was honest, Merlin was usually at his side, commenting on his work. These conversations made Arthur question many things or be even more confident in his decision. If not even Merlin found meaningful arguments against his actions, then it was the right thing to do. By the time an hour had passed, he still hadn't seen a trace of Merlin and lost his temper. His patience was at an end and he fell back into old habits and insulted Merlin as a lazy servant, even though he now had an idea of how wrong it was.
The people in the room bowed and Merlin said, "I am sorry, Sire. Had I known that you wouldn't last two hours without me, I would have let Gareth clean out the stables alone and rushed to you immediately. Merlin looked so serious in his statement that Arthur almost believed him.
"Merlin," Arthur admonished him.
Thereupon Eluned cleared his throat and the king looked at her.
"My king, I thank you not only for offering me shelter, but also for saving my son's life."
The king looked at Gareth's mother and said: "The punishments should be appropriate to your behavior and age. Your son is still young and should be given a second chance to learn what is right and what is wrong." He turned to Gareth. "And I advise you to use this second chance as well. Do not disappoint the trust your knight has placed in you. I don't know how it is that he agrees to be a squire now after all, but I think this suggestion makes sense."
To Merlin, he just said, "Come on, Merlin."
He waved briefly, said goodbye and followed Arthur. "How can I help you, King Arthur," he said, ridiculing his title so ridiculously that Arthur, without thinking, turned around and gave Merlin a slight blow to the back of the head.
Merlin looked at him in shock at first, then he rubbed the spot with a grin. "This is the first time in two days that you have behaved as usual. Considering that 'what-ever' means hitting the back of the head of your so faithful servant, one might already be wondering about your character.
"Merlin!"
"Yes?" Merlin asked.
"Shut up and follow me already."

When they arrived in Arthur's study, Arthur sighed, since he didn't really feel up to having this conversation after all, but it had been almost two days and he wouldn't consider himself

Coward. He had decided not to speak to Merlin about Freya. Merlin should decide for himself when or if he wanted to talk to Arthur about it. "I was just so impatient because this conversation is more than overdue. I know that I could have had it much sooner, but first I had to digest the information that you are a magician!
"And you're sure I really am one?" Merlin asked to ease the situation.
"Yes, I saw you this morning when you stopped a goblet from falling to the ground just to keep us from waking up. Do you often use your magic for such... such...", the king looked for words, "banalities?
"You wouldn't say that if you knew how inedible you are when you wake from sleep," Merlin defended himself.
"Once again you have not answered my question," Arthur said, slightly annoyed. "Do you do magic often?"
Merlin's guilty conscience was written all over his face. He nodded.
Arthur shook his head. "Then how could I not see it?"
Merlin wondered whether he should give a cheeky answer to that again, but decided for the truth. "I don't believe you wanted to see it. I have performed magic so often in your company and you have always been satisfied with a more or less good excuse.
"But Merlin, why? Why do you stay here in Camelot when it could mean the death penalty? Why are you a servant - my servant - and well, serve someone else when you have magic, when you are powerful? Why are you saving my life? You saved my life more than once, didn't you? How many times have you saved my life," Arthur suddenly asked alarmed.
Merlin looked contrite and said, "I'm sorry, Arthur, but I've lost track of it.
Arthur stared at Merlin. "Okay," he just said.
"Okay?", Merlin asked uncertainly.
"I'm asking you to tell me when you saved my life and in advance I want to thank you for it," Arthur said.
Merlin was now completely confused. "You volunteered to listen to me and you thanked me without immediately withdrawing that thanks. You must be either mortally ill or enchanted."
"I am neither one or the other, Merlin. I do not understand you, but I want to understand why you do the things you do. So whatever answers you want to give me, I'm ready," Arthur finally said. He felt anything but ready, but Merlin did not need to know that.
Merlin nodded, thought for a moment and began: "For the first time I saved your life without your knowing it, when you fought Sir Valiant years ago.
This name seemed familiar to Arthur, but he could not place it yet.
"His previous opponent had died of a snake bite, although the knight should have only had battle wounds. I saw that his shield was enchanted, and all night long I tried to bring a dog's stature to life so I could show everyone that Sir Valiant was cheating. Only in the morning did I succeed in casting the spell and I was able to prevent you from being bitten by the snakes unprepared".
"I remember that the knight was very irritated and angry about the snakes showing up at that moment," said Arthur.
Merlin nodded. "Another time I used magic to save you was against the afanc."
Arthur remembered this very well. It had been terrible for him to see his people die. Then he remembered something: "You fell into the throne room because Gwen was called a witch, since her sick father had recovered by magic."
"What was I to do? Gwen's father would have died and I could help him. Gwen became a very good and valued friend very quickly after my arrival in Camelot. I had to save Gwen somehow. In my desperation, I told the truth. I was the wizard who had healed Gwen's father and not Gwen, but no one wanted to believe me. This saved my life, but..."
"Even at that time, you were already protecting Gwen, although I hadn't even really noticed her," Arthur said sadly.
Everyone hung on to his thoughts and it was quiet in the room for a while.
"When we fought the afanc, you used magic to strengthen the fire. Now I also understand how it could be that in such a humid environment such a flame could be created. What more can you tell me?", Arthur asked further.
"Remember the first time you saved my life?" Merlin replied with a counter-question.

"You mean when you drank the poison that was meant for me?"
"Well, the poison was actually meant for me. I must have upset Nimueh because I had thwarted her plans for the afanc. However, she hadn't expected the prince to risk his life for a servant. Gaius told me that I had been mumbling words to myself all the time, and that suddenly a small ball of light flashed in my hand," Merlin said.
"Why did you use magic? Wasn't that very exhausting? Or was it something like a healing ball," Arthur asked.
Merlin smiled and wondered how relaxed the conversation with Arthur was. "No, it was not a healing spell. The small light was connected to a larger glowing sphere of light that was further away."
"You sent the light to me?" Arthur asked in astonishment, anyway.
"Yes. I knew Nimueh would lure you into a trap and I couldn't let you lose your life because of me," Merlin replied.
"Let me get this straight: You were dying and yet you knew I was trapped and sent a light to show me the way?
"Yes," Merlin just said. He didn't know what else to say. He gave Arthur more time to think about what he'd said. After a while, Merlin said to Arthur, "Since you already know about the griffin, I could tell you that I did not allow a certain Sophia to drown you in a lake to sacrifice your soul.
"What?!", Arthur asked in horror.
"Remember when Morgana warned you years ago that she'd had bad dreams? She saw you drowned without a will and watched as a blond woman watched. That scene really happened. I came just in time to save you from drowning. Sophia and her father were not human, but Sidhe and Sophia wanted to buy a life in mortality with your soul. Why she wanted to take your soul for this is a mystery to me," Merlin joked.
Arthur did not go into it and stated: "You saved my life four times within a few months without my knowing it?
"Well, actually it was five times, but who counts a magical being like a griffin," replied Merlin.
"But why? Why do you seem to use your life and magic over and over again to save me," Arthur asked.
"It is my destiny," began Merlin and was interrupted by Arthur as so often.
"Yes, yes, you explained that to Gwen, too, and something about two sides of a coin and all that, but that still doesn't make me understand," Arthur admitted.
"You have been eavesdropping on us," Merlin noted.
"Yes," the king admitted sheepishly. "I didn't want to let Gwen talk to you alone and wanted to be able to intervene if necessary. Merlin looked hurt, and Arthur felt he had to defend himself: "I only knew you could be a sorcerer and that sorcerers were my enemies all my life. I was just afraid for Gwen. I didn't want to take any chances."
"I understand that. I would have done the same in your place," he said, and Arthur could see the hidden sadness behind the words, but said nothing. "I believe that one day you will become a great king who will allow magic to work again, unite Albion, and that your people will live in peace and prosperity," Merlin Arthur's previous question was answered.
"Allow magic and reunite Albion," Arthur repeated tonelessly. "How I would love to give peace and prosperity to my people, but what you say, I will never be able to create," he said, full of self-doubt.
"You are right," Merlin replied. "The spoiled and arrogant prince I met back then could never have managed it, but the king you will one day become, or perhaps already are, will be able to. You are just, loyal, brave, and your heart is in the right place. I firmly believe in this and in you. Believe me, if you hear your fate from a dragon, it will leave a very big impression," Merlin said with conviction.
"Can I hear the words of the dragon myself?" Arthur asked cautiously.
Merlin looked at him in astonishment. "You want to talk to a dragon? You know that it is not just any dragon, but the dragon that attacked us years ago and against which you fought?"
"I know that, but if I have understood it correctly, firstly it is a friend of yours and secondly it listens to your commands. Am I right in assuming that the dragon won't attack me?" he asked again anyway.
Merlin thought about it carefully and nodded.
"Then let's go," Arthur said and already went to the door.
Merlin paused in the movement and asked, "Now?
"What shall we wait for? It's dark by now, it's not so risky for us to be seen," said Arthur full of energy and expectation. Besides, he did not know whether his reason would give him something else in daylight.
Merlin nodded and together they set off.