Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
Chapter Nineteen
"Ah! Merlin. You're here."
Merlin hesitated next to the door. "You wanted to see me, sire?"
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Come in and close the door. Why are you hovering over there?" Once upon a time, not that long ago, Merlin bounced around Arthur's room as though he owned the place. Granted, with the exception of sleep, Merlin probably spent as much time in the room as Arthur did.
Merlin closed the door and took a few steps towards Arthur before stopping at the archways.
"Sit." Arthur used a quill to point to the chair set up on the other side of his desk. "First question – I haven't heard an update from Gaius today. When will you be ready to return to work?"
Merlin eased himself into the chair, watching Arthur carefully. Arthur wondered how long it would take for the nerves and jumpiness to fade and for the obnoxiously familiar Merlin to reappear.
"You still want me to be your servant?" Merlin asked uncertainly, and Arthur rolled his eyes again.
"If I decide to fire you, Merlin, I'll be sure to tell you. Otherwise it's safe to assume you still have your job."
"I could probably start tomorrow with the lighter things. Maybe another week before I can muck stalls or anything like that."
"Excellent. Try to be on time for once, will you?"
Arthur was gratified to see a small smile, although he would have preferred a snarky retort.
"Second question. Well, not so much a question as a project." He smoothed out the sheet in front of him. "I told you we were going to sort through this together, and we are."
Merlin's eyes widened with curiosity. "What did you have in mind?"
"We're going to figure out what you know and what you don't know. It will be two birds with one stone – it'll be a chance for you to tell me everything, and it will also be a chance for us to parse through and figure out the truth from the lies." Arthur hesitated suddenly as a new thought occurred to him. "You will tell me everything, won't you?"
Merlin thought before answering, and Arthur was surprised by the relief he felt at that. It meant he'd get a real answer, not just an automatic reply of whatever Merlin thought he wanted to hear.
"Yes," he said finally. "I'll tell you everything." Arthur could see the uncertain fear in his eyes even as he said the words.
"Thank you." Arthur paused. He wanted to put Merlin at ease, but he didn't know what the younger man needed to hear. "Merlin…you're my subject and my friend. I don't want you to have to hide. Especially since our destinies are apparently so intertwined."
Arthur's words came out awkward and stilted, but Merlin's answering smile looked genuine, even if it was small.
"So here's my plan. We make three lists. Things that you know about our destiny and about you that we know are true. Things we know are false – like being a monster," he said with a stern glare. "And things we're not sure about. That should at least give us a starting point. What do you think?"
Merlin nodded, and Arthur felt like he could take a full breath for the first time in days when he saw the hope in Merlin's eyes.
"I guess I'd better tell you about the first time I met Kilgharrah," Merlin started slowly, and already Arthur had questions. Who was Kilgharrah? Why had he never heard of him before? Did he know about Merlin's magic? If so, had he found out by accident, or had Merlin trusted him enough to tell him?
A knock at the door cut them off before Merlin could explain any more.
"Come," Arthur called, and Sir Leon stepped into the room. The knight's eyebrows raised slightly at the sight of Merlin, but whatever thoughts he had about seeing the sorcerer in the king's chambers, he kept them to himself.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, sire," he said, "but it appears there's some confusion over the new troops going to the northern garrison. Would it be possible for us to review the orders together before they set out this afternoon?"
"Of course," Arthur agreed, trying to push back his frustration and impatience at the fact that he would have to wait before gaining any answers. "Merlin, we'll have to start this project tomorrow, unfortunately."
"Of course. Tomorrow then, my lord," he said, and he stood and bowed before leaving the room. Leon nodded at him as he walked past, his smile friendly, if a bit stiff.
"'My lord?'" the knight echoed, looking questioningly after Merlin, then back at Arthur.
Arthur sighed. He couldn't even remember the last time Merlin had used that title. "Let me see the orders," he instructed, reaching out his hand. "What's the problem?"
"What in the name of the gods are you doing here this time of night, skulking in the dark?"
Arthur looked up with a start to see Gwaine's shape silhouetted in the doorway. "What are you doing here?"
"Just got back from the tavern and realized I left my cloak in here earlier," Gwaine said, lifting it from the seat of his chair. "But I asked you first."
Arthur didn't reply right away, and when he did speak, he ignored the question.
"Do you remember the first time we ever sat at that table?" he asked, nodding at the table in question.
"Of course," Gwaine said with an easy smile. "That's the night you somehow convinced me to become a knight."
"Sir Gwaine, Knight of Camelot." Arthur chuckled. "Strange how charging into a hopeless battle was an easy decision for you, but accepting the honor that came with it made you hesitate."
"The name has a ring to it, I'll admit." Gwaine joined Arthur against the wall and followed his gaze. The table had an almost mystical look in the moonlight coming in from the window. It was rather reminiscent of that first night in the castle of the ancient kings.
"Merlin was the only one who didn't stand up and say something motivational about joining me in battle."
"Because there was never a question with Merlin," Gwaine laughed. "You already knew he would follow you into hell itself."
"It's true. He has always been at my side when I've needed him. Every time." He wandered over to the table, running his fingers along the edge of it until he reached his seat. "Have you ever noticed? Leon always sits to my left, and the rest of you sit over there. But…there's always a gap here. Have you ever noticed that?"
"No, I can't say that I have."
"How come no one sits there?"
Gwaine shrugged. "I don't think it was intentional. It's just a big table with too few chairs. There are going to be gaps."
Arthur nodded. Gwaine was probably right. It was just a coincidence there was space next to his chair, not fate or destiny or a sign from the universe.
Gods, Arthur wished for a sign from the universe. Something to tell him that he was on the right path.
"You're thinking maybe that should be Merlin's spot in the future," Gwaine said. It wasn't a question.
Arthur snorted. "Don't be ridiculous."
The truth was, the thought had occurred to him weeks ago, when Emrys was just a faceless idea. It was one of those idle fantasies that slipped in when he didn't have his guard up. Arthur had thought that if he were real, and if he did turn out to be a friend, then maybe one day he would sit next to him at the round table. Now that he knew Emrys was Merlin, that fantasy suddenly didn't seem so absurd.
But then again, he and Merlin were barely capable of a conversation at the moment, so Arthur was probably getting a little bit ahead of himself thinking about seats at the round table.
When he looked up, Gwaine just smirked at him knowingly, and Arthur sighed. "What do you think?"
"Honestly, Arthur? I think Merlin will always be at your right hand whether you put a chair there for him or not."
Arthur laughed. After a moment though, his expression turned serious.
"What do you really think of his magic, Gwaine?"
"Truthfully?" A grin broke across the knight's face. "I think it's brilliant."
Arthur raised his eyebrows. "Brilliant?"
"Arthur, if you told me that I could pick any man in the five kingdoms to endow with near-infinite power for the sole purpose of helping and protecting you, I would pick Merlin. Every time. No questions asked."
"Huh." Arthur stared at the empty spot at the table with a small smile on his face. He wouldn't say it, but he knew Gwaine had a point.
"Are you going to do it?"
He looked up at the knight. "Do what?"
"Give him a seat at the round table," Gwaine said pointedly.
"It's something to think about," Arthur answered, noncommittal. "One item on a long, long list of things for me to think about."
He half expected Gwaine to make a case on Merlin's behalf or tease him about not hurting himself trying to think. Instead, he just clasped Arthur's shoulder for a moment, giving it an affectionate shake before letting go.
"Get some sleep, Arthur. Your thinking can wait until morning."
AN: I know I'm just the worst when it comes to replying to reviews, but the reviews recently really have blown me away! I read all of them (and sometimes reread them!), and I'm so thankful to everyone who takes the time to leave them! You're the best!