"Gaius! You have to help!" Merlin yelled, tripping into the physician's chambers.

"What is it, Merlin? Is there an emergency? What's wrong?" Gaius burst out from behind a tower of precariously stacked books. He shuffled over, quickly scanning the boy for injuries. Finding none, he stared at Merlin expectantly.

"It's Arthur!" Merlin gasped, gesturing out towards the hall. Gaius turned to grab his medical bag.

"What happened? Is he hurt?" Gaius asked.

"He's not acting right! I think he might be possessed! Well, not possessed... but he... he...- I don't know, Gaius! He just snapped at this ambassador! I've never seen him act like that! What do you think it could be?"

"... You're worried because ... Arthur yelled at a nobleman?" Gaius stepped back, tiredly rubbing a hand across his forehead. He dropped his bag unceremoniously and leaned back against a desk. When Merlin had barged through the door yelling, Gaius had feared the worst.

"No, he didn't even yell at him! He just threatened him. He - the ambassador was incredibly rude - and so Arthur... he... well, he scared the absolute shit out of him!"

"I don't understand...," Gaius sighed, "Arthur reprimanded a disrespectful ambassador... and therefore you believe he is possessed?"

"Yes? No. I don't know. It's just unlike Arthur. He was - I don't know, Gaius."

Gaius chuckled. It seemed that Merlin was still in shock from the legalisation of magic. The physician knew he too was struggling to truly process it. Poor Merlin likely feared it was too good to be true, and now searched for an evil explanation.

"Merlin, perhaps Arthur was just doing his job. He is king now, and he has to maintain authority over his subjects. Especially when severely disrespected, as I gather he was by the ambassador. I don't think it's unusual, Merlin. It may just be a side of Arthur you haven't seen yet."

"I know Arthur better than anyone! He's never been this cold and aggressive. I went to see him this morning, and he could barely look at me! He doesn't trust me!"

While his wording sounded like a concerned 'friend', Gaius heard the underlying message, 'Arthur isn't behaving the way I want him to. He suddenly knows my biggest secret. He is on an equal playing field with me. I'm scared he's changing. I'm scared he's angry with me.'

Merlin had slowly been getting more obsessive and possessive over Arthur. It was unhealthy and now unnecessary. With magic legal, Merlin and Arthur could work together. Merlin didn't need to do it all himself.

"...What was the cause of Arthur's... behavior?" Gaius inquired carefully, searching for the root of Merlin's worries.

"Haldorwin was spouting anti-magic propaganda! He called Arthur a coward and threatened to dissolve the treaty with Bennet!"

"And what did Arthur say exactly?"

Merlin quieted, his lips pursing then pulling into a gentle, proud smile. "Well, that people with magic in his kingdom were still his subjects. And that he refused to hunt them any longer. And that Haldorwin should know better than to threaten him since Bennet relied so heavily on Camelot for protection and trade."

"I wish I could have been there to see it!" Gaius beamed brightly, "Arthur will make a great king. I don't find anything particularly disturbing about that, Merlin."

"What are you talking about? We have to find a way to fix him!"

With surprising strength, rage swelled in Gaius's chest. He'd heard those words before, many years ago. Gaius glared disapprovingly, and a protective snarl forced its way from his lips, "Arthur does not need fixing."

"How can you say that?! He's acting like a completely different person! There's something wrong with him!"

"ENOUGH, MERLIN!"

Merlin gaped at Gaius. He stumbled back, having never experienced such anger from his mentor. He choked back his brewing protests and swallowed thickly.

"The Merlin I know and love would be proud of Arthur right now. You complain that he doesn't believe you anymore, but he has every right to be distrustful. And have you ever stopped to consider that Arthur was putting up as much of a facade as you were?"

"...What?"

"I've known Arthur since the day he was born. He is no fool. You mistake his stubborn faith in you for stupidity. The way we chose to see the world creates the world we see. And Arthur is especially good at burying what he doesn't wish to know." Gaius shook his head in frustration. His voice was laced with guilt and wavered regretfully.

Merlin chuckled darkly. Gaius had never defended Arthur before... "But he never noticed I had magic. I declared myself a sorcerer to Uther's court, and he still didn't suspect me! And he believed me when I told him that he killed all those enemies while knocked out! That doesn't even make sense."

"Maybe Arthur didn't want to see it, Merlin. And even if he had asked you, would you have been truthful? Why is it that you find fault in Arthur's ignorance but not your dishonesty?"

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO TOLD ME TO LIE."

"Yes, I did, Merlin. I admit that I was wrong. I was scared to lose you, as I lost so many friends to Uther's wrath. Are you going to pretend not to understand that?"

"It's different! Now that Arthur knows he's just going to get in the way!" Merlin's chest heaved, and he pulled at his hair. His magic hummed angrily under his skin, the vials and instruments on Gaius's benches beginning to shake and clatter. He turned away, trying to control the crushing anger and fear pulsing his veins.

"Sometimes I wonder, do you care only for the mythical 'The Once and Future King'? What about Arthur as a person, Merlin? What of Arthur Pendragon, whose trusting heart was betrayed continuously? Do you care about how he feels? And I mean right now at this very moment, not in some obscure future destiny. If the druids came and told you the Once and Future King was someone else, would you leave Arthur and go to him? Have you reduced yourself to just Emrys? What of you, Merlin, and what do you believe, prophecies aside?"

"Of course, not! I care about Arthur! It's more complicated than that." The warlock roared, books flying and glass shattering as he turned to face the physician.

"Is it, Merlin? You blame everyone but yourself! You blame Arthur for trusting you, you blame me for misguiding you, you blame destiny, you blame Morgana, you blame Uther!"

"It wasn't my fault! I did what I thought had to be done!" The clay vases on the bookshelves exploded into tiny shards and sticky liquids.

"Well, you were wrong! We both were. And if you don't admit to that, Arthur will never accept your empty apologies!"

Merlin screamed brokenly, and a huge crack spidered across the stone floors. He wiped his watering eyes, blinking rapidly, and stared at the wreck. Sucking in a shaky breath, he whispered. "I need to go clear my head."

"Merlin -" Gaius called after him.

But the warlock was already gone.