Thank you for the reviews and follows, everyone! I'm glad you're enjoying it! GuestM - I just couldn't resist adding the porridge avoidance in, it was too perfect! Glad you loved it!

Here is the next installment: A missing scene from 1x10. I shan't be posting one-shots in order as they appear in canon, but I as I write them. Thanks again to Lady of Stormness Mountain for being my long-time beta!

Disclaimer - I do not own Merlin...why else would I be writing here? :)

In Defense of Magic

Near dusk, the village of Ealdor ceased their clean-up to prepare something to eat. The day had been a long and difficult one for the small village. More people had died in one day than any other that the eldest villagers could remember. But with the assistance of Merlin, his Camelotian friends, and, unbeknownst to all but Hunith, Merlin's magic, they had survived. And for that, they were grateful.

Dinner was nearly ready. Hunith glanced around her small hut as she brought a loaf of bread to the table. Lady Morgana and Gwen were busy preparing the table while Merlin finished the stew. She was surprised to find Prince Arthur missing. He had volunteered to retrieve more water from the well, but that was some time ago. With a notion of what was keeping the prince, Hunith whispered to her son that she'd be outside for a few minutes and exited the house.

Just as she predicted, she turned the corner of her home to find Arthur sitting on a log with the water bucket near his feet, staring off towards the fields at the last flecks of waning sunlight. Hunith paused at seeing the tension in his posture and the troubled look on his face. Again, she could guess what was puzzling the young man so. Intending to coax a response, Hunith kept her approach soft but not silent. She did not want to spook the young prince, and although she doubted she could do such a thing, she thought it better not to chance it. Once she drew close enough, Hunith placed a gentle hand on Arthur's shoulder.

The prince's eyes widened slightly when he turned his head to meet hers, seeming a little surprised it was her that came to get him. He averted his gaze towards the ground and cleared his throat, clearly trying to school his expression into something neutral. "Hunith, I'm sorry, I was…distracted. I'll get the water. Is dinner almost ready?" Arthur asked as he made to rise.

Hunith, however, knew better. Keeping her hand where it was, she pushed on the prince's shoulder. The pressure made Arthur pause, and he stopped his ascent. Hunith caught the young man's gaze and held it for a moment, getting him to still, before asking, "What is troubling you, sire?"

Arthur dropped his eyes to the ground and sighed, internally debating whether he could—whether he should—bare his heart to her. The struggle did not last long. Licking his lips hesitantly before speaking, Arthur took a breath, met Hunith's gaze again, and admitted, "It's Merlin."

Hunith nodded; she had guessed as much. The incident with magic at the battle's end and the fact that Merlin knew the possibility of it being used left Arthur unsettled to say the least. Hunith remained silent, keeping her attentive gaze on the prince. She squeezed his shoulder encouragingly and gave a small, sympathetic smile. "I'm not surprised," she replied.

From beneath her hand, Hunith felt some of the tension seep out of the young man. He needed to talk about what happened, and despite Hunith being the mother of Arthur's "problem," the prince sensed she wasn't going to begrudge him his frustrations.

"I just don't understand…" Arthur trailed off, looking to the side past Hunith, seeming unsure how to continue.

"What don't you understand, sire?" Hunith gently asked as she removed her hand and clasped her hands in front of her.

Arthur took a breath and looked back up at her, confusion written across his face. Softly, he asked, "Why didn't Merlin warn me Will had magic? Magic is evil."

Hunith forced herself not to react. It took all her self-control to remain neutral at Arthur's unintended insinuation that Merlin was evil. Instead, she gave him a sympathetic glance that was soft and kind. She would need to be careful in answering — balancing protecting Merlin's secret with prompting the prince to think more critically. "Sire, I know you have experienced magic wielded with evil intent; Gaius periodically writes me about the goings on with Merlin and Camelot, but can you honestly call the magic you witnessed today evil?"

That gave Arthur pause. He looked away from her as he thought. Pressing on, Hunith continued, "It was used at the end of the battle, as a last resort when all was but lost, and even then, it was a windstorm—nothing serious but enough to bring about victory. Was that evil, sire?"

Arthur was still looking past Hunith when he began to shake his head. "No," he answered, ducking his head to ponder the ground. "When you put it that way, it makes magic seem more like a sword—good or evil coming from the intentions of those who wield it."

Hunith smiled. "That seems like a good comparison."

Arthur raised his head, a little doubt still lingering in his eyes. "Even so, there seem to be more evil sorcerers out there than good ones."

Hunith tilted her head to the side. "Just as there are more men like Kanen out there than young princes who would defy the orders of their kings to defend a village outside their borders," she countered.

A sheepish smile and a faint blush that was barely visible in the fading sunlight stole across Arthur's face. Nodding in defeat, for he would never voice it aloud, Arthur admitted, "I still wish Merlin had told me. I don't like being surprised in battle, especially by someone on my own side."

Hunith nodded in understanding. "Merlin is a loyal friend, sire. He will do everything in his power to keep his friends safe, even if he is the one that gets hurt in the process."

It was Arthur's turn to nod as he remembered Merlin trying to take the blame for the plague that got Gwen temporarily branded a sorceress and the poisoned chalice he drank from to keep Arthur safe. "I've noticed."

Smiling, Hunith continued, "Merlin may make mistakes, and maybe this incident was one, but he does his best."

Arthur glanced up at Hunith and studied her for a moment. "You knew, didn't you?"

She reached out and squeezed his shoulder again and smirked. "I'm his mother—there's little Merlin can hide from me."

"I think I need you around all the time, then!" The prince laughed, and Hunith smiled wide along with him. Patting his shoulder, she beckoned.

"Come along, sire. Dinner is probably ready, and it won't be much good without water."

Arthur nodded, reaching down for the bucket at his feet, and headed off for the well. Hunith watched him go, intending to wait for him to return. The prince continued to show her that he was a good young man—much more compassionate than his father. Hunith prayed that one day, when the time was right, Merlin would be able to tell Arthur about his gift, and that Arthur would remain as loyal to her son as her son was to him.