Merlin stared into the hate filled eyes of his king. The smile that oftentimes adorned Arthur's lip was curled down in a snarl. His eyes were narrowed as he glared at Merlin with utter contempt. Merlin felt such a state of shock at his king's reaction that he hadn't even acknowledged his question.
"I won't ask this again, sorcerer." Arthur spat out the word. Letting up on his throat slightly to allow him enough air to breathe, he continued. "What have you done with Merlin?"
"Arthur it's me." Merlin tried to say strongly, but his voice ended up cracked and broken at the end. Staring into the contempt filled eyes of his friend, Merlin realized Arthur still couldn't see him for who he really was. This was going much worse than he had hoped. "I am still Merlin."
Without any warning, Arthur let out a vehement hiss and with all his strength threw Merlin to the floor. He landed in between Arthur and the knights, blocking him off from the only exit in the room. He nearly screamed at the jarring pain pulsating through his back.
Arthur barked out a laugh with a lack of genuine humor behind it. "You are a fool if you expect me to believe that. My manservant was paralyzed just hours ago."
"Please Arthur," Merlin desperately pleaded as he began to stand up, his legs shaking with weakness. The adrenaline and magic that had been keeping him upright was long gone. The side he fell on ached and he knew if he looked it would be covered with dark bruising. "The Druids, they healed me using magic. I swear it's still me. I haven't changed."
Arthur turned away from Merlin. To turn his back to a sorcerer meant that Arthur was beginning to believe that it was truly him. The room was silent for several moments as Arthur was stuck in his own thoughts. Merlin swayed slightly, his injuries beginning to catch up with him, but he refused to fall over. He breathed steadily in an attempt to negotiate with his own body an easier way to keep himself from passing out from pain.
Without turning back to face him, Arthur began speaking again. "Then tell me something only Merlin would know."
Merlin swallowed hard, thinking of anything that may prove without a shadow of a doubt that he was himself.
"The last speech you gave to the council you asked my opinion afterwards, like you always do."
Arthur remained silent as though prompting him to go further.
"I said that you were becoming a great king, the best that Camelot has seen."
Arthur remained turned away from him.
"And I was right. You are becoming the king Camelot deserves."
The silence that ensued was almost too much for Merlin to handle. His eyes remained locked on the back of of Arthur's head as he awaited his judgment. As Arthur turned back to face him, Merlin's stomach dropped. His face was a picture of poorly hidden grief.
"I guess it was foolish to even dare to hope that you weren't Merlin."
"Arthur, I-"
"Don't," Arthur cut off Merlin, effectively silencing him. "You are done feeding me more of your lies."
Merlin's eyes widened. He looked frantically into Arthur's venomous eyes. "I wouldn't-"
"You wouldn't what?" Arthur spat.
Merlin's response was to look shamefully at the ground. "I wouldn't lie to you- anymore."
Arthur glared at him.
"And that is supposed to reassure me? You- you betrayed me." Arthur said disbelievingly stepping away from him. "I trusted you."
Merlin looked back to Arthur. "You can still trust me, Arthur."
"Don't-" Arthur spat. "You dare to use my name when you never told me yours, Emrys." Arthur spat the name out like it was a bitter taste on his lips. You even lied about that too."
"Please, listen to me." Merlin said holding his hands up looking between Arthur and the knights. "It's not what you think."
"It's exactly what I think, sorcerer!" Arthur yelled bitterly. He felt a sick pleasure as Merlin flinched at the word.
"No it's not." Merlin said pleadingly. "Yes I have magic-" Arthur growled at his words and turned away from Merlin. "-but I would never use it against you or the kingdom. I promise that I use it only for you."
He reached out to Arthur, needing to see his reaction for himself. As soon as Merlin's hand gripped Arthur's shoulder he felt a rush of fear. Arthur tensed immediately upon his touch. Merlin had no time to defend himself as Arthur's fist came out of nowhere and made brutal contact. Pain exploded across his face. He was once again dazed and on the floor. His lip split, bleeding freely upon the cool floor that his face now rested upon. The sharp metallic taste of blood pricked his tongue. All his strength he may have had left him as he laid unmoving where he landed. Still out of focus from the blow, Merlin barely realized as Arthur forcefully pulled him to his feet and slammed him against the wall, again reminding him of the injuries his body had sustained.
He couldn't believe what was happening. The pain he felt was enough to remind him the entire situation was not just some elaborate nightmare his brain had created. Merlin blinked several times to clear his blurred vision, but the sight before him made his blood freeze. The look on Arthur's face was one of pure undiluted emotion. In his state Merlin couldn't tell if Arthur's face held rage or grief. His eyebrows pinched together and his lips turned down into a snarl. For the first time in his entire life Merlin could see that Arthur was, in fact, Uther's son.
It terrified him.
"Stop lying to me." He said shaking Merlin hard enough to whip his head with ever syllable.
Merlin couldn't fight the tears spilling out of his eyes. They burned on their way down his bleeding face marking the spots where his betrayal had turned into consequences. Merlin couldn't care less about the pain. The look in Arthur's eyes told him everything that he needed to know. It was the same look he carried after the discovery of Morgana's and Agravaine's betrayal.
Merlin fought back a sob. "I'm not lying anymore."
Merlin could see Arthur preparing to strike him again when it stopped suddenly as a hand grabbed him.
"That's enough." Gwaine's stern voice said.
"It will be enough when I say it's enough." Arthur spat over his shoulder. "Now let go of me or are you an accomplice to this sorcerer?"
"This sorcerer just so happens to be Merlin. He is our friend. A fact which all your narrow minds cannot seem to comprehend." Gwaine looked at each of the knights in the room trying to find at least one of them to back him up. He watched sadly as none met his eyes.
Pity, he had thought so much higher of each of the men in the room.
"You swore an oath for Camelot, Sir Gwaine. It would do you well to remember your place and your duty to-"
"Keep camelot safe." Gwaine interrupted much to the displeasure of Arthur. "I am quite aware of that, but I seem to be the only one aware of the fact that the only reason any one of us is not being executed at this very moment is for the fact that Merlin stopped it from happening. No matter how much you hate to admit it, the fact is that we owe him our lives."
Arthur started to say something, but Gwaine cut him off before he could get a word in.
"You also have to realize that seeing as Merlin is a— sorcerer he could have easily let them off us by not entering the room. This whole complex is riddled with sorcerers calling for revenge, except Merlin. Why would an evil man save a king who had been senselessly persecuting his kind for years?"
"You forget who you are addressing, Gwaine." Arthur spat.
Gwaine stomped his foot down and shoved his finger in Merlin's direction.
"No, you forget all that Merlin has done for you!" Gwaine shouted. He noticed that Merlin's frame tensed up a bit at the increased volume. He took a deep breath to calm himself.
"We are in Merlin's territory now." Gwaine stared unblinkingly at a man he had respected for years. "Killing him out of blind rage will only seal our fates. He is— at least, he was willing to protect us back there. He's the only person keeping us alive and it's imperative that you follow what he says so as to not get assassinated while down here."
"Let me go." Arthur hissed dangerously at Gwaine.
"Not until you let him go." Gwaine stated while matching Arthur's tone.
Arthur glared at Gwaine and then proceeded to release Merlin who promptly fell to the floor. Gwaine released Arthur's arm. Arthur turned to face Gwaine who was breathing heavily. His rage rolled off him in waves, but Gwaine stood his ground against his fuming leader.
"Your insubordination will cost you."
"I wouldn't worry about that too much. As soon as we leave here I will not be returning to Camelot. I could never serve a king that could be such a cruel tyrant."
At that Arthur took a step towards Gwaine balling his fists. It spoke volumes that the intentions he had for Gwaine were quite similar to those that created the bruises marring Merlin's face. Before any more violence could occur, Percival stepped in between the two. The gesture was no act of defiance but one with full intentions of protecting his king. Gwaine bitterly glared at Arthur beyond Percival's bulk. He sent one last seething look to his king before turning on his heel. He lowered himself gently to his knees feeling the aching from the fall that had caused the entirety of this situation. Merlin who was still slumped on the floor didn't even bother to look up.
"Are you alright?" Gwaine asked gently.
"You shouldn't have done that." Merlin ignored his question. His voice had been barely above a whisper. Gwaine snuffed out the heated anger he felt towards Arthur. Merlin didn't need any more violence occurring because of him. What he needed was a friend.
Gwaine grabbed his arm gently to get his attention. "You didn't answer me."
Merlin sighed slowly, shoulders slumping with the exhale. As his chest retracted his frame appear smaller and more vulnerable than ever. Just looking at the state of his friend nearly was enough to convince Gwaine that he wasn't some powerful sorcerer that had been living under their noses for years.
Nearly.
"I'm fine" Merlin settled for the simplest lie he could muster, which Gwaine didn't blame him for. Gwaine raised his eyebrow in disbelief. Merlin was anything but fine. The hurt and pain was locked away and the key lost. Merlin waited, biding his time so he could lose himself in the river of emotions flooding his brain at the proper time.
What else could you do when your entire life falls apart in less than a quarter hour?
He wouldn't lie to himself, the fact the Merlin had locked the secret away from Gwaine stung him. Merlin was his friend and he wished Merlin trusted him enough with the secret of his magic. One more fleeting look at Merlin's broken persona was enough to stop those feelings in their tracks.
"You really are a terrible liar. It's a wonder how you went this long without anyone discovering you."
Merlin didn't say anything and chose to look at the ground and bow his head in shame. Gwaine felt instant regret at causing this obvious guilt to cascade over Merlin.
"I would have told you- told all of you, but-"
Gwaine put a hand up, stopping him from continuing. "You don't need to explain a thing to me. You have always held everyone's best interests in front of your own."
Sending Arthur another glare, Gwaine continued. "I also fully understand why you never told anyone about your—situation."
Merlin gave a sad half smile and then suddenly looked at the door. His eyes widened. "Someone's coming."
"How do you know—" Gwaine cut himself off immediately. "Right, magic."
Merlin glanced quickly to Arthur for his reaction at Gwaine's outright use of the word, but the king said nothing. He seemed entirely focused on the possible threat approaching beyond the door. Gwaine put a hand upon Merlin's shoulder to get back his attention
"Can you do anything about—" he gestured to his bruising face "—you know."
Merlin glanced at Arthur who was still glaring daggers at him and nodded. He began to whisper words that meant nothing to Gwaine, but flowed beautifully together in an odd way. Merlin was carefully touching his injured face as he continued to speak. When he finished his eyes glowed a bright gold. Gwaine had to resist the desire to pull away from Merlin. Magic was always something to fear in Camelot, but right now Merlin needed his support. It wasn't about keeping himself and the others alive either, although that was definitely important. It was about standing by his friend after one of the worst scenarios Gwaine could think of for Arthur to discover his magic. Merlin needed to know that he was not the monster everyone in Camelot thought he was.
After his eyes stopped glowing, Gwaine watched as Merlin's skin seemed to revert back to normal.
"Better?" Merlin asked looking only at Gwaine. Gwaine didn't blame him. He hardly wanted to know how Arthur reacted to Merlin's little magic trick either.
"Better," He answered. "It's a wonder why you never told me about this. It would have made rides back to Camelot a lot easier after fights."
"I didn't heal myself." Merlin gave him a quarter smile. "I only made it look like my normal face."
"Why didn't you heal yourself?"
"I'm lousy at it. I would have needed more time than I had to fully complete it." Merlin glanced at the door. "He's here."
There was a knock on the door not one second after Merlin had spoken. Gwaine stared at Merlin amazed that he never knew that Merlin was more than what met the eye. Merlin got up stiffly and slowly took a pained walk to the door. Gwaine was surprised he was even still standing with the way he looked. He risked a glance at the rest of the men in the room while Merlin made his walk. The Knights looked sad and confused, but Arthur seemed to be swimming in anger. Even though Merlin saved their lives, Arthur was still entirely ignorant of Merlin's sacrifice of his secret for the king. Merlin must have known his secret would not be safe, but he did it anyways.
When Merlin reached the door he straightened his tired frame and put a pleasant façade upon his features.
He opened the door and Gwaine heard a young man's lilting voice.
"Sorry to bother you m'lord but I am here to inform you dinner will be ready very soon. Catherine would be most pleased if you would join her."
"Oh, um. " Merlin said not used to having this much say in matters such as this. "Sire," Merlin said warily, turning his attention to Arthur and praying for an answer. He turned his gaze to the floor in a subservient manner and asked, "What do you wish?"
The last thing that Arthur wanted was to dine with these Druids or Merlin, but at the mere thought of food Arthur felt the pains of not eating properly. He knew the Knights and himself needed food.
Not that he was going to tell the sorcerer that.
"Whatever you think, Emrys." Arthur said with a bitter edge in his voice.
Merlin's face fell. Arthur felt a moment of satisfaction as he knew he just dealt a small blow. That satisfaction lasted but a moment and was replaced yet again by anger.
"I-" Merlin cleared his throat to hide his emotion, "I think that a meal would do us all good."
"Then follow me, if you are ready." The young boy said happily with a bright smile on his face. He innocently missed all of the tension that hung thickly in the air.
They followed the young boy as he led them down long hallways in the underground labyrinth. While he was walking he was spouting all sorts of information on the complex. Merlin barely picked up on any of what the young boy said. He was leaning upon Gwaine slightly who had gladly slung his arm over his shoulder without him even asking. Arthur followed a fair distance behind them and seemed to be whispering heatedly to Percival, Elyan, and Leon. Tears pricked his eyes. Merlin felt his to a sob. What was the point of destiny if Arthur would just hate him for what he is?
His thoughts were disrupted as Gwaine struck up a conversation with the boy, obviously unable the handle the awkward tension that hung in the air as their boots shuffled down the hallway. "I've been wondering for some time what those stacked logs were in the tunnels."
"The tunnel you landed in was usually used to bring water into the complex. Normally it would have been filled by a river, but a rock slide stopped the water from flowing. We use the stacked logs to help control the flow of water coming in. We currently have men up there working to reinforce the ceiling you all fell through and to unblock the cave so we can have the fresh water again."
"That's brilliant." Gwaine said pulling Merlin's slipping arm, securing his grip. Merlin had to agree with that statement. How Arthur could not see the great uses that magic had floored him.
But the problem was Arthur had no true knowledge of magic and its users. In Arthur's eyes, Merlin was just another sorcerer with his own agenda, like the rest of the Druids in the complex. All of them were simply biding their time waiting for the perfect moment to bring Camelot to its knees. Because in the deluded ideas of Camelot, as soon as a sorcerer utters their first spell the destruction of the city and its people becomes the only thing worth living for. If only he had shown Arthur magic's true nature before it came to this.
Upon arrival to the hall, Merlin pulled from Gwaine's grip so as to stand on his own before the doors opened. He didn't know what these people expected of him, but he was at least going to attempt to appear marginally more confident and powerful than his battered body felt. His eyes went immediately to the grand table that held more people than he had been counting on. His stomach turned as he saw nearly two dozen people already seated. Merlin felt his mouth drop open slightly in shock. He glanced to Arthur who appear more composed than Merlin knew he was. Arthur would certainly retreat immediately from the large group of sorcerers. He barely believed that Merlin had not been plotting against him and would surely leave rather than risk the sorcerers turning on them and being forced to trust in the man who would fetch his bath water.
They were ushered further into the room, closing off the risk of Arthur and the knights bolting away. Merlin didn't know what would have been preferable after he was able to get a more detailed look at each person. Each were dressed distinctly from the rest, and in the case of Camelot's fashion, relatively eccentric. They appeared to have no shortage of dye as their clothing was more vibrant than some of the richest women in Camelot. Their floor length robes were colored and patterned in a way that was too complex to have been made without the use of magic.
Just from being in their presence, Merlin knew each of them were exceptional magic users. An aura of power seemed to encircle each of them. It was as though their magic was speaking to him. He felt an excited giddiness bubbling in his stomach, like a warm buzz after a mug of Gwaine's favorite cider. He had never been around this many powerful magic users at one point.
It was almost exhilarating.
As his eyes scanned down the table Merlin noticed that the six closest chairs to Catherine remained empty for each of them. Merlin glanced momentarily to Arthur to gauge his opinion when he realized the king was nearly gaping openly at the ceiling. Merlin risked a quick fleeting glance which immediately turned into am awed stare to better take in the wonderful sight. Swirling flames floated aimlessly above them creating a warm glow for the rest of the room. They ceaselessly moved with no set pattern creating a show of magic Merlin could watch for hours.
His attention was switched as Catherine stood and the others at the table quickly followed suit. Extending her arms warmly to them, Catherine said, "Welcome King Arthur of Camelot, his noble Knights, and of course Emrys. It is my greatest honor to welcome you to our humble home." She bowed her head respectfully which those at the table mimicked without hesitation.
"I wish to express my deepest and sincerest apologies to the King and his Knights. I, myself, judged them rashly and in doing so wrongfully arrested them. The decision to take matters into my own hands, weaving a narrative to fit my own ideas rather than seeking the truth was irresponsibly. If not for the intervention of Emrys, I fear I would have destroyed any hope that the peace we Druids pray endlessly for would in fact come to place. I take full responsibility and hope that my actions have not created irreparable damage to a future relationship with our King and Camelot."
Catherine nodded in Arthur's direction. Arthur face was one of poorly hidden shock. He quickly made to smother the emotion before it hijacked his facial features once more. The last thing he had expected was a sincere apology or the fact that Catherine had referred to him as their king. He shifted uneasily on his feet, a subtle habit he had picked up to cope with situations such as these.
"We all know about the great prophecy concerning the Once And Future King. It foretold of him uniting all of Albion in a land of peace for all inhabiting the area, but we never knew who he was. In light of recent events, we have come to understand that King Arthur is in fact the man who will one day bring that unity. Due to this fact, I would ask that all those holding ill feelings towards Camelot come and talk to me after dinner. We must all trust the judgement that Emrys has made upon King Arthur and his knights. Emrys stated he would stand behind King Arthur's decisions, whatever they may be. Because of this we will no longer look upon King Arthur as a man to be feared, but as our ally and most importantly our leader."
Although Arthur was hiding it well, he was struggling with the fact that these Druids were so quick to change their judgement of him simply because Merlin had said he was this future king fellow. He was confused as to what that title meant for him, but he wasn't about to ask about it now. Percival, Leon, and Elyan all looked uncomfortable and guilt ridden after hearing Catherine reiterate the fact that Merlin had vouched for them. Each had forgotten the high praise that Merlin had given after his sorcery had been revealed.
"I would like you to relate this to your groupings." Catherine paused. Merlin realized she was choosing her next words wisely. "Please notify your members they are entitled to their own thoughts and conversations concerning this, but-" she held up her pointer finger in emphasis, "-encourage them to speak to me if any of them have any concerns."
Catherine then motioned for Arthur to sit to her right and for Merlin to sit at her left at the table. The Knights sat in the empty seats next to Arthur while Merlin sat next to a man about his age that seemed incapable of doing anything but staring at him. Merlin glanced awkwardly at the man who quickly looked away. In total there was about the same number of occupants that there were at dinner parties in Camelot. Eventually people came through and began to deliver food. While the members of the table made simple conversation in between eating, Arthur and the Knights looked rather uncomfortable and out of place. Gwaine, located at the end of the knights, was the only one of them that seemed to be enjoying himself. He was recalling thrilling tales to two women enraptured with the charismatic knight. Merlin almost smiled upon seeing the ease at which Gwaine handle any situation thrown at him.
"You seem to be doing quite well." Catherine noted, drawing Merlin out of his personal thoughts.
"Yes," Merlin replied, trying to ignore Arthur's steely eyes that were boring through him. "All thanks to your healers. They are quite talented at what they do. I would be lying if I said I wasn't envious of their abilities."
"You and me both. Our healers have been chosen due to their special magical talents concerning medicine. In fact, that is where our young decide where they work, wherever they succeed in their abilities, magical or not."
Merlin was felt a longing ache. This small corner of the world created from the horrors of the great purge was a fully functioning magical community. Merlin loved growing up in Ealdor, but he never truly fit in. He could never truly be who he was. Life was constantly hiding his magic and never being able to embrace it.
"What I would have given to have that sort of support growing up."
Catherine placed a gentle hand on Merlin's. "We would have loved to have given you the teaching you needed to thrive, but it seems that your destiny brought you in a different direction.
Merlins smiled at her and snuck a glance to Arthur who was listening to their conversation but not participating. Catherine's eyes followed Merlin's and she turned to Arthur.
"I want to apologize personally to you, King Arthur, for the circumstances under which we met. I wish that it had not taken you falling through the ground for us to meet."
"Likewise." Arthur said simply. He was not exactly looking to elaborate on anything while in the presence of these people. He noticed a slight downward curve of her lips. He knew it was in his and the knight's best interests to be cordial; however, after Merlin's betrayal was unveiled Arthur couldn't care less about politeness. Catherine continued even in spite of the king's rude behavior.
"We had hoped that by spreading legends about the valley would have been enough to sway people from visiting, but our attempts seem to have only brought more ruffians to the area."
Merlin gave a small laugh. "Those rumors have definitely spread through Camelot." Merlin recalled the mythology heard from various travelers passing through. It was common knowledge that the valley was filled with danger. Little did he know legends were created by these people.
Catherine turned to Arthur again.
"Congratulations on your recent marriage. The beginning is always an exciting time. I'm sure that Queen Guinevere is awaiting for your safe return."
"Yes I'm sure she is." Arthur said after a while. Seeing that Catherine was still staring intently at him to continue he said, "How is it that you know so much about recent events in Camelot living down here?"
"We have our sources. Some of our people go out to hunt or trade for medicine and other items we need. We simply overhear events that transpire. Everyone has a job here and is of equal importance. Those present at the table are those who head the groups in which our people work. We hold meals together to talk about anything that may need to be addressed to the people during these meals; however, today is different considering your presence."
Arthur couldn't find the right words to respond to that. His father had always told him that for the people to respect him they must first and foremost fear him. This was an entirely different society. One that responded directly to the individual needs of everyone.
"You wear a ring." Merlin said observantly.
"It's my wedding band." Catherine confirmed his suspicions. She twisted the band around on her finger and her eyes were looking sadly at it. Merlin felt a warmth spread to his face. Her husband was obviously not present at the table and hadn't been earlier.
"I'm sorry. I didn't meant to pry." Merlin responded.
"Don't be sorry, you were simply curious. It was many years ago. We were married after about a year's time, and I was pregnant soon after."
She smiled. Merlin realized that she was reliving those precious moments spent with her love. It was the same as when he thought of Freya.
"At the time the great purge was at its peak and we were- reckless with our magic. We were young and seemingly untouchable. We never thought we would be caught." Catherine looked up. A slight wet sheen covered her eyes. She slowly swallowed. Folding her hands on the table she stopped toying with the golden band. "My husband was taken when it was discovered he was a druid. The stress from the whole situation caused me to lose the child." Her tone was nonplussed, but her eyes bore a heavy burden. After that I found a Druid camp that was in hiding. After some time we decided to move to a safer location, one hidden from those trying to harm us." She gestured around the room. This complex begun formation soon after."
Catherine suddenly turned to Arthur who sat there awkwardly and said, "I don't blame you for what has happened to me in my life. I was filled with anger years ago that I never thought I would move passed, but now things are different." She glanced to Merlin. "I know that I must move on."
Her words had been rushed as though afraid Arthur would storm out if before she had the chance to explain. She took a calming breath and continued. "We must all choose to forgive each other for past actions if we ever wish to move on and grow."
Merlin broke out into a smile. He may have been worried about Catherine when they first met, but she was proving to be an incredibly wise woman. Arthur looked at a loss for words and simply nodded to acknowledge Catherine's sentiment.
"My turn to pry," Catherine said turning to Merlin. "There must be a special someone for the prophesied Emrys to keep him company."
"No," Merlin replied. His tone was less open. It was a subtle change, but a change nonetheless. If Arthur hadn't been scrutinizing him for anything that would confirm his betrayal further he would have easily missed it. "I have plenty of friends back at Camelot to keep me company."
"Have there been any that have caught your eye?"
"Not recently, no."
Arthur was taken aback by the sad and slightly uncomfortable manner Merlin held himself in. 'Not recently.' What was that supposed to mean? Had Merlin been keeping more secrets than just his magic? Of course, Merlin had never truly been able to confide in Arthur. If there had been any sort of friendship developed between the king and his manservant over the years it was completely unbalanced. Merlin simply stood by while Arthur could use his counsel whenever he needed or reject it as he saw fit. Looking back on it now Arthur felt no remorse for the treatment he gave Merlin. He was his bloody manservant after all while Arthur was the king of Camelot. He was under no obligation whatsoever to make his manservant feel as though they were friends. Arthur had been more than lenient with Merlin's insolent behavior in the past. Now Arthur saw Merlin's disrespectful attitude towards him as a way for Merlin to act out against Camelot in the open while being a sorcerer in secret.
"Who was she?" Arthur asked talking to Merlin for the first time that dinner.
Merlin looked at him momentarily surprised. He hadn't expected him to acknowledge him let alone speak to him. He considered what he should say. "Just a memory now."
The rest of dinner went by relatively smoothly. The man next to Merlin eventually broke out of his shocked stupor and began to bombard him with an array of questions concerning magic. Arthur attempted to eavesdrop on the traitorous discussion but eventually gave up due to the complexity of the subject they were discussing. Catherine continued to make light conversation with Arthur about the complex and apologized several more times for her actions and the actions of several individuals that were not present at dinner due to their ill feelings towards him.
Arthur didn't know what to think. He always thought that magic users were instantly evil, but these people at dinner seemed like anyone from Camelot. As much as Arthur wished it to be true he could find no ill intent in Catherine. Her husband had been murdered by his father and yet she welcomed him with open arms to sit next to her at her table. The son of Uther was welcomed as a guest to those that had lost so much because of the actions his father took. As they were finishing up dinner Merlin turned to Catherine and quietly asked if he could have several more sets of blankets brought to his room.
"Of course," Catherine answered immediately. "May I inquire why?"
"No disrespect intended, but I would sleep more soundly if the King and his Knights stayed with me to avoid...unfortunate incidents."
"I understand completely. I only wish that one day all will come to terms with everyone's past actions."
Arthur overheard this quiet conversation and didn't know how he should feel about it. Merlin was a sorcerer and therefore evil. Why was he still trying to hold his elaborate lies together into one cohesive story? Why was he still protecting them?
I promised myself that I wouldn't make too many author's notes because I really wanted the story to speak for itself, but I had to make this. I want to give a HUGE Thanks to all of you for your support. I really appreciate the reviews, follows, favorites, and even those of you just reading the story. It brings me so much happiness that you are enjoying this! Please continue to give me your support as this story progresses.
THANKS AGAIN!