"Arthur?" Gwen knocked softly before opening the door. Arthur was sitting at his writing desk, flipping through some documents. Her throat caught a little at the sight of him, his shirt slightly opened, his hair tousled, his brow furrowed.

"Gwen," he looked up at her, and smiled. "Come in."

He gestured for her to have a seat by the desk. "I wanted to check in on you, I just heard the good news."

He sighed and shook his head. "I don't know that 'good' is the word I would use. Merlin is to be my brother-in-law."

She laughed. "They've loved one another for so long, they just took a while to realize. I'm happy for them."

He nodded. "Yes, and now I have to make Merlin a nobleman. Oh, and Court Sorcerer, apparently. Did they tell you that bit? That Merlin's a bloody sorcerer?" His teeth clenched saying the word 'sorcerer.'

"What better match for a sorceress, I suppose?" Gwen said. "How was it? Finding out, I mean. Merlin said you'd overheard them?"

"Ah, yes, in a cave after they parted ways with Morgause. Lancelot and I watched her leave, and waited for Morgana and Merlin to leave the cave, but they didn't. After awhile, we became concerned that she'd done something to them both, so finally we left our cover and approached the cave. That's when we heard…"

Gwen furrowed her brows and waited for him to continue.

"We heard… Merlin… and Morgana… you know," he flushed slightly. "Merlin… bedding my sister!"

"Oh!" Gwen stifled a laugh with her hand. "Oh no, that's terribly awkward."

"It was disgusting, is what it was. I know Morgana has always enjoyed… toying… with men's affections, and Merlin's been lovesick for her since he showed up in Camelot, so I assumed that's what it was, just a tryst, and would hardly be poor hapless Merlin's idea. Obviously disgusting, but should be none of my concern what Morgana does in her free time, so long as she's discreet about it. I'm not my father. My father would have had him beheaded. Anyway, when we'd approached the cave, they had just… finished…," he shuddered in disgust. "And that's when we heard their conversation."

"…I don't want to leave your embrace," they heard Merlin say. Arthur made silent gagging gestures at Lancelot, who rolled his eyes and shook his head, grinning. They were turning to leave the cave entrance when they heard Morgana's voice.

"This is why we must tell Arthur soon. I don't want to wait any longer to be with you, to be wed."

Arthur tripped over a tree root and nearly fell on his face, before Lancelot caught him.

To be wed to the princess of Camelot," Merlin continued. "You're much more than I'd ever hoped for in life."

Arthur shook his head. No. Absolutely not, this was not happening. But what he heard next nearly stopped his heart.

"You're the greatest sorcerer in history, surely you had high aspirations?"

No. He didn't just hear that. He looked over at Lancelot who sighed deeply. He must have heard wrong.

"Surely when you imagined your life, you didn't imagine being wed to a sorcerer who is also your brother's manservant?"

He didn't mishear that time. Merlin was a sorcerer.

He felt the rage building in his chest, and without thinking, he began to draw his sword. Lancelot caught his arm and shook his head frantically, before pulling him back behind the cover of the trees. Arthur struggled against him, but Lancelot had him firmly in his grip and wrestled him to the ground, with a hand over his mouth.

Arthur shook with anger, watching Morgana and Merlin mount their horses. Sorcerer. Merlin was a sorcerer all this time, and he'd lied to him. And not just any sorcerer. The greatest sorcerer in history? His manservant? Awkward, clumsy, rather stupid Merlin? His friend Merlin? Had lied to him for years? His eyes stung with tears. Stupid. He'd been so stupid. And now he's seduced his sister. To what end? To wed his only heir? Was he a threat? Was he going to try to take his crown? He needed to take care of this now, he needed to…

"Arthur!" Lancelot said sharply. "I know how betrayed you must feel, but he has always wanted to tell you about his magic, he just never wanted to come between you and your father."

"You knew?" Arthur said incredulously, the hurt in his voice apparent as he pushed himself out of Lancelot's grip. "You knew and didn't tell me?" he accused. He punched Lancelot square in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.

Lancelot groaned, holding his jaw as he stood back up. "He didn't intend to confide in me. I found out by accident, when I first came to Camelot."

"Who else knows?" Arthur demanded, his entire body trembling in rage.

"Morgana, obviously. Gaius as well. His mother, of course, and a few from his village."

"Gwen?" he asked.

"I don't believe so, no."

Arthur exhaled with relief. At least there was still someone he cared about that wasn't hiding secrets from him. He paced the grounds without speaking but highly agitated, Lancelot watching him with a nervous eye. Finally, Arthur came to a stop and turned suddenly back to him.

"Okay. Okay, I understand not telling me when he first arrived, but was he ever going to tell me? My father's been dead for months!" Arthur said, starting to sound more hurt than angry.

"Since you found out about Morgana's magic, he was planning on it. He wanted to give you space to figure out what to do about magic users in Camelot," Lancelot said. "And he didn't want to add to your pain since your father died."

"Father would have had him executed," he said, frowning.

"Which is why he never wanted to put you in the position of having to lie for him. He hated it enough that Gaius and I had to. Morgana, of course, has been hiding her own magic for years since it manifested."

"That's what she left out of her story, that didn't quite make sense… where did she even learn magic from? She said from books, but she learned from Merlin, didn't she? She called him the 'greatest sorcerer who ever lived.'"

"And Gaius, yes. When she began having visions, she discovered Merlin's magic. I gathered they'd gotten rather close as a result. I could tell when I returned to Camelot. They steal secret glances when they think no one else is looking."

"You knew about their relationship too?" Arthur accused, getting angry again.

"No, no, I had no idea they were… um… consummating… their affections. I could just tell there was something there that hadn't been when I left Camelot. Obviously something developed while I was gone."

"I should have known. I've known it for years, his infatuation with her. My sister! And he wants to wed her! Become my brother-in-law! And if I were to die without issue, he would become the king consort. Merlin! King! Can you even imagine it?" Arthur said in horror.

Lancelot laughed. "Well, then, I suppose you'd better get started on making some new heirs."

Arthur frowned. "Speaking of which…"

Lancelot smiled sadly. "I know you love Gwen. I love her too. But she doesn't love me, not the way she loves you at least. I can't compete for her affections, and I wouldn't dream of it, not against my king and friend."

"If there is already something between you…"

"There isn't, not any more. There might have been, could have been, if I had stayed in Camelot. But my pride and ambition got in the way of that."

"My father's prejudice got in the way of that."

"Well, it's led to his son finding his queen," Lancelot said. "Come, let's check back in with the guard, and then spend the night in the tavern. I think you need a night or maybe two to process this before you face your sister and your new brother-in-law."

"My brother-in-law!" Arthur groaned miserably. "Sire to a dozen little Merlins, calling me Uncle, and setting my castle on fire with their minds. Is there no way to undo this travesty? Never! I won't allow it!"

Lancelot laughed. "You'll grow used to it, the magic."

"Honestly, the idiot's magic is the least of my concerns at this point. King Merlin! Bloody hell!" he said miserably.

They drank themselves into a stupor at the tavern, Arthur continuing to lament the many horrors of the situation of which he was now cursed. He alternated between angry and hurt, to empathy and understanding. Lancelot told him all of the stories he knew, of the times Merlin had saved them with his magic. Of the things Merlin had confided to him about his magic, about the guilt he felt hiding it from Arthur. He assured Arthur that lying to him was the worst thing Merlin had done.

By the morning, Lancelot was sleeping with his head on the table, and Arthur was emotionally and physically exhausted. He was finally resigned to the fact that, because he loved his sister, he had no choice but to allow her to wed his idiot servant, if that's what she truly wanted. But how could he forgive Merlin for his betrayal?

Arthur paid for two rooms and they went to sleep the day away. Lancelot woke him up for supper, and then they traveled back to the castle.

"You… aren't going to execute Merlin, are you?" Lancelot asked wearily as they approached the gate.

Arthur frowned. "Not yet anyway."

When he woke up in the morning, he dressed himself and drafted a royal decree legalizing magic. When Merlin came to serve him breakfast, he handed him the sealed scroll and told him to deliver it to the clerk for publication that evening. It was all he could do to not punch Merlin in his stupid face.

"Well, that explains why Lancelot has a bruised face," she sighed.

"That's your first concern? Lancelot's pretty face?" Arthur scowled.

"Of course not," she huffed.

"Perhaps you'd rather go ask Lancelot how he fares," he grumbled.

"Perhaps I shall!" she said indignantly. "After all, I am a single woman, unattached from any promise."

Arthur flushed. "That's not… I didn't mean… dammit," he said, as she slammed the door on her way out, nearly catching on her long powder-blue gown. For Camelot's most eligible bachelor, he was a real sod when it came to women.

He stood up and went after her, stopping her just in front of Morgana's door. "Guinevere, I…"

They looked at each other in discomfort as moans emanated from Morgana's room.

Arthur looked sick. "Can we talk somewhere away from… all of that?" he asked, gesturing wildly at the door.

She closed her eyes and nodded. "Yes, I think it best."

He offered his arm, and they walked down the corridor to find privacy. They stopped at a balcony overlooking the courtyard.

Arthur sighed. "I apologize for being standoffish lately. But since bringing Lancelot back, I wasn't sure, I just thought…"

Gwen frowned. "You thought my feelings for you would just disappear when Lancelot came back?"

"I didn't want to pressure you to make a choice," he admitted.

"But you haven't given me a choice at all, Arthur. After the night of your coronation, after we…" she huffed. "You haven't a moment of time for me since. Is that because you were busy or was it because Lancelot arrived the day after your coronation?"

He sighed. "I'm never too busy for you, Guinevere. It was that I saw how much you care for him, and…"

She cut him off. "And you thought I was just warming my bed with the King until the knight I truly loved returned?" she scowled at him. "Arthur, that's absurd."

"I love you enough to let you go. If you would rather be with Lancelot…," he said, not finishing the sentence. He looked out over the courtyard, his elbows on the ledge, not wanting to see the truth in her eyes.

She sighed, looking at him with exasperation. "No, I wouldn't. Yes, I once loved Lancelot, but that time has passed. He left Camelot, he didn't invite me to go with him, and I'll admit, at the time, I was tempted to go anyway. I do not regret my choice; my home is here, with my friends and my brother. And you. Time healed that loss, and I came to love you instead."

"Are you certain, Guinevere? Do you truly want to be with me and not Lancelot?" he asked, turning his head to look at her, his expression hopeful.

"Yes, Arthur. I love only you," she said firmly.

He turned to face her, taking her hands in his. "Then marry me."

"You're serious?" she asked, shocked.

"Absolutely. We'll marry after Morgana and… Merlin… do," he shook off his disgust, and dropped to one knee before her. "Guinevere, will you do me the honor of marrying me? Be my Queen?"

"Okay," she said, shyly. "Yes, I'll marry you."

He grinned and swept her into his embrace.

"Let's not upstage Morgana's wedding though, okay?" she said, kissing him. "She's waited for this for so very long."

He sighed. "Very well, I suppose you're right. We'll wait to make the announcement until after they've wed," he said, kissing her again.

"A secret engagement? How mysterious and romantic," Gwen grinned, kissing him again.

. . .

That night, Merlin was roused from his sleep by Kilgharrah.

"It is time, Warlock," the dragon flapped. "I have done all you asked, and now you must free me."

"Okay. But when I release you, you won't harm Camelot. Uther is dead, the time for revenge has passed. Arthur is bringing magic back, and next we'll work on uniting Albion under his rule. You have no quarrel with him nor Camelot any longer. Morgana says that dragons will return as well."

"Your mate speaks what I hope is the truth. You have my word, as my kin. To reward your efforts, I shall bring a message to your father that it is safe to return to Camelot."

"Your kin? My father?" Merlin asked, stunned. "What do you know of my father?"

"That is not my story to tell, Warlock. Now. Release me," he roared.

Merlin struck the chain with Excalibur, and watched as the Great Dragon flew off into the night sky.

Merlin suddenly had a lot of questions he needed answered.