"Dragonlords?" Merlin repeated. "I've never heard of such a thing."

Gaius sighed, fidgeting with his mortar and pestle. "There were once men who could talk to the dragons, tame them."

"What happened to them?" Merlin asked.

"Uther happened to them," Morgana said, pained. She squeezed his hand comfortingly.

"Uther believed that the art of the dragonlord was too close to magic. So he had them all rounded up and slaughtered," Gaius explained, still pacing the floor of his laboratory in front of his young ward and his future bride.

"And my father is a dragonlord? Why did no one ever tell me?" he said, becoming agitated.

Gaius stopped shuffling across the floor, to look him in the eye. "I wanted to. Your mother feared it would be too dangerous. She wanted to protect you."

"No. I had a right to know," Merlin said, visibly hurt by their secrets.

"Of course you did, my boy. But just like hiding the truth about your magic from Arthur, the secret was kept to protect both you and your father. I helped him, helped Balinor, escape. Your mother took him in."

"She stood up against Uther?" Merlin said, in awe.

"Yes," Gaius replied.

"She was brave," he said, looking at Morgana with a teary smile.

"Much like her son," she said, and kissed him gently.

Gaius shook his head, still not having processed that his ward was to wed the Crown Princess of Camelot. "She was very brave. When Uther discovered where Balinor was, he sent knights to Ealdor to hunt him down. He was forced to flee."

"And now, he's still out there? The dragon will send him home?" Morgana asked.

"It would seem so. Now it's safe for him to return to Camelot. You'll meet your father, at last, Merlin," Gaius smiled.

Merlin nodded, looking a bit dazed. Gaius took his leave to attend to his patients in town.

"You'll meet your father," Morgana repeated, and smiled. "My future father-in-law, the dragonlord. Wait, does that make you a dragonlord, as well?"

Merlin look dazed. "I guess we'll soon find out."

"Come, my love, you'd better get to the training yard, lest Arthur be angry." Morgana gestured at the door.

"Please don't stay and watch again, it's humiliating," he groaned. "He's forbidden me from using magic to spar, so he just beats on me. He hits quite hard too!"

Morgana grinned suddenly. "He forbade you from using magic, but he said nothing of me."

"Oh no, you'll just get me in worse trouble," he cringed.

"Just enough to keep you off the ground, nothing that Arthur could detect, I promise. Besides, I can't have you battered and bruised again tonight," she said seductively in his ear.

He groaned, pulling her close. "Forget tonight. Do we have time right now?"

"Not unless you want Arthur even more angry with you," she laughed, giving him a quick kiss. "Come on."

. . .

Morgana watched as Merlin gripped the practice sword tightly, ducking behind the practice shield. She would need to do some instruction with him herself, she mused. His footwork could use a lot of assistance. All of him could use a lot of assistance.

Even with her magical intervention, Merlin still ended up on the ground for the majority of their sparring, and she could tell Arthur was still holding back. By the end of the practice session, he was pretty beat up, although considerably less so than he had been the day before.

"Merlin, I think you slightly improved. Which means you're still absolutely terrible," Arthur said, walking away with a grin.

"Thank you, Sire," he said, still on his back on the grass.

Lancelot offered him a hand with a laugh. "My friend, please don't take offense, but I don't think your talents lie in swordplay."

"No, they certainly do not," Merlin huffed, brushing the dirt off himself once he was back on his feet. "It hurt a lot less when all I had to do was hold a shield."

"Not every man's a fighter, Merlin. Turns out you were a lover all this time," Gwaine said, turning to bow to Morgana with a smirk. She rolled her eyes good-humoredly and curtsied, then returned to the castle, leaving Merlin to the mercy of the Knights of Camelot.

"I still can't believe you're marrying Arthur's sister. It's a little weird, Merlin," Elyan said.

"Why is it weird?" Merlin asked, afraid to know the answer.

"Marrying Arthur's sister would be like… well… like if Arthur married my sister. I can't imagine thinking about them… you know…" Elyan said, making gagging sounds.

Merlin laughed nervously. "Yeah, weird."

"Weird for Arthur, but isn't it weirder for Merlin? Do you think about Arthur when your head is buried under his sister's skirts?" Gwaine said, as the rest of the knights laughed uproariously.

Merlin groaned. "Oh no, that's just not even a bit okay…"

"Let poor Merlin be. Save it for the stag party," Leon said with a chuckle, shaking his head at the unruly knights.

"I just realized. Elyan and I are leaving with Agravaine at the end of the week. We won't miss your stag party, will we?" Percival asked.

"Not if we hold it tomorrow night," Lancelot suggested, clapping Merlin on the back. "I'll go tell Arthur the plans."

Merlin groaned again but he knew there would be no talking them out of a night at the tavern.

. . .

The Knights were already well into their cups by the time Merlin arrived.

"Merlin!" Elyan shouted! "It's about time! What took you so long? Let me get you a drink!"

"Until Arthur finds a replacement, I'm still on duty as his manservant. He's made the job especially… challenging… lately," Merlin said to Lancelot, as Elyan had already staggered away.

"Why not just use magic to finish the tasks?" Lancelot asked.

"I don't think Arthur's very comfortable with my magic at the moment. Or me marrying his sister and joining his Court," he sighed, looking over at Arthur playing dice across the room.

"He will accept you. He has accepted you. He wouldn't allow you to marry his sister if he hadn't. With time, he'll forgive you entirely," he said, taking the drink from Elyan and putting it into Merlin's hands. "Now, drink, friend. Tonight we celebrate."

"Tonight we celebrate," Merlin said with a grin, taking a swig of his ale.

By the end of the evening, most of them were quite intoxicated, singing drinking songs and losing their coins at dice. Several of the Knights had gone to flirt with girls in the tavern, leaving Merlin and Arthur alone by the hearth.

"I'm glad you came tonight, Arthur," Merlin slurred. "It means a lot."

"I didn't have much of a choice, it's my future brother-in-law's stag party, after all," he said, gesturing for another round.

"It's not just that. I would want you here even if it wasn't your sister I was marrying," Merlin said, turning his mug upside down, confused as to why it was empty.

Arthur took the empty mug and placed a fresh one in front of him. "And I would be, and would probably feel much more enthusiastic about being here, if you weren't marrying my sister."

"Well, I'm glad you're here. Because you're my friend," he said, taking another swig.

Arthur sighed. "I consider you a friend too, Merlin. I just wish you'd told me about your magic instead of hiding it from me."

"I do too," he said, looking down into his mug. "I was just afraid. I'm a bit of a coward, you see."

"That I already knew," Arthur smirked.

"I am. It's true. Not afraid of dangerous stuff, but how others would see me if they knew the truth, especially you. If it wasn't for Morgana, I would have made some really big mistakes. I wouldn't have told her about my magic either. She would have been alone and afraid, and she would have turned away from us, away from me. She would have destroyed Camelot, and in the end…" he frowned.

"Morgana told me," Arthur said, his brow furrowed.

"She's so brave," Merlin said wistfully. "And clever, and beautiful, and she smells nice," he hiccupped and continued. "Her magic is powerful and she wields it with a confidence I've never had. And if it wasn't for her, we'd have never… I would never have…" he flushed, taking another drink.

"Oh, I'm fully aware of who seduced whom. I'm no fool, Merlin. I don't begrudge you falling for her charms, either. Yes, of course, she's a beautiful woman, and for some unknown reason she wants you. I don't blame you at all. In fact, I didn't think you had it in you," Arthur laughed.

"I tried to resist, I did. But I couldn't help it, she's very convincing. I just love her so much," Merlin said, getting weepy.

"She obviously loves you too," Arthur said, shaking his head and taking another swig of ale.

Merlin smiled, his vision blurry. He blinked several times trying to make sense of the image in front of him, over Arthur's shoulder, when it finally clicked. He raised his hand and his eyes flickered to gold as he commanded "Swefe nu!" at the figure in front of him. The man immediately slumped down to the floor, the dagger he'd been about to throw still gripped in his hand.

"Merlin!" Arthur said, as Merlin passed out, his head hitting the table.

"Sire, are you unharmed?" Lancelot said, his sword in hand, pulled when he caught sight of the would-be assassin.

"Yes, actually. Merlin, somehow, caught sight of the man and knocked him out," Arthur said. "He saved my life, even completely drunk."

"Merlin has a habit of that," Lancelot smiled, sheathing his sword. "I think it's time he goes home. I'll take care of our new prisoner."

Arthur nodded and, pulling Merlin out of his chair, threw him over his shoulder, leaving the tavern.

Arthur hauled Merlin up the stairs to his room, briefly knocking before entering. Inside he found Morgana working diligently with Gaius on a potion.

"Oh, Arthur, really, what have you done to my betrothed?" Morgana scolded, although her eyes twinkled with amusement. Gaius shook his head and sighed in exasperation, taking the herbs from her. She wiped her hands on her apron and hung it up on a hook before following behind her brother.

"Your betrothed can't hold his drink," Arthur rolled his eyes. "But the idiot did manage to save my life just before he passed out."

"Oh?" she said, helping Arthur tuck him into bed.

"A knife-throwing assassin. Merlin hit him with some magic, and then the ale hit Merlin," he said, pulling off Merlin's boots.

Morgana looked at him with concern. "Another attempt by Odin?"

"We'll find out more when the prisoner awakes. Lancelot took him to the dungeon," he said. "Don't worry, I'm sure it's nothing."

"I'm glad Merlin was there to stop him," she said, hugging Arthur suddenly. "I don't know what I would do if you…"

He kissed her head. "I'll be fine. That's what I have my Court Sorceress for anyway, don't I? One of the two finest healers in the kingdom."

"I can't heal every wound, you know. So be careful," she said, pulling away.

"Always. Can you manage this idiot on your own?" he said, gesturing to Merlin.

"Of course. And I can cure his hangover in the morning, he'll be up in time to resume his regular duties," she smiled. "Thank you for going tonight, it meant a lot to him."

"I know."

"He loves you very much, in fact, I do think he might love you more than me," Morgana said.

Arthur cringed. "I should certainly hope not. But yes, I know full well his devotion. And, Morgana, I wouldn't let you marry him if I didn't think him worthy of you."

She smiled. "He is."

He nodded. "You'll be a beautiful bride, I'm truly happy for you."

"Thank you," she said. "And when are you going to finally ask Gwen to marry you?"

"Morgana," he rolled his eyes. "How about you get married first?"

"Fair enough," she said with a smirk.

"Get some sleep, don't stay up all night nursing this idiot. He's still technically Gaius's problem for a few more months."

She smiled. "Good night."

She pulled a blanket over Merlin, and kissed his forehead tenderly.

. . .

Merlin woke with a tremendous headache and an urge to empty both his bladder and the contents of his stomach. Next to him on the table was a glass of water and a vial of potion with a note from Morgana that said, "Drink me." It may have tasted like toad but it immediately cured his symptoms.

Thank you, he projected.

"You're welcome," she said, entering his room. "I brought you some breakfast."

"It isn't bad enough you're marrying a servant, now you're becoming one?" he raised his eyebrows at the tray she carried.

"Hush, or I'll eat it all myself," she scolded.

He raised his hands in surrender and dug in to the plate of sausages and potatoes now that his hangover had been cured.

She finally decided she couldn't wait any longer. "Merlin, I need to know, that assassin last night. Was he one of Odin's?"

He shook his head. "I don't know, I barely remember him, just saw the knife and cast the only spell I could remember in such an inebriated state. He's lucky he only went to sleep and didn't end up on fire."

"Lancelot already interrogated him, and hasn't gotten any answers. Leon is going to try again later today."

"I'm sure they'll find out. And even if I hadn't gotten the guy, Lancelot was already moving towards him, sword in hand. He would have gotten to him before he hurt Arthur. It was fine."

"That's what Arthur said. But I'm concerned. Odin already killed Uther, but he wasn't his target, Arthur was. I think I should kill Odin and put an end to this."

Merlin shook his head until he could swallow. "You aren't a killer."

"I really am though," she said.

"In self-defense," he said, taking another forkful.

"This is in self-defense," her eyes darkened.

"What does Arthur say?" he said, with a mouthful of potato.

She pursed her lips. "He's against it."

"Then there's your answer."

She frowned. "I can't just do nothing."

He wiped his mouth on the napkin and turned to look at her. "You aren't doing nothing. You're protecting Arthur here. You're protecting Camelot. You are a powerful sorceress and Odin is no match for you, for all of us. Stay here, with me. Keep me safe," he smiled, burying his head into her dark hair.

"You're ridiculous," she said, with a laugh.

"You're beautiful," he said, pulling her in for a kiss.

She pulled away. "And you taste of stale beer and sausage, and smell of a tavern. Finish your breakfast and go wash. Gwen is bringing Arthur his breakfast, but you'll need to go help His Majesty put his royal trousers on soon."

He sighed. "When does the new manservant start?"

"Beginning of next week, you'll have to train him though," she said, walking out the door with a swish of her skirts.

"Thank you for breakfast!" he called after her.

You're welcome, my love.

. . .

"Good morning, Sire!" Merlin shouted chipperly as he barged in to Arthur's room. He saw Gwen jump back from Arthur and grinned at them.

"Sorry to interrupt. I'll come back," he said, turning to leave.

"That won't be necessary, Merlin, I must be on my way," Gwen said shyly, as she quickly exited.

"Apologies, Sire," Merlin said as Gwen closed the door.

"It's fine, it's not like we're off having a go in some cave," Arthur said, rolling his eyes.

Merlin flushed and cleared his throat.

Arthur saw the expression on his face and laughed. "Merlin, relax, don't look so tormented."

Merlin smiled sheepishly, and started to collect Arthur's laundry.

"I, uh, wanted to say, your magic was quite useful last night. Taking out the assassin. That was good work," Arthur said.

Merlin smiled. "Thank you, Sire."

"It's the first time I've seen you use magic. Your eyes change color, like Morgana's do. So, how is it you've managed to use magic over the years but never be detected? Lancelot said you've saved my life, saved Camelot, on numerous occasions."

Merlin laughed. "Well, normally it's more subtle than that, but I was quite drunk and that was the best I could come up with."

"So how does it go normally?" Arthur asked. "How have you hidden your magic so well?"

Merlin shrugged. "No one notices a servant, not really. If during a fight I duck behind some trees and redirect a few arrows and daggers, and cause a few well-timed tree branches to fall, who's to say that's magic and not just bad aim and coincidence?"

"And how often has bad aim and coincidence befallen enemies of Camelot?"

"Not in every skirmish, just when I see there's a chance of you getting seriously hurt. I tried to use my magic sparingly, since I know how you feel about magic, and especially how your father felt about it."

Arthur nodded. "When was the first time you used magic to save my life?"

"The same as the first time I saved your life, the banquet with the witch posing as the singer, Lady Helen."

"The chandelier fell on her," Arthur remembered. "So, you dropped that on her, then. It didn't just happen to fall."

"Ah, yes, a coincidence," Merlin grinned. "My reflexes are not that quick, I also had to slow her dagger down to pull you out of its path."

"Huh," Arthur said. "Lancelot said you helped him slay the Griffin."

"He slayed it. I gave his sword a bit of extra strength is all."

"And in tournaments? Were you helping me then?"

"Definitely not, you've not needed the help. Oh, well, other than revealing those snakes on that one knight's shield, what was he called?"

"Valliant."

"Yes, yes, Valliant. I found a spell to make his snakes pop out early, before they popped out and bit your face when Valliant had his shield against you and it couldn't be seen. But you certainly could have beaten him on your own otherwise. You needed no help, just against his fatal cheating scheme."

"I believe I sacked you over the accusations."

"Yeah, you always were a bit of a prat," Merlin grinned.

Arthur shook his head. "But what about normally? Did you rig the tournaments?"

"Of course not. Frankly, I'd have been happy to see you knocked down a peg or two, I wouldn't help you cheat. My job is to keep you safe, not feed your ego. That's plenty fat enough," he rolled his eyes.

Arthur gave him a dirty look.

"Okay, another question," Arthur frowned. "Could you have saved my father?"

Merlin was taken aback. "Oh. I, uh, I might have been able to, yes."

"Could Morgana have?"

"I don't know. Her power is strong and she's an excellent healer, but I've been using magic my whole life. She's still developing her power. Saving him would have required very intricate magic because of where the wound was. A lot of internal damage that would have been difficult to repair. I have faith in her, but it would have been very complex. I understand her hesitation. Getting it wrong would have caused him unnecessary suffering."

"Would you have saved my father if I had asked you?"

"I certainly would have tried had you wanted me to do so. I know how much you loved him. Morgana too. She wasn't wrong though. He wouldn't have wanted to be saved by magic, he despised it."

"So my father might still be alive if only you'd told me about your magic long ago?" Arthur accused, the hurt apparent on his face.

"No," Merlin said, his expression mirroring Arthur's. "Because if I'd told you about my magic, I would've been lucky to just be banished from Camelot, instead of beheaded like the son of the witch who posed as Lady Helen."

Arthur flinched. "I would never…"

"No, don't say it," Merlin said, blinking back angry tears. "Because you don't know. You honestly couldn't know. Because maybe you would have turned me over to be executed, or maybe you would have just told me to leave Camelot forever, but the idea that you would have chosen me and my secret over your own father… I don't think you would have, I honestly don't, and even so, I wouldn't have let you. It would have eaten you up inside to lie to him. I would have gone the way of Lancelot, hoping that someday when you were king, you might accept me when your father would not, and then how was I supposed to protect you?"

Arthur didn't say anything, just looked at him shamefaced.

"Morgana felt the same way. She wanted to tell you, she hated keeping it secret from you too, it tore her up inside, but she didn't want to put you in that position. And even as Uther's ward, as Uther's secret daughter, we couldn't be sure she was any less likely to end up on the executioner's block. She's at least your sister, we knew you would protect her from Uther if you found out. But me? I'm just nobody," Merlin said, furiously wiping at his eyes.

"You aren't nobody! You're my friend!" Arthur exclaimed, hurt. "And I'm sorry!"

Merlin looked at him in shock.

He took a shaky breath. "I mean it. I'm sorry I wasn't a better friend. You couldn't confide in me, because you couldn't trust me," Arthur said. "I understand why you didn't tell me. I wish it had been different, but I understand why it wasn't."

"I wish it had been too," Merlin said, quietly.

"Why did you stay all this time then? Hiding your magic in plain sight while you worked as my manservant. Because the dragon told you to? Because of the prophecy?"

"At first, yes. But I stayed because you're my friend," he said, firmly.

Arthur looked long and hard at him before answering. "I am your friend."

Merlin nodded and whispered. "Thank you."

"No, Merlin. Thank you," Arthur said.

Merlin grabbed him and pulled him into a hug, and Arthur gave only a small groan of displeasure.

They both looked up at the knock on the open door and jumped apart. "Arthur, it's time for Court," Morgana said, with Gwen beside her, both with eyebrows raised in amusement.

"Yes, well, let's get on with it then," Arthur said, clearing his throat.

Morgana slipped her arm affectionately into her brother's and they walked down the hall, with Gwen and Merlin following behind.