Thank you to those of you reading, following and reviewing! It warms my heart to see someone out there taking the time to sort through all the crazy thoughts buzzing around my head and not hating it!

As per usual, I do not own Merlin in any way, shape or form.

Now let's see how Merlin is going to wiggle his way out of this one...

Chapter 8

He looked straight into the eyes of Balinor. "What do I do, father?"

Merlin's heart was pounding in his chest and he was beginning to feel like he couldn't breathe. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. How could Cenred know where he was? His mother died because of him? His mind was racing through every scenario he could think of. Cenred had attacked his hometown to draw Merlin back to his own kingdom so he could take him without causing a war with Camelot. Had his attack been Cenred's men too? Merlin thought back to the week before when his bag was found in the forest and nothing had been taken from it. Merlin had thought that was strange but pushed the thought aside, just happy to have his belongings returned. The thought of returning to Cenred made him want to vomit. His eyes bore into his father's, begging him for an answer.

"He's the one who did that to you?" Balinor asked, nodding to his chest discreetly. Merlin was grateful for that.

Nodding, Merlin answered, "yes. A couple years ago." His father looked furious. They barely knew each other. Balinor didn't know Merlin had existed until an hour earlier but now that he did, there was no going back. He refused to allow his son to be held by that monster again.

Arthur stepped in then, breaking the unsaid conversation happening between father and son. "I'm sorry, what does Cenred have to do with anything? What did he do to you and what does he want from you, Merlin?" Merlin started shaking and looked at Arthur with complete terror in his eyes, shaking his head.

"I can't, Arthur. You'll hate me." Merlin had tears in his eyes. Arthur stepped towards Merlin and gently took hold of his shoulders.

"Hey, I could never hate you. I need to know what we are dealing with so we know how best to fight it. I can't combat an issue I don't understand." Arthur spoke with nothing but genuineness. Merlin took his eyes from Arthur's to look at Balinor. Balinor's eyes were steely cold, lips set in a hard line. Clearly, he didn't approve of Merlin even considering telling Arthur. Merlin turned back to Arthur and all he saw in his sky blue eyes was concern and acceptance and Merlin decided to take a leap. He supposed if it went badly, he'd go with Balinor.

"Before I made my way to Nemeth, I was held captive by Cenred in his castle. When I was but a youth, he heard whispers of me and my talents when he was traveling near Ealdor. He took me. When I refused to give myself over to him, he branded me and held me prisoner. I was able to escape, much to his fury. When I got back home, my mother sent me straight to Nemeth to apprentice the physician, Aurelius, there. She had known him years before and believed he would find a place for me, which luckily, he did. I tried to hide my brand from him but it was infected and needed treatment. Gwen happened to walk in while he was treating it and saw it too. There's no escaping the meaning, Cenred wasn't stupid. He knew that branding me meant I could never fully outrun my past. Luckily Gwen and Aurelius kept my secret and even aided me in learning more about myself over the couple years I was there. I don't know how Cenred found me. But I suspect it was his men that attacked me in the forest." Merlin closed his eyes and bowed his head, taking a deep breath before looking at Arthur once more. "I suppose you are expecting to see that brand now." Arthur nodded. Merlin's hands trembled as removed his neckerchief and untied the neckline of his tunic before pulling it down on one side to reveal his chest and the large triskelion scarred into his skin.

Arthur gasped and stepped back as the knights angled forward to see what Arthur was seeing and they each stood back with surprised expressions. "You're a sorcerer." Arthur finally said. "You are a sorcerer who has come to my kingdom, a kingdom where sorcery is banned, and settled in to work in my court." Arthur was slow and deliberate in each word he said, trying hard to keep all emotion from his voice.

"I'm a warlock, not a sorcerer. I was born with my magic. I was moving things with my mind before I could speak or walk. And if you will recall, sire, I came to Camelot as a favor to Gwen's family as her escort. I had no plans on staying until you asked me to and offered me a position as your physician's apprentice. What was I going to say? Sorry I can't, I have magic and I'm on the run from a psychotic king who wishes to use my magic to bring down the rest of the five kingdoms so he can rule them all? I don't think that would have gone well. I'm used to hiding who I am to pretty much everyone." Merlin was panting by the time he ended his rant. He was so frustrated. It was exhausting to always be hiding. He hid from Cenred. He hid his magic. He his who he wanted to love. He just wanted to be free to live his life.

"Wait, I didn't know it was possible to be born with magic. And what do you mean, he wishes to use your magic to take control of the other four kingdoms? No one can be that powerful, can they?" Arthur was temporarily derailed from his anger at inviting sorcery into his kingdom by his concern for Cenred's plans.

"Just me, sire." There was a gasp next to him and Merlin whipped his head around to look at Balinor in curiosity.

"Emrys. You're Emrys." His father whispered in reverence and he took a knee, bowing his head to his son. Merlin stepped over to his father and pulled him to his feet.

"Please don't bow to me, father. I may be Emrys in prophecy and to the druids but I much prefer to just be Merlin." He then turned back to Arthur to explain. "It has long been prophesied that a man would rise and be called Emrys. He would be the most powerful warlock to ever walk the earth. And he would come alongside the once and future king to protect him and help him to unite all of Albion, to bring back magic and to usher in the golden age. I was only a child when druids passing through the village were drawn to me and told me of my destiny. The druids recognize no official leadership between tribes, however they all bow to me and consider me to be as close to a leader as they will ever get."

Arthur and his knights were all stunned into silence. They all liked Merlin very much but never thought him to be much of a threat to them. They did not even consider him capable of protecting himself. The thought of Merlin being some incredibly strong sorcerer, capable of bringing entire kingdoms to their knees was practically impossible to understand. "Prove it." Arthur's voice broke the stunned silence and they all looked at Arthur, eyebrows in their hairlines.

"Come again?" Merlin asked incredulously.

"You heard me. I don't believe you. Prove to me you are this Emrys that the druids think you are." Arthur argues.

"You're serious?" Arthur nods and Merlin sighs. "Fine." Merlin's eyes turn a molten gold as he holds his palms toward the sky and he tilts his head up. The bright blue sky of their sunny warm day suddenly becomes dark, the winds whip through the trees with ferocity and rains begin to pound on them. Thunder booms so loudly the earth shakes and lightening streaks the sky. Then as quickly as the storm came, the clouds dissipate and the blue sky returns. A vivid rainbow streaks the sky and the trees in Merlin's mother's garden bloom. Merlin drops his hands and his eyes return to their usual deep blue. Merlin looks at Arthur with a challenging smirk, one brow arched.

"But...but... but...you didn't even say any spells." Merlin and Balinor barked laughs at this. Arthur looked confused. "What? Is that a dumb thing to say? I thought you had to say spells? All the sorcery I've ever seen performed required spells." Arthur insists, defending his intelligence.

"For people who learn sorcery, that is true. For people born with their talents, it is only required when expanding their capabilities and honing their skills." Balinor is the one who answers now.

"My magic is instinctual. I can use spells, I know many. However, most of the magic I perform just flows from me." Merlin adds and Balinor nods.

"Wait, you have magic too, Balinor?" Leon is the first of the knights to remember their voices.

"Aye, I do. I served under King Uther and advised him on many things until he suddenly decided magic was to be feared and hated. I had to flee in order to avoid execution. I thought I would be safe here, no longer in Camelot, but he wanted my help drawing out a very specific friend of mine and since I refused Uther would stop at nothing to capture me. So, I've spent the last 23 years in hiding."

"You served my father?" Arthur asked and Balinor nodded grimly, conveying how greatly he regretted that fact.

"What was so special about this friend of yours?" Gwaine snarked with a smirk.

Balinor deadpanned, staring at Gwaine like he was the biggest moron he had ever known. "That's none of your business." He answered darkly. Gwaine held his hands up to show he meant no harm.

"Listen, this can all be discussed later. For now, we need to figure out what to do about Cenred." Arthur refocused the group, putting on what Merlin frequently mentally refers to as his king voice.

"I know one thing for sure, we aren't letting that bastard have Merlin." Percival growled and they all looked at him in surprise. The gentle giant was normally very quiet but when he spoke, it was difficult to ignore. The other knights quickly agreed. "So, what's the plan, sire?"

Before Arthur could speak, Balinor stepped in. "I think it's time Cenred met your father and discovered just who he's dealing with." He went on to explain his plan, leaving certain areas purposely vague which was unsettling for Arthur. Merlin was beside himself with worry. He certainly didn't want to return to Essetir and be used as Cenred's personal weapon for world dominance but these attacks needed to stop. The thought of any more innocent people dying for him was simply unacceptable. On the other hand, he wasn't ready for everything to change with the life he was building in Camelot and there was nothing he could do to stop it. All his secrets he had worked so hard to hide were now out in the open and he was terrified. He was happy in Camelot. He felt like he truly had a home there and the people there were becoming like family to him. Knowing there was a good chance that when this was all over, he would not be allowed to return was breaking his heart. "What do you think Merlin?"

His head snapped up. He had barely heard any of the plan but he understood his father was planning to bring out the heavy artillery and would not be going down without a fight. He still didn't know how he felt about the whole situation with his father but knowing that he had the opportunity to know him for the first time, he wasn't going to waste it. And he was willing to take a leap of faith and trust his father. He had the most experience with warfare of the magical variety and that should count for something. "I'm in." Merlin said and Arthur gaped at him before grabbing him by the arm and dragging him away from the group to speak more privately.

"Merlin, are you sure you can trust him? You just met him. And the thought of only you two and his friend going in alone, that's got to be one of the worst ideas I've ever heard. You're going to get yourselves killed. You are being set up for an ambush and you are willingly walking in to it." Arthur's face looked almost frantic and Merlin took a moment to dwell on how puzzled that made him feel. He knew that Arthur felt responsible for Merlin seeing as he was an employee of the castle but why did he care so much?

"Arthur, you need to calm down. He's my father. He has magic. I have magic. His friend is magic. Together we are very powerful. I trust that if he thinks this is the correct plan of action, this is what we should do. Besides, you guys will be not far off monitoring the situation so if things go south, you can come running into save the day."

Arthur gave him a face that showed he was clearly not amused with his joke. "Letting someone else take command is not something I'm accustomed to. But I'm going to choose to trust your judgement."

Merlin nodded and looked to the ground, kicking a rock around with his booted toe. "Arthur..." The king raised an eyebrow. "Listen, I just wanted to know...um...when this is all settled, I mean if it all doesn't blow up in my face and I don't end up enslaved by a complete psycho of a king ... am I allowed to come home?" The last words were said so quietly, Arthur barely heard them.

Arthur sighed. "Merlin, I want to say yes. I really do. Everyone loves you in Camelot and your medical skills are valuable. But you willingly defied the magic ban in the kingdom. I don't know what to do with that right now. I'm going to need some time."

"I understand. I just ask that you consider the fact that magic itself isn't evil, it's the hearts of men that are evil. Magic is a tool, just like your sword. In the hands of someone honorable, your sword protects and defends. But in the hands of corrupt people, it ruins lives. Magic is the same. It has the power to heal and grow and bring beauty and defend innocent people. But in the hands of evil people, it can absolutely destroy everything in its path." Merlin reached up and placed a hand on Arthur's chest and looked into his eyes. "I trust the sword in your hands, I ask that you consider trusting my magic in mine." Merlin rubbed his thumb back and forth a couple times before he removed his hand from a speechless Arthur and walked back to his father.

"Let's prepare to ride out." Merlin ordered.

"You heard the man, saddle up!" Gwaine hollered and headed for their horses.

"I think it's time invite your friend along and see if he'll give us a ride to Cenred's castle, father." Merlin told Balinor, who nodded.

"I agree, we need to head to an open clearing." Balinor replied and led Merlin out past the edge of the village.