Merlin had developed a belly ache by the time the next morning came. He knew he would have to tell Arthur and Igraine the truth, but he didn't know how.

Before Merlin could even get to them the next day, they were together on their own. Igraine had woken up famished and Arthur had promptly seen to it that she was brought downstairs and given coffee. Arthur was becoming a bit addicted to the stuff.

They chatted throughout all of breakfast. After a while, Merlin just paused and listened to them talk. He held his breath unsure of how to bring the subject up. By and by, the three of them had come to fondly reminisce about Camelot.

Igraine tilted her head after a while, studying Arthur mid conversation as he was telling her a story about his boyhood training as a knight.

"What is it, milady?" Merlin teased at the smirk on Igraine's face.

"Oh, it's just...he reminds me of my father." Igraine smiled.

"I do?" Arthur laughed.

Igraine nodded.

"You look like him...and when you speak you sound a bit like him too..." She laughed.

Before Merlin could explain why that was, Charming had come and asked Arthur to come with him on patrol.

"May we come as well?" Igraine laughed.

"Milady?" Arthur asked.

"Well, if we are on the lookout for people from our country appearing today...Maybe one of them will know where Gaius and my child are." Igraine smiled. Arthur nodded agreement. So it was decided, before Merlin could muster the courage to speak, that they would patrol together.

All day long, as they walked about the lonely woods, Arthur, Igraine and Merlin made small talk.

As it neared the late afternoon, Igraine tripped over a massive tree branch. She stumbled and Arthur caught her. Out from under the new blouse of Snow White's that Igraine was wearing, a seal on a chain fell out and down on her chest. Arthur studied it. He froze, shocked.

"You...you have the same seal...as...as my mother did!" His jaw dropped.

Igraine studied him. She blinked slowly.

"Oh, yes. I wear it near my heart. I carry it with me everywhere. It was my father's...I aimed to give it to my son on the day he was born as something to sort of be like a baby rattle...Oh...everything is darkness after he was given his first bath. Why,...I don't think he'd even opened his eyes yet." Igraine huffed a soft, fearful breath.

"I surely hope the babe is alright..." She studied Arthur who was staring at her curiously. Almost afraid.

"What is it, milord?" she asked him. Arthur's bottom lip quivered, and he was near tears.

"Merlin?" Arthur turned to Merlin. Merlin felt his stomach clench. The last time he'd seen that look in his eyes was when he'd come to tell him he was going to sacrifice himself for him. The silent torture of how fear and emotion was processed in the young king's mind.

"What...I don't understand?" Igraine drew a shaky breath. Merlin took Igraine's hand. Then, she took Arthur's.

"You see...Arthur's mother...she died before his eyes opened when he was a baby..."Merlin said softly. Igraine tilted her head. Her eyes went wide as slowly she was coming to the realization on her own that Arthur had and was in denial.

Merlin nodded and squeezed Arthur's hand when he burst into tears. Igraine looked up at him and then back at Merlin.

"Arthur is the son of King Uther and the Queen Igraine." Merlin said it softly, slowly.

Igraine's eyes filled up with tears.

"My...my husband is King Uther..."She swallowed. Then, her eyes opened wide.

"I...I am Igraine Pendragon, then. And that means you..."She turned to look at Arthur who was staring at her as if he had seen the heavenly host.

She burst into tears then.

"Oh,...you...you are Baby all grown up then...No wonder you look like my father." She threw her arms around him.

"Shh, please don't cry. Mama is here, at last." Igraine was crying too, despite herself.

Merlin stared at the whole scene with a strange sense of wonder and absolute bone-deep happiness. Into his mind flashed the memory of the day that Arthur told him he would give anything for even the faintest memory of Igraine. Now she was here before his eyes.

"If the witch...has raised us both from the dead, that cannot mean anything good..."Arthur said at length leaning back from her.

Igraine's face fell.

"What do you mean? Raised you from the dead? I mean...I understand what must have happened to me...but..."Igraine looked over at Merlin who had turned blue at the first mention of Arthur's death.

Arthur drew a shaky breath.

"Let's not talk about those things just now...This...this is a happy day. We have finally met..."Arthur smiled.

"I_I always wanted to meet you...I dreamed about it my whole life." He choked back a sob and laughed at himself.

The Charmings, Emma, Killian and Snow had come near then, having been looking for them when they didn't meet at the check point.

"Ah, so he's told you..."David smiled.

"Well, really, they found out on their own." Merlin sighed relief.

There was a collective silence as Arthur wiped his tears off his face. Igraine studied him with the most intense look of love that Merlin had ever seen cross a woman's face. It had not escaped the Charmings, though. They remembered the day that Snow was reunited with her baby daughter all-grown up for the first time.

"Come...let's go back to Storybrooke. There is so much to tell you..."Snow took Igraine's hand.

Igraine nodded, eyes trailing off. She then looked at Arthur in earnest.

"If you are here, and a man full grown now...then..." Igraine tilted her head.

"Son, where is your father?"

Arthur looked at his feet, unable to answer her when she had called him 'son.'

Merlin cleared his throat.

"Arthur does not remember all of it clearly, but I do, dear lady. I am honored to introduce myself as the servant of your son, the Once and Future King of Camelot. Come now...we will explain everything..."Merlin went and wrapped an arm around Igraine ushering her back toward town. The Charmings and Killian followed.

Emma noticed Arthur lingering behind. She turned and took his hand.

"I was an orphan too. I grew up without my mom. And...I didn't meet her until I was full grown, like you, and she looked the same age as me. It feels so weird, I know...but it won't feel so weird for long." she smiled at him. Arthur studied her, blinking back his urge to cry again. Then, he smiled and let her lead him back to town.