Lancelot had shown up only a few days later, along with his very large, friend Percival, and shortly after them, Leon and Gwen had arrived, too. Along with Morgana's undead army, who followed Leon and Gwen there. Which made the group have to leave their cave. By this point Arthur was mostly back to normal, he was now devising a plan on how to sneak in and at least rescue his father. Gwen had confirmed that he was still alive, as Morgana was keeping him that way to torture him or something. Now, instead of staying in a cave, they were staying in the abandoned castle of the ancient kings that had once ruled Camelot. So that meant they were surrounded by lots of dirt, spiders and dust. Merlin found himself busily dusting off many things while he purposely overheard Leon and Arthur planning their attack on Camelot. Merlin had made up his own mind about how he, himself, planned on attacking Camelot. See, Arthur could handle normal, alive men and rescuing his father, and Merlin still planned on him doing the rescuing part, but the part Arthur couldn't handle was the magic part. Merlin would take care of that, with the help of Lancelot. It was nice having another person around who knew about his magic, other than Gaius, who disapproved of every single thing Merlin suggested, always. Sometimes Merlin did wish it could be Arthur he made these secret plans with, but Merlin understood why it couldn't be. They couldn't be a lot of things, Merlin and Arthur, Merlin still struggled in thinking up a way of telling Arthur this without actually telling him.

The general consensus is that the following morning was it, the day they attacked and either stopped Morgana or at least saved Uther. Every one understood what their tasks would be, and Merlin and Lancelot also secretly understood what their real tasks would be as well. Arthur had even went an extra step and Knighted Gwaine, Elyan, Lancelot and Percival, so at least they were fighting for something, and if they died than they died for a cause. Arthur was sentimental like that, secretly...very secretly.

They all stayed in one general area in the ran-down, abandoned castle, just so if they were attacked during the night they wouldn't have to look for anyone and wonder if they were alright. They had a better fighting chance together, rather than on their own. That didn't mean that they didn't divide into different groups around the very large great hall of this old castle. Gwaine, Lancelot, Percival and Elyan all sat around the fire they had made and talked about Knight stuff, Merlin supposed. While Gwen and Gaius sat at the round table they had found and talked about everything that happened while Gwen was left behind with Morgana, apparently it really affected her. Morgana had been her very close friend, so her sudden turn was rather heartbreaking to Gwen, but Merlin thought Gwen had secretly sensed it coming on for some time now, Gwen was perceptive like that.

Merlin had been alone, sitting on the ground, leaning against a fallen column. He had been rethinking over his plans he had made with Lancelot, just in case they hadn't actually thought everything through. Merlin hoped they had at least, because it seemed as if his time for thinking was over. Arthur walked over to him and looked down at him. Merlin wasn't entirely sure where Arthur had been up until now. After the round table meeting that Arthur wanted to have and then him Knighting the men, well...he had sort of disappeared. He looked much less upset, unlike how he had been the last week or so, and he looked like he also had a lot on his mind. Which, was understandable.

"Walk with me," said Arthur, and it wasn't even a question. Merlin didn't question it, nor did he want to give Arthur a hard time right now, it was easier not to. Not now at least, once this was all over, then maybe he would. Merlin stood up and they headed for the large door on the other side of the room. "We're going to get fire wood," he explained to the party, as they all watched them go. "We will only be a few minutes, but it's cold in here."

"Be careful!" called Gwen and Arthur smiled, with a nod.

"That's why we're going together!"

But that was not why they were going together, they weren't even going to get firewood. Instead of any actual walking or going anywhere, as it really was cold outside and Merlin was shivering just as soon as they entered the night sky. They sort of just stood right by the doors, looking at each other.

"Sorry I didn't Knight you," said Arthur and Merlin was a little surprised by that. He titled his head a little to the side and stared at Arthur. "I didn't want you to get any ideas, that once this is over-"

"What? Me be a Knight?" offered Merlin kind of amused at that thought. "No thank you, I'm not thick headed enough!"

Arthur's mouth fell open and Merlin had premised himself he wouldn't tease Arthur tonight but really, the man walked right into that one. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me..." Merlin grinned and Arthur huffed, crossing his arms angrily over his chest. He more so pretended to be angry, but Merlin thought he was probably just cold, too.

"If thick headedness had anything to do with it, you would be the best Knight," retorted Arthur.

"No," countered Merlin casually. "But I think that's why you are."

Arthur paused at this for a long moment, clearly not sure how to take that in. "...I don't know what to say to that, either you called me stupid or the best Knight..."

Merlin smiled, "Both..."

Arthur cracked a smile too and then they were both kind of just standing there smiling at each other, but it had turned from teasing smiles to fond rather too quickly. "I didn't come out here to bicker with you..."

"This is bickering? I thought that's just how we talked to each other..."

"Merlin," Arthur sighed, rolling his eyes. "I'm serious."

"I can tell," he joked. But Arthur only took a step closer to him. Ah, Merlin could see where this was going now. Arthur's hands went to Merlin's waist between his tunic and his jacket, and frowned at how cold Merlin felt. It was very, very cold.

"I will make this quick, as you are freezing to death in front of me," complained Arthur, but then sighed yet again and looked Merlin seriously in the eyes. "I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow, Merlin...and if something should happen to either of us-"

"It isn't..."

"You don't know that," said Arthur, and then pressed on, into his speech he had probably said a few times in his head already. "I just want you to know...-" Arthur shook his head, for maybe the third time and sighed for maybe the fifth or sixth. "I lied..." Merlin was confused by this. That wasn't at all what he was expecting him to say. No, Merlin had lied, what could Arthur have lied about? "I lied...when you asked me if I loved you, all those months ago, I lied and...the answer is yes, I-"

"Arthur, don't!" Merlin stopped him, he felt warm tears on his cold cheeks all of a sudden and he just couldn't, he couldn't hear this. Not now. "You don't have to say it...I know you lied, I'm not a Knight, I'm not thick headed," he tried to joke, but that wasn't going to work right now. Mostly because he was crying. "But we can't, no matter what happens tomorrow, we can't, because you love Gwen and you will be King one day, and you need a Queen..."

Arthur seemed to be taken aback by this, he just looked at Merlin with hurt in his eyes and a frown on his lips. "I understand that, but...I don't want this to go unsaid between us like so many other things have."

"It won't," said Merlin, he sniffed and reached forward, cupping Arthur's face with his hand. "Sometimes we don't have to say anything, we both already know."

"I should have known you would be stubborn about it," said Arthur. "But I had thought, for a moment at least, that maybe..."

"Yeah," Merlin forced a smile. "Me too, once...but not now."

Arthur nodded, but he looked sad. Even though this conversation was mostly over, Arthur still didn't move nor did he remove his hands from Merlin's sides, and Merlin didn't move his hand from Arthur's face either, where he was gently thumbing the skin of his jaw now. Arthur looked at him, still sad but also so lovingly that it was almost unsettling. Merlin probably looked the same though.

"...can I kiss you?" asked Arthur then, almost in a whisper, but this only made Merlin smile a little.

"really...after all this, now you're asking?"

"Not really," Arthur retorted and then leaned forward and pressed his lips ever so softly against Merlin's. They didn't really kiss kiss each other, not like they normally would. It was more so just soft, an agreement of sorts between them, an unspoken truth they didn't have to say, and they didn't have to beat around the bush with either, like they did with all the other things unspoken. Because really, this, their feelings, it wasn't actually unspoken at all. It was just well protected, and that's the way they would both keep it.

After a moment or two they both pulled away from each other and Merlin lowered his hand, while Arthur allowed his to drop to his sides, they were then only looking at each other again. "Don't be worried about what happens tomorrow, Arthur," Merlin told him then. "I know we can do it, I know you can...we will save your father, and Camelot. Trust me."

"I do," said Arthur, almost in a whisper. But then, all of a sudden, from behind them a loud bang could be heard. Arthur whipped around, and they both stared at the door, which flew open abruptly and Gwaine came rushing out of it.

"I got to pee!" he yelled and stormed passed them. They both watched him run and then Merlin turned to Arthur with a grin.

"See what I mean," he said, in a tease. "Thick headed..."

"You were the one who kissed him..." Arthur trailed off, as he headed for the door to return instead. "Just remember that..."

"People like to kiss me," said Merlin, a bit knowingly, as he followed Arthur. "I think it's because I have really nice lips..."

"I don't think so..."

Merlin grinned. "No really," he pressed, as they walked further into the castle and joined Gwen and Gaius at the table. "It just...it happens all the time."

Arthur only glared at the knowingly annoying smirk Merlin was sporting now. "Shut up, Merlin."

(A/N: This is the last chapter of the actual story but there will be an epilogue, so I hope you liked it. I never give them happy endings do I? I mean...is this really an ending at all? Who is to say?)