Another's Favor by ebhg

Rating: T

Pairings: Merthian/Arwen

Spoilers: Series 1-4 and up to episode 4 of Series 5.

Disclaimer: Merlin belongs to BBC.

A/N: Arthur gets a little something off his chest. :)


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Arthur led the group out of the village, all of them walking in order to look for the way to the rogue camp. After a few hours of following various trails, they paused in a small clearing, looking for more footprints after the trail they were following grew cold.

"Has anyone found anything?" Arthur asked, his eyes still fixed on the ground.

"Nothing," Gwaine answered, while Percival shook his head in the negative.

"Over here," Elyan called, pointing out a pair of boot prints at the edge of the treeline.

"Good man," Arthur said, leading the group in the direction the prints came from. A few moments later, they came to another stretch of the river they had crossed the previous day. It was much wider in this area, but also shallower.

"It's possible they used the river to hide their tracks until they left the water here. The river turns eastward again after this, leading away from the village. We should follow the water for awhile and see if we can find their entry point," Arthur said.

"Leon and I can follow on the opposite bank and see if they left any tracks on that side," Elyan proposed, and the king nodded.

"We should refill our water skins before we go any further," Merlin suggested.

"Let's take a short break here, then, and have some provisions while we're at it," the king replied.

Merlin took the waterskins to be filled while the others rummaged through their packs, pulling out dried meats and bread. After a few moments they all sat in silence as they ate their meager meal.

"We were wondering last night, Merlin," Gwaine ventured a few moments later, "If Mithian knows about your special skills."

Merlin looked surprised for a moment, unaware that they had been discussing him. Though he supposed it was only natural that they had.

"Of course," he answered after a moment's pause. "She is my wife, you know. Even if she hadn't known before we married, considering our shared quarters, it would have been rather difficult, if not impossible, to hide the fact that I have magic."

"Why is it that you told her and not us?!" Gwaine asked indignantly. Merlin raised an eyebrow at the knight.

"I wonder..." Merlin answered dryly.

"Yes, you should!" Gwaine said, and Percival, Elyan and Leon nodded their agreement.

"Yes, tell them, Merlin," Arthur said teasingly, jerking a thumb towards the knights. "Why ever would you confide in your wife instead of this lot?"

"Well, he didn't tell you either," Percival interjected.

"No, but he had his reasons," Arthur answered, pleased to find that he didn't feel the same bitter flare of betrayal that had flared at the mention of Merlin's secrets before the warlock had explained things. Arthur had made his peace with it.

"Well then, tell us why you told Mithian!" Gwaine said.

"I didn't tell her," Merlin answered honestly.

"But you just said she knew!" Elyan argued.

"She does know, but I didn't tell her."

"Stop talking like that blasted dragon and tell us how she found out!" Gwaine said. Merlin chuckled and shook his head.

"Simple, she saw me use it at the tomb. She has eyes, unlike you lot, considering you've never noticed, not in all the years I've used it right in front of you."

"What did you do at the tomb?" Leon asked, his brow furrowing in thought.

"Yes, what did you do?" Arthur asked, his confusion clear. "I don't remember you doing anything particularly unusual, unless you call actually using a sword in the the way it is meant to be used unusual."

Merlin chuckled dryly at Arthur's jab, but then looked down at his feet, scratching the back of his neck as he mumbled to the ground, "Icausedtheearthquake."

"What was that?" Percival asked.

"Did you just say something about an earthquake?" Arthur asked incredulously. Merlin sighed in exasperation and looked Arthur right in the eyes.

"I caused the earth to quake."

Five astonished faces looked at Merlin in stunned silence.

"Morgana was there, you were surrounded, Odin was about to take your head off, I had to do something," Merlin explained.

"Of all the distractions that you could have employed- tossing a rock, for example, or yelling very loudly, or just charging into the room uninvited like you do so often. But no, you made the earth quake?!"

"It worked didn't it?"

Arthur laughed humorlessly for a moment, rubbing his hands over his face.

"I'm beginning to see the irony of having had you as a dogsbody for so long, Merlin."

"Ooh, you know what irony is?" Merlin jabbed, causing everyone to chuckle at Arthur's expense.

"Merlin..." Gwaine suddenly broke in, a sly grin on his face.

"What?"

"That wasn't the only tremor you've caused recently, was it?"

Merlin's face instantly flushed red.

"I've no idea what you mean," he mumbled, avoiding Gwaine's eyes.

"Spare provisions are never a bad idea, eh?" the triumphant knight chuckled, and the others soon caught on. Arthur's eyes grew large as he looked at his advisor in a new light.

"We should get going," Merlin said, hopping up from his stone and moving down the river bank in search of more prints. Arthur shook his head and stood to follow.

"We are never going to let him live that down, do you understand?" Arthur ordered, much to everyone's glee, then followed after Merlin's rapidly moving form.


"We're getting nowhere fast," Leon said nearly an hour later. The river they had been following began to turn back to the east again, and there had been little sign of the rogue's trail.

Merlin looked around them, at the frustration on everyone's faces and realized that there was probably something that he could do.

"I might have an idea," Merlin offered.

"What would that be?" Arthur asked.

"Give me just a moment," Merlin said, walking a few feet away from the group and putting a hand on a nearby tree. Closing his eyes in concentration, Merlin reached out with his mind's eye, as he had done while backtracking Morgana's magical signature, though instead of using a centering object, he used the forest around him.

The trees, while not sentient, were very much alive and able to soak up magical traces when it was used nearby. Thus, Merlin used the energies within the trees to trace the recent magical disturbances that the rogues had used to attract the patrol. The others watched, fascinated, as his head moved subtly with each magical signature the warlock picked up on. Finally, Merlin traced the magical trail to a deserted camp nearly a mile to the west.

"We almost passed it entirely," Merlin said, opening his eyes and turning to the others. "It's this way."

Merlin gestured in the direction of the camp, then wordlessly headed in that direction.

"This magic lark is pretty handy," Gwaine mused, then followed behind Merlin unquestioningly.

"It would seem so," Arthur agreed, and the rest of them fell into step behind the warlock.


"There's no one here," Percival said when they finally came upon the empty camp.

"Don't be so sure," Merlin replied, warily eyeing the quiet tents and long-extinguished fires. They'd had too many attacks in seemingly deserted camps.

"Fan out, search the area," Arthur ordered, wanting to be on their way as soon as possible.

"Over here! Merlin, she needs you!" Elyan called out, causing everyone to rush towards him as he knelt beside a woman on the ground.

"It's Sefa," Merlin said, recognizing the young woman that he had worked rather closely with as he too knelt beside her, pleased to see the steady rise and fall of her chest.

"Guinevere's handmaid?" Arthur asked, surprised. "The one who betrayed us to Morgana?"

"Yes," Merlin confirmed, crouching down to check Sefa's pulse. As soon as his hand touched her, Merlin stiffened.

"What is it?" Arthur asked, noticing Merlin's hesitation.

"She's alive and she ought to be just fine. But she was attacked with magic very recently."

"You're sure?" Arthur asked. Merlin nodded grimly without looking at the king.

"I've felt this magical signature before." As soon as Merlin said the words, he stood up, scanning the nearby trees as his pulse began to race. Reaching out with his senses, Merlin brushed an all-too-familiar presence.

"Morgana!" Merlin exclaimed, whirling around just in time for Morgana to blast him backwards into a tent that collapsed on top of the warlock, stunning him.

"Merlin," Morgana greeted him, laughing when Arthur and the knights unsheathed their swords and took up defensive positions.

"Ah, ah, ah," Morgana cooed, yanking on the chain that she held in her left hand, dragging a bound Mordred forward.

"Mordred?! Are you alright?" Arthur called out, glad to see the young man still alive.

"He's just fine, but he won't be if you try and touch me," Morgana bargained, revealing a knife that she suddenly held to Mordred's neck.

A frustrated growl ripped through the air as Merlin used magic to fling the heavy fabric and poles off of him and jump to his feet. The angry warlock stalked towards Morgana, his hands clenching and unclenching subconsciously.

"Temper, temper, Merlin," Morgana drawled triumphantly. "Or should I say Emrys?"

Merlin immediately froze. His eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat at the realization that Morgana knew exactly who he was. The witch smirked in triumph.

"Yes, I know what you are. Though considering you're still living, I have to wonder if your precious king does," Morgana snarled. Merlin took a few cautious steps forward, slowly moving in front of Arthur and the knights. He lifted his arms in a gesture of peace which also allowed him to defend readily. Morgana glared at him and pressed the knife harder into Mordred's throat.

"Stop this, Morgana," Arthur tried, holding his hands up placatingly.

"Why should I, dear brother?" Morgana spat.

"I know."

"You know nothing!"

"You're wrong. I know all about Merlin's magic. His being Emrys and his role in the future of Camelot. I have no quarrel with him."

"You hate magic!" Morgana argued, but Arthur slowly shook his head.

"I admit that I did not understand before. I have been hurt by magic many times, but I know now that it is not the force of evil our father would have had us believe."

"Never call him that! He may have sired me, but Uther was never my father. You are just like him, Arthur. Just look at poor discarded Sefa over there, run out of Camelot with a death sentence on her head, all because she loved her father. It will not be long before you have Merlin on the pyre, even though the fool is painfully loyal to you, and utterly disloyal to his own kind."

"I do not reward my loyal subjects with arrest," Arthur answered. "Sefa loved her father, yes, but she betrayed her kingdom. It was not her affection for him and his magic that brought about her sentence, but her treason. I could also point out that it was neither me or my knights who left her unconscious and defenseless in the forest."

"As if possessing magic isn't treason in Camelot?!" Morgana scoffed, purposely ignoring the mention of Sefa's condition. Arthur's expression grew more weary at the lack of remorse in his sister.

"As you see, Merlin is not under arrest or bound for a pyre or a chopping block, nor will he be when we return to the city. You don't have to do this, Morgana; we can put this hatred behind us, and start anew," the king said.

"You have no idea how deeply I hate you and what you've stood for over the years," Morgana growled. "You have taken everything from me."

"I have taken nothing from you, sister," Arthur denied. "Were we not once good friends?"

"I was naive and foolish then. If you're so desperate to be friends again, you should concede the crown to its rightful owner."

"You have never been the rightful heir of Camelot, Morgana. In any case, when did you ever want to rule Camelot? You never had that desire until you betrayed us and left with Morgause. She manipulated you."

"DO NOT SPEAK OF HER! You are unworthy of speaking my sister's name," Morgana seethed.

Arthur held his tongue when Mordred gasped as the blade dug deeper into his flesh.

"Let him go, Morgana," Merlin said softly.

"I will do no such thing," Morgana said, though she stepped back and shocked them all by plunging the knife into Mordred's lower back before letting him drop. Before Mordred had fully fallen, Morgana had incanted her transportation spell, taking her away in a tumult of wind and tossing leaves.

"Mordred!" Arthur exclaimed, rushing towards the fallen man. The knights immediately followed the king, though Merlin hung back reluctantly, Kilgharrah's repeated instructions to let Mordred die ringing through his head.

Arthur knelt swiftly by the rapidly paling young man, rolling Mordred onto his side to get a better view of the wound. Blood rushed outwards at the movement and Arthur cursed, pressing a hand down upon it.

"How can we help?" Leon asked, seeking some duty that could be performed.

"We need a physician," Arthur murmured, looking around him. The king was surprised that the man he sought wasn't right beside him. Merlin was always the first to assist an injured person, his desire to help others overpowering any sense of caution.

"Merlin!" Arthur called and the knights parted, they too, turning to find the advisor-physician. The king was taken aback by the utter anguish that was clearly written across Merlin's face. The warlock was biting down on his lip so hard that Arthur was sure that he'd cut through it. His face was blotchy and it looked as though Merlin was struggling not to release a torrent of tortured tears.

"Merlin? Mordred is injured, he needs your skills as a physician," Arthur said urgently, and the warlock took two tentative steps forward before he seemed to buckle under another wave of anguish.

"I can't," Merlin finally managed to whisper, falling down to his knees just a few feet from the huddle of knights.

"Of course you can, you helped the dryad and you help all the time with Gaius! You can even use magic this time! You can surely heal a wound on another person with all this immense power you possess?" Arthur refuted.

"You and I are not the only ones with a destiny, Arthur," Merlin said hoarsely.

"Mordred is DYING!" Arthur yelled.

"I cannot heal him when he is destined-"

"To HELL with destiny! I command you to heal him!"

"HE'S DESTINED TO KILL YOU!" Merlin shouted, shocking everyone with the utterly uncharacteristic outburst. Arthur's mouth dropped open and he sat back, looking down at the wounded man.

"He has saved my life," the king murmured, closing his eyes and taking a deep, centering breath.

"Kilgharrah has warned me again and again not to trust him," Merlin whispered.

"You trust that scaly beast?! Is the future set in stone? Has everything been written out before we ever took a breath in this life?" Arthur asked.

"Gaius says that it is our choices that shape the future-" Merlin began.

"That's what Gaius says. What does Merlin say?" Arthur interjected. Merlin took a deep breath, looking around him at the men surrounding him. Most of them not born to the nobility inherent in their very nature.

"I don't believe it is unchangeable, but your death is what I've been striving against all these years. And I've never been able to change a future path that I've been shown. I've seen him killing you, in a vision granted to me by a powerful seer."

"You said this morning that you regret every loss of life. That the day you lost that ability was the day you became a monster. Do not let something that has not even happened force you down that path," Arthur said gravely.

"Is this you keeping me humble?" Merlin asked with a weak smile.

"It is what I'm here for," Arthur said, returning the grin for a moment before turning serious once more. "Now Mordred needs you."

"Emrys, please,"Mordred called out, reminding Merlin of when he had hidden the boy Mordred in Morgana's chambers. Looking around at all the earnest and anguished faces of the knights and finally at Arthur's firm, but encouraging expression, Merlin closed his eyes and nodded.

"Thank you, Merlin," Arthur said, surprising the warlock. Merlin nodded once more and moved closer to Mordred. Arthur was on Mordred's other side, still pressing his hand to the stab wound.

"You'll need to move your hand," Merlin said softly, meeting Arthur's eyes and nodding reassuringly. Arthur returned the nod and pulled his hand away, causing Mordred to grimace and grunt with the pain. Merlin placed his hand over the wound meeting Mordred's eyes with a warning look before taking a deep breath and looking away.

"Ic þe þurhhæle þin licsare," Merlin said, his eyes burning a brilliant gold. Though he had blatantly performed magic in front of the others a few times now, his back had been to them every time. Arthur had been expecting the unnatural light to flare in his advisor's eyes, but he was still taken aback by the sight of it.

"Thank you, Emrys," Mordred whispered, the pained expression melting away as he met Merlin's eyes. The warlock nodded, though he was grim-faced.

"Don't make me regret it," Merlin replied telepathically. Mordred held Merlin's gaze for a moment longer, his eyes blank as though he hadn't heard what the warlock had projected. Merlin frowned, then reached out to the druid-knight's mind and was appalled at the disconnect he found there. It was as though Mordred was an empty shell.

Merlin leaned back, a stunned look on his face, as Mordred sat up with a familiar smirk on his face. Merlin had seen the same smug look on Morgana's face many times. There was a darkness behind the emptiness within Mordred; it seemed as though he was cut off from everything that made him who he was. Merlin wasn't even sure if Mordred could use his magic in this state. It both disgusted and frightened the warlock. This must be what the dryad had meant by the Teine Diaga. Mordred was not the same person, and Merlin wasn't sure how to reverse it, except what Lowri had said about needing powerful healing waters.

"Swefnu!" Merlin said quickly, knowing that Mordred could not be allowed to hear their plans, lest he relay them straight back to Morgana.

"Merlin?!" Arthur exclaimed, catching the limp man as he fell backwards. It had almost seemed as though the warlock was communicating with Mordred silently, though how, Arthur wasn't sure. The king had watched Merlin's face morph from stern to disgust to horror.

"We need to get him back to Gaius. We need to know what exactly this Teine Diaga entails. He's not himself; I believe that Morgana has complete control over him. I don't think he can even use his magic like this."

"Mordred has magic?" Leon exclaimed. Merlin's eyes suddenly went wide.

"Yes?" Merlin answered sheepishly, realizing belatedly what he had just revealed. "Is it really all that surprising? He was a druid, after all."

"Not every druid has magic," Arthur argued.

"True, but most do, at least a little," Merlin reasoned. "At the very least they can feel energies around them like I described with the dryad."

"As interesting as this little lesson is, Merlin is right, we need to get back to Camelot," Arthur said.

"What of Sefa?" Elyan asked, looking back at the still unconscious woman.

"We'll take her too."

"In order to execute her?" Merlin asked, his brow furrowing in disappointment. Arthur's face darkened.

"No. Though I cannot overlook her treason, I have no desire to execute her, nor does Guinevere. She has despaired many a time at the thought that Sefa was still ignorant to Guinevere's bluff when the girl escaped."

"We could leave her in the care of a druid camp. She needs guidance and support, lest she become as bitter as Morgana," Merlin offered, and Arthur nodded in agreement. The warlock stepped over to Sefa, who grimaced and slowly blinked her eyes open.

"Sefa?" Merlin asked gently, reaching out a hand to help the young woman to sit up gingerly. "Careful," he admonished when she groaned and held a hand to her head.

"Merlin?" she asked, utterly confused. Then she looked around and saw that she was surrounded by the king and his knights and her face paled.

"Can you stand, Sefa?" Arthur asked, his tone firm, but not unkind.

"I don't know," she whispered, her lip trembling as she avoided the eye of the king. "Will you kill me now?"

Arthur closed his eyes and sighed. "No, Sefa, I have no intentions of executing you. Neither did the queen for that matter."

"But... She said... I was... I was going to be executed!"

"She hoped to capture your father; you were never going to be executed. Banished, perhaps, but not executed."

Sefa's whole body seemed to sag beneath the weight of Arthur's words.

"What then will you do with me now?"

"While I have no desire to execute you, I cannot overlook your part in the ambush and capture of my men," Arthur replied, and Sefa looked down at her hands remorsefully.

"I am very sorry for what happened to you all. I confess that I did pass crucial information to my father, but I swear, I did not realize how dangerous that information was until I heard that your party had been attacked. I very naively believed that no one would be hurt."

"We understand," Merlin offered when it became clear that Arthur was speechless. "You understand that we can't let you go."

Sefa's eyes widened. "Am I to be a prisoner then?"

"No," Arthur answered. "I plan to release you to the care of a druid tribe on our way back to Camelot, under the condition that you do not leave them for at least a year."

"Yes, please, I will stay with them," Sefa said earnestly. "I do not wish for anything more than to live the rest of my years in peace."

"Very well, then. Let's get Mordred and head out," Arthur commanded, drawing Sefa's gaze to the unconscious knight.

"Sir Mordred! Will he be alright?"

"We hope so," Merlin said.

"Morgana took him to the tower!" Sefa whispered fearfully. "She used mandrake roots, but I'm not entirely sure how."

"We know. We'll do all we can for him," the warlock assured her, and Sefa nodded gratefully, her eyes on Mordred's still form.

"How about a little help over here?" Percival asked, getting Merlin's attention and gesturing to Mordred's prone form. "We've no horses with us and it is a long walk back to the village."

Merlin nodded and helped Sefa to her feet before they and Arthur moved to join the cluster of knights. Kneeling down beside Mordred and murmuring a few words, Merlin's eyes shone gold, then he smiled at his friends.

"He is no heavier than a feather right now."

"Is that why your arms are the size of twigs? That's cheating," Arthur grumbled.

"No, it's intelligence. We'll work on that, for your sake," Merlin teased, much to the knights' amusement.

"You have magic!" Sefa exclaimed, looking at a sheepish Merlin in utter astonishment.

"Ah, yes. I do," Merlin admitted. Sefa looked between the warlock and the king standing beside one another for several seconds before her eyes widened and she gasped in sudden realization. Then she dropped to her knees.

"Forgive me, I have not lived amongst the Druids for many years, but I can see now that you are Emrys and the Great King."

"Please, stand up," Merlin asked, his face reddening at the knight's raised eyebrows as they looked between Merlin, Arthur and Sefa's kneeling form.

"So it would seem," Arthur said in acknowledgement, then looked at each of his men in turn. "Let's head out."

Percival immediately stepped in and slung the weightless, unconscious knight over his shoulder, his eyes wide at the complete ease with which he had done so.

"Handy stuff, this magic business," Gwaine chuckled again. Merlin laughed and shook his head before looking at Arthur.

"We're ready."


They made it back to the village just before nightfall and decided to sleep at their makeshift camp out in the neighboring field. Merlin was surprised to see Sefa settling in beside Mordred and helping the unconscious knight to swallow a few mouthfuls of broth before laying down to sleep beside him. When the young man showed signs of rousing, Merlin made sure to spell Mordred to sleep again, then joined the others at the fire.

The warlock smiled gratefully as Gwaine handed him a bowl of stew. Sitting down beside Arthur, Merlin tucked into the food ravenously. After a few moments of silence, Arthur asked a question that Merlin had not been expecting.

"Do you really know who your father was?"

"Excuse me?" Merlin asked, unsure that he had heard the king correctly.

"Last night, after that man called you a traitor, you told him that you understood his fear. You said that your father was running from mine. Do you know, then, who your father was?"

Merlin chuckled humorlessly.

"I do," he answered, noting the way the knights sat unobtrusively around them. "Gaius told me who he was just before we went to find him."

"We went to find him?" Arthur asked in surprise. Merlin nodded.

"My father was Balinor, the dragonlord we sought to defeat the dragon. Gaius helped him escape the purge, and he took refuge with my mother for a time. He never knew I existed until we found him in that cave."

"The grumpy dragonlord was your father?!" Arthur asked, much to Merlin's amusement.

"Yes. After he died, his gift was passed on to me, which is how I can control and call upon Kilgharrah," Merlin confirmed.

"Yes, about that dragon," Arthur scowled. "You told me I killed it!"

Merlin scoffed. "You are such an arrogant clotpole! I've just told you who my father was, the man I knew for all of two days before he died in my arms, who you told me wasn't worth my tears, and all you can think of is the dragon?!"

Arthur sat with a gobsmacked expression, surprised at Merlin's explosive reaction. Gwaine cleared his throat to break the uncomfortable silence, but none of the knights said anything further, still allowing the two of them the illusion of privacy.

"I am sorry I said that about your father," Arthur finally replied, causing Merlin's eyebrows to raise in surprise. "Though it wasn't as though I knew he was your father; I'm not entirely heartless."

"No, you didn't know. You couldn't know, not then."

"I'm still sorry," Arthur allowed, then his eyes narrowed. "Now, about the dragon..."

"What about him?" Merlin asked with false innocence, and just a bit of protectiveness.

"You released him, didn't you. That's why you kept apologizing night after night while he was attacking."

"I did," Merlin admitted, studying his boots for a moment. "I had made him a promise long before I actually released him that in exchange for his knowledge and assistance, I would free him."

"How could you possibly make such a bargain?!" Arthur growled. Merlin flinched slightly at the tone of the king's voice.

"I never meant to fulfill the promise when I made it."

"Then why did you? So many innocents died in his attacks. That Dragon was one of the worst disasters to strike Camelot!" The anguish in Arthur's voice and expression tore at Merlin's heart.

"Unfortunately Kilgharrah knew my intentions just as well as I. When Camelot was under the attack of the Knights of Medhir, he refused to tell me how to lift the sleeping spell. Gaius was asleep, and we were falling under the spell too quickly for me to research it, even if I could have gotten away from you and Morgana long enough to do so. The people and kingdom were already on the verge of death and destruction, so I had to promise on my mother's life that I would free Kilgharrah, if only he helped me save you and the kingdom from destruction."

"That must have been a difficult decision," Arthur murmured gruffly after a tense moment of silence.

"Yes, though not the hardest of that particular incident."

"What is harder than deciding to free a vengeful dragon on an innocent populace?!"

"Kilgharrah's knowledge came with a terrible price, yes. But then, so too had he paid a terrible price imprisoned as he was beneath the castle."

"What was this difficult decision then?" Arthur asked warily. Merlin's throat was suddenly tight with emotion; he looked down at his hands trying to stave off the tears that burned the back of his eyelids.

"To save Camelot, I would have to kill someone I considered a friend," he finally choked out.

"Morgana," Arthur said knowingly. Merlin nodded.

"But she obviously didn't die. What happened?"

"No, Morgana's weakened state was enough to break the spell over the city and then Morgause took her away in time to heal her."

"That is why she hates you so much?"

"Yes," Merlin whispered, his voice closing around the lump in his throat. Arthur nodded, staring sadly into the flames.

"It really was an impossible decision, wasn't it?!" Arthur finally managed. Merlin was somewhat taken aback at the anger in the king's voice, and he bit his cheek in an effort to remain silent. The warlock's heart quickened as his body tensed, waiting for the moment that Arthur decided that Merlin was just as evil as every other sorcerer he'd ever known.

"You chose to save the kingdom."

"I did," Merlin whispered.

"Yet you freed the dragon."

"Yes," Merlin confirmed once more.

"Did you think he would just fly off, never to be seen again? Were you so naively trusting then that you thought he would just thank you and be on his way?!"

"No, of course not. I feared Kilgharrah's retaliation when I let him go, but I hadn't any idea how potent his anger truly was."

"That was foolish. Dragons are senseless beasts."

"Don't say that to Kilgharrah, he would have to disagree."

"I suppose he did just save your life."

"Yes, he did."

"His one redeeming quality, it seems. Don't expect me to thank him anytime soon."

"I don't think he expects you to thank him," Merlin replied.

"I never even scratched him, did I?"

"You did give him a wound, it just wasn't fatal."

"What made him stop?"

"I ordered him to."

"Just like that? Why didn't you do that the first night?! We went through three nights of hell!"

"I wasn't able to then, I wasn't a dragonlord yet."

"Yet?!"

"When my father was killed, I inherited the dragonlord gift," Merlin explained again. "It was only then that I was able to command Kilgharrah to cease his attacks on the city."

"Why did you let him live? He had killed so many," Arthur asked sadly.

"I had intended to kill him. I had the spear in my hand, ready to strike," Merlin said, falling silent as he avoided Arthur's eyes by staring into the flames.

"What stopped you?" Arthur prompted.

"He begged me not to kill the last of his kind. I was torn; he had been utterly terrifying in his anger, and I had been manipulated by him more than once, yet I still remembered the way he helped me and by extension, Camelot. He had been the first to tell me my destiny; why I am the way I am, the purpose for my gifts. I had also felt the deep kinship that came from the awakening of my dragonlord gift. I could sense that my soul was bound to his in brotherhood, and I could not kill him. I showed him mercy and he has since repaid me many times over."

"I suppose this assistance is otherwise impossible to come by?" Arthur asked.

"Yes. Camelot would have fallen long before you were ever crowned king except for the knowledge and advice he's given me over the years. We would never have made it out of Ealdor when the Southrons were on our trail if it weren't for his assistance. I would have died on at least two separate occasions, including last night, if not for his healing magic."

Arthur sobered at that thought, and the memory of being utterly helpless while Merlin bled out. Finally, the king nodded in acceptance of Merlin's words.

"What was it that horrified you so much after you healed Mordred?"

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked, unsure of what Arthur was thinking.

"After you healed him, but before you put him to sleep. You looked horrified by something. What was it?"

Merlin put his empty bowl down on the ground beside him as he thought about how to answer in a way that the others could understand.

"I believe that Mordred has been cut off from his magic."

"So he's just the same as anybody else here," Arthur reasoned. "What is so bad about that?"

Merlin took a deep breath, thinking of how to respond.

"Surely you don't feel that you're superior to someone who has no magic?" Elyan asked as the knights finally joined the conversation. Elyan did not believe Merlin capable of such an attitude, but he was unsure of what Merlin was trying to say.

"No, it's pretty difficult to feel superior when most people hate what you are and fear the gifts you were born with and you go to sleep hungry on the dirt floor on a regular basis."

"What has that to do with what made you so horrified earlier," Arthur reasoned, bringing the warlock back on track. Then Merlin had an idea.

"You know that I am a warlock," Merlin began.

"Yes, though again, what has that got to do with my question?"

"Then you know that I was born with magic; I gave my mother a fright when I made things float over my cradle."

"Your cradle?" Leon asked incredulously.

"I've never known a time without magic," Merlin answered, nodding in confirmation to Leon. "It has always been with me, from before I could walk or talk. It is as natural to me as breathing, seeing, hearing, or touching is to any of you. To suddenly lose that would be like one of you losing your eyesight, or your hearing, or even a limb."

"Surely you could learn to live without it?" Percival asked, and Merlin shook his head instantly.

"My magic is a huge part of who and what I am. You lot are constantly saying how I've no sense of self-preservation-"

"You don't," everyone intoned together, causing Merlin to chuckle humorlessly.

"It's only because I've rarely ever been truly frightened by anything. I've always been able to magic my way out of sticky situations. The first time in my life that I felt true terror was when the Dorocha were unleashed."

"I remember that," Arthur broke in. "I remember thinking how unusual it was that you were so afraid of the dark."

"It's because my magic didn't work around them. I was powerless against the Dorocha, and it terrified me. To imagine feeling like that always, having no connection to my magic, it sends a shiver up my spine."

"What's your most impressive trick?" Gwaine asked, breaking the silence that had fallen.

"Trick?" Merlin asked incredulously. "I admitted to causing an earthquake earlier, and you think my magic is nothing but tricks?!"

"That's how you juggled!" Arthur exclaimed, pointing triumphantly at his advisor. "I knew you couldn't catch anything for the life of you!"

Merlin rolled his eyes. "Well spotted, Arthur," he said dryly.

"Well come on, show us your best trick!" Gwaine said again. "We've no mead with us, we may as well have a little entertainment."

"Entertainment?!" Merlin asked, laughing exasperatedly at his friend's enthusiasm. "How is it that I'm promoted and I still end up as the entertainment?"

"Just show us something!" Gwaine pestered.

"Surely you could show him one thing just to make him shut up," Arthur reasoned, raising a pleading eyebrow in the warlock's direction. Merlin smiled, nodding his head.

"I may have just the thing," Merlin said, stopping time and positioning himself behind Gwaine before allowing time to resume.

"Where did he-" Gwaine began, looking around the circle in surprise.

"BOO!" Merlin yelled, causing the knight to startle. However, before the knight could turn around, Merlin froze time again, moving then to get a bucket of water before releasing time to flow normally.

"- go?" Gwaine finished, though he was alarmed when everyone smiled and tried to stifle their laughter.

"Gwaine, look behind you," Arthur finally managed. The knight turned around, wary about what had the others laughing. Merlin was standing there, the bucket in his hands and a wicked smile upon his lips.

"Catch!" the warlock called out, then he threw the water at Gwaine, who closed his eyes and ducked in preparation for the soaking. When Gwaine felt no water, but heard plenty of laughter, he chanced a look in Merlin's direction.

Gwaine could only describe the sight as awesome. Merlin stood there, his impish smile firmly in place, his hand outstretched towards the water, which was frozen in mid-air on its path towards the knight.

"Is it solid?" Gwaine asked incredulously, reaching a hand out to touch the closest water droplets. In that moment, Merlin chuckled, causing Gwaine to look at the warlock in alarm just as Merlin released his hold on the water.

Fingers still extended to touch the water that now thoroughly soaked him, Gwaine spat out a mouthful, and began chuckling as well.

"Merlin?" he asked, wiping ineffectually at his chainmail. "Help me out? I'm going to rust."

Taking pity on the wet knight, Merlin calmed his laughter enough to hold a hand in Gwaine's direction and said, "Drugunge."

Instantly, the water evaporated, leaving Gwaine dry and rather cleaner than he was before.

"I'll never call them tricks again," Gwaine chuckled, settling back down on his seat.

"And I'll try not to ever throw water over you again," Merlin answered as he too sat down again.

"Don't be so hasty in that promise, Merlin. I think you've improved him," Elyan chuckled.

"Hey!" Gwaine protested.

"Sorry, Gwaine, but I agree with Elyan. I can't say that you don't smell a right bit better now," Percival argued, causing Gwaine to throw a dirt clod at the large knight.

"How did you learn to do that?" Leon asked in awe a moment later, ignoring the juvenile antics of the others.

"Which bit of it?" Merlin asked.

"All of it," Arthur interjected. "You just disappeared, there was no wind or anything like I've seen when other sorcerers have transported themselves. And the water... that was incredible."

"There was no wind because I didn't transport myself," Merlin said simply.

"But you disappeared! In the blink of an eye!" Gwaine argued, giving up on his revenge on Percival and Elyan.

"No, actually, I didn't. You just thought I did, because I froze time around you, like I froze the time around the water."

Dead silence met Merlin's words as everyone looked at him in utter shock.

"You froze time?!" Arthur asked incredulously. Merlin nodded, shrugging.

"But you spoke no words," Leon said wondrously.

"I've never needed words to do that, I've been doing that since I was this high," Merlin said, holding a hand about waist height. "Drove my mother completely mad, though."

"I can't imagine why," Arthur said sarcastically. Gwaine began laughing a deep, resonating chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Elyan asked.

"I've just imagined Merlin with a whole little passel of dark-haired children, freezing them in place if they don't behave!"

Everyone joined in with the knight's mirthful laughter, except for one red-faced warlock.

"Of course, there's always the possibility that they'll take after their father, rather than their mother, and Merlin will be the one frozen," Leon mused. The flush completely faded from Merlin's face then as his complexion paled at the thought.

"I suddenly regret all the difficulties I put my mother through," Merlin said wryly, setting everyone off again. Though after a few minutes, Arthur calmed them all.

"We should get some rest. We've got a long journey ahead of us tomorrow, and I for one, would like to be back in Camelot before dark."

"Back in Guinevere's arms, you mean," Merlin teased.

"Just like you're anxious to be back in Mithian's," Arthur retorted.

Merlin didn't say anything to that; he had to admit, Arthur had him there.


The king's party rode towards Camelot at first light, though they made a slight detour at midday to rendezvous with a Druid tribe recently encamped in the area.

Arthur, Gwaine, Percival and Elyan were startled when they were suddenly surrounded by several Druids clad in green robes. Arthur and Merlin both dismounted and moved towards the grey-haired elder that they recognised as Iseldir.

"How can we be of assistance?" the chieftain said aloud, looking at Merlin curiously and projecting, The Fates have been whispering, Emrys."

Merlin nodded once, acknowledging the thought. "We come before you as the Once and Future King and Emrys."

Iseldir's composure faltered for just a moment as his expression morphed from surprise to relief to elation. He finally took a deep breath and looked at Arthur in askance.

"I have a humble request of your tribe," Arthur began, looking back at Sefa, who slid down from her place behind Elyan and moved to stand just behind Merlin and Arthur. "This is Sefa. She was found guilty of treason, though due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, I am unwilling to sentence her to death. I would humbly request that she be allowed to join your camp for the duration of one year, at the very least. Where she goes after that is of no concern to me."

Iseldir smiled proudly at Arthur and nodded his approval. "We are happy to take her in."

"Thank you," Arthur said. Merlin gave a nod of respect to Iseldir, who returned the gesture before turning to Sefa and holding his arm to her in invitation.

"Come child, we will find a place for you among us," he said, and Sefa smiled, moving towards the Druid elder gratefully. Arthur and the knights were amazed at how swiftly the Druids disappeared back into the trees. Merlin could not help but smile though, when one last thought entered his mind.

Well done, Emrys.


Even with the slight detour, they managed to make it back to Camelot in the late afternoon. Several knights that had stayed behind met them in the courtyard to carry Mordred into Gaius' chambers. The saddle-weary king and his men were just handing off the reins of their exhausted mounts when Guinevere and Mithian came rushing out of the castle.

"Merlin!" Mithian called out in obvious relief, running down the stairs as quickly as she could. Merlin rushed around the horses and servants and the knights in his way as he moved to meet his wife.

"Mithian!" Merlin exclaimed as the princess barreled into his chest and held tightly to him. Without a thought for propriety or decorum, Mithian grabbed Merlin's face and kissed him with all the passion in her heart. The both of them were lost in the kiss until the applause and whoops from the knights broke them apart. Merlin pressed his forehead to Mithian's as they caught their breath.

"What on earth happened to you?!" she asked, her voice small and frightened.

"Nothing," Merlin insisted, wanting to eliminate the fear his wife felt. "I'm just fine."

"No you weren't! Two nights ago, something happened to you, I know it!" Mithian finally pulled back and looked Merlin up and down. Then her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in horror when she saw what she hadn't been able to see from a distance.

The deep red color of Merlin's tunic managed to mask the worst of the blood stain until it was studied closely. Of course, there was also the arrow-hole in his shirt as well. Mithian brushed her fingers searchingly over the hole, then looked up into Merlin's eyes beseechingly.

"You were shot?!" she gasped in shock, not caring that they were in the courtyard in full view of everyone when she began to lift Merlin's shirt to inspect what damage was still visible. Arthur would have laughed at the sight if he hadn't had a vivid memory of Merlin pale, in shock, and panting in pain from that particular wound.

Only a pink, slightly puckered scar remained after Kilgharrah's spell, and Mithian brushed her fingers over it gingerly. The princess studied the new blemish for nearly a full minute before allowing a red-faced Merlin to put his shirt back down.

"You were dying," Mithian whispered, her heart in her throat.

"But I'm still here," Merlin said comfortingly. Mithian let out a half-stifled sob and threw herself back into Merlin's chest, only relaxing when his long arms wrapped around her and his warm touch confirmed that he was really there, holding her tight.

"I felt it, you know," Mithian whispered. "That night, I was lying in bed when I felt this horrible, oppressive sense of dread. I was sobbing, but I didn't know why, except that it was something to do with you, Merlin. I could hardly catch my breath, and then I felt such pain. I feared that I had lost you. I paced our chamber all night long, until morning came and I suddenly felt you were alright."

Merlin was utterly stunned. He'd had no idea that Mithian would be able to sense such things. Perhaps Gaius could tell him if this was something common to married couples or if it was something that was yet again unique to him.

"I'm sorry," Merlin whispered, cradling Mithian's face in his hands and kissing her again.

"If you're about done, we're meeting in Gaius' chambers. We've got much to discuss," Arthur said, pulling Merlin and Mithian from their bubble. "We need to get to the bottom of this curse Mordred is under, this Teine Diaga."


A/N: Thanks for reading!