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: Thank you to all that reviewed! Of course I couldn't kill Mithian! I've been leaving breadcrumbs along the way, ie I like happy endings and I hate character death.


The Nightmare Ends

The journey back down the mountain was a long and arduous one, tired as they all were. Merlin trudged along, his arm around Mithian as they picked their way down the rocky trail. Arthur and Mordred took the lead, while Gwaine stayed at their flank. The five of them kept their senses on alert, wary of the possibility of any lingering Saxons.

"Can't you go any faster, Merlin?" Arthur teased after they'd been walking for about an hour.

"I'm tired," Merlin complained, even as his lips curled into an impish grin. Though things had changed so much between them, he still found it quite natural to slip back into his usual banter with the king.

"What could you possibly be tired from, Merlin?" Arthur jibed, glad that Merlin couldn't see the smirk on his face from where the warlock walked behind him.

"Hmmm. Well, I haven't been mucking stables, that can't be it. I've not been forced to endure the smell of your training clothes after they sat rank and crumpled on your chamber floor. That can't be it. Oh, I know, how about summoning the White Goddess twice in one afternoon? Or maybe it was battling a High Priestess. Those are distinct possibilities."

"Nah, that can't be it," Arthur said, looking back at Merlin's playful scowl with a grin.

"Of course, you're right. That can't be why I'm so tired. I know! It must be putting up with you," Merlin said as though he'd solved a great mystery.

"You've used that before," the king argued.

"Yet it's still true," Merlin replied. It was Arthur's turn to scowl as Gwaine and Mordred laughed at his expense. Mithian tried valiantly to smother her grin, but she too was soon chuckling.

"Never a dull moment," Gwaine laughed, then all of them fell into a comfortable silence as they continued their journey.

The sun was dipping low in the sky by the time they made it off the mountain and it had been dark for nearly an hour by the time they stopped riding by the glowing light of an orb that Merlin had conjured to illuminate the path ahead of them.

As camp was being set up, Merlin found himself wearily wandering around by the light of another orb, looking for firewood, when a pair of soft footsteps approached him. Straightening as he picked up the last stick and added it to his precarious load, Merlin turned around to find Mordred standing there, an anxious look on his face.

"Can I help you with something, Mordred?" Merlin asked curiously, stifling the urge to excuse himself from the imminent conversation.

"I wanted to thank you," Mordred began.

"There's no need, you already have," Merlin replied, turning back to his burden of wood.

"I suppose I was just hoping to use it as an excuse," Mordred admitted, surprising the older warlock.

"For?" Merlin asked, shifting the sticks in his arms to carry them more easily. Mordred moved forward to take some of them, concentrating so hard on the wood that Merlin knew he was stalling.

"You used immensely powerful magic at the Cauldron today," Mordred finally began. Merlin shrugged.

"I did what I had to do," he said, deflecting the indirect praise.

"How did you learn such magic when you've been hiding your true nature for so long?"

Merlin nodded slowly as he thought of how to answer, understanding Mordred's curiosity.

"You have to realise, I've been using magic since before I could talk," Merlin said.

"You mean when you were very angry or scared?" Mordred asked.

"Or happy, or mischievous, or bored, or tired, or cranky, or any time I could get away with it, really," Merlin laughed, causing Mordred's eyes to widen in surprise.

"It was that easy?"

"Always has been," Merlin shrugged.

"I was just a foundling when the Druids took me to live with them," Mordred admitted. "I could do things when I was very young, but I had to be provoked."

"That is fairly typical, from what I understand. I'm not exactly your average sorcerer," Merlin replied ruefully. Mordred nodded and looked down at the wood in his hands, allowing his eyes to go unfocused as he allowed himself to drift through his memories.

"After Alvarr was captured, I ran and ran until I found myself lost, cold and starving in the middle of the forest. I was just thirteen summers. My cloak was gone, my clothes were in tatters and I was exhausted. I thought I was saved when I came across a bandit camp. But I was not with them long before I realized that they were bounty hunters. I knew that if they discovered what I was, I would have fetched them a very high price."

"I'm sorry," Merlin murmured, his throat tight at the thought that he had helped to put such a young boy through such an experience.

"I admit, I hated you for a long while," Mordred said, refusing to meet the older man's eye. "But I know now that you were just trying to protect Arthur. I cannot say that I would have done any different."

"How long were you with the bounty hunters?" Merlin asked, his voice no more than a whisper.

"Until you and Arthur found me. Our band had been hired by Morgana."

"In all that time, they never realized you were a Druid? No one ever noticed your triskellion?"

Mordred finally met the older warlock's eyes and pulled aside his tunic, showing a burn scar just below his collarbone. Merlin's brow furrowed, recalling the time when the young boy lay feverish in Morgana's chambers, his chest bare save for the tattoo that identified him as a Druid.

"You burned yourself?" Merlin asked sadly, his eyes locked onto the horrible scar that masked the inked skin. The young man nodded grimly.

"I could not risk them seeing it, so I hid who I was, denying my very nature in order to survive. I buried my magic down so far inside me that I have almost forgotten how to use it."

Merlin shuddered at the thought, looking at Mordred regretfully.

"I'm sorry," Merlin whispered again. "I cannot imagine how difficult that must have been."

"It was difficult, but we are free now," Mordred said in reply, shrugging his shoulders and smiling weakly.

"Yes, we are," Merlin agreed. Mordred looked at the older warlock imploringly.

"At best, I have a basic grasp of controlling this great gift I have been granted. Although I have gone a long time burying my magic, I never again want to feel the complete emptiness I felt earlier."

"You need to study. I'm sure we could find you a book," Merlin offered, thinking of the text that the goblin had tried to frame him with.

"I don't want a book," Mordred interrupted.

"Why not?" Merlin asked in honest confusion.

"I began learning as a young child with a mentor who worked with me, teaching me how to speak the words of the old tongue properly. I've never learned from a book."

"Then what do you want from me?" Merlin asked, his tired mind unable to follow Mordred's logic.

"I want to ask you, if you would teach me. If you would take me on as your apprentice."

Merlin stood, completely flummoxed, by Mordred's request. So often, he thought of himself as still learning. Though he was no longer living in the physician's chambers as Gaius' ward, Merlin still thought of the elderly man as his teacher, his mentor. Taking on an apprentice wasn't something he'd thought of as a possibility.

"I'm still learning myself," Merlin finally replied, though Mordred smiled.

"Cerdan, my first teacher, told me many times that the greatest of us never stop learning."

Merlin looked Mordred in the eyes, no hint of emotion giving his thoughts away.

"Is that so?" Merlin asked, one side of his lips quirking upwards slightly. It sounded just like something Gaius would say.

"Yes," Mordred confirmed. "I would be honored to learn from you, if you'll have me."

"I've never taught anyone before."

"I understand."

"I could be rubbish at it."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Ask Arthur, he'll tell you I'm rubbish at many things."

"I'm sure he would also tell me you are great at many other things."

"Only if I were near death," Merlin joked, though neither of them laughed.

"Will you teach me?"

"Why would you even want to learn from me? I've not been the nicest to you."

"Are you refusing then?" Mordred asked, his face crumpling in disappointment.

"I didn't say that," Merlin protested, his mind racing with the possibilities.

"What say you, then?"

"It would not be easy," Merlin warned.

"I don't imagine it would be," Mordred answered, his smile growing tentatively. Merlin looked expressionlessly at the young knight standing before him. The former Druid had been destined to join Morgana in an alliance of evil, which would in turn, bring about the death of Arthur.

Merlin thought back over the White Goddesses' reassurances that Morgana was no longer within this world. She was now in Avalon and unless Merlin was much mistaken, it would be quite impossible for Mordred to ally with her in any way while she was trapped there. Did it then follow that Mordred's destiny had been forever altered? Merlin was sorely tempted to call for Kilgharrah and ask what the dragon saw now, but decided against it, as Kilgharrah would likely only have more riddles than answers, if he gave them at all.

For now, Merlin decided to follow Mithian's example and judge Mordred on his current actions, rather than on something that ought to never come to pass. The former Druid had undeniably saved Arthur's life when he could have let Morgana kill the king in the caves of Ismere and earlier that afternoon, Mordred hadn't hesitated to pick up a sword and fight along Arthur's side. Without Morgana to possibly sway the young knight away from the king, Merlin had hope that he could actually teach the former druid to develop his gift fully without fear for Arthur's life.

Magic was on the cusp of returning officially; every barrier barring Merlin from trusting the young man seemed to fall away before his eyes. Mordred's earnest expression began to falter as Merlin took longer and longer to answer, but the older warlock gave a gentle smile, deciding to give forgiveness a try.

"Then I accept," Merlin answered, though his nose wrinkled as another thought occurred to him. "Just don't call me Master. You might be my apprentice now, but I hope, first and foremost, to be a friend."

"I think I can do that," Mordred said, falling in beside Merlin as they made their way back to the camp.


Arthur sat at the fire ring, watching in amazement with Gwaine and Mithian as Merlin and Mordred laid down the logs they'd collected and Merlin began what the king could only describe as a magic lesson. Arthur had always known that Merlin was intelligent, despite his occasional bout of foolishness. Though the warlock had, in his own way, taught Arthur many things over the years, the king had never thought of Merlin as a teacher. Yet the warlock was now going over the finer points of magically setting a bunch of sticks alight.

"Have you learned much of the Old Tongue?" Merlin asked the young knight.

"I never really progressed beyond finding my center and releasing my magic in emotional or defensive bursts."

"My mother would be the first to tell you that as a small boy, I delighted far too much in using my magic to set things on fire. However, I didn't actually learn the spells to do so properly, in a controlled way, until I came to Camelot."

"Hold on," Arthur interjected, pulling their attention away from the sticks they were about to ignite. "I always knew you were an idiot, Merlin, but do you mean to tell me that you came to Camelot, found out magic was banned on pain of death, then decided to begin studying it?!"

"Well, when you put it that way..." Merlin groused irritably, rolling his eyes.

"What in the world possessed you to do it?" Arthur asked.

"Because I had to. The main reason my mother sent me to Gaius was to get my magic under control."

"Under control?" Gwaine asked, even as Mithian smiled, having heard this particular tale.

"I could bend it to my will sure enough, but it often bent me to its will as well."

Arthur and Gwaine looked to one another in alarm before turning back to Merlin.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked, imagining Merlin walking around like a puppet and shivering at the thought.

"When I was younger, my magic would often times react to an errant thought or gesture. Even though I was doing my best to hide my magic, it sometimes slipped out inadvertently. I became known as an odd child; some said I was cursed."

"That's why you really left Ealdor, wasn't it?" Arthur asked sadly. Merlin nodded.

"I meant it when I said I just didn't fit in. I never had many friends growing up, not because I didn't want them, but because they were afraid of me. Of course, that made them dislike me, especially when strange things happened around me. Eventually, even I started to fear my lack of control. I felt like a dangerous monster. I didn't really trust myself not to hurt anybody until I learned to harness my magic and focus it in more controlled, specific ways," Merlin explained.

"So you had the brilliant plan to come to a kingdom where magic was banned in order to learn the craft," Arthur said sardonically. Merlin grinned before looking at Arthur pointedly.

"It wasn't exactly my idea, but yes. Fortunately it worked and I learned control soon enough. Though certainly not before I met you. You were more lucky than you can imagine that I didn't accidentally knock you flat when you started swinging that mace at my head. I was not being cheeky when I said I could take you apart with less than one blow."

Arthur paled at the thought, having seen earlier for himself the extent of the power Merlin wielded; then the warlock continued, leaving the king feeling rather unsettled.

"You wondered how it was that I could be so clumsy and inept when you first started using me as a training dummy; it was because I was putting all my concentration into not knocking you into kingdom come!"

"Lucky indeed," Gwaine drawled, smirking at the thought of the oft-repeated story of how Arthur and Merlin met.

"How about getting that fire lit? This stew won't cook itself," Mithian asked, gesturing to the waiting cookpot with a smile. Merlin smiled and immediately turned back to the sticks, piling them in the ring of stones neatly.

"There are a few different words that you could choose to start a small fire like this, but I think the easiest to learn and control is forbearnan," Merlin said, reaching out a hand and uttering the spell, immediately lighting the fire and helping Mithian settle the pot beside it. Merlin then held a stick out to Mordred.

"Go ahead and try to light the end of this."

After a few unsuccessful attempts, Mordred looked at Merlin questioningly.

"You have to will your magic to do your bidding. Sort of like when you release it defensively, but keep it reined in and push your intent into it, like this," Merlin said, holding out an open palm and saying the fire spell again. Immediately a small flame blossomed on his hand.

"Merlin!" Arthur exclaimed, standing in alarm and stepping towards the warlock before he realized that Merlin was sitting calmly, the fire burning, but not consuming.

"What?" Merlin asked, looking between Arthur and the flame in his hand in sudden comprehension, a sly grin on his face. "Were you worried about me?"

"No," Arthur immediately denied, sitting back down in a huff.

"Really? Because you reacted just like my mother did when she saw me do this for the first time," the warlock said as he silently formed the flames into a ball and began to pass it from hand to hand. Merlin delighted in the indignant glare Arthur sent his way. Gwaine, however, looked rather envious as Mordred looked back to his stick and began whispering the spell again and again.

"Are you men, or boys?" Mithian said, her words firm, but her smile mischievous.

"Men will always be boys," Gwaine said shrewdly. "That's what makes us so loveable."

"That's debatable," Mithian said dryly.

"I did it!" Mordred exclaimed, holding up his burning stick giddily. Gwaine applauded his fellow knight.

"Good job. Perhaps you'll prove to be a faster learner than our esteemed ruler," Merlin praised. Arthur cleared his throat.

"That soup warm yet?" he asked, ignoring Merlin's remark entirely.

"It's barely had time to do anything," Mithian replied, but looked down in shock when it suddenly began bubbling and steaming.

"It's done," Merlin said cheerfully, looking cheekily at Arthur's open-mouthed shock.

"You really are a lazy servant, aren't you?"

"No, actually," Merlin answered. "I'm an advisor now, remember? And I advise you to shut your mouth and eat."

Arthur glowered as everyone else chuckled at his expense.

"And I'm the king. I say shut your mouth and serve me a bowl."

Merlin raised an eyebrow and grinned cheekily at Arthur, but handed his king a bowl nonetheless.


Arthur sat beside the fire sometime later, joining Gwaine at watch. Mordred had fallen gratefully into his bedroll and was snoring within minutes. Merlin, too, had gone to sleep soon after supper, leaning against a tree with Mithian tucked snugly into his side. The king found himself looking intermittently in their direction, his mind swirling with the memories of that afternoon.

Merlin had shown a terrifyingly powerful side of himself that Arthur had never imagined possible. While he knew he didn't fear Merlin, he was unsure of how the people would react. Merlin hadn't been exaggerating when he had said that they would be reversing more than twenty years of hate and persecution. While Camelot had been the first, many other kingdoms had soon followed Uther's lead in dealing with magic and sorcerers. Would they be so quick to follow Arthur's example? The king sighed in frustration as that thought only led him to recall Merlin's fantastical tale about his destiny to unite Albion.

"What has you so bothered," Gwaine asked softly. Arthur looked at his most irreverent knight and chuckled humorlessly.

"You and Merlin are both rather inconveniently perceptive sometimes, did you know?" Arthur said. Gwaine smiled roguishly.

"It's all part of my charm, I guess."

"How can I hope to unite this land?" Arthur asked suddenly.

"Easy, you get his help," Gwaine answered, jerking his head towards Merlin's slumbering form.

"That simple?" Arthur asked facetiously.

"You managed to make peace with a man who was, not even an hour before, moments away from taking your head off. How hard could the rest be?"

"If only it were that simple."

"I don't pretend to understand diplomacy, Arthur. I'm probably the last person around you'd want to take advice from. I prefer a good tavern brawl any day over some stuffy political reception. That's why you've got him," Gwaine said, gesturing towards Merlin once more.

"Destiny and all that rot?"

"Forget destiny. How about honor, nobility, brotherhood, friendship, ale, mead and all that rot?"

Arthur laughed, his heart feeling much lighter.

"Just when I think Merlin's wisdom is rubbing off on you as well..."

"Merlin can keep his wisdom; I'll stick to insolence and wit, thanks."

"Insolence, there is no doubt. You should probably reconsider the wit," Arthur said with mock solemnity.

Gwaine merely smiled and tossed another log on the fire, glad his attempt to pull Arthur from his worries had worked.


The king's party entered the city two days later with none of the secrecy they had left under. Arthur was glad to see the happiness of his people as he and the others rode through the streets towards the castle. Though the king couldn't help but wonder if that happiness would still be there when they heard of Arthur's plan to repeal the ban on magic.

Guinevere was waiting on the steps when they entered the courtyard; Arthur was hard-pressed not to jump off his horse and run across the courtyard to her. Instead he settled for riding to the bottom of the steps and catching her when she threw herself into his arms, then kissing her as he swung her around.

"I'm so glad to see you back," the queen said when she finally pulled back. "I trust your quest was successful?"

"In more ways than one," Arthur replied. "Mordred is himself again and Morgana is gone. Merlin defeated her at the Cauldron."

"She was there?" Gwen asked worriedly, her eyes scanning over the group gathering around them. Guinevere looked over them all, happy to see that Merlin at least, hadn't come home with any holes in his shirt. Then the queen looked over Mithian, tucked as she was into Merlin's side. Gwen gasped at the large hole that was in the princess' white traveling shirt.

"What happened?!" she demanded.

"Let's get inside," Arthur said with a soft smile. "We'll tell you everything."


Arthur wasted no time gathering his inner circle, the original Round Table. Gwaine was sent to summon the other knights while Arthur sent a servant to fetch Gaius. Mordred, Merlin and Mithian followed the king and queen to the royal chambers to wait for the others. Gwen looked around at their weary faces, her eyes once again lingering over the obvious hole in Mithian's shirt. The queen was a blacksmith's daughter first and foremost; she knew a blade cut in fabric when she saw one.

"You all look exhausted," Gwen said, wanting to pry the details from them but knowing that they were waiting for the others to arrive.

"It was a very eventful journey," Mithian allowed, smiling at Merlin ruefully.

"Eventful?" Gwen asked hopefully.

"We'll tell you everything as soon as everyone is here," Arthur said with a smile, knowing exactly what was on his wife's mind.

"We're here," Gwaine said, bursting into the room rather like Merlin always had. Arthur raised his eyebrow at the knight, but Gwaine merely smiled and led Leon, Percival and Elyan into the room.

"We're just waiting for Gaius then," Arthur said, just as the physician entered.

"You sent for me, Sire?"

"Yes, sit, we've an interesting story to tell and some plans to make."

Arthur then related the tale, with Merlin, Mithian, Gwaine and Mordred adding details. Merlin felt rather embarrassed when Mordred related his experience in the Cauldron, followed by what he observed of the Saxon's arrival. Gwaine and Arthur both gave their version of the fight with the soldiers. Once they got to Morgana's entrance into the battle, Arthur, Gwaine, Mordred and Mithian all looked expectantly at Merlin.

"What?" the warlock asked.

"It was your magic battle, you need to debrief us," Arthur said, rolling his eyes.

"Well, Morgana joined the battle, we traded words, we fought and I won," Merlin said simply.

"Merlin!" Arthur said, exasperated.

"Well, it's true," Merlin argued. Arthur narrowed his eyes at his First Advisor, waiting for him to elaborate. Merlin stared back, already unsure of how much he wanted to say. He had been rather angry when he'd thrown Morgana into the Cauldron, and that was something that he didn't like to dwell on.

"Why don't you relate to the others how you defeated her, and where she is now?" Mithian interjected calmly, laying an encouraging hand on her husband's arm. Merlin nodded, smiling at Mithian gratefully.

"I told you she had more control over him than you do, Arthur," Gwaine chuckled, putting his feet up on the table and leaning back. He yelped in quite an unknightly manner when Arthur grabbed his feet and tipped him back onto the floor.

"You were saying, Merlin?" Arthur asked cheerfully, ignoring the indignant glare from Gwaine as he righted his chair and sat back down.

"I fought with Morgana. She began with a spell that I suppressed, and then we just began to fight with raw, instinctual magic. I was wearing her down when she got desperate. She grabbed a sword from the ground with magic and threw it at Arthur. I stopped it, but it distracted me long enough for Morgana to grab another sword and throw it at me while I was protecting Arthur. That's when-" Merlin suddenly stopped, his face growing stormy as he clenched his fists at the memory.

"Mithian took the wound in your place," Guinevere said knowingly, Merlin's anger and Mithian's damaged shirt causing the pieces to fall into place in her mind. Merlin looked at Mithian and nodded, unable to speak for a moment.

"You are certainly two of a kind! Will you ever come back without either of you having been skewered?" Gaius asked, eyeing the warlock and princess with annoyance. Merlin chuckled humorlessly, smiling at Mithian before he took a deep breath and continued.

"When I saw what had happened, I was... angry," Merlin said hesitatingly.

"Angry?!" Gwaine chuckled. "You shook the ground, the water, the wind, and caused a bolt of lightning in the sky!"

The guilt must have shown in his expression, Merlin mused, because Mithian gave his arm a squeeze in support and Mordred called out Merlin mentally, drawing the warlock's gaze.

"You were provoked," his apprentice said softly, their conversation in the woods coming back to him. Merlin nodded gratefully and picked up the story again.

"I grabbed her with magic and I threw her into the Cauldron. There was a brightness that surrounded her and then she disappeared. I tried to heal Mithian, but I couldn't. I was too distracted to think straight. Then Mithian reminded me of the Cauldron's healing properties and I took her into the water to heal her. When I summoned the White Goddess while in the water, she told me that Morgana was sent to Avalon to atone for her crimes."

Merlin fell silent, unwilling to discuss the other things he saw while in the Cauldron with anyone but Mithian.

"That leads us to our next issue," Arthur began. "I intend to call the council and declare the ban on magic to be over."

"Are you sure the people are ready for such action? Would it not be better to introduce the idea to them slowly?" Leon asked.

"What are your concerns?" Arthur asked, wanting to ensure his course of action was the best one for Camelot.

"There could be some unrest over such a change," Elyan agreed logically.

"I've seen very few people actually speak hatefully of magic. Sure, there are a few here or there who really bought into Uther's rhetoric, but for most citizens, I think they are more afraid of the law than they are of magic. I think the people are more accepting of it than you'd think," Gwaine asserted.

"Accepting enough to embrace magic, though?" Leon questioned.

"Do you have a problem with it?" Percival asked eyeing his brother-in-arms questioningly. Merlin looked worriedly at the knight. He hadn't suspected the knight of any distrust or resentment and it didn't seem like Leon to hold a grudge for something Merlin had no control over.

"Personally, no. I've no problem with magic. Without it, I'd be dead many times over, I'm sure. I've only a problem when my king and kingdom are threatened by magic," Leon assured them. Merlin let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and smiled at Mithian when she gave his arm another squeeze.

"Like I said before; Merlin is the best argument around for the good in magic. The people know him and respect him. They trust him and his loyalty to Arthur enough to give magic a chance," Gwaine replied.

"I think the timing is appropriate," Mordred said. "The magical population should be considered in the timing as well. We've been feeling unrest over the ban for long enough."

"That's right, you've been keeping secrets, too," Gwaine said roguishly. "Any neat tricks up your sleeves like Merlin here?"

"No, I've nothing along the lines of his skill," Mordred said, looking askingly at Merlin.

"That's why I've agreed to take him on as an apprentice," the warlock revealed.

"How will you do that as well as your knightly duties?" Leon asked.

"Well..." Mordred said, looking sheepishly towards Arthur.

"You will be allowed time for both. I think it will go a long way to showing that we're taking magic seriously," the king answered.

"Then you will go forward as planned?" Mithian asked hopefully, looking at Merlin's similar expression out of the corner of her eye.

"That is my desire," Arthur answered. "Gaius? You are the only one of us assembled here today that remembers a time when magic was a way of life. What are your thoughts on how the people will react?"

"I feel that the people might be disconcerted at first," Gaius added. "It is the only way many of them have ever lived."

"Keep the magic secret. It's all I've ever known," Merlin said solemnly.

"And I," Mordred agreed. Gaius nodded sadly at the two warlocks and continued.

"Even so, I believe that the vast majority of the people will be relieved."

"How so?" Gwen asked.

"The pall of suspicion will be removed from anyone who so much as breathes the word magic. The fear of helping or working with strangers, lest they be sorcerers in hiding, will disappear. Especially with a figurehead in place to put limits and protections against dark practitioners."

"A figurehead?" Elyan asked curiously.

"Merlin, of course," Arthur explained. "I intend to give Merlin a title that has not been used in nearly thirty years, that of Court Sorcerer."

"Warlock," Merlin interrupted, grinning at Arthur. "I am a warlock, not a sorcerer. I would prefer Court Warlock, if you please."

"Alright, then," Arthur said, rolling his eyes even as he smiled. "Court Warlock. Shall we have the royal tailor fashion you a new hat?"

"No!" Merlin exclaimed, recalling the feathered monstrosity Arthur had once forced him to wear.

"No? I thought the feathers were rather fetching," Gwen teased. Merlin narrowed his eyes at the queen.

"You're supposed to be on my side in this, Gwen!"

"Your side?! She's my wife! She's supposed to be on my side!" Arthur protested.

"Feathers?!" Mithian interjected, smiling at their antics.

"Official Camelot servant's garb," Arthur said, grinning at Merlin, "Has a wonderful hat to go along with it."

"No, it was not wonderful. It was horrid and it smelled of moths," Merlin argued.

"Whatever happened to that hat?" Gwen asked curiously.

"I burnt it," Merlin answered honestly. Arthur's mouth dropped open indignantly.

"Merlin!"

"What?! I had just drunk poison for you, I figured I could get away with it."

That sobered the king, despite Merlin's cheeky grin. Looking around once more at the weary expressions on the quester's faces, Guinevere interceded.

"Why don't we all get some rest? We've got a council to argue with tomorrow."

"Yes, a bed sounds lovely right now," Mithian agreed. Arthur nodded, looking around at his inner circle once more.

"Until tomorrow, then."


Guinevere watched silently as Gaius and the knights filed out of the royal bedchambers. Merlin and Mithian stood as well, moving more slowly towards the door, their hands clasped between them. Mordred stopped in the doorway and turned around, causing the warlock and his wife to stop.

"Thank you, again," the knight said simply, his eyes roving over Merlin, Mithian and Arthur.

"You're welcome," Arthur acknowledged, and Merlin nodded as well.

"Goodnight," the knight said with a small, grateful smile, before he turned and disappeared down the corridor. Gwen looked at Merlin and Mithian, standing quietly before the door, then turned to her husband. Arthur's gaze was directed to Merlin and Mithian's joined hands, an inscrutable expression on his tired face.

"Thank you, Merlin," Guinevere said, and Merlin turned around in confusion.

"For what?" the warlock asked.

"You not only defeated Morgana, but you brought Arthur home safe to me. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Merlin replied softly. "Goodnight, Gwen, Arthur."

With a soft snick of the latch, Gwen was finally alone with her husband. Seeing Arthur's exhaustion, Guinevere patted his hand and smiled.

"Let's get to bed, Arthur," the queen entreated and Arthur smiled tiredly at her, nodding his agreement. Gwen lovingly helped Arthur to remove his armor, setting each piece aside and finally helping him out of the heavy chainmail and gambeson. Arthur washed up as Gwen put on her own nightgown and finally the two of them settled into their bed. Arthur was quiet for a moment as Gwen laid against his chest.

"How are you doing, Arthur? Really and truly, how are you handling everything you've learned lately? It must have been quite shocking to learn that your closest friend has magic; are you sure you're not just burying your true feelings?"

"I am sure, Guinevere," Arthur answered softly. "I think that I've been willfully blind for many years. I've always known that there was something strange about Merlin. Even from our first fight in the marketplace. I think that is what I've been burying all these years."

"What makes you think so?" Gwen asked curiously. Arthur took a deep breath and answered.

"While we were out searching for Mordred, I was forced to look more closely at things when we found the injured dryad. I started to put things together and I tried to ask Merlin about it. He was telling me all about how magic wasn't evil and about this grand destiny I've supposedly got when we were attacked."

"Is that when you found out about Merlin's magic?" Gwen asked, and Arthur nodded, his eyes going blank as he thought back on the memory.

"To my shame, I had a wave of bitter anger come over me when Merlin stepped forward and used magic in front of us. He was protecting us and the village and I was angry that he had lied to me, even though by that time I knew. He had as good as told me before the attack. But then he was shot by that arrow and my anger disappeared. All I could think about was the time he was injured on patrol and went missing for a few days. It was bad then, knowing that he could possibly be dead, but as Merlin fell to his knees with an arrow in his chest, I knew I could not watch him die. He had a reason for doing what he did, and he's been the best friend I've ever had. That's when I knew that the magic and the lies didn't matter."

"I'm proud of you, Arthur," Guinevere whispered, reaching up to press a kiss to his lips.

"For what? For not killing my best friend because of the way he was born? I'm not sure it's anything to be proud of. Plenty of people do the same all the time. What makes me this great king worthy of this grand destiny?'

"No, Arthur. For putting aside a lifetime of hatred. For accepting that your father's way wasn't always the best. For being the compassionate and merciful man that I know you to be. You are a great king, and I know you will be a legend in the annals of history."

Arthur couldn't help but believe her, Guinevere spoke with such conviction.

"As long as you're always by my side," he said, smiling at her sparkling brown eyes and gentle smile.

"Where else would I be?" the queen whispered, then sealed her promise with a kiss.


The next morning, Merlin and Mithian met the king and queen in the corridor outside the council chambers, the four of them planning on entering together to show their solidarity. Merlin found himself unusually nervous as they walked into the room already occupied by the council members. All fell silent, knowing that Guinevere and Mithian's presence heralded a significant announcement. Guinevere did not miss the subtle glances towards her middle that the heir-hungry councilors did little to hide.

Arthur and Merlin took their places at the table after seating Gwen and Mithian beside them as everyone else took their chairs. Gaius rushed in at the last moment, his harried expression causing Merlin's brows to furrow in concern. He'd been so busy with his new duties and various quests that he'd not taken notice of how busy the elderly physician was.

As the doors were shut once more, Arthur stood and cleared his throat.

"I have news that shall bring great relief to all who sit here in this room and for all who live within the borders of this kingdom."

"I am assuming that this has something to do with your rather conspicuous absence of the last few days?" Lord Vidor asked, looking down his nose at Merlin with obvious disdain.

"It does, and you would do well not to interrupt me again," Arthur said, looking sternly at the mulish noble. "I am both saddened and pleased to be able to tell you that Morgana has been defeated. No longer will the people of Camelot suffer at her hands."

Instantly, the room erupted in a clamor as each council member began voicing their questions and disbelief. Arthur held his hands up, and slowly, the wary nobles calmed down.

"What assurances do we have that the witch has been defeated? More than once, her death was suspected, but time and time again, she seemed to rise again," Lord Perrin asked to numerous nods of agreement.

"I witnessed it with my own eyes. My absence, as Lord Vidor was so kind to point out, was for a good purpose. The training patrol that went missing several days ago was attacked by Morgana, as you well know. When I, Merlin and my best knights went to find Sir Mordred, who had been taken captive, we discovered that the young knight was under Morgana's control. Sir Gwaine, Merlin, Princess Mithian and myself set out some six days ago to cure Sir Mordred of the enchantment."

"How was it lifted?"

"This sounds dangerously close to magic!"

"How does this tell us that Morgana is dead?!"

"Gentlemen!" Arthur called, holding out his hands once more.

"Perhaps I could offer some explanation?" Gaius offered and Arthur nodded, relinquishing the floor.

Merlin sat, silent and anxious as Gaius explained the Teine Diaga and the need for the Cauldron's cleansing power. The warlock's mind wandered as the Lords of the council asked Gaius questions that came uncomfortably close to revealing Merlin's magic. While he was aware that revealing his magic was the point of this meeting, old habits certainly died hard. Merlin's foot began bouncing under the table and his thumbnail was soon between his teeth in nervous anticipation. Mithian placed a calming hand on his bouncing knee, helping him to find his composure when the most damning question was asked.

"How exactly was this 'White Goddess' summoned when there was no sorcerer among you?"

Merlin froze completely, realizing belatedly that he was holding his breath. With a nervous glance at Mithian, he finally remembered to breathe. Arthur could see the anxiety and fear in his friend's eyes and in his posture. It wasn't going unnoticed by the council members, either.

"It would seem that something is making your First Advisor very nervous," Lord Vidor drawled almost gleefully. He had been smarting after Merlin had turned his attempt to make the former servant look like a fool on its head; he was eager to return the favor.

"We did not, in fact, have a sorcerer with us," Arthur denied. Merlin looked at the king with wide eyes, afraid for just a moment that Arthur was going back on his promise to lift the ban.

"My Lord?" Gaius asked, similarly worried as Merlin. Arthur looked reassuringly at the physician and then at his First Advisor.

"As, I was saying, we did not have a sorcerer with us. We did in fact, have a warlock with us," Arthur revealed, much to the surprise of the gathered nobles. Merlin smiled in relief at Arthur, reminding himself that the king was a man of his word.

"A warlock?!" Lord Vidor asked with a wrinkled nose.

"A man who is born into his magical gift rather than by studying," Gaius interjected helpfully.

"Where in Camelot did you find such a man?" Lord Perrin asked.

"I found him where he's always been," Arthur began, meeting the eyes of every member of the council. "At my side, protecting me, protecting Camelot, and protecting each and every one of you."

"Who is this man?" Lord Vidor asked, though every eye in the room was quickly directed at Merlin. The warlock took a deep, centering breath, returning the gaze of everyone there before standing slowly to his feet. Merlin allowed the barest hint of magic to surround him in an invisible layer, projecting an aura of power and authority. The effect was subtle, but instantaneous. As one the council gasped and sat back further in their seats, awed by the change that came over the former servant.

"I am that man," Merlin said, infusing his voice with power. "I am the warlock the Druids call Emrys; it was foretold before any of you were born that I would be the guide and protector of The Once and Future King."

"This is an outrage!" Lord Vidor sputtered, his face paling as Merlin calmly met his furious eyes and raised an eyebrow. Arthur stood beside Merlin, looking each member of his council in the eye again.

"Three years ago, I rescinded my father's order to exterminate the Druids, which each of you agreed with. I said then and I stand by my words now that they are a peaceful people, and they deserve our respect. It is their prophecies that foretold Merlin's destiny as well as my own, to restore magic to the land and unite all of Albion."

Stunned silence fell as everyone processed Arthur's words.

"Unite all of Albion?" Lord Geoffrey asked in amazement. "It was an historic event when your father helped unite the five kingdoms. How do you intend to accomplish such a goal?"

"By first removing the ban on magic so that those with the gift can live peaceably. An announcement will be made after the noon bell tomorrow. Second, by reaching out to other kingdoms to create or strengthen our alliances as needed. This will, obviously, take some time as well as significant effort on our part."

Silence reigned over the room until Lord Geoffrey slowly stood up, looking at Arthur for a moment before he began to speak.

"I have witnessed many things in my tenure as Court Historian, Librarian and Genealogist. I lost many good friends in the purge and saw many families go into hiding."

Merlin watched in astonishment as many of the councilors began to nod their agreement, and a few scattered ayes echoed around the table. Geoffrey looked each man in the eye before continuing.

"When the purge began, I did not try to persuade King Uther against his chosen course of action, believing that his goal to end the corruption of power within the magic users of the day was a necessary one. To my regret, I still said nothing when innocent men, women and even children were executed and the citizens began to fear even the word magic. I had hoped that the king would come to his senses in time. In my cowardice, I felt that it would be unwise to voice any dissention, lest I lose my place on the council.

"But I have also witnessed many great things since you became king, Sire," Geoffrey said, addressing Arthur. "We have seen unparalleled prosperity in the last three years and I believe that your goal to ensure that our current peace and prosperity continues is a worthy one."

"It is indeed a worthy goal," Gaius intoned, drawing everyone's attention as Geoffrey sat back down. "We are witness to the rise of a new era. One of peace and prosperity, not only in Camelot, but all across Albion. One that has been foretold for more years than we can even imagine. I say, long live the king."

"Long live the king!" everyone repeated, though Lord Vidor looked as though his wine had been replaced with vinegar.

"Thank you, Gaius," Arthur said, nodding gratefully to the proudly smiling physician.

"If you lift the ban on magic, how do you plan to avoid the corruption that caused the ban in the first place?" Lord Perrin asked.

"That is an excellent question, Lord Perrin," Arthur began. "In answer, I would strongly suggest that you all join us three-days hence when we instate Camelot's newest noble."

"Another new noble?" Vidor asked distastefully; his opposition to Arthur's knighting commoners was well known.

"Yes. As Lord Perrin pointed out, we will need a guide as we enter this new era of welcoming magic within Camelot once again. Someone capable of showing others what the purpose and limits of magic should be to help us avoid the pitfalls of the abuse of magic that triggered the ban of sorcery in the first place. Merlin is just such a man; He is knowledgeable in matters of magic and he is of outstanding moral fiber. I will therefore be naming him as Camelot's Court Warlock."

Again the room erupted in a multitude of voices. Merlin sat back in his chair, rather stunned. When Arthur had said that he planned on giving him the title of Court Warlock, he had assumed it was just a job title, not unlike Gaius' as Court Physician, or his own as First Advisor. He hadn't actually expected Arthur to ennoble him! Though Merlin mused that he shouldn't be so surprised; he had just recently married a princess, after all.

"Order, please!" Arthur said sharply, silencing the various questions and protests of the council members. "I've given my decree; Geoffrey, please make note of it in the annals of the court that it has been so given, and send word to any Lords not in attendance today. Council dismissed."

Slowly, the members of the council filed out of the room, no doubt to spread the latest court gossip, leaving only Arthur, Guinevere, Merlin, Mithian and Gaius. Merlin sat unmoving in his chair until Mithian gave his knee a gentle squeeze. The warlock turned to the princess and smiled a nervous smile.

"Merlin? Are you alright?" Gwen asked.

"I think he's rather overwhelmed," Mithian chuckled.

"That's rather understandable, I think," Gaius replied, looking fondly at his former ward.

"What just happened?" Merlin asked, much to Arthur's great humor.

"You seem to be asking that question a lot lately, Merlin," the king laughed.

"You never said anything about being a noble," Merlin said accusingly, finally coming out of his shocked stupor.

"I said I was giving you a title," Arthur retorted.

"Yes, like First Advisor, or like Gaius is Court Physician."

"Shall I ennoble Gaius as well, then?" Arthur teased, looking at the elderly physician.

"No thank you, Sire, I'm quite happy with my lot in life. Though a new assistant would not be unappreciated."

"We'll get started on that, Gaius," Gwen promised. She too had noticed how frazzled Gaius had looked as he'd rushed into the council chambers earlier.

"Well, we've got a lot to do," Mithian said airily.

"What's that?" Merlin asked in confusion.

"First, we'd best send word to Ealdor. I don't think your mother would take too kindly to missing a moment foretold before your birth," Mithian explained.

"Perhaps this time you can convince her to stay?" Gwen asked. "I feel rather terrible keeping you so far away from her, what with Hunith being all alone."

"I think we can manage that," Mithian said, smiling lovingly at her husband. "But we've also got to get you dressed properly Merlin."

"What for?" Merlin asked, looking down at his clothes. They were of a fine make, though they were rather plain compared to the other courtier's wardrobes.

"You'll be on the balcony with the king and queen when the announcement is made, of course."

Merlin instantly paled. "What?"

"It's not that hard to understand, Merlin," Arthur teased. "You're going to be up there a whole lot more from now on. Besides, that will be nothing compared to the ceremony to make your appointment as Court Warlock official. There will be far more people attending that than those that will gather for an announcement."

"I think I liked blending into the background as a servant better," Merlin said. Arthur chuckled and folded his arms.

"Merlin, your days of blending-in are over."


"Elfa must have done a lot of talking at The Rising Sun last night," Arthur joked, looking mischievously at Guinevere as they stood just inside the balcony doors the next morning. They were all dressed in the finery required of a public announcement, which always made Gwen feel slightly overwhelmed. Merlin himself was wearing the coat Arthur had given him for the queen's coronation; the warlock kept absentmindedly smoothing down the front and pulling at the neck, the cut of the garment being a closer fit than he was accustomed to. Then Arthur startled them all when he suddenly growled softly and took off his crown, rubbing at his hair as he grimaced at the adornment in his hand. The queen looked sternly at her husband, but her eyes sparkled with humor.

Merlin rolled his eyes and stepped forward, yanking the crown away from the fidgeting monarch and patting his jacket pockets searchingly. Arthur huffed impatiently, rubbing ineffectually at his mussed hair. Gwen chuckled as Merlin's expression brightened as he pulled a broken-toothed comb from his inner pocket. Mithian and Guinevere chuckled as Arthur tried to fend off the former manservant's efforts to remedy the king's apparent lack of grooming.

"You're completely hopeless, did you know?" Merlin asked facetiously, winning the battle and dragging the comb over Arthur's head before unceremoniously plunking the crown back on the monarch's head. "Now stop touching it, or I'll make it so you can't take it off," he admonished, pointing a finger sternly at the king.

"You're not my manservant any more, you know," Arthur argued.

"Is that a defense or a complaint?" Merlin taunted.

"We'll always be servants at heart," the queen said, smiling fondly at her best friend as he stepped back with a grin and grasped Mithian's hand in his own. Guinevere looked over the sizable crowd still gathering below in the courtyard, recalling the nerves she had felt the first time she had stood on the balcony beside Arthur as his queen. Then Gwen looked back at Merlin. The warlock looked anxious, there was no doubt about it. If Mithian hadn't been standing beside him, holding his hand in a vice-like grip, Gwen was sure that he would have been pacing.

"I've never been on the balcony while you've addressed the people," Merlin murmured, looking at Arthur briefly before turning back to the window. "Inside here, or down in the courtyard, plenty of times. But never out where people could see me. There's so many of them..."

"It is a lot of people," Mithian agreed, pulling her husband's attention away from the crowd to lock eyes with her. "But that's a good thing. The more who hear the announcement straight from the king, the more readily the news will spread."

"It won't go anywhere unless we actually announce it," Guinevere said, glancing at the others once more before Arthur nodded.

"Sounds good to me," the king agreed, reaching for the door and opening it before Merlin could say another word. Silently, the four of them filed out onto the balcony; the king and queen went to the railing while Merlin and Mithian stood just behind and to Arthur's right. Merlin was relieved to see the swirling red cloaks of Arthur's best knights standing on the periphery of the crowd. The people cheered for their king and queen until Arthur raised his hand for silence. Almost instantly, a quiet, anticipatory hush fell over the courtyard.

"People of Camelot," Arthur began. "Today marks a momentous occasion. One which I hope will change the lives of many who live in and near our great kingdom. For more than 20 years, my father sought to eradicate magic from the land, believing it to be a plague upon our people."

Arthur paused, looking over the crowd; noble and commoner alike seemed to be holding their collective breath as the king's words sank in. Arthur looked back at Merlin and gave a brief nod before turning back to the crowd and speaking once more.

"I must acknowledge that my father was a broken-hearted, but mistaken, man. His efforts to create a safe and peaceful kingdom will not go unrecognised in our histories, but I cannot condone the deaths of an entire people.

"During my reign, I have given the Druids the respect and peace they deserve. I have not ordered the arrest or execution of anyone simply for possessing magic, but rather in response to their actions against the crown and Camelot. Just as I have done for every other man or woman who has threatened the peace and safety of our kingdom through means other than magic. I believe that it is our choices that matter, not the way we're born or choose to believe.

"The greatest such threat that we have seen in recent years was that of my half-sister, the High Priestess Morgana Pendragon. I can tell you all, that I have witnessed her defeat with my own eyes; only by magic was this possible. Therefore, on this day, I, Arthur Pendragon, lift the absolute ban on magic and sorcery. I propose that those with magic or those who wish to study such arts shall be fully allowed under the law. Those who should study the dark arts and thus use their gifts to hurt or gain unfair advantage over others will be tried and punished in the same manner as any non-magic user who commits a similar crime.

"It is long past the time for us to stop seeking to condemn our neighbors and cast suspicion on any new arrivals. There is, within each of us, a great potential for good. We must strive to work together to achieve the peace and prosperity that we desire. In that respect, I invite all who can, to join us in three days when I will be appointing my First Advisor, Merlin of Ealdor, the title of Court Warlock. It was he who defeated Morgana, and it is in him that I place my trust in magical matters."

Merlin stepped forward at Arthur's pronouncement, holding his chin high and returning their gaze as he felt every eye on him. There were some who looked frightened of the warlock, others who looked betrayed, but the majority looked utterly stunned. Cautious smiles and tentative nods began to filter slowly over the crowd, replacing the stunned expressions. Merlin smiled for the first time, then looked back at Arthur, who held out a hand to his First Advisor. Merlin accepted, and the men clasped forearms before the crowd in the ultimate gesture of acceptance. Arthur turned back to the assembled people with a triumphant smile.

"May you all go in peace."

For a moment after Arthur finished speaking, there was utter silence in the courtyard, until at the back of the crowd, a young man began clapping. One by one more and more people joined in, the applause growing steadily louder until it was a tumult of noise. Another man began whistling, only to be joined by others. A teary-eyed woman in the middle of the crowd began laughing in utter relief before wiping her tears away and shouting in a loud, carrying voice.

"LONG LIVE THE KING!"

The gathered throng took up the call, shouting until their voices grew weak. Arthur smiled happily at the citizens standing below, looking euphorically at Guinevere when he felt her hand slip into his and weave their fingers together.

Merlin stood rooted to the spot, silent tears of joy and relief streaming down his face in an unchecked torrent. Mithian wrapped her arms around him, crushing him to her as they met in a passionate kiss. A moment later, Merlin pulled back, smiling at his wife in utter joy. Mithian returned the favor, then turned to face the cheering crowd once more. The king looked proudly at his First Advisor, resisting the urge to punch the thin man in the shoulder.

"Is this what you always imagined?" Arthur asked the emotional warlock. Though Merlin surprised him by slowly shaking his head.

"No, Arthur, it isn't. It's so much more than I could have ever dreamed."


A/N: Yay! Magic has been revealed! But, our story isn't done yet. Merlin and Arthur have a job to do afterall! Thanks for reading! I'm hoping that I'm not updating too fast for everyone, since these are long chapters. I do love hearing from you!