So, the prompt is "magic reveal" and my first thought about it was "what if we venture outside of the usual trope and try a reverse magic reveal instead? With Arthur having a secret to reveal, but at the same time, still connected to Merlin's magic secret?
This is the result of that thought. Enjoy!
It's funny.
Everyone grossly underestimates Arthur's perceptiveness.
Everyone... including one secret sorcerer and his mentor who are as subtle as a loud warhorn in an empty chamber.
Well, perhaps that is an overestimation, but the point still stands.
.
You see, contrary to what everyone is thinking, Arthur knows. He might be oblivious at times - and he's certainly hopeless when it comes to courting someone - but he's not blind, goddammit. Give him more credit. He's been a keen hunter and trained warrior long before he became king.
There are several important facts that Arthur has known for a long while.
Merlin has magic.
The whole Camelot - or just the citadel inhabitants - apparently also knows that Merlin has magic.
Ironically, Merlin doesn't know that everyone knows he has magic. Arthur can write you a full parchment argument as to why his manservant slash secret sorcerer is the oblivious one, instead of him - but sadly, that will break his own secret of knowing Merlin's magic, so he just has to endure this slander.
Traitors, all of them.
Everyone, including his own guards, seems to be in one agreement to keep Merlin's secret from him, their own king.
Honestly.
.
Arthur should be affronted, really.
He is not his father-hasn't he already proven so many times already? Even if the proof isn't enough, the current process of negotiating the repeal of the magic ban should have clued everyone already.
Although... he supposes he should be grateful that they look out for Merlin's back because his warlock seems to have zero sense of self-preservation.
How many times has Arthur seen him surreptitiously crawling through the corridors in the dark of the night, injured, after his clandestine activities of stopping whatever magical attack that day?
Arthur might not have caught him all the time but it has occurred with alarming frequency which is unsettling, even to him who's been trained for a life of toil and dangers that is demanded from a king and protector of the people.
.
So in conclusion: Merlin doesn't know that everyone, including Arthur, knows of his magic and everyone tries to keep Merlin and Arthur from knowing that they know but Arthur knows that everyone knows that Merlin has magic, except for Merlin himself.
Good gods, that was a mouthful.
.
Seriously, Arthur can't fathom how Merlin and Gaius expect to keep it a secret when Gaius keeps yelling it at regular interval within anyone's hearing? Is Merlin even aware how very not inconspicuous his use of magic is?
That stupid idiot.
Arthur still has the flashbacks of how worried he'd secretly been when Merlin blatantly used magic behind his father's back. Heck, he'd even used magic right in front of Uther under that ridiculous 'Dragoon the Great' disguise.
How his father had never figured out that this Dragoon character had the same pretty azure eyes as Arthur's manservant is truly a miracle.
Seriously, Merlin just has absolutely no sense of self-preservation.
.
What kind of sorcerer anyway who is stupid enough to come to Camelot despite the dangers?
Only Merlin.
Only his stupid, self-sacrificial idiot.
Dammit, Merlin.
He's the reason why Arthur might develop a heart condition due to the heart palpitations he's been having daily.
.
Arthur has known it for a long time, and no-no it wasn't from some great battle where Merlin had to use his magic to save the kingdom. With glee, Arthur can imagine Merlin's mortified look once Arthur tells him his secret of knowing Merlin's secret in the most mundane of ways: from chores.
One of the first few chores Arthur had assigned to him, in fact.
Did Merlin seriously expect nobody would see him polishing that armour with magic?
No, you can't ask what he, Arthur, was doing there spying on Merlin in the first place. He was just curious about this snarky peasant who was like none other Arthur had ever met, alright?
So that was the moment when Arthur figured out why there is something about Merlin that he can't put his finger on.
It took awhile for him to accept the fact, mostly to shake off his previous misconceptions about magic. Despite their banters and disagreements, Arthur had trusted Merlin implicitly. He just couldn't think of Merlin as evil. No, no, Merlin is the farthest thing from evil. There's just no evil bone inside the boy who would constantly fight Arthur to keep him from hunting little forest creatures unnecessarily; or Merlin, the assistant to the court physician who's always done his best to help everyone from the lower town to nobility without exception, and cries whenever he and Gaius fails to heal someone's failing health.
And that was the beginning of how his eyes were opened to the fact that magic is a tool, a weapon which cannot be inherently good or evil. It depends on the wielder.
Merlin is good. Magic can be good.
.
Since then, Arthur has grown used to conveniently falling and flying branches during battles - or any other kind of ridiculously lucky odds which is just so damn obvious. He would roll his eyes whenever he spots a twig which flies up or sideways unnaturally - seriously, it's like Merlin's actively trying to botch this secret protector thing he's got going.
He would pretend he's either unconscious or deaf when Merlin intones those foreign syllables, spells coming out in a voice that Arthur's never heard before. He definitely doesn't feel hot all over his body every time Merlin does that because It's strangely arousing.
And then, Arthur's most favourite thing: the golden eyes.
Not that he'd ever admit it but.. Arthur sometimes wonders if the fates are playing a joke on the Pendragon line by punishing Uther's anti-magic crusade with a son who is... attracted to a magic user's gold eyes.
Wait, scratch that, he has also noticed how Merlin's shade of gold is different from other magic users'. Where enemy sorcerers' eyes glow forbidding dark yellow that radiates a heavy sense of uneasiness in him, Merlin's brilliant gold represents warmth, protection, loyalty...and love.
He hates pretending to be unconscious because he mostly can't watch them. It's not like he could just come to Merlin and say, "I love it when your eyes turn gold due to magic..which I'm not supposed to know.. but they truly suit you so can you do magic in front of me so I can see you clearly this time?"
.
"Arthur? You've been staring at that parchment without moving. Are you trying to burn a hole through it, Sire? I'm starting to get worried here."
The object of his musing is in front of him, an eyebrow raised and looking very amused that he managed to startle the king who's been glaring at the speech he's supposed to be writing.
"MERLIN!" Arthur splutters. "Should I put a bell on your neck next time so you won't be sneaking on me like that anymore?"
"You prat, I've been trying to get your attention for the last five minutes!"
"Well...," Arthur coughs awkwardly, trying to forget his daydream of Merlin's eyes. Dammit, he can think of no excuse, and Merlin's wearing that taunting blue scarf. He should make it illegal. They bring out Merlin's eyes too well. It's why he can't think, really.
"Arthur," Merlin's concerned voice breaks through his thoughts. "Are you alright?"
Arthur blinks. "Peachy, Merlin." He averts his eyes and shuffles the parchments on the table. "Why don't you work on your methods of alerting someone of your presence? Your current one must be lacking because I didn't hear you."
"Oh alright," The warlock's face breaks into a particularly sardonic grin, and Arthur freezes. "I will work on being more...conspicuous in the future then. It's not my fault that you are so oblivious."
Okay, he did walk into that one rather foolishly.
.
"Watch who you're calling oblivious, Merlin!"
Merlin throws him another blinding cheeky smile, full of challenge. "Careful there, Sire. We don't want you to be proven wrong for the...how many times now? I've lost count. Do we?"
Then Merlin runs as Arthur chooses to not dignify that with a response but instead starts to playfully chase him around the chambers.
.
Parchment and speech forgotten, and Arthur sneaks a fond stare at his chuckling manservant and secret magical protector.
He can't wait for the day when Merlin will come clear to him about his secret, and on that day, Arthur will show him who's the oblivious one.
And one day, Arthur will have to come clear about his feelings as well.
One day...
No, Arthur.. Your father wouldn't have figured out Merlin's Dragoon disguise because it's only you who notices Merlin's eyes enough to remember them on the face of an old man.
SMH, this lovesick fool (I love writing Arthur so much :p his POV can be hilarious hehehe)
Anyways, I know this might be a bit rambling because I tried to write the whole thing under a deadline (my writing pace needs improvement, especially with bigger stuff like Acceptance 😠so that's why I practice with these prompts). I don't feel like this is my best work, but I hope you enjoyed nonetheless.