Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

Chapter Six

The better part of the next day was spent on dealing with the situation from the night before, so it was nearly evening before Arthur was finally able to gather the round table to discuss the situation.

Well, that wasn't entirely accurate. He could have gathered them earlier. He was procrastinating because wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to say to them.

Emrys had saved Camelot last night. Arthur had seen the truth of druid's words for himself.

But then again, Emrys was the reason they had been attacked in the first place. His very presence in Camelot put them all in the danger.

But Lancelot, a trusted knight of the round table, had vouched for him.

But Emrys had chosen to act from the shadows instead of acting out in the open, which was suspicious. Arthur still had no idea who he was or what larger game he may be playing.

And apart from all of it, Emrys was a sorcerer, which inherently made him a threat. And he was a sorcerer who had driven Lancelot to keep secrets and lie to him.

Lancelot. How long had his knight been protecting the sorcerer?

The dull ache in his head slowly evolved into a steady pounding as the argument bounced back and forth in his mind.

Emrys as savior. Emrys as enemy. And Lancelot as…well, he wasn't quite sure what. Someone who kept secrets, at the very least.

By late afternoon, he was out of excuses to avoid the conversation. The round table needed to know whatever Lancelot had been keeping from them. Once they knew who Emrys was, they could decide how to move forward from there.

When Arthur entered the table room, Merlin close on his heels, the knights were already seated. Arthur strode to the front of the room toward his usual chair, but he didn't sit. The round table was a place of equality, and this particular conversation could not be among equals. He would have to use his authority to get what he needed. Queasiness accompanied this knowledge, because even that thought went against the principles of the round table. But what choice did he have?

The king stood for a moment with his arms folded, thinking, before he lifted his gaze to Lancelot.

"You know who Emrys is," he accused him quietly.

The knight closed his eyes for a moment, seeming to brace himself, then opened them again. 'Yes, sire. I do."

"You said you knew him as well as you know yourself. I take that to mean that you've known his identity the entire time we've been looking?"

Lancelot nodded. "Years ago, when I first came to Camelot, I fought the griffin. As I rode out to meet it, I heard a voice from the darkness, and then I saw light settle around my spear. I felt magic go into it. I looked around, and I saw the sorcerer responsible for conjuring the spell – the spell that allowed me to kill the griffin. Before I left Camelot, I gave that man my word that I would protect his secret. It seemed the least I could do for the one who saved my life and all of Camelot. Including yourself, sire."

Arthur took a moment to let this sink in. "So you've known about a sorcerer in Camelot all along? And you never told me?" Lancelot was one of the most honest people he had ever met. The idea that he could keep a secret of this size for so long was staggering.

"I had given him my word, my lord. When I made that promise, I was leaving Camelot. Keeping his secret seemed a simple matter. I admit, returning to Camelot and becoming a knight made it less simple, but ultimately, I did promise. That has not changed."

Arthur shook his head in disbelief. "So you've just sat there for the past month, watching us search under every stone in Camelot for the smallest piece of information, knowing exactly what we needed all along? And you've never said a word?" He had noticed from the beginning that Lancelot seemed the most upset of the knights about the search for Emrys, but it had never occurred to him that it might be because he was protecting the man.

Lancelot lowered his eyes guiltily, and Arthur gave a huff of exasperation.

"Fine," he said. "What's done is done. But you will tell us now."

Lancelot's head shot back up in surprise. "But sire…"

"Camelot was attacked last night," Arthur interrupted, his voice rising in frustration, "because our enemies seek Emrys. I understand you gave your word, but the safety of the kingdom is at stake. The time for secrets is past. You will tell me, Lancelot. That's an order."

Merlin's voice came from the back of the room. "Arthur, I—"

"No, Merlin," Lancelot cut him off gently, his eyes not leaving Arthur's. "Stay out of this. Arthur, I understand your desire to know, but Emrys saved your life last night. He protected all of us. How would knowing his identity have changed anything in that attack?"

"He saved us this time!" Arthur exploded, his temper erupting as all of his fears came to the surface. "But who's to say what will happen next time? The woman said that if they had Emrys on their side, no one could stand against them. He's a sorcerer, Lancelot! He's in Camelot, and he has used magic on us! He has used magic on the king! He is just as much a threat to the kingdom as those who attacked us. And you've been harboring him, which makes you guilty of treason! How can I trust you when you keep secrets like this from me?"

"Sire, how can any man trust me if I do not uphold my word?"

"I am not any man! I am your king, and you are my knight! And your secrets make it clear that your loyalties do not lie with me!"

"Arthur!"

Arthur froze, looking in shock at Merlin. It wasn't unusual for his servant to interrupt or argue with him, but Merlin did not ordinarily raise his voice against him.

Merlin took a slow step forward, and Arthur was taken aback by the anger he saw in his face.

"What is wrong with you?" Merlin asked in astonishment. "Lancelot has been always been loyal to you, and you're accusing him of treason? And why are you determined to see Emrys as a threat, when there has been nothing to even hint that's true? He saved you last night, and according to the druid, he has saved you in the past!"

"But Arven said—"

"Arven said that he might abandon you, which is far different from becoming your enemy! Do you want him to abandon you, Arthur?" Arthur began to feel uncomfortable under the weight of Merlin's stare. His servant's final sentence came as a dumbfounded whisper. "Why are you trying to turn your friends into enemies?"

Arthur felt a brief temptation to scold Merlin for speaking to him in such a manner, but it seemed like a petty reply in response to what he had just said.

"He is a sorcerer. If he is not corrupted by magic yet, he will be eventually. And by law, he should be executed for his crimes," he said instead, coming back to the facts of the situation. "If the druid is to be believed, he has power beyond what any of us can imagine. Yet you still believe I should treat him as a friend?"

Merlin took a moment before he answered. "I believe he keeps you alive, Arthur," he said finally. "As far as I'm concerned, that means his life has value."

His words struck something in Arthur, and his temper cooled. Even in anger, his servant's loyalty was impossible to miss.

There was a long moment of silence before Leon spoke up.

"He's right, sire. I can't ignore the fact that Emrys has saved your life and the kingdom, and for that, we owe him a debt. And he is too powerful for us to act blindly here. He does not appear to be our enemy now. We should not risk turning him into one."

Arthur looked around the room, and he could tell that Merlin's speech had been effective. He wouldn't get anywhere with them today.

"Fine," he snapped, and headed for the door. He knew storming out wasn't exactly kingly, but who would lecture him on it?

Truthfully, he thought Merlin might lecture him on it.

His servant didn't say a word about it as he served dinner though. In fact, Merlin didn't speak at all. Arthur watched as he set the dishes out and then started cleaning up the room, never once looking at Arthur.

"You're angry with me," Arthur said as he sat down to eat. Merlin didn't answer, but he threw a shirt into the basket of dirty clothes with unnecessary violence.

"Merlin."

Merlin finally spared him a brief look, glaring at him for only a moment before returning to his task. Arthur sighed in exasperation.

"I know you're upset, but I'm trying to do what I think is best for Camelot."

"By acting like an ass?"

Well, at least he'd gotten Merlin to speak.

"I know Lancelot is your friend, but he's also my knight. I am his king. I need for him to obey orders."

Merlin picked up the basket of dirty laundry and headed toward the door, turning to face him when he reached it.

"Will there be anything else, sire?"

Arthur debated. He did have something he needed to ask Merlin, although he would have preferred to ask him when things were friendlier between them. At the moment, Merlin seemed to want nothing more than to get away from him.

But the question needed to be asked, and the sooner he did it, the sooner it would be over with.

"You spoke in Emrys's defense today." Merlin went very still, watching Arthur warily. "Lancelot knows his identity. Do you know his identity as well?"

"Lancelot has never told me who he is," Merlin said flatly, "but I don't need to know his identity to defend him for protecting you."

Something about the words felt off, but Arthur didn't see a lie in Merlin's eyes.

Merlin glanced towards the door. Arthur didn't like leaving things this way between them, but he sensed that Merlin needed some time to calm down. They could talk more that night.

"All right. That will be all."

Merlin bowed, then hurried out the door.

The bow bothered him far more than being called an ass. Merlin rarely bowed when he left the room anymore – although granted, that was partly because half the time Arthur was throwing things at him as he ran out the door. Whether Merlin intended it or not, it sent a clear message: he might still honor Arthur as his king, but he was not happy with his friend.

Arthur didn't get a chance to talk to him that night though. When it came time to prepare for bed, another servant came to turn down the bed and help him dress.

"Merlin is indisposed tonight, my lord," the man explained, "and I agreed to attend to you in his place."

Sighing with irritation, he waved the man aside. "I will manage by myself tonight. You are dismissed."

Like hell, he was indisposed. Merlin was avoiding him.

He waited a few minutes after the man left, then headed for Gaius's chambers. He was halfway there when he spotted Lancelot. The knight glanced around nervously, and Arthur slipped behind a statue where he hoped he would be hidden by the shadows. He watched as Lancelot ducked down a corridor.

Perhaps the knight was meeting with Emrys…

Arthur debated. He realized suddenly that Merlin probably wasn't home anyway; if he was skipping out on work when he was upset, he was most likely at the tavern. And given the events of the day, odds were good that Lancelot was meeting with the sorcerer. Decision made, Arthur took off after the knight.

He tailed Lancelot all the way up to a door to the roof. He knew this spot. It was isolated, out of sight of the guards patrolling, and a good place to be alone to think at night.

Or to have a clandestine meeting.

He caught the door before it swung closed and peered through. To his surprise, he didn't see Emrys. Instead, he saw Merlin sitting on the roof, staring out into the distance with a bottle in his hand.

"I wondered if I might find you up here. I thought you might like a drink," Lancelot said lightly, holding up his own bottle, "but it seems you beat me to it."

Arthur knew both Lancelot and Merlin were upset with him, and they would undoubtedly spend the night airing their grievances to each other. He didn't need to eavesdrop on that conversation. Despite his accusation against Lancelot earlier, he knew neither man would ever be a threat to him. And honestly, he couldn't bear the idea of sitting and listening to two of his closest friends speak poorly of him.

Arthur gently closed the door and returned to his chambers.

AN: Somewhat unrelated to this story…my well of inspiration seems to be running a little dry for one-shots these days, so feel free to send me prompts if you have something you'd like to see!

As always, thank you for reading!