A/N: Guys! Gosh so many reviews I was exhilarated! Thank you, thank you, thank you! complete note at the end.

Enjoy at your hearts content.

To Trust Blindly

Silence had never been as thick as in that moment.

All eyes turned to Merlin, all with different emotions swirling in them before they changed direction towards Arthur when he dared to scoff at the situation.

"Merlin? You've got to be kidding me, Leon!" The Prince said with a laugh, planting his hand on Merlin's left shoulder shaking him as he talked. "Look at him! He can't even lift a few sheets without complaining, or walk a few steps without tripping over his own feet on a daily basis for you to think he could be a—a sorcerer."

Merlin had the decency to look offended and mumbled something incoherently.

"Leon, are you completely sure Agravaine said what he said?" Lancelot said with crossed arms and a solemn face. "Maybe you misunderstand him?"

"That fellow lost his head I'm telling you Leon," Gwaine said twirling a finger by his ear. "No offense, but didn't we had a magical test just a few weeks ago? Merlin came out clean from that white stone test the King did. Am I wrong?"

Leon blinked remembering the event and nodded, he couldn't remember for the life of him when had Merlin taken the test, but he had seen the list and his name had been crossed, however, he was sure he hadn't misheard what Agravaine had told him.

Arthur clasped Leon's arm in reassurance and in a gesture of friendship. "It's alright Leon, there's no sorcerer hidden in the castle."

Leon looked for a moment to the ground and then to the relaxed faces and postures of all his friends and began to see sense in their words, Merlin looked pale where he stood and Leon realized that Merlin, his friend, couldn't hurt anyone even if his life depended on it, however, when he looked back at Arthur to ask him what they should do now, he saw a cool and stoic face reflecting back.

Leon knew that face and it meant not good news.

"Arthur?" Leon asked at seeing the troubled face of his prince.

"I don't know if I should tell you this… but so you can rest assured that nothing is wrong with Merlin I will tell you." Arthur said as he crossed his arms with finality and he motioned for his knights to get closer, Arthur waited for a few maids to pass them by before he talked, his eyes scanning the courtyard to avoid being overheard. "When we did the test of white stone— back a few weeks ago— we needed to make sure that the magical rock actually worked and in order to do that we had to test it on someone who had magic."

Arthur paused till all his knights nodded signaling they were following. His eyes strayed on Merlin for a moment, who was sanding a step behind Gwaine and Lancelot with his head low. No one besides Arthur noticed how his hands were shaking. Arthur cleared his throat. "Gaius used to be a sorcerer, he still has magic inside him from those days, my Father is well aware of it, rest assured. Gaius saved my Father's life once twenty years ago and ever since then Gaius has saved my Father's life more times than I can recall. Actually, they have been friends from before I was even born." Arthur said as he crossed his arms. " So we tested the stone with Gaius, to prove their validity and the stone shined just barely, Gaius has not used magic for years, he's a trusty friend of the crown, however, ever since then my uncle has been kind of… paranoid."

There was silence for a moment where Leon looked struck. Gaius had magic? The old man didn't look like a sorcerer, but then again what was the look of a sorcerer?

"But why did Agravaine bring Merlin to the picture?" Lancelot asked as he shared a glance with Arthur, they both knew this wasn't about Gaius. For starters, how the hell did Agravaine found out about Merlin? And more importantly, what were they going to do about it? Maybe Leon and Gwaine would swallow this lie, but the rest of Camelot?

Lancelot was having a hard time trying to look collected as he could sense Merlin's anxiety practicaly radiate from behind him.

"A bait." Gwaine said in an angry whisper. "A bait for Gaius to step forward in front of all the people in Camelot. Uther might approve of his magic, but the townspeople? Not so much."

Arthur nodded in dread, his mind trying to read how Morgana was playing this, in the past his own statements against his word would have sufficed, however with the white stone hanging from his Father's neck nothing he could do or say would make the stone not shine. He internally sighed.

"The pressure of your people can make you do horrible things." Arthur said remembering all the times his Father had collapsed and taken horrible decisions because of it.

"It would be suicide." Leon whispered in dread. Arthur pondered if Leon ever found out about Merlin would he tell on him. Leon was one of his closest friends, however, he was more loyal to the crown than to him so to speak.

"But with Merlin on the line he would sacrifice himself." Lancelot said with disgust. "Just because a man has magic doesn't make him evil."

"Magic has brought terrible things to the kingdom," Leon said firmly. "I have nothing towards Gaius, I assure you, but magic is not something to be trusted."

"A man with a sword can kill as easily as one with magic." Lancelot defended his point of view. "It's the crime that matters and not so much as the means of it."

Leon blinked at these words, pondering on them as they slowly sank into his mind. Arthur smiled softly. Yes, definitely easier to fight for Merlin with Lancelot on his side.

"Agravaine has known only dark magic, Lancelot." Arthur said with his eyes closed in dread, he hated to defend his uncle in anyway but he knew that if he started to act mean to him so suddenly Gwaine or Leon would get suspicious. "Its comprehensible that he doesn't trust magic in any form."

"Gaius would never hurt Uther," Merlin said stubbornly, talking for the first time since they had arrived, "He would never hurt him or any of us. It's Gaius."

Gwaine shook Merlin's arm with a faint smile. "We know, mate. We know."

"Of course he wouldn't, Merlin." Leon said as a reflex when he saw the troubled face of Merlin who was trying to blink away the tears.

Leon relaxed completely after that.

How stupid could Leon be? This was Merlin and Gaius they were talking about. How many times has Gaius cured the King from countless injuries, or Leon himself? How many times has he showed up at unholy hours in Gaius chambers with an injury and Gaius would never object on treating him? How many times Merlin had joked with him, laughed and invited him to play chess or to the tavern, the endless meals at hunts?

Leon felt incredibly naive and stupid for a moment. This was Merlin for god's sake, a man that would die for Arthur any day.

"Merlin." Leon said with a kind smile trying to convey what he felt. "Sorry, of course I trust Gaius. I just—I wasn't thinking, I got scared and for that I apologize."

Merlin was as white as a sheet but he managed to nod jerkily. " 's fine"

"Good thing you didn't tell Uther right when we came." Gwaine said as he crossed his arms with his eyes trained on Merlin. "God knows what would have happened."

Lancelot and Arthur didn't need to share a glance to know they needed to do something about this at once.

"Uther would've killed you." Leon said in remorse missing the interactions of the knights. "I'm sorry I doubted you, even for a moment."

Merlin waved a hand like it had been nothing. Arthur coughed and looked around, a few servants had already come and go, and even though they had stared at him, his knights and Merlin already no one had run, yelled or had acted any different, that meant not everybody was aware of this information.

"Did you organize the so called meeting, Leon? Who was invited? Who else knows about this?" Arthur asked in total calmness before he started to walk inside the palace and towards his chambers with all his knights in tow. Arthur's right hand was resting lazily on the hilt of the sword, however, if anyone dared to reach them in any treating way he would be prepared.

"Everyone. All the royals of the court and nobleman were informed, the meeting it's meant to be held before sunstet, however, I didn't announce the motives of it." Leon said walking in step with Arthur as the other three trailing behind. If Gwaine and Lancelot were too close by either side of Merlin no one mentioned it.

"Why?" Merlin was the one compelled to ask. "Why didn't you tell them?" Leon just gave a faint smile as answer.

"You wanted to give Merlin the benefit of the doubt, giving him time to scape." Gwaine said perfectly reading Leon's behavior. Gwaine was surprised really, Leon was very attached to the rules of the Kingdom. "In case it was true, of course."

Leon looked over his shoulder, smiling towards Merlin. "Im just glad you don't have to, Merlin. Leave that is, the castle would be boring without you."

Merlin's eyes shined with unshed tears but he managed to nod. He had good friends, even if some of them were in darkness of his magic.

They were silent until they all trooped inside of Arthur's chambers. Merlin closed the door behind him and rested his back against the wall, his eyes fixed on the floor as the rest made a little circle near the table. All of them lost in their own line of thoughts.

There was a moment of silence where the knights stared at each other and then at Merlin and for once they shared the same fear: Uther wouldn't see reason dare he hear what Agravaine had been spreading all morning.

"This news…" Arthur said as he walked to stand behind his chair, hands placed on top of it. "Who else did Agravaine said this directly to?"

"Only me I believe." Leon said furrowing his eyebrows. "He left to his room after that. He said he had a few matters to attend. He only ordered me to prepare the meeting the moment Uther came back, I arranged it, as I said, but I didn't tell anyone the motives behind it."

Arthur had never been so grateful that Leon hadn't followed an order for the first time in his life.

"Very well, cancel the meeting on my direct orders" Arthur said with a stoic façade as he moved his hands. "I'll talk to Agravaine myself, this is ridiculous. If we keep going around the kingdom yelling sorcery at everyone we see suspicious we will have no kingdom left to govern."

Leon nodded, patted Merlin back and apologized again before he left the room. Merlin was still frozen by the door though; he didn't even jump when the door slammed shut.

Arthur closed his eyes as his knuckles went white in the chair. He didn't have time to be afraid, he didn't have time to be just Arthur. He needed to be the Arthur that was a strategist, a knight, the one who didn't hesitate to take a decision.

He opened his eyes and turned to Lancelot.

"Lancelot, find my Father and keep an eye on him, he must be with Gaius. I don't care if Merlin doesn't have magic or that Gaius has been pardoned for his crimes years ago. If Agravaine tells my Father this nonsense my father won't hesitate to put Merlin on a pyre." Arthur wanted to tell Lancelot what he wanted with just a look. Gaius, to tell Gaius about what had really happened, his Father will not listen to him anymore, however, if Gaius could somehow entertain the King for the whole day with preparations of the test Arthur can have time to figure something out.

"Keep Uther and Gaius out of Agravaine's away, take Percival if you must but tell no one about why, the less people hear these rumors the better."

Lancelot nodded and was out the door before Arthur had even stopped talking, his red cape swirling behind him.

There was silence for a moment where Arthur took a moment to curse on his head, their plan had backfired in a gigantic turn of events. They had wanted to defeat Morgana by playing her rules, in order to find out where she was hidden by letting Agravaine wander around like he could do them no harm. Arthur had forgotten who he was playing against. Had not Morgana always defeated him ever since kids? She was better at comebacks, she was better with the sword, his Father had always done everything for her—she had always had more liberties and privileges than he— and apparently she had the upper hand once again.

He thought he had won for a moment when his Father had agreed to the sword in the stone test, however, Morgana had been seeing the bigger picture: Take Merlin out of the game and the throne will be hers.

The prince turned to face the other two left in the room. Merlin was glued with his back to the wall, his eyes hooded and his body shaking slightly.

Gwaine was facing Merlin with deep sadness and rage in his eyes.

"Mate, are you—"

"Gwaine." Arthur called. With a last glance at Merlin and against his will Gwaine turned to face his prince. "Sir Gwaine." Arthur said with a serious note in his voice as his eyes sought for something into the brown eyes of the knight "You once vowed to serve me and only me; to protect me and die for me. Was that true?"

Gwaine blinked and aimed for a joke but he refrained to do so realizing the seriousness of the situation.

"You are my Prince." Gwaine nodded, his face cautious. "I stand by my vow."

"Very well, then, does this very same vow apply to Merlin? Think about it." Arthur commanded with a raised hand, however Gwaine answered instantaneously.

"He's my brother." Gwaine said with sincerity. "Im ashamed you have to ask."

"Very well, listen to me carefully because I will not repeat it, understood?" Gwaine nodded and Arthur took a steady breath. "Agravaine is working with Morgana, has been for a long time and Merlin found out about it a few days ago, he has betrayed us."

"Agravaine? But—"

"Listen to me." Arthur pressed when he noticed that Merlin had finally given up on trying to stand straight and have slid to the floor, his hands on his hair. He looked even more desperate than back when he had to choose between telling Arthur or dying on a pyre. }

This time there was no alternative.

"He must know Merlin found out, how? I do not know." Arthur's lips were a thin line. "What I do know is that he's planning on killing him to shut him up. Gaius has nothing to do with this, is Merlin."

Gwaine shook his head trying to process it. "Tell your Father. He will listen to—"

"I can't." Arthur said with a hiss and closed his eyes in dread. "He trusts Agravaine with his life, it won't matter what I say, he's my uncle, Gwaine, my Father won't hear of it. Nothing I say will save Merlin."

"Morgana was your sister and see what that brought us." Gwaine said enraged seeing the proportions of how mess up this was. "If you tell Uther yourself that you were the one who found out he won't doubt it."

"We don't have time for that." Arthur complained.

"Then what? This is no test." Gwaine spat. "He wants—he wants…"

Gwaine eyes trailed to Merlin's form on the floor and angrily Gwaine pushed his hair out of his face, pacing around the room for a moment. Arthur wanted to yell in frustration.

Gwaine was right, in other circumstances maybe his word—like he had managed back at the test of the white stone—would have counted for something but now he was an average knight that had no relation whatsoever with Uther. Arthur would probably end in a pyre next to Merlin if he dared to even contradict Agravaine.

Morgana had played her best card and Arthur had not seen it coming. She had crippled Arthur from his greater benefit as Prince; his right to speak with his Father. His voice and thoughts meant nothing to the ruler of the realm now and Arthur felt like he was suffocating.

The only way that Arthur could gain power and defeat Morgana on this was by overthrowing Uther, demand the throne before time and reveal the truth: His Father had been enchanted and Agravaine was behind this, however, it would mean to admit that magic had stricken again. That Dark magic had been more powerful that the realm.

He felt like any path or decision would backfire in some way or another.

He looked towards Merlin in despair trying to seek advice, a plan, something but by the way Merlin was staring at the floor Arthur was sure his friend had disconnected form the world.

In the end, it came down to one decision.

It was either saving Merlin or his Father.

Frustrated he placed his hands flat on the table and his mind went back a few years back, when his father would yell at him enraged at his way of thinking, blasting his own hands on the table and making Arthur jump where he stood. Arthur was only eight years old and had made an elaborate plan to keep and ration provisions in case Camelot ever faced a plague. 'Arthur, you are not seeing the big picture." Uther had said enraged when his son could not understand the hypothetical predicament. "People are starving, yes, we need to feed them, yes, but the issue it's not the food, it's the land. The reason that the plague even started. Heal the land, erase the plague and you will be able to generate food instead of ration it."

"We need to do something about this." Gwaine declared bringing Arthur out of his reverie. "We are doing something about this, aren't we?"

One look at Merlin and honestly the answer was quite simple to Arthur.

"Damn right we are doing something about it." Arthur said enraged and then turned on his spot taking his knight cape off in a hurry. "Find Agravaine, he thinks I still trust him. Tell him I want to meet him and that I want to show him where the stone is, that I'm having double doubts about my plan, that I need advice, anything, just convince him to come." Arthur's hand shook for a moment but his voice was firm as his eyes settled on Gwaine's. "Go to Gaius and ask him for his greatest sleep potion before you go."

"Why?"

"If Agravaine doesn't go with you willingly we will need a second plan, do whatever you have to do," Arthur commanded. "Am I clear?"

Gwaine understood the 'If's' quite well. "Where do I tell him to meet you?"

"Courtyard if it goes according to plan, if it doesn't you figure out a way to inform me," Arthur commanded. "Ask for him around and start spreading the word that I left for the woods with him alone and no guards."

Gwaine shook his head trying to clear his head. Treason. They were about to commit treason against the crown, weren't they? But then Agravaine had betrayed them first. Something between despair and anger shined on Gwaine's face before he looked back at Merlin.

Arthur could understand Gwaine general anxiety. If Agravaine wasn't fooled by them and he figured it out he will call treason on the three of them and Gwaine would join the Prince and the Sorcerer on the pyre. Only God knew what Morgana had planned or if her evil machinations were already in motion and Arthur was working on a plan that needed hours of contemplation, however, he only had a few minutes to decide over so many lives.

"Gwaine— If we fail, if word gets out, my father won't stop at anything to eradicate any form of magic, he won't listen to me, even less if it's my uncle who is claiming it to be true." Arthur waited for a moment to let it sink. "We need to do this, do you understand?"

Gwaine nodded looking at Merlin sideways before he looked resolute. Face set. "I do."

Arthur nodded as a farewell. Gwaine walked to the door and kneeled before leaving, he patted Merlin shoulders with his characteristic smirk.

"You stay here, buddy. Your knight in shining armor just arrived." Gwaine winked, however, Merlin couldn't even throw the man the faintest of nods before Gwaine was out running down the hall.

Once the door was shut Arthur took a big breath and closed his eyes, he breathed in and out four times to calm himself before he walked towards the only man left in the room. Merlin raised his eyes, slowly coming back to reality.

"He knows— he knows Arthur, How?!" Merlin whispered with a storm of emotions swirling ni his eyes. He rose to his feet and began pacing, his hands on his hair pulling it out in all directions. "He probably already told Uther—This… This is it."

"I sent Lancelot to avoid that."

"How do you know Agravaine didn't tell the whole castle?" Merlin said as he looked at the closed doors taking a step back, almost fearing Uther would throw the door open to come and get him.

"Because no one has entered claiming your head. Can you relax for a moment?" Arthur scoffed, he was scared too but he needed Merlin to think rationally.

"Re—relax?" Merlin squeaked with an accusatory finger towards Arthur. "Morgana probably knows I have magic. Agravaine found out about me and its planning on decapitating me don't you dare tell me to relax."

"Merlin, I have a plan." Arthur said and Merlin was astonished, for a moment the old Merlin reflected back as he looked aghast.

"You—a plan? Since when do you know anything about magic?" Merlin asked. "This is Agravaine, and Morgana, and Uther we are talking about."

Arthur almost scoffed, like if he could forget the very root of his problems.

"I don't but you need to trust me on this one, alright? This won't be about magic." Arthur said as calmly as he could as he headed for the door. "This is just about saving your life. Now, stay here."

Merlin looked stricken with the casual words of 'just saving your life' as he was ordered to stay put like a trained horse.

"Stay here? Where are you going?" Merlin shook his head and the old Merlin came a little further on his gone façade, rolling his eyes. "Forget it. I'm going. We can figure something out. Agravaine is going to test me. Isn't he? If he tells Uther about me Uther will use his stone to see if I have magic. We need to go to Gaius, maybe a potion exists that can shut my magic for a while, or maybe a spell that can make it go away for a day. You can postpone the meeting for a while to give me time and—"

As Merlin kept on rambling his ideas became even more ridiculous and Arthur, who was apparently the cool-headed at the moment, couldn't see any sense on them. Merlin once told him that he himself was magic, so there was no 'shutting his magic out.' He didn't even want to find out if Merlin could go a day without it.

"Merlin. Shut up."

Merlin did, pressing his lips on a thin line waiting for Arthur to talk. Arthur could see that even then, at the very cliff of their doom, Merlin was thinking a way out of this, a way which it's end result consisted of staying by Arthur's side.

Merlin can flee any dungeon you put him in, make the fire of a dozen pyres die and kill any enemy he faces… but he chooses to be by your side.

He recalled clearly in his mind a moment like this. Merlin afraid and Arthur at a loss. A day when Merlin had come to him, soul open, trying to look for something inside him that could spare him for being a sorcerer. Arthur realized he was looking for the same inside his friend now, the last piece of resolution he needed. Merlin was standing straight, his arms defiantly placed by his sides ready to follow Arthur wherever he went.

Merlin was afraid, anxious, terrified, but he will stick with Arthur no matter what. Merlin was scared but even then he was one of the bravest men he had ever met. Honestly, Arthur thought, since when has Merlin been this brave?

Lancelot had once told him that Merlin was the bravest of his knights and Arthur had to agree with that.

He has saved your life more times than I can recall. Lancelot had told him. Well, it is time he pays back. Arthur wasn't ready to do what he had planned to do but he had to do it.

All those thoughts passed through his mind in a flick of a second.

"Do you trust me?" Arthur finally said readying himself for what was to come.

"I do," Merlin said fiercely without a pause or doubt. "What's the plan, Arthur?"

Arthur scoffed at the look of Merlin ready to jump into action, he placed his left hand on Merlin's shoulder to keep him in place.

"Merlin—you really are an idiot," Arthur said with fondness, eyes soft. "Remember me to teach you fighting stances when I come back."

"Wha—"

Arthur's fist connected with Merlin's head in a well-delivered blow and before Merlin could even process what had happened his world started to turn black, a sinking feeling in his stomach that he should have seen this coming, he saw the face of Arthur above his head as he felt the floor come slowly to meet his back. His last thought was that Arthur was a complete, utterly, and total prat before he passed out completely.

Well that was it! Next chap is almost done just a few things that I have to correct. (I'm always four chapters ahead guys, don't worry) Sorry to disappoint all of those who reviewed but my plan never included Leon in finding out in this chapter, I have plans for him in the future though but that's a surprise!

Thoughts, though? What do you think Arthur will do? I think Lance and him make a great team though. About Leon, he has always been this -attached to the rules- kind of man, if he ever found out in the show do you really think he would accept Merlin? I'll share my thoughts next update. And finally yesss my baby Merlin, so scared of big bad guy Agravaine—and Arthur hit him. Honestly, I had been dying for Arthur to pull that off. Merlin can have all the magic he wants but he was never prepared to be attacked by his best friend.

Do review if you feel like it! Makes my heart beat!

-Juliet'lovestory-

A/N: look for your answer to your review below! I would really send each of you a PM but im awkward at those, they make me anxious (I don't know why, Im weird I know) but I always feel like I should thank you for reviewing so I do it this way J

Aaronna: Nope you were not delusional! The name will keep popping out now and then :)

Write that wrong: Thank you for your review! Glad to hear it wasn't a dull chapter because I definitely thought that. Next chapter you will see what happens between Agravaine, Uther and Arthur, promisssse

NerdGirlAlert: Well the plan backfired, but for our guys. Let's see how they manage to correct it. Thank you for your reviews, they really they make my day.

Mersan123: Hope your mother is doing okay now, many thanks for your constant reviews. Yess, Merlin is in trouble but we have the best team in Camelot to figure a way out!

Samiri: Thank you for your review, I could see Gwaine too in that position, gotta love him. From my perspective even when Lancelot cares about Merlin as a friend there was something the way Gwaine cared about Merlin too, like siblings. Yes, Merlin is having a break down, he can't cope with all the things that are happening anymore.

Colestbee: Thank you for your review, it caught my attention that you said ' happy writing' I think is a lovely way to say it! I'm totally saying that from now on.

Suricata: Thank you for reviewing! My native language isn't English either, mine is Spanish what's yours? I know, I always thought that if Leon ever found out he would be a little bit scared, he from all knights, was always the most loyal to the crown, Uther and Arthur both.

Cromick: Yes, Uther chose the right test, he's a good man, a bit broken and greedy at times but he tries his best for his people. Nope, no one is going to be enlightened on Merlin's magic… yet.