A/N: IMPORTANT! THIS IS Part 2 PEOPLE!

THIS IS Part 2 PEOPLE!

PART 2

READ CHAPTER 18 FIRST!

READ CHAPTER 18 FIRST.

Blind Faith

"In Faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadow to blind those who don't."-Blaise Pascal

When Arthur and Merlin arrived at the double wooden guarded doors neither Lancelot nor Gwaine questioned them. Lancelot didn't because he knew perfectly well the reason why they were there, however he was amazed when Gwaine just stepped aside, not even returning the wave of Merlin or even being his curious self and asking about it.

The way Arthur coldly talked to them and then entered made it clear for both Lancelot and Merlin that something had happened, something that apparently involved Gwaine in one way or the other. Merlin shared a glance with the kind knight. This was the team, isn't it? Lancelot, Gwaine, Arthur and himself. Well, if that was the case they had a long shot if they dreamed on ever defeating Morgana.

Lancelot patted Merlin's back as a good luck sign, ahd the knight closed the doors again once Merlin stepped inside. Lancelot turned towards Gwaine, who was purposely looking to the front, spear at hand and by all means ignoring Lancelot. The kind knight decided that today not only Arthur needed time to think but also his friend, so he stayed silent and hoped that soon enough whatever had happened would—unlikely—go away. He sighed loudly. It was going to be a long day.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Once inside the chambers, Merlin placed the typical silent spell on the doors. Arthur stood in the middle of the room for a moment before he took the white stone from his pocket, he looked down at it before he assessed Merlin.

"So, what do I do?"

"It's not that hard, even for you, prat." Merlin snickered, convinced that if it was up to him to light up the mood he would do so. "You just touch things, if they shine is enchanted, if not they are safe. It's a prat's fool plan."

"Well, any idea where to start?" Arthur sighed and glared but said nothing else. Merlin smile died on his face, he was, at least, expecting an 'idiot' along those lines.

"Jewels, maybe?" Merlin shrugged looking around "Anything could be at this point."

"Might as well." Arthur mumbled as he made his way to the wide table under a window where all types of jewels could be seen. Arthur doubted a moment before he shrugged and started to poke and touch all of them with the stone.

Not knowing exactly what to say or expect—trusting Arthur would notice if the stone shined—Merlin wandered around the room before he settled on the edge of the huge bed of the King, feeling the sheets under his hands. He risked a look at Arthur's back and tested his luck, lying on his back, feet on the floor, arms spread looking up at the ceiling.

He couldn't help it.

He laughed. It was soft at first before he laughed out loud, merrily and happily. He didn't know if it was the pressure, or because they were about to find the object that would put an end to their misery, or maybe he was going mental with the roller-coaster of emotions that he had to endure every day but he just laughed.

Arthur— who was testing every jeweled chain or bracelet, he even found a pair of earrings from his mother— turned slightly over his shoulder to see what the deal was about, fearing Merlin was laughing at him, but the sight made him smile against his will.

"Why are you laughing, you fool?" He managed to scoff, returning to his doings.

"The bed!" Merlin said as an explenation, chuckling a little.

"Best bed in Camelot, Merlin," Arthur mumbled as he thought he saw the stone shine but it was just his imagination. "Worthy of a King."

Merlin sat up abruptly feeling like he had crossed a line there but he remained sitting, bouncing happily on the edge like a child. "Once you make me court sorcerer I'm getting one of these."

Arthur stopped his doing for a second. "The bed alone comes all the way from France, and the pillows? From Ireland. You will have to work your ass off if you want to afford it."

"Are you implying I'm not going to get a raise or that you are not paying me at all?" Merlin said aghast. "I'm the best sorcerer you will ever find, you prat!"

Arthur looked once again at Merlin, up and down before he turned. "Meh— you could afford a few pounds, you don't even look scary at all, Merlin. What will people say when Leon comes at court and says 'Now here comes Emrys, the biggest idiot—sorry, sorcerer—that has ever existed' And then you come in?" Arthur grimaced. "I can already see the looks of disappointment."

Merlin mumbled something about how he was going to work for the biggest prat in history and therefore they would be even. Arthur chose to ignore it as he went back to work. Merlin huffed, crossed his arms and laid back again, probably it would be years since he could afford to do so again, that is until Arthur becomes king, then when the Prat King wasn't around Merlin could sneak inside to catch some sleep (Merlin was convinced that even then Arthur would not give him days off, Court Sorcerer or not)

"Thinking about it… this is the first time I have ever been inside your father's room with permission— kind of. "Merlin said as he pushed himself on his elbows and looked around. "It's quite nice."

"It's a king's chamber I guess is worthy enough of your attention." Arthur sighed as he finished with the last rings on the table. He turned towards Merlin and grunted. "Nothing here."

"It's not that easy," Merlin rolled his eyes. Arthur was like a kid whenever he does not get his way, must had been an impatient child… not like he had stopped for that matter. Merlin stood up from the bed, feeling like he had pushed things enough and motioned to the next table. "Try this one, go on."

"Not as fun as I thought magic would be." Arthur accepted but he did as he was told.

"Is not always fun." Merlin agreed, happy to see that Arthur was more than eager to make conversation as long as it kept him away from his problems and Merlin was only known for his incessant chatter. "You have to study and practice. It quite difficult actually, I tend to get words wrong every once in a while."

"You do?" Arthur said aghast as Merlin wandered to the opposite side of the room and admired a painting. "Practice and all that? I mean. I thought… I thought you were born like that and you just needed to… I don't know, get better but… Uhm… I thought the spells came within… God, I'm making no sense."

"You usually don't make sense," Merlin said after a moment and turned towards Arthur, who had his back to him once again, never lifting his eyes too far away from the rock, he would be damned if he missed the damned object. "And no, it's exactly like training, you practice and you get better. Just like with swords, but instead of doing things with your brute force, we, sorcerers, use something you knights lack off." Merlin grinned as he instinctively moved to stand behind the post of the bed.

"Like what?" Arthur said concentrated as he passed the rock over a wooden trunk.

"Like intelligence and brains."

Arthur turned on his spot and glared daggers at the impish smile on his friends face, before he raised the hand that was holding the stone in a way that was meant to be a threat. "One more word, Merlin, and I swear—Jesus Christ, you are lucky that I have not killed you, you know? I'm your prince, you bloody idiot, have some respect, will you? My Father would have you hang just for the tone of voice. I mean it, one more word and this goblet will be flying to your head."

"Oh, shut up." Merlin rolled his eyes, knowing when Arthur was just threating him for show.

"That's my phrase clot-pole." Arthur scoffed one last warning glance before he moved to the table, touching with the stone everything that was on his way.

Merlin just clasped his hands behind his back as he looked around once again. Uther's chambers were really amazing, filled with foreign things and incredibly hand-made objects, he was sure that the bed alone costs more than anything Merlin will ever own in his life.

"It's no wonder you spent your childhood here, sleeping on this bed and playing around with his stuff. Should have been fun." Merlin mused looking around, it looked like an amazing place to play hide and seek, it beats his home in Ealdor that much is for sure.

"Actually… I had never slept on that bed."

"You are joking." Merlin said after a moment.

"No, I'm not, Merlin." Arthur said easily as he turned and once again shook his head, nothing on that side of the room either, Merlin looked around and motioned for the closet. Arthur walked over to it as Merlin took a few rings that Arthur had already tested and put them on his fingers, Arthur had yet to snap at him, something Merlin was expecting, so he was testing how long could he indulge himself before Arthur snapped. He might as well have fun while he had nothing to do but wait. Uh, now the tables had really turned.

"Why not? You are his son after all." Merlin asked after a moment.

"Yes, but… it doesn't work like that." Arthur said as he touched all the clothes his father owned, from his boots to his hats. "I could come in whenever I wanted, of course, it was a right that was I never denied but I never actually slept here, not even when I was sick."

"So what when you had nightmares? What then?" Merlin asked confused now seated by the windowsill where he admired the rings. If he could give one of these to his mother she wouldn't have to worry about money for a year.

Arthur stopped what he was doing to look at Merlin and scoffed at the sight of him but once again chose to remain silent. Merlin smirked and showed him his rings. Arthur didn't bite. "Well, I had Lilith, she was like a nanny— a good woman, she took care of me my whole childhood, she passed away just a few months before you met me."

"I didn't know that." Merlin blinked lowering his hand.

"There's lots of things you don't know." Arthur shrugged. Merlin didn't comment partly because that was true, and partly because he wanted to hear about Arthur's childhood. "Of course, she stopped caring and working for me when I was about fifteen. In all honestly I was eager to get rid of her, so to speak, I was a grown man— or so I thought— and I could take care of myself, however, we remained close and I would go and have dinner at her house on occasions, actually, her son is a knight…Sir Malcolm."

At the mention of the name Arthur once again stopped, lowering his hand and glaring at the stone.

"Nothing there either?" Merlin tried.

"No…" Arthur said softly before he looked up and coughed. "What next?"

Merlin shrugged and Arthur just chose whatever other table to look at. The silence grew and as the silence filled the room Merlin saw that Arthur was getting restless. Merlin sighed and returned the rings where they belonged.

"You know, it's hard to imagine you as a child. I mean, I bet that as a kid you were a somewhat likable boy but, really, Arthur, were did all that go? Or you were just a prat from the beginning? Bossing everyone around—oi!" Arthur finally gave up and threw him a porcelain vase, Merlin dodged it and the vase smashed into tiny pieces on the ground.

"Your Father will notice." Merlin pointed out.

"Ugh, don't make me ask, I know you can fix it." Arthur said as he began his task again, Merlin's eyes surely went gold and the vase repaired itself, Arthur stared at the vase for a moment before he shook his head, bloody magic. "And just so you know I was a very handsome child, alright? ('I thoughts kids were cute?' Merlin asked) Instead, it's easy to imagine you, all clumsily, a bunch of ivory limbs falling everywhere, surely you gave Hunith quite a scare on a daily basis."

"Most times because I did magic without meaning too, but kind of," Merlin grinned to the floor, fond of those memories and then he grimaced. "Other times because I had nightmares."

"You had nightmares?" Arthur scoffed. Risking a glance at Merlin. "What about? Monsters under your bed?"

"No, guards finding out I had magic and killing me and my mother because of it." Merlin said flatly as he picked the just repaired vase and placed it on a nearby table. Arthur nodded stiffly, pressing his lips together before he looked down again. "So, when you got nightmares, Lilith would you know, help? Make tea and all that? My mother used to give me heated milk and listen to my babbles as a child, she did that too?" Merlin tried to keep the conversation going.

Arthur didn't answer at first, the words Merlin had said repeating on his head. How horrible it must had been to be Merlin as a kid, always fearing someone would find out and kill him. That someone being his Father, a man that Merlin was risking his life to protect. Arthur nodded as he started to pick objects at random, time and objects passed but none of them shined. Why?

"I— yes, Merlin, she did." Arthur finally slashed. "Where is that damned thing?! Are you sure this thing even works?"

"Yes, I'm sure Arthur. Take it easy, you father owns like a million things, we will find it."

"Merlin, god damn it, I need that object found now," Arthur said as he crashed the stone to yet another not shining object. "I don't have time to relax or think calmly about things anymore. Don't you see it? I need him back, I need advice I just— fuck."

Arthur walked to the seat under the window, he didn't bother to bring the white stone along with him, he just left it there to make yet another ornament on the table. He pressed his hands on his neck, eyes fixed on the table. He couldn't stand it anymore. Any of it.

"Arthur, what happened?" Merlin askef after watching Arthur for a few minutes. The demons had gotten loose and it was his job to stop them going any further.

Arthur shook his head. "Nothing of your concern."

"Look, everytime something happens and you don't tell me—trust me I know this, I have four years of experience—you yell at me like it's my fault. And you know what? You are a prat but you are also my friend and thing is, you don't have to take all the problems on your own, Arthur. Why is it so hard for you to rely on people?" Merlin asked with hurt in his voice. "You are ready to risk your life to save mine but you can't tell me what is going on? Arthur—"

"It's just the way I am." Arthur said stubbornly and coldly, signaling he wasn't in the mood for Merlin's reproach. "You said that I could deal with my demons on my own and—"

"And they are killing you, you prat!" Merlin whispered angrily. "I get it, you don't like sharing your problems but Arthur, if you keep doing this one day you will explode and I don't want to be there to pick up whatever is left of you. You did it with Agravaine, you did it with your father, you did it with your mother, don't do it again— Just stop being an ass and tell me. You want to be King one day? Learn to trust people."

Arthur slapped his hands on the table and looked up. "You really want to hear it, uh? Fine, Morgana happened, happy? A patrol was sent in her direction a few days ago, four knights."

Merlin felt himself bleach under the news. All is anger evaporated. "Oh gods… has anyone heard from them?"

"They were supposed to arrive two days ago, and—I had to make a decision, Merlin." Arthur shook his head looking back at the table. "I don't know if I did the right thing."

"I know you did."

"How do you even know?" Arthur looked towards Merlin, seeking kind words when he deserved none. "You don't even know what I chose to do."

"Doesn't matter," Merlin shrugged looking back at Arthur. "You always do what you think is best for your people. I told you once that I believed in you, that has not changed."

Arthur shook his head and looked back at the table. Not able to hold the stare of Merlin any longer. He did not deserve such confidence or blind faith. Not now. Not when he felt inside of him that he had made the wrong call.

"I know that you did the right thing just by being you, Arthur. Don't lose faith just yet."

Merlin was a wise man and he knew Arthur needed time to process so instead he kept himself busy by wandering around the room once again, keeping an eye for anything that resembled a threat but he knew that even the most insignificant object could be a magical weapon. Then Merlin spotted something that even in the dire moment he couldn't resist to pass. He glanced at Arthur, he might kill him for it but… it was right there!

While Merlin was debating on his mind wherever or not go along with his idea. Arthur was still looking out the window. The death of his friends will hunt him for a long time, he saw his faces on his mind and it makes his heart heavy and his future grim, but he decided that instead of making those deaths an impediment, he would let them fuel him to do what it needed to be done.

Gods, he felt incredibly tired. He wondered how on earth was he supposed to be king one day if he would have to make worse decisions like these on the future? He had practically bowed to kill his sister. How Merlin didn't want him to lose hope when things were heading slowly by rightfully to the path of war?

Arthur sighed and looked down to the table like it held the answers to his problems.

He was startled to see that the table stopped looking brown and instead turned to a faint blue. What? He sharply turned his head to the room just to find Merlin—wearing the cape of the King nonetheless—standing in the middle of the room, holding the rock in his hand with an impish smile on his face and twinkling in his eyes.

Well, so much to lose faith, Arthur thought with a grin as he stubbornly tried to keep his emotions in check. The light was so intense and bright it filled the whole room, specks of golden spots were dancing around with it. Arthur had never been a man who pondered about the universe and its secrets but he secretly wondered this might be a close representation. Oddly enough, bright as the light was, it didn't hurt his eyes. It was mystical and amazing, familiar even. Like Merlin. Arthur didn't dare blink dare he misses a second of it. It was like if suddenly Merlin's magic was a tangible thing. Apparently Merlin himself was amazed at it too, as he chuckled and looked around, seeing how the light reflected on the objects. He felt his magic around him, it was different from when he conjured it, like it somehow it was inside and outside of him at the same time. He heard Arthur soft laugh; it was a bit hysteric but a laugh nonetheless. With a last glance around Merlin dropped the stone.

The light died away the instant the rock hit the floor, and soon any indication that something magical happened died. Both friends just stayed in silence. Enjoying the moment. Feeling the last bits of magic disintegrate on the air.

Of course, one had to ruin it sooner rather than later.

"I told you. The best sorcerer you will find." Merlin shrugged accommodating the cape around him better.

"Jesus Christ, Merlin, leave that cape where you found it, you look ridiculous." Arthur scoffed but he rose from his seat, arms crossed. "Once you become court sorcerer you will get your own—as ridiculous as you might look but that will be your problem— but it can't be red, red is for knights and me, of course, deep royal blue is for kings so that color is mine to… so what about gray? I'll be nice, I will let you choose if I like the color that is."

Merlin rolled his eyes but did as he was told, returning the cape to the place he found it, it had been worth it, besides to see the shocked face of Arthur when he did what he did had been enough to tease the prat for a lifetime.

Arthur picked the stone and began to work again. He felt like a piece of his grief had lifted. Maybe that bloody saying was right; they needed each other to build Albion. He needed Merlin's blind faith on things and Merlin maybe needed something out of him, what exactly he didn't know but apparently Merlin saw it in him and for now that was enough.

"Once you become king can you gift me this?" Merlin asked bluntly and Arthur controlled himself not to laugh when he turned to see what Merlin was holding. Of course, destiny chose to pair Arthur with Merlin— the biggest idiot on the planet— but Arthur smiled softly at himself when Merlin returned the wooden box to the desk of his father, although it was intrinsically painted it was probably the only thing that held no real value. Arthur had crafted it himself when he was a kid.

He would never, ever, say it out loud, but if every person had a destined someone to be paired with, a destined friend per say, he wouldn't have any other.

"You can have the bloody thing, now focus and tell me what seems off in the room, we are wasting time." Arthur pressed.

"Told you, anything could be. Keep trying. That is how this works."

Arthur grumbled, he really didn't understand the first thing about magic, at least, weapons looked dangerous at all times. He moved to a table by the corner where plates, vases, and rich painted goblets were aligned. He tested a few silver plates that for him didn't look close to dangerous, when he passed a golden vase that shined merrily in the dim sunlight from the window. When the stone touched it the stone shined a faint blue.

Arthur breathed in and took a step back, was this… He tried again. It shined blue. It definitely shined blue. A smile crept on his face.

"Merlin!" Arthur said as he pointed to the vase and let out an amused bark. Not believing it himself. "This is it! I can't believe it! This is it!"

"What? Are you sure?"

"I'm not as stupid as you, Merlin." Arthur said as he smugly tapped the vase and once again the stone shined bright blue, not even close to what Merlin had managed before but enough to see it was indeed enchanted.

"Oh, I knew you were not that useless!" Merlin clapped once in victory and shook Arthur's arm. Arthur hastily shoved Merlin away, still grinning. "You did it!"

It was a good day when they both insulted each other and none of them cared.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Take it and let's go find Gaius." Merlin said already thinking of spells he could try, one step towards the door.

"What? You take it, there's no way in hell I'm touching this thing, Merlin."

A/N: In another note, I hope that I least I made someone happy with this, my plan was always using the stone to find the vase, and they found it! 17 chapters later! But they are getting somewhere I do have a plan! And now with the vase,we move forward on the story. What do think will happen next? We have Gwen to worry about, Gwaine and his brooding, then the vase itself, and of course Morgana and her evil machinations… much to think about. In any case, have a great, great day and hope your day is good and bright as Merlin's light.

Once again thank you for your reviews! Next chapter might (or not, depends on how fast I can write it down) take a while, since im out of pre-written chapters once again.

If Arthur seemed a bit OOC in this chapter my reason are because he has endured so much lately, I think he as talking to Merlin just to stop thinking about what he had just done and about what needed to be done.

Suricata: Thank you darling for your reviews, yes, Gwaine is up to something, hope I didn't go too harsh on him on this chapter but he was meant to make a mistake, like all the others, I will fix that soon too, and can only hope you like what is coming next. I'm also happy that you like Owen, he's funny isn't he? I adore him already, and I hope you like the bromance on this chapter too. I always wanted to hear about Arthur's childhood, if all of you liked that part I'm thinking of writing a bit on further chapters.