Hello everybody! Sorry for the long wait! College and writing do not really fit together well. A thanks to everyone who reviews. They really help make the story better. Big shoutout to ProcrastinationIsMyCrime whose idea I loved and incorporated it into this chapter. Hope you all enjoy!

Previously...

It should be noted that the minute Merlin's head reached the cot, he was out cold. Gaius sat behind Merlin, rubbing some salve on his ward's torn back. As he did, he couldn't help but smile at the two boys in front of him. Even in sleep, they seemed to reach for each other. For their brother.

Arthur and Merlin sat alone, Arthur on the cot, Merlin opposite him on his cot.

"Arthur?"

"Yes."

"Did you tie yourself up or did Uther?"

Arthur looked surprised at that question. "What?"

Merlin repeated himself. "When you came into the cell, your wrists were tied together and Leon had you connected to a rope. Did you do that or Uther?"

"I did."

"You did?"

"Yes Merlin, it's not hard to believe."

"Why? Did Uther force you to?"

"No, I wanted to be alone. Leon could not leave me alone under orders from the king. I know my father and Leon was only there to make sure I couldn't escape to save you or something. So...I had Leon tie a rope to the bedpost and attach it to my wrists. He left the room and I went to the windowsill to think."

"How did you know to come down to the cell?"

"I felt like I should."

"There's more to that Arthur." Merlin made sure that he had Arthur's attention. "You knew that your father was breaking his promise when you got there. How did you know?"

Arthur took a deep sigh. "I looked down to where your cell was and thought about how to get you out of there. Then, I heard a faint scream. I didn't have to think twice, I knew it was you. I thought about you and all of a sudden, Uther was standing in front of me. It was the scariest thing I had ever seen. He was calling me a sorcerer and yelling at me. I wanted to respond and tell him it was me but I couldn't. Then I heard your voice answer. I realized I was seeing things from your perspective. My father was actively breaking his promise and torturing you. I broke out of the trance or whatever it was yelling. Leon ran in and I had him release me and lead me down to the dungeons. That's why my hands were still tied when I got there. I needed to play along with my father's little game that he was playing."

There was a pause.

"The worst part was when I realized that I had helped him do it. I had chained you up even though you had warned me. He played me so well. He knew what I would do placed in that situation. I placed you perfectly in his hands and I didn't realize it until too late."

"No," Merlin said, grabbing Arthur's hand. "You weren't too late. You coming at all saved me. Did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That your father would let you take my place?"

"Honestly, no. It was a desperate gamble. I had to redirect his attention from you or I was going to watch you die right then and there. I decided to take a play out of your book. I just hoped that you would agree to it. I could see that you didn't want to."

"Well yes, magic or no magic, I'm supposed to protect you."

"We are supposed to protect each other. That's how a friendship works, dollaphead"

They laughed and Merlin was serious for a moment. "Arthur, what do you think your father will do now?"

Arthur sighed "Honestly Merlin, I don't know. But whatever he does, you will always be by my side."

That was when Uther burst into the room. "Seize him!" He yelled, pointing to Merlin. Arthur tried to stand in front of Merlin but the guard beat him to it. The guard grabbed Merlin and restrained him by his elbows behind his back. Merlin fought in the guard's grasp.

"What are you doing, Father?"

"Have you recovered, Arthur?"

"Yes..."

"Well..." Uther cut him off "join me in the throne room in 10 minutes, I need to discuss something with you." Here he turned to Merlin. "And the dungeons will do for him."

The guard pushed Merlin out right after Uther and the door closed leaving Arthur alone. Whatever he wanted to discuss, it was not going to be good.

*Line Break*

Merlin was dragged behind Uther to the throne room. They walked in. Merlin was very confused. Suddenly, he felt the magic restraining manacles go on his wrists. He looked at Uther. "Whatever Arthur does next, sorcerer, will determine your fate. You better hope Arthur passes the test."

"Te...? Merlin started to say until a gag formed around his mouth.

"Not one sound out of you or I swear I will kill you right in front of Arthur right now."

Merlin nodded yes.

The guard dragged Merlin towards a hidden alcove in the throne room. One where he could see Uther and Arthur, but Arthur couldn't see him.

Uther sat down just as Arthur walked into the throne room.

Arthur walked into the throne room. It was just him and Uther. The doors shut behind him.

"Where is my servant?" Arthur asked.

"Come sit." Uther beckoned.

"Not until Merlin is back in my sight."

"Merlin, what about him?"

"I'm not talking to you until I can see Merlin."

"You know where he is, and I'm with you."

"You could have somebody else doing your dirty work."

"He deserved it."

"No one deserves that!"

"He violated our trust."

"You violated mine!"

Uther looked physically taken aback. There was a pause. "I'm sorry..." Uther finally said.

"No you're not. You are not sorry."

"Arthur, trust me..."

"Trust you, trust you!" Arthur said incredulously "I used to trust you. I used to trust you as a father and a king."

"Used to?"

"Yes sire, used to. But now I see you for who you really are. A stubborn tyrant who always gets his way. And I don't trust tyrants."

Arthur, no... Merlin thought

"How dare you!" Uther growled, starting to get up from his chair.

"I don't care what you do to me anymore. You can do anything you want and it's not going to change. A father wouldn't whip his own son."

"Arthur."

"I'm not finished." Arthur said authoritatively

Uther sat down.

"You broke your promise to me, your solemn word. You manipulated Merlin and I to do exactly what you wanted. And then you let somebody whip me, you were too cowardly to watch or do it yourself. Gaius tried his best, but I still will probably have these scars for life. And when people ask me how I got them, I will proudly say that I got them because of friendship. Now, where is Merlin?"

Uther smiled. Arthur didn't like that smile. "He's right here, Arthur. He's heard the whole conversation and his fate."

Arthur looked up and the guard holding Merlin brought him out, gagged, the magic cuffs on his wrists.

"Fate, what do you mean fate?"

"This was a test. You said the sorcerer would lose his power over you if you experienced pain. I would assume your loyalty and your strong friendship would have gone away if the sorcerer lost power. From your rant just now, I can only assume that he made a new spell or that he hasn't lost his power. His original sentience still stands. Merlin will be burned at the stake tomorrow at sunset."

Arthur stood speechless. Uther had again beat him as his own game. He had went through all that so that Merlin wouldn't die, and now all of that was for nothing. He stared at Uther, trying to read him.

"Take the sorcerer to the cell." Uther ordered.

Arthur looked at Merlin. He was trying to act brave but Arthur could see all of his fear.

"No, I'll take him. I need to talk to him alone."

"You can accompany him, but someone needs to come with you."

They made it to the cell. "Leave us." He said to the guard. The guard looked at him warily. "I promise I am not going to help him escape." The guard released Merlin from his grasp and walked away. The cell door was open, ready to swallow Merlin.

Arthur released the gag from his friends mouth.

"Arthur, I don't want to go back in there. I can't go back in there."

"That's why I'm coming in with you." Arthur unlocked one of the manacles and took it off Merlin's wrist. He connected it to his. "We are doing this together, just like everything else we do."

Arthur walked into the cell. Merlin followed him in. The effect was immediate. Merlin slumped, the energy gone out of him. Arthur caught him before he fell. "What does this cell do?"

"It suppresses the magical energy of a person. It's builds up a wall so they can't access it. A wall that is only enhanced by these manacles."

"Why does it affect you so much?"

"I am magic Arthur. Cutting me off from my magic is like trying not to breathe."

Arthur led Merlin to a wall where they both slumped down and leaned against. "So, you were there the whole time."

"Yep."

"Why didn't you warn me?"

"Uther told me not too. I assumed that he had a certain way he wanted you to react and I knew if I warned you, it would have been a different reaction than the one your father was expecting. By the time I had thought about using magic, it was too late. You had already starting talking."

Arthur sighed. "I should have listened to you before. You knew, the whole time what he was going to do in the first place."

"He's not going to change his mind about me Arthur, about magic." Merlin let out a sigh.

Arthur turned and looked at his friend. He hated the look of resignation on Merlin's face. He was going to get his friend out of this whatever it took. He took out the keys to the manacles and unlocked both him and Merlin.

Merlin smiled gratefully. "Arthur?" he asked quietly.

"Yes?"

"Remember when we went to see Morgause and you saw your Mother?"

"Yes." Arthur said curiously, "You told me that was a lie."

"I told you that to stop you from killing your father. It would have killed you to lose both your parents that way." Merlin sighed. "That actually was your mother and everything she told you was true."

Merlin looked at his friend's face trying to gage his reaction."Arthur, you were born of magic."

Whelp! Arthur knows now. Hope you enjoyed and hopefully I will get Chapter 6 out pretty soon! Reviews are awesome!