TWO: SUSPICIONS (347 days)
Arthur paced his chambers, frustrated. It had been nearly two weeks, and yet he hadn't heard or seen any sign of this mysterious Emrys. And he had no ideas on how to reinstate sorcery in the kingdom, not without causing mass panic. If he simply lifted the ban on magic - which he knew his council would never support - many of his subjects would be terrified. His father had been extremely successful in creating fear of sorcery. He needed Emrys, much as he hated to admit it. He couldn't do this on his own.
He was nervous, to work so closely with a sorcerer - and not just any sorcerer, but according to the Disir, the most powerful sorcerer to walk the earth - but he knew that magic couldn't return peacefully unless he was willing to fully accept it.
It was becoming easier to do, to accept magic. The Disir had said that Emrys was a friend of Camelot, and that he'd been protecting the kingdom for years.
The more Arthur thought about it, the more sense it made. How many times had things worked out miraculously? No, not miraculously, he now realized. Magically. Someone had been using magic to protect his kingdom. They hadn't been using it for evil. They had been using it for good.
It had to be someone close, someone living in Camelot.
But who?
It had to be someone who knew Arthur well, who knew where to be in order to help the kingdom best. That, of course, narrowed down his options.
Unless…
Perhaps Emrys was able to use his magic to get his information. He might not live in Camelot, after all.
Arthur sank into a chair, feeling hopeless. At this rate, he was never going to discover just who Emrys was.
His door slammed open, and Merlin burst in carrying a basket full of clean clothes. "Merlin," he rebuked softly, "will you ever learn to knock?" He was too distracted to really yell at his manservant.
"Sorry, sire," he said, though he didn't sound it. He began putting Arthur and Guinevere's clothes away in the wardrobes.
"Why hasn't Emrys revealed himself to me?" he asked, mostly to himself. He didn't really expect Merlin to answer him.
"Perhaps he's been overworked lately," Merlin snapped, his voice irritated.
Arthur looked at him. He was a little surprised to hear Merlin so irritated so early in the morning. He hadn't even done anything to try to annoy him yet. He was even more surprised to see dark circles under his servant's eyes. Arthur hadn't been giving him any more work than he usually did. In fact, Merlin had been even later than usual almost every morning in the past two weeks. What could Merlin possibly be doing with all of his spare time to make him so tired and late?
Arthur grinned suddenly. "Who is she?" he asked, his tone teasing.
"Who is who?"
"The girl. She must be something special to keep you up so late at night. Who is she?"
Merlin scowled. "No one. There is no girl."
"Oh, come now. You can tell me."
Merlin made a sound of irritation. "There is no girl, sire. I don't have time for romance, between working for you, and helping Gaius, and re-" Merlin broke off, clamping his mouth shut.
Arthur was curious now. "And what else, Merlin?"
"Nothing."
"Relaxing and drinking in the tavern, perhaps?"
"I don't go to the…Ugh. Never mind."
Arthur narrowed his eyes, watching Merlin finish with the clothes. Merlin had always helped Gaius while also working for him. So why was it suddenly so tiring? What had changed recently? What had changed in the last two weeks?
Emrys.
Merlin couldn't be…
But Arthur assumed that Emrys was someone close to him, based on all the times he'd been miraculously saved. He supposed it was possible for Emrys to work his magic from afar, being as powerful as he supposedly was, but he felt it was more likely that Emrys was someone close to him. Other than Guinevere, there was nobody closer to him than Merlin. And the Disir had said that Emrys was hiding in plain sight.
But Merlin?
Merlin was a bumbling idiot. He tripped over his own feet. He couldn't possibly be a sorcerer, let alone the most powerful sorcerer to walk the earth.
Could he?
"Merlin," he called.
The servant looked at him, still obviously irritated. "Yes, Arthur?"
He hesitated. What if he was wrong? Merlin would never let him hear the end of it. He got enough abuse from his own servant as it was. He didn't need to give Merlin more reason to taunt him. No, he needed proof before he accused Merlin of something so monumental. That was not something he could just come out and ask. "Don't forget to polish my armor, and muck out my stables, and clean my boots."
Merlin groaned, complaining as he left the king's chambers.
Arthur shook his head. Merlin could not be a powerful sorcerer.
There was one thing in common with nearly every magical rescue in Arthur's life, though: Merlin. Camelot's troubles with magic had really started shortly before Merlin even arrived in the kingdom. He'd become Arthur's manservant by saving Arthur - from a sorceress. He always seemed to be there when Arthur had been saved. Except…
The orb of light that had saved Arthur on his quest to get the Morteus Flower. That couldn't have been Merlin. He was in Camelot, dying. No sorcerer, no matter how powerful, could send a spell that far.
Could he?
Arthur squirmed in his seat at that thought. If Merlin was Emrys, and he had sent that orb of light, then he was incredibly powerful. He could destroy Camelot with a flick of his wrist.
And he let Arthur order him around and belittle him?
Why would someone with so much power be a servant? Merlin could be king with that kind of power. He could be anything he wanted, and he chose to be a servant?
Merlin was the opposite of everything that Uther had taught him sorcerers were. Merlin couldn't be evil if he tried, Arthur was sure of that. He could be obnoxious, but he had a pure heart. He could be very wise, at times. Not that Arthur would ever admit any of that to him.
And he was Arthur's best friend. He was the only person who told Arthur when he was being an arrogant ass. Not even Guinevere was as honest with him as Merlin was, not in the blunt way that his manservant was. Merlin had been honest with him about everything, except his magic.
It hurt Arthur that his friend hadn't trusted him with that secret, but he could understand why Merlin would have lied about practicing magic. It was illegal, and Arthur would have had to exile him if he'd ever found out. He would have had to execute him, according to his own laws. He was glad he was going to be changing those laws.
In fact, perhaps that would be his first step in restoring magic. Execution should not be the only punishment for casting a spell. Only if that spell was used against the crown, or to murder someone, should it be punishable by death.
Maybe, just maybe, this seemingly impossible task was actually possible.
I know Arthur's reaction in the show to Merlin's magic was almost hateful, but I feel like he'd be a little more understanding if he'd come to the conclusion on his own, and if the circumstances weren't so dire. I think a lot of the reason he was so angry in the show was because it was yet another person to have lied to him and betrayed him. Without Mordred betraying him, he might be more understanding about Merlin's lies. Sorry for another short chapter. Hopefully the next one will be longer. I might even be able to get it up tonight.
