Revelations

"We're going hunting!" Arthur exclaimed to Merlin as he was given his breakfast. He dug in with much fervor.

"Really?" Merlin whined, picking up Arthur's laundry. "Do we have to?"

"No, but I want to." Arthur declared. "Besides, you enjoy it on some level, I know you do."

"Oh really," Merlin said with more than a tinge of doubt in his voice. He did like the break from Camelot sometimes, but hadn't admitted it to himself, let alone Arthur.

"Really. I thought we'd leave after I've finished breakfast - I cleared it already with my father." He said this with an absolute sincerity.

"I appreciate how you asked if it was okay with me as well." Merlin pointed out to his master.

"Well of course it was," Arthur said as if it was the most logical thing in the world. "What else are you going to be doing?" Merlin reeled at the arrogance in that statement - the arrogance to presume he had nothing better to be doing with his entire life than attending to Arthur while he killed innocent animals.

"You're a real prat," Merlin said humorously to Arthur. It may have been rude of him, but was hardly abnormal behavior.

"And you can even ready the horses," Arthur declared as if he was handing out a prize. "I'll see you in the courtyard," he said, standing up and giving Merlin his plate. Merlin merely rolled his eyes and walked out the door.

An hour or so later and Merlin was packed for a multi-day adventure with him and Arthur, his horse waiting alongside Arthur's war-horse. Last year Arthur had finally acknowledged that the dark, thin-framed mare was Merlins, as nobody else rode the speedy messenger but him.

Arthur mounted his stallion, kicking its side as the two sped away towards the forest. Before long, they were riding through the countryside of Camelot. It had been a couple weeks since Uther's recovery, and the kingdom was back to usual. Arthur did not worry about the day-to-day runnings of the kingdom, and instead spent his time going on hunts and training the days away.

Arthur had also said nothing more about his promise to the old sorcerer, but the weight it cast on Arthur's mind was there for Merlin to see. He analyzed and over-analyzed every incident with magic, and he reminded Merlin of Morgana from so long ago. The Morgana who was grieved to see the innocent put to death, the Morgana who had a better heart than anyone.

But Arthur's stress was visibly melting away at riding through the forest. "I was thinking we'd head north of the white mountains," Arthur said. "The game for deer is excellent out there this time of year."

"That's a days ride!" Merlin exclaimed. "We'll be gone for a week."

"It will be worth it when I have a buck to show for the kitchens," he said proudly.

"It's not like the kitchens need it," Merlin sniped back. "They have enough food to fead an army - literally."

"Who would you have me give the food to?" Arthur asked.

Merlin was silent for a moment. "Throw a feast for the townspeople," Merlin offered. "The poor always need the food, and with the King and the kingdom so healthy it is ample cause for celebration."

Arthur looked at Merlin. "If you can manage not to whine during this trip, I will gladly give my kill to the city. I'll catch a lot more if you're not whining," He said jokingly.

"Fine," Merlin agreed. "I won't whine during this whole trip."

Arthur looked at Merlin disbelievingly. "Yeah, right," he said smiling.

It was a day or so later that they were deep in the northern forests, Arthur having spent most of the day following an unfortunate buck through the forest. Merlin was doing his best not to trample through the forest and create undue noise, and this cut down a little on his usual disturbances.

The two stood peering around the edge of a boulder, the herd of deer visible in the distance but not yet close enough to reach by bolt. A twig snapped in the distance, and the two of them jerked their heads around to find the noise. They found a herd of soldiers chasing after them, bearing the crest of the kingdom of Caerleon.

"Damnit," Arthur shouted, grabbing the crossbow and running. Merlin ran alongside him, running away from their camp and towards the white mountains. "We must lose them in the caves," he said to Merlin running close next to him, the knights quick on their heels. Bolts flew past them as they ran, one grazing Merlin's jacket and tearing the shoulder. Shit, he thought, I'm going to need a new jacket.

They had put little distance between the knights and them when they darted into a cave just out of sight. Merlin had thought they made it out in one piece when a bolt flew out from around the corner and pierced Arthur right in the middle of his chest, knocking him out on the spot.

No, no, no, Merlin thought. He picked up Arthur and dragged him deeper into the caves, praying that the knights wouldn't follow him. Luckily they didn't, and nobody disturbed them as he made camp inside the dark cavern.

"Arthur?" Merlin said in the echoing chamber once they sat down. He shook Arthur, and examined the arrow. He needed to remove it, but examination showed the tip was barbed. He could remove the splinters with magic, but that did not guarantee he could heal the wound itself, and Arthur was losing a lot of blood.

He tapped Arthur's face to make sure he was completely out. "Arthur?" Merlin said. The whole ordeal reminded him too much of what happened with Taliesin, except that this time Merlin was sure a long-deceased seer wasn't going to save him.

"Þurhhæle dolgbenn," Merlin incanted over Arthur's wound. He felt his magic have little effect and drain him much.

"Prat," Merlin said for nobody's ears. "Licsar ge staðol nu!" He incanted louder and poured magic into the spell, and still it had little effect on Arthur's wound. He remembered the spell Taliesin tried on Arthur.

"Wel cene hole," he said, pouring as much magic as he felt safe into Arthur's wound. The surface closed up like a wound and stopped bleeding, but he could tell that any punctures inside Arthur's body still remained. He would need more powerful magic than he currently knew.

Merlin thought he ought make a fire, but he couldn't leave Arthur here alone to find firewood, especially when Caerleon knights were crawling around outside. Uther would be furious to find the knights had ventured further and further into Camelot's territory; the kingdoms were on the brink of war as it was.

Merlin did his best to keep the wound clean for an hour, hoping to later set out towards Camelot with Arthur. They would not be missing the pair of them for some time, and Merlin knew that made the situation much worse. He was just getting ready to leave when he heard his name being called from the depths of the cave.

"Emrys," echoed off of the chamber walls. Soon, druids came into view from within the caves. "We are here to help."

Merlin laughed momentarily at the sheer convenience of it all, but then he grew serious. "Prince Arthur has acquired a bad wound, he needs healing." Iseldir's face came into view in the cave. "Iseldir," Merlin breathed. "It is good to see you well."

He smiled. "And you, Emrys. We will heal Arthur, for a price."

"Name it and it will be done," Merlin said, trusting the druids.

"Our price is that you let us speak to him when he wakes." Iseldir smiled. "Come, we have made our homes in these caves." Another druid walked behind Merlin and incanted "Anhefednes." Arthur lifted into the air behind Merlin, and floated as if on a stretcher.

"What will you talk to him about?" Merlin asked curiously as they walked through the caves, himself and the druids making lights in the palm of their hands.

"That is for the future to show," Iseldir said mysteriously, smiling. "But I must ask you, how much do you know about the legends of Emrys?"

Merlin looked at Iseldir, and back at Arthur as if to verify he was really out. "Not much," he admitted. "Only that I was prophecied to return magic to Camelot with Arthur, and together we'd unite Albion."

Iseldir smiled. "It seems the dragon has put a spin on the legends," he said. "It is vaguely said that you will return magic to the land with him, but they never said alongside him necessarily, and they never said the two of you together would unite Albion - only that you would do it."

Merlin raised his eyebrows. "I don't mind Kilgharrah's version, but why would he do that?" Merlin asked.

"Dragons know many things men don't," Iseldir said. "It may well be that what he said was true." They arrived at the druid camp, and Arthur was laid down on a bed of pillows and shoddy blankets. A druid came up to him, and incanted a healing spell. Arthur breathed in deeply, and settled into a sleep.

"He will sleep for a night," the druid said. "He will be well when he wakes."

"Thank you," Merlin said to the druid. He merely bowed his head and walked away, leaving Iseldir and Merlin sitting in a corner of the establishment near Arthur's sleeping body.

"That is not all the legends of Emrys and The Once and Future King hold," said Iseldir. "Our legends alone have much more." He pulled out a book. "We have the information here for you, and have taught it to our children for many generations. It is time that we teach it to you," he said, handing Merlin the book.

Merlin flipped through the book, and it was organized by the magical tribes across Albion. "It is the legends of Emrys from every culture," Iseldir clarified. Iseldir then smiled. "They all have the name Emrys in common."

Merlin nodded, and said "Thank you, Iseldir." He nodded and left Merlin alone with Arthur's sleeping figure. Merlin opened the book and began reading, staying up all night with the dusty tome.

He was so engrossed in his reading that he didn't notice Arthur waking up until he said "Where are we, Merlin?"

Merlin quickly set the book in his bag and said, "You were shot in the back by the Caerleon knights. The druids have taken us in and healed you. You would have died without their help."

Arthur looked around at the druids busying themselves with their own business with more than a hint of suspicion in his eyes. It is then that Iseldir rounded a corner and said "Good morning, Prince Arthur."

Arthur cut to the chase. "Why did you save me?" He asked of the druid leader.

"Because you needed it." He said simply. "As you have been told before, not all sorcerers are evil, Arthur Pendragon."

Arthur opened his mouth, as if he were about to declare he knew that, and then wisely shut it again. "I am greatly indebted to you for your kindness," Arthur said.

"I know that our debts are now even from the rescue of Mordred, but we ask only one more thing in return," Iseldir said. "That our kind may one day roam free, unafraid of persecution."

Arthur smiled regally. "I made that promise to a sorcerer once before for saving my father's life, and I will make it to you again here. When I am king, your kind will be free." Arthur paused. "I see now as I grow older what my father's actions have done to Camelot. I love him with all my heart and he is a great king in many respects, but his blind hatred of magic was not one of them." Arthur stood royally, fully the Crown Prince he was today and not the supercilious prat he was when Merlin met him. Merlin smiled, proud.

Iseldir smiled knowingly, as if he already knew. "We will spread word of your declaration, so that no more sorcerers may attack Camelot with vengeance."

Arthur bowed his head. "Thank you, Iseldir. That is a great service to a kingdom which still persecutes you."

"Knowing surely that one day it will change is easily enough to sway many people who believed they were acting in magic's best interests. Those that are left are black of heart, and their magic is evil whether or not magic itself is."

"Like Morgana," Arthur said.

"Like Morgana," Iseldir agreed.

Merlin remembered what Morgana used to be like, and was struck with a sudden desire to tell Arthur about when she was discovering she had magic. He wanted Arthur to know his role, about how he really tried to help her. It would be one less secret burdening Merlin, and it was something Arthur was clearly ready to accept.

"Arthur, can we talk?" Merlin said, before he lost his nerve, nodding towards an alcove in the cave. Arthur looked at him quizzically, but followed him behind an empty tent flap inside the cave, Arthur gesturing to Iseldir for a moment alone with his servant.

"What is it that's so urgent you interrupted that?" Arthur asked impatiently, quietly impressing the weight of the conversation that was happening.

"Morgana wasn't always evil," Merlin said. His voice was strained, as if he was reaching out for acceptance.

"Yeah, I know," Arthur said slowly. "And it pains me to hear it. What are you getting at?"

Merlin swallowed thickly. "Some people are born with magic." He said, trying another tack, hoping to draw these points together.

Arthur replied, confusion in his voice. "I am beginning to suspect that, Merlin. I don't know why so many people would practice it when it was illegal otherwise," he said slowly again, as if talking to a child. Arthur looked at Merlin, confused and expectant and noticing Merlin's emotion, wisely not saying anything more to let Merlin speak.

Merlin sat down heavily on a nearby chest. "Morgana came to Gaius when she thought she had magic. Gaius told her she didn't, and tried to keep her quiet to protect her from Uther. She came to me… I told her that she probably did have magic, even though Gaius told me not to, and she and I went to the druids for help."

"I remember the day," Arthur said, understanding dawning. "We stormed their camp." He dipped his head and pinched his nose in remembered shame.

Merlin nodded. "They were very helpful for a while…" Merlin's voice shook a little with remembered guilt. "But Morgause got to her… Morgause was full of a desire for revenge, and got Morgana to side with her because they shared a mother. I tried to dissuade her at first, but…" Arthur said nothing, and Merlin continued. "I knew about it all, the whole time, but I couldn't stop her." Merlin put his head in his hands. "Her abduction by Morgause was no abduction."

Arthur sat down on the stool opposite, his head reeling. "Why didn't you tell me?" Was the first question out of his mouth, but Arthur knew the answer before Merlin said it.

"You would have never believed me," Merlin said quietly. "Not in a million years. Or you would have, and you would have executed Morgana just for having magic."

Arthur nodded in agreement. "So how long did you know? About her… betrayal?" He asked quietly, emotion choking his voice at the mention of it.

Merlin drew in a breath. "Since before her disappearance with Morgause. Since the beginning."

"She escaped with Morgause," Arthur said, understanding entering his voice.

"It's likely where she learned how to control her magic," Merlin agreed. "And where she learned to hate Camelot so much." Merlin paused for a second. "Do you remember how she didn't fall asleep in the attack?"

Arthur nodded, trepidation showing on his face at whatever was about to be revealed to him.

"She was the vessel for the sleeping spell, that's why," Merlin said. "I had said at the time we had to destroy the vessel to break the spell, hoping to get Morgana to release the spell herself." He shook his head. "She refused."

"Why did you defend her if that was the case?" Arthur said. "You said Gaius gave her a potion... And how did the sleeping spell get released, then?" He asked, his eyes growing wide at the implication.

"I wasn't sure she cast the spell, and she didn't," Merlin said. "Morgause cast it, but Morgana sustained it."

Merlin choked up and got emotional, and Arthur had the good sense to remain quiet. "I broke the spell by poisoning Morgana with hemlock." Merlin's voice broke and a tear leaked out of his eye. "The spell broke as she was dying. I told Morgause the poison I used in return for the two of them leaving Camelot, and breaking the spell on the knights of Medhir."

Arthur was silent, as Merlin said the words Arthur already understood.

"It was me that turned her against us, Arthur." Merlin's voice was thick with emotion. "If I hadn't have done that, maybe she'd have seen the right way, turned back on her path, and used her gifts for good. But I ruined that." He looked anywhere but Arthur's eyes. "I've failed you."

"You haven't failed me," Arthur said. "We all failed. We weren't able to stop Morgause from using Morgana, and that falls on everyone's shoulders." The two of them were silent for some time. "I would have done exactly as you did in the situation, you know."

Merlin spoke up. "It doesn't ease the guilt of poisoning a close friend, and holding her as..." The breath left his lungs and the words died in his throat.

Arthur and Merlin were silent for a long time. "Thank you for telling me," Arthur said eventually. "I understand why you kept this secret for so long. Had you told me any earlier, I would have taken it as evidence all magic was bad." Arthur frowned. "I can't help but wonder what else has been hidden from me in that interest." He peered at Merlin with steel eyes that betrayed he knew more than he was letting on.

Arthurs gaze had the desired effect, Merlin immediately starting acting suspicious, faltering under the weight of his best friend's eyes. Merlin hated hiding things from Arthur, and he wanted to be able to tell Arthur everything.

"I trust you completely, Merlin." Arthur said. "If you're keeping anything else from me, I trust you have a legitimate reason. And I know you have been hiding things - you're awful at keeping secrets, but short of you coming out and telling me I can't guess what they are." Arthur huffed.

Merlin's eyes widened as he said, "Thank you sire," the full force of his sincerity behind it. Merlin supposed it was about time Arthur caught onto something, some of the lies Merlin had come up with the years were absolutely pathetic.

"And that tells me you are keeping things from me!" Arthur said, humor leaking into his tone. Merlin's eyes grew serious in response, remembering something else about Morgause Arthur should know.

"There is one other thing you should know about Morgause," Merlin said. "And for this one, I'm personally apologizing to you, sire." Merlin said, dipping his head. Arthur's smile fell as Merlin used the honorary title with his master. "Do you remember when she won the duel against you, and showed you an apparition of your mother?"

Arthur said quietly "Even if it was a lie, I could never forget." His head shot up. "It wasn't a lie, was it." He said, picking up on the tone. His voice immediately turned to anger.

Merlin shook his head no sadly. "I'm so sorry for lying to you, Arthur."

"How do you know?" Arthur asked Merlin, not wanting to believe it. "Morgause could have been lying still, she's certainly capable of it."

Merlin turned his head and looked away. "I confronted Gaius after we returned to Camelot," he said. "Gaius verified it, but he had made a promise never to tell you. He was afraid of what you'd do if you found out."

Arthur remembered what he said to his father that day.

"I know what you did to my mother," Arthur said angrily.

"What are you talking about?" Uther said, bewildered.

"You were so desperate for an heir, you were prepared to use magic," Arthur accused.

"Did Morgause tell you this? She's lying," Uther dismissed rather quickly, with all the authority of a father.

"My mother is dead because of your selfishness and arrogance. Her blood is on your hands - "

"No, that's not true," Uther said, "But Morgause would have you believe that - "

"This is what fuels your hatred for those who practice magic," Arthur said, disgust curling his upper lip. "Rather than blame yourself for what you did," Arthur took a pause, "You blame them."

"You would believe a sorcerer's lies over the word of your own father," Uther insisted. "I can only think that Morgause has enchanted you."

"You have hunted her kind like animals," Arthur ground out at his father. "How many hundreds have you condemned to death to ease your guilt?" He asked accusingly.

"Those who practice magic will stop at nothing to destroy us, I have only done what is necessary to protect this kindgom!" Uther insisted further, raising his voice.

Arthur raised his voice yet further to match his father. "You speak of honor, and nobility - you're nothing, but a hypocrite, and a liar!" He practically shouted.

"I am your King and your father, you will show me some respect!" Uther shouted back at Arthur.

Arthur stood stock still, then walked angrily, aggressively towards the King. He came to a standstill in front of his father, and threw his gauntlet down in front of him.

"Have you lost your mind?" Uther said incredulously.

"Pick it up," Arthur insisted.

"Arthur, I implore you, think about what you're doing," Uther said, abandoning the denial track. It was clear Arthur knew, but Uther knew just as well as Merlin he would regret anything he did while in this emotional state.

"Pick, it up," Arthur insisted further.

"I will not fight you," Uther said, standing his ground.

Arthur drew his sword right then and there. "If you choose not to defend yourself," he threatened his own father, "I will strike you down where you stand."

Uther regarded his son calmly. "You are my son. You would not strike an unarmed man."

"I no longer think of myself as your son," Arthur said cooly.

"Then strike me down," Uther said, trying to call Arthur's bluff.

Arthur's emotions fought with themselves for a couple seconds before he swung his sword with lethal intent at his own father. Uther drew his blade with lightning speed to match his sons.

"I don't want to fight you," Uther insisted sadly, backing off. Arthur twirled his blade, chasing him. Arthur attacked, a frenzy starting while his father defended himself from his son's anger.

"Stop this!" Uther insisted, parrying every blow. He continued the fight, face showing disbelief that it was actually happening. Arthur eventually got the best of his father, and held him against the throne with a sword at his neck.

And then Arthur remembered what it was that Merlin said that made it all stop.

"Morgause was lying."

"Why did you say that?" Arthur said into nothing, emptiness seeping into his voice. "That she was lying?" The unspoken accusation hung in the air. Why would you lie to me? Why would you betray me like that? He started breathing heavily, anger beginning to pound through his veins.

"You were going to murder your father," Merlin said simply. "You would have never forgiven yourself." I didn't betray you, Arthur. "And your father wasn't lying either - I found out from Gaius later that neither he nor Nimueh, the high priestess, knew whose life would be taken in payment for creating yours. Uther never meant to harm Igraine."

Arthur ground his hands together, studying them, pulling at his skin. "I would have done something rash, if you hadn't said that," Arthur said angrily. "I can't believe you'd lie to me about something so important, but I would do the same if not doing so meant you'd kill the King," he ground out. "I am angry, but I will find peace with this - especially since it was some time ago," he said.

"I'm so angry with him for lying about my mother, but I believe you and him when he says that he could do nothing to harm her. It is evident he loved my mother more than anything. It still is unbelievable he was willing to sacrifice an innocent life, but… not totally out of character," Arthur finished sadly.

Arthur then looked at Merlin, a faint smile on his lips. "Thank you for giving me my memories of my mother back." That was the one good thing of this; Arthur now had real and concrete memories of his mother.

Merlin smiled wanly. "Anytime."

Arthur looked away. "I remember what I said that day afterwards to you."

"It is now clear to me that those who practice magic are evil, and that is thanks to you."

"I was wrong about magic being evil," he continued to clarify. "It was rather rich of me to say that, seeing as I was born of it," he laughed humorlessly.

"I remember the irony hit me rather heavily when you said it," Merlin said, which wasn't technically a lie. It just wasn't the predominant emotion on his mind.

"Any more secrets you'd like to reveal?" Arthur asked dryly after a pause, his hands on his knees now.

"Not today, no," Merlin said wryly, smiling.

"There really are more?" Arthur asked incredulously, standing up. "That was enough secrets for anyone." He pinched his face, and rubbed it with his hands. "After Morgana, I'm tired of secrets and lies. Please tell me you hide nothing like that."

Inside, Merlin's heart dropped through his chest. "Those are only the minor ones." Merlin said, raising his eyebrows. Arthur scoffed with mild disbelief. "Well, there is one more." Merlin piped up, standing up as well. "You know how I'm always telling you I've saved your life tons of times?" Arthur stared at him with his traditional disbelief. "I'm not lying."

Arthur looked at Merlin, not as he usually did with humor and lightness, but with a solemnity that was rare to grace the young prince's features. "After what you've told me today, Merlin, I think I might even believe you. That doesn't mean you'll get special treatment though," Arthur said to Merlin, pointing a finger and raising an eyebrow as he gestured to Merlin to leave the tent.

As soon as they left the tent, the two of them walked back to find Iseldir. "Thank you for your clemency," Arthur said to the Druid leader. "I must be getting back to my city now, they'll be missing me." It was technically a lie, but while Arthur accepted magic wasn't evil he still wasn't comfortable with it. He felt exposed in the druid camp, where magic was performed all around them, in a land full of people whom his father persecuted and whom he did not understand.

"Let us lead you out of the caves," Iseldir said kindly. "and please, do remember what we have done for you here," he implored the prince.

Arthur bowed his head in respect to him. "I will never forget." He promised. Merlin grabbed his bag, and the book it held, and the two of them were led to the mouth of the cave by Iseldir and a handful of Druids.

"You must find your own way from here," Iseldir said solemnly as they reached the entrance to the mountains. The sunlight streamed down through the trees, and it looked to be about midday, having been brought to where they were found.

"We will be able to," Merlin said. "Thank you once again." The druid merely nodded with a smile, and ventured back into the cave, lighting a light in the palm of his hand as he went.

"We must be getting home," Arthur said. He looked at Merlin. "For now, lets let this visit to the druids be a secret between us," Arthur said conspiratorially to Merlin.

Merlin nodded. "Of course." They set out traipsing through the woods, headed back to their original campsite. When they got back, they found the horses and everything still where they were left by some miracle, and headed back to Camelot.

When they returned, it was evening, all was well, and nobody suspected anything was amiss during their hunting trip. Merlin headed to Gaius's chambers first thing when he got back to Camelot.

"Arthur and I saw the druids while we were out," Merlin exclaimed to his mentor. "And you'll never believe what they gave me." He slammed the book down on the table in front of Gaius. "It's a collected work of all the legends surrounding Emrys."

"My lord," Gaius breathed, examining the book. "I've been researching it in my spare time, and I couldn't find anything. The traditions were all passed down orally - until now, it seems." He picked up the pole book and examined the pages gently.

"Kilgharrah told me years ago that there is much written about me that I have yet to read," Merlin offered. "Perhaps this is some of it."

Gaius arched his eyebrow. "It would seem that way," he said. "This may be the answer to many mysteries," he said as the two sat down at the table. "And the Druids just gave this to you, did they?"

"Iseldir did himself," Merlin verified. "Said it was 'time for me to know,'" he informed Gaius sardonically, sick of people rationing his knowledge in such a way and at the same time understanding why they did.

Gaius shook his head. "Mysterious bunch, the Druids," he said.

Merlin nodded in agreement. "Arthur also found out some truths while we were gone," Merlin informed Gaius solemnly. "I told him about how I knew about Morgana before she betrayed Uther, and... And I told him Morgause was telling the truth when Arthur met his mother, all those years ago."

Gaius deadpanned, looking at Merlin as if he was insane. Eventually, he settled on saying "He had to find out sometime," as if he here trying to convince himself and not Merlin. Gaius then smiled at his ward. "I'm proud of you for telling him."

Merlin smiled. "He took them both remarkably well. Said he understood why I hid these things, why I did what I did... Maturity has been kind to Arthur," he said patronizingly. "Finally." Gaius only have Merlin an imploring smile to perhaps give Arthur a little more credit as they began to enjoy their supper.

"I am afraid I am honor-bound by Arthur not to share any more details about our escapade, though," Merlin said over soup. "It was secret for only he and I to know," he continued conspiratorially.

Gaius nodded with exaggeration, his eyebrows ascending into his hairline. "I see," was all he said in reply. "I'm willing to bet he assumed you'd tell me anyways." He said wisely.

"But it involved his life being put in danger - as always," Merlin said, indulging himself in a little complaining. "But this time, the Druids saved him instead of me. He promised them as well he'd return magic to the kingdom - I think he's truly warming to the idea that magic is not evil."

Gaius smiled broadly, proud of his ward. "And that's all thanks to you, Merlin," Gaius said in reply. "It is thanks to you, and no one else, that Arthur is beginning to see the good magic can hold." Gaius smiled himself, excited he may live to see the day when magic was restored. "When will you tell him?" Gaius asked him quietly, and Merlin needed no more clarification.

"Not as long as his father is alive," Merlin said sadly. "But Arthur knows I still have secrets to keep, and he said he trusts me completely, despite knowing that there are things I'm keeping from him." Merlin's tone lowered with solemnity. "He trusts me enough to allow me to hide things from him."

Gaius adjusted in his seat. "Arthur is wise enough to know that there are things a servant is privy to that even a prince is not - and he is trying to tell you that he knows this." Merlin shrugged, and forged on with his dinner.

"Besides, I doubt he was saying he trusted you so much as simply saying he understood and would strive to continue to," Gaius said, raising his dinner to his mouth. "Not that he doesn't trust you," Gaius added. "He does immensely." Gaius regarded his ward warmly.

Merlin finished up the last of his dinner and said "Well, please excuse me while I stay up all night reading this," he said, taking the book and heading up to his room. "Good night Gaius."

Gaius smiled as he called back, "Good night Merlin."

Merlin woke up late for work next morning, the book about himself lying across his chest and Merlin laying on top of his covers. He saw the sun was fully up, and hastily stowed the book under the loose floorboard before darting out of bed, skipping breakfast to get Arthur his meal. When he got up to Arthur's chambers, he saw him with an exceedingly full table and a smug grin on his face.

"You weren't here, so I had to ask one of the more efficient servants to get me my food," Arthur clarified needlessly, "and look what a job they've done!" He exclaimed condescendingly in Merlin's direction.

"You know full well you don't need all this food," Merlin said, gesturing to the selection of 7 different types of sliced meat on a serving platter alone. It was accompanies by several loaves of bread, and entire bushels of grapes and apples.

"Your belt certainly doesn't need it," Merlin said, grabbing an apple and taking a bite since he didn't get any breakfast.

"Hey, that's the prince's breakfast!" Arthur exclaimed indignantly at Merlin's taking an apple.

"Tell me you were gonna eat that, really tell me that seriously, and I'll pay for it with the stocks," Merlin jeered in Arthur's direction, munching loudly on the apple while setting about doing his chores.

Arthur looked conflicted for a moment, before he said "I wouldn't have to justify myself to put you in the stocks," pompously.

"Fine, do it," Merlin retorted back, expecting no retribution. It had been years since the stocks were used as bargaining chips between them.

Arthur merely rolled his eyes at Merlin's insolence. "Aren't you forgetting who I am?" Arthur asked expectantly, not wanting to concede.

"Fine, do it, sire," Merlin emphasized in the same tone as before.

Arthur sighed. "Please have my nice cloak clean this evening, I'm meeting with my father for a private dinner," he said. "I'll expect you to be there." Merlin knew there was only one thing this could be about.

"You're going to confront him?" Merlin asked quietly, dropping what he was doing and walking over to Arthur. He nodded wordlessly from where he sat at the table. "What if he denies it again?" Merlin asked, sitting down in the chair across from him.

"Then he'll know that I know he's a liar, and that's that." Arthur said simply, not betraying the hurt it would cause him. It was halfway through that sentence that Merlin remembered Uther's threat to him years ago.

"If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I'll have you hanged," Uther threatened.

"Arthur, you know I would never ask this of you unless it was really serious, but..." Merlin started uncertainly. "Uther threatened to hang me if I ever spoke about what happened years ago again, and if you go barging in and say I told you the truth it will most certainly be my death sentence."

Arthur heard the seriousness in Merlin's voice, and found himself wishing as he often did lately that his father was not such a tyrannical king. "I don't really know what I'm going to say yet, but I won't lie to my father. Them I'd be just as bad as he is, implicating everyone in his lies." Arthur frowned sadly. "I'm sorry, Merlin. Besides, I'd never let him hang you."

Merlin nodded. "I understand," he said regretfully. "I'll think of something to say to Uther when he comes after me." Merlin turned his head as he cleaned. "That's why I have so many secrets, you know."

"So that I don't have to hide them from my father?" Arthur asked. The excursion at the Druid camp had given Arthur a sense of what that mysterious something was inside of Merlin, and gave him a sense of the depth of the man's secrets. Arthur marveled as how long it had personally taken him to catch on.

"Yes, one of the reasons." Merlin looked at Arthur with the utmost seriousness, before standing up to return to his chores.

"You are a loyal friend," Arthur said seriously. "Don't let it go to your head," he then said, smiling broadly as he was met with a piece of old laundry in his face.

"You're one to talk," Merlin shot back, a grin playing across his face as well.

Arthur flung the laundry back at Merlin. "Don't get going, I have a list of chores to give you," Arthur said, rattling off a list of things Merlin needed to do. Merlin noticed that mucking out the stables wasn't on that list.

"What, no mucking the stables out?" Merlin asked Arthur jeeringly.

Arthur waggled a finger in his direction threateningly. "If you're not careful it will be," he said. Then he sighed. "Mucking out the stables isn't technically the prince's manservant's job," he said pompusly.

"Yeah," Merlin said slowly. It was something he picked up on during his time in Camelot, and figured Arthur just made him do it because he was a prat.

"Well you shouldn't be seen doing it. It would bring dishonor upon my position," Arthur said, doing his very best to disguise the nice thing he was doing for Merlin.

Merlin, to his credit, merely brightened up and left Arthur alone without one more sniping comment.