This Could Take Us Anywhere

They're sitting in Gaius' chambers when it happens.

It's been two days since Arthur's confrontation with Uther and they've spent the time hiding away, door magically locked and refusing entry to anybody bar Gwen, Morgana and Gaius himself.

If he's quite honest, Arthur was pleasantly surprised by Morgana's reaction – he'd been preparing for her to descend upon both of them and was quite ready to use force to keep her away from Merlin. But instead she had just sat down and talked to them, no disgust or hatred in her eyes, viewing them all as complete equals, and Arthur remembered why he loved her. When Gwen had arrived a few hours later all she did was walk straight up to Merlin and thank him, very seriously, for saving her father's life.

Gaius, for his part, had stayed very quiet about it all. Arthur had been wary of him – and quite understandably – but when Merlin pointed out that the physician had in fact kept the magic secret for a good while beforehand, Arthur relented, and realised that he was safe here.

Merlin had been trying to teach him some spells when the guards come, shouting and banging on the enforced door more insistently than previously. Their words are muffled through the door so Merlin's eyes flicker and the soldiers flood through into the room, and they freeze at the sight of the two young men sat at the table, magic book set out before them.

"You have a message for me?" Arthur asks, a little brusquely, when they make no move to speak to him or arrest him. They continue to stare at them both, and there's a ripple of amusement then, and one of them plucks up the courage to step forward.

"The King requests your presence in the courtyard. He is making an announcement."

Arthur feels his eyes widen and he turns to Merlin, who's wearing an identical expression.

"I guess we'd better attend then," the warlock suggests, shrugging, and he stands up. The guards shuffle backward. "You coming?"

**

They meet Gwen and Morgana halfway and accompanied by Gaius, hurry down to the courtyard where high above, Uther is dressed formally and already talking to the gathered crowds. They huddle in one corner, Merlin edging away from the soldiers and closer to Arthur.

"As you all know, magic is forbidden in my kingdom, and most of you know the reasons. In my experience, sorcery of any kind leads to pain and death, and no good will ever come of it."

Arthur glances around, and notices that Morgana's face is drawn and Gwen's hand is resting on her arm. Merlin is anxious beside him, and the Prince realises that Gaius is staring at Merlin too. He looks away and back at his father.

"My dislike of hatred is well-known, and I have good reasons for it – but recently, something has happened that has forced me to re-evaluate my position. In light of recent events, it has become clear to me that some changes need to be made."

And now Arthur's holding his breath, and he knows that Merlin is too, because they're so close that he'd be able to hear if he wasn't.

"I, Uther Pendragon, abolish the law banning the use of magic in Camelot."

And his father's voice is taut and reluctant and laced with disgust, but it doesn't matter, because he's said that words and now they're free. The crowd below don't seem sure how to react – half of them are rejoicing inside, but the other half have a fear of magic ingrained so deep that they're terrified, so the mass of people contents themselves with just muttering then dispersing.

Arthur feels a well of magic within him as he watches the people leave and turns to see Merlin holding a ball of glimmering light, and instantly recognises. He smiles, and Merlin smiles back, and then Arthur replicates the light. He's never felt so complete.

"Thank you," he says quietly, leaning towards Merlin, and then he's pulled back around again as his arm is grabbed unceremoniously.

"That's incredible!" Gwen exclaims, staring at the gently thrumming light, and her face is open and full of wonder. She has little to fear now. None of them do, he realises.

Arthur grabs Morgana and presses a celebratory kiss to her cheek, then Gwen, then Gaius, then Merlin but he misses slightly in his excitement and it's more of a meeting of lips than anything else, but it's so brief and he's so ecstatic that he doesn't care despite the shock and embarrassment spiking through him. The ban has been lifted. Merlin is safe.

"I believe congratulations are in order, sire," Gaius murmurs, head lowered ever so slightly. "And thanks, also."

Arthur looks at him, and the mild confusion quickly clears as he realises what the physician is implying. He nods slowly, and reaches for Merlin without looking. The warlock comes straight to him, and still Arthur can't shake this euphoric feeling that's threatening to engulf him.

"We can do magic!" the warlock exclaims, striding out past Arthur and into the centre of the courtyard, arms partially raised. "We can do magic!"

As he says it, there's that familiar pull of something inside Arthur as sparks of light flash out of Merlin's hand, all the colours that he can even think of, becoming embers that hurtle into the air and wrap around each other, blue and red spiralling into the sun, and whilst people stop and stare at him, nobody even attempts to arrest him. They never will, now.

Arthur goes to join him as the young man turns on the spot, face so filled with joy and this is how Merlin's meant to be, not the scared, withdrawn boy that had been hanging listlessly around Gaius' chambers recently. Merlin will always be magic.

He reaches him, but his back is to him so he reaches, and Merlin seems to sense he's there and turns. His eyes are bright and Arthur thinks that his probably are, too, as the warlock grabs him by the shoulders and pulls him into a warm embrace, and he can feel the magic within him reacting to Merlin's presence. This is what home feels like.

Maybe, they can make this work. They're certainly going to try.

It's time to make a move and we both know

It's time to step it up a notch, I'm ready to lose touch