Look! Ch. 5! I almost can't keep up with all the activity on this story but that just means you all get to have each chapter uploaded a lot quicker than I first anticipated! Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, story alerted, favorited, or even just read! It simply means so much to me. You have no idea how much confidence all of your kindness has given me as a writer! :)

If you don't know what usually goes on this line, check Ch. 1-4. I'm not repeating it again. ;)

Merlin TV show and characters (c) BBC and their respective actors.

Merlin pondered Arthur's question. How often had he saved the prince? He knew it was a lot; three years was a long time, especially when most of the magical community had it out for the Pendragon family. But the young warlock didn't want to brag, remembering how often it had gotten him into trouble before, fearful that it might lead to even more disbelief… "A few," he finally replied, evasively. But Arthur sensed the evasion immediately.

"You're lying. How many times have you saved my life?"

Merlin sighed, exasperated with his friend's persistence. "I don't know, alright? I've lost count."

Arthur's eyebrows shot towards his hairline. He knew his friend was telling the truth this time. "That many, huh? But you're not getting out that easily. I still want to know the exact number and all the details. I need to know."

Merlin rolled his eyes. The prince could be so demanding sometimes. But this was what he'd been waiting for, a chance to tell the blonde boy his side of the story, his version of all the adventures they'd had together. And yet, he found himself clamming up, his newly acquired modesty asserting itself at the worst possible moment, the secrets he'd kept for so long catching in his throat. Telling about the actual magic had been easy, compared to this, probably because his abilities were just a natural part of him, like breathing. Each time he'd employed magic, however, he'd had to lie to everyone, sometimes almost convincing himself, so that he wouldn't forget the fib and slip up, burying the truth just that much deeper. And so often he'd imagined confessing to the prince about his magic that a mental script for the situation was readily available, but he'd never allowed himself to think past the young Pendragon's most probable reaction (that of hurt, betrayal, and turning Merlin over to his father immediately).

Arthur, arms crossed and foot tapping, waited impatiently for his friend to respond. When it became clear that the raven-haired warlock was not about to start speaking any time soon, the prince shot a look of frustration at his companion and said, "You know, Merlin, if there was ever a time for you to brag, it would be now."

Merlin laughed a little. "I know, Arthur, believe me, I know. It's just… it's so difficult to talk about these things that I've had to lie about to you, to everyone, to myself, for so long."

"I'm not asking for your life history, Merlin, just the last three years of it," the prince replied, amused. But he understood. He had secrets, too, and imagining how hard they'd be to tell… He winced. Yet… "I still need to know, however. I can't make a fair decision without all the information. I might even have to talk to Gaius, you said so yourself."

Merlin nodded. He knew the prince well enough to have expected that. Didn't make it any easier, though. But he had to try. "Alright. Well, there's the time you know, after we first met, when that witch posing as Lady Helen tried to kill you."

Arthur broke in. "Wait, what? You used magic? Right in front of everyone?"

Merlin chuckled at his friend's dumbfounded expression. "Yeah, I did. It was either that or let you die. I couldn't do that, even if you are a prat."

Arthur shoved his friend, to wipe the annoying self-satisfied smirk off his face. "Idiot." He would have left it at that, but his curiosity got the better of him. "How'd you do it? Use magic that no one noticed, I mean?"

The warlock suppressed a grin and replied in as offhand a manner as he could manage, "Oh, I magically broke the chain holding the light so it would crush her. Then I simply slowed down time a bit, enough so that I could get to your chair and pull you out of the way." He paused for a moment, to let that sink in, then continued, just to appease his conscience, "Everyone was sleeping or disoriented, though, so it's not like anyone even could have noticed."

Arthur moved over to the window, gazing out across Camelot as he contemplated the episode his friend had just recounted, one that the prince only barely remembered (due to being slightly stupefied by an enchanted sleep at the time). To think that Merlin had been appointed his personal servant because the raven-haired boy had saved his life from magic through the use of magic. It was unbelievable. And it raised one huge question. The young Pendragon turned back to the warlock. "Why? Why save my life? We'd only just met, we all but loathed each other, and my father would have killed you had he known how you saved me. So why?"

Merlin moved to stand next to his friend at the window and looked out at the bustle of the city below them as he answered, "At first, I wasn't sure why. Kilgarrah had told me it was my destiny to protect you, but I didn't even like you. You were the most spoiled, arrogant, pompous, self-centered, royal ass I'd ever met in my life. And yet, I felt compelled to save your life time and time again until it just became a habit. Now, I realize we are connected, just like Kilgarrah said. And besides, life without my best friend, arrogant, supercilious, overbearing prat that he is," here Merlin flashed a grin at his master before continuing, "just wouldn't be any fun. You keep my life interesting… your highness."

Arthur chuckled, glancing down at the softly glowing blue orb of magical energy that his friend was still absently playing with. "I have a feeling your life would be interesting with or without me in it."

The two boys, so very different in looks (one dark, one light) and in personality, yet so very much the same, stood in companionable silence for a moment, looking out across the city they both loved, at the people for whom they would willingly give their lives, and far beyond, over the misty green forest in which they'd so often cheated death while protecting those they loved. They could, perhaps, have stood there the rest of the day, no longer master and servant but equals, two friends. However, there were still questions to be answered and decisions to be made, though Arthur had unconsciously made his choice the moment he'd decided to interrogate Merlin rather than immediately turn him in. So soon the prince shook himself out of the reverie into which he had sunk and returned to his inquiry. (He was puzzled about the reference to Merlin's destiny and to someone called Kilgarrah, but decided to continue with his original line of interrogation and ask about those other things later.) "That time, I know you saved my life. I just didn't realize how. When have you saved my life without me knowing?"

So, I've just noticed that I have a habit of leaving off each chapter with Arthur asking a question... Does that bother any of you? If it does, I'm sorry! It probably won't change though; I am a bit set in my ways. Which is sometimes unfortunate... :/

Anyway, thank you again to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, or alerted! It just makes my day to check my email and see so many messages about this story! And, as usual, if you'd like more, let me know!

Saoirse