So here's the next chapter. It's quite a bit longer than all the others, but it was fun to write. I hope you all enjoy it, and thanks again to all those who review- I can't believe I'm getting such an overwhelming response!

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin

Chapter 8

Merlin cursed, kneading the palm of his hand firmly against his forehead. He had been so thrilled that Arthur had accepted his magic so easily that he had overdone it. Now he was exhausted- even more so than before. He sat in the glow of the fire, dizzy and aching all over, his body screaming out for sleep.

But there was no way he could oblige. Not only did he once again have to face the fear of those dreams haunting his every sleeping moment, he couldn't risk closing his eyes for fear that he would once again use his magic unwittingly- exposing his secret to several of Camelot's Knights in the process. Part of him understood why Arthur had insisted upon not going back early, and another part of him just wanted to scream out in frustration. He knew it was ridiculous, but it honestly felt like the whole world was conspiring against him in an effort to drive him insane. Unknowingly, he let his head fall forward slightly, his eyes closing of their own accord. Until a jab in the arm brought him back to his senses.

"Come on now Merlin, you know you can't."

He grimaced. "I know. I can't help it though." Arthur looked at him pityingly.

"Don't worry. I'll be up all of tonight anyway, so I can make sure you don't sleep. And then you can try and rest as much as you can tomorrow."

Merlin nodded dejectedly. "Thanks Arthur." He caught sight of the bandage around his friend's head, and couldn't help but let yet another apology slip from his lips. "Once again, I'm really sorry about the whole head thing. I honestly didn't realise that I…" He stopped, looking around at the prone forms of the Knights, "…you know."

Arthur just nodded. They had already agreed that they would avoid breaching the subject while the others were in camp- who knew whether one of them would happen to wake up and hear some of their conversation.

"I know. I've already told you that it's fine. But if you apologize once more, I may just consider putting you in the stocks when we get back just for the hell of it. It's getting annoying."

"Sorry." Arthur shot him a look. "Oops. Sorry. I mean…" He gave up, letting out a small breath of laughter before clutching at his head again, elbows resting on his knees. God he was tired.

Trying to find something to keep himself awake, he found himself once again considering the events of the day. All this time he had been so worried about revealing his secret to Arthur- how many times in the past had he found himself planning how he would tell him before he drifted off to sleep? And yet in the end, the whole issue had been resolved in the blink of an eye. He didn't have to hide it from his friend any more.

Contemplating this, he barely even noticed when his eyes began to close once more, his head nodding forwards. He was just about to drift away when another hit to the arm made him bolt upright once again. He sighed. This was going to be another long night.

When morning came and the Knights had once again left them, Arthur looked at his friend. Merlin was rubbing him arm, a heavy scowl on his face. The young warlock had almost fallen asleep so many times throughout the night (Arthur had lost track after 50) that he had now developed a large bruise down his left arm. Arthur refused to apologize though. There hadn't really been another certain way to ensure that the boy didn't drift off. Still- that was going to be a beautiful bruise.

"You better try and catch some sleep while you can Merlin."

The young man just nodded half-heartedly in response, staggering shakily over to his spot and collapsing to the floor. He was out cold in a matter of seconds.

A bit more cautiously than he had yesterday, Arthur prepared a damp cloth and laid it over his manservant's brow, backing away several feet once he was done. One injury could be passed off as an accident- if he received another one people would be slightly less forgiving of Merlin.

Several hours later, the two boys propped themselves up against a couple of trees. Merlin had managed to sleep in fitful intervals for a total of about two and a half hours. Basically, he was still utterly exhausted, but he was no longer at the point where he would keel over at the slightest touch.

Arthur couldn't hold it in any longer- there was something he had been dying to ask since yesterday.

"There's one thing I don't get." Merlin just looked at him confusedly. "Well, I understand the whole thing about you using magic all your life and all, but if it came that naturally to you, why bother coming to Camelot? It's not like you needed to practice, right?" Merlin shook his head in response.

"Wrong. It's true that I've been able to do certain things throughout my life, but I wasn't even bothering to try and control all that power. My mother grew worried- fearful that I would end up attracting attention to myself. When she found out that Will knew, she sent me off to Gaius in the hope that he'd be able to calm me down a bit."

Something clicked.

"Hang on- does that mean that during the incident in Ealdor it was actually you who used magic?"

"Yeah. I couldn't help it- I couldn't just stand by and do nothing while everyone I knew and loved died. Will saw how angry you were. He knew he wouldn't… wouldn't survive… so he lied to cover for me."

Arthur nodded. Fair enough- even he wasn't sure he'd have been able to accept Merlin's secret at that point in time. He thought back to Will. He may not even be alive if it weren't for that boy, and Merlin may not be either.

"He was a true friend."

"Yes." Okay. Time to try and turn to a bit of a lighter topic. Maybe a bit of a joke would help.

"So once you had more control over your powers, what made you decide to stay? Let me guess- you had fallen in love with the joy of mucking out the stables?"

Merlin snorted. "Yeah right. The day I find that particular task enjoyable is the day I've lost my mind." He paused for a second before continuing. "No, I stayed because I have a destiny which must be fulfilled."

"That whole most powerful warlock thing?"

"No no- that's only a part of it."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. Being the most powerful sorcerer of all time was only part of the boy's destiny? What else could there be?

"Go on then- what is this other destiny?" Merlin looked at him meaningfully.

"You."

Arthur, who had been about to take a swig from his water skin, promptly sputtered. O-kaaay. This was awkward. He leaned back slightly, hand over his mouth, and coughed embarrassedly.

"Ah. Um… listen, Merlin. I have to say, I'm really flattered and all, but I… um… how to say this?" He coughed again. "I don't really… lean in that particular direction. Besides, there are other things to consider. I mean…" He broke off.

Merlin was looking thoroughly confused. Arthur watched as a look of absolute horror dawned on the younger man's face before his friend backed up as far as he could against the tree, an expression of complete disgust masking his features.

"Ew- ew. Oh. Oh no. No no no no no. I didn't mean…"He looked like he was on the verge of throwing up. "Yuck- that's just disgusting. You actually think that I…? Towards you? Eeeeew!" He shuddered vehemently. Arthur let out a huge breath of relief.

"Oh, thank heavens for that!"

"How could you think I meant something like that?"

"Hey! Don't blame me- you're the one who was all 'Way-hey- you're my destiny' on me!"

Merlin looked aghast. "I didn't mean it like that!"

"Well how was I to know? Choose your words a bit more carefully next time!"

"Well sorry!" They looked at each other. Shuddered. Both knew that they had to find some familiar ground. "Prat."

"Idiot."

"Clot pole."

"Imbecile."

"Arrogant twit."

"Nincompoop."

The two broke off laughing. Glad that was over with.

"So go on then, what did you mean?"

Merlin glanced at him.

"I meant that my destiny is to help you- to protect you- to stay with you and help you to become a great king who the people will love and be proud of."

Arthur frowned. There was something disturbing to him about that sentence. It made it sound as though Merlin was staying in Camelot because he had this one task to do. Like he would be fine to leave as soon as it was complete. As soon as Arthur had become King.

"So you stayed because of your destiny?"

"Uh-huh."

"It was all pre-determined?"

"Apparently there are prophecies- ones which say that you will become the greatest king to have ever lived. It's my job to see you do."

"It's.. your job." He felt a lump of anger rising inside of him.

"Pretty much."

"So all of this time…" He was startled at the bitterness in his voice. "All of this time… All of the two years in which we've been together" He stood, pacing across the camp. "Everything we've been through- you've just been doing your job?"

Merlin furrowed his brow in bewilderment.

"What are you getting so angry about?"

"What am I getting so angry about? Think Merlin! You've basically just told me that the only reason you've stayed this long is because you have a duty to fulfil!" Merlin tried to stand, but just couldn't find the strength. Giving up, he glared in anger at the Prince from where he sat.

"I didn't say that."

"You did! I can't believe this- all of this time I've been thinking that we were actually getting along. That you actually enjoyed being together. And it was all a lie! All this time, you've just been deceiving me!" He swallowed- he hadn't meant to say that. Hadn't meant to sound like a spoilt, pampered Prince having a temper tantrum. But he just felt so betrayed- Merlin was the closest thing he had ever had to a friend- everyone else always made sure to treat him with some level of respect. But now this. He glared at Merlin. The young man looked utterly dumbstruck, his eyes wide in shock.

"You think it was all a lie? That it was all for duty?"

Arthur snapped then. "Well wasn't it?"

"Of course not! Do you honestly think I'd risk my life so many times just out of duty?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just what I said- do you have any idea how many times I've had to save your sorry royal backside? I've lost count. And now you're saying that I was only doing it because I had to? Who would do something like that?"

Arthur froze. Merlin had yelled. Merlin never yelled. What did this mean?

"What do you mean you've saved my royal backside? All you ever do is hide off in the bushes whenever we're attacked."

"Oh come on Arthur. Think! You know I have magic- do you honestly think that I was doing nothing all those times? That all those incidences of tree branches suddenly falling or a spear hitting a person creeping up behind you happened by chance?"

"That was you?"

"Of course!"

"Then, if it wasn't because you had to, why did you stay?"

"Because I wanted to!"

Arthur stared at him, the ball of anger dissipating almost as quickly as it had formed. "You… wanted to?"

"Yes. Look, Arthur- you're a great man. And you will be a great King. Yes, it may be my destiny to keep you alive and safe, but surely you see that a destiny cannot go against a person's character. Your destiny is formed by who you are. I would do the same even if it wasn't already prophesised!"

Arthur breathed deeply. He could hardly believe that he had allowed himself to get so worked up. Merlin was right. Walking over, he sat back down facing the young warlock. Both sets of blue eyes connected.

"You said you saved my life more times than you could count. What do you mean?"

"Exactly that. You seem to attract enough trouble for fifty men." Merlin grinned. "Someone has to sort it all out." The Prince sat looking at his friend for a while. There was obviously so much that had happened that he wasn't aware of.

"I want you to tell me everything."

"Huh?"

"I want you to tell me everything. Everything you've done since you came to Camelot. Because I appear to have been oblivious to an awful lot. Don't leave anything out- tell me every little detail."

It wasn't until hours later that Merlin had stopped talking. His throat had been sore and his head aching, so Arthur had instructed him to attempt to rest some more before the others returned.

As he sat across the camp from the young man's sleeping form, Arthur considered all he had learnt- from the first time Merlin had saved him against the Sorceress who had impersonated the Lady Helen right up to the latest incident with the Great Dragon. How could he have been so blind? Merlin had done so much for him in the time they had been together, and how had he repaid him? By yelling and blaming him for being deceitful. He had so much to make up for.

His heart beat faster as he once again recalled the tears that had fallen from Merlin's eyes when he told him about Freya, the druid girl he had been in love with. Arthur could remember her- the young girl in tattered clothing who had transformed into a giant black cat right in front of his eyes. He was the one who had dealt the woman Merlin loved a mortal blow. And yet Merlin had forgiven him. He had known that Arthur had no choice.

And Morgana- Arthur couldn't believe that he had been so stupid. That he had actually left her alone with the king when she was the vessel for the spell which so nearly caused Camelot's downfall. But Merlin had noticed- and had taken it upon his own shoulders to save them all by poisoning a friend he had cared so much about.

The young man had told him- he didn't believe Morgana to be evil, only misguided. If there had been any other option, any other way to break the spell, Arthur knew that Merlin would have taken it without a second thought, even if it had cost him his life in the process.

As he watched his friend tossing and turning, the sheer gravity of everything that he had learnt weighed itself firmly in his heart. He would repay him someday- spend his entire life making up for everything.

Then he realised. Merlin had been through so much. Had seen such great and terrible things. Had had his heart tested so many times- and yet he had always bounced back to his old self before. What had changed? If he had been through all of that and remained himself, not ever giving in to the darkness- then why was he suffering so badly now? It couldn't be a simple reason such as guilt or grief, no matter how much of it he had suffered.

Could it be possible… that the reason was sorcery?