Author's Note: This is going to be the last chapter for this story, but there will be a sequel. I won't reveal what the sequel is going to be about though, so you are just going to have to wait and be surprised. Anywho, I am extremely happy at how this story is turning out. It has turned out a lot better than I thought it would, especially because, when I thought of it, the idea was vague and different. I originally wanted them to be having sex, and when Merlin came, his eyes would glow, but then I realized someone had already done that, so I changed it. This is what became of that idea.

Chapter 5: The Message

(Merlin's Point of View)

Things went back to nearly the same routine that they had before I left. There were a few things that were different, and I knew that no matter how long I lived, I would never get used to them. When people passed me in the streets, the bowed their heads to me and greeted me with the utmost respect. Also, because they knew that I was with Arthur, they treated me differently. They probably thought that I would get them into serious trouble if they offended me or something like that.

Despite all of that, I wouldn't have traded any of it for the way life had been before. I had gotten everything that I had ever wanted, and then some. I was with the guy of my dreams, he was happy about being with me and made no qualms about it being public knowledge, and he accepted my magic, even though he was taught to hate it with his entire being.

Speaking of said man, I was currently looking at him soaking in the tub. I was leaning against the door frame, and just watching as all of the tension was drained from his body. I smiled when he opened his eyes and spotted me. He smiled lazily back at me, beckoning me over. I went to him willingly.

"So, Merlin, how has life been treating you now that you are both my consort and Court Sorcerer?" Arthur drawled, and I chuckled. I was one of the only people who got to see him like this, completely at ease.

"Well, I have a nagging feeling that everyone is scared to talk bad about me. There are benefits to being the consort of the King." I said with a mischievous smile. Arthur grinned wickedly back.

"Nah, all in all, it is pretty good. Everyone treats me a bit differently, but I can handle that. Nothing much has really changed. I still have my friends, my love, and my life. What more could I ask for?" I asked. Arthur smiled sweetly at me. I smiled back, and pushed my sleeves up, dipping my hands into the water. I grabbed the washcloth and started washing Arthur.

"What do you think you're doing Merlin? How about you get your butt in here with me and take a bath. I can practically feel the tension in you. You need to relax." He said, and I grinned, thinking that it wouldn't be that bad of an idea.

I went behind his changing screen and stripped out of my clothes, shivering at the slight cold that permeated the air. I really needed to stoke the fire in the grate, and I did so without even moving a muscle, my magic flaring to life. I let off a contented smile at the fact that I no longer had to hide my magic. I heard Arthur yelp, and I could practically feel the daggers in my back. I grinned cheekily, poking my head around the corner.

"Something the matter Arthur?" I asked, and sure enough, he was glaring at me. I laughed merrily, and as I watched, his facial features softened.

"While I'm fine with you having magic Merlin, next time, would you please warn me before you use it. Damn near scared me to death." Arthur said, and I nodded my head happily.

"'Course Arthur. Anything for you." I said, and I meant it. I would have done anything for my king. I walked over to him, not bothering to hide my nudity, though I was sure that Arthur didn't mind. Especially if the way he was looking at me was any clue.

"Stop staring Arthur." I said firmly, though I was still smiling. He blinked and looked up at me sheepishly, a light blush covering his cheeks.

"Sorry, you just look so beautiful, I can't help but stare." He said, and I rolled my eyes. Leave it to him to be the hopeless romantic in our relationship.

I dipped into the tub with Arthur, maneuvering so that I could lean my back on his chest. I let the warm water work its magic, drawing out all of the tension in my body like it was a poison. I needed this more than I cared to admit.

While I was happy with being the Court Sorcerer, it caused a lot more stress in my life. I now had to set a good example with my magic, and I also had to correct people when the did the wrong things. It also didn't help that there were times when people misspoke an incantation and cause something bad to happen. Just the week previously, one person who was practicing magic accidentally summoned a troll to Camelot, and I had to take care of that. After the whole episode where a troll almost became Arthur's mother in law, I never wanted to see another one again. Leave it to the universe to change that.

"Hey Arthur, what do you say to going out later on tonight? I know this really good clearing where you can see the moon and everything. There's also something I need to tell you." I said, and my body tensed slightly. I hadn't revealed everything to Arthur yet, and I was kind of dreading it. However, I wanted to believe in Arthur, and I trusted him with my life. If there was one person that I would have revealed every single secret of mine to, without a doubt it would have been Arthur.

"Sure Merlin." Arthur simply said, and I basked in his presence for a little longer before pulling away. I grabbed the washcloth again and soaped it up. I placed the soapy cloth on Arthur's chest and started bathing him. He tilted his head back, and I took the opportunity to sneak a kiss to his neck. Arthur gasped and his head flew back up. I just smiled coyly at him.

"Little tease." Arthur murmured, before letting his head fall back again. I decided not to play with him anymore. I scrubbed the rest of his body before telling him to rinse. He dipped under the water and came back up a few seconds later, and then he grabbed the washcloth from my hands.

I used all of my willpower to control my hormones as he was scrubbing my body. I wasn't ready for anything physical, and I had a feeling that Arthur wasn't ready either. My body didn't quite like that idea though. Being as close to Arthur as I was, I had to constantly be on my guard.

"Hmm... This is nice. I could get used to this. Bathing with you." Arthur murmured before kissing me. I let the kiss go on for a few minutes before pushing him away slightly. I had a blush on my face, I knew, and Arthur looked sheepish again.

"Sorry. Let my urges get the better of me for a minute. Forgive me?" Arthur asked, showing me his crooked smile. He knew, that prat knew that I couldn't resist that smile, even if I tried.

"You know I can't stay mad at you, especially when you give me that look." I said, and he grinned even bigger. He grabbed the edges of the tub and hoisted himself out. I averted my eyes, because I didn't know if I could handle it.

Once he was out of the tub and had his back to me, I dared a look, and groaned out loud. My eyes were immediately glued to his gorgeous ass, and I knew that he knew that I was looking, if the seductive shake he gave me was any sign. I groaned again, and Arthur chuckled.

Arthur went and got dressed, and then he looked at me and smiled.

"I'm sorry to cut this short, but I'm needed in the court room. Will you be here when I get back?" He asked. I thought about it for a minute.

"As long as there aren't any magical crises, then yes." I said, and Arthur left. Once I was sure that he wouldn't be coming back, I summoned some clothes to me and got out, drying myself off with magic. I got dressed and went over to Arthur's bed.

Even before I left, when I got to sleep with Arthur in his bed, I could never get used to it. I had spent my entire life on relatively uncomfortable beds. The switch to one that had been made for a King was astounding. It was so comfortable that I fell asleep nearly every time I was on it, regardless of what I still had to do during the day.

I got on the bed and, sure enough, as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out.

When I woke back up, the sky was starting to darken. I stretched my limbs out and yawned, loving the feeling of my muscles stretching. I hadn't really meant to sleep for so long, but it appeared that Camelot was all right.

I got up and started to clean up the general messiness of Arthur's chambers. I may not have been his manservant anymore, but old habits die hard. It was while doing that that Arthur decided to walk in. He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed the back of my neck.

"You know that you don't have to do that anymore, right? That isn't your job." He said. I turned around in his embrace and planted a kiss on his soft lips.

"Old habits die hard, I guess. I really don't mind." I said, and Arthur smiled again.

"Well, we have another few hours before we can leave for the clearing, so what do you want to do?" I asked, and Arthur cocked his head to the side, contemplating his answer.

"How about we just stay here? I want to be alone with you." He said, and I kissed him again in response.

Three or four hours later, and we were on our way. I led Arthur through the woods and eventually, we made it to the clearing. We came at the perfect time, as it was a full moon, and we could clearly see it. I sat down in the middle of the clearing and just basked in the soft light that the moon gave me, taking strength from it.

"It's beautiful here Merlin. I can see why you would come to a place like this." Arthur said softly, almost as if he was afraid to say anything that might shatter the moment. I opened my eyes and beckoned him over to me. He sat down at my side, and I turned to face him.

"So, what is it that you needed to talk about Merlin?" Arthur asked. I heard only curiosity in his question.

"Do you remember Balinor, the man we found at that cave? You know that he was a Dragonlord, right?" I asked, and I saw him carefully nod. I needed to tell him that Balinor was my father, and because he had died, I was now the only Dragonlord left.

"I need to tell you this Arthur, and I hope you take it well. That man was my father. When he died, I became the last Dragonlord." I said, and I looked at Arthur. He looked deep in though, but then he smiled. He took my hand in his, and spoke.

"That explains a bit. Thank you for telling me, and I appreciate it. I am truly sorry about what happened to him, and I wish that there was a way that you two could have spent more time together." Arthur said, and I let out a shaky breath. There was still one more thing that I needed to tell him, and I had no idea how he was going to react.

"That isn't all of it though... I don't want you mad at me, but this is something that I need to tell you. The Great Dragon is alive. I couldn't abandon my rights as a Dragonlord and have him killed. I ordered him to never attack Camelot again, and because I am a Dragonlord, my word is law to him. It was the only way that I could see to help the most people." I said. Arthur was frowning slightly, but he pulled me into his arms regardless.

"While I don't think the dragon should have been allowed to live, I would be lying if I said that I wasn't glad. He is the last of a dying breed, and it would have been a shame had he been killed. I can also understand where he was coming from. If the situations were reversed, I would have wanted revenge as well for the way that I had been treated." Arthur said. It made me smile at how easily he accepted it. We stayed like that for a few minutes before I got the courage to ask my next question.

"Would you like to meet him Arthur?" I asked, and I saw Arthur look at me in shock. I wanted to give Arthur the chance to meet him because, even though he had done a lot of wrong in the past, he was also a big reason as to why Arthur was alive at that moment. I think that Arthur could sense that, and he nodded his head. I smiled and took a deep breath.

"Kilgharrah, ego novissimus draco dominus, et ego si vocare te nunc mihi!" I shouted, and then looked at Arthur. He was looking at me a bit wide eyed, but I couldn't see any fear or anger in his gaze. I smiled shyly at him, and he smiled back, hugging me.

It didn't take long for the dragon to appear, and Arthur and I both watched as he was silhouetted against the full moon. He dropped down into the clearing and looked towards us. He widened his eyes when he saw that Arthur was there.

"Why is he here young Warlock?" He asked.

"Arthur knows of my magic, and I have told him about being the last Dragonlord. I wanted him to meet you because you have helped me save his life time and time again. Arthur, this is Kilgharrah. Kilgharrah, this is Arthur." I said, introducing them. Arthur stood up and walked over to Kilgharrah. Kilgharrah slitted his eyes, and I thought that he was going to burn Arthur to a crisp when Arthur placed his hand on Kilgharrah's muzzle.

"Thank you Kilgharrah. I don't blame you for what you did to Camelot when you were freed. Thank you for helping Merlin when he needed it." Arthur said, and Kilgharrah looked at him suspiciously before his eyes softened, and he nudged Arthur's hand with his muzzle.

"I have underestimated you, young Pendragon. You have the heart and nobility of a true King." He said, and I smiled in happiness.

"I have been waiting for you to call me, young Warlock. The time is fast approaching when you and Arthur are going to have to leave on a quest. This is all a part of the prophecy, and there is no way out of it. You will be faced with nearly impossible odds, but it is you two, and you two alone that have the only chance to make it through this alive." Kilgharrah said, and I was thrown for a loop. He had always been secretive about the prophecy, and he always spoke in riddles. To get this much out of him was astounding.

"What kind of quest is this Kilgharrah?" Arthur asked. He looked at both of us in turn before he answered.

"There is an object known as the Holy Grail."

Author's Note: Well, this isn't as long as my other chapters, and I guess I did end up revealing what the sequel is going to be about. The sequel won't be posted for a little while, as I want to write a few chapters up before posting the first one. Just keep it in your mind that there will eventually be a sequel.

Thank you to all of you that have favorited and reviewed this story. I hope that all of you found some joy in reading this, as this was the most enjoyable thing to write that I have come across so far, in my near three years of writing.

Until next time, Adieu!