AN: Hello! This is possibly the last happy chapter before we get into the ANGST! Who's excited? I'm excited! I hope some of you are too...

Anyhoo, in other news, I have changed chapter ten slightly so Leon takes a bit longer to side with Merlin. This is mostly due to starwater13 pointing out that it really didn't make sense as it was, so thank them a lot! Yay for constructive criticism!

Ok, think that's about it besides thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or alerted! This is now my most reviewed and alerted story! YAY!

And I don't own Merlin. No surprises there. I don't think I will ever get it as a birthday present either...

Chapter Eleven: Birthday Surprises

Arthur had never liked his birthday. Even with all the lavish parties his father threw and the beautiful gifts he always received, birthdays had never been fun for him. Although his father had tried to treat his birthday as a time for celebration, Uther always found a way to remind everyone that Arthur's birthday was also the anniversary of his mother's death. Still, he tried to look happy as he listened to the many nobles and knights who had come to congratulate him on being another year older.

It had been almost a month since Morgana had left, and things were beginning to get back to normal. Well, as normal as things were ever going to get around here. Arthur felt lonelier than he ever had now that there was no one who would treat him like a normal person. Morgana had teased him constantly and had often been quite annoying, but she didn't suck up to him like almost everyone else in the palace. He might have given in and ran away himself if it hadn't been for Leon, who had kept his secret and hadn't told anyone about Merlin. At least now he knew that at least one of the knights would be loyal to him if his father discovered his secret love.

So, it had been one of the longest months of Arthur's life. There had been some news of Emrys, but he was still avoiding the city, sticking mainly to tax collectors far from the citadel. The way he kept jumping from one corner of the kingdom to another was befuddling the king and knights quite completely. Arthur had begun to suspect that Merlin was doing this knowingly to reassure Arthur that he would be safe. Whether it was or not, Arthur did feel better, knowing that Merlin had Uther's men chasing their tails looking for him. It also helped that Leon had been less vocal about his slightly questionable loyalties than he had, and was still leading the hunt for Emrys, so he kept Arthur updated on whatever information they gathered, which was very little.

His mind had been quite preoccupied as the entertainers juggled and jumped for his party. Uther and a few older nobles had given speeches about how he had grown, and Uther's had been much shorter than usual, in reflection of his newfound disappointment in Arthur. That was almost a blessing though, seeing as it meant less mentions of Ygraine and less time sitting and getting more and more drunk on the expensive wine provided (probably by the taxes, which made Arthur feel slightly guilty, but not less thirsty). A few hours and way too many goblets of wine later Arthur was stumbling back up to his chambers, glad that he made it through another birthday without sneaking out of the castle and drowning himself in ale at the local tavern. As he stumbled through the doors to his room, he didn't notice that the guard standing outside of his chambers was much bigger than any of the guards he had seen before.

Arthur entered his room, planning on collapsing into his bed and sleeping in as late as possible. That plan was abandoned when a very familiar pair of lips were planted against his and he stumbled backwards in surprise. He rubbed his eyes thinking that he must be dreaming, because Merlin couldn't be in his room right now. That would be ridiculous. But, as his bleary eyes focused Merlin was still there, whispering "Happy birthday, Arthur."

"Merlin? What are you doing here! This is way too dangerous!" Arthur hissed, trying his best not to slur his words at all.

"Well, I thought I could surprise you on your birthday. So, are you surprised?" Merlin said, sitting down on Arthur's bed and bouncing slightly on the mattress. Arthur had to admit, he was surprised. He was also terrified.

"You have to get out of here now! You'll be caught!"

"Why, are you going to turn me in? Or are you expecting someone else in your chambers tonight? Because I really hope that's not the case."

"Of course not, Merlin. I would never turn you in, and there is definitely no one else. I was serious when I said I loved you. I just really, really don't want you to be caught, and sneaking into the prince's chambers may not be the smartest idea right now. There is a guard outside my door, Merlin! I can't let my father kill you!"

Merlin stood and pulled Arthur into a hug, before turning to face him and saying, "Arthur, I'm not going to get caught. You seem a little out of it, so you may not have noticed, but that guard out there isn't exactly one of Uther's men. Percival is waiting outside for me disguised as a guard to make sure I'm alright. I came to give you your birthday present, then meet up with Lancelot and Gwaine to remind your father that he has people to protect, not just parties to throw. Everyone in the castle right now is a little worn out from celebrating or preparing for celebrations. I'll be fine tonight. Now, do you think you could stop freaking out? I have quite the busy night ahead of me, and I'd like to get to spend a few relaxing minutes with the birthday boy."

"Wait a moment that was Percival?" Arthur asked, remembering the large guard standing outside his room.

"Yeah, Arthur. That was Percival. You need to pay a little bit more attention to your guards. I'm beginning to worry for your safety. Camelot seems to have some big security flaws."

"Yeah, and their names are Merlin, Gwaine, Percival, and Lancelot." Arthur said, smiling at Merlin. He was beginning to feel more relaxed about this. Merlin was right; nobody would be coming to see him tonight. And almost everyone would be heading back to their beds after the celebrations. Merlin smiled at him and said, "Oh, Arthur, you make me blush. But, anyway, I wanted to give you this. Happy birthday, love."

Merlin then gave Arthur a quick kiss and handed him a small wooden box. Arthur opened it, pulling out a smooth, silver-blue stone hanging from a loop of string. Merlin pulled out a similar stone from around his neck and said, "Their enchanted. If you want to see me, all you have to do is squeeze it twice and I will get to a place we can meet as quickly as possible. And if you are in trouble, squeeze it once and I will protect you with all the powers I have."

Arthur smiled and put the string around his neck. "Thank you, Merlin. I will treasure it. Where could we meet?"

"There's a lake not far from here, just a mile outside the city, to the north. We could meet there, it is protected by the powers of the Old Religion. Do you think you could be able to get there if you needed to talk with me?"

"I have been sneaking out of this castle since I was five. I think I can make it out if I really need to. And really, thank you. This is definitely the best present I've received tonight, if not in my entire life." Arthur said, meaning every word. It helped that most of his presents were swords and weapons from the knights and gaudy rings from the nobles, but he was still overjoyed to have a way to speak to Merlin without wandering out in the forest and hoping to get lucky. He leaned in and kissed Merlin, hoping that it would show that he was being serious about his gratitude. When he pulled back Merlin looked totally blissful, a beautiful smile on his face as he pulled himself together after their kiss. After a moment he said, "Oh! And I was supposed to give you this."

Merlin handed Arthur a small wooden figure of a knight and said, "Morgana wanted me to give this to you. She seemed to know I would be visiting you tonight, and wanted to make sure that you know that she is extremely thankful to you for all you did, and she is happy, although she does miss you, and someone named Gwen, she was hoping you could let her know that. She made this with her powers, they really are developing. Iseldir says she's one of the strongest students he's had in a while."

Arthur rubbed his thumb over the small figure, thinking about his half-sister and all that had happened since she had left. Arthur sighed and said, "Thank you for bringing this to me, Merlin. And there is something she should know, if you could pass on the message. I overheard my father talking to Gaius. Gorlois wasn't her real father. I don't feel it is right to keep the truth from her, no matter how terrible it is. She is actually the daughter of the king."

Merlin's eyebrows knit together, as he watched Arthur with scrutiny for a while before saying, "Are you sure?" Arthur nodded before Merlin continued, "I guess it shouldn't surprise me. Uther's already done about every other disgusting thing he could. I will let her know, Arthur. I'm glad that you decided to tell her. She deserves to know the truth."

Arthur nodded and said, "That's what I thought. I don't want to keep secrets from her, I'm already keeping enough secrets from about everyone else."

Merlin smiled apologetically at him, saying "I'm sorry about that. Thank you for keeping so many secrets for me. And now, I think it is high time we left the serious business for a moment, we haven't seen each other for about a month, and it's your birthday. What do you want, Arthur?"

Arthur smiled lazily and said, "You." Before pulling Merlin back in for another kiss. Unfortunately good things could never last as they heard a knocking on the door and Merlin pulled away saying, "That's the signal. I have to go. Don't be afraid to use your present, I'd rather not go another month without seeing you again."

"Alright, Merlin." Arthur said, with a smile, "And be careful."

"I will." Merlin said, hugging Arthur and giving him one last quick peck before pulling on a guard helmet and saying, "Don't you dare get hurt on me."

Arthur nodded as Merlin ran out of the room to meet his friends, leaving Arthur to slump happily in his bed. Maybe birthdays weren't so bad after all.

Merlin dashed back into the hallway with a smile on his face, even though it was hidden by the helmet he had donned before leaving Arthur's room. Percival was waiting for him, they had a little while before the next set of guards came to relieve them, well, came to relieve the guards they had knocked out and shoved in a storage shed, but same thing really. As long as they weren't recognized by the replacements as imposters, everything would be fine. Luckily the two guards who eventually came stumbling down the hall seemed to have spent most of the night in the tavern, and really weren't in any fit state to tell that the guards leaving really were two of the most wanted men in Camelot. Merlin and Percival tried not to look like they were in too much of a hurry as they made their way down to Lancelot and Gwaine who should be done getting the gold by now. The hallways where Lancelot and Gwaine should have been were empty when they got there, making a small twinge of worry sneak into Merlin's stomach. Percival seemed to realize what was going on as he pulled of his helmet and called their names quietly. Merlin had completely forgotten that they looked a bit like the enemy at the moment, and as soon as Percival revealed himself Gwaine and Lancelot jumped out of an alcove a little further down, carrying two bags each, both looked to be filled to the bursting point with whatever treasures they had found down in the coiffeurs.

"So, how is the prince, lover boy?" Gwaine asked, winking at Merlin.

"A little drunk." Percival said before Merlin could respond. "He stumbled right by me, didn't say a word."

"Well, you would probably get pretty drunk as well if you had to listen to Uther Pendragon talk all night long." Merlin responded.

Percival just nodded, while Lancelot said, "We can catch up when we're safe. Let's get out of here."

Merlin nodded and followed him out of the castle and into the streets of the sleeping city, exiting Camelot with his heart light and a smile on his face.

A week had passed since his birthday and Arthur was still hadn't used Merlin's present. He had wanted to, but things had been busy, and he had been afraid someone would notice if he snuck out. He was almost sure he wouldn't get as lucky as he had gotten with Leon again, if someone else followed him he was sure Merlin would be in much greater danger than he would allow. So, Arthur had waited until things had settled down enough that he was able to get alone long enough to sneak out. Once he was out of the castle he squeezed the pendant twice and made his way to the lake Merlin had told him about. He was pretty certain he knew where it was, and it wouldn't take him too long to get there.

He was the first to get to the lake. The sun was starting to set as he arrived, making the water glow gold in the last light of day. He was so dazzled by the beautiful scenery that he didn't noticed the new arrival until Merlin was right beside him, saying, "It's gorgeous, isn't it?"

Arthur smiled at him and said, "Yeah, it really is. Not as gorgeous as you are, though."

Merlin laughed and hugged Arthur, saying "I've missed you. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah. I just wanted to give you something." Arthur said. He had planned this out for the entire week, knowing it had to be perfect.

"You know you don't have to give me anything, right Arthur? It's enough for you to just come out and see me."

"I know. But I figured I didn't know when your birthday was, so I might as well choose a day. Plus, this mostly isn't for you. I want you to give this to the people." Arthur said, handing Merlin almost all of the gold he had saved up underneath his bed. He kept a few coins, in case of an emergency, but most of it was in the bag he was handing to Merlin. "They need it more than I do."

Merlin took the bag and smiled. "I will, Arthur. This was the right thing to do. I will let the people know where this money comes from."

"No." Arthur said, "This isn't for my ego, it's for the people. Someday I will be able to help them more, but for now this is all I can do. And I don't want a civil war. If the people start to side with me over my father, things could get messy."

Merlin nodded, and brushed a hand through Arthur's hair. "Good thinking, Arthur. And thank you, again. Things will get better, soon. Now that we have your help."

"I also wanted to give you this." Arthur said, handing Merlin a large silver coin. Merlin took it and brushed a thumb over the picture of a bird on the front. He looked questioningly back up at Arthur as he said, "It's my mother's sigil. I wanted you to have it. I know it isn't much, but it is extremely important to me, I though you would understand."

"Of course I do, Arthur. It is beautiful. Thank you so much." Merlin said, hugging Arthur again. They stood, looking out over the lake in silence for a moment before Merlin asked, "Do you remember her?"

"My mother?" Arthur asked, Merlin nodded and Arthur continued, "No. All I know is the stories I've been told. She died the day I was born." Arthur had never really talked to anyone about his mother before, but then again Merlin really wasn't just anyone. Merlin reached a hand up to wipe away the tears Arthur hadn't even realized had fallen. Arthur grabbed Merlin's hand, holding it against his face before saying, "What about you? Do you remember your parents?"

Merlin nodded, and gave Arthur a weak smile. "I don't remember a lot. Just what they looked like, a few of my father's stories, my mother's laugh and that she always smelled like grass and rain when she came home, and flour and honey after dinner. I remember our house, curling up with them in the winter to keep warm, but it's mostly flashes. I was just four, everything is a little blurry from back then."

"I'm sorry, Merlin." Arthur said. There was a pause while Arthur worked up the courage to say, "I probably shouldn't ask, but what was your mother's name?" Arthur said, sneaking his hands down around Merlin's waste.

"Hunith. Her name was Hunith. Thank you for asking, Arthur. No one has asked about her in ages, everyone gets a bit caught up in the whole dragon-lord-for-a-father thing." Merlin said, smiling at Arthur, although his eyes looked like they were watering slightly. He sniffed and wiped his eyes quickly. "It has been so long since I had a reason to say her name. They are why I kept my name, even when the Druids tried to make me change it to Emrys. They named me Merlin, and they loved me for who I am, not for what I will do. The Druids are amazing, but they do have a lot of expectations for me. Thank you for seeing me as more than my destiny, Arthur. And thank you for the gift."

Then Merlin leaned against Arthur and kissed him. Their lips stayed locked together until the first stars were beginning to shine. Arthur pulled away and said, "I should go. Someone might have noticed I'm missing. I love you, Merlin."

"I love you too, Arthur. Don't let Uther get you down too much. And remember, I will be here whenever you need me." Merlin said, and gave Arthur one last quick kiss before Arthur turned around and rushed back to the castle.