Sorry for the alert for those who already read this...Just fixing some errors that were bugging me. I'm sure there are probably a few more so I apologize now for my lousy proofreading.

This is sorta part II of their bromance chat. It's a bit of a read and packed with "stuff" but hopefully I managed to make it flow alright with a few creative additions. I appreciate ALL the positive feedback from reviews and emails I got on the last chap which was very helpful in writing this one. Enjoy!

Chapter 8

The evening continued, yet neither was ready to call it a night. Arthur added another log to the fire and settled back down next to Merlin, eager to hear more, until Merlin decided to share what really happened between Arthur and Sophia, and later with the Lady Vivian.

The warlock seemed quite amused to recount some of the fuzzier details Arthur hadn't been able to remember, including his elopement with Sophia, and his declarations of undying love to the horribly spoilt Princess Vivian.

It had come as a bit of a shock to the learn the sweet Sophia and her father were really Sidhe looking for a prince to drown to regain Sophia's immortality back into Avalon.

And the Lady Vivian...Arthur groaned. "Please don't remind me! She still writes me letters!"

Poor girl. Apparently vexed by the same love potion as Arthur, they had never found a way to completely break the enchantment on the princess who remained quite besotted with Arthur.

"Luckily Gwen knows the truth and is a very understanding wife, or I day say, Sire, you would have been in a lot more trouble after that last gift you received on your birthday a few years ago from the Lady Vivian." Merlin added with a glint to his eye.

Arthur flushed uncomfortably and glared at Merlin at the memory. The afore mentioned…gift, a lacey "unmentionable" scented heavily in perfume, had caused quite the arched eyebrow on Gauis and a humorous snicker from Merlin as Gwen simply stared, arms crossed, at her new husband in question.

Merlin still remembered the lump he received on the back of his head from the goblet Arthur had thrown at him at him later.

The only thing more embarrassing, mainly because Arthur actually remembered every little detail, was the goblin escapade. The magical being had possessed Gauis and caused mayhem throughout the castle. It had not only made Uther bald but had caused a rather embarrassing incident of flatulence in the thrown room in front of an entire court. Later it had knocked Arthur out and when he'd come to, the prince had the ears of a donkey and was braying like an ass! He'd been mortified in front of Guinevere and even after they had caught the creature and secured it back in the lead lined box it apparently had escaped from, it still had taken days to completely reverse the braying in front on his knights during practice.

"I don't suppose you have any idea how the Goblin really got out?" Arthur asked.

"Not at all, Sire," Merlin answered trying to maintain a straight face, which only made Arthur frown.

"What?" Merlin asked.

"I don't know." Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly. "You just have a look about you I am beginning to recognize...Shifty."

"I don't know what you mean, Sire," Merlin denied though he was sure his ears were burning red.

"Hmmmm."

The other part of the goblin incident was that Merlin had been accused of sorcery. It had only been the exposure of the goblin as the real culprit that had saved Merlin's life. Arthur shuddered to think what could have nearly happened.

It hadn't been the first time Merlin had been accused of sorcery either, remembering the first time when the kingdom had been plagued with a deadly disease and a closer call with the Witch Finder, Aridean.

"So Aridean, did he really know about your magic?"

Merlin shrugged. "He was paid to catch sorcerers. It didn't really matter to him if they were actual or not. He may have guessed. All I know is that he knew Gauis practiced healing magic before the Great Purge and that Gauis had never approved of Aridean's practices or trusted the man. The only reason Gauis confessed was he was trying to protect me."

"I was the one that conjured the smoke. It was stupid, I know. I was feeling lonely and very depressed about my life. It was just meant to be a bit of fun. Fun that nearly cost Gauis' life. The rest, Aridean made up I swear. It was only with Gwen's help I was able to prove it though."

Merlin didn't have to say anymore. Arthur had never cared for Aridean, especially after seeing the way he could so easily manipulate his father, praying on Uther's fears and obsessions against magic and intimidating everyone with fear.

It was only a few months after that incident that Merlin had met Freya, but Freya was something Merlin couldn't quite share with Arthur just yet. One day he would, perhaps, but as much as the warlock wanted to be open with Arthur, some memories were just too painful to want to drudge up again.

Eventhough Merlin had only known the Druid girl for those few short days, he had felt an instant connection with her. Freya had been everything to him. It wasn't just her plight he had been drawn to, but he had sensed a loneliness and a need to be loved and accepted that match his own. He only wished he could have saved her, but like Balinor, she was still there, still in his heart and in his magic.

Arthur felt the melancholy washing over his friend but misinterpreted the complete cause, his thoughts again on how much the warlock had to hide of himself to survive. In many ways it probably had been a lonely life for the warlock, never able to truly share the deepest part of himslef. He was grateful Merlin at least had Gauis.

Arthur crossed his arms and settled back a little more against the log, crossing his legs at the ankles. "I have a feeling I could sit here all night listening to your tales and still not hear most of them."

"Probably, Sire." Merlin agreed, smiling.

There was a quiet space in the flow of conversation as each seemed to drift away in their own thoughts.

For Arthur, he was again thinking of all Merlin had done despite the fears he must have felt at either failing or being caught out. Over the years his servant had faced many things with him, dangers even his strongest knights would have been intimidated by. And Arthur had seen Merlin afraid, and did sometimes tease him about it too, but truth be told, he had always been proud of his servant for standing with him.

It was Arthur who finally broke the silence.

"I'm sorry, Merlin, for calling you a coward, you know, when you refused to come with me to Camlann. I know you are and never have been a coward about anything."

"I was afraid, Arthur, more scared than I had ever been before, not about facing the battle, or even dying, but about not being able to help. The real reason I couldn't come with you was because I had lost my magic and I was trying to find a way to get it back in time."

This took Arthur by surprise.

Merlin explained it had been only a matter of time before Morganna retaliated against him once she found out it was he protecting Arthur with magic.

"How did she know, find out?"

"From Mordred. You forget, he used to be a Druid." Merlin went onto explain. "Modred had always known from the beginning who I was and Morganna knew someone powerful was protecting you, she just didn't who, as I only ever appeared to her in the form of the old sorceerer, Emrys."

It had been a dangerous game of cat and mouse to keep Merlin's identity as Emrys hidden, one that had nearly cost Gauis' life.

"Emrys?" Arthur had heard that name before from Morgann's lips in the caves of Ismere right before Modred had stabbed her and then rescued him.

"It's the name the Druids call me."

"Well, I must say, that's more interesting than Dragoon."

Merlin chuckled.

"So what are you to the Druids, Merlin, their king or something?" Arthur mused.

Merlin snorted. "Hardly. They just knew about the prophecy of one day Albion being united by Emrys and the Once and Future King, which, if you haven't figured that bit out yet, is you."

"There was also a prophecy about Morganna and Mordred one day joining forces and it would be by Modred's hand that you fell. It was this I was trying to prevent, but it happened anyway."

"So all this time you knew Modred would betray me too." Arthur sighed. "I was a fool to believe him."

"In the beginning I think Modred probably was sincere, Sire, but because of the prophecy I could never fully trust him or let my guard down."

"And you were right."

Merlin shrugged. It was one of those Destiny paradox things again. How much of Merlin's mistrust and suspicion had added to Mordred's downfall and how much had it been Modred's own pre-defined path. On the outside the young man seemed genuine and sincere in his efforts to prove himself, but beneath he was often closed and difficult to read. Merlin supposed he would never really know.

The warlock looked at Arthur and could easy read his own self-doubts. "You did what your heart believed to be honorable and right with Modred. Despite my own reservations, you gave him every opportunity to prove his loyalty to you. That's what makes you different from your father and a better king, to always try and find the good in something rather than to condemn."

"And sometimes that just makes me more foolish," Arthur replied thinking back to Aggravaine and how easily his uncle had fooled him too.

"It's not your fault others choose to betray you. That's why I'm here, to try and watch your back. Gauis too. But it is those same qualities in you, Arthur, that have helped bring about peace, as it did with Queen Annis and even with Odin. You could have easily slain him, let your hate rule your head, but you didn't. You chose to make the first step to try and end the feud between the two of you."

That was true. Since Odin and Morganna's attempt to lure Arthur into a trap using Princess Mithian had failed and the tables turned, Odin had withdrawn his forces and even agreed to Arthur's degree to give the lands of Nimeth back to their rightful king.

It had been Merlin's words that had intervened and stopped Arthur from the final sweep of his sword after clearly winning the single challenged combat.

Arthur. Stop...Think about what you're doing...What good with this achieve?...How many times have you talked about uniting this land?...Will killing this man make that dream any closer?

Merlin was right of course. It was not the answer. For either King to die by the other's hand would have only resulted in war and more bloodshed as each army of knights would seek revenge on the other. It had taken some time to convince Odin to agree to a truce, binding their kingdoms to peace.

Arthur still didn't know if it was going to work. "Odin is stubborn and will always blame me for his son's death."

"But he's not a fool either. You didn't bow down to him, Arthur. You simply gave him a choice. To end it or risk more bloodshed between both your peoples."

Arthur digested this. Only time would truly tell. Queen Annis had proven to be a strong ally but the relations with Odin were still very strained. Odin had done as Arthur asked though and withdrawn from Nimeth and restored Rodor to the thrown. He had not joined forces with Morganna either when she and the Saxons tried to bring about Camelot's downfall at Camlann.

He still didn't trust Odin, but it was at least a start.

It was really the one thing Arthur had to his advantage right now, that none of the other five major kingdoms were any more inclined to let the Saxons gain greater footing on their lands than they already had. Queen Annis had already pledged her support in this and so far the strength of her army had kept the Saxons from being able to invade from the West.

King Rodor had also allied with Camelot, with Princess Mithian at his side, promising not to retaliate against Odin for invading Nimeth's lands so long as he maintained the truce with Arthur.

Overall, it was a tenuous truce at best, but one that was holding for now.

Arthur then realized he had been totally sidetracked from his original question about Merlin's magic and brought the topic back around, eager to hear the answer.

"So, Merlin. How exactly did you lose your magic?"

Merlin then told him about the slug like creature that had attacked him the night he had come back from playing with Arthur and the knights down at the tavern. He had no doubt who had sent it. He was drunk and the creature caught him unaware and devoured his magic. He had gone to the Crystal Caves in hopes of getting it back.

But Morganna was there, and defenseless against her, she had sealed him up in the caves. There was bleakness in his voice believing that he had truly failed in his duty.

Arthur listened fascinated as Merlin then spoke of Balinor appearing. Whether the dragonlord had been real or in spirit, it hadn't mattered but his father had stayed at Merlin's side, calming him and explaining that no amount of power could every truly remove his magic.

Merlin just didn't have magic. He was magic. It was immortally interwoven into the very fabric of his being.

Merlin wasn't sure he could then adequately put into words what he experienced next, but he tried his best as Arthur listened intently, mesmerized.

When Merlin had entered the Crystal Cave, the crystals seemed to respond to his presence. They glowed and pulsated like thousands of tiny beating hearts. The earth beneath his feet warmed and it seemed to speak to him, not in a language of words, but something far more ancient, as old as the earth itself, as if it recognized its kin and welcomed him.

It was a similar feeling he had felt with Kilgarrah, when they were connected, and also in the presence of Balinor earlier, but on a far, far deeper, and richer level.

It was magic itself, in it's purest form. It seemed to pour into him from every one of his senses. He could taste its earthy sweetness, feel its warmth, hear its ancient hum and see its radiant light.

It seeped into his body, spread throughout until he could actually feel it coursing through his blood. It was warm and familiar, bright and brilliant. And for a moment he hung there, in the light. He floated and felt his past, present and future all swirling around him.

There had been images too, of he and Arthur and so many others, hundreds, thousands, and echoes and cries and the light responding in a kaleidoscope of colors around him. It felt like the light was both a storm raging about him and molten iron settling into him. The magic consumed his senses completely until he simply knew no more.

When he became aware again he was alone, lying on the floor of the cave as if he had fallen asleep for a long, long time and just woken up.

He remembered rising to his knees and looking around, uncertain. He hadn't felt anything for a moment but then something brushed against his mind. When he cupped his hands, felt his eyes flash gold and released the butterfly, it was the most joyous feeling Merlin every remembered feeling.

The warlock smiled at Arthur. "And just like that, I had it back."

Arthur was truly stunned, amazed only for Merlin to also add. "It was why I couldn't accept your death, Arthur, not then and there, because I knew there was more to us. That we weren't done yet."

"Did you see something in our future, Merlin?"

"No, and I don't need to. My purpose will always be to serve you, Arthur, and I will be happy to do that till the day I die, no matter what the future holds."

TBC...

A/N: Okay, so what did you all think of this last chap? I wasn't totally happy with all the transitions. It may have been a bit dry but hopefully it flowed. Reviews appreciated. BSG