Part three, coming at ya! xx

I still don't own Merlin.

By The Lakeside

Part Three

Guinevere held her breath. She didn't know how exactly her husband would react after figuring out their best friend was a warlock. A creature of magic.

The legendary Emrys.

"That – that – IDIOT!" Arthur spluttered, lunging to his feet and heading for the door.

"Arthur!" Gwen called, getting up to follow him.

But the king had already left the room, slamming the door behind him. Feeling worried and alarmed, Gwen hurried after Arthur.

I really hope this all works out, she fretted as she rushed to follow her husband. Arthur and Merlin need each other too much for this to come between them. She thought of the prophecy about the two. All of Albion needs them too much for this to come between them.

Arthur really couldn't describe how he was feeling.

Upon the realisation that Merlin had magic, the only really clear thought the king had was 'find Merlin'. The rest was a jumbled mess of emotions.

Merlin had magic.

He is a warlock. A creature of magic born into his abilities. Gaius' words echoed in his mind.

Merlin was born with magic.

And he had lied about it.

It made Arthur think of the time his treacherous uncle tried to frame Gaius. It's not merely the discovery that he was a sorcerer, Agravaine had said. It's – it's the lies. Lies and years of betrayal. Just thinking of his uncle made Arthur wince, making him feel even worse than he already did. But no, Merlin's betrayal was not like Agravaine's. Merlin was insanely loyal, anyone could see that. But it still hurt.

Arthur felt hurt that Merlin hadn't trusted him. He felt angry for being lied to. He felt grateful for all the times Merlin had saved him and Camelot. Not that Arthur knew exactly what Merlin had done for him, but if Merlin was Emrys – the king's prophesised protector – than Arthur could only assume that all the lucky breaks he'd had over the years really weren't down to luck at all.

Guinevere said as much. You have been in too many situations where you shouldn't have prevailed, yet you have.

No, he really didn't think they were down to luck at all. Not now anyway. It all seemed all too convenient now. God, how many times had Merlin given him some crazy explanation and he'd just believed it?!

"Arthur!" Gwen's call stopped him in his tracks and she rushed to catch up with him. "Exactly what are you planning on doing, Arthur?" She asked once she reached him.

The reply was instantaneous. "I need to find Merlin."

"And then what?" She demanded. "You're angry, I can see that. You have a right to be. But what are you going to do? Throw him in the dungeons? Build him a pyre? Sharpen the executioners axe?"

Her tone was reprimanding and Arthur visibly flinched at every mention of execution she gave him. "Of course not," he said after a period of brief silence. "I could never do that to Merlin." He briskly set off again, heading for Gaius' chambers.

Gwen kept pace beside him. "So then what exactly is your plan?! Even if you don't kill him, I will oppose you if you hurt him. He is our friend and he has borne this burden alone long enough-"

"- That's exactly it!" Arthur exclaimed, stopping and rounding on her. "He didn't trust us! Trust me! He should have trusted me as I have trusted him! I have been king for years and yet he has not said a word!"

"And why do you suppose that is?" Gwen countered. "How many times have you openly denounced magic in front of Merlin? You have lost both your parents to magic. Merlin knew how you felt. It is a little wonder why he did not come forward."

"Magic isn't the issue here," Arthur said, turning to continue on his way.

"I know it isn't," Gwen said as she followed him. "You yourself were questioning whether it was wholly evil like you previously believed not ten minutes ago. You are upset because Merlin hid the truth from you, when you have been nothing but honest with him. But I believe it was a deceit that was both necessary and understandable."

Arthur couldn't help but let out the petulant question of "Why are you defending him?!"

"Because he deserves it!"

That made Arthur pause, once again considering all the times Merlin must have saved him, Gwen and Camelot.

"You called him an idiot, Arthur," Gwen went on. Seeing her husband's look of confusion, she clarified. "That was your first reaction. You didn't call the guards, you didn't scream for his murder, you called him an idiot – like you always do. You're angry because you've been lied to, and rightly so. It hurts to know that Merlin doesn't trust us enough to tell us his secret. But it also hurts to know that he's had to cope with this with only the support of Gaius, and that, I think, is where your 'idiot' comment comes from. You always try to deny it, but you care for Merlin – you just called him your brother in our chambers – you care and are concerned for him. Just as I am."

Arthur gaped at his wife as she fell into silence; then he smiled. She had soothed him and described his feelings perfectly. And how she had handled it so calmly and diplomatically showed how far she had come since being crowned queen.

Feeling calmer, he said, "I just – I just want to hear what Merlin has to say. I want to hear his side of it."

Gwen smiled and took his hand in hers, "And it is for that exact reason that the people know you are a fair and just king. You do not condemn others out of blind hatred. You do not punish without proof."

Arthur knew she was thinking of her father's death at the orders of his own. And although Arthur loved his father, and missed him greatly, there were some aspects of Uther's rule that Arthur didn't agree with. "… I am not my father," he said, breaking the silence that had formed between them.

"No," Gwen replied, smiling at him proudly. "You are a far greater man and king. Uther would be proud of you."

Gwen lent in and pressed her lips to his. Arthur was instantly distracted from his turmoil of emotions. His thoughts encompassed nothing but Guinevere. The soft feel of her lips on his own, the smell of lavender that always surrounded her, the feel of her arms lacing around his neck as the kiss deepened.

God, he loved her.

She broke the kiss, smiling but glancing around to see if they'd been seen. It was a nervous habit she had developed when they had secretly courted each other under his father's reign, and every now and again Arthur still caught her at it.

Amazingly, they had yet to encounter a servant or guard on their way to Gaius' chambers. Due to the heated and not to mention illegal topic of their discussion, Arthur was thankful of this. Still, he made a mental note to review the guard roster for this section of the castle. It would not do for it to be unpatrolled for so long.

Wait, what? How could he be thinking such mundane things when he'd just worked out that Merlin was a sorcerer?

Warlock, he corrected himself.

"We will go and find him," Gwen said, bringing Arthur out of his thoughts. "And we will talk to him together."

Arthur nodded and they continued on their way. It was very late by the time they finally reached Gaius' quarters. Arthur knew that both the physician and his ward would no doubt be asleep, but he hesitated for only a brief second before banging on the door. This could not wait until the morning.

Gaius answered surprisingly quickly and did not look nearly as sleepy as Arthur expected him to be. In fact, he was still properly dressed and was looking at the royal couple with concern and confusion written on his face. "Sire? My Lady?" He asked.

"We need to see Merlin, Gaius," Arthur said, walking in without being offered entrance. He was the king, and right now he didn't want to worry about being polite. He wanted answers.

"We're sorry to disturb you," Guinevere said, obviously trying to make up for his lack of courtesy. "But this really couldn't wait."

Speaking softly so as to not disturb his manservant in the next room, Arthur cut to the chase. "We know, Gaius. We know about Merlin."

Gaius looked alarmed as Arthur started towards Merlin's room. "Sire –" Gaius began.

"We know about his magic," Arthur said bluntly, turning to face the physician. "We know that he is Emrys."

Arthur ignored Gaius's shocked steps backwards and the positively frightened look on the physician's face as the king climbed the steps to Merlin's room.

"We're not going to hurt him Gaius," he heard Guinevere reassure their old friend, as Arthur threw open Merlin's bedroom door. "We just want to talk to him. To understand."

Arthur stepped into Merlin's room, bracing himself for a difficult conversation. Only to find…

Nothing.

The room was empty. His now surprisingly powerful manservant was nowhere to be found.

Confused, Arthur retreated to the main room. "He's – he's not there."

Gwen looked confused and concerned, Gaius only the latter emotion. "Sire –" the elderly man began.

"-Where is he?!" Arthur demanded. "He's supposed to be resting! Where has that idiot gone to now?! We just want to talk to him! We know he's Emrys, we know he-"

Arthur stopped dead, struck by a sudden, awful thought.

"Arthur?" Gwen asked, now even more concerned.

There was a long silence before the king spoke. "… We – we worked out that the old man was Emrys, even though he called himself Dragoon. Merlin is Emrys … Merlin … Merlin killed my father."

Guinevere gasped. "No! No, he wouldn't!"

"He was the old man! The old man killed my father! He almost killed you, Guinevere! What – what was Merlin thinking?!"

There was a silence after Arthur finished his angry rant. Finally Gaius broke it. "If I may, Sire?"

The two monarchs turned to Gaius and watched as the physician walked over to one of his many work benches, clearly looking for something. "Merlin has magic, yes," Gaius said as he searched. "And yes, he was the old man, but no, he did not kill Uther."

"But –" Arthur started.

"This-" Gaius said, finally finding what he was looking for and turning to show them a pendant, "was found around the king's neck after he died. It has a very unique magical signature that Merlin was easily able to recognise – Morgana's. The enchantment on the charm made it so that any healing spell cast on the wearer would be reversed and empowered tenfold. Merlin really wanted to heal your father that day, Arthur. He saw it as his chance to show you that magic isn't wholly evil, but it backfired. He then had to live with the guilt that he hadn't noticed the pendant, hardened your heart against magic, and his destiny was put three steps backwards than the promise it held when he decided to heal the king."

The king and queen stood listening in silence. "He was also the sorcerer who took the blame for the love spell the two of you were supposedly under," Gaius went on, desperate to prove the innocence of his ward. "Morgana planted that poultice in your chambers, Arthur, to frame you, Gwen. Merlin found out and disguised himself to protect you and prove your innocence, My Lady. He did it to protect you. Which is all Merlin has ever sought to do with his magic: to protect his loved ones and Camelot."

Arthur felt his anger leave him, replaced by shame at even thinking his friend murdered his father. "I'm sorry, Gaius," the king apologised. "I jumped to conclusions. I'm just so confused and have so many questions."

"There is more," Gaius said.

Both Arthur and Gwen looked distraught. What more could there possibly be?

"That was not the only time Morgana sought to use your love for each other against you," Gaius continued, once again turning away from them to look for an item. "There was one time where Merlin could not prevent the disaster that Morgana caused."

Arthur didn't miss the tears forming in Guinevere's eyes. "Gaius, no," she whispered.

"What-" Arthur began to ask, but was stopped by Gaius turning around, holding a bracelet in his hand. The king looked on in concern as Guinevere began to cry.

"I believe you recognise this, My Lady?"

"Yes!" She said, tearfully and Arthur pulled her into to his arms to comfort her. "Put it away, Gaius! Please! I can't bear to look at it."

"What? What is wrong?" Arthur asked.

"That bracelet," Gwen sniffed. "L-Lancelot gave me that – when – when," She trailed off and buried her face in his shirt, unable to continue. Her shoulders shook with sobs and Arthur tensed, thinking back to that awful moment when he saw Guinevere in Lancelot's arms.

"What does Morgana have to do with this, Gaius?" He demanded.

"Merlin was suspicious of Sir Lancelot returning from the dead," Gaius explained, "and he figured out that he was a shade brought back to life by Morgana. This bracelet was enchanted to bring old feelings of love to the surface, even if the heart had moved on to another. You were enchanted, Guinevere. Your actions were not your own."

Gwen sobbed into his shirt and Arthur was bombarded by the worst feeling of guilt he had ever experienced. She had been enchanted, and he'd banished her. Oh God –

"Guinevere, Guinevere, oh God, I'm sorry!" He babbled, gently lifting his wife's head so he could look her in the face. "I'm so, so, sorry!" Tears started streaming down his cheeks. All that pain the both of them went through. All that heartbreak and it was all Morgana's doing. "I can't even begin to apologise enough-"

Gwen silenced him with a kiss. Breaking away from him, she took his hand in her hands. "It is okay," she said valiantly. "We can talk about this later. We have already moved ahead of this hurt. It gladdens me to know that I was not acting of my own accord. I had always wondered what was going through my mind, because I knew I loved you, and I knew I was extremely happy to be marrying you and I did that. But we cannot talk about it now. As much as I would like to, that is not the reason we are here. The reason we came here tonight is Merlin, and he is not in his room. So, we will talk about this, Arthur Pendragon, but not right now. We know that we love each other and that will not change. Right now we need to focus on finding Merlin."

Arthur nodded mutely, still trying to process it all. But he couldn't help but smile proudly at his wife. Spoken like a true queen, he thought.

He turned his attention back to Gaius, who had said nothing while the two monarchs had had their moment. "Where is he, Gaius?" Arthur asked, wiping the tears from his face. "We need to speak with him."

Gaius had an expression of understanding on his face. He knew it was a lot for the both of them to take in. "While I thank you for being willing to understand, my Lord, my Lady, I am unaware of where exactly Merlin is. Before you arrived, I heard strange sounds coming from his room and went to check on him. Except all I found was an empty room and traces of a teleportation spell."

"Teleportation?" Gwen asked, clearly trying to pull herself together. "Merlin can teleport?"

"Powerful sorcerers are able to instantly transport themselves from one place to another," Gaius replied. "The spell generates wind and it was this wind that I encountered when going into Merlin's room, and I could also sense his magic in the air."

"You can sense magic?" Arthur asked.

"I once studied magic, as you know," Gaius answered. "I could once sense the magic in others. I was never particularly good at this talent, but I could sense the magic in people I was familiar with, or those with great magical powerful – like Merlin."

"So he is powerful then?"Arthur inquired. It was hard to grasp the concept that Merlin – skinny, clumsy, annoying, idiotic, Merlin – was powerful at all.

"He is Emrys," the physician said. "There will never be another more powerful than him. His magic surpasses all those who have come before him, or who will come after. He is the physical embodiment of magic itself. I am unable to say how powerful he really is. I doubt even Merlin knows that for sure."

Arthur and Gwen stood there in awed silence. "And all this time, he's been protecting us," the king said at last. "Protecting those who would persecute him for something he was born with."

Gaius nodded. "Yes. He only ever wants to help and protect. As to his whereabouts, I can only guess. But I believe he has gone to the lake. To Freya."

Of course, Arthur thought. He should have realised.

"These past few days have been difficult for him," Gaius went on. "Seeing Freya again took a great emotional toll on him. Merlin has lost so many and so much. I think seeing her again was the breaking point for him. Going to see her is the only place I can think to find him in his current state of mind. The teleportation spell concerns me also."

"Why?" Gwen asked.

"Teleportation spells are notoriously difficult, even for someone with Merlin's power. He has never attempted one before – at least not to my knowledge – and to try and go so far when he's so inexperienced with this particular spell, when he's already so drained … It cannot be good for him. Though it does say something about his current state of mind."

"What do you mean?" Asked Arthur.

"Merlin would normally never attempt such a difficult spell with such little practice," Gaius replied. "If anything, it shows how desperate he is to see Freya again. While normally I would have nothing against Merlin visiting the Lake of Avalon, with the way his is now…"Gaius trailed off, concern written plain on his features. It didn't need to be said that Merlin needed help and rest.

Arthur nodded, feeling determined. "I'll go get the knights. We'll go after him at once."

"I'll coming too!" Gwen said. Seeing that Arthur was about to protest, she went on. "And don't you dare say I'm not able to, Arthur Pendragon! He is my best friend and he needs us. I am coming and that's final."

Seeing that arguing with her would be pointless, the king merely shut his mouth and nodded. "We'll bring him home safe, Gaius," he promised, turning to the Court physician.

Gaius smiled and nodded gratefully, "Thank you, Arthur."

Arthur knew that there was a lot more in that 'thank you' than just going to get Merlin. He nodded respectfully in acknowledgement and went to leave, but Guinevere's voice stopped him.

"Gaius, I have one last question."

His curiosity piqued, Arthur stopped to listen to his wife.

"Yes, my dear?" Gaius asked.

"Arthur told me that Freya said she and Merlin were separated by a void that everyone but Merlin can cross," Gwen said. "What did she mean?"

It was the expression on Gaius's face following Guinevere's question that had the two monarchs filled with dread. There was a look of such sadness on Gaius's features.

Really, the king thought, what more could there be? What could illicit such a reaction? How many more startling revelations can we handle tonight?

"Gaius?" Gwen prompted, looking as worried as Arthur felt.

The physician moved and sat heavily down at his table. "Oh, I had hoped I was wrong," he said, "but if that is what Freya has said, it must be true. My poor boy."

Concern for Merlin gripped Arthur's heart. "Gaius? Gaius, what is wrong?!"

"Tell us!" Begged Gwen, sounding desperate.

The elderly physician was silent for a while before he finally spoke. His voice was hollow, filled with pain as he thought of his ward. "Freya is the Lady of the Lake and Guardian of Avalon. When they die, those who are worthy join her in Avalon. Everyone dies. It is an inevitability we all must face. But Emrys … I have never told Merlin the meaning of the name. It means 'immortal.'"