Hello again! Sorry about the lack of updates again. But I was very busy getting acquainted with my new best friend, a Windows laptop. Its truly my entire life now. As much as I love this story, its getting hard to write now. I just have so many new ideas! But don't worry friends, I promise to continue this story to the very end!

Anyways, Thanks for the reviews, guys. I love them so much. I hope everyone had a great Christmas, and has an even better New Year!

Wisegirl6

Chapter 21 ~Now You See Me

After a very lenghty argument, Merlin and Gaius finally came to an agreement. Merlin would go to Arthur's chambers and give him a letter that he had written about being captured by slavers. It wasn't an idea Gaius favoured, but Merlin was determined to see his plan through.

So the slave had left the physician's chambers with an anxious smile on his face and a crumpled piece of parchment clutched in his fist.

Merlin was in a state of panic. This was the moment he'd been waiting three years for. He was going to see Arthur. And Arthur was going to see him. Of course, Arthur had seen him before, but he hadn't seen Merlin. No, he'd seen a troubled servant boy who maybe, just maybe, looked a little familiar. But Merlin knew even that was a lot to hope for.

The warlock streaked through the castle, ignoring the burning in his lungs and aching bruises. He knew this route well. He'd taken it every morning three years ago to see to the prince, and now king.

When he finally came to the king's door, Merlin was beyond out of breath. He doubled over, clutching his knees. Okay, so maybe running hadn't been the best idea he'd ever had.

His breath was coming in ragged gasps, and not because he was tired. This was it.

He stretched out a fist, and knocked.

Arthur wasn't having the best of evenings. The moon was high in the sky, but he was still awake, tending to the enormous stack of papers on his desks. And even though he craved sleep, he knew he wouldn't be able to manage it tonight.

The nightmares had come back with a vengence. He kept seeing Merlin, sometimes in pain or injured, sometimes just being Merlin. Good memories and bad. Insults and fighting and smiling and laughing. Most of them were the good ones, though. But that's what made it worse, because Arthur knew that they could never happen again. Merlin was gone.

Shaking himself from whatever emotional, exhaustion-induced daze he had been in, Arthur brought his focus back to the speech he was writing for feast that was happening in a few days. It was meant to thank the lord's family for traveling to Camelot and accepting the treaties, but it was going so horribly Arthur was just using all of his effort not to offend anyone.

He slammed his quill down on the polished desk. Why were writing speeches so hard? Arthur was tempted to call on George and ask him to write it, before he remembered that his manservant was illiterate. He had never learned to read or write.

The king pushed his chair back and stood up, giving up on his work for now. He wished Merlin were here. He could write speeches. Sadly, Merlin was a little indisposed at the moment.

Arthur chuckled darkly at his twisted sense of humor, although the joke made him want to cry more than laugh.

He turned towards the door as a loud knocking rang out. Arthur wondered who it was, most of the castle was asleep by now.

"Enter," he called out, leaning against the hard wooden desk.

Surprisingly, it was Jonah's servant. He opened the door cautiously and stepped in, wringing his hands in front of him.

He didn't look so good. The cut on the servant's face had reopened, bruises lined his arms, blood stained his clothes, and his raven hair clung to his forehead, sticky with sweat.

Arthur felt concern and anger surge through him, though he didn't know why. He shook the thoughts away. "Is there something I can help you with...?" He was going to say the servant's name, before he realized that he had no clue as to what it was.

Jonah's servant acted like he hadn't heard the clear question that the king had imposed. "I have a letter for you from Gaius the court physician," he said as he walked closer to Arthur and held out a piece of parchment.

The king really wasn't up to reading at that moment. He took the letter absentmindedly and threw it onto his pile of papers that he would deal with tomorrow. Arthur wondered why Jonah's servant was delivering things for Gaius. Then again, Arthur thought as he snuck another glance at his bloodstained clothes and bruise-decorated arms, he had probably been to see the physician to treat his injuries.

Another disturbing thought struck Arthur. Where had they come from? He was brought back to that evening, to the angry looks Jonah threw at his manservant when he thought Arthur wasn't looking. Jonah had been angry at him for some reason. And although he had sworn that he hadn't been abusing his servant, the poor boy's injuries didn't fit with Jonah's story.

The servant cleared his throat uncomfortably, making Arthur start. "Aren't you going to read it? Gaius did say it was urgent."

"I'll get to it first thing tomorrow morning, I assure you. But right now I'm much too tired to deal with it." Arthur didn't understand why the servant was so persistent. He turned away to look out the window.

"He said it was important," the servant said pleadingly. "And that it couldn't wait."

Merlin was so close to just taking his hand and using it to slap some sense into Arthur. Why couldn't he just read the bloody letter already! He'd fought in wars with less energy then he had now, why was it so hard for him to just open something and read it?

He raised his head to look Arthur in the eyes, willing him to do it.

But the king had lost interest in the conversation. He was instead staring very determinedly at the wounds on Merlin's neck, only half covered by the tattered neckerchief.

Merlin recognized that face. It was his 'I'm thinking about something very important please don't interrupt me face.'

"Say, where did those bruises come from? They don't look like they came from a training accident. What happened?" Arthur asked conversationally, as if it were just an innocent remark about the weather. He walked back towards Merlin.

The slave couldn't believe it. Here he was, staring the royal right in the face, and he was too busy inquiring about his bruises. Merlin could barely take it anymore.

"I really think you should read the letter," Merlin pressed. "It could be something important."

The king ignored him. "You know, it rather looks like someone beat you up earlier today, did something like that occur?"

The slave was this close to tearing out his hair. Was Arthur really this oblivious to everything?

"Would you just listen for once in your life, you bloody prat!" Merlin exploded, clenching his fists at his sides. He regretted the words immediately after they left his mouth. What if Arthur threw him out? Worse, what if he threw him in the dungeon?

Arthur's mouth dropped open. He turned to fully face Merlin and looked at him, really looked this time.

He saw the faded red neckerchief, tied in just the way Merlin preferred it, the awkward yet determined way the warlock always held himself, the desperate look on his face and his achingly familiar crystal blue eyes.

And Arthur saw.

Now that, ladies and gents, is a deep ending. Not to pat myself on the back or anything. Yeah yeah I know, you guys all hate me, what else is new? I WAS planning on doing the reveal for just ONE ENTIRE chapter, but it got too long so I trashed my plans and decided to be evil instead. :)

Okay, just wanted to let you guys know that I changed the plots a bit for my new fics. Its still pretty close between Misinterpreted and Mute (which I completely changed) so maybe you guys can vote so that I know that I'm still doing the best story here. Thanks!

Please Review!

Merry 2014 and happy release of Sherlock!

Wisegirl6