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Merlin enters the hovel.

"Did you catch up with her?"

Merlin smiled. "Yes but she won't be a problem. She knows that she would never be able to go back to Camelot and Arthur would never believe her."

Morgana nodded.

"But I do have to go back." Merlin said sitting down next to her. "He will get more suspicious and it will lead to Agravaine using it to get me away from him and you."

Morgana turned so she was looking at him. "I know."

Merlin kissed her before leaving.


Arthur had just seen Mithian off when Merlin walked through the gates.

Arthur left his post. "MERLIN, where in god's name have you been?"

Merlin had thought about an excuse ever since he left the hovel.

"A man from Ealdor found me in the woods saying that my mother was in trouble. There was no time to send word to you or go back. I am sorry."

Arthur hesitated before placing his hand on Merlin's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I should have thought that you wouldn't have left without good reason."

Merlin smiled. "She is fine now."

Arthur nodded. "Good to here. Now you have to clean out the stables, clean my room, do my washing, polish my armour …" He said starting to walk off.

Merlin ran to catch up with him. "Who was that leaving?"

Arthur turned to look behind him.

"Princess Mithian of Nemeth. We discussed a treaty and I was planning of marrying her but I couldn't go through with it in the end."

Merlin just nodded as he followed.

"Where was I? Oh yes, sharpen my sword …"


Merlin weirdly enjoyed being back in Camelot.

Even though he knew that people were still watching over him, he couldn't help but think he was back.

But he knew he wasn't.

The poison was now almost in fully control and there was no way that he was going to get back.

He still believed in Arthur but he couldn't see the future he hoped for with Arthur on the throne. Arthur was scared of magic because of his father and it would be hard to change due to the reputation that the magic community had.

Yet Arthur could see past that and free the druids from the ongoing purge.

Everything was happening so quickly that Merlin couldn't really keep up.

Seeing Gwen again was good and Merlin was pleased he had a chance to explain himself to someone that would understand.

But he had made his friends life a misery.

Merlin dragged his hand over his face.

Every thought he had managed to bring a round another thought that would contradict it.

Merlin was sick of this. He was sick of hiding.

All these years of protecting Arthur was going to come to nothing now.

Morgana is going to take the throne of Camelot and she will bring back magic before anyone will know it.

He would have to bring out her kind nature as Merlin didn't want a repeat of last time with innocent people being slaughtered. It wasn't their fault the purge happened. It wasn't their fault that Uther was on the throne.

But Uther is dead, who is there that can take the punishment for his crimes.

Merlin always hoped he could have confronted Uther about his magic and what he did to his father but there was never the right time.

If Uther had lived for longer, maybe.

Yet maybe he could have died sooner. Arthur was ready for the throne years ago.

Maybe not when Merlin first arrived but in the couple of years that followed.

Arthur is a fair and just king. There is no question about it.

The big question is would he go against his father's ideology that magic is evil? Would I be able to should Arthur that magic can be used for good.

A knock at the door brought Merlin from his thoughts.

Gaius put his head around the door.

"I have to give it to you, your lying skills have got better."

"I have learnt a lot while being here Gaius. Lying being the biggest one. I never stop lying. I lied Uther, I lied to Morgana, I lie to Gwen, I lie to Arthur, I lie to you." Merlin laughed. "I even lie to myself."

"Merlin …" Gaius started.

"And I tell you who has told me the biggest lie? That giant lizard that told me that magic would return, that Arthur would bring about the golden age of Camelot and magic will be returned to the land." Merlin shook his head.

"Merlin, give him time."

"I have. I have waited all these years for his ideas on magic to change. I was so happy when they did. But I had to change them back because I couldn't allow him to kill him own father."

"But he has set free the druids."

Merlin looked at Gaius. "The druids are peaceful people. They wouldn't want to start anything. It's the rest of the magically community that want to get revenge on Uther but yet they can't anymore because he is dead. He has many debts to repay."

"When have you thought this?"

Merlin took the wooden carving. "I have his to thank slightly. My mother and father wouldn't have got together without Uther. But I wished I had known him for longer. Arthur has grown up with his father, why couldn't I?"

"But you must remember Arthur hasn't his mother?" Gaius tried to argue.

"I thought about that. But that is only what made Arthur arrogant. He had no one to show him a softer side to everything."

Gaius left Merlin.

Gaius had hoped that he would be able to find the boy who entered his chambers once more but he was just looking at a shell.


Mordred entered Agravaine's chambers.

"I must admit, his lie was a good one." Mordred said helping himself to some wine.

Agravaine stared at the fire. "It was very good. But it means that we must try harder. We need to get him into the flames."

Mordred smiled. "We need to have Arthur spot them together."

Agravaine looked at Mordred and smirked. "Why did we think of something like that sooner?"