Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin. If I did, I'd have been able to see Season 3 by now and I'd find some reason for Colin to use his Scottish accent in the show.

"I still don't see why I have to come," Merlin whined as he and Arthur made their way to the great hall.

"If I'm to sit through yet another boring council meeting, than so must you," Arthur said. "Besides, I need you there to-"

"I know," Merlin said rolling his eyes. "Keep your goblet full. I know the drill, sire."

Arthur shoved his manservant in the arm playfully. "You are learning, aren't you?"

"Don't act so surprised."

They marched into the great hall and everyone stood to great the crown prince of Camelot as he took his place by his Father at the front of the committee tables.

"Welcome Prince Arthur," Lord Fendrel said. "With your permission, King Uther, we shall begin the meeting."

"Indeed," Uther said and all the Lords sat. Merlin stood off to the side, along with several other servants. They then began the long and boring process of general reports on the state of each of the providences that the Lords were in charge of. Merlin stifled a yawn.

Lord Fendrel's providence was have a tough year with its crops. Lord Tybalt's providence was becoming overrun with crime. Merlin was surprised that Lord Hadrian didn't have anything to say. The younger Lord always had rather lengthy complains in his report, which was understandable as his province was right on the boarder of King Cendred's kingdom. Today however, he just reported some trivial problem and let the reports move on.

Merlin didn't have much time to meditate on this though because just then Arthur glanced at him meaningfully and held up his goblet. Merlin refrained from rolling his eyes as hurried forward with the pitcher of whine.

"I am curious, Lord Hadrian," King Uther said after all the reports had been heard. "How your province fairs in the battle against magic. When we last held council you reported that magic was growing in popularity and power. Have the troops I sent you been sufficient to aid you?"

Lord Hadrian drained his goblet and then chuckled. "No, Uther, I'm afraid that your troops were not sufficient to drive magic from the land. Indeed, all your precious soldiers managed to do was create for you more enemies." The Lord stood from his chair. He clutched a pendant that he wore around his neck and uttered a few words. A gust of wind blew about the Great Hall and the men shielded their faces against the blowing papers. When the wind died down everyone could see a ragged and bent man standing where Lord Hadrian had once stood.

"Magic," Uther breathed. "Guards, seize him!" Arthur stood up along with the guards who rushed the sorcerer. The man didn't struggle as Arthur shackled his wrists in chains. Merlin felt that there was something eerie about the way the man didn't struggle capture.

"Where is Lord Hadrian?" Uther demanded of the sorcerer, who was clearly not Lord Hadrian. The sorcerer just laughed.

"Oh, I'm afraid you won't be seeing him again," the sorcerer laughed. "He was almost as bad as you are, with your hatred and your fear of magic. My wife and two sons died because of you and him, just because we used magic. My wife never hurt anyone, my sons were young and innocent. They didn't deserve to die." The sorcerer's voice had grown from a sneer to a grief filled growl. Tears streamed down his face as he spat at the king.

"Magic is all together evil," the king retorted. "And evil cannot be tolerated."

"The only evil in this kingdom is you," the sorcerer screamed. "You've taken my family from me! So now I take away yours!"

Merlin saw what was coming a moment before it happened. In that instant, the man uttered a single word and the chains that bound him broke. The next instant he's grabbed Arthur by the front of his shirt with one hand and the pendant around his neck with the other.

Merlin had dropped his pitcher of whine and was running at the two as fast as he could.

Before Arthur, Uther or any of the guards could react to the man's sudden movement he cried out some incantation and he and Arthur started to dematerialize before their eyes.

"No! Arthur!" Merlin leapt at them and caught hold of Arthur's arm just in time. The three of them all vanished, leaving a distraught and startled council behind them.

They reappeared in the ruins of a castle that was who-knows-how-far away from Camelot. Arthur's head was spinning from the magic travel that had just taken place. He was very disoriented. His head hurt like crazy and he felt like he was going to be sick all over the floor.

"Arthur," said a concerned voice at his right. Merlin was here too? Idiot.

That was the last thing Arthur thought before he blacked out.

Arthur came in and out of consciousness in snip-its. He heard faded snatched of conversations that mixed with his dreams.

"Why are you keeping us alive?" Merlin? Oh yes. He was here too, wasn't he? "I thought you wanted revenge."

"If you're going to do something, never do it for free." The sorcerer.

Moments later, or was it hours? He heard Merlin whispering to him again. "I'll get us out of here, Arthur. I'll get you out of here."

His head hurt. Someone was pouring a foul tasting liquid down his throat. Gaius?

"Why do you keep drugging him?" Merlin. Angry Merlin. What was going on?

"Keeping him subdued. He could be trouble if he woke fully."

"You don't think I could be trouble?" Merlin had a tendency to challenge people who could really hurt him, Arthur thought absentmindedly.

"You," the sorcerer snarled. "You could be useful."

"Never."

Time seemed to have passed again. Merlin's voice now, "… and she died in my arms. I don't think I could ever love another, Arthur. Not like her. When we get out of here, you better take good care of Gwen." He took a shuddering breath. "You can't always be there for them. You can't always help them." He sighed again. "I know you can't hear me, but I have always wanted to tell you."

Now Merlin was screaming. "You don't know what you're doing to Camelot, Aegolious!" He yelled angrily. "By taking revenge you're taking the last hope for Camelot to have peace!"

"If you know so much, why don't you do something about it," The sorcerer snarled back.

"He can't travel like this and I can't leave him."

Arthur opened his eyes fully for the first time in what felt like a long time. What had happened? He racked his brain and images of the council meeting that had gone horribly, horribly wrong came back to him.

Merlin. Merlin was with him. Somewhere. Where was he now?

He turned his head and saw his friend. The two of them were locked in a dungeon of some sort. The sliver of a moon could be seen through a small window high above Arthur's head. Arthur himself was lying in a bed of straw off to the side. Merlin was standing over by the barred door, holding a candle that illuminated the entire cell.

Merlin turned a bit staring down at the flame. Arthur could now see the manservant's face. Merlin had become even skinnier, it seemed. How long had they been down here?

"This isn't good," Merlin was muttering to himself. "Aegolious hasn't been here for two days, something is up."

Arthur was about to ask who Aegolious was when he caught sight of something that made all of the words catch in his throat.

Merlin was not holding a candle. The flame was merely floating in his open palm. Magic.

"Come on, Idiot, think," Merlin admonished himself. He held out a hand toward the door and uttered something. The door rattled but didn't do much else.

"Come on!" Merlin growled at the door. He uttered a new word at the door, this time the door groaned but again nothing else happened.

Arthur slowly and silently sat up, careful not to alert the man to his awakened state. He moved into a low crouch, feeling muscles that hadn't been used in a while.

"We need to get out!" Merlin was still yelling at the door. "Now come on!" This time another word was uttered and just then Arthur launched himself at Merlin. There was an explosion and the door blew off its hinges and Merlin and Arthur tumbled out after it.

When the dust settled, Arthur had Merlin pinned to the floor.

"Where is Merlin?" He growled at the man who must be an imposter, because it surly wasn't Merlin.

"Arthur! You're awake!" There was fear in his voice. It sounded very much like Merlin, but it couldn't be. It had to be another sorcerer's trick, which meant Merlin must be imprisoned elsewhere- or worse.

"Where is he, sorcerer? Where is my friend?" Arthur demanded angrily again.

"Arthur," the voice was timid now. The sorcerer looked up at him with those trusted blue eyes that Merlin had. A stolen image of his friend, no doubt. "Arthur, it's me. I'm Merlin."

"You pretended to be Lord Hadrian, and now you are pretending to be my manservant. But I saw you use magic! I know that it's you," Arthur growled.

"Arthur, I've always had magic. I swear, it's me, it's Merlin. And I promise I'll explain everything, but right now we have to get out of here."

"Prove it," Arthur spat at him. "Prove to me you're Merlin." He knew the sorcerer couldn't pretend to be Merlin. Few knew the manservant as well as he did.

Merlin took a deep breath. "I was with you when we fought the dragon. I told you that you dealt him a fatal blow. But I had really sent him away because Balinor was my father and I inherited his gift. I'm the one that found out that it would be a kiss from Guinevere that would break the spell that made you think you were in love with Vivian. I was with you when Morgause conjured the image of your mother. I fought with the sorcerer Cornelius Sigan when his soul possessed that lying creep, Cedric."

Arthur blinked at Merlin. "All right," he said slowly. "I believe you." He got off his friend and Merlin sat up. But Merlin had just got started and continued rattling on nervously, he had apparently not heard Arthur.

"I killed Nimueh to save your life when you got bitten by the questing beast," he continued. "I secretly helped save your father from Tauren's men when they tried to attack him at the grave of Morgana's… erm… father. I went with you from the Labyrinth of Gedref. It was me, not Will, who caused that magical whirlwind in Ealdor. Sophia and her father had actually enchanted you so that they could sacrifice you to get back to Avalon. I didn't have to knock you on the head; you were already out of it. I helped Lancelot kill the Griffin, since it can only be killed with the aid of magic. I made it so Sir Valiant's shield snakes came out where everyone could see them. And when I first met you, I used magic in that fight we had to make you trip on that box and hit your shin." Merlin's voice trailed off as he finished that last one. He hadn't meant to tell Arthur that, it had just all come spilling out.

Arthur blinked at him, his mouth agape.

"You… cheated?"

Merlin smiled sheepishly. "Just a bit."

"You… cheated, and I still beat you?" Arthur smiled at the prospect.

"Well, I had to be discrete. You know, doing magic in Camelot isn't really healthy these days," Merlin said pointedly. "Had I not been hindered with this, I probably could have really taught you a lesson."

Arthur laughed. He recalled his behavior back when they first met and winced slightly. "Probably a well deserved one."

Merlin laughed too, as the two of them stood. Arthur wobbled a little, having been drugged for who knows how long. Merlin grabbed Arthur's arm and slung it over his shoulder.

"Do my ears deceive me or did I just hear you admit that you deserved to be taught a lesson? You wouldn't happen to consider yourself to have been a prat, would you?" Merlin raised an eyebrow at the prince who scowled back at him.

"Honestly, Merlin, you'd have to be an idiot to think of me as a prat. Everyone knows that I'm regarded as the best example of what it means to be honorable and uphold the Knight's code."

"I also think I heard you call me your friend earlier," Merlin said, ignoring the comment.

"No I didn't," Arthur said quickly.

"Yes you did. You said 'Where's Merlin? Where's my friend?'" Merlin said, smiling from ear to ear.

Arthur unnecessarily leaned more of his weight on Merlin in response, but did a poor job of hiding his smile. They were friends and they both knew it.

Just then, the ragged sorcerer, Aegolious, ran down the stairs. "So you broke through the charms, have you?" he snarled at Merlin. "Well that's too bad. I can't let you go anywhere. The witch Morgause will be here soon and she's expecting you two."

Arthur and Merlin looked at each other briefly. Arthur shrugged.

"Okay, Idiot, show me what you've got," Arthur said confidently, gesturing with his free hand toward Aegolious. Merlin smiled and turned to the man.

"I'm sorry, but we're afraid that we're going to have to disappoint Morgause." And his eyes glowed gold.