DISCLAIMER: I still only own Merlin in my dreams... :'(

"I… I don't know exactly how to say this…" Merlin whispered.

"Merlin, just speak." Arthur leaned forwards towards the young warlock. Merlin took a few shaky breaths as he struggled with what to say.

"I have magic."

For years to come, Merlin knew that he would never forget the expression on Arthur's face. The mixture of confusion, disbelief and shock on the king's face caused him to wear a very odd expression.

Encouraged by the lack of anger in Arthur's features, Merlin continued. "I… I know it will be… hard, to say the least, to get your head around this, so I think… I think the best way of explaining will be just to show you."

Placing his hands on either side of the king's temples, Merlin allowed to familiar surge of magic to course through his veins and flow from his fingertips into Arthur. He allowed him to see every time that he had done something using magic to save someone in Camelot, usually Arthur himself. As the memories passed into Arthur, Merlin relived them, one by one. He showed Arthur countless occasions where he had used his magic to heal, trip bandits, throw arrows off course.

Suddenly the power of his magic increased. Other memories that he had been hiding surged through him with a new sense of urgency, a new level of power. He saw Agravaine's death, the king's uncle's lifeless body on the floor of the cave. He felt Uther's last moments again after his healing spell backfired. No, he did not want Arthur to see these things yet… No! Slowly, Merlin was losing control. Recent memories and memories he barely knew he had poured into Arthur, his very soul being opened up. He relived Morgana's poisoning, his kiss with Freya, Balinor's death… Freya's death.

Random feelings, emotions, events rushed through him into Arthur. Merlin could feel himself slipping as everything became darker… darker…

Arthur gave a gasp as he resurfaced from the depths of Merlin's memories. Then his muscles gave way and he collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily. As his mind struggled to form some coherent thoughts, Arthur struggled back into a sitting position, still shaking. Merlin… magic. Merlin, magic. Merlin magic?!

He knew that Merlin had, quite literally, poured out his soul to him. The king had felt the warlock lose control as the memories had flowed faster and faster into his head of people he knew and people he didn't. One thing was in all of them though. Merlin's eyes, the colour of molten gold, staring out at him as his tongue muttered words of the old religion. And he knew that Merlin had and would never use magic for evil. He knew everything about his manservant now. His whole life, everything he had experienced, every emotion. Finally, after years of being an ignorant –and arrogant– prat, he finally understood Merlin. And he knew how he felt.

Arthur's heart clenched as he felt all of Merlin's pain, and his loneliness. All the regret and the heartbreak that he had suffered that still haunted him every day. And all the time the young man had to keep up a façade so he would never be found out. He had to play the innocent, happy, bumbling manservant, while all the time he was so powerful.

And Arthur knew just how powerful Merlin was. In amongst everything else, Arthur had heard the druid prophecy about Merlin. He was Emrys, the one that Morgana herself feared. A man born with magic. He could not punish Merlin for who, or what he was. The young man had never chosen to practice magic; it was a part of him.

Arthur closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to process everything. His head reeled from experiencing so many memories and emotions in such a short amount of time, and as a wave of nausea passed through him he struggled not to be sick.

Just then he heard a groan from behind him. With a jolt, Arthur remembered that Merlin was still there. He spun around to see his manservant sprawled on the floor. Without hesitation Arthur went over and helped him to sit up. Merlin was shaking, and his face was so pale that he looked ghostly in the dying light of the fire. Arthur handed him the water skin and helped him to drink.

"Is… is there anything that you saw that you have questions about?" Merlin whispered nervously. Arthur knew how much it meant to Merlin, his reaction to the young man's magic. It had been what he had dreamed of for most of the decade he had been in Camelot. A life with no more lies. A life of peace.

"No, I don't. Merlin… I don't know if you realised, but you showed me everything. I think I know everything about your life," Arthur said shakily. "I know exactly why you did everything that you have done, and… and I accept you for it."

"Everything?" Merlin asked, just as shakily. Arthur nodded.

"I know about Agravaine, my father, how you poisoned Morgana… and I have so many things to apologise for. I have been so, so blind Merlin, and I hope that you can forgive me for it," he said quietly, looking at the ground. "I know sorry can never make up for the things I have done to you and your kind… how I told you that your own father was not worth your tears, how… how I killed Freya…"

When he looked up, Merlin was shaking his head. "You could never have known–"

"But I should have noticed!" Arthur cut him off angrily. "All the time you have been here in Camelot, you have saved my life so many times and never once received recognition for it. You have been kidnapped, beaten, poisoned, stung and God knows what else and not once did I notice! For heaven's sake, all this time I thought you were sneaking off to the tavern! How could I have been so naïve?"

There was a silence, the only noise being the birds that sang as the first sign of dawn appeared.

"Arthur, please. We can discuss this later, but we need to decide what to do about the Disir," Merlin said firmly.

"We don't even need to discuss that, of course I'm going to bring magic back to Camelot. I now know that magic is not evil, it is the person who wields the power that decides what they will use it for."

"But… what about Mordred? You said you'd seen everything, surely you know about the prophecy?"

"Yes, I do know. But even after knowing it, I could not condemn him to death. He has saved my life, more than once. Maybe he has changed? And anyway, I have you to protect me." Arthur attempted a small smile. "Now come on, let's go and meet the Disir." He stood up. Merlin tried to follow but immediately keeled over. Arthur caught him.

"Sorry, I'm weak from using so much magic," Merlin muttered as he tried to scramble up again.

Arthur stopped him. "Come on, even great warlocks need help now and again," he said, wrapping Merlin's arm around him and helping him to walk. Merlin leant on him as they began to slowly head back to the cave.

"You have returned. Is your descision made?" One of the Disir spoke, her voice echoing through the cave.

"It is." Arthur spoke firmly. "I accept your offer. I shall bring magic back to Camelot. I have realised the error of my father's ways, and my own, and I have been enlightened to the true meaning of magic."

"You have made your descision."

"Sealed your fate."

"And that of your kingdom." The three Disir spoke in turn. There was a silence before they spoke again as one.

"You have passed the judgement of the Disir, and for that, you shall be rewarded. Camelot shall prosper, and the land of Albion shall be united. Farewell, Arthur Pendragon."

Merlin still could not believe it. Arthur had accepted his magic, without even question? He supposed it was a good thing he had lost control and told Arthur everything. Maybe that was just the best way, to be truthful.

His magic was recovering and it glowed inside him, warm, golden and happy. Arthur's destiny was on track, and whatever trials they faced, they could face together, the king and his warlock.

I'm not happy about how the second part came out, but I can't be bothered to rewrite it, so here you guys go :P
Please R&R!