This is my final update of the week, after this I am starting fortnightly updates! Thanks to everyone who has read/ reviewed my story so far... It's much appreciated! I can't update next week but will hopefully have the next chapter written for the following Monday and will post it then! I hope you have all enjoyed the story so far!

Gaius was shocked. Could it be? "Merlin?"

Merlin felt like the inside of a drum, battered all over. He didn't know where on earth he was, but it felt like the comfiest place in the world, considering where he'd been living the last 10 years. He groaned as the last day hit him like a lightning bolt.

Great, just great, he thought, I'm going to have to move again. And I really liked that alley as well.

He forced his eyes open, dazed by the bright light (and possibly a concussion, his brain added) before squinting at his blurry surroundings. He was inside on some sort of bed, with 3 people standing before him. As his vision cleared a bit more, he saw that they were made up of a boy and girl a bit older than himself, and an elderly man who looked strangely familiar. Suddenly he realised who it was. "Uncle Gaius, is that you?"

His uncle gasped and immediately answered. "Merlin?"

Merlin nodded, then groaned again when the motion made his vision blur again. He heard his uncle muttering something about inept nephews before he felt a bottle press against his lips and a liquid sliver down his throat. Instantly the pain he had been in began to vanish, although the after taste of the medicine filled his mouth. Merlin sat up spitting, before yelling, "What on earth was in that?!"

The boy standing behind Gaius chuckled before muttering to the girl next to him, "That's what I said the first time I tried one of his hangover remedies."

Merlin stated at the boy some more, taking in the dirty blonde hair, pool blue eyes and toned physique before he realised who he was. "You're... You're Prince Arthur!" He recognised him from the few times he and is men had patrolled near the alleyway where he lived. Merlin was terrified. Living on the streets, he had heard all sorts of stories on the streets about how the Pendragon's dealt with magic users. None of them ended particularly well for the people with magic. Gaius could sense the fear radiating from his nephew and the anger from Arthur over the fear, and knowing how the situation would quickly get out of hand, he broke the tension by saying,

"Yes, it was Arthur here who rescued you earlier and brought you here to Morgana's home. You probably wouldn't be here if he hadn't have stopped the attack on you."

Both of the younger men shuddered, Merlin at thought of being so close to death's greedy clutches and Arthur at the thought of his father's men killing someone just for the things they possessed. Suddenly Merlin realised something from Gaius' words.

"Wait a minute, is this where Morgana Pendragon lives? So where is she? Does she know I'm here, I mean, I don't want to intrude."

"I do know you're here, and I'm glad you are," Morgana said, and Merlin blushed as he realised he had been referring to the young woman in the room.

"My Lady," he said politely, attempting to stand for her and then settling with a nod after Gaius' stern glare forced him to cease his movement. Morgana frowned before composing herself once more.

"Well Merlin, if you don't mind me asking, how did you end up with magic?" Morgana asked.

"I was born with it, I just didn't show it to anyone as it was frowned upon..."

"Impossible!" Gaius said. "No one is born able to do magic, they have to learn incantations or spells to gain some measure of control!"

Merlin shifted uncomfortably in the bed, before replying, "Well, maybe I'm an exception. Watch, I'll show you." He reached one hand out of the covers and his eyes glowed a dazzling gold. Suddenly, all the candles in the room lit themselves before rotating around the young sorcerer, before he reached out and caught one from mid air at an impossibly fast speed. Gaius gasped at the feat whilst Morgana and Arthur simply stared in awe. Merlin, seemingly uncomfortable at all the strange looks, tried to reason with them. "It's not that big a deal. Lots of people can make stuff levitate."

"Not many at all can do it without a spell, and almost none of those people could do it with the level of control you just showed," Gaius replied. As silence fell on the room, Merlin's uncle saw the dark smudges under Merlin's eyes and decided they could talk more after Merlin had rested.

"That's enough for now. I believe we can resume this talk in the morning, after you have got some rest. Merlin can take my bed for tonight and I will take the spare bed." As Merlin began to protest at that Gaius added, smiling,"Besides, it's nice to see my nephew again." Merlin smiled at that as well and bid everyone good night, before instantly dropping into a deep sleep. The two Pendragons bid Gaius fair well for the evening, before Arthur began to drive home, not forgetting to add that he would be back tomorrow. The three friends pondered over the strange boy that had just come into their lives.

Meanwhile, in a castle not too far away, two people stood over a scrying dish that depicted a sleeping boy with great powers. The female spoke,

"See Cenred, I told you he was powerful, even untrained as he is. With some coaching and... persuasion.. on our behalf, he will soon be an unstoppable force. He will be the weapon to take down Uther and bring Camelot to it's knees!"

The king smirked and turned to the sorceress. "Soon, Uther's throne will be mine and magic will be returned to the land Morgause."

The two resumed staring at the sleeping boy, before Morgause muttered, "Merlin will be the key to controlling Camelot, and soon he shall be ours!"

Reviews anyone?