What can I say? Writer's block is evil and I am jinxed when it comes to computers breaking. Thanks for all the reviews, alerts etc. (replies to unsigned reviews are at the end this time). Thanks for your patience in putting up with my infrequent updates. Thanks for reading! Now I'll let you get on with this VERY long chapter to make up for things.

Enjoy! This was a tough one.

Chapter 24 - An Illuminating Experience

Merlin stood still for a moment, unsure of what to do next. The sound of his own breathing roared out through the otherwise deathly silent forest. He could see nothing at all. In fact the only indications that he still existed in a physical world at all, were the feeling of firm earth beneath his feet and the musty smells of the wood. He could stay here and hope that Arthur, whose sense of direction was vastly greater than his own, could find him again but he got the distinct impression and a sense of dread that Arthur was in trouble. He wasn't about to stay put and let any harm come to him.

Suddenly Merlin's feeling of being alone was replaced by something else. There was another presence here that was definitely not Arthur. It seemed to be all around him. Merlin was entertained by an unpleasant thought; his earlier impression that the shadows were alive may not have been wholly inaccurate.

He was about to summon himself a light to see with – forget the consequences –when a hideous sensation interrupted him mid-incantation and brought him to his knees with a muffled thud. His head was throbbing and he felt sick, as someone, or something compressed his skull. He curled into a ball, grimacing, as the pressure increased and his fingertips twisted into his hair as he fought against whatever was doing this to him. Instinctively, he sent a pulse of energy bursting outwards from him in an attempt to throw off his attacker. It didn't do any good; the darkness was still upon him.

Cold tendrils reached inside him, burying themselves inside his mind and his eyes screwed up tightly.

"Get out of my head!" he screamed between gritted teeth. He immediately envisioned a block between his thoughts and it, not knowing if it would work.

It seemed to do some good. He could feel the oppressive crushing beginning to ease and the invasive presence retreated swiftly.

In the last moment that there was a connection between them, Merlin felt an urge to grasp back. He reached out with his mind towards the entity, drawing out information, answers. He received another pounding headache on top of the one he already had for his trouble but at least he now knew what this was.

"Áscín!" he groaned.

There was a flash of light and the darkness receded slightly. He stumbled upright.

"Áscín!" he yelled again and a wall of shadow moved away from him.

He followed behind the vast patch of blackness that was retreating ahead, rapidly running forward into the unknown. Because he did know one thing. Arthur was in there somewhere and he needed his help.

Arthur was not alone. He didn't know who or what was watching him but all his instincts were telling him there was something else with him and it wasn't Merlin. Where on earth was Merlin anyway? Surely they should have run into each other by now. Mind you, the idiot did have little or no sense of direction at the best of times.

Arthur wandered blindly through the dark on high alert, keeping his ears pricked for either any signs of danger or the ungainly stumbling of gangly legs. If anything had happened to Merlin…. He needed someone to keep an eye on him, now more than ever – but eyes were useless in this situation anyway. As much as Arthur was uncomfortable with Merlin's magical outbursts, if he did suddenly feel an uncontrollable compulsion to start glowing again, now would be an opportune moment. He thought for a moment that he had seen a brief flash of light in the distance, but he decided he'd imagined it. He hoped he'd imagined it. Who knew what Merlin was capable of now? In fact, he hadn't completely dismissed the possibility that Merlin was the cause of all this, despite his assertion to the contrary. He didn't exactly know a lot about magic, after all. What did it feel like? Still, it wasn't really his fault and Arthur could hardly blame him for something he couldn't control. Well… not until he found him, anyway.

The darkness was so thick around him, it seemed solid and if he didn't know better he would have sworn he could feel it pressing down on him, clinging tightly to his skin. But Arthur was hardly afraid of the dark. He took another couple of steps forward then closed his eyes as a wave of nausea flooded through him. His hands raised to rub his suddenly aching head. He hadn't imagined that. This was more than mere darkness he was walking through. He also knew that Merlin wasn't the cause.

Blinking, he reopened his eyes and was surprised to discover that although it was still very gloomy, he could in fact, see once more. It took a few seconds to become re-accustomed to his sense of sight. The first thing he noticed was that he had no idea where he was and the second was that there was no sign of Merlin anywhere. Had they really managed to walk so far away from one another?

Arthur spun around to get his bearings and stopped short in shock. Standing behind him, now in front, was the very last person he'd expected to see. This man clearly wasn't who he appeared. This was evident by the fact that the figure before him wasn't entirely human in appearance. It's eyes were lit with a ghostly pale glow but aside from that, its every feature: skin, clothes and hair, although perfectly duplicated in every other respect, were as black as the night – or more precisely, as black as the shadows that had not long ago surrounded him. Another far more important reason he knew that this person's identity was a falsehood, was that the man he was looking at was himself, Arthur Pendragon.

"Who are you?" asked Arthur sharply. This creature before him, his double, regarded himself up and down before answering.

"Honestly, I'd have thought you might have been able to hazard a guess," his own voice answered back.

"I know what you are. You're an illusion."

"No. Actually, you'll find I'm not."

"Don't play games with me. What are you?"

"Seriously," shadow Arthur laughed. I'm not playing games. I'm you."

"No you're not! I haven't got time for this." Arthur whirled around. If this was another illusion, there was no point in talking to it. "Where are you? Show yourself!"

"Talking to yourself is not a good sign." Arthur ignored him.

"What do you hope to gain from this pretence?" There was silence. "What have you done with Merlin?" There was no indication that anyone else was present. "Answer me!" he shouted to his surroundings.

"A little agitated today, are we?" the other him suggested.

"Shut up!" Arthur snapped back. "Where's Merlin?"

"He's probably lost, or walked into a tree and knocked himself out. What would I do with Merlin. He's completely useless for anything I might need him for."

"And do you 'need' me?" asked Arthur, frowning.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"It's obvious. We're the same."

"We are NOT the same," Arthur asserted, "and if you think you're going to fool anyone, you're gravely mistaken. You barely look like me, you certainly don't sound like me. You're nothing more than a trick, or else some sort of magical creature."

"Fair enough. I see you're smarter than you look."

"If you were me you wouldn't question that."

The shadow laughed again. Arthur wished he'd stop doing that. This person, or whatever it was couldn't have been any more annoying if he'd been Merlin.

"Wouldn't I?" it said. "As a matter of fact I do know everything that you know. I will admit to mild disappointment, but even your mind is fractionally better than no mind at all."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Arthur asked sternly. His shadow-self sighed.

"I mean that without you I just exist – alive as the by-product of magic, but without thought or feeling. Now, thanks to you, I can experience more than that. I refuse to return to what I once was. That is why I can't let you leave this place."

"I will not stay here and let you steal from me!"

"Copy, not steal," the shadow corrected.

"There's no difference."

"I've taken nothing from you. If I had, you would not be standing there now."

"I refuse to stay here."

"Then you sentence me to death."

"So be it," Arthur said.

"Then you leave me no choice."

The shadow advanced on Arthur, determinedly. Arthur had no idea what it planned to do with him but he was ready. As it moved forward so did Arthur's sword. The double's face wore a look of surprise and the tip emerged from his back.

Arthur withdrew the weapon in a smooth motion and regarded his handiwork. He was shocked when the shadow lifted it's uncomfortably familiar head and looked him straight in the eye.

"Must you be so stubborn, Arthur?"

Damn it! The prince cursed himself for his error. Why couldn't he have worked out that his blade would be useless. What courses of action were left available to him now? Few. As much as a swift withdrawal seemed like the most viable option right now, he was loathed to run away, especially when he still didn't know where Merlin was. As he set about planning his next move, a motion below him caught his eye. He glanced down in panic to see dark shapes moving at his feet.

"What are you doing?" he shouted as the darkness spread upwards and outwards, enveloping him in a large circle. He darted forward in an attempt to escape it but as he tried to force himself through the dense black mist, his strength was drained and his knees fell out from underneath him. He staggered up and tried again. Once again he collapsed exhausted on the ground. Furiously, he shuffled backwards and reaching behind, pulled himself upright on a nearby tree-trunk, never removing his stern glare from his captor.

"I cannot let you leave."

"If you know what I know, then you'll know why I'm here. Please," he implored. If there truly was any part of himself in this creature it had to respond. "For the sake of Camelot if nothing else, you must let me continue."

"No," the shadow said firmly.

"Then this proves beyond all doubt that we are nothing alike. I would never be so self-serving when lives are at stake."

"I simply threw aside your concerns," it explained. "I won't deny it, your devotion was certainly admirable, but I cannot afford to let anything stand in the way of my goal. With a mind so cluttered it is a small wonder you can think at all. Worry for Camelot, for your people, for your father, and worry for Merlin. What is it you see in this Merlin character anyway? Let's face it, he's a bit of an idiot. Maybe he does have one or two redeeming features, but now he has magic. You do actually realise what that means?"

"My opinions regarding Merlin are my business alone. All I will say is that magic changes nothing. Merlin is still the same person he always was."

"Except for the tiny fact that he's a sorcerer."

"Merlin is not a sorcerer."

"Why not? He's used magic hasn't he?"

"Yes, but that was different," Arthur explained. "That wasn't sorcery."

"It looked that way to me…. Alright, it looked that way to you."

"This isn't Merlin's fault. He can't control this!"

"He can't control this yet."

"What are you trying to suggest?" Arthur scowled.

"How long do you think it will be before he does?"

"This is Merlin we're talking about."

"Point taken. But think about what'll happen if he doesn't. How long could you protect him before someone got hurt?"

"For as long as I have to," Arthur declared confidently. "Merlin didn't learn magic. He's only had it a few hours. That doesn't make him a sorcerer."

"It's a unique start, I'll admit, but that's all. The result will be the same."

"You're wrong!"

Merlin sprinted desperately through the trees searching for some sign of Arthur. He winced as branch scratched his face. The darkness had mysteriously cleared and Merlin wasn't sure what that meant, but it couldn't be good. Also, it was still difficult to see beneath the canopy of trees.

They were so very close now and the cliffs of Heolstor lay just across the river beyond these woods. Ordinarily sources of magic released their power gradually and any effects on the balance of nature were negligible. It was part of that balance.

But people were greedy and yearned for power. Centuries ago the pillar had been built to satisfy that craving. Now people were playing with power that was beyond their understanding and that power had been overexploited as of late. That was not without consequences. Merlin understood that now. That was why he needed to find Arthur and fast.

He could feel it all around him now. Magic. This forest thrummed with it and random magic did some pretty strange things. He should know. The darkness that dwelt there was alive because of it and it wanted a mind. Well, 'wanted' wasn't entirely accurate as that would imply an existing mind with which to want something. Instead it was driven to obtaining it like a plant is driven towards the sunlight. It had already tried with his and failed. His magic had given him the strength he needed to drive away the darkness, as well as given him some valuable insight into what he was dealing with. Strong he may be, but Arthur did not have that same luxury.

Suddenly, through his grey surroundings, he spotted something ahead – a young man trapped in a ring of shadow. He'd recognise that outline and that expression of defiance in the face of adversity anywhere. The figure stood in front of him was almost equally familiar. Merlin gasped. Two Arthurs. Normally that thought would have made him shudder at the best of times but now he did so for a different reason. He was too late.

Sighing, he turned and leaned backwards against a tree while he decided what to do next. Magic was all that he could do – there was no other way.

"No!" Arthur maintained steadfastly. His words echoed forwards toward where the warlock was concealed. "Whatever else has happened, Merlin is not a sorcerer!"

Merlin's heart sank as Arthur's words pounded hammer-like at his chest. He began having thoughts, although by now he'd lost track of whether they were second thoughts, or forty-second. He could always put on the best act of his life and pass it all off as uncontrollable luck. No, he shook aside his doubts. His mind was made up. This certainly wasn't the 'perfect' time – it didn't even come close, but it was the only time that mattered. Arthur needed him, needed his magic. On this occasion the prospect of using his talents filled him with fear, to as much extent as facing any dangerous magical beast. There would be no more hiding, no more excuses, but most importantly, no more lies. Arthur would know and would accept him, or he wouldn't – quite possibly the latter. They had been through so much together, and yet all it would take would be one short moment for all they had built between them to be dashed into a hundred broken pieces. Nevertheless, Merlin owed him the truth. It would be an insult to conceal it any longer.

"Merlin," remarked shadow Arthur, spotting the young warlock where he hid. "Well it's about time you showed up. The real Arthur looked across in surprise.

This was it: the moment of truth. Merlin took a deep breath before stepping out from behind the tree and facing him. "Let him go!" said he firmly, striding forward.

"Why? What are you going to do to me?" the shadow scoffed.

Those familiar words, spoken by that familiar voice, stung terribly. You have no idea, thought Merlin, his sad awareness of the enormity of what he was about to do weighing down on him like lead.

"Merlin, be careful!" warned Arthur.

Merlin averted his gaze, his head dropping shamefully.

"Honestly Merlin, you're pathetic." Merlin ignored the dark duplicate's derogatory remarks but his eyes were still lowered.

"Arthur, I'm truly sorry... about everything," he said, his every word laced with deep regret. "I never wanted it to happen like this."

"Merlin, what's going on?" asked Arthur, confused. Merlin raised his hand slowly and with purpose. It trembled slightly. Arthur caught on fast and a shiver of fear crawled icily down his back. "Merlin DON'T! You can't control this. You have no idea what you're doing. Anything could happen!"

"I'm sorry," Merlin repeated.

"Don't be an idiot." And for once both Arthur's were in complete agreement.

Merlin's eyes finally lifted upwards and they locked with the imprisoned prince's, almost pleading.

"Forgive me," he said simply.

Arthur's eyes narrowed as he peered into Merlin's gaze, trying – not for the first time – to figure him out. There was something hidden beneath that imploring stare. Should he know what it was?

Without blinking Merlin's expression became determined and focused, radiating a cool, calm strength that Arthur never knew existed. Gone was the boy who would walk into tables and arrive late for everything; now he stood before him self-assuredly as a man. He even very nearly had Arthur convinced. If only he had the faintest clue about whatever he was trying to achieve, instead he could get them both killed.

"Ic ofsende ormætene glæm!"

If the strange language that flowed effortlessly from Merlin's lips caught Arthur off guard it was nothing compared to its effect. It started off as a small point of light in the centre of Merlin's outstretched palm, twinkling friendlily in the oppressive darkness like a distant star. Arthur watched transfixed and his jaw dropped as much as it was seemly for a prince to allow. This couldn't be. What the hell was happening? In front of him Merlin stood resolutely, allowing the white glow in his hand to gain intensity without so much as batting an eyelid.

A wave of foreboding washed over Arthur. Managing to tear his eyes away from Merlin long enough to steal a fleeting glance to his right, he noticed his dark doppelgänger looked concerned, however much he, or it, or whatever, might be trying to conceal it.

"Close your eyes," Merlin said, and for some unbeknown reason, but which was most probably shock, Arthur obeyed.

His eyelids burned brilliant orange against the blinding bright glare which followed.

This wasn't possible. It simply wasn't possible.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Arthur opened his eyes the tiniest of cracks and squinted out between his lashes. The whole forest was aglow, bristling with a fierce energy. The dazzling white light that Merlin had summoned illuminated everything around him and the towering grey trees were but frail old men against this gleaming bombardment of magic.

Arthur could just about make out the indistinct figure he knew to be Merlin. Light shot from his fingertips like silver spears that shredded through shadow with an incredible force, leaving only faint black wisps which dissipated into nothingness. Arthur shrank back as a beam of light pierced his double's chest and his imitated face contorted as it swelled inside him. an instant before it exploded violently from within. The image was shattered - and it wasn't the first one that day. Just like that. Everything was over.

The light was recalled. It flooded back into Merlin's hand and Merlin's arm dropped heavily by his side. He looked for Arthur who had just opened his eyes fully and had slid involuntarily part-way down the tree trunk he was stood against, staring at him in disbelief as if seeing him for the first time.

"Please say something," Merlin whispered.

"What in the world was that? What did you just do?" Arthur shouted aghast, having found his voice somewhere amongst a vast disarray of thoughts as well as recovering the use of his legs. "You conjured that light deliberately. That was a spell!"

"Yes," Merlin stated. There was no point denying it and he didn't want to.

"How did you do it? Answer me, Merlin!"

"I have magic," he replied simply.

"Yes, I know that," Arthur yelled, his bewilderment beginning to manifest itself as rage. "But it still doesn't explain–"

"I'm afraid it does," Merlin interrupted, with the utmost seriousness. "In fact it explains a lot."

"I don't understand. How...?" Slowly something stirred in Arthur's mind, knocking aside a few stray thoughts and misconceptions and making room for a long, long inhibited cascade of realisation. "No," he breathed.

"I've always had magic. Long before any of this happened," Merlin confirmed.

"No." But try as he might to deny it, his memories suddenly took on a whole new light. When fleeing the knights of Medhir, Merlin had shouted something incomprehensible right before the ceiling had collapsed, but Arthur had just dismissed it and almost forgotten it – he always talked rubbish. He'd even seen Merlin's eyes turn golden – which he'd now come to associate with magic – back in Camelot when they were fighting the illusions. That had been real. How could he have been so blind? All those times Merlin knew a little bit more than he ought to for a mere servant suddenly made sense... and Ealdor, that must have been Merlin too. Damn it. He'd lied, and maintained those lies, and he'd fallen for it. Now the whole world was crashing down around him.

"I wanted to tell you, I really did.". Merlin took a step forward in what he hoped was a reassuring way.

"No! You can't be a sorcerer!" Arthur shouted. He backed away from him in disgust. How could he accept this? This was Merlin. His own ignorance appalled him. Merlin had even confessed not long after they'd met, he'd also been singled out by the Witchfinder and both those times he had defended him.

"I'm sorry," said Merlin with sincerity.

"Will you stop saying that!" Arthur snapped. The swamp – that must have actually been Merlin. How much power was he hiding behind that façade of incompetence. "It doesn't make sense. Who the hell are you?"

"Merlin."

"No you're not. Merlin is gone now thanks to you."

"Well then, I'm the person who constantly fetches you your dinner cold. I'm the one who calls you supercilious and knows what it means. I'm the one who tidies your room and mucks out your stables and polishes your armour without a single word of appreciation. I'm the same person you've known for two years, Arthur. I just happen to be a warlock." Arthur couldn't believe his ears.

"Just a warlock? Is that all? You're a warlock! What's more, our entire relationship has been built on lies."

"You really believe that?" asked Merlin sadly.

With every word Merlin spoke Arthur's hurt at this betrayal grew a little deeper. His breathing became furiously quick and shallow. Why did he let it cut him so? He knew why. There was no use pretending that he shouldn't be feeling like this, because he was a prince and Merlin was just a servant; that wasn't true before and it certainly wasn't now. The old Merlin and the one who stood before him now, they were one in the same and yet he still couldn't bring himself to accept it, even though the evidence was staring him in the face. The old Merlin could never have, and would never have hidden something like this from him. But he had. Maybe the old Merlin never existed at all.

"I don't know what to believe anymore," Arthur confessed. "You betrayed Camelot and you betrayed me. Why, Merlin? Why?"

"If anyone found out, I'd be killed. You know that. You told me that not so long since." Merlin's plight washed over Arthur without penetrating the prince's blocks. Arthur couldn't face his own feelings at the moment and empathy was a tricky business, ill-suited for a hot head.

"Then I ask you again – why? What on earth possessed you to practice magic in the first place, and in Camelot of all places? Are you my enemy?" he asked gravely.

"No!" Merlin insisted. "No, Arthur, I am not."

Arthur held Merlin under his scrutinizing gaze unsure what to make of this answer. It wasn't difficult to believe that Merlin wasn't a threat to him, but then again it was completely out of the question that Merlin could have been a sorcerer all this time without him knowing. He wanted to hate Merlin. He wanted to feel nothing but pure unbridled loathing, because then things would be so much easier. Try as he might however, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He finally decided that if he was to retain the slightest shred of confidence in his own judgement – and if he couldn't do that, what good was he – he had to believe that Merlin was telling the truth.

"Then have you got a death wish?" he asked.

"You would think so sometimes," Merlin said. "But I've always been this way. I was born with magic."

"Impossible. You can't have been born with it," Arthur scoffed. "Are you trying to tell me you were crawling around that godforsaken village of yours as a baby casting spells every-which way?" The mental image was preposterous.

"As a matter of fact, yes, pretty much." Arthur was astounded. Every preconception he had now lay in tatters.

"Although I don't always need spells, not for everything anyway," Merlin continued to explain. He studied Arthur. His face was cold and unyielding, his breathing heavy, but at least he was listening. "It's only recently I actually began studying magic, but I've been moving objects with my mind since before I could talk. Magic isn't just something I learned; it is a part of who I am. It is as much a part of me as my heart, or my lungs... or my inordinately prominent pair of auditory appendages." Merlin tried for a glimmer of a smile. It didn't work.

"That's ridiculous!"

"About as ridiculous as gaining magical abilities through a curse that almost killed me?" suggested Merlin.

"Are you implying I'm stupid?" Arthur retorted.

"No," Merlin said. "I'm just saying the two scenarios really aren't that different. You accepted me before when you believed I had magic and that I couldn't help being the way I am. Well, I have magic and I can't help being the way I am. 'You're not evil and no amount of magic is going to change that' – your words, Arthur, not mine. Magic isn't good or evil; it's the person who uses it that counts. I'm still that same person. How is it that you could accept me then and yet you can't now?"

"Because I knew you weren't capable of this. Because I trusted you. Because I knew you, Merlin! But I never knew you, did I? From the first moment we met you've been playing me for an complete idiot. I suppose it was entertaining for you, wasn't it, looking down on me when I was calling you the same? Did you enjoy it, practising magic right under my very nose? Was it fun, making me look a fool?"

"I promise you, making you look a fool wasn't intentional... Wait a minute. That came out wrong, didn't it?"

Arthur nodded dangerously.

"You're not stupid Arthur," Merlin assured him. "You're honourable and loyal and trusting and these things are assets."

"And look where they've got me," said Arthur bitterly.

"Where? Where have they got you? What's changed?"

"Everything has changed!"

"Really?" queried Merlin. "What has been damaged other than your pride? I've only ever used my magic to help. I would never do anything to hurt you."

"Too late," Arthur said, quietly seething. "You shouldn't have kept this from me. Why, during all the time we've known each other, could you not have told me?"

"If your father ever found out..."

"I'm not asking why you couldn't tell my father, I'm asking why you couldn't tell me?"

"I didn't want to put you in that position."

"Do you think I would have turned you in?"

"Would you, if you had found out differently?" Merlin asked. Arthur paused.

"The point is, I was never given the chance to decide," said Arthur eventually, avoiding a straight answer because truthfully, he wasn't sure what it would be. There was no way he was about to confess to Merlin now, that he might have a point. Not when he was this angry. And he certainly wasn't going to admit that for one very brief moment the thought had crossed his mind even on this occasion.

"This is my life we're talking about," Merlin argued. "I had no choice."

"Yes, you did. For all my misplaced trust in you, you couldn't trust me. Even when I knew you had magic, you still couldn't tell me. You just let me believe more lies. Were you ever going to tell me? How long were you planning on pretending?"

"I was about to tell you. That's what I was trying to say when the shadows came," insisted Merlin.

"Well that's convenient!" said Arthur cynically. "So what really happened last night with the sorceress and that pendant? I want the truth this time!"

"I'm not sure about everything. I was pretty out of it to be honest." The prince may have lacked magic, but the look he gave Merlin as he evaded giving him a straight answer was positively deadly. "Surprisingly you weren't entirely wrong," Merlin explained. "The stone channelled magic into me. A lot of magic. It wasn't a curse or a spell as such, but that much raw power alone can kill easily. I couldn't control it, Arthur – I tried, I really tried, but I couldn't. It was too much even for me and my body had to get rid of it. I tried to protect you– "

"By sending me flying and then trapping me outside a magical... whatever that damn thing was you put in my way?"

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help what I was doing."

"Is there any part of this you can take responsibility for?" Arthur wondered aloud. A pang of sympathy for Merlin's suffering reared its annoying head forcing Arthur to deliberately recall the web of lies in order to suppress it. He wasn't in the mood for this. "You healed yourself. How did you do that?" No, it wasn't curiosity, he just wanted answers.

"I wish I knew. Instinct?" Merlin speculated. "That was the way my magic always used to work when I was younger and to a large extent still does, although I've never been capable of anything like that before," he explained. "Not that I've ever really tried," he added. "I must have been able to use up some of the excess magic somehow. I wasn't lying when I said I don't remember everything."

"You also healed my hand," confessed Arthur dispassionately.

"I did," remarked Merlin surprised. "That's good."

"Good?" Arthur questioned him "You're speaking like this is normal."

"Magic is normal for me," Merlin reminded him.

"I'm having trouble coming to terms with that," Arthur admitted after a moment. He was calming, though only slightly. "Who else knows?"

"Just Gaius."

"And the sorceresses apparently," Arthur noted.

"Yes, them too. I'm not sure how to put this but there are prophecies about me."

"Prophecies? About you? You are kidding me, right?"

"No. In fact the druids have their own name for me."

"Oh, believe me," said Arthur snidely, "I can think of quite a few good ones of my own."

"It's my destiny to protect you and to help you become a great king," Merlin told him.

There was deathly silence and it took a while for Merlin to figure out why. Then it hit him. Idiot! he reprimanded himself. He'd just effectively told Arthur that the reason he'd saved him was because of some stupid, stupid prophecy. How must that sound? And to cap it all off he was implying that Arthur needed his help – which of course was true – but neither of them would ever admit it to each other.

"You don't understand," Merlin began to explain. "I didn't mean–"

"No, I do understand. In fact you made it very clear. Well, that explains a lot."

"Look, when I first came to Camelot I used magic to make that chandelier fall on Mary Collins and I slowed down time to push you to the floor so quickly. When I did, I wasn't thinking about destiny, I did it because it was the right thing to do. Every decision I've made before or since, was my choice. I use my magic in this way because it is right and because I cannot bear to see the people I care about hurt. Maybe it is my fate, maybe it is my destiny, but if so that's only because I am the person that I am. Maybe that's all destiny is," he realised, "a series of choices I am bound to make because it's in my nature. But if I can use my powers to do good, then if I had the choice, I wouldn't change who I am for anything."

"You can slow down time?" asked Arthur sceptically. The rest of what Merlin had said was still being carefully processed.

"Yes," Merlin sighed. "I find it's very useful in situations involving flying daggers, falling physicians and axe-wielding maniacs."

"Oh," Arthur said, still unsure where he stood with regards to Merlin and most of all himself. "So apart from myself, Gaius and quite possibly the entire magical community in hiding, nobody else knows your secret?"

"Well there's my mother, obviously. Oh, and Lancelot," Merlin suddenly remembered.

"Lancelot?" exclaimed Arthur, gobsmacked. "You told Lancelot, but not me?"

"I didn't tell him. He heard me enchanting the lance he used to slay the griffin."

Another pause.

"You were responsible for the griffin's death?" Arthur said more softly.

"I helped a little... well, a lot, yes. It could only be killed using magic."

"Why did you do it?"

"Why do you think?" asked Merlin.

Arthur's brow furrowed as he thought. "You really do care about Camelot don't you?" he decided.

"Of course I do! I would rather die than watch innocent people suffer when I can do something to stop it, Merlin said. Arthur nodded, clutching to this common ground.

"Very well," he said. "You can still come with me to Heolstor."

"You weren't exactly going to stop me. I wasn't about to let you go alone." Clearly this had been the wrong thing to say.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Merlin," said Arthur, darkly. "You lied to me for the better part of two years and that's not something I can just ignore. All I care about now is the safety of the city and those people I have a duty to protect. I will do whatever it takes to ensure I succeed. Too much is at stake. As much as it pains me to admit it, we stand a better chance of beating these people if we work together – by which I mean you will do everything I tell you. No more deceptions. If I ask you a question you will give me a straight answer. If I give you an order you will follow it to the letter. Understand?" Merlin nodded resignedly. "I can't trust you any more, Merlin, and I certainly don't trust magic."

Yes, ahem – told you it was long. I suppose I could have split it but I didn't… obviously. Don't worry readers, Arthur will come around in the end :)

I've given up trying to guess when the next chapter will be. I know where things are headed but I write for enjoyment so I never force myself to write if I'm not in the mood, although when I am it tends to take over everything. I also want to write another 'Hexing can be Vexing' chapter as that proved unexpectedly popular. Thankfully I got rhyming dialogue out of my system before writing this chapter *shudders at thought*.

Review replies:

Nikki Shaw - Thank you very much! I'm very pleased and frankly flattered that you're so enthused by my story, especially when you've been put off Merlin fan fiction by all the slash. I must say I definitely don't care for M/A slash myself but I love the friendship between them. I hope you continue to enjoy reading this.

Becky - Hope you read past chapter three. If you have got this far and are reading this reply then thank you very much. I really appreciate your comments. I'm definitely not a fast writer but as you may have realised by now, I'm from the UK and series 2 finished here in December last year. So yes, you are behind a tad. On a side note I believe I read somewhere that the scene between Merlin and Arthur before they set out to face the dragon was cut on Syfy for time (episode 13 was 5 minutes longer than usual on BBC). I could be wrong but if that is true then you should definitely try and Youtube it because it is one of the most adorable scenes between them in the series.

emerald.97 - Thank you as always for all your lovely reviews. I'm glad you liked the cliffy and I'm sorry for keeping you hanging when I normally try and resolve cliffhangers quickly. So, now Arthur knows and I hoped you liked the reveal. I highly doubt the show will handle it this way (if they EVER get around to it at all) but who knows ;)

Orion1432- thank you very much. I'm so glad you liked the last chapter. I guess commenting on the rest of your review is a little redundant now you have your answers. I hope Arthur's reaction was okay and in character. Obviously he still has a few issues to deal with which will take time. Expect a (hopefully) sweet reconciliation in a later chapter.