The room was silent for a few moments, then everyone started screaming and trying to leave. Balinor barked something in the guttural language he had been using to converse with Merlin, and the guards from the Ealdor delegation rushed to form a circle around Merlin and Balinor and ushered them from the room, leaving Arthur alone.
Arthur remained frozen in his chair for a while, not knowing what to do at all. On the one hand, Merlin had just saved his life, but the anti-magic laws his father had made would mean that Arthur would have to kill Merlin, which would definitely start a war. Besides, the mere thought of having Merlin killed sent a pang through Arthur.
He wasn't sure how long he sat there, but when he heard the door opening, he looked up to see Morgana come in. She had changed out of her evening finery into a nightgown and slippers. "Arthur..." she said.
"What?" he replied.
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
Arthur regarded Morgana. He knew her stance on magic, and her expression altered minutely between hopeful and resigned. "I don't know," he heard himself say. "Having Prince Merlin executed would cause a lot of problems, but the law-"
"Can be *changed*", interrupted Morgana. "You're the King, Arthur; you can change the laws."
"You think I should destroy the traditions my father made?" asked Arthur.
Morgana paused, then her face became determined. "For this, yes," she said. "You just saw- magic isn't necessarily evil. It can be used for good."
"Yes," murmured Arthur. "It certainly can."