A/N: Double-drabble for this one. Enjoy! And as always, thank you for the reviews and alerts! They make me smile!
When he approaches Elyan, he's not surprised this time by the knight's easy acceptance. The blacksmith's son is sitting with his legs crossed, sword in his lap, whetstone scraping gently against the razor edge of the blade. Arthur sits beside him in the torchlight. "I suppose you already know why I'm here."
Elyan nods and sets the stone on his knee, checking the blade's sharpness against the pad of his thumb and then sheathing the weapon. "Question is, what do you plan to do about it?"
The king sighs, suddenly feeling very old. "I don't know. What should I do?"
The other man smiles. "Can't tell you that, sire. You're the one who makes the laws." He looks down. "Or changes them," he adds quietly.
Arthur frowns.
"Think about it. Merlin has saved all of us countless times, and he never asks for thanks or recognition. He has lived for years under the threat of being discovered and yet he never leaves your side even though you would be his executioner." Elyan puts a hand on his shoulder. "Talk to him, Arthur. Then decide."
After a few moments, Arthur turns and heads for Merlin's room.