Hey guys, guess who felt guilty so she updated sooner than she planned? Yeah, me. I noticed that I only got one review for the last chapter! I'm really sorry about waiting so long to update. I promise I'll updater sooner than I have been! I promise! Anyway, please review it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Merlin runs after Arthur when the trial ends.

"Arthur, are you ok? I know that couldn't have been easy for you." Merlin looks into Arthur's eyes when he finally stops.
"When is it going to stop Merlin? The secrets, the lies, the betrayal; is there no one who I can really trust?" Arthur practically whispers, nearly impossible to hear. Tears stream down his cheeks.
"Arthur, you know you have the knights, Gaius, and even though I admit I lied to you, you know everything now; you know you can trust me. Now and always. The people of Camelot love you, because they know what kind of king you are. The knights have fought time and time again for you, and any one of us, me included, would put our lives on the line for you because we know that you would do the same for us. That's what true loyalty is. You're the one who taught me that believe it or not." Arthur looks at Merlin with a small, almost non-existent smile on his lips.
"You know, for years now I've wondered how my idiot servant had these strange moments of being wise."
"Really, have you figured it out yet?"
"Yes actually. It turns out that my idiot servant was actually wise the whole time, but only allowed that part of him to show when I truly needed it, like when I was being a prat or when I lost faith in myself."
"Wait, did you get another servant, because you can't be talking about me?" Merlin grins.
"No, of course not." Arthur laughs. "Don't forget to polish my armor."
"Yes sire." Merlin groans quite noticeably.
"Oh and Merlin? Thank you." Merlin just nods at Arthur before going off to accomplish his task.

"Morgana!" Mordrid runs up to Morgana, followed closely behind by a much older druid.
"Hello Mordrid, how are you?" She smiles at the boy, a sliver of her old self peeking out at the young boy's greeting.
"I'm fine. Are we going to attack Emrys soon?" He asks with an eerily hopeful look on his face.
"Yes, as soon as I figure out who he is, we will destroy him." Mordrid sighs as he thinks to himself.
'Is it really that hard for her to figure out who he is? This is getting ridiculous. Maybe I should just tell her…' Mordrid shakes his head. 'No. She has to figure it out for herself.'
"Are you sure you can't tell me who Emrys is?" Morgana asks, slightly annoyed.
"No." Mordrid shakes his head.
"Well then. We have other business to attend to as well." Mordrid and the older druid, Taliesin, follow her into a large tent.

"Come on! You have to be ready to fight off magical attacks! Morgana could attack any day now, and Merlin is plowing you down like a bunch of daffodils. It's Merlin people!" Merlin rolls his eyes.
'Is it really that hard for Arthur to admit that I'm powerful?'
"In their defense sire Merlin is the most powerful sorcerer to ever walk the earth."
"Warlock." Merlin coughs, causing the knights to laugh. Gwendolyn mock glares at Merlin.
"Gods Merlin, why do you have to be so specific about everything!" She laughs.
"Well maybe if someone used the correct terminology, I wouldn't have to be so specific." He teases. Arthur coughs.
"Alright, well if we're done with the warlock/sorceress flirting, maybe you two can show us how to block a magical attack?" Gwendolyn and Merlin both start blushing a very, very, deep shade of red as the knights laugh at this remark.
"Well, the easiest way to stop a sorcerer from attacking you is to stop them from completing whatever incantation they're in the middle of. Like this. Merlin?" They go to face each other. She starts a spell. "Gebann amel fram-" She's cut off as Merlin sweeps his leg under her, tripping her up. "Ah! Merlin!"
"What? You said to stop you. Most of these sorcerers aren't going to expect being attacked while they're still chanting." He says, half to Gwendolyn, half to Arthur and the knights while helping her get up.
"You're right. Now, split up into two groups and try to take down either me or Merlin." Arthur and the knights split up. In the end Merlin and Gwendolyn end up with several bruises, that are all quickly healed through the use of a healing spell. A young druid boy runs up to Merlin and Gwendolyn.
"Emrys, Gwendolyn!" He stops to catch his breath.
"What is it Leyore?"
"Your father wants to see you and Emrys." He bows respectfully to Merlin, who fidgets while the knights look at each other awkwardly. No one is used to Merlin being anything else but the clumsy manservant that they had come to know over the course of the past seven years, not this powerful sorcerer that druids bow to.
"Alright. Thank you Leyore." Merlin grins at the boy who grins right back before running off. "Arthur-"
"Go ahead." Merlin nods while Gwendolyn gets another druid to come and work with the knights.
"We'll be right back, they won't hurt you." Gwendolyn reassures the druid before walking off to join Merlin.
"What do you think your father wants?" Merlin asks Gwendolyn with a slightly concerned look in his eyes.
"He probably just wants to check on how the knights and the other sorcerers are getting along in training, or to ask you where to find certain herbs. He's been spending time with Gaius, so I'm sure he knows that you usually go pick herbs for him." She squeezes his hand. He jumps a little, not realizing that he had been holding it. It feels so right to him, and he smiles. When they reach Gaius' chambers, where they knew Gwendolyn's father would be, they're shocked by what they find.

Thanks guys for reading. Just a heads up, I'm thinking this is going to end soon, but I'm not quite sure how many more chapters. There are some other stories that have been floating around in my head that I want to start on, but I don't want to try to write more than one story at a time.