Hidden Motives

A/N: Just the epilogue left after this chapter, which is a mammoth one, by the way. I was going to split it in two, but I thought that would be mean.

Anyway, hope you enjoy it; it's really the first time that Arthur and Merlin have been in the same place for any length of time; I didn't realise just how little interaction there had been between the two of them throughout the story, so hopefully this will make up for it!

Thank you so much for the reviews for the last chapter. Please let me know what you think of this one.

Chapter 27

The journey down to Gaius' chambers went more quickly than Arthur would have liked and gave him far too much time to consider what Merlin's likely response to his letter would be. He had taken it out of his robes as he walked, turning it over in his hands as he went, wanting, at every turn, to throw it aside, but it stayed firmly in his grip.

When he finally reached the quarters, he raised his hand to knock, but changed his mind quickly. Knocking might give the wrong impression; it was too much like the entry of a friend who had come out of concern for another's welfare. No, he needed to enter as the Prince this time; he had to keep his distance from the situation and from Merlin. So quietly he opened the door, ready to stride in, give both Gaius and Merlin a nod of greeting and then hand over the letter with a brief explanation; he was determined not to let Merlin speak first.

As he looked around the room, however, it was to see that it was empty; neither Gaius nor Merlin were in sight. He was hard pressed to guess where they had gone. For a split second, he entertained the idea that they had both run; that in light of the fact that Arthur now knew of Merlin's magic, the two of them had decided to ensure their safety and leave Camelot. He quickly dismissed the idea. It didn't seem to be either of the men's style.

Hesitantly, he looked down at the letter in his hand and then at the small table where he knew Merlin and Gaius took their meals. Could he just leave it for them to read when they got back? He berated himself for the cowardice in the idea; since when had he been so terrified of facing Merlin's disappointment? Most of the time he was the one that caused it, whether through extra chores or withering comments.

No, he would come back another time.

But as he turned to go, sounds from Merlin's bedroom drew his attention. It was Merlin's voice, that was certain, but Arthur could not make out what was being said; he sounded upset, frustrated. Against his better judgement, Arthur moved closer and soon discerned Gaius' gentler tones as well.

'…needs more time.' The physician's tone was soothing, calming, but it did not rub off on Merlin.

'No, Gaius, that isn't it. I know it isn't.'

'Do not make rash assumptions, Merlin. This is a lot for Arthur to take in.'

'He's had two days. Arthur's decisions are quicker than that. He's made up his mind,' Merlin finished with a sigh, his tone despairing.

'Take comfort in the fact that he hasn't revealed your magic to anyone.'

'Of course he hasn't, Gaius,' Merlin replied in frustration, 'because it's Arthur, and regardless of what I've done, he doesn't want to see me dead. He just doesn't want to see me.'

'Merlin.'

'No,' he argued, his tone desperate. 'I never expected Arthur to just carry on as if everything was fine when he found out. I knew he never would. I'd just hoped that…'

He tailed off and Arthur went through the contents of his letter in his head once again. How could he give it to him; how could he confirm all of Merlin's fears? But there was no other way; even Merlin knew that things had to change; he had just said as much.

'I just never thought he'd find out like that. I wish…I should have told him…I…' He sighed again. 'If I had then maybe Arthur would have been…prepared, or at the very least he wouldn't have been caught so off guard. Maybe he would have accepted me for who I am.'

'Arthur knows who you are, Merlin. You've been with him for years; he's never questioned your loyalty.'

'Until now.'

'You can't be certain of that until you go and speak to him.'

There was a pause and Arthur could imagine Merlin considering that option; he almost saw the shake of Merlin's head.

'Gaius, I've worked so hard. I've given everything for Arthur. I mean, what does this say about my destiny now? How can I follow it if Arthur doesn't want me anywhere near him?'

Arthur frowned as he heard Merlin speak of destiny; it wasn't like him to be overly dramatic. Yes, he could whinge and whine over the smallest things, but when it came to important things, he was realistic and pragmatic. But destiny? It seemed too flowery and sensational for Merlin. Unless of course Merlin knew something that he didn't; felt something that Arthur didn't. Suddenly, his thoughts after he had been rescued from Veneficus resurfaced in his mind. He had sensed something concerning his connection to Merlin; he remembered feeling so convicted that the two of them were meant to work through Camelot's future together; the notion had overwhelmed him; it had been one of the reasons why Merlin's supposed-death had struck Arthur so deeply.

Was it destiny that he and Merlin had met; was it destiny that had given Merlin his powers and ensured his place in Arthur's life? The thought made Arthur feel very small, but also incredibly trapped. If destiny had decided they would be by each other's side, then would he be forced to accept Merlin back even if the trust that he deemed so fundamental was missing?

'Merlin; do not deceive yourself.'

'What do you mean?'

'Your destiny is important, yes,' Gaius said quietly, so quietly that Arthur was forced to creep forward to hear properly. 'But consider your feelings. This isn't about destiny; your part in Arthur's life, the part you both play in each other's lives, has long since gone past being about destiny.' There was a pause and Arthur heard slight rustlings as if Gaius had moved to sit beside Merlin on the bed. 'This is about a friendship that makes the two of you stronger; a friendship that has seen both of you risk your lives in order to protect the other.'

'I know,' Merlin murmured. 'So what do I do Gaius?'

'I can not tell you, but I believe you will regret it if you don't at least try to talk to Arthur.'

'I don't think he'll ever be able to forgive me for this.'

'Merlin, you have spent the last few years believing that Arthur can and will be the greatest King Camelot has ever seen. Don't underestimate him now.'

The words swept over Arthur powerfully; Merlin had said exactly that to him on several occasions over the past few years. In fact, of all the people Arthur knew, Merlin was the one person who had believed in him. Even when Guinevere had seen him as nothing more than a spoilt, rude Prince, Merlin had still believed that he would be a King that they could all be proud of.

Movement from the bedroom and a heavy sigh from Merlin alerted Arthur to the fact that the two men were about to come back into the main chambers. Panic shot through him as he realised that they were going to catch him eavesdropping. As quickly and as quietly as he could, he rushed for the door, but Merlin's voice stopped him.

'Arthur?' he asked, confusion, and not a little bit of fear, in his voice. Arthur closed his eyes together tightly, but then schooled his expression as he turned round. 'What are you doing here?'

Arthur looked down at the letter which was still clutched in his hand. He stared at it for several seconds and then slipped it into his robes before lifting his eyes to met Merlin's.

'I thought we should talk,' he said gently.

Merlin was unable to do anything other than nod rather gormlessly at the Prince's suggestion that they talk. He backed up a couple of steps, nearly stumbling into Gaius who then retreated to the other side of the room. Cautiously, Merlin sat down at the table, waiting for Arthur to do the same. The Prince looked rather hesitant as he moved forward, as if he was reconsidering, but a moment later he glanced at Merlin's bedroom door and he seemed to have made up his mind. Realisation came on Merlin as he observed the Prince's movements.

'You were listening in,' he blurted out with a suspicious frown as Arthur took his seat.

'What?' Arthur asked, but the way he had frozen at the words confirmed Merlin's thoughts.

'Just then; you were listening in and got caught.' Merlin realised that a strange carelessness seemed to have over taken him. Just moments ago, the thought of talking to Arthur had filled him with dread and now he was purposely trying to antagonise him. Maybe this was his mind's way of putting off the inevitable conversation that he and Arthur would have to have; a way of holding onto their past relationship just a little while longer.

'I didn't come all the way down from my chambers on the off chance that you and Gaius would be having a secret conversation that I could listen in on,' Arthur retorted quickly. 'I just…'

'You just arrived and then decided to listen in on our conversation.'

'This is my castle!' Arthur argued, 'I don't need to answer to you,' he glared at Merlin. 'I just want to talk.'

Merlin sobered up instantly at the words. Behind Arthur, Gaius nodded towards the door and then disappeared through it. Merlin was both grateful for and wary of the privacy that it gave them. This was it then; his chance to explain. He waited for Arthur to start, but the Prince seemed uncharacteristically at a loss for words. That was unusual in itself; if Arthur had decided to talk to someone, he had normally planned out exactly what he was going to say, especially in a conversation of this magnitude.

'You didn't come here to talk, did you?' Merlin said as yet another revelation came to him.

'Merlin,' Arthur said in a tone that was often a warning to be quiet. There was more silence.

'What if I start?' he ventured gently, looking at Arthur for confirmation. The Prince looked surprised, although that was understandable; when had Merlin ever asked permission to talk? Arthur nodded at him and Merlin took a deep breath.

'If you heard Gaius and I just now, then hopefully you realise that I haven't ever been working against you,' he began haltingly. He looked up to see how Arthur would respond, but his expression was unreadable. Merlin ploughed on. 'Please don't think that the fact I have magic means that I am evil and determined to destroy Camelot. It's the exact opposite in fact. I've always been loyal to you. I've fought for you; I've protected you; I've tried to help you. Everything that you've seen in me is who I am. The only exception is my magic.' He sighed and looked at Arthur again, wanting to convey his sincerity. 'I'm sorry for not telling you, but I didn't believe I had a choice.'

'I know.'

'What?' Merlin asked more sharply than he had meant to.

'I said, I know, Merlin,' he replied with a frustrated sigh, getting up from his chair and beginning to pace. 'I know all of those things.'

'Then-?'

'Why did you come to Camelot?' he asked suddenly, turning around and fixing Merlin with a stare. Merlin felt his heart drop at the words. Did Arthur really wish that he'd never met Merlin, that he could just erase all knowledge of him from his head? 'No, Merlin,' Arthur continued with a sigh. 'Don't be so dramatic; that isn't what I meant. I mean: why did you come here when you knew my father's stance on magic?'

Merlin hid his surprise and satisfaction at Arthur's phrasing; had his views on magic deviated from his father's?

'Merlin?' Arthur asked when Merlin stayed uncharacteristically silent.

'Oh, well it was my mother's idea. I was getting too conspicuous in my village. I needed to disappear.'

'So to do that you became manservant to the Prince of Camelot?'

'If you remember,' Merlin insisted, 'I didn't exactly volunteer for that position.'

Arthur just sighed and sat back down at the table.

'How hard would it have been to just not perform any spells in your village? That would have kept you safely inconspicuous. You didn't have to practice magic.'

Merlin found himself staring at Arthur, again saying absolutely nothing in response to the question. He couldn't get over the ease with which the Prince was discussing the topic. Perhaps all was not lost after all.

'Merlin!'

'Sorry,' he shook his head. 'Erm…it isn't really that simple for me.'

'Everything's simple for you.'

Despite himself, Merlin smiled. This felt natural; it felt like their usual camaraderie, even if their topic of conversation was somewhat surreal. Arthur, too, seemed to realise this, but rather than being pleased by the ease with which they slipped back into their usual conversation, he seemed to find it painful; his face smoothed out as if he was creating a mask.

'What I mean is: I'm not like other sorcerers. I didn't decide to learn magic one day. I was born with it; it's…' he shook his head searching for a way to explain it to Arthur. '…it's instinctual. I can use magic without spells or incantations. I mean, usually I do use them -it's much more controlled that way-, but I don't actually need them.' Merlin looked expectantly at Arthur, but he didn't seem sure of what to say. 'Do you want me to show-'

'No!' Arthur said quickly. 'No,' he repeated more calmly. 'So if I asked you to stop using it…?'

Merlin was already shaking his head; it was an apologetic and gentle refusal, but it was firm. Arthur nodded in response; he didn't look surprised; he didn't even look annoyed.

'You can't separate me from magic. It's a part of who I am.'

Neither of them said anything and Merlin found himself unable to look at Arthur. His heart began to race as he realised that they were reaching the point of their conversation which would push them into their respective futures. Merlin didn't know if those futures would be linked.

'Look, Arthur,' Merlin began, 'I know that this makes everything different. I know that you've thought magic is evil for so long, and I know that me having it is an issue, a big issue.' He sighed and looked up. 'But if you already know that I was never against you, if you understand that my loyalty has never been in question, then…' he looked up at Arthur, but felt his heart sink as he saw the Prince shaking his head.

'None of those things are the problem. Well,' he frowned, 'the whole magic thing is difficult,' he shook his head, 'but that isn't it.' Merlin allowed his head to drop and he studied his hands, watching the fingers twist in and out of each other as he tried not to let his emotions rise to the surface, but he wasn't anywhere near as good at forcing down his feelings as Arthur was and it was evident in the crackle of his voice as he next spoke.

'So why did you come down here?' he asked quietly. 'To banish me? To sack me?'

The look on the Prince's face made it clear that at least one of those reasons was why he was here.

'Merlin, you've watched me train and knight dozens of men.' He took a deep breath and turned to look at Merlin. 'You know what I expect of them, what I have always expected of them.'

'I'm not a knight,' he frowned, not following.

'No,' Arthur agreed quietly, 'but you know that the position you…hold,' the hesitation told Merlin enough, '…in that position, you're even closer than a knight. I may face battles with my knights at my side, but I face difficult decisions with you by my side. I face my royal training, the shaping of my character, the trials that will hopefully make me a good King with you by my side.'

He was beginning to see where Arthur was going with this; every word that came from the Prince's mouth increased the desolation that Merlin felt. He knew what Arthur required of his knights; he had been at enough knighting ceremonies to know what was expected of them; he had seen the importance that Arthur placed on every word, but there was one thing in particular that he held in the highest esteem; one characteristic that Arthur prized above all others.

Trust.

Merlin knew it as surely as he knew his own name. It wasn't the magic, or the lies, or the power that was causing Arthur to sever the relationship between himself and Merlin. It was the lack of trust that now existed between the two of them.

'I can't trust you anymore, Merlin,' he said quietly. Merlin nodded, he didn't try to argue.

'I understand.' He looked up at Arthur and gave him the smallest of smiles, but he couldn't hold it in place for very long, it faltered and fell, leaving only the chasm that was dividing the two of them. Arthur had begun pacing again, saying nothing, looking agitated, glancing back at Merlin frequently. Merlin wondered how long the Prince would continue to put himself through this uncomfortable exchange; he usually didn't last this long in emotionally charged conversations, and for once Merlin didn't want Arthur to try and express his feelings in more detail. He just wanted the Prince to leave so that he could lie down on his bed and think of nothing.

Arthur couldn't help but close his eyes in desolation at Merlin's simple acceptance of the situation. Merlin never just accepted something; he fought against it, tried to turn it around. Arthur had seen his tenacity time and time again.

A voice in the back of his mind attempted to drown out those thoughts. Wasn't this what he wanted, after all? His worst fear had been having to face Merlin's reaction to his decision; he had been dreading having to listen to Merlin's arguments as to why this was a stupid idea. He'd even envisioned the argument that would follow between the two of them, coming up with all his responses, ensuring that he could counter any possible claim that Merlin would make.

It had been important to him that Merlin didn't try to change his mind or succeed in doing so, and now that was the case; Merlin wasn't going to make any attempt to sway him; he had accepted the decision with uncharacteristic deference to Arthur's authority.

And Arthur hated it.

This was stupid; in himself he knew that he didn't want to sack Merlin; he didn't want to force the man out of his life; he didn't want to lose him. He knew that so completely. It was only the lack of trust that was making him follow through on this entire plan. But if Merlin could convince him otherwise…

With a surge of something akin to desperation, which came out sounding more like anger, Arthur rounded on Merlin and pointed a finger at him

'Since when do you have nothing to say?' Merlin all but jumped at the sudden demand and then looked up in utter confusion.

'What?'

'You're sitting there saying nothing. Come on, Merlin; you have an opinion on this. You must have something to say.' Merlin just looked at him as if he'd gone mad.

'What do you want me to say?' he blustered incredulously. He stood up. Arthur was pleased to see that there was some fight coming into him. 'I know how important it is that you can trust those around you and I know that the trust you put in me has been destroyed.'

'Then convince me otherwise,' Arthur told him. 'That's what you do Merlin, you argue with me, you tell me I'm wrong, you tell me what I should do when I haven't asked for your opinion! Well this time I'm asking you. So tell me what you think!'

Merlin just stared at him open mouthed, but Arthur could understand that: he'd voiced his annoyance at Merlin's impromptu council hundreds of times over the years and now he was asking for it. For a moment, it looked as if Merlin was going to refuse to speak, but then a sudden indignation seemed to flood his face and Arthur began to wonder what he had let himself in for.

'Alright then,' he began forcefully, squaring his shoulders and fixing Arthur with a glare, 'you want my opinion? Here it is. Your family's view on magic is ridiculous.' Arthur narrowed his eyes at Merlin's tone. 'Yes, magic can be used for evil, but it can also be used for good-'

'I wasn't asking about magic,' Arthur told him firmly.

'Don't interrupt; I'm making a point,' Merlin told him. Arthur tried to open his mouth to reprimand the man for his complete lack of respect, but found that shock stopped him from uttering any words. By the time he realised that he should probably say something in chastisement, Merlin had carried on. 'So if you had bothered to consider the possibility that not all magic users were evil, then I wouldn't have had to lie to you. You created a mistrust where there was no need for it. What's more, nothing I have ever done deserves your mistrust. Yes, I lied to you, but in lying to you, I ensured that I wasn't executed for sorcery. And believe me: if I'd been executed for sorcery then you wouldn't have survived much longer.'

Arthur felt disbelief rush through him. Was that a threat? Had Merlin just threatened him? The way Merlin rolled his eyes made colour flood Arthur's cheeks; when had Merlin ever threatened him? The idea was ridiculous. 'Not because I'd have got my revenge from beyond the grave,' he told him in exasperation, 'because I have saved your life over and over again since I arrived in Camelot. I'll quite happily give you a detailed account of each time if you want, but you can be assured that you'd have died several times over if I had risked telling you the truth and you had taken it the wrong way.'

'Merlin,' Arthur told him warningly, although he couldn't completely stamp down the curiosity that the words elicited in him, but Merlin was beyond caring now. These were evidently all the things that he had wanted to say for years, and Arthur given him permission to say them; had demanded that he say them! He'd never, though, expected Merlin to say them quite so fiercely. Before he could suggest that Merlin calm down, the man was talking –shouting- again.

'And so maybe you don't trust me anymore, but that isn't because of something I've done wrong. It's because of an unfair prejudice that your father has created and that you've bought into. I did what I could and what I had to in the situation I found myself, and I did it all to protect you. In the entire Kingdom, it is me that you can trust above everyone else; whether you believe that or not doesn't matter because I know it's the truth.' He stopped there, looking at Arthur almost challengingly. He had only seen that look on Merlin's face a few times over the years.

'Are you finished?' he asked, trying to force some authority into his voice; he suddenly felt very much like he was being told off.

'No,' Merlin told him fiercely. Arthur smothered a sigh; he should have known that Merlin would take his freedom of speech to extremes. 'I've got one more thing to say.' His voice softened and Arthur felt the whole atmosphere in the room drop. Merlin had finished his rant; this was the moment where he would make his final case. Arthur listened intently, wanting Merlin's words to somehow change his mind; wanting his friend's wisdom to once more tell him exactly what he needed to hear.

'I don't know why you came here today, it certainly wasn't to talk, I know that much,' he began. 'But I know that it means you don't want me as your manservant anymore. But whatever you do –whether you banish me or sack me- I am not going to leave you unprotected. I don't care what I have to do; I'll disguise myself or set up magical wards, or anything, but I will not leave you on your own facing the sorcerers in this land that really are evil. I have always said that I would give my life to protect you and that won't change, regardless of whether I'm your manservant, regardless of whether I'm in Camelot, regardless of whether you trust me.'

Merlin held Arthur's gaze for several seconds, but then, as if realising how much he had said and how he had said it, he dropped his eyes, the challenge going out of him again. He had said all that he was going to say. Arthur once again found himself at a loss for words. As Merlin had made his last statement, Arthur had felt a deep peace settling on him, along with an incredible sense of awe at exactly how much he had been given when his father had made Merlin his manservant all those years ago. Humility and gratitude filled him as he realised, once again, exactly how loyal a servant and friend he had in Merlin. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that every word the man had just said was true.

He looked at Merlin; his eyes were down -although he was giving surreptitious glances up- and his hands were wrapped tightly together. But even as Arthur watched him shifting uncomfortably, he couldn't see anything other than the friend that had been by his side for so many years; the friend that he not only wanted but needed at his side in years to come. Yes, trust had been lost –and maybe that loss was unfair as Merlin had said-, but looking at Merlin it was clear that the trust could be regained. And this time round, Arthur knew that once it was restored, it would never be broken.

'So let me get this straight,' he said when he finally found his voice. Merlin looked up nervously. 'You're saying that regardless of what I decide or what I say, you're still going to stay in Camelot and use your magic to protect me?' The tension flooded out of Merlin instantly; he had heard the change in Arthur's voice, had sensed that the direction of their conversation now had a different destination.

'Yes,' he nodded, a wry tone in his voice. 'So you may as well keep me as your manservant just to ensure that you get a tidy room out of the arrangement.'

'I haven't had a tidy room since you arrived in Camelot,' Arthur quipped back challengingly at him, familiarity flooding into him with every word.

'Tidyish room?'

'Maybe.'

More silence, a comfortable one this time, but there was still an undertone of restlessness.

'Arthur,' Merlin ventured. The Prince looked at him. 'I will do everything in my power to regain your trust. I will,' he assured him.

'I know,' Arthur nodded. 'And I will do everything in my power to give it to you.'

'Thank you.'

'This will take time though, Merlin,' Arthur continued more sombrely. 'Your magic is something that accept, but I can't just…'

'I know,' Merlin assured him. 'I know it will be hard. I won't push you on it.'

Arthur nodded his gratitude.

'Although we could make a start in the getting-you-acquainted-with-magic process,' he ventured.

'Merlin,' Arthur murmured warningly, he felt panic creep over him. He had seen what Merlin was capable of with his magic and he had only just come to the point of accepting that he had it at all. There was only so much change and acceptance he could cope with in such a short space of time.

'Let me show you one thing,' he said slowly. 'Something that will show you the beauty of magic, not just the destruction that you've seen.'

Arthur eyed him warily for several seconds, he could feel his breaths deepening, felt the blood leaving his cheeks. But Merlin's wide eyed innocence spurred him on. He was the Prince of Camelot, a knight of the realm. He had faced difficulties and dangers all his life and here he was quailing at the thought of a magic trick by Merlin. He stood up straighter. Merlin was right; if he was going to accept the goodness that could be found in magic, he might as well start now.

'Just something small,' he said firmly. Merlin nodded and then smiled at him, a smile of simple gratitude. He took several seconds to prepare, breathing deeply. That only served to make Arthur more nervous, although he could sense that Merlin was equally on edge. This was, after all, the first time he had demonstrated his magic in front of Arthur when there was no danger. Arthur sat himself down on the chair furthest from where Merlin currently stood, hoping that it would relax his friend a little more. It seemed to do the trick.

Closing his eyes, Merlin began to flick his hands in different directions. Arthur waited for him to speak the words of a spell, but he said nothing. Evidently he wanted to demonstrate the way his magic was different, although Arthur couldn't help but remember that he'd said spells without words were less controlled. He pushed it from his mind and refocused. Merlin's eyes suddenly opened; they were shinning like gold.

But despite Merlin's ethereal gaze, Arthur was drawn instead to the air in front of him. He gasped as different coloured lights appeared from nowhere, glowing with beautiful colours that shifted in and out of different shades and tones; effortlessly combining and merging to form new shades. The colours began twist into different shapes and images: a glowing replica of Camelot's castle, no more than a metre high; a magnificent horse at full gallop; a rushing waterfall that sparkled as if the sun was beaming down. Several more, equally fascinating and wondrous shapes appeared and then the colours fell to the ground like rain drops.

Even when Merlin dropped his hands, Arthur couldn't draw his eyes away from the space where the images had been. Eventually, he refocused and looked at Merlin.

'I think you have a lot to teach me,' he said quietly and he meant it. He felt suddenly so naïve. There was an entire world that Merlin was a part of that Arthur had no idea about.

'I think we both have a lot to learn,' Merlin replied. Arthur nodded his agreement and slowly got up, moving until he was in front of Merlin. Slowly, gingerly, he reached out a hand and put it on Merlin's shoulder, wanting to convey the fact that they would do this together.

'I never thanked you for what you did. Without you, Merlin, Sythe would have control of Camelot, I'd be dead; we all would be.'

Merlin just shook his head, but he couldn't stop a small smile from creeping onto his face. Arthur tried to guess what he was thinking. He looked at Arthur and shook his head with a laugh as if not quite believing the praise that he was receiving. Arthur couldn't understand the response; why would Merlin think he wouldn't get praise for… Understanding filled Arthur instantly; Merlin was amazed by the praise. He had saved Camelot and saved lives and nobody had known to give him the credit or to say well done. Arthur wondered how many times Merlin had wished that someone, that Arthur, would just say thank you.

And so Arthur did something that he had never done before, something that he knew would speak to Merlin much more than any other words could. He moved forward and hugged him, pulling him tightly towards him. It took several seconds for Merlin to respond, his shock reverberated around his entire body, but eventually he did. Arthur pulled back after a few seconds to be met with Merlin's stunned expression. Normally he'd have followed up the show of sentiment with some sarcastic comment about Merlin's sensitivity, but the thought didn't even cross his mind this time. He just squeezed Merlin's shoulder and smiled.

'Are you feeling alright?' Merlin asked him when he managed to find his voice.

'I'm fine.'

'Then what was that for?' he asked.

'To say thank you.'

'You just did that.'

'No,' Arthur told him, a smile on his face, 'not for Sythe. That was to say thank you for everything else.' With that, he gave Merlin a final clap on the shoulder, trying not to grin at his friend's ecstatic expression, and then headed for the door. 'Make sure you're at work early tomorrow. We have a lot to do.'

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