The Betas
Mabon's Feast

There was no castle as beautiful as Camelot's, but Caerleon's was certainly as grand.

When they pulled around the trail's corner it rose, imposing, over the treeline, and Merlin slowed on his horse and stared up while the guards split around him. Three tiers rose from the hilltop before them, each a square encompassing another, with a tall rectangular tower at their center. Caerleon's house banner flew from its peak, whipping in the winds, a snarling wolf on a background of midnight blue.

Arthur reached over and slapped Anemos' rump, making the horse gallop forward suddenly. Merlin yelped, and Arthur laughed, "You won't get a closer look sitting here!"

The entrance into the first tier was a long, arched hallway that opened into a wide thoroughfare. Guards led them forward until they arrived at an iron gate that brushed Merlin's head as he passed underneath it. While the first tier had appeared like Caerleon's version of the seedier regions of Camelot's Lower Town, awash with peasants and hawking merchants and cheap places to grab a pint, the second tier took what was scattered around Camelot and distilled it into pretty-faced shop fronts. Merlin thought he caught a glimpse of a large Apothecary and an old woman watching them from a doorstep, before he was ushered towards a third gate.

Annis awaited them here, in her citadel, and the keep flanked her.

Arthur and Gwen dismounted from their horses to greet her, but Merlin paid less attention to her words and more attention to her face, and those of her warriors around her. She had sharp features, and her gaze was so alert that when it focused on you, you had the urge to duck your head. She had little patience for incompetence, and those that followed her were proud to do so. Merlin noticed they were dressed differently than the knights of Camelot and many of the knights of the realm; they favored leather and many wielded weapons other than swords.

"That's enough of pleasantries," Annis announced suddenly. "I have already been waiting out here for a length of time, and we certainly aren't going to get anything done standing on these steps." She wore a dress the same blue as her house, and wrapped around her shoulders was a cloak adorned with a thick fur collar. When she turned, the wolf's head that had grown that pelt rested between her shoulderblades. "I trust you aren't in need of a nap?"

The queen had sounded sarcastic, but Gwen replied with her chin held high. "We at least will need to drop off our traveling bags."

"Then meet me in my Solar when you are settled. Derian will show you the way." She paused on the top stair and gestured the warrior forward. Arthur recognized him immediately, but it took Merlin a moment longer to place the horse-faced man. He was tall and brutish, and he cast an imposing shadow over Arthur, but respect for the king showed on his face. Ah, that's right, this was the man Arthur had spared during the trial of single-combat.

Arthur gave a curt nod to the warrior, and Annis swept away. A handful of Caerleon's servants took their horses, and Merlin trailed after Derian, Arthur, and Gwen while carrying the packs. It was a quiet affair, and when they finally arrived at the guest chambers the man barked gruffly, "I'll wait outside," and closed the door behind them.

Merlin's mouth quirked and he tried to hide it as he put the bags on a bench. The guest room was a large square with a bed at one end, and a row of windows at the other. He went there next, pulling back the series of drapes as a chuckle escaped him. He hoped the sound of the cloth had covered it, but no such luck.

"What's so funny, Merlin?" Arthur said drily, the sound of his jacket being pulled from his shoulders and rolled into a ball unmistakable.

"You got ordered around like a servant," Merlin snickered, and the wad of fabric hit him in the back of the head.

"I'm still optimistic," Arthur said.

"Because she didn't slap you this time?" Merlin remarked, recalling the time Arthur had snuck into Annis' camp.

"Hilarious, Merlin, truly."

Gwen had gathered a simple gown and delicate tunic in her arms and had slipped behind a folding screen soon after their entrance. Her voice was muffled, but they still plainly heard her call, "You never told me she slapped you, Arthur."

Merlin grinned at Arthur's dirty look, and in retribution Arthur whispered, "Shall I remind Annis of her wish to have you killed?"

Merlin held up his hands in acquiescence, and Gwen emerged from the folding screen with her hands in her hair. "Tell me if there are any brambles," she said, turning so they could see her brown curls cascading down her back.

"You look impeccable as usual, Guinevere," Arthur replied. He held out an arm to her which she took, and then he reached for a water goblet on the table and chugged it in a series of gulps. She and Merlin exchanged a humorous look at Arthur's obvious nervousness. He shook himself after and cleared his throat, barking, "All right, let's do this," as if he were about to run out into battle.

"We will make a proper peace with her, Arthur, I'm sure of it," Gwen said with an encouraging smile. "I have faith in us."

Arthur allowed himself a small smile back at her, then led them to the door. His hand was on the handle when he said, "Merlin, I don't hear you following us."

He wasn't, of course. He was still standing by the windows, and when Arthur's head swiveled with narrowed eyes, Merlin grinned sheepishly. "But it's going to be so boring."

Gwen knew that Arthur wanted his best friend there, but would be much too proud to ask for it. She also knew Merlin was being stubborn on a lark, likely to rile Arthur up and make him forget his nerves. Playing her part, she said, "At least stick it out for the first hour."

Arthur snorted. "And if you aren't enjoying it by then, then consider it punishment for something you've gotten away with."

Merlin crossed the room and bowed mockingly. "Yes, your hiney-ness."

When he rose, Arthur reached forward to flick him in the forehead. While Merlin was pouting Arthur said, "Fantasizing about my arse again?"

Merlin smiled innocently. "Just thinking of how you are one giant one, sire."

Gwaine flopped, his arms hanging over the castle's edge. "I'm bored. Let's play a game."

Elyan sighed, "We're not playing 'Three Women' again, Gwaine."

The three knights were leaning over the stone walls of Mercia's highest battlement, their vantage point bringing a stiff wind into their faces and a view down into the town below. Leon had sent them away to stretch their legs.

After an exaggerated sigh, Gwaine remarked idly, "Leon and Bayard really get on."

"They have a lot of respect for each other," Percival agreed.

Elyan hummed. "Must come from all those battles when Uther was king."

They paused their (fairly lackluster) conversation to greet a guard as he passed. He didn't look worried to find three Camelot knights lounging along his route, and Gwaine snorted to himself, thinking that they could have been up to something nefarious if Elyan wasn't always so upstanding.

When he was gone, Percival asked, "Anyone know what all that talk about a poisoned chalice was about?"

Elyan nodded while Gwaine flicked a small stone over the edge, all three watching it plummet. "Gwen told me awhile back. Some sorceress tried to poison Arthur and frame King Bayard for it. Merlin found out and drank it instead."

Gwaine's eyes widened. "He drank it?"

Elyan shrugged, "Apparently he burst into the throne room shouting about it, with absolutely no proof. He had no choice."

Percival smiled softly. "Classic Merlin. Arthur's lucky."

Elyan explained a few more details, like how Arthur had disobeyed Uther to get Merlin the antidote, but Gwaine's mind tripped back to the fact that Merlin 'had no proof'. That seemed a little preposterous. Either Merlin had found an empty poison bottle, or he'd seen the sorceress himself, and either case he could have presented to the court.

Though, perhaps Merlin was already friends with the dragon by then, and the dragon had told him. Just how long had they been working together? Surely not since before the dragon had attacked Camelot?

Gwaine's face pinched. He had so few facts. He wanted to trust his friend, but Merlin made that so hard to do sometimes.

"Why so sour?" Percival nudged him, and Gwaine tried to smooth out his face. "I thought you'd be delighted to use that against Arthur."

"What?" Gwaine asked in confusion.

Elyan waved a hand. "You snooze, you lose."

Merlin shut the door to Annis' Council Chambers behind himself and grinned to the blank wall of the hallway.

After three days of moral support, he was finally free! Well, he still had to pretend to do his chores, but this was still a sweet, sweet freedom. He may even have skipped a little. Colliding with a kitchen scullion and sending metalwear skidding all over the stones wasn't even enough to dampen his spirits.

She, however, fell to her knees with a dramatic gasp. She put the back of her hand to her forehead and called, "Oh, what shall I do?"

One of Camelot's knights was at the far end of the hallway, and he looked at her pillowed in her skirts and then glanced away, pretending to have something else to do. His chainmail clanked as his pace away increased.

"Are you alright?" Merlin said, already gathering some of the dishes.

She turned her head sharply, as if she'd only just noticed him there. "Hallo, there." Her eyes raked over him quickly, and then she scooted closer and smiled brightly. "I'm Ari."

He smiled kindly. "I'm Merlin." He handed her the plates he stacked, and she held them loosely on her lap. She made no move to pick up the other things scattered round the floor, so he shrugged to himself and moved away to do it for her.

"Are you new here, Merlin?" She said, tracking his movements and beaming at him whenever he dropped a few more things into her lap. He nodded, and she said, "Me too. Only been doing this a few years, but guess what?"

"What?" he said, when he'd handed her the last of the scattered dishes. Their tall tower wobbled slightly in her lap, hardly balanced by her hands, and Merlin scooped them away from her to prevent them from toppling again.

He held a hand out to her which she took happily, continuing to whisper to him in her excitement. "I think they're going to finally promote me!"

He had no comment for this, especially when she made no effort to help him carry the dishes, but he smiled brightly at her anyways. "Congrats, Ari."

"Isn't it wonderful!" She squealed, already fast friends, and he chuckled lightly.

"Let's take these to the kitchens and get you that promotion," he grinned.

"Oh dear, I almost forgot!" She smacked herself lightly on the head. "Running into you made it fly right out of my mind!" Her train of thought was impossible to follow, and he was left quirking his brow. "I have got to get these to the Great Hall right now!"

"For the nobles?" Merlin said hesitantly. "I don't think they'll appreciate the fact that these have been all over the ground."

"Oh, but it took me all morning to wash these!" She said mournfully. "I don't think they'll notice. Come on, we must hurry, or else, Hilda said, or else! I'm already late!"

She hurried away, her skirts in her hands, and Merlin had no choice but to follow her, else she find the meaning of that 'else'.

When they burst into the Great Hall Ari giggled, "We've beat her!" She then grabbed the top half of the stack of dishes from Merlin, and began haphazardly tossing them along the long lines of the feasting tables. Merlin followed behind, placing his share of the plates on the royal's and higher noble's tables. He made sure to put the plate with the dent where he was certain Arthur would sit.

Throughout all this, Ari kept up a steady stream of chatter, talking about Hilda from the kitchen staff, and then the gossips of the other ladies from that realm of the citadel. When finished with her side of the room she flounced onto a tabletop and began swinging her feet. "—it's really quite scandalous!"

Merlin smiled, not quite having understood much of what she said. "Well, I have to prepare Arthur and Gwen's chambers now." He stood awkwardly for a moment and then waved goodbye.

Ari, however, gained another layer of excitement and leaped to stand beside him. "I've wanted to see those! I've never had the chance but I heard they're very high up in the keep—"

She continued on, and Merlin sighed inwardly. Oh well, she was sort of endearing.

By this time Merlin had picked up on the way back to the guest chambers, not through the servant's passageways, but Ari, surprisingly, did not veer him to more hidden routes. Instead, she leaned over and said, "The king brought a lot of knights with him, didn't he?"

"Some knights, but mostly guards," Merlin answered.

She squeaked. "I'll get to serve them tonight, if Hilda doesn't stop me!" Her eyes widened, and she turned to him with her mouth popped open in a round 'o'. "You're the king's servant, aren't you?"

At long last, she noticed, Merlin thought with a small laugh.

"Introduce me to some of the knights later, alright? I like the tall and strong ones." She smiled and clapped her hands giddily, and Merlin agreed with an even greater laugh.

"They'll like you," he said.

They entered the royal's rooms, and Merlin busied himself by laying out various outfits for Arthur. Gwen was sure to make him change, despite whatever fight he'd put up about it. Ari followed him without embarrassment and fluttered to the windows, but was quickly distracted and began to inspect the drapes and decorations with distaste. "Everything here is so clunky and stiff."

"I'd call it utilitarian," Merlin replied, and watched her flit to Gwen's over-gown lying over the folding screen. It was a dark tan with intricate gold embroidery which she planned to wear atop a deep purple dress.

Ari oohed over it and picked it up to see it modeled over her own plainer clothes. "Do you think I could try it on?"

"Er…" Merlin said quickly. "That's likely a bad idea."

She sighed, pouting. "Yes, you're certainly right." Her eyes lingered on the fabric as she replaced it, but swung for the door with surprise when Arthur and Gwen arrived. Ari blanched, and dropped into a perfect curtsy. "Your majesties."

Arthur blinked, his mind stuttering, but Gwen swiftly answered her. "And how are you?"

"Very well, your highness. I believe I will be promoted soon!" She smiled airily, and then gasped. "Oh dear, I've forgotten the goblets! I must leave, forgive me!" She curtsied again and hurried away, Arthur watching her disappear down the hall.

He turned back to Merlin frowning. "I leave you alone for two seconds and you bring a girl into my rooms!"

Merlin shrugged helplessly, grinning. Arthur rolled his eyes in exasperation and stalked over to the bed where Merlin had lain out his clothes. He unbuckled his sword and tossed it out of his way, onto the pillows. "Did it end badly?" Merlin asked, trying to read Arthur's frustration.

Arthur swiftly trapped himself in his doublet, and Merlin jovially stood by and watched him struggle. Gwen answered from behind the folding screen. "I think it ended very well—I'm sure we've almost fully convinced her to help us build the fortified highway. Perhaps by the time we leave…."

Arthur escaped, and his blonde hair stuck up at odd angles. He threw the red doublet onto a chair and then peered at the various articles of clothing Merlin had arranged. "What color should I wear?" He called to his wife.

"Purple," she said instantly.

"I'm not wearing purple," he replied with a sour turn of his mouth. Merlin pointed out a tan colored doublet and Arthur picked it up. "She mentioned Morgana, just as we were shaking hands at the close—wanted to know my plans for her, due to her inclination to instigate wars. Said she heard a rumor Morgana was bumming around with Odin."

"Oh?" Gwen said, as her former gown hit the top of the screen and her evening one disappeared.

Arthur continued. "But I know that's a lie, because of what you told me." He turned to Merlin while tugging the creases from his shirt. "She was impressed."

Merlin beamed. "Glad I could help."

"So I decide to reward you, and then I arrive back here to find you cavorting with a servant girl."

Merlin squawked. "I was not cavorting!" Then a smile danced at his lips and he continued, "And what if I was gathering more intel for you?" Arthur raised a brow, beckoning him to continue, and Merlin launched into a string of Ari's gossip. "Kea is getting married tonight, to Oren from the castle staff. She's marrying quite high for her station and apparently she's—"

"Oh shut up, Merlin."

Primly, Merlin replied, "Not quite yet, sire. You still have to tell me what's bothering you."

Gwen appeared from behind the screen with a knowing smile. "You can't hide anything from Merlin, Arthur." She reached up to tamp down Arthur's errant locks, and tuck them carefully into his circlet.

Arthur sighed while he let Gwen adjust his clothing further, focusing on a point of empty space somewhere in the center of the room. "There's still something she's waiting to say, but there's little chance left for her to say it."

"Perhaps she'll mention it tonight."

Arthur frowned and turned away from them both, buckling his sword back on. His hand lingered on the hilt, and he said, "If it's something about her husband, then there's nothing I can offer. She could still become another Odin." He put a hand over his face and muttered to himself, "Why did I let him talk me into that?"

He was talking about Agravaine, and how his uncle had convinced him to kill the once king of Caerleon. Gwen shared a glance with Merlin and then delicately put her hands on Arthur's shoulders.

"That's not what she's holding back," Gwen said softly. "You fought that battle, and it's passed."

Arthur's eyes were full of emotion. "If things had played out differently, and I had lost you instead—" He broke off. "How could she ever forgive me?"

Merlin strode until he stood before Arthur, and though he lowered his voice, his words still rang clear and true. "She already has. Just as Iseldir has for many of the injustices against the Druids." Arthur's gaze clung to him. It was for this wisdom that Merlin always proved himself invaluable. "She, and Iseldir, see you for the just king that you already are, and for the great king that you will become."

Arthur rolled the dark wine in his goblet, watching the dark liquid cling to the metal edges of his cup.

So far the feast had made for a splendid meal, and Annis had kept them well-entertained with a musician gifted with an even voice. He had nothing to complain about, but he could not shake the instinct that they had left one stone left unturned, and thus he was unable to fully enjoy the evening.

He was bringing the goblet to his mouth when Merlin's hand shot past and stole it from his hands. Merlin refilled it, then leaned forward to return it to the table, nudging Arthur with his elbow while he did so. He muttered, "Just ask her."

They shared a quick look, and then Merlin retreated behind him again, out of sight. Arthur took a deep breath. Right—no good reason to wait. He turned to Annis, who had already been eyeing him, obviously caught on the thought that he was trying to pull from her. "We have left one thing unsaid."

She smiled, obviously amused. "Yes we have, Arthur Pendragon. Tell me, can you name it?"

Arthur's face was serious, and he replied, "The past." It was perfectly vague, but his expression was enough to hint that he was thinking of the king he had killed.

"The past," Annis confirmed. "Caerleon, killed leading a raiding party, decades after your father had led similar into our own lands."

"I regret—" he started, but Annis did not appear to care for words that offered nothing new.

She cut him off. "You are not your father's son, are you?"

Arthur leaned away, unable to answer the question. He wanted to be a son that his father could be proud of, but he also didn't believe in everything his father had stood for.

"The Druids would flee into our borders, and he would come hunting them. Luckily for you, we didn't kill him then, as was our right."

Arthur furrowed his brow, intent on holding back any comments that would ruin their alliance. A trio of servants filed in to begin ladling vegetable and pork soup into the bowls of the many nobles, and Annis continued into Arthur's silence.

"Now you turn that on its head, and bring the Druids back in. I'll ask what has been on everyone's mind, since the lands heard of Camelot's acceptance of the Druids." She turned to him, eyes flashing. "Just how many of Uther's laws are you planning to overturn? Or is this a ploy—one last feint against the Druids before they are finally exterminated?"

Arthur took a drawn out sip of his wine, and he used the time to find a way to reflect how he felt. "It was unjust to banish a peaceful peoples, and I will change any law if it is unjust."

Annis eyed him for a long moment, but a small touch of a smile on her lips let him think he had said the right thing. Perhaps her hard won respect was not so far off—

"I'm coming!"

From a servant's passageway at their backs he heard a familiar, feminine voice shout, and it effectively halted their conversation. He turned, body already tensing for what some subconscious part of him knew would happen.

The servant girl, the strange one from his chambers, came barreling around the corner with a laden pot, steaming with soup. "I'm here, don't worry!" She shouted and smiled, and in her distraction her foot caught the hem of her dress, her eyes widened and connected with Merlin's, and then the pot went flying from her hands.

Arthur thrust an arm over Guinevere's head, trying to shield her. Merlin dove to catch the servant girl's elbows, preventing her from completely falling on her face, but put himself in the path of the falling soup. A moment later, and he was covered from shoulder to hip in the scalding liquid.

It was hysterical, and Arthur almost burst with laughter until he caught the stormy expression on Annis' face. Merlin dropped the servant girl's arms, squeezed his eyes shut, and began flapping at his tunic, sending vegetables and dumplings flying across the room as he hissed. One of them hit Annis in the nose.

Worse still, his manservant was flashing his entire torso to the Queen of Caerleon and her entire court. He launched himself forward.

Arthur's fist grasped his forearm, and its iron strength and made it clear that he was embarrassing both himself and his king. Merlin whined plaintively, uncaring. It burned, for spirits sake.

Annis turned slowly in her chair and fixed her glare on Ari, who quailed. "What's your name, girl?"

Ari mumbled something under her breath, so quietly that even Merlin couldn't hear despite standing right next to her.

Annis grew impatient. "Speak up next time. Own your failure, or you will never earn your successes." She turned away with a sneer of obvious distaste for the downtrodden kitchen-scullion, and waved a more put-together servant closer. "Fetch another round of soup for the high table."

Gwen gave Merlin an apologetic look, where he was still flinching with a pained hunch. Without turning back Annis ordered Ari disdainfully, "Take King Arthur's Fool to the seamstress. You certainly won't be returning to serve the feast."

Ari's lower lip began to quiver, and Merlin tugged her away, not wanting to see her further embarrassed despite the steam rising from his shoulders. They barely made it through the servants' passage before she had burst into tears.

She threw herself into Merlin's arms, then jerked back when her face felt the wet slop covering him. She sniffled. "Oh, Merlin, I've failed again. I'm horrid at all of these jobs. Hilda is sure to fire me—"

"You make a great scullion," he tried, "And you shouldn't cry over a little spilled soup. I've done much worse and Arthur still hasn't chopped my head off."

The levity helped, and she hiccuped, which made a flimsy smile flicker on her face.

"One time," he said, carefully reaching down and beginning to flap his tunic again, "I fell asleep while supper was being served, and I ruined Morgana's gown when I tipped the decanter all over the floor." Ari's smile began to stabilize. "Uther was furious. I was in the stocks for days, and I only escaped when Arthur finally admitted my face after was the funniest thing he'd seen all year."

Ari giggled and rubbed at the last tears in her eyes. "Oh dear, Merlin. I've ruined your clothes."

"True," he smiled, "but they aren't so important."

She huffed, "You certainly can't be seen dressed like that. The Queen agrees. You must be taken to the high seamstress immediately."

"I don't think she meant her personal—" Merlin stuttered, but Ari had already grabbed his arm and dragged him away.

She led him through the noble's halls, and really, if he hadn't guessed it already, her wavy, dark brown hair that hung in streams down her back should have been enough proof.

Ari burst into a small room in the citadel, surprising an old woman who had begun to doze at her desk. "Annis requires a new tunic for King Arthur's manservant!"

Her announcement, and the carrots still sticking to Merlin's clothes, pushed the old seamstress to her feet. He was shirtless before he even had a chance to argue, and she had a length of string about his chest, measuring his size, before he quite realized her intentions.

"A regular sack will do just fine," he said abashedly.

The seamstress scoffed. "The Queen would not accept looking so poor. We can surely afford a better gift."

"It's not quite a gift, per say," Merlin tried, but the seamstress ignored him as she swiftly measured his bicep, the length of his arm, and then his waist.

"One hour," she said, and disappeared into the back.

Merlin wavered a bit awkwardly, and then glanced at Ari who still stood nearby. He studied her closer, now that he knew who she was.

She too had a cord that hung round her neck and disappeared into the neckline of her peasant's dress. She looked a little surprised, but didn't stop him as he drew it out. Here was a second dragon scale necklace with a golden ring hanging in place of a medallion, marking the existence of a once noble house come to ruin.

"I know your brother," Merlin stated, once he'd allowed the chord to fall back against her breast.

"Oh," she said tightly, turning her head away. "And how is he?"

"He's doing well for himself," Merlin replied, remaining vague for Gwaine's sake.

Ari's face pinched, and in a manner unlike the girl he had barely gotten to know, she said darkly, "Can't say I'm happy to hear it."

Footnotes:

(1) A citadel would be the core fortified area of a city, usually the strongest part of the system, and also a name for the third part of a castle, with higher walls than the rest. It's the last line of defense before the keep itself. A keep is a type of fortified tower built at the center of a castle.
(2) Caerleon's castle is based on images from the show.
(3) The knights talk about The Poisoned Chalice, from S1E4. Nimueh puts poison in the chalice, tells Merlin that Bayard's done it, and then Merlin bursts in to the throne room and is forced to drink it. Cue famous Arthur follows a magical blue light scene.
(4) Annis, Arthur, and Merlin are all referencing different parts of His Father's Son, S4E5, where Agravaine convinces Arthur to behead Caerleon for leading raids on Camelot's lands. Morgana gets Annis' ear, and Annis declares war. Arthur sneaks into Annis' camp to request trial by single-combat. Eventually he fights Derian and wins, after we get through some magical trickery from Morgana and Merlin. Annis stays true to her word, and leaves, while kicking Morgana to the curb.
(5) Annis calls Merlin Arthur's "Fool" in Arthur's Bane Part 1, S5E1, and I thought it was funny so I used it again.

Author's Note:

Lot of editing involved this round, thanks very much to Linorien for being the first set of eyes and telling me when things got boring, and giving me some ideas to liven things up. Also, Jewels got me watching The Living and The Dead (Colin's new show) and of course I had to throw in a shirtless scene because of it... Also, thanks to her life for helping to inspire Ari's dishes scene. And of course, you reviewers make my day and my week and this story so much better. Thank you all, and PMs inbound!

I'm glad everyone enjoyed Gwen and Merlin dancing! It felt wonderful to give him a bit of happiness. A little bit more of the original trio hanging out in their chambers this time, and I love writing them together. It was fun these past two chapters. But Gwen's going to backup from the story for a bit, sorry Gwen!

I do feel bad for Gwaine. I don't think he knows everything yet, and he can probably tell that Merlin is holding something back. Let's see how things go between them next chapter, when they get a chance to talk again.

Oh, and I hope you didn't mind Ari. I think Gwaine keeping his family, and his nobility, secret from Arthur and the knights is an important point to remember about his character. In one way he can relate to Merlin's secret keeping, and in another way, it prevents him from being able to make a watertight argument for Merlin coming clean to Arthur.

Next time: Tramp Stamps.