A/N: Guys, I'm still alive! Another chapter is coming soon J Basically, I had to rewrite everything. My computer got a virus and I had to wipe my harddrive, losing all of my prewritten chapters for all my stories. So I was set back, but I'm back now J

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Merlin belongs to BBC.

You're the misfit, I'm the sinner

You're the heathen, I'm the fool

Oh my beautiful disaster, it's time to set the world on fire.

The sun was setting low by the time they reached the village, the sun streaking the sky pink and orange. They had approached the village a few minutes ago, when a dark storm cloud was rolling in over the distance and Leon had thrown a worried glance up, "We need to take shelter. This storm doesn't look like it's going to blow over quickly."

Arthur glanced back at his First Knight and then further back at their prisoner. His hands were tied behind him, but the rope was tied to the back of the horse, forcing Merlin to keep a steady past as not to be yanked and forced to walk backwards. It was a rather awkward way to be led, but it was the way they had always led sorcerers. It just never bothered Arthur until today.

When they arrived at the village, they found a simple inn nearby called the The Sunrise and rushed inside, just as the heavens opened up. The youngest knight, the one Arthur couldn't remember the name of, was the one leading Merlin, yanking him harshly into the door. Arthur almost said something, but bit his tongue.

The woman, a fat, plumpy, rosy cheeked woman was wiping the bar off, only stopping to glance up at the knights, "Well, well, if it isn't the Knights of a Camelot, in my tavern. What can I do for you lot?"

Leon stepped forward, dropping a bag of coins in front of her, "We need three rooms. And a stable for our horses."

She glanced over his shoulder, her face scrunching up into something ugly at the sight of Merlin, who was standing two men behind Arthur, still blindfolded and bound, "Why is that lad all tied up?"

"He's our prisoner, ma'am," Leon added, and then impatiently, "Our rooms, please."

"What kind of prisoner? You know I won't have no murderers staying here."

Leon glanced back at Arthur, who just nodded. Leon turned back to the girl, leaning forward to whisper because he knew the kind of panic it would cause in a village like this, "A sorcerer, ma'am. But I can reassure you he's restraine-"

"A sorcerer!? You no better than to bring his kind in here!" She backed away from the bar, twisting her head to both ways, clearly panicked. The people in the tavern had overheard, and the room had gone eerily quiet, "The king would have my head simply for speaking to him!"

"No, he wouldn't," Arthur finally spoke up, just as a few of the customers started to back out of the tavern, clearly terrified. It made Arthur sick. They treated Merlin like a disease.

"And how can you promise me that, lad!? You know as well as I do it's treason to be consorting with him and his people!"

"I can promise that because," he stepped forward until he was standing next to Leon, leaning over the bar, "I am his son, Arthur."

Her eyes widened and for a moment she leaned forward hungrily, until she stopped herself. She shook her head, "I'm sorry, sir, but even if it wasn't illegal I still wouldn't want his breed in here. I'm not comfortable with it, sire, and neither are my customers. I'd love to offer you and your knights a room, but as for that," she pointed to Merlin and he fumed, "I can offer you the stable, that's the best I can do."

Arthur opened his mouth, maybe to scream, maybe to cry, maybe to kill, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Leon stepped forward, "Sire, I will stay with the prisoner tonight. Get some rest."

"No, no," He stepped away, towards Merlin, "He's my responsibility. I will stay with him."

The knights didn't even bother trying to stop him, it must have been the murderous glint in his eye. Arthur ripped the rope out of the knight's hand and yanked Merlin, not too harshly, but enough to make a show, in the direction of the door, throwing a glare over his shoulder, "We leave at dawn."

Once they were outside, Arthur wasted no time in hauling Merlin to the stable. The rain poured down, drenching them both in mere seconds. Arthur yanked the stable door open, the horses snorting in surprise. He pushed Merlin inside, then immediately reached to take his blindfold off.

Merlin blinked at him in surprise and even though it had only been a few hours at most, Arthur had missed the eerily beautiful golden eyes.

He reached to undo the rope around Merlin's hands, ignoring Merlin's raised eyebrows. When he pushed the rope off, he sighed at the rope burn underneath, frowning, "Can you heal yourself?"

"I probably shouldn't," Merlin said quietly, his voice cracking from lack of use, "the knights would notice."

"You give them too much credit," Arthur mumbled.

"Oooo, the mighty Pendragon is mocking those lesser than him. That's a desirable character trait."

"Shut up, Merlin. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay. Stop fretting over me," he looked down, "Also rubbing rope burn does not help."

Arthur stepped back, dropped his hands from where they had been rubbing the burns on Merlin's wrists. He refused to blush, because he was not a girl. Instead, he chose to look around the small stables for a place to sleep. Sure enough, in the back of the stable, there was a small corner where all of the horses seemed to be avoiding, probably due to the lack of straw.

He tore off his cape, the long red flowing one and threw it down on the ground. He took a seat, drawling his knees up to his chest and wresting his forearms on them. Merlin just raised an eyebrow.

"Wow, the prince sitting on the ground."

"I'm not above sitting on the ground, Merlin."

"How noble of you. Unfortunately, I am."

"I found you sitting on the ground in that damn cave."

"That's diff-"

"Just sit," Arthur muttered.

Merlin finally sat down, but not without making it look like it severely pained him. He grunted, switching positions about five million times before he finally settled with laying on his back, arms folded behind his head, golden eyes toward the ceiling.

"Why did you stop me from saying anything back at the camp? I wouldn't have let them hurt your people."

Merlin turned his neck to look at him, "You know why. They would have been suspicious of you. It's better if you play the part."

"What part?"

"The part of a prince who hates magic and all of its users."

"What if that's not who I am anymore?"

Merlin sighed, shifting back to look at the ceiling. He removed his hands from behind head, leaning his head back on the cold wood and settling his hands on top of his chest. He bit his lip, all the while Merlin watched his movements, "It has to be who you are, Arthur. Your father will not tolerate any less and if you have, on the off chance you really have, changed your mind about me and my kind, it's best to wait," he turned again to look at Arthur, "It's best to wait till you're king and you alone uphold the law."

Arthur considered this for a second and then whispered, "If I play the part of a prince who hates magic and continues to watch the execution of magic users than when my time does come, they will hate me. They will not trust me. Not when I have stood by for years watching them burn."

"You will tell them you feared your father, just as they did."

"And they will label me a coward. They will never follow me."

Merlin didn't respond to that, instead he asked, "What finally changed your mind? About me, I mean."

Arthur felt a dead weight drop on his chest and speaking was difficult, if not impossible. Because it would require him to open up, to be vulnerable to a man he should hate and fear. But he took one look at Merlin's intently watching golden eyes and nodded, dropping his head, "My father…since before I can remember has taught me that sorcerers are cruel, corrupt creatures. Magic destroys them, from the inside out like a poison. Once they practice it, they have no choice but to use it for their evil desire. It consumes you. He made me watch hundreds," he squeezes his eyes shut and whispers, "maybe even thousands, of sorcerers executed. He told me that this was the right thing to do, that we were freeing them, ridding them of their corruption. I never questioned him, not really, just blindly believed him. I watched hundreds of families torn apart and I never….I never said anything."

Merlin still didn't say anything. Arthur looked away, down at his folded hands, and continued, "When I was a teenager, my dad would send me on these missions, he would make me kill….Not all of them were guilty, there were children, woman, even men that used magic for petty little things, like gardening and healing and my father still condemned them, and then, then he sent me after you," at this he looked up and Merlin shifted so his foot was brushing against Arthur's, "And you weren't what I expected. You were….You never….I saw more love and happiness in you than I ever did in a lifetime with my father. And then I thought, magic isn't what corrupts, hatred is."

And then Arthur finished, "Gaius told me you were born like this. How can I kill you for something you can't change? That's like killing you because you were born with black hair," and before Merlin could respond, he whispered because he could never ask this once they were home, not when his father was at risk of hearing, "What does it feel like? Magic?"

"It feels like being alive. Like being free. It feels like, " he sat up suddenly, batting at Arthur's knees until Arthur stretched his legs out, one leg on either side of Merlin's body. Merlin pressed a hand to his hand, and his eyebrows pinched together.

"What are you-"

"Shh…" Merlin whispered something, and suddenly there was light bursting from his palm, the palm pressed against Arthur's chest, and Arthur felt it. Really fucking felt it. It was like warmth, spreading from his heart, to each nerve, each limb of his body, engulfing him. It made him feel light, powerful, alive, and he trembled with it, his body overwhelmed by the sensation. There weren't words to describe it and Arthur laughed with the feeling, throwing his head back, as he continued to tremble, his body on fire. For the first time, he felt every nerve in his body tingling at once. He felt like his blood was made of those golden tendrils in Merlin's house and maybe they were, maybe that's why the eyes were gold.

He looked up at Merlin, saw the gentle smile, the creased eyes, and most of all, the reflection of himself in Merlin's pupils. His eyes were golden. The same golden as Merlin's.

He reached up, touched Merlin's face, and his hand was glowing too. He was sure he should feel terrified, angry, anything but the happiness he felt now.

Merlin closed his eyes, leaning his cheek against Arthur, the golden light shining through the cracks in Arthur's fingers.

And then, Merlin withdrew his hand and it was like his entire soul was sucked out of him. He felt empty, broken, cold. He dropped his hand from Merlin's cheek and Merlin smiled at him, teary eyed, but smiling nevertheless.

Arthur shivered, suddenly cold, and a single silent tear rolled down Merlin's face, his voice cracking, "Promise me, promise me you'll remember that when you're king."

Don't forget me.

Arthur didn't answer. He didn't need to. There was no way he'd ever forget something that beautiful, something that made him feel that alive. He surged forward, pressing his lips to Merlin's and the hunger consumed him.

And honestly, kissing Merlin was a lot like magic. It was like his nerves were on fire and when Merlin pulled away, Arthur felt empty, cold. And that is what life without Merlin would be, pointless, cold, empty, incomplete.

Merlin pulled away and pressed his forehead to Arthur's, smiled, and propped himself up against the wall next to Arthur.

Later, once Merlin was asleep, his head dropped against Arthur's shoulder and Arthur's Camelot robe spread over their legs, Arthur pressed a kiss against his hair and whispered, "I promise."

The next morning, Arthur tied Merlin's hands back, pressed a kiss to his lips, and blindfolded him again.

That afternoon, they walked back into Camelot, the tall, white castle (with the pyre in the courtyard beneath it) and the destinies and responsibilities it held looming in the distance.

Review please :)