Season 1 Episode 12.

Story 12: Hidden

Chapter 8: Secrets

When they entered Morgana's chambers, she was tossing and turning. "I should wake her," Gwen told Arthur quietly. It would frighten her more if Arthur woke her. Besides, Gwen had been Morgana's maidservant for years. It was her responsibility to wake Morgana.

Gwen walked towards Morgana and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "My lady," she said shaking her gently.

Morgana's eyes shot open and Gwen could have sworn she saw a flash of gold in them. The same flash of gold she often saw in Merlin. Gwen shook her head. It must have been a trick of the light.

"Gwen?" Morgana asked shocked as she sat up. She looked around and let out a sigh of relief when Arthur was the only other person she spotted in her chambers. It was incredibly dangerous for Gwen to be here. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for Merlin. Have you seen him?" Gwen asked uncertainly.

Morgana shook her head. "Not since he was preparing to visit you three nights ago," Morgana explained confused. "I thought he would have been with you since he never came back."

"Are you sure he didn't come back?" Gwen asked. Morgana nodded.

"How can you be sure?" Arthur asked frustratedly.

Morgana bit her lip. "Merlin has been helping me with something. It was something only he could teach me. He has been meeting me in the library every morning and night for a couple of months now," Morgana admitted.

Gwen closed her eyes. If she wasn't absolutely certain that Merlin was faithful to her, she would kill him for not telling her about that. But she knew if Morgana wasn't willing to speak of it and if Merlin hadn't told her, it must be important that it is kept secret.

Arthur looked at Morgana with a look of disbelief on his face. He quickly pushed that aside. "You said he visited you as he was preparing to see Gwen. Did he say anything out of the ordinary or do anything strange?" Arthur asked.

"He seemed a little jumpy, but he always does when he is helping me with my studies," Morgana explained. Then her eyes widened. "There was one thing. He begged me to make sure you would be okay if anything happened to him," Morgana explained. Morgana hesitated. She studied Gwen for a moment, before she made up her mind. She knew she could trust her. Merlin had trusted her with his secret, Morgana would do the same. Her voice dropped so low, she wasn't sure Gwen would be able to hear her. "I have a similar set of skills that Merlin has. That's why he has been teaching me. I begged him not to tell you. He only found out by accident and I didn't want to bring anyone else into it." Gwen's eyes snapped up to Morgana's, filling with understanding. She understood why Merlin hadn't told her. She didn't forgive him yet, he shouldn't keep secrets like this from her, but she understood.

"Feel free to explain what is going on," Arthur said frustratedly.

"It's a long story," Morgana told him. "One you are not ready to hear."

"Merlin told me long ago that he often would confide in Gaius to figure out how to sa–" Gwen cut herself off and glanced at Arthur. She had been about to say how to save Arthur, but she couldn't really say that in front of the prince. "How to find a particular solution to a certain problem. Perhaps Gaius will know where Merlin is."

"Do you think it wise to wake an old man in the middle of the night?" Arthur asked.

"He's our only chance," Gwen said in a rush. She didn't know why, but she was suddenly overwhelmed with feelings of impending doom. She had a feeling that if they didn't act now, something terrible was going to happen. Something so terrible, she couldn't think it with words, she could only feel it.

"Oh good," Arthur said dryly. "I was afraid we'd have to stay in one place for more than a few minutes."

Gwen rolled her eyes at Arthur, but otherwise ignored him. She, Arthur, and Morgana rushed to Gaius's chambers. It's a very good thing the knights are so oblivious, because they were becoming more conspicuous as they walked.

They didn't even try to be silent as they entered Gaius's chambers. Gaius snapped awake at the sound of his door being thrown open. He lit the little candle by his bedside and had to control himself to prevent his jaw from dropping. He hadn't seen Gwen in years. She couldn't be in Camelot. That with the sight of the prince and the king's ward in their night clothes was enough to shock anyone.

"Gaius," Gwen said, a desperate tone entering her voice. "Do you know where Merlin is?"

Gaius's face went blank. "I haven't a clue," he told them.

"Gaius," Gwen said. She could see as clear as day that he was lying. "What do you know?"

Gaius glanced at Arthur then back at Gwen. "I'm afraid there's nothing I can tell you," he told them apologetically. Arthur frowned. He knew Gaius was withholding information from them.

Gwen nodded her head lightly. She had understood his message. She turned to Arthur and Morgana. "It is too late to do much else now," Gwen said. "Arthur in the morning can you send out a search party?"

"No," Arthur said, anger lacing his voice.

"No?" Gwen asked confused. She couldn't understand Arthur's refusal. He would usually do anything for Merlin, so why wasn't he trying to help him now?

"I am tired of everyone lying to me. I'm the prince and I deserve a certain level of respect. Merlin lied to me for years and nearly got himself killed because of his secret. No more lies. Just tell us where he is Gaius. Don't hold back on my account," Arthur ordered.

Three pairs of shocked eyes met Arthur. "You… you know about Merlin?" Gwen asked surprised. "Why didn't he tell me?" She froze as she processed his words. "What do you mean he nearly got himself killed because of his secret?" Gwen sounded angry. She couldn't believe Merlin had kept so much from her.

"I can't say I'm entirely surprised he didn't tell you. His first reaction when he woke up was that you were going to kill him," Arthur muttered.

"Tell me what happened," Gwen ordered him. To her surprise, Arthur obeyed her.

"It was six months ago, around the anniversary of my birth. There was a sorceress, Morgause. She had the ability to talk with the dead. She said that I could see my mother again, that I could talk to her. Merlin tried to stop me. I should have listened to him," Arthur said his face darkening. "We left at dawn and it took us less than an hour to arrive at the place, I haven't a clue what it was called, but it was a castle. My mother… she told me the circumstances of my birth. She told me why my father despises sorcery. It made me realize my father's persecution of those who practice magic was wrong. While I was talking to my mother, Morgause took out a dagger. I wasn't paying attention, but Merlin had been. When she threw the dagger at me, he put himself in front of it."

Gwen gasped. A look of horror had settled on her face. Merlin had gotten stabbed by a dagger and had never told her. Arthur continued his story with an apologetic look towards Gwen. "Morgause had started to say something, enchant some sort of spell, but Merlin beat her to it. I have no idea what he said, but it was like lightning had tried to strike her," Arthur explained. "It was the strangest thing I have ever seen. Merlin's eyes… they changed color. Morgause was able to block his magic and get away, but he still did it. He tried to kill her to keep me safe. I saw him use magic."

"I'm impressed you didn't have him killed," Morgana commented dryly.

"It's funny the decisions you make when your friend is lying on the ground dying," Arthur told her. "I was furious at first. I didn't know what I was going to do, but then Merlin fainted. Anything I was going to say seemed inconsequential in light of the fact that Merlin had been willing to die for me."

Those words hit Gwen like a ton of bricks. Just another secret Merlin had been keeping from her.