A/N: Hey look! An update! Yay! Hopefully this gives you the feels it kind of gave me while I was writing it, though the end of the chapter went a little fast, perhapse. Oh well, What HO! And all that. It's late-ish. I'm tired. I'm VERY weird when I'm tired.

This chapter is dedicated to jinglyjess. I hope this gave you the 'NEXT'-button-pushing joy you were looking for. And all that.

R&R you lovely people. And remember, I DO NOT OWN MERLIN. Which is a good thing. I think. On the whole.

YaraPOV

Merlin's fever had just been brought back under control when Gwaine burst through the door. The old physician had raised an eyebrow at the knight, and Gwen straitened from where she'd been spooning thin broth into Merlin's mouth, despite the warlocks assurances that he was more than capable of feeding himself. He probably couldn't, not with the way his hands were shaking at his side, but Gwen patiently let the young man complain in between spoonfuls.

"What is it?" Yara asked, taking in the odd expression on the knight's face. He seemed caught somewhere between ecstasy and nerves.

"Arthur knows," he burst out. Yara felt her heart stutter at the knews. But whether in fear or hope, she wasn't sure.

"And?"

"He's gonna change it!"

Yara grinned, hugging the man tightly, laughing happily. "No more running?" she asked, wonderingly. Gwaine hugged her back, and she knew that there was a beaming smile on his modestly bearded face.

"No more running," he confirmed.

"Does someone want to explain the sudden levity to me?" The old physician asked, an eyebrow raising in a bemused manner. Yara wondered how many different emotions those eyebrows could be counted upon to convey.

"The law's gonna be changed," Gwaine said, sending the physician a toothy smile. "That stupid law stating that magic is evil, and the punishing of magic-users."

Gaius sat down heavily on the wooden bench behind him, looking like he couldn't believe it. "What . . . what brought this on?"

"Merlin," Gwaine said.

"What about Merlin?" The woman, Gwen, who had helped to bring Merlin's fever down, asked from behind her. "What's this about Arthur changing the laws against magic?"

Yara turned; Gwen's face looked hopeful. Yara wondered if the woman had known about Merlin's secret. And whether she (or the king) knew anything about Emrys.

"Merlin's a sorcerer, apparently," Gwaine said, letting go of Yara. She stayed close to him, happy in the feeling of security he offered. She had placed his red Camelot cloak on one of the empty places on the large table that dominated the room, but somehow the weight and heat had stayed with her. "Which is pretty irrefutable proof that magic itself is not evil. Arthur agrees." Gwen's smile was radiant.

"That's good," she said. "That's . . . I'm . . . Merlin will be so happy!"

"You knew?" Gwaine asked incredulously.

"I was Merlin's first friend in Camelot. He didn't tell me, but it didn't take me too overly long to figure out that he was the only reason Arthur came back from all those fool quests alive." There was a note of fond exasperation in her voice. "And anyone would have to be magical to manage that." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "It was just a joke, at first. Then I started noticing things. The way he looked whenever a sorcerer was sentenced to death. As if he grieved for the man, or woman, he didn't, couldn't, know. The way he and Arthur miraculously escaped injury in even the fiercest of battles." She looked at Gaius. "I didn't want to frighten him; that's why I never said anything." The old man smiled.

"Well, then it's good that Merlin has such friends to help him through this."

"Help me through what?" Merlin's tired voice had Yara jumping to his bedside. Her magic tingled as she lay a hand on his forehead. The fever had broken, thank the gods. That had to be one of the fastest broken fevers ever. She supposed that her healing spells must have also sped up the physician's herbs. Or Merlin's magic had helped him this time. Or both.

"Life," she muttered, "has a habit of throwing things at us we don't think we're ready to face yet, just to show us how ready we actually are." Merlin looked up at her quizzically. To tell him, or not to tell him? That was the question. She supposed that it would be best if he found out now. Plus . . . doing something fast hurt less in the long run. She hoped. "Arthur's changing the laws on magic." Merlin's mouth dropped open. "Actually," Yara continued, watching Merlin's face anxiously, "I guess I should say he's scrapping the laws against magic."

" . . . That's not funny."

"It's the truth," Gwaine said, coming closer to the bed so as to be in Merlin's line of sight.

"And why would he do that?"

"Because he's a good man," Gwaine responded simply. "He asked my opinion. Arthur asked me what to do about magic. I was just as surprised as anyone." The man stopped, expression considering. "Actually . . . he asked me if you actually had magic first. I didn't say anything," he added quickly as a panicked expression came over Merlin's face. Without thinking much about it, Yara moved her hands to the young man's temples, sending a gentle calming suggestion to him.

"Arthur knows anyway, doesn't he?" Merlin asked, eyes closed.

"About you having magic?" came a voice from the doorway. Yara whirled around, blond hair tossed over her shoulder by the sudden movement. The king walked forward slowly, with a small smile on his face. "Yes, I do. I should have guessed, really. How else would I have been able to survive the last couple of years?"

Merlin sat up quickly, but the calming suggestion was still in his mind, keeping him from bolting. "I . . . I know I should have told you . . . I'm sorry, Arthur, I-"

The king held up a hand, cutting off Merlin's stuttering explanation.

"I understand." Those words shocked Yara. She had been pretty sure the king was ready for the truth of magic; but she'd thought that he might be at least a little . . . ah . . . put-out about his best friend lying to him. "At least now I know that you actually do have a self-preservation instinct, even if you, a magic-wielder, did come to Camelot for no good reason."

"Destiny happens whether it's good sense or not," Merlin said hoarsely. His blue eyes were shimmering with unshed tears.

Quickly, Yara ducked back, tucking herself under Sir Gwaine's arm. He hugged her tightly to his side, then leaned down and whispered, "What would you say to a new father?" Yara felt her jaw drop.

"Um . . . yes?" Gwaine . . . her father (soon, at least), chuckled.

"Good, 'cause after all this, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

Arthur was sitting on the small bed, and he was hugging Merlin tightly. Yara watched with a kind of detached fascination. "You're my little brother, Merlin. Don't ever let me lose you, okay? Don't make me lose all that's left of my family." Merlin nodded. Then he grinned.

"We really all just a big, dysfunctional family, aren't we?" Tears of joy had left tracks on his still-paler-than-normal face, and his smile was radiant enough to put the sun to shame. One big family indeed.

A/N: Review? I got LOTS of reviews, and look, only . . . four days? three? Well, less than normal to the update! You people are good at making sure you get results! I LOVE you guys. So much. Which, as I wish to point out, isn't quite as weird as it sounds.

p.s. I PASSED MY FINALS! YAY! Life is now INFINITELY easier.