A/N: Thanks so much to all those reading and reviewing. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

CHAPTER 3

Arthur stops visiting his father. Merlin notices - Merlin notices everything - but doesn't bring it up, for which the Regent King is grateful. He doesn't want to even think about his father, let alone talk about him. Besides, there are other matters to turn his attention to. Foremost among these is the council, who consist predominantly of men Uther's age; all hard-line traditionalists who were shocked to discover he had knighted four commoners.

"So any peasant can now petition for knighthood?" One particularly boorish Lord exclaims during a discussion on the amended Knight's Code. "Forgive me Sire, but surely that is ridiculous! How can you begin to regulate such a thing? You'll have men queuing in the castle courtyard!"

"Not all peasants wish to be knights," Leon argues, but goes unnoticed as the others council members squawk their own displeasure around the newly installed Round Table.

They have been arguing in this frustrating, circular manner for well over an hour now and Arthur is ready to tear his hair out. Fortunately, just then, a jug spills on the table and sends the council into disarray as they do their best to keep important documents from getting soaked.

A sudden suspicion forms in Arthur's mind.

"How did the jug fall?"

Someone replies that it must have been the wind, but Arthur has spotted Merlin, in the far corner of the room looking unconvincingly nonchalant. Arthur drills him with a hard look until the servant notices and, realising he's been caught, ducks his head and goes to refill the jug.

Arthur doesn't bring up the spilled jug that evening in his chambers. He is still too consumed by thoughts of the Knights, and doesn't have the energy to waste thinking about his magical manservant.

"What do you think?" he asks brusquely, making the servant jump and almost burn himself as he extinguishes a candle. This used to be the sort of thing Merlin would offer his opinion on without prompting, but ever since he revealed his magic he has been quieter around Arthur.

"About what?"

Arthur throws a pillow at him.

"Hey!"

"You know about what! The thing I've just spent three hours discussing!"

Merlin plumps the pillow he has just dodged and brings it back to the bed. "Ah right. That. Well, I think you should ignore the council to start with."

"I can't ignore the council. When my-" Arthur stops then, clears his throat at the near-mention of his father. "When I am King, I can appoint whoever I like to whatever positions I want. As Regent, I can't move anyone."

Merlin looks thoughtful. "Then maybe you need to make more use of those who do agree with you on the council. Sir Leon is a knight of noble birth, surely the other council members might bow to his expertise?"

"And how would that work?"

"I don't know..." Merlin scratches the back of his neck, thinking it through. "Work out a system by which you can take petitions for knighthoods from commoners, but have him present it as his own? That way it comes from a place of Leon's expertise rather than your... er..."

"My what?"

Merlin shrugs apologetically. "Well your radical, youthful ideas. As the council sees it."

Arthur turns this over in his mind. It is not such a bad idea.

"Oh!" Merlin's face lights up. "And have Lancelot help Leon, so that when they present feedback to the council he can come and speak too. If anyone can change the council's mind on peasants, it's Lancelot."

It's another good idea on Merlin's part, but the mention of Lancelot instantly puts Arthur into a dour mood. Does the knight know Merlin's secret?

He knows his servant won't tell him, so resolves to talk to Lancelot the next day.

When Arthur presents him with Merlin's idea, Lancelot agrees to it immediately, honoured that Arthur would consider him.

"You are the most noble man I know."

Lancelot looks embarrassed at the praise, but Arthur knows it to be true. It makes him feel even guiltier as he continues,

"You never actually told me how you killed the Griffin, all those years ago? You had to leave Camelot before you had the chance."

Lancelot's expression falls. "Sire..."

"What is it?" Arthur asks quickly. He isn't sure why he wants Lancelot to betray Merlin's secret so desperately. Is it so he can have someone to talk to about it aside from Merlin himself? Is it jealousy, that Merlin may have revealed to Lancelot what he never could to Arthur? "You can tell me anything, Sir Lancelot."

"The truth is, Sire, it was magic," Lancelot confesses in a rush. "As I charged the creature, my lance alit with this strange, blue energy. I struck the griffin and it died. I do not believe I would have survived if not for the magic."

"Oh." Arthur feels strangely disappointed. Lancelot watches him warily.

"I had thought your reaction would be more... extreme."

"It was a long time ago," Arthur dismisses easily - too easily, judging by the way Lancelot's jaw drops into a perfect "o". "Do you know who cast the enchantment?"

"I'm afraid I do not. Though I would guess them a friend of Camelot, rather than a foe."

"All magic-users are foes of Camelot," Arthur answers bluntly, just to see Lancelot's reaction - but the knight appears indifferent.

"As you say, Sire. With your leave, I had best go train."

Lancelot goes and Arthur wonders. It isn't like the virtuous knight to lie, but for the sake of a friend? And for a friend so close as Merlin? And if Lancelot - the noblest of them all - can accept Merlin's secret... what does it say about Arthur that he hasn't yet been able to?

Winter comes in full force to Camelot, with snow and frost that proves a blessing in disguise. Essetir is in political turmoil, multiple invaders battling over who should overtake Cenred's land, and the weather should at least dissuade them from mounting any attacks on Camelot at the same time. Arthur is not grateful, however, for the unprecedented cold chill that has set into the Palace. He suspects it is because of the gaping cracks still under repair in the partially-collapsed council room.

"Can't you make that fire any hotter?"

He is in his chambers with Merlin and it's late. They are sitting in a sea of ancient books, researching Camelot law and the Druids. Although Merlin's plan for pushing forward the amended Knight's Code had worked perfectly, now Arthur faced another problem in council. He wanted to allow the Druids more freedom in Camelot.

"S-Sorry." The chattering of Merlin's teeth makes his apology sound sincere even when the servant is aiming for sarcasm. "Think that's as h-hot as it g-goes, even with..."

Arthur pointedly ignores the awkward trail off into silence. Even with magic, is what Merlin was going to say. His servant has become lax since Arthur announced his plans for decriminalising Druid practices, and it irritates him deeply. Part in indignation that Merlin should assume, even for a moment, that Arthur is doing this for him. More largely because it reminds Arthur of the real reason he is doing this - his own, visceral guilt.

He is not fully in support of magic returning to Camelot, not by a long shot, but he knows the Druids are a peaceful people who he has wronged terribly. He doubts he will ever forgive himself for the Druid deaths on his conscience, but he wants to start to make amends. While the law he wishes to propose will not legalise magic, it will at least make it easier for Druids to exist in Camelot without fear of death.

"H-here!" Merlin shunts a book in Arthur's direction, pointing to a particular passage with a finger that trembles in time to the wind rattling against Arthur's windows. "I t-told you. N-not all D-Druid tribes are magic-users. S-some are just h-herbologists or r-regular h-h-healers!"

Arthur tosses a blanket so it hits Merlin in the face. "The sound of your teeth chattering is making me even colder."

Merlin glares balefully, but wraps himself in the blanket nonetheless. Within seconds his shivers ease and he continues, "As I was saying, if you can argue that not all Druid tribes are magic, then to outlaw them from Camelot would be unlawful. Uther's Purge laws here-" he points to a different book. "-state that magic and magic-users, specifically, are illegal in the Kingdom. There's no mention of Druids specifically."

Arthur grins despite himself. "Brilliant. I will present it to the council tomorrow." He looks curiously at Merlin. "You're not altogether awful when it comes to academia and research. Is that something you picked up from Gaius?"

Merlin draws the blanket closer around his shoulders with a shuttered, nervous expression Arthur recognises from every time previous they have discussed magic. "I'm used to researching things quickly. Magical beasts and the er- the spells that are needed to stop them."

"The Griffin?"

Merlin nods.

"Any others?"

"Oh, loads! The Afanc, Valiant's shield, the Troll..."

The list goes on and on. As Merlin tells his stories about each monster's defeat, Arthur wonders if it would be useful to ask Geoffrey where he keeps the magic books that should have been destroyed in the Purge. He opts not to risk it, fearful that doing so might prompt the old librarian's heart to give out with shock.