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Merlin knelt down at the shore of the creek filling up Mithian's waterskin. He looked around wondering if she had left a clue for or something. Why else would she be so persistent that he filled up her waterskin? He knew something wasn't right and he was getting frustrated that no one was listening to him.

That's when he saw it. Etched into the face of a small boulder was a single word. A name. A name that made all his feelings make sense. "MORGANA" was written clearly for anyone to see should they go to the creek.

The warlock dropped the waterskin and began running back to the campsite. He only got a few feet before he felt a force pull him back and toss him to the side. As he fell, his head connected to the trunk of a tree. He felt a wave of dizziness wash over him as he turned over to face his enemy. Morgana was slowly inching toward him disguised as Hilda, hand held out as she cast a spell against him. He could feel his throat tighten as he slowly lost to ability to draw breath. Without thinking properly, he held up his hand and cast his own spell.

Morgana flew backwards, landing several yards away between two trees. As she fell unconscious, the ageing spell faded away, leaving behind any trace of Hilda.

Merlin lowered his hand and closed his eyes, welcoming the realm of darkness that surrounded him. The last thing he heard was someone shouting his name.

Arthur looked around the camp wondering where Merlin and Hilda had gone. Mithian mentioned that his servant had gone to fill up her waterskin, but had no clue as to where her maid had gone. Which he admitted was kind of odd, since Hilda hadn't left the princess' side since they arrived in Camelot. To have her wander off now at the most crucial point of the mission was unsettling.

"Leon make sure the men are ready," Arthur ordered, picking up his sword. "I want to leave as soon as I come back with Merlin and Hilda. The oaf is probably chattering her ear off about his 'funny feelings'."

"Of course, Sire," Leon bowed before walking over to their small platoon of knights.

Arthur stood on a cliff that gave him the perfect view of the creek and the clearing surrounding it. It didn't him long to spot Merlin and Hilda. But something wasn't right. Merlin was on the ground, lying next to a tree while Hilda was slowly moving toward him. Her hand was outstretched.

At first, he wondered if she was trying to help because the clumsy oaf fell over his feet. No, it was something else. Merlin's hand was at his throat and was twitching as if he couldn't breathe. The old hag was using magic to kill him.

The king didn't have time to consider why this was happening. He just knew he had to stop her. He began to make his way down the cliff, only to stop. Something told him to stay still and watch. So he had. He watched as Merlin raised his own hand, aiming it at the sorceress. Despite the distance between them, Arthur could have sworn he saw Merlin's eyes change colour as Hilda was thrown backwards by an unseen force, flying through the air for several yards.

"MERLIN!" Arthur shouted as he finished his trek down the cliff. He was unsure if it was in anger or worry. Anger that his best friend of ten years had magic. Worry that his best friend was hurt and unresponsive.

Once safely down the cliff, he ran straight to Merlin, hoping he wasn't too late. He dropped to his knees and began assessing his friend for injuries. He had a pretty nasty gash just below his hairline and was breathing quite erratically, but other than that he saw no signs of injury.

He shook Merlin's shoulder in an attempt to rouse the younger man. "Come on, Merlin! Wake up! You have some explaining to do!"

Unfortunately, his attempt had failed and he had no other means of trying to wake him. He needed to get the clotpole back to Gaius. The physician would know what to do.

"ARTHUR?" A voice shouted in the distance.

Arthur looked back at the cliff and saw Gwaine and Percival standing there. "Come help me. Merlin's been hurt."

The two knights made their way down in no time and were quickly at Arthur's side.

"What happened?" Gwaine asked.

Arthur hesitated for a second before answering, "I don't know, but Hilda is hurt also. She several yards that way." He pointed in the vague direction in which he saw her land. "Gwaine, go check on her. Percival help me carry him back to camp."

Gwaine gave Arthur a nod before jogging over the the elderly sorceress. Percival easily picked up Merlin and tossed him over his shoulders. Arthur stood back up, feeling his stomach churn. He didn't want to tell them what he actually saw, because he still wasn't too sure himself. He needed to talk to both Merlin and Hilda before telling anyone else.

"Arthur," Gwaine called out. "Get over here. We have a problem."

The king ran over to where Gwaine was standing. The knight had unsheathed his sword and was pointing at, "Morgana?"

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Arthur just stared at his unconscious sister. He was feeling more confused than before. Where was Hilda? Was Morgana actually Hilda in disguise? What was really going on?

The king scratched the back of his head. "Okay. Pick her up. She comes back with us. Once we're done here, we'll put her in the dungeons."

Gwaine made a face, indicating that he didn't like that idea, but said nothing. He simply sheathed his sword and picked her up like she was a sack of potatoes.

Once back at camp, Percival carefully laid Merlin down on some bedrolls as Gwaine and Arthur came up right behind him. Gwaine dropped Morgana next to a couple of knights and signalled for them to watch her.

"What happened?" Gaius asked, voice filled with concern as he grabbed his medical bag.

"I don't know," Arthur lied again. "I found him like this."

"He's taken a heavy blow to the head," the physician noted.

"Will he be okay?" Arthur asked. "His breathing seemed erratic when I found him. Choked perhaps?"

Gaius frowned at that piece of information as he forced open one of Merlin's eyes. "You might be right, Sire. There's no telling when he'll wake up if he was."

Arthur looked over at the unconscious lump that was Morgana. "I think she had something to do with this." He then looked over at Mithian. "What's really going on?"

Mithian glanced at Morgana and then back at Arthur before looking down at her feet. "I'm sorry, Arthur. I never meant for this to happen. I've been trying to tell you. Morgana made me. Threatened to kill my father if I didn't follow along."

Arthur started to piece what together was happening. She left a clue for Merlin. Merlin was coming to warn him, but Morgana got to him first. "Where is your father?"

"He's being held hostage in the tomb by Odin and his men," Mithian answered. "I was supposed to lead you there, so Odin could have his revenge."

The young king looked back at Merlin. Gaius was cleaning the blood away from the head wound. Now that he knew it was a trap, he could easily tell his men to pack up and head back home. But then he'd be leaving an honourable king to die. He could also just wait for Merlin to wake up, but there was no telling when that would be. Waiting would also mean risking, Morgana waking up and escaping.

"Okay," he finally spoke. "Here's the plan. Rowland and Gwaine you'll stay here with Merlin and Gaius. Keep an eye on Morgana. Make sure she doesn't escape. Everyone else, you'll come with me. Mithian, you'll lead us. We need to make Odin think we know nothing of his trap."

Arthur watched as everyone began to file out of the campsite. He needed to have a word with Gaius before he left. "Is there anything you can do to help him?"

"If he's been choked, like you think," Gaius said. "There's not much that can be done except to wait. If we were back in my chambers, I might have something, but it would only help ease his breathing."

Arthur ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "I need him, Gaius. Do whatever you can for him, by any means necessary."

As he left to catch up with his knights, he hoped that Gaius understood what he meant.

Gaius stayed by Merlin's side, occasionally glancing over Morgana and the two men left to guard her. He couldn't do what needed to be done with them nearby.

"He's getting cold," the physician said aloud. "Gwaine, could you fetch some more firewood? We need to keep him warm."

"On it, Gaius," Gwaine replied, before running off into the woods.

"And Rowland, it might be best if you move her to a more secure area of the camp," Gaius suggested. "Less chance of her escaping."

Sir Rowland seemed to ponder this before nodding in agreement. Without a word, he picked her up and carried her to a more closed-off area of the ruins they were in.

Now with prying eyes averted, Gaius grabbed what he needed from his medicine bag, a small bunch of various herbs that held magical healing properties that he carried in case of emergency.

"Ic þe þurhhæle þin licsare." His eyes glowed gold as the herbal bunch caught on fire and began emitting smoke. He waved the herbs over Merlin's body and continued to repeat the incantment, hoping his magic was enough to help his nephew. "Come on, Merlin," He took a deep breath and tried the incantment one last time. "Please, Merlin. That's all I have. Let it be enough."

When Merlin did not wake, Gaius hung his head in defeat. He had given it his all, but it was not enough to make a difference.

Arthur and his knights trudged through the woods as Mithian led the way. The king kept looking back to see if Merlin was right behind them. He knew he should be angry with his servant for hiding that he had magic, but he couldn't bring himself to be. At least not at the moment. Right now he had to focus on saving Rodor and stopping Odin. To do that he needed Merlin. Having him here was crucial, he was certain of that.

"The tomb lies just east of the river," Mithian announced pulling Arthur from his thoughts.

"We're about to cross the Camelot border into Nemeth," Arthur stated. "Remember, this is Odin's land now, so stay alert."

Merlin opened his eyes, surprised to find that he was awake. He turned and looked at his uncle, who was hanging his head, looking defeated. "Gaius," he said before rubbing his throat. Talking hurt.

Gaius looked up "Merlin?"

"Hilda is Morgana," Merlin stated, hoping he wasn't too late to provide the information.

"Yes we know," Gaius said. "Arthur found you two by the creek. She's currently being held prisoner in another part of the ruins. Arthur is headed to the tomb to stop Odin."

Merlin sat up, still rubbing his sore throat. "Mithian tried to warn me, but Morgana got to me first. I didn't mean to, but I used my magic to stop her."

"We'll worry about that later," Gaius said. "She still very nearly killed you."

The warlock smirked. "Well she didn't count on a sorcerer of your power, now did she?"

"Indeed, but please Merlin don't make me do that again. I'm not sure my heart can take it," Gaius replied.

At that moment, Gwaine came back with the firewood, dropping it as soon as he saw that Merlin was awake. "Merlin!?"

"We need to get to Arthur," Merlin stated as he stood up. "He's going to need all the help he can get." He grabbed a sword as he marched out of the camp, stumbling along the way. Gwaine followed right behind him.

At the top of a cliff, the tomb could be seen in the distance.

"We're not far now," Mithian promised. "Just a few more miles."

Arthur looked back again, still hoping to see Merlin catching up with them. He felt his heart sink when there was still no sign of his servant. If Gaius hadn't been able to help him by now, then his injuries were more serious than any of them could have guessed. There was no telling what Morgana might have done to him. He'd have to hope to succeed in this mission without him.

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Merlin and Gwaine trekked through the forest, tracking Arthur's trail, doing their best to keep up. At one point they found themselves hiding from Odin's men. It was at this point, that Gwaine managed to get a good look at Merlin. The younger man still seemed pale and looked like he was ready to collapse all over again. The knight would have to make sure Gaius looked him over again when they got back to camp.

Merlin had noticed Gwaine's worried expression but said nothing. He was fine, more or less. Sure his head felt like it was splitting in two and his throat still hurt, but that was to be expected after nearly dying at the hands of Morgana. After a good night's rest, he'd be fine. Right now though, he had to get to Arthur. Even though the prat knew about Morgana and Odin, he was still clueless about what he was walking into.

Arthur, Mithian and the knights finally reached the tomb.

"My father and Odin are in the burial chamber," Mithian directed. "Just at the end of the tunnels."

The king looked at his men. "Elyan, Percival, you're with me. The rest of you stand guard. Remember we know this a trap so stay alert."

Arthur, Elyan and Percival drew their swords and followed Mithina into the tunnels.

As they navigated the twisting tunnels, Mithian became more and more nervous about what was about to happen. She was glad they knew about the trap, but she wished they had never come. Odin will still try killing Arthur. The young princess was also feeling immense guilt for the harm she had caused. Merlin was injured and possibly dying because she sent him to the creek. Arthur's constant looking back did not go unnoticed. She knew he was waiting for his servant, no, friend, to show up at any moment with that goofy grin of his.

As the four entered the chamber they were quickly ambushed by several of Odin's men. Mithian moved away from the fighting and watched as the three men fought until they were overpowered by the numerous warriors.

Merlin and Gwaine hid behind a set of bushes and trees and watched as the knights were surrounded and forced to drop their swords.

"They're outnumbered," Gwaine pointed out.

"Let's even up the odds then," Merlin suggested. "You help them and I'll go find Arthur."

Merlin quickly navigated his way through the tunnels, hiding back when he saw that Odin's men surrounded Arthur, Percival and Elyan. He also saw who he assumed to be Rodor and Mithian standing behind Odin. He needed to find a way to give his friends a fair chance to get out.

"Camelot is nothing without its king," Odin taunted.

He heard Arthur laugh. "Then you don't know my knights. They will hunt you. And they will find you. And they will not rest until they're done."

"I will deal with your knights soon enough," the warlord promised. "But now, your time has come."

"Ic the bebode thaet thu abifiast nu!" Merlin incanted as he knelt down and slammed his hand against the ground.

The earth began to violently shake, giving everyone the opportunity they needed to break free and get the upper hand. Merlin ran into the chambers to guide everyone out. He raised his sword and stabbed one of the men trying to fight Arthur.

The king watched as the man collapsed to the ground then looked up to see, "Merlin!?" Shock was hardly the right word to use to describe what he was feeling upon seeing that his friend finally showed up. Always did like waiting until the last moment, he thought.

Merlin just gave him a one-sided shrug, before waving his hand, motioning for everyone to get a move on. "Hurry this way!"

Everyone followed the man through the tunnels, barely keeping ahead of the collapse. Once everyone was out, they took a second to breathe before they took off running again. They just had to make it to the border then they'd be safe. Odin might be a brute, but he wasn't an idiot. He'd never attempt to cross over into Camelot with so few men.

As they ran and fought, Arthur let his thoughts wander, which wasn't a smart move, but it couldn't be helped. That earthquake happened at a very convenient time and just as Merlin showed up. That couldn't be a coincidence, could it? And what about all the fallen tree branches or enemies tripping at the right moment, and the other earthquakes and rockfalls? Surely they couldn't all be coincidences. What he saw hadn't been a trick of the light or a hallucination. Merlin had magic.

"Leave me," Rodor pleaded, pulling Arthur away from his realization.

Arthur shook his head and turned back to look at the elderly king, leaning up against a tree. "Well, that's not going to happen. You're the reason we're here."

"Leave me," Rodor repeated. "Save Mithian."

Arthur looked around, grounding himself in the present, trying to push his thoughts aside. He needed a plan. Odin's men were right behind them. They couldn't carry on with two people unable to fight. He looked past a clearing that was free of the enemy.

"Follow the ridge line," the king suggested. 

"What about you?" Rodor asked as Percival threw his arm over his shoulders, ready to aid him to the camp.

"We'll lead them the other way," Arthur assured, glancing over at Merlin.

"No," Mithina cried out guilt overwhelming her once more.

"This is between me and Odin," Arthur stated. "You need no further part in this."

Arthur and Merlin took a second to make sure they were safe, before running off in the opposite direction. Arthur wanted to tell Merlin to go with them, but he couldn't bring himself to. Something inside him told him he needed Merlin regardless if he had magic or not. He was essential to this moment. His presence would determine the outcome of this fight.

Together they ran until they came to an embankment with no way out. They took a second to catch their breath as they listened for Odin and his men. Their rest was short-lived as they were quickly surrounded. Odin stepped forward, sword drawn. "No, I want to do this myself!"

His men took a step back but kept their swords ready to step in case they needed to avenge their leader. The warlord thrust his sword into the battle first, but Arthur quickly blocked it, managing to gain the upper hand throughout the fight. In no time at all Odin was disarmed and on the ground with Arthur's sword at his throat.

"Arthur, stop," Merlin urged. "Think about what you're doing. What good will this achieve? How many times have you talked about uniting this land? Will killing this man make that dream any closer?"

The king hesitated for a second. Did he really want to take advice from a man who's lied to him for ten years? Yes. Yes, he did. "He's right. This is no answer."

"Finish it," Odin seethed. "Finish it and be done."

"And what then?" Arthur asked, glancing up at the warriors watching them. "Your people will seek their revenge. A war without an end."

"There is no other way," Odin stated.

"There is another way. In return for your life, you must restore Rodor to the throne of Nemeth," Arthur said.

"Even if I agreed it solves nothing," Odin retorted. "What about us, Pendragon?"

"A truce," the young king offered. "Binding our kingdoms to peace."

"Never," Odin spat. The very idea that peace was possible was vile.

"Is this what you want?" Arthur shouted. "To die here, now? Knowing you condemned this land to war. Odin, you cannot let it end like this. The blood will never wash off."

"You killed my son," the warlord mentioned. Why would he make peace with his only child's killer?

"You killed my father!" Arthur argued. "We have both lost much at the other's hand. Let us lose no more, I am offering you the chance to end this. Take it!" He threw his sword into the earth and held out his hand. "Take it."

Odin hesitated for a moment before taking Arthur's hand. Peace was better than dying. "So be it. A truce it is."

Merlin and Arthur watched as Odin and his men cleared out, back to Nemeth's castle to clear out their warriors. Once they were gone, Merlin sat down, hanging his head to his chest, breathing heavily.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked, stepping toward the younger man.

"Just dizzy," Merlin answered. "Head still hurts, running for our lives didn't help."

Arthur, unable to stop the words coming out of his. "Why not use magic to make yourself better?"

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Merlin stared at him with an expression the king knew all too well. It was fear. The sorcerer before him was absolutely terrified that he figured it out. Why was he afraid? Arthur was the one who should fear him and his powers.

"I-I don't have magic," Merlin lied. "Wh-what would make you think that?"

Arthur really had to choose his words carefully from here on out. He hadn't meant to say what he had, but that he had, they had no choice but to address the matter. "I came looking for you and saw you use magic to stop, Hilda, er, Morgana. I didn't think it was true at first, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. The tree branches, rockfalls, flying swords. Aside from myself, you were the one constant during those battles."

Merlin backed away and seemed to try shrinking himself by bringing his knees to his chest. He buried his head between his knees and chest, refusing to look at Arthur.

Arthur looked up at the sky and then back at his friend. He slowly stepped closer and then knelt down in front of Merlin. "I'm not going to hurt you. Promise."

Merlin said nothing as he peeked an eye out to look at Arthur.

The king sighed. "Am I mad, yes, but I think that's a reasonable response to finding out my best friend and manservant is a sorcerer."

"Warlock," Merlin quietly corrected.

"Warlock?" Arthur repeated. "Is there a difference?"

"Sorcerers practice it. Warlocks are born with it," Merlin explained, keeping his head buried.

Arthur just nodded. "Okay, my best friend hid that he was a warlock for ten years. Any other secrets I should know?"

"Balinor was my father," Merlin answered, lifting his head up and resting his chin atop his knees. "His death made me a dragonlord. I can control and communicate with them."

Arthur couldn't help but laugh, but quickly felt bad for laughing as he recalled telling Merlin; "that no man was worth his tears." "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. It's just, I'm trying to process and it's a lot to take in."

Merlin looked at Arthur, studying him, sensing his emotions. Yeah, he was definitely mad, but was also feeling guilt and relief. The relief was buried deep, though, so he couldn't get a firm grasp on why he was feeling it. "What happens now? Hanging? Beheading?"

Arthur gave him a look of pure bewilderment. "I'm not going to execute you? Are you crazy?"

"I have magic," Merlin stated as if it wasn't obvious already. "It's still punishable by death in Camelot. We shouldn't even be having this conversation."

"I'm not going to kill you, Merlin," Arthur promised. "Stocks maybe, but only if I discover you're hiding more secrets from me."

"What then?" Merlin asked, confused. "Pretend this never happened? I could wipe your memory or something?"

Arthur pointed his finger threateningly at Merlin. "You are not wiping anything except my chamber floors. As to what happens next. I don't know. I'll have to think about it. For now, let's get you back to Gaius. Your head wound is bleeding again."

Merlin touched his forehead and felt the sticky substance leaking from the wound. "Yeah. We should head back."

Arthur helped Merlin get up from where he was sitting. "Or you could heal yourself."

The not-so-secret warlock shook his head. "I'm lousy with healing spells. Once in a blue moon, I can get them right, but only on someone else."

The king pondered this new information as they walked, for a bit and thought about all the times he'd come close to death. How many times had Merlin actually saved him? How blind had he been to how much his best friend really does for him? For Camelot? To ensure the future of Albion?

As they walked, Merlin thought about what Arthur's discovery meant for their destiny. Everything would be different now. Fate had been unravelled and rewoven to fit a new future. What did this mean for them? What did this mean for Camelot? For Albion? For Morgana and Mordred? What kind of questions would be asked? Did he have the answers? Will Arthur free magic? Or keep it banned, forcing Merlin and his kin to keep hiding?

Merlin winced as his head pounded from all the questions and uncertainties swimming in his mind. It was all too much for his current condition to handle. He felt like he was going to pass out from the pressure building behind his skull.

Arthur stopped walking and looked over at Merlin. "What's wrong?"

Merlin opened his mouth to answer but ended up throwing up instead. As he blew chunks of his breakfast all over the forest floor, Arthur stepped behind him, ready to offer some kind of support. He'd seen this before among his knights after they'd taken a heavy blow to the head. Gaius called it a concussion. Not much could be done for treatment aside from rest and tonic to help with the pain.

After Merlin finished unwillingly emptying his stomach's contents, he fell to his knees, unable to properly hold himself up. "Just give me a minute."

Arthur looked around. Camp was roughly a mile away. The knights, Mithian and Rodor would have been back for a while now, probably wondering where they were. They weren't in any immediate danger, but the king didn't like the idea of being exposed like this. He looked down at Merlin, who was holding his head in his hands. He couldn't leave him behind to go get a horse from the campsite. He had nothing on him except his sword.

"Let me help you," Arthur said placing a hand on the warlock's shoulder. Before he could protest, Arthur stood Merlin up and threw his arm over his shoulders. "We can't stay here."

Arthur was practically dragging Merlin as they entered the campsite. The younger man was completely out of it muttering nonsensical things. "Where's Gaius?"

"Tending to King Rodor by the main fire," Leon said, coming over to help Arthur. "What happened?"

"I don't really know," Arthur said. "One minute he was fine, the next thing I knew he threw up and fell to his knees, unable to stand. He's been like this since. I think it's his head injury."

Leon helped carry Merlin over to Gaius, who was finishing up bandaging Rodor's arm. The physician looked over at the trio and immediately got up to care for his nephew. "Over here," the elderly man pointed over to where they had laid him down before.

He grabbed a tonic from his bag as they laid the warlock down. He sat down next to him and began to examine him, looking closely at the head wound and neck, where a bruise was starting to form from the magical choking he'd received.

"Where did that come from?" Arthur asked, appalled that he hadn't noticed it before.

"Morgana," Gaius answered. "When magic is used to cause harm, the physical effects take longer to appear. I should have looked him over better before letting him leave to follow you. His neckerchief helped hide the evidence of what happened." He uncorked the tonic he had grabbed and poured a few drops into Merlin's mouth. "This should help with the swelling and pain."

"What about his head wound?" Leon asked.

"Some heavy bruising has formed around it," Gaius noted. "Other than applying a poultice, there's not much I can do, but monitor it. Which will be easier to do back in our chambers. Treating him out here will invite infection."

"How soon can the horses and men be ready?" Arthur asked, looking over at Leon.

"Less than an hour," the knight answered.

The king nodded. "Then we'll leave as soon as they are. Make sure, Morgana is properly secured and once we're back, have her locked in the dungeon under heavy guard. I want eyes on her at all times."

"Yes, Sire," Leon replied, bowing quickly before taking off to get the knights ready to leave.

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Night had fallen across the sky as everyone arrived back at Camelot's castle. Gwaine and Leon helped Gaius get Merlin back to his chambers. Arthur stayed behind long enough to make sure Rodor and Mithian were helped and that Morgana was taken to the dungeon. He briefly wondered what kind of spell Merlin had used to keep her unconscious for so long, but pushed the thought to the side. He could ask him once the warlock was better.

Just as he was making sure everything was sorted, he saw Gwen coming down the steps to the castle.

"How did it go?" Gwen asked.

"We saved Rodor, planned a peace treaty with Odin, and captured Morgana after she tried to kill Merlin," Arthur answered. "Speaking of which. I need to go check on him. See if Gaius needs anything."

Before Gwen could process all that her husband had told her, he'd taken off in the direction of the physician's chambers. She quickly decided to follow him because it seemed to her that he was leaving several details out.

Gwaine and Leon carefully laid the unconscious Merlin on his bed, while Gaius gathered the necessary supplies to care for his nephew

"Will he be okay?" Gwaine asked as the elderly man entered the room.

"He should be," Gaius answered. "Despite appearances, he's quite strong and resilient. Some rest and proper tonics and he'll be fine."

"Are you sure about that?" Arthur asked from the doorway.

"Quite positive, Sire," Gaius replied. "He's faced far worse and made it through. Now I'd like for all of you to leave, so I can work." Leon and Gwaine bowed their heads to Gaius and Arthur before departing. "I know you want to stay Arthur, but I don't require any assistance. If you want to wait, you can do so in the main room, just close the door."

The king nodded respectively before closing the door behind him. He sat down at one of the many tables that littered the main room. He picked up a random book and began thumbing through it. Despite appearances, he did enjoy reading every now and again. Even if he didn't understand what he was reading, it relaxed his nerves and centred his thoughts. He'd obviously never admit this to anyone.

About halfway through the book, Gwen walked in and promptly sat down across from him. "How is he?"

Arthur looked up at the closed door. "Gaius said he should be fine, but I want to be sure. Plus I need to ask Gaius some questions."

"What about?" the queen asked.

The king set the book down and took hold of her hands. "I'm not sure if I can tell you just yet. Or anyone for that matter. I need to talk to Gaius first then with Merlin."

Gwen nodded in understanding. "Okay. Then how about you tell me about your mission? This time the whole story. Not just bits and pieces. Start Morgana trying to kill Merlin. That seems like the most important part."

Arthur gave her a small smile. "Sorry. Long day. I went looking for Merlin after he'd wandered off to refill Mithian's waterskin-"

"So I offered him a deal, restore Rodor to the throne and we'll write up a peace treaty, putting an end to trying to kill one another or I kill him right there and start a war," Arthur finished. He intentionally left the part about Merlin having magic. That was a different discussion entirely.

Just as he was finishing up, Gaius came out of Merlin's room. Arthur and Gwen looked up at him waiting for him to speak. "Like, I said, earlier; he'll be fine. Hopefully after a decent night's rest and a day in bed, he'll be feeling better. There's no permanent damage to his throat or head. Bruising will fade in a couple of days."

"Thank you, Gaius," Arthur said. "If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to you privately for a moment."

Gwen took that as her cue to leave. "I best be heading off. See you in bed shortly, Arthur?"

"Of course, my lady," Arthur promised, flashing her his signature one side smile.

Once she was gone, Gaius began putting his supplies away. "What do you wish to discuss, Sire?"

"Merlin," Arthur said. Something in his gut was telling him Gaius knew Merlin's little secret. No way could you live in such close quarters for a decade and not know. Merlin needed someone to keep his secret. To guide him.

"What about him?" Gaius asked cautiously. "Is he in some kind of trouble?"

"Some kind," Arthur answered, standing up to lean against the table. "How long would you say you've known Merlin?"

"Since he was born," Gaius answered. "I was visiting Hunith when she went into labour. I helped deliver and name him. Saw him a few more times when he was a toddler due to some health problems he was having. After that, I didn't see him again until he came to Camelot ten years ago."

"In all that time, you've never noticed anything odd about him?" Arthur asked. "Anything of concern?"

Gaius looked over at the young king and raised an eyebrow at him. "Where's this line of questioning going? What has he done that you need his life's story?"

Arthur raised his hand in surrender. "I apologize if I caused offence. Was not my intention."

The elderly man's expression softened a bit, but he still remained on edge, not enjoying this line of questioning. "What happened?"

"I already talked to Merlin about it, before he passed out," Arthur started. "So no need to deny it. What can you tell me about his magic?"

Gaius looked up at Merlin's room, the door was still slightly ajar, inside he could see his nephew resting peacefully. He then looked back at Arthur. "How did you find out?"

"When I went looking for him, I saw him use magic to stop Morgana," Arthur explained. "I get the distinct feeling he's just as powerful as she is."

"More," Gaius corrected. "He's the most powerful being to ever walk the earth. The Druids call him Emrys and revere him as magical royalty. Because of his power, the fate of many rests on his shoulders and he carries that burden alone. I try to ease the stress of it as much as I can, but I can only do so much. For a time Lancelot helped lighten the burden, but after his passing, Merlin had no one left to confide in. I've seen him grow from this optimistic, happy young boy who soaked up knowledge, wanting to help those he cared about, to a man that just seems to be going through the motions."

"Morgana mentioned an Emrys once," Arthur remembered. "I didn't know who she was talking about, but she acted like I knew him. I guess I do."

"Morgana must not ever find out who he is," Gaius warned. "If she does, it would bring nothing but pain and suffering."

"What is his fate?" Arthur wondered.

"His destiny is to protect you and help you unite the land of Albion," the physician replied. "He's meant to help you bring peace and prosperity to all of the Five Kingdoms. As for his fate, that's yet to be determined. Only time will tell us"

The king rubbed his forehead. He thought he knew Merlin, turns out he knew nothing about him. Not only was he a warlock, but the most powerful one to exist. Yet here he was scrubbing floors and mucking out stables. He could easily overthrow all of royalty and rule the Five Kingdoms with just a simple spell. Yet he didn't. He lived the life of a servant and was training to be a physician.

"Why did he come here?" Arthur asked.

"I was here," Gaius answered. "Hunith didn't know who else to trust to help care for and teach her son. I was unaware of his magic when I was told he was coming. It wasn't until he showed up and saved me from a fall did I realise his powers."

Arthur sighed. He had most of the answers he needed. Now came the hardest one. "What should I do? I can't, won't, execute him. I can't lift the ban on magic, at least not right away. I also can't tell him to keep hiding who he is. He deserves recognition for all that he's done for Camelot and myself."

"You could start by talking about it with him," Gaius answered. "I'm sure Merlin has some ideas on what the process should be like, along with how to ease the people through what will be a rough transition."

Arthur glanced up at Merlin's room. He wanted to talk to him now, but couldn't. The younger man needed rest and time to recover. "Any idea when he'll wake up?"

"Probably not until sometime tomorrow," Gaius guessed. "When he does, I doubt he'll be in any condition to talk. The bruising around his throat will make it quite difficult"

"Any idea when he'll be able to talk?" the king asked, feeling frustrated at the thought of having to wait longer.

"I estimate about a week," Gaius figured. "Less, if he doesn't push himself and properly rests for once."

The king felt like that comment was pointed at him and not at Merlin's inability to stay still for very long. In the past, he'd been known to have Merlin get back to his chores before he was ready. He just assumed since Merlin was being himself, he was fine. Only now was he realizing that was in fact not true. Merlin had been playing the role of the idiot servant who was too loyal to know any better.

Arthur rubbed his eyes. "Alright. When he awakes let him know he's relieved of duty until he's better. Once he's able to talk I want to speak to him."

"Of course, Sire," Gaius agreed.

It wasn't until the sun had set on the next day that Merlin finally woke up. He was briefly confused as to why he was in his bed but quickly deduced that he'd been unconscious during the journey home. He opened his mouth to call out for Gaius, who was hopefully in the main chamber, but the only sound to come out was a hoarse squeak, followed by a sharp pain.

The warlock rubbed his throat, wincing in pain from the touch. Deciding that trying to speak wasn't going to work, he'd try getting out of bed to let Gaius know he was awake. Carefully he swung his legs over the bed and slowly stood himself up. He made sure to walk slowly, watching where he stepped.

After what felt like forever he finally reached the door and opened it. When he made it to the bottom of the steps he saw Gaius sitting down grinding up some herbs. To get his uncle's attention, Merlin managed a weak cough.

The elderly man looked up from his tasks, surprised to see his nephew. He set his pestle down and moved to help the much younger man. "Merlin, you should be in bed. You're in no condition to be up just yet."

Merlin opened his mouth to protest but closed it shut when he remembered he couldn't talk. He just settled for a nod of agreement and let Gaius lead him back to bed.

Once he was back in bed, Gaius handed him a tonic. "Here, take this. It'll help with the pain."

The young warlock took it, gagging slightly at the taste. He handed the vial back to his uncle and gave him a look as if asking to be filled in on why he couldn't talk.

"Morgana did quite a number on you," Gaius explained. "Your throat is badly bruised, but thankfully the damage isn't permanent. Some rest and not talking for a while and you'll be fine. You also have a concussion from the head wound, hence why you need to stay in bed."

Merlin looked like he had more questions, but decided they would have to wait until he could talk again.

A week later, Gaius gave Merlin the all-clear to return to his duties. However, his uncle stressed to keep talking to a minimum and to come back if he felt dizzy or nauseous.

As he walked toward the throne room to meet with Arthur, Mithian came around the corner, bumping into him.

"So sorry Merlin," Mithian quickly apologized.

"It's quite alright, Princess Mithian," Merlin reassured, his voice sounding hoarse. "No harm done."

Mithian took a step and bit her lip. "But harm was done. And it is all my fault. If I hadn't tried to warn you, you wouldn't have been hurt."

Merlin resisted the urge to reach out and offer physical comfort. "No, it's Morgana's fault. She forced your hand, so you did the only thing you could. If you hadn't, her plan wouldn't have been uncovered. Arthur and Odin wouldn't have made peace and Morgana wouldn't be sitting in the dungeon. What you did gave everyone a fighting chance."

"She could have killed you," Mithian stated.

Merlin shrugged. "Not the first time. Nor will it be the last. She's been trying to kill me for years."

Mithian looked up at Merlin. The bruising around his neck was still there but had faded into a greenish-yellow hue. When he spoke it seemed like every word hurt, yet she could hear honesty in his voice. He held no resentment against her. If anything he seemed grateful for what she had done.

"Well I shouldn't keep you," Mithian said. "I'm sure Arthur has quite the list of chores for you. And I must finish packing. My father and I leave for Nemeth tomorrow."

As she walked past him, their hands brushed up against each other. The princess felt her cheeks grow hot from the touch and her stomach seemed to start tying itself in knots. Something about Merlin was making her feel all giddy. Sadly she would not be here long enough to figure it out. Maybe during her next visit, she could find the time to explore these arising emotions.

Merlin felt a flurry of excitement shudder throughout his body from Mithian's touch. He'd be lying to himself if he hadn't thought about her from time to time. But he knew nothing could ever happen between them. Unlike with Arthur and Gwen. Mithian wouldn't marry for love. She'd end up with another royal in order to strengthen an alliance. No, he'd have to keep what he was feeling buried and maybe, one day, find someone who shared a life similiar to his own.

Merlin walked into the throne room and found Arthur in earnest conversation with one of Camelot's lords. Lord Ector if he recalled correctly.

"Are you sure all records are lost?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, Sire," Lord Ector confirmed. "When your father took control of the kingdom, he had all records of laws before the ban burned. May I inquire what this is about?"

"Just wanted to look into restoring some of the historical records," Arthur answered, glancing over at Merlin, noticing his presence. "Thank you, again Lord Ector. I'll let you know if I need anything else."

"Of course, Sire," Lord Ector bowed before departing, leaving the king and his servant alone.

"Glad to see you up and about," Arthur said, taking a seat in his throne. "We have much to discuss before you go about your chores."

"What do you wish to discuss?" Merlin asked.

Arthur took a mental note of how rough his best friend's voice sounded and decided to keep this conversation short. "I'm considering lifting the ban my father had placed on magic, but I would like your opinion on the matter before I discuss it with anyone else."

Merlin had spent a lot of time waiting for this conversation. He played it out a million different ways in his head on many sleepless nights. His words had to be chosen carefully. "Camelot was built on a rich land, full of magic. Many have used that magic for the wrong reasons. Whether it be for power or revenge. But many more have used it for good. Healing, helping, kindness. Lifting the ban will bring back what makes Camelot so great but at great risk. You'd have to put several new laws in place to keep those with ill intentions out."

"Is the risk worth it?" Arthur asked. He was willing to put in the work to free magic, but only if would be beneficial to all.

Merlin was silent for a moment. His answer had the power to change the course of history. Change the lives of many. This was his only chance to free himself and his kin. He'd no longer have to hide. He'd be recognized for all his hard work. The risk was worth it in his eyes, but something told him he needed to wait for just a bit longer. The people of Camelot were not ready. Then again these kinds of changes took time. If he denied magical freedom right now, he'd be denying it forever.

The warlock bit his lower lip before speaking. "Yes, the risk is worth it."

Arthur stood up from his throne and clasped a hand around Merlin's shoulder. "Great. Let's get started then. I'm officially appointing you as my advisor on all things magical."

Merlin smiled back at his king. This was the beginning of a new era. Everything was changing for the better.