Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin

Three Revelations – The First Revelation

"Come on Merlin! Really you are the worst manservant ever!" Arthur called over his shoulder as he continued to walk back to the horses.

"Sit Merlin, fetch Merlin stay Merlin." The aforementioned manservant grumbled as he staggered along behind carrying the two rabbits and a doe that were the results of Arthur's hunting trip. "I thought that you were going to lay off the hunting for a while after that debacle with the unicorn?" Merlin called out.

Arthur flinched a little as he remembered the terrible consequences his last hunting trip had brought to Camelot. "Yes well Morgana has been interfering again and I needed to get away for a while." He replied testily as he recalled Morgana's latest round of meddling.

"And killing things is the cure for a meddling woman?" Merlin teased his eyes sparkling with mirth as he recalled how Morgana had reduced Arthur to a blushing stuttering mess.

"No but its good fun!" Arthur replied turning back to give Merlin a dazzling grin.

Merlin felt his happiness turn to confusion and fear as Arthur's dazzling grin morphed into a look of fear whilst he brought his crossbow up to a target on Merlin's left. Turning quickly Merlin was just in time to see the crossbow bolt slam into the chest of an assassin, for who else would break cover this deep in the forest and rush at the Crown Prince of Camelot with sword held high?

Arthur took stock of his situation as three more assassins charged out of the tree line, he parried and then plunged his crossbow into the stomach of one and turned to face the other two, they were to close for him to fire and reload before the survivor reached him and they both had their swords held high and could cut him down before he could drop the crossbow and draw his own. Arthur's eyes darted franticly around the clearing searching for some way out of this situation.

His mouth dropped open in horror as he saw the eyes of his manservant, his Merlin, glowing gold as he thrust his hand forward and sent the two assassins flying back into the trees to the sound of heavy impacts and the sickening crunch of broken bones.

Arthur couldn't have cared less, only one thought was running though his head.

Sorcery

Sorcerer

Merlin was a sorcerer

His Merlin was a sorcerer

"Arthur?" Merlin's voice was soft and questioning, he had to block it out lest the sorcerer enchant him.

His Merlin was a sorcerer

"Arthur please let me explain." Merlin was begging now but Arthur held firm, he would not let himself be enchanted and bring harm to his people, for that was what sorcerers did to unwary princes who were foolish enough to let them into their lives.

His Merlin was a sorcerer

"Arthur!" Merlin's voice was now filled with panic as he raised his hand at Arthur.

His Merlin was a sorcerer

Arthur could only morn the fact that his friend had never been a friend at all, had never existed, it had all been a ruse to gain his trust and enchant him and now that it had failed the sorcerer was obviously in fear for his life and had decided to strike first.

His Merlin was a sorcerer

Arthur raised his crossbow and fired just as a beam of fiery red magic shot over his shoulder. Arthur frowned and turned around to see what could have put off the sorcerers aim only to see the headless body of the second assassin, the one he had winded earlier and had forgotten about tumble to the floor its sword that had been poised to separate Arthur's head from his shoulders clattering uselessly on the stones underfoot.

"Arthur" Merlin emitted his name in a pained gasp he fell, his eyes filled with betrayal and pain but also with acceptance, as if he had always known that he would die by Arthur's hand. Arthur collapsed brokenly to the floor as the magnitude of his mistake hit him, Merlin could have used his power to deflect the crossbow bolt, he was certain of it but that would have allowed the assassin to decapitate him. Merlin had chosen to save his life, again, even knowing that he would die by the had of the person who's life he saved.

Arthur crawled to the pale body of his manservant, his friend, his Merlin and looked down at the nightmare of his own creation. Merlin's legs had buckled beneath him, his skin was the colour of death so much paler than it's usual cream, his pale pink lips were stained bright red with his own blood. Arthur lowered his head and began to cry. In between Arthurs broken sobs Merlin gave a small cough causing more blood to trickle from his mouth, hardly daring to believe Arthur looked closer and saw that by some miracle his bolt had entered above and to the left of Merlin's heart, on anyone else the wound would be a mortal one but Arthur refused to believe that his sweet, stubborn, annoying, spirited, insubordinate Merlin would let him off that easily.

Arthur scrambled to his feet and ran as fast as he could for the horses the pair had rode out hunting on so that he could get Merlin back to Camelot and into Gaius's care as fast as possible.

Arthur's first revelation was that his Merlin was a sorcerer, and that he didn't care