Note: I had the day off and my sister and I went on a Merlin spree. This inspired me to write, and this is my second story posted today. More wonderful stuff coming down the pike, unfortunately I have finals in two weeks, so it'll have to wait a little bit :(((

The Truth About Dragonlords

The Crown Prince of Camelot had gone through hell and back with him, and still his manservant kept his secrets. Arthur could see it, in the way his eyes would glaze over, distant and alone, and just when he looked like he would finally speak, he would think the better of it and walk away. It made his heart ache with the need to hear all of Merlin's unspoken thoughts.

A few mornings after their most recent brush with death, Arthur confronted Merlin. He swept in, setting the breakfast tray unceremoniously on the table, murmuring his apologies about being late. Arthur sat up in bed and stretched. "Merlin?" He called. His manservant hummed in answer, not turning to face him. "Tell me again about the dragon."

xXxXxXx

Merlin leaned in a pressed a light kiss to Arthur's lips. He remained there, savoring the feeling of his lips, the smell of his warm breath. Butterflies danced in his stomach as he wondered if this would be the last time he ever got to hold him like this, if this would be the last time he saw Arthur's face, his features softened by the warm smile that he reserved for Merlin and Merlin alone. He wondered if he would give that smile to anyone else after Merlin was gone, burned at the stake for witchcraft and treason. They stayed close, and Merlin's hands trailed over Arthur's waist, his chest, up to his face and knitted themselves in Arthur's golden hair. After all the time he had spent with Arthur, as his manservant, his friend, his lover, he was still hard to read sometimes. Merlin was unsure of how the prince would react, and that made him all the more nervous.

xXxXxXx

Arthur's eyes wandered over Merlin, looking him up and down. "So," He said slowly, regarding him with a bit of wonder in his gaze. "I'm in love with a Dragonlord, the last Dragonlord?"

"Yeah, 'fraid so."

Arthur sat for a moment longer, thinking. "This explains a lot, actually."

"It does?" Merlin asked, slightly incredulous. Maybe Arthur didn't believe him. There was no way he could remain this calm after what Merlin had just revealed to him.

"Yeah," Arthur answered. "I've always kind of suspected. It was that something about you that I could never figure out. I knew almost for certain that you had magic after Ealdor. I knew Will didn't conjure that wind, that he was taking the blame for someone."

Merlin was silent for a moment. Arthur continued to regard him with that same amount of wonder.

"You're not angry with me, are you?"

Arthur didn't speak for a beat, and Merlin's stomach did summersaults. "No," he finally answered. "It does make me sad that you didn't trust me enough to tell me."

"How could I?" Merlin's voice cracked a little. "If Uther found out…"

Arthur cut him off. "Do you think I'd let my father hurt you?" He stood abruptly, indignant. His eyes said it all; all of the pain of Merlin's mistrust, the anger, the fear. "I love you, Merlin. I'd protect you no matter what."

"You mean that?" He asked, hope rising in his chest. Arthur held out his hand to him, and Merlin allowed himself to be pulled into Arthur's strong embrace.

"I'd never let any harm come to you." He whispered softly in his ear. "You mean too much to me."

"Arthur, I," Merlin stammered. "Oh, God." He swallowed around the lump in his throat. "I was so scared that you'd be angry, that you wouldn't…"

Arthur shook his head. "Of course not." He kissed him gently, dispelling all doubts and fears from the young boy. Merlin smiled against his lips, and Arthur deepened the kiss.

Eventually they broke, panting, and Arthur looked as if he just had a thought. "Do your eyes always flash gold when you do magic?"

"I think so," Merlin looked slightly taken aback. "Why?"

"Well they do when we… when you… and I…" Arthur stammered, a blush rising to his cheeks. "When we're in bed and we come together, your eyes flash gold during your orgasm."

Oh God. The eyes in question widened in surprise. "Does anything ever, you know, happen?"

"You mean other than complete and utter euphoria? Not that I have noticed." Arthur smiled a little when Merlin relaxed, looking relieved. "At first I thought I was seeing things, and then I was just too nervous to ask you about it."

Merlin smiled and melted into Arthur's embrace. Arthur hugged him closer, resting his head on top of the raven haired one. "Thank you." Merlin's whisper was muffled by his tunic, and Arthur more than anything felt his words as they vibrated in his chest. Despite his lover's serious tone, Arthur smiled.

xXxXxXx

Arthur barely remembered Merlin's words, the exact phrases he had used to describe the events of the last few weeks, the last year, Merlin's entire life. All Arthur remembered was the truth; the Merlin had been born with the gift of magic, the son of a Dragonlord, the last Dragonlord.

All his life, Arthur had been warned of the dangers of magic, including those who were able to control the dragons. His father had told him they were a cruel race, evil to the core. People of magic weren't to be trusted; they only wanted to see Camelot fall.

What Arthur had come to figure out on his own, however, was something completely different. Magic was nowhere near as evil as he had been told. There was no such thing. Magic just is, just as the sky is blue and the oceans cold. The truth about magic is that it is a powerful force that, in the right hands, can become a tool to help save the lives of your friends, your family, whole kingdoms even.

As he lay with the raven haired boy in his arms, he knew this to be true. He made a promise to the sleeping boy in his arms that he would never let any harm come to him, for his magic or any other reason. Merlin was the reason he was alive, the whole reason he was living. With Merlin, he felt truly alive, a person capable of feeling, of want and lust and love. He will do all in his power to see that the two of them make it through this together, that he was too beautiful to be let go. Too loving, too perfect, too precious to ever be destroyed.

"I promise to love you until the day I die, no matter how much stands in our way. I want you by my side, always. I love you, Merlin."

The boy in his arms shifted and grumbled in his sleep. Arthur wondered if he had heard anything of what he had just said, if anything he had just promise would reach Merlin's conscious. He smiled and hugged him closer as Merlin's whisper reached his ears.

"Arthur, I love you too."

Once again, all is well in Camelot. This story was just too cute to pass up, and I hope you enjoyed it! I kind of had to cut out the technical stuff to avoid it turning into Always Remember That. I wanted to focus on the emotions immediately surrounding the moment where Merlin tells Arthur the truth, to capture the moment where they would be raw and the most powerful.

Reviews are the loveliest, as writers need food, too!