A/N: Here is the last chapter everyone! Thanks to Kitty O, Ash9, and readernurse (I had it in my mind that Arthur was so oblivious, that he just didn't notice Merlin was worried. It's something I can imagine him doing!) for your reviews. Also, another thank you to everyone who reviewed, alerted, favourited and followed this story in general, I've had great fun. Anyway, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the BBC does.

Chapter 10

Merlin stood agape with disbelief as Arthur turned away from the crowd and returned to the palace. He knew he should follow but his feet would not move. It was finally over. He no longer had to hide who and what he was, he could be honest with his friends and use his abilities openly.

There was a gentle tug on his arm and he looked over, surprised to see Gwen smiling softly at him. "It's time to go inside, Merlin."

He nodded dumbly and followed her hesitantly. The king was waiting for them inside, his crown and cloak discarded on a nearby table. Gwen patted Merlin on the shoulder and said they would talk later; she brushed past her husband, squeezing his hand as she did. Within moments king and servant were left alone, staring at each other steadily. Suddenly, Merlin took a swift pace forward, flinging his arms around the king in a tight hug.

"Thank you, Arthur!" he said intensely. Arthur accepted his hug tolerantly, patting his back gently, waiting for him to get hold of himself. After a several seconds, Merlin pulled back sheepishly. "Sorry."

"You lied to me," Arthur stated evenly.

"I did. I'm sorry," Merlin apologised. "All I can say is I only ever tried to help you, to protect your kingdom."

"I believe you. I do," Arthur insisted at Merlin's dubious look. "Despite everything, you're a good man and having magic doesn't change that. But you lied to me."

Merlin nodded sadly and said nothing. There really was nothing to say. Yes, he might have only been trying to protect his friends and his home but it was true he had lied to them all and had from the moment he arrived in Camelot. But most of his friends might eventually forgive him, he did have a good reason for his deception and he thought that they would probably understand. Arthur, on the other hand, was another matter. He had suffered so much betrayal in recent years that he was unlikely to forgive any betrayal of trust. Especially from his own servant.

As he watched, Arthur sighed deeply and sat in a nearby chair. "I knew. I knew there was something about you, that you were never quite what you seemed. I just never considered this was what you were hiding, I thought maybe you were raiding the silverware."

"Stealing?" Merlin responded, annoyed. "Really?"

Arthur shook his head. "No, not really."

"Arthur, I don't understand. If you can't trust me anymore, then why change the law? Why give me and all those like me our freedom?"

"Because if you have magic, then I refuse to accept that magic is inherently evil and if it is not, then executing people simply because they have it is wrong." The king ran a hand through his hair and looked away. "It's not that I don't trust you, Merlin. I do. It's that you didn't trust me."

"I'm sorry, Arthur," the warlock sighed. "I wanted to. Every time I saw you soften your stance on magic, I wanted to tell you. But then something would happen and it would be back to 'all magic is evil'. It's my duty to protect you - how was I supposed to do that if I was dead or banished?"

"Protect me?" Arthur exclaimed. "I don't need protecting!"

"Oh yes," said Merlin, nodding, "you do. You are going to be the greatest king this world has ever seen. Your name will be remembered and revered centuries from now. That is your destiny. Mine is to make sure that happens. Everything I am, all my power, I was given for one purpose: to serve you."

"How can you believe that but not trust me enough to tell me the truth?"

This time it was Merlin who ran a hand through his hair, frustration building in his chest. "It's so complicated, Arthur. You have no idea of the things I've done. It was always for you but some of them...How could I trust you to forgive me, when I can't forgive myself?"

"Mordred said there was nothing you wouldn't do to protect me...What have you done, Merlin?" Arthur demanded quietly.

Shaking his head, Merlin choked back tears that suddenly blurred his vision. Haltingly, he stumbled through his naive arrival in Camelot, the lies he had told to stop Arthur from killing Uther, betraying Mordred, poisoning Morgana, releasing the Great Dragon, all the way to the events of Grey Marsh. He even admitted to being Dragoon and his part in Uther's death. How his life had one single purpose and he was bound to that even if he despised some of the things he had done. How he wished that he could go back and change some of them but that in the end, he didn't matter, as long as Arthur was safe.

Throughout his confession, Arthur listened unmoving. He did not react when he heard that it was Merlin who had poisoned his sister, nor when he admitted to being a Dragonlord, nor even when he revealed that it had been his spell that had ultimately killed Uther. There was so much information, so many things that he had thought he understood but really he'd been blind to what actually happened. It had been Merlin who saved them from the undead army and later from the immortal army, who had thwarted Morgana's plans at every turn, who had known of Agravaine's true nature and tried to stop him. And in the end, it had been Merlin who had bound Morgana's magic so she could not use it against them when they finally reclaimed Camelot.

It was numbing and unbelievable. Yet, it made a terrible kind of sense. Now he could see why Merlin seemed to always know more than he really should have for a servant. Why he was always so determined to come on dangerous missions, despite being useless with a sword. And now he understood why Merlin had changed from the carefree boy he'd met all those years ago to the inexplicably loyal servant that stood before him. To do all he had done, in secret and knowing he might be killed by the very man he was sworn to protect, was almost incomprehensible.

Arthur stood suddenly, making Merlin jump and instinctively take a step backwards and lay a heavy hand on the younger man's shoulder. "We have all done things we are not proud of, Merlin, things we wish we could go back and change. But the difference between a good man and an evil one is not whether they make mistakes, but if they regret them and try to learn from them. But you need to forgive yourself. No matter what you did, Morgana made her own choices. We all made our own choices." He squeezed the bony shoulder, "I forgive you. You are my best friend. My brother. Nothing can change that."

Merlin nodded and swiped a hand over his eyes. "Thank you," he whispered.

Arthur pulled him in for another quick hug before pushing him towards the door. "Go on. You need to rest. I want you back at work tomorrow."

"You mean I get to keep my job?" Merlin asked, incredulously.

"What," Arthur grinned, prodding his servant ahead of him, "you think I'm going to fire you now I've discovered you're not as completely useless as I thought?"

Laughing with relief, Merlin stepped into the corridor with Arthur close behind him and was surprised when the king drew level and slung an arm over his shoulders companionably. "Oh and Merlin? If you ever lie to me like that again...I will make your life a living hell, the likes of which you cannot imagine."

"Of course, Sire," Merlin said grinning, before turning sombre once more. "Seriously, Arthur, thank you."

"You're welcome, my friend. You're welcome."

END

A/N: So there you have it! Let me know what you think, I hope it wasn't too disappointing at the end. I have a couple of ideas for a sequel, if that is something you guys might be interested in, let me know (if anyone has any ideas, please I'd love to hear them!) I also have another another story which I'll start posting soon and I'm working on a third, although that one is going slowly at the moment.

Anyway, thanks again!