Chapter 10

Gaius carried a mug into Merlin's room and sat on the stool beside the bed. Merlin rolled over and smiled at him.

"How are you feeling?" asked Gaius taking a sip from his cup.

"All things considered," Merlin sighed, "I feel pretty good."

"About what you told me," Gaius paused.

"It doesn't change anything," said Merlin, "I'm still the same person I was before."

"I know that Merlin," said Gaius, "but it does put things in a new light. After all now we know that you're…"

"No!" said Merlin sharply; "I'm not. The druids got it wrong. I can be hurt, I can be killed, just not easily." They sat quietly for a few more minutes. "You know I'm going to have to have this conversation with Arthur don't you? Only instead of the whole Emrys thing it's going to be about magic."

"I know," said Gaius, "but I don't think it will be that bad. He seemed enormously relieved when you came back to life."

"Yeah, probably worried about finding another servant," said Merlin smiling weakly.

"Merlin everyone was devastated when you died," said Gaius frowning, "they were all here begging you to wake up."

"Who was?" asked Merlin surprised.

"Arthur, Gwen, Lancelot, Gwaine and the other knights kept sending messengers asking for updates on your condition. Several of the kitchen staff stopped by asking about you, and if I had one stable hand in here I had a dozen over the last few days. They all heard about your bravery and they all wanted to wish you well and when I asked for volunteers for your funeral detail more than forty people put themselves forward before I stopped accepting names."

"That can't be right, I'm just a servant to most of them, a mediocre one at that the only people who know what I really do are you and Lancelot, and maybe Gwaine he never said but I'd be willing to bet he's figured this out. Why would anyone else be so upset?"

"You know for someone with such a great destiny you are a fool Merlin, you're a huge part of life in the castle. You have more friends than you think," said Gaius.

Merlin continued to eye him with disbelief. Gaius stood up and patted Merlin's legs. "Get some rest," he said, "Arthur wants to see you in the morning."

"Does Arthur know?" said Merlin.

"About what?"

"About what it means to be Emrys?"

"I suppose that's something you'll have to discuss with him," said Gaius.

Arthur knocked and went into Merlin's room. Merlin stood by his cot with his back to the door, and it wasn't until he turned around that Arthur saw he was folding clothes.

"Oh, Arthur, I was just going to come up, Gaius said you wanted to see me," said Merlin.

"I didn't expect you to come to me, Merlin, I wasn't really expecting you to be out of bed this quickly," said Arthur.

"I'm fine," said Merlin. He sat down on the edge of his cot and gestured Arthur to the stool.

"You were dead," said Arthur, sitting down.

"I know, I'm sorry," said Merlin not looking at Arthur.

"Sorry for what?" asked Arthur, "Sorry for dying, for jumping in to save my life, or sorry for not telling me you had magic?"

Merlin looked up.

"The first one," he said.

"So you're not sorry for lying to me?" asked Arthur.

"You always found the lies easier to believe," said Merlin.

"There was always something about you," said Arthur, "but…"

"But you didn't really want to know the truth, so any hint of magic in connection with me was pushed aside, left unnoticed or unexamined. You never wanted to be burdened with this knowledge, because while your father was alive you would have no recourse but to put me to death."

"I would never!" said Arthur standing up.

"Not now no, but when we first met? If I told you the reason I was able to save your life that first time was because of magic. Well, you'd have thrown me at your father's feet like a dog drops a bone for its master."

"Merlin!" Arthur warned.

"That was before we really knew each other," said Merlin, "You've gotten better, more independent from your father's views. If five years ago, we'd had the issue with the veil you would have told your father and while I don't think even Uther would kill me for being the vessel of a magical force against my will, he also wouldn't let me go free. I'd have been imprisoned in the dungeon like the Great Dragon for all those years. We've both grown up with this thing hovering over our heads. Your inborn nobility and heritage has set you apart your entire life, my magic has done the same for me, but while your difference was used to close you off from everyday life outside the castle in order to protect you, my difference could never be seen or acknowledge or I'd have been killed because of it.

"The second my mother learned that Will knew what I was she sent me here. The irony that her old friend with experience in magical matters lived and worked at the center of the place responsible for the danger I faced was lost on her I suppose," Merlin smiled without showing his teeth, "Two sides of the same coin, or so they say."

"If you'd let me speak," said Arthur, "I could tell you that I agree, and I'm not mad about you lying to me about the magic. I understand that you had to hide, I'm not saying I fully support what you did, but I know you well enough to know you didn't think you had a choice."

"Oh," said Merlin a little taken back, "okay, thanks for that. I think. So how do you want to work this?"

"What do you mean?" asked Arthur.

"Well you know I have magic, and I'm going to continue to use magic. How do you want to handle that?" asked Merlin.

"Err," said Arthur frowning.

"Also do you want to know the rest?" asked Merlin.

"The rest of what?" asked Arthur.

"The details and extent of my powers and that whole destiny thing," said Merlin.

"Oh, err, do you have to keep using magic?" asked Arthur.

"Yes," said Merlin, "it's part of me, also if I stopped you'd be dead very quickly and either Morgana would take over or the kingdom would be razed to the ground."

"Think highly of yourself don't you?" said Arthur.

"You don't know how many times I've saved your life," said Merlin with a little smile.

"Then tell me," said Arthur sitting down again.

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a/n That's all she wrote folks! I want to thank everyone who has read and/or reviewed this piece, I've truly enjoyed this journey and I hope you all have too. Now you all have a safe trip home, and don't forget to tip your waitress. Thank You! Cynic.