Warning!: things will start to get a bit steamy from now on, if that bothers you, then maybe you should go read my hetero story instead, although I've really ran out of steam with that story as Mergana just isn't my ship to be honest.

The ride out into the woods was quiet with both Merlin and Arthur in fairly introspective moods. Merlin was feeling vaguely guilty for lying to his friends but he knew that he couldn't tell them the truth…that he was in love with Arthur and wanted to spend one normal day with him. His friends had nothing against men lying with other men; Merlin knew for a fact that both of them had experimented before. But he knew that they would not approve of his choice; loving Arthur was a risk that shouldn't be took. But he couldn't help himself, he had never known much happiness in his life and now when it was being offered, Merlin wanted to be selfish. Just this once.

"You okay?" Arthur asked bringing his horse up to Ophelia's side.

"Yeah," Merlin said smiling at him, "Just thinking."

"Well stop it, this is meant to be fun," Arthur laughed and then kicked his horse into a gallop.

Merlin shook his head as he watched the young king ride off. Sometimes he thought that Arthur had taken the crown much too young, he was only just a man, and he was making decisions that affected so many people. Merlin knew he had a good heart; he just wasn't so sure he had a wise one.

"Bæftan hine min eardlufu," Merlin whispered to Ophelia. She whinnied and reared back then set off after Arthur's black stallion catching up easily with his words of power running through her body.

"Hey you're cheating!" Arthur yelled and cantered after him.

Finally they came into a clearing where the sun was kissing the grass and reflecting of a beautiful lake that cast diamonds into the air. There was something magical about it, it wasn't an ordinary place.

"Where are we?" Merlin asked dismounting Ophelia and stepping up to the banks of the lake in wonder.

"It's pretty isn't it?" Arthur said coming up to join him, "My father used to bring me here; apparently it was where he proposed to my mother."

Merlin didn't reply and instead cast out his senses and sensed the magic around him. He heard the trees whispering to each other, they were ancient, guardians of the lake. He heard sprites in the water, silent to those without magic yet they seemed to create a pleasant buzzing to Merlin. He cast out deeper into the water and he knew he was bordering on something much more mystical than any lake. Souls of thousands of people called out to him in greeting from their place in Avalon.

"Avalon," Merlin whispered.

"Sorry?" Arthur asked stepping up to place his hand on Merlin's shoulder.

"This lake, it is the gateway to Avalon, where souls go in death," Merlin said "It's an ancient magical place, I had no idea it was in Camelot's borders."

"You can see them?" Arthur asked soundly strangely disturbed "The dead?"

"No, just a sense of their passing," Merlin said "It's not so morbid, Avalon is the place where the good souls go, it's a place of peace and harmony where long lost friends and families can reunite in death."

"That's nice to know," Arthur said.

"What?" Merlin asked turning to smile at him.

"That there's something afterwards not just emptiness."

"Only the worthy go to Avalon," Merlin said.

Arthur turned to stare at Merlin, he seemed strangely melancholy despite the beauty of the place and then he realised that Merlin thought he didn't belong here. That there was no place waiting from him after death.

"Merlin if there is anyone worthy of a place here it's you," Arthur said reaching out to cup his cheeks and stared intently into his eyes.

"I doubt it, after all the things Cenred has made me do," Merlin replied looking away from Arthur's eyes. Sometimes he felt like Arthur was the soothsayer who could see right into his soul and draw out his secrets.

"Exactly, Cenred not you," Arthur said jerking Merlin's head roughly to make him look at him. "There is no one with a purer heart than you."

Merlin sighed and closed his eyes and leant forward until his forehead touched Arthurs who closed his eyes too. Arthur could feel Merlin's breath on his face and it was like a summer breeze that he couldn't get enough of.

"How did I ever find you?" Arthur whispered his eyes still closed.

"Destiny," Merlin replied and leant forwards and gently kissed him, nothing more than a press of lips against lips.

"Let's sit we need to talk," Merlin said.

They arranged themselves underneath a tree where the sun wasn't too bright. Merlin laid between Arthurs legs with his back against his chest. He was thankful that he wasn't wearing his armour and had on a simple tunic. He could feel the warmth of Arthur's skin seeping into him and it was blissful.

"Merlin," Arthur laughed "Don't fall asleep on me; you said we needed to talk."

"I know, but it's thinking of where to start, I don't want to scare you off," Merlin replied.

"You scare me already Merlin," Arthur said and pressed a kiss into his hair and stroked his hands down Merlin's long arms.

"I wish I didn't," Merlin replied snuggling into Arthur's touch.

"You come in with that cloak and your eyes and that sense of power you just seem to carry…" Arthur veered off.

"So I'm scary,"

"A sexy scary," Arthur laughed.

Merlin laughed, "Well I don't think anyone's accused me of that before."

"Seriously though, you need to tell me things, do I not have a right to know?" Arthur questioned.

"Okay, but promise just to listen and not interrupt?" Merlin asked and Arthur nodded in reply.

"I was about ten when I began to read the stars with any clarity, I saw patterns and shapes that only I could decipher, I remember trying to point them out to Will one night and he looked at me like I was crazy," Merlin laughed, "Anyway I looked up and I saw myself serving a great king who would one day unite the lands of Albion and give freedom to all magic users."

"And you knew that was me?" Arthur asked.

"Not really, I knew Uther had a son about my age of course, but the stars weren't specific, I thought it couldn't possibly be you if you were being brought up by Uther," Merlin said, "then little things started to come into place, strong in sword and passion, and piece by piece I started to click things together."

"And what was your part in all of this?" Arthur asked.

"The druids has already made prophecies about me; Emrys the son of magic, who will bring hope to magic users and will help the once and future king unite the lands of Albion," Merlin said.

"So we were meant to be partners?" Arthur asked.

"Not really, I think I was meant to serve you and do everything I could do to protect you and help you be a king that Albion could be proud of," Merlin replied.

"What happened?" Arthur asked, "Why did it change?"

"I don't know, we must have made choices that didn't correlate with our destinies, signing myself away to Cenred was defintly a mistake on my part," Merlin said tearing at the grass beside him in frustration as that day came to mind.

"And how did that happen exactly?" Arthur asked already knowing Merlin's answer by the way he fidgeted in his arms.

"I can't tell you that Arthur, you know I can't no matter how much I wish I could."

"One day when Cenred is dead you will tell me everything," It wasn't a request.

"I promise," Merlin replied.

Arthur considered what he had been told; it was hard to think that in another life everything could be different. He and Merlin could be working together to build a brighter future, instead they were on opposites sides of a war, with duty separating them. He knew there was no point in wishing for what could have been when choices had been made that had led to this path, but yet he could not help but wish things were different.

"You spoke of my mother one time, and how my father was a hypocrite," Arthur said and felt Merlin tense in his arms, "I want to know what you meant."

"I don't think that would be wise Arthur," Merlin said quietly.

"Why, my father is dead who could I get mad at?" Arthur questioned.

Merlin sighed "Very well. Your mother was unable to have children Arthur."

"What?!" Arthur asked confused "but…"

"But," Merlin interrupted, "Your father was desperate for an heir to continue his line and stop Camelot falling into others hands, he asked his close friend and court sorcerer Nimueh to help him."

"Nimueh?" Arthur questioned "The priestess of the old religion?" remembering her name from one of Gaius's old books.

"Yes, she was a friend of Camelot, at one time magic wasn't always outlawed here," Merlin said, "I don't know if Nimueh warned Uther of the consequences or if she had some evil agenda, I'm sure she didn't know whose life would be taken. But she helped create a life, and according to the laws of the old religion to create a life a life must be taken to maintain the balance."

"So you're saying…" Arthur said putting all the pieces together.

"As your mother gave birth to you her life was took away," Merlin said ignoring the way Arthur was trembling behind him, "Uther was of course heartbroken, and he never forgave Nimueh he ordered her execution and from that day on has feared and loathed any magic user."

Arthur stood up suddenly ignoring how Merlin fell backwards against the ground and started pacing. He was the reason his father was against magic, he had been created and his mother had died. Merlin was right; his father was a hypocrite and a liar. He had told Arthur that sorcerers and killed his mother, he hadn't said he had collaborated with one to get an heir.

"How do you know all of this?" Arthur said turning round.

"Nimueh in her final moments warned the druids of Uther's agony, she told them what happened and they managed to escape, I met some a few years ago and they told me the story." Merlin said lowering his eyes unable to look into Arthurs frantic ones.

"How do you know its true then if the witness is dead?" Arthur asked thinking of Nimueh's execution.

"Uther told one other person about the detail of your birth," Merlin said.

"Gaius," Arthur confirmed.

"Yes, he was Uther's advisor and friend, Gaius only confirmed the druid's theories when he warned me that you didn't know, that night in the throne room." Merlin replied.

"Why didn't he tell me when Uther died?" Arthur asked.

"I don't know, you should ask him," Merlin said, "Though I suspect he didn't want you to hate your father, despite his misdeeds the man raised you and was a good king…for the most part."

"The most part?" Arthur thundered "he killed scores of innocent people all in the name of magic, women, children, families were slaughtered when their 'sins' were only that they carried an amulet or had a book on runes."

"Yes, not many escaped Uther," Merlin replied.

"How can you bare to be with me?" Arthur cried throwing his hands up and tugging at his hair, "My father murdered people like you and yet you claim to 'love' his son?"

Merlin stood up and grasped Arthur's hands away from his head and forced him to look at him.

"You are not your father, I knew that from the minute I laid eyes on you and saw your soul," Merlin said "You have a good heart Arthur."

"I'm not so sure," Arthur whispered back.

"Well I'm sure," Merlin replied and reached to kiss his cheek thanking fate that they were nearly the same height.

"Merlin, I need…I need," Arthur said then broke off and buried his head in the crook of Merlin's neck.

"What Arthur…Anything?" Merlin replied running his hands through his blonde locks.

"Make me forget," Arthur said drawing back to look into his eyes.

Merlin stared into their blues depths for all of five seconds before he lowered his lips and kissed Arthur passionately.

Arthur gasped and kissed back moulding his lips to Merlin's and grasping his head with one hand whilst the other went to his waist. Merlin's lips were soft and warm and his kisses were making him feel dizzy with pleasure. Arthur moaned and Merlin took advantage by sweeping his tongue into his mouth to press against his own.

It was the most erotic kiss Arthur had ever received and he eagerly reciprocated moving his hand to grasp at Merlin's black tunic to pull him closer. Struggling for breath Arthur pulled away and mouthed kisses down Merlin's neck who moaned in reply, when he encountered the silver that encased Merlin's perfect skin.

"I want them off!" Arthur whispered vehemently.

"Arthur," Merlin replied back brokenly begging for his touch, he didn't want his chains to come into this.

Arthur moved his hands to the silver at Merlin's wrists and pulled until both of them so they were back on the ground with Arthur hovering over Merlin staring into midnight blue eyes. He leant to kiss him again and snuck a hand underneath his tunic to paw at satin smooth skin. Arthur grinned into the kiss when Merlin moaned in reply

Feeling brave Arthur lowered his hips until they were touching fully and felt Merlin's hardness pressed against his thigh. He grinded down and smirked with mischief as Merlin broke the kiss to moan out loud and throw his head back against the grass.

"You're so beautiful like this," Arthur said and grinded down again feeling his clothed erection rub up against Merlin's.

Merlin gritted his teeth against the pleasure and gripped at Arthurs back and hips running his hands up and down trying to get him to move again. Suddenly the reality of the situation sunk in and Merlin remembered where they were.

"Arthur no," Merlin said bringing one hand between them to push back at Arthurs chest.

"What?" Arthur asked frustrated and he pulled away from where he has been nibbling on Merlin's ear.

"Not here," Merlin said unable to stop himself from leaning forwards to peck Arthur's mouth.

"Why it's perfect," Arthur said looking at the romantic location.

"No it's not, this is where the souls of the dead come to rest," Merlin said "It's a sacred place."

"Then we'll give them something to watch," Arthur said grinning and leaning back towards Merlin who resolutely pushed him away.

"No, you can't feel them like I can, it feels like they're watching us," Merlin whispered a blush staining his cheek.

"We'll let them enjoy the show," Arthur said trying one more time to get his hand back under Merlin's tunic who pushed it back out with a shudder.

"No, I can't…I can't…" Merlin said shaking his head.

"Okay," Arthur said, there was no rush he supposed. He refused to think that this would be the only time they would be alone together. They would win this war and start their lives together; there would be plenty of time to explore each other. It was just hard when Merlin was so irresistibly gorgeous.

"Thanks," Merlin said. Arthur rolled off of him and lied on his back next to Merlin and clasped his hand in his and stared up at the blue sky.

"Tell me we're going to win," Arthur said still gazing at the sky above them.

Merlin turned to survey Arthur who looked pleasingly debauched and beautiful and Merlin didn't have the heart to tell him that it didn't look good.

"Together I'm sure we can accomplish anything," Merlin said and moved to lay his head on Arthur's chest.

"Together then," Arthur replied and pulled Merlin in closer.

Bæftan hine min eardlufu- After him my dear

There we go then, a bit of a tease to get the blood pumping. The boys are finally starting to become a team. Next chapter: Merlin gets word from Cenred and time is starting to run out.

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