Archive of Our Own ^beta

Merlin had always expected to be found out.
After all, he used magic frequently. Not that he had much of a choice, really. With his magic being a part of him as much as his lungs were.

So, when he was lead to the throne room, in front of Uther Pendragon, he was hardly surprised.
Instead, he was frantically searching for a memory. Maybe just a split second, where he hadn't been careful enough. Where someone might have seen and report him.
It has happened before, after all. With the smoke horse he made once. Or when he voluntarily stepped up for Gwen to get her away from the chopping block.
Naturally, he found more than one memory. Merlin wasn't really subtle about his magic.
Most of the time he didn't have a choice but to turn to magic, when Arthur was in danger. Or some of his other friends.
Sometimes he was behind on his chores, having two jobs at once, plus a whole destiny of a burden on his shoulders. He had to use magic to catch up on his duties like – a lot.

All in all, Merlin wasn't surprised it happened, when he was finally thrown in front of the kings feet. By knights who didn't even know how many times he had helped them with the ,crime' he was being charged for. No, he was surprised, because he had been especially careful lately.
In fact, he couldn't remember a time when he had used LESS magic.

So, in the end, the panic still took hold of him. Against his will, but it was there.

Gaius looked at him with a mix of worry and disappointment. (Mostly worry. The disappointment was probably just Merlin's imagination, with how often Gaius shouted at him to be more careful.)

What was worse was Arthur's startled expression. He didn't seem like he was expecting Merlin to be dragged in here. So the prince hadn't even known. Great.
It was probably too late to rely on Arthur's excuses for him now. Even if it was just a “Merlin is too stupid to use magic.” Hurts, but okay.

Arthur kept talking Merlin out of messes like this. Even though he didn't even know about Merlin's secret. What a great friend. The best friend.

“Father – please. You cannot actually believe her.”
“Arthur, be quiet.
So much for that. He was actually useless.
Stand up, boy.”, Uther Pendragon bellowed to Merlin who complied against his will. What was he going to do? Tackle the knight who was currently holding him by the neck? Who happened to have a sword?

Merlin looked at Arthur. He tried to convey something to the prince. Was it an apology? Was it a cry for help? Whatever it was, the prince looked pained by it. Arthur knew he was innocent.
Well, actually, he wasn't. Not really. But his crime wasn't really a crime. If you didn't look at the ,murder the enemies of the Pendragon family' thing.

Also, Merlin wondered what it was this time, that got him here. In such a problematic situation. It must have to do with magic. The knight was quite clear on that. But could he be a little more specific please?

“You have been accused of using magic. We have a witness as well as proof. As provided to us by this servant, who has found it in your chambers.”

“What is a servant doing in another servant's chambers?”, Merlin mumbled, before he had even seen the “proof”. Like honestly, somebody needed to point that out, right?

He could see the ,witness' from where he stood. She was right next to Leon. She really did look frightened. If that was part of a ruse or actual fear, Merlin couldn't see it at this point.
However, he could imagine her being a very wicked person somewhere underneath. People who accused him of treason usually were. He didn't recognize her though. Which was odd. Merlin knew everyone in the Castle. Especially the servants. Especially the ones who visited his room.

“SILENCE!”, Uther shouted. Man, that guy needed to calm down.
“The witness would like to speak.” And suddenly a servant had a voice and the right to an opinion? Strange king he was, this Uther.

“Sire. I have seen this boy in the lower town before. He buys all sorts of things from the market. Herbs and – and ropes and – these kind of things. I believe he makes potions of some sort.”

“Yeah. The court physicians apprentice making potions. Very suspicious.”, Merlin interrupted her, only to be hit by the knights ,what's his name', to shut him up once more. Not that that would stop him for long. The knight knew that. All the knights knew that. They learned that the day they were knighted.

“I have also seen him - m- make tea, Sire. One second it was cold, the next his eyes were golden and then the cup was steaming. I feared what he would do with it. What he had done to it.
I know he is your son's personal servant, Sire. I can only hope that tea wasn't meant for him.”, she bowed. On the verge of crying. Who cried about tea, like seriously girl, get your shit together.

Uther leaned back in utter shock, turning to his son. “He hasn't given you tea, has he?”, he asked, very very afraid for his son. Ridiculous. Arthur was probably the one person in this room who didn't need to be afraid of Merlin. The audacity.
Arthur flinched, as Uther suddenly decided to pay him attention.

The prince looked down. “He has, my lord. But he is my servant. That is his job!”
“Nonsense! You will NOT take anything from him ever again. I have heard enough. You!”, he stood up now, finally facing Merlin again. Merlin who was frowning deeply.
He was currently trying to remember when he had ever heated tea with magic. Strange, he couldn't remember that at all.... what the fuck?

“You are hereby charged guilty of treason. And therefore sentenced to death! Tomorrow at dawn, you will be burned at the stake.”
“Father! Please!” It was clear there was no point in Arthur's pleading.
“I will not listen to you, Arthur. For all I know, he could have bewitched you.”

Gaius send Merlin a pained expression. Even the knights, the ones that were fond of Merlin, looked equally sympathetic. What would sympathy do Merlin now? Like that had ever helped anyone.
Hey, friend, you'll be burned at the stake. But don't worry, I feel with you. Like – are you serious?

“Father, wait. Please. Can we at least see the proof?”
Oh, yes. Good point. Merlin smiled at his friend. ,Thank you.' he mouthed, but Arthur couldn't even see him. Arthur – the one sane person in this entire Castle...
That …. was not a thought Merlin had often.

“Yes, yes, of course.”, Uther nodded, and waved for one of the knights to come forward. He handed him a scarf. A red neckerchief. One that looked an awful lot like -
Arthur paled as he weighted it in his hands. “Merlin, is this yours?”

Merlin looked at it. There was a coffee stain on it. Merlin had spilled some coffee on his scarf yesterday. So he nodded, a little confused. What did his scarf proof? That he drank coffee and not tea? Because that is literally the only connection Merlin could make out between the texture and the tea story.
“It's warm.”, Arthur said, eyes wide. Betrayal suddenly growing on his features.
“What are you talking about?”, Merlin frowned. A warm scarf? Did someone heat it? Or dry it by the fire? Why would they do that?

“It is warming itself, Merlin. You really are a sorcerer.”, Arthur breathed. “You lied to me.”, he said, barely visible tears in his eyes. Merlin's mouth dropped.
“Merlin!”, he heard Gaius hiss.
There it was. The ,how could you be so careless expression.'

Hold on. Hold the fuck on.

“Excuse me?”, Merlin finally began. Because what the fuck.
Uther turned to him. “Your sentence was spoken, young boy. You will spend the rest of the night in the dungeons.”

The knights around him hesitated, before grabbing for Merlin's shoulders. But Merlin was frozen in place. This couldn't be happening. They couldn't be serious. Couldn't they see how wrong this all was?
“I did not use a spell to warm my scarf or make tea! How stupid do you think I am?!”, the knights stopped at his sudden exclamation.

“You are a sorcerer! I would not be surprised, if you did things like this for your own convenience.”

“So I'm getting burned for heating tea and warming myself.”, Merlin deadpanned.
“How on earth does that even qualify as a crime?”

“So you are confessing you have used magic.”, Uther dared, a grin playing by his lips. Ohhh, Merlin had never been good when challenges were thrown at him.
Merlin blinked a few times. Honestly, who does this guy think he is?
Merlin closed his eyes. Honestly, they were going too far. He's had enough. Tea.... killed for heating tea! Him. Emrys. The most powerful sorcerer of all times.

Ridiculous. This wasn't part of the prophecy! This wasn't what he signed up for. (Not that he ever signed up for anything.) Couldn't that blasted Dragon have warned him or something?
“You know what. Yes. I do confess I have magic.”, Merlin said. And suddenly the room was silent. Honestly, why were they surprised? He was just condemned to death for sorcery.

“Merlin!”, Gaius shouted. “You idiot! What are you doing!”
“You knew of this?”, Uther asked. HIM too? Merlin knew he was a hypocrite, but this was -
Arthur looked at him defeated.
“No Merlin you don't. Sit down.”, he mouthed. Merlin almost laughed at that. Idiot.

“No. Gaius didn't know.”. He waved it of. “In fact, I've been very careful hiding my secret from all of you.” The sorcerer looked around, calculating each of them. Searching for something else that was at play here. Because it clearly was.
“Which is why this is the stupidest thing I have EVER heard!”, Merlin shook of the knights hand, as he stepped forward to the king. Like a mad man. To be fair, he was a little mad.

“Burned... for heating tea.”, Merlin shook his head.
Swords were now directed at him. The knights looked uncertain, as Merlin didn't look the least bit afraid anymore.

What was the point? They wouldn't believe him anyway. Uther didn't trust Arthur anymore, thinking he was brainwashed and Merlin didn't know another way out. He didn't have time to spend in the dungeons.
Especially since there was something about this story that sounded very – very suspicious.

“I would never use my magic for something so foolish! It takes maybe ten minutes to make tea without magic! I am not THAT careless. This woman is lying to your face, and you can't even see it.”, Merlin pointed at the witness, who backed away in surprise. Where was the fear she had only minutes ago? Clearly, she hadn't expected Merlin to actually confess magic to Uther of all people.

“I don't know why she's framing me. Or what for. I don't even know who she is. Maybe this is a distraction. Right, this must be it.”, Merlin said, understanding washing over his face. He turned his back to the king, searching the room for something or someone who was hiding here somewhere.

“Merlin – you need to stop this! You're already -”, Arthur began. But Merlin was searching frantically. Ignoring the looks he received.

“You know. I have done many things with magic.”, Merlin began, because you know what – fuck it.
“I have fought witches, and bandits, and griffins, trolls, goblins. I am the one who killed Nimueh and Morgouse. I am the one who revealed the witch finder for the fraud that he was. And I have saved the lifes of many of your knights. I have saved Arthur's life countless of times, and not just because a dragon told me to do so. I have saved Uther's life, when that blasted sorcerer poisoned him with his weird tiny bugs and tried to replace Gaius as physician.
I have defeated Cornelius Sigan and I convinced the unicorn guy to give Arthur a second chance to save Camelot.”, Merlin said this steadily and slowly, while Uther rose to his feet.

Eyes wider with every word Merlin spoke.

“I know you guys think of me as a fool and right now you believe me to be a traitor. But honestly? After everything I did, you have me executed for HEATING TEA? Which I didn't even do? How fucked up is that?!”, Merlin turned around now. He had found the assassin.
He waved his arm. The gleaming gold in his eyes there for everyone to see, as a man, hidden on one of the bridges above the throne room, fell down with a scream. The serving girl screamed in her surprise. Rushing over to the man whose arrow just shot loose, stopped only by Merlin's hand, right in front of Uther's face.

The king stared at the arrow, eyes even wider than before.
“Magic.”, he mouthed.

Merlin threw up his hands, as he let the arrow fall to the ground. “Seriously? I JUST saved your life! AGAIN!Yes with MAGIC! Like I've done for the past five years!”

“You are a bloody sorcerer! Magic is against the law!”, the king screamed. Now he lowered himself right above Merlin. Which only worked, because he stood on a small staircase up to his throne.
Merlin just blinked back. “I thought we were over this! I AM magic, you blasted fool.”

The crowd was shifting now, whispering, backing away. “Then you ARE against the law!”, Uther screamed back.
“Your laws are utter bullshit!”
“You are here in MY kingdom-!”, the king began, but Merlin just shook his head, disbelievingly.

“You know what? There is no arguing with you. You are blinded by your hatred. You don't even see when someone is helping you, rather than being a threat. With all due respect, Sire.”, he spat out the last words. “Go fuck yourself.”

With that he turned around, leaving the throne room.
“Guards, seize him!”, Uther shouted and the guards hesitated, but approached the servant.
Merlin turned his body around, just enough to give Uther an annoyed expression.
“You have no power over me, Uther Pendragon.”, he said. And with a flash of his eyes, the knights fell unconscious. No spell. No casting, no movement. Just a speck of gold.
Then he left the room.

….

“Father....”, Arthur began, his heart racing wildly at the frozen scene in front of him. Merlin had friggin magic....
“Gaius -”, Uther said, shortly after.

“I think your ward just snapped.”, Gwen concluded the sentence.

----------------------------

Merlin had magic....
Arthur would have believed, his servant would be smart enough to leave Camelot. To run away, to be save. Or stay and kill the king.
He had magic. He was a sorcerer.
But Merlin did – neither of those. While the entire Castle was preparing for battle against one man, Merlin never really disappeared. In fact, as soon as Arthur left to his room to cool down, he found the sorcerer right there.
A friggin sorcerer.

Arthur would lie, if he later denied, he had been screaming like a girl, when he saw Merlin waiting for him in his room.
Heart beating fast, he hid behind his door.
“Arthur?”, Merlin asked, sticking his head around the corner, where Arthur was hiding. Was Merlin going to hold him for ransom?
Was he going to kill him? Was now, that his secret was out, his entire plan in danger? To secretly sway Arthur for who knows what purposes. And now he had to get rid of him?
Arthur didn't dare say anything as he found his hand on his sword.

Merlin blinked, then sighed. “Arthur, you have a meeting this afternoon. One of those suitors your father picked out. Her father has no power whatsoever. I don't even know why your father things she's an ideal candidate. He normally just waves girls like her off.”
How could he still talk like that?

Arthur drew his sword, now entering his own room with the upmost caution. Merlin stared at him with a frown on his face.
“I really hope you are not planning to impale me with that dull thing.”, he said. “I really don't want to knock you out.”

Arthur took a deep breath. Before, he would have laughed at the mere thought of Merlin knocking anyone out. Instead, right now he feared for his life. He had seen men fall unconscious to Merlin's mere glare only minutes ago. Merlin was an actual threat. Holy guacamole.

“Here, I picked out your favorite shirt. I mended it. The hole is gone. Nobody will notice.”

“What the hell are you doing here?”, Arthur demanded to know, as Merlin threw he blue shirt at him. He needed to know. Merlin was still acting like a freaking servant and it was freaking Arthur out.

“What do you mean?”, Merlin asked, like he didn't bloody know!
“My father has just sentenced you to death! You are a sor – a sor -”, he couldn't evenend that sentence. Even though he had seen it. It was hard to believe.
“A sorcerer, yes.”, Merlin helped him out.
“You should be – in the dungeons! Or escaping or -”, honestly those were the only two options Arthur could think of. He gulped. Was there another purpose for what Merlin stayed? What was it?

“Oh. I'm not leaving you. You wouldn't survive a day without me.”
Merlin had said this before. Before all this chaos. And back then, Arthur had laughed at it. Right now that very sentence frightened him. No... actually it startled him.... Because Merlin meant it. Like he always meant it. But this time Arthur could SEE that he meant it.
What was he talking about? Right now Arthur should be the least of his worries... so why?
“Merlin, my father is going to kill you!”

“He can certainly try.”, Merlin snorted. Then he turned around to use his friggin magic to clean up Arthur's room. Arthur's eye twitched. His hand on his sword tightening.
Merlin wasn't even using spells! What sorcerer didn't use spells?

“Ah, you have no idea how good it feels to not be hiding anymore. Now, can you please put on those robes?”

“What is your plan? Why have you come to Camelot! Why did you start using magic! WHEN did you start using magic? Why? Are you going to kill me? Any of my friends? The knights? My father?!”, Arthur was shouting out question after question. Merlin would answer. He could see it in his eyes.
Merlin turned back to him. Stopping whatever he was currently fiddling with. He looked tired. A bit annoyed, but mostly tired.

“I don't have a plan, Arthur. I was born with magic. I've never had a choice. So I chose to use it for you. To protect you. I just saved your father's life, remember? If I wanted either of you dead, I could have killed you years ago.”, Merlin sat down on one of the chairs in front of Arthur's work table.
“Anything else, Sire?”, he asked, and pointed to Arthur's favorite chair.
Arthur feared what that chair would do to him now. Maybe it was enchanted? Was Arthur seriously brainstorming ways to be killed by a chair? He slowly walked around Merlin and sat down.

“Then – what is your plan now? Now that my father knows, I mean?”, Arthur asked. He couldn't help it. Why would Merlin stay? Even if what he said was true.... Staying was far too dangerous now.

“What I've always done. Stay by your side. Be there for you. Be your servant, protect you. All that jazz.”, Merlin stated.
“Why?”
“Because that is my purpose. I was born to serve you Arthur. I am not going to stop now.”

Arthur nodded slowly. Then he looked at the door. “You are – dismissed?”, he asked, voice weaker than usual when he said that. Merlin just smiled, then nodded and bowed, before he left the room.
Arthur slumped back in his chair.
What on earth was happening today? He had …. so much to progress.

-------------------------------

Merlin was caught sooner than Arthur had expected. Well, not exactly caught. Arthur had been forbidden from meeting his suitor now anyway, because of – well – the situation.
Instead, Arthur had been asked to attend a meeting with his father. To discuss how to deal with the sorcerer who had invaded their Castle, without them knowing.

“He DID save your life though.”, Arthur just pointed out, when a knight came in, dragging Merlin by the sleeve into the room.

Uther stood up. And then, his stoic face fell and made space for a happy grin.
As Arthur turned around, he knew why. And felt his heart drop to his stomach. The knight – a young one of noble heritage, brought in the bloody servant.
Like, Merlin was literally covered in blood.

“I found him sleeping in the library, Sire.”, the knight bowed, and finally pulled out his sword from Merlin's heart.
Merlin's head fell to the floor with a dump. Eyes empty. He was dead.

After everything that had happened today, Arthur had not been prepared for this.
He should have been prepared for this. After all, Uther had sentenced him to death. He had ordered the pyre to be build. And told everyone to bring Merlin to him.
Dead or alive.

But Arthur felt numb, still.
Merlin had made – no actual signs of betrayal. He had neither attacked anyone, nor hurt anyone. He had revealed a traitor (the woman and the assassin) and had saved the king. For that he had refused to go to the dungeons. But that was not a crime. Or was it?

“You have done a marvelous job.”, Uther was cheering and beaming. And Arthur didn't think he had ever seen his father this happy. Yet, Arthur had never been this revolted by his father.
(And he counted the troll incident!)
Arthur felt sick. Merlin was his friend. Magic or no magic. Merlin had claimed he was protecting him. Arthur had wanted to know more. To see more. To understand more!
But now he would never have the chance. He should be relieved a sorcerer was dead, but he really, really wasn't. On the contrary.

When Merlin had revealed himself a sorcerer, Arthur had felt his soul rip in half. Now he felt like the part left was stepped on to bleed out on the cold stone floor.

Slowly, like a ghost, he made his way down the room to Merlin's corpse, as he fell to his knees. Next to his best friend.
“Arthur. He was a servant. We will get you a knew one. It is better this way.
YOU, young knight, will be bathed in silver and gold for this.”

Somehow it felt like Uther treated this knight more as his son than Arthur. Who was trying his hardest not to cry. Merlin couldn't be dead! Not NOW!
Arthur raised Merlin's head. He was limp. Not moving. He checked his pulse. Nothing.
Merlin wasn't breathing. The bleeding was stopping now, as his body couldn't loose any more of it.

Arthur couldn't process this. Merlin couldn't be killed so easily! He had survived so much! So much worse than this! So many worse situations. Magical beasts and – okay now it kind of made sense how he had survived so long. With magic and all that. And yet. It only took a simple knight to take Merlin off guard and kill him?
This couldn't be it. “Merlin, I am so sorry.”, Arthur half sobbed.

Yes, Arthur had been afraid of Merlin's magic. However, he had been more confused and curious to know how and why Merlin was who he was. Now that his initial fear had settled a little, he realized just how unjustified his fathers actions were.
They've had no proof that Merlin had ever tried to hurt them! Not with how many times he's tried to switch his own life for Arthur's. (And those were just the one's he knew of.)

Arthur had wanted to understand! Now he would never get the choice.

….

It wasn't enough to kill Merlin.
Like …. it was at all enough, to stick a sword in him to kill him.
All of a sudden, Merlin's body rose up. Snapped, almost. As the young sorcerer inhaled a deep breath. As though he had just stopped breathing for like – ten minutes and now rose back to the surface of the ocean. Arthur immediately fell backwards on his butt, as unprincely as it sounds.

Uther turned around at the yelp Arthur just made. The his eyes froze.
As if on cue, Gaius stormed in. Someone must have told him about his wards demise.
Gaius stormed into the room like his son died. Eyes widened, tears all ready to spill. But not quite there yet, because he needed to see the corpse to believe it.

Only there was no corpse.

“MERLIN!”, Gaius yelled. And only now did the random knight understand what the hell had just happened.
“I – what?”, he looked panicked, as Uther grabbed for his throat.
“HAVE YOU PLANNED THIS!”, Uther gritted his teeth at him. Shaking the man violently. “No, Sire, I swear! I believed him dead!”

“He was dead, my lord.”, Gaius finally said, as he began examining Merlin. “It appears, the wound has healed.”, he looked up at Merlin, horrified to even talk to him.
“I fear, you are immortal, Merlin.”

Merlin blinked a couple of times. Then he threw his head back and laughed.
“Oh..”, he breathed. “That explains SO much.”, he grinned.
“Has – has this happened before?”, Arthur stuttered out. Because if it ,explained so much' then did that mean, Merlin had died before?

Honestly, Arthur didn't know what to feel anymore. His emotions today went from bored and annoyed to surprised, to disbelieve to dread to fear to confusion and finally endless pain.
Only to change to relieved and utterly terrified in the span of one afternoon. What a day.

“Once or twice, I think? I've been wondering forever now, if it really was that morteus flower you brought me that saved my life. I really don't want to say your travel was in vain, but Gaius told me, that I did die for a second. Not to mention that Sidhe that tried to kill me once.
Everyone else he directed his staff at exploded. I always wondered how I survived.”

The room was silent again, as Merlin sighed and stood up. Like he hadn't just died and come back from the dead..... Holy fuck, dude.
“Well then. My lord, my friends.”, Merlin bowed to them. “I think I have some laundry to attend to.”, he looked at his own bloodied clothing.
“And a shirt to mend. If you will excuse me.” And with that, he left again. Leaving Arthur covered in his blood and open mouthed, while Gaius had lost all faith in this being over by the next week.

Uther had collapsed back into his throne, while the knight looked terrified enough to quit.
(He did quit later that day. Not before warning the other knights of Merlin's apparent immortality.)

“I have told you, you should have never risked your life for his.”, Uther's voice was aggressive, when he turned to his son. Referring to the morteus flower incident.
Arthur's mouth was wide open. “He had saved my life! And I never knew he was immortal. Or a sorcerer, or – or -”

Uther frowned. “This would not have happened, if you weren't so fond of a mere servant.”

“With all due respect, father. But I think it's pretty clear that Merlin is more than just a servant.”, Arthur retorted, still trying to gather his thoughts.

“Gaius, is there any way to kill him?”
Gaius looked pained. “I don't think there is, Sire. Nimueh was immortal. And we never managed to hurt her, physically that is.”
“But HE managed to kill her!”, Uther said through gritted teeth. “Clearly there must be a way!”

Arthur thought he must have woken up in a different dimension or something. His father was talking about this Nimueh, as though Merlin's statement earlier had made any sense at all.
As if it was a fact. And not just something Merlin said to make himself look better.
You know... as a ruse to fool them into trusting him.
After all, Merlin was a sorcerer. That didn't mean he was THAT powerful. Then again, to be fair... Merlin was not the type to lie about his own achievements.
The fact that he let Arthur call him a clumsy coward for years, proved that.

“I would suppose, only immortals would know the secret of death. I don't think there is anything we could do.”

“He is a danger to us all and we must eliminate him!”

“Father, please. Merlin hasn't hurt anyone so far. In fact, he has saved your life! Can't we grand him the benefit of the doubt? Surely, if he wanted to kill anyone, he would have done so by now! We cannot overlook that! Maybe magic isn't as evil as you thought, maybe -”

“SEE! He is already planting lies into your head! We will kill him. Whatever the cost!”
And that was Uther's final word.
Arthur wished he had never said anything.

-----------------------

There were at least three more occasions that someone tried to kill Merlin. One was a serving girl, who poisoned him with hemlock while bearing more fear than Arthur had ever seen on any person. Killing people wasn't exactly something you did with a clear conscience. Especially if it was your first time.
Even when your target was a sorcerer.
She waited, until Merlin stopped breathing and for a second, she seemed relieved enough to call for Arthur.
But when Arthur stormed into the kitchens, Merlin had just woken up again, which caused the serving girl to faint immediately.

Another one was a stable boy, who somehow convinced Merlin to go fishing with him. He had originally planned to drown Merlin. Just that he hadn't anticipated that entering the boat meant – he would have to swim.
Which – he couldn't.
In the end, Merlin saved his life and the stable boy promised to never try anything of this sort ever again.

One last attempt was made by Uther himself. Who, as original as he was, stabbed Merlin in the head.
When Merlin finally lay dead on the floor and Uther cheered for himself, Arthur had already prepared another servant to clean up the mess, after Merlin would wake up again.

Arthur really thought, he shouldn't get used to see Merlin die the one or the other day.
But he did, somehow. There was always this one minute of wondering, if Merlin would come back of course, but Merlin always did.
And nobody could stop him from continuing his job anyways.

Arthur found it increasingly difficult to ignore Merlin, like your father tried to force him to do. Or to avoid the drinks and food that Merlin brought him. After all, Arthur needed to live. He wasn't immortal, like Merlin was.
Not that he wanted to be. Resurrecting from the dead looked utterly painful.

It wasn't possible to banish Merlin either. He did listen to the king's orders, as long as it wasn't “leave Camelot immediately.”
Then, Merlin just flicked him the bird.
It was different, when Uther condemned him to the stocks or to get himself hanged. THAT Merlin complied to. It was strange to say the least.

However, there was something else that did change, despite Arthur's initial believes.
Merlin didn't use his magic as blatantly as the first day he died and returned.
(When he had used it to clean Arthur's room.)
Merlin explained to Arthur that he “Seemed frightened by it”, so he just let it go. But, Merlin openly used it to avert assassination attempts.

“I've always done this.”, Merlin just shrugged the first time a sorcerer tried to magically transform Arthur into a frog. Merlin reversed the spell so the sorcerer had to hop away in fear instead.
“Now that you know, I don't have to hide it anymore. Which does make my job a lot easier, actually. I won't lie to you anymore. I promise.”

And he didn't. Merlin told him literally everything.
From Dragon's and their lords to druids, to bandits and how they were protected or defeated or whatsoever.
About people who would attack Arthur. About people who wouldn't, even if Arthur kept suspecting them.
Arthur tried to find holes in Merlin's story. But he found none. In fact, Merlin's explanations made more sense, than anything his father had ever told him.

In fact, at some point Arthur decided he had starved enough. The servants were too frightened by Merlin to try and do his job for him, so Arthur could at least have an apple now and then.
So in the end, he just – went with whatever Merlin gave him.
Merlin looked relieved, to say the least. “Finally. I thought I ruined your appetite.”, he had smiled and brought Arthur an extra cake. The ones he loved so much.

It didn't taste different from usual. It wasn't poisoned (he had given it to Gaius to test it first.). In fact, there was nothing wrong with any of the food Merlin brought him.
Merlin still went on hunts with him, despite Uther grounding them both. He still sabotaged Arthur's hunts for deers. He still nagged the knights, who were decreasingly bewildered by his antics.

Now however, he fought with them against bandits. Not that it was much of a fight anymore.
Merlin still let the knights have their fun. But whenever someone got too close to be killed, Merlin intervened and let the bandit fly through the air against the next tree.
He let branches fall loose, regardless of who saw him and Arthur realized – Merlin had always done this. Just had he cowered behind trees before, so nobody would notice....
And Arthur had called him a coward. Arthur had tried to protect Merlin, when really, it had always been the other way around.

Merlin had never changed.
Arthur realized this with a start, when they returned to Camelot and Merlin kept complaining about how unnecessary their hunt had been again. Because “who needs twenty bunnies, Arthur, really? I can't even make you a coat from that. It would look ridiculous.”

But Arthur didn't think this hunt had been unnecessary at all. In fact, he himself had calmed down a lot, seeing Merlin behaving like usual. And the knights seemed to have calmed down as well.

----------------------

Uther hadn't. He kept pestering Gaius about ways to get rid of Merlin.
But the only solution he had was to … well.... threaten the people that were important to Merlin.
Whom he knew only two of. (Three, but Arthur didn't count.)

“If you don't leave Camelot by dawn, I will have Gaius executed!”, Uther shouted one day. He was the one who had changed. He was going mad. Really, really mad.
Arthur went pale, just thinking about what the fuck his father was just talking about.
Merlin stood there, a little shocked.

“But Gaius is YOUR friend. He has been loyal to you for years. Are you seriously throwing him under the hearse now?”, Merlin stared at the king.
Once a loud mouth, always a loud mouth, right Merlin?

“He has harbored a sorcerer, right under my nose! I WILL -”

“No. You won't.”, Merlin decided. Uther blinked.
“I beg your pardon?!”

“I told you already, Gaius knew nothing of my powers. I've been keeping this secret very well up until now. And Gaius is not only your friend, he is your court physician.”

“I will get another!”, Uther spat at him. But that only made Merlin smile.

“Oh yes. I am sure you will. But they won't be as good as Gaius. Even if they have been his apprentice for five years.”

Uther paled, mouth wide open.

“You do know that I am his apprentice, right? If you kill him. I WILL take his place. And we both know you cannot stop me.”

Uther closed his mouth. Then opened it again.

“Will that be all, Sire?”, Merlin asked.

“What about that girlfriend of yours! The serving girl.” Arthur flinched. Not Gwen, please not -
“May I remind you, that I am keeping one of your secrets?”

Okay, now that was new. Arthur gaped at him.
Uther frowned.
“What secret?”
“Oh you know... the one you personally told me... Let me rephrase that. You came to my chambers to tell me to keep quiet about it, or else you'd have me executed. Which – you've tried already, so I guess we're done with that.
A little hint. It has to do with magic. And what happened before the purge.”

Uther frowned.
“You know … why you started the purge?”, Merlin looked at Arthur. Arthur didn't get it.
But Uther seemed to understand.
“You wouldn't dare...”

“Not, if my friends are safe, no. I will take that secret to my grave. Sorry, I know I won't ever take anything to my grave, because I won't die, but I don't have a better analogy.” Merlin was still grinning.

Uther bit his lip, thinking. “Fine. FINE! You win. You are dismissed.”
“Yes, my lord.”, Merlin had the audacity to bow, before he left.

--------------

Things went to – kind of to normal after that.
The frightened servants slowly calmed down and returned to relying on Merlin for help again. Especially since he began using magic to help them.
As long as Arthur didn't see it, because it would “creep him out”.

The knights who were told to impale Merlin, just reported to the king how they had tried and failed. Neither of which happened, but all Uther needed to know was that they had tried. He would believe the rest.

Still, people tried to keep their distance from Merlin. At least in public.
Because anyone who was suspiciously close to Merlin was automatically center of attention of Uther's rage. Which is why even Gwen couldn't thank Merlin for saving her with whatever secret he was keeping for Uther.

Arthur himself felt himself fall back into old habits. He bickered with Merlin, he asked him for advise on certain subjects.
And Merlin was a surprisingly well informed insight. No matter what the subject was.
More so than before. Because now Merlin wasn't playing the wise fool anymore. But the advisor he should always have been.

“This report says, they have found another crystal like the one of Neathid. Some druids I mean. Another one? Weapons? Really?”, he buried his face in his hands.
“I don't even know what that crystal does!”, he said, slightly worried for the future of Camelot.

“I wouldn't be so surprised, if I were you. Those Crystals are not as rare as you think. In fact, there is a whole cave full of them in the Valley of kings.” Merlin was lying on Arthur's bed (because who would stop him?) and played with one of his pillows.
All while Arthur was reading his reports. Uther didn't know Merlin was here. Arthur hoped the man would never find out.

“You're not telling me that you know exactly what that Crystal does now, do you?”, Arthur was so tired of all the new information he kept getting.

“Of course I do. That thing is frightening.” Merlin shuddered. Merlin – frightened by the Crystal?
“Should I be worried?”, Arthur asked, getting increasingly anxious at Merlin's expression.

“I don't think you have to be. No.”, Merlin said with a sigh. “I think I'm probably the only one who can wield it. Except Mordred perhaps. But he isn't trained enough. He's just a child.”

“Mordred, the druid boy? Wait.... YOU can wield it? What is it?!”, Arthur stood up, walking towards his bed in wide strides. Before he took another chair to sit on right in front of Merlin.

Merlin sat up too, hugging the pillow.
“Yes. In fact, I can't NOT wield it. It's exhausting. It shows you the future or the past or whatever destiny has in store for us. It's a very unpleasant feeling.”

Arthur gaped at him. “So, you saw the future? What did you see?”

Merlin frowned a little at that. “I saw the Dragon attacking.”, he admitted, remembering that part of his past.

“You KNEW he would attack and you didn't even tell us?! Merlin, people DIED!”

“I KNOW!”, Merlin shouted back. There was a moment of silence, before Merlin sighed and moved on.
“Yes, I knew it would happen. But I told you, this Dragon has helped me save you countless of times. I had promised to set him free.
I had sworn to do it. I had no choice. He was torturing me -”

“Torturing you, how?”

“Voices in my head. Making me feel guilty. Refusing to help me in the future to save your life. It was horrible. It went on for months.
I knew it would happen, but I had no choice. But the dragon is gone now, so it's fine, right?”

“Not really. People died, Merlin.”

“You know how hard destiny can be, Arthur. How and why we make choices in life. We keep making mistakes. I didn't do this on purpose. And I did safe us in the end so -”

“You mean, I did! I killed that dragon!”, Arthur replied.
Merlin smiled.
“No. Kilgarrah is alive. I ordered him to leave, after I became the last Dragon lord.”

Arthur stared at him. “How on earth did you become a Dragon lord?”

“I inherited it.”

“From whom?”, Arthur replied. But a part of him knew.
“My dad.” Okay, that was not the answer he had expected.
“But – you never met your dad? I thought Balinor was -”, Arthur's mouth clapped shut. No... NO
“Yes, Arthur. Balinor.”

Merlin sighed again, then leaned back on the bed.
“Anyway. Destiny is a bitch. I'm just glad I'm not completely alone anymore.”

“What are you talking about! Everybody's avoiding you! Even Gaius, because he has no choice! How are you NOT alone?”, Arthur threw up his hands. This was ridiculous.

“I have you, don't I?”
And again, Arthur had nothing left to say to that.

-----------------

Merlin saved Uther's life. Again. Uther was dying.
And you, as the reader, would remember the original scene, in which Uther died. This time however, Merlin didn't have to conceal himself as Dragoon. Which means that Morgana had no time to plant the pendant around Uther's neck.
Which means, Merlin could save him.
And he did, save him.

Uther was NOT happy about that. Rather than be in debt of a sorcerer, rather than seeing his son be corrupted, thinking magic could be good, the man went absolutely crazy on his death bed.
He took a knife and killed himself.
Which – Arthur saw. And couldn't prevent. Neither could Merlin.

That just left the two of them staring at each other. Arthur with tears in his eyes, while Merlin just looked a little disturbed.
Which, in this situation was an absolutely logical reaction, thank you very much.

Merlin didn't seem fazed by his demise. Not much at least. He was more concerned about Arthur's well being.

It was only weeks after his coronation, that Arthur dared ask him why.

“Merlin, my father he – he has persecuted your kind for over twenty years. Didn't you hate him?”

“Of course I did!” Merlin laughed.

“But – you saved his life! More than once! You could have killed him if you wanted to!”

“And what would that prove? That I'm exactly what he says I am? That I'm a monster? That magic corrupts? That's not the kind of satisfaction I'd ever give him.
Also -”, Merlin smiled at him.
“You only had one parent. I couldn't take that away from you. Even if he was a shit one, he was still your father.”

Arthur wanted to answer to that. He really did. But what could he say?
“For me.”, he said. Ah, words. There you are.

Merlin chuckled. “You would have done the same for me.”

Arthur teared up. No …. No he wouldn't have. Of course he wouldn't have. If his father had asked him to kill Balinor, he would have done it.
When Uther had persecuted Gaius and wanted him killed because of the witch finder, he only stopped it, because Gwen asked him to. (This is what Arthur thinks now. But if put in the actual situation, we all know he wouldn't think so simply about these situations. Arthur is insecure, okay?!)

“Are you crying?”, Merlin asked bewildered. “Arthur?”

“I'll lift the ban on magic.”, he said instead. Arthur had never been ashamed of himself. But this! This was a wrong he must right.
For everything Merlin had done for him. Everything he bared for him. All this fear, all these lies, all the protection.
If Merlin was magic, than magic couldn't be evil. And if it was, then Merlin was the exception. And if Merlin was an exception, how high were the chances there were more of him?

Merlin's eyes were glimmering with tears as well now. His mouth slightly agape, as though he couldn't believe Arthur was saying this.

“Merlin, you are a better friend, then I ever was. Please, never change.”

Merlin laughed.
“Arthur, you are a better man than what you give yourself credit for. I swear, I will always be there for you.”

And if they gave each other sickeningly fond smiles, then that is their problem.
I'll be off crying in the distance.