Merlin One-Shots

The Secret Is Revealed

* Basically I wanted to write an AE for The Last Dragonlord, so here it is*

"We must not let Arthur know that you are my father," Merlin warned Balinor. "He might take it to Uther and he will not like it."

Balinor nodded as he approached his son. "I agree. If Arthur, or even worse Uther, were to find out, it would land us both in huge trouble." 

The sound of a twig snapping made the two whip their heads around to see Arthur walking towards them, holding a pile of wood. 

"Collecting firewood Arthur?" Merlin asked, a smug smile forming on his face. "I thought only I liked to do that."

Arthur didn't reply, and instead dumped the load of firewood in front of them.

"We'll set camp up here," Arthur replied, not looking at them. "I'll go gather our supplies."

With that, he turned on his heels, and walked back to the horses. Merlin's grin vanished, and he looked worriedly at Arthur's retreating figure.

"What's wrong, Merlin?" Balinor asked as his son began to set up the fire. 

"There's something wrong with Arthur," Merlin replied. "I just don't know what."

***

Later that night, Arthur had already fallen asleep while Merlin and Balinor were up talking. Balinor had a knife and a block of wood, that he was carving into a dragon. 

"Do you miss Ealdor sometimes?" Merlin asked, watching his father carve the dragon. 

"Yes," Balinor replied, sighing. "I do miss seeing the village, and your mother."

"How come you never came back?"

"I was scared for her. I was afraid that if I came back, Uther would go after both of us. I couldn't let that happen to her." 

"I understand."

They heard Arthur mutter and watched as he tossed and turned before settling back into his sleep. They turned back to each other and sat in silence. Finally, Balinor set the finished dragon down, and yawned. 

"I guess it's time to turn it," Balinor said, giving Merlin a smile. "Goodnight son."

"Goodnight father," Merlin replied with a wide smile.

***

Just as Merlin was about to fall asleep, he heard someone clear their voice behind him.

"So, Balinor is your father?"

Startle, Merlin sat straight up to see Arthur looking at him, his face full of confusion.

"Y-You heard our conversation?" Merlin stuttered, fearing for his life. 

"All of it," Arthur replied, frowning. "How come you never told me?"

"I only found out about it when Gaius told me before we left Camelot," Merlin replied, looking down. "I didn't want to tell you because I thought that you would tell Uther, and I would be either burned or hanged."

"What makes you think that I would tell my father something like that?" Arthur asked, releasing his frown. 

"Because I'm the son of a dragonlord!" Merlin yelled helplessly. "I can communicate with dragons! I HAVE MAGIC!"

Arthur stared at Merlin with wide eyes. Merlin, realizing what he said, took a step back in fear, his face turning pale. Before Arthur was able to speak, Merlin whispered "I'm sorry", and ran into the woods. Arthur just stood there as he watched his friend run off, fear in his eyes. 

***

As soon as Balinor woke up, he knew that something was wrong. Arthur was sitting by the dying fire, poking it with a stick, lost in thought. Merlin was nowhere to be seen. This made Balinor jump up and run over to Arthur.

"Where is Merlin?" Balinor asked, panicking. 

"He went for a walk," Arthur mumbled, not paying much attention to the dragonlord. "He will be back soon."

"There's something wrong, isn't there?" Balinor asked. "Just yesterday you and Merlin were happy and chatting away. And now-"

"HE DIDN'T TELL ME!" Arthur suddenly yelled, throwing the stick to the ground. "I THOUGHT THAT WE WERE FRIENDS!"

Balinor looked at Arthur, confused. "Didn't tell you what?"

Arthur screamed and sunk to his knees. "You two are father and son. He is also a dragonlord. He-he-he has magic." 

Balinor let out a small fearful gasp and took a step back. "What did you say to him?"

"I wasn't able to talk to him," Arthur mumbled. "Just when I was about to ask him something, he fled." 

Balinor saw sadness in Arthur's eyes, and sat next to him.

"Arthur, how do you feel about learning this information out?" Balinor asked him.

Arthur looked up at him, before sighing and answering. "I-I don't know. I guess that I just feel hurt that he didn't trust me enough to tell me. I just wish that he could have told me." Arthur sighed again. "But all these years, my father had taught me to despise magic and that people who practiced magic were evil, but I can't see that in Merlin. Merlin and evil just do not match well."

Just as Arthur finished speaking, Merlin approached them, wiping his eyes. His eyes were bloodshot, telling Arthur and Balinor that Merlin had been crying the whole night. Seeing both of them looking at him, he stopped short, and sighed. 

"Father," Merlin greeted. "Sire."

Arthur flinched when Merlin said Sire. He never called Arthur Sire before, unless it was in a mocking tone. This made Arthur stand up so quickly that he stumbled from dizziness. 

"Merlin, can I talk to you in private?" Arthur asked.

Merlin hesitantly nodded, and the two made there way away from Balinor. 

"Whatever you choose, can you not burn me?" Merlin asked, his eyes loosing the friendly glow that they always had. "I'd rather be beheaded so I can die quickly and painlessly."

"What?!?" Arthur asked, shocked. "I'm not going to sentence you to death!"

Merlin visibly relaxed, but his eyes were still dull. "What are you going to do with me then?" 

"Probably give you a day off to spend some time with your father," Arthur shrugged. 

Merlin looked taken aback, the light in his eyes slowly coming back. "What? You're not mad at me?"

"Oh, I am," Arthur replied, sighing. "But not that you have magic, but that you've hid it from me. I'm upset that you didn't trust me."

"I'm sorry," Merlin replied. "I just didn't think that the biggest clotpole in existence is really trustworthy."

Arthur grinned and playfully punched him, and earning a smile from Merlin in return.

"That's better," Arthur stated. "I won't tell my father about you and the whole magic thing, don't worry."

Merlin's smile grew wider as the two friends made their way back to where Balinor was. 

***

Just before they made it over the border of Cenred's Kingdom, they were attacked by Cenred's men. Just as one of them was about to take Merlin by surprise, Balinor leaped in front of him, sacrificing himself for his son. 

After a proper burial for Merlin's father, Merlin and Arthur arrived silently at Camelot, made the dragon go away, and lived their normal lives, except for one thing. Arthur no longer thought that when Merlin disappeared, he was at the tavern.