As usual Arthur would have forgotten his anniversary if not for Merlin's reminder. Even so they had quite a lovely picnic to celebrate the occasion. Merlin's favourite part had to be floating all the bags in the air instead of carrying them on his back like a pack horse.
"It must have been really annoying for you all these years," Arthur was saying as they rode along with Merlin magically floating the luggage. "To always be carrying everything when you knew a simple spell would have saved you from a sore back?"
"And got me executed," Merlin reminded him. "Actually after so many years hiding, not using magic became a bit of a habit. This-" he gestured to the picnic supplies floating in mid air, "-feels very strange."
Arthur chuckled, before encouraging his horse to move faster. Gwen matched the King's speed and with a roll of his eyes Merlin kept pace with them, their supplies following magicly behind him as they rode.
Merlin hadn't mentioned his worries about Gwen to the King yet. He knew just a forest spirit's riddle wouldn't be enough for Arthur to distrust his Queen. With everything out in the open, there had been nothing Merlin could do to prevent Gwen's learning of his magic which made him wary.
When they reached the spot with the best view, Arthur told Merlin to set up. With a wave of his hand and a few whispered words Merlin laid all the supplies to rest on the ground and they began to organize themselves into a picnic.
"If I'd known you were this useful all along," Arthur said, slightly awed and with a gentle shake of his head.
"You'd have what?" Merlin asked. "Given me more work to do?"
"Yeah probably," Arthur chuckled.
"Oh stop it," Gwen said with a smile. "Merlin, would you like to join us? I made sure the kitchen sent enough food for three."
"Don't mind if I do," Merlin said grinning. With all the food mixed together there was no way Gwen could know who would eat what which meant it probably wasn't poison, or maybe that was just him being paranoid.
"Oh come on," Arthur whined. "This is our anniversary. We don't need a third wheel."
"Then why did you invite Merlin?" Gwen inquired.
"Well someone had to carry everything," Arthur answered.
"Half pack mule, half bodyguard," Merlin sighed. "Story of my life." Collecting some food he turned to move away. "I'll just eat over here shall I, so I don't throw your two wheeled axle off balance."
Merlin couldn't help but smile even if he was trying to sound sad about it. He'd have never imagined life could be so normal with his magic out in the open. Arthur still teased him and Merlin still got him back. He wasn't even sure why this made him so happy or maybe he was. Though it looked like bullying, this kind of teasing had always been how Arthur had shown Merlin they were friends. Merlin would have missed it if Arthur had started treating him like just a dignified Court member. How boring that would be! Merlin also thought that a powerful servant made a much less conspicuous bodyguard than someone dressed like a fancy member of court. Merlin didn't know how to be fancy and he wasn't interested in learning. It was enough just to get to be himself.
When they were all done eating they returned to Camelot, Merlin once again floating their supplies along rather than carrying them. His shoulders had never felt better.
Merlin took a quick trip to the armoury when they returned to set up some spells to clean Arthur's armour during the course of the day. Then it was back to his chambers to see if Gaius needed anything.
"You've never been so helpful, Merlin," Gaius said.
"I've never had so much free time before," Merlin grinned. "It's rather strange. What does one do with free time, Gaius?"
"Get a hobby?" he suggested. "Why all the free time anyway?"
"I can use magic to accomplish most of my chores now," Merlin said. "Since Arthur got back from his anniversary date with Gwen he's been locked in his chambers." Merlin thought about it a little more than added, "I honestly don't think there is anything left for me to do."
"Did you muck out the stables?" Gaius asked.
"This morning," Merlin replied. "With magic. Only took a few minutes." He couldn't help it. He was almost giddy.
"Well if you plan on using magic for everything from now on maybe it would be best if you used this extra time to study up on the subject."
"Good idea," Merlin replied as he turned and headed to his room where the magic book was. He'd read bits and pieces of it over the years but he'd never before had time to read it cover to cover.
Merlin knew he shouldn't be this carefree. He still had to worry about Gwen and how she could become a threat to Camelot. Then there was also Mordred and the prophecy to consider. It really was only the prophecy that Merlin worried about. If he looked at Mordred's actions alone he himself had never once done anything to make it seem like he might betray Arthur. Merlin had to hope that magic's return would make Mordred's betrayal less likely but as the prophecy had given no indication why Mordred would want to kill Arthur Merlin had no way of knowing.
All he could really do was wait. Wait and see what happened next. He'd have much preferred to be acting rather than reacting but at the moment it didn't seem like he had much of a choice. The ball was in his enemy's court.
Practicing up on some magic did seem like the best way to prepare when there was nothing he could actually do. Even so sitting still and reading for hours felt so strange. Merlin had this nagging feeling the whole time like there was something he'd forgotten to do. But no he really had gotten everything done. Even so he could only read for so long. After a while, Merlin set down his book and went off in search of something to do.
He ended up at the knight's training ground. Ever since that first day when Gwaine had asked how he'd rather help them train, Merlin had found he quite enjoyed floating swords and shields around for the knights to practice with. It sure as hell beat holding the shield and getting knocked to the ground a thousand times.
When he arrived only Elyan was there, practicing with his sword but without a target to train with.
"Want some help?" Merlin asked as he walked up.
"Oh hey Merlin," Elyan replied, turning. "Sure. If you have the time."
"Feels like time is all I have these days," Merlin answered.
"Really?" Elyan asked. "I'd have thought with all your new magical jobs you'd be busier than ever."
"I'd already been doing all that stuff secretly for years on top of all Arthur's chores while hiding my magic," Merlin smiled. "Now I can do Arthur's chores in a fraction of the time with magic and apart from a warning from a magical spirit there really isn't much to worry about Camelot right now."
"A magical spirit warning?" Elyan asked, with a chuckle.
"Hey don't knock it till you try it," Merlin said. "You'd be amazed how many magical warnings have saved this kingdom over the years."
Elyan put his hands in the air as if to surrender. "Albeit for me to question the official Court Warlock." He chuckled.
"Yeah well when you say it like that it sounds like a joke," Merlin grumbled. He very much wasn't used to that name yet. It seemed like just yesterday that everyone had just called him 'idiot'.
With a slight tilt of his head and a glow in his eyes, Merlin lifted a practice sword from out of it's storage slot and made it move to hover in front of Elyan.
"Your power is no joke," Elyan said as he held up his sword to defend against Merlin's. "I can still remember how you turned my mortal wound into a light bruise in a matter of seconds."
"Simple physical trauma isn't so hard to mend," Merlin explained. "Magically wounds and poisons are much more difficult."
"Well I was still impressed," Elyan said.
"Thanks," Merlin replied, a little sheepishly. He wasn't used to credit either. His friend's safety and happiness had always been enough of a reward. With a sharp movement of his hand, Merlin engaged his floating sword in combat with Elyan's.
"I have to ask," Elayn said after a few moments of swords clashing. "Do you control it's every moment or can you just enchant it to react on its own.
"Both are possible," Merlin replied. "Since I'm standing right here, I'm controlling it manually, but if I wanted to leave you two alone I could enchant it to act independently."
Elyan ducked as the floating sword made a swing at him, but he recovered very quickly and returned the blow.
"In that case you've learned a lot more about sword play than you let on," Elayn continued. "Manually controlling a sword like this would require a similar amount of knowledge as using one with your own two hands."
"Book knowledge maybe," Merlin agreed. "But I don't have the muscle memory you knights do. When moving the sword only requires my thoughts to direct it, I can match your techiquire but my hands can't keep up on their own."
"Good to know I won't be so easily replaced," Eylan chuckled.
Before Merlin could reply they heard a familiar voice as someone approached the training ground. Merlin made his sword go still and Elyan turned to see who it was.
"Training without me I see?" Percival said.
Merlin whispered a few more words and a second sword came out of storage to join the other one already floating in the middle of the training area.
"Oh so you think you can take us both on at once then?" Percival laughed.
"Wouldn't be the first time," Merlin muttered under his breath thinking of the time he'd used the knights as a stepping stool while disguised by the aging spell. Then he said more loudly, "Only one way to find out."
Moving both swords at once was a little bit more complicated than controlling the one, but Merlin soon got the hang of it. By the time they'd been practicing a whole hour Merlin was pretty confident in his multi-tasking floating sword skills.
"This is becoming a habit, Merlin." It was the king's voice. Merlin dropped the floating swords to the ground and turned to see Arthur approaching with a smile on his face.
"I had some free time," Merlin shrugged.
"I don't see how that's possible," Arthur laughed. "You've never been much for free time before, well apart from when you were at the tavern."
"Yeah funny story but I've actually never been to the tavern," Merlin confessed.
"Then where did you disappear to for days on end?" Arthur asked.
"Which time?" Merlin chuckled.
"What about when you were so drunk you let that sorcerer run right past you," Arthur said next, but as he spoke his voice lost it's confidence. "You were the sorcerer I was chasing weren't you?"
"I was, yes," Merlin replied. He hadn't intended to keep any of his actions secret from Arthur though he hoped he could have kept his one to himself for a bit longer. This would mean admitting to Arthur that it had been him who'd failed to save Uther.
"How did you make yourself look like a dotterly old man?" Arthur asked.
"Aging spell," Merlin replied. "It was the only way I could think of that would be enough of a disguise to allow me to use magic openly, but reversing those aging spells really messes with your head."
"Which is why you looked drunk," Arthur sighed. "Were you off being that old man every time you went to the tavern?"
"The first time I used it to save Gwen from being burned at the stake," Merlin began his list. "One time I had to sneak into Morgana's hovel to destroy the creature she was using to control me. I used the disguise to sneak into Camelot once when Morgana had control over it to set a trap for her and then there was the time..." But he couldn't say it.
"You used that disguise to kill my father," Arthur finished the thought for him.
Merlin wanted to defend himself. He wanted to exclaim that he'd done all in his power to save Uther, but he knew somewhere deep inside that he should have noticed Morgana's trap. Part of the fault still lied with him.
"Years ago when Gaius told me the sorcerer had tried everything in his power to save my father I hadn't believed him," Arthur said softly. "But now I understood what he meant so tell me Merlin, what really happened? Because I saw you heal a similar wound easily for Elyan."
"Morgana," Merlin whispered after a moment. He still wasn't sure if Arthur was blaming him or not, but either way Arthur deserved the truth. "Morgana had planted an enchanted pendent on Uther that turned all my healing magic against the King. If I had to guess I'd say Agrevaine was the one who placed it there on her wishes."
"I see," Arthur said slowly.
"But I should have found it," Merlin continued. "I should have removed it before ever attempting to heal him."
"How could you have possibly known," Arthur sighed.
"I knew Agrevaine was a traitor," Merlin continued. "I could have guessed-"
"But no one believed you," Arthur replied. "No matter how powerful, you are only one man, Merlin. You can't be responsible for everyone else's actions."
"Whatever happened to Agrevaine anyway?" Percival asked casually. "He just disappeared."
"I- I killed him," Merlin said after some hesitation. "I didn't want to. He gave me no choice. A handful of his men got past Kilgharrah and followed me into the cave, cornering me."
"He was a traitor to his people," Arthur replied. "I would have done the same."
"Who is Kilgharrah?" Elyan asked.
"The Great Dragon," Merlin answered. "The one Uther once imprisoned under Camelot."
"The one that attacked the city?" Arthur asked. "Why did a dragon help you take down Agrevaine's men?"
"Ah yeah about that," Merlin began, awkwardly. The one nice thing about secrecy is that even if no one learns of your triumphs they also never hear about your mistakes. "It's a bit of a long story."
"Well spit it out," Arthur said sharply. Clearly the length of the story didn't concern him.
"Ever since I first came to Camelot Kilgharrah helped me," Merlin began. "He helped save your life countless times as well as all of Camelot. He even forged that sword for you. A sword forced in a Dragon's breath is the only weapon that can kill something that's already dead. That sword saved Camelot more than once." He paused for a moment to see if anyone asked follow up questions but no one spoke so he continued. "Anyway one day he said he wouldn't help anymore until I promised to free him. Without his help Camelot would have fallen to the ancient immortal wizard freed from that crypt Uther dug up. I had to eventually fulfil my promise. I didn't know what he was going to do. He'd helped me save the kingdom so many times I couldn't believe he'd attack it, but even if he believed in the world you'd one day build Arthur, he still couldn't resist getting revenge on Uther."
"So what you are telling me is unlike the other beasts you tried to convince me I killed before passing out you wouldn't kill the dragon?" Arthur inquired.
"I tried to stop him while he was attacking Camelot," Merlin said. "But my magic was pretty useless against him."
"How is it then that Camelot wasn't reduced to a pile of ashes?" Arthur asked.
"Because of that man we went to meet, Balinor," Merlin continued. "The Last Dragonlord. He was my father and upon his death I inherited his abilities, and became a dragonlord. I used this power to force Kilgharrah to stop attacking Camelot."
"Your father?" Arthur said.
"Yeah he had to abandon my mother once he was hunted down by Uther so he never knew I existed," Merlin explained.
"And then he died right in front of you," Arthur said. There was a note of sadness in his friend's voice. Merlin hoped it was empathy and not disappointment at letting a dragon loose on Camelot.
"But without him I'd have never been able to stop Kilgharrah," Merlin continued. "He saved Camelot."
"I have a feeling that for him it was more about saving you," Arthur replied. "Well this sure does explain why you were so quiet after that. You could have told me he was your dad. That isn't magic."
"Uther would have suspected the son of a dragonlord of having magic," Merlin replied.
Arthur didn't say anything after that. Merlin took that to mean that he couldn't come up with an argument. The silence stretched on and more than anything he'd wish someone would break it.
Then Eylan clapped his hands together and said in a cheerful tone. "Now I believe we were training."
But Merlin was feeling very drained. He knew it was just his emotions at finally telling Arthur everything that had happened with both their fathers, but still he didn't much feel like training with the knights anymore.
"Wait a minute," Percival said, as if remembering something. "That dotterly old man used us as stairs to get on his horse once. That was you?!"
Merlin shrugged apologetically. "Morgana had planted a snake's head in my neck that was brainwashing me to kill Arthur," Merlin explained. "I had to track it down and kill the creature before it woke up and I became Arthur's assassin again. You were in my way."
"And humiliated," Percival muttered.
"Oh like you haven't done the same to me," Merlin laughed. The light banter was helping him to feel better than he'd expected. That heavy feeling in the air was dissipating as they talked. "I seem to recall you all mocking me out of dinner more than once."
"Yes but we always saved you a bowl in the end," Percival reminded him.
"And that dottlery old man left you all uninjured and alive," Merlin chuckled. "So we've even."
The knights looked disgruntled but one word from their King that they were slacking off on training had them all standing at attention with their swords again.
"Alright Merlin," Arthur said smiling. "Do your worst?"
Merlin just smiled. "If I did that you'd all be dead," he chuckled.
Deciding not to challenge himself anymore today, Merlin raised his hands and enchanted three swords to act on their own rather than try and control all of them at once. Even so Merlin still stayed sitting on the sidelines watching to make sure his swords didn't get out of line and actually hurt someone. If they did he'd be there with a simple healing spell.
He stayed with them to train until the sun started to go down. Just as the knights began to complain that the darkness would force them inside Merlin got an idea.
"Leoht," Merlin whispered and a small light appeared in his hand. He then enlarged the light and set it to float above the training grounds.
"Well that looks useful," Eylan observed.
"Since when can you do that?" Arthur asked.
Merlin just shrugged. "It's a very basic spell," he said. "It can even be projected great distances to guide others."
"If only I'd know you could do that when we were up against the dorocha," Arthur sighed. "That would have been very useful."
"Would have saved us a lot of firewood and sleepless nights," Percival admitted.
"The dorocha were impervious to my magic," Merlin explained. "This spell could be neutralized by them. Fire was all I had to combat them as well."
"No wonder you were so nervous," Arthur commented. Then he addressed the knights at large. "No whining. Magically glowing light or not, it's time to call it a day."
Like the loyal knights they were, they all obeyed their king and soon everyone was headed indoors.
As they were all walking back up to the castle gates, Arthur came up to walk beside Merlin, allowing the knights to outpace him.
"I've seen a light like that before," Arthur said. "One that gilded me to safety but you were very far away and ill at the time."
"That was still me, though I don't remember it very well," Merlin replied. "Gaius said while I was sick from the poison a glowing orb appeared in my hand and I was muttering about you and a dangerous cave."
"Even trying to save me while you're dying," Arthur said with a sigh and a shake of his head. "What am I going to do with you?"
"Well personally I appreciate not being executed," Merlin said, which made the King laugh.
Once inside they went their separate ways. Merlin was just on his way to his chambers to meet Gaius for dinner when he ran into Gwen in the hallway.
"There you are Merlin," Gwen said, looking relieved. "I've been wondering where you ran off to."
"I was just training with the knights," Merlin replied, a little taken aback. "Won't Arthur be looking for you?"
"He can wait," Gwen smiled. "I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for him." She was holding what looked like a very fancy bottle in one hand and a goblet full of wine in the other. She held out the cup to him. "And give you this. Arthur's told me how you've been looking out for him all these years, even more so than it seemed, and I thought you deserved some recognition for that."
She was smiling at him, but something Merlin didn't trust her wine.
"Thank you very much," Merlin said. "I appreciate the thought but I can't take the wine." He smiled trying not to make it seem forced and turned wishing her a good night.
By the time he reached his chambers Gauis was sitting waiting for him with their dinner. Merlin went over and sat down.
"You're late," Gauis said.
"I think Gwen tried to poison me," Merlin said very slowly. "Either that or I am a very rude friend." After that he explained in detail what had happened to Gauis.
"I just thought better safe than sorry," Merlin ended his explanation. "If Gwen really is herself she'd understand."
"I agree, Merlin," Gauis replied. "Now eat up before your dinner gets cold."
For once Merlin did as he was told. After dinner he read by a magical light for only about an hour before going to sleep.
Merlin woke from his sleep unable to move his body. He tried magic but even that required a slight gesture on his part or the ability to speak. Merlin could do neither. He had no idea what was going on and had started to panic, when he heard a familiar voice.
"I don't know how you knew what I was up to, Emrys," Gwen's voice said in a whisper. Merlin turned his eyes, which were the only thing still in his control, to look up at her. "But it doesn't matter. You'll die just the same anyway."
Merlin watched as Gwen reached over him. Then he felt a liquid enter his ear and the world went dark.
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This chapter and the next three have been finished for almost a month now but my beta editor has been VERY busy. Today I am uploading this without editing before I can't wait anymore. I might have someone edit it for typos after the fact, but either way you've waited long enough!
Also I cut out the weak attempt Gwen and Morgana made on Arthur's life at the start of the episode here because seeing as Morgana now knows who Merlin is I couldn't imagine her trying such a thing with him right there. In the show the moment she learned who Merlin was he became her target so I adjusted the plot in the way that made the most sense to me given Morgana's new information and the fact that she has a reliable spy in Camelot.
Hope you enjoy!
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Sneak Peek Chapter 06
Assembling the Knights of the round table, Arthur informed them of Merlin's condition and tasked them with investigating it's cause. Which guards had been on duty? Had they seen anyone around last night, even someone they recognized and didn't suspect?
"And finally I have one more thing to ask of you," Arthur addressed his knights. "With magic no longer outlawed, Merlin came forward to tell us who he really was. Now because of that he is in danger. I ask if there is anyone else in my kingdom who has magic they are keeping hidden to come forward. Your help might be Merlin's only chance."
There was silence, just as Arthur had expected.
"Failing that, I ask you to spread the word among my people," Arthur replied. "Healing magic is required in Camelot."
Just when he was about to dismiss everyone to go about their tasks, someone cleared their throat rather loudly drawing all eyes to them. When Arthur turned he realized who wished to speak.