The day had slowly turned to night over the silent kingdom of Camelot. A big war had just ended. Candles lit the aisles and in the great hall were the knights, the king and Gwen, all silent in their grief. Gwaine, Elion, Percival and Leon all collaborated on creating a place where Merlin could lay. Now he was lying there, looking more dead than ever. No one cheered for the victory they had just won, no one even seemed to care about Caelan's death or the fact that Morgana had been captured and locked away in the dungeons never to see the dawn again.
"Here," Gaius said, as he handed Gwen a bottle of water. "You must drink." The old physician had examined Merlin and the dagger that had pierced his chest. There was something odd about it, though...
Slowly, Gwen took the bottle. "I never thought this would happen," she sobbed. "I knew we were incredibly lucky to have someone like Merlin around, but I didn't know that he was our guardian." She fought against the tears. "I wish I could have done something to prevent this..."
"What could you possibly have done?" Gaius asked, trying to comfort her. "Merlin knew what he was doing. I don't think anyone could've saved that boy but himself... You must not blame yourself, Gwen... Now if you will excuse me." He had gotten an idea... He wasted no time and hurried to his chambers, leaving Gwen utterly puzzled. She stood to look after him for a minute or two. Then she went over to Arthur. He was obviously very engaged by some thought that didn't seem to make sense to him. Gwen stretched out her hand to touch the shoulder of her beloved. He kept staring out of the window, but caressed Gwen's hand with his own in a feeble attempt to comfort her.
"What is it, Arthur?" she asked him, just to break the unbearable silence.
Arthur's blue eyes found hers, bewildered and confused. "I don't understand," he said. "I don't understand anything."
"I know," she said. "None of us do."
Arthur closed his eyes tightly and took Gwen in his arms. He held her as tightly as possible. She was the only one who was able to comfort him, to understand him.
"So I guess Merlin was right," said Gwaine, almost laughing.
The others just looked at him.
"Just before we got attacked after having visited those small villages," Gwaine told them. "I told Merlin that it was as if we didn't see all of him. Then he said; 'maybe things will change someday'..." Gwaine almost chuckled once again.
Elyan smiled. "Right..." he said, then turning serious. "We are lucky to have known him. Who knows where we'd been without him?"
No one answered.
Then Gaius reappeared.
Elyan saw the eager in the old man's eyes almost at once. "What is that, Gaius?"
Gaius went straight to it. "I might have found a way to save Merlin."
Arthur, who had not paid the conversation any attention, now kept both eyes and ears wide open as any other person present, as Gaius began to speak:
"When I examined Merlin, I found that the smell of his blood was strange, abnormal. At that point, I simply thought it odd, but now it has become clear to me, that there is a very rational reason for it." Gaius made eye contact with Arthur. "The dagger was poisoned."
"What?" Elyan said. "Poisoned?"
Gaius nodded. "Yes. It is a very rare poison that has a very distinctive smell. It is deadly and can only be reversed by magic." Gaius held up a water-like liquid. "This potion might be able to help..." He turned to the king. "I was indeed surprised when Merlin told me you found a druid girl in the forest so near Camelot. When he told me that this girl warned you about Morgana and Caelan's plans, it made me think of this old potion that I have kept in my possession for many years. It is from Caelan's time of greatness. It is, to be honest, even a potion of her own making. It is a form of antidote to cure most magical poisons..."
Arthur frowned. "Most magical poisons?" he repeated. "But Gaius, how did you acquire that?"
"I got it in return for a good friend a favor many years ago. I believe it is worth a try, Sire."
Arthur nodded without hesitation. And so Gaius took off the cork and asked Percival to keep Merlin's mouth wide open so that he could pour the antidote down his throat.
"You must keep the blankets ready," Gaius instructed. "His body temperature will have fallen. Still, we can only hope this will work. Without further examinations, it is impossible to tell how long this exact poison needs to do its work." Gaius poured the antidote down Merlin's throat with shaking hands. It was hard to concentrate on hitting the mouth instead of the eyes and ears. But he had to do this for Merlin. If nothing, he at least owed his young friend that. The silence got tense; every eye stared at Merlin, waiting for any sudden movements, but the first twenty seconds none came. Gaius began to fiddle with Merlin's shirt. Carefully, very carefully he began to wipe away some of the blood. Still, Merlin didn't move an inch. Gaius began to wonder if he had done something wrong... then he decided to pour some on the antidote directly onto Merlin's wound.
Then Merlin's breast lifted itself into the air and his eyes opened, colored in gold, a sign of the great magic the young man possessed.
"Oh...!" Gwen exclaimed. "What is happening?!"
That same second Merlin inhaled a large dose of air that filled his lungs completely. He stared around, meeting the happy, but shocked faces of his friends. He sent them all a little smile, his eyes blinded by the light, making him dizzy. He heard Gwen scream his name and felt her friendly embrace, as it all became more and more distant, until he simply fainted once more.
"Do you think he can hear us?"
It had been an hour since Merlin had made that very dramatic return to life. Everyone had thought it to be completely impossible, but as it turned out that it wasn't, each of them found a way to feel again - but not all of them saw the light.
"He needs a moment, Gwaine," Elyan said. "But Gaius said he will recover. That is what's important."
"But he hasn't woken up yet," Leon said, turning to Gaius. "Is that normal?"
"My dear friend, Merlin survived only by a miracle. It could easily have been too late. We must assume that it is his magic that this strong, but..." He took a deep breath.
"I don't like but's," Gwaine mumbled.
"... I am afraid there might be consequences," Gaius continued, frowning.
"Consequences?" Gwen repeated, concerned. "What do you mean?"
"It is possible that Merlin will not be quite the same when he wakes. It is possible that he will have both physical and spiritual scars, considering all the trials he has gone through lately." Gaius looked deathly serious as he spoke these words. "But for now, it is impossible to say. We will have to wait for him to awaken. I thought it best to warn you."
It resulted in a very thoughtful silence.
"No matter what he is still our friend," Gwen said. "I will take care of him."
"So will I," Elyan agreed. "If anyone deserves it, it's Merlin."
Gwaine, Leon, Gaius and Percival all agreed without hesitation, even though none of them liked the thought of Merlin being a different man. But Arthur didn't say a word. He neither agreed nor declared himself differ in opinion. He just observed the conversation without any need to join; for he had nothing to say, no opinion to share. He only felt strange numbness that was slowly being replaced by a rising anger.
"When will he wake?" Percival asked.
"Anytime now, I suppose," Gaius answered. "But we cannot be sure." They all emerged to see Merlin. Was he awake? Was he going to be a changed man? Or had everything they'd done been for nothing? Even Arthur moved closer, but still he kept his distance.
"This is ridiculous!" the king suddenly exclaimed. The anger had finally reached the surface.
The knights, Gwen and Gaius all looked at him, stunned.
"Morgana was right! Merlin has lied to every single one of us and where did it take us?" Arthur shook his head in frustration. "THIS IS RIDICOLOUS!"
"R-ridiculous? What's ridiculous?" sounded a faint voice. Every person in the room froze, as the voice began to speak again: "Ouch." Merlin tried to lift himself from the table, but his chest hurt him. He was so focused on the wound there, that he was surprised to see all of his friends staring at him with bare shock in their eyes. He tried to smile at them to make them see that he was all right. Gaius would surely be able to heal his wound within weeks - or he could just do it himself - with a little magic, of course.
"Merlin!" The shout came from so many different directions that it was impossible to identify each of them, but Merlin received hugs and even a kiss on the cheek from Gwen. Merlin couldn't help smiling, even though he didn't quite understand what it was all for.
"Don't you ever do that again, mister magician!" Gwaine told Merlin, smiling widely, patting him on the shoulder. "We thought you had left us for good!"
Merlin smiled back at him. "Never!"
"So now he is the hero of the day..." sounded a gloomy voice. "And all is well again."
The smiles vanished as everyone turned to look at Arthur.
"I didn't think friends would lie to each other, Merlin."
Merlin said nothing. He only stared at the king with a guilty look on his face.
"Why did you keep it hidden for so long?! What was the purpose? You could have told me earlier!"
"I tried," Merlin answered quietly, looking down. "But you didn't listen, Arthur..."
The king looked as if he was about to stab Merlin with his sword. "I AM ONLY ASKING YOU TO TELL ME THE TRUTH, MERLIN! IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK?!"
Merlin almost raised an eyebrow. "Oh, right..." he said, feeling a little insulted. "You see Arthur; You always made sure we knew just how much loyalty meant to you. And we believed in you, trusted you. But you know as well as I do that if I had told you everything about me the first day we met, I wouldn't be here today! Your father - or maybe even yourself - would have made sure of that - because ALL sorcerers are evil, right?"
Arthur's expression softened a bit. "I just wish you had told me," he said. The king took one more look at Merlin, before he turned to walk out the door.
"ARTHUR PENDRAGON!" Gwen shouted.
The king turned back in surprise.
"YOU OWE MERLIN TO AT LEAST TELL HIM THE TRUTH, LIKE YOU TOLD ME, SO GET BACK HERE, NOW!" Gwen's face was consumed with anger.
It made Arthur speechless to see her like that. He would do anything to make it stop. But he also saw the sense in her words; he knew she was right. So he walked back to stand face to face with his friend.
"I don't understand you, Merlin," he began. "How has it been possible for you to hide this from me all these years ... I thought you had more faith in me."
Merlin frowned; he was beginning to think that Arthur wanted to have another fight; it was only on very rare occasions Arthur would tell Merlin how he truly felt - he liked to hide it behind other words instead, behind his pride.
The king saw this and continued: "... but it is also incredible that you have been able to live with it. Merlin, you have been my friend for a very long time. Gwen is right; I have been very, errh, very... ahem... worried about you. I feared - uh, I mean thought - you were being harassed by someone or... something. Now I see that what caused these thoughts, is the really the thing that saved this kingdom."
Merlin smiled at Arthur. "Does that mean I am forgiven?" he asked in a low voice.
Arthur shrugged. "It means you have an entire citadel to clean," the king answered, now with a slight smile. "And we'll see about forgiveness."
"Of course, my lord," Merlin said eagerly. "I will have you chambers ready in no time."
"Oh yes you will," Arthur said. "And now you will excuse me, I have a kingdom to restore." This time, the king was very close to smile as he left the room, leaving everyone else behind startled, but also smiling.