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Merlin took a deep breath, steadying himself as he prepared to take an enormous risk. Arthur was trusting Dragoon the Great despite their complicated history, and Merlin could not let him down. Uther's life, Merlin's life, and the lives of all sorcerers in Camelot depended on it. If Merlin succeeded, he would no longer have to live in fear of being discovered.
He could maybe even tell Arthur about his magic without ruining their friendship forever.
Merlin knew the dangers. The spell could fail. Arthur could go back on his word. Uther could recover and influence Arthur to go back on his word. Arthur could banish Merlin for lying to him for so many years.
But Merlin trusted Arthur. He was a good man, and Merlin knew that he would be true to his word. If Merlin saved Uther's life, then one day, sooner than he had ever thought possible, he would be allowed to live freely.
Carefully, Merlin placed exactly four drops of hogswart in the dying Uther's mouth. Next, he held a branch of sage over Uther's body and positioned himself to utter the spell. He had just started to feel the familiar warmth in his eyes that meant they were glowing gold when Arthur interjected, "Wait!"
Merlin stopped, holding in his annoyance. "Is something wrong?" he croaked in his gravelly eighty-year-old voice.
With a pensive look on his face, Arthur said, "My father has taught me never to trust magic. Now I'm using it to save him."
Sensing his uneasiness, Merlin responded, "Your own life has been saved using magic more times than you can possibly imagine."
Arthur looked confused. "What on earth are you talking about?"
Thinking quickly, Merlin said, "I merely mean to say that magic is all around you. It is woven into the very fabric of the world."
"How can I be sure it's the right thing to do?"
"I know you have suffered because of magic, as many have. But not all magic, and not all sorcerers are the same. I wish only to show you that magic can be used for good. I hope one day you'll see me in a different light." Merlin hoped that Arthur would sense the truth behind his words.
After a few moments of contemplation and the exchange of meaningful stares, Arthur nodded and stepped away from Uther's bed, giving Merlin permission to continue. Merlin lifted the sage branch again, readying himself when something caught his eye.
Putting down the sage, Merlin leaned in closer to Uther and reached under his tunic.
"What are you doing?" Arthur demanded, moving to stop him.
Merlin straightened, grimacing at the pain in his back that came from bending over even momentarily. In his hand, he held a simple chain with a small silver charm hanging from it. His eyes narrowed, recognizing from his books the charm and the magic emanating from it.
"What is that? I've never seen it in my father's possessions before." Arthur leaned forward for a closer look.
"An enchantment," Merlin answered, tucking the charm into a pocket in his robe. "Designed to reverse and magnify any healing magic used upon the person wearing it. Someone knew you were going to use magic to heal your father and they meant to keep you from succeeding."
"But how?" Arthur asked. "The information was kept very secret. The court physician, my servant, and my uncle and I were the only ones who knew I planned to use magic."
Choosing his words carefully and looking Arthur in the eye, Merlin said, "And of those people, are there any whom you do not trust or would wish to see you and Uther harmed?"
Arthur shook his head. "Gaius would never do anything against us, and he doesn't even have magic. Merlin's too much of a clotpole to be able to do this." Merlin rolled his eyes and grunted, but didn't say anything. "As for Agravaine, he's my uncle and my most trusted adviser. He couldn't. He wouldn't. It must be someone else. Someone else found out somehow."
Merlin wanted to voice his personal concerns about Agravaine, but he thought that would bring about unwanted questions and decided not to. That was another conversation for another time when he could talk to Arthur as Merlin, not Dragoon. Instead, he asked, "Would you like me to continue?"
"You're sure it's safe?" Arthur asked, holding Uther's hand and studying Merlin's face. He hoped Arthur didn't recognize his eyes like he nearly did the last time Arthur and Dragoon the Great came face-to-face, but he didn't really need to worry. Arthur's concern over his father's well-being was keeping him from looking at Merlin too closely.
Merlin waved a hand over Uther, casting a silent spell to try to sense any more magic. When he found nothing and double-checked that the enchantment on the charm was no longer interfering with Uther's life, he nodded. "Yes."
Arthur took another moment to consider, staring at his father's unmoving face. He swallowed, and his gaze hardened. "Do it."
Merlin felt his eyes begin to glow again as the sage branch started to smoke. He began chanting in the familiar ancient language he used for all of his spells, ignoring Arthur's look of apprehension. When he finished, he leaned back, keeping his eyes low.
Arthur glanced back and forth between Uther and Merlin, wondering if the spell had worked and hoping for some sign of life. Merlin lowered his head as the seconds ticked by, thinking he had been too late. He looked sadly at Arthur and Uther when suddenly Uther gasped and opened his eyes.
Merlin smiled as Arthur leaned forward. "Father? Father?"
Uther's head rolled weakly towards Arthur, his eyes barely open. He smiled at his son and whispered, "Arthur."
Arthur laughed in relief, and Merlin's smile grew. He backed away to gather his things and give Arthur and Uther some space, but Uther noticed the movement and looked at him. Merlin's heart stopped as Uther's brow furrowed in recognition. "Do I . . . Do I know you? Have we met?"
Flashbacks to the last time he had adopted the form of Dragoon the Great passed through Merlin's head. It was supposed to be a simple trick to save Gwen, but he had almost been killed by Uther. What would he say now?
"He's a friend, Father. It's all right. He helped save you. Just rest. I'll be back soon," Arthur told his father, ushering Merlin to the corner of the room to talk in quiet tones. He must have recognized the look of fear that colored Merlin's face.
"I can never repay you for what you've done today," Arthur began. "But I shall try. After my coronation, I will make some changes. You have shown me that not all magic is to be feared. I want to give the innocent a chance to live in peace. And that way, maybe those who use magic for evil will be discouraged by those who are good."
Merlin didn't think he could smile any wider. "That is all I ask."
Arthur nodded. Then he frowned. "I hate to say this after what you've done, but you should probably leave now, and be careful about it. Uther might remember you and do something rash, and so might the guards." Merlin nodded in understanding. "I will need time to reintroduce magic to Camelot. And perhaps some help. Would you be willing to consult from time to time?"
Merlin smirked mischievously, his mind already made up. "You may find that you will have all the help you need."
Clearly, Arthur wanted to ask him what he meant by that, but he let it go for the time being. "Will we ever cross paths again?" Arthur asked.
Merlin stroked his beard. "Perhaps." He started for the door but turned back. "I will hold you to your word, Arthur Pendragon. If you do not fulfill your end of the bargain—"
Arthur cut him off. "I know not to anger sorcerers or go back on my word. In the next few years, you and all others like you will be able to live in peace. I swear it."
Satisfied, Merlin nodded. As he crept through the halls of the castle on his way back to Gaius's chambers, he felt like he was floating on air. And nothing could bring him down.
⚔
A month later, Agravaine had been rooted out as the traitor and dealt with. Morgana was still on the loose, but she was keeping her distance. Uther was still alive, but his mental state had not changed, and he was not fit to be king.
Arthur held up his end of the deal. Almost immediately after his coronation, he began making plans to lift the ban on magic and acclimate magic-wielders to life in Camelot without resistance from the people. There had been some protests from knights and advisers and passionate citizens, but for the most part, everyone trusted Arthur's judgment. Some of them had had their own encounters with magic that further proved it could be good. Gwen, Gaius, and Merlin were Arthur's biggest supporters.
Merlin hadn't had the courage yet to reveal his own magic, however. He wasn't afraid of being persecuted if he told Arthur the truth, but he was scared of losing his friend forever. He had been lying to him since the day they met, even though he knew Arthur's history with magic and Uther's firm belief in its evils. No matter how Arthur felt about it now, would he feel betrayed? Would he banish Merlin from Camelot?
Eventually, Merlin would tell him. But not until the right moment.
Merlin stepped into Arthur's chambers with his dinner to find Arthur staring out his window down at the courtyard below. Pieces of parchment and quills were strewn across his desk with an open bottle of ink resting near them precariously.
"Arthur?" Merlin called, drawing his attention.
"Just set it down," Arthur ordered, and Merlin did as he asked.
He made to leave but then thought better of it. "Are you all right?"
Arthur turned to face Merlin, a thoughtful look on his face. "Am I doing the right thing?"
Merlin cocked his head. "What do you mean?"
Arthur sat behind his desk, resting his chin in his hand. "I promised that sorcerer I would lift the ban on magic, and I will. But am I moving too fast? Is it right to try to bring sorcerers here and have them live with the people? What about all those hiding their magic, if and when they reveal it, will their friends and family feel betrayed? Will lives be torn apart? Will they forgive each other?"
Merlin walked up to the desk, feeling Arthur's words strike a chord in his heart. It was a while before he spoke, but he finally asked, "Would you?"
Arthur looked at him. "What?"
Merlin took a deep breath. "Would you feel betrayed if someone close to you, for example, me, had been hiding their magic from you for years? Would you forgive me?"
Arthur leaned back, pursing his lips. "I know how hard my father made life in Camelot for people with magic, so I can understand why they would hide. And I know that it is the person, not the magic itself, that is evil. It might take some getting used to, but I could understand if you had magic. I could forgive you." Merlin's heart lifted, but then Arthur rolled his eyes and said, "But you don't have magic. I would know." He scoffed, grabbing a quill and a piece of parchment and pulling them closer to him.
Merlin cleared his throat. "Arthur," he said softly.
Arthur looked up, exasperated, but then faltered at the look on Merlin's face. Merlin cupped his hands, whispering an incantation. He felt his eyes glow, and a second later, a small blue butterfly fluttered out of his hands.
Arthur didn't say a word. His face was hard as he followed the butterfly's path. He didn't look at Merlin, and it was a long while before he spoke, and the only thing he said in an eerily calm voice after clearing his throat was, "How long?"
"I was born with it."
"So, since the beginning?" he asked, but Merlin knew he didn't need an answer. "Have you ever used it on me?"
Merlin shook his head vigorously. "Only ever for you, Arthur. I'm your friend. I've never meant you harm. I've only tried to protect you, and the rest of Camelot."
"Why be my servant?"
Merlin looked down, trying to figure out how much of the dragon's prophecy he should reveal. "It's my destiny. As it has been since the day we met. I do this because of who you are. Without you, Camelot's nothing. Some men are born to plow fields, some live to be great physicians, others to be great kings. Me, I was born to serve you, Arthur. And I'm proud of that. And I wouldn't change a thing."
Arthur coughed, rubbing his hand over his mouth. "You said you've used your magic for me, what—what does that mean?"
Merlin chuckled. "Whenever we were traveling and attacked by bandits, I wasn't always useless. Some of those men were knocked out by falling branches, or rocks after being hit by a gust of wind. Or sometimes some leaves moved to cover our tracks. Small things that you and the other knights wouldn't notice."
Arthur nodded, trying to take it all in. "I assume Gaius knows. Does anyone else?"
Merlin swallowed, thinking of his friend. "Lancelot did. I enchanted his weapon to allow him to kill the griffin all those years ago, and he figured it out."
"What about Morgana?" Arthur asked.
Merlin shook his head. "No, she doesn't know. And we have to keep it that way. Right now she just thinks I'm a very loyal servant, but if she knew the truth . . ." Merlin trailed off, and Arthur seemed to understand.
Arthur took another moment to absorb the information, and then something seemed to dawn on him. "When the Great Dragon was attacking Camelot . . . That Dragonlord . . . Balinor. You knew him, didn't you? That's why you were so distraught when he died."
Merlin looked down, pushing through the pain. "That was the first time I had met him, but yes, I knew who he was." Merlin took a deep breath and continued. "He was my father." Before Arthur could bombard him with more questions, Merlin said, "And the powers of a Dragonlord pass from father to son. Which means that I am the last Dragonlord. I am the reason the Great Dragon left Camelot."
Again, Arthur was silent before speaking, but he seemed to react well to what Merlin had told him. "If you have had magic all this time, and you've used it to help me . . . If you're as powerful as you say, why didn't you offer to save my father?"
Merlin had known that this question was coming, but he hadn't figured out the right answer. He contemplated whether or not to tell Arthur, and then decided he could handle it, especially after seeing his reaction to finding out Balinor was Merlin's father. "Well, if you'd known it was me, I couldn't have kicked you like a horse, now could I?" Merlin chuckled weakly.
For a second, Arthur looked confused, but then an enraged look came over his face. "That was you? You're the sorcerer who saved my father?" He shook his head and then paused, his hand moving to rest on his sword. "Wait, then that means you tried to have Guinevere arrested when my father found out about us! Why?"
Merlin took a step back, holding his hands up in a placating manner. "Slow down, Arthur. I didn't. It was Morgana, but I couldn't prove it. Instead, Gaius and I invented a sorcerer to take the blame in order to free Gwen. I used an aging spell to appear as an eighty-year-old man." He paused. "I wanted to help your father, but I didn't think you were ready to find out who I really was, in case something went wrong. Like it almost did, with Morgana's enchantment. Disguising myself was the only way. I just had to hope that you wouldn't kill me on sight."
At that, Arthur relaxed a bit, releasing his grip on his sword. "I knew that man seemed familiar."
For a minute or two, neither of them said anything. Arthur was still reeling from the revelation, and Merlin was waiting to see if he still had his friend. So far, Merlin thought he had taken the news rather well. The past month really had changed his perspective on magic, and Arthur had reacted much better than Merlin originally thought he would.
Soon, Merlin couldn't take the silence any longer. "I'll understand if you want me to leave. I've lied to you for years and practiced magic behind your back even though I knew how you and Uther felt about it. I just thought that now . . . now you would be willing to accept me for who I really am. You're my friend, Arthur, and I don't want to lie to you anymore. But I respect you, and I trust you. If you don't trust me anymore and want me to leave Camelot . . . I will."
When he was finished, Arthur still didn't say anything. With a heavy heart, Merlin turned and headed for the door, ready to pack his things and leave Camelot forever. His heart jumped when Arthur called him back.
"No, it's . . . it's all right. As I said before, it will take some time, but I understand." Sensing eyes on his back, Merlin slowly pivoted to face Arthur, who looked him in the eyes. "I forgive you."
A wide smile came across Merlin's face, and he walked back up to Arthur's desk. "You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that."
"For the record, I'm sorry I told you Balinor wasn't worth your tears. If I'd known . . ."
"It's all right," Merlin said.
Arthur rested against his chair, shaking his head in disbelief. "All of these years, Merlin. You never once sought any credit."
Merlin shook his head. "That's not why I do it."
Arthur leaned forward, lacing his hands together on top of his desk. He looked pointedly into Merlin's eyes. "I want to say something I've never said to you before." He made sure Merlin was looking at him before he finished. "Thank you."
Merlin smiled again. "Of course, sire."
"Could we . . . do you mind talking more about your magic and what you've done for me?" Arthur asked carefully, clearly still adjusting to the new dynamic between the two of them. Already, Merlin could tell that Arthur was looking at him in a new light.
Merlin sat across from Arthur, "Not at all."
And he really didn't. Camelot's future was looking bright with the Once and Future King as its leader. Finally, those who practiced magic could live without fear, and Camelot was stronger because of it. With Merlin as a powerful ally and friend to King Arthur Pendragon, Camelot was at peace.