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Chapter Text

Gaius hurried to answer Uther's latest summons, exhausted by his sleepless night. He worried terribly that he was about to reveal too much. Indeed, if it had only been a matter of saving Merlin, he'd have stayed quiet and trusted to the young man's cleverness to get him out of trouble. But this fight between King and Heir could not be allowed to continue to escalate until it reached the point of civil war. The breathless armsman who had summoned Gaius had relayed the news that Arthur had had Merlin snatched from the dungeons. Uther would never permit such a challenge to his authority, no king could, but Gaius was going to attempt to give him a reason to do exactly that.

Gaius walked into the audience chamber to find Uther pacing in front of his low throne. "You wanted to see me, Sire?"

"Arthur defies me!" shouted Uther, signaling his guards to close the great doors. Lowering his voice he hissed, "You've tutored up a young sorcerer and he's ensnared my son in an enchantment."

Gaius barely kept from snorting, knowing that if Uther actually believed that the guards would have dragged him in, he certainly wouldn't be free to move about on his own. Instead he asked deferentially, "What would you have me do, Sire?"

"Break it!"

Gaius shrugged, "I can't."

"Can't or won't?" demanded Uther.

"Can't."

"Why not? If the boy's learned all his magic from you…"

From long practice, Gaius kept his voice reasonable in the face of Uther's anger. "Merlin didn't cast that enchantment, Sire."

"Then who did?" asked Uther impatiently.

"To answer that, I would have to speak of things that you have forbidden me to speak of, Sire."

Uther stopped and raised one finger close to Gaius' nose. "Don't toy with me old man. You admit that Arthur is under an enchantment?"

"Yes, Sire," confirmed Gaius, keeping his voice deferential.

"And that this enchantment is the reason for his defiance?"

"Yes, Sire."

"Then if Merlin didn't cast the enchantment, who did?"

Gaius sighed, "Nimueh, Sire."

Uther turned away. "Will I never be rid of that witch?"

"She died more than two years ago, Sire."

Confusion showed in Uther's eyes. "Then how could she cast an enchantment?"

A kindly smile lit Gauis' mouth. "It's a very old enchantment."

"You're not making any sense, Gaius, and I've no patience for riddles."

"Then may I speak freely, Sire?"

Uther glanced at the closed door before giving his permission. "If you must."

"You got greedy, Uther," said Gaius, his manner changing abruptly to that of a stern elder.

Uther turned towards Gaius, giving him the full weight of his stare. "How dare you?"

"When you asked Nimueh for her help in getting a child, you didn't want just any child, you wanted an heir and not just any heir but a 'leader of men.' You were nearly poetic on the subject. Nimueh was trying to please you, so within the spell that got you your son, she also gave him some gifts. And they've started showing up," said Gaius dryly.

Uther bit off his words angrily, "Make sense."

Gaius smiled. "Twenty knights, loyal and true, soul-bonded to Arthur and he to them."

"What?" breathed Uther.

"I've suspected that Merlin was one of Arthur's men since he drank Bayard's poisoned cup. If you will remember, Arthur defied you then too, to save Merlin's life. It was quite unlike him at the time to care enough for a servant to place himself in danger and he hadn't even known Merlin long."

"Merlin is not a knight," scoffed Uther.

"Not yet," agreed Gaius. "Arthur's only got him about half trained."

Uther folded his arms across his chest. "If you believed that, what was that rubbish you were spouting about wanting Merlin to take up your life's work?"

"I know it's unusual, Sire, but every generation has one or two knights who are trained in another art, some of them even quite famous for it. If you'll recall, Sir Erland could play almost any instrument, and Sir Radbert was indeed a scholar of languages, as well as renowned for his poetry. A physician knight could be very useful after a battle."

Uther shook his head, "Merlin would never be a knight. I've seen the boy at swordplay. He barely knows which end of a sword to hold, let alone how to swing it."

"Sire, you are comparing him to knights who've spent their whole lives in learning the arts of war. Merlin had no such training before he came to Camelot. If you compared him to your armsmen, you'd find that he's actually rather good."

"We have more than enough common born knights," growled Uther.

Mildly, Gaius asked, "And why do you think that is, Uther?"

Uther blinked. "You're saying that they're all soul bonded to Arthur?"

"The only ones I'm certain of are Merlin and Sir Leon. I strongly suspect that Lancelot and Gwaine are. I don't have any evidence yet as to Elyan or Percival, but if they are not, I'll be surprised."

Alarmed, Uther demanded, "And this bonding? What is it doing to my son?"

"To Arthur?" Gaius shrugged, "Keeping him strong, helping him heal. You see Arthur can draw on the strength of all of his knights and each of them can draw on his strength. So for instance Sir Leon has been left for dead over and over again, and yet hasn't died because he's drawn on Arthur's strength through the bond. This doesn't weaken Arthur because he can draw on the strength of all of his other knights. An ordinary battle wound isn't going to kill any of them."

Aghast, Uther asked, "Are you saying they're immortal?"

"Oh no, no" said Gaius reassuringly. "If you cut off one of their heads or stabbed straight through the heart they'd die all right. But none of them are going to bleed out from a leg wound. The problem is that if you kill any of them, Arthur is going to feel it. It would be like him taking a battle wound that will always give him a twinge."

"Enough of those can disable a man," said Uther worriedly. "And you're saying that this is why Arthur is protecting Merlin?"

"Exactly, my Lord. Arthur is not even aware of the spell. He only knows that they are loyal to him and he is loyal to them. But really, by protecting his men, he's defending himself."

Uther paused a moment to digest this information and from the sour look on his face, it wasn't sitting well. Slowly he asked, "So, under battlefield conditions, if they were all endangered at the same time…?"

"That could be a problem, my Lord. Also, if Morgana became aware of the spell, and she may be because Morgause certainly was, she could use it to whittle away at Arthur by targeting his knights."

"Then the spell must be broken!" cried Uther.

Gauis shook his head. "Arthur himself is the living embodiment of the spell. The only way to break it is to kill him."

Aghast, Uther demanded, "Then how do we protect him from it?"

A bit exasperated, Gauis said, "By telling him about it, Uther."

"Never!"

"He's going to find out anyway, Uther. Merlin has already heard it. He begged to be let off telling Arthur because he knew how angry Arthur would be with you. But he hasn't thought it through yet, doesn't understand the implications of the spell. Once he does, he will tell Arthur, in order to protect him. Would you do less for your son?"

Uther shook his head and for the first time looked more frightened than angry. "Morgause told him once. He tried to kill me."

"And Merlin talked him out of it, as I recall," said Gaius dryly. "It's all in the way the information is presented, Uther. Morgause was trying to sow dissention between you and Arthur. If you tell him and beg his pardon…"

"Beg his pardon?" shouted Uther. "Kings do not beg pardon!"

Gaius snapped, "Do you want your son to hate you as much as your daughter does? Because you are making a fine start on it, Uther!" For once Uther was stunned into silence, so Gaius continued more gently, "He's trying to be a dutiful son, Uther. He's saved your kingdom for you. He's refused your crown. He hasn't sat on your throne, not even once while he was Regent. But would you really expect him to stand still while you cut off his fingers? If you force him to defend himself, he will."

"You want me to tell him that I'm responsible for his mother's death," sulked the King.

"That's your own guilt talking, Uther. You are not responsible for Ygraine's death."

Sarcastically, Uther asked, "Then what am I to beg pardon for?"

"For not understanding the implications of your actions."

"You want me to tell my son I'm a fool?"

"Uther, you've had no training in magic. You don't understand how it works."

Uther was suddenly quiet. "Ygraine did. I thought she did."

Gaius nodded, "She did, my Lord."

Uther walked heavily to his throne and slumped into it. "Did my ignorance kill her, Gaius?"

"I don't know, my Lord."

"Don't prevaricate with me old man," said Uther sharply.

"It's possible, Uther, but Ygraine knew very well that she was risking her life. All women do to bring children into the world and the spell certainly increased her risk."

"And now this spell endangers my son as well?"

Gaius paced thoughtfully toward his King. "It's more protective than destructive to Arthur, but it will continue to influence him, and a skilled sorcerer could turn it to their advantage."

"Telling him about it won't change that," snarled Uther.

"Telling him about it will do two things, Sire. First, it will make him aware of the influence the spell can exert over him, which I'm starting to believe is considerable."

Uther hissed angrily.

"Secondly, it may save your life. As you pointed out earlier, Uther, he's already tried to kill you over this once. If he finds out about this… well, if someone should put it to him badly, he might try again. And with you not having time to prepare…" Gaius allowed his voice to trail off.

"By 'someone' you mean Merlin, who you say I can't kill because it would injure Arthur and turn him against me."

"Yes, Sire."

"You've sworn an oath to keep silent," Uther grumbled, "Could I stop Merlin's mouth with a similar oath?"

Gaius sighed, "Probably not, Sire. Oh, he'd take such an oath if you demanded it, but that spell is stronger than any oath and it reserves Merlin's loyalty to Arthur."

Uther glowered a moment. "How many more of Arthur's knights are common born?"

"I don't know, Sire, but judging from what I've seen so far, the spell cared nothing for birth, only loyalty and ability."

Uther rose abruptly from his seat. "That's what worries me more than anything. This spell is surrounding Arthur with those not of his own class. What would farmers and tradesman know about the ordering of a kingdom?"

"They might bring quite a bit of knowledge, my Lord."

"No, you've missed the real danger, Gaius. These men that are gathering around Arthur, they are the danger. Who knows what they would convince him of?"

Gaius knew better than to try to argue Uther out of his convictions. "And what are you going to do about it Uther? You can't kill them. Arthur won't stand for it, it would injure him if you succeeded, and half of your other knights would abandon you in fear for their own lives."

Uther started pacing again and running his fingers through his hair in agitation. His voice cracking and breathless, he said, "I can't tell him, Gaius, I can't. It nearly killed me when my daughter turned against me. How much worse would it be with my son?"

"If you want to keep his love, the truth is your only recourse," Gaius said sternly. "He's already angry, but anger can heal." Somewhat remorsefully, Gaius continued, "I should have given you this advice two years ago with Morgana."

Uther looked at him with pain filled eyes.

"I should not have kept quiet. I knew she was frightened and angry. I should have seen the danger. I should have warned you that you could not command her to love you. I beg you not to make the same mistake with your son."

Shaking, Uther opened the great door himself and commanded the guard there to bring him Prince Arthur.

"You're making the right decision, Sire."

The blighted hopes of parenthood paraded across Uther's face. "You will have to speak the words, Gaius. I can not."

Gaius bowed. "As you wish, Sire."

When the door opened again, Arthur entered, surrounded by four guards and looking rebellious. Uther ordered the guards out and the doors once again shut.

"Sit down, Arthur," ordered Uther.

"The only seat is yours, Father," replied Arthur stiffly, his jaw working at his sucked in cheeks as he indicated his Father's throne.

Uther hesitated a moment. "That will do, but you will promise me that you will not get out of it until Gaius has told you all that I have commanded."

Arthur raised an eyebrow at this but took his Father's seat. "Am I to have a scolding then?"

"Promise!" commanded Uther.

"You have my word," said Arthur, settling himself for a long session.

Gaius advanced toward Arthur. "A lecture perhaps, Arthur, not a scolding; you've done nothing wrong."

Uther snorted and began to pace on the far side of the columns in front of the windows.

"I see my Father disagrees with you."

"That's not surprising. The two of you are in the middle of a disagreement. I'm concerned that you might not understand its basis."

"We're arguing over whether or not to execute Merlin" said Arthur dryly. "I would think you'd be on my side."

"I'm afraid it goes a little further back than that. I wanted to talk to you about the time that Morgause showed you your mother."

Arthur sat up, vitally interested. "Are you going to tell me that that really was my Mother?"

Gaius shook his head slowly. "No. I had Merlin tell me every word of that conversation, as nearly as he could remember it, and it didn't sound anything like Ygraine to me," he paused, "although she had some of the details right."

"What details?" Arthur demanded harshly.

"You have to understand, Arthur, that your parents were quite desperate for a child."

"Magic? You used magic?" Arthur yelled at his Father, holding tightly to the arms of the throne. Uther kept his back turned as Arthur accused him, "You swore to me you'd done nothing to hurt her. You expect me to keep my promises when you are foresworn?"

Gaius kept his body in between the two of them, trying desperately to keep Arthur's attention. "Now, Arthur, he's not. Uther didn't betray your mother. Magic was Ygraine's idea."

"What?" asked Arthur, stunned.

"Your mother, all of her siblings, were trained on the Isle of the Blessed. She knew what magic could do and the risks she was running."

"Are you telling me my Mother was a sorcerer?" Arthur asked incredulously.

"No," said Gaius, a gentle scoff in his voice. "Your mother was a princess and then a queen but part of her preparation for those roles was a thorough education, including a lay knowledge of magic. You have to understand that back then your father didn't believe in much beyond the sword in his hand. I don't even think he thought that a spell would work. He was mostly humoring your mother."

"Still…"

Gaius cut him off. "It was when your mother died that your father realized the power of magic and how dangerous it was. That's when he took up his war against sorcery."

Arthur sat grating his teeth. "Even if I accept that your version is true, Gaius, what does that have to do with the current argument?"

Gaius cleared his throat nervously. "Well you see, Arthur, I have reason to believe that that spell is still active."

Enunciating each word, Arthur asked, "How could it still be active? I was born a long time ago."

"When your parents spoke to Nimueh about getting her help, your father, quite naturally, expressed his hopes about what kind of man you would become."

"You think the spell is influencing my decisions," said Arthur flatly.

"Indirectly."

Gaius hesitated a moment and Uther exploded, "It's those blasted knights!"

Arthur grated out, "What knights?"

Uther pursed his lips and went back to pacing.

"Your knights, Arthur," said Gaius.

"And to which knights are you referring exactly?" asked Arthur in a dangerous tone, having finally realized that the spell they were talking about was the spell in the dream.

Gaius smiled softly. "Only you can say for sure, Arthur. Nimueh's spell called twenty knights into your service. It chose them for loyalty and ability and soul bonded them to you. They will be your most devoted servants." Gaius' eyes flickered in Arthur's direction in a way that indicated a hidden meaning.

"Soul bonded?"

"We may have to go over that at some length later. In essence, their hurts are yours and yours are theirs. There will be a sense of belonging between you that will be nearly impossible to resist, but then, from what I've seen, once they meet you, they don't want to resist for long anyway."

Horrified, Arthur said, "You're saying that these men have no choice but to serve me."

"Nor have you any choice but to accept their service," said Gaius benignly.

Arthur growled, "At least now I know what Merlin was yowling about."

Uther stepped up next to one of the columns. Scathingly, he demanded, "You can't really intend to make that boy a knight?"

Arthur chose his words with some care. "I've seen my knights in the same dream in which I heard the spell, Father. Merlin stands among them, though I can't see all of them clearly."

Arthur saw the small sigh of relief escape from Gaius, though Uther could not as the old man's back was turned to him. "It's possible that some of your knights are quite young yet, Arthur, and not ready to assume their duties. That may be why you can't see them well. Some may not even have been chosen yet, as they seem to be called to specific reasons or tasks. Undoubtedly, they'll find you when they are ready, or when they're needed."

"Needed?"

"For instance, Sir Leon was your childhood protector, Arthur." Gaius chuckled. "Ask him about the nursery sometime, but try not to embarrass him too badly. If he is, as I suspect, one of your knights, it would explain his behavior."

"He is," confirmed Arthur.

"And Merlin?" demanded Uther. "What could that clumsy lackwit possibly offer to Arthur?"

"Really, Uther," said Gaius gently, making the decision that he'd have to risk a revelation he'd been hoping to avoid. "It's true that Merlin may never be the strongest of Arthur's knights, or the most skilled with a sword, but neither is his task. Merlin is Arthur's defender against magic."

The royals chorused, "What?" Shock stunned Uther, but Arthur shot Gaius a look of caution.

"He started as soon as he got here," continued the physician, "couldn't help himself. The night you made Merlin Arthur's servant, Merlin pulled Arthur out of the way of a thrown dagger. Arthur should have been able to dodge it himself, except that he was still disoriented from the witch's spell. We all were. So how did Merlin react so quickly?"

"I suppose I should have wondered about that," growled Uther.

Gaius' face shone with pride. "Merlin recognized what was happening and stayed awake by the simple expedient of stopping up his ears. There are many ways of defending against magic, without actually using it, Uther. You should know that by now."

"It would take a simpleton to see a simple solution," snapped Uther.

"He's brilliant!" crowed Gaius. "One of my proudest moments was when he poisoned me to expel the goblin last year."

Arthur was aghast. "You're proud of Merlin because he poisoned you?"

Gaius nodded. "And had the antidote standing by, of course. Come to think of it, Merlin's had to use poison several times now. I'm going to have to make sure he has a much more comprehensive knowledge of the subject."

"You're going to teach Merlin about poisons?" Uther asked, incredulous. Arthur looked no less shocked.

"It's no more than any physician would know" opined Gaius reasonably. "Arthur's been poisoned more than once. Surely you wouldn't object to Merlin understanding the symptoms and knowing which antidote to administer?"

Uther looked like he certainly could object, but Arthur asked quickly, "What about Lancelot?"

Gaius shook his head. "I don't know yet, Arthur. Merlin and Sir Leon are the only two I've been able to observe long enough to understand the roles they are to play."

"Sir Leon, I don't mind so much," fretted Uther, "at least he's the son of a knight. But these others, these commoners, if they've been chosen for you by a spell, then I trust them even less."

"If you mean Lancelot, Gwaine, Elyan, and Percival," Arthur said sharply, "they were good enough to win back your kingdom for you, Father, I would think that would make them good enough to protect it."

"Perhaps somewhere on our border would be a better posting for them," grated Uther.

"Am I finished with my lecture?" Arthur snapped at Gaius.

"I think your father has something to say to you, before you get up," soothed Gaius, stepping around to Arthur's shoulder and out of his line of sight so he could mouth encouragement at the King.

Uther rubbed his fingers together uncomfortably and seemed to have trouble looking at his son. His words tumbled haltingly over his tongue, "I may have done you a disservice in the manner of your birth. For any wrong that I have done you, I accept responsibility and most humbly beg your pardon."

"You hardly sound contrite, Father," said Arthur severely.

Uther's gaze sharpened abruptly. "Would you have your King kneel to you?"

"No," said Arthur, with all the authority he had wielded as Regent and would someday wield as King. "I have no need to humiliate you, but I think you owe me more than a simple apology."

"I would be willing to grant you a reasonable boon," said Uther, looking away again.

"You take responsibility for the spell that gave me my men?" asked Arthur gravely.

Uther snapped, "I just said it, did I not?"

Arthur's manner took on a ceremonial tone. "Then leave them to me. They are under my command, not yours. If you have a problem with one of them, or charges to level, you do so through me."

"I don't think I'm comfortable with having knights in my castle who don't answer to me," Uther said sulkily.

"They will answer to you, Sire," Arthur assured him exuding formal rigidity, "but only through me."

"Choose something else," said Uther turning away.

Frustration showed in Arthur's eyes briefly, but then flew away in favor of the hint of a knowing smile. "Very well, Father, I'm willing to give you an option. Answer one question for me, but swear your answer is the truth with the strongest oath you know, and if I find you are forsworn, your life is forfeit."

"And what is this momentous question?" asked Uther, clearly shaken by such a request.

Arthur answered dryly, "How many half-siblings do I actually have?"

Uther cringed, but quickly settled his face into a mask of authority and turned to face Arthur. "Your men are your own. You are responsible for them and will take their punishments if I am not satisfied with your discipline."

Arthur held in his anger, "Well, that's an answer of a sort. I accept your boon, Father, and grant you my pardon. Am I free to go?"

"You may," said Uther, waving him away.

Rising, Arthur asked, "Do you have any charges you wish to level before I leave, Sire?"

Weary of the fight for the moment, Uther responded, "No."

Arthur bowed and walked out.

"Is there anything more you require of me, Sire?" asked Gaius.

"A sleeping draught would be welcome, Gaius," said the King, touching his forehead as if in pain. "This afternoon's council can wait."

"I'll fetch it immediately, Sire," replied Gaius, bowing and following Arthur. He didn't get far before he found Arthur matching his pace. The young man said nothing, so neither did the old man dreading a confrontation. Gaius opened the door to his workroom and allowed Arthur to precede him inside.

As the door shut behind them, Arthur's voice sounded like a muffled explosion in the silence. "There are twenty-one men in my dream. Twenty knights plus Merlin; what is he?"

Gaius assured him mildly, "I did not tell any lies in that room, Arthur."

"No, you were very careful about what you did and didn't say," said Arthur suspiciously.

"It seemed wisest, considering you might actually want Merlin alive."

Arthur's voice sounded murderous, "What is he?"

Gaius' shoulders dropped as he took a breath. "Your protector, as I said."

"From magic?"

"Yes."

"But not as a knight."

"Not if that is not what you see him as," said Gaius heavily.

"Then what…" Arthur suddenly stopped talking and looked around the room as though seeing it for the first time. The books, the potions, the souvenirs of an old man's life all suddenly took on a new meaning. "He really is your apprentice, isn't he?" growled Arthur.

"As I believe I admitted," agreed Gaius heavily.

Feeling stupefied by his realization, Arthur thanked Gaius and walked out, wondering how he could have spoken the words himself without realizing their veracity.

Merlin marched slowly up the stairs, still desperately trying to think how he could answer Arthur's questions without precipitating Uther's death by Arthur's hand.

"You look green enough to throw up," Leon teased softy.

"Don't tempt me," retorted Merlin. "You don't have to escort me. I do know the way."

"Arthur's orders. He said I was to bring you to him and he was very definite about it," responded Leon.

"Does that mean you all have to come?" demanded Merlin, jerking his head back at Lancelot, Percival, Gwaine, and Elyan.

"The rest of us are perishing of curiosity," Gwaine chuckled, "as is half the castle."

Merlin stopped and turned on him, a head above him by virtue of being on a higher step. "You do not want to know."

"Some of us," said Elyan into Gwaine's face, before turning to Merlin, "just want to make sure that Arthur is all right. Whatever's going on can't have been easy on him. We'll disappear quick enough if Arthur doesn't want us."

Merlin decided to ignore them and took the stairs more quickly, forcing the knights to keep up. He stepped into Arthur's chambers and noticed the unmade bed, dirty plates on the table and the heat in the room before he noticed Arthur standing in front of the roaring fire, tankard in hand.

"Oh, good, you're all here," said Arthur with a strange gleam in his eye and a flush starting in his cheeks.

Leon stepped toward him, his mouth hanging open. "Arthur, I saw you not half an hour ago. You can't be drunk."

"Not yet," said Arthur, lifting his tankard and taking another swallow.

"Arthur there's glass," said Merlin, kneeling in front of the hearth to pick up the pieces of the bottle Arthur had broken there the night before.

"Leave it," said Arthur, taking Merlin by his arm and hauling him to his feet. "We have things to discuss." Meeting Leon's eyes, he said, "If the rest of you gentlemen would step into the corridor, perhaps you could do me the favor of making sure that I don't kill my Father this afternoon? I promised to pardon his transgressions, but I'm rather regretting it."

Shocked, Lancelot asked, "Arthur, why would you want to kill the King?"

"Because he's a complete hypocrite, who's landed me in untenable situation," snarled Arthur. Giving Merlin a shake, he announced, "By the way, you won't have to tell me. Father confessed. But I do still have some questions for you.

Pointing at the tankard, Percival said, "That's not going to help."

"If you come up with something that will, please, let me know."

"Perhaps if we knew the problem?" asked Elyan tentatively.

Arthur laughed mirthlessly. "Oh, no. I promised to forgive Father, so I could protect you lot," he said pointing at all of them. "I don't think telling everyone would count as forgiving him, in his mind. And if I break my promise that would free him to break his."

"We need protecting?" asked Gwaine, his brow furrowing.

Arthur took another swallow from his tankard without releasing Merlin, who looked abjectly miserable. "Father's decided he doesn't like my common born knights." Arthur slid his gaze to Merlin. "Which you are about to become one of."

"I don't want to be a knight," yelped Merlin with a rising note of panic.

"Well, squire, anyway," said Arthur. "Father's promise only extends to my knights, but I think he'll honor it if you're in training just to keep me from knighting you." Arthur frowned. "It does mean I'm actually going to have to train you how to use a sword. Like I need any more duties."

"We could help with that," Lancelot offered quickly.

"Out," said Arthur surlily, "and keep your ears off the door. You'll most likely hear enough anyway."

Leon's hand found his sword automatically, but he thought better of pulling it and bowed instead. He and the other knights retired from the room.

Arthur finally released Merlin, giving him a shove toward the middle of the room. "Now then, it occurs to me that I've asked something of my knights that I've never asked of you."

"What's that?" asked Merlin, backing away another two steps.

"I've never asked you to take a loyalty oath."

"I hardly think you need one," choked Merlin. "The spell…"

"But I don't trust spells." Arthur stared at Merlin hard for a moment. "On your knees or leave my service immediately," commanded Arthur.

Merlin looked stunned at the demand, but dropped to his knees where he was and inclined his head toward the floor.

Arthur set his tankard on the table next to two jugs and a second tankard, stepped up to Merlin and asked formally, "Do you promise to serve me faithfully and to the utmost of your ability, for all of your days?"

"I do," said Merlin, impatiently.

"Repeat the words, Merlin," insisted Arthur.

Merlin raised his chin and practically spat, "I promise to serve you faithfully and as best I can for the rest of my life, my Lord."

"Do you swear your loyalty to me above and beyond any other bond?" asked Arthur loftily.

The servant rolled his eyes. "I swear loyalty to you above and beyond any other bond."

"Do you promise to tell me the full and complete truth, when so ever I should command it?"

Merlin looked at Arthur incredulously. "I have to always tell you the truth?"

Arthur rolled his eyes to the ceiling before looking back at his servant. "No, I know that would be too much to ask. I want to know that you'll tell me the truth when I command it." When Merlin hesitated, Arthur prompted, "Swear."

Merlin's mouth set in a hard line, but he answered, "I swear to tell you all of the truth, whenever you command it, even if you don't like it."

Arthur stepped forward and placed his right hand on top of Merlin's head. "Then I, in my turn, swear to treat you with justice and mercy for all of your days." Arthur removed his hand and stepped back. "Rise," he commanded. Arthur poured the second tankard full while Merlin got off the floor. He handed it to Merlin, saying, "I think you're going to need this. Sit."

Merlin's face fell, fear rising on his features like a morning fog. He took the offered seat with all the apprehension of a man placing his head on the block. "Every time you put me in a chair, you make me do something I really don't want to do. And considering what you just made me do, it's got to be really bad," he grumbled, taking a sip of the ale. Finding the cool of it reviving, he took a longer pull.

Arthur refilled his own tankard and turned a chair so he could sit facing his servant, but he thought better of it and towered over Merlin instead, his face unreadable. "I have a confession to make. I said something to my Father in anger that, at the time, I thought was a lie or at least an exaggeration but, after further reflection, I think is actually the truth. I called you my sorcerer."

Merlin looked as though he'd been struck over the head and slowly he began shaking it. "You had to say this to Uther?" he asked, his terror barely controlled.

"He doesn't believe it, even though he accused you of it," said Arthur sharply, taking another drink and eying his servant sidelong. "I think he was shocked to learn that Gaius had even taught you languages, especially a language that sorcerers use for spells."

Confusion mitigated Merlin's apprehension momentarily. "The King must have known… well, he knows I help Gaius with his research whenever magic threatens the kingdom."

"No, I don't think he knew anything about what Gaius teaches you. I don't think he even realizes that you help Gaius with his research. I think when Father's insisted I let you help Gaius, he had in mind that you'd be fetching and carrying rather than actually searching the texts yourself."

"Oh. So I got thrown in jail because Uther realized I was smarter than he thought I was?" asked Merlin trying for a joke to ease the tension.

"Partially," said Arthur, narrowing his eyes, "and that's a problem, because Father thinking that you're stupid is probably what's keeping him from realizing that you actually are a sorcerer."

Merlin looked away from his master, his eyes wary and full of secrets.

Arthur leaned forward, his hand on the back of Merlin's chair, demanding roughly, "You are my sorcerer, aren't you, Merlin? Not just a dragon lord? Not just the one thing but a full sorcerer? It's not just that you can command the dragon, which is far more power than any man should command…" When Merlin's only response was a shiver that pulled him away from his master, Arthur cupped Merlin's chin in his hand, forcing his gaze up, and leaning so far into his servant's space that even with the flash of anger in his eyes, one might have imagined his intent was to kiss. "There's no way Nimueh called me up twenty knights and a servant," he hissed. "No, she knew the power of magic and calling the last dragon lord was no coincidence."

"Arthur, please don't," begged Merlin.

"Tell you what, I also called Gaius my Father's sorcerer, which he was none too happy to hear," Arthur said, patting Merlin's cheek condescendingly and pulling away from him.

"Gaius!" cried Merlin, alarmed.

Arthur snarled, "He trained you, didn't he? Against all my Father's edicts, in direct contradiction of the oath I'm sure Father must have required of him when he pardoned him, Gaius trained an apprentice sorcerer." Noting Merlin's distress for his tutor, Arthur's tone changed and he spoke lightly, teasingly, but with an edge of sarcasm. "Oh, don't worry, Gaius is fine. Father doesn't know, and apparently his pardon is still holding. Still, if you don't want to confess to being a sorcerer, I bet I could get Gaius to confess to spare you." Arthur turned toward the door. "You wait here while I go talk to him."

"Stop!" cried Merlin

Arthur looked back over his shoulder. "Tell me the truth, Merlin. I commanded it."

"I'm a sorcerer," Merlin confessed as if in pain.

"My sorcerer?" asked Arthur slyly.

"Yes, Arthur," whispered Merlin meekly.

"Show me," Arthur snarled.

In disbelief, Merlin asked, "You force me to confess, but you still don't believe me?"

Arthur folded his arms over his chest and repeated, "Show me."

Merlin pointed at the fireplace and when Arthur looked where he pointed, Merlin put his head down and murmured a quick spell. The broken glass lying on the hearth lifted in sparkling pieces into the dust bin.

"That's not much," said Arthur disdainfully.

Merlin looked to his left and this time Arthur saw his eyes glow. A soft sound caused Arthur to turn in time to see the rumpled bedcovers straighten themselves. A click turned him again, this time toward the opening door of the wardrobe, just in time to see his cloak float across the room, shake itself out, and settle on the dressing screen. A trifle shaken, Arthur said, "All right, I get the idea."

Merlin laughed hollowly, "What are you going to do with me, Arthur?"

Still wide eyed, Arthur replied, "Try to keep you out of trouble."

"You aren't going to turn me over to Uther?"

Arthur snorted and took his seat. "If Father can have a sorcerer, I don't see why I can't, especially since he bound you to me in the first place."

Merlin shook his head. "Gaius doesn't practice magic."

Arthur's eyes narrowed. "I'm not going to order the truth out of you on that one because quite frankly, I don't care. Whatever Gaius is or is not is my Father's problem. But there are a few other truths I want out of you today. When Morgause showed me my Mother, you told me that it was an illusion, was that the truth?"

Merlin set his tankard on the table. "No," he said and then hurriedly leaned toward Arthur, eager to move the subject away from his mentor, "but that doesn't mean that was your mother either."

"What are you talking about?" demanded Arthur, his mouth set in a hard line.

"Morgause didn't say your name or your mother's. Yes, she called a spirit, but not necessarily your mother's spirit."

"So it could have been my Mother, but you don't know." Arthur cocked his head thoughtfully. "You heard that spell, could you repeat it?"

"No," breathed Merlin, leaning back. "I don't know magic like that, and I didn't hear the entire spell. That spell was set up ahead of time. It might very well have taken Morgause days for the preparations. She knew exactly what she was going to do when you got there."

"I still don't understand why."

"Why? Arthur, you dam near murdered your father. That would be why. She knew what Ygraine, or whatever that was, would say. Morgause didn't just want you dead, she wanted you destroyed and Uther with you."

Arthur shook his head, distraught, "But if it was my Mother…"

"Even if it was your mother, it was quite a put up job," Merlin said firmly.

"You watch your mouth," commanded Arthur.

"Think, Arthur," insisted Merlin, "she only had moments to do her work and she had you dancing to her tune."

Arthur stood so suddenly that his chair toppled backward. "But if it's true, if my Father betrayed her, she'd have reason. Maybe he did trade her life for me."

"I don't know," Merlin said mournfully. "What did your father tell you?"

Arthur scoffed, "My Father didn't tell me anything. He made Gaius do it. Talk about a put up job. He tried to tell me that the spell was my Mother's idea."

Merlin shrugged, "Could've been."

"But she said that Father betrayed her!" Arthur shouted.

Merlin could see that Arthur truly wanted to believe that he'd seen his mother but he had to try to get his friend to see sense. "That doesn't mean that she told you any more truth than your father."

Arthur threw his tankard at Merlin, who managed to block it with his arms but the liquid spattered his tunic. "You can not talk about my Mother that way!" Hot angry tears coursed down Arthur's furious face.

Merlin got up and tried to wipe away Arthur's tears with his shirtsleeve. Arthur batted away his hand. "Arthur, you need time to think, otherwise you're going to end up doing something you'll regret," said Merlin firmly.

"I'm not so sure I'd regret killing Father," Arthur gasped.

"I am, and I have at least as good a reason to want him dead as you. You need time to think. We need to get you out of Camelot."

"And go where?" asked Arthur savagely.

"Somewhere where your father isn't right down the hall from you." Merlin's first thought, as ever, was of Ealdor, but that wouldn't do for Arthur. Arthur should stay within Camelot's borders. "The border garrisons. You haven't been pleased with some of the reports coming out of them. It would take days to make a tour, that should give you plenty of time, and Uther can't really object if you're performing your duties."

Arthur gulped down his emotions. "That, that might work. At least if I decide Uther should die, I'll have thought it out first."

Merlin's eyes widened in concern. It wasn't like Arthur to use his father's name and he couldn't take it as a good sign that he did now. "Right. So when do you want to go?"

"Now, immediately. Tell the knights. We leave as soon as we're packed," Arthur said, reaching for the wardrobe and pulling out his pack. That he intended to pack his own belongings rather than wait for Merlin to do it testified to his hurry. When Merlin didn't move, Arthur added, "That was an order, Merlin."

Merlin rushed into the corridor. He had the knights' attention as soon as he appeared. "Arthur wants to leave. He's going to make a tour of the border garrisons. He wants all of you with him. I have to gather provisions, but he shouldn't be left alone."

"We'll take it in turns to pack then," said Leon. Merlin nodded and left them to work it out as he ran for his own room. He didn't even stop to greet Gaius, who protested the fact and followed him up his stairs.

"You'll have to talk to me as I pack, Gaius," said Merlin, dragging his tunic over his head and reaching for a fresh one. Not having a second clean, he packed the dirty one with the intention of washing it as soon as possible.

"In a hurry?" asked Gaius.

"Arthur knows I'm a sorcerer," said Merlin, trying to get out what Gaius would need to know as quickly as possible, while he threw clothes into a pack.

Alarm drained Gaius' face. "Are you sure?"

Nodding, Merlin said hurriedly, "He made me show him. He doesn't care Gaius. He's so mad at Uther."

"Slow down, you're not making any sense."

"I can't slow down. Arthur wants to leave immediately. We're making a tour of the border garrisons."

Gaius grabbed Merlin by the shoulders. "The King's asleep. Arthur can't ask permission and he'll be gone for days at best."

Merlin took a breath. "I don't think he's planning to ask permission. Arthur's so angry he's talking about killing Uther, he's seriously considering it. I thought it best to get him out of Camelot and he's agreed to make a tour of the border garrisons, but he wants to leave now."

Gaius released Merlin, who pulled blankets from his bed and began to make up a bedroll. "He didn't seem that angry when he left me," said Gaius worriedly.

"Well, when I got to him, he'd started on what was promising to be quite a bender."

"Oi," said Gaius and he headed down the stairs.

When Merlin emerged from his room a few minutes later, Gaius was waiting for him by the door to the corridor with his medicine bag in hand. Gaius thrust it at him, saying, "Here, take this."

"Your medicine bag? Gaius, I can't take that."

"I should make you up your own. I will, while you're away." Merlin tried to protest, but Gaius insisted, "If Arthur's as angry as you say, he's likely to get hurt. You know what to do with this. If nothing else you can use it to cover for your magic and the less Arthur thinks about you being a sorcerer, the safer you'll be."

Merlin hugged his mentor. Releasing him, he asked, "You'll explain to Uther?"

"Yes, now go before Arthur leaves without you. And Merlin, be careful," entreated Gaius.

With a grim nod Merlin ran for the kitchens to see what he could gather for a supper on the road.