Author's note: Hello. I want to apologize for being away for so long. Life took me in so many directions, and not ones conducive for writing. A couple months ago, I started this story on a whim. It has grown and grown until I wanted to share it. I hope it is a joy to read as it is to write it.

Arthur was conflicted. His heart was being pulled in two different directions, his father or his best friend.

Merlin had been accused of sorcery. One of Arthur's loyal knights had told the King what happened on their last patrol. The patrol was attacked by bandits and the chances of getting out alive were slim. He thought back to that day.

Arthur was surrounded by bandits and the leader was gearing up for a mortal blow. Then something amazing happened. Everyone surrounding Arthur was blasted back, dead where they lay. Arthur turned around and saw the second impossible thing to happen in the last 30 seconds. Merlin's eyes changed color. They changed from gold to blue. That could only mean one thing…...Merlin had magic!

Arthur had suspected that Merlin had magic for a while and now it was confirmed. Merlin stood stock-still with fear as Arthur walked up to him.

"Merlin." Arthur said.

"Sire." Merlin responded, non characteristically of himself.

"Merlin…" Arthur repeated, putting his arm on Merlin's shoulder. "I am not going to kill you."

Merlin sagged with relief.

"But…"

Merlin tensed back up, fear again entering his eyes.

"Merlin, can you promise me something?" Arthur asked.

"Anything, Arthur." Merlin responded.

"Promise me that you have and will continue to use your gifts only for good."

Merlin squirmed a little but then said "I promise."

That should have been the end of it. Arthur agreed to keep Merlin's magic a secret and he vowed that day that he would protect Merlin if Uther ever found out, thinking that day would never happen. All the knights on the patrol were sworn to secrecy as well, but being new, one of the new knights felt guilty enough and confessed.

Merlin's promise to him and the sincerity of it rang clearly through Arthur's mind and he sat next to his Father, looking down at his best friend, kneeling in front of magic's worst enemy. Merlin and Arthur shared a quick glance and Arthur's heart cracked. In Merlin's eyes, his will to live had almost gone. He looked like he had accepted he was going to die. Arthur severely hoped that would not happen.

Then Uther said the words that Arthur had just hoped would never be said. "Merlin, you have been found guilty of using spells and enchantments. In accordance with our laws, you will pay with your life. Take him away!"

No! Arthur thought as Merlin was being dragged out. He can't die! Not like this! Arthur took a step forward and looked around the hall. Amazingly, the attention of the entire hall was focused on him, even the guards towing Merlin away had stopped. Arthur turned to look at this father. Oh his father….

Uther's face was red with rage as he growled out "What did you say?"

Nothing. Arthur thought. But his rarely shown emotional side won out over the rational prat side. "No!" Arthur said aloud as he walked towards Merlin. "I won't let you kill him!" Arthur reached Merlin and had the guards release their hold on him. They did so reluctantly and Merlin stood surprised. Arthur nodded to his friend and then turned around to face his father, effectively protecting Merlin and putting himself between his father and Merlin.

"You kill him, you'll have to kill me first!" Arthur declared.

"Arthur…" Uther started.

"NO!" Arthur shouted back. He was sure now. There was no doubt in his mind. What he was doing now was the right thing to do. "I won't let you do this. He saved my life."

"Using Magic" Uther rebuttled.

"Does it MATTER?!" Arthur cried back. "The fact still is that I would not be here standing before you without him."

Uther looked over the court assembled in the hall. Most of them looked quite uncomfortable. "Court is dismissed." Uther declared and the whole hall ran over each other to get out as fast as possible.

All except for one man. Gaius walked slowly to the door and took one last look at his ward, no, his son. Merlin looked at the same time and smiled one of his signature ridiculous smiles at him, telling everything would be ok. But Gaius was overjoyed. He had seen the hope shining through Merlin's eyes, whereas a minute ago, the hope was gone. Gaius left and closed the door, leaving Merlin, Arthur, and Uther together.

"Arthur, do you know what you are doing? My son would never stand up for a sorcerer no matter what good he had done."

Merlin flinched behind Arthur stood his ground.

Then something seemed to click in Uther's mind. "Did you know….?" he left the question unfinished but Arthur knew exactly what he was looking for.

Arthur slowly nodded his head in affirmation.

Uther rose from his throne. "How long?" Uther seethed through his teeth, walking towards Arthur and Merlin. "How long have you known?"

"Since the attack." Arthur replied.

"But that was a week ago. Why didn't you kill him then?"

Merlin's knees buckled when Uther again mentioned his execution. Arthur felt it but chose to ignore it for now.

"Arthur, you should have not kept this from me."

Uther had reached Arthur and Merlin by his last sentence and another idea clicked in his mind. He pointed his finger at Merlin and asked "Have you put my son under an enhancement, sorcerer?"

Merlin shrank back, under instinct, from Uther's finger. "Sire….I would never…"

"LIES!" Uther roared.

Arthur stepped up to be face to face with his father. "His name is Merlin and I am not under an enchantment. Merlin would never hurt me."

"How do you know?" Uther asked.

"Because Merlin is my best friend."

Uther stepped back in shock, while Merlin started to smile. "What?" Uther asked.

"Yes Father, he is my best friend." Arthur then turned around to face Merlin and clasped Merlin's arm like Arthur did with all his knights. He looked into Merlin hope-filled eyes and continued. "Even though I joke about him being a fool and a coward and an idiot…." Arthur took a breath. "He is my most loyal and trusted friend, Father. He is braver than most of my knights and has advised me on multiple occasions. I would not be who I am today without him." Here, Arthur turned back around to face his Father. "And what I said before was true, if you kill him, you kill me as well. Because the me that you, Father, are so proud only exists because of Merlin. With Merlin ….gone…., a part of me would leave too."

Arthur slowly turned around and looked up at his father, hoping and looking for proof that maybe he had chiseled away the king part of Uther and had reached his Father.

He was wrong.

Dun dun dun! Anyway leave a review if you enjoyed. I am also not quite happy with the title so if any of you have suggestions, I will take those too! Bye!