Ugh, again, sorry for the unacceptably long interval between this update and the last. I seriously had intentions to finish this fanfiction back in September, but then I started a new job and finishing up at the farm and moving and – yeah life happens. I hope you like the ending!

Hot man lemon in this chapter. You have been warned.

Disclaimer: BBC owns the rights to their rendition of Merlin and Prince Arthur, on which this fanfiction is based.

~FINAL CHAPTER~

The cave was similar to all the others they had visited before, in search of magic or otherwise. It was a damp, muddy hole embedded into the side of the southern-most mountain.

With each foot of lessened distance Merlin's discomfort grew. It was too soon to be trapped again in a sorcerer's cave. Why are we all so reclusive? Merlin made an oath to himself then and there that he would never dwell in a muddy hole, no matter how many people hunted for his hide. He just strongly hoped that he would see no parts of corpses in the cave. Any remnants of the Tinkerman's cave would be a huge knife in Merlin's still fresh wound of vulnerability.

From the pull at his gut Merlin could tell that this would be no easy fight. Tenaya's was the strongest magic he had yet encountered. It left a bad taste in his mouth and turned his guts to serpents.

Arthur caught the grimace on Merlin's feminine face. They stopped walking, about one hundred paces from the entrance to the cave. He put a hand on his companion's arm, opened his mouth, about to offer something to ease Merlin's mind; there wasn't any time.

Merlin gasped and his eyes widened, gold churning with blue. "Aaaah," he moaned. Hands flew to his temples and his eyes shut.

"What? Merlin, what is it?"

"Hmmmm," Merlin groaned again. "She's – she's already in my head."

Emrys…

Curious, that you would show yourself before me, when having never before done so, in this form…

Merlin took two deep breaths, trying to remain calm. If it was possible, his mind was burning.

"Are you okay?"

Arthur's voice was faint, as if the words had to travel a great distance to reach Merlin's ears. He felt himself nodding.

And who is your companion? Uther Pendragon's son? Even more curious.

Yes, Tenaya had infiltrated his mind, but…

"She doesn't seem hostile," Merlin mumbled. Yet.

Nodding in resolution, Arthur gripped Merlin's arm and began walking them forward to the cave. "Best get this over with before she changes her tune."

"Keep holding my arm. It's an anchor," Merlin said, trying to keep his voice calm.

Everything was fuzzy and blurred, the cave just appearing to Merlin as a huge brown and green blob in his vision. His mind was being torn in three different directions: reality, Tenaya's voice and random flashbacks to his past. Visions flew behind his eyes in quick succession, betraying earlier days; leaving home, the anxious journey to Camelot, his reluctant acceptance of his post near the Prince, Camelot again, Will – no, no please it's too painful – being pelted with vegetables in the stocks – here he felt a flash of annoyance from the mind controller – Oh Emrys, how could they treat you so? – No, don't punish Arthur, he didn't know – That is no concern of yours, I shall do with him what I please – If you hurt him I'll –

"We're here," came a distant voice from his left.

Wyverns greeted them at the entrance, two bristling cousins of dragons. Baring their teeth they growled and paced, unsure of how to treat these newcomers. Before their master inside could decide, Merlin summoned enough concentration to command the sentinels to back off. The magical energy sustaining his dragontongue was older than anything Tenaya could use.

Beside Merlin, Arthur could only stare in amazement and slight disbelief as he listened and watched as his manservant command these two foul creatures to clear the entrance. The words were old, surely vibrating with energy of life itself, almost shaking Arthur to his very core. The sounds left tingles on his skin. He wondered if Merlin required the presence of a dragon (or in this case a dragon-related) creature to speak the language; for some absolutely strange reason it left the Prince uncomfortably aroused, and he figured there weren't any dragons back home. Maybe it was the authority backing up the commands or the language itself, or the fact that Merlin was so brazenly displaying his powers as a sorceress, but – Arthur blinked rapidly, dispelling the distracting thoughts. Now was definitely not the time.

"Impressive," came a misty voice. "But then, this is Emrys after all."

They fully entered the musty cave. Arthur's hand craved to draw his sword, but he resisted. The weapons used in this battle were not of steel or metal, but of magic and energy. Quickly scanning the small room he saw no other creatures. Arthur didn't believe it for a second. He looked at Tenaya and couldn't stop his eyebrows from raising in slight disbelief. The witch's appearance did nothing to betray her supposed prowess as a magic user. Of course, he only had Nimueh, the Tinkerman and a few others to base his judgment on, but… Tenaya was small, thin, and dressed only in one simple black woolen tunic. Her hair was pulled back into a bun, revealing a kindly, round face.

For a moment no one said anything. Arthur's eyes dashed between the sorceress and Merlin, concern for Merlin's mental well-being written openly on his face. There was no sense hiding it now.

Tenaya wore a crooked smile and she beckoned Merlin forward. The young warlock looked almost blind now, his eyes shut almost fully, face pale, breath coming in gasps.

"I will not be so immature as the old one Kilgarrah, young Emrys," she said. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, smile falling off her face. "Your mistake will beg a deep price to fix."

Arthur stepped forward, mouth open.

Tenaya silenced him with a wave of her hand. "I do not mean gold, Pendragon. Nothing so material."

Her eyes hardened as gave her attention back to Merlin, who whimpered and fell to the ground on his knees. Arthur fell down with him, hand still bracing his arm but hopelessly knowing he had no way to protect his friend.

"Kilgarrah has told you of my ways, Emrys. If you are not strong enough of mind, then I shall do with you as I please." She stepped over Merlin, hands hovering around his crown. "I see that you have been through many hardships in your life. Most of them due to your companion…" she frowned, looking down at Arthur. "No, your… lover?"

Despite himself Arthur flushed. He stared resolutely into her piercing eyes, silently admitting his pride and love of Merlin. Tenaya paid little attention and focused back on Merlin.

How could one so powerful make such an error? You are truly a young warlock, Emrys, with far too much power.

So I've heard. Please… please help me reverse this.

If I do, then the Prince will no longer love you. He will deny any attentions from your true form. Is that what you want?

No! Arthur will still love me. He will still want me, even as a man.

Are you quite sure? I could delve into his mind as well to seek the truth. I do not think you would like it.

Merlin felt his mind falter. But… No, he couldn't listen to her. She was purposefully trying to weaken his resolve. He focused on wanting to remember the spell he had sleep-spoken four nights before.

Please, please just help me remember. That's why I came here. Nothing else is your concern.

And why even fall in love with the Young Pendragon? He is the enemy of your people, of me. He surely means you harm. You will see that once you return home.

Merlin groaned out loud in frustration. Distantly he felt the hand on his arm increase in pressure, anchoring him to reality. Arthur…

The Prince is a menace to our kind.

No, Arthur is not his father. Uther has no mercy, but the Prince has shown that capacity. I've told him the truth about me, and still he stays with me!

He will betray you as soon as you reach Camelot. Uther will destroy you.

No, that's not true!

Oh but it is, young one. Even you can see it. The nagging doubt seated in the forefront of your mind. Arthur's love for you is only for your female form. He will never truly want you or your magic. This love will disappear as soon as you change back. If you can, that is.

Merlin could feel, or almost see, a black cloud slowly seeping over every thought he had in retaliation.

No… Arthur loves me! He would never betray me!

Darkness infecting his every thought…

He did so in the forest, just yesterday.

No room for any light…

That was different, he was in shock, he –

He knew perfectly well what he had done, and he would easily do it again.

Watching Merlin was agonizing for Arthur. He could see the war happening on his face. He gripped Merlin's arm harder, desperate to do anything he could to help Merlin retain his sanity.

"Merlin! Merlin, it's Arthur! Whatever she's saying to you, it's not true!"

And suddenly, a brilliant bloom of bright, hopeful, clearing and desperately needed luminescence.

A vague attempt to –

NO! ARTHUR LOVES ME, AND THERE IS NOTHING ELSE YOU CAN SAY TO BELITTLE THAT! Merlin was screaming now, the words hitting Tenaya's life force in his mind like a wall. With a spark of triumph he felt Tenaya's powers stumble, her competence in his mental tug of war faltering. Merlin grabbed at his chance, confidence resurfacing in his mind.

You WILL help me remedy my situation! You're not taking my mind, or Arthur's.

There was silence for a moment. Merlin opened his eyes and looked across to the sorceress. She appeared slightly shocked at Merlin's resilience, even when his mind was so vulnerable. After a moment she offered a crooked smile and a short nod.

"Very well, Emrys. You have proven yourself worthy of my assistance. Fortunately I managed to catch a glimpse of the spell," she said gravely.

Merlin's heart leapt in his chest and his throat; it was an uncomfortable sensation to say the least. On one hand he was desperate to have his male body back, but on the other, he was keenly aware of the potential truth behind every revelation Tenaya had inflicted upon him. Arthur would most likely love Merlin much less as his quirky manservant than the seductive female version.

Tenaya's keen eyes narrowed. "Unless of course, you wish to remain in this form?"

"Merlin…" Arthur mumbled beside him, as if in warning against the stupid decision floating in Merlin's brain. "Please…"

Merlin met his Prince's eyes and after a moment was rewarded with what he needed; trust and assurance that, even though their newly strengthened bond had been catalyzed by Merlin's transformation, it would not dissolve afterward. Merlin nodded slightly, acknowledging the message blatant in Arthur's eyes, and turned his attention once more to the sorceress waiting in front of him.

"Do it, please," he whispered.

The sorceress gave a nod and raised her hands. Merlin inhaled deeply, nerves making his stomach churn, and closed his eyes. He just hoped it would be over quick.

Merlin collapsed in Arthur's arms, fainting as power surged through his body. Arthur couldn't say how the transformation had happened exactly; Merlin's female form had sort of melted away to reveal his natural male body. Needless to say, his manservant's clothing was now completely inappropriate.

He heard a long-suffering sigh from above him. "I suppose I'll take care of that that, too," she said, waving her hands over Merlin.

Arthur blinked and Merlin was dressed in his regular clothing, as if they had been summoned from his room in Camelot. "Thank you," he muttered.

"Emrys must not forget that he is now in my debt, Prince," Tenaya said.

Arthur acknowledged her bequest with a nod. Wasting no more time, he picked up Merlin with a grunt and exited the dank cave, somehow making his way back to their horses. Running on auto-pilot, Arthur settled the unconscious boy in front of him holding on tight with arms wrapped around the waist, leaving the other horse free to run beside them. He had no right to complain about anything now, not after what Merlin had been through this last week. Amazing, what a hefty dose of perspective could do to someone.

The horses were as eager as Arthur to escape the area, so dense with magic as it was. Arthur kicked them onward, conflicted between commanding a slow pace to avoid their inevitable arrival at Camelot and racing home without a glance backward.

They only stopped when Merlin showed signs of waking, rustling around slightly in Arthur's arms.

"Arthur..." Merlin murmured, voice scratchy. His heart gave a tremendous leap as he registered just who was holding him. A second later reality came crashing down, flooding away the choking joy he'd briefly enjoyed. His body may be back to normal, but what had happened to his relationship with Arthur? His stomach gave an unpleasant flip; Tenaya had been right. Once they reached gates of Camelot, Arthur would have no choice but to report the truth about Merlin to his Father, and then….

The strong arms encircling his waist contracted for a second and then retracted. Merlin frowned, feeling cold. It just noticed that inside the forest it was dark; the sun was setting. He'd slept the day away…

"We'll make camp here," Arthur said, dismounting from the horse. "Alright?"

Merlin nodded and, feeling surreal, dismounted.

"Forbearnan," Merlin whispered, setting fire to the pile of wood he'd gathered. He sighed quietly. Even the playful dancing of the flames couldn't shake away his nervous anxiety. Arthur had said nothing since they'd dismounted, other than announcing that he was going rabbit hunting for their dinner, and would hopefully be back soon.

Denying the truth in Tenaya's words had been necessary back in the cave; he'd forced them down out of need to activate the correction to his mistake all those days ago. But now that he was male again, those thoughts came rushing back. Arthur, who had always been a lady's man, would surely not return Merlin's affections now that he was back to being male. It was difficult for Merlin's heart to bear; Arthur had of course remained his handsome self throughout Merlin's change, his temporary female form serving only has the catalyst to Merlin's romantic feelings manifesting.

The crashing of boots on leafs signalled Arthur's approach. Their eyes met and Merlin's heart constricted; they would have to talk about this or else Merlin might die. He might never again feel the warmth of Arthur's lips pressed against his own if words weren't said, and that was unacceptable.

Merlin watched in silence as the Prince went about preparing the rabbits for the fire. Where to begin…

"Arthur, I just want to say thank you," Merlin said. "For… for staying with me back in the cave. I don't think I could have done it without you."

Arthur snorted. "Damn right you couldn't have," he said, the ghost of a smirk on his face.

"Don't be a prat," Merlin said, glaring. "I'm serious."

"I know," the other man muttered back. He focused his attention back to their dinner. Merlin was mesmerized for a minute at how the flickering light of the flames made Arthur's hair look like shimmering gold.

Merlin fidgeted restlessly, picking up little twigs, snapping them in pieces, picking at the dirt around him, struggling to breach the sensitive topic of their changed relationship. "Arthur…?"

"Hm?" he grunted.

"Um… how – how did I get my clothes back?" Goddamnit, why is this so difficult?! He sighed, frustrated with himself.

A flash of relief shined in Arthur's blue eyes. "The sorceress conjured them I guess. I don't really know how that works."

In truth, neither did Merlin. But he would never admit that to Arthur.

In what seemed like no time at all, they had eaten all of the rabbit Arthur had caught and prepared, and were now settling down for the night. Too bad Merlin's mind felt wide awake, restless with the need to confess to Arthur that yes, he was still in love with him, and really, was a male all that different from a female? They would surely be back at Camelot by tomorrow mid-day, and Merlin definitely wanted to have this conversation, however it would go, before their arrival at the fortress. So it's now or never.

Silently, Merlin moved to sit beside Arthur. With trembling hands he moved to cup the other man's cheeks, warm from the heat of the fire. Arthur's eyes were wide, trapped by the intensity of Merlin's gaze.

"Merlin," he murmured, voice deep.

The warlock sighed. He stared into Arthur's eyes, looking for something, he did not know what. "I don't know if… if I can continue like we were before," he muttered, not breaking their visual connection. "Everything's different."

Arthur's shoulders fell a little bit, some of the tension evaporating. "Yes, it is."

Merlin's heart was lodged in his throat. He blinked rapidly, trying to dry his eyes. Stupid! He let his hands fall away from Arthur's face. They made it halfway, wrists being caught by rough hands.

Arthur looked down at his own fingers weaving through Merlin's as he spoke. "I know we can't go back to how we were before. I… I care about you too much," he whispered, almost too quietly for Merlin to hear.

"Why – why didn't you say anything before?" I waited all day for you, you prat! Granted, Merlin had been asleep for most of that day, but still!

Arthur rolled his eyes. "You know how shit I am at discussing my feelings, Merlin. Especially when they concern you."

In disbelief Merlin looked back to the prince, not trusting what he'd heard, heart beating in his throat. "But, I'm – I'm a man. You can't…"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Yes yes, you're a man. Don't remind me how much trouble we just went through to get you back to that state." Carefully, he brought Merlin's hand up to his mouth and kissed the pad of each fingertip, sending shooting tingles down the warlock's body, making him shudder and swallow, his throat suddenly dry.

"There are so many repercussions…" Merlin whispered, heart heavy. "But… your Father, and what about your heir? How can you just - "

Arthur's response was a kiss. Merlin whimpered, pressing in close like he was starving for more. He broke away, nose pressed against Merlin's.

"We'll figure it out," the Prince murmured.

The stress of that phrase was lessened slightly by the fact that Arthur had said "we" instead of "I", like was serious about their enhanced relationship and wanted to continue it in Camelot. Merlin kissed a smile onto Arthur's face, a warmth stealing his entire body. Hah, take that Tenaya!

Their kiss grew, Merlin pressing down into Arthur, lowering both of their bodies to the ground. He felt such a need for the other man. All of the stress of the last week was being converted to sexual energy. He ravaged Arthur's mouth with his, plunging his tongue deep inside, moaning and rutting against him.

Gasping, Arthur tore away, blinking up at Merlin, a rare insecurity showing through his eyes.

"Merlin, I-I've never been with a man before," he said, panting. He had been afraid that Merlin's masculinity would not arouse him but he was surprisingly turned on. When Merlin had appeared female, he'd been attracted and in lust with her. But now that Merlin was back to looking like his normal, dorky self, there was something deeper… He'd never been attracted to men before now, and maybe he still wasn't – he was only attracted to Merlin.

"Don't worry, I have some experience there," Merlin said, biting at Arthur's ear lobe. And it was weird, he reflected, that whereas his first sexual experience he had gotten wet with the need to be filled, now he was achingly hard. Still there was the need to have Arthur inside of him, but tied with the need to be buried deep within his Prince. "Oh God I want you," he groaned.

Arthur's cheeks flushed at hearing such raw need in his manservant's voice. "I – I know I'd never say anything corny again, but… I trust you Merlin," Arthur breathed onto Merlin's lips. "I trust you. I did say I wanted to do this again with you. So… you can take me."

"Thank you," Merlin breathed back, appreciating the admission of trust and permission to continue. He'd never before done what he was about to attempt with his prince, but Merlin trust his instincts. And what'd he'd stumbled upon accidentally back in Ealdor (that had been awkward).

Merlin was extremely pleased to feel an erection digging into his thigh, mirroring his own. Arthur had claimed the day before that he'd wanted to have sex again, knowing that following their encounter with the sorceress, Merlin would have regained his manhood. Merlin was determined to make it as good as possible to keep Arthur in his bed for good.

"Let me undress you, sire," Merlin whispered. They sat up off the ground and Merlin worked Arthur's clothes off, as well as his own, leaving them both naked, flushed, excited and breathing hard. Merlin had of course seen Arthur without his shirt a hundred times before, but their situations had rarely ever been reversed. The pale boy's cheeks flushed red as Arthur let his eyes roam over Merlin's exposed skin, letting his hands follow, exploring his manservant's body. Small moans escaped Merlin's throat when rough thumb pads brushed over his nipples. He shivered, goose bumps rising on his skin.

With a glance at the fire, Merlin whispered an incantation, making the flames grow, basking their naked bodies in a warm glow.

Arthur growled and pinned Merlin to the ground, biting a sensitive area on his neck, making him cry out. "Why does that turn me on," Arthur moaned, thinking out loud.

A breathless laugh escaped Merlin. "Me doing magic?" Twitching hands came up to grip at Arthur's hips, his own hips staring to buck up, their erections rubbing together.

"And your dragon speak," he continued, licking up to an ear.

"Aaaah... m-maybe because it's forbidden?"

"Hmm," Arthur moaned in his ear.

And then all talking diminished into incoherent moans, gasps and pleas for "harder" or "faster". Merlin let Arthur completely over-take all of his senses. Merlin let a hand drift down lower to paw at Arthur's erection, closing around its heat. An idea came to him and his mouth watered at the thought. He flipped them, shoving Arthur on his back.

Before the Prince could speak, Merlin had encased his erection in his mouth. His warm, wet, oh so fucking good mouth. Arthur choked out a moan, covering his burning face with both hands as he nearly fainted with pleasure.

"Oh God, Merlin! This is… its even b-better than last night," he gasped. He resisted the urge to thrust into Merlin's mouth, not wanting to choke the man.

Merlin hummed around the cock in his mouth, relieved that he could give Arthur such powerful pleasure. It was messy, him having never done this before, but to Arthur it couldn't be more perfect. Too soon, Merlin pulled away, impatient to move on. His own erection ached to be inside of Arthur.

"I want… I want to - "

"Yeah, okay," Arthur breathed, still trying to catch his breath. He'd been so close to tipping over the edge when Merlin had stopped, and he restlessly moved his hips on the ground.

Breathing hard, Merlin attempted to collect himself. He almost came just from how Arthur looked – thoroughly debauched, hips twitching, hard cock jutting out from his groin, glistening from his mouth. He brought two fingers up to his mouth and sucked on them, coating them in saliva. Arthur groaned at the sight, and almost came when Merlin whispered a spell to further lubricate his fingers, eyes flashing gold.

"Convenient spell I taught myself," Merlin murmured. He bent down over Arthur, dipping his hand down in between the man's legs. "This'll probably feel a bit strange," he warned.

Arthur nodded, closing his eyes. He winced at the discomfort of Merlin stretching him – a place he never would have thought he'd have someone's fingers, but it was okay because it was Merlin. Another finger was added and he tried not to tense up, breathing harshly through his nose, hands grabbing at nothing in particular. The burning pain was somewhat diluted when he felt a warm hand encircle his semi-hard cock.

"Just relax, I'm adding a third," Merlin said. He hesitated a second, then pushed a third finger in, fully stretching Arthur. So tight…!

It hurt, but it also felt… somewhat good? Arthur wasn't sure; there were too many sensations warring with each other. He opened his eyes to look at Merlin, who was hovering over him, face showing concern.

"You okay?"

Not trusting his voice, Arthur nodded. The fingers inside of him pushed a little deeper, moving at a different angle, and white spots burst in Arthur's eyes. He cried out, hips pushing up into Merlin's hand. "Oh God! Do that again!"

Relieved that he was no longer causing the man pain, Merlin tried to mimic his previous movement. Amazingly, he felt Arthur's cock harden in his hand.

"I think you're ready," Merlin said, though it fell on deaf ears.

Arthur gasped when suddenly the fingers were withdrawn, leaving the strangest empty sensation in his ass. He didn't have any time to recover before he felt something hot start to push into him. He almost laughed hysterically as he recalled that, the night before, their situations had been reversed, except that Merlin had been a girl. He definitely hadn't had to prepare Merlin this much before entering, though he supposed that made sense… His brain effectively shut off when he felt Merlin push into him fully, tried to breathe through the pain, oh this is so much worse than just fingers, and most of all tried to relax.

"Y-you okay?" Merlin said, voice cracking. His eyelids fluttered shut as he groaned, rolling his hips over Arthur, stomach flipping with pure pleasure. And oh, he would have to let Arthur try this with him when they were finished.

Arthur nodded, swallowing past his dry throat. "Y-yeah, just – ah, just try to hit that spot again."

Merlin pulled out, then slowly thrust back in at a different angle, each time until at last he saw pure pleasure erupt on Arthur's face, his erection spring back to full life. Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin's back, drawing him in closer. Merlin gripped at Arthur's thighs, fingernails digging in as he thrust in and out with almost reckless abandon. It felt too damn good to keep in control.

The flames of the fire next to them echoed their passion and climbed higher, growing wild, feeling the pull of pure magic erupting beside them. Arthur gasped as he felt the increased heat radiating from the fire. He opened his eyes and gasped again – Merlin's eyes were so gold they were practically glowing. Arthur moaned and pulled down Merlin's head to kiss this beautiful man.

Just when Arthur thought the fire would consume them, Merlin's hips broke rhythm, his muscles straining, mouth open in a silent scream as he peaked. Arthur came with him and they both collapsed to the ground, boneless. The fire simmered back down, calm in the aftermath.

After a minute they regained the ability to breathe normally. Arthur winced and groaned as Merlin pulled out, only to collapse back on top of him. Arthur poked at the sweaty naked mass of Merlin. "You alright?"

Merlin gave a breathy laugh, sounding and feeling like he was drunk. "M'perfect."

"Well okay then. You almost burned down the whole forest, you know." Arthur nodded to the innocent-looking fire a few feet away.

Merlin rose his heavy head, blinking blearily at the flames. "That would have been an awkward story to tell."

Arthur rose an eyebrow. "Assuming we would have survived, yes."

"Can make a magic bubble around us… You don't know," Merlin murmured sleepily, yawning against Arthur's cheek.

Arthur decided that maybe he really didn't know, and that was fine, because he very much wanted to learn. The past week had showed him that there were quite a few things he hadn't known about his manservant, and probably still many things he had yet to find out. Returning to Camelot and his Father was going to be a new adventure in itself, but he was glad he had Merlin at his side. He hugged said man closer to himself, not at all minding Arthur chuckled softly to himself, wondering when the hell he had become so sentimental.

Well, I don't know how about the ending, but I thought this was a good place to cut it off. I didn't want this to be too long. Maybe someday I'll write a sequel or epilogue where they're back at Camelot, but I doubt it…

Sorry for the entirely unacceptable breaks between the chapters, and thank you to all those readers who stuck with this to the end!