Disclaimer: Don't own Merlin or Legend of the Seeker.

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Merlin wasn't sure what had happened to Arthur between this morning and this evening, but whatever it was the warlock was very grateful for it. When he'd returned from gathering the herbs with Richard, Merlin had reported back to Arthur, who'd been in a thoughtful, yet not foul mood. The prince had eyed him a lot though, it'd been intimidating, but after a couple of minutes he'd mumbled that Merlin could have the rest of the day off, and Merlin hadn't looked the gift horse in the mouth. It was why he had the time to be in the small lagoon outside the castle walls with Richard and Zedd, and Richard tried teaching him more sword fight.

"You are doing much better." Zedd laughed, clapping his hands. "Your idea of a surprise attack was flawless. I do say that Richard wasn't nearly prepared enough for you to trip and fall on top of him."

Blushing red from embarrassment, Merlin grinned at the teasing old man.

Richard chuckled, amused. "Brilliant strategic planning."

"Shut up." Merlin blushed darker, getting up and helping the Seeker to his feet as well. "I'll have you know that my being klutzy has saved me on occasion."

"I'm sure." Richard agreed, reaching for the rods they'd been using as weapons during training. "Being serious though, we've only been training for a couple of days but you're improving drastically. Your prince might not have had the patience to fully train you, but he has taught you the basics, and its stuck enough that you're subconsciously doing as he instructed."

Merlin beamed at the compliment.

If only he could hear something like that out of the prat's mouth once in a while.

Zedd, who'd been told about what had happened to the beast, eyed Merlin thoughtfully. "We could use a man like you on our quest to defeat Darken Rahl and bring peace to the Mindlands once more."

Merlin eyed the Wizard of the First Order nearly longingly, thinking of how amazing it would be to be able to use his magic openly, with friends who knew his secret and didn't judge him because of it.

He was tempted.

So tempted.

"But I spoke to Kilgharrah, and he told me how your destiny is to be by your prince's side, and help him unite Albion and bring back magic to the land." Zedd smiled, looking between Merlin and Richard. "I believe that this was the reason why we were brought here, so Richard could meet someone else who has a great and burdensome prophesy about him. Both of you battle great evils, though different, and yet you are prophesied to be victorious."

Richard smiled, sending a look in Merlin's direction.

Merlin only blinked at Zedd. "Kilgharrah?"

Zedd tilted his head to the right. "The dragon imprisoned underneath the castle of course."

"It has a name?" Merlin was shocked.

Zedd chuckled. "Of course it does. Did you believe it was named 'dragon'?"

"The Great Dragon, actually." Merlin mumbled, feeling embarrassed.

The Seeker and Wizard shared a smile.

"According to Kilgharrah, you and the prince are two halves of the same coin." Zedd murmured, looking both teasing and curious. "I had noticed Prince Arthur's reluctance to accept us, especially Richard. I'd had my suspicions, but the Great Dragon as you call him, only confirmed my theories."

"Theories? Suspicions?" Merlin frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"

Richard too, was confused and not exactly getting what the aged Wizard spoke of.

Zedd smiled.

Oh those two pure hearted, naive heroes.

"If you understood anything that meddling reptile says you have to tell me." Merlin nearly pleaded. "He's always going on with his cryptic messages and I can never understand anything."

"You will understand in time young man, when the time is right and fate weaves itself clear." Zedd grinned, a little smug because only he and the Great Dragon knew this.

Merlin frowned. "You have been spending time with him! You've gotten just as cryptic!"

Richard chuckled, shaking his head. "We should go back, tomorrow morning at dawn we're going to try the spell to return to our world."

Merlin sighed and nodded, hanging his head low at the memory that once more, after tonight, he'd be alone and without anyone to talk to about his magic other than Gaius or the Great Dragon.

And somehow, it wouldn't be the same.

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Arthur had had a lot to think about since he'd returned from the forest.

On the one hand he'd found out that Merlin, his Merlin, his incompetent servant, was actually a mighty Wizard who could make something explode by just outstretching his scrawny arm. Merlin was a sorcerer, thus an enemy of Camelot, and he was a powerful one at that, who'd been living under their noses the whole time and who had been lying to Arthur the whole time. And on the other hand, Merlin was a sorcerer, yes, but now that Arthur thought back to all the 'lucky breaks' or all the time something just coincidentally happened to save his life...Arthur knew that Merlin had been telling the truth when he'd told Richard Cypher that he would never do anything to hurt Arthur, that his magic was to help him, protect him, and that Merlin would give his life for Arthur.

It left Arthur so conflicted.

On one hand he had his duty to his father and his kingdom.

Magic was evil.

And on the other hand he had a duty to Merlin, his friend, his manservant his-his-the only person he truly trusted, whom he knew would die for him.

Merlin wasn't evil.

Merlin might be annoying.

Incompetent.

Terribly naive.

Too friendly with everyone.

Too fond of stupid neckerchiefs that hid his stupid neck.

Merlin was many things.

Yes.

But he wasn't evil.

He wasn't.

And despite knowing that magic ran through Merlin's veins, Arthur knew for a fact that Merlin never would be evil.

He wouldn't.

Merlin's heart was too ridiculously large and pure for that.

He cried for the woodland creatures.

He did his best to 'subtly' sabotage Arthur's every hunt.

He bitched for days when his efforts couldn't stand up to Arthur's amazing talents when it came to tracking and hunting said woodland creatures.

There was no way someone who'd been as enamored with a unicorn could be evil.

Though...there was Anhora...but then again that guy was just insane.

Arthur looked up as the door opened, knowing it was Merlin before his saw his manservant because there was no one as disrespectful as to enter his quarters before knocking and waiting for his permission. "I thought I gave you the rest of the evening off."

"Yeah, you did." Merlin mumbled, coming towards him and collapsing on the seat across from his, leaning on the table. "Richard and Zedd are leaving tomorrow."

Arthur still didn't like Richard Cypher or the way he made Merlin act like some lovesick milkmaid, but Arthur also didn't like the despondent way his manservant looked right now. "You knew that they'd be leaving soon."

"Yeah." Merlin nodded.

He was moping.

Evil didn't mope.

Arthur couldn't keep a slightly amused half-smile from tilting the corner of his lip as he watched his disheveled manservant. "You stink."

Merlin huffed.

"Go bathe, you commoner." Arthur teased, nudging Merlin's leg with his foot.

Merlin stopped pouting to look at him in surprise, his gaze lowering to where Arthur was still nudging him, and then raising to look at Arthur questioningly. The young manservant tilted his head to the side and then gave Arthur a confused smile.

Arthur couldn't keep himself from just looking at Merlin.

At the sorcerer.

At the incompetent manservant.

At his only true friend.

It-it would take a while for Arthur to be able to reconcile all those into one, but he would, in time.

And until then he'd keep the magic secret until Merlin felt he could trust him.

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The next morning, Merlin watched as Zedd said the incantation in the dark of the forest, and in the blinking of an eye the Wizard of the First Order and the Seeker of Truth disappeared. Merlin didn't know if the spell had taken them back to their reality or to yet another, but he wished them well and hoped that one day they'd see each other again.

Hopefully if they did, Arthur would have by then fulfilled his destiny and become the great king Merlin knew he would be.

As he journeyed back to the castle, knowing that by the time he arrived there he'd be too late (once more) to bring Arthur his breakfast on time, Merlin chuckled.

He didn't know why, but he had the feeling that something big had happened, something so grand he couldn't even imagine...and that this was the start of a brand new life.

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