A/N: Oh wow, it's been a long time since I updated this! Over two years in fact. Wow, I'm an asshole, leaving you guys on a cliffhanger for over two years. I can't believe people are actually still following this story, thank you so much to all of you who do! Now, without further delay, here is the next update (finally). I hope it was worth waiting for!

Merlin waited with bated breath, heart beating and mind reeling. Had he left it too late? Was Morgana too indoctrinated by Morgause to ever come back to him? He knew he had taken a huge risk by telling her; even if Cenred's army and the skeletons were defeated, Morgana could go straight to Uther and Merlin would be executed. But could Morgana do that? Betray one of her own kind as spiteful revenge? Merlin didn't think so, even with Morgause manipulating her mind, convincing her that her friends were the enemy, he still knew that the old Morgana was in there somewhere.

"Morgana?" Merlin asked tentatively, looking at the young woman, who was still staring at him, expressionless. He slowly reached out to touch her on the shoulder, but Morgana moved back as if scalded.

"How long have you known?" she asked quietly, dropping her gaze to the floor. Her voice was devoid of emotion; Merlin couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"What?"

"How long have you known that you have magic?" she asked, more forcefully this time.

"For as long as I can remember," Merlin replied, "I have had magic since birth. That's why my mother wanted me to come to Camelot in the first place; she thought Gaius could help me learn how to use my gifts. That's what magic should be, Morgana, a gift, not a curse. Not something to be feared–"

Morgana looked up, fury in her eyes. "How could you?" she spat. "You know how alone and afraid I was, terrified of who I was, and all the time you had magic too?" She advanced towards him furiously, causing Merlin to step backwards, startled. "Every day I feared that I would accidentally use magic in front of someone, that Uther would find out and have me executed, and the whole time you could have let me know that I wasn't the only one, that I wasn't a freak of nature. How could you?" She all but screamed the last, her eyes involuntarily flashing gold. Merlin was thrown across the catacomb by her magic, back hitting a pillar. He fell to the ground, winded, as Morgana marched up to him, hand out in front of her, ready to cast a spell, her whole body shaking with rage.

"Morgana! Stop, please," Merlin choked out, tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry. I always wanted to tell you, and I know that doesn't change the fact that I didn't tell you and I let you suffer, and I know you can never forgive me for that. But it isn't fair to say I left you alone. I stayed by your side, I loved you and I always let you know how much I cared about you. Yes, I probably should have told you about my magic, but I was just as scared as you, Morgana. I am not the King's ward; I am a simple servant, and Uther would not hesitate to have me killed. I did not want to put you under the stress of knowing such a secret. If you had accidentally said anything to anyone and I was caught, you would have had to bear the guilt for the rest of your life. I could not do that to you Morgana. My decision not to tell you may have been wrong, but I made that decision with you in mind."

Merlin looked up at Morgana, who was still standing over him with a hand outstretched. For a moment the two of them locked eyes, Merlin's tear-filled stare with Morgana's cold, hard gaze. Then Morgana's eyes softened slightly and she lowered her hand.

"Then surely you understand why I must do this, Merlin," Morgana said. "Surely you don't want to live in fear anymore? If the Pendragon reign ended, a new era could be born, with magic right at the heart of it! With Morgause and Cenred in power–"

"No, Morgana. Killing Uther and Arthur will not bring peace to the kingdom. What kind of kingdom would Camelot be if it was founded on fear and bloodshed? How would the people ever learn to accept magic if it killed their king and prince and brought nothing but misery? Tell me, can you honestly say that Morgause and Cenred would be fair and just rulers?"

"Uther would never bring magic back to the kingdom, you know that as well as I. This is the only way!" Morgana replied.

"I know that Uther is so set in his ways that nothing could ever convince him to accept magic. But the same cannot be said for Arthur. Arthur is destined to unite the lands and restore magic to the realm, and I am destined to be by his side. Morgause may bring back magic, but what would she use it for? To coerce people into obeying her and killing all those who don't. That's not how magic should be used and you know it. It's not too late, Morgana. Stop the enchantment and this can all end."

Morgana hesitated, overwhelmed and confused. She was still struggling to comprehend how Merlin could have had magic all this time without her knowing. She thought she had known him so well, and it turned out that she barely knew him at all. Then there was what Merlin had said about Morgause ruling Camelot. Deep down, Morgana knew he was right. But Morgause was her sister, her own blood. Morgana had a duty to stand by Morgause, especially after she had cared for Morgana over the past year, teaching her how to use her magic, showing her not to be afraid of her gifts. But Merlin… he had cared for her long before that. From the first moment he set foot in Camelot, he had always watched out for her. But can you really trust him? After all, he didn't tell you about his magic, even when you were so upset and terrified.

Sensing Morgana's inner conflict, Merlin stood up, and hesitantly took Morgana's hands in his own. "Magic will be brought back to the kingdom. We won't have to live in fear forever. But it cannot be like this. We must trust in Arthur. Morgause has been manipulating you, convincing you that taking the kingdom by force is your only chance of being free. But together we can help Arthur grow into a man accepting of magic, and when he is king there will finally be peace and magic in the kingdom. You have to trust me Morgana."

And with that, tears began to fall from Morgana's eyes. Merlin wrapped his arms around her, shoulders shaking as he too silently sobbed out of sheer relief. Morgana had come back to him, and everything would be okay.

"What have I done?" Morgana choked out. How had Morgause convinced her to turn against everyone she loved in Camelot? Morgana realised now that she had allowed her fear to be turned into hatred, and it terrified her.

"It's okay, we can put this right," Merlin said firmly. Releasing Morgana, he grabbed the sword from the floor, uttered a quick incantation, and swung it at the wooden staff. There was a crack, and a flash of light, and then an eerie silence in the catacomb. Without the army of skeletons attacking Camelot from within, Merlin knew their army would easily defeat Cenred's. Turning around, he faced Morgana.

"What happens now?" she asked him. She looked so unsure and scared, and Merlin was reminded of that time, so long ago now, when Morgana had first realised she had magic, and had come running into Gaius' chambers in the night. Merlin remembered how he had reacted with a pang of regret, how he had turned her away. He wondered how much of this found have been prevented if he had told Morgana about his magic there and then.

"How can I possibly tell Morgause I betrayed her?" Morgana asked, trembling. Although she loved Morgause, the high priestess terrified her with her merciless approach and powerful grasp of magic. Morgana wasn't sure what would happen if she told Morgause she would no longer help her overthrow Camelot. Morgana was a threat now; she knew Morgause's secrets. Although she was her sister, Morgana wasn't sure if that would stop Morgause from silencing her.

"We don't need to worry about that for now," Merlin said. "Let's just take things one step at a time. I know you probably feel conflicted, torn between your loyalty to those of us in Camelot and your loyalty to Morgause, but please believe me when I say that we are not your enemies here. Me, Arthur, Gwen, Gaius, we all care about you. Although Morgause loves you, she is using you in her selfish plans."

"You don't understand, Merlin. I spent a year with her, she taught me, cared for me, helped me truly understand magic. How can I just completely turn my back on her?" Morgana's head hurt, and she brought her hands up to her face. In her heart, she didn't want to betray her friends in Camelot. But she also wanted magic to return to the kingdom, and that couldn't be done when Uther was still alive. But it could possibly happen when Arthur took the throne. However she was sure that the prince becoming king was something Morgause would never let happen. Morgana knew that Morgause's methods were wrong. But freedom to be herself was all Morgana wanted, and Arthur might not become king for a long time. But could she really prioritise her own personal freedom over the freedom of the whole of Camelot? Although magic would no longer be outlawed, she knew the people of Camelot would have their freedom restricted in other ways. There was no way the people would readily accept a new ruler who wasn't a Pendragon. They would have to be coerced, made to obey through fear and punishment. And that wasn't a Camelot Morgana wanted to live in. She wanted to live in a city where everyone was free to be who they are, with a fair and just leader who accepted all. And only Arthur could bring that kind of rule.

"Morgause is dangerous." Morgana said flatly. "She'll get what she wants, with or without me."

"Then let it be without you," Merlin said softly. "You know what she's doing isn't right."

Slowly Morgana nodded. She could not help but feel guilt for abandoning Morgause after all she had done for her, but she knew there was no other option.

As expected, Camelot's army drove Cenred's outside the city walls, and they quickly retreated, making Camelot safe once more. Merlin and Morgana agreed that the latter should take credit for breaking the enchantment which caused the skeletons.

As everyone in the throne room clapped and cheered for Morgana, following Uther's announcement concerning Morgana's part in ending the battle, Merlin looked at her. He knew the two of them needed to rebuild their relationship from the beginning and learn to trust each other and be friends again before anything else could happen, but he knew they could get there eventually.

The only problem now was Morgause. She would undoubtedly contact Morgana soon, wanting to know what had happened, and Merlin knew Morgana's loyalties were still divided. Merlin just hoped that the goodness in Morgana's heart would win over any manipulation by Morgause.

Thanks to everyone who reads this, please feel free to leave reviews, good and bad, and any mistakes I've made, as I don't have a beta reader! :)
Oh also I used to be RavenclawMerlinFan, I just felt like a change in name! x