Merlin huffed and yanked at his restraints again. It was of no use, just as it hadn't been for the last few hours; the chains binding him and Arthur in place were attached to a spike driven deeply into the stone wall of the cave, far too deeply for them to pull out.

Except with magic, Merlin thought wistfully, but again, it was of no use. He had thought of taking the chance while Arthur was unconscious, just after they'd been bundled in here by the bandits who'd taken them from a routine hunting trip, but decided against it. He'd had too many close calls involving Arthur and his magic in recent times to risk another one.

He knew that he'd have to tell Arthur of his magic at some point, and most likely soon, but he was still wary. Sometimes Arthur would seem almost welcoming of magic and those who used it, only for someone to destroy his near-acceptance and return him to an almost Uther-like state of hatred. He had no idea if his friendship with Arthur - and yes, he knew better than to deny the closeness between them - would help spare him from the chopping block or the pyre, or if Arthur would cease to see him as his loyal, if clumsy manservant, and suddenly see a being of pure evil in his place. He knew at heart that Arthur wouldn't send him to his death, but that didn't stop him from being terrified of the very idea of Arthur finding out his most guarded secret. He flinched at the thought and pulled at his chains once more.

Beside him, Arthur sighed loudly. "It's no use, Merlin," he said. Merlin would have been annoyed at the irritation in Arthur's voice if he couldn't also here the worry underneath it. "If I can't get us free then there's no hope of you being able to with your scrawny arms."

Well, maybe he could get a little annoyed. "It doesn't hurt to try," he replied.

"Knowing you, Merlin, it probably could."

"I'm can do more than you know," Merlin muttered to himself.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Arthur frowned and opened his mouth to say something - knowing him as well as Merlin did, most likely another insult based on Merlin's intellect, or lack thereof. He snapped his mouth shut again when they both heard a crash from the mouth of the cave.

"Stay still and quiet if you know what's good for you," Arthur said quietly, instantly serious.

"You know me better than that, Arthur," Merlin murmured, just as quietly. Arthur laughed.

"Unfortunately so," he replied, silencing himself instantly as one of the bandits came into view.

They'd been hunting in the woods surrounding Camelot, Arthur celebrating the return of his beloved Guinevere by slaughtering innocent animals as usual, when the bandits had attacked. It had instantly become clear to Merlin that this was not the usual attempt on the King's life; the bandits had been lightly armed, and many brandished rope as well as weapons. Despite Arthur's master swordsmanship and Merlin's less-than-subtle application of magic, they'd both been restrained with the rope and subdued with a blow to the head each. When Merlin had woken up he was lying on the stone floor of a cave, sprawled as if someone had thrown him there and chained to the wall. A quick look had told him that Arthur was in a similar placement next to him, although he was still unconscious.

Now the bandit, possibly their leader, was walking towards them and grinning. "Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot," he said in a pleasant tone. "My name is Sol. It honours me greatly to have you in my presence," he continued, bowing.

"Perhaps it would honour you more if I had come on my own free will," Arthur replied. Merlin admired his ability to still sound regal even as he was lying on a dirt floor with both wrists in cuffs.

"Ah, but that would defeat my purpose in bringing here," Sol said in the same calm voice. "You see, I have quite a specific skill set. Normally I do not use it to harm others, but I also have a family. And, well, my family is more important to me than any codes I set down for myself, especially when others threaten to harm my family if I do not break these codes. So I am sorry, my Lord, for what I-"

"Sir!" Another bandit had suddenly come hurrying towards them.

"What?" Sol snapped, the interruption breaking his serene expression. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"I'm sorry, my lord, but some of the men have begun fighting over-"

"Can't you people be at peace for one minute?" Sol muttered before striding away, leaving the other bandit to scurry in his wake.

The moment they were gone from sight Merlin turned to Arthur and sought his eye.

"Arthur," he said, "I believe I can get us out of here, but I need you to trust me. Do you trust me?"

"What on Earth are you blabbering about Merlin?" Arthur said, tugging at his chains. "I wouldn't trust you to-"

"Arthur, please!" The panic must have been evident in his voice, as Arthur stilled and met Merlin's eye squarely. "Do you trust me?"

Arthur held his gaze for a moment before letting out a breath. "Of course I do, Merlin," he said gravely.

Merlin let out a breath of his own and lifted his chin. "Alright," he said quietly. "Then I need you to stay behind me, whatever happens, and not say anything, alright? Can you manage that?"

"Yes, Merlin, I think I can manage-" Merlin hushed him as they both heard footsteps distantly echoing on stone.

"Let's hope so," Merlin said grimly, and after briefly closing his eyes and gathering his courage, he looked at Arthur's chains and whispered, "Unspanne þás mægþ,"

He didn't look at Arthur's face as the cuffs opened, freeing Arthur, nor when he used the same spell on his own. Thankfully Sol had not thought to use magic-resistant chains, and with good reason; what magic user would help the King of Camelot?

"Merlin," Arthur began, and Merlin was too afraid to identify any emotion in his voice.

"No," he said simply, looking towards the mouth of the cave as he stood, then grasped Arthur's shoulder to pull him to his feet. The footsteps had gotten later, and a second later Sol reappeared around the corner. At seeing them both free of the chains and standing, his face twisted and he snarled.

"How-" he began, cut off by Merlin's cry of "Ástríce!". He flew backwards and slammed into the cave wall, a muffled crunch telling Merlin that he was not going to pursue them for quite some time. He started to run, hoping that Arthur still trusted him enough to honour his word, and feeling a rush of relief when he heard Arthur's steady footsteps behind him.

They ran for only moments before they came upon the rest of the bandits. Merlin and Arthur both stopped abruptly, Arthur stumbling into Merlin slightly, as the bandits drew their swords and faced them. Merlin could sense Arthur feeling for his sword before he remembered that the bandits had disarmed him in the woods and left the sword on the forest floor.

Smirking slightly, Merlin raised his hand. Now Arthur could finally see just how well he could fight. "Cume þoden!" he shouted, eyes flaring gold as a whirlwind began to flare from the dirt-covered ground.

For a moment he relived the memory of the last time he had used this spell, standing next to his best friend in the village he had grown up in. Except this time was different in so many ways; Will was long gone, and he could not afford to fear Arthur right now. The whirlwind rose much quicker than it had then, when he had only barely begun learning discipline over his magic. The bandits only had a second to run towards them before they were swept aside by the howling mass of wind and thrown against the walls. Merlin guided the whirlwind around the cave, picking up every bandit and sending tendrils after the ones who fled with a flick of his other hand.

Not half a minute had passed before he let the whirlwind scatter, leaving the unconscious bodies of the bandits discarded in its wake. Merlin panted in the silence, unwilling to turn around and see Arthur's face in the light of what he surely saw as the ultimate betrayal. He would not allow Merlin time to explain; time to tell him that he would only ever use his magic to protect, not harm Arthur, to tell him of the many times it had saved his life without him even knowing.

Merlin's thoughts spun away from his control, ricocheting wildly off the inside of his mind. Would he haul Merlin back to Camelot, or would he kill him on the spot? Would he burn Merlin at the stake, or send him to the executioner, or just let him rot in the dungeons forever? Would he be unable to kill him and simply banish him from the kingdom of Camelot? Would he allow Merlin to say his goodbyes - to Gaius, who had become as much of a father to him as Balinor had once been, and to Gwen, his very first friend in a strange, new place?

Tears had begun to flow unbidden down Merlin's face as he imagined the fate that awaited him when he faced the man behind him. He took a deep breath and drew from the reserves of courage that he liked to believe Balinor had given him, and turned around.

Through eyes blurred with tears Merlin looked into Arthur's face and saw an entirely unexpected emotion... compassion. Arthur was looking at him without hate, or disgust, or even shock. Merlin opened his mouth to question this but found he couldn't speak.

"Merlin," Arthur said gently, as if Merlin were a spooked horse, only he sounded choked as well. "Merlin, I knew, I've known for some time now. Please, I will not harm you. I-" Arthur hesitated, seemingly lost for words, before stepping forward and enveloping Merlin into the tightest hug he had ever received.

As if a damn wall had been broken, Merlin found himself clutching at Arthur and sobbing into his shoulder, years of fear and anxiety and loneliness and anger spilling out of him at once. Arthur didn't seem cowed; he continued to hold Merlin and occasionally murmured comfortingly in Merlin's ear, although Merlin could not distinguish exact words.

Eventually Merlin's tears began to slow, and his shuddering breaths calmed. Arthur, however, still held tight to Merlin and spoke to him quietly.

"It's okay now. It's going to be okay now."

And for once, Merlin didn't question him.

It's nice to be back in the saddle after such a long break from writing fic. What can I say, the combination of Merlin feels, too many school assignments and too much free time apparently inspires me. Hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed earning my Has Written a Magic Reveal badge. Drop me a review if you want and have a nice day!