Part 2 The Truth Be Told

(Authors Note: This is just going to be a two parter, though I am thinking about writing a companion piece to Returning that is Merlin's whole reveal to the knights, as Returning already has his reveal to Arthur. I own nothing.)

When Merlin disappears, each man knows why, well the base reason anyway. Someone found out. Each knows it isn't them, so they begin to wonder if it's one of their fellow knights. Gwaine blames Arthur. Lancelot blames Arthur. Bedavier blames Arthur. Kay, Leon, and Elyan don't blame anyone. Each knows that every last one of the knights and even Arthur trusts Merlin with their lives. No one talks about it though. Arthur blames everyone, at least at first. For seven years they each keep Merlin's secret quite.

When Merlin finally comes back and tells them the truth each man reacts differently. Gwaine laughs and admits to having known. Lancelot smiles to see how much his friend has grown. Arthur jokes about it, then makes Merlin Court Sorcerer. Leon acts surprised but smiles in the background. Elyan doesn't admit to knowing, instead smiling and thanking him for all he had done. Bedavier and Kay had kept silent while he told them. Some are told before the rest.

Gwaine is told first, Merlin is testing the reaction he would get from the others. Then he told Arthur. Arthur had called a meeting of the round table. They had met in Arthur's chambers. All of them were there; Gwaine, Lancelot, Leon, Elyan, Kay, Bedavier, Percival and Arthur. They had wanted to ask so many questions when they saw him sitting in Arthur's room, but he had held up his hands to keep them quiet. They had each taken a seat, save Arthur. Then Merlin had told them what they already knew.

"Before any of you start, I have some things to say. Some things I've been holding back for a long time now." They all looked at each other. Only Percival looked confused. Arthur stood next to Merlin who was sitting his gaze glued to the floor. He had been shaking slightly. They all knew what was coming.

"You have to understand, I was born like this. I never had a choice in this. Most people do but I never did." He paused. His hands shook. Arthur laid a hand on his shoulder and after a deep breath he had continued.

"I have magic. I always have. I never had a choice about it. I could move objects around, make them fly, before I could talk. I have never ever used my magic against Camelot. I…" His hands shook more than ever now as his voice gave out on him.

Lancelot and Gwaine watched Arthur closely, waiting. But it was Percival who broke the silence. He looked slightly stunned.

"And all this time I just thought you were really lucky." Silence then everyone burst out laughing.

Percival hadn't known until Merlin told them. Each other man, save Gwaine and Lancelot, pretended not to know, an unspoken promise never to tell anyone so deeply ingrained that they didn't even tell Merlin. It was Merlin who broke the quiet.

He would never know that his best kept secret hadn't been much of a secret after all.