A/N: I've been wanting to write this for a while and finally got around to it!

This chapter is fairly short - the others will all be longer. At least 1,000 words.

This is set after Series 1 Episode 3 but before Episode 4.

Reviews are appreciated.

Prologue: A Secret is Revealed

"So, we got Gwen out!" Merlin smiled happily as he cleared up Arthur's room. The place had quickly become a mess after Merlin had put all his focus into proving Gwen's innocence rather than his own duties. Although Gwen's life was more of a priority, and it was his fault that she got thrown into that situation in the first place, he still couldn't help but wish that he had managed to maintain Arthur's chambers at the same time. That way he wouldn't have left himself with such a large chore that he was currently trying to sort while Arthur moped around.

"Yeah," Arthur nodded slowly, not bothering to look at Merlin from where he stood at his window, looking down on the busy courtyard below.

Merlin couldn't help but notice an unnerving change in the Prince's behaviour. He was speaking quieter, softer and in shorter sentences and seemed to have developed a liking to staring out any window he cane across.

"You were a little bit helpless at times," Merlin thought out loud, only realising he was speaking for all to hear after finishing the sentence.

"Yeah," Arthur repeated in the same tone as previously.

Merlin cocked his head to the right slightly. Normally, Arthur would have had a comeback to do with Merlin being useless to go with Merlin's comment or at least disagree. It was unlike him to agree. "You're a prat, right?" He asked, wondering if Arthur was even listening to him.

"Yeah," came Arthur's response once again, proving Merlin's theory that he was being ignored was correct.

Merlin laughed, the noise causing Arthur to snap out of his daydream. "Back with us now then?" Merlin questioned in amusement.

"Can you remember you're first attempt at getting Gwen out of the dungeons?" Arthur questioned randomly, although he did sound more like his normal self now whilst ignoring Merlin's question.

"Erm, yes," Merlin replied as he moved on to cleaning the other half of the room so he could avoid eye contact with the Prince.

"You claimed... that you were a sorcerer," Arthur reminded him - not that he needed any prompts. He remembered fully well what he did in his time of desperation and could now understand why Gaius had been so irritated with him for his reckless decision. "Were you telling the truth?"

Merlin laughed again, "Of course not! As you said, I wasn't thinking properly!"

Arthur scoffed, "Yeah, of course."

"Are you okay, sire?" Merlin asked, glancing over his shoulder to see Arthur had returned to the window.

"I need to find someone, Merlin. Someone who I can relate to - someone in the same position as me. Someone who has to hide their true self because revealing the real them is too dangerous," Arthur spoke, reminding Merlin of The Great Dragon as he seemed to be speaking in puzzles more than real sentences.

Merlin was unsure of if he even knew what he was saying. He wasn't blinking, after all - staring at one single spot below him - perhaps it was The Great Dragon speaking through him. "What do you mean, sire?" He asked, finding himself resorting to a matter of formality since Arthur seemed to be either not Arthur or shaken up about something.

"The one thing my father's always taught me to hate. The thing he executes other people for. When, right under his nose, right in his blind spot, in the heart of his kingdom lies the one thing he swore to rid this land of."

Merlin froze - did Arthur know the truth? Was Arthur smarter than he looked? Had he managed to piece two and two together? Had Merlin been careless? His heart pounding, Merlin turned to face Arthur. They stared into each other's eyes, both waiting for someone to say something when something unexpected happened, something Merlin never believed he would see.

It happened in a blink of an eye.

Arthur's light blue eyes flashed gold.

The candle to Merlin's left was put out in that very instance, confirming his suspicions.

"I am everything my father hates," Arthur finished.

A loud bang shook Arthur from his rant.

He looked around in confusion to see that his manservant had disappeared.

The confusion cleared up when Arthur remembered what he had said.

Merlin knew his secret.