When Arthur got to the physicians quarters, Gaius was in the front mixing foul smelling liquids together. The king gave him a curt nod on his way to Merlin's room in the back. Inside, the warlock was sitting up in his bed tucked under the covers. So many fresh bandages were woven across his chest and arms that it looked like he was wearing a shirt.

In his hands was a piece of parchment that Merlin was staring at so intensely he didn't even notice Arthur come in.

"What's this?" The king asked, snatching it from Merlin's hands. But the words written on the parchment didn't make any sense, he didn't even recognize the language.

"It's written in the language of the old religion" Merlin explained "It's a note from Mordred."

"Mordred?" Arthur sat down on the bed next to Merlin, looking to him for answers. The warlock looked tired and sad, running a hand across his face.

"He was a druid raised with the prophecies of Emrys and the once and future king. I'd thought he'd given up believing in them, but I guess it's hard to completely give that kind of think up. When he learned that I'd given up hope you would end the ban on magic, I guess he snapped. I'm sorry Arthur, but he's gone."

Arthur frowned. Remembering what had happened in the throne room that awful day, he couldn't exactly blame Mordred. Faced with the possibility that Arthur would continue to hold the same view on magic and magic users as his father, Mordred had decided that he could no longer serve a King headed down that path.

"Do still think that?" Arthur asked quietly. "Do you still think I won't repeal the ban?"

Merlin shrugged.

"That's your decision. I won't try to make it for you. But you should know it doesn't matter to me if you do or you don't. I am going to protect you until the day I die, by any means I'm capable of, whether it's legal or not."

Arthur gave a kind of half smile of incredulity, Light blue eyes peering at the battered man before him.

"I promise you Merlin, I will be worthy your loyalty." He swore.

Merlin tilted his head slightly.

"You already are, prat."

The sappy moment was interrupted as Gaius came into the room, not caring about the tender understanding warlock and king had been sharing.

"Drink this." The physician ordered, handing Merlin a potion. The dark haired man wrinkled his nose at its foul odor and began to protest.

"Really Gaius, I feel fine…" But he was cut off by the bushy eyebrow that skyrocketed and seriously disputed this fact. Merlin knew he'd lost the battle before it'd even begun and downed the concoction in one gulp. He then proceeded to making an array of faces in reaction to the taste that Arthur found very funny. Gaius looked satisfied.

"You are not to put weight on those legs for at least another week, do you hear me?" The physician decreed. Merlin nodded solemnly. Then Gaius turned on Arthur.

"He needs rest."

"Alright, Gaius." Arthur surrendered putting his hands up. Merlin rolled his eyes, but even as he did his lids grew heavy and demanded sleep.

"I'll come by tomorrow. I've got a gift for you." Arthur told Merlin as he got up to leave.

"A gift?" Merlin asked "What kind of gift?"

"You'll see." Arthur taunted, laughing as he walked out the door. As he walked down the steps leading back to the main castle a servant tried to hurry past him but he grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"Ah, George!" The king greeted. "I've got a job for you…."

(The next day)

The announcement had gone surprisingly well with the general populous. Many had been understandably shocked by the kings sudden change of heart as he stood on the balcony and proclaimed to them that sorcerers and users of magic would no longer be prosecuted for the act, but instead judged on the way they use the power magic granted them. Some said he must be enchanted. Others thought it to be a clever rouse to lure the sorcerers out of hiding. But as the day drew on and the whispers spread through the city of the kings manservant returning from banishment, a kind of understanding was also spread throughout the people.

Gwen smiled to herself as she walk down the hall, reflecting on the reports she'd just received. Her unique position as a former servant left her with the advantage of knowing who to trust among the lower classes for information. In fact since she'd become queen, she'd formed a sort of unofficial network of informants among her old friends through which she could easily poll the mood of the city and gain access to information a noble normally wouldn't have access to. Arthur, and most of the other nobility, reviewed her determination to remain close with the servants and the people of the lower town as sentiment. But Gwen knew the value of having an ear with the working people who were the very heart of the city.

And what her friends had told her in the form of idle gossip had been overwhelmingly positive. It seemed most of the city had worked out that Merlin was the catalyst for Arthur's transformation of opinion. Even more amazingly, it seemed most approved. Everyone knew Merlin, either from his work with Gaius or for being Arthur's constant shadow, and everyone liked him. A fact for which the Queen was thankful. It would make the next step in their plan go a lot smoother.

Looking for her husband, Gwen entered their chambers and found them an absolute wreck. Pillows were tossed on the floor as well as papers and books. The carpet was only half uncoiled and in the wrong spot, and the drapes were crooked. In the center of it all, a very familiar (and in Gwen's opinion, quite lovely) arse was sticking up into the air as the owner peered under the bed.

"Damn it, Merlin!" She heard him mutter angrily. "Where did you put it?"

"Arthur?" She called softly. "What are you looking for?"

The king froze at the sound of her voice before jerking upward and hitting his head on the underside of the bed with a thud. When he got up he was massaging the blond hair where his head had come in contact with the wood.

"Ah, Guinevere!" He greeted with a tone of false innocence that didn't fool the queen for a moment. "I was just looking for….something. It doesn't matter." Even as he spoke, his eyes continued to scan the room, searching for the mysterious object. Gwen raised her eyebrows at him and was going to challenge him further, when an idea about what he was looking for occurred to her.

"Oh Arthur!" She cried suddenly, looking toward the window. "What's that?!"

"What?" the king asked rushing to the window. When he had his back turned, Gwen calmly went to his wardrobe and retrieved a small wrapped parcel which she deposited on his desk. Then she joined him at the window.

"Oh, It must have just been a bird. I guess it just startled me." She said, batting her eyelashes for effect. Arthur didn't exactly look convinced, but chalked it up to one of the many mysterious things women did he didn't understand. When he turned back to the room he froze when he saw the parcel on his desk.

Gwen was still pointedly staring out the window, so he ran over and snatched the item up, hiding it behind his back.

The Queen fought to contain a giggle as she approached him and he whipped the present into sight, a proud look on his face.

"I know its a few day's late," He admonished "But: Happy Birthday!"

"Oh, Arthur! You shouldn't have." She cooed carefully unwrapping her present. Inside she was thrilled to find a set of embroidery needles and a spool of bright blue thread (a rare color for that time of year.)

"They're lovely!" she grinned, giving her husband a sweet kiss. "Thank you, Arthur."

The king grinned and wrapped his arms around her, happy that she was happy.

"I thought your speech was lovely." Gwen commented.

Arthur sighed, sobered by his own thoughts.

"It's a first step. The hate and fear that has been circulating throughout magic users and the people of Camelot for the last twenty five years is not going to disappear overnight. No matter what I do or say, some people will never trust magic, and some magic users will never trust me, but at least this will stop the killing."

"Merlin will be so proud of you, and for the record, so am I." Gwen said with a smile. "Have you told him yet?"

A mischievous grin dawned on Arthur's features.

"No, not yet. And I have an idea of how to do it…."

He was interrupted by a curt knock at the door, which he bid the visitor to enter and there stood George, a large package in his hands.

"Ah, George! Right on cue." Arthur said taking the package from the servant. "Were there any problems?"

"No my lord." The servant said with a respectful bow. "The tailor worked on your specifications well into the night, and finished it early this morning. At first he demanded double the payment for such a rushed job, but once he guessed it was for Merlin he agreed to do so for half the price."

"How did he know it was for Merlin?" Arthur asked, confused. He hadn't told anyone, even Gwen about his plans. His wife pulled the beautiful blue cloak and tunic with a pendragon crest embroidered onto the chest in gold out of the packaging at set it on the bed to admire.

"It really would suit no one else." She answered him, looking at the fine-looking garment with awe.

Arthur frowned at it.

"It's missing something…." He muttered, staring at the stunning cloak on the bed. Then he snapped his fingers together as it occurred to him.

"George, go back to the tailors, tell him I have one last request….."

Merlin was in a foul mood. Even though he was well on the way to recovery, his legs still ached with sharp pains and his chest itched as the skin healed under thick scabs. Added to that, the break in his left leg had been so bad and gone without treatment for so long that Gaius told him he would likely walk with a limp for the rest of his life and would never be able to run again.

There was also the fact that he was sure people were keeping something from him. Gwaine had been by to visit earlier and was annoyingly vague and smug when Merlin had asked what Arthur was up to that day. He'd asked Gaius about it too, but the old man had changed the subject so smoothly that Merlin hadn't even realized he'd been diverted until about an hour later when the physician had already left to deliver some tonics and potions.

Plus, he was confined to his bed by order of Gaius and had run out of things to do about five minutes after laying down. He was entertaining himself by making the candles fly off his nightstand and dance overhead in swirling patterns when the door to his room burst open startling him.

His eyes returned to blue immediately and he felt a thrill of panic at being caught doing magic. Of course the candles dropped from the air, one hitting Merlin directly in the head.

"Honestly, I don't understand how you were never caught before now." The King of Camelot commented disapprovingly as Merlin rubbed his head.

Merlin blushed, ashamed at having been caught, and quickly changed the subject.

"What's that?" He asked, gesturing at the large package in the kings arms. Arthur grinned.

"This is your present, should you choose to accept it."

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked, taking the package gingerly as Arthur sat down on the bed.

"Well, accepting this gift comes with certain….stipulations."

Merlin eyed him suspiciously. The king had his 'I've had a brilliant idea' look on, a look that in the past hadn't boded well for the manservant. Never the less, he unwrapped the brown packaging and gasped as he saw what was inside.

They were the most beautiful clothes he'd ever seen. A royal blue tunic with a large Pendragon dragon embroidered into the front and a long blue cloak that was remarkably similar looking to Leon's after he'd magic'd it.

"Arthur, these are far too fine for a simple servant." Merlin admonished.

"Good think you're not a servant anymore, remember?" Arthur said dismissively. "But you're right, and there in comes the 'stipulations'. You only get to keep these if you accept the new job I'm about to offer you."

"A new job?" Merlin's eyebrows skyrocketed. "What kind of job?"

"Why, Court Sorcerer, of course."

The king got an incredible sense of satisfaction watching Merlin's jaw drop with shock. But then the warlock frowned as something occurred to him.

"But won't it look strange, you exempting only me from the ban on magic? The council will probably think I've enchanted you!"

"Hmmm, yes I suppose you're right again…" Arthur teased. "It's a good thing I lifted the ban on magic this morning then, isn't it?"

Merlin's eyes darted up to the kings quick as lightning. He searched Arthur's face looking for a lie, but all he saw was the joy reflected back at seeing his reaction. It was all too much for Merlin.

Tears welled up in his eyes and spilled over before he could stop them. He tried to hide his face, to stop Arthur from seeing him fall to pieces, but his next breath came as a sob he couldn't hide. Soon he had lost himself completely as he cried.

When Merlin came back to himself he was surprised to find his cheek buried into Arthur's shoulder, his tears soaking the soft fabric. He had no idea how long he'd been sitting there crying, but somehow Arthur had scooted up next to him and wrapped him in his arms soothingly. It was a show of affection he knew the king would be uncomfortable with normally, but for some reason he didn't seem to care.

Merlin pulled away wiping his nose and eyes with embarrassment. But Arthur didn't tease him for his 'girlish' behavior like he'd expected, instead looking at him with an honest concern.

"You okay now?"

Merlin nodded, feeling his cheeks flush with heat.

"So….is that a yes? You'll be my court sorcerer?"

Merlin's throat still felt like it had a sock stuffed down it, so he nodded, a shaky smile playing across his lips which Arthur returned.

"Good, because you haven't even seen the best part yet…..The hat!"

He pulled out of seemingly nowhere an almost two foot pointed atrocity the same color as the tunic with crescent moon's and stars on it.

"It's a cone." Merlin deadpanned eyeing the headwear.

"Yes Merlin, you're very observant. I'm told it's all the rage in fashion."

"For girls, maybe!"

Arthur put his hands on his hips, very kingly:

"Merlin, you are wearing that hat."

"No. I won't."

"Merlin….."

They argued/bantered together for another half hour, during which Merlin got a peaceful feeling he had never quite experience and was hard pressed to describe. It was like he finally belonged.

It was like he was home.

END

A/N: Thank you so much for reading. This story was really fun to write. As always, please feel free to tell me what you thought about it or take a look at some of my other stories. Bye friends!