"You've proven yourself to be a trusted ally in the fight against magic."

The king looked grimly at Merlin, who in that desperate moment was working furiously to keep the bubbling of laughter from bursting out of him as it so wanted to.

Rather, he managed to squeak out the only response he could think of,

"Me?"

"Those who practice magic will seek to exploit Arthur's inexperience. They will attempt to corrupt him. We must be extra vigilant."

His dark eyes bearing into Merlin's, and suddenly, in a fit of a moment he was sure to regret later, if he lived to later, Merlin burst out in a quick fit of mirth filled laughter, quickly quieting down to a few quiet chuckles under the king's hard glare.

The king opened his mouth for what was sure to be some kind of rant about the respect required of a king with the evils of magic likely thrown in just for kicks, but Merlin was ready and did not let him get that far.

"I'll not try to convince you that magic cannot corrupt, that magic users, sorcerers, witches, perhaps even warlocks cannot be evil, because God knows I've seen my fair share of the evils of magic, the corruption and the darkness.

Of course, I've also seen my fair share of darkness and corruption in men and women who possess not the tiniest drop of magic within them.

I grew up in Cenred's kingdom, and I know he is no friend to Camelot. Well, he is also no friend to his own people. He has ultimate power, not through magic but through position, through wealth, through bought hands and cold steel.

The power corrupts him because he is king and he can do whatever he wants, steal the last bit of bread from a starving family, raise monuments to himself with his people's gold, have a man killed with one word. So he uses executioners and blades to do his evil but does that make him any less evil?

If a man is run through with a blade versus hit with a fatal curse he will still be just as dead.

And yet, you are king. You have the same power as Cenred, the same position, the same gold. You too can have a man killed with only one word, and yet, you are not evil.

True, you have made many enemies, and true not all of your subjects, even those who live here in Camelot in peace and would never dream of doing anything to harm you because you are their king and this is their home, agree with everything you do.

But, in the end you care about your people, you work to make this a land of peace and prosperity, and you are, for the most part, fair to your people. And you have raised a prince who will one day be the finest king this land has ever seen because he is fair and just and a good man, even if he is young and not yet ready for the throne.

When I see all that magic can do, though, I still cannot condemn the magic. When a friend is struck down by a sword, I do not blame the sword but rather the wielder. The sword on its own is nothing, can do nothing.

And when a knight picks up that same blade and defends his kingdom and his friends he is a hero, not a monster for using the weapon. In one hand it harms, destroys, corrupts, but in the other it is pure and just and protecting.

To condemn and kill a group of people for the ills of a few… its madness.

And many have no choice in the matter either, are born into this world with magic, with a death sentence from day one.

You were born to be a king, to wield an incredible amount of power. Does that mean you should be executed because of your birthright?

Perhaps the world would be easier if magic did not exist, but no matter how hard you try you will never be truly able to be rid of it. Magic runs through the very earth you walk upon, the trees and the flowers, the babbling brooks, and the breeze and the sun shining in the sky.

Many creatures and beings of magic are immortal, impossible to truly kill or already dead but still anchored to this plain. And many are born with it flowing in their veins to appear later on in life, many who have completely unmagical parents.

And before you say it, of course you only see the evils of magic. Good sorcerers aren't exactly going to be flocking to Camelot and those that are already here are hardly going to make themselves known. Only those desperate or evil enough to attack allow themselves to be shown.

Magic was once welcomed in Camelot, good magic flowed freely. You saw it yourself and yet now you condemn it, for what?

For an act that was nobody's fault. Certainly Nimuweh might not have been the stabelest of cookies in the jar but honestly, what would she have gained from murdering the queen? How could she have possibly known? And its not your fault either. You are not magical. There is no way you could have possibly known.

So what? Now you condemn a people because of their potential to someday do harm against your kingdom?

You might as well murder the entire human race because everyone has that potential, Uther Pendragon."

Uther sank down into the nearest chair in front of a slightly out of breath Merlin who finally seemed to come to himself and realize just exactly what he had now done. Before he could say anything else though, Uther sighed heavily and looked up at Merlin.

"So, how long have you been practicing?"

Merlin felt a little jolt of nervousness. "Pardon, sire?"

"Contrary to popular belief I'm not an idiot. You are clearly one possessing magic so kindly answer the question." His words were cold and hard. "How. Long?"

"All my life." The three condemning words came out quiet and meek, but Uther could hear them none-the-less.

"And you've been in Camelot all this time, by Arthur's side. What is your plan sorcerer? True I know little of magic but what scheme could take so long?

Had you wanted us dead you've had ample opportunity, time alone, as now, and public events that would provide a more public display. Or you could have simply have let Arthur die by that witch's blade or allowed him to kill me today.

If it is wealth you seek you've had ample time to steal from us, after all I know Arthur keeps his keys to the vaults in his chambers.

If you seek to rule Camelot, to take the throne that might require more time. But if you've been practicing since birth surely you are powerful and would have taken the throne by now.

Which leads be to believe you are either an oaf of very minimal magical skill or something else entirely." Uther reasoned out his logic slowly, surprising Merlin, whose head was still reeling.

"The second, I think.

Most people born with magic have this instinctual uncontrollable magic that sort of bursts out at time especially when they're in danger or emotional. They can't really direct it or choose to do it, so they have to learn spells to have more control.

Untempered natural magic is rather like releasing a bowstring blind. You're not sure what you're shooting or what you're shooting at. You can only aim in what you think is the general direction and hope for the best.

I never needed to learn spells. I was making things float around, slowing time, lighting things on fire before I was born.

I can't stop it if I wanted to and trust me I've tried. It's like trying to damn a river with a branch."

Uther sighed again, startling Merlin who was feeling a bit light-headed but surprisingly calm considering. But then, he did still have a head and Uther was not yet shouting or ranting or raving as one would expect, so all in all Merlin felt it was going quite well.

"Swords and mortal men I can fight, but magic… I have nothing to match it. Not long ago when magical beings and monsters attacked we would be lucky to drive them away. Many good men lost their lives. I feared for Arthur's life when he finally completed his training, but then when he first went up against magical threats and came out victorious I was in shock. True Arthur is a superb swordsman and knight, perhaps the best, but there is little he should have been able to do against magic alone. And the attacks have become more viscous, more frequent, more powerful, and yet we still make it through. Though I had not considered the possibility before now, I presume you have something to do with this phenomenon."

Uther looked up at Merlin, not exactly glaring but not friendly either. He looked tired and worn, like a man who had been fighting a war for twenty years. Merlin supposed he had in a way.

Merlin gulped, "Yes." He sighed quietly thinking back to his first days in Camelot, "I'd always wondered what the purpose of my magic was, why I had been given this gift, or curse, or whatever, but here I found a reason. Arthur. I have seen what he can do, what he has the potential to become, a great king. And I will not allow any who threaten to harm him do so. One day, when he is ready, he will be king of Camelot, and so I use my magic from the shadows protecting both him and the kingdom. I only use my magic for Arthur, sire, never against this kingdom."

Uther nodded once, stood up and looked piercingly at Merlin, studying him momentarily.

"You are to speak of this to no one. If others find out you are a sorcerer or that I know then I am under an enchantment and you shall be executed swiftly and without mercy. Is that clear?"

Merlin gaped at the king for a moment than nodded his head.

Uther glared for a moment longer than turned and swept out of the room leaving a stunned warlock standing alone in the middle of the room.

A/N: Hey guys, I just found this on my computer. I had completely forgotten about it but I've been really wanting to write something for Merlin recently. For now I'm going to leave it as this kind of open ended one-shot, but let me know if you think I should continue it. Also if anyone is interested in being a Beta that would be extremely helpful. Thanks as always for all the support!