CHAPTER 2

A/N-I decided to continue this and do a second chapter. Everyone's probably read a lot of reveal scenes, and I'm not sure if mine is anything special. But I got a lot of requests for Merlin's reaction to the note, so I felt bad leaving everyone hanging. I hope you enjoy it

Merlin's POV

Merlin felt awareness slowly come to him as he laid curled up in bed. Waking up slowly was a luxury-generally either Arthur or Gaius woke him up suddenly with orders to do this task or that. Merlin took a moment to enjoy how rested he felt. Feeling rested- that was unusual as well. How long had he slept? Merlin's back was slightly sore from being curled up in bed , which told him that he must have slept a good long while.

Though Merlin had in all honesty needed the extra rest. Not that Merlin would ever admit that to Arthur. He'd unusually fussy and persistent last night about Merlin getting rest. If Arthur really knew why he'd been so exhausted, that might have been one thing. Seeing as Arthur didn't know, Merlin hadn't wanted to give Arthur another reason to call him a girl. But in this case it was probably a good thing that Merlin had gotten the extra sleep.

The past week had been exhausting with Merlin frantically trying to find a way to stop Morgana's plan, this naturally fit in between the many tasks from Arthur to help him prepare the castle and his men for the coming attack. This would have been enough to tire him out, but performing that shield spell had been incredibly draining. As soon as the spell was completed, Merlin had felt like all his energy was gone, and his magic had felt like it was draining away. He'd somehow been able to not completely pass out. Which was a lucky thing that allowed Gaius to drag him back to their chambers.

Merlin had regained consciousness after eight hours. Gaius had been shocked and amazed at this-apparently the last sorcerer who'd performed this had taken two days to be revived. Merlin wasn't sure he liked the reminder at how different he was all other magic users. The eight hours hadn't been enough though for Merlin to regain his normal energy. But getting up had been necessary- he didn't want anyone suspicious over his absence.

Recalling this, Merlin felt another rush of relief that the shield had worked. He hadn't been sure it would when he had read about it. Merlin had known that he considered Arthur his brother. But did Arthur consider him a brother ? Merlin hoped so, but how could he know for sure? There were times when Arthur seemed to value him almost as a brother- certainly Arthur had proved he would risk his life for Merlin. But, other times Arthur seemed to treat Merlin as just a servant. Merlin had painfully thought of the fact that he didn't have a place at the round table meetings.

And with the trust requirement, Merlin hadn't been able to forget all the times Arthur seemed to disregard his advice. Did Arthur really trust him at all? But in the end, Merlin had put aside all his doubts and uncertainties. The shield spell was the only option he found that had a chance of working, so he had gone ahead with it. He had held onto the hope that the trust and brotherhood he felt for Arthur wasn't just one sided.

Lying here, Merlin took the time to really appreciate the fact that now he knew it wasn't one-sided. Arthur must trust him & consider him a brother, otherwise it wouldn't have worked. Knowing this, Merlin thought it would be easier in the future when Arthur acted like a prat. And Arthur would certainly still act like a prat at time. He was Arthur after all.

Gazing out the window, the sun told Merlin that it was already mid morning. He'd spent enough time lazing about in bed. Merlin got up from bed and stretched. As he did so, he saw a piece of parchment on his bedside table. Unsure where it had come from, Merlin walked around the bed and picked it up. Merlin recognized Arthur's handwriting and started reading.

Merlin-

I know. I know you have magic. But don't panic idiot. I'm not going to banish you. I pray you haven't ever believed I'd ever do worse than that to you.

Geoffrey informed me today two things were needed for that shield spell to work. Trust and brotherhood between myself and the sorcerer. You were the only man that fit. Even knowing now about the magic, you are still the only man I consider to be a brother.

I owe you a debt Merlin, a debt that I don't yet realize the depth of. Once you're not wilting like a pansy, I would like some answers. But for now, thank you brother.

Arthur

In a daze, Merlin started shaking and fell backwards onto the bed. Was this real? How could Arthur really know? Still shaking, Merlin read through the note three more times, until he had to admit to himself that this was real.

Arthur knew Merlin had magic...He knew... Arthur, who hated magic, knew Merlin's long kept secret.

Merlin had always imagined that he would be the one to tell Arthur he had magic. For years, he had imagined how he would tell Arthur when it was time. The fact that Arthur had figured it out without him was throwing Merlin for a loop. The fact that this was going differently than he'd always imagined felt so very strange.

This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Geoffrey had told Arthur about the shield spell ? His secret wasn't supposed to be discovered because of Geoffrey. Maybe Merlin had been asking for this to happen with all the times he'd left a messy pile of books in Geoffrey's library. But almost every time, Merlin had been required to leave the pile of books and rush off to save Camelot with whatever he had discovered.

Feeling frantic, Merlin wondered what was he supposed to have done instead ? Could he really have taken the time to put away the books? That was ridiculous to consider, right? A part of Merlin knew that it was probably the shock of this that was causing him to fixate on this small, unimportant detail.

It didn't matter how Arthur found out, what mattered was that he knew now. Merlin put his head into his shaking hands and felt a wave of panic and terror go through him. Memories of his mother telling him to keep his magic always hidden flashed through his mind. He'd been keeping the magic secret for as long as he could remember. Knowing that it wasn't secret anymore terrified Merlin.

Admitting the reality of this caused a rush of emotions to go through Merlin. Panic, joy, insecurity, and affection. Panic at the thought that his magic was supposed to be secret, how could Arthur know? Joy at the thought that Arthur really did accept him even knowing about his magic. Insecurity from the old fear that once Arthur really knew everything, he'd see Merlin as a monster. Affection from Arthur 's words at the end "Thank you Brother."

Merlin read Arthur's word's again and started tearing up. Arthur knew, but he was thanking him. Arthur was calling Merlin "Brother", even though he'd just found out that Merlin had magic. Arthur had been taught his whole life to hate magic. Merlin felt beyond touched that Arthur was able to put that aside and thank him. Arthur still reacted honorably and bravely, even though he was probably going against years of built in training and fears.

Could Merlin do the same? For Merlin had been trained to hide his magic close. And he hadn't really realized just how much having it discovered terrified him until this moment. For years, he'd wished that Arthur knew who he truly was. He'd always figured it would happen sometime in the future. But he'd never thought of it happening right now. He had never let himself consider if Arthur may be ready to know.

Arthur was trying to overcome his fears, and now Merlin needed to overcome his own. Arthur's note showed that he was ready to know about magic. Merlin needed to be ready to show him.

Merlin stood up and wiped away the tears still in his eyes. He knew he needed to go to Arthur's chambers right now and see Arthur. But just the thought terrified him. A part of Merlin wanted to run away, just so he wouldn't have to face Arthur. But Merlin did the best he could to steady himself. He'd faced harder things before than this, right? Somehow though, discussing his magic with Arthur felt more terrifying than all the enemies he'd faced over the years.

But Merlin knew that the longer he stood here, the more worked up he would get. So with that in mind, Merlin began the trek towards Arthur's chambers. It felt both incredibly long and incredibly short. In a way, he felt the walk should take days. But it didn't, and Merlin found himself standing before Arthur's door. He used a brief flash of magic to check if Arthur was in his chambers. Arthur was in there, and he was alone.

Knowing that what followed would be momentous, Merlin raised his hand and knocked on the door once before entering the room.

Arthur's POV

Arthur sat at the table in his chambers. He was trying to fill the time by going over various reports he'd received from the council. But he wasn't really sure why he was bothering, as he hadn't understood anything he was reading. Arthur's mind was still going over the fact that Merlin had magic. It still somehow felt like some sort of strange dream that he'd wake up from soon. But it was all making so much sense, that Arthur reminded himself again that it was true.

Since forcing Merlin to bed last night, Arthur had come up with more times where he thought that Merlin must have used magic to save Camelot. The list was now so long, that Arthur was feeling more and more overwhelmed at just how deep a dept he owed Merlin. How would he ever repay Merlin?

At that moment, Arthur heard one brief knock on his door before Merlin came into his chambers. Arthur stood up from the table and looked at Merlin briefly before looking away. The two of them both stared at the floor in silence for quite a few moments.

Arthur had hoped that leaving Merlin the note would make this conversation easier. But he still didn't know how to start. The magic made everything uncertain and new between them. But at the same time, this was Merlin. Merlin, Arthur's best friend and brother. This shouldn't be so difficult, but it was.

With a flash of irritation he felt that Merlin should know what to say. After all, Merlin was always the better one at these types of conversations anyway.

Almost as if Merlin had heard this thought, he said shakily " Arthur, I got your note."

With this, Arthur realized that Merlin was terrified. Merlin's voice had shook, and his hands were shaking as well, though Merlin seemed to be trying to hide this.

Remembering all he owed Merlin, Arthur felt ashamed that he'd felt irritated. And also sad that Merlin seemed to be so scared of him.

Arthur knew he had to say something. So he said "Then you should know Merlin that it's all right. I'm not going to do anything to you." Arthur tried to sound comforting, but Merlin still looked panicked.

Speaking quickly, Merlin said " Arthur, I never wanted to lie to you. I've wanted to tell you the truth for a long time, but I just didn't know how... I didn't want to put you in the position of having to decide what to do with me." Merlin took a breath at this point, and seemed ready to continue on.

From Merlin's history with babbling, Arthur knew that Merlin would keep going on for a long time without stopping. But Merlin's words were still laced with fear, and Arthur couldn't stand seeing that in Merlin's eyes. He didn't want Merlin scared of him. So Arthur did the only thing he could thing of. Holding up a hand to halt Merlin's words, he gave Merlin a fierce hug.

Merlin seemed shocked and Arthur couldn't blame him. Arthur just didn't hug people. But after a moment Merlin returned the hug, though he was still shaking slightly.

Still hugging him, Arthur said firmly "It's okay Merlin. I know you've used your magic to help Camelot. Thank you."

With these words, Merlin's shaking seemed to stop and he pulled away. Merlin's eyes seemed a bit teary, but Arthur studiously looked at the ground for a few moments. This was hard enough without either of them crying like a girl.

In a confused voice, Merlin asked "Arthur, why aren't you angry with me?

"You want me to be angry with you, idiot?" Arthur said smiling.

"I don't " Merlin said, "But I thought you would be... all the lies I've had to tell you."

Sighing, Arthur said "The lies do still upset me. But I understand why you couldn't say anything."

Looking upset, Merlin said " I promise I won't lie to you anymore, Arthur." Merlin sounded desperate to convince Arthur of this, the intensity of his words showing that Merlin was still scared. And this hurt Arthur, why was Merlin still so terrified?

Arthur nodded and said " I know you won't. But Merlin, you need to trust me when I say that it's okay and that I won't do anything to you." The hurt that Arthur felt was leaking through in his tone.

Merlin seemed to realize this, because he looked guilty. He said, "Arthur believe me, I do trust you. This is just new to me. You have to understand that I've been hiding my magic all my life."

Confused, Arthur said, "All your life? You must have only learned magic some years ago. How could you have hidden it all your life ?"

Merlin shook his head and said "Arthur, I was born with magic. I could do magic before I could walk and talk."

Arthur shook his head in an amazed way. " But I didn't think it was possible to be born with magic." This realization brought a sinking feeling to Arthur. How many people had been killed for something they were born with?

Merlin went on "Most sorcerers can start using magic in their teen years. It's rare, but some can use it even younger."

With this Arthur remembered what Geoffrey had said about how powerful the mystery sorcerer had been to recover so quickly. Surely Merlin using magic as a babe was unusual and proof that he was indeed very powerful. But Arthur decided to consider this thought further later. At the moment he had enough to think on without considering how powerful Merlin may be.

With a smirk, he said "So you were giving Hunith a hard time from a young age."

Merlin smiled, but it had a sad touch to it. " My magic did certainly get me into trouble as a child but it was often more than just the usual childhood mischief."

Merlin didn't seem like he was going to say any more on this, but Arthur could tell that there was some untold hardship hiding in those words.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked him.

Merlin looked shifty for a moment like he usually did when about to tell a lie. Then he signed, and perhaps remembered that he'd promised not to lie anymore.

Sounding unsure how to explain, Merlin said " Arthur, do you know what my first memory is ?"

Arthur shrugged and waited for him to go on.

"My first memory is seeing my mother cry after I had used magic in the village square to get a stick I'd dropped. No one else had seen me, but my mother took me into our home and started crying." Merlin said all this in a sad sort of voice

And Arthur was listening closely, hearing for the first time what it was like for those with magic.

Merlin went on saying " I was only four years old, but I was horrified that my mother was crying. I'd been told many times to keep my magic secret. I tried to listen to her, but I sure there were many times when I just couldn't remember. Magic is as natural to me as breathing.

But it wasn't until I saw her crying that I realized the importance of it. Through her tears, Mother explained that I would be killed if anyone saw my magic. My magic could get me and Mother killed, but I didn't feel that fear until I saw her tears." At this Merlin stopped and looked off into the distance.

Arthur felt intense sadness hearing this. This was Merlin's first memory? His first memory was of a rare moment when Uther had taken the time to play knights & bandits with him when Arthur was six. But Merlin's first memory was one of fear and sadness. And Merlin must have felt that fear throughout his whole life. Fear that someone would see his magic and kill him for it. No wonder Merlin had been so terrified that Arthur knew he had magic.

"I'm sorry that you had to feel that fear for so long, Merlin. I realize now how mistaken my father was about magic." Arthur said. As he said this, Arthur wondered how many sorcerers had chosen an evil path because of this fear. It really was no wonder that so many turned to revenge and attacked Camelot.

"It's not your fault, Arthur." Merlin said reassuringly. "Your father's actions are not your own. By being willing to hear this, you're going against all you've ever been taught. Not many men could that." Merlin's voice was filled with pride.

Embarrassed, Arthur said, "That's nothing to what you've done. Not many men could have saved Camelot over and over without expecting any praise."

After this, there didn't seem to be much else to say. Without words, Arthur and Merlin both nodded solemnly to each other. And there was a lot of unspoken words in that nod. Mostly there was acknowledgment and gratitude for the others actions. But there was also a promise passed between them that from now on, things would be better in Camelot.

Arthur had felt for years that Merlin was a silent sort of partner in his dream for a fair and just Camelot. They'd never really discussed it, but Merlin's support and help over the years had kept Arthur going towards this dream. Though Arthur hadn't realized until now exactly how much help that was.

Clearing his throat and pointing towards the two armchairs by the fire, Arthur said "Come sit, Merlin. I want you to tell me what you've been doing behind my back to save Camelot all these years."

With a relived sigh, Merlin nodded his agreement. As they sat down, Merlin began explaining why his mother had sent him to Camelot.

As Arthur listened to Merlin tell his story, he knew that this conversation would last for hours. And he also realized much work would still need to be done to make Camelot truly fair and just for everyone, even those with magic. This was a huge, terrifying task. But knowing that Merlin would be there to help made it seem possible.