A/N: Hi everyone! I know the whole Merlin-adopted-by-Uther thing has been done before, but I like to think my take on it is unique.

Please note that, as in my other AU, dialogue in italics is telepathic (this won't feature as often, but I figured I'd mention it up front).

I plan to update this fic every Saturday. I've got several episodes already written and I plan to stay a few weeks ahead of the updates. That way, if anything comes up to delay my writing, you'll still get your regularly scheduled chapter.

Also, please note that I do not own Merlin, its characters, or any direct quotes from the show. All rights to the BBC.

It was a sunny day in Camelot, but the younger prince and the king's ward were not feeling particularly sunny. Lady Morgana looked out her window at the crowded courtyard, where a scaffold had been set up in preparation for a beheading. Prince Merlin sat on her bed behind her, not bothering to watch the impending execution. The condemned man had only used magic to save his elderly mother from a falling cart, but all magic was the same in King Uther's eyes. No one was ever spared.

"Morgana, you won't help him by watching," Merlin stated.

"At least I can respect his final moments," Morgana retorted. "That poor man. Condemned to death for saving a life, how can Uther call that justice?"

"It's not," Merlin agreed. "But what can we do? Magic is the one subject on which Father never listens."

Morgana finally turned away from the window. "That could be you one day."

"Father wouldn't kill me," Merlin insisted. "Besides, the binding still hasn't worn off. I don't have magic yet." According to the court physician, Gaius, Merlin had been born with magic. Gaius bound it for Merlin's own safety, fearing the king's reaction should he discover his son's abilities. Gaius had told Merlin the truth nearly six years ago, warning him that eventually his powers would reemerge. So far, they had not, but Merlin was beginning to suspect that it wouldn't be long now.

"If you're so confident that he won't kill you, then why don't you tell him the truth?" Morgana challenged.

Merlin opened and closed his mouth for a moment, briefly at a loss for words. Finally, he sighed. "I don't want to find out I'm wrong," he admitted.

Outside the window, the crowd gasped as the axe fell. Morgana returned to watching the courtyard. "I can't believe Uther actually thinks this is cause for celebration."

"It's the entire Purge he's celebrating, not just this execution."

"That's even worse," Morgana snapped bitterly. Suddenly there was a loud wailing in the courtyard. Merlin got up and joined Morgana at the window to see an old woman pointing her finger accusingly at the king.

"There is only one evil in this land, and it is not magic!" the woman cried. "It is you! With your hatred and your ignorance! You took my son! And I promise you, before these celebrations are over, you will share my tears. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a son for a son!"

Uther ordered the guards to seize the woman, but she chanted a spell and vanished.

"Poor woman," Morgana commented. "Her son was probably all she had."

"I agree, but that doesn't give her the right to threaten me and Arthur."

"She'll never succeed in killing either of you. Uther will kill her before she has the chance." Morgana's face hardened. "You know, the more brutal he is, the more enemies he'll create."

Merlin said nothing to that. Privately he agreed with her, but he was reluctant to say so out loud.

"Will?" Merlin called, peeking his head into Gaius's chambers. "Are you in here?" Will was Merlin's manservant, and also Gaius's ward. Merlin often gave Will time off to help Gaius, knowing that the old man greatly appreciated the extra pair of hands. "Will?"

Will emerged from his bedchamber, opening the door so quickly it slammed into the opposite wall. This startled Gaius, who had been browsing books on a small balcony. He fell straight through the wooden railing. Merlin felt a surge of power, and Gaius's fall slowed to a near stand-still. Will stared at Merlin, mouth open in shock. Merlin simply gaped back for a few seconds before turning to Gaius's bed and willing it to move underneath the old man. Time resumed normal and Gaius crashed onto the bed.

"So, uh…was that what you wanted to talk about?" Will asked tentatively. Despite their difference in status, Will was Merlin's friend, and one of the few in whom Merlin had confided the secret of his magic.

"No, I, uh…" Merlin trailed off. He was so shocked by what had happened that he completely forgot why he had originally wanted Will. "I didn't know about that."

"Will, close the door!" Gaius exclaimed impatiently. Will hurried to do so. "So, Sire, is this the first time that has happened?"

Merlin nodded nervously. "What do I do now, Gaius?"

"I think you had better work on controlling it," Gaius suggested. "You don't want that to happen in front of the wrong people."

"How do I do that?"

Gaius went to a partially obscured bookshelf and removed a cloth-covered object. "Here," he said as he handed the object to Merlin. "This book was given to me when I was your age, but I have a feeling it will be of more use to you than it was to me." Merlin unwrapped the book to find that it was unmistakably a book of magic.

"Thank you," Merlin replied in a heartfelt voice.

"I need hardly remind you that you must keep it hidden," Gaius said sternly.

"Don't worry, I know all the nooks and crannies of his chambers," Will chimed in. "I'm sure I can find a place that no one else will think to look. Come on, Merlin, people are less likely to barge in on us there." Merlin rewrapped the book and followed his friend out of the physician's chambers.

As the two young men reached Merlin's chambers, they passed Arthur in the hallway. He eyed the wrapped book with interest. "What've you got there, Merlin?" Arthur asked curiously.

"Not here!" Merlin hissed, dragging his brother through the door into his private chambers. Will followed before closing and locking the door behind them.

"Merlin, what the hell is going on?" Arthur said indignantly.

As an answer, Merlin unwrapped the book.

"You're still on about that?" Arthur asked, now exasperated. Though Merlin had told Arthur about his magic, Arthur always seemed to think it was a childish fantasy that Merlin would eventually grow out of. It was often a point of contention between the brothers.

"It's happened, Arthur! I have magic now! I just used it in Gaius's chambers!"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Merlin, are you sure it was magic?"

"I slowed time and moved a bed with my mind! Yes, I'm sure!" Merlin snapped. "Will saw it with his own eyes!"

"Really?" Arthur said, surprised. He turned to Will. "You actually saw him do magic?"

"It would have been bloody difficult to mistake it for anything else…Sire," Will replied, hastily tacking on the honorific. Merlin never stood on formalities, but Arthur was a bit more touchy. Merlin personally blamed it on Arthur's bootlicker of a servant. Morris always bowed and scraped and practically treated Arthur like a god.

Arthur sank onto a nearby chair and wearily rested his head in his hands. "God. You've been serious this whole time."

"Yes, and Gaius gave me this book so I can learn to control it," Merlin explained. "I didn't exactly mean to do what I did earlier."

Arthur sighed. "Well, we certainly can't have that happening in front of Father. I, uh…I'll leave you to it." Arthur unlocked the door and left, looking decidedly uncomfortable.

Will shook his head. "He still believes that magic-is-evil nonsense, doesn't he?"

"He's believed it for years, he's not going to grow out of it overnight," Merlin replied with a sigh of his own. He relocked the door. "May as well get started." He opened the book and began to read.

That night, Gaius took out a piece of parchment and a quill. He began to write a letter to his niece, Hunith, who lived in a small village just outside Camelot's borders. Although the princes believed that Hunith had merely been their nursemaid, Gaius was the only person apart from the king who knew the truth. Merlin's mother was not a foreign princess like Uther claimed, but Hunith herself.

However, even the king did not know the whole story—Merlin's father was not Uther, but rather the Dragonlord Balinor. During the Great Purge, Uther pursued Balinor to Hunith's village. Fearful of casting suspicion on herself, Hunith had not dared refuse the king. When the king learned that Hunith had given birth to a son, he had insisted on raising the baby as a prince, knowing that a second prince would make for a stronger kingdom.

My dear Hunith,

The time has finally come. Merlin has recovered his gifts, and today he used them to save my life. Already I see that he carries the potential to do great things, though I suspect that I shall always fear his discovery.

Will has been a tremendous support to Merlin. I bless the day that he came to Camelot.

At that moment, Will walked through the door. He waved cheerfully at Gaius as he made his way to his own bedchamber, eliciting a smile from the old physician.

Will had grown up in Hunith's village. His father died fighting in King Cenred's army when Will was thirteen, and Cenred had refused to give the family any compensation. Hunith had written to Gaius, begging for help on behalf of her neighbors, and Gaius had offered to take Will in. Not a day went by that he wasn't glad of his decision.

As always, I will do my best to guide them both. May God keep you safe.

Gaius

Gaius folded and sealed the letter. He would find a courier in the morning.

The next morning, Merlin was woken by a strange voice calling his name. He opened his eyes and looked around, seeing nothing amiss. After a few moments, he brushed the voice off as a dream. Then there was a knock on the door. "Enter," he called.

Will came into the room, carrying a tray of food with a pitcher of water. "I've got breakfast," he announced cheerfully. Merlin grinned, threw on a nearby shirt, and got up to go sit at his table. Will took up a position beside him. "What's the plan for today?"

"I thought I might go training later," Merlin replied. He was not a knight, but he was trained in weaponry. Uther had wanted Merlin to follow Arthur to the knighthood whereas Merlin preferred academic pursuits. He insisted that someone had to be the brains in the family. Eventually father and son had compromised, and Merlin trained for combat without taking on any of the responsibilities of a knight.

A few moments later, Morgana barged in. Will jumped violently and accidentally knocked over the pitcher of water. Merlin instinctively reached out, causing the pitcher—and its partially spilled contents—to freeze in midair. Morgana gasped. The pitcher unfroze and crashed to the floor.

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" Merlin snapped.

Morgana ignored him. "And when were you planning to tell me you'd gotten your magic?" she demanded.

"Close the door, will you?!" Merlin hissed.

Morgana quickly closed the door and turned back to glare at Merlin. "Well?"

"It only happened yesterday after I'd left your chambers! I've been a bit preoccupied trying to make sure things like that—," Merlin pointed at the spilled pitcher, "—don't happen!"

"Sorry," Morgana said, looking somewhat abashed. There was an awkward pause.

"I'll go get a mop," Will offered. He hurried out and left the foster siblings alone.

"What was so important that you barged in here first thing in the morning?" Merlin asked.

Morgana grimaced. "Uther is making me greet Lady Helen with him."

"So what's the problem?"

"I've told him I want no part in these celebrations!" Morgana exclaimed angrily. "The way he talks, you'd think I ought to fall down and worship at his feet as thanks for taking me in."

"Lady Helen is an excellent singer," Merlin commented, attempting to placate Morgana. "It's not her fault that we're meant to celebrate the slaughter of a people."

"You mean your people," Morgana corrected sourly.

Merlin sighed. "I'll come greet her with you, okay? This is hardly worth fighting over. When it comes to Father, you need to learn to pick your battles."

Morgana glowered for a moment, but then she acquiesced. "Fine. But you had better be there." With that, Morgana turned and flounced out of the chamber.

Later that day, Merlin headed toward the training field, tailed by Will. They stopped short at the sight of Arthur, surrounded by some of the younger knights. Merlin didn't particularly care for Arthur's friends—they looked down their noses at anyone they considered "beneath" them, which was most people. "Where's the target?" Arthur called condescendingly.

His servant glanced at a large target designed for knife-throwing. "There, sir?" Morris asked uncertainly.

"It's into the sun."

"It's not that bright."

"A bit like you, then?" Arthur jibed. He and his friends laughed.

"I'll put the target on the other end, shall I, sir?" Morris suggested, always eager to please. Arthur nodded. Morris picked up the target and began crossing the field.

Arthur turned to his friends. "This'll teach him." He threw a knife, which landed in the target with a loud thunk.

Morris lowered the target in surprise. "Hey, hang on!"

"Don't stop!" Arthur laughed.

Morris took a few steps back. "Here?"

"I told you to keep moving!" Arthur called, and threw another dagger. Morris quickly brought the target back up to cover his head. "Come on! Run! We want some moving target practice!" Arthur continued throwing knives. Morris crouched down and shuffled back and forth, trying to keep his entire body hidden. Eventually, he dropped the target and it rolled to a halt at Merlin's feet. Merlin put his foot on it.

"The mighty Prince Arthur, throwing knives at a helpless servant. Our enemies must tremble in fear," Merlin derided sarcastically.

"It was just a bit of fun," Arthur replied unashamedly.

"You're supposed to be the people's protector, not their tormentor! I shudder to think what will become of our people when you take the throne." Merlin turned to Will. "I change my mind, I don't want to train. Today seems like an excellent day for some reading." Merlin stormed back to the castle. He needed to work on controlling his magic anyway.

True to his word, Merlin joined Morgana in the throne room that night as Uther prepared to receive Lady Helen. It was dark by the time the door finally opened to admit the singer. Uther rose from his throne and walked forward to meet her.

"Lady Helen! Thank you so much for coming to sing at our celebrations," Uther greeted warmly.

"The pleasure's all mine," Lady Helen replied.

"How was your journey?"

"Oh, the time it took, Sire." Lady Helen held out her hand, and Uther kissed it. Her other hand fingered a pendant on her neck. Merlin frowned. Something seemed…off…about that pendant.

Uther remained oblivious to this. "Well, it's always worth the wait."

"It will be," Lady Helen agreed.

The next morning, Merlin was woken by that same strange voice calling his name. He scrambled out of bed, searching for the source. To his confusion, he realized that it was coming from beneath him. He crouched down and pressed his ear to the floor.

"Merlin?" Merlin jumped up and saw Will looking at him strangely. "What the bloody hell are you doing?"

"I, uh…nothing," Merlin stuttered. He didn't want to admit that he was hearing voices.

"Really?" Will asked skeptically. "You just listen to the floor for the fun of it?"

"I'm very strange," Merlin replied matter-of-factly.

Will shook his head. "That you are."

Later that day, Merlin went for a walk through the lower town. He was alone this time, since he'd given Will the day off to help Gaius. As Merlin strolled, he ran into Morgana's maid, Guinevere (known to her friends as Gwen). "Oh, hello Gwen," Merlin greeted cheerfully.

"Sire!" Gwen exclaimed, blushing as she curtsied. Morgana often claimed that Gwen secretly harbored a crush on Merlin, though Merlin didn't see it. "I saw what you did yesterday. I wanted to thank you."

"Thank me?" Merlin asked, confused.

"For what you said to Prince Arthur. The people are pleased to see you standing up for them."

Merlin scowled. "I shouldn't need to."

Gwen shook her head. "Be that as it may, Prince Arthur is a bully and we both know it. Everyone thinks you're a real hero."

"Thanks," Merlin replied, smiling warmly. Gwen curtsied again and continued on her way.

As Merlin approached the marketplace, he heard the sounds of fighting. He hurried forward, about to call for the guards, but stopped short when he saw what was happening. Arthur and one of his friends were fighting with maces, destroying many of the merchants' stalls in the process.

"You know, we have a training field for a reason!" Merlin yelled angrily.

Arthur and his friend lowered their maces, turning to look at Merlin. "Was that a challenge?" Arthur called back.

"No, it's a commentary on the fact that you're destroying our people's livelihoods for your own amusement! You're going to be Crown Prince in a few months, it's high time you started acting like it!" Merlin whirled around and stormed back toward the castle.

Morgana was crossing the courtyard on her way to the stables when she saw Merlin, who looked to be in a towering rage. She changed direction and made her way toward her foster brother. "Merlin, what's going on?" she asked worriedly.

"What's going on? Arthur's been acting like a complete prat ever since I told him about—" Merlin cut himself off, belatedly remembering that there were witnesses. He lowered his voice. "Ever since I told him about you-know-what. He's been avoiding me ever since, and do you know what I just found him doing? Brawling in the marketplace. Brawling!" With that, Merlin brushed past her and continued his way across the square, too incensed to pay full attention to where he was going.

Morgana immediately banished all thoughts of a leisurely ride. Instead, she headed off to give Arthur a piece of her mind. She hurried toward the marketplace and soon caught sight of the destruction. A few streets farther down, she encountered Arthur and his friends, who were in the middle of a good laugh. Morgana grabbed Arthur by the ear.

"Ow! Morgana, what are you doing?" Arthur objected. Morgana ignored him and dragged him into a nearby alley. Finally she released his ear and shoved him against a wall. Arthur gulped. An angry Morgana was not to be trifled with.

"What is wrong with you, Arthur Pendragon?" Morgana hissed. "Destroying the marketplace is a new low, even for you!"

Arthur opened his mouth, ready to defend himself, but then he deflated. "Did Merlin tell you about…you know?"

"Yes, he told me. He also told me that you haven't once tried to talk to him about it!"

"He has magic!" Arthur replied in a low voice. "What am I supposed to say?"

"How about that he's your brother and you'll support him no matter what?" Morgana stepped back, eyeing Arthur suspiciously. "Or is that not true?" She marched away and left Arthur to his thoughts.

Later that afternoon, Merlin was lying on his bed, studying his new magic book. There was a knock on his door. He quickly hid the book under his pillow. "Enter."

Arthur came in, closing the door behind him. He took a deep breath. "Look, Merlin. I'm sorry for how I've been acting. I was really shocked about the magic, and…I guess I didn't react very well."

"Morgana told you to talk to me, didn't she?" Merlin replied acidly.

"Yes," Arthur admitted shamefacedly. "But she's right. I've been behaving like an absolute ass."

Merlin's face softened. "It's okay, I get it. I feel like my entire life has been turned upside-down, myself."

"It's just, you've always been the nice one, and, now…" Arthur trailed off awkwardly.

"What?" Merlin asked warily.

"How am I supposed to feel about my brother being a monster?" Arthur burst out.

Merlin paled. "Excuse me?"

"You have magic, Merlin," Arthur whispered.

"I did notice, thanks," Merlin snapped. "I saved Gaius's life with it, and you're calling me a monster?!"

"Time and again we've seen that magic corrupts!" Arthur exclaimed. His voice dropped back to a whisper. "I don't want to see that happen to you too."

"Oh, really? What about that man who was just executed? He was saving his mother! How many more out there are like him? How many people use their gifts for good, but keep them hidden because they know they'll be killed?"

Arthur stared in shock. After a moment, he deflated and sat down next to Merlin with a sigh. "Why were you born like this, do you think?"

Merlin's ire dissipated, replaced with melancholy. "I don't know. Seems rather ironic, doesn't it. Uther Pendragon's son, born a sorcerer."

"If you're not a monster, then what are you?" Arthur asked. There was no heat in his words, only a weary curiosity.

"Wish I knew," Merlin replied despondently.

That night, Merlin heard the voice calling him again. Throwing on a jacket, he decided that it was time to investigate the voice once and for all. To his slight concern, the voice led him down into the dungeons.

Merlin…Merlin…

Merlin paused as he saw a pair of guards dicing at a table. As a prince, he had the authority to go just about wherever he liked, but he'd really rather not be seen right now. Eyeing the dice, he had an idea. He willed the dice to skitter away off the table. To his amazement, one guard actually followed. Merlin continued to send the dice further and further away, until finally both guards had gone far enough that Merlin could grab a torch and sneak past them. Merlin made a mental note to tell Arthur about the seriously falling standards of Camelot's guards.

Merlin…Merlin…

The voice led Merlin down a staircase that he had never noticed before, and then through a tunnel with broken carvings lying on the floor. Eventually he emerged onto a small ledge. Looking around, he saw that he was in a massive cave. How had he never known about this place before?

Merlin! the voice repeated, laughing now.

"Where are you?" Merlin called.

A dragon flew up and landed on a rocky outcropping across from Merlin's ledge. The dragon was about the size of a house. His scales were a dull gold color, and his orange eyes glittered with intelligence. A heavy manacle trailed from one of his hind legs.

Merlin stared. He had heard stories of the capture of the last remaining dragon. When he was younger, he had searched the dungeons for some sign of the beast, but he had never found any trace of it. He eventually dismissed the stories as just that, but apparently he was wrong.

"I'm here!" the dragon announced. "How small you are for such a great destiny."

"Why, what do you mean? What destiny?"

"Your gift, Merlin, was given to you for a reason."

"So there is a reason!" Merlin breathed, relieved.

The dragon nodded. "Arthur is the Once and Future King who will unite the land of Albion."

"But that's Arthur," Merlin objected. "What's my destiny?"

"Arthur faces many threats from friend and foe alike. Without you, Arthur will never succeed. Without you, there will be no Albion." With that, the dragon flew away into the upper recesses of the cave, the manacle clanking loudly.

"Wait!" Merlin cried. "Wait, stop! Please, I need to know more! Who's threatening Arthur?"

In the morning, Merlin was woken by Will's incredulous voice. "What happened?!"

Merlin blearily looked around and realized that his chambers were a total mess. "I've had to make do without a servant, that's what happened," he grumbled.

"You gave me the day off, remember?" Will said indignantly.

Merlin grinned. "I know. I'm kidding."

Will did not return the smile. "Merlin, have you seen much of Lady Helen since she arrived in Camelot?"

"Not since Father greeted her, why?"

Will took a deep breath. "Yesterday, Gaius asked me to take her a potion for her voice. She wasn't there when I arrived, so I was going to just put it down and leave it, but then she came in right after me. She seemed really nervous when she saw me, and then…I caught a glimpse of her reflection. I'm positive I saw some old woman in the mirror. If that's Lady Helen of Mora, then I'm Prince William of Ealdor."

Merlin sat bolt upright. "I thought I sensed something strange coming from her pendant the other day…"

"So what do we do?" Will asked. Though he was worried, a part of him was proud that his friend believed him. Many nobles would have dismissed Will's concerns purely on the grounds that he was a servant.

Merlin thought about it for a long moment. "I'm not sure that we can do anything. Father will never take your word over that of a noble, and I can't exactly tell him I have a funny feeling about her necklace. We'd better keep an eye on her tonight." Privately, Merlin wondered if not-Lady-Helen was one of the threats that the dragon had warned him about.

Speaking of the dragon, Merlin pondered whether to tell Arthur about the conversation he'd had. After some consideration, he decided against it. Arthur was having enough difficulty accepting that Merlin had magic. Merlin didn't want to throw a dragon into the mix.

That afternoon, Merlin made his way to Morgana's chambers. The door was open, so he walked in. Morgana was making her way to her changing screen and did not notice him. "You know, I've been thinking about Arthur," she mused. Merlin loudly cleared his throat. Morgana whirled around and flushed with embarrassment. "Oh! I thought you were Gwen."

"Uh…thanks." There was an awkward pause. "What were you thinking about Arthur?"

Morgana hesitated for a moment. "He's a total jouster. And just because I'm your father's ward, that doesn't mean I have to accompany him to the feast, does it?"

"Well…I did come here to suggest you accompany me to the feast, actually," Merlin suggested with a shrug. "Neither of us particularly feels like celebrating, it's the perfect match."

"Oh." Morgana looked surprised, then she smiled. "I would be honored, my lord," she said, dropping into an exaggerated curtsy.

"I will see you at the feast, my lady," Merlin replied with a similarly exaggerated bow. He turned and left, passing Gwen on the way out. She blushed and curtsied.

Morgana stifled a giggle. "You know, I think Merlin is the only person in Camelot who can't see how you feel about him," she teased.

"My lady!" Gwen protested.

This time, Morgana did laugh. Then she held up a pair of dresses. "So, what do you think? Shall I wear this little tease…or give them a night they'll really remember?"

That night, Gaius and Will made their way to the banquet. Will scowled when he saw Arthur laughing with his buddies. Like Merlin, Will highly disapproved of Arthur's friends. Then Arthur turned toward the door and stared open-mouthed.

"God have mercy," Arthur breathed. Will followed Arthur's gaze and saw Morgana entering on Merlin's arm. She was wearing a rather provocative red dress.

Gaius nudged Will. "Remember, you're here to work."

"Shame," Will muttered, his eyes still on Morgana.

Gwen sidled up behind him. "She looks great, doesn't she."

"You've got that right," Will agreed.

"Some people are just born to be queen."

"You really believe those rumors?" Will asked, finally taking his eyes off Morgana to look at Gwen.

"I don't know, but I hope so. One day. Not that I'd want to be her. Who'd want to marry Arthur?" Gwen shuddered.

"Ah, yes, we all know which prince you prefer," Will teased.

"Oh, shush," Gwen said, swatting at Will.

Eventually, trumpets sounded to announce Uther's arrival, and both servants hurried to take up their positions. "We have enjoyed twenty years of peace and prosperity," Uther announced. Morgana glowered, though no one was paying her any mind. "It has brought the kingdom and myself many pleasures, but few can compare with the honor of introducing Lady Helen of Mora!" The king began a round of applause. Lady Helen entered and took her place on a stage at the other end of the hall. Merlin and Will both eyed her warily.

The musicians began playing, and Lady Helen's ethereal voice filled the room. Soon, members of the court began nodding off, and servants slumped down the walls. Will tried to fight his unexpected drowsiness, but he quickly joined the court in slumber. The lights dimmed and cobwebs began to grow over the sleeping guests. Merlin quickly realized that Lady Helen's song was the cause. He covered his ears.

The sorceress glared at the royal table. Merlin followed her gaze and saw that she was staring at his brother, her expression full of malice. Lady Helen pulled out a knife, never taking her eyes off of Arthur. Merlin frantically looked around for something he could use to stop her. After a few terrifying moments, he realized that the sorceress had advanced directly under a chandelier. With a flash of his eyes, Merlin sent the chandelier crashing down onto her.

The spell broke. All around the banquet hall, people began waking up and brushing off the cobwebs. Underneath the chandelier, the sorceress's glamor had broken, revealing her to be the old woman who had made threats at the execution.

Unfortunately, the woman had not been killed instantly, and she used her last ounce of strength to hurl her dagger at Arthur's head. Arthur did not react, still dazed from the spell. Time seemed to slow, and Merlin yanked his brother out of the way. It wasn't until they both hit the ground that Merlin realized he actually had slowed time for a few moments. The sorceress heaved one last breath and died.

"Arthur! Merlin! Are you all right?" Uther demanded, frantically checking his sons for signs of injury.

"We're fine, Father," Arthur assured.

Uther helped his sons to their feet. "Thank you, Merlin. You did well." The court burst into applause.

After the banquet, Arthur followed Merlin to his chambers. Once they were inside, he locked the door. "You had something to do with that chandelier, didn't you?" Arthur asked.

"Yes."

"You used magic to save my life." In spite of his misgivings, Arthur was slightly impressed.

"I told you, it doesn't corrupt. No more than any other kind of power. I think this is why I was born with magic. To protect you."

Arthur snorted. "I don't need protecting."

"You were asleep!" Merlin pointed out, somewhat indignant.

Arthur glared for a moment. "Oh, I'll show you asleep!" He grabbed a pillow from Merlin's bed and threw it at him. Within moments, Camelot's two princes had begun a full-scale pillow fight. For the first time in a long time, there was no tension between the brothers.