Bandits swarmed every direction. There was no way out. No way to pretend that magic had no hand in victory. They were dead men walking. So, he let go.

He loosened his grip on his magic and it exploded everywhere. Bandits where sent flying everywhere. Just bandits. Not the knights. Not Arthur. Not a single ally was hurt. They had won in a blink of an eye, a wave of his hand. He had tipped the balance in their favour. Yet no one saw it that way. No matter what he does he will always be the monster.

He let Arthur chain him, yell expletives at him. He barely kept his cool. There was no point in shouting or defending himself. He could see Arthur was winding down. Taking deep breaths. Soon he'll be able to reason with him.

But then Arthur said something that sent Merlin over the edge. "You're a Monster! You take people's trust and you destroy it!" Merlin couldn't contain it anymore. The irony of Arthur's statement made Merlin laugh. He couldn't contain it. Who was Arthur if Merlin was a monster? "What's funny Sorcerer?"

"You are, Your Highness!" Merlin paused and looked at Arthur's shocked face, "I maybe a monster, Arthur. But I am a monster of your family's own making."

"Don't blame my family for your mistakes, Sorcerer!"

"No? Why shouldn't I? Your family are full of monsters. Your father-"

"Don't you even-"

"Don't I what? Tell the truth?"

"You don't tell the truth. You only spread falsehoods and lies!" Merlin rolled his eyes.

"Your father is a monster! He hunted and killed thousand if not millions of innocents! And you what?! Continue his legacy?" Merlin scoffed, "You're all monsters Arthur. Your father, Your sister… even you Arthur. You're all monsters. You kill countless innocents. And then you go right around blaming the victims when they seek vengeance in the memory of their friends and loved ones." Merlin takes a deep breath and looks down to his feet. "I maybe a monster Arthur but I wasn't the one who dragged an entire kingdom in to the sea of the blood of the innocent. I didn't do that your father did and you…" Merlin lets a broken laugh, "And you continue do that. And you what have the gall to call me a monster? You can call me a traitor. You can call me anything you like. But when it comes down to being monsters Arthur… I know what I am, and I know what I'm not. Do you know who you are?"