Title: Revelation

Author; RosalynBensler

Fandom: Merlin

Pairing: Arthur/Gwen

Gwen could not believe what she has just found out. Merlin was a sorcerer.

No; a warlock.

Weird but she knew it was true, really always had. There had always been

something about him. No. She would not betray her friend.

She promised not to tell anyone about it and she wouldn't.

Not even Arthur, considering that Merlin hadn't told him yet.

She thought about it all night and came to the conclusion that she

understood perfectly well how dangerous for Merlin it would be. Still she

felt uneasy to keep something from Arthur. She couldn't understand how

Merlin could live with keeping this secret for so long. She was sure she

would not have the strength for that.

However she would keep her promise to her dearest friend, despite the hurt.

Merlin has saved her life more than once and she felt that she owes him,

equal loyalty. Friends, genuine friends, were hard to come by.

To think Camelot had been infiltrated by a sorcerer, a sorcerer who killed

many guards and innocent people like servants and men and women of the

court. It was clear he came to kill Uther Pendragon.

Arthur and the knights of Camelot were patrolling the whole castle over and

over again but couldn't find the killer at any rate. What they found were

more dead bodies.

Gwen was told to stay in her house but she couldn't just sit there while

Arthur and Merlin were in danger. So she went looking for Merlin. He wasn't

in his room and Gaius told her he was helping Arthur. He also insisted that

she should stay where she was, because it was too dangerous to walk around in

the castle. She nodded and just wanted to sit down as they heard a loud

scream and Gwen was out of the room so quickly that Gaius hadn't the

slightest chance to stop her at all.

She ran in the direction the scream came from. The sound of running and

shouting people came from everywhere and Gwen ran in panic, too. She

stumbled over something and fell to the ground. When she turned and sat

upright again she screamed, another body.

Gwen heard a strange voice yelling something in an ancient tongue and there

was a flash of light. It was a white blue flash that transformed into a

beam and shot through the corridor she was coming along and around the

corner and down the stairs at the other end. When the light had faded to a

small glowing that still lingered around the corridor, she blinked and

noticed a figure at the place where the light had come from.

It was Merlin.

"Merlin" she says in surprise and ran towards him.

"What are you doing here, Gwen?" He was surprised too.

"I heard a scream. What has happened?" she asked him in confusion.

Merlin, breathed heavily looked about them nervously, before dragging her

into a nearby alcove for safety.

"I'm after the killer. He's a sorcerer. I'll explain everything to you

later. But you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone that I was

here."

Her eyes widened. "You did this?"

He nodded.

"You can trust me Gwen."

She still looked surprised at him, trying to believe what she just had

learned as the sound of foot tapping and the rattling of armour echoes

trough the corridor again and Merlin grabbed Gwen at her shoulders.

"Don't tell anyone, please. Promise me, Gwen," she nodded.

"I promise."

"Thanks" he smiled sadly, gently releasing his grip of her arm. "I have to

go."

And he rushed off, heading for the stairs.

Only a splinter of a second later Arthur and Sir Leon appeared at the other

side of the hallway. They abruptly stood still upon seeing the dead body,

Gwen had come across earlier.

"Damn!" Gwen heard Arthur cursing.

She came out from the alcove and ran towards him.

"Arthur! Thank God!"

He looked at her in disbelieve.

"Guinevere!"

He looked her over quickly for possible harm, breathing easier finding none.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes."

"Go straight home. Leon will take you." Arthur said and Gwen just nodded and

gave him a brief hug. "Be careful." she whispered in his ear as they parted.

Hours later, Merlin visited Gwen and she learned from him that the plans of

the sorcerer failed and Gwen was sure who was responsible for that.

Merlin told her everything; that he had sent a spell after him to knock him

out but got distracted when Gwen appeared so the spell went in different

directions and through the whole hallway. Merlin caught him right in front

of the King's chambers and could knock him out with another spell. Arthur

turned up as well shortly after him so he had to hide. They had put him into

the prison. But he could escape. He had an accomplice and Merlin and Gwen

reckoned that he was an ally of Morgana and Morgause.

She had to promise Merlin again not to tell anyone about his secret not even

Arthur and she did.

Merlin thanked her and gave her a hug.

"However," he said then. "Arthur wants to see you."

"Gwen what is it? Please tell me?" Arthur said.

"I don't know what you are talking about?"

"Oh come on I know that you know something about what happened earlier. You

were right there where the light came from. Someone must have defeated the

killer."

Gwen shifted a little, her look pinned to the ground. She wasn't able to

look at him. She won't lie to him, she thought. But she can't tell him the

truth either. She bit her lower lips.

"Tell me, Gwen, " he said, stepping closer stroking her upper arm, his gaze

intent.

"Something troubles you. What is it?"

Shaking her head softly she spoke.

"Please. I can't. I'm sorry, Arthur. I just can't."

"You can tell me anything."

"I know, usually that is. Not this. Can you simply trust me? Just this

once?"

With an exasperated sigh, Arthur relinquished his grasp of her arm and

strode across the room, steeling himself for another kind of battle.

"So you know what happened and refuse to tell me?"

She shot a brief sideways glance at him, taking in his slumped shoulders

before quickly looking back down at her chatelaine, he fingers fidgeting

nervously with the precious metal links about her waist, a gift from her

beloved.

"Not exactly," she offered reluctantly, involuntarily biting her lower lip,

as it was her habit when nervous.

She sent up a prayer wishing she got out of this without hurting anyone. Why

she had to find out? Or rather why was it so difficult? Maybe Arthur would

understand?

But if Uther found out.

Gwen sighed.

"Alright." Arthur said suddenly, throwing his hands in the air and walked

over to his desk and leaned against it with pursed lips.

"I did not expect this of you, Guinevere."

Gwen looked at him and saw that he was getting angry, no hurt was more like,

frustration without question in his gaze.

"I mean," he continues. "You do remember that I am the Prince of Camelot?

All that goes on here, I have the right to know as it affects my people?"

"Of course, my Lord," Gwen replied with a sheepish, apologetic smile that

did not quite reach her eyes. It troubled her too much to see him like this

and couldn't do anything for him.

She had made a promise.

Now he sighed. He began chewing on his lower lip as though he was thinking

about something. Gwen thought maybe she should better go and just turned to

leave as he spoke again.

"Guinevere."

She looked back at him.

"What shall I do? How can I protect my people if I don't know from what?"

Gwen went closer toward him until she stood in front of him and could look

him directly in the eyes.

"You will do the right thing. I know that, despite the misgivings you are

having now, I believe in your judgement, Arthur."

He turned from her not wanting to vent his anger upon her. In truth, he was

more than frustrated. He was hurt.

"How can I? I don't know who to trust anymore. This I know, it was magic and

I ask you only this, Guinevere. If it were someone in our midst, if the

killer had an ally in the castle, would you tell me?"

"Yes, Arthur, I would."

"Right." he sighed and turned his back on her still angry.

"Sorry." she whispered again and quietly left the room.

Back in her little cottage, Gwen sat in the dark on her bed sunk deep into thoughts.

She could understand Arthur's anger and she knew he was hurt too. She felt sorry for him. She knew what a burden it was for him to be a prince and now that his father was in a bad conscience he had to take charge and even more responsibility lay on him. In addition he was worried about his father and also the recent tragic events concerning Morgana and the killer.

But telling him the truth would do no good. He was still afraid of magic and it was unclear if Arthur would trust Merlin anymore if he knew that he had magic.

Gwen sighed and looked out of the small window into the starry night sky. Her thoughts were with Arthur for a while yet until she let out a yawn and fell into a shallow sleep.

In the morning Arthur awoke by the sound of Merlin's "rise and shine!" and as always promptly threw a pillow after his servant and just missed him about an inch.

"Merlin!" he shouted but got out of the bed and got dressed. After breakfast he had to attend the council meeting where they discussed the current situation again. One topic was the increase of the presence of guards and also if there would be the need to protect the lower town too.

Meanwhile Gwen was looking for Merlin and almost run into him on her way to his and Gaius's chambers.

"Can I speak to you?" she asks him and they went to his room. She told him in a short way about her talk with Arthur and her concern about him.

"I won't tell him of course but I thought perhaps you could talk to him. He is troubled and maybe he needs to know that he has our support, that he is not alone."

Merlin looked at her with a sad look. "I'm sorry that you got into this because of me. Maybe if we could find the killer and proof that it was all Morgana's plan, and I'm very sure of that, maybe it would be easier for him when he knows that there's no traitor in Camelot, except for Morgana of course."

Gwen agreed. "Thank you, Merlin. You know, if you will need my help, you can count on me."

"I know," said Merlin. Gwen smiled at him and greeted Gaius as she left the room and both servants went back to their work.

Later when Arthur entered his room after the meeting was over he found Merlin cleaning the room.

"Good to see you weren't lazy," he teased the servant. No matter how upset he was, his mood could never be too bad to tease Merlin. In fact, his banters with Merlin always cheered him up.

"Of course," Merlin said smiling and threw the cleaning cloth at Arthur who cought it and shot a death glare back at him. But before he could come at him again Merlin became serious and said quickly: "Can I talk to you?"

"What is it?" Arthur said while he took of his coat and threw it over a chair.

Merlin hesitated.

"It's about Gwen."

Now he had Arthur's attention completely.

Merlin told him about his and Gwen's suspense about Morgana and the killer.

"It makes sense, right, but still…"

Arthur lend against the wall, arms crossed before his chest, thinking.

"Arthur. "Merlin approaches, leaning besides him.

"Gwen is worried about you. Don't be angry with her. She has nothing to do with it."

Arthur shifted.

"I know," he said quietly, facing Merlin with the concerned look he was wearing since the day of the attack on Camelot.

"I'm just glad nothing happened to her."

At sunset Arthur put on his cloak and made his way down to the village, trying not to be seen by the night guards.

When he reached Gwen's house he knocked.

"Coming," he hears her always so lovely sounding voice from inside. Seconds later she opened the door and looked a little surprised by the sight of the Prince on her door step.

"Arthur."

"Guinvere. Can I come in?" he asked.

"Sure."

Gwen stepped aside, so that he could enter.

He closed the door and followed her into the candle lit room.

He looked around, taking in the sight of her cosy little house. It hasn't change since the last time he visited her, that was quite a while ago. It was as always decorated with many beautiful flowers. He smiled. Gwen and flowers were two beautiful things that looked so lovely together.

"Can I offer you something?" Gwen interrupted his thought.

"No, thank you."

Another moment passed in which he just stared at her before realizing it at all.

"Arthur?"

Arthur blushed and looked away. He cleared his throat before he spoke.

"I came to apologize."

Gwen shook her head. "You don't have to-"

"I should not have been angry with you," he went on.

"I don't blame you for anything, you have done nothing wrong. I just.. overreacted because I was worried and angry. I'm sorry."

He spoke quickly so that she could not interrupt him again before he had said what he wanted her to know.

Gwen approached him and touched his arm.

"I know."

She looked up at him and smiled.

He returned the smile while taking her hand that still stroked his arm and then pulled her into a soft embrace.

Gwen pressed herself against him, resting her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

For this moment all the troubles and worries of the last days were gone. There in Arthur's arms, Gwen felt save. She felt it was the place where she belonged. They both knew if they just stand together and believe in each other, they could make it through everything that was yet to come.

Tbc