A/N- Okay, so sorry it's been so long! I didn't give up on this, and I didn't give in to that one reviewer. I just, uh… Kinda got caught up in Mind Games… Please don't kill me?

Heh, so I'm back now. I'm going to keep going on this while I write the first few chapters to the sequel of Mind Games. Yes, THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL! I hope that pleases all you Mind Games fans out there! Not sure what to call it… But I'm typing the first three or so chapters up so that it's not months in between updates… I feel so guilty for doing that.

Anyways, here it is!

Benugan!

"Sorry, Hansen," Merlin said in a deadly cold tone. "You're not killing the king. Not on my watch."

Hansen smirked at the warlock. "I was hoping you'd come. Guess what, Emrys? I tricked you into watching you fail your supposed destiny." He stepped towards the young man. "Either way, you'll die. Whether by my hand, or by theirs- now that they know- I don't care." He gestured to the shocked and fearful gazes.

Merlin clenched his fist. "Don't call me that. My name is Merlin. And no matter what happens, I will make sure to protect this kingdom. That will never change." He couldn't say how much it hurt him to see the people he had been friends with now absolutely terrified of him. Of course, this never got through the emotionless mask on his face, but it was true. The warlock risked a glance at the prince, crumbling inside at the look of hurt and betrayal etched on his face.

Hansen turned to face the prince and king, waving a hand. His eyes flashed gold as he recited a spell, and the two royals found themselves unable to move. The sorcerer returned his attention to his opponent. "You'll have to fight to beat me."

"I don't have a problem with that." Merlin's cold eyes stayed on the man as he raised his hand. A fireball spell was sent toward him. The warlock waved away with a flick of his hand. Fire enchantments were the easiest for him to defend against. He sent an answering wave of compressed air back at him.

Hansen yelled in surprise as he was tossed like a ragdoll into the air and thrown against the wall. He struggled to get back to his feet. Once there, though, he looked at Merlin with surprise and albeit a bit of fear. "So you are as powerful as they say! Why would you stay here and be a servant to the son of a king who kills your kind? You could level this whole castle with a simple spell!"

Merlin shook his head. "Because that is not what I am supposed to do. My destiny is to keep Arthur alive. He will become the great Once and Future King. I believe that. And if you don't, well, that's your problem. It will happen. But the way you're going, you might not live to see that day." He watched the sorcerer get ready to throw another spell his way.

"I do not think that will be so." Hansen's eyes glowed gold. "Cerrig troi'n a encase ei draed." The stones under Merlin's feet started rumbling and moving. They rose up unnaturally, grabbing onto the warlock's feet and forcing him to stay still. Merlin had never seen this spell before. Hansen started towards him, but not before the raven haired boy had leant down and started trying to free himself.

"You see," he was mocked, "I do have power that you have never seen before. You will be dead soon."

Merlin growled and, instead of using a spell, just willed the stones to break. Eyes turned molten gold. The rocks grew cracks, literally falling apart. Hansen's eyes grew wide as the warlock recited an incantation at the same time.

"Codi y dŵr o'r cwpanau a orfodi iddo ei liniau!" The water from every single pitcher and cup in the room rose out of the glasses. The sunlight flowed through the elevated water, causing it to sparkle with golden colors. Wondrous dappled light was thrown onto the floor; an array of distorted images gleamed there. It was Merlin channeling all his frustration, fear, hurt, and anxiety into his spell. The raised water reflected crystal clear pictures onto the stones of the castle.

All of the people inside the room stared in wonder as every time Merlin had saved someone's life flowed onto the white rocks. Countless images showed Arthur, while some were of magic users, citizens of Camelot, and even Uther. They felt along with every emotion. Every tear was magnified and reflected into their hearts, the happiness of the sheer joy that Merlin felt when he did something that helped another filling their being. He didn't realize he was doing this, as all of a sudden, the liquid rushed forward towards Hansen.

The images disappeared as quickly as they had come, but no one could focus on what they had just witnessed. Instead, all attention turned to the continuing battle between the two. The water had encased Hansen, leaving only his head free. The sorcerer turned his dark eyes up to the younger boy. He had seen the show and was now being held in the middle of it all, quite literally. "You… You have done all that… For a man who would kill you?"

"No," Merlin replied, eyes cold. "I did it for a man who became my best friend, my brother, despite my lack of respect. I did it for the future king of Camelot. Almost all I do, I do for him. I care for him, I do respect him. I even look up to him. I do this for his sake and not mine." He looked up and straight at Arthur. "Even when I could not take it any longer, I still made sure he stayed safe. In fact, when I said I'd gone, I'd never left. I was at the top of the turret, on the roof. My glamour made sure no one looked at me. Even when I had lost all hope, I could not let him- nor his father- die at a vengeful sorcerer's hand."

The prince had no idea how he should feel about this. Merlin was a warlock, with magic. Magic was evil, magic was bad. Yet he had seen the memories himself. And here was his manservant, saving his life again. Calling him his brother. Saying he did it all for Arthur. What?

Suddenly, Hansen grinned. It was evil, dark, twisted. It showed no mercy. "Well, whatever you think. Goodbye, Merlin. Or should I say, Emrys." Merlin's eyes widened. He spun on his heel, just in time to see a man in the court that had snuck up behind him thrust a blade into his hand. It had obviously been meant for his chest, but the warlock knew from Arthur's training that he should at least have something in between his chest and the opposing weapon. So instead of piercing his heart, it sliced through his hand, cutting between the middle and ring finger of his left hand.

Someone in the crowd screamed as blood started pouring out of the wound. Merlin was in shock, he couldn't feel a thing. He watched the red race down his arm for a moment before closing his right hand into a fist and- using magic to enforce the blow- punched the man square in the jaw. A sickening crack resounded as the bone popped out of place. The man let out a howl of pain.

The warlock lunged forward and gripped his face with his good hand. "You try to kill me when I'm protecting the prince," he hissed in a deadly tone, though all could hear it for the sudden silence that had descended. "You get what's coming for you. I won't kill you, but I'm certain you've learned your lesson." Merlin let his magic course through his veins and into the man. A snap and a scream of pain later, you couldn't tell the young man had even touched him.

The ebony haired youth let go of his face. The would-be killer stumbled back in shock. "Y-you healed me!" he stuttered. "I tried to kill you, and y-you healed me!" So overcome with surprise, the blonde man fell to his knees.

Merlin ignored him and turned back to Hansen. "I'm sorry, but you do not deserve such mercy. You tried to kill Arthur's father, then me. You get what's coming to you."

Hansen's eyes widened.

Merlin released him from the water prison. He slumped forward slightly, putting one hand onto the ground to steady himself. "Get a shield," the warlock commanded.

"What?"

"I said, get a shield. I'm not going to attack a man while he has no defense." Hansen struggled to his feet before doing as he was told. A black magic barrier now glittered in front of him.

Merlin (still ignoring the dagger that was in his hand) spun around, his foot coming up. It was encased in a bright shade of swirling red. Pendragon red. Time seemed to slow down. Arthur could see how sorry his manservant truly was to do this, but he could understand that some form of justice had to be served.

Then all resumed its normal pace. Merlin's foot connected with the man's ribs, the red magic slicing easily through the black. Hansen gasped and fell onto his side as two ribs were loudly broken. White hot pain laced through his veins as he breathed, but he looked upwards and into the warlock's icy blue eyes. He was completely at his mercy, but Merlin did not go for a fatal shot.

"W-why aren't you killing me?"

"Because," Merlin replied calmly, "I refuse to kill you. I am not a ruthless monster that only seeks to kill his enemies. I will let the king decide your fate. I hold no grudge against you, unless you intend to harm any more of Camelot's citizens, even be it the royalty."

The young man nodded at the guards, who came forward quickly, afraid of the power that was obvious in the boy. They didn't spent time trying to figure out why they were obeying his orders, instead roughly hauling Hansen to his feet. Merlin let the previously magic closed doors open. The guards drug the sorcerer out of the room.

Uther stared at him in shock. He didn't know what to do; if he could even restrain this man. Arthur was dumbstruck and couldn't help as a range of emotions flashed across his face. It was a sad thing indeed when Merlin looked up at him just as betrayal and disgust crossed his expressions.

The warlock thought these emotions had been there the whole time. He could stand no longer than that one glance and immediately forced his gaze down. Truth was, his strength had been drained by such dramatic use of magic. It didn't help that the dagger was still in his hand and felt like it was cutting it again the more he moved. With the feeling that Arthur thought of him as evil, it was just too much to take in.

He fell to his knees, leaning on his uninjured hand. In his haze, Merlin was not thinking straight. He leaned back onto his haunches and grasped the hilt of the knife. It came out smoothly, but it felt as if someone was trying to rip his hand inside out from the middle. Still, only a small whimper crossed his lips. The blade clattered to the floor as blood flowed almost profusely.

Some lady of the court fainted at the site, but one knight was smart enough to come over and take Merlin's neckerchief off of him. It was Gwaine. Of course it'd be him. Neckerchief in hand, he quickly wound it around the bleeding flesh. The warlock hissed in pain, the blue fabric starting to slightly darken with the liquid.

"Step away from him!" Uther yelled. Gwaine was not happy with it, but he stepped back with burning eyes. He was just glad he had been able to help the best he could. The king was absolutely furious. "Guards! Take the sorcerer to the dungeons!"

As the men came forward and hauled him to his feet, Merlin said quietly, "Warlock."

"What?" Uther exclaimed. "Speak up, criminal!"

"I said I'm a warlock," he repeated, raising his voice. "I am not a sorcerer. I did not learn magic."

"Of course you did! All magic users learn it!"

"Not this one. I was born with it."

Uther stared as Merlin was led out.

A/N- Okay, so not sure if that counts as a cliffie, but… You guys decide. And you probably want to kill me anyways… So, um… *holds a shield in front of body* I at least have some protection!

Once again, just a reminder, I have a facebook where you can keep up with my updating and even get exclusive looks and clues as to what will be happening in my fics!

Please please please PLEASE review!

~L~