A/N: Oops... I don't know how that happened! There were a few internet problems, and the changes I made to the document must not have been saved before I posted this chapter the first time! Sorry...

DISCLAIMER: I own OTHING-NAY!

The Court Physician's chambers were inordinately busy on the day Camelot encountered Emrys for the third time.

Gaius heard it all from the young servant boy who'd come to him for cold medicine. Apparently, King Uther had just greeted the Lady Helen when the same boy who'd stolen the execution block and harassed the knights for an hour materialized in front of him.

Naturally, guards were immediately surrounding the sorcerer, but were ignored. Said sorcerer proceeded to declare that the visiting singer was actually a homicidal witch before disappearing once more.

The Court Physician was disgruntled, and not afraid to show it when his ward walked casually through the door.

"Merlin, you really can't go accusing guests like that!" The words were out of Gaius' mouth before he got a proper look at his nephew. When he did, he groaned.

"Is that pie from the kitchens?"

"Well," answered Merlin absently as he took another bite, "I'm sure it was originally from the kitchens, but I got it from the king's table. The prince's plate, if I remember correctly."

"Merlin—"

"And I can go accusing guests like that, actually. Not one of those brawny knights can stop me!"

"But you have no proof!"

"So? If I had proof, they'd just say I faked it with my evil magical powers!"

Glaring with exasperation at the young warlock, Gaius was reminded of the day, over a week ago, that brought Merlin to his care.

xx)0(xx

The door slammed with a bang, shocking Gaius as he stepped onto his ladder. Quickly getting down, he turned to the entrance to find a dark young man striding angrily towards his table.

"Who're—"

"Merlin, Hunith's son, the letter's here." The boy violently brandished a piece of paper at Gaius, who took it before anything could be knocked down. A chair made a noise of protest as the young man—Merlin—sat down with considerable force.

Quickly scanning the letter, Gaius looked up at Merlin. He was muttering with a brooding expression on his face.

"May I ask what's upset you?" the older man asked, uncomfortably aware of the probable cause.

"I've just been to the library," Merlin said instead of answering. "They have some new furniture. A little bloodstained, and they might have some trouble moving it, but so what?" He threw down his pack with a scowl. "It has a better use there than where it was before!"

Gaius sighed. "You saw the execution."

"I saw what would have been an execution. Naturally, I stepped in."

The physician's blood ran cold. "You—"

"Saved an innocent man from dying, yes."

"Tell me you didn't use magic," Gaius pleaded with dread.

"And why shouldn't I?"

"It's punishable by death!"

"What are they going to do? I can deflect arrows, I can teleport out of the way of swords, and if they ever manage to get me to the pyre, I can control the fire! Why should I go without magic?"

Gaius sat down, brow creased. When he'd heard Hunith's son was coming to stay, this was not what he'd expected.

"Didn't your mother teach you to keep your magic hidden?"

Merlin snorted. "She tried, I suppose, but I was floating things and stopping time as an infant."

There was an impressively raised eyebrow at this, but Gaius kept silent as Merlin continued.

"How do you tell an infant to stop his favorite game when company's over? The whole town knew pretty fast. Thankfully, it's not illegal in Cenred's Kingdom."

Gaius tried again. "But it's illegal here!"

"Back then, I wasn't strong enough to keep myself and my mother safe if someone decided to kill us. But since I didn't have to hide it, I got a lot of practice. Got a few visiting druids to teach me when they passed through, and I did a bit of experimenting on my own. Now, there's not a thing those idiots could do to me."

Staring, Gaius tried to understand the young man before him. "Wouldn't it be easier to not have people trying to kill you all the time, though?"

Merlin sighed and sank back in his chair. "Would it be easier? Yes. But I don't just use magic, Gaius. I am magic, according to the druids. It wouldn't just be like putting a tool away for a little while. Would you ask me to hide my identity?"

The boy looked at his hands, twisting them before him. "It would be nice for people to look at me and not be afraid. Nice to go to market without staring and a few death threats. But I'd rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not."

Merlin looked up, a fierce look on his face. "I am Merlin, Hunith's son. But I am also Mryddin Emrys, and I won't pretend otherwise."

A/N: So, Merlin knows he's Emrys(because of the visiting Druids) and is more accepting of his DESTINY.

IMPORTANT! REPEAT! IMPORTANT!

So, in the next chapter, 'Lady Helen' will attack Arthur because Uther tried to kill her son. Merlin, of course, will save him-but this time, everyone will know he uses magic. Will this change Uther's attitude towards magic? Will it change Arthur's? I have an idea of where I want this to go, but tell me what YOU think!

Also, I'm thinking my reasoning behind the title of this story is kinda... random? And by that I mean there is no reason behind it. Tell me any ideas for a new title, too!