I'M ALIVE!

I may have disappeared for a few months since my last story, because no one was interested enough to review. *cue sad music*. But I couldn't resist writing down this little song fic after watching Pitch Perfect. It's based on the Trebles remix of Bright Lights, Bigger City/Magic.

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or any of the music from Pitch Perfect.

P.S. PLEASE R&R! D:

It seemed that Merlin's life was just one big heap of lies and secrets.

Sure he had plenty of friends he could trust; knights, servants and even the King and Queen of Camelot. But he knew that as long as he had his secrets, he would never truly deserve to be accepted.

Time and time again had arisen for him to say the things that he had kept hidden, yet he couldn't bring himself to do it. It wasn't even the thought of execution anymore, for the ban against magic had been lifted for a few days now. It was more about the reaction of his friends once they knew he had kept his magic from them for so long. The small feeling of guilt and fear was still niggling in the back of his mind and it fought strongly against his will to tell the truth. It would just be too hard to face the accusations if Arthur was to banish him for his lies.

Arthur.

The person he had sworn to protect with his life, even without destinies will for him to do so. He wanted nothing more than to be accepted and if Arthur couldn't do that, then he would leave Camelot for good. However he would still stay on the sidelines to look after him, and of course Gaius, Gwen and the Knights. He felt obliged to help his friends, even if they turned out to be unforgiving.

Merlin sighed as he dragged his feet back to Arthur and Gwen's chambers, still stuck in his dreary thoughts. It was a beautiful, sunny day and the King and Queen were both on a ride in the forest and wouldn't be back till later that day, so he decided that it would be best to start his chores now and get them out of the way.

When he eventually made it to the chambers, he locked the wooden door so that he wouldn't be caught using magic. It may be legal now but Merlin wasn't ready to face a confrontation, with a passing servant or guard, about his powers or his destiny.

He made himself comfortable at the large oak table to the right of the door, and decided that a few minutes sleep would help his growing headache that had occurred during his extensive help for the "Magic is back in Camelot" (as he had recently dubbed it) feast earlier that morning. He set his magic to work on the enormous list of chores that His Pratliness had graced him with, and closed his eyes for a rest.

Unfortunately, he failed to see the sky darken and hear the clatter of hooves arrive in the courtyard below.

~~~Scene Change~~~

Gwen had been spending the day by her husbands side, first at the morning council meeting to discuss the upcoming magic feast, then on a ride through the forest. Since Arthur had become King , his duties had increased and his time for her had rapidly declined. Theses rare moment alone were precious to her and she intended to make the most of their time alone.

However it seemed that the weather had other ideas. The once beautiful blue sky had turned to a sickly grey colour and dark clouds threatened to pour their contents on to the couple below. She looked up miserably before turning to face her husband. He too had an unhappy look about him, but quickly changed it to an apologetic smile as she caught his eye.

"I'm sorry Guinevere but it seems as though we may have to turn back. The rain will most likely fall soon and I'm sure you wish to arrive back before that." he sighed, before raising his head to look at the dreary sky once again.

Gwen inwardly sighed as she realised that it was the best thing to do, but she couldn't help feeling a little disheartened at their trip being cut short.

She put on a brave smile instead and said, "Of course, but I suggest we hurry before it does decide to rain."

They both pulled on their reins and steered their horses back in the direction of Camelot but headed to the left to reach the main road where it would be faster to ride the horses.

They were only about half an hour out of Camelot when they noticed a small boy curled up on the side of road, with his knees pulled up to his chin and his arms clasped around them. Faint whimpering noises could be heard and the boy was visibly shaking. It was obvious that he was crying.

Both the King and Queen stopped their horses as Arthur dismounted and slowly made his way to the boy, being careful not to startle him. He crouched down next to him and gently put a hand on his shoulder to alert him to his presence, as it was clear that he hadn't heard the horses over his crying.

The boy jumped at the contact but stopped to clutch his foot before attempting to shuffle away from the King.

"Shh, shhh, it's alright I'm not going to hurt you I promise" Arthur said, as gently as he could to the boy. "Can you tell me your name?"

The boy in question raised an eyebrow at Arthur before noticing Gwen in the background, still atop her horse. He audibly gulped but turned to face Arthur once again as he spoke.

"M..mm..my name's K..Kay Sir" the boy stuttered, before lowering his gaze to the ground.

"Well Kay, my name's Arthur," he said while holding out his hand for the child to shake. A look of recognition flickered across Kay's face as he took in the expensive clothes and sword that was attached to the mans side and shuffled back some more while holding a hand to his mouth.

"You're King Arthur!" The boy exclaimed, bowing slightly at the man in front of him.

Arthur couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face, as the bluntness of the child's statement reminded him of Merlin and his ability to point out the obvious.

"Yes I am and this is Queen Guinevere," gesturing to the woman behind him, "Now can you tell me while you're sat at the side of the road by yourself?"

The answer he got was Kay going back to cradling his right foot while trying to wipe the tears from his eyes.

"I was looking for some plants for my mother and I tripped and now I can't walk." Kay just bowed his head in shame while he waited for his King to speak.

Arthur took another look at the sky before making his decision. "Kay, listen, I'm going to help you up onto Gwen's horse and we're going to take you back to Camelot so that our Court Physician can take a look at your leg okay?" He waited expectantly for Kay to answer.

"But what about my mother, she won't know where I am?"

"Don't worry about that, I'll have a guard inform your mother of your whereabouts once you've been looked after," as the said this the first drops of rain started to fall so he added, "It's better that you are dry and looked after in Camelot, than sat by the road in the rain."

Kay just nodded in agreement before letting the older man carry him over to the horse which the Queen was sat on.

After settling the injured boy safely in front of Gwen, he mounted his own horse before leading the trio back to Camelot.

Twenty minutes later, the castle came into sight and everyone let out a sigh of relief. The rain was just starting to come down and the shelter of the castle would be a godsend. They made it through the lower town and Citadel undisturbed, apart from the occasional stare.

Upon reaching the courtyard, Arthur dismounted his steed and helped Kay down. He turned to Gwen while still cradling the young boy in his arms.

"I'm going to take Kay to Gaius and then attend the council meeting this afternoon. I'll dispatch a guard to inform his mother as well." He looked guilty at his next words, "I'm sorry that we didn't spend much time together but..." He was silenced by his wife's raised hand as she chuckled softly.

"Arthur, it's fine. There are plenty of opportunities to spend time together. Now if you don't mind I would like to get changed out of these wet clothes." She smiled and nodded as she passed her husband, who had already turned and started towards Gaius' chambers at Gwens dismissal.

She had almost made it to her chambers when she heard a voice from behind the door. The soft lullaby and the voice that was singing it almost made her gasp in surprise. She knew that the only person that would be in their was Merlin and she couldn't help but laugh inwardly at her friends antics. He had such a wonderful voice that Gwen couldnt stop herself from opening the door slightly to hear better. However, what she saw was even more of a shock that the singing itself.

Merlin was sat at the table, his back facing the door, but Gwen could still see his mouth moving and his eyes stare at the table as he swirled his fingers around the patterns that the wood made. What caught her eye though, was what was happening in the room. The bed was currently remaking itself before destroying its work and starting over again. A broom was currently making its way across the floor, sweeping the dirt into a pile, and Arthurs sword and armour was cleaning itself in the corner.

Merlin has magic?

It should have been a more shocking revelation, but it was such a Merlin thing to do, that Gwen couldn't find it in her heart to shout at her friend for using it to do something as trivial as his chores. She rolled her eyes and felt a warm feeling of relief in her chest as she realised that Merlin was probably using it for the first time, and that by getting all his chores done on time, Arthur might not shout at him for his incompetence as often. Although, Gwen thought, Merlin never had any real trouble with that before so why would he use magic now if he had managed before?

Gwen mentally slapped herself. You were also a servant once, you know how much you wished that you could find a quicker and easier way of doing your job, she thought to herself. And that's exactly what Merlin's doing.

Gwen hesitantly opened the door further so that she could see him more clearly and because she really did need to get changed out of these wet clothes. So she cleared her throat to get Merlins attention.

It had the desired effect. The shock of there being someone else in the room made him jump a foot in the air and almost fall backwards of the chair. The sound of armour clattering together and of Gwen's laughter were the only sounds heard. It only took a few seconds for the laughter to die down once Gwen had seen the panicked look on her friends face. She made her way from the door to the chair which Merlin was sat on, to rest a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He visibly breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn't being shouted at or thrown in the dungeons, for now.

Gwen tilted her head to the side in confusion before squeezing his shoulder and taking the seat next to him. She took a moment to calm her mirth and wonder about what had gotten Merlin so worked up.

"I'm sorry."

The apology came so quickly that Gwen's own words were stuck in her throat. She took a look at the man in front of her and saw him bury his head in his hands. She waited a minute to speak, after being sure that she wasn't going to be interrupted.

"Merlin what are you on about? What have you got to be sorry for?"

"I..I lied. I used magic and I lied."

"It's okay. The ban on magic is gone. You're allowed to use it now so what are you so worried..." A thought crossed Gwen's mind that stopped her from finishing her sentence.

"You've used magic before, haven't you?" It was more a statement than a question but Merlin nodded anyway.

"Before the ban was lifted?" Another statement with another nod in response. Gwen sighed and took her friends hands from his face and held them in her own.

"It's alright. It doesn't matter that you used it before, you won't get arrested for it I promise."

"But I lied!" Merlin shouted, scaring Gwen enough to make her draw her hands away and bring them to her mouth, at the shock of his outburst. "I lied Gwen, and I have for so long that I just can't hide the truth anymore."

She let him regain his composure and nodded her approval to continue with the story.

"I've been lying since the day I got here. For seven years I've had to hide who I really am, to you, to Gwaine, to Leon, to Elyan, to Percival, to Arthur." His voice cracked on the last name and he took a shaky breath to calm himself.

"I was born with magic. I can't help it and yet up until a few days ago, my very existence was punishable by death. I was so scared that I did what any sane person would do and I lied. It's been eating away at me for so long now, even when the ban was lifted I couldn't bring myself to tell..." He was crying now. The tears kept coming no matter how hard he tried to stop them and it took a whole ten minutes for him to eventually gain control.

"Then why? Why come here, if you knew you would be putting your life at risk everyday?" Her exasperated tone laced the question for she could not find any reasonable explanation for his continued survival in a kingdom, that had been prominently ruled by a man that had hated magic.

Merlin just looked up and into her eyes before saying the one word that brought everything into clarity.

"Arthur."

The next few hours were spent telling Gwen about destiny and Emrys. The countless times he's saved Arthurs life, her life, the life of everyone in Camelot. The sacrifices he has made. Balinor, Freya, Will. All the stories were so full of despair that by the end of it, Gwen could do nothing more than hug her friend so fiercely that he had trouble breathing. His initial shock at the kind gesture brought the words tumbling out of his mouth, before he could even comprehend what he was saying.

"So you don't hate me?" He wheezed, now very aware that Gwen was indeed suffocating him.

Gwen released her grasp and stared blankly at him. It was quickly covered by a mask of deep resolve and he just continued to wait for his friend to speak; twiddling his fingers in an anxious gesture as the minutes ticked by.

"No Merlin. I do not hate you and I never will. You have sacrificed so much for this kingdom and I'll be damned if I let you carry on unrecognised."

A warm feeling spread through Merlin as a smile threatened to split his face in two. He had been accepted, albiet only by Gwen but it was so good to finally be acknowledged. Happiness quickly turned to apprehension as he registered Gwen's words.

"How exactly are you planning to do that?"

The mischievous smile that graced Gwen's face, made Merlins stomach drop with a nervous thud.

The day of the feast had finally arrived. Lords, ladies, Kings and Queens from all over Albion filled the feast hall so tightly that Merlin had to raise the jug of wine in his hand above his head, so he could shuffle through the guests successfully. Unfortunatley his lack of coordination ment that he tripped and stumbled on every obstacle, occasionally almost lying face down on the stone floor. When he finally managed to reach the High table, Arthur was looking irritated at his behaviour so he just flashed him his signature grin, which earned a few smiles and even laughter from the other Kings and Queens that were also at the table.

He made his way to his post behind and slightly to the left of Arthur and Gwen. He gripped the pitcher in his hand tighter as Arthur began to say his welcoming speech. The majority of the evening passed without any major fuss, he had only had to refill Arthur and Gwens goblets a few times each so far, while the other servants took care of everyone else.

Once the last course had been cleared away, Arthur rose and silenced all conversation with his hand.

"Now that the food has been eaten I wish to announcetonight's entertainment." A quick nod of his head signalled the arrival of the minstrels. They each took their turn in playing a song and reciting a poem. Acrobats were the only ones to include magic in their performance. They made dragons out of fire and used magic to slow down the decent of a gymnast that flipped her self off the top of the human pyramid. All in all, the evening was a great success, until Arthur decided to introduce the last act.

Gwen's master plan to tell everyone of his achievements involved this performance. Only the performers, Gwen and Gaius were aware of what he was going to do, but even that didn't stop the rapid pace of his heart.

"Now for the last act of the evening, they make their music using only their voices." Arthur announced as a murmur of excitement escaped the lips of everyone in the room. All except Merlin. Instead he slowly placed the pitcher of wine on the ground next to him, just as Gwen turned round to give him a reassuring wink. Not that it helped, when the voices of the performers started.

(AN/ I suggest listening to the song at this point).

After the rigours dance routine in the first song of the medley, the performers were now on their knees. They ended with their heads down seeming to bow at the members of the High table. However all attention moved to Merlin as he began to sing his part.

Merlin was now in the middle of the floor, having moved their during his solo. He stood in the centre and smirked at Arthur, who's mouth was wide open, with the shock that he could sing or the revelation of his magic, Merlin could not tell. He moved to the back of the group as they continued to sing.

Merlin stepped forward again after the rapping had ended, but he was now dressed in similar clothing to the rest of the performers. Black breeches and a white shirt but he had a black neckerchief on as well. He grinned widely at Gwen, all the while singing his duet.

The song ended and was accompanied by a huge round of applause. However Merlin was not interested in their gratitude, he was solely focused on the blonde king that sat expressionless in his throne. The applause died down as Merlin made his way to kneel before his king, confusion evident on everyone's faces. His head was bowed as he waited for his best friend to pass judgment on his confession.

"Rise." Merlin couldn't work out the Kings expression by his voice so he did as he was told.

He was rewarded by a smile and his heart soared, even though he hadn't explained himself yet, it gave him a confidence that Arthur would accept him.

"So, you can sing?"

"What!? That's what you got from that?" Merlin said exasperatedly. He had told us biggest secret to him and he had only picked up on the singing!

The wry smile that he got in return to his out burst made his blood boil.

"Don't be such a girl Merlin. I know that it was about your magic. I've known about it for a long time know, so I don't know why you had to make such a big song and dance about it."

The blood drained from Merlins face as he processed this information. Arthur knew. He had known and not told him!

Gwen had been surprised at Arthur's confession and was now looking slightly sheepish. He folded his arms in front of him and glared at the smug King before saying the only thing that came to mind.

"Prat."

So what did you think? Review please. :D