Well, here we are, the last chapter. I'm sorry this took a while, real life got in the way. Thank you so much to all of you who have read and reviewed, or even just read. It really means the world to me. Hope you like this last chapter.

"Merlin, light the fire."

Merlin bit back the retort on the tip of his tongue where he would have informed his master that he was closer to the log pile. Or more specifically than that, the log pile he had instructed his servant to build and then had refused to allow Merlin to light until he had got settled down comfortably on the furthest point from said pile. But Merlin didn't say any of that but instead began to climb to his feet.

To his surprise, Arthur's hand closed around his wrist and tugged him back down again.

"No. Light the fire."

"You mean… from here?"

"Yes Merlin, from here," Arthur drawled but Merlin could see the uncertainty dancing in his eyes. Merlin nodded, turning away slightly as if to concentrate. In all reality, it was to hide the small smile on his face. This was the first time that Arthur had ordered him to use his magic.

It had been a week since they had returned from Morgana's hut. Arthur had instantly sent the guards out and ordered Merlin to go back to Gaius and rest. Of course, Merlin had done no such thing. He had insisted on making sure Arthur got back to his own chambers safely, eventually realising the king just needed space to think when Arthur snapped at him for no reason. But rather than resting once he had made it back to Gaius', Merlin found himself up talking with the old physician for half the night. Gaius had reassured him that if Arthur was going to have him executed or even banished, then Merlin wouldn't have returned to Camelot in the first place.

While it was helpful knowing that his life wasn't about to be turned upside down again, Merlin wasn't surprised when things didn't return to ordinary. Arthur seemed jumpy and Merlin spent more than one day finding jobs on the other side of the castle in order to give the king some space. But as the week drew to a close, Merlin knew they couldn't carry on like this. He couldn't carry on not knowing whether Arthur was going to refuse to ever talk to him again or whether he just needed a little space. So he had risen early, braced himself and made it to the king's chambers, only to find Arthur already up.

The next thing he knew, the king had insisted on a hunt. But Merlin wasn't fooled. If it was a proper hunt, it wouldn't be just the two of them. Arthur also wouldn't have gone very deliberately in the opposite direction to Morgana's hut and then refused to actually stalk anything all day. But considering the request he had just made, Merlin knew this was it. This was when he found out what Arthur had been thinking for the last week.

"Bael onbryne," Merlin whispered, but he made sure Arthur heard his words. Technically speaking, he could have lit the fire with just a thought, he just wasn't certain whether Arthur was ready for that yet. The king didn't move, but Merlin saw how intently he was staring at the flames and how his hand was balled into a fist.

But he hadn't gone for his sword.

"I… I know you've only experienced the bad side of magic, Sire," Merlin said softly, feeling like this was his chance to explain. "But it can be good too. It can be beautiful."

Twisting his hand lightly in the air, Merlin let his eyes flare in the oncoming darkness and the sparks from the fire twisted themselves into a dragon for a second before dissolving again.

"It can be used to protect." He looked pointedly at Arthur as he spoke. Swallowing down his nerves, Merlin shifted until he knew Arthur had no choice but to listen to him.

"That's all I've ever used it for, Arthur. To protect you. To keep you safe when the rest of the world wanted you dead."

"You don't think I can protect myself?" There was an accusing note in Arthur's voice, but Merlin simply smiled.

"Physically, yes. It's no act that I can't hold a sword, I'm actually like that. But how can you protect yourself against something you can't see, something you can't fight? But that's okay. You protect me so I can protect you."

"I didn't though," Arthur muttered. His eyes slid past Merlin and back onto the fire. He must have sensed Merlin's frown for he continued before his servant could speak. "Protect you, I mean. I let them take you meaning I allowed Morgana to curse you."

"That was my fault, I caused the rock fall," Merlin muttered, blushing slightly. Arthur stared at him.

"Were you trying to get yourself killed?"

"No. But I was trying to keep you alive."

"You could have died!"

"And you would have died if Morgana had got her hands on you instead of me that day. She made a mistake thinking she could curse me to kill you. The snake was powerful, but it wasn't used to battling magic as strong as that that conjured it. My magic… I was born with it, Arthur. Someone once told me its reason is you. To protect you, to help you be the king you are destined to be. A snake and a curse can't go against destiny. I did what I had to in order for Camelot to still have a king."

Merlin didn't realise he had stood up while he was speaking, his hands lifting and threading through his hair as he tried to vent what he had been forced to hold back for all of these years. How could he make Arthur understand that everything he did was because he thought it was best for the king? But glancing down at Arthur, Merlin suddenly understood himself just by the look on Arthur's face.

He didn't need to make the king understand. Arthur already did. He might not like it, but Merlin knew it wasn't because of the magic. It was because Arthur hated to be seen as weak and in need of help from any source, not just because it was magic and from his servant.

"I would have died, I would have killed myself before I let my magic hurt you. That's not who I am, Arthur, and that is not who I am ever going to be. You can trust me."

"Merlin?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up, would you?" Merlin could only gape at his master for a moment. The surprise turned to relief when he realised there was a teasing grin on Arthur's face and that the king was meeting his eyes properly for the first time in a week. Merlin gave a shaky laugh as he stared at him. He knew that look meant. He knew why they were out here alone rather than Arthur insisting guards accompany them. Arthur had truly accepted his magic. Settling himself back down on the floor, Merlin felt like he could breathe easy for the first time in months.

Silence fell between the two friends, but it was an easy one for the first time in a while. Merlin suddenly realised it felt like an age since they had last been able to do this. Had it really only been a few days that he was under the influence of the curse for?

"Arthur, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I should have done something to stop her from getting close enough to get that thing in my neck. I could have done, I'm more powerful than her… I think."

"Well that's reassuring. Merlin, I've been thinking about this a lot and well, everything happens for a reason. If you had fought her off, I would have never have found out about Aggravaine. I would never have found out about you."

Merlin felt the fondness tugging at him again. While it was beneficial to have Aggravaine out of the way, there had been something else in Arthur's voice then. Almost a hope for the future. And he clearly intended for Merlin to be part of that future, gifts and all. Was Arthur right? Had almost been forced to kill his destiny been what was needed to bring about the creation of Albion.

"How did you end up in the hut?" Merlin suddenly blurted out, his mind jolting from the thoughts of magic as he realised he didn't actually know. Aggravaine had taken him, yet how had Arthur got there? Even in the dim firelight, Merlin had to smirk when he saw the distinct blush spread across Arthur's cheeks.

"He must have sent word to Morgana already somehow. I remember riding out of the city, thinking about whether I should have got the others or not. I think I reached the forest, then something pulled me from my horse. I woke up in the hut."

"She could have killed you."

"She didn't." Merlin opened his mouth to argue, wondering how Arthur could be so dismissive over just how many times he could have died. Arthur held up a hand and Merlin found himself respecting the action for the first time ever.

"She didn't kill me and that is what you have to focus on."

"But…"

"Damnit, Merlin, how many people have had the chance to kill me? How many have failed because luck was on my side that day? If you thought like that, I'd never be able to leave the castle and… What are you smiling about?"

"Nothing. Just… it would make the whole protecting you thing easier if you couldn't leave," Merlin murmured, automatically ducking as Arthur threw a twig at his head in retaliation.

"I don't need you to protect me, Merlin."

"No?"

"No."

"You know that luck you were just talking about?" Merlin didn't say anything more, he just watched as understanding began to dawn on Arthur. He was expecting some flippant response. What he wasn't expecting, however, was for Arthur to go pale.

"That was you?" The king whispered and Merlin was sure Arthur's voice was trembling. He frowned in concern.

"Yes. I told you; I'm going to be at your side, protecting you. I meant it, Arthur. I still do. It's my destiny to protect you."

"So if you hadn't arrived in Camelot…"

"Yes, you'd be dead. But you can't think like that, Arthur, you've just said so yourself. Besides, if I hadn't arrived in Camelot… Who knows, maybe things would be better?"

"Don't say that." Merlin hadn't truly meant anything by his words. But he couldn't help but wonder if things would have been better if he had never arrived. Morgana might not be who she was now if it wasn't for him. Either that or things would be worse, he knew there was no way of telling. But Arthur's voice was sharp and reprimanding and Merlin smiled before he could stop himself. The king busied himself with shifting on the ground so he didn't have to look at Merlin, but his servant knew exactly what those words meant. Despite their constant arguing, Arthur was glad he was around. Considering the way he had said it as well, it meant that he still thought it, despite the secrets that he had found out.

"Would you have ever told me about Aggravaine?" Arthur asked after a moments silence and Merlin found himself thinking hard. In the end, he settled on honesty, knowing there had been enough lies.

"I don't know. You trusted him, you needed him so badly, especially after… well, with your father. I didn't want to take that away from you." Merlin left the "again" unsaid. He didn't yet feel ready for Arthur to know that he was the sorcerer who had tried to heal Uther. He knew it wasn't his fault the late-king had died, but he still felt guilty. If he had just been more honest with Arthur then, maybe they would already be on the way to accepting magic.

"How did you find out?"

"I didn't know for sure until now," Merlin murmured, thinking back over the last few months since the king's uncle had arrived. "But there were too many plans going wrong. I knew there was a traitor, again. But I guess it was partly what happened with Annis. He goaded you until killing that king, he knew the outcome. I knew then he didn't wish anything well of Camelot and everything just fell into place."

Merlin trailed off, seeing that Arthur was thinking it over. Giving the king time to brood, Merlin stood and went to the horses. He had a feeling Arthur had been planning to spend the night away from the castle, and so had packed accordingly. It had been a hard trip to pack for, as the warlock hadn't been entirely certain he would be returning from it. But now he felt guilty for underestimating Arthur like that. He knew it wasn't his fault, however. Arthur seemed to go from one extreme to another in his attitude towards magic and Merlin knew their friendship meant as much to the king as it did to him. Not that he would ever tell Arthur that, however, and he knew Arthur would never let the words dare cross his lips either. But the king had come out here, alone and knowingly riding into danger, more than once in order to try and save his servant.

It was true what they said about actions speaking louder than words.

Merlin busied himself with setting up camp, laying out the bedrolls and beginning to get things together in order to cook dinner. Arthur had caught a rabbit early on in the day and Merlin realised now it had been deliberate. The king had been making sure they had dinner, even if his heart wasn't truly in the hunt. Leaving some space between the two of them, Merlin set to work preparing the food. A contemplative Arthur he could deal with. A hungry and thinking king, however, was more than a match for even the most powerful sorcerer.

"Merlin?"

"Yes, Sire?"

"Is that it? Are there any more secrets?" Images of Uther dying once again swam before his mind's eye, but Merlin shook his head.

"No more secrets. There are things that I haven't yet told you, and don't ask me too yet either. I want to say it's because you're not ready, but… I think I'm not ready either. This is as strange for me as it is for you. My whole life I've had to hide who I am and just talking about it like this… It's a lot to take in." To Merlin's relief, he saw Arthur nod in the dim firelight.

"Good," Arthur murmured, his voice barely audible and Merlin knew he had done the right thing. Arthur wasn't ready to hear more just yet and Merlin knew that let him off the hook for now in regards to telling the king precisely everything that had happened since he had arrived in Camelot. There was too much blood on Merlin's hands for it to be an easy conversation.

"I can't lift the law."

"I know."

"I mean, I will. But I can't yet. So far you are the one exception to the rule and I just can't take that chance."

Merlin nodded quietly. He had known that nothing was really going to change, Arthur was still trying to win people over as a king. To throw in a twist like that could very well end his reign and Merlin had worked too hard to get Arthur to where he was now to have it all destroyed because of him. But the fact that Arthur had even hinted at things changing in the future was enough for Merlin to know that everything was going to work out alright.

"But if we're… well, in my chambers, or out here… I… what I mean to say is…" If Merlin wasn't holding his breath to see where the end of this sentence was going, he would have found it almost endearing the way Arthur was struggling to express himself. When it came to anger or annoyance, the king had many ways to vent his emotions. But when it came to matters of the heart, it was as if the words got lodged in his throat.

"Just don't get caught, alright?" Arthur ended gruffly, standing up and beginning to patrol the edge of their camp. Merlin thought it better to let him work off some energy rather than telling him he had already set up magical alarms. He was not ready for another attack just yet, and neither was his king. But if he was honest, Merlin wasn't paying much attention to what the king was now doing, he was thinking back at what Arthur had just said.

Not to get caught.

That meant he was basically giving him permission to use magic as long as he wouldn't be seen. Something told Merlin Arthur didn't mean it that straightforward either. He could get caught by their friends if Merlin thought they would react well. What Arthur meant – and Merlin was sure he was right because he had come to learn Arthur's cryptic sentences rather well over the years – was not to get caught by anyone who would make trouble for them if they found out the true nature of the king's servant.

"Food's ready," Merlin called after a while. He thought it was best to just let Arthur pace and work off any emotion he might be feeling. In a way, it had been quite nice for him to be able to just sit and think as well. Arthur glanced over, but then came back to the fire and sat down next to his servant. Merlin handed him the bowl.

"Thank you."

For a second, Merlin could only blink. Arthur never said thank you. Then he saw the sincerity on the man's face and he smiled, dipping his head in acknowledgement. Arthur wasn't thanking him for the stew, but for everything.

Merlin couldn't ask for anything more.