Learning the Truth
Author: sidhe_faerie
Title: Learning the Truth
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Merlin/Morgana, Arthur/Gwen
Character/s: Lancelot, Gaius, Braden
Summary: Arthur learns the truth about Merlin.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 1016
Prompt: 229 Learning
Author's Notes: Magick, Destiny and Doom #20
Learning the Truth
It was sunset on the third day when the group arrived at Camelot. Arthur and several guards were waiting in the courtyard to meet them.
“I see you brought me a present.” Arthur folded his arms and looked at Lancelot. “Hello Morgana. Where did you find her?”
“She was waiting for us at the Dark Tower, Sire.” Lancelot glanced back at Merlin. “She and Merlin had some catching up to do.”
“Arthur we need to talk to you.” Merlin stepped forward and moved Morgana behind him. “It’s important.”
“You can talk to me after she is put in a cell.” Arthur motioned for the guards to take Morgana.
“Merlin, I told you this would happen.” Morgana clung to merlin’s hand as the guards pulled her away from the group.
“Don’t fight them. I will talk to him and we will get this all cleared up.” Merlin faced Arthur. “Sire, I require an audience.”
“I would say so. In my chambers, all of you, now!” Arthur turned and led the way inside to his chambers.
Gwen was waiting in Arthur’s chambers when they arrived. “Why are you sending Morgana to the dungeon?”
“She has magick and she must be punished for my father’s death. Arthur pulled off his sword and laid it on the table.
“Morgana wasn’t the one who killed Uther.” Merlin spoke up.
“Then who did it? The faeries?” Arthur jaw tightened. “We found her dagger. You were there. You saw it yourself.”
“It was Morgause. She knew we would think it was Morgana when we saw the dagger. She was setting her up.” Merlin stood his ground. “Gaius heard her confession right before she died.”
Arthur looked at Gaius. “Is what he’s saying true?”
“Yes Sire.” Gaius stepped forward. “It seems that Morgause was the one pulling all the strings. She made a full confession.”
“So you’re telling me that Morgana doesn’t have magick?” Arthur asked.
“She has magick but I don’t believe she meant any harm to you or Uther.” Gaius said. “Arthur, she is your sister.”
“I know.” Arthur sighed. “But the law is the law.”
“You sound like your father now.” Gwen stood toe to toe with Arthur. “I thought you were better than he was. I thought you had a good heart.”
Arthur sighed. “Guinevere…”
“Don’t you dare!” Gwen’s eyes flashed with anger. “They are telling you that Morgana didn’t kill Uther. Listen to them. Killing her won’t bring that cruel old man back.”
“If I let her live then I would have to lift the ban on magick.” Arthur put his hands on her shoulders only to have them pushed off.
“How many people must you kill to before you see sense?” Gwen turned and walked to the window. “When will you learn to show mercy?”
“If you kill Morgana, then you will have to kill everyone in this room as well.” Merlin glanced at Lancelot. “We have all harbored a sorcerer or two at one time.”
“Merlin, what are you talking about?” Arthur was confused. “No one in this room intentionally hid Morgana’s magick from me.”
“I did.” Gaius stepped forward. “I knew she had magick when she was a child. Will I be burned beside her?”
Arthur shook his head.
“Morgana isn’t the only one that he has hidden from you and Uther.” Merlin looked at Gaius. “He has hidden me as well.”
Gwen turned away from the window and stared at Merlin.
Arthur laughed. “You don’t have magick, Merlin.”
Merlin held out his hand and a ball of fire formed in his palm. “Yes I do.”
Braden stepped forward and conjured a fire ball in his hand as well. “As do I, Sire.”
Gaius sighed and waved his hand lighting the candles in the room. “It seems you are going to need a lot of wood, Sire.”
“Lancelot?” Arthur looked at the knight expecting him to show off some magickal skill as well.
“No but I’ve known about Merlin’s magick almost since I came to Camelot.” Lancelot took a breath. “I guess that means I burn as well.”
Arthur ran his hand through his hair. “All this time. How did you hide it from me all this time?”
“Are you telling me that you really didn’t know?” Merlin closed his hand putting out the fireball. “I did spells and enchantments right under your nose. How could you not know?”
“I suspected it.” Gwen said quietly from behind Arthur. “You healed my father.”
Arthur looked down at the floor. “If I lift the ban, Camelot will become a target.”
“More than it is already?” Merlin looked at Arthur. “Most of the sorcerers attack because they are treated unfairly. Not everyone with magick is evil. It can be used for good. I have used my magick to protect you since I became your manservant. I will continue to protect you until my last breath. Do you not realize how afraid I have been all this time? I have been in fear of the day when you realized the truth.”
Arthur bit his lip. “Merlin, I could never harm you or Gaius.”
“But you can harm your own sister?” Merlin countered.
“One of the hardest things that a good king must learn is when to show mercy.” Gaius put his hand on Merlin’s shoulder. “I think you are learning that lesson right now.”
Arthur nodded. “You are sure it was Morgause that killed Uther?”
“Yes.” Gaius nodded. “I will tell you everything as soon as you release Morgana. There is much to tell.”
Arthur looked at Lancelot. “Go release her from the cell and bring her to me. I will have questions to ask her, I’m sure.”
Lancelot bowed and rushed out the door.
“Thank you, My Lord.” Merlin bowed his head.
Arthur looked at the three sorcerers in the room. “Keep your magick hidden until I lift the ban. I do not need the Council to think I have been enchanted.” He pointed at Braden. “You! Go report to Sir Leon. He has been waiting for your return.”
Braden left the room and closed the door behind him.
Title: Learning the Truth
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Merlin/Morgana, Arthur/Gwen
Character/s: Lancelot, Gaius, Braden
Summary: Arthur learns the truth about Merlin.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 1016
Prompt: 229 Learning
Author's Notes: Magick, Destiny and Doom #20
Learning the Truth
It was sunset on the third day when the group arrived at Camelot. Arthur and several guards were waiting in the courtyard to meet them.
“I see you brought me a present.” Arthur folded his arms and looked at Lancelot. “Hello Morgana. Where did you find her?”
“She was waiting for us at the Dark Tower, Sire.” Lancelot glanced back at Merlin. “She and Merlin had some catching up to do.”
“Arthur we need to talk to you.” Merlin stepped forward and moved Morgana behind him. “It’s important.”
“You can talk to me after she is put in a cell.” Arthur motioned for the guards to take Morgana.
“Merlin, I told you this would happen.” Morgana clung to merlin’s hand as the guards pulled her away from the group.
“Don’t fight them. I will talk to him and we will get this all cleared up.” Merlin faced Arthur. “Sire, I require an audience.”
“I would say so. In my chambers, all of you, now!” Arthur turned and led the way inside to his chambers.
Gwen was waiting in Arthur’s chambers when they arrived. “Why are you sending Morgana to the dungeon?”
“She has magick and she must be punished for my father’s death. Arthur pulled off his sword and laid it on the table.
“Morgana wasn’t the one who killed Uther.” Merlin spoke up.
“Then who did it? The faeries?” Arthur jaw tightened. “We found her dagger. You were there. You saw it yourself.”
“It was Morgause. She knew we would think it was Morgana when we saw the dagger. She was setting her up.” Merlin stood his ground. “Gaius heard her confession right before she died.”
Arthur looked at Gaius. “Is what he’s saying true?”
“Yes Sire.” Gaius stepped forward. “It seems that Morgause was the one pulling all the strings. She made a full confession.”
“So you’re telling me that Morgana doesn’t have magick?” Arthur asked.
“She has magick but I don’t believe she meant any harm to you or Uther.” Gaius said. “Arthur, she is your sister.”
“I know.” Arthur sighed. “But the law is the law.”
“You sound like your father now.” Gwen stood toe to toe with Arthur. “I thought you were better than he was. I thought you had a good heart.”
Arthur sighed. “Guinevere…”
“Don’t you dare!” Gwen’s eyes flashed with anger. “They are telling you that Morgana didn’t kill Uther. Listen to them. Killing her won’t bring that cruel old man back.”
“If I let her live then I would have to lift the ban on magick.” Arthur put his hands on her shoulders only to have them pushed off.
“How many people must you kill to before you see sense?” Gwen turned and walked to the window. “When will you learn to show mercy?”
“If you kill Morgana, then you will have to kill everyone in this room as well.” Merlin glanced at Lancelot. “We have all harbored a sorcerer or two at one time.”
“Merlin, what are you talking about?” Arthur was confused. “No one in this room intentionally hid Morgana’s magick from me.”
“I did.” Gaius stepped forward. “I knew she had magick when she was a child. Will I be burned beside her?”
Arthur shook his head.
“Morgana isn’t the only one that he has hidden from you and Uther.” Merlin looked at Gaius. “He has hidden me as well.”
Gwen turned away from the window and stared at Merlin.
Arthur laughed. “You don’t have magick, Merlin.”
Merlin held out his hand and a ball of fire formed in his palm. “Yes I do.”
Braden stepped forward and conjured a fire ball in his hand as well. “As do I, Sire.”
Gaius sighed and waved his hand lighting the candles in the room. “It seems you are going to need a lot of wood, Sire.”
“Lancelot?” Arthur looked at the knight expecting him to show off some magickal skill as well.
“No but I’ve known about Merlin’s magick almost since I came to Camelot.” Lancelot took a breath. “I guess that means I burn as well.”
Arthur ran his hand through his hair. “All this time. How did you hide it from me all this time?”
“Are you telling me that you really didn’t know?” Merlin closed his hand putting out the fireball. “I did spells and enchantments right under your nose. How could you not know?”
“I suspected it.” Gwen said quietly from behind Arthur. “You healed my father.”
Arthur looked down at the floor. “If I lift the ban, Camelot will become a target.”
“More than it is already?” Merlin looked at Arthur. “Most of the sorcerers attack because they are treated unfairly. Not everyone with magick is evil. It can be used for good. I have used my magick to protect you since I became your manservant. I will continue to protect you until my last breath. Do you not realize how afraid I have been all this time? I have been in fear of the day when you realized the truth.”
Arthur bit his lip. “Merlin, I could never harm you or Gaius.”
“But you can harm your own sister?” Merlin countered.
“One of the hardest things that a good king must learn is when to show mercy.” Gaius put his hand on Merlin’s shoulder. “I think you are learning that lesson right now.”
Arthur nodded. “You are sure it was Morgause that killed Uther?”
“Yes.” Gaius nodded. “I will tell you everything as soon as you release Morgana. There is much to tell.”
Arthur looked at Lancelot. “Go release her from the cell and bring her to me. I will have questions to ask her, I’m sure.”
Lancelot bowed and rushed out the door.
“Thank you, My Lord.” Merlin bowed his head.
Arthur looked at the three sorcerers in the room. “Keep your magick hidden until I lift the ban. I do not need the Council to think I have been enchanted.” He pointed at Braden. “You! Go report to Sir Leon. He has been waiting for your return.”
Braden left the room and closed the door behind him.