The Redemption Arc (A BBC's Merlin Fanfiction)

Chapter 13

I highly recommend you restart the instrumental for this chapter if the video ends before you're done with the chapter.

"Gwen?" Merlin called out, and he knocked again. He heard a bustling sound inside, and he looked at Arthur, who shrugged. Merlin felt more hopeful now than he had in a long time, with Arthur by his side, about to tell his best friend his biggest secret. After a week of being incredibly busy, last night had been particularly hard, Arthur could barely face Merlin. He thought he was rather hurt Merlin didn't tell him sooner. It did not earn him any brownie points when he disclosed the fact that Lancelot had known from day one. He finally had to bind Arthur to his chair mid-dinner (again, not exactly pleasing him) and force him to listen.

"I couldn't have told you any sooner, you understand that right?" Merlin had asked, forcing Arthur to look at him. 

"I wasn't complaining. I wasn't even thinking about that," Arthur childishly denied. 

"Oh, please," Merlin scoffed. "You aren't even looking at me in the eye."

"Well, I am Crown Prince, Merlin. I do have other things to do than looking you in the eye."

Merlin sighed, exasperated. "I have to tell Gwen and I need you to be there. I don't know what I'm going to do."

Then Arthur did look at him. "You told me just fine."

"I didn't have much of a choice back then. I'm volunteering information here."

Arthur had shrugged. 

And then twelve hours later, they were at Gwen's, waiting for her to open the damn door. Merlin stood next to Arthur, drinking in the heartwarming familiarity of this situation wherein he was who he was, and Arthur knew, and Arthur didn't try to kill him for it. In fact, he was getting away rather easily with cheeky comments and rebellious actions that he wouldn't have before. And he had thought about the way Arthur had been behaving ever since he knew. He sought his counsel more often, talked casually more often, joked and cursed more often. And he understood.

Arthur saw him as his equal now.

Had it been anybody else, Merlin would have suspected that it was the power that came along with magic that made them respect him more. But with Arthur, it was something entirely different. It went against his nature, his entire upbringing to associate himself with a sorcerer and yet here he was, knowingly or unknowingly giving him strength to be more himself than he had ever been. 

Within another moment, the door was pulled open sharply and Gwen's head popped out of a narrow crack. She smiled widely immediately. "Merlin! Arthur! What brings you here so early in the morning?" 

She threw the door open and welcomed them in. Merlin hugged her and stepped back. Arthur bent to kiss her on the cheek and at this point she was grinning. Merlin took in a deep breath.

"Did you need something?" Gwen asked again, and Merlin and Arthur looked at each other.

"You might want to sit down for this one," Arthur suggested, and Gwen raised an eyebrow.

***

As Merlin waited that evening for a painfully long dinner to be done with, he realized how fortunate he had been in having Gwen as a friend. She was incredibly wise and mature, braver and stronger than anyone could've imagined. 

Gaius quirked an eyebrow at Merlin. "Surely you could at least pretend to be present here if you will not tell me what's on your mind?"

Merlin grinned apologetically. "Sorry. It's a lot of things, really. Ever since I told Arthur about... you know, I've just felt so free. So relieved. So my mind's kind of let loose."