Please Don't Say That

"Im entirely to blame," Arthur muttered. "My father spent twenty years fighting magic, to think I knew better... I was so arrogant. That arrogance cost my father his life."
"You were only doing what you thought was right, I'm sure that that old sorcerer meant no harm. Perhaps the spell went wrong, Uther was dying. Maybe nothing could've saved him," Merlin tried explaining.
"We will never know. All I know for sure is I've lost both my parents to magic. It is pure evil. I'll never lose sight of that again," Arthur said, a broken finality in his voice.
Merlin looked at the ground.
"Please don't say that," he whispered.
Arthur looked at him. "What?"
Merlin's eyes met Arthur's as he shouted, "Please don't say that! For, if that is true then you should have me slaughtered her and now." Merlin dropped to his knees, tears rolling down his face. "I cannot go on if I believe you will never trust me fully, because you can never truly know me."
Arthur rose from his chair to approach Merlin.
"Merlin, what are you on about?" Though Arthur thought he knew.
Merlin's eyes followed Arthur's face as he approached.
"I was born with magic," Merlin admitted, a defeated laugh escaping his lips. "I was born with magic for the sole purpose of protecting you! But how can I defend someone if I am busy being hunted and killed by that same man."
They stayed in silence for a few moments.
"So just... kill me already. I'm tired of hiding," Merlin said, finally breaking the silence and no longer willing to meet Arthur's eyes.
"Merlin I..." Arthur was at a loss. Why hadn't Merlin just tried to help his father instead? Perhaps if Merlin had done it his father would still be alive.
"Just for the record," Merlin began speaking, "the spell went wrong because Morgana placed a charm on your father. That-that old wizard really meant to help..."
Arthur kneeled in front of his friend and servant. He reached a hand out to the fists placed in front of the other man.
"Merlin, I won't kill you. You... you are my closest friend. I cannot believe you have had to sit back and watch as so many of your own were mistrusted and slaughtered by the hands of my father. Though I will not speak ill of him tonight, I know in my heart of hearts that what he did was wrong. Those people... so many of them were too young and too innocent. I'm sorry you had to hide this from me."
Merlin sobbed as he fell into Arthur's arms. Arthur supported the weight of his small friend easily.
"I truly believe that you are going to be the best king in Camelot's history, Arthur," Merlin managed to choke out as he cried.
So they cried together. One grieving the loss of a father, the other celebrating the freedom of his people. Both were being comforted by their best friend.