Merlin and the Observatory

Secrets of a Warlock - Part 2

The two men switched paint colours and continued on with their masterpiece, or so they called it.

Arthur being Arthur was dying to know more from Merlin, he turned to look at the other man who was just outlining the citadel of Camelot on the wall when another rapid-fire thought crossed his mind. Did Merlin help to raise Eldon? He must have done, surely. He knew Merlin too well. It would be silly to ask.
He decided to ask anyway, in case that tiny shred of doubt in his mind were true.

"I assume you were there for Eldon too, along with the knights?" Arthur stated as he started to fill in the colour of the castle.
"Of course, you prat. I would've gone back sooner if I had known. But Gaius never mentioned him to me in our letters."
"That was odd of Gaius."
"I thought the same until he told me why."

Without a word from Arthur, Merlin got the impression that he wanted him to carry on. Merlin was slightly worried that letting Arthur know everything in one sitting might be too much for him. But Merlin knew that Arthur knew his own mind. If he wanted him to tell him more, damn right he was going to do it.

"He told me he knew I needed to stay away from Camelot for a bit. Just to get my head together, you know. I won't lie to you, Arthur. I wouldn't have been a great mentor to him if I'd gone back straight away. I was in a bad way."

Arthur gave an understanding nod to his friend. He tried to picture the state Merlin would've been in after he died, burying the thought almost instantly, not wanting to imagine it anymore. He thought that Merlin made the right decision in staying away for a little while.

He decided to talk about something a little lighter. "So, when you went back, you became a mentor to him?"

"Yeah, Gwen made sure Eldon had plenty of mentors. The knights and I were only too keen to be involved." After finishing his sentence, Arthur noticed Merlin smile. It was a one-sided smile that only went to one corner of his mouth, like a devious little smirk. "But a mentor to Eldon was not all that I became."

"Oh really? Let me guess, Guinevere's advisor?"
"Not by title, but that was one of my jobs."
"Member of the council?"
"Try again, my Lord."
Arthur wracked his brain, then thought of the idea he had earlier. Thinking he had this in the bag.
"Court Physician." Arthur said, thinking he'd won.
"Court Sorcerer, actually." Merlin said in an all too casual voice.

Arthur nearly dropped the paintbrush he was holding. After finding his composure, he mentally scolded himself again. How the hell hadn't he thought of that?
"Court Sorcerer!? You became the..." Arthur couldn't formulate his words properly, which Merlin picked up on.

"Yep. When I went back, Gwen and the knights proposed the idea. They knew about me after Camlann." Merlin decided to continue on as he knew Arthur would just keep asking him to anyway. "I didn't know at first if it was the right thing to do, I kept thinking about what you would've wanted."
"Merlin...you idiot...of course I would've wanted that for you!" Defiantly expressed Arthur, who had turned once again to face Merlin.
"That's what we thought, Sire. Idiot and all."
"I can't believe I missed that."

Arthur tried to imagine what the ceremony would have been like to officially introduce Merlin as the Court Sorcerer. He imagined that Guinevere made sure it was a worthy ceremony, one to remember. After all, he knew how close she and Merlin were. He could see Leon and Percival sat near the front watching proudly as Merlin was formally made into a member of the Court alongside Gaius and of course Guinevere. He knew in his heart as well that Gwaine, Elyan and Lancelot would've been proud too. Gwaine was not one to miss out on a celebration under any circumstance.
Then Arthur put two and two together and realised something big. If Merlin became the Court Sorcerer, that must have meant that the magic ban was lifted.