Mostly because dead people don't talk back

6: Divulge

It's the sort of thing that makes you want to scream at your best friend and slap them. It's the sort of thing you brute force a friend to do. Well sometimes, a good friend forces you to do something.

Anyway, Lance had enough of the secrets. Merlin could tell one more person.

Of similar character to how Gwaine would do it, Lance burst into Merlin's room. "You know what?"

Reading a hefty section on the Sphinx, magic of riddles, and tales thereof, Merlin took the opportunity to stop reading the one paragraph he had been trying to understand for too long. It wasn't like he'd meet one soon.

"What?" The tome slapped shut, thudding off of Merlin's lap and onto the bed.

"I think you should tell someone else about your magic."

The servant gaped. What. The. HE–  

"And, you know who should know?" Lance stood in a way that was... serious. He wasn't gesticulating but talking nevertheless with fervor.

Merlin shoved off of the bed, still wincing a bit at his torso. They shouldn't even be talking about magic, and the door was still open! The door was open! "What." He said this in confusion, and in no understanding of the words that his ear had heard.

"Guinevere." Who else?

Merlin was kinda affronted. Wait—what? "Gwen?"

"Gwen should know."

"Gwen!?"

Holding pacifying hands out, Lancelot continued to explain. "She wouldn't rat you out. She would protect you and probably help you out of numerous things! Just like she has without knowing about it." Also, the more the merrier to help cover up schemes that they'd get into... and somehow, she already did that too.

Oh, to put your friends in danger for the greater good. What a lifestyle, really. But, thankfully, Merlin had a heart to not do that too much... too big of a heart to not let them help at all sometimes. Sometimes was too much.

"She would– she would be betraying, lying to Arthur if I told her." Merlin pointed out the obvious as if Lancelot hadn't thought about this in his own situation. "I wouldn't want her to choose between that or protecting me-" He waved his hands and rushed them through his hair. The thought of more people going behind Arthur's back was an anxious and guilt-ridden one.

"That doesn't matter, she was your best friend first." Lance shut his mouth in a solid way before continuing his last point. "And protecting you means you can protect Arthur. Gwen does both. You wouldn't have it any other way after all."

"Protecting Arthur? I want to do that and protect Gwen! Not thinking about betrayal, letting her know would endanger her just as it has you and others!"

Lance didn't deflate, though it looked like he understood something more about his friend. He set a hand on Merlin's shoulder to look directly at him. "I want to protect you and stay by your side despite what dangers there are doing so. Don't you think Gwen is owed that? The choice of standing by you?"

It was a silence that could only be described as sticky, like honey dripping from a jar and adhering to every available surface. Merlin swallowed, accepting the brunt of the information.  

"I- I'll think about it."

As if divulging another secret, he leaned in. "You better tell her by the end of the fortnight, or I ask Gwaine to do it...if he wasn't already going to. I know you don't want Gwaine to tell her, but do you really want someone other than you to tell your best friend about your life's secret?" He paused to let it set in. "It's not mine to tell, but if I have to.. you know I will."