Truth under spell (Merthur)

chapter 9: day 2-what he doesnt know

Verliy i say onto thou. Look upon thy field in which my fucks are grown. And BEHOLD! IT IS BARREN!
That what i said to my friend when she cursed me about the last chapter.
.
.i am not sorry.
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They both stared at each other, neither moving. Merlin was scared, he just blurted out he can't lie and that he had magic. To the prince whose father kills people like him. People who practice magic. He believes that he was dead. That the man he loved was going to kill him. Was going to go tell the king he was a magic user and then he would die. He will never fulfill his destiny.

Before he knew it tears started to fall down his eyes. His breathing stuttered and he let out a wounded sound. He was full on crying now. Which seemed to snap Arthur out of his bewilderment. He reached out to grab at Merlin's shoulder. "Merlin."

He didn't know why but his head keep screaming, "run! Get away! You can't die. Not yet! RUN!" So that's what he did.
Merlin slapped Arthur's hand away from him. He stepped back and tripped. Falling into the changing screen. With a loud crash and the sound of the screen breaking, Merlin hit the floor. The pain from the burns and the bruising flared up and he knew the bandages became loose. Which reminded him that he needed to change them. At the most inconvenient time.

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled concerned for his servant. He stepped towards him. Still crying and panicking Merlin didn't hear the worry in Arthur's voice. Merlin crawled backwards until his back met the bed. His injuries protesting his movements. He sobbed from both the physical and mental pain.

"Please, don't. Please Arthur don't...don't tell your father. Please. I would never hurt you. I swear. Not with magic ever. Please don't hurt me." Merlin cried and begged. His head laying on his knees from where he pulled his legs up to his chest. His fingers buried in his hair.
...

Arthur's heart broke. From the sounds he was making. Ugly sobs, with hiccups, and from the fact that Merlin thinks he would ever hurt him.

"Merlin," Arthur said as he kneeled down and grabbed his hands and pulled them from his head. Merlin gave no fight this time. A soft, quiet please being released from his mouth.

"Merlin. Listen to me."

Merlin shook his head and keep saying please over and over again.

"Merlin!" Still, he wasn't listening. Arthur breathed in and just blurted what he wanted to say out.

"Merls, I already knew!"

Everything stopped. The sobs, the hiccups, the mantra of pleases. Merlin looked up and stared Arthur in the eyes. His face red and puffy from the hysterical crying.

"Wh... what?"

"I already knew," Arthur said again.
Holding Merlin's hands. "Not about the truth whatever, don't bloody know what that's about, but about your magic. You can say spells behind someone only so many times before they eventually hear you."

Merlin stared. "You knew? You know, wait when did you....why didn't you say anything?"

"Well, I guessed when the wind mysteriously came in and destroyed the avank." Arthur said letting go of Merlin's hands and sitting down in front of him on the floor. Merlin let his hands fall silently to his side. The palms resting against the sun warmed floor.
"But I knew for sure when you and your mom was talking about it when I was right outside the door."

Merlin looked at Arthur stunned. "But...you didn't say anything."

Arthur smiled. "At the time I was conflicted. My emotions and my loyalty to my father was at war with each other. I didn't know what to do. If I turned you in, I lose you. But if I don't then I'm betraying him. In the end I decided you have never done anything against the kingdom or the royal family, so I let you be. Even if it went against what my father stood for but my mind has long been changed from his views."
Arthur leaned forward and placed a hand on Merlin's shoulder.
"And as for why I never said anything. I believed you would tell me. When you were ready for me to know."