Merlin's magic (Oneshots) 1

sleepy part 2

It appears, Merlin didn't get the hint. For someone who claimed Arthur was oblivious, Merlin surely was talking.

But let's go back to the new laws.
Because Arthur's proposal was not as well received as he had hoped.
The knights were on his side, yes. But the court wasn't made solely of knights. No. There were still some old faces that had already served his father loyally.
And Arthur would have been a fool to throw out all those people his father trusted.

"Sire, with all due respect. But we cannot have magic back in the land after persecuting their kind for more than twenty years! Do you have any idea how many enemies will take this as their chance to attack you? As soon as the law is lifted, there will be nothing left to hold them back! It will be a circle of revenge and slaughter and-"

"So you expect me to keep persecuting their kind. Keep on killing innocent people for gifts they were born with, instead of ending the circle of revenge, as you like to call it, here and now?", Arthur interrupted his own adviser Agravaine.

"You will seem weak to the people, if you stop to execute the laws! This isn't just about magic! You outright refuse executions! And you are installing a whole new system to determine laws!"

"Because I believe it is wrong that one man alone has the power to decide over life and death. I may be king, but I too am only human. I make mistakes.
I would like a chosen group of men to advise me in that manner.", Arthur nodded.

"But you HAVE an adviser!", Agravaine said, pointing to himself.

They were in court, holding a very important discussion. Merlin was standing right behind him. The news and the changes from last night were still confusing the young man. As he was fidgeting, as though he feared Arthur would kill him anyway. Somehow, suddenly change his mind.

"Yes, but you are only human too. I cannot listen to only one person. Besides, I find it rather unfair that a bunch of people decide over the fate of an entire kind, without granting them a voice."

The court was still. They were all anxious and fearful. They feared revenge. They feared attacks.

"Are you trying to tell us, you want to install a court sorcerer?"

Arthur blinked. Maybe he should have looked up that term. "I assume we had this in court, before my father's rule?"

"In fact, yes. We did. Two of them. Your father's former adviser was Nimueh, a vengeful witch whom you have met, as far as we know. As head of the knights, he had a dragon lord. A man who also kind of betrayed your father and escaped, as soon as your father had him arrested."

,kind of.'

Arthur nodded slowly. "You mean Balinor. I've met him. He saved my life."
Now that was a lie. Well not really. Balinor did save his life. He healed him a mortal wound.
But Balinor died to save his son. Balinor had a freaking son. Arthur was still awed at that new information.
Merlin had found his father, only to loose him the next day. No wonder he had been so gloom back then. And Arthur had told him not to cry.
Sometimes Arthur could be a whole bitch of a hypocrite.

"And as far as I know, I would not have been born without Nimueh. So I really don't see what those two have done to be persecuted like they were."

Agravaine gaped at him, as the whole court started whispering among themselves.

"But Nimueh -"
"She was trying to revenge herself. Yes. I am not even mad at her for that. And she is no threat anymore. She is dead. Just like Balinor. He did not deserve it though. I wish he was still alive. Not just for my conscience, but for his son's."
Merlin perked up at that. Sending Arthur a small, tired smile.