The answer wasn't what Kaden was expecting. Not that he was sure what he'd been expecting— for Merlin to brush him off, probably. Nothing you could imagine, kid or something. But Merlin had started telling a story, and not a bullshitting self-aggrandizing story but one that sounded true, and the bit about Arthur made Kaden hold himself like, really still, staring at an olive tree and waiting for the surge of heat to pass through him, hoping that none of it forced its way out through his eyes. It passed, safe enough, though he felt a little different in its wake, and Kaden breathed out and sat down on the end of the bench.
"Dunno why I came here," he said, after a moment to make sure none of the feeling had got stuck like a lump in his throat to crack his voice. "So, maybe I did?"