Sadly I don't own Merlin. It belongs to the BBC.
Sequel to 'the four Kings'
Just wanted to make clear before you start reading that I should have put in 'that four Kings.' This story doesn't carry on from the series, Balinor never died.
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it.
King Balinor turned, but instead of greeting Arthur, his eyes fell on Merlin. "Son."
Merlin frowned. "Pardon?"
"Son." the King repeated. Everyone in throne room was looking at Merlin who looked at his mother before looking back at Balinor who was smiling at Merlin.
Arthur looked from the shocked look on Merlin's face to the joyful one on King Balinor's face. "Merlin is your son?"
"Yes."
"What makes you think I am?" Merlin said. Finding his voice at last.
"You are Merlin Emrys, son of Hunith, born and raised in Ealdor?"
"I am." King Balinor's smile, if possible, got even wider.
Arthur looked at Merlin to see that him turning even more pale than usual. "Merlin I think you are best to go and get some air." Thankful that Arthur suggested it, he smiled and bowed to Arthur, then bowed to the five Kings before rushing out of the throne room with his mother hot on his heels.
"Merlin. Merlin, slow down please." Hunith said, struggling to keep up.
Merlin stopped and turned to face his mother. "Is it true? Is King Balinor my father?"
"He is."
"It was his room you were coming out of earlier wasn't it?"
"It was."
"All my life I've been asking you about my father and you refused to say anything. Why didn't you tell me he was a King?"
"He wasn't a king back then."
"But you knew that one day he would be. What a way to find out. No wonder you looked so nervous when I entered the throne room with Arthur, I just put it down to nerves of being in the same room with five Kings."
"I'm sorry Merlin."
"Just. Just leave me alone for a while." Hunith watched her son walk away. As soon as he turned a corner, Hunith leaned back against the nearest wall and started to cry.
After a few moments, she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Arthur. "Go to King Balinor's chambers Hunith, I'll find Merlin and bring him to you both. No doubt you'll want to explain."
Hunith nodded. "Thank you Arthur." Giving Hunith a reassuring smile, Arthur set off after Merlin.
Arthur walked into a room a few doors down from his chambers and saw Merlin sat on the edge of the bed with his back to him. "Merlin?"
"Yes?"
"I just wanted to see if you were alright."
"I'm fine."
"Liar. You know you have to talk to them both."
"Why? What's the point?"
"So they can explain. I found your mother and told her to go to Balinor's chambers and that you will be along shortly so that they can explain."
"Can't I just sit here and mope for a bit?"
"No. Normally I would order you to go to his chambers but-"
"But what?"
"You're a Prince now. I can't order you about anymore mate." Merlin groaned.
"Don't you want to be a Prince?"
"No. All it's going to do is change my life. And I don't want it to. I'm happy as I am."
"Tell your mother and father that then. But let them explain first." Merlin sighed and stood up. "Fine, see you later." he said as he left the room.
Merlin knocked before entering King Balinor's chambers and saw his mother sat at the table whilst Balinor was stood with his back to the window facing Merlin as he entered.
Merlin bowed his head. "Sire."
"Merlin you don't have to bow to me."
"I've been brought up to bow to royalty. I can't just stop doing something that I am used to doing."
"You don't bow to Arthur." Hunith said.
"Arthur's different, he don't look on me as a servant he looks on me as a friend."
"And I look on you as a son."
"Now you do."
"No Merlin. Always."
Merlin sighed and sat down at the table opposite his mother. "Alright. Explain."
"There is not much to explain really. Twenty three years ago, my father declared war on King Cenred's Kingdom. So me being Prince then, took my knights out to battle and promised my father victory. The war went on for almost a year. It was a tough battle and I lost many, many men. But we won. Even though we won I got separated from my men and didn't have enough strength to find them because I was injured badly."
"That's where I come in." said Hunith. "Merlin, I told you that I lost my parents at a young age. I was on my way home from visiting their graves when I came across your father. I knew he wasn't one of Cenred's men, so I decided to help him. Cenred's not a nice King as you know Merlin. I managed to get him back to my house. I nursed him and looked after him. He was unconscious for three days. But slowly, he started to get better, but he was still too weak to travel. He decided to wait until he was back to full health before leaving to go back home in case he bumped into any of Cenred's men."
"During my stay with your mother, I fell in love with her. I still love her to this day. Shortly after my return home, I received a letter from your mother telling me that she was expecting you. I visited as much as I could; I used to lie to my father about going on a hunting trip for a week and swearing my knights to secrecy."
Balinor sat down next to Merlin and looked at him. "I was there when you were born. I named you. I was so proud. I couldn't let my father know because of where Hunith lived. I kept up with my visits, but not long before your sixth birthday, my father died at it was time for me to become King. As soon as I was King I wrote and asked Hunith to come and live with me. Be my Queen."
"But I refused. I couldn't do it Merlin. You were so used to your life in Ealdor, I couldn't just move to a new Kingdom, become Queen and expect you to change your ways, so I told Balinor no and explained why." Balinor reached across the table and held Hunith's hand before speaking.
"I understood her reasons. With me being King it was an even bigger risk for me to come to Ealdor than when I was Prince, so I stopped coming. Nearly killed me doing it. But if I was spotted, I couldn't risk what would happen to you or your mother. All I could do was look out for you from afar and send money so you never struggled. Do you understand son?"
"I do."
"I understand if your mad at us both son." Balinor said looking at Merlin.
"I'm not mad. I was. But now you've explained it, I know that there was nothing that you could have done." Merlin looked at his father. "I'm guessing I get my magical talents from you."
Balinor smiled. "You do, you are looking at the last dragon Lord."
"Aren't I a dragon Lord then?"
"Not until I die. Once I die the power will be past onto you, it can only pass from Father to son."
Merlin stood up. "I'm going to go for a walk. See you later Mother." Hunith smiled.
Merlin looked at Balinor. "Father." he said before leaving.
Merlin walked out of Balinor's chambers to find Arthur stood just outside. "Eavesdropping is wrong Arthur."
"So is lying to your King about magic, yet here you are."
Merlin chuckled. "Thanks Arthur."
"What for? Are you okay now?"
"Yes."
"Morgana wants to see you." Merlin nodded before following Arthur to her chambers.
Arthur entered Morgana's chambers with Merlin and walked up to Gwen and put his arm around her.
Morgana stood up from her table and looked at Merlin who stayed at the door. "Merlin are you alright?"
"I will be in a minute." Morgana frowned. "What do you mean?"
Merlin lifted his arms up. "Hug?" Morgana rushed up and wrapped her arms around Merlin who took a deep breath. "I am now."
"Well Merlin. You might not want to be a Prince, but, you know what this means?" said Arthur.
"What's that?"
"You can have an open relationship with Morgana. My father might even want you to marry to unite our Kingdom and Balinor's."
"I'm fine with that." Merlin and Morgana said in unison causing Arthur and Gwen to laugh.
Over the next couple of days Merlin spent as much time as he could with Balinor, getting to know everything about him. Merlin told him all about his life in Ealdor, arriving at Camelot to live with Gaius who helped him with his magic. Becoming Arthur's manservant, how many times he's saved his life. How he and Morgana got together and how Arthur found out about his magic.
After the peace treaty was signed. It was time for the four Kings to return to their Kingdoms. Hunith decided to go with Balinor and return to his Kingdom with him and to marry as soon as.
On the morning of Balinor's departure, the three Kings left the day before; Balinor was talking to Merlin in the courtyard.
"Are you sure you won't come with your mother and me?"
"No father. I know that one day I am to rule, but for now, I want to stay, everything is here. My friends are here, my life, Morgana, the love of my life is here."
At this point, Morgana put her arm around him. Even though he approved of their relationship, Arthur, Morgana, Gwen and Merlin knew that Uther didn't like it, as he still saw Merlin as an idiotic manservant and still couldn't believe that Merlin was now a Prince, even though Balinor explained everything to him.
"I will come and visit. A lot. I need to get to know the ins and outs of the Kingdom I am to rule over one day."
Hunith hugged Merlin before getting on a horse. Balinor hugged his son. "Make sure that you do."
Merlin smiled. "Of course I will. I will be visiting sooner than you think. I'm not going to miss my parents wedding."
"Good. Make sure that you bring Arthur, Gwen and Morgana here along."
"We wouldn't miss it." Arthur said before dropping his voice. "At least in your Kingdom me and Guinevere can be together. Misery would never allow us to be together; unfortunately we will have to wait for me to be King. So I would be more than happy to travel with Merlin, should he ever want to visit." Balinor laughed. And shook Arthur's hand, he hugged his son one last time before getting on his horse next to Hunith.
As they started to ride away Merlin turned to Arthur. "Well that's the four Kings gone. And what was it you said to me the other day? Oh yeah, I remember. You were going to put me in the stocks. You can't now can you." he said laughing.
"No Merlin, but even though I can't make you suffer by putting you in the stocks, there is another way I can torture you."
Merlin frowned "How?"
"Well, you need to learn how to fight and you told Balinor yourself, who best to teach you then the best warrior in Camelot. Which means I will be your sparring partner, and I will not go easy."
Merlin groaned as he followed a laughing Arthur into the castle with his arm wrapped around Morgana's waist.
Hope you liked it.
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