A/N:

Welcome! Glad you've decided to give this a read! :) This fic is to satisfy a plot bunny that's distracting me from plugging away at my Nanowrimo-novel-still-under-construction…anyway, I'd love to hear feedback not just on this story but on my writing style (and especially dialogue), so that I can apply that to my other writings-in-process. I'm excited to share this story with you and eager to learn from you along the way as I strive to continuously improve as a storyteller.

Rating/Warnings:/span T for action sequences/injuries; no slash, no smut, no language (a total of 5 mild profanities in this 100k+ word fic)

Summary: Uther hears that Arthur is the Once-and-Future-King of prophecy, destined to join Emrys in returning magic to Camelot. Uther declares Arthur a traitor, forcing him to flee Camelot with Merlin. The catch? Arthur has no idea who Emrys is, let alone any desire to fulfill the prophecy. Merlin is pretty sure this destiny business just got a whole lot more complicated. AU starting from 2x07. Eventual reveal!fic; slow-burn Mergana & Arwen.

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone or anything plot-wise that you might recognize within this entire fic. I write it purely for fun and to get the plot bunny to leave me in peace!

Acknowledgments: Cover art by the incredibly talented AlexandarCho, used with permission. Check out the original, entitled "So you wanna play with magic?" along with the rest of AlexandarCho's work on deviantART!

Chapter 1: The Witchfinder

"Can you smell it?" Aredian growled as he strode the length of the great hall and approached the king. "Can you smell it?" He shouted, letting the words echo off the high ceilings and stone walls of the throne room. Merlin, standing to the side of Arthur's throne, flinched slightly at the venom dripping in the man's voice. Gaius had warned him about Aredian. The man had been in the room for less than five minutes and already Merlin could see Gaius' warnings had not been exaggerated.

"Smell what?" Uther asked in concern as he rose from his throne to greet the witchfinder he had summoned.

"The stench of sorcery. Even now," Aredian surveyed the gathered courtiers with piercing, cold eyes, "it pervades your kingdom—even corrupting those closest to you."

"What do you mean?" asked Uther, his voice stern.

"I was already on my way here when I received your summons. I have come to root out the traitor and expose the sorcery so close to your throne."

Merlin swallowed thickly, glancing at Morgana out of the corner of his eye. She had visibly paled at that statement. We both think he's talking about us…and maybe he is.

"Then you must begin your investigations immediately. My men are at your service for whatever assistance you may require."

"My investigations are already complete," Aredian replied with chilling smile. He raised his voice again for the benefit of the assembled crowd. "All that remains is to call the guilty party to account."

"Then name the sorcerer!" Uther demanded.

"Oh, I do not have just one name." The evil smile widened. "I shall name both the sorcerer and his accomplice."

The room fell completely silent. Confident he had everyone's undivided attention, Aredian announced smugly, "The sorcerer who threatens everything you've built is called Emrys…and his accomplice is Arthur Pendragon!"

A/N (updated 6/14/19):

Five years ago, I started this fic...and I naively thought it'd end up may 25k words in total. Apparently I have an addiction to ensemble casts subplots, because it's 120k words and counting. ;)

I'd originally set out to write very concise chapters frequently (they started out between 300-800 words each with daily or near-daily updates). Instead, they settled into an average of 1000-1500 words per chapter, with some longer exceptions later on.

By 6/21/19, I will have posted a separate fic of Appendices for this fic - including how this fic's geography fits with both the series' maps of Camelot Albion and with modern England Wales (as some of these correlations are relevant to the plot); my methodology resources used in spell creation; and any other relevant context that would fit better in an Appendix for reference instead of being crammed into excessively long A/Ns along the way.

Thanks again for taking the time to read this humble creative endeavor and, I hope, to offer a bit of feedback along the way! :) See that review button below? It's calling your name…