In a land of man and magic lived a being that believed no matter you man or beast, powerful or weak, poor or rich you were all equal, that we all lived and died and in the end wreath it's heaven or hell we all end up there.
And so this being of immense power decided that those that acted as if they were better than those that did not fit in needed to be shown that we are all the same under our clothes.
Morgana was the stepdaughter of King Uther's youngest brother who had passed away in battle while the girl was still coming into her own, Uther had loved her like he would his own daughter had his wife lived to give him another child. Arthur, Uther's only child had not liked share his father in the beginning but when Uther had explained that Morgana was now his sister and as her older brother it was his job above all else to protect her from anything and everything. When Morgana had turned 17 summers she had started to have terrible nightmares and nothing the court physician had done would stop the dreams soon Uther turned to the only being he knew that might have some answers, The great dragon that had taken refuge under Camelot claiming that destiny foresaw something great happening within his kingdom and Kilgharrah would be a part of it.
Upon taking his ward to see the great dragon, Kilgharrah had bowed his head and said 'Welcome young seer, it is an honour to meet you.' Soon with help of the great Dragon Morgana had mastered her gift and when a troubling nightmare woke her, she would call for Uther so that together they could stop whatever darkness wished to befall their land.
But when Morgana woke one night, she could not make sense of why she was wake, her dream had not being a warning of something to come, it simply showed her brother falling in love with man she could not see and a wonderful future in store for all of Camelot with their union, so instead of waking her father Morgana made her way down to the Dragon's cave hoping that her old friend would have some answers.
As it turned out Kilgharrah indeed had the answers, he informed her that Arthur was to become the once and future King of all Albion and her his most trusted seer but he also told her of Emrys, a born warlock and dragon lord, the only one of his kind and an immortal being blessed by the god of magic itself and Arthur's true mate. And even those the dragon had all the answers he could not answer the most simple of questions for as no one truly knew what Emrys looked like.
So in the Morning during Breakfast Morgana had relayed this information back to both Uther and Arthur, both choosing to process the information differently. Uther was overcome with pride that his son was the prophesied once and future king while Arthur just rolled his eyes and made a comment about how could he love a man no one has met.
And so life when on as normal, Morgana kept trying to use her seer in order to find Emrys but soon learned that due to how powerful he was no form of magic would work on him unless he wished it. The only new change in the lives of Camelot and her people was Arthur's new manservant, a bumbling idiot named Merlin, who kept calling Arthur by his name and being completely useless.
Until one day a member of court had come to see Uther while in the company of his daughter did everything really change.
"What in heaven's happened to you?" Uther gasped.
"I have be bewitched my lord." The noble men replied.
"Who did this to you?" Uther demanded as he moved closer.
"I do not know my lord, It happened in the dead of night." The noble man sighed and looked at his king. "I woke to find myself a living breathing tree." The man shook his head. "My own dog cocked his leg on me."
Morgana couldn't help herself as her laugher filled the room. "I'm truly sorry that was unladylike of me." She replied raising her hand so that it would hide her smile.
Uther had no idea what to say, he wanted to laugh at the man, who now looked like a walking tree but as the King he had act a certain way. "Do you recall what you were doing before you became a..." Uther paused trying to find the right word.
"Tree man?" Morgana offered giggling a little.
"This is not funny young lady" The noble man sneered.
"Do not speak to my daughter in such a manner, you have be able to see the humour in this? Now what were you doing before you became charmed?" Uther asked once again.
"Nothing, I had simply informed the unless boy that brought my dinner that he had brought me the wrong meal." The man replied.
"You mean you insulted him." Morgana said from where she stood near her father.
"The boy is my servant, I can do as I wish. He should be grateful that I took him in and gave him a warm place to live, a purpose. The boy was nothing before me just some poor beggar in the streets." The man growled, well as much as it was probably to do so in his new form.
"And I'm sure you reminding him daily just what he once was and who you were to him." Morgana rolled her eyes.
"I am his master. Had I known he was as thick as a tree stump I would have left him in the street to rot" The man informed them as he tried to cross his arms together.
"I will have Gaius research a way to turn you back" Uther told the noble man before the other man walked out of the chambers.
Morgana had tilted her head to the side as she walked the man leave.
"What is it my dear?" Uther asked.
"It's just something Kilgharrah said, About Emrys believing we are equal and should treat others as such." Morgana answered.
Uther nodded. "And how does Lord Bayard becoming a living tree remind you of that?"
"Because Emrys likes to make sure we remember that we are all the same. Kilgharrah said that Emrys would turn the person into something so that they can understand what it is like to be treated as a lesser being." Morgana replied. "Lord Bayard told his manservant that he was as thick as a tree stump moments before waking up a tree."
"So Emrys is in Camelot?" Uther raised his eyebrow.
"But we still don't know who he is." Morgana sighed. "And if he comes across anyone else acting bigger than they are then...oh god Arthur."
"Arthur?!" Uther turned round trying to find his son.
"He's the biggest prat of them all, Emrys will most definitely play a number of tricks on him." Morgana didn't stop the smile that had formed on her lips.
"He is the prince Morgana." Uther reminded her.
"Yes but he is also a bit of a bully." Morgan said. "Emrys would have a field day messing with Arthur. I mean have you seen how he treats Merlin?"
"The boy seems to be good at holding his own with Arthur." Uther smiled.
"It won't be long before Arthur finds Emrys." Morgana giggled.
Arthur watched as Merlin made his bed, he couldn't understand why he had been dreaming of the servant, of the two of them together in that bed, not when he knew that he was met to be with Emrys, a powerful warlock, not this bumbling boy.
"You know you could always help." Merlin told him as he moved away from the bed.
"I'm a prince Merlin. It is a servant's job to make the bed and to clean up after it's master." Arthur replied turning his attention back to the documents in front of him.
"It's master? You make it sound like a servant is property." Merlin said pausing to look at Arthur, surely the once and future king of Albion did not see people as things to be owned.
"Well you do work for me Merlin so in a way I do own you." Arthur answered as he moved to get up.
"The only way you truly owned a person is when they love you enough to give you their heart." Merlin informed Arthur before picking up the washing. "And you Arthur do not own my heart." With that said Merlin walked out of the room leaving Arthur in shocked silence.
"And yet I wish I did." Arthur wished before grabbing the documents and leaving the room.
As weeks went on more and more of Camelots people fell to Emrys and his tricks and yet neither man or magic could find what was right in front of them hidden completely from view going unseen by many of the people of Camelot.
Uther was talking with Gaius and Morgana in hopes that maybe they could find away to find Emrys before he strikes again.
"Did Kilgharrah give you anything?" Uther asked his daughter.
"Just that Emrys is indeed in Camelot, the man even came to see him but he wore a cloak that hide his face, He asked mostly about Arthur, about what Kilgharrah thought of him and what king he would make." Morgana replied.
"Emrys is and has always been about balance, about helping those that need it. He believes that no matter how powerful you are you are still a man just like any other and that it is unjust to use what makes you stand out as a way to belittle someone that has very little." Gaius continued. "The druids believe that Emrys is an immortal, a powerful warlock but the man is different."
"The man?" Uther wondered.
"Emrys is the name the druids know him as, The name the prophecy gave him. But he was born all the same, had a mother, a father." Gaius answered.
"Emrys is the magic but the Man is the heart. The real power." Morgana smiled.
"It stands to reason that no one knows who Emrys is because he has never introduced himself with said name." Uther sighed as he shook his head.
Just then the doors to the chamber opened and Arthur walked in followed closly by his servant, Merlin, who came to stand just behind his master.
"Arthur is everything okay?" Uther asked.
"No..." HISS "It'ssss..." HISS "Not." HISS
Uther looked at his son in shock while Morgana was laughing her head off.
The prince of Camelot had fallen victim to the Trickster, Emrys had been kind in a way seeing as he had only given Arthur a snake's tongue and eyes.
"What happened?" Uther asked trying his best to keep from laughing.
"Mer." HISS "Lin." HISS "Tell" HISS "Them." Arthur hiss, his tongue hissing with every word said.
"Arthur found a snake in his bed this morning, it woke him. He accused me of doing it as a form of payback. Arthur yelled that I was pathetic for using a dangerous animal to try and get even, he then stormed off to go train only when he started to talk he, well he started to hiss." Merlin informed them all.
"Did you place the snake in his bed Merlin?" Gaius asked his ward.
"Of course not. There is humor in the act if I can't be there to see it. Arthur had woken before I had arrived." Merlin said smirking. "But I did happen to hear and very girly scream."
"Shut." HISS "Up." Arthur hiss as he hit Merlin around the head.
"Ouch, you know I don't have to take this. You're a grown man, a future king. If this is how you treat those that servant you I would hate to see what you do to those that don't." Merlin growled as he turned and headed out of the room.
"Merlin" Gaius called after him as he quickly got up and rushed as fast as his old legs would let him after the other man.
"Son..." Uther started.
"Don't" HISS "Sssstart" Arthur moved to sit down and looked over at his sister. "SSSSSee Anything?" HISS
Morgana shook her head sadly as she placed her hand on Arthur's. "You know you shouldn't be mean to Merlin. He likes you."
"Can't." HISS "Emrysssss." Arthur shook his head.
"We will find him, don't worry and try to be nicer to people." Morgana kissed Arthur's forehead before exiting the room.
"Why don't you take the day off from your duties, do something fun maybe you could ask Merlin to join you." Uther patted his son on the shoulder before following Morgana.
Uther had been taking an evening walk when he spotted Merlin walking down the steps of the courtyard, he passed a Lord yelling at his servant for not leaving him at the tavern. Uther watched as Merlin turned just slightly and if Uther had not been watching the young man he would have missed the glow of gold in his eyes before Merlin turned and walked away.
Uther had started to suspect that Emrys was someone new to Camelot, someone that had shown up before Lord Bayard had been charmed but he had never once thought it could be Merlin. The boy was someone you wouldn't think twice about given his appearance and yet if it was true, the boy was definitely not what he seemed. Uther made sure to check on the Lord in the morning, if he was indeed charmed Uther would have his answer.
In the morning Merlin walked into Arthur's chambers with breakfast and a soft smile on his face, one that only grew when he found Arthur already sitting up in bed smiling back at him.
"Good Morning." Merlin said as he placed the tray on the table.
"Good" HISS "Morning." Arthur smiled as he got out of bed.
"I had fun yesterday, it was a nice idea. Thank you." Merlin replied as he started to set the table.
"SSSSo did" HISS "I, Thank" HISS "You for" HISS "Coming." Arthur clenched his hands into fists in frustration.
Merlin placed his hand over Arthur's fist and smiled up at him before leaning forward, Arthur smiled and mirrored Merlin's movements before soon their lips touched and hands wrapped around each other and they deeped their embrace.
When they finally pulled away Merlin placed a soft kiss on Arthur's lips before telling him that he should hurry up and eat his breakfast before it gets cold.
"I'm truly sorry about yesterday morning Merlin, I'm glad you gave me the chance to make it up to you." It was only after Arthur had finished talking did he realize that he had spoken a full sentence without needing to stop to hiss.
"I can talk again." Arthur cheered and quickly pulled Merlin towards him and spinning them round before reclaiming Merlin's lips in a passionate kiss.
"Shame, I was just starting to like the hissing." Merlin joked earning a laugh out of Arthur.
Arthur smiled softly down at Merlin. "You once said that you can't own someone that has not give you their heart, I want you to know that you have my heart Merlin. I can't tell you when it happened or how but I'm in love with you." Arthur cupped Merlin's cheeks in his hands. "My little bird. I'll love you till the world ends and the afterlife is nothing but a tale told in hushed whispers."
Merlin smiled as his eyes started to water, it had been a long time since anyone had wormed their way into Merlin's heart and yet Arthur had done it. "And I love you my dragon until there is no more strength left in this body and my spirit is no more."
Uther was sitting on his throne when the doors opened and Merlin's head popped round the door.
"Do come in Merlin." Uther said
Merlin carefully walked into the room, he had been careful around the king of Camelot, unsure of where he really belonged in the roles they would play in creating Albion.
"You wanted to see me?" Merlin asked once he was standing in front of the king.
"Yes, I just wanted to see how things were getting on with Arthur?" Uther wondered.
"Oh...umm...Good sire." Merlin answered smiling.
"Good, I would hate for my son to fall in love with Emrys only to have the other man not return his feelings." Uther stated as he watched Merlin.
"Emrys? Sire?" Merlin said unsure.
"I saw you last night Merlin in the courtyard, this morning I called for the lord in question and he was indeed charmed. To be honest I would not have thought you to be Emrys, the most powerful warlock to ever walk the earth." Uther replied.
"There are greater things in life than power." Merlin informed Uther. "Things far more valuable."
Uther nodded. "I must admit you have brought a sense of balance to the kingdom. Lord Bayard is treating the young man in his care more like a friend then a servant. And Arthur has changed completely."
"No one should believe they are better than anyone else, when we died we can not take our power or our riches with us." Merlin told Uther as his body relaxed.
"But you are immortal are you not? A gift from the god of Magic." Uther reminded Merlin.
Merlin nodded. "A gift I can only share with one being. I am the only warlock to ever be born, a true child of magic. I am a part of the earth just as it is a part of all of us."
Uther looked down at the young man before him that was in no way young, his thought brought him to his beloved Ygraine.
"My wife..." Uther stared.
"Ygraine, she was a bright star in this world. I tried to save her but powerful as I may be, there is no magic that can keep death away." Merlin shook his head sadly.
"Gaius told me she should have died the moment Arthur was born, that it was a miracle she was able to stay awake long enough to hold our son." Uther smiled softly at the memory.
"It was all I could do, I wish I could have done more." Merlin replied before taking a step closer to Uther and closing his hand together before opening them again to reveal a golden ord. "Maybe this will help." Merlin said as he held the ord out for Uther to take.
"What is it?" Uther asked as he carefully took the ord from Merlin's hands.
"Memories." Merlin smiled before disappearing.
Uther held the ord up to his face as tears began to roll down his cheeks as the ord came to live with the moment he had first meet Ygraine, Uther sat in his throne for a long time just watching the memories he made with his wife. It was a true gift to not only be able to remember her but to see her smile, hear her laugh, it filled Uther's heart with a warmth he thought he had lost.
Arthur laid with his arms wrapped around the man he loved as he smiled softly to himself, he had been so worried about what would happen once they found Emrys, how it would affect his relationship with Merlin but now he no longer had to worry about some unknown man pulling them apart.
"What are you thinking about?" Merlin whispered.
"Us, you. How I get to keep you forever." Arthur turned his head on he could kiss the top of Merlin's forehead.
Merlin sighed happy. "Forever is a long time, I'm not sure I can put of with you for that long."
Arthur laughed. "Too late, you're mine now and I have no plans on letting you go."
"Hmm, what if I turned you into a human donkey?" Merlin joked.
"Then how would I be able to do this?" Arthur quickly changed their position so that he was leaning over Merlin, and the other man fall against the bed, before capturing Merlin's lips in a deep passionate kiss that held all their emotions for each other, Soon their clothes were gone and in the light of the fire they made love for the first time.
As Camelot gave way for Albion the once and future king ruled with a fair a just hand and together with the help of his sister and his beloved they made sure that no one was treated less that anything but equal.
And in time Albion faded into legend but one thing remained the same, the love Arthur and Merlin shared. Together they made their own destiny, memories that would last forever but never once forget who they were and what was truly important in this brand new world.
Because no matter who you are, no matter what you own, you can't take it with you when you pass through the gates of Albion, at the end of life itself all you will truly have is the love you have share and the memories you have made.
THE END