Chapter 1: The Princess of Camelot, Part 1
A/N Warning: Mentions of child abuse to follow, so I apologize in advance.
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin. Rights belong to BBC.
In a land of myth and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a brave man. His name: Merlin.
Camelot was in a complete uproar; a mysterious cloaked figure had broken into the royal nursery and taken the heir to the throne, six-month-old Princess Elizabeth. The kidnapper might have gotten away had Merlin, the court sorcerer, not noticed that Elizabeth was missing from her crib. Alarms went off, and soon everyone in the citadel and town knew something was very wrong.
"Someone took Elizabeth." Merlin explained to his best friend Arthur, who happened to be the king.
Arthur didn't need to be told twice. Though he suspected that there would be kidnapping attempts because of her status as his heir, he believed that she was safe between Merlin and the knights.
"How could this have happened…? We took every precaution." Arthur said as they ran toward the gates.
"I know, Arthur. I put up the protection, remember? The only thing I can figure is that whoever took Elizabeth also has magic." Merlin said.
Arthur frowned. Even though magic was now legal within Camelot, he and Merlin had made it their mission to keep those who use magic for evil purposes in check. The fact that someone possibly with magic kidnapped Arthur's daughter raised red flags immediately. Was it revenge for those years when magic was illegal under his earlier years as king? Or was it something else? Arthur wasn't sure. All he focused on was getting his daughter back and taking the person who took her into custody.
When they got to the gate, they found several knights knocked against a wall. Some were just coming to, while others remained unconscious. Thankfully, no one had been killed. Arthur went over to Sir Leon, a knight who had fought alongside him for many years.
"There was a man….holding a bundle that was likely Elizabeth. He used magic to knock us out of his way. He went north." Leon said, holding his head in pain.
As Arthur and Merlin ran to go catch up with the man, their target changed his course to west, hoping to lose track of anyone who followed him from Camelot. He knew the risks he was taking but didn't care. He had a job to do, and it would be done, even if it meant getting his hands dirty.
The little princess hadn't stirred at all, sleeping peacefully in his arms. Just when he believed he was in the clear, he heard shouting and footsteps. Somehow, the king and Merlin and caught up to him. He knew he was in trouble at this point, but kept on running. Unfortunately, he failed to secure the baby, and he lost her in the chase.
When Arthur found out the man no longer had his daughter, he had knights scour the area for her. Sadly, there was no trace of her anywhere. She had vanished completely.
"You are a traitor to your kind by serving him, Emrys." The man said to Merlin.
"The only traitor here is you." Merlin stated simply.
He walked closer to the restrained man and placed his hand on the man's forehead, removing his magic. Merlin had learned about this power a year ago and used it only when absolutely necessary. He left the man in a cell and walked away, upset that he had been unable to save Arthur's daughter.
Nine years later
A small barefoot girl ran through a village on the outskirts of Camelot, being pursued by a farmer. The village was small, known only for its fishing and some farming. The girl, Lena as she was called, was known in the village as a little thief. Though she only stole what she needed to survive, it didn't improve anything in how the villagers saw her. She was seen as an abomination, with many attempts on her life by the people who once welcomed her with open arms.
Lena was found abandoned as a baby and taken in by a couple who had no children of their own. Things were great at first, but when she turned five, life for her took a turn for the worse. She learned she had magic and accidentally used it in public. Though magic was legal even on the outskirts of Camelot's territory, the villagers had never forgotten the old ways and continued persecuting those with magic, with their magistrate's permission. When Lena revealed her magic, the attempts on her life began. Her parents turned on her, and so did the rest of the village. Lena couldn't help how she was, but even so she was still considered an abomination and was blamed for everything that went wrong in the village. She became known as The Witch, and no one called her by her real name anymore.
The farmer was hot on her tail, but the chase was in vain. Lena was very fast, and quickly outran him. She smirked, returning to her cave home on the outskirts. She piled the stolen vegetables in a corner and began roasting some over the fire she made using her magic. She sighed, wishing that she didn't have to hide from other people. She was a good person, but the villagers only saw her as an evil witch. As bad as things were for her, they were about to improve, even if she didn't know it yet.
Camelot
Merlin looked at his best friend from a distance. Since losing his daughter nine years to the day, Arthur just hadn't been the same. He no longer left the castle, leaving his wife Gwen to make all the public appearances. Arthur spent most of his time on the throne brooding. He had also let himself go as far as physical appearance; his golden hair was often messy and had grown out to his shoulders, and on his face was the beginning of a bushy beard. Though barely 40, he looked closer to possibly 50. It hurt Merlin to see his friend so distraught, but as there were absolutely no leads on Elizabeth's whereabouts, the search was called off. Arthur's final decree had been that no one in the castle was permitted to say Elizabeth's name. The penalty was time in the stocks.
Merlin sighed and walked over to Arthur.
"Come on Arthur. It's a beautiful day." Merlin said, trying to get Arthur up. He did this a lot, especially during the summer, but Arthur wasn't in the mood.
"No." He said.
"Well at least come with me. There's a village on the outskirts where a child with magic is rumored to live." Merlin began.
"You can go without me. Besides, if the rumors are true, he or she will be your protégé, not mine." Arthur said.
Merlin shrugged. "Alright. I'll be back...sometime later I guess." He said, leaving the throne room.
Merlin had been excited about getting a protégé ever since Arthur said he could a few years back. Merlin's problem was that children with magical abilities were hard to find. Most were already in training with the druids, and he had decided that he would only take a child. The decision had severely limited his choices, but he knew a child would be easier to train. When he heard the rumors of a child with magic in a border village, he was anxious to meet the child. He hoped that taking her to Camelot wouldn't be an issue for her parents, like it had been for any other child he found. He took his horse from the stables and rode off for the village, thinking only of the child he hoped to find.
Merlin arrived in the outskirts of the village by midday. The village reminded him of his own village, seeing that the two were set up very similarly. There were people going about their business, but it didn't take long for him to notice that there were few children in the village. He decided to speak to the magistrate, hoping he might know about the child.
"I'm afraid we don't have any children here with magic, Lord Merlin." The magistrate said politely.
"Are you sure? I've heard the stories…" Merlin began, getting cut off.
"I'm positive. We lost many children to a sickness several years ago, and none of our remaining children have magic." The magistrate answered.
"Oh...alright then…" Merlin said, turning to leave. He had the feeling that the magistrate was hiding something, but had no way to prove it.
He then thought to explore the area around the village. As he walked, he knew someone was following him. He walked a little more, then turned around.
"I know you're there." He said.
He saw a pair of gold eyes looking at him from behind a tree. When the person realized they had been caught, they retreated.
"I won't hurt you." Merlin promised.
A small girl stepped out from behind the tree. She was dirty from head to toe, and had multiple cuts and bruises. Her brown hair was a dirty mess as well, sticking out everywhere. Her gray dress was nothing but rags, with patches crudely sewn on. She was also barefoot.
"I'm Merlin. What's your name?" He asked, getting down to her level.
"I'm Lena, but most people call me a witch." She said.
He saw her gold eyes, which hadn't stopped glowing since he saw her.
"So the rumors were true...you are the child with magic, aren't you?" He asked.
She shook her head in denial. "I'm not." She said.
"I swore I wouldn't hurt you. I'm like you." He said, doing a simple spell to prove it. Lena's eyes widened.
"I've heard of you. You're the Court Sorcerer under King Arthur, right?" She asked.
"That's right." He said.
"Wanna come over to my house?" She asked suddenly. Merlin nodded, ready to meet her parents and accuse them of obvious child abuse.
He expected to be lead back to the village, but was instead lead to a cave. There was a fire pit in the middle of the ground, ready to be lit at night when necessary. There was a collection of fruits and vegetables in a corner, along with what looked like a couple of blankets making a sort of bed. Lena had also taken a loaf of bread and was eating it greedily.
"You stole from the villagers?" He asked.
"It's that or starve. They don't care about me anyway." She said while eating.
"What about your parents? Surely they care about you.
Lena scoffed. "My parents? I don't have any parents, and my real parents abandoned me as a baby. Guess they didn't like the idea of having a daughter with magic either. I'm nothing but a burden wherever I go. And...well let's just say these villagers don't trust people like us." She said uneasily.
"What do they do to people like us?" He asked, fearing the answer.
"...They kill us. There was a lady I was learning from for a while. This cave used to be hers, actually. About two years ago, she was captured and publicly burned at the stake. After that, I became more careful and only enter the village when I need to. I've only lived this long because I'm too fast for people and they don't know where this cave is." Lena explained.
Merlin was horrified that something so horrible was still happening in Camelot territory.
"Public burnings of those practicing magic has been illegal for ten years." He said.
"I know, but the people still do it. The magistrate gives them permission to. I guess this village suffered a lot. But basically, whenever something goes wrong, I'm the one they blame. I only stay here because I don't have anywhere else to go." She said sadly.
"How would you like to come to Camelot and learn from me?" Merlin offered.
Lena's eyes lit up happily. "I'd like that very much!" She said smiling.
"Alright. I'll come for you tomorrow. Make sure you have everything you want to bring packed up, and try to stay out of trouble." Merlin ordered. She nodded in agreement.
He returned to Camelot to tell Arthur all that Lena had told him about the village. Something needed to be done about the way the village was run, and only Arthur had that authority. He just hoped he could convince Arthur to come.
A/N First Merlin fanfic…this has been a long time coming. This is of course an AU since Arthur died in Season 5, but this is basically my take on a Season 6 had Arthur lived. I promise I will have an "episode" dedicated to flashbacks of Arthur's survival and even Elizabeth's birth. I have so far one season planned out, containing 13 chapters like the series did. I will continue past that season though if this turns out to be a success anyway please review! Constructive criticism is welcome.