It had been a few months since it happened. Since Arthur's … well… death, since the battle of Camlin. Merlin had been walking for months with no real was only when he realized he had run out of food that he first opened a map. Trying to follow his tracks of where he had been, he slowly found his position. This surprised him as without noticing he had made his way from the lake of Avalon to the tavern but simply a few miles from the center of Camelot.
Without thinking he walked in to the tavern and bought a pint of mead. Then he saw it. Nailed to the notice board, was a sheet of paper. It said 'missing'. Merlin ran his eyes down the page. He gasped. His face was drawn on the sheet. There was something else though that added to his shock. 'Reward: 100 gold pieces' he continued to read hiding his face, fearing the worst. He was relieved as he read. Bring this man to the citadel as he is to be awarded for his actions in battle. Quickly he left. Paying for his mead on the way out. In a brisk walk he flung the stable door open. He leapt onto his strong black horse and galloped away. Straight to wards Camelot.
.
.
.
Before merlin knew it, he was riding through the gates of Camelot. "reveal yourself?" one guard requested. Merlin tried to remember how long it had been since he had last seen the red and gold shirts on the guard's chests.
"I am merlin." He said in reply.
"prove it."
With that merlin lifted his hood and within an instant he was through the gates standing in the familiar courtyard. He looked around in awe at the citadel that surrounded him. Merlin remembered his shock when he heard that it was built with magic in a matter of hours. he wondered how Gwen was.
Suddenly his train of thought was interrupted by a familiar voice. "Merlin!" sir Leon said. It took merlin a moment to remember who it was. But when he did he turned to see a stunned sir Leon standing behind him. 'Do my eyes deceive me?" Leon 's voice was like that of a small child in a candy shop yet he had the body of a 25 year old, strong brave, knight. To Merlin's anticipation this tone passed and he heard the normal Leon again.
"Come merlin we must see the queen."
With the guiding hand of sir Leon he was walked through the maze of corridors that lead to the royal chambers. Merlin was amazed that he hadn't been lost in this place when he first arrived all those years ago. But before he had time to remember Arthur. He stood outside two thick oak doors. Before he could think he flung them open. Gwen turned almost distraught by tis intrusion. Then her anger turned to shock as she saw merlin and she said "you never changed did you." Merlin knew straight away what she was talking about. He lacked the ability to knock.
Then a large shadow moved from behind the curtain. When the figure walked out from behind the curtain merlin saw his face then...