Disclaimer: Not Only do I not own this, It's unbeta-ed as well! Enjoy!

It had been a month since the attacks on Camelot. Remarkably, the city was beginning to look like new. For some reason, pride or guilt, Uther had spent much of the coffers rebuilding the city and paying a great deal of attention to the lower town. Houses had been rebuilt, a new marketplace installed and three new wells had been dug all about the town (Just In Case). And the towers of the castle were now gleaming like a set of frequently, thoroughly brushed teeth.

Like refugees pulled together by common interest, the people of Camelot rebuilt together. The people were busy building thatched roofs that had been burned away, knights were occupied with the rebuilding of a stronger fortification towards the West Wall, and the maids in the castle had been recruited by Gaius to continue the treatment of the burn patients currently taking up Uther's great hall.

Merlin had never been so busy. Which when you considered it was saying quite a lot. Arthur was taking part in the construction, so in the morning they moved great hewn logs from the forest the wherever they were needed and then helped stand them. In the afternoon, Arthur took control of training of the knights replacing the ones he had lost to the dragon. Since the death of Balinor Arthur had decided that Merlin needed to protect himself if "he was always going to run full speed willy-nilly into a battle he couldn't possibly win" Merlin agreed that he was, so he joined the young knights as a trainee, whipping boy and errand runner. Mostly there were errands and being knocked over, but now he noticed that when he picked up a sword he could actually pick it up, instead of letting it point down to the forest floor where as Arthur said "Only mutated giant mice would find the edge of it."

Gwen had taken up her father's smithy since the accident. She was no longer needed in the castle since a great deal of girls who had lost their parents in the attack had been taken in by the castle matron to work. And so many people were in the need of metal works they hardly noticed that it was a woman doing the work. So in the evenings after training, he and Arthur would sojourn to the lower town and help Gwen, Merlin by cooking everyone dinner and cleaning up after the both of them, and Arthur doing the heavy lifting. Gwen spent all day and most of the night at the anvil and fire, and soon her face was so covered in soot that no matter how many times she washed there were still streaks of black outlining her face. Arthur noted how at dinner when she reached for the stew (as Merlin had trouble making much else) her face would tighten up in discomfort, her muscles sore from the strenuous unrelenting activity. He thought that perhaps he should send the knights to train with her at the smithy instead of with him in a field.

And of course, besides the burn victims, there were still people getting sick in Camelot and Gaius had returned to using Merlin as his errand boy.

This was all on top of what he had to do before the attacks.

But late at night (very late at night actually. All the extra work was cutting into his sleep) when Merlin had a chance to think, he thought of his Father. He replayed every moment in his head. He imagined great adventures they could have taken. He thirsted for the knowledge of his past and of his powers that now he would never know.

One night after a very long day, Merlin found himself in the chamber of the dragon. He would much rather be asleep, but he found that the grotto called to him, pulling him further and further down through the castle. It was dark now, and for the first time, Merlin realized the enormity of the caverns. It left him feeling sick for a reason he couldn't quite decipher. Was it longing? Or pity and bitterness?

For too long Merlin had been away from the people he had known. The people that knew him. As he sat on the ledge his feet swinging into the open air below him, Merlin made the resolve to ask for a leave. He would return to Ealdor.

Since the great hall had been taken over by the burn victims, Uther had set up court in a battle tent propped up in the main courtyard. After a day's training, Uther sent for his son.

"Report."

"The west wall is nearly entirely rebuilt; all the holes in the East buttressing have been filled. The lower town is nearly all repaired, and the fourth well is almost dug. The knights are doing as well as can be expected of them. Gaius reports that within the week a quarter of the burn victims will be released to their houses but cannot join the construction. Our blacksmiths have completed your order for the new armor and defensive turrets. The stable-man says that he's doing the best he can under the conditions, and shall have six new foals for us in two weeks."

"Have we received word from our allies?"

"Indeed, Olaf has declared to Protect the northern border, and Gregory of Sutherland has sentries marking those that enter at the south west border. The send these patents as continuations of our allegiance." Arthur handed the court historian the patents and folded his hands behind his back.

"And the others?"

"We are still waiting for word from the other kingdoms."

"Perhaps it was not wise to make so many aware of our current position."

"With the story of Camelot's Dragon killing son, I feel that not many will make any attempts at take over my liege," piped in a court adviser.

"Indeed. My Son the Dragon Slayer. Carrying on the family name."

In the corner, Merlin flinched. It took all of his might not to stick his tongue out at the king. Arthur smiled shallowly, and continued staring forward.

"Arthur, are you well? A man should take pride in such a fine title."

"No, it's not that it's just— well frankly Father I am worried about how much work we still have to do."

"Nonsense. You've made quite a dent in the repairs all by yourself. In fact, you look tired Arthur. Perhaps it is time that Camelot took a well deserved break. Stephen send word that Friday shall be a Festival Day. Send for extra food from the surrounding farms and send letters to the lords of the land. This past month has shown me what ingenuity my people are capable of and how strong the love of Camelot is in her people. They deserve a day of festivities don't you think?"

Begrudgingly, Arthur nodded and beckoned for Merlin. "Good night Father."

Arthur, as always, walked like a man with a purpose. Merlin shuffled and jumped after him dodging repairmen and carts, clearing his throat."

"What Merlin?"

Merlin made his quintessential avoidance, I'm-not-so-sure-I-want-to-speak face, and cleared his throat again. " Arthur, I was hoping, now that we've this week to relax like your father said-"

"Which, by the way was completely ridiculous. One minute he's worried about invaders and the next he decided to throw a party? I don't know what he's thinking."

"Should, should I just go on then?"

"Yes Merlin."

"So, I was hoping, I could get the week off. I'd like to visit Ealdor."

"Missing Mummy Merlin?"

"Can I go then?"

For a moment they were silent. The sun was setting and Arthur sighed deeply several times. "Well, there's not a legitimate reason for me to say no. Except for that whole sovereign master thing."

"I wouldn't even have to be gone the whole week. I could leave tomorrow, and come back on Thursday to help you move that new shipment of mortar-stones."

"Ohh, the mortar-stones. I'd completely forgotten about the Mortar-stones! Merlin I'm about to have a nervous breakdown. I can't do everything that has to be done before Friday! I can't be chasing those idiots around on the training field and rebuilding a city and essentially ruling Camelot for my father all at the same time!"

"But report you gave your father— How the walls were being built and the progress of the new knights— Was that all a lie?

" No Merlin. The walls are really being built. But those trainees! They're daft! I swear if you asked them to protect Camelot they'd run home crying to their mothers! No offense Merlin."

"I didn't even take notice of it until you pointed it out."

" Maybe that's what I'll do."

"Run home crying to your mother? Because Arthur, I'm pretty sure that she's, you know, dead."

"No you exasperating fool! Tomorrow, I'm going to work with the knights all day. Give them the hardest work out of their lives, and then I'm going to leave them in charge of Camelot's defenses. Thrust them right into the action."

"Are you insane? We just rebuilt this place, and your going to let a bunch of kids get it knocked down again?"

"Oh please Merlin, I've heard from four out of five of the countries we're at peace with. I lied to my father about that too. I just didn't want him getting complacent and then doing something stupid, like throwing a party! No, Camelot's in no danger. We'll just leave, have a nice vacation and then return and work them harder."

"We? Where are we going?"

"Ealdor of course. I like it there."

Merlin groaned.

They finished their trek at the door to Gwen's workshop. She was hammering heavily on a new broad sword, and in the barrel there were six sets of horse-shoes. The boys stayed back flinching at her animalistic growls when the mallet hit the metal. With a final "Hyraagh" she thrust the sword back into the fire.

"Oh! When did you two get here?"

"Just now. Arthur and I just came from the king."

"My father is throwing a Party."

"I'm sorry?"

"My father thinks that the beautiful citizens of Camelot who have worked so hard this past month need a day of festivities in celebration, even though have the city is still under construction!" Arthur slumped into the rough chair in the corner of the workshop, his head in his hand.

Gwen pulled the sword back out of the flames and had one last go of it. After hammering again for a good ten minutes she looked at her work and plunged it into the barrel. Merlin who had been tinkering around the workshop, fiddling with bits of metal and dropping things, put down the rod he was trying to pick up and walked into Gwen's house. He put some water and a chicken in a pot over the fire and came back into the workshop.

"So Gwen. Did Arthur tell you? We're going to Ealdor."

"Really? What for?"

"Merlin wants to see his mother."

"And Arthur is fed up with life in Camelot and stupid trainees, so he's leaving Camelot in their hands and going on vacation."

"That sounds worse than it should. I know Camelot is safe, I just want to scare them into being more serious."

"Don't be so defensive Arthur, I understand," She wiped her hands on her leathers. " Can I come?"

"What? Why?" Merlin was the defensive one now. All he wanted was a week off to go tell his mother that he'd met his father and it was a great time up until his death that Merlin was partially (all right mostly) responsible for, and now he's got a bloody caravan!

"Well, after I deliver these tomorrow, I don't have an order due for another two weeks. And currently, I am incredibly sore. I could use a vacation myself. Besides, your mother and I get along. And with you two gone the only people in the entire city I know and like are Gaius and Geraldine, the stable-man's daughter. And I can only take so much Geraldine."

Arthur stood and clapped his hands together. "All right then, We're going to Ealdor. We leave tomorrow afternoon!"

Merlin sighed, "I'll just go check on dinner then."

A/N: Season two has ended which means…Time for long term Fictions! Hurray! Read and review please!