Author's note: This is my first Merlin Fanfiction. I have been working on this idea for so long and I am so glad to finally have published it. I've decided this will be written like a series so imagine each chapter is like an episode because I have so many ideas. At the end of this chapter a lot of people will probably have a lot of questions which will be explained later in the story, I just want to get this story out in the open, but everything should make sense by the end because I want to keep readers interested until the end like you do with a TV series. Updates will be slow because I plan to make the chapters detailed because I have been planning this for so long so that will obviously take time so please be patient. Unfortunately, I do not own Merlin because if I did there would have been a different ending.
In a land of myth and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rested on the shoulders of five young people. They were known as The Chain.
The sun shone bright over the kingdom of Camelot. The happy sounds of children playing and laughing filed the city centre. It was the begging of spring and the people were enjoying the first signs of the new season. Soon the city would be covered with flowers and the preparations for the spring festival would be full swing.
As children ran around in all directions, a young girl with dark chocolate curls made her way through the city towards the palace. She walked with grace and confidence as she greeted the people who passed her. She stopped just as she reached the entrance to the court yard and looked out at the people, her people. Suddenly the bells rang out. The girl picked up her skirts and ran towards the front steps of the place. As she reached the door she was greeted with a sight that would make most people fall to their knees and pull the air from their lungs.
King Arthur Pendragon stood in all his glory with his fair queen Guinevere by his side. Although she was born a servant, the queen stood strong and regal that anyone would believe she was born into this life. Next to the queen stood their son Christian Pendragon who was the spitting image of his father but with his mother's dark eyes. With the royal couple stood the court sorcerer, Merlin and his wife Lady Freya. Beside them stood their daughter, Lilly who bore a striking resemblance to her father with her enchanting ebony locks. Next to her stood two of the most loyal servants in the Pendragon household, the prince's man servant Michael who could be mistaken for his brother with his fair blonde hair and the maidservant, Amy, whose fiery auburn mane rivalled the colour of even the most violent of fires. The group looked at the girl who simply stood her ground and looked right at them.
"You're late." The king said with a stern expression. Where others would cower and beg for forgiveness, the girl simply smiled.
"I said I was going for a walk." She said.
"You were told to be back in time for when our visitors arrived." The queen pointed out with a sign.
"They're not here yet so it's fine." She argued she climbed the step to stand next Amy who immediately began straitening the girl's skirts and trying to remove any dirt.
"They'll be here soon." The king said as he listened for the sound of horses. "We need to make a good impression."
"If you want to do that I don't see why we have to be here." Lilly said as she shifted uncomfortably next to her mother, who placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her nervous child. "King Fergus was on the side of your farther when it came to magic."
"We have to work to form allies and he knows that magic is accepted here. He needs this alliance more than we do so if he knows what good for him he will keep his options to himself." Christian argued.
"Compared to Uther, Fergus wasn't that bad so it should be fine and if not then he will have to answer to me." The girl said as she sent a cheeky smile in her friends' direction, lifting Lilly's sprit.
"Just behave yourself Olivia." Guinevere said.
"Yes mother." The girl, Olivia Pendragon, said with a smile.
"That goes for all of you." Freya added as she kissed her daughter's head in a final attempt to calm her nerves. Five young voices agreed as a group of dark horse burst through the gates and stooped at the steps.
A large angry looking man landed on the ground. He wore a heavy clock of black fur and looked around him as he was expecting an ambush. Arthur descended the stairs and offered his hand for the visiting king to shake. Guinevere made her way to her husband's side and offered her hand as well. Fergus looked at it and, what appeared to be reluctantly, kissed it. The gesture did not go unnoticed by the queen's husband and the rest of her family. It seemed Fergus shared more than just the late king's views of magic but those of status as well. A few steps behind Fergus, was a tall bold mad with a menacing scar across his face. His hand rested on his sword and he to was looking around as if an ambush was imminent.
"Fergus, it my honour to welcome you to Camelot." Arthur said as he put an arm around his wife.
"The hour in mine Arthur. It has been may years since I have visited these lands." Fergus replied. He looked passed the couple and glared at the others on the steps.
"May I introduce our children, Christian and Olivia." Arthur said. Christian and Olivia bowed their head in respect at the mention of their names.
"This is Merlin, the court sorcerer, his wife Freya and their daughter Lilly." Guinevere introduced the family as Merlin made his way to greet the king. His hand was also shock with great reluctancy. Freya and Lilly remained where they were and curtsied.
"Finally, Amy and Michael, Christian and Olivia's servants." Arthur said as the pair also bowed their heads.
"Your father would not have wasted time introducing servants." Fergus said as he looked away from the steps and faced Arthur.
"I am not my father." He said simply.
"No, you are not. I would like to begin right away, if it suits you." Fergus said.
"It does." Arthur said as he led Fergus up the steps as the other servants began bringing Fergus's things into the palace.
The adults followed the two kings and the children remained on the steps. They looked at each and silently agreed that this would be an interesting visit. They decided it would be best to stay of the way for the time being and made their way to Gaius's chambers. Gaius's chambers were the groups favourite place in the whole palace. It was always so inviting, and Gaius always greeted them with a smile. Today was no different.
"I take it Fergus has arrived?" Gaius inquired as the group sat around his desk. Gaius stopped writing and placed his glasses on the table
"You should have seen him when he addressed mother and Merlin, you would think they had the plague." Christian said. Gaius could hear the anger in the young boy's voice. Christian was like his father in many ways in that sometimes he let his emotions take over, especially when it came to his mother and sister.
"His views are like that of your grandfather's. Magic is evil and those of a lower status should remain that way." Gaius argued. "Some things your father has done during his time as king would make men like Fergus turn in their graves."
"He makes me uneasy." Lilly said as she picked up the parchment Gaius was using and read his notes. She was always eager to know what Gaius was working on. She had an insatiable thirst for knowledge on things both magical and non-magical.
"And me. I'd say it's never a waste of time introducing someone." Amy mumbled as she thought back to Fergus' comment on the introduction of servants.
"How long does he have to stay?" Olivia asked. She was desperate to get this man out of her home.
"As long as it takes to agree to the alliance. Your father wants to make some changes to the one Fergus had with your Grandfather." Gaius replied as he put his glasses back on and scribbled something on another piece of parchment. He handed it to Olivia.
"Why don't you all go to the record room and find this book for me." Gaius suggested.
"What's it for?" Michael asked as he took the parchment from Olivia.
"That's' none of your concern now run along." Gaius said with a smile. The group got up and made their way to door before Gaius called after them.
"Don't get into trouble." He said.
"Why does everyone say that to us?" Amy asked innocently.
"Because the five of you haven't had a quiet day since you met five years ago. Even when it was just the twins and Lilly there was no peace." Gaius answered with a scowl which turned to a smile when the group laughed.
"We'll try." The five promised as they made their way out.
A short while later the group was searching the shelves for the book Gaius had sent them to find.
"When was the last time this place was dusted?" Amy asked as she blew the cobwebs from a book only to find it wasn't the one they needed.
"I think this place was built with a layer of dust, it's just as part of the place as the walls are." Michael replied as he held the ladder for Lilly.
"I might have it." Lily said as she tried to pull a book from the shelf. She ended up pulling too hard and falling backwards taking some of the books with her. Christian acted quickly and held out his arms to catch her before she landed on the stone floor.
"We really can't have a quiet day." Michael commented as Lilly got back on her feet.
"I found it." Lilly said as she held the book up triumphally.
"Let's put them back and take it to Gaius." Olivia said as she got down to pick up the books that had fallen with Lilly.
"Hey, have a look at this." Amy said as she picked up a book that had fallen open. The others crowded around her.
"There is a legend." Amy began to read. "That spoke of five people who were able to channel the power a member with the use of an incantation. This group would be known as The Chain. The members would represent each element; fire, earth, air and water with the fifth member representing magic."
"What does it mean by channel?" Lilly asked.
"Well its says one member would be born with magic and the other four would not. The incantation would allow the non-magical members to have magic temporarily." Amy explained.
"I've never heard of this legend." Michael said.
"This book is pretty old. If it's true I bet the legend has already been fulfilled or it could just be a fairy tale." Amy argued as she put the book back on the shelf. "We should get back to Gaius."
As the bright morning faded into the early evening, in the throne room Arthur, Guinevere, Merlin and Freya were discussing the changes being made to the treaty between the two kingdoms.
"You have fine children." Fergus said surprising the two couples.
"Thank you, thankfully they take after their mother." Arthur said with a smile.
"As does Lilly." Merlin smiled as he kissed Freya's forehead.
"Your son will make a fine king. I'm sure he will be a worthy heir." Fergus said. Arthur and Guinevere shared a look before facing Fergus.
"Actually, Olivia is our heir." Arthur said.
"But you have a son." Fergus said, the surprise in his voice was clear.
"Yes. Olivia and Christian are twins, but Olivia was born first." Guinevere explained.
"We saw that as a sign that she was meant to be queen someday. We are very proud of them." Arthur said.
"And what of your child? Is she like you?" Fergus asked, turning his attention to Merlin and Freya.
"Lilly was born with magic if that's what you mean. She and the twins grew up together. They were born only a week before she was." Freya said with a smile as she thought back to the day her daughter was born.
"Does she intend to follow your foot steps and become court sorcerous?" Fergus asked.
"If that's what she wants but she is free to do what she wishes with her life and her magic." Merlin explained.
"So, she is free to abuse it?" Fergus asked. This surprised the parents and made Merlin and Freya uncomfortable they did not like what Fergus was implying.
"Magic is just like any other power. Riches, status and magic are neutral it just depends on the person who has them. We are raising Lilly to use it for good." Merlin argued as he crossed his arms. Fergus said nothing and slowly nodded his head before getting up.
"I think I will take dinner in my room tonight. I will see you all tomorrow." Fergus said as he left the throne room. The couples looked at each other.
"You would think he would be more interested in the agreement rather than the children." Freya pointed out as she collated the papers. They had hardly even scratched the surface of the agreement due to Fergus's reluctancy to change any polices concerning those who used magic. Although magic was now free to use in Camelot, it was not the case in Fergus's land.
"He will have to agree to the changes if he wants trading to remain the same as it is, if not his people will be trouble when winter comes, no matter how far off that is." Guinevere chimed in. "It's unfortunate he will be staying for the Spring festival tomorrow but hopefully it shouldn't ruin the mood too much."
"I think Lilly was right to feel uncomfortable. Did you see his face when you said Olivia was the heir and not Christian? You would think you'd told him that a horse was your heir rather than your daughter." Merlin laughed.
"He's from a different time. The sooner we sort this out the sooner he leaves." Arthur said. The others happily agreed as they left the throne room to find the children and prepare for dinner.
Later that evening, Fergus picked at the dinner that had been brought to his room. He downed his second goblet of wine. A knock on the door pulled Fergus away from his thoughts.
"Enter." Fergus called. In came the servant who arrived with him earlier that day. His scar was even more menacing in the candlelight.
"Do you have it?" Fergus asked.
"Yes Sire. Just as you asked." The man said as he handed Fergus a small bottle of light blue liquid. Fergus held the bottle up to the light and smiled.
"We need to see how effective it is before the intended target is given some. Tomorrow there will a feast for the spring festival, I want you to place a few drops in someone's food but avoid the royal family and their servants, it needs to be someone who they will pay little attention to. Do you understand?" Fergus asked.
"Yes, My Lord I will not fail you." The man said with a bow.
"See that you don't for if you do I will not attempt to save you." Fergus said as he dismissed the man. Once he was gone Fergus poured himself some more wine.
The next morning the family sat in the royal chambers having breakfast. The parents were discussing the treaty whereas the children were discussing the spring festival. Lilly was telling them her plans for her performance for the feast that evening.
"I'm thinking green fire." Lilly said as she waved her arms around.
"Sound exciting." Olivia said with her mouth full.
"Swallow then talk my love." Guinevere said from across the table. Just then Amy and Michael burst through the doors and quickly shut them before sliding to the floor. The two of them looked out of breath.
"What happened to you two?" Christian asked.
"That crazy cook is what happened. "Amy began to explain. The two them made their way to the table and fell into the spare chairs that were always left free for them. Arthur tossed an apple to each of them.
"So, we're passing by the kitchen helping to set up the hall for tonight and that crazy lady drags us into the kitchen demanding we help with the food. We tell her we have other duties to attend to." Michael said as he bit into his apple.
"But apparently being the personal servants to the prince and princess means nothing. So, we're slaving away making pies then the cook gets taken out because there's some emergency, so we leg it." Amy continues.
"But she catches us as we get out the door and starts chasing us, so we ran this way. By the way you really need to fix that lose step outside." Michael concluded.
"We'll tell this story when we retell the tails of the great Sir Michael, knight of Camelot." Arthur joked. "Sir Michael versus the angry cook."
"And his long time enemy, the lose step." Freya added. Michael stuck his tongue out at her, causing the whole table to laugh.
"Very funny. That step is a hazard okay, someone is going to get seriously hurt one of these days." Michael said. "Is Fergus going to be at the feast?"
"If he wants." Arthur replied.
"Should be interesting." Lilly mumbled.
"Let's change the subject shall we. What have you all got planned for the day?" Freya asked.
"We have training." Olivia replied with a bright smile as she faced her brother. The two of them had been trained in sword fighting since they could walk. Where most princess would have been locked away learning embroidery or some other lady like activity, Olivia was learning to slice a man in half. With the permission of her parents, Lilly has also been trained from a young age as her farther did not want her to have only her magic to protect herself with. When they met Amy and Michael they also joined their training sessions when they did not have other duties to perform.
"I have to help set up the banquet hall for tonight. I promised Sophie I would help her make the garlands." Amy said.
"Hope my sister doesn't drive you too crazy." Michael said with a laugh. Michael's older sister Sophie also worked in the palace as a maid. She had practically raised Michael since he was a child after their parents had died.
"I think it's just you she drives crazy. I'll be spending my day in the records room." Lilly said.
"Anything in particular?" Merlin asked eagerly. One thing he loved about his daughter was how curious she was and how eager she was to learn. It made both him and her mother proud to see how eager she was to learn about the world. The two of them were grateful to Arthur for changing the law and allowing their daughter to be who she really was.
"I just want to check some things out." Lilly replied with a casual wave of her hand.
Later that day while the others were busy with their own plans Lilly searched the shelves to find that book from yesterday. She would have told her father about the legend, but she wanted to look into it herself, after all that would be one of her duties as court sorcerous when she took over form her father. Merlin told Lilly as she grew up that as court sorcerer, his job was to help Arthur understand magic and the people who used it. When it was Lilly's turn she would do the same.
When she finally found it, Lilly sat crossed legend and looked through the book until she found what she was looking for. The page titled 'The Legend of the Chain'. She reread the part about one member of the group having magic and being able to share it with the other four for a short amount of time. The next paragraph talked about how although the members were connected they would also be individuals who had their own destiny that must be achieved.
"Only when each destiny is fulfilled would they be able to unlock the full potential of The Chain." Lilly read aloud. "There is no record of what that potential could entail."
Under this passage there was a sentence written in a different language. To anyone else it would have looked like gibberish, but to someone who had studied magic all their life, it made perfect sense.
"Quod mendaeium est in meo sanguine ego dabs vobis." Lilly read out. Suddenly she felt a rush flow through her body. She recognised this as the rush that came whenever she cast a spell, only this one felt much stronger she could have sword she had goose bumps. She felt her eyes flash gold as the magic filled her. Lily placed a hand over her chest to calm her rapidly beating heart and wondered what she had just done. Unknow to her four other people experienced the same feeling she just had.
Meanwhile on the training ground Olivia and Christian were duelling each other. Arthur watched with pride as his children practiced. He had trained hundreds of knights over the years, but the two who stood before him were his best students…not that he was bias or anything of course. Arthur had been watching his children fight their whole lives, so he knew when something was off with one of them, be it concerning their concentration or their footing, so when Christian failed to defend his left when Olivia struck or when Olivia lots her footing for a moment, it did not go unnoticed.
"Stop for a moment." Arthur called. The twins stopped and turned to face their father.
"Olivia your footing was off for a moment there and in battle that can easily be taken advantage of and Christian Olivia made an obvious move and you missed the defence. This is beginners' stuff what happened?" Arthur asked. No one could accuse the king of having favourites when it came to training. As he often told them, no one would treat them like royalty on the battle field, so they would be not treated so in training, even if they were his children.
"Sorry Farther, I just got light headed all of a sudden." Olivia explained.
"Me to. Must be the heat." Christian said.
Arthur signed. He had to admit they had been training for a while and the sun was bright. He supposed it would not hurt anyone if they took a break. He gestured to the table where there was a bowl of fruit and a jug of water. The two smiled and ran over to the table.
"You feel okay?" Olivia asked. Christian nodded as he took a bite from his apple.
"Are you?" He asked. Olivia nodded and whipped the sweat from her brow.
"I'm just hot that's all." She waved her hand in a casual manner before resting her hand on the table.
The twins remined silent for a few moments as they caught their breath and refreshed themselves. Suddenly, Christian smelled something off. He looked around to see what is was and then when he saw nothing looked to his sister to ask her. Before he could say anything, Christian noticed smoke coming from the table.
"Olivia." Christian said as he pointed to her hand. Olivia looked down and gasped when she saw what her twin was looking at. Bright flames sprouted from the table like seedlings. Christian grabbed the jug of water and poured its contents on to the table extinguishing the flames. The twins stepped back and stated in disbelief at the table. The two were so shocked that they did not hear their farther call out to them and they did not see him come to stand next to them.
"What happened?" Arthur asked.
"There was a bee." Olivia supplied quickly before Christian had a chance. "Christian went to hit it with the jug and he didn't realise it was full, so the water went everywhere." Arthur looked at his son.
"What she said." The prince said. The king looked between his two children, not quite sure what to make of their explanation.
"You two do realise you will have to face much more dangerous things then a bee in the future right?" The king asked with a soft smile. "I mean a future knight and queen must be braver then that."
"Yes, well that is a long way off and hopefully by then we will have overcome this irrational fear but until then shall we continue with training." Olivia rambled as she pulled her brother out on to the training grounds. Leaving a very confused father behind them. Arthur simply shock his head and followed the two. Had Arthur looked at the table he would have noticed a burn mark that was shaped like his daughter's hand.
Meanwhile, as the servants prepared the hall for that night's banquet Amy was hanging the garlands. As she arranged them in a way that she deemed acceptable she let her mind wonder. She thought about how disrespectful the visiting king was. Amy knew that not all servants were treated with such respect as they were in Camelot, but she was not used to seeing it herself first hand. Amy knew that she was lucky to be in the princess's service and even luckier to be her friend. She knew many people who would kill to be in her shoes. She and Michael had noticed the jealous looks that had been cast in their direction whenever the other servants saw how they interacted with the royal family.
When Amy and Michael first came to work in the place when they were ten, Arthur and Guinevere requested that they called them by their names rather than their titles and the same was requested of Merlin and Freya. They were part of the family now they were told. Amy was always curious as to why they were all so determined to make sure the two felt welcomed, Michael simply out in down to the fact that the queen and court sorcerous used to be servants but Amy thought there may have been more to it.
"Amy where have you gone?" A voice asked pully Amy from her thoughts. She looked turned to see Sophie smiling at her. Where Michael favoured his father in looks with his blonde hair, Sophie said they she favoured her mother with her light brown hair that seemed to have a mind of its own. Sophie was in her twenties and had been responsible for her brother since they lost their parents to a sickness that spread through the kingdom years ago. When the king and queen came to her asking for her permission to let Michael work as the prince's manservant she pinched herself to make sure it was all real. She almost drew blood when Michael told her that the king believed he would make a great knight one day. You couldn't find a prouder sister in all of Camelot.
"Somewhere else." Amy replied.
"I'm sure you were, do you know where that brother of mine is?"
"I thought he went to get more plates?"
"Properly saw a pretty girl. I think he's flirted with half the kingdom by now." Sophie shock her head.
"He does admire Sir Gwaine." Amy said with a smile.
"Maybe too much. Be a dear and fold those napkins for me would you. I have to find him before he ends up having the stuffing kicked out of him by some poor girl's brother like last time." Sophie said as she left the hall.
Amy sat at the table and began folding the napkins. Once she had completed one pile she reached for the other, but it was just out of her reach. She made face and got up to retrieve them. Suddenly Amy felt a breeze, she looked around confused as she remembered closing all the windows, so the decorations could stay intact. Amy shock it off and reached for the napkins. A stronger gust came and blew the pile off the table. Amy stood there, she carefully reached and picked the napkins off the floor. She looked around to see that none of the other servants had noticed. She began folding again. A few minutes later when someone dropped a metal jug, sending a loud crashing sound through the hall causing Amy to jump out of her skin. Half the decorations were blown off the wall and the napkin flew off the table. Amy quickly picked them up again as another servant came to fix the decorations. Amy folded the napkins in record time and excused herself from the hall.
Later that evening the girls were getting ready for the feast in Olivia's room. Olivia wore a light green dress and her hair was lose. Lilly wore a light blue dress that brought out her eyes and Amy wore a simple pink dress. Olivia and Amy stayed quite as they got ready, the two of them debated whether or not they should say something about what happen to them earlier that day. Amy was convinced that the palace was haunted, and Olivia was thinking she may have been cursed. After hearing all the stories from when her parents were younger Olivia knew that Pendragons were a popular family when it came to curses. Lilly, on the other hand eagerly talked about what she had been reading that day, (leaving out the Chain chapter of course).
"I mean when you think about it really is amazing how many uses dragon urine has. It's shame I can't test it out myself. "Lilly said eagerly. When she studied something, she would often go off into a tangent. "No offense Olivia but your grandfather really impacted the development of science with his prejudice."
"None taken to be honest I would be more offended if you thought otherwise." Olivia said as she allowed Amy to make one final check of her dress and hair.
"Do you ever wish you knew him?" Amt asked. Uther Pendragon was a bit of a touchy subject for the royal family. After all he had tried to kill the queen (in both life and death) and at one point was quite happy to allow Lilly's father to die after risking his life for Arthur and don't get them started on what he would do to Freya and Lilly. Yes, Uther Pendragon was not a popular topic in the castle.
"Not really." Olivia said simply. "Shall we go, we can't keep everyone waiting."
Some time later the banquet hall was filled with the sounds of music and celebration. The royal family and the court sorcerer's family sat at the top of the table with King Fergus with Amy and Michael close by in case their services were needed. Arthur turned to the musician and made a gesture for them to stop. The music stopped and with it the sounds of celebration as the guests waited for their king to speak.
"As you all know spring is a time for rebirth and hope. It is when the darkness of winter is replaced by the bright sun and the world seems to be filled with colour again. Now most of you may know that my wife is better with words then I am, one of her many talents." The crowed laughed softly as Arthur kissed Gwen's hand before continuing. "With this treaty between Camelot and Fergus's kingdom comes a new hope for the people of both lands." The crowd cheered and applauded at their king's words.
"And now without further a due, the moment you have all been waiting for the fiery talents of Lilly." Arthur said as he sat down and allowed Lilly to take the stage.
Lilly happily sprang from her seat and moved to the centre of the room. She whispered a spell under her breath and the candles flickered out, shrouding the banquet hall in darkness. For a moment there was silence, no one even dared to breath when suddenly a mighty dragon made a green fire lite up the room. The dragon circled the hall before hovering in the middle above Lilly's head. She waved her hand and an army of golden soldiers surrounded and started to attack the dragon. The soldiers shot arrows at their emerald target as the dragon knocked out half the army with its tale. The dragon continued to defend itself until a bright purple dragon appeared out of nowhere and breathed fire at the remaining soldiers. The green dragon spread out its wings in an attempt to make itself look more threatening. The purple dragon seemed to be unaffected by this display and moved closer. The green dragon jumped in the air and started to fly around the hall, this time with the purple dragon right behind them. The two chased each other for a while before coming to the middle of the hall again. The dragons hovered for a moment before the purple one leaned in close. The green dragon was hesitant but soon did the same. The two dragons touched heads and seemed to be in a complete state of bliss. With a wave of her hand Lilly slowly extinguished the fire that formed the dragons and lite the candles once again. The hall erupted with cheers as Lilly bowed and sat back down next to her family who congratulated her on a brilliant performance.
"That was wonderful my love." Freya said as she kissed her daughter's head.
"How long did that take you to plan?" Gwen asked.
"Just a few weeks. I've been preoccupied with my studies, so it wasn't as long as I wanted it to be." Lilly replied.
"I think it was perfect." Amy said from her spot next to the table.
"Why give the dragon the happy ending? Surely the army should have been victorious." Fergus asked curiously.
"I always give the dragons a happy ending in my stories. Contrary to popular belief, most species are quite peaceful and will only attack when threatened like the green one was. Besides I'm part dragon lord it would be foolish of me to show such disrespect." Lilly said trying to hide her annoyance at the question. She understood that people from Uther's generation had a negative view of anything magical but what was wrong with making a dragon the hero of a story?
Fergus aid nothing but nodded. There would be no point starting an argument right now in front of the whole royal court, which is what would inevitably happen if he kept talking. He looked to his left and caught sight of his servant who slipped a few drops of the poison into a middle-aged man's food without anyone noticing. Olaf smiled into his wine goblet. All they had to do now was wait and see what the results would be.
Later that night Arthur and Gwen were in their chambers preparing for bed. As Gwen sat at her vanity table tying her hair into a braid she thought about the banquet. She was so proud of Lilly and her performance that evening. She loved Lilly like her own, just and Merlin and Freya loved hers like their own, and it made her happy to see her using her talents in such a wonderful and positive way. She also thought about how quite the girls had been, even Christian was usually quiet, he kept looking at his sister as if something was suddenly going to happen to her. The only one who seemed to be acting like their usual self was Michael.
"Did you notice anything strange about the children tonight?" Gwen asked as she climbed in bed.
"They did seem quiet. I thought it was just because they didn't like Fergus being there. What do you think was wrong?" Arthur asked.
"I suppose that must be it." Gwen said although she was still unsure. Arthur blew out the candle and climbed into bed with her before he wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled her close. Gwen settled into her husband's arms and closed her eyes, ready for sleep to take her.
The next morning Gaius was preparing a tonic of some sort. Lilly was sitting across from him watching closely. She had always found watching Gaius work to be very comforting, especially when she had something on her mind.
"What's troubling you?" Gaius asked.
"Have you ever heard of The Chain?" Lilly asked deciding to straight to the point.
"Where did you hear about that?"
"Found a chapter on it the other day. It's a prophecy but I've never heard of it."
"There are thousands of prophecies in the world, but they only become known when the time is right. There are some that have existed for centuries and will probably not be known for another couple of centuries. If its been found, then it's time for it to be fulfilled. What did it say?" Gaius asked as he poured the tonic he was making into a bottle.
"I can't remember." Lilly lied. "Where do you want me to take this?"
"Lord Martin." Gaius said as he handed the bottle to Lilly. She nodded and took the bottle before leaving the room. Lilly made her way down the hall towards Lord Martin's chambers. When she reached the door, she gave it a hard knock. When there was no answer she knocked again.
"Lord Martin, I have your tonic from Gaius." She called out. She knew he was in there because he had his tonic brought to him at the same time every day, so she knew he would be in there waiting for it.
"I'm coming in." She said. Lilly took a deep breath and prayed that he would be decent. Lilly entered the room and looked around. Compared to some of the other chambers, Lord Martin's was the simplest. Lord Martin was a simple man which was what Lilly liked about him. Lilly saw a bundle in the bed and made her way to the bed. What she saw made her blood run cold. Lilly's screams could be heard throughout the palace.
Sometime later the children, parents and Gaius were gathered in the room with two guards waiting outside. Lilly was being held close by her mother while Merlin and Gaius were looking at the body. Lord Martin's skin was deathly pale, and his veins could be seen like the stones at the bottom of a clear blue lake. What was truly unsettling was his eyes. They were blank and there was blood seeping out of them.
"I haven't seen this sort of poison used for years." Gaius said without looking up from the body.
"What is it?" Arthur asked.
"It's called Monroe poison. It's made from a combination of different poisons that have been enchanted before they are all mixed together. It's practically impossible to find an antidote because the poisons used are so different that any antidote given to the victim will be contracted. I hate to say this, but he would have been in unimaginable pain." Gaius replied.
"How powerful would you have to be to make it?" Amy asked.
"Very. Their level of power would have to be the same as Merlin's."
"Aren't many like that." Christian mumbled.
"How could he have been poisoned?" Olivia asked.
"Properly his food. Which means he would have had to have been poisoned at the banquet. For his tonic to be effective he would have had to not eaten for a few hours before taking it, so he wouldn't have eaten after dinner." Gaius said as he looked at the group.
"Does that mean we're all poisoned?" Michael asked. After the banquet the servants had been allowed to take home any food that was left.
"It's a fast-acting poison, if it was in all the food we would all be dead by now." Gaius assured him.
"So, he was a target?" Gwen asked. She couldn't imagine anyone wanting to hurt Lord Martin, let alone killing him.
"Possibly."
"What do we do?" Olivia asked.
"We will find out what happened, you five will do nothing and go find something else to do today. Something other people your age would do." Arthur said in the same tone he used when giving orders. It was one of authority that should not be disobeyed. "Is that clear?"
"Yes father." Olivia said. She looked to her and friends and they all left the room. As they made their way down the hall the others noticed that Olivia had a certain look on her face. This look told the others that she was thinking something.
"What's going on in that head of yours?" Michael asked.
"Nothing." Olivia said simply. "What do you guys want to do today? And remember we have to do something other people our age would do."
"We could go riding." Amy suggested.
"Perfect." Olivia said with a bright smile.
Sometime later, five horses were charging through the forest. Animals jumped out of their way and birds where scared out of their nests by the power thundering of the hooves. The fresh air seemed to have blown away the fear of the morning and replaced it with joy. They made their way to clearing with a small lake and dismounted. They left the horses to their own devices as they went to sit down. They boys started to skip stones and the girls lay in the sun while Amy made a daisy chain.
"So, what's going on with you and Olivia?" Michael asked.
"What do you mean?" Christian asked.
"Well you and the girls have all been acting weird. I noticed it last night." This was news to Christian. He had been so preoccupied with what happened during in training that he did not notice if anything was going on with Amy and Lilly.
"I don't really know how to explain it." Christian confessed as he skipped another stone. He stared out to the water and tried to think of the best way to explain what had happened. He could just have said she set fire to a table but even thinking that made him feel like a madman. As he stared at the water Christian was so lots in thought that he did not notice what was happening. The water began to lap onto the ground at their feet and all over the lake it began to splash as if a dozen rock had been tossed in.
"Christian." A voice called out, pulling him from his thoughts. He turned to see the girls running over to them.
"What is it?" Christian asked when he saw their faces.
"The water was moving." Lilly explained.
"Water is always moving." Christian said confused.
"No, it was like it had a mind of its own." Michael explained.
"It's just like earlier." Olivia whispered.
"What happened to you?" Amy asked.
"I may have set fire to a table. I just placed my hand down and suddenly there was fire." Olivia explained.
"I think I did something to the napkins." Amy confessed. The other four looked at her with their mouths wide open, not entirely sure what to say to that.
"I was helping set up for last night and when I reached for them they kept blowing away and the same happened to the decorations." She explained.
"Air, fire and now water." Lilly mumbled. She then turned to Michael. "Has anything happened to you?" He shook his head.
"Well if it hasn't then it will soon I think I know what's happened. We need to go back." Lilly said as she ran to the horse with the others close behind her.
Sometime later the five were in the record room standing around Lilly as she showed them a familiar passage. She explained to them what she had read and about the spell she had read aloud. Amy and Olivia explained as well as they could what had happened to them yesterday.
"So, the only one who hasn't had anything happen is me?" Michael asked.
"Seems to be that way." Olivia said.
"So, what do I do?" Michael asked. The others looked at each other and then back at Michael.
"It's not like we knew what we were doing." Christian pointed out. "I didn't know I was doing anything."
"It seems like it just happened." Amy said. She then turned to Lilly. "Why don't you try saying the spell again."
"Suppose I could try it. Quod mendaeium est in meo sanguine ego dabo vobis." Lilly said. She felt the familiar rush of power flow through her and her eyes flashed gold. She turned to the other and caught a glimpse of their eyes which also flashed gold.
"So, who wants to go first?" Amy asked. None of them made any effort to try anything. Olivia decided to try it first. Of course, she had no idea how she was supposed to test the effects of the spell out. She decided to try the first thing that came to mind and clicked her fingers. As soon as she did there was a bright spark. Olivia opened her hand her face froze when she saw the fire dancing in her palm. Olivia squealed and shook her hand until the fire went out.
"I think it works." Olivia said as she checked her hand.
"What are we going to do? I mean should we tell everyone?" Amy asked.
"I don't think so. We don't really understand what's happening. It would probably be best to keep it to ourselves until we know more." Lilly said.
"After all, when we don tell them, which I think we should at some point, they'll have a load of questions and it would properly be easier for everyone involved if we were able to answer some of them." Michael pointed out.
"So, we say nothing?" Christian clarified. The four nodded. Although they did not like having to keep secrets from the adults in their lives they knew it would be an easy thing to do. After all this was not the first time the group had hid something from them and it would not be the last time.
Later that day Michael was changing the bedding in some of the guest rooms. As he worked he let his mind wander. He had done the same routine some many times he could properly do it in his sleep. He thought about what had gone on that day. First a suspected poisoning, then they find out Olivia could have burned the palace down and that the five of them may be the answer to some ancient prophecy that stated they each had a great destiny to fulfil. Don't get him wrong, when your best friends with a prince, princess and a powerful sorcerous there is no such thing as a normal day, but today was something different.
As Michael straightened the covers of Fergus's scary servant's bed he resisted the urge to do something to the room to make a little less comfortable. Perhaps he should pay a quick visit to the stables? Or maybe he would borrow a potion or two from Gaius to see what would happen if he put a few drops into the jug of water on the table. The possibilities were endless. He would have to talk to Christian and see if he had any ideas. He was just changing the pillow covers when he felt something inside the pillow. He shock the pillow and was surprised to see a bottle land on the bed. Before he could take a proper look at it he heard footsteps in the hall and ran out the servants' door.
"Where did you find this?" Amy asked. Once he had left the chamber Michael made quick work of finding the others to show them what he had found.
"The room Fergus's servant is staying in. I think he might be behind what happen to Lord Martin." Michael explained. The others looked at him like he was crazy.
"This could just be medicine." Lilly suggested.
"If that's true then why hide it in a pillow? Why not just have it out in the open?" Michael.
"It does seem a bit odd that someone gets poisoned not long after he arrives. But it could just be a coincidence." Olivia said.
"Fergus is against all the changes your father had made." Michael argued. "He could be following his orders."
"But Lord Martin has nothing to do with any of that stuff." Christian said.
"Okay, if what you're saying is true then it's possible Lord Martin was juts a test subject." Lilly explained. "Monroe poison is very difficult to make and there are very few records that contain any information about what happens when you take it. Lord Martin might have just been a random choice and someone else will get poisoned."
"That makes sense, see we have to tell someone." Michael said.
"We can't go around accusing people of poison, especially a king. I'll do some tests and see if I can find anything." Lilly said.
"Won't Gaius get suspicious?" Olivia asked. Lilly shock her head.
"He's out with some patients in the lower town so he'll be gone for a while. Besides if anyone else comes in it won't be difficult to explain as I'm always doing something in there." The others nodded their heads in agreement.
Lilly said she would tell them what she had found later that day. The problem was that Lilly didn't quite understand how complex these tests would be. Even though she wasn't entirely sure if this was in fact Monroe poison she decided she would treat it as if it was. Her father and Gaius had taught her all sorts of ways to test poisons and testing for them when they had been mixed with at least a dozen more poisons would not be a simple task.
The sun had set, and the moon shone bright by the time Lilly was finished. Her hair resembled a wasp's nest and her face was covered with who knows what from all the explosions that had taken place. The room looked like a tornado had come through with all the books and papers scattered around, but she had found what she needed.
"What happened here?" A voice asked in complete shock. Lilly turned to see her father looking around the room in disbelief.
"I'll explain later." Lilly called out as she ran out the room, leaving a very confused father behind her.
Lilly ran down the hall as fast as her legs could carry her. She turned the corner and made her way to Olivia's room which was the closest. She burst through the door and was faced with the chocked faces of Olivia and Amy. She held up the bottle and nodded.
"They're in the weapons room." Amy said. The three of them wasted no time and made their way to the weapons room. Christian and Michael were discussing defence techniques when they came in.
"You were right." Lilly called out. "I was able to find three poisons that are essential to making Monroe poison. It's not full proof but it's convincing."
"So, what do we do? You did steal it from a king." Amy pointed out.
"Fergus may even say that it was planted there, and we have no proof to say otherwise." Olivia added.
"What do we do then wait for someone else to die?" Michael suggested. "If this is Fergus' doing then I'm willing to bet that the real targets are either you guys or your parents."
"We won't even have time to look into an antidote if that happens. It'll kill too fast." Lilly mumbled. She began playing with her hair as she tried to think of a way out of there situation while the others were trying to come up with a solution.
A visiting king who was not a fan of the changes that had been made to the kingdom since Uther's death had a bottle of poisons in his room. A trusted member of the court who had never hurt anyone had been used as a test subject for said poison and the next victim would most likely be a member of the royal family. They had evidence of possible treason, but it was not full proof. She though back to all the stories her father had told her growing up, all the times he had saved Arthur who had been none the wiser. Since revealing his magic in the fight against Morgana, Merlin had told part of the truth about what had happened over the years, but there was still so much Arthur didn't know. Lilly fully intended on following in her father's footsteps and becoming court sorcerous. One false move and this whole treaty could fall apart. Lilly didn't see any other way out. It seemed she would be following in his footsteps much earlier then planned.
"We can't tell them. We have to stop this ourselves." Lilly said, interrupting whatever her friends were saying. They all looked at her, mouths hanging open.
"We have nothing solid, it's all circumstantial and we only have theories." Lilly continued. She then went on to explain her plan.
That night the children insisted that they would cook dinner for the adults. Fergus saw it as an odd request, but they had cooked dinner for them all more than once. Arthur insisted that just because he couldn't cook to save his life doesn't mean his children shouldn't. Besides Freya and Gwen quite enjoyed spending time in the kitchen teaching the children what they knew. The children would cook and make sure they were only ones touched it. They knew that if Lord Martin was poisoned with his food it was safe to bet that he would try again. To avoid suspicions Lilly had Michael put a cold remedy with the same colouring as the poison back in the servant's room where he found it. The plan was that since he wouldn't be able to get to their food he may try to do something in the night. The treaty had been completed and Fergus would be leaving the next morning. He would have to strike that night and they would be there to stop. Lilly would place a charm on the royal chambers which would prevent anyone getting in and the five of them would wait outside his door until he made a move. It was risky, but it was the best they could with the little time they had. The treaty had been completed after endless hours of discussion and compromises and Olaf would be leaving the next morning. If he was going to strike it would be that night and they would be ready.
After dinner, Fergus was in his chambers. His servant stood in the corner waiting father instruction from his master. Fergus was pacing back and forth, and he was making no attempt to hide his anger. He could strangle those children. Strangle them, disembowel them and have them brought back to life so he could do it all again. His servant had told him that the poison had disappeared and then reappeared in his room, so he knew they were somehow on to him.
"Stupid children. We're running out of time. What kind of royals cook their own dinner?" He cried out in anger. His servant stood perfectly still, unaffected by the outburst.
"It'll have to be tonight. I don't care how it is done but make sure that king and queen don't see the morning. With them out of the way Camelot will be easy pickings." Fergus continued. He looked at his servant and gave him a look that he had seen many times. It was a look that said, 'fail me and you die.'
"Yes my Lord." He bowed.
Elsewhere in the castle, Olivia and Christian were sitting in their parent's chambers. Arthur and Gwen wanted to make up for all the time they had spent with Fergus rather than their children. Although the children understood how important their duties were to the kingdom they didn't have to like it. Rather then growing up being spoiled with possessions the twins had been spoiled with their parents love and attention, another thing Arthur wanted to do differently to his father.
"Did you like dinner?" Olivia asked. As she watched her mother braid her hair. Her mother smiled at her in the mirror.
"Yes, it was lovely."
"Thank goodness you get your cooking skills from your mother." Arthur chuckled as he thought back to when he tried to make dinner for Gwen during his time at her house.
"Maybe you should stick to sword fighting since that's all you're really good at after all." Christian suggested with a cheeky grin. Gwen marvelled at how much her son resembled her husband when he did that.
"Watch your mouth." Arthur said in mock anger. He ruffled his son's hair and kissed his daughter's head.
"Why did you want to cook anyway?" He asked.
"Just felt like it. Take our minds off what happened this morning." Olivia said. It was only partly a lie.
"What did you do today?" Gwen asked.
"Just went riding. Like normal people out age do." Christian answered. Gwen and Arthur nodded, happy that their children had listen to them. If they only knew what had gone on after the ride.
"What was Lilly doing? Merlin said Gaius' room looked like a war zone." Gwen asked. Olivia and Cristian's' eyes grew wide.
"Oh, you know Lilly, always working on something. I'm sure she helped to clean up." Olivia explained quickly.
"We all have different ways of relaxing." Christian pointed out with a genuine smile. Testing for poisons may not have been everyone's idea of fun but it was for Lilly.
"True." Gwen said as she came to sit on the bed next to her children. "Olaf will be gone tomorrow so what shall we all do? I think we could use a break from politics for a while. The nine of us could go for a picnic."
"Sounds good." Olivia said softly. She hoped that by the morning everything would be sorted.
"Do we know anything about Lord Martin." Christian asked.
"The cooks said no one new touched the food and no one serving at the feast noticed anything out of the ordinary. We're looking in to Lord Martin's past to see if anyone had a grudge against him." Arthur replied. The twins looked at each other, they knew they wouldn't find anything.
"Is something wrong?" Gwen asked after noticing her children's expressions. They shook their heads. After talking for a little longer, the twins used the age-old excuse and said they were tired and excused themselves.
Outside the royal chambers Lilly was waiting for them. She too had said goodnight to her parents and was waiting for them to come out, so she could cast the protection charm that would also keep any noise out. She cast the charm and reassured the twins one more time that she knew what she was doing.
"Where are Amy and Michael?" Olivia asked.
"Waiting outside Scar faces' room." Lilly replied. "That's what we've decided to call Fergus's man." She explained when she saw their confused faces. The three of them made their way to down the hall. Amy and Michael were hiding behind a column keeping a close eye on the door. On the floor beside them were two swords, ready in case things got ugly.
"Anything?" Lilly asked. They shook their heads.
"He'll want to wait until he's sure their asleep, so we could be here a while." Amy whispered. The five of them prepared for a long night of sitting and waiting.
They sat there for a long time. One or two guards came down the hall during their patrol but that was about it. They kept talking to a minimum, afraid to make too much noise. Amy and Christian had fallen asleep. After what seemed like an eternity the door opened and out came Scare face. The heavy sound woke Amy and Christian. The five of them held their breath as he made his way down the hall. He held a sword that looked like it could easily slice a man in half. The five followed closely behind him but made sure to stay out of sight. They couldn't do anything until he tried to get into the royal chambers. In now time at all, he was standing outside the royal chamber trying to get in. He let out frustrated grunt. The twins unsheathed their swords, the sound alerting him to their presence.
"Leave our parents alone." Olivia said as she took a step forward. Scare face took a moment and then lunged at her. She blocked him while Christian tried to go from behind but Scar face spun round and blocked him. Lilly's eyes flashed as a tapestry wrapped it self-round his legs. Scar face struggled for a moment and then he sliced the tapestry with his sword. Amy swung round and tried to hit him over the head with a jug, but he pushed her against the wall. Michael rushed to her side but before he could reach her, Scar face kicked him down causing Michael to yell out in pain.
Olivia and Christian continued to fight him off. They had never thought someone with such strength. They had practiced with their father all the time, but his strength came from a place of love; love for his family and his people. Scar faces' strength came from a place of anger and hatred which the twins didn't understand. How can you fight what you don't understand?
Lilly didn't know what to do, she had never used her magic to fight someone. Her friends were being hurt and her home was being threatened and she didn't know what to do. One thing came to mind, it was all she had at that moment and she was reluctant to use it, but she could see no other way out.
"Quod mendaeium est in meo sanguine ego dabo vobis." She muttered her eyes and those of her friends flashed gold.
Scar face moved to strike Olivia. She held up her sword dogging his attack. Christian swung at him, but he too was blocked. Olivia and Christian tried to push him back, but he stood firm like a stone wall. Michael was still on the floor groaning in pain and Amy was too disorientated. Michael saw his friends struggling when he felt that familiar rush of power, a rush that at first made him light headed but now made him feel invincible. He knew what this feeling meant now. He had seen what it could do to his friends, but not him.
"Air, water and fire. All that's left is earth." He thought to himself. He looked around trying to come up with a plan. His eyes landed on the small set of steps that led to the royal chambers. The one with the lose step. The lose stone step. Michael waved his hand, he almost didn't hear the soft sound of the stone moving out of place over the clashing of swords. He waved again, the large stone step moved a little more but not as much as he needed. He looked at his friends who were close to losing the fight. Lilly spat out spells as she tried to slow him down or make Olivia and Christian's blows stronger, but nothing was working for too long.
Michael glared at the stone. He was not losing his family to some idiot with a stupid scar. He moved his whole arm this time and before he knew it the stone came out of its place in the steps and flew right at Scar faces head. Knocking him out cold. His body slumped the ground. Lilly, Christian and Olivia looked at him with their mouths wide open. Even Amy managed to face him.
"I told you that step was a hazard." He mumbled. A second later the hall was full of laughter.
The next morning, while the royal family said goodbye to King Fergus (with the twins doing their best to hide their smiles), Lilly stood on the stairs with her parents. Amy and Michael were finishing their morning chores.
"So, let me get this straight." Merlin began as he looked at his daughter suspiciously. "You couldn't sleep so you went for a walk and you found Fergus's man knocked out in the hall after he seemed to have tripped on that lose step?"
"That's right." Lilly said. After they had recovered from what had happened the children got to work arranging the scene. They moved the step back into place and moved Scar face, so it looked like he tripped and hit his head. Lilly then removed the charm he put on the chamber door and went to find a guard. She was still surprised one hadn't come along during the fight. After doing that and being sent back to bed, Lilly treated her friends' injuries, so they wouldn't get asked any annoying questions. Amy's head had been a challenge but with a few potions she was able to heal the injury, leaving her with only a mild headache.
"That step has always been a problem." Freya pointed out, although she too was suspicious.
"And then he wakes up confessing to having poisoned Lord Martin and intending to poison Arthur and Gwen. Which, it turns out, King Fergus knew nothing about. Is that right?" Merlin clarified.
"Perhaps he realised there would be no point in lying. It would only make things worse after all." Lilly suggested. She had of course left out the part about enchanting him to say whatever she wanted him to just to make sure there was no room for doubt. Scar face was to return to Fergus's kingdom where he would be executed for treason towards another ruler and putting the future of his own kingdom in jeopardy.
"Stranger things have happened." Freya said as she took her husband's hand. Merlin Kissed her hand and looked at his friends saying goodbye. He missed the satisfied smile on his daughter's face. They had all agreed that it would be best for the other to act like they knew nothing about what had happened so there would be less of a chance of anyone saying anything that would contradict their cover story. It looked like they had got away with it.
The family watched as King Fergus and his men rode away with Scare face carelessly draped over a horse in a way that looked very uncomfortable. The twins ran up the stairs closely followed by their parents.
"He gone then?" Merlin asked with a smile.
"Yeah won't be seeing him again for a while." Arthur replied. "He apologised for the actions of his man and said that he hoped we would be able to forget it for the sake of our people."
"Forget might be the wrong word but we agreed." Gwen said as she placed a comforting hand on her husband's shoulder. It seemed to work, just as it always did. "How about we go for that picknick?"
"I'll get Amy and Michael." Olivia said as she ran towards the castle in search of her friends. The adults were close behind her. Only Lilly and Christian remained.
"Did they believe it?" He asked.
"I'm not sure, but I don't think they're going to ask anymore questions." Lilly assured him.
"At least it's over."
"I'm not sure. Think about it; we've uncovered a who knows how ancient prophecy that says we can unlock great power and we stopped an assignation attempt because Michael hit someone over the head with giant stone without touching it. I think there's more to come."
"I see your point. Nothing's ever going to normal again is it?"
"This is Camelot, when are things ever normal?"
Author's note: The spell translates to 'What lies in my blood, I give to you' in Latin. I got the translation from Google translate so I'm not sure how accurate it is. I have spent so long writing this and I can't wait to get some feedback and start the next chapter.