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Set after S3 :)

Merlin/Arthur friendship, no slash, canon pairings

Summary: Arthur, Merlin, and the Knights of the Round Table face a new enemy in the Camelot. But could this opponent really be the true antagonist of Camelot?


It was a fine day in Camelot. The sun is shining, the town is healing, and people are slowly beginning to go back to their daily routines.

After Morgana's confrontations and the damage she and her sister have done to Camelot, the people are still left to process the shocking information in their minds. They've watched the girl grow up into a striking young woman with the benevolence of Lady Ygraine and stubbornness of the King himself.

Her years growing up with Arthur Pendragon, the bravest and compassionate man he is, surely had to mean something. If the prince turned out to be such a fine young man he is, how could his sister not?

Some people understand and pity the lady, for it turns out that she is in fact Uther's daughter. Her own father, who chooses his son over her, has hid her for all these years. And growing up, she's been taught that magic is evil when she is magic herself. People can only imagine how terrified she is. Perhaps if someone saved her in time, tell her she wasn't alone, none of this would've happened. And the most disgusting thing is the fact that some people knew this. And they too knew that it was Morgause who saved her, who gave her a home. These people were disgusted by the simple fact that they unknowingly betrayed one of their bloods. And Arthur was one of them.


It was a dark and snowy night. Somewhere up a hill, there was a simple house filled with simple commoners. A mother was in the kitchen, making soup for her sick child. Her husband was loading up the fireplace with more woods. An old man was accompanying the sick boy in his room, telling him the tale that has been passed down for generations in their family. And his wife, the boy's grandmother, was busy in the living room, decorating their Christmas tree.

The sight of the house was like a family painting. Except of course, for the fact that the poor young boy is sick. And also, if it was a painting, something seems to be missing – maybe a gift, or maybe a person.

"But love, you have to eat the soup!" urged the mother.

"I don't want to!" It seems that the boy refused to eat the soup, as it 'taste all weird,' he claims.

"I'll try to coax him, don't worry, he'll eat it," whispered the father, rubbing his wife's arms to calm her down. She sighed. The occupants of the house became noisier as they try to make him better.

Suddenly, between all the chaos, there was an odd sort of knock on the door. It wasn't a knock, more like a thud, as if something just hit it with force.

The father, Henry, shrugged it off, assuming it was just the snow. But when it was followed by weaker but constant thuds, he decided to check on it.

He opened the door and didn't prepare himself. There, stood in front of him, was a shivering young brunette with skin that matches the snow, even unhealthily so. Even in this blizzard, she was only wearing a single garment, a white tunic too big to hug her small figure. And it was tainted with blood.

"Isolde," he whispered, as the young lady wrapped her arms around her. That was when he noticed the missing fingers and replacing it, was fresh flesh bleeding profusely. She was covered in bruises, burn marks, and it looks lie a section of skin was chunked out, some burnt. He has yet to see the gash on her head or the weird angle of her ribs. Trails of blood ran down in between her legs, and he began to panic even more, fearing for the worse. But then again, what could be worse than what he was seeing now?

She fell.

Thud!

"Ow!" pain, that was all he felt, on the back of his head.

"Merlin, blooming heck, what do you think you're doing?" shouted Arthur. The man opened his eyes to reveal a worried Lancelot stretching his hand out towards him, and an amused Gwaine not far away. He grabbed the man's hand appreciatively and stood up, looking around and feeling lost.

"Where are we?"

Arthur rolled his eyes and shouted sarcastically, "We're not in the forest, if that's what you're asking!"

"You really need to get those eyes checked, princess," retorted Gwaine, climbing up his horse again. All he got as a response was a glare from the 'princess.'

"Are you alright?" asked Lancelot, who seemed to be the only one genuine and concerned about the clumsy manservant. The latter nodded and thanked him, intentionally mentioning how he was the only person worried about his good health and not damaging his brain.

"Oh, don't be such a girl, Merlin! Your brain has been damaged long before I met you," quipped the prince, "Besides, who told you you can sleep whilst you are riding a horse?"

Oh, so that's what happened, he thought. Slowly, the dark haired man tried to process what was going on as he mounted his horse and continued with their journey. Why was he on a horse in a forest anyway? Where were they heading?

"Um, Gwaine, remind me again where we're going?"

The newcomer and already close friend to the group looked at him in disbelief and a hint of concern. He finally said, "Boy, that fall really did a damage to your head, didn't it? Are you sure you're ready to go back? We can rest a bit if you'd like."

Go back! Merlin smiled, finally seeming to remember what they were doing there in the first place. He and the three knights were heading back to Camelot after a long exhausting hunt of either a beast or an animal. They didn't know which, but they were sure it was trouble.

Lately, the patrols have found bodies mangled gruesomely on the outskirts of Camelot. Gaius wasn't able to determine what caused this series of murders, but the marks make it seem like huge pointy teeth. He didn't know whether it was an animal attack or perhaps a beast. There were not enough clues, and no one was happy.

The hunt had been a failure, thus resulting in Arthur's foul mood. After remembering what was needed, Merlin dismissed his conversation with Gwaine.


Arthur Pendragon marched down the corridors from the throne room, heading towards his chambers. He had just seen his father to report about the hunt. It had taken him days, and he still hasn't managed to succeed.

"Father, I come bearing reports of the hunt," he had said, facing the King who had eagerly stood up hearing the news.

"Yes?"

Arthur hesitated, "We couldn't find it."

Uther's hope dropped to the pit of his stomach. He was expecting great news that would bring joy over Camelot, away from the dark, fresh wounds caused by his daughter he loved dearly. The man winced.

"There will be a next time," he calmly said. At his tone, Arthur frowned. He was happy that the King has been more forgiving recently, but he was also weak and seems to get distracted a lot. He worries for the better of the kingdom and his father whilst their king and his father is clearly not ready to face the world after what happened with Morgana.

This has been happening a lot; Uther not being interested in just about anything and making careless decisions. The first time the prince saw a change in his father was when he made an announcement to him that he had just knighted commoners. Uther seemed shocked at first and when Arthur continued to make a speech about it, going against the old Uther, the king just looked sadly at him. It was then that the younger Pendragon stopped. Uther repeated to him in a soothing fatherly voice, 'It's alright… it's alright." Arthur knew he wasn't just talking about the knights anymore. Maybe, just maybe, Uther Pendragon was imagining holding his crying daughter in his arms, washing the nightmares away, telling her that he loved her and pleading for forgiveness.

Uther Pendragon is not the man everyone knew anymore.

And that girl has changed a lot of people.


"Sorry!" Two individuals found themselves on the floor of the castle's corridors. One was carrying an arm full of armor, which is now scattered around the floor, and the other was carrying a basket full of clothes, which is also sprawled around the floor in a messy manner.

The young woman chuckled, "Must we always meet like this?"

Another chuckle, "It appears so, Gwen. We are destined to always bump into each other, literally. And to help, they've given me these clumsy feet to trip over with!"

Merlin and Gwen laughed.

As soon as Merlin arrived back in Camelot along with the three other riders, he went straight up to Gaius to find that he wasn't there. He was just searching for the old man when he bumped into the future queen of Camelot, the Lady Guinevere.

"So," Gwen started as both started picking up their things, "have you seen Arthur?"

Merlin looked up and answered, "Not since the hunt, why?"

The young woman sighed, "It's just... well I saw him just now, marching down the corridor, and he seemed really distressed about something."

"Really?" Merlin frowned, eyebrows starting to furrow.

"Do you have any idea what he's thinking about?"

The young warlock answered, "Well, I'm not a mind reader."

"Merlin,"

At least it earned me a smile, he thought. "It might just be the hunt," he sighed. "It's been almost a week since we've searched the area, and there seems to be nothing threatening there."

He saw the young woman nod silently, before quietly continuing, "And the added stress might have something to do… with what's been happening recently."

Gwen's eyes jumped up.

Merlin was cautious around her with topics revolving Morgana mainly because she used to be the best of friends. But it also have something to do with the fact that Gwen was a little naïve about this sort of things… trusting people and all. She had too big of a heart to realize who is good and who isn't. Merlin sort of wants to protect that innocence in her, because that's what made all of them love her so much.

"Of course."

Merlin saw the change in her. Gwen didn't blab as much anymore, and it was discomforting. He loves how the girl takes his mind off of anything else. It made his life more real, normal even. When he was with her or his other friends, he'd feel as if he was just another commoner, not a great warlock with many foes.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

The girl in front of him blanched, having a guess at what he's asking. She started talking fast, "Of course, I'm alright. Why? You don't think so?"

Her friend just gave her a pointed look.

"Yes, no, maybe… ugh, I don't know!" She wailed, digging her hands into her hair. "I'm just overwhelmed, you know? With all that's been happening, it's just… ugh! And Arthur's really different; he's grown more… mature? Yes. Distant? That too! And with Morgana… how could she do this to us? We're her friends! But at the same time, I hate myself too! I hate the fact that she was my friend and yet I didn't know the first thing about her. I didn't and couldn't help her with her secret when all she ever did was support me! And why? Because I was scared – I was scared of the law, and terrified at what she can do! I mean, how could I not? She can do anything… anything, right?"

Gwen turned to the warlock. He was sitting comfortably and listening throughout her whole burst. And then, he smiled sadly.

"It's going to be alright, everything's going to be alright," he whispered.

The two slowly reached for each other to hold on to, feeling the need of gravity right now. Merlin stroked his friend's back gently as she calmed down. Silent tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of how unbelievable reality really is. But everyone had to be prepared, because it's just about to get more unrealistic.