Hello people! I hope you're all doing wonderfully! It's a beautiful life, isn't it?

Here's the second chapter and, to me at least, we leave the land of angst and enter...well...read on.


The Heart


In days to come
She would grace the throne and grow famous
For her good deeds and conduct of life
Her high devotion to the hero king
Who was the best king, it has been said,
Between the two seas or anywhere else
On the face of the earth.
- Beowulf.


Longstead had once been a poor little town at the very borders of Camelot, barely surviving the night with their crops and the selling of goat milk. But it grew with Albion and, like the King, it stood proud-prouder than they had stood in years and better off than they had been in centuries.

When Merlin's well-known white horse appeared on the horizon the sun was reaching its place in the sky and it was almost mid-morning. He smiled disarmingly and waved at the villagers as he rode on, and when he began to call Gwen's name the Queen immediately came out of a house and beamed at the sight of his best friend coming nearer.

"Merlin!"

Merlin could feel the smile blossoming on his face as Guinevere, a little breathless and yet shining like the sun ran up to meet him. The moment he jumped from his horse she was already embracing him all too tightly and he was too for he had not seen his Queen and friend in a week's time…

"Gwen." Merlin laughed, picking her up from the chalky ground and spinning her around. "I've missed you."

She said, 'I've missed you too,' and let out a breathless laugh when they finally let go even though they were unable to wipe the smiles off their faces. "How's Arthur?" Guinevere asked with a squeeze of his hands, which she had taken in hers.

"He misses you." Merlin answered wholeheartedly and as they began walking, all too content, she wrapped her hand around Merlin's lower arm. "We all miss you."

"I miss him too." Gwen said with a small smile. It faded slightly, though, and there was a fervent light in her eyes the next moment. "But we cannot go back, Merlin. Not yet."

His eyebrows rose up instantly. "Oh?"

If Merlin hadn't known Guinevere as well as he did he wouldn't have noticed that little nod of her head and the tightening of her hand in his arm, the way she stood a little straighter as she began speaking. She, like Arthur, looked queenly no matter what she wore and what she did.

"We should be able to leave in about two hours at the least, of course." Gwen said swiftly, "it's strange…the villagers have seen their harvest shrivel and die before their eyes Merlin! I saw it once, too. It definitely looks like your area of expertise." she bumped his shoulder with her own. "It happens right around midday. You don't suppose we could stay for a little while and give it a look, do you?"

After staring at her with unreadable eyes for a heartbeat or two, Merlin smiled. "I don't think Arthur will like that. Suppose he decides to surprise you with his cooking after all? He wouldn't want you to miss his burnt chicken."

The Queen of Albion covered her mouth as she laughed and gave her best friend's arm another squeeze. "Oh, Merlin."

"It's true!"

"You're terrible!"

It was all too familiar, Gwen thought, to crouch down behind some bushes as soon as the wind picked up and began to blow unnaturally and they waited with baited breaths for the magic to show itself. But this time Merlin's hand on her shoulder held more meaning than it did back then, there was an unspoken promise that had finally come to light with Merlin's magic- 'nothing will happen to you while I'm here.' and it was more reassuring than any army. Not for the first time, she wondered if Arthur felt it around him like the air he breathed. Perhaps that was why he-they were both so reckless.

But Merlin suddenly tensed beside her and his eyes narrowed. Gwen knew what it meant and she barely dared to move, although she did grasp Merlin's hand and squeezed it when she felt him draw a sharp intake of breath.

"Is it her?"

"I don't think so." Merlin answered softly. "But it doesn't feel right."

The green fields the villagers had worked so hard for began to wither and die before their eyes and Merlin suddenly stood up, like a hawk sighting its prey.

"I think I can see it." he said, narrowing his eyes even more. "Stay behind me, Gwen."

He began walking down a path only his eyes could see and the Queen followed close behind, sword in hand. Merlin walked with a stealth that was almost eerie for someone who could trip over his own feet five times a day. Yet, when he stopped on his tracks and rose protectively in front of her, Gwen knew that her clumsy Merlin was already becoming Emrys before her eyes.

"I can feel you there, you know." Merlin said to no one in particular, looking up.

There was the rustling of leaves and then something emerged out of the high grass. Merlin looked dumbfounded and Gwen knew she didn't look any better.

"Is that a cat?" she asked, eyeing the little thing dubiously.

It was most definitely something that looked cute and feline and not one second later Merlin was already kneeling near it and extending a hand to pet it. Gwen watched whilst biting her lower lip.

She was right to be weary, for the cat suddenly roared like a mighty bison and then grew.

Merlin had yanked her away by the waist right before the thing began growing wings. "No," he said as they began running. "It's a magical cat!"

A roar behind them answered and confirmed Merlin's words. "All the more," Merlin continued, grabbing her hand and sprinting through the field. "It must be some sort of magical creature. A shape-shifter, perhaps…?"

"Merlin, look out!"

With a wave of his hand the warlock shielded himself and his Queen from what looked like lightning. The thunder resounded, odd and heavy, against a cloudless sky. But Merlin didn't even take notice; he simply put his arm around Gwen's shoulders and tried to shield her from whatever could happen afterwards. And though there was silence as they ran Merlin's hold never relented.

"Right." Merlin said, screeching to a halt once they had left the field and reached the village. He put both of his hands on his Queen's shoulders and smiled, eyes twinkling. "This is most definitely my area of expertise."

"Be careful." Guinevere said, not being able to hold back a smile of her own. It was thrilling, to be honest. "I'll take the villagers somewhere safe. Promise me you won't get hurt?"

Merlin paused as he pulled his hood upwards and looked at her with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. "Aren't I the mighty Emrys?" he asked in mock surprise.

The Queen of Albion simply crossed her arms, unaware of how much like her husband she sounded. "You know I'm not worried about that, Merlin. But if you do slip over a rock like last time…" (1)

Merlin let out a resigned sighed and stared at his amused Queen. "Arthur told you, didn't he?"

"More like ranted about it for two days." said Guinevere with a brilliant grin, and neither of them worried over the fact that the wind carried with it a far more menacing roar but rather smiled at the sound of it. "Seems like it's your cue, then."

Merlin simply bent to hug her tightly before he turned away and she, fueled by grim determination, ran towards the villagers. They huddled around her with wide eyes and trembling hands.

"Merlin is handling it." She assured them with a dazzling smile, and they visibly relaxed before her. "Everything will be alright, I promise. But I need you all to get further away from the crops. Is there any place we could go?"

One woman pointed out someone's rather large home at the very edge of Longstead. They all readily agreed that it was the safest thing they could do and so, with Guinevere leading, they very promptly found refuge in said house. The loud 'booms' and shrill 'cracks' that came from the outside made some of the youngest children cry and Gwen, though worried for her best friend, hugged them reassuringly.

"Don't worry," she told them, though it was for all of her subjects to hear. "Merlin is strong. He's the bravest man I've ever met."

A horrible-sounding thunder rumbled over her words.

The children in her arms began to sob again and Gwen looked up to see hope draining dramatically from people's faces. She smiled encouragingly once more but it only made some of them look away.

"It'll be alright." She said courageously. "Trust me."

Another thunder roared and the small windows trembled and Gwen opened a door cautiously and peeked outside. There wasn't anything to be seen but dust. The once clear blue sky was gone and in its place there was only thick, grimy fog.

When she squinted she saw him, running towards them as if hell itself was at his heels. The most powerful warlock barreled in, breathless.

"Merlin!" Gwen placed a hand on his shoulder while he panted. "What happened?"

"A leshy." Merlin spat out, throwing back his hood to reveal clear blue eyes set below a frown. "They're usually peaceful but this one is out of control. He's rather cocky, too."

Gwen followed him with her gaze while he paced. "What?"

"Oh, you know. The usual. 'Even you, Emrys, cannot defeat me, I am a god.' Well, yes, I can see that." Merlin stopped and smiled at her, "This one went further, though. 'Where's your once and future king now, blah blah blah. 'Two sides, one coin'. I know, I know. I've heard it before. However, he really is powerful. He's not a god, that's just wishful thinking. Leshys are spirits. Troublesome ones, though."

"Merlin," Guinevere said, putting a hand on his arm. "You're rambling."

"I am, aren't I?" he looked towards the villagers, who were just staring back as scared as they ever were. "I'm sorry! It'll be alright though. Even if the leshy is right and I am not powerful enough now…there's no need to worry."

That's when he smiled and his eyes twinkled the way they used to whenever he and Arthur had an especially ingenious plan to defeat whatever rose against them. "He underestimates me."

Thinking back to all of those times Merlin had said something like that before he did something incredibly stupid and reckless Gwen couldn't help but sigh deeply. She did notice that midday had become evening and that Arthur would probably be worried sick.

"Gwen, I'm going to need Arthur's seal."

She looked up sharply. "You'll what?"

Merlin smiled at her like never before and it was as if the whole room had been lit by magic. "Arthur's not here but his essence is. He's carried that seal with him his whole life. I wouldn't be surprised some of our prat's spirit is in there. If I could just draw it out…"

Gwen didn't know if she should be glad or worried and so she settled for placing both of her hands on Merlin's shoulders. "Merlin, you're rambling again." She didn't even care how much like a mother she sounded when she told him next, "Please tell me you've tried this before?"

"In a way," Merlin said with a thoughtful twinkle in his eye. "You have noticed that Excalibur is made for Arthur's hands only and I've wielded it more than once haven't I? I think that the sword recognizes me as Arthur- well, a part of him anyway. You know… two sides of the same coin and all that. Intertwined destinies-" (2)

"So you don't really know." Guinevere finished for him, crossing her arms over her chest.

He shrugged and smiled sheepishly, "It's worth a try."

He directed one last look at the villagers behind them and then closed his fingers over the handle of the door. But his Queen soft hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"You're not going alone, then." Gwen said firmly, taking the seal off her slender finger and placing it on his open palm. "I'm coming with you."

Her best friend's long fingers curled around the seal and, when he turned to face her, there was a humorless smile on his face. "Arthur would have my head if something happened to you!"

For a moment, while he stared at her as if it was the most valid reason for why she shouldn't go, Gwen could not believe his obliviousness. It matched Arthur's own, in her opinion. Dunderheads, both of them.

When she spoke next, she could barely stop herself from pinching the bridge of her nose. "What if something happens to you, Merlin? Don't you think Arthur worries over you too?"

Merlin hesitated and his smile wavered but he shrugged in that 'It cannot be helped' way of his. "I'll be alright."

"That's what you said a month ago," Gwen pointed out. "And you came back from picking herbs with a broken nose, Merlin."

Merlin did not know what to say to that but he didn't have to. Another thunderous attack rumbled outside and a voice that seemed to be made of a thousand baritones emerged from the mist.

"Where are you, puny Emrys?" (3)

Merlin raised his eyebrows higher than Gaius himself and Gwen could barely stifle a giggle that became a small smile instead. There was an unspoken understanding between them when the Queen of Albion grabbed his hand and nodded, letting him know that it would be best if they defeated this new foe together.

"My Queen." Merlin said lightly and bowed. "We mustn't dawdle (4). Arthur might be-"

"-worried out of his mind." Guinevere finished for him, frowning in sympathy. She could almost see her husband pacing around the castle, choosing to ignore completely his wounded leg. "As he well should be."

Merlin made a face. "I was going to say 'waiting for you with an inedible meal' but yeah….I guess he'll be worried too. Especially because I promised him we'd be there before nightfall."

Guinevere sighed again and then turned to smile warmly at her people, letting them know with the assurance in her eyes that everything would be alright and there was no need to fear. "We'll sort it out, don't worry."

An old man hobbled towards her, then, and bowed slightly. "My Queen," he said tremulously, not out of fear but out of emotion. "Thank you… for all you've done for us."

The leshy had transformed into a raging wolf by the time Gwen and Merlin left the safety of the hut they had been in. He was pacing around with rabid eyes and, as he walked, the mist became stronger and thicker, leaving the Queen and the warlock no choice but to hold hands so that they didn't lose each other.

"I'm going to try an immobilizing spell!" Merlin shouted over the roaring winds. "It's never a good thing to kill nature spirits!"

Gwen nodded and squeezed his hand to let him know that she understood. Then Merlin took off, moving as swiftly as the wind itself and becoming one with the swirling darkness around him.

There was silence for a few moments and Guinevere squinted as much as she possibly could to try and see what her best friend was doing. She didn't have to wait long. A long howl pierced the air, chilling her to the bone, and then she saw Merlin's slender frame point both of his hands at the beast. Blue light erupted from his hands but the leshy did not back away, neither did he freeze mid- motion, the way most victims of Merlin's immobilizing spells did. Gwen was left to gawk at the spirit with her heart on her throat and, apparently, so was Merlin.

"Move, Merlin." The Queen whispered to herself when her friend simply looked at his hands, dumbfounded. "What are you doing?"

But Merlin did not move as fast as he should have. The leshy, apparently outraged at the 'puny Emrys' that had tried to take him down, roared as he took the form of a black horse. He hollered. His hooves made cracks on the earth and his nostrils smoked as he breathed in. When he breathed out, it was a burst of flames.

It was then that the field caught on fire.


(1) I can just see this happening.

(2) (Headcanon...even after all this time.) Merlin, usually useless with a sword, can wield Excalibur like an actual swordsman ( and the sword actually aids him when he wants to kill someone) because the sword recognizes him as part of Arthur somehow.

(3) Shameless nod to The Avengers. Awesome movie.

(4) The only thing I can think of is 'good heavens child, don't dawdle! We can't keep Derek waiting!' and that's proof enough that I am getting old. (please tell me someone out there understands this reference.)

As you probably already figured out, next part is 'The Soul.' See you then! Much love, as always.