Chapter Two
When Arthur and the knight's arrived back in Camelot he had made up his mind about what he would say to his father about Skylar. He walked with Merlin by his side to the council chambers to discuss what had happened. When he walked in his father and the few men in the room looked up. Merlin didn't really notice, he was to busy trying to get Gaius's attention. When he finally did Gaius knew that Merlin wanted to talk to him.
"Arthur, how was your trip? Is the deed done?" Uther asked, but it sounded more like a command as did everything Uther said.
Arthur smiled. "It went well father. The sorcerer won't be bothering us again." Uther nodded and looked away to carry on with what he was doing. "There is however one more thing I wish to tell you." Arthur said getting Uther's attention again.
"Oh, and what would that be?" Uther frowned as he looked up from the paperwork in front of him.
"We ran into some of Cenred's men." Arthur paused trying to think of the best way to say what he wanted to say. "But we also ran into his daughter." Uther's eyes widened at this.
"How many are dead?" Uther asked immediately.
It took Arthur a moment to realize what Uther meant. "None, there were no deaths. She actually helped us." Arthur realized all too late how that had sounded to Uther.
"You trusted a witch, how could you have been so stupid?!" Uthur screamed.
"Father she wasn't like we expected her to be." Arthur tried to reason with Uther and explain that the girl was actually a nice person.
"She could have killed you. She is Cenred's child it could have been a trick." Uther was furious. He couldn't believe his son could be so stupid. "Leave now while I think of a suitable punishment."
Arthur wanted to stay and explain to his farther but he knew better than to argue back when his father was this angry so he left but he planned to talk to his father later. Arthur walked back to his chambers and Merlin followed. Merlin was shocked that Arthur didn't throw the doors open like he usually did when he was angry with Uther for not listening to him, but then Merlin realized Arthur wasn't even angry.
"Merlin you can go if you want, I wont need you till later tonight." Arthur walked over to the window by his desk and leaned against the wall.
Merlin knew that meant he wanted some time to think as Arthur always stood in front of that window when he was thinking. "Do you want to talk about it? I mean I don't mind staying if you do, I don't have anything else to do anyway." Merlin rambled.
"I was just thinking about why she would help us. She's Cenred's daughter, how could his daughter turn out like that?"
"I don't know. Maybe she doesn't agree with his ways. Not everyone follows in the path of their parents."
"I guess." Arthur sighed.
Merlin was glad his sister had turned out the way she had. He like everyone else had assumed she would turn out to be some hell bent child wishing death on any one that crossed her but when he had seen her today he knew that was far from true. Merlin couldn't wait to tell his mother and Gaius.
Later on that day Merlin had told Gaius all about what had happened with Skylar and how she was so different from what people had thought. Gaius was glad to hear it as he had hoped that she wouldn't be like her Father or Morgause.
When Merlin went to Arthur's the next day Arthur was already up.
"You're late again." Arthur said as he put the paper's he was reading down.
"I wanted to tell you something Arthur." Merlin closed the door and turned back to the prince.
"You seem almost serious Merlin." Arthur mocked.
"Arthur this is serious. I need to know that if I tell you this then you will never tell another living soul." Arthur frowned at Merlin.
"Merlin, what is it?" Arthur waited but Merlin didn't say anything. "Well, come on then." Arthur said becoming impatient.
"Okay let's sit down." They both sat at Arthur's table and Merlin took a deep breath in and then slowly let it out before continuing. "When I was five years old a king came to my home and he was looking for a woman to bear his child. My mother was an easy target because she was a single mum. He let my mum keep the child until it turned three and then he would take it away from us. My mum had a girl instead of the boy everyone thought she would have. Anyway the king came when she was three and took her. That was the last day I saw her." Merlin paused while Arthur took the new information in before telling him the next bit. "Well my mum let me name my little sister. Arthur what I wanted to tell you was that I named my sister, Skylar." Merlin watched as Arthur slowly caught on to what Merlin was saying.
"Wait, wait, wait, your saying that the king was..." Arthur paused.
"Cenred? Yes I am." Merlin said.
Arthur's face became shocked and he stared at Merlin as if he was thinking deeply.
"Arthur, what is it?" Merlin was becoming uncomfortable being under Arthur's gaze like that.
"I see it now, you look like her." Arthur finally snapped out of it and made himself a drink.
"I'm sorry I didn't say anything before, it's just I didn't know how to tell you."
"Any more secretes I should know about, Merlin?" Arthur had a smile on his face so Merlin knew he was trying to lighten the mood but Merlin still had to fake his smile and lie as he once again hid the truth about his magic.
"Arthur, one more thing?" Arthur nodded and so Merlin asked what had been on his mind. "Would you kill her for having magic?"
The question hung like poison it the air as Merlin waited for an answer and as Arthur processed what Merlin had just asked him.
Merlin watched as Arthur's face change to a look of sadness and then to confusion before finally settling on emotionless.
"To tell the truth, Merlin, no. I see no reason to, no matter what my farther says."
Merlin was taken back by that but soon recovered to smile at the prince.
"Now don't you have work to be getting on with?" Merlin nodded and left to finish his choirs.
While Merlin worked he thought about going to see his sister, but he had no idea how he would go about it. After all she clearly had no clue who he was and he didn't want to be killed for telling her.
He thought about talking to Cenred but he knew it would be dangerous and if Uther found out he would have Merlin killed for treason against his family even though Merlin knew Arthur would do his best not to let that happen. It wasn't fair and Merlin knew it. He felt like he was being kept from his sister. He just wanted to watch her grow and see more of what's become of her.
Merlin finished up his choirs and headed to see Guias.
"You should have seen her, she seemed so caring yet she was noble too." Merlin explained to Guias what had happened.
"I always thought Cenred and Morgause would brainwash her into, well..." Guias didn't want to end his sentence as he knew that Merlin too had feared his sister would become an enemy.
"I wish she knew about me. Do you think she remembers us a little? Or Cenred maybe told her something about us?"
Guias knew what was coming. "Merlin even if he has done she does remember it's to dangerous for you to go and see her. I know it's hard for you but it's for her own safety as well, you must remember that my boy." Merlin just nodded. As much as he wanted Guias to tell him he could see Skylar he knew that wouldn't be the case.
Merlin got up and went to his room. He sat on the bed listening to the wind whistling outside and looked out his window. He wondered where Skylar was and what she was doing, He thought about when he saw her. He smiled as childhood memories from before Cenred took her flooded to his mind before he finally fell asleep.
