Part 2
Merlin turned around as soon as he heard the voice, for he wasn't standing too far away from it. He viewed Arthur -appearing exactly how he was left, except alive, rejuvenated even - with his previous stony expression. Despite the clarity of what he saw and heard a moment ago, Merlin did not doubt that this was an imagining; he was a powerful sorcerer after all -it was only fitting that his hallucinations were more acute than everyone else's.
"I only believed the dragon because I had to..." Arthur muttered as he walked into the cave and looked around, "but you've actually been here all this time," he finished, incredulous.
"The dragon?" Merlin's eyes widened slightly, as if he was finally awaking to reality.
"Yeah. The first...", Arthur narrowed his eyes in thinking, "creature I saw after I swam out of the lake. Who then fortunately thought to explain my sudden reappearance into the world of mortals."
Arthur sat down on a rock and related the rest that happened including the fact that the dragon told him to retrieve 'Excalibur' and looked towards the lake. Upon following the creature's gaze, he saw a hand raising his sword from the water, which he obtained after understanding this is what was meant. Lastly, he was told that he would find Merlin in the cave just beyond the lake.
All this time Merlin listened carefully without a word and occasionally looked into the distance to consider things, his stiff composure slowly thawing.
"The dragon -Kilgarrah, told me of this," Merlin said, slightly hesitant but beginning to sound like his old self again, "that you would one day return. But...I didn't think it would be now."
"Oh," said Arthur with deliberate empathy, "thank you for making me feel so unwelcome."
Merlin gave in to a laugh and Arthur -who was beginning to worry about the extent to which his friend changed in the isolation- smiled in return. After a brief moment's silence, Merlin spoke.
"I'm sorry I didn't return to Camelot," he said solemnly. Arthur looked at him with a gentle expression and he continued. "I just couldn't," he said, a sliver of madness in his eyes as he looked across to the floor, "I couldn't face Gwen, Gaius...I just didn't know what to say to them," he finished, looking at Arthur again who nodded understandingly.
Merlin resumed preparing breakfast and got out another bowl for Arthur then they sat down to the food.
"So...you remember everything?" Merlin asked slowly as the surreal feeling lifted.
Arthur continued eating but nodded.
"Including the fact that I'm a sorcerer?"
"Yes. Talking of which, this stew could use some magic."
"It's what I've been eating all this time..." Merlin muttered, relaxing at Arthur's casual tone, even at the subject of his powers.
"Perhaps the journey to this world has made me lose my appetite. But either way, thank you," Arthur looked up from the food and continued more earnestly, "for the breakfast. I won't try thanking you for everything else again -I think it's more honourable to admit that I'll forever be in your debt."
Arthur looked up and was glad to see a dim light coming from the open window of the upper storey chamber.
"And sneaking into the castle seemed like the best option for a returned king?" Merlin said quietly, although they were a good distance away from the nearest guard.
"Well, it would cause an undesirable stir at this hour - "
"You just want to climb up to Gwen's window, don't you?" Merlin cut in, a smile twinkling on his face.
"No!" Arthur sneered, "I mean, the guards might not even believe us; suspecting me to be a sorcerer in disguise or something...I just want to tell Guinevere first hand," he finished more sincerely.
Merlin gestured with his hand and the coil of rope on the ground came to life and sprang up towards the window. He finished by tying the rope soundlessly to the latch of one half of the open window.
"Alright. You go up to her and I'll find Gaius," Merlin said and began to edge away from their hiding place. Arthur looked up briefly then turned to Merlin.
"You sure you're going to be ok?" he asked.
"You saw how I just distracted that guard," replied Merlin -referring to how he used magic to get the guard away from where they were standing, "it's my forte," he raised his eyebrows slightly and finished with a smile.
Arthur carefully climbed over the window sill and stood behind the curtain on one side. He peered around the material and saw Gwen walk up to the dressing table. She was in a night dress and sat down in front of the mirror then began to comb her hair. Arthur could see her from the back but as he edged closer, the two candles on the table also allowed him to see a part of Gwen's reflection on the mirror -an image that was as resolute and serene as it was forlorn.
Suddenly she stopped and put the comb down.
There was a slight noise, Arthur realised; his chain mail brushing against the curtain.
Gwen picked up a sword that was propped next to the dressing table and walked cautiously but without any hesitation towards the window. As she came closer, the moonlight illuminated the determined intensity in her eyes.
Arthur stepped into the open space and spoke.
"It's me."
Gwen's face broke into a mix of confusion and sadness at the sight of him.
The clank of the sword hitting the floor sounded and the two just stood there in silence for a while.
"It really is me, Guinevere," Arthur said again quietly and moved closer to her.
It did not take away the almost childish apprehension that was in her eyes now but she did reach out to him. She hugged him ever so slowly, as if at any moment there would be nothing underneath her touch and she'll wake up to the fact that this is just a figment of her imagination.
Merlin affectionately traced the outline of the winged beast with his eyes -the moonlight giving blue highlights to the dark-stoned statue. He gazed at the stained glass window that filtered the light in and held their pattern into his eyes. He didn't remember exactly how long he had been away for -clearly long enough to miss the place. As he walked towards Gaius's chamber, his face lit up.
Merlin crept through the door, hoping his mentor hadn't gone to sleep yet, and closed it again quietly.
His face fell, however, as he looked around the chamber.
Some of the furniture was still there, such as the beds, otherwise the place was abandoned. Merlin walked over to the cupboards that were once busied with phials and vessels of all sizes and filled with various liquids. Now the shelves were mostly empty, save for some unfilled glassware. There was one more place he checked -underneath the bed that used to be his. The book of magic Gaius gave him, however, wasn't there.
Merlin sank into despair again as he literally sank into the bed. Its comfortable feel -in contrast to his makeshift sleeping area back at the cave, didn't quite reach him as he felt rueful about his role in everything, once again.
"There's someone you have to meet!" Gwen said joyfully but quietly as she took Arthur's hand and lead him away.
"What, here...?"
Gwen waved aside a sheer curtain that sectioned off a part of the chamber. She let go of his hand and he walked up to the cot placed there.
"Our son," she said, standing behind him.
Inside the cot was a baby with a tuft of straight, dark hair, shrouded in peaceful sleep. Arthur took in the child's small features with a smile, his eyes filled with wonder and delight.
"What did you call him?" he asked, his voice much lower now.
"Arthur," Gwen smiled. Her husband stepped back to stand next to her.
"Well, that would cause a bit of confusion for a while," he said warmly, looking at his son.
"We can call him 'Tom'" Gwen said after a moment.
Arthur turned to look at her, the smile still on his face, "that sounds good," he said as he remembered it was his late father-in-law's name.
"Merlin!" Gwen cried and hugged him readily. She was relieved and grateful upon seeing him and he recovered back to his old self at her familiar, easy-going manners as they sat around the table and talked. She informed him that it was about a week since Gaius left for Ealdor - he admitted to the queen that he could have continued his duties as physician but it was the absence of Merlin that saddened him much that he wanted to be away from Camelot for a while. Merlin looked dismayed at this but handled it much better than last night.
Just then Arthur walked in from within the chamber, carrying Tom in his arms. Merlin's eyes fell on the baby. He smiled, while a renewed beam appeared on Gwen's face, and began "is that...?"
"The future king of Camelot," Arthur finished in answer.
Merlin opened his mouth in exhilaration. "Congratulations!" he then said as he got up.
Gwen also got up and placed a hand on Arthur's shoulder, and looked to their son. "Thank you, Merlin," she said.
"Although I must say," said Merlin, raising his eyebrows briefly, "what's with Arthur's air of immaturity, I could never imagine him as a father."
Gwen gave a small laugh while her husband looked up from the baby.
"Well, imagine no longer," he said, "you're already seeing me as a father."
The guard looked aghast as he stared at Arthur -who had to forge an over enthusiastic smile in return.
"It'll all be explained soon," Merlin said, leaning forward from the king's other side to face the guard.
They were waiting outside the courtroom for Gwen to complete her address and announce their arrival.
"...we found out that ally was none other than our loyal and long time friend, Merlin," they heard the queen say.
"To our sorrow, we have also lost our king in that battle. However, it has been fabled that he was no ordinary king -that he was the once-and-future-king." Gwen smiled -for a moment letting go of formality. "That he is the once-and-future-king. And will return to serve Albion at a time of great need.
"Today, we will be witness to that coming true. For today, we welcome back the great sorcerer Merlin and King Arthur of Camelot!"
Excited gasps and talk passed across the courtroom which culminated into clapping and cheering as the two men walked in.
Arthur took his wife's hand and stood in front of their thrones. Merlin stood a little way away and smiled at him expectantly, along with the rest of the court, waiting for him to address his people.
"Although, I only walk amongst you until the end of Samhain -a fortnight from today, and although we have yet the crucial task ahead of uniting Albion, I just want to state that it gives me great contentment to see you all standing resolute and representing the Camelot that I dreamt of."
Merlin appeared his usual self outwardly, except his jacket was replaced by the more stately, dark red one. However, inside he felt an indescribable mix of joy, disbelief and numbness. After so many episodes of covering up the truth about himself and diverting people's thoughts as far away from it as possible, here he was, seated next to the king at the Round Table, as the court sorcerer. He also shared the role of physician but it was his other title that left him quite distracted at the present session of discussion.
Arthur's jaw tightened as Geoffrey of Monmouth continued. He heard in brief from Gwen about the conspiracies against Camelot but as he heard the details, a controlled fierceness came over his eyes.
"...they find it hard to believe that you would ever bequeath the throne to a woman," said Geoffrey, "another point they have raised is that it is highly suspicious that the queen has lifted the ban on sorcery whereas you and your father have strongly maintained it."
"They obviously don't understand the circumstances that lead to the decision," said Arthur.
"Indeed, sire."
"What of the sightings of Morgana?"
"There have been reports of several acts of violence caused by sorcery, near Alined's kingdom and in surrounding villages," Leon spoke.
"However, these incidents have never been confirmed," it was Gwen, "we think that Alined must have fabricated these stories to prove that I have joined forces with Morgana and allowed magic to be used to attack other kingdoms. What we did find out was that Morgana has been seen near the town of Athwen."
"That's rather close to the Lake of Avalon," Merlin spoke his thought aloud.
Everyone pondered quietly. Merlin narrowed his eyes. Was it possible that the High Priestess was in fact alive; saved by the very waters that revived her brother?
Arthur focused determinedly at the table before breaking the silence.
"The neighbouring kings and rulers need to be called -the conspiracies need to end. And as for Morgana -we've known her weakness for some time; it's her dragon. And we also know the dragon's weakness..." he turned to Merlin, a smile appearing on his face for the first time in the meeting, "...is a dragon lord."
