Camelot loomed up into the sky as majestic and implacable as ever but it was to Merlin, even from far away, much diminished without its king. The city had always stood as a welcome sight for Merlin and his friends on their return from whatever dangerous quest they'd been on. Its appearance on the horizon had often prompted many relieved smiles as the realisation sank in that against all the odds they'd survived.
With no one to smile at this time and desperately clamouring for a happier occasion, Merlin instead thought back to one of the first such returns when he, Arthur, Gwen and Morgana had returned from saving his home village of Ealdor. It had been a tense ride home. Merlin was grieving over the death of his friend Will and so was not really in the mood for talking, instead preferring to keep his own counsel. Arthur too was surprisingly quiet and contemplative, reflecting over the fact it had been a sorcerer who saved them from certain defeat and annoyed that Merlin had kept it from him. Possibly, for the first time, the Once and Future King was questioning whether magic really was the intrinsically evil force he had always been taught it was.
The silence of the men had left Morgana and Gwen to supply much of the conversation on the return journey. They'd practically been sisters in those days and conversation flowed so easily between them that Merlin frequently forgot about the difference in their status as, he suspected, did Morgana and Gwen. Merlin remembered how he had envied their relationship as Arthur, at this time, never fully dropped the pretensions of his royal station for Merlin in the same way Morgana did for Gwen. Eventually the awkward dichotomy of the travellers was ended when they had seen Camelot for the first time, resplendent in the late afternoon sun. The four of them had, without need for words, all drawn to a halt and just gazed in appreciation and relief at their home. A place that, in the dire final battle with Kanen's bandits, they'd doubted they'd ever see again. As was his custom though it was Arthur who had broken the reflective moment with all the subtlety of a thunderstorm…
"Let's keep going." The brash, young prince commanded. "It's going to be dark soon and I'm sure we'll have plenty other occasions to stare at our home when I'm not so tired and hungry."
And with that Arthur spurred his horse on and Gwen did likewise, no doubt longing to see her father again who must have been out of his mind with worry. Merlin wasn't as eager to return though. Given Arthur's hostile reaction to Will being "revealed" as a sorcerer, Merlin was dwelling on the very real possibility that his magic would never be accepted by Arthur. After all, if Arthur felt aggrieved that Merlin hadn't told him about Will being a "sorcerer" how much more betrayed and angry would the prince feel if he knew Merlin was a sorcerer?
Curiously though, judging from the fact she hadn't moved, Morgana seemed in no mood to return home either. Merlin had a feeling he knew why. Uther, forever the overprotective guardian, never let his ward leave the city walls without a heavy escort. In the king's defence, a lone noblewoman travelling through the woods would be a dream target for bandits and men of even worse ilk but the wilful Lady Morgana no doubt resented Uther's paternalism. Arthur though, as a man, had a much freer existence as he was able to lead the knights of Camelot on sorties and go hunting and riding pretty much whenever he wanted; something Morgana probably envied. Of course, Uther was going to be furious with both his son and his ward for leaving Camelot and risking their lives for a servant's village which wasn't even in Camelot's borders but Morgana would probably have to endure the added tongue-lashing for doing something so utterly unbefitting her role as Camelot's de facto princess. Merlin suspected the last few days had been very liberating for Morgana.
Indeed, given her privileged existence, it had certainly been surprising for Merlin to see the noble lady of Camelot, whom Merlin had only ever seen in exquisite dresses and immaculately made up, clad only in a simple tunic and trousers working as hard as anyone to fortify Ealdor. Morgana had gotten on very well with the villagers, chatting amiable with his mother and many others. Uther would be appalled if he discovered the company his ward had kept over the last few days. If that didn't mortify the king, then the sight of Morgana soaked in sweat and streaked in blood and dirt, as she battled the bandits, would have sufficed. Merlin knew Morgana had trained with a sword for many years but he doubted Uther thought she'd ever have cause to use her skills. Skills which, having watched her in action, were nearly on par with Arthur despite her lack of battlefield experience. Morgana had made for a mesmerising sight, her green eyes ablaze with conviction as she gracefully carved her way through her enemies with all the finesse of a dancer. She was clearly not above a bit of combat pragmatism though as Merlin had seen her subdue a bandit with a particularly savage kick to her victim's groin. Merlin had almost felt sorry for the man.
Curiously though, Morgana did not appear to be dawdling out of a desire to prolong her return to Camelot but, to Merlin's great surprise, to talk to him. Her eyes which, in the furnace of war, had been so full of fire now swam with empathy.
"I just wanted to say that if you need to talk to anyone about what happened to Will then I am here if you need me. I know what it's like to lose people close to you." She placed her hand on Merlin's and gave it a comforting squeeze.
Merlin smiled at Morgana's caring face, somehow managing to supress the many thoughts that had soared unbidden into life. To his great surprise and colossal relief, Merlin even managed to articulate a reply rather than yelp, laugh, grin or unleash some other bizarre reaction at having a beautiful woman many social strata above him willingly hold his hand. Merlin glanced nervously to where Arthur was riding on ahead but thankfully Arthur appeared determined to reach Camelot as soon as possible and spared no glance back. Merlin wasn't sure his master would appreciate such familiarity between his servant and Morgana.
"Thank you Morgana. And thanks for coming to help save my home. I couldn't have done it without you."
The two remained in companionable silence until Morgana seemed to become aware she was still holding Merlin's hand and immediately retrieved it. Could she really only have just realised? Merlin might have laughed at her sudden coyness but he knew that doing so would embarrass Morgana which, given the kindness she'd just shown him, would be most ungrateful of him.
"One question." Merlin inquired, "What did you say to Arthur to make him join us?"
Morgana laughed, "Nothing, would you believe it! He came because he cares about you just like Gwen and I do." Morgana's smile turned coquettish, "No womanly wiles needed this time." She teased.
Merlin, all too aware of his quickened pulse, laughed awkwardly then sighed, "I doubt Arthur would come now he knows that I've consorted with sorcerers."
Morgana scoffed, "Don't you worry about Arthur. He'll huff and puff until you've taken him a nice hot meal and then he'll forgive you. He's a simple creature and easily placated with lots of meat."
Morgana paused before continuing more seriously, "But he really does care about you Merlin, we all do. I don't want you to think just because you are a servant that Arthur and I don't value you as a person. I'll never forget the help you gave me with the druid boy. You have no idea how much it has meant to me to find someone who sees magic as I do."
"And it's nice for me to know a noble who isn't a right prat!" Merlin jested, feeling genuinely touched by Morgana's kind words.
"And nice for me to find a man I can hold a decent conversation with!" Morgana quipped back.
Merlin turned his gaze from Morgana to look out once more at Camelot. A fair way ahead he saw that Gwen and Arthur were now riding alongside each other. Gwen turned in the saddle to look back at them probably wondering why they were taking so long.
"We had best catch up with them." Merlin said, "You never know what might happen if we leave them alone."
Morgana rolled her eyes, "As if Merlin! Gwen has far better taste."
With that the two galloped after their friends and Merlin entered Camelot that day with a smile, his troubles somewhat soothed by the conversation with Morgana. The king's ward had proved to be right about Arthur too with the plate of Camelot's finest meats helping to smooth things over between Arthur and Merlin most satisfactorily.
Now at the gates of the very same city he had entered in the company of his friends all those years ago, Merlin wondered why his home suddenly seemed so alien to him. Camelot had always been inextricably bound to Arthur and it was wrong for one to exist without the other; a dream that had outlived its dreamer. For a while Merlin contemplated turning around and simply walking away. He could walk out of sight, out of mind, and eventually out of even memory itself. But that was a selfish want. He had no idea what the situation was inside Camelot but Gwen and Gaius were still there and Merlin knew he had to face them at least once if only to tell them about Arthur. To walk away and abandon one of his only surviving friends and the man who had loved him as a son would be a betrayal that Arthur would never have forgiven Merlin for.
The gates of Camelot were open as Merlin approached and a strange wave of nostalgia swept over the young warlock as he remembered walking through these same gates all those years ago when he first came to Camelot. Uther had been king then and Merlin's "welcome" to Camelot had been a public execution. So much had changed and yet magic was still banned. The bitter legacy of Uther lingered but it was Arthur's legacy which Merlin hoped would endure. Even if magic hadn't been legalised, at least the irrational hatred and brutality vented out on magic users had diminished substantially.
In a reign of just three years Arthur had proved himself to be twice the king that his paranoid, hateful father had ever been. It was, to Merlin, yet another injustice that while Arthur's reign and been all too painfully short, Uther had held the throne of Camelot for well over thirty years; the latter half of which had been characterised by bloodshed, madness and betrayal. For the first time, Merlin realised that, now that Arthur was dead, the throne would pass to Gwen. That if nothing else was a cause for optimism as Gwen's kind heart and wise judgment would surely see Camelot's prosperity continue. Merlin would visit her soon enough but first he headed to Gaius's chambers.
As he walked through the streets Merlin felt the people's unease all too clearly. They knew their king had not returned and the collective anxiety throughout Camelot was deeply unsettling. Merlin kept his head down and tried not to be recognised. The news of Arthur's death should be delivered from Gwen to the people and not the other way around. Gwen deserved to find out from the person who'd been with Arthur as he died.
Merlin eventually reached Gaius's chambers and with rising panic, as he looked around the ominously empty room, wondered if Gaius had made it back to Camelot. There hadn't been time for much of a farewell when Merlin had gone on to Avalon with Arthur and Gaius had headed back to Camelot. The entire land would have been crawling with Saxons from Morgana's army and the thought that Gaius might have run afoul of them was almost too much to bear. Then, with a relief impossible to describe, Merlin heard the familiar voice of his loving guardian, "Merlin?"
Merlin turned to see the sagacious and caring face he knew so well. Gaius was standing in the doorway, a bag of medicines slung over his shoulder. Gaius looked exhausted, the bags under his eyes a testament to his healing work on the casualties of the war, the stoic grimace on his face a testament to those he had failed to save.
Merlin was about to tell Gaius what had happened but just from looking at Merlin's pained, weary face Gaius understood and walked towards Merlin to embrace him. The physical contact from Gaius was so full of love and comfort that it wiped away Merlin's last resistance and what felt like days of unshed tears finally fell. The two sorcerers stood where they were for a long time with Gaius murmuring whatever comforting sentiments he could muster while Merlin wept.
Gaius knew how Merlin was feeling all too well, having experienced sorrow of a similar magnitude during the Great Purge. In those first dark and ruinous days after purge was initiated by Uther, all Gaius had wanted to do was weep as friend after friend was led to the gallows, the chopping block or the pyre. It was only after the furore of the violence had calmed from its fever pitch that Gaius had allowed himself to grieve and lament on his choices. Part of Gaius still remained convinced he should have gone to his grave with his fellow magic users but, as he held the trembling form of Merlin, he knew he had made the right decision. Merlin needed him and Gaius, filled with fatherly affection, would stand as long as it took (creaking bones be damned!) until Merlin had poured out his grief.
When Merlin's tears had fallen, for the time being at least, the two of them began to talk. Gaius commiserated the best he could but he knew that the grief and guilt gnawing away at Merlin was not something he could heal with a few choice words like he could heal illnesses with a few choice potions. Sicknesses of the soul were far more recalcitrant and damaging than any which affected the body. Instead Gaius just let Merlin talk: about Arthur's discovery of Merlin's magic; the journey to Lake Avalon; the fatal confrontation with Morgana and, finally, Arthur's death.
The news of Arthur and Morgana's deaths was a double loss for Gaius. He'd known both Morgana and Arthur from their earliest days and had done his best to protect and serve them as loyally as he had Uther. Now it seemed as if it had all been for naught. Gaius had laboured in vain to keep Morgana from her magic and in the end his refusal to help her, truly help her, instead of just handing out ineffectual potions had been one of the things which had driven her into darkness. In the case of Arthur, Gaius now felt a hollow awareness of countless wasted lives as he lamented on a destiny unfulfilled and a Golden Age snuffed out. Uther's son should have eclipsed his father many times over and presided over a long and prosperous reign but such hopes were now utterly futile. Gaius felt no need to share his feelings with Merlin though as it was quite clear Merlin's own faith in destiny had been torn to shreds every bit as terminally as Mordred's sword had torn through Arthur and ended the dream of a unified Albion.
"What's it all been for Gaius?" Merlin said in a voice heavy with perplexed unbelief and bitter loss.
Gaius simply sighed, "I don't know Merlin. All I know is that you've done all anyone could have done. These events may have been beyond our power to change in the slightest."
But Merlin seemed determined to cut destiny out of his life, even as an excuse for what had happened, "But things could have been so different Gaius, so much better. If I'd stopped Mordred from coming back to Camelot or hadn't saved him when he was a boy then Arthur might still be alive. If I'd told Morgana about my magic when she confided in me about her own or if I hadn't poisoned her then maybe she'd still be with us now; the kind friend she used to be. If… if…"
"Merlin," Gaius said with a gentle firmness, "Such talk won't change anything and could very well drive you mad. Men have lost their minds and their lives trying to set right faults which they no longer have the power to amend. It is my belief that deep down Uther saw his wife's death as just that. Ygraine's demise was a tragic end to Uther's happiness and, unable to set right the tragedy he had helped to create, the king spent the rest of his life lashing out in a misguided effort to heal his own guilt by blaming other people. Ironically he destroyed himself and what was left of his family."
Gaius placed his wizened hand tenderly on top of Merlin's clenched fist, "I could never bear to see you sink into such depths, my dear boy. What is done is done."
To Gaius' great relief this seemed to have resonated with Merlin's who nodded in reluctant acceptance.
"I need to go and see Gwen," Merlin finally said standing up, "She needs to know about Arthur." Just the effort of saying his best friend's name drained him emotionally and physically. All Merlin wanted to do was go to bed and dream away the events of the last few days. Dream of the world he had always dreamt of where Arthur was king, magic was legal and Morgana was his friend again. Two of those dreams had been snuffed out in a single day but Merlin had to cling to the belief that one day Gwen would legalise magic.
His hope for this received an unexpected boost when Gaius said almost guiltily, "Ah yes I should probably inform you, Merlin, that Gwen knows about your magic. She's the first person to intuitively work it out without having to be directly told or shown." He sounded very impressed by this.
"I think she'll want to talk to you about lifting the magic ban." Gaius finished with a smile.
Merlin couldn't help but grin. It was a shock that Gwen knew after all these years but the thought that she might be willing to allow magic once more was enough to instil Merlin with a dose of much needed hope. Before that though, he had to tell her about Arthur. The past had to be laid to rest before the future could be built on its foundations.
As Merlin stood outside the Queen's chambers preparing to face her, he mulled sadly that surely enough hearts had been broken. Alas it would seem the fates had disagreed.
To describe their reunion as bittersweet would be very apt. Merlin found Gwen deep in discussion with Sir Leon and was pleased to see Camelot's "Invincible Knight" had lived up to his nickname and survived the battle. Merlin would have liked to have talked to Sir Leon but, upon seeing Merlin enter the room, Gwen immediately dismissed him and the ever obedient knight left the room. Sir Leon looked exhausted but just about managed to smile wearily at Merlin as he left. Now alone with Gwen, the agonising prospect of telling her about Arthur's death was almost too much for Merlin to endure but it would seem Gwen, like Gaius, was able to read the tragedy that had occurred from his sorrowful face.
"Arthur is dead then?" Gwen asked, her grief all too apparent. Merlin could immediately tell Gwen was going to try and be strong in front of him despite the fact she clearly wanted to do nothing more than cry.
"I'm sorry." Was just about all Merlin could choke out in response, "If only I had got us to Lake Avalon quicker maybe he could have been saved."
"Merlin you mustn't think like that." Gwen gently rebuked. "Arthur would never want you to blame yourself for his death."
"So Gaius tells me too," Merlin laughed mirthlessly, "Morgana is dead too." he added, "She will never threaten Camelot again."
"I see." Gwen said. Even after all Morgana had done to her, Merlin could see that the grief on Gwen's face wasn't solely reserved for Arthur. Merlin wondered if Gwen, like him, clung to the memories of when it had been them, Morgana and Arthur; the four of them against the world. Now those halcyon days were all the more precious with only Merlin and Gwen left to remember them.
After a long pause Gwen spoke hesitantly, "Merlin I know about your magic. I know about all you have done for Camelot, for me and especially for Arthur. We all owe you our lives many times over and I'm sure if Arthur were here he would thank you as well."
"He already did." Merlin smiled, remembering Arthur's final words which were now Merlin's most precious treasure.
"I'm glad." Gwen smiled back, "I've decided that on account of your selfless service to this kingdom, despite the grave risks it has posed to you that I shall begin revoking the ban on magic. You have shown all of us the good that magic can do and it is my wish for you to continue to show its goodness to a kingdom that only remembers the evils of Morgana and many others."
Merlin couldn't help but embrace his queen and, more importantly, his dear friend, "It would be my honour to serve you till the end of my days." He whispered, "So long as everyone will be alright with a sorcerer at the heart of Camelot of course."
"Well I've only told Sir Leon so far and I'll admit he has misgivings. Mostly he feels ashamed he didn't realise sooner. You know what he's like; always trying to be the perfect knight and perfect knights in this kingdom ought to be able to sniff out a sorcerer at fifty paces! He still considers you a friend though and it is my hope that the two of you will protect Camelot from all who would harm it with sword and with spell."
"When will you tell the others; Percival and Gwaine?"
Gwen's face slid back into sadness, "I'm so sorry Merlin. Percival arrived back here only a few hours before you did. Gwaine is dead, Merlin. He was killed by Morgana after they tried to hunt her down."
It was yet another blow on what was already the saddest day of his life and Merlin took a moment to remember yet another friend who he had lost: smiling, laughing, easy going Gwaine. Approachable and friendly he had deserved to live a long and happy life. A passionate man and full of humour, he'd have been a wonderful father and husband. Another of Merlin's friends had fallen victim to this senseless war and Merlin now found himself able to count on one hand the people still alive who meant the most to him: his mother Hunith, Gaius, Gwen, Leon and Percival.
"I plan to hold a funeral tomorrow for all those who died in the battle." Gwen continued, "I will also make it Arthur's funeral. He'd have wanted to be mourned alongside the people who died for this kingdom. Then a few day after that I shall announce my plans to allow magic back into Camelot once more." She took Merlin's hands comfortingly in her own, "You're going to be free, Merlin. Free to be yourself at long last."
"Oh I've always been myself, Gwen." Merlin replied jokingly, "You wouldn't want me any other way!"
The queen of Camelot giggled quietly, "Well maybe being a little less clumsy wouldn't go amiss."
"Now you're starting to sound like Arthur!" Merlin replied exasperatedly.
Despite the intense anguish gnawing relentlessly at them both Merlin and Gwen clung to the positives. Together they would face their grief and endure. Arthur might have died but the two people dearest to him in all the world would always remember him with nothing but the deepest fondness. His people were also exceptionally fond of their king and news of Arthur's death was met with an outpouring of genuine grief the likes of which had never been seen in the Five Kingdoms. The collective love and affection for Gwen during that time almost matched the people's sorrow and Gwen's coronation was opposed by none but the most intransient nobles. Arthur's hopes and dreams would live on in his wise and kind wife.
What met with considerably more resistance were Gwen's measures to undo Uther's ban on magic. Uther had not been alone in his hatred of sorcery and a section of Camelot's people were still of the opinion that magic was irredeemably evil. Fortunately Gwen's wise diplomacy, strength of character and fervent popularity carried the day.
The measures themselves were reasonable and implemented with enough caution to appeal to most of the populace. All those wishing to practice magic in Camelot were required to register and swear an oath that their magic would only be used for good and never to do harm. Sir Leon and his knights diligently ran background checks on all those coming forward to register in order to determine whether such permission should be granted. If all was found to be well, then the sorcerer would be issued with official papers, signed with the royal seal, granting them permission to practice magic. In honour of all he had done for the kingdom, Merlin was the first to be granted his papers; followed afterwards by Gaius who, despite his best efforts to conceal it, was clearly looking forward to practicing his long neglected magic once more. While the death penalty still existed for those who practiced magic maliciously or used dark magic, the penalty for using magic without permission was a stint in the dungeons at the end of which of which the sorcerer would be obliged to register. Even several groups of the severely persecuted Druids came to Camelot to be registered. There were naturally many who distrusted the new measures thinking they were merely a convenient way to gather information on the sorcerers in Camelot's borders for another purge. Generally though, the olive branch had been extended and grasped with full eagerness.
The following weeks were, for Merlin, nigh impossible to believe. He could walk around Camelot and use magic openly! While he did miss the acquired thrill of sneaking around and breaking Uther's law, the ability to practice magic in plain sight was nothing short of heavenly. His magic also helped Merlin in a way it never had before by helping him to cope with his grief. His sorrow at Arthur's death remained as acute as ever but curing illnesses with Gaius that could only be truly healed with magic helped him appreciate some of the best things in life. Healing the unhealable gave Merlin a level of peace and satisfaction with his work he'd never known before. If this was to be his fate then it was far from a bad one.
Then, two months after he had returned to Camelot, just as Merlin might be able to describe himself as happy, the spectre of a past he now longed to forget seized him in its cloying hands and, once and for all it was made clear to Merlin that, much like Arthur's Bane, your history is fated to stalk you like a ghost.
Merlin had been called to an emergency meeting of the Round Table. He was Camelot's first Court Magician in over thirty years and such a high position made him a member of the council. As such, Merlin was expected to attend council meetings which had now become a regular fixture in his life. There was always much to be discussed and for every issue that deeply interested Merlin there were always another handful which numbed his brain into torpor. Try as he might, Merlin nearly always found himself falling asleep during the meetings much to the consternation of Gaius who would start deliberately coughing in an effort to wake Merlin up. When that didn't work Percival would stand behind Merlin and gleefully clap his enormous hands together next to one of Merlin's ears.
Merlin arrived in the Great Throne Room and took his usual seat between Gaius and Percival. The sun was shining outside and beams of light blazed through the room's tall windows to illuminate the enormous room. Each beam exposed in its radiance swarms of dust which floated purposelessly over the stone table around which the great and good of Camelot sat, all of whom had already arrived: knights, lords, councillors, academics and the other distinguished persons upon whom the running of the kingdom fell. Merlin hurriedly apologised for being late, upon seeing Gaius's raised eyebrow of disapproval.
Gwen smiled patiently from the head of the table, "Apologies accepted Court Magician. Now we are all together I'd like to discuss an upcoming diplomatic visit. Sir Leon you may begin."
Sir Leon stood to speak with a satisfied smile on his face. For weeks now he had been fighting a losing battle to keep his smugness at being the Queen's most trusted knight under control but it seemed, much to Leon's chagrin, that the chivalric virtue of humility was destined to lose out. He couldn't help it really. Regime changes always made him anxious and Leon had been immensely relieved that, just as when Arthur had succeeded Uther, so too the new monarch came to him for advice. It was Leon's way of knowing he was doing a good job in the service of the realm. After all he hadn't laughed in the face of certain death over a dozen times without learning a few things in life that a ruler could do with knowing. His own miraculous survivability was something he still hadn't figured out but Leon decided not to dwell on what the other knights joked about as his "Blessing of Invincibility".
"I thank you, your highness, for allowing me to speak on these matters today. As you all know the decision to end the ban on magic has, in general, helped to foster a spirit of reconciliation and revitalisation within our kingdom. In what we hope will continue this, we are expecting a diplomatic visit from the High Priest of Orbis."
Merlin looked noticeably confused and Gaius, exasperated, provided the expository knowledge that Merlin somehow still needed. It really was remarkable but nevertheless Gaius was pleased Merlin still needed him and Gaius was happy to help in whatever limited capacity he could.
"Orbis is a new nation that formed following Morgana's defeat and the ending of the ban on magic. Magic users all across Camelot and the rest of the kingdoms have congregated in the lands north of our kingdom where the Saxons used to hold control and established a nation there. These sorcerers feel that in order to best promote the cause of magic users it is necessary for them to have a definitive political entity to represent them."
Leon, looking rather put our at having been interrupted, regained control of the meeting, "We believe that the visit will be used by the ruler of Orbis, High Priest Dranvir, to form an alliance between Camelot and Orbis or, at the very least, seek our recognition of Orbis as a sovereign nation. I believe we shall have the honour of being the first kingdom Orbis approaches with such intent."
"And do you think we should give him what he wants?" Percival asked his fellow knight.
"My own view is that we should ally to Orbis. It would do much to make the point to those opposed to allowing magic back into Camelot that this is not a temporary whim and additionally put at ease those magic users who believe that, in the long term, Camelot has no intention of honouring its tolerance of them."
"I whole heartedly agree, Leon." Gwen affirmed regally, "Make the necessary arrangements for our guest's arrival. Are there any present who disagree with this course of action?"
There were none. The councillors and knights who had vehemently opposed the lifting of the ban on magic had all left the council in protest. That was not to say Gwen had surrounded herself with fawning sycophants but she was now well aware of who to count as her trusted allies.
"Then in that case we shall move onto the next order of business. Sir Percival I'd like to hear your report on the current activities of those Saxons still fighting in Morgana's name and where-"
The rest of the meeting crawled monotonously by and Merlin practically sprinted out of the throne room when it ended. Later he chatted to Gaius over dinner about the new kingdom of sorcerers.
"Can you believe it Gaius? A whole kingdom of people with magic! It must be a great place."
Gaius was traditionally pensive about such things and Orbis was no exception, "While I understand why they feel the need to form a single political entity I'm not convinced that it is conducive to promoting greater harmony. By separating themselves off from those without magic the people of Orbis risk isolating themselves. I've always believed magic can do far more good when used alongside all people rather than held as a separate way of life. It's that kind of aloofness that can allow extremist tendencies to develop. That was one of the problems with the Old Religion. Its secrecy and mystique meant that it was all too easy for Uther to portray it as an arcane force of evil and for the High Priestesses to regard all non-magical people with similar contempt."
Merlin considered this but ultimately his optimism triumphed, "You know Gaius; I think you worry too much," he laughed, "Uther is gone and so are the High Priestesses. I'm sure this Dranvir and Gwen will become allies seeing as they both want peace."
"You're probably right Merlin." Gaius conceded, "I guess I'm just anxious about this new world we find ourselves in. I'm too old to change and have spent far too much time living in kingdom that hated magic and was in turn menaced by evil sorcerers. Uther and I failed to build the better future we set out to create but I firmly believe that you and Gwen will. Now get some rest. We don't want you nodding off in any council meetings tomorrow. I doubt it would go down well with our guests."
Little could Merlin have known that the arrival of High Priest Dranvir in Camelot would herald the beginning of a new chapter in his life; a chapter at the dawn of a new age where all was far from golden.
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