Chapter 2

He couldn't wipe the smile off of his face.

The last he had heard from her, her family had been exiled from the country, bound to the scars of banishment. But according to Merlin, and the royal archives, she was back. How, and why? He didn't care, all that mattered to him was that she was coming home.

She would be arriving soon, and he would be the one to greet her. It had been nearly two years since they last saw the other in person, he couldn't contain his joy. He received skeptical and perplexed glances as he rushed down the hall, he pushed through servants in the stairway, and ran to the front courtyard. It was a strange sight indeed for the castle staff to see such a stoic, and usually staid boy to show such emotion. Multiple guards and officers saluted him stiffly and respectfully as he passed, he gave them a slight tilt of his head of acknowledgment.

He was proud of his position in the army, but his excitement for her arrival was far too great.

He stepped out in front of the two glass doors, looking at the cobbled roundabout, the grand fountain in the middle of it spitting out waterfalls. The boy had a gift of perfect timing, as a black town car pulled up moments later.

Arthur could feel his heart beating out of his chest, completely anxious and restless to see her at last. It had not yet been two years, but he couldn't help but wonder if she had changed at all. He knew that he certainly had. Did she look different, act different, feel different?

The answers to his questions came faster than he expected, as the driver exited his seat in the front, and came around to open the side door in the back.

Her hair had grown longer, the raven colored waves cascading midway down her back. The lace like veil over her face, the red dress hugging her figure, it all took his breath away. As soon as her heeled feet met with the stone of the floor outside the car, she seemed to register things faster than he had, making eye contact, and running up to him.

As she jumped, and threw her arms around his neck, he embraced her tightly, his body unlikely to ever let go. He lifted her slightly off the ground, picking her up, almost to reassure himself that she was real. As long as his father remained on the throne, he was sure that he would never see her again. The love of his life was at last returned.

"I've missed you," he heard her sob brokenly over his shoulder.

He finally loosened his grip, placing her carefully back onto the earth below. She stepped back light, his hands went underneath the short veil, a custom for women to wear after they had been welcomed back into Albion after a period of dishonorable leave, and he wiped her tears.

She smiled up at him, obviously elated by his touch. He lifted the sheer cloth over her head, gazing longingly into her dark green eyes, caressing her pale skin with a gentle palm.

"Welcome home, Morgana,"

Merlin looked on at the couple with obvious scorn that he found impossible to hide. He stood on the balcony that overlooked the courtyard below, his arms over the railing, his back hunched in evident defeat.

A young man who had always viewed the world in black and white, now thrust into the world of gray. He loved his brother dearly, but there were some things in life that one cannot stand by and watch unfold.

He had made eye contact with her from above, he knew she saw him. She could see the sadness and anger in his eyes, as he could see the guilt in hers. Unable to be a spectator to such an upsetting scene, he turned around and took his leave. He opened the glass doors to the castle, and closed them shut, the sound resonating in her ears.

A crowd of servants ran out to greet the returned noblewoman, running out and fetching her luggage from the trunk of the car. Bows and curtsies were being given with ever turn of the head, and the two young people chuckled as they pulled away.

"My Lord," she ducked her head, giving a formal curtsy.

"My Lady," he leaned over to grab her hand, and brought it to her lips.

The intricacies of court and the interactions between men and women was something foreign to them, so they couldn't help but break out in slight laughter after the other's seriousness.

"Come with me," he now held her hand in his, "I've much to tell you," he led her inside, leaving the mayhem outside to play out without their intervention.

She followed him with a smile, but as he walked in front of her with his back to her, she couldn't stop herself from looking over one last time at the empty balcony.

Of course he had left, who was she kidding anyways.

Inside the castle, deciding it was time to grab a drink, the younger son of Uther Pendragon sat inside his own quarters. He dismissed his guards, wishing for privacy for the coming conversation.

A short, old, yet wise looking man appeared out of the shadows, as if he had been waiting for the moment to speak up.

Merlin sat on a wooden chair behind his desk rather large, his back facing a large paned window, the curtains drawn to shield those inside from the sun. He slouched, his elbows sliding down the desk, his head resting on his folded arms. His words were muffled by his shirt sleeve, "She's returned, I'm sure you've heard,"

The young boy's solemn eyes couldn't help but tug on the older one's heartstrings. "Yes,"

Merlin's brows knit together, the king's trusted advisor and member of the council, seemed calm and unsurprised. "You knew?" his voice quiet and low.

"Merlin," he paused, unsure of how to tell him, "I was afraid that you would make plans to intercept the Lady Morgana had I informed you earlier,"

"You can't be serious," he breathed with disbelief, "Gaius, you're the one person I trust most in Camelot, and yet you kept something so massive from me," he was bitter with betrayal. "The least you could have done is warn me,"

Gaius, Merlin's maternal uncle, had always been a pillar of support in the cut throat world of the court. If there was anyone he trusted, it was Gaius. He had raised Merlin into young adulthood, and acted more as a father figure than the king ever had.

"I understand your feelings for this girl," he walked around the desk, and put his hand on the young boy's shoulder, "But you cannot afford to risk everything you have for her, not again,"

His tone was soothing, pacifying. Merlin said nothing, only left to ponder his words.

"So why has she been allowed to return?"

"It was beyond my, or even Uther's, control. The Le Fay Family's banishment was officially given in name of Duke Gorlois. And after his untimely death a few weeks, god help his soul, they have been allowed back within the borders,"

"It's just like her to make her to rush back to court the first chance she gets, even without pausing first to mourn the loss of her own father," Merlin growled. "She knew that Arthur would ask her to the feast as soon as she came back," he stared out into the empty space in front of him.

"Do not interfere with your brother, if he didn't learn his lesson last time, it's his own fault. Don't try being the hero, it'll be your downfall," Gaius warned. Knowing the history between the three young adults, there was only concern of what could possibly develop.

Almost abruptly, Merlin sat up. "Do you have the files I asked for?" his tone obviously an attempt to be more optimistic. The signature smile spread across his face.

"They're right here," Gaius slowly pulled out a number of manila colored folders from under his arm. He spread them out on the table in front of the younger prince. He opened his mouth to say something, but a beeping sound came from his side. Matters of the court called.

Merlin turned to his side to face the older man, "Go on, it's fine, I'll be able to decide on my own,"

Gaius nodded, giving a last reassuring pat before leaving, "Think carefully and act responsibly, I don't want to hear reports of you and Arthur dallying about tonight, Uther will have a fit,"

He gave a chuckle as the door shut behind him. He fingered through the papers half heartedly, obviously bored with the collection of 'eligible' women that the council had pre selected. Each of the files contained background information, family status, hobbies, accomplishments, grades, reputation, nearly anything a man could possibly want to know about his date. The mix blurred together, as it seemed that the entire population of women in the land looked the same, sounded the same, and liked the same things. He almost scoffed, the only reason that women of aristocracy built up such profiles was to marry into royal blood.

Then the idea came to him.

He pulled his phone from the inside pocket of his suit, and scrolled down the contact until he found the number he had been looking for.

Last year, before he had graduated from the military academy, Merlin had made a couple of good friends.

The line rang, he tapped his fingers in anticipation before his call was picked up.

An amiable voice answered, "Hello, Merlin?"

"Elyan," Merlin greeted back, slightly embarrassed for not keeping in closer contact, "Are you coming to the ball in Camelot tonight?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world,"

"Say, you mentioned a younger sister while we were training together once," he swallowed, somewhat ashamed of asking a woman's brother before even meeting the girl. "She wouldn't happen to be attending the celebrations as well, would she?"

A light hearted laugh, "She's been a ball of nerves ever since we got the invitations,"

"Are you her escort?"

"Naturally,"

He cleared his throat, "Would you mind if, I, um, accompanied her instead? If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I have a list of other girls you could take,"

A pause.

"You want to take my sister to the ball?"

Another silence. But soon enough another round of laughter followed.

"I don't see why not, but I warn you she's not too keen on the practices of court, she's been putting off her debut for nearly two years now,"

Merlin broke out in a smile, "Brilliant, when will you two arrive?"

"In a couple of hours, our flight's been pushed forward a bit,"

"I guess I'll see you and—" Come to think of it, he didn't know her name.

"Guinevere," the other boy reminded.

"Right, I'll see you and Guinevere then,"

With a click, he hung up the phone, now submerged in a pensive state.

The press constantly painted him as the virtuous, filial, and well behaved half blooded prince. And that was the role he intended to play, but every once in a while, he wanted to do things his own way. This girl may not have been the top choices of the king, but she was of wealthy birth nonetheless. Elyan's father a wealthy landowner, his mother just another commoner. Really, what harm could come of such a slight technicality?

What he didn't know, couldn't hurt him, not yet.

Hell was going to break loose that night, and he had no idea.

End Chapter 2