Chapter 2: Another Visit

Merlin practically ran down to the dungeons, carrying the torch in his hand. He and the dragon were going to have serious words-he had obviously told him the wrong remedy for Arthur's enchantment.

Upon hearing his loud arrival, the dragon swooped down from the top of the cave and sat in front of Merlin. "You're unexpected visit has surprised me, young warlock," he said, solemnly as ever.

"You were wrong!" Merlin shouted at him.

"Interesting," the dragon answered.

"Arthur is still as in love with Vivian as ever. You promised me it would work!"

"Perhaps you have simply not seen to it that the enchantment was broken correctly."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked "I saw him and Gwen kissing with my own eyes. That should mean the spell is broken. But it's not. That must mean you gave me the wrong cure."

"Young warlock, have I ever been wrong?" the dragon asked, making Merlin roll his eyes in frustration. He could just never get to the point, could he? "Do you remember what I told you was the only way to break the spell?"

"Of course I remember, I'm not that much of an idiot!"

"If the young Pendragon is still infatuated with the Lady Vivian, then there can only be one possible cause for it."

"What?" Merlin demanded, becoming more annoyed by the second.

"He has not yet received a kiss from the person he loves most." Merlin rolled his eyes again.

"Haven't you been listening?" he asked "I told you, Arthur has kissed Gwen!"

"If the young Pendragon is still in love with the Lady Vivian, that means that he has not yet received a kiss from the person he loves most," the dragon merely repeated himself.

"But he has! He's kissed Gwen! He loves Gwen the most. God knows he hasn't made a secret of his feelings for her, at least not to me. I know how much he loves her."

"Does he love her?" the dragon asked, receiving a perplexed expression from Merlin.

"Of course he does! He says so all the time..."

"Does he?" the dragon interrupted "Has he ever actually said that he loves her?"

"Well, I..." Merlin trailed off. His first instinct was to say yes, of course Arthur had. But the more he thought about all the times Arthur had spoken about Gwen, 'love' had never been a word he had used. Even when Merlin had caused Arthur to admit how he felt about Gwen that day they had set out to rescue her after she had been kidnapped, he had never actually said he loved her.

"No," Merlin finally admitted, in spite of himself. The dragon nodded his head in silent agreement. "Don't you see Merlin that the servant girl was merely a distraction for him to avert his feelings for another- a person who was even more forbidden to him than the servant girl?" Merlin was speechless. Surely he, Arthur's closest servant, and best friend would know first of all if there was anyone Arthur loved. There wasn't a feeling or thought Arthur had that didn't go past Merlin first.

"Who is it then?" he asked. The dragon chuckled softly "Please tell me, I've only till the morning to find this person."

"You do not need me to tell you young Warlock," the dragon told him "You already know." Merlin was getting more nervous by the second. Who was it that Arthur loved. "Somebody who is always near him. Somebody who serves him more loyally than any other. Somebody who's love is more forbidden to Arthur, and vice versa, than anything else."

Merlin racked his thoughts for what seemed to be hours. Couldn't the dragon just tell him and not let him swim in the massive metaphors and riddles he insisted on creating. He supposed that he was only doing it to cure the boredom of being locked beneath the dungeons all day. He wouldn't be surprised if he sat alone all day, thinking up the most annoying riddles, just to frustrate Merlin. As if his life needed any more complication.

Serves him loyally Merlin thought. Then it dawned on him! There was only one person who served Arthur so loyally. Who put up with all his crap and was always with him and near him. Merlin looked up at the dragon, almost afraid to say what was floating in his mind. "Me," he simply said, his voice becoming shaky. The dragon nodded slowly.

"Indeed," he agreed. Merlin laughed and shook his head in denial.

"You're wrong," he said.

"Young warlock..."

"... Arthur is not in love with me!" Merlin interrupted, shouting more loudly than ever. He needed to push the reality of the situation as far from him as possible. "He is the Prince of Camelot, I'm just a servant. He can't be in love with me!"

"Surely you are not so foolish Merlin, as to believe that Arthur looks upon you as a mere servant?" the dragon asked "Surely you do not think that he would allow any of his other servants speak to him the way you do? And challenge him the way you do?"

"But he can't love me!"

"You have not noticed how much he does for you Merlin?"

"Like what?" he asked "If you're talking about the time he came to rescue Ealdor, that wasn't just for me- he did it for the whole village."

"I was going to refer to the incident that happened long ago," the dragon corrected him "Surely you have forgotten when you were poisoned by the sorceress Nimueh?" Merlin said nothing. He knew he was right "Arthur not only rode out singlehandedly to obtain the antidote, but he defied his own Father, and nearly died in the process, just to save your life."

"He is an honourable man," Merlin disputed "He wouldn't see any innocent man die."

"And the time when he drank what he believed to be poison, so that you wouldn't?"

"He was trying to protect Camelot," Merlin protested.

"What makes the whole situation so interesting is... you share the same hidden feelings for the Prince."

"No! No, you're wrong. How can I be in love with Arthur?!" Who the hell was he trying to convince. He wasn't sure he even knew anymore. The dragon merely shook his head.

"You can stand there and deny it all you like Merlin," he told him "But you will only be denying it to yourself- nothing is going to change. Arthur's life is still in your hands." Merlin felt like bursting out and crying. He had never felt so lost in his life. "Don't forget- one kiss from the person Arthur truly loves, and the enchantment will be broken." With that, the dragon extended his immense wings and flew up and away from Merlin. Left standing alone at the bottom of the cave, Merlin realised just how alone he was right now. His mind felt just as alone.

So that was two problems out the way. Now he faced the third- breaking Arthur's enchantment.

What will Merlin do? Will he admit his feelings for Arthur to himself? Find out next time!

Please R&R!!!!!!