A/N: If anyone had wondered last chapter, yes, I find Mackenzie Crook really attractive as Cedric, deal with it... ;)
2. The once and future queen
Lily got up, sweaty again, the following morning. Her day passed as it usually did: quietly, without an impromptus event.
Until she realised something as she was cooking herself diner.
The pull had come back.
Soon after her "voices" revelation, Lily found herself assailed by Gaius, who wanted each and every detail of her life before she arrived in Camelot.
To which she always answered the same: her father and her had been living alone, and he had kicked her out when he decided to go and find his lost first-born, Baelfire.
Gaius was suspicious, she could tell, but she never varied her tale.
He didn't need to know.
One thing that changed radically after, though, was that Merlin was constantly by her side. They mostly talked and laughed while doing their chores, but she could see he was wary of her hearing the Voice again.
Lily had gone straight to the library once she had been relieved by Gaius.
Found every information she wanted about dragons.
They had been eradicated by Uther, Arthur's father and King of Camelot, during the Great Purge.
They were majestic and powerful beasts, born of magic, who could forge unbreakable swords and breathe the hottest fire.
They were also bound to powerful warlocks, the Dragonlords, also long extinct.
Or so it seemed...
A few weeks after the death of Cedric – whom Lily missed sometimes, but still very rarely – Prince Arthur decided to perform in the upcoming tournament.
Lily and Merlin went to witness a practise.
Sir Leon was the one facing the prince.
Before he put his helmet on, Lily would have sworn she saw him looking at her.
Merlin confirmed when he nudged her playfully in the ribs.
The two horses galloped forward, both contestants brought their lances before them...
And a ray of sun distracted Arthur. Leon didn't take a chance, and lifted his lance, not hurting his captain.
Arthur seemed really upset when he jumped off his horse and took his helmet off.
"Why did you pull out? I was wide open, you could have unhorsed me!"
"I was afraid I might have injured you, sire."
"You had the advantage, you can't afford to hesitate!"
"I wouldn't have done if I was facing another opponent. You are the future king, my lord."
Leon's gaze met Merlin's, then Lily's. She smiled kindly at him, and he looked away.
He could have blushed, had he been more sensitive...
"You jousted against me last year, does it mean you've let me win?"
Leon breathed a little too quick. "No, my lord." But Arthur saw the lie.
He turned around to face the rest of his knight, gathered behind Merlin and Lily. "It doesn't matter who I am! I don't expect any treatment from you, from any of you! Is that understood?"
They all nodded. Arthur glared one last time at Leon, and then turned around to exit the scene.
Merlin sighed next to Lily. "Sorry, I have to follow the grumpy beast."
She chuckled. "Good luck."
She stood there awkwardly, staring at Leon, and him staring at her, as if they were both waiting for something.
When none talked, another knight called their captain. "Leon! Oi! Come back with us?"
Leon's eyes drifted from Lily's a moment, then he bowed his head at her. "Excuse me, I-"
She smiled softly. "Go, sire. I really don't know why I've been standing here anyway." She curtsied, and whirled around.
Hell, why did he have to be this handsome?
Next she crossed Merlin's path, he told her, on the threat of a life mattering secret, that Arthur had decided to get into the tournament under another name, and while a peasant would pass as a knight.
She had found the idea properly insane first she heard it.
When she met "Sir William", she cracked.
Arthur didn't like being laughed at.
Especially in front of Gwen, and Lily knew he liked her maybe a little too much.
"Is there something funny, Lily?"
She still coughed her laughs but shook her head. "Nothing, my lord, I'm sorry."
She laughed silently for a few more minutes, and when she came to her senses, William was clothed as a knight.
And treating Merlin like shit.
So...the knight-thing was learnt fast, right?
That night though, Lily couldn't sleep.
She was tossing around like a child during a thunderstorm.
Not long after midnight, the same pull she had experienced when Cornelius Sigan was there started in her chest.
The same pull telling her to get up and walk to the door of her room.
This time, she didn't faint. She did get up, wrap a cloak around her frame, and exited the room without waking the others.
She walked aimlessly during long, long minutes...
Until she realised she had travelled deeper into Camelot than she had wanted to.
She got down the flock of stairs anyway, and turned into a cave-like corridor, lit by a single torch.
When she felt the wind on her face, she thought she had been brought outside by a secret passage.
She was wrong.
"Nice to finally meet you, Dragonlord."
Lily's eyes cast upwards, and she gasped. Her green eyes drowned into two huge golden ones.
A dragon.
Under Camelot.
"Who are you?"
The great beast seemed to smile. "My name is Kilgharrah. I am the last dragon."
"It's an honour to meet you, sir."
"It's my honour, Dragonlord."
"I'm named Lily, not Dragonlord..."
A rush of air, and Lily understood the dragon was laughing at her. "Indeed you call yourself Lily. In here. I believe you go by another name."
Lily's mind seemed to be touched by another as he said that. "Vivian..."
"Vivian. Daughter of a powerful sorcerer, far from her world, and yet...Dragonlord."
"I do not know what a Dragonlord is."
"You will learn soon enough, young one. Now, tell me, has your magic leaked yet?"
"Leaked?" Lily scratched her head. "You mean, have I done magic since I arrived?" She didn't wait for the answer. "No, I haven't."
"Then..." The Great Dragon leaned forward, so close to her that Lily thought of taking a pace backwards, but she was frozen on her two feet. Kilgharrah opened his big mouth, showing razor-like teeth, and breathed on her.
Something seemed to stir inside Lily, something deep, something hidden.
When she opened her eyes again, she felt anew.
She felt...different.
"Thank you, Kilgharrah."
"The pleasure is all mine, Vivian."
As soon as she climbed back into bed, Lily felt another pull in her chest. Different than when Kilgharrah was calling.
It was as if she had drunk too much and needed to visit the bathroom.
So she outstretched her palm, and searched within her mind.
An ancient word she didn't know the meaning of escaped her lips as a whisper.
"Tospringe."
The door opened in a click.
And Lily gasped, blanked, and then grinned.
She had found her magic.
Morning came, and with it a rumour.
Guards had been murdered in the castle.
Lily ran to the tournament's field, and quickly found Merlin, standing outside Arthur's and William's tent.
"Good morning Merlin."
He eyed her strangely, looking her up and down, as if he had seen the change. "Good morning Lily. Is everything alright?"
She smiled widely. "More than alright actually. Except... Have you heard about the dead guards?" He nodded. "I wonder-"
"King Odin wants Arthur dead. He sent an assassin."
"Oh. I see." Then she thought really quick. "Except he isn't supposed to know Arthur is in Camelot."
"Exactly."
"We have to be careful. Very careful."
She walked towards the bleachers and found a seat, noticing only when she was settled that Merlin was still staring at her, gaping.
She smirked to herself. Do I really look more confident? Yes, probably...
As she was sitting beside Gwen, Uther, the King, came to sit in the main tribune, next to his ward, Morgana.
The knights all came to stand before him on their horses. William was among them, trying and failing to calm his mare down.
"Knights of the realm, welcome to Camelot! You trained for this day for many years, you've grown brave and strong, and you're skilled to the test. Today you will fight for glory and for honour."
"Lily, there seems to be a certain captain looking at you."
Lily turned her head at Gwen, who smiled devilishly, and turned her gaze to eye the field.
Certain thing, Leon was again staring at her, and again avoided her gaze when his blue eyes crossed her green ones.
She chuckled lightly under her breath. "He never speaks to me. Hardly stares."
"Maybe he's shy."
"Sure thing he is."
The two friends then shushed and listened to the end of the King's speech.
"...will emerge as a worthy champion."
The crowd exuded in cries and applause, and the tournament began.
When two days ended, Arthur had of course defeated each and every of his opponents and was advancing to the final. Leon had been eliminated in the semi-finals, by Arthur, and had been lightly injured.
Lily thought it a good thing to go and see him before she went to bed on that day.
Leon's room wasn't far from the maids' quarters. She knocked softly on the door.
It opened soon after, to reveal Gaius.
He smiled knowingly at Lily. "Evening Lily." He passed her and left the door opened.
She peaked inside. Leon was lying on his bed, a small cut on his forehead and one of his legs stretched before him and bandaged. "Can I come in?"
He seemed to be thinking about it, and after a little while, nodded. "Of course."
She closed the door behind her and advanced in the darkened room.
She smiled lightly at the injured knight. "You fought like a lion, today, my lord."
"And failed to reach the final."
She chuckled. "You've met your match. Don't be bitter. You're still the best Knight of Camelot, since all of the others have been eliminated far before you were."
It seemed to lighten his mood to say that. "Have you come to see if I was still alive?"
She nodded. "To see if your brains still worked."
His brow furrowed. "It looks to me as if you're different. Has something changed?"
She smirked. "A certain knight has been watching me for too long, people start to notice."
"Oh." She would have sworn he had blushed. "I'm sorry if it bothered you."
She took a pace forward. Leon's eyes followed her, his head tilted upwards. "It doesn't bother me at all, sir knight."
"I have to say, you are strangely pulling me in. Since you arrived, my eyes seem to be glued to you whenever you are near."
"Maybe you've been bewitched my lord." She smirked again.
"Maybe."
They remained there, calmly staring at each other, until the door opened again and this time revealed Merlin, come to make sure Leon was well-settled. His blue eyes widened at the sight he was given, but Lily merely smiled, winked at Leon, and exited the room.
Chuckling.
The next morning was busy for Lily. It was the final, and as such, a banquet had to be held. She helped the other maids with preparation, such as putting silver plates on the huge tables in the great hall, and then headed to the field to watch Arthur fight against Sir Alynor, a valiant knight from abroad.
As soon as the opponents climbed onto their horses though, it was certain for Lily that something was off.
A well-known pull in her chest.
She opened her mind, not knowing how she did it to be honest, and heard a low growl. "Be ready, Dragonlord. The assassin is near."
So she watched.
She watched as the lance of Sir Alynor suddenly revealed a deadly pike at its end, and as it entered Arthur's flesh as if it had been butter.
She growled as Gwen gasped. Her friend started shrieking in fear, while Lily got up and ran around the field to catch up with Merlin.
"Merlin!"
He looked over at her. "Lily! I know! The pike!"
"I think it's the assassin!"
He nodded once and went to assist Arthur, badly wounded.
She stayed outside, as a watch. Though no one would think her dangerous. Grave mistake.
Both contestants ran towards each other, Arthur weakening onto his saddle, while the pike appeared once again on the assassin's lance.
Lily was about to tempt something when all of a sudden, the assassin's saddle gave way, and he slipped, being struck hard by Arthur lance, killed instantly.
Lily searched for the source of the spell. To her, it was plain as daylight: another sorcerer was near. She felt it when the saddle broke. A wave. Like a gush of wind, but golden.
When her gaze met Merlin's, she gasped.
"No way."
When Arthur was back from his "hunt", and William of Deira had been sent home, Lily ran to Gaius' office.
"Where's Merlin?"
Gaius' eyes widened at the blatant anger in her voice, and pointed towards his nephew's room.
She didn't even knock, barely kicked the door aside.
"Why didn't you tell me you had magic?"
Merlin, laying on his bed by then, shot up. "What? What do you mean?"
"Don't play dumb, you perfectly know what I'm talking about. Myror's saddle didn't gave way on its own!"
Merlin's breath calmed down, and he tilted his head. "How did you know it was me?"
She sighed deeply. "I have magic too."
"Yes, of course you have. You both are linked, young ones."
