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The next morning, Gwen found Morgana treating the still-feverish Druid boy. She sat there holding him, half-asleep when she heard, "Morgana." She startled and asked Gwen if she'd heard that too, but she hadn't. Then there was a knock and Gwen opened the door to find Merlin.
He asked how the boy was doing and Morgana let him have it. "He's getting weaker. Whatever you did yesterday, it hasn't worked. We have to ask Gaius for his help. After all you've done, you can't give up now! Please! If he doesn't receive treatment, he'll die!"
"Okay," he replied meekly and went off to fetch Gaius. The physician scolded Merlin, but he finally agreed to help. He went with Merlin to Morgana's chambers and did what he could, but warned the co-conspirators to get the boy out of Camelot as soon as possible.
After he left, Merlin, Morgana and Gwen made some decisions about how to get the boy to safety. Morgana would take him through a secret door in the armory. She knew Uther wouldn't execute her if she was caught. Merlin offered to get the key she'd need—Arthur had it.
After he'd obtained it, he returned to Morgana. She was dressed in Gwen's clothes and ready to go. The boy looked much better after proper treatment. Morgana took the boy's hand and led him down to the armory and out through the secret door. Merlin and Gwen went to Gwen's house to prepare supplies for them.
Unfortunately, a serving girl had seen Morgana with the boy, and that news made it to Arthur. He searched the armory and had the warning bells sounded. This made the Princess and the boy run faster to Gwen's house. They quickly said goodbye and left again, only Arthur found them shortly after. The boy went to the dungeon and Morgana was taken to the King where he dressed her down severely, and even attempted to choke her.
Merlin came to her chambers in the morning. She looked a little worse for wear, but was only concerned for the Druid boy. "I promised that I wouldn't let anything bad happen."
He walked a little closer to her and dared to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You can't blame yourself. You tried your best."
"It's not enough."
"He's in jail now. There's nothing more we can do." He just wanted to keep Morgana safe.
"I will not let him die. Can I count on your help?"
Merlin thought for a long moment before he nodded. I'm so far gone for her.
"Thank you." She leaned closer and kissed his cheek.
Later, he couldn't remember if she'd said anything else—he was floating. He only remembered saying, "As you wish," and bowing before he left her chambers.
xxxXxxx
Morgana wracked her brain for who else could help her and came up with only one name—Arthur. So she dropped in on him when she knew he was back from dinner with the King. She was blunt and to the point, asking him to go against Uther and help her.
She was still in the middle of pleading with him when Merlin bumbled through the door. Arthur tried to dismiss him, but then Morgana said, "I trust him." The three of them came up with a plan—Morgana would dine with Uther while Arthur broke the boy out of the dungeon and escaped through tunnels there. Merlin would bring a horse and rope to pull off the grate so they could get out of the tunnel and leave.
After Merlin agreed to do all this, he had an attack of conscience and visited the dragon again. He demanded to know why he shouldn't help the boy, and once he heard the answer he wished he hadn't asked. The dragon told him the boy was destined to kill Arthur someday. Merlin didn't want to believe it, so he left and walked back to his room.
He lay in his bed and thought about the problem ad nauseum, but it just wouldn't resolve itself. Eventually the boy started calling to his mind, which just brought him close to tears with indecision. Finally he gave in, collected everything he needed and went to rescue Arthur and the boy. After they'd mounted the horse to go, the boy bade him a mental goodbye and promised they'd see each other again.
xxxXxxx
Morgana was still dining with the King when the news of the boy's escape came. Uther was furious and threatened Morgana. She just stared back at him proudly, knowing he had no grounds to punish her this time. As soon as she could, she went back to her chambers.
Merlin was waiting for her there, which was surprising. She closed her door and ran over to him. "Thank you," she said, grabbing his forearms. Then she looked into his face. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"You've risked so much for this boy. You don't know anything about him. You don't even know his name," he said.
"There's a bond between us."
"Stronger than the bond you have with Uther?"
"It's like nothing I've ever felt before. Perhaps I was always meant to help him."
"How can that be?"
"I don't know. I can't explain it."
Merlin sighed and shook his head. "Well, the plan worked. Arthur and the boy made it out of Camelot safely. If Uther asks, he went hunting."
"Okay." She looked around her room and sat on her bed. "I feel rather useless, but at least they got away."
"Is there anything else you need, milady?"
"Can you find Gwen for me and ask her to attend me? Please?"
"As you wish." He bowed briefly and left. She said she felt useless—I'm the one that nearly got them caught! He felt devoid of happiness then remembered how she'd kissed his cheek. Suddenly he felt much better and floated down the corridor back to his room.
xxxXxxx
Arthur's birthday was about a week later—he'd come of age to be officially sworn in as the Crown Prince of Camelot. He was excited and drove everyone around him crazy with his enthusiasm.
The Great Hall was filled to capacity with people for the ceremony. Uther had just finished proclaiming Arthur Crown Prince when a black-armored knight on a horse burst through the stained-glass window. The horse walked to Arthur and the Black Knight threw down a gauntlet. Arthur sheathed his sword to pick up the gauntlet, but Sir Owain got there first.
Arthur was very annoyed that he hadn't gotten the gauntlet. He'd ended up in Morgana's chambers with her, Gwen and Merlin. Morgana suggested that he end the fight, but he rejected that. Next she suggested he take Owain's place, but the Knights' Code prevented that. Even though it was a fight to the death, he couldn't do anything about it.
The next morning Owain was quickly overcome by the other knight's sheer strength. Before Owain had even fallen down, the Black Knight had turned to face the royal box. He took off his gauntlet and tossed it to the ground. Arthur made to stand, but his father held him down. Sir Pellinor took up the gauntlet.
While everyone discussed the knight's chances, Merlin and Gaius discovered the Black Knight's identity. He was Tristan de Bois, Arthur's uncle, who'd been killed decades earlier by Uther. He was a wraith—the spirit of a dead man conjured from the grave. No mortal weapon could harm it. Sure enough, Pellinor fell to the Black Knight the next day. This time, Arthur took off his gauntlet and threw it at the Knight's feet. He set the same standards for his duel as before. Uther hated this and wanted to stop it, but Arthur quoted Uther's own rules at him, which forced Uther to consider more drastic measures to stop his son.
Merlin, meanwhile, worked at the problem from a different angle. He first tried to kill the wraith himself, with no success. Then he tried to talk Arthur out of the fight, but Arthur tossed him out. Lastly, he learned that a sword burnished in a dragon's flame could slay the dead. So he asked Gwen for a sword made by her blacksmith father and took it to the dragon, who magically burnished it by flame.
Morgana also tried to talk Arthur out of fighting, but he didn't listen to her either. But Uther came up with a plan—he had Gaius drug Arthur to sleep so he could take his place; it worked. In the morning, Uther took the sword Merlin had made and eliminated the wraith.
Arthur was angry, but let his father explain why he'd done what he did. The dragon was angry that Uther had used his sword and told Merlin to cast it where no one could find it. So Merlin threw it into the Lake of Avalon, figuring the Sidhe would keep anyone from it, at least.
xxxXxxx
Two days later, Merlin was walking into the lower town to collect water and ran into his mother, Hunith. He was surprised, but became upset when he saw the bruises on her face. He took her to Gaius then listened to her story—a group of bandits had raided their village to take most of their food. They gave them a deadline to offer up the rest and promised to return.
Merlin went to Arthur to see if he could arrange an audience with his father. A bit later in the day, Hunith faced the three royals. Uther listened to her story and plea for help, but ultimately denied it. Morgana glared at Uther and stepped down from the dais to help Hunith to her feet. She walked with her all the way back to Gaius's chambers.
Morgana was so annoyed that she went to Arthur. But once again, Arthur was unwilling to oppose his father. Morgana stomped off to her chambers, determined to go by herself. She told Gwen what she'd planned, and the compassionate maid decided she'd join her mistress. Gwen ran to Merlin and told him to come to her house with her.
Once they got there, Gwen offered him a sword and a bit of armor. Before he could protest, Morgana stepped into the room. "We're coming with you."
"What do you mean?" he asked, shocked. She can't be serious.
"You're going to need all the help you can get. I can mend armor and sharpen swords," Gwen replied.
"And I know how to fight," Morgana declared.
"But y-y-you can't. I mean, why would you?" Merlin was so confused. Risking her life for me?
"If it was the other way around, you'd help us. You already have—you saved my life," Gwen answered.
"And you helped me get the Druid boy out of Camelot. We owe it to you. Both of us," Morgana said.
Merlin was overjoyed. He did have friends here who valued him. And Morgana was coming! He fell for her just a little more at that. This beautiful, selfless woman wanted to help him. His heart swelled and his face flushed a bit. He and his mother wouldn't be alone.
After he'd hugged Gaius and took his leave of Arthur, Merlin and Hunith met the two other women in the courtyard. Four horses waited, and together they set off for Ealdor.
xxxXxxx
After Morgana and Gwen had gone to bed, Hunith and Merlin talked at the campfire. Their first subject was Morgana, naturally. Hunith had noticed how Merlin watched her and hung on her every word. She told him to be careful with her, as Morgana was highborn and daughter of the man who'd execute him. She made him promise again to keep his secret. After that conversation, they went to bed.
If felt like only a few minutes later when something woke Merlin. He listened groggily and heard a horse in the woods nearby. He got up to look and nearly decapitated Arthur in his surprise. He'd actually defied his father. Despite the trouble he knew Arthur would be in, Merlin was glad to see him.
The group rode most of the day only to find the bandits plundering Ealdor. Arthur chucked his sword stop one from killing a man; he'd found Kanen, the leader. The prince dismounted and began fighting whichever bandit was closest. The others, even Merlin, soon joined him.
They fought for a few minutes and eventually scared the bandits off. Kanen vowed revenge, of course. Merlin got to talk to his old friend, Will, before Arthur ordered him to gather the villagers for a meeting. Will scoffed at Arthur's speech but the other villagers were willing to fight. Merlin tried to talk Will 'round, but he wouldn't listen. Everyone retired early because Arthur would begin training the village men the next day.
xxxXxxx
After breakfast, Arthur assigned their group various tasks. Merlin chopped wood while Gwen and Morgana sharpened swords. Arthur began training the men who were willing to fight. Training men who'd never used a sword to fight with one wasn't easy. Arthur despaired until Gwen and Morgana approached him with the idea to let the women fight. He had to admit it was appealing, but ruled it out. Everyone went to bed that night exhausted and losing hope.
But before Merlin went to sleep, he heard Morgana and Gwen talking. "We don't stand a chance," Gwen said.
"Arthur can't see that. He's too stubborn," Morgana replied.
"Why do you think he came here?"
"The same reason we did: Merlin. Arthur may act like he doesn't care, but he wouldn't be here if he didn't."
Merlin's heart swelled. That confirmed what his mother had said. It also confirmed what his heart knew—that Morgana cared enough to help him, a lowly peasant. And with that pleasant thought, he drifted off to sleep.
Sometime later, Merlin woke suddenly; a voice had ripped into his mind. His favorite voice, though not one he'd ever heard in his head. He looked over at Morgana, just a couple feet away. He blankets were twisted around her and she lay awake also, staring at the ceiling. "Morgana?" he whispered.
Her head tuned to face him. "Merlin?" she whispered back.
He nodded toward the door. They both moved as quietly as they could, putting on their boots and jackets. He brought his blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders once they were outside. "A dream?" he asked.
"It was . . . Oh Merlin, I saw your friend die."
"What? Who, Will?"
"Yes. It was right after . . . Right after . . . Merlin, is Will a sorcerer?"
The blood rushed from Merlin's face. "What?"
"The battle—things were going badly and I saw one of you, I couldn't see who, create a whirlwind. And Arthur sees!"
"Oh no—"
"Will claims it's him and before Arthur can do anything, Kanen kills Will."
Merlin was silent for a long moment. "I have to stop him," he said finally. But he didn't say which "him."
Morgana was confused but threw her arms around him. "I'm so sorry." Merlin was shocked again, but enjoyed the hug while it lasted. He wanted to hold onto her forever, but let her pull back. "We should go back to bed."
He nodded. "As you wish."
xxxXxxx
Most of the villagers and the party from Camelot gathered in the village common building in the morning. Arthur was explaining a new strategy—luring the bandits into a trap. A scream sounded outside; all the men went out to see a body draped over a horse. It was Matthew, the man Arthur had sent to look out. He had a note pinned to him that said, "Make the most of this day, it will be your last."
Once again, Will tore into Arthur. He blamed him for Matthew's death and stomped off. Merlin went to talk to Arthur. The Prince looked depressed; Merlin did his best to convince Arthur that they did have a chance to win; Arthur just had to believe in the villagers.
That night they had another meeting in the common building. Arthur started to give the women instructions when Gwen protested. She told him the women had as much right to fight for the village as the men did. Arthur looked around and saw the other women nodding. They agreed. So he changed his speech, telling everyone that it was their right to fight for their families and homes. By the time he finished, he'd convinced even himself that they could really pull this off.
While Merlin dressed Arthur in the morning, he was sorely tempted to reveal his magic to him. But Morgana interrupted the moment with news that the bandits were coming. All three rushed out to take their places. Everyone had different traps to spring. Gwen's group trapped men inside a fence. Morgana was to light a fire that would spread down a small ditch. No fire appeared when her time came, so Merlin took off to help her. He knelt and took the flint to pretend to use it. She glanced away so he whispered, "Bærne," and the fire lit.
He didn't know it, but Morgana had turned back just in time to see his eyes flash gold. She dismissed it as the fire reflecting off his eyes and praised him for his quick work. He warmed at this, but had no time to relish the feeling. The battle had begun.
Will jumped into the fray, surprising Merlin. They fought side by side. At first the villagers appeared to be holding their own with all sorts of makeshift weapons. But soon the tide turned; Merlin and Will stood side-by-side and watched. They concluded that there were just too many bandits, so Merlin stretched out his hand and called a whirlwind into existence. Too late he remembered Morgana's dream—Arthur was behind them and had seen the magic happen. But he was distracted by Kanen.
The Prince and Kanen fought, and eventually Arthur ran him through. Kanen fell and everyone, including Morgana, was relieved. Arthur turned to confront Merlin and Will, and Merlin was about to confess when Kanen aimed a crossbow at Arthur. Too late Morgana recognized the scene from her dream, but her shout came too late—Will had jumped in front of Arthur to save him.
Several men came over to carry Will to his house; his wound was mortal. The others departed, leaving Will with Merlin and Arthur. Will knew he only had a few minutes and confessed to being the sorcerer. Seeing Will's pain, Arthur decided not to condemn him and left Merlin alone with him. They talked for a few minutes before Will died.
At Will's funeral, Arthur gave his condolences then berated Merlin for not telling him about the sorcerer. Merlin was glad he hadn't shared his secret. Arthur left and Hunith walked up. She talked him out of staying with a few wise words, "You have to go, Merlin. You belong at Arthur's side. I've seen how much he needs you. How much you need him. You're like two sides of the same coin."
Several minutes later, Gwen, Morgana, Arthur, and Merlin were mounted and ready to ride for Camelot. They thanked Hunith and returned the villagers' waves and thanks. It was time to go home.
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