Wanted longer chapter huh? Here you are then! Longer! I own no one here...

Enjoy!

Arthur had gotten very little sleep that night. His mind was still swimming with the words the old woman had told him, no matter how many times he tossed them aside. And whenever the words came to his mind again, so did an image of Merlin. Arthur was awake by the time Merlin arrived with his breakfast. The servant paused seeing the frown on Arthur's face. He wasn't late again was he?

Arthur looked up to see a slightly nervous Merlin. His frown disappeared as he walked over to the table. "Careful, people might think you are a sorcerer who kidnapped my servant and took on his image to kill me if you keep being on time." He said in a teasing tone. He sat down as Merlin set the food before him now more relaxed.

"I'll try to be late next time then." Merlin said flashing a smile before going over to the closest to pull out Arthur's clothes for the day.

As Merlin went right to work Arthur watched him carefully. His brow furrowed lightly as Merlin went threw more clothes than was normal. He noticed that he was having a bit of a struggle matching them accordingly. Merlin had never failed to find decent clothes for the day, ever. Yet when he pulled out a green shirt for red pants it seemed to hint that the boy had no idea what went with what.

Merlin seemed to catch this as he quickly returned the red pants for a pair of dark brown ones that matched the shirt well enough. It had Arthur frowning again. The normal triumphant look on Merlin's face did not look as merry as it normally did. He took the last sip from his goblet and set it down with a loud enough clank to get Merlin's attention.

Merlin was over there shortly in order to whisk the tray away to the kitchens. "Merlin…" Arthur said off handedly. "Nothing is bothering you is it? I just don't want anything interfering with your duties as my servant is all."

Merlin blinked looking at Arthur before forcing his face into as effortless a goofy grin as possible. "Why would I have anything to worry about?" He asked trying to sound completely clueless. "Besides, I have a Dragon Slayer for a Master, I have nothing to fear… besides him cutting off my head if he ever felt so inclined to do so."

Arthur was satisfied with that, after all Merlin was the only one he knew who could make a complement sound like an insult in regards to him, and in turn make it into a joke. "Fine then." Arthur said waving the topic off. "Muck out the stables this morning, one of the stable boys forgot to do that yesterday. Then bring my lunch here."

Merlin nodded as he left the room with the tray to get to work on the new set of orders. Arthur watched him leave briefly before going to get dressed. 'Suffering in silence…' The words came unbidden to Arthur's head as he frowned in thought. What could Merlin be hiding that he did not want to share with Arthur? The Prince shook his head again; it had to be just some nonsense from an old woman. He smiled slightly, Merlin had somehow remembered that Arthur was going out for a ride later that day and picked adequate riding garments.

That afternoon Arthur was at the front of the small riding party with Merlin close behind him, a few of the newest knights following behind them. They were just making a few rounds about the countryside just to see if any riders were deciding to attack.

At about mid-afternoon Arthur called for a break of which the knights greatly enjoyed the thought of. Arthur walked off into the forest Merlin at his heels in search of some wood to bring back for a small fire. "Merlin look over in that direction, and no twigs this time." He said evenly pointing to his left. Really what would they do with twigs?

Merlin nodded before lumbering off to gather the requested wood. Arthur went to the right and soon came to a cave. The air felt a bit warmer at the entrance than the rest of the air. That caught his attention. He drew his sword and slowly made his way into it.

He rested a hand on the wall, as it was quite dark inside, he just hoped it was some natural happening and not something more magical. He stopped dead in his tracks as he entered the main chamber. Before him was the Great Dragon, who should have been dead.

The dragon turned to face Arthur yet made no move to attack. "Ah, the Young Pendragon." He said turning into a more comfortable position. "Don't worry, I shall not harm you. I do after all value my life and don't wish to be on the receiving end of your Warlock's wrath."

"My Warlock?" Arthur said in disbelief. "I don't have a Warlock!" Maybe this dragon was senile. He had heard it was quite common with older beings. "Magic is banned in Camelot! And what are you doing alive? I killed you!"

The dragon chuckled at that. "You? Kill me?" He said before chuckling again. "Only a Dragonlord can do that." He smiled as he regained control of himself. "And you do have a Warlock. He practices his magic in secret, all the while saving your life and loosing bits of himself."

Arthur now looked completely confused. Why would a magical being do that for him? Knowing fully well that he was the son of a King who would hunt them down and kill him just because he did magic? "Does he have a death wish?" Arthur asked still tense about the being before him.

Dragon looked thoughtful for a bit. "That one is debatable." He said finally. "Some say he hunts his own death, and some say he is loyal to a fault. Yet in truth he just believes very much in the Kingdom you will create."

Arthur now looked even more confused. "What is a Warlock anyway?" He asked, he had guessed it was a magical being of some sort.

The Dragon smiled more. "He is a True Warlock really…" He said before explaining things. "A Warlock is a man who can perform magic from a very young age, often times as young as two years of age. You have met a Warlock, Mordred." He waited briefly for that to sink in before continuing. "A True Warlock is a man able to magic from their birth, they do not choose magic, magic chooses them."

Arthur's mouth hung open at that. People were born able to do magic? People who could not help what they were just as much as he could not help being a Prince? The Dragon only smiled again as it sank into Arthur's brain.

"This True Warlock, that is yours, is the other side of your coin." He said firmly. "One of you cannot live without the other, simply because you balance the other one out. Yet, your father's hate of magic has caused him to hide his deeds in your service. He takes on a mighty burden with no one to help him, and so he suffers in silence. More so after he killed Nimueh, the High Priestess of the Old Religion. The gods of that realm are not pleased with such an action and so have taken away his love and his father, after him only just meet them for such a brief amount of time."

Arthur sank to the ground now. How could anyone sacrifice so much just for him? He looked at the dragon again, a calm look about the beast.

"Notice him soon Arthur." The Dragon said sounding most grave. "The pressure is becoming too much for him, and soon he will break under it. If he does, his magic will consume him, and you will loose Emrys, forever." It was with that, that the dragon stood up and began to fly threw the hole in the ceiling.

Arthur's head was spinning. He had a magical protector, one who let him take all the credit, him or someone else. He demanded no reward, he just did it, and all because he believed Arthur would be a great King.

"Arthur?" Arthur snapped out of his trance when he heard Merlin's voice. He would have to find this Emrys, and soon, he could not loose an ally like that. He stood and walked towards the cave opening and toward Merlin who was looking about the forest concerned, almost as if panicked for having let him out of his sight. Merlin then spotted him and half ran over. "Arthur?" He asked the concern laced in his voice.

"I'm fine Merlin." Arthur responded. "Just got a little turned around in there is all." He looked back to the cave. "Merlin… Do you know anyone named Emrys?"

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