Arthur was worried. He was positively uneasy. But it was a grim kind of worry, the kind where, you're so far past freaking out that you can do nothing but let it happen. That's how strained Arthur Pendragon was. He tried to hide it, but Merlyn knew him well. She could see the effect this was taking on him.
Merlyn fluttered around him anxiously as he prepared himself for the midnight vigil in the throne room. He ignored her; a feat which they both believed to be impossible. Merlyn placed his white ceremonial robe onto his shoulders and opened the door for him. Arthur took a deep breath, kissed Merlyn's cheek, went in and knelt in the center of the room.
Gwen skipped into the antechamber just as Merlyn was closing the doors. She smiled at Merlyn and pushed her aside a bit so they could look through the still slightly open doors. Merlyn smiled to herself. Now that Arthur was hers she found it silly to ever even think that Arthur and Gwen would end up together. There was obviously a deep friendship there but nothing else.
"What's he actually doing?" Gwen whispered.
"Thinking." Merlyn rolled her eyes.
"About?"
"How am I supposed to know?"
"He's probably thinking about you." Gwen giggled. Merlyn blushed and punched Gwen in the arm.
"Ow!" they both giggled and then lookedin to see Arthur shooting them a wry smile. "SHhhh." Gwen giggled and closed the door. "Seriously though, Merlyn."
"He has to decide upon a quest." Merlyn said as if she actually knew what she was talking about.
"And crouching on his knees all night is going to help?" Gwen looked skeptical.
"Yes. He has to transcend his body so that the quest is revealed to him in a vision." Merlyn said sagely. Gwen raised her eyebrow and Merlyn snickered. "I don't know! This nonsense was thought up by men, wasn't it?" Gwen laughed at that.
"Are you going to stay here and watch him?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"Gwen, this is one of the most important days in a prince's life." Merlyn smirked.
"Oh, Well have fun." She waved and pranced off.
Melryn did not have fun. She got bored two seconds after Gwen left. She fell asleep two hours later on the ground. Merlyn was used to sleeping on the ground; they only had one bed in Ealdor. But dirt floor was a far cry from sleeping on the cold marble floors in early spring. Arthur wasn't faring much better. He dosed off a couple dozen times. When he wasn't sleeping he was thinking about Merlyn or about what he was going to have for breakfast. He was not having any luck 'transcending his body' or getting a vision.
He snorted at that. If Morgana came forth with her visions she'd be called a witch. Yet if he ever told his father he'd had a vision, he'd be hailed as a miracle. Merlyn sometimes gripped about discrimination of the gender roles, and he had to agree with her on this one. Or maybe this was just discrimination of the social classes? Arthur had no clue but Merlyn would know.
Speaking of Merlyn, he hadn't seen her poke her head in for a few hours. She was probably sprawled out on the floor drooling right now. Oh how he envied her; his bones were starting to ache. With thoughts of Merlyn in his head, Arthur drifted off once more.
It was all just blurry images and random scraps of sound. Merlyn looking at him with something akin to panic. Trees going on for miles. Wastelands. Bogs. Mud. A bridge. A desolate looking castle. Wyverns. Screeching. Merlyn's smiling face. A voice laughing and saying "Anything for Merlyn right?" Merlyn, kneeling at the feet of an ancient skeleton. A golden crown on its head. A golden trident in its hand.
He woke with a start when his father, gently touched his shoulder. Slowly, mindful of his aching body, Arthur stood up. Merlyn was hovering at the edges of the council, a spot of drool on her shoulder. The sight gave him strength and he turned to his father.
"It is time. What is the quest that you have chosen?" Uther demanded as gently as he could.
"I can see but one path, sir. I am to enter the realm of the Fisher King and find the golden trident spoken of in the legends of The Fallen Kings." He saw Merlyn's brow pucker in confusion and a hint of worry cross his father's eyes.
"You do understand that if you are to prove yourself worthy of the throne, you must complete this task alone and unaided."
"I do." Though Arthur knew he wouldn't be alone. Somehow, just like always, Merlyn would find a way to be there.
Merlyn started stuffing her face with bread the second she saw it. She was ravenous. She hadn't eaten the night before and she hadn't thought to bring something to eat while she waited for Arthur's 'vision'. Arthur had looked incredibly relieved when he went back to his chambers for some much needed rest. He also looked like something was on his mind. He didn't even shoot Morgana his usual suspicious glance, or give Merlyn a secret smile.
"You'll get hiccups." Gaius said, not looking up from a book he was reading. Merlyn smiled at him and he sighed.
"Who was the Fisher King?"
"He was a sorcerer who lived many hundreds of years ago."
"And?"
"Legend has it he was wounded in battle. The wound festered and the infection spread, not just through his body, but through his lands as well. His mighty kingdom was reduced to a wasteland, and it has remained that way to this very day."
"I don't understand. Why is Uther so worried?"
"Some believe the Fisher King's still alive, kept from death by his magic." Merlyn's blood turned to ice in her veins. The thought of living forever sounded awful.
"Do you?" If Gaius believed it, then it had to be true.
"Perhaps, perhaps not. But the people of the north call the area The Perilous Lands. Few who have ever ventured there have lived to tell the tale." Now Merlyn was really worried. And immortal sorcerer was living in the Perilous Lands and Arthur was going to go steal his trident? She had to give Arthur points for balls.
Arthur was studying the varying maps of the Fisher Kingdom. None of them matched. Nothing correlated in the slightest. It was as if destiny had decided to give him the worst possible quest imaginable. "Sorry young prince but you get to be vastly unprepared for what's ahead." Bull and shit. His frustration grew as Merlyn kept hiccupping. She hiccupped again and he sighed in exasperation and looked up at her.
"I ate too quickly." She said sheepishly as she made his bed. Hic
"Melryn…"
"I can't help it." She blushed. Ugg! He hated it when she blushed; it just made her look cuter.
"I need to concentrate." He sighed. She nodded her understanding and smoothed out a wrinkle.
hic
"I am trying to prepare for one of the most important moments in my life." Arthur growled. Merlyn came up and looked at the papers.
"None of these maps," she muffled a hiccup as best she could. "None of them are the same."
"Well done," he patronized. "And do you know why?"
"No,"
"Because hardly anyone's ever been there."
"Couldn't you have chosen something a bit easier?"
"I'm meant to be proving my worth to the people. A quick trip to the lower town to collect a bundle of herbs probably won't cut it."
"But the Perilous Lands are…perilous. Maybe I should come with you?"
"What for?"
"To help out." She mumbled to her chest in embarrassment.
"You really don't get it, do you? The task must be completed alone and unaided. That's the way it's been for hundreds of years. It's not about to change for you. Now, if you don't mind, I have some important preparation to do." Merlyn scowled at him, hiccupped as loudly as she could and laughed as he seethed.
Arthur ran into Gwen shortly before he was due to leave. She looked worried for him but at least she seemed to understand it. Unlike Merlyn who was sulking. Arthur figured she'd follow him anyways, though.
"I know you have to go but…" Gwen started.
"I'll be careful."
"For Merlyn. She's worried sick. She won't tell me why though." Arthur suddenly wondered if the reason Merlyn wanted to go was so she could protect him from any magical attacks that may or may not happen. Gwen handed him a silver bracelet with a strange jewel in it. "For good luck." She smiled and scuttled off.
Arthur suddenly wanted to have a moment alone with Merlyn so he could say a proper goodbye. Looking out at the courtyard he saw her preparing the horses. Uther and Morgana were already out there…there would be no sweet goodbyes. Merlyn helped him onto his horse and he nodded at her. She looked like she was a stone's throw away from panicking as her gaze fell on the bracelet.
"Like it? Gwen gave it to me." He smiled. She looked up at him with something akin to panic in her eyes. This was the first part of the vision. "What is it?" he leaned down so she could whisper but his father told him to be on his way. When he got to the gate he turned back to see Merlyn racing towards the tower that held Gaius' workshop, as fast as she possibly could in a dress.
On the way to see Gaius, Merlyn ran into Gwen. Gwen was all smiles and comfort. She looked worried for her prince but she was more worried for her friend. Merlyn asked about the bracelet and Gwen smiled.
"Oh, Morgana gave it to me this morning to give to Arthur. I'm afraid I forgot to mention to him that it was from her." Gwen blushed. Merlyn paled and ran the entire way back home. Gwen watched her go in confusion that was slowly turning to horror. "What have I done?" she whispered to no one in particular.
Merlyn and Gaius immediately started pouring through books, trying to find the bracelet. So far, neither of them had found anything. "You sure it wasn't a jewel?" Gaius asked again.
"No. It was brighter than that." Merlyn sighed and turned another page.
"And you think it was enchanted?"
"There was magic there, I could feel it."
"You sure?" Merlyn shot him an exasperated look and nodded.
"And if it came from Morgana, it can only mean one thing; Arthur's in danger."
Arthur was dead bored. He'd never been out on his own for this long. It left him alone with his thoughts and he preferred not to let that happen. Usually the air was full of Merlyn's drivel but not today. It was dead silent. He sighed and pulled out a map. At least this one would get him to the Perilous Lands. From then on in, he was on his own.
It was already night and they'd practically scoured all of their books and the library's combined. Merlyn was staring at the book in front of her without really seeing anything. Merlyn's sense of dread was increasing every passing hour. Gaius sighed and shoved another book away.
"I'm not sure I know where else to look, Merlyn." Gaius sighed again.
"There has to be something." Merlyn moaned. She refused to give up! She had to save Arthur!
"We've examined every stone imaginable. Unless…"
"Gaius, that's it!" Merlyn cried pointing at a picture of the bracelet Arthur was wearing.
"Then it's not a stone, Merlyn. It's an Eye of the Phoenix."
"Phoenix?"
"Some call it the Firebird. Its eye burns with a fire that consumes the life force of anybody it comes in contact with." Merlyn paled.
"Arthur." She breathed.
"The Eye will draw energy from him. If it's worn for too long… Arthur will die." Merlyn paled more and dashed into her room and began throwing things into her pack.
"I have to go after him, Gaius. He'll die and then Morgana will be heir to the throne!"
"This is not a task to be undertaken lightly, Merlyn. You'll need help." Merlyn smiled; she had just the man in mind.
Arthur was having a bad day. He felt exhausted and drained, even before the bandits attacked. Fortunately he'd been able to win the fight but it left him more worn out. He trudged along towards the Fisher King's castle, wondering what Merlyn was doing at that moment.
Merlyn opened the door to a tavern in Mercia just in time to see Gwaine slide across the bar. She openly laughed at her older brother. "Hello, Gwaine." She snickered. Gwaine's head shot up and a crooked smile enveloped his face.
"Ah! Merlyn! How are you?" Just then someone behind Gwaine demanded he pay him some money. Gwaine grabbed Merlyn's hand and they took off through the small town, laughing. "Just like old times, eh!" Gwaine laughed as they were pursued. Gwaine managed to run into someone and stopped for a moment to apologize.
"Gwaine, run!" Merlyn snapped. As much as she loved her brother, and loved that he cared enough to apologize, now was not the time.
"Remind me again what you're doing here?" He said as they ducked behind a stall.
"Arthur's in trouble, again, I need your help."
"What kind of trouble?" Gwaine asks, but they've been spotted. He grabs Melin's hand and they race toward the castle steps.
"He's gone to the Perilous Lands." Merlyn pants as they stop by the side walls.
"What, you serious?" Gwaine asks, aghast.
"Yeah," she gasps. The men from the bar aren't far behind.
"Just now, sounds pretty attractive. All right." He grabs her hand again and they climb onto the castle ramparts. "All right, go for the horses."
"You have got to be joking!" Merlyn shrieks. Gwaine shruged and tossed her over the edge and into a pile of hay. "YOU ASS HOLE!" she shrieked on the way down. Gwaine laughed and jumped after her. When he comes up he sees Merlyn glaring daggers at him and continues to do so as they make their getaway.
Arthur arrived at the bridge from his vision. What the vision didn't reveal is that there would be a tiny man guarding it. Arthur and the short man stared each other down for a few moments. The short man was wearing a skin cap and roughly made clothes. The bridge behind him was rope and wood but it looked sturdy enough.
"Who is it that wishes to cross my bridge?" The little man asked.
"A knight on a quest to find the trident of the Fisher King." Arthur puffed out his chest. Then he deflated it when he thought of how Merlyn would have reacted to that. She would have laughed and told him to stop being a pompous ass.
"Then you must be Courage." The man smiled. Arthur frowned in confusion.
"No, I'm Prince Arthur of Camelot." He said, confused as to who would name their child Courage. The little man stepped forward and they shook hands.
"I'm Grettir. I have to say, Your're not as short as I thought you'd be. Before I let you pass, I'll give you a little advice, as Courage, there are two more things you'll need to complete your quest; Strength and Magic."
"I don't condone the use of magic." Merlyn would have seethed at that.
"You'd be wise not to dismiss it so freely. The rules in the land that you are heading to are quite different to those in the world that you know."
"Thank you for your help." Grettir stepped aside and Arthur tried to pass but was stopped when Grettir grabbed his arm.
"That's a very beautiful bracelet."
"It was a gift from a friend. She hoped it would bring me good fortune."
"Did she now?" Grettir let go and started cackling. "How very thoughtful of her. I wonder what Magic will think of her gift." Arthur turned to look at him in confusion but the little man was gone. Arthur shivered. He thought of how jealous Merlyn used to be of his attentions to Gwen. Was Merlyn the Magic that he spoke of? Arthur knew that Merlyn had magic and he knew that she was going to show up sooner or later. It made sense. He shrugged, drew his sword and walked on.
"Why were those men so angry?" Merlyn asked as they rode through the forest of Ander.
"It's always the way in gambling. You make a man a fool, he calls you a thief."
"I'll keep that it mind." Merlyn said shaking her head.
"How'd you find me?" Gwaine asked as he ducked under a low hanging tree branch.
"It wasn't easy. I've been in almost every tavern in Angard."
"So have I" Merlyn and Gwaine shared a look and both started cackling identically. Eventually they reached the border to the Perilous Lands.
"This is it. ON the other side of the forest lies the Perilous Lands." Gwaine informed her.
"Doesn't look too friendly." Gwaine turned to see Merlyn studying it with a critical eye. She didn't look nearly scared enough, in his opinon.
"That's because it's not. Believe me, it's wretched."
"How do you know, you've never been there." She raised an eyebrow.
"I've travelled to many places, Merlyn." She smirked.
"Not the Perilous Lands, I know that."
"Why?" Gwaine was curious as to her reasoning.
"There aren't any taverns." She said smugly. Gwaine busted up laughing.
"I told you it was wretched." He said, wiping tears from his eyes.
Arthur cursed himself. He really had a knack for getting into bad situations. He wasn't entirely sure how he ended up in the mud pit and he wasn't sure how he was going to get out. He was starting to panic and he sank lower and lower in the mud. He was going to die. He was never going to see Merlyn again. The mud covered his head. Welp, this is it. He thought.
Merlyn and Gwaine arrived at Grettir's bridge and dismounted from their horses. Gwaine motioned for Merlyn to stay put while he would scout the bridge. Merlyn nodded and he walked away. She rolled her eyes and headed straight to the bridge the minute his back was out of sight.
"Ah, Magic has arrived." The little man proclaimed.
"What?" Merlyn startled and stepped back in shock. She hadn't even noticed him there at all.
"There is nothing to be afraid of. Your presence is essential if Arthur is to succeed on his quest."
"How do you know about Arthur? Who are you?"
"I am the Keeper of the Bridge. I only wish to see the Fisher King's lands restored and prosperity reign again. Until your mission is complete, this cannot happen."
"It's not my mission, it's Arthur's"
"That is what you choose to believe. It's no accident that Arthur chose this path or you chose to follow him." Merlyn eyed the man as Gwaine walked up. "Ah, Finally! Strength has arrived, the trio is complete."
Gwaine, who had not noticed Grettir either, pulled his sword and pointed it at the dwarf. "Who's he?" Grettir looked at the sword and suddenly a large flower was in its place. Merlyn started cackling at Gwaine's luck.
"I mean no harm to either of you. And I'd thank you to mean no harm in return."
"Where's my sword?" Gwaine looked positively heartsick. Merlyn snickered behind her hand.
"It will return to you once you reach the other side." Gwaine frowned and stormed across the bridge. Merlyn smiled at her brother's antics. "The Fisher King has waited many years for this day. Do not deny him what he wishes." Grettir warned her. She nodded and approached the bridge. "Remember, nothing is as it seems."
Arthur was slowly suffocating. Death was coming for him and he could do nothing about it. Then he remembered his vision. There was more that hadn't happened yet! He struggled out of the mud pit. His head breached the mud and he gasped in a large breath. He managed to pull himself to stable ground where he collapsed in exhaustion.
Merlyn and Gwaine were sitting around their campfire swapping tales. Merlyn was omitting any mentions of magic from hers though. She felt bad about hiding her magic from her brother. When she was a child she did it because she was unsure how he'd react about it. Now she knew he wouldn't mind. He'd be hurt that she never told him but he'd be accepting. But he was also a loudmouthed drunk.
That was how Cenred and Morgause had realized he was Merlyn's brother. Gwaine had gotten drunk and told one too many people that his little sister was Prince Arthur's handmaiden. He was bragging to the entire world about his little sister. He was proud of her and how she managed to save Arthur's ass all the time. If he knew she did it with magic…well then anyone would know and she'd have to run.
Just then there was a distant squeal and then a roar. Gwaine looked up and Merlyn spun around to look for it. "What was that?" she asked in horror.
"Pheasant." Gwaine said, poking the fire with a stick.
"Pheasant?" she asked skeptically.
"Very big one." He said, picking up his sword.
"You can turn back if you want." She smiled.
"Heh, I'm not scared of pheasants."
"I don't know. Why do you want to do this?"
"Same reason as you: help a friend."
"Arthur's lucky to have us." She smiled.
"Not Arthur."
"I'd do the same for you." Merlyn said smiling.
"Well, I'd hope so. You're the only friend I've got."
"I'm not surprised." She smirked and Gwaine laughed. "It's kinda sad that your sister is your only friend." They laughed. There were several more noises in the distance. "It sounds like three pheasants."
"At least." Gwaine agreed.
Arthur had finally made it to the blasted castle. He looked up and saw some wyverns in the sky. "Motherf-" he growled and tried to sneak by them, knowing it would be hopeless. Merlyn and Gwaine looked and saw the tower in the distance.
"There it is." Merlyn sighed in relief.
"What's that in the sky? They're not birds." Gwaine said in wonder.
"I've never seen creatures like that." Merlyn agreed.
"It's like they're hunting something." He said. They both saw the flash of sunlight reflected off a sword.
"Arthur." Merlyn breathed and took off towards the fortress. Arthur was fighting of the winged beast the best that he could. He entered the castle and lowered the portcullis to keep them at bay a little while longer. Gwaine followed his sister more slowly and shook his head. Merlyn was never one to be predictable. They paused when they saw the wyverns circling the fort.
"I should've known." Gwaine frowned.
"What are they?" Merlyn asked, frowning identically.
"Wyverns. Disstant cousins of the dragon. They're creatures of magic, so be careful." He looked at her and she looked thoughtful and not nearly scared enough, again. Gwaine frowned, no, she would never be predictable. Gwaine hefted up the portcullis while Merlyn rolled under. "Do you think you can lift this?" he grunted as she got to the other side.
Merlyn shot him a filthy glare that she probably learned from Arthur and took the weight from him. He swallowed and rolled under. "Quick, quick, quick!" she groaned and dropped it the second he was on the other side. "Let's split up."
Arthur fled from the wyverns and farther into the citadel. He moved through the halls and barricaded himself in and promptly passed out. They Eye of the Pheonix started glowing and the Wyverns managed to get through the door. Merlyn walked in right at that moment. She jumped in front of her prince and roared at the wyverns in the tongue of the dragons. The creatures bowed submissively and left. Merlyn sighed in relief and pulled the bracelet from Arthur's wrist.
The first thing Arthur saw when he woke up was Merlyn's smiling face. He was happy to see her for all of five seconds. Then he realized that the quest was supposed to be done alone. "What the hell are you doing here?" he squawked, ignoring when his voice broke.
"Why can you never just say thanks?" Merlyn sighed.
"Thanks?! What, for completely ruining the quest?" never mind that he knew she would come anyways.
"Well, it's a good job I was here, otherwise you'd be wyvern fodder by now." She snapped.
"How many times do I have to get it into your thick skull? I am supposed to be doing this alone!" A wyvern screeched behind them and Arthur instantly felt the need to protect Merlyn. It screamed again and fell to the ground, revealing Gwaine who had stabbed it in the back.
"Great. This just gets better and better. Are Gwen and Morgana here too? Are we going to have a surprise party?" he snapped. Merlyn threw him a disgusted glare and stood, brushing her skirts. Arthur suddenly remembered the situation with Morgana and sighed internally.
"There're more wyverns on their way. We need to get out of here." Gwaine said, looking back and forth between his sister and her prince.
"I'm not leaving without the trident. It was the whole point of this damn quest." Arthur growled and stormed out of the room. Merlyn smirked at her brother.
"Do you want us to help you? Or do you want to do this alone?" she called.
"Merlyn!" Arthur yelled. She smirked at Gwaine and followed after Arthur. Gwaine rolled his eyes and followed her.
"Do you know where the trident is?" she asked.
"If I did, there wouldn't be a problem, would there?" he snipped.
"Any clues you can give us?"
"This is a quest, Merlyn, not a treasure hunt." He growled.
"Well, it is sort of a—"
"MERLYN." He turned to see her shooting him a dirty look and Gwaine frowning at him. Merlyn let the boys pass her as she looked through a side door.
"Look at this." She called. "It looks like a throne room." Gwaine and Arthur came back and looked through.
"If the trident's going to be anywhere…"Arthur trailed off.
"I'd figure it'd be in the vaults." Merlyn chirped and stepped into the room. Arthur glared at her back. The stone beneath her feet depressed and released a trap door. They all looked up in horror and Gwaine shoved her forward to avoid being smashed by the door.
"Merlyn?!" Gwaine called as the door slid into place. Arthur and Gwaine pressed their ears against the door.
"Gwaine?! Arthur?!" Merlyn cried and pressed her ear against the door.
"There's got to be a way to open this." Gwaine growled, searching the edges of the door. Merlyn turned and started to look around the throne room. She reached the throne and gasped. The Fisher King was sitting there, looking ancient and decrepit but very much alive.
"So, Emrys, you are here at last." He rasped out. She stepped all the way around the throne and looked at him. He was covered in dust and cobwebs. She bowed her head in honor.
"So, you are still alive."
"For now." He croaked.
"Now, I'm sure if we just reach in here..." Arthur growled as he pulled out a brick on the side of the door. Bugs came streaming out."…we'll be able to find something to release the door."
"Go on, then." Gwaine smirked and slapped Arthur on the back. "Don't be such a princess. It is your quest, after all." Arthur scowled at him.
"She's your sister." He spat back.
"She's your lover." Gwaine countered. Arthur sputtered and looked at him in horror in shock. "Oh, not yet? But you do love her, don't you? Just like I said when I first came to Camelot. She loves you too, don't worry. I don't know why though; you're a complete ass towards her…" Arthur scowled again and pulled his glove tighter before reaching into the hole.
"Anything for Merlyn." He shuddered.
Merlyn tuned towards the door as the sound of crumbling stone reached them.
"That'd be—"
"Your family, Courage and Strength, I know. Without their help, you would not be here." She smiled at him.
"What is it you want?" The Fisher King let out a long sigh.
"I want an end to my suffering."
"You want to die."
"I have been waiting all these years for the arrival of a new time: the time of the Once and Future King."
"I've heard these words before."
"And you will hear them again. For that time is dawning, and my time finally can come to an end. This is why you were brought here. For this is not Arthur's quest, it is yours. Arthur thinks the prize is the trident." He let the trident fall to the floor. "But the real prize is something far greater." Merlyn noticed a glass vial in his hand.
"Water from the Lake of Avalon. I've kept it safe all these years, waiting for the right person to claim it. And that is you. You are the one chosen."
"What are you talking about? If I wanted water from the Lake of Avalon I could just go there; it's not far from Camelot." She said pointing needlessly.
"Albion's time of need is near. And in that dark hour you must be strong, for you alone can save her. Your powers are great, but you will need help. And that is whaat I'm giving you." Merlyn frowned and took the vial. "When all seems lost, this will show you the way."
"Thank you."
"I have given you a gift. Now you must give me one in return." Merlyn arched her eyebrow at his gall.
"I have nothing to give."
"I think you do." He groaned. Merlyn thought it over and pulled out the bracelet.
"If I give you this, you will die." He held out his arm and nodded. Merlyn dropped to one knee and placed the bracelet on his wrist. The Eye glowed and he crumbled to a skeleton.
"Thank you." The words were whispered in the wind. Merlyn shivered. The stone door opened partially and Merlyn looked up to see Arthur roll under it. He smiled at her and she sighed and stood.
"Merlyn!" Arthur approached her and slapped her on the arm while looking around. Gwaine sighed and pulled her into a hug. She sniffed into his shoulder, not wanting to cry. "Ha! Look what I found!" Arthur cried picking up the trident. "No let's get out of this place."
He started forward but stopped when he saw the Fisher King's skeleton…wearing his bracelet. He pointed to it and looked at Merlyn. She sniffed and tucked herself into Gwaine's embrace. Suddenly Arthur wanted to be the one that she went to. He found himself noticing how every time they ran into Gwaine, she went to his arms.
He frowned at them. Gwaine was smoothing her hair and whispering soothing words for her comfort. She just sniffled and looked away. Arthur realized that he'd been incredibly ungrateful to her. He knew she would come and help and he still yelled at her. He called her stupid and so much worse. No wonder she'd rather have Gwaine comfort her.
Gwaine said goodbye to them by the border. Arthur knew he should let them alone but he didn't feel like it. "Where will you go this time?" Merlyn asked. Gwaine licked his finger and stuck it in the air. Merlyn giggled.
"I think I'll ride south."
"You can't keep living like that." She scolded.
"Yeah, but it's fun trying."
"Thanks Gwaine." She sighed. He hummed and nodded at her.
"I'll remember this, Gwaine." Arthur put in. Gwaine snorted and rolled his eyes.
"You should go and visit mother. She misses you." Merlyn said suddenly. Gwaine looked stricken.
"I don't think I'm ready for that, Merly. We didn't leave on the best of terms."
"Your fault." Merlyn snipped. Gwaine smiled and rode off. Arthur looked at Merlyn in wonder.
"Let's rest here." He said, dismounting and sitting in the field. Merlyn looked confused but she sat next to him. He smiled at her and entwined their hands. She raised an eyebrow at him and said nothing. "I'm sorry I yelled at you back there." She looked at him in surprise.
"Why did you? I mean I'm used to it but still…" It made Arthur sad that she expected him to yell at her and call her an idiot.
"Because…we still haven't talked about your magic, Merlin."
"What does that have to do with—"
"Please let me finish. We haven't talked about it so I don't know what victories are mine and what victories are really yours. I knew you'd follow me on this quest. But I just wanted to prove that I could do something by myself. Prove that I had the strength. But I'm not Strength am I? I'm just Courage." He sighed.
"If it's any consolation, you probably would have been able to do this one on your own…"
"But?"
"That bracelet Gwen gave you? It was really from Morgana." Arthur paled. "It's called The Eye of the Phoenix. It was sapping your strength and making you incredibly weak. Eventually it would have killed you."
"Oh…And you just decided to put it on a skeleton?"
"No, the Fisher King was still alive when I got stuck in the throne room." Arthur balked at her casual mention of this.
"You killed him?"
"He asked me too!" she defended herself.
"You're no killer!"
"I've killed many men for you, Arthur Pendragon. You would do well to remember that." She said darkly and pulled her hand away.
"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I'm sorry that you've had to kill for me. I'm sorry that you have to hide who you are from almost everyone."
"The only person I can be myself around is Gaius." Merlin sighed.
"Hey—"
"Arthur," she scowled at the trees. "Just because you know doesn't mean you're accepting. You accept that I have magic and that I've never tried to hurt you with it. But you don't accept magic in general. You push it away. You want nothing to do with it. Which makes me wonder how much you really care for me." She looked at her lap.
"Hey, don't say that."Arthur leaned in front of her. "Please. I know that I'm wary of it still…I've just…never seen any good come of magic." He sighed. She glanced at him. "Show me?" he pleaded and was rewarded with her shocked look. "Please?"
She nodded and he leaned back and watched her. He slowly grew frustrated when she didn't do anything. "I'm thinking!" she said as he started fidgeting.
"You have to think of good magic?" he scowled.
"No! I just have to think of something to do. Most of the spells I know are either healing magic or ways to kill people." Arthur's face darkened. "Taking care of you is a full time occupation." She scowled back and shifted onto her stomach. "I also know how to make stone animals and pictures come alive." She mused. Arthur stared in disbelief.
"Valiant." She said simply. He swallowed and nodded. "Hmm…The only other time I tried to show someone my magic I messed up."
"Who?" he asked, wondering who it was that she felt comfortable enough to be herself around.
"Frey." She whispered reverently. Arthur swallowed thickly. "I tried to make him a strawberry but it turned into a rose." She blushed. She hoped Arthur wouldn't ask for a rose or a strawberry; those were hers and Frey's. No one else's. "Well I also moved some candle flames for him…but there's no fire here and I don't want to light one."
"That's okay." Arthur whispered.
"Oh!" She threw her hands out in a 'Stop' motion. "I've got one. Do you remember that time when Princess Vivian came?" Arthur's scowl said that he did. "And that jester made butterflies?" he nodded. She whispered into her hands and her eyes glowed. Beautiful blue butterflies flew out of her sleeves. Arthur laughed in wonder.
They lay on their backs watching the butterflies flit about for ages. "Thank you." Arthur whispered eventually. Merlin hummed and entwined their fingers. Arthur propped himself up and looked at her skeptically. She looked up curiously.
"They enchanted me to love Vivian." Arthur said. Merlin nodded. "How did you break that spell?" Merlin blushed.
"Well…um, the only way to break it is 'true love's kiss'." She blushed.
"Like in fairytales." She nodded. "So..who kissed who?"
"Um….I….kissed you." She blushed some more and looked away. Arthur smirked.
"And how come I don't remember this?"
"I erased your memory." Arthur scowled. "Come on, Arthur, neither of us had feelings for the other at that point. I was just a last resort. The kiss from Gwen failed and I didn't know what else to do." She propped herself up, as well. "You were in love with Gwen at the time. I think the knowledge that I was your true love would have been hard to handle."
Arthur nodded and then smiled mischievously. She narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion. He leaned forward and kissed her roughly. She gasped and he deepened the kiss until she was lying on the ground and they were kissing passionately. "It's not hard to believe now." He gasped, when he pulled away. Merlin smiled goofily and pulled him in for another kiss.
"We need to go now." She said eventually. He sighed and helped her onto her horse.
"Remember, Merlin, you didn't accompany me on this quest. I met you picking herbs or something on the way back."
"Yes, of course sire. I'd do anything you say. For a price." She smirked. He looked at her in horror.
"What price?" she thought it over.
"Talk to Morgana?" he scowled. "Arthur, she wants to overthrow you because she thinks you won't accept her."
"She's right."
"Arthur! Just try to see things from her point of view. Please talk to her."
"I'll think about it."'
Arthur presented his father with the trident that night at court. "Arthur, I don't know what pleases me more, to be in possession of such a precious artifact, or to know that you have finally proved yourself to be the man I always hoped you would be." Uther simpered.
"Thank you, Father." Arthur smiled. Merlin rolled her eyes.
"I have no doubt that you will one day make a fine king." The court applauded and Merlin winked at Arthur, who blushed.
Arthur joined Merlin as she showed Gaius the gift from the Fisher King. Gaius held it to the light and swirled it around to study it. "It's from the Lake of Avalon?" he asked in wonder. Merlin rolled her eyes to Arthur who smirked.
"That's what he told me."
"Interesting."
"You think?"
"Well, it must have some significance."
"Must be. Do you believe his warnings?"
"Well, we already know of one enemy within our walls." Arthur frowned.
"Morgana." He spat.
"He abilities are growing. Whether the Fisher King is right or wrong, we'd be foolish to ignore his words." Gaius cautioned. "Oh, and Guinevere now knows of Morgana's magic."