Hi everyone! So Sorry for the delay. I've got no one but myself to blame, since the beta'd version of this chapter has been in my mailbox for weeks. With my last exam and my sister's wedding things were a bit hectic these last few weeks, and then I promised to take care of the house and dog while they were on their honeymoon, only to find out their internet connection was down, hence the other week. Then I got sick -I know, it's summer, but it won't stop raining on this side of Europe- and that adds up to yet another week. But I'm back now, and I'll try to make up for my absence by updating the next chapter a little earlier. ;)
For now, enjoy!
Chapter three
Merlin awoke the next morning with a firm frown not many people had seen before on his usually smiling face. Just like Morgana, he didn't understand how this could have happened. According to him, they hadn't done anything wrong that could have turned that sweet girl he knew as his daughter, into the evil sorcerers they were now facing. All they did was stop a malicious tyrant and…well find out they were royalty to be honest. But still, that hadn't changed her, had it?
The Elena Merlin had known, the Elena he had loved wouldn't change all because of the addicting pull of power. Instead, she would use her powers for good, like she had used her magic. She had come back from the future, risked her life and that of her family to save Albion for crying out loud. That didn't sound like a selfish and power-obsessed person, did it?
Merlin was still in thought as he went to the kitchen to fetch Arthur's breakfast. He surprised the other servants and Evelyn, the old head of the kitchen staff, with his silence and the absent goofy grin. He made sure to get some extra breakfast for Alexander before he finally made his way upstairs to Arthur's chambers.
He was just about to knock, when the door suddenly opened and someone almost knocked the tray straight out of his hands. He was about to say something until he saw it was one of the young pages some nobles liked to order around. The boy quickly apologized before rushing off. Merlin turned back towards the half open door before it opened again, and he quickly took a step back this time, before he saw it was the royal prat himself.
"Merlin," the prince said in surprise as he took a step back inside his room, "Since when do you knock?"
Arthur was clearly amused and did not immediately pick up on his servant's foul mood.
"Since I don't want to barge in here and let the whole castle take a look at Alexander, who is supposed to be dead by the way," Merlin snapped as he went in and put the tray on the table.
"What's with you today," Arthur asked as he slowly made his way towards the table.
"Oh nothing really, just my evil future daughter marching for Camelot," Merlin replied as he started to set the table for two, since Alexander had stepped out from behind the dressing screen as he had recognized Merlin's voice.
Arthur's eyebrows rose as he took in his servant's glum mood. Sarcasm…Merlin…Really? Alexander's face fell as he eyed his once to be father-in-law.
"We will fix this Merlin," he tried, but Merlin didn't want any of it.
"Really, and how are we going to do that? We don't even know what changed her in the first place."
"We'll figure something out Merlin," Arthur said between two mouth fulls as he quickly wolfed down his breakfast, "Now, I have to go and see my father. I had an audience with him last night but I kind of forgot with all of…this," he said, gesturing towards Merlin and Alexander.
"So that was why Derek was here when I arrived," Merlin said, referring to the messenger that had almost knocked him over.
Arthur nodded, "Yes. My father was not pleased. He wants to see me and discuss our current situation," he said with a tired expression on his face as he got up again and made his way to the door.
"What," Merlin asked as he put the remnants of Arthur's part of the breakfast back on the tray, "Are you going to tell him?"
"That Merlin the manservant and Morgana's evil sorceress daughter is marching for Camelot of course," Arthur replied sarcastically, but when the expected bickering response stayed behind, he turned around and his face softened.
"I don't know Merlin. I'll think of something," he was already half way to the door before he thought of something, smiled and turned back around.
"Can't be worse than the time you had to cover for me though. Forgot to check with the guards for my orders, for God's sake," Arthur snorted.
"Well at least I didn't fall madly in love and run off with a sidhe," Merlin shot back, a shadow of his cheeky grin finally making its way to his face.
"I was enchanted," Arthur snapped back, but he couldn't help but smile a little as he had gotten the response he had wanted. People might not know it, but Arthur Pendragon was a softie alright.
"Alexander," he started as he turned towards his son, still eating his breakfast, "I don't know how long this audience with my father is going to take, so…"
"It's okay, I'll head back for the caves after breakfast and do some more research."
"Research?" Merlin questioned him.
"Yeah…" Alexander answered, suddenly uncomfortable, "I brought some history books back from the future, to try and find out what changed."
Merlin nodded as that made sense and then warned the future prince, "Just keep them away from us. I don't want to know any more of your future than is absolutely necessary."
Alexander nodded. He was thinking the same.
"Yeah yeah," Arthur suddenly interrupted, "But the research will have to wait. Merlin was right when he said someone might recognize you. You are a fugitive believed to be dead after all (*). We can't risk you getting caught again."
"Oh, that's okay," Alexander said as he stood and walked to the candleholder on the wall next to Arthur's night table. With one swift movement he pulled the candlestick forward and turned it a 180°. Suddenly the movement of decades' old bricks could be heard, and a few moments later they were staring at a small opening in the castle walls.
"I'll just go through here," he smirked as he saw the two men's dumbfounded faces.
Arthur recovered first as he took a step towards the now uncovered secret passageway in his room. "What…" he eventually decided to ask, "How?"
"Our ancestors probably thought they might come in handy during an attack or a siege," Alexander answered, grinning, "There are passageways like this throughout the castle, none of them written down on any map, but I think we got them all in the future."
Arthur looked shocked as he asked, "How come I didn't know of this?"
Alexander shrugged, "I don't know. I guess they were out of use because of years and years of peace until people eventually forgot about them."
"How did you know then? Did I," Arthur asked as he turned back to his son, "Find them in the future?"
The latter smiled, "Not exactly."
At the sight of the two questioning faces in front of him, Alexander grinned as he started to explain, "It is true this tunnel, in the prince's chambers was the first to be discovered, but you are not the prince in my time anymore, are you?"
"You discovered these hallways," Arthur asked surprised.
Alexander grinned again, "Balinor and I actually. I don't think anyone has known so much about this castle than the two of us since it was built."
"Balinor…" Arthur's voice trailed off questioningly as he turned towards his manservant behind him.
"Yes. Merlin and Morgana's son," Alexander confirmed with a frown, not understanding his father's stretch on the name.
"So that means that Elena knows about these secret tunnels as well?"
Alexander sighed as he nodded, "Yes. That's why I have stayed so close to Camelot since I know she is back."
"You've been patrolling the tunnels," Merlin asked.
Alexander nodded until his father interrupted him, "Than why didn't you use one of these to come to me in the first place?"
"By suddenly appearing out of the walls? Like I didn't scare you enough already by showing up behind you."
"I wasn't…" Arthur started to object but no one was listening to him anymore.
"I'll take care of it," Merlin interrupted the crown prince.
"Take care of what," Arthur asked as he realized he was protesting to deaf ears.
"The protection of these corridors," Merlin answered as if it was obvious.
"Seriously Merlin, you," Arthur started again, but he quickly stopped laughing as he saw his servant put his hand against the secret brick door and mutter a few words he now recognised as the Old Language. Merlin's eyes flashed gold for a minute before he pulled his hand back and smiled at the two royals.
"There. That should do the trick."
"What did you do?" Arthur asked as he eyed the wall curiously.
"Remember the spell Bayren put on those tunnels underneath his castle," Merlin asked. His two companions nodded and he continued, "That."
"But you cannot possibly protect all these corridors like that. I mean, and even if you could, Morgana and Elena broke through them last time so I don't see…" Arthur started to object again, but Merlin cut him off, smiling while shaking his head.
"Yeah, that was where we were wrong the last time. Well I was, actually. The spell isn't supposed to keep people out, it's supposed to warn us when people are coming in."
"Clever," Alexander said as he nodded.
"Thanks," Merlin grinned as he turned back to Arthur, "And about protecting all the corridors. Bayren wasn't me, huh," He said a little cocky. Hell, he had lived in the shadows for two years, he was entitled.
"You know, sometimes I still forget who you really are," Arthur said as he stared at his best friend, the warlock.
"I'll take that as a compliment," Merlin said grinning. Arthur nodded absentmindedly.
"So…Where do these tunnels lead to," he asked as he started to inspect to candlelight still turned upside down.
"Various places," Alexander answered his father, "Most to the forest surrounding the castle, some to the council chambers, others to the weaponry."
"And this one," Arthur asked as he peeked back into the tunnel in his room.
"It's a splitting hallway," Alexander explained as he passed his father and stepped inside, "Come on, I'll show you."
Arthur eyed the tunnel critically for a minute before Merlin passed him and followed Alexander inside, "C'mon Arthur. It looks perfectly safe."
"And since when would you know something about being safe Merlin," The prince asked his manservant sarcastically before stepping after him anyway.
"You raise a good point," was the last thing that could be heard as the bricks shifted again and the door closed behind them.
As the day went on, none of them remembered the meeting with Arthur's father, nor did they notice the servants roaming the castle in search of the Prince or the small pile of messages that the messengers had left in the Prince's quarters.
*'Nor had they mentioned Elena was Merlin and Morgana's future daughter, nor Alexander Arthur and Guinevere's future son. They might have dropped however that these last two died during the battle in Avian. '
-Sent by a King, Epilogue
