new chapter! what! wheeeeeeeeeeee. sorry about the delay, life as it does decided to crash the internet. but the exciting news is this chapter WILL be followed by the next tomorrow or saturday at the latest.

this chapter is a bridging chapter, next chapter something exciting happens, but to get to that you will hav to read this one :D

i don't own merlin, but i intend on befriending someone who does lol

hope you like the chapter, read on good people...

a council of kings

Arthur was nervous. It had been a week since he repealed the law against magic, allowing 'acceptable' magic back. The wording of the new law was important, as it was it sounded like magic was still assumed to be bad but those conservative members of the court and council had it wrong. The assumption of the king and prince was the complete opposite. Arthur looked across at Merlin who was back wearing his 'normal' clothes but had compromised and was wearing his crown, he smiled at the prince who was carrying his Sidhe staff, and it had also been a week since Arthur appointed his new brother as the court sorcerer. "Arthur you need to relax, they will be here soon, none of them can challenge you, the dawn king truce states so, very clearly" Merlin said with out even turning to look at his surrogate brother.

The dawn king truce was a truce, a law, that stretched all the way back to when the kingdoms were first created, it stated that no rival kingdom could attack a new monarch until they had completed their first year of rule. To attack with in that year was seen as cowardly and weak. Where is the challenge, the glory, in defeating a foe who hasn't found their footing yet. Much better to humiliate an established king, or in rare occurrences, queen. If you broke the truce there was a bylaw that said you had to face judgement form the other kings of Albion. A judgement, that had so far, been met with the swift killing of the offending king.

Arthur smiled when the first two rival monarchs to arrive were Elena and Odin. Odin glared at Arthur but shook hands with Merlin. Making it clear that while he had welcomed the idea of a truce, through his ward Gwen marrying Arthur, he still did not like the man. He would be civil, but never friendly. Arthur nodded in acknowledgement of the king. Elena came gliding over to him gracefully. "Pendragon! It's good to see you" she hugged him but it was no longer and awkward hug but an easy one. Arthur hugged her back. "It is good to see you too my dear friend." Though the two had rarely seen each other since the disastrous attempt to get them to marry, they had kept up a correspondence through letters and had become as firm a friends as their fathers had been. She turned to Merlin. "My how we have risen to greatness my lord" she said a playful grin on her face. Merlin tilted his head at her a smile gracing his lips. "It is not I who has risen, the rest f you have mealy caught up with me. Queen Elena it is a pleasure to see you again." She smiled and allowed him to kiss her hand before she went and took her seat upon one of the thrones her eyes drifted to the rock in the middle of the clearing where she and the other monarchs would gather she marvelled at the craftsmanship of the wooden thrones that had been carved out of tree stumps each throne had the crest of the royal who would be seated in it. Her lady in waiting stepped forward and muttered something in the queen of Ulwin's ear. Arthur turned to Merlin. "Well" he muttered. Merlin stood there with his eyes closed. "Odin's guard has magic, as does Elena's lady in waiting. The guard has a strong sense of defence and the lady in waiting appears to have a proclivity for misdirection. It is as we hoped both have brought with them a person with magic, for this to work though the rest need do the same."

Arthur sighed. "Remind me why that is again?" Merlin went slightly red and muttered something. "I'm sorry brother I didn't quite catch that." Merlin harrumphed and repeated, "If the rest don't bring some one with magic then my own casting of the spell will over power them all and will look suspicious." Arthur laughed but was secretly glad to have confirmation that the prince stood beside him was powerful enough to defeat most with out even trying. It used to be the thought would scare him but now, like his father he realised there was a reason Merlin had that power. He would never intentionally throw his weight around unless it was absolutely necessary and unavoidable. "Well so far we are two for two, we can assume Aliened will bring Trickler" Merlin's eyes lit up at that thought. "No Merlin you can't pick on him using magic no matter how awful and slimy he is." Merlin sighed rolling his eyes. He nodded towards the edge of the clearing where Aliened and Olaf were arriving out of the tree line. "Olaf's guard has magic." Merlin muttered under his breath. He took a step back as the two new arrivals moved towards Arthur, "play nice" the king said to the warlock as Aliened walked towards them a fake smile plastered on his face.

"Arthur, king Arthur, it is wonderful to see you again, and the servant prince. My, my, how we've moved up in the world, Martin was it?" His tone was light but the insult and accusation was there. Merlin smiled and extended his hand to be shaken. "It's Merlin actually, but you can call me lord Emrys" his grin was wide and goofy but his eyes were cold as winter, Trickler let out a whimper. "I see your sorcerer has heard of me, good, good always nice to meet one of my people." again Merlin kept his tone light but the message was there for all to hear, 'I am prince of magic, your servants true loyalties lie with me now' he released the king s arm and moved across to Olaf who had finished talking to Arthur. "King Olaf, M'lord it is wonderful to see you, tell me has Vivian been released form her enchantment?" Olaf huffed, and pulled himself up to his full height which was still shorter than Merlin, "unfortunately yes, a stable boy kissed her releasing her from its clutches, I had him exiled of course" Merlin smiled at that, it was just such an Olaf way of dealing with the situation. "ah, such a shame but at least she is clear of mind once more and you can set about finding a more suitable husband." Olaf nodded and looked Merlin up and down, Arthur held in a laugh as he realised Olaf was working out weather Merlin would be a suitable husband for his daughter, he appeared to be planning something when Elena came gliding over and linked arms with Merlin "Milord's I had wondered if I could borrow the prince, I am unfamiliar with the area and require an escort." All three kings looked at her bemused for a second before nodded she smiled and thanked them moving off.

"So he's courted for already" they heard Olaf say disappointedly as they headed off to the side of the clearing where the glass turned to gravel and then the lake of the water. "I'm sorry I'm sure that was terribly improper of me, but it looked like Olaf was about to prince nap you and claim you for his daughter" Elena muttered as she walked slowly along the small beach with Merlin whose eyes were focused on the lake. It took him a few moments to realise he was supposed to reply. "You have never been a conventional princess milady, why stop when you become queen, it is your beautiful uniqueness that has drawn Arthur to cherish your friendship." He paused a moment before continuing. "I apologise for my vagueness today, this is the lake where I laid to rest the only woman I have ever loved, and I now love her brother just as much if not more. This is a difficult place for me to be." Elena nodded. She had suspected as much, Arthur had mentioned in passing of Merlin's relation ship with one of his most trusted knights, and of that knights true parenthood, the knight was the son of nimueh, the enchantress who caused the death of Arthurs mother, the enchantress who Merlin killed. "I am not just Arthur's friend, I would like to be your friend as well Merlin, and my lady in waiting would like to be your minion." She said the last bit in jest and Merlin smiled turning towards her.

"Well I could always use more minions, but I'd rather have her as an ally. The rest of the kings and queens have arrived, it is time" she nodded at his words she hadn't bee told what the plan was but she knew it had to be something big. All of the king's or queens of the seven kingdoms were present, there was an empty throne for the periless lands where once the fisher king would have sat. Even Cenred was there accompanied by a scared and intimidating sorcerer.

"Merlin, be ready to call them" Arthur muttered to his blood brother when Merlin came to stand next to him, Merlin nodded. Satisfied that everyone was settled Arthur stood up from his throne of oak and stepped towards the middle of the clearing. "My lords, my ladies, it is good to see you all. As you all know the dawn king tradition states that if he so chooses a dawn king may summon his fellow rulers to a council of kings. I understand your weariness, the last time such a council was called the dawn king tried to kill several of you" his gaze shifted ever so slightly towards Cenred and his guard, his rival king was looking back bored. "that will not happen today, however I fear some of you will not like what is to be discussed today" he glanced at Merlin who nodded. "Even in his ignorance and hatred of magic my father knew of certain prophecies, one in particular I am sure you all paid attention to, the prophecy of the once and future king and Emrys." His words were met by silence each companion of the visiting kings allowing their eyes to drift towards Merlin, Emrys.

"The man stood next to me is known as Emrys by the druids, he has had it confirmed to him by two oracles and powerfully magic beings that I, Arthur pendragon, am the once and future king." Arthur's words were met with several different people shouting and yelling and debating, Arthur tried to get them to settle but it would not work, Merlin picked a tiny vial of water form inside his tunic and subtly removed the cork at the top. The water inside swung to one side of the vial and then soared through the air towards the beach, no one noticed it rejoin the waters, everyone was still trying to talk over each other, Merlin leant across to Arthur. "Cover your ears 'brother' it is time" Arthur barely had time to protect his ears before in a voice shuddering with raw power Merlin called out to Kilgarrah. "Dragon! I call to you, come out of hiding and join our council of kings, your kin commands it!" there was a shift in the air pressure and suddenly the great dragon came swooping down from the sky and landed cutting a gouge into the soil with his wings and they settled in against him water from the lake slipped into the gouge which had reached the edge of the water. "Freya lady of the lake I call upon your wisdom" Merlin whispered.

The collected kings and queens let out surprised gasps as a strangely beautiful young woman surged out of the water and stood on its surface. "Emrys, it is good to see you," she said in a voice as silky as the water she had just risen from. "Arthur, I am sorry for your loss, I'm sure loosing both your parents is probably hard, I wouldn't know I never liked mine" Arthur bowed his head and looked off to his side where Tristain had been hidden until now, the king gave a nod and his knight ran forward and embraced his sister for the first time in a long time, after a moment they moved apart. "Kilgarrah what are your views on Camelot?" the dragon looked each of the gathered humans in the eye. "I hold no love for it, the only thing stopping me attacking it is loyalty to the last dragon lord Merlin, and respect for you." Arthur smiled, that was the answer he had been hoping for. "And why do you respect me when my family and I have done you nothing but wrong?" Arthur asked the dragon. Kilgarrah tilted his head thinking it over. Before replying. "I was told a son born of magic to a hateful father would see the light and love of magic and bring about the dawn of a united Albion, the boy would be the once and future king, the boy would be called Arthur pendragon. The druids left that last part out of the prophecy, they knew it would cause a war to eradicate your bloodline thus placing the title on another's head." Arthur nodded and thanked Kilgarrah who bowed his head.

Freya now stepped forward. "I am Freya lady of the lake. I used to be mortal, I used to be cursed, I was hunted and imprisoned my mortal form was killed by Arthur pendragon, my mother was nimueh, the one who killed his mother, I have not great love for the man. But now I am guardian of the lakes and oracle of magic, I know all I see all" her tar black eyes settled on Aliened and then Cenred. "You are the once and future king, it can not be denied." She bowed her head and disappeared back into the water. Kilgarrah waited a few seconds before launching himself up into the air.

so? who know's what will happen next chapter! i'm sure some of you will know what is about to happen, but hopefully next chapter will hold some surprises for y'all.