Cleaning out the chicken coop wasn't Merlin's favourite job but the monotony and the complete ordinariness of it soothed him. After all that talk about destiny and dragons, he was quite happy to be wrist deep in mud surrounded by noisy, clucking hens. They had no idea who he was and even if they did, Merlin was pretty sure they didn't really care as long as he fed them.

"Breakfast is ready," Hunith called out and Merlin reluctantly abandoned his duties. His mother had been darting concerned looks at him all morning and he didn't think he could hold out on her for much longer. "Do you want to talk about whatever is bothering you?" she finally asked once he settled down at the table.

"I was hoping that if I didn't talk about it, it would go away." It was a flippant answer and Hunith merely frowned at him. Without even tasting the breakfast, Merlin placed the spoon back on the table. There was really no other way to say it. "It seems that I have a destiny."

"A destiny?" Her frown eased as she picked up her mug. "What destiny? And how did you find this out?"

Merlin smiled wryly, his eyes focused on the spoon which he pushed around aimlessly. "Well, there was that old man in a cave. A druid. They know things, you know."

"A druid. This was that job you did for the Queen."

"Yes."

"And?"

This was it. Before he could even open him mouth, he could feel his skin prickle with anticipation and his heart race. He made sure to say every word clearly. "I am Emrys. And my destiny is to be Morgana's doom."

To his mother's credit, she didn't drop the mug she was holding. Slowly, she placed it on the table, then stood. Merlin watched curiously as she walked to the small cupboard that held all their worldly belongings. Eventually, she emerged, her hand closed around something.

"Here." Her voice was tight. "Your father, before he – before he died - wanted me to give this to you." Taking his hand, she pressed a metal disc into his palm. Her rough hands closed around Merlin's, squeezing them.

He looked at the disc. A dragon was carved on it. It was worn, slightly rusted, a black ribbon tied to it. "What –"

Hunith had moved back to the table. "I don't know. He gave it to me just before he died. He said to give it to you when you discovered your destiny. By then, King Melby was becoming more suspicious about magic and Camelot began slaughtering magic users. I didn't want our family to be brought to their attention. So I hid it." Her voice broke. "With everything else that reminded me of your father." Quickly, Merlin went to her side, his arm sliding around her shoulder. When she shuddered against him, then turned so she could bury her face in his embrace, he felt his own heart break and any resentment he harboured at his mother keeping this from him faded.

"Did father say anything about the disc?" Hunith cradled the mug Merlin passed to her as she sat back at the table. Red rimmed her eyes but they were dry.

"No, just that you'd need it to fulfil your destiny."

He tilted his head back until it hit the back of his chair. "I don't suppose he left instructions."

A slight smile crossed Hunith's face. "No. What are you going to do now? You and Morgana –"

"I don't know." Then he sighed at the lie. He'd known from the moment he accepted his destiny what he had to do. "Actually –"

Hunith placed her hand on his lips. "Promise me you'll take care."

"I promise," he said, his voice breaking at the tears in his mother's eyes. "I promise."

Gwen woke when the sun hit her eyes.

"Good morning, my lady," chirped Mary as she drew the curtains. "Breakfast is on the table and I've laid out your dress for today. I chose the one with the pretty neckline you like. King Melby wants to have lunch with you."

"Thank you," said Gwen with a frown. Something niggled at the back of her mind but she couldn't put her finger on it. "The sun's really bright today."

"That's because you are up later than usual." Mary deftly pulled back her covers, hinting that it was time Gwen got out of bed.

The ache between her legs when she moved, the soreness of her muscles brought back everything that had happened the night before. She quickly turned away from Mary as she got up, afraid that her face would give everything away. As she tugged on the robe Mary handed her, her mind drifted to last night when she'd woken while the moon still hung in the sky. Arthur's arms were draped loosely around her, his warm breath against the back of her neck. Emboldened by the darkness, she'd turned in his arms and touched him lightly, until he woke, eyes slumberous, his smile lazy.

"Breakfast, my lady?"

Gwen looked up at her hovering maidservant and smiled. "Of course. You can go. I'll get myself ready."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Why don't you take the rest of the day off?"

Confusion coloured Mary's face but she curtsied and left the room. The moment the door swung shut, Gwen closed her eyes, trying to remember every detail of her one night with Arthur. One night, she'd told him, and her heart ached at the thought.

But it was sensible, she told herself firmly.

She'd had her fun. And now it was time to save her kingdom.

"You look as messed up as me," said Merlin as he entered the little room above the tavern.

Pulling the covers over his head, Arthur turned to face the wall. It didn't faze Merlin in the least. He dropped his bag onto the floor then perched on the bed. In his hand he held the cool metal disc which he toyed with as his mother's revelations swirled in his mind. When Arthur merely grunted, Merlin shoved him hard.

"What is it?" Arthur pushed the covers down and sat up, scowling at Merlin.

"It's past noon and you're still in bed. Had a bad night?"

"No," snapped Arthur. "I don't want to talk about it. What is up with you?"

"Do you know who else knew I am Emrys?" Merlin rubbed the disc between his thumb and finger.

Arthur moved, finally sitting himself next to Merlin. "The fairies that live in the forest?"

"No. My father."

That stopped Arthur from fidgeting. "Your father. The one who's dead?"

"The one and only." Taking a deep breath, Merlin continued. "It also turns out that he left this for me for when I discovered my destiny." He passed the disc to Arthur who looked suspiciously at it.

"What is this? Doesn't look like anything we can trade for money."

He shot a look at Arthur. "My father left it for me. It has something to do with my destiny."

"There's a dragon on it." Shoving the disc back at Merlin, he showed Merlin the face with the dragon on it. "Is it magic?"

"I'm not sure. It doesn't feel magic." Merlin took the disc and stared at the dragon carved onto one side. "Think this has something to do with the dragon Gaius mentioned?"

Arthur shrugged. Pushing himself off the bed, he walked to the window and looked out. "When do you want to leave?"

"You don't have –"

"Don't be a martyr Merlin. It doesn't suit you. How can I face Hunith if I let you run off alone?" He moved from the window and pulled out his bag from under the bed. Merlin watched quietly as Arthur packed his bags. His movements were jerky and Merlin noticed tension lines on his face.

"What's wrong?"

Arthur grunted.

"Is it Gwen?"

The glare Arthur levelled at him spoke volumes. Dropping the subject, Merlin grabbed his own bag. In silence, side by side, they packed. Merlin tucked the disc between his clothes. He noticed the book Gaius had taken out for him in his bag already. A slight smile crossed his face and he looked at Arthur, who had stopped packing but was staring blankly at his bag and not for the first time, Merlin wished that Arthur never gambled on his sword. Then they would never have gotten entangled in this whole thing.

King Melby was solicitous, plying her with good wine and easy conversation. Well-trained, Gwen smiled and nodded at appropriate places even though her mind was far from lunch. There were so many things she needed to do – find Merlin and discover what he had learnt, persuade Merlin that he should accept his destiny and get King Melby to support her in her quest to retake Camelot.

"Guinevere?"

She looked up at King Melby's expectant face. "I'm sorry. I missed your question."

"I asked if you'd thought about my proposal." His cold, thin hand reached across the table and took hers.

Smiling tightly, Gwen willed herself not to pull her hand away. Her mind raced as she tried to come up with a respond that wouldn't tie her to a marriage she didn't want yet keep herself in his good graces. To buy time, she grabbed the mug in front of her and sipped.

"Marriage is a major step, my lord. I am flattered that you consider me worthy of being your Queen but I am far too worried about my kingdom to make such important decisions now."

His eyes cooled and his jaw clenched, emphasising the hollows of his cheeks. Gwen waited with bated breath, her heart pounding so hard it was all she could hear. All she knew of King Melby were stories she heard from her father and various servants. Not surprisingly, her father had been complimentary of King Melby but the servants had brought with them stories of how he was almost as harsh as her own father. And now that she had a taste of life outside her father's influence, she wasn't sure she wanted to go back.

"Camelot is lost, my lady, and the sooner you acknowledge that, the better."

While his voice was friendly, his eyes bore into her. For once, she was grateful to her father's severe insistence that she learnt to hide her emotions. Under the table, her hand curled into a fist, her nails biting into the flesh of her palm. "I cannot give up on my kingdom just like that. I am sure you understand that. I am sure you'd do the same for your kingdom." She lifted her gaze to his, hoping that her smile would seem genuine enough. "My father spoke highly of you and I am sure you wouldn't want a Queen who gives up so easily on her kingdom."

The coolness in his eyes eased a little. "What are you trying to say?"

Gwen took a deep breath. This wasn't really lying, she told herself. "Anybody would be lucky to be in my position - to be seen worthy enough to be your wife but I need more time - let me at least try to save my kingdom."

"And you actually think that is a possibility?"

She winced at the patronising tone, but kept the smile on her face. "I have to at least try."

King Melby leaned back into his chair, finally withdrawing his hand from hers. She resisted the urge to wipe her hand on her skirt. "Have you had any luck looking for Emrys? I understand you hired two mercenaries to help you."

"Not yet but there are some clues." Her hands twisted in her lap. "I have some hope." Hope that she would have more of once she could persuade Merlin to help her.

The snort of disbelief was soft but Gwen still heard it. "Since you are so stubborn about this matter, then I feel that it is only right that I allow you some time to pursue this before you give me your decision. But I do expect a positive decision by the end of the month."

Two weeks.

"I promise you an answer then. Thank you for your patience."

"In fact," King Melby continued, a self-satisfied grin on his face, revealing yellowed teeth that made her cringe inwardly, "I will lend you the services of some of my knights."

"I am grateful for your generosity," she said, trying to insert a note of awe and gratitude into her voice. "It is something I will not forget."

His smug smile only got wider and Gwen hoped that within two weeks she would be able to save her kingdom and be in a position to say no to him without too much lost. The thought of marrying King Melby made her stomach churn.

The moment she was able to leave the table, Gwen excused herself, changed out of her silk dress into a plainer cotton one and hurried to the tavern. Before she even crossed the courtyard, she saw Arthur and Merlin in the distance, walking towards the castle. Immediately, her heart raced and she felt heat rise in her cheeks. Memories of Arthur last night flashed in her mind and she had to stop for a while to compose herself.

"Arthur! Merlin!" She waved at them as they approached. Closer, both looked tired and distracted. Merlin's usual grin was missing and Arthur's eyes were darker. Something had happened. They gave her a half-hearted wave and changed direction to walk towards her.

Her hair was neatly piled up on her head with a few strands that had escaped framing her face. He itched to run his hand through her hair, release it from its confines and have them tumble over her shoulder like it did last night. The moment he'd noticed her in the distance, his body had reacted, burning with a desire he clearly hadn't managed to quench last night. He laughed at himself – one night. Who was he fooling?

The smile she gave them didn't reach her eyes and behind them, he could see worry. He ached to smooth out the slight furrow in her brows. As she approached, he put his hand behind his back lest he gave in to the urge to touch her.

"Do you have news?"

"Not here," said Merlin. "Can we go somewhere with less people listening?"

"Of course. Shall we walk in the castle gardens?" Completely irrational bitterness swirled in Arthur's gut. Was she avoiding inviting them back to her bedroom because of last night? But then she turned her eyes on him and smiled a full genuine smile.

"I'm sure the gardens are beautiful," Arthur said.

Her arched brow at his reply told him she heard the lack of enthusiasm in his voice.

The gardens were gorgeous. Flowers in a riot of colours surrounded them and the grass was lush under their feet. Silently, Gwen led them to a bench and gestured for them to sit. When Arthur noticed that Merlin had plucked a flower and was sniffing at it, he rolled his eyes. He hoped that wasn't a transgression punishable by flogging because if it was, Merlin was on his own.

The great Emrys flogged because he couldn't keep his hands to himself and stole from the royal gardens.

Arthur smirked.

"You look pleased," said Merlin, his eyes narrowed, the flower still in his hand.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a flush develop on Gwen's face and he realised what she thought he was thinking of. Which he wasn't. He was earlier as he walked slightly behind Merlin and Gwen, enjoying the sway of her hips. But not now. And while he wanted to make that clear to Gwen – he didn't want to have her thinking he only had one thing on his mind, no matter how true that was – he wasn't clear how without giving away what happened last night to Merlin.

"He's probably thinking about how you're prettier than the flowers," continued Merlin, grinning as if he'd just said something witty.

Arthur groaned. "Is that how you got together with Morgana? Because that was awful."

"Got together with Morgana?" Gwen glanced at Arthur then looked curiously at Merlin. "You and Morgana –"

The grin slid off Merlin's face. "It was a long time ago."

"Very long," said Arthur, not quite sure why he said that.

"That's how you know her. You two were –" Gwen's eyes were wide and, probably unconsciously, she'd taken a step away from Merlin. Then she gasped. "Oh Merlin. No wonder – I – you –"

"I promise you I'm not on her side." He reached out a hand and Gwen took it, letting him lead her to the bench. A bench large enough only for the two of them, so Arthur hovered awkwardly at the side.

Very briefly, Merlin told Gwen about his history with Morgana. By the time he finished, Gwen was gripping Merlin's hand, her eyes large pools of sympathy. "I cannot imagine what it is like to be you now."

"Merlin is stronger than he looks," muttered Arthur mutinously. Gwen glared at him and he sighed. "Anyway, we're here to tell you something. Right Merlin?"

"Have you found out more about Emrys - uh, yourself?"

Merlin nodded. "Arthur and I are going to Camelot."

"Take me with you."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Arthur knew that this would have been her response and he'd even told Merlin so but that stubborn fool had insisted that Gwen needed to be told. "The plan is to sneak in and out. That's not going to happen with you."

"Did you think I was going to swan into Camelot dressed as a princess and announce my arrival to Morgana?" She jumped up from the bench and poked a finger at his chest. He caught her hand, and held on to it, tugging so she stumbled towards him.

"Gwen -"

"Arthur -"

He dropped her hand and stepped back, shaken by the sudden urge to pull her closer to him and the flare of desire that erupted in him. The flush had returned to Gwen's face and Arthur knew she was feeling the same way as him.

Merlin watched them with undisguised curiosity and Arthur glared at him. "Anyway," Arthur said, "we're going to Camelot to speak with a dragon."

Gwen's eyes widened. "A dragon? There's a dragon in Camelot? But -"

"Your father kept one somewhere in the castle apparently." Arthur had wondered if Gwen

"How is that even possible? He hated dragons - tools of magic, he used to call them." She paused as if something just occurred to her. "Oh god. He was an awful person wasn't he?" She blinked and Arthur was almost certain the shine in her eyes were the result of tears. He clenched his fists at his side, refusing to give into the urge to hug her.

Merlin patted her back gently, before getting her to sit down again. "You aren't your father."

"This dragon - he knows things? Will he help Camelot after we killed all his brethren?"

"He may not help Camelot, but I think he might help Emrys." At least that was what Arthur hoped.

"Then you must let me come with you. I know Camelot and her castle like the back of my hand."

Merlin looked at him.

"It's too dangerous," The words left his mouth immediately.

The look she flashed him was a far cry from the way she'd gazed at him last night. "With me, you'll get in and out Camelot quickly. We've travelled before. I may not be as deft with a sword as you or have magic like Merlin but I'm not completely useless."

Merlin chuckled. "I'm magic, Arthur is strength which probably makes you intelligence."

"I am more than my strength." He bristled at that description.

"You agree I should go too right?" Gwen turned her eyes on Merlin. From the look on Merlin's face, Arthur knew he was going to agree with her. Arthur raised his hands in surrender and an almost smug smile spread across Gwen's face when she glanced at him.

Merlin stood, sucking in a breath. "This is it."

"Yes," said Arthur quietly. "Are you sure?"

Merlin nodded. "Tomorrow then."

"Tomorrow," Gwen repeated.

They looked at each other and at that moment, Arthur knew that the three of them were inextricably bound to each other forever. He only hoped that he would emerge from this with both his life and his heart.

The flower still in his hand, its stalk bent from so much handling, Merlin nodded at Gwen and walked away. Arthur followed, stopping when Gwen placed a hand on his arm.

"Is he alright?"

"I hope he will be."

He turned away but Gwen's hand was still on his arm. Slowly he looked back at her. Her throat worked, her eyes wide and again the desire to touch her slammed into him. She didn't have to say anything.

He nodded.

Her fingers slid from his arm.

"Merlin! Wait up!"

This time, he bypassed the knights and sneaked in through the kitchens at the back of the castle, ignoring that small voice at the back of his head asking him what the hell he was thinking as he darted quietly through the maze of corridors in the servants' quarters till he came to the royal rooms. Armour clattered in the dim light and he shrank back into the cold brick wall. Thankfully, the guard simply walked past him, clearly not expecting the Queen to have illicit lovers lurking in the shadows. He grinned. Merlin would get a kick out of that description.

At her door, Arthur knocked softly. It opened immediately and Gwen's hand curled around his, dragging him in. He chuckled as he slipped his arm around her waist and dipped her into a kiss. In the back of his mind, the warning bells sounded even louder but the feel of Gwen's lips was much more compelling. As long as they both knew where they stood, why couldn't they enjoy what they had now? At least that was what he told himself as he shut that annoying little voice away and turned his full attention to the very eager and pliant Queen in his arms.

This time, she was still shy, letting her hair cover her face but when he flipped around on the bed so she sat on him, she didn't hesitate. With his hands spanning her waist, he urged her to move. Her eyes closed, her mouth gasping, she clutched his shoulders for support as she moved. Gwen, naked, sitting astride him, was a dream he never knew he had, come true.

"Arthur," she sighed as she slumped on him and his hands moved from her hips to wrap around her back. His lips brushed against her damp shoulder before he buried his head into her neck. A sudden urge to tell her he loved her swamped him but he pushed it away. It was just his emotions out of control in the aftermath of sex. He barely knew her, how could he love her?

After a while, he curled his body around hers as he tugged the lush covers over them. She wriggled and pressed herself closer into him, tucking her face into his chest. He felt her mouth move against his skin but couldn't hear her words. Pulling her closer to him, he traced patterns against her smooth, brown skin.

"Gwen," he murmured.

"Hmmm?" She shifted so she could look up at him with soft, pretty eyes.

He dragged a finger down her cheek. "This – it's just temporary." Pain pulsed through him with every word he said but it had to be said, more for his own sake than hers.

Hurt flashed in her eyes. "I know," she said. Looking away, she continued. "King Melby wants to marry me."

He stiffened at her words, a sudden anger taking hold of him. "If you are engaged, we shouldn't be doing this." Roughly, he pushed her away and sat up, looking around for the clothes she had helped tear off him.

"Arthur –" Shoving the covers off her, Gwen scrambled up as well.

"Were you just using me?" he spat, unable to bear the feeling of betrayal and getting angry that he was even feeling that. Betrayal suggested a commitment, a promise and there was none, something he'd just made clear a few seconds ago. "Was it fun for you to have me in your bed while you are preparing to marry someone else?"

"That's not –"

"I don't want to hear it." He tugged his trousers on, pulling on his shirt and stalked to the door.

He could hear the tears in her voice when she called him name, but his anger made his heart harden. With only a brief hesitation, he flung the door open and walked out.

When Merlin woke the next morning, he noticed that Arthur's bed was untouched. With a roll of his eyes, Merlin hoped this meant that he would be in a good mood. Really, how subtle did the two of them think they were with their accidental touches and heated looks? It was a good thing that he had no shame. He dragged Arthur's heavy pack from under the bed, grabbed his own and walked down to the tavern.

"Where's Arthur?" There was only Gwen at the courtyard. He looked around, wondering if he'd missed Arthur. Then he noticed the redness of Gwen's eyes and the tension in her jaw. Merlin's heart sank.

"I don't know."

"What happened?"

Gwen just shrugged, then looked away, swiping at her eyes. Merlin didn't need this right now. The whole night, he'd been second guessing his decision to go to Camelot. Walking into the middle of danger was never a good idea. And to talk to a dragon? Maybe it would be a better idea to hide. After all no one else knew he was Emrys.

"Hey," Arthur suddenly popped up, his face an inscrutable mask. "Sorry I'm late. Thanks." He grabbed his bag from Merlin and flashed him a tight smile.

As Gwen mounted her horse, Merlin whispered to Arthur. "Where were you?"

"Walking. Needed to let off some steam."

"I hope you got enough rest."

"Don't nag Merlin. You're not my parent." Arthur flung his bag across the horse, then mounted. "Come on, we're late."

"And whose fault is that?" With a sigh, Merlin urged his horse on and they were off.

The earthy smell of damp mud and leaves filled the air, accompanied by the chaotic melodies of the insects and birds that marked the beginning of a new day. Merlin was thankful for the silence that hung over their journey. He wasn't quite in the mood for small talk. Sleep hadn't come easy last time as he tossed on the bed, second guessing his decision. Yet he knew for all the fear and uncertainty that he felt, this was something he had to do. His hand wrapped around the disc again, his thumb rubbing against the etching of the dragon.

Aside from a slight scuffle with a couple of bandits who looked like they had a bad day already (and a worse one after Arthur took out whatever frustration he had on them) and an encounter with some wild boars, most of the journey was uneventful. Conversation between the three of them were brief and purely functional in nature.

Arthur slowed his horse until Merlin pull alongside him. "We need to stop soon. There's a suitable clearing up ahead and the sun is going down."

It was a testament to how much the three of them had travelled together in the short week they knew each other that camp was set up with a minimum of fuss. Merlin crouched over the fire, stirring the pot as Arthur watered and fed the horses. Gwen busied herself setting up the bed rolls and collecting water. Eventually, they could no longer hide behind their duties and as darkness fell over them, they huddled around the fire.

"Where do you think a dragon could be kept in the castle?" asked Merlin as he watched Gwen play with a leaf she'd picked from the ground next to her. "Sounds impossible to me."

She dropped the leaf. "It doesn't seem possible but there are parts of the castle I haven't been, like the dungeons. There's a lower level but father always kept me away. I suppose I know why now." She let out a breath. "Can you imagine, a live dragon under the castle?"

"If I had a castle and wanted to hide a dragon, that's exactly where I'd put it," said Arthur with a roll of his eyes. "We're going to have to come up with a plan to get into Camelot unseen. I imagine that Morgana would have put up defences around the area."

Merlin sighed. "The question is how do we know what defences she has? She's bound to use magic."

"The villagers – they will know," said Gwen. "We can ask them."

Arthur shook his head as he leaned over to toss some sticks into the fire. "And why would they tell a ragtag bunch of people this?"

"Because I'm Queen."

"And so you are," said Arthur bitterly. He threw one more stick into the fire then sat back.

"You've met them?" asked Merlin, ignoring the anger that was literally rolling off Arthur. "They know you on sight?"

"I have met them. I know my father wasn't keen on mingling with the commoners –" Arthur scoffed, earning himself a glare from Gwen. " – but when I turned 18, I thought it was a good idea to get to know some of the people who lived in my kingdom. Dad – he disagreed so I went on my own with my nanny. It was fun and they were so lovely to me. Joan, the baker, gave me some of the bread she baked and Will, the –" Her voice faded and Merlin saw the tears shining in her eyes. "I let them all down, didn't I?"

"Gwen," Merlin said, reaching out to her, his heart breaking at the despair in her face. The tears were now rolling down her cheeks and she gulped. "Gwen," he said again as she leaned into his touch. As he held her in his arms, his eyes met Arthur's. Gwen's pain was reflected in his eyes. Somehow, over the past week, she, the Queen of Camelot, had come to mean something to the both of them and while they neither of them might admit it, they were embarking on this foolish quest not just for themselves but for her.

She pulled away eventually, embarrassment evident on her face. "Sorry," she murmured. Merlin smiled.

"We should sleep," said Arthur gruffly. "I'll keep first watch."

No matter how close she sat to the fire, Gwen was still cold. The blanket she'd taken with her did little to shield her from the night breeze and she couldn't help but think about how it felt to have Arthur's arms around her, his warmth seeping into her. Her heart tightened as she remembered how their last night ended.

Sometimes she wished she'd died in Morgana's attack on Camelot.

She heard Merlin approach and she turned to look at him. "Hey."

He rubbed his face. "Uneventful night?"

"So far."

Slowly, he sat next to her on the damp ground, eyeing the blanket she had around her shoulders. "Cold?"

She shrugged.

"How are you feeling?" He stretched his hands towards the fire.

"Better."

"Liar." Merlin smiled at her. "You want to talk about it?"

She turned her attention from the fire to Merlin. Behind the sleepiness in his eyes was a tension that had been lurking there since he discovered he was Emrys. Gently, she touched his hand. All this time, Merlin had been stanchly behind her, her friend despite her unwittingly hurling him into a position he clearly didn't want to be in. "What about you? Do you want to talk about it?"

"About what?" He stiffened under her touch.

"About being Emrys. You don't have to of course. I mean I just –"

She felt him relax slightly. A while later, he said, "We have a long journey ahead of us, the three of us. I guess it's only right you know. Only Arthur knows most of this."

"You two are close."

Merlin's laugh was full of affection. "I love him. Don't get me wrong. He's a pain a lot of the time, arrogant and thinks he knows best when he doesn't but he's the best friend you can have. All that talk about getting rich and famous off this quest, I know he's doing it so I won't be alone."

Apparently, her already burgeoning feelings for Arthur still had space to grow. "You're a good friend too."

"It helps that I'm not in love with you."

Her heart slammed to a stop at Merlin's words and pathetically, she wanted to ask Merlin what Arthur had said about her. But she didn't.

"So, tell me about you and Morgana."

A wry smile spread across his face. "I warn you that it's a long story."

"We have all night don't we?"

As it turned out, the tragic story of Merlin and Morgana did take all night. For most of it, Gwen let Merlin talk, his eyes focused on the flickering fire. There was a flatness to his voice that suggested he was trying to keep his emotions out but in the dim light, Gwen could see them written all over his face.

"And there were rumours she was going round, torching villages which housed those she called magic betrayers."

Her fingers curled around Merlin's arm, her heart hurting for him. "And you stopped your magic training?"

"There were too many bad memories associated with it. And I didn't want to become like Morgana." He took her hand in his and squeezed. "Looks like that didn't quite work. I should have kept up with my training. Right now, all I can do with confidence are silly magic tricks. I have no idea how I'm going to go up against Morgana and Morgause."

"You're not alone, Merlin. You have Arthur and me."

He finally looked at her. The smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "I know. And Gwen?"

"Hmm?"

"You're not alone either."

The two of them were huddled beneath the threadbare blanket fast asleep when Arthur woke. Jealousy and irritation pooled in his stomach. Not that he thought Gwen felt the same way about Merlin as she did him but that Merlin had such an easy relationship with her.

He kicked Merlin's thigh. "You are an awful watchman. Do I have to do everything around here?"

Merlin peered sleepily up at him. "What?"

"Nothing. Wake her and go get ready to leave. The sun is up and we need to leave if we want to make it to Camelot's borders before nightfall today."

He stalked off to get the horses. Thankfully when he returned, Gwen and Merlin had mostly finished packing up camp and within minutes, they were on their way.

Arthur thought they were just the usual, run of the mill bandits but when one of them raised his hand and blasted him off his horse, he realised just how wrong he was. He landed heavily on his left arm and he quickly realised that he was immobilised. A quick look around told him that Gwen and Merlin were also in the same predicament.

All that talk about dying for honour, saving Camelot from the evil Morgana, going down as heroes and this was how they were going to die. In the middle of a forest, not even close to halfway through their quest. No one would find their bodies for months. He thought of Hunith, then his eyes met the frightened ones of Gwen.

One of the men advanced on him and Arthur closed his eyes.

Then, nothing.

He opened his eyes to see Merlin standing, his chest heaving as if he'd run a long distance. The three men who had ambushed them lay unmoving on the ground.

"Merlin?"

"Let's go. Hurry." Merlin grabbed Gwen's hand and pulled her up. Arthur realised that he could move and quickly mounted his horse. "They were Morgana's men. They were wearing her sigil."

"Do you think she knows we're coming?" Gwen asked as they galloped through the forest.

"I don't know."

"You managed to use your magic to defeat them on your own," Arthur said quietly, the immensity and power of Merlin's magic finally hitting him. He knew, of course, at the back of his mind that Merlin had power but he was such a skinny thing, such a lover of peace that he never really thought of all Merlin could do. All these year, he'd thought himself as Merlin's protector. Obviously Merlin didn't need his protection.

"If only I knew exactly how I did it. That might be useful."

"Great. So this was just luck?"

"Hey, at least I got us out of that pickle," snapped Merlin but Arthur could hear the good humour in his voice. It brought a smile to Arthur's lips.

"That's the problem with you Merlin. Always so inconsistent."

Merlin just shook his head. "Either we were unlucky or Morgana knows we're coming."

"I think we better assume it is the latter," said Arthur. "We should ride to the border first, get some rest and work on a plan. With some luck, Morgana won't realise her men were unsuccessful until later." He turned to Gwen. "Have you visited the villages near the border?"

"Yes. I've been to them several times."

"Good," said Arthur. "Then maybe they will be loyal enough to you to help us."

"I hope so. Or at least, they hate Morgana enough to help us because as much as I hate to admit it, we are Camelot's only hope." Her voice trembled but she sat straight on her horse, her chin tilted defiantly.

"Alright then. Let's go."

They rode hard through the forest, stopping only as much as the horses needed. It was like the attack lit a fire under them, made them realise how real everything was. Before, at least to him, it was still little more than an adventure, one of the fun quests he and Merlin went on, where they accomplished their goals and headed home with a little more gold in their purse. This time, it wasn't the gold in their purse that was at stake. It was Gwen's kingdom and Merlin's destiny, two people he cared for greatly.

This time, failure wasn't an option.