AN: Make a joyful sound; Morgana is going down! (A little Starkid reference for any Starkids out there.) Yes it the big battle for Camelot chapter. Expect character death and some badass fighting. Again; thanks for your support.

As morning broke over Ealdor; the people were awoken by the sound of dozens of men besieging the small village. Arthur and Merlin led Tristan and Isolde across the village in plain sight of their rivals; the immediate plan was to head for the woods and try and stop anyone from getting hurt. As they ran into the trees; Merlin ran in another direction and as he ran, summoned the dragon.

"Dragon! Magistrum vocat vos in tempore necessitatis. Hostem occidere fas regna redire!" Merlin called. Within minutes he spotted Kilgharragh flying towards them. Merlin turned and sprinted back to Arthur, Tristan and Isolde who saw the dragon and froze.

"Get down!" Tristan yelled. All four of them hit the ground and covered their heads as the great dragon flew overhead and flew fire at Helios and Agravaine and their men. Helios turned and bolted back to Camelot and Agravaine was flung from his horse. Out of the men who came with them, only half a dozen survived the dragon's attack. As the dragon flew off, Merlin looked up at him, nodded slightly and Kilgharragh flew off again. Arthur, Tristan and Isolde got up off the ground completely stunned.

"Was that?" Isolde asked.

"Impossible," Arthur replied shaking his head. He killed the last dragon years ago. Unless the last dragon egg survived the tower collapse and someone hatched it by mistake. Great. That was all he needed; another dragon roaming free about the lands causing havoc.

"Arthur!"

The yell came through the trees and jolted them back to reality. Merlin led the way through the caves in the middle of the forest. The caves were frequently used by the children as a place to play. Merlin had countless memories of himself and Will exploring the caves; playing and plotting trouble and being carefree children. The caves let out on the other side of Ealdor heading back towards Camelot. The four of them sprinted into the caves; their footsteps echoed off the stone floor and the limited sunlight vanished as they rounded a corner. The caves were in half darkness and Merlin ran his hand along the wall as they moved deeper and deeper into the caves. After a while they stopped at a fork in the tunnels and listened. They could hear Agravaine and the remainder of his men making their way down the caves. Arthur drew his sword; he would settle things with his uncle now once and for all.

"No, I know these caves, you don't." Merlin insisted. He was almost certain of where they were. "Continue down the passage to the left. Any time you come to any sort of fork in the caves; go left. That'll lead you out of here and into the woods."

"What are you going to do?" Arthur asked.

"Hold them off." Merlin replied.

"You can't do that, you're unarmed!" Tristan insisted.

"I'm stronger than I look and I know these caves, Agravaine doesn't. Just trust me. Keep left, now go!" Merlin insisted.

"Come on, we don't have time to argue." Isolde insisted and she led the way down the caves; keeping a hand running on the walls as a guide for them to follow. As soon as they were out of sight, Merlin turned and ran back down the tunnel towards Agravaine again. He could hear them making their way down and jumped out in front of them.

"Oh, hello!" Merlin called and ran off. Agravaine and his men followed until Merlin stopped at the fork in the passage. Seemingly cornered, Merlin turned and faced Agravaine. Hatred boiled in his veins as he regarded the traitor. Agravaine looked at Merlin coldly.

"Where's Arthur?" Agravaine asked. Merlin refused to answer. "Merlin, I'm order-" Agravaine was cut off as Merlin's eyes flashed gold and the men were all flung back. Agravaine hit the stone floor heavily and realised the truth. Merlin had magic. Merlin had magic! "You have magic."

"I was born with it." Merlin replied and looked at Agravaine. "The druids call me Emrys."

Agravaine's mouth dropped open. Merlin was Emrys? Merlin was the one Morgana feared? The one who would destroy her? Merlin silently confirmed it and as Agravaine got to his feet; intent on destroying Emrys once and for all; Merlin's eyes flashed gold again and Agravaine was flung back against a rock; his neck collided with the stone with enough force to shatter it. He was dead before he hit the floor. Merlin looked at his dead foe and muttered a spell which caused the cave to collapse around the men before running back towards Arthur, Tristan and Isolde.

"What happened?" Arthur asked.

"A cave in, I only just escaped." Merlin replied. Arthur nodded. He wanted to mourn his uncle but how could he after what Agravaine had done out of hatred and spite. The many people he had hurt and killed wouldn't mourn him; why should Arthur.

"Where do we go now?" Tristan asked. Merlin led the way out of the caves and back into the sunlight.

"Now we go back to Camelot." Merlin replied as they headed into the woods.

Morgana was studying different scrolls which she found in Arthur's chambers. They ranged in matter from information on how much the people were taxed to letters exchanged between Arthur and the other kingdoms such as Mercia and Nemeth. As queen it would be up to Morgana to make Camelot the most feared and respected kingdom in the land; she would have to expand it however. Take over some of the smaller kingdoms before forming alliances with the stronger kingdoms until she ruled over all of Albion as queen. Morgana looked up as the door opened and Helios walked into the room alone.

"Where are the others?" Morgana asked, frustrated that her worthless half-brother was nowhere to be seen. She had ordered that Arthur be brought back alive.

"There was an… incident." Helios replied.

"What do you mean?" Morgana asked.

"We were attacked by a dragon." Helios replied. Morgana's eyebrows shot into her hair. A dragon? She honestly didn't expect to see that one coming. Didn't Arthur slay the last dragon a few years ago?

"Were you the only survivor?" Morgana asked.

"As far as I know. There was no sign of Agravaine or Arthur." Helios replied. Morgana nodded and told Helios to leave her. Whenever she was alone Morgana thought about Agravaine. He had been useful but there had been a few slip ups and Morgana could not tolerate any slip ups. She now had a kingdom to run and any mistake had the possibility of ruining everything. Morgana picked up another scroll of parchment and attempted to focus however doubt crept into her mind. How could a dragon come along just when it was needed? It must have been summoned but there were no more Dragon Lords. Unless… yes, it made sense.

"Emrys," Morgana whispered to herself. That interfering old fool who was destined to bring her doom. Let him try; she was the queen of Camelot; a powerful sorceress; she saw the future within her dreams and the last High Priestess of the Old Religion. If that foolish old man believed he could defeat her so easily; he was highly mistaken. As Morgana thought about Emrys; he constantly appeared in her dreams; the one time they had battled and the first time she had seen him; though she hadn't known it then. Whenever she had tried to have Gwen framed and executed as a witch; Arthur appeared with a random old man who claimed to be a sorcerer called Dragoon the Great; Morgana wasn't sure how Arthur found him but it was enough for Uther and Gwen was spared however before he was executed; the old man vanished. Although they'd never said a word and he barely looked at her Morgana could never shake off the sense of familiarity she felt whenever she seen Emrys. It was like she knew him; as though they had met once many years ago when she was a small child, but she had simply forgotten until recently. Morgana had racked her brains over and over again, trying to place some sort of previous encounter with Emrys before those ones but came up empty handed. There was something about Emrys that seemed inexplicably familiar and Morgana felt she would be driven mad trying to discover it. Maybe that was what he wanted…

"Nice try Emrys but you won't defeat me." Morgana whispered to herself.

Gwaine sat up slowly; his body was aching like mad. Across the cell Elyan was wincing and Gaius was still lying on the bench. Gwen however was pacing around the cell like a trapped animal. She was running one hand along the wall and whispering to herself. It looked as though she hoping one would give way and offer some sort of escape route for them. Elyan and Gwaine watched her for a few moments before getting up as well.

"What are you doing?" Gwaine asked.

"Counting the stones," Gwen replied mouthing numbers to herself.

"Why?" Elyan asked.

"I had to do something to keep my mind busy otherwise I'll start to go mad." Gwen replied before dropping her hand and leaning against the wall. "I can't stand much more of this."

"Hopefully it won't be for much longer." Elyan reassured.

"Yeah, before you know it the three of us will be out of here and fighting Morgana and her minions out of our home." Gwaine added confidently. Gwen nodded and fetched the bread she had wrapped in her cloak the night before and split it into small pieces again and shared it out; they all took some but Gaius was still sleeping and so they left more for him.

"I hate to say it, but you may have to fight again." Gwen said.

"We know; this won't keep us going and we need water otherwise Gaius won't last much longer." Gwaine replied. The three of them slowly gnawed on the stale bread and whenever Gaius woke up; they persuaded them to eat. However Gaius was as aware of the direness of his situation as they were and it took all three of them to make him eat what little food they had. Time seemed to drag on forever but by midmorning, Morgana had Gwaine pulled out of the cell and taken up to fight again for her general amusement.

"Good luck Gwaine," Elyan said.

"You can do it." Gwen added. Gwaine nodded confidently and made his way up to the throne room. Brawling was second nature to him however he wasn't in a joking mood. He needed to win this fight; Gaius and the others depended on him. Morgana held up a second loaf of bread and a small jug of water.

"You want these? Then win the fight." Morgana stated as she handed him a wooden sword; a child's toy and within minutes at least twice as many thugs that he and Elyan had fought against yesterday surrounded him. Gwaine looked at the wooden sword and flung it aside as determination ran through him. He would beat these gits. And he would do it with his bare hands.

Half an hour later Gwaine was half supported back into the cell; he was half-conscious but a jug was being held tightly in his hands. Every bit of his face was covered in bruises and cuts. His chain mail was all but destroyed and his under shirt was torn. His arms and legs were stiff and Elyan and Gwen prompted him against the wall as Morgana coldly threw in the bread after them. Elyan gently removed the jug from Gwaine's grip and set it on the floor. Gwen got to her feet and looked at Morgana.

"What happened to you Morgana?" Gwen asked.

"What are you talking about?" Morgana asked.

"What happened to the person you used to be? The Morgana who used to laugh and smile without some ulterior or wicked motive. The Morgana who used to defend the innocent and argue against Uther for what she believed in. The Morgana who showed compassion whenever someone needed it; even when they felt as though they didn't deserve it. The Morgana who never used to be able to look whenever someone was being executed. When did she die and you take her place?" Gwen asked.

"That is no concern of yours." Morgana replied. That girl she used to be didn't exist anymore; that girl was naïve and innocent and unaware of the truth.

"You made it my concern whenever you hurt the people I care about. Do you know something Morgana? Whenever I look at you; do you know what I see? I see the person who comforted me whenever my father died. I see the person who saw those below her as people equal to her. I see the little girl who cheered when I beat Arthur in that wrestling match the day we met. I see the terrified young woman who I would have to comfort whenever her nightmares caused her to wake up screaming. I see her. But then I blink and she turns into you and I wonder where my friend, my sister, disappeared to." Gwen explained.

"Well isn't that too bad for you." Morgana replied and walked out of the dungeon. Gwen scuffed the floor and turned her attention back to Gwaine. Elyan had removed his chain mail and Gwen helped him remove Gwaine's shirt. Gwen drew in her breath whenever she saw Gwaine's battered chest. Like his face almost every inch was red, cut or bruised. Elyan tore at Gwaine's shirt to make makeshift bandages for Gwen to press against some of the larger cuts.

"They really did a number on him this time." Elyan muttered.

"I know," Gwen replied and gently shook Gwaine's shoulder.

"Gwaine, are you alright? Can you hear me?" Gwen asked.

"I hear ya," Gwaine muttered and put a hand to his head. "Don't worry about me. I've had worse; can't really remember them at the moment but I've definitely had worse. There's water there for us."

"Take some," Gwen replied holding the jug up to his mouth. Gwaine took a few sips as did Gwen and Elyan before they turned to Gaius.

"Gaius you need to eat and drink." Elyan pressed.

"No; you need it more than I do. You'll need your strength; especially Gwaine and Elyan, you'll have to fight again." Gaius replied.

"You need it more than us Gaius; if you don't…" Gwen trailed off and Gaius looked at the brother and sister who were standing over him.

"Don't worry about me. I have been a physician for many years; I've seen so many enter this world and many more leave it. If there is one thing I have never feared; it is death. I am an old man, I'm ready to die." Gaius whispered.

"Don't say that Gaius; we need you. Camelot needs you. You're the only one who can talk sense into Arthur and who's going to keep Merlin out of trouble if you're not here?" Gwaine said; the attempt at humour was pathetic but Gaius reluctantly allowed himself to drink some of the water. After a few mouthfuls, Gwen removed the jug and sipped it herself. It did little to quench their thirst but water was water. Gaius shut his eyes again and Gwen looked at Gwaine and Elyan. Gaius had basically given himself the last rites; he had given up any hope of surviving their imprisonment and they could do little to improve matters. Elyan looked at Gwaine and Gwen hopelessly after a while; they started talking about what they would do whenever they got out of the dungeon. While Elyan and Gwaine talked about eating their body weight in food and staying in their beds for a week, Gwen hugged her knees and stared at the wall thinking about what happened as well as what was going to happen and what needed to happen.

Arthur, Merlin, Tristan and Isolde walked through the forest on constant alert. It was possible that Morgana knew they weren't dead yet and could send more men at any moment. As they walked; the group talked about the impending battle and Arthur discussed how their priority was both to defeat Morgana but also to liberate the hostages. Isolde studied Arthur as they walked.

"The girl; Guinevere; you love her don't you?" Isolde asked.

"More than words could ever say," Arthur replied. Merlin turned and looked around before turning left. "Where are you going now Merlin?"

"Follow me," Merlin insisted. He knew what part of the woods they had reached. He'd come here once before and inspiration hit him. Arthur, Tristan and Isolde followed Merlin until they reached a small clearing. In the middle of the clearing was a large rock and embedded in the rock was a sword.

"What on earth?" Tristan asked as he approached the sword and gave it a tug. Naturally he wasn't able to remove it from the heavy stone.

"I heard about this. There's some myth about it. Some ancient king, in order to ensure peace between the lands, trapped this sword in the stone. The myth said that only the Once and Future King would be able to extract the sword and use it to unite all of Albion once more." Merlin lied; looking Arthur in the face. Well it wasn't really a lie. The sword was destined for Arthur and he would unite Albion. The only lie was that Merlin wasn't an ancient king.

"That's just a child's story Merlin." Arthur denied.

"It's you though Arthur. The sword is destined for you." Merlin insisted.

"It's worth a try." Isolde pressed. They were going to launch an attack on Camelot and at this point; any help was welcome. Arthur looked at his three companions and approached the stone. He gripped the handle in both of his hands and tugged. The sword remained in place. Arthur loosened his grip and tried again but still the sword refused to come out. Arthur decided to give it one last try and this time (with some 'help' from Merlin) the sword yielded to his grip and Arthur pulled it out of the sword with ease. Arthur studied the sword; as a sword it was a genuine work of art. What was most interesting was the inscriptions on both sides of the sword. It looked to be written in the Old Language. Arthur turned back to Merlin, Tristan and Isolde and as he tightened his grip on the sword, Arthur felt a sense of determination course within him.

"Let's do this." Arthur said.

The four of them journeyed into the woods and after a while they came across Leon and Percival who had rounded up all of the knights and guards who had escaped from Camelot two nights beforehand. Arthur studied his troops; all of them had some form of weapons yet what they lacked in numbers; Arthur knew they more than made up for with their strength, courage and fighting abilities. This was it; the battle which once and for all would decide Camelot's fate. They were only a few hours from Camelot and if they struck before nightfall they could retain some element of surprise. Arthur took Merlin, Tristan, Isolde, Leon and Percival aside and went over the plan of attack.

"Leon, and Percival you and your men will take the South Gates; Tristan and Isolde, Merlin and I will head for the North. However we let them know we're coming and that we're going to try to breach either the Western or Eastern gates. This will allow for the other entrances to be less guarded. Once we're inside; Leon and Percival try and head for the dungeons and free Guinevere, Gaius, Gwaine and Elyan. If any of them can fight then arm them and send them towards the throne room where we'll be and if they're wounded then get them to Gaius'. Merlin, Tristan and Isolde we're going to head for the throne room. My bet is that's where Morgana and Helios will be." Arthur ordered, the six of them returned to the others and Arthur relayed his plan. As they reached Camelot; the fighters stood on the hillside staring at their castle; their home. Arthur raised Excalibur into the air.

"FOR THE LOVE OF CAMELOT!" Arthur yelled.

"FOR THE LOVE OF CAMELOT!" everyone roared and spilt up.

The time was nigh;

The battle was on.

Morgana jumped as the warning bell began ringing and a man ran into the room. "We're under attack! Arthur and his men are practically at the door."

Morgana swore loudly and Helios went to order his men to fight back. He kept in mind what Morgana had already ordered. Kill as many knights as they could but bring Arthur to Morgana alive. Morgana sat down in her throne and composed herself. She knew Arthur well; she knew her idiotic brother knew how to fight and was aware that Arthur would most likely than not come to her himself. He was too stubborn to be captured and any attempts at resisting capture could result in Arthur being killed before she could kill him and Morgana couldn't have that.

"It won't be long now dear brother." Morgana muttered under her breath.

"Did you hear that?" Elyan asked.

"Sounded like the warning bell." Gwaine replied with a grin. "We know what that means."

Gwen turned to Gaius and gently shook his shoulder. "Come on Gaius; wake up. It won't be that long until we're out of here." Gaius nodded slowly. A new sense of weak determination filled him. He could last a short while longer. Merlin needed him.

"Tristan, on your left!" Merlin yelled. Tristan turned and stuck his sword into the stomach of the man who had been about to stick his sword into Tristan's back. The four of them were making their way through the castle grounds with ease; it was clear the men had been ordered not to kill Arthur. However it was clear that the other knights and guards were duelling harder than they were. Finally the four of them had crossed the courtyard and reached the castle doors.

"Where do we go now?" Tristan asked.

"This way," Arthur ordered. As they rounded the corner, they were ambushed by about a dozen men. As they fought; they all sustained some cuts and bruises but managed to beat them back; killing some and wounding others. They rounded another corner and faced four more men. Arthur looked at them and raised his head cockily.

"Alright everyone; choose your man." Arthur ordered and they attacked. Once they were defeated Helios' men; it was a clear path up the stairs to the throne room.

Down in the dungeons, the sounds of the battle became louder and louder before finally the dungeon door burst open and Leon and Percival rushed in. Leon had the keys in his hand and tossed them to Percival who opened the dungeon door and the two knights rushed inside to see their friends. They quickly shook hands and hugged before Leon and Percival regarded the prisoners. Both Elyan and Gwen were standing and willing to go and fight. Gaius was lying on the bench and Gwaine was slumped on the floor; looking for all the world like he'd just been kicked out of the tavern after starting another brawl.

"Well it's about time." Gwaine joked as he was helped to his feet by Leon. Percival approached Gaius and lifted him up.

"Can any of you fight? Arthur and Merlin are headed for the throne room." Leon asked looking at the three of them.

"Of course," they all replied. Leon however shook his head at Gwaine.

"Gwaine you're in no state; you can hardly stand." Leon insisted.

"I'm fine; just give me a sword." Gwaine replied though he could hardly stand on his own two feet.

"Gwaine, Leon's right. Go with Percival." Elyan pressed as Leon handed him and Gwen a sword.

"Don't worry; we'll get a few Southrons for you." Gwen promised. Gwaine reluctantly nodded and allowed Leon to support him out of the dungeon with Percival and Gaius. Elyan and Gwen looked at one another.

"Ready?" Elyan asked.

"Born ready." Gwen replied and they headed out of the dungeon and into the fray.

Arthur, Merlin, Tristan and Isolde burst through the throne room doors and froze. Morgana and Helios were alone in the room; there were no guards, no soldiers however both of them were armed with swords. While they outnumbered Morgana and Helios two to one; they knew they had to be cautious; they all knew how ruthless Morgana was with her power. Rather than launch an attack; instead Morgana got up and approached them as though they were her welcomed guests; not her enemies.

"Arthur; what a pleasant surprise. What brings you to my kingdom?" Morgana asked politely but there was a dangerous undertone to her voice.

"Camelot is my kingdom and I am taking it back." Arthur replied.

"Are you really?" Morgana asked and raised her sword. Arthur dodged the attack and the siblings began duelling. Helios began battling against Merlin, Tristan and Isolde and it was clear why he was a warlord. Helios was a skilled swordsman and it was clear he had no conscience. Morgana blasted the four of them back and took off; Merlin was the first to his feet and perused her out of them throne room. It was clear Morgana was wounded yet the wound seemed only to encourage her wrath and fight harder. Any and every man she came across was struck down by either her sword or her magic. Morgana reached her old chambers and staggered through the door. Leaning against the wall she took a few deep breathes and composed herself as Merlin burst through the door.

"Why? Why did you have to do this Morgana?" Merlin asked.

"You betrayed me; all of you." Morgana spat. Merlin had poisoned her; Arthur had taken Uther's side and Gwen had taken Arthur's side. The only person she was ever able to trust and rely on was Morgause; without her, Morgana could only focus and depend upon herself.

"Please don't make me do this Morgana." Merlin whispered as he raised his sword. The last thing he had ever wanted to do was hurt Morgana yet it was because he had poisoned her that all of this happened.

Morgana sneered. "You don't frighten me Merlin. I was trained by the best of my father's men and am the last of the High Priestesses. You have no idea just who you're dealing with."

"Neither do you." Merlin whispered as they began duelling. It was clear that despite her wound; Morgana had the upper hand in a physical battle and the only way Merlin would be able to defeat her was by using magic. Yet he knew he could not reveal just who he really was. Not to Morgana. As they battled Merlin fell back behind the bed and knew he had only one chance. Merlin looked at the ceiling and his eyes flashed gold. Morgana fell back with a shriek as the ceiling gave way. As the dust cleared Merlin got to his feet and studied the rubble.

Morgana had vanished.

Down in the throne room Arthur and Tristan were still duelling Helios. Isolde was sent flying to the floor where she lay huddled over into a ball, clutching her stomach. Tristan turned to check whether or not his wife was alright leaving Arthur to face Helios alone. The two men's swords clashed and clanged as they moved around the throne room, both men were attacking and defending, occasionally wounding but there was yet to a fatal blow on any side. Helios kicked Arthur's legs out from under him, sending the king crashing to the floor. Helios raised his sword as he studied the king.

"Your little girlfriend is a beautiful thing isn't she. Once she sees what I've done to you; I'm sure Morgana will allow me to have Guinevere this time." Helios boasted.

With a bellow of rage; Arthur struck his sword into Helios' stomach as Helios arched his back and collapsed under three separate stab wounds. Arthur's attack to the stomach coupled with two stab wounds in the back. Helios fell to the floor dead and both Elyan and Gwen were standing behind him with bloodstained swords.

"I don't think so." Elyan commented, kicking Helios' corpse aside and helping Arthur to his feet. Gwen however hurried over to Tristan and Isolde and began checking Isolde's wound. The wound stretched across the whole of her stomach and Gwen tore at her dress to make a bandage to stem the flow of blood so that the wound could be better inspected.

"It doesn't seem to be that deep but you've lost a fair amount of blood." Gwen said and looked at the unfamiliar woman. "What's your name?"

"Isolde," she replied, her breathing becoming laboured. "I don't think I'll make it."

"Isolde, come on, don't leave me." Tristan said, holding her as tightly as he could.

"I think I might have to." Isolde whispered.

"No, no you don't." Arthur insisted, dropping to his knees beside them. Elyan sprinted from the room to get something from Gaius' to try and halt the loss of blood. Merlin came running into the room as they knelt around Isolde, trying to keep her alive. "Remember Isolde; our deal. I won the battle with your help. I owe you don't I?" Arthur asked.

"The house, our home;" Isolde whispered, managing a weak smile at Tristan.

"By the river; with some livestock and a few children;" Tristan added.

"No more smuggling or running from the law;" Isolde continued.

"Where we'd grow old together;" Tristan whispered.

"A place where we could stay for the rest of our lives." Isolde finished.

Arthur, Gwen and Merlin all felt pangs of pain in their hearts whenever they listened to Tristan and Isolde. That was the sort of fantasy Arthur had admitted having to Gwen. They would run away from Camelot and become farmers. Well, Merlin would do the work but they would be together. Merlin was forcibly reminded of whenever he and Freya discussed their dream of running away and having a little home by the lakeside. A place where they were free to be themselves with no more secrets or lies. Two impossible dreams.

"Come on Isolde, you can't give up. You can't let Helios win!" Gwen insisted as Elyan returned with a potion Gaius used to seal wounds and stop loss of blood. Gwen gave it to Tristan who poured it down Isolde's throat. Gwen tore at the dress again to make a bigger bandage which she wrapped tightly around Isolde's slim frame. The potion seemed to work and the bleeding stopped. Tristan laid Isolde on the table for her to get some rest as a pair of knights entered the throne room.

"Sire; the Southron's are all but defeated. Those who survived are fleeing. The battle is won." Sir Henry claimed.

"Tell those who are unwounded to help those who are. Send any causalities here for treatment and any fatalities to the preparation chamber. Did we lose many men?" Arthur asked.

"We got more of them than they got us but a few didn't make it Sire," Sir Francis replied. Arthur nodded grimly as the knights left and he turned to the others.

"Merlin, we're going to need a lot of water, potions and bandages. Where are Gaius and Gwaine?" Arthur asked.

"Percival and Leon took them down to Gaius' chambers. They should be alright; Gaius just needs rest and something to eat and drink. When I was down there they were putting him into his bed and Gwaine's claiming he's fine. He's not too happy about missing out on the battle though." Elyan explained.

"What about the pair of you?" Arthur asked.

"We're fine; nothing a hot meal and a warm bed can't cure." Gwen replied. Arthur took her hand and looked her in the eyes.

"Are you sure?" Arthur asked and Gwen nodded. Arthur then did the one thing he'd been wanting to do the moment he and Merlin had found Gwen in the woods. He wrapped his arms around Gwen's waist and pulled her in for a long, slow, passionate kiss. Gwen responded to the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. It felt so good; so right to do that again. After a few minutes they broke apart blushing.

"I need to help Merlin." Gwen replied and she and Merlin quickly hugged as they went to gather water, bandages and potions. Merlin led the way down to Gaius' chambers; intent on seeing for himself that his mentor was alright before getting back to work. Once they had gone, Arthur turned to Elyan.

"What happened?" Arthur asked. He was terrified by what Helios had said before he was killed. What had the warlord meant?

"Whenever I was captured; Morgana forced me to make a choice. I could either remain loyal to you or to Gwen. Basically if I didn't tell her where you here heading; Helios would have been allowed to bed Gwen. I couldn't let that happen! I had to tell her!" Elyan insisted and Arthur held up a hand.

"It's fine Elyan. I would have done the same." Arthur replied. The two men looked at Tristan and Isolde for a moment before Arthur looked at Elyan's cuts and bruises. "Are you alright?"

"Morgana made me and Gwaine fight for food. I'm alright; Gwaine had to do it twice. He looks a complete mess." Elyan explained.

"No more than usual." Merlin claimed as he and Gwen returned to the throne room which was slowly filling with causalities of various natures. The rest of the afternoon was spent treating the wounded. Gwen, Arthur, Elyan and Merlin along with a pack of uninjured volunteers were tending to the various wounds sustained by the fighters. However as with every battle there were those whose wounds were too serious to treat and those who hadn't survived the battle.

Morgana came round in the middle of the forest. Her side was in absolute agony and as she muttered a healing incantation; she lay on the ground. The wound had weakened her and she felt numb. She had lost everything; the battle was lost; her throne was lost; her allies were lost. She was completely and utterly alone. As Morgana lay on the grass; she heard a light chirruping and screeching sound. A small white baby dragon flew clumsily in front of her and studied the sorceress for a moment. Slowly the baby dragon blew over Morgana and as the dragon's breath washed over her body; Morgana could feel a sense of power and strength wash over her. Morgana sat up as the little dragon bowed it's head and flew off. Morgana watched it fly away and slowly got to her feet.

"Thank you." Morgana whispered.

As evening fell, the people who had fled Camelot began returning home and the inhabitants of the castle began to try and sort out some of the mess caused by the past few days. However before they began any of that; the cooks returned to the kitchen and began preparing a hot slap-up meal for everyone. Something which prompted loud cheers from everyone. As the food was being shared out; Gwaine, Leon and Percival came up from Gaius' with the news that Gaius was going to be fine.

"So the Round Table is back together once more." Arthur claimed through a mouthful of chicken as they all sat grouped together on the floor sharing food.

"Well, not all of us." Merlin replied. They fell silent for a moment, remembering their fallen friend before Gwaine swigged a large amount of water and belched loudly causing them to laugh childishly.

"Pig," Percival commented.

"I cannot wait to crawl into my bed and sleep for about a week." Merlin vowed and they nodded in agreement. It felt so good being able to think and say that, they were going to sleep in their own beds again.

"Not that you'll be doing much sleeping Merlin. Not when there's so much cleaning that needs done around here." Arthur claimed. Merlin cast his eyes.

"We won't be getting much sleep then; there's a lot of rebuilding to do." Gwen commented as she reached over and stole a piece of bread from Elyan's plate.

"Hey get your own!" Elyan claimed as he tried to snatch it back. Gwen however stuffed it in her mouth and grinned at her brother who cast his eyes. Gwen looked around the hall. This was possibly the thing she missed the most about Camelot. The afterwards of a battle; when everyone was together as one. Sharing food and talking with one another. The sense of community and family which was only achieved after the overcoming of hardship which almost made the battle seem like less of a horrifying experience. It was the little piece of light at the end of the dark tunnel. The small slice of hope that now everything would be alright. The danger had passed and they were safe again. The unity being shown by the people; any barriers or arguments between them were ignored and forgotten. As she watched the cooks offer food to the knights and guards who would rile them up by trying to steal some; the guards and knights who would always have a few harsh words to one another; the men who were sharing their food with Tristan and Isolde; two complete strangers whom they had formed a bond with in a time of darkness. It was just like when they had all sat at the Round Table. They had all been equal then and right now; everyone in this room was equal. They were the defenders of Camelot; the torch carriers in the darkness; there was no rank or status anymore. They were one. They were Camelot.

And as Gwen sat in the hall with the people she cared about; she knew that they would face trials and tribulations and that Morgana would definitely try to kill them all again. Yet as she looked around the crowded throne room; Gwen also knew that if they all stuck together; they would always emerge at the other side. United. Victorious. Triumphant.

AN: So Morgana is out; Arthur and the gang are back in. what did you think of the battle; I suck at creating big all-out battle scenes so I just adapted the canon to my own means. This isn't the end I might be able to get a few more chapters out before the conclusion.