I apologize for this chapter being a bit late. I honestly forgot what day it was until right before bed yesterday, but it was too late to update then. I had to do some research into the original legends of Camelot before I could write as well, so it took longer than usual. Anyhow, enjoy!
P.S. THIS CHAPTER IS SUPER LONG!
Today's British Glossary (in order of appearance)
Flat: apartment
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Chapter 7
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Merlin came back to Arthur's flat the next day and Arthur grinned when he heard the knock at his door, knowing it had to be him. A part of him still felt like all of this was a dream, and yet… it also felt right. Like he'd always known, deep down, that this was the truth.
"'Morning," he said cheerfully to the sorcerer in his doorway.
"Good morning," Merlin replied, smiling.
They sat in the living room together, Arthur settling into the loveseat once again and Merlin taking the armchair opposite him.
"I know you wanted to help me remember today," Arthur said, "but I actually had something different in mind."
Merlin raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, waiting for Arthur to continue.
"Well, the thing is, I think all the memories are in there, but they're jumbled because I get them confused with what I've learned about the legends of Camelot. There's as many differences as there are similarities, and I think it would be really helpful to start by sorting out which is which. You know, what really happened. Then maybe I can remember everything in more detail."
Merlin nodded. "Okay. Do you many me to give you a history lesson, or…?"
"Actually, I was thinking we'd play a game."
"A game?"
"Have you read The Hunger Games?"
"Have I… what? What does that have to do with anything?
"Just answer the question," Arthur said.
Merlin rolled his eyes and said, "No, I haven't. I haven't really kept up with modern literature."
"Okay, well, there's this guy Peeta, and he's been sort of brainwashed. He's got all these memories that aren't real crammed in with the ones that are real, and he can't tell which is which. So he plays this sort of game with this girl Katniss where he tells her a fact and asks whether it's real or not real, and she tells him. Sometimes she gives more detail too."
"So you're Peeta and I'm Katniss?" Merlin asked with a chuckle.
"Well… basically, yeah. Do you think that'd work?"
Merlin considered for a moment, then said, "I think that's a great idea. So what do you need cleared up?"
"Well, I was thinking we'd start with the "sword in the stone". I pulled Excalibur out of stone… real or not real?"
"Real," Merlin told him. "Though I believe your legends say it was to establish you as king. Really, it was to demonstrate to the people around you that you were worthy of being king. And to restore your faith in yourself. But… I actually staged the whole thing."
"What?" Arthur asked, incredulous.
"Yeah. I made the legend up. Everyone was losing heart, and I had to do something. It worked."
Arthur nodded slowly and moved to his next question. "I had a literal round table that I sat at with my knights… real or not real?"
"Real. That was some time after you became king and decided to disregard heritage and choose your knights according to their qualities alone. It was a bold move, but effective."
Arthur smiled. "So, the Holy Grail. I searched for it… real or not real?"
Merlin snorted. "Not at all. That thing's a myth. I mean, I came across this other cup that was kind of similar, but it came with a pretty steep price."
Arthur gave him a questioning look.
"Well, you could save a person from death, but someone else had to die first," Merlin told him, but he didn't elaborate any further.
"Okay. Let's see… oh yeah. I grew up… in the castle. With my father. Real or not real?"
Merlin looked confused. "Real…" he said slowly, eyebrows drawn together as he wondered why Arthur would ask that. Then it seemed to dawn on him and he laughed, "Oh, right. Obviously. The legends say I raised you, right? That your father died when you were a child."
Arthur nodded.
"Well, you grew up as a prince. A prat, really," he added with a smirk. "And we were in our early twenties, I think, when we met. Your father died a few years after that, after he'd been stabbed. You tried to get a sorcerer to save him. Me, actually, but you didn't know that. But there was a spell on him, it reversed the healing spell I tried to use and it ended up killing him instead." Merlin frowned. "I thought I'd made a mistake for a while. Didn't figure out until later what had happened. I never liked Uther, but I didn't mean to kill him. I suppose he would have died anyways, but… I still felt awful. Especially because I'd blown my chance to give you both an appreciation for magic."
"It wasn't your fault," Arthur said sympathetically. "And you were right to try." He paused for a few moments, then said, "I didn't know you had magic. Real or not real?"
Merlin hesitated. "Kind of… both? I used magic in secret for a long time. You didn't know until I told you about it right before… before…" he trailed off, unable to say the words.
"Before I died," Arthur finished, and Merlin looked away.
Arthur wasn't really sure how to comfort the sorcerer, so he simply continued the game. "My parents were Uther and Ygraine. And my mother – Ygraine – she…" he paused, as this was one point that his mind had trouble with. "She was married to somebody else… but my father wanted an heir so he tricked her… and then I was born. Real or not real?"
"Not real," Merlin answered. "Uther and Ygraine were married, and from what I gathered, very fond of one another. But there was still the issue of your birth. Ygraine couldn't have children, so they asked a sorceress – Nimueh – for help. She helped, but… well, it was like the cup. Magic has a… a balance. You can't use it to create life or sustain it without destroying a life. So you were born, but Ygraine died."
"Oh."
"It broke Uther's heart, I think. He didn't understand the price when he asked for Nimueh's help. But he blamed her, and magic altogether. That's why he hated it that much. That's why he… why he killed them all."
"The Great Purge," Arthur said, pulling the words from some part of his memory. "He executed everyone with magic. Right? Real or not real?"
"Real. It's why it was so important for me to keep my powers secret."
Arthur nodded. "Okay. Then, Mordred was not my son or nephew… real or not real?"
"Real. You weren't related at all. Morgana was quite fond of him, but I think she treated him more like a brother than a son."
"Speaking of Morgana… she was my half-sister… real or not real?"
"Real. She was Uther's daughter, born sometime after Ygraine died. She was kind when I met her. Gentle. Compassionate. But I think she felt betrayed by her family and then isolated because of her magic and it just… ruined her. But her actions were her own, and she did a lot of evil."
Arthur conjured up an image of the dark-haired Morgana, and his heart felt heavy. Merlin's words rung true with him. He moved on to his next question. "And Gaius was the court physician. Real or not real?"
"Real."
No further explanation was needed, so Arthur continued. "You fell in love with a sorceress that didn't love you as much as she let on, and she managed to trap you to go… well, I don't quite remember what. Real or not real?"
"Not real. I mean, there was… someone… but it wasn't like that. She wasn't exactly a sorceress, but she was a druid. She didn't ever try to trap me, though," he said with a laugh.
Arthur quirked up an eyebrow with a sly smile. "Who's this 'someone'? Did I know her?"
"No. Her name was Freya. She died. Story for another time."
Arthur held up his hands in surrender, and moved on. "Okay, then what about Gwen? You had acrush on her… real or not real?"
Merlin laughed loudly. "Gwen? Not at all. Not real. We were good friends, that's all. Though I think one time I revealed my magic to save her from being killed, and you said it was because I was stupid in love. Little did you know I was telling the truth."
Arthur snorted. "Well, you'll find my reincarnated self to be a bit more perceptive."
"I'll believe it when I see it."
"Sure. Well, Gwen, then. She was the blacksmith's daughter and Morgana's handmaiden… real or not real?"
"Real."
"Then there was… Lancelot. He loved her. Real or not real?"
"Real. But she didn't… well, she did love him at first, I think. But she came to love you far more than she ever loved him."
"She cheated on me with him. Real or not real?"
Merlin frowned. "Well… real. Kind of. Technically, yes. They kissed. But Gwen was under an enchantment, and Lancelot wasn't even Lancelot, he was just a shade. Gwen didn't know what she was doing. But no one knew then what happened and it couldn't be proven, so you exiled her. You reunited later, and I think you finally managed to forgive her, and then you got married."
Arthur nodded. "Let's see, next is… Mordred. He's the one that killed me. Real or not real?"
Merlin looked down again. He spoke softly. "Real. He stabbed you with a sword forged in dragon's breath. A shard broke off and went to your heart. You killed him before that."
"But he was one of my knights. Real or not real?"
"He was. Good and loyal, too. He saved your life a few times. He left because of love. He was angry because you killed the girl he loved. You had to, though."
"Mordred wasn't trying to take over Camelot, though, like the legends say," Arthur mused. "He just wanted revenge. Real or not real?"
"Real. It was Morgana who wanted to take over Camelot. I killed her."
Merlin's voice had gotten quieter and quieter, but his last sentence sparked with fury.
"I guess that's it," he decided, "At least for now. Any other trivia for me?" he asked lightheartedly.
Merlin took a few moments to respond. "My father had magic. He was a dragonlord, and so am I. I'm the last, actually. But there are no more dragons, so it doesn't matter anymore."
"What's a dragonlord?"
"It's… well it means you can talk to dragons in their language. And they have to obey you."
"That's cool."
"I guess."
"Anything else?"
"Well, Gaius had magic. You never knew, obviously. You and your father knew that he had a lot of knowledge about magic, but he could actually use it too. He just didn't much. Thought he could do more good by mentoring me instead."
A bittersweet smile crossed Merlin's face, and Arthur suggested they take a break for lunch. Hopefully, he could cheer the sorcerer up a bit.
Clearly, Merlin was still hurting from all he'd lost. He wasn't drowning in grief or anything like that, but a deep sort of sadness clung to him whenever he talked about certain parts of the past, likely because he hadn't ever had to talk about the before.
But just like Merlin was helping Arthur to realize his potential, Arthur was going to help Merlin find genuine happiness.
He was certain of it.
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