First of all I'd like to apologize for not updating. I wrote this for two weeks now but I've been so busy and it's the new year and I was work and school and all of these things going on at once.

I read all of the reviews which inspired me to write this chapter (well technically I should be saying finishing this chapter) so I finally did.

So here it is and I apologize greatly for the wait. I will try my hardest to update but your reviews would be nice because they are the reason why I even finished this tonight, and thank you all from the bottom of my heart for reviewing. It means so much more than you really think.

Enjoy!

(:


Chapter Seven: Who We Once Were

"What do you think of her," Guinevere asks her oldest friend.

"Think of who?" Merlin asks as he steps into the light. It is dark, and Guinevere is up drinking a glass of Camelot's finest wine to drown her thoughts. It's one of those nights again where she remembers everything. Over thinking does ruin a lot of people.

"The princess Lynette of Thaynes," Guinevere slurs as she stares at the fire in her chambers. She is huddles in blankets near the fire place where she used to sit with Arthur and he's tell her stories of anything and everything.

"I think she is rather beautiful. Don't you?" Merlin suggests.

"She's a little too young for you to say such things, and I right Merlin?" Guinevere muses as she drinks some more.

"Right," Merlin holds his hands up defensively. "But still...I will admit she is rather pretty. For a young girl."

"I agree," Guinevere sighs. "Oh, but it's all difficult!"

"What is?" Merlin is bewildered when Guinevere suddenly stands up and starts pacing around the room.

"I don't want him to get hurt! Surely a beautiful princess like that has many suitors!"
"Yes! I am sure but from what I have seen tonight she seems quite smitten with your son!" Merlin tries to talk some sense into Camelot's queen.

"But why!? They just met!"
"Don't you remember!?"

"Remember what!?" Guinevere is in tears now and it is obvious that she is thinking of Arthur.

"Don't you remember Arthur? How you both fell in love so suddenly."

"Yes, but here lies the difference Merlin. I've known Arthur for so long!"

"But had you ever looked at him that way you did when you welcomed him into your home? Or he you?"
Guinevere is silent and stares blankly back at Merlin. "No," she whispers after a while.

"Exactly. Why are you getting so upset anyways?" Merlin rubs her tears away.

"I...I don't know. I just started thinking of Arthur again. Oh, how I miss him so much," Guinevere cries out as she suddenly goes limp and falls. Merlin catches her and holds her in his arms. For a moment there she is not a queen. She is a woman who has lost everything; her father, brother, friends, and her husband. Merlin holds now not a queen of Camelot, but a girl. He holds Gwen in his arms, not Queen Guinevere. And as she sobs loudly she remembers that angelic face of her husband, the same one that haunts her thoughts and these halls of the palace.

"I miss him so much Merlin," Guinevere whispers.

"As do I Gwen."

"Gwen," she smiles through the tears. "Gwen, Gwen, Gwen, my you haven't called me that in such a long time."

"You'll always be Gwen before the Queen of Camelot to me."

"Well I'm glad."

"Come," Merlin beckons as he hoists her upward. Her dress in wrinkled and her eyes are tired but still she is beautiful. Merlin carries her bridal style to her bed and she shuts her eyes immediately.

"Thank you Merlin," she breathes.

"You're welcome Gwen. Arthur would've wanted it anyways, he'd kill me if I didn't take good care of you."

But Guinevere is already asleep so she doesn't hear Merlin's comforting words and Merlin leaves, closing the door on his queen who first of most things was his dearest friend.

xXxXx

Lynette of Thaynes smiled as a shadowy figure loomed over her, blocking the sunlight. This shadowy figure however wasn't big or scary, but rather a knight in shining armor. Literally.

"Hello brother," Lynette grins as she engulfs her brother, Prince William of Thaynes in a bearing hug.

"Sister," he smiles lovingly at his baby sister. Prince William was a man of the age 26 and he was still as handsome as he was when he was 10 years younger. He had bright blue eyes, and shaggy brown hair with a growing beard, still even with that he was rather handsome and many of the ladies thought him to be so. If there was one thing you knew about William though it was that he loved his baby sister very much. All of these years when their father would try to marry Lynette off, William would be there to help her if she didn't like them. And if she did...then he'd give them a chance even though many of them failed to give his baby sister what she wanted. Or what she deserved at least.

"I didn't know you were back from the battle?"

"I wasn't expecting to be home so soon. But I came home about two weeks ago, found out you weren't there and traveled here to Camelot in search of you."

"Sounds like you were busy."

"I'm just lucky the queen herself is a nice woman."

"She is isn't she? And to think her husband was the legendary King Arthur."

"He was legendary."

"Did you fight alongside with him?"

"When I was a young boy I had met him yes."

"And does his son, Prince Llacheu look so much like him?"

"In a way...yes he does. Why the sudden interest on the prince?"

Lynette blushed and looked down at her feet. It was a beautiful day there at Camelot and she thought she might get some reading done but her brother was a distraction. After all she hadn't seen him in four months now. War was heavy on Thaynes.

"I do not brother."

"Oh, really?" William smirked as he shoved his sister.

"Ouch! Stop that at once brother!"

"Or what? Will you get your prince to stop me?" he teased.

"Oh shut up about that! I do not fancy him!"

"Really?"

"Yes really," Lynette said snobbishly as she turned away from her brother and hid in the shade of the tree. But that was a lie, wasn't it?
"You know I hear rumors sis that you and a certain prince of Camelot get along quite well," William smiles warmly at his sister as he turns to look at her.

"Oh do you now?" Lynette quirks as she lifts an eyebrow delicately and stares at her brother with those 'I know what you're up to' eyes.

"Yes I do believe that I do."

"Lies. All lies."

"So you don't get along?"

"We do. But just as friends and not in the way you think we do."

"You're not fun sis!" William laughs and Lynette cannot help but grin widely at her big brother. He'd always be there for her even if he did tease her a lot.

"Maybe I like him just a little," Lynette finally admits.

"Just a little?" William mocked as he tried to get some more information out of her.

"Yes! Now leave me alone would you? I'm trying to read!" Lynette snaps as she smiles and picks up her book from the ground.

"And what is that? A child's book sis?" William questions as he sits next to his baby sister under the tree that protects them both from the rays of the sun. After all it was a very beautiful and sunny day in Camelot.

"The prince gave it to me as a present."

"Llacheu?"

Lynette blushes when she realized her mistake in telling William.

"Shut up."

"I didn't say anything!" William said in defense.

"Well I already know what you're thinking. I can read you like a book, remember? Or have you taken too many blows to the head that you had forgotten?" Now it was Lynette's turn to tease.

"You never fail to surprise me sis."

"Well I'm glad."

xXxXx

"Merlin..."

"Yes?"

"What do you think of the princess Lynette?"

Merlin rolled his eyes and stared at the book in front of him, trying to concentrate. How many times would one ask him that question in a day?

"Why?" Merlin groaned.

"Because..."

"Because what Llacheu?"

"I think..."

"Yes?" Merlin pestered for him to go on. Now was not the time for any of this. Merlin had things to do with magic, healing, and at the end of the day he had to still make sure that Camelot was safe from all harm and that the knights were doing their duty in protecting their queen and prince or what not.

"I think I like her!" Llacheu blurted out.
"I know that," Merlin sighs.

"You do?" Llacheu looks surprised as he picks his head up from the table. They are in the library and Merlin is trying his best to concentrate at one of his most prized spell books meanwhile Llacheu is trying his best to study.

His tutor, a wise man who is paid many gold pieces from Queen Guinevere is sitting across from the prince and the sorcerer and wondering why he even took the job if all the royal brat was going to do was talk to the sorcerer. Rolling his eyes, he looks back at his papers and begins writing documents while thinking that perhaps Merlin should just teach the spoiled prince if he likes him so much.

"I know all Llacheu you should know that by now," Merlin sighs. He was clearly getting way too old for this.

"But!" Llacheu begins to protest but he is cut off my another voice.

"Enough!" Sir Conor, the tutor glares at both the prince and sorcerer.

Both Llacheu and Merlin stare bewildered at the tutor and are surprised at his very existence. Merlin hadn't even known a third party had joined them.

"Prince Llacheu you must get on with your lesson! Read pages 350 to 360 now. Please!"

"Oh," Llacheu says slowly as he looks down at his book and begins to read.

After Sir Conor is pleased with the princes' behavior he looks back down at his papers and begins to write the documents again.

"Merlin..."

Merlin closes his eyes and sighs again. This time Llacheu is whispering however.
"Yes?" Merlin asks, clearly annoyed. He just wanted to get his things done and then get on with his life. Was that too hard to ask?

"Oh, Arthur. If you were here what would you do," Merlin thought.

"I really like the princess Lynette but she will have to leave Camelot soon right? What am I to do then?"

"I don't know Llacheu."

"What!? Why?"

"Shh! I'm a sorcerer not a love doctor!" Merlin scolds him.

This time Sir Conor looks up from his documents and rolls his eyes. Clearly he had given up as well. He stands up and leaves the room without a word to Llacheu or Merlin.

"What crawled up his arse?" Llacheu snarls.

"Don't get too mad he was obviously annoyed with you!" Merlin claims.

"Well you as well!" Llacheu yells.

"Quiet!" the librarian yells at both of them.

The prince and sorcerer both pipe down and look back down at their books.

Finally, Merlin though. Perhaps Llacheu would leave him alone and he could get on with studying a spell that would hopefully cure an illness that has plagued Camelot for years now.

"Psst. Merlin."

This time Merlin does not answer however and he simply gets up from his seat and takes the book with him. He'll return it later anyways.

xXxXx

After a long day Merlin finally retired to bed. He dressed in his bed clothes, which was just a linen shirt and some pants. His chambers were nice, unlike the ones he had when he was younger and had first moved into Camelot. Being the court sorcerer had it's perks after all. Still it wasn't the same knowing Arthur wasn't around. Sometimes Merlin didn't even like going into Guinevere's chambers for it was once Arthur's as well. When Merlin first arrived back in Camelot he refused to enter Arthur's chambers for an entire month. After that month he decided that enough was enough and that he needed to face his fears. Now he cleans Arthur's clothes and armor even when he is not around. It is a simple task to be done. The task is the only thing that reminds Merlin of the good old days and what not.

"You look fancy," a voice says.

Right on time as always.

"Hello to you too Arthur."

Arthur is glaring at Merlin slightly but there is a smile that plays on his lips. He is teasing him and it makes Merlin remember all the good time they've had together and all.

"So I see that Llacheu is unable to get a proper education because of you."

"Excuse me!? Your son is the one bothering me not the other way around!"

"I was just kidding my friend. You still need to learn how to take a joke Merlin."

"Oh shut up," Merlin laughs. He is still very surprised that after all of these years he can still manage to smile let alone laugh and be genuinely happy.

"I understand and all. Sir Conor was my tutor as well. He was still 30 when I had him and now even when he's older he's still as crabby as he was as a 30 year old man."

"He still isn't married either."
"Believable. Never thought that fool could get a wife."

"Love happens in the most unexpected ways you know that right?"
"I know that very well Merlin," Arthur smiles secretively at him.

"You're talking about Guinevere right?"
"Of course I am who else would I speak of?" Arthur rolls his eyes at his best friend.

"Well there is the fact that you've been enchanted to fall in love more than once," Merlin says.

"Don't matter. That's enchantment there's a difference."

"Is there really?"

"Yes. Now on to something more serious and out of the pointless bunch, shall we? How is my kingdom?"

"Fine actually. I've been helping around a lot as usual."
"So nothing's changed all these years."
"Nah," Merlin grins.

"Glad to know that you're always there Merlin. I really am glad that you're there for Camelot, Guinevere, the knights, and my son," Arthur says as he lightly places his hand on Merlin's shoulder. It a friendly gesture and something that Merlin misses. Oh how he wishes he could actually feel his friend's hand on his shoulder. Merlin wishes that he could feel something for once. He is numb now even if he doesn't seem like it at all.

"I'll always be there for Camelot, the knights, and your family."

"Thank you Merlin," Arthur smiles. "I should get going now though."

"Your visits are getting shorter," Merlin muses.

"So will your wait be," Arthur grins and then in the blink of an eye he is gone. Merlin looks at his shoulder and touches it, feeling the presence of Arthur still with him.

"I'll see you soon then," Merlin whispers to the thin air though unknown to even him Arthur hears everything and smiles back.

"I'll see you soon."