AN: If someone tells you I own Merlin, don't believe them, 'cause I don't.

Last chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it. If you did, I would love it if you left me a review! :) pretty please?

Also, if you haven't already, you should visit my profile and vote on which Merlin story I should start next!

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed/favorited/followed!

Also, I should clarify that, though this clearly is non compliant with the season 5 ending, Elyan is dead. Sorry to anyone who likes Elyan.

EPILOGUE: Ten years later

"Thank you, Philip, you may leave," Arthur told his servant. Philip merely nodded, and Arthur internally sighed. Sometimes he missed having Merlin as his servant.

Today was an important day. Looking outside his window, Arthur saw the new candidates standing in a rigid line. He smiled. He always enjoyed this day. It was a tradition he had started many years back. One day out of the year, young men from all over the kingdom could come and show off their skills with a sword. The knights then each chose a candidate they felt had potential, and took them on as an apprentice.

As a result, Arthur now had many new, incredible knights. In the ten years since he'd made magic legal and the nine years this tradition had been going, he'd lost count of the few dozen knights he now had - though he did know that eight of them were sorcerers. He'd been worried at first that they would use magic to cheat, but the magical knights were also partially mentored by Merlin, who constantly ground it into them that he would personally make sure they did not abuse their powers.

The peaceful atmosphere was shattered when his door burst open.

"DADDY!"

The eight-year-old and his five-year-old sister tackle-hugged their royal father.

"Oof!" Arthur was caught unexpectedly. "Lemme breath, won't you?"

Giggling, his son released his hold on the king's neck and slid down his back, while the girl resolutely refused to let go of his legs. Looking up at her father, she grinned.

"We beat you!"

"You sure did, Leah," Arthur said, humoring her.

Gwen appeared in the doorway. She was dressed in a regal blue dress of a material imported specially from Kesmara.

"Elyan! Leah! No tackling your father when he's wearing his armor, you might tip him over," Gwen mock-scolded. Her son giggled, his brown eyes flashing mischievously.

"Mommy said I can go watch the trainee picking today!" Leah said excitedly. It was the first time she was going.

Arthur and Gwen made their way downstairs, being pulled along by their enthusiastic children. When they made it to the training arena, the knights were already there, sizing up the candidates.

Arthur looked over and saw Aerysian and her siblings had come to watch. They were sitting in the stands next to Guinevere, Elyan and Leah, and where Arthur would go sit when finished with his speech. They were staying for a few weeks - Mirabelle had just gotten engaged to Sir Ian, one of Arthur's knights, and a big wedding was being planned out.

Merlin, too, was there, sitting between Gwen and Aerysian. At least, until Leah forced her way between her mother and the Court Sorcerer, who looked down at her in surprise.

"My mommy said I'm big enough to come watch now," Leah told him proudly.

"Well, you are getting pretty old," Merlin said, and chuckled at her satisfied expression. He scanned the line of candidates. "Nice lineup this year," he commented to Gwen, who nodded in agreement. He was about to ask her opinion, maybe get a few bets going, but he stopped at an elbow in the ribs from Aerysian.

"What?"

She pointed to one of the possibly-future-trainees. He was young, probably the youngest, with sandy hair and strangely familiar eyes...

His eyes widened, and he looked to Aerysian for confirmation. Her face was enough to tell him she was thinking the same thing.

Down at the arena, Arthur had finished his short speech about what it took to be a knight, and what would be expected of each person if they were to make it. He had been pacing up and down the lineup as he did so. But now he stopped. He scanned the men closest to him. His eyes swept past them, but on one of them they snapped back after a moment. Something was familiar about the young man's face...

"We will begin with a simple sparring excercise, which I will hand control of over to my knights." He stepped aside, allowing Leon to step forward and explain the drill.

The tryouts went on for four hours, at the end of which the candidates and knights were exhausted, Elyan and Leah were bored, and the king and queen were reasonably impressed.

The knights conferred for a few moments, leaving the people who had tried out to rest, though they did so while constantly shooting nervous or exited glances towards the small ring of warriors. Finally, Leon called for them to reconvene.

"We have decided on ten new knights-in-training. If I call your number, please come stand over here."

He then began calling out various numbers the candidates had had sewn to their shirts. The chosen ones joined the knights, leaving the dwindling group growing more and more anxious.

"And finally," Leon called, "Number seven."

Number seven stepped forward. It was the young teenager Arthur had thought was familiar, but wasn't sure why. It was nagging at him, so he spoke up.

"What's your name?"

The young trainee's eyes swiveled towards the king. "Camden, my Lord."

The name brought back a torrent of memories for the king. The old Arthur would have been suspicious, probably ordered Merlin to keep an eye on him, but the new Arthur could see the sincerity in the boy's eyes as he said, "It is my dream to join the ranks of the knights of Camelot, and to serve her king."

Arthur smiled.

"Welcome, Trainee Camden."