A/N: Thanks for all your reviews!

Duels and Books

"Master Emrys! Master Emrys!"

Merlin awoke with a jerk to find Tenga, the house-elf standing beside his bed, blinking with those massive eyes. He grinned broadly when he saw Merlin was awake.

"Good morning, sir! Tenga has your breakfast!"

Merlin smiled as he got out of bed. "I already told you, Tenga. You don't need to bring me breakfast every morning. I'm used to getting it myself."

Tenga shook his tiny head and pointed eagerly to the tray of food on the table. "You is in a castle now, sir! Tenga will do it for you. Mistress Helga says Tenga is to treat you as we would treat one of them!"

Merlin sighed and began tucking into breakfast, knowing he was defeated. Yet, it still puzzled him. He had hated being a servant most of the time. It seemed strange that an entire race of creatures would enjoy it.

"What is sir doing today, if Tenga can ask?" the elf asked, clearing away the mess of clothes Merlin had left on the floor.

"I'm meeting with Godric," Merlin explained. "To see this Dueling Chamber he's built."

Tenga nodded knowledgably. "Master Godric has worked very hard on that chamber. Tenga doesn't understand why however. Why must children learn to hurt each other?"

Merlin sighed. "It's just the way of the world, I'm afraid. Hopefully, one day, fighting won't be needed at all."

"Tenga hopes so, sir," he replied. "He doesn't like the thought of children being turned into soldiers. But Tenga supposes they need to know how to defend themselves."

Merlin was struck by a sudden thought. "How do house-elves defend themselves?" he asked. "Can you do magic?"

Tenga shook his head. "Not like wizards can. We isn't usually allowed wands. But we can do other things."

"Like what?" Merlin asked, curious.

"Like this," he said, and suddenly, he disappeared with a loud 'CRACK'. Merlin jumped and was baffled for a moment before he heard another crack behind him. Tenga was standing there, giggling.

"That's brilliant," said Merlin, grinning.

"It is only Apparition, sir," said the elf. "Some wizards can do it as well. We taught them, but they aren't very good at it. They can't go very far and sometimes they leave parts of their bodies behind them! House-elves are much better at it."

"I'm sure," said Merlin. "I've never heard of Apparition." This wasn't the first time he'd been caught off guard; before coming to Hogwarts he had never heard of house-elves either. He really needed to spend more time among his own kind.

"It isn't very common yet, sir," answered Tenga, "but all the Founders can do it. Master Salazar wanted to Apparate home when he heard all of the trouble that was going on, but Mistress Rowena said it would be too dangerous to go so far, so he went by horse instead."

Merlin slumped in his chair, feeling suddenly much sadder. Obviously, this 'Apparition' was a vague imitation of the spells he himself could do to move from place to place. If only the method had been more refined, perhaps Slytherin could have gotten home in time …

Merlin pulled himself out of these gloomy thoughts. Perhaps he could teach them a way to improve Apparition by combining it with Old Magic. He'd have to look into it. He didn't often follow modern magical theory; if he was to combine the Old and New forms of magic, he'd need to much more versed in it than he currently was.

After a few more words with Tenga, Merlin finished his breakfast and quickly dressed in the rich clothes that he was still uncomfortable wearing. Tenga waited patiently.

"Tenga will show Master Emrys to the Dueling Chamber now!" he squeaked excitedly, and Merlin followed him out of the room and along many twisting corridors. He was eventually led to a part of the castle that still seemed to be under construction, and had to duck under ladders and scaffolding. Tenga never halted in his pace however, and soon stopped outside a room with massive wooden doors that still smelled of sawdust.

"You can go in sir," Tenga said happily. "I will find Master Godric."

Merlin nodded, and the elf scurried away. He paused a moment before the doors, before pushing them open and entering. He stopped on the threshold and exhaled, mightily impressed.

The room was about as large as the Entrance Hall, with high ceilings stretching far upwards. There was little furniture, but the room seemed to radiate with magical energy, like all the rest of the castle. He strolled around the boundaries to the room for a while, astounded at the amount of time and effort that had been invested into this one room where every block of stone seemed to sing with magical energy.

"Do you like it then?"

Merlin turned to find that Godric had entered behind him, looking eager.

Merlin nodded. "There is much magic in the room, but I still think your Entrance Hall is more impressive."

"Ah, but you've only seen the surface!" Godric said, laughing. "There are many other features."

He withdrew his wand and waved it across the room. Then, small walls, ditches and other obstacles sprung out of the floor.

"A ready-made obstacle course," said Godric, gesturing. "To teach students how to duel in a variety of environments. It can be adjusted to whichever way the teacher sees fit." He waved his wand again and several dummies rose up with painted targets. "These will improve their aim. They'll move around and jump out at the students, testing their awareness and reflexes. Keep them on their toes, you know. The pattern they move in will be constantly changing. There are many other features as well. The environment will change, from baking sunlight, to frigid cold and cold rain so that they can practice dueling wherever they are. The floor will tilt and move. The walls will close in and they'll have to learn to remain calm. There will be many enchantments that will try to trick them: illusions of enemies where none exist, strange noises and constantly changing areas of shelter. The walls are all jinx proof, and if someone gets injured, all they have to do is this-" he waved his wand again for a small alcove to open in the wall "- and a healing potion or antidote will immediately be summoned from the Hospital Wing."

"Impressive," said Merlin, truthfully. "But where is the Hospital Wing? I don't remember that on our tour the other day."

Godric looked a bit sheepish here. "Ah yes, well, you see, it isn't built yet."

Merlin raised an eyebrow. "You built a place for students to try and hurt each other without building somewhere to patch them up afterwards?"

"It wasn't a necessity at the time," protested Godric. "It's just a simple room; everywhere else needs a lot more work put into it. We'll get around to it. Helga wants to have a hand in it. She's quite a Healer herself."

Merlin nodded. He turned in a full circle, still examining the room. "I give you credit, it gets all the more impressive with every word you say."

Godric grinned, pleased with the praise. "Yes," he said, looking around himself. "I hadn't seen it completed yet, and I'm delighted with it. Helga was very critical of it."

"She just doesn't like Dueling," shrugged Merlin. "I don't either, as a matter of fact. I prefer using my magic for other purposes."

"Does that mean I won't get to see you in action?" Godric asked, winking. "I had the idea that you and I might duel."

Merlin smiled. "A duel between us would not last long."

"I am a very good dueler, Master Emrys," said Godric, puffing out his chest. "I am undefeated."

"And I am very good at Old Magic," Merlin retorted, a playful smirk on his face.

Godric held up his wand and waited expectantly, a small smug smile on his face. Merlin laughed internally. Alright, why not?

He withdrew his own wand, determined to use only Godric's own magic against him. He would play fair, at least, at first.

"Reducto!" Godric cried, immediately leaping into the fray.

"Protego!" Merlin countered easily, sending the spell soaring back at him. Godric leaped out of the way, nimble as a cat, and the spell hit the wall where it was easily absorbed by the magic in the stonework.

"Duratus!" Merlin cried, and the force of the spell came rushing out of his meagre wand like a torrent and hit Godric's shield with the force of a hammer. Godric's eyebrows rose, but he did not lose his concentration.

"Incendio!"

They continued in this manner for several minutes. Merlin held back, wanting to test Godric's dueling abilities in as many ways as he could. He was an exceptional fighter, Merlin soon realised, as good as magical dueling as Arthur had been at the Muggle kind. His reflexes were quick and very agile, and he threw spell after spell at him with ease. Some of them seemed almost Old Religion in nature, though cast with the modern terminology. It was truly remarkable how Godric and the other Founders had fused the two magics together unknowingly.

Merlin waited long enough for him to display his exceptional power and skill, before deciding to bring the duel to an end.

"Concilare!" Merlin cried, and the spell that hit Godric was twice as powerful than any he'd hit him with before. Godric went flying backwards and into one of the walls, his wand spiraling out of his hand. He crumpled to the ground, but soon leapt to his feet, and looked at Merlin in sheer amazement , and a little embarrassment.

"I have never seen such power in a spell before!" he exclaimed.

Merlin said nothing, and waited until Godric had come closer. He was watching him closely.

"But you were using modern spells," Godric said, frowning. "I thought Old Magic was different?"

"I wasn't using Old Magic," explained Merlin. "I was using your own magic. But since I am of the Old Religion itself, that magic is present within me always, and any spell I cast will always be more powerful."

Godric looked even more amazed. "You mean, you're far more powerful than even that which I have just witnessed?"

Merlin nodded, and despite feeling incredibly uncomfortable to be explaining his true powers to someone after so many years, he persisted because he knew it was right; if he expected them to be open, honest and trusting with him, he should do the same.

"You wouldn't have stood a chance against me if I'd been using my own magic," he said. "You're powerful, incredibly so, but only in comparison with your contemporaries. I'm much more powerful."

Godric watched him for a few moments, deep in thought, before eventually nodding. "I could … sense it," he said slowly. "Like there was some great power just resting inside of you, and I was only getting the tiniest of glimpses of it. I could tell that you were holding back, but I wasn't sure how. Was that this … Old Religion magic inside of me?"

Merlin nodded. "Yes. It could tell."

Godric nodded again. "It seems strange …." He started. "I've always had this power. I used it as a child, not knowing what I was doing. I could always do things my friends could not. I thought I was just an abnormality until I first met Salazar and the others. It's one of the reasons we are so close. We are the only ones with this magic, save you of course."

"My magic is straight from the Old Religion," Merlin said. "It is similar to yours, but not the same." He sighed. "I thought I was an abnormality as well," he said softly. "It was many years before I accepted my destiny and became proud of who and what I was."

"And are you still that way?" Godric asked.

Merlin was silent for a moment. "No," he said finally. "I thought I had fulfilled my destiny, but I was wrong, and now I have a new one that looks impossible. I failed in my past, and I suppose … I feel like this is my second chance."

He felt the old pain flare up. It had been his fault Arthur had died, his fault that the Old Religion had faded from the land. His new destiny was to await the day it would return, and apparently he was immortal until then, doomed to watch others die while he lingered on. Was it destiny? Or was it punishment? He wasn't sure any more. His faith wavered more than ever. These Founders had to be the answer to his long awaited destiny.

He shook himself out of these thoughts however, before the old grief overwhelmed him.

Godric seemed not to notice his melancholy. "Well, shall we see what other surprises are in this new room? Then we have a lunch engagement."

"Lunch engagement?" Merlin asked. "I thought the Great Hall was still uncompleted?"

"It is," said Godric, "but we've decided to use one of the ante-chambers in the meantime. We may be having visits from investors in the near future according to the letter I received this morning, and we need somewhere to receive them. We might as well all start eating together. And I've got a rather special guest coming today," he said, his eyes sparkling.

"Will Lord Salazar be there?" Merlin asked.

Godric's face darkened. "No, he eats in his own chambers. I cannot convince him to leave."

Merlin sighed and tried not to feel disappointed. How was he to get through to him if he was always alone? Godric seemed to realise how he was feeling.

"He'll come around eventually," he said.

"I'm not sure I would, if I were he," said Merlin gloomily. "I was there in that village. I watched as things escalated and didn't do enough, even after his mother asked me to. I could have saved that girl the way I saved Helena, but the Old Religion didn't allow it. I was too slow to act. I heard all the whisperings, but I dismissed them. If I had just been there …"

"It was not your fault," said Godric, rather gruffly; it was evident he was unaccustomed to reassurance. "Do not blame yourself."

"I cannot help it," said Merlin. "It reminds me of another time, one where I let someone else die. It was my fault then as well. He was a close friend. You remind me of him sometimes."

Merlin looked away. Was he doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past? Was he going to watch these people grow old and die as well? Should he hope to befriend them if that was the case? Could he withstand that pain again? Would he ever once again be allowed to be known as himself rather than 'Emrys'?

He tried to forget these thoughts, and instead, walked around the room with Godric inspecting every detail of the chamber. Godric was insistent about testing each and every one of all the special features, and took delight in pitting them against Merlin, obviously trying to catch him out. The engineering and ingenuity in the room was incredible, and Merlin found himself increasingly impressed, but he couldn't take any joy in it. All the grins and laughs as Godric fought against all the features he designed, all the arrogant and smug little asides and daring just made him sadder and sadder. It reminded him so much of Arthur. Was he a fool for getting so close to these people? It would probably just cause him more pain if it turned out that they weren't the people he was waiting for.

Eventually, Godric was satisfied, and the two of them left the room and went down the many staircases. Merlin found himself lost within minutes; the entire floor layout had changed again. Rowena's idea to constantly change the layout was ingenious, but still frustrating.

Godric however led him confidently back down to the Entrance Hall and into a small antechamber beside it. As they entered, they were greeted with a roaring fire and a long table filled with all manner of delicious food that house-elves were carrying on golden plates. Seated at the table were Helga, Rowena, Helena and some small and strange creature that Merlin took to be a goblin, although he had not encountered one in many years. It narrowed its eyes as Godric and Merlin entered. It had a long package on its lap which it clutched to with vehemence. He hadn't touched any of the food before him.

Despite the goblin's less than warm welcome of Godric, the Founder looked delighted to see him.

"Ah! Groloth! It is finished then? Finally?"

"Yes, Lord Godric, it is," the goblin said slowly and carefully, as though unaccustomed to the human way of speaking. "Your mother and father sent me here directly."

Godric seemed to be almost skipping with delight, but Merlin and the ladies were bewildered. Helga's head shot between the two of them. "What is this thing that he has brought? He has refused to let it out of his grip."

"It is my coming-of-age present!" Godric announced, looking at the package with eager eyes.

Rowena raised one eyebrow. "Godric, you are four and twenty years old. Your coming-of-age was many years ago."

"Yes, but with all that trouble at home, and then me coming up here, I never got the chance to receive it," Godric said, his eyes glinting. "My parents sent word that it would be here before Yuletide, and here it is!"

"What is it?" Helga asked. She attempted to lean in to see what the goblin was holding, but he jerked the package out of reach.

"This is to be delivered to you personally," the goblin said, looking directly at Godric. He hopped off his chair and crossed the room. He held out the package to Godric, though looking extremely reluctant to be parting with it.

Godric bent and took the package from the goblin's clutching fingers, and slowly unwrapped it. He opened it with a flourish, and underneath was revealed an exquisite silver sword encrusted with rubies. Godric held it up in wonder, and the sword glinted in the light, and the rubies gleamed deep red, almost like blood. Along one side of the blade, were written the words 'Godric Gryffindor.'

Merlin didn't much care for swords, but even he had to admit it was a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. The only sword he had ever seen that bettered it was Excalibur itself.

"A sword?" Rowena asked sceptically. "What is so amazing about that?"

"I think it's pretty," said Helena, looking up at it in delight. "I like the red."

Rowena turned sharply to her daughter. "It is a weapon, Helena," she said. "It is supposed to kill people, not look pretty."

Helena frowned. "But why would Uncle Godric want to hurt people?"

"Why indeed?" Helga asked, sounding disapproving. "What use could you have for a Muggle weapon, Godric?"

"I won't use it," said Godric reassuringly, sheathing the sword and grinning.

"Then whatever is the point in having one?" asked Rowena, frowning.

"Because it looks good," grinned Godric.

"You mean it's merely to show off?"

"Correct."

Rowena rolled her eyes. "Why must men be always so willing to boast of their prowess?"

"Why you must always boast of your book learning?" Godric countered, moving over to the table with Merlin, sitting on the opposite side from the three ladies. He laid the sword on the table admiringly.

"Please, take that weapon away from my daughter before she wants one as well," Rowena said sharply, in Latin, glancing at Helena. Godric frowned as he tried to translate. One look from Helga however, and he understood, and reluctantly sheathed it. Merlin noticed the way he seemed to always do as Helga asked with a small smile on his face. He seemed more attached to her than he had previously thought.

Godric turned back to the goblin who had remained standing. "Will you stay and eat with us?"

"No," the goblin said immediately. "I must head back immediately."

"Very well," said Godric. "Thank you for bringing the sword. It is beautiful work."

"Of course it is," mumbled the goblin as he bowed slightly. "It was made by goblins, not foolish humans."

Just before he left, he sent Merlin a sharp glance, and Merlin felt a creeping sensation come over him under that intense scrutiny. The goblin saw something more than what the others did.

Fortunately however, the goblin merely bowed again, looking displeased, and left the room immediately. Merlin tried to forget this and eagerly joined in the conversation as they all ate. The food as usual was excellent, and Merlin found himself eating more in one meal here at the castle than he had eaten in an entire day just a few months ago. It wasn't unpleasant.

"Any thoughts then on what we should name the school?" Godric asked the room at large. "The school will be complete in a few months or so, and we should be prepared. We can't just keep calling it 'the school' when all those official people begin coming here."

"Emrys thinks we should not call the school Camelot as we had planned," said Rowena, watching Merlin closely. "Seems a little strange, considering his own name choice."

"Choice?" Merlin asked. "What makes you think it was a choice?"

She smiled, and her intelligent eyes seemed to glint in the candle-light. "It is a cover, concealing your true self. It is not your real name, at least, not a name that you like to hear."

"I assure you," said Merlin, "it is my real name. " At least, in some ways.

She shook her head. "There is something you are concealing. I am determined to figure it out."

"I wish you luck," Merlin said, smiling into himself.

"Well, what then shall we call it?" interrupted Helga. "It must be a distinctive name."

"Rowena has some interesting ideas about that," Merlin said, amused when Rowena glared at him.

"What are those, Rowena?"

"Emrys is teasing me," Rowena said, in a rather proud manner. "He is being ridiculous."

"Well, we all love a bit of silliness," said Godric, laughing. "Tell us!"

Rowena shook her head. "No, it is foolish." She drained her goblet and looked around at them all, seeming desperate to change the subject. "I suggest we wait a while longer. If the name is right, it should just come to us instead of searching for it."

"It's a warty hog!" piped up Helena, giggling. "Mama saw one in a dream! It brought her here!"

Rowena seemed to flush pink and frowned at her daughter. But Helga and Godric did not laugh.

"A warty hog?" Godric asked. "That's …. an unusual thing to dream about."

"Dreams usually have some significance," mused Helga. "There must have been a reason for it."

"I do not believe in the power of prophecy through dreams, Helga," said Rowena, and Merlin could tell this was a long argued point between them.

"It is real, my dear Rowena," answered Helga, looking entirely unfased.

"You should have one as a badge," said Helena, "like ones that Knights wear!"

"We already have a crest, dear," said Helga.

"You do?" Merlin asked, intrigued. "May I see it?"

Helga nodded, and pulled out a scrap of embroidery from a pouch at her waist. "It isn't the final design, but we think it will look something like this."

She passed it to Merlin who examined it curiously. It was large and detailed, and filled with colour. There were four animals on it; a black badger on a yellow background, an bronze eagle on a blue background, a silver serpent on a green background and a golden lion on a scarlet background. All four were encircling a box in the middle, which was blank.

"The school's initial, if we ever choose a name, will go in the centre," said Helga. "What do you think?"

"I like it," murmured Merlin, feeling strangely attached to it. "I imagine the four creatures represent the four of you?"

"Yes," said Godric. "Mine is the lion because they are such noble and brave creatures."

"You've never even seen one," said Rowena, rolling her eyes.

"I don't need to!" protested Godric. "All the great noble Houses have lions on their crests! It is a creature of nobility and strength! My own family have had the lion on their coat-of-arms for centuries!"

"Mine is the badger," said Helga, interrupting with a smile. "They are so industrious and also very peaceful creatures."

"Yes, but violent and dangerous beneath the surface," teased Godric. "Just like Helga."

"Salazar's must be the serpent," said Merlin. "Not surprising considering his family were Parselmouths. So that must mean the eagle is yours, Rowena."

"Correct," said Rowena.

He smiled. "Why not a raven?"

She scowled. "Ravenclaw was my husband's name. The eagle is the emblem of my mother's House. She was the one who encouraged me to read."

"You don't want to use your father's symbol?"

"No," she said shortly. "My father was not an enlightened man. After my mother's death, he was not happy with my being educated."

Merlin nodded, understanding her a little better. "And after her death, you found solace in reading and studying. The eagle for you symbolised freedom through learning."

Rowena met his eyes for a moment, and he saw some suppressed emotion in her expression. But she did not answer him.

Godric looked as if he was about to speak, but there was a knock at the door and a serving boy came in, accompanied by a couple of house-elves.

"Begging your pardon," he said. "But there's been a message from the village. Someone is sick and needs a Healer."

"I'll go," said Merlin, but Helga cut across him.

"No, you have not yet finished eating. I will go. I should spend some more time in the village in any case."

"And I shall accompany you," said Godric, standing and offering her his arm, a fond smile on his face. She took the arm and they both left, leaving Merlin alone with the two Ravenclaws. Helena smiled at him, but Rowena seemed determined to avoid his gaze.

"Why not name the school after your silly dream?" Merlin asked her. "It would be personal then. Something that is truly yours."

"I wish to be taken seriously," she replied.

He sighed. "Sometimes you take yourself too seriously."

Her eyes blazed. "This is important, not some silly childish endeavour. We must be professional if we are to attract serious people to invest in us. No one will come to a school that prides itself on silliness."

"No, but they will come to a school that prides itself on creativity."

"I am creative," she answered stiffly.

He laughed. "How can you be creative with such a narrow mind?"

"I do not have a narrow mind" objected Rowena, fiercely.

Merlin raised an eyebrow. "Really? And how is that Giant Squid today?"

She scowled again. "It does not exist."

"Godric had a rather close encounter with it only yesterday."

"He says he did," said Rowena. "I will not believe it until I see it."

He shook his head. "Unless it's on the page of a book, it is impossible for you. That is what I call narrow-minded."

"Books are the most liberating of all things," Rowena protested, her eyes lit up. "They free one from the mundane reality of life and offer up a whole world of new possibilities. Why should I not enjoy them?"

"Enjoy them by all means," Merlin said. "But do not rely on them."

"You and I will never agree, Emrys," said Rowena. "Books are everything. It is my only regret that my library is not as full as I would like."

He tilted his head to one side and smiled. "I have a great many books that I've collected over the years, far more than I will ever read again. Perhaps some of those will help fill the shelves?"

Rowena leaned forward like an eager child, her eyes wide and hopeful, but then she remembered herself and tried to look calm and composed. "Perhaps," she said. "It depends on what sort they are."

"Come and see," said Merlin, and he stood from the table. "I'll show you right now."

Rowena also stood, and Merlin offered her an arm, like Godric had done for Helga, but Rowena cast one scathing look at it and swept past him, holding her head proudly. He laughed softly under his breath; as he had suspected, far too proud to accept help from anybody, no matter how small.

"Come, Helena," called Rowena.

Helena sighed, and hopped off her own chair and skipped after her mother. "Can I go and play with the house-elves, mama?"

"They are here to work, Helena," said Rowena, as they moved out into the Entrance Hall, "they are not your own personal playmates."

"We don't mind Miss Helena being with us, Mistress Rowena!" squeaked a house-elf that was carrying some dirty dishes back down to the kitchens. "We is liking her. She laughs a lot and is making all of us cheerful."

Helena laughed again, and looked pleadingly at her mother, who sighed. "Very well. But take her to Scáthach if she causes any trouble."

Helena ran excitedly after the house-elves leaving Rowena alone with Merlin. He gestured for them to continue up the marble staircase.

"Helga and Godric seem very close," remarked Merlin as they walked.

"Of course," said Rowena. "They have been friends from infancy."

"I mean a little more than that," smiled Merlin. "He dotes on her every word. A man with as much pride as he does would not bow to a woman like that unless he was exceptionally fond of her. He argues with you, but not with her."

She frowned, and actually looked puzzled. "Helga and Godric?" she asked, sounding surprised.

"You haven't noticed?" Merlin asked, amused. "I thought someone as intelligent as you would have. But then, you study words, not human emotion."

She looked fierce and ready to argue, but Merlin held up a hand to stop her. "Here we are."

He pushed open the door to his chambers and moved over to bag he had brought from the village and had not yet unpacked. He opened it, revealing it's magically enhanced cavernous depths. He summoned out a good number of books. He turned to find Rowena standing in the doorway, not looking at him.

He smiled. "Won't you come in?"

"It is unseemly for a woman to enter a man's chambers alone," she said stiffly.

He laughed. "Why? What do you think will happen? Come in! Don't you want to see the books?"

He watched with amusement as she seemed to dither between propriety and intellectual curiosity. Eventually, her heart won, and she entered, heading straight to the table where he had laid the dozen or so books.

She trailed her fingers over the covers of each of them, her eyes drinking them in almost hungrily. She picked one up and flicked through it, devouring each page her eye fell on. Merlin watched as she seemed to caress each book lovingly, her expression softer and more human than he had yet seen it. It was true; she really was more at ease around books than other people. They were her friends, they were her comfort.

She examined each and every one slowly and carefully, her excitement increasing with every book she touched. He watched her with a strange feeling building in his heart that he couldn't quite explain.

Eventually, she looked up at him, her eyes shining with emotion that she didn't even attempt to hide. It was a joy to see, and Merlin felt his heart skip at the sheer happiness in her face. "But these books are a marvel!" she exclaimed. "Beautifully bound and illustrated and filled with such wondrous things! Why ever should you wish to part with them?"

"I've read them all," Merlin said quickly, still unnerved at the sudden change in her, and the way it was making him feel. "Others deserve the chance to read them."

She smiled, a genuine happy smile he had not yet seen her display. "But they are incredibly valuable. Some of them are centuries old! They could have come from the library of Camelot itself!"

Merlin smiled, knowing that they did indeed come from the library of Camelot. They had been personally collected by himself for a library that was now long gone and nothing more than a heap of rubble. He'd carried them around for years, never actually reading them, but just using them as a memento of his past. But they brought him nothing but sadness. He didn't want to be reminded of his past life like that; they should be used in the pursuit of his new destiny.

"They are yours, my Lady," he said softly, liking the way her eyes lit up as he spoke.

She gazed adoringly back at them once more. "They speak of things I have never heard of."

She fingered one entitled 'The art of Druidic Potion-making.'

She looked back at him curiously. "Are you a Druid, Emrys?"

He shook his head. "No, I am not."

"But it is said that the descendants of the original Druids are the only ones who are able to use even a shadow of the Old Religion," she said, frowning.

He laughed. "I do not use a shadow, Rowena. I use the real thing."

"But how is that possible?" she asked, frustrated. "The Old Religion faded when Camelot did, and all knowledge of it died out. How can you know it?"

He smiled sadly. "There are some mysteries I cannot, and will not ever reveal to you, my Lady. You must accept that."

"I cannot," she said, taking a step closer to him, causing him to be even more uncomfortable. "I told you, I will try and figure you out before the end."

"Not every mystery can be solved."

"Every one that I attempt can be," she said, staring at him. "I will know what you are hiding. How can you use the Old Religion?"

He shook his head. "I cannot tell you. Have faith in the instinct deep within you that is telling you to trust me."

She shook her head gently. "I do not trust to feelings alone."

"You must," said Merlin. "You must trust me if you want to learn this magic."

"I do trust you," she said, "even if you infuriate me. But only because Helga does, and she cannot be deceived in a person's character."

"I want you to trust me for your own sake," Merlin said, looking down at her, his eyes fixed on hers. "Trust in yourself. Don't be confined by logic."

She stepped even closer, causing Merlin's breath to hitch. She stared at him for a long time and intensely, as though trying to read his mind. Merlin couldn't move. It was if she had him under some sort of spell.

"What is your real name?" she asked. "Tell me."

And for the briefest of moments, Merlin actually considered it.

"Never," he said, shaking his head.

"Why not?"

Merlin didn't answer, and she seemed to understand. She took a step back.

"You're afraid," she said. "You are hiding from something in your past. You accused me of doing the same thing. If you can seek to understand me, then it's only fair I do the same for you."

"I would expect nothing less, my Lady," he bowed his head slightly.

After a long moment of the two of them staring at each other, she turned away. She picked up the books and turned to leave. She stopped in the doorway.

"Thank you for the books," she said, back to her usual reserved manner. And then she was gone.

Merlin stood there a little overwhelmed for a moment. Was this progress? Or was she getting one over on him?

One thing was certain; Rowena Ravenclaw was proving as difficult for him to deal with as Salazar Slytherin. But for some reason, being around her, as uncomfortable as it was, wasn't nearly as unpleasant.

Why was she affecting him like this?

A/N: Next update will be soon!

I'm considering rewriting parts of 'Ancient Relics' to better fit in with this story. The parts where the Founders were mentioned in that story were quite vague since I hadn't lined out exactly what Merlin's relationship with the Founders was back then, other than the basics, and I now have a much greater understanding of their characters and how they were affected by Merlin, and he by them. Nothing plotwise would be changed, all it would be would be a little elaboration and expansion. I'd like to know what you think, since I don't want to go changing something that so many of you seemed to enjoy.

Until next time! :)