Arthur wanted Merlin back. Or he wanted to go back. He wasn't sure which, but he felt as if he hadn't been interrupted by Merlin in a lifetime. He wasn't sure how many years had passed in Camelot, one? Fifty? Had Merlin forgotten him? Was he completely content in a safe kingdom? Arthur hoped Merlin was happy. He hoped Gwen and Percival were. And his son. What is he like? Does he take after his mother? Images floated through Arthur's mind. Olive skin, brown hair, black hair, blue, green eyes, brown, black.
He sat in the world of his mother, idly watching her read, the world of Gwaine, jesting, joking with his former knights, Morgana's world, viewing her from afar. She had been discovered by Morgause, and the two just sat in the fog, holding each other tightly. Arthur remembered days long past, when they were friends, telling each other everything, jousting together. He remembered when Morgana had first arrived in Camelot. Young, with skin like porcelain and hair jet, long and tangled. Her face was tear stained, and she had appraised him nervously, she a few years his elder.
"You're Prince Arthur."
"You're Princess Morgana."
She lowered her emerald gaze. "Only Lady Morgana now. My... Uh, my kingdom is no more."
"You're okay here." Arthur smiled, hoping to appear strong and brave. "You will be given a room and a maidservant and..." He trailed off.
Then Morgana smiled, her face lighting up. He remembered her smiling, laughing. Then she became hollow, empty, lifeless.
Well, they were all dead here, but you could be dead and you could be lifeless. Like his father. Uther was angry and cold, alone. Arthur had seen his world before. Black, black as pitch, with blindingly white lights, why had his subconscious chosen that? He was plagued in life as much as in death, and it hurt. He was somewhat envious of Gwaine, whose father, the knight, he had met. A strong man who had a wild look in his eyes, yet laughter played around his mouth. He had reunited with Gwaine's mother, and they held hands quietly, content with each other. Gwaine had two older brothers, he hadn't mentioned that to him. The eldest had died a few years after birth, before the father died. The second followed shortly after. They had grown older here, slowly and steadily. They stood up to Gwaine's waist - in a twist the youngest had become the oldest. Living all their lives in death. Ah, apparently Arthur didn't feel death the same way the others did. It was less clear to him, or something like that. He must put on a brave face, and hope that he would get used to it.
"Wait for me!"
Merlin whirled around, and laughed. "Aren't you supposed to be studying?" He swung Archer on to his back, who giggled. This was his fourth summer, and he was growing well, his thin arms wrapped around Merlin's neck.
"But, Merrrrrrrrliiiiiiiiin, I don't like it."
"You don't like learning?"
"I don't like Geoffrey."
"Sir Geoffrey. And he's a very nice person."
"He has a funny beard. And he always talks and I wanted to come with you!" He nodded. "Where are we going?"
"We?"
Archer buried his head in Merlin's shoulder. "Please pleeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaase please please please?"
Merlin smiled. "You won't like it, you know. It's just boring medicine and talking to people. And I can't go around seen aiding the Prince skive! Lessons are important."
"Can you be my tutor?"
"What lessons are you missing?"
"Just writing." Archer let out a great sigh, closing his big, dark eyes.
"Letters?"
"Yessssssssss."
"Down you come then. I'm not carrying you all the way."
Archer jumped down, his soft boots clattering on the floor. "Where are we going?"
"To one of the villages."
"Your home?!"
"No, Ealdor is very far away. The Red Village."
"Whyyyyyyy?"
"Because Gaius doesn't like walking that far and somebody has to."
"But... But you're MERLIN! You should be the one bossing people about!"
Merlin choked out a laugh, and ruffled Archer's hair.
"You think Gaius is bossy?"
"Hmm. Only some of the time. Alice is a little bit too. But I think you should be allowed to be bossier!"
Merlin studied Archer curiously. "Why?"
"Because you have the best magic ever!
Oh. Merlin half smiled. "Just because you are better than somebody at something doesn't mean you are allowed to be mean or bossy to them."
Archer went quiet for a bit, and Merlin enjoyed the walk, the sun warm on his head.
"Merlin?"
"Yes?"
"Are you my Father?"
"...No." Merlin grimaced. He had wondered when the questions would start coming.
"Is Leon?"
"No."
"Mother says that Leon can be like my father. She says that they are happy together and that one day they are going to be married and maybe I'll have brothers and sisters but we won't have the same father. That doesn't make sense."
"Your father went away before you were born, mine did too."
Archer wriggled down from Merlin's back and held his hand. "Why doesn't he come and see me?"
Merlin sighed, tears threatening to push past his eyes. Archer sounded so lost. "He wants to. But he can't just yet. One day, one day you will see him."
"Rhian says that because I don't have a father I'm all funny and then everyone laughs."
"No," Merlin said, louder than he meant to, and Archer flinched. "Some people don't have mothers, and some people don't have fathers. Some don't have children, or grandparents, uncles or aunts and are all alone. But you, Archer Pendragon, have a mother who loves you, and you have Leon, and...me. And your father was a good man, don't ever doubt that. The best I have ever known. He didn't mean to leave you."
Archer nodded absently, letting go of Merlin's hand as they neared the village. He tilted his head up a little and stood straight, narrowing his eyebrows. "What was his name?" He asked quietly. Merlin bit his lip; nobody had thought to tell him, himself included.
"Arthur. Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot."
Archer smiled, running ahead and then waiting for Merlin to catch up. "Which house are we going in?" He asked.
"That one, see with the boy sitting outside? He's called Aidan."
"Are you going to make him well?"
"I've been trying for a while."
"What's wrong with him?"
"When he was a baby he got very ill, and that meant that his hearing has gone in one ear."
A few of the villagers noticed Archer, and the fact that he wore the golden dragon on the chest of his crimson tunic, and nodded their heads in respect. Others were paying more attention to the Court Sorcerer, who, rumour had it, could move objects with just a word. They were wrong of course; it took less than that.
When Aidan saw Merlin coming, he jumped up off the ground and ran towards him. Merlin smiled broadly, and Archer simply stood his ground.
"Hello Aidan, how are you today?" He asked.
"I'm good!" His blue eyes lit up as he laughed. "I still can't hear from this ear but my cough is a little better."
The problem with Aidan was that nobody was sure what the problem was, which made it near impossible to heal him.
"That's good! Where are your parents?"
"In the fields."
"They left you all alone?"
"Nope, Nan is here. Do you want to see her?" He scratched his brown curls absently.
"I was hoping to see your parents. To get you all better, I might have to take you to stay in Camelot for a little while, to see Alice, one of the Court Physicians."
"Alice?" Archer asked, pulling a face. "She makes me eat yucky med'cine."
Aidan noticed Archer for the first time.
"Medicine is good for you!" He argued, with all the authority of a child one year older.
Archer opened his mouth to contradict the elder, when Merlin hastily intervened.
"Is your Nan in the house?"
"Yup!"
"Why don't you go and play with Archer while I'm talking to her?" He grinned as they looked uncertainly at each other. "Or would you rather be learning letters?"
Arthur decided that he would take his chances with Aidan, and left Merlin to it.
"Do you want to play knights?" Archer asked.
Aidan pulled a face. Knights were okay, he supposed. He didn't think he'd ever seen one. "What about sorcerers?"
"I've never played that one before."
"It's easy! I'll be the EVIIIL AIDAN, RULER OF THE EARTH."
Archer laughed. "I'm going to chase you with my magic! Raaaawr!" He ran swiftly after Aidan, through a large field of tall swaying grass, golden in the light of the sun. They were both laughing and shouting, and running some more, and Aidan tripped as Archer dived down and caught his heel.
"I've caught you!" Archer declared. "Leave Camelot!"
"Never!" Aidan cried, and wrestled him, trying to stand up. Eventually he gave up and lay down, panting.
"I win," Archer said, and Aidan shook his head, staring up at the sky. The sun was high in the sky and he was getting pretty hungry. He wandered what Merlin and Nan were talking about. Maybe he should go and see, and take Archer back to Merlin.
Archer. He'd heard that name before.
"Archer?"
"Yes?"
"Are you the prince?"
"Yes."
"...Oh." He contemplated that. This boy was going to grow up and be a king one day. And be like his father, that's what everybody said. He watched Archer close his dark eyes, and the sun glint off his light brown hair. He seemed so... normal. Just like Aidan, only a little younger. He seemed to be falling asleep, and his breathing grew heavier. He saw it, out of the corner of his eye, and then a hand grabbed him, covering his mouth before he could scream.
"He will be-" Merlin stopped. He felt a pain inside him, burning fiercely. He could see it, men wrapped in scarves, taller than him. He seemed to be shorter.
"Archer," He breathed.