11. Chapter eleven
"To Elena and Alexander," Gwaine toasted as he held his goblet up.
"Don't toast to me," Alexander said grumpily, "I have nothing to celebrate. I just grew seven years older, which makes me older than my dad in this time. That's just simply embarrassing," he complained, but no one really listened, all toasting to the not so future children anymore and congratulating the couples.
They had set a up meeting to inform the other members of the Round Table immediately, and though the situation was a little awkward at best, and Morgana nor Merlin had forgotten the reason Alexander had suggested for Elena casting this spell, it was difficult not to join the excitement.
"Okay, well…" Arthur said smiling as everyone finally seemed to settle down, "I thank you for the good wishes and the support, as I am sure, so do Guinevere, Merlin and Morgana. However, I probably do not need to tell you this news cannot leave this room." Suddenly he looked very nervous.
"I know I have brought shame upon myself and Guinevere," he said as his jaw set and he stared at a blind spot ahead of him.
"It's not your fault, Arthur, any of you. You were enchanted," Gaius tried to assure the prince, but Gwaine just grinned.
"Yeah, but you got to love the outcome though. And you have to hand it to her, Elena's got style. Not many people can say they orchestrated their own creation, you know."
Everyone smiled at that, and even the corners on Arthur's mouth twitched before he grew serious again.
"The worst is though" he continued "that I can't even make myself to care, because all this means that I can meet this wonderful man I came to know as my son, seven years sooner than planned. And I can't see the shame in that," Everyone was silent at that, no one used to Arthur being this emotional. The prince himself seemed to realize what he had just said though, and looked even more uncomfortable, before he braced himself and looked everyone in the eye, daring them to call him on it. He seemed to forget however that he was surrounded by family and friends, and they knew exactly how he felt, since most of them felt the same way.
"You must know Sire," Gaius suddenly spoke "that premature births are quite natural under moments of great stress, such as anxiety after marrying Camelot's Crown Prince."
Arthur smiled gratefully at the old physician, "thank you Gaius." The old man just nodded.
"Now," Arthur started as he brought them back on topic, "there is no reason to suggest Elena knows her plan has worked…"
"She will," Alexander interrupted "she'll feel it. I know I do."
"Bullshit," a grinning Gwaine contradicted, "I never feel a thing on my birthday, except for a hangover the next day."
"You always have a hangover the next day," Elyan interrupted with a sideways grin.
"Yeah, but after my birthday it's a good one," Gwaine added, and everyone laughed.
"Well try getting seven years older overnight. Feels like a good hangover too," Alexander complained, and Guinevere and Merlin shared a smile over the familiar grumpiness.
"What I still don't understand though" Lancelot suddenly spoke up, "is how Merlin didn't feel the magic vibrating of that package. I mean, this lost-inhibitions spell must be pretty powerful, right," he asked as he looked at Merlin and Morgana, who both nodded, "then how come Merlin didn't feel it when he was holding it earlier?"
"You felt something was off though," Morgana noted as she remembered how Merlin had frowned before opening the package.
"Yes, but I opened it anyway."
"Because I asked you to," Arthur said, "I am as much guilty in this as you are, Merlin." They both shared a look, and Merlin nodded. Arthur sure had come a long way to admit he made a mistake.
"She must have enchanted the wrapper. Put a spell around it so I wasn't able to feel anything but a slight tinge of the pendants power," Merlin finally said, eying the shards he had collected and laid out in front of him on the table.
"It's kind of symbolic actually," Leon said suddenly as he eyed the shards. As he noticed the questioning looks of the others, he quickly continued to explain. "The fact that Arthur had to use his sword to destroy the pendant I mean. From what I understand, these pendants represent two equal parts of Arthur's future crest, the symbol of his kingdom. By wanting to safe the one part, Alexander, he had to destroy the other. Elena."
It was silent for a while as everyone pondered on the knights words. They hadn't really thought about it like that.
"Well, I will not harm Elena unless I have absolutely no other choice," Arthur suddenly spoke up causing Merlin, Morgana and Alexander to send him a relieved smile, "But…" he said and those smiles faltered, "I have to be ready in case we do not have another choice, and no matter how much it pains me to say it, we all do."
It was silent for a while until Merlin all but whispered, "I don't know if I can fight my own daughter."
"You have to Merlin. If she is hurting other people, killing… You are the only one powerful enough to defeat her." Arthur said, feeling sorry for his friend, but needing to say the words, to have it out there.
"Could you if it were Alexander," Merlin asked, and he knew his answer by Arthur's silence.
"Merlin might not be able to defeat her anyway," Alexander suddenly said, causing everyone to stare at him in shock.
"Of course he is," Arthur contradicted right away, "Merlin is the most powerful sorcerer in the world."
"Yes, but he is weakened by his empathy. Elena does not have that problem anymore."
Morgana shook her head as she wrapped her arms around her stomach, "I still can't believe we're actually talking about Elena here. I mean, we met her, we know her," she tried desperately, searching everyone's eyes.
"Maybe she is not doing this," Merlin suddenly said, almost sounding hopeful.
"Merlin…" Gaius immediately tried to intervene, but his ward wouldn't let him.
"No Gaius, hear me out. Maybe she really isn't doing this. Maybe she is possessed," Merlin's eyes travelled to Alexander hopefully, but the young knight's shoulders sagged as he sighed.
"What," Arthur asked his son, but he just looked away, "Alexander, we're losing time here," his father warned him, but when Alexander reluctantly answered his question, his eyes sought Merlin's.
"You though she was possessed in the future too. You wrote a spell, and exorcism if you will. She just laughed you in the face. She laughed you in the face and she killed you."
Everyone was shocked into silence as Alexander continued, "She killed you for your Dragon Lord powers. She controls Dóchas, the young dragon in the future. She…" Alexander's face saddened even more as his eyes fell, "She made him kill Kilgarrah," And suddenly his eyes were on Merlin again, "It was the most tragic thing I have ever seen. You could see it was killing Dóchas inside as he took Kilgarrah down, but a Dragon Lord can only master one dragon at a time, and Elena did not want to take that risk. She did not want to risk Kilgarrah's loyalty to you seen turned against her. So Dóchas killed a little bit of himself, betrayed the meaning of his name, hope, as he slayed the last one of his kind. There was nothing he could do. His master had commanded it." Everyone was silent after that.
"So um…" Arthur finally started again, still trying to wrap his head around all of this, "if future Elena is a Dragon Lord…Dragon Lady…whatever, if she controls the dragons in the future, but her father is still around in this time, who has the power now," He asked Alexander, but that latter one just shrugged.
"Honestly? I have no idea."
"Only one way to find out," Merlin suddenly said as he got up and walked out the door, the others hot on his heels. He chose a place that once must have been the courtyard, before he suddenly threw his head back and roared the ancient words only he mastered now. He actually smiled as he saw Leon's shocked face once he turned back towards his friends.
"Now what," Gwaine asked as he searched the midnight sky.
"Now we wait," was all Merlin said as he sat down on the ground and did just that. Wait.
It didn't take long however before Merlin felt something shift in the air and he quickly stood. The others, who hadn't felt anything, looked up at him in surprise, before they eventually followed his example. Merlin smiled as he felt the air of the dragon's wings on his face, totally missing Leon's stunned face behind him. Not that anyone could blame him of course. Last time he had seen the dragon, they hadn't exactly been on friendly terms, and the knight couldn't actually believe he had forgotten how big and menacing the beast actually was. Merlin was nothing but a mouse at his feet, and still the dragon bowed to him before putting himself back up to his full height.
"I take it you are happy to see me Merlin," Kilgarrah said as he noticed the relieved expression on the young sorcerer's face.
"Yes," Merlin said as he looked up at the dragon, "thank you for coming. Do you know what's going on?"
Something that looked like a snicker escaped the old dragon's lips, "yes. Your beloved daughter is marching for your precious Camelot," Kilgarrah said, with something that looked awfully like amusement.
"You think that is funny?" Morgana suddenly spoke up from behind Merlin, anger seeping into her voice as she took a step closer, so she was now next to the Dragon Lord.
"Not at all," Kilgarrah said, and the earnest tone made Merlin believe him, "I have not forgotten what she has done for me. What you have all done for me," Kilgarrah said as he bowed his head to the group in general. So that explained why he hadn't ripped Morgana's head off the first minute he had landed.
"How is the egg doing," Merlin then asked, remembering the result of their last adventure in which his daughter had all but handed the great dragon the last egg of his kin.
"Hatching." Kilgarrah said, and now the smile in his words was unmistakably.
"I'm glad for you Kilgarrah," Merlin said as he nodded solemnly. Kilgarrah seemed to understand as he tried to catch the sorcerer's eye.
"I do not know what happened to her Merlin," he said, cheerless because he could not give the young warlock the answer he sought, "but I do know why the people of Avian are following her."
"Revenge," Arthur suddenly spoke up from the group behind Merlin. Kilgarrah nodded.
"That too, young Pendragon. But more importantly, fear."
"Fear," Merlin asked not-understanding.
"Surely your daughter's trick with the mountain should tell you something about her powers, Merlin," Kilagarrah said.
"Yes, of course, but…shouldn't they be more afraid of me," Merlin felt weird for asking this question. He could never imagine himself purposely hurting someone, but he could, if he wanted to. He was supposed to be the most powerful sorcerer to have ever walked the earth. Kilgarrah snickered again.
"You would think that, wouldn't you? But it doesn't work that way. It is true you have been prophesized to be the greatest sorcerer of all, but there are some prophesies about Elena as well," Merlin sighed. Damn prophesies.
"Yes, I know. She will be the one to unite Albion and Avalon."
"Yes, that is one of the paths she can choose to take," Kilgarrah said as he nodded.
"One of them," Merlin questioned, "You always told me it was fate. That I could not escape my destiny."
"You are an exception to many rules Merlin, this being one of them. For others…The change in the witch here should tell you that," Merlin choose to ignore the obvious sneer in Morgana's direction. He would not get any more answers out of the dragon if he angered him now.
"So what is this other path she can follow? What say those other prophesies."
Kilgarrah sighed, "they all speak of the daughter of the great Morgana and the mighty Emrys, a powerful witch, maybe even more so than her father," Kilgarrah paused, "too powerful to be allowed to exist."
Merlin heard someone gasp for air behind him, and could only conclude it was Melinda. Merlin swallowed. He didn't want to sound vain, but somewhere along the way he kind of got used to hearing he was the strongest one. That he could defeat anything, even though he was crippled by his good heart.
"That's why you wanted me to kill Morgana," he said silently, and Morgana's head snapped to the dragon as he nodded.
"Yes. I hoped she would take this path, but I simply could not take the risk. Though I am glad you found someone, Young Warlock, I am afraid for the rest of the world."
"But I don't understand," Morgana finally said, frustrated, "she seemed just fine when she left back for the future."
"Something you did the last time she was here must have changed her. Set her on the other path."
"We know, but…"
"A person is formed by little things, Morgana. All it would take is for someone to act a little differently or treat her otherwise in the future."
"But why don't they listen to Merlin? Fear or not, future Queen or not, he is their present king, and not totally powerless himself," Lancelot suddenly intervened, earning a curious look from the dragon.
"Because Elena's message of war and revenge is more welcome than Merlin's message of peace. Besides, they never saw Emrys, their rightful king. For all they know they were trading one tyrant for another."
"She is using Bayren's tactic against us," Arthur sighed.
"Yes," Kilgarrah agreed, "and by doing that in this time she has gained a lot of new allies."
"How do you mean," Lancelot asked confused.
"Uther has made many enemies during his reign. Most will learn to forgive and forget as Arthur will rule the land as the Once and Future King, but we are not yet upon that time."
"So you are saying we are not only up against Avian's army, but also every sorcerer my father has ever condemned?"
"I am afraid so," Kilgarrah said as he bowed his head a little.
"Then we are dead men," Gwaine commented, "I mean, face it. If we are up again every one Uther has ever persecuted, never mind the ones he wrongfully accused, we will be outnumbered 100 to 1," No one spoke as the truth of his words settled in.
"Anyway…" Arthur said after a few moments of silence, "if you're still the Dragon Lord…"
"She is going to be pretty pissed about it," Gwaine finished his sentence.
"That's why she is marching for Camelot. To kill me," Merlin almost whispered, the thought a painful stab to the heart.
"And me, if that makes you feel any better," Alexander offered, but Merlin did not smile.
"She really did hit us with that spell so she could kill me, to get me and my powers out of the way," he continued, as if he hadn't even heard what Alexander had just said, "she probably tried to call you," Merlin said as he looked up at Kilgarrah, "and when that didn't work, she…"
Morgana grabbed his hand and squeezed it, "we will not let that happen. I will not let her take you away from me," she vowed as she looked him in the eyes. Merlin nodded and was about to turn before Kilgarrah called him back.
"One last thing young warlock," Kilgarrah said as he looked his master in the eyes, "evil is not more powerful. It is just easier because you have nothing but yourself to think about. You might think that your empathy towards others is a weakness, but me being here today should prove to you that it is instead your greatest strength." And with those last mysterious words the dragon beat his wings open and took off, quickly disappearing in the cool midnight sky.