Disclaimer: I only own the plot :D

A/N: HELLO, here's chapter eleven! Can I just say I was overwhelmed by the amount of reviews last chapter received? And really, I am truly, undoubtedly, sincerely thankful and happy. Thus, to all those who read, favorited, followed, and most especially reviewed, thank you very much!

Anyway, here's chapter eleven! Please do read and review afterwards. Enjoy!

Chapter Eleven: Balinor

Arthur angrily looked up at the sky, taking note that the sun was already high up above, meaning that it was already noon. He specifically told his manservant to meet him in front of the palace doors with everything they would need packed already so that they could finally seek for the last Dragonlord, Balinor.

"You're dead, Merlin," he grumbled to himself, glaring at nowhere.

Just then, he heard quick footsteps rushing towards him. When he directed his eyes at the noise, he was surprised to see a strangely flushed Merlin, clutching a knapsack close to his chest as he rushed quickly towards his side. What surprised him more was the fact that he was accompanied, and by Morgana's other annoying maidservant, no less!

"What took you so long?" he demanded once Merlin stopped by his side. He lifted an eyebrow when his manservant merely flushed redder and looked away, mumbling gibberish, which Arthur did not bother to make him repeat.

His eyes then landed on a determined Hermione, firmly meeting his eyes without faltering. There was always something so peculiar about this girl but he could not really quite put his finger on it. She was impossibly stubborn at times, and would sprout out words that strangely reminded him of his idiotic manservant.

He glared darkly upon seeing the knapsack also clutched tightly in her hands. "What, pray tell, are you doing here?" he asked in exasperation.

The servant girl lifted her chin. "I want to accompany you in looking for Balinor, sire," she explained as politely as possible, but Arthur could perfectly detect the determination and stubbornness in her voice.

The Prince scowled and rolled his eyes. "No," he firmly said. "It will be dangerous. Stay here with Gaius and Guinevere where you will be safer."

A surprising snort of laughter escaped from her. Arthur's eyes widened, disbelieving of such an unbecoming display from the girl. "Right," she retorted. "Safer. A Dragon always comes at night, breathes fire into each and every corner of Camelot, and never spares a single soul to live. Please, my lord, do tell me where safety comes in during this time?"

Arthur turned and glared down at his strangely quiet manservant. "Why does she always, always come with us when we are having missions, Merlin?" he asked, his scowl darkening.

Merlin swallowed and looked away from him. "I don't know, sire," he hastily replied.

The Prince sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. 'This is ridiculous,' he said, noting how Merlin's cheeks were ruddy. He had no idea what had happened even before the two arrived, but he was positively sure that Hermione was somehow responsible of Merlin's flustered state.

"Tell her not to come with us," Arthur ordered him, tired of arguing with the girl. It was already quite taxing to deal with Merlin. What more if he had to deal with a stubborn girl that sometimes acted like his servant?

Merlin released a soft sigh and took a quick glance at the brunette standing beside him. "Trust me, Arthur," he slowly started. "Nothing can keep her from coming with us."

Arthur pursed his lips and looked back at the brunette. There was this victorious smile stretched widely on her face, as if she had won a battle.

Resigned, he rubbed the bridge of his nose and released a deep sigh. They had more pressing matters to attend to; there was no time to fight against an audacious servant. "Very well," he finally decided, slowly opening his eyes. "But don't blame us if something bad would happen to you."

She grinned. "Of course, your majesty," she said, now shouldering the knapsack. "I will try to give my utmost help when it is needed."

The Prince frowned and looked away, highly doubting her words. After all, she was still a girl.

A new set of hurried footsteps reached his ears and he looked around, his eyes immediately landing on Guinevere. For a moment, he felt his heart skip a beat, but he tried to control his emotions, not when they were in public.

Morgana's maidservant then stopped in front of them, a wild, nervous look on her face. "I-I heard from Gaius," she stammered, her eyes staring on the ground. Guinevere then lifted her eyes and landed on Hermione, a bewildered look now seen on her face. "You're coming?"

Hermione gave her a smile and reached for her hand. "Don't worry," she assured her. "I can take care of myself."

Gwen threw her arms around Hermione and gave her a hug. "Oh, be safe," she reprimanded, glaring when the brunette softly chuckled in her arms. "I honestly, honestly grown quite fond of you and my house would be dreary now if you…"

Her voice faded when she pulled away from Hermione. Gwen then turned to Merlin and she frowned. "You must be careful, too," she admonished, rolling her eyes when his manservant grinned boyishly. "Gaius says so."

Merlin nodded his head. "I'll keep that in mind," he said.

Arthur straightened his back and kept his posture straight when Guinevere's gaze finally landed on his form. For a moment, he stared into her eyes, his emotions still at bay. But then, when her face slowly crumpled, the obvious worry on her face speaking volumes, Arthur knew he could not hold in the building up of emotions in his system.

"Sire…" she started, and then stopped. A look of conflict crossed her face before she took a deep breath and said, "Arthur."

The way she said his name brought annoying butterflies in his stomach, and Arthur was at loss of what to do. "G-Guinevere," he softly stammered, watching her as she took a few steps toward him, her eyes never leaving his.

And then, ever so slowly, she threw her arms around his neck and held him close to herself. "For goodness' sake, be careful," she softly exclaimed, her voice already thick with unsuppressed emotion. "Please, just… come back."

Arthur lifted his arms and wrapped them tight around her waist, uncaring that there would probably be spectators watching them. He was to leave Camelot for a while when there was a Great Dragon that wrecked havoc in his country. God knows what would happen to everybody, to Guinevere, while he was away.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head against hers. He relayed his unspoken feelings for her, feelings that he knew would never fade whatever he did. "Be careful yourself," he whispered back, his voice cracking a little. Arthur held onto her tight, taking in a shuddering breath. "Wait for me."

Gwen earnestly nodded her head and reluctantly stepped away from his arms.

The Prince then turned to Merlin and Hermione. Their eyes never showed any judgment, having witnessed a heartfelt farewell between the Prince and a mere maidservant; for that, Arthur was grateful.

His eyes connected with Merlin and he nodded his head. Wordlessly, the three of them walked out of the castle doors and mounted on their horses, determined to finally put a stop on the Dragon's wrath.

They were resting for a while now and Merlin was utterly grateful. Travelling aimlessly without a clear direction in mind was very tiring for him. Arthur, being his usually bossy self, would order them to go this and that way even if he himself did not know where to go.

Merlin sighed and grabbed one of the water containers. He drank a few gulps and closed the cap back, before leaning his head against a tree trunk. His eyes unconsciously landed on Hermione, who was now busy picking up lumber that would be used for the fire tonight. She had volunteered almost immediately when Arthur ordered for a rest, leaving Merlin without anything to do. Arthur was off somewhere Merlin did not want himself to concern with.

As he watched her, his cheeks slowly grew red upon remembering the surprise kiss that she had given to him when they were arguing. Despite being a servant, for a woman to boldly grab his neckerchief and kiss him… it defied all of the rules of propriety and proper etiquette. He knew in this kingdom, rules for women were stricter. He wouldn't be surprised if a band of aghast and mortified scholars barged into the room and accused Hermione for being shameless.

Of course, he knew it was merely to shut him up. What else could it be? But, how come he could not shake off the memory of her lips from his mind?

Gingerly, he placed fingers on his lips, blushing furiously when he remembered the way she had kissed him. If she were surprised with her actions, Merlin did not know. All he could remember was that the moment she pulled away, it was a flurry of words and nods and the next thing he knew, he was running towards the palace doors, Hermione in tow. He figured he had finally agreed for her to come while his head was still disoriented from shock.

Merlin cursed himself for letting her catch him off guard. He had suspected that she was a woman of full surprises, spouting words that were very unbecoming and doing things that were very astonishing. But the kiss that she had pulled… 'Oh, stop it,' he groaned to himself, burying his head in between his knees, hoping to bring his cheeks back to their normal colour.

His first kiss was with Freya, and of course, it was very special because, well, it was his first. But now that he was comparing it with Hermione's… dear God above.

A sudden slap at the back of his neck broke him off his reverie. He gasped in pain and surprise, glaring petulantly at the offender. His eyes instantly met a furious Arthur, who then pushed him to the side so that he could sit beside him.

"Are you out of your mind?" the Prince furiously whispered, his eyes constantly darting towards the busy maidservant. "How can you be so reckless in agreeing for her to come with us? Now, we are responsible for her safety! What if something happens to her?"

Merlin sourly frowned and stared at the ground. "S-she can take care of herself," he stuttered, annoyed that Arthur was arguing with him when he was not even in the mood.

"HA!" Arthur cried. For a moment, Hermione's eyes landed on the two of them curiously, but the Prince merely wore a fake smile and waved. Hermione still looked at them suspiciously before turning around, continuing her task of gathering lumber.

Once she turned away, Arthur moved closer to Merlin and darkly glared. "She is a woman," he furiously whispered. "They all need protecting."

Merlin rolled his eyes, annoyed of Arthur's ridiculous notion that all women were weak. "But… she's different," the young warlock said, absentmindedly looking at her whilst gathering lumber. "She is very different from the conventional women, Arthur. I don't know but I have this feeling that when she says she can take care of herself, she really can."

Arthur expelled a huge sigh and shook his head. "This silly crush you are harbouring is starting to get a little out of hand, Merlin," he uttered, much to Merlin's mortification. "For God's sake, I cannot believe that you allow yourself to be swayed by her womanly charms."

The Prince stood up and strolled away while Merlin stared at his back in incredulity. "I… I do not harbour a silly crush!" he cried softly, his cheeks involuntarily flaming up in embarrassment.

Arthur, hearing his words, turned around and rolled his eyes, before wordlessly strolling back to the horses.

A soft shriek from Hermione brought Merlin to his feet as he turned around and saw that a bandit had his arm wrapped around her neck. Arthur immediately bustled to his side, his sword drawn and ready to fight. The bandit tightened his hold on Hermione and cautiously, Merlin took a step forward.

"Your majesty," he mockingly said, bowing down. A few more bandits appeared and encircled them, all sporting menacing looks on their faces while clutching their weapons in defense. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Unhand the girl," Arthur ordered authoritatively. He pointed his sword directly at the bandit, which Merlin deduced as their leader.

The burly man burst into boisterous laughter, his minions following suit. "Oh, how adorable, the Prince worries for his lowly subjects," he cried, his spit flying everywhere. Some landed on Hermione, who glared up at him in disgust. "But this pretty lady seemed to be a fine-looking one and ooh, how much money I would gather if I sold her to Heignst."

Upon hearing his name, the Prince shook. He was the same person who had kidnapped Guinevere before and mistook her as Morgana. Merlin could not believe that he was still alive.

"Release me, you infuriating man!" Hermione exclaimed, struggling herself to get free.

"Ooh, a feisty one," he said, laughing once again. "Heignst loves his woman feisty." He directed his gaze back at Merlin and Arthur, whose sword was still pointed at him threateningly. "If you do not want this woman hurt, then you will let us leave peacefully, sire."

Arthur tightened his grip on his sword, his eyes intently staring at the bandit. And then, reluctantly, he started lowering his sword on the ground. Merlin glared darkly, feeling the magic inside him shaking in rage. Any minute now, he would be blasting off that no-good bandit off Hermione, his secret be damned. But then, a pained shout escaped from his mouth when Hermione sank her teeth into his skin and therefore slackening his hold on her.

The brunette immediately kicked him where it would hurt the most and turned around, pulling out his sword from his sheath and pointing it directly under his chin. From beside Merlin, he could see how Arthur was staring with awe at the maidservant.

"Take one more step and I swear to whoever I could that I would behead you," she spat so frighteningly some of the nearby men trembled in fear. The leader of the group raised up his hands in defense, grinning widely down at the brunette, clearly impressed.

Inconspicuously, he looked at one of his henchmen and nodded his head. Merlin caught this and immediately stared at his back. His eyes turned momentarily turned gold and he was blasted away. The sudden movement sparked a battle, and soon, everybody was slashing their swords.

Arthur effortlessly killed three of the bandits and was now fighting his fourth. Even Hermione, who was using the leader's sword, was fighting off some of the bandits. Merlin, on the other hand, chose to hide behind a tree so that he could use his magic without attracting too much attention.

He directed his eyes at the ground and saw a bloodied sword. "Flíe fǽgð [1]," he muttered. The sword lifted from the ground and pierced the bandit who was fighting with Hermione straight at his back. Confused, the brunette looked around. Quickly, Merlin hid behind a tree.

A loud cry from the fight caught Merlin's attention and he saw one bandit inflicting a deep wound on Arthur's side. Merlin glared darkly and almost sent a curse to the opponent, but Hermione came into view and slashed the bandit. He fell down into a messy heap on the ground and died.

The battle continued and the number of bandits slowly dwindled. Merlin could already see the panic on the leader's eyes as his last follower died. He fell on the ground, fearful, as Hermione suddenly dashed towards him and stepped on his chest, a sword now pointed threateningly under his chin.

"Spare me!" he cried shakily, his arms flailing around. "Spare me, please."

Hermione glared and retrieved her sword while the man quickly scrambled onto his feet. He turned away in fear and soon, he was lost in the woods.

Once he was gone, Merlin emerged out from the tree. Arthur saw him immediately and he snorted in disbelief. "Who would have thought that a girl would be braver than you, Merlin?" he asked, much to the young warlock's annoyance. His annoyance, though, disappeared when Arthur doubled over, a pained look on his face.

"Arthur!" he exclaimed, quickly scrambling to his side. Hermione also went to his side and dropped her sword, immediately rummaging inside her knapsack to search for a potion.

The Prince then would wave a dismissive hand, slowly straightening up. "This is nothing," he claimed. Merlin's arms were spread wide in case he fell down once again. Arthur eyed his arms warily, and Merlin quickly let them fall limply on his side. "I feel fine," he assured. "Let's not waste time and find Balinor now."

Hermione and Merlin shared a worried look but when Arthur trudged towards the horses, they could not do anything anymore.

Hermione worriedly looked in front of her, noticing how Arthur was slowly swaying on his feet. "Are you sure you can still manage, sire?" she called.

Merlin looked behind him and also worriedly looked at Arthur. But the Prince was adamant and wordlessly shook his head, even though the paling of his face already spoke volumes of how much he could not hold up anymore.

The brunette expelled an exasperated sigh at the Prince's stubbornness. It did not surprise her when he suddenly fell on the ground, facedown and unconscious. She and Merlin immediately went to his side. While Merlin ripped his tunic to locate the wound, Hermione rummaged inside her knapsack to search for a potion.

"This is all that I was able to bring," she showed to Merlin, disgruntled. "It's a Relieving Potion and it would only dull the pain, but I'm afraid I don't have anything that could cure his injury."

Merlin sighed and grabbed the potion. He uncorked the vial and poured its contents on Arthur's wound. Hermione sighed in disappointment, seeing that the only thing that the potion was able to do was to put Arthur's troubled face at ease.

Abruptly, Merlin stood up, a determined look on his face. "I'm going to search for help," he said, his hands fisted at his sides.

Hermione stood up, but he shook his head. "Look after Arthur," he said.

"Be careful," she called, as Merlin turned around and ran away from them.

The brunette bent down once again, examining Arthur's wounds. It was very deep, much to her surprise. She even suspected that some of his veins had ruptured due to the injury. Arthur's face had now considerably paled, cold sweat already forming on his forehead.

Worriedly, she brushed off some of his sweat. "You'll be all right," she quietly assured him. "I know Merlin will find help for you."

Soon, Merlin arrived, a troubled look on his face.

"What happened?" Hermione cried, once again standing up.

Merlin seemed to be deep in his thoughts, but was snapped out of it upon hearing Hermione's voice. "I… I found help," he softly said.

"Then, what are we waiting for?" Hermione asked.

They both helped the unconscious prince on one of the horses. Merlin held the reins and led the horse. Hermione followed beside him and frowned, noticing the troubled and conflicted look on his face. Slowly, she reached out her hand and placed it on Merlin's arm. The young warlock almost jumped in surprise and shot a look on her hand before directing his eyes on her face.

"Is something the matter?" she asked.

Merlin pursed his lips and shook his head, looking straight back ahead. He stayed silent until they reached a dark cave. Quickly, he dismounted Arthur and helped him inside, Hermione quickly following suit.

The cave was surprisingly big inside, albeit a little dark. As they walked deeper into it, though, she was able to see a faint light at one corner of the cave. Hermione then suddenly stepped on something and when she looked down, she was surprised to see a small wooden spoon down on the ground.

Merlin led them deeper until he stopped. Hermione's eyes widened a little upon seeing a small mat, some utensils and clothes gathered together at one corner of the cave. She quickly deduced that somebody had been living here.

"Where's the boy?" a gruff voice asked. A silhouette of a person greeted Hermione's eyes and when he walked closer to the light, she was able to make out the features of middle-aged man. His black beard with some strands of white hung messily around his chin. His hair was of shoulder length, also as untameable as his beard. What caught Hermione's eyes though was the stranger's eyes, tired and weary from something she did not know, but she could also see a hint of vigilance shining through.

Merlin quickly showed Arthur and the stranger ordered for him to be laid down on the makeshift bed. Merlin wordlessly followed and stood aside once the man bustled forward, grabbing a bowl from his belongings and started mixing herbs and spices inside it. Hermione absentmindedly moved forward and crouched down at him.

"May I help?" she softly offered. The man looked up at her, surprised, before silently nodding and offering her the bowl.

"Mix it until it turns into a paste," he ordered, his eyes now staring down at Arthur. Hermione nodded and did what she was told while the stranger removed Arthur's tunic so that he could properly see his wound.

Once Hermione was done, she gave the bowl to the man. He scooped some of it with his finger and gingerly placed them on Arthur's wound. Once his wound was covered, he reluctantly looked at the both of them, before returning his gaze back on Arthur. He placed his thumb on top of his forehead and muttered, "Ahlúttre þá séocnes. Þurhhæle bræd [2]."

Hermione stared at Merlin, surprised to see that the stranger was using magic. To further her surprise, he merely stared back at her, an indescribable look on his face.

"Your friend needs some rest," the stranger then said, slowly standing up. His eyes connected briefly with Merlin and said, "He will be all right." He then turned around and walked away from them.

"Thank you," Merlin called.

Once he was gone, Hermione immediately went towards Merlin. "Who is he?" she asked.

Merlin stared at the spot where the stranger was standing before, and slowly shook his head. "I don't know," he softly whispered.

The stranger was back after a few more minutes, this time with some food gathered in his arms. He invited both Merlin and Hermione to eat with him, which the two reluctantly accepted.

The meal was quite good, Hermione noted. Merlin had commented it out loud, but the stranger merely nodded his head.

"What brought you here?" the man then asked, his eyes intently fixed on the two of them.

"We are on a quest," Merlin quickly said, "of finding someone."

Something flashed in the man's eyes, but before Hermione could delve onto it, it disappeared. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"I-I'm Merlin," he stammered. He then gestured at Hermione, who nodded her head. "She's Hermione."

"Who is he?" the stranger asked, roughly pointing at Arthur. There was a hint of threat in his voice and Hermione could feel Merlin slightly struggling for the right words to say.

"That…" he started, "is Lancelot. He is my master."

The stranger clenched his jaw and glared darkly at Merlin. "No, that is Arthur Pendragon," he stated out loud. Hermione's eyes widened upon hearing that he was correct. "Uther's son. This is Cenred's kingdom. What are you doing here?"

Merlin licked his lips and gave Hermione a quick side glance. "Are you perhaps… Balinor?" he whispered the name so softly that Hermione had to strain her ear in order to hear him. The stranger's expression, though, did not change, who then looked away and stood up.

Before she knew what she was doing, Hermione was on her feet. "Please, Camelot is in danger," Hermione pleaded, successfully stopping the stranger from walking. "The Great Dragon… he is breathing flames and killing innocent people."

To her surprise, a soft laugh escaped from his lips. "The Dragon, Kilgharrah… you should have seen this coming when he escaped from his chains. I do not concern myself over that godforsaken Camelot anymore. Let Uther's sins be paid, and let Kilgharrah get his revenge."

"You don't understand," Merlin said this time, also now on his feet. "Innocent people are dying."

There was silence after Merlin's comment. And then, ever so slowly, he looked back at the both of them, his eyes clouded with unadulterated rage and despair. "Most of my people were innocent, too," he spat bitterly. "But Uther did not even care."

The man, who they both deduced as Balinor, walked out of the cave and the two of them merely watched, helpless.

Hermione walked out of the cave after check Arthur's wounds. To her surprise, it had completely healed. Whatever Balinor had used to heal him, it must have been powerful magic. The thought of learning it had crossed Hermione's mind, but she immediately shook it off, knowing it would be dangerous.

Her thoughts were then halted when she saw Merlin sitting on one of the big rocks, his gaze intently directed at Balinor himself. The Dragonlord was pensively thinking, his arms crossed and his gaze faraway. Merlin's face, on the other hand, showed great disappointment.

Sighing, Hermione approached him and sat beside him. He did not turn his head, but he knew she had arrived. "It will be all right," she whispered to him, trying to lighten his mood. She knew, of course, that without the Dragonlord's assistance, Camelot would be damned.

Merlin sighed and shot her a slightly amused look. "Why do you think so?" he asked back, slightly challenging.

"Well…" Hermione started. When she realized she could not think up of something to retort back, she grimaced. "No, I lied. I thought it would lift up your mood. I'm… sorry."

He softly chuckled, prompting her to smile. "It was a thoughtful act, though," he assured her. "Thank you."

Their conversation was then broken when Arthur suddenly came out of the cave, exclaiming his surprise for feeling better.

"What did you do to me?" Arthur asked, flexing his once injured arm. "I feel wonderful!"

"It wasn't me," he said. "Or Hermione. It was Balinor."

Arthur's eyes widened upon hearing the name of the Dragonlord. He followed Merlin's gaze and landed on the man. "You found Balinor," he said, feeling exuberant.

Hermione sighed and shook her head. "But that did not mean he was willing to help," she added.

The Prince was shocked at first, before he hardened his features and straightened his back. "I am going to talk to him," he proclaimed, now marching towards the Dragonlord. "I am going to persuade him."

Merlin and Hermione watched as Arthur conversed with Balinor. "I doubt he will listen to Arthur," Hermione claimed. "His… anger for Uther runs deeper than what I had originally thought."

The young warlock absentmindedly nodded and when Arthur came back, he pursed his lips. "What did he say?" his manservant asked.

"He said he'd think about it," Arthur said. Merlin released a soft snort of disbelief, prompting his master to glare down at him.

Balinor then suddenly came beside them, an unreadable expression on his face. Both Hermione and Merlin instantly stood up, an expectant look on their faces. The Dragonlord looked from Hermione, to Arthur, and then to Merlin, before quietly stating, "Then, farewell." He strode past them, and Hermione noticed how Merlin's shoulder sagged in disappointment.

"That's it?" Arthur barked, turning around to glare at Balinor. The Dragonlord turned around and calmly stared back at his face. "Innocent people are dying! Have you no conscience?"

Balinor lifted his eyebrows. "I believe you must ask that to your father," he said, turning his face away from them. Arthur, deeply offended, turned around and stomped away, ordering Merlin and Hermione to follow him.

"Gaius spoke of the nobility of Dragonlords," Merlin suddenly exclaimed.

The Dragonlord stopped and turned around. "Gaius?" he asked. Upon seeing Merlin's nod, his eyes momentarily showed of warmth. "Good man."

"He is, I - "

"MERLIN!" Arthur exclaimed.

Merlin frowned and struggled to say the next words. "I just - "

"MERLIN!"

Hermione worriedly looked at Arthur, and then to Merlin. "Come on," she said, tugging his arm.

The young warlock took a deep breath and finally said, "I expected so much better from you." With one last piercing look, Merlin then turned around, quickly followed by Hermione.

The disappointment of failing in their mission hung silently over their heads.

Hermione shot a strange, worried look at Merlin, who was oddly quiet for the very first time. Normally, he would be twittering about, unable to keep his mouth shut. A small smile appeared on her face, remembering the fact that she just had to kiss him in order to shut him up.

It was a spur-of-the-moment, something she did not really plan. But then again, she had assumed that Merlin would readily agree for her to come on their quest, not blabber about it being dangerous and all. And well, she thought his face was quite too close and then, the next thing she knew, she grabbed his neckerchief and pulled him close. The kiss she bestowed to him was brief, but oh, how he had finally kept quiet.

It was also quite surprising how his cheeks had turned into a furious shade of red; quite amusing as he nodded his head, disoriented, when she slowly coaxed him to agree with her accompaniment. Remembering his somehow ridiculous, yet adorable reaction still did not fail to make her smile.

Normally, she would be disgusted with methods that required her to use her so-called 'womanly charms'. But then again, if the situation called for it, then she had no choice but to be shameless.

"I always thought that silence would be a blessing to you, Merlin, but I just found it very irritating," Arthur suddenly exclaimed, trying to lighten up the mood. "You baffle me."

"Baffle you?" Merlin asked, turning around with a somewhat amused smile on his face.

Arthur nodded. "Yes," he claimed, "but I've grown to quite like you."

Hermione grinned at this silly exchange. Even Merlin seemed amused. "Yeah?"

"You're not as big as a fool you look," the Prince pointed out. "I used to think you are the biggest idiot in the Five Kingdoms, what with that annoying mouth of yours and clumsiness."

Merlin turned back around, raising an eyebrow. "Really, well, I also realized that you are not as arrogant as you look like, Arthur," he retorted back.

"You still think I'm arrogant?" Arthur asked, surprised.

A thoughtful look appeared on the young warlock's face. "No, more of… supercilious," he said.

"Big word," Arthur said, widening his eyes. "Do you even know what that means?"

"Condescending," Hermione quickly answered. Merlin gestured at her, smiling, while Arthur shook his head.

"You and your female version," Arthur said, gesturing at the brunette. "I thought I could not handle you before, Merlin. Now that she is here, I believe my life had just gotten harder."

Hermione released a soft chuckle while Merlin rolled his eyes. The brunette was quite amused of these little banters between the future king and the legendary warlock. Who knew they could be playful at times? Her chuckle then died, replaced by a small, fond smile. They somehow reminded her of Harry and Ron, and how they usually joked around each other when they had nothing to do. It was amusing, how even in Ancient Camelot, she could still feel her best friends' presence.

A sudden noise caught their ears. All mirth had died down as Arthur softly pulled out his sword and pointed it threateningly. Merlin gestured Hermione to stay at his back, which she greeted with a roll of her eyes. The young warlock also rolled his eyes, but gave up in coaxing her in the end. Instead, he also pulled out a sword from the ground, one that they had stolen from the fallen bandits, and pointed it around.

From a bush, the sound grew louder, and the three of them cautiously took a step forward.

"Easy there, boy," someone suddenly asked.

The three of them turned around and stared in shock as Balinor himself emerged out from the bushes, his arms spread wide.

"What are you doing here?" Arthur softly demanded, pushing Merlin and Hermione aside.

Balinor's eyes landed briefly on Merlin before smiling. "I believe I am needed," he simply said.

Hermione's eyes widened, realizing that he was offering to help, before grinning widely. She shot a look at Merlin and saw the genuine relief on his face.

"Thank you," he said, prompting Balinor to nod his head.

"There are after all people in Camelot I do not wish to see dead," the Dragonlord confessed.

"Thank you," this time, it was Arthur who stated it. "This is for Camelot."

Balinor somberly nodded and Hermione smiled, knowing that they were coming back to Camelot successful.

She shifted on the ground, feeling quite sore and chilled.

It was night time and Arthur deemed it necessary for all four of them to rest. She suspected, though, that the Prince was having a fitful sleep. After all, during this time, the Great Dragon named Kilgharrah would be destroying Camelot once again.

She could not believe that in the end, Balinor had agreed to come with them. Hermione completely understood why he was adamantly refusing at first. How could he help Camelot, a country ruled by a King that had killed all of his kind without mercy, disregarding whether they actually used their magic for good or evil? It was a hard decision and she knew it. And for that, she greatly admired Balinor.

Hermione blinked and turned on the other side, surprised to see that Merlin and the Dragonlord were talking in hushed tones. The brunette almost stood up, meaning to talk to them, too, but stopped herself in the end after seeing the look on Merlin's face.

It was surprising, seeing him with a lot of emotions on his face all at the same time. What was dominant among all was happiness; happiness, which Hermione suspected, had nothing to do with his agreement to help Camelot. Even Balinor was sporting such a peculiar expression on his face, his eyes gazing quite fondly, if she were to describe it, at Merlin.

The Dragonlord then stood up and she strained her ears to hear his words. She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep, knowing that Balinor looked at her direction quickly.

"You should rest," he whispered to Merlin. "We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. Goodnight… son."

"Goodnight, Father," Merlin whispered back, his voice holding so much emotion.

On the ground, Hermione felt herself tense up in surprise, disbelieving of how the two had addressed each other.

'Merlin is Balinor's son?' she quietly asked herself, hearing another pair of footsteps. 'That was unexpected.'

According to the legends she had read back in Grimmauld Place, the speculation of Merlin's parentage had always been a confusing one. There were different claims, some that were even shocking for her heart to handle, but this? She did not expect this.

But then, she remembered how Merlin had looked like upon seeing Balinor, telling them that he would help them.

At the dead of the night, she softly smiled, thinking that perhaps, this quest was not entirely for Camelot solely.

Perhaps, it was for Merlin, too.

Merlin was suddenly jerked awake upon hearing Arthur's shout.

"Cenred's knights had found us!" the Prince exclaimed, already on his feet and waving his sword. Merlin quickly looked at the others while standing up. Hermione had also brandished her sword, threateningly pointing it at an opposing knight that was about to pounce on her. Balinor, on the other hand, seemed startled by the events that was starting to unravel before his eyes .

The young warlock quickly grabbed his sword when a knight charged towards him. He had difficultly fighting him off, seeing that he was not really quite experienced with a sword. "Forþ fleoge! [3]" he cried, blasting off the knight, who painfully connected against a tree bark.

Merlin quickly ran for the sword and gave it to his father. Balinor caught it and fought valiantly, but one knight managed to pierce the sword straight into his heart. Distressed, Merlin released his sword and ran towards the injured Dragonlord.

With anger, he shouted at the knight, who also blasted off due to Merlin's sudden burst of magic.

"Father," he whispered, laying the Dragonlord down on the ground.

"Ah, I see that you have inherited your father's ability," Balinor gasped, a pained look crossing his face.

Merlin's face crumpled. "No, please, I can still save you," he said.

Balinor shook his head and placed a hand on Merlin's arm. "Listen to me," he whispered. "Once you faced the dragon, you have to be strong. Else, he will not listen to you. His heart is on his right, not his left."

"No, please," he cried, tears already rushing down his face.

"Oh, my son," the dying Dragonlord said, giving Merlin a small smile. "I've only met you for a while but I can already say that I… I am proud of you."

His hand then slowly fell limp back on his side as Balinor closed his eyes. He breathed his last breath and slowly, he passed away.

"No, please," Merlin sobbed, burying his face on the man's chest.

An arm wrapped itself around his shoulder but he was too distressed to know who it was. "No," he continued to sob, the person now gently pulling away from Balinor's body.

"Come on, Merlin," Hermione whispered, her voice thick with tears.

Arthur suddenly came and upon seeing the lifeless body of the Dragonlord, he fell on his knees. "NO!" the Prince exclaimed, his face crumpling in disbelief.

Merlin hastily wiped away his tears and stood up, Hermione following suit.

"Camelot," the Prince said, his voice laced with hopelessness, "is doomed."

Merlin jumped over a fallen Knight of Camelot, dodging the fire that Kilgharrah had released. From his spot, he could spy Arthur, waving his sword furiously and charging at the creature, ignoring the fact that he could not inflict a fraction of a wound on the Dragon's skin.

They had come back, the Dragonlord without them. When Gaius greeted them from the palace doors, Arthur shook his head, defeated. The Court Physician's eyes immediately flitted to Merlin, who was trying his very best not to breakdown.

Arthur, although his spirit was dampened by the death of their last hope, gathered the remaining Knights of Camelot and asked those who wished to fight to come with him and fight, with all of their might, the Great Dragon 'til their very death.

Merlin, after some contemplating, decided that he must come, too. His father said the power of Dragonlords is passed on from father to son. If he were already dead, then perhaps, his power was already his.

His thoughts were brought back to reality when he dodged another burst of flames.

"Blóddolg, ic – " [4]

The spell died down from his lips when the Great Dragon turned around, successfully knocking him off his feet. Merlin groaned in pain and tried to lift his head. At the same time, Arthur had grabbed a spear from the ground and pierced Kilgharrah on his abdomen. The Dragon, pained, grew wild and knocked off Arthur. The Prince landed on the ground, instantly becoming unconscious, leaving only Merlin awake in the battlefield.

Slowly, he stood up, gasping loudly as he walked towards the Dragon. His father's words resounded in his mind and he closed his eyes, remembering them.

"You're the last dragonlord now. You alone carry the ancient gift. Deep within yourself, you must find the voice that you and Kilgharrah share, for your soul and his are brothers. When you speak to him as kin, he must obey your will."

Merlin's eyes then abruptly opened, a determined look now shown on his face. "Dracan! Nán dyd ǽlc áciere miss! Eftsíðas eom ála cræt! Géate' stǽr ábære gárrǽs! Géate cyre. Mé tácen átende diegollice. Car grise áþes, [5]" he cried, his eyes blazing gold.

The Dragon flinched and settled back, his head bowing down low in respect of the last Dragonlord. Slowly, he lifted his face, his eyes conflicted and slightly angered. Merlin cautiously lifted the spear that Arthur had used to him and lifted it up in a threatening manner.

"You cannot blame me for doing this, Merlin," Kilgharrah said. "I am the last of my kind. It is my due to avenge them."

"Go!" Merlin claimed, thrusting the spear. Kilgharrah flinched and drew back, once again bowing his head. "Leave Camelot or I will kill you! I have shown you mercy now, and I want you to do the same to others."

The Dragon expelled a soft sigh and lifted his head, his eyes immediately connecting with Merlin's. "What you have shown is what you will be," Kilgharrah said. "I will not forget your forgiveness." He then spread his wide wings and took off into the night, stopping the terror he had brought to Camelot.

A soft groan from the ground reached Merlin's ears and he released the spear, immediately going to Arthur.

"What happened?" the Prince asked, looking around in bewilderment. "Where is the Dragon?"

"You wounded him severely," Merlin said. "He's gone now."

A disbelieving laugh escaped from Arthur's mouth, prompting Merlin to smile.

"I… I can't believe it!" he exclaimed, climbing back on his feet.

The young warlock, his secretive smile stretching widely, would nod his head in agreement. "Me neither," he claimed.

Hermione smiled, looking outside one of the windows in the Griffin Staircase, watching as the survivors of Camelot slowly walked back to their homes.

Camelot was finally at peace, although ruined terribly by the Dragon's wrath. But the Knights of Camelot, headed by Prince Arthur, were already doing their very best to put everything back into place. Food was immediately distributed; clothing was provided. Although it was obvious that they had lost a lot, the people of Camelot were just genuinely happy that the destruction done by Kilgharrah was finally done.

The brunette then sighed contentedly and continued her journey, meaning to go to Gaius' chambers to help him with brewing the potions. A lot had been injured; therefore, needing medicine. At a time like this, Hermione knew that the Court Physician would be having a hard time.

Finally, she had arrived silently and peeked inside. All she was able to see was a solemn Merlin, his chin right above his arms placed on top of Gaius' worktable, seemingly lost at thought.

Hermione gently smiled and silently walked inside. She knew Merlin was still mourning for his father's death. From what she deduced from Gaius, Merlin had always thought of his father dead. Now that she was thinking about it, it was somehow heartbreaking to know that he had spent only a short period of time with the father he never thought he had.

"Hey," she softly said as her greeting.

Merlin turned his face at the door and smiled upon seeing her. "Hi," he greeted back.

"Where's Gaius?" Hermione asked, approaching the worktable and sitting opposite him. Merlin placed his chin back on top of his arms and looked at her.

"He's off in the forest," he answered. "Probably collecting some ingredients for the potions he would be brewing. I'm sure he'll be back soon."

The brunette slowly nodded her head, her eyes gazing thoughtfully at him. "Are you," she started, a hint of hesitation in her voice. Frowning, she took a deep breath and continued, "Are you all right?"

He seemed surprised at her question, but he smiled sadly nonetheless. "I will be," he answered, burying his mouth underneath his arms. He shot Hermione a shy look, his cheeks gradually growing red. "You know, I still haven't forgiven you for…" He darted his eyes away from her and frowned. "You know…"

Hermione chuckled and lowered her head on the table, levelling her eyes with his. "Want me to kiss you again to be forgiven?" she innocently asked, a hint of mischievousness in her voice.

When his cheeks grew red, full-force, she laughed loudly this time. She stretched out her hand and fondly ruffled his hair. "Relax, Merlin," she said. "If you must know, I only did that to shut you up, you annoying manservant."

He blinked at her, incredulous, before releasing soft chuckles. "Of course I know that," he interjected. "I'm not completely an idiot."

Hermione grinned and stood up, bounding off towards the door. Before completely walking outside, though, she turned around. "Cheer up, then," she said. "I am sure Prince Arthur wants his clumsy, ol' manservant to shine his armour today."

She then left, satisfied of the grin that Merlin showed.

[1] Flíe fǽgð - Fly, imminent death
[2] Ahlúttre þá séocnes. Þurhhæle bræd - Cleanse the sickness. Heal thoroughly the flesh.
[3] Forþ fleoge! – Fly forth!
[4] Blóddolg, ic… - Wound, I…
[5] Dracan! Nán dyd ǽlc áciere miss! Eftsíðas eom ála cræt! Géate' stǽr ábære gárrǽs! Géate cyre. Mé tácen átende diegollice. Car grise áþes. - Dragon, I command you to stop this reign of terror. You have caused enough pain and suffering to these people. You must obey me and follow my will. For I have you under my power. You shall no longer bring death and destruction to this land.

A/N: So, end of chapter! How was it? Tell me in your reviews!

Truth be told, albeit the satisfying length of this chapter, I'm still a little disappointed. No matter what changes I made, I still couldn't get the right feeling of this chapter. But eh, I can't think of a way to improve it anymore so there. I know that it's too similar with the original episode; forgive me for that. Rest assured that in the future, I'll try to put a dash of my originality, what with incorporating Hermione into the story, but being faithful to the events that had happened in the series at the same time.

Anyway, I must stop here now. It's already in the wee hours in the morning and I'm tired, despite doing nothing for the whole day. This semestral break is truly making me unproductive, but oh well. I know I must rest before the start of another semester.

Once again, please drop a review!

With love,
WickedlyAwesomeMe