DISCLAIMER: I do not own Merlin or any of its amazing characters. All I own is a laptop and this particular story.
Okay hello you all. This is the new chapter:D Again I had to hurry up and post it earlier, but this time it's because I have to: I just realized I'm leaving for the weekend tomorrow, and won't be able to post, so I'm doing it now. Even though, technically, it's already Saturday-it's seven past midnight.
Enjoy!
"Have you found it yet?" asked the king for the nth time that afternoon.
Arthur was beginning to grow bored. There was nothing particularly entertaining for him to do there, and he was already considering taking a walk around the caste. He could see nothing useful for him to do here, in Gaius' chambers.
Arthur had tried making some remedies earlier-mixing plants, boiling herbs, things like that-but he'd never been any good at medicine, and his skills were limited to just that: boiling and mixing-two things he had done plenty that day, enough to make Arthur believe that if he'd never have to mix another foul smelling paste in his whole life, it wouldn't be enough.
During the morning they had remained in Merlin's small former room, but it had soon become obvious that the space was way too small for both of them-especially with Arthur having nothing to do. As a result, Merlin had cast another illusion over them, this time making sure to include Gaius among the few people that would be able to see through it, and had moved into the main room. There, the Court Sorcerer had continued pouring over the book and the king had humored himself with helping Gaius however he could with his potions.
The physician had come and gone during the day: in the morning he had gone to do his rounds, then he had come back and they had all eaten a small lunch together with the younger Merlin-who had come looking rather grim and hadn't spoken too much. Arthur remembered and he could guess why: he must've already had the argument about magic being the only way for them to leave with the younger him. The king recalled he had been pretty stubborn and unfair that day-not that he was ever going to admit it.
After that, Gaius had taken over the potion-making process and the young Merlin had left to attend to his duties. The following hours had gone by in a similar fashion, and now Gaius had left again, this time to do his evening rounds and Arthur was thoroughly, completely bored.
Merlin didn't even raise his gaze at Arthur's question, his chin resting on his fist as he lazily flipped another page of the old spell book. Arthur could tell even the warlock was bored. "Are going to keep asking me that? I told you I'd let you know when I find it"
Arthur pressed his lips together, unconsciously playing with a wooden spoon on the table.
"But must you read through it all? Why can't you just-you know-magic read through it? I've seen you do it before"
This time, Merlin did look up, an exasperated expression covering his face.
"Yes, I could search the book magically" he began, and Arthur opened his mouth to ask him why he was wasting time, if that was the case, but was cut off quickly "But that only works if I know what I'm searching for" Merlin let this sink in, then lowered his gaze and resumed his search when the king's shoulders sagged.
"Which you don't"
Arthur could see a small smile tug at Merlin's lips. "Which I don't" he agreed.
The king sighed, letting go of the wooden spoon and looking around the room, as though the cure to his boredom could be found hidden there. His eyes fell on a shelf full of dusty books and scrolls, all tossed together in heaps and piles in between jars of suspicious looking substances. An idea struck him.
"Isn't the spell for getting back in that notebook of yours that got us here in the first place?" he asked, feeling quite proud of his own revelation.
"No" Merlin deadpanned, completely blowing the king's momentary joy. "The spell wasn't all that clear to begin with, and you've seen what happened when I first tried getting us back" he gave Arthur a look, and Arthur mentally blushed. Right. They had ended up here, in the past. "Do you honestly think recasting that spell would be such a good idea?" Merlin drawled on, as if talking to a small child.
The king huffed indignantly. "Where's the notebook anyway?"
"Why?" there was a funny twinkle in Merlin's gaze Arthur knew meant a smart line was coming. He cut his friend off before that could happen, standing up.
"I'm going to walk around for a bit. I can't stay here anymore" Arthur left, not looking behind at the smirking Merlin and ignoring the shouted "Make sure you don't get lost"
Arthur made his way through the halls, feeling old memories start to rise to the surface of his brain. This was the old Camelot, the Camelot where he'd lived ignorant to the truth of the world around him, to all that was really happening behind his back, ignorant to the sacrifices of his servant and to the plans of his sister. This was a dark version of the castle, a version he had not thought of in a long time.
He remembered Uther and how the kingdom was under his rein: how the people lived with that constant sliver of fear in their hearts-fear of magic, fear of Uther, or fear of both. Even the castle itself looked somehow grimmer, a certain stiffness hanging in the air. His father seemed to cast a shadow over the whole citadel, or maybe it was just him being paranoid.
His father, Arthur remembered with a jolt. His father was alive. The king stopped in the middle of an empty corridor, feeling his heart going off-beat. He felt a sudden urge to see his father. Somehow, it seemed so impossible that he was breathing and ruling here and now, where in his own, real time, Uther had been dead for so many years he was truly a memory. Arthur wondered if he would look like a ghost to him.
Not like that time he had summoned the spirit of his father, and then had had to hunt him down. No, that had been different, the loss had been fresher. It hadn't felt like a real ghost. But seeing his father now, after all this time… Arthur truly couldn't fathom it. Uther was a figure from the past. Uther was the past: to him, he would always be the face that would sometimes crack a smile for him when he had been a boy, but he would also always be the sure and hard king that would lock him in the dungeons. And more than anything else, to the people, to them all, Uther would always be the Purge and an age gone by.
Arthur shook himself out of his momentary stupor and started walking again, albeit slightly less confidence in his step. This was foolish of him. Even if he did want to see his father, there was no way he could. To him, Arthur would look like an ordinary peasant, and king Uther had never been fond of or kind to peasants. Sure, he could pretend to seek audience with the king for some matter, but somehow that didn't feel right. Besides the fact that he didn't know how long he would be kept waiting, and the cover story he would have to make up, it wouldn't be right. This was the past and he was of the future-he had no business prying around, sticking his nose everywhere and maybe accidentally altering history.
Looking up, the king realized he had been wandering into the market, and he found himself in front of the tavern. He could go in and have one drink, he mused, but then again he had left with no money.
Arthur sighed and turned on the spot, starting to make his way back. He had got his wish-he had taken a walk. Arthur didn't feel all that energetic anymore anyway. All these memories… it was all too unnerving. Suddenly, he really wanted to get back home, to his people, to his queen and to his son. Arthur saw the expression "to take a walk down the memory lane" in a whole new light.
Gaius had barely entered to his chambers and settled properly when the old Arthur-or Garrah, as they had agreed to call him-had come back from a walk. Gaius realized it would have been a waste of breath to tell him that it could have been dangerous: no one ever seemed to care about that. Common sense was not for the prince/king of Camelot and his manservant/court sorcerer.
The physician had started making dinner when yet another familiar face walked though his door: Merlin. The young one.
Gaius was usually able to tell when something was wrong with his charge. He considered it a kind of talent, a well-developed skill. The old man had to admit though, he didn't believe he had ever seen the warlock so grim in his entire life, and he had known him for quite a while. Nor had Merlin ever looked so scary, not even when he had fought against other sorcerers with his magic. And Merlin could look pretty scary when he wanted to.
Right now, the manservant's whole face seemed to be covered in a dark shadow, and Gaius could swear an invisible storm cloud was hanging over the boy's head. It didn't take a genius to guess that something not particularly good had happened.
This was the second time Merlin had come here looking grim that day: the first had been during his lunch break, when he hadn't glanced or said anything to anyone. Gaius hadn't asked him anything then, but now he felt compelled to. Clearly something was very wrong.
"What happened?" he asked his charge, and everyone in the room looked up at the manservant, even Dragoon from where he was sitting at the table, quietly pouring through the very thick spell book from the caves.
Merlin however ignored Gaius completely, choosing to glare instead first at Dragoon, then the king, then at the both of them.
"How did he find out?" Merlin asked quietly.
It took Gaius exactly two seconds to realize what was probably going on: the first second he decided "he" had to be prince Arthur, and the second one was spent agreeing that the thing he had found out about probably had something to do with magic.
Gaius watched as Dragoon looked confused for the smallest of seconds, before dawning comprehension settled on his face. However, it was Garrah who answered "We didn't tell him, if that's what you want to know"
Merlin immediately focused his glare solely on him. "Then how?" he hissed.
Garrah looked somewhere between slightly apprehensive and amused. More amused than apprehensive, Gaius noticed.
"I don't exactly know when it happened-we never saw him-but I can tell you what I remember from when I was him" he paused, waiting until Merlin gave a very stiff nod. Then he continued. "I remember being a bit frustrated after the argument we had. So I decided that the knights could do without me for an hour and came here, to ask what we… them… um-Garrah and Dragoon planned to do to get back.
I know I reached the door just as Mer-Dragoon was explaining to Garrah something about a spell in the book. I didn't know that then, of course. I just eavesdropped a little and heard Dragoon talking magic gibberish, then saw him actually casting a spell: he chanted something and then his eyes glowed. I remember I was pretty mad, especially at you, because you hadn't told me." the king paused, smirking. "Now I know what Dragoon was doing that day: he was casting this spell he found that he thought would be very useful-said it enables one to shrink things to the size of a fist. Merlin thought it would be nice if he could carry that big red book around, not that he's going anywhere or anything"
Garrah finished, flashing one final smirk at Dragoon, accompanied by a "It didn't work by the way-the shrinking spell" that Gaius considered to be extremely unhelpful.
Merlin seemed to struggle for a full minute, incredulity, then anger, then disbelief, frustration and anger again flashing across his features. Finally he seemed to break, pointing an accusing finger at Garrah, who was looking on calmly.
"You knew this was going to happen! Why didn't you stop it! We could've done without Arthur knowing this! You could've said something and-"
"No he couldn't" cut in Dragoon, quietly closing the book before him.
"What?" asked an incredulous and still angry Merlin. "What do you mean he couldn't?"
"We cannot dare to alter the events that have happened here before. If something like that were to change, I don't know what would become of our future" he explained, his eyes boring into Merlin's. "You know how seeing the future works, or you at least know the consequences of meddling with it. We cannot afford to change anything. Not even this"
The old physician, despite his years, felt his head spin whenever he tried to think of the whole time magic business too long. It was a complex and dangerous area of magic he had never dared touch, but he trusted this older version of Merlin knew what he was saying. Gaius was prepared to take his side, should his young charge want to argue.
The two Merlin's stared at each other for a couple of long seconds, before finally his Merlin-much to Gaius' relief-seemed to give up, his shoulders sagging as he collapsed in the nearest chair.
The physician thought this would be the best time to resume the making of the dinner.
"Have you found the spell yet?" he heard his Merlin ask, and the voice of an older Arthur answer "Not yet. He's taking his sweet time"
There was silence for a while after that, as Gaius made dinner for everyone, the only sounds that could be heard being the clink-clanks of the pots he was maneuvering.
Gwen had done her best not to notice anything these days, but it was getting increasingly hard to do so. Whenever she looked at either Arthur or Merlin, she could always see something there, a certain nervousness, even worry.
And today, today had been the last drop. Both Merlin and Arthur had worn grim and angry looks the whole afternoon, not even looking at each other, and whenever Merlin had talked to Arthur he had been polite. She wasn't the only one who'd noticed that: their banter was pretty famous and enjoyable. Everyone could tell they'd had some sort of fall-out.
Gwen had no idea what was going on, and it wasn't her place to pry into their business, but she was worried. Even more so now that she had seen Merlin leaving the stables looking grimmer still, and Arthur storming out himself in a different direction not even a minute later.
So Gwen had followed the prince as he went up on the battlements-where he usually went to think or when he was sad or angry. He was probably all of them right now.
Even if she knew Arthur needed to be alone with his thoughts, Gwen was also aware that the prince could be quite stubborn at times, and often let his pride get in the way of his better judgment. Gwen stepped forward.
"Arthur" she called softly to get his attention. The prince swirled around, his expression softening when he recognized her.
"Guinevere" he greeted. Gwen scanned his face for a moment, then went to sit next to him. Arthur turned to look at the sky again. Gwen realized this must be pretty serious, for Arthur to have that unreadable look on his face. There was something there, a fragility she had never seen in him. Arthur looked like something was on the verge of breaking in him, and suddenly she felt out of place there, with him.
The prince needed to figure this, whatever it was, out alone. It was something he and Merlin clearly didn't want to share, and she felt as though she should respect that. Even though she was curious and worried, and maybe even a little hurt. Gwen changed her mind: she wouldn't ask anything. But she would talk to Arthur.
"I know it's not my place to say, and I won't ask" she paused, but quickly put her hand on Arthur's shoulder to silence him when he opened his mouth to speak. "You don't have to tell me. I don't need to know.
But clearly something has happened between you and Merlin. All I want to say is: whatever has happened or is happening, remember that he is your friend Arthur"
Feeling a sudden surge of courage, Gwen leaned in and placed a kiss on his cheek, then blushed as she stood up to leave the prince with his thoughts. She felt a hand close around her wrist.
"Guinevere"
She looked back at him, and knew she was right to let them deal on his own with whatever it was they had to deal with. Arthur smiled gratefully at her through his troubled expression. "Thank you"
She nodded as he let go and left to deliver Lady Morgana her dinner.
Arthur felt grateful for Gwen and looked out at the dark city, the stray flames flickering here and there like distant fallen stars. She was right. Merlin was his friend. Arthur didn't know what to believe, didn't want to feel the traitorous thoughts nagging at him, gnawing at his heart. He didn't want to even fathom the idea that Merlin could be practicing sorcery, but the doubt once crept into his heart, it had grabbed with both hands and refused to let go. If he was innocent, why had he not answered Arthur's last question?
Merlin was his friend, he reminded himself again. He wouldn't do anything that would hurt him or Camelot, that at least was sure of. Even if all else was suddenly not-so-certain, that would remain a fact, and Arthur just had to grab onto that.
He sighed. He supposed he shouldn't have reacted like that: after all, Merlin was right. What was he to have said? "Would you like more water, sire? Did you know I will be a sorcerer in the future?" Arthur laughed, realizing why Dragoon's robes had looked vaguely familiar. He had seen them in a book when he was younger, while studying Camelot's history. In the picture, they were worn by an old man who stood next to one of the Kings of the Ancient: it was the official Court Sorcerer uniform.
Well, mostly. There were a couple of details, such as the golden dragon in a circle, that were new, but he could still recognize it. So, it seemed as if Merlin would have an even more powerful position in the future: First Advisor and Court Sorcerer.
Arthur slowly got up. He would store all of these things away for later. Now he had to go and talk to Dragoon and Garrah, see if they knew how to get back. From what he'd seen when he'd eavesdropped-ahem-on them earlier, Dragoon had had a huge book-which Arthur was sure was a magic book-in front of him. They were probably searching for a way back. He'd better offer them his help.
Thank you all for reading this.
I know this chapter didn't have too much action, but I just felt they all had to have some time to think everything through. Come to terms with it all.
Hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you think, will you? :)
I will try posting on time, on Monday, but as I said-I'm away for the weekend and I might not have the time. So I'm extending the date a bit: I will post either on Monday or on Tuesday. No later than Tuesday though:D
Until next time^^
