Disclaimer: I do not own the characters :)
A/N: Soooo yay another early update!
School starts once more so our internet will be shitty. Although I've finished the whole story already (roughly 38 chapters), I doubt I'll be updating like crazy. My beloved beta also took a break because of a laptop issue so there's that. This chapter is un-betaed so there would be glaring mistakes, I swear. I apologize for that but I have case conferences and exams coming up so yay me *eye roll*
Enjoy! I'm assuming the readers already wildly guessed this is where the time-travel thing comes in. This will be a long ride.
Chapter Eleven: Ancient Camelot
Arthur woke up with a jolt, furiously sputtering out water out of his lungs. Oxygen rapidly filled inside, heaving heavily to aid the process, as he now blearily looked around in a place with endless trees and bushes. He racked his brain, trying to remember what happened. A flurry of masked strangers and pink dresses entered his mind as he grew paler and paler in remembrance.
"MERLIN!" he bellowed, searching desperately for the princess. His heart skipped, eyes landing on the unconscious form of the princess beside him. Arthur scrambled towards Merlin and reached for her wrist, feeling for a pulse. Thankfully, it was there, albeit faint. "Princess, come on," he muttered under his breath, fussing over the unconscious girl. "Come on, wake up."
An ensemble of hooves and shouts reached his ears and he lifted his head, hoping for help. What greeted him though was a surprise, for before him was Leon, Elyan, Percival and Gwaine, emotions of mixed relief and worry, but they were different at the same time. He noticed that they were in armors, looking as if they were knights who stepped out of a fairytale book. And their looks… oh Leon would freak out if he wore his hair as long as the hair of his strange lookalike.
"King Arthur!" he exclaimed, climbing down from his horse ('Horse!') without even waiting for it to stop. "Oh thank the gods, it is really you, Arthur!"
The other bodyguards – more fittingly knights – followed suit and flocked towards him. For a moment, Arthur tried to recall if their Winter Ball was supposedly a costume party, but looking at his normal suit and tie, and Merlin's ball gown convinced him otherwise.
Dread steadily pooled into Arthur's heart.
Something was not right.
Percival helped him up, his familiar biceps greeting him, exposed by his sleeveless chainmail. Arthur's knees were still wobbly from the drowning and the astonishing sight in front of him. Elyan took a step forward to help support him, and Arthur gladly leaned against him.
"Where have you bloody been?" Gwaine exclaimed. He tugged his horse forward, meaning to let him ride on it.
"Come on," Leon commanded. "We must first bring him back to the castle first. Gaius must look at him. He seems wounded" – he pointedly looked at his bleeding arm – "and… shaken."
"W-what?" Arthur breathed out, confused. 'Castle? Gaius?'
Percival and Elyan helped Arthur mount the horse, but he jerked away, remembering Merlin. "NO!" he cried. "I'm bloody all right!" His crazed, frantic eyes seemed to startle them, following his line of vision toward the unconscious girl. "Bring her. Help her, for god's sake! She's unconscious, can't you see? I'm all right! Help her, please, oh god, help her!"
Gwaine rushed forward, alarmed by the desperate tone in Arthur's voice. He knelt down, scooping Merlin up into his arms, and bringing her to Elyan's horse. Percival and Elyan wordlessly helped Arthur to mount the horse again before proceeding to journey to somewhere Arthur didn't know.
Their travel was silent, but he could feel the questioning looks directed towards him and the unconscious girl. Leon had been eyeing his strange attire for minutes, but he didn't dare raise any question, which relieved Arthur immensely.
Despite the growing darkness in the forest, Arthur noted with horror that they were not in the university anymore. The Lake of Avalon was still right where it should be, but the school buildings were replaced with endless greenery. He wondered if he was dreaming, if he was still unconscious, but everything – the sound, the smell, the surroundings – felt strongly vivid and tangible.
They were nearing a clearing. At the same time, his heart pounded loudly in his chest, anticipation building due to something unknown. He had seen this place before… he had been here before, or at least the original Once and Future King had been. Afar, he could already see a castle, a beautiful castle, and for a moment, Arthur Pendragon felt his heart stop.
They were back in Camelot.
He and the still unconscious Merlin were immediately brought inside a small room, greeting him with strange fumes and fogs of color swirling around. Seated on a workbench was the familiar face of his medieval history professor's past life. Arthur stared, his mouth drying up.
Leon helped Arthur to lie down on a vacant cot while Gwaine carried Merlin into another one beside him.
"Thank you, Sirs," Gaius said, his eyes twinkling with relief and worry as they darted towards Arthur. He looked back at the knights, who were all now gathered around, before sighing. "I must tend to the King now. Perhaps you have other duties to attend to?"
Hesitant looks appeared on their faces, prompting the Court Physician to smile. "I will call you once I'm done tending to Arthur," he said, reassuring the knights. They darted one last look at their king, before bidding goodbye. Soon, the door was closed behind them and Gaius turned to Arthur.
The bodyguard immediately sat up, which made him dizzy due to blood loss. He rested his hand against the stone wall while Gaius quickly rushed toward him. "No!" he exclaimed, halting the Court Physician. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, exhausted. "Stop, please." When he opened his eyes, he was desperate… determined. "Just I… I'm okay," he continued.
"Sire," Gaius said, worriedly looking at him as if he had gone bonkers. "Let me tend to your wound."
"Sire," Arthur echoed, prompting the old man to close his mouth in surprise. "I-I am not…" He paused and took a deep breath, intently staring at Gaius. "I… I am not your king" – Gaius' eyes widened in disbelief – "No! You wouldn't understand. I am not just…" His words died down as he fearfully looked at the princess, who was now trembling in her wet dress. She looked awfully pale. "Just tend to her first and leave me in peace."
It was clear that Gaius was in a state of shock, but he slowly turned his attention to the unconscious girl and heeded Arthur's request. The bodyguard blearily watched the Court Physician tend to Merlin, slowly slumping back on the cot as exhaustion was taking over once more.
His mind was racing with everything that had happened. Panic gripped his heart, but he was too exhausted to take some action. Sleep was slowly taking over and soon, Arthur fell into a fitful sleep.
Gaius was confused.
As he brought the soothing salve towards the slumbering girl, he couldn't help but wonder what King Arthur was blabbering about. The said king was already brought in his chambers to rest after being tended to by the Court Physician. Now, all that was left was the girl, and she still hadn't woken up. She was pallid and shaking, making Gaius wonder as to what horrors this girl might have faced to be reduced in such a state. He just hoped that she would wake up soon to answer his numerous questions.
'What does he mean he's not the king?' he mused, absentmindedly applying the salve on some of her wounds. She twitched under his touch, but still slept. There was a crazed look on Arthur's face as he rambled about himself, and Gaius reckoned that his abduction might have shaken his poor mind to spout ridiculous words. He made a mental note to visit the king later and examine his mind for anything sickly or, horrifyingly, magical.
The girl on the cot stirred and Gaius took a step back. He watched as her eyes slowly fluttered open, and he was struck with how familiar her wide, blue eyes were. Scrunching his eyebrows together, he held his breath as she looked around, utter confusion on her face. Once her eyes landed on him, a gasp escaped from her mouth. She quickly sat up, this action making her dizzy, and she lightly clutched her cot to keep her steady.
"P-professor Leech, w-what happened?" she rasped out, throat still dry from exhaustion.
Gaius frowned. "Pardon?" he asked, not sure why she was calling him as such.
She stared at him, long and hard. "Professor Leech," she stated, this time stronger.
"Hmm," he hummed, putting the salve aside. "My name is Gaius and you must have mistaken me for your, err… professor." He cleared his throat, steadily growing uncomfortable as the girl frowned. "I am the Court Physician of this kingdom and the knights found you unconscious near the Lake of Avalon."
Realization seemed to dawn on her face as she paused for a few minutes, eyes growing wider each minute. "Arthur!" she breathed out, fear forming on her face.
"The king is well, my dear girl," he said, giving her a reassuring nod. "He is now in his bedchambers to rest."
Her jaw dropped, her eyes widening more if it was even possible. "K-king?" she breathlessly whispered. Gaius was becoming more confused now. She started to chew her bottom lip, her mind seemingly racing in deep thought. Finally, her wide eyes snapped back at him, this time horror and understanding on her face. "I'm not in the university anymore, am I?"
"U-university?" Gaius stumbled, frowning. "What a strange name for a kingdom. But to answer your question, I believe you are not. You're now in Camelot."
He watched as the girl took a sharp intake of breath, before releasing a string of words Gaius didn't understand but knew were too improper for a girl to speak about. His cheeks colored, scandalized, but the girl started to burst into loud, guttural sobs as she tried to stand up and reach out for him. Gaius quickly rushed toward her side, steadying her down to keep her from toppling over.
"Oh god, oh god, Gaius," she blabbed, burying her face against his clothes. "I… you wouldn't understand. I-I'm not from here, oh god, you must help me."
The Court Physician wordlessly patted her back, a strange feeling of familiarity pooling in his heart. "All right, all right," he said, not really knowing what he could provide for help. "But for now, you must rest again. We will talk once you are well."
She hastily nodded her head, wiping away her tears. Gaius couldn't bear to look at her eyes because they were so familiar and it terrified him. He sauntered to his shelves of potions and grabbed a sleeping draught. He gave it to the girl, who gladly drank it, and watched as she finally succumbed back to sleep.
Gaius sighed and wearily set the empty bottle aside. Here was he, thinking that the girl would answer his questions, but all he got were more unresolved questions.
Arthur woke up once more in a strange place.
Red and gold decorated the warm, comfortable room, with the Pendragon crest proudly scattered around. The bodyguard thickly swallowed, for this was the king's room in Camelot, his room, which strongly supported the fact that he was actually back in Ancient Camelot.
He was distracted by a dull ache on his right arm, noting that his wound was now dressed with a clean bandage. He then remembered that Princess Merlin was with him when they were found at the shore of the lake, and he quickly stood up to visit her in the Court Physician's bedchamber. But before he could even take a step, his door had burst open and a maidservant strolled inside, apprehension clearly written on her face.
"Are… are you well now, Arthur?" she whispered, her face as white as paper.
His eyes widened, realizing that the maidservant was in fact Merlin. She was clad in a peasant's garb, her hair held away from her face by a crimson handkerchief. To complete her attire, she was tightly clutching a broom with her hand, and an empty bucket with another.
"M-merlin?" he asked, squinting his eyes as a wave of dizziness hit him.
She vigorously nodded her head, looking as if she was about to cry. Her eyes were wide with fear. "P-professor Le… I mean Gaius said we must meet him in his… err bedchambers to discuss our" – she frantically gestured between the two of them – "situation."
He took a sharp intake of breath, cursing furiously in his mind. He ignored the princess while he wore decent clothes, his mind still reeling from the fact that they were sent back into the time where their reincarnations originated. He thought of a possible explanation as to why they were here, but his panicked mind failed him. His hands were shaky as he buttoned his tunic, his eyes connecting once more with Merlin's wide, fearful eyes. The princess was frazzled, panicked like him, and it brought slight comfort to Arthur that at least, he wasn't alone in this strange, familiar world.
Their journey towards Gaius' bedchambers was a quiet, tensed one. Arthur fidgeted with his clothes, itchy and expensive-looking, as opposed to the princess' bleak, dirtied attire. From an outsider's point-of-view, it would be strange to see the mighty king and a lowly servant strolling side-by-side in the empty hallways. If only they knew that she was supposedly the princess, and he, the supposed bodyguard.
Arthur darted a sideways glance at Merlin, watching as she incessantly fidgeted with her fingers. This made him smile a bit because he realized she was more frazzled than he was. Despite his fear, he tried his best to calm himself down at least, so that he could properly plan their escape. Between him and the princess', he thought that it would be best if he would be the stronger one for the two of them.
They finally arrived in Gaius' bedchambers. The princess ditched knocking and proceeded to open the door quite forcefully. The Court Physician almost jumped from his feet and glared lightly at Merlin. "You should have knocked," he admonished, prompting the princess to bow her head in apology. Gaius pressed his lips together as he looked at Arthur, and then wordlessly ushered them inside.
He followed Merlin, also sitting down on one of the workbenches in the room. For a moment, the three did not make any sound. Merlin has her head still bowed down, burning holes on top of the wooden table. Arthur was looking around the room, anywhere but the Court Physician, while Gaius steadily looked at the time travelers.
Then, Gaius started to pace, his face old and worn with confusion and stress. The two still waited with bated breaths for him to break the silence. At last, the Court Physician spoke, "So… you are not from here, I believe."
Arthur said a soft "no" whilst Merlin vigorously shook her head. This time, she lifted her eyes to look at the original Gaius.
He gestured at the princess, eyes now focused on Arthur. "Your, err, companion told me that you are from the future," he continued. Arthur darted a quick look at Merlin before looking back at Gaius. "And as mind-boggling as it is, she says that you are the reincarnation of King Arthur and that she" – he threw a glance at the fearful princess – "is the reincarnation of my ward, Merlin." He paused, as if disbelieving of the words that left his mouth. "Is she… is she telling the truth?"
The bodyguard pursed his lips and firmly nodded his head. "She is," Arthur claimed. This somehow made Gaius flinch, as if confirming his deepest fears, and the Court Physician proceeded to plop down on the seat in front of the two.
"In our time," Arthur continued, "Merlin here is a princess and I am her head bodyguard" – "Bodyguard?" Gaius asked, quizzical – "or fittingly her head knight… her servant." The old man's eyes widened; apparently, Merlin was not able to relay this piece of information. "The last time we were in the future, we had this Winter Ball, and the princess was attacked by an unnamed perpetrator. There was a fight, and Princess Merlin unleashed a powerful spell that pushed me into the Lake of Avalon. I drowned, and she followed, and the next thing I know, we were brought here by a band of knights that looked awfully like her other bodyg – err, knights."
Gaius gripped the end of the table, looking as if he couldn't believe the information that was just given to him by the supposed King of Camelot who actually turned out to be a bloody bodyguard of the future. "I am well-versed with magic, as you both know, I assume," the Court Physician said. "But, I am afraid this is the first time I've encountered time travelers. I'm not… well-equipped to be of help to you two."
Arthur slumped on his seat, disappointed with what he heard. He always thought that Gaius knew almost everything in the whole world; that he held all the answers to the questions of the universe. He actually believed that Gaius had called them so that they could discuss how to get back to their proper time period.
"King Arthur and his manservant, Merlin," Gaius continued, "have been missing for almost three months now. We have been looking for the. The knights are patrolling day and night to scour the lands of Camelot and its neighboring kingdoms just to find the two." He sighed, obviously weary from the turn of events. "Your presence here in Camelot is most probably not a coincidence. There must be a reason why you are brought here while the king and his manservant are still missing."
Silence heavily loomed over their heads. Gaius' turned his eyes toward his window, deep in thought and worry for King Arthur and Merlin. Bodyguard Arthur took his time to properly think about what Gaius said and his implications. He had this gut feeling that Gaius might most probably be right, that travelling back into Ancient Camelot was not a coincidence.
"In the legends of King Arthur," Merlin shakily said, speaking for the first time, "the Once and Future King will rise again once Albion is in great need." She directed her eyes at Arthur, her anxiety now released with awed realization. "Perhaps… perhaps this was the reason why you and I were reincarnated in our lifetime while we remembered our pasts. Without the original King Arthur and Merlin, Albion will fall and future you and I will cease to exist. So, here we are now and we must save the originals."
Gaius, troubled by her words, merely nodded his head. Arthur, on the other hand, had a look of understanding on his face. What she said was absolutely logical. Professor Leech had always told him that remembering his past reincarnations was never an accident, that there was a reason why he remembered, why Merlin remembered. Maybe, it was the universe's way to call help from the current counterparts.
"Forgive me, for I do not know how to aid you back," the Court Physician said, sounding remorseful. "But I promise you two, I will help you in any way I can to bring you back home." He took a deep breath and stood up, sternly looking at the time travelers. "But in return, you must help me. You must help Camelot." He turned his attention on Arthur with all the seriousness that he could muster. "A throne without a king is dangerous. I know you believe that Camelot is a wonderful kingdom, sought out by friends and enemies alike. I'm afraid you must continue posing as the King just to give the kingdom some security it needed."
Arthur paled. Him? A king? He was trained to be a bodyguard all his life, for heaven's sake! He knew that his past reincarnations were wonderful kings and leaders, but he did not know how to become one. Nonetheless, he nodded his head, because he knew that it would be the most sensible choice if they wanted to return to the twenty-first century alive.
"As for you," Gaius continued, now looking at the female version of his ward, "I will talk to Guinevere and introduce you as my niece. You can stay here and occupy Merlin's empty room until he comes back." He paused and sighed, as if speaking about his missing ward pained him. "I think it will be best not to reveal that you are a royal. Some will be doubtful and delve into your lineage until they find out that you are a royal of the future. So I think, the guise of being a maidservant will be the best for all of us. And of course, your magic must not be revealed also."
Merlin silently nodded her head without any interjections.
Gaius fell into a contemplating silence, his eyes never leaving the princess. Merlin met his gaze, questioning, before the Court Physician broke into a forlorn smile. "You look awfully like my clumsy, ol' ward," he said, his eyes misting and distant. He once again gazed outside the window, as if it would give him the answer that he needed the most. "I wonder if he is all right… I wonder if he and the original Arthur are all right."
Beside him, Merlin's eyes watered but they refused to fall. Beneath the table, Arthur reached her for closed fist and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She did not look at him, but Arthur could see that she was grateful for his comfort.
"Well then," Gaius said, looking back at the two. "I think it is best if you return to your bedchambers, sire. Your knights might become suspicion if you are not there, resting."
Arthur nodded his head, concurring and stood up from the bench. "Thank you, Prof – Gaius," he said, hastily covering his slip. "Thank you for everything."
The old man smiled and nodded his head.
"I'll accompany you back," Merlin hastily said, scrambling on her feet. "I just… I just needed to get some fresh air…" Her words died down, but the other two did not interject her.
Arthur bid Gaius goodbye, with Merlin following him out of the room.
Once the door closed behind them, Gaius looked out of his window, still fearful for the King and his manservant.
Their journey back to Arthur's temporary bedchambers, but Merlin was unable to suppress the tears that silently fell from her eyes.
This whole ordeal, the sudden turn of events, had shaken her beyond reason. Normally, if she was at loss of what to do, her parents were there to guide her. But now, whisked away in a world that was not entirely hers, she was panicking. Merlin felt vulnerable without her parents, mind clouded with numerous scenarios and what ifs. What if they never get back? What would happen to her parents? To her throne? To her people? What if she would be stuck here forevermore and their original counterparts were never found? Would she cease to exist? Would she be… forgotten?
These thoughts merely prompted to increase her tears, but try as she might, she could not quell them. Having lived a sheltered life for years, Merlin was not yet fully prepared to face dilemmas like these. She still had a lot to learn.
"Princess…" her head bodyguard murmured. She could see that he was trying to reach out for her, but recoiling back at the last minute.
The princess sniffled and wiped away some of her tears. It comforted her immensely that Arthur was here with her. She wouldn't know what she'd done if she was the only one sent back in time.
She could see that he, too, was panicked just like her. She bet that their line of thought were the same, worst case scenarios now plaguing their minds. Arthur looked wearier than usual, and Merlin mentally slapped herself because between the two of them, it was Arthur that must rightfully be panicked, after being requested to pose as a king for a kingdom that was merely part of their memories. Silently, between the two of them, she knew she should be the stronger one.
"I-I'm sorry," she whispered, still wiping her face. "I'm just… scared." Silence hung heavily between the two and it was plain to see that Arthur mirrored her emotion.
Silence continued until they finally reached Arthur's bedchambers. Thankfully, the knights were nowhere to be found.
The new king turned towards the princess, and to Merlin's surprise drew her into a hug. The surprise was fleeting, for his comforting gesture enveloped her body and she sank deeper into his hug, her tears turning more desperate in horror.
"Everything will be all right," he soothed, voice still laced with doubt, but it was all that Merlin needed. "If we stick together, we will get by."
'This too shall pass,' she remembered King Balinor's murmur, her eyes fluttering close in pain for missing her father.
Arthur absentmindedly dropped a kiss on her hair, a whisper of promise escaping from his lips. "I will protect you no matter what," he vowed. "Trust me. We'll find a way to go back, trust me."
She found herself vigorously nodding her head because despite the fear she felt, she trusted her head bodyguard with all her heart.
Merlin took a deep, shuddering breath, once more wiping her tears away.
Arthur insisted to accompany her back to the Court Physician's room, which made her laugh because she had just accompanied him to his room from Gaius' bedchambers. "I will be all right," she bid as her good night, before turning around and walking back to the Court Physician's room, mind made up that they will, no matter what happens, find a way to go back to their world.
A/N: How'd you like it?
Starting today, I might really update once a week. I totally swamped so most likely, I'd be able to update on Fridays or the weekend.
Drop a review please!
With love,
WickedlyAwesomeMe