-Twelve-

The Once and Future King

Merlin's hand was warm in hers, and Liz found herself distinctly distracted for a moment. Then he let go, and the moment passed.

"Well, I'm still alive," he said, holding out his arms.

"Good. I'm glad that's over with." Liz didn't want to admit how nervous she really had been. She wasn't sure she was ready to believe in magic, but she didn't want to take any chances. "Let's go see if Arthur's here."

Liz led the way up the grassy incline and toward the crumbling stone structure. She felt a distinct feeling of déjà vu and realized why. She stopped short, and Merlin nearly ran into her.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"I remember this tower," she whispered.

"You're remembering?" he asked hopefully.

"Not remembering, it's just, I've drawn this island with this exact same tower," she said. "I do sketches," she explained at Merlin's confused expression. "And I've drawn things that Morgan recognizes too. Obviously they're from Camelot. That proves that my memories are somewhere buried within my subconscious."

"That's a good thing," Merlin said. "Now we just need to crack them open."

"That sounds painful."

"Remembering often is. Come on." He brushed a hand over her arm in a way that felt familiar and led them on.

There was a narrow pathway that led up the grassy hill and into the ruins. They made their way through the crumbling stone until they reached the very center of the tower. Liz stopped short. In the very middle of a stone courtyard stood a stone altar. And on that altar lay a man. Merlin had rushed forward, but Liz was hesitant.

The man had golden blonde hair and a pale face. He wore chainmail and a shoulder plate that covered his right shoulder. His hands lay on his chest, and he appeared to be sleeping peacefully. He wasn't much older than them as if time had rewound itself while he'd been in Avalon.

"Is he alive?" Liz asked.

"Yes. He's sleeping," Merlin answered quickly, his fingers pressed up against the king's neck to find a pulse. "Maybe you can help me wake him?" He looked up hopefully at her.

Liz forced herself to walk forward until she stood next to him and the king. "This is Arthur?" she asked aloud. She didn't know what she'd expected. She'd seen illustrations of course and actors in films posing as the king, but there was something so…human about him in person.

"The once and future king."

"How can he be king again when he has no kingdom?" Liz asked frowning.

"I'm not sure," Merlin replied. "Truth be told, I'm have no idea what's going to happen. I just know some sort of danger will present itself and that's the reason Arthur will rise again."

"But we've all been here for three years," Liz reminded him. "Nothing out of the ordinary has happened."

"Not yet." Merlin looked away from Arthur. "I just wish my destiny was clearer or that anything was clearer really. I'd take a sign any day. I wish Gaius was here."

"The physician?" Liz remembered hearing about him.

"He was like a father to me. He always had the best advice. Or Kilgharrah, the great dragon."

"You got advice from a dragon? Oh right, you were a dragon lord, but still. That's pretty awesome."

Merlin grinned. "Camelot had its perks." He looked down at the king, smile fading.

"Did you try waking him up?" Liz asked taking a step forward. She nudged the king's shoulder, but he didn't wake.

"I don't think he'll just wake up if we yell at him or prod him," Merlin said.

"What about magic?"

"I can try." Merlin reached a hand out toward Arthur. "Ic ácwice þé," he said and as he spoke, his eyes glowed amber. Nothing happened though. "All right how about, Ic þé bebíede þæt þú mé slæpest!" Again his eyes glowed and again nothing happened. "I don't think any spell is going to wake him."

"Then what will?" Liz asked.

"Excalibur." Merlin indicated where Arthur's arms were folded over his chest. "A knight is always laid to rest with his sword. I think once we return the sword to its rightful master, he'll awaken."

"How can you be sure?"

"I'm not, but it makes sense."

"So now we need to find the sword. Short of dredging the entire lake, do you have any ideas?"

Merlin thought for a moment. "Camelot's ruins?" he suggested.

"Haven't you been there like a million times in nine hundred years?"

"Yes, but that was before the Second Coming began. Maybe the sword just sort of reappeared."

"All right. Is Camelot close?"

Merlin nodded. "Just an hour's drive."

"All right. Let's go. We'll find the sword and then come back with it and awaken Arthur. Nothing difficult about that." Liz knew that sooner or later something was going to happen that would turn this whole adventure into something more dangerous, but for now she was content to think that it might be easy.

"I know I'm asking you to help with something that seems impossible, but I know the sword is out there somewhere."

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm still getting used to the whole Camelot was real and I lived in it thing and now we're off in search of a magical sword to awaken King Arthur."

"That does have an unbelievable ring to it," Merlin agreed.

"But it's also kind of awesome." Liz grinned. "Not every girl gets the chance to adventure alongside Merlin the sorcerer."

"Right. Well, it's not all that exciting." He looked bashful.

"It's more exciting than working behind a bar everyday." Liz realized just how true this was. Ever since Merlin had walked into her life, nothing had been boring. She had never felt so alive, and she was afraid that after this was all over she'd have to go back to her life the way it was before. She realized with a jolt she didn't want that anymore.

Merlin gave Arthur one more look. "We will come back," he told the king. "I promise. We'll find a way to awaken you." He briefly touched his friend's shoulder and then turned to follow Liz off the island.

The boat was where they left it, and Merlin used magic to get them back to the other side. Liz watched the island fade into the mist, feeling a pang of sorrow leaving the king behind.

From the trees, Lancelot watched as Merlin and Ryll alighted from the boat. They'd been to Avalon. But had they found the king? He moved a little closer so he could hear what Merlin and Ryll were saying. They walked close to each other, shoulders brushing, and he could see the trust in Ryll's face. Ryll didn't trust easily, so did that mean she had her memories back? He heard Merlin mention Excalibur and then Arthur. Ryll mentioned returning to the island. So Arthur was there. As they got into Merlin's car and drove away, Lancelot took a step toward the waters of Avalon. Last time he had been there, he had been a wraith. Merlin had released him from Morgana's curse, however, and he was able to die in peace. His gratitude toward his friend was overwhelmed by the guilt he felt from serving Uther. Once he'd found a way to break free of Uther, Lancelot swore that he would never go against his friends again. But until then, the king would be waiting, and he must report that they had found Arthur.

Liz was more talkative on the drive to Camelot. Merlin had finally started calling her Liz in his head. She wasn't Ryll anymore. Not until she got her memories back. Liz was much more enthusiastic and sarcastic. She had an edge to her that Ryll had never had. She was much more trusting than Ryll, and he was grateful that she was accepting all of this even if she still had doubts. He felt conflicted when he thought about getting Ryll back. Would Liz be erased? Would she disappear as if she'd never existed in the first place? Her past was a lie, her memories were fake. It was a cruel existence. Maybe he needed to stop thinking about Ryll as two different people. She was still the same person, but he wasn't naïve enough to believe that even when she did get her memories back she would be the same Ryll as before. After over nine hundred years, he wasn't the same person. How could he be after everything he'd seen, everything he'd lost, everything he'd been through? The years changed people, but it also meant they could evolve. It was something Arthur was going to have to do because this wasn't anything like the world they'd once lived in. He didn't know where Arthur fit into all of this yet.

Seeing Arthur for the first time in nine hundred years had been difficult and wonderful all at the same time. Merlin ached to joke around with his friend. He wouldn't even mind a bucket over his head. Arthur had been his best friend until the day he'd died. And Merlin had missed him. He'd missed all his friends. Watching them grow old and die had been the hardest part of being immortal. It'd made him want to die alongside them, but he didn't. He lived on until everyone he knew was dead and he was utterly alone in the world, hoping, just hoping, that one day he would see them again in either life or death. He'd contemplated trying to find death, but he knew of only one weapon that could give it to him. Before he'd sent Excalibur off with Arthur into the waters of Avalon, he'd wondered if he could wait for Ryll's return or if he could find her sooner if he joined her in death. But he'd been frightened. Frightened he wouldn't see her again, frightened that she'd come back to a world without him. He'd set the sword in Arthur's hands instead and pushed the boat out into the waters. Now that he had Ryll back and was on the verge of waking Arthur, he realized that he still had purpose. His life still had meaning though he'd doubted it many times over the last nine hundred years.

"Merlin?" Liz brought him back to the present. He glanced at her and saw that her wide blue eyes were watching him curiously. "You looked miles away," she said.

"Sorry. I do that sometimes." He turned his eyes back to the road, gripping the steering wheel a little harder than necessary.

"I understand. I do that too. I'll suddenly get this overwhelming feeling that I'm about to remember something, but no matter how hard I concentrate, it never comes back to me. I'll just get feelings, but never images. At least you have your memories."

"Some are painful," he said before he could help himself.

"Like losing me? And Arthur?"

"Those are the most painful. You were taken from me too soon."

"Sometimes sacrifice comes with a steep price."

"I was willing to die," Merlin said sharper than he'd meant to. "If it meant you didn't have to."

"Even if it meant abandoning Arthur and Camelot?" Liz's voice was sad.

Merlin looked over at her. "Arthur didn't need me, but I did need you."

"Of course Arthur needed you," Liz said softly. "I'm sorry I left you. I'm here now."

"But you don't remember. You don't remember being her." She recoiled when he called Ryll 'her' rather than 'you'.

"Just because I can't remember, doesn't mean I'm not her," she said turning away.

"I'm sorry," Merlin said after a moment. "I didn't mean that. Of course you're her."

Liz stayed silent, and Merlin cursed himself for his outburst. He concentrated on driving instead and took another back road that led deeper into the forest. You couldn't actually see the road unless you knew it was there. Merlin had put up an enchantment to hide Camelot years and years ago – more like centuries, he supposed. He'd harnessed the spell to the stones themselves and so as long as they stood, the enchantment would hold. If you didn't know that Camelot was there, you would never see it. That kept it safe from wandering eyes and archeologists. They would have a field day here, but he didn't want them touching anything. It was still Arthur's kingdom. Even in ruins.

When they entered the clearing that led up to the castle, Merlin saw the crumbling towers of the once beautiful, white-stoned castle. He heard Liz suck in a breath at the sight. Even in its downfall, it was still beautiful.

"Welcome to Camelot," he said softly. "Welcome home."