"A naoidhean bhig, cluinn mo ghuth

Mise ri d' thaobh, O mhaighdean bhan"

Merlin slowly began to regain consciousness as the words surrounded him in warmth and magic, the voice gentle and kind, as if singing him a lullaby. As his vision began to focus he saw the outline of someone sat in a cell next to him, their mouth moving in time to the words and their fingers letting tiny flames dance over the tips.

"Ar righinn oig, fas as faic

Do thir, dileas Fein"

Somehow he managed to find the strength to push himself up and two gold eyes turned to look at him, their owner finally known to him and it was the last person he expected to see. If there was one person you expected to be in the cell next to yours, this person wasn't them.

"A ghrian a's a ghealaich, stuir sinn

Gu uair ar cliu 's ar gloire

Naoidhean bhig, ar righinn go

Mhaighdean uashaill bhan."

He lifted his hand to push the hair away from his face, however the sound of chains rattling broke the silence that had followed the song and he found himself staring down at large, strong chains that were bound around his wrists. Instantly he called upon his magic to release him but instead of seeing the chains fall, they tightened.

"Your magic won't work with those on," the woman told him calmly and Merlin glared over at her.

"As if I'll listen to you. You're the one-"

"I didn't put those on you. Like yourself, I have similar chains around my own wrists," she said as she lifted her hands to reveal she was telling the truth. "I'm a prisoner just like you."

"You? A prisoner? Please, this is probably another plan of yours."

"Believe me when I tell you that I'm not your enemy."

"I will never believe a single word that comes out of your lips. You took everything from me. My family. My home. Arthur. There's nothing more you can do to me."

"As long as your alive there will always be something to take away from you. I won't be the one to take it from you though," she gave a sad smile and then turned to look ahead. "He will."

If it wasn't for the bitterness he saw in her eyes Merlin wouldn't have bothered to look, however if there was one thing you did it was look into the shadows when a powerful sorceress looks close to terrified. So Merlin turned his head to look over his shoulder and felt his body inwardly shudder as a familiar face came from out of the darkness. The memory of how he lost consciousness now perfectly clear. "You?"

"Yes, me."

"Arthur you seem distracted as of late, is anything the matter?" Uther asked as they ate their evening meal.

"No Father, I'm fine."

Both men knew this was a lie and Arthur kept his gaze down at his untouched food. For days now he had felt like something was wrong, like there was something missing and for the life of him he couldn't think what. He often found himself turning to share his thoughts with someone who wasn't there and when he tried to think about what had made him do such a thing he got a migraine and normally had to find a place to sit down for a few minutes.

His dreams didn't help. He would see himself in places that he had visited during his journey to save his Father, however instead of reality, he was faced with something different. Instead of Aulfric standing in front of him, the man from the forest took his place and there was an expression across his face that Arthur had never seen before when he was looked upon.

The stranger would talk to him like they knew each other well and Arthur felt desire soar through him whenever their briefly touched. His eyes sought out the man when in a crowded area and his fears lessened when the man smiled back at him. It made no sense. Arthur had only met him once. Now he couldn't get him out of his head.

"How is training going? I hear you've been pushing the knights to their limits out on the field."

"They need to be ready for anything," he simply replied.

"Yes but that doesn't mean working them until they can barely walk. Maybe you should-"

"I am treating them how they should be treated. If any of them are complaining then they can come directly to me and I will find them a more suitable position in this Kingdom." When his Father didn't respond Arthur lifted his gaze and saw Uther studying him with a concerned expression, "What?"

"Nothing, I just thought ... never mind."

"No, tell me, you thought what?"

"I just thought I had raised you to be better than this," Uther said and set down his knife and fork. "It's almost like you don't have a heart."

Why did Arthur feel like his Father was right?

Merlin flinched as the sorceress was struck and felt his magic come to the surface, except the chains dampened the magic almost instantly. This wasn't like the maze he had once been in with Arthur. Here he could feel the magic inside him, letting him know he wasn't alone, unlike the maze when he had felt completely empty. The only thing was, he couldn't tell you which was worse.

"I don't know why I haven't killed you yet. You have been a pain ever since I brought you here," their captor said as they threw the woman onto the ground. "At least you have some company now though. Wouldn't want your last moments to be lonely."

"Last moments? What do you mean?" Merlin asked as he tried to see past the man. "What have you done to her?"

"Never you mind Emrys. Now, I have to get back to the castle, Arthur's waiting for me."

"Don't you dare hurt him!" He yelled as he gripped the metal bars of the cage, his chains tightening around his wrists as his magic tried to stop the man leaving. Only thing was the man didn't need to be stopped, instead he came back and crouched down in front of him, as if inspecting a bug he could easily squish. "What did he ever do to you?" Merlin asked.

"It's people like him who stop my people from coming into this land. With him gone I'll be able to bring them here."

"I swear-"

"Don't waste your breath, there's nothing you can do to stop me and this will all be over before you know it."

"You have no idea what I'm capable of. You touch him, harm him in any way, and you'll feel real pain. Remember what I said on the ship all that time ago?"

"I remember perfectly what you said. And do you remember what I told you?" Merlin tried not to react as a hand grabbed him by the throat and lifted him from the ground, his feet hanging in the air as the breath was crushed from his throat. "You. Don't. Scare. Me." Just as the world was beginning to fade, his body was thrown backwards and he crashed into the other side of the cage, the metal bars no doubt leaving wounds on his pale skin.

Gasping for air as he lay there, his hand going around his throat as the heat from the foreign hand faded, Merlin turned to glare at the two glowing eyes staring back at him. "You're a fool Aulfric," he struggled to make a sound but his voice travelled around the room. "And you will lose."

"How long have you been his captive?" Merlin eventually asked when he could speak again.

"He caught me not long after I told you the riddle about finding the cup of life. Since then I have either been his prisoner or his puppet. How he found the power to control someone like me is something I thought impossible." He watched as she rose a shaking hand and traced the markings on the chain surrounding her other wrist. "I tried to let you know it wasn't me doing this to you, that I was being controlled, but you didn't even consider the fact that someone like me wasn't that heartless."

"What-"

"Do you really think I would be so cruel to do all those things to you and Arthur? Ygraine was my closest friend, I would never do anything to harm a son she ended up giving her life for."

"You knew Arthur's mother?"

"Yes," she replied and a small smile came to her lips. "Before Arthur was born magic was welcomed in the Kingdom. I used to stand by her side and watch as she ruled over Camelot like the Queen I knew she would one day become. When she asked me to help her conceive a child I couldn't be happier, to put such faith in me ... no one had done that before."

Merlin frowned as he listened to the witch tell her tale. He had never discussed Arthur's mother with him, yes he had known she was dead, but he'd always presumed it was of natural causes.

"After giving birth to Arthur she began to weaken as he grew older. What once was a simple task became a burden to her, I was told near the end of her life she could barely get out of bed." A dark look crossed her face as the memories clearly went through her mind. "When she first showed signs of being ill I went back to my books, researching why my friend was so sick. When I discovered it was because of my magic ... because I had given her a Son, I couldn't live with myself."

"What did you do?"

"I told the King my mistake and said I'd dabbled in magic I had no control over. Uther was furious, saying that all magic was evil and that I had taken his wife from him. If it wasn't for my magic he would have taken my head off right there and then." He inwardly shivered at the thought of being executed. "I never went back."

"Not even to say goodbye?" He asked.

Nimueh turned to look at him and he could see the trace of a tear running down her face, "Could you face the person who you had unknowingly sentenced to death?" The silence in return gave her the answer. "I wanted to make it up to Uther, to show him that I wasn't the monster he made me out to be, so when I learnt of his health I decided to help his Son."

"You just didn't care what the sacrifice at the end of it was?"

"There was no sacrifice Merlin," she replied quietly and he stared at her with a confused expression. "You got the riddle wrong. You all did. Yes, the first letter spelt out your name, but that didn't mean Arthur had to give you up to get his Father back."

"You're not making any sense," Merlin said as he tried to think of another way the riddle could work. "The sacrifice that is made can be found at the beginning of the six tasks. It is what you would truly miss and that which you treasure most in this world. Once taken it cannot be returned."

"Don't you see Merlin? The riddle wasn't just for Arthur, it was for you as well," Nimueh said as she lay down on the ground. "The sacrifice was Emrys."

"I'm Emrys."

"Not anymore you're not. You became Emrys on that island, started every task as the bitter, angry boy who had been abandoned there. However by telling Arthur your name, your true name, you opened yourself up to him and became who you were always meant to be."

"I still don't understand."

"You may not have realised it but you grew fond of being Emrys, not having to deal with emotions-"

"I never grew fond of being Emrys. Being on that island was hell, being alone all those years, it almost drove me insane."

"Yes but after the betrayal of your people you closed yourself off from the possibility of love, protected yourself from heartbreak. You treasured the fact that never again would you be harmed by another because you'd never let anyone get that close to you. At least, you thought that until Arthur appeared." She ran her fingertips through her hair and smiled over at him, "There will always be heartbreak in your life Merlin and once in a while you will miss being on that island where nothing could touch you. Except I think having people to care about is better then being alone."

"So I was never meant to leave Arthur?"

Nimueh shook her head as she closed her eyes, "No warlock ... you weren't."

Thinking about everything Merlin began to realise that him being wiped from Arthur's memories shouldn't have been enough to save Uther's life. He was due to die and therefore a life must be given in his place. Just like the dragon's life had been taken for his Father's ... at least that's what he'd been told. What if the dragons had been wrong?

Then he remembered two golden eyes staring back at him and suddenly memories came flooding back to him that he hadn't even realised had been taken from him.

"You're awake."

Opening his eyes, Merlin stared up at a beast he was under the impression he would never see again. "What are ... how are ... you're a dragon!"

"Such power comes with such intelligence it seems."

"How are you here? Beneath a castle? Where are the other dragons?"

"I have not seen any more of my kind since I was brought here," the dragon replied and Merlin slowly stood so he didn't feel so tiny.

"When was that?"

"A little over eleven years."

That's when it all clicked. This dragon had been taken the same time he had saved his Father, the other dragons believed the beast dead, therefore taking the actions they had. If Uther was responsible for capturing this dragon, for chaining it up beneath the castles foundation, then it was Uther's fault he had been sent to that island. He could have had a life, a family, happiness. Uther Pendragon took that from him.

"It's all his fault," he muttered and his fingers curled up into fists. The man he had thought he'd given his life for had inadvertently sentenced him to be alone on an island for over a decade. "It's all his fault," he repeated as he fell asleep and the anger he felt darkened his already vulnerable heart.

Whilst growing up Arthur had never felt like his life needed anything. He had been given everything he needed with a click of his fingers and had been told what his future held. He was to become King, a great King, of a Kingdom that was known throughout the lands for its power and leadership. His Father had taught him how to rule, what the people would need him to do, how to set his feelings aside when it came to decisions etc.

So why did there feel like there was something missing?

Here he stood in his Mother's garden, staring at a large tree that he'd been told was often visited by his Mother, and he had never felt so alone. Why did staring at a tree make him want to cry? The closer he got the sadder he felt. As he pressed his palm to the bark and closed his eyes, he could almost feel the presence of another with him.

He suddenly felt like he was being surrounded by a warm blanket and the sadness he had once felt now left him. Pressing his forehead to the tree to be closer to the source of the warmth he tried to think what this all meant. Was this his Mother trying to help him from beyond the grave? Or was this something else entirely?

"Arthur..."

The faint voice that sounded both familiar and strange was enough to make him break the contact from the tree, now turning to see his sister standing there. "Did you say something?"

"I've been here for a while ... you ... are you okay?"

"Yes," he said quickly and averted his gaze.

"Arthur, if you need anyone to talk to, you know I'm here right?" She came to stand in front of him and gently tipped his chin up, "What's the matter?"

"Ever since we saved our Father everything has just felt wrong. Like there's something missing." Taking her hand he pressed her palm over his heart, "My heart feels cold and dark, Morgana. Why is that? I should be happy Uther is well. Except every time I look at him all I feel is anger and bitterness. Like he's taken something from me and I want it back."

"What do you think you're missing? Could it be a weap-"

"A person," the words left him without hesitation and as the idea settled he realised he spoke the truth. There had to be a reason he dreamt of someone every night and yet had only met them once.

"You're missing ... a person?"

"Yes and I'm going to find out why they're missing."

As Merlin stared down at the plate of stale bread and cup of mucky water his thoughts traveled back to what Nimueh had said days ago. "You told me you tried to hint that you weren't in control during the tasks, what did you mean?"

Nimueh ripped her bread open and laughed under her breath, "Did you not find it strange when your Mother was dead that I claimed we had been there once before? That you had begged me to spare your Father? I met you for the first time on that ship, not in Ealdor."

"Why did I not question you?" Merlin asked in confusion.

"You were grieving and angry, I knew it was unlikely you'd pick up on the mistake but I had to try. I think Aulfric did something to you that day. You began talking like you were two identities, acted like I was the reason you were trapped on that island, I even picked up some of your thoughts and you seemed adamant it was my fault. Whatever he did made you angrier and almost destroyed your chances of getting the cup."

"What else?"

"Do you want me to say everything I did? I'm too tired to go into detail."

"Please ... even if it's just brief."

"I changed the fourth task, it was going to be leadership but instead I changed it to loyalty which Aulfric couldn't prevent until it was too late. I thought you'd see that I didn't mean for them to question your loyalty but his." Merlin could remember that task. How Arthur hadn't woken up and when they'd been in the cave he couldn't recall Aulfric being anywhere, he should have known at that point.

"When I had supposedly captured you whilst you were healing, you were in fact here. I managed to speak to you once freely, without his control, and told you that time was running out. I asked if you remembered who you were yet. When I learnt you did not then I worked on helping you. It was why you could see through the crystal and speak to Arthur, I did that."

There was a brief silence and then Nimueh spoke, "When I gave you 60 seconds to get back to the ship that was me. Aulfric was stealing it and I needed you to get back to it as quickly as possible, it was the only way I could make you run in your state."

Merlin didn't know what to say, how to thank a woman who he thought had been his enemy all this time. "Save your breath Merlin, I don't need your thanks."

Without hesitation he moved across the floor and grabbed her hand, causing her to meet his gaze with widened eyes. "Words aren't enough Nimueh. I am forever in your debt, even if that won't be for much longer." His magic reacted to hers and for a moment he could feel it break through the chains, surrounding their hands with warmth that had been taken from them. "However for now all I can do is say thank you. Thank you for trying to stop Aulfric when I have done nothing to deserve your help."

"You are welcome," she replied quietly with a small smile reaching her lips.

"Turns out you've been helping them a lot more then I thought you did," Aulfric's voice broke through the silence and Merlin turned to see him stood in front of the doors. "The question is, what will the King and Prince do without your help? Shall we find out?"

Du du duuu, turns out Nimueh wasn't the enemy. Expecting that? I may have to retract my previous statement saying that only 5 chapters could be left, I don't think that'll be enough to fit in what I have planned. Hopefully that's a good thing.

Thanks to ALL my readers and reviewers. I appreciate every one of you and it's people reviewing that keep me going. I like hearing what people think and sometimes it even gives me ideas on what could happen.

Please R&R and I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner rather than later