Henry and Leon were wide eyed at the venom that had poured from Merlin's mouth. Henry looked for Leon to take the lead but Leon wasn't in the mood to try and reason with Merlin and had just upped and left leaving Henry and Merlin. Henry was unsure of his footing and so he bade Merlin good night and left, hoping to find Leon and see if they could stop the madness that would happen next.

Merlin had watched both of them leave without a word. His mind was racing far ahead of the rest of him. First thing in the morning the magical barriers were coming down, and then he was going to find out why his grandfather's groom had been casting a dangerous spell, before really letting them have it. Enough of being trampled on he thought. His family was no better than Uther, in a way they were worse. At least Uther didn't hide his contempt for magic users and foes alike. His grandparents on the other hand clearly thought it was acceptable to leave their son without protection and to see their Grandson grow up alone and scared. Not to mention the stress and pain they had put his mother through.

In a way Merlin was pleased he could now refuse this destiny and get back to the one planned for him at Arthur's side. Even that had gone wrong recently. Nothing was going right for the young warlock except the fact he had a new brother and a cousin although thoughts of his cousin then led to his other new cousin, Gwaine and that was complicated also. His head was spinning and he moved his tired body back to bed.

As he lay down, Merlin remembered back to when he had first met Gwaine. He should have known that warlocks with his destiny don't just meet random sons of nobles who don't want anyone to know they are noble. It was as if all the Gods themselves had sat round a tavern table and after a few jars of ale thought they had the most cunning plan ever. Why have a simple, normal, peaceful realm when they can over complicate it? The universe he was sure was laughing at him. The only two people who would understand him both had their own problems, one with a horrible family and the other was in some form of trouble. Suddenly a thought jumped into his mind. Arthur. Arthur had rubbed the ring. That's why he had fitted; he was calling for him, calling for help. His final words as he drifted off to sleep where "I'm coming Arthur. I'm coming for you."

While Merlin was sleeping, Leon and Henry were having a strong debate over what they should do next. Both agreed Merlin, indeed all three of them had reason to want revenge on some of their family but weakening the defences of the land went against both knights' training.

"You have to reason with him Curls."

"I cannot, Henry, I think only Arthur could get him out if this mood. And even then Merlin never listened to his Prince. Merlin's mind is made up and while I don't agree, I will not stop him. I've said before there are two things I value more than all, a man's word and my little brother. Our family has lied to us and they betrayed my mother. I want nothing to do with any of them?"

Henry looked a little shocked, "Including me?"

Leon smiled, "No, you're fine. As are your brothers, well one of them. One brother has some grovelling to do."

"What's he like now? When he was here he was stubborn, proud and interested only in girls and ale."

A laugh, "pretty much the same then Henry. Gwaine is however extremely loyal, especially to Merlin. He will go ballistic once he finds out what Merlin has been put through."

"It is a good job he isn't here then isn't it?"

A knock on the door, both men weren't expecting guests and looked unsure at each other. "Perhaps it is Merlin?" Henry enquired.

"I doubt it Henners, once Merlin is asleep he is dead to the world."

The knocking got louder.

Henry rose, moving to the door, he hoped it was none of his blasted family. Leon would probably run them through. And yet there was one of his family right in front of him.

"GWAINE!"

Leon particularly jumped out of chair to great his fellow knight.

"Hello Henry, Leon. What was it you were saying about it being a good job I wasn't here?"

"Er, brother, you had best come in. How are you? It has been so long."

"Well, you can't have been surprised that I stayed away Henry?"

"You could have told Thomas or me where you were. You could have written."

A snort came from the newest member of their family, "Why? So you could run to Daddy? Or our dearest Uncle?"

Henry's voice was rising "Don't blame me for what happened to you Gwaine. Fault me for staying here but not everyone can run away. Sometimes you have to stay and face your troubles head on."

Gwaine nodded, "Yes I suppose you do." And with a smile he looked at Leon "Sounds like you could take some of that advice too eh Leon?"

"I suppose. I have some advice for you too Gwaine. Go anywhere near my brother again when you are feeling lecherous and you will feel my sword through you. Even so much suggest to him a repeat performance of God knows what you two got up to and I will run you through."

"Come on cousin, I didn't know who he was then, did I?"

Leon snapped, "Oh so you think it's perfectly acceptable to seduce innocent young men?"

"Merlin knew what he was doing. He wanted it as much as I did."

Suddenly Gwaine was very aware of the close proximity of Leon and him, "Er that is to say, that we both had a lot to drink, we both did."

"You took advantage, you know as well as I do Merlin can't handle his drink. What do you think Arthur is going to say?"

Gwaine suddenly had the opening the Dragon told him he would get, "Well he won't know. Considering the Princess doesn't even know who he is at the moment, we have bigger problems than my dalliance with Merlin."

Leon looked suspiciously at him "What do you mean Prince Arthur doesn't know who he is."

Gwaine sat down, "Henry is there anything to drink in this stinking castle. Leon's going to need one."

"There is but it would involve waking up a servant and questions will be asked."

Gwaine groaned, "Fine. Shame Merlin is asleep or he could conjure some up."

"You've been in Merlin's chambers! That's it. I will run you through right now."

"Calm down, Leon, I just went to see if he was asleep."

"We should wake him" Henry suggested.

"No." Leon and Gwaine answered in unison. "He needs to sleep brother, he's had a long day and his magic needs the rest. Or he won't be able to do what is required next." Gwaine turned to Leon, "see you aren't the only one who is looking out for Merlin. Seriously Leon did you think I was going to jump him? When he is family? You're both family to me cousin, I guess you already were back in Camelot."

"Speaking of which. What's happened with Arthur? And how did you get here."

"Oh funny story. I was coming back from the Tavern when I heard a strange voice call to me. I could hear a woman, and well, you know I can't resist." Leon rolled his eyes.

"Well, I followed the voice to outside the city walls. I ended up in a field but there was no woman. The next thing I knew a Dragon was flying at me."

"Kilgharrah."

Gwaine nodded, "Yes. Of course I pulled my sword out ready to face him but he chuckled and started talking about destiny and me as Strength. Which is the second time I've been called that. The other was on a quest with Merlin and Arthur. Being called Strength caught my interest and so I listened as the Dragon told me what had happened to Arthur and why I needed to come back to my old stomping ground and stop you and Merlin from cocking it all up."

"So what has happened?"

"Morgana, Morgause and a woman called Nimueh. A spell was cast making everyone forget who Arthur was. The spell wiped out the memory of Morgana's takeover last year. All she needed to do was kill Uther in his sleep and she was named Queen. Have to hand it to her, she did quite a display at the funeral and is having a statue built of him."

Leon looked crest fallen, "Camelot has fallen."

"Not quite. Remember what happened last time, well none of that has happened this time round. There's been no crop burnings, no shooting at the townsfolk. She's acted like a good and dutiful Queen, not an evil witch. Morgause is also being nice and normal. The only problem is your lack of appearance but they even have a plan for you."

Gwaine then explained to both of them everything he knew and everything the Lady of the Lake had told the Great Dragon.

Leon had been up for hours and now it was almost dawn. He needed to rest, he didn't need much sleep, years of training and battles had seen to that but Merlin needed him to remain alert. "Gwaine, Henry, forgive me I need to sleep. I must retire."

As he rose a thought crept into his mind. While Gwaine was talking and desperate to get all the information out there, Leon hadn't asked the most basic question of them all.

"No one knows who Arthur is. Yet I do. Merlin clearly does and you do to. Why?"

He really shouldn't have been surprised when Gwaine gave his usual smirk. "Magic, cousin. Merlin is magical; you're magical and guess what? I am too!"