A/N We are very nearly there I promise. I'm looking forward to writing the battle sense but also not. I have understandably never been in a medieval battle. So trying to write one is terrifying me. Any suggestions?

I don't own Merlin. If I did he would have to help me out with my battle, he has after all been there, done that.

…..

Chapter 36 Keys to the future.

The morning was just beginning. Birdsong heralding that today would be yet another lovely spring day.

Merlin made his way down the corridor carrying the royal breakfasts. Marvelling that the last time he had done this, only Gaius had known his most closely guarded secret. Now there were 14 people who knew. He rather thought his mother might kill him herself if she found out how many were privy to it. And then probably give him a hug and break down in tears. Realising that no, they were not going to kill him, or even banish him. He was even at this moment walking freely, doing as he had always done, and serving Arthur in any capacity he needed and yet doing so with his full knowledge and approval. The grin wouldn't stay off his face.

He had been back down to the tunnels again last night. Bedivere following like a puppy. Utterly fascinated with the magic Merlin had cast. Eager and willing to learn any tidbits he could from just watching another magic user at work. The young man had just turned twenty. Only four years younger than he, and yet Merlin felt twice as old. Showing him how he had marked the fault lines in the rough hewn passages to give himself targets to direct the power gave him a sense of achievement. Here he was teaching magic, and to a knight no less. He had told Gaius on his return from the task of blocking them, and Gaius had laughed with him about his enthusiasm.

Despite Morgana's stated plans to be on the move either today or tomorrow he still felt that it would be a very good day.

…..

Frige walked gracefully across the rubble strewn landscape. Her auburn curls blowing out behind her in the freshening breeze and her dress of diaphanous fabric doing the same.

Great golden stone pillars rose before her and the remnants of a broken tower, the top sheared off and ragged like teeth rising to the sky. An ivy covered wall and an arched doorway the wood long since rotted, led to a staircase of granite, the edges worn smooth from centuries of feet and rain. It wound down into the bowels of the earth towards a chamber, long forgotten, like most of this ruin.

The room was round, stone and empty save for the jasper ring set into the floor. The red and black mottled surface covered in runes looked like it had only just been laid. Though Frige knew it had been there since before Dinas Emrys had been built let alone destroyed. Under this slab was one of the keys to the future, and now she must retrieve it.

She laid her hand upon the smoothly carved surface, fingers glowing and the jasper crumbled to dust. There sitting undisturbed for over a thousand years lay a dragon egg. The creature inside no longer alive, its magic bound to the city that had fallen centuries ago. Frige plucked it from its burial and caressed the surface lovingly, disentangling the enchantments of binding with a brush of her fingertips. Then wrapping it in fine silk she left the chamber fading with each step as she returned to her loving husband.

…..

The knock came just as Lynette put the finishing touches to Gwen's hair. Arthur had been up since just before dawn. Gwaine having come just as the sun started to lighten the sky to let them know he had been investigating an artisan in the town and found incontrovertible evidence in his shop and outbuilding to suggest he was at least one of their spies. Arthur had sent him back out with instructions to keep a very close eye on him and at the first sign of any messages being sent out or other informants contacting him, to escort the man to the citadel as discretely as possible.

She could see him in her mirror, now sat at his desk supposedly reading reports, but he had been sat back and slouching in his chair for the last half hour just turning his quill in his hand, staring intently at nothing. She smiled to herself knowing the reason. He had been very distracted of late. Every time he had left Merlin in Gaius or his knight's capable hands he had been constantly shifting as though uncomfortable.

As soon as the knock came he had straightened abruptly, thrown the quill down and lit up from within. Gwen giggled to see it, earning her a look of enquiry from her maid. Honestly it was like being married to two men. One couldn't function without the other. She shook her head both indicating to Lynette that she couldn't explain and at the antics of her husband.

Merlin came through the door, tray in hand, grin plastered across his face that just seemed to get wider as he saw them.

Gwen dismissed her maid, waiting until she had left before getting up to take the tray from their friend. Merlin made to grab it back.

"You're the Queen you shouldn't be serving breakfast."

"By all accounts neither should you, Lord Merlin." His laughter burst from him, joyful and free. He gave a bow.

"Touche, my lady. Though I haven't been formally acknowledged. I'm not entirely sure I want to be." His voice became quieter, more conspiratorial. "Have you seen what passes for a noble these days?" Gwen giggled helplessly, it was good to have him back.

"Join us?" It had been phrased as a question but the note of command made it an order. Arthur would always be a pompous prat, it would just be of varying degrees depending on the situation. Merlin smiled to himself and pulled up a chair. He didn't think Arthur could be Arthur without the kingly arrogance rearing its head at least once a day.

"Good job I brought plenty then." Arthur didn't say anything arose from behind the desk picking up a small red box and a tightly rolled parchment as he came and sat with them at the dining table, depositing them in front of Merlin without ceremony, then just picking up his knife and starting to eat.

Gwen's look was puzzled, Merlin's even more so as he picked up the red leather box.

"What's this?"

"Perhaps you should open it and see." That twinkle was back.

"Oh no last time you had that look you'd found my fathers title. What is it this time? I'm not a lost prince am I?"

"Merlin, open the damn box!" Merlin huffed and did just that. Gaping in stunned stupefaction. It couldn't be. He raised his eyes from the contents to stare at the king, not able to speak.

Gwen leaned over trying to get a glimpse of what had caused such a reaction.

"I told you, you had to have some protection. That you couldn't just run around performing magic without people knowing you had the trust of the king. That and the letter will ensure it." Merlin unrolled the parchment. All official jargon and beribboned red wax seal, and he just swallowed heavily.

Gwen's impatience got the better of her after sitting there craning her neck trying to see whilst her two favourite men sat in silence.

"Just what have you done to him Arthur? I've never seen Merlin so lost for words."

Merlin turned the box round and handed over the letter.

There nestled in red velvet sat Arthur's mothers ring, complete with the Pendragon family crest and the parchment named Merlin as a protector of the realm and gave him special dispensation to use his magic as he saw fit, in defence of the kingdom.

Arthur had told him hadn't he? That no-one would ever question him again. That ring and that parchment meant that even if he decided to stay as Arthur's manservant. He was considered Arthurs brother in all but name. And no man would stand higher in his eyes. Gwen's strangled gasp indicated she knew exactly what he had done. Her shocked eyes flew to his and then to Arthur's who was at this moment sat quietly revelling in the reactions.

Gwen couldn't contain her joy any longer and launched herself at the warlock, enfolding him in a hug of epic proportions whilst he sniffed and let the tears flow once again. "I swear your husband is trying to kill me with emotional overload!" Gwen just laughed.

"Don't be ridiculous Merlin. If I were trying to kill you, you'd be dead."

…..

The rest of the day was a blur. Arthur must have realised Merlin's state of mind, and left him with a list of chores so light and mind numbingly easy, he could have done them in his sleep. It was just as well really. He'd been left in a daze. His hands working automatically to polish Arthur's armour, or make the bed, or any one of a dozen other chores he just couldn't recall doing at this point. His hand kept straying to the warm weight of the ring on a chain round his neck, and hidden beneath his layers of clothes. Reassuring himself, that it was still there, and this whole thing was not a dream.

They'd been down to the training field this morning. Merlin perched in his usual spot, barrel of sand in front of him rubbing the mud and rust from Arthur's spare chainmail ready for the days to come. The Knights had all greeted him as normal welcoming him back and asking after his head injury. Apparently he had convinced them his wits were still begging as they kept giving him mildly concerned looks, and asking if he were all right. Even Sir Mostyn, who now knew of his magic had come over and enquired in his dry gravelly voice if he were well. Merlin couldn't recall what he had replied.

Perhaps that had been part of Arthur's plan all along. Discomfit him so much with his mother's ring he wouldn't need to do much acting to convince them of his fake concussion.

Even Morgana's impending decent couldn't have shaken him from the fog. Or so he thought, until that afternoon. Arthur was back in the council chambers meeting with several of his newest commanders. Sir Norris, Sir Chandry and Sir Tomas were to go on patrol. Specifically north, to fan out and see if they could gather any information for Morgana's arrival.

"Take three men each, make sure they are all good horsemen, and take the fastest mounts. You'll be small enough groups to hopefully be able to out run them. We don't need any specific information we already have it. As soon as you spot them turn and run. Be careful we cannot let her see we have advanced warning. Our advantages lay in her belief that we do not know. We have to be able to turn the tables on her."

They all nodded in the affirmative, took one look at Merlin and then left.

"I'm not convinced I won't get stabbed in the back some dark night." Arthur turned with a half smile appreciating the somewhat macabre joke.

"Don't worry if you do I'll hunt the perpetrators down." Merlin laughed.

"Nice to know you care about me enough to stop them after they've killed me."

"Of course." Arthur's half hearted retort was enough to convince the warlock that there was something else on Arthurs mind.

"What is it? Come on with everything that has happened over the last few days, if you didn't have some doubts I'd know for a fact you weren't Arthur."

"Are we set on the right course? Maybe we should have tried getting people out. We still can."

"But not all of them. We would still have to defend the city regardless, This way we aren't splitting the resources for defence and Morgana can't flank us without us knowing. The walls will stand and we will prevail."

"How can you be so sure of yourself?"

"I have to believe it, nothing else will suffice."

"How can she do this? If she had just talked to me, I would have listened. She never gave me that chance. I should have known, should have seen."

"Arthur. We are human not omnipotent, we can't know or see everything, and we certainly can't singlehandedly prevent all the evil in this world. We can only do our utmost to help whenever and with whatever we can and live with the consequences should something slip through. You need to forgive yourself. Trust me when I say that was a very bitter pill to swallow. But I have taken it to heart, and though it takes time, I can move forward. To constantly look back and wallow in our failures is to forget that we fight for not only our future but that of the entire kingdom too.

This is your plan and it's a very good one. I've never doubted we could win simply because it's you who leads us. The people will fight with everything they have for you because they believe in you. Please don't start to doubt your self. That just means you've started to doubt them." Arthur's huff of laughter surprised him.

"Why can't you be this diplomatic in the council?"

"I like to keep them on their toes, and what they have to say is usually rubbish!" Arthur just shook his head feeling immeasurably better.

…..