Merlin did not need to search for Aithusa for long. He sensed that she was near. He went back to the remote clearing and called for her. She landed elegantly before him and he could not take his eyes off this impressive and beautiful creature. "You look beautiful," Merlin slipped it by mistake.
The young dragon lady was very happy about this compliment. She had already noticed that her scales had turned a bright white and she felt much more alive. She forgot the greeting with joy, came towards Merlin, put her neck at Merlin's side and pushed it with gentle force closer to safe. Immediately she could feel this wondrously warm feeling. Satisfied, she emitted a small flame.
Merlin also felt him relaxing slowly. Only now did he realize how tense he had been before. In this calmness he could look at the latest events again and he understood how important the last days were and how important the next days would probably still be. He had not noticed that the sun was already high up in the sky when he realized that a smaller figure had made himself comfortable next to him and the kite. When he opened his eyes, he looked into icy blue eyes. He wondered why he had not been frightened, but he did not pursue the question further.
"Merlin, this is unfair. I don't understand how you talk to Aithusa. Do not shut me out."
Again Merlin opened his eyes and focused Tea. He explained to her, "We are not excluding you because we have not talked at all, and you have slipped into her embrace.
"Then I want to know everything you two discussed before," Tea demanded to know.
Merlin blushed a little and the Dragon Lady seemed to grin. "Merlin paid me a compliment. He said I was beautiful," Aithusa replied.
Tea nodded, but then said indignantly, addressed to Merlin: "You have never said anything like that to me before. Am I not beautiful?"
"I, um, you are, um, small and cute," he replied uncertainly.
Suddenly the whole dragon body shook, forcing Merlin and Tea to put some distance between themselves and the dragons. Suddenly, the dragon rolled onto her back and flapped her wings and legs. In his thoughts he heard her laughing and calling out: "Merlin, you really have a lot to learn about women. Small and cute is not the same as beautiful."
Merlin saw that Tea was sulking and she said, "Then you are tall and thin!"
Merlin nodded and said, "Yes, that's right."
"Doesn't my statement annoy you?" Tea asked.
Merlin said irritated: "Why should the statement annoy me? It is true and this truth does not bother me at all.
"Okay."
"How okay?"
"Okay, I like you. Can we be friends?" Tea asked Tea almost shyly.
Merlin crouched down before Tea and solemnly said: "My dear Tea, you saved my life. You saved Arthur's life. We are friends already. Had we met under less dramatic circumstances, I am quite sure that we would have become friends very quickly, after all, we both possess magic and want to protect Camelot and its inhabitants".
At these words, Tea pounced on Merlin and pulled him into a tight embrace. At first he was taken by surprise and could barely regain his balance, but then he gladly returned the hug. The two noticed that the dragon had calmed down again. Merlin stood up and asked the dragon: "Can you tell us something about the enemy army movement? I've been meaning to ask you that."
"Yes, the army is approaching from the east. Since it is so huge, it moves slowly but inexorably. I have seen battles in Essetir, but the local army has quickly withdrawn. The enemy force consists mainly of armed men, although occasionally magicians may also be present. These are mostly apparently unarmed and wear long grey-brown robes. The only horses that are with the army pull the heavy carts, which are fully loaded with weapons, tents and food. The army plunders what it can on the way here. They often set fire to houses or barns for no reason. The army is rather busy sleeping and

eat than fight, because every living being with the corresponding flight instinct has already fled from them.
Merlin had to swallow hard with that description. Tea put a comforting hand on his arm and said, "We'll manage.
Merlin nodded and asked Aithusa, "Did you sense Morgana in the army?"
"I..." She interrupted herself and then looked into the distance. "I can't feel her anymore," she began again. "Since the incident with the sword, I can no longer perceive the connection to Morgana. I should have a guilty conscience because I don't miss her and I should, shouldn't I? But with her I never had such a warm and pleasant feeling. Her touches were always just cold and exhausting. Little by little I realize what darkness dwells within her. I am afraid that it will not end well with her and I regret that. All the time I tried to be there for her, but I couldn't chase the darkness away - on the contrary - through our connection the darkness consumed my inner being. Even though I cannot feel it anymore, I have seen it several times in the army. I never flew close and always stayed under the protection of the sun".
"At first you couldn't understand what Morgana said, but you have learned a lot in the little time you have had and now you understand every word. Have you picked up anything that might be important," Merlin asked hopefully.
Aithusa pondered for a while and then replied, "I had already mentioned that she had tried a curse. She was very exhausted after this curse and it took several hours before she had some strength again. She also waited for more news from the castle, but she probably didn't get them. But she was thievingly happy about the news that the Saxon army had really set out and would soon arrive in Camelot. She is very sure of her and her victory and imagined different scenarios how she could torture Arthur, Gwen and you before your death.
Merlin sought contact with the Dragon Lady again and thanked her: "I will not order you to risk your life in this war. If it is your will, you are welcome to protect Arthur and Camelot and fight this war. But I will not ask you to fight Morgana, since you have been linked for a long time, and perhaps in part still are."
"Thank you, Merlin. I will be by Arthur's side and fight. I want to make amends for unwittingly creating a deadly weapon in the hands of the high priestess."

_

Because Gwen had so much to organize and her head was full of thoughts and fears, she did not realize that it was now evening. Just as she looked out into the courtyard, she noticed that the first guests had already arrived. She told a servant to call the king and hurried to the courtyard herself. Somehow she was nervous, not knowing how the individual rulers and envoys would react to her, the new queen, so she tried to prepare herself for disparaging, insulting or even hostile reactions. Faltering, she expelled her held breath, recognizing the princess Mithian, who had appeared as an envoy of Nemeth.
"Greetings, Princess Mithian. We are pleased that you have made the journey so quickly and unharmed. We didn't expect you to arrive until tomorrow, but of course we have already prepared rooms for you," Gwen greeted the guest.
"Queen Guinevere, I am delighted to see you again. Thank you very much for the warm welcome. I would be very pleased to have a little refreshment, which you could join me for if your time permits.
"It would be my pleasure if you would follow me.

Gwen instructed a servant to bring refreshments to her reception room and inform the King of her whereabouts. Although she was not sure what the princess was trying to achieve, it was not her style to be rude. Shortly after they arrived in the reception room, a servant arrived with a snack and various drinks. Gwen thanked him and sent the servant away before he made an effort to stay in the room. While Gwen filled her own cup and the princess', she inquired about her father's health.
"My father is much better now. He is still burdened by the incidents of a few months ago and we are still busy with the losses and the reconstruction, but things are looking up again," replied the

Princess.
"I am glad to hear that your father and your kingdom are on the road to recovery. I am very sorry that we are dragging you into a war again, especially since the last one was not long ago. I would also like to mention in advance that we have not only invited our closest allies and asked for help. If the opposing army is even a fraction of the size we have described, Camelot will not be able to survive on its own. I want to be frank with you and warn you that King Odin is also expected at the negotiating table. It is quite possible that even King Lot will attend the negotiations in person.
After a few seconds, Princess Mithian was able to control herself again and banish the pain that was clearly visible in her face from her features. She breathed in and out several times and said softly: "Thank you for the warning. I could already tell from your message that Camelot is threatened by a large army and it is unlikely that they will be satisfied with Camelot. We have already begun arming the men. Most of our army will probably arrive in Camelot in a few days. A small part will remain in our kingdom to deter robbers and murderers, so that they do not take advantage of the situation and do not plunge our country into chaos. Unfortunately, we have had the experience that such a situation is taken advantage of by bad people, because they see their chance and spread even more suffering and pain".
Gwen saw how the princess struggled to find her composure. So she carefully put a hand on her shoulder.
After a short time the princess cleared her throat and answered with a grateful smile: "Thank you and I must apologize for my weakness.
Gwen interrupted the princess with the following words: "You do not need to apologize. You have had a hard time and we are facing again those who need all our strength. Save your strength for the important moments - for example at the negotiating table. Here in this moment you may show your pain. I will not use it against you, because we are allies after all and we cannot afford not to trust us in the current situation.
The door opened and Arthur suddenly stood in the room. Gwen quickly took her hand off Mithian's shoulder and the king greeted his guest.
Princess Mithian smiled at them and said: "Oh, Arthur, what a rich and happy man you are.
Arthur didn't know how to answer and waited to see if the princess would explain this statement further and she did him the favor.
"I would trade all my wealth for the same happiness you have. I understand now why you cancelled the wedding and why you would rather give away a piece of land for peace than to let you lose the chance to make this beautiful, friendly and fair woman your queen.
Gwen blushed a bit and her face became even redder when Arthur gave her a beaming kiss and confirmed: "Yes, this was definitely the best idea of my life!
Gwen couldn't resist saying, "Was it really just your idea?
Then Arthur sulked and the two women began to laugh.
Mithian then asked, "Speaking of which, where is Merlin?
The royal couple looked puzzled and Mithian laughed liberated. "Oh come on, it was immediately obvious that you give a lot to the opinion of your servant and he was not at all enthusiastic about me when I was supposed to marry you.
"Was he rude to you," Arthur inquired with a furrowed forehead.
"No, no. On the contrary. I wanted to apologize to him because he was hurt by Morgana because of me a few months ago, because I wanted to warn you about the witch. I can probably never forgive myself for luring you all into a trap and almost getting you killed because of me," ended up depressed.
"You don't have to worry about that anymore. Merlin's injury left him and Sir Gwaine behind, so neither of them were ambushed and they were able to free us all eventually. Besides, I would have acted very similarly in your situation," Arthur Mithian reassured him.
There was a knock at the door and Merlin entered the room with Tea. On entering, Mithian heard Merlin's words: "...yes, she is a beautiful, real princess.
Suddenly a blonde girl came running towards her and stopped just before her: "You are really real and very beautiful. Can you teach me how to

should behave like a princess? I want to be a princess one day, too, you know," Tea Mithian bombarded with her questions.
She smiled indulgently and said seriously: "Thank you very much for the compliment young lady. My name is Princess Mithian from the Kingdom of Nemeth. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.
Tea was amazed when the princess curtsied elegantly in front of her. She radiantly imitated the movement of the princess and happily said: "The pleasure is all mine. My name is Teaghan. I recently moved to Camelot and I have already made friends with Merlin and Aithusa. Do we want to become friends too? Then you can call me Tea."
"Tea, what a beautiful name. I would be very happy to become your friend. Then can you tell me how you made Merlin your friend? Who exactly is Aithusa?", the princess asked interested and looked at Merlin.
He became a bit embarrassed and looked down.
"I saved his life, but he said that we had become friends that way, too, which makes me very happy," she beamed at Merlin. "You have not heard of Aithusa yet? The exciting question is not who Aithusa is, but what she is!
"So what is Aithusa? Is she your cat?", the princess patiently continued asking.
Tea laughed happily. "Never let Aithusa hear that. That could really upset her. After all, Aithusa is the white dragon lady who will protect King Arthur. That's really great, isn't it?"
Princess Mithian made big eyes and stared at Arthur. "Is that true?" she couldn't help but wonder.
Arthur nodded and felt compelled to explain a little more: "A lot has happened in the last few days. Not only have I started talking to dragons, but magic is partly allowed again in Camelot. Therefore it is not against the law to ally with a dragon. Even though Aithusa is not yet fully grown, many people are still afraid of her. It was very delicate when she expressed her request to protect Camelot and me in front of the people."
"Delicate but very impressive," said Tea, "but the Dragon Lady is not evil at all. She is very sweet and gentle. I could stand by her side for hours and enjoy her closeness. And Merlin..."
Gwen put a hand on Teas head and the girl fell silent but grinned at the queen. "I think we'll let the princess rest for a while. It must have been a tiring journey and in addition she got a lot to think about."
"I thank you, Your Royal Highness. Even though I would like to continue the conversation, it would surely be more sensible to rest. Could Merlin escort me to my room?"
Tea was not too thrilled by this prospect, but she was eager to talk to the royal couple about their day with Aithusa and Merlin, so she didn't say anything against it.

The princess quietly followed Merlin. She had heard incredible news in a very short time. But in order to be able to talk to Merlin in a concentrated way, she put her thoughts aside and started to apologize to Merlin: "Merlin, I'm sorry that you were hurt by Morgana a few months ago, and it was only because of me.
Merlin then stopped and turned to Mithian. "I am sorry. I knew already before that something was wrong. I had seen so many details that didn't fit together, but I just couldn't figure out how to solve the mystery. Besides, in retrospect it was lucky because not everyone fell into the trap and we were able to save Arthur just in time. You don't need to reproach yourself anymore. I can't count anymore how many times Morgana had her fingers in traps, intrigues, attacks and wars that I stopped counting".
"It almost sounds as if you are responsible for this," Mithian said, shaking his head.
Merlin didn't notice that he subconsciously responded to the statement with a nod.
"What did Tea actually mean by saving your life? Maybe you lost your balance on the stairs and she saved you from falling," Mithian surmised.
Merlin grinned and said, "She really saved my life. But didn't she tell you that she also saved Arthur's life?" Merlin tried to distract him.
"Excuse me? She mentions that she saved you, a servant, but not that the King of Camelot is in her debt? What a special girl she is," she exclaimed.
"You'll see for yourself how true your testimony is," Merlin said so softly that she was not sure if it was meant for her ears.
"How did she manage that?" she asked.

"She gave him a beautifully patterned stone disk, which he carried with him because of her facial expression. The gift prevented a dagger from being driven into Arthur's chest."
"Unbelievable, what a happy coincidence," said Mithian, while she thought she heard a snort from Merlin. "How is it that the king appreciates your advice so much," she asked in a serious voice.
Merlin looked at her and said with a grin: "Unlike Arthur, I read books of wisdom that must rub off.
She laughed and tried again to ask a serious question: "And why do you support your king so much?
"Because I believe in him. Arthur is a good and just king. He will bring peace and prosperity to this Kingdom. He has already begun to unleash magic and one day he will unite all of Albion," Merlin said solemnly. Mithian noted that there was no mockery or doubt in Merlin's voice and she hoped that this vision of the future would come true.

Hey Guys,

I hope you enjoyed this chapter aswell. I dont like it to say it, but this story is nearly finished:(

It was so fun writing this in german, and also translating it to english for you. Anyway I found an old merlin fanfiction on my old computer. I will publish this story here after I finished this one, so dont worry, there will be more merlin stuff in the future.

Also dont forget to stay in your house when its halloween. You dont want to catch rona xD Me and a friend will stay at my house for halloween doing some ghost rituals for fun, so if you want to have some fun to and you are interested into ghots stuff, play a round with your friends at midnight like we will do xD

Dont worry, I will not get posessed. I did this a few times before with the same friend, every year on halloween, we talk to some ghost and its kinda fun and spooky too