AN: This is the first story I've written in over a year now, not because I didn't have any inspiration, (there was plenty) but because I've just been too lazy to drag my butt over to the computer and write down my ideas. I'm really sorry to those of you who have author favorited or alerted me! Truth be told, I enjoy reading stories way more than writing them, but this idea stuck me a few days ago and I just can't get rid of it. This is my first Merlin fanfiction, it's set about a year after the season 4 finale. Merry Christmas to all my readers! I hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I in no way own Merlin, and am receiving no profit from my writing.
"Music of the Soul"
Prologue
Merlin huffed as he lifted up the saddle and placed it on his horse's back, already having readied Arthur's steed for the hunt they were meant to have left for half an hour ago.
"Come on Merlin, we don't have all day!" shouted an annoyingly familiar voice from behind, followed by the clatter of hoofs as Arthur came up next him. Leon, Gwaine, Percival, and Elyan sat on their own horses a few meters away, watching in exasperated amusement at the fake annoyance in Arthur's voice, and the impending argument they all knew was about to happen.
"Well maybe if you hadn't attempted to throw a goblet and a few pillows at my head this morning, you would have been awake sooner and we would be on our way by now," responded Merlin with a slight role of his eyes at the King's reluctance to get out of bed.
"Well, Merlin, maybe if you had not been late and woken me up when I asked you to, I would not have overslept and been so reluctant to get up in the first place." Arthur argued back.
Merlin smirked "I know it has been getting rather more difficult for you to get out of bed what with the weight you've put on, Sire, but there's really no need to blame it on me. I'm only trying to keep you fit remember?" His eyes shone as he "whispered" the words.
The knights all guffawed as Arthur's eyes narrowed. Not bothering with a clever retort, Arthur said, "Shut up, Merlin. Just hurry up and let's head out."
Finishing with the last of the buckles, Merlin climbed onto his horse and the six men rode out of the courtyard, Arthur and Merlin in the lead, a small cloud of dust being kicked up in their wake.
Camelot had been relatively free from attacks or any other forms of danger since Morgana's last overthrow, and subsequent defeat. Vengeful sorcerers everywhere had heard of her immense power and believed that they stood little chance against Camelot if even Morgana Pendragon had been defeated by King Arthur and his army. Nobody questioned how it was possible for an army of sorcerers to be defeated by a band of non-magical mortal men, simply believing that King Arthur was extremely skilled in war, and was clearly not a man to be crossed.
Merlin had rolled his eyes when he heard the rumors and warnings being spread about Arthur's skill and determination. His ego will bloat to the size of the castle if he hears the stories people are telling, Merlin thought. However, he couldn't help but agree. Although he argued with the man all the time, it was almost always done in a joking manner. Arthur was truly a man that it was best not to cross. He was becoming a powerful, yet just king. He's becoming the king he has always been destined to be, Merlin thought with a proud smile on his face.
But he still doesn't know, Merlin's smile slowly slid off his face as he turned to darker thoughts. Even though Arthur was becoming a great king, magic was still outlawed, and Merlin was becoming restless. He hated lying to Arthur, but was terrified of what would happen if he found out about Merlin's magic. Merlin wasn't so scared of execution anymore, Arthur wouldn't kill him. But he was absolutely terrified of Arthur's reaction. He had lied to Arthur since the moment they met. Would Arthur be angry? Would he even care that Merlin had only ever tried to protect him and Camelot? No, Merlin couldn't tell Arthur. He would only see a lying sorcerer where before stood his friend. And it was because of that friendship that his reaction would be so much worse. Betrayal. Merlin thought, He'll think that I'm just like Morgana, corrupted by magic. He'll think that it was all a lie, all the time we've spent together, the bond we've built. All the trust between us will be broken. He'll banish me, won't ever want to see me again. No, Merlin could definitely not tell Arthur. His heart ached at thought of Arthur's hate filled face looking at him, anger and betrayal emanating from his very soul. He shuddered.
Merlin had always hoped that one day Arthur would know about his magic, that he would understand that magic isn't always evil, that everyone would welcome its return and recognize his accomplishments and loyalty. He hoped that Arthur would see him as more than just the idiotic manservant who continually stuck his nose where it didn't belong. By now, Merlin had all but given up on these hopes. Even if magic was returned to Camelot, he doubted that Arthur would be too thrilled to learn about all the secrets and lies that Merlin had told him over the years. Merlin was Arthur's most trusted friend, he couldn't bear to prove that trust wrong.
They had been riding for a few hours, joking and chatting like they normally did, when Merlin noticed a small wisp of gold and the sound of rustling on the path ahead of them.
"Did you see that?" Merlin whispered, slowing his horse to a stop and squinting ahead of them.
After searching warily for a few seconds, Arthur turned to Merlin, "Stop being such a girl Merlin. I'm sure it was just a small animal, let's keep moving" He rolled his eyes at his friend.
Merlin looked unsure, but conceded to continue their journey, staying alert as the rest of the men fell back into easy conversation.
"There it is again!" Merlin shouted, pointing at the empty air in front of them, where there had previously been another wisp of gold.
Sighing in annoyance, Arthur said, "Merlin! There's nothing there! It's just your imagination! Now come on, we st-" This time everyone saw the wisp of shimmering gold in the air for a few seconds before it disappeared again. "What the hell was that?" Arthur asked confusedly, refusing to acknowledge that Merlin was right.
They saw the golden light again, coming closer to them as they all backed their horses a pace. The light made its way around them before stopping in front of Arthur for a second, then continuing forward down the path.
"I think it wants us to follow it." Merlin stated softly, moving his horse forward. Arthur seemed hesitant for a moment before thinking of the last time he followed a magical looking light. That one had been a glowing blue sphere, but it had led him to safety when he had no hope of escaping from the cave. It was one of the few times he had seen magic being used for good and had always wondered who had sent the light.
"Alright," Arthur said, "Let's go," and began to cautiously follow the light, keeping his eyes open for any danger, with Merlin at his side. The knights gave each other an uneasy glance before hurrying their horses to catch up to the pair.
They rode vigilantly for the rest of the day, mostly in silence. It was almost completely dark by the time the small party came out of the woods and caught sight of the silhouette of a large castle about a half an hours ride away.
The golden wisps continued to lead them forward, the castle clearly being its destination. It did not seem to notice that the group of men had paused in their journey. Arthur squinted at the castle before gasping slightly, his eyes widening.
"It's the Castle of the Ancient Kings." He half whispered, not wanting to break the eerie silence that had replaced the previously comfortable one surrounding them.
The knights and Merlin all nodded, remembering the time they had sought refuge inside the castle when Morgana had first taken over Camelot.
"What if it's a trap?" Leon asked, looking uncertainly toward Arthur and voicing the thought that was on all their minds.
After a moment of hesitation, Arthur said, "If it is, then I have the best knights in the realm with me. We keep moving." He was unsure as to why he had such a strong urge to follow the small golden light. It felt safe, but even if it was a trap, they had faced worse before and always survived. What could go wrong?
Entering the castle, it looked exactly as it had been left. They lit two torches and continued on their way through the familiar halls. Finally, they came upon the room in which they spent most of their time while planning their attack on Morgana. The round table stood in the center of the dusty room, an aged white cloth covering it once more. The golden light hovered over the table for a few seconds before disappearing suddenly, taking the light of the torches with it and leaving them in complete darkness.
Arthur and the knight immediately unsheathed their swords, the zing of metal scraping against metal echoed in the silence of the room. They stood facing away from each other, frantically searching the darkness. Merlin stood as still as possible, listening for any threats.
"You don't have to be afraid." Said a quiet voice from Merlin's left. It sounded piercingly loud in the previously deafening silence. All the men turned in the direction of the voice, swords raised in defense.
"Who's there? Why have you brought us here?" Arthur asked in an authoritative voice, "Show yourself," he commanded.
Suddenly the golden light reappeared in front of a woman who seemed to be about their age. She lifted her hand and waved it toward the torches hanging on the walls. They all lit at her command, completely washing away the darkness. The knights all tensed at her careless display of magic. Merlin looked on wearily.
"My name is Aniya, I am not going to hurt you," she reassured in a calm, sympathetic voice raising her hands. Arthur and the knights lowered their swords slightly at the sign of peace, but did not put them away, still looking suspiciously at the young woman.
"Why have you led us here?" Arthur asked once more in a cautious tone.
Aniya turned to Arthur and smiled slightly, bowing. "King Arthur," she began, "it is an honor to meet you. A great destiny awaits, but it can not come to pass until you truly understand those who are closest to you." She indicated the knights, who stood around Arthur, unsure if the woman was a threat, and Merlin, who seemed to be a bit nervous at the mention of Arthur's destiny. "You all play a significant role in the future of Camelot," she spoke to all of them this time, "but for this future to come about, you must trust each other completely. This level of trust can only be achieved through understanding. She glanced at Merlin at these words, his eyes having widened almost imperceptibly, panic entering their depths. "I will not reveal any of your secrets, it is not my place, but hopefully you will have the courage to reveal them yourselves after I have done my part." She paused here, letting her words sink in. Merlin's hands began to tremble slightly until he clamped them together. "One of the best ways to gain understanding is through music. This golden light here," she indicated the wisps of gold still swirling near her, "it can search a soul and choose the song which is most relevant to the understanding of that soul." The light began to grow before twisting into six separate lights, one for each of them. A light began to shimmer toward each man. "I promise, no harm will come to any of you while you are in this castle. The light can not hurt you." Aniya continued, seeing the looks of apprehension on the men's faces.
Arthur looked deep into her face, searching for something before nodding and letting the light enter his chest, in the area just above his heart. It glowed softly before disappearing, leaving Arthur looking exactly as he did before the light entered. The other men all looked at him with worry before Arthur said, "It feels safe." He nodded toward the knights. Merlin had already let the light into his heart. It entered each of them, beginning its search for the music of their souls.
Aniya smiled kindly, "Some of the things you will discover about each other will be shocking." She glanced at Merlin once more. "Remember, you all need each other, now more than ever before." The men all looked up at this ominous statement. Ignoring the looks, Aniya continued, "The light will need a few hours to decide upon which song is best to represent each person. You all should rest, tomorrow will be a long day. When you are ready, the light will leave you and the songs of your souls shall be heard. I know it may seem daunting," she said sympathetically, "but I assure you, this is very necessary. I wish you all luck; this is goodbye." Aniya bowed once more to Arthur before turning to Merlin and bowing as well, much to the confusion of all the men. She nodded to all of them and disappeared with a burst of wind, but not before saying, "Never doubt that you all are destined for greatness," a small smile lingering on her face.
AN: So what do you think? Be honest, I appreciate constructive criticism:) So I'm pretty sure I know what songs I'm going to use for Arthur, Gwaine, Elyan, and Merlin, but any song suggestions you guys might have for any of the characters are welcome. Who knows, you might change my mind on which songs to use, or you might even guess the songs I'm thinking of. I especially need suggestions for Leon and Percival, but Leon's my main concern. Thanks for reading, and please review to tell me if you like it or not. Next chapter should be up in a few days. ~Oreny19