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Legends and cruel reality

"That door leads to the chambers of the king," Kira informed Merlin. She'd telepathically given him a lot of details during their walk through the tunnels. "The chambers haven't been inhabited since the former king's death, your grandfather, you know. Balinor was about to move there, but...he left before. The queen had moved to a more private room since her husband's death. Did your father tell you about Drakar and the customs?"

"He never got the chance. We hardly had enough time to change some words. I've gone on a trip with Arthur. We were supposed to find the last Dragon Lord and bring him to Camelot to stop the Great Dragon. Arthur was around, I couldn't speak freely. My father hadn't known he had a son. He'd left before my mother knew she was pregnant. We've...he died saving my life. I've never known much about him. I only knew he was a Dragon Lord and he was my father. Kilgharrah has never spoken about him either." Merlin felt so good to have someone to share his thoughts and feelings with. Despite what his ration told him, he simply let his guard down in front of her. "What are you planning? I can't…" he stopped as he noticed a blonde woman standing in front of him.

She watched him straight in the eyes and smiled. He knew her. He knew that smile. It was Morgana. But she was blonde and she looked more like her former self. And there was something about her eyes. They didn't seem the green he remembered them to be. Merlin suspected it was the light.

Kira and the soldiers didn't seem to have noticed her, though. She smiled and signaled him to follow her towards a path that went right.

"That path leads to the crypts. The ancient crypts. Legends said the first king Vasilias Ashkanar and his lover Chimaira had been buried there. Some said her spirit looms around. The legend goes he'd cursed her to stay in this world." Kira explained to him.

"Why did he curse her? Do you believe it's real?" Before Kira could answer him, Merlin heard a voice calling a name. It was such pain in that voice and he felt it cut through his soul like a knife.

"Vasilias," went the tragic voice. "Come, Vasilias. I've missed you." The voice seemed so familiar to him and yet so foreign.

"He didn't want her to leave him alone. It's a tragic story, Merlin. I don't have time for it now." Kira answered his question, but Merlin wasn't paying attention to her, anymore.

"Don't you hear that voice?" he asked.

"Which voice?" Kira asked back.

"She calls a name...Vasilias. She wants him to go to her. It comes from there. From the crypts. Do you think it's her? I've seen a woman. She looks like an old friend, but her hair and eyes are different. She wanted me to follow her. She...the voice…it's Morgana's. Why does she look like her?"

"I hear no voice, Merlin. And no one seemed to hear it either. There are a lot of magic creatures here. You might have fallen under a spell or something."

"But...I'm not imagining… Is she my ancestor? Are I and Morgana related?"

"Morgana? Like the High Priestess?" Kira continued. "No, Vasilias had no kids with her. Morgana may be her descendant, though. Chimaira had a son with another man and no one knows what happened with that boy. We'll arrive at the prince pretty soon. I don't have time to tell you the story now. And I don't believe the rumours. Now focused on being as invisible as possible. Do not catch his attention."

The soldiers finally brought them in front of a blonde man, a few years older than Arthur.

Merlin tried to focus on the things at hand.

"Keep your head down," she uttered in his mind. "Don't let him notice your eyes."

"My Lord", Kira started as she addressed the king, "Could I have the servant? I've always wanted someone to clean the floor for me and he seems perfect." Arthur couldn't help smirking upon thinking about the surprise she would have when she was to find out Merlin was anything, but obedient. Yet he was too worried for his friend to find it funny.

"I don't care about the servant. Do whatever you want with him." The prince answered. "What I want is this little hero," Eugene added looking at Arthur.

"If you hurt him, " Arthur started, ruining Kira and Merlin's plans in just an instant. Merlin cursed internally the stupidity of his friend. The prince was shocked.

"It seems our dear king thinks differently. Maybe, the servant could be useful. Maybe this will help you remember how you killed the Great Dragon." Prince Eugene made a sign to Kira.

"I'm sorry," she spoke in his mind.

"Do what you have to do. I'll see you tonight. You have to answer my questions."

"The northern side of the castle towards the hills. I'll wait for you there. If you don't see a blue light, don't come. If it's red you should know that the prince has found out and you have to hide."

As prince Eugene suspected, Arthur couldn't stand seeing his friend suffering and neither the knight nor could Gwen. Merlin was glad none of them knew what really happened that night. Otherwise, things would have turned even worse. He threw a glance towards his friends to tell them he was alright.

"I've told you," Arthur repeated for the umpteenth time. "I gave him a mortal blow and it left."

"How makes that a nobody like you was able of such a deed?" The prince asked, "Only a Dragon Lord could have managed to harm a dragon."

"But Uther killed the other dragons during the times of the purge," Merlin tried to convince him. His body hurt all over. The witch could be really unmerciful if she wanted to. Yet it was good for the plan. Life had thought him that sometimes, more often than the warlock would have wanted to, you have to make difficult decisions and do things you don't like.

"He used Dragon Lords. He promised to spare their lives if they do the dirty job for him." The prince replied. It was working. Without being too obvious, Merlin managed to find a lot of things and keep his cousin occupied at the same time.

It was so strange to know he was family with him and yet to wish he wasn't. Merlin had the slightest idea what to do. He suspected the witch wanted him to take over the crown. Otherwise, she wouldn't have risked that much. Probably, that was what the dragons wanted, too. Why did everybody always ask so much from him?

The news that someone of his kin decided to betray made his blood boil in his veins.

"Uther didn't keep his promise, though," Kira told him mentally. For the first time, Merlin was happy Uther had been a tyrant.

"The dragon never came back. He would have if he hadn't been dead or mortally wounded." Merlin tried to bring arguments, but mistakenly calling the dragon "he" which cause Kira to remind him to be careful. However, the prince didn't seem to notice.

"That's what I would like to know. That's what your friends must tell me - Who sent the Dragon away?" He was on the verge of losing his patience. "Either that or you are going to suffer a very painful death."

"I've told you," Arthur cried. "There was no one. I MANAGED TO HIT HIM WITH MY SPEAR. Then I passed out. I don't know what happened. When I came around, he was gone."

"Who was with you?" The prince continued his interrogatory. Merlin and Kira started to get worried. He was too close to the truth.

"My knights, but the dragon had knocked them all out," Arthur replied.

"Isn't it obvious? They don't know what happened," Kira decided to speak out, before Arthur would say something stupid "Or the Dragon didn't knock you out, too?"

"It's true", Arthur started, "the Dragon hit me with his claws and I fainted but…" Merlin stopped him as he supposed what he was about to say.

"Balinor had given us something when we had looked for him. A potion. I used it to polish Arthur's weapons. Maybe, it was that. That potion must have affected the Dragon. Can't it be possible?"

Merlin's revelation took the prince by surprise. He had the slightest idea if there was such a thing, but he was too arrogant to allow others to notice that.

"You did what, Merlin?" Arthur cried. "Why haven't you said it earlier?" That was one of the times that Arthur really thought Merlin could be very thick.

"I haven't thought it was important," Merlin said nonchalantly. He had a way of saying it that Gwain burst into laughter.

"You haven't thought it was important! He was torturing you and you couldn't figure it out? You really are an idiot, Merlin."

Kira smirked. Contrary to Arthur, she thought Merlin was brilliant.

"So, there is no Dragon Lord, is it?" she added "What should we do with them?"

"I can't risk them telling someone about Balinor. They already know too much," the Prince answered.

"In fact, we know nothing," Merlin tried to make the prince speak. "Why is it so important that we met Balinor?' To his surprise, the Prince started to speak.

"Balinor was my uncle. When he was imprisoned, my father took over the throne and announced to my grandmother and the people that Balinor had died. When Balinor came to Drakar for help, my father told him the queen - his mother- would not welcome him back after he'd lost the Great Dragon. We never heard a thing about my uncle since then. There were some revolts. People devoted to Balinor started to suspect and they got too far. Father had to get rid of them. He also imprisoned the dragons who survived Uther's purge for fear they should tell the people the truth. Drakar has many ways of controlling a dragon, but it's only temporary compared to the bond between a master and the dragons."

"My father was one of them," Kira told Merlin telepathically.

"Are there any people devoted to Balinor left?"The question surprised the Prince, but he didn't suspect a thing.

"I fear there are, but they won't dare to fight. They've finally understood it's useless going against me."

"But they will fight if you need them. They're waiting for you. ...and the dragons." Kira added. Then she went on aloud. "We should take them to the dragons. I bet they are hungry. I think we should start with the serving boy. If your Highness agrees, I can deliver him to them tonight. Next will be the king of Camelot and then the handsome knight. " She flattered with Gwain, although it was a cruel way of doing that. Merlin thought they would make a nice match, but none of them knew that. He planned to tell them when all the lies would be revealed.

"You won't touch Merlin," Gwain cried. "Take me, if you want."

"Brave… and stupid. You should keep them a bit longer, Your Highness. Maybe, they will remember something. The serving boy doesn't look too bright, though."

"You're going to regret it," Gwain threatened her.

"I'm waiting." she challenged him

"Take him," the Prince commanded. "I don't need him any longer." As she was about to leave, he called her name. "I have good news for you. You may be queen after all," he continued.

"What about the High Priestess?" She was referring to Morgana. Merlin threw a glance towards her to see her reaction.

"Soon, I'll be able to steal her powers. She won't be of any use to me. I've told you I had a plan. We only need to wait until midnight. It's going to be a full moon and I promised to take her for a walk. We may end up at the old sanctuary. With her powers mine, I won't have to play the good, obeying grandchildren, anymore. Soon, I will be king. I won't forget you, Kira."

The witch smiled content and taking Merlin with her, she left the room.