Merlin's twin sister
Second part of the extended version, takes on season 4, not necessarily in order, and with the changes I have already made.
It had been 6 months since they had freed Camelot from Morgana and defeated her sister Morgause and everyone was happy. Camelot had recovered and the people were confident that even though Uther was out of commission, they were in good hands because they trusted Arthur, who had quickly gained the people's trust.
All seemed well that day and Arthur was getting ready to go on a walk alone with Bella for the first time, planning on using this opportunity to tell her how he felt and that he wanted to court her officially, when they were called in the courtroom.
Of course he thought that his feelings for her were obvious, Merlin and a few of his friends had told him that they had noticed, but Arthur was under the impression that it wasn't that obvious for Bella, who seemed to think that he only saw her like a friend.
They arrived in the courtroom to see a girl crying in Gaius' arms. She was from a far away village and had come to warn them that her village had been attacked and that she was the only survivor. After she explained everything she had seen, Gaius, Merlin and Bella were able to guess that it was spirits of the dead who attacked the people and froze them.
As she explained everything, Merlin and Bella saw a woman looking right at them, the Gaelix, guardian of the Veil, and she spoke directly to them, just saying their names a few times before she disappeared. Nobody else could see her and once she left, both twins fell on the floor, unconscious, frozen but still alive, probably because of their magic.
Arthur and the knights rushed to their sides and carried them both to Gaius's quarters. Arthur carried Bella on his own while Merlin was being carried by Lancelot and Gwaine. Gwen followed and as soon as they entered Gaius's chamber, she started to boil water and gather blankets, figuring it would help. It took a few hours before the twins were back to normal.
"We have to go the the Isle of the Blessed to close the veil." Merlin declared.
"It won't be easy, Merlin. The Gaelix, the guardian of the veil, isn't the kind of person to just do what you ask, she'll need to be convinced. She'll probably ask for something in exchange." Gaius reminded him.
"We all agree that Morgana is behind this, right?" Leon asked and everyone nodded.
"Merlin and I were locked in a sort of vision while we were unconscious. The Gaelix came to warn us, that's why we fainted. She tried coming as soon as the veil was opened but the protections Merlin set around the castle delayed her. Agravaine joined Morgana, he was always on her side anyway, and she sacrificed him to the Gaelix to open the veil between the two worlds, her own revenge to the people of Camelot for not accepting her as their Queen when she took the power. But she's the one who demands a sacrifice, it's not necessary to close it. I believe that, if she can't be convinced, Merlin and I could fight her and force her to close the veil without sacrificing anyone. I believe that she showed herself to us because she wnated to face at least one of us." Bella replied.
"How do we protect Camelot from those spirits?" Arthur asked, noticing that the night would be falling in a few hours.
"Warn everyone to stay inside, with fire. Fire will push away the spirits. It would be best for people to gather in large groups. I've already summoned my dragons, they're all young but they'll be able to help with their fire. The Great Dragon, Kilgharrah, might have felt my plea, Merlin, he might come anyway but since you know him, you should call him, ask him to come here." Bella declared and Arthur nodded.
"I'll do it right away." Merlin nodded, walking outside to call the dragon while Lancelot asked everyone to clear the place so the Dragons would have room to land.
.
The knights rushed to help people get inside and stay safe, with enough wood to last the night and fire as protection when, suddenly, the Great Dragon who had once attacked the citadelle landed peacefully in the middle of it, followed by 6 smaller dragons. Everyone was silent and worried because the night was slowly falling.
"Thank you for coming, my friend." Merlin told the Great Dragon while the smaller ones lined up to get scratches and kisses from Bella, amusing the knights.
"The future of Albion is in danger, and I have to say that I was eager to meet your sister, young warlock. It is I who should thank you for allowing me to be in the presence of so many young ones. I thought to be the last of my race, now, thanks to the Great mother of Dragons, I am not." The dragon spoke.
After that, there was a bit of an awkward moment when Arthur faced the Dragon but Kilgharrah was able to reassure the future king, letting him know that he meant no harm and that he was fully dedicated to helping him built the future he wanted.
"I was thinking that you, Kilgharrah, could stay here to protect Camelot from the spirits of the dead while we ride to the Isle of the Blessed. We'll take the young dragons, they'll help us, guard us and push away any spirit of the dead that might attack." Bella suggested.
"You do know that the Gaelix demands a sacrifice?" The dragon asked Bella.
"Yes, but I think that Merlin and I can face her, force her to change her mind." Bella insisted.
"If it comes to a sacrifice, I'll be the sacrifice to protect the people of Camelot." Arthur declared.
"Absolutely not!" Bella, Merlin and the dragon exclaimed at once.
"It won't come to that." Merlin assured.
"Why don't we leave the baby dragons here to protect the citadelle and ride the big one to the Isle of the Blessed?" Elion asked curiously.
"Because I am not a horse, as I have once already reminded Merlin!" The dragon replied, amusing everyone.
"Of course not, you're much more handsome and stronger than a horse, aren't you? Do you agree with our plan then?" Bella asked the great Dragon who smiled at her.
The dragon seemed pleased by Bella's presence and compliment and Arthur realised that he acted like a child, proud to have been paid a compliment in public by his mother.
"Of course I do, Mother of Dragons. How could I refuse you anything, especially after you saved so many of my kind." He replied.
"With 6 dragons, we can ride without worrying. They can spread between us." Arthur nodded.
"I'll get everything ready." Merlin declared seriously.
"We ride at dawn." Arthur nodded.
"Well, until then, we better go and patrol the town with the others, make sure everyone is inside and safe." Lancelot said and, with a last look at his wife who was inside with Gaius, helping people, he left with his friends.
Kilgharrah smiled one last time and flew off, circling around the castle and breathing his fire whenever he saw a spirit of the dead attacking.
They were lucky enough to find that, thanks to their good preparation, in the morning, they had no casualties, though people from villages further away were starting to arrive. Before he left with his knights, Arthur left orders to ensure everyone would be welcomed and safe. He left Gaius, one of his older and most truster advisor, in charge until he came back.
.
The ride to the Island was long but relatively safe thanks to the dragons. Once they reached the Island, the knights stood back a bit while Merlin and Bella went to face the Gaelix, along with Arthur.
"So, finally I can meet the long prophecised twins. Who will be the sacrifice to close this veil?" She asked.
"We know the sacrifice is not needed, it's just you who demands it. We're ready to fight you if that's what it takes to force you to close it." Bella declared.
"How do you plan of forcing me to close it? We fight, and either I win and you lose everything or you kill me. I won't be able to do anything for you then." The Gaelix said.
"Except, if you're dead, then you'll be the sacrifice to close the veil, and rest assured that if you win against Bella, you'll have me to deal with afterwards." Merlin replied.
"Good people are dying, innocent people! Morgana is even more insane than I thought to do such a thing!" Arthur added angrily, worried about the fact that Bella was planning on fighting this witch.
"Morgana is powerful, and angry. Fine then, a duel, me against the sorceress Bella. If you win, I'll close the veil without any sacrifices, if you lose, you'll be the sacrifice."
"No!" Merlin and Arthur exclaimed but it was too late, Bella had nodded her agreement and the fight had started.
Despite her obvious old age, the Gaelix seemed very skilled but so was Bella and, after about half an hour of fighting, she had the old woman on her back, her hands ready to strike once more. Merlin and Arthur had their eyes on the fight, unable to look anywhere else. Merlin had his hand on his friend's arm and though it looked like he was looking for support, he was also holding him back, preventing him to go to the veil if Bella lost.
"Close the veil, now." Bella demanded of the woman on her back.
The Gaelix nodded and, as she stood back up, the veil closed. Then both women turned to look at the men and, behind Arthur and Merlin, the knights were on the ground, showing signs of having fought. While 5 dragons stood back, waiting for something to do and simply watching everything, one of them was by Gwaine's side.
"What happened back there?" Bella asked, making Arthur turn around, realizing he had missed a lot.
"Well, hum... It's Lancelot's fault." Gwaine declared.
"Is not!" Lancelot replied defensively.
"While Bella fought, Lancelot started making his way to the veil, planning on sacrificing himself to save everyone, but we kind of all had the same idea." Leon explained.
"And Lancelot has to go home to my sister, I promised her he would before we left, so we couldn't let him do it." Elion added.
"So Elion grabbed Lancelot, pushed him back and tried going forward, but Percival stopped him and... Well, we kind of fought to see who would sacrifice himself. We were worried for Bella, afraid she'd lose and we definitely didn't want her to die, we know how important she is to you, Arthur." Leon continued.
"And to Merlin of course." Gwaine added.
"And she's my wife's best friend." Lancelot smiled.
"It's nice to see that you have so much faith in me and in my power." Bella rolled her eyes.
"Do you really think I would have just stood back and watched my sister die? I would have joined in to help her at the first sign that she was losing." Merlin rolled his eyes.
"I won anyway." Gwaine smiled.
"Only because one of the baby dragon helped you, you corrupted him on the way here!" Leon replied with a smile.
"I did not corrupt him!" Gwaine protested as said dragon walked in front of him and pushed Gwaine's hand on its head, demanding attention.
"You cuddled him at every opportunity, baby talked to him and fed him, of course he wants to protect you." Lancelot replied.
"Dragons are like anyone, they can grow affinities with humans. And this one has. She'll come every time Gwaine needs her, I think she'll never go very far either. Her name is Syggy by the way. But keep in mind that she will grow. You might be able to keep her with you in your room for now, but one day, she'll be as big as Kilgharrah..." Bella replied.
"I need a bigger house." Gwaine frowned, looking at the baby dragon who seemed happy to be cuddled by the fierce knight.
"Dragons like to be free, Gwaine, let her find her own nest outside and come to you when she needs it." Bella told the knight who nodded, though, in his head, started thinking of the best place to make a nest for Syggy in his bedroom.
"Maybe I should try it too... Who wants to cuddle with me?" Percival asked with open arms, turning around to face the other dragons, making his friends chuckle as one of them, a young male called Ryder, took one hesitant step towards him then ran into him, making him fall on his butt before he started stroking his head against the knights' hand.
"Men will always keep a side of them that's a little boy, remember this young Bella. You are, as the prophecy declared, fair and strong. You could have killed me, you gave ma a chance, I appreciate it and I won't forget it. The future is in good hands." The Gaelix said, rolling her eyes as she walked away.
"Let's go home, now." Arthur declared, deciding not to comment on his knights trying to be the sacrifice when he, himself, had planned on doing it if it started to look like Bella would lose.
Bella lead the way to the horses, mumbling about self sacrificing men and their ego.
.
"Bella, are you angry with me?" Arthur asked Bella as they made their way back to Camelot, happy to have freed their land from the spirits.
"No, just annoyed that you're so self sacrificing. You have to understand that in order to build the future everyone hopes for, you need to survive." Bella replied.
"I know, but I couldn't bare the idea that she could win, that you could have been the sacrifice. I'd rather die than live in a world you're not." Arthur replied honestly, glad that the others had given them some distance, knowing that he wanted to talk with her.
"Arthur..." She didn't know what to answer, she knew he liked her but until then, he hadn't spoken the words so clearly, even when he asked her to be his date at Lancelot's wedding to Gwen, he hadn't been so open with her.
"Come on, you have to know how I feel by now, everyone else does." he smiled.
"You're a prince, soon a king, and I'm not royalty. Nothing could happen." She shook her head.
"I don't care about this, and Merlin is right, once I'm king, I can change the rules. As for your royalty status, that's debatable. You're, after all, a pirate Princess, and an Amazone princess. Anyway, I don't want you to feel like you have to say anything, I'll be glad to be just your friend, as long as you're happy. I just want to be allowed a place in your life, even if it's just as a friend." He told her, trying his best to be as open and honest as possible.
"As if I could resist you much longer. Merlin told me that my feelings for you were as obvious as the sun shining on a hot summer's day." Bella replied with a chuckle.
"Then, would you agree to have lunch with me once we're back to Camelot?" He asked her.
"I'd love to." She replied with a smile.
Arthur smiled happily and turned around to his knights, making a thumbs up motion to let them know that everything had gone well. They answered him with large, sincere smiles.
While 4 of the dragons had left, two of them had stayed with them and Bella knew that they had attached themselves to the knights. Arthur had made a joke about the possibility of knighting two dragons, but he was, deep down, reassured. Dragons would protect his knights, especially since they could fight magic.
.
Just like they had planned, Bella met Arthur for lunch, expecting to be led either to his room or to the castle's dinning room, but instead, he lead her to horses and guided her to a pretty clearing in the woods.
"Are we really alone? I thought you always had someone with you... Merlin told me that he usually had to go with you when you went out with girls." Bella asked.
"I made him come because I didn't want to be alone with them, with you it's different. And between the two of us, we don't need bodyguards. We're both skilled enough to be able to fight whoever attacks." Arthur replied, making Bella smile.
"True." She nodded.
Happy, they started eating, talking and simply enjoying being together, unaware that in Camelot, Merlin and a few of the knights were talking about them.
"Are you sure they're finally on a date, then? He's now officially courting her?" Percival asked Merlin.
"Yes, he even came to ask Gaius and I for permission. He was all nervous, it was funny." Merlin nodded.
"Do you think he'll kiss her today?" Gwaine asked.
"No idea, why?" Merlin replied with a frown.
"We could bet on it." Percival smiled.
"We'd have to be extra careful while spying on them... Maybe even be hidden by a powerful sorcerer..." Gwaine added, looking at Merlin.
"I could do it..." Merlin smiled, amused.
"You know where he took her?" Percival asked.
"Yes, he told me, just in case something happened and we had to get them before they were done. Though he did warn me that if we disturbed them before they were done for something that wasn't vital, he'd be extremely angry." Merlin nodded.
"Should we get the others in on it?" Percival asked.
"Lancelot is out with Gwen, and trust me, you do NOT want to interrupt them. Elion is on patrol with Leon, they won't be back until tomorrow." Merlin replied, shaking his head.
"Let's go then." Gwaine said eagerly and the three of them made their way towards the woods.
"I dont know why, but I feel like I'm about to get myself in trouble..." Merlin commented as he followed his friends.
When they arrived, hidden behind some bushes and invisible, Bella and Arthur were standing up, close, about to kiss. Bella frowned and backed up a bit.
"What's wrong?" Arthur asked her, worried that he had done something to upset her or that, maybe, he had a bad breath.
"We're being watched." She replied in a low voice.
"Do you feel any danger?" He replied, his hand slowly going for his sword.
Bella smiled, placed her hand over his to stop him from taking his sword out, shook her head and, still smiling, got very close to Arthur once more. Once there was only inches left between them, she whispered:
"I think Merlin, Gwaine and Percival want to play hide and seek, I can sense their presence behind you, probably hiding behind the bushes. Care to play with me? See who's the best between Merlin and I?" She asked him and Arthur smiled, staying close to her and not turning to look for his friends.
He liked this carefree look she had in her eyes and even though he'd rather tell them to go back to the castle and leave them alone, he couldn't refuse her anything when she looked this happy.
"Absolutely." He nodded.
"I'll chuckle and run away, you'll laugh and try to catch me. Once we're behind the tree, I'll make us invisible, hide us, but you'll have to hold on to me or you'll be visible." She warned Arthur before she did just what she said.
"Merlin, where did they go?" Gwaine whispered from Merlin's left once they didn't reappear from behind the tree.
"I don't know." The warlock shook his head.
They were visible once more and looking around for the couple. Gwaine bent down and grabbed a piece of cheese that was left over from their lunch.
"Merlin, since it looks like you want to play hide and seek with us, here is how it's going to go. Try to find us. You have one hour. If by then you haven't found us, then you lost." Bella declared, enhancing her voice magically so they didn't know where it came from.
"What does the winner get?" Percival asked, screaming to be heard.
"Loser has to wash all the knights's socks for an entire month, without using magic." Arthur screamed back.
"You must have a lot of confidence in my sister to risk exposing her to such horrors." Merlin replied, amused and eager to see Arthur washing socks.
"I am confident. We'll win." Arthur screamed back before Bella made them run away, still hidden.
For the next hour, it was laughter and magic, both team trying to catch the other. Bella had trained a lot with magic to hide herself and she even created decoy of them, illusions, to draw Merlin's team away. Merlin caught on after a while but he wasn't able to find her. He did use a spell to locate the closest person sharing his blood but Bella had used her magic to protect herself from detection and it lead him to a simple bush.
In the end, Bella was in Arthur's arms and she disguised them both as a tree, which was good to hide in a forest. It was a very intimate position, to be so close, entangled in his arms, but it was also comfortable. She fit, she was supposed to be there and Arthur obviously loved having her there, so close.
They watched Merlin, Percival and Gwaine pass by them several time without noticing them.
"She's better than you, Merlin." Gwaine complained.
"Well, to be fair, she's had more practice using magic. She knows more spells. I couldn't exactly study many spells when working for Arthur and with Uther in charge and lately I've been concentrating learning healing and protective magic. I can defend us, create a diversion but Bella's the best at this kind of things right now." Merlin replied.
"Okay, the hour is up, you've won!" Percival admitted.
"Glad to hear it." Bella replied, lifting the spell that was on her and Arthur to reveal to the other that they were right next to them.
"You know, growing up with you would have been fun." Merlin declared.
"True. Now, if you don't mind leaving us alone to our day, you have socks to wash, without using magic!" Bella said with a smile.
"Sure... I've washed Arthur's socks, can't be much worst." Merlin replied with a chuckle, while walking away.
"Hey!" Arthur protested, throwing a stick in their direction.
"Anyway, despite their interruption, this was a fun day." Bella smiled.
"Yes, it really was." he replied, before they finally exchanged a kiss, their first kiss.
.
A few weeks passed peacefully, Arthur's birthday had come and a great feast was prepared. Before that, Arthur wanted to speak to his father about Bella, see if he could get his father to agree, even though he'd do as he pleased in the end. Truly, he just wanted his father to react, to get out of this broken catatonic state.
"Father, remember Bella? Gaius' niece, Merlin's long lost sister? I've told you about her and she's come to try and heal you once. I want you to know... I... I love her, more than I have ever loved anyone. I know that you probably don't agree in the changes I have done to the laws concerning magic, and the fact that she has magic is something you probably hate, but I do love her and she is one the the best people I have ever met." Arthur declared.
"Why are you speaking of this on such a day, son? Is it because you intend on proposing to her on your birthday?" Uther replied, surprising Arthur by looking directly at him for the first time in a long time.
"I... No, I want to propose in a much more romantic way, a day when all the focus is on her." Arthur replied.
"I held a tournament to celebrate my engagement to your mother." Uther said, remembering it all in his mind.
"I know... I... Does this mean that you approve of her?" Arthur asked, shocked that not only his father was speaking and looking at him directly but that he wasn't condemning his choices right away.
"We shouldn't speak of this today, what celebrations do you have planned for your birthday? There must be at least a feast!" Uther asked, making Arthur smile.
"Actually yes, nothing too out of the ordinary. Some entertainment, some food and drinks... Music too. Merlin organized most of it. Don't worry, you won't miss out on much."
"I won't me missing out on anything because I will be there with you, son. Nothing could keep me from attending your birthday feast. I want to celebrate the day of your birth, for it was the best day of my life."
"Are you sure that you're well enough, father?" Arthur asked.
"I'll be fine, son."
"I'll send someone to help you get ready then." Arthur replied with a smile, feeling like this conversation was the best birthday present he could have gotten.
"Arthur?" Uther called out to his son before he left the room.
"Yes, father?"
"After your party, you'll come back here with me, and we'll talk." Uther declared with a smile.
"Of course, father. Anything." Arthur smiled.
.
When the banquet started, everyone was surprised but happy to see Uther present.
Merlin wasn't a servent anymore so he was sitting by Gaius' side, happy to be able to enjoy it along with his friends. He saw Bella enter with Arthur and she was about to leave him so she could sit with her brother when Arthur held her back.
"Bella, come, sit by my side!" Arthur asked Bella with a large smile.
There were three seats at the head table, one for him, one for his father and one for her.
"I wouldn't want to upset your father today of all days..." She replied in a low voice.
"Nonsense, come and sit, it's Arthur's day after all, he shall get his way." Uther replied with a big smile before he came to stand in front of her and, while Arthur was distracted by another guest, added:
"You know, I remember how worried Gaius was when you went missing... Even after he came back here, every time there was a baby girl of the right age, I could see him thinking, wondering... Every time he came back from a visit to Ealdor, he was thoughtful. I know that I haven't exactly been myself lately, but I know what you tried to do to help me. You have every reason to hate me given your powers, yet you tried to help me. Arthur only knows of this one time you tried, when you came with your brother and you did the healing spell that didn't work, but I know you came back a few other times, to try other things. I know of the special herbal mix you've asked the maids to feed me, to help clear my mind. It worked, and I thank you for it. I did hear what you told me, too. And you're right. It hurts, but I got there on my own, with my own lies, with my own mistakes. I know, I know, you didn't word it like this. You were much kinder."
Bella had indeed told him of the time she, herself, had felt broken, after Edward had left her, betrayed her, used her. She had told him how she had broken out of it, how she had rebuilt herself, giving him advises, on the odd chance that he could hear her and that he would be willing to listen to her.
"It's because of you that I was able to break out of this state. I know what my son wants to hear from me, and he shall hear it. I've been wrong about a lot of things, and I heard the prophecy you told me, about Arthur, your brother, the future. I choose to believe in it. He will be better than me, and maybe that's because he will have someone kind, loving and strong like you by his side. Come, sit between us. I've been better for a few days now to be honest, but I've played along to leave Arthur in power, he's better at it than I ever was. I think the people like him more too." Uther told her with a kind and sincere smile.
"Thank you, your highness." She smiled with a little bow.
"None of that, you can call me Uther." He declared.
"Of course, Uther." She smiled, taking the offered seat as Arthur came back.
Merlin seemed surprised to see Bella there but he smiled at her anyway.
"Anyway Bella, Arthur told me of your adventures, I have to admit that I did hear about some of them before. The amazon princess, the pirate princess... I didn't really believe it until Arthur told me that it was you. Very impressive, and a great benediction for our kingdom, to have you on our side." Uther declared.
Arthur was surprised, he had no idea that his father could hear him when he said all of this. The more time passed, the more he was surprised by his father's behaviour tonight.
"The titles don't really count, they're just nicknames." Bella waved it off.
"Maybe the pirate one, because as far as I know, pirates don't have any recognized royalty, but the amazone title stands, even here. It's as real as Arthur's title of prince." Uther said, smiling at her again.
"Father, what..." Arthur started to ask but his father cut him off.
"Shouldn't you start the festivities?" Uther interrupted him.
Arthur did as his father asked, surprised by his behavior and hoping that it meant what he hoped it did.
Uther, of course, did a little speech, thanking his son for being born, for his presence by his side in the past few months and declared that his son did a great job keeping the kingdom in check, that he'd be a great king.
The evening was full of joy and, when one of the entertainer, a man who threw knives, asked for the prince to be his target, Arthur agreed.
"Arthur, are you sure?" Bella asked as the prince stood up, holding his arm.
"I'll be fine. Don't worry. Plus, I can't exactly refuse in front of everyone, they'll think I'm scared." Arthur smiled.
Bella looked at Merlin, who was as worried as she was. Uther caught their exchange.
"I know my son, I know he is a bit scared, but he knows the two of you will stop any attack coming his way." Uther whispered to Bella and he added:
"You will use your powers if you feel it necessary, right?"
"Of course. I don't know how Merlin didn't grow grey hair by now, keeping Arthur safe is a full time job." Bella replied, making Uther laugh.
At the same moment, the knife thrower placed an apple in Arthur's mouth.
"I get a bad feeling about this man, and I can see that Merlin does too. Our instinct has never been wrong about anyone before." Bella informed Uther.
"We'll have to keep our eyes open, then. It's a good thing you're here." Uther nodded.
Of course everything went well, the knives didn't hit Arthur and the last one went right into the apple.
"Well, I'm not resting my guard, something's off about that man." Bella commented when it was all over and Arthur made his way back to them, eating the apple that had been placed in his mouth.
"You'll grow grey hair before your time if you worry constantly." Uther replied before he stood to clap his son on the back.
Before he sat back down, Arthur smiled warmly at Bella and, for a moment, she forgot all of her worries. He was happy, what more could she hope for?
The rest of the evening went very well and Arthur seemed to have enjoyed the evening a lot. When it was time t retire for the night, Bella kissed the prince before she went back to her room with her brother while Arthur walked his father back to his own chamber.
"Arthur sure enjoyed the evening, he seemed drunk. It's good that the guards are accompanying them to their rooms." Merlin commented once they were in Gaius' quarters.
"It's weird, because he didn't drink that much... And the wine isn't that strong..." Bella frowned.
"What do you mean?" Gaius asked tiredly.
"I think Uther drank more than Arthur, and he was the one holding Arthur up... Do I worry too much?" She replied.
"Probably, but you're a woman." Merlin replied with a chuckle before wishing them good night and going to bed.
Gaius did the same and Bella stayed up a bit and, unable to get out of her head the thought that something was wrong, she decided to take a walk, letting her feet guide her to Uther's chamber, where Arthur was as well.
.
Arthur and his father were sitting in chairs, facing the windows. The prince was having a hard time staying awake.
"Well, it's nice to know you enjoyed your birthday, my son." Uther chuckled.
"It was nice seeing you enjoying yourself too, father. You seemed to have a good time, I saw you speaking with Bella a few times..." Arthur managed to say.
"Yes, she's kind, and holds a good conversation, but we'll talk about that in the morning, when you're fully awake. You look like you're seconds from falling in a deep sleep." Uther replied, half mocking his son who nodded.
Both of them fell silent and Uther watched his son slowly fall asleep until suddenly, Arthur struggled to stand up and escape the man he had sensed and seen in a reflection on the pitcher of water. He managed to barely escape and realized that it was the knife thrower, this time he was with a large sword, though a knife could be seen at his belt. Arthur was too out of it to fight properly and the guards didn't seem to hear him calling out to them, so Uther stood and, gathering all the strength he had left, fought as hard as he could to defend his only son, his heir, while they called for the guard.
They didn't know how long it was but, a while later, they were still fighting and the door opened. A second later the attacker flew into the wall and fell unconscious. Bella stood there, prettier than ever in Arthur's eyes. Uther was on the ground, bleeding and Arthur was still struggling to stand up. A quick spell and Bella had Arthur awake, then she went to Uther.
"You should get Merlin and Gaius, they're better at this and the guards outside will need healing too. My healing spells aren't that strong yet. And I think that something's wrong because even though they're not strong, they're not weak either and they should have had more effect than this." Bella advised.
Arthur nodded and ran. Bella used magic to lift Uther on the bed and did what she could to heal the fallen king, though it didn't seem to work much. When Merlin arrived, followed by Arthur and Gaius, he rushed to his sister's side.
"I think my healing spell wasn't strong enough, it didn't seem to work much, or at all." Bella told her brother who nodded and still tried.
"Something's wrong, I could heal a bit but not much. Is there a poison on the blade maybe?" He asked and Arthur and Gaius went to examine the sword.
"Yes, the blade was poisoned, they wanted to make sure they killed Arthur." Gaius nodded.
"I don't know what was wrong with me, I felt really tired and drunk, but I didn't drink that much..." Arthur frowned.
"That's why I came looking for you, I was worried. I had a bad feeling about this guy, expected him to try and kill you with the knives but even after it was over I couldn't rest. I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong. I knew you that wanted to speak with your father... I guess I was right to follow my instinct... My guess is that they put some sort of sedative in the apple you bit into, he wanted to make his job easier, the coward." Bella explained and the prince nodded.
"Gaius, Merlin, how is my father doing?" Arthur asked.
"He was already weakened and I'm worried that the healing magic didn't work. I don't know what to say... We'll try our best, you know that, but I'm afraid I can't make any promises. You should prepare for the worst." Gaius replied and Arthur nodded, taking Bella into his arms.
"I'll try and look for a cure right now." Merlin declared, taking the sword with him back to Gaius' chamber.
"I'll help him." Gaius nodded, silently asking Bella to stay there, just in case.
"Don't worry Arthur, I'm here. We'll do our best." Bella whispered.
"I know... It seemed to have gone well tonight... He seemed to like you, I wasn't expecting that..." He replied.
"I was surprised too, especially since he was sincere... I could tell. He was so accepting of me, even of Merlin and our magic... He told me that he had been wrong, and that he was thankful for... Well, I came a few more times to see him, without you knowing, to try other things to heal his mind. I had the maid feed him a herbal mix that helps clear the mind, I talked to him about my experience after... Well, anyway, he heard and he told me at the feast that it helped him get out of his catatonic state, that he was thankful and saw the error of his way...' Bella told the prince.
"I know. The way he spoke before the feast, it gave me hope. I hope he'll wake up..." Arthur whispered with a nod.
"You should go and rest, take care of this guy. You should try to find out of he acted on his own accord or if someone hired him because if he was hired, then more people might come after you. I'll stay with your father and send you a message as soon as he wakes up." Bella told him.
"I'll leave a maid with you, to get me the message." he nodded.
"No need, I'll send you a magical message, don't worry, you'll hear me." She smiled.
Arthur smiled back at her, kissed her softly and left the room with the guards and the assassin.
.
A day later, Uther started to slowly wake up but he was weak and they hadn't been able to heal him, everything that should have worked failed. The king asked to speak with his son, alone, for the time being.
"Arthur, I want you to know that I am very proud of you and confident in the future you're going to build. I know what you wanted to hear from me about Bella and you'll hear it. I approve, she'll be a good queen for you. She's special." Uther smiled.
"I don't think anyone who's ever met her could ever hate her, not truly. Even her kidnapper changed his mind about killing her once he held her." Arthur smiled.
"Yes. I don't know if she's told you, but she came to help me, talked to me, helped me heal my mind... I know I have failed my kingdom, I was a good king to some of the people, but I failed at being a great king to everyone, something you'll succeed at. I love you, son." Uther spoke in a weak voice.
"Father!" Arthur exclaimed, calling Bella, Merlin and Gaius back in the room.
"He shouldn't be weakening this fast!" Merlin exclaimed.
"Don't worry, my time has come." Uther spoke, moving to stop Bella's hand from checking his forehead.
As he did so, a pillow fell on the ground and Arthur went to pick it up, finding something under the bed.
"What's this? Did you place it here?" He asked, showing the amulet to the other people in the room.
"No." They all answered with a frown.
"It was real... I thought... A dream..." Uther whispered with wide eyes, looking at the amulet Arthur was giving Merlin.
"What is it, Sire?" Gaius asked the king.
"Morgana... I dreamt that she came to make amends, then told me that she'd never forgive me, that she hated me... I thought it was a dream... It was the night before Arthur's birthday." Uther explained.
"She must have placed it here to weaken him!" Merlin exclaimed angrily.
"How did she manage to sneak past the guards?" Arthur asked.
"I have no idea but I'll start working on magical barriers to keep her out of the castle. I'll take some time but it'll be worth it." Merlin replied with a frown, leaving the room.
"Do you want me to leave you two alone, Arthur?" Bella asked the man she loved.
"No, stay, you'll be family soon enough." Uther whispered in his son's place, taking Bella's hand in his with a smile.
.
When Uther died, Arthur was prepared, he was thankful for having had the opportunity to say goodbye and he was glad his father approved of Bella. He was going to propose earlier, but his father's state and his death had delayed everything. Now, Arthur stood in his room, a few hours only after having been crowned king. Merlin entered his room with fresh clothes.
"Merlin? You're not supposed to do this anymore." Arthur noticed.
"I know but your new servent is sick, he needs to rest, at least for today, so I told him I'd replace him until he's better." Merlin smiled.
"Good, I missed you in here." Arthur smiled back.
"You looked pensive. Anything I can help you with?" The warlock asked the king.
"Not really. I was thinking of your sister. I don't know if she told you but before he died, my father said that he approved of me marrying her... I was going to propose a couple of days after my birthday but then he got sick and died... It delayed everything. I want to do it now, propose to her. Then we'll be able to hold the engagement tournament before the weather gets too cold." Arthur explained.
"She told me, yes, she was happy. I don't think she expects you to propose so soon, it will be a surprise for her." Merlin replied.
"That's the idea." Arthur chuckled.
"Any news on Morgana's locations?" Merlin asked, seeing reports on his desk.
"Not really. Rumors, nothing more. I still hope that she'll stop her attacks and decide to find peace somewhere..." Arthur shook his head.
"We'll find her, don't worry." Merlin reassured him.
Arthur was about to say something else when there was a knock on the door and Lancelot arrived.
"Sorry to interrupt sire, but there's someone here to see Merlin. Well they asked for Emrys. They're druids." Lancelot spoke.
"Let's go and see what they want." Arthur nodded, walking out the door, followed by Merlin.
Arthur knew that he had made the right choice when he announced that Emrys was at court and his advisor. He was glad that the druids trusted him enough to come all the way to Camelot, in front of him, for whatever reason they needed to come. They trusted him as king.
"Did they say what this was about?" Merlin asked gravely.
"No, they don't seem injured or anything else. Bella is with them. They actually bowed in front of her when they saw her." Lancelot replied.
When they arrived, the druids bowed, not in front of Arthur, who didn't mind, but in front of Merlin.
"What's going on?" Merlin asked, worried.
"We wanted to warn you. You know that our rules state clearly that we can't refused our help to anyone who needs it... We crossed Morgana about a week ago, she was weak, injured. She asked for our help and hospitality. We didn't want to do it, but we were afraid of the consequences it would have, not only from her but from the gods, so we gave her our hospitality. We fed her and let her rest with us, just for the night, and asked her to leave and never ask for our help ever again. She left, heading east and upset with us. We did however manage to get a few informations from her during her stay. She's found someone from Camelot and managed to make them talk, she knows that Merlin is Emrys, she knows about Bella and their destinies. She wants them dead even more than she wants the crown. We've shown your knights already where we saw her and the direction in which she was going. She's on foot, we refused to give her one of our horses." The druid, obviously their leader, spoke.
"Thank you for this information." Arthur exclaimed, looking at the map Leon was showing him.
"Thank you, really. We understand why you let her in for the night, don't worry, there won't be consequences coming from us." Merlin smiled at the man who smiled in return.
"Thank you, Emrys. We should be on our way now." The druid replied.
"Is there anything you need?" Arthur asked the man before he left.
"No, we have everything we need, especially now that you've changed to laws. They're fair again. Thank you." He replied.
"In any case, know that if Morgana ever comes after you, you'll be able to come here for sanctuary." Arthur promised the druids.
"Thank you, King Arthur. You live up to the prophecies." The druid said with a smile before he left the room, and the castle.
"We should probably send men after her." Leon suggested.
"I don't know, maybe we should leave her be for now and prepare for her here. I don't know why she's going East, or what she's looking for, but we have to be ready. No point in sending our men all over the country to track her down now. If she doesn't want to be found, we won't find her." Arthur shook his head.
"Maybe she just wants to find a place to live, away from Camelot, in peace." Gwaine suggested and everyone turned to look at him, disbelieving.
"Yeah, I spoke the words but even I don't believe them." He chuckled.
"Let's just leave her alone for now, see if maybe she changes her mind and stops going after us if we don't pursue her too much." Arthur decided.
He didn't want to go to war against Morgana, not now, because he had several things planned in the next few days and weeks, a few of them secrets. Indeed, not only did he have to decide on when he'd propose to Bella, which, if she agreed, would be followed by the traditional engagement tournament, but he wanted to organize a big party for Merlin and Bella's coming birthday. It would be a secret celebration for them both and Arthur wanted people to invite a few of Bella's Amazon and pirate friends. he had already sent envoys with the messages.
It would be a large celebration, to thank them for being in their lives, to finally recognize everything Merlin had done for them.
.
When the day Arthur had planned finally came, he told Bella and Merlin that someone important was coming and that everyone needed to be dressed the best way possible, then, he asked them to meet him outside, where a large party was waiting for them, filled with people they knew. Even their mother Hunith had come in secret, thanks to Lancelot and Gwen who had gone to get her.
There was druids, amazons, pirates, villagers and knights, everyone assembled together to celebrate the birth of Bella and Merlin and the impact they had had on everyone's lives.
"How did you even organize this behind our backs?" Merlin asked Arthur sometime after the party started.
"Well, it's a lot easier to do things behind your back now that you're not my servent anymore. And everyone helped." Arthur replied.
"I'm not sure I like that you can hide things from me, I might come back to be your servant." Merlin joked.
"It would be too weird now, Merlin, especially if your sister says 'yes' to my proposal."
"Which will be made, when?" Merlin asked him.
"Tonight, I think. If everything goes well, I'll propose later tonight. Take her on a walk in the moonlight, just the two of us... You know." Arthur replied.
"Good idea. I'd wish you good luck but I know that you don't need it." Merlin told his king, clapping him the the back before he joined Gwaine, who was flirting with a young woman.
.
All in all, the celebration went well and, near the end of it, Arthur asked Bella to go on a walk with him. He didn't want to risk putting her in danger by going on a walk in the woods, so he took her on the highest place of his castle, were they had the best view possible on the kingdom.
"This was a nice surprise, Arthur, Merlin and I didn't have any idea... And the fact that you invited my friends and family as well... I can't thank you enough." Bella told him with a large smile on her face.
"I know you missed them, and they're going to be staying a few more days, if you want, that is." Arthur spoke.
"What do you mean?" She asked him, frowning as he took a few steps back from her.
Arthur walked away from her a few steps, then, knowing that she was watching him and not the landscape, he kneeled in front of her and presented her with his family ring.
"Bella, you know how much I love you. I can't imagine my life without you. Will you marry me, become my wife and the Queen Camelot wants?" He asked her.
"Yes, Arthur! With all my heart, yes!" Bella exclaimed happily.
Arthur stood up happily and he placed the ring on her finger before he kissed her. They kissed for barely a few seconds before they got interrupted by cheers coming from behind them. The couple turned around, not breaking their embrace, to see Merlin, Gwaine, Percival, Lancelot, Leon, Elion and Gwen watching them from behind the wall.
"How long have you guys been here?" Bella asked.
"Let's just say that my hiding spells have grown stronger." Merlin chuckled as he made his way over to congratulate the couple and hug his sister.
"I've already started working on your wedding gown, it's going to be the prettiest ever, worthy of the once and future queen." Gwen promised when she hugged Bella, who happily hugged her friend back.
The group of friends went back downstairs to get something to drink together, to celebrate the engagement, and Arthur gave the orders for the tournament to be organized in the next few days.
.
In the next few days, everything went fine. Although, in the middle of the tournament, a man snuck into Camelot and stole a third of a triscalion. After a bit of research, it was discovered that the triscalion was a key that would open the door of an old tower, where it was rumored that a dragon egg was being kept.
"I have to go after him and get that egg before he does anything that could damage it, Arthur, it's my duty as a Dragon Lord." Merlin argued.
"I completely understand Merlin, but it could be dangerous and I don't want you to go alone... And Bella can't go with you right now, we're celebrating our engagement. Her absence would be noticed." Arthur argued.
"True, plus, I've freed my fair share of dragon eggs, this one can be all yours. It's a special moment you deserve to live at least once." Bella nodded.
"I have to go, even alone." Merlin added, insistant.
"One of the knight should go with you." Arthur finally said, nodding.
"I'll go." Gwaine, Percival, Elion, Lancelot and Leon spoke at the same time.
They all smiled.
"One will do." Arthur smiled.
"Merlin, the thief has a few days on you, by the time you're ready to leave, he might already have arrived. You should ride Kilgharrah to be faster." Bella advised.
"True." Merlin nodded.
In the end, it was decided that Gwaine would go with Merlin. The great Dragon met them in front of the castle and they smiled when they saw Siggy, the young dragon who had attached herself to Gwaine, coming along. The great dragon usually didn't like being used as a horse, but the prospect of finding another dragon egg forced him to agree and the the little group was off.
Merlin and Bella's mother was present to see her son off, of course, and she was staying until the wedding was over. Arthur had provided her with very comfortable guest quarters, as the mother of the future Queen and it also allowed the woman to meet the people who had helped protect her daughter all along. She was sorry that the captain who had saved Bella was dead, but grateful that she could meet the others, knowing how much they had done for her girl.
While they were done, the tournament and engagement celebrations continued peacefully. They were thankful that there was no more incident and, by the time Merlin and Gwaine came back the celebrations had just ended and they were organizing the wedding.
"How did it go?" Bella asked Merlin.
"You didn't tell me what a beautiful and emotional moment it was, Bella, to help a dragon be born... Such a special moment..." Merlin managed to reply.
"How could I explain such a moment with words, brother?" Bella replied, understanding his emotion.
"He named him Athusa, Siggy stayed with Kilgharrah to help him." Gwaine answered.
"Did you see the birth, Gwaine?" Bella asked the knight.
"Yes, I did. And to answer the question you're dying to ask, yes, I've cried too." Gwaine replied honestly with a sincere smile.
"I believe only a heartless person wouldn't be moved by such a moment." Merlin added.
.
That night, Bella and Merlin stayed outside a while, talking about dragons and how great it felt to break them out of their egg, to name them and witness their birth. When they got back to Gaius' quarters, there were surprised to see that everything was a mess and that Gaius wasn't there. Merlin and Bella immediately felt that something was wrong and while Merlin went to wake up his knight friends, Bella went to find Arthur.
"Bella? What's wrong?" Arthur asked as soon as she entered his room.
She hadn't knocked, she had just stormed inside and Arthur was in the process of changing and he stood in front of her, shirtless. She blushed a bit and it took her a second to gather her thoughts.
"We think that Gaius was taken." She told him.
"Taken? By whom? When?" he asked.
"We don't know. Merlin and I took a walk to speak about dragons and when we came back, everything was a mess, as though there had been fighting, and he was nowhere to be seen. Merlin went to get the knights. Hunith, our mother, can't help because her room is further away from Gaius' quarters." Bella replied.
"Alright, let's meet them in the courtroom." Arthur nodded, immediately starting getting dressed.
When they arrived, their friends were present, along with Merlin and Bella's mother.
"So, the last anyone has seen of Gaius was after dinner when he retired, and nobody saw anyone enter his quarters after that." Merlin summarized as soon as Arthur walked in.
"Do we have any idea on where he is and who could have taken him?" Arthur asked.
"I did a spell. I know where he is and I know Morgana has him. It's in the direction the druids said she went, it could only be her. She's probably trying to get to Bella and I by using him in one way or another." Merlin replied.
"Of course she is, or she wouldn't have taken him two days from your wedding. She wants to delay it, maybe even stop it, to prevent Bella from becoming Queen, a title she believes belongs to her and her only." Gwen nodded.
"I'm sorry Arthur, but we'll have to push the wedding back, you understand, don't you?" Bella asked her love.
"Of course I do, Bella. The priority is to get Gaius back. Leon, get the knights ready, we'll leave at first light." Arthur decided after studying the map Merlin was showing him.
"Should we get the dragons too?" Percival asked.
"Is Syggy back?" Arthur asked.
"She'll come, along with the others, if we call them, but they're young, they could get hurt by arrows." Bella replied.
"I actually have had people working on this... An idea I had with Gwaine... I was going to have it be a surprise for our wedding. The forges have been working on some sort of armor for the baby dragons. It only protects their chests, but at least nobody will be able to pierce their hearts. Merlin assured me that injuries on the wings would heal. This protects their chest and neck." Arthur replied.
"Then we'll call them." Bella nodded with a smile.
"I'll go and summon them all." Merlin nodded.
"You do know that I am coming along, right?" Bella told Arthur.
"As much as I would like to keep you safely here, I know you too much to ask you to stay behind. I'll ask Lancelot to stay here and keep an eye on everything for me. I know he's worried for Gwen, she's been a bit sick lately." Arthur told Bella who smiled.
She knew that her friend wasn't sick, she was pregnant, though she didn't know it yet. Bella turned to her mother who smiled.
"I'll be fine here, go and get Gaius back. At his age, I don't know how much torture he'll be able to handle and knowing what little I know of this Morgana, it's safe to say that she will torture him." Her mother said.
"In the mean time, you can get to know the Amazones better, I'm sure you'll love them." Bella said with a smile.
.
They left Camelot at down, riding as fast as they could to Gaius. Before they left, they had been warned by a druid that they heard rumors that Morgana had been joined by Mordred, and so Bella and Merlin knew that a big fight was coming their way. Maybe even the last one.
When they arrived, two days later, Arthur decided to stick by his love's side and Bella gave Elion her sword, this way, he and his group would be protected by a blade forged in a dragon's breath too. They had all separated in groups to attack the place from all sides and all groups had a dragon with them. The great dragon had joined them and attacked from the sky.
They quickly found Gaius, tied up and being tortured by a soldier. Merlin quickly disposed of the soldier by sending him crashing against the wall and he freed his uncle, letting the knights take him outside while Mordred arrived, ready to fight. Gaius had tried to speak with his nephew but Merlin didn't let him and Leon took him away quickly, to safety.
Arthur and Bella had found themselves outside, facing Morgana and a few soldiers.
"Oh, here is the happy couple. So sorry to hear you've pushed back your wedding. What's the problem? Having second thoughts, Bella?" Morgana asked with a fake smile.
"We couldn't let you get away with taking Gaius, but don't worry, we've only pushed it back. The wedding will happen." Bella frowned.
"Am I invited?" Morgana asked, laughing.
"What happened to you, Morgana, you used to be so kind and loving as a child..." Arthur asked.
"I grew up and discovered OUR father's lies." She spat back.
"You might not care, but in his last days, Uther did change his mind about magic and he was sorry about everything he did. If he could change, why not you?" Bella tried, knowing that Arthur wanted to give his sister one last chance.
"It's too late for that now. I know of the prophecy Bella. It's you and me, one of us won't walk out of this one." Morgana declared before she started the hostilities and attacked Bella.
The soldiers attacked Arthur as well and he was alone against 10 until more of his knights joined. Elion was among them and he gave Bella her dragon forged blade once more, knowing that she'd need it against Morgana.
Bella and Morgana fought too, and Merlin's fight against Mordred brought him outside with them as well. So many people were fighting, it was hard to keep up with everything but it was obvious that the knights of the round table were overpowering Morgana's soldiers.
Merlin had just killed Mordred using a strong spell and Morgana and Bella were the only ones still fighting, though Merlin couldn't help because they had created a storm around them, preventing anyone from seeing them clearly. It seemed like forever for Arthur, waiting anxiously for his bride to win, when suddenly the storm broke and Morgana was on the ground, unmoving, her eyes wide open and Bella's sword sticking out of her chest.
"She's dead." Bella spoke, relieved.
Arthur looked at his dead sister and realized that, in her death, she was smiling tauntingly, like she knew something they didn't.
"Bella, no!" Gaius exclaimed, coming towards them, helped by Leon.
"What is it, Gaius?" Bella asked him while Arthur frowned, feeling like they weren't done.
"Morgana wanted a spell from me, an old one and I resisted for as long as I could, I know she'd try to use it against either you or Arthur. I did my best to hold on but she had a master torturer with her and in the end, I was unable to hold back anymore. She cast the spell on herself... The spell... It means that anyone who kills her can't have children." Gaius whispered so that only Merlin, Arthur and Bella could hear while Leon got the other knights to move back and check if Morgana had other prisoners in this fortified place.
"No!" Bella exclaimed with horror, her hands flying to her stomach.
She had always wanted children and knowing that she wouldn't have any broke her heart. She'd sacrifice anything to have children with Arthur.
"We'll find a way, Bella. There has to be a way to break this curse. No curse in unbreakable. I promise you, we'll find a way to break this." Merlin reassured his sister while Arthur took her in his arms, assuring her that he loved her, no matter what.
"Spells like this usually require a sacrifice, Merlin. A life for a life, it's always this way." Gaius reminded his nephew.
"Not necessarily. There is another way. Their power means that Bella and Merlin will live for a very long time, a life much longer than normal humans. They might live the equivalent of 4 or 5 lifetimes, probably more. You know this Bella, we talked about this before, looked for a solution. If Bella was to sacrifice her powers, giving up this long life, it should do the trick and break the curse Morgana placed on her." Kilgharrah spoke.
"We have time to discuss this." Arthur spoke, not wanting the rush the woman he loved.
If she loved her power, he didn't want to take it from her.
"There is no time needed. I know that the gods made sure Merlin and I would exist so that, if one died, one would be left to guide Arthur, history doesn't need me to have great powers or to live several centuries, as long as Merlin does. Morgana is dead, Mordred is dead. I've done my part for the prophecy. I don't need my powers anymore and I'll gladly give them up to lift this spell." Bella replied, sure of herself.
"Are you sure my Love? Your powers are a part of you, I don't want you to feel like you have to give up anything for me." Arthur assured her.
"I'm not giving up anything that I can't live without. I've always wanted to be a mother, that's more important than my powers. I'm only worried that it means Merlin will be alone, but I also know that he will never be truly alone." Bella replied and so the Great Dragon showed Merlin how to do the spell.
It was a powerful spell but Bella wanted it done as soon as possible, because Gaius said that the longer it was on someone, the harder it would be to lift it.
"It's done, isn't it? I can feel it, I can feel that I have a lot less magic in me, but I still have some, I think." Bella replied.
"Yes, it's done, sister." Merlin replied gravely.
"But you're still the Mother of Dragons, that will never change. We all still feel the same bond to you. Because of that, you'll still have powers, but much smaller ones. It'll be enough to defend yourself in case of an attack though." Kilgharrah replied.
"And even if the bond had vanished, I would have still felt the same way for all of you." Bella told him with a smile, giving him a small hug.
"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Merlin asked his sister.
"A bit tired, but it's understandable with everything that's happened. What about you, Merlin? I took this decision without speaking to you first... Are you angry with me?" She asked her brother.
"How could I ever be angry with you? You're right, I'll never truly be alone. With my extended life, I'll be able to watch over your descendance, see the world, and maybe find a way to spend some time with Freya." Merlin replied with a sincere smile.
.
Arthur and his knights made their way back to Camelot, taking their time now that there wasn't anyone in danger. Bella could tell that Arthur was worried about her and that he blamed himself for the sacrifice of her magic. During one of their pause to water the horses and rest, she took him aside.
"I know what you're thinking, Arthur, and you shouldn't. You have no idea how relieved I am not to have my powers anymore." She told him honestly.
"I know you loved your magic, Bella. I know that you still have some, but I understand that it's not the same. you were the most powerful sorceress in the land, it has to make you angry or sad." He shook his head.
"I did love my powers, yes, but I hated the idea that I would outlive you for centuries, I hated knowing that I'd have to live without you so long... Being the most powerful sorceress in all the land isn't worth this. Now I will have a normal life time and, as your once and future queen, I will be reborn, just like you, when Albion needs us most. And then we'll be together once more, for another life time, because it's our destiny and we're perfect for each other. Please don't blame yourself. I love you, I'm happy with you and I know that we will be happy together, with our children. And our children might have magic too, because they'll inherit mine and my father's blood they'll also be dragon lords. Morgana meant to punish us, but she gave us a gift. I was already looking for a way to grow old with you." Bella argued and she knew that she had managed to convince her love.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked her with a frown.
"I didn't want you to worry. I talked with Kilgharrah about this after you proposed, that's probably why he knew how to break this curse. He was thinking of all the ways to solve my problem. Before this we only had a back-up plan, wait until one of our friends, it had to be someone I cared about, was about to die before his time and I'd have been able to trade my prolonged life for theirs." She explained.
"Well, if you swear to me that you're happy, then I'll be happy too." Arthur smiled at her.
"I swear to you my love, the only thing that could make me happier is if, as soon as we get back, we held a wedding ceremony without any incident." She teased him.
"The only one that could have intervened was Morgana and she's dead, unless you left, in your past, a suitor you forgot to tell me about." Arthur replied.
"None that I know of." She told him before they exchanged a kiss and joined everyone to ride back to Camelot.
.
They had waited a few days after coming back to Camelot to hold the wedding, because they wanted to make sure Gaius was fine and healed but the day was finally here. Bella and Arthur were going to get married, in front of the kingdom and their friends and family and, after that, Bella would be crowned Queen of Camelot.
All was well, and Arthur was planning on working with other kings to unify the land and create long lasting peace all around for everyone.
Gwen and Lancelot were expecting their first child and Bella knew that it wouldn't be long before she, too, get pregnent. They'd get to raise their children together and they finally had a peaceful and happy loife, all of them.
I hope you liked it. I know I went quickly over some events. I lost inspiration quickly and had to write it. I'll label it complete for now, but i might rewrite it later. You know I might, because this used to be a much shorter one shot.
When I rewrite this, i'll change the part about Morgana's death and the curse, it was going to be different but like I said, i lost inspiration and couldn't do the other version justice.
Review anyway, tell me what you liked and what you didn't like.
Lorelei Candice Black