A/N: Thank you Buckhunter, GuestM, SnidgetHex, and Guest for reviewing!

Chapter 10

They rode into Camelot to find the castle in flux—the barren grounds were gradually giving way to green sprouts and blossoms, and the dark tinge to the stone towers was lightening in color. Arthur swung down from the horse and gaped in bewilderment.

"What's happening?" he asked.

"When Lancelot killed Nimueh, the curse she placed on Camelot must have died with her," Merlin said.

Arthur exchanged a look with Lancelot, and then the two of them hurried inside. They came upon Sir Leon sitting on the floor, pink spreading in his cheeks as he slowly unmelded from the suit of armor. Arthur crouched down in front of him, Merlin jumping out of his arms. Leon looked up at Arthur in shock.

Arthur clasped his forearm with a smile of assurance. "You're going to be fine," he said.

Down the hall, other knights were on the floor, slowly transforming from suits of armor back into whole men. Arthur was eager to see his father, so he leaped to his feet and sprinted through the corridors up to the east wing, his heart pounding with anticipation.

When he burst into the throne room, it was to find a man standing at the window, watching the transformation outside. Arthur pulled up short in hesitation. It had to be his father, having apparently recovered from the curse first, but he was as a stranger to Arthur, who had ever only known the beast.

The man turned at the sound of his entrance, weathered face breaking into a relieved look. "Arthur."

Uther strode forward and fervently embraced his son. Arthur was so stunned by the display of affection that he didn't know how to respond.

Uther pulled back and clapped Arthur on the shoulders. "You defeated the sorceress and restored Camelot!"

Arthur drank in every feature of his father's face, overjoyed to see him returned to his true form. But he knew he couldn't take the credit for it. "Actually, it was Lancelot," Arthur said, automatically tensing in expectation of being berated.

But Uther ignored the correction and turned away to begin to pace earnestly. "We must purge the land of all magic," he declared.

Arthur gaped at him incredulously. "What?" he sputtered.

"Nimueh is defeated and can no longer stand in our way," Uther said. "Magic is evil, and now we can resume our work in ridding the land of it."

Arthur's mouth moved soundlessly in the face of his father's resolve. "This is why we were cursed in the first place!" he exclaimed. "Have you not learned?"

"Magic is dangerous!" Uther snapped, his eyes blazing with the same ferocity that he'd displayed as a beast. And Arthur began to see the two were not so different after all. The curse hadn't turned his father into a monster—he already was one.

"It plunged our kingdom into darkness for thirteen years," Uther raged on. "It almost took you from me!" He took a breath and drew his shoulders back. "You will understand in time."

"I do understand!" Arthur yelled back. "I understand that you were so desperate for an heir that you used magic to conceive one, and then when it didn't work out the way you wanted, you blamed everyone else. When it was your fault Mother died! Just like it was your fault we were cursed. You won't lead the kingdom into prosperity, only more death and destruction."

"I am king!" Uther bellowed. "I know what is best."

Arthur shook his head. "You're no king, just a man blind to the truth."

"How dare you speak to your king this way! Remember your place, Arthur."

"I know my place," he replied with confidence. "And it's not the path of war."

Uther's cheeks puffed puce with rage. "Guards!" he shouted. "Perhaps a week in the dungeon will change your mind," he snarled at Arthur.

A couple suits of armor stumbled into the chamber, but they were in mid-transition and couldn't move right and ended up tripping over themselves.

Uther snorted at them in disgust.

Arthur could only look at his father in grief. He supposed a small part of him had always hoped there was a better man beneath the exterior the curse had drawn. But there wasn't.

"You can't see it," he said. "The curse is broken and our people are being saved right in front of you, and all you can think of is vengeance."

Uther's nostrils flared, and he took a step toward Arthur, violence in his eyes.

But then Merlin came bounding in, and in a pop and puff of smoke, transformed into a young man, shocking them both.

Merlin's blue eyes gazed at Uther in regret. "I had hoped things would turn out differently," he said. "But your blind hatred is only going to destroy us all." He stretched out his hand, eyes glowing gold as he uttered a spell.

A swirl of light engulfed Uther, and just as quickly as the cat had become a man, Arthur's father shrank down into a toad. Arthur scrambled backward in horror.

Merlin sighed and turned to face him. "Hi."

"You- you're a…"

"Warlock is the accurate term," Merlin supplied. He looked contrite as he said, "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner."

Arthur shook his head in stupefaction. "That's why you could talk all this time? Because even though my father turned you into an animal, you were still…magic?"

"Actually, I was never under any curse. I knew what Nimueh had done, but I wasn't strong enough to break such an elaborately constructed spell. So I decided to stay and take a form that I knew would be easily overlooked but that I could still watch over you as you grew, in the hopes that one day the curse would be broken, and you would be a better king than your father."

Arthur could only gape at his longtime friend, not knowing what to make of all that.

Merlin went over and picked up toad Uther, who belched out a sound of protest.

"Can you change him back?" Arthur asked.

Merlin gave him a solemn look. "Is that really what's best for everyone?"

Arthur's heart constricted. "He's still my father."

"I know. That's why I couldn't bring myself to kill him." He canted his head at the toad. "Maybe we can keep him in a terrarium for a while, at least until the kingdom recovers, and then we can see if he's had a change of heart."

Arthur nodded. Deep down, he knew that would never be the case, but he appreciated Merlin's suggestion. Even though the revelation that he was actually a man—warlock—and not a cat was still shocking, Arthur knew Merlin had always been his best friend, and still was.

"There are a few animals who Uther cursed, not Nimueh, that I need to help change back into people," Merlin said, turning to head out.

Arthur followed.

Down in the foyer, Lancelot was helping a fully restored Sir Leon cast off the suit of armor that'd been his prison for over a decade. His curly blond hair got ruffled in the process, no longer sheets of metal like the armor.

Arthur went over to them. "How do you feel?"

Sir Leon looked at him, still dazed. "Alive."

Arthur broke into a smile. "It's good to hear your voice."

"It's good to be heard, my prince."

"Here, hold this for me," Merlin said, handing toad Uther to Lancelot, who just looked at the animal dubiously.

Arthur grimaced. "Be careful, that's my father."

Lancelot's eyes widened and he suddenly looked freaked at holding the king in his hands.

Arthur didn't know where things were going to go from here, but he hoped he was up to the responsibility.

Everyone followed Merlin out into the courtyard where the white horse was waiting. Lancelot kept changing his grip on the toad king, not wanting to squish Uther but he kept trying to jump out of Lancelot's hands, and he definitely didn't want Arthur's father escaping and getting lost somewhere.

Merlin walked up to the horse. "Thank you for all your help," he said, then uttered an incantation.

The horse reared up as he was swallowed in a swirl of lights, and in the next instant when they faded, a man in chainmail with lustrous wavy hair was standing there instead. He looked himself over and broke into a relieved laugh.

Merlin turned to the floofy dog next and did the same thing, transforming him into a man of brawn build with sleeveless chainmail. The man nodded his thanks to the warlock.

The falcon swooped down with a screech, and Merlin repeated the process, restoring him as well. Lancelot smiled as he finally got to see Elyan as himself for the first time.

The thought made him remember Guinevere. If the rest of the castle was transforming back into themselves… Lancelot passed the toad to Sir Leon with an apology and turned to hurry back into the castle. He sprinted up the stairs to the third level and came to an abrupt stop.

The harp sat empty by the open window, but standing next to it was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her skin was warm and soft instead of hard bronze, and dark curls flowed light and airy down her shoulders. She was looking at herself in amazement.

"Guinevere?" Lancelot called tentatively.

She looked up in surprise, then broke into a radiant smile. "Call me Gwen."

"Gwen," he repeated. "I'm Lancelot."

"I know."

They shared an awkward chuckle at that.

"It's nice to finally meet your properly," he said.

"You too." She looked around. "Has the curse truly been broken?"

"Yes." Lancelot held out his hand to her. "Come on, let's find your brother and father."

Gwen took his hand, and they headed downstairs, past all the people restored and rejoicing. Lancelot had never thought it possible, but apparently happy endings did exist.

A few days later, Arthur had taken full command of his kingdom and restored order among its bewildered inhabitants. No one missed Uther, and there was nothing but elated cheers when Arthur was officially crowned king before the court. Merlin was still there, in human form, and it looked as though he and Arthur were okay after the cat's shocking revelation. There was still some lingering fear of magic among some of the people, but Lancelot had hope that Arthur and Merlin would heal those wounds, in time.

At his coronation banquet, Arthur stood up, and the room went quiet.

"I know my father would say I am not ready to be king," he began soberly. "He would say I don't know how to lead with strength. But I've seen what his type of strength fosters, and that is not the kind of kingdom I want to rule. We have a lot to recover from, but it is my hope that through peace we can be the prosperous kingdom we once were."

A round of applause went up in response.

Arthur turned. "Lancelot," he called, beckoning him forward.

Lancelot stepped out of the servant line to stand before his king, trying not to shift his weight in uncertainty.

"Kneel," Arthur commanded.

Lancelot lowered himself to the floor.

Arthur drew his sword and touched the flat side of the blade to Lancelot's shoulder. "I hereby name you Sir Lancelot, knight of Camelot."

Lancelot looked up at him, stunned. "But…it's against the Knight's Code," he said.

"The Knight's Code is the way a man lives his life—upholding honor, courage, and justice. You embody all these things, Lancelot, regardless of birth. And it is my great honor to have you among my knights—and my friends."

Lancelot was so overcome with emotion he didn't know what to say.

"Rise," Arthur said, and he did.

Sir Leon came over and shook his hand heartily. Lancelot smiled. If the First Knight could accept him, then maybe he truly could belong…

The other knights Uther had cursed were still around, having been invited as Arthur's guests to make up for their unfortunate treatment. Lancelot wondered if they would stay on longer.

A hand on his shoulder drew him around. It was Gwen. There were flowers woven into her hair and she looked dazzling.

"Congratulations," she said.

"Thank you."

They fell into a slightly awkward silence, during which neither could seem to stop looking at the other. Lancelot's heart fluttered in response.

He was still dazed by everything. He'd never thought to have a home again, let alone one like this, and certainly not after everything that happened. But looking around, he realized there was still hope and goodness in the world, and he was proud to have a place to stand and defend them.

And they lived happily ever after. ^_^