Summary: In the golden age of Albion, a tale is told of how magic was almost lost and the balance of the world destroyed. A bedtime story with a happy ending.
A/N This is set in that happy world where Arthur lived, magic returned to the land and Albion was united. The story began as a few thoughts about the nature of magic and grew into this. It's a long time since I posted a story, so I apologise if I make a mess of this!
"Uncle Merlin, will you tell us a story?" The young girl curled up by the fire watched the man in front of her with plaintive eyes as she pulled the blanket closer around her.
It was the harshest winter that Camelot had seen in many years and the snow had been falling for over a week. Cooped up inside the citadel, the three royal children had spent the day exploring, playing hide and seek and pretending to be noble knights. The two princes had tried to persuade their sister to be a damsel in distress so that they could save her, but she was having none of that nonsense. In the end, they had decided to have a jousting tournament in the great hall (which was won by the princess, much to her brothers' dismay).
Now all three of them were wrapped up in warm furs in front of the fire, tired out from all their exertions but not yet ready to sleep. Their mother was giving them a familiar look that told them bedtime was not far off and a story seemed like a good way of delaying the inevitable. When the two boys joined their sister in her pleas, Merlin knew that he couldn't deny their request. With a faintly apologetic glance towards Gwen, he asked, "what sort of story would you like?"
It was no surprise when all three children chorused, "a magic story!" Those were always their favourites and Merlin had told many of them over the years.
"Alright," he agreed, "how about the tale of the enchanted shield?"
"You told us that one last week!"
"Oh yes," he said with a smile,"so I did. Well then, what about the one with the goblin?"
He was answered by three shaking heads and the oldest prince urged, "tell us a new story, Uncle Merlin. One we haven't heard before."
The warlock regarded them intently as he contemplated what tale to tell. They had already heard all the stories that were suitable for the ears of children. Of course, he had left out all the more serious parts. To them, magic was something exciting and fun. An idea occurred to him then. Perhaps it was time for them to learn a little of the true story of magic. He hesitated, uncertain whether they would be able to understand what he wanted to tell them.
He looked up at the king and queen who were seated on the opposite side of the fireplace. His friends were watching him with curiosity, waiting to see what he would say. Merlin made his decision. Leaning forward and meeting the eyes of his young audience, he took a deep breath and spoke in his best story-telling voice.
"Back in the dawn of time, when life first began, magic was wild and elemental. It was the magic of nature; of the earth, the skies and seas; the very fabric of the world. In those days, long before people existed, the wild magic was free and beautiful. Untrammelled by ritual, by ambition or allegiance, it rejoiced in the perfect balance of the world.
"Magical creatures came to be: water spirits like the villia; the mischievous fae with Mab as their queen; gentle unicorns and fearsome dragons. Soon the land teemed with life, nature flourished and the world remained in balance. But it would not last.
"Long ago, when the first people took breath, they were as children, knowing nothing of the magic that surrounded them. In time, some began to learn and to understand a little of the forces that shaped nature. These were the druids; sons and daughters of the land who lived in harmony with the wild magic and respected its powers. They were the first people to revere what is now called the Old Religion.
"Then came others who felt the power of magic and learnt to use it, not just to heal and grow as the druids did, but to create, to build and to transform the world around them. Soon they began to gather together in groups to study and teach. As their knowledge of magic grew, their use of it changed. They developed secret rituals and practices, they appointed priests and priestesses, reverence became worship. Yet, even as they proclaimed their dedication to the path of magic, the balance of the world was slowly being eroded.
"Ever more seduced by their own power, the high priests and priestesses began to experiment with dark magic, toying with the forces of life and death. Kings and warlords hired sorcerers to subdue their rivals. The gifts that were meant to be used in harmony with nature were corrupted to serve the whims of men. As battles raged and the land fell into chaos, the natural order was disrupted and the balance was overturned. But worse was still to come."
Merlin stopped speaking and blinked a couple of times, coming back to himself. He had become so wrapped up in his tale that he'd almost forgotten where he was. Perhaps this hadn't been such a good idea, after all. He looked towards the three children who were all staring up at him wide eyed. "Um, maybe we should leave the rest for another time," he ventured.
Unsurprisingly, this suggestion was met with immediate dismay. "You can't stop there!" the oldest boy declared and his sister added an insistent "please!"
Merlin grimaced at the wheedling tone that he always found so hard to resist. When he'd started the tale, he hadn't intended to take it this far. This was where it began to get a lot more personal.
Warily, he looked over at the king again, hoping for some indication of whether to continue the story. Arthur's expression was serious but he didn't seem disapproving or annoyed. Merlin took that as a good sign. All the same, he wasn't sure if he should continue. Although Arthur had come to terms with the truth many years ago, it was still a painful subject and one that was rarely mentioned.
While he hesitated, Gwen was watching carefully, her eyes flicking between her husband and her friend. Knowing that her children would not give up easily (they inherited their stubbornness from both parents), she took pity on the tongue-tied warlock. Her gentle voice broke the silence that had fallen on the room.
"There was once a mighty king, a great warrior who had led his people to victory and brought peace to his realm. This king had power and wealth but there was one thing that he desired above all else: an heir. He and his wife were unable to have a child, so he sought the aid of a high priestess and she agreed to use magic to give him the son that he craved. She warned the king that a price would have to be paid but, in his desperation, he ignored her warning.
"Nine months later, the new prince was born but the king could not celebrate, for his beloved wife had been taken from him - her life was the payment for the heir that he had secured. Wracked with despair and guilt, the king turned his grief into anger. He commanded that the high priestess should be brought before him, but she had escaped, knowing that she would be blamed for the death of the queen."
Gwen spoke softly, trying to take the harsh edge from the dark deeds that she recounted as her audience listened attentively.
"In his fury, the king turned upon magic itself, passing laws to make sorcery illegal and ordering the arrest of all magic users in the land. The dragons were vanquished, sorcerers were executed and the druids were hunted. The Purge had begun. Fear and suspicion swept through the land, fuelled by the king's obsession, and there was much suffering. For years, the suppression of magic continued. The earth mourned, the skies wept and the balance of the world was utterly lost."
Taking a deep breath, Gwen paused and looked towards her husband. His eyes held a multitude of emotions and he was gripping the arms of his chair. She laid a hand on top of his and was relieved to see him relax a little. Glancing towards Merlin she caught the sympathetic expression on his face and she nodded. Like him, she'd found that the story almost told itself. She knew the events so well that the words seemed to come without conscious thought.
She continued, "but hope still remained. For all these things had been foreseen, even at the dawn of time itself. Seers of old had spoken of the coming of the Once and Future King who would bring a golden age: the time of Albion. The prophecies told of his great destiny and of the mighty warlock Emrys, who would stand at his side."
Her story was suddenly interrupted by her oldest son's excited shout, "The Once and Future King! That's you, Father!"
This unexpected turn of events energised the three children, who had been rather subdued after the dark accounts of the Purge. Although they knew a little of how Albion had been united, this talk of prophecies and destiny was new to them.
"But who is this Emrys?" the princess demanded indignantly. "Uncle Merlin is your warlock!"
The babble of questions that followed was impossible to decipher, with the children all speaking at once and the adults trying in vain to rein them in. Eventually, Merlin conjured a dragon out of the fire and flew it around their heads to get their attention. Taking up the role of storyteller once more, he began.
"In a simple village on the border of two kingdoms lived a young woman who was kind and courageous. Shortly after the Purge began, a stranger came to the village and she gave him shelter. He was a dragonlord, condemned by his king and forced to flee for his life.
"The young woman and the dragonlord fell in love and for a time they knew happiness. But the king was relentless in his quest for vengeance and he sent his men across the border to seek out those who had escaped his wrath. Determined to protect the woman he loved from the danger that pursued him, the dragonlord left her, never knowing that she carried his child.
"But this was no ordinary child - a son of the earth, of the sea and the sky, he was born of magic itself to restore the balance of the world. Untrained and impulsive, the boy's powers were instinctive, elemental like the wild magic of ages past. As he grew he began to wonder why he had been born this way and he became frustrated at having to hide his magic.
"His mother was worried as the boy was growing reckless in his frustration, so she sent him to an old friend in the hope that he could help. And that is how a powerful but slightly foolish young warlock came to live in Camelot, where he met an arrogant prince and got himself put in the stocks.
"Well, it turned out that the prince wasn't quite the hopeless prat that he appeared to be - in fact he was the Once and Future King and together they were destined to unite the land of Albion."
Merlin glanced over towards Arthur as he spoke and was pleased to see the smile on his friend's face. The story had been far more emotional than he had intended and he was relieved that it had reached a happy conclusion. Which probably explains why his next words were a bit sappy.
"So, the warlock finally discovered his purpose and lived to fulfil his destiny at the side of the greatest king of all and the best friend that I could ever have."
A bit embarrassed at sounding 'like a girl', he cleared his throat awkwardly and stared into the fire. He was expecting some kind of rude comment and was surprised when Arthur spoke in the quiet voice he only used when he was expressing a deep emotion.
"I think you forgot the last part," he said solemnly. "The warlock became a protector and advisor to the Once and Future King, who relied on his wise counsel and unfailing support. He saved my life and my kingdom more times than I can count and he has my eternal gratitude."
As the two men sat there a little misty eyed and carefully not looking at each other, Gwen smiled indulgently. Then she stood and turned towards her children.
"So that's the story of the greatest sorcerer ever to walk the earth," she said fondly. "The prophecies call him Emrys but we know him by a different name…"
"Merlin!" three young voices chimed in unison.
Gwen grinned at them for a moment before switching to her no nonsense expression. "And now it's time for bed."
Ignoring their protests with an ease born of experience, she herded them towards the door. As they were leaving the room, Merlin called out to them.
"And tomorrow I'll tell you about the prince who grew donkey ears!"
With delighted grins, the children made their way down the corridor, followed by a very familiar yell.
"MERLIN!"