CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR


Summary: Finding herself one thousand years back in the past and in the legendary Kingdom of Camelot was something Hermione had never seen coming. But with no possible way back to the future and being stuck in the past, Hermione had no option but to form a new life for herself, and hopefully without changing the timeline. Unfortunately, matters of the heart cannot be controlled and she finds herself entwined in the lives of Prince Arthur and the great and powerful sorcerer, Merlin. Hermione x Arthur pairing.

Disclaimer: I do not own canon events and characters, they belong to J.K Rowling and the creators of Merlin, and the BBC. I am not making a profit from writing and posting this fanfic. I'm also making some big changes to the Merlin plotline so don't be surprised that nothing matches with canon. If I'm being honest, it's been years since I last saw the series, so I'm mostly going off what I remember and episode reviews and notes. And I've decided Arthur won't be dying.

AN

And here's another lengthy chapter for you. We have some Hermione/Merlin bonding in this chapter and some Hermione/Arthur fluffiness in the next chapter.

Q&A

PanduhBabyy – Hogsmeade was said to have been founded around the time of Hogwarts but it is unsure if it was before or after. So, I'm going on the assumption it was after and therefore does not yet exist. If she were to apparate, the distance between Camelot (modern-day Cornwall) and Hogwarts (Scottish Highlands/Mountains) would mean that several apparition stops would be required as it's only used as a short distance form of travel, not something that is over half a thousand miles apart, at least. For that, she'd need to be able to conjure images of those stopping points, which she can't. As for the job you mentioned, I'm British and have lived in England all my life so I don't think it would be suitable for me, thank you though and I appreciate it.

LenaMiaH – I haven't yet come to a decision on Slytherin's storyline but hope to soon, as for Hermione being friends with Morgana - I will be sticking to canon on that and Morgana will still be evil as in the series she first attempted to kill King Uther before she met Morgause.


Page count: 12


"Your Highness..."

"I assure you both, I am not leaving the grounds. I only wish to have a private discussion with my friend, and once we are done, I shall be retiring for the night. I will not be alone as I have Akela by my side. I don't require your guard for the rest of the evening and you are excused for the night. It has been a long day and I'm certain you are both tired."

Michel and Emerick glanced to one another.

"That is what I thought. Off you go and I shall see you bright and early tomorrow morning."

"You will not leave the castle grounds?" Michel asked with a slightly narrowed gaze.

"I will not leave the castle grounds," she promised. "Now, goodnight."

"Your Highness," they both bowed before turning on their heels and leaving her at her door.

Once they'd rounded the corner and were no longer in sight, she headed in the opposite direction and made her way through the castle and towards the physician's chambers with Akela by her side. Upon reaching her destination, she wrapped her knuckles against the door and then stepped inside, not being surprised that Gaius wasn't present as she'd heard the King say that he would be having a discussion with him after dinner.

"Hermione?" Merlin grinned as he stepped out of his rooms and made his way over to her. "What are you doing here?"

She smiled at him. "Well, I've finally settled in and found my footing, so I thought we could make a start on your training." His grin widened and he all but shook with the excitement he was radiating. "Akela hasn't had a good hunt since arriving in Camelot, so I thought we could kill two birds with one stone and take a walk through the wooded area on the grounds. Akela has the opportunity to hunt, we will have a quiet space where no one will be able to stumble upon us and I'll be keeping my promise of not leaving the grounds, therefore not needing a guard or escort, therefore Arthur will have no reason to be mad at me."

"You've thought this through," he replied amused.

"Of course, I have," she smiled. "We wouldn't want the dear Prince to have a meltdown, now would we?" She said and he chuckled at her, shaking his head. "Are you ready?"

Rather than answering, he all but darted around her and out of the door, leaving behind her laughter. She and Akela were quick on his heels and once they fell into step, conversation flowed easily and they greeted any who they passed, whether it be servants, knights or guards. Soon enough they stepped out of the castle and onto the grounds that were bathed in the late evening sun, Hermione knowing it would soon be getting dark and it would give them extra cover.

She allowed Akela to lead the way and he took them across the training grounds and to the woods at the back of it, she and Merlin stepping into the cover of the trees, Akela immediately leaving them behind as he spotted sight of a rabbit and they continued walking until they were a little further into the trees and they found a small clearing.

"This will do," she said, lifting her dress and lowering herself to the ground, folding her legs beneath her and smoothing out her dress.

"I can't imagine the seamstress would be pleased if she were to see you now," Merlin commented amused as he lowered himself onto the ground opposite her, crossing his legs and clasping his hands together.

"Perhaps not, but I paid for her services and the materials used. Besides, this is one of my physician duties dresses and it is easy enough for me to spell it free of dirt."

At the mention of magic, Merlin's eyes lit up at the reminder of what they were to be doing that evening.

"Before we begin, I must make it clear that I am unsure if my methods will be successful for you. As I've said before, we practice vastly different forms of magic. I doubt I will be able to aid you in any casting of magic that originates from the Old Religion, but I will be able to teach you the art form that is my magic, but in doing so, it may inadvertently be what you need to control your magic."

"Brilliant, what spell are we doing first?" He grinned.

"We're not."

His little pout was adorable and reminded her very much of when Hermione had cut Harry off from his treacle tart binge during the Christmas feast at Hogwarts, having eaten so much of the dessert dish she'd been worried they'd be none left for the rest of the school populace.

"First you need to understand your magic. You need to learn how to pull it forward when you need it the most, how to control it, how to use it. For that, we must first find it."

"Find it?" He questioned with a confused frown.

"Yes, find it. All those that are born with magic have what is called a magical core. It is what keeps us alive and allows us to function. Magic is powerful and wonderful, but it is also dangerous and weakening. There is a risk that if one should use too much of their core magic, that they will fall into a deep sleep which they may never awake from. But should one never use their magic or only use little magic, there is a risk of a build up within the body, in which, can result in a volatile explosion of magic which can injure anyone in the vicinity. It's important that all magic users learn to find the correct balance between the two. You must know your limitations."

"That is understandable," he nodded thoughtfully. "Before I am able to do that, I must find my magical core?"

"Yes. It shouldn't be too difficult. You are exceptionally powerful, after all, and I'm certain that you are a fast learner. Once you have found your magic, we will start on your spell casting which will aid in testing your limits. So, let's begin."

At her words, his posture straightened and he sat tall whilst she shifted in her position, crossing her legs and readjusting her dress, ignoring his scandalised, amused expression at her sitting in such an unladylike manner.

"We will begin with meditation."

"Meditation?" He questioned slowly, testing out the word with a frown.

"Yes, it is simple. All you must do is calm your body and relax your mind. You must conjure within you, feelings of happiness and peace. You must find a place you feel most happy and most safe, and you must forget any negative thoughts and feelings, any worries or fears. Make yourself comfortable, close your eyes and slow your breathing, as such..."

Hermione gently laid her hands palm down on her knees, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. She allowed one eye to flutter open, seeing that Merlin was watching her strangely and upon being caught staring at her, his cheeks tinted pink, he cleared his throat and then closed his eyes, doing his best to mimic her breathing. Hermione's mouth twitched in amusement as she allowed her eye to close and she focused her attention on finding the peace within herself.

"If it may be easier, you may conjure happy memories and walk amongst them. Once you are at peace and you are focused, you will be able to feel your magic. Some say it feels like a gentle rainfall, others like a violent sea. For some, it may feel like a gentle gust of wind but others a tornado. Some may feel a dancing flame but may others may feel a raging fire. It is all dependent on the strength of your magic and your personality. To me, my magic feels like warmth and comfort, like I'm sat outside on a hot summer's day whilst I read my books. When I am emotional, upset or angry, it feels like a raging volcano that is about to erupt. To me, your magic felt like electricity, a powerful bolt of lightning."

They fell into silence, the occasional sounds of birds or a gust of wind surrounding them but otherwise they were quiet and they remained so for quite a while, in fact, she wasn't quite sure how much time had passed but even with her eyes closed she knew the sun was close to setting and it would soon be dark.

"I..." Merlin hesitated and Hermione allowed her eyes to flutter open, seeing the relaxed posture of his body and the peaceful expression on his face. "I think I can feel it."

"What does it feel like?" She asked softly, not wishing to disturb him by speaking loudly.

"It feels like everything you described. A gentle rainfall, a violent sea storm, a dancing flame, a raging fire, a gentle gust of wind, a tornado, the hardness of the ground, the shaking of an earthquake."

"That is understandable," she replied. "The Old Religion is said to be the magic of the earth. You are incredibly powerful, Merlin, and you are a practitioner and believer of such magics. For your magic to feel so many ways is understandable."

"It tickles and tingles, it's warm and comforting as it flows through my body, courses through my veins, from my head to my toes."

"That's brilliant, you're doing wonderful, Merlin," she praised. "Now, follow those feelings and it should lead you to your magical core."

They fell silent once more and Hermione kept her eyes on him, watching as his facial expression changed from confused to focused to annoyed to relaxed. He suddenly took a sharp breath and she saw his body jolt in surprise.

"Have you found it?"

"I...I think so," he frowned slightly but a smile pulled at his mouth. "Yes."

"What does it look like? Mine is a beautifully crafted and intricately designed jewellery box."

"It's a trunk," he replied, his voice distracted, confused. "It looks old, really old, and has an iron lock with iron clamps and nails. There's something inside."

"Open it," she encouraged.

His breath hitched and she saw his hands clench around his knees, his fingers gripping at the fabric of his breeches.

"It's beautiful," he whispered. "It feels like a warm fire, soft grass, a cool stream, a gentle breeze... It's blinding like the sun but comforting and...Mine."

"Open your eyes, Merlin."

His eyes fluttered open and they shined a bright gold, brighter than they had the day she'd witnessed him using magic at the Battle of Ealdor. He'd done it, he'd found his magical core and in doing so, he'd just unlocked his full potential which was both dangerous and advantageous.

"Well done, Merlin. I knew you would be a quick study but I have to admit, even I am surprised that you were able to that so quickly. Now that you've found your magical core, you will find that your spellcasting will have more powerful results. You are more powerful than you were before but without the proper training that can be dangerous, so you must practice and learn control and balance as much as you can, as quickly as you can."

"If I don't?" He asked, his eyes showing no signs of returning to the dark blue orbs.

"You witnessed what happened with your loss of control at the battle. Anything that may occur now will be magnified. And I need you to be aware that emotions can affect magic, too. If you are angry or upset, your magic may act out without your control or permission to do so, which is why you must learn control and restraint. Seeing as you've found your magical core so quickly, I believe we should have a little fun for the time being."

With a flick of her wrist, a dozen orbs of softly glowing lights surrounded them as they gently floated above their heads, lighting the darkened woods now that the sun had vanished and night had taken over. His golden eyes widened in wonder and a laugh left him, a smile pulling at Hermione's face as he looked very much like a first-year experiencing magic for the first time, despite knowing that Merlin had already cast great feats of magic before he'd met her.

"You did that without speaking," he commented, his golden eyes falling back to her face.

"You know better than anyone, some magics can be done without the need for words but they don't tend to be as powerful as they would be if the words were to be spoken. There are advantages to casting magic wordlessly, namely, any magical opponent you may have will be unaware of what spell you are to be using against them. So, first I'll teach you this, it's something I remember the younger children at school loved for me to do for them and it's quite simple. If we wish for you to learn to control your magic and learn your limitations, we must start small."

With a simple snap of her fingers, she flipped her hand until it was facing up and as she did so, her signature blue-bell flames sat in the palm of her hand. He eyed her curiously as it was obvious the flames weren't harming her as any regular fire would.

"These are my blue-bell flames. They are capable of providing light and warmth, they don't cause harm when in contact with human skin, they are waterproof and they are portable if placed inside a glass jar. They will only extinguish when I no longer require them and I reverse the spell," she explained, snapping her fingers and the flames vanished. "It doesn't require much magical power unlike other forms of magic and is fairly simple. Would you like to try?"

He gave her a look that all but said she was stupid for even asking such a question and she chuckled at him.

"The incantation is Caeruleum Flammae. You don't have to snap your fingers the way I did, but I find it easier to cast the spell if I do so, almost as if the motion is sparking the fire to life rather than the words."

"Caeruleum Flammae," he repeated slowly, snapping his fingers the way she had and he frowned in disappointment when nothing happened.

"It's expected for you to not successfully cast it on the first attempt," Hermione assured him. "You've found your magical core, tap into it, use it and say the incantation."

It took him a few more tries until a laugh of relief fell from his mouth and he smiled widely at the dancing blue flames that sat in the palm of his hand.

"Wonderfully done," she praised with a smile. "Now, extinguish them."

He frowned in concentration and after several attempts, he snapped his fingers and the flames were vanquished, a proud smile on his face.

"Excellent, now you just have to practice and before you know it..." She snapped her fingers and flipped her hand until it was face up, the blue-bell flames dancing in her palms. "And you can conjure them at will and without the need for words," she smiled, the flames vanishing as she extinguished them. "Well, you've tapped into your magical core and learned your first spell, I'm quite pleased with how our first meeting has turned out. I think it's best if we return to the castle before someone notices our disappearance and they start to worry."

"Not yet. Just one more spell, please?" He begged, his golden eyes turning puppy-like, much in the same way Harry's used to when he wanted to convince her to do something for him she didn't disagree with.

"Fine," she sighed in defeat and he grinned widely. "This is one of my personal favourites," she spoke, before raising her hand above her head, making sure the tip of her wand was aimed high beneath her sleeve and she muttered, "Avis," under her breath.

A laugh of wonder and disbelief fell from Merlin's mouth as a flock of bright yellow canaries circled over their heads and swooped down and dived between them.

"Not only is this spell capable of conjuring something so beautiful and innocent, if it is coupled with a second incantation, I will also be able to control the behaviour of the birds and they will attack anyone on my command. It is quite effective," she explained, a sad smile pulling at her mouth as she remembered the altercation with Ron.

Sensing the change in her mood, Merlin looked to her with concerned golden eyes and she snapped out of it, clearing her throat.

"The incantation is Avis and this requires a specific hand movement," she informed him, showing the stretched out 'm' shape, something similar to the way a child may draw a flock of birds in the sky.

This spell was a little more difficult and took a little longer for Merlin to master and Hermione sat quietly as she did so, partially paying attention to what Merlin was doing and giving him pointers and encouragement and partially reminiscing on similar occasions where she'd helped Harry, Ron and her other friends with learning specific spells or charms.

By the time Merlin successfully mastered the spell, several flocks of differently coloured birds –something Hermione was incredibly impressed with as she could only conjure yellow canaries, which just showed how powerful he was and how much of a natural he was at magic- flittered about their heads, Merlin watching them entranced with his golden eyes and Akela had not long since made an appearance, lying down beside her with his head in her lap, looking as though he'd overindulged and was very much regretting it.

"I think this is by far my favourite yet," Merlin commented.

"It's one of my favourites, too, but I assure you, there are incredible forms of magic in the world. Some of which I could never dream of casting or mastering."

"I feel the same," he agreed, tearing his golden eyes away from the many birds above them and they fell down to the large wolf dozing beside her as she unconsciously ran her hand through the soft fur on his head.

"I admit, when I first saw him I had my concerns," he started, "But now, I don't think he would cause harm to any who do not deserve it."

"He wouldn't," Hermione confirmed. "The people of Camelot are starting to understand that, too, and they no longer shriek or hide when they see him accompanying me through the streets. It is clear that are still afraid of him, but they no longer react in the way they once did, rather they give us more space than required."

"I have not met a wolf, but I never imagined such a wild creature to behave in the manner he does. You may have domesticated him but even still, I had expected some tendencies and behaviours from him. He is not like a regular wolf, is he?"

Hermione tore her eyes away from her slumbering pet and moved them to Merlin, seeing the way he was watching her wolf curiously, a slight frown on his brow as if he was confused, as if he were trying to solve a problem or riddle.

"I don't believe so, no," she shook her head.

There were very few her wolf was comfortable around. When she walked the castle grounds or the city, whilst he appeared to be calm and relaxed, Hermione knew otherwise. He was always on his guard and ready for an attack.

He hated Ginevra but that was understandable. She all but shrieked and cried whenever he was nearby and she always woke him when she did so. As such, her wolf had developed a dislike for the handmaiden. He was starting to become a little more comfortable with Michel and Emerick, her personal guards who were with her the moment she left her chambers in the morning until she returned to her chambers after dinner in the evening. He understood they were there to protect her and though she knew he was offended at the notion of them not thinking him worthy of protecting her, he was growing used to their presence.

Then there was Arthur. Akela barely batted an eyelash when he was nearby. He never gave him a second glance and she wasn't sure if that was because he knew Arthur wasn't a threat to her, if it were because he was deliberately ignoring the Prince's presence, or if it was because he genuinely trusted and liked him. Not that it mattered.

Finally, there was Merlin. Akela didn't so much as behave differently around the sorcerer, no more than he did Arthur, but Hermione had often caught her wolf watching him silently. She wasn't sure if it was because he knew he had magic, too, and was drawn to him the way he'd been to her, or if it were for another reason, but she had her suspicions. At the very least, Akela had never been openly hostile to Merlin, not even when she'd met Arthur, him and the Knights on the road to Camelot and they'd been introduced for the first time. His threatening behaviour had been directed towards the Prince and Knights, not Merlin.

"He is very protective of you," he commented. "And..." He trailed off with a frown.

"Yes?" She encouraged.

He let out a sigh. "You will think me silly, but I swear, there is something about him that just seems familiar."

"Yes, I feel that, too," she admitted, her eyes darting down to the slumbering wolf and then back to him. "Do you know what reincarnation is, Merlin?"

"Reincarnation?" He questioned with a frown. "No? Is it a magical term?"

"Possibly, I can't be certain," she shrugged. "In some religions and cultures, reincarnation is the belief that a non-physical essence, a soul, of a living being is reborn into a different physical form after death."

He reached up to scratch his head thoughtfully. "If I were to die, my soul would return in the form of a dog?"

She smiled. "Maybe, but it could be another human or animal, maybe a bird or a reptile. I suppose the belief is that no one truly dies and that your loved ones never truly leave you."

"I can understand that," he nodded. "But why speak to me about it?"

"I've always held a bit of a belief that reincarnation was possible, but recently I have come to the conclusion that I am a true believer in the concept, and for reasons that you have already mentioned. Akela is familiar to me."

"I'm confused," he said, his face pulling into a bemused expression as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Who does Akela remind you of? Why does he seem familiar to you?" She questioned softly.

He kept his gaze locked with hers for a moment before his eyes fell down to her slumbering wolf, his mouth twitching at the way he released a wolf-like snort and he shifted in his sleep to get more comfortable.

"I don't know why but from the moment I laid eyes on him, he reminded me of..."

"Of?" She prompted softly.

"William," he said quietly.

"William," she agreed with a soft sigh.

"I don't know what it is, but I look at the wolf and I can't help think of him."

"There are similarities between them. Rabbit is Akela's favourite meat and he is quite fond of cheese and apple pie. He is protective of me. He enjoys his sleep and hates being woken. He is able to give almost human expressions. I have witnessed him winking, rolling his eyes and narrowing them suspiciously, something a regular animal would never do. He hates fish and is more affectionate than any wild animal should be."

"Just like William," he muttered, his eyes glued to the slumbering wild animal.

"I had thought Akela had been separated from his pack after being injured but once I healed him, he came back and he kept coming back. He followed me from a quiet village to a busy, loud city, something a regular wolf would avoid. He refuses to leave me. He doesn't listen to a word I say regarding his safety, and I found him all but a few days after William's death. Akela is what helped me to heal and grieve, to deal with the loss of William but I have had my suspicions about his arrival and purpose in my life for a while."

Merlin took a deep breath and his eyes closed as he seemed to collect himself and when his eyes opened, the golden shine was gone and replaced by his usual dark blue colouring.

"William," he spoke.

Akela startled awake at the sound and he rolled over onto his other side, his eyes immediately landing on Merlin and he watched him. Whether he woke due to the sound or the name, Hermione couldn't be sure, but she remained silent as the wolf climbed to his feet, slowly approached Merlin and then sat down in front of him.

"Are you William?" Merlin asked, his voice sounding strained but hopeful. "Is there a small part of you in there that remembers?"

Akela simply cocked his head to the side, looking like a confused puppy.

"Gods, I'm talking to a wolf as if it can understand me," Merlin muttered to himself, giving his head a shake and releasing a sigh.

Akela did something she'd never seen him do before. He leaned forward until he was eye level and his bright blue eyes locked with dark blue, a staring matching breaking out between them before he raised his right leg and seemed to gently hit Merlin in the arm, almost as if he were trying to punch him in a way she'd seen the twins do to each other.

Merlin's eyes suddenly widened and a noise of surprise fell from him.

"Gods," he whispered. "It is you."

Akela let out a startled noise when Merlin leaned closer and wrapped his arms around him, his head burying in his soft fur as his shoulders shook. Tears fell from Hermione's eyes and ran down her face silently and she reached up to wipe them away, averting her gaze to give the young sorcerer a moment to himself.

It wasn't that much later when she heard him take a deep breath and he seemed to compose himself, pulling back from the wolf, a laugh leaving him when a paw hit against his arm before the wolf returned to her side, laying down beside her with his head in her lap.

"I understand now," Merlin said, subtly wiping at his eyes and Hermione gave him a look to encourage him to continue. "Since your arrival in Camelot, I have often felt as though I were being watched or followed, and whenever I would turn around I would see him."

Well, that answered the question to where Akela would disappear to, Hermione thought.

"He was watching over you, ensuring that you were safe," she said softly. "Just as he does for me. He wanted to ensure that you were taking care of yourself, that you were being careful and that you were happy."

"He hasn't left us, has he?" He said, his eyes trained on the wolf whose eyes were closed but his ears twitched as though he were listening to them talking about him.

"No, he hasn't left us and I believe that he will always find a way to be with us."

"We should get back to the castle," Merlin said, pulling himself to his feet.

Hermione, knowing he no longer wished to discuss the whole idea of her wolf being a reincarnation of his best friend and that he needed some time to process the news, nodded in agreement. She gently nudged the wolf off her and stood to her feet, brushing the dirt off her dress the best she could and then extinguishing the balls of light, plunging the area into darkness.

She conjured her blue-bell flames and a smile pulled at her mouth when Merlin did the same without issue, and Akela took the lead, guiding them back through the woods and towards the castle.

"I hear you are rather busy in the city," Merlin spoke, changing the topic of conversation to one that was more comfortable for the both of them.

"Where'd you hear that?" She asked.

"Arthur," he replied, his mouth pulling into a knowing smirk as he looked down at her.

She forced down the blush and levelled him with a none too pleased scowl.

"I swear, I will thump you," she threatened and he laughed at her. "I might be small, but I know how to defend myself."

"I know," he nodded, his dark blue eyes sparkling with amusement in the firelight. "I have never seen Arthur as proud as he was in the moment he discovered that you had broken Thorley Harte's nose."

"Well, he deserved it," she huffed. "And if you continue with that line of thought, you shall have firsthand experience of how Thorley felt in that very moment."

Merlin laughed loudly and in doing so, tripped over a tree root. Hermione reached out, gripping him by his shirt to steady him and laughter peeled from her as his laughter grew louder.

"Yes, I am kept rather busy," she continued once they'd calmed down. "It's been only a week since my arrival and I cannot believe how much I have accomplished in such little time, though I owe it all to Arthur. If it weren't for him, I would not be where I am now. It took a day or two for the people to come to me, but once they did word has now spread and I find myself with more patients than I can cope with, thankfully, I have Charles and with such an influx in patients, it not only keeps me busy, allows me to meet the citizens but it gives me the opportunity to teach Charles, too. I suspect I shall be seeing the people from the other parts of the lower city soon enough and it will soon quieten down once I have treated everyone that needs it."

"Arthur is proud of you," he told her.

"I'm sure he's not," she replied, once more forcing down the blush.

"He is," Merlin said adamantly. "Since your arrival, you are all he seems to talk about and even before, you were often mentioned in our conversations."

She could no longer help it, her face flamed red.

"Arthur is very protective of you, as we have all witnessed."

He was referring to his behaviour after they'd found her in the woods, after he'd discovered what had happened with Thorley, after his reaction to Thorley's attempt on her life, after the way he'd stood beside her at the announcement of his execution and then he'd rested his hand on the small of her back later that evening when his head had been removed from his body.

"He is just being kind and is only ensuring that I am safe as I am a visiting royal."

Merlin actually scoffed at her and she levelled him with a glare.

"I know you are not stupid, Hermione. You are one of the most, if not, the smartest person I have ever met. Arthur is not protecting you out of his duty to the throne and you being a visiting royal, he is doing so because he cares for you. I am his servant, I know him better than his own father, and I know that Arthur is falling in love with you, just as you are falling in love with him."

Godric! First, Gwen and now Merlin. When would the torture end?

She halted in her steps and Merlin did so, too, looking at her over his shoulder with a concerned gaze.

"He cannot love me, Merlin," she said quietly, sadly. "Just as I cannot love him. We are not meant to be."

"Why?"

Because of Gwen, the timeline, history, she wanted to yell but couldn't.

"You know why," she spoke, taking a breath and striding past him, continuing with her steps.

Merlin was soon beside her, watching her as she deliberately kept her attention focused forward.

"Arthur is not King Uther. He will not punish you for having magic. He will not love you any less."

"No? Then why have you kept your secret from him for so long, Merlin?" She questioned. "If he truly wouldn't care, why does he not know of all the sacrifices you have made to protect him?"

"Our circumstances are different," he muttered.

"Are they? Do you not care for Arthur the same as I? Do you not wish to protect him from harm the same as I? Do you not believe he is destined to be the greatest King Camelot has ever and will ever see, the same as I?"

Merlin remained silent, a frown on his face.

"Exactly," she sighed. "Arthur and I can never be, Merlin. I cannot be the one he marries, no matter how much I may care for him or how much the thought of him being with another woman hurts. Arthur and I are not written in the stars."

"I don't believe that. Everything happens for a reason. What are the odds that Arthur happens to meet a woman, a Princess, such as yourself in a small village that is being terrorised? It was meant to be. I believe that love always finds a way. I know that it will be you that shows Arthur the goodness of magic, not I. You will be the reason magic returns to Camelot. I believe that you and Arthur will one day marry and you will be the greatest and kindest rulers that have ever been seen."