A/N: Finally, after two months, Leon started talking again, I hope he won't shut up soon.
He had died, it had been very straight forward, he had a hole in his stomach and life had been leaving his body. Darkness had been creeping up on him. He had been ready to die, to move beyond the veil.
He was a knight, from the start of their training they had been prepared that every quest, battle, or a patrol could be their last. It did not matter how good of a knight you were; death could capture them all. He was sad that he must leave his family and friends, leave before he could know Merlin's answer. But such was his destiny, to live alone and die alone.
He was ready to accept the death embrace it, but death did not come, something cold ran down his throat, darkness disappeared, his wounds did not hurt.
His life force flew back into him, he opened his eyes. He blinked once, twice and the haze was fading, second time in two years he was glad seeing the hair lock falling onto his eyes. He looked around; laid on a rock, the sealing was of stone, he could only conclude that he was in a cave. There were people around, their leader held a cup – Druids.
"It is alright, sir knight, we have healed you." Healed him? Did they ever know who they saved? Did they know that he was one of king Uther's favourite knights and prince Arthurs second in command? If they had known they would never have helped him.
"Sir Leon," the leader whispered, Leon felt his eyes growing larger, the leader knew who he was, the others did not, "We help everyone who needs it. And you have proven many times your worth, you are not afraid of magic, I could say you even protect it users."
Leon could just only nod, the leader smiled. "Come eat a little and then you need your rest." He helped the knight up.
He sat and ate, but he did not feel any happiness of his survivor, again he was the one, who would go back. Fifteen good men dead, butchered, and he was the one who was brought back. Why him, what did he have to give to Camelot, that he needs to be alive.
"Do not question the choices of the gods, accept what it is and move on." The leader passed him, when he whispered those words, Leon's head shot up his brows burrowed, but he could not ask hoe the man had known what he had thought the leader was already gone.
After a good night rest and wary glances of the druids he started his way back to Camelot. He was alive, saved by magic, king Uther was not going to like the last part.
In the eyes of the king, he was abnormality, Uther might kill him, even if he did not, he might exile him, might take away his title, go after his mother and Leodegrance's lands. And Merlin, would she accept the man who had been brought back to life. Even with her magic was she ready to accept him?
No, Leon really did not need to think about those possibilities right now, he had to return to Camelot, it was his duty. Camelot was his home; his family was there. Even if the destiny waiting there was everything more than flowery.
It took him three days on foot to get back to the city, with every step he took his heart felt heavier, but he had sworn an oath to protect Camelot and her people, and he was going to fulfil the oath. Even if he was putting his life at stake.
When he entered the city, it felt like all sound disappeared, people looked him in wonderment, word of his death must have reached them. He really did not have time to start explaining, when he had spoken to the king and Arthur, it will spread like wildfire.
As he walked through the streets, he was stared at, he heard at least four hysterical laughs, there were whispers, but he decided to let it all pass. There had been strangest things happening in Camelot for many years, his return from dead should not be that miraculous.
When he reached to the courtyard, he almost collided with a stable boy who staggered back and stuttered: "Sir... Leon."
"Good morning, Hansel." The smile was small on Leon lips.
"But... you are..." the boy stuttered on.
"Not yet." Corner of his lips rose little more, "I have to go and see the king, good day to you." He left the boy looking after him in wonderment and head to the doors.
When he stepped into the hall, he saw flabbergasted looks and moments later his arms were full of Gwen. "Leon, you are alive, you are back." She whispered.
No one looked second at her behaviour, all knew she was childhood friend of Arthur's second in command.
Leon raised her head from his chest and dried one of her tears with his thumb. "I am alive and not going anywhere."
"How is this possible?" Confusion shone from Gwen's eyes. "They said you were dead."
"It is hard to explain." He gave a little smile. "First I must explain it to the king." He wanted to say more but his name coming from the mouth of Merlin stopped him.
There she stood behind Gwen, beautiful as he remembered, but sleepless nights were written on her face.
"Merlin." He kissed Gwen on the brow and stepped to other the girl.
"Sir Leon." Oh, how he wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her as he had done to do Gwen, but with Merlin, there were no excuses.
"You are alive." There was no wonderment in her voice it was an observation. Then suddenly something else, she took his hand and started pulling. "You must come, quickly!"
"What, why?" Leon was confused, but he let her lead. Every thought was out of his mind as soon as she touched him, his hand in hers, every coherent thought was gone. Only Merlin and her hand was left. It was not a noble woman's hand soft and delicate. It was rough from the hard work, but it was the only hand he ever wanted to hold. Every nerve in his hand shook. He needed to concentrate, he banished the mist of the feeling out of his mind and turned back to Merlin's words.
"Arthur right now is ready the names of the dead in the council chamber, if he reaches yours, you will lose you title, your lands and your position." She was out of breath saying those words. Leon did not want to correct her, that he did not have any lands. Only one small portion of Leodegrance estate. But he did not stop her dragging. People looked with in amazement, it was a strange sight, servant pulling a knight, one of the most important knights of the kingdom, who was presumed to be dead, after her. But as Leon had already thought, there had been stranger happenings in Camelot.
Before he could say anything, they had reached to the doors of chamber. Merlin pushed him in front of the doors. "In you go."
Leon pushed door open when Arthur read: "Sir Edric, Sir Oldoff, Sir Osric and Sir..." He cut off his words, looked at the doors and the name Leon came out as a whisper, but whole room heard it and turned.
With few steps Arthur was by him and clasped his arm. Leon could see that he wanted to hug him, but with so many people in the room, he held himself back.
"Brother, you are alive." Arthur whispered so no one could hear. There were tears in his eyes, but he held them back. Then he said little bit louder. "I thought you dead for sure."
"I was or as good as." Leon said it little louder, but smiled at Arthur, who understood, the words that were not spoken.
Then Leon stepped to the king, "Until the druids found me."
And then he explained, about the cup.
He was sent to his chambers, first one there was Gaius, before the door was closed properly the elder man embraced Leon. "I thought we lost you."
"I also thought that. I was ready to go, I have accepted long ago, that I will not die of old age." Leon smiled.
"Thankfully, I did not send the letter to your mother just yet. King Uther thought it would be better if I informed her. I am the one who corresponds with her."
Leon frowned. "You should stop writing to her. She shouldn't know too much."
"She would come after me, if I did not." Gaius pushed Leon to arm's length. "Even if you are healed, you do not look so good. Into the bed with you." the physician first guided him to the basin to clean of the dirt and then to his wardrobe.
Leon chuckled, removed his armour and but on his night clothes. As he laid on the bed, Gaius started looking over him. That moment the door opened, the king, Arthur and Merlin entered.
"How is he?!" Uther demanded.
Gaius frowned but did not answer, the king could wait in his opinion. As he finished checking Leon's eyes he rose.
"Is that it?" Leon was confused, usually the examination took much longer.
"That's it." Gaius turned to Arthur. "He is exhausted, sire, and severely dehydrated. But give him time, he'll make a full recovery."
"Thank you, Gaius." Arthur went to Leon's bed side, Gaius walked out, and Uther followed him. Merlin took Gaius' medical bag and lingered.
"You are one lucky son of a bastard." Arthur proclaimed when he reached to Leon.
"My mother would resent you for that:" Leon chuckled.
"She is not here."
"If Gaius were here, she would hear it immediately. He is corresponding with her." Leon lips went to thin line. "I do not have an idea, what she hears from him. Mothers or fathers should not know everything about their children."
"Oh, stop mopping, they care about you." Arthur patted his shoulder. "I must go now, there are something's to do. I thought my second in command was dead. I was searching for replacement."
"I could give you some recommendations." Leon mumbled.
"I do not need any. I have a perfect candidate, but he lies in a bed, and someone must read the reports."
Arthur stepped out from the room. Merlin was still lingering. "I am glad that you are a live, Leon."
"I am glad that I came back to you." Leon smiled, Merlin took a step towards his bed and started to say something. Then came Arthur's yell. "Merlin!"
She smiled apologizing and took after Arthur. Leon sighed will they were going to have the talk.
The night was falling when his chamber door opened again. Arthur stepped in.
"How are you feeling?"
"Better. Gaius left an hour ago and said I can go back to duty in two days. Until that I must rest." Leon had probed up his pillows and was reading he placed the book aside when Arthur entered, Merlin was not with him.
"That is good, then someone is looking after Camelot, when I am gone." Arthur sat on the chair beside his bed.
"Gone where?"
"Father wants me to go on a quest." Arthur threw a leg over the armrest of the chair.
Leon looked at him with suspicion. "You are going after the cup." it was not a question but a statement.
"You are too clever for your own good. It is a secret, no one should know." This time Arthur sighed.
"Why must you go get it, it is safe with the druids?" Leon did not understand.
"I know that it is safe with the druids, but father wants it safe here in Camelot. So, it would not fall into the hands of Cenred."
"I can see his logic, and order is an order." Leon did not like the order; he could see that either did Arthur.
"It would be safer here." Arthur rubbed his eyes. "I must go alone." he smirked. "Not alone, I will take Merlin with. We will leave in the morning."
"Then you most go and have your rest."
Arthur did not move, there was a look on the prince's face that Leon could not first comprehend and them it hit him.
"Arthur, I will not disappear, if you leave me. I will stay in this bed for the next two days. It will take you a week to come back from your quest and I promise you that I will do everything so that the king would not send me to a patrol." He tried to reason with the man, who sometimes was so much a boy still.
But the look stayed, and Arthur did not move. Something broke inside Leon at that moment, it must have been hard for Arthur, Merlin, Gwen, and Gaius when they thought him to be dead. He was so much part of their lives, their family that it must have hit hard.
"You can stay here with me, for the night. When you leave in the morning you make certain that I have not vanished into thin air. This bed is big, I suspect it could hold seven men and we would still be comfortable."
Arthur raised his head; the look had gone. Suddenly he was on his feet, made his way to Leon's desk sat and wrote something. Leon looked him with puzzlement. Arthur rose, there was note in his hand, and went to the door stepped out for a moment and came back. Seeing Leon's look, he explained, "I sent Merlin a note, that she would find me here."
"Why a note? You usually send information verbally and rather loudly." Leon teased.
"I do not want father or Morgana know, that I will spend my night here, I would prefer to be left alone." Arthur explained, he took off his booths and threw himself on the bed, next to Leon.
Leon waited, but the prince did not say a word. Knowing the man since his childhood, Leon knew well, that when it came to personal feelings, it took Arthur time to speak about them.
The knight took the book, had placed bedside table and started to read again. He let Arthur mull over his feelings, soon the younger man would confide in him.
"I thought you were dead, that I had lost you." Leon placed his book on the table and listened. "When Cenred's messenger brought the cloak and said the patrol was destroyed, I felt how my world collapsed. I have lost men under my command before. Knights, solders, guards, survivor's guilt has taken its toll and have come back from it. But when I heard you were one of the dead I was lost. You are my brother, my safe keeper, if you have not been here when I grew up, I do not believe I would have survived, I would have done something stupid.
It is strange how I accepted that all knights could die in a patrol, quest, battle but I have never thought that you would. I have expected you to be always there, beside me one of my main advisers and when I am the king my first knight.
Suddenly you were gone, out of my life and first time I felt how I lost something dear. I had never thought that anyone close to me could die, I did not believe it even when Morgana was lost. But when you died, it felt I lost all, yes Merlin and Morgana would stay by my side but you, to whom I have leaned on the most..." then Arthur's voice died, no words came, he was crying badly.
Leon did the only thing he could, he pulled Arthur in a hug.
"Little brother," Leon did not remember when the last time was, he added the additive, "I cannot promise you, that I won't die. But I can promise you, that I will do everything in my power that I will survive every encounter so in the future I can become your first knight and adviser. And while you are away, may it be a week or two, I will keep myself in the castle."
"I would like to see my father's face when you tell him, that you promised to me that you will keep yourself in the castle so that nothing will happen to you." Arthur mumbled against his shoulder.
"He would not believe me and send me out anyway."
Arthur nodded at that. Leon felt how his prince started to drift to sleep. He blew the candle out; he could not do any readying that night.
At dawn Merlin found them cuddled together when she came to wake Arthur, she stopped for a moment and then smiled, the protector of them all was back. She woke Arthur up quietly as she could, but Leon still woke up.
"Arthur, please try not to make anything stupid while I cannot protect your back." Leon muttered looking his prince heading to the door.
"Same to you." Arthur smiled, "I will see you soon." then he turned to Merlin, "I will check some things over, I will meet you at the stables."
"Merlin." Leon reached out his hand to the girl.
"Leon, I promise you, that I keep him safe. Or as much the Dollop-head lets me." Merlin took his hand and squeezed.
"I know you will. Please keep yourself safe."
"I will try, if the prat does not get into trouble again." She smiled and added. "Please do not die again, we have a conversation that must be held."
"Dying is not my first priority." He smiled and kissed Merlin's hand.
"Let's hope, that it will never be your priority." She took her hand back, "I must go, before Arthur sends someone looking for me." Merlin took a step back, hesitated for a moment and then kissed Leon's brow. Before the knight could react, she was gone.
Merlin did not see how Leon's cheeks grew red. She did not know how the man felt like he would not wash his hand, the one she had held, for the duration of Arthur's quest. Or how every nerve on his forehead, where she had placed her lips, tingled. How destiny mocked them, giving them chances and then taking them away.
He kept stroking his left-hand's balm, to keep the feeling of Merlin's touch, holding picture of her smile in his mind eye, holding onto the softness of her lips when they touched his brow. He did not even understand that he had fallen into a haze until hour later someone knocked on his door.
"Come in!" the door opened, and Gwen entered.
"I brought you breakfast." She placed the tray on his bed. "Marleana sent you a message: "First time in long time she was happy that there was magic, otherwise we would have lost you forever." And she is not the only one who is glad for magic."
"I am sorry I scared you." Leon took the tray. Gwen sat onto edge his bed.
"I was strange, I never thought you could die. You have been constant in my life and then you were gone. I just got back one of my brothers and then lost another." At those words placed the tray next to him and pulled Gwen closer.
"As I promised to Arthur, I will do everything in my power so it would not happen again. I cannot promise that I will not die. But I will try to avoid it."
"Good, that is more than I could ask." Gwen smiled rose and sat on the chair beside the bed.
Leon nodded and took the tray.
"You have not spoken to Elyan." Gwen stated.
"As you have seen, I have not had the time." Leon tried to say it as light as he could, but Gwen read the undertone.
"You won't forgive him, even when I explained to you the reasons in my letter when you were in Meredor?"
Leon sighed. "He left you, while I was a way without a letter, without any word, he knew I could not protect you, help you and he just left. Right now, I see no reason to forgive him."
"Leon." Gwen admonished.
There was another sigh from the knight. "You forgave him. I do not have the reason. Maybe I do not even have a reason to be angry. But do not ask me just yet to give him my forgiveness."
"Leon."
"Gwen, let me just have it. You know that I am not always a nice guy."
"And there you are wrong; you are the nicest guy in all this kingdom." Gwen smiled. "Alright I give it to you, but I hope there will be time when you give your forgiveness."
"Maybe there is." Leon chuckled.
"I have to go now; Lady Morgana will wake soon." with that Gwen rose kissed his cheek and left.
Leon took the tray again and started eating. When he bit into an apple, he started formulating a plan how to stay in the castle pounds for the time when Arthur and Merlin got back.
If he had a seer's blood in him, he would have seen that all his plans would fail. He would have seen that future that waited for all of them. In a week's time he will be sent to a patrol.