"Right. Oh, we must go sit down, it looks like everyone's settled down. Arthur, you're on the other side of Emrys," Morgana pointed back over to the table, where William was standing next to a slender raven haired man who sat across the table from his father. As if his ears burned, the man dressed in Essetirian finery turned to look at them.
Immediately, Arthur recognised that face. Merlin quirked a smile and waggled his fingers at him.
As Morgana took point and ushered him forwards, Arthur began to sputter. Merlin may make fun of him and call him a dolt and unobservant, but even he could connect the dots here.
"Merlin?!" Merlin was this mysterious Emrys. He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his side, Morgana had elbowed him quite hard.
"Merlins are such pretty birds, I agree, Arthur!" Morgana matched how loud Arthur was when he practically shouted Merlin's name. She pointedly ignored the looks she and her brother garnered from the court and guests seated at the long table before them.
Morgana quickly ushered Arhur into the empty seat next to Merlin, and sat herself on Arthur's other side. Arthur turned to stare at Merlin, who gave him a disapproving frown. The raven haired man leaned in and hissed, "Not so loud next time, Arthur, I don't wish for every creature in the Perilous Lands to know my birth name."
Arthur's eyebrows went up, "I don't understand why that should matter," he hedged.
"It's protection," Morgana answers from Arthur's other side, "The less who know his birth name, the better. Especially for a creature as powerful as Emrys is. The real question is, how do you know his birth name?"
"Yes, I am quite curious on that part, myself." Merlin didn't exactly ask, with a pensive frown on his face.
"You've been acting odd since you've gotten here," Morgana observed, "Crying over seeing mother, being rude with Essister's Queen, your reaction to seeing me…" She trailed off.
Leon leaned over from Morgana's other side, "He's been acting odd since I found him disoriented near that cave."
"Cave, you say?" Morgana asked, voice higher than normal as she exchanged a meaningful glance with Merlin right in front of Arthur.
"What? What was that look for?" Arthur asked, exasperated. Not that I expect a helpful answer.
"Nothing," They spoke at the same time, in the same suspicious tone of voice.
Arthur looked heavenward. "You two aren't courting and neglecting to tell me, are you?"
"Not that the Lady Morgana isn't beautiful and intelligent, she is like a sister to me," Merlin deflected, "That's not what we're, ah, keeping from you. Maybe it's best if you and I have a conversation after this feast, hm?" He asked, giving Arhtur a significant look.
Merlin then looked at Morgana, "This is him then, I suppose."
"That would make the most sense. Listen, Arthur, I'll cover for you with our parents and distract Emrys' parents." Morgana told them, helpfully.
"Wait, our parents?" Arthur blurted out, causing Hunith and Ygraine to look at them funny from the other side of the table.
Merlin nudged his side gently and shushed him.
"Yes, our parents," Morgana started in a low tone of voice, "Uther is my father and your mother was happy to adopt me. That's not what we're keeping from you. You'll just have to be patient and go with Emrys after the feast."
Joy. More riddles, Arthur thought, ruefully. He childishly wanted to knock the crown off of Merlin's head, just because it almost annoyed him at how good Merlin looked in his finery. It should be illegal to look that nice.
You know of Morgana's visions, correct? Arthur jumped at hearing Merlin's voice in his head. His gaze snapped towards Merlin, who rolled his eyes dramatically at him, while munching on a turkey leg.
Act natural, dollophead. Anyway, she had a vision of an alternate Arthur coming here through the Cave of Solus and needing our help. I'm assuming you're him. Nod if that's true.
Arthur wasn't actually sure if the cave he went into had a name, but everything else was true, so he slowly nodded and got a brilliant smile from Merlin in return.
-x-
"It talks." Arthur asked, deadpan.
"Yes. He does." Merlin corrected. The two stood in a large clearing to the north of the large glimmering white castle.
"You're sure?" Arthur asked again. He was quite certain that the dragon understood what they were saying, as when Merlin, as cool as you please, walked over to the tower and jovially asked the large guy to meet them in the clearing they were in like he wasn't talking to a giant lizard-brained creature, but then the dragon actually did meet them. However, the possibility of the dragon talking back? Bizarre. Impossible.
"Kilgharrah, stop teasing him, please. You're making me look like I'm talking to a scaly wall." Merlin complained, crossing his arms and glaring at the dragon. The dragon coolly stared back, unblinking.
"Merlin, I think you should stop kidding around, I-" Arthur started, but was interrupted by a deep grumbling voice.
"Young Pendragon," The Dragon finally spoke over Merlin and Arthur's bickering, "You seem to be a long way from home."
"Holy shit." Was all Arthur could say.
"Yeah." Merlin gave Arthur a familiar shit-eating grin. How Arthur missed seeing that.
"He talked." The blond man gasped.
"Yep. He does that." Merlin told him, with a sly smile.
"Your world will fade away if you don't get back to it soon, young prince." Kilgarrah spoke over them again.
"Won't your world fade away if I leave?" Arthur asked, assuming the whole trip he was on was induced by magic and a figment of his own imagination.
"No, it is hoped for." Kilgarrah stated vaguely. Arthur looked to Merlin to explain.
The other prince smiled, "This world is hoped for by so many in your world. But your world is hoped for by none except for those with fear or hatred in their hearts. In both worlds, the matter of your birth," Merlin looked towards Kilgharrah as he said this, and the dragon nodded in encouragement.
Merlin continued, "The matter of your birth was the deciding factor of both worlds. If you aren't there, it will fade. Your consciousness, according to Morgana's vision, has been transferred to our world through that cave. Our realm's Arthur is currently laying dormant in your body."
"Will my realm really... Fade? And what will happen to your Arthur?"
"Your realm will likely fade from your memory. And you will fade from that world. Assumed to be dead. You said you came here through a cave, no?" Kilgarrah interjected.
"I never told you-" Arthur started, but was cut off again. He was starting to become cross with the dragon, no matter how much larger than he was.
"No one can enter that cave whilst you are in it. You are still in that cave, young prince. Your consciousness has left and entered this realm, but your realm's flesh and bones will rot to death if you live out your life here. This realm's version of Arthur would be forever lost to us."
Arthur looked taken aback.
Kilgarrah smiled, "Or, he and your body might be preserved by the Druid's magic. It really depends…"
"Depends?" Arthur needled.
"It depends." The dragon repeated.
"On what?" Arthur tried pushing again.
"Who knows? What lessons will you learn while you're here, Young Pendragon?" Kilgarrah said with a knowing smile.
"Oh, well, how enlightening," Arthur complained sarcastically. Next to him, Merlin burst into laughter.
"You have no clue how happy I am that I'm not the only one he does this weird vague shite with, mate," Merlin crowed to him.
"Good luck, you two. And remember, one half cannot truly hate that which makes it whole." Kilgarrah said, getting up on his hind legs and beating his mighty wings. The wind from the dragon's take off was so strong that it knocked Arthur off his feet and onto his arse. Somehow, Merlin stood still.
When the dragon was out of sight, Arthur slowly got to his feet.
"What on earth did that last statement mean?" Arthur asked, incredulous.
"Not sure. He's said it to me before, two sides of the same coin. But honestly, I think he just enjoys being vague and confusing us poor mortals." Merlin told him, "But I think the best case scenario is to get you back to your realm. I'm sure since we're dealing with Druidic magic here, there are terms to be met, lessons to be learned, but whatever those are, are for you to figure out. Not sure how much of a help I can be. I doubt your body will rot before you figure it out, that would be quite," Merlin tapped his chin, looking for the word, "Anticlimactic."
"Anticlimactic?" Arthur asked, voice shrill, "Anticlimactic, the possibility of my death, I mean, your Arthur's-this realm's Arthur's death and my original body being lost is-" Arthur started to rant before Merlin cut him off.
"Right, maybe not the best choice of words there. Forgive me?" Merlin asked, a cheeky smile on his lips.
"Right then," Arthur grumbled.
"Oh, I know! If it's a lesson you need to know, let's teach you magic! You'll have Morgana and myself, of course, to teach you a little bit." Merlin clapped his hands, excited, "It's been a while since I've had a green student!"
Arthur balked.
-x-
Arthur had firmly believed that magic was only evil and dark before he found himself transported. He was taught that all his life. His father would have a cow if he could see his son now, walking through the woods back to a magical castle with a sorcerer. Warlock. Whatever Merlin counted as, listening to the man regale him with small antecedents about magic that apparently most those who had a drop of magic knew. He tuned back into what Merlin was blathering on about now when he said something strange.
"A what now? Familiar? What's familiar?" The blond asked his travelling companion.
"Familiars are animal companions that are like a power source for a mage or sorcerer." Merlin explained, "I'm sure you've seen a raven around Morgana, and a tabby cat around Mordred. They're animal companions that are magic, too. And the familiar chooses the magic user, not the other way around."
Come to think of it, Arthur had noticed a couple of animals around the encampment when Leon and him stopped for the night. He wrote it off as simple strays.
"Do you have one? Is it, ah, Kilgharrah?" Arthur asked, genuinely curious. Merlin stopped walking to turn and look at Arthur, wide-eyed, before he burst into laughter, bent at his waist, "Kilgharrah! My familiar! Ha! As if he would lower himself to be any mortal's familiar, no. He and my father are something like companions, but he is no familiar." Arthur had stopped when he saw Merlin wasn't walking beside him and was now tapping his foot waiting for Merlin to get on with it. Meriln shook his head mirthfully and continued to walk again, answering Arthur's first question.
"Yes and no. I'm a warlock, my magic is nearly infinite. But I do have an animal companion anyway. He's actually been following us the last couple clicks." Merlin stopped to look up at the trees and called, "Archimedes!"
A tawny owl swooped down from a nearby treetop and landed on Merlin's shoulder. If birds could judgingly squint, this bird would be looking at Arthur with the most scrutinising gaze.
"And whooo are you? Hmm?" The owl asked Arthur.
The owl. Asked. Spoke. To Arthur.
Arthur closed his eyes against the voice in his head that sounded like his father yelling sorcery!
"This is an Arthur Pendragon from another realm. Be nice," Merlin tapped the owl on the beak. The owl rolled his eyes.
"Do all familiars talk?" Arthur asked, his own eyes nearly bulging out of his head for how expressive the creature was. A dragon was one thing, it was magical in nature, but a regular old barn owl?
"They don't, no. Morgana can speak to and through her ravens, but they can't talk on their own no matter how intelligent they are." Merlin explained, "Archimedes here is connected to my magic in a different way. I'm not sure how to explain this to someone that doesn't have magic. In all honesty, it's difficult to explain to someone that has a familiar themselves."
"How would you explain it, then?" Arthur asked.
"I guess I'm just built different." Merlin answered with a shrug. Arthur rolled his eyes so hard that it hurt. Archimedes let out a series of hoots that sounded jovial.
-x-
"How do you think I'll be able to get back?" Arthur asked Merlin, the two of them were lounging around with Morgana in Merlin's quarters. Archemedeis had found himself a perch in the rafters and was watching them from up high, serenely.
"Honestly? You could probably just journey back to the cave and go through it." Merlin guessed.
"That's so fool hardy. And what happens if the cave doesn't let him back in because his intentions are wrong or the cave's magic thinks he's squandered the gift he was given?" Morgana asked Merlin, and then turned to Arthur, "What exactly did you wish for, anyway?"
"I wished for my mother to be alive," Arthur asked, past the point in wondering how the two of them knew certain things that Arthur didn't tell them. Though, he was starting to get wise to the magic shenanigans that surrounded the two, and assumed it had something to do with Morgana's dreams.
"I thought it was something like that, with the way you acted when you met us at the great hall. But that doesn't explain your reaction to me." Morgana hedged.
"In my realm, you've gone full dark side." Arthur confessed quietly.
"What? That makes no sense. Morgana is a 'do what's right and damn the consequences' type of woman. I don't see her flipping like that on a dime." Merlin mused. Arthur looked down at his fingers, twisting them in the hem of his shirt. He heard the echoes of Morgana's voice saying the very same thing, what seemed like years ago.
"I think maybe she thinks what she's doing is right. Magic where I'm from is outlawed by pain of death." Arthur explained, realisation dawning on him. It didn't soften the blow of Morgana's initial betrayal, but he could understand a little bit of where she was coming from in that moment.
"What kind of magic am I using in your realm?" Morgana questioned him.
"Kind?" Arthur asked, confused, "I thought magic was magic." He stated.
"Of course not. There's more than one type of weapon, is there not? But they all do the same principle, that is to attack, defend, or provide. Magic is similar. Can you explain it to me?" Morgana asked him again.
"Usually it happens so fast it's hard to tell. I remember seeing a shadowy substance and cuts on her palms when she gestured to us." Arthur recalled.
"Blood magic, then. Dark magic and blood magic. Someone has led your Morgana on a rocky path," Morgana mused.
"It still doesn't make sense. It's true that Morgana has a disposition for both light and dark magic, I just don't see why she would go full force into blood magic like that. She doesn't need blood to boost her ability to spellcast." Merlin ranted, "Is it possible that she has been influenced in any way? Met another dark magic user?"
"Don't be daft. In a realm where magic is banned on pain of death, I highly doubt this Morgana would tell everyone who her mentor is. That is, if she's smart." Morgana reasoned.
"Is there anything that changed for her, then?" Merlin asked Arthur, tapping his hands to get his attention.
"I don't understand what good it would do." Arthur mused, "But I do remember her calling Morgause her sister before she cut us out of her life."
Morgana raised her eyebrows, "My half-sister. Yes." She looked towards Merlin, "I could see her leading a rebellion army should magic ever be outlawed." She laughed, a tinkle of a sound, "Though I suppose it's not quite all that funny for you then, is it? Yes, Morgause has a high affinity for dark magic. It's why she lives with the druids instead of with us here. She did slip down a dark path years ago, not for nothing, however. It was a just vengeance that I can't entirely fault her for."
"It was wrong and the way she went about it was wrong, Morgana." Merlin spoke, and sighed, leaning back. "Vilolence only spurns more violence," At Arthur's questioning hum, Merlin elaborated, "She dipped into blood magic when her daughter was murdered by a bandit. Of course, she murdered him in return."
"She enchanted a bracelet for him to wear. It had him going mad with rage and self hatred, so much so that," Morgana looked towards Merlin, who made a face, "I'm sure you understand where his mind went. He lost it. And then he lost his life. She's been living with the druids and protecting their outpost as a penance since. She's not allowed to leave her post."
"That's… a lot," Arthur mused. It seemed like magic wasn't all fun and games in this realm, then, there was still room for it to do bad. But was it magic itself that was the bad? Or was it…
"We still visit her, of course. She's come to adopt Mordred. Say, she's almost like your mother-in-law, Merlin." Morgana teased. They all heard the trill of hoots that denoted Merlin's familiar laughing above them.
Arthur's head snapped up to look at Merlin, who's face had coloured.
"Hush, now. I am his mentor and nothing more." Merlin insisted.
"That's not what that poor boy thinks. He's been of age for a while now, and oh so begging for your attention," Morgana continued her teasing.
"'Gana, please," Merlin moaned, burying his face in his hands.
Arthur wasn't sure what the tight feeling in his chest was, but he sure wasn't a fan of it. At all.
"Bracelet," Arthur hummed, ignoring the feeling for now and quickly changing the subject, to Merlin's relieved sigh, "You said she used a bracelet to influence that man's mind?" The blond thought hard about Morgana and her… dressing habits. While she was fond of necklace and diadems for herself, she had never adorned her wrists with bracelets until…
"The bracelet!" He gasped. "Morgana, she gave me a bracelet before one of my quests, and she had a similar one on. I remember feeling like, why, almost like the life was sucked out of me during that quest but I kept the bracelet on because it was a gift from her. What if it wasn't from her, though? She's never been one for bracelets," Arthur explained.
"Wow, is it weird to hear you speaking about another me." Morgana commented lightly, before leaning forwards, "Morgause is very good at metal casting and imbuing objects with power. Had she not committed the crime she did, she would be well on her way to be a high priestess of these lands. She is not someone to be crossed, even now. I assume she's just as powerful in your realm, but she has a reason to fight what she feels is unjust and… Swayed me, your Morgana, to her side."
"So it wasn't… It wasn't magic corrupting you? I mean, my Morgana?" Arthur asked, lamely.
Merlin and Morgana exchanged a look.
"Blood magic is a slippery slope, as is dark magic if one doesn't have the right affinity. Blood magic will corrupt a soul. But it's not too late for her to stop. Not unless she's become a high priestess using blood magic and blood rituals. You mentioned your Morgana having dreams like I do, a seer. Seers most oftentimes are naturally light witches. In my case, as we've said before, I have an affinity for both dark and light magic. Dark magic doesn't exactly. Well, the methods can be nauseating for someone who's strictly a light sorcerer, like Gaius." Morgana explained.
"Dark magic is generally frowned upon, even in the magic accepting kingdoms of Albion. But it's not inherently bad, either." Merlin added on, "I've dabbled in it, myself. The veil between life and death, for one, is one such area that is considered the realm of dark arts because it is touched by death."
"Can," Arthur thought back to the undead army that Morgause had marched on Camelot, "Any sorcerer wield power over life and death?"
"Absolutely not. Only High Priests or Priestesses or someone with incredible power can do such a thing." Morgana told him, and side-eyed Merlin.
"And I'm assuming Merlin is one such person." Arthur deadpanned.
Merlin chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, "Anyway. Next lesson, I suppose?"
"You can't just change the subject like that!"
"Of course I can, dollophead! Let's see what affinity you have!"
"Me? I can't do any magic." Arthur told them, and then worried his bottom lip between his teeth when Morgana and Merlin exchanged another one of their infuriating glances.
"Well, from what I gathered from your birth in your world, you're touched by magic at birth. It would stand to reason that you have some affinity for it," Morgana tapped her lip.
"Okay, the branching between our worlds seems to be the matter of your birth." Morgana started, "Merlin and I discussed this at length when I shared my visions with him of you and your realm. In our world, Nimueh, your father, and your mother realised the matter of Ygraine not being with a child wasn't her own infertility, but Uther's. Nimueh and Gaius, with the help of a druidic clan that specialises in magic with the god of fertility, worked on a medical regimen for him to take daily for a year before Uther had a chance in being fertile." Morgana told him.
"In your world, we've surmised that Uther assumed the infertility laid with Ygraine, and wanted a quick fix instead of being patient as our Uther was. I'm sure there are other differences and other reasons that came with the outcome of Nimuehs' 'life for a life' ultamatim in your world. Perhaps Ygraine and Nimueh were not friends in your realm. With Uther's, ah, history of laying with other women perhaps he laid with Nimueh and she wanted your mother out of the picture. There's a number of different ways your realm's tale could have gone," Merlin began to ramble.
"He gets it, he gets it," Morgana assured, watching Arthur's face grow stony.
Merlin's face coloured, "Right! Right, sorry."
"It's moot now, anyway, it's already happened," Arthur ground out, and took a deep breath. He'd take conversations he'll never have with his dad for 500 gold coins, please.
"Back to uh, back to the previous conversation. Since you've been touched with magic at birth, you're probably sensitive to it at the very least." Merlin pushed, "And since you're here in a magical kingdom, do as the locals do, hm?"
Arthur put his hands over his face, "My father would literally kill me."
"What's a little teenage rebellion, hmm?" Morgana needled.
"I'm in my twenties." Arthur grumbled.
"Oh," Morgana laughed, "You're kidding. Our Arthur is still a wee babe."
"What's a little late rebellion," Merlin teased.
"Yeah, fine. Only to prove that nothing will happen." Arthur acceded.
So I know it started off as a joke that I make yearly updates to this but guys... I don't think it's a joke anymore. This November this fic will be 9 years old lmao. I am determined to finish it before it turns 10.
Thank you to those who have stuck with me for this long! At the beginning of this fic I knew the ins and outs of BBC Merlin magic, but now I'm kinda hand-waving it, so don't mind at all! I still don't have a beta, so all mistakes are embarrassingly my own. If anyone wants to brave being my beta, do let me know.
See you next year! I mean, next time. Lmao.
