A/N: Thank you leyapearl, pallysAramisRios, Buckhunter, and GuestM for reviewing!
Also to my lovely guest reviewers, my work resumes in-person today, and since FF disabled the ability to use desktop mode on mobile a while back, I won't be able to approve your reviews until I get home. I wish I didn't have to have moderation on, but I've been the target of some spam trolls, some hate trolls, and one time even had someone try to bully another reviewer for liking a certain (canon) ship. Not this fandom, but one bad egg ruins it for all.
Chapter 2
Lancelot furrowed his brow in concern as Lily went eerily still, staring at the leaf in her hand. "What's wrong?" he asked again.
She didn't look up, just kept gazing at the leaf. "My magic is gone," she murmured.
Lancelot's expression pinched further in confusion and then alarm. "What? How?"
She slowly shook her head. "I don't know. I…I can't feel it."
Her hand began to tremble, and the leaf slipped off and fell to the floor. Lancelot quickly took her by the arms and guided her over to sit on the work bench. Merlin and Gaius looked over from where they'd still been arguing about not carrying Gwaine up to his room.
"Lily?" Merlin queried.
"She said she can't feel her magic," Lancelot said since Lily looked to be in shock.
"What?" Merlin echoed, hurrying over. "Haven't you been using your magic regularly?"
They knew that Lily's kind of magic was natural among her people, but also that if they ignored it, it could wither and die like a neglected plant. It'd been a concern when Lily came to Camelot, if she would have been forced to hide her magic like Merlin did, but that hadn't been the case.
Lily shook her head numbly. "Yes. I don't understand." She swallowed hard. "Maybe…maybe like the star lily, my magic was tied to my home island."
Lancelot shot a horrified look at Merlin. Could that be true?
Merlin's mouth pressed into a thin line. "But it's been fine up until now."
"Maybe it just took that long to finally fade," Lily said hollowly.
Lancelot reeled back under a crushing wave of guilt. He was partly to blame for this. He had asked Lily to stay in Camelot with him, but he'd never wanted her to sacrifice such an important part of herself in exchange.
"There must be something we can do to fix it," Merlin insisted.
Lily didn't say anything, just kept staring at her hands in her lap.
"It's late. Why don't you take her upstairs," Gaius suggested softly.
Lancelot nodded and reached down to help Lily stand. She followed mutely as he placed a hand on her lower back and led her toward the door, leaving Merlin and Gaius to discuss the situation in private. Not that there was anything they could do for it.
Lancelot walked Lily up to her room. A single candle burned on a small stand by the door, and Lancelot picked it up to go around and light the rest in the room. He roved his gaze over all the vibrant plants: the hanging baskets with colorful blossoms trailing over the sides, the various pots situated on nearly every piece of furniture, and the planter box out on the balcony. They were all lush and alive, and Lancelot couldn't understand why Lily's magic that had nurtured them so fully would have suddenly died without warning.
Lily went over to the bed and climbed onto the mattress, curling up on her side. Lancelot wordlessly went over and sat down on the other side. There was no sound, but he could feel the anguish like palpable waves wafting off her.
After several moments, he scooted further up on the bed and took her by the shoulders, rolling her over toward him. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and Lancelot pulled Lily up into his arms as a vocal sob finally broke through. She buried her face against him. Lancelot tucked his chin over her head and simply held her as she cried herself out.
Once her sobs and shaking finally petered away, Lancelot tightened his arms around her. "I'm so sorry," he breathed. "I never wanted this to happen."
"It wasn't your fault," she whispered back brokenly. "I knew this was a risk coming here."
Lancelot closed his eyes and pressed his face into her hair. "If I took you home, would your magic come back?" he asked quietly.
Lily didn't answer right away. "I don't know," she said, then sat up to look him in the eye. "What then?"
Lancelot straightened and rubbed his hands up and down her arms. "Then we stay there," he said, though his heart was torn by the declaration. But he knew it was the right thing to do. "I love you," he said earnestly. "I would never have you trade your magic for me."
Lily lifted a hand to lay over his heart. "But would you trade your duty for me?"
Lancelot reached up to clasp her hand. "Yes. You gave up everything for me already. It's my turn."
Tears welled in her eyes anew and she laid her head against his shoulder again. Lancelot leaned back, wrapping his arms around her once more, and held his beloved through the night.
"This doesn't make any sense," Merlin exclaimed. "There was no indication Lily's magic was withering away."
"We don't really know anything about how her magic works," Gaius pointed out. "As far as anyone knows, she's the first person to leave her island. Perhaps she's right that it was just a matter of time being cut off from it."
Merlin shook his head fervently. "No, that can't be it. Lily's magic is in her blood, just like mine. Location shouldn't matter."
Gaius just leveled a kind look at him. "But her magic is not the same as yours, Merlin. I know you want to help her, we both do. But there just might not be anything we can do."
Merlin refused to accept that, though, and so he spent the rest of the night poring over Gaius's old magic books. Even if Lily's magic had naturally faded from leaving her homeland, that didn't mean there wasn't a way they could bring it back.
But by the time dawn began to seep through the windows to light the room, Merlin hadn't found anything. He knew spells for stripping someone of their magic; he'd used that one on Morgana. But there wasn't anything about restoring it that wasn't a counter-spell to another curse. Could someone have done this to Lily? Merlin needed to check under her bed for a spell casting poppet, though the likelihood that anyone in Camelot knew enough about magic to even do such a thing was slim.
He dropped his head into his hands, elbows propped up on the table. Gaius set a cup of steaming tea down and slid it under his arms.
Merlin sighed and slumped in his seat, picking up the cup as Gaius sat across from him.
"Did you sleep at all?"
"No," he mumbled. "And I haven't found anything either."
Gaius gave him a sympathetic look. "We'll keep looking."
Merlin jolted. "The wedding is today!"
Gaius's mouth turned down. "This is going to put a strain on it."
Merlin's heart clenched. This wasn't supposed to happen, and now of all times.
A low moan from the cot broke the silence. Gwaine groaned as he pushed himself upright slowly. "Mmph." He rocked back on his ass and leaned against the support column behind him, then reached up to grab his jaw and tweak it. "Did someone punch me?" he asked indignantly.
Merlin snorted. "You deserved it, acting like you did last night."
"On the eve of Lancelot's wedding, no less," Gaius put in.
Gwaine shrugged blithely. "I can't remember."
"Yes, well, I'm sure someone else has told Arthur all about it by now," Gaius chastised loudly, making Gwaine wince and throw a hand up to hold his head.
He mumbled something else incoherent under his breath, then, "In that case, have Lily make me one of those magic herbal teas."
Merlin looked away. "She can't. It seems she lost her magic."
Gwaine squinted, obviously slow on the uptake. "Wait, what?"
"She tried to heal Lancelot's black eye last night," Gaius explained. "And wasn't able to. It looks like her magic is gone."
Gwaine blinked incredulously. "What now?" he asked after a moment with a touch of concern.
Merlin and Gaius exchanged a helpless look, and Merlin pushed himself to his feet.
"I'll mix you up the traditional remedy for your hangover."
Lancelot left Lily the next morning and went to find Arthur. It was early, and so he only knocked lightly on Arthur's door in case the king and queen were sleeping in or not ready for unexpected visitors.
"Come!" was the response from inside.
Lancelot turned the handle and pushed the door open. "Apologies for disturbing you so early," he immediately said.
Arthur and Gwen were dressed and sitting at their breakfast table.
"Nonsense," Arthur replied. "Though I was expecting Merlin. He's late, again. If it wasn't for Gwen's attendants, we'd never get breakfast anymore." He trailed off and frowned. "What on earth happened at the tavern last night?"
Lancelot had forgotten all about his black eye. It had become the least consequential of last night's events. He took a breath. "We need to postpone the wedding."
"Not over a black eye we're not," Gwen interjected, getting to her feet. "I have powders that can help cover that up."
Lancelot shook his head. "It's not that. It's…Lily lost her magic."
Arthur and Gwen looked stunned.
"How?" Arthur asked.
"I don't know. It was sudden, and she's devastated. I don't think she's up for a big ceremony today."
"No, of course," Gwen said.
Arthur nodded along. "Everything will keep for another day or two," he assured Lancelot.
Lancelot nodded gratefully. In truth, he hadn't thought about whether they would go through with the wedding before finding a ship to take them back to the Isle of Asteron or simply marry there under her people's traditions.
"I should go see her," Gwen said. "Is she in her chambers?"
"Yes."
Gwen glanced at Arthur before hurrying out of the room, leaving the two of them in awkward silence.
"I'm sorry," Arthur finally spoke. "I know how important Lily's magic was to her."
Lancelot dropped his gaze to the floor and steeled himself for the next thing he had to tell his king. "I want to take her back to her island."
Arthur frowned. "Why?"
"In case her magic is tied to it and being there will bring it back." He paused. "And if so, we will stay there. If you will release me from your service." Lancelot bowed his head respectfully.
Arthur regarded him solemnly. "Is this what you really want?"
"There isn't anything I wouldn't do for Lily," he replied. "Just as I know you would do anything for Gwen."
Arthur nodded sagely. "Then I give you my blessing, though you both will be missed." He turned and walked over to his desk. "I'll send for a ship to take you. The same one we used before. The captain knows those waters now and that should increase your chances of making it there safely."
Lancelot gave a deeper bow in sincere gratitude. "Thank you, Sire."
Arthur paused in the missive he was writing and came back over. He reached out and clasped Lancelot's shoulder firmly. "I care for your happiness too, my friend. You deserve it."
Lancelot's chest constricted. Now he just had to tell everyone else.
He went to see Merlin next, knowing he owed his best friend the respect of telling him first. Merlin was bent over Gaius's work table with several books splayed open. Gwaine was still there as well, nursing a cup of strong smelling tea. He looked up at Lancelot's entrance and grimaced, making Lancelot wonder just how spectacular that black eye was.
"Sorry for last night, mate. I shouldn't have let myself get carried away."
Lancelot waved him off tiredly. "It doesn't matter anymore."
Gwaine's expression turned grim. "I heard about Lily. I'm sorry. But you're not canceling the wedding, are you?"
"Not exactly."
Merlin twisted around on the bench seat. "What does that mean?"
Lancelot gave his friend a regretful look. "I'm going to take Lily back to her island in the hopes that will revive her magic."
Merlin's jaw went slack. "What?"
"Sailing that distance is treacherous," Gwaine put in. "As we well know."
Lancelot nodded. "That's why if we make it, we'll be staying there regardless. Besides, if it does restore Lily's magic, then returning to Camelot would only put us back in this situation again later. I can't do that to her."
Merlin surged to his feet. "You can't just leave! We've barely had any time to figure this out." He gestured at the assortment of books.
Lancelot's lungs felt physically compressed by grief and remorse. "I don't think there is anything to figure out."
"You have to give me and Gaius a chance to try."
"We won't be leaving right away," Lancelot said. "Arthur is sending word to the captain who we sailed with before, and it will take some time for him to receive the message and then rendezvous with us."
Merlin gaped at him incredulously. "You've already spoken to Arthur about this?"
Lancelot nodded. "I'm sorry, Merlin. But I have to do what's best for Lily."
"We understand," Gwaine interjected, getting to his feet. "And like you said, you're not leaving just yet." He flashed an assuaging look at Merlin, who simply looked crushed.
Lancelot's heart was also fracturing into pieces. This was supposed to have been the happiest day of his life, and now it was the day that everything fell apart.
