Change of Rules

Part ll

Merlin's head was buzzing with all the information Arthur was throwing at him.

Merlin, walk straight for pity's sake and don't stutter. Always keep the conversation away from Camelot. Merlin, don't sit if no one is sitting. Don't drink anything if they are not drinking. Merlin stop the eye rolling.

"Do you really expect me to remember this?"

Arthur looked flabbergasted, "It's really easy when you think about it."

"Yes. You just act like the field under your feet belongs to you!" Arthur didn't say it, but that was pretty much the case, "Look, you were born a prat, not me, have you any idea of how much effort my Mom did so I would not turn into one?" Merlin hissed.

"Merlin, If my life didn't depend on you right now—"

"Oh… wait, what is this I'm hearing? You are threatening your king?!" Merlin yelled as he faked anger, "I will throw you in the dungeons for this, you—you peasant!"

Arthur scoffed offended, "That is not how I sound!"

Merlin hummed "You are right, I should yell more."

"Merlin, I swear—"

At that moment someone coughed outside the tent to make her presence known.

"May I come in?" It was Mersan and before she walked inside Arthur quickly shot to his feet but motioned Merlin to stay seated. Arthur took a stance just at the side of Merlin's chair. Like he did with his Father. Merlin smirked with mirth and was about to say something when Arthur swatted him the head first.

"Do not get used to this," Arthur advised before Merlin called Mersan inside.

Mersan stepped inside and she found the whole thing rather normal and Arthur knew that even amongst druids there must be protocols.

"Sorry, am I interrupting?" She asked cordially. Merlin turned towards Arthur, who raised a brow in return.

Right. Oh, right. He should talk first.

"No. Not at all," Merlin said but couldn't help but stutter,"Did—Did you find Iseldir?"

Mersan nodded. "They are waiting for you. If you are ready I can accompany you right now."

Merlin was about to say yes when he felt the glare of Arthur on his neck.

"I—I'll be there in a moment. I need to finish discussing something with Edmund but I won't take long." He said the last part in a hurry.

Mersan bowed satisfied, "Very well. I'll give notice to Iseldir then."

After a nod towards Arthur who returned it she left the tent. There was silence for a moment.

"Merlin, bossing people around does really not suit you," Arthur said with a showing smile.

"I felt like an ass! I'm not even doing anything." Merlin said a bit traumatized as he stood up, "You think she believed me?"

"Even if she didn't, Merlin. She wouldn't dare question you. See?" Arthur said confidently, "All you need to do is act confident and everything else will follow."

Merlin massaged his neck, "I don't know. I—I really don't like… doing… this," Merlin just waved around with his hands. He was just not used to all the attention.

Arthur shook his head, "Just for a day Merlin. You will live. Now, don't push it. Be still your fool, impish self just… more confident. That's all they want to see. The best sorcerer on earth." Arthur clapped his back twice hard almost sending Merlin to the ground, "You've got this."

Merlin sighed before nodding to himself. "Alright," He pushed his shoulders back but stopped as he went for the exit, "Wait, so what are you going to do here? I don't know how long I will take."

"No idea, be useless? That's what you do in Camelot."

"Oi—"

"Fine, you do clean once or twice every year. Now, good luck and don't come back without an answer, you hear me?" Arthur said seriously.

"I don't need luck," Merlin said as he stood up straighter and grinned impishly, "King's don't need luck."

Arthur was impressed, really, for a moment Merlin got him fooled, that was until Merlin tripped with his own feet as he walked to get the vase, he landed on the floor with a soft 'oof'. Merlin cringed as he got quickly got up.

"Just…don't make a fool of yourself, Merlin." Arthur sighed in defeat.

"Me? Never."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The inside of the tent of the high priestess wasn't anything remarkable; it didn't even look grimy or dark. Or maybe, after his past encounters with high priestesses he had expected to find something… evil lurking in a corner. Magical poisoned jewels, maybe find an old woman in the middle of a dark room brewing a stinky potion. A dead body perhaps.

Or maybe Merlin was thinking too much.

The tent looked incredibly normal, kind of boring. But all in all, Merlin was glad to find that the only thing remarkable in the room was the priestess herself. Well, definitely not an old woman.

Arya was royally seated on a wood chair by the same table Mersan had at her tent. Merlin wondered if being pretty was on the list of requirements when druids assigned girls to be high priestesses. Her long curly auburn hair was picked up in an elegant braid, she was tanned, like Arthur, and Merlin wondered if she trained or practiced a lot in the sun. But what caught the attention of the sorcerer was that she wasn't wearing a dress. She was wearing a deep blue royal blouse that fell to her tights, a golden belt went around her torso and then underneath she was wearing black pants and black boots to go with it.

She looked as if she was about to start a war… in a very elegant outfit.

When Merlin stepped inside Arya stopped reading her book and looked up, closing the book in her hands slowly as she narrowed her eyes as if investigating who dared to interrupt her. Merlin felt very underdressed at the moment.

Royal. Act royal and collected.

"I'm Emrys, young uh… priestess? Mersan told me I could come and see you." He smiled unsurely, but it was enough to make the serious atmosphere around the tent brake as Arya understood who exactly was standing there.

"Oh, Emrys! Please, come inside. I was told you were coming to visit me after a long trip but I didn't—well, please do not stand there a second longer," Arya waved him in as she stood up. Merlin was taller than her by several inches and he felt somewhat relieved.

It was the first time he felt so overwhelmed with a girl. Perhaps because all other witches and priestess he had met had tried to kill him.

"Thank you," Merlin said as he stood awkwardly in front of the table and then motioned to the book that was now forgotten on the table, "Sorry to interrupt."

Arya waved a hand as her eyes twinkled with calm excitement. "Nothing I can't do later. Please, let's have a seat and talk. My uncle should be here any moment, he went to oversee a few things around the camp but meanwhile do you want something to drink? Water? Tea? Some wine perhaps?"

Merlin politely shook his head, "I'm fine, thanks."

Arya looked young, a year or two older than Morgana perhaps. And Merlin, of course, couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"You look very different from what I had pictured in my mind," Merlin said as Arya took her previous seat after and he stammered, "Not that… I had expected something different, I just—" contrary to what he had expected, she gave a short laugh.

"You wouldn't be the first one. Everybody expects someone old." Arya cringed her nose and Merlin sighed in relief. The woman tilted her head to the side as she placed her hands on the table, "But to be honest… if I may?"

Merlin nodded, "Yes, please,"

"You look very different from the… well, idea I had of you." Arya's eyes did turn a bit steely after that but it was so fast Merlin thought he had imagined it. "Younger." She added and Merlin nodded his head. She probably imagined someone older, more handsome… and with a bit of more meat in his bones—Merlin added mentally. At least that's what Arthur was always telling him.

"Wouldn't be the first one, well, I guess it's a good thing magic focus more on the heart and talent than age and physique. At least that's what my Mom says,"

Arya smiled once again, " Clever woman your mother, right? Of course she is. If she gave birth to Emrys. What I am saying. She's never mentioned much in the stories of your birth."

Merlin didn't know exactly how to answer that, but at that moment the curtains of the tent opened and inside walked Iseldir. He looked exactly as Merlin remembered. Old, he walked slow, but a nice… warm aura surrounded him.

It's good to see you again, Emrys

Merlin blinked, as he involuntary jerked a bit on this seat in surprise, it had been a while since someone talked with him inside his mind, let alone uninvited. Merlin took a second to recover before he nodded under the keen eyes of Arya and Iseldir.

He could hear Arthur screaming in his head. 'Don't. stutter.'

"Thank you. It's good to see you too…" Merlin finally managed an answer and Iseldir smiled apologetically as Arya grumbled softly.

"You will have to forgive my uncle, he loves doing that," Arya said worriedly but Merlin had already recovered from the shock.

"It's alright. Not the first time it happens," Merlin laughed nervously.

As they took their places around the table Merlin started to wonder how much would be too much to reveal. And Merlin hated to admit it, but Arthur was right, he was Emrys and even if he wouldn't abuse his power he needed to make this an advantage.

Arthur had his moments of brilliance.

"And where is this friend I was told about?" Iseldir asked calmly, "Everybody that is friends with Emrys are a friend of ours."

If Merlin could be paid for the number of times he had heard that today…

'Display confidence. Always.'

"He was tired, it's been a long journey, besides, he feels more comfortable leaving the magic dealings to me. He's still new to all this."

Arya raised her brows, "He's not a sorcerer? Then what does he do?"

"Complain—" Merlin started and coughed when he realized his mistake, "I mean… complies he, uh—he's a strategist and he knows a lot about this land, so he helps me to travel faster and safer around kingdoms when needed be."

Iseldir and Arya both nodded but other than that waited politely in silence. Iseldir more in curiosity than anything else. They were waiting for him.

Alright. Merlin didn't know how to handle this.

"So… you must be wondering why I'm here, right?"

Arthur would have hit him.

Arya hummed, "I had a vision of you coming, indeed, however, we do not know the motives."

"Well, I have come here to ask for your help." Merlin said honestly, "I found an object that I believe is druid,"

Arya furrowed her eyes brows as Iseldir nodded.

"If there's something we can do to help you, we will."

Merlin hastily took the vase from within his satchel and placed it on the table with a soft thud. For a second Merlin stared at it. Shining gold, unmarked as the first day he found it and prayed to the gods for this to work.

"This vase… do you recognize it?" Merlin asked. It was Arya, surprisingly, who took it first, standing up from the table with the vase between her hands. Merlin stared at her but it was Iseldir who answered.

"Where did you find it?" Iseldir asked with his hands firmly folded in his lap. His eyes were kind but serious and Merlin knew at that moment that Iseldir at least knew exactly what Merlin had brought in.

Merlin looked at Iseldir, "I found it in the hut of the black witch… and I believe it has been used to hurt someone dear to me."

Iseldir held his gaze for a long time before he nodded. "I never expected to see it again, if I'm honest,"

Arya turned her attention to her uncle for a minute.

"It can't possibly be…" She said amazed as she looked between her uncle and the vase several times. "It's impossible."

"is it?" Iseldir asked and Merlin recognized a lesson when he was seeing one, "Why do you doubt your own thoughts, Arya? If it is what it is, and it feels as it feels. Why do you think it's impossible?"

Merlin blinked. Do old people just like to speak in riddles? Or it was just Iseldir and Kilgharrah?

"We thought it had disappeared. It was lost for centuries…" Arya said as she paced around the tent. She was looking at the vase as it could speak to her, "How? After futile searches and years after it was last seen, how can the vase return to us?"

"Emrys is here. Sitting at our table. You also never imagined meeting him and yet, here he is," Iseldir said as glanced at Merlin who gulped. Arya turned her sharp gray eyes to Merlin as if reading him.

"But the vase…It feels… different. It's like the magic inside has shifted…"Her voice faded but she looked towards Merlin with interest, "You have tried to break it."

It wasn't a question and Merlin almost stuttered.

"Yes."

"Why?" Arya asked quickly.

"As I said… it's hurting someone that I deeply care about." It wasn't a total lie. Merlin cared about Arthur… who cared about his father… so technically, it was the truth…kind of. Merlin internally cringed.

"Hurt? This vase wasn't designed to hurt anyone, Emrys," Arya said coldly, "We druids are not known for cruelty."

Merlin raised his hands in quiet surrender, "I'm not saying it was you who designed it that way. The great dragon told me that magic shifts through time and owners. As you said the vase was lost for centuries… and I found it in Morgana's—the black witch's hut. Who knows who has been keeping it all these years before her… and what did they do to it."

Arya stared at Merlin confused as he looked towards his uncle, "The great dragon? So the stories are true and the prophecies were right? The golden dragon of ancient times is alive? I saw him in my dreams… but never thought it could be true,"

"Very much alive, yes…" Merlin said drily. After all, it was him who had gotten him into this mess to start with. Arya looked like she was about to start a rant of questions about dragons and spells and old magic and Merlin acted quickly, "So the vase is indeed corrupted? That's what I feared. If the vase is as ancient as you say it is… it's no wonder none of my spells have worked."

Iseldir nodded as he motioned Arya to sit and give him the vase.

"Do you know what this vase is, Emrys?"

"No. It's magic… is more powerful than mine."Merlin felt almost ashamed to accept defeat but Iseldir nodded as Arya's eyes stared from Merlin to the vase.

"This vase, Emrys, was originally called The vase of the Death," The Goblet of Life. The Vase of the Death. Merlin wondered if somewhere here they didn't have the Table of Destiny or the Spoon of Doom. "You see, this was created in ancient times, Emrys, by the first druids, and along with other very few and rare artifacts this vase, along with the goblet, are just a few of their makings that have managed to survive to these days."

Merlin nodded, "I know the stories."

"Very well, then you must know that in those days, the lifespan of a person was lower than it is now. It was incredibly normal to lose someone young due to an illness. People died every day from the most minimal thing, a cut, a badly treated flu… and lots of them came to us for help."

"That's when the goblet of life came to existence," Merlin followed remembering the stories.

"No, that's what the stories don't say," Arya said sadly, "The Goblet of Life came a century or so later. First, the druids created this," With her hand, she touched her golden reflection in the vase, "this was their first object they created as strong and bold as to cure the impossible."

"So… this has the same function as the goblet of life?" Merlin asked dumbfounded but Iseldir shook his head.

"There are many things that are not shown or taught but we do learn from the mistakes, Emrys." Iseldir got up to retrieve a book; he sat again with the book in front of him. Magically, the book opened somewhere in the middle and there Merlin was able to see a real old inscription that he didn't know how to read, but he saw the drawing of vase, and along the vase some runes.

"Why it was called the vase of the Death?" Merlin asked somberly this time.

"As you know, prices must be paid when you play with life and death situations. The boy you guard is a result of this magical law," Merlin almost asked about which boy he was talking about. If Arthur knew he was referred as a boy he would throw a fit, "To give—"

"—You must take. The principle of magic." Like if Merlin could forget. Arthur's mother had died for Arthur to live.

"Well—" Arya said in deep thought as she kept her eyebrows furrowed, "People went to the druids to ask for help, to cure impossible illness, to give their dead more time… and so the druids crafted the vase… but using it came with a price."

"Let me guess, loss of memory?"

Arya tilted her head with a surprised look, "Not at all. The vase works as a… intermediary. The healthy person drops a single droplet of blood inside—from the ill person—and the vase would take away all sickness. A silent contract if you will."

"I'm… not following."

Arya pushed her braid behind her as she leaned on the table, "If you wanted that person to live longer… you gave yours in return. Half of it. The vase would save the person from which blood you poured inside it by taking years of life from the person who put it."

Merlin paled, "That's… that's… suicide, it's—"

"I know," Arya said sadly, "But it was the only way back in the beginning of the realms and many people took their chances, and many were happy with the result. Life spans were so short that winning a few months or years was enough. It wasn't perfect but it worked. Later the druids found a way to create the goblet of life, that takes energy and life from nature itself instead of people… and ever since then, the vase wasn't used."

Iseldir closed the book with a hum.

"The book doesn't say much either. It got lost a few decades after the druids began creating cities and started to move to build sanctuaries further and further away from their initial camp… and somewhere in-between the vase was lost, it was never seen again…" The look Iseldir gave Merlin was enough to make him gulp.

"Until now..." Arya finished and a long silence remained for a few heartbeats.

"How do you know is the vase then," Merlin asked, seeing that the effects they talked about didn't correspond with Uther's loss of memory, "The vase in the drawing has runes."

Arya for the first time acted childish, more her age, as she smirked, "Magical runes. Druid runes. Druid magic." She placed her fingers on either side of the vase and her eyes shined gold a moment later. For a second Merlin thought nothing happened, however, after a second longer, it looked as if the vase had several tiny green flames dancing around it.

It took some time for Merlin to realize that the flame was writing… and soon, all over the vase, little flames were circulating it, and as they went runes and words started to show. Merlin realized they were names. They disappeared to be later replaced with new ones faster than he could read. And soon it looked like the whole vase was filled with them, it seemed impossible to think that it could go back to be unscratched again after that.

"These are the names of the people that have requested to use the vase. At the time it served to keep a record of the patients… now—well," Iseldir sighed as she motioned for Arya to stop, however, Arya's eyes were fixed in the vase for a moment longer, "the vase has probably taken many victims after that. Thousands probably. If a sorcerer knew how it worked…it would be easy to trick them into using it, unaware of the price."

Merlin blanched, he wondered how many dark sorcerers killed people, good people, with this.

Arya pushed her hands away as she looked at Merlin with sad eyes, "You said someone important to you was affected? How?"

Merlin's eyes were fixed on the vase, as slowly but surely the letters disappeared, "Someone, well Morgana to be exact, has been trying to hurt me since she found out my identity… so Agravaine, a man of hers, dropped the blood of…someone dear to me into it."

"Who?" Arya pressed. "Your—"

"It does not matter who," Merlin said slowly but sadly, "All that matters is that I don't know how to fix this."

Arthur would have been proud had he been there. Just the enough amount of self-pity and confidence. Merlin gave himself a mental pat on the shoulder.

"And what did the vase do?" Iseldir asked curiously. "You said it hurt him, how?"

"He forgot." Merlin said simply, "One day he just woke up and forgot he had a son." He finally dragged his eyes away from the vase, nervous enough to wonder if they would believe it. "That's why I'm asking for your help. I know that with dragon fire I could destroy it but…"

"You are afraid to hurt him in the process," Iseldir nodded as Arya took the vase again and pushed the book closer to her this time, "I'm afraid I cannot help you in this task. My magic is not that old, Emrys, and definitely not stronger than yours, all I can be of help is knowledge now… my times of being a warlock are long gone I'm afraid…"

Merlin felt like someone had punched him in the stomach.

"I can," Arya said distractedly, Merlin looked up, feeling like if his own soul had escaped and came back inside his body in two seconds, "I lost my mother to the men of Cenred a few years ago, I don't know who you are losing but I want to help. If I work on it I'll be able to tell at least how the vase changed and how it works now. I'm certain that if we figure that out we might not be able to break the spell but work with it instead,"

Merlin gave her a grateful smile, there was a chance. They could actually help. "I'm— I'm really happy to hear that."

Arya smiled as she got up, vase in hand, "I will give you answers tomorrow night. If I invest my time in this all day and night it shouldn't be that hard. After all, it's druid magic."

Arya talked about druid magic like she was talking about an old friend she hasn't seen for a while but knew exactly where to find. Merlin realized this was probably one of the many powers of the priestess.

A moment later a druid guard showed his head inside the tent.

"Iseldir? Sorry to interrupt but you are being called by the elders by Tesarik's tent,"

Iseldir grumbled very uncharacteristically of him but stood up nonetheless.

"Very well, if you excuse me?" Iseldir asked and Merlin nodded.

"Of course."

Knowing when he was being dismissed Merlin stood up, as he did he remembered what Arthur had said.

"Well, anything I could do to help? Since you are helping me with the vase I feel like I could do something in return,"

Arya turned to him with raised brows.

"Actually…Mersan has a class with the young ronins in an hour. She was wondering if you wanted to go. Edmund is invited too, of course," She added hastily, "The kids would love to meet you,"

Merlin was tired, and he felt like he could for the first time ever sleep now that the vase could have a possible solution, however, he realized he couldn't just ignore this…

Wow, was this how Arthur felt whenever he was forced to do things he didn't want to do?

Politics.

"O—of course, I'll look for her then. And thank you. Again."

"I'll do my best," She said a bit over-enthusiastic and turned back to her work, Merlin nodded dumbly again before leaving the tent. The moment he was out Arya dropped her things on the table and took the vase in her hands, her eyes shined gold once again and the runes on the vase started showing. After a few minutes, her eyes grew cold seeing the magical name that came to life, brighter and newer than the rest.

She had not imagined it.

The name of Uther Pendragon was there.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Merlin was going to kill Arthur… when he finds him.

One thing. He had asked him one thing but of course, Arthur couldn't stay put not even for twenty minutes. Merlin wondered if Arthur liked to do this on purpose. But this was Arthur he was talking about. Arthur in a druid camp. And Mordred.

Merlin rubbed his face tiredly before sighing and resigned himself to what was going to be a long day. He stepped out the tent.

"Emrys, sir?" The guard outside the tent asked and Merlin almost jumped, he was carrying a huge plate with food on it.

"Y—yes, sir?" Merlin spluttered.

The guard blinked but kept a solemn face. "Your uh— companion told me you commanded someone to bring you food personally to your tent?"

Merlin blinked confused before he nodded, "Yes, food, yes. Hungry. Leave it inside—please," Merlin added hurriedly, he was going to kill Arthur. The guard just nodded and entered the tent. Merlin grumbled. The prat was even giving orders here. The guard came out a second later, bowed and left.

Merlin glared at the general direction of the camp and started walking with purpose in his step.

The sooner he finds him the sooner he could yell at him.

He was the king here, wasn't he?

He needed to ask if druids had dungeons here. Maybe that could keep Arthur alive for a day.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Arthur was bored two minutes after Merlin left.

He had paced the room, he read the titles of a few books but nothing caught his eye. After that, he tried to interpret the several maps that were laid on the table, shifting through them trying to decipher what were they telling.

"Mersan hates when people touches her stuff."

Arthur snapped his head up and looked at the entrance. No one was there. He quickly looked around as his hands instantly went for his sword… that wasn't there. Perfect. He placed his hands on the table firmly.

"Who's there? Show yourself,"

He heard a giggle and Arthur turned on his spot, eyes dancing around the tent.

"I'm down here,"

Arthur blinked. Down? He looked around, it took him a while but he almost screamed—fine he might have yelled a manly scream—when he found a girl laying on the ground, half her body inside the tent, half body out, smiling with her head in her hands as if it was perfectly normal.

She waved a hand.

Arthur just stared at her.

"Hello," The girl tried again.

Arthur looked around the tent as if expecting someone to show up and explain this. That didn't happen.

"Hello?" He finally said before he crossed his arms, confused beyond belief, "What—uh, what are you doing there?"

The girl shrugged, "What are you doing there?"

Arthur opened and closed his mouth twice, he narrowed his eyes.

The girl smiled brighter, "I'm Eliane. I'm the dragon's keeper."

"Uh—uh," Arthur raised a brow.

The girl waited as Arthur awkwardly looked around. What was he supposed to do? He was not good with kids and God knew that. Was she lost?

The girl hummed as she titled her head worriedly as if wondering if Arthur could remember how to talk.

"What—where did you come from?" Arthur asked very eloquently.

"I live in the other tent," She motioned behind her with a hand and Arthur's eyebrows shot up. Was she the daughter of Arya? Or someone's else's? The child must be the daughter of someone important if she was allowed to live in these tents. "The one with a blue ribbon outside. I made it myself." She said proudly.

"Alright, so… how about… you go back? Hm?"

"I don't want to," She deadpanned.

Arthur was quiet for a whole minute, he could feel the girl looking at him as he moved around the tent and back to the table, he tried ignoring her for a few moments but finally, he addressed her again, unable to ignore her piercing gaze.

"And for how long are you planning on staying there?" Arthur asked bewildered with a movement of his hand.

She shrugged, "I don't know, depends. Can I come in?" The girl asked before she dropped her head completely on the ground, "I'm boooored in my tent," Arthur chuckled against his will before he coughed in embarrassment.

"That makes two of us kid," Arthur said as he went to the entrance, no one was outside beside the guard. He looked back to see the girl playing with the earth beneath her as she sighed. Arthur smiled to himself and gave up. He motioned her in with a movement of his head, "Alright, c'mon in, if your mother starts yelling it's not my fault,"

Eliane giggled but quickly obeyed and finally dragged herself inside the tent. She couldn't be older than eight, such a little thing, not higher than his waist she was rather cute, even if Arthur says so. He was painfully reminded of Morgana when she was that age. Curly black hair, vivid green eyes. Arthur pushed the image away. It used to be a nice image, now it kept him awake at night.

"I don't have parents so it's fine," She said easily as she made her way expertly around the tent. Arthur gave her a silent but grief nod before he looked down to the table. So young to be an orphan. It was probably his father's orders what had caused this. Arthur had never felt so torn in wanting to help someone he loved.

The girl found a chair to sit to be at the same level and have a good look at Arthur. Eliane started up at his face as he blindly moved more papers to a side, deep in thought.

"Your hair is funny,"

Arthur grumbled as he moved his eyes up as if he would be able to see, utterly annoyed, "It's not my fault. I swear."

"I like it," The girl said and then, very unlike kids, she just sat there patiently as she waited for Arthur to be done moving papers. Finally, after two more minutes, the girl had enough,"I'm still bored."

Arthur sighed.

"What's your name? Are you friends with Emrys?" The girl asked as she narrowed her eyes, "Are you brothers?"

Arthur shook his head and finally stopped to read one of the documents. It was apparently about positions of other camps around the kingdom. Arthur narrowed his eyes; there was a big one near Camelot actually, strange.

"Edmund, and no, just friends. We work together."

"On what?"

"Destinies," Arthur deadpanned before he moved to another spot on the map. There was another camp just a few hours ride from Annora, a village near Camelot. How could the druids be there and neither Arthur nor his troops known of this? It was rather impressive as it was dangerous. This only showed how unprepared they were for a magical war. Not that he was looking for one, but his strategical mind couldn't help but wonder.

"I'm working in a destiny too," Eliane said before she pushed herself on her hands on the table, "Maybe we could work together?"

Arthur's smiled against his will, turning his attention back to the child, "Alright, what's your destiny? I bet it's better than mine"

"I told you. I'm the dragon's keeper," Eliane smiled proudly, "One every genetation,"

"Generation," Arthur corrected her automatically; "I'm supposed to be best friends with an idiot, see? Yours better."

The girl giggled, "You said idiot, Mersan calls her Ronis idiots. It's a funny word."

Arthur wholeheartedly agreed, "It truly is. Now, if my idiot friend could come here I could actually get something to eat, I'm starving."

At that moment he could hear a yell from outside his tent.

"Eli! Eli where are you?!"

Eliane jumped on her seat and before Arthur could stop her she ran to the entrance of the tent, opened the curtain and waved to someone outside.

"Eliane? What on earth are you doing inside—"

The curtain opened and inside walked Mersan who gave Arthur a dumbfounded look before looking down at Eliane.

"I wanted to talk with Emrys," The girl said simply, "But I only found Edmund who's busy working on his destiny,"

"I see..." Mersan blinked at this statement. Arthur blushed as he coughed to cover his face.

This. Kid.

"And we are bored,"

Mersan crossed her arms and looked down at her before looking up at him. She saw that Arthur had some papers in his hands and Arthur quietly but obediently lowered them before she decided to smack his hand away.

Mersan raised a brow in Arthur's direction, "You said you were a warrior, am I correct?" Arthur nodded, glad that she had overlooked the fact that he was reading things that were clearly out of his domain, "Very well, I have to work with my archers today, but Saimri and Mordred could learn a thing or two from Ealdor's best warrior," Mersan offered, "If you are not tired, that is,"

Arthur tapped his fingers against the wooden table. Mordred. He could feel Merlin's voice inside him basically yelling at him to not do it. But well, since when does he listen to Merlin? This was his chance of knowing a bit more about Mordred and maybe understand why Merlin was so scared of him.

To be honest, it was an act of reciprocity; Merlin was helping him with his father, well… Arthur will help with Mordred.

Or that's what Arthur told himself.

"Very well, just don't expect me to go easy on your students," Arthur said as he walked to the entrance. Elaine was already outside waiting for them.

"I didn't expect any less,"

A/N: I'm on a roll! I just want to keep uploading to finish this story already. I love it but I'm scared one day I will wake up not wanting to finish it when we are so close! Well, Mordred and Arthur meet in the next chap and Arya knows about Uther, what do you think she will do? And Merlin trying to act like a royal it's just not working for him. He's Merlin! but we all love him. It's okay buddy, we all love it when you fall on your feet.

Thank you for your reviews! They are LIFE TO ME! I cherish each one. Thank you, thank you thank you!

-Juliet'lovestory-