A/N: Hello everyone!
So you thought I was dead! Or forgotten about this fic and about you, or that I had just given up! Well, almost! But here I am, with the longest chapter so far, I won't explain much right now, other than to thank you for waiting for me (If there's anybody out there!) and apologize for the long, long waiting.
I'll see you at the end of the chapter.
And in case you need a brief summary here it is: if not, go ahead and read at your hearts content, grab a blanket and hot chocolate or coffee and enjoy!
[Summary: During the past few months Merlin and Arthur had been working together to solve their problems for the new path they choose, that is to build Albion. The most important problem at the moment is the famous golden vase that Morgana enchanted so Uther would lose his memories of Arthur.
Uther starts a contest: the sword in the stone, so he can find a heir to the throne, Arthur and Merlin convince him of this plan back when Agravaine was alive (he is dead now, thank God).
They plan the sword in the stone contest to win time and somehow convince Uther that Arthur is his son, that way Arthur can have his power back around the castle, since he has to sneak around and pretend he is a knight whenever Uther is around, however, rumors had spread in the citadel that something weird is going on with the royal family and time is running out.
Arthur and Merlin leave for Ealdor to have time for magical training and for figure out the vase. During this time Gwaine finds out that Merlin has magic, and my OC, Knight Owen is discovered to have magic too. Arthur and Merlin have a new alliance with the druids, and in exchange of their help Arthur gave up the vase and Merlin hatched Aithussa for them. Arthur becomes the King of the druids and we love him for that.
Arthur has a vision of Merlin dying in the magical pond of the druids, and he's very shaken about the fact that Merlin can die my Mordred's hand, the same way Merlin was traumatized, as we all know, about how Mordred can kill Arthur. They meet him at the druid camp and Merlin brakes his leg but he is alright and no one is angry, they left in pace.
They make their way back to Camelot, and the day before Arthur has to take the sword he leaves with Merlin to fight Morgana once and for all once they find out that Gwen is missing, and Elyan demands Arthur his help to rescue her. The Dream Team: Lancelot, Arthur, Gwaine and Merlin, along with Elyan and four druids go to fight the so prophesied battle of Merlin and Morgana, just to find her dead in her hut.
And that's where you are at right now, hope it helped!]
Happy reading!
The Sword In The Stone
Part l
"Whoever pulls out the sword from this stone, and wield it, is righwise the King born for all England." - Thomas Mallory. King Arthur and his knights.
Gwaine had seen a lot of strange things in his life. Quite several to be honest.
He had known a woman in his hometown who lost her mind when news about her son dying in the war reached her, the woman walked around town, always talking to the wind as if her son was
walking right along with her.
When he was twelve he had seen how a strange, homeless, and poor old man, that looked ready to fall and die, had given his last golden coin to an eight-year-old who had stopped by him and had offered him a smile.
He had heard about dragons being alive, dragons who were millennia old that roamed this earth freely. He had heard about men wanting to get married.
He had seen one of his closest friends create an earthquake with his bare hands with golden shiny eyes instead of blue.
He had been there when Arthur Pendragon, Prince of Camelot, knighted him. Him. Gwaine, a no one and good for nothing but drinking and fighting, and turned him into a man of respect…. Well, most of the time.
So indeed, he had seen, heard, and witnessed a lot of strange things in his life.
However, the strangest thing to this day had to be the total confusion, anger, and almost despaired look that showed on Merlin's face when they found Morgana's cold dead body in her hut.
Because Morgana was dead.
There was no other way to soften the blow, this wasn't a trick of magic, or a spell. Gwaine knew that the strong smell of the rotten dead skin floating in the air couldn't be a hallucination. The way the vacant eyes of Morgana were staring at nothing in particular. The smirk still fresh and cold on her face. There was no way she was alive, and then again that didn't stop himself from shivering at the sight of her lifeless form.
Because Morgana was dead. Never to wake up again. To terrorize again. To manipulate and kill and destroy everything in her wake. To never hurt Merlin ever again. They were safe.
Gwaine almost let out a relieved chuckle. Almost.
Because Merlin?
Merlin didn't even look close to feel relieved about it.
Strange thing indeed.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Morgana was dead.
Morgana was dead.
And it took an incredibly high amount of time for that sentence to fully sink in. Merlin felt as if time had stopped and that the room had been reduced so it only was him and Morgana, his magic going both erratic and then stale in an infinite loop. All Merlin could hear was his labored breathing as if he had run miles and miles and was now only finally stopping to realize he had run to a precipice. The room had not gone darker by any means, his bubbly ball of light was still shining over their heads, and yet he felt as if there was not enough light.
Merlin almost expected her to rise slowly from her chair and dust her hands on her tattered dress, that she would pin him where he stood with just her eyes and mock him. Laugh in his face for his confusion. Rejoice because once again he had been too late to understand the plan that she had placed into motion.
'I always knew you were too kind, Merlin. Too caring. Do you really think me, the greatest priestess could die? That I would be here, defenseless? That your little army could do anything against me? How naïve of you.' And her words would freeze him like ice, and her eyes would be filled with rage. "How arrogant. Emrys."
And she would kill him. Just like that.
And yet she didn't move. She was gone.
Morgana, the evil witch, a woman who had haunted him for years, who had killed so many people close to him, who had made him suffer and who had thought him the true feeling of loss and betrayal was now a cold body on a chair in a hut abandoned from the world.
And for whatever reason, Merlin couldn't find relief in that thought, his hands trembling in front of him as his magic waited for his command, he could feel it pulsating all around him. But his brain had stopped working because none of this made sense, and yet there she was dead right in front of him, undeniable in its own raw truth.
She was gone.
Gone forever.
He felt a prickle of relief and anger followed by a sentiment so buried within himself he almost choked on it; a familial mourning. Sadness, reprieve and disappointment… grief. All these feelings so foreign to him that it left Merlin perplexed and confused for a moment.
There was a loud intake of breath beside him and Merlin was soon reminded that he wasn't alone. His blue eyes turned immediately to the body beside him. Arthur. Arthur whose eyes were fixed on the body of his sister. No, no it wasn't Merlin who felt this way, it was Arthur. And Merlin could not hear his thoughts but some of the emotions still flowed between them from their mental connection.
Merlin breathed in and out twice, his blue eyes never leaving Arthur's face, for the outsider Arthur was just shocked, just like everybody else, but regardless he looked strong and calm, a complete opposite of how he was feeling internally. Merlin turned his eyes towards Morgana again and as quietly as he could he retracted himself from Arthur's mind, slowly the world around Merlin made sense again. His feelings and thoughts only his own.
Arthur was seeing the dead body of his sister, a woman Merlin knows he once loved as family. Merlin wondered how Arthur could still feel relief and at the same time grief over the same person. For the life of them, neither could stare away.
Merlin was pondering on how to react, what to say, what would be the next course of action when Arthur recovered first, surprising everyone else in the room.
He turned his head towards Merlin, sharing a glance with him, a meaningful one, before he started to walk slowly but steadily towards her body. Behind them, they could hear the gasp of Elyan and the hushed voices of Gwaine and Lancelot calling Arthur to stay away from her.
Merlin irrationally wanted to call him back, he even raised a hand that just grasped air in order to stop him, his mind yelling at him to say something as Arthur lowered his sword, but he couldn't, his mind too transfixed at the sight in front of him. Because Morgana, despite finally being so close to the man she wanted to kill, remained unmoving, her eyes vacant, not following his form even as Arthur's feet thudded softly against the dirty floor and closed the space between them in a second.
Arthur stopped with a grim face just a step away from her.
No one moved.
Air so heavy, Merlin almost couldn't breathe.
"Arthur, careful." That was the commanding voice of Mersan somewhere behind them. "Death is not a wise reason to lower your guard around magic."
Merlin wanted to agree but his magic was not picking on anything living, nothing was shouting at him beside the wrongness he had felt all the way here, the same wrongness he felt in every inch of his skin now. The wrongness and darkness of a magical death.
But there were no more enemies in sight, no army, no more evil sorcerers allied with her.
Merlin just couldn't believe it.
There was a tense moment of silence before Arthur gently placed his knuckles against her cheek and Merlin could swear everyone behind him took a step forward when Morgana's head rolled to the side.
Merlin just impulsively reacted, he had not even meant to, but he had commanded Lancelot's sword out of said knight's hand with his magic, and before he knew it had made it fly straight to Morgana's chest in his sheer panic, however, rationality won in the end when Morgana kept on being unmovable as a stone, and he made it stop and levitate just a step away from her chest.
Merlin realized he could hurt Arthur more with that one action than he could ever hurt Morgana now.
Arthur had not even noticed.
"Oh, Morgs…" Arthur finally whispered, voice breaking as he allowed a hand to cover his mouth in grief. Arthur speaking finally broke the spell around the team.
Merlin gave out a shaky breath as he lowered his hand, returning Lancelot's word back to his owner. The sorcerer just stared as Arthur's heart broke over the sight. It was true that Arthur wanted her dead and he would've done everything in his power to ensure this, however, it does not mean he didn't hurt to see her that way. Broken and cold, and lifeless. Everything the Morgana they had known years ago was not.
Merlin jumped a little when he felt the strong but kind hand of Lancelot in his shoulder, he almost knocks the knight back with a spell. Merlin loosed his stance minutely, letting all the air in his lungs go slowly before shaking his head.
"I almost knocked you unconscious." Merlin said in a ragged breath.
Lancelot just shrugged an apology as they exchanged a grim look.
What on the seven kingdoms happened here? Lancelot seems to as with his eyes, terrified at the sight.
Merlin didn't answer as he looked around, still feeling anxious and tense. There were a million questions lying around the hut in the form of broken vases and glass, tattered papers and dark objects as if they were invisible threads that lead to Morgana's death, but no matter what Merlin could not decipher them and put the puzzle together.
Silently he shrugged back at Lancelot.
He was just as confused as everybody else.
"Is she really dead? How is this even possible?" Gwaine whispered from the window, sword still half raised and he used to point it at Morgana. His voice carrying steadily around the silence. "Wasn't there supposed to be a damn prophecy?"
"Prophecies never fail," Merlin whispered back almost robotically as his eyes strayed towards Morgana again. "It's why I—I don't understand. I… I was supposed to kill her so how—? How can she be…"
Dead?
"Maybe…. Maybe this is a trick? Is that possible?" Lancelot asked perturbed, still eyeing around the hut with caution as if he could sense anything out from it. "Can we be under a spell? That this is not happening in reality and only in our heads? It happened before."
Merlin was shaking his head before he finished speaking. He wished Gaius were here to help and explain, or maybe he would know something they were all missing.
"Impossible, no magic can uphold this strong with so many people involved. If it was just me? Probably. Maybe. But all of us seeing the same thing? That could be but… there would be discrepancies, too many details to give it away, besides why picture her dead? She could be physiological torturing us. Showing us way more horrible things. This… I just— I don't—"
Merlin could feel the start of a panic attack when Mersan's voice cut through the air like a knife.
"Emrys." Merlin turned towards her, his blue eyes searching hers in the midst of his confusion. Maybe she knew what was happening. Maybe she knew why he was seeing her body when in reality it was impossible. There's probably a logical reason for all this, right? However, Merlin could hear the tension in her voice. As if she was stressing a very important fact. Her grey eyes were trying to convey something to him. "Emrys, Morgana is dead."
Yes. Yes indeed and that's exactly the reason he was losing his mind! He almost huffed in annoyance but she had said those words slowly and deliberated. Giving Merlin time to process this thought. She moved her eyes around the hut, looking at everyone besides Arthur who seemed unperturbed by the discussion before her heavy stare landed on him again. As if forcing him to understand. Urgency in her voice. "Someone killed the Dark Witch, Emrys. The most dangerous priestess in all the seven kingdoms."
A pause.
"And it wasn't by your hand."
Merlin finally understood in a moment of sheer clarity. His eyes grew huge. He could almost feel how even Lancelot stopped breathing beside him, the rest in the hut grew tense and soon hell broke loose.
"And however did it is out there, isn't it?" Gwaine instantly raised his sword again, voice low, as if afraid someone would overhear. His eyes fixed on the forest now. The twin druids' girls instantly followed his stance, their weapons of choice at the ready.
"Shuri?" Mersan called authoritatively but the older twin just shook her head in response. "No visions then. It's good news."
Merlin was silent, letting the thought almost consume him and for the first time in a long time, he felt fear. Real panic and fear. His magic going erratic and tingling in his skin.
The question wasn't, what, or when, not even how.
It was who.
Someone had killed Morgana. And if someone had killed her…. Merlin's eyes shined gold in retaliation. They could kill him.
"Merlin, Merlin, breathe! Stop it!" Merlin snapped out of it when suddenly Arthur was there, shaking him urgently by his shoulders. Merlin blinked around in shock. He had created a little havoc inside the hut in just a few seconds. Stray papers were flying around in a circle of strong wind in different directions, which was causing the windows to shake and for whatever glass was left to shatter, by the window the druids girls were apprehensively staring at him, positions forgotten as Elyan covered in a corner, hands above his head. "Merlin!"
At once he willed the wind to calm down with a motion of his hands getting control of his magic once again. "I'm sorry." He said shakily, as he repeated himself, as he helped Lancelot to his feet, the knight had dropped to his knees to avoid being hit by a large piece of wood. Merlin looked at Arthur, hoping his friend could understand. "I'm sorry. "
It had been a very long time since he had lost control like this. The hut was quiet once again, however, now everything seemed loud to his ears, and his hands couldn't stop shaking.
His shoulders trembled under the weight of these past few minutes, and even with Arthur's hand still holding him still he was shaking. In fear? Anger? Confusion? He didn't know anymore. Merlin was just able to stare at Morgana's face. She had vowed to kill him someday, hadn't she? And now she lied there? Just like that?
Another move, even in her death, to hunt him like this?
"What do you want from me?" Merlin whispered at her, angrily, demanding, however, he got no response.
And he never will.
Arthur and Merlin locked eyes in a silent conversation before Arthur got his resolve. It was clear that Merlin wasn't in charge of this mission anymore. And just the thought put Arthur into motion. It was alright. Arthur wanted to say to him, to reassure him. I'll take it from here.
"If Mersan is right we need to go. Every moment we stay here we are putting ourselves in unnecessary risk." It was Arthur's commanding voice now that filtered through the hut, he gave a last squeeze to Merlin's shoulder as he turned away to address the room. His eyes filled with sorrow but determination as he surveyed everyone. "Gwaine, Lancelot, keep an eye around the perimeter, you see anything out of the ordinary and come straight here, do not engage, I'm not losing anyone else today. Take the twins with you, they may help us from above the trees."
They all nodded, quickly following his command, Lancelot taking the lead with the twins close to him while Gwaine followed behind, his stare lingering on Merlin and Morgana for a second more before moving.
"Now, Merlin, what do you think? Anything here around the hut seems worth inspecting?" Arthur said looking around the mess, unable to identify anything worth carrying around. Mersan was already bent over picking some of the notes and looking suspiciously to a surviving glass next to her feet.
Merlin just shrugged honestly, eyes shining gold, inspecting what he could without trying to feel overwhelmed with all his emotions. "Nothing speaks to me as a magical object, the place feels…. well, decrepit in a way, everything is covered with dark magic, but I don't think you can even feel it."
"Maybe nothing magical but these notes could help, some of this is in ancient druid language, I'm sure Arya will be interested," Mersan said as he motioned for Lyaa to start helping her, however, the girl barely reacted.
"Here, I'll help." Merlin tried a smile and in a few seconds, all the remaining papers in the hut piled neatly in the arms of Mersan, who nodded in appreciation. Lyaa was still pretty shaken, her hands shrugging on her clothes as if to contain her anxiety. Merlin warmly placed a hand on her shoulder when she moved closer to Mersan.
"I'm very proud of you today, I would have liked you not to jump on top of a hut where a magical evil witch lived! But— well, you were brave. So thank you." Merlin said and Lyaa just smiled, adjusting her bow behind her. "Now go outside, you can start reading the pages in the sun, anything worth our time we can share it between Gaius and Arya."
"Also I'll try and see if there's nothing around the hut worth taking with us," Mersan announced as she left with Lyaa on her toes, she gave Morgana one last glance before looking at Merlin. "There's no point of us lingering here much longer."
Merlin nodded heavily as he turned around, his eyes shining gold as he inspected the hut one last time, looking for any clue as to what had happened, who might have done this. He just had too many questions, and by this time it would be better to come back with either the great dragon or Arya to inspect this further.
"Elyan?" The prince furrowed his brows when he saw Elyan quietly standing at the entrance of the hut as if waiting for instructions. Merlin had almost forgotten he was there. The sorcerer turned towards him in a moment, something feeling out of place.
"Yes?" Elyan said, finally looking away from the body, hands shaking. His eyes huge on his face. Arthur looked around the knight as if expecting to see someone with him. Arthur's eyes turned sharply toward him.
"Where's Gwen?"
Elyan looked shocked by the question.
"Have you not taken her out yet? What—Gwen… she's…." Arthur stopped midsentence as he looked alarmed to the only door left closed on the hut. Elyan seemed to break out from his own stupor and Merlin's heart went for him. Seeing the woman who had tortured and killed his friends in this very place could be incredibly disturbing and shocking he supposes. However, the knight didn't waste a moment longer, he crossed the small space in five long strides, he had to try a few times, but finally, he managed to wrench the door open with the help of Arthur himself.
Merlin didn't dare to move too far from the body, but he glimpsed inside the room from the wide opening and saw the body of Gwen resting on the floor, for a moment guilt consumed him, finding Morgana dead had erased everything else for a moment, however, at seeing the dried blood on her face Merlin couldn't help but rush to her side along with Arthur, who lingered at the door. Elyan was on his knees hugging her to his chest.
"Gwen?" He whispered before shaking her lightly. "Gwen, c'mon. Wake up."
But Gwen wasn't moving.
"God, please not her," Arthur whispered with palpable pain as if in a mantra. Merlin instantly dropped by her side checking her pulse as Elyan numbly held her in his arms. "Not her."
"This is your fault." Elyan turned towards Arthur so suddenly Merlin was startled. His voice was filled with rage and tears were threating to fall from his eyes. "It's your fault. All of this; the death of my friends, my torture, Gwen. For even putting her at risk when—"
"She's breathing." Merlin interrupted quickly, eyes were fixed on Gwen as he placed a hand against her cheek, she was still warm, and her chest was moving. Has Elyan not noticed this?
"What?" Arthur stammered.
"She's alive." Merlin quickly informed them and Elyan seemed to run out of words as he stared at Merlin in shock.
"What?" Elyan asked again, just for good measure.
"She's alive!" Merlin gave a bubbly laugh, relieved to at least find a moment of peace in this chaos. As he looked fondly at her. "Passed out but alive, Elyan. Her pulse is strong, she didn't lose that much blood apparently, probably exhaustion and adrenaline drained her from energy. My magic does not detect any venom in her blood system, she will be alright."
Elyan hugged her closer in shock and just nodded, Merlin's knot on his stomach loosed infinitely. Gwen was alive. No one had died, like a miracle, they were all alright. It seemed too good to be true.
Arthur took a moment to breathe and nod, trying to compose himself, a tear had been threating to roll but stubbornly he wiped before anyone could see.
Lancelot showed on the door a second later, relief clear on his face when he saw the soft smile on Merlin's face, while Elyan just looked down at Gwen.
"She's alright, then? Thank the gods," Said Lancelot, relief clear on his face, then he turned to adress Arthur directly, "Everything in the perimeter was checked, nothing. The place is bare from anything magical or traps, we are good to go." At the silence on Arthur's part Lancelot furrowed his brows, Arthur still looked stricken at the harsh words Elyan had hit him with just a few seconds ago. Merlin sent a reproachable look towards Elyan but the man seemed undisturbed by it.
"Arthur—" Lancelot started, but was cut short.
"Elyan, take Gwen outside, tend to her injuries and get ready to start the journey back to Camelot. Wake her up if you can, if you don't let's wait to hear what Gaius has to say." Arthur said after a final glance at Gwen and turned towards the hut, avoiding everyone's gaze, suddenly very interested in a spot on the far away wall. "There's no point in making you wait here any longer when Gwen could get medical help. Take Gwaine with you on the way back, it will be safer for both of you. We will be right behind you."
Elyan carried Gwen outside the hut in complete silence after that, ignoring Arthur blatantly, who just moved out of his way. Lancelot and Merlin both began to open his mouths when he was out of reach but Arthur shot them down with a glance.
"We don't have time for you to sugarcoat this." He said gravely. "I don't need to hear it. Let him be. We have more pressing matters right now."
Merlin did not agree with this line of thought but decided this was a fight he would have to postpone. He raised from the ground and walked inside the main room again.
"Who do you think did this?" Lancelot asked when they were the only ones left inside the hut. The three friends stared at the body of Morgana in silence. That fact lingered heavily on their shoulders, and for a while, no one spoke.
"I don't know," Merlin confessed. "I need to speak with Arya, Iseldir, and Killgarrah. I can't see any weapon, any trace of dark magic that does not belong to Morgana herself. This just doesn't make sense. The prophecy—"
"The prophecy was wrong, Merlin," Arthur said tersely as if he couldn't stress this fact enough. He pressed the bridge of his nose with two fingers, trying to calm himself. "It was wrong. It was wrong all along. We need to take a different path of thinking if we want to solve this. I think even Arya would agree."
"Prophecies are never wrong. You might not interpret them right, or they can variate, but they are never wrong. It was my destiny, Arthur." Arthur raised a brow and Merlin's confidence wavered when Arthur's eyes just glanced back at Morgana daring him to speak one more word but Merlin persisted. "It's impossible."
And yet…
Arthur sighed as if he too wasn't willing to have this battle with Merlin either.
"Does this means we have an ally?" Lancelot asked instead, forever the peacemaker.
"Or an enemy that just wanted her out of his way," Arthur said darkly as he unclasped his knight cape and covered Morgana's body with it, unable to stare at her decrepit form any longer. He looked outside the window, Mersan and Lyaa were outside the hut, inspecting the few objects that had managed to survive along with all the papers that were readable enough for deeper inspection later. "Either way we have to get to Camelot and seek answers, there's nothing else for us to do here."
Arthur felt restless though, the lack of battle had left his body tense and the adrenaline was still working through him, his left-hand clenching and unclenching involuntarily.
"Well," And they turned to see Gwaine standing at the door, who apparently had just come to announce his departure with the siblings back to Camelot. "I would call it a string of good luck."
"Good luck?" Merlin asked as if the mere concept was foreign to him.
"I certainly would; no fight, no one is dead, no magic spells waiting for us to fall dead on our feet. We are all alive and breathing, that counts as good luck to me in my book. But I'm not gonna lie, my friends, I feel like having a beer, or five." Gwaine confessed with an easy shrug, but his stare was glacial, he wasn't fooling anyone, he was about ready to leave like anyone else.
"Who would've seen the day were Sir Gwaine would be scared, uh?" Merlin smiled tiredly but nodded. "Maybe it was… a bit of good luck."
"First round on me today." Even Lancelot had to agree as he massaged his neck tiredly. "It's been a terribly long week."
"Well, see you all with Gaius, I'm taking Elyan and Gwen first, if that's okay, Arthur?" Gwaine raised a preoccupied brow at said prince, who had been busy inspecting the hut, oblivious to the talk around him, searching for something as he kicked somethings carefully with his feet. "What is he—Arthur, what are you doing?"
Arthur gave a long sigh as he finally found what he had been looking for, he hastily reached for it behind a tattered bookcase, he passed a long shovel between his hands before he started to the door. Gwaine moved quickly to let him through.
Arthur looked tired, as if he had battled a thousand wars alone.
He moved opposite from the path would lead them to the horses that they had left long behind. Mersan raised to her feet when he exited the hut, but did not comment at the strange behavior when he just walked by. Arthur didn't even turn to face her, his eyes searching for something and lighting up with cold decision when he found what he was looking for. He marched towards a huge tree on the side of the clear. Shovel resting on his shoulder.
"And where is he going?" Gwaine whispered to Merlin and Lancelot when the two friends caught up with the obnoxious knight just outside the door of the hut. Merlin's eyes shifting towards the body of Morgana every few seconds… just in case. Afraid that if he blinked her body would no longer be there. "Merlin?"
"To dig a grave." Merlin finally answered, as he gave a long, long sigh, crossing his arms, still feeling his magic vibrating inside of him, screaming to him to leave, to move, to do something.
But he couldn't, not yet. He walked inside the hut and with a movement of his hand, he made the only chair in the room move until it stood up a few feet away from Morgana. Silently, the greatest sorcerer to roam this earth sat on it to keep watch of the unmoving body behind the scarlet of Arthur's cloak.
"Arthur is a very, very stubborn, loyal, decent human being, even when he does not have to be. You used to say that." He announced Morgana bitterly, tiredly, angrily. Angry because he could never understand her, and now with her death, everything Merlin would've wanted to ask or know died along with her. Merlin tapped his arms anxiously, the red cape mocking him, still just as the body underneath even with the soft wind blowing inside.
"I wonder if you could've seen the future you would've taken the same path, Morgana. You lost everything; your magic, your father, your brother, your sister, your own life. Everything because you wanted… what? Power? To rule? Revenge? Were you scared?" He asked. "Was anything of this even worth it?"
The silence that lingered was only broken with the steady rhythm of Arthur shoveling earth to the side right under the leafy tree, the sun high in the sky.
So Merlin sighed and waited for Arthur to finish so they both could bury this nightmare several feet underground. So maybe Arthur could forget he ever had an evil sister, so maybe he could forget someone he loved lose her life trying to kill him, and maybe Merlin could forget this happened, maybe he could find a way to understand how something as important as his prophecy had been broken.
Nothing made sense to him at the moment, he was still and quiet as everything he had believed in collapsed in his mind and all around him. The fact that the one thing he had been scared of his whole life would never come to happen now was unsettling. But how? Why? Unable to find any answers for his questions he sat there, quietly staring at the corpse behind the red cloak, even covered he could still see her eyes burning into his.
So he sat there; controlling his breath, slowly countin in and out, just to hear something else beside his erratic heartbeat and the slow work from Arthur outside.
And maybe, only maybe, the silence of Morgana's body will stop ringing so loud in his ears.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Arya was pacing her tent.
The sun has begun to lower on the horizon and her Tensai along with her Ronins should be back around now, she had been confident in Mersan's abilities and in her own pupils so they could aid Merlin and yet succeed in this battle against Morgana.
Hours upon hours have passed and she has yet to hear from them. Maybe she should've let more sorcerers go with them, but she didn't want to risk the battle with too many warriors, sometimes the gift of surprise and not numbers was what made the difference, however, she couldn't help but worry about her own decisions now.
Tired of walking inside the same place she took a deep breath and stepped outside, staring up at the late evening sky, grey clouds mixed in a deep red and orange sky made the composition of today's sunset. She scratched her arm absently, the feeling of wrongness has dissipated during the passing of the day, now it barely clings to her, yet she still brushed her clothes and scratched her skin as if in that way she could get rid of the feeling.
Destinies changing… she wondered if that could be true, if Iseldir was right and Arthur and Merlin were out there silently, slowly but surely, day by day, making a whole new story that she was yet to See.
She was deciding to either pay Mordred another visit or go and see how the elders were doing in their weekly meeting—, after all, winter was coming and they needed to be ready with supplies and new schedules for everyone—when she felt it.
For a second, just for a slight moment in time everything was silent, as if everything and everyone around her had stopped its motions; the trees, the wind, the sounds of the kids playing outside being called by their mothers to dinner, the far away laughs of a couple of friends, the crackling fire inside her tent, the rustle of the lapels of the several tents in the camp flapping In the lazy wind.
It all stopped just to start again. It was so sudden it could very well have been her imagination, but she had felt it. Deep inside of her, it had been a different feeling from the one she had all day, it wasn't just a feeling she couldn't place, or locate the beginning of it, no, this grew within her, a fear she had never known before.
A fear of the unknown. So irrationally born that she was left speechless, as the world was put into motion was again and once all sounds rushed back in, she forced herself to stay calm. Something was wrong, she knew this with certainty and yet she didn't know what.
That's when she heard the unique sound of a dragon roar. And suddenly, Arya didn't know exactly what or how, but something incredibly important had happened, she felt it in her bones, and yet her panic quietly awaken when she saw Linorien running towards her, her red hair shining lazily in the last rays of the sun.
"Did you feel that?" Arya wanted to ask, but nothing came out of her mouth. Linorien stopped in front of her, pushing her glasses up her nose. Arya expected the worse when she saw the grave face of the herbologist.
"Mersan is at the entrance with the twins and Lyaa, they are coming this way. We need an assembly right now. We should call for Iseldir, and—Arya are you alright?" Linorien finally asked preoccupied at the stoic and yet confused face of Arya, who had her arms wrapped tightly around herself.
"Didn't you feel that?" Arya finally managed to say, her voice low and almost broken, so unlike her, it took Linorien by surprise.
"Feel what? Arya, did you hear what I just said?"
"Something happened…" She whispered, almost frantically. "Something happened and I don't know what is." Arya's magic for the first time in years was no help to calm her down. She knew everything that had yet to come, everything that had passed, she has seen thousands of futures and still, still she could be very naïve and incredibly blind at times like these.
"I felt it." Linorien and Arya turned to see Iseldir walking towards them from the forest inside the Druid camp. Face somber. It was the first time Arya witnessed his uncle with such a strange stare in his old and wise eyes. "And Aithussa did too."
"Aithussa? You mean the dragon?" Linorien said confused. "What about it?"
Iseldir and Arya didn't bother answering Linorien at the moment. Arya's mind somewhere else, still trying to understand what had just happened when Iseldir gave her a heavy stare before commanding them to follow him.
Arya followed several steps behind, composing herself, a fake brave stare while inside she was crumbling with a million questions as the statement of his uncle finally made sense to her.
A dragon in a Druid camp, the roar Aithussa gave… the feeling Iseldir and Arya both experimented. Something boundless… no, it wasn't something untamable, it felt more like if something unmovable had moved. The most magical beings in the world would've been able to feel this change. It had not just been the wrongness in the air from before… but something else. Something even heavier had settled all around her, invisible, untouchable, and yet so solid, as if it was dripping in her veins, an air of change that settled over her shoulders.
Destinies were changing.
Could it be? Could it be possible? But if that was true… then why she felt so uneasy?
Her answers came to her when she found Mersan at the meeting tent. There were no pleasantries, Mersan had not bothered with protocol, and just told Arya what she wanted to know.
Every word Mersan said felt like a blow, the whole story of Morgana and Merlin's fight did not make sense to her, it was so unnerving she had to ask for Mersan to stop for a moment.
Neither Linorien, nor Mersan, nor the other dozen people surrounding her understood the gravity of the situation. Only Iseldir by her side, quiet and stoic, seemed to understand.
"I do," Mersan said calmly when Arya spoke these thoughts out loud. "There's someone out there more powerful than Emrys himself. But who? I thought it wasn't possible."
"I'm more preoccupied about the why," Linorien said firmly. "Why kill her? Or rather, why not wait for Emrys too? How do we know it's not someone seeking revenge? For all we know it could be the doing of another sect of magic. Morgana has many enemies."
"And none had managed to kill her." Said another Tensai with long white hair. "Not until now, but what for? Why leave her body there?"
But Arya was not listening anymore, none of that was important, none of it, at least not right now.
Morgana had died. And Emrys had not killed her.
Iseldir and Arya were speechless. Side by side, they shared a glance.
Destinies changed.
Right at that moment. Right in front of their eyes. And no one seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation.
Something so unmovable and unbreakable, something that had been written in the stars, in books, something she had known since she was six years old and proclaimed the High Priestess. Emrys someday, somehow, was going to face The Dark Witch and kill her, kill her or die trying. No one knew the outcome, but she knew it had to happen, her faith in Emrys had just been blind enough to trust he would come out of the prophecy victorious. And yet that destiny had not happened. Will never happen. And everything that line in history had entailed suddenly ceased to exist.
Arya, the high priestess who had seen everything and everyone, suddenly couldn't see more than what was happening right before her eyes. Because the whole future she had seen once when Emrys would kill Morgana ceased to exist.
The future was open, up for the taking once again. A future that will unveil before them. Arya could see a glimpse of what was yet to come, and had always known, in one way or the other what to expect, however, at this moment in life she came up blank.
She could not See. And Arya was truly, for the first time since she was a little girl, terrified.
Morgana was dead, and with her, everything Arya had thought she knew. In a room full of people talking, discussing, and conversing, she felt as if she had gone deaf. Blind. Useless.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
"Beautiful sunset, isn't it?"
Percival turned towards the voice of Owen beside him, and the knight turned once again towards the sky to appreciate what his friend was telling him and shrugged.
"I guess? I prefer clear blue skies if you ask me. Purple sunsets."
"We had one like those a few days ago in Ealdor."
"Quite an adventure you had over there, right mate?" Percival gave his friend a smile and nodded with his head. "How is the arm healing?"
Owen shrugged merrily, his arm was almost fully healed, thanks to both Merlin and his own magic, however, no one recovered from a broken arm in just a few days, so Owen had his arm cradled in a cloth close to his chest just to avoid suspicion.
"It's getting better. How's the leg?" Owen asked conversationally as he saw the row of people trying the sword in the stone slowly move forward. The afternoon air was a bit chilly, now with winter over their heads, and yet people were lining up, news around Camelot had spread that Arthur was coming tomorrow to retrieve the sword once and for all, and everyone either too brave, naïve, or just stubborn were trying one last time before Arthur came to surely win this tournament his own father had installed.
"It's getting better," Percival smirked as he lazily looked around the clear where the sword was still embedded in a stone, not an inch had moved since Percival had seen it from the first time and he honestly wondered if he would ever witness it move, if Arthur could really pull this off. "Have you heard from Merlin recently? I haven't seen him around."
"Not lately," Owen coughed and stared ahead, never been good at lying. Before Merlin left he had asked Owen one favor, spread the word Arthur was coming for the sword. When Owen asked why Merlin had just shaken his head.
"It's important, that's all. Also, keep a close watch on Uther and the sword while I'm gone, I just… I just need someone there who understands" Merlin had told him with urgency before he had left with Arthur in a secret quest. "Please."
So Owen wasn't so sure what he had yet to see, but so far, everything had been just as expected; uneventful. No weird habits of people, or magical people either.
"Do you stay here all night?" Owen asked when yet another man failed to pull up the sword.
"We make rotations, the sword has to be supervised at all times." Sir Jackson said from the other side of him, clearly bored and already done with the day as he leaned against a tree barely containing his frustration. "I don't know about you Owen, but a sword that had not moved an inch even after a thousand hands trying to do so won't move alone overnight, am I correct?"
"Kings orders, Jackson, so take it easy," Percival said simply. "Besides shift is almost over."
"Thank our Seven Gods."
However, the three knights suddenly grew quiet when they noticed the person who came up next in line. Soon there were snickers, some laughs, and indignant yells.
"Is that…" Owen was too stunned to finish talking.
"No way." Sir Jackson said, suddenly standing straighter, however, the people around the clear began to call for the knights to correct whatever was going to happen, as people around the clear rounded around each other to get a better look at the new challenger.
Percival stood up to his full form, leg injured and all and raised his hand to appease the quickly arousing crowd that was left, at least four dozen people, kids climbing their parent's shoulders to see better. At the sight of him the crowd quieted. "Please, everyone deserves an opportunity. King Uther and Prince Arthur were very clear in this matter. I advice you to respect their wishes and let the tournament continue."
The crowd didn't take his words without kindly, but the tension broke, and just as always when someone tried, some yelled encouragement things, some others just glared, some even spat in the direction of the new contender.
The sun was just setting on the horizon, sky red and orange like dripping wine, when it happened.
Silence.
The silence has never rung so loud, Percival could bet his life on it.
Everyone in the clear ceased to speak at once, the only sound was the sound of the leaves in the wind, some crickets in the grass, and owls and birds in the trees. That and the gravelly, and until that day, unheard scrap of metal against rock. It was a sound Percival had never heard before. It seemed so foreign, so unreal, that even Percival was left speechless.
For several seconds that felt like two eternities and a half, no one moved. Owen took a failed step forward, almost falling to his knees in his shock, and that was when Percival finally remembered the protocol, too stunned to think he would ever have to use it.
"Someone call the king." He whispered, unable to turn his eyes away.
"How is this possible?" Someone said clearly from around the crowd and that woke Percival even further, as the crowd began to talk once again in a rush of words, protests and yells.
"Someone call the King." Percival's voice was now more urgent and Sir Jackson didn't need to be told twice, fetching two guards to go along with him as he hurried down the well-overused path that led to the castle and away from the forest. Then Percival pointed to the person still standing on top of the rock, looking as stunned as everyone around him. "And you, come with me."
Before anything else could happen Percival turned towards Owen, confusion was written all over his face as he managed to glance warily at the huge knight. "Owen. Find Arthur. Are you listening? Find. Arthur."
Percival does not know the significance of this sword, although he was well aware that it was of great importance in some level to both Merlin and his prince, he knew there was a plan underneath the whole ordeal of the tournament, and right now, seeing what had just happened, he was certain this was not whatever they had planned.
Owen stammered. "And… and tell him what?"
"Tell Arthur that the sword in the stone..." Percival grew quiet as the contender arrived in front of him, sword at hand. He gulped. By his side, Owen stared almost in fear. "That the sword in the stone is no more."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
The sun had just set on the horizon when Arthur, Lancelot, and Merlin finally arrived back to Camelot. A sense freedom, and serenity enveloping them once they were once again between the streets, alleys and houses they all knew too well. A sense of belonging. When Arthur saw the castle standing on the horizon with the final rays of the sun he let out a little breath.
Home.
When that early morning he had left to kill Morgana he had been sure he would probably never seen it again. Or at least he would people because of it. However, here he was, with Merlin and Lancelot by either side. The ride home had been a tense one, all of them confused on how to react to the events of today.
His shoulders were still tense, his heart was still hammering against his chest, and his legs shook from time to time, had not he been riding a horse he would've fallen several times for sure, and his hands hurt from the hard work of digging a grave. He was torn between being relieved, or shocked, guilty even.
His father… he couldn't help but wonder, did Uther… should he… tell him? Does Uther even remember Morgana? Did Arthur even want to know?
Morgana, once so loved, had died alone, and no one had been there to cry for her besides Arthur. The only proof that Morgana had ever existed now lied underground. A cross made of two pieces of wood marking the place where she rested.
Arthur had been left alone in this endeavor, he didn't expect Merlin to understand him, to bury someone and pray from someone that had been so evil, so intent on killing and hurting him. She had stolen his father from him, after all, a weight that had yet to leave him, but once he had loved Morgana as a sister; had shared his secrets, and fears and happiness with her. He had traveled and fought with her, stolen her cookies and figured her flowers, taken her to balls, make her embarrassed in front of her crushes, danced with her on her birthday ceremonies, bought her dressed, cried on her shoulder when things went wrong, and laughed at her jokes even when they were bad.
Once, she would've given her life for him. And he for her. He never thought they would fight over who would kill the other first.
He didn't bury Morgana, this grave was not the dark witch, he buried his sister. She had died a long time ago before today, and she deserved to rest in peace with everything she represented. So no, Merlin didn't understand, but at least he had been gentle and patient enough to give Arthur all the time he needed to bury his own feelings and regrets along with her.
The only thing Merlin had forbidden him to do was one thing:
"You are not touching her," He had said almost paranoid. And with his magic he had made Morgana's body levitate all the way to her whole in the ground, and it had been Lancelot, in a last moment of silent panic, who had pushed the red cloak away from her face slowly and respectful in a way only he could manage.
And the three somberly stared down at her face, her dead eyes for one last time as Arthur, without any help, buried her, steadily the earth began to consume her. Merlin stood there until he couldn't see her body any longer, and then he stood beside Arthur, until Arthur was tired and his arms shook from the effort, the tears had escaped him silently but steadily during the whole ordeal. No one said anything.
After he was done Arthur had kneeled on the ground, as his eyes seemed to search for something around the clear, once he didn't find what he had been looking for he turned his eyes back to the cross.
Merlin right beside him gave a long, suffering sigh, before he kneeled right beside him. They sat there, side by side, as Lancelot kept watch a few feet away from them, the druid women patiently waiting in a circle several yards away.
Merlin gave yet another sigh.
"What is it, Merlin?" Arthur glanced at him, too tired to even be a prat about it. Merlin just smiled sadly at him as he played with a loose rock on his hands. He waited a few seconds.
"If I ever die before you, will you build me a grave?" He asked out of nowhere, and Arthur scrubbed his face. "I mean, she was so evil and you build her a grave. I would deserve like… a chapel, a little castle, right?"
"I already lost a sister today, Merlin, don't ask me questions like those, please." The prince said in a tired whisper, his emotions were on his skin, and he was comfortable enough with Merlin now to accept this fact, to be this vulnerable. Merlin's soft smile dropped from his face, he too was comfortable enough to stop pretending he was okay with the events of today, to try and lighten the mood.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be insensitive I just…"
"I know" Arthur said calmly, "To be honest, Merlin? I don't expect you to understand, she was an evil woman, but I loved her before that, in a way I still do, always will."
Merlin just nodded and Arthur complied, swaging a bit on his spot.
"But yes, yes I would dig a grave for you. With my bare hands. But I don't think I could afford to lose you," he said quietly as he stared back at Merlin and to the ground. "So don't die before me."
Merlin gave a long, long, long sigh.
Scratch the 'don't die before me', Arthur wanted to kill him sometimes. However, before he could speak and ask what was wrong, Merlin interrupted in a low, soft voice, if Arthur hadn't been right beside him he would've missed it for a whisper in the wind.
"Roses right? She used to love white roses."
Arthur didn't have time to reply before Merlin was placing his hands on the earth. Colorful green vines sprouted from the soil, and white beautiful flowers were born right in front of their eyes as they merrily covered the cross. Arthur was stunned, they were beautiful, and he had to scrub his eyes from whatever tears threatened to fall.
He was too moved to even thank him. As always Merlin was surprising him, every step of the way. Merlin only had said one thing to him, and one thing only after that.
"I'm sorry, Arthur, I wish you never have to dig another tomb." He said as he got up to his feet and turned his back to the grave. Merlin did not care about the body resting underneath it, he cared about the man kneeling and crying silently because of it. Merlin felt as if somehow the ghost of her was crawling around them, not entirely put to rest, patted Arthur kindly on his back, a sense of finality in his words. "Take your time, I'll check the hut one more time, alright? I'll be with Mersan."
Arthur just nodded, not trusting his voice not to break.
"So what now?" Lancelot asked as they decided to round Camelot taking the long way around. The three friends were alone now as they went around the streets still mounted in their horses. Gwen and Elyan, along with Gwaine as their escort, had arrived a few hours before them. Surely Gwen as well and resting now in one of Gaius' patients bed.
The druid women had left them halfway to Camelot in order to report to Arya and go back home, the day had drained everyone from energy. They had agreed to meet in a week with them in what Arthur had named the 'Meeting Truce Point." In the worst case scenario Merlin would go and talk to Arya himself, about the events and about the incident with the vase, as much as Arthur loved to be involved in the magical affairs of his country—or future country,— he just couldn't stay away from Camelot that much longer.
"Now we rest," Arthur said tiredly. "We still have a lot of questions to figure out, but right now I don't think either of us can even stay up much longer. It's been a tiring day."
Merlin just sighed in return. "Is it too soon to ask for a break of work? Wait, do I have to work tomorrow? As your servant? Or that… is… just…no longer the case since I'm in court? I don't know, like what do I do now that I'm in court? Just walk around around the halls looking important?" Merlin seemed honestly stressed about this. Lancelot snorted and Arthur ignored him in favor of keep talking, but he was smiling amusedly nonetheless.
"But, well, with our priorities changing (At least for the moment, let the Gods gives us a respite for a day!) we still have the task of the sword. Convince my father I'm his son, while Merlin has a few days more with the vase before we have to give it back. I promised Arya I would return it." Arthur said in regret. "That was the deal if she helped us. The vase in exchange of a few well-trained sorcerers."
Merlin's face grew somber at the thought. "I still haven't had the chance to figure the vase out."
"We'll think about that tomorrow." Lancelot offered. "Right now, if you excuse me, my friends, I haven't slept for long since you left to Ealdor. So I'm taking a day off tomorrow."
Arthur chuckled. "You never take days off, Lancelot."
"Guess now I do." Lancelot smiled tiredly as he pushed his horse to go faster in front of them once the castle came nearer. "I'll check on Gwen and Elyan before tehy retire to sleep. I'll see you with Gaius in a moment, I believe? I bet he will have lots of questions."
Arthur and Merlin nodded, and watched their friend go down the path that leads to the main entrance of the castle, while the two of them took the long way around it and sneaked their way back inside, at this time of the night coming just by the front doors would call for unnecessary attention, no one knew Arthur had left for the day, and it was better to keep it that way.
Besides until the thing with Uther and his memory was resolved they couldn't afford to face the king unnecessarily, let he ask questions they couldn't provide an answer for.
Merlin magically removed any locks on their way in, and confused all the soldiers and guards that crossed their way, while Arthur mumbled all the way how easy it was to fool his army.
"We really need to prepare your army for a magical attack," Merlin whispered once another guard fell for one of his tricks. "You know, in a future."
"Fools. All of them," Arthur just nodded as a guard ran in the other direction once Merlin made a flower vase tip and brake nosily over the floor. "I can't believe I used to fall for that."
"You still do."
"Shut up."
They made their way through the dungeons and up to the main floor in silence and without incident, both of them too shaken still by the events of the day to even fight properly, not sure where to start even talking about it. Should they even address it right now?
Arthur didn't even know if he had the energy to do so, mind and soul felt as old as a million years old. Not only was Morgana's death hanging above their heads, but the vase; the memories of his father would ever return? And the sword in the stone was a plan that they had to perform and yet they had not completely planned. It was just an idea to win time.
Then the prophecy, Merlin's prophecy. Arthur couldn't understand how Merlin felt, but he guesses Merlin felt just like Arthur did at the moment, he was a future king that was not recognized by his own father, his existence meaningless to him right now, even though he was born to rule.
Same applied to Merlin, born to complete a prophecy that now will never unfold.
Arthur, despite everything, was relieved beyond belief. At least the vision he had once in the lake of the druids will never come to happen.
"You know I'm very glad I wasn't alone today," Merlin said, startling Arthur as they walked down the hall, making their way to Gaius's chambers. Merlin lighted up the fires as he walked by, and straightened the torches that looked about to fall. Arthur wondered how many things in the castle he had fixed without him noticing.
"I'm glad you were with me too, so thank you," Arthur said simply and concise, not lingering much on the topic as he sighed. "We are learning, after all, took us long enough, Killgarrah and Hunith would be proud."
"Share the burdens?" Merlin said with a smirk. "Crying on shoulders? Carrying the other when one falls?"
"One side of the same coin." Arthur agreed and inwardly chuckled when Merlin rolled his eyes at him, exasperated.
"Two sides of the same coin, how many times do I have to—"
"Arthur!"
Both friends were startled when Arthur's name boomed around the hall. They turned quickly, the easy atmosphere around them breaking when they found none other but Uther the King himself walking their way, a smile clear on his face as he steadily and with purpose reached them. For a second Arthur was astonished, as hope dared to make his way into his heart.
Has the death of Morgana lifted the damned spell on his father?
Merlin was entirely taken aback too when Uther caught up to them and enveloped Arthur in a tight hug. Both friends shared a glance over the kings' shoulders. Could that be possible? Did the spell lift? Had they actually managed to break it?
"My—My king?" Arthur finally found his voice, desperately hugging his father because the King released him and placed him at arm's length.
"Oh my boy, just in time, how happy I'am to see you. I can't find the words to express my gratitude." The king patted his shoulders once. "I'm in eternal debt with you."
"Gratitude?" Arthur asked confused when Uther released him and passed a steady arm around Arthur's shoulders to guide him down the hall. Merlin not deterred or scared of following Arthur anywhere just trailed a few steps behind, if Uther minded or not he didn't say anything, too focused on his own delight to be bothered with his presence. "Debt?"
"Of course, of course! What do you want? Anything you want I shall give, after all, you gave me one of the best presents I could have ever received." Uther said in quiet and hard emotion, they turned left in the hall, away from the resting hall and Merlin felt as if he had suddenly forgotten something really important.
Arthur glanced at Merlin behind his shoulder for a second, confused as to how to proceed and Merlin shrugged, not understanding either. Arthur looked back at his father, choosing his words carefully.
"Want for what, my lord?" Arthur said as they finally stopped in front of the special meeting doors, the room designed just to hold the most important people of the noble houses for an important announcement.
"For your plan, of course, it worked! How could I have ever trusted such a plan, I do not understand, but you convinced me and it worked," Merlin and Arthur both stopped breathing as a guard opened the doors for them. "And now, here are the results, I was looking for you personally so I could extend my gratitude in person. I finally have a heir to the throne, one that deserves it, all thanks to you."
"A heir?" Merlin whispered horrified, almost falling as he tripped on his own two feet. Arthur was too shocked to even notice, as he felt all the energy he had left leave him at once.
Inside the room were at least ten noblemen, all sitting around a huge rectangular table, the room lighted up warmly with two chimney and several torches aligned along the walls, along with some chandeliers were candles were arranged with beautiful decoration.
Leon, and Gaius were inside too, sitting on the edge of the table closer to the King's seat, their panicked and worried expressions were reason enough for Merlin to rush inside the room before the guard closed it behind the Pendragons like an ultimatum.
All around the room the faces varied between shock, anger, confusion, betray, no one seemed happy with this news. No one but Uther who, as always, was blind to the most important things. Such as magic, the voice of reason, and of course, how his son, right beside him, was about to have a heart attack.
"And here is, the result, I for one would've never had thought about this outcome, but I welcome it with open arms." He said warmly as he let go of Arthur and walked fully into the room, warmth in his eyes, the warmth that he used to reserve for Arthur once.
Merlin quickly walked and placed a hand in Arthur's shoulder and gripped it to the point of hurting, as if Arthur wasn't seeing what he was seeing. Maybe to support the prince, or himself, or both, probably. They both felt out of breath, and if someone had removed the floor under their feet and were now falling in deep, cold water.
"Impossible," Merlin whispered horrified.
And yet he had just buried Morgana, hadn't he? It had been impossible and yet she was dead. The prophecy he was born to make a reality that had been impossible to break, too, right? And yet…
Right in front of them, awkwardly but proudly standing beside Percival at the other side of the room,— as in a silent exhibition, the light of the fire falling softly along her features,— was no one else but the girl with auburn hair that Arthur had met yesterday, had it been only yesterday? The girl who looked sick, and weak, and hopeless, and in critical health.
She stood there in front of a dozen gazes, and yet her shoulders were firm.
Eyes fierce, even when they flickered around the room before finding his and glaring, as if daring him to say anything against her.
Standing tall, even when she looked weak and sick.
Her right hand was knuckle white clutched around a sword. His sword, a sword made of magic, a sword that only Merlin and Arthur could pull out, the only plan left to convince his father… was now shining bright and heavy and dangerous in her hand.
Arthur felt like if the world had stopped for a moment for the second time that day.
"I have a daughter. A Heir to the throne." Uther announced happily, voice strong, "And it's all thanks to you, Sir Arthur."
A/N: I'm gonna be honest, I don't know if you guys saw this coming, but I had written this idea down for almost two years ago. Yep, that's how long this chapter had been here sitting in my computer, just a vague idea and a few lines that I had to fill and finally became 25 pages.
The story its not over yet, but it's not too late for the end. Just a few more chapters. I'm so excited you guys have no idea.
To be honest, I was about to give up and just put up a chapter explaining the story, since I know how it will end, I just don't know how to get there and its incredibly frustrating. I still love Merlin and Arthur and the story, I still want to finish this and for the love of the seven Gods I will, just be patient with me, review! Just random reviews during these months gave me the energy and motivation to sit this whole week and write, write, write until I got this chapter right.
Right now, as usual, is 3 am, I'm in my bathroom floor writing because my roommate is asleep (I live in Canada now!) I get up early tomorrow to work, but once I have my creativity going I have learned to let it flow, no matter the hour and time.
So that's it guys, I hope the chapter it's not too confusing since it will make sense in the future, I promise to post soon, I'm not giving up if you don't give up on me.
You guys and your reviews are the only reason I held for hope on this chapter. I smiled at each one of them, and I read them all the time. I mean it. Each one made my heart jump and after so long I finally came back to repay you.
I hope it was worth the wait.
Anyways, I still don't know the name of the Auburn haired lady that pulled out the sword, I have a few written down from months ago but none of them seem right, any recommendations? As usual, I'm including you in my story in all the little ways.
Hope to hear from you!
Lots of love, an amazing Christmas, and wonderful 2019!
See you next year!
-Juliet'lovestory-