*KIND OF IMPORTANT* Hello peoples! Chapter 23 yay! And while this chapter may have gone a little long that's ok. I told you they would reach Aria this chapter and dammit they did. So this lovely chapter is dedicated to Phoebe594 and if you want to know why look up and to the left. That's right! I have a story cover! *Puffs chest proudly* *Fails because I'm a girl and boobs* anyway I'm really really happy about it and it's now my phone's background, a constant reminder that I need to update ASAP. Which likely means no more year long unofficial hiatuses! Yay! No but seriously that cover is amazing! Tell me in the reviews what you think of it! Or you can just ooh and ah over it there too, either works let's just let Phoebe know how wonderful it is! Also she wants to do work for other writers as well so if you're a writer send her a PM!

Sorry this is such a long AN but that needed to be said and so does this. But fair warning guys I will be going on hiatus for a couple weeks, I'll update when I can but no promises! Please be patient! Anyway, Enjoy!

P.S. I know these AN's get kinda long and I'm sorry but they often times contain important stuffs. Also if anyone wants to read my Gwaine headcannon/rant it's at the bottom! Also shoutout to FreyaMyth10 who reviewed the last chapter at just the right time as I had been running out of motivation! Thank you! 207 review! Yay thank you all!

*Mixed POV, mostly Merlin*

"You're Emrys?" Sir Nathan questioned, his expression one of pure shock. "I-I've heard the stories but I never- I never thought…" the knight trailed off into silence and simply stared at his king in awe. The others had similar expressions mixed with surprise. Alaric was pale and tense while Richard was looking at Merlin in wonder. Merlin noticed James reach over and put his hand on Alaric's shoulder before whispering something in the brunet's ear. The man relaxed slightly but was still pale and Merlin wondered if perhaps the knight was afraid of him.

"Merlin- or should I call you Emrys?" Leon asked, his brow furrowed as he eyed Merlin warily, having magic was one thing but being the most powerful magic user ever was completely different.

"No, call me Merlin still, only the druids call me Emrys." Merlin answered, shaking his head. Realization dawned on Richard's face.

"That's why you didn't want to be healed by the druids!" he blurted, cutting off Leon who had been about to continue his question. The others looked at him in confusion and Robert and Alaric looked between their king and Richard in worry.

"Healed? What do you mean? Was he wounded? Is that the 'issue' you were talking about James?" Alaric asked, turning to said knight. James hesitated but nodded after a second, sending Merlin an apologetic look. Robert glared at Richard angrily as he rose to his feet.

"You let him get hurt? You were meant to protect him and you let him get wounded?" He asked, fury filling his voice. Richard quickly rose to his feet, just as angry. Both knights were now gripping their swords.

"I did better than you." He growled, "at least I didn't attack him!" Robert went red with rage as he stepped closer to Richard, prepared to fight the bigger man.

"Enough!" Merlin called, annoyed that the two would be so childish. "Sir Richard did a fine job of protecting me but even he is not perfect and when it mattered the most he nearly died to save me, and Richard that was unnecessary, Sir Robert has apologized for his actions and I have forgiven him." Robert shot him a grateful look at that. "I don't know what happened to make you two such enemies but I still remember a time when you two would have died for each other. While that may not be that case any longer for whatever reason you both need to act like adults, we are at war and cannot afford for our Head knight and a senior knight to be squabbling like children, so either both of you get your act together and learn to work together again or you can both lay down your swords now and leave. I do not want you to leave and I saw how well you two fought together today, but if you can't agree to be civil then turn in your cape and go. For if you cannot be civil towards each other then you are not worthy to be Knights of Aria"

Silence reigned as the two knights glared at each other. Finally, Richard held his arm out and after a second of hesitation Robert clasped his arm and the two nodded at each other before the grip was released and they turned back to their king.

"We will never abandon you Your Majesty, and we will never abandon the fight for Aria." Richard said, bowing slightly and Robert copied the action, signaling his agreement.

"Now, let's get back to our discussion, Leon, I believe you had a question," Merlin said, turning to Leon, and successfully changing the conversation back to the original topic, avoiding further questions about the injuries he had sustained on the journey to Aria.

"Merlin" Leon said hesitantly "what kind of powers do you have exactly?" Leon swallowed as he nervously asked his next question "Are you- are you as strong as Morgana?

"No," Merlin shook his head and everyone looked at him in worry and confusion, Leon and Elyan seemed slightly relieved, until Merlin continued. "I'm stronger, it is my destiny to destroy her." Leon paled and looked at Merlin nervously, he trusted Merlin, yes, but he also knew that power or any kind can corrupt. Morgana had been a wonderful woman before her magic had taken over. "You should not fear me Leon, and I know what you're thinking. Morgana's magic did not corrupt her it was her fear of Uther that made her hate him, that hatred and fear turned her to evil, not magic. I am the light to her darkness, the love to her hate." He said, voicing the blond knight's worries, and subsequently soothing them. It was Gwaine who asked the next question.

"How powerful are you Merlin?" Elyan asked, his voice slightly shaky. Merlin debated a minute before finally answering.

"That is something even I do not know, I am still weak compared to the power I will someday reach, I do not just have Magic, I am the human embodiment of Magic, I am Magic itself." He answered and Elyan looked like he had been punched in the gut, Alaric looked like he was going to be sick and the twins were both slack jawed.

"So, shouldn't you easily be able to destroy your Uncle?" Owen asked. Merlin sighed as he shook his head.

"I should, yes but my Uncle has magic as well, powerful magic, and while I believe that one on one I can defeat him I am not positive. Not only that but my uncle would not make it a fair fight and I believe there is more to him than we know, until I know the full extent of his powers and everything he has at his disposal I cannot risk attacking him one on one." Everyone seemed to accept this explanation.

"How did that soldier know that you are king?" Richard asked, frowning.

"I don't know," Merlin replies, shaking his head "And that worries me, the only ones who knew were me and Gaius. Even the men responsible were killed in the fight. The sooner I find out how he knows the better, it worries me that he knows and that I don't know how. I've lost any advantage that I may have had at being a Dragonlord without him knowing and now I will have the added distraction of a coronation.

"Merlin, if you're truly this Emrys, then does that mean that Arthur is…?" he trailed off, unable to finish the question.

"Arthur is the Once and Future King, yes. It is my destiny to guide him and protect him while he unites Albion."

"Then that's how you got all your scars, by protecting Arthur." Gwaine realized, understanding lighting up his face.

"Yes, that is why I told you first about my identity as Emrys, now you can understand why I protect Arthur and Camelot from the dangers they face."

"Merlin, you know we're not letting you leave it at that. I want to story behind each and every scar." Gwaine said, looking at the young king pointedly. Merlin nodded as he sat down next to where Richard had taken a seat. Taking off his shirt, he began pointing to his scars and telling the story of each one. Stories of assassins and sorcerers, bandits and enemy soldiers. When he got to the large burn on his chest he hesitated.

"This one I got- Do you remember Nimueh and the Questing Beast?" he asked turning to Leon and the blond nodded, it wasn't easy to forget something like that, Arthur had nearly died. Leon could still remember the fear that was coursing through the castle at the thought of the young prince dying.

"But how does The Questing Beast relate to Nimueh? And how does that relate to a burn on your chest?" Leon asked, puzzled.

"I'm getting to that. When the questing beast bit Arthur I did everything I could to save him but it was hopeless, once the questing beast bites someone they are as good as dead."

"Then how did Arthur survive?" Gwaine questioned and Merlin sighed in annoyance.

"Well if you would let me finish my story I will tell you." He answered, frowning at the knight, Gwaine sulked as Merlin continued. When Merlin got to the point of going to the Isle of the Blessed and offering his life for Arthur's his men looked at him in horror while the knights of Camelot seemed to see Merlin in a new light. When Merlin told them about Hunith falling ill his knights once again looked horrified.

"I'm going to kill that bitch." Owen growled, gripping his sword. The others, even Richard, nodded in agreement and Merlin chuckled slightly.

"Not to worry Sir Owen, Nimueh is already dead, and if you all would stop interrupting I would get to that." Once again, the group fell silent and Merlin told them of how Gaius had gone in Merlin's stead, this time it was the Camelotians turn to look horrified. Merlin then finally revealed how exactly the scar had gotten on his chest and gasps sounded all around the camp site, Merlin ignored that and continued with the story and when he was finally finished with the tale the group was utterly silent as the stared at Merlin.

"Y-you used the cup of life?" Richard stuttered, his face pale. "But only the priestesses of the Old Religion could do that a-and even then…"

"I didn't really think about it, to be honest, I was angry and feared for Gaius's life, I did what I had to do." the group sat in stunned silence as they all contemplated the story.

"How did you survive that fireball to your chest?" Nathan questioned, final breaking the silence. Merlin shrugged.

"It wasn't all that powerful I suppose." He replied but immediately Richard was shaking his head.

"With a scar that big and someone as powerful as Nimueh is should have easily killed you. If the spell that she used on you is like the one you used during the fight today then you should have died." Merlin frowned at the large knight.

"What do you mean? The spell I used today was the exact one she used on me, I survived, I see no reason that man shouldn't have. Where is he anyway?" Merlin asked, realizing that he hadn't seen the man as a prisoner.

"Dead," Richard responded "the spell killed him, he had a rather large chest wound from where your spell hit him. He likely died on impact." Merlin blinked, stunned.

"Then how-" The young warlock wondered to himself.

"Exactly" Richard responded, solemn.

"What about the others?" James probed. "How did you get the other scars?" and so Merlin continued telling the story of each of his scars. Upon arriving to the scar that the serket sting had left, Richard interrupted.

"That's a serket sting, isn't it?" he asked, pointing to the scar that Merlin had been about to discuss. Merlin nodded in conformation and everyone waited silently for the king to explain. After the story was told and Owen had muttered a time or two about slaughtering Morgana Merlin noticed Robert and Richard both staring at him in alarm.

"What?" Merlin asked, puzzled.

"We have both watched a man die from a serket sting." Richard answered, looking like he was going to be sick "And if you truly suffered for as long as you said then you must have been in agonizing pain, we were forced to give the man mercy after only two hours, you suffered much longer than that."

Merlin shrugged uncomfortably and continued with his stories. When Merlin was out of scars to tell stories about the group sat silently in an awkward silence as they all pondered over everything Merlin had done for Arthur and Camelot. By now it was very late and the majority of men that had come with Robert had retired for the night.

"It's late we should all go to bed," Leon stated, ever the voice of reason, "we can talk more another time."

"Wait." Gwaine said, holding up his hand "I have one more question." Everyone looked at the knight expectantly as he turned his gaze to Merlin.

"Merlin, when did you get muscles?" he asked staring at Merlin's arms, which were much more muscled than one could really tell when he had his shirt on. Merlin glared at him, annoyed.

"Well, being Arthur's servant certainly helped, dragging his armor around and filling his bath every day builds muscles pretty quickly." He said, pulling on a shirt to hide his chest.

"You were a servant?!" Robert asked, angry.

"To Arthur Pendragon?!" Alaric chimed in, equally shocked. Merlin rubbed his head, a headache was forming and he just wanted to just rest.

"Yes, I couldn't exactly tell him who I was and I had to provide for me and my mother somehow. Besides that, it gave me an opportunity to protect and guide Arthur." He answered, exhausted. The two seemed to grudgingly accept this and Merlin looked back at Gwaine who had his hand out, signaling another question.

"One more question Merlin," Gwaine said, "with all your magic is possible that you could create a never-ending mug of ale?" he asked, his face grave. Merlin gaped at him in bewilderment.

"Of all the questions you could have asked, that's what you want to know?! If I can make a never-ending mug of ale!" Gwaine shrugged in response.

"It's important, besides all the other questions were answered already"

"What were you expecting Merlin, it's Gwaine half his thoughts are about alcohol, women, and fighting," Leon said, shaking his head. Elyan snorted in response.

"Try all of them." He laughed, soon the rest of the group joined in and the conversation soon devolved into laughter and jokes.

*Unknown POV*

A little ways away from the laughing group two knights stood silently, watching the party.

"I don't like how they treat him." One of them grumbled, scowling.

"What do you mean?" asked the second, shorter knight.

"They treat him as a friend, he is our King and they aren't worthy of even looking at him, let alone being friends with him. And did you hear them earlier? Calling him by his first name, I should cut their disrespectful tongues out." He growled, his voice filled with hate and malice.

"So? What are you going to do about it? He's the king and if we attack his friends we'll be punished." The shorter one said, frowning at his comrade. The first knight smirked at him.

"I was hoping you would ask that."

-LB: I'M BACK!- LB: I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY FANS WHO DEMANDED MY RETURN- AN: Three people, three people requested your continuation/said they like/love you-LB: still Thank you to my lovely fans- AN: *Coughs* three *coughs*-LB: *Glares at me-

*Arthur POV*

He was dreaming again. He and the knights were hunting, Merlin was with them only this time something was off about the servant. He was standing regally and seemed to radiate power. Arthur focused on him, confused. He didn't have long to look too far into it however as suddenly the knights disappeared and he and Merlin were once again standing in the white void. This time, however, Merlin turned to Arthur, a stern expression on his face; his regal posture only seemed to grow. Merlin's gaze peered into his, seeming to pierce his very soul, Merlin opened his mouth to speak when there was a sudden flash of bright light and Arthur was forced to turn away. When he looked back he saw that Merlin had disappeared and where Merlin had been standing the white light had replaced him. The feeling of power that came from the light made Arthur weak at the knees, and when three figures appeared it was all the blond could do to keep from dropping to the ground as the power increased. The figures were just blurs though and he couldn't make much out besides they were human shaped. The three voices from his first dream began again, only this time they seemed annoyed.

"Arthur Pendragon," The maiden said.

"This is your second warning." The woman picked up

"Accept magic, or Camelot will fall, you along with it." The old crone warned.

"You are running out of time Young King." The young maiden reported, sorrow filling her gentle voice.

"Soon it will be too late." Called the mother.

"And you will fail in your destiny." The hag promised.

"You will receive one more warning from us young Pendragon," the maid said, her voice full of foreboding.

If you ignore us a third time…" the woman trailed off.

"There will be dire consequences." The crone finished. The three then joined voices, the thousands of men, women, and children from before joining in.

"Heed our words young Pendragon, or lose all you hold dear."

Arthur awoke in a cold sweat and gasped for breath as he sat up, the hard ground reminding him where he was and what he had set out to do. Realizing there was no way he was getting back to sleep, he rose from his bed roll and threw on a tunic. Grabbing Excalibur, he left the tent. The young knight who was unfortunate enough to have the night watch rose from where he was sitting and bowed.

"Sire, is there something you need?" he asked, face and voice full of concern. Arthur shook his head.

"No, I'm just going for a walk, I'm having trouble sleeping."

"Allow me to go with you sire." He said, stepping forward. Arthur shook his head.

"I can protect myself, you need to watch the camp." He replied, walking away, the young man seemed reluctant to let his king go alone into the woods but obeyed and didn't follow him, for which Arthur was grateful.

Arthur found a log a little way into the woods and sat on it, putting his head in his hands. What did his dreams mean? Were they just dreams or were they, something else? What else could they be? Messages? From who? And how? Why had Merlin appeared like that? What was he going to say before he disappeared? What did those figures mean, his destiny? What destiny? Arthur's head ached from the massive amount of questions whirling around in his head. He stayed there until the sun peaked out from behind the trees and he knew that if he didn't head back his men would worry. Sighing he stood and walked back to camp silently pondering the meaning behind the dreams.

*Meanwhile Elsewhere*

*Merlin POV*

Merlin rolled over, unable to find a comfortable sleeping position and sighed. He was too nervous, they would reach Aria in the morning and Merlin wasn't ready yet. Dressing quickly, he walked out of the small tent that had been set up for him. He had tried to refuse the tent at first but no one would listen. The Knight who was on watch rose to his feet as soon as he caught sight of Merlin and bowed.

"Is there something I can help you with my lord?" he asked, walking towards him. Merlin shook his head.

"No, I simply can't sleep, I'm going for a walk, no need to worry." He answered, walking towards the woods.

"Do you want me to with you sire? The woods can be dangerous and your uncle's men could still be out there." He said, walking towards the young warlock. Merlin shook his head again.

"You stay here and watch the camp. I can protect myself." The knight nodded reluctantly, wary of letting his new-found king go into the woods by himself. Merlin felt slightly guilty but was none the less grateful when the man obeyed his orders and stayed at the camp site. Walking a bit into the woods he soon found a boulder and plopped down on it, putting his chin in his hand.

What was he going to say to his council? What would he say to his people? Was he truly ready for the burdens of being king? How was he going to protect Arthur and his kingdom? How was he going to defeat his uncle? How did his uncle know the truth about his father? What was his uncle hiding? Merlin's head pounded with these questions as he waited for sunrise. When it finally arrived he heaved a sigh as he stood and made his way back to camp. It was time to go to Aria, whether he was ready or not.

-AN: So I had a scene written for this next part but then stuff happened and it didn't fit anymore *cough cough ROBERT*-LB: HEY! This is my time, not yours!-AN: oh hush- LB: *pouts*

*Merlin POV*

Merlin could feel his heart racing as they rode closer and closer to Aria. He wasn't sure what he would say to the council and to his people. There was no hiding the fact that his father died now, and that meant he would soon be crowned King and the thought terrified him. Despite what Richard had said he wasn't sure that he would be a good king, he was only 13 when his uncle had attacked, he hadn't received the lessons he was meant to from his father. But perhaps being so close to Arthur all these years might help him. His thoughts were cut short as the gates of Aria loomed in the distance.

Richard and Robert both rode to one side of him, as it had turned out many of the knights that had gone with Robert had horses, they had been hidden during the ambush but taken to the camp the night before. Behind Richard rode the Knights of Camelot behind Robert rode Owen, Nathan, the twins, and Alaric. Ahead and to the side of the group the remaining Knights of Aria rode and bringing up the rear walked the soldiers, carrying the wounded and dead on stretchers.

When the guards at the gate caught sight of the group they called to the men manning it and the gate was swung open. Two of the Knights at the front of the traveling party nodded respectfully to Merlin before urging their horses forward. The two quickly made it to the gate and began speaking to the men there, pointing towards the approaching King. By now they were close enough to see the guards and make out expressions on their faces, expressions of shock at the report from the knight. A moment later and Merlin was passing through the gates, the guards kneeling as he passed. And so, after 8 long years, Merlin entered Aria. He was home.

AN: I told you they would reach Aria, I just didn't say how far into it they would go *evil smirk*. Gwaine headcannon/rant ahead and please review!

I went to fact check in Diamond of the Day twice now and both times I ended up just watching a lot of both of them and I just can't *Curls into ball and sobs* *Spoilers for last episodes ahead if you haven't seen it* I have a headcannon that Gwaine knew the truth about Merlin the entire time. Cause Gwaine would never have let Merlin go in the cave without someway to protect himself and when he saves Merlin's life from the bandits and Merlin thanks him he says "It's the least I could do" and while he may be reffering to Merlin saving Eira I don't think so, I feel like there's a hidden meaning there. And then when they are saying goodbye Gwaine kinda straightens up in salute to him, like he knew everything Merlin had done and was thankful to him. And then if you look there are tears in Gwaine's eyes and I just can't anymore. When Gwaine first died my brain refused to accept it to the point where a few months later I had completely forgotton and I was reading facniction and someone was like "I know Gwaine died but…" cause in there fic he hadn't died. I was jsut like wait what? And I had to rewatch it… I still refuse to accept the glorious man's death, I will, maintain that Percival somehow got Gwaine back to Camelot till the day I die.

P.S. don't forget to tell me what you think of the cover!