Dinner was a quiet affair, and Gwen excused herself early, saying that she was tired from training. Merlin looked at Gaius. "I know you're still angry with me."

Gaius sighed. "No, not angry. You did the right thing. I suppose I'm just scared for you. You just made a powerful enemy." He casually backhanded a glass of water off the table, and Merlin reacted immediately, his eyes flashing, to stop the glass in midair. Gaius plucked the glass from where it hung suspended and Merlin let the water droplets fall to the floor.

"I assume your mother knew about your… talents," said Gaius slowly.

"You know her?"

"We worked in the same apothecary shop before I was reaped. Hunith is her name, right?"

"Yes," replied Merlin.

"What did she say to you about your gifts?"

"That I was special."

Gaius nodded. "You are special, alright. You have magic the likes of which I have never seen before.

"What do you mean?"

Gaius paused, unsure how to explain himself. "Well… magic requires incantations, spells. It takes years to study. What I've seen you do was… elemental, instinctive. You have the most natural talent of anyone I have ever met."

Merlin snorted. "Natural talent?" he scoffed.

"Yes, I truly believe you're something special, which is why I've decided to help you in any way I can. Hence why I gave you that book."

Merlin sat in thoughtful silence for a moment, then asked, "Gaius, is it normal for people with magic to have dreams about people they haven't met yet?"

Gaius looked at him gravely. "In some cases, those with a very high magical aptitude have been able to see the future in their dreams, yes. In other cases, the same individuals have been able to communicate with others in a dreamlike state. Have you experienced either of these?"

"Umm… well I've been having weird dreams and visions ever since the night before the Reaping, and somehow I knew I was going to be chosen."

"Describe them," Gaius demanded intently.

"Well… in the first one before the Reaping there was a blond boy with a sword… actually I think it might have been Arthur-"

"Whoa, wait! The Arthur that you got into a fight with today!?"

Merlin shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Err… yeah… And there was this voice telling me that we are two sides of the same coin and that our destinies are intertwined, and that we have to restore Albion and undo the wrongs committed by the Capitol or something."

Gaius sat dumbfounded. "What about the others?"

"During the Tribute Parade when Arthur and Morgana walked in, I had this weird almost flashback… or maybe flash-forward if it was the future… I saw a dragon flying in the night, a castle that was on fire, and some kind of a lake. Then the same voice told me this was my destiny and called me Emrys. Why did he call me that?"

Gaius's face paled as he spoke until it was devoid of all color. "Just go on," he said in a strangled voice. "What about last night?"

Merlin looked alarmed at Gaius's reaction, but continued on hurriedly. "I saw Arthur at a big, circular table with some of the other tributes saying that he wanted a land where everyone was free and safe from the Capitol or something along those lines."

Gaius looked as if he might faint. "Emrys…" he whispered.

Merlin stood up. "Um, Gaius? Are you okay? Do you need some water, or some time alone? Or…" He started backing away.

"Sit down, Merlin," Gaius said quickly. "This is important. Are you sure the voice called you Emrys?"

"Yes, completely certain."

"There was long ago, a great prophecy, given by the last dragon. It stated that in the time of mankind's greatest need, two individuals would rise above the chaos to restore Albion to its former glory and rid the land of the curse that is Panem. One individual was to be the rightful heir to the throne of Camelot- Arthur. And the other an individual possessing the more magic than has ever been seen on the face of this earth. The Druids, now an extinct race, called this second individual Emrys. Merlin, I believe this is you."

Merlin's head spun. He was nothing special other than the face that he could do magic. But that in of itself was enough to get him killed without hesitation. And Arthur… "But he's such a prat!" Merlin blurted.

Gaius plinked in bemusement. "You may be surprised. You see, the Pendragon family is the last of a dynasty that reigned over a golden age, the likes of which the world had never seen before and certainly has not seen since. After the rebellion, the Pendragons had been all but eradicated; Uther's father being the last surviving member of the family. The government allowed the family a high position in District one to appease both Uther's power-hungry father and the family's friends and allies, who resented the Capitol. Uther was born, grew up, was reaped for and won the Hunger Games, and fell desperately in love with a woman named Ygraine, Arthur's mother. The government had finally had enough with the threat of the Pendragon family's scant existence, and when Uther and Ygraine were married, the government ensured that Ygraine would never be able to have children. The couple were devastated and rightfully angry at the Capitol, so they turned to the Druids to help them have a child. Using a complex spell requiring the joint power of several sorcerers, Ygraine was able to get pregnant."

"Arthur was born of magic?" exclaimed Merlin.

"Yes, but for a life to be given, a life must be taken in return. Ygraine died in childbirth, but Arthur survived. The government was extremely alarmed that the magic users in Panem had been so willing to usurp their rulings and decisions. So to prevent further such actions, the government hunted down and killed the Druids and imposed the death penalty by public execution on anyone who used magic. Hence the Great Purge." A haunted expression flitted through the old man's eyes. "The government left Uther and Arthur alone for several reasons. First, Uther was a victor, a public figure, so they couldn't openly kill him without creating suspicion. Secondly, after the tragedy surrounding Arthur's birth, Uther also felt that the forces of magic had betrayed him. He became a valuable ally of the Capitol in the fight against magic, so they lost the desire to kill him or his son at the risk of losing a pawn in their game of power. So Arthur has been raised to hate magic; the cause of his existence."

Merlin sat in stunned silence. "Where do I fit in?" he asked a bit fearfully.

Gaius smiled gently, his face radiating hope for the future. "You, Emrys, are the most powerful sorcerer to ever walk the face of this earth. Together, you and Arthur must rise against the Capitol and restore Albion to its former glory. Your destinies are intertwined; you are two sides of the same coin."

Merlin looked up in surprise. "Yeah. I've heard that before…" he murmured. "But how on earth am I supposed to do all that while I'm in the blasted Hunger Games?"

Gaius frowned at that. "I am afraid that I have no idea. But I do have a feeling that this year will be very different."

A/N: Sorry, a lot of background info in this chapter, but the explanations were a necessary evil. And thank you so much to Caitlin51 for being the first reviewer and follower of my first Fanfiction on this site! XD