Author's Note: I was sucked into the void that is work. It hasn't really let me go, but I found some time to write. I miraculously only work one job for the next three days and then have a day off. It's shocking. Then it's back to the good old five days in a row of two jobs!

Anyway. Here are two new chapters tonight.


-Thirty-Four -

Siege

Camelot shone brightly in the light of the perfectly full moon. Merlin felt his chest tighten at the sight of his former home. He hadn't realized how much he had missed it. He'd made the choice to leave it so many hundreds of years before when everyone he knew was gone and there was nothing left for him. But now returning to it was like an ache in his heart. It wasn't the same Camelot though. Not by a long shot. Ryll wasn't here in this version and nothing was the same as he remembered.

Arthur had gathered his troops throughout the day, a variety of nonmagic and magic people. It was strange seeing them gathered together for a common cause. It might have made him happy once but all he felt was a dull pain. Arthur was taking charge and the people listened to him. Morgana was at his side, and Merlin had never seen her look stronger or more sure of herself. A group of druids had joined them, and Merlin wasn't surprised to see Byron there. He gave Merlin a curt nod. Gwen was there at Morgana's side, dressed for battle. Merlin felt a pang. It had been so long since he'd seen his friend. She smiled at him. Gaius, he had learned, was locked in the dungeons at the castle. He hadn't escaped in time and it was part of their plan to rescue him.

The tension in the air was palpable, and Merlin didn't feel any confidence. He'd been dropped into this mess with no warning and his head was still reeling from Morgana's news. He knew he needed to focus, but his head was dizzy and he couldn't clear his thoughts. Arthur seemed unaware of Merlin's distraction. He started giving instructions to his men, and they all turned their faces to him with reverence. Arthur looked more a king than a prince.

"Uther will have guards out looking for any intruders. The gates are heavily guarded day and night, but there are other ways into the castle." He turned to look at Merlin. "Merlin here is an expert at those."

Merlin blinked. "Me?"

Arthur rolled his eyes and motioned for Merlin to come join him. "He's being modest. He snuck out of the castle more times than I'd like to remember when he was still in my service."

"Have they discovered the entrance through the caves?" Merlin asked.

"Not that our scouts have told us."

"Then that's your best bet. It leads straight up into the castle and you can sneak a lot of men in without Uther or his men being any the wiser."

"You heard him, men. Guards will be watching from the parapets, so we're going to stage a distraction in the other direction. Morgana will be leading the diversion group." He nodded to his sister. "Once we're in, we'll send one group to the gates to help secure them and let Morgana's group in. The second group will head straight to my father. Once he's captured, the city is ours. Now listen carefully to this next part. We aren't going in there to kill these men. Most of them serve my father out of fear or have his same beliefs that all magic is evil. It's ignorance that fuels their hatred. They don't deserve to die for it." There was some grumbling from his men, but no one argued. "Kill only if necessary. Take as many captive as you can. We want to show them that we are better than what they think of us. We want to show them that magic is not evil."

"And what of the king?" one of the men shouted. "What of Uther?"

"He should face the same punishments as our people!"

"He will face judgment, but killing him would be sinking to his level. This isn't about getting revenge, it's about getting justice."

"He murdered my family!" the angry man shouted. "Where's the justice for them?"

"After today, things will be different," Arthur told them. "I can promise that no harm will come to your families. Uther will never hurt anyone again. Are you with me?"

There was still some grumbling, but then a chorus of ayes rose up. "Aye," said the angry man, and the argument was settled.

Merlin did not join them, however. Morgana's words from earlier were playing through his head on a loop. She stopped Uther from killing you, but…she didn't make it. Didn't make it. Didn't make it.

Ryll was dead, and if this vision was somehow real then Uther had destroyed any chance Merlin had at spending a lifetime with Ryll. He'd been cheated once and now he'd been cheated again. He felt eyes on him and turned to see Morgana watching him as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. He turned away. The truth was, if Merlin was the one to find Uther, he wasn't sure exactly what he'd do.

The gate to the tunnels lay ahead. Merlin could see guards striding along the parapet high above. He'd need to break down the gates in order to get in, so they had to wait for Morgana's diversion to begin. Byron and some of the other druids had gone with her as well as Gwen. When the diversion started, it was impossible to miss. A bright light flared up near the front gates, searing the night and shooting up sparks. The guards turned toward it and then started running. Merlin took his cue and blew the gates as the sounds of the diversion split the night.

"Go, go, go!" Arthur urged the people and they streamed into the caves, Arthur at their head. Merlin followed at the back.

It was familiar and haunting walking through the tunnels and then up into the caves. Their footsteps echoed in the cavern where the Great Dragon had once resided. Merlin wondered if Kilgharrah was still there or if he'd escaped. The flickering torchlights did not lend much light in the gaping darkness of the cavern, but suddenly the flames danced over something large. Merlin sent out a light. He drew back in horror. Dragon bones. That was what lay at the edge of their torchlights. Dragon bones. Chains still bound the creature down though they lay loose against the bone. Merlin drew in a shuddering breath. "Old friend…" He drew the light back and they continued on. Ryll wasn't the only one Uther had taken from him. His vision was tinted red at the edges as anger threatened to boil over.

"All right. Split off. Head to the gates and help take them so Morgana and her people can get in. The rest, come with me. We're going after the king." He turned to look at Merlin. "Are you with me?"

"Always, sire."

The guards were ready for an attack but even still they hadn't expected the prince himself to come. And now Merlin didn't have to hide his magic. He lashed out at the men who attacked them, flinging them back into walls, his anger at Ryll's death fueling him. They forged a path to the throne room, Merlin and Arthur at the head. Uther stood before his throne, sword drawn. When he saw Arthur, his grip slackened, and the sword dipped toward the floor. He looked defeated already. Two of Arthur's men, former knights, took the sword from Uther and held him in place. Arthur walked toward his father, sheathing his sword.

"The castle is ours, Father," he said. "We're here for justice for all the people you've needlessly killed."

"They've poisoned you, Arthur," Uther told him. "They've told you lies, and you believed them. I taught you better."

"No, you taught me to hate. It took a long time to undo that damage. I did things I'm not proud of. I've learned better now. I know the truth. You will not harm anyone else. Take him to the dungeons," he told his men. "Lock up his men and any who resist. There will be no more fighting tonight. Release anyone down there who has been locked away unnecessarily."

Uther was hauled away, still trying to convince Arthur of how wrong he was. Arthur let him go without a word. "That was…difficult," he told Merlin softly after Uther was gone.

"He is your father, sire."

"He can change," Arthur said though his voice gave away his uncertainty. "I changed. He can too."

"If you say so." Merlin didn't agree. Uther was fueled by his hatred, and he wasn't about to change. He was too set in his ways. It was too late for him.

"I need to speak to the people," Arthur said. "I need to reassure them." He put a hand on Merlin's shoulder before leaving him there.

"You're thinking about her."

Merlin blinked. How long had he been standing there? Morgana had entered the room. She was looking at him with sympathy in her eyes and Merlin knew she missed Ryll too.

"She should be here," Merlin said.

"She should," Morgana agreed.

"I should check on Gaius."

"He's fine. He's in his quarters. Gwen's with him."

Merlin moved toward the door, but Morgana put out a hand to stop him. "Arthur believes Uther can change," she said. Merlin turned his eyes to her. "I don't."

"What are you saying?" Merlin asked.

"I'm saying that I want revenge for Ryll," Morgana said. "Uther needs to die."

Merlin traced a finger over the familiar plaque that hung next to the door to the physician's quarters. He paused before entering the room. It brought back so many memories that felt dusty in the back of his mind. Finally he pushed open the door and entered what had once been his home. The scent of herbs and tinctures was strong, and he breathed it in. It was reminiscent of a happier time when the weight of the world had never touched his shoulders. Was he the same clumsy boy who'd walked into this room all those years ago and saved Gaius from falling with his magic? He didn't feel like the same person. He couldn't regain that carefree demeanor. After Ryll had died…after she'd died in his real life. Well, there was no going back after that. Even after finding out that she was back…it wasn't the same.

"Merlin." A familiar voice drew him back to the present. He focused on the man sitting at the table across the room.

"Gaius." He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed his old mentor until he was standing before him. Gaius had always had the answers when Merlin had been lost. He'd been a surrogate father to him, a friend, and a mentor. What would he think of the man Merlin had become? What advice would he given Merlin now? "It's so good to see you," he said.

"You as well. I'm glad you made it out of the castle."

"I'm sorry Uther locked you up. He shouldn't have done that," Merlin said.

"I was conspiring with magicians," Gaius said. "He saw me as a potential threat."

"You're not a threat. You were his friend."

"Uther fears what he does not understand. He always has."

"Do you think it's fair that so many people have died and he sits in a cell instead of paying for his crimes?" Merlin asked. He sat down across from Gaius. A surge of longing for his old life filled him. Why was the tree showing him all this? This alternate reality was filled with longing and sorrow. He wanted to stay but he needed to go back to Ryll. He wished he could have changed what had happened all those years ago, but it was already too late in this reality.

Gaius furrowed his brow. "That would be stooping to his level," he said. He was giving Merlin a scrutinizing look now.

"He killed Ryll." Saying the words out loud hurt. What if he never awoke from this vision and she really was dead?

Gaius looked down. "That was terrible," he said. "She didn't deserve that. But he did not mean to kill her. I don't say that to justify what he did – there's no justifying something so heinous – but she was not his intended target."

"It was me. It's my fault she's dead."

"Merlin, you cannot blame yourself. The Uprising was sudden and chaotic. There was nothing you could have done. Just don't do anything rash, please. I know that look in your eyes."

"Don't worry," Merlin told him. "I know there's nothing I can do to bring her back."

Arthur entered the room then, still dressed in his armor. "Gaius, I have some wounded knights. If you feel able, I could use your help."

"Of course," Gaius said, getting up from the table. He gave Merlin another stern look before leaving. Merlin sat for a long moment before getting up and going in search of Morgana.

"Where is she buried?" he asked. Morgana didn't need to ask who he was talking about.

"Out in the forest," she told him. "In the clearing where you used to sometimes meet."

There was a rock marking the spot. Her name was artfully carved into the stone by magic, and flowers grew on the patch of earth, winding around the rock. He knew it was his magic even if he had no memory of it. Merlin carefully brushed them aside. Amaryllis. He bowed his head, tears leaking out of the corner of his eyes. It was too easy to believe that she really was dead and that the future was all just a dream. He'd never get her back. Their life was over.

The rage and despair that consumed him turned him into someone he no longer recognized. There was none of that naïve, happy boy left. When he returned to the castle his eyes were dry and his mind was made up. Morgana met him at the doors.

"Well?" she asked him, hazel eyes glinting.

"You were right," he told her. "Uther needs to pay for what he's done."