Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.
Chapter 24 – The Immortal Mage
"Morgana." Arthur growled. "She has made her next move."
"Far earlier than we expected too." Leon added.
"Where the bloody hell did she even get her hands on a bomb?" Gwaine demanded. "It's not exactly something she'd know how to make."
"She has magic, Gwaine. Powerful magic. She likely enchanted someone who knows bombs to do her bidding." Merlin said.
"She hit right near Buckingham Palace and appeared on the balcony there. She's making a statement." Gwen murmured. None could disagree, especially not after her attempt on Queen Elizabeth and her family.
"I must return to London." The modern day Queen then spoke up.
"That's really not a good idea." Merlin insisted.
"I did not hide during the Second World War, I will not hide now."
"You are not hiding, you are staying alive." Arthur intervened. "I know how Morgana thinks. For her to launch an attack so soon after her attempt on your life means she is trying to lure you out. No doubt she is waiting for you to leave the safety of Camelot to either kill you, or take you hostage and warp your mind to her purposes."
"The British people-"
"Need you to live." Gwen said, completely agreeing with her husband. "You can do nothing for them if you are dead, or in Morgana's hands."
"Give me a day." Merlin said suddenly. "Morgana is clearly after you and if she has enchanted someone to do her dirty work for her, then you are in grave danger if you leave Camelot. All of you."
"We are not even a true monarchy, we don't control the country." Charles said, siding with his mother. "You should be protecting the Prime Minister, not us."
"Morgana is from a time when kings and queens ruled the world. The concept of a democratically elected Prime Minister is entirely foreign to her, she still thinks the monarchy is more important." Merlin tired to explain. "And even if she grasps the concept of a Prime Minister in theory, she knows you still hold a lot of power. Just give me one day." He said again. "We have cell service here, you can call whoever you need to, let everyone know you're safe and that you return to London tomorrow. You can even make a speech to your people and we can film it on a cell and send it to the media if you want, but give me twenty-four hours, just twenty-four hours to make it safe for you to leave Camelot."
"And how do you propose to accomplish that?" Arthur asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't know yet." Merlin admitted after a moment. "But I'm going to go see The Lady and figure it out." With a nod of acceptance from his King, Merlin kissed his wife goodbye and flashed out of the room.
"He may be a bumbling idiot, with the only smart, sensible thing he has done in his entire life being to give in to Princess Mithian, but he's a powerful and loyal bumbling idiot. And our friend." The feast was now thoroughly ruined and so Arthur declared it at an end while Gwen went to summon a few servants to see to their guests.
"My own maid, Sefa, will see to you, My Lady." She addressed Queen Elizabeth once the summons had been issued. "There is none better, save perhaps Nan back in the day, but Nan trained Sefa herself."
"My manservant too will attend Your Grace." Arthur told Philip. "George is the most efficient servant I have ever seen..." He paused a moment before continuing. "Though he does have a penchant for making jokes about brass. Please feel free to ignore him. I do."
"Be nice, Arthur." Gwen chided. "George has been nothing but good to you since entering your service."
"Which is the only reason I put up with his brass jokes and how dull he is." Arthur muttered under his breath as George, Sefa and a few other servants entered the room.
"Ah, George." Arthur said. "I will not require your services tonight. Instead you will assist His Royal Highness, Prince Philip." George nodded his head, quite content with that arrangement.
"Sefa if you too wouldn't mind attending Her Majesty I would be most grateful." Gwen added.
"Of course, My Lady." It was a not so subtle dismissal, one that none of them were terribly used to, though especially not The Queen or the Duke of Edinburgh, and yet they allowed it without comment, knowing they'd be fighting many battles in the near future, and neither wanting nor needing to make a battle out of this.
"Auberta and John will direct you to your chambers, and be happy to assist you as well." Gwen directed to their other guests as The Queen and Prince Philip were led to their own chambers. She then addressed William and Kate personally. "Prince George and Princess Charlotte are welcome to remain in the nursery, or we can have a couple cots brought in if you'd prefer they stay with you for the night." William and Kate looked to each other, unsure. At home the children had their own nursery, though their room was nearby in case their children needed them in the night; regardless of employing a nanny the royal parents did not adhere to tradition and cared for their children on their own as much as possible. However, they were in a strange place, and they did not want to leave them alone in unfamiliar settings. Seeming to read their mind, Gwen stood and said she needed to check on her own children, inviting them to do the same. Any worries the modern royal parents had about their children being frightened in the strange castle disappeared the moment they saw them both sound asleep alongside William and Eleanor, George even sharing the same bed as Camelot's Princess, drawing a raised eyebrow from the adults.
"William and Roy were up to their usual tricks again." Alaria explained.
"Oh dear." Gwen murmured, her lips pursing in her sleeping son's direction.
"Rest assured, Your Grace, it was nothing I could not handle. They merely woke Eleanor, who was quite upset at being pulled from sleep. Prince George did not like that and told them off before going to comfort The Princess and standing guard so she would not be disturbed again." Alaria's amusement was quite obvious. "The poor dear took his task so seriously he tried himself out and fell asleep where he stood. I sent Roy home and The Prince to bed after that. Princess Charlotte slept through the whole thing, Your Highnesses. She did not even stir once." She added for William and Kate's benefit. "Shall I bring them to your chambers?" She then asked, believing that to be why they were there.
"No. Let them sleep." William said. Their fears for their children's comfort was clearly unfounded, both appeared to be in a deep sleep, and regardless of not knowing these people very well, one thing they knew for certain was that they would not harm George or Charlotte.
"Your chambers shall be right next door." Gwen said softly, pointing to a door leading directly from the nursery itself. "That was to become William's room upon his next birthday. He was getting a bit old for the nursery, but we still wanted him close. You'll hear them if they need you, and Arthur and I are close at hand as well." Gwen pointed to a door in the opposite direction of the one that was to be theirs. "No one would dare harm them with The High King so close."
"Not to mention there are guards patrolling the castle." Arthur added.
"Thank you." Said Kate, both she and William feeling more at ease with this arrangement, though they suspected that was exactly the idea. The way Alaria had spoken they got the impression that their room was some ways off, but upon saying their children could remain in the nursery Gwen had given them one much closer to put them at ease. Bidding each other goodnight, Alaria took her leave while both sets of parents went to kiss their sleeping children before retiring to their chambers.
oo00oo00oo
They were all woken quite early, knowing with what had happened that the day needed to start early. The same servants that had seen to the modern royals the night before had returned to help them dress, their clothes having been laundered as they slept in garments provided by The King and Queen, before they were led to the throne room. Upon entering they stopped suddenly as they came face to face with a large round table, no doubt the one of legend. Some of the Knights they had met the previous night were already seated around the table, while other spaces remained empty. Sir Leon approached at their arrival and informed them that Merlin had returned and called for a meeting of the council. Given it was their country and their people as well, Arthur hoped that they would attend. The reason Alaria had insisted she would care for George and Charlotte became clear; this was no place for children. At their nod of acceptance Leon led them over to several of the empty chairs that once belonged to the monarchs of Albion. The Knights who were already in attendance stood at their approach, offering a short bow to the current British monarch before retaking their seats after The Queen had been taken hers only to jump back up a moment later when the doors opened again and their King and Queen, along with Merlin and Mithian, entered.
"I call this meeting of the Round Table to order." Arthur said as he had many times before. "Merlin what news?" He wasted no time in getting to the point.
"I spoke with The Lady of the Lake last night, as well as with The Disir." He started to the surprise of those who knew exactly how powerful, and important, those particular beings were. "The Lady has sensed something which does not bode well for us, though she does not know what. My own feelings concur with her. The Disir then summoned me and gave me a bit of insight, though they do not have all the answers yet as The Triple Goddess herself does not. They said that something was not right with Morgana. That she feels different than she did before. Your instinct that something was off with her was right, Arthur." He addressed The King, referring to the feeling he had gotten when they had first faced Morgana in this time. "Whatever Morgana is up to she is neck deep in dark magic."
"And that would be why The Triple Goddess, and The Disir, do not know anything more." Percival surmised, all of them knowing that The Triple Goddess was a being of light magic. Merlin nodded.
"We don't know exactly what yet, but we're working on it."
"And in the meantime?" Gwen asked. "What can we do now?"
"We can ensure that whatever it is Morgana is up to, it cannot be to use modern warfare." He replied. "The Lady has agreed to help me as we're unsure if my magic alone will be strong enough."
"What are you going to do?" Arthur asked.
"We are going to protect the world, Your Grace." The Lady's voice spoke as she appeared in a glimmer of light as she had once before. All stood at her appearance, the modern royals following their hosts' example.
"My Lady." Arthur offered a short bow. "We are honoured by your presence, and welcome your help, as always."
"My allegiance is yours, Arthur Pendragon, as I have said many times."
"And so you have." He admitted, though refused to take back or apologize for his words.
"Did you say you're going to protect the world?" Gwaine had to ask as they all took their seats again, The Lady even joining them, having appeared in a physical form this time and conjuring a chair for herself.
"Indeed she did." Merlin pick up. "Modern warfare will have no impact upon Camelot given the powerful wards surrounding the castle. We will now do the same for the rest of the world."
"You're going to place wards around the entire world?!" Lancelot was a bit more than sceptical.
"Magic knows very few limits, Sir Lancelot." The Lady spoke.
"And those limits are only that which go against nature and the natural order of things." Merlin added.
"But at Badon Hill didn't you say that not even with the help of all the other Court Mages could you protect our camp? How can you now protect the entire world with even less help?" Arthur asked.
"That was two thousand years ago. Much has changed." Merlin muttered.
"There is also the not so small fact of who you are speaking to." The Lady continued. "Seated before you is Emrys, The Immortal Mage of prophecy, the most powerful sorcerer to ever live. He possesses the power to bend time and space, and can call upon elemental magic as none before him could for his magic runs deep through this very earth; an earth that may begin with Britain, but does not end there, for he is magic itself. Emrys is more than capable of placing a shield over the planet as his magic runs rampant throughout it. Two thousand years ago he could have protected your camp as well, though he was unaware of it at the time. Merlin did not know the extent of his power back then, nor did he fully understand his destiny. Then there is me, The Lady of the Lake, who if I may say so possesses no small amount of magic. While Emrys is no doubt capable of this feat alone, together we cannot fail." There were unspoken words that only a few heard. The Lady was here because Merlin had asked for her help as he did not fully believe in his own abilities. It was an occurrence that was not uncommon, Merlin not believing himself capable regardless of what the truth was, and those who knew him best heard The Lady's unspoken reason for being here.
"So what will this shield do?" Tristan asked.
"It will act very much like the wards surrounding Camelot." Merlin answered. "It will protect those under it from physical attacks. Well, most physical attacks. That's why this is so complicated. We want to stop Morgana from detonating another bomb, or enchanting an army to do her bidding and having them invade somewhere guns blazing. Not only do we have to protect against internal attacks, warding Britain when the attacks are coming from within Britain, for example, but if we ward only Britain she'll merely turn her sights on the rest of the world, so we have to protect them all. But if we ward against all physical attacks then it could interfere with everyone's lives for the magic could take it literally and stop the police from doing their job, or…I don't know, stop people competing in a martial arts tournament because the magic deems it to be fighting and a physical attack. We're not trying to interfere with daily life, just to stop such large attacks like yesterday that are meant to hurt or kill many and sow terror."
"It will have the added effect of protecting against other attacks as well, not just Morgana's." The Lady said, looking quite happy about that.
"She speaks of the terrorist attacks and wars taken place across the world." Merlin explained. "Those are exactly the kind of things that our magic is meant to protect against, it will not discriminate between an attack by Morgana, and an attack by ISIS, for example." Merlin did not look as pleased as The Lady at this news.
"Are you saying you can put an end to war and terrorism?" Prince Charles all but demanded. He and his family had sat quietly and listened intently to what was being said. They were all quite out of their depths, but here was something they could not ignore.
"Yes." Merlin said simply. "But my magic is not meant to be used like this. If there was another way I would take it. But there isn't, so I will do what I must to defeat Morgana. If you will excuse me, I must prepare." When Merlin left The Lady did also, sending a look in Arthur's direction before departing. The ancient king sighed and took a moment to compose himself before turning back to the matter at hand.
"Sir Leon, Sir Percival, I want you to oversee the relocation of our present day families to Camelot. The fight with Morgana is coming to a head and I want them protected. Take the others with you." Knowing a dismissal when they heard one, the two First Knights stood and bowed to their King before leading the rest of the Knights out of the room. Mithian too took that moment to depart and go after her husband, leaving the modern royals alone with Arthur and Gwen. "Merlin is quite touchy on this particular subject." The King began to explain to their guests. "While we died and slumbered to two thousand years, awaiting the day we would be needed again, Merlin has lived all two thousand of those years. He is The Immortal Mage."
"We are not even sure if Merlin can die." Gwen picked up from her husband. "Whether he is truly immortal, or whether he will no longer be immortal after fulfilling his destiny we are unsure. The point here is that Merlin has lived through it all. Every war, every massacre, every tragedy that this world has faced in the last two millennia…he has seen it. He is the most powerful sorcerer to ever exist, or that will ever exist; as you said, he has the power to put an end to war and terrorism. But that power comes at a price."
"Should Merlin use his power like that he will be forcing his will on others. He will be using his magic to bring about his version of peace, regardless of what others think. That is exactly what Morgana is trying to do, and exactly what Merlin is afraid of. Just because he has the power to make things the way he wants them does not mean he should."
"But surely ending war and terrorism could only be for the good of the world. Everyone can agree on that." Harry argued.
"Can they?" Gwen countered. "Everyone has their own opinion, their own version of right and wrong, and their own reasons for doing what they do. Those responsible for 9/11, or the recent Paris bombings, they have their reasons. To us their actions are terrorism, to them they are following the will of their god, or taking a stand against a society that in their opinion is evil. There are any number of reasons and justifications that make complete sense to them, if not to us. I can never condone what they are doing. Regardless of the reasons behind it, killing and hurting innocents is wrong, and to me they are no better than Morgana, trying to force their will and their version of how the world should be on others. If Merlin were to do the same thing, were to use his magic to force his will and his version of how the world should be on others, would he not then be no better than those we fight against?"
"It does not matter that we agree that ending war and terrorism is a good thing. Nor does it matter that millions of people around the world would agree as well." Arthur continued. "It does not matter, for millions more would not agree with us, and so Merlin would be taking their free will and their freedom away. Both world wars are prime examples of this. The world wars were not one group of people against the rest of the world, but many groups of people against many other groups of people. The world did not fight against Hitler and the Nazis alone, the allied nations fought against several other nations that sided with Hitler and the Nazis. While it is true there were more countries that made up the Allies than the Axis powers, it was still not all against one, but many against many."
"Do you see what we are trying to say? It is never as simple as one person or one group being wrong, or evil. It is a matter of opinion and the world has never come together in their opinions, so there would be many people forced to the will of others. Regardless of the fact that he has the power to do so, Merlin does not feel it is his place, or his right to interfere so."
"But the fact he can, the fact that he has the power to change things, and regardless of bending people to his will, the fact that he has the power to save many lives and may not use it weighs heavily on him."
"Or in the case of past wars, the fact he had the power to save many lives and did not use it rests heavily on him."
"You will never get universal approval, you should know that quite well given the continuing existence of the monarchy is an endless debate, and Merlin will be facing enough backlash from…well from practically every corner of the world for this magic he must do to thwart Morgana. Do not make it any harder on him." It was both a request and a command, one that not even the current Queen was certain she could ignore. It had become clear very fast that not only was this a tight knit group, but the relationship The King had with his Court Mage was especially close. For all that they teased and insulted each other, neither would accept another delivering the insults, and anything that would truly hurt the other was dealt with swiftly and mercilessly; Elizabeth had no doubt that regardless of her own status as a British monarch, if she or her family did anything to hurt Merlin they would be faced with The High King of legend. Knowing there was no easy answer to this particular debate, The Queen simply nodded, her family following her lead. They then turned their attention to where they would go from here. True to their word, Queen Elizabeth had been able to make a call the previous night to ensure the palace that she and her family were unharmed and would be returning in the morning. Another call had been placed this morning for her palace aides to arrange a press conference. It had been decided quite quickly that after an attack like last night any response had to be just as public, and so it would be with the eyes of the world's media on them. With no better plan, Queen Elizabeth had decided to publically back Merlin's use of magic. This was not an enemy that they could fight, as had been clearly demonstrated to them when Merlin, after calming and returning to take his place beside Arthur, used his magic to show them bits of their battles in the past. Neither The Queen nor her family had been entirely convinced that there was absolutely nothing they could do to fight Morgana's magic and so Merlin yet again conjured his crystal ball and replayed choice moments in the battles they had fought. After seeing a full grown dragon, the same they had come face to face with the previous day, decimate a great portion of Camelot, after watching the sky grow dark with the appearance of the Dorocha, after seeing Merlin and Morgana fight magic against magic, they finally believed that the usual warfare would be quite useless and so The Queen followed the only path she had available to her: trust in the sorcerer and his magic to protect her people.
oo00oo00oo
Merlin transported them directly to Buckingham Palace after breakfast and a clear sigh of relief went through the people gathered there. The Prime Minister himself welcomed The Queen home, before introducing himself to Arthur and Guinevere. It took a bit longer to convince him and Her Majesty's government, the top officials of which were also present, that this was the best course of action. The Prime Minister was all for declaring Morgana a terrorist and hunting her down. The discussion and debate continued to the lunch hour when finally Arthur and Merlin had had enough. Arthur, using every ounce of The High King that was in him, addressed the Prime Minister in the plainest of terms, while Merlin both added his own words as well as his magic, having let it loose enough for those in the room to feel its raw power. He them informed that what they had felt was a mere fraction of his power, and that Morgana's rivalled his; regardless of what they branded her or how hard they looked, if Morgana did not want to be found they would never find her, and no measures they could take could stand up to her magic. It seemed that just like when their identities were revealed and none questioned it or thought it a trick, the touch of magic was all it took to have people believe, though Merlin assured everyone he did not use his magic in any way that would take over a person's mind and bend them to his will, and after their discussion earlier this morning, none of the modern royal family doubted him. The Lady of the Lake, who had promised to be present to help Merlin, chose that moment to appear and offered her thoughts on the subject.
"There was a time that magic ran freely throughout the world." She informed them, having appeared purposefully in an impressive show of magic. "Humans accepted the simple truth that magic existed. They embraced it and welcomed it as a part of their world. Over the centuries since Camelot's fall, the knowledge of magic turned to something dark in the eyes of men and those in possession of it hid their knowledge to survive. The magic running throughout the earth began to recede until it lied all but dormant, used by only a select few who sill remained of the Old Religion. However, the magic is still there. Magic cannot leave the earth for it is a part of it, and it has began to awaken as more and more of earth's people accept its existence. It is time for magic to return to the world." It was an answer half of those in the room did not know what to do with. They had never lived in a world with magic and so did not know what to expect. Those who had been reborn, however, looked forward to magic's return, and the brief thought that perhaps this was their destiny flittered through Arthur and Gwen's minds, though they would think more on it later. For now they braced themselves and went to face the thousands waiting outside. The media had been allowed to set up just outside the palace gates so as to get a good view of the famous balcony where many royal appearances were made; though it would be a first for the Prime Minister to appear there and even more so for them to address the people instead of merely smiling and waving. A microphone had been placed at the centre which the Prime Minister stood before, prepared to offer the first response from the government after this attack, though he had to wait until the noise from the appearance of King Arthur, Queen Guinevere and their court had died down. The Prime Minister made a speech, saying all the right things to reassure the people of Britain that their government would not take this attack lying down, they would find the one responsible, and that they already had plans to ensure this could not happen again. In a show of solidarity he then turned to The Queen who reiterated the message before explaining the measures the Prime Minister had spoken of, and also explaining the presence of King Arthur and his court.
"This attack was not perpetrated by extremists a continent or ocean away, but by one in the very heart of Britain who has been continuing this fight for almost two thousand years." She said, looking over the crowd. "The woman seen on this very balcony before and during the attack was Morgana Pendragon, known in many incarnations of Arthurian legend as Morgan le Fay, and has refused to accept defeat, keeping a war going long past its time. However, she will accept defeat now. In an unprecedented union, both the past and present monarchies of Britain will see to her end. King Arthur, King of Camelot and High King of a united Britain in the past has graciously offered his assistance and that of The Knights of the Round Table, as well as that of Merlin, his Court Mage, and the sorcerer of legend." She paused a moment to allow that to sink in before continuing. "Though, it is Lord Merlin's assistance that is currently required. All those before you, as well as other elected members of parliament, have seen the truth that magic can only be fought with magic. Lord Merlin is not only the sorcerer you will be familiar with from Arthurian legend, he is the strongest sorcerer to ever exist and he will use his magic to protect everyone." Seeing she had the crowd's undivided attention she decided to press on, borrowing words spoken by The Lady of the Lake, not fifteen minutes ago. "There was a time that magic ran freely throughout the world. Humans accepted the simple truth that magic existed. Over time the knowledge of magic was lost to us until it became but something of fantasy. But magic itself has not left the earth. You have all seen it with your own eyes and must learn to accept it as our ancestors did if we are to have a chance of surviving this crisis." She continued on to explain exactly what Merlin had explained to them earlier, that he would essentially place a shield around the entire world to protect them all from Morgana. A low hum broke out over the crowd at her words, disbelief and discontent being the two most prominent emotions as people wondered if what The Queen suggested was actually possible and also what exactly it meant. The crowd quieted when the Prime Minister stepped forward and stood beside The Queen, silently offering his full support, though at the same time he knew he would be fielding calls from world leaders for the rest of the day, for they had just announced that what Merlin would do would impact not just Britain but other countries as well. Even so, he still believed this to be the right course of action. With everything that needed to be said done, The Queen and Prime Minister turned to Merlin who received a gentle shove from Arthur as he was thrust into the spotlight. All cameras were trained on him and the crowd waited with bated breath for this next move. Closing his eyes, Merlin took a calming breath, though it was his wife's hand in his for a brief moment that truly calmed him as Mithian let him know she was right there with him. Feeling The Lady of the Lake at his side, Merlin opened his eyes and raised his hands to the heavens, a move which appeared purely dramatic, but in actuality would help concentrate his magic as a starting point before it spread across the world.
"Fy hud yn dod i mi yn awr. Rwy'n galw holl rym i mi a roddwyd yr un o broffwydoliaeth, a ddewiswyd gan Duwies Driphlyg. Grymoedd daear, aer, dŵr a phlygu tân i fy ewyllys." Merlin's eyes flashed gold and stayed that way as he began chanting. The wind picked up and a ball of light appeared in the centre of his outstretched hands, growing in size the longer he chanted and the louder his words got. So absorbed was he in his task that he was unaware the The Lady had neither spoken a word, nor cast even a drop of magic. "Diogelu y byd hwn rhag dinistr, gadael unrhyw le heb eu cyffwrdd gan olau llachar hud yn. Er mwyn heddwch ateb fy galwad! Diogelu y byd hwn gan y rhai a fyddai'n dod â hi i adfail!" He was yelling by the time his spell ended and the ball of light, of pure magic that gathered before him, erupted outwords, the golden stream of magic swiftly making its way across the land leaving a protective shield on all it touched, including the people. A gasp shot through the crowd as the magic settled, leaving a sense of peace and security, a sensation that was felt all across the world as people paused, sat up straighter and breathed easier, those who were watching the scene unfoled knowing it must be Merlin's magic, while the rest would find out soon enough. When the magic stopped, Merlin stumbled having used a great deal of power, and gratefully accepted Arthur and Mithian's help to remain standing for the time being.
"You didn't help." Were the first words out of his mouth, directed towards The Lady of the Lake, who smirked, a smug look in her eyes.
"You did not need my help, Emrys. Your doubt in your abilities is all that stands in your way of accessing your true power, that which The Triple Goddess gifted you. What you have achieved here is no small feat, it is true, but you are more than capable of it, as you are more than capable of much more." Her smile softened. "I shall always be here should you have need of me, but I will not pander to your insecurities. Have faith in yourself, Merlin, as all here do." Her part done, The Lady disappeared, returning to her lake on the Isle of the Blessed.
"You actually did it." The Prime Minister mumbled. Although he had ultimately agreed that this was the best course of action, he had still had his share of scepticism that it could actually be accomplished. However, having seen the power Merlin held, and feeling its effects, he no longer doubted it. Although the show was clearly over the crowd had not dispersed, nor had any of the media turned their cameras away from the balcony, those televising the event even having caught much of the conversation as the mic was still on, though none were speaking into it.
"What are they waiting for?" Gwaine wondered, he and the other Knights of the Round Table having naturally accompanied their King and Queen.
"More magic, no doubt." Prince Charles said. "It is quite new to them, and of course seeing the legendary Merlin performing it is something else." The sorcerer in question raised his head, his eyes having lit up.
"No. Whatever it is you're thinking, the answer is no!" Arthur said, knowing that look all too well.
"But you wouldn't want to disappoint the people would you?" He countered, clearly having regained his strength.
"Merlin, whenever you have that look in your eyes you either do something stupid, or you end up causing me trouble. Actually it's usually both."
"You're overexaggerating." He dismissed.
"Am I? What about that time during a visit to Odin's kingdom with father when we were eleven? Or that time you thought it'd be a good idea for my room to clean itself? Or how about-"
"Alright, alright I get it." He mumbled. "But this time is different."
"You said it was different after every time you screwed up." Arthur deadpanned.
"Alright, well this time you don't have a choice." Arthur was about to protest with his favourite excuse that he was The King and if Merlin did anything without consulting him he'd have him thrown in the stocks, but it was too late for Merlin had turned once more towards the sky, calling on another of his abilities, this one his birthright.
"Dragon! Imala! Sungente gumenta! Keshophanekes!" The crowd too turned to the sky as he spoke, waiting for something to happen, and becoming disappointed when nothing happened instantly.
"Was that really necessary?" Mithian had to ask, knowing along with their friends what Merlin had just done.
"They wanted to see magic, magical creatures should be just as good." He said with a shrug.
"And you don't think it's a bit too soon, what with every else going on? We don't want to overwhelm anyone."
"If people are not yet overwhelmed then a dragon isn't going to do it. They'll be fine. Besides Aithusa has been waiting near two thousand years to be able to fly freely again. This way we get the existence of dragons out there while letting the people know that they're on our side and not dangerous."
"Aithusa can be very dangerous when she wants to be. As can any dragon." Gwen argued.
"Well yes, of course, but she's not about to randomly attack anyone without being provoked. The same could be said for any non-magical animal. At least if the people see we're not afraid of dragons then they shouldn't fear them unless they get stupid and try to attack one."
"Did he just say dragon?" The Prime Minister asked.
"Indeed he did." Prince Harry answered with a smile, looking to the sky happily, excited to see a real dragon once again. Although it had not happened instantly it was not long before the flap of a dragon's giant wings could be heard and Aithusa flew over the castle, letting loose a great roar.
"Oi! None of that!" Merlin scolded as The Great Dragon came to hover before them. "We're trying to teach them to not be afraid of you."
"Humans have always, and will always, fear my kind, as they should." She responded. "We may not decimate cities with our flame but we are dragons, Merlin, not pet lizards. A healthy dose of fear would do them good."
"You know you sounded like Kilgharrah there, with the quip about not being pet lizards." He said after a moment.
"Kilgharrah was a wise dragon." Was the only reply he got. "Now, why have you summoned me, Dragonlord?"
"As if you don't already know." Merlin scoffed. His tone then softened and he looked up at Aithusa with kind eyes. "I promised you'd be able to fly freely again one day. That day is today." The Great Dragon bowed her head, the only thanks that was needed.
"Very well then. Climb on, Dragonlord. I have not forgotten my promise. Your wife is welcome as well." Merlin blushed and avoided the gazes of those around him.
"Merlin…?" Mithian finally asked, a cautionary note in her voice.
"When magic was lost to the world and we had to hide I swore that one day Aithusa, who was the only dragon at the time, would one day be free again." He explained. "And until then I would not endanger her by asking for a ride, regardless of the fact that she didn't really mind, like Kilgharrah did. She then promised that when the day came that she could fly freely she'd happily give me a ride once more. Stupid really."
"But it will aid in your purpose." Aithusa added. "Will we not seem more tame if a human is seen to ride us?"
"I doubt you could ever appear tame." Mithian mumbled as Merlin helped her climb onto Aithusa's back before climbing on behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.
"You're really going to do this, aren't you?" Lancelot asked in semi-disbelief; by now there was little Merlin did that could shock him.
"Aithusa's right that it'll help people be less afraid. She also would tell me if she minded and none of this would have ever come to light." Those who knew about the shared mind between a Dragonlord and dragons understood he meant that Aithusa would have communicated to him silently had she minded. "Besides, there's been so many shocks today, what's one more?" He asked with his customary goofy grin as Aithusa prepared to leave.
"Merlin!" Arthur cried as the dragon began to take flight. "You got us here, how are we supposed to get home without you?!"
"You're The High King of Britain, Arthur." He called back, his grin turning mischievous. "I'm certain you can figure it out."
"MERLIN!"
A/N - So yeah, Merlin is that powerful. Don't know if there's any precedence for it in any form of Arthurian legend, I couldn't find any, though granted I didn't do more than a Google search, but that's what I'm going with.
The spell he chanted was Google translated into Welsh, (it's English version can be found below) and I take no responsibility for it being wrong, I do not know Welsh and relied entirely on Google.
"My magic come to me now. I summon all the power granted me as the one of prophecy, chosen by The Triple Goddess. The forces of earth, air, water and fire bend to my will. Protect this world from destruction, leave no place untouched by magic's brilliant light. For the sake of peace answer my call! Protect this world from those that would bring it to ruin!"
Only a few more chapters left, if anyone is still with me!
