Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.

Chapter twenty-seven: The last dragon lord and the tears of Uthur Pendragon part one.

Arthur sat in silence, he knew Morgana had betrayed them, but he just couldn't believe Merlin would poison her like that. He knew he wouldn't have been able to do it, he had the courage of a warrior and he couldn't have done that to Morgana. He knew what Merlin had done, had been done to save the kingdom and he knew without Merlin's help the kingdom would have fallen a long time ago.

But he had released the dragon, a dragon who had killed many, many people. Merlin had saved the kingdom and then almost destroyed it. That was how much he valued his promises, if he said he was going to do something, he would do it and try and sort out the consequences of it later. He was brave, Arthur had to give him that. Merlin had known the dragon would attack the city, he had seen it in a crystal. But he refused to break his word and released the dragon.

Gwen and the others understood Merlin had done what he had to and they were glad. Most of them only knew her as a witch hell bent on destroying Camelot and taking the throne, but Gwen knew her before. Morgana had changed ever since she met Morgause, at first she didn't want to believe it, but she knew once she had seen Morgana doing a spell in her room, when Arthur was on a quest. The magic hadn't scared her, it was the evil she had felt in the air. She just knew Morgana didn't mean them well anymore.

Taliesin appears again and smiles slightly. "It is time you watch the next adventure."

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In a time of myth and a land of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulder of a young boy, his name…. Merlin.

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Everyone watches the screen, the court yard had a great many fires burning, as Arthur lead his men in an attack. Back in the castle many people were injured and Gaius and Gwen were working to try and treat as many as they could.

"The dragon wasted no time in attacking, did it?" Gwaine finally speaks up.

Leon nodes. "It must have been hard for Merlin, having to watch people die knowing he was the one who caused it."

Arthur looked at the screen. "He said sorry, sorry doesn't help the fact hundreds of people were dying because of what he did."

Percival glances at Leon. "That truly did look scary, having a dragon flying towards you like that."

Leon nodes. "It was…. The fire…. I'm surprised it didn't kill us."

Elyan turns and looks at his sister. "You shouldn't have gone out in the court yard like that. That dragon could have killed you!"

Gwen glares at her brother. "We needed clean water to treat people, without clean water people would have died."

Arthur takes Gwen's hand. "All that matters was we both lived."

Gwaine sighs. "So Merlin's magic couldn't kill him, I thought he could have…. He killed the griffin."

Gaius shakes his head. "Only a dragon lord can kill a dragon. A dragons magic is one of the oldest forms of magic."

Arthur looks at Gaius. "So how did we kill it? The last dragon lord died in Merlin's arms."

Isolde smiles as she watches Arthur and Gwen, while Gwen treats Arthur wound. Tristan grips her hand and they smile at each other. Love was a powerful bound.

Everyone takes a step back slightly at the sight of the city the following day. The lower town was still burning in places and much of the castle walls were in ruin.

"That dragon did a lot of damage," Gwaine mutters. "I would hate to be its enemy."

Arthur sighs. "It's dead, Gwaine. Unless dragons can come back from the dead we have nothing to worry about."

Tristan glances at Gaius. "I have heard of dragon lord before, but what are they?"

Gaius sighs. "They are the dragons kin, they can control the dragons. But not all of them have magic. Uthur had them all killed, for he feared what they practiced was too closely linked to magic."

Tristan nodes. "From before the great purge, we didn't have any dragon lords in the kingdom it lived in, so we only heard the odd story. It seems they were true."

Isolde glances round. "You said the dragon lord died in Merlin's arms?"

Gaius nodes. "Indeed he did."

"Could Merlin not save him?"

"Merlin had and still has little knowledge in the magical art of healing, the wound his fa-." Gaius quickly stops speaking. "The wound the dragon lord suffered, could not have been healed even by someone of great skill. It was just too deep."

"Balinor," Arthur mutters. "I remember he refused to help, but Merlin spoke to him and he changed his mind. He was so bitter."

"He had every right to be," Gwaine answers. "Your father hunted him down like an animal, forced him away from his family. Why would he want to help you?"

Arthur glares at Gwaine. "How do you know so much about him?"

"Because I know his son." Gwaine answers.

They watch as Merlin and Gaius talk.

"You helped Balinor escape?" Gwen asks.

Gaius nodes. "I did."

"Hunith helped him," Arthur asks. "He was an outlaw, did she not know how dangerous that was?"

Gaius glares at Arthur. "The dragon lords did nothing wrong, Uthur simply feared they had magic. Some of them did, some of the didn't…. The gift of the dragon lord is passed from father to son in death…. They were killed for what family they were born into, not whether the chose to practice it."

"So Balinor son, is now the last dragon lord?" Arthur ask.

Gaius nodes. "He is."

"Who is he?"

"You will see."

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"Merlin is Balinor son," Isolde gasps. "But you said Balinor died in his arm."

Gaius nodes. "Merlin's father died in his arms…. Merlin wasn't even able to give him a proper burial or grieve properly for fear of what Uthur would do if he ever found out."

Gwen turns to Gwaine. "You knew?"

Gwaine nodes. "When I went to see Merlin, he told me about his father. It wasn't the first time he spoke of him, but it was the first time he told me who he was."

Arthur looks at Gaius. "You told him not to tell me. I wouldn't have handed him over."

Gaius sighs. "Uthur could never have found out. He would have feared Merlin, and no good would have come of that."

They watch as Merlin and Arthur travel and enter a tavern for the night.

Gwaine laughs. "'Greetings!' even Merlin would have known better than to greet them like that."

Percival smiles. "And I bet he would have known not to give the money first."

Elyan nodes. "He did grow up in Cenred's kingdom."

Tristan smirks. "You two really did seem out of place in there."

Arthur rolls his eyes. "We had no choice, we couldn't spend the night in the woods and we had to find where Balinor was."

They watch as Arthur and Merlin settle down for the night in their room.

"Why can you never admit when you worried Arthur?" Gwaine grins. "You were obviously worried about Merlin."

Leon nodes in agreement. "But of course Merlin's not going to tell you."

Tristan shakes his head. "You actually provide the lie for him, no wonder he never has a problem coming up with them."

They watch as Leon and the other knights try to kill the dragon.

Arthur turns to look at Leon. "Good formation."

Leon nodes. "Thank you, my lord."

Gwaine rolls his eyes. "It's a dragon! It breaths fire! And you try and kill it with fire! Anyone would have known that wouldn't work! Plus the fire let it see the arrows you were firing, how you manage to kill anything is a mystery."

"No it isn't," Percival laughs. "Merlin kills them."

Everyone laughs.

Gwen smiles slightly. "That must have been a shock seeing his father for the first time."

Everyone one watches in silence as Merlin and his father speak. Even Arthur felt sorry for him, Uthur had hunted him down.

Gwaine sighs. "Trust Arthur to ruin the moment."

Everyone watches as the scene changes back to Camelot, the city was in even worse shape and people were trying to put the fires out. Gwen and Gaius speak on the battlements.

Isolde smiles. "Love does change everything."

Tristan also smiled. "True love can survive anything."

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Back at the caves Balinor refuses to help.

Gaius smiles slightly. "The fates were cruel to him…. He loved Hunith more than life itself, when he was forced to leave, he didn't even know Hunith was pregnant."

Gwaine nodes. "It must have been hard for Merlin, knowing that his father would turn his back on innocent people."

Gaius sighs. "Balinor was a great man, but when that happens to you…. No one would be unchanged by it."

Gwen smiles sadly. "He didn't even know he had a son."

"Well," Gwaine mutters. "Merlin looks more like his father than his mother…. They would have been a great family, if Uthur hadn't hunted him down."

Percival smiles as Merlin insults Arthur, whilst telling him what he is. "You have to admit Arthur, you are arrogant."

"And supercilious." Elyan adds, with a grin.

"Condescending," Gwaine adds. "Over bearing."

"Oh shut up," Arthur growls. "Merlin's an idiot."

"Yet he was the one who convinced Balinor to help." Leon mutters.

Gwaine laughs. "I love how Arthur manages to ruin the moment every time."

Arthur sighs. "I didn't mean to."

"Of course princess." Gwaine mutters.

Gaius smiles sadly. "Balinor could have taught him so much. When he died he passed on his gift to Merlin, but Merlin had no one to teach him the ways of the dragon lords, everything he knows he has had to learn himself."

They watch as the following morning as Merlin wakes up to find a carved dragon on the tree stump next to him. But only seconds later the camp is attacked by Cenred's men.

They watch in complete silence as Balinor takes a sword for Merlin and dies in his arms. The silence is only broken by Gwen's sobbing.

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Gwaine shakes his head. "That must have been so hard for Merlin. First he loses his best friend, his love and then his father."

Percival nodes. "It must have been hard, knowing the father of the man you work for hunted down your father and ruined your family."

"Yeah a king who would kill you in a second of he ever found about the way you were born." Elyan adds.

They watch as Arthur informs his father Balinor is dead and asks for the knights help to kill the dragon.

Leon smiles as he watches him and some Arthur knights walk forward. "We all thought we wouldn't return from that fight."

Arthur nodes. "You were the only one who made in back, besides me and Merlin of course."

Gwen wipes her eyes, as she watches Merlin and Gaius talk. "Why does he always blame himself? You said that wound was too deep, so why does he blame himself?"

Gaius sighs. "Because that's the way he is. Merlin will always want to save everyone, and will feel the guilt when he cannot…. I guess he feels that if he never let the dragon go, his father and all those killed would still be alive."

They watch as Merlin prepares Arthur to ride out and face the dragon.

Leon smiles. "Merlin and his good advice again."

Gwaine glares at Arthur. "I think his father was worth his tears, don't you?"

"I didn't know he was Merlin's father!" Arthur snaps. "If I had known, I would never have said that."

Percival laughs. "He was right, if he wasn't there you would have died."

Elyan nodes. "And he has saved you many times."

Tristan shudders slightly. "Wouldn't want to have been those knights…. Burnt to death is no way to go."

Isolde shivers. "I wouldn't want to be Merlin."

Everyone takes a step back as Merlin roars at the dragon, quite surprised and shocked that such a sound could come from any human.

Gwaine smiles. "Look at that, the dragon is bowing to him!"

Everyone watches in shock as Merlin lets Kilgharrah go free.

"He let the dragon go!" Arthur yells. "Even after all the death it caused!"

Gaius glares at Arthur. "Without the dragon help, Merlin would have died. The dragon has saved Merlin's life when no others had the power to. Kilgharrah is loyal to Merlin and only Merlin."

Gwen smiles as she watches Merlin and Gaius together, they really were like father and son.

She glanced round, Arthur was truly in a bad mood now, but he would get over it. Everyone else were just pleased Merlin was alive, but slightly worried about the dragon still being around.

Arthur was just angry, Merlin had poisoned Morgana and let the dragon go. But Arthur would get over it, in his heart of hearts he knew Merlin did everything he did for the good of Camelot

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In a time of myth and a land of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy, his name…. Merlin.

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All the knights take gasp as they see the land covered with dead knights and guards.

"What happened?" Elyan finally asks.

"My father sent patrols out to look for Morgana…. Even if it meant entering different kingdoms. So many were attacked and killed." Arthur answers.

Gwaine shakes his head. "You should never have bothered, look at all the things she has done."

"Merlin is by no means 'a girls petticoat'!" Gwen growls. "He was right, it wasn't a good idea to go after them. That was a patrol twice the size of yours and they were all slaughtered."

Everyone smiles at Arthur's and Merlin's banter, Arthur got called fat and a dollop-head and Merlin got called a wimp.

Gwaine laughs. "How did no one notice that! All metal objects stuck to that guys sword, even a guards helmet!"

Elyan smiles. "A good spell though, the guy just fell over backwards."

"How did no one notice a whole tree just falling on him like that!?" Percival exclaimed.

Leon sighed. "And Merlin once again saved Arthur's life."

Gwen gasps at the sight of Morgana. "I thought she was with Morgause, why would she treat her like that."

Gaius shakes his head. "She wasn't injured, hardly at all. They had to make it look like she had been help prisoner or we all would have known she had turned against us."

They watch as Gaius looks Morgana over, while Uthur waits outside.

"You can see how it was so easy to fool Uthur," Gwaine mutters. "She could have declared she was evil and he wouldn't have believed her."

Gwen sighs. "It must have been hard for Merlin, knowing if Morgana told the king he would die."

Gaius nodes. "Merlin feared that more than most things…. Morgana was worried if she told the king, Merlin would in turn tell Uthur why he did poison her and they would both be killed."

Tristan watches as Arthur and Morgana talk. "I can see why everyone believed she wasn't evil, she was quite convincing."

Isolde nodes. "A really good actor, it even had Merlin fooled."

Gaius smiles. "But Merlin is never fooled for long."

Everyone laughs as Arthur says he knows how to use a cloth and bucket.

"Good one princess," Gwaine laughs. "Like you'd know how to clean a floor. You can't even dress yourself half the time."

Gwen glares at Arthur. "That was mean, tipping water on him like that…. You really have no idea how hard we work do you?"

Arthur looks at Gwen. "It can't be that hard!"

Gwen just keeps glaring. "And how would you know? You have never had to do it! It must be even worse for Merlin, he has to keep saving the kingdom, help druids escape and put up with you while doing it."

Arthur's jaw drops open in shock. "I am a knight as well as king, I know what hard work is like."

"You have no idea, Arthur!" Gwen answers. "You've never had to live that kind of life. Maybe if you had you would understand."

"Trouble in paradise." Leon mutters to Elyan, who nodes.

They all watch as Morgana and Uthur speak.

Gwaine snorts. "He cared for you like his daughter, because you were his daughter."

"Gwaine you do know she can't hear you?" Percival asks.

Elyan shivers as Morgana walks away from Uthur smirking. "She's smirking, there is something going on. She has a plan and it can't be good."

"It's never good," Leon mutters. "Morgana's plains have bought Camelot to its knees before."

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They watch as Morgana rides out of the city to meet her sister, Morgause in the forest.

Gwaine shakes his head. "Bet you're jealous, Arthur. Morgause only asked after Merlin and Uthur."

Arthur glares at him. "Will you shut up."

Leon shivers. "The tears of Uthur Pendragon, why did they not use hair. All the spell we're seen so far use hair."

Gaius sighs. "The spell would not have had the same effect."

"Mandrake root," Percival mutters. "I have heard of that before."

"If only those with magic can bear the screams, why could we hear it?" Elyan asks.

"These are the adventures of Merlin," Taliesin explains. "All things Merlin is able to see and hear you will be able to see and hear also."

Isolde looks up in alarm. "Mandrake roots, I have heard lf them before too. Uthur used them to find people who had magic."

Gaius nodes. "He did indeed do that when the great purge first started. But one night all the roots disappeared, I fear someone stole them in hope it would stop Uthur. But all it did was cause him to kill all those accused of magic, for he no longer had a way of proving if they did or not."

Everyone winces slightly as they see the mandrake root under Uthur's bed, they had all heard what Morgause had explained it does.

Out on the training filed Arthur is showing off, fighting blindfolded.

"You are such a show off," Gwaine complains. "And you wonder why Merlin is always calling you names, someone has to keep your ego down sized."

Elyan laughs. "I don't think it's a wise move, to tease Merlin like that."

Percival nodes. "Now you know he has magic, think of all the things he can do as revenge."

Arthur pales slightly, thinking back to his time as part donkey. Merlin didn't know about that, so there was no way Merlin would know to change him into one.

Leon smiles. "Look at his face, he's planning something…. And knowing Merlin this isn't going to end well for Arthur."

Everyone laughs as Merlin uses magic to make Arthur lose his sword, resulting in him getting a face full of mud. Merlin fakes looking concerned and quickly gets up to help.

Arthur just glares at the screen. "He'll pay for that."

"He's an all-powerful warlock," Gwaine mutters. "You won't even get close, unless he lets you."

Percival nodes. "It could have been worse…."

"How could that have been worse?" Arthur demands.

Leon smiles. "It could have been a lot worse."

They all watch as the feast that night starts and Uthur gives his speech and goes outside for some air. Morgana watches him go, smirking all the while.

Gwen screams as the hand comes out the well, everyone else jumps in shook.

"Mother." Arthur mutters.

Everyone watches in silence as Uthur is taken to his room, the mandrake root was doing it work.

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"So that's why Cenred attacked," Arthur mutters. "Morgause told him too."

Gwen gasps as Morgana stabs the knight on the battlements.

"She truly had turned against us." Arthur mutters.

Gaius nodes. "The darkness in he heart claimed her mind, it consumed her. Her magic was simply what caused the fear, which drove her down the path she chose to walk."

Gwen shakes her head. "That's when I knew Morgana had changed. She never once spoke to me in such a tone, before that."

Everyone winces as one of Cenred's men is thrown back by Morgause.

"She really knows how to talk people into doing things." Leon mutters. "Cenred was pretty much eating out of her hand."

Elyan nodes. "She knew how to play with him, make him do what she wanted."

"I have always liked a cleaver women," Gwaine mutters. "But Morgause is far too bitter for my taste."

Percival rolls his eyes. "You would have done what she asked, if she had asked the right way."

Back in Camelot the council is talking about Cenred's kingdom.

Elyan takes a step back at the sight of the drowned boy, it reminded him to much of druid who had possessed him.

Gwen looks at Gaius in horror. "He drowned children?"

Gaius nodes. "All those said to have magic were killed. Whole families, even new born babies."

Leon shakes his head. "That guard may have been alive, but I doubt for long. Morgana most definitely wouldn't let him live."

Elyan shakes his head. "You should really keep your door locked, Gaius."

"A locked door wouldn't have stopped Morgana." Gaius answers.

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They watch as that night Merlin cares for Uthur and notices the mandrake root dripping below Uthur's bed. They watch Merlin follow Morgana out of the castle and through the lower town and into the woods. Where she meets Morgause.

Arthur glares at the screen. "Merlin is an idiot! He should not have gone alone."

Percival nodes. "But who could he have taken with him? Anyone who went with him, would have been in danger too."

Elyan winces as Merlin is knocked out by one of Morgause's blood guard. "He wouldn't have wanted to risk anyone else life."

Back in Camelot, Gaius is trying to convince Arthur to take charge of the kigdom.

Gwaine looks at Gaius. "You sure did have a lot of faith in princess."

"The kingdom needed a strong leader." Gaius answers. "Especially with a war closing in."

Back in the forest Merlin wakes to find himself chained, and thrown before Morgause.

Gwaine shakes his head. "He really does have bad luck."

Elyan nodes. "Left to be questioned by Morgause, I doubt anyone would have wanted to be in his place."

Percival sighs. "Left in the forest to die, with no one to save him."

Leon looks at Gaius. "He couldn't break the chains, I thought his magic was stronger than Morgause's."

"It is," Gaius answers. "But you have to know the right spell for it to work."

Everyone looks horrified as Serkets appear through the trees.

"Come on, Merlin." Gwen mutters, as Merlin once again tries to break the chains.

Meanwhile back in Camelot Gaius is looking for Merlin, but having no luck. Everyone glares as Morgana smirks after finding Merlin has not returned. Not long after Morgana offers Arthur some comfort while they stand by their father.

Back in the forest the Serkets are drawing closer and closer to Merlin.

"Come on." Gwen cries, watching as Merlin casts a spell sending them back for only a couple of moments.

Gwaine grips his sword as his he wanted to attack them himself.

"NO!" Gwen shrieks, as a Serket stings Merlin in the back.

Gwaine yells in angry and Elyan, Percival and Leon gasp. Tristan and Isolde grip hands and look horrified. Gaius looks annoyed, Merlin never did tell him what happened, but he couldn't help but fell slightly panicked. Arthur was just in shock, he stared at screen frozen to the spot.

They watch as Merlin summons the great dragon and falls to the ground, around him the Serkets are moving closer.

The scene changes to Cenred's army marching towards Camelot, while Morgause watches on from her crystal.

Back in the forest, the great dragon arrives, just as Merlin passes out and carries him away, after burning many of the Serkets.

Nobody moves, they had just watched Merlin get stung by a creature no one survived the poison of. And they were all hopeless to do anything about it, Merlin was still alive they all knew but that didn't stop them worrying.

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