"Arthur!" A shout came when they reached the castle, they looked up to see Gwen running out to meet them. "You're back."
Arthur dismounted and pulled her into an embrace.
"Gwen," He said pulling away and looking into her eyes, "We found him."
Gwen's head darted up to look at the stranger that was with them "Is that smokey?" She said looking at the horse he was riding.
Smokey was a mount from Camelot, Merlin's mount actually (he went on so many trips with Arthur that it was just assumed that smokey was his), the horse hadn't been seen in three years.
Emrys jumped from his horse and bowed to Gwen who looked a little embarrassed.
"How come I don't get a bow?" Arthur asked indignantly.
"Because I like her." Emrys said simply.
Gwaine laughed at the look on Arthur's face as he came to join them. "As nice as this all is can we go inside? It's actually quite dark now the shiny ball has gone."
"Don't ask." Arthur said as answer to Gwen's inquiring look.
As they entered a hush fell among the people, the fact that the king had gone to look for a sorcerer was a secret so naturally the whole of Camelot knew.
"You should probably talk to them, your good with inspirational stuff." Emrys whispered in Arthur's ear.
"You don't say." Arthur muttered before turning back to the crowd, "We can't hope to beat Morgana by ourselves," He began.
"We have done before!" Came a shout
"No you haven't." Emrys said quietly but there wasn't a person present that didn't hear him.
"The sorcerer,"
"Warlock."
"Whatever! Has agreed to help us defeat Morgana and take back Camelot. If I hear of any discrimination against him, there will be punishment."
"Why should we trust him?"
"Why shouldn't you? He could've killed me or Sir Gwaine at any point but he did not. If you're not happy to accept help then you better get used to Morgana's Camelot."
"When I said inspirational I didn't mean this." Emrys muttered to Gwaine who chuckled slightly.
"Tomorrow we march on Camelot, who will join us?"Arthur finished.
One by one everyone in the room stepped forward to join their king.
"I'll alert the others." Emrys whispered to Arthur and went outside to send a message.
"Gaius!" Gwen caught up with the old physician a little later, "Does Emrys seem... Familiar to you?"
"Yes, but he is an old friend of mine so that would be expected my lady."
"Please don't call me that." She said automatically reacting to the title, "Who is he Gaius? I know that I know him, I'm just not sure how..."
"Think about it Gwen and I'm sure you'll get it, I mean his glamour's not exactly hiding much."
Gwen frowned.
"A glamour is a disguise, his is not a very good one as he still looks very much the same." Gaius explained.
"So he's deceiving us?" She asked
"No. I don't think he wants Arthur to know who he is yet," They both looked over to where the two were talking about something, "And to be honest, I'm not sure I blame him."
XXX
Later that evening the round table were all sat together with Emrys standing to the side.
"Sit down Emrys," Arthur said not wanting the warlock to be left out.
"Where?" Although there were two free seats he wanted to know where Arthur thought he should sit.
"Well there's a seat next to Gwaine there," He pointed to Lancelot's old place, "Or - or there's this one." He jerked his head to the one on his right.
A small nostalgic smile crept onto Emrys' face although only three in the room knew what he was thinking of as he slid into the chair next to Arthur.
"Can you read this?" Leon spoke up indicating to the writing engraved on the table in front of each of them.
Emrys bent forward, last time he was he there hadn't been much time to inspect the decor in such depth but now he noticed that there was writing of the old religion in front of each place.
"Um... Yeah. I can, do you want to know what it says?"
Everyone else around the table nodded.
"Ok, well in front of Arthur it says Courage, for Gwen it's love, Gaius is Health, Percival is Loyalty, Elyan is family, Leon is Life, in Lancelot's place is Friendship and for Gwaine it says Strength."
"What about yours?" Asked Percival.
"It, it says magic."
There was a moment of silence before Emrys began muttering again.
"Oh that's very clever, that is incredibly clever."
"What is it?" Asked Gaius.
"You can read it too Gaius, can you not see it?"
He shook his head.
"It's written in the old tongue not just to be all mysterious but because these words, they make a spell along with the one in the middle."
"What does it do?" Asked Gwaine.
"No idea, let's find out." Before anyone could stop him Emrys had placed his hands flat on the table in front of him, "You all need to place your hands out as well." he told the rest of them, they did as they were told.
"Eorlscipe liss batian holdscipe cynren droht forgiefu afol galdorword ealdorlegu"
As he spoke each word lit up with a glittering gold light, on the last word the centre of the table was illuminated and shone brighter than all the rest. Then, before their very eyes, the centre of the table began to fold back into itself and from the gap emerged a single sparkling white flower inside a bell jar. Around the bottom was a script in the same language.
"It's beautiful." Gwen whispered.
"That flower should be dead." Emrys said after inspecting the words around the base.
"Well isn't it kept alive by magic or something?" asked Elyan.
"Yes, yes of course it is but it should still be dead."
"Why?" Asked Gwaine.
"You see these words? They say that the flower will die along with destiny. Therefore it should be dead."
"Perhaps this means destiny is not lost?" Gaius said pointedly.
"The destiny of the people you're thinking of ended three years ago, I'm sure that it'll get another chance with different people in about a century but with others leading it."
No one missed the sorrow in his voice.
"What destiny?" Asked Gwen.
"I once had a great destiny, that's why I have my power. I was to guide and protect the once and future king as he united the land of Albion."
"You mentioned him before, the once and future king," said Gwaine, "You said that the throne of Camelot was rightfully his."
Arthur looked up, shocked.
"It is. It always has been." Emrys answered.
"So that's why you want to help is it? So you can get this once and future king onto the throne?" Arthur stood up.
"No, well yes to some extent but I think you want him there as well."
"No I don't! Why would I want someone else on the throne of Camelot?"
"You are so slow!" Emrys shouted standing up face to face with Arthur, "Don't you get it Pendragon? You're the once and future king! Well you were meant to be until you completely messed that up!"
"What?" Arthur took a step back.
"Yes, you. You were meant to unite the land of Albion, return magic to the realm and bring about an age of peace and prosperity but it's too late for all that now!"
"Look..." Gwen whispered and everyone turned to the flower where a petal had just fallen, they watched as it floated to the ground.
"Finally got round to dying has it? Three years too late." Emrys spat bitterly.
"What happened three years ago?" Asked Arthur.
"You don't know?"
He shook his head.
"You made your choice about magic quite clear. If you hadn't made that choice would you even have gone looking for me? Would you have felt that you needed someone else?"
"No." Arthur's answer was barely audible.
"If you hadn't made that choice, the flower wouldn't be dying and neither would your people."
"You mean..."
"Yes. You needed him, he needed you to some extent. You're lost without each other."
"Do you know where he is?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you ask him to help us fight?"
"Because I'm not sure if he would anymore."
Arthur didn't know what to say to that, the person that used to be his best friend, his brother even, wouldn't help them?
"I find that hard to believe." Gaius said knowing exactly what they were talking about
"I don't." Said Emrys leaving Gwaine and Gaius in shock as he left the room.
XXX
"I brought you some food." Gwen said as she sat down next to Emrys on the steps at the front of the castle, it would've been hard to see had it not been for the ball of light that he was rolling in his hands. When he saw Gwen he smiled and threw the ball into the air where it hung and morphed into a miniature dragon like the one on the Pendragon crest.
"Thanks."
"Show off." Gwen muttered making Emrys chuckle slightly.
"Hold out your hand," he said to here.
Tentatively she did as he said and then watched in awe as the dragon flitted down and curled up in her hand before yawning and falling asleep.
"Aw." Gwen said scratching it behind the ear, "That's so cute."
"It's not a cat Gwen." Emrys smiled
She smiled sheepishly at him.
"It's beautiful." She said in hushed tones so not to wake it.
"Magic is beautiful, I know that you've been raised to believe otherwise but I'd like to think that you'll grow to see that." she smiled at him, "I should probably go apologise to Arthur." He sighed.
"Why?"
"I shouted at him, it was unnecessary and I shouldn't have done it. It's not his fault."
"The way you made it out it sounded like it."
"Well it is really but him knowing that isn't going to help anything."
"He seems really upset you know."
"Brilliant." He huffed and put his head in his hands.
"I've never shouted at him like that, I've called him practically every name I could think of but we've never properly argued like that. I destroyed his hope for something Gwen, how do I fix that?"
"You know when Gaius explained what a glamour is he also said that yours is pretty bad."
Emrys looked up, wide eyed.
"He said that I would be able to tell who you really are once I'd thought about it but I just didn't know what to look for."
"Did you manage it?"
"I thought I did but then... What you said back there, when you were shouting at Arthur, this 'him' you were talking about. Is it... I mean... Do I know him?"
"You did, probably wouldn't even recognise him now."
"Who were you talking about?"
"Me," he smiled at her, "We were talking about me. But he didn't know that. And when I say me I mean someone that I used to be."
"And who is that?"
"I think you already know that," he stood up and started to head back inside before turning back, "Keep the dragon, he seems to like you."
"You know I don't know how you're going to help us!" Gwen shouted after him and he stopped but didn't turn back, "I mean, you don't exactly look like a rough tough save the world kinda guy."
He turned back, a grin on his face, "I've already told you Gwen, I'm in disguise."
Upon hearing this Gwen ran up the stairs and pulled him into a bone crushing hug. She only pulled away when a disgruntled huff came from between them where her hand was trapped between them, they looked down and saw the small dragon looking up very cutely but rather annoyed. They both just laughed.
"It's good to see you again Merlin, and I see what Gaius means. It's not a great disguise."
"It seems to work on Arthur."
"Why haven't you told him?" She asked
"I can't Gwen - I just... I can't face him again. If he realises it's me then sure but I won't be the one to tell him."
"Why did you leave? I assume it wasn't to look after your mother."
"I wish he'd stop telling people that."
"Who?"
"Arthur! It's his fault I left so he should stop trying to cover his back and own up."
"What do you mean?"
"He banished me. He found out about my magic and sent me away to return upon pain of death, by his sword. That's what I meant about making his choice about magic."
"But you were his best friend!"
"That's what I thought too. Once I've helped get rid of Morgana I'll have to leave again, if he asks me to stay he'll be asking Emrys, not Merlin... And I can't accept that."
"But if he asks Merlin to stay?"
"Then of course I'll stay." He smiled at her. "We should probably go inside before I get accused of enchanting the queen."
Gwen chuckled lightly and they walked back together.
"Arthur," Gwen said the next morning, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Of course," He said looking confused.
"Privately." She looked pointedly at the knights he was talking to who all bowed to the couple before taking their leave.
"Gwen, what is that?" Arthur asked pointing to the bundle of light in her hands.
"Nigel."
"Come again?"
"He's called Nigel, my light dragon. Emrys made him for me." Nigel let out a noise that sounded suspiciously like a miaow.
"Did he just?"
"I think he's turning into a cat." Gwen said matter of factly
"Right... What did you want to talk to me about?"
"Emrys. Does he seem... Familiar to you?"
"No, I've never met him before in my life." Arthur shook his head and Gwen looked disappointed.
"After all of this, what are you going to do to him?"
"If we succeed, well, I think he'd be a useful ally of Camelot. I might ask him to become court sorcerer."
"He won't accept."
"Why ever not?"
"Because unless you realise who he really is then he won't want to."
"Do you know?"
"Yes, but I won't tell you. Even if he hadn't told me not to I wouldn't. You need to figure it out yourself Arthur."
"Do I have to?" Arthur was sounding less like a king and more like a petulant child.
"Yes, and I really hope you do. I don't want him to leave."
"Neither do I..." Arthur muttered.
"Then please, really try to recognise him."
Arthur nodded and Gwen smiled and walked away to help Gaius prepare things for the infirmary.
Arthur thought about what she had said, actually now that he did she could see what she meant. The way that they could talk to each other and the way the Emrys seemed to see Arthur the person rather than Arthur the king was familiar, he just didn't know why.
"Arthur," a voice snapped him from his revere and he turned to see Emrys himself standing behind him. "I've got something to show you."
"What?"
"It's in the forest, they wouldn't fit in here."
Arthur decided that maybe this was one of those times where he should just not try to argue it, "Ok, fine. Lead the way."
:0 What's he gonna show him? Well I know of course but I'm just trying to build suspense...
I just want to say thank you for all the reviews and good luck messages for my exams :) It really cheered me up to go into a chemistry exam having just read two new lovely reviews for this story! So you know... keep going (please)
Also, I thought I'd let you know that any of you that have read 'Buckneak the Thestral' or 'Filthy Gorgeous' (if not, why not?) that my co-writer Louise/Romilda/I've-forgotten-her-other-names now has her own profile! I'm not sure when her first story's going up but I've read the first bit and if you like Harry Potter you should definately go check it out when it's up, her name's fantaicy :)
By the way, in reply to Seansey's review, Merlin hadn't actually seen any battle magic apart the same as Gilli's before so technically he was telling the truth...
I'm gonna stop rambling now... But yeah, review and read fantaicy (when she puts it up)
