A/N: Hi everyone, I'm so sorry for the long wait, I know that it was way too long and you all deserved it way before this. I have been really busy with schoolwork and I was kind of stuck with this story, I think I know how I want to end it, so the inspiration is partly back.

xxx

'Let me introduce you all to Guinevere, queen of Camelot.' He introduced the queen to the merry men.

The men all stared at him as if he was going crazy before turning to the queen, their mouths wide open. It was clear that they were really shocked, they probably had never seen a king or a queen before, since the highest power they knew was the sheriff.

Much then jumped up, stumbling towards them and offering the queen his seat. 'You can sit here, my lady...' She smiled at him and said down on the log, shocking the men that now sat at her sides. Much then turned back to the warlock before whispering. 'She's okay, right?'

Merlin gave him a quick nod. 'Yeah.' He stared at the knights behind them, seeing their tired looks. 'Can you give them all something to eat?'

The man looked nervously at Gwen. 'We don't have anything good enough for a queen.'

Merlin laughed, he was certain that Gwen wouldn't mind some 'normal' food. 'I don't think that will really be a problem.'

'If you say so.' He hurried away and kneeled down next to the cooking pot.

The raven smiled at his friend's back and sat down next to Gwen, the merry men, who seemed a bit scared off the queen, had changed places and sat as far away as possible from the woman. Now those empty spots were filled up with the knights. she herself was in a deep conversation with Robin.

'... should just head back.' He heard her say, while she let out a deep breath. He knew it had been a long ride to come here and now they had to go back again.

Robin nodded. 'That would be wise, my lady.' The brunette brushed through his own hair. 'But you have to be careful, the roads are full of the sheriff's men. If they see that you're heading back to your land than they would probably try to capture you.'

The new knight let out a soft growl. 'I won't allow anyone to touch the queen!' Merlin looked at him, he could only admit that he was impressed by the man's loyalty.

The rest of the evening they discussed which way the queen and her men would travel back to Camelot. It was when almost all the knights and merry men were asleep that Gwen took Merlin aside, looking at him with a pleading expression. 'Come back with us.'

The warlock looked away, he knew she would ask him this... but he had no answer for her, he just didn't know it himself. 'I... they need me here.'

'And we need you back home.' She said gently to him.

'I... I'm not sure that I'm ready to go home.' He let out a deep breath.

She gave him a gentle nod. 'Do you want to tell me what you need to find out, maybe I can help you?'

'I don't think-.'

'Please Merlin! We are your friends, we can help.'

His heart skipped a beat, how he wanted her to know his secrets... maybe... just maybe he could... 'I...' His voice stopped, the fear in his heart winning it from his trust in the woman in front of him.

But she took his hand and looked him deep in the eyes. Something in them made him realise who he was talking to, Gwen one of the most kindly people he knew. 'Yes?'

'Can I tell you... something you must tell no one.' He whispered to her, he was tired of keeping his secret.

The queen smiled at him. 'I won't tell anyone.'

Merlin gave her a quick nod before pulling her away from the others. When he could barely see the light of the campfire he stopped and turned around to face her. The raven looked at her and took a deep breath before held his hands in front of him. The warlock's lips forming the soft words off power he knew, a warm light spread over his hands, lighting up both their faces. He stared at her, as he saw her expression change, first to pure shock, then it turned to anger before just going blank.

'... Gwen?' He asked eventually, not sure what she thought. In his mind he screamed in pure panic, afraid to lose his best friend.

Eventually she blinked a few times and shook her head. He slightly flinched away when she reached for him, but then the queen lay a soft gentle hand on his cheek, slightly brushing it. '... I... you're my friend, there is nothing that could change that.' His heart skipped a beat from pure relief and he felt tears well up in his eyes. '... but, why?'

'I was born with it.'

Gwen blinked at him. '... You can be born with magic?' He only nodded in response. '... So who does know?'

'Gaius and Gwaine.'

Her head snapped around towards the camp, knowing that the knight lay there silently asleep. She eventually sighed and turned back to the warlock. 'So that's the reason you left.' They slowly walked back to the camp. 'Come with us back, Arthur needs you.' He opened his mouth to comment, but she stopped him. 'I know you said that these people need you, but you belong in Camelot.'

He bit his lip, his heart longed for home. 'Fine...' Her face lit up. 'But first I want to visit the village one more time, just to round everything up.'

The queen nodded. 'Than we will wait one more day.'

'Thank you.'

xxx

Merlin placed his bag over his shoulder and looked at Will, the boy had decided that he would go with him after the raven told everyone that he would go back with the queen and her men. Will seemed to be rather fond of him and he had to admit it, he was also rather fond of the other. 'Ready to go?' He asked and Will nodded.

But before they could even take one step, they heard a loud but gentle voice behind them and both men turned around, seeing Gwen standing not far from them. 'Aren't you forgetting someone.' The warlock stared confused at her. 'I'm going with you.' She said, placing her hands in her sides. His eyes shifted over her body, seeing how she wore one of her old serving dresses, which she apparently took with her. Not that that was really strange, as a queen she often went to the lower part of the town, dressed in her old dresses. She missed her old life.

'But Gwen.' He tried, but stopped when he saw her glare at him. 'So do your knights know of it?' She just smiled in response and he already knew the answer. 'Then let's just go.'

They walked silently through the woods, he didn't even need a guide anymore, Will eventually walked next to him, looking at him with a troubled face. 'Are you really going with them?'

The warlock looked at him and slightly nodded. 'Yeah, they need me back home.'

'And the people here... what if something happened to Robin or Much, we don't have any physicians here, they would die and-.'

'Will, please stop.' He interrupted the boy, he felt terrible enough leaving them like this and it definitely didn't help with words like that. 'It's hard enough as is it already is... I may go now, but that doesn't mean you will never see me again.'

'But Camelot is so far away from here.' The boy said while looking at him with big eyes.

The warlock gave him a warm smile and rubbed through his hair. 'I promise you that I will come back.'

The queen, who had stayed silent until now, placed her hand on Will's arm. 'He's right and you will always be welcome in Camelot.'

Will gave them a soft smile before silently saying. 'Thank you.'

It wasn't long before they reached the village, the people, who already knew Merlin, ran to the warlock and asked him to help their friends and family. He glanced once back at the queen, who starred a bit stunned at the group before he let himself get dragged away by the villagers.

They entered a small house in the middle of the village and Merlin was brought to a small boy. Through the boy's tears he understood that he tripped over an root while playing. It didn't take long for the raven to see that his wrist was broken, he immediately started to treat it with what Gaius thought him, carefully using his magic to fasten the healing process.

When he was finished he slowly stood up and stared with a smile at the boy in front of him. 'Just be careful next time, okay?' The boy nodded while he stared amazed at his bandaged hand.

'I will, thank you.' The boy then stood up and placed his little arms around the warlock's waist.

But before he could reply again they heard someone yell, Merlin froze for a moment before he hurried outside, staring horrified at the scene in front of him. He saw Gisborne standing right next to Gwen, holding her arm in a tight grip while tears streamed over her panicked face. 'Gwen!' He yelled to her and she looked at him with pleading eyes.

Gisborne than smiled at him. 'So I searched for a queen and see what I find, two of Robin's little boys.' He turned back to Gwen. 'Don't worry my lady, I will keep you safe from these thieves.'

'Let me go!' Gwen shouted and she pounded at the man's chest.

He glared once at her before looking back at the guards he had with him. 'Get them!'

Merlin growled and turned once to Will who was standing frozen not far from him. 'Run!' The boy looked startled at him, but didn't move. '...Go get the others!' Will shock up from the raven's loud words and quickly nodded before running off towards the woods. Merlin's head snapped back to his queen, he wouldn't allow anyone to hurt her.

He looked as the guards ran towards him and Gisborne smirked behind them. The raven took a deep breath and slowly lifted his hand, speaking the words of magic, his eyes glowing pure gold. He didn't had to hold in anymore, Gwen knew, he didn't had to worry for what she would think of him. In the corners of his eyes he saw the frightened villagers, he didn't like them seeing him, but if he would go back to Camelot then it would probably don't do too much harm, besides that he needed to protect them.

His powers threw the men in the air before they landed on the ground. Merlin's eyes shifted to Gisborne, seeing how he stared shocked at him. A quick look at Gwen told him that she was also shocked, but more in a surprised way.

'You... magic.' The man replied before his face turned natural again, a slight smirk was placed on his face. Before Merlin even realised it two strong arms grabbed him from behind and pushed him to the ground. Panic spread through his mind, he hadn't realised that one of the guards had recovered. He struggled under the man's weight. 'Seems like I win.' Gisborne said amused.

Merlin let out a frustrating growl and tried to push the man off him, failing since the guard was almost twice as big as he was. Immediately he started to cast his magic, but his stream of words were cut off when a fist hit his head. He heard Gwen scream before everything turned black.

xxx

The first thing he felt was the pain on the side of his head, the sounds of hooves, his hands painfully bound together and a warm horse beneath him. But when his mind started to get clear, pure panic spread through it, the warmth that should fill his heart was bound, locked away.

'Halt.' He heard a dark manly voice shout and the horses stopped, his head was tilted upwards and his eyes stared against Gisborne's wicked face. He blinked, his mind still not completely clear. 'So you're awake, little sorcerer.'

'Merlin!' He heard the queen shout not far from him, he wanted to look, but the man didn't allow it, he kept Merlin's head in a tight grip.

'I think that the sheriff will be really pleased with or catch, a queen and a sorcerer.' He bowed down so his face was closer to that of the raven. 'And you don't have to worry, we have bound your magic... Not so tough without it.' Gisborne turned back, pushing the warlock's head down, so he couldn't get up. 'Let's go, we will reach the castle in less than ten minutes.'

Merlin stared at the ground passing beneath the horse, a tear rolling down his face, he felt so empty with his magic bound like this, the coldness spread through his body.

Eventually the muddy ground changed into wood and stone, his body was dragged off the back of the horse, his mind screaming to escape.

With that thought he pushed himself away from Gisborne and he fell backwards, kicking at the many hands that tried to drag him away again. He heard Gwen shout again, he knew he had to protect her.

But his opponents were to strong, many large arms grabbed his small body, pulling him with them. He stared once at the sky, screaming last desperate words, hoping that someone, anybody would hear them. His eyes set on the cold grey-blue sky before he was dragged inside, into the darkness that some people would call their home.