The Seal of Pendragon by frostygossamer
Part 3: Merlin Saves The Prophesy
Merlin has to steal King Uther's royal seal ring. That's not going to be easy as Uther always has it with him, either on his finger or an a chain around his neck. The only time he takes it off is when he goes to bed.
So Merlin is going to have to sneak into Uther's bed chamber to swipe the ring.
Merlin steals a bottle of generic sleeping potion from under Gaius' nose and, late that night, finds his way to Uther's chambers. The two guards in he corridor outside are easily persuaded to down a goblet of mead that Merlin has thoughtfully brought for them. Guarding is thirsty work. When they are safely asleep on their stools Merlin, summoning up all his courage, sneaks into the king's bedroom.
ooo
Morgana sits in her bedchamber combing her long dark hair. She has dismissed Guinevere and she is waiting. In a room lit only by a flattering candle, she is waiting for her new amour.
When she first heard that Arthur had befriended Dean she was unimpressed. Arthur's knight friends are a bunch of overgrown adolescents who delight in leering at women, passing cheeky remarks and sniggering. This one would be no different and a lady has to keep her dignity, her aloofness and her mystery.
Then she was introduced to him face-to-face and her resolve melted. He is drop-dead gorgeous and so charming. And now he is a prince, and unwed. Well who wouldn't? So she dropped him a hint, gave him a wink and a smile, and now she is waiting for him in her chamber, almost faint with anticipation.
There is a soft rap at her door and she scurries to open it. Dean enters the room grinning irresistibly, his green eyes aglow. She all but swoons away. Dean catches her is his muscular arms and she beams up at him mistily.
"Oh, Prince Dean!", she murmurs. "I dreamed you would come to me".
"Oh Babe!", Dean replies. "How could I stay away?". And their eager lips meet in a fiery kiss.
All of a sudden Dean stiffens and resets Morgana on her feet. He takes a step back, his hunter's senses clicking in involuntarily.
"Oh no, Sister!", he exclaims. "This guy's not so easily fooled. I've met your kind before. One kiss and, before you know it, you're soul's in hock to the Prince of Darkness himself. No ma'am, thanks but no thanks".
And with that Dean stomps out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
"Freakin' demon chicks get everywhere!", he grumbles.
"To the devil with you!", Morgana sobs, throwing herself onto her bed, bitterly disappointed.
ooo
A moment later Dean wanders around the corner, mumbling to himself, and notices the sleeping guards. He is immediately on the alert, but he is unarmed. He skips along to Arthur's chamber in search of a weapon.
Meanwhile Arthur is beginning to wonder where his lazy servant has got himself to. He wanders out of his chamber looking for him and runs into Dean in the corridor.
"Something's going on", Dean stage-whispers. "The guards outside your father's room have been drugged".
Both men grab a sword and hurry back to the king's chamber.
Slipping silently into the bedchamber so as to catch the culprit red-handed, Arthur and Dean are both shocked to surprise Merlin gingerly removing Uther's ring from his night-stand.
Merlin suddenly finds the points of two swords pressed under his chin.
"What the hell are you doing, Merlin", Arthur whispers. "Don't you know that it's treason for you even to be in this room without permission, never mind trying to steal the king's seal ring from right under his nose?".
"This explanation I have to hear", mutters Dean.
"I'm sorry I have to take it, sire", Merlin almost weeps. "I have to have the seal to reverse the magic."
"What magic?", Arthur asks suspiciously. What does his manservant know about magic?
"The magic that brought Prince Dean here from the land of Kansas", Merlin replies.
Dean's ears prick up at the mention of Kansas. How did this Merlin guy know about Kansas?
"What do you know about this magic?", Arthur pursues.
"I have spoken with a sorcerer", Merlin explains. "He spoke to be unbidden from a water jug and he told me that Prince Dean has been magicked here from the land of Kansas by a powerful spell. And he has to be returned there as soon as possible".
"Before dreadful ill-fortune befalls Camelot", he adds for effect.
"What was the name of this sorcerer?", Dean asks interestedly.
"His name is 'Sam'", Merlin answers. "And he is in great danger. He is anxious for Prince Dean to return to him".
"In fear for his life!", he adds dramatically.
Dean looks worried. "He spoke to you in person?", he asks.
"Yes indeed, he spoke to me face to face about his peril and the peril of his imp Alla, who is being threatened by a young griffin. Possibly the spawn of the one that was killed ere long here at Camelot", Merlin expands.
Convinced Dean lowers his sword and steps back.
"And for what reason should I spare your life, after this treachery and this dalliance with the evils of magic?", Arthur asks fiercely.
"Because, sire", Merlin replies, pulling himself to his full height to add emphasis. "Because I have always been loyal to you, my prince. You have trusted me with your life until now and I swear that you can always trust me. I would never do anything to endanger you or the future of Camelot. Please, Arthur. Trust me this once more."
After a moment's thought Arthur, touched by Merlin's words, also lowers his sword and steps away from his friend.
"Do what you must, Merlin", he says. "I trust you as I have trusted no one else".
Luckily during all this conversation Uther has barely stirred, probably due to the quantity of brandy he consumed before bed.
Merlin snatches the ring and they all trot down to Gaius's workroom to cast the Returning Spell.
Despite the late hour Gaius has been pouring over a tome on arthritis and chilblain remedies and has fallen asleep with his head on the mixing table.
Merlin wakes him gently. "We have some important spell work to do here tonight", he tells him.
Merlin fills a bowl from a water jug and, stirring it, whispers an incantation.
"The sorcerer Sam told me this spell", he lies, for Arthur's benefit.
Almost immediately a shadowy outline of a man appears in the water.
"Ho there, brother wizard", Merlin calls to the apparition.
The figure shifts and approaches the portal.
"Hi, do you have the seal, Merlin?", he asks.
Dean sticks his face in between Merlin and the bowl. "Sammy?", he asks excitedly.
"Dean? That you, bro? Thank God!", Sam exclaims in English. "You OK?".
"Oh sure, I'm fine, dude", his brother responds happily. "This is a great freakin' place, Sammy. You know they've made me a prince? Seriously. Life in Camelot is great. I'm really doing fine here".
"But Dean, I need you here right now", Sam insists. "I've got this big mean dragon monster thing attacking the place. I'm stuck here! I've gotta choose between starving to death and being picked to pieces. I need you, bro. You gotta get back here and help me out".
"It's a griffin, Sam", Dean replies. "Piece of cake. Don't worry. I won't let you down. We're family, right?".
Dean sheds a secret tear then he turns to Merlin and says, "Do your stuff, Einstein".
"First we need Arthur's longbow and quiver, which are in my room, with the armour waiting to be cleaned", Merlin replies, thinking ahead.
While Merlin hurries to get the weapons, Dean takes time out to bring Arthur up to speed.
There's something I need to tell you before I go, Arthur my friend", he says. "Uther has it all wrong, you know. Magic isn't the real evil. Evil is something that we all gotta fight, and sometimes we need magic to be on our side, or we're not gonna make it".
"Oh yeah, I used to be like Uther. Blinkered. Hell, I used to think that everything supernatural deserved to die. That's how my dad looked at it and that's what he taught me. But I've seen some things and I learned some over the years".
"I got a guardian angel back home, and you got one too. Some day you're gonna need him. Some day you'll understand. So in the meantime take care of Merlin, he's gonna come in good. Right?".
He pats Arthur's shoulder and Arthur nods.
"And keep an eye on Morgana while you're at it. That chick's a ringer!".
Arthur and Dean embrace one last time.
"Remember, brother Dean, there will always be a welcome for you here at Camelot", Arthur assures him. "I will keep a vacant chair at my table ready for your return".
Merlin returns and taking Uther's ring places it in a dish, covering it with sulphur, and sets fire to it using a long spill.
They look at Dean who knocks both his heals together and, grinning, says "There's no place like home", then promptly turns into a column of smoke and vanishes. Pop!
Arthur, Merlin and Gaius look at each other amazed.
"We'll tell my father that he was called home suddenly due to a family crisis", Arthur says. The other two nod.
ooo
There's a blinding flash of emerald light and a puff of smoke that wouldn't disgrace a pantomime stage. When the smoke clears Dean is standing in front of Sam, dressed in a wool shirt, tabard, leather breeches and stout boots, armed with a sword, a longbow and a quiver of silver-tipped arrows.
Sam resists the urge to fling his arms around his much missed brother's shoulders and give him a big girly hug. Instead he just laughs hysterically and points.
Dean looks down at his get-up. "Totally cool for where I've just been", he insists.
"Crap", he says. "I was well in back there. Brother, you do not know what I had to give up to come back for you. You owe me big time!".
Above his head the griffin scrabbles about on the tiles.
Dean strides to the door, opens it, sticks his head out and fires one arrow straight up towards the roof.
There is a hair-raising screech and the griffin drops to the ground like a sack of bricks.
"Awesome, dude", Sam gasps, looking from the window.
"Yeah, well, you can get a spade and bury the thing. We can't leave evidence like that just lying around", Dean tells him.
Dean is going to be too busy inspecting the Impala.
"Oh Jeez, Sam!", he shouts. "You let the bastard big-bird crap all over my baby!".
"I was kinda preoccupied with staying alive", Sam replies, getting his spade from the trunk.
"Crap, I think that asshole only came back 'cos he didn't trust me with his darling automobile", Sam mutters to himself, smiling fondly.
"My baby is gonna need some serious paint-job. Just as well I happened to bring this with me", Dean snickers, and pulls from his belt the richly jewel-encrusted silver dagger that had been lying on Uther's bedside table.
"This oughta cover it and then some", he chuckles as he dispatches the demon on the kitchen chair in a swoosh of black smoke and sparks.
The End
A/N: The vacant chair Arthur kept for Dean was called the Siege Perilous, although Galahad pinched it later.
A/N: Hope you liked it. I enjoyed writing it.