AN: This is a rather short chapter, and I apologize, but it wouldn't really work to elongate it. However, there are longer chapters coming, so hopefully those will make up for it!
Read On!
11 Months Ago...
Arthur suddenly became conscious of himself. Though slightly befuddled, he realized he was dreaming. Normally, when someone realizes they're dreaming, they wake up. But not this time, for Arthur didn't feel the familiar pull of consciousness tugging at his mind. He was content, as the bleak darkness slowly solidified into a dream.
Merlin was there, that much was certain. He wasn't even sure how he knew that, but as the image became clearer, he realized that the person running was most definitely his manservant. He and the bastet were traveling through the forest, though not as fast as they could have been. There was a flame flickering in Merlin's palm, and the sight of it momentarily startled the prince, but he remained calm, despite his anger. Merlin and the Bastet kept going for a while, every so often glancing up at the moon. Arthur couldn't see why, unless they were checking the time. He would have to ask Gaius about that... it must be something to do with magic.
His manservant was a sorcerer... no, what was it Gaius had called him? A warlock.
That fact would hit him out of nowhere like a punch, leaving his gasping for air and wondering if maybe he was going crazy, because it didn't seem right that Merlin was a sorcerer. He thought back to what Gaius had so blatantly seen, the fact that he wasn't angry with Merlin. He was angry with the lies that had been necessary. Did that mean he was angry with his father's laws?
Eventually, Merlin and the bastet stopped in a clearing, where the cat had fallen to the ground, twitching. Arthur seemed to be floating above them, so he couldn't hear anything, but he did see the bastet transform back into a girl. Merlin had fallen asleep next to her. As soon as he did, the dream began to fade.