AN: Hey guys! sorry about the really long gap between chapters. This semester is really crazy.

But, for the next week and a half I am free! Ok, there's a bit of homework and stuff, but still. I will hopefully write another chapter before I head back to school. Which means we will be almost done with this beast!

Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me this far, especially everyone who has reviewed, favorited, or alerted, you are all fabulous!

And, seeing as its rather over, I don't own Merlin, and never will

ps (3/14/13)... if this says there's a new chapter, there isn't. I just fixed a rather bad mistake on this chapter. I'm so sorry if I disappointed anyone :(

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Disinherited

Flying was strange. Arthur much preferred horseback. But, as long as he clung to Merlin and didn't focus on the fact that his life was currently in the claws of the large beast it wasn't completely terrible. Watching the ground speed past underneath them was rather beautiful, and he was glad to finally be free from his father. But, falling from a horse probably woudn't kill him. From this height, even if the dragon didn't choose to light him on fire, falling would be certain death. Now, Arthur wasn't afraid, per say, but uncomfortable would probably be a good word for it. Even without his many injuries, the scales were hard and pointy, and the beast's back was much too broad to straddle comfortably. Merlin seemed happy though, which was something. Every time he glanced back at Arthur (which was quite often) there was a broad grin across his face while the wind whipped through his hair.

Merlin must have been communicating without speaking with the dragon somehow during the trip as the dragon suddenly changed direction, bringing them down right outside the druid camp. Gwaine and Lancelot seemed about as excited to get off as Arthur was, looking rather queasy as they slid of the beast's back and onto solid ground. Percival was only slightly steadier as he assisted Arthur, but Merlin was practically glowing as he went to thank the dragon before it took off once again. The small clearing they had landed in filled with wind briefly as the dragon flew away, leaving Arthur, Merlin, Percival, Gwaine, and Lancelot alone in the woods. Merlin was at Arthur's side as soon as the wind died down, helping Percival support him while his injured body attempted to stay upright and steady.

"How are you?" Merlin asked, looking Arthur over carefully. "I mean, I know you're not alright, but the flight didn't make anything worse did they?"

"I'm fine." Arthur huffed, "But I don't think I'm looking forward to going flying again."

"It's not far to Iseldir's camp from here. They'll take care of you there." Merlin said, leading him into the woods. Percival stayed by his side as well, lending his strength as they pushed through the trees. Merlin had one hand around his shoulder and the other holding his right hand while they made the final part of their journey through the trees and towards the camp. It wasn't long before they were met by a few of Merlin's fans, as six small children ran out of the trees and towards them, all shouting out "Emrys!" as they approached.

Merlin left Arthur's side, making him frown slightly as the slender hand slipped out of his, even if he knew it was just another way Merlin was making sure Arthur was safe. And, when the children barreled into Merlin, knocking him backwards, Arthur had to admit it was probably best Merlin had moved away from his side, as his injuries might not have held up to the kids' attack. As soon as the kids had gotten off of Merlin's chest, almost as if they sensed his stress, Merlin sat up and said, "Will you guys go run and get Iseldir? Tell him to alert the healers as well. Arthur's been hurt."

All of the kids turned to look at Arthur as he said this, taking in his battered form. Arthur couldn't stop the blush that spread across his checks as a small, blond girl asked Merlin "Have you tried kissing him better?"

Merlin looked at Arthur and winked, before turning back to the little girl and saying in a mock serious tone, "Now that you mention it, I'm not sure I have." He then stood up and made his way back to Arthur, the group of kids following at his heals. When he had returned to Arthur's side, he reached a pale hand up to Arthur's check, and Arthur saw his eyes glow gold for a moment before they closed, and their lips met. He could feel Merlin's magic flow over him as they kissed, and Arthur felt a few of his smaller cuts and bruises heal, and he felt so much better than he had since the night in the woods when Percival pulled Merlin away from him. Even though many of his larger wounds were still untreated, just being back in Merlin's arms was much more comforting than he could ever have imagined. As long as he was with Merlin he would be protected by a force more powerful than he could possibly understand.

But, even with the magic of Merlin's kiss, he was still not in the best shape. Merlin watched him with the scrutiny only Merlin seemed able to manage as he pulled back. He could clearly tell that Arthur was still quite uncomfortable as he turned back to the kids and said, "I think we're still going to need Iseldir. Will you guys go get him?"

The group of kids nodded and ran off as soon as Merlin gave the instruction. Arthur gladly accepted the now child-free Merlin back to his side, supporting him once more as they continued their slow journey to the camp. It wasn't long before the kids returned, leading Iseldir, Morgana, and a few other worried villagers with them. Arthur was quickly surrounded by druid healers, all fussing over him as they continued to move as a group back towards the village. He could tell that Morgana was trying to get to him to see if he was alright, but the swarm of trained healers was keeping her from reaching him.

The group of people had completely blocked his view of where they were, so when he was guided through the door of one of the small huts he was incredibly relieved. Finally he would sleep in a real bed, get real food, and be able to completely let down his guard. He wouldn't have to keep alert to every small noise in order to make sure that he wasn't about to be attacked by his father or one of his paid accomplices. Here all he had to worry about were energetic kids and overly-concerned adults as he rested and recovered. As Merlin guided him back to the bed, he knew that everything was going to be perfectly fine.

The castle was in shambles. Leon didn't know what to do. It was three days since Arthur had escaped and Uther stilled hadn't come out of his chambers. A few servants had been admitted with food, and had all left in tears followed by the screams of the angry tyrant.

And then there was the hole the dragon had left when it had broken free. Luckily, no one had been hurt, but there was still a large amount of debris left scattered around the entrance to the cave. Leon had ordered the few knights who would still listen to him to help clear some of the most possibly dangerous boulders out of the public's way, but there was little he could do without the consent of the king and his tight control over the budget.

Luckily, Uther had finally decided to come out of his chambers, announcing, through a quite terrified servant, that there was to be a council chamber that afternoon. Although he was glad the king had decided to retake his post, Leon was rather dreading what he would decide, and the morning before the meeting passed much too quickly for him. It wasn't long before he was dragging himself off of the training field and towards the council chambers.

The king wasn't there when Leon arrived. In fact, the king was the only one not there when Leon arrived. But it wasn't long before the doors swung open and Uther entered, dark cloak blown out behind him as he quickly made his way to the throne at the head of the long table. The room was deathly silent until Uther's booming voice filled the chamber as he shouted, "Prince Arthur is dead."

"What!" Leon cried out in surprise, quickly joined by about three-quarters of the council. Uther just glared at the lot of them until the room was finally quieted.

"Emrys' attack a few days ago ended his life. This means Camelot is left without an heir. The kingdom has never been weaker than it is now. Emrys' constant attacks on our land have taken more than I could ever have imagined. We must stay united as we move forward into an uncertain future. If we remain strong through this, we will know that we can survive anything."

There was a brief pause for some scattered applause before Gaius cleared his throat and said, "But Sire, how do you know the prince is dead? I was not aware a body had been found?"

Uther glared at the elderly physician for a moment before saying "My son is dead. Ever since the day that he chose that criminal over me he has been dead."

"So you no longer believe he was under a spell?" Gaius asked, earning another glare from the king.

"If he were under a spell I believe the past few days he was with me would have freed him. I can no longer believe it was only Emrys' magic that corrupted him. He has proved that the circumstances of his birth had a larger effect on him than I believed."

The circumstances of his birth? What did that mean? Leon didn't seem to be the only one confused. Most of the younger council members shared his lost expression, while Gaius and some of the other older council members looked guilty while the rest were nodding in agreement. Even though he was now looking rather sick and had been suffering Uther's glare for most of the council meeting so far, Gaius continued in his questions, asking, "So Arthur isn't dead?"

"To me he is." Uther said. "I want no more discussion of this. Arthur is gone, he is no longer of our concern."

"But the process of choosing a new heir is, and if Arthur is still alive he will obviously contest this." Gaius asked, standing up and leaning over the table.

"Gaius, you may be a trusted friend, but if you continue with your questions I will have you removed from this meeting." Uther said, almost yelling at the old man. It did seem to work as Gaius sat back down, obviously still frustrated even if he was submitting to Uther's orders.

Leon wanted to show his support for the elderly physician, but he knew that his position was already precarious and he needed to stay where he was if he wanted to be in the best position to help Arthur and Merlin. So he kept his frustration hidden while the king began to speak again.

"Up to this point, we have been fighting a dragonlord without a dragon. We must also consider today that our enemy gains a powerful ally with the escape of the great dragon. We must prepare for the inevitable dragon attack on this city. In order to protect the people we will need to increase taxes and begin to build stronger defenses around the citadel."

Leon couldn't contain himself anymore at this so he stood, saying "Sire, I know that the dragon does pose a large threat, but Emrys has never threatened the people of this kingdom, and no one has died by his hands. I understand that he is working against the us, but a dragon attack could not be localized against the people he would attack. He would never attempt anything that could possibly harm the citizens of this city. I think that is something none of us can question."

"Sir Leon, I know that you were close to the prince before he left, but you cannot believe anything he has said since then. He is poison, and I do not want to be forced to let you go as I have so many others. These steps are necessary for the protection of my people, and they will be taken whether or not you agree. Emrys will wait to attack until he believes we have been lulled into a false sense of security and Arthur has healed enough to join him in an attack against us. By acting now and building a stronger defense, he will be unprepared for what we have to throw at him."

Leon nodded and bowed slightly before taking his seat once again, hoping that his brief statement wouldn't be enough to lose Uther's trust. Uther nodded at him, but Leon swore he could see just a seed of doubt in his eyes as he turned back towards the rest of the council saying, "I want a proclamation to go out around the town, Arthur has been disowned and there is now a price on his head. One thousand gold pieces, dead or alive. That, and the taxes will be going up until I am certain this city is safe from dragon attacks. I know that times have been tough on all of them, but this is for their best interests."

"And about the matter of Camelot's lack of heir?" the court librarian, Geoffrey of Monmouth asked, "How are we going to find a suitable replacement?"

"The sons of Camelot's lords will be given a chance to gain the honor of taking Arthur's place, if they can provide suitable proof of their status and strength."

"And if you are to die before an heir is chosen, Sire?" Geoffrey asked, not looking at the king.

"That will not happen, but I trust that this council will be able to go through with my plans with or without me." Uther said with a frown.

For the third time at that council meeting the man who had questioned Uther sat back down with a look of shame mixed with frustration on their face. Gaius was still glaring at Uther but he had taken a brief break to give Geoffrey an encouraging smile for attempting to make the king see sense. Leon was tried to hide his anger, but the king had crossed a line. His actions were bordering on madness. Leon spent the rest of the meeting trying to think of some way he could protect the people from this new tax instead of listening to whatever new nonsense Uther was spewing now.

It didn't take long for Arthur to recover. His father had never done anything that would really threaten his life, and he had been kept well fed and watered so the druid healers were able to deem him fully healed after less than a week of their care. Merlin hadn't left his side for a moment while he was healing, entertaining him with stories of the mischief he and Percival had caused before they departed the camp. From time to time one of the healers would join in, commenting on how much damage Merlin had caused as a child, or telling other stories Merlin would pretend to have 'forgotten,' many of which caused the young warlock's cheeks to turn a delightful shade of pink.

Morgana had also been in to visit quite a few times, showing Arthur her developing magic and ranting on and on about how much she wanted to kill Uther. Merlin would watch her with troubled eyes when she brought up the king, but he never tried to stop her.

When he had been deemed healthy enough to start retraining his muscles, Merlin would take Arthur on walks around the village. Of course, having Merlin with him meant that Arthur could barely get ten feet from the tent before they were surrounded by enamored druids, grateful magic users, and excited children. This made it rather difficult for Arthur to get his required amount of exercise, and he had to admit, even if it did mean he had to leave Morgana and the small cot the village offered, he was glad when he was allowed to leave.

Gwaine and Lancelot had left the day after they arrived, going back to the outlaw camp to alert Elyan and Gwen of the success of their mission, leaving Arthur surrounded by people who had spent a large part of their life in the village. And, although all the people there were incredibly kind (at times even too kind), Arthur couldn't help but feel out of place. With Gwaine and Lancelot there, he at least had others who could admit to less saintly pasts, but now he was alone in a sea of goodness, and he couldn't help but long for the freedom the woods provided.

So, he was happy when Merlin promised the healers that he could handle the rest of Arthur's injuries and had lead him out of the village. As always, the druids were incredibly sad to see Merlin go, but Merlin looked relieved to be out.

They had just made it through the Valley of the Fallen Kings when Gwaine ran up from behind them, saying, "Uther's increased taxes again. Apparently he's planning on constructing some new defenses now that his pet dragon's free."

Arthur felt his blood boil. The people couldn't stand to lose more than they already were. Before he could express his frustration, Lancelot ran up beside Gwaine, saying, "That's not all. Uther's officially disowned you, Arthur. There's now a price on your head, just like the rest of us. One thousand, dead or alive. It seems he's given up on getting you back."

Arthur's jaw dropped. He was no longer the prince of Camelot? He felt Merlin's hand squeeze his own as the warlock asked, "But what does that mean for the future of Camelot? Has Uther decided who will rule after him?"

"That's the best bit." Gwaine said with a grin. "Uther hasn't named anyone yet. All he's done is summon the sons of the richest men in Camelot. The first one's supposed to arrive tomorrow."

Arthur didn't exactly understand why Gwaine thought that was such a good thing, but Merlin must have caught on as he smiled and said, "So, some wealthy, pompous brat is going to be riding into Camelot tomorrow? We must be certain he gets a proper welcome to the city."

Realization dawned on Arthur as he understood now why Gwaine was so excited about Uther looking for his replacement. Remembering what Merlin had told him the first time they met, he said, "I'm sure if he really is worthy of being prince, he won't mind giving a small donation to the people of Camelot."

"Our thoughts exactly." Lancelot said with a smile. "We've found out which route he'll be taking. All we have to do now is stop him."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Arthur asked, glad to be back, helping the people who really needed it. "Let's show this prince wanna-be just what he's getting into!"

"Yes, but first we need to check your injuries and get you fed and rested." Merlin said, poking Arthur's side. "This noble won't be here till tomorrow, and you've still got some healing to do."

Arthur sighed dramatically, but allowed Merlin to lead him up to a small cave where Guinevere and Elyan were waiting for them. As he settled against Merlin and they began planning their attack, Arthur realized just how much Merlin had changed his life, and how glad he was that Merlin had.

Leon could barely keep from laughing when the first young noble showed up, almost completely naked and lacking the gift his father had sent him with. The only thing he had (besides the silk small clothes he had been left with) were a couple of notes that he had handed over to the furious king. The first, of course, was from Emrys and had told Uther exactly what Leon had tried to say, that the dragon would never attack Camelot and that Uther should not waist his money on protecting the city from a non-existent threat. The note ended with a promise that the wealth stolen from the young boy would be given to the sick and starving people of the lower town. The other not was from Arthur, and made things much worse, as it said he still believed himself to be next in line to the throne, and that no matter what Uther decreed, he would take the crown whenever Uther felt ready to give it up, which, according to the letter, should be rather soon if Uther didn't want a full scale revolution on his hands.

Uther did not find these letters nearly as funny as Leon did, if the amount he was shaking was anything to go by. But, Arthur was right. The people were angry, and revolution wasn't as ridiculous a notion as it might have been a few years ago. And no matter how much Leon disagreed with Uther, he also did not want to be forced into war.

Unfortunately, it seemed revolution or not, war would be unavoidable as, if only to prove to Uther the entire world was against him, a knight burst into the throne room shouting, "Sire, the armies of Essetir have been spotted! There's not more than two day's march from Camelot!"