AN: Well, I'm back at school, which means slower updates again, but we are also almost done! It has been quite the ride, but soon it will be coming to a close. Thanks so much to everyone who's stuck with me for this long!

And, I don't own Merlin. I'm just a normal, everyday, crazy fangirl :)

Chapter Thirty: Death or Magic?

Camelot was in chaos. Cenred's forces might not have been much of a threat when Arthur was around, but now an attack spelled disaster. Many of the newly hired thugs, Leon didn't even want to qualify them as knights, had scampered at the first whispers of war. They had accepted to fight against a band of thieves who had barely hurt anyone, not risk their lives for a kingdom few of them cared about. So, now they were left with a dwindling army and a king who did not have the support of his people.

Leon was scared. Not of his own death, but of the suffering that the people of Camelot would go through when Cenred took over, which seemed inevitable at the moment. He didn't know much about the foreign king, but he had traveled to Essetir a few times when he was younger, and he knew the people there were not well taken care of. The hamlets far from the king's palace were constantly threatened by bandits and raiders, completely abandoned by the king they were still forced to pay tribute to. The people who lived near the palace didn't have it much better off though, as they were at the mercy of the knights and nobility, who had free reign to exert their power over whichever peasant caught their fancy. Although, the more he thought about it, they probably weren't much better off than Camelot at the moment. If only someone slightly fairer, like King Bayard or Queen Annis would invade. Then maybe he could die happy.

But it was Cenred who was attacking, and Leon couldn't let that tyrant take the throne. He had to do something, even if it did mean risking his position in the court. Squaring his shoulders and preparing to face the furious king, Leon stood up, interrupting the befuddled war council and said, "We can't win this battle alone. We need help."

Uther just rolled his eyes as one of the older councilors said, "All our allies are too far away. Had we noticed earlier we might have been able to contact Mercia or Nemeth, but as it is we are alone. No one will be able to get troops to us before Cenred's forces march on our castle."

"Not from another kingdom." Leon said, earning the interest of quite a few people who had been busily staring at maps and numbers instead of listening to him. "We need Arthur back. We need Emrys."

"Don't you dare speak either of those names in this court, Leon." Uther growled. "Now, unless you have any other insight on how our army can win this war, I suggest you leave."

"I'm sorry Sire, but I am almost certain that our army is incapable of winning this war. In my oath, I promised to serve and protect not only you, but also the people of Camelot. They are in my care, and their safety is my responsibility, so I can no longer remain silent as you risk their lives for your pride. Emrys is powerful. Probably more powerful than you're willing to admit. He and his men could give us the advantage we need to save our people from any further harm. If you are unwilling to admit this than I will go look for him myself, and hope that he knows of some way to protect the people from the threat Cenred poses." Leon finished, eye's never leaving Uther's all throughout his speech. He could tell everyone else in the room was staring at him, but he only had eyes for the king. And it was the king who responded.

"Are you saying you know the position of Emrys and Arthur at this very moment? That you could find them on your own, when the entire army has failed time and time again in their hunt for the thief?"

Leon paled. He wouldn't be able to get to Merlin and Arthur at all if he was locked in a dungeon the entire time. But he also had to do whatever was necessary to save the people, even if it meant risking his own safety. Mustering up all his courage, Leon looked back at the king and said, "I don't know where they are, but I do know how to find them. And they will want to help if you give them the chance!"

"How long have you known this!" Uther growled, all thoughts of the upcoming battle apparently lost from his mind.

"Since Arthur was imprisoned, but this isn't the point!" Leon said, slightly exasperated. "They want to protect the people, you need to seek their help!"

"Guards! Restrain Sir Leon, but don't take him to the dungeons yet. First he's going to lead us to the thief and his accomplices." Uther ordered. Leon didn't resist as his arms were yanked behind his back, but he tried not to look to nervous as he felt the metal cuff link around his wrists. He still stood tall as he replied, "I won't show you anything, unless you leave all weapons, and seek them out in peace! Don't you realize this has gone on too long! If you don't seek their help, it won't just be the people who suffer, Cenred will kill you. It might be time to think about what would be worse, asking Emrys for help, or dying at the hands of a foreign king."

This did seem to make Uther pause. Leon grinned triumphantly as Uther turned away from the table, clearly still thinking of Leon's final statement. As the group waited for Uther to come to a decision, Gaius stood up and glanced around the table, before giving Leon a quick smile and saying, "Sire, I must agree with Sir Leon. Our army is weak, our people are angry, and our city will be easy for Cenred to take, unless we set aside our pride and parlay with Emrys. Emrys has stated time and time again that his main priority is the safety of the people. He does not seek power, nor your humiliation, only safety for those he cares about. If Leon has the means to contact him, we must do so in a peaceful manner. If we do this, and send messengers to the dismissed knights, we may stand a chance. But, if your pride blinds you to the truth, Cenred won't hesitate to put a sword in your stomach. With this mounting threat we must seek out help from whomever is willing to give it. It truly is Emrys or death, Sire, whether you like it or not."

Uther remained facing away from the table throughout all of Gaius's speech, but the way his shoulders slumped proved to Leon that he was considering what he and Gaius had said, which was more than he could have hoped for. Most of the elder councilors were friends of Gaius' and seemed to have decided to side with him, nodding in agreement to the old physician's statement, while many of the younger men looked up to either Leon or Gaius, and were smiling at the two of them while they knew Uther wouldn't see. None of them quite had the courage Leon or Gaius did though, so the room remained silent until Uther finally turned back towards them looking much calmer than he had appeared when he had first turned his back on them.

"Fine." Uther said, scowling all the while. "Sir Leon will take an unarmed group of knights and council members to meet with Emrys and Arthur. If they agree to help us they will be escorted back here, where they will be watched at all times. After the attack, they will be allowed to leave the city without any harm befalling them. While we speak with Emrys and his allies, messengers will also be sent to any of the former knights of Camelot who are still close enough to contact. They will be alerted to my alliance with Arthur and the thief, and told that they have been requested to return to my service."

Leon smiled as the guards undid his binds, rubbing his wrists as soon as they were free. He bowed to Uther, hoping to portray his gratitude before saying, "I'd like to ride out as soon as possible, whomever is coming with me should be saddled up and ready to ride into the woods in one hour."

"I'd like to volunteer myself as a representative of the council." Gaius said quickly, standing next to Leon. They were soon joined by a few more of the council members, some of which Leon was surprised would be able to ride horseback at their age, and a group of the younger knights who had idolized Arthur but somehow remained under Uther during his many cuts. When their troop had been officially approved, Uther dismissed the court, looking both angry, nervous, and something that made Leon slightly worried about his actions, but this was his only option. If he wanted to save the people, he needed Merlin.

Merlin was lying on his back, next to Arthur, staring up at the clouds when he felt the stone pulse twice. His forehead creased in confusion as he looked over at Arthur, who was still staring up, completely unawares to Merlin's sudden change. Then he remembered. Arthur didn't have the other stone anymore, Leon did. But why would the knight want to see them? What could have happened in the few hours since they had been in the city that would require their help? Merlin sat up, trying to hide his worry from Arthur.

Of course, Arthur had gotten to know Merlin pretty well over the past months, so he was sitting up by his side in a second, asking "What's wrong?"

Merlin gave him a weak smile and said, "It's Leon, he wants us to go to the lake."

"Already?" Arthur asked. "I figured it would have taken him a little longer to turn to us."

"That's what I thought. Nothing seemed all that strange when we left."

"Well, Leon's a good man. He wouldn't call us for no reason. And as far as we know Uther has no reason to even suspect him. We should go see what he wants."

"You really trust him, don't you?" Merlin said. It wasn't really a question, but Merlin couldn't help but ask. Trusting a knight still made him slightly nervous, even if this knight had helped them save Arthur. Somehow he had trusted Arthur much faster than he trusted Leon, but that might have had something to do with the whole falling in love thing. Still, Arthur was usually much more cautious, for him to be so certain of Leon was different, and it made Merlin want to know more about the man.

"Yes. He's one of my oldest friends, and one of the few knights who was honest with me. Growing up, everyone wanted to be my friend, but it was always because their parents told them to, or because they wanted some part of my power. They would be nice to me when I was around, but behind my back they would scheme and plot. Leon, well, Leon was never like that. He always stood up for me when the others would make fun of me behind my back. And we trained to be knights together. He kept me honest and good when I slipped and became the bratty, spoiled prince I could have been. He's the best man I know, and if he's betrayed us than we don't stand a chance." Arthur replied, staring off into the distance as he spoke. It was always so interesting when Arthur spoke about his past. Never before had Merlin considered the difficulties of being nobility. He had grown up hating them for taking everything from him; he had never thought what it might have been like for the young prince growing up just like him, without a mother, surrounded by people who saw him as somehow better than them because of who he was. It was crazy how similar their lives were, in some strange way. The way Arthur described Leon reminded Merlin of Percival, and how nice it had been to have at least one friend who was friends with you because of who you really were, not because of any title you had been born with. With a new respect for Leon, Merlin stood up and said, "Well, we better go see what he has to tell us. Can't leave such a good friend waiting now, can we?"

Arthur smiled and nodded, standing next to Merlin. "Of course not. Can you let the other's know?"

Merlin nodded, focusing on his connection to Lancelot, Gwaine, and Percival, telling them quickly to start heading towards the lake. Lancelot was usually with Gwen and Elyan was usually with Percival, so hopefully they would bring their newest members along with them as well. Once he was certain they had heard, Merlin turned back to Arthur and said, "They should be heading there now, and they'll wait until we get there to do anything, though. Let's go."

Arthur nodded and grabbed Merlin's hand before taking off into the woods, pulling Merlin along behind him.

Arthur hadn't expected the crowd that was waiting for them at the shore of the lake. He recognized all of them as knights and council members, with Sir Leon standing in the center. Merlin had pulled Arthur behind a large tree the second he had spotted the large group waiting for them, clearly thinking that this was some sort of ambush. But that didn't quite make sense. If Uther wanted to ambush them, why would he have sent so many of the older council members? And what the hell was Gaius doing with them? The more Arthur looked, the more he realized that all the men waiting for them at the bank of the lake would be the most likely to still be loyal to him. And if Leon had led them here, which seemed likely as he wasn't being restrained in any way, and was looking around expectantly, then they must be fine. The rest of their troop had joined them in hiding, crouching among the underbrush as they watched the strange group that was waiting for them. But sitting here wasn't doing anything. So Arthur decided to act. Whispering to Merlin, "Wait here," Arthur slipped from Merlin's grip and walked boldly out of their hiding spot and towards the waiting men.

The chorus of "Sire!"s and "Arthur!"s that rang from the group confirmed Arthur's suspicions. These men weren't here to hurt him. And if this was some sort of trap, they would have warned him. These were the remaining council members and knights he could still trust. What they were doing here was still a mystery, but Arthur was certain they wouldn't hurt him or Merlin, so he turned back and called out to Merlin.

"It's fine. These men won't hurt us. You can come out now."

Merlin slowly climbed out from his hiding spot, still looking incredibly wary as he approached the men. Percival, Gwaine, and Lancelot followed close behind him, all holding their weapons out as they approached, glaring at the men, as if they were daring them to attack.

"What are all you doing out here?" Arthur asked, the smile on his face turning quickly to a frown when he saw the drawn look on Leon's face. "Has something happened to Camelot?"

"We're at the brink of war." Leon said, cutting to the chase. "Cenred's army marches on Camelot. They will reach the city within two day's time at the least. Most of the newly recruited knights have fled, leaving the city undefended."

"What?" Arthur exclaimed, "Why would Cenred attack?"

"Camelot is at the weakest it's been in years." Gaius answered, stepping up beside Leon. "Ever since you left, the people have been growing more and more restless. It was only a matter of time before something like this happened."

"And what's this got to do with us?" Gwaine asked, standing next to Arthur, and slightly in front of Merlin.

"We need your help." Leon said, looking more desperate than Arthur had ever imagined possible for the noble knight. "Without you're leadership and Merlin's powers we won't be able to protect the citizens of Camelot when Cenred attacks. If you really want to help protect the people, you will help us now."

"And how does the king feel about this?" Merlin asked, stepping around Gwaine and to the head of their group.

"King Uther has decided to request a mutual truce until the war is over." Gaius responded, "He was slightly unwilling at first, but he conceded as we desperately need your help. You will be watched while you remain in Camelot, but he has promised he will not hurt any of you if you join in our fight. Cenred is a harsh king, and his army is large and desperate. I fear without your help, the city will be decimated."

"You're Gaius, right?" Merlin asked, stepping further towards the elderly physician. "You're the one who helped treat my wounds."

"Yes, Merlin. I regret I was not able to do more at the time." Gaius replied with a sad smile, slowly moving towards Merlin as if in some type of daze. "I don't know if you knew this, but I knew your parents. They were my friends, and I was devastated when I learned what Uther did to them. I thought you perished in the blaze along with them, otherwise I would have done everything in my power to help you. You're mother was one of the kindest, strongest women I have ever known, and I hope, when all this is over, I will get the chance to know you better."

"You knew my parents?" Merlin asked, his voice shaking as he took another step towards Gaius, so they were almost touching.

"Yes. And I can hardly believe that the small, happy child I held twenty years ago would have grown into such an incredible man. You're parents would be so proud."

With that, Gaius embraced Merlin, tears in both their eyes. Arthur wished they could have met under better circumstances, but now was not a time for reunions. Now was a time for action. If Camelot was in danger, it was his duty to protect it.

"I'm sorry to interrupt this reunion, but we need to decide what to do. Camelot cannot go unprotected." Arthur said, watching sadly as Merlin and Gaius broke apart, wiping their eyes.

"We will help." Merlin said, moving back to stand next to Arthur. "The people of the city are innocent, they do not deserve to reap the consequences of Uther's bad decisions."

"Merlin, are you certain about this?" Percival asked, pulling Merlin away from Arthur. Merlin looked determined though as he looked up at Percival calmly and said, "There are good people in Camelot. When we chose to become thieves, it wasn't to get revenge on Uther, it was to protect the people. If we wish to continue to uphold this goal, we will help them."

"But if Uther breaks his promise-" Lancelot began, only to be cut off by Merlin's quick reply, "I will not let him harm any of you. While he is watching us, I will also watch him. He doesn't have the power to stop me without the help of artifacts like the ones Aredian used. We cannot take on an army by ourselves though. We must take this risk if we want to protect the people."

Arthur took Merlin's hand as he turned back to the council members and knights, and proclaimed, "We will fight alongside you as long as Uther swears not to harm any of us while we fight for him, and give us safe passage from the city once the battle is over."

"Thank you." Leon said, "I know that working with the knights of Camelot must be strange for you, but we could not be more grateful. Not all who serve the king are against you. Some of us just wish to protect the people in any way we can. Now, we should get back to the city as quickly as we can. There is much to be done before the army strikes."

Arthur nodded, squeezing Merlin's hand before taking off after the horse-riding council members, back towards his first home.

To say the mood in the castle over the next few days was awkward would be an understatement. Merlin and Uther in the same room usually ended up in shouting and one of them storming from the room. The worst had occurred when Uther had commanded Merlin to summon the great dragon to fight for them and Merlin had blatantly refused, adding quite a few words Arthur had never expected to hear Merlin say. Uther had surprised Arthur with his vocabulary as well, but then neither of them could rival Gwaine when he got going. And, as Lancelot, Gwaine, Percival, and Elyan accompanied Merlin almost everywhere, constantly glaring at any of Uther's men who got too close to their smaller friend, Gwaine's wide range of curse words had been shouted quite often at any who dared to insult Merlin. Arthur tried to keep the peace between them, but this was obviously a terrible idea as he almost always ended up yelling at the king as well for some reason or another.

But there were good things about staying in Camelot. Merlin and Gaius spent every free moment together, discussing Merlin's past and Gaius' relationship with his parents. Even after a day, it was clear Gaius was starting to see Merlin as a son, and Merlin was trusting Gaius as one might a father.

Sadly, there was little time for such pleasantries now though, with Cenred's army getting closer and closer by the second. Many of the banished knights had rushed back, adding to Camelot's chances, and, of course, Merlin's help would be invaluable, but the outcome was still uncertain. The council, Merlin and his friends, Uther, and Arthur had eventually come up with a plan to defend the kingdom, and hopefully scare Cenred away before he got a chance to do any real harm. Most of this plan depended on Merlin, and the hope that when Cenred realized Camelot had resorted to seeking help from a warlock he would tuck his tail between his legs and scamper all the way back to Essetir. The attacking king was by no means known for his bravery, and although ruthless, his army was undisciplined. He was a fearful, lazy king, and the chance of him being scared away by Merlin alone was not as far-fetched as it might have sounded.

So, all that was left to do was wait, and strengthen their defenses. Arthur joined Merlin's escort as he surrounded the castle with magic barriers to prevent the enemy's arrows from raining down on their men, while others filled the reserve stores and prepared the city for the imminent attack.

When Merlin deemed the city as protected as he could keep it whilst maintaining his strength to fight, Arthur finally got the chance to say what had been on his mind since Merlin had decided to join this fight. Although Percival, Gwaine, and Lancelot didn't look happy about letting Merlin out of their sight, they conceded, allowing Arthur to pull Merlin into his old chambers which had been left in the exact same state as they had been before Arthur saved Merlin.

"I wanted to say thank you." Arthur said, guiding Merlin over to the large bed. "You didn't have to say yes, but you did. I swore to protect these people, and I didn't want to have to turn my back, but for you to say yes to Uther? Well, it must not be easy. But it means a lot to me."

Merlin smiled at him and said, "You don't need to thank me, Arthur. I want to protect these people too. Even if it means spending time with Uther. Although I don't think I'll be wanting to spend much more time with him after this. If he calls me a freak one more time, well, I don't know what I'll do."

"Don't worry, if he does I'll punch him myself. After coming to you for help, he should be treaty you like royalty. Yes, after all this we should give you some sort of title! Hmm… what would we call you, Lord Merlin?"

The blush that spread across Merlin's check's made Arthur laugh. He knew Merlin didn't want any special treatment, but it was true he deserved much better than his father had offered. While he, Gwaine, Lancelot, Percival, Elyan, and Guinevere had all been offered the guest chambers (not the nicest ones, but still incredibly luxurious after living in the forest for so long), Merlin had been told to find his own lodging, outside the castle. Of course the rest of them hadn't accepted that, and Merlin was currently staying with Arthur in one of the larger guest chambers, it was still incredibly rude and had continued throughout their stay in other, subtler ways. Merlin deserved to be honored and praised, even if he would hate that, not shunned and mocked for what he was born as.

"Not sure if I like that better." Merlin said, with a frown. "I think I'd rather stick with plan old Merlin, thanks."

"Alright." Arthur said with a sigh. "But I hope you know that if I ever get to be king, you are getting some sort of title. We'll make up something that suits you perfectly. And no-one will ever call you freak again."

"Thank you." Merlin whispered, kissing Arthur lightly on the check and leaning up against him. They sat in silence for a moment, just staring at the room that had been Arthur's before he met Merlin. It was nice to think that maybe, someday, they could return to this chamber permanently. Arthur would finally be able to give Merlin everything he could ever want.

The silence between them felt so calm, so comfortable, which made the jarring clangs of the warning bell even harsher than usual as they rang out across the city, announcing to all of Camelot that Cenred was here.

It was time to go to war.