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A/N This first bit is the second half of the last chapter from Arthur's perspective, don't worry I'm not just going to repeat everything that happened last chapter but it is important- you shall see why. I loved writing this bit, I had it planned differently but this way seemed to work for all the reviews and favourites. :)

He hadn't really thought he could get away, not really. The small shred of hope was now long gone as Arthur spun to face the advancing guards, they were burly holding clubs rather than swords and were advancing quickly. He pulled the sword from his belt and held it firmly in front of him, the weight feeling wrong somehow.

He inhaled deeply. Then swung. His mind emptied, this was where he belonged. This is who he was. He didn't need to know the names of the moves or the hours of training it was all just pure instinct, the sword a mere extension of his arm as he cut down his foes, he smiled.

Swinging his sword in an arc blocking the club he jolted upwards sending the club skittering into the air. A quick thrust and the opponent collapsed- dead. He was surrounded, he couldn't win. But he could give them one hell of a fight.

A blow glanced towards his chest, he blocked the pain but he knew a rib was broken. Gasping he parried a blow and sent a kick to the mans chest- he fell backwards arms flailing. They gathered forces and attacked as one and he couldn't defend against so many men. He ducked one aimed at his head and lost his sword in the process. Another club swung at his head and he rolled to the floor fingers scrabbling for his blade.

A blood curdling scream.

Arthur paused, and that millisecond of horror would be his downfall as two clubs hit him in succession, Arthur fell to the ground curling round himself to protect his head and chest. A hand grabbed him, pulling him to his feet his cheek was greeted with a punch that broke the skin.

The scream still hadn't stopped.

He was dragged towards where Merlin had disappeared.

"Merlin!"

It was awful, Merlin's face was obscured by blood. It streamed from his nose and ears. But his eyes… his eyes were pure gold and glowed. Arthur gasped. It was an unearthly glow and the guards around him were tense and scared.

Then she appeared.

Morgana's step faulted as she saw Merlin, her lips twisting into something that resembled shock and horror. It was gone quickly but there was an uneasy look in her eyes.

Merlin wasn't screaming anymore but his pained gasps were almost as bad. It was then that Arthur glanced down at the object that was causing his friend such pain. It was a circular stone, engraved in some tongue Arthur didn't understand, its swirling patterns encompassing it.

The object glowed, but there was something odd to the glow. Something was changing. It was then that he realised the glow was changing from a dark purple to a lighter colour. In fact it seemed to flicker to the same colour as Merlin's eyes. Arthur didn't understand, he thought the object was changing Merlin's eyes so why would the object change colour?

Morgana had realised too and she tensed as she cocked her head at him. A hand clenched and then she stepped towards him.

The next minutes were a blur as Arthur tried to throw the guards off. Merlin was going to die right in front of him and there was nothing he could do, nothing.

Merlin was talking and it was then that Arthur began to feel different. He realised. The one thing that had kept him from fully believing Merlin, believing that he was a King was the one thought that Merlin addressed. If he was a good King why had he wished to be a peasant?

It suddenly made sense, he could see himself drowning in reports and pressure and longing for a simple life before brushing it off. He understood.

King Arthur and this Arthur were one and the same. Neither would abandon someone that needed them. Neither could be so selfish.

He felt stronger; he ignored his protesting rib and straightened. He didn't remember but that didn't matter he was the King. Not Morgana, not anyone else.

And that boy beaten and bloodied was his best friend.

"Now, Now you die."

Arthur opened his mouth to shout but he never got the chance.

It's funny Merlin couldn't help but think that in the moment when sheer terror should overcome you, when death was not just likely but a certainty that he should feel calm. He was calm, but his magic was not.

It fought against its bonds it struggled, this was his magic at its best- it was instinctual.

Then suddenly, the door to his power opened. His eyes snapped open, he didn't need to say a spell- he had never needed them to be powerful. Morgana's spell dissipated and before she could move to attack again or work out what had happened both Merlin and Arthur disappeared with a whoosh of calming wind, only to reappear back in the courtyard in Camelot, surrounded by the dead and dying.

Gwen came running down the steps of the castle, hair billowing around her.

"Merlin where the hell have you been? Everyones been worried sick."

Merlin opened his mouth to explain, to excuse himself and Arthur but before he could Arthur stepped forward frowning at her arms half outstretched for a hug. She frowned at him before taking a step back, he stopped looking confused and unsure.

"Guinevere?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yes, who are you? Are you a friend of Merlin's? I've not seen you before" Merlin's heart broke for Arthur even though Arthur didn't know her, not really- he had to have some idea of her importance.

"Yeah, names Arthur." Arthur said sticking out his hand wincing as his rib pulled.

"Look at you both! You need to come with me, Gaius is making a cure to… this" She gestured around the courtyard. "He will patch you both up." She sent a Merlin a glare so that he knew that their discussion wasn't other with yet.

She led them through the empty corridors and up to Gaius' rooms. Gaius was bent over a book looking harried as he gathered the ingredients he needed.

"Not now, I'm busy." He said dismissively without looking up.

"Too busy for me?" Merlin asked with a smile, Gaius stood up quickly and quirked an eyebrow at Merlin.

"I assume you're going to tell me what you've been up to?" He said taking in his and Arthur's appearance. Especially the way Arthur was holding himself.

"At some point most likely, what's been going on?" Merlin asked, Gaius wiped his hands on his robe and gestured for Arthur to lift his shirt up.

"I shall tell you later." Gaius said sending a pointed glance at Arthur.

Merlin waved him off "You can say it in front of him, trust me."

"Just lift your shirt up, what are you waiting for." Growled Gaius, Arthur lifted his shirt to reveal purple bruising down one side of his chest. Gaius began to probe Arthurs ribs "It's just a broken rib, stop flinching so much."

"You should really work on your bedside manner" Arthur winced.

"With the day I've had my patience has all but gone."

"So tell us… I need to know Gaius." Merlin begged.

Gaius frowned as he began to wrap Arthur's ribs tightly causing the man to let out a hiss of pain. "After you left everyone was worried, Gwaine and Leon headed the search party- they'd heard you'd been in one of the villages. They thought you had been kidnapped." Merlin winced, he was obviously more important here than he had been previously, this could cause some problems.

"Then what?"

"Well we waited for a ransom, meanwhile everyone has been coming down with maladies, it's like nothing I've seen before. It isn't a disease they are all developing different symptoms but there has to be something causing this."

"Morgana"

"Morgana?" Gaius frowned thoughtfully "An odd way to take the throne."

"I'll explain later, what else?"

"That's the strange bit, Agravaine has ordered for the majority of the army to be disbanded. They've all been sent back to their land."

"That's ridiculous!" Arthur complained loudly, moving as though to stand up.

"Will you stay still? I will knock you out if you continue. You have a broken rib which you are lucky to not have punctured a lung. Continue being stupid and it will."

"Sorry" Arthur said meekly, sinking back down.

"Just sit still. The council was shaken obviously, there was nothing they could do- he is after all the King."

"King?" Merlin asked, Arthur's mouth was hanging open in shock.

"Well yes, Uther had no heir or brothers. So it passed on to his wives brother… Merlin has your head been stuck in the sand for the last year?"

"Hit my head, forgot a lot." Gaius raised his eyebrows to show that he didn't believe him. He tied off Arthur's bandage.

"You are sorted, don't move too much. Don't be stupid. If you hurt yourself again I'm not fixing you."

"Right, so I can go?"

"Yes." Arthur jumped up but began to move carefully under the glare of Gaius.

"Where do I go?" Arthur asked.

"My room is just up the stairs, or you can go into the town- try to remember things." Arthur cocked his head and Merlin answered his silent query "I just need to talk to Gaius."

"I'll see you in a bit then, I'll find out what's happening." Arthur said confidently, strutting towards the door.

"Do be careful, you aren't King after all." Merlin warned fearing what trouble Arthur was about to get into. Arthur ignored him and headed out of the door. Merlin turned back to face Gaius' raised eyebrow.

"I can explain… everything."

"It best be good."

"You might not believe me; try to have an open mind Gaius. I'm going to need your help." Gaius gave a brief nod. "I have magic." Gaius froze, eyes wide and unbelieving "Just let me explain. Morgana, she's used this spell I don't understand really. It brings to life ones dark desires, the darkest of thoughts. I am supposed to have magic."

"Merlin did you hit your head" Gaius came forward worriedly, hand outstretched.

"No, you said you'd listen." Merlin said accusingly "Everything is wrong. Arthur, Arthur is Uther's son and is the King. Don't look at me like that, just listen. I'm a peasant and a Warlock. Emrys."

"Emrys?" Gaius asked in shock.

"Yes, do you believe me now? I'm not making this up Gaius."

"Okay, I just don't understand what is going on, you need to start at the beginning." So Merlin did, he told Gaius, his mentor and father figure his entire life story.

"So I collapsed on the field and when I woke up everything was changed."

"Is that where you went? To see the dragon?"

"Yes" Merlin sighed in relief Gaius seemed to finally understand and believe him, it had been hard work making it so. "He told me that Morgana had used some sort of dark magic to bring alive ones darkest desires."

"So it affected you by taking your magic?" Merlin nodded "And by making Arthur a peasant?" Another nod "How has it affected me…oh. The sickness, is that mine then?"

"I think so" Merlin felt terrible, Gaius looked miserable to be the cause of such suffering "But one thing I have learned is that it might be something that we want in our lowest moment but its not actually what we wanted. I have to find a way to destroy the source and then we can beat Morgana."

"Then we best get working"

"You believe me?"

"My dear boy, do you think I would have let you talk me ear off if I didn't?"

The castle was quiet, Arthur tried to dredge up some feeling or memory related to this place but he couldn't. It was just a castle. He didn't even get a feeling of safeness.

"Arthur right?" Gwen asked catching up with Arthur.

"Yes, your Gwen?" She smiled at him.

"How did you end up a friend of Merlin's then? I've never seen you before." Gwen asked "I'm not trying to be rude! You don't have to tell me anything… in fact forget I asked."

"Guinevere" Arthur smiled "It's fine. I suppose I don't remember."

"Have you been friends for a long time then?" Gwen asked thinking they must be childhood friends.

"I don't know, I don't remember much. But then no one around here does." Arthur told her. Gwen frowned in confusion absentmindedly twirling her hair round her finger.

"I don't understand"

"Neither do I, do you want me to let you into a secret?" Arthur asked, bending so his mouth was close to her ear "I'm actually the King."

"Oh Arthur!" She cried pushing him away laughing "It's not funny to make fun of people."

"I'm not lying."

"King of where?" Gwen laughed.

"Here"

"I think I would know if you where the King of Camelot." She giggled.

"Morgana has done something, and the only one who understands is Merlin. Which is something in itself that I don't quite understand. It's okay he promised he'd fix it."

"You are crazy." Gwen said frowning at him in worry.

"Just… I don't know. I feel like I know you, more than I should even if I was the King." He paused, "Do you feel the same?"

"I don't know…"

"It feels like… I don't know. When I look at you, when you talk I can't help but feel- I'm no good at this." Arthur trailed off angrily.

"Can't help but feel at home?" Gwen said before blushing furiously and ducking her head.

"Yes, Gwen…" Arthur touched her elbow and span her towards him. He blinked at her, taking in her face and felt the jolt of recognition. "Can you trust me please? Believe me in what I've said."

"I don't know, it sounds like nonsense."

Arthur closed his eyes and took a deep breath before responding "Don't do what your head tells you, just listen to your heart."

"Then I believe you." She breathed, Arthur reached up and trailed a finger across her cheek.

"Thank you."

They had reached the council room and it was then that Arthur realised he must have been unconsciously heading here, he thought back to what Gaius said before quickly making up his mind. "Do you know somewhere we could overhear them… without being seen." Gwen thought carefully for a second before taking his hand and leading him upstairs to a balcony that looked over the room. They hid in the shadow.

"There is an army heading towards us!" One man bellowed

"We have no army to defend ourselves!"

"You got rid of them!" The panicked men called out, the man at the head of the table was relaxing comfortably in his chair, his slick hair unruffled.

"We don't need an army because we are not going to fight."

"Are you insane? We cannot lose Camelot!"

"Yes we are, for the rightful Queen is coming. Morgana is the sole heir to the throne."

Cries rose up from the council, the panicked men springing to their feet. "You can't do this without us, without our permission. We shall not allow this to happen!"

"Well… if you insist." Agravaine said, he clicked his fingers and twenty men came from the shadows, the black Pendragon crest on their sleeve. The men tried to run in horror, but they were slaughtered where they stood or sat.

Agravaine never moved nor stopped smiling.

Morgana was going to take the throne. Gwen's wide eyes met his and he let out a shaky breath.

The entire council was dead and it seemed the fate of Camelot rested upon the destruction of the source.

Arthur didn't have much hope.

A/N Yes, bit at Arwen, sorry but I stick to cannon with shipping. Sorry if this annoys, I'm not going to shove it in your face so don't worry. Hope you enjoyed, reviews are like sugar and sweets and all things nice and make me very happy! Thanks, update coming soon.