I hope everyone had a nice week. I'm trying to return to a more structured schedule for updating. I loved all the reviews I got for the last chapter and love hearing what people thought.

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

It was already dark when the knights managed to trudge back through the gates and up to the castle. The steady downpour ensured that the trails would be covered in a slick layer of mud. When the knights weren't slipping and falling into mud puddles, they were sinking into the soft earth. It was also pitch black outside. Due to the clouds, no stars shown nor did the moon. There was nothing to light the way. All of these things combined made it incredibly difficult to navigate back to the castle.

Of course, the knights also had a captive to think about. Drake had woken up twice. But not for very long. Gwaine was still working through his frustrations about leaving Merlin and ended up using Drake's head to vent said frustrations. Though not before Drake managed to bruise Percival. After waking up, the man would kick and struggle against the strong hold of the large knight. He was vicious and unrelenting. The first time he woke up, Percival dropped him in surprise. The subsequent awakening was caught by a much more aware knight.

All in all, it was an awful night to be a knight of Camelot. The knights were muddy, tired, sore, and worried. Merlin wasn't in the most stable of states when they had left him in the cave, as evident by the unrelenting torrent of a child's tantrum that continued to make the knights walk through a living hell. Arthur half thought about giving up and just sleeping on the muddy floor of the forest. But Sir Leon reminded everyone that they had no shelter or covers to keep out the cold. There was still a chance that bandits were active, despite the night. And, the sooner they got to Camelot, the sooner they could better decide a course of action in regards to Merlin. Of course Leon made a lot of sense, and that just made Arthur want to punch his loyal knight even more. Just once could Leon do something stupid and potentially dangerous? It couldn't always be up to the others to think of stupid solutions

And then there was Lancelot. Leon was being his normal, annoying, intelligent self. Gwaine was too frustrated to form coherent sentences (a blessing. Arthur didn't think he had the patients to not murder Gwaine tonight). Elyan was too busy trying to navigate the way through the forest to dwell on any of his thoughts. And Percival was too busy trying not to fall now that he was more top heavy. But Lancelot didn't have anything to focus on. His trudge through the forest became a sort of meditation, allowing him to focus on everything that could go wrong while the knight's were away in Camelot.

"Perhaps we should have left more cloaks for him," Lancelot said, nervously toying with the gloves on his hands. Arthur sighed and turned to the knight.

"He is still upset. Plus, Leon gave Merlin his cloak. The boy will be fine," he replied. He was trying very hard not to lose his temper with Lancelot. Normally, Arthur would have had a better hold on his emotions. But he was so worried about Merlin, it kind of scared him. He had barely met the child, and now he was constantly turning over in his mind every bad thing that could happen. These thoughts made Arthur's stomach turn with something intangible. Something that he rarely felt. These feelings towards Merlin, ones of love and the need to protect, caused Arthur to bite his lip, fidget constantly, and feel as though he needed to run away from everything. This was unnatural. This wasn't right. While Arthur didn't think that Merlin would intentionally cast a spell on him, there was a possibility that the child did it unintentionally. The need for love and acceptance was so great that his magic latched onto the first available host. But even this thought didn't stop Arthur from imagining the most unimaginable scenarios. Merlin getting captured by bandits. Merlin being tortured by Cenred. Merlin being trapped in a cave-in, screaming for help but knowing that no one was around. Tears dripping from his face as he slowly accepted his fate to die in the dark, unable to escape.

Arthur was almost glad that it was raining so heavily. The constant need to pay attention to his surroundings provided a small respite from these fears. Putting one foot in front of the other, finding the closest tree to help stabilize his footing, trying to keep up with the rest of the group, these were things that could keep Merlin from Arthur's main thoughts. But as soon as the group stopped to rest, everything would come rushing back. More vivid and frightening than the previous bout. Arthur knew he would probably need one of Gaius' sleeping tonics if he were to make it through the night. So long as it was raining, that would be a reminder that Merlin was still out there. Still alive. Still in danger.

After what felt like an eternity, Arthur and the others saw the great white walls of the citadel appear from over the hills and through the trees. Fires had been strategically lit to provide the guards with some light. To ensure that intruders could be seen from a long way off. Leon breathed a sigh of relief and straightened up.

"Finally," he said. His voice was only slightly hoarse from the heavy breathing that he had been doing during the hike. "I thought we would never make it."

"Let's go," Gwaine growled. "The sooner we get to Camelot, the sooner we can help Merlin." He pushed past the others and began to make his way towards the large gates. Everyone followed quickly. Arthur could see their silhouettes. Every one of them was hunched over. Arms swinging weakly and feet literally dragging on the ground. It was a sad sight indeed. Arthur bet that if he were to see his friends' faces, they would all be ragged with the need for sleep, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up. Arthur took one look back at the forest. He prayed that Merlin would still be alright when they next met.

"I hope he has enough food and fresh water," Lancelot murmured. Arthur didn't know if the comment was directed at him or not. So he just clapped Lancelot on the shoulder and led him towards the citadel.

"He'll calm down, and then we can go see him," Arthur promised. Lancelot nodded, continuing his silent walk towards the castle. It was only about thirty minutes later when the group finally managed to walk through the doors of the Council Chambers. One of the guards at the gate had taken off running when they first appeared to get the king. Arthur had hoped they could have talked about what happened tomorrow. But Uther was a persistent man. Arthur wasn't sure how well he could lie to his father in this state. He hoped Leon still had the mental capacity to create something believable. For as noble and rule following as Leon was, the man was surprisingly at ease with lying to the king. It was sort of frightening and exciting all at the same time.

"Where the hell have you been!?" Uther bellowed as the group managed to all file into the chambers. "And who is that?" Uther wasn't in a good mood. Apparently, Arthur and his men were suppose to have returned at sundown. Though Arthur clearly remembered his father saying not to come back until the beast had been taken care of. His father should really learn to communicate better. Percival dumped Drake on the floor unceremoniously and rolled his shoulders. An audible popping sound came from the joints as the large knight reset his bones. Arthur decided that he should give his father almost the entire truth, leaving out Merlin. If his father knew about the presence of a magical child in Camelot, there would be no stopping his witch hunts. Uther had been known to pursue sorcerers across borders, should he wish to make a point.

"We found the beast and disposed of it. However, we were heading back to Camelot when we were attacked by a group of mercenaries. They were hired to take me alive. I brought back the leader in hopes of discovering who wants me and why," Arthur explained. He left out a lot of information, such as how they managed to defeat the mercenaries, but hopefully Uther wouldn't focus on that. Arthur had given less inclusive reports before and his father never said anything. But now would be the moment when he would decide to grill Arthur for every detail imaginable.

"Are any of you in need of assistance?" Gaius asked. Arthur saw the old man standing behind Uther. He hadn't noticed Gaius when they first walked in. Then again, a dragon could have been in the room and Arthur probably wouldn't have noticed that either. He was so tired. The floor looked like a mighty good place to take a nap.

"No, the men did no damage to us," Leon responded. His voice snapped Arthur out of his sleep-deprived state. Gods he prayed that his father wouldn't have any more questions. Uther studied Leon for a moment before turning to Percival.

"Take him down to the dungeons. I shall interrogate him when he awakes. The rest of you, get some rest," he commanded. Before any of the men could respond, Uther turned on his heels and swept out of the chambers. Gaius sighed and looked at the men.

"Gentlemen, I would like a more complete story tomorrow," he said simply. The old man hobbled out after Uther, leaving the knights to their own devices.

"I'll come with you, Perce" Elyan muttered. Percival nodded and picked up Drake. He hesitated slightly before doing so. He obviously did not want to put such a heavy burden back on his shoulders after being relieved of it. In the end, though, he slung Drake back over him and marched out of the room. Arthur saw the two of them leave before deciding to address Gwaine, Leon, and Lancelot.

"I will see you all tomorrow. Have a good rest," Arthur said. He knew he and the others weren't going to have a very good rest at all. They would all be worried about the child. His only consolation was the fact that they had a plan for getting him to safety. Arthur resolved to ask Gaius more about the magic tomorrow. If he and the other knights were really going to do this, then they needed to know exactly what they were getting themselves into. While Arthur knew Gaius didn't know everything, it beat talking to his other friend. Arthur stopped at a particularly large window and watched the rain run down the pane. It distorted the outside image. Things were never going to be the same in Camelot again.

oOoOoOo

"Sire, it is time to rise," George's annoying voice rang out through Arthur's chambers. Arthur squeezed his eyes shut with the sound of curtains being opened. He knew light was flooding the room. He also knew that George was not going to give up any time real soon. Although George appeared to be a bootlicker, following every command the prince gave to the letter, he was also very deviant. A master manipulator, George could get Arthur to do things faster than any other servant. Arthur knew this, though he didn't know how to stop it. It was as if George had his own special brand of magic that gently nudged Arthur towards actions that George wanted him to do. Not that Arthur would ever admit that fact to anyone.

Arthur groaned and sat up. His eyes were still squeezed shut, desperately hoping that he would not have to get up. He and the other knights had arrived late back in Camelot. After the meeting with his father, Arthur needed to bathe to get all the mud out of his hair. After that, it was time for a quick meal. And after George had finally been convinced that Arthur wouldn't die while he was away, Arthur finally got into bed. But he still didn't fall asleep. Oh no, that would have been way to kind for his mind to find a rest. Nope. Arthur then tossed and turned for what felt like hours. Under the blankets he was too hot. With no blankets he was to cold. Laying on his side put an uncomfortable pressure on his shoulder. On his stomach, it was hard to breathe. On his back, he felt restless.

Arthur knew that his lack of sleep (once he got into bed) was entirely Merlin's fault. Even when the boy wasn't here he still annoyed and worried Arthur all at once. How was that even possible? The rain was causing Arthur to worry. He didn't know much about children, but he was sure that temper tantrums didn't normally last through the night. If the rain had stopped it would have caused Arthur to worry. What if something had happened to Merlin and he was unable to help? Arthur felt like cursing Merlin. The boy was doing something completely new to Arthur's emotionally stunted state. Arthur didn't like it. Not one bit.

"Dreadful weather we're having," George stated, attempting to make conversation. There was a slight push in his voice. The push that warned Arthur to get out of bed lest something dreadful happen later. Arthur decided it would be a good idea not toe test George. He opened his eyes and stretched.

"The lady Morgana wishes to dine with you today. So you must get dressed to have breakfast with her," George explained. He was busy digging through Arthur's clothes, trying to decide which would be the most appropriate for a breakfast with the King's Ward.

At the mention of breakfast with Morgana, Arthur became alert. Like a candle had been lit in his brain, he was no longer attempting to trick George into letting him sleep. As much as he loved Morgana, she rarely dined with him unless Uther was forcing them to pretend as though they could actually tolerate her. She was up to something. And when Morgana was up to something, then Arthur was usually dragged into it as well. Sometimes he really did hate that girl.

"Is my father joining us?" Arthur asked. That would put his mind at ease if his father were to be the one to initiate the "family" meal. Though Arthur would have to put up with a constant stream of critiques, he would at least know there was no ulterior motive. Unless his father was trying to marry him off to some princess, again. But an arranged marriage was easier to circumvent than whatever Morgana was planning.

"Not that I know of, sire. It will just be you and the Lady Morgana," he replied. Arthur tried not to groan as he immediately began pondering what Morgana could be up to. It could be another attempt to woo Percival. Or maybe another attempt to force Uther to give commoners more rights. Hell, maybe Morgana just wanted to mess with Arthur by making him constantly worry about what she was planning.

Arthur's mind began playing tug-of-war with itself, trying to decide which worry was the most important at the moment. Morgana won since Arthur was meeting with her today. The rain hadn't stopped, so hopefully that meant Merlin was alive. Gods, Arthur wishes he could go back to being blissfully ignorant about everything. Things were so much simpler when his father's words held only the truth. How things had changed.

oOoOoOo

Arthur rapped his knuckles on the door and was greeted with the sight of Gwen. Oh yay! Another worry! Trying to worry about Morgana's motives, Merlin's wellbeing, and impressing Guinevere was going to be next to impossible. Arthur was glad George insisted on combing Arthur's hair before leaving. Though Arthur really shouldn't be surprised by Gwen's presence. She was Morgana's handmaid and best friend. Besides, wooing her wouldn't be that difficult. He was charming, handsome, and good with a sword. He could ensure that Guinevere felt special during this visit. Unless Morgana decided to make things difficult and continually throw Arthur off his game. She loved doing things like that, the devious witch.

"Thank you, George, you can go now," Gwen said sweetly. She gave George a gently smile, silently urging George to leave without any questions. George looked as though he was going to protest. Then Gwen's expression changed. The smile was still on her face, but she moved her hands to her hips and narrowed her eyes. That stern and slightly frightening expression was enough to halt any of George's protests. The servant gave Gwen a small bow before rushing off down the hall. Gwen could be truly frightening if she desired. Morgana too. The two women were an unstoppable team when it came to scaring people into submission. Arthur felt a little upset at the fact that Morgana and Gwen struck more fear into the hearts of the citizens than he did. He was the future king. Shouldn't they be respecting his decisions?

"Brother dear, come in," Morgana called. Arthur gasped and rushed through the door, closing it behind him. Morgana needed to practice more caution when it came to these things. She thought she was invincible. She thought no one would ever catch her. Arthur knew his sister was lucky, but he still didn't want to take chances.

"Try and keep it down a bit. Anyone could have heard you," Arthur hissed.

"No one is going to find out. We've known for years and only a few of your trusted knights and Gaius knows. Plus it is way too early for anyone of importance to be up. Idle servant gossip doesn't always entertain our noblemen and ladies of the court. Quit worrying," Morgana scoffed. Arthur rolled his eyes. Morgana had a point, but he would never admit it out loud. If word did get around the castle that Morgana had called Arthur her brother, most people would assume it was because they shared a sibling's bond for one another. And that was true, in both blood and spirit.

Three years ago he, Morgana, and Leon had accidently gotten Lord Geoffrey drunk. It was funny at first. The normally reserved scholar began spilling lots of secrets about the castle that not even Gwen knew. And she seemed to know everything when it came to the gossip. Geoffrey told to group about how Lady Margret's baby wasn't her husbands but a servants. He explained how Sir Eric was deeply in debt due to gambling problems. How Sir Ethan and Lady Ellen had started courting one another. Little things. Mostly harmless things that were bound to come up in a castle full of bored and promiscuous nobles.

But then the man started telling the group about Uther and all of the things he had kept hidden. The two biggest secrets being the truth behind Arthur's birth and the truth behind Morgana's parentage. Both revelations came as a shock. Arthur felt as though he were drowning and there was no one there to help him. Uther had lied to him. Uther had lied to his people. That day, Arthur saw a side of his father he never knew existed. Arthur was furious, and glad. Now that he knew that Uther wasn't the perfect king he pretended to be, Arthur could look at his father's policies and see which ones were pure bigotry. Arthur felt guilty. Shouldn't he as a son want to keep his father in the purest of lights? But in the end, Arthur's conscious came through and the thought of him persecuting hundreds of people for merely existing, for his father's own hatred, won. He could fix the mistakes that his father made. He could be a better person. Children didn't strive to be their parents. They strived to be better versions of them.

Of course Gaius found out that Arthur and Morgana now knew. The other knights also were told the truth about Uther's two biggest secrets. Arthur knew other people knew Morgana's relation to the royal family, but he didn't know who knew about his and Morgana's knowledge of the information. Of course when Morgana first found out she flew into a rage. Her focus was mainly on her birth, though a large part was also towards Uther's part in the Great Purge. She felt betrayed that he had left her, that he would never properly claim her as his own flesh and blood. Her first thought was to castrate Uther.

"So that he can never do something like this again!" Was her reasoning. But Leon and Gwen managed to calm her down. Arthur still was unsure exactly what was said to calm Morgana down. But in the end Uther stayed intact. It was only a few months later that Morgana then came to him about her visions. It was confirmed by Gaius that she was a seer. Arthur found a druid who helped Morgana control her visions so that they would be gentler on her. It was all he could do, but the gesture was well received. Morgana's nightmares got better and she and Arthur became closer. But Arthur still worried that he was beginning to distance himself from his father. Their chats weren't as long. He didn't spend as many meals with Uther. Now, it was more like the two of them were king and loyal knight, rather than father and son. Arthur shook his head and pushed these thoughts from his mind. Morgana could smell weakness and attack like a wolf. Another frightening thing about her.

"Did you have a vision? Is that why I am so graciously graced with your presence?" Arthur sneered.

"Graciously graced? Surely you can come up with more grown-up words and more creative words than that," Morgana smirked. She flicked a bit of cheese at Arthur who retaliated with a bit of bread.

"Now children," Gwen scolded, taking a piece of fruit for her own breakfast. "Behave yourselves or else I'm going to have to separate the two of you." Arthur clenched his jaw and looked away from Morgana. It would not do to have Gwen see him as an overgrown child. He was trying to court her, not turn her into his mother. Morgana snickered before straightening up and cutting up some cheese to eat.

"Even if I did have a vision, I wouldn't tell you," Morgana said. She rolled her eyes and tossed her hair back. Arthur fought the urge to kick her from underneath the table.

"You told me about the griffin," Arthur said.

"Only because I had to. You would have died had you not known to use an enchanted lance. It was important. Life and death," Morgana defended.

"You told me about Vivian," Arthur shot back. "Surely me marrying her wasn't life or death?"

"It would have been for me. That woman as my sister-in-law, I'd rather reveal my magic to Uther during a council session," Morgana said. Arthur couldn't help but agree. That girl was absolutely dreadful. Easy on the eyes, but not much else. It probably would have been life or death should Arthur have actually followed his father's wishes and attempted to court the girl.

"She's not that bad," Gwen said. Though her words were strained. Gwen didn't like to say mean things about people. Another reason why Arthur loved her. Then again, Arthur wasn't sure there was anything he didn't love about Gwen. Gods he was turning into a girl. But it was clear from the way she clenched her jaw that Guinevere thought Vivian was not a nice person.

"If you didn't invite me here because of a vision, then why am I here?" Arthur asked. He was trying to get the conversation back on topic. His father would probably excuse him from his morning duties should he mention his breakfast for Morgana. All Morgana would have to do would be to toss her hair, feed Uther some lie about being worried for Arthur's safety, and they would be good to go. Morgana and Gwen looked at each other and giggled. Arthur was on high alert now. They were probably trying to set him up with some girl.

"Tell me about him. I want to know everything." Morgana smiled. Whoa, why did Morgana seem happy for Arthur? And who was this him she mentioned?

"What?"

"Where is he going to live?" Gwen asked. "Elyan was dead on his feet yesterday when he returned so I didn't want to bother him," she explained.

"Who are we talking about?" Arthur asked. Morgana and Gwen didn't hear and instead continued to pester Arthur with questions.

"How old is he? In my visions I see him at various stages so I'm not really sure how old he is," Morgana continued.

"So you did have a vision," Arthur cried in triumph. Morgana rolled her eyes.

"I only tell you because I'm curious. I imagine he'll stay with you or one of the knights until more permanent accommodations can be settled. Gaius would also be a good choice. He needs an assistant" she continued.

"I hope he's cute. We need more eye candy in Camelot," Gwen said. Morgana giggled.

"The knights aren't good enough for you. Talk about your shirtless hotties! And from what I've seen, he's a real charmer. He's kind of got that shy and adorable look to him," Morgana responded. Gwen squealed. At this, Arthur had enough.

"I have no idea what you're talking about so just spit it out," Arthur snapped. Gwen quieted down, making Arthur feel guilty. Morgana glared at him. Her eyes were piercing through him, making him feel even more self-conscious.

"Don't play coy with me. Remember, seer? I know you've met the man who's going to shape you into a great king." Arthur furrowed his brow and stared at Morgana.

"And Kilgarah said you would feel a connection the moment you saw him," Gwen added.

"Wait, wait, wait. You spoke with the stupid lizard?" Arthur asked. He groaned. Kilgarah never gave a straight answer if he could help it. And he kept going on about Arthur trying to find the other half of his coin or some crap like that. Sometimes, a simple map or timeline would really help Arthur in attempting to fulfill his "destiny".

"Well we really didn't have anything to do yesterday, so yes," Morgana responded. Arthur highly doubted that Morgana had nothing to do.

"Guys, I hate to tell you this, but I haven't met anyone recently who is staying with me." Morgana and Gwen looked at each other.

"But my vision showed you meeting during the hunt yesterday. And Kilgarah said that you found Emrys," Morgana said, clearly confused. They were doing that weird silent communication thing that all girls seemed capable of doing.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I didn't meet any bloke named Emrys," Arthur snapped. Sometimes he hated how nondescript Morgana's visions were. Three days ago, she saw Elyan with a stone heart. What the hell was up with that? Sometimes they were really specific and descriptive. Morgana had seen Gwen on the throne several times over the past year. Other times, they were nothing but brief flashed. A battle here, a monster there. No dates or outcomes, just a quick look into the future.

"Emrys isn't his birth name. It's what the druids call him," Morgana snapped. She had that look on her face that made Arthur feel stupid. It wasn't his fault that he didn't know hardly anything about magic! That was Morgana and Percival's area of expertise. "He could be called Joe or Francis or even Bob."

"Bob?" Arthur asked. That wasn't the name he would give to an all-powerful sorcerer.

"Some parents are just cruel to their children," Morgana shrugged.

"Like Lancelot's?" Arthur snickered.

"I think Lancelot is a fine name," Morgana snapped. Arthur was about to retort when Gwen spoke up.

"Children, let's focus on the problem at hand," Gwen said, returning the conversation back to its point of origin. "Now Arthur, you said you didn't meet any man?"

"Except for the one who tried to cut off Leon's head and rip out Gwaine's heart. I really don't think he's your guy," Arthur explained. Gwen gasped and Morgana looked worried.

"Are they alright? Uther didn't tell me anything. He just said not to worry my "dainty little head" over the situation," Morgana said. She looked furious over Uther's terminology.

"First off, if you would stop pretending to have headaches every time you didn't want to do something, then you probably wouldn't be seen as dainty," Arthur said. "Secondly, who the hell thinks you're dainty? You have most of this castle scared of you. And thirdly, everyone is fine. No one even suffered a scratch," Arthur finished. Gwen let out a sigh of relief and sat back in her chair.

"How is that possible?" Morgana asked. Leave it to Morgana to focus on the one aspect that he had tried to keep a secret from everyone. He could tell Morgana, of course he could, but he was worried about who else was focusing on Arthur's weak story. Sometimes he wondered if Uther was an idiot or just selectively ignorant.

"Well this kid came tumbling down a hill and helped defeat-" Arthur's mouth dropped open with realization.

"This Emrys, he's powerful, right?" Arthur asked.

"He's supposed to be the most powerful warlock to ever walk the earth," Gwen affirmed.

"Warlock means…"

"He was born with his powers, he didn't have to learn them like Gaius," Morgana said.

"That means it would probably be pretty instinctual, right?" Arthur asked.

"I would imagine so. Arthur, where is this going? What does this have to do with the kid you found in the woods?" Morgana snapped. Arthur leaned forward and massaged his brow.

"You may think this is crazy, but I think the boy is Emrys," Arthur said. He sat up and looked at Gwen and Morgana.

"When you say boy, how old is he?" Gwen asked.

"He's a boy," Arthur said, throwing his hands in the air. While Merlin had been insistent that he was eight, a part of Arthur still didn't believe that.

"Well that doesn't mean anything. He could be 18 or 21. You and the others think anyone younger than yourselves is a boy," Morgana said, rolling her eyes. How was she not getting dizzy with all this eye rolling?

"He's eight, at the most," Arthur responded.

"And you think he's the most powerful sorcerer to walk the earth?" Morgana asked, almost scoffing at the notion. "Come on, Arthur, even you must have some idea of what a powerful sorcerer is," Morgana exclaimed. Arthur stared at Morgana. He was trying to figure out what Merlin's age had to do with any of this. Surely young people could hold a great deal of power. Gwen saw Arthur's confusion and came to his rescue.

"Most warlocks don't start having powers until they are older," Gwen clarified. Arthur nodded his understanding but continued on his explanation.

"Yeah, well, this one did. He healed a cut on Leon's face, knocked out every mercenary in the clearing, and I'm pretty sure he's causing this storm," Arthur said. His previous worries began to creep back up into his mind. Morgana's vision had been a nice distraction. But they had led back to Merlin. Everything seemed to be leading back to Merlin nowadays.

"That's impossible," Morgana breathed. She was in complete awe of this child.

"He didn't even need a spell when he knocked back the mercenaries. He just screamed," Arthur sighed. Merlin as a normal sorcerer was manageable. Merlin as the most powerful being to walk the Earth, that was going to be a slightly more difficult secret to keep.

"So the man who is supposed to make you a great king is literally a child?" Gwen said. Arthur nodded.

"A very damaged child. Leon and Percival think he's an escaped slave," Arthur explained. Gwen sucked in a breath.

"The poor boy," she exclaimed softly.

"Why didn't he come back with you guys?" Morgana demanded.

"We tried to convince him to come back with us, but it didn't work out." Morgana crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. Arthur was once again guilted into something that wasn't his fault. At least, he was trying to convince himself that causing Merlin to panic wasn't his fault. It wasn't really working. "We crowded him and pushed him too much. He was probably overwhelmed and lashed out. Anyways, he now hates us and doesn't want us anywhere near his cave," Arthur sighed.

"Arthur, you need to bring this boy back to Camelot," Morgana said. Arthur stood up and began pacing the room.

"Don't you think I've tried? Leon thinks we should give him a few days to cool down and then go back. The kid is scared that we'll use him or give him back to his former master," Arthur cried.

"And do you want to use him?" Gwen asked.

"Of course not," Arthur huffed. "How could you even ask that? I want him to be safe."

"Just making sure," Gwen said quietly.

"And why do you think you want to keep him safe? You've only just met the child," Morgana asked.

"I don't know. It's weird, I'll admit. But the feeling is still there," Arthur groaned. He wasn't even sure how to categorize the feelings he felt towards little Merlin. "How is he supposed to help and protect me if he's only eight?"

"Maybe you need to protect him first, make sure he can get to a point where he can protect you," Gwen suggested.

"Maybe. Did Kilgarah mention anything else?" he asked, turning back towards the two women. It was a long shot, but Kilgarah sometimes did mention outright what needed to be done. Morgana huffed and slumped back in her seat.

"He hates me. He never tells me anything," she said.

"He seemed happier that you were going to find the other half of your coin," Gwen added. Arthur groaned. Great, just great. The other half of his coin was an emotionally unstable escaped slave who looked six but insisted he was eight and had very little control over his magic. Arthur was going to go grey just trying to keep the kid's head on. At this rate, he would die before his father due to stress. And he hadn't even inherited the throne yet! He just hoped he and his knights could come up with some plan to keep the boy safe. It was his destiny, after all.

I hope you all have a great weekend and do something fun. See you next week.