Arthur flatly refused to do away with the sturdy little mare that had previously carried him, although it had been suggested that perhaps he should ride something more suitable. Merlin let that battle slide, and won the one over Arthur riding next to him rather than behind him.

"You're still technically my master," Arthur said.

"You're technically a king," Merlin countered as they packed up the camp. "And you're getting very argumentative all of a sudden."

Merlin didn't feel any surprise as Arthur immediately cowered. "I'm sorry, My Lord."

Arthur hung his head, concentrating on rolling up the blankets of his bed roll. Moving closer Merlin crouched down next to him.

"Arthur, I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I think we need to work with you and less with the sword though. I think that is influencing this a little."

That caused Arthur to stare at the sword with mild horror, where it lay close by.

"It's making me do that?" Arthur asked. Merlin sighed and shook his head.

"Not exactly, but it's tapping into part of you that could be part of your sub-conscious. You're angry about what happened to you, it could just be using that aggression."

"I'm not angry, I'm..." Arthur paused, not entirely sure what he was.

"Arthur, you have spent most of your life being treated badly. I don't care how calm you pretend to be about it."

"I suppose," Arthur said, not entirely certain how he felt about anything. Maybe that was the problem. "Do you really think the sword is doing something?"

"It holds a dragon's magic and that is powerful. We may need to talk to the Great Dragon about it. He did warn that it makes for a dangerous weapon, in the wrong hands. You're meant to be the right hands, but you are meant to be achieving some kind of destiny. Maybe the sword is rushing you a little."

"Everything is rushing me a little, how the hell am I meant to be a king?"

"You've been a prince all your life, it's almost a natural transition."

Arthur looked at him, not entirely meeting his gaze. "I know people have always said that, but I wouldn't think that they meant it that much. No one is going to accept it. I know it's a bit hard to ignore the fact that I pulled the sword from the stone, but that's not a reality they are going to accept. None of the kings are going to take this seriously."

"Fortunately it's not them I'm interested in," Merlin said.

"You can't go against them, My Lord," Arthur warned.

"We'll start small anyway," Merlin said. "Starting with the fact that my name is Merlin."

"That will feel a little strange," Arthur said, and then decided to try it out anyway. "Merlin."

Merlin smiled.

"Don't worry, that was a habit that I was planning to wean you out of anyway. I don't count as anyone's lord. Certainly not as a master."

"You're a Dragonlord."

"Not yet," Merlin said.

"I don't think I'm a king yet either," Arthur said. He sighed heavily and put his face into his hands running his fingers into his hair. Merlin watched him carefully, knowing that the reality of what had happened had started to really sink in. Neither of them could afford to think that what happened next would be easy.

"We'll work on it. There's hope for you yet, especially if we find any more kittens up trees."

Arthur huffed with laughter as Merlin stood up, patting his shoulder before walking away to organise the rest of them. Watching him Arthur wondered if Merlin was treating him any differently. The situation hadn't suddenly become different, he had woken up and made breakfast that morning, as he had done for Merlin and the others every morning. It had been Percival's careful look that stopped Merlin objecting to Arthur clearing up. Arthur had seen it, Percival had done nothing to hide it, and he had been grateful for the big knight's intervention. Arthur wanted to do things that were familiar, it soothed him a little.

He tied up his bedroll and getting up carefully fastened it to the saddle of the little pony. She swished her tail and turned her head, nuzzling at his arm. Arthur gently brushed her nose with his hand and she snorted onto it.

"Thanks," Arthur said. Turning round he picked up the sword sliding it into the sheath attached to the saddle. He kept hold of the hilt as it rested there, wondering if Merlin was right. Every time he touched it he could feel something, and he always needed to know where it was.

"Arthur? Are you ready?" Merlin asked, breaking his chain of thought.

"Yes, My Lord." Arthur said, then rolled his eyes. "Sorry, Merlin."

"You don't have any trouble with Gwaine," Lancelot said.

"Arthur's probably the only person that doesn't then," Percival pointed out, and then glowered as Gwaine threw a stick at him, bouncing it off Percival's head.

"Enough," Merlin ordered, although he smiled, in a slightly resigned fashion. "Come on, let's get home."

The word echoed around Arthur's head as he mounted and let the little pony catch up, bringing her into line alongside Merlin's stallion. Arthur couldn't honestly say he ever had a home, he just lived in other people's homes, with everyone making sure he was treated like an outsider. He had been born in Camelot, had lived there. Some people called him the Lost Prince. Everyone knew his origins.

He stayed quiet, debating the fact. Merlin had made Camelot his home, so Arthur wondered, was he really just taking up residence in Merlin's home, or really finding his own. Merlin eyed Arthur with concern but said nothing, seeing the thoughtful look on Arthur's face, and not wanting to disturb him. On the bright side Arthur seemed more relaxed, but that had been the work of the time he had spent with Merlin and the rest of them.

The closer they got, the more Arthur thought until Merlin slowed his horse, staring into the forest.

"Whoever that is, they're in a hurry," Percival mused urging his horse a few steps forward so he could flank Arthur, his right hand gripping the hilt of his sword; just in case. Lancelot stayed behind Arthur, Gwaine beside him. Balinor shifted to Merlin's side. Arthur looked around realising he had been covered on all sides, all of them automatically protecting him. As the pony shifted nervously underneath him Arthur didn't think he would be able to use Excalibur and hold her at the same time, although he felt an instinct stirring, to take the sword.

"It's Leon, and Elyan," Merlin announced a moment later and they all relaxed as they pair rode into view, pushing their horses hard. The group broke formation around Arthur and waited for the two men to reach them.

"Merlin," Leon said, sounding almost relieved. He glanced at Balinor. "My Lord. I'm glad we found you."

"What's happened?" Merlin asked. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes, I think so," Leon said. "It's a little unusual. We thought we had better find you as soon as possible."

"What?" Merlin asked.

"I think you need to see it to believe it," Elyan said.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Balinor said something under his breath, Arthur thought it might have been swearing but he couldn't understand it, so he wasn't entirely sure. They all stared up at the ravished skyline of Camelot. Although it looked slightly different now.

"I could ask when this happened, but I am presuming the night of the Equinox," Merlin sighed. Arthur gave him a sharp look.

"You think it has something to do with me?"

"Everything does," Merlin mused as he looked at the tree dominating the skyline. For years it had looked black, almost charred, although no fire had ever touched it. Now, somehow, it had sprouted, leaves and blossom springing up overnight. Merlin glanced at Arthur.

"How else do you want to explain this?"

"I thought it was dead," Arthur said.

"No, the rowan tree has some unusual properties, this is very unusual," Merlin announced.

"I've never known any tree suddenly decide to come to life," Leon said. They all continued to walk their horses along the track, while continuing to stare up at the sight. "I thought the whole thing was going to come down when I heard the noise."

"What noise? What exactly happened?" Percival asked.

"We heard a cracking sound, like the tree, or the wall, was breaking. When we came out to look the whole thing was shaking. Our first thought was to start evacuating people from nearby, then as we were doing that the branches grew and the flowers and leaves just kind of burst out," Leon told the story but by the tone of his voice, he knew he wasn't really covering the whole incident.

"I can't really describe it," he added, then huffed. "Well, I just have, but the description just seems to lack magnificence."

"Magnificence?" Lancelot asked.

"We saw a tree come to life," Elyan said. "What made you think it was the Equinox, I know it's a magical time but we've never seen anything close to this."

"Because it probably occurred when Arthur pulled Excalibur from the stone." Merlin announced the revelation as if he was informing them that Arthur would do their washing, his tone practical to the point of sounding bored.

Leon and Elyan stared at Merlin in shock, then at Arthur. Leon's eyes drifted down to the sword strapped to Arthur's saddle. Then he turned to look at Merlin in shock.

"But that means..."

"He's the Once And Future King, Uniter of Albion, etcetera," Merlin said. "Sorry, it's already been mentioned a lot."

Leon blinked in shock, staring at Arthur. Arthur looked down, staring at his pony's ears, which flicked back and forth.

"Stop that," Merlin said, nudging Arthur's leg with his foot. Arthur's head lifted, and he glanced around nervously.

"That's another habit we need to deal with," Merlin mused. Then he looked back up at the sprawling tree. Arthur followed his gaze.

"How did that even get there in the first place?"

"During the Great Purge, a sorceress slammed her staff into the stone on the battlements. No one could seem to remove it, and then it started to surge and grow. She had said that it would show Uther what damage he had wreaked, and what can be done with one simple action."

"You think that second part means me?" Arthur asked Merlin tentatively.

"To be honest, I hadn't thought about it. The rowan tree is sacred to the old religion, so I suppose we have to give it some significance since it sprouted leaves and flowers when you took the sword."

"It looks kind of pretty now," Percival said. As Lancelot gave a snort of amusement Percival looked around at the others. "Well, it does."

"Will it grow any more now?" Gwaine asked.

"I wouldn't have thought so," Balinor said. "How it can survive I don't know, it's roots are entwined in the stone. I can't see how it can even get water."

"We just presume it is meant to herald the king's return," Merlin said.

"Do any of the other kings know about this?" Arthur asked.

"They have all left, and we haven't sent word, but that doesn't mean that they won't find out," Gwaine warned. "I don't suppose we can expect them to take it well."

Merlin turned. "We may need to start by getting you to speak to your father."

"As understanding as he can be Merlin, I can't see him trailblazing a way for all the kings to get behind Arthur. In the supportive sense of the phrase."

"They need to know. Let's get home and rest, you can head out in the morning."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Gwaine!"

"Arthur, I just came to talk."

Arthur had managed to relax in the chamber that had become his. His own room, with Gwen helping him tidy up. It lay opposite Merlin's, which made Arthur feel better about the whole thing. Gwaine walked in and Arthur without even thinking had jumped, and he had consciously forced himself to relax again. Arthur knew that wouldn't do anything malicious.

"Okay, I'm not good at that."

"I remember that a little differently. You told me once that you liked red flowers. Funny that the tree outside is in full red bloom."

"I don't know about that. I don't know anything!"

Arthur dropped into a chair, hunching up slightly in a move that Gwaine had seen so many times before. Crossing the room he slowly crouched down in front of Arthur. Despite the desperate desire to reach out and lay a gentle hand on Arthur Gwaine refrained from the act. Deep down he knew Arthur didn't like it. As much as Gwaine tried to be gentle and non-threatening Arthur would never relax enough.

Gwaine couldn't even describe how it had happened. He knew how his feelings had run, but he couldn't explain them. He couldn't be sure if that was the same thing, or different. When he noticed it all, everything had changed.

One night when at almost eighteen it had been his turn to have Arthur and Arthur had been snuggled in his bed. Gwaine hadn't been asleep, he had been thinking about the tournament the next day, his first one, competing alongside his brothers. Arthur had stirred, slowly at first but it had turned into a full blown nightmare in what seemed like no time at all. There hadn't been any screaming, and that somehow made it worse. Arthur had just whimpered, and cried, whatever occurred in his mind held him back. As Gwaine had touched him Arthur's eyes had shot open, staring at Gwaine, almost uncomprehendingly and with fear, until Gwaine had gently shaken him. That had brought Arthur back to reality.

"I'm sorry, Master. Did I disturb you?"

"No," Gwaine had answered untruthfully. "No, you just seemed to be dreaming about something."

As Gwaine had settled down Arthur had relaxed again.

"What were you dreaming about?" Gwaine had asked.

"I don't dream," Arthur said, his voice dull. Gwaine opened his mouth to dispute the fact and then had looked down, Arthur's blue eyes staring back, waiting patiently to see if Gwaine wanted anything. He had wanted a better answer than that until it occurred to him that Arthur was truthful. He didn't dream, his mind just re-played what happened to him, over and over again.

Gwaine had looked at those eyes, had seen the truth in them and had felt angry. He had almost won the tournament with that anger, he won something. Gareth had been injured by on opponent and Gaheris, as the winner, had been kept busy. For the time being, because of those things, Gwaine had kept Arthur with him constantly for a month, at least at night. And it had occurred to Gwaine that he could make Arthur laugh - he made the effort to. He made Arthur talk - again with effort but he worked at it. Arthur had responded, confused at first but open later. The only time he retreated was when Gwaine tried to make him feel anything physically. Gwaine knew he should have stopped trying, but he couldn't because he wanted Arthur and contain every part of him. In return Arthur did, tentatively, respond when Gwaine wanted him to talk.

Until Lot realised what might be going on with his youngest son and the slave he had casually handed over to all three of his children. At that point Lot had passed Arthur on, to someone on the border with Olaf's kingdom. It hadn't been Arthur's fault and Gwaine had argued that.

"Maybe not, but it was yours, and sometimes other people have to suffer from the decisions we make."

It was a harsh lesson for Gwaine and Arthur had paid the price. Gwaine had felt it, but it was Arthur that suffered it. He had gone to the outskirts of Bayard's lands from there, and then to Cenred. And then to Merlin, one person that, Gwaine had to admit, had treated Arthur more than decently.

However, now Gwaine was close enough to Arthur, he could see what had happened had left Arthur very disinclined to trust Gwaine so openly again. He wouldn't stop Gwaine doing anything that he wanted to, Arthur's ingrained reaction was to submit, but in a way, Gwaine had betrayed him. In caring about him he had left Arthur at risk. Arthur didn't want that again. He probably didn't entirely trust Merlin to protect him. The kings could react to Excalibur's release, seeing Arthur as a threat.

"Arthur?" Gwaine now asked, trying to get him to lift his head. Slowly Arthur did, looking down at Gwaine crouched in front of him.

"Whatever happens you know Merlin will protect you?"

"Can he?" Arthur asked cynically. "Even I know enough to realise that the kings, and the nobles, are never going to accept this."

"Yet, everyone knows the story, knows that whoever takes that sword is the rightful king."

"What is right doesn't always happen, does it?" Arthur said. He looked down at his lap and then slowly looked up, meeting Gwaine's gaze, there was something indecipherable behind Arthur's eyes.

"You know your father apologised to me."

"What? When?" Gwaine asked in shocked confusion.

"When he gave me to someone else. He didn't even sell me," Arthur said, sounding oddly insulted by that. "But he apologised for having to do it."

"He didn't have to do it, the kingdom is big enough that he could have handed you out to a noble house of ours and just got them to keep you. He was killing two birds with one stone, he was using that opportunity for both ends."

"I know. Olaf had hostages."

"He also thought to teach me a lesson, I never forgot it."

Arthur waited a moment. "What was the lesson?"

Gwaine looked up at him, and slowly started to smile. "I don't know what my father thought, I just thought to never forget it, and I know you've got a good memory."

Arthur frowned, which caused Gwaine to smile all the more.

"The kings won't like this, because they are scared of you."

"I don't think that's the case."

"I think it is, " Gwaine said. "You've been passed around every royal house, more a few noble houses. You are treated as if you are some kind of trophy, and you get ignored. I think you probably know every tactic they employ and every dirty little secret they want to keep hidden. You know what opinions people have of their kings, and of each other."

Gwaine knelt up slightly and he gently rapped the knuckles of one hand against the side of Arthur's head.

"What you have there could probably tear the whole thing apart, or bring it together. I think all you have to do is decide exactly what you want to do."

Arthur stared at Gwaine, only jumping back in the chair as the door clicked and Gwaine turned his head. Merlin walked into the room and frowned.

"I thought you had left," he said to Gwaine.

Gwaine slowly straightened up and looked steadily at Merlin.

"My horse is ready, I'm just about to. I'll be back in a few days Princess," Gwaine smiled and ruffled Arthur's hair before strolling out of the room. Arthur reached up to faff with his hair and get it under control again.

"What did he want?" Merlin asked. "Are you all right?"

Arthur turned, not looking up at Merlin but he inclined his head in Merlin's direction. Merlin, who had been pouring himself and Arthur some wine, paused.

"I asked that in the wrong order. Sorry."

"I'm fine," Arthur said.

For a few seconds the pause lay heavily as Percival and Lancelot entered the room and from outside the sound of horseshoes heralded Gwaine's departure.

"Gwaine's ridden off."

"We know," Merlin told Lancelot. Merlin's gaze turned to Arthur, who appeared to be staring off into space.

"Are you all right? Arthur?"

Merlin's sharp tone snapped him out of his daze, and he blinked himself back into reality.

"Sorry, My Lord," he said, jumping to his feet. Then he paused and looked around. "Sorry, I'm fine."

"What did Gwaine want?" Merlin asked as Arthur sat back down again. Crossing the room Merlin handed Arthur a goblet of wine. Arthur couldn't really ever remember drinking much, unless he was with Gwaine, or even Gaheris and Gareth, who always gave him things like that. Arthur closed his eyes again and then opened them taking a sip of the drink.

"Just to talk to me."

"About what?" Merlin asked, and then turned to the other two. "We need to send messages to the other kings. Gwaine can take his own but we have to pre-empt the gossip."

"We have to be ready for their reaction as well," Percival said.

Arthur suddenly snapped his head up. "That's what Gwaine wanted to talk about."

"Oh?" Merlin asked. "In what way?"

"I think he just tried to give us an advantage."