Gwaine reached the castle within three days his back aching as he slid off his horse and jogged into the castle. He had made good time, and smiled as his mother walked down the stairs to greet him lifting her skirts to run to him. Opening his arms he hugged her.
"Hello Mother."
"Oh, my love!"
Gwaine stayed still in her arms, letting her cling for a moment. Despite the fact that his brothers, and his father knew the dangers and accepted them, his mother couldn't always see that. All she saw was that one of her children was dead, lost to a cause that perhaps helped the kingdoms but she didn't see the rest of her family really mourning Gareth. They had to get on with things for the sake of the kingdom. Not for the first time Gwaine thought that perhaps the family had needed a sister. His mother seemed almost alone in the group, surrounded by the four, now three, men in her life.
"Have you returned?" Queen Anna asked pulling away from him and looking him up and down. Gwaine knew he looked slightly ragged, having rushed across the kingdom to reach the castle.
"I need to speak with father," Gwaine said. "And Gaheris."
"Your brother is out on patrol, he won't return until tomorrow. Your father is in conference with the council, I doubt he will appreciate the interruption."
Gwaine huffed slightly. He didn't doubt that someone had gone in to inform his father of his arrival, but he agreed with his mother, Lot would not like Gwaine just walking in there. He was the third son in the family, his only duty was to support his father and his elder brother when he took the throne. Unless something happened to Gaheris, in which case, he would be in line for the throne. Gwaine had always thought that his position as someone relatively unimportant was secure.
"Come and talk to me for a while, and have something to eat and drink, you look exhausted. And a bath wouldn't go amiss."
Gwaine let Anna link arms with him, and he allowed her to lead him up to her apartment. He probably wasn't going to get to see his father until much later, and if Gaheris' patrol was due back tomorrow, he would no doubt have to wait to see him. Gwaine didn't relish telling his father the news he had come to impart anyway. Of all the kings Lot would be the calmest, but Gwaine knew that his father would not take the news well.
"Nerys, have someone run a bath for the prince, and bring some refreshments to my room."
"Yes, My Queen."
Anna's maid gave a swift curtsey and scurried off, while the queen led Gwaine up the stairs towards the royal apartment. Behind them two of the queen's guards followed discreetly, staying far back enough so they would not be able to eavesdrop.
"You aren't staying for long?" Anna said, sensing Gwaine's restlessness.
"I have to get back, as soon as possible."
"Gareth felt responsible for leading by example, I'm sure you do not need to do the same."
"It's not that," Gwaine said, of the obligation the kings had made to Merlin. "It's more for Gareth than anything."
"Are you sure?" Anna asked, her tone lowering a little, then she looked around and paused as they turned on a small half landing and then headed up five steps to the corridor where her rooms lay. Walking down a short distance Gwaine opened up the second door on the right which his mother had made into a sitting room. He had played in the room as a child, and nothing about it ever seemed to change, except the flowers. Today the vases were filled with white roses.
As he stepped into the room he started to unbuckled his sword belt and then he felt his mother's light touch as she started on his armour.
"I hardly think your brother would expect you to fulfil any obligation towards him. Is this not about..." she paused, taking a short breath before saying the name Gwaine knew was coming. "...Arthur?"
"No," Gwaine said turning to her. Anna had her back to him, carefully putting Gwaine's armour down on the sideboard. When she turned round he could see the understanding in her expression, Anna being the one that had comforted him after Arthur's forced departure.
"At least not like that," Gwaine said. "Arthur doesn't want me. I don't think he hates me for what happened, but he does blame me."
"It was not your fault."
Gwaine slowly sat down. Anna turned and went to the table, pouring out two goblets of wine. Walking over she put one on the table by Gwaine and then walked across the room to stare out of the window. Gwaine looked at his mother delicate profile, and saw the grey in her blonde hair, and the lines that seemed to have appeared on her face since Gareth's death.
"Only in the fact that I cared about him."
Anna turned to look at him. She had seen changes in Gwaine since that day, when her youngest son, at eighteen, had suddenly grown up. Inside he had hardened, even though outwardly he had appeared to be the same person, laughing and joking, and drinking, with his brothers and the other soldiers.
She had not paid much attention to the other news. Her only interest had been the loss of her son, but the other facts had slowly filtered through to her. Most importantly that Merlin had taken ownership of Arthur. She knew then that Gwaine's interest in Merlin's force was not just about taking Gareth's place. He had wanted to check on Arthur, and felt responsible for his welfare.
"I know you did, but sooner or later you would have had to let him go. Your father thought that it was better to be sooner."
"Not for Arthur," Gwaine said. "Ending up with Cenred."
"But now Merlin has him. He's treating Arthur decently. From what I have seen of the young Dragonlord he wouldn't be cruel."
"He's not. Merlin cares about Arthur, and he'll try and protect him, but it's a little more complicated now."
Anna frowned, moving closer she sat down close to her son, looking at him in concern.
"How so?"
She watched the internal debate that Gwaine appeared to have with himself. He did debate the idea of telling his mother. Her advice was usually very sound, his father often sought her council, behind closed doors. Gwaine wiped a hand over his eyes and then over the rough stubble on his jaw.
"At the Equinox celebration on the Isle of the Blessed, Arthur pulled Excalibur out from the stone."
Anna stared at her son in shock, her eyes widening, immediately understanding the implications of what Gwaine had said. There was not a person in any of the kingdoms that didn't know what such a thing meant. Stories of what the sword, and the revelation of it's true owner, would achieve had been passed around for years. Gwaine guessed however that no one had ever thought that the sword would ever be removed.
"But how...? That's not possible."
"It happened, I was there. I saw it happen. Arthur tried the night before, and got caught in the courtyard. Merlin allowed it to play out the next night, he followed Arthur down. Everyone there went to see it, you could feel... something... calling out..." Gwaine struggled to explain it. "I tried to keep an eye on Arthur, so I was nearby. But something drew me, like all the others there. He did it, mother."
Anna sat back stunned, exhaling gently.
"Word will get out, Merlin has sent messengers to all the other kings so they will know directly. I said I would come and speak to father."
"Gwaine, this is madness. I know your father is understanding of most things, but this will never be accepted. They will not accept Arthur as the Once and Future King. They'll turn on him as they did Uther."
Sitting forward Gwaine took a deep swallow of wine.
"I know, that is what worries me. Arthur didn't ask for this. But it used to be Camelot that held everything else in check. It lay at the centre of the five kingdoms, without it what have we had. Fighting, betrayals, power struggles. We've only had a decent handle on it because Merlin stepped in."
Anna shifted in her seat, leaning forward to take Gwaine's hand.
"Did Merlin do anything? Could he have manipulated the magic, and made Arthur do it?"
"I thought that. A few people have, but... I don't think he would put Arthur in such a position, not willingly. If nothing else, Merlin would simply have taken the sword himself. Despite playing it down, he is clearly a force to be reckoned with. I've seen that much."
"Using Arthur would be a good ploy. He is technically the heir to the throne of Camelot."
"Camelot doesn't exist," Gwaine said.
"If Arthur is alive, then something remains," Anna said.
"I don't understand why they never killed him."
"He was only a child."
Gwaine huffed with laughter. "I've heard the stories, of what Uther did to children with any sign of magic. He drowned them. Despite the fact that many of them were instrumental in overthrowing him, no one trusts those with magic. In a way they are still as reviled as before. At least Uther made the boundary simple, they could have done the same with Arthur."
"Maybe nobody wanted to be as ruthless."
"Handing Arthur over to his uncle, who turned him into a slave, no... nothing ruthless about that!"
Anna reached over, taking Gwaine's hand. He had always been the most impulsive of her three children, getting things into his head and diving into situations without really bothering to think. She also knew, seeing more than her husband, that her youngest son was the most emotional. Anna didn't believe that Gwaine had been in love with Arthur, but he had cared deeply for him. He still did.
"I didn't agree with your father. I tried to get him to keep Arthur, even if he didn't allow you two to be alone. In many ways it made you worse. I just thought you would outgrow your feelings."
"Maybe," Gwaine said. "Father seemed to think they would just get worse."
"Taking Arthur away made it worse. It left too many what if's for you to think about."
Anna watched Gwaine carefully, a frown flickering over his face as he considered it. Even Gwaine now had to be mature enough to understand he would have had to put the relationship behind him.
"I wouldn't have cast him aside."
"Now you will most certainly refuse to do that," Anna concluded.
"I have to tell father what has happened," Gwaine said. His mother slowly nodded.
"I hate to say it, but best to be as soon as possible. No one ever imagined that the prophecy of Excalibur would ever become a reality. Although, I have no idea how your father will react."
XxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Badly appeared to be the answer to that Gwaine discovered later. As fortune occurred, Gaheris returned from patrol ahead of schedule due to his horse sliding and injuring a foreleg. So at dusk that evening, as they dined together, Gwaine revealed the information. Lot's temper almost literally scalded both of his sons, as he stormed up and down the dining room.
"This is impossible. Merlin has pulled some trick!"
"No, he hasn't," Gwaine responded leaning back in his chair as Lot paused pacing to glare at him. With a slight flick of his hand Gaheris indicated to one of the serving maids who scurried away to get the queen, who was, in these situations, the only one that could handle the king. Gaheris glared at Gwaine, guessing that was the reason why she chose to be absent in the first place. Although, that meant she could be brought into the situation rather than sent out, which would be what happened, had she had been in the room. Gaheris didn't always understand what went on between his parents, but as long as his mother appeared to know what she was doing he left it alone.
"And how do you know that? This could all be some elaborate trick for him to take power."
"Father, you know Merlin has no such aims, he merely wanted to protect the people from what kept happening. And I doubt he would willingly put Arthur into this position."
Gwaine shut up as his father continued to glare, knowing his feelings for Arthur would get dragged into this.
"And you always sympathised with the boy."
Gaheris glanced at Gwaine and then up to his father. "All three of us did, and I was the one that put him to use when he returned to the household. One point we have to consider is that Arthur is not capable of this despite whatever magic happened to make the situation occur."
As he spoke the prince gave his younger brother a careful look telling him not to start contradicting. Gwaine glared back, his expression indicating he didn't disagree with what Gaheris was saying. Before Lot could start on the rampage again a guard opened the door, and Anna strolled into the room.
"What is going on? I can hear you yelling all the way down the hall."
Lot glared at her. "This is none of your concern, woman!"
Despite the tension in the room Gwaine smiled to himself as he watched his mother's eyes widen. Lot stayed rooted to the spot, leaning back a little as he looked at his wife. Anna straightened up, jaw tensing and fists clenching at her sides as she glared back at him.
"I seem to need to remind you, that I am not some serving wench, I am your wife, and your queen! Now will you please lower your voice and discuss the situation in a rational manner."
Lot stared at her but reserved his glaring for Gwaine.
"You informed your mother already."
"Yes, he has. You were perfectly happy with the situation when Merlin took control of the boy's welfare."
"That was before this... situation," Lot finally said, appropriating his wife's word. "... came about."
Anna eyed him calmly. "We've known about the prophecy of the Once And Future King for years. Someone was bound to come along and fill it one of these days, otherwise what would be the point of having it in the first place."
"But Arthur Pendragon? The Golden Prince! He is a slave and a whore!"
Again Gaheris glared at Gwaine to stop him reacting. Anna merely blinked.
"I grant you, it has a certain irony. But yet it doesn't seem all that strange to me."
"None of the kings will accept him, as the one to unite and rule the entirety of Albion. This will not happen!"
Gwaine sighed heavily and slowly got to his feet. "I've done what I came to do, I'll travel back in the morning."
"You will go nowhere!" Lot snapped. "None of us will openly advocate this action!"
"I don't advocate anything. I just..." Gwaine paused, thinking carefully, his mind processing the events that had occurred, not just recently, but prior to that. "I just have a feeling that I am stuck in this somewhere. When the magic called out, to Arthur, I don't think it was just meant for him. It reached out for more."
He hadn't voiced the thought to anyone else. Gwaine had hardly said it to himself. The sense of it could easily be hidden in the rest of his tangle of feelings. Now voiced however the thought grew, taking stronger form, making itself more real. Gwaine had felt something, a shiver of magic that had drawn him, pulling him in to witness Arthur's triumph, and tell him that somehow he had a part to play.
He snapped away from his contemplation as his father growled at him.
"You leave this castle, and you will no longer be my son."
Gwaine blinked, staring at his father in shock. Lot could have tried to talk him out of his plan, or try and contain him, in the dungeon if necessary, but instead he used the worst threat possible. For a long moment Gwaine stared at his father, as if trying to really see something that he hadn't noticed before. Then he turned and walked over to Anna, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek.
"Goodbye Mother," Gwaine said in a low, gentle tone, and with that he left the room without looking back.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"Surely you have people to do that for you now."
Arthur looked up startled, but he smiled as he saw Gwaine, and lowered the axe he had been using to chop wood. Gwaine's heart tensed as he saw the slow easy smile. It appeared when Arthur was relaxed enough and by the look of him things had settled down over the five days Gwaine had been away.
"You were quick," Arthur commented, sounding slightly worried.
"Not entirely painless though. Seriously, why is a Once And Future King chopping logs."
"Everyone takes a turn," Arthur said. "And I like it, doing things. Productive stuff."
With that Arthur hefted the axe again, neatly splitting a log, picking up one of the pieces he put it into place and halved that, before throwing the two quarters on the pile. Then he split the other half. Gwaine watched him as Arthur worked steadily, his face calm, able to feel so when his mind could be occupied by a task. Once he had done one log he reached for another to put it into place.
"Plus Percival said it was good for my upper body strength."
"If that man isn't thinking about food, then it's fighting. I'm fairly certain that under that calm façade he is completely insane."
Arthur raised his eyebrows, looking at a point just behind Gwaine. Turning round Gwaine raised his eyes slightly to meet Percival's. The huge man grinned at him.
"Hi Percival!" Gwaine said in an overly bright voice.
"It is good for upper body strength," Percival said to Gwaine.
"I don't doubt it is," Gwaine said. "Did you have to be standing there?"
"I wasn't 'standing there', I came out to tell Arthur to come in for breakfast."
Percival's tone dared Gwaine to say something. Seeing the glitter of humour in Percival's eye Arthur smirked. He had seen moments like this before, people bantering with each other, chatting in a happy, relaxed way, and had never before been part of it. Now he felt quite safely ensconced in the group that surrounded him. For most of his life he had been left drifting on the outskirts of other people's lives unheard and only seen when he was useful for something. With the arrival of Merlin all of that seemed to have changed. It had taken pulling the sword from the stone to see it, but now Arthur knew he was cared for, and noticed, and not just by Merlin, and because of what happened. The realisation had dawned on Arthur that the small group of people actually liked him.
Maybe not Balinor, whatever had happened between him and Uther had scarred the Dragonlord's psyche. Arthur had not yet plucked up the courage to ask Merlin about it. He would, perhaps, one day.
Arthur lifted the axe again and slammed it into the chopping block to preserve the blade and carefully stacked some random logs onto the pile that the population of the castle used. He brushed his hands down his trousers and looked up at Gwaine.
"How was it?"
"Huummm," Gwaine said. Arthur winced. Percival looked from one to the other.
"What does that mean?"
"Probably better wait until we can tell Merlin," Arthur said, his tone voicing it as a suggestion.
"It saves me repeating myself, and there's breakfast?" Gwaine said hopefully.
"Fortunately Gwen makes enough to feed a small army."
Gwaine huffed. "We are going to need more than a small one I think."
XxxxxxxxxxxxxX
According to Gaius, the room they sat in for breakfast had actually been the old council room during Uther's reign. Arthur wasn't entirely sure why Gaius kept informing him of the snippets of information he had, but Gaius did it. And he also regularly hugged Arthur, as if the sudden change in circumstances gave him full permission to dole out public affection. Arthur felt bemused, pleased and disturbed all at the same time.
Arthur could only assume the affection had occurred during the first four years of his life, which he had very successfully removed from his memory. Arthur didn't have the heart to tell the old man that he wasn't particularly keen on physical contact if he could help it. In the end Arthur decided Gaius would probably grow out of it, or he would eventually get used to it. They sat around the large round stone table that someone had found somewhere, years ago and put in it's current place; no one in the room probably knew when or why, but it served a purpose. Arthur sat between Merlin, and Gaius; who patted his arm occasionally. During the meal Gwaine updated them on his family's reaction to the situation.
"Queen Anna is right, there is a sliver of irony to it," Lancelot said.
"Yeah, my mother is generally right, but I don't think that means anything to my father."
"You really shouldn't have walked out," Arthur said, looking worried. "I've already caused one rift between you and your family, I don't want to be the cause of another."
"You're not," Gwaine said leaning over to spear a slice of ham. "At least not directly. I'm not joking about what I said, I don't think that magic just touched you. I don't know what I mean but it's not just Arthur that is part of it."
"Perhaps," Merlin said. "I'm not willing to dismiss anything at this point. Hopefully Leon might return later today and we can get an idea of Caerleon's reaction."
"It won't be good," Arthur said quietly. Although Lot had been kind to him, over the years he had encountered him, Arthur could not say the same about the other kings, and dreaded to think what any of them would make of Arthur's sudden destiny.
"Nobles from everywhere have presented their sons on the Isle Of The Blessed in the hope that they could get in to take the sword," Morgana said. She had been quiet so far, just listening, and eating delicately, as if trying to hide a lack of appetite.
"You look tired," Merlin observed.
"I'm fine," Morgana insisted. Gwaine chuckled at the irritation in her voice.
"Merlin, you might be good at leading an army but that is not the sort of thing you say to a woman first thing in the morning, or not at least in public."
"Really? What should you say then?"
Gwaine grinned at Morgana. "My Lady, do ignore him, you look radiant."
Morgana glared at him. "You may be charming, but I much prefer truthful. Merlin's right."
"Did you dream last night?" Merlin asked. Morgana regarded him steadily.
"Nothing significant."
Merlin nodded, and left that alone. "All we can do is wait for reactions."
"We'll have to prepare something, Merlin," Balinor said. "Just because Arthur now wields Excalibur does not necessarily mean that he can unite Albion as simply as that. We may need to state some intentions, maybe infer that there is no intention of moving in on any of the kingdoms."
"We can hardly do that anyway. All it means is that Arthur needs to remain here in Camelot."
"It is his home," Gaius said, reaching to take Arthur's arm again, staring pointedly at Balinor as he did so. Arthur frowned as Balinor looked away, a flicker of shame crossing over his face. Arthur let Gaius squeeze his arm and then the old physician released him again.
"Best case scenario, they understand it is as simple as that. Worst case scenario..." Gwaine paused. "... they'll take steps against you. Considering past events, that might not be good."
XxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Morgana walked through the market, the little square where those who had excess produce, or things to trade when they passed through the little community, came to show off any wares, swapping or buying items. She watched the bustle of it, feeling oddly detached from all of it. People around her smiled politely, nodding and greeting her. Morgana smiled back. She had always liked coming here, to Camelot, even though it was Camelot no longer. She felt a sense of freedom about the cluster of roughly made houses and tents that formed the population. They shared things, offering out help, and food. In so many other places, people took, stole and treated people less than they were.
"Morgana?"
She turned, bringing up a smile as she looked at Merlin. A Merlin who looked at her with concern.
"I came to see if you were all right. Have you been sleeping?"
"I'm fine, Merlin." She didn't answer the question, which gave Merlin his answer.
"That depends on what your dreams are telling you," Merlin announced. He slid his arm through hers, and they continued to walk through the small market and out of the archway that made up the outer wall. Morgana looked away, staring at the scenery as they walked.
"I know you Morgana; very well. You're not just tired, you're having dreams."
"I always do, and you don't know me that well."
Merlin smiled. "I like to think I do."
Morgana reached up to tuck her loose hair behind her ear, smiling almost to herself.
"I know I'm pushing," Merlin said, stopping their walk he used his grip on her arm to turn her, so they were facing each other. "But if you are having dreams that maybe could tell us something, anything about what we could face, I'd hope you would tell me."
Morgana bit down on her lip, indecision rippling through her. She had only ever told her family of the recurring dream.
"Please Morgana, if there is anything..."
"I've had it before. Not the same, it's similar. A dragon's egg."
"I don't believe there are any of those around for you to even know what one looks like."
"A dragon hatches from it. I see it. A golden dragon."
Morgana watched Merlin's face flickered with incredularity. "There has been nothing like that before."
"I see it hatch, and I sense someone there, a shadow moving close by. Someone waiting, waiting for the dragon to break out. This dream was different."
"How?"
"There was no hatching, just the shell around it, in pieces. And there were more people, gathering around him. He was calling out," Morgana said, her voice sounding distant as she recalled what she had seen. "Looking for something, someone. But there were so many shadows, and the more that came, the more he glowed. The dragon glowed so brightly, like a beacon, calling so many, but mainly one. One person was there, the one he was waiting for, looking for."
Morgana met his gaze as she stopped talking. Thinking of the little dragon, sitting back on his haunches to straighten up, flexing his wings and chirping at the shadow that moved close. It showed no fear of the shadow, but rather seemed to expect it's arrival.
"That's all I see," she added.
"A golden dragon. I think we know what that might mean."
Morgana didn't get to reply. Both of them turned as a horse cleared the nearby line of trees. The rider slowed as it saw them, turning the horse to intercept them. Morgana lifted a hand to her eyes to shield them from the sun and after some squinting recognised Sir Leon. He pulled the horse to a halt and dismounted.
"Leon, you made good time."
"Yes my Lord. I had to." He glanced at his horse and her heaving sides. "I spoke to Caerleon, his response was not... effusive to say the least."
"We expected that."
"Has the messenger returned from Mercia?"
"Not as yet no."
Leon looked down, taking a breath and then he looked up again. "Bayard is then, I presume, bringing the answer himself. It's why I rushed back. I spotted them from a distance. From what I could see, the Mercian army is marching on Camelot."