Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.
Chapter ten: The peace is official.
Mordred fell into step beside Merlin as he made his way towards Camelot castle's council chambers. Freya wasn't attending, as while Merlin had been away helping Arthur, some new issues had developed regarding King Sarrum and his desire to wipe out the magical kingdom.
"So there is finally peace between Arthur and Odin?" Mordred asks, as they walk along the corridor.
"It looks that way," Merlin answers. "I doubt it'll be friendly between the two of them, but least it'll be slightly more civil and one less threat of war."
Mordred smiles slightly. "I take it you had something to do with this?"
"Is it that obvious?" Merlin questions. "That's the last thing we need, is for Sarrum to start yelling about how I have enchanted another king and the only way to free those effected is to kill all those with magic."
"In all the time I have known you," Mordred replies with a shake of his head. "You are the only one who has ever been able to stop Arthur in his moments of rage and anger… Even the druid elders were surprised to hear Odin had not died at Arthur's hand."
"What about the seers?" Merlin asks, curious as to what they had seen. "I didn't have time to consult them before we left."
"I still don't understand why you do that," Mordred mutters. "As you never listen to a word they tell you."
"I don't believe the future is set in stone," Merlin explains. "And I've found trying to change an outcome you've seen only leads to the future you've been trying to avoid… Sometimes I just like to be prepared for any possible outcome, especially when it could cost us everything we love."
Mordred nodes in understanding. "War, death and destruction. Almost all the seers saw vision of a battle and death… And the fall of Albion. That's not all, they saw a symbol too. One of them drew it, but they refused to give the drawing to anyone but you."
Merlin stops walking and frowns.
How could Odin's death had led to that? He's the king of one kingdom, so how could it lead to the fall of Albion? A seemingly endless war between Camelot and Odin's kingdom was understandable, but it was a battle Camelot would win. Without Morgana's support, Odin wouldn't have lasted against an army of men and sorcerers.
And even if Arthur had killed Odin, Merlin doubted it would have led to an all out war. Without Odin as King, his kingdom would have gone into a civil war, as people fought for the throne. There was no doubting assassins would have been sent and traps would be set to try and kill Arthur. But Arthur's death would have resulted in the united forces of Albion destroying what little was left of Odin's forces.
And that would leave Gwen as Queen and Albion still standing.
Even if Odin's kingdom had gained support from King Sarrum, it wouldn't have been enough to destroy Albion, at least Merlin didn't believe it would be. If anything King Sarrum entering the war would have ended it quicker. Too many kingdoms hated Sarrum, the only reason they weren't at war was because Arthur still wanted to try and make peace with him and his kingdom.
And the symbol offered a whole lot of new questions, but until he knew what it looked like, he wouldn't know which once to ask.
"Merlin?" Mordred asks, placing a hand on Merlin's shoulder and snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Sorry, what did you say?" Merlin asks, pushing his though and questions to the back of his mind to work on later.
"We're going to be late," Mordred points out.
Merlin let's out a curse before grinning at Mordred, "It's a good thing I know a short cut then, isn't it?"
XxX
Gwaine kept casting worried glances in Merlin's direction from across the round table, as Arthur presented King Odin with the peace treaty to sign. And by the looks of it, he wasn't the only one who had noticed something was off with Merlin. Gaius from his place beside Merlin, kept a steady gaze on his once ward, all the while appearing to be watching what Arthur and Odin were doing.
On Merlin's other side Mordred kept glancing at him every now and again and Gwaine couldn't help but believe the two of them were communicating silently, like he had seen the druids do on many occasions.
Gwaine had long ago learnt to trust Merlin's instincts. Even before he had known about Merlin's magic, he had trusted Merlin whenever he got an odd feeling. He may not have shown it, but there was nobody he trusted more than Merlin. He had yet to see Merlin be proved wrong when it came to his instincts.
But it was clear, what ever was troubling Merlin had nothing to do with the current situation. So Odin most likely wasn't planning something. Maybe there was trouble back in Merlin's own kingdom, or maybe something had happened to his people, the druids, while he was away. Gwaine knew King Sarrum was still a threat to Merlin and his people.
Gwaine was broken out of his musing as Percival nudged him, just in time to see Odin sign the treaty and shake hands with Arthur. As Geoffrey of Monmouth stepped forward to take the now signed peace treaty, Gwaine looks back at where Merlin had been standing, only to see he and Mordred had gone.
That was the annoying thing about being best friends with a sorcerer, as Merlin would always be Gwaine's first and best friend, they could disappear in a blink of an eye and were almost completely untraceable when they did so.
He'd have to seek Merlin out later though, as those gathered in to council chamber began to leave. Odin was leaving and heading back to his own kingdom and it was the Knights of the Round Table's duty to see Odin safely to Camelot's border.
There was still much hatred for Odin within Camelot's border as he was responsible for the death of the late King Uthur.
"You could have killed Odin you had every reason to," Gwen smiles as she links her arm through Arthur's as they left the council chamber. "Yet you did something far more important. You gave the people of this land hope for the future. I'm proud of you."
"Merlin should take some of the credit," Arthur replies reluctantly. "Turns out he's not always entirely stupid."
Gwen smiles fondly, knowing Arthur didn't mean it. Arthur always held Merlin's opinions in high regard.
"Is that a compliment?" Gwen teases.
"Don't tell him whatever you do," Arthur pleads. "I'll never hear the end of it."
Gwen laughs and shakes her head, the fond smile not leaving her face as the two of them continue on their way back to their quarters.
XxX
"It seems things turned out well after all," Gaius informs Merlin, as he waits for Merlin to tell him what's really troubling him. "To sign a treaty with Odin is an achievement and it brings a united Albion one step closer."
"Not while Morgana lives and breathes it doesn't," Merlin mutters darkly, almost to himself. "Her power grows stronger every time we meet, Gaius… To have held an aging spell that long that's… Frightening."
"Be that as it may," Gaius answers. "She is not yet your equal."
"And if that day should come?" Merlin asks, thinking back to the visions the seers had seen.
"Let us hope that it does not," Gaius replies, peering at Merlin closely.
Merlin sighs and sits down on one of the benches and begins to help sort the herbs Alice had picked earlier that day.
"What's really troubling you, my boy?" Gaius finally asks, as Merlin shows no intention of sharing what's on his mind.
"The seers," Merlin answers after a moment. "They had a vision."
"That is not unusual," Gaius points out.
Merlin shots Gaius a sharp look, before looking away. "In the visions, they saw a symbol… It's a symbol I've seen before."
Gaius raises an eyebrow. "What does it look like?"
"That doesn't matter," Merlin shakes his head. "It just matter where I saw it."
"And where did you see it?" Gaius asks.
"On Mordred the Dark's tomb," Merlin replies, looking up and meeting Gaius's gaze.
"You are certain?" Gaius asks, sitting down as his legs suddenly didn't feel as strong as before.
Merlin nodes and shuts his eyes. "After the vision I saw before we reached Ismere… I think he's going to return. I just don't know when or how. All I know is if he does, Arthur will die by his hand and Albion will fall."
"If the visions are to be believed," Gaius points out. "You have said yourself you refuse to believe a future seen in a vision, is the future that will come to pass… You have befriended Mordred, whom the Great Dragon foretold would kill Arthur. You wouldn't have done that, if you had believed it to be the only future."
Merlin opens his eyes and sighs. "But what if I was only capable of doing that after knowing he wasn't the prophesied Mordred? What if Morgana had never been fatally wounded? What if Mordred the Dark had never been freed as a result? Would I have still befriended Mordred the way I have? Or would I have treated him like he had already killed Arthur and never looked beyond that?"
"You have a great kindness in your heart, Merlin," Gaius replies. "Such kindness would never have allowed you to do such a thing."
Merlin shakes his head. "I almost let Mordred get sentenced to death all those years ago, when I helped him escape Uthur… I nearly let him and Arthur get caught…"
"And yet you did not," Gaius reminds him. "And now you and Mordred are as close as brothers. He is the uncle of your children. There is no point worrying about what may or may not have happened, had things been different. And there is no use worrying about a future that may never come to pass."
XxX
Hey, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Until next time,
Blessed be,
TreeOfLife1997.