Hello everyone! I know it hasn't been long but I managed to get some internet and my mind went WHAT THE HELL! So yes, for those who celebrate, here is your Christmas present! The chapter sets up the next major plotline, with a little fluff thrown in, so I hope you enjoy! Thank you so much for reviewing! It's nice to hear from you and I hope everyone is enjoying themselves!

Broken Pieces: Apocalyptica ft. Lacey Sturm

The throne room burst into applause when the kings of Glendale and Camelot signed the treaty that had taken a month to draft, the sound echoing through the vast hall. Gwen and Arthur looked at each other happily, Morgana and Merlin casting each other glances with hidden smiles.

A truce was finally sealed.

As the space quieted, Uther began to speak, large golden crown shining on his gray hair.

"In honor of the truce, we will be welcoming a delegation of Glendale to Camelot in two weeks time so that our new allies can survey our army. Hopefully, from here on out, they will fight side by side instead of at opposing ends of the field. As a sign of good faith, the Princess Gwenivere will be accompanying us on the way home, and will stay with us until her father arrives. This will give the people ample time to see the future heirs together."

The crowd applauded again, cat calls ringing from the knights in the back. Uther nodded in approval and the people dispersed, buzzing with excitement.

Merlin followed Gaius out, walking towards his room where his bags were packed. He was to accompany Gwen—her father insisting that the warlock should go to keep his daughter safe in case Uther had something planned. But Merlin wasn't worried. In the time before Glendale's delegation would arrive, Arthur and Morgana had promised to show their future guests Camelot and its vast lands, from the lakes to the snowy wastelands of the North.

The following morning, Merlin saddled his horse, all of Glendale lining the streets to bid the guests from Camelot farewell. Pulling himself up, the warlock smiled at Arthur's reassuring wink. Merlin took his place beside Morgana—right behind Arthur and Gwen, and the procession began. Rose petals rained down from the wooden balconies of shops and homes, banners of all colors waving in the breeze. It was a celebration of color and peace, and the warlock's smile didn't fade until the delegation slipped into the woods and made camp later that evening.

"How are you doing?" Merlin asked the princess as he helped her dismount. Gwen smiled at him.

"You know, you really don't have to worry about me—you're here as a friend, not a protector."

"I'm afraid your father would disagree."

Gwenivere only gave him a reassuring smile and a tight embrace. "Come, let's go join Arthur and Morgana."

The camp was abuzz with chatter, fires licking up sparks in the darkness, smoke furling into the dark canopy above their heads. Being near onlookers, the four kept civil distance between one another, but no one watching them could ignore how comfortable they were with each other. Merlin and Arthur lounged on one side of the fire, talking quietly, the girl's gossiping about what to wear to the opening feast when they arrived nearby.

Merlin looked on lazily at the scene—it felt like a dream. He straightened and stretched, pulling a piece of wood nearby and prompting the fire. As he pulled the long-branch away, he noticed fire licking its tip. Unable to resist, he blew on the sparks and watched with a smile as they formed the image of a dragon with unfurled wings.

Arthur's sudden grip on his shoulder surprised him, and the image faded.

"What do you think you're doing?" the prince hissed, looking around anxiously.

"Nothing, why?"

"Merlin, you can't practice magic here."

The warlock pulled back with narrowed eyes, the girls quieting when they felt the tension between the two. "What do you mean 'you can't practice magic here'? Are we not allies?"

"We are, but people from Camelot aren't familiar to magic—they fear it. It's better if you not demonstrate your…abilities…while you're here."

"But we're not even in Camelot yet—"

"Merlin, please," the prince begged. "Don't push it."

The warlock shook his head and stood up, walking away from where his friends watched him with drawn faces. After a moment, Arthur went to go follow him, but Morgana stopped him.

"Here. Let me go."

Nodding, the prince watched his friend and the king's ward disappear into the forest.

"Why do you always come after me?"

"Because I worry about you."

"You shouldn't."

"But I still do."

"Morgana." Merlin stopped but didn't face her. "I'd just like a moment of peace with my thoughts."

The king's ward sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. "You know it won't always be like this. Someday, magic will be accepted in the seven kingdoms, you won't have to hide your gifts."

"If only it was just hiding my gifts," he replied, turning around. "I feel like I'm playing with fire. I'm never sure if my abilities are accepted or not wherever I go, even with Arthur, I know that he's nervous when I use it. Even though he knows me, he still fears me because of who I am. I can't help that I was born a monster in his eyes, and I've done everything in my power to change that. But even now that we're friends I know that he looks down upon my magic."

"Times will change," she said softly. "When Uther is dead and Arthur king, Gwen his queen, magic will be accepted."

"Until then we go unmarked in life as we do in death."

Morgana wrapped her arms tightly around him, kissing him chastely. Suddenly, she pulled away.

"I want to show you something."

Merlin looked at her curiously, watched her as she closed her eyes, face furrowing in concentration. Her palm was gripped tightly, and his eyes widened as it opened.

Her eyes flashed gold, and a small lick of flame appeared in her palm.

"You have magic?" he choked, looking at her in surprise.

Morgana smiled. "After that day by the lake, I began wondering why I was so drawn to you, to your magic. I wondered why our dreams were so similar. I went to Edwin for help, and sure enough, he told me that I had magic. But I made him promise not to tell you—I wanted it to be a surprise."

"You have magic…" Merlin breathed again, looking at her in new eyes. "Then it seems I'm not alone."

"You never were—but yes, me having magic does give our relationship a little boost," she joked, giggling when he lifted her up and spun her around. He kissed her passionately on the lips, and Morgana melted into him.

When they finally pulled apart, blue eyes meeting jade, she spoke with a serious voice. "Don't tell anyone—I don't want Uther finding out. Even as his ward, I know that he won't hesitate in having me locked away should he catch a whiff of this."

"Morgana, you can trust me."

"I know," she looked down and blushed, finally taking his hand. "Let's go back to the camp—Arthur and Gwen will be waiting for us."

Merlin's eyes widened as they finally broke through the forest. They'd been riding for three days, and now the warlock caught sight of Camelot's infamous citadel. The castle seemed to shine, looming over everything else as it stood tall and proud in the horizon.

"Not too shabby, is it, Merlin?" Arthur teased as he caught up with the warlock, grinning widely.

"You didn't do it justice in your descriptions," Gwen breathed as she looked onto it.

"I've seen nicer," Merlin finally said, ducking low to avoid Arthur's blow.

"Come on, let's go." Morgana spurred her horse forward and the group caught up with the rest of the company.

Entering through the city's large gates, Merlin looked down at the cheering crowds, waving banners as they welcomed their monarchs home. Arthur, Gwen, and Morgana were all playing the part—smiling and laughing regally, waving to the masses below them. But Merlin felt out of place, and did his best to smile as the people eyed the party with curiosity.

Especially him.

Rumor that he'd come must have spread, and it didn't take long for the people to realize that the raven-haired boy on the gray horse was the infamous sorcerer. The warlock focused on the path ahead of him as he felt eyes bore into him, studying his attire and pale skin, judging his thin frame and untidy hair. He wondered what they thought of him, after all he was just a boy - they probably expected someone old with a long white beard and a pointy hat.

It seemed like an eternity of sound and color until they finally dismounted and entered the great citadel, servants bowing to the monarchs as they walked through the doors. Arthur greeted the nobles and knights they had left behind before personally escorting Gwen and Merlin from the havoc of their arrival, Morgana following behind them.

The people around them thinned, and as they strode down the stone corridors, the four soon found themselves alone. Merlin breathed a sigh of relief—and Arthur didn't miss it.

"What is it, Merlin? Can't keep up with the politics of power?"

"No, it's just riding three days with you has put me off."

Gwen and Morgana giggled, Arthur shooting them a look before stopping at a great mahogany door.

"These will be your rooms, Gwenivere, Merlin." The prince opened the doors and the friends walked in, taking in the detailed furniture. It was a large room, with a large bed, a large window, and crisp white bedsheets. Towards the right was a smaller room, with a smaller bed, a small window, and less crisp white bedsheets. "Your father asked that we keep you two together," Arthur explained at the guests' questioning looks.

"Good. I don't mind." Gwen walked towards the window, looking out onto the city. "It's a beautiful view."

"I'm glad you like it. Morgana and I are just down the hall. We'll escort you to the welcoming banquet tonight. Until then make yourself at home—explore the castle."

"Come on, Arthur, they probably want to wash up." Morgana dragged the prince from the room. The blonde and the raven-haired girl's bickering could be heard long after they closed the door.

Gwen and Merlin were quiet, looking at their surroundings.

"It's strange, being in this castle," Gwen finally said, and the warlock looked up at her. "I'd only ever heard horror stories—that it was made of black stone and that it's very halls were wet with blood. But now that I'm here, I find that it looks a lot like home."

"Someday it might be," the warlock answered, and Gwen blushed. "Oh come on, you know you've considered marrying Arthur. You know both of your fathers have considered it. And you love him. Why do you still redden at the mention of it?"

"Because I still feel so young. I know I'm not, I'm a princess for God's sake, but I still can't shake the feeling that everything is moving so fast. So much has changed since we met Arthur and Morgana, it feels like a new chapter in a book."

"A good chapter," Merlin said with a smile, putting his arms around her.

"Yes, a very good chapter," the princess replied, allowing him to hold her tightly for a couple more seconds before pulling away. "I'm glad you're here, magical farmboy."

"And I'm glad too, princess. Now come on, let's wash up—I want to see the castle."

Sadly, Merlin underestimated the time it took a princess to wash up and get changed, and after some pressing from Gwen, the warlock walked out the door and into the stone halls of Camelot.

He strolled slowly, taking in the high-arched ceilings and rich tapestries. His steps echoed down the empty halls, and it was only now that Merlin walked alone that he could comprehend the sheer vastness of it.

The warlock turned a corner, walking back to his room when he saw Arthur marching towards him with four guards behind him.

"Arthur," Merlin called out in greeting. But the prince didn't reply. "Arthur? What's wrong?"

The blonde-haired man stood in front of him, looking the warlock up and down before nodding to his men.

"Arrest him."

Merlin looked at his friend incredulously as two guards walked behind him, roughly pulling his hands back and clasping him in chains.

"You must be joking," Merlin said with a chuckle. "Come on, Arthur, you got me."

But the prince only looked at him with stony blue eyes, and Merlin watched his impassive face for a moment before his smile faded. "Arthur?"

The warlock began to struggle, but the guards held him tightly by the shoulders.

"Tospringe," Merlin incanted, and his eyes glowed gold, ready to pull his hands apart and make a run for it.

But nothing happened.

"Tospringe!" the warlock incanted again, but still his eyes shimmered to no avail.

Panic began to kick in, panic and worry. He'd seen this. He'd been through this before. His magic was failing him, like it did in The Mine, like it did in his nightmares.

And it seemed like this nightmare was just beginning.

Arthur quickly motioned for the guards to follow, dragging the shocked warlock behind them. More scarlet clad soldiers opened great wooden doors, and they entered what must be the throne room of Camelot.

Stained glass windows decorated one side of the room, but other than their rich shimmer, the room was colorless and bare. Bare except for a throne in the middle of the hall, on which sat a waiting Uther Pendragon.

Knights and nobles stood at the edges of the room, behind the columns at the sides, leaving a wide space for the small procession. Arthur walked stiffly forward and stood behind his father, watching as the guards forced the warlock to his knees before the king. The cold stone bit into Merlin's trousers, and rough hands kept him in a crouching position, barely capable of looking up at Uther.

Suddenly the door opened again, two guards pulling in Gwen. They forced her to her knees beside Merlin, and the warlock cast a reassuring look—but the princess wouldn't have it.

"What is the meaning of this Uther?" she hissed, her lavender dress pooling on the floor. "What do you think you are doing?"

But the king of Camelot paid her no heed, instead stood and walked towards Merlin. He reached out and grabbed the sorcerer's chin, pulling it up so that the warlock's biting blue eyes met his own. After a moment of studying the boy, Uther let him go and smacked him across the face.

The sound rang through the hall, dead silence following. Merlin shook his head, and beside him, Gwen struggled. A small trail of blood spilled down the warlock's pale cheek, the ring that Uther was wearing having cut his skin.

"When I heard the rumor that in Glendale there was a sorcerer with the power to challenge my influence on the kingdoms, my heart went cold. Rumors of this sorcerer swept the lands, and when I finally saw you, I feared you. This raven-haired man who held the power of the heavens in his palm—a son of the Old Religion, a force I've spent my whole life fighting against. But now I realize my fears were ill placed. Now I see that the sorcerer—the warlock-is just a boy. Now as I have you before me, kneeling in chains, I wonder how it could have been so….easy."

Merlin looked up at the king, face calm. "Be careful, Uther. Don't do this. You go any further and you'll find that you condemn the kingdoms to war, death, and blood. Pull back now before the armies set the world on fire."

The king laughed, and the sound echoed through the halls. "You still don't get it, do you, sorcerer? You still don't understand?"

In front of him Merlin shifted, stiffening as the king began to circle him, languidly, a smile on his face.

"It was so easy—too easy. When I heard the rumors, I was sure to write a letter to the king of Glendale. Ask for audience, for a truce. Though hesitant at first, he accepted in the end. But when I arrived, I knew I couldn't kill you then. Not when my armies were left without a leader in Camelot, and we were in the heart of the enemy's power. So I brought my son and my ward, two who neared you and the princess in age. I watched them befriend you… I watched you fall in love with them."

"I won't tell anyone. Trust me."

Trust me.

Merlin closed his eyes. His heart beat slower, and as he opened them, time slowed. He could see the dust specs dancing in the air, stained from the colored glass windows. Uther's leering face, Arthur standing cold behind the throne. And Morgana, standing at the very back of the room, in shadow, her face expressionless as he bled on his knees before her.

The king bent forward, whispering in the warlock's ear. "How could you possibly think that my ward could fall in love with a sorcerer like you?"

Merlin looked up at the king and shook his head. "Be careful," he murmured.

"I have you chained—magic bound-on the floor of my throne room, helpless to anything I choose to do. What threats have I to worry of?"

"You're a fool, Uther Pendragon," the warlock said softly, his voice rising in the silent hall, echoing in the open spaces. "Killing me won't stop magic. The dragons still live; the Old Religion grows in thousands of souls in the Seven Kingdoms. The old ways are not dead. Killing me is like knocking away a stone that will lead to an avalanche—those with magic will not stay quiet for long because there is magic all around you. It's everywhere, from the forests, to the cities, even here there is magic at the heart of Camelot—you are only too blind to see it. "

Murmuring filled the room, and Merlin watched Morgana's face as she stiffened near the column. He only shook his head and continued, "In your reign, or in your son's, the Triple Goddess will give us the strength to fight back. And when she does…oh god help you. I pity you and the fate you are sure to have. You have hurt so many, caused so much pain. Your due will come soon."

"Those with magic will not rise up, not without their prophesied leader," the king smiled. "Besides, let's not talk about my fate, when we can talk about yours."

Silence fell, and everyone looked at the king. He waited for a moment, taking pleasure in looking at the warlock as he spoke with certain authority—seeing the color drain from his face.

"Merlin, son of Hunith, you have been tried and found guilty of sorcery. In accordance to the laws of Camelot, you are sentenced to death by fire come morning. Take him away."

The guards wrenched the frozen warlock to his feet, dragging him roughly towards the doors.

"Arthur, please! Please don't do this. ARTHUR, DO SOMETHING!" Gwenivere screamed, trying desperately to pull away from her captors. But the prince remained motionless, staring off into space, avoiding Merlin and Gwen's eyes.

"Silence her," Uther orderered, the knights holding her smacking her across the face.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" Merlin roared, eyes burning gold. The citadel shook, dust spilling from the ceiling. But the chains did their job, and the rage of the warlock was bound, impossible to control—exhausting to call upon. He fell limp in the arms of his captors, and they pulled him out towards the opening doors, boots dragging on the floor.

"MERLIN!" the princess shouted, freeing herself from the knights in the commotion and running towards him. He looked up just as she approached him, straightening himself as her arms came around him in a tight embrace.

But the guards had her all too soon, pulling her away even as she reached for him.

"It's going to be okay, "he shouted as they shoved him towards the doors, leading him into the empty halls. "Get back to Glendale and tell them what's happened. Everything is going to be okay, princess-"

They could hear his desperate shouts even when the doors slammed shut, fading away slowly and leaving the throne room in silence.

Gwen looked to where her friend had disappeared, quiet, immobile. Her breaths came in quick, shallow gasps. Chest rising, gown torn. Her captors pushed her back towards their monarch, forcing her to bow to him once again.

"Because you are of royal blood, I will allow you safe passage from my kingdom. My knights will drop you off at the border and from there, you will be free to return to your father's castle unaccompanied."

But Gwenivere only straightened her back, piercing brown eyes filled with rage, and fury. Voice strong and ringing.

"Uther Pendragon, you will rue this day and all the destruction it brings. As heir to the throne of Glendale and future queen, I end this new peace between our two nations. From this moment henceforth, we are at war."

Did you see it coming, did ya, did ya, did ya? I know a lot of you sensed something was wrong, but still. DID YOU EXPECT IT!?

You guys ok? Or are those pitchforks I see...

...hmmm...I think I'm going to go, ummm, take a walk?

Tell me what you think? It's important, you could say it decides Merlin's fate...

(no, you're not hearing an evil cackle)

I LOVE YOU ALL. DON'T KILL ME.