Sorry I haven't update in a while, I have an exam next week, but here's the next chapter! :)
What should have happened the moment Merlin found out how Arthur could be cured!
Enjoy!
Chapter Five (Merlin's POV):
Merlin looked behind to make sure he had gone sufficiently far enough away from prying eyes - i.e. a certain king's eyes.
Mentally calming himself, he drew upon his inner strength as a dragon lord and allowed it to encompass him, feeling the energy expand around him and soar to a single point as he roared "Oh dragore ela etho na se miliso!"
Tingling from the remains of the powerful magic, he waited for what seemed like an age before he could see a dark mass nearing towards him in the night.
Hovering above him, Kilgarrah edged his way into the clearing, crashing past trees as he did.
Merlin winced as the dragon landed with a thump.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm getting old, young warlock. I told you on our previous meeting, the end is nearing upon me."
"Is there nothing I can do?"
"Your magic comes from the earth, and it is the earth to which I will pass. I am no longer the last of my kind Merlin. It is only right."
"But Aithusa's with Morgana! Something's happened to her, she can't talk, although she obeys my instructions well."
"She has been twisted to obey and trust Morgana. Once the witch's will is broken, so too will her hold over the dragon. In those moments of vulnerability you must make a connection or she will be lost."
"Yeah, if Morgana's will can be broken..."
"Have faith in yourself, Merlin, you have the strength to prevail."
"I don't even have the strength to convince Arthur of who I am!"
The dragon remained silent, but shifted his head forward and touched his snout lightly to Merlin's forehead.
Merlin stood still - shocked, but not unpleasantly so.
For any dragon to make contact with a human in a display of affection was seen as an honour, but for Kilgarrah to do it...
Ever since he had taken over the status of dragon lord from his father, Merlin had always believed that Kilgarrah served him only as a necessity, and that the dragon would have killed him if he had found any way past the power bounding him to Merlin's will.
Displays of affection went beyond the call of duty.
"Have you got one more trip in you?"
"For the once and future king, of course."
"Thank you, Kilgarrah, I won't forget this!"
"A ride on a dragon? I'm sure Arthur will not either." Kilgarrah grinned a little unnervingly.
Merlin returned it with an anxious smile at the thought of confessing to Arthur one more secret.
Arthur was trying to sit up again when Merlin returned.
"Arthur, just lie down! Is that so hard?"
Arthur lay back down. Merlin thought he detected a hint of relief in his expression, but it was quickly gone. "Where have you been? You've been gone for ages! I thought you had gone and fallen off a cliff while getting firewood."
"I was..." how was he going to explain this? "...just relieving myself."
He needed more time.
Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Don't lie to me."
"I don't lie about everything now, you know!"
"You have that way of tensing yourself up, like the cornered deer that I hunt. It happens a lot."
I can't imagine why...Merlin though to himself. The way Arthur was looking at him, he felt like a trapped deer.
"I uhh...well...don't get mad..." He trailed off pleadingly.
Arthur shook his head exasperatedly, as if to say 'what else can possibly move me?'
Merlin cleared his throat, then rushed on "I'd only met my father for a day or two - I had no idea if he was even alive until Gaius told me, because you know, all his kind were hunted down by Uther - "
"Merlin - "
"- Not that I'm saying your father was wrong in what he did, no of course not, but that meant I only knew about what I'd be when he nearly died, so - "
" - Merlin - "
" - When my father nearly died, not yours obviously, that would be weird, we don't have the same fathers, because that would mean we'd be - "
"MERLIN!"
"- be...mm?"
"You do know I have no idea what you're talking about, right?"
"Oh..." After all that, Merlin didn't have the energy to try and explain his status earnestly, other than. "Arthur, I'm a dragon lord."
Arthur stared at him for a few seconds before "Are you going to tell me next that you're also a king of some far off country? Or maybe a fairy? I'm all ears!"
"No, just a dragon lord."
"Just that..."
Merlin grinned crookedly. "Why, do you feel your status is threatened? I mean, a king doesn't seem that important after all..."
"I hold a very regal status I'll have you know...!" Merlin saw Arthur's eyes widen as he noticed Merlin's smile and realised he was being made fun of.
Glaring - albeit half-heartedly - the young man folded his arms in an attempt to remain in control.
"Why have you decided to tell me now?"
"Because I respect you and don't want to keep any secrets from you?"
The look on Arthur's face gave Merlin the answer to what the king thought of his excuse.
"There is the other reason that we may not get to the lake in time, so I brought us a quicker way of being transported there..." Arthur's face whitened in horror knowing what Merlin was going to say before he finished "...a dragon."
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