I'm sorry this update hasn't come as quickly as you'd probably liked, but here it is! And I totally promise you the next one will come soon! Thank you for all your lovely reviews, and for those still favouriting and following this story! It feels loved ;D

Guest: Awwww thank you so much! xD And I think you might be the same 'Guest' who reviewed again, and I must say you're second review actually made me finish this earlier! ;)

Enjoy!

Chapter Eight (Merlin's POV):

Merlin had waited on tenterhooks for Arthur to say what he deemed to be so important he should prolong the healing process over, when the last voice in the world he wanted to hear popped up.

"Hello boys."

That inkling he'd had before?

Turned out he should always trust his instincts.

Merlin subtly pushed Arthur backward as they turned around to face her.

"Morgana."

Morgana looked worse for wear, no doubt she had been restlessly pursuing the pair in the past day or two.

"Did you miss me?" Her grin - onced so goodnatured - was feral, and her stare - once so warm - was hard and cruel as flint. "You really shouldn't have ridden a huge dragon if you wanted to stay concealed." She sneered at Merlin. "What, the great Emrys didn't think of that? How exactly did you protect the king all those years?"

Merlin remained silent but continued to push Arthur backwards, taking small steps.

"What does it feel like? Being Arthur's little lapdog? I'm sure you hated it whenever someone else got the glory, always waiting in the shadows, wondering when your time would come..."

Merlin could see she was starting to tire of his silence and she took a step forward, changing her tune.

"What does it feel like to know that the king hates you for what you are?"

Merlin's eyes shot upward and he stopped moving.

"He doesn't hate me actually." Her face fell fractionally, but he noticed. Now he'd started, it seemed like he couldn't stop. "Aww do you now wish you'd never left the kingdom as a traitor? To know that magic will have a place in Camelot, and I will be by the king's side, always foiling your plans?"

Morgana's eyes narrowed and she looked towards Arthur. "Being his father's son, he would never allow magic back in. I know it, it runs in the blood."

"Just like you knew you were his father's daughter?"

Morgana screamed in rage and raised her hand swiftly, her eyes lighting up.

Merlin calculated in his mind for a split second before ducking and allowing Arthur to be flung back.

He noticed Arthur's look of confusion and fear as he soared through the air and landed with a splash, but he could not explain.

Morgana laughed, surprise etched in her features. "Do you see that Arthur?" she called to the soaked king, struggling to rise, his head going beneath the surface of the lake "He didn't lift one hand to protect you! Not like mighty Gwaine. Oh wait, he didn't either!"

Merlin tensed. "What happened to Gwaine?!"

Morgana smirked "Don't worry, he's not dead...yet." Her smirk turned sour. "He proved more resilient than I thought. That Percival too."

Merlin felt his temper rising, when he noticed Aithusa arriving from the east.

Morgana followed his gaze and smiled, beckoning her monster forward. "Ahh Aithusa, my lovely distraction for the great dragon."

Merlin shot up from where he still crouched and took a firm step towards the dragon, temper inflamed.

He was the dragonlord, the dragon would obey to only him!

"Oh dragore biase tin Morgana kai skotwse tin! Hstera fuye abo ethw kai men exhese bisw!"

Aithusa keened high and low, trying to shake off the order, while simultaneously plucking a protesting Morgana off the ground and beginning to fly off.

"Aithusa put me down!" She gestured furiously at Merlin "EMRYS!" She screamed "I WILL BE BACK!" until her voice was reduced to a tinny shriek, and then could no longer be heard.

Not in your lifetime - Which is quickly shortening. Merlin thought to himself with satisfaction.

He had time for a satisfactory sigh before remembering Arthur. He twisted round and - "Arggh!"

Shielding his face with his hands, he quickly put them back down when he realised who it was standing before him.

Standing, not leaning.

Standing...

"Arthur, you're better!" He exclaimed cheerfully, only to be cut off with a hand held up.

"Did you know I'd be flung into the Lake of Avalon when you ducked?"

"Yeah, yeah of course!" Merlin babbled.

Arthur raised an eyebrow.

Merlin frowned, a little disappointed. "Arthur," he explained, as if to a child "that was my great plan all along."

Arthur stared hard at Merlin, but, as is always the case between the two, he was unable to supress a grin and clapped him on the back.

Realising what he just did, Arthur stepped back hurriedly and looked up at the sky, towards where Aithusa had taken off. "Where did you send that dragon?"

"To finish the life we started."

When Merlin looked again towards Arthur, his face was downcast, and he knew the king had understood.

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A/N: If you don't understand what Merlin meant, tell me and I'll explain it for you x)