AUTHORS NOTE: SO this episode starts 27 years after 'present day Merlin' - as it normally is in my Season 6. But that will become clearer as you read it. Basically it is set in the future... now read this and then the next chapter!

EPISODE 8 - DYNASTY

Sunlight shimmered down over Camelot.

The was out, the sky was blue, and there was not a cloud to spoil the view.

Yet it may as well have been raining.

A middle aged woman was sat behind a desk in the royal chambers of Camelot.

Her hair had not gone silver and her face was not heavily lined.

But her eyes were tired with all that she had seen throughout her life time, and her heart ached with a wanting for someone she had not had in years.

There was a knock at the door.

She swallowed and looked up from where she was staring down at a wedding ring in her hands, before she swallowed and slipped it onto her finger.

"Come in." She called.

The door opened and Sir Percival, slightly older but still youthful and huge, walked towards her.

"Your majesty." He inclined his head, stopping just before her desk and shifting a roll of paper in his hand.

Gwen gave a small sad smile, "Percival please, in twenty four years you have not learned not to bow to me."

"You are my queen." He insisted.

She gave a small tired laugh and lifted herself from her chair, "It is dowager queen now, the mother of the king, since Llacheu became of age."

Guinevere stood in front of the large window looking down at the courtyard.

Percival looked down for a moment before he set the parchment he held on her desk, "there is an emissary from the druids for Llacheu arriving today, he requested you and merlin attend… Odin's envoy has just arrived with Gwydre's returning party from the hunt in the seventh isle, your son caught a wild boar… and King Lot has sent his son to seek permission to court Ava."

Gwen wrapped her arms tighter across her small body and laughed a small scoff not directed at Percival, "If Lot knew my daughter at all he would know that there is no way anyone but her own heart can decide who she marries."

The knight nodded, "She inherited her stubbornness from the both of you, your grace."

Gwen drew in a stuttering breath and closed her eyes briefly as she swallowed.

Down in the courtyard below she could see her daughter, small and slim like her, with dark curling hair that fell all the way down her back, yet wide blue eyes like her father had had.

She stood in the centre, a daisy chain in her hand, staring down at a smooth carved stone in the centre of the courtyard.

Ava Pendragon had never known her father.

He had died before Gwen had realised that she was expecting for a third time, after bearing him two sons.

Llacheu and Gwydre's were watching now from King Llacheu study window.

All three children had slightly lighter skin than their mother, and the two sons had inherited her dark eyes.

Llacheu's hair was dark and straight, whereas Llacheu was dark and a mass of curls like his younger sister.

The two brothers, who had only been young when their father died, exchanged a look and a sigh, before closing the window and disappearing inside.

Ava stared down at the stone before her and swallowed.

From where she was watching in her room Gwen drew in a breath and glanced at the knight who was staring at her.

"Do you know what day it is Percival?" Gwen whispered.

The knight swallowed and straightened, "Yes your majesty… the fourteenth."

Gwen nodded and stared back out of the window.

"And that is never a good day."

Down in the courtyard Ava sunk to a crouch and rested the daisy chain on top of the smooth stone.

She pressed her fingers to her lips and then touched them to the smooth stone in a kiss.

"I miss you father." She whispered, "I wish we could have known one another."

She swallowed and stood, turning her back on the stone and sweeping up the stairs into the castle.

She left behind, under the daisy chain, a carved marble stone set in the centre of the courtyard.

ON it were the words.

King Arthur Pendragon. Died protecting his kingdom from evil on the 14th April.

Lost but never forgotten.

Ava made her way up the stairs of Camelot and wound her way through the castle.

Her purple dress swept around her legs as she skipped down the stairs urgently missing the last one on purpose.

Approaching a door down a corridor she heard loud exclamations and bangs.

"yes… escortier! No… no no no…"

There was a loud bang and the door shook.

Ava sighed and knocked loudly.

There was a clatter inside.

"Yes… yes who is it?" The loud sharp voice came from inside.

She pushed open the door and stepped into the room, staring around.

Gaius had died a few winters past, but the room was exactly as he had left it.

There was still belongings everywhere.

The room was still a mess.

"Erm… Uncle…"

"Ava!"

The man who was working over a smoking cauldron, his lean body shaking with excitement at another spell, turned at the sound of her voice.

There was a loud boom in the cauldron behind him and he shrunk away slightly, his eyes flashing amber, as the cauldron stopped bubbling instantly.

Ava sighed shortly, "Uncle Merlin."

His eyes were the same, and he still looked so young…

But his hair was slightly silver.

"Can I help you?" He clapped his hands together.

Ava swallowed, "it is the fourteenth…"

Merlin drew in a long breath, "I know. How is your mother?"

"Coping, as always…yet Llacheu asked her at breakfast and she told him that s king he has more to worry about than his mother. She got up and left the room swiftly, as she does…"

"Yes…" Merlin looked down briefly, "Still! I am sure you did not come here to talk about your mother… or at least she wouldn't want you too."

Ava stepped forwards, "I need to ask you something…"

"Anything."

Ava nodded.

"I want you to help me meet my father."

"what!"

"Shhh don't shout." Ava put her hands out palm up as though she was stopping a horse.

Merlin stared at her, walking towards her slowly with wide eyes, "have you gone mad Ava?"

"Greif makes us all mad…" She insisted, "I want you to help me go back in time jus tot glimpse him for myself… I just want to see him."

Merlin narrowed his eyes, "Where has this come from all of a sudden?"

Ava drew in a breath, "It has been twenty years since he died… my whole life and I never knew him."

"It is the lament of all men." He said, "Gaius told me that."

Ava started ringing her shaking hands together, "and Llacheu is now king… and there are suitors for all three of us… when I do marry my father won't be here to walk me down the aisle. He has not been here at all in my life time and… I want to know him."

"He is a part of you. Your mother always told you all that…"

"But he was alive to meet Llacheu and Gwydre. He died before I was even born, without knowing I existed… he went off to that battle before mother even realized she was carrying me… and he did not come back."

Ava's voice broke and Merlin straightened, his eyes betraying just how old he really was.

"I know. I was there." He said gravely.

Ava swallowed but pressed on somewhat desperately, "I just want to see and know him for myself. Just so, even if he just glances at me and sees me… that some part of him knew who I was, knew that I existed. Even if he didn't know then that I am his daughter."

Merlin set his jaw.

"Please uncle Merlin. I just want to see him for myself, so I can know the man who I miss even though I never met him… so I can know what you and mother mean when you say Gwydre has his eyes, or that Llacheu has his bearing, or I his frustration."

Merlin shook his head slightly, his eyes boring into hers, "Your mother still grieves for him, do you think it never occurred to her to go back and see him?"
"But he would know her… he wouldn't know me… I just want to see him that is all."

"Ava." Merlin almost snapped, "Travelling forwards and backwards in time is dangerous…even if I had the power…"

"You do!" She cried, "And if you won't do it then I know you know someone who can… please uncle Merlin… I just want to see him."

Merlin sighed.

There was another knock on the door.

"Not now!" Merlin snapped.

The door opened regardless and a dark haired young woman whose dead spirit rendered her ageless swept in.

Eveline flicked her hair over one shoulder and put her hands on her hips.

Merlin allot scowled, "Great. Just as I was about to point out for the last time how stupid this is…"

"I am Eveline." She smiled at Ava.

The princess's eyes widened, "you are the last Parlevine…"

"Pleasure to meet you." Eveline smiled but her eyes were serious, "I can take you back in time to see your father, wanting to know your parents well is not selfish or stupid."

Her quip at Merlin made him fist his hands, "Don't you dare come in here and try and patronize me! I haven't seen you since Arthur…"

His throat choked up and Eveline straightened.

Since Arthur died.

Merlin drew in an angry breath and turned his eyes on Ava, "I am the greatest sorcerer to walk the earth, your godfather and your uncle… I have your mothers complete trust and your father made me promise to look after you… travelling back even to glimpse him is fraught with danger and you know that." He snapped at Eveline.

She let out an angry hiss.

Ava looked down.

"I just want to see him." She whispered.

Eveline took her hand firmly and stared at Merlin as he folded his arms, his back to them.

"I will take you to see your father." She said.

Merlin spun, "No good will come of this… I swear Eveline…"

"Do not presume to tell me what will come of travelling backwards and forwards in time." Eveline snapped, "From one touch of Ava's hand I know all that this means…"

Merlin straightened firmly.

The Parlevine inclined her head, "Say the words I speak in Ava's tongue if you would be so kind… so that she will know what I am saying in the old language."

With a stiff nod of his head Merlin agreed.

Eveline closed her eyes and concentrated.

Her voice was clear, "vida á vida e mente para mente."

Merlin drew in a breath and translated, "Life to life and mind to mind."

"nosos espíritos agora debe entrelázanse"

"Our spirits now will intertwine."

"unimos as nosas almas e viaxe"

"we join our souls and journey too."

"aquel cuxos pensamentos queriamos que sabía"

"The one whose thoughts we wish we knew."

There was a fierce note of regret in her uncle Merlin's voice.

A white light sprang from the floor in front of them and wrapped around them both.

Ava gripped Eveline's hand tighter and opened her eyes to stare at Merlin as he disappeared into the white light.

She swallowed.