Past and Present Danger

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Chapter 4

'Let me go in and…prepare Guinevere first,' Arthur told Merlin seriously as they walked up the steps into the castle. Once they had arrived in the courtyard, Merlin had lifted the enchantment from the boys, confusing only a few morning watch guards who were quickly sworn to secrecy. Arthur and Merlin had then lifted their respective selves from the saddles. Arthur had rolled his eyes as the Prince complained that he could do it himself, while young Merlin raised no objections to being given help.

Prince Arthur had headed confidently up the steps, before Arthur had gently but firmly told him to follow behind, and the young and clearly frightened dark haired warlock had clung to Merlin's arm as if it was the only thing stopping him from being condemned to die on a pyre.

Eventually the two boys had fallen a few steps behind -Merlin awed at the grandeur of the palace and Arthur complaining that everything looked different- giving the King and his Sorcerer a chance to talk briefly before they had to tell Guinevere.

'Are you sure you don't want me to do it? I could explain what's happened,' Merlin offered.

'You've spent the journey telling me that you don't know what happened,' Arthur told him incredulously. Merlin opened his mouth to reply, but then nodded his agreement.

'Well what are you going to say?'

Arthur frowned and tried to think of the best way of broaching the subject. He gave up and shook his head.

'I really don't know, but Guinevere likes children so maybe she'll-'

He stopped as he heard the boy's begin to talk behind them.

'Everything's so big,' Merlin exclaimed in awe. Arthur watched as the Prince rolled his eyes.

'It's a castle; it's not going to be small is it. Haven't you ever been to Camelot before?' His tone was so superior and patronising that Arthur flinched inwardly. Had he really been such an arrogant prat? As if sensing the King's eyes on him, the Prince turned to look at him and had the decency to look guilty at speaking to Merlin rudely again, but at this point Arthur didn't care.

'Gwen may like children,' Merlin nodded at his side, 'but whether she'd like you as a child is another matter altogether. Did you have any friends when you were seven?'

'Shut up, Merlin.' They carried on forwards.

'I bet she'll like me as a child,' Merlin murmured under his breath, but more than a loud enough for Arthur to hear. He decided to ignore the comment. He still needed to work out what he was going to say to Gwen.

The journey to the royal quarters seemed a lot shorter than Arthur remembered and it was with a sense of trepidation he went to open the door, before changing his mind and knocking instead; it was early in the morning and there was no guarantee that his wife would be awake.

'Keep them both out here until I call you,' Arthur instructed Merlin. The Sorcerer looked pained at the idea of having to baby sit on his own, but nodded grimly, turning back and walking down the hall to where the two boys were studying a suit of armour.

Arthur was still watching them when he heard the door open, Guinevere on the other side. As much as he tried to tell her that all she had to do was invite people in, she still insisted on answering the door to every maid, every guard and Merlin –when he bothered to knock- each time. Her face broke into a smile of relief when she saw him.

'Arthur, you're alright. I was beginning to worry.'

'Oh, I'm fine, but I need to talk to you.' He all but pushed her back into the room before she had chance to look down the hall and then shut the door behind him. She looked at him in confusion.

'Is everything alright? Where's Merlin?'

'He's fine. He's just sorting something out for me.' Gwen's eyes narrowed further and Arthur just returned the gaze, trying to look innocent.

'What's going on? Merlin said that Morgana was trying something. Did you stop her?'

'Yes, she's not a threat. Merlin sorted her out. But there have been some repercussions,' he continued slowly.

'Such as?' she asked, sounding immensely worried. Arthur looked at her trying and failing again to think of a good way of broaching the subject. Instead he settled for taking her hands and then sitting them both down on the bed. 'Arthur, you're scaring me.'

'You don't need to be worried, but what I'm going to tell you may come as a shock.' She said nothing, just waited for him to continue. 'Morgana's plan was to open a doorway to the past and kill Merlin and myself when we were children.' Gwen's hand shot to her face and she gave a gasp of both disbelief and horror. 'But,' Arthur continued hastily, 'she failed, Merlin stopped her. He managed to protect our young selves, causing Morgana's attack to backfire on herself. She's been badly injured.' He paused here, allowing her to take in what was being said, but she just looked at him expectantly. With a sigh he continued. 'Merlin, the idiot,' he added for good measure, 'thought he'd managed to close the doorway to the past, which he did, but our young selves didn't end up on the right side of it.'

'Wait,' Gwen said slowly, as if not wanting to voice her guesses. 'Are you saying that there is a young you and a young Merlin wandering about Albion somewhere?' Her face looked to be a picture of panic.

'No,' Arthur replied, rushing to reassure her before realising that it was a lie. 'Not wandering about in Albion,' he continued hesitantly, 'but they are waiting outside in the corridor, with Merlin.'

For several seconds, Gwen looked like she had been frozen by the shock of Arthur's revelation, but slowly she seemed to find her voice.

'They're here? But how can they be here, now, if you and Merlin are here as well?'

'I don't know; Merlin's going to try and find a way to send them back, but until then…'

'I'll look after them.'

'What?'

'The children, I'll look after them,' Gwen repeated. Arthur recognised the determination in her tone.

'There are other people who could-'

'If I look after them then less people will know they're here and isn't that what you want? If rumour gets out about them it will cause problems. Just think, technically another you has a claim to the throne.'

'He doesn't have a claim,' Arthur argued, 'he's seven years old.'

'Well at the very least we need to keep their presence here a secret from Morgana and we know she has spies in Camelot. If she finds out about them what's to stop her trying her plan again?'

'Guinevere, they might be here for a long time,' Arthur tried, but her mind was already made up, he could tell; she wanted to look after them. From the very first moment Arthur had met Guinevere all she had wanted to do was care for other people; it was one of the things that he most loved about her: her gentle heart.

'I've put up with you and Merlin for years; I think I can cope with smaller versions of you,' she told him with a smile on her face. Arthur thought about the attitude of the young Prince and wondered if even Gwen could put up with him for very long.

'Very well,' he nodded. She grinned broadly at him and he couldn't help but smile in response to her enthusiasm.

'Can I meet them then?'

Arthur nodded and walked over to the door. He opened it to see the Merlins sat down and leaning against the wall, waiting patiently to be called in, while Arthur walked slowly back and forth across the corridor swinging his pretend sword as if invisible enemies were closing in on all sides.

'You can come in now,' he told the three of them. All of them looked his way, but it was the blond haired Prince who was quickest of the mark, rushing into the room in a few quick strides, while the dark haired boy followed more slowly.

'How did she take it?' Merlin whispered to him as the boys went in.

'Surprisingly well, but then she hasn't met them yet has she.'

They went back into the room and Arthur couldn't help but smile at Guinevere's reaction. She was watching the boys with a mix of awe and utter adoration. She looked at her husband, pure delight and not a small amount of amusement on her face as she gazed back and forth between the four of them. She said a quiet hello to them which caused the young Merlin to smile shyly at her, but the Prince was already looking around the room, a frown on his face.

'What have you done to my bedroom?' he asked, fixing the King with an accusing stare. 'There are flowers,' he exclaimed, his expression one of pure disgust.

'Why don't you like flowers?' Gwen asked him gently. The prince turned to look at her, evidently not impressed.

'Who are you?' he asked sharply. She was somewhat taken aback by his response, but continued.

'I'm-'

'Actually,' Merlin interrupted from Arthur's side. 'Could I just have a quick chat to the adults in the room?' He looked pleadingly at the King and Arthur nodded. Merlin ushered them to the other side of the room, while the boys moved over to the fireplace, not saying a word to each other.

'I can't believe it,' Gwen whispered, looking at both of them. 'They're exactly like you.'

'He was just rude to you,' Arthur argued.

'I just meant that they look like you and have some of your…mannerisms,' she finished, but it sounded more like a question by the end.

'Listen both of you,' Merlin said quickly. 'I've been thinking and I'm not sure it's a good idea that we tell them anything else.'

'What do you mean?' Gwen asked.

'I don't think we should tell them about you, about Morgana, or Uther. Nothing about what's transpired over the past few years, and we can't let Arthur, the Prince version,' he added for clarification, 'know that magic has returned to the kingdom. In fact he can't know that Merlin or I have magic.'

'Why?'

'Think about it, they'll be finding out things that they shouldn't know, not yet. They've still got to grow up and respond to situations like we did if we want to keep this version of our lives. If we manage to send them back they-'

'If we manage?' Arthur interrupted.

'When we manage to send them back,' Merlin continued as if Arthur hadn't spoken, 'they mustn't know about what their futures hold.'

'But you said yourself,' Arthur replied, 'these things didn't happen to us, why would it change our lives?'

'It might be that if we send them-'

'Merlin,' Arthur growled.

'When we send them back, we'll gain the memories they've made here. The less they know the better.'

'But surely knowing a bit about now won't make that much difference will it?' Arthur asked. Arthur barely remembered anything from his childhood, there was no guarantee that either of the children would remember names or faces or the bits of information that they picked up here.

'Arthur, what is your young self going to do when, a few years into his future, he meets young me and remembers that he has magic?'

Understanding hit Arthur instantly. It just wasn't worth the risk that the boys remembered anything.

'He'll be executed,' Gwen whispered, worry in her voice. 'But Merlin, if you get executed…'

'Then Arthur is killed a few days later by Lady Helen because I'm not there to pull him away. No King Arthur, no Queen Guinevere, no Albion. None of it would have happened.' Merlin shook his head, his expression leaving no doubt of his sincerity. 'The Prince can not find out about magic.'

Arthur nodded his agreement. He hadn't thought about the possibilities.

'You're right Merlin, we need to-' He stopped as a yell sounded from the other side of the room and a muffled thud echoed round it. All three of them turned. Beside Arthur, Merlin had his arm stretched out, ready to use magic if necessary, but he quickly dropped his hand as he took in the sight.

By the fireplace, Merlin's younger self was lying flat on his back, his arms flung up to protect his face from Prince Arthur who had pinned him and was now raising his fist, snarling angrily at the helpless boy.

'Get off me,' Merlin shouted, almost managing to dislodge Arthur by rolling to the side, but the furious Prince held firm and brought his fist down with a yell.

Arthur rushed forward, Gwen on his heels.

'Hey!' he shouted. He hauled the Prince backwards and away from Merlin who quickly scrambled to his feet, tripping several times, before managing to regain his balance and then quickly retreating to the side of his namesake and sheltering behind the warlock. In the King's hands the furious child was struggling to get away.

'You need to arrest him! Now!' he screamed.

'Stop!' Arthur told him.

'No! I saw what he did. My father will have you burnt to death for that,' he hissed pointing at the terrified young warlock. With a sinking feeling, Arthur realised exactly what the boy had seen. He glanced over at Gwen –her hand had crept up over her mouth- and then at Merlin who seemed to have paled considerably and had quickly shielded the dark haired boy from the enraged Prince.

'He used magic! I saw him use it to try and light the fire.'

'But…but,' the other boy muttered, 'it's allowed here, you told me it was allowed,' he said desperately, looking up at the older warlock for reassurance.

'What?' the Prince yelled. 'Camelot will never have magic. It's evil, it's-'

'Be quiet!' Arthur shouted.

'But you're the King! You need to do something,' the boy protested, slipping from Arthur's grasp and approaching the terrified raven-haired boy menacingly. Arthur pulled him back again.

'I said to be quiet,' he repeated.

'You're not going to do anything?' the Prince asked incredulously.

'No.'

At this the boy finally stopped his onslaught, but it was replaced quickly by a look of fear. He backed away from all of them, looking wildly around the room.

'But this is wrong…' he stuttered. 'Magic is evil, he's evil, both of them are!' he shouted pointing at each Merlin in turn.

'You don't know what you're talking about,' Arthur told him. He took a few steps towards the Prince, but as he did, the boy turned and bolted towards the second chamber door. Arthur made to go after him, but a hand on his arm stopped him in his tracks.

'No, Arthur, I'll go,' Gwen assured him, before quickly following after the boy. Arthur closed his eyes and sighed. So much for keeping his younger self in the dark about Merlin's magic. He looked over and saw his friend comforting his young self. Arthur walked over to them and crouched down.

'Don't worry, you will not be harmed,' Arthur assured the shaking boy. 'You were right, magic is allowed in Camelot, but Arthur doesn't know that and doesn't believe that, not yet.'

'I didn't know I couldn't show him,' he whispered apologetically.

'I should have told you,' Merlin said gently, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. 'It's not your fault.'

'Are you alright?' Arthur asked. The boy nodded. 'Good. I just need to talk to Merlin for a moment. You stay here.' The boy nodded again. Arthur got up and pulled Merlin with him; glancing back to check that the boy was doing as he was told, but apparently young Merlin was much more obedient than his Merlin had ever been; the small boy didn't move a muscle.

'What now?' Arthur asked him hurriedly. Merlin just shook his head, desperation written all over his face. 'What does this mean, for our past?'

'I can't tell you, Arthur. I don't know what this will do. We might convince Arthur that magic isn't evil for now, but when he goes back your father could change that easily. We could warn Merlin about the future, maybe tell him to go to Camelot in disguise under a different name, but he's six years old. What six year old will remember to do that?'

'He's you, Merlin, would you remember?' Merlin shrugged his shoulders, something akin resignation in his face.

'Arthur if things don't play out exactly as they did for us then I don't know if the future we've worked for -this future- will exist anymore.'

'Well we have to make sure it does.' Merlin made no reply. 'Merlin!' Arthur snapped, lowering his voice again as the young boy looked sharply at them. 'Defeatism does not suit you. Think of some way we can put this right.'

Merlin opened his mouth several times, looking round the room for inspiration. 'Maybe…maybe I could…' he sighed, but then froze and looked directly at Arthur, his expression serious. Inwardly Arthur allowed himself to relax. He knew that expression well, had seen it countless times, normally when he'd thought that there was no way out, but time and again Merlin had proved him wrong.

'You have an idea?'

'I'll find a way to erase this part of their memory just before they leave. I've seen some spells for that in my books. I'll make sure that they don't remember anything.'

Arthur nodded at him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

'Good, Merlin.'

On the other side of the room, Gwen and Arthur appeared in the doorway. Gwen had a hand around the boy's shoulder and he, whilst looking very sullen, seemed to be calm. He fixed the young warlock, who had slowly got his feet when the Prince arrived, with a terrible stare, but said nothing else.

Arthur gave Gwen a questioning look and she just smiled and nodded; she would tell him what had transpired later on. Looking round the room, Arthur saw all eyes on him. For now, they all seemed to be on the same side. All they needed now was some sort of plan, one that they all understood the importance of.

'We are all in an unusual and strange situation,' Arthur said, when he was sure that the boys wouldn't end up in a fight once again. 'All of us need to know what is happening and what we need to do.' He indicated the table on the other side of the room, making it clear that he wanted them to sit down. Quickly, with the exception of the Prince who walked at his own slow pace, they moved to the table. Arthur took his place at the head, with the Merlins on one side of the table and Gwen and the Prince on the other.

'We need to work together in order to get our lives back.' He looked specifically at the boys who both showed varying degrees of agreement. 'Good. Now, we have a lot to discuss.'

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