A/N Thanks to Coby who reminding me about a certain two characters, thus helping me to extend what had been a rather short chapter.

Chapter 12

It was now late afternoon and already dark this far into winter and Merlin found it strange to think that all of this had happened in less than a day. After ensuring that the passageway was doubly secure with both conventional and magical locks, he started to make his way back up through the underground corridors and into the main building itself. He'd been in the castle for a while before he noticed the change and suddenly stopped. Why he should be surprised, he had no idea, but his surroundings did now seem to confirm that the spell was completely broken. The corridors were no longer ice covered, there was no snow in the corners and no icicles hanging from the roof. He was just approaching the flight of stairs outside the dungeons when he suddenly realised that he was not alone.

"Stop! What are you doing down here?" A large, unfamiliar guard barred his way, and Merlin swore under his breath, suddenly realising that everything was now indeed back to normal and that included his status. He felt strangely empty at the thought. He would miss that feeling of being in charge, of controlling everything openly as, despite his grumbles about how he'd had to do everything and be everywhere, he now realised he'd loved it. Loved every, mad, stressful, crazy moment.

"Just running an errand for Prince Arthur," he replied calmly.

"What sort of errand?"

"The prince entrusted that to me," he replied meekly but firmly.

"You? Why you?"

"No, it's alright," said a more familiar looking guard, "That's just Merlin, the prince's manservant, I expect he's telling the truth."

"Really? You'd think the prince would pick someone more ..." The first guard struggled to find the correct words and Merlin attempted to give the second guard a friendly smile, which quickly turned into an icy glare as he passed by the pair.

"That's just Merlin ..." he muttered sarcastically to himself as he made his way up the stairs. "Just Arthur's idiot servant. Just the one single reason why you're not all still frozen, why you don't have a sword in your chest, why the king and the prince are even alive. No, it's just Merlin … no-one important!"

"Merlin! We've been looking everywhere for you." He looked up to find Gwen and Sara running towards him and he worked hard to put his anger to one side and smile.

"What's wrong?" asked Sara.

"Nothing." The two girls looked at him suspiciously.

"But, I thought … that you must have undone the spell?" said Gwen, still confused by his obvious bad mood. At last his grin became more genuine.

At last his grin became more genuine. "I did. Everything back to normal?" Instead of an answer he found himself suddenly smothered, Gwen hugging his right side, Sara his left. Both then planted a huge kiss on the closest cheek and his bad mood disappeared completely. "Ah ... thanks?"

He'd just recovered from that pleasant surprise when Sara manoeuvred Gwen out of the way, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly on the lips. By the time she'd eventually pulled away he had a very soppy grin on his face. "You feel a bit warmer than last time," was all he managed to say in response.

"And you look warmer than I've ever seen you," said Gwen gleefully. Right now you could have melted the whole of the Ice Palace with just your cheeks. He laughed despite himself and both girls locked an arm in one of his and the three continued their way towards Gaius chambers.

"Ah, Merlin," said Gaius as they entered the room. "I want a word with you."

"Oh ..?"

"Yes. Where on earth is my rabbit?"

"Oh that I … I think Gwaine had it last. Gaius, why do you have it anyway? I mean, what is it actually for?" The old man's eyebrow raised at the question but didn't reply and Merlin swallowed hard at the familiar, slightly threatening look. "I'll go and get it back then, shall I?" He shrugged at the girls who both looked at each other and giggled. He really wished they wouldn't, it felt like they were sharing some sort of joke that he didn't understand.

He automatically headed towards the old conference area and found it strange to see all the corridors packed and business going on as usual. However, Gwen quickly caught up with him and directed him towards the council chambers instead.

"Arthur sent me to look for you before," she said looping an arm in his again. "He's called one of his Round Table meetings and wants us both there." She raised her eyes to the ceiling and Merlin grinned. Arthur had become quite obsessive about his new table and no-one, not even Uther, had dared criticise him for his new passion.

"What about Gaius? I thought he was part of the ... team?" Gwen grinned.

"Yes, but he's needed with Uther?"

"Ah. He didn't come out any worse than the rest of them, did he?" Gwen pulled a face.

"Not physically but … let's just say that knowing that his daughter managed to freeze the whole of his castle with magic hasn't exactly helped his mental recovery."

"Ah."

"Anyway, Merlin, I know you said that you don't hear it enough so ... well done."

"Thanks, Gwen." He knew he was probably grinning like an idiot but he didn't care. It really was wonderful to be appreciated for once. "Anyway, what happened here when the spell broke? I mean, did the ice melt? I don't see any water."

"No, it was much stranger than that. There was this sudden blinding white light, just for a moment and then, when that had disappeared … so had the ice. Not melted, or anything just … gone." She shrugged. "Like it had never been here at all. The same thing happened to those that were still frozen, apparently. One minute they were covered in ice the next … wide awake and wondering where the day had gone?" Merlin grinned at her again.

They had now reached the council chambers and entered through the large double doors to find the prince and his six knights all sitting around the Round Table. Everyone looked up as they entered and Merlin swallowed hard.

"Decided to join us then?" said Arthur calmly.

"Yes, I see the enchantment has broken completely?"

"Hm, there did seem to be a bit of a delayed reaction," the Prince said. "Come and sit down, you two. Gaius is obviously busy with other things but we have a lot to talk about and, as strange as it seems, I think Merlin might even have something useful to contribute."

"You never know," he said a little grumpily as he took his seat. Lancelot, Gwen and Gwaine grinned at him and he managed a small smile in return, accepting that they were acknowledging the part he'd played in all of this, even if none of the others could.

"Well, it's confirmed," said Arthur once they'd taken their seats. "I've just had word from my scouts … a large army has been spotted heading this way. It's unlikely they will make it here before nightfall and we'll not have enough time to ride out to meet them and so … it looks like Camelot will be under siege ... again." There was a moment of contemplative silence. "Anyway, more on that in a moment," Arthur continued. "Lancelot and Gwaine have been telling me what they know of your research, Merlin. It was Morgana that did this? It's her army out there?"

"Yes, we believe so," he replied.

"It was her magic too? She has that sort of power already?"

"No. I mean, this plot is hers, I'm sure of it, but the enchantment was caused by an ancient diamond and it was that that held the true power. All she had to do was know how to use it."

"Oh yes," said Gwen. "I remember reading about that in Gaius' book. It was mostly about thinking the right thoughts, wasn't it?" Merlin grinned, pleased that her comment had taken the attention off him and that Arthur would be far more likely to accept the word of his beloved Guinevere's word than that of his idiot servant's.

"Yes, it didn't really need an additional magic at all, luckily for us," he confirmed. "So we only needed to understand the diamond in order to break its hold on Camelot." Alright, so it had needed quite a bit of magic but, It was close enough to the truth to help deflect Arthur's attention away from the idea of him or Gaius having used any form of enchantment to solve the problem. Arthur looked at him very critically for several long moments before slowly nodding his acceptance of their explanation.

"However, it is still the case that she meant to use this enchantment to leave us helpless to her attack. Is there any chance she will turn her army around now that she knows it has failed?"

"Actually, she probably doesn't know it has failed," Merlin said. "When her soldiers arrived earlier, the castle was still covered in ice. It looked like the enchantment had worked and the seven of us they saw could easily have been out on patrol when the magic hit; just like you and I were that time when the sleeping spell was cast."

"So, hopefully the army won't be too large for us to handle. Are all the knights full awake?"

"Everyone is now," said Leon. "Every person, every area from tower to dungeon. It was as you said to Merlin, it took some time from the breaking of the spell for everything to return to normal."

"And that was very strange," said Elyan, "because you would have thought it would have either been instant or that everything would have gradually defrosted over time but, although the knights were mostly awake, everything else seemed frozen and then, suddenly, and hour after that fight, there was that strange light and the castle suddenly changed back." Merlin found it slightly annoying that only those that didn't know he had magic turned their questioning eyes towards him for his opinion. Lancelot, Gwen and Gwaine all kept their gaze turned down, fully aware that Merlin had left them announcing that he was going to find a way to break the spell and had quite obviously succeeded.

"I'm not really sure," he said as calmly as he could. "But, it was a very ancient curse and … complicated to understand. Gaius and I probably missed something."

"Well, that's not really important now," Arthur continued. "Anything else?"

"Ah yes," said Leon. "Some of the townspeople came to the gatehouse an hour ago with two prisoners they'd captured."

"Sorry?" asked Arthur. "They captured them?"

"Yes, it seems that these two were either scouts or were sent here on a mission to sneak into Camelot this morning whilst we were all still enchanted. I don't know what they had in mind but it couldn't have been good."

"They were probably protected with a spell and sent here so that they could just walk into Camelot unchallenged," said Merlin, pulling a face. "Thank goodness they didn't succeed – I hate to think what their orders had been."

"Probably to kill or kidnap me or Father," said Arthur. Merlin nodded his agreement.

"So, they just decided to overpower them? Not even knowing who they were?" asked Gwaine surprised.

"I'm not sure exactly," said Leon, "but the men said that these two scouts weren't able to get in because they had already lowered the portcullis earlier."

"Yes, I remember Merlin saying. Did you get these mens' names? They should be rewarded for their service to Camelot." Merlin was torn between pride and annoyance – His friends out there had indeed done very well, but still, there was little chance that any such reward would be coming his way.

"Well yes," Leon continued. "But, they said a whole group of them overpowered the scouts and that far more than that helped with the portcullis, including numerous women and children … a joint effort, I think."

"That is true, from what I saw," Merlin decided to admit. After all, he'd already told Arthur that he'd seen them lower it.

"Well, most of you were born commoners so, what do you think would be the best reward for the town?" Arthur asked.

"A reduction in taxes perhaps?" suggested Lancelot.

"A large feast for everyone," said Percival.

"With plenty to drink," Gwaine added with a broad grin.

"A day off," Merlin muttered. Arthur turned to him with a questioning look and he gave him a sly smile. "That's what I would ask for … you know, if there was any reason for me to be rewarded."

"Seeing how much running around he's done today, I think that's a good idea," said Leon and Merlin grinned at the tall knight, delighted that had been suggested by one of the Round Table that didn't know exactly how much he'd really achieved that day.

"Here, here …" said Gwaine raising a glass. Lancelot quietly copied the gesture whilst Arthur merely gave a grunt as a reply.

"Well then, assuming that we come out of this unscathed, I'll announce a day of celebration and they can all have a day off and as much food as they can eat."

"Don't forget the drink."

"Anyway, where are these two scouts now?" asked Arthur, unable to resist smiling at Gwaine's comment.

"In the dungeons. Do you wish to question them?" said Leon.

"Yes, I suppose I'd better had." Merlin hoped the men wouldn't mention anything about the magical shield they'd encountered on the gate. He wasn't sure how he could explain that one away.

"So Leon, I shall be relying on you to prepare the knights for battle this time around. " Arthur continued. "The rest of you, stick with him and take his advice. He knows what he's doing and you won't have a better teacher in the art of castle warfare." Leon simply bowed his head at the prince, but the pride at hearing these words of praise was quite obvious.

"Guinevere, you too have had enough experience of these things to help organise the other areas of the castle. Check supplies, arrange a hospital area, organise the servants?"

"Of course, Sire." The prince gave her a long hard look. "Ah … Arthur. Sorry." The prince had been insistent that there were to be no titles around this table. Leon and Gwen were finding it especially hard to adapt but Merlin had no problem, seeing he usually called Arthur by name anyway. Saying that, he thought the prince's equality rule would probably disappear very quickly if he started calling him clotpole during official meetings. He dropped his head to hide his grin at the thought.

"Right then," said Arthur, suddenly standing up. "You now all have you instructions. Complete those tasks and then try to get some rest tonight as tomorrow … we fight for Camelot."

~o~0~o~

Published Jan '11

Edited May '12