Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin or Angel the Series
Author's Note: In the show, the only time they ever refer to religion is when they talk about the 'old religion', which Uther got rid of when he banned magic. Given when the story is set, I've decided to take some liberties with the show and say that Christianity is what they follow in Camelot right now, because I find it hard to believe that they'd all be a bunch of nonreligious people, or atheists.
Thanks to my beta, deitclast
The Ruins of My Kingdom To Come
By Alkeni
Chapter 4: Camelot
"The shell has memories of this 'Camelot' and an associated King, named Arthur." Illyria said as they left the forest. They had been surprisingly close to edge of the forest, when Prince Arthur had stumbled upon them. "But she imagined them to be little more than legends, with perhaps a small bit of truth, but not so much as things seem to show now."
"Camelot, Arthur, and the whole lot are indeed part of a cycle of legends and myths about post-Roman Britain, during the so-called 'Dark Ages'. However, there is a lot more truth to the legends than most people understand. Unfortunately, I'm only familiar with a few details about this stage of Arthur's life. His latter reign is far better documented and understood."
"The boy, his servant. Merlin. That name is given to the old wizard in all the stories. Is that part false?"
"Not in the least. Merlin was never older than Arthur, but he was indeed a powerful wizard." Arthur was in earshot, but fortunately for the aforementioned servant, they were speaking modern English, rather than anything the Prince could understand.
"Then why does he lower himself as servant to this one?" She gestured to Arthur. "I can smell his magic."
"The edict banning magic laid down by King Uther no doubt is part of the reason." Wesley replied. "Beyond that, I don't know. By the time the historical record possesses some clarity and depth in terms of the details, Merlin is the official Court Sorcerer to Arthur, and the ban on magic was no longer in force."
"This edict. The punishment for a violation is death?" Wesley nodded. "A petty fool trying to control and destroy what he does not understand." Illyria pronounced her judgment on Uther, without even meeting him. Completely unsurprising. Frankly, however, Wesley had to agree with her assessment of the man.
"Be that as it may, we cannot afford to antagonize him at this time. At least not for a while. So perhaps keep your comments to yourself?"
Illyria was at him in an instant, hand on his collar. "I warned you about giving advice, Qwa'ha Xahn." She let go of him a moment later, then resumed following Arthur.
Wesley looked away from her as he too followed the Prince. They made their way to Camelot, a journey of at least an hour, in silence.
AtS-Merlin-AtS-Merlin-AtS-Merlin-AtS-Merlin-AtS-Me rlin-AtS-Merlin
Gasping, Morgana started awake, eyes snapping open. Fear overran the young noblewoman for a moment, pulsating through her, before she realized where she was. She forced herself to take deep breaths, eyes darting around the room, taking in the familiar surroundings that were her chambers.
She'd been sitting there, in her chambers, reading...she hadn't even realized she'd drifted off, into sleep until...
The nightmare...she remembered it all too vividly, just like all the others. It had been less...less clear, than some... scattered flashes, bits and pieces of larger events. A woman in...strange, red armor, blue hair...another woman, long blonde hair, a cruel look in her eyes...
And the magic. Both of them were using it, fighting eachother...
Morgana shook her head violently. She stood up and walked over to her window, raising the curtain to look out into the courtyard, trying to avoid thinking about the nightmare. That's all it was. Just a nightmare. Just a nightmare.
She saw Arthur and Merlin enter the courtyard...
She let the curtain fall as she staggered back, only staying on her feet by managing to grab onto her bedpost at the last minute.
Because Arthur and Merlin weren't the only ones to enter the courtyard. Two more people had followed them.
And one of them was the same blue-haired woman she'd just seen in her nightmare.
It was happening again...no...please, God, no...
AtS-Merlin-AtS-Merlin-AtS-Merlin-AtS-Merlin-AtS-Me rlin-AtS-Merlin
Wesley wrinkled his nose a moment as they neared Camelot. Mentally, he chastised himself for not thinking that this would happen when they got there to the city. Indoor plumbing was of course practically unheard of for most people in this time and place, and that only led to one of the many stenches that permeated the city, wafting towards him.
The former watcher had smelled worse things – more than one species of demon made the smell he was smelling now seem like fragrant roses by comparison, but since working at Wolfram and Hart, there hadn't been as many instances of that.
Plus, the source of the smell hadn't been as large as an entire city. He looked at Merlin and Arthur. Unsurprisingly, neither of them seemed to react to the smell. No doubt well used to it. He was, however, surprised to see no reaction from Illyria. Wesley looked at her, raising an eyebrow.
"The smell of this city is hardly worse than what I smelled in Wolfram and Hart, and Los Angeles."Illyria answered, as if reading his thoughts.
"I find that hard to believe, Illyria." Wesley replied.
"Your senses, all of them, are not as mine. All humans possess an unpleasant smell. The difference between this city and Los Angeles, then, is minimal, for my senses."
They reached the Gate, and Wesley watched as the guards stepped aside for Arthur, and consequently, for them. Illyria looked around the city as they entered what was obviously the Lower Town. Wesley followed their guide, watching his step carefully.
"Pitiful. And this one's father calls himself a King of this ?" Her expression turned into a very human-like sneer. "This is nothing."
"The domain that Uther rules is more than just this city, Illyria." Wesley pointed out.
"Irrelevant. If this is his capital...my army could have taken this in a matter of hours."
"Your army was demons. The most Uther is likely to face is an army from one of the neighboring kingdoms. From that perspective, these walls are quite impressive." He gestured. "And the walls around the castle even more so. This is just the lower town."
"The castle is only marginally better."
"Of course you would think that." Wesley pointed out.
Illyria didn't respond, and when she spoke again a minute later, she had changed the topic completely. "When we reach this King Uther, and stand before him, I shall allow you to speak for me. Such an audience is beneath by dignity, clearly." She looked with disdain at her surroundings.
"Yet you spoke to Arthur directly."
"The young Prince possess a surprising amount of merit. He is, in his own right, a Champion, like the half-breed Angel. It is less objectionable to speak with one of such standing."
"He is a Champion of the Powers that Be?" Now that was a surprise.
"Not necessarily a Champion of those beings in particular, but he is a Champion none the less. The approval or support of the ephemeral beings you refer to as the Powers is generally useless, as your own experiences would seem to support."
"The Powers that Be were not useless..." He paused a moment. "Not entirely, until the whole mess with the Beast and Jasmine, anyway..."
"So they were only useful except when they were most needed. My point stands." Illyria replied cooly.
Wesley looked away from her, refusing to concede her point. At least not where she could hear him. Too much of him had to agree with her, and that bothered him.
"Your silence speaks volumes, Wesley." Illyria said cooly.
"I see you've mastered the clever turn of phase. It doesn't make you correct. But arguing with a being of your ego would be like trying to run away while standing at the event horizon of a black hole. Futile, to say the least."
"The size and power of my ego, as you call it, is commensurate to my ability and merit. If, to use your terminology and phrasing, my ego is oversized, then it is only because my ability is equally outsized compared to yours and that of your fellow humans." They were led into the castle, the halls lined with tapestries and suits of armor. Two more guards in front of a set of double doors later, and they were in the throne room.
The King wore a simple gold crown, unadorned by jewels or elaborate embellishments. It was not the crown of a vain, useless king, but the crown of a king who, despite whatever flaws he might have, took his job seriously. His clothing was much the same. No doubt he had more elaborate clothing for official functions and the like, but at the moment, he was wearing simple, if well made clothing, a short black coat topping the look off.
"Father." Arthur said as he walked in. Merlin stepped more distinctly to the side, looking marginally more subservient.
The King, Uther, looked up from the scroll he was looking over. He managed to maintain a fairly unfazed expression when he saw Illyria and her abnormal hair color. All Wesley saw him do, anyway, was raise a single eyebrow. "Visitors?"
"Indeed." Arthur nodded. "This is the Lady Illyria," He gestured, "And her guide, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce."
"Lady?" Uther raised an eyebrow. "You claim to be a noblewoman? Forgive me if I'm skeptical, given your appearance and attire."
"I do not need to simply claim what is a fact, Uther King." Illyria said pointedly, crossing her arms. "My nobility and title stretch back farther than your imagination can comprehend." Her tone was icy without too much condescension, but just enough to raise the King's ire. Just a little, anyway.
"You dare speak to me like that? In my throne room no less?" Uther's voice was not raised, but more...surprised.
Wesley took this opportunity to bow and clear his throat. "Your majesty..." His voice trailed off as he got a good second look at the King. Dear god, he looks...it is indeed a good thing Rupert Giles isn't here. Shaking his head just a little, he rose and spoke. "Please, forgive milady's manners. She is...unused to the customs of this land. And she...extremely self-confident-"
"Something I can quite easily tell."
Wesley forced himself to chuckle nervously. "Well, yes. But I do hope you do not hold her lack of tact against her."
"We shall see. Tell me. From where do you come? Why are you here?"
"We hail from a domain called Los Angeles, far to the south. And as to why we are here, I am afraid that I lied to your son, just a little." Before Arthur could cut in, or Uther could say anything, Wesley continued. With any luck, he could play on Uther's hatred for magic and parlay that into the ability to stay here, in Camelot, for some time.
Whatever else he was, and whatever else happened to him, Wesley was and always had been a man who was insatiable in his pursuit of knowledge and information. And here was a golden opportunity to learn something that even the Watchers Council knew little about. The events of Uther's reign and, with any luck, the early years of Arthur's. While he would never be able to give these records to the Council in his own timeline, he could make the records now, for the future, whatever it happened to be. Though history would be changing, as it were, by Illyria's presence. She would be no passive observer of all events, that much was true. Still, even then, he could be at the edge of great events, eyewitness to the new history she would shape.
"It is true that we did have a larger party, and possessed real supplies, and that our supplies were lost and the rest of Lady Illyria's retainers slaughtered when we were set upon by bandits. However, I told your son that the reason we were so far from Los Angeles was because my Lady desired to visit distant lands, and nothing more. In fact, the truth is far darker. We have come this far from our homeland in flight from a terrible foe."
Uther sat up in his throne a little more, shifting just a bit. "What sort of terrible foe?"
"Los Angeles has long been threatened by a trio of powerful, evil sorcerers known only as The Wolf,The Ram, and The Hart. However, the Lady Illyria and her ancestors have been able to keep them at bay for that time. Unfortunately, a few months ago, that all changed, when a close ally betrayed the Lady for wealth and power from the Wolf, Ram and Hart. Though she fought as long as she could against them, eventually, it was not enough, and we were overwhelmed, the city left in ruins by the sorcerers. My lady took her surviving, loyal retainers, and we fled. The Wolf, Ram and Hart have sent none after us, content, it seems, with their victory in Los Angeles."
Illyria transferred a glare to Wesley as he told his tale, the suggestion that the Senior Partners could defeat her an assault on her pride. Even more so because, in her current state, it was more than true. "Wesley-" She started
Wesley cut her off. "There is no reason to lie, My lady, and every reason to tell King Uther the truth. We are refugees, fleeing from the evils of sorcery. And we have, it seems, come here fortuitously, Uther King."
"And refuge you shall have. An enemy of sorcery is a friend of Camelot." Uther said after only a moment's consideration.
Thank God for petty, small minded hatred.