"That's your plan? Have you gone completely mad?"
"I don't see what your problem is." Arthur was completely overreacting, in my opinion. My plan was to bring Ygraine back to life, so that she could reign alongside her husband and son. Uther loved his wife dearly, and if my magic could bring her back, surely his attitude towards sorcerers and magic would soften.
"My problem, Merlin, is that you want to use magic to convince the King that his attitude towards said magic is wrong! He's not going to simply let you wander into the court and perform a few magic tricks to convince him that he's wrong! And anyway, even if he did welcome you back with open arms, there is no way that he would allow you to use magic to bring my mother back! It was magic that killed her, Merlin, unless you'd forgotten that!" Arthur's voice was laced with sarcasm, but I reluctantly admitted that he did have a point. If my plan had unnerved Arthur himself, how would Uther react? How would Ygraine, Queen of Camelot, react to being summoned back to the Land of the Living, when it was her living husband that had - albeit inadvertently - caused her death in the first place?
"Arthur, I have the power over Life and Death. I can choose who lives, and who dies." Of course, I understood that it wasn't as simple as that, but thought that Arthur was having enough trouble processing what I had already told him, without telling him the price that would need to be paid in order to fulfill my plan. However, it seemed that Arthur disagreed with this.
"At what price?" Arthur's gaze was fixed on mine.
"What do you mean?" I feigned ignorance, gulping slightly as I spoke, desperately trying not to give anything away.
Arthur rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I'm not an idiot Merlin, despite what you might think. Surely if you give life to somebody, some kind of exchange must be made, or price must be paid. 'A life for a life', isn't that the saying? Whose life would you give in return?"
"I don't know," I lied.
"Merlin," Arthur's voice changed tone, becoming menacing rather than confused. "You'd better not be thinking what I think you're thinking."
"How would I know what you're thinking? I'm magic, not psychic."
"Don't try and be smart, Merlin, it doesn't suit you. You're planning on giving your own life to bring Ygraine back, aren't you? Well, aren't you?" I didn't answer immediately. I didn't want to lie to Arthur, but the truth would do me no favours either. "Answer me!" Arthur demanded an answer, so I finally yielded and gave him one. Unfortunately, it was not the one that he wanted to hear.
"Yes, fine, alright!" I admitted. "I am willing to give my life to bring back your mother." Arthur opened his mouth to protest, but I raised my hand to silence him. "I firmly believe that Ygraine is the only person who can change Uther's attitude towards magic. Uther didn't know that the sorceress Nimueh would sacrifice Ygraine's life for yours, and has blamed himself for it ever since! So, if the work of another sorcerer can right this wrong, then I honestly believe that this action, alongside Ygraine's encouragement, may be enough to soften Uther's heart and allow magic back into the kingdom."
"Yes, 'may' be enough. Not 'will' be enough. Even if you could guarantee that it would definitely work, I still couldn't let you do it, Merlin!"
His concern was touching, and it was in this moment that I realised the true depth of Arthur's loyalty to me, to our friendship, but in my heart I knew that my plan was the only way to stop the persecution that I had seen. Uther could not possibly continue to punish sorcerers for possessing and using magic if the reason for his hatred of them was removed. Could he? "If it is the only way to stop my kind being hunted, or living in fear, then I have to try. You'd do anything to save the people of Camelot if it was within your power. I already possess the power to save my people, my fellow sorcerers, from being persecuted, and so I'll use it."
Arthur did not speak for a while, obviously trying to think of an alternative plan, or failing that, an alternative sacrifice. I already knew that there wasn't one, but waited patiently for him to come to the same conclusion. Finally, he spoke, breaking the silence.
"I can't allow you to do this, Merlin. Believe me when I say that I will find a way of stopping you sacrificing your life for my father's mistakes. At the minute, however, I am willing to concede that we do need to return to Camelot. It's where this problem began, and it's where it'll end." I nodded, unwilling to argue with Arthur any more at present. "The only question is, how can we get you back into Camelot without you being killed on sight? The Knights will still be looking for you. They won't mind the return of their Prince, but the return of an outlawed sorcerer might not go down as well."
An idea formed in my mind. "Consider it done." I grinned, and then began to mutter the spell that would significantly change my appearance. I figured by now that everybody had forgotten about Dragoon, and that even if they hadn't, nobody would be looking for an old man when Uther was obsessed with finding a young sorcerer.
"Miht dagan, beþecce me. Adeadaþ þisne gast min freondum ond min feondum"
"You're..." Arthur pointed at me, belatedly realising my secret identity.
I croaked my response. "Dragoon the Great, at your service."
Authors Note: I do not own the spells used. I have not created them. They are taken from the 'Spells' section of the Merlin Wiki website.