Thank you so much for the reviews.

Okay, to clarify a few things, mainly the events that happen at the end of the last story. Uther stabbed Balinor and then taunted Merlin. In his anger, Merlin sent the Camelot side flying with his magic, including Uther. Uther just happened to hit his head on a rock, and the blunt force trauma killed him.


Chapter 2

Arthur could hear everything that was being said inside the tent. He could hear as his father's, now his, council spoke about him being too close to the Drugonian Prince and how Balinor's spell hasn't worn off just yet, them saying that it was dark magic that was used.

"Leon?" Arthur said.

"Yes, Sire."

"As a friend, do you believe that I am enchanted?"

"Sire..." Leon started.

"Please Leon."

"Before you left, I had a feeling that you wouldn't bring Morgana back to Camelot. I believe that in your time in Drugonia, you have made your own mind up. You have now seen both sides of the argument. Sire, Arthur, I will respect any decision you make. I will always follow you."

Arthur smiled. "Thank you, Leon. You don't know how comforting it is to know that."

He took a deep breath before he pushed open the flaps of the tent. The tent fell silent immediately before a chorus of Sires. Arthur wondered whether they knew that he had heard every word of what they just said or not. Had they spoken about his father like that? What had they said about his father behind his back?

He walked around the table and took his place at the head. He cleared his throat.

"My lords. My father called this war, a war I doubt that you wanted. I know from Prince Merlin that Drugonia never wanted this war. As we are both the new heads of our respective kingdoms, we have made a decision about how we are going to move forward. From this moment, we are no longer at war with Drugonia."

The tent came alive with mummers of disagreement.

"Sire, your father went to war for a good reason. The men have come far. They want to fight."

"And I won't be leading them. You will have to find some other fool who would lead a fight against a kingdom that only wants peace. Merlin and I have agreed that this war is over and that we are going to return back to our respective kingdoms and mourn our fallen kings before anything else is done. After that mourning period, Merlin will come to Camelot and we will come to some agreement on the mess that my father has made."

"But Sire..."

"I will not go to war with Merlin and Drugonia. Do I make myself clear?"

Arthur didn't mean to raise his voice, especially at his first council meeting, but he knew that they wouldn't listen if he didn't. He looked at all of their faces and wondered if this first meeting had shown what type of king he was going to be.

Was he going to have a council that thought that he was incapable of doing his job properly?


Merlin walked towards his normal spot on the council and had almost sat down when the councillor in front of him cleared his throat. He looked up at him and the councillor gestured with his head where Merlin should have been. Merlin looked at the spot where his father should be before standing back up and moving to that spot.

He allowed his hands sweep over the arms of the chair to the back of it before he pulled it out and sat down. He looked down the table at the men that had served and advised his father for so many years. He wondered whether the same nervous feeling filled his father as he went to say his first words.

"The war is over," Merlin said. He took a shaky breath before he continued. "Arthur and I have been talking and we have agreed that it would be best if we returned home to mourn our losses. In the morning, Arthur and I will make this official. We will sign a temporary peace agreement before returning home. I will call the dragons soon after to take … my father's body home." He hesitated. "And Uther's. It was my suggestion. Obviously back to Camelot."

"Of course. I would guess that they have similar customs to us. The fresher the body, the better."

Merlin would admit that all this talk about bodies was making him feel uncomfortable. It was probably because he was still unsettled about the idea that his father was dead.

"Arthur and I have no desire to fight each other and, like me, I doubt that he wants the first part of his reign to be overlooked because of war. This will bring peace. I know that I can form an alliance with Arthur. I know that we can have a great friendship between our kingdoms. We will create peace and a golden age. I know it."

"Sire, we are here to advise and serve. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we doubt that we will be advising you quite so much. You seem to have quite a level head."

The tent came alive with agreement. Merlin sighed before he smiled. He had always been worried that he might not be able to do a good job of being king but maybe, with this first council meeting, he would.


Merlin knew that they could call him soon but the council meeting had barely ended when he was summoned. He wanted to go and see Morgana but made his way towards the dragons. He knew that they wouldn't leave him alone until they had said what they wanted to say. He might as well get it over and done with now, rather than leaving it till later.

"I was going to call you in the morning," Merlin said, a little gratefully that he didn't have to try out his newfound skill soon.

"We know, our king. We knew about your plans before you had made them. Although I fear that I must inform you that you would be making a mistake if you returned home to Drugonia."

Merlin creased his brow as he looked up in confusion. "What?"

"Your place isn't in Drugonia but in Camelot. There are many in Camelot that have been brainwashed by Uther and that will push Arthur into making decisions that he shouldn't make. Even with his change in attitude and mind, he will struggle more than you ever will. With no one to guide him, every plan that you have made will be for nothing. Your father would have died for nothing. Arthur will turn into Uther and Albion will be lost. He needs someone to guide him."

"Do you always do doom and gloom?" Merlin asked. "I mean, I am in no place to guide him. I have little idea on to how to rule a kingdom. I am new to this as well. I probably know as much as Arthur does. I just have had a better role model."

"Your mother will look after Drugonia in your absence."

"Is this really a no argument thing? I am going to Camelot whether I like it or not."

"It is. You need to be in Camelot. And I would keep Le Fay as close to you as possible or otherwise, her few months in Drugonia would be for nothing. The battle might be over here before it even started but the battle for Le Fay's soul has only just begun. Beware, Young Warlock, more is at stake here than you realise."

Merlin didn't even try and keep him there as he flapped his wings and flew off.