Hello Readers! Hope you had a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year! So today I was writing and I realized that I haven't actually updated in ages even though I've been writing! So here it is and I warn you I watching some period drama whilst writing some of this so the language is a bit Pride and Prejudice at some points! As well as not owning P&P I also don't own Merlin.

Percival's POV

"Hey." My voice breaks as I approach Balinor and I can feel Lance at my side. He doesn't acknowledge me and I press closer to him. He's sitting on a log with his back to us right on the crest of the hill we found him and Merlin earlier. "Balinor?" Shit his body is shaking!

"I've killed my own daughter... I never even spoke to her and... Now SHE'S DEAD! I KILLED MY OWN FUCKING DAUGHTER!" He's crying... I never seen Balinor Calidonius cry or lose control like this and I've known Balinor for a long time. Since we were children in fact but he's always managed to stop himself from going over the edge- even during the purge- but now the unbreakable man is breaking.

Lance moves to comfort the hysterical man but I throw out an arm to stop him from approaching the volatile Dragonlord. I stand beside him just out of his reach and look down at the broken man. "Ambrosia loves you."

He doesn't respond for a moment. "If Ambrosia truly loved me she would've told me I have a child… or had… I don't know any more Percy! All my kin are dead! Kilgharrah is trapped! And my own daughter is dead before I ever got to know her."

"Balinor Merlin isn't dead yet. You still have a chance to become a proper her father to her and as for Kilgharrah… I can't predict the future but I know you Balinor you're… strong-willed and powerful. You'll save Kilgharrah."

"I'm the one who put him there Percival. I betrayed him."

"What?" Wait, how did Uthur get a dragon under his castle?

"Uthur came to me before the final battle. He told me he didn't want to harm me because of our friendship, or former friendship."

"He didn't have such qualms with everybody else." I manage to grind out.

"You didn't have something he wanted. Uthur told me that if I ordered the Great Dragon underneath Camelot and I agreed to take the boat France he'd got for me he would leave the other Dragons and dragonlords alone."

"But the final battle happened anyway. Uthur claimed you were dead." I sit down beside him and watch his face crumble. "He lied."

"And my kind paid the price for it. I let Uthur take advantage of our former friendship and took him at his word. Now I've lost Ambrosia and Merlin." Tears are falling down his face and I reach out a hand and grip his arm comfortingly. "What do I do next, Percival?"

"Well the first thing you can do is talk to Ambrosia, she loves you and you love her, I'm pretty sure you can figure this all out."

"What if we can't? What if she actually loves Freya's father? Whoever the hell that is! What if there are more secrets?" He's finally looking at me his eyes wide with panic.

"I don't know who Freya's father is; in all honesty I thought she was yours. But I do know that Ambrosia loves you and that Freya's father means nothing to her compared to you."

I distantly hear Lance approaching but avoid looking and instead keep my eyes fixed on Balinor willing him to believe me. "I think we better get back to camp before it gets dark and the others start to worry."

Balinor's gaze turns to Lancelot. "Lancelot, you know Merlin don't you?" Lance nods warily a pained look on his face. "What is she like?"

"Clumsy, determined, kind and reckless." A fond grin comes to my friend's face. "When I first came to Camelot she forged a seal of nobility for me so that could fulfil my dream of becoming a knight of Camelot. Then when a griffin attacked she enchanted my mace right in front of mine and a load of unconscious knight's eyes. Thought I wouldn't notice even though I heard her yelling and saw the lance alight with a blue flame." Lance lets out a weak chuckle and so do I.

"Like father like daughter." Balinor replies with a sad smile.

We stay in companionable silence for a moment until I get up and pull Balinor up with me. "Lance is right we better get back to camp." With that we leave the hill and I feel the small imprint of magic and I smile as I realise its Merlin's. Somehow it feels like a sign that because her magic is still alive so is she and that little spark gives me hope for the poor girl.

Kara's POV

I like my new cloak I've decided, the colour suits me and it's warm against the cold night temperatures. I don't normally mind these night time rendezvous with the High Priests however by his message it sounds like its business not pleasure. Shame really this cloak would've made a good blanket…

"Camelot red…how very fitting." Gods he has a sexy voice. I turn to face him smirking as I catch a glimpse of his dark curls and chiselled features.

"It was a gift from a very kind noble woman. She was considerate enough to think that I would be cold coming to meet you and gave this to me."

"Gave? That doesn't sound like your style."

I let out a cold chuckle and smile. "You know me too well, Old friend."

"And yet still we're friends." He takes a step towards me and my whole body feels excited by his close proximity.

I take a step closer eager to close the gap and make good use of my lovely new cloak. "I like to think that we're more than that, My Lord."

He raises an eyebrow and I see something new in him. "Sorry Kara. I thought I told you that that wasn't the purpose of this little meeting."

I pout and slump back exaggeratedly. "Well somebody is no fun. What's the matter Camelot affecting you already?"

"Actually I have a beautiful wife waiting back at the castle." Oh so that's it…

"Well poor little me, I'll just have to find another person to share this gorgeous cloak with." As I speak I wrap it more around myself, it really is freezing for the time of year!

"Well as important as that is I need you in Camelot." I hate it when his oh-so-sexy goes all serious and commanding.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea. The last time we lived in the same place for over a week twelve people died."

He laughs reluctantly. "Well you did kill them."

"They tried to kill me first!" I smile wickedly. "Anyway what do you need me in Camelot for? Is your new wife not very good in bed?"

He scowls at my smirking face but other than that ignores my last question. "There's a Lord in Camelot who's getting under my feet. I need you to neutralise him."

"How would you like me to that then?" Sword? Crossbow? Magic? Flying dagger through the window?

"I don't want you to kill him obviously, that would get people asking questions, I just need some eyes and ears to get enough information for me to stop him getting anywhere with his schemes."

"Ah espionage old friend, it's been a while!" Wait will I have to get rid of my new cloak?

"Yes I've arranged the position of Lady Blackwood's maid for you. Seduce him I don't care but keep me informed of any moves he may take to get the throne."

"Subservient isn't really my style you know." Really he should know.

"Well you have until tomorrow morning to make it your style." With that he disappears out of the woods with a swish of his cloak. Darn that sexy bastard, he never lets me get the last word in.

Ambrosia's POV

The girl I'm cradling in my arms is a mystery to me but somehow being with her whilst she weeps feels natural. I want to know her and I want to help her but I can't because even I don't have the power to heal Merlin, this is a magical sleep which I feel only she can wake herself up from. I don't understand it and I've never seen it before but then again my little bird never followed convention. My little bird…. No I must stay strong for Morgana and the Old Religion itself. I swallow my tears and harshly remind myself. A Grieving High Priestess is not a wise one.

I'm about to voice words of comfort when I feel another magical presence; I turn to see Morgause walking cautiously towards the pair of us. "What's happened?"

Her stance is wary but her face has softened and I see a glimmer of Merlin's insatiable curiosity glint in her rich brown eyes. The thought of my youngest daughter brings long held tears to my eyes and I blink furiously to quash them. "Merlin is in a dead sleep."

"What? How did that happen?" Morgause approaches us however Morgana suddenly pulls herself out of my hold.

"I'm going to see her. Arthur be damned I can't wait any longer." With that she runs over to Merlin's tent long inky black tresses flowing behind her.

"Is she ok?" I watch Morgana enter the tent and I almost follow before holding myself back. Morgana needs time alone to come to terms with this and with her volatile magic it's more important she sees Merlin before me.

"How ok would you be if Mordred was in a dead sleep?" A curious look passes across her face but I save it for inspection later and continue. "We need to prepare dinner for when they all get back."

"Why where have they gone?" One thing I've learnt about Morgause is she dislikes cooking; she gets that from her father.

"I don't know Morgause but I have a feeling they are all going to be very hungry when they get back." Wrenching my eyes away from my youngest child's tent I start preparing some meat the boys brought earlier. Morgause sits beside me and silently we prepare a small stew with my eyes constantly flitting to the silent tent.

Gwen's POV

I've decided I really don't like this Kara person who suddenly appeared this morning and this is partly because every time Mordred and I pass her in the corridor she looks at my husband like a piece of meat. I kid you not every single time she walks past our chambers she's trying to get a peek at Mordred without a shirt! Mordred told me he would talk to her and not to worry but I am because there is something predatory in her eye that makes me want to get my claws out. In truth I do need to calm down and stay rational so I'm heading to the trainings fields to work out my anger.

My favourite blade is still on the rack because not many knights favour a shorter, lighter blade such as it is. The knights all look at me slightly perturbed but not alarmed at my regular appearance on their training fields. Many have told Mordred how my presence displeases them but my husband waved away their complaints and told them that it would be 'no shame for my skills to be seen and shame on him if he hid my talent and that he would never leave me in the danger of not being able to defend myself'. It's times when he says things like that that I remember just how much I love my husband and reminds me when pretty handmaidens are snooping around that he loves me too.

I out the blade from the rack and feel the light weight in my hand. "You favour a lighter sword, my lady?"

I look up to see Kara herself studying me intently as if she doesn't know what to make of me. "Yes as a matter of fact. The style I use is more about speed and fluidity than raw strength alone."

"A wise tactic my lady, especially with your petite frame, however have you tried a longer blade? I always find that when you have the height disadvantage a longer blade can prove most beneficial."

"You have extensive knowledge on weaponry, I can see. How did you come by such knowledge? I find it rare that any woman in Camelot should know the difference between a sword and a dagger." I smile kindly at the girl, as much as she has been annoying me; it is nice to have another woman to talk about anything other than embroidery and men.

"I had a great teacher." She says it nonchalantly enough but there is a knowing half smirk on her face that puts me on edge. "And I agree with you there I have been here but half a day as Lady Blackwood's maidservant but the ladies if the court have very unvaried conversations."

"I wouldn't advise to let them hear you speak so about them- I wouldn't want you to lose your job over something so silly." I find myself genuinely meaning this and the smile on my face isn't forced. Kara seems a nice, funny and honest young woman even if she does seem to have a crush on my husband. I know Mordred is loyal to me and now I've spoken to Kara I feel I can trust her enough not to actually pursue him. Plus I'm lonely and I could really do with some female company that aren't looking at me with blatant disapproval or envy. I suddenly have an idea and grab another light blade from the rack. "Here." I pass the sword to her and she takes it confidently.

"My lady?" A thin eyebrow is raised in question.

"Oh nonsense call me Gwen or at least Guinevere! Sometimes it's nice to hear my own name. And come on Kara were going to have a light spar."

"We are Lady Guinevere?" She throws her blade from one hand to the other feeling it's weight in her hands.

"Yes. All the knights won't fight me because I'm a woman and Mordred isn't here so I'd be sparring against a wooden dummy. That is if you are not too busy with your chores for Lady Blackwood?"

"No I have time I am just surprised you want to train with me. All the ladies I've met so far barely acknowledge my presence let alone speak to me and seek my company."

"Yes well only a short time ago I was a handmaiden or a lady of court so I understand it more than you would think!"

Her eyebrows rise and her jaw drops ever so slightly. "You were a handmaiden? I thought for sure that you would be from one of the more wealthy and influential families."

"Why on earth would you think that?" Really I have no idea I haven't acted like a noble woman in the short space of time I've been one.

She looks slightly flustered for a moment and I frown at her anxiousness. "You just give off a stately air from you that makes all those around you listen."

I clear my throat at her compliment and laugh slightly with a sudden thought. "I don't think any of the ladies of the court would agree with you there!" I angle my head to indicate the training field. "So are we going or not?"

She smiles and gestures with her sword for me to lead the way. "I'm free and this sounds like fun."

"Great!" I smile broadly leading her onto the training field.

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