I hadn't slept, I was too busy making sure those bandits didn't come back and I realized how softly yet anxiously Merlin sleeps. It's an odd combination...
Several hours later we were back in Camelot, the ride back had been quiet because I didn't want to speak until we were in my chambers.
Once we made it to my chambers Merlin decided to take it upon himself to sit on my bed. "Comfortable are you?" I ask with slight amusement.
"What, this seems like it'll take a while, I'd rather be comfy, and your bed is comfy."
"How would you know? Have you been sleeping in my bed?"
"No, I can just tell with how much you snore and drool in your sleep when I come to wake you up." He grins mischievously at me, but I try to ignore it.
I sit next to him on my bed after I've taken my own boots off. "Merlin, have you ever lied to me?" I ask as I'm getting situated on the bed.
"Well that's a great way to start a conversation, and no. I have never lied to you. Have you ever lied to me?"
"Not unless I thought it necessary...I've heard...through what I believe to be a reliable source that you were...bullied in Ealdor when you were younger. How long did that go on for?"
"Until I came to Camelot."
"You answer it like it's no big deal..."
"Because it isn't. Not to me anyway. It somehow led me here where I've gained friends and not to mention a best friend who happens to be a prat. I'm grateful in a way. Being at odds with the people there is what made my mother send me to Gaius in the first place."
"So I've heard..." I mutter under my breath. "Can I ask you how long you've known Emrys for?"
"Well, I guess you could say I've known him since birth but I didn't know his name until I was in Camelot for some time."
"Wait...is he like a long lost relative or something?"
"No, nothing like that." He laughed in a way that seemed as if he knew something further than what he was letting on.
"Merlin..." Before I could ask anything else we both hear my door swing open.
"Your Majesty, Morgana is attacking once more. She's reached the lower town!"
"Ready the men, set twenty knights to guard the citadel, the rest to the lower towns we will be there shortly!"
He leaves and I quickly slip on my boots and grab Merlin's arm to drag him with me, despite the fact that I know he would follow me anyway.
When we reach the end of the stairs I see Gaius taking away more commoners. "Gaius, how many people are hurt?" Merlin asks.
"The last count was around fifteen commoners and three knights, some of which are children. Please be careful you two." He looked at us with sympathetic eyes as he took an injured woman inside.
"Merlin, go find more who are injured."
"No, I'm coming with you!"
"Do you ever do as you're told?" I shout at him and he smiles at me in response.
"Not when it involves leaving your side in the middle of battle."
I know I'm not going to get through to him...Emrys is right, he truly is stubborn. "Very well, just don't get hurt. I don't need to see more scars on you."
"No promises." We rush into battle together and we are fighting side by side. Somehow Merlin is holding his own with nothing but a large dagger. I notice he doesn't kill the opponents but merely injures them to the point where they can't fight. "I can see Gwaine, he's struggling. I'm going to go help him!" He shouts to me.
"Wait! Merlin!" Before I can grab him he's already rushed to Gwaine's side. They give each other a knowing look. Gwaine points ahead and Merlin runs to where he's pointing. 'I can't see him anymore, what if he gets another burn like the one Nimueh gave him?' I fight my way through the enemies and for the most part I've taken out a large portion and the knights are fighting well. I make it to Gwaine. "Where did Merlin go?" He shrugs his shoulders as he fights. "Don't lie to me I saw you point him somewhere, where is he!?"
"I told him there were more enemies in the forest, he went there by himself." He looks almost defeated.
I thank him and run towards the forest. He was right, there were many more enemies and I could see Morgana high up on a hill. Her once beautiful hair in an unmanageable state of disarray much like what used to be her gentle personality. I hear a large sound overhead and before I can say anything I see the same dragon from before. I run as fast as my legs will carry me and I come to a clearing. Merlin is talking with the dragon. 'The dragon did save his life once before. Perhaps it's done it again.'
Then I see the dragon fly off andI hear roaring behind me and the dragon is burning away all of Morgana's soldiers. "EMRYS WHERE ARE YOU! I ONLY KNOW OF ONE MAN THAT CAN CONTROL A DRAGON AND THAT'S YOU! COME AND FACE ME YOU COWARD!" She shouts, and I can hear all the anger, resentment, and fear that is embedded in every word.
"Arthur, what are you doing out here!?" I hear Merlin ask, practically breathless from running.
"I could ask you the same thing? Why were you talking with the dragon...the same dragon that I had killed?"
"Arthur I..." Before either of us knew it a ball of lightning was thrown at Merlin and he fell to the ground.
"Oops, seems I've missed. Have I harmed your pet, dear brother?"
Suddenly, Kilghara wrapped himself around Merlin and I. "You will not harm the Young Pendragon this day, witch!" He blows fire at her and she is knocked backwards as she seemingly tries to put a barrier up.
The next thing I know I go from ground, to air, to a mysterious cave in a freaking mountainside! "Kilghara what happened?" I ask the dragon as I hold my head that aches from trying to process everything.
"How is it you know my name young Pendragon?" He looks at me with what I can only guess is confusion mixed with amusement.
"I heard you and Emrys talking in the forest yesterday...well, I heard you...I didn't hear Emrys. I later dreamed about Emrys and he said your name was Kilghara."
"Ah, I see. You seem to be unusually calm about speaking with me. Not to mention I DID just bring you and Merlin to my den."
"Emrys also told me that you healed Merlin before...I don't think you'll harm him...will you?" I take my hand off of my head for a moment and look up at the great dragon, who then looked back at Merlin who was sleeping in pile of pillows and blankets which the dragons tail at encircled carefully.
"No, I will not harm Merlin. Your dreams about Emrys...do you know what they mean?"
"Something about being his soul mate, but in a brotherly way."
"That is exactly right."
"So you are friends with both Merlin and Emrys?" I ask as I try to change the subject.
"Emrys and I are not friends. We are more like Kin to one another."
"Hmm..." I look at Merlin and I grow more and more concerned. "Are you going to heal him."
"I can do that now, if you truly want that. However, I doubt he'll be too happy when he wakes up."
"Why would that make him mad?"
"You'll see." I watch as he blows a mystical kind of air onto Merlin, and then he lowly speaks, "Merlin, wake up."
Merlin stirs awake and holds his left shoulder in irritation. "Kilghara what happened? I was fighting alongside Arthur and then..."
"And then the witch blasted you with a spell of her own making. She was aiming for Arthur but you took the hit instead."
Merlin leaned back into Kilghara's tail. in relief. He seemed to not notice me. "Then I'm glad. She was there to kill him. When we talked earlier...do you truly believe I should tell him?"
"About the fact that your dreams and nightmares consist of your soul mate too? Why don't you ask him yourself." He turns to look at me and I see Merlin's eyes go wide.
"You brought him here!? Did you tell him anything?"
"Nothing that you're concerned about. Well, I'll leave the two of you to talk. I'll go fetch some food for the both of you. It will take Merlin a few days to fully recover."
The dragon left and Merlin sank into the large pile of pillows and blankets. "Merlin, you have a soul mate?"
"I can practically hear you laughing."
"Well, lets hear about her, I'm sure she's gorgeous!"
"It's a he and I haven't seen his face in my dreams. It's a brotherly soul mate thing as well so shut it."
"Do you know who he is in the real world?"
"Yes, and I'm not telling you. Ask me anything else please."
"How did you come to know Kilghara?"
Merlin flinched and my brows furrowed. "What's wrong?"
"Ask me something else."
"No, answer me."
"Don't get mad at me...I set him free...He taught me how to set him free...He had helped me in the past and this was the least I could do for him. He's the one who told me to go to the isle of the blessed."
"Y-you set him free?"
"Yes, and everyone who died...their blood is on my hands."
"No, they are on mine." Kilghara said as he returned with what looked to be roasted boar. "I was blinded by anger and hatred."
I watched as merlin stood up and walked over to the dragon with a limp. He reached out his hand to him. "It's both our faults, but it's in the past now. You don't need to worry about that." Merlin looked at me with guilt at the last thing he said.
"So, have you told him of your dreams?"
"No, you came back too fast." Merlin looked back at kilghara.
"If you don't tell him, I will." He blew smoke out his nose and into Merlin's face and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Fine, a recent dream I had was of the same man, cloaked in red and we were standing side by side and we were standing proud. It was peaceful and it felt free...it was one of the very few times I didn't have a nightmare. The man and I have been friends for a long time and this dream showed we would remain that way."
"And?" Kilghara added with irritation.
"And..." He looked up at kilghara, "Do I have to?"
I could visibly see the dragon mentally snap. "You, young warlock, are acting like a child."
"Young...warlock?" I look at Merlin, completely dumbfounded. "Merlin...are you...are you Emrys?"
Merlin seemed to sink into himself and I swear, I didn't know he could get any paler. "Just let me know what day my execution is, and please let me say goodbye."
'FUCKING REALLY!?' "YOU REALLY THINK THAT LITTLE OF ME AFTER EVERYTHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT EMRYS...YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND, BROTHER, AND APPARENTLY MY DESTINY. KILGHARA IS RIGHT, YOU ARE ACTING LIKE A CHILD!" I let out a breath after all my shouting but then something occurred to me. "Kilghara, is Merlin more powerful than Morgana?"
"A thousand times more powerful. He is and forever will be the most powerful creature of magic. He is destined to stand by your side forever and always as a friend, advisor, and brother. He is to help you unite the lands of Albion."
I look back at Merlin. I couldn't help the stupid smile on my face and the hysterical laughter that fell out. "Umm...Arthur?" I hear Merlin ask.
"You're more powerful than Morgana, you are the clumsiest person i know and you are more powerful than Morgana. Not only that but you have no desire for the throne despite the fact you could probably overtake the throne without much effort at all. You let me treat you like a servant..." My eyes went wide and he simply smiled at me.
"I'm happy to be your servant 'till the day I die."
"Wait...are you immortal?"
"To my understanding...Yes." He smiles at me again. "Unless a weapon forged in a dragon's breath runs through me."
"Where would such a weapon be? Could we use it to kill Morgana?" I heard Kilghara laughing. "What?"
"Excalibur was forged in my very breath Arthur. It was a gift from Merlin to you to help with the immortal army."
"This is going to be an interesting friendship from now on. Oh, and you are no longer my servant. I will make you a new position...something to do with magic..."
"Can I heal first?" Merlin laughed and i smiled.
"Yes, of course."