"Just trust me. It is for the better." he added, before he disappeared out of the room.

He strode down the hallway with quick steps, rounding a corner as his heart was pounding rapidly in his chest. He did not regret letting that girl leave, however he dreaded what may happen as a result of his decision. It was too late now anyways, he could not change what had been done, nor did he want to do so. There was now a burning question in his mind that he needed answered. What were the contents of those letters, and why had his counterpart gone to such an extent in hiding them where they would not be found? Were they personal letters or political ones? Exactly what was this secret he had been trying to keep?

He found himself striding down the hallway again, setting his course towards his chambers with quick and determined steps. He passed the dining room, finding that dinner was already being served, however he had no interest in that. His body craved sustenance, but his mind demanded answers. He dodged a few individuals whom were heading down the hall, dismissing their attempts at conversing with him with a quick "Don't have the time, sorry."

The door was swiftly shut behind him, and with a mutter of a word he locked the door. He couldn't bother to find the key, and he did not want anyone walking in on him right now.

He dragged the nightstand aside, recklessly knocking a few objects off the piece of furniture, but he did not necessarily mind that right now. The stone slab was quickly removed, shoved off to the side before he reached into the hole and retrieved the small stack of bound letters. His position shifted so that his back was leaning against the wall. His fingers grasped at the string, fumbling lightly as he untied the knot. Five letters in total, and all of them looked as if they had been opened, except one. Perhaps he hadn't have had the time to read it, before the switch took place.

He held his breath as he grasped a hold of the letter at the bottom of the stack, glancing towards the broken wax. He eventually unfolded the letter, allowing his gaze to scan over the contents of the page.

"Merlin.

I thank you for your letter. I wish that I would have been able to get to know you, but I understand why that could not be. I wish that things could have been different, but I will still not involve myself in the feud between The Sanctuary and Camelot. I made my choice, and i am thankful that you've respected that decision, despite the opinions of your peers. You know as well as I that dragons are not meant to be used as weapons of war, and I am proud that I can call you my son. I have managed to settle down, and I am surprised that your letter managed to reach my residence. Camelot has not pursued me, nor have any soldiers from the Sanctuary, which is something I have to thank you for. My face not being well known and the fact that I am assumed to be dead in both places allows me the pleasure of living without fear, and with dignity, so do not worry for me, my son.

You made your own choice and followed your heart, and that makes me proud. Your mother raised you well, and you remind me of her. The news of her passing places a heavy burden upon my heart, and I wish that I could have supported you through your pain. Perhaps one day I will be able to live as your father, and watch over you as a father should, but until that day I hope that we can continue to exchange letters.

I realise the risks involved, but I am willing to take those risks in order to keep in contact with you, my son.
I wish you the best of luck in the time to come.
Balinor"

He could hardly believe his eyes. He found himself reading over the parchment repeatedly, confusion filling his entire being. His father was still alive, but the dragon had said that he had been killed in cold blood. Kilgarrah had lied to him, but why would he do such a thing? He still had his dragon lord powers as well. He had commanded Kilgarrah, and he had been forced to obey. But his father had still been alive in this world. The closed letter meant that he had received it recently. His father must still be alive, even now. Did this mean that his abilities had transferred with him? It had to mean that, for it could not mean anything else.

It sounded like his father had been pressured into turning Kilgarrah against Camelot, but that he had refused. Why? How? and by who? It sounded like he had staged his fathers death somehow, and then spread the word until it reached Camelot as well. There was nothing evil about his counterpart. He was only misguided. He hadn't killed his father, but instead helped him escape with his life, and at the same time kept him from being hunted any longer. But by doing that, he had made himself sound like a corrupted and power-hungry monster to the rest of the world.

He fumbled after the second letter, unfolding the parchment to read the contents.

"Merlin.

I have been well. I have found work in the fields of one of the nearby farms. It is hard, but honest work, and I find that the locals have been warming up to me some more after I got more involved with their daily affairs. Leading a life secluded from people for such a long time creates some habits and mannerisms that are hard to break, but interacting with them has been getting easier and easier for each passing day. Life is simple here, but I would not wish for more. Simple is perfect, and just what I need.

I am overjoyed to hear of these rumours, and I would gladly investigate wether or not they are true. A dragon egg hidden away somewhere. This warms my heart, for this means that Kilgarrah might not be the last of his kind. If these rumours prove to be true, then it is my duty to retrieve the egg and call forth the dragon. I will write to you when I learn more.

Are you doing well, my son? You do not write much about how you are doing, and I wish to know more about you and the life you are living. How are things, and what is The Sanctuary truly like? I wish to learn about the place you built, even though my initial experience with the place was not the best.
Take care of yourself, my son.
Balinor"

Aithusa. His counterpart had told his father about Aithusa. Had she been found and hatched? He couldn't help but to smile with fondness as he read these letters. He had a relationship with his father in this world, even though it had to be kept a secret from the rest of the world. His counterpart had managed to keep so many of loved ones alive in this world, but he was misguided, and his ideals were twisted. But even then, with these twisted ideals, he was just like him, and he stayed true to his heart. Something must have been really pushing him towards the edge prior to the switch, for him to snap like he had. He doubted that finding Morgana had been the only reason for his rampage.
He continued onto the next letter.

"Merlin.

I have found leads regarding the location of the dragon egg and how to access it. It seems as though the rumour and legends surrounding it may be true. A comrade of mine has begun to collect the pieces of the triskelion, the key that gives access to the tower where the egg is kept. It may take some time, but I am hopeful that we will be able to summon forth a dragon in the near future.

I am glad to hear that you have been doing well, my son. I am intrigued at the things you've accomplished, and I could not be happier for you and Freya. She sounds like an incredible young woman, and I am glad that you have found someone who seems to care as much for you, as you do for her. I wish I could be there for the occasion, but you have by congratulations. I wish for nothing but the best for you and her. I was never able to experience marriage, but I loved your mother greatly. Your wife to be deserves the best, and nothing but the best, and never take her for granted, my son.
Balinor"

He found himself blinking at the words he read on the letter. Marriage.. Freya. His mind went blank for a good while, his brain unable to form thoughts. He found himself half-smiling, fighting to push back the smile as it was appearing. He played with the idea in his mind, but pushed it away. It complicated things, if he was married. And he also felt rather terrible, his mind wandering towards his counterpart, who was stuck in his world. He had lost everything he knew and he had no one to guide him. He couldn't even summon Kilgarrah for advice. He was no dragon lord, and to his knowledge the great dragon was locked underneath Camelot. It was horrible.

He couldn't help but to feel a bit queasy, but regardless he reached for the next letter. This was the last one that had been opened.

"Merlin.

We found the dragon egg, but my comrade died during the retrieval of the egg. The egg was hatched, and she was truly magnificent. I have never seen a pure white dragon before in my life, and she is stunning. Aithusa. That is the name she has been given. She will not be able to reside with me, but she will be taken care of. I wish you had been able to see the egg hatching. It is always incredible, helping a dragon come into this world. One day, you may be able to experience it yourself. The power of a dragon lord is passed down from father to son after all, as you know.

I am proud that you are resisting the pressure from your council men. Kilgarrah is not a weapon to be used against Camelot. I understand the situation you are in, and what may happen if it is discovered that you are not a dragon lord. I will make sure that Aithusa remains unseen, but I am afraid that it is all that I can do in order to help you. I wish there was more that I could do for you, my son.

I would also like to congratulate you on your wedding. Take good care of each other. I hope that I will one day be able to meet your wife properly, and perhaps your children one day, should you have some. Your mother would have been so overjoyed. I am sure that she is watching over you, proud.
Best of wishes,
Balinor"

The council men had been pressuring him to make use of Kilgarrah. His counterpart couldn't do it, even if he had wanted to. Perhaps they had been on his case about it ever since he supposedly killed his father. It was a tricky situation, that was for sure. He wondered what Morgause's stance was on all of this, but he suspected that the woman agreed with the council men. He would have been surprised if that was not the case. The woman wanted to see the end of the Pendragons, and undoubtedly a dragon would be the easiest way.

All that remained now was the unopened letter. His fingers broke the wax seal, the male opening the letter to read the contents.

"Merlin.

I heard of the conflict between the sanctuary and Camelot. It sounded like the casualties were great on both sides, and I fear for what may come in the future if Camelot takes up a more aggressive approach. I have not received another letter from you, but I can understand that things have been very busy after the attack. I can not understand what drove Camelot into attacking now, but I am concerned about what may happen should they attack once more. Be careful, my son. War is a terrible thing, and I do not wish to see the sanctuary nor camelot plunged into one. Things are very fragile now, and tension is high. The villagers are feeling uneasy and unsafe. It will not take much before a war is sparked. Try to avoid it at all costs. War is never pretty, and it brings about more misery than good.

I hope you are well, safe and unharmed. I desperately wish I could be there. I want to help you, but in order to do that I need to learn of what is going on. Please reply to this letter, for I am worried about you, my son.
Balinor"

He lowered the letter down onto his lap, lifting his gaze and peering towards the wall across the room. He had realised that the sanctuary and camelot weren't exactly friendly, but if things were this unstable.. He did not want a war. The battle of Camlann had been enough, and he did not want a repeat. It was a lot to digest, and he had many thoughts churning through his mind. He had learned so many things in such a short while, and he was beginning to get a grasp of the current situation.

He needed to avoid this war at all costs, for he feared that Morgana's dream may not be restricted to the nearest future.

This concludes part two of this story! I hope i've left you excited for the next part of this story, which will take place after a brief time skip! Next chapter will be from Evil!Merlin's perspective though, in order to fully catch his side of the story up to Good!Merlin :)