Thank you for reading. Hope you will enjoy the newest chapter. As I Said in the last chapter, there will be more talking and less action of the few chapters. I have always found writing the character stiff far easier that writing exciting action that make sense. As you've put up with that so far in the story then I hope this isn't a disappointment and that it'll be interesting to read.

The sun had begun to rise in the sky as the druids stood together in a small clearing near a stream. They had lost four brave men, whos sacrifice would be remembered and would be seen as the first active step taken to bring about not just peace but a collaboration between them and the kingdom of Camelot and the rest of Albion. Each man would be laid to rest under a tree of their own that still held onto its last flowers of the year. From then on the tree that marked their resting place would bloom the brightest and most fragrant flowers. The trunk of the tree would over the years become covered by growing vines that rose up from the earth. The bark of the trees would be marked by runes created by magic. So that even in the depths of winter when the tree was bare those that would wish to would be able know what the tree now marked and the name of the man that lay below it. The old ways spoke of celebrating and respecting the elements, what the land gave them. So it was viewed as a continuation of the eternal cycle of life that once they body was no longer of use it was returned to the earth. From where its spirt would carry on the continuing cycle.

The king and queen of Camelot joined the druids as they left just before sunrise for the clearing they had found the evening before. Merlin, Gaius and a number of the knights also came too. Those few that had not fully healed from the pervious days struggles like Leon remained at the barn. Though their thoughts went with those that left. Arthur looked over at Gwen as they walked. Looking for any sign that she was going to break. Since they left the barn the evening before to light the pyres she had been able to gather her strength and hold back her tear. Wanting to honour the bravery of the men, Eylan that were lost by not showing any weakness.

Aglain spoke a few words as the bodies, wrapped in pale cloth, flowers and other token specific to the man were lowered into the earth.

"What will be will be again."

He began. Searching out the eyes of the king and queen of Camelot how had lost more in the previous days blood shed. Hoping to offer some comfort.

"This is not the end, for there is no end. Not truly, just seasons that come and go. We must take comfort in the knowledge that we will be reunited again." He spoke in a calm and gentle voice. That went someway to soothing the pain of his people. "Knowing this, believing this dose not make it easier to bear. We hope it will, and maybe it helps a little. But not fully, not really."

Gwen had kept her head lowered during the ceremony, but as Agalin's strong and sure voice carried on she took more and more of it in. It began to give her strength. She did not know what came in the next life, if there was one, but she wanted to believe. So she would choose now to believe that she would be able to see her family again someday and that until then a part of them through he would carry on. It still hurt deeply and would for a long time to come, but it might like Aglain said, be a little easier to bare.

She slipped her hand into Arthurs, holding it tightly. She knew she would need his love and support more than ever right now. She also knew that he was going to need her love and support too. They had to be there for each other properly now or they might not make it through. It wasn't just them personally, if they fell apart then so could the kingdom. It was never just about them anymore.

"But we must remember. What will be will be again. Take comfort and strength from that."

A silence fell over the those gathered in the small clearing as everyone let the words spoken sink in and the events of the day before, all the emotion that came with it wash over them. Allow themselves to feel it fully now, before they had to learn to push it aside and move on with their lives. Carrying those that had past with them. AS hopefully they too would be carried on by those they left behind.

Silently the knights and royals of Camelot moved to leave after a few minutes of quiet contemplation. Arthur making a point to shake Aglain's hand. Thanking him for his aid when he had no reason to and every reason not to.

"Their sacrifice will not be forgotten, we wont let it." The king said in a more confident and sure a voice as he had been able to manage before. "We will build something from this pain, Together."

His hand slid up Aglain's arm to his forearm and the druid leader did the same.

"Much good has come from this battle. Though it can't out weigh the bad." Aglain said as he looked to Gwen.

The queen gave soft smile as she reached out to shake the druids hand. "We will build some good and lasting from this, Together." She said, sounded more like herself.

Morgana stood a little apart for Arthur and Gwen. Watching them speaking with Aglain. A conflicted look on her face. It seemed so strange to see them interaction so normally with the druids elder. It had always felt to her that she had existed in two words she realised now watching them coming together. The world of the family she grew up and the world of magic. When she couldn't stay standing any longer she turned to Luke, told him to carry on without her. before she walked over to Arthur.

"Thank you for coming. It means a lot." She said to the royal couple as she reached them. "I know you have enough to deal with."

Gwen a nod and a tight smile. Doing what she had been doing any time someone came over to talk with her about her own personal loss. Acknowledged them briefly then walk away subtly. The queen appreciated the sympathy she was being shown, but it was to much to take on top of her own pain. Morgana seemed to understand this and didn't try and follow her speak to her anymore.

"She needs space. To process everything. She knows your there for her even if she can't let you show it right now." Arthur said to his sister as they watched his wife begin to walk alongside Gaius as they moved to return to the barn.

An affectionate smile grew across Morgana's face at the love and understanding her brother had for his wife. "You'll take care of her." She stated. "And she will find a way to move on."

"How long after the funeral will you stay in Camelot." He asked

She had known it was coming, that he would bring up the subject of the old king's funeral, but it still hit like a slap to the face. She hadn't thought much about it at first. As time went on the idea of returning to Camelot, to be there at a funeral for a man she cared nothing for. Began to feel like a weight being pressed down on her slowly. It was more than the hypocrisy of seeming to honour a man that she despised. The idea that if she attended the funeral, as queen of Avalon it would be seen by some as if she was forgiving Uther for what he had done to her kind. She knew they had to move forward beyond the hate and fear, but that did not mean forgiving and forgetting what had been done. It was a deep person feeling that she couldn't explain that made the thought of returning to the city seem almost physically impossible. Arthur wouldn't understand, not really and she didn't know how to explain it in a way that would make any sense.

"I Can't" Morgana said. It was the best she could do to vocalize what she felt.

Arthur held back what his first response was, choosing to tread gently. He could hear the sadness in her voice "Morgana, he was-"

"He was many things, one of which was not my father. Not in anyway that counts." She said less hostilely than she felt.

Both tried to make allowances for the other. They both had had very different relationship with the former king. So their reactions to his death were very different. Fortunately they had both grown enough, had large responsibility upon them, to not feel negatively towards the other for that difference.

"But he was yours." Morgana quickly added as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry you lost him."

Arthur allowed her sympathy, knowing it was genuine. While she did not share his grief, she would support his.

That would have been the end of the matter if Uther was the only family they had lost. The loss of Eylan changed everything. It was not for his own wellbeing that he wanted Morgana to return to Camelot with them and stay a while, it was for Gwen. She was stronger more than any expected her to be, she could get through the fog of grief, but she need her family, friends around her. The ladies of the court would be a pale substitute for a real friend, a sister.

"Gwen is your friend. She lost her brother. She needs you."

"Please don't-"

He cut off her pleading to make one of his own. "I need you. You are my sister and we have lost-"

"I can't. I can't stand and watch as the man that made my life and those like me miserable. That wanted us dead for just existing."

As their vices grew and they spoke over each other their descending into a pointless and fruitless argument that would get them nowhere. Owning to their acquired maturity they stopped themselves before they truly descended into a heated argument that could turn ugly and vicious.

"I'm sorry, But I can't." Morgana said with more sadness for not being there for her family than she had shown up till now.

Arthur gave a sad nod. Knowing that it was pointless to argue the point anymore. While he didn't fully understand and was sad he knew that Morgana's refusal to return to Camelot for the funeral hurt her too. It pained her he knew now not to be able to support those she carried for.

"Once its done..."

She left it hanging. A half promise that once the act was done, then she could be their for her family. He and Gwen would have to make do with that.

Kara and Mordred had been quiet and kept mostly to themselves during both funerals. Everyone took this simply as the reunited couple not wanting to part again and gave them their space. Kara had expected to be plagued by guilt for what she had done. Taking a life, but she couldn't seem to make herself feel anything other than fear that if the truth about the old kings death was discovered that she would be parted from Mordred or worse that he would lose his life because of her actions. She did feel guilt, guilt that she had cast a dark cloud over Mordred's life in Camelot. It was never where she wanted to end up, but if it was where Mordred wanted to be than she realised now that she could stand it, if she was with him then she could stand almost anything.

"Where will I stay." She asked as she took Mordred's hand in hers while they walked.

He turned to her not understanding the question. "What."

"When we get to Camelot where will I stay. I don't think I'll be aloud to live with you and the other knights."

Mordred stopped walking as she spoke and turned to face her. Her words playing around his head as he tried to make them make sense.

"You want to stay...in Camelot."

"I want to stay with you. If that's in Camelot than so be it."

Mordred's face broke into a smile, but it quickly feel away. Still holding her hand he lead her a little off of the path that everyone around them was walking. They needed to talk properly and this was the best he could do for privacy. He didn't want to leave it till later to talk about. Fortunately everyone that continued on the path gave them their space and didn't acknowledge their deviation.

"What are you doing." Kara asked as they came to a step behind a tall almost bare tree.

"I don't want you coming to Camelot if its not what you really want." He said as he took her other hand in his.

A loving, soft smile light up her face as she looked into his eyes. "I Love you. I will love you wherever we live.""

"I love you too and feel the same way-."

"I don't love anywhere. There's nowhere that I think of as truly home, not without you there. So if Camelot is where you love and want to be, then its where we'll be."

For a second he smiled just as brightly, but again it fell. "I don't know if Camelot can be my home anymore." His hold on her hands tightened. "How can I look Arthur in the eye-"

"You did nothing wrong." She pulled her hands free and placed them on his face, so he was forced to look at her. "You saved my life."

"I would do it again."

"I know. We both also know that you did nothing wrong. I was the one that killed-"

"Someone will hear." He rushed out as she lightly covered her mouth.

Kara batted his hand away. "I don't regret it. Not at all. It was a more merciful death then he gave to many." She hissed.

"Kara-"

"It was my choice. You can't feel guilt about it. You have kept your vow."

It was not as simple as that Kara knew, though she wished it was. In time she hoped that Mordred would be able to put it from his mind. Though she was sure it would always be there. Taking his hand she began to pull her back onto the path.

"I'll show you the house I grew up in." She said, her mind now running over all the possibilities of a life in Camelot.

"We still haven't worked out where your going to stay. I'm sure there's another family living in your old house by now."

His voice to anyone else would have sounded normal, but she knew him to well. She took hear the anxiousness used under his humour.

"I hope so. It should be filled with life."

"I suppose that only leaves one option." Mordred said his eyes looking to the sky.

"What's that." Kara asked only half listening, her mind still racing.

"You'll just have to marry me." He said, keeping his eyes set ahead.

Kara smiled widely as she lifted her free arm and held onto Mordred arm. There was no reason for her to answer, they both knew the answer. They rejoined the path and the others, a feeling of optimism and hope for the future growing inside them

"It's alright you know." A Warm voice said from behind Morgana as she walked forward near the back of the group.

Turning round she faced Gwaine offering a slight smile. "What is." She asked not understand his words, but grateful to see a friendly face. Though she knew he must be feeling great pain at the lose of a brother.

"Feeling relieved." He answered as he began to walk at pace with her.

Again at first she didn't fully understand the dauntless knights words. Of course it was alright to be relieved that the fighting was over and they had been victorious. Then she understood.

"You always did see though my act of refinedness and compliance."

"When have either of those words ever been used to describe you princess."

Gwaine gently teased. Understanding that while she was not feeling, would most likely not feel the same pain Arthur did over the death of their father, she had still lost someone that had been a important part of her life, good and bad.

"Sorry, your majesty." The knight corrected himself.

"Deference doesn't suite you." She teased back while smiling a small smile. "I'm glad your unharmed."

At this the knights eyes twitched and glanced down at his left arm. Morgana noticed and took hold of the appendage in question.

"It's just a scratch." Gwaine said as he pulled his arm back. "Not worth your effort."

"I'll decide what is with my effort." Morgana said as she once again reached for the wounded arm.

Gwaine took a step back this time. "Morgana, honestly its nothing."

"I just..."

Once again he seemed to see through her. "Want something that you can fix." Morgana looked at the knight annoyedly. "Don't blame me because I'm right."

He smiled a wide, not truly genuine smile as he walked past her to catch up with everyone else. As much at he could aggravate her, she always seemed to feel more hopeful after she spoke with the rakish knight. In a very different way than Eylan had Gwaine bright light and life with him. He was going to feel a greater pressure to do so from now on. Even though she knew that he too was feeling the lose of the younger knight greatly. She hoped that despite that he would be able to retain that nature, because they all needed to be reminded what all of this had been for.

At the back of the group now Morgana looked forward, seeing Mordred and Kara rejoin the group a few feet ahead. She smiled seeing them hand in hand, arms pressed next to each other. It was comforting and reassuring to see them. The embodiment of what they had fought for, would fight for, the future and all the possibilities it brought.

When she took her eyes from them the caught sight of the back of the Merlin's head. It seemed to be pulled down by a heavy weight. Lancelot was walking next to him. The normally quite knight seemed to be doing much of the talking. She assumed that Merlin had told the first person to discover his secret in Camelot that Arthur had finally learned the truth. She was also sure that Merlin was reassuring his friend that he wouldn't tell Arthur that he had known about his magic before he did.

Speaking in her head she called his name. When he turned around at her call he caught her eye. Making a excuse to Lancelot he stepped to the side and waited for her to catch up to him. She feeling eyes on her she turned and met Lancelot's gaze her a look of appreciation that she didn't understand.

"I'm sorry" She said when she came leave with Merlin and he began to walk by her side.

"What for." He asked like he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Healing me, Arthur finding out." He continued to look at her confused. "You could have waited-"

"Morgana, I knew Arthur was there. He didn't catch me using magic. I choose to use it in front of him. To heal you."

Merlin didn't think he had ever seen Morgana look more confused.

"Why...Why would you do that."

He shrugged as if that was an answer, but she started him down. Wanting, needing a better explanation than that. He tried but couldn't find one that would make mush sense to her without revealing to much of himself.

"You were hurt." Was the best he could do and he knew it wasn't going to be enough.

"You've said that before and it doesn't explain anything."

"Yes it dose." He snapped.

Them came to a stop now. Turned to face each other while everyone else walked further away.

Eventually Morgana won out.

"I wasn't going to make the same mistake again. "

Before she could press him to explain more they noticed that Arthur was walking towards them. Merlin suddenly became nervous. He didn't want Arthur to think that they were deliberately talking behind his back and risk angering him any more than he already had. When the king reached them Merlin started to try and explain but was swiftly cut off.

"I think its best you go with Morgana-"

"Arthur. You can't exile him."

"It's not exile. Its time." He sounded more unsure than he had before. "Time to...Make sense of everything. Not just..." He gestured vaguely towards Merlin. "Gwen needs to know, but it had to be the done the right way."

They couldn't disagree with him, he made a good point.

"Alright." Merlin agreed.

It was hard to tell if Arthur looked more sad or relived. For a second it looked like he was about to pat Merlin on the shoulder but he stopped himself.

Thank you for reading. Hope you liked it. I know it was really just a lot of talking, but it seemed that there was a lot that happened that had to be dealt with emotionally by the characters and that had to be addressed.

Again any character or aspect of the story that you want to see dealt with before the story ends and I might have forgotten about please let me know so I can work it in.

As always any comments, feedback or ideas that you have are very welcome.