Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin! I only own my OC, and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

AN: Well. More time has passed than I ever thought could. How could four years go by and not even realize?

I guess I can provide you with some fun updates. I graduated university, went on to get a Master's degree, and, oh yeah—I'm a published author now!

That's right, my debut romance novel called MAYA'S LAWS OF LOVE was published earlier this year by Harlequin/HarperCollins. If that's something you'd be in to, you can buy it anywhere you get your books now! I have a second book coming out next year too, so I hope you'll follow me along on my original writing journey!

Anyway, I've been so busy finishing my education and getting my writing career off the ground that everything else kinda fell away. And then I was suddenly struck with the inspiration to return to this story. If you're still around, I hope you love it!

P.S. I've changed Lizzie's son Harry's name to Henry; I just wasn't feeling Harry anymore, and I like Henry better!

Enjoy!


Henry was having a hard time falling asleep, so I cradled him in my arms as I sat in front of the fireplace in my chambers. His head rested against my collarbone, his baby breath sweet. Well, I suppose he wasn't really a baby anymore, but it was still close enough. I smiled down at him, running my finger along his nose. The older he got, the less inclined he was to just cuddle with me, so I savoured these moments, even if it meant that I couldn't go find out how Princess Mithian was. She had shown up on our castle's doorsteps and then collapsed; Merlin had been summoned to help Gaius, but because Henry was still fussing, I couldn't go with him. Instead, I dutifully sat in my chair and rubbed my son's back, hoping he'd fall asleep soon so I could go check on her.

The door suddenly opened, and I looked over my shoulder to see Merlin walking in. I sat up straighter, though I was careful not to disturb Henry, who had finally managed to drift off. "Is she okay?" I asked, dropping my voice to a whisper.

Merlin nodded. "Weak, and exhausted, but she'll live." He ran a hand on Henry's head, smoothening his raven locks back. "How's Henry?"

"Finally fell asleep," I answered. "You don't think he's getting sick, do you?"

He shook his head. "He seems fine. He could just be having a bad night. I can examine him properly in the morning."

"Okay," I said. I dropped a kiss to Henry's forehead. I peeked up at Merlin and frowned at the troubled look on his face. "Is there something else?"

Merlin sighed. "It's just something that Arthur said."

"What?"

A grim expression crossed his features. "That for Mithian to have ridden through the night, something must have happened to her."

"Something bad?"

"That's what it sounds like," Merlin replied. "She seemed quite disheveled when she arrived. Gaius is still with her now. He's going to monitor her through the night."

"Why aren't you there?" I wondered.

A smile teased his lips. "Because my son was having a bad night, and I didn't want to leave all the work to his mother." Carefully, Merlin looped his arms around Henry and lifted him. I held my breath, waiting for Henry to wake and start crying, but to my relief, after scrunching his face at the movement and automatically wrapping his legs around Merlin's waist, he readjusted just fine. He pressed his face into Merlin's shoulder, and his breath continued to rise and fall evenly. "You should go on to bed. I'll settle him."

A tired grin of my own stretched my lips, and I pushed myself up from the chair. "You are the best husband a woman could ever ask for. You know that, right?"

He chuckled low in his throat because of Henry. "I try, because you are the best wife a man could ever ask for."

Heat ramped up in my core, and suddenly I wasn't tired anymore. "You need to go put Henry down right now."

Merlin furrowed his brows. "Why?"

I slowly walked backward, my fingers teasing the front laces of my dress. "Because I'll be waiting for you…" I whispered. I turned around to head over to the bed, and a laugh warmed my own chest as I heard Merlin's feet rushing for the door to our bedroom.


The next day, the entire court gathered so we could hear Mithian's story. When she walked through the front door of the main chambers, a tiny gasp escaped my mouth. All of the color was gone from her face, leaving her a sickly pale. I guess without the pink in her cheeks, she looked like someone stole all the warmth from her body. Her dress hung off her frail form, and I made a mental note to ask a servant to get one of my seamstresses to make her a new one.

An old woman with a black hood covering her straggly grey hair hobbled behind her, but I paid her no attention as I walked down the length of the hall to meet Mithian in the middle. I wrapped my arms around her, and hers immediately came up to return my embrace. "Oh, Mithian," I whispered, rubbing my hand up and down her shaking back. "I'm so sorry I wasn't able to come see you when you arrived." I broke away from the hug. "Are you alright?"

"I am well," she responded, though we both knew that was a lie.

I glanced over my shoulder, where Arthur, Gwen, and the rest of the court waited. I turned back to Mithian and squeezed her hand. "Why don't you sit down? You can tell us what happened."

She nodded, and her lower lip wobbled. "They came at night without warning," she began as I led her to the empty chair in front of the dais. "We were unprepared. We could not hold them." Slowly, she lowered herself in the chair, and only then did I let go of her hand and stepped back into place beside Merlin.

"This was three days ago, you say," Arthur clarified.

"His men, they showed no mercy." Red rimmed her eyes, and the hoarseness in her voice strangled her words. "Cut us down like corn."

"Odin has no care for the suffering he causes," Arthur said, and very briefly, pain flickered in his eyes, just as I felt a flash of it run through my own chest. Odin was the one who arranged for an assassin to kill Arthur on his birthday all those years ago, only for Uther to be the one stabbed in the end. My relationship with Uther was complicated, but I still felt sorrow for his loss, mostly on the days where it was hard for Arthur. He had Gwen to comfort him, and I, of course, had Merlin, but this was a grief that only the two of us really understood, so we were there for each other.

Gwen's voice brought me back to the moment. "And your father?" she asked.

"He was badly wounded," she swallowed thickly. "But we managed to escape."

"Where is he now?" I asked.

"We made it almost as far as the border, but he could not continue any further," Mithian replied. "Odin's men will be searching for us. It's only a matter of time before they find him."

Arthur nodded slowly. "I see."

Mithian's lip quivered. "My father is an old man," she rasped. "He cannot fend for himself. I have no one else to turn to, but you, Arthur. You're my only hope."

"Mithian, I understand how you must be feeling," Arthur began. "And I will do everything in my power to help you."

Tears finally fell from Mithian's eyes, slipping down her cheeks, "Thank you, my Lord," she breathed.

As much as my heart hurt for Mithian, there was something off about her tears. It was like they weren't tears of pain or sorrow… but regret, which was awfully strange.

Still, I went over to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "It'll be alright, your Highness," I assured her, because it was the best that I could do.


"Rodor is taking refuge here by the ancient tomb of King Loath," Arthur stated. We were all in his chambers, poring over a map on the dining table. He traced his finger along the parchment. "That's three leagues from our border."

"Mithian can lead us there?" Leon wondered.

"She is recovering well," Gaius confirmed.

Arthur nodded. "Now our only chance of getting Rodor back is with speed and stealth. With just a small group of knights."

"To be over the border and back again in a matter of hours," Elyan mused.

"Exactly," Arthur said.

Gaius sat up straighter. "Sire, if I may?"

Arthur gestured to him. "Yes, Gaius?"

"Odin has long been after your blood," he pointed out. "If he finds out about this, you could have an entire army at your banks."

"That's true," I spoke up from my spot behind Gaius. "Is it worth the risk?"

"Princess Mithian and her father have long been allies of Camelot," Arthur reasoned. "Of course, it's worth the risk. Besides, Odin doesn't know where Rodor is, and we do. By the time he's realized what has happened we'll be long gone."

I glanced over at Gwen, who concealed her worried look well, but flashes of it still flickered in her eyes. I just dipped my chin. "Okay. If you think so."

"Right," Arthur said. "Now, we'll camp overnight in the Forest of Gedref and leave with the rising sun."

With the plan in place, we all left Arthur's chambers. Merlin headed back to Gaius's chamber with Gaius to do some work, and because it was close to lunchtime, I decided to head to the kitchens to fetch Jane and Henry something to eat.

I rounded the corner, but something at the end of the hall caught my attention. Jane and Henry stood by the stairs, but they weren't alone—the old woman (Hilda, I believed her name was) who arrived with Mithian and was with her in the chamber hall was talking to them. I couldn't hear what she was saying, but I furrowed my brows and picked up my pace, nearly running down the hall. A strange woman speaking with my kids? Not on my watch. "Henry! Jane!" I called out.

Hilda immediately straightened up at the sound of my voice, while the twins turned around to face me. I skidded to a stop in front of them, and as I did, they both latched on to each of my legs. I rubbed my hands over their heads, just to comfort them, then looked back up at Hilda. "Is there something I can help you with?" I asked, my tone cold.

She gave me a once-over, before clearing her throat. "No, no," she quickly said. "The children were just running around on their own. I wanted to make sure that they were okay."

Something was so strange about her. It was almost like there was something familiar about her, about the shape of her eyes, and the slope of her nose, even with the wrinkles in her skin and the greyness in her hair. "Well, they are," I stated. "Now, if you please."

I didn't give her the chance to say anything else as I grabbed the kids' hands and pulled them along the hall. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure we were out of earshot, then spun around and crouched down to their level. "What have I said about speaking to strangers?" I said. "Or about leaving Nurse's side if your father and I aren't with you?"

They both sucked their cheeks in. "Sorry, mummy," Jane mumbled.

My heart lightened at the sadness in her voice. I tucked a dark lock of hair behind her ear. "It's alright," I said. I raised a finger and gestured it between the two of them. "But from now on, absolutely no talking to people you don't know." I dropped my hand. "Did… did the lady say anything to you?"

They shook their heads, but I wasn't sure how much I trusted it. She could have said something that their three-year-old brains just didn't comprehend. I bit my lower lip, then gathered them both in my arms and held them to my chest. After a moment, I leaned back so I could look properly at their tiny faces. "Let's go have some lunch, okay?"

Their eyes brightened at the mention of food, and I couldn't hold back my laughter as they sprung away from me and immediately started running in the direction of the kitchens. I shook my head but rose to my feet to go after them. Truly, there was never a dull moment with them.


I had lunch with the kids, then left them with their nurse so I could attend some meetings for the rest of the day. One of my meetings in the evening ran longer than I expected, so Jane and Henry had dinner without me and Merlin, and I barely made it back in time to put them to bed. Merlin wasn't there, though, and whenever he wasn't around to help me put the kids to bed, it meant he was still working. So, once Jane and Henry were settled, I headed to Gaius's chambers.

Sure enough, he sat at the long table, grinding something together with a mortar and a pestle. He looked up when he heard the door open, and though he smiled when he saw me, it didn't quite reach his eyes. I steeled myself, because that meant something worried him. Still, I offered him a smile of my own as I shut the door behind me. "Hey, stranger," I said, walking over to him. I wrapped an arm over his shoulder and dropped a kiss to his cheek. "You weren't there to help with the kids tonight."

"Sorry," he said. "I just got caught up with this and didn't realize how much time had passed."

"Everything okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," his reply came swift and distracted.

"Did you at least have dinner?"

"Gaius arranged a meal."

I set my jaw, then dropped down onto the bench next to him. "Have we made enough small talk yet, or will you just tell me what's on your mind?"

He met my gaze, at my unwavering stare, he finally sighed. The pestle in his hand stilled, and his wrists relaxed against the table. "I don't know. There's something not quite right with Mithian."

Gaius rounded the corner, having been on the farther side of his chambers where his books were. "Should I go and see her?" he piped up.

"No, it's not like that," Merlin said. "She's not unwell. It's as if she's frightened of something."

"I can only presume the fear comes from not knowing if her father is safe," I suggested. "It's only natural for her to be frightened."

"It's more than that," Merlin insisted. "I can see fear in her eyes. It's not the Mithian we know."

"The Mithian you knew was here in happier times," Gaius pointed out.

"It's not just Mithian, it's Hilda," Merlin said. "There's something not right between them."

"They've both been through a terrible ordeal, Merlin," Gaius stated. "They fled their home, barely escaped with their lives. It's not surprising that the strain has taken its toll."

"Maybe..." Merlin trailed off.

I bit my lower lip. "I think Merlin might be right about Hilda," I said, which brought both Merlin and Gaius's attention on me. "I caught her speaking to the kids earlier today."

Merlin's eyes widened. "About what? Are they okay?"

"They're safe," I assured him. "But I don't know what she was talking to them about. They're only three, there's a lot they don't understand, and they forget things very easily. It was just so strange how she was talking to children she doesn't even know."

Gaius hummed. "It is strange, I'll give you that. But it doesn't necessarily mean something is off. Perhaps was just trying to see if they needed help."

"That's what she said." I hmphed. "But I don't know. It's odd, that's all."

"It is," Merlin agreed.

Gaius looked between the two of us, then shook his head. "Sometimes I do wonder if the two of you have changed at all," he said. "Always on edge, always paranoid. If a problem arises, we can deal with it then. No need to fret until then." He gestured to the material on the table and around his lab. "Now, we've got work to do. We must pack up our supplies."

I exchanged a look with Merlin. "I suppose things really haven't changed, because he still expects us to help him with hard labour," I teased.

Merlin smirked. "You've got a point."

Gaius gave us a disapproving stare. "No matter how old the two of you get, I will still expect you to help me." He grabbed an empty bag and tossed it at us, and Merlin and I instinctively raised our hands and caught it at the same time. "Now, let's get moving."


Merlin's funny feeling hadn't gone away by morning, so when he left to get Arthur ready, he said he was going to try to persuade him not to go on the journey. Personally, I didn't think there was a point, because there was no changing Arthur's mind once he'd made it, but I let him go and went to say goodbye to the kids. After that, I met the others in the courtyard where we all prepared our horses.

I had just settled mine up when Merlin came down the steps, a dejected look on his face. When he got close enough to me, I asked, "How did it go?"

"How do you think?" he grumbled as he passed me on the way to his own horse.

I just shook my head, then grabbed the stirrup and lifted myself up onto the horse.

We rode for a few hours before stopping to rest the horses. Merlin helped me down from my horse, then went over to help Mithian. They had some sort of exchange, which I was too far away to hear. At first I was just going to stretch my legs by walking a few paces back and forth in front of my horse, but when Merlin stepped away from Mithian, his eyes met mine. They darted to the side, and I dipped my chin once before following after him.

We reached a creek, and I stopped just in front of the water, where Merlin already stood. "What's going on?" I wondered.

"It's Mithian," Merlin began. He uncapped one of the canteen bottles. "She has this strange… burn on her wrist. She said that she was bound by Odin's men before she escaped, and that's how she got it."

I wrinkled my nose. "But she told Arthur she escaped. She didn't mention she was captured."

"Exactly." He bent down and dunked the bottle under the water. "It's an important detail to leave out of your story."

I bit my lip. "Why would Mithian lie?"

"Because she didn't want me to know how she really got that burn on her wrist," Merlin supplied. He straightened up and handed me one of the canteens so he could do the other one. "There's something not right here, Lizzie."

"I believe you," I assured him. "But what?"

Merlin opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Arthur's voice called out, "We have to reach the border by nightfall. Move out!"

When we looked back to each other, I lifted my shoulders. "Let's just stay alert, okay?"

He set his jaw, but also nodded. He still had an unsettled look on his face, so I took a few steps forward and pressed my lips to his frown. Almost immediately, his scowl melted, and when I pulled away, his mouth turned up at the corners. "I really needed that," he said.

"I know you did." I patted his chest. "Now, we should go before everyone starts to think we're doing something we're not."

"Technically, we are though," he teased.

I whacked him in the shoulder. "Come on, let's just go."


After a few more hours of riding, we made camp at some abandoned fortress. We had some dinner, and then we all broke apart for the rest of the night. It was a little chillier, and I clenched my jaw as I tried to keep my body warm.

Merlin, of course, noticed right away, and took off his coat. Despite my protests, he draped it over my shoulders. Once it was settled, I offered him a grateful smile. I relished in the warmth as Merlin turned to Arthur. "Arthur? Are you sure this is the right thing to be doing?

"Ah," Arthur hummed around his mouthful of bread. "Your funny feeling again, is it?"

"Something like that," Merlin replied.

"Have you been talking to Guinevere?"

"No." Merlin scrunched his nose. "Why do you ask? Did she have doubts about you rescuing Rodor?"

"Odin is a plague on this land," Arthur suddenly cut in. He curled his hands into fists, and the pressure wrinkled the skin around his knuckles. "I can't just stand by and let him murder Mithian's father as he murdered my own."

"Arthur," I began. "We all know what Odin's done. We all understand why you hate him. Don't think that I don't hate him just as much as you do. But…"

"To risk so much? For one small act of revenge?" Merlin finished for me.

Arthur glanced between the two of us. "That thing that you do when you finish each other's sentence is truly annoying," he grumbled. He turned his gaze to his hands, and his chest rose with a deep inhale. "Tell me. If you were me. If you were in my shoes." He lifted his eyes to us. "Would you do any different?"

Merlin and I looked at each other, and we both knew our answers. "Probably… not," Merlin spoke aloud.

Before any of us could speak, someone choked a gasp behind us. The three of us turned to see Hilda leaning against the wall, her back hunched over and her breaths struggling.

Merlin and I stood up, but I stayed in place as he went over to her. "Gaius!" he called out.

Gaius got up from his seat and hobbled over. He grabbed one of Hilda's hands. "It's alright. Just breathe in," he instructed. Hilda drank in a few deep breaths, and he nodded. "That's it."

"I'm fine," Hilda rasped.

"Of course," Gaius said, though his tone clearly said he didn't believe her. "Let us be sure all the same."

Alarm flickered in her eyes. "That's really not necessary."

"Hilda, if you're unwell you must let Gaius help you," Arthur spoke up.

Hilda's eyes darted around the crowd. "Well, if you insist."


Gaius took Hilda off to the side to examine her, and Merlin and I stayed a few paces away. I crossed my arms over my chest, tapping my fingers along my arm. I pursed my lips to the side. "There's something off."

"How long have I been saying that?" Merlin stated.

"I know," I said. "But it has to be really off. Why did she look so panicked when Gaius asked to look over her?"

"I don't know." Merlin gnawed on his thumbnail. "Let's just see what Gaius finds."

As if on cue, he walked over to us. Gaius glanced behind his shoulder, then put his hands on our backs and pushed us further to the side. "It's amazing," he started, awe underlying his words. "Her blood. It flows with the strength and vigour of someone half her age."

Merlin frowned. "How is that possible?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Gaius answered. "All I know is she's better preserved than anyone her age has any right to be."

I looked to Merlin. "We'll keep an eye on her on the way to Nemeth. If she's hiding something, we'll figure it out."

We broke our huddle to finish getting ready for bed. The next morning, we woke up, had breakfast, and then started packing to get back on the road. Merlin went off to refill Mithian's water bottle, so I finished putting away the last of our things.

I swung my pack over my back and had just started for my horse when I heard Arthur cry out, "Merlin!"

At the fear in his voice, I instantly dropped my pack and ran. I turned the corner of the fortress just in time to see Percival, who was carrying Merlin on his back, set him down gently on the ground.I gasped, dropping to my knees next to him.

"What happened?" Arthur asked.

"Hilda found him," Percival supplied.

My eyes flitted over to Hilda, narrowing with suspicion. She met my stare. "He was down by the river," she said. "He must have fallen."

Distrust furrowed my brows, but I forced myself to look away from her to examine Merlin. Blood slid down his forehead, and my hands instinctively searched for a bump on his head. Sure enough, there was a goose egg sprouting under his hair.

Gaius took some time to look over Merlin's injury but didn't say anything for. "Gaius?" Arthur finally pressed.

"He's taken a heavy blow to the head," he answered.

"But he'll be alright?" I asked.

"He should be fine," Gaius assured me, a soft look on his face that I was sure he was using to calm me down. "But there is no telling when he will regain consciousness."

Arthur regarded Merlin for another long moment. Then, a sigh rumbled his chest. "We can't wait for him. Not if we're to stand a chance at reaching Rodor before Odin's men." He shifted his gaze to Gwaine. "Gwaine, stay here with Merlin and Gaius. The rest of us make for Nemeth." He then looked to me. "Are you staying with Merlin or coming with us?"

Was that a real question? "I'll be staying with my husband." I ran the back of my hand tenderly along his cheek. "You go on, we'll catch up with you when we can."

Arthur just nodded, then looked to the others. "Let's move out, then."

Everyone moved to leave, while I took off my coat and laid it under Merlin's head so that it wasn't just pressing against the harsh stone. Just as I did, though, Gwaine unclipped his Pendragon cloak and draped it over my shoulders. "How do you think this happened?" he asked.

"He must've slipped," Gaius thought aloud, though something flashed in his eyes that told me there had to be more to this.

A couple of hours passed as we waited, and the whole time I ran my fingers through Merlin's hair. I wished I could just heal the bump on his forehead, and I would have if Gwaine had gone with the others, but I couldn't use my magic when he was here.

Gwaine leaned forward over Merlin's body. "He should have come around by now."

"It's unusual, certainly," Gaius supplied.

He straightened up. "Just a blow to the head you say?"

"There's nothing to suggest anything more," Gaius answered. Lowering his voice so only I could hear, he added, "On the outside at least." He pressed his hands to the back of Merlin's. "He's getting cold." He glanced over his shoulder at Gwaine. "You better get some more firewood."

He nodded. "I'll be right back," he said as he took off.

After he was a good few paces away, Gaius picked up a little plant. He muttered an incantation, his eyes flashing gold, and tiny tendrils of smoke swirled up off the herb. After a moment, he looked to Merlin's face, but there was no change. He sucked in a breath, then tried it again. "Come on, Merlin," he urged. He tried again, but still nothing. "Please, Merlin. That's all I have."

Gaius went to go one more time, but this time, I placed my hand on top of his. I recited the spell at the same time, and gold filled my eyes as we tried again.

Finally, after a few agonizing seconds, his eyes opened. His pupils were disoriented, and it took him a moment to properly regain his bearings, but once he was fine, he smiled. "Lizzie!" he breathed, though his voice came out raspy.

Before I could stop it, tears filled my eyes. "Oh, thank goodness," I sobbed. I dropped my body to his chest, resting my head in the crook of his neck.

I felt his hand pat my back. "I'm fine," he said.

After another few seconds, I lifted my head. "If you ever do that again, I'll kill you," I told him.

"I don't doubt it." He patted my cheek one more time, then turned to Gaius. "Hilda is Morgana."

His eyes widened. "Morgana?"

"She's been using some kind of aging spell," Merlin explained.

I nodded slowly. "That would explain why she's always so tired."

"Mithian tried to warn me, but I couldn't get to Arthur in time," Merlin said. "Morgana got to me first."

"And she very nearly killed you, Merlin!" Gaius exclaimed.

"Yes," he acknowledged. "Well, she didn't count on the sorcerer of your power, now did she?" he said. He glanced over to me, grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze. "Or yours."

I smiled despite my sniffles. "Alright, buddy, get any sweeter and you're going to put me into a sugar coma."

"Merlin!" Gwaine's voice called out, and we all turned to see Gwaine coming up behind Gaius. He tossed the armful of firewood to the side as he came over to us.

I slipped my hand into Merlin's and helped him to his feet. "We need to get to Arthur," Merlin declared. He side stepped Gwaine, leaning down to pick up a sword as he did so. "He's walking straight into a trap."


After making sure Gaius would be alright on his own, Gwaine, Merlin, and I took off after the others.

"They're traveling east!" Gwaine called as we ran. "Maybe an hour ahead of us."

"We don't have much time!" Merlin declared.

"Run faster, then!" I added, pushing myself even harder.

The sun had started setting earlier, so darkness enveloped the trees around us. Merlin suddenly stumbled to a stop ahead of us, lifting his hand to signal to Gwaine and I to slow down. I peeked over his shoulder just in time to see some hooded men walking the path further up ahead.

"Damn it," I grumbled under my breath.

Merlin didn't say anything; he just reached back, grabbed my hand, and pulled me along until we slid down the ground to a lower patch of earth that would provide cover for us all. We huddled underneath. We held our breaths as the soldiers passed over our heads.

"Odin's men," Gwaine deduced, his voice barely a whisper.

Once we were sure they were gone, we ran off again. We didn't run for long before we had to screech to a halt and duck again because we caught sight of Odin's men surrounding our knights, ushering them forward through the forest.

"We're too late," Gwaine growled.

"Not if we even up the numbers," Merlin suggested.

Gwaine gave him a once-over. "Sounds good to me."

"And we'll look for Arthur," Merlin said with a nod in my direction.

Gwaine dipped his chin. "Good luck."

With that, Merlin snuck off, and just before I could join him, Gwaine stopped me with his voice. "You'll watch out for him, Beth?"

I smirked. "We both know that man wouldn't last a day without me. Just take care of yourself."

I slipped off too. I rejoined Merlin's side in time to watch him use his magic to distract Odin's men. I snuck up behind one and slammed the butt of my sword into the back of his head, while Merlin disposed of the other one. We entered the tomb, just as Odin raised his sword above the head of a kneeling Arthur. Morgana stood off to the side, a wicked grin spoiling her face.

Fear gripped my chest, but Merlin dropped to the ground. He muttered a spell, his eyes flashed gold, and he slammed his hand onto the floor.

Instantly, the ground beneath our feet shook violently, as if an earthquake had erupted. A fight ensued between Arthur, Percival, and Odin and his men. The shaking was so bad I lost my balance, and I sank to the floor. Merlin caught me before I could faceplant, and he held me to his chest. "Are you alright?"

I stared up at him, awe plastered all over my features. "Sometimes I forget how powerful you are."

He simply smirked before pulling us up, so we stood. He stepped out of the shadows and called out, "Arthur!"

The king immediately turned around, his brows furrowing. "Merlin? Elizabeth?"

Merlin gestured behind him. "Hurry this way!"

Everyone made for the exit, including Mithian and her father. I ushered everyone to go in front of me, because I knew Merlin would be the last person to go and I didn't want to leave him on his own. I looked over my shoulder just in time to see Merlin raise his hand, cast a spell, and blast Morgana back so her spine hit the stone wall.

With Morgana incapacitated, I grabbed Merlin's hand and tugged him forward. "Come on, we need to leave!"

Merlin let me pull him along as we joined the others outside of the cave. We stumbled out and rejoined Percival, Mithian, and Rodor just as Arthur shouted, "This way!"

We followed his lead, and along the way ran into some of Odin's men. I whipped out my own sword and took on one of them as Arthur and surprisingly Rodor disposed of the others. At Rodor's agility, Arthur raised a brow.

"Don't look so surprised," Rodor said. Despite his weak frame, pride set in his shoulders. "I commanded an army in my time."

Arthur dipped his chin. "And you will do so again."

"This is sweet and all, but back to running?" I suggested as I picked up my pace and dashed ahead of them.

Rodor, however, was still weak, and he staggered behind us. "Leave me!" he declared.

"Well that's not going to happen," Arthur said, walking back so he stood in front of Rodor. "You're the reason we're here."

"Leave me," Rodor insisted, even as Percival grabbed his arm and looped it around his shoulder to help stabilize the old king. "Save Mithian."

Arthur looked over our shoulders, and I checked back to see Odin and his men hot on our heels. I looked back to Arthur just as he turned to Rodor, "Follow the ridge line," he instructed.

"What about you?" Rodor asked.

"We'll lead them the other way," Arthur said.

Mithian gasped. "No!"

"This is between me and Odin," he told her. "You need no further pardons." He looked over to Merlin and I. "Merlin, you're with me. Elizabeth, you go with Mithian and the others."

I snorted. "Yeah, that's gonna happen." I readjusted my sword in my hand and then ran before anyone could hold me back. I heard Arthur hiss my name, but I guess he realized this was a fight he wasn't going to win, because I heard his and Merlin's footsteps coming after me.

We ran as far as we could, but we had to skid to a stop because the path in front of us was blocked by fallen trees. We staggered backward and exchanged a look between the three of us before slowly turning around to face Odin. Arthur swirled his sword in his hand, and I tightened my grip on my own sword.

One of his men tried to step forward, but Odin threw an arm out. "No!" he shouted. "I want to do this myself."

Arthur stepped forward, as did I, but Merlin clasped his fingers around my wrist and pulled me back at the last second. I glanced up at him, and with a slight shake of his head, I understood. This was a fight between two men who had suffered greatly at each other's hand. This was between Arthur and Odin.

They clashed swords for a while, before Arthur brought Odin to his feet and knocked his sword out of his hand. He brought the sword to Odin's throat, and just as it looked like he was going to slash it, Merlin called out, "Arthur! Stop!"

This stilled Arthur's hand, and at his hesitation, Merlin pushed on. "Think about what you're doing. What good will this achieve? How many times have you talked about uniting this land? Will killing this man make that dream any closer?"

Indecision brewed up a vicious storm in Arthur's blue eyes, but finally, the clouds parted. "He is right," Arthur eventually said. "This is no answer."

"Finish it," Odin growled. "Finish it and be done."

"And what then?" Arthur questioned. "Your people will seek they're revenge. A war without an end."

"There is no other way," Odin gritted.

"There is another way," Arthur insisted. "In return for your life, you must restore Rodor to the throne of Nemeth."

Odin clenched his jaw. "Even if I agreed, it solves nothing. What about us, Pendragon?"

"…A truce," Arthur finally said. "Binding our kingdoms to peace."

"Never," Odin spat.

"Is this what you want?" Arthur pressed. "To die here, now know you condemn this land to war." He shook his head. "Odin, you cannot let it end like this. The blood will never wash off."

"You killed my son!"

"You killed my father!" Arthur roared back, equal pain clinging to his words. "We have both lost much at the others hand. Let us lose no more, I am offering you the chance to end this." His voice gave way to a plea. "Take it!"

Arthur threw his sword into the ground. He held out his hand to Odin. "Take it."

Odin eyed Arthur's outstretched arm for a long time, and for a moment there, I thought he was going to stab Arthur. I even had my grip tightened on the hilt of my sword, ready to pounce if I needed to.

But then Odin finally spoke. "So be it." He raised his hand and pressed it into Arthur's. "A truce it is."


After an exhausting journey back to the castle, Gaius tended to our wounds in Mithian's guest chambers. Well, actually, the only person really wounded was Rodor. He wrapped a white cloth around a cut on Rodor's arm. "Your wounds are painful, sire but superficial," Gaius told him. "You'll heal in time."

"Thank you, Gaius," Rodor said, gratitude shining in his words.

"Odin has withdrawn his army from Nemeth and its lands," Arthur reported.

"All thanks to you," Mithian stated.

"Well, everyone played their part," Arthur said.

"I know I played mine," Mithian said quietly. Guilt contorted her features. "Arthur…"

"Mithian, you don't need to apologize," he assured her. "You had no choice. I'd have done the same thing if it were my father."

Slowly, a smile creeped up on her lips. "Camelot is fortunate to have a kind such as you."

"It is I that is fortunate," Arthur corrected. "Camelot would be nothing were it not for the courage and loyalty of its friends."

Smiles crossed the faces of all in the room.

All in a day's work, right?


Later that night, Merlin and I laid in bed. We faced each other, and we were able to see glimpses of each other's faces because of the moonlight streaming in through the drapes. Sometimes I couldn't believe I never really found him attractive before. Sure, I'd always found him cute, but I'd never thought he was all that desirable. But I think that was what was so special. It wasn't love at first sight. I didn't find him attractive the first time I looked at him. I fell in love with his soul first, and then everything about him became beautiful to me. And now I couldn't believe how lucky I was to be the person who got to gaze at him in bed.

"I guess everything turned out well in the end," I mused aloud. "We signed a treaty with Odin, which we never thought possible in Uther's age. We're one step closer to reaching a united kingdom."

"Not while Morgana lives and breathes, we're not," Merlin grouched. He always seemed grumpy these days. Or maybe it was just a sad side effect of growing up. "Her power grows, Lizzie. To have held an aging spell that long… that's frightening."

"I know," I assured him. I lifted a hand and rested it against his smooth cheek. My thumb grazed the bone there. "But don't forget. She is nothing compared to you. She is not your equal."

Merlin lowered his gaze, and, assuming it meant he was ready to go to bed, I slid my arm over his torso and snuggled close to his side. I closed my eyes, and just as I thought I'd drift off, Merlin whispered, "And if that day should come?"

I kept my eyes closed as I spoke into the dark. "Let us hope it does not."


TBC…

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm not sure if I can promise that the next update will come soon, but let's hope, huh?

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