A/N:

Not gonna lie, this is up there as one of my favourite chapters. And I'm even on time today, go me.

Enjoy!

Ilandrae

Disclaimer: Breaking news…still don't own Merlin

CHAPTER 31 – THE PRINCE OF MAGIC

Camelot – Art POV

The festival to celebrate Prince Arthur's birthday was still in full swing. Streets were crowded with people. Vendors still sold their wares. Children continued to run about completely oblivious to the empty guard posts. The only pause was in the arena, where the combat bouts had stopped in order to prepare for the Queens speech. And the little prince's address of course.

But the little prince's heart was hammering as he and his friend hurried through the crowds with their masks back on. They used every alleyway they knew to try and avoid the crush of people in the streets, but it was impossible. They had to elbow and shove their way through the seething crowds, their anxiety pushing them towards the edge of impoliteness.

Now more than ever Art was uneasily aware of every empty guard post. Even more so of the guards they did see. They didn't know who could be trusted and he and Mel kept their faces and swords hidden as much as they could.

The throngs of people were already heading towards the arena. Where his mother was about to make a speech. Where he was meant to be. As they neared their destination, they saw more guards and knights. But as he went the prince looked closely, and he saw the ill-fitting uniforms. Saw the non-Camelotian swords and the unfamiliar eyes behind the masks. It grew harder and harder to avoid them and at some point, in their dash he had grabbed Mel's hand. He didn't want to lose her. Didn't want to be alone amongst all the danger.

She gripped his hand back and a glance behind him showed her tight shoulders, likely mirroring his own. Finally, they reached the outskirts of the arena. He glanced around. Still no sign of Marcus. No sign of Merlin, or Bedivere, or anyone he knew he could trust.

Art continued to drag Mel behind him as he ran to his mother's tent, where he knew she would be getting ready. Seeing the knights outside he hesitated, then removed his mask and Mel did the same. He didn't recognise the knights, didn't know if they could be trusted or not but they weren't getting into the tent without revealing their identities and he had to warn his mother.

Bursting through he saw the Queen with her hand maiden.

"There you are Art!" she said brushing down her dress a final time. "You're late, we need to go."

"Mother no ther-"

"No time little Prince," her hand maiden shushed him and several more attendants entered the tent. "You are due on stage now."

He didn't know how no one saw his and Mel's fear. But his mother was already out of the tent heading for the stage, and before he could get another word out, he was being ushered after her. He tried to resist, heard Mel trying to speak behind him but no one was listening!

He felt a firm grip on his arm as he was guided out of the tent and looked up into the eyes of the knight beside him. They smirked back at him and his gut sank.

Before he could so much as think about what to do next, he was on that stage next to his mother. Due to their vice like grip on each other Mel had been dragged up there with him and her eyes were darting around anxiously, looking for the threat.

The arena was packed to the brim. The stands full and citizens even being allowed onto the main floor to listen to the royals. And all around the edges, scattered through the stands, were guards and knights. Who they fought for, who knew.

And it was only the Queen, the prince and the girl on the stage surrounded by two knights and four guards that should not have been wearing Camelotian red.

Art's eyes again looked around for someone to help even as his mother started her speech unaware of her son's anxiety. She was only a few words in when Merlin, Marcus and Lancelot burst onto the arena floor.

Then chaos broke loose.

It wasn't every guard and knight in the crowd. But it was at least half that turned on the citizens. The remaining true guards were spurred immediately to their defence, Marcus, Merlin and Lancelot helping them best they could. Lancelot protected Marcus while the druid cast his spells. The young magician used illusions to trick attackers and allowed citizens to escape while using telekinesis to hinder his enemies. Merlin, still hindered by his restricted magic relied on his sword, using spells sparingly and only on immediate opponents. Screams rang out as citizens fled.

It may have only been half of the guards in the arena. But it was every guard on that stage that attacked the royals.

And Mel had been waiting.

As Prince Roan of Diera attacked the Camelot Prince he was surprised to meet the girl's blade.

"No one dies except them that threaten us," she snarled and pushed him back. The prince's brow creased.

"Who are you girl!"

"Someday you'll know," she promised then went on the attack. Even as she engaged the prince, she blocked one of the 'guards' who'd thought to catch her unawares. In a lightning fast strike, he fell to the ground. He didn't rise.

Queen Guinevere had already killed one of the guards who'd thought her easy pickings and turned to another who mistakenly thought he'd have better luck. Leaving Art to draw his sword in barely enough time to block Prince Gidref's strike.

The Camelot prince's eyes widened as the two knights discarded their cumbersome helmets and he recognised their features. So much like their brother Hilden. His surprise cost him and the guard that had kept his distance shouted something; Prince Gidref lunged back.

Now, the young prince Arthur had been exposed to violence before. He'd been kidnapped several times. But he'd never been in the thick of battle. He'd stayed on the sidelines with Mel during Ameldry and in all the chaos of the current battle…he froze. All thoughts fled as he saw the fireball heading for him.

But Mel had been in the thick of it before. Had fled it as her village was invaded.

"No one else!" She appeared in front of the prince, falling into a familiar lunge as she swung her sword. The flat of the blade met the magical fire and sent it back to its caster who tumbled into the writhing crowd below.

The Dieran Princes looked at her and her sword in shock.

"Who are you girl?" Roan said again as he stepped back with his brother.

"She said," Gwen finished off the final guard leaving only the two princes left, "someday, you'll know."

Roan scowled while Gidref seemed to sense that the momentum they'd intended to have had faltered. It wasn't meant to take this long to kill one measly magical prince. The eldest prince looked back down to the seething crowd and smiled a relieved smile. He turned back to the royals.

"Prince Arthur is going to come with us..." he glanced at Mel. "The girl too. And we are going to walk out of here unharmed."

"Now why," Gwen said, "would I let you walk away with my son and my sorcerer's ward?"

"Because," Roan smirked, "it's that, or be responsible for the deaths of your people."

Art's eyes darted to where Gidref had looked before, down into the seething crowd. Where a small group of Camelotians had been separated from the rest. Away from the true guards and knights. Away from Marcus. And Lancelot. And Merlin. They were surrounded by soldiers with crossbows, each one training a deadly projectile on an innocent life. And they were completely alone.

Art saw Merlin fighting fiercely to get to them. But the fleeing crowd and attacking soldiers made it impossible. The prince met his teacher's eye and Merlin grimaced, then nodded and stopped trying to go forward, instead getting every person he could away from the other group. Art turned back to the Dieran princes and caught Mel's eye. She'd seen his exchange with Merlin.

His mother was still talking to the princes. Telling them they were fools to threaten lives so casually.

Mel whispered to Art, "I've got these two. Go." She shifted her grip on her sword then winked. "Work your magic Princeling."

Without warning she lunged at the princes with a terrifying grin. That was the last Art saw because he'd already turned and jumped to the edge of the stage.

He caught Merlin's eyes one more time, just to make sure, even as he heard one of the princes shout out an order from behind him.

"NOW ARTHUR!" Merlin shouted and Art dug deep.

These were his people. His Kingdom. His Camelot.

No one dies except them that threaten us.

The magic flooded through him. Broiled in his blood as he called upon it. As if singing Yes... This is what I am for...

He cast out his hand and instead of fear as he once might have felt when his eyes flared, he was elated.

Even more so as an unseen force grabbed every bolt that flew from those crossbows and turned them back the way they had come.

As all the soldiers fell and the Prince of Camelot's eye's return to their normal blue, the citizens of Camelot looked to their Prince in awe.

"YES!" Mel shouted from where she sat on top of an unconscious Prince Roan. Queen Guinevere could only smile as she finished tying up Prince Gidref with her satin belt. Smile wide and proud as she saw her son smile the same to his people.

A/N:

Thanks for reading!

I ;)