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Chapter Text

“Geralt, are you sure we are going in the right direction?”

Jaskier was slightly hesitant to ask the question, because one: Geralt was in a bloody mood, and two: he was in no mood to be snarky today. Ever since Yennefer sent them on bloody errands, well, that was when the moods started.

They thought it would just be picking some flowers but so far, they’d been to at least three places on the continent, and they still had not found the flower Yennefer needed for her potion. Jaskier sighed when Geralt only ‘hmm’d’ for him. He could see that the last few days were waning on Geralt’s mood.

They stopped suddenly. The meadow they were walking through had become a forest. Jaskier slowly let his magic into the earth, trying to figure out if there was something going on.

“Geralt?” Jaskier’s voice was soft and tense. He struggled to pick up what type of magic was around them. It almost felt like portal magic just, without the portal. “We can either go back and let Yen have a look at this, or go forward and see where we are?”

Geralt sounded even more agitated than he had in the morning. Not that Jaskier could blame him. “I think we go back.”

The earth seemed to be screaming at them to get out of here. And he, for one, would’ve really liked to do just that. When they turned around, they could only see forest all around them. Geralt pushed with his hand where they stepped through, his medallion feeling the magic in the air. But nothing happened.

“It looks like we are forced to go forward, Jaskier.”

They both looked at the foggy wood. Jaskier let the glamour fall. His Fae eyes were much better to see in the dark spots of the forest. And if there was any reason for a fight, well then at least he would be able to help.

Both heard a sound that had them chilled to the bone. Geralt's hand went to the pommel of his sword. Shortly thereafter, a beast ran straight for them, jumping to different sides. The beast missed them by only a few inches. Its screech made them both push their hands over their ears. The beast tore through the forest, disappearing.

“What the fuck?” Geralt looked slightly flustered.

Jaskier gave him one look and, his voice slightly higher pitched than normal, just said, “So, I assume you also do not know what that was?”

The silence was answer enough for Jaskier. They silently trudged forward after Geralt got Roach to calm down. Then Geralt suddenly pulled Jaskier behind him, his mouth moving into a snarl when he saw knights.
The first knight jumped from his horse.

“Who goes there?” His voice was commanding, as if he wouldn’t need a reason to do something stupid.

Another boy beside him, dressed as a servant, rolled his eyes.

Jaskier answered before Geralt could. “We are just travelling. I’m Jaskier, and this is Geralt.”

His eyes flickered around them. The knights looked tense, as if they were searching for something.

“Where are you going?” asked the knight.

The tone of his voice made Geralt snarl slightly. The knight’s hand was on the pommel of his sword. Jaskier could not help but wonder how old he was. He was acting with confidence, but at the same time, he looked too young to be the leader of the knights.

“We are searching for a flower for a friend of ours.” Jaskier made sure to keep his voice even. He could clearly see the black-haired boy looking at him, as if he could see through his glamour. The boy's eyes kept on flickering between him and the leader of the knights.

Suddenly, the roar sounded near them again. Geralt pulled out his sword. The beast rushed toward the small party of people. Geralt quickly made the sign of aard, blasting the beast a few feet away. Before anyone could say anything or truly react, he was on the beast, his sword cutting through one of its legs. Jaskier gave a gentle blast of earth magic, making sure that the knights would not be able to get too close to the creature.

They watched in horror as the beast bit Geralt, when he drove his sword through the beast’s palate. Jaskier let his magic go as he rushed to Geralt. A pissed off groan was answer enough to know that it hurt. Geralt plucked his sword out of the monster.

“Still have no idea what that thing is.” His voice was slightly hoarse. He faltered slightly when he took a step back. “Fuck!”

He cast a quick glance at his shoulder. He could feel the poison flowing through his body. Geralt struggled to Roach, reaching for his potion bag, when commotion was heard behind them.
“Arthur!” sounded a mad voice.

The rest of the knights were unsure if they should draw their swords, or let the intruders go. They all knew the law. All sorcerers were to be captured and killed. But at the same time, they were glad that they did not have to go up against the Questing beast.

Jaskier and Geralt watched with raised eyebrows as the two fought silently. Geralt swallowed half of the vial of Golden Orion, and then dropped the other half into his wound. Jaskier silently stepped in front of Geralt when the boy made his way over to them.

“Is he okay?” the boy asked.

Jaskier could feel the chaos brimming in him. He’d never felt it this strong before. “He would be, if the potion could get to work soon.”

Jaskier made sure to keep his voice even. Geralt was still standing, but he was not sure for how much longer he would be able to, or how long it would take him to work through the poison. The knight suddenly stepped forward.

“You both are more than welcome to come and rest at the palace.” The knight still had that confident sound to him. “The court physician will be able to make sure his wound is treated.”

Jaskier shot a look at Geralt, unsure if they should accept the offer. Geralt just gave him a look that said, ‘do whatever you want’.

“Not to be rude or anything,” Jaskier said, “but we still do not know who you are.”

The slight cold from his magic swept into his voice. The black-haired boy looked at Jaskier again, as if he wanted to ask something, but thought better of it.

The knight looked at them strangely. “I am Crowned Prince of Camelot, Arthur Pendragon.” His words sounded sarcastic, as if he could not believe that anyone wouldn’t know where they stood. “And these are the knights of Camelot.”

Jaskier fell silent. He had heard stories, hundreds of years ago, of magic taking people out of time zones, to set right what the people of the time could not. He gave Arthur a beautiful cold smile, before saying, “We then accept your offer, thank you.”

He watched as the knight nodded to the black-haired boy, who had asked if Geralt was alright. The rest of the knights got back on their horses, slowly making their way back to Camelot. Jaskier could see that the prince was hanging to the back, making sure that he would be part of the last to leave.

“I am Merlin.” The black-haired boy said promptly. He shot a quick glance to the knights. “They will not tell the King about the fact that he has magic. But while in the castle, and on these lands, please be careful.”
He sounded so sad when he said it, Jaskier just wanted to pull him into a hug and tell him everything would be okay. Before either of them could answer, the boy added, “I can treat his wound. I am apprenticed to the court physician...” He trailed off when he realised he had started to babble a little bit.

Geralt gave him a weird look. Merlin held his hands up to signal he was unarmed.

“Don’t worry about it.” Geralt's voice was gruff. Merlin gave him an enquiring look.

Jaskier stepped in before a fight could break out. “I will look after it, when we get to the castle,” he said, without any bite. He could see that the kid just wanted to help, but he also knew it was better to leave Geralt alone when in this sort of mood.

Roach neighed behind them, Geralt leaning slightly heavily on her. He pulled himself upright, his hand on Jaskier's shoulder. The mare got down so the two men could climb on.

Merlin watched them work in harmony. He wished that one day, he could also have that with Arthur.

Chapter Text

The walk back to the palace took time. Arthur and Merlin kept to the back with their visitors.

Jaskier sat behind Geralt on Roach. He was slightly worried, because Geralt was as pale as a ghost. He could also see a thin line of sweat building up, and Geralt's hands were grabbing and loosening at the saddle. The only consolation was, Geralt was still conscious.

“I do not trust the knight.” Geralt's voice was low, and Jaskier knew the two humans would not be able to hear the conversation. Jaskier could not say that he disagreed.

“What do you smell, darling?” he asked, in a soothing voice to Geralt.

The air stank with the pungent smell of overripe oranges, left out on a warm day.

“Worry and fear, but it is not directed at us?” Geralt leaned back slightly against Jaskier. He could feel his body flushing out the poison, but at a slower pace than it normally would.

Jaskier did not immediately respond to what Geralt said. Merlin was whispering to Arthur. Both pretended that they could not hear what was being said.

Merlin forced his horse slightly closer to Arthur’s. He could sense his friend was worrying.

“Arthur?” Merlin’s voice was low.

Arthur shot him a questioning look, his mind busy. Ever since he found out Morgana had magic, he was quiet, trying to find a way to protect her, and at the same time, to find someone who would be willing to teach her. All without Uther finding out. Arthur took a deep breath.

“Are you okay?” Merlin asked, the words a little deeper than he would have liked.

“No,” Arthur said, the word still, and almost dead in the silence. Arthur could not be bothered to say anything else. The fact that he was already going against his father, for his sister, was eating at him. He did not like to be forced. Add two strangers to the mix and he could feel the angst tugging at his heart.

“It will be alright, Arthur.” Merlin’s voice was soft. He wished he could reach over and comfort Arthur, but he knew better than to do that.

Jaskier wanted to give a sigh of relief when he noticed the citadel. When Arthur and Merlin set their horses in a gallop, he easily set Roach along with them.

Two stable hands rushed out to take the horses from the knights. Jaskier easily got off Roach, but it took some work to get Geralt down. He was sluggish and Jaskier knew he would need to meditate soon to heal properly.

Geralt was almost dead weight on Jaskier, who made sure to grab the potion bag and his personal healing bag. He’d set up the bag not long after he began to travel with Geralt, once he noticed the other did not have a lot of patience with himself.

“Merlin will show you to the Court Physician’s chambers.” Arthur’s voice was firm. “I need to see the King. If you would excuse me.”

None of his inner turmoil could be noticed from his posture or voice. Jaskier almost wanted to smile. He could see this would be similar to home. Not that he wanted to deal with something like that, but at least he was trained for court. Before Jaskier could get a word in, Arthur was on his way inside.

Merlin gave Geralt and Jaskier a strained smile. He easily took the bags from Jaskier. Together, they slowly made their way to Gaius. Jaskier could sense a fight on his hands and it made him give a quiet groan. The sound prompted Geralt to send him a worried frown. Jaskier gently squeezed his hand on Geralt's waist.

“Do not worry about it,” Jaskier said, his words still too low for Merlin to hear, even while they walked next to each other.

When they reached the physician’s chamber, Gaius helped Geralt onto a table he had cleared. He almost immediately backed away, when Geralt gave a warning growl, as he made to help him get out of the armour. Jaskier gave a faint smile at the display. He could still remember the first time he had tried to help Geralt, and the way he was almost bitten for his efforts.

Jaskier gently put his hand onto Gaius’ shoulder. “I am terribly sorry, but would you mind if I treat him? I walked with him on the path for the last twenty-five years. I know how to patch up a wound.”
Jaskier made sure to keep his voice even. Geralt was slightly tense from being near people he did not know.

Once Gaius nodded, Jaskier went to Geralt and helped remove his armour, making sure to keep his swords within reach. He easily reached around to unbuckle every strap, gently removing the coverings. He wished he could say something to help Geralt feel more grounded, but they both felt unsure of their surroundings and the people in it.

Jaskier was more aware than usual of the physician’s eyes on him. Merlin was in the corner of the room, heating some water. Jaskier took out Golden Orion from the potion bag and then a needle and thread from his own bag. He opened the vial for Geralt and was relieved when he drank it.

He cleaned the wound with the warm water and salt Merlin brought to him, and then heated the needle over the flame. Geralt's hands tightened over his legs when the needle entered the skin for the first time, but he slowly started to relax as Jaskier worked. Once Jaskier finished, he turned to Gaius.

“Is there a fireplace he could rest at?” Jaskier asked, his words gentle, but there was still a slight coldness to them, which he knew was not normally found.

Gaius could not help but point at his fireplace. “He is welcome to rest here.” His words sounded odd to himself.

Jaskier almost showed teeth with his smile before he remembered, he had put the glamour firmly back into place.

“Thank you.”

A quick sign from his hand had the fire roaring again. Both Gaius and Merlin looked at him in shock. Jaskier did not bother to give them a chance to say anything. He just gently helped Geralt to the fire.

Geralt easily slipped into a meditative pose. Before he truly knew what was going on around him, he went into a deep trance-like state, giving his body the rest it needed.

Merlin and Gaius only looked in shock.

“You are a sorcerer,” Gaius said, the words a mere whisper.

“I am not!” Jaskier gave them a frown, the indignance in his voice making them pause. He was no sorcerer, thank you very much.

Finally, Merlin asked: “If you are not a sorcerer then what are you?”

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Arthur pushed himself into a more upright posture. He knew he could not allow his father to see any weakness. He sometimes could not help but wonder if Uther knew about Morgana, but did not want to say anything, or else he would have to kill her.

He strode with confidence into the room, the guards that had been with them already present. He could feel a small shiver of dread making its way through his body. He hoped from the deepest part of his heart the guards had not said anything about the blast Geralt had done. He had saved all their lives, and Arthur knew he would try and honour it.

The head guard gave Arthur a chilling smirk that made his heart rate slightly spike. Arthur took a deep, measured breath.

“What happened?” Uther gave him a cold look, his voice cold, and it made Arthur wish he could turn around and leave the room.

“We came across two strangers, they said they were looking for a flower. Before we could search them, the beast attacked.” Arthur made sure to keep his voice even. “One of them drew his sword and slayed the beast but he was bitten. They are with Gaius now.”

“Did he blast the beast away from you?” Uther asked.

“No, Father.” Arthur kept his body relaxed so his father would not see the terror slowly spreading through him.

Uther gave his son a searching look. He could see the tell tale signs of terror, and he knew for a fact the people in the court had not noticed.

“Arthur, are you lying to me?”

The coldness in Uther’s voice made Arthur nauseous. How many years had he tried to earn his father’s approval, only to get hurt more times he could tell? Arthur could not help but to wonder why he even tried all these years to impress his father, doing what was told. Only stopping to ask how high, or fast, Uther wanted something.

“Of course not, Father.” Arthur internally winced at how cold he sounded.

Uther slowly made his way over to his son. “If I find out you lied, you know there will be trouble, right?”

“Yes, Father,” Arthur said, his words subdued.

Uther just gave him a nod and walked back to his throne, satisfied that he still had his son on his side.

Arthur wanted to check in on his two guests, but knowing they were with Merlin and Gaius made him turn around to go to his chambers. He knew the place would more than likely be a mess but at the same time, it would give him time to think.

The marks on his arms were still visible under the chainmail, even though it had already been two weeks out of the dungeon. Merlin had rubbed salve into it, but it had only helped to reduce some of the swelling. Arthur knew he would need to say ‘yes’ to marry a woman soon, yet he could not marry someone he did not love.

And every day it felt like he was losing Merlin more, and there was nothing he could do about it. The sudden urge to smash something swelled inside him, but it disappeared as soon as it started. With a tired groan, he started on his work, knowing the faster he got it done, the better it would be for all those involved.

Jaskier gave Merlin and Gaius a slightly condescending look. Sorcerer, or all the stuff they could have named him.

“I am a Fae.” His words were easy and rolled off his tongue. He could not help but snort in amusement at the two who were giving him such bewildered looks.

“But…” Gaius trailed off. He’d always thought Fae were something of legends, and he could not help but wonder how many creatures were out there truly.

Jaskier looked at them with an intense look, before turning to Merlin.

“Your chaos is the strongest I have ever seen.” His tone was back to being light and friendly. He could tell these two were people who would help them, even if he and Geralt were complete strangers in their world.
Merlin gave Jaskier a bewildered look. What the hell was he talking about?

Jaskier nearly gave a sigh when he saw the look on the boy’s face. “Magic.” His words were soft, remembering the warning that was previously given. He knew a person could never be too cautious. One never knows who might be listening.

Merlin froze slightly, unsure of what to say.

“So, are you going to tell me what is going on, or does the cat have your tongue?” Jaskier asked.

Merlin felt unsure of how to respond. On one hand, it would be good to have an alliance. On the other, he did not know if he could trust them with his destiny.

Jaskier wanted to give a groan in despair when he realised it would take some coaching to get to the truth.

“Listen, destiny or whatever you want to call it, would not have brought us here without a reason.” Seeing the wince Merlin gave at ‘Destiny’, Jaskier let his voice drop slightly, the coldness no longer there, now replaced by warmth. “So, if you can tell me what is going on, maybe we can help?”

Merlin gave an unsure look to Gaius. After the last few weeks, the pressure was slowly climbing, and he did not know how he was going to get back down any time soon. And the bloody lies. He wanted nothing more than to tell Arthur about his magic, but the fear of how he would react kept Merlin back. He knew he was just being a coward now, that Arthur likely would not hate him for it, but would try and find a way to help him, just like with Morgana.

Merlin was quiet for a while. He watched with a pounding headache as Jaskier started to tend to Geralt again. Everything felt hazy as he tried to understand his own emotions and what he kept bottled up inside himself.

After the death of Nimueh, where he had killed her in the end, he continuously had nightmares about it. Merlin did not want to bother Gaius with this. He already had enough to worry about.

Merlin suddenly looked up, his words unsure when he just said: “A dragon told me about my destiny.”

The voice was so soft, Jaskier barely heard what he said. He turned his head violently.

“A dragon?” Jaskier asked, surprised. He knew he would be able to feel a dragon if one was close by.

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Gaius gave Merlin a slap against the head. He could not believe the child just went and told a stranger that.

“Merlin,” Gaius said.

His voice sounded exaggerated to Jaskier. Merlin gave him a tired look.

“Ever since I killed Nimueh, to protect Arthur, I started to trust him less. He does not care about the future.” Merlin gave a tired sigh. “Not that I can blame him.” His voice was hollow. His secrets had made iron shackles of Arthur’s future.

Jaskier’s hand stilled where fingers ran through Geralt’s hair. He could sense through their bond that he was coming out of the meditative trance. He waited for Merlin to start speaking again.
“I fear I have made his future worse than it should be,” Merlin said, his voice a mere whisper.

Jaskier wanted to strangle him. “Why did you not tell him?” he asked, in a tone slightly harsher than he meant.

Merlin gave him a pained look. “If only it was that easy. Magic is banned in Camelot. I didn’t want him to feel like he had to choose between his father and me. Since I got here, I started to protect him.”
Pity welled up in Jaskier, for he could understand the desire to protect someone, having made the same mistake all those years ago.

“Tell him, believe me,” Jaskier said. “The longer you wait, the harder it will be to forgive.” His voice was pained, he had almost lost Geralt that day.

“I guess you are right,” Merlin replied, his words sounding conflicted to everyone. He was unsure what Arthur would do if he knew.

They had not truly settled into anything but master and servant, even if Merlin wanted to believe Arthur cared a little bit more about him than he wanted to tell anyone. Morgana was his sister, and it made sense to Merlin why Arthur would want to protect her.

Jaskier suddenly leant over to Geralt. His voice was low. He had heard the low growling sound Geralt made as he properly came out of his meditative state.

Gaius could still not help but wonder how anyone could survive the bite of a Questing Beast. “If I may ask,” he began, his voice somewhat full of wonder, “how did he survive the bite?”

Jaskier gave him an odd look. “He is a Witcher.” Seeing the dumbfounded looks on both their faces, he asked quietly: “Don’t you have Witchers?”

“No, what is a Witcher?” Gaius asked curiously.

Jaskier was surprised. How could they not have Witchers? Who fought the monsters that normal steel did not work on?

“Witchers are mutated from humans to become stronger, better, and faster. Their senses are a lot stronger than the normal human.” Jaskier spoke with wonder and love, his eyes soft while he explained this. “And the reason for it is to fight monsters.”

Gaius looked like he wanted to say something else when a guard suddenly burst through the door, his eyes wide and agitated. The sudden bang of the door slamming against the wood pulled Geralt completely out of the meditative state, his hand instinctively reaching for his swords.

“The King wants to see you at once, Merlin.” The guard tried to give the servant a positive smile but it came out more like a grimace.

Merlin racked his brain, trying to figure out why the King would want to see him. He knew that Arthur would have lied about the fact that the man – no, wait, Witcher – had done magic. Unless it was one of the guards, or the head guard, who had squealed.

The walk to the throne room made Merlin feel sick. He did not like to be alone with the King, and he could only hope that the guard had gone to fetch Arthur as well.

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Merlin watched in silence as the King paced in front of his throne. His nerves were shot to hell and back. The head guard was there as well, and the smile on his face made Merlin feel cold. Snake-like were the only words that shot through Merlin’s head. Merlin just kept himself from jumping when Uther suddenly started to talk.

“Did the man who saved the party from the beast use magic?” The words were so cold, it was as if he already knew the answer, and just wanted someone to back it up. Not that the King needed support to always do what he wanted. He did not answer to anyone in that regard.

Merlin’s magic soared to protect him, but he forced it down.

“No, Sire.” He made sure to keep his voice subservient. The last thing he wanted to do was anger Uther.

“Are you telling the truth?” asked the King.

Merlin could feel the cold shiver that ran down his back. “Yes, Sire.”

“You do know that if you are caught lying, you will be punished for treason?”

The mild softness in Uther's words made Merlin freeze, as he suddenly realised the King believed the head guard over his son.

“Of course, Sire, but it is the truth, the man did not use magic.”

Merlin knew it was futile to try and reason with Uther. He could only hope that Arthur would get here soon.

“And if I asked any of the other men, would they say the same?” Uther’s voice was soft, but the dangerous hint in it was enough to make Merlin wish he could run away.

Merlin stayed silent for a minute. He knew if he said ‘yes’, and Uther asked the head guard, he would be dead by morning. If he said ‘no’, well, then he also would be dead.

“Yes, Sire,” Merlin barely breathed the words out.

Terror slowly formed within him. When the doors suddenly slammed open, he jumped slightly. Uther stopped his pacing, eyes going toward his son. Arthur gave his father a glare that made it clear he was furious.
“What is the meaning of this, Father?” Arthur asked, his tone harsh. Arthur knew a time like this would come. He had been going against the King for too long.

“I am simply trying to find out if you were telling the truth,” Uther said.

Arthur took a deep breath at those words. He had learned from a few servants what was going on in the council room when he was not allowed in.

“Why would I lie to you?” Arthur asked. He could feel a piece of himself dying from his words. “We both care for Camelot, and only want the best for her.”

He knew they both cared for Camelot, but Uther had slowly started to lose the plot.

Uther froze at Arthur’s words. The last few months went through his head, how his son had spoken up against some of the harsher laws against sorcerers. How he would go against orders to protect a select few, rather than protect everyone.

The King glanced around the room. This was not a conversation he wanted to have in front of anyone.

“All of you out at once,” Uther said.

Everyone gave a curious glance but quickly left the room. They all knew better than to rile with the King when he was in this mood.

Merlin cast a worried glance back toward the prince. He wanted to wait for Arthur, but knew it would be better to just return to Gaius or his duties. Worried, he silently made his way to Arthur’s chamber, intending to clean the room properly.

Arthur gave his father a tired look. He did not want to fight with him over everything, but over the last few months, he suddenly was even more paranoid than usual.

“Father, please,” Arthur said, his tone slightly pleading.

Uther gave his son a glare then told him what he actually thought of him begging.

“You gave me no reason to trust you any longer, Arthur. You would lie to me if you think it is the right thing to do. Even when it is not.” Uther’s words were meant to hurt and Arthur flinched slightly at them.

“Father,” Arthur said, “the man truly did not use magic. He pulled his sword and killed the beast. In the process, he saved all of our lives.”

Uther could hear the tiredness in his son’s voice. It made his heartache, but he easily pushed that down. Arthur did not know what it was to lead a kingdom.

“Then, why is your story contradictory to the three guards?”

Arthur froze at the question. Taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly, he answered, trying to keep his voice steady: “They must fear the head guard, Father. Ask any of the knights, they will all tell you the same thing.”

“You are lying to me, Arthur!” the King bellowed, making Arthur flinch.

“You will not believe me, Father,” Arthur persisted, his voice hollow, “even if the truth is staring you in the face.”

How many times would this fight happen in the future? Uther gave his son a sad look.

“You will spend a week in the dungeon,” Uther said.

Arthur did not bother to respond.

“Guards!” Two guards pushed the door open and walked in. “Take Arthur to the dungeon, he is not to be released until my order.”

The guards gave a bow before moving over to the prince. They were starting to get used to it.

Arthur did not fight them when they shackled him down onto the floor. He bit his lip as he fought against the overwhelming need to scream until he could not anymore.

He could only hope that Geralt and Jaskier, who had saved them, were safe, and that Merlin would not get into trouble in the next week.

Chapter Text

Gaius led his two guests to their chambers, glad they were close to his. He was worried about Merlin and the last thing he wanted to do was listen to anything else.

Jaskier helped Geralt settle into a chair. He wanted to remove the shirt again to see how the wound was healing. At the same time, he wanted to let his magic slowly go into the earth to see what was going on in the castle.

When they got settled, Geralt sat in front of Jaskier, who slowly started to comb out Geralt’s silver hair. Jaskier muttered under his breath about the castle. His chaos could faintly pick up the dragon deep down in the bowl of the castle.

They would either need to explore the castle without getting caught, or have Merlin help them. But for now, he only wanted to groom his mate and make sure he was recovering at the right pace. The rest, they could worry about later.

The fire crackling in the hearth made him hum a ballad that he had started to work on. Geralt was slowly relaxing somewhat against him. His swords remained nearby. Jaskier knew that he worried about where they were.

“Do you think we will be able to go back to our place?” Geralt’s voice was low.

Jaskier gave his shoulder a slight squeeze. “From what I can remember of the story, the only way to go back home is to figure out why destiny brought us here, and I have a feeling that it will take a while. Or hopefully, Yennefer will figure out what happened and can maybe create a portal and take us home.” Jaskier was silent on the last one. He knew the possibility of that happening was slim.

When Geralt suddenly stilled, his golden eyes turned to the door, watching – waiting for something – as if he could see through it. Jaskier stood when there was a knock. He opened up to find two women.

He tilted his head a bit to the side. One of them looked so much like his sister, he was honestly surprised.

“Morgana, what are you doing here?” Jaskier asked.

Both women gave him a weird look at the question.

“I am sorry, but do we know each other?” Morgana asked, her voice holding a slight haunting note to it. The coldness in her chaos gave Jaskier a shiver. “I am Morgana Pendragon and this is my maidservant Guinevere.”

Jaskier gave them a bright smile before inviting them inside. “I am sorry for that, you look just like my older sister.” His words were bright and friendly. It looked to them as if he wanted to play a game, but they had no idea what. “This is my mate, Geralt.” Jaskier gave an elegant hand movement when he introduced Geralt.

Geralt gave them both a suspicious look. He did not bother to greet them. They were part of the reason why they were here in the first place. The fact that he could see the dagger under her sleeve made her even more suspicious.

“Was there something we can help you ladies with?” Jaskier was friendlier than he normally was, and he made sure to position himself in such a way that Geralt knew he was not flirting, just trying to charm them.

Morgana gave him a slight smile. “I just wanted to thank you for saving my brother.” Her mind went back to the vision she had, the fact that Arthur would have been killed because he did not want to listen.

Jaskier gave her a sharp look. He could feel that she cared deeply, but there was a sense of betrayal about her, as if she was expecting her doom any day. A Seer for the moment, but her magic would grow stronger with time. She could become one of the most powerful mages of her time. Whether she would use it for evil, or good, well, that he could not tell.

The silence in the room was thick. The men knew it was not the only reason the women were here. Jaskier gave them a tired look. Anyone with eyes could see there was more to this than they were letting on.

“The real reason you are here?” Geralt growled, making them jump.

Morgana gave him a quizzical look. She did not jump when he bared his teeth a bit in a warning. She did not have the chance to react further, as there was suddenly a knock on the door.

Gwen was the first to go and answer. A guard, who was slightly panting for air, stood there. His voice was breathy when he asked: “Is Lady Morgana here?”

“Yes. I will call her for you,” Gwen said, before gently closing the door again.

The conversation between them, well, Jaskier and Geralt tried to give them as much privacy as they could, waiting until they were finished talking to the guard. Jaskier stopped them from leaving just after it.

“We can not help you if we do not know what is going on,” Jaskier said. “You have come here with a reason. State it.” His voice was slightly harsh, but he was getting tired of going around in circles.

Morgana gave him a sad smile. “Unfortunately there is nothing we can ask of you, except to be careful. Uther is going out of his way to eradicate magic again.” With those parting words, they left the chambers, leaving two irritated people behind.

Morgana gave Gwen a tight smile before nodding her head and making her way down to the dungeons. She knew there was nothing she would be able to do. Maybe talk to Uther but, if she was not careful, she would be thrown into the dungeons as well.

The guards did not react when she went down the last few steps. Her mouth went dry when she realised Arthur was thrown into the main dungeon, where they kept the common criminals and bandits. The same bandits he had captured himself.

She ran up the stairs to the guards just outside the arch, and asked, “Why is he in that cell?”

Her words did not portray her worry. The guard gave her a sorrowful look. “It was the King’s order, Lady Morgana.”

Morgana wanted to huff. Was Uther trying to get his son killed? Without a word, she turned on her heel and marched to the throne room.

“Uther Pendragon!”

The King turned at his ward’s words and nearly sighed.

“Yes, Morgana?” Uther answered, sounding already bored with the situation. He was sure this was about Arthur again. They would likely fight about it.

“Why in the seven tarnishes is Arthur placed in the main dungeons?” Morgana asked, her voice ice cold.

Uther gave her a bored look. “Because he needs to learn his place. He cannot go around doing just what he wants.”

Morgana wanted to scream at the injustice. Uther was the one teaching his son to be king, but when it became clear he would be a different kind of king, it was suddenly a problem.

“He will learn nothing if they kill him, Uther,” Morgana said. “You know as well as I do that he placed several of those bandits awaiting trial in the dungeons, as well as killed some of their friends, all in the name of protecting Camelot. Do the smart thing and put him in a cell of his own.” Morgana took a deep breath before she started a rant about his leadership skills again.

Uther stilled for a moment.

“Alright,” he said, his voice taut and hard. “You can go and tell the guards that he is to be moved to a lone cell. The rest of their order still stands.”

Morgana gave a swift curtsy before almost running down to the cells. She knew it was wrong to be seen running, but she could not help the worry that coursed through her.

With a quick word to the guards, she watched as Arthur was unshackled and led to a cell that closed completely. It made her claustrophobic on a good day, and she did not want to know how Arthur would feel after a week.

Chapter Text

Arthur pulled himself closer to the wall. He felt like screaming but he knew it would not help. At the same time, he knew this was coming. Uther was getting more distrustful of everyone ever since Agravaine showed up.

Arthur knew the only thing he could do was to wait patiently. He did not wonder what started this. Between Agravaine and his new wife, Lady Catherin, everything was going downhill. He tried to show his father that Lady Catherin was not a good match for him, but it did not matter. The only thing Uther cared about was what he wanted to care about. The rest could go to hell.

Morgana made her way to Arthur’s chamber. Her eyes darted around the hallways, seeing the guards were in several stages of being pissed off. Off all the stupid stuff Uther had to go and do, arresting the people who saved his son’s life and the people with them was quite something. She stopped just in time to witness two burly men throw each other onto the floor.

“What is going on here?” Morgana asked icily.

The two men stopped. One’s nose was broken and the other was favouring his ribs. Both got to their feet as fast as possible. It was well known in the castle that it was unwise to mess with her.

“Lady Morgana,” one guard replied in a low voice, “we were just settling a disagreement.”

“You are fighting like children,” Morgana said. Her stormy eyes were enough to stop death himself. “You are guards of Camelot, this is unacceptable.”

“Yes, my Lady,” the one guard barely uttered, before turning around leaving.

“They saved our lives and now the King wants to kill them,” the other guard spoke softly, “maybe you can stop it, my Lady?”

It was treason to doubt the King. The guard did not wait for a reply, merely leaving in the other direction.

Morgana gave a soft sigh. The only sounds that could be heard in the hallway were her shoes on the floor as she rushed to get Merlin. She did not bother to knock on the door and simply opened it.

“Merlin, Arthur was arrested,” Morgana said, slightly out of breath. “We need to get down to the council hall now.”

She was pleased when he reacted immediately. They quickly made their way down.

They could hear a commotion going on from the end of the hallway. Both picked up speed. They would need to see what was going on to figure out why Uther and Agravaine were screaming at each other.

They eyed the room quietly. Jaskier and Geralt stood there, looking bored. Merlin was the only one to notice that one of Jaskier’s hands held a slight, white glow to it. His eyes were trained intently on the King.

“Uther, you can’t be serious,” Agravaine said, sounding agitated. “You just wanted to execute them on the stakes, because of magic, and now you say they are friends of Camelot! They saved my son’s life, and that of the other guards. We should have a feast rather, to celebrate.”

“Now, if that is all Agravaine?” Uther said, and Morgana noticed he sounded warmer than usual. “We have a feast to organise.”

There was a note of happiness in his voice that made Morgana cautiously try her luck. “Uther, why don’t you release Arthur, then?”

Jaskier almost burst out laughing. This was going to be fun.

Uther turned to his daughter. “Wonderful idea.” His eyes turned to Merlin. “Tell the guards to release Arthur.”

Merlin gave him an unsure look, but decided it would be better not to look a gifted horse in the mouth. How the hell was all of this just happening in one day?

Chapter Text

The only sound echoing in the hall was Merlin’s footsteps. The halls leading down to the dungeon were empty. After Uther’s announcement that there would be a feast, well, the servants were happy to get it organised as fast as possible.

Merlin took a deep breath when he got to the dungeon. He felt slightly out of breath from the run. It did not take him long to deliver the message to the head guard that Arthur could be released.

The confused look he got from the guard made him shrug. He only knew that Jaskier had something to do with it, and he was not sure what magic he’d used to do it.

Merlin was silent as he waited for the guard to get the shackles off Arthur. He heard Arthur thank the guard before coming out. They both jumped at the sudden, soft voice behind them.

“We need to talk,” Jaskier said, his eyes stormy with emotions.

“We can talk in my chambers.” Arthur sounded tired, but that was to be expected after the day he had. His hand went to his wrist, where he softly rubbed the bruised skin and muscle.
Jaskier sighed, but a gentle hand on his shoulder made him smile slightly.

Geralt knew from the get-go that Jaskier was weaving his chaos around the King’s mind. He could feel the chaos growing slowly in the room.

The emotions in the room were high. Geralt kept his face perfectly stoic, reflecting irritation, hatred. But not fear. His eyes narrowed at the man standing beside the King.

“They are suspected of using magic, Uther.” The man’s voice was no more than a mere whisper. “Are you not going to execute them?”

Uther turned his head slightly to the side, one hand resting on his chin. “We got two different versions of what happened, Agravaine,” he replied, sounding bored with the situation.

“Yet you have thrown your son in the dungeons.” Agravaine shot Uther a murderous look.

The room was still empty. Jaskier was sure they were waiting for some of the other council members to start the trial. He could easily feel the darkness lurking within the King. Jaskier knew the King was unfit to rule Camelot and should be brought down as soon as possible.

Geralt shifted slightly when the door suddenly opened. Out the corner of his eye, he could see Morgana and Merlin entering the room. They looked horrified. Geralt noticed the small smile playing on Jaskier’s lips and almost laughed out loud when they suddenly announced a feast.

“Uther, you can’t be serious,” Agravaine said, sounding agitated. “You just wanted to execute them on the stakes, because of magic, and now you say they are friends of Camelot!”

Jaskier rolled his eyes at the man. There was no way around a fae’s chaos.

“They saved my son’s life and that of the other guards. We should have a feast, rather, to celebrate. Now, if that is all Agravaine?” Uther said. There was a warmth to his voice for the first time since this began. “We have a feast to organise.”

Jaskier eyed Morgana when she suddenly spoke up. Uncertainty did not suit her. “Uther, why don’t you release Arthur, then?”

Jaskier silently slipped his hand into Geralt’s when Merlin ran out of the room. It was easy enough to slip out because almost everyone within was distracted.

Geralt quietly pulled Jaskier into an alcove. “What did you feel, Jask?” he asked, his voice low.

Jaskier was glad Geralt already had a basic understanding of his magic. “Darkness, his mind is filled with darkness.” There was a slight note of sadness in his voice.

They had seen, in their world, how prejudice people could be. Here, it was just against the magic users.

“We need to talk to the knight that was there,” Jaskier said. There was a thoughtful note in his voice. “Could you find him, love?”

Geralt just hummed before sniffing the air slightly. He easily picked up the scent of the forest and started to follow it down to the dungeon.

The walk back to Arthur’s chambers was spent in silence. He pushed open the door when they arrived. Merlin pulled out chairs for them.
When everyone sat down, Jaskier looked Arthur dead in the eyes and asked: “You do know your father is unfit to rule?”

Chapter Text

Arthur closed his eyes with a groan. His hands went to his temples and for a moment, he looked thoroughly defeated.

“I know,” he said tiredly, hands shifting to rub a chafed wrist. “I just don’t know what to do about it.”

Merlin pattered around slightly in the back of the chamber, unsure of whether he should move closer to be part of the discussion.

Jaskier’s eyes zeroed in on the manservant. “Come, sit down. You are part of this discussion.” There was a sternness to him that made Merlin immediately gravitate to them.

Geralt looked quietly at everyone. He generally tried to stay as far from politics as he could. The air within felt slightly tense, and he wished he could be back in the woods.

“Well,” Jaskier resumed, endeavouring to keep his voice gentle, “let us try and sort some things out first. Arthur, why do you not remove the King?”

Why wouldn't a prince do what was best for his kingdom first?

Arthur was silent for a moment. “He is my father. I can’t just go and kill him,” he said, in a quiet voice.

“Well, you have to do something.” For the first time, Geralt spoke up. His golden eyes bore into Arthur’s. “You will do wrong to your people if you don’t.”

Arthur knew things in the kingdom were getting to a point which made it dangerous to keep this up.

“You can always try a coup d’etat,” Jaskier pointed out softly.

Merlin was next to speak up, asking, while his eyes wandered around the room, “If I may, what is a coup d’etat?”

“It is basically to remove the existing government from power,” Jaskier answered easily. “It normally happens violently, but there is a way to do it without things getting messy.”

“I have four members on the council who are willing to lay their loyalties down to me,” Arthur whispered to the room. “The rest are still thinking about it.”

Ever since he found out about Morgana, he had been going through every book on the law he could find. Why did people love violence? The last thing he wanted was to kill Uther, who despite everything, remained his father.

“That’s good, how many people does he have on his council?” Jaskier prompted. If the number was relatively low, it would be easier to get the support they needed. Just a little bit over half was needed.

“Fifteen. I still need the support of at least four more people.” Arthur's eyes closed, and he looked in deep thought.

They all fell into a slightly uncomfortable silence. Geralt was the first to break it.

“So, where is this dragon we keep hearing about?” he asked, seeing Merlin, out of the corner of his eye, grow pale.

“Dragon?” Arthur had a sharp note to his voice.

Merlin could feel the anger rising within, and he wished he could kill Geralt, but he knew he could not. “There is a dragon in the lowest part of the castle. Your father captured him at the end of the great purge.”

Merlin struggled to keep his breathing even. Well, it was time to come clean about his magic.

Arthur took a deep breath before he asked: “Merlin, how do you know this?” His eyes narrowed down on his manservant, and he almost felt bad for asking, seeing as Merlin looked like he saw a ghost. Fear in Merlin’s eyes left him uneasy.

“He called me down shortly after I came to Camelot.” Merlin did not try to make eye contact.

Arthur looked over at the two guests, who were quietly watching the exchange. “Would you mind if we talk about this later?” he asked Geralt and Jaskier, a slight strain to his voice.

Geralt gave him a sympathetic look. He knew how it felt to have secrets kept from him, even when they were important.

“Listen, and hear what he truly is saying,” he advised Arthur.

How long did it take him to truly learn that? His golden eyes strayed to Jaskier. With a soft tap against his hand, both were out the door before anything more could be said.

Merlin fiddled slightly with his hands, wishing he could move around the room as they talked, but he knew Arthur did not like it. Arthur took a few deep, audible breaths.

“Merlin, why did the dragon call for you?” Arthur made sure to keep his voice even, aware he sometimes had a temper, just like his father’s.

“He called me down,” Merlin said, after a moment of silence, “because he wanted to talk to me about our destiny.”

Arthur silently waited for Merlin to continue, but after a few seconds, he prompted slightly: “What destiny?”

He knew that Merlin liked to call him ‘dense’ sometimes, but how else would a dragon make contact with someone without the use of magic?

“I have to protect you so that you can make it safely to the throne.” Merlin could feel the slight shake of his hands. “He said you would be the one and future king, you would unite all of Albion.”

Arthur crouched in front of Merlin. “Let’s not be funny here Merlin, but how do you protect me, when you are such a klutz with weapons?” He knew it was not the time for banter, but if it helped Merlin relax slightly, all was well.

Merlin bit his lip. Arthur's eyes were trained directly onto his. Merlin tried to take a breath.

“Magic.” The words were out of his mouth before he could think about anything else. Merlin's eyes settled on the floor. He did not want to see the betrayal in Arthur’s eyes.

“Why did you never tell me?” Arthur asked.

The question hit Merlin hard. Arthur sounded closed off, yet Merlin knew that Arthur would only bury it until he was ready to handle it.

“I never wanted to force you to choose between your father and me. And after Morgana told you, I could see that you were running yourself down, and I did not want to add more stress.” Merlin sank to his knees in front of Arthur and whispered, “I am sorry Arthur.”

Arthur wished he could say it was alright, but he could feel the anger brewing in the back of his mind. His heartfelt like it was breaking. He had truly thought they were friends, but at the same time, he could understand why Merlin had kept quiet.

“Give me some time to think. We will talk about this some more tonight.” Arthur patted Merlin's shoulder, and then he left the room.

Merlin groaned softly. Already, he could feel tears gathering in his eyes.

Chapter Text

Geralt relaxed against the wall. He knew why Jaskier had forced the issue about the boy’s magic. He would be the first one to admit, he’d never loved destiny, and he more than likely would never come to like it.
He rotated his shoulder slightly. The bite was healing as well as it could. At least the poison was finally out.

Both ignored the words coming from the room. This was not something they would interfere with, as Merlin and Arthur needed to figure it out on their own. Jaskier gave Geralt a soft smile. He still remembered the day Jaskier had to tell him the truth.

He watched as the prince walked out of the room. He could see Arthur’s jaw was clenched and set firmly. Geralt easily fell into step with him. Arthur gave him a short glare, but he did not say anything.

“Where do you practice?” Geralt tried to keep his voice on the relatively low side.

Arthur gave him an unsure look. It was barely a day since the attack -- how could Geralt already be healed up?

“Outside. Follow me.” Arthur’s voice cracked slightly, and he knew it would help to try and get the frustration out on the training ground.

They walked silently for a while. Geralt broke the silence suddenly. “I knew Jaskier for ten years when there was a situation and he was forced to tell me the truth about what he is.” Geralt trailed slightly off, trying to figure out how to string together the words he wished to say.

“We accidentally stumbled onto a fairy ring. Not a large group, but they were strong enough to invade my mind, quickly.” Geralt fell silent again. To this day, he was not proud of his reaction to what had followed.

“Faeries can work on the mind. They inrail your mind with their chaos so that you are more open to their suggestions. When I found out about it, I was furious, and I felt betrayed. Do not make the same mistake I made. Listen to him. There is a reason why he kept this from you.” The words were a quiet admission to the part of himself that still felt the guilt.

Geralt looked as Jaskier danced in front of him. He’d always wondered where he got the stamina to dance and play his lute.

He wished he had paid more attention to their surroundings. They were about two miles away from where they planned to camp. The last clear thought he remembered having was a wish the weather was slightly cooler.

Suddenly, Geralt stiffened. He could hear a song being sung. A wince left his lips as he sank to his knees, and his head felt like it was going to explode.

“Let him go, he is mine.” Geralt barely heard Jaskier’ voice.

“Why should we, son?” The responding woman’s voice was harsh. “ This would be the easiest way to get you back home. You have a court to rule.”

“I left court Mother, I decided to be a free fae. That means I don’t belong to one of the courts. Now, let him go.” Geralt realised he’d never heard Jaskier furious.

The song started up suddenly again. Geralt clutched hard at his head as he fought against the sway of the music. Before long, Geralt could feel himself relax slightly at the sound of a new tune.

Just as soon as it started, it finished, and Geralt slumped forward.

“Geralt?” Jaskier’s voice was soft. Geralt could sense and smell how nervous he was. He hated the scent of overripe oranges in the air.

“What happened?” Geralt asked, his voice slightly strained.

“We have moved into a fairy court. Fuck. Geralt, I am sorry...” Jaskier trailed off.

Geralt wished he knew what to say, but the dots were clear as day: Jaskier was a fae.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Geralt could feel the quiver in his voice. He felt the betrayal deep in his bones. He thought they were at least friends.

Jaskier was silent for a long time.

“Because I thought you would have hated me.” The fae’s admission was quiet.

Jaskier winced at how heartbroken Geralt sounded.

“Why did you forgive him?” Arthur’s voice was quiet.

“He was and is my best friend,” Geralt answered quickly. “My only friend, truth be told. He will always be Jaskier to me, even if he didn’t have chaos. It is part of him. I tried to think about what my life would be like if he should suddenly disappear, or die. And I did not like the feeling at all.”

The adoration in Geralt’s voice made Arthur feel small.

“I am an idiot. From the day I met Merlin, I knew he was something else.” Arthur thought back on all the times a branch would suddenly drop on a bandit’s head, or how he would be knocked out suddenly, but when he woke up, the fight would be over and everyone would be alright.

“How did I never see it?” Arthur kicked a pebble.

“Never see what?” Both spun around suddenly when a voice spoke behind them.

Geralt looked the knight up and down quickly. He seemed to be a fair man. The prince would need fair and wise advisors when the time came.

“Nothing, Sir Leon.” Arthur knew it was better than to let anyone in on the secrets. The last thing they needed now was for Uther to find out the truth.

Leon gave Arthur a strange look. Anyone with eyes who had truly been looking would have seen the stress he was under these last few weeks. That, to Leon, only meant one thing.

“Is it about Morgana?” Leon inquired, making sure he kept his voice low.

The hustle and bustle of the people around them helped to keep them from being overheard.

“No, it is about Merlin.” Arthur stopped himself. “Sorry. I am being rude. Leon, this is Geralt. Geralt, this is Sir Leon, my first knight.”

Geralt gave the knight a firm handshake before he pulled Arthur to one side.

“Do you trust him?” Geralt looked Arthur steady in the eyes.

Arthur’s gaze shifted to one side. “Yes,” he said, and though the word was clipped, there was a firmness to it.

“Then, talk to him,” Geralt said softly. “You will need a wise and fair man next to you.”

Arthur silently made his way back to Leon as Geralt left.

Chapter Text

Jaskier could hear the faint sound of crying, which made him wince slightly. He knew he had no right to force this. A deep breath later and he pushed open the door. There was a slight sadness in his blue eyes when he saw Merlin on his knees.

“Merlin.” Jaskier made sure to keep his voice soft.

Merlin’s head snapped up. “What do you want?” There was a tiredness to him, that Jaskier knew too well. 

“I just want to talk to you.” Jaskier crouched down next to Merlin. “I know you don’t like what I did but believe me, it is for the best.” 

Merlin wiped at his eyes. “How are you so sure it was for the best?” 

Merlin moved to stand up. His mouth felt dry and he could feel the start of a headache forming. He easily poured for them each a tankard of water. 

Jaskier watched his movements with careful eyes. 

“I was there. I hurt my beloved because I didn’t tell him the truth until there was a situation that forced me to tell him everything. And I know now that if I’d told him earlier, then his reaction wouldn’t have been so severe.” Jaskier's voice was quiet. 

Merlin handed one of the tankards to Jaskier. 

“Merlin, you need to understand one thing: people intertwined by destiny will always somehow find each other. You can try and run from it, but in the end, you will be forced to meet again...” Jaskier trailed off. 
“My destiny is to protect Arthur, make sure he is the one to bring peace to the five kingdoms. There is nothing else to it.” Merlin could feel his heart almost breaking again with the thought that one day he would be forced to watch the prince marry another.

“Yet you love him, and from the looks of it, he loves you as well,” Jaskier said firmly. 

Merlin gave a sad shake of his head. He knew that there was no possibility of them ever getting together. It was just not meant to be. 

“Will you tell me more about Fae, please?” Merlin asked, easily changing the subject. 

“Only if I can tell you about what had happened all those years ago as well,” Jaskier said, so firmly Merlin could only nod. 

“There are three types of Fae. Those who are part of the Seelie Court normally rule over summer and spring. Fae from that court are known to be good-willed but, at the same time, they are mischievous. They are prone to overreacting in situations.  

“On the other side, you have the Unseelie Court who normally rule over Autumn and Winter. These Fae are, again, known to be merciless and cruel for no reason. 

“And then there are Fae like me, who are court less for the simple reason that we do not want to dabble in court politics.

“Another part that you should understand is that Fae have soul-bonds. Most of the time we bond with another Fae, as it is rare that a soul-bond will cross into the other world. When a bond forms and the Fae find their bond-mate, they need to connect.

“We do that with music and song. 

“I met Geralt when I was only four years in as a Court less Fae. Before that, I used to belong to the Unseelie Court. 

“I was so happy to have found my mate yet I was too scared to tell him that one: we have a bond that can never be broken, and two:  I was a Fae.  And so, I waited. 

“In the time we learned more about each other, my music strengthened the bond we had. At night when he slept, my magic would seep into his mind. I never controlled him, but there was something alike to a protective shield around him.

“One day we stumbled upon a court. Well, a fairy ring. They almost immediately started with a song, and even with the shield, Geralt was led straight into the ring. One thing you have to understand about a court is, once a human enters, they can’t just walk out. 

“Unless there is a stronger Fae, or the human is bonded to a Fae. 

“Unfortunately for us, we did not happen over a Seelie court, as they would have let us go as soon as they realised we were bond-mates. 

“This was my mother, the Queen of the Unseelie. She is a cruel Fae who rules her court with an iron fist. One of the reasons why I decided to leave. 

“The fight between us was to get me back into the court and I didn’t want to. 

“But at the same time, I knew that if Geralt was too long under their spell, he would be lost to the human world for good. 

“For the first time, I forced control over his mind as well. 

“I managed to win that battle, but at the cost that Geralt was furious with me. Not that I blame him. I learned later on that, with both of our chaos in his mind, he felt weak, nauseous and extremely dizzy--almost as if he was going to faint.

“When we left, he asked me why I never told him the truth. And I had hurt him. The person I should have protected, I hurt the most. 

“He left soon after, and I didn’t see him again for a year. 

“Merlin, we made it. When we saw each other again we had a serious talk and I proved to him that I could be trusted. Because that was in the end what almost ruined us.” His voice raw, Jaskier took a deep drink from the tankard. 

“Thank you,” Merlin said softly.

Jaskier gave him an uncertain look as Merlin rushed out of the room. Knowing they could only wait and see what the Prince would decide to do, Jaskier hoped that Arthur would make the right decision. 

Chapter Text

Merlin wiped his eyes as he moved down the hallway. He wished he could have told Arthur the truth a lot sooner. A deep breath in and out.

He knew he would need to tell Arthur everything, but at the same time, how would Arthur be able to trust him at all?

Before he realised, he had made his way down to Kilgharrah. There was a slight feeling of hatred in his heart for the dragon. He knew the dragon could see the future in some ways and had a lot of power. But some days it just felt like he didn't care about the future.

Merlin slowly made his way down the cave steps. He did not call out to the dragon. Just for a moment, there was a chance to breathe and think everything over.

Everything was quiet for a few minutes as Merlin tried to organise his thoughts. Maybe it would be better if he was killed? Merlin’s hand went to his heart. He could still feel the guilt from all the people he had killed to keep Arthur safe.

Merlin fell backwards into the cave wall. He felt he was no better than Uther. People who could have been saved were killed. Merlin forced himself to take a deep breath. It did not matter anymore. He could not help but feel that he did his best to keep Arthur as safe as he could.

Perhaps it was now time for Arthur to take this forward on his own.

“Merlin!” Kilgharrah's rough voice broke him out of his own thoughts. Merlin could not help but wince slightly at how angry Kilgharrah sounded. “Why are you wallowing in self-pity?” the dragon asked, sounding half amused.

Merlin only gave him a glare. “I am going to tell Arthur everything,” he said softly.

Merlin knew it was the only choice he had, for there would be no chance in the future that Arthur would forgive him. Now was the time. He wished he could convince himself of that, really. It still felt like he’d go through with it, only for everything he ever did to be only thrown back in his face.

Kilgharrah gave a puff of smoke too close to Merlin’s face for comfort. “Why would you do that?”

Merlin was silent for a long while, as he tried to gather his thoughts. His jaw clenched slightly, nerves bubbling within him.

“He knows of my magic,” Merlin said. “The only way he can truly forgive me is if he knows the complete truth.”

Kilgharrah flapped his wings in irritation. “Bring him down, when you are done.” With those parting words, he flew back up deeper into the cave. The only sound was his chain rattling.

Merlin sat back with a sigh and tried to gather the courage he would need to do this.

With a deep breath, Merlin stood up and went to search for Arthur. He knew the most likely place to find Arthur would be the training ground. The Prince always went there when he felt the need to clear his head.

Merlin stopped at a window overlooking the training yard and saw Arthur practising with Leon. He could not help but wince a bit when he noticed Arthur being more aggressive than he would normally allow while training.

Merlin sat down on the bench next to the training field, knowing better than to interrupt the Prince while he trained.

Arthur looked over when he felt someone’s eyes on him. With a glance to the side, he saw Merlin on the bench. Arthur forced himself back to his training.

He wanted to go to Merlin and talk this through properly, but at the same time, he just needed more time to get his head on straight.

Arthur bent down to get his breath back after he had run ten laps. He was slightly surprised that Merlin was still sitting there and waiting. With a groan, he turned to face Merlin.

“I thought we said we will talk tonight?” Arthur’s voice was slightly strained.

Merlin was silent for a moment, before he said quietly, “There is so much I have to tell you. And only after we have the talk will I leave you alone.”

Arthur noticed the way Merlin’s hand was twisted slightly into his tunic.

“Alright.” Arthur turned around and headed to his chambers.

The walk was tense and awkward. Once they got to the chamber, Merlin easily pushed the door open, letting Arthur walk into the room.

Arthur pulled chairs out for both of them. He knew, deep down in his heart, that this was the type of situation in which he might want to be a friend, rather than a master to a servant.

“Sit.” Arthur noticed that his attitude was cold, and he tried to pull his emotions into control.

Merlin took a deep breath before he sat down. The room was silent for a few moments, and the only thing that could be heard was their breathing, though Merlin was sure that his beating heart was audible for miles. For a moment he stood back up and started to pace. He had no idea where to start.

“Merlin, what is it that you want to tell me?” Arthur’s voice had softened slightly.

“I am sorry for not telling you earlier. I should have from the start.” Merlin’s gaze was downcast, his voice a mere whisper.

The ensuing silence spoke volumes to Merlin.

“Arthur, everything I did since I got to Camelot was for you. My magic lives for you and only you. And I truly hope you can believe me with that.” Merlin trailed off slightly. He hoped that Arthur would speak up but, seeing as silence was the only thing that would reign, he continued.

“I came to Camelot originally because my magic was starting to get out of control. My mother had hoped that Gaius would be able to help me, to some extent, learn more about my magic. She always complained that I did magic before I was even able to walk.

“Once I got here, I saved Gaius’s life when he fell down the railing from the second landing. He tested my magic slightly, but truth be told, he gave me more advice on when to use it than anything else.

“The night when I saved your life from Lady Helen the witch, the dragon called me down to his cave. His name is Kilgharrah. He was trapped by your father since the first great purge.

“He told me that night, that it was my destiny to protect you. We are two sides of the same coin. It is my destiny to make sure you become king, no matter the cost it may bring.

“Arthur, I did that and more. I killed to protect you and I will do it every time, anything to make sure you get that crown.

“After we destroyed the Afanc, I went back to the dragon. He advised me that it would be better to kill Nimhueh.

“I did search for her and I did kill her.” Merlin fell silent. He watched with wary eyes as Arthur paced.

Arthur stopped in front of his chair. The following words were a mere whisper. “Get out.”

Without saying anything else, Merlin left the room. He wished he could say more or better yet, never have done this. But it was time that Arthur knew everything.

Chapter Text

“Just let your chaos flow, Merlin. It is like a river that wants to go to the ocean,” Jaskier instructed, as he helped Merlin channel his chaos out of him.

For a moment, his eyes took on a golden shine before going out again, back to normal.

“Sorry,” Merlin said. He sat down with a sigh, his blue eyes betraying the fact that he was completely distracted from what they should be doing.

“Is Arthur still ignoring you?” Jaskier asked. He was slightly agitated by the fact that over four weeks had passed, and Arthur still had not made up his mind about what he wanted to do.

“Yeah, I tried to talk to him last week, but he did not even respond. I can accept that he does not want to be my friend anymore, and if he wants to execute me, he really should, but living like this is just plain stressful,” Merlin admitted after a few seconds of silence.

Jaskier gave him a worried look and let his chaos form in his hand, gently holding a flame out to Merlin.

“He needs time,” Jaskier said. “He found out you murdered for him. That goes against what he was taught--”

“He has also killed a bunch of people before on orders, innocent people who did not deserve to die,” Merlin interrupted, before Jaskier could finish. He started to pace, the self-hatred nearly overwhelming him. “He, unfortunately, has blood on his hands he does not want. I would do anything for him, no matter the fucking consequences. But no. He had to be a stubborn, pig-headed man. Do you know he killed a unicorn even after I told him not to shoot? He did it because it would have made Uther proud.”

Trailing off, Merlin’s shoulders hunched. “Why does it even matter? If, in the end, he becomes King, what is the chance that anything will ever change?” Merlin’s voice held a sadness to it, one that Jaskier wished he could take away.

For a few moments, the only thing that could be heard in the room was their breathing and a kind of near-whimper.

“Because you believe in him. You are two sides of the same coin. There is nothing that will change that. And in time, he will learn it.” Jaskier gave Merlin’s shoulder a slight squeeze. He could only hope that Geralt had better luck with Arthur.

Geralt watched silently as Arthur trained. He could smell the tiredness in the air, as the knights were working harder than anywhere else.

With a groan, he picked up a dulled longsword. It was lighter than he was used to, yet he could not help but be reminded of his childhood, before the trials, when the boys would train together.

“Arthur,” Geralt called, his voice ringing out onto the training field.

With ease, he lifted the sword, knowing Arthur would get the meaning and hopefully give the knights a break. A second of silence fell over the training yard.

“All of you are dismissed,” Arthur said, his voice holding such a command, the knights could not help but get a feeling of worry over them as they dispersed.

Arthur swiftly made his way over to Geralt. He knew Geralt was a master sword fighter and he would try his best today, just as he had for the last few weeks. Geralt forced him to place all of his focus onto the sword and for a few minutes, it left his mind peacefully blank.

Afterwards, Geralt would typically leave Arthur alone or, if he wanted to talk, he was allowed to do so. Hopefully, this sparring session would be the last. Arthur knew he needed to talk to Merlin, despite feeling simultaneously like the person he trusted the most had betrayed him. They began and Geralt easily intercepted a swing to his legs.

“How are you feeling?” the Witcher asked, his voice soft as their swords clashed.

Arthur was silent for a moment as he spun away from a slash to his chest. “Betrayed and confused. I know I need to talk to Merlin again, but I am not sure how.” He stepped forward, bringing his sword into the middle.

“Just talk to him, be honest. It will take time for you to trust him again.” Geralt blocked the sword coming to his chest and with a flight to the side, his sword met Arthur’s neck.

“I know.” Arthur took a deep breath and was silent for a moment as he tried to catch his breath.

“Talk to him. It’s for the best.” Geralt clapped Arthur on the shoulder as he turned around and left, expertly tossing the sword back onto the rack.

Arthur stood in silence for a few moments, endeavouring to gather his thoughts.

Leon suddenly appeared next to him and Arthur startled a bit.

“Are you going to talk with Merlin anytime again?” Leon asked, looking at the prince.

Even the knight would admit to being worried. In the last few weeks, Arthur had been short with everyone, and the knights had just decided that it would be better to stay as far away from the situation as possible since Arthur might just bite their heads off.

“Yes, I don’t think that it is something I can try and ignore for much longer.” Arthur’s hand tiredly wiped over his eye. He tried changing the subject by asking, “How is Morgana, I haven’t seen her in a few days?”
Leon gave him a looked that told him, this would not be one of the days he could easily get out of this.

“Arthur, what really happened between you and Merlin?” Leon asked as they walked to the armoury.

“It does not matter.” Arthur knew Leon was aware of Morgana’s magic, but a part of him just wanted to keep it quiet.

Leon stopped Arthur. “No! It does matter. You are walking around like an enraged bull. You are banned from council meetings. You are trying to kill the knights with training, and if it isn’t physical you go for emotional weak points.” Leon's eyes blazed with anger. “I don’t know what’s got you like this, but it has to end, Arthur.” With those words, he turned around and walked back outside.

Arthur almost hit his head against the wall. There was truth in those words. He only wished that he could gather the courage to do what was necessary. With a groan, he made his way toward Gaius’s chamber.

Upon pushing the door open, Arthur admittedly was slightly surprised by the sight of Merlin suddenly kneeling.

“Merlin?” Arthur said, his voice rough as he pushed the door closed. His blue eyes held a slightly icy hint to them. For a moment there was silence and Arthur could swear his heart was going to burst from his chest.

The prince took a step back when the air suddenly grew stuffy. A golden light reached out to Arthur, wrapping visibly around his arms.

“Sire, I pledge my fealty to you and only you,” Merlin said, his tone bearing a note of confidence that wasn’t usually there. “My magic is, and will always be used to protect you from harm. I will go out of my way to ensure there is no threat toward you.”

Arthur was speechless. Finally, he approached and firmly drew Merlin up with both hands. His voice was but a whisper in Merlin’s ear when at last he said, “Thank you.”

Chapter Text

Jaskier gave his magic a slight push. He and Geralt were in the forest, almost at the same location the worlds had changed.

For a quiet moment, he could not help but wonder if they would ever be able to go back to their own world. He could admit to himself that he was glad to be there to help Arthur and Merlin, but on the other hand, it was time that they went back.

They had their friends and worries that lay in wait. They wouldn’t be able to spend the rest of their lives in Camelot.

Geralt pulled Jaskier silently against his chest. He could feel Jaskier’s heart pounding in his chest. “Calm down, love.” Geralt's voice was low in Jaskier's ear. “I think we will be able to go home when we have done our work on this side."

“More than likely, but we don’t even know how long this will take. What if something happens to them in the time we are here?” Jaskier knew it wasn’t fair to ask this question out loud.

Geralt had already started to show signs that he wanted to move on again.

“Then, we’ll deal with it when we get there. For all we know, time could move slower, or not at all.” Geralt took a breath of relief when Jaskier relaxed against him.

Jaskier tangled his hand into Geralt’s. The smile he gave softened Geralt's eyes. No matter what came their way he knew they would be able to handle it.

There was a moment of silence between them when Jaskier looked serious all of a sudden.

“You remember my half-sister?” Jaskier's voice was quiet.

“The one that died?” Geralt asked softly, for he knew how sensitive of a topic it was for Jaskier.

“Yes. Morgana reminds me of her. Not just the looks, but her personality as well.” Jaskier’s blue eyes bore into Geralt, who returned the gaze.

“I don’t think it is possible to be reborn into a different world, Jask. And Morgana is no fae. If she was you would have known by now.”

Jaskier was silent for a moment. “Maybe, but remember we got pulled here, it isn’t so far fetched that she could have been born on the other side.”

Geralt searched his lover's face, wishing he knew what he could say or do.

Jaskier took a deep breath, his eyes trained on the ground as he said, “I suppose it doesn’t matter all that much in the end. Even if she was reincarnated as a normal human, she won’t be able to come with us. She now lives her life on this side.”

Geralt pulled Jaskier into a hug. He understood how much Jaskier missed his half-sister but, from the tales he had heard, her death was done with a reason.

“Let’s go back to the castle. Someone needs to make sure those two idiots don’t blow up the place.” Geralt smiled when he heard Jaskier slightly laugh against his chest.

Arthur pulled himself away from Merlin. “I am sorry for my reaction. It was wrong of me,” he said softly. He could feel the last pieces of anger leaving him. “I understand why you never told me from the start that you have magic, and I only wish that you had told me after Morgana did.” Arthur's hand touched Merlin’s cheek slightly, where he could feel tears silently streaming down against his thumb. He felt overwhelmed by his own emotions. “I am sorry for hurting you when the only thing you wanted to do was protect me.”

There were a few moments of silence as they just held each other. Every emotion was finally out in the open, and now all they had left to do was move forward.

Merlin tiredly wiped his eyes clear. “I think it is time that you meet the dragon. Just don’t trust everything he says, he doesn’t truly care about the kingdom, only about revenge,” he said wearily.

Arthur tried to wrap his head around the fact that there was a dragon still alive after the great purge.

“When would you like to do this?” Arthur asked quietly. A deep breath helped to steel himself for meeting a dragon.

“Now. The sooner we get this done with, the better.” Merlin dragged his fingers lightly through his hair.

For a moment there was an awkward silence.

“Well then, lead the way,” Arthur said as he pulled the door open.

The walk was silent as they moved through the hallways. When they got to the stairs going down, Arthur almost gave the guards a strict lecture for the fact that they were more into playing their game of dice than work.

He did laugh a little bit when Merlin used his magic to make the dice roll down the hallway, and with ease, they made their way down into the cave.

Arthur watched in wonder as Killighar flew down. Merlin only gave the dragon a slight glare.

“The young Pendragon. I started to wonder when you would show up.” Kilgharrah sounded half-amused with the situation.

Arthur was silent for a moment. His eyes were just roaming around the dragon. “Yes well, there was a lot of stuff that needed to be worked out.” Arthur’s voice was filled with wonder.

Kilgharrah looked silently at Arthur. “So, when are you going to take your rightful place?”

Arthur took a slight step back. Of everything, that wasn’t a question he had expected.

“Arthur?” Merlin gave him a worried look.

“When it is my time.” Arthur’s voice was quiet as he said it. There was no way that he would be able to kill his father. And if something did go wrong, when they tried to take over, well in the end it would only take longer to become king.

A puff of warm air made them both jump slightly.

“You are a fool Arthur Pendragon. The time is right now!” With those words, Kilgharrah flew back higher into the cave.

“He has a point, Arthur,” Merlin said softly. “Now is the time for a change, before Camelot has so many enemies that nothing will be able to keep her safe in the end.”

A sad smile graced Arthur’s lips. “I know, but I don’t know if I would be able to kill him if the need arises, and that is why I don’t want to do this.”

Merlin spun away from Arthur. “You are busy being a coward, Arthur. There is a lot of stuff you don’t know about, believe me when I tell you, now is the time.”

Chapter Text

“What do you mean Merlin?” Arthur’s voice was slightly strained.

Merlin loosely clenched his fist. “You might want to talk to your father Arthur, and hope he will tell you the truth,” he said, and he moved from the cave.

Arthur remained silent as he watched Merlin depart. With a groan, he sat down on the cave floor, his mind slightly spinning as he wondered what could be so bad. He glanced up when he heard the sound of wings again.

“He never told you, did he, Arthur?” Kilgharrah sounded amused.

Arthur bit his lip and pushed himself upright. “What? What is the bloody secret everyone knows?” he asked harshly.

“You were born from magic. Your mother’s life in exchange for you. That was the deal between Uther Pendragon and the high priestess Nimueh.” Kilgharrah voice’s held a hardness to it. “She warned your father repeatedly, that magic demands a balance. Uther was, as usual, pigheaded. He believed that he could be the one to choose who gets to die for your life.”

The silence that followed was stifling. Without a word, Arthur turned around and ran-up to the council room. A part of him could only hope what he’d learned was false, yet a deeper part of his heart knew it was the truth.

Before he realised it he stood in front of the council room and he could hear voices on the other side of the door. Without thinking, Arthur pushed the doors open.

“Is it true?” Arthur said harshly.

Uther, with a gesture of his hand, commanded those in the room to leave at once. “Is what true?” he asked, hating to be interrupted during council — especially by his son.

“That you gave mother’s life for mine?” Arthur took a slight step back when Uther’s face lost all its colour. A sense of dread filled him to the brim. His blue eyes widened. “How could you do that?”

For a moment there was silence in the council room.

“There wasn’t a choice,” Uther finally said. “We needed to have an heir, and your mother couldn’t get pregnant. Nimueh was court sorceress at the time. I went to her. She told me that in exchange for your birth, someone would have to die…” Uther took a deep breath. “I never thought it would be your mother, Arthur.” He would never let anyone see how his turmoil had truly affected his life.

Arthur's eyes hardened and his hands shook. “You are nothing but a hypocrite. You made a decision, and when it didn’t work out as planned, everyone with magic became evil in your eyes. Yet you have used magic to get a child.”

Without saying anything else, he turned around and walked out of the room. Breath in and out. Arthur needed to calm down, but all he wanted at the moment was to get his father out of the throne before anyone else could get hurt.

“Are you alright?” Jaskier's voice suddenly appeared behind Arthur, making him jump slightly. Jaskier’s eyes were soft as if he had seen something that would happen in the future.

Arthur paused, his hand clenched and unclenched, a slight twitch in his jaw.

“No.” The word came out behind grinding teeth.

“Would you like to talk about it?” Jaskier gave Arthur a small smile.

“Yes. Maybe. I don’t know.” Arthur’s eyes darted around the hallway. He felt an urge to get out onto the training field and work out everything inside his head there.

Jaskier lay his hand on Arthur's shoulder. A slight touch of chaos calmed him down. “Talking would make you feel better. Come.”

Jaskier silently led them down to the guest-chamber he and Geralt used. He walked around the room, as Arthur stood awkwardly in the doorway. “Do come and sit,” Jaskier said, in a voice which held a note of sadness to it.

Arthur barely sat down when he rose up again. His pacing made Jaskier’s eye twitch a little bit.

“What happened?” Jaskier asked as he took a sip from a tankard.

“I just found out that my father used magic to have me. A life for a life. He thought he could control it, but when it didn’t work, he blamed magic.” Arthur tried to inhale deeply, but all he managed was a shuddered breath.

“Your father loves you more than anything Arthur, that is something you can believe. He might not show it to you. But he does love you.” Jaskier's voice was firm. He could feel the emotions in the king's head. There was a deep sense of love for his son.

“What about all those deaths that happened?” Arthur wanted to kick himself. He shouldn’t show weakness, not on how he was feeling.

Jaskier could only shake his head. “It happened because he is an evil man, Arthur,” he said. “But you have a chance to change that. Go and talk to Leon, he will be on your side. And your sister as well, Arthur.“

Chapter Text

Arthur watched silently as Jaskier turned away. His mind still felt like it was slightly buzzing but a lot of stuff made more sense.

With a slight groan, Arthur walked back to the training grounds. He had a feeling that Leon would still be there.

For a moment Arthur could understand everyone’s anger toward the Pendragons. It was their own fault that this had happened. If Uther hadn’t been so fucking blind in his anger, none of this would have happened.

Arthur stopped around the corner, hearing his sister and Leon talking. He was happy for them. Morgana deserved someone who would love her and be there with her no matter what.

“Leon, Morgana,” he called as he walked over. Morgana was radiating with happiness. With a small nod from both, he stopped in front of them. “Can I speak with you, please?” he asked, eyeing both of them.

“Of course. Walk with us brother,” Morgana said, almost bouncing on her heels. “I found something in the woods this morning and want to show it to Leon.”

They walked for a few moments in complete silence and Arthur tried to gather his thoughts.

“Did you know that father has used magic?” Arthur’s voice was low, making sure that no one would be able to hear them even if they passed by close to them.

Morgana almost froze before she regained her stepping. “When?” she hissed.

“He went to Nimueh when mother and he couldn’t get pregnant. He thought that he would be able to control life and death. That didn’t work out and mother died when I was born.” Arthur took a deep breath.

“Uther was angry that he couldn’t have saved her, and so he blamed Nimueh, stating that she had deceived him.” Arthur touched his eyes tiredly.

Morgana stepped in front of Arthur, her eyes wide. “So, you are telling me that none of this would have happened? All of those people were killed because he didn’t listen properly?” There was almost a note of hysteria in her voice.

Leon easily pulled his fiancée against his chest. He had learned the hard way it was better to try and calm her down than allow her to stew in anger.

He watched silently as the siblings looked at each other. This might just be the last push Arthur needed. Hopefully, now, he would start to stand up to his father.

“So, what are you going to do about it?” Leon kept his voice soft.

For a few minutes, they walked in silence.

“I think we’ll be able to do a coup if there is enough support from the council.” Arthur could think of maybe five people on the council that would leave his father, but there wouldn’t be an easy way to get the rest to change. They enjoyed the way things had been going for the last two decades.

“Start with Gaius and Geoffrey,” Leon said firmly. “I know for a fact both of them are worried about the state Camelot is in at the moment.”

He had heard them talking a few times of all that was going on in Camelot. Hopefully, they would be able to get the rest to be slightly easier to be swayed.

“Thanks. I trust you will help?” Arthur turned to face Leon properly. He had always seen the older man as a brother.

Before he had a chance to answer Morgana answered for him. “Of course, both of us will support you in this.” Her voice was firm.

The smile Arthur gave them was slightly sad, but at least he knew that they would be on his side if anything changed
.
Leon laughed out loud when Morgana suddenly rushed forward. There was a ring near one of the three. Arthur was slightly surprised to see the mushrooms growing in such a beautiful circle.

Before he could think twice he pulled Morgana back. Something was off with this. He just wasn’t sure what it was.

“Don’t either of you just get an off feeling?” Arthur’s voice was thick with emotions.

All three jumped backwards when there was suddenly a blue light in front of them. They could hear a soft melody playing.

Arthur could only watch in horror as Morgana walked forward. It looked almost like she was in a trance. Leon called to her, but it was as if she couldn’t hear them. Her eyes were trained on the ground.

The soft blue light danced around her. They could hear the zooming sound, but they weren’t sure what it meant.

“Leon, I think we are going to need help.” Arthur’s voice was urgent. “Go and get Jaskier and Geralt.” Leon could hear the command in his voice.

For a moment he was frozen, his mind warring between getting help or staying with Morgana. An urgent look from Arthur made him turn on his heel and run back to the castle.

Chapter Text

Leon almost fell over his own feet as he slid in front of the room Jaskier and Geralt occupied. He hammered a fist against the door, jumping slightly when it suddenly opened up.

Geralt lifted a questioning brow.

“Ne-need help.” Leon barely got the words out between his breaths.

Geralt went back into the room and nodded at Jaskier, knowing he would understand. With a sword in hand, they followed Leon.

“What happened?” Jaskier asked as they trailed after Leon.

“Morgana wanted to show us a ring she saw in the forest. We got a weird vibe when we got there. We tried to call her back, but it was as if she was in a trance. And there was a melody that played.” Leon was slightly tired, as this was the fastest he had run in a long time.

Jaskier almost froze when he heard all this. “It is a fairy ring.” There was almost a panic to his voice. If a court lived there, their lives would more than likely be in danger.

When Leon heard the panic in Jaskier’s voice he forced them to run even faster. He would never forgive himself if something happened to Morgana or Arthur.

With a glide they stopped next to Arthur, who was frozen. Suddenly, all three of them heard the melody and became affected by it. A pang of sadness went through Jaskier’s heart.

The melody was something his sister would always hum. No matter what she was doing she would hum it. Drove the rest of the court nuts but it made her happy.

“Morgana!” Jaskier called out. He wasn’t sure if he called out to his own sister or the lady Morgana.

She turned around to face Jaskier. There was a wicked smile across her face. “Brother, it’s been a few years since we saw each other.” Her voice was like a melody.

“Why are you here, sister?” There was a sadness to Jaskier. When he’d first left court, he didn’t expect his sister to up and disappear for good.

“Something called me to these lands, a sadness to them. It’s a wonderful place to start my court. I knew it wouldn’t have pleased mother or father, since I am not the oldest. But life is good on this side: bad people get punished. And chaos flourishes, for the most part.” The sadness in her voice on the last part hurt.

“The lands were once strong on chaos, but it was slowly starting to be drained off. We have tried everything we could to keep the land as strong as possible. But with the number of people who have the gift of chaos, it is being killed. The land is losing it.”

They jumped slightly when there was a flurry of colours around them.

“And the lady Morgana, sister?” Jaskier kept his voice even. They normally didn’t intervene with the events of humans unless it affected them negatively.

“Her chaos has part fae in it, hence the reason I can talk through her. She will be fine, just tired.” She wouldn’t tell them that Morgana was born as the shadow to Arthur’s light.

They would learn the hard way that there needed to be a balance in the world. Nothing could be good and just. Even though her heart was pure, there would come a time in her near future when her life would be changed for good.

“Why did you reveal yourself?” Jaskier asked, his voice low. He could feel the chaos slowly building around them. With a glance, he could see that Leon was also frozen. Geralt simply looked at them with interest.

“Because you were brought here for a reason, brother. You two need to save the great Dragon.” There was a slight laugh to her voice as she spoke. She could feel that she was still alive, locked away in a mountain.

“Only a witcher would be able to get to her. That is the reason you fell through that portal. Without her, these lands would be doomed. It is the old chaos that weaves around her.” With those words, she pulled herself back into her small form.

The chaos cleared out of the air.

Geralt was the first to react when Morgana almost fell. He caught her with a quick movement and kept her upright. He gave Jaskier a worried glance.

At least this meant there was a chance to move again.

Chapter Text

Geralt gave Jaskier a worried look. Morgana was as pale as a ghost. Jaskier ran his hand gently over her face. He couldn’t sense any wayward chaos on, or in her, and that, he would take as a win.

“She just needs rest and food. Tomorrow she should be better again.” Jaskier’s voice was soft.

Leon held his hand out to take Morgana from Geralt. There was a wary look in his eyes that Geralt didn’t particularly care for. He had seen it too many times in villages where the people weren’t as welcoming to Witchers.

Geralt handed her over with ease. With a small nod, Leon turned around and started to make his way back to the castle.

Leon could feel his heart racing in his chest, and he knew that for now, it would be better to just get as far away as possible before he said or did something he would regret.

Arthur was silent as he watched the interaction. He was slightly startled but there was something the woman had said that made a lot of sense. In the last few years, the weather had changed a lot and the crops that were coming in were barely enough to feed the villagers.

Geralt pulled Jaskier against his chest. He could hear how loud his heart was beating. Her disappearance had thrown Jaskier for a loop. Almost no one just up and disappeared from a fairy court, hence the reason Jaskier believed that his sister had died.

“We will come and talk tonight with you.” Geralt easily dismissed Arthur, who just raised one eyebrow, before he nodded and left. He knew that they needed a moment to collect themselves.

When Arthur was completely out of earshot, Geralt pressed a kiss against Jaskier's head, giving him a chance to collect himself.

Jaskier breathed in Geralt’s earthy scent, allowing his mind to wander for a moment. Maybe he should have searched longer for her. But even if he had, he knew deep in his heart that he wouldn’t have been able to find her. She didn’t want to be found, which meant she wouldn’t have allowed him to get to her that easy.

“Are you alright?” Geralt kept his voice soft.

Jaskier was silent for a few more moments, just trying to keep his thoughts together.

“No,” he finally said, “it was a shock to see her. We mourned her for the last few years, and now she is just here. How is that fair? She never talked about setting up her court. She was happy or... well, she looked happier than when she was with us.” Jaskier quieted down.

His mind felt empty like a heavy blanket had been thrown over it, and he wasn’t sure how he needed to deal with this.

“I’m sorry.” Jaskier held Geralt close for a moment longer.

“Nothing to be sorry for.” Geralt gave Jaskier a last kiss on the head before he pulled away slightly. “Just know I will be here for you.”

Jaskier gave Geralt a small smile.

Arthur watched silently as Merlin paced in his chamber. He had relayed everything that happened in the woods, with the fairies, and about a dragon living in the mountains.

“I had always thought that Kilgharrah was the great dragon,” Merlin said, somewhat hurriedly. “Uther killed all the other dragons he could find. So that means he either left this dragon on her own, or she managed to escape.”

This wasn’t something he had expected to pop up. But then again, when did anything go to plan?

Arthur watched Merlin, the pacing slightly working on his nerves.

“What’s wrong?” Arthur made sure to keep his voice on the soft side. He had ruined enough of their friendship in the last few years.

Merlin was silent for a moment. He could feel tears burning at his eyes. “Nothing,” he said in a rough voice.

“It isn’t nothing, Merls.” Arthur quieted down slightly. The last thing he needed to do was put pressure on Merlin, who had proven that he was on his side more times than Arthur could count. He wouldn’t betray him now.

Merlin pinched the bridge of his nose. He could feel the start of a headache blooming, and for a moment he wished that he could just leave. Maybe it would be better if he went back to Ealdor. Just live there, farming.

“It is just too much now. Another dragon when there shouldn’t be one?” Merlin gave Arthur a tired look. “Fuck, what is it going to be next?”

Arthur was silent; he had no idea what he could say to Merlin that would help with this. For the first time, Arthur wondered how he had never seen the stress Merlin was under before.

“How can I help?” he asked.

Merlin gave Arthur an unreadable look. Where was this coming from? Why would he want to help suddenly?

Chapter Text

Geralt watched in silence as Jaskier paced the room. His hair was dishevelled and his eyes were slightly red from rubbing at them a few times already.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Geralt kept his voice low. He had learned the hard way that Jaskier needed his space whenever something bothered him. Usually, he would be all up in a person’s face, but when he got like this it meant he needed space.

His glamour had already fallen, showing that he was agitated.

“No.” There was a roughness to his word that worried Geralt slightly. He could only sigh. Jaskier would figure out his feelings sooner or later.

Merlin observed as Kilgharrah flew down. His head was sore and riddles were the last thing he was in the mood for.

“What do you want?” Kilgharrah didn’t sound like he was in the mood to deal with Merlin. He still hadn’t brought the prince down so they could talk. But hopefully, that would happen one of these days.

“Did you know that there is another dragon in the mountains?” Merlin kept his voice neutral. He wasn’t here to look for a fight, simply a reason for why this was never mentioned.

Merlin's eyes closed slightly when Kilgharrah gave a puff of smoke in his direction. The dragon was silent for a few seconds. Merlin started to think that just maybe he wouldn’t give him an answer.

“There was a rumour among our kind that dragons were escaping to the great mountains. No humans would be able to set foot there.” Kilgharrah's voice was lost in wonder.

He had often wondered about these rumours. And after the dragons were slaughtered, nothing ever came of it again. To hear there might be another dragon still alive filled his old heart with a slight joy. He had always hoped another would survive the purge.

Merlin thought about what Kilgharrah said. “How did the rumour never reach Uther?” The king was and still remained bent on destroying anything that had to do with magic.

“It was only passed on between our kind. They probably travelled at night. Remember that not all the kingdoms were against dragons. It was just after Uther declared war against magic, that the other kingdoms started to do the same. So there was still some time for them to get away.” There was a sadness to Kilgharrah that softened Merlin’s heart.

It was true that the dragon would do anything to get free, and he had every reason to be against Uther and the people of Camelot.

“Why do you want to know this, Merlin?” Kilgharrah gave him a look that told him only the truth would be tolerated.

“Morgana’s body was taken over by a fae. She told Arthur that the only way this kingdom could be saved is if the Witcher is able to find the dragon.” Merlin relayed only what he had heard from Arthur.

He needed to remember to check on Morgana. But Gaius was there already, and he’d confirmed what Jaskier said. She only needed time to rest. Leon was Merlin’s true concern.

He had seen how livid the knight was about what had happened. And that sort of anger couldn’t do any good.

Leon sat, immersed in his thoughts, and watched over Morgana, who was still fast asleep. Her fair skin had started to regain some colour, but he had a feeling she would be on the weaker side of this for another day or two.

He jumped slightly when there was a knock on the door.

Arthur poked his head around the door, so Leon gestured that he could enter. Arthur was silent as he sat down.

“How is she?” Knowing Morgana needed the rest, Arthur kept his voice to a whisper so as to not disturb her.

“Gaius said she should be awake by morning. She just needs to rest.” Leon’s voice hardened. “This didn’t need to happen.”

“No, it didn’t, but it did. The only thing we can control is how we react to it.” Arthur cast a worried look at Leon. He had heard the knight mad, seen it as well. But this was something completely different.

“Are you alright?” The worry was clear in Arthur’s voice.

Leon was silent for a moment. “Yeah, of course.”

Chapter Text

Geralt studied the map the princeling and his servant brought to him in silence. It would take a few days to get to the great mountains.

It was easy to see why the fae Morgana had said it’d take a Witcher to reach her. A mere human would succumb before they even reached the halfway mark. And if they managed to get a little higher, the air would be too thin to breathe.

Geralt could feel the start of a headache brewing. Behind him, Jaskier was slightly pacing. They both knew Jaskier would need to stay behind, to make sure the magic shrouding the king’s head stayed in place. It was the only way Uther wouldn’t start to kill people again.

Arthur was silent as he studied their expression. He could clearly see the frustration both of them bore.

“I’m going to check on Morgana, just call if there is anything I can help with.” He gave each of them a nod before he left.

Jaskier sat down on the floor, his cornflower blue eyes cold. Frustration boiled in him like a storm. How was any of this fair? Why did destiny decide that they needed to do this? For a kingdom, they had no loyalties to?

“Are you going to do it?” Jaskier’s voice was soft. Maybe it would work out well and this would be over soon, then they would be back on the Path they had walked for the last few decades.

Geralt was silent for a moment. The fae had made it sound like it was the only way they would be able to truly help the kingdom.

“If Arthur doesn’t do something with his father soon, I fear that it might be the only way we will be able to leave this place. And if he does, and it doesn’t work, then yes I will do it.” Geralt's golden eyes softened slightly when he looked at Jaskier.

He wished that he could just take his mate back home, and keep him safe and loved, like he was meant to be cherished.

Maybe it was time to retire from the Path. After all, the monsters were becoming less and less.

“We will figure this out. It might take a while, but we have all the time in the world.” Geralt tried to give Jaskier a sense of relief.

They would get back home, they just had to believe it.

Arthur knocked on Morgana’s door. He wasn’t surprised when Leon answered, and he could see the tired lines running through the knight’s face.

“Have you slept at all?” Arthur kept his voice low, in case Morgana was still asleep.

Leon was silent as he just gave Arthur a long look. With a shake of his head, he opened the door wider, allowing Arthur to enter the room.

Morgana was still resting, and Arthur had a feeling she would probably sleep through most of the day.

Leon could still feel the leftover anger burning inside him, for this was something that shouldn’t have happened. Morgana should have been safe in Camelot, instead, she was attacked by that fae thing.

Arthur watched the emotions playing through his friend's eyes. They’d been friends too long already, both having seen the bad in each other.

“What are you thinking about?” Arthur asked, keeping his voice neutral.

Leon was silent for a long time. “This shouldn’t have happened. She should be safe in Camelot.” There was a hardness to him that worried Arthur slightly.

“She is safe here. It was a flux, Leon. It happened, but she wasn't injured, just tired.” Arthur's voice softened slightly. He could only imagine what his friend was feeling.

Leon grit his teeth slightly. “You would feel differently if it was Merlin.” There was a slight bite to his tone.

Arthur gave him a confused look. What did Merlin have to do with the situation?

“Don’t give me that look. You have a crush on him. You are just too blind to see it.” Leon paced the room as he spoke, a manic light in his eyes.

“So tell me, Arthur, what would your reaction have been if it was Merlin, trapped with some other entity holding control over him?” Leon almost hissed the last part.

Arthur knew that Leon was just trying to get a reaction out of him. “I’ll come back when you have calmed down. Let me know when Morgana wakes up, please.” Without waiting for a reply, he left the room.

Arthur could feel his heart beating out of control. The mere thought of something like that happening to Merlin made him feel useless. He would have been angry at the situation even if there was no harm done.

He knew he would have tried to find a way to make sure it never happened again.

Chapter Text

Arthur was silent as he paced his room. His mind felt like a whirlwind, for he knew there was some truth to what Leon had said. But even if he had feelings for Merlin, there was no way he would be able to act on them.

His duty stood first and foremost to Camelot. He would need to have an heir one day. No matter how he felt about the woman he would marry, this was the way forward.

Arthur could feel the sense of dread slowly building up in him. That wasn’t the future he wanted for himself, but for now, this was all he could do.

With a sigh he sat down at the table, grabbing some paper and a quill.

There was so much to do, and time was running out. For a moment Arthur just stared blankly at the paper in front of him.

To do:
1. Talk to the other council members.
2. Who would go up against Uther?
3. Talk to Morgana.
4. Talk to Merlin.

Arthur stared at the paper. There wasn’t much he could do at the moment, but everything felt like it would just fall apart if he wasn’t careful.

With a sigh, he decided it would be better to just go for a walk. Maybe it would help him figure things out.

Without much thought, Arthur walked to the library. He could remember a long time ago, when he was just a small boy, how conscientiously Geoffrey would tutor him. Geoffrey would always tell him it was better not to question Uther’s reign.

Arthur jumped slightly when Geoffrey was suddenly in front of him. “Sire?” The question was clear in his voice. Ever since Arthur had taken a more hands-on approach to the council, it was rare to see him in the library.

The old man’s eyes held a slight worry to them. He had seen how the last few years had taken a toll on Camelot. The people lived in fear for their king. There were far more assassination attempts he had to write up than for the previous king.

“What’s wrong, Sire?” The old man showed Arthur to a chair he could sit in. There was something different about Uther in these last few months, and he had a feeling it had something to do with their guests.

Arthur was silent for a while. Geoffrey started to think maybe Arthur wasn’t going to answer him. When he finally did speak, Geoffrey almost fell off his chair. His eyes bulged slightly as he tried to take in everything Arthur had to say.

“Sire, you have my support in this, and I am sure Gaius’s as well. The rest would follow since there was, for a while, already unrest among the nobles. But Sire, just one question: why are you suddenly going against your father?” Geoffrey couldn’t help but wonder about that. Since Arthur was young, surely he only wanted his father to be proud of him.

“He wants me to be king one day. I need to decide on what sort of king I want to be. I could be a cruel one just like him, or I could rule just and fair.” Arthur swallowed hard.

This matter had been on his mind for the last few weeks, well, since Jaskier had told him that Uther’s mind was dark.

His father had decided to rule with fear. And he could see that now. When the food and water grew low in the villages, Uther would show the people away, not giving a damn if they died or not. As long as he could continue to live in the castle and have food to eat.

“You would make a great king Sire, but remember you need the knowledge to rule. Not everything can be done from the mind alone. Your mother left this with me,” Geoffrey told Arthur as he walked into a back room. “She said I would know when the time is right to give it to you.”

When he came back he held an old tome. The book was covered in dust and the pages were a yellow colour.

“Go and read it, Sire. Take the words to heart. And be the king your mother always knew you would be.” Geoffrey easily sent Arthur off.

He knew Arthur had a lot to think about but hopefully, with Merlin on his side, they would be able to make the kingdom a better place.

Chapter Text

Merlin closed his eyes, feeling the wind blow through his dark hair. The prickling in his skin stopped, and just for a moment, he could feel his magic settle and then slowly start to expand.

When he opened his eyes he could see where his magic had reached. The clearing was covered in multiple coloured flowers. He continued to let the magic drain out of him and into the earth.

A small bubble to clear his head was exactly what he needed at the moment.

Arthur was quiet as he watched how Merlin looked like a young person again — free, as if there was nothing that could bother him. Silently, he walked closer to the scene in front of him. The flowers were all a different type, an array of various lush colours.

“Merlin?” Arthur called out softly. He had a feeling that if he startled Merlin, it might end with him flung into a tree.

Merlin opened his eyes slowly, the gold clear to see for everyone. Sorcerer. That was all it screamed to the world.

Arthur could feel his breath hitch in his lungs. For a moment pure desire ran through his body as he felt the power radiating from Merlin.

Without conscious thought Merlin turned toward Arthur’s voice, his mind still in a deep blissed-out state, automatically readying him for an attack.

“Merlin, it is just me.” Arthur raised his voice slightly, seeing the wariness in Merlin’s eyes. He could also, for the first time, see why Gaius was worried about him. Arthur hadn’t looked before, but he noticed now that Merlin had lost weight.

Merlin forced himself to come out of his trance properly. He knew he needed to be more aware of what was going on around him when he got like this. But it wasn’t something he had managed to figure out just yet.

“Why are you here, Arthur?” The only way Arthur could have found him was if someone told the prince of his whereabouts.

“I wanted to talk to you.” There was a nervous edge to Arthur’s voice. He was still unsure whether he truly had feelings for Merlin, but the fact remained that two people had commented on he and Merlin, making him rethink the situation.

And he could admit to himself that he had some sort of feelings for Merlin. But Arthur knew that he would need to bury those feelings as deeply as possible. It wouldn’t be fair to Merlin or to himself. In the end, he would need to marry a woman, in order to father an heir for Camelot.

Merlin raised his eyebrow. This was the last thing he needed. “And it couldn’t have waited until I got back to the castle?” Merlin snapped, immediately realising that he gave away how fed up he was with everything.

He swallowed down the guilt when he saw the look Arthur gave him.

Arthur forced himself to keep calm. He knew how much stress Merlin was under, and he probably should have just left him alone for the time being, but that screamed against the fact that he wanted — needed to talk to Merlin, to make him understand how much Arthur appreciated him. And his friendship. The fact that he wanted to grow and nurture their friendship well, though he wouldn’t burden Merlin with this part.

“Unfortunately no. This is a perfect spot to talk. There is no one here to eavesdrop.” Arthur took a slight step forward.

Merlin could feel his heart freeze. Had Arthur realised that he had a crush on him? Merlin bit the inside of his cheek. Hopefully, this would go over without anything going more wayward than it already did.

With a wave of his hand, Merlin gestured to Arthur that he should sit down. The flowers started to lose their vibrant intensity, and the magic wove away.

Arthur sat down quietly. He could feel his heart starting to beat faster. Why in the damn kingdoms was it so hard to talk about feelings?

After a few minutes, Merlin started to feel uncomfortable. “What is it that you want to talk about?” A gentle prompt to hopefully get Arthur started.

Arthur crushed his nails slightly into his hand.

“I care about you a lot, Merlin. More than I should. But the fact is that I value your friendship more than you know. And I know that I never showed you that I care. And for that, I am bloody sorry...” Arthur trailed off.

He was unsure of what he could actually say to convince Merlin that he cared.

Merlin was silent for a long time, uncertain of what Arthur wanted him to say in response. On one hand, he was glad that Arthur had admitted this to him, for he also had started to feel like a burden, someone who could only mess up everything he needed to do.

“I care about you as well, Arthur.” Merlin kept the rest to himself, for on the other hand, he would never tell Arthur that he wanted more from him than just friendship. That was something he would need to keep to himself. Otherwise, he would only ruin their friendship.

Chapter Text

Jaskier let his chaos flow free. The woods he was in made him smile. There was something to the forest. He shrugged a little bit. Woods and forest are where fae lived, so of course he would feel comfortable here.

His chaos shifted around him, hiding him slightly when he heard footsteps approaching. He turned toward the sound. Jaskier almost fell over his own feet when he saw Morgana. Her ebony locks flowed through the air.

Her blue eyes held a cruel hint to them, but at the same time, there was something warm to them. But Jaskier was sure the warmth he saw was just his imagination.

“Jaskier,” she said, her voice cold. Jaskier could feel her chaos moving to him. With a gentle shield around himself, he made sure that she wouldn’t catch him off guard by attacking.

“Sister. To what do I owe this pleasure?” His tone was slightly mocking, as he had a feeling she was part of the reason why this kingdom was going downhill.

“Has your Witcher started with his journey?” Her back was straight. It almost felt like she was looking down on Jaskier. Jaskier forced himself to take a deep breath. This wasn’t the time to get mad.

“Yes, he has started. Tell me, sister, why is this dragon so important?” Jaskier made sure to keep his voice even. He wasn’t in the mood to fight, he just wanted to understand what was going on.

“She can repair the ley lines. They are starting to drain, hence the reason why there were so many draughts in the last few years. Sorcerers and magical beasts normally did it simply by using spells. But given they are almost completely dead here, well, the ley lines are breaking up.” Her voice was sad.

She had seen the druids trying to give their powers to the earth, to give the earth a fighting chance, yet all they managed to do was damage their own chaos.

“The druids managed to give their chaos to the earth. It helped a little bit, but a bigger boost was needed to make sure that the lines would hold.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. The small group of fae she had found here had helped with that.

But the earth needed more, so much more than she would ever be able to give.

“And Uther? Even if the dragon managed to do that, Uther is still on the throne.” Jaskier watched her, as he tried to take in every movement and little twitch she made.

The smirk on her face almost made Jaskier want to run. He had seen it too many times. He knew there would be no way to stop whatever was going to happen.

“Don’t worry about it, his days are numbered. And at least,” she said, in a light and mocking voice, “it will give Arthur some peace of mind since he wouldn't need to go against daddy dearest.”

Jaskier grew silent. Before he could ask another question, she disappeared again. He didn’t bother calling after her, knowing that she wouldn’t come back. This was just an information session.

Morgana woke up with a scream. Her hand was around her neck as if she couldn’t believe that it was there.

Her cheeks were wet with tears. She could feel her magic swirling around in her, trying to find what had hurt her.

Leon came rushing into the room, his sword was already drawn. There was a stricken look on his face that screamed whoever dared to attack Morgana would live to regret it.

When he realised there was no one else within, he let the sword fall to the floor. The clatter rang noisily through the room.

“Morg, what is wrong?” He crouched down in front of her. His thumb gently cleared away the tears.

Morgana forced herself to take a deep breath. She could still clearly see the look in the eyes. The hands around her neck. Dying, even while she tried to fight back.

“Uther is going to kill me.” Her voice was rough. How was he going to find out about her magic? Who had told him?

“What do you mean?” Leon knew she had visions, that she could see the future, but why would Uther try and kill her?

Morgana was silent for a long time. “Someone told him I had magic. He is going to kill me in my sleep.” Her voice broke on the last part.

“Love, look at me.” Leon’s voice was firm. “I will make sure that nobody and nothing harms you.” The way Leon said it, made Morgana give him a warm smile.

She always knew that she was the safest with him.

Chapter Text

Geralt took a deep breath, trying to pinpoint the scent of fire, smoke, and burnt grass. It was faint. His ears were open, taking in every sound.

He could hear the leaves rustling in the wind, a small animal running — its heart racing. Geralt’s golden eyes focused on a cave located higher up. He could see that it would be hard work to reach the entrance.

Another breath in. The journey up was tougher than it looked. He knew why the fae wanted him to go. There was simply no possible way a human would have survived.

Geralt gave a puff when he entered the cave, the smoky scent prominent around him. He had a feeling that it was the dragon he came to seek.

He was silent as he walked deeper into the cave, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. A shuffle to his left made him spin in the direction.

A young woman walked out. Her skin was pale, like the moon, and her eyes were a deep green. Geralt watched her silently. Her auburn hair fell like fiery waves down her shoulders.

“Why are you here?” Her voice was deep and fierce.

Geralt knew without a doubt that she was the dragon which the fae had talked about.

“I’m looking for the great dragon.” Geralt’s tone remained neutral. He kept his gaze on the woman and saw her eyes had narrowed slightly.

“And why are you searching for a dragon?” she asked coldly.

“The fae Morgana sent me to get you. She said that you are needed to make sure the current king of Camelot is overthrown.” Geralt kept a hand out in front of him, not wanting to anger the dragon.

The woman started to laugh. It was manic. “Don’t tell me you believe the fae.”

Geralt only raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.

“She doesn’t care about the king. Her only worries are the ley lines. They are starting to die out. There isn’t much that can be done. She might think that dragons have the ability, that we can give the ley lines enough of a boost so that it might heal.” Her voice saddened slightly.

“I’m sorry, but there is nothing I can do. It will break, and it needs to break. After the break, it will start to heal on its own. It will take a few decades but it will happen.” Her eyes closed slightly.

Geralt was in thought. Someone was lying, and he truly didn’t have an idea who it would be. “Thank you, my lady. I will leave you in peace.” Geralt gave the dragon a slight bow before he turned around.

The journey back home took Geralt three days. By the time he made it back to the castle, all he wanted was to hold Jaskier for a few hours.

When he saw Jaskier in the square, he easily slid behind him. A knowing smile broke out on Jaskier’s lips. He’d smelled Geralt from a few miles away.

“How did it go?” Jaskier’s voice was soft as Geralt slid his arms around Jaskier’s waist.

“Long story. Can we just go back to the chambers?” Geralt’s voice was low. There were too many people around them. This wasn’t something that he wanted other people to hear.

Jaskier just gave him a small smile. “Of course.”

The walk back to the castle was silent.

Once the doors closed behind them, Geralt pushed Jaskier slightly against the door. His lips were warm against Jaskier’s.

The scent of him made Geralt’s head slightly dizzy. This was home.

Jaskier pulled away and his eyes were warm. “So, want to tell me what happened?” Jaskier easily moved Geralt toward sitting down and plopped himself on the Witcher’s lap.

“I found the dragon. She said it had something to do with ley lines, that they are broken.” Geralt's voice was quiet and Jaskier listened attentively. “She won’t be able to fix it. It needs to break completely before it starts to heal. And it will take time.”

He still had a feeling that either the dragon or the fae was lying about something.

“I truly wish that Yen was here at the moment,” Jaskier said softly. “She would know what the truth about the ley lines is.” 

Chapter Text

“What is a ley line exactly?” Arthur's eyes moved around the room. His mind felt like it was reeling from the information he just heard.

“It is where magic is drawn from. They are everywhere in nature, but some points that are more prominent in certain places.” Merlin’s eyes closed as he tried to remember everything he’d read on the subject.

“There are four types of ley lines: fire, water, earth and air. A person could more easily find a water ley line in places that have water than, say, a desert. Fire is something that shouldn’t be pulled from since the magic surrounding it can be very intense.” Merlin quieted down. His face was slightly red.

“Where did you learn all of this?” There was a slight wonder in Arthur’s voice.

Merlin’s eyes dropped to the floor. “Gaius hid his books from before the purge.” His voice was quiet.

Arthur just smiled at him, not mad about what he heard.

“Do you know what would happen if the ley lines do break down?” Geralt was the one to voice that concern.

“Not really. The magic is in the air we breathe and draw from. Magic users might become unstable, but this is pure speculation.” Merlin was firm on the last part, as he didn’t know what would happen, so there was no real reason to discuss it.

Jaskier was silent through the conversation. His mind went back to what the fae had said. What did she mean by something would happen to Uther? He didn’t voice his concerns to the prince, as this was something that, when it happened, they’d just have to deal with.

“The worst-case scenario is always a good thing to build on,” Jaskier said tiredly. Why the hell was it so hard to get them to do what was needed?

Was change really so scary?

Arthur was silent. He knew that he would need to remove Uther and the sooner the better, but he had no idea how. Some days he still woke up with an ache in his heart and he just wanted his father to tell him that he loved him.

Jaskier watched the prince’s movements, for he could see the worry and heartache building up in him. “Arthur?” He easily pulled the prince's attention back to the moment.

“I know this isn’t fun for you, but it is time. Your father is not good for the kingdom, or you. You don’t need to kill him to remove him. In the long run, this would be a better solution, so get him off the throne as soon as possible.” Jaskier’s voice was firm.

“I know.” Arthur was resigned. He knew that Jaskier was speaking the truth, as he could see the toll Uther was taking on his sister and Merlin — the worry that they would be caught at any time.

Jaskier pushed himself up, his hand folding over Geralt’s. It was time that the prince just thought about what he truly wanted. They couldn’t help him with that.

Merlin waited until they were out of the room before he turned to Arthur.

“So, what are you going to do?” he asked quietly.

Arthur glanced out the window. “Talk to Uther first, hopefully, he’ll leave peacefully. But if he doesn’t want to, start on the council. Get them to support me. If that doesn’t work, I will need to do it with the military. Sword fights for the throne.” Arthur glared at the floor on the last part.

Uther was still his father and he didn’t want to hurt him.

“I know it is hard Arthur, but it is time.” Merlin tried to give Arthur a hopeful smile, but it came more out like a grimace.

Arthur squeezed Merlin’s shoulder softly.

Arthur turned back to the window, just looking at the people pacing by through the courtyard. They looked happy, for the most part.

With a sigh, he made his way down to where Uther was busy. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest and he wished that it wouldn’t turn out this way.

He peeked into the room, where he could see that Uther was busy writing.

With a knock on the door, Uther welcomed his son into the room. There was a coldness all around him that made Arthur wish he could run away.

“Can we talk?” Arthur made sure to keep his voice neutral.

Uther just nodded before he showed that Arthur should sit down.

For a moment silence reigned through the room, and Arthur was unsure how he should start.

“I found out…” Arthur trailed off, not knowing how he should say it.

“What did you find out?” There was a lack of emotion in Uther’s voice. He gave Arthur an irritated glance.

Arthur took a deep breath. “It is time that you be removed from the throne.” He hardened his voice slightly.

Uther pushed himself upright. There was a deadly gleam in his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“You are hurting Camelot and her people with the way you are ruling, father.” Arthur glared at Uther.

The sudden strike to his face shouldn’t have felt as unexpected as it did. Arthur held his cheek. He could taste the faint metal in his mouth from a bleeding cut.

Arthur forced himself to calm down. “You don’t care about who you hurt, as long as what you think is right is being done. It is time for a change, father.” Arthur's voice was soft on the last part.

“Get out of my sight and be thankful that I don’t have you executed for treason.” Uther was panting like an enraged bull.

Chapter Text

Merlin jumped slightly when the door to Arthur’s chambers burst open. He gave a worried look at Arthur when he noticed there was blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

Without conscious thought, he walked over to Arthur. His hand stopped shy of Arthur’s face. “What happened?” Merlin’s mind raced slightly.

“Uther.” Arthur was tired. He didn’t want to use violence to overthrow his father, but his gut told him that it would be the only way.

Merlin grabbed a clean rag and he gave Arthur a look when he got closer. Arthur just nodded, allowing him to clean the split lip.

“What did you tell him?” Merlin asked, pulling away slightly.

“That it was time for a change, that he was busy hurting Camelot and her people.” Arthur trailed off. Those were probably not the best words he could have used.

Merlin snorted slightly. “Maybe next time don’t be so blunt.” It wasn’t even a suggestion. They both knew that there was no time left for talking.

“I don’t want to use violence.” The words were muttered. Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Then don’t. The council is tired of Uther's rule. They will pledge their loyalty to you, Arthur.” Merlin gave him a tired look. Some days, his softness of heart made him question if Arthur would be able to make tough decisions when the need arose.

“We both know that even with the council behind us, that Uther won’t accept it. In the end, it would evolve into a sword fight for the throne.” Arthur could only resign himself to that fact.

“Come, I think it is time you meet Kilgharrah.” Merlin slipped past Arthur. He checked himself before he grabbed Arthur’s hand.

Arthur was silent as he followed Merlin down to the caves.

When they got there there was only silence, and for a moment it felt like he would be the butt of a joke. Suddenly, there was a whooshing sound. The dragon landed on top of a rock, just looking at them.

“About time.” His voice was dry as he looked at the princeling. This was what the faiths had raved about for so long. Kilgharrah almost puffed a breath of warm air onto them in his amusement.

“Leave, Merlin.” The command was clear. Merlin merely raised an eyebrow before he turned around and left the cave.

He was in no mood to try and solve the riddles of the dragon.

“Arthur Pendragon, are you going to right the wrongs your father has made?” The question almost sounded rhetorical.

But Arthur nodded. He would do his best even if he had no idea how. Kilgharrah looked at Arthur intently.

“You, Arthur Pendragon, have a great destiny which you won’t be able to fulfil if you don’t work with the other half of the coin.” Kilgharrah snorted. Arthur felt for a moment as if he would melt from the sudden heat.

“And who is the other half of the coin?” Arthur could feel his heart beating, trying to climb out of his chest.

For a moment  Kilgharrah looked taken aback, as though he was thinking to himself — why am I dealing with this?

“Merlin!” The name was snapped out. How idiotic could this princeling be?

Arthur felt a slight blush rising against his cheeks. Kilgharrah saw it but didn’t bother to say anything more.

For a moment there was silence in the cave as both looked at each other.

“Why are you chained up?” Arthur asked with some hesitation. He glanced slightly behind him, making sure that there would be time to duck and dive and get out of the situation if needed.

Kilgharrah just looked at Arthur. “I was meant to be an example for other magical beasts.” There was a sadness to him that made Arthur’s heartache.

“How long have you been trapped down here?” The question was almost quiet in the cave.

“Since the purge, Princeling. It does get lonely down here.” Kilgharrah settled down properly again, and it looked like he was ready for a long and winded talk.

Arthur was silent, his mind racing. “Would I be able to free you?” Arthur hated that he sounded so unsure of himself.

“Yes, you would be able to do it once Uther Pendragon is dead. For his death is the only way I won’t burn Camelot down to the ground.” Kilgharrah flapped his wings and went back up in the cave.

Arthur felt like he was set in stone. With a glare, he turned around and went back up. There was a lot to be done.

Chapter Text

Arthur was silent as he waited in the library. He was tense and wondered what the hell was going to happen.

His tongue traced the small cut on the inside of his lip. There was a first time for everything, he guessed. 

He was silent as Uther’s council walked into the room; they were almost as old as Uther, the youngest being ten years older than Arthur.

Arthur cleared his throat. “I have called this meeting as I feel it is time for a change in Camelot. Uther’s tyranny has been going on long enough.

“If we are not careful, we are going to lose Camelot one of these days. Three of the five kingdoms have kept their laws the same about magic, and these kingdoms thrive.

“I want Camelot to thrive as well and for that, I need your support to get Uther off the throne.” Arthur could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he listened to them deliberately on what he’d said.

If they decided that they would rather stick with Uther, well, he would be in a ton of trouble. This was as good as treason.

Arthur let out a sigh of relief when it seemed the council would support him. 

An older man slowly walked to Arthur. “You have my pledge of loyalty. I will follow you, my King.” The man bowed in front of Arthur.

“Thank you.” There was a tightness in Arthur’s throat when the rest of the council stepped forward to do the same.

They talked for a while before they made their way over to the council room, with a guard sent ahead to fetch Uther. 

There was silence in the room while they waited for Uther to arrive. 

For a moment Arthur wished that Merlin was there with them. He almost jumped when the doors opened with a bang. Uther stalked into the room. His eyes rested on his son.

“What is the meaning of this, Arthur?” There was a calmness to his voice that made Arthur reach for the hilt of his sword.

Arthur forced himself to take a deep breath. “It is time for a change, father. Camelot’s people don’t want you as king anymore.” Arthur made sure his back was straight and he looked Uther in the eye.

Uther mumbled something under his breath as he glared at his son. “And why do you think this will work?”

“I have the council’s support.” Arthur couldn’t help but point it out to Uther. He didn’t like the light of madness in Uther’s eyes.

“I don’t care what you have Arthur, you will not rule Camelot. Over my dead body.” With that, Uther withdrew his sword. 

Arthur felt a clenching around his heart at that, for he had hoped there would be no need for violence. 

He pulled his sword free as well, his eyes trained on his father’s.

“We don’t need to do this, father.” Arthur kept his voice neutral. 

“You are no son of mine.” The words were cruel and cut worse than the damage any sword could ever inflict. 

Arthur was silent as he watched Uther. He brandished his sword to be ready for the first clash of blades.

The councilmen moved away. They watched as Arthur ducked under the swing of his father’s blade. 

When there was an opening, Arthur pressed his blade against Uther’s side. He didn’t want to kill Uther, but if his father didn’t yield, he would need to do it.

“Yield!” His voice boomed around the room. 

“Never.” Uther glared at his son. 

Arthur grimaced as he plunged the blade into Uther. A quick twist and pull out motion made Uther topple over.

For a moment there was silence in the room as everyone tried to gather their wits. They were finally free of Uther Pendragon.

A shout of happiness made the rest of the people cheer. Arthur bit the inside of his lip but he made sure to keep the emotions off his face.

Then, the door suddenly burst open, revealing a woman dressed in a black dress. Her skin glowed a bit and everyone looked in wonder at her wings.

There was a mad glow in her eyes.

Chapter Text

Jaskier grabbed Geralt’s steel sword. He wished he had his iron dagger with him, but for the moment this would have to do.

He could feel the chaos slowly building in the castle. Why on earth would she be here?

Jaskier let the chaos lead him to where the commotion was. He almost glided past the door before he found his feet.

“Morgana, stop this!” Jaskier said, and his words came out in a rush. The fae turned around to face her brother. The chaos radiated next to her, making sparks fly.

“No! You were all fools.” A sudden surge of power went through the room, freezing everyone where they stood.

Her hair lifted slightly in the wind howling in the room. She turned around to face Arthur. “You weren’t supposed to kill Uther. Morgana would have done it. She is the darkness to your light Arthur, but now…” She trailed off.

Her eyes moved to Uther’s body. He was dead already, moved on. “You have interfered with destiny and the world will pay for it.” Her voice was like a demonic screech.

Geralt pulled out of his meditation when his medallion vibrated so hard it almost flew off his chest. His hand went to his sword, only for him to realise that it was gone.

Jaskier.

He focused on the bond they shared and was quickly overwhelmed with the urge to kill. He could feel the pull in the air.

Today was the day that everything would finally end. And hopefully, it meant that they would be able to go home.

He almost bumped into Merlin as he left the room. There was something in his eyes Geralt recognised.

“You can feel it?” Merlin’s voice was neutral, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. In his hand, he held a beautiful sword.

“Yes.” Geralt wondered where Merlin was headed since the chaos pull was in the opposite direction he was going.

“I will meet you there. It is time for Kilgharrah to rejoin the world of the living.” Merlin gave Geralt a nod before he continued off. The Witcher made his way to where the chaos was the strongest.

Geralt was silent as he pushed himself close to the door. He could feel the chaos against his skin and since no one was moving, the only conclusion he could reach was that there was a spell over them.

“Why are you doing this, Morgana?” Jaskier’s voice was half pleading, but Geralt knew he never pleaded for anything. He was busy with something.

“Because there is a balance needed and Camelot has destroyed it.” Her voice was harsh as she glared at Jaskier.

“The balance will be restored with Arthur on the throne, don’t you see?” Jaskier tried to keep her attention on him. He had felt it when Geralt had accessed their bond, and he had heard what Merlin had said about the dragon.

“How can there be balance if there is no darkness?” Morgana looked at Jaskier, hoping he would understand what she was trying to say.

“The land was too long in darkness, sister. It needs time in the light to heal itself. When it is ready balance will be restored.” Jaskier could hear the madness in her voice.

“No, you are mistaken. The lands can be healed again and when that dragon is here, you will see how.” She trailed off when Geralt walked into the room.

“That’s enough. Release these people. The ley lines can’t be healed, you have lied and deceived the people. We don’t know what your agenda is, but that’s enough.” Geralt’s voice was firm, his dagger at the ready.

Morgana only tilted her head to the side before the chaos started to die down. “Why do you even care about these people?” She sounded resigned as if she knew that it was time for it all to come to an end.

Geralt was silent. They didn’t really care about the people of Camelot, but they wanted to go home. And to do that they needed to figure out this bullshit.

Before Morgana could say anything more, an angry roar was heard. The castle walls shook and the earth trembled beneath their feet.

Ten seconds later there was laughter and then the roof crumbled, a shield holding it together so that no one would be crushed.

Merlin gave a little wave when he slid off Kilgharrah’s back. Morgana took a step backwards, her eyes wide as she stared at the dragon. A puff of warm air made her jump slightly.

“So, you’re the one.” Kilgharrah sounded amused as he looked at the fae. He had heard many stories of the fae folk when he was a young dragon and even had a few of them as friends.

So to see the one who had played with a kingdom for so long was strange. “Why?” The question was dry as he looked at her. Kilgharrah was tempted to bite her in half and be done with it, as it would save them from a lot of questions.

The sudden sound of laughter made everyone look at her. “Because it was fun,” she said arrogantly. “Something different from normal. I wanted to see how far I could push it.”

Merlin handed the mysterious sword to Arthur. It was perfectly balanced. He could feel the power radiating from the sword.

Arthur’s eyes moved to Jaskier’s. This needed to end. A silent nod from Jaskier and the blade entered her body before anything could be done.

Morgana’s eyes went wide as she stared at Arthur. She made a whimpering sound when he pulled the blade back and crashed to the ground.

The magic in the air was wild and almost everyone was flung to the ground. A sound alerted Geralt to something happening behind them and he almost doubled over with relief when he saw it was a portal.

He grasped Jaskier's hand, pulling them through and they landed in a heap in the same meadow they were all those months ago. The breeze was cold and stung their skin slightly, but the happiness to be back home where they belonged almost overwhelmed them.

Merlin kept the shield over the roof stable as he watched the council talking. Arthur was silently taking everything in.

When he started to feel the strain on his magic, he whispered it to Arthur who got the people out of the room.

Kilgharrah flew through the gap in the roof. There was no need for him to be here anymore. Arthur turned to Merlin in wonder. Ignoring everyone around him, he pulled Merlin close.

“Thank you,” Arthur whispered the words in Merlin’s ear. Merlin gave him a tired smile.

“I will always be on your side, Arthur.” A quiet promise between prince and servant.

Arthur was silent for a moment before he tilted his head. He could feel Merlin shivering slightly but he waited until Merlin gave him a nod.

Merlin’s mouth was slightly chapped under Arthur’s, but it felt for both as if they just came home.