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Chapter Text

Annoyed, Juniao walked through the portal. His leather jacket was still on fire, and soot was lining his messy black hair. "Well, that was a disaster." He strode over to a black leather couch and collapsed down, putting out the flame on his shoulder.

The room was a clear white room with no walls. There was a single three-seater black couch and one leather loveseat. There was an oak coffee table with a single cup of green tea on top of a butterfly coaster.

"How many times is that?" Eveinte turned to look at her brother, closing her book and sitting up. Her long, white, and pink hair fell in front of her eyes, reaching her waist. She wore a simple white dress with embroidered flowers and animals decorating the fabric.

"I think that is 62,532. It's getting a bit tiring now," Jun grumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Why do you keep trying, Jun? I already told you it won't work. It's not going to happen," Eveinte questioned. While she had been enthusiastic at the start, once they got to 10,000, she started to lose it.

"Because, Eve, this world is our responsibility, and even though it hurts, they are not grateful! It is still the best plan we have."

Eveinte snickered a little when Juniao shouted at the portal. "Well, Jun, I think I have a new plan," Eveinte said, sliding her book towards her brother.

"The knights of the Round Table? Come on, Eve. You can't be serious," Juniao snapped, chucking the book on the coffee table. Waving his wrists, he summoned a glass of scotch and brought it to his lips.

"That's a bad habit, Jun. And I am completely serious. If we can go back and make the stories true, then we can raise him from the dead later to fix this mess."

"So, your grand plan is to create a saviour so he can fix the apocalypse? I have to admit, it's more unique than the last plan." Picking up the book, Juniao flicked through the pages before putting it back down and picking up his glass. "You're forgetting one thing, though. Uther Pendragon doesn't have a son, never has, never will."

"Unless you change it."

"No."

"Why not? Give Uther a son and make us a saviour. That's in your power," Eveinte reasoned quickly, sitting up to look her brother in his eyes.

"Yes, but you are forgetting one small detail: all magic on Earth has a price. For me to make a life, one must be given in return."

Eveinte huffed in annoyance, crossing her arms. "Whose idea was that?!"

Juniao paused slightly to check if Eveinte was joking. "You. You created that rule, Eve."

"Oh, shut up! We don't have many other options." Eveinte glared at Juniao, daring him to challenge her.

"Fine. Into the world, let's hope they don't try to kill me this time," Juniao drawled, slouching backwards. "How long to the apocalypse?"

"Four days."

"To the apocalypse," Juniao toasted, holding up the glass.

"To the apocalypse."

Chapter Text

Juniao walked down the desolate road. He remembered long ago when the grass would be full of life, and the animals would sing in his presence; it had been a long time since that time.

Seeing the castle standing proudly, unknowing of the horror outside its walls, Juniao took a deep breath. He slightly hoped the king wouldn't recognise him, but that wasn’t possible. Deciding that was a problem for tomorrow, he first needed to find a place to stay. What was the name of the man that helped him last time? Gunas? Gius? Gaius!

He will stay with Gaius once he finds him, that is.

Strolling through the busy marketplace was easy. Juniao had long since learnt how to ignore his surroundings and act as if he belonged. Sadly, he was all too used to the death that ran through Camelot.

He did this to Camelot. He just hoped Eveite was right.

Ignoring the execution- and missing the threat- Juniao found his way to the physician’s chambers.

"Gaius? Are you here?" Juniao pushed open the door and walked in, looking over the familiar setting. It was a lot less powerful, but it held the same delightful smell of medicine. "Gaius?"

A distressed scream alerted Juniao to Giaus's presence, the older man falling down from the railing. Taking a small knife to his palm, Juniao let his magic take control and freeze time. Searching the room for something Gaius could land on, Juniao spotted a bed. Cutting deeper into his hand, he whispered some words to move the bed. As time restarted, Gaius fell the rest of the way, surviving easily.

Juniao didn't waste a second, pulling out a glass jar from his shoe and tipping the contents into his palm.

"What? What are you doing here if the king sees you?" Gaius started, panicking in his voice.

"Sorry about this, Gaius."

Before Gaius could say anything, Juniao blew the dusty contents into the older man's face. Gaius fell back into the bed as Juniao dusted off any evidence. Going to the window, he took a small blue bird from the nearby tree.

“Aren’t you beautiful? Shame. Rules are rules.” Snapping the bird's neck, he poured the blood over his hands and rubbed it into Gaius’s frontal lobes. He whispered some words and removed himself from Giaus's memory. Gaius and Uther were the only people he left a lasting impression on, and hopefully, with those memories gone, no one would know what he did.

The blood dissolved into Gaius’s skull, leaving no trace of the sacrificed bird.

"Gaius? Is that you?" Juniao had to stop himself from snickering at Giaus's confused expression.

"Who are you? You used magic."

"I know. I need your help."

"Where did you study? Who taught you?"

"No one, nowhere. I never studied magic." Well, it technically wasn’t a lie. He created magic, so he never needed to study it.

"Who are you?"

"Jun- Merlin. I am Merlin," Juniao lied, silently cursing himself for slipping up. He was meant to be Merlin. He needed to remember that. Merlin.

"Hunith's son?" Gaius’s eyes filled with recognition at Juniao's fake name. For a second, Juniao wondered if there was a real Merlin. He wasn't someone who liked wandering the medieval. They tended to be unclean and irrational. Plus, they never had any good cocktails.

"I was the last time I checked," Merlin said awkwardly.

"You're not meant to be here until Wednesday."

Merlin froze for a few seconds, searching his memory for the day. "It is Wednesday."

"Right, well. If you are going to stay with me, then I'll need you to help around. Your room is in the back; you can put your stuff there, then come back and run some errands for me," Giuas explained, pointing to the back room. "You didn't happen to have a letter for me, did you?"

Merlin slightly panicked, bringing off his bag and searching for a blank page. He pricked his finger on the blade tip and drew the glamour spell, whispering the necessary spell. "Found it."

Before Giuas could say anymore, Merlin escaped to the back room. Unlike what Gaius claimed, the room was an office with many books and no space. Sighing, Merlin walked to the window. Whistling, a blackbird landed on his arm. He could make the effort to clear the room himself, but he couldn’t be bothered. Snapping the bird's neck, he spilt the blood on the floor and whispered some words. The room changed into a simple bedroom; it wasn't greatly comfortable, but it would do.

Chucking down his bag, Merlin sat on his new bed. He was going to miss the luxury of his and Eveite's void, but he needed to stay. Arthur has already shunned magic. Merlin now needs to get him to accept it.

The rest of the day passed quickly. He got the medicine to whoever Giuas asked and kept his head down. That was until he ran into a group of nosey knights throwing knives at a servant.

"Hey, I think that's enough, my friend," Merlin shouted, walking out and helping the servant up and behind him.

"Do I know you?" One knight- with annoyingly gold hair and heavy armour- looked offended by the notion of knowing such a mere peasant as Merlin.

"No, I don't think we've had the fortune."

"And yet you called me friend."

"My mistake," Merlin stated, annoyance clear in his posture. "I would never be friends with such a prat."

Merlin smirked in satisfaction at the offence that came over the knight. "You can't address me like that."

Merlin rolled his eyes, "I think I've just worked out who you are. Arthur Pendragon. It's a shame, considering the sacrifice that went into your birth, I expected so much more." Smirking, Merlin turned away, leaving a bewildered and angry Arthur in his wake.

"Do not turn away from me." Arthur swung a mace at Merlin's head, but he ducked under the weapon.

"Attack someone with their back turned; now that's low, even for one of... your type," Merlin teased, watching Arthur grow red in the face.

"Oh, and what type is that?"

"The stuck-up type."

Arthur's face turned red as anger seeped through his veins.

"The too-important-to-listen type. The spoiled type that doesn't understand the workings of the world. I remember your type from my last visit to this castle. Your father annoyed me back then, too," Merlin stated with annoyance, rolling his eyes slightly. Uther never listened to what he was saying.

"Don't speak badly about the king!"

"If one does not speak badly about fire, then how will the blaze be put out?" Merlin smirked at Arthur's confused face. "It's a proverb. People believe the fire to be bad by many cultures, but in some cases, if it is controlled just right, it can be incredible."

"So you are a bookworm, should have guessed. Those I am surprised. I thought no peasants knew how to read."

"Then that shows how little you know." Merlin walked away, not trying his best to not let the change in attitude show through. He hated this time period. Too much distrust. Too much hate. Too much pain.

Gaius was not happy when he learnt what Merlin did, but at least he wasn't arrested for disrespecting the king. Guess Arthur wasn't all awful after all.

Going back to his room, Merlin found himself summoning a cocktail as he looked out of his window and to the night sky.

He always loved the sky. Out of all the creations his father made, this was his favourite. For every time you looked up, it would be slightly different. Different shades, different shapes, different patterns. It was always a beautiful dance of light, a sight Merlin missed, unable to create it in his void.

This was a sight that reminded Merlin of the father he had long forgotten, aside from the blurred images and faded laughs. A sight that always caused pain, but no matter how hard Merlin tried, he was never able to look away. A sight that did much more than anyone could understand, hope, home, and life all came from the stars and the sky.

A precious gift. One of few. The last gift humans have yet to taint.

Chapter Text

Merlin sat on his bed, flicking through the pages of his book. Most of his magic was instinctual, but it was best to know what he was dealing with while he was here.

He wished he could have a good drink, maybe one with ginger and spice in it. He was so used to living in a void where there wasn't any morning or evening, and he would just have a drink when he wanted it. Not like he had any work to do. But now he was in this land again. He had to actually pay attention to the clock.

Kind of reminded him of an old poem his uncle had written. Annu created the sun, Ove created the moon. Remember to never drink anytime before noon. Apparently, his mother didn't really approve of drinking unless on special occasions or after a certain time, while his father loved to drink when trying to have a good time.

"Merlin! Time to get up!"

Groaning, Merlin rolled out of bed and walked out to the main room.

"There is breakfast on the table," Gaius stated simply, pointing to the disgusting porridge.

Merlin had to hide his... displeasure of having such a lumpy, vile and quite frankly inedible dish to eat. At least there wasn't any meat in it.

"I need you to run some more errands," Giuas explained, handing different vials to Merlin while giving the orders.

"Right," Merlin stood up, ignoring the unusual food.

"And Merlin, here." Gaius offered Merlin a ham sandwich, missing Merlin's horrified face.

"No thanks, I... I don't really like ham," Merlin tried to cover, looking away from the butchered meat. Yes, one can both sacrifice birds to do magic and be a vegetarian.

Gaius looked slightly confused by Merlin's reaction. "Is there anything else you don't like? I could avoid it.

"It's fine, I'll get my own food. It will be easier that way. I tend to be... picky," Merlin explained awkwardly.

Gaius was about to say something, but Merlin left before he could. A medieval person would never understand.

Merlin followed the instructions to find the necessary people, took it to the blind man, and told him not to drink it at once. He was heading off to Lady Something’s room to give her something for her voice.

"I must say, you are very brave to show your face in Camelot, Juniao."

Sighing, Merlin turned to look at Uther, who was glaring at him. "Do you want to do this here or in a back room where no one will find out the truth of the magic-hating King?"

Uther motioned for Merlin to follow him, the king leading him into his personal quarters. "Why are you here, Juniao?"

"Why do you think, Uther? I am here to protect the son you so desperately wanted."

"Why do that? Why did you ever grant my wish?"

Merlin sighed, walking to the window edge and looking down at the people. "Call it hope, Uther."

"Hope?"

"For a different path. I don't wish to hurt Arthur or you. We used to be good friends, Uther; why can't we stay that way?"

"You kill my wife."

"I tried to warn you of the price."

"You killed my wife!"

"Is that all you are going to say, or shall we try to keep this civilised?" Ignoring Uther's annoyed expression and the familiar twitch of his eye, Merlin walked to the side and picked up two glasses. Pouring a small amount of blood into both and whispering some words.

Offering one glass to Uther, he couldn’t help but roll his eyes when Uther took the other. "I see you are still prone to a drink, Juniao."

"Yes, especially when I am dealing with kings who wish to kill me." Merlin brought the glass to his lips, taking the first sip and humming in pleasure. "How is it?"

"Gingery," Uther stated, putting down his glass a little awkwardly. "Where are you staying?"

"With Gaius, though he doesn't remember. Plausible deniability and everything."

"You should leave. I won't let you near my son."

"I will protect Arthur. And unless you want the whole of Camelot to know how Arthur was born, I suggest you let me stay. I'll see you at the feast." Placing down his finished drink, Merlin walked out and down the corridors, finding where the lady stayed.

Instantly, Merlin could feel the magic. It thrashed and fought against the walls in violent screeches.

Walking in slowly, Merlin surveyed the room. Not finding the lady in there and wanting to get out quickly, he placed the potion down and fled.

That was too weird.

The feast was even weirder. Lots of nobles and knights mingled around the room, talking over one another. Uther's eyes were on him for the majority of the feast, distrust and anger hidden behind the blue orbs.

Arthur, thankfully, was a little less outspoken. He seemed to be taking Merlin's words to heart, but he was still loud and obnoxious.

Uther called for everyone to quiet and brought out the lady of honour.

She wore a beautiful golden dress with her hair done in an intricate pattern that kept it out of her face.

Taking a deep breath, she started singing. "Blah khien barrah fweelah. Blah khien aiza krum. Aloe khio bragam harah eefnell. Broe floe mesing lah, breeyoolah naaadryu."

Feeling the powerful magic, Merlin covered his ears, watching as the nobles, knights, and guests became entranced and fell unconscious on their meals.

"Broilin sar akhwah, roe hagroe nonestroe. Broilin sar akhwah, mortsin danah dradeh. Broilin sar akhwah, noe..." Cobwebs grew, covering the members, locking them under the white weaves.

"Weeben proe, proe sah yakmah, haryay nakhah. Agah! Madah! Sadah! Hagah!" The lady held up her dagger, looking down at Arthur. An insane glint shined in her eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Merlin spun the knife behind his back, slicing his palm and whispering the words. Snapping coming from above alerted the Lady of the chandelier that came hurling to the ground and crushing her body.

The spell wore off immediately, and the nobles and knights shouted panicked orders to check the royal family, but everyone was fine.

Of course, the not-so-much-a-lady-anymore refused to give up, throwing her dagger at Arthur.

Sighing, Merlin squeezed more blood out of his hand and slowed downtime, pushing Arthur out of the way. Some witches never knew when to give up.

Uther seemed to be in shock. He stared wide-eyed at Merlin, his thoughts running a mile a minute. He could never trust Merlin. That much was clear. But Merlin had saved his son like he said he would. Merlin had kept to his word, just as he did back then.

Gritting his teeth, Uther praised the peasant. He hated this. Offering Merlin a place in the royal household was the stupidest thing he could have done, but he wasn’t going to let Merlin wander around unsupervised.

Chapter Text

Merlin smirked, swinging the sword around his hand. Uther stood in front of him, an annoyed expression on his face. "You've gotten better since we last battled."

"Of course, you think I would let you beat me up like last time." Merlin backed up a little, waiting for Uther's move. Charging forward, Uther rained hits down. Merlin blocked the attack, dodging and spinning out of the way. He sliced up, cutting the hem of Uther's shirt before meeting Uther's sword in the middle.

Uther growled, swiping out his foot and sending Merlin to the ground. Merlin groaned, his head spinning at the harsh hit.

"Still not good enough." Uther glared down at Merlin, turning away. "Get everything cleaned away."

"Come on, Uther, I thought we were making progress!"

"Now, servant!"

Sighing, Merlin pushed himself up and collected together the weapons, putting them back in the armoury. He jogged back to the king's quarters, finding Uther head-deep in his paperwork.

"You know I could get that done for you," Merlin stated, cleaning up the room without much thought.

"Like I would ever trust you with something this important." Uther glanced up from his work, silently questioning Merlin's actions before returning to the line he had been writing.

"I gain nothing from destroying Camelot, Uther."

"You should address me as your majesty or king."

"You should address me as high priest, and yet here we are." Merlin glided towards the side, picking up a glass. "You fancy anything."

"I am not going to drink this early in the morning."

"Not even your favourite?" Merlin poured his blood into the glasses, a clear liquid rising to fill the space. Lemon peels appeared, and ice cubes floated to the top. "This is the drink we had on your birthday. You were only 21 at the time. How time has passed." Merlin placed the glass by Uther, sipping at his own drink.

Uther glanced at the drink, his fingers twitching to grab it, but he scowled and looked away. "I remember. That was the day I met Ygraine."

"You were completely star-struck. It was a good day." Merlin leaned back, relaxing as Uther snapped out of his euphoria.

"Well, that was a long time ago. As I don't need you for the remainder of the day, you will assist my son. You do anything to harm him, and I will make you wish you never came back."

Merlin held up his hands, a smirk coming to his face. "Would never dream of it." Downing what was left of his drink, Merlin turned away, preparing to leave.

"And no more drinking on the job!"

Merlin spun to face Uther, laughing a little. "What? Me? Do you even know me?"

"Unfortunately, I do."

~~~

Knocking on the door, Merlin peered through into the prince's chambers. Said prince was fighting with his servant, struggling to get dressed. "Well, this is a pathetic sight if I ever saw one."

Both the prince and the servant stopped, turning to look at Merlin. Rolling his eyes, Merlin walked forward and easily sorted Arthur out.

"Uther, send me to work with you for the rest of the day. I am at your disposal." Merlin gave a mock bow, glancing at the other servant, who seemed revealed.

"You should call the king by his proper title," Arthur announced, standing up taller.

"And you should be able to put on a shirt without help, but here we are."

"Does the king know you're so impertinent?"

"It's all part of my charm."

Tutting, Arthur motioned to the armour beside him. "I assume you know how to finish the job."

Merlin grumbled under his breath. "I'm not drunk enough for this." He picked up Arthur's armour, laying it over Arthur.

"Tell me, servant, can you fight?"

Merlin glanced up as he finished tightening a strap. "I can fight as well as anyone else who needs to survive. However, you might find my style of fighting difficult to manage. Your father always did."

"You say ‘always’ as if you've known him for a long time and not only a day."

"You say that as if returning visitors is impossible."

"Not with anyone who isn't worth our time."

"I think Uther always found me worth my time. There, finished." Merlin stepped back, holding out Arthur's sword in front of him.

Arthur took the weapon, sliding it into his sheath. "There is a tournament coming up. My current servant is incapable of taking a hit without collapsing. Let's see if you're any better."

Merlin glanced at the other servant, shrugging. "Guess you'll find out."

Walking out onto the field, Merlin noticed the other knights coming closer. Merlin recognised some of them as the douches from the other day, and they must be here to watch Arthur beat him up. Oh, how wrong they were.

From the first blow Arthur rained down, Merlin knew this man was nothing compared to Uther. It was easy to dodge and block the attacks, throwing Arthur off rhythm and letting him go on the offensive. Hitting Arthur in the chest, he watched Arthur fall to the ground.

Merlin grinned, pointing his sword at Arthur's neck. "If there really is a tournament, then you better hope the rest are just as bad as you."

Arthur growled, hopping up and hitting Merlin's sword.

Uther glanced out his window, seeing Merlin and Arthur fighting in the field. Sighing, Uther started to regret giving Arthur Merlin. Grumbling, he grabbed the drink Merlin had left, not even questioning how the ice hadn't melted as he downed the drink. He'll warn Arthur later.

~~~

Pulling off Arthur's armour, Merlin placed each piece down neatly on the table. Arthur groaned, touching his bruised cheek.

"Oh, stop complaining. You'll get more hurt in the tournament." Merlin grabbed a towel, pricking his finger and whispering some words under his breath. He gently wiped the bruises he had left, coating them with magic. By morning, they will be gone.

"I don't usually get beat up this much. You're lucky I didn't go full strength on you, or you'll be on the floor right now."

Rolling his eyes, Merlin grabbed Arthur's nightclothes. "You're a lot like your father. He could never admit when a commoner beat him either."

"You didn't beat me."

"Sure." Merlin finished up, walking towards the door.

"Merlin, wait. Thank you... for not holding back."

Nodding, Merlin grinned. "No problem. At least I'm putting my 'impertinent’ nature to use." Merlin closed the door, walking back to Gaius's chambers. He stopped, seeing Uther. "You took my drink."

Uther blinked in shock. "How did you...? Did you put something in my drink?!"

"Relax, Uther. I could tell when my status spell wore off. You want another?"

Uther paused, shaking his head. "You got anything stronger?"

"Do you even need to ask? I hope you don't have anything important to do tomorrow."

Chapter Text

Groaning, Uther rubbed his eyes. He hadn't felt this bad since Ygraine had died.

"Morning." Merlin sat by Uther's desk, scanning his eyes over Uther's document.

"What happened last night?" Uther turned over, burying his face in his covers.

"Let's see, you got very, very drunk. Said some stuff you shouldn't have. Did some stuff you definitely shouldn't have and passed out on the floor at which point I moved you to your bed and cleaned up the room. I also wiped anyone's memory who saw you drunk and repaired the damage to the castle. You are very welcome." Merlin picked up a goblet and walked to Uther.

"I swear if this is another drink, I will execute you."

"Relax Uther. It's a magical potion."

Uther raised his head, glaring at Merlin. "For what exactly?"

"For the hangover. Unless you want to run the kingdom with a raging headache." Merlin pushed the drink closer to Uther, forcing it into his mouth. After a second, Uther reluctantly drank it, gagging a little as he groaned.

"What was in that?!"

"It's my own special concoction. Peasant toe mixed with eel brains."

Uther grimace. "I order you to tell me you're joking."

"Of course I am. I would never waste my brain on something like this. No, this one is just plants, mainly dandelion roots and elderflower petals mixed with spider web. A simple potion for a simple problem." Merlin walked back to Uther's desk, picking the quill back off the desk.

"Have you been writing my documents, specifically after I told you not to?"

"Would you have preferred I wake you up so you can finish them yourself?"

Uther groaned, rubbing his forehead. "When does this potion kick in?"

"Give it a minute. You had the strong stuff last night."

"Remind me to never take you drinking."

"I would say I will, but we both know I never turn down a drink."

"That's not quite true; remember when Gaius offered you ale, and you almost fainted in horror."

Merlin shuddered, shaking his head. "That stuff is vile."

Uther carefully pushed himself up, walking towards the desk. "How long until my first meeting."

Merlin looked to the sky. "About an hour. The files you need for that one area on the left. Then the tournament shall start at lunch."

Uther picked up the files, shooing off Merlin. "Good." Uther glanced over the files, sighing when he noticed the changes Merlin had put in. "These... are adequate modifications. You are dismissed. Spend the rest of the day with Arthur."

"Wow, Uther. It's almost as if whenever we get close to acting civil, you send me away." Merlin smirked as Uther lowered his head in frustration.

"This potion is not working fast enough to deal with you."

"It's sad that you're so much more accepting of me when you're drunk out of your mind."

"Leave Juniao."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm going."

~~~

Merlin walked around Arthur, clasping the armour on Arthur.

"You're tense." Merlin buckled up the gorget, glancing up at the prince.

"I am not," Arthur denied.

"Of course not. You nervous then?"

"I don't get nervous."

"Strange, I thought everyone got nervous."

"Will you shut up!"

Merlin rolled his eyes, Merlin wrapped Arthur's cape around him and handed him his helmet. Merlin picked up Arthur's sword, handing it to him as he finished. "All set. Don't die. Don't be cocky."

Arthur grumbled, pushing past Merlin.

"He's definitely nervous."

Merlin turned, making his way through the crowd and towards the grounds.

Uther strutted past the front line of the knights, addressing the crowds. "Knights of the realm, it's a great honour to welcome you to a tournament at Camelot. Over the next three days, you will come to put your bravery to the test, your skills as warriors, and, of course, to challenge the reigning champion, my son, Prince Arthur. Only one can have the honour of being crowned champion, and he will receive a prize of 1,000 gold pieces."

Uther motioned to a box full of the gold pieces offered to the winner.

"It is in combat that we learn a knight's true nature, whether he is indeed a warrior or a coward. The tournament begins!" The crowd let out a roar as the knights exited the area. Uther stopped by Arthur as he walked out. "I trust you will make me proud."

Uther slapped Arthur's back before glancing at Merlin, easily being able to spot him on the other side.

Guards walked out, taking the knight's cape as he put on his helmet. Arthur turned to the knight, swinging his sword in his hand. Arthur charged as the knight ducked back. Arthur didn't relent, moving forward faster than the knight could move back.

He won the match, easily hitting the knight to the floor.

Merlin walked back, helping Arthur fix his armour, glancing over at the knight fighting. "Knight Valiant looks pretty handy with a sword."

Arthur didn't respond, but that was probably for the best. Merlin hissed as he felt the tainted magic echo from the arena. Merlin looked around for the source but shook his head. It was probably nothing.

Knight Valiant won his match, leaving the area and walking towards Arthur. "May I offer my congratulations on your victories today?

Arthur nodded politely. "Likewise."

"I hope to see you at the reception this evening." Valiant pushed past Merlin, his servant following behind him.

"Creep."

Arthur snorted as Merlin smirked. Arthur cleared his throat. "Uh, for tomorrow, you need to repair my shield, wash my tunic, clean my boots, sharpen my sword and polish my chainmail."

Sighing, Arthur shook his head. "And for me to do that, I need a drink."

"I'm surprised you have enough money for a drink."

Chuckling, Merlin spun around. "You're kidding, right? My drinks are the only reason your father keeps me around." Merlin smirked, walking away with the first lot of cleaning duty.

~~~

Walking into the room, Gaius gaped at the various floating objects. "Are you using magic again?"

Merlin jumped, losing focus and causing him to drop the objects. "No?"

"What's all this, then?"

Merlin glanced around the room. "Aftermath of a good night."

Gaius sighed. "I just came to tell you that supper's ready." Gaius shook his head disappointedly as Merlin looked over his shoulder.

"Oh, ocean, I am late. Can't eat, be back later." Merlin charged out of the room before Gaius could get a word in edgewise.

~~~

Merlin kept to the shadows, watching the knights queue up to meet Uther and Lady Morgana.

Valiant kneeled down in front of Uther, introducing himself. "Knight Valiant of the Western Isles, My Lord."

"I saw you fighting today. You have a very aggressive style." Uther raised his head, his voice steady.

"Well, as my lord said, 'to lose is to be disgraced.'"

"I couldn't agree more. Knight Valiant, may I present the lady, Morgana, my ward." Uther motioned to Morgana.

Valiant bowed, kissing Morgana's hand as Arthur looked on with a wry grin. "My lady."

Morgana nodded curtly. "I saw you competing today."

"I saw you watching. I understand the tournament champion has the honour of escorting my lady to the feast."

"That's correct."

"Then I will give everything to win the tournament."

Lady Morgana forced a smile to her face, nodding to him as he stood up and shook hands with the other knights.

"I don't think one should hide in the shadows at these events."

Merlin jumped back, looking over his shoulder at the person who had spoken to him. Merlin blinked, furrowing his eyes in confusion. "Guinevere, right? Lady Morgana's servant."

"That is right. You're Merlin, Uther's servant." Guinevere grinned as she looked over at the royal family, who were discussing Valiant. "He seems rather fond of you, well, more fond of you compared to the other servants were seen come and go."

"Really? It feels like he spends most of his time palming me off to Arthur."

Guinevere chuckled. "That might be so, but I don't think I've ever seen him come this long without screaming at his servants. You are doing very well."

"That's good. I thought he was going to cut my head off the first time he saw me back here, so at least we're making progress."

"Oh, he's not that harsh. Just stick to the laws of Camelot, and you'll be fine." Guinevere patted Merlin's back as he chuckled a little; oh, how little she knew.

Standing up taller, Merlin sighed. Uther motioned him closer as he walked to Uther's side.

"Get me something stronger than normal but not what you gave me last night," he whispered so no one else could hear.

"I have just the thing in mind, my lord." Walking to the side, Merlin took out a goblet, dripping some of his blood in it and whispered the words. He returned to Uther's side, gifting him with the drink.

Uther hummed, nodding to Merlin to signify a good job. As Merlin passed Arthur, he grinned. "Told you Uther only kept me around for my drinks.”

Chapter Text

Walking down the corridor, Merlin hummed as he sipped at his drink. He let memories play in his mind as he recalled the last tournament he watched.

These things were always more interesting when magic could be used. Though those days are long gone now.

Pausing mid-step, Merlin had to take a double-take, looking into the armoury. "Hello? Is there someone there?"

Walking in, Merlin took out a small bottle from his back, pouring the contents into his hand. Slicing through his hand, Merlin doused the contents in his blood, whispering into his palm. Throwing the contents into the air, the pollen-like substance floated in the air, drifting through and landing on a strange shield.

Shooing the magic away, Merlin leant down to touch the shield when he felt someone putting a sword to his chest.

"Can I help you with something, boy?"

"Nothing, just inspecting for the king. It is one of my many jobs to ensure all armour and weapons are of sufficient quality so that the matches are entertaining to the crowd. Would hate for a match to be... boring." Merlin stood back up, walking to the side. "I've already collected several pieces to be sent to the armoury; I'm glad to see none of yours is needed."

Merlin slung the back over his shoulder before walking out the door. Frowning, Merlin returned to his room. He chucked his stuff to the corner before going to his cupboard. Sighing, he pulled out a jar of preserved eyes and plucked three out.

"What a waste this will be." Putting the eyes in a mortar, Merlin ground them into a fine liquid and painted a door frame on the wall. After a second, he whispered words under his breath, summoning the door.

The oaken structure was all too familiar, with golden inscriptions running through the door. Pushing the door open, Merlin walked into the giant library. Well, this was going to be a long night. He needed a drink.

~~~

Standing aside Arthur, Merlin held his hand behind his back.

"You did all this on your own?"

Scoffing, Merlin smirked. "Of course, I am the king's servant after all. I am expected to do a lot in a little time to achieve high quality."

Merlin walked around, picking up the pieces of armour and putting them on Arthur, one at a time.

"You should be careful today. Something isn't right."

"What does that mean?"

"I'm not sure, but I guess we'll find out."

Arthur grumbled as he looked out on the field.

"Good luck."

He didn't answer as he left.

~~~

Each knight fought. Either rising to victory or falling to the pits of failure. Each battle brought cheers from the crowd and new injuries to deal with.

Valiant's violent nature was making Merlin nervous. He hadn't found what he was looking for yesterday, which means he'll have to give up more of his pig eyes later. Making a mental note to drop by the butchers later, Merlin turned his attention back to the match.

Standing up, Merlin frowned as he looked over the victim of Knight Valiant's latest opponent. "Gaius, I think he's hurt."

Gaius rushed out onto the arena, lifting the knight out of the pitch. Merlin glanced back at Valiant before following Gaius to the edge of the pitch.

"How is he?"

Gaius looked over his shoulder, grabbing a cloth from his bag. "Not good. Grab my satchel."

Merlin did as he was told, gifting Gaius with what he needed. As Gaius worked, Merlin frowned, tipping the knight's head to the side. "Gaius, look. Are those puncture marks?"

Gaius turned his attention, confusion in his eyes. "They are. They look like snake bites."

"Not any snake, I know." Merlin could feel Gaius looking at him strangely as he rolled his eyes. "I spent a lot of my time helping mum heal people with snake bites. She made me study every species people have found." Merlin turned away, pulling a face, confused by his own lie.

Gaius nodded, seemingly accepting the lie. "You sure there couldn't be another species you don't know about."

"It's possible but unlikely. The distance is all off, and the puncture wound is too deep. Either this snake has a head the size of a fist, or this wasn't a snake." Walking to the other side of the room, Merlin picked up a book and some supplies.

"Well, the symptoms are consistent with poisoning. Slow pulse, fever, paralysis."

"Can you heal him?"

Gaius blinked. "Well, if it is a snake bite, I'll have to extract venom from the snake that bit him to make an antidote."

"Guess we'll have to find the snake then."

Gaius turned around, gasping as he grabbed the book out of Merlin's hand. "Where did you get this?!"

Shaking his head, Merlin grabbed the book back. "You're top-shelf. You should really clear up your books." Merlin opened the book to the page he was looking for, saying the words as he lifted the moth out of the jar he had collected. Crushing the moth in his hand, Merlin threw the dust into the air.

Slowly, the form of a snake appeared from the wound.

"Well, that looks familiar." Merlin threw everything down on the nearby table before charging out of the room.

"Where are you going?!"

"To get a snakehead."

~~~

Walking to the guest chambers, Merlin peered into the room. Valiant reached into the cage, pulling out a mouse and holding it in the air. "Dinner time. Come on." Dropping the mouse into the snake's mouth.

"Well, that solves one problem. What I wouldn't do for a camera right now?" Turning away, Merlin walked towards the only option. "Uther, don't kill me for this, but there is a magic user killing knights in your tournament."

Sighing, Uther looked up from his papers. "One of these days, I would like you to come here without news of doom."

"Yeah, and one of these days, I would like the doom to stay away from your son."

"Do you have any proof?"

"Since when did you need proof?"

"Juniao, I can't go around accusing knights without it."

"Strange, I remember the days my word would be enough. That or a magical incantation to show you exactly what I saw, but as both are illegal, I doubt that is a good idea."

Uther stood up, placing a hand on Merlin's shoulder. "Find me proof, please. If what you say is true, then Arthur is in danger, and if I am to believe you, neither of us want that."

"It's been a while since you've pleaded for anything, Uther. It is good to see you being humble again. I will find you the proof you need, but I need a favour."

"What do you need?"

"The fang of an alpha wolf."

"That's... not what I expected."

"Would you prefer I sacrifice an unborn child?"

"I shall get you the tooth."

Chapter Text

Sitting on the floor, Merlin smashed up the wolf's tooth with his mortar and pestle.

"Do you have to do that here?" Uther glared at Merlin, who flicked through his book.

"As this is the only place that no one is allowed to enter without permission, yes, I do. Unless you want the entire kingdom to know you sanctioned magic." Merlin grinned, pouring his blood into the mortar. Whispering the words under his breath, Merlin set fire to the mortar, finishing the pace.

Standing up, Merlin created a circle around him. Uther watched in interest as Merlin picked up a sheep's stomach and placed it in the middle. He stood at the side, saying the words as the spell finished.

Merlin opened his eyes, grinning. "It is done."

"And what did that do?"

Merlin smirked, picking up a dagger. "Got you proof." Throwing the knife to the door, the blade pierced through the snake that had slithered through the door. "One snakehead."

Uther gaped, watching the snake twitching and writhing in pain as it died right there and then.

"When you're done with it, can I have it? Magic snake eyes are very useful in a number of spells."

Uther picked the snake off the floor, looking at it strangely before closing the door. "Tell me, Juniao, why do you always sacrifice something for your magic. Is it something you're meant to do, or do you just enjoy spilling blood?"

Sighing, Merlin started to clear up the mess he had made. "The sacrifice is the necessary price needed to do the magic. If you don't pay the price, the price will be taken. For example," Merlin stood up, walking to the side and picking up a piece of paper, drawing a symbol on it. Merlin whispered under his breath and passed it to Uther.

"Ygraine. This is a beautiful picture, but I do not understand it."

Merlin smiled. "I know you don't." Merlin returned to his work when Uther sat by his desk. Stumbling back, Uther cursed as he hit his head against the stone floor. "Because I didn't pay the price for the magical spell, you paid the price for me. The stronger the spell, the higher the price. With a spell such as the one I did this morning, if I hadn't paid the price, we would likely have had a werewolf problem, or the nearby farmland would have become barren."

Uther gulped, sitting down. "How come most of your kind don't pay the price then."

"First, they are not my kind. I am a warlock or high priest. They are wizards and sorcerers. There is a difference. Secondly, they were ignorant of the proper nature before it became illegal; now, most don't have a chance of understanding how magic is supposed to work."

"Why aren’t witches ignorant? You said wizards and sorcerers but not witches."

Merlin hummed, finishing up his cleaning. "Witches are usually better. Witches heal the sick with plants and herbs infused with magic. They don't realise it, but the plants they use are the price, which is why they aren't included."

Uther paused, about to ask another question, when there was a knocking at the door. "Enter."

Shyly, a servant peered his head into the room. "My lord, the next round is ready to begin."

"Very well, you are dismissed." Uther picked up the snakehead, handing it to Merlin. "Take this to Gaius and heal the knight. We will present the court with both the snakehead and the knight's testimony."

Merlin nodded, holding the snakehead in his hand. "Very well, keep an eye on Valliant."

"And Juniao, don't leave the knight's side. If Valiant becomes aware of his recovery, he might try something. You are the only one I trust with this."

Chuckling, Merlin smirked. "Aww, you care."

"No. I trust you to not fail me. Do not fail me."

"Yeah, yeah." Merlin turned away, picking up his bag. "I'm glad you're starting to trust me again."

"Oh, and if Valiant does try something, don't kill him!"

"I make no promises I cannot keep." Merlin grinned as he rushed out and to Gaius's chambers.

~~~

Merlin leaned back in his chair, humming as he sipped at his drink. He flicked through the pages, stopping as his eyes widened. "Fin-fucking-ally!" He glanced over the page, humming as he read over the spell Valiant was using. "Great, chicken feet. Where am I going to get chicken feet." Glancing at the knife, Merlin sighed. "You're becoming more trouble than you're worth."

Pausing, Merlin clapped his hands together. "Cocktail. I say cocktail."

~~~

Groaning, the knight forced his eyes open. Looking around, he spotted Merlin happily trying a new mix he had thought up. "Who... Who are you?"

Merlin jumped, turning around to look at the knight. "Ah, you're awake, I was wondering when you would. Welcome back to the land of Camelot."

"There was a snake on his shield. It came alive."

Chuckling, Merlin sipped at his drink, shaking his head slightly from the kick at the back of his throat. "We already know. The king has been notified, and when all the venom is out of your system, you will give testimony, kicking him out of the tournament and saving the prince's life. You should be honoured. Uther is taking this very seriously."

The knight sighed in relief, slumping back. "Good."

"Rest, I'll get you some water." Merlin stood up, turning his back for a second. When he turned back, he couldn't help but curse. He crushed the glass and set the snake on fire. "I swear if Uther blames me for this, I'm going to lose it."

~~~

"You let him die?!" Uther stormed around in his room, running a hand through his hair.

"Valiant sent one of the snakes into the room and killed him while my back was turned. I didn't have time to react before he was already gone." Merlin held his hands behind his back, standing to attention in fear.

"Juniao, I gave you one task."

"And I did it to the best of my ability. You are the king. Use the testimony of Gaius and me, and no one can stand against you."

"Not unless I wish the knight to lose trust in me."

"So it is better to leave Arthur to die!"

"Enough!" Uther sighed, leaning against his desk as a knock echoed out from the door. "Go away!"

"My Lord?" Arthur opened the door, glancing around the room, sensing the tension. "The council is confused as to why you have called them and not appeared."

Uther grumbled, walking over and forcing Arthur into the room.

"Father? What is going on?"

Uther walked past him, leaning at the window ceil and staring out at the land. "What do you need?" Arthur went to open his mouth, only to have Uther snap at him. "Not you, Arthur. Juniao, what do you need to stop it? To show them what he is doing?"

Merlin paused before lifting his head. "If he is stupid like I think he is, a frog will do, with access to the vault, of course. If not, I'll need a cat for some time. It's not something simple you're asking me to do. There is no guarantee I will get it done in time, even with the resources."

Uther sighed, "Do it. I'll get the animals to you by morning. I'll tell you when to go." Uther walked to the side, picking up a key off his belt and unlocking a compartment on his desk that popped out of a secret drawer. "I only give this to you in faith. Betray that trust and what happened last time will seem like a pinprick compared to what I'll do to you this time."

Merlin nodded, taking the key from Uther's hand. "You should relax more, Uther. It's giving you grey hair." Merlin grinned before shaking his head. "I'll send a message when it's ready." Turning away, he walked out of the room, not sparing Arthur a second glance before he left.

Arthur gritted his teeth, his fist tightening. "Father, what is going on?"

Uther closed his eyes, standing taller and turning to face Arthur. "There is something you must know. Your life is in grave danger."

Chapter Text

As dawn broke over Camelot, Uther lifted his head. Merlin had yet to return from the vault. He had brought him the animals requested, finding him in a mess looking for something that he didn't have time to ask about before Merlin pushed him out.

Part of him wanted to check on Merlin again, but he knew that it would do nothing and likely only cause too much attention to be drawn to the vault.

Knocking on the door, Arthur walked in hesitantly. He was dressed in the knight armour, a stoic expression on his face.

"Are you ready?" Uther stood up, grabbing the sword from Arthur's sheath. "This is blunt. I'll have it swapped."

Arthur said nothing and didn't even mention that the blade was as sharp as a doctor's knife. "Father, I need to ask you about it again. If you think Valiant is using magic, then why haven't you removed him from the tournament? You clearly trust the source you are using but believe the others will not. And why have you allowed Merlin into the vault? He is just a servant."

"I could not answer you last night, and I will not tell you now."

"It was Merlin who brought the magic to your attention. You do not believe the court will take Merlin's word alone."

Uther sighed, walking to the other side of the room and grabbing the glass Merlin had left for him. 'To wake you up~ Don't take with any medication.' At the bottom of the page was a silly face Merlin had left. That meant this was going to be as strong as a full night out. He slowly took a sip, closing his eyes at the taste of strawberries.

'Field of Strawberries.' Merlin's favourite drink. A rare drink for him to share with anyone.

"Are you going to continue ignoring me, or are you going to answer me? What is Merlin doing in the vault?"

"Nothing that concerns you. He knows his job, and he will complete it without your help." Uther finished off his drink, throwing it back without a second notice. "One of these days, I need to get him to make you one of these. I think they could teach your knights a thing or two. If you survive today, that is." Uther walked to his table, picking off a sword. "I brought this out for you. This was the sword I used in my first tournament; it brought me great victory against my harsh foes, and I hope it does the same for you."

Arthur gripped the handle, a soft expression on his face. "Thank you."

"Be careful."

~~~

The crowd gathered, facing Arthur and Valiant as they walked onto the field. Uther watched, twisting his hand in his lap. How he wished Merlin had left more than one drink behind for him.

The sword crashed, each trying to get the upper hand on the other. Arthur hit Valiant back, throwing his helmet off him. Sending a glance to Uther, Arthur removed his own. It's not like a magical snake will be stopped by a bit of metal.

Valliant rushed forward, hitting in the middle. Arthur couldn't fight back as he was thrown to the ground. Valiant stepped on his shield, throwing Arthur's sword to the other side and pushing his sword forward.

Arthur gritted his teeth, catching Valiant before he could do anything. He growled, pushing Valiant off him when it began.

Chanting under his breath, Merlin burnt the frog legs, creating a circle around him. The snake's scales he had harvested shimmered and melted as he forced his way past Valiant's magic.

The crowd gasped as the snake slivered out of the shield. Valiant gaped, hissing under his breath. "What are you doing? I didn't summon you!"

Uther let out a relieved sigh before standing up. "He is using magic!"

Arthur paled; his father's description did not do the snake justice.

Valiant chuckled, sending the snakes to the ground. "Kill him!" The snake curled on the ground, looking between Valliant and Arthur before hissing and turning on Valiant, launching up and biting his neck.

The crowd gasped in shock as Arthur severed the head of the snake, killing it and causing it to let go of Valiant.

He gently kneeled down, pressing his fingers against Valiant's neck. "He's dead."

Uther paused. "As is the price of using magic." He took a second to lift his head, shifting his gaze past the crowd to Merlin, who nodded before disappearing- likely to clear up the mess he made.

~~~

Knights and nobles gathered at the ball, talking and eating and genuinely being happy. Uther watched over the crowd, his eyes watching each member carefully, still tense from Valiant's attempt.

The doors swung open as Arthur and Morgana walked in.

Uther seemed to relax at the sight of Arthur standing there, alive and well. "My honourable guests, I give you Prince Arthur, your champion."

The crowd applauded as Arthur offered out his arm to Morgana to take. "My Lady."

Morgana bowed politely. "My champion."

Merlin smiled as he filtered through the crowd, going to stand behind Uther. "They seem happy." He let his eyes follow Arthur, seeing his personality clash with Morgana and the two storm away from each other. "I brought what you requested."

Merlin showed the small bottle to Uther before hiding it back in his pocket.

"We shall wait for him to return to his quarters. That way, no one will know." Uther lowered his head, walking to a table. "I suppose that means you can relax now." Uther pushed a goblet towards Merlin, making him smirk.

"Don't mind if I do." Merlin grabbed the goblets from Uther's goblet. "To defeat the evil ones."

Uther rolled his eyes. "No, how about… to defeating evil magic one bastard at a time?"

Merlin gaped, staring at Uther. "Hell yeah!" Knocking back his drink, Merlin instantly regretted it. "Hell nah. How did you find a drink that tastes worse than Gaius's medicine? You know it's not meant to taste like that? We can't toast to this. I'm getting us something drinkable." Merlin took Uther's goblet, stopping him from tasting the drink.

"You know, I'm starting to think you're trying to insult my tastes for ale."

"That's 'cause your tastes in drinks is the worst!" Grinning, Merlin disappeared off to the side, missing the fond smile on Uther's face.

Chapter Text

Walking around the castle, Arthur tutted. The councils met this morning, expecting to see the king, but he never showed up. Now, he was having to charge all around the school for him.

Bursting through the doors of his father's room, he stumbled to a halt. Uther was face down in his bed, groaning from the loud noise. "You're still asleep?!"

"I would lower your voice if I was you." Merlin grinned as Arthur jumped away. "Your father is as stubborn as ever, even if his tolerance has fallen. This is his own fault."

"I'm fine, Juniao," Uther grumbled, running a hand through his hair.

"Sure you are. Drink up." Merlin pushed Uther's head back, forcing the drink down his throat.

Uther groaned louder, gagging from the taste. "How is that even worse than last time?"

"It's a stronger version, that's why. Now, time to wake up." Throwing back the curtains, Merlin smiled at the pained sound that echoed from behind him. "You drag yourself up, and I'll get your food. Arthur." Merlin nodded to Arthur before leaving the room.

Arthur hummed, a disapproving expression on his face. "You know you really shouldn't be drinking at your age. The council isn't happy with your disappearing act. You have a kingdom to run. You shouldn't be spending your nights drinking."

"Oh great, I'm being lectured by my son." Uther pushed himself up, holding his forehead with a wince. "Where is Juniao with my breakfast?"

~~~

"You know, one day, I would like you to randomly grab me for a different duty than death and gloom." Merlin sighed, leaning over the dead body. "Uther will not be happy."

Gaius pressed his fingers to the man's throat, taking in every detail of the man. "I'm sure he'll get over it at the words, mysterious death."

Merlin hummed, crossing his arms and standing away from the body. "Aren't you worried?"

"Of what exactly?"

"Catching whatever pathogen claimed his life."

"I'm the court physician, Merlin. This is part of my job. Most of the time, there's nothing to be scared of." Gaius pushed the dead man, turning him onto his back.

Merlin jumped to attention, taking in the ghost-like white skin that was littered with blue veins. His eyes were stark white, and he had a complete lack of pupils. "Now that's interesting."

"People mustn't see this. They will panic." Gaius jumped up as Merlin took one last look at the man. Uther was not going to like this.

~~~

Gwen moved around her kitchen, getting ready for her day. "Dad, here's your sandwich."

Her father- Tom- hummed, looking at the food. "What's in it?"

Gwen sighed, turning her attention away. "It's smoked pigeon. But I'd say there's more smoke than a pigeon."

Laughing, Tom shook off the mood shift. "You're such a good girl to me."

"And I've made you some watercress soup tonight."

"Don't tell me, with more water in it than cress?"

Gwen laughed, hugging her father before pulling away. "I'll see you later."

"Bye."

~~~

Merlin pulled the wheelbarrow behind him, walking over the castle drawbridge. His eyes caught Gwen holding a banquet of flowers in her hand.

Narrowing her eyes, Gwen looked over Merlin. "What are you doing?"

Merlin paused, changing his stance. "Just moving something for Gaius."

"Looks heavy."

Merlin glanced back before shrugging. "Not really. Had to carry worse. Did someone get you flowers?"

Gwen furrowed her brow as Merlin nodded at the flowers, making her realise what he meant. "Oh, no." She let out a light giggle. "Would you like one? A purple one. Purple suits you. Not that I'm staying red doesn't suit you."

Rolling his eyes lightly, Merlin accepted the flower. "Thank you." He placed it within his scarf, making Gwen smile. "I'll see you around. Oh, and if you have some time, could you take Uther's meal up for him. Tell him I'm messing with marble, and he has a meeting again in an hour."

"Of course."

"Thank you." Merlin pulled the wheelbarrow behind him, leaving as Gwen gave him a strange look.

~~~

Uther threw open the door the second he heard a knocking. "Where have you- Oh, you're not Juniao." Uther raised his eyebrow at Gwen, who had stepped back. "What are you doing here, girl?"

Gwen gulped, fidgeting on her spot. "Well, Merlin sent me with your breakfast."

Uther eyed the food before standing aside. "And why is he not capable of delivering it himself?"

Gwen walked into the chambers, placing the food on the table. "He said something about messing with marble, but he wanted me to tell you you have a meeting in an hour."

Uther sighed. "I swear if he's doing something illegal again, I'm going to kill him. Thank you girl, you are dismissed."

Gwen nodded, feeling the room as fast as she could.

Uther collapsed into his chair, making a mental note to check on Merlin after the meeting. It wasn't that he was concerned about the sorcerer. He just had to make sure he wasn't doing anything. Not concerned at all.

Stupid Juniao.

~~~

Gaius looked over the body with a magnifying glass. "I've never seen anything like this before."

"It's not in any of your medical textbooks. You think it might be a new type of plague?" Merlin walked out, a large book in his hands and a spring in his step.

"No. I fear that something like this could never come from nature. And a word of warning, don't look so happy at others' expense. It can be seen as quite rude."

Merlin paused, pulling on a serious expression in a flash. "Better?"

"Much." Gaius turned back to the body as Merlin put down his book and walked to Gaius's side.

"This must have been powerful magic."

"Agreed." Gaius stood up as the door was thrown open.

"Juniao." Uther stopped, looking between Gaius and Merlin. Merlin winced, spinning around as Gaius's mind started spinning.

"Junaio... where have I heard that name before?"

Before Gaius could ponder it more, Merlin blew the power in his face and watched him fall to the ground. "How many times do I have to tell you it's Merlin. Especially in front of Gaius."

Uther tutted, crossing his arms over his face. "And I thought I told you not to leave without dismissal. What are you two doing?"

Sighing, Merlin brought Uther over to the body. "I think you should call the council."

Uther's face paled, stepping back. "Wake up, Gaius, and meet me there."

"Of course, sire." Bowing deeply, he waited for Uther to leave before starting the preparations.

Chapter Text

Standing around the chamber, the court was silent. They stared at the dead body, unable to tear their eyes from it.

"What's happened to him?" Uther sent an uneasy glance to Merlin, who shook his head.

"I don't know, sire," Giaus began, "it's the second case I've seen today."

"Why didn't you report it to me?"

"I was attempting to find the cause."

Merlin rolled his eyes. This was just like the old days.

"What did you conclude?" Uther leaned in, waiting tentatively. Merlin stepped aside, going to the edge of the court.

"I don't think it's time to hurry to a conclusion. The scientific process is a long one," Giaus rambled, buying himself time.

"What are you concealing from me?"

Merlin poured his blood into the goblet, listening to Giaus's poor response. "Sire, I have seen nothing like it. The victims are dying in 24 hours, and it's spreading fast."

"What is the cause?"

"I think you should say that the cause, the most likely cause, is sorcery."

Instantly, Uther turned to Merlin, who shook his head once more, presenting Uther with the drink and whispering to him. "I assure you, it was not me." He stepped away as Uther turned to Arthur.

"We must find who did this."

Arthur nodded. "I will, father."

"Conduct door-to-door searches. Increase your presence in the town. Double the guards on all the gates." Uther stood up. "Merlin, with me, now."

Merlin nodded with a polite bow, following after Uther. The second they got back to his chambers, Uther glared at him.

"Do you know the source?"

Merlin hummed. "I do not, but I can make some guesses and deductions."

"Which are?"

"The infection is hitting both commoners and those in the castle. It must be something both share, such as certain food, water and air. The infection does not hit those around the infected, so air is unlikely to hit them. Whoever did this must be ranked priest or higher, so there are few who could summon it. If I had a bat wing, I could tell you who, but that will not aid us in how."

Uther sighed, leaning over the desk. "And what would you need to deduce the cause?"

"Most presently, a book. I know a lot of magic, Uther, but even this is beyond me. I require a text source from a previous sorcerer that will help me navigate their magic."

"You talk as if your magic and theirs are different."

"That is because it is. My magic is a part of me. I see magic like a swirling infinite number of letters I can put together to make my magic real. It is not something others can do. They see magic more like pages from a textbook. They can replicate and develop but not create new magic. It is how they have such strong spells. They developed it over millennia."

"There is a secret part of the library filled with all the texts we confiscated. Find what you need there. And Junaio, do not let anyone see you."

Merlin snorted. "Easy peasy." Squashing a bug he had grabbed, Merlin muttered under his breath before disappearing completely.

"Right… I forgot he could do that." Sighing, Uther stared out at his people. "Do hurry, Jun."

~~~

Storming into the chamber, Arthur glanced around. "Over here." He paused, seeing Giaus's confused and horrified face. "Sorry, Gaius, we're searching every room in town."

"What for?" Gaius stepped away from the body he was examining.

"The sorcerer."

"But why would they be here?"

"I'm just doing my job." Arthur lowered his head slightly, a glint of guilt in his eyes.

"We've nothing to hide. Go on, then. Search."

"What's all these books and papers?" Arthur flittered through the paper, not bothering to read a single one.

"My life's work is dedicated to understanding science. You are quite welcome to read them if you wish."

Arthur did not want that. He looked around, seeing the door. "What's this room up here?"

"That is Merlin's room."

"Merlin lives here?" Arthur snapped around, staring at Gaius.

"Why, of course he does. I knew Merlin's mother very well, and he is here to train as a physician."

"Then where is he now? He is needed."

Gaius paused. "I do not know, sire. I believed him to be with the king. He hasn't had much time for his medical passion since becoming the king's manservant."

Arthur stopped by the door. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he is always running after the king, and when he is not, he is completing the chores that he is given. He is required to do many things for the king, and he barely has time to come back these days."

Gently opening the door, Arthur was greeted with a spotless room that hadn't been disturbed in days. "How long do you think it may be before you find a cure?"

"It depends on how many interruptions I get."

"Of course. I'm sorry. We're finished here." Arthur rushed the guards out, turning back to see Gaius sighing softly, looking over the dead body.

~~~

"We searched everywhere, the entire city." Arthur stormed into the council chamber, startling Uther from his papers.

"Nothing?"

"I don't know where else to look." Arthur lowered his head shamefully.

"I want you to impose a curfew. No one is to be allowed onto the streets after the great bell."

"Father?"

"We need to isolate the sickness before it infects the entire town. Anywhere with victims becomes quartered off. No one enters or leaves."

"But, father. What about the people who live there?"

"Don't you think I haven't considered it? What else can I do? We must protect as many as possible."

Arthur stepped back, bowing. "One more thing, Father. Your manservant-" Arthur couldn't finish his request when Uther glared at him.

"What about Ju-Merlin."

"Gaius told me Merlin is studying to be a physician. While I do not know the tasks you have currently assigned him, it may be more important for him to serve by Gaius for a while and aid the creation of a cure. I only ask you to bear it in mind."

Uther's harsh glare softened. "I am well aware of Merlin's medical ability. More than you or Gaius know, however, Merlin currently has a different, more important task to attend to."

"May I ask what task is more important than a cure?"

Uther paused, sitting back in his chair. "There is much you do not understand, Arthur, and will never understand, but for now, all you shall know is Merlin's task is something only he can do. You are dismissed."

Arthur gritted his teeth as he left.

~~~

Knocking on the door, Arthur wasn't sure why he was doing this.

"Arthur? What are you doing here?" Morgana raised her eyebrow as Arthur gulped, fidgeting slightly, which would be a lot less intimidating if he wasn't dressed in full knight armour. From inside, Gwen's hopeless sobs echoed around the room. "I'm a little busy."

"I understand. I just need to talk to you. I believe Uther may be using magic."

Chapter Text

Standing in Morgana’s room, Arthur already felt awkward. Gwen was still crying on Morgana’s bed, her eyes stained red with tears. “Gweniever? What happened?”

“Her father was infected with the illness.” Morgana pushed past Arthur, sitting by Gwen and pulled her into a hug. “Now, do you want to tell me why you think your father is committing high treason?”

Gwen snapped up at that, staring at Arthur. “W-What?”

“I don’t have any evidence, but I believe his manservant is corrupting him. They’re using magic!”

Gwen squeaked at Arthur’s announcement, cowering away in fear, only held in place by Morgana.

“Why would you think that? Merlin is a perfect gentleman who does everything asked of him. He isn’t using magic.” Morgana glared at Arthur as he began pacing.

“He is.” Arthur ran his hand through his hair, looking horrified. “There is no way Merlin is just a normal servant. The way he talks to his father is unlike any before, and normally, his father would have them sold off for even trying to talk to him like that. And before the fight with Valiant, Uther listened to Merlin over all others, and Merlin requested all this weird stuff and then disappeared for the rest of the torment! Valiant’s snake killed him. Don’t you find that weird unless someone else was controlling them! That someone is Merlin! And earlier, I told Father to send Merlin to help Gaius find a cure because he is the apprentice, but Father said he had more important things to do, but wouldn’t tell me what! It’s all fishy.”

As Arthur finished his rant, he fell into the nearby chair. “If that man is corrupting my father, we have to do something about it, but trying to stop him while he’s got my father under his spell won’t work. He’ll just turn Uther against me.”

Morgana listened, her mind processing this all. “I must admit, some of Merlin’s behaviour has been unusual. But that doesn’t mean he is a traitor. Besides, we need to focus on finding the sorcerer who did this, and if Merlin has magic, he might be able to do that more than we can.”

“And if he's the sorcerer doing this?!”

The room went quiet before Gwen shook her head. “That wouldn't make sense. Even if Merlin had magic and was using it to corrupt Uther for some reason, why poison everyone?”

“Revenge,” Arthur stated simply as the girls shared a look.

“If he were after revenge, he would have killed Uther by now. No, Merlin can't be the sorcerer doing this.”

Arthur looked defeated, slumping into a chair. “Then what do we do? We can’t let that sorcerer continue to poison my father’s mind, even if he’s not the one killing our people.”

Morgana frowned deeply. “We should leave him, for now. The sorcerer harming the people is more pressing, and Merlin might help us.”

Arthur did not look convinced.

Gwen thought for a moment, not adding to the conversation.

~~~

Gwen searched the castle deep into the night. She almost gave up when she finally caught sight of Merlin.

“Merlin!”

Merlin jumped, almost dropping the books gathered in his arms and spinning on his feet. “Gwen? What are you still doing in the castle, especially this late?”

Gwen stared at him, opening and closing her mouth as she tried to find the right words.

“Is something the matter?”

Gwen sighed deeply, lowering her head. “Merlin, can we talk?”

Merlin frowned before nodding. He waved, making Gwen follow him. He led her to his chambers. Gaius had fallen asleep on the table, so he made a motion to talk quietly.

With the door shut, Merlin sat down. “What can I help you with?”

Gwen fidgeted as she sat. “Merlin, I heard- I thought- I’ve been told-”

“Gwen, you can speak your mind.”

Gwen closed her eyes, taking in a breath. “You see, my father, he is ill. He’s got the plague.” Merlin sighed, shaking his head.

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

Gwen blinked, water gathering in her eyes. “Merlin, I was told- I heard that you were- that you could do,” Gwen held her breath, whispering even quieter, “magic.”

Merlin raised an eyebrow. “Are you asking me to use magic to save your father? That’s treason.”

Gwen let out a sob. “Please, he’s my father.”

Merlin pulled Gwen into a hug. “If I try and heal him, you will be found out. They will kill you.”

Gwen sobbed more. “But you can do it. Please.”

Merlin sighed. He didn’t say anything, letting Gwen cry herself to sleep. He left her in the room, walking to Uther’s chambers.

“Stop there,” a knight cried out as Merlin glared at him. “There is a curfew.”

“And I am exempt as one of the physicians working to cure the plague. In fact, I’m going to see the king to deliver him news on our progress. Are you telling me to wait until morning?”

The guard stepped back, opening and closing his mouth when Uther opened his door. “It’s alright. He is telling the truth. Get in here, Junaio.”

Merlin gave a smug look to the guard, sweeping into Uther’s chambers.

“You'd better have news.”

“I believe the poison comes from an Afanc. It’s a beast born of clay and conjured only by the most powerful sorcerer.”

Uther glared at Merlin. “Do you mind skipping to the part where you tell me how to save my people?”

“An Afanc is a creature of earth and water. To defeat it, we need Air and Fire.”

“What are you expecting us to do? Blow at it?”

Merlin raised an eyebrow. “Hardly. While it’s possible to kill it through magical means, it would be almost impossible.”

Uther took a deep breath. “Tell me what you need.”

Merlin sighed. “Elemental magic is one of the most ancient. The first spells every whispered on this earth.”

“What do you need, Junaio?”

“To do such ancient and powerful magic is a sacrifice of life.”

“Human?”

“Not necessarily. Just a life. The younger the better.”

Uther thought for a moment. “The hounds. One of them recently had pups. Would those work?”

Merlin nodded.

“Then hurry.” Merlin bowed, leaving as Uther sighed. He was going to have to explain to Arthur why his puppies went missing. He did not want to deal with Arthur right now.

~~~

Merlin snuck into the cave. The air grew colder as he approached the water. He brought out the torch, holding it up. He crept deeper into the cave, his hair standing on end.

A growl rang out from behind him as Merlin spun around. The Afrac swung at him as he dropped to the floor. He picked the torch back up, running back to the exit before turning.

The Afanc stood up in front of him, roaring loudly as Merlin took the puppy out. It wined, yapping in distress as Merlin spoke the spell. Then, almost cruelly, he dropped the puppy into the flame. The fire engulfed the dog as the wind picked up.

The fire consumed the Afanc, reducing it to ash.

~~~

Gwen sat up, hearing the birds singing outside. Gasping in horror, she jumped to her feet, running out of the castle. She rushed to her father’s workshop and to his bed.

He wasn’t better. She sobbed, dropping to her knees as she cried.

“Gwen?”

Her father looked at her as Gwen snapped her head up. “Father?”

Tom coughed. He wasn’t better, but he wasn’t worse. Gwen sat by her father’s side, dabbing away his sweat.

~~~

“It’s very good,” Uther laughed.

“Good news, Sire,” Gaius agreed. “There are no new deaths, and those who are sick are recovering.”

“Good.” Merlin walked in, almost freezing when he spotted all the advisers. “Ah, I must leave.” Uther quickly left, dragging Merlin behind him. “What did you find?”

Merlin pulled out the eggshell. “It bears the mark of Nimueh.”

Uther muttered some colourful language. “Will I never be rid of her?”

Merlin gave him a look. “She was your trusted friend once.”

“Until you both betrayed me.”

“We warned you.”

Uther glared at Merlin. “Do not reopen that conversation. You won’t like how I respond.”

Merlin knew better than to push, bow and leave without another word.

Chapter Text

Nomueh chanted a spell, dropping a flower petal into the water. In the shimmering surface, Merlin appeared, walking around the castle. She pulled the petal out. It had turned transparent, and she placed it in the silver goblet.

“Junaio,” Nimueh took the goblet away as her expression darkened. “How do you walk free when the rest of us are so caged. I will get my vengeance for what you did to this world.”

~~~

Merlin walked into the throne room, walking with a quiet step as he approached Uther and stood behind him.

The doors swung open as Bayard and his men walked in.

“Camrlot welcomes you, Lord Bayard of Mercia. The treaty we sign today marks an end to war and a beginning to a new friendship between our people.” Uther and Bayard grasped each other’s arms.

The room erupted in applause as Uther gave Merlin a look.

~~~

“Have you double-checked the protections?” Uther glanced at Merlin as he rolled his eyes. HE was going around the room, tidying it.

“For the fourth time this week.”

“And you are certain she cannot get through.”

“No. My magic is far superior to hers. She would not be able to sneak into Camelot.” Merlin paused. “You are very worried about this, Uther. It is not like you.”

“Nimueh attacked my people. I am used to sorcerers hating me, hating Arthur, but not our people.”

Merlin paused, glancing at Uther. “I will check them again tonight. For now, you need to get ready for the big signing.”

“You are surprisingly chipper for someone who does not agree with our treaty.”

“I am a good servant." Merlin smiled before he left the room.

He walked around, attending to all the duties Uther gave him. As he moved, his head slowly whispered louder and louder. Suddenly, he stopped and let out a large groan. He turned sharply and went to check on the protections.

The lower levels of the castle were covered in strong ruins. They didn’t necessarily block magic users from getting in, only magic users with ill intent. They were the same protections that surrounded his home.

Something deep in his memory reminded him that people had bypassed those, but that situation was far different.

Merlin continued to check the protections when he stopped. One was weak, significantly weaker than the rest. Looking over the magical writing, Merlin got a bad feeling. His magic didn’t falter. Someone had tampered with it.

“Fucking Nimueh.”

Merlin jumped up, rushing towards Uther’s chambers. He burst in, making Uther jump. “Don’t you ever knock?”

“Oh, stop being so grumpy. I got bad news.”

“Is something wrong with the celebration?”

Merlin gave Uther an ‘are you an idiot’ look. “What? No. You got in my head, so I checked the protections. Someone had tampered with them, meaning Nimueh could be here.”

Uther paled. “Are you certain?”

“I’m certain someone tampered with them, but that means someone with a high level of magic did it from inside the walls. There is no guarantee Nimueh is here and no guarantee she’s not.”

“Can you track her down?”

“Unlikely, alerting the guards this close to the singing could be the treaty in danger. Especially when they’ll be searching every quarter for the lady.”

Uther took in a deep breath. “Then what do you suggest?”

Merlin paused. “I can check on all the food, cutlery, and anything you will touch. If I find anything, I’ll alert you immediately.”

“What do you need for that?”

Merlin paused. “For magical and non-magical poisons, on so many items, probably a ton of riper teeth.”

“I don’t have that?”

Merlin sighed. “I have extras, but I expect them to be repaid.” Merlin turned as Uther stood.

“Junaio. If you find her, kill her. That is an order from your king.”

Merlin nodded sharply before he left. He wasn’t sure what he would do if he saw Nimueh, but part of him stated he couldn’t actually hurt her. It was a stupid part of him, but he was going to risk everything for someone who was trying to hurt innocent people.

Merlin got the viper fangs out of his room and went to work.

~~~

Morgana frowned as she walked down the stairs into the castle's basement. Gwen hung behind her, gripping onto her dress. Arthur led the charge, holding the torch above him.

“Why exactly are you dragging us down here? We have to prepare for the celebration.” Morgana glared at the back of Arthur’s head as he scoffed.

“We’re coming down here because of the celebration. This might be our only chance to look into this.”

“What are you talking about? We can walk into the dungeons any time we want, not that we ever want to be down here.”

Arthur took in a deep breath. “Listen, I’ve been watching Merlin. He keeps coming down here. He is obviously doing something, and today may be our only chance to check, since he is going to be busy with the celebration.”

Morgana and Gwen shared a look as Arthur pushed on.

“Are you seriously on this again, Arthur? I thought we established that Merlin was not a threat.”

“Hardly. We established he probably didn’t poison the city, but he is still doing something to my father, and I need to prove it.”

“And what’s your plan then? If you know Merlin is doing something, he still has Uther on his side.”

“If I find proof, I will find the sorcerer and show my father the evidence after the sorcerer is gone.” Arthur turned, holding the torch up. They walked along the stone paths when Gwen stopped.

“Arthur,” she called out as he stopped. “Is this what you’re looking for?” She pointed at the wall as Arthur turned sharply.

The walls glowed faintly, looking similar to a circle burnt into the rock. Arthur pressed against the circle, watching it react. “Magic.”

“We have no proof it was Merlin putting these up,” Morgana stated as Arthur gave her a look.

“If we bring my father here, he will see there is magic in these walls.” Arthur stood up, ready to storm off, when Morgana grabbed him.

“Wait, if you do this tonight, the treaty could go up. Your father will be mad regardless of whether you’re right.”

Arthur gritted his teeth together. “The second Bayard is gone, I will tell my father.”

“So be it, but for now, we really need to get to the celebration.”

Arthur nodded stiffly before he walked back to the surface.”

~~~

“People of Camelot, for a great many years we have been mortal enemies,” Bayard announced in front of the crowd, “and the blood of our men stains the ground from the walls of Camelot to the gates of Mercia. And though we remember those who have died, we must not allow any more to join them.”

A serving girl brought a box containing the goblets, presenting it to Uther.

“As a symbol of our goodwill, and our newfound friendship, I present these ceremonial goblets to you, Uther, and to your son, Arthur, in the hope that our friendship may last.”

Nimueh glanced around the hall, a deep frown on her face. She needed to find Merlin, but he wasn’t anywhere.

“Tonight, we toast a new beginning for our peoples. We look towards a future free from the toils of war. And may the differences from our past remain there. To your health, Uther. Arthur. The Lady Morgana. The people of Camelot.”

Uther held up his goblet. “And to fallen warriors on both sides.”

Everyone took a sip.

Nimueh watched Uther. Even if her plan had failed, she at least got to kill the king.

Uther lowered his goblet, happily beginning the feast.

“It’s a great forgery, isn’t it?” Merlin grinned as Nimeuh spun. Merlin was holding the cup she had poisoned in his hand. “Sadly, I could remove the poison; you did use a very strong one, but what I could do is replace the goblet. The king can drink all he wants out of the goblet and not feel a thing- other than his dramatically lowering tolerance for alcohol.”

Nimueh glared at Merlin as he smirked.

“Now, let’s talk outside.” Merlin dropped an arm over Nimeuh’s shoulder. “We should catch up after all.”

Chapter Text

Nimueh followed Merlin, not saying a word as Merlin walked around the castle. He was barely a ghost, haunting the walls as he led Nimueh further into the city and below, into the dungeons and tunnels.

He stopped in front of an old door, cutting his palm and placing it on the wood. The door glowed gold before opening with a rusty squeak.

The room was a large store room of everything magical, Merlin had been stealing for the vault.

“Where are we?” Nimueh looked around in confusion. She did not remember this place from when she used to live in Camelot.

“Did you know, Uther gave me orders to kill you on sight?”

“And yet I’m still standing.”

Merlin sighed, walking to a set of glass and pouring a half vial of blood into two. He offered one as it swirled, becoming a clear liquid with a pink tint. “Regardless of the sides we stand on, I still consider you a friend. I wish you no harm.”

Nimueh eyed up the drink.

“If I were going to harm you, I would have snapped your neck the first time I laid eyes on you.”

Nimueh took the drink and sipped it. She hummed. “You never did teach me that spell.”

“It’s a family secret.”

Nimueh put her glass down. “Are you going to banish me?”

“You are not welcome in Camelot. No anymore. None of our kind is.”

“And yet you stand beside the king, welcomed by all.”

Merlin sighed. “I stand to protect Arthur. I hope to change Uther, but let me assure you my life is in just as much danger as yours.”

Nimueh gave Merlin a suspicious look. “You have always had an interest in the heir of Camelot. It was you who got Other and Ingrain together, and you who provided the spell for them to conceive. Why? What purpose does Arthur play in your game?”

Something fell over Merlin. “Arthur is a hope. A hope for the far future, none of the seers can see far into the fabric to witness. Arthur is the last hope.”

“I never could understand you,” Nimueh stated bluntly. “You have weird sayings and weird ways. Your magic is even unusual.

“But you trusted me.”

“You seemed to always have a plan. A wisdom. I’m starting to believe you’re making it all up.”

“Everything is made up. We just chose to believe the lies that suit us best.”

Nimueh took a deep breath. “I won’t go. Uther has to pay for what he did. His people have to pay- you have to pay.”

Merlin cocked a grin. “And yet you haven’t stormed the castle. You haven’t blown up the walls and struck lightning down from the heavens.”

“Not all of us are that powerful.”

“I won’t let you hurt the people here.”

“I am not giving you a choice.”

“Neither am I.” Izuku touched a wall, and suddenly, a cage spun up from under Nimueh. She gasped as she felt her magic being separated from her. “Dragon fangs. Took a long time to gather them, and it was a shame to use them, but they keep anything caged, even you.”

“Let me out, Junaio!” Nimueh shook the cage as Merlin shook his head. “Let me out!”

Merlin turned away, leaving Nimueh locked away.

~~~

Uther took note when Merlin returned. He had expected his manservant to actually attend him, but then again, Merlin was not a great manservant.

“Merlin, bring forth a drink for me and King Bayard.”

Merlin bowed, retrieving a glass for each royal. Bayard watched Merlin before he turned to Uther. “You know the boy’s name?”

Uther hummed. “It is worth knowing what name to scream when he falls behind.”

Bayard laughed joyfully as Merlin shot Uther a look, which went unnoticed by Bayard. Merlin placed the two glasses down. “Anything else, my lord?”

“Stay. I may request another drink.”

Merlin nodded, stepping back and waiting behind Uther.

He glanced at Arthur in confusion. The young prince was glaring at him for some unknown reason. Morgana was being quiet. Every so often, she would send Arthur a look, who would shoot one back.

Merlin didn’t say a word, tending to Uther as he tried to avoid thinking about Nimueh locked in the basement.

~~~

Arthur watched Merlin leave Camelot with an angry expression on his face.

“Arthur, will you stop it?” Morgana hissed as Arthur gave her a look.

“I will not allow a sorcerer to corrupt my father.” Arthur walked down the halls, storming into Uther’s chambers.

Uther gave Arthur a look from behind the mountain of paperwork he had been left with. “Arthur? Morgana? What do I owe this unexpected visit?”

“Merlin’s a sorcerer.”

Uther raised an eyebrow as Morgana covered her face. “And what would lead you to believe that?”

Arthur tensed. “He is using magic. He’s covered the lower dungeon in magic that glows, and he’s been tainting your mind.”

“Tainting my mind?”

“Yes! You are different. Because of him, you’re drinking, and you’ve been relaxed.” Arthur struggled to put the words together as Uther sighed.

Merlin was making his life difficult. “I am more relaxed because Merlin is a good servant. I don’t have to go chasing basic tasks because my manservant is incompetent. That is why I am drinking more as well. I am not enchanted, I simply have competent staff.”

Arthur didn’t look convinced. “The magic in the dungeons-”

An idea formed. “Was placed there centuries ago. Merlin has been figuring out a way to remove them so the kingdom is free of magic. Which is also why he requested such odd things. Herbs and animal components can weaken magic.”

Arthur stepped back. “But father-”

“That is enough, Arthur. I will not allow you to doubt our staff without any evidence. If you have evidence that Merlin is a sorcerer and doing magic, I will have him arrested, but until you have proof, I will not act.”

“I thought my word was enough for you.”

Uther sighed again. “Have you seen Merlin do magic?” Arthur didn’t answer. “Then your word is not enough. Bring me proof or a witness, Arthur.”

Morgana gently touched Arthur’s shoulder, giving him a look.

“Now, I have much work to do.”

Arthur nodded, walking out as Uther sat back. He needed to tell Merlin to be more subtle.

Chapter Text

Merlin walked through the forest, muttering angrily in a language no one in this land spoke. He was complaining about Uther, okay, he was swearing at the guy.

He stopped as he heard a screech. Merlin turned, raising an eyebrow. He was ready to strike the beast down when he heard a different yell from the side.

A man came running in, breaking his sword on the gryphon’s head. “Run! Run!” The man grabbed Merlin, pulling him along.

They hid, running behind a fallen tree. The man collapsed, a pain in his side as Merlin glanced around.

“It’s gone. Are you alright?”

The man let out a shaky breath. “Might have got a bite out of my. I’m Lancelot.”

“Merlin.” Merlin shook Lancelot’s hand before the man collapsed, passing out.

~~~

Merlin stood by the door as Lancelot slowly came to. “What happened?”

“A gryphon got you,” Merlin answered shortly as the man jumped.

“Right. Merlin.”

Merlin nodded. “I’m here to check on your wounds.”

Lancelot pushed himself up as Merlin undressed the wound. “It’s healing nicely. Won’t even leave a scar.”

Lancelot nodded, looking out the window.

“Something on your mind?”

“Ever since I was a child, I’ve dreamed of coming here. It’s my life’s ambition to join the knights of Camelot. I know what you’re thinking. I expect too much. After all, who am I? They have their pick of the best and bravest in the land.”

Merlin chuckled. “I think you overestimate our knights. I don’t think a single one would hold a candle to you- in fact, we could put it to the test.”

“How?”

“Fight me. Later, I have work.”

“You are a knight?”

“Oh no. I just train with them a lot. Drive them mad, actually. They hate me cause they can’t beat me in a fight. Shall we see how you do?”

“Merlin!” A servant stopped as he crashed into the room.

Merlin turned with an annoyed look. “I am not late yet. Why are you running in here?”

“Uther wants you,” the servant stuttered. “He’s angry.”

“He’s always angry.” Merlin stood up. “Rest, Lancelot. I’ll test you later.” And Merlin was gone.

Lancelot sighed, laying a hand on his side before he paused. “Did he just say Uther?”

~~~

Merlin swung the sword in his hand. Lancelot looked more than nervous.

“You know, if you keep looking like a baby deer, you’ll never make knight.”

“I am ready.”

“Are you sure?” Merlin shot forward, swinging at Lancelot’s head. Lancelot brought his sword up to block. Immediately, Merlin changed course, hitting against Lancelot’s sword in rhythmic blows. Merlin stepped back slightly, swinging again. Lancelot blocked the blow, leaving himself exposed.

Merlin kicked his stomach, throwing Lancelot to the floor. Merlin thrust his sword into Lancelot’s space, stopping just above the throat.

Merlin didn’t say anything, just smirked. Lancelot let out a pained sound, lying down. “You’re surprisingly good for a servant.”

“And you’re surprisingly good for an injured man.”

“I don’t think that was good.”

Merlin laughed. “Much better than most people’s first brushes with me.” Merlin held out a hand, pulling Lancelot out of the mud. “Knights all go through the same training. They learn to fight other knights. Usually, a good foundation is without any real experience. They tend to fall whenever they meet someone with a slightly different fighting style. Learn how I fight, none of them will be able to touch you.”

Lancelot nodded, raising his sword up.

“Loosen your muscles, you’re too tense. Swinging with all your might doesn’t matter if you can’t land the hit. Weaken your opponent first. Fast and controlled swings leading to the finishing blow. Got it?”

Lancelot nodded.

“Great. Show me.”

Lancelot launched forward as they started trading blows again.

Merlin grinned, side-stepping Lancelot’s attack. “Better. Keep your feet balanced. You can’t afford to lose balance.”

Lancelot followed the instructions late into the night. Uther watched them both from his window, a frown on his face.

~~~

Merlin walked around Uther’s table, putting the king’s breakfast down and quickly attending to his other issues.

“Junaio.”

“Yes?”

“Who was that last night?”

Merlin raised an eyebrow. “Why do you want to know? Last I checked, I still get to spend my free time as I choose.”

“I want to make sure you’re not trying to harm the kingdom.”

“After everything I have done for you, I was expecting a little more trust.”

Uther scoffed. “Well? Are you going to tell me?”

“His name is Lancelot.”

“Is he a druid?”

“No. Completely magicless.”

“Then why, pray tell, were you training him last night?”

“He has a wish to be a Camelot Knight.”

“Is he a noble?”

“Is that important?”

Uther sighed. “Junaio, we only take those from noble families. Surely you remember that?”

“And surely you remember my objections to it from last time.”

“How can we trust a farm boy to protect us?”

Merlin raised an eyebrow. “Because he is a farm boy, but chose to come here. Most of your knights were sent here on the wishes of their parents rather than their own will. They could leave at any moment, or they could make a power grab and try to take the throne. A farm boy doesn’t have those thoughts. They’re just proud to work for their king- should he be worth it.”

“I will not bend my laws for your whims, Junaio. Arthur is already suspicious of you corrupting my mind. I’m half to believe him.”

Merlin just shook his head. “I cannot control you, my lord, but do listen to me. No one will earn your trust more than a man who chose to defend you over any other path he could have taken.”

“What do you want from me?”

“A tordiment, unofficial. If Lancelot can beat every knight you send at him, he earns the right to be a knight. I will even make the documents so that the rest of the kingdom will know he is of noble blood.”

“Do not commit identity fraud, Junaio.”

“It would not be the first time.”

Uther sighed. “I will let him battle the other knights. If he loses even one match, he will not be allowed to even apply.”

Merlin bowed before he walked out.

Uther leaned against his hand, staring at his food. “What an annoying servant he is.”

Chapter Text

Lancelot fidgeted as the knights gathered. Most had been given an alternative history. Lance was a noble kid sent from a family Uther had troubles with in the past. To prove his loyalty and value to the king, he must fight any knight who steps before him. Should he lose to anyone, Uther gets to send him home. If he wins, he can join the normal knight training.

Leon stepped forward, the first to draw his sword.

Merlin gave Lancelot an encouraging smile as he stepped forward. Soon they were clashing. Arthur and Uther watched cautiously, analysing every move Lancelot made. They took note of every victory and every mistake.

Lancelot dodged out of Leon’s strike. Lancelot struck his sword into Lancelot’s side, throwing him to the floor.

The knights went quiet. Lancelot let out a breath before he grinned. He had beaten the first knight.

Almost immediately, Uther picked a new knight who began to battle.

Merlin frowned as he watched Lancelot take on knight after knight. “You are being unfair.”

“I am not,” Uther hissed. “If he wishes to prove himself, he will take on every fight I send at him.”

“You’re more likely to kill him at this rate.”

“Then he would not have been knight material.” Uther waved on the next knight as Merlin shook his head.

Lancelot was still winning, but with every fight, he struggled more and more. Maybe Merlin should have just lied and committed identity fraud.

“This is ridiculous,” Arthur grumbled, picking up a sword and storming out in front of Lance. “You will face me next.”

Lancelot glanced at Merlin, who gave him a confident nod. Lancelot straightened up, holding his sword shakingly. “It would be my honour.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow before taking his fighting stance. “Then come on.”

Lancelot stepped forward, thrusting his sword at Arthur, who easily blocked. Arthur pushed Lancelot to the side, slicing at the back of Lancelot’s clothes. “Surely there is more fight in you than this?”

Merlin tensed.

Lancelot took in a deep breath, turning to face Arthur. He held up his sword as he went to charge in, and a scream echoed out from the side.

“My lord, my lord,” the guard rushed over the grass as the fight paused, much to Lancelot’s delight.

“What is this interruption?” Uther glared at the knight, wondering if he should ask the knight’s name or just fire him there.

“A village has come seeking our help. They were attacked by a winged monster.”

Merlin frowned at that. “Anything more specific?”

Uther held up a hand, silencing Merlin immediately. “Arthur, gather the knights. Merlin, question the villages. Find out what you can and report back.”

Merlin bowed before walking away.

~~~

“The beast is heading for Camelot. It’s fast and agile, but big enough to hit and hit hard. Starting today, your training routines will concentrate on an attack strategy. We don’t have much time. Dismissed,” Arthur shouted as the knights walked away.

Uther watched from his room in the castle. “Have you found anything?”

Merlin grinned, seemingly appearing out of the shadows. “We believe it is a gryphon. It attacked Lancelot and me earlier, but I had assumed it fled. Guess not for long.”

“How do we defeat it?”

“There is a spell.” Uther let out a sound in frustration. “And it is not a subtle spell.” Uther sounded even more frustrated.

“What does it require?”

“Simple ingredients mostly. The eye of the phoenix.”

“That is simple?”

“It is.”

Uther paused. “Do we have one of those?”

“We do.”

“Then use it.”

“I will need Lancelot too.”

Uther paled. “Are you planning to sacrifice him?! I did not realise your morals were so low.”

“They are not. I need a knight to deal the finishing blow, and I don’t think any of your knights would accept a blue fire on the end of their lance.”

“You think the farm boy will, though?”

Merlin shrugged. “I believe he is noble and that he is more expendable in your eyes. After all, he is just a farmboy.”

Uther mumbled something before he nodded. “Do not get caught.”

“Never.” Merlin slid away as Uther sighed. He looked down at the knights practising rank in preparation.

~~~

Merlin grabbed Lancelot, pulling him aside. “What has gotten into you?”

Merlin grinned. “Official business. Just stay quiet.” Merlin walked deeper into the castle, winding through the dungeons and entering the locked vault of magical artefacts.

“Where are we?”

“A secret place.”

“And we have a reason to be here, right?”

Merlin smirked, picking up the phoenix eye. “It’s for the upcoming battle. I need your assistance.”

Lancelot tensed. He looked around at the jars of odd substances, tombs of magical objects and definitely cursed objects. He raised his sword. “Magic is against the law.”

“Uther is not a man of conviction. Welcome to his dirty little secret.” Merlin opened his arms dramatically. “The magic archive. Full of every magical object, book, and remnant that ever enters Camelot. A place only Uther and I have access to.”

“Did you summon the beast?”

“No. Gryphons are natural magical creatures; their appearance is not governed by man. It appears when it wishes, as a bird migrates across the land, so does the gryphon.”

Lancelot lowered his sword.

“To kill a magical beast, one needs magic, which is where this comes in. Every magical creature that enters Camelot is killed by a secret sorcerer, protecting the land from things it cannot hope to defend against.”

Lancelot put his sword away, standing taller. “Why are you telling me this?”

“To kill a gryphon, a magical blade must be driven into its heart. I may be a skilled close combat fighter, but I do not have the physical strength to drive a blade deep enough into the beast to end it.”

“You wish me to do it instead?”

“Yes.”

“Why does Uther not order a trusted knight?” Merlin gave Lancelot a look as he sighed. “He needs some disposable.”

“And someone who hasn’t been raised the last 18 years hating magic and hunting anyone with it. We need someone who won’t stab me through the heart immediately, which we seem to have found.”

Lancelot paused, thinking deeply. “I will help, for the people.”

“Good.”

Chapter Text

Warning bells echoed out across the city. People ran about, screaming in panic. The gryphon swooped down, screeching as it tried to catch innocent people as food.

“On me! On me,” Arthur cried out as the knights surrounded him protectively. “Defence.” The knights crouched down as the giffin rushed at them.

As the gryphon reared up, Arthur raised his spear.

“Charge! On me!” Arthur struck forward with the spear, but it simply broke in half. Arthur stumbled back as a guard tossed him a torch. Arthur waved the torch at the gryphon, who hissed, taking off into the night sky.

~~~

Uther smiled proudly as he looked at his son. “You said your knights were the best in the land. You proved that today.” Uther clapped his son’s arm as he sighed.

“All I know is it’s still out there.”

Uther frowned. “We should remain close. Protect our people.”

Arthur gave him a look of suspicion and horror. “What do you mean? The creature is menacing our kingdom. We need to finish this.”

“The creature is made of magic. No weapon in Camelot can defeat it.”

“Then why would it flee? Clearly, it can be harmed.”

“And if it cannot?”

“I will not let the people of Camelot suffer while we do nothing.”

Uther sighed. He couldn’t tell Arthur no, but he knew the risk of sending Arthur out to kill an unkillable beast. “Very well, Arthur. Prepare the knights.”

~~~

“Where have you been?” Uther asked as Merlin walked in. “The gryphon attacked.”

“I am aware. I have been preparing Lancelot. We only have one chance to kill the gryphon. We cannot risk it failing.”

“Arthur is going after it. I cannot risk my son dying.”

Merlin watched Uther carefully. “Tell him it is a magical creature, that it can’t be killed by mortal means. Say you will attempt to scare it off from locations and let Lancelot and me handle it. It will disappear into the night, never to be seen again.”

“I tried that,” Uther snapped. “Arthur won’t see reason while he views our people as still in danger. You must kill the beast before he and the knights try again.”

Merlin bowed. “And what will you tell him? Or will you let him run after a beast that is dead forever?”

Uther sighed. “Your friend will take the credit.”

“I doubt that. He is too noble a man.”

“He will take the credit,” Uther snapped. “He will give Arthur a person to believe in.”

“Does this mean he will become a knight?”

“Kill the beast first.”

Merlin bowed again before he slunk away.

~~~

Lancelot frowned as he found Merlin in the stables, standing with two horses and a long lance.

“I thought Arthur’s spear broke?”

Merlin grinned. “Don’t worry, it’s fortified.”

Lancelot looked nervous but climbed onto the horse. “Are you sure this will work?”

“No.” Merlin paused. “You can back out. You have no requirements to come. Uther will not hold it against you, or if he does, I can sneak out before he notices.”

Lancelot glanced at Merlin before he took a deep breath. “I won’t turn away when people need my help.”

Merlin grinned. “And for that, you are truly brave and noble.”

Lancelot laughed quietly. “I am not sure I would describe myself as noble.”

“Then let me do it for you,” Merlin smirked before he pushed the horse forward, and they left Camelot.

~~~

The knights approached the gryphon. Arthur drew his sword, gritting his teeth. “For Camelot!”

The knights behind him screamed the same warrior cry before they charged in. Swords clashed with the gryphon, who was unfazed. It threw them back, the knights crashing off their horses.

“Arthur,” Merlin gaped before jumping off the horse. He rushed to the knights, checking each one.

“Are they-”

“They’re alive.” Merlin let out a sigh of relief, gently lowering Arthur to a comfier position. “You'd better stay that way. It is not your time to die.”

Lancelot gave Merlin an odd look. Merlin just ignored him.

“The gryphon.”

Lancelot turned his horse, lowering the lance for Merlin to change. Merlin brought out the phoenix eye, crushing it in his hands and smearing the paste over Lancelot’s spear. Lancelot pulled a face which Merlin chose to ignore, chanting words under his breath.

Merlin stepped away as Lancelot raised his spear. The gryphon charged as Merlin chanted louder. Blue flames danced up Lancelot’s lance as he prepared himself. He struck forward, slicing into the gryphon.

It let out a scream, collapsing from the air and hitting the horse and throwing Lancelot forward.

The lance’s glow disappeared as Merlin took a deep breath, approaching Lancelot, who was sitting up in the bushes. “Good job.”

Lancelot gave a weak smile. “I think I broke something.”

“Yeah, a perfectly good lance is what you broke.” Merlin held out a hand, pulling Lancelot from the bush.

The knights groaned, coming to consciousness. Arthur pushed himself up, a confused look on his face. “Oh, it’s you two.”

Merlin snorted. “Evening, Arthur. Missed all the fun.”

“Shove off.”

“He doesn’t like you,” Lancelot questioned, startled.

Merlin just laughed. “No, he does not.”

~~~

Uther sighed as he looked at Lancelot. “I still am unsure if I can trust you.”

Lancelot lowered his head like a kicked puppy as Merlin started glaring at Uther.

“However, you can continue to work with J-Merlin.”

Merlin blinked before he smirked. “Secret task force? Who knew you had that in you, Uther?”

“Be quiet or you’ll make me change my mind.” Uther gave Merlin a look, but he didn’t stop smirking. “I will find a place for you to stay and cover the costs. You will be well paid.”

Merlin suddenly huffed. “Rude. You don’t even pay me.”

“You’re still lucky to be alive, Junaio.”

Merlin just scoffed. “You would never burn me.”

Lancelot looked between the king and the sorcerer, opening and closing his mouth.

“Do you accept, Lancelot?”

Lancelot gulped. “Yes, my lord.”

“Good. You are dismissed.”

Merlin grabbed Lancelot’s arm, pulling him from the chamber. When they returned to Gaius’s chambers, Lancelot stepped sharply in front of Merlin, stopping him.

“Is something wrong, Lancelot?” Merlin tilted his head softly as Lancelot gritted his teeth.

“What is the relationship between you and the king? Why does he let you get away with all that?”

Merlin thought. “We were friends- before the purge.” Lancelot blinked in surprise. “I suppose you could say I was raised in the castle. I was beside Uther as he grew. I spent time with the king and queen and got to protect the kingdom.”

“But you’re,” Lancelot paused, “like 14.”

Merlin gaped. “Okay, firstly, my body is 16, but I am a lot older. Perks of magic. And secondly, are you calling me a liar?”

Lancelot fidgeted. “No, but it seems wrong, but I guess it explains the king’s fondness for you.”

Merlin hummed. “He is important to me and I to him. As did his wife, I miss a lot.”

Lancelot sighed, taking a seat. “Why does Arthur dislike you?”

Merlin shrugged. “He thinks I’m using magic.”

“You are?”

“He doesn’t know about Uther’s dirty little secret. He thinks I’m a traitor.”

Lancelot sighed. “Guess we can be traitors together.”

Merlin smiled. “I will be nice to have a partner in crime again.”

“You had one before?”

Something flashed in Merlin’s eyes. “My sister. We were close, practically the same person, for a while. I don’t see her much anymore.”

Lancelot sighed. “I can only imagine how much two of you would be. I hope I can meet her one day.”

Merlin smiled. “If you meet her, the world is ending.”

Chapter Text

“So, since when was this secret task force cleaning Uther’s belongings?” Lancelot grumbled as Merlin grinned.

“You don’t have to be here. You could be in the lock-up.”

Lancelot shivered, remembering the magical base of operations. “No.”

“Exactly.”

“Junaio. Lancelot,” Uther screamed as Merlin popped his head up.

“He should really stop screaming,” Merlin muttered, standing up as Lancelot gave him a look.

“Why does he call you Junaio?”

“It’s my name.” Merlin shrugged as Lancelot frowned.

“Your name is Merlin.”

“Yes.” Merlin weaved away, leaving Lancelot confused. “Come on.” Lancelot rushed to catch up, arriving in the king’s chambers together. Uther did not look impressed.

“Where have you two been?”

“Completing the unending list of tasks,” Merlin grumbled, crossing his arms. Lancelot stepped away, keeping his distance from Merlin and his attitude. “What do you need, my lord?”

“Arthur is going hunting.”

“Yes. He does that a lot.”

“I have a bad feeling.”

“Yes. You have that a lot.”

Uther glared at Merlin, who grinned innocently. “You will join Arthur on his trip and protect him.”

Merlin bowed. “Of course, my lord.”

~~~

Arthur was not in a good mood. His servant was sick, and rather than anyone else in the castle, Uther gave him Merlin. Annoying, definitely a sorcerer, Merlin. Not only that, but Lancelot was joining them.

Arthur didn’t have a specific reason to distrust Lancelot; only the facts didn’t make sense. Uther had disliked the knight not long ago, but now he was directly under Uther, taking orders from the king and the king alone.

It frustrated Arthur. He was certain Merlin was manipulating his father, and that is how Lancelot got such a position.

He took a breath as he approached the deer. Merlin and Lancelot were on the sides, taking opposite ends of the pack. It made Arthur more nervous than he wished to admit.

He couldn’t focus on the deer.

Then a scream cried out from the trees. The knights all froze, looking around.

“Quiet,” Arthur hissed when he heard a voice.

“Please. Don’t!” It was different from the woman who had screamed, a man.

“Help,” the woman screamed again. Lancelot was running towards the sounds, his sword drawn. Arthur rushed to catch up.

A man lay on the ground, a bandit standing over him with a sword drawn. A young woman struggled, three thugs surrounding her.

“No, no. I beg you. Mercy,” the man screamed as the thug scoffed.

“Give us some money.”

“Help me! Help me,” the woman shouted as Lancelot charged in.

“Get away.” He sliced at the bandit, holding a sword to the man first, and Arthur rushed to the woman’s aid. Merlin stayed back, watching the chaos. Cutting into his palm, he touched a tree. The branch snapped off, dropping onto the bandits.

Knight jumped up in surprise. Lancelot glanced at Merlin, who didn’t even bother to respond to the accusatory glare.

Arthur approached the man and the young woman. “You alright? Didn’t hurt you?”

The young woman smiled, lowering her hood. “No. Thanks to you. I’m Sophia. This is my father.”

“Arthur Pendragon, at your service.” Arthur bowed, kissing Sophia’s hand.

Lancelot smiled softly at the display while Merlin tensed. He didn’t say anything.

~~~

“My name is Aulfric, heir to Tir-Mor. This is my daughter, Sophia,” the man announced, bowing to Uther.

“You’re a long way from home. What brings you to Camelot?”

“Our home was sacked by raiders. We barely escaped with what few possessions we could carry.”

“These are dangerous times. What will you do?”

“We travel west to Caerleon, where we have family and I hope, a new life.”

Uther smiled. “You must stay here a while, break your journey.” Arthur relaxed in relief. “A noble family like yours is always welcome in Camelot.”

Arthur continued to stare at Sophia. Uther glanced at Merlin, who gave him a look. Uther motioned as he left, and Merlin trailed after him.

When they reached the chambers, Merlin walked to the side, picking up a glass.

“I sense you disapprove,” Uther grumbled as Merlin poured him a drink.

“I do not trust them.”

“And why is that?”

Merlin shrugged. “I don’t have a specific reason. I just do not trust them.”

“Well, unless they do something against the law, we will not turn our back on people who need our help.”

“I understand. I simply advise caution. Something about them feels off.”

“Your advice is noted.” Uther took the drink. “Now, you’ll need to put them in a room. There is one nearby they can stay in.”

Merlin raised an eyebrow before he moved on.

~~~

Merlin handed Sophia a blanket as she smiled. “If you need anything, just let me know.”

“Thank you.”

Sophia walked back into the guest room, pausing as she spotted Morgana. They exchanged a look before Sophia shut the door. Morgana rushed to Merlin, grabbing his arm. “Who is that?”

Merlin gave her a look. “Sophia Tir-Mor. We rescued her in the woods alongside her father.”

“She can’t stay here.”

Merlin narrowed his eyes. “Now I agree, however, why don’t you want her here?”

Morgana suddenly backed up. “It’s- Nothing. Thank you, Merlin.” And then she walked away. Merlin watched her leave suspiciously.

~~~

Morgana hesitated before she walked into the physician’s chambers. Gaius didn’t flinch, carefully taking a flask off a burner.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you,” she faltered.

“Nonsense, my child. My favourite patient is always welcome.” Gaius kissed her cheek as Gaius pulled her in, as she pulled a face. “I’m sorry about the mess. If I’d known you were coming. I’d have tidied up in here.”

Morgana smiled. “It’s not that. It’s just- your bench is on fire.”

“My bench is on fire? What are you- my bench is on fire!”

Morgana quickly handed him a bucket as he dropped the flask into the water. “

“You’re always getting me into trouble. What brings you to this dark corner?”

“I had another dream,” Morgana announced.

“I see.”

“I saw Arthur lying underwater, drowning, and there was a woman standing over him, watching him die. And she’s here in Camelot.”

“The mind plays tricks. IT borrows from everyday life and plays out its own fantasy.”

“But I had this dream before she came to Camelot.”

“You must be mistaken.”

“No. I know what I saw. It was so real, so vivid. I saw him die, Gaius. She’s going to kill him.”

“These are just dreams, Morgana, nothing more. Are you taking the sleeping draught I made up for you?”

“Oh, it doesn’t help.”

Gaius stepped back, picking up a new bottle. “Here, try this. It will induce a deeper sleep. You’ve nothing to fear.”

“Thank you, Gaius.”

“Morgana. Don’t bother Uther about this. No need to worry him.”

Morgana smiled as she left.

Merlin stepped back into his room. He had the evidence that it wasn’t all in his head in the worst way possible. There was no way he was telling Uther about that.