Author's Note: Hey howdy hey. So, I'm back! Already! It's only been 1,964 hours since I last updated! If that doesn't redeem the five year wait I don't know what will.

Anyways, I really want to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter… it means heaps and loads to me.

I hope you enjoy reading!

Cheers!

TTT

Chapter 15

Horses skittered in agitation as lightning cracked across the early morning sky. Ominous storm clouds covered the heavens like a black sheet, blocking out the sun while rain poured relentlessly upon the miserable army below.

As the men of Mercia marched unceasingly toward Camelot, rain soaked through their blue cloaks and mud jammed the wheels of their siege equipment.

The deluge had arisen from the north days prior and had followed them like a lovesick suitor throughout their journey south. They had been forced to stop multiple times each day to painstakingly pull their trebuchets from the growing piles of mud.

Bayard sighed impatiently as a bugle sounded and his troops came to a halt. As the soldiers surrounding the siege equipment began to once again pull the trebuchets free from the mire, a Lieutenant on horseback approached him.

"Sire, this storm has delayed us. I have pushed my men to their limits but I fear it will be impossible to reach Camelot in time."

Bayard nodded grimly, "How much time have we lost?"

"A couple of hours at the very least, Sire," The Lieutenant replied.

Bayard frowned. If Morgause was to conquer the seemingly impenetrable kingdom of Camelot, she would need the aid of Mercia. Bayard had every intention of giving her that aid.

"Tell the men to double their pace, we don't have time to spare," He commanded the lieutenant, as his troops finally pulled the trebuchets free.

"Yes, Sire" The man replied, inwardly wincing at the order. There would be no rest until they had conquered Camelot. As the lieutenant left to rally the weary troops, Bayard summoned another man to his side, his fastest horseman.

"You must ride ahead at once. Cenred must know that we are delayed."

….

Merlin had magic.

A porcelain vase crashed against the hard stone floor, shattering upon impact.

He had magic!

Spiderweb cracks appeared on the ornate mirror resting against the wall.

He had pretended to not understand as she had confided in him her darkest of fears and had confessed to him her loneliness. He had left her locked in a prison of isolation, unsure of who or what she was, and all the while he had held the keys to her release.

Because he understood. They were the same. They were kin… And he had poisoned her.

Shards of glass showered the floor as the mirror violently exploded.

Merlin had magic.

And Morgana hated him.

"My Lady? Is everything alright?" The voice of a concerned guard called from outside.

Morgana looked up from where she was sitting on the floor, her arms wrapped around her knees.

"I'm fine," Morgana lied, quickly straining to regain control as her door rattled. The raging golden light faded from her eyes.

"Are you certain? I thought I heard a loud-"

"I said I'm fine!" Morgana snapped, standing up, "leave me!"

Metal boots receded down the hallway as Morgana took a shaky breath and steadied herself against her bedpost.

She needed to calm down. Merlin was nothing. There was a time she had considered him to be a friend, a time when she had trusted him, but that time was long gone.

"Morgana?" A soft voice called, once again disturbing her solitude.

"I told you to leave!" Morgana exclaimed, slamming her fist against her bedframe.

"Sister? What is the matter with you?"

Morgause.

Morgana composed herself and then moved quickly to her desk to pull out the small magical mirror.

"Forgive me, Sister," Morgana said wearily, "I didn't know it was you."

"What is wrong?" Morgause asked worriedly, elegantly cocking her head to one side.

"Merlin has magic." Morgana said shakily, still recovering from her tantrum. "He poisoned me, betrayed me, yet all along he was one of us."

"So I've heard" Morgause replied. "It appears Emrys does not despise Camelot as we had thought"

"But Camelot despises him," Morgana shot back, "Uther ordered for him to be executed this morning, but he escaped."

Morgause paused thoughtfully, "Interesting… Is there any chance he would now join us?"

Morgana shook her head.

"No, Merlin is loyal to Arthur and Arthur alone," The King's Ward spat.

"A pity," Morgause said, but then waved her hand dismissively, "But we have more pressing matters to attend to. Bayard has been delayed and Cenred is loath to attack Camelot without his aid. We must stall for time."

Morgana glanced out of her window at the courtyard below, where Uther was overseeing the fortifications of the inner city, and shook her head.

"Despite their lack of warning, Camelot is ready for war. The city has pulled together… even Uther has come down from his high throne to dirty his royal hands. I don't think much will slow them down."

Morgause smiled, "Not to fear Sister, I have an idea."

….

Merlin blinked as he stepped into the bright morning sunlight shining in the courtyard. The cobblestones were still wet with dew and the sun gleamed off the water droplets like thousands of glistening diamonds. The effect was really quite magical, and Merlin would have smiled had not the mood been ruined by the chanting hoard of bloodthirsty mercenaries standing outside the city gates.

The courtyard was alive. Women and children from the lower town swarmed through the gate, all of them seeking the security that could only be promised by the kingdom's citadel. The clippity-clop of horses' hooves filled the air as the knights of Camelot rallied in the square, awaiting the ever trusted leadership of their prince.

Merlin glanced sidelong at Arthur, who had halted at the top of the castle's steps.

"You should not be here," The prince murmured at him.

Merlin followed his gaze.

At the center of the square stood a pyre, unlit but not forgotten, still patiently awaiting its prize. The King of Camelot stood at the pyre's base, barking out orders. King Uther, the very person he had come to see.

"I must talk to him," Merlin said, his voice quiet but determined.

"You've already tried talking to him," the prince replied, "that's how you got yourself a death sentence."

"This time I won't be following your faulty guidelines," Merlin shot back, beginning his descent towards the King.

"Ah, an unscripted Merlin, relying on nothing but his charm and good looks… this is going to go well," Arthur muttered from behind.

Merlin scarcely heard him. There was an army outside the gates. Merlin knew he could not defend Camelot from the dangers on the outside while he was being hunted on the inside.

He needed to speak to Uther in his own words. He needed Uther to understand that he could help, that magic would be needed if Camelot were to stand against Morgause.

As he approached the King, the branches beneath the pyre seemed to reach out, like arms waiting to welcome him in.

Uther was speaking with a knight and, as of yet, had failed to notice Merlin's approach. Oddly enough, no one had paid much attention to the boy marked for death.

"-just received word that Mercia's army was seen leagues to the North," the knight was reporting to Uther, "I fear we may have to battle Cenred without King Bayard's aid after all."

Merlin walked slowly until he was just out of arm's reach of the King of Camelot and then came to a halt. One of the branches beneath the pyre brushed against Merlin's ankle playfully.

The boy took a deep breath and then cleared his throat respectfully, his hands held behind his back.

Uther turned towards the disturbance, his face grim.

When Uther's eyes alighted on the sorcerer before him, Merlin had the distinct impression that the pyre's grip on his foot grew a little bit tighter.

Uther's bleak face quickly morphed into one of hatred.

"Seize him!" The King shouted, pointing at the sorcerer.

"Please, Sire," Merlin said quietly, raising his hands non-threateningly as guards rushed him, "I must talk to you."

At Merlin's raised hands, Uther flinched back.

Two guards grabbed Merlin by his shoulders and pushed him roughly to his knees while the knight Uther had been addressing walked forward and placed his sword at Merlin's throat. Merlin distantly heard feet pounding as Arthur bolted towards him.

"I do not speak with sorcerers!" The King spat, "You had your trial and your sentence is final. I see little need to continue any discussion with you."

"Your Majesty, I am here to offer my services," Merlin said quickly, his voice urgent, "King Cenred does not stand alone outside your walls, but stands in the company of sorcerers. You need my help if you are to defeat them."

Uther snorted, and motioned for the knight to kill Merlin where he knelt.

"Father!" Arthur called, rushing to the king's side, "Please, hear him out."

"You have no need to send your men to the slaughter," Merlin continued, trudging doggedly on, "Morgause will show them no mercy. I can stop her."

Uther stared at Merlin, and as he stared, Merlin's heart wilted. There was no understanding in Uther's eyes. Uther could not see what Merlin was trying to offer him. He was too blinded by hate.

"It is not Morgause's mercy you should concern yourself with at the moment, sorcerer, but mine," Uther stated, a predatory gleam in his eye, "I do not see it necessary to wait for a formal execution. I could strike you down now if I chose to."

Merlin glanced at the ground. The cobblestones were drying as the sun drove back the shadows within the courtyard.

Diplomacy had come to its end.

Merlin could feel Arthur's gaze on him as he raised his head.

"To be entirely honest, Sire, I don't think you could."

The eyes of the king locked onto the eyes of the sorcerer.

Uther looked mildly uncertain for the briefest of moments, but then his face quickly slipped into a sneer and he yanked his sword from his scabbard.

Without hesitation, the King swung at the boy kneeling before him, an ugly noise escaping from his throat.

The sword glinted in the sunlight as it cut through the air, reflecting the bloodlust in Uther's eyes as it arced towards Merlin's exposed neck.

Clang.

Uther stopped, breathing heavily, as his eyes slowly examined the sword that had blocked his strike, his eyes trailing up its owner's arm and at last landing on his face.

Arthur stood, his body angled protectively in front of Merlin, his eyes defiant. The noise in the courtyard died down as the citizens of Camelot watched their prince openly rebel against their king.

Uther glared daggers at his son, his red face swelling in outrage at the prince's betrayal, and opened his mouth to speak.

He was interrupted by the clatter of hooves echoing off stone as horses cantered into the courtyard, knights parting the citizens in their path.

"My Lord!" A breathless knight called out from atop one of the horses, "A messenger from Cenred has arrived!"

A man wearing the black crest of Cenred's kingdom and carrying a white flag halted his horse before the King, knights surrounding him.

Uther gave his son one last glare and then dropped his sword, turning towards the messenger.

"King Uther," The black-clad man began formally, his voice echoing throughout the courtyard, "I bring greetings from King Cenred."

Uther regarded the man before him.

"I have neither need nor desire for Cenred's greetings," Uther responded, his voice loud, "especially not while he has men sitting outside my city."

The messenger shrugged ever so slightly.

"The King told me you would say as much, and wishes to assure you that it will not be your city for much longer."

Uther's eyebrows snapped down.

"If you have nothing of any value to say, messenger, I recommend that you leave my kingdom before I order my knights turn you into a different kind of message."

The messenger smiled, not at all unnerved.

"To lessen the bloodshed on both sides," the man began, his tone civil, "King Cenred proposes that each kingdom offer up a champion. The champions will then engage in a fight to the death, using any weapons of their choosing. The losing side must offer their surrender forthwith. Are these terms agreeable?"

There was a hushed murmuring in the courtyard as Uther thought.

"Any weapons of their choosing," the king repeated slowly, his eyes suspicious, "Inform Cenred that I will accept his proposal, as long as the use of magic is prohibited in the duel."

The messenger shook his head.

"King Cenred's terms stand as stated. Any weapons of the champions' choosing are permitted."

Uther chuckled, looking genuinely amused, "Well then, you can tell Cenred that-"

"I accept the challenge," Arthur finished.

All eyes turned to the prince.

Uther stared at his son, his eyes wide and mockery gone from them.

"Arthur, are you mad?!" The King hissed, masking his concern with anger, "We both know who Cenred's champion will be."

"When and where will the fight take place?" Arthur asked, not looking at his father.

"High noon, outside the gates," The messenger replied, his face expressionless.

Arthur nodded his head.

"Inform Cenred that I will be there."

The messenger returned the nod, then wheeled his horse around and galloped out of the courtyard, Camelot escort in tow.

Arthur watched him go, and then at last turned around to face his father.

The king's eyes were weary.

"Arthur," Uther said, his voice quiet, "What have you done? You cannot defeat Morgause on your own."

Arthur sighed, and then glanced at the empty cobblestones where Merlin had knelt moments before. His manservant was gone.

"I won't be alone," the prince said, his voice equally quiet.

….

Merlin bolted through the streets of Camelot, his eyes ablaze as he dodged past unmoving men, women and children, all frozen in time like a forest of statues. He had to hurry, he had never slowed time for this long before and he felt himself growing weak.

High noon, outside the city gates, that's what Cenred's man had said.

Arthur was scheduled to battle Morgause once again, just as he had the first time they had met. That duel had ended with Arthur on his back, Morgause's sword at his chest, and that was without the aid of magic.

This time, Morgause would have no such handicap.

Despite his skill, if Arthur were to win, he would need magic's aid.

This was aid that Merlin was more than willing to provide.

He just needed to find a place to hide until then.

Thanks to the impending war, the majority of the lower town was finding sanctuary in the citadel, so the houses in that sector of the city were mostly deserted. Merlin located an empty house close to the front gate and dashed inside, gasping as time resumed. The boy closed the door behind him, locking the latch with a flash of his eyes, and sank to the floor, black spots clouding his vision.

Merlin closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall.

High noon. That was hours away. All he could do now was wait.

….

Uther swept into the council chamber, his jaw set, while an equally stubborn prince strolled through the door behind him.

The room was currently deserted.

"You must withdraw from the duel. Send one of your knights in your place," the king commanded, taking a seat at the head of the council table.

Arthur halted at the table's other end, his hands clasped respectfully behind his back.

"I cannot do that father. It would be cowardly and dishonorable. I accepted the fight, and I shall honor my word."

When the king did not respond, Arthur looked at his father pointedly.

"I will not break the Knight's Code."

Uther slammed his fist against the table, his eyes staring hard at the wooden surface.

"The Knight's Code… the Knight's Code, Arthur, you are more than just a knight!" The king stood up, his eyes glaring into his son's, "You are the future king of Camelot and you have a duty to your people to stay alive until the day comes that you must rule!"

The prince shook his head, fighting off his own rising temper.

"If I am to rule Camelot, I wish to be a king who is worthy of the crown," Arthur shot back, "Camelot does not deserve to have a coward sit upon its throne!"

Uther rolled his eyes and pushed himself away from the council table, his head facing the window.

"Better a cowardly king than no king at all," he replied bitterly.

Arthur stared at his father for a moment, and then sighed.

"I understand that you do not think this fight has much hope," Arthur began, slowly approaching his father, "but I believe-"

"There is no hope, Arthur!" Uther interrupted angrily, turning on his son, "No hope at all! Whoever faces Morgause today will die."

"If that is the case, then Camelot is already lost. We will surrender to Cenred and he will sit upon the throne," Arthur said, and then threw up his arms in exasperation, "So since I obviously have no future kingdom to rule and no crown to stay alive for I might as well go down fighting!"

Uther barked out laughter.

"Surrender to Cenred… Arthur are you so naïve? Regardless of the duel's outcome today, there will still be war."

When the prince did not respond, Uther continued, slowly beginning to pace.

"Apparently, Bayard has been delayed. Camelot is relying on the aid of Mercia to win this war and agreeing to a battle of single combat is a clever way to stall for time until help arrives."

The King looked at his son, whose jaw was clenched.

"Forgive me, if you fault me for wishing to sacrifice a knight rather than my own son!"

Arthur took a deep breath and slowly let it out, staring at the ground. After a slight pause, the prince once again straightened his shoulders.

"I do not fault you, father," Arthur at last replied formally, "however, I do not see a need for you to sacrifice anyone."

The prince looked his father in the eye, and then continued, "I will fight Cenred's champion today and I will win."

Uther looked at his son scornfully, "What, because of your manservant? You think that he will somehow help you?"

The king shook his head when Arthur said nothing, and then looked at the council chamber's doors.

"Guards!" Uther called.

Two men with spears clattered into the tense atmosphere.

"Alert the garrison. I want the sorcerer, Marlin, found before high noon," Uther ordered, making eye contact with Arthur, "Don't bother bringing him to me, his sentence stands. Just kill him."

The guards nodded and rushed out of the council room. Uther began to follow them, but paused when he passed his son.

"You'll never catch him," Arthur informed his father, not bothering to look in the King's direction, "he is more powerful than you give him credit for."

Uther regarded his son, his face cruel.

"We have caught powerful sorcerers before, this time will be no different. We shall see how eager you are to fight when your manservant is dead."

….

The sound of yelling men and boots clanking on stone awoke Merlin from his doze. His eyes shot open and he scrambled to his feet, his vision blurry. The men's shouting grew louder as Merlin stumbled to the house's small window, wondering if the battle had already started.

Outside, soldiers were kicking in the doors of abandoned houses and chickens were squawking in protest.

"Search every house, every alley, the sorcerer must be found!" A voice commanded loudly.

Merlin's eyes widened.

They were hunting him.

Merlin glanced over his shoulder, his eyes scanning the small house for a backdoor. There was none. Sighing, Merlin quietly edged towards the house's only exit, staying close to the walls.

The soldiers were breaking into the house next door.

He could hear clay pots crashing as tables were overturned and cupboards were thrown open.

"He's not here," a soldier announced, "let's move on."

Merlin tensed as a shadow moved in front of the door. The latch jingled but did not budge. As the soldier began to kick at the door, Merlin's eyes flashed and the door exploded outward, knocking the man to the ground. Merlin leapt over the soldier and sprinted out the door, men yelling behind him.

He needed a new place to hide.

Merlin bolted around a corner and ran right into the arms of three more soldiers. Startled, the boy quickly stumbled backwards, the men slashing at him with their swords. With a raise of his hand the three soldiers went flying backwards, landing in a pile of hay.

Groaning, the men pushed themselves to their feet, but Merlin was already gone, throwing himself down a side street.

A stack of large barrels rested in the road. Relieved, Merlin dove behind the barrels just as footsteps echoed down the alleyway.

The footsteps halted just beyond Merlin's hiding place.

"Come out, little sorcerer," A man called out, "You cannot hide forever."

The sound of a sword slipping from a well oiled sheath rang in the alley.

"I know you're here… Face me!" The soldier called, "Don't tell me the prince protects a sorcerer and a coward!"

"Dörmeo," Merlin whispered, and his eyes flashed.

The man crumbled to the ground, fast asleep.

Sighing, Merlin straightened up from his crouch and regarded the man sleeping before him.

The soldier was right. He couldn't hide like this forever. Merlin could still hear men running and shouting in other alleyways, and he knew that he would be found again eventually. Uther had sent quite a force after him, and Merlin was loath to put too many men to sleep as he was not entirely sure how long the spell lasted.

Creeping quietly to where the man had fallen, Merlin unfastened the soldier's red cloak and threw it over his own shoulders.

The man snored in protest.

Merlin made shushing motions at the man.

The cloak was emblazoned with the golden dragon of Camelot and it was his ticket through the soldiers' ranks.

Merlin then lifted the guard's head and slid his helmet off. Merlin let go of the man and placed the helmet on his own head.

The back of the soldier's head hit the ground with a thunk. Merlin winced.

"Oops, sorry," He whispered, rubbing the back of the man's head apologetically.

To complete his new look, Merlin smoothed flat the bits of hair that were sticking unprofessionally out of the helmet.

Merlin inspected himself in the reflection of the soldier's sword and beamed. He thought he looked quite dashing.

Sheathing his sword, Merlin made to walk out of the alley, his head held high.

Howls filled the air. Merlin's confident smile wavered. He hadn't counted on dogs.

On cue, two large hounds sauntered into the alleyway, low growls resonating between two sets of pearly white, pointy teeth.

"Nice doggies, nice doggies," Merlin said, holding out one of his hands in a placating manner and gesturing to the crest on his cloak with the other, "I'm a soldier, see? No need to make a racket."

The dogs' growling grew into barking and their hackles began to rise.

"Oh, you stupid, blind dogs-" Merlin began, but was interrupted by a group of soldiers running into the alley, drawn by the dogs' commotion.

The soldiers came screeching to a halt when they saw Merlin and they lowered their weapons. Thankfully, it seemed that none of the men were knights, or Merlin would have been recognized on sight.

"Hmm, that's strange, the hounds don't seem to like you much, soldier," One of the men said.

Merlin shifted nervously, "Ah, yes, well… what can you expect from a couple of dumb dogs?" He asked, in what he hoped was a manly tone.

The dogs barred their teeth.

One of the soldiers pointed at the man sleeping at Merlin's feet.

"Who's that then?" The soldier asked, a confused look on his face.

"Uhhh, him?" Merlin asked, rubbing the back of his head, "Oh he's… he's nobody. I found him like that. He won't wake up, probably blind drunk honestly."

The sleeping man shifted and his eyelids fluttered.

So that's how long the spell lasted.

Merlin kicked the man in the head, inwardly apologizing. The waking soldier groaned and dropped back to sleep.

"See?" Merlin said, shrugging his shoulders, "Nothing will wake him up."

A man from the back walked forward and squinted at the sleeping man's face.

"Oi, I know him! That's Harold! He's a soldier… We searched a house together not five minutes ago."

Merlin raised his eyebrows.

"He managed to hide his own armor and fall asleep in under five minutes?" Merlin shook his head, looking concerned, "Oh dear, he must be drunker than I thought… "

The soldiers all stared at Merlin suspiciously.

"It seems rather fishy…" One of the men stated.

Merlin nodded his head.

"I suppose some mysteries can never be solved," He said mournfully.

"So who are you then?" Another man asked.

"You look rather familiar, but I don't remember seeing you around the barracks," A third guard noted, eyes narrowed.

Merlin chuckled nervously.

"I guess I just have one of those faces…"

"You ain't no soldier," A voice from the back piped up.

"Of course I am-" Merlin attempted, but was interrupted by another guard.

"You aren't even wearing proper armor!"

"Yeah!" Yet another shouted, "All you're wearing is a cloak and helmet! Where's the chainmail?"

"I'm getting it… cleaned," Merlin stuttered.

"Even Harold had the sense to wear chainmail," another guard grumbled.

"He's the filthy sorcerer!" A soldier in the back shouted.

"Kill him!"

"No, wait," Merlin began, as the soldiers began to rush him.

"Kill him for Harold!"

Merlin hated using teleportation spells. They never seemed to take him very far and he could never be sure where he would end up. But under the circumstances, Merlin felt that anywhere was better than here.

"Perïbit ët tele rürsum apparëo!" Merlin shouted, and his eyes flashed.

The world went white and then dark, vanishing before him.

Merlin felt like he was falling. The next thing he knew he was landing face-first in the mud.

Merlin groaned, and then slowly peeled himself from the ground, wiping his muddy face with an even muddier sleeve.

"Stupid dogs, stupid chainmail and stupid, stupid Harold!" Merlin grumbled to himself, and then paused.

He had the distinct impression that he was being watched.

Merlin stood up and observed his surroundings for the first time.

Men in black armor surrounded him, swords brandished and spears pointed at his chest.

"Uh, hi!" Merlin waved and popped his grin into place, but then noticed the black crest of Cenred's kingdom stamped upon their armor. The monstrous walls of Camelot loomed in the distance.

His face fell.

He had managed to land himself directly in the middle of Cenred's bloodthirsty hoard of mercenaries.

Merlin looked down at his bright red cloak and then back up at the soldiers surrounding him.

"Oh, of course…" He threw up his hands in exasperation, then chanted the spell a second time and disappeared.

….

Uther leaned against the parapet and looked down upon the black army waiting outside his walls. In the distance, dark storm clouds loomed.

"We did not catch him, Sire," a voice said from behind.

Uther did not bother turning around.

"You're telling me that the sorcerer escaped… again?" The King asked, his voice deceptively calm.

"My apologies, my Lord," the knight said respectfully, "my men tell me that he disappeared before their very eyes."

The knight watched, inwardly bracing himself as Uther's jaw clenched and his fingers slowly turned white from gripping the castle's wall. However, he needn't have worried. Without warning, Uther's shoulders slumped.

"Does Arthur know?" The King asked wearily.

"Yes, my Lord."

Uther nodded, but said nothing. What, after all, was there to say?

….

As the sun approached its zenith in the sky, the army of Camelot left the safety of its walls and joined Cenred's men in the plain outside the city.

From where he stood in the woods surrounding the castle, Merlin watched as Camelot's army, led by Uther Pendragon, marched through the gates.

As the armies began to form a circle for their makeshift arena, Merlin realized that he would have to leave the safety of the tree line and join the ranks of soldiers if he was going to have a prayer of seeing the duel.

Since Uther was still looking for him, Merlin felt it would be safer to stand on Cenred's side of the circle and took off in that direction.

He'd long since abandoned his cloak and helmet behind a convenient shrub.

Keeping his head down, Merlin waded into the mass of mercenaries, wrinkling his nose as the stench of unwashed bodies hit him like a wave.

The men were jeering and throwing insults at Camelot's army, who in turn jeered and threw insults back with little reservation.

Merlin shouldered his way to the front of Cenred's men and looked around. Arthur was walking out of Camelot's ranks, his face solemn.

The noise died down as the prince took his place in the circle's center.

Arthur scanned the crowd, waiting for Morgause, and twirled his sword experimentally.

To the average observer, the prince appeared calm and thoroughly confident. However, Merlin was not the average observer. He saw that the prince's shoulders were just a bit too stiff and that his hands clenched his sword just a bit too tightly.

Arthur was worried.

Typically, when Arthur faced high-stress situations, Merlin would be at his side providing inane insults and jokes to keep him from tensing up, but this time Arthur was entirely alone.

As Arthur's gaze moved throughout Cenred's ranks, Merlin hoped that he saw him.

"And here I thought we'd gotten rid of you," a voice said from beside him.

Startled, Merlin jumped and twirled to the side.

Cal was standing next to him, observing Arthur.

Merlin visibly relaxed and his face slipped into a smile.

"No such luck," the boy replied, turning back to face the arena to avoid drawing attention.

"And hello," Merlin added, his voice low.

From the corner of his eye, Merlin saw Cal smile.

"Hello Merlin, fancy seeing you here. What brings you by?"

"Well," Merlin began, but stalled out awkwardly. He was here to help his prince win the duel. As much as he'd grown to trust Cal in the past few weeks, the man was still an officer in the enemy army. He had to be careful.

They stood in silence for a moment. Arthur was still alone in the arena, scanning the crowd.

Cal threw a quick glance in Merlin's direction.

"Not to sound like I'm prying, when in truth I definitely am, but I assume that you are only here because your king found out who you are."

Merlin met Cal's gaze briefly. Cal must have heard that he was a sorcerer from the soldiers who had witnessed his escape from Cenred's castle.

"Something like that," the boy replied cautiously.

Cal appraised Merlin, not looking quite satisfied with the boy's response.

"So now you're running away?" The captain asked innocently, turning back to face the arena.

"I'm not running," Merlin protested, his voice mildly defensive.

Cal smirked.

"Really? Well that's interesting. If not running, then what? Fighting, perhaps?"

At Merlin's clamped mouth, the captain smiled and then threw up his hands in surrender.

"Oh very well," he sighed, "You have thwarted my clever scheme to discover all of your plans. Keep your secrets then."

Merlin chuckled.

"You can't fault me for being cautious. I've heard there's a war on."

There was a pause.

"Yes," Cal replied quietly, "I've heard that too."

Another silence went by.

Arthur was wiping his forehead and shielding his eyes. The sun beat mercilessly down upon the plain but in the distance, thunder could be heard rumbling.

Merlin looked at the sky.

"A storm is coming," he said softly.

Cal nodded, his eyes scanning the sea of red and black men.

"That it is."

The soldier sighed.

"Have you ever fought in a war, Merlin?"

Merlin's gaze dropped from the sky and he threw a quick glance at the captain. Cal now appeared unusually subdued.

"Yes," the boy said at last, fidgeting uneasily.

"So have I."

The captain turned and extended his hand. His face was devoid of all mockery.

"I wish you the best of luck in this one."

Merlin took his hand.

"Likewise."

Cal smiled faintly.

"Goodbye, Merlin."

With a final nod, Cal released Merlin's hand and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

Merlin watched him go.

"Goodbye, captain."

….

From where he stood on the other side of the arena, King Uther scanned Cenred's forces with narrowed eyes.

Something wasn't right. Morgause was late. The solemn hush that had fallen over the armies present had long since broken, and many soldiers had become bold enough to begin exchanging insults with the enemy troops once more.

Arthur was leaning on his sword and shielding his eyes from the noonday sun.

Behind him, Uther heard his troops' murmuring die away, and all conversations ceased.

The King turned around.

The Lady Morgana was gliding through the ranks of men, her head held high. She was dressed in her custom battle armor and she held a sword at her side.

She halted beside Uther, an unusual expression on her face.

"Morgana, what are you doing here?" Uther asked, eying her armor with a frown, "This battle is no place for you! I'll have my men escort you back to the castle."

The King lifted his hand to signal to his men, but stopped when Morgana shook her head.

A faint smile played about the corners of her mouth.

"Oh, but Uther, I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be." She said simply.

Uther paused, considering her response.

The King then chuckled, smiling at his ward affectionately.

"Morgana," the King said, his tone reasonable, "I know you wish to fight, but this isn't swordplay with Arthur, you could get hurt."

Morgana laughed, but the sound was far from its usual bell-like quality.

It was distorted. Fake.

Uther frowned, appearing confused.

Morgana cocked her head at the King.

"Oh, Uther, you almost sound like you care."

The false smile dropped.

"But you don't, do you? You care more about protecting your precious reputation than you do about me."

Uther looked as if he had been slapped.

"Morgana, what-"

"Enough!" Morgana shouted, eyes ablaze with anger, "I know who I am, Uther!"

All eyes turned to face the King and his ward.

From the center of the field, Arthur looked up, her voice attracting his attention.

Silence.

Panic began to fill the King's eyes.

Morgana searched his face.

"Did you ever plan to confess?" She asked quietly, her eyes boring into his.

Uther looked away.

"Guards," he called, avoiding her gaze, "escort the Lady Morgana to her chambers. She is unwell."

Two men approached her from behind.

Thunder rumbled in the distance.

Hurt filled Morgana's eyes, but the hurt quickly morphed into mockery.

She shook her head.

"So that's the plan is it? You're going to hide me away now just like you hid me away then?"

"Please, My Lady," one of Uther's guards said quietly, "you must come with us now."

Morgana ignored them.

"Well, I'll have you know that I'm done hiding, Uther," Morgana said, and then paused, a bitter smile forming on her face, "Or should I call you Father?"

The only sound that could be heard was Uther's uneven breathing as he turned to stare at his daughter.

"Morgana, we will discuss this later. Guards, take her away." Uther commanded.

The guards gently grabbed her arms and attempted to escort her off the battlefield.

"I once thought that you cared for me," Morgana said softly, "When you took me in after my father… Gorlois died, I really thought that you loved me."

Morgana paused, and then her eyes filled with anger.

"But now I know that you can't. Because you see, Uther, if you didn't even love me enough to claim me as your own-"

The guards' hold got tighter and Morgana's eyes narrowed.

"-you won't possibly be able to love me when you find out what I really am."

Her eyes flashed gold and the two guards exploded away from her, flying through the air.

Morgana looked into her father's horrified eyes one last time before turning towards the arena.

Without looking back, Morgana glided into the center of the field, and locked eyes with Arthur.

Her brother was staring at her in horror and disbelief.

She smiled widely.

"What's the matter, Arthur?" Morgana asked.

Her eyes flashed and a fireball appeared in her hand.

"Afraid that I'm going to beat you?"

….

Author's Note: So! A few quick things before I shamelessly thank all of you for reading.

Quick thing #1: This story is nearing its end. There are only going to be around two more chapters. Now, before you collapse into a puddle of tears, hear me out. I have a sequel planned… In my head. It may stay in my head for a very, very, very… very, long time. BUT, it's in there. So never fear!

Quick thing #2: While you were reading this chapter, I know one question stuck out above all other questions. This question, if left unanswered, will plague you day and night. If I choose to, I can leave this question unanswered. But, because I'm a such a frightfully decent person, I shall relieve you of your pain. So, without further ado, I present to you the insults exchanged between Cenred's men and Camelot!

"I look forward to watching you beg for mercy!"

"We should withdraw… I didn't realize we would be fighting a bunch of ladies."

"Ugly ladies at that," an unknown voice added.

"Was that an insult?" One of Cenred's men scoffed, "I hope your blades are as dull as your wits!"

"Oh, there's the mercenaries… they all look so green they blend right in with the grass."

"You smell worse than your mother's cooking!"

...You're welcome.

Anyways, thank you so much for reading! I greatly appreciate it.

And a very special thanks to… NotQuiteBerserk, Ebonyice, 1, Falling Down The Stairs, Ruby890, Eclipseoftheheart17, Wisegirl24256, Castwomanswrath, Cwam, Emachinescat, Suzie, Lilyplusjamesistotallove, Whirlwind421, llLethell, The 10-11 Doctors, Nykskyblue, Rawr52, Ariacle, Coby, Katherine Moonhawk, Micro Chibi Baka San, Ringo's imaginarycat, TaintedXIllusion, 104Arianna, Imperial Mint, Teenmuggle, Arbitrary9, Klester1987, Sydelle Rein, DragonGem777, SilverHeart09, DragonflyonBreak, BabyGlover, Kjate95, Hazelbunny, I Am Theta Sigma, Chibiotaku, Sesshouluver, Owl Watcher, HanaSolo, Jissai, CollinFan, Yabbit, Bookaddict27, Nekomata Hanyou, xLadyxAmbrosiusx, Moonchild08, Acklesaddict, Mel, NoReallyIDontCare, MissOrange8587, Kaykit, Jayley, CM, Ellie, Lindaaa, Kitty O, Noelle, Dor, WaffleDragon, Tagrea, 98Penguin, LikeIdTellU, Magicflower23684, and Highlord24, AzraelLilith,Sandfulla, ArodieltheElfofRohan, Jade W, Airdria Jynn, InjiEmrys, Ireland - hime, Android . Girl, Wildfire2, Nitka, Laura, Shadowsonicstar, Samwise O'Keefe, Anonymous, Cennamace, finn1013, SotongForever, Dee, Felicity P, Ulura, PeaceLoveHogwarts, Yuki082, Limico, GoblinMeetsWorld1247, Sarajm, HarryPercyMerlinFrodoPeeta, Bumblebee33, piggie, 4000megahits, M-J-N, GingahNinjah, Kool Kato, flyingptarmigan, Claire Williams, DammitimmaD, myfirstloveseg, ebonypol, TheScarletIbis, A. L. Washington, Windy Silvermist, Rubes99, anonymous6687, Kaitie85386, MicaRose, carinims01, Sanna Black Slytherin, MerlinPsych, Smockey, MJStevie, Mayatrau, Helenmorgause, Lianarias, Phoebstar989, tiffan, sleepy Eskimo, Qwerty616120, K. G. S, Merlyn Pyndragon, Somebody, Patiku, eilonwy77, Akayuki Novak, Katz4, GreenHorn22, Vuurvlieg, ExcaliburStuckInMyStoneHeart, A fan, Linorien, Lya200, Greytune, AsumeKona, Chatterbox818, mersan123, mizzymel, MandaScooby, Too lazy 2 login, Sasusc, Up-In-the-Clouds1285, oma13, and The Butler!

Take care!

TTT