A/N: So…this chapter has actually been sitting in my computer for a few days now…sorry I didn't post it sooner! Either way, it's up. Thank you everyone who reviewed the last chapter. You guys are great :D Hope you all enjoy and if you enjoy, it'd be pretty sweet if you left a review for me…

Positions

Arthur felt his stomach beginning to tingle. He knew it was going to start growling if food wasn't put in his stomach. They had been at this feast for almost thirty minutes and Merlin, the guest of honor, had yet to arrive. Everyone could drink their wine, but the food had to wait until Merlin came in and was officially introduced.

Already, some of the nobility was beginning to get drunk. Arthur hoped that they weren't drunk enough to say anything stupid, especially during the toasts. Looking past the nobility, he spotted King Alvarr siting a little isolated from everyone else. King Alvarr seemed to be staring right at him, though. Arthur squinted his eyes before looking away quickly. Holding King Alvarr's gaze made him feel…uneasy for some reason. He needed to remember to talk to him, though.

"I didn't know your friend could take so long to get ready." Uther said.

Arthur knew Uther was referring to Merlin, but it still surprised him. Uther never would've referred to Merlin as Arthur's friend. He turned to look at his father who was sitting to his right. "Well, he was always late when he was my manservant."

Uther grunted in response. He glanced around the room before leaning in. "Did he know of our defenses?"

Arthur blinked, caught off-guard by how ridiculous the question sounded. "What?"

"Our defenses, Arthur. Did you ever tell him anything of them?"

"Uh…well, I-"

A trumpet sounded and everyone hushed. A guard stepped forward. "Presenting King Merlin of Escetia." He said before opening the door.

Everyone (including Arthur and his father) stood as the doors opened. There stood Merlin who looked both extremely uncomfortably and awkwardly out of place. He wore fitted black pants, a red tunic with a black jacket on top with the crest of Escetia resting boldly on his chest. There was even a small red cape attached to his shoulders and flowing down his back. A large silver crown decorated with black and red jewels was on the top of his hair.

"King Merlin!" Uther was the first to speak. He moved away from the table and walked up to Merlin. He firmly grabbed his arm. "Come, your seat is at my right-hand, the highest place of honor in Camelot."

Merlin tried to say something, but his tongue felt thick and refused to cooperate. He did his best not to notice the strange looks on everyone's face as he stood next to Uther at the head table.

Raising his hands, Uther said, "The guest of honor has finally arrived! Let the feast begin!"

Several cheers echoed in the hall as everyone took a seat and the food was brought out.

Merlin did his best to sit still as he waited for his own plate to come. He felt nervous sitting next to Uther. Yes, he had stood close to him when serving him wine during meals he had with Arthur, but he had never sat close to him. There was a huge difference in Merlin's mind.

"Are you excited to see your new kingdom?" Uther asked.

Merlin wondered briefly if Uther really was talking to him. He looked past Uther and saw Arthur who looked like he was trying to ignore the entire situation. Stupid prat. Why couldn't he get him out of talking with Uther? "Um…well, sire…n-no, not really. I mean…I have seen it several times before…it probably hasn't changed much." Merlin looked at his goblet full of wine. Maybe if he got drunk, this evening would be easier to get through…

"Really? I never thought your parents would take you there in your youth. Especially since Escetia never had good relations with Camelot while Cenred was on the throne."

Merlin winced visibly. How was he supposed to explain this? What if Uther asked why he left for Camelot in the first place? "Actually…-"

"Merlin's from Escetia. He was born in Ealdor, a small village on the border." Arthur finally intervened.

Uther frowned. "I always believed you were from Camelot."

"No…remember my mother came here asking for help? She said she was from Ealdor?"

The frown stayed on Uther's face. "I thought she was just the mother of some other servant. Whatever happened to her? I don't expect fate was kind since they had no way to defend themselves."

Merlin glanced at Arthur who was motioning form Merlin not to say anything. It would be an understatement to say Merlin was slightly annoyed by the fact that Uther didn't seem to show any concern over anyone that wasn't royal.

Just as Uther was about to press the subject further, a plate of food was finally placed in front of Merlin.

"Here you go, sire. Hope everything is to your liking."

Merlin looked up and saw that it was Gwen who was serving him. His face instantly lit up, but she shook her head, glancing at Uther and the rest of the people gathered there. Merlin slowly nodded his head in realization. He couldn't speak to his own friend in front of other royalty. They were in different social classes now.

He watched as Gwen scurried to Arthur's side to serve him his plate. Merlin couldn't stop a smile as he saw Arthur gently touch Gwen's hand for a quick moment and the small smile that appeared on both their faces.

The smile on Merlin's face disappeared though, as his new crown began slipping off the side of his head. He did his best to fix it inconspicuously, but he knew a few of the noblemen saw his action. He just hoped he didn't have to wear the stupid thing all the time. He didn't understand how King Uther, or any of the other kings and princes for that matter, could stand wearing such a heavy crown.

"Merlin, I can't imagine the wonderful things I know you're bound to do in Escetia." Uther said, his mouth half full with food.

Merlin paid half attention to Uther as he stared down at his own plate of food. There was meat (a bunch of it too) cheese, bread, even fruit and vegetables. When he would serve Arthur his meals, he would always see his plates filled like this, but he never imagined that one day he'd be able to eat a plate just like it. Maybe becoming a king had its perks.

Uther continued chattering away. Merlin was surprised Uther could talk so much. He always thought Uther was a man of little words. He even thought Uther would be less talkative with what happened with Morgana. Guess he was wrong. Arthur would throw in the occasional comment, but Merlin merely nodded and hummed in response. He wasn't paying any real attention to what Uther (or Arthur for that matter) was saying. In fact, Merlin was more interested in the wondrous food that he had been served.

After a while, Uther stood up with his goblet in hand. "I would like to say a few words about the new king!" his voice echoed throughout the dining hall.

There were a few small cheers, but the room stayed mostly silent, waiting for Uther to speak. He cleared his throat and began. "When King Alvarr said that more than one tradition would be broken today, I didn't believe him until he chose Merlin, this wonderful young lad, to be the new king of Escetia."

There were a few quiet cheers. Someone in the back yelled, "That throne should've been mine!"

Uther carried on. "From Merlin's time in Camelot, I've seen what an extraordinary young man he is. His intelligence and battle skills, I'm surprised he isn't some long lost royal." He paused to chuckle at his own joke. "So a toast, to King Merlin, who will lead Escetia in the way it should go."

Merlin watched as everyone raised their goblets, he grabbed his, but when he looked over at Arthur, he was shaking his head. With a small frown, Merlin put down his goblet. Was he not supposed to raise his goblet too?

Before anyone could actually drink their wine, Lord Godwyn stood. "I have not had the pleasure to get to know this man, but I know I will be making multiple visits to Escetia now."

There were a few laughs from the people gathered and Lord Godwyn continued. Merlin did his best to pay attention, since they were giving the toast in his honor, but they were so boring! When he was just a servant, Merlin would always manage to sneak out of the room before the toasting started. He had no idea how Arthur managed to get through all of these feasts.

Merlin glanced at Arthur again and saw that he seemed to be listening to every word Lord Godwyn said. He probably wasn't, though, considering Arthur had years of practice to pretend to be paying attention.

A heavy sigh escaped Merlin's lips and he resisted the urge not to slouch. It was going to be a long night.

Arthur walked down the fire-lit corridors later that night. The feast was finally over and he had been the last to leave along with Uther. The toasts had been especially long and more than half of them were made by drunken noblemen. Most of them would also briefly mention that it should've been them that was chosen.

Every time Arthur would turn to look at Merlin, just to check on how well he was handling the feast, he would always find him slouching in his chair playing with a fork or some other utensil. If Arthur was to be honest, he actually felt sorry for Merlin.

He would've talked with King Alvarr about rethinking his choice, but once the toasts were done, King Alvarr had already left. He asked a servant where the king went and he said that Alvarr had dismissed himself to his chambers. So much for talking with him during the feast, Arthur thought dismally

A hand suddenly grabbed onto his shoulder and pulled him into an empty room. He spun around to begin fighting his attacker, but held back when he realized who it was. "Merlin, what are you doing?" he asked. Even if the room was only lit by the candle Merlin held, Arthur knew it was him. He didn't see his crown though and wondered briefly what he did with it. He wouldn't put it past Merlin if he gave it to some family so they could sell it.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, but I need your help!" Merlin whispered.

"With what?" Arthur asked warily.

"Talking with King Alvarr. Did you ever get a chance because I didn't."

"No, he left during the toasts."

Merlin groaned quietly to himself. That had to be one of the longest hour of his life. "I need to talk to him. Could you please come with me so you could talk to him too?"

"What good would I do there? I'm just going to end up listening to you pleading for him to take back his choice." Arthur said as he crossed his arms. As much as he did wish for Alvarr to take back his choice, he didn't want to make it easy on Merlin. He might actually think Arthur appreciated him.

"You're royalty though! Crown Prince of Camelot! That's got to count for something."

"Even if I'm there, I don't think he'll change his mind."

"But we could still talk to him?"

Arthur stared at Merlin's face. He was practically begging for goodness sake. "All right, fine. I'll go with you." Arthur finally gave in.

"Thank you so much, Arthur! Let's go right now!" Merlin said with a wide grin as he headed towards the door.

"Wait, right now? You want to talk with Alvarr right now?" Arthur followed Merlin out into the hallway.

"Yeah. Did you think I was going to wait until tomorrow?" Merlin asked with an incredulous grin. "The sooner I can get out of this, the better." He kept walking, not looking back to make sure Arthur was following him.

Arthur stood in front of Merlin, making him stop. "It's late, Merlin. He's probably asleep. We're going to end up waking him up."

"He won't wake up if we just quietly open the door to peek in." Merlin side-stepped Arthur and kept walking.

Arthur shook his head. He had no idea why he was following Merlin's plan. He continued walking with him, heading towards Alavrr's chambers.

Once in front of the door to Alvarr's chambers, both men stared at the large oak door, neither making a move to open it.

"I think you should be the one to open it." Merlin whispered. "You're the prince after all."

Arthur smirked. "Aren't you a king now? Besides, I'm not the one that wanted to talk to him. You were."

Merlin groaned. "But Arthur-"

"Don't be such an idiot, Merlin. Just open the door!" Arthur hissed.

Merlin narrowed his eyes at Arthur. Before he could even reach for the doorknob, someone spoke from inside.

"I know you're there. Come in…please." said the voice from inside.

Merlin and Arthur exchanged glances before walking in hesitantly. King Alvarr was sitting in a large chair in front of a dwindling fire. He turned slowly to look at them and smiled. "Ah, Prince Arthur and King Merlin. I was expecting you both."

Merlin gulped as he thought of what Gwen had said. Could King Alvarr possibly be a seer?

"How did you know we were coming?" Arthur asked, ever the one to dive in headfirst in any situation.

King Alvarr stood and walked to the table that was there. "I didn't say I knew you were coming. I just said I was expecting you to come. Have a seat please." He said.

Arthur listened to Alvarr and sat at the table. Merlin stayed standing, forgetting for a moment why he was there and thinking he was only a servant accompanying Arthur. All his thoughts about King Alvarr possibly being a seer was throwing him off completely

"Do you feel more comfortable standing, King Merlin?"

Merlin snapped out of his daze and looked at King Alvarr. "What?"

"I said-"

"Just sit down, Merlin." Arthur interrupted in a tight voice, not wanting Alvarr to waste his breath.

Merlin nodded his head and sat down in the seat opposite from Arthur. Alvarr was sitting at the head of the table and was watching them both. Amusement was present in his old eyes.

"So why exactly where you expecting us?" Arthur started.

"Because I knew that as soon as Merlin was chosen as king, both of you would try to change my mind. I was surprised that it took you this long to come to me, but you've still come, haven't you?"

"It's just your decision makes no sense! Why would you choose Merlin? He's just a servant." Arthur argued.

King Alvarr looked at Merlin with a knowing smile. "Oh, you'd be surprised to find out that he's more than just a servant. There's always more than meets the eye, young prince."

Merlin squirmed a little as Alvarr continued staring at him. "There really isn't more to me. I'm just a servant. Or at leastI used to be."

Alvarr smiled again. "Of course."

Merlin groaned inwardly. Alvarr definitely knew something. "King Alvarr, I really don't think I should become a king. I wouldn't know how to be a king! Can't you call together the council tomorrow morning and tell them you've changed your mind?"

"And who would I choose? Lord Evalac? He has a gambling and drinking problem. Lord Goma? He's the laziest man I've ever met. Sir Gorvenal? He's a womanizer. The only eligible person is you, Merlin."

"Well, couldn't you have divided up Escetia then? Give a fair amount of land to every kingdom?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, I could've done that, but can you imagine the consequences? I don't think all of the people in Escetia would be very happy about something like that happening. Plus, I know the kings would begin arguing about the amount of land they would be given. A number of wars could've started."

"But you could've chosen one of the princes that isn't in line to inherit a throne." Arthur pointed out.

King Alvarr chuckled. "No matter how much you argue with me, my decision has been made. Merlin is now King of Escetia."

Merlin groaned. "Great, I'm stuck as king until I die." He mumbled.

"Trust me Merlin, it won't seem as long as that." King Alvarr said.

Merlin frowned and looked at him.

He was going to ask him what that was supposed to mean, but King Alvarr let out a long yawn. "If you don't mind, I'd like to get some sleep. Now that you two have finally talked to me, I can sleep in peace. Good night." He dismissed them.

Arthur stood up and signaled for Merlin to do the same. They walked out of the room and silently walked down the corridor.

"So what am I supposed to do now?" Merlin asked after a few moments.

"You're going to get ready to leave tomorrow."

"What? But Arthur, you can't-"

"Do anything. It is what it is. Nothing is going to change now. You're going to leave for Escetia and rule as king." Arthur said, turning around to look at Merlin to make sure his point went across. From Merlin's slightly shocked and hurt look, it did. "Now I'm going to sleep, Merlin. I suggest you do the same thing since you're going to have a big day tomorrow. And you better get your crown back. It wouldn't be very good for the King of Escetia to have already lost his crown."

Merlin ignored Arthur's comment about the crown and stayed frozen in his spot as Arthur walked away. "Wonderful. As one of my first acts as a king, I'm giving up." Merlin muttered as he headed towards his room.

His thoughts started to linger on what King Alvarr said. It wasn't going to be as long as it seemed? It made no sense! But then again Alvarr could be talking in riddles. Merlin narrowed his eyes. It reminded him too much of Kilgharrah.

Wait, what if that dragon had something to do with this? Merlin shook his head. Impossible. Merlin didn't think Kilgharrah would talk to any human since he'd been released, unless of course that human happened to be a dragonlord. He was the last dragonlord though! There was no one else…right?

Merlin held in a groan as he walked into Gaius' chambers. The aging physician was already asleep, but had left a candle on for Merlin to able to see where he was going. Grabbing the lit candle, he headed towards his own room. He changed out of his ridiculous clothes and into his nightclothes. As he laid down on his bed, his mind continued going through all the different possibilities of King Alvarr being connected to magic. While it was an absurd idea, it might actually be possible.

Birds were chirping outside his window and people were chattering away about the latest gossip. Merlin groaned as he rolled over on his bed. He didn't want to get up, yet. Even if the sun was shining in his room, it was still too early for him to get up.

A bell rung nine times. Merlin's eyes flew open and he jumped out of bed. He was late again. Arthur was going to kill him! He was probably in a grumpy mood since he had to wake himself up and even more since his breakfast wasn't there.

He quickly slipped on his boots, not bothering to tie them, and threw on a red tunic and grabbed his blue neckerchief. He slid his arms through his jacket as he walked out of his room. "Gaius, do you have something to eat that I can take with me? I'm late again and Arthur is going to be so mad. He might throw me in the stocks this time."

"King Merlin, why exactly would my son be mad at you? And he would never throw you in the stocks."

Merlin snapped his head up and saw Uther standing next to Gaius. Once again, Merlin forgot about being made king. It was just so unbelievable! "Uh…s-sire…what are you doing here?" he asked. Merlin gave a quick bow and subconsciously began straightening his clothes and trying to smooth down his hair.

Uther chuckled. "I want you to come and eat breakfast with Arthur and I. We'd enjoy your presence greatly."

Merlin glanced at Gaius who had his eyebrows raised impossibly high from shock. "Um…well, I don't think I'm exactly dressed for breakfast with you sire."

"Nonsense, you're fine with what you're wearing. Breakfast will be served in ten minutes." Uther said. He smiled at Merlin before leaving the room, leaving a bewildered Gaius and Merlin behind.

"Well…you should at least wash up." Gaius said slowly.

"Gaius, you really don't expect me to eat breakfast with the king, do you?"

Gaius sighed. "It would be rude of you not to show up. It could very well become a political problem."

"But-"

"Merlin…" Gaius said in a threatening tone, looking at Merlin from under his bushy eyebrows.

Merlin harrumphed loudly as he headed to the water basin and washed his face. As he walked out of Gaius' chamber for the dining hall, Merlin felt as if he was walking straight towards his own death. He may have been over-exaggerating, but that's how it felt at the moment.

From all the whispers she heard from the people, she understood that the new king was to arrive in two days; he might even make it in by tomorrow evening. Another interesting piece of information she heard was there was going to be more executions today. She wasn't able to find out what the crime was, though.

She let her hood fall off her head and he short, black hair was exposed. She hated being in the midst of people now. Before she had been used to it, but now she preferred her place in the forest. The forest was her new home. But if she was going to get what she wanted, sacrifices had to be made.

She walked up the steps towards a man that was standing there. He looked proud and arrogant. She made a mental note to get rid of him as soon as she could.

"Excuse me, sir?" she said, making sure to sound as meek as possible

The man looked at her, pushing his brown hair out of his eyes. "It's Sir Rylan."

She nodded her head. "Sir Rylan…please, I no longer have a home or food. My husband died and I have no children or family. I have no way of providing for myself. I was hoping I could work in the castle. Anything would be wonderful, I just…" she paused and forced herself to sniffle. She hated being like this, but it had to be done if she was ever to get the power she wanted…no craved. "Please, you have to help me."

"What is your name?"

She opened her mouth, about to say her real name, but thought better of it. "Lausanne."

Sir Ryaln eyed her, as if trying to see if she could possibly be lying. "Come with me. You are going to have to speak with Sheriff Harvey, the acting leader of Escetia until our new king arrives."