I do not own Merlin.

Chapter Three

Everyone in the room was staring at me (except Roland who'd already known) like I'd just grown a second head. I didn't know what to say, so I smiled and waved.

This seemed to jerk Leon out of his stupor, "Merlin?!"

"Hi, Sir Leon."

"So you've been in Camelot all this time?" Elyan asked and I nodded.

"Right under our noses?" Percival questioned. I nodded again.

"Didn't this guy," Gwaine pointed to the blonde man who'd impersonated me, "call you Emrys?"

"That is what the druids call me."

"So there were not one, but two men pretending to be you at the same time?"

"Yes…"

"Was everything that fake Emrys said true? About being a druid lord and magic incarnate and all that?"

"Well, yeah," I replied slowly. I was starting to get a bit uncomfortable what with the questions and the staring.

Morgana suddenly ran forward and hugged me, "We've missed you, Merlin!"

"And I've missed being your friends. You have no idea how hard it was to look at you all every day and know you only saw Robin." Morgana released me and Arthur finally moved.

He clapped his hand on my shoulder, saying, "Good to have you back." He turned to the blonde man Percival was still holding, "Who are you, why did you impersonate Merlin, and why did you try to kill Roland?"

The man was looking at me, obviously terrified, so I sent him a nasty glare to get him talking, "M—My name is Thomas, I pretended to be Merlin to improve my chances in the competition. I tried to kill Roland because I knew I couldn't beat him in a duel...what are you going to do to me?"

"I don't know yet," Arthur replied honestly. "Merlin, can you bind him again? Then I want everyone else to come to my chambers." I did as he asked and we left Thomas in the cell, following the king to his chambers.

-o-

We all sat around the table in Arthur's chambers, waiting for him to speak.

"Merlin, what kind of idiot hides from his execution in the city he was ordered to be executed in?" Arthur demanded.

"The kind who couldn't just leave you unprotected," I replied.

"My knights are the greatest in all the kingdoms, Merlin, why would we need your help?"

"Not everything can be solved with a sword, Arthur. Especially when your enemies are using magic."

"And why would you be able to help with magi—" I gave him a look and Arthur cleared his throat, continuing, "Right. Most powerful sorcerer this world has ever known or some such nonsense. Really, Merlin, I think all of this has gone to your head!" Arthur smiled at me.

I smiled back, "Maybe it has, your royal pratness."

"Arthur, sorry to interrupt, but what are we going to do about the competition?" Leon asked.

"Right. Well, technically Roland is supposed to fight Merlin today."

"But the real Merlin was removed from the competition," Gwaine pointed out.

"Barely." Lancelot said.

"I'm reinstating Merlin in place of his impostor, I don't think there will be any arguments about that, hmm?" Arthur said and everyone shook their heads. "Right. Merlin, Roland, you'll have a duel this afternoon."

Roland shifted uncomfortably, "With all due respect, I can tell you how that will end. I am no match for Lord Emrys."

"Are you saying you forfeit?" Arthur asked the druid.

Roland looked at me, "Is that alright, my lord?"

I shrugged, "Not to be arrogant, but you're right. I'm much more powerful than you. If you want to forfeit, who am I to stop you?"

"You could order me to fight you if you wished to."

"But I don't."

Roland straightened, "Yes, Your Majesty, I forfeit my place in the competition."

Arthur was surprised, but he quickly regained his senses, "Well, congratulations, Merlin. You're Camelot's new Court Sorcerer."

-o-

My first few weeks of being Camelot's official Court Sorcerer were crazy. Ceremonies, feasts, meetings with ambassadors, meetings with druids (after all, they could now come seek my council publicly), getting settled into my new chambers, the list goes on. Every day wass a new stack of duties to attend to, but finally, after 3 weeks, things seemed to be winding down.

Or, at least, I had a moderate amount of free time so I was walking through the gardens with the Lady Morgana. I bent down to pick a rose and turned it blue before handing it to her. She laughed and kissed me on the cheek.

"Why thank you, oh mighty Emrys," she joked.

"Anything for my fearless Lady," I smiled back. We continued walking for a while until sir Gwaine came running up to us.

"Hey Merlin! You finally have free time, I finally have free time…" Gwaine started.

"Where is this going?" I asked.

"You promised to let me take you out for a celebratory drink!" He exclaimed. "I know that was three weeks ago, but the Princess hasn't given anyone a break until now. Besides, I want to see what happens when the most powerful sorcerer in the world gets good and drunk." He grinned and I sighed, trying not to laugh.

"Now?" I asked, not wanting to leave Morgana.

The lady in question merely laughed, "Go ahead, Merlin, you know he'll just keep asking. I'll talk to you later." I watched as she walked back up to the castle.

"Alright, fine, Gwaine. Let's go!"

Once again, no earth-shattering, mind-bending, world-view-altering fiction here. Just lots and lots of fun.

Thank you so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites!

-Vi

By the way, if you're a fan of my writing but not of Mergana, why not check out The Court Sorcerer Tournament and its sequel, The Court Sorcerer's Quest, for some good ol' Freylin?