Hello everyone!
And welcome to my first fanfiction in at least five years!

So, what is it about? It is about Arthur who instead of being blind for almost all oft he series gets told and shown what Merlin can do. From the very start. Haven't you also watched episode by episode asking yourself what Arthur would sayor do, if he found out right in this moment? If he could see what Merlin has been doing? How would he react? Would he appreciate it? My story offers a possible answer to that. But remember, the main story will not change! It will go on, episode by episode just showing Arthurs look about each event after it already happened! It will change more as it comes tot he end, well not really change, just a few things getting added. Excluded from this statement are the last two episodes, maybe something will play out a little after all. If you want to get inside Arthurs head, maybe do his view on one of your favourite episodes yourself, click here. I did my best for you to have at least a little fun! ;-)

Disclaimer: I own nothing of this, except Cassandra, everything she does and says and every action related to her. Even though I am acting Pretty close to the series and copy a few sentences from it. Merlin was an assignment from NBC Unlimited and BBC One for Shine Unlimited!

The dragons call

I had to admit, I was a bit surprised. This beautiful clearing in the woods was not really what I had expected. The castle, the training grounds or his own chambers but not the woods outside of Camelot. I scanned my body with my hands. It was still my own, pale and small. I was wearing the same emerald dress I laid down with and my long red hair flew around me as I turned. "Good, good", I murmured while closing my eyes. Part one complete, time for part two. I walked a little circle while keeping my eyes closed, picturing what I needed and what I needed it for. I could feel how it drained me, so I opened my eyes and looked at the little pond I just created. It looked more like an egg than a circle but hey, I had my eyes closed. The image in the pond changed quickly. I could see Camelot, Uther, Gaius, Merlin and at least Arthur, he was laying in bed, peacefully asleep. Well, now comes part three.

„You don't like him very much, do you?"
Arthur turned, so quick, his cape flew around him. „Who are you? Where the hell am I?" His hand went to his hip to draw his sword, but it wasn't there. His blue eyes pierced through my green ones as I smiled a little mockingly.
"My name is Cassandra. You can call me Cass or Cassie, if you like." Although I knew the irony of the name I chose would be completely wasted on him, I couldn't hide a grin. "And where you are? Well, why don't you take a closer look." I gestured to the little pond next to me.
Arthur looked around before he came closer. The fact that I wasn't radiating any threat or danger seemed to calm him a little, but he stayed vigilant. "What is this place?"
Again I gestured towards the pond. Arthur looked inside and flinched. The surface showed him, laying in his bed, eyes closed, mouth open, snoring a little.
"That is your body right now. It is the middle of the night, you are sleeping."
"And I am supposed to believe that? You show me a picture of me in a pond, obviously with magic and you want to tell me, that we are in a dream? That nothing of this is real?" He gestured towards the grass and the woods around us, without letting me out of his sight.
I smiled. "This is not really a dream. Technically we are inside your mind and not I chose the setting for our meeting, you did. Which is actually quite interesting."
He still seemed confused, so I continued: "The way you are dressed, you seem most comfortable in your armour, even when there is no one to fight. You function as a knight of Camelot, yet we are out here in the woods, instead up in the capital, where I, I must admit, thought we would be. Feeling a little trapped there?"

I nodded in the direction of the big, impressive castle that rose above the crowns of the trees.
"Even if everything you say is true, I do not know you! You can't be in my mind, so you must be a sorceress, using dark magic to trap me here! And I won't just let you do that!" He came at me, trying to attack but in a blink of an eye I was standing at the other side of the pond, raising an eyebrow.
"I will give you two points out of four. Yes, you do not know me, yes, I am kind of a sorceress using magic to be here but no, it is not dark magic nor do I want to trap you. The reason I am here is him."
The image in the pond changed, now showing a skinny young man, with raven hair and a brown jacket, sleeping in a cell.
"Wait, I know this one. I put him in jail today!"
"Yeah. He tried to call you out for being an ass and you got him arrested."
"He tried to hit me."
"And you had it coming. You actually were an ass." Arthur looked at me, unsure how to react.
"I am the son of the king and, according to your words, we are in my mind, you can't just talk to me like that."
"Yeah? Why not? Will you arrest me too?" I was standing next to him again, making him look down to my 5'6 feet.
He seemed conflicted but answered: "I can't have you arrested. You are a girl and you say we are inside my mind, so what good would that be?"
I nodded satisfied. "You are starting to be reasonable much sooner than I thought. I would have guessed you would attack me much more until you'd realise it wouldn't lead you anywhere."
He clenched his fists but left his mouth closed.
"Well, as I was saying, I am here because of him." I turned a little to look into the pond myself.

"Do you remember his name?"
"No. I can't remember everyone I had arrested."
"If everyone you got arrested deserved it, you could remember them. Think about it." By the looks of it, maybe he would attack me again. So I moved on.
"His name is Merlin. He arrived in Camelot yesterday, living with Gaius."
"Gaius? He is too young to be a physician."
"Yes, he is. And that is not why I am here. You will see tomorrow." I took a few steps around him and pushed him into the pond. His expression just went from surprised to angry, when the dream dispersed and I was standing at his bedside, watching him abruptly waking up. He was sitting upright in his bed, with a vigilant look and although I knew he couldn't see or hear me, I hold my breath. But just one second later he moaned and fell back to sleep. Good. So that part two worked too.

"You actually made a little fool of yourself today!" The grin on my face was so big it showed my teeth.
Arthur turned around, just like last night, but without the cape. "You again!" He pointed his finger at me and tried to draw his sword again, realizing it wasn't there.
"You should know by now that it won't do you any good to attack me. Your mind only gives you weapons when you have to really defend yourself, so it won't get hurt more that necessary. And it knows that I am not your enemy. Unlike you."
"I wanted to tell my father about this. I wanted send a search party for you, but I couldn't remember a thing. What have you done to my memory?"
I shrugged. "Nothing. But, for the metaphor, when could you actually really remember a dream? Remember specific details and plans, not just a weird feeling you forgot by breakfast?"
He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"You see, this might be your mind, but I am in control of our connection. And you will not remember anything, not today and none of the encounters that will come. Not unless I want you to."
He opened his mouth again but I raised my arm and continued: "And there is no way, you can make me do anything here. You wouldn't even be able to touch me. See?"

I got closer, grabbed his hand and tried to put it on my arm. As soon as it should have touched me, my skin dissolved into smoke that gathered around my hand holding his and put itself back to my arm as soon as I took a step back. Arthur stared at his hand with a mix of disgust and fascination.
"But you pushed me! Last night!"
I nodded. "Yes, I can touch you but not the other way around. Maybe I will change that when I can trust you not to try something stupid and time wasting."
He got angry again.
"It is not really nice when someone insults and disrespects you all the time, is it? Without you being able to punish him for it?"
I was provoking him and he was obviously not used to that. It must be a scary and annoying situation for him. He was in a world he had no control over, trapped with a person he didn't know and could not touch. He was helpless. And regarding to the strained look on his face and his tense body he also figured that out.
"Must be a pretty new experience", I whispered, smiling a little. "I know how it's like. So long I had no control, had to watch the people close to me die over and over..."
My voice was very quiet, long suppressed memories were fighting to come up, but I shook my head and gazed at Arthur again. "Do you want to know now why I pointed Merlin out to you yesterday?"
He frowned, but nodded slightly and we stepped to the pond together.

"I warn you. I've been trained to kill since birth."
"Wow. And how long have you been training to be a prat?"
Arthur looked annoyed and amused the same time. "You can't address me like that."
"Sorry", Merlin grinned. "How long have you been training to be a prat, Mylord?"
Arthur smiled brighter before trying to attack. Merlin dodged and took a few steps back. The fight played out until Merlin was laying on the ground.
"You're in trouble now."
Merlin looked around frantically before focusing on two large hooks behind Arthur that suddenly moved so his spiked mace would get tangled up.
"Wait, what just happened?!" Arthur took another step towards the pond. "Keep on watching."
Merlin got up and took a few steps back. Arthur followed him, not seeing the small upstanding box that suddenly moved so he would step into it.
"Did he just-?" "Keep. Watching."
A rope straightened up itself causing Arthur to fall and for Merlin to take his weapon.
"Do you want to give up?"
"For you?"
"Do you? Do you want to give up?" Arthur tripped but Merlin was distracted enough by Gaius watching for him to get up and win the fight.
The guards came but Arthur intervened. "There is something about you Merlin. I just can't quite put my finger on it."

The picture in the pond faded away. Arthur was standing next to me, enraged.
"He is a sorcerer! He used magic!"
"Yes, he did."
"He must be taken care of. Immediately! We cannot have a sorcerer walking around free in Camelot!"
"Why not?"
"Because sorcery is evil! The only thing magic and enchantments can do is trick the mind and pursue evil!"
"Is that so?"
"Of course it is! But how would you know? You are just as evil as him!"
"So, although I didn't do a thing to physically harm you and Merlin only used his magic to defend himself because he refused to be as slimy as the rest of your pals, we are evil?" Arthur stared at me, the sky-clear blue of his eyes darkened with rage.
"Let's continue our talk tomorrow. I think you will have a new angle on these things then." And again I hurried around to push him into the pond. He was prepared this time, trying to stand his ground and dragging me along, but my arms and shoulders turned to smoke under his hands.
"Goodnight Arthur."

This night, he turned around before I said anything and approached me.
"I told you magic was evil! Have you known what happened to Lady Helen?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me? My life was on the line! The kingdom!"
"What good would that have been? You would have been worried and even more unreasonable. And you wouldn't have been able to remember anyways."
"Then maybe you shouldn't erase my memory!"
I shook my head, smiling a bit. He scanned me, from my long ginger hair over the simple but pretty emerald dress to my brown leather boots.
"I will find out who you are and where you are hiding. And I will put an end to this."
I still smiled. "Maybe. But until that day comes, do you want to carry on?" I gestured to the pond.
"What is there to see? I know what happened. I was there. "
"Do you really know? Like you knew how Merlin fought you?" He frowned at me, just like last night, but came closer towards the pond.

Helen began to sing. She had a beautiful voice and it was a beautiful song. The people closed their eyes, heads were moving towards the table. Merlin noticed what was going on and pressed the palms of his hands against his ears. Soon, he was the only one awake. The lights began to fade, webs and dust formed over the people and tables as if they had been trapped in an endless slumber for several centuries. As Helen was getting ready to throw her knife at Arthur, Merlin, still with his hands upon his ears, glanced at the chandelier and it suddenly came down, burying Helen beneath it. Her song abruptly faded and slowly the people began to move. There were looks of confusion everywhere and almost all of them had to remove some cobwebs from the heads or clothes.
Arthur beside me also moved, looking at the picture with shock and confusion, mirroring his own face shown in the pond.
The old lady rose up again, grabbed her dagger and threw it after all. It was flying directly at Arthur, when the picture began to slow down, showing Merlin running towards Arthur at normal speed, pulling him aside only seconds before the blade hammered into the wooden back of Arthurs chair.

"And? Have you already known what happened?" My voice was calm and quiet, but Arthur looked at me like I yelled in his ear.
"Obviously I did not know that there were magic involved on both sides."
"Merlin used his magic to save your life. Only a day after he told the Great Dragon he would lend anyone a hand who was trying to take it."
"Whoa, whoa, what?" I raised an eyebrow, so he continued: "What Great Dragon?"
I smiled. "I figured you wouldn't have a clue about him, but I couldn't actually be certain. Uther has the last of the dragons locked up in an enormous cave beneath Camelot."
"He told me he killed all of them! How come Merlin knows about this?"
"What exactly do you know about magic Arthur? Besides all of the 'Magic is always evil' stuff?"
This time, he left his mouth closed but folded his arms.
"Magic is something most people have to learn and study. The spells, enchantments, which herbs work together and how, and which do not. Merlin is different. You maybe have noticed, that he never used a spell. He did what he did with his eyes and mind only. This is, most people including you father and Gaius would say, absolutely impossible."
"What are you trying to say?"

"That Merlin was born with his power. To put it in his own words, he could make stuff fly around before he was three. So tell me. You meet a little child, that is not even able to read yet, but it can make stuff fly. What would you do?"
He looked at me like I was absolutely crazy.
"What? Would you kill it? Arrest it? All magic is evil right?"
He still wasn't able to answer me.
"Uther would kill it."
"No he wouldn't!"
"Ah, you found your voice again. And yes, he would. He actually did. He purged the city. Killed everyone who had magic. You'll see."
Arthur looked really angry so I decided to end our conversation here. Give him time to cool off. More or less. I didn't surprise him with my push this time. As I started to go around him he already raised his hands.
"Do you always have to push me?"
"You can jump if you want?"
"Why?"
"I will tell you next time. Maybe."
He wanted to say something but I gave him a hard push against his hands and he stumbled backwards into the pond. I actually have to use some of my magic to get that result. With my own body force only I wouldn't even be able to make him trip slightly.