"Time to wake up, Master Merlin."

Merlin slowly drifted into wakefulness. He felt a little chilled and he tried to scrunch closer to Arthur who was always warm. But he found no Arthur.

His eyes snapped open and found only darkness. Morgana's words resounded in his head and he panicked. What if he was blind now? How could he help Arthur now? He rose up on his elbows –

- and a blanket slipped from his head.

He squinted, taking in the room bathed in early morning light. George was looking at him with concern, probably surprised by Merlin jerking into wakefulness. "I'm sorry, master Merlin. I did not mean to frighten you." Merlin was still looking at the blanket, frowning at it for having scared him. "I placed it there, sir. It was cold this morning and you were having some trouble breathing. Your nose sounded congested. I thought the warmth would help to clear it."

Merlin took an experimental breath and noticed that he was breathing easier than yesterday. He gave George a smile, wanting him to stop apologizing for helping. "Um, thank you." His voice was quiet but it came easier today.

Looking relieved, George helped him get ready. He had warmed Merlin's clothes by the fire as well as the water for washing and Merlin was grateful for it. George bustled about while Merlin washed and dressed and Merlin studied him curiously. George carried out each task meticulously to perfection, but Merlin didn't sense any fear in him. It was as if George truly enjoyed his duties, even the boring ones. He wondered if George was naturally so serious and formal.

After a quick breakfast, George led Merlin down to their seats from yesterday where he happily settled in to watch the knights train. George bustled about on his duties but he checked on Merlin frequently. As he watched the knights training, he kept an eye out for Arien, hoping the older boy would come find him. Noticing his distraction and guessing the reason easily, George brought Merlin to the armory where they found Arien surrounded by weapons and cleaning cloths. The sight of the knives and bows and bolts brought forth a rush of unpleasant memories that frightened Merlin and he sidled closer to George.

Arien looked up and smiled. "Lord Merlin!" He looked genuinely happy to see Merlin but Merlin couldn't even muster a smile.

George gently pulled Merlin forward but still he couldn't find his voice to greet Arien. He tried to wave a greeting but he was sure his nervousness showed.

"I'm afraid my duties are less interesting today. I'm meant to be preparing my brothers' hunting equipment." He lowered the knife he was polishing and deliberately set it down with the cloth over it. "You can stay if you like. There are people coming and going all the time. We won't be alone."

Merlin felt gutted that Arien could so easily read him, particularly about his fear of being alone with him. Merlin thought that because of yesterday, he wouldn't feel this way, but…

Arien and George looked at each other before Arien said, sounding slightly disappointed, "Or perhaps another time?"

Merlin held still, breathing in measured counts until he was sure. He shook his head and let go of George's hand. He still couldn't find his voice so he simply sat where he was. He was outside the array surrounding Arien but close enough to see what he was doing. George bowed to him and said, "My own duties will have me in and out of here today, so please enjoy yourself." With a wink, he wandered over to where Arthur's belongings were stored.

Merlin turned back to watch Arien who seemed at a loss. "Well… I suppose I'll keep doing what I was doing. Have you ever seen a hunter's kit?"

Merlin shook his head so Arien settled into describing the various items around him. He stayed seated in the center of his circle and never handed anything directly to Merlin, but he encouraged Merlin to touch freely. Merlin eventually moved closer and gingerly held the different knives and even a crossbow. He had seen weapons before, and had even been forced to learn to use some, but now he was curious to study the details. He wasn't sure he liked the idea of hunting (he shivered as he remembered being hunted himself) but he liked learning about the order that went into assembling a hunting kit. He was so enthralled in the details that he never even noticed that at some point, Arien had resumed his chores, sharpening and polishing various blades as he talked. Merlin remembered watching Mordred doing the same and he longed to know what had become of the other boy.

When they ran out of items to name, Arien told Merlin hunting stories he had learned from his father. Wanting to feel useful while he listened, Merlin took it on himself to check the arrows and bolts. Before, the task had been a punishment, but in this small quantity and relaxed atmosphere he hound it enjoyable, and for once he was glad to have learned something useful. He separated them into piles as he listened: those that needed aligning, those with loose heads, those that needed fletching, and all overlapping examples. After he sorted all the arrows and bolts, he searched for tools to repair them and picked one of the sharpening stones to begin sharpening the heads. He was so focused on his task that he didn't immediately notice when Arien stopped talking.

"Where did you learn to do that?"

Merlin looked up to find Arien watching him. He shrugged, hoping Arien wouldn't ask again and he didn't, but he was looking at Merlin more seriously. It made Merlin uncomfortable and he looked away. He focused on the arrowhead in his hands. Arien pulled off one of his gloves and slipped it onto Merlin's hand after tapping the faint welts where Merlin had gripped the arrowhead as he worked. "It's a little too big but it will protect your hand." Merlin flexed his hand in the glove feeling confused at the idea of not cutting up his hand. He looked back at Arien's hands and saw how he held the sharp tools with his gloved hand – and that Arien was still staring at him. Merlin averted his gaze again.

"You can talk to me. If you want." When Merlin didn't look back, Arien said, "Do you prefer not to speak at all or do you not want to speak to me? I would understand if it was just me. I can't blame you. I won't be cross, you can tell me."

Merlin remembered how Arien had seemed surprised when Merlin spoke yesterday. How he had held Merlin's hand gently and not fussed when Merlin whimpered. That he gave Merlin one of the gloves he'd been wearing. He was trying so hard to win Merlin's trust again and Merlin was finally willing to believe in him, he had to show it. "Um." His mouth moved but it took a second for his voice to be audible. "Not used to t-talking." He wanted to say more but his throat was tight. He cleared his throat and chanced a glance at Arien who grinned back at him.

"I can live with that. Father says I've got the biggest mouth in the family anyway, so I can keep talking for the both of us. Just tell me to stop when you get tired of listening to me." And talk he did! Merlin thought Arien must have been holding back before, because now words flew out of Arien's mouth at a positively alarming rate. It made Merlin smile because Arien talked to him like Arthur had in those first few days when Merlin was still healing. He told him about people Merlin had never met, talked about big things like past tournaments and little things like which tree grew the best apples in the orchard.

By the time Arthur came looking for him, Merlin was laughing as he sorted through fletching feathers while listening to Arien talk about the time he tried to hide a toad in his room only for it to jump on the maid and send her screaming about the house. He was acting out how a stable hand had leapt about the room trying to catch the frightened animal only to catch it just before it leapt out the window.

"My father had arrived by then! You could tell he was trying not to laugh but he said," Arien's voice lowered comically, "'By the gods, man! Why did you catch it? It was already on its way out!' and Gerald just looked out the window and sighed. After that, people would mutter 'ribbit' just to send the Lily running again. She'd be out the house so fast you could still see her shadow inside!"

Merlin was slumped on the floor, clutching his ribs as he giggled.

"Well, that must have been a great story." Arthur's voice calmed Merlin's giggles momentarily while he turned to see him.

"It was awful, Sire. The young lass completely refused to clean Arien's room after that incident. She was terrified! Any little croak would do it. I once belched in her presence and sent her flying!" Merlin dissolved into laughter again as he imagined Sir Urien burping loud enough to frighten a maid. "I must say, it is very good to see you boys getting along."

Merlin collected himself and studied the two men. There were other knights arriving now, the more familiar ones waving at him. Bohrs gave him a wink as he passed. With a sigh, Merlin handed the box of feathers back to Arien, feeling a little sad to have to leave. Arien smiled at him. "This time again, tomorrow, Lord Merlin?"

Merlin nodded eagerly, raising his arms in the hope that Arthur would carry him. Without hesitation, Arthur lifted him up and Merlin felt the last bit of tension leave him. Once in Arthur's embrace, Merlin turned back to Arien and said, "Um. Just Merlin. Please."

Arien looked at his father and Arthur, both of whom nodded at him encouragingly. "Yes, alright. See you tomorrow, Merlin!"

Merlin waved as Arthur walked out, not missing the exchanged looks between Arthur and Urien. He didn't bother with it, Arthur seemed happy.

"Did you have fun, Merlin?"

Merlin leaned back to look him squarely in the eyes, proud to say, "Yes!"

"It sounds like it. Father came looking for you and said you looked like you were enjoying yourself with Arien." Merlin immediately worried that Uther would be upset that Merlin hadn't noticed him but Arthur was quick to reassure him. "Don't worry about it, Merlin. He thought you might like to keep him company today, but he saw you boys together and decided to leave it. Would you want to spend some time with him tomorrow?"

Merlin felt a little confused. Uther had never expressed any kind of desire to spend time with Merlin alone before.

"It's not usual for him to ask but I don't think there's any particular reason for it. He might just want to get to know his newest ward better." He waggled his eyebrows playfully which made Merlin giggle. "Or maybe he wants an excuse to spend the afternoon with Katrina. What do you think?"

Merlin nodded – he was still feeling brave. I want to visit her too.

Arthur looked happy. "I'll tell him. Since you promised Arien that you would see him tomorrow, I'll tell father to come by in the afternoon."

After the noon meal, Merlin excitedly made his way down to Kilgharrah. This time, he thought to use his magic to cast a glamour over himself so no one would notice him though it turned out to be a wasted effort. There were no guards at all though the door was locked.

Kilgharrah was waiting for him when he arrived. When Merlin cuddled into Kilgharrah's warmth he was startled by something very cold. He leaned over and saw that the chain on Kilgharrah's leg was still attached. Just the sight of it was enough to bring up unpleasant memories. Could I use my magic to free you? He remembered asking before, but he couldn't quite remember Kilgharrah's response.

Not directly. The chain repels all spells, and it cannot be severed by mundane tools. But it is not yet time for the right tool to exist and I do not take the responsibility of creating it lightly.

Merlin could hear the closed tone and accepted the answer without further question even though he wondered what kind of tool would be so powerful. A little part of him wondered if it would work on collars too. Does it hurt you?

No, little one. It was not designed to hurt, only to contain me. Small mercies, I suppose. They sat in silence for a bit before Kilgharrah spoke again.

The Pendragon boy said you were collared when he found you. Was that how you were contained?

Merlin froze. He didn't want to talk about it and he focused on his annoyance to ignore the panic. Can't you call him Arthur?

Arthur, then. Kilgharrah huffed but didn't seem truly annoyed. Arthur said you were collared. Can you tell me about it?

Merlin closed his eyes but that only made the memories sharper. He determinedly stared at Kilgharrah's scales instead. It was made to hurt. He tried to imitate Kilgharrah's closed tone but he was sure the dragon could sense the flutter of fear in him.

Kilgharrah nuzzled him but Merlin avoided looking at him. If you tell me about it, I will let you fly with me.

Oh! That temptation was irresistible and Merlin was drawn to Kilgharrah's gaze. Merlin's throat felt tight, but he wouldn't have to speak aloud. Kilgharrah had already proven that he would not think badly of Merlin for what Merlin revealed about his past. He hesitated a moment longer, and finally, he nodded. It was the second one. The first one made me sick.

How so?

When He put it on, it hurt a lot, and kept hurting. Like it was burning me inside. My nose, my throat. It felt like I was breathing but there was no air, except I could breathe. I don't know how to explain it. He shrugged to try to shake off the sensations he was remembering. I felt like I was going away, like when I had a fever but worse. Everything hurt.

It cut you off from your magic, Merlin.

It made me really sick. Mum kept asking me to wake up and stay with her, but I couldn't find her. She held my hand but it hurt too bad. I couldn't come back. I couldn't…

Kilgharrah let out a growl that helped ground Merlin and break the wash of memories. It was killing you. When was it removed?

When Morgause saw it, she got mad at Master. She took it off. She was the one that put the new one on.

That's the one Arthur found you in?

Uh-huh. It hurt too, but not all the time. Mostly when I tried to use magic without permission. I didn't mean to! Not always. Sometimes, my magic just came up and the collar made me hurt so bad! He hugged his knees tightly as he continued, It forced me to follow Master's rules, wouldn't let me talk out loud, or leave the castle. Sometimes, I couldn't leave a room until I had permission. Master controlled it with a ring. He could feel if I disobeyed. He could make it hurt me, too. Even when I obeyed.

Merlin took a deep breath to try to slow his racing heartbeat. The worst part was when He used it to make me use my magic.

How did he do that?

He made me hurt. Then He would touch my collar with his ring and my magic would be pulled out.

Kilgharrah tightened his embrace on Merlin. His eyes looked sorrowful as he gazed at Merlin.

Did Cenred ever take the collar off?

No. Merlin could remember trying so desperately to pull it off, begging, even trying to obey in the hope that he would be granted a reprieve. There had only been one relief – but it had been awful too. When it burned too much, He pulled out my magic – he paused to swallow nervously – until…

Until?

…I blacked out. Just once. Morgause was angry. She had to heal me and she yelled at Master not to do it again. He almost did it anyway, but Mordred interrupted him. Merlin remembered with guilt how terribly Mordred had been punished. Still, that night, Mordred's first concern had been to check on Merlin.

Kilgharrah hummed in thought for a few moments and Merlin used that time to fight back his tears.

What happened to your collar when Iseldir removed it?

He shrugged. I don't know. I think he took it away.

Can you describe the collar?

It was metal and it didn't have a lock. You couldn't open it. Morgause used magic to put it on me.

Did it have any writing?

I don't know. The questions were coming faster now, Merlin couldn't breathe between them anymore. Even as he answered, he knew he wasn't telling the truth. Mordred's collar had writing. And he remembered Master tracing something on his own collar when his mood turned. Before he could say more, Kilgharrah asked another question.

What about Cenred's ring? Did that have any writing?

Maybe. I wasn't allowed to look at it. Merlin didn't want to talk about it anymore. He gasped for air as he realized he'd been holding his breath.

I see. Kilgharrah nuzzled him again, pressing close until Merlin stopped trembling. Come, little one. It's time to fly.

Merlin eagerly rose but needed a moment to steady his legs. Kilgharrah had to help him climb up and show him where to hold on. Wasting no time, and with no warning, Kilgharrah leapt off the rock outcropping. Merlin's stomach lurched and he felt a moment of terror before he felt Kilgharrah's muscles moving underneath him and his great wings spread open to stop their fall. Laughing with relief, Merlin wanted to clap but since he didn't dare to let go, he settled for nuzzling his face against Kilgharrah's neck. He felt Kilgharrah rumble under him.

Kilgharrah maintained his glide and Merlin clung on tightly, more afraid of the immense dark than of falling. Kilgharrah probably sensed his distress because the glow from the dragon brightened until Merlin could see the edges of the cave. He was surprised to see just how large it was. Were they still beneath the castle? He asked Kilgharrah.

This cave reaches to the edge of Camelot but I cannot go that far.

Looking down, he saw that the chain was trailing behind them, disappearing into the dark. Merlin wanted to distract Kilgharrah from the thought that he was still not free. He cast about for something and remembered last night. Kilgharrah, why don't you like Morgana?

Kilgharrah didn't answer for two long wingbeats and Merlin could feel his reluctance to answer. It's complicated.

She's been nice to me. She helped me. He felt it was important for Kilgharrah to know that Morgana had been nice to him.

She will turn on you, Merlin. There are secrets that will drive her to madness.

Merlin felt great concern suddenly. Why? What secrets?

They are not for me to reveal. I should not have told you this much. What I saw, it was in another time.

Another time – could that be when Kilgharrah had expected to meet Merlin? The time where I was older?

Yes.

Then, maybe it won't happen. Merlin could remember reading about Seeing – how easily they changed with each decision as they happened. Maybe, because he was younger, everything would be different now? He suggested it to Kilgharrah.

It will happen, Merlin. Uther keeps the same secrets.

Something clicked in Merlin's mind as he desperately tried to find a reason for Morgana's sake. Do you mean that Morgana is Uther's daughter?

There was a sudden drop that made Merlin's stomach lurch and had him crying out with terror. Under him, Kilgharrah flapped his wings to stop them from crashing down and controlled their landing. His massive head twisted around to look at Merlin who was still trembling from the sudden scare.

How do you know this?

Morgana told me. But she said I shouldn't call her Arthur's sister in front of others because not everyone knows. Uther doesn't know they know. Merlin could still remember the flash of fright in her eyes the first time Merlin referred to her as Arthur's sister. He hadn't known then, had only guessed, and hadn't expected her reaction.

They… do you mean Arthur knows as well?

Merlin nodded. Kilgharrah's eyes had widened incredulously. Merlin wondered if he shouldn't have said anything. If it was a secret…

How did they find out?

Merlin shrugged. Neither Arthur nor Morgana had told him that.

And she knows about your magic?

Merlin nodded. We even took lessons together!

Kilgharrah snorted and Merlin flinched. You took lessons?

With Gaius. Well, I didn't want to at first so I meditated but Morgana was learning to control her magic. To keep it from spilling out. She can't control it like me, but she's getting better about it. Gwen said!

Kilgharrah seemed at a loss for words. Then, he suddenly rumbled with laughter. Merlin smiled but he didn't know why Kilgharrah was laughing. They took off again, and Kilgharrah said, out loud, "Only time will tell what is to come of this. I don't know what the fates have in store for us now."

Merlin didn't know what to make of that so he settled into silence. Kilgharrah flew them back to the outcropping and they spent the rest of their time in magic lessons. Merlin was so caught up in his lesson that he didn't even realize how much time had passed until he heard Arthur calling his name. Embarrassed to have forgotten the time again, Merlin apologized but Arthur wasn't cross. He bade Kilgharrah a goodnight and only just remembered to tell him he couldn't come tomorrow.

Keep in contact, little one.

The next morning, Merlin was pleasantly surprised to find that Arien had been excused from his chores to keep Merlin company. Without a task to engage them, they sat a little awkwardly until Leon approached them to suggest that Arien teach Merlin about the tournament tomorrow. Arien eagerly took up the task and tugged Merlin to the check-in table. There, they found Geoffrey hemming and hawing as he compared patents of nobility with records in a huge, dusty tome. Being used to teaching Merlin, he showed the two boys how he checked each knight's eligibility. After an hour of an impromptu lesson, Arien excused them and pulled Merlin over to the where the boards were stored. George was repainting the sword tournament board and had it propped up where they could easily see it. Arien eagerly explained how the bouts would be decided and the points tallied. He found the boards for the larger tournaments and George let them use the old, unpainted, shields to practice. Time flew past while Arien explained how scoring worked in tournaments with multiple events. With George's help, they acted out how the rankings would work for a fictional set of knights until it was time for the noon meal. Before leaving, Merlin snuck a bit of magic to make Arthur's ranking shield shine.

Uther joined Arthur and Merlin for the meal and despite having expected him, Merlin found it hard to relax. It was harder to watch Arthur leave, the sense of abandonment sharper today than any other day, even though Merlin knew he wasn't really being abandoned. Uther didn't let him dwell, however, and called for him to get his cloak.

"First, we will tour the grounds and appear in the training arena. It is part of my duties to make an appearance among the competitors," he explained. "Then, we will spend the rest of the afternoon with Katrina. Unfortunately, she won't be able to attend the feast tonight. It seems she is getting worse again." When he noted Merlin's concern, Uther patted his head gently. "I'm sure she'll get better. Gaius always finds a way to make a new, stronger medicine."

Holding tight to Uther's hand, Merlin struggled to keep up as his mind raced. He had been using his magic to make Katrina's medicines stronger. If Gaius made a new batch, they wouldn't be as strong. Guiltily, he resolved to ask Arthur to take him to Gaius tonight so Merlin could help.

Merlin was soon distracted by the bustle that greeted them as they strolled through the grounds. Everyone they met bowed deeply and greeted them formally. Or at least, they spoke to Uther formally. While the men mostly gave Merlin stern nods, the ladies liked to grab his hand and pat his head. He did his best not to hide away but he was still relieved when Uther kept them moving along.

The training area was much more crowded today and Merlin was stunned to see how many people were already filling the stands to watch the knights train and warm up. As they walked past the check-in area, he felt a glimmer of magic but he could not see past the crowd of knights around the king. He tried to slip away but Uther held his hand tightly and merely moved on. Arthur and Leon stepped in front of them.

"Good afternoon, Sire," they said in unison. "And to you, Merlin," Leon added with a friendly wink. Merlin grinned and promptly forgot about the tingle he had felt.

"How goes training? I trust all is in order." Merlin wondered how Uther could make questions sound like statements. Maybe it was a king thing.

"Of course, Sire. Only light training today, to keep the competitors light and agile," Leon answered.

Arthur grinned at Merlin, "And to work up an appetite for tonight's feast, right, Merlin?"

Uther chuckled as Merlin held his tummy worriedly. He was still full from lunch! "Too much food, Merlin? At least you're only growing upwards," he said with a raised brow at Arthur.

Everyone was stunned for a second. Then Arthur, in an outraged but respectful tone, said, "I'll have you know, Father, I'm fighting fit!"

Everyone was again stunned when Uther let out a great rumbling laugh. When Leon joined in, Merlin started to giggle and Arthur rolled his eyes indignantly. Suddenly, he dropped into a crouch beside Merlin and studied him top to bottom. Standing once more, he stood next to Merlin and placed his hand where Merlin's head met his hip. In an awed voice, he said, "You really have grown, Merlin."

Merlin's jaw dropped and Uther chuckled. "That is what children are supposed to do, Arthur. Had you not noticed?"

Arthur patted Merlin's head and moved to stand beside Leon again. "No. Well, I did notice he was getting heavier." When Merlin made an indignant croak, too startled to say a word, Leon and Uther both laughed. Arthur winked at him again and said, "I'm kidding, Merlin!" Merlin stuck his tongue out at Arthur.

Their interaction had drawn increasingly more stares from the people surrounding them and Uther suddenly assumed his stern demeanor once more. Arthur and Leon both noticed the change and stood taller. "Well, be sure to be on time for the opening banquet. There will be many guests to greet."

"Sire," Arthur and Leon said, before returning to the training group. Bohrs gave Merlin a little wave as Uther led him off.

Their stroll was relatively uneventful after that and Uther seemed to gain speed as they drew nearer to Katrina's rooms. When they knocked, Gretchen announced them to Katrina who was once again bed-bound. Merlin immediately ran forward and leaned against the bed to hold her hand.

"Merlin, dear! How are you? Uther tells me you made a new friend! Come, tell me all about him!" She was pale but cheerful as she gestured for Merlin to join her on the bed. Merlin kicked off his boots and clambered on with a helping hand from Uther. Uther settled on a chair beside the bed as Merlin cuddled happily with Katrina. Eager to make her feel better, Merlin took a deep breath and began to tell her about Arien. It was easier than he expected but he still lost his voice quickly. Luckily, Uther wasn't in a mood to push him today and took up the telling.

He was surprised to know that Katrina and Uther had known Sir Urien since childhood. As it seemed to make Katrina happy, Uther began to tell stories about their past. Merlin listened contentedly, eagerly storing away any story that mentioned Arthur's mother. She sounded so like him that Merlin wished he had known her too.

As their conversations became more pensive, Merlin pretended to give in to Katrina's caresses and fall asleep. With his eyes closed, he let his magic seep out to feed the darkening around her. It wouldn't help as much as the medicines, but Merlin was happy to be able to help at all. He knew deep down inside that she was fading but he poured his magic out desperately to try to prevent it for a while longer.

"He seems to have grown stronger and healthier, yet he always falls asleep when he is with me." Uther sounded concerned, and perhaps a little disappointed.

"My fault, probably." Merlin wanted to "wake" and deny it, but Katrina was still speaking. "I can't help but want to hold him tight in my arms but I'm sure he's not used to it. He must feel so safe that it relaxes him to sleep." She continued to stroke his hair as she said it. "I just want to give him as much of my love as I can."

Merlin felt Uther's hand on top of her hand, stilling it. "Any child would have been blessed to have you as their mother." There was a moment of silence, and he continued, "I should have remarried. Arthur would have-"

"Arthur has grown into a fine young man, Uther. He didn't need a new mother, nor you a new queen. Besides, it would not have been love that joined us, Uther. Not then and not now. If I had been meant to be married and have children, it would have happened. As it is, I am content to count on you as the best of my friends, and to spoil Merlin, with all that I have and for all the time that I have left." Her hand turned upwards and Merlin guessed that they were holding hands. "Come now, I am not sad so neither should you be sad. I have had a good life."

Merlin was sad. Katrina and Uther both knew the truth about her illness. He wondered how much time she had left; how much longer would she hold him so gently? Abruptly, he thought of his own mother, and the sadness overcame him. He turned into Katrina's side to hide his face and smother his crying.

"Oh, look at you two. Don't cry on my behalf. Please, don't cry, Merlin!" Katrina laughed calmly. "Come, let us go back to telling stories. Shall we tell Merlin about the time Arthur tried to eat the decorative wax fruit during the Yuletide feast?"

Merlin didn't stop hiding until two funny Arthur-stories later. By then, Merlin had to stop the flow of magic before it exhausted him completely. Already, he could see the change in Katrina; her cheeks held a light blush from the humorous stories and she moved animatedly as she spoke. Uther seemed to have livened up with her – all traces of grief completely hidden away. They continued talking as they had before, with Uther and Katrina reliving shared memories and sharing new ones, until Arthur came looking for Merlin. Arthur remained reserved around Katrina and seemed to feel out of place in her room. Frowning, Merlin crawled out of Katrina's bed and went to lean against Arthur. Arthur lifted him up immediately, and held him tightly when Merlin snuggled closer to better feel Arthur's warmth. "Did you miss me, Merlin?"

"Always," Merlin whispered back.

"You two boys should be getting ready for the banquet! You as well, Uther." Uther stood with a disappointed nod. Katrina made a shooing motion at him, "Go on, Uther. Pay attention so you can tell me who got sloshed and who gets slapped for their impertinence."

Uther gave a long sigh. "Sometimes I think you think all I do is watch out for gossip at these things."

Arthur, in an uncharacteristic show of open humor around Katrina, added, "Don't worry, Father. We all know it's not the only thing…" He raised his eyebrows in a pointed look at Uther.

Katrina chuckled and shooed them out even as Uther denied it. Gretchen helpfully remembered Merlin's boots and carried them out to them. As they walked, Arthur said, "She's looking better than I expected."

Uther nodded. "I think our visit energized her, especially when we told Merlin stories about you."

"What-" Uther strode off with a wink to Merlin as Arthur continued sputtering. "What stories?"

Arthur looked at Merlin and Merlin shook his head. "Oh, I see. You're not going to tell me, are you? Just you wait 'til we get back to our room. I'll tickle it out of you!"

Merlin stuck his tongue out but leaned his head onto Arthur's shoulder anyway. Arthur grunted. "I suppose I can't very well interrogate you when you're being adorable." Merlin shook his head and wrapped his arms around Arthur's neck. "Fine, fine. Enough with the cuteness. Save some for tonight's banquet. You can use it to save me from the endless train of courtiers tonight."

Merlin was trying not to stare while simultaneously trying not to hide. This was not like the feast a few days ago, despite what Arthur had said. There were far more people now, strangers to him, though Arthur seemed to recognize them and Uther addressed them all by name. One by one, the men, knights all of them, were presenting themselves to Uther and Arthur. Something inside Merlin was afraid, not because the men were threatening him (the new ones hardly spared more than a glance for him), but because he felt an unsettling sense of familiarity with the situation. Not wanting to think about it, he studied the crests on each of the new men's cloaks. Some he recognized, but most were new. Arthur had told him that this tournament was open to all knights in the kingdom, and Merlin had been surprised to realize that there were more knights beyond those who wore the Camelot red.

Understanding that only the best were given the honor of the king's crest and cloak made Merlin even more proud of his own red cloak. He pulled it tight around him.

With the temptation of freshly baked meat pies within reach, Merlin felt more than a little annoyed that there was still a line of men waiting to present themselves. He counted silently; fourteen. Forlorn, he sighed and sipped carefully from his heavy goblet. As he drank, he glanced up at the knight in front and almost choked. The man's build was familiar, sparking memories he wished to forget, but when Merlin checked his face… his face was unfamiliar but uncomfortable to look at. Something about it repelled his eyes and the longer he tried to focus on the unfamiliar features, the harder it was to get a clear view of them. His magic tingled uncertainly in a way that Merlin had never felt before. Rubbing his eyes, Merlin wavered between recognition and unfamiliarity and decided that it couldn't be. He must be imagining things, his memories overlapping with reality. Uther seemed to recognize the man's family line which meant he must be a Camelot citizen. There's no way it could be anyone from Master's kingdom.

Mouth dry, he reached for his goblet but found it empty. With another sigh, he stared at the roast chicken in front of Uther and wondered if anyone would notice if one of the potatoes suddenly rolled in his direction. Gwen suddenly stepped up beside him, offering him a small smile as she filled his goblet. As she stepped back, she dropped a small ball of goat cheese into his lap. He grinned at her gratefully and discreetly used his finger to swipe bits of it into his mouth. Arthur noticed him, but rather than scolding him, he playfully swiped a bit of Merlin's cheese.

Once the endless train for knights was past, Uther gave a (thankfully) short toast and finally, finally, the chicken was carved, the pies sliced, and the soup served out. In his excitement to dig in, Merlin accidentally swept his spoon off the table. He slipped off his chair even as Arthur told him to leave it. It was just a spoon after all! He could easily clean it on his napkin!

He'd just picked it up when he heard a loud crash and glass breaking. A chill ran down his spine as Morgana's words came to mind. He heard a horse scream and the clip-clop of horseshoes on the hall floor. Despite his bad feeling, he began to stand only to stop when Arthur pressed a hand on his shoulder. "Stay down, Merlin."

Arthur stood and drew his sword and Merlin could hear the echo of other swords drawn around the room. There was a coldness approaching, something that rubbed his magic the wrong way and raised the hair on his arms. Trying to contain his fright, Merlin crawled fully under the tablecloth and risked pulling the other side up enough to peek out as he laid flat. He could see the hooves of a full grown black warhorse approaching the table. It stopped about one horse length away and there was a brief moment of silence. Merlin flinched back as a heavy gauntlet dropped to the ground in front of him. Merlin turned back, panicked, and just saw Arthur's boot's leap upwards. He peeked out again but the hand that picked up the gauntlet was not Arthur's hand.

"I, Sir Roland, accept your challenge."

A deep, resonating voice, responded, "Single combat. Noon tomorrow. To the death."

With one last angry snort, the horse turned and Merlin glimpsed the large knight, dressed completely in black, just as the horse leapt back out the window.

There was a moment of silence before the room exploded into chatter. Uther called for the room to clear and there were men's voices clustered around the table, but Merlin tuned it out. Kilgharrah?

Kilgharrah responded instantly. I felt it, young warlock. Did you see it?

It was a knight. Dressed in black on a huge horse.

Kilgharrah was silent a moment before answering. Did you see a crest?

Merlin tried to remember if there had been a crest visible on the back of the knight. No. Merlin hesitated before elaborating. I was hiding.

Good. Until we know more, do not let it see you.

Merlin felt better about having hidden. He sent a mental picture of the knight to Kilgharrah. Kilgharrah? He made my magic feel funny.

Tell me exactly what happened.

Merlin relayed the events and, for good measure, he projected his memories as well. Why does he want to duel Sir Roland?

Kilgharrah answered after a beat. I do not think the challenge was directed at him. Think carefully, in front of whom did the gauntlet land?

Merlin almost answered with 'Arthur' but the gauntlet had landed a little off to the side. Uther?

Yes, I suspect what is happening has something to do with Uther's secrets. You must let this happen. Do not try to use your magic on him. Speak to the old one and tell me what you learn. After a moment, he added, Be careful, little one. Dark magic is at work here.

Merlin withdrew from the contact to the surprising quiet of the hall. Peeking out, he realized everyone had left. Merlin huddled under the table, hoping that Arthur would return for him.

He sat for a few minutes before remembering that he was wearing his special red cloak. He couldn't keep hiding like a scared little boy! He was wearing a knight's cloak! He took three deep breaths and pulled the tablecloth aside, ignoring how his hands shook.

With a frightened glance towards the window, Merlin ran to the doors and pushed one open. He stepped out cautiously and tiptoed down the corridor. As he rounded the corner, he cried out in terror when he ran into someone.

They cried out too.

"Merlin! Oh dear, you scared the living daylights out of me!" It was Gwen. "What are you doing here alone? Did you lose Arthur?"

Merlin gratefully accepted her hug, noticing that her hands were shaking too. He noticed the roll of blankets beside her and picked them up. Gwen smiled and tucked them under her arm, holding out her other hand to him. "I'm staying with Morgana tonight. She's upset and I didn't want to walk home past that knight all by myself. He's standing in the courtyard. I think he intends to remain there all night." She shivered. "I can walk you back to Arthur's room, if you'd like?"

Merlin nodded and took her hand. They reached the stairs just in time to hear clattering steps running towards them.

Arthur was running full tilt down the stairs, his worried expression giving way to relief when he saw the two of them at the base of the stairs.

"Gods, Merlin! I'm so sorry!" He swept Merlin into his arms and Merlin happily snuggled into his neck. "Thank you for finding him, Guinevere!"

Guinevere was watching them both with a small smile. "Not at all, Sire. Merlin found me just a minute ago."

Merlin pointed out the bundle in her arms to Arthur. "Are you staying with Morgana tonight?" When Gwen nodded, Arthur dutifully took the bundle from her. "Good, it's too late for you to walk into town alone. We will walk you to her, won't we, Merlin?"

Merlin wiggled until Arthur set him down. Taking Gwen's hand, he led the way.

When they arrived, Morgana glared at Arthur. Arthur only shrugged angrily. "He shouldn't have picked up the gauntlet. There is nothing I can do now."

Morgana scoffed. Gwen pulled Merlin aside to watch unobtrusively while Arthur and Morgana argued. Morgana wanted Arthur to stop the fight – she must be afraid for Sir Roland. Merlin felt afraid for him too. Even discounting the dark magic in the mysterious knight, Sir Roland was young, only just knighted. He fought well in Merlin's eyes, but nowhere near the level of the others.

Arthur insisted that the Knight's Code must be followed. Challenges were part and parcel to knighthood.

They argued back and forth until Morgana exclaimed, "But it's a fight to the death!"

Picking up Merlin as he turned to leave, all Arthur said was, "I know."

As they strode back to Arthur's rooms, Merlin's tummy rumbled, reminding them that the banquet had been stopped before it began. Arthur apologetically rubbed Merlin's belly and kept walking to his room. "Father told everyone to return to their quarters and has ordered that supper be brought to everyone." Merlin cocked his head, wondering why Uther would dismiss the banquet. Arthur shrugged and said, "Some of the ladies became hysterical and if there's anything he hates, it's a hysterical woman. At least we'll have some peace while we eat."

Upon arriving to their room, they found Leon standing outside. Arthur welcomed him in and they strode to the window. From here, they could see the black knight.

"Is he going to stand there until the duel?" Arthur asked in an annoyed tone.

"That seems to be what he intends." Leon shook his head. "His crest is familiar but I cannot remember why. Do you recognize it?"

Merlin tried to find a crest, to show Kilgharrah, but the darkness obscured it. "No… Maybe we saw it in battle?" Arthur backed away as they heard a knock on the door. "Enter."

The servant laid out their suppers on the table, including a place for Leon. Merlin listened as Arthur and Leon discussed Roland's skills.

"We will have to remind him to keep his elbow up. If he drops it, he won't be able to sweep back to parry."

"He has to keep on his toes. If he falls flat-footed he won't be able to keep pace."

The list went on and on until it seemed to Merlin that Roland may not survive the duel tomorrow. There were so many skills he needed to work on – and with the uncertainties of facing an unknown fighter – Merlin began to wonder why Roland had picked up the gauntlet to begin with.

His worry must have shown because Leon laid a hand on his shoulder. "Nothing is decided yet, Merlin. We cannot give him up for dead yet."

Merlin held Leon's gaze. "But… why?" Morgana's anger seemed completely justified now.

Leon turned Merlin fully towards him. "It is in the Knight's Code that we must protect our king at all costs. That means that we cannot allow him to answer a challenge with an unknown adversary if it is within our power to stop it. Even if we fall, at least then the next fighter will know more about his opponent. Roland knows this, Merlin. Even if he cannot win, he will do his best to get the challenger to reveal his fighting skills."

Merlin was not satisfied. Why couldn't someone with more skill fight the black knight? Someone with better chances of winning? He relayed as much to Arthur and he came around to stand beside them. "It is part of the Knight's Code, Merlin. Once a challenge has been accepted, that knight must answer. Only the king can intervene, but since we know nothing about this man, Uther cannot step in."

Leon added, with a pointed look at Arthur, "It is part of the burden of being king and heir." Arthur only narrowed his eyes at Leon.

Leon took his leave when the supper plates were collected. As he readied them for bed, Arthur asked, "Merlin, do you – will you…" He sighed. "You don't have to watch tomorrow, if you don't want to. I have had no time to prepare you for this kind of duel."

Merlin poured all his courage into his next words. "Already prepared." He met Arthur's eyes with confidence and so he saw the moment Arthur understood. There was sadness in his gaze now.

"I suppose you are."

They settled into bed in tense silence as Merlin wondered if he truly was prepared. Arthur tucked him in tightly and despite his soothing presence, it took a lot longer for Merlin to relax into sleep.

The next morning was no less tense. Arthur kept Merlin close but there was no time for him to comfort Merlin. As soon as breakfast was over, Arthur carried Merlin at a brisk pace to the armory where they met with the other knights, including Roland. Merlin sat quietly in a corner and watched as the others warmed up with Roland, listened as they offered advice. Unlike last night, the advice was carefully limited and delivered. Then, all too soon, the room cleared. Arthur and Leon helped Roland into his armor and finally, Arthur gestured that it was time to leave. Merlin followed him out, but when he glanced back, he was struck by the fiercely protective look on Leon's face as he laid a hand on Roland's shoulder.

The arena was louder than Merlin was prepared for. He had to fight not to hide behind Arthur, especially since he received little more than a glance from Uther when they mounted the dais with the thrones. Chewing his lip, Merlin studied the faces of the people in the immediately neighboring stands. The knights were all stoic, some even glaring at the black knight. The courtiers around them seemed to be talking quietly amongst themselves, occasionally shooting speculative looks at the two knights in the center.

The noise, almost entirely, was from the people in the larger stands and crowds. Everyone was yelling! Some were yelling taunts and insults to the black knight and some were yelling at each other. Still others were loudly calling for bets or to sell foodstuffs from the various bags and trays they carried. Merlin couldn't imagine how anyone felt hungry with the duel about to begin.

Then, suddenly, silence descended on the crowd as the bells began to toll. Arthur tapped Merlin's shoulder to draw his attention to Uther, who was now standing. He announced the rules of combat and gave the signal to start.

Roland immediately dropped into a ready stance and began to circle around the black knight. The stranger made no move other than to keep Roland in his line of sight. Roland kept circling and the crowd began shouting again, demanding action. Roland feinted but the knight still did not draw his sword. With only a quick step back, Roland attacked again. The knight finally drew his sword and parried the blow. Roland crouched to parry the expected riposte but it did not come.

What followed next were several minutes of Roland attacking and the knight increasingly responding, but never attacking. It was after Roland kept up a series of blows to drive the knight back, that Merlin had a realization. Roland was seriously outclassed. The knight was not fighting back, and appeared to give ground, but he was playing with Roland. Stunned, he looked around and, given their locked jaws and serious expressions, it seemed that the older knights were all aware. Some of the younger ones, those Roland's age, were still excitedly yelling and clapping each other excitedly.

The fight drew on until even Merlin's jaw was clenched with tension. Roland, losing his calm, began a flurry of attacks that finally seemed to off-balance his opponent. Moving like lightning, Roland struck out and landed a cutting strike on the knight's arm. So quickly that Merlin almost didn't see it, the knight finally finished the fight. He parried two blows and struck Roland in one leg, forcing him to take a step back. Before his foot ever landed, the knight disarmed him and drove his sword right through Roland's chest, armor and all.

There was a moment of dead silence as Merlin shivered. His eyes were stuck on the end of the bloody blade coming out of Roland's back, freezing his breath in his lungs, until Arthur covered his eyes.

Despite the baying in the crowd, Merlin heard the slick draw of the sword and the thump as Roland's body fell to the ground. Seconds later, he heard something metal crash to the ground. He was knocked back off the bench as Arthur lunged forward, ready to jump the barrier, and Merlin panicked – Arthur was going to take the challenge!

There was a flurry of movement about him as he fell, but not to catch him, not until Gwen rushed over from her post beside Morgana to lift him up. Merlin immediately looked to Arthur and found him looking furious, still on the dais.

"I, Sir Guillaume, accept your challenge."

In the same monotone voice as yesterday, the knight said, "Noon, tomorrow."

As the shouting in the stands began again, Uther gave a nod to two knights and left the dais. Arthur followed with a thunderous expression, and Leon and Morgana close behind. Gwen carried Merlin in the same direction, and as Merlin glanced over her shoulder, he saw Gaius leading the two knights who now carried Roland's body. Behind them followed a sobbing lady leaning on a red-eyed older woman.

When they approached the throne room, they saw Leon holding back Morgana as she tried to enter. Beyond their arguing voices, Merlin could hear Arthur and Uther arguing in the room too. As Gwen set him down and brushed him off, Merlin covered his ears and stared at the ground. Gwen tugged him off to the side and kneeled, laying her hands over his own.

After what felt like an eternity later, Uther left the throne room, ignoring Morgana and Leon as he strode off. Clenching her jaw, Morgana swiveled on her heel and stomped into the throne room.

"Don't start with me, Morgana!"

Leon took a deep breath, staring skyward, before determinedly walking into the room. As Merlin met Gwen's eyes, the shouting started up again. "And you, Leon, why did you stop me?" Arthur sounded very angry.

Looking apologetic, Gwen asked, "Do you want to go in, Merlin?"

Merlin shook his head. He didn't know what to do. He felt useless, and upset that he was relieved over Arthur being beaten to the challenge. There must be something he could do to help. Maybe Kilgharrah would know what to do?

Speak to the old one.

He wondered if Gaius could spare a moment to talk to him. Meeting Gwen's worried gaze, he gave a shrug. "Um, may I visit Gaius?"

Gwen seemed relieved that Merlin had spoken. She nodded eagerly, saying, "Of course! Do you want me to walk you over?"

Merlin shook his head, squaring his shoulders to make himself look braver. Gwen straightened his clothes and turned him in the right direction. At the door, Merlin gave her a wave before he stepped out.

He immediately felt the chill from where the knight had resumed his wait. Fighting another shiver, Merlin sprinted across the courtyard and kept running until he reached the door of Gaius' tower. He struggled to open it, and in a fit of desperation, he used his magic to help him. He took the stairs slowly, trying to catch his breath so he would not be subjected to a worried examination. As the top of the stairs, Merlin held still until his heart settled, and that was why he noticed the muffled voices coming from inside Gaius' chambers. Feeling guilty, Merlin prepared to leave, until Uther raised his voice.

"That knight cannot possibly be Tristan, Gaius!"

Merlin froze. They knew the identity of the knight?

"I confirmed it with Geoffrey, Sire. He bears the crest of the house of Du Bois."

There was a beat of silence. "You must be mistaken. It's impossible. Dead men do not come back."

"I showed the crest to Guillaume. He is sure that is the crest."

The room fell silent and Merlin forced himself to move. He backed down the stairs but did not leave yet as he processed what he had heard. Who was Tristan and how did Uther know he was dead? If both Gaius and Uther were right, Merlin knew they were in deep trouble. While he had never been forced to practice necromantic magic, he knew it was real, and very, very advanced. That meant there was a powerful sorcerer behind this, and their motivations, Merlin could not even begin to guess.

Merlin started to feel overwhelmed and quite suddenly, he wished Arthur was here. He slipped outside, intent on getting to Arthur, and was hit by an idea to get a close look at the knight's crest. Kilgharrah had asked him about it, and Merlin had yet to update him. Everything in him rebelled against the idea of getting close to the knight so he stood there and studied the figure. Maybe he could edge around the courtyard and get a clear view of the knight's crest?

The courtyard was mostly empty as no one wanted to go near the mysterious figure. He could walk around the outlying buildings where most people preferred to walk, and sneak a peek between buildings. As he studied some of the dark alley ways, his magic crawled again, rejecting the idea. He chose instead to slowly walk around behind the knight. There was a cart left abandoned near the knight's back and Merlin decided to use that as cover. He inched his way over, hoping desperately that the knight would not look toward him. Once he got to the cart, he had to catch his breath and gather his courage. Leaning out slowly, he studied the crest on the tattered knight's cloak. He memorized it easily enough but his attention was drawn to the ragged cloth and then to the man's unnatural stillness. Not an inch of skin was visible, but Merlin was suddenly certain that it would be decomposing. The chill, the stillness, and the smell he could now discern… This man was dead. His heart sank.

"You should not be out here alone."

Merlin's heart stopped and he turned in fright, half-expecting another undead presence. But the man standing behind him was alive. Merlin gulped and tried to gain control over his shaking body.

"Where do you live, boy? I'll escort you home."

Merlin's throat was still tight so instead of answering, he studied the newcomer. Falling back on his habit of avoiding faces, he studied the man's clothing and realized this was one of the knights in the tournament. That must be why he recognized him! His voice did sound a little familiar… As he chanced a glance up, an uneasy feeling crept up at the back of his mind as he studied an unfamiliar face that still somehow drew recognition. He sensed magic in the air.

"Merlin!"

Both of their attentions were drawn to Leon as he approached them. Merlin edged out from between the cart and the knight to go to Leon who immediately picked him up. "Is everything all right?" Leon carefully looked him over before giving the newcomer a pointed look.

The stranger straightened and cleared his expression. "Sir Leon! I found this little one lost and alone. I offered to escort him home but he would not speak."

Leon faced the stranger head on and placed a hand on Merlin's back. "Merlin is not lost, but thank you for your offer, Sir…" He looked the stranger up and down.

"Val-" the stranger began before cutting himself off. Merlin wondered if he had something stuck in his throat.

"Val?" Leon asked, his eyes steeling over. "I don't remember seeing your name on the roster."

"Valerian. Mine is the shield with the snakes."

Leon nodded. "Ah, yes. This is your first time competing, isn't it?" There was an edge to his voice still.

Valerian stood taller and said stiffly, "Don't worry. I know my way around a sword." He left and they were left alone, staring at the black-clad knight who had not so much as glanced their way. Merlin wondered why he'd become upset.

Leon strode to the castle entrance and set Merlin down gently before crouching before him. "That man is… strange. Did he do or say anything to you, Merlin?"

Merlin was glad that Leon's instincts confirmed his own. "He asked where I lived," he whispered.

"Did you tell him?"

Merlin shook his head. "You came then."

Leon didn't seem as relieved as Merlin expected. "Do you recognize him, Merlin? Not just from Camelot, but maybe from, well, from before you came to Camelot?"

A chill ran down his spine as he traced back along his memories. The man's face was not familiar – and Merlin had not been allowed to look at people's faces – but there had been that feeling… and the magic… No, he decided the magic must have been related to the knight. He hesitantly shook his head but Leon looked into his eyes and asked, "What is it?"

Merlin wondered how Leon could read him so easily. "Er, um, not his face but, um, like a feeling?"

Leon studied him a moment longer before standing and taking his hand. "I will keep an eye on him but let me know if he approaches you again. He seemed a little too interested in you and where you lived."

Merlin nodded and followed along as Leon led him, presumably to Arthur's room. They walked quietly for a while. "Guinevere said you went to visit Gaius."

Merlin stopped in his tracks and tugged Leon to kneel again. "Um, um, Du Bois."

Leon stared at him curiously and Merlin continued, "T-tristan Du Bois."

Leon's eyes widened instantly. Looking around, he picked up Merlin and abruptly changed course to his own rooms. Merlin held on tightly, frightened by the change in Leon's demeanor. Once inside, Leon bolted his door and carried Merlin to the table. As gentle as always, he set Merlin on the table, gesturing for him to sit on the edge while he pulled his chair in close.

"Where did you hear that name?"

Merlin bit his lip guiltily and ducked his head. How could he admit that he had eavesdropped?

Leon pulled up his chin and said carefully, "You are not wrong, I don't think, and not in any trouble. Just tell me what you know. This is important, Merlin." Leon held his hand.

Merlin fidgeted. "Overheard them. Uther and Gaius." He gripped Leon's hand tighter and added, "They said he was d-d-d-dead." He hated how his tongue got stuck, hated that it revealed how scared he was.

Leon sighed. "He is. It's impossible, but that is the crest of the house of Du Bois." Merlin thought back to the tattered crest. He had not seen it before but Geoffrey had only begun to introduce him to the noble family lines in Camelot.

"Who is Tristan?"

Leon began pacing around the table in silence. After a long minute, he braced himself on his chair. "He is the brother of Ygraine Du Bois, Arthur's mother."

Merlin froze. That mysterious knight was Arthur's uncle? Wouldn't have Arthur recognized him?

Merlin.

Merlin jumped. Leon was still lost in thought so Merlin answered. Kilgharrah, it's Tristan Du Bois. He's the black knight!

He felt the dragon laugh, but not a happy laugh. It was a mean laugh. Merlin projected his feelings but Kilgharrah ignored him. Merlin wondered if he would one day laugh at Master's misfortunes as easily, or as happily, as Kilgharrah laughed at Uther's troubles.

Kilgharrah eventually stopped laughing. This is unquestionably an attack on Uther. His mood suddenly became serious as he said, And so, some things shall still come to pass. Is this the whim of destiny or is there a driving force? Does it matter, now, what choices he makes or what role I play?

Merlin didn't know what to make of Kilgharrah's last statements, so he brought his attention back to the matter at hand. Why? How? He isn't fighting Uth- Merlin abruptly remembered Leon's words from last night. The challenges had all been addressed at Uther, and it was his knights that would answer, at least until Uther accepted the challenge. How many more knights would be killed until then?

Kilgharrah sensed his comprehension but answered his other question. Tristan blamed Uther for Ygraine's death and challenged him to a duel. Uther didn't even try to reason with him; he answered the challenge and killed Tristan. With his dying breath, Tristan cursed Camelot to one day suffer his return.

Merlin's mind and heart raced again. Then it was true that the knight was now undead. Then that means someone used magic to bring him back. He is a wraith.

Kilgharrah projected surprise at Merlin's conclusions. Before he could ask, Merlin sent him the memory of the scroll he had been forced to study; a scroll on necromancy.

Ah. Kilgharrah hesitated. Then you know that there is nothing left of the man but his hate for Uther. He will not stop until he kills Uther.

Maybe I-

No, little one! You must not use your magic on him. I think we both know who is responsible for creating Tristan's wraith. They must not be alerted to your location. Stay away from him, and out of his line of sight.

Kilgharrah waited until Merlin agreed before withdrawing. Merlin realized with a start that Leon was standing in front of him, looking concerned and holding a small towel. When he saw that Merlin was paying attention, he gently wiped Merlin's face of the tears he had not noticed.

"Did you have a flashback?"

Merlin shook his head. "Kilgharrah."

Raising a brow, Leon asked, "The dragon? What about him?"

"Talking. He told me how Tristan died. Um, um, Leon?" Merlin didn't think he had ever addressed Leon by his name – should he have said Sir Leon?

Leon only nodded, "What is it?"

"Wraith. He's a wraith. Sent to k-k-kill Uther."

"By whom?"

Merlin shrugged but his breath hitched. He did not dare say what he thought. If Morgause sent the wraith, then she could come to Camelot. Come to Camelot and take him.

"Merlin, if you know, you can tell me."

Merlin shook his head and Leon sighed. He pulled Merlin into a hug and held him until Merlin stopped hiccupping. "Merlin, we can't tell Arthur."

Merlin drew back in surprise. "Why not?"

"He knows that Tristan is dead, but not how he died. And until we know how to defeat him – the wraith, I mean, we shouldn't involve Arthur. He already feels responsible for answering the challenge –" Merlin remembered how Arthur had lunged for the gauntlet, " – and if he finds out the knight's identity, he might do something reckless. He's always blamed himself for his mother's death and he will think that Tristan wants revenge on him." Leon considered Merlin for a moment. "You don't know how to defeat him, do you?"

Merlin meekly whispered, "Magic."

"A spell? Do you know it?"

Merlin felt guilty for the slight edge of hope in Leon's tone. He shook his head and shrugged. He wasn't sure even magic could stop a wraith, but there had to be a way!

"Then, we must not say anything. I will talk to Gaius."

Merlin shook his head but Leon was quick to reassure him, "Don't worry. He won't know we talked. I know enough of the history to have formed my own conclusions." He paused, and said, "I should have recognized his coat of arms."

The bells rang the hour and Leon started. "We should go. I was meant to bring you to Arthur's room to ready you for the funeral. Come!" Swiftly, he propped Merlin on his hip and they left the room.

The next morning, Merlin had only to look at Leon's grim face to know that Gaius had not been able to give him a solution either. He sat next to Morgana, feeling sick as he watched Sir Guillaume face off with the knight, Sir Tristan. The fight progressed as slowly as the day before. Guillaume tested Tristan's responses and it soon became clear that Tristan only responded to serious attacks. The pace quickened then, until the two were clashing in longer intervals, only to break apart for brief respites. As Guillaume landed more hits on Tristan's armor, Tristan began to push harder.

Merlin began to feel a bit hopeful as he realized that unlike Roland, Guillaume was a skilled fighter. The longer the duel dragged on, the more Merlin began to believe that Guillaume might win. Then, in a flurry of parries and ripostes, Merlin saw it.

Guillaume was able to land an angled thrust up into Tristan's chest. As quickly as it happened, Guillaume withdrew and stepped back. As Arthur and Leon began to yell for Guillaume to keep pressuring Tristan, Merlin realized that they might not have seen the fatal blow – their view would have been blocked by Guillaume's body. In fact, Tristan himself seemed not to have felt it.

With growing dread, Merlin watched as Tristan straightened and whirled his sword in a renewed challenge. It was true then, Tristan could not be killed by mortal weapons.

There was one final clash, with Tristan's sword moving impossibly fast, longer than any of the previous engagements. Guillaume was forced on the defensive and pushed back until his back was against the flimsy wall of one of the stands. Without hesitation, Tristan impaled Guillaume, his sword piercing even through the barrier and causing the audience to jump back in panic.

After holding a moment, Tristan withdrew his sword, sheathed it, and turned to face the royal party. Before Merlin ever had a chance to even look at Arthur, he saw him move and something flew through his field of vision. He barely noticed Leon reaching to hold Arthur back. Merlin's stomach dropped as he looked back.

Arthur had thrown Uther's golden gauntlet down in front of Tristan. Time slowed for Merlin.

Uther had already risen angrily, his mouth open to voice an objection, but Arthur spoke first. He shrugged off Leon's hand.

"I, Arthur Pendragon, challenge you." The crowd cheered around them.

Tristan stood calmly and answered, "So be it."

Through his despair, Merlin could have sworn there was a golden glow around Arthur as he replied, "Single combat. Noon. Tomorrow."

The crowd cheered loudly in support of Arthur, but Merlin heard only the roar in his ears. Uther swung his arm around Arthur and pulled him away, the rest of the party following. Once again, Gwen hung back to accompany Merlin. They heard Uther and Arthur's arguing even before reaching the council chambers. Leon, Morgana, and Gwen respectfully remained outside, and, feeling afraid, Merlin stayed with them but peeked inside.

"How could you be so stupid? I will revoke the challenge."

Arthur stood calm, almost like Tristan, in the face of his father's wrath. "No. The Knight's Code must be upheld. That's what you taught me."

Uther paced angrily. "This is different, Arthur!"

"Once the challenge has been laid down, it cannot be rescinded."

Merlin jumped as Uther slammed his fist on the table. "You are the Prince. My sole heir!"

Arthur shrugged. "There cannot be one rule for me and one for all the rest."

"I forbid you to fight." Uther stopped directly in front of Arthur.

Arthur didn't move as he said, "You want me to prove that I'm worthy of the throne. I cannot do that by being a coward."

Uther placed a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "No, Arthur, this will be your death!"

Arthur shrugged his hand off and took a step back. "I'm sorry you have so little faith in me, Father."

Arthur walked right past them without even a glance. Morgana and Leon both called after him and followed, Gwen right behind them.

Merlin hung back, torn between being close to Arthur and feeling afraid for him. As he stood there, he heard voices in the council room once again. "You cannot allow Arthur to fight. No weapon forged by man can kill a wraith." Merlin was crushed to hear this confirmed. "It will stop at nothing until it has accomplished what it came for. Arthur cannot win, he will die."

Uther's voice was softer now, despairing. "He will not listen to me."

Gaius continued in his persuasive tone, "They you must tell him who the knight is." Merlin privately agreed.

"No," Uther said flatly.

"You cannot hide the truth forever."

"I am the King. You will not tell me what I can and cannot do," Uther stubbornly insisted.

"That is your choice, Sire. You tell him, or let him go to his death."

"No one but you or I will ever know the secret of Arthur's birth." Merlin braced himself on the wall, wondering what secret could be worth the price of Arthur's life. As he thought through what he knew, the men continued talking. Merlin shook himself in time to hear, "You made an oath. I warn you not to break it."

"Very well, Sire." Gaius sounded resigned.

"Leave me."

Merlin was caught off guard as Gaius exited through the main doors. Gaius raised his brow at him and Merlin ducked his head, ashamed.

Gaius took his hand and led him to his chambers. Once inside, Gaius asked, "How much did you hear, Merlin?"

Merlin, fighting back tears, said, "Most of it." Hesitating, he added, "And yesterday too."

Gaius sighed. "I cannot condone eavesdropping, Merlin, but in this case, I think it's better if we focus on helping Arthur." He studied Merlin for a moment before asking, "Do you know about wraiths?"

Merlin nodded. Then, feeling his chest bursting with worry, he blurted, "Arthur can't fight Tristan! He'll die!"

Gaius' eyebrow rose again and Merlin fought to calm himself. "We cannot stop the fight." Merlin felt breathless with despair but Gaius tipped his head up. "But perhaps we can help Arthur another way. I need you to talk to Kilgharrah. I will cover for you during the funeral and tell Arthur you are here in my chambers. Can you do that?"

Merlin nodded. Maybe Kilgharrah would know how to help Arthur! He started running off but Gaius held on to him. He made Merlin drink a tonic for his runny nose and had him eat a piece of bread and cheese. Only then was he allowed to run off.

Merlin skirted around the growing crowd in the courtyard. He was glad for an excuse to miss another funeral – he had cried all during Roland's funeral. Since all the other knights had stayed dry-eyed, Merlin felt a little ashamed for it, especially since he gladly hid against Arthur when Arthur picked him up as the funeral pyre was lit.

He snuck down to the entrance of Kilgharrah's cave, snuck past the sleeping guard (his coughing sounded bad!), and called out to the great dragon as he descended the long stairway. Kilgharrah met him on his outcropping.

I know why you are here.

Merlin met Kilgharrah's serious stare. I need to destroy the wraith.

Oh, little one! To hear you so callously speak of destruction. Kilgharrah shook his great head. So, what do you ask of me?

Merlin wrung his hands together. If Kilgharrah already knew what Merlin wanted, why couldn't he answer already? Is there a way to defeat the wraith? A spell?

Kilgharrah sighed. If the wraith takes his vengeance, it will die without my aid.

But Arthur has challenged it! If Arthur fights it, he will die! I need to help him!

You do not know what you are asking.

Merlin desperately shook his head. I can't let him die. This was more than a duty to the prophecy, this was a responsibility to his savior, his friend. Please. Tell me the spell?

It is not a spell, young warlock. What you need is a weapon of great power for Arthur to wield in his duel.

Merlin sagged. How would he find such a weapon in time?

A weapon forged with my assistance will have great power. In the wrong hands, this sword could do great evil.

Merlin looked up hopefully at Kilgharrah. Could this be the weapon that would free him?

If I do this, it must be wielded by Arthur and him alone. You must promise this. Kilgharrah's eyes glowed with the weight of what he asked.

Merlin accepted the responsibility easily, if it meant Arthur would live. I promise.

Kilgharrah straightened and said, "Find the finest, strongest blade you can and bring it back here."

Merlin nodded and ran back across the bridge. Before ascending, he turned back to Kilgharrah and bowed. Thank you.

Upstairs, Merlin decided to find Leon. If anyone would know about a fine, strong sword, it would be him. Not knowing where to start, he headed to Arthur's room. The door was open, and neither Arthur nor Morgana saw him come in.

"I don't want you to fight tomorrow."

"You're worried about me?"

"I don't know what it is. Please, I'm begging you." Morgana sounded truly worried.

Arthur hesitated, "Have you Seen something?"

"Only more noise."

Arthur sighed. "I have to do this. It's my duty."

Morgana sat beside him and took his hand. "I understand."

Merlin wanted to yell that he did not understand. He wanted to tell Arthur what he knew, wanted Arthur to promise not to fight. But the moment was not his and he backed out of the room instead, leaving the two siblings together.

He headed to Leon's rooms and found him just about to enter. "Leon!"

Merlin ran up to him. Leon crouched down. "Merlin?"

"I need your help, please. I need a sword."

Leon's brows furrowed as he studied Merlin. "Why do you need a sword?"

Merlin shook his head. "Not for me. Arthur!" He leaned in to whisper in Leon's ear. "Kilgharrah asked for a sword so that Arthur can defeat Tristan. The finest, strongest blade, he said."

Leon still seemed a little confused but nodded. "We need Guinevere. Come." He lifted Merlin into his arms and strode toward Morgana's rooms.

They searched all over the castle but could not find her. Finally, Leon decided she might have gone home while it was still daylight. They walked out into town. Normally, Merlin would have loved to look around, but now he was on a mission and he was glad that Leon walked quickly. Finally, Leon stopped outside a small home beside a smithy. Gwen answered the door.

"Guinevere, I'm sorry to bother you here but we need your help," Leon said without delay.

Gwen let them in and hurriedly closed the door. "What do you need? I will help any way I can. I mean, not anything. Obviously, not anything." She blushed. "What is it you need?"

"We need a sword for Arthur," Leon answered.

Merlin rushed to add, "The best and strongest, blade!"

Gwen hesitated. "I don't think it will help. Guillaume landed a hit, I saw it, but the knight still lives."

Leon looked surprised, doubly when Merlin nodded. "I saw it too."

Leon shook his head, "I can't believe I missed such a blow."

Merlin thought back to the moment. Leon and Arthur had been at the wrong angle, and he said as much.

Leon shrugged. "Gwen, even then, it wouldn't have stopped the knight. It's already dead."

Gwen paled. Looking at Merlin, she asked, "Is it magic?"

Merlin nodded and added, "Bad magic."

"How would a sword help if the thing is already dead?" Gwen asked, sounding even more anxious.

Merlin stood a little taller, confident in Kilgharrah's ability to help. "Kilgharrah. He's going to do something to it. I think." He wiggled his fingers like Arthur always did when he talked about Merlin's magic.

Gwen nodded her understanding and a beat later, walked to her bed. "My father always saved this one. He always said it was the best sword he ever made."

She pulled a wrapped sword from under her bed. Leon took it and carefully unwrapped it. "It's perfect," he said in an awed tone.

"He would have killed me if he knew I was taking it."

Leon laid a hand on her shoulder. "He would understand. He always had great respect for Arthur."

Leon rewrapped the sword. "Were you going to stay here tonight?"

Gwen clapped her hands and rushed about the room. "No! I only meant to come for some of my things. I don't like walking past that knight, much less now that I know he's dead!"

Leon lifted Merlin onto his lap and sat at the table. "We will walk you back. In the meantime, Merlin, tell me more about what you know."

After walking back with Gwen, Leon escorted Merlin to Kilgharrah's cave. The guard was still there, still asleep and still coughing. They snuck past him to the cave where Kilgharrah was waiting.

"Sir Leon, knight of legend, known for his extraordinary loyalty. We finally meet."

Leon seemed stunned by Kilgharrah's words but Merlin was flooded with pride – he knew Leon was special! Leon bowed and said, "Greetings, great dragon."

Kilgharrah merely hummed. Merlin wiggled out of Leon's hold and took the sword from him. It was very heavy! We have the sword. Will this one do?

Kilgharrah raised the bridge for Merlin to come closer. Merlin struggled to hold his unwieldy load while he crossed the narrow bridge. He was sure that if he fell, Kilgharrah would catch him, but he would rather not test his theory right now. He rested the point on the ground and tilted it up for Kilgharrah to view. After studying the sword, he said Yes, little one. Now hold it up high and do not be afraid.

Merlin held the sword up as high as he could, ignoring the shaking in his arms. Suddenly, Kilgharrah blew fire at him – no, not at him but at the sword. Squinting past the fierce light, Merlin watched as the sword glowed a rainbow of colors and felt a lightening in his arms. As quickly as it began, it was over, and Merlin was left holding a faintly glowing sword, the glow concentrating in little whirls on the flat of the blade. It was beautiful to behold! He lowered it to the ground for a moment and looked up expectantly at Kilgharrah.

That is all, young one. Remember your promise.

Merlin solemnly nodded and swung the sword up to rest on his shoulder while he rejoined Leon. Leon helpfully took the sword back, his eyes shining as he studied the sword. Merlin kept watching him until Leon nodded.

"Thank you, Great Dragon. We are in your debt."

Kilgharrah only nodded before flying away, the thundering beat of his wings slowly fading away.

On their way up, a frazzled servant told Leon that he had been summoned. Leon carried Merlin to Arthur's chambers before following the servant away. Merlin hid the sword under the bed to give to Arthur later and left to go tell Gaius about everything. He sprinted through the dark courtyard, always aware of Tristan's presence.

Once again, it seemed like Merlin had arrived when Uther and Gaius were in conference. He realized that since he used his magic to open the door to Gaius tower, he had not realized the doors had been locked. As he listened, he decided they must have been talking for some time.

"…You will be the only person left who knows the truth about Arthur' birth. I want you to swear to me that you will keep your oath," Uther was saying. Merlin wondered again what the secret could be.

"I will take it to my grave," Gaius said gravely.

"You have always been a good friend, despite my temper."

"I always thought that would be the death of you."

Merlin drew away, recognizing that the conversation was becoming more personal. Then, he heard Uther ask for one more favor. As he listened, Merlin's stomach dropped.

This changed everything.

Merlin escaped down the stairs and stood at the tower door, watching Tristan. He had a chance to stop this, before it became more complicated. There was no one around. He made sure the doors behind him were locked and ran into one of the alleys he had noticed yesterday.

Peeking around the wall, he whispered a spell he remembered from before. Fire erupted around Tristan, surrounding him. Tristan seemed unconcerned by the flames that gradually consumed him in a lively blaze. Merlin watched for several minutes before extinguishing the fire.

To his shock, Tristan still stood, as though untouched.

A chilling presence approached Merlin from behind, making his magic crawl. The feeling was familiar but unpleasant to say the least. Merlin turned, and nearly died of fright, to find another wraith standing behind him. It held a great sword out and Merlin was staring at the tip of it. He shook with fright, frozen where he stood.

He heard footsteps in the courtyard but didn't move. The second wraith did nothing. Merlin continued to stare at the tip of the sword.

Voices sounded in the courtyard, speaking apprehensively about walking past that strange knight. Merlin took a breath and bolted in their direction. He came upon a group of servants about to leave the keep and, still afraid, ran right past them into the castle.

"Merlin?"

Merlin was too tired to jump again but there was no reason to be afraid. Gaius and Uther were standing in the entryway, watching him curiously. Merlin did his best to straighten up.

Uther took his hand and led him forward. "There's no need to be afraid, Merlin. Come, we were just about to wish Arthur good night."

No, you weren't, Merlin thought, but obediently followed. Now he wouldn't have a chance to warn Arthur!

Arthur was staring steadily into the fire when they arrived. Merlin pulled free of Uther and went to him, intending to warn him.

Arthur lifted him up. "I'm sorry to have left you on your own all day, Merlin." Merlin hugged him to let him know that he wasn't upset. Arthur turned to Uther. "Have you come to order me around some more?"

Uther managed to look apologetic. "You are my only son, Arthur. I would be remiss to let you fight without some complaint." After a moment of silence, he said, "I came to wish you a good night. I know you will make me proud."

Gaius stepped forward. "I've brought you something that might help you to sleep."

Merlin couldn't stop himself from tensing up, but Arthur waved Gaius away. "I'm fine. I don't need it."

Gaius poured the vial into a goblet anyway. "Here. It will relax you, take the edge off your nerves. Both of you." He pointedly looked at Merlin and that seemed enough to persuade Arthur.

Arthur let Merlin take the first drink and Merlin pretended to take a gulp as his mind raced. Should he warn Arthur? How could he, with Gaius and Uther in the room? He pulled a face, knowing the tonic would taste horrible.

Arthur chuckled and quickly gulped down the rest. "Ugh. I wouldn't drink it for pleasure."

Uther guided Arthur to the bed while Gaius carried Merlin over. Arthur was still talking. "Mind you, if you forget about the taste, the after-effect is quite pleasurable."

Merlin let himself go limp as Gaius tucked him in. Uther was helping Arthur lie down. "Just lie back. Rest, my son."

Merlin felt them standing over them for a while before they left. He heard the key turn in the door.

He rolled over and looked at Arthur. If he let this happen, Uther would die but Arthur would live. Was Arthur ready to be king? He had told Lancelot that he wasn't ready.

Stomach churning, Merlin lay awake, wondering what to do. Kilgharrah?

Yes, young Merlin.

Merlin told him about the second wraith. He had recognized the crest, but was confused to see it.

That is Morgana's father.

Merlin frowned. Uther is her father.

Uther and Vivienne conceived the witch, but Vivienne was married to Gorlois at the time. Uther sent him to battle but reneged on his promise to send reinforcements. Gorlois and his men were slaughtered.

Merlin felt more disappointed than ever before. Uther had done many bad things.

Sensing his feelings, Kilgharrah agreed. Merlin told Kilgharrah about Uther and Gaius' plan.

Fine. Let it happen.

Merlin protested. But he'll die!

That is not my concern, nor yours. When Merlin didn't immediately agree, Kilgharrah's voice became stern. You made a promise, young warlock. He withdrew.

Merlin was left feeling sick and powerless. He lay awake until morning, hoping Leon or Morgana would come. Surely, they would know what to do!

Merlin guessed that when no one came to Arthur's door in the morning, that Uther must have placed guards to keep them away. Merlin paced about the room, trying to decide what to do. All too soon, it was noon and Merlin heard the roar of the crowd. Uther must have entered the arena.

He pulled a chair to the window and threw it open to watch. As expected, Uther and Tristan were facing off, circling slowly. In a flash, Tristan initiated an attack that Uther deflected easily. Merlin was relieved to see that Uther was an experienced fighter, but he knew it would not save him. As the clashing continued, Merlin's attention was drawn to a figure moving through the crowd. One pass with his magic and Merlin knew it was Gorlois. He watched in horror as Gorlois made it to the front of the crowd and leapt over the barrier. As soon as he engaged Uther, a shield surrounded the arena.

Merlin couldn't let it end like this.

He ran to Arthur's side and slapped his hand down on Arthur's forehead with a single command. Wake!

Arthur's eyes snapped open and in a moment, he took in the light in the room. "What the- Merlin?" The clashing outside renewed and Arthur's eyes widened. He looked at Merlin. "They drugged us?"

Growling a curse, Arthur leapt out of bed and ran to the door. Arthur, wait!

Arthur continued to yank on the doors, angry to find them locked. "There's no time!"

Merlin ran to him and grabbed onto his hand. He let his magic flow out and time stilled.

Arthur blinked in the sudden silence. "What did you do?"

"Time." Merlin answered. He ran to the bed and crawled under until he reached the sword. He struggled to pull it out on his own and gave up on the idea of carrying it to Arthur. He unwrapped it on the spot.

Arthur, still looking a little wild-eyed, approached slowly. Upon seeing the sword, his tension faded as he studied it carefully. Merlin pushed it closer, It's for you. Kilgharrah said only you can use it.

"For me?" he said as he hefted it up. Merlin saw the faint glow pulse as Arthur whirled it about, testing the balance. "It's perfect. Just perfect," Arthur practically purred. "These markings, I can read them. Take me up. Cast me away." He traced the lettering silently.

Merlin felt time snap away from him and the sudden noise snapped Arthur back into the moment. "We have to go!" He lifted Merlin up and ran to the door. Merlin used his magic to open them wide, knocking the guards aside from the force of their swing. It gave them the chance to run out and down to the courtyard. Arthur dropped Merlin at the edge of the crowd to push through but Merlin was pushed back. He tried to crawl between legs and shove between people but he was too small. He desperately hit at whatever he could reach.

Strong arms lifted him up and pushed through. Merlin was surprised to find Morgana holding him, but grateful that she was able to quickly push through.

Uther was barely holding off the two attackers and Merlin was dismayed to see blood dripping down his left arm. Arthur was hacking away at the shield, like many other knights, but could not get through. Merlin, too anxious for words, pointed ahead. Morgana seemed to understand and brought him close, at the same time covering his face.

Merlin shoved with his magic until they popped through, Arthur practically falling in. He used the momentum to give speed to his attack and engaged Gorlois as he prepared to attack Uther from behind. The shield reformed behind them, sealing Morgana and Merlin in with the fighters. Merlin looked at the now panicked knights fighting to get in for only a moment before focusing on the duels.

Now, the fight seemed even. Even hurt, Uther was capable of holding off Tristan and Arthur was keeping Gorlois fully engaged. They fought determinedly, switching between opponents and eventually moving to fight back to back.

Morgana set Merlin down but they kept back, watching. It seemed endless… until Uther managed to knock off Tristan's helmet to reveal his mummified face. The sight seemed to stun Uther and the moment of hesitation cost him. Tristan knocked away his sword and lunged.

Arthur pushed his father out of the way and knocked away Tristan's sword. Gorlois closed in and Merlin squeaked as he realized Arthur hadn't had a chance to put on armor. Arthur turned back just in time to fend off Gorlois and Merlin hid his face in Morgana's skirts to place an armoring spell over Arthur. As he watched, Arthur disarmed Gorlois who stepped in close to prevent Arthur from using his sword effectively.

Tristan, unfazed by losing his weapon, leapt on top of Uther and the two rolled around. Gorlois pushed Arthur back into them and he tripped. Gorlois knocked Arthur's sword away with a gauntleted fist and, still turning with the attack, hit Arthur on the head with his closed fist. Stunned, Arthur fell to the ground. Gorlois turned, picked up Tristan's long sword and walked to where Tristan had Uther pinned down on the ground.

Yelling fiercely, Morgana ran forward and picked up Uther's sword. She intercepted Gorlois' blow and, to Merlin's amazement, fought him back. Uther managed to roll Tristan, but could not get away and was rolled over again. Merlin used his magic to help him, making Tristan's rolls unbalanced and giving Uther a chance to catch his breath.

Morgana's yell caught his attention. Her sword had been knocked away but she refused to let Gorlois past her. He lifted her up by her throat and held his sword up but was knocked off balance from behind as Arthur charged him. Morgana wiggled until she could bite down on the man's wrist and force him to drop the sword.

Arthur and Gorlois fought again, this time without weapons. Morgana had jumped onto Tristan's back to let Uther get on his feet. And Merlin –

Merlin was just standing there! What kind of help was he? Looking around, he tried to figure out how to help, but it was Leon that gave him direction. "The sword!" he was yelling through the shield.

Merlin sprinted forward, dodging between the fights, towards the sword. He almost made it but as he came close, Uther was knocked into him. Merlin wriggled out from under him and watched in horror as Tristan swung his fist at Morgana. Arthur gave a yell as he turned away from Gorlois to lock Tristan in a neck hold. Gorlois didn't hesitate and jumped on Uther, trying to strangle him. Merlin, swept up in the need to help, jumped on top of Gorlois and yanked off his helm. He wrapped his arms around and used his fingers to dig into the wraith's eyes. His stomach turned as his fingers sank into decomposing flesh.

He should have realized that it wouldn't work, what with him being dead, but Merlin didn't have time to think. Even if it didn't hurt Gorlois, it was enough to draw his attention away from Uther and push Merlin off. Merlin, still caught up in the rush of the fight, held tight to the man's arm and bit down on his hand. Gorlois shook him off forcefully, sending Merlin crashing into the barrier, but also landing him close to the sword.

Grabbing onto the blade, Merlin yelled out with all his breath, "Arthur!" as he threw the blade to him, adding magic to make it fly true. He couldn't stop to look at Arthur because now Gorlois had hit Morgana while she tried to prevent him from reaching a gasping Uther. Gorlois bent to pick up a sword and stepped toward Uther.

With another yell, Merlin ran forward, crashing into Gorlois' leg, and biting down again. Gorlois swung straight down to hit Merlin with the hilt of his sword. Merlin fell to the ground, hurting, and tried to crawl to Morgana who was holding her hands out to him, screaming his name. A kick sent him flying and he landed, stunned, on his back. Gasping, he rolled over, afraid of what he would see.

Gorlois was holding his blade up, ready to impale Uther.

No. Merlin thought. The need to save Uther warred with the need to hide his magic.

And then Gorlois was impaled from behind. Merlin just had time to see the glowing sword tip emerge before the wraith imploded, revealing Arthur behind him.

Steely eyes had watched the whole of the fight. They narrowed as the group was revealed clearly – the shield broken. He backed away, letting himself be swallowed by the crowd. He had a meeting to attend to.

Silence enveloped them as they all caught their breath. Then, with a faint tinkle, the shield broke and the roar of the cheering crowd crashed over them. The knights that had been struggling with the shield fell forward and caught themselves. Several rushed forwards to help them. Leon helped Morgana up while Percival gently lifted Merlin onto his feet. Arthur helped Uther up, and as Uther held up Arthur's hand, the crowd cheered again. Uther made an announcement – a day of rest before the tournament started – followed by more cheering, and finally, Arthur was free to find Merlin. Merlin stumbled towards him and when Arthur lifted him up, he wrapped himself tightly around him.

Back in Gaius' chambers, the group was left in peace to be tended to. Gwen quickly took care of Morgana's scrapes, rubbing in special ointments that Gaius said would prevent scarring. Arthur insisted that Gaius tend to Uther first and used the time to tend to Merlin in the shelter of the back room. As soon as they were alone, Merlin began to cry, seeming surprised and annoyed at himself. Arthur wasn't surprised, and said "Let it out, Merlin. Let it all out." He knew Merlin was coming down from the high of the fight, and regardless of what Cenred had tried to make him, Merlin was obviously no fighter. He helped Merlin out of shirt to check his ribs, chuckling as he worked around Merlin's hiccupping. He rubbed salve into the blossoming bruises and redressed Merlin.

"It's the stress of the fight, Merlin. There's always a crash." He pulled Merlin into a hug and settled on the bed against the wall. "You were very brave, Merlin. And I don't mean just now. I'm sure you've been working behind the scenes too. Did you even sleep last night? When did you get that sword?"

Merlin just held tightly to Arthur as he cried. Arthur didn't expect an answer so he kept speaking and rubbing Merlin's back comfortingly. He did his best to explain what Merlin was feeling.

Just when Merlin's crying ebbed into hiccups, Gaius knocked on the door. "I need to see to your wounds now, Arthur." Merlin tightened his hold on Arthur but he needn't have worried. Arthur kept hold of him as he reentered the main room, letting Merlin rest against him. Morgana and Gwen appeared to have left; Uther was sitting in the chair by the fireplace.

Arthur settled into the bench at Gaius' worktable. Gaius sighed but Arthur interrupted him. "Please, Gaius. It's not a problem. I didn't even get cut!"

"The blood on your shirt begs to differ, Arthur."

Merlin drew back, no doubt concerned. As he did so, Arthur saw the blood on his own shirt. Worried, Merlin placed his hand over one of the smears and Arthur was surprised to see his little hand was smeared with blood.

Arthur gently took hold of his hand and turned it. It must have happened when Merlin threw him the sword. He must have been so desperate that he didn't even think to grab it by the hilt. Merlin brought his other hand forward and Arthur confirmed both palms had been sliced open. This was going to be troublesome. He tried to think of a plan, a way to not let on that –

"Those will have to be stitched."

In a flash, Merlin was wrapped tightly around Arthur again, great sobs bursting from his thin chest. Arthur glared at his father. He couldn't have known but it made no difference now. There would be no calming Merlin.

Arthur gestured at Gaius to get a tonic, with an extra pointed glance to let him know that Arthur knew what he'd done last night. He rose and paced around the room, trying to calm Merlin, who was now shaking his head. Gaius approached them with a mug of tea, stopping to add a generous helping of honey. Arthur took it from him and settled with Merlin by the fire in the seat Uther had vacated.

He pulled Merlin gently to sit properly in his lap. "Hush, Merlin. I'm not going to let you go. You need to calm down. Here, drink this tea. Gaius put a lot of honey in it, just for you."

Merlin was so distraught that he did not resist. Over the course of several minutes, Arthur got almost the whole mug of tea into him, only at the very end did Merlin figure it out. Perhaps the tonic's taste had settled at the bottom, or Merlin began to feel the effects, or he remembered what Gaius had done last night. Whatever the case, he shot Arthur a betrayed look, softened by the drowsy dip of his eyelids. Arthur cradled him close, whispering an apology in his ear until he felt Merlin relax into sleep.

With a sigh, he stood and moved back to Gaius' worktable. He settled Merlin against him and helped Gaius look him over. Gaius was thorough, checking Merlin's ribs again and the side of his head where he'd been hit. Uther watched, saying quietly, "It's remarkable. He shows such loyalty to you, Arthur, to come rushing unarmed to your aid, time and time again."

Pride bloomed in Arthur's chest as he thought about it. "He's very brave, but he's much too young."

Uther sipped his wine. "I truly don't believe he will ever be suitable as a knight, but… Perhaps we should allow him to train. If he's going to keep running after you, he needs to be able to defend himself."

Arthur looked in surprise at his father. "Do you think it will happen again?"

Uther snorted. "I didn't think it would happen even once, yet here we are. What is this, the second time?"

Third, Arthur thought, remembering Edwin. He nodded.

"What do you think, Gaius? He seems to be growing well."

Gaius hummed as he wrapped Merlin's chest. Arthur pulled Merlin's shirt back on while Gaius said, "He is growing into himself, that is for certain. I expect he'll experience a growth spurt soon, to reach normal height and weight, but he will mostly likely always be slim." As he cleaned Merlin's palms, he added, "I see no reason to prevent him from training once he's reached normal height and weight. Emotionally speaking, it would probably help him regain confidence."

Uther nodded. "It's settled then. Gaius, I will trust you to tell me when Merlin is ready."

Uther and Arthur debriefed while Gaius stitched Merlin's palms. He was surprised to learn that the two knights were actually wraiths, but the crowning shock was when Uther remarked to Gaius, "I thought you said no mortal weapon could destroy a wraith." Arthur only just managed to hide his reaction and if his arms tightened around Merlin, he could only hope Uther thought it was because Gaius was now stitching.

Arthur noted that Gaius was particularly gentle, despite Merlin being asleep, as he drew the needle through the skin. He finished quickly and wrapped Merlin's hands tightly, admonishing Arthur to keep them clean and dry.

"Now, Arthur, it's your turn," Gaius said, hands on his hips.

"Go ahead, I'll move him if he's in your way." He felt strangely reluctant to put Merlin down.

"Arthur, don't be ridiculous. He's asleep, he won't notice if you put him down."

"He will, you don't know him!" Arthur protested.

"Fine, there's no way around it," Uther surprised Arthur with his agreement – but it wasn't complete agreement. Uther pulled Merlin right from Arthur's lap. They all watched as Merlin stirred and frowned before nestling against Uther's shoulder. "There, the matter is settled."

Arthur watched, a little jealous, as Uther settled in the chair by the fireplace with Merlin. Since Merlin seemed content, he had no choice but to submit to Gaius' poking and prodding. He was remarkably unhurt despite the close calls with both wraiths. Or perhaps not so remarkably – he remembered the faint feeling of Merlin's magic on him during the fight. He looked speculatively in Merlin's direction.

"I know why you did what you did," Arthur said, addressing both his father and Gaius. "But it still violates the code."

Gaius interrupted Uther to say, "This isn't about the code, Arthur. No one doubts your ability, we only fear the treachery of Camelot's enemies."

"There's something you're not telling me."

Gaius and Uther shared a glance but didn't answer.

Arthur decided to push a little more. "That was Gorlois' coat of arms." He didn't miss Gaius' hesitation. "And both of those men were already dead before becoming wraiths, judging by the decomposition."

Gaius finished dressing Arthur's scraped elbow and handed him his shirt. "It's impossible for the dead to return, Arthur. It may have been their bodies, but there was nothing left of their spirits."

Arthur crossed his arms. "Then, not impossible. At any rate, I don't care how." He wanted to avoid talking about magic while Merlin was in the room. "And I have to believe there was nothing left of Gorlois for him to attach Morgana. My question is why? Why send two former knights back from the dead to duel with us? Who would do that?"

Uther frowned as he stood. "Two former knights?"

"Come, father. It must be a statement of some kind. Surely you recognized the other knight. Why? Why these two knights? Why not any two men?"

Gaius looked to Uther but Uther held Arthur's gaze steadily. "It was an attack on Camelot, Arthur. Sorcerers are treacherous, you know this. What better way to make a statement than to send back two knights they killed to fight for their cause?"

"What cause?"

"To destroy Camelot." Uther gently placed Merlin in Arthur's arms and left.

"There are histories that even your father cannot bear to retell, Arthur. For good reasons. Some ghosts should be left in peace." Gaius focused on cleaning his table.

Arthur walked away, but in the doorway, he turned back. "I cannot defend against ghosts I do not expect, Gaius, and those ghosts hardly seemed at peace. They were after my father, of that much I'm sure. I just hope whatever secrets he's guarding don't cost him his life."

"You didn't tell me you were sending alternates."

Cenred narrowed his eyes even as he feigned disinterest. "What nonsense are you blathering on about now, Valiant?"

Valiant laughed, amused to have knowledge before Cenred. "So, it wasn't you that sent those two wraiths to kill Uther?"

Cenred leaned forward and growled, "What?"

Valiant pretended to pick at his nails, enjoying having the upper hand. "It would seem someone wants Uther dead. It's unlucky, but that brat of yours seems to have spoiled their plans."

Cenred growled and abruptly, Valiant was being burned all over. Over the roar in his ears, he heard, "Emrys is there?"

"Yes!" he yelled, the answer compelled even as he continued to burn. "It's him!"

The pain ended but the compulsion persisted. In the mirror, Cenred was twirling that cursed ring of his triumphantly. "Tell me everything," he commanded.

"He's been taken in as Uther's ward. Because of his status, he's rarely alone. I cornered him last night but, almost immediately, someone interfered." Valiant went on to describe the appearance of the wraiths and the final duel. "He was using magic to help them, stupid kid. No one else seemed to catch on, but I know what I saw. There's no other way for the prince to have killed them. There's no doubt it's him."

The compulsion finally dissipated and Valiant ground his teeth in frustration. He watched as Cenred sat back contentedly. "After such a long search, we found our prize. Now, to bring him home."

I meant to post another update much sooner than this, to tell you all that my life was mostly a good mess. Then it became a bit of a bad mess, derailing my plans. Everything is much better now, still a mess, but with the good outweighing the bad (I just wish it was as easy to organize your life as it is to organize a cupboard). Thanks for all the well wishes!

Also, at least now you get a longer chapter than usual!

I promise that I will NOT abandon this story! Thank you to all of you reading along and especially to those of you that still post reviews. I always keep one starred and unread in my Gmail so I don't give up. Please write and let me know what your favorite parts are in this chapter! I love that Merlin is forming a solid friendship with Arien - I want to write more scenes where they can just be boys.