FULL STORY DESCRIPTION

The young warlock Merlin is forced to leave Ealdor after sudden tragedy strikes. The young Lady Morgana of house Tír-Mòr, the king's ward, is forced to marry the Prince Arthur when her home province toes the line of revolution. Though ripped apart by circumstance, class, and, finally, destiny, the two cannot help but fight for each other. But, fate makes it clear that they will forever be enemies, the darkness to each other's light.

Such fate is sealed when Morgana learns of the legend of Emerys and Merlin hears a prophecy of the mysterious Fae. As each seeks out their mysterious enemy, forces beyond their control draw them closer and closer to their final showdown. In a land of myth, and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy and girl... no matter how unwilling.

For, in such a land at such a time, no one can escape the path that lay in front of them.


CHAPTER SUMMARY

Merlin arrives in Camelot.

BEGINNING NOTES

Chapter Rating: General Audiences
Content Warning: Cursing
Word Count: 4426

Yes, I normally write Percy Jackson fanfiction, but this is a fic that's been sitting in my brain for literal years now, so I'm straying from the usual path. For my PJO fans, I will be continuing my other fanfictions while I update this one.

This fic is basically a rewrite of the BBC Merlin series where each chapter is one episode (except once per "season" I write a chapter that's 100% mine, usually to forward the main plot). HOWEVER, the fic mostly covers new scenes and plot lines-both major and minor-that are new and not in the canonical episodes. You will not be reading a transcript of the show, I promise.

You also don't have to be familiar with the show at all to enjoy this fic (directed at my PJO fans) because I give all the necessary context in each chapter. Again, this is a self-contained fic, and written as such.

Cool! Announcements over. Enjoy!

And all the characters are owned by Julian Jones and Shine Limited.

Credits at the end.


My dear Gaius,

I turn to you for I feel lost and alone and don't know who to trust. It is every mother's fate to think her child is special, and yet I would give my life that Merlin were not so.

I know of the dangers in Uther's realm, but Cenred harbors the same beliefs and is far more ruthless. Recent events I shall not disclose have overcome any motherly desires to keep him close. Ours is a small village, and he is so clearly at odds with the people here that if he were to remain, now, with such terrors in our recent past, I fear what would become of him.

He needs a hand to hold, a voice to guide, someone that might help him find a purpose for his gifts. He has become agitated with want of late; he needs a reason for his hardships so he may endure them. I beg you, if you understand a mother's love for her son, keep him safe.

May God save you both,

Hunith


Reading the letter was all it took for a choked sob to escape that ten-week-old catch in his throat. "Recent events I shall not disclose..." Merlin knew what that meant. His mother didn't, not really, but he did.

Merlin wiped the hot tears away with his hand. "Not much longer now," he muttered to no one in particular. He tucked the letter back into his pocket. After two weeks' travel alone on foot, through dark and twisted woods, he could see the outline of Camelot's famed castle against the night sky.

He made camp for the night, and laid on the hard earth as the fire crackled and popped.

Not enough money for a blanket, even. At least it's a warm summer's night. Imagine the trek with snow on the ground...

Merlin fixed his rucksack the best he could, so the soft clothes cushioned his cheek. Like every other night since his departure from King Cenred's realm, he heard a deep voice, an apparition, calling his name...

"Merlin... Merrrrliiiiiin... Merrrrrrrliiiiiiiiiiin..."

The castle might be the hallmark of Camelot, but Merlin found himself far more interested in the marketplace than some artfully designed rocks. He chuckled as a young girl with bright red hair ran past him; he grabbed her by the stomach and hoisted her into his arms as her mother scrambled to collect her.

"I'm so sorry," she said, smiling apologetically, "She's got fire in her veins, that one."

"Matches her hair," Merlin joked as he handed her child to her. "And don't worry about it. This is the most excitement I've had... ever, now that I think about it."

"Ah, well, welcome to Camelot. Say goodbye to the man, Evette."

Eyes buried in the nape of her mother's neck, the girl managed a shy wave. Merlin gave a half-grin and started to wave back, until the roar of the royal bugles scared her back into her mother's chest.

"You headed towards the execution?" the mother asked.

"Execution?"

The mother was only half paying attention, handing Evette off to, presumably, another daughter around age nine. "-take her home before she gets herself lost-magician was caught swindling some bookies in the tavern the other night. It's an open affair."

"Er..." Merlin glanced towards the castle gate. "I... I'm looking for Gaius, the court physician?"

"Just inside the gate, but there's no way you'll get there before the magician's gone. Here-I'll show you the way, now that I finished shopping."

"Right..." Merlin mumbled as the woman ushered him towards a larger crowd. She nudged him closer and closer to the gate. That meant Merlin had a front-row seat to the chopping block, and the man in tattered, brown rags sitting on top of it.

Silence fell as King Uther stepped onto the castle balcony. "Let this serve as a lesson to all: this man, Thomas James Collins, is adjudged guilty of conspiring to use enchantments and magic. And pursuant to the laws of Camelot, I, Uther Pendragon, have decreed that such practices are banned. On penalty of death."

Merlin forced himself to swallow.

"I pride myself as a fair and just king, but for the crime of sorcery, there is but one sentence I can pass."

The drums began. It took all of Merlin's strength not to shake; he knew what was coming. His eyes darted for anything to focus on-that's when he saw her, a beautiful maiden with midnight hair, head sticking out of an open window in the castle. She looked as troubled as he; the way her eyes avoided the scene, it looked as though the king was forcing her to make an appearance. Was she his daughter? She certainly looked like a princess, draped in silk so fine it had to be from the East, dyed in deep blues and purples. He searched her for a tiara or crown, just to satisfy his curiosity, when she retreated into the shadows with a disgusted look.

Merlin hadn't realized he'd been staring... not until he saw the head of that ragged man rolling on the ground. An intense wave of nausea came over him; he pushed his way through the crowd, ignoring the wails of the old woman behind him.

"My son! My son! You killed my son!"

Minutes later, Merlin found Gaius's chambers. It was a physician's room, full of plants and potions and glass equipment, books on every wall, a table in the center. Gaius took the letter from him without a word; he glanced over it with squinting eyes and brows furrowed in either concern or concentration. He looked up and gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You'd better put your bag in there-I've set up a room for you. In the back. You'll deliver potions for me until we find proper work for you."

With that, Gaius smiled and tucked the letter into his pocket. Merlin headed straight to bed, tossing and turning as the apparition screamed into the night.

Merlin had just finished Gaius's deliveries when he came across some burly knights throwing knives at a poor servant with a wooden target on his back. He knew he shouldn't get involved, knew he should just walk away and keep his head down... but memories of home came pouring back to him. "Keep your head down and chin up, Merlin," his best friend Will would always say. "They won't bother us as long as we don't get in their way."

Look how that turned out.

On cue, the servant tripped and dropped the target at Merlin's feet. He flashed a slight grin at the leader of the pack, an arrogant ass with blond hair. "Hi. Come on, that's enough," he said. To his delight, the knights exchanged hostile glances at the temperament of Merlin's words. "You've had your fun, my friend."

The blond knight practically strut over to him. "Do I know you?"

"I'm Merlin." He extended his hand towards the blond, relishing in the annoyed once-over.

"So, I don't know you. Yet, you called me friend."

"That was my mistake... I could never be friends with such an ass."

"Or I who could be so stupid. Tell me, Merlin, do you know how to walk on your knees?"

He got right up in Merlin's face, but Merlin met his cold stare. "No," Merlin hissed.

"Would you like me to help you?"

Perhaps it was the cheeky grin, or arrogant eyes, or entitled attitude, but Merlin couldn't contain his fury any longer. Before the man was through with his sentence, he lobbed him right in the mouth. For one glorious second, he felt blood on his hand.

Knees hitting the stone floor of a cell felt considerably less glorious.

A night in the dungeons was bad enough, but that apparition kept Merlin up. Try as he might to block the noise, that deep voice seemed to grumble just below the floor. "What are you?!" Merlin moaned over and over.

Gaius was not happy when he picked him up the next morning. "You amaze me! One day in Camelot, and you already behave like an idiot!"

"Wha- how was I supposed to know?!" Merlin protested. "Not like he has a banner around his neck-Prince Arthur, do not cross!"

Gaius sighed. "You're lucky. I managed to pull a few strings to get you released... with one condition."

Okay, punching the prince is officially no longer worth this punishment.

Locked in the stocks, rotten vegetables in his hair and shirt, whatever manly pride forced his hand had abandoned him. The only bright spot was the young woman who approached him late that was also an oddity-he'd never seen a person with such dark skin or thick, curly hair before.

"I'm Guinevere, but most people call me Gwen. I'm the Lady Morgana's maid?"

"Right," Merlin mumbled to himself. She acted as though he should know who that was, but he'd never heard the name."I'm Merlin, though most people just call me 'idiot.' "

Gwen smiled. She had a nice smile. "No, no, no, I saw what you did! You're so brave! Though, I'm glad you walked away; you weren't going to beat him." Merlin raised his eyebrows; it took her a second to realize her faux pas. "No! I mean, I'm sure you're stronger than you look, it's just that... the prince is one of those real rough, tough, save-the-world kind of men, and, well... you don't... look like that..." she let her ramble trail off.

Merlin let out a laugh at her sudden embarrassment. "I'm in disguise," he whispered, earning a laugh out of her.

"Well, it's great you stood up to him-Arthur's a bully, and everyone thought you were a real hero." They shared a smile for another moment, until a rotten cabbage ruined the budding friendship.

"Excuse me, Guinevere, but my-fans-are waiting." Gwen laughed again and ran off.

The afternoon melded together as hoards of children turned Merlin into a salad. Eventually, he stopped noticing it. Instead, he reflected on that apparition haunting the evening hours. It couldn't be fake, not after all this time. And it kept getting louder... in the dungeons, it sounded so near...

"Get up, I said!" Merlin lifted his head up, to see the Prince himself standing above him, stocks unlocked. "Ah, good. I thought you were deaf as well as dumb. How's your knee-walking coming along?" Arthur asked.

"Look," Merlin said, brushing the vegetables from his hair, "I've told you you're an ass. I just didn't realize you were a royal one." Hand full of rotten tomato flesh, he thrust it into Prince Arthur's hair.

And that's when Arthur's javelin attempted to murder his face. Merlin backed out of the alleyway, away from the stocks and towards the marketplace. He ran through the booths, jumping over fruit carts and pushing pass shoppers to try and buy himself a small lead. Finally, he found what he was looking for-the blacksmith's: empty, large, and full of items. Merlin could use magic to his advantage without attracting attention.

He heard Arthur coming and dove towards a large sack of cooling sand. Arthur swung his javelin; Merlin magically moved some fashioned meat hooks to tangle the weapon. As Arthur struggled to free it, Merlin smacked Arthur's calf with a large, wooden crate. He dived behind the counter and magically repositioned some rope to trip the Prince. With Arthur on the ground, he stole the javelin and swung it over his head menacingly... to the best of his non-existent ability.

"Merlin... Merrrrliiiiiin... Merrrrrrrliiiiiiiiiiin..."

The voice put him off-balance at just the wrong moment, allowing Arthur to knock him to the ground with a broom. The guards grabbed him, but Arthur shook his head. "Let him go. He may be an idiot, but he's a brave one." When the crowd dispersed, there was no Ealdor, no apparition, only Gaius with a look of disappointment.

"I don't want to hear it!" Merlin screamed, once inside Gaius's chambers.

"Magic must be studied, mastered, and used for good-"

"Isn't that good?!" He was near a tantrum. "He's a bully! He can't go around hurting people like that! I could move objects that way before I could talk; these gifts are mine, and I will use them however I like!"

"Your mother asked me to protect you! I will not let you get yourself killed!"

Merlin just shook his head. "Maybe that's their purpose. Martyrdom."

He ran into his room and grabbed his mother's letter from the dresser, where Gaius had returned it to him the night before.

Recent events I shall not disclose have overcome any motherly desires to keep him close... with such terrors in our recent past... he needs reasons for his hardships...

He heard Gaius's footsteps, but said nothing. Gaius motioned for him to take his shirt off; he did so in silence, barely noticing the sting as Gaius cleaned his wounds. They sat there for a long time, Gaius trying to imagine the events that changed Merlin's life, and Merlin begging to forget them.

Merlin agreed to run Gaius's final errand before the big feast-delivering a potion to Gwen's Lady Morgana-in order to search for his apparition. He couldn't shake the fact that it was somehow connected to everything that had happened in the last two months. He was desperate to make some sense of his new life now that it had changed so radically. His apparition was the answer... he had to be...

After far too long with no luck, he came across a dark hallway, guarded by an old gate. Something drew him towards the darkness... as though that voice was enchanting him... pulling him towards it... Torch in hand, he descended into the cavern, Lady Morgana's potion in his pocket, forgotten...

"Merrrrrrrliiiiiiiiiiin..."

It was but a whisper now, but close, so close.

"Merrrrrrrliiiiiiiiiiin..."

With every step, the air became more magical, almost vibrating with energy.

"Merrrrrrrliiiiiiiiiiin..."

The path ended in a crevice reaching out over the largest cavern Merlin had ever dreamed of. Light came from some mysterious source to his left, almost like sunlight, but they were too deep for that. It had to be magic-the whole place seemed alight with such energy.

A deep rumbling came from below him, a mixture between a cackle and roar. His apparition. "Where are you?!" Merlin cried.

A roar bellowed from below. Merlin, terrified, jumped back on instinct; the torch fell out of his hand. A brownish grey dragon flew towards him, landing on a rock formation about a hundred feet from Merlin's crevice. "How small you are for such a great destiny," it bellowed in that deep, timeless voice.

Merlin felt close to tears, he was so overwhelmed. "Why?" he asked, hardly daring to believe it. "What do you mean? What destiny?"

"Your gift, Merlin, was given to you for a reason." The sentence echoed around the cavern. It felt... reverent. "Arthur is the once and future king who will unite the land of Albion. But he faces many threats from friend and foe alike. Without you, Arthur will never succeed. Without you, there will be no Albion."

Merlin's tears of joy dissolved into bitterness. "No. No, you've got this wrong-"

"There is no right or wrong, only what is and what isn't."

"No. This has nothing to do with me. I'm serious, if anyone wants to go and kill him, they can go ahead. In fact, I'll give them a hand! Men like that, I want nothing to do with them! They're the reason I'm here, getting rotten fruit thrown at me and delivering vials of" -he grabbed Lady Morgana's potion and shook it in the dragon's direction- "this to nobles! They killed my- stop laughing!"

He felt like a toddler again; this would be his second tantrum in the day. How could no one understand?! How could no one take him seriously?! A dragon, a dragon descended to deliver his destiny, and it was to protect the same kind of man that ruined his life forever?!

"None of us can choose our destiny, Merlin. And none of us can escape it."

"No. If my destiny is to serve him... I'll die before I humor his ego." The dragon flew back down into the dark, with Merlin screaming after him, "I'll die before!"

Merlin turned and ran back into the dungeon, wiping his tears away. He didn't care where he was going anymore, so he let his feet follow Gaius's instructions, taking him to the Lady Morgana's chambers. He was so distracted by his talk with the dragon that he forgot to knock, accidentally walking in on-

Heaven have mercy. The princess.

She was even more beautiful than he remembered. Her back was to him, fixing her hair in the mirror. The Lady Morgana. That was her name. All Merlin could do was stare.

She turned towards her dressing divider, still facing away from him. "You know, I've been thinking about Arthur," she said, "I wouldn't touch him with a lance pole." Merlin smiled; so she hated him too.

Wait... why is she talking to me-

"Pass me that dress, will you, Gwen?"

Oh fu- do NOT think that word right now or I SWEAR... oh my god, she's changing. I can see her face. I can see the top of her shoulders. There's nothing on- and why are you looking? Just get the dress for her and-

"I mean, the man's a total jester. Just because I'm the king's ward, that doesn't mean I have to accompany him to the feast, does it?"

Good, right, just put that dress on the top of the divider and... ... ... STOP LOOKING YOU IDIOT-

"Well, does it?"

"Nnn-nnn," Merlin stumbled out in a high-pitched squeak.

She is going to realize there's some creepy guy in her dressing room and get you arrested AGAIN. Get out of her room before she notices you aren't Gwen!

"If he wants me to go, then he should invite me. And he hasn't. So, do you know what that means?"

Merlin let out another high-pitched, "Nnn-nnn."

Someone save me. Because I am going to die.

"Where are you?" Morgana asked.

"Here!" Merlin squeaked a bit too quickly. He grabbed a cloak from her dressing table and held it in front of his face. Merlin watched through the fabric as she stared at the cloak for a moment. Then, thankfully, she dropped her eyes.

"It means I'm going by myself."

Dammit, she's beautiful- OKAAAY, idiot, get out of the room before you become an ACTUAL peeping Tom...

"I need some help with this fastening?"

I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm so dead...

"Gwen?"

A familiar woman's voice came from behind. "I'm here...?" He turned around, and, thank the heavens, Gwen stood in the doorway. She gave him a side-eyed glance; he mouthed "mistake" and pointed to the potion. She realized what was going on and stifled laughter. He ran out as she moved behind the divider to help her lady with her dress.

"Merlin, what have you been doing? I thought I said Uther wanted help setting up the feast?"

"Uhhh..." Merlin's brain was permanently buffering from his recent encounters. "You know what? That's a really long story, so I will tell it to you... later..."

"I covered for you with the King's staff," Gaius said with an amused shake of the head. "The cook has some food for you to set on the tables before the guests arrive. I need to finish some work before the feast tonight."

"Wait, but why do you get to go home?" Merlin cried.

"Because I do what King Uther asks of me," Gaius teased. "Go on."

At least the cook kept Merlin busy enough to make any self-reflection impossible. Once the guests arrived, filling the hall with music, talk, and laughter, such thoughts seemed out of place. For the first time since his first day in Camelot, Merlin actually felt in high spirits. Not even Arthur, roughhousing with his knight buddies, could put a damper on things.

Merlin was standing beside Gaius, keeping an eye on the guests, when the Lady Morgana arrived. Like before, he was tempted by the mere sight of her.

She wore a long, dark, burgundy dress with a small train trailing behind her. The skirt tightened at the pelvis, the same spot that her clasped hands fell to as she walked. There was a shawl of the same color around her forearms, and a belt of golden leaves around the small of her waist. Her upper body was nearly bare, only covered by an upside-down triangle of fabric covering her chest, held with a golden collar around her neck. Her hair was back, off her neck, with a small, beaded headdress weaved in, so it circled her forehead then disappeared in the mesh of curls. Somehow, she'd stuck a ruby below her right eye, like a dimple. Every time it flashed some candlelight, it drew more eyes to her.

"Merlin!" Gaius whispered. With difficulty, Merlin tore his eyes away from her, greeting some noble guests. "Remember, you're here to work."

"A- Aye," Merlin managed. The moment Gaius left to greet a friend, Merlin's eyes were back on Morgana. Arthur interrupted her chatting, but she looked anything but pleased.

"She looks great, doesn't she?" Gwen nudged her way to stand in Gaius's vacant spot. Merlin chuckled; Gwen sounded like a proud mother. Of course, her comment gave Merlin a reason to glance at Morgana again, so he didn't focus on Gwen's face for long.

"Yeah..."

I don't even care that that sounded as turned-on as it did.

Gwen laughed. "Some people are just born to be Queen!"

That got Merlin's attention back. "No!"

"Oh that's right, you're new." Gwen chuckled again. She looked in high spirits, like everyone else at the feast... except, come to think of it, Morgana and Arthur.

"Wait, Gwen-" he turned, but she'd fallen asleep on the floor below. Merlin glanced around the room; everyone looked dead to the world. That is, except a pretty, young woman in gold, singing... singing an incantation.

Merlin plugged his ears, hoping the woman wouldn't notice the lone servant in the corner. She walked towards King Uther, Prince Arthur, and the Lady Morgana in the front of the hall.

What does she want?

A witch... did she want to do something to King Uther, for killing her kind? Then, why today?

He pushed his way through the crowd, ignoring the wails of the old woman behind him. "My son! My son! You killed my son!"

It's not Uther she wants. It's Arthur.

"None of us can choose our destiny, Merlin. And none of us can escape it."

Arthur was about to die unless Merlin chose to step in. Arthur, like those bandits who changed Merlin's life forever.

The truth was, Merlin wasn't a bad person. He wasn't the angry, over-emotional nutcase of the last few weeks. He was homesick, jaded, and grieving everything he'd lost to one spur-of-the-moment decision from a force outside his control.

If Morgana was to be queen, there was only one way she could do it. And if she and Arthur hated each other as much as it sounded, there was only one man who had the power to force them to marry. Arthur was an ass, but maybe, just maybe, he was as much of an ass as Merlin.

After all, a loveless marriage arranged by a stubborn father would ruin anyone's week.

Merlin's eyes landed on a large chandelier directly over the singer, who now aimed a knife at Arthur. Merlin's eyes turned gold for a moment. Then, the chandelier fell, and the woman toppled to the ground, knife limp in her hand. The guests awoke to see the pretty, young woman turn into the old mother from the execution. They were too dazed to do anything when she used her dying strength to fling her knife at the prince's head.

Merlin's instinctive magic managed to slow time down. The knife got closer and closer, but he wouldn't let himself fail on his first trial with destiny. He lunged; in the nick of time, his hand landed on Arthur's shoulder and slammed him to the ground before time resumed. The entire hall stared at the knife lodged in the back of Prince Arthur's chair.

"You saved my boy's life." King Uther looked and sounded like his mother ten weeks ago, right down to the horror in his eyes. "A debt must be repaid," Uther continued, his voice shaking off its vulnerability for the usual kingly tone.

Merlin liked the way Morgana was staring at him-eyes bright, head cocked slightly, the hint of a smile upon her lips, a sense of wonder and intrigue flowing from every inch...

"This merits something quite special," Uther announced. "Morgana, come forth!"

The light in Morgana's eyes dimmed, taking on a much faker glow. She stood beside Arthur, taking a stiff arm in a fist shaking with anger.

"As I meant to announce after the Lady Helen's performance, my son, Prince Arthur, will take the Lady Morgana of house Tír-Mòr to be his princess. (Merlin ignored the cheers and gasps coming from the noble guests). This young man-" The King silently asked for his name. He mouthed "Merlin," taking delight in the amused glint in Morgana's eye. "-Merlin, will have a hand in the festivities, and the many joys after. You shall be rewarded with a position in the royal household. You shall be Prince Arthur's manservant."

The roaring applause covered Arthur's outraged cry of, "Father!"

Morgana gave a bitter laugh. "Uther never asks us our opinion on anything."

"M- my lady," Merlin managed, instructing himself to breathe.

"Please, Merlin," she said with a wave of her free hand, "We'll be seeing a lot of each other now that you're working for this poor excuse of a knight. Morgana."

"Hey!" Arthur sputtered, encouraging laughter from both Morgana and Merlin.

"You ready to greet the hoards of fans?" Morgana asked them, gesturing to the guests swarming with their congratulations.

Merlin shot her a good-natured smirk. "Just another day in Camelot for a 'manservant' like me."

Morgana laughed one last time before extending her free hand to a court bishop. As Merlin stared at her, the beautiful Princess-to-be, he had only one thought in his head.

Fuuuuuuuuuuck...

END NOTES

This week's beta commentary:
STORY: I pride myself as a fair and just king, but for the crime of sorcery, there is but one sentence I can pass.
ISABELLA: Gotta love Uther. /S
MELODY: "I pride myself as a fair king, so I will pronounce judgement with no exceptions whatsoever and will never listen to a dissenting opinion on the matter. Logic."

Credits:
Author: Melody Rose (Tumblr: bianca-the-huntress)
Beta Readers:
Octavia (Tumblr: octaviablimp)
Isabella (Tumblr: eeebee02)
Cover Artist: Sarah (Tumblr: sobbingeternally)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you next week!