Gentle flames crackled in the hearth, and Merlin reveled in the warmth. It was a cold morning, and Arthur would probably appreciate the fire, if he ever woke up. After the feast and how much he had probably drunk, Merlin wouldn't be surprised if the Prince Regent slept through until the next day. Not that he was going out of his way to get Arthur out of bed. The curtains were still drawn and he was being as quiet as possible.

Everything else already attended to, Merlin allowed his exhausted body to rest for a moment. He stared into the flames, the flickering swirls of light transporting him back several hours, to when he had stood on the shores of the lake, watching as a pyre sent sparks whirling into the paling sky.

Morgana was gone. To where, he hadn't known. That had left Merlin with the responsibility of dealing with Morgause's body. While he'd had little feeling for the woman, he couldn't bring himself to leave the body to rot. So he'd wrapped her in his cloak, gathered her up, ferried his way back to land, and set about collecting wood. He had not had the time to dig a proper grave.

The stars had begun to fade and the fire had been roaring high when Merlin heard the rush of great wings. It had surprised him, but he made no move even when the ground shook and Kilgharrah drew level with him. For several uncounted minutes, the dragon and dragonlord had stood in silence as the flames turned the body to cinder.

"So Morgana Pendragon yet lives," Kilgharrah finally said, not taking his gaze from the pyre.

"Yes."

"Might I ask why?" The dragon's voice was neutral, calculated.

Merlin just shrugged.

"After all this time, your care for her remains?"

Then Merlin had turned to look up at the dragon, wearing a distant frown. "I suppose. Yes, I pitied her." He'd paused. "But… if it was only pity, I don't think that would have stopped me."

"Then what do you suppose did?"

"I don't know," he had admitted. "Several things, I think. She was my friend once. She's Arthur's sister. I had just killed her sister. And…your words to me. Last night."

Kilgharrah had remained silent, and Merlin had felt the need to explain. The dragon was the only person that he could explain it to.

"I'm going to stay here, Kilgharrah. That hasn't changed. I will see Arthur on the throne and protect him. But…I needed to know that I could stop." Merlin had looked down at his hands, clenching and unclenching them. The pain was gone, but the memory of that power surging out of them was not.

"What are you going to do now?" There had been a softer note in Kilgharrah's voice then, one that Merlin had felt wasn't entirely deserved. He'd barked a short laugh. "I have no idea."

"I see your ability to plan rationally has not improved with age, Merlin." It was said so archly that Merlin couldn't help but smirk.

"Maybe not. I suppose I'll have to find my feet first, get back into the old routine. Plan. There are a lot of things to consider. Because of my choice, Morgana is loose again. I need to figure out how to defend against her. And when to tell Arthur about the magic."

"You're going to?" Kilgharrah had asked. He'd seemed surprised.

"Probably. When the time is right. I mean, what's the worst he could do? Kill me?" Merlin had hoped the smile was more sarcastic than bitter. "It doesn't matter if he rejects me anymore; that doesn't change what I need to do."

Merlin had then looked up into the sky. The eastern horizon was turning into the grayish-blue of predawn, and the crumbling pyre was sending up spirals of white ash. "I need to return to Camelot," he'd said.

"Remember what I told you, Merlin," Kilgharrah had said, staring him down. "You're walking a dangerous road. You must be wary at all times, for a wrong decision could spell disaster for us all."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see, then."

He hadn't bothered going to Gaius's chambers upon his return. If the old man had missed him at some point during the night, he would just say he had felt uneasy and decided to check that things were all clear. Instead, he had made his way to Arthur's chambers, where he now found himself in front of the fire, mind turning from the past to the future.

Merlin placed the fire iron aside and crept his way past the snoring lump of blankets on the bed and to the windows. He drew the curtains aside just a crack and peered out.

The courtyard was coming alive now, proper morning having set in. Servants scampered back and forth with guards and knights marching in and out of the palace as shifts changed and training began. All was normal. There would be no incoming reports of villages under attack by screaming, faceless shapes. No rising count of frozen bodies. No influx of terrified citizens rushing for safety that they could barely provide. There would be no sacrifice on the Isle of the Blessed. Lancelot would not die. That was all gone.

For the first time since his return, Merlin felt that all was right. This was what he was meant for. No matter what Kilgharrah said, he would make things right.

Merlin caught a flicker of a black cloak as someone exited the main doors of the citadel. Agravaine. Another problem he would have to solve. However, Merlin could have almost grinned. Much like Uther, the warlock was having a hard time remembering how it felt to consider this man a threat. Perhaps for the first time, he felt how liberating immortality could be. Not Morgana, not Agravaine, not the most fearsome army in the world could kill him. He was Emrys, and nothing could keep him from his destiny now.

There was a sleepy groan behind him. Merlin looked over his shoulder, a thread of apprehension coiling in his stomach. But there was also excitement, and righteous determination. He would do this. This time, he would not fail Arthur. This time, he would succeed. Rolling his shoulders, Merlin banished any trace of his thoughts from his face and put on a cheery grin.

The curtains shot apart, flooding the room with bright morning light.

"Rise and shine, sire!"

A/N: Hello everyone, and I hope you enjoyed reading :) I'd like to thank any and all that followed this story or added it to favorites, with a special thanks to those who reviewed. It's been a pleasure to provide you all entertainment and possibly feels.

This is the end of installment one of The Immortal's Encore - The Waking Hour. Keep an eye out for the second part, "The Wicked Night", sometime in the future.