Merlin had refused to leave Arthur's side. Instead, he had followed him into banishment.

The Sidhe elder had simply laughed at him. "Foolish young man," she said with a sneer. "Because that's all you are now, isn't it? No power. Your life brought back to you, and you waste it on a rotten King. Suit yourself."

And that's how Merlin, Arthur and Guinevere had ended up on the road, with no horses, carrying their own bags.

"I told you this was a bad plan," Merlin muttered as he crouched on the ground, trying to make a fire. It wasn't easy; all of the wood in the forest was damp, as it had been raining.

"We'll take it back," Arthur said reassuringly. "I am sure of it. We have people on the inside who will remain loyal to me."

"Unless they place changelings inside them all," Merlin said, and his voice sounded tight.

Arthur shook his head. "You'll defeat their Elder, and the rest will follow." He hesitated. "You do have your powers back, right?"

"I... I don't know. I haven't tried yet." Merlin looked up at Arthur.

"Well, go ahead," he said impatiently.

Merlin nodded, and took a deep breath. He merely glanced at the fire; there was a flash of gold in his eyes to all who watched, and the damp logs caught fire.

Merlin gave a breathless laugh. There were tears in his eyes as he realized that no sharp pain followed; using his magic was as easy as breathing once more.

Guinevere smiled. "All this time, Merlin," she said warmly, "I knew there was something special about you. I'm glad you haven't changed."

Merlin smiled back at her, if a little sadly. "I wish I could've told you, Gwen," he said. "I never wanted to lie. To any of you," he added, looking up at Arthur.

"It is all right, Merlin," Arthur said, as if he'd done it a dozen times. Which, by now, he probably had.

"We understand why you had to do it," Guinevere agreed.

Merlin nodded, looking down at the fire. "Magic's always been a part of me. I was born with it," he told them in a low voice. "When I came to Camelot and realized I couldn't use it — well, I wasn't sure it was worth it. I came here to find a place where I belonged, not where I had to lie to be myself." Merlin swallowed, and looked up at them with a bright smile, hope shining through his eyes. "And then I learned of my destiny. To serve you, Arthur. To protect you and Camelot. That's why I have Magic. And I am sure... it will be worth all of the pain."

"And you have protected it well, old friend." Arthur squeezed Merlin's shoulder. He looked down at him with equal amounts of hope and pride. "Are you prepared to do it one more time?"

"Protect Camelot?" Merlin nodded determinedly. "Always."

"You're a brave man, Merlin," Arthur said. "I have not known, and I have not treated you as you deserved. Yet you've never failed in saving me and the kingdom. I am not sure I am deserving of a friend as loyal as you. But I can only hope to change, as you have already shown me that I can."

Merlin nodded. "I believe we're both very different from when we first met," the young warlock said. "You are a great King. I am proud to be by your side."

"And you are a good man, Arthur," Gwen agreed, taking her husband's hand. "You do deserve all of the loyalty that is given to you."

"Yes," Merlin continued, a grin playing across his lips. "You're not as much of an arrogant pompous dollop-head any longer."

Arthur laughed and shook his head. "Thank you both. I could not have made Camelot into what it is today without the two of you." His playful manner disappeared. "I want you to know that I will always value your opinions, as well as your company. No matter what happens to me tonight, you'll always have a place in Camelot."

"Knowing I have magic, I never thought I'd hear you say that," Merlin admitted. "I am eternally grateful to you, Arthur. And I will be by your side tonight, and I will make sure nothing happens to you."

Arthur looked at him with pride again. "And I will be by yours. Now knowing everything you've done - how you've saved me countless of times - I am certain you will defeat the Sidhe elder."

Merlin nodded. "We will retake Camelot."

"Or die trying," Guinevere agreed. And thus ensued the long-winded argument if Gwen was to join the fight.

XXXXX

They waited until the next sunrise to make their move. This gave them time to perfect the plan, as well as allowed them to get some much needed rest for the full night.

Merlin woke up nervous. Every cell in his body seemed to know what was coming, and the Magic was surging inside of him, as if telling him that it was ready.

This would not be an easy feat, Merlin knew. The Sidhe were powerful, and their magic was tricky.

After eating what little they had for breakfast, they began the journey back to the castle. They had not gone far; but simply made camp outside of the guards' patrol route.

Arthur had at last caved and let Guinevere come along. Their task was to pave the way for Merlin to get to the Sidhe elder and challenge her over the throne.

Merlin put a disguising spell upon them before entering the castle grounds, to ease their path to the throne room. Anyone who looked upon them would see them as somebody they did not know. This, however, would not allow them to get in unhindered. First, they encountered the guards at the gate. Merlin could sense that they were not Sidhe, and dropped the spell temporarily off of Arthur. At the sight of the King, the guards bowed and let them enter, and Merlin cloaked Arthur once more.

The guards at the door to the throne room were a different tale. Merlin could sense the power coming off of them; they were changelings, and powerful ones.

"What is your business here?" asked one of them.

"We are here to see the Sidhe elder," Merlin said.

"On what account?" The guard asked suspiciously.

"On account of us taking back Camelot."

The guards's eyes barely had time to widen before Merlin had sent them flying into the wall, effectively knocking them out.

"Let's do this," Arthur said, drawing his sword.

Together, he and Merlin pushes the doors open and stepped inside. The Sidhe, gathered around a long table, looked up confusedly, as did the Sidhe elder sitting upon the throne.

"Who are you?" She exclaimed, her voice high and cold.

Merlin dropped the disguising spell, and the Sidhe looked stunned. Their elder, on the other hand, looked outraged. "Knights! Seize them!" she ordered.

Guinevere and Arthur moves forward, swords drawn, to meet the enemy. But not all of the knights were lunging for them; some were staring at Arthur with awe on their faces. The Sidhe had not yet inhabited all of the knights. This was their greatest mistake, for the ones that weren't possessed by the changelings turned on the ones that were, helping their King in this fight. Though those who were loyal to Arthur were in majority, it was not an easy fight, for the Sidhe aimed to kill while Arthur and his knights did not want to take the lives of their hosts. Furthermore, the Sidhe has magic on their side.

But Merlin could not remain focused on that, because the Sidhe elder was staring at him with flames in her red eyes. This was Merlin's battle.

The Sidhe elder, risen from her throne, grabbed her staff and pointed it at Merlin. A beam of fiery red shot at him, but he held up a hand, deflecting the fire before it could strike him.

Merlin pushed his hands out in front of him, and the Sidhe elder was pulled to the wall by an invisible force, and remained there, several feet into the air. She seemed surprised for a money; she had not figured out that he had all his magic back.

Before he could do anything else against her, his throat suddenly closed up. He felt as though a boot was crushing his windpipe. He fell to his knees, gasping, and clawed at his throat, but there was nothing there. Then his eyes fell upon the staff that Anastasia was still holding; the glaring red stone at the head of it was aimed at him.

Merlin made a sweeping motion with his hand, and the staff flew from the Sidhe elder's grasp. As it landed heavily on the floor, the red stone stopped glowing. It was useless without connection to the hand of a Sidhe.

Finally able to breathe again, Merlin coughed and got to his feet. But it had worked, for in his panic Merlin had not managed to keep Anastasia against the wall. She stood on the ground, and was heading straight for him. As she neared, blue light streamed from her open palms. Joining together, she sent it at him. Not quite knowing what he was doing - just that he had to do something - Merlin summoned his own Magic and sent a surge of it out through his hands. It appeared as a golden light, and it met the Sidhe's magic in the middle of the distance between them. Sparks of green flew about them where the two beams of magic met.

And she was strong. The force of the Sidhe elder's magic forced Merlin to lean into it so that he would not be knocked off his feet. He clenched his jaw, trying to summon enough magic to counter hers. It was exhausting. Merlin felt like he was running; he was growing breathless, and he knew that he couldn't stop.

Their powers were equal. The green ball of light were their powers met moved only slightly towards one of them, only to then move back toward the other. Neither made progress, and Merlin's arms were growing tired. He gritted his teeth. He needed some kind of advantage.

He looked around the room to see what he could use, but there was nothing. Nothing that would hurt the Sidhe without killing the host. Hopelessness was almost upon him; when his eyes fell upon Arthur. He was fighting beside Guinevere and his knights; sir Leon and Perceval were both there. They fought fiercely, hope burning behind their eyes. They believed they could win. They believed in Merlin.

And the young warlock suddenly realized what his advantage was. What he had that the Sidhe did not — something worth fighting for. The Sidhe has what they wanted, and it was someone else's throne. But they were fighting to take back what was theirs. They were fighting for the future of Albion. And above all, they were fighting for their love of Camelot. The Sidhe did not have this.

Those were the thoughts that fueled Merlin. They strengthened him, filled his body with nervous energy. And so he sent everything he had at the Sidhe elder. He thought of Arthur, and pushed even harder. He thought of Albion, the good that was in his future, and he gave even more. The green light shifted. It moved toward Anastasia. She looked horrified, but more so; surprised. She had underestimated him. That was her mistake.

With one last push, his magic connected with her body, and sent her flying. She landed hard on the floor and stayed there. Merlin knelt beside her. He held his palm over her chest, and felt for the being inside her. A blue light flowed beneath her skin. Merlin moves his hand, and the blue bulb followed. It appeared through her mouth and hung in the air, whimpering and twisting. The warlock slowly closed his hand into a fist, and the little blue creature shuddered before exploding into blue glowing fragments which dissolved quickly in the air.

The fighting around him had stopped moving. The Sidhe stared at him with a look on their faces as though their world had come crashing down.

Merlin rose. "The druids call me Emrys. I am sure you have heard that name before," he said loudly, his voice clear. "Your Sidhe elder underestimated me. That was her doom. I suggest you do not do the same." He picked up the dropped Sidhe staff and held it high. "Go back to your lake!" he called, and his words echoed through the hall. "And leave your host bodies behind, alive. If you do not, you will suffer the same fate as your elder. That is my promise."

For a moment the Sidhe were quiet, unmoving. Then, at once, blue bulbs of light soared out through their mouths, and the bodies dropped to the ground. The knights, Arthur and Guinevere immediately stayed checking to see that they were all alive. Arthur nodded at Merlin. The Sidhe has made the smart move. Merlin had counted on it; they may be slug, but their survival instincts were strong.

One by one, the unconscious started to wake up. Some cried as they realized they had their bodies back. The knights embraced each other.

And Arthur walked up to Merlin, putting away his sword. He smiled, placing a hand on Merlin's shoulder. "You did well, Merlin," he said earnestly. "Thank you, my friend." And then he did the unexpected — he pulled Merlin into a hug. It was brief, but firm, and Merlin appreciated it.

Merlin grinned back at him. "You're welcome."

XXXXX

That evening, a coronation was held for the second time in three days. Though Arthur has never officially been de-crowned, they felt a gesture was necessary to signify that Arthur was back. This also allowed him to tell the people of his plan; that the only way to defeat the Sidhe was to allow them the throne. This had given their sorcerer - who very few knew was, in fact, Merlin - the power to defeat the elder. The coronation would give the people the reassurance that Arthur was, once more, strong as the King of Camelot.

It was a proper feast. Merlin enjoyed himself in a way he had never before. There was no threat to Camelot; he had defied Arthur's bane; Morgana was dead, and Merlin's destiny was very much alive. Albion was not only a distant dream, it was becoming reality. Merlin felt he could almost touch it. All that Arthur needed to make it come true, was time.

XXXx 30 YEARS LATER xXXX

Merlin was buried in work once more — but he didn't mind it. People with Magic came to him to report themselves as sorcerers, which Merlin recorded on paper. This would allow them to practice sorcery in Albion — albeit, not all spells were allowed, and they were not to be used for the wrong purpose. These rules should be common sense to every inhabitant, Merlin thought; Magic should never be used to harm each other, nor to steal or other such purposes.

However, like in any society, there are criminals, as there was in Camelot before Magic was allowed. Merlin himself was leading the Seer Patrol; a band of sorcerers which investigates strange happenings to see if there was Magic involved. Should that be the case, they could use their own Magic to see what had happened and who had done it. That way, Magic could be used to fight those who used it for evil.

It was late, and it has been a long day. Before returning to his quarters, Merlin knocked on the King's door.

"Enter," Arthur called.

Merlin stepped inside. Arthur's face lit up.

"Merlin!" he said cheerfully. "How's your day been?"

"Oh, good, My Lord," Merlin replied. "No new crimes, but plenty of newly recorded sorcerers. There are farmers and blacksmiths among them. Albion is flourishing."

Arthur looked like he'd received the greatest compliment. "That's great to hear, my friend."

"What about your day, Sire?" Merlin asked politely.

"Oh, nothing too bad," Arthur said — Merlin could've guessed from his mood. "We're been discussing the new law for Magical creatures. Tomorrow we make a decision, and I would like you to be there."

Merlin raised brows. "Why?"

Arthur made a gesture like it was obvious. "Well, you've played a vital part in making Magic legal, which in turn has made Albion prosper. More than that, I value your opinion."

Merlin lowered his head in a small bow. "It would be my honor, Sire." After all these years, he had still not gotten used to being openly praised and valued by Arthur — sure, he still made jokes and liked to drive Merlin mad, it seemed — but it was a feeling that Merlin felt he'd never take for granted.

"Anything else before I retreat for the night, My Lord?" A small voice asked to Merlin's left. Theodore, Arthur's servant, had entered the room.

"No, that'll be all, Theodore," Arthur replies kindly. "Thank you."

Theodore blushed, made a hasty bow and disappears through the door as fast as he'd arrived.

"Good servants are hard to come by, huh?" Merlin teased, using Arthur's words from long ago.

Arthur shrugged and grin. "He's nothing like you, of course."

"Right, let me guess, he's not as clumsy and opinionated as I was?" Merlin said, going along with the joke.

"Right you are, Merlin," Arthur said with a laugh. Then his expression turned more somber and he continued, "But nor is he as witty or loyal. You were a good servant, Merlin, though I believe you were always destined to be more."

"Hmm, you believe?" Merlin grinned. "Funny, a great dragon once told me the same thing."

Arthur smiled, a look in his eye as though the two of them shared something no one else knew about. A bond. A bond of loyalty, of sacrifice, and of friendship. "Good night, Merlin."

"Night, My Lord." With that, Merlin left the King's chambers.

Before returning to his chambers, however, he had one more stop to make.

He took the path that led him by the physician's chambers, where he and Gaius had once resided. Another physician lived here now, whom Merlin got along with well, though he was no Gaius, nor would he ever compare in the eyes of Merlin, Arthur, and many others.

By the wall, a few feet from the doors to the physician's chambers, stood a small table with two unlit but clearly often-used candles on it. Above it hung a small painting — not large, not very intricate, but all the more significant. It features and old man, with long hair and wrinkles around his eyes. He was giving all who walked past a great smile, an expression full of knowledge.

With a flick of his wrist, Merlin lit the two candles. One for each decade since he had passed away. They shone their warm light upon his face. Gaius.

Merlin stood there for but a moment. Gaius would not want him to dwell on the past. Especially not now, when he'd achieved what we was destined to do. When he'd made come true what Gaius had also fought so hard for. The time of Albion was here and now.

That was the last chapter you guys :( I'm kind of sad to see this story to an end. It's been really fun to write and the support has been incredible!

Thank you all for reading and reviewing. It has meant a lot and I would now glad to make more Merlin stories in the future!

Love, J