To Love a Warlock

Disclaimer-I do not own Merlin *sobs*

Chapter 1-Gwen to Become Queen

It had been three months to the day since Merlin had decided to remain with his mother in Ealdor rather than return to Camelot. The young Prince, Arthur Pendragon, missed his former manservant terribly. He wasn't just a servant to him, not just a friend even; he was the man he loved.

Merlin loved him too, of this Arthur was certain, yet he had chosen to leave before they'd even become a real couple. They had shared a few kisses and exchanged words of love and for a few blissful minutes Arthur was sure they were destined for a happy ending.

However, it seemed happily ever after was not to be. The dark-haired boy had confessed to Arthur that he was a wizard. Brought up with King Uther's fear and hatred of magic, the Prince reacted badly.

After a night to calm down and a few stinging slaps from the Lady Morgana, Arthur had hurried to find Merlin and apologize. Despite this, Merlin had still left saying it was for the best.

Although he had followed Merlin the wizard did not wish to return to Camelot with him so with a heavy heart, Arthur let him go and it had been destroying him ever since.

Everyone could see that the young Pendragon was horribly unhappy. Even his father had noticed the change in his son's attitude.

"Morgana?" Uther asked his ward over dinner one night.

"Yes my Lord?" The Lady replied after swallowing the food in her mouth.

"Have you any idea as to why Arthur is so unhappy?" He asked her studying her face carefully for any detection of a lie.

"I'm sure it's just a phase my Lord." Morgana told him trying to keep her face impassive. "He'll snap out of it in a week or two."

"I'm not blind Morgana." Uther replied as he surveyed her with a stern glare. "This has been going on for months now and I know you know something about it."

"It's not really my place to say my Lord." Morgana sighed as she took a sip of wine.

"Morgana." Uther said in a tone that demanded an explanation.

"Fine. Your son is suffering from a broken heart." She informed him, wisely leaving out the fact that it was another man who the crown Prince was in love with.

"You must be mistaken." The King replied. "Arthur's never been in love with any young lady."

"That's true." Morgana mumbled under her breath.

"It must be something else." Uther decided. "My son doesn't even show an interest in women yet. He's more interested with fighting and hunting. Although he must begin looking for a bride soon. You know Morgana, you really would make a beautiful Queen."

"My Lord, Arthur and I are far too much like brother and sister to ever consider marriage." Morgana told him hurriedly.

"Yes, yes I suppose you are." Uther agreed though he was clearly disappointed.

"What if Arthur didn't marry?" Morgana asked tentatively.

"Well he must." Uther said through his mouthful of pork. "He's the future King; he must marry and produce an heir in order to carry on the Pendragon line."

"But what if Arthur did love someone?" Morgana asked. "Someone he loved with all his heart, someone who could truly make him happy but was unable to give him a child."

"Then he would need to impregnate some other woman." Uther answered her. "The Pendragon line must carry on, but if he found someone he truly loved, as I did his mother, I would not deny him such a gift."

"So as long as Arthur found someone to carry his child, he could be with this person that he loved?" Morgana asked just to make matters clear.

"I believe that would be fair." Uther said. "Why do you ask such a question?"

"No particular reason." She replied before finishing her dinner and excusing herself from the table.

Uther watched his ward leave and mused over all she had said that night. From the sounds of things, it seemed that Arthur had in fact fallen in love. If the King was correct, this person was unable to provide his son with an heir and was most probably the reason Arthur was so depressed lately.

Getting up from the table, Uther prowled through the castle to his son's chambers. When he entered he found that his son was accompanied by Morgana's handmaiden.

"I wish to talk to my son privately." He informed the dark-skinned girl.

Gwen bowed to him respectfully before scurrying out of the room.

"What is it father?" Arthur asked.

"That girl?" Uther asked looking at the door the handmaiden had just left through. "What's her name again?"

"Guinevere." Arthur answered in confusion.

"Is she the reason you've been so upset lately?" The King asked.

"What? I'm not upset." Arthur denied.

"Don't think you can lie to me son." Uther told him. "The entire kingdom can see that you are not yourself. Morgana seems to be under the impression you're suffering from a broken heart."

The Prince hung his head low and that was all the confirmation his father needed.

"So I see it's true." Uther said causing Arthur's head to snap back up. "Some young maiden has broken your heart."

"Not exactly." Arthur replied, after all Merlin wasn't a maiden; of course he couldn't tell his father that.

"I think I know what's going on here." Uther told his son as he draped an arm across his shoulders and gave him a rare smile. "You're in love with Guinevere."

"What?" Arthur blanched. "That's ridiculous."

"It's alright Arthur you can admit it." Uther said still smiling. "I'm sure she's a remarkable young woman to have won your affections."

"But…but…" The Prince spluttered.

"If you truly love this girl I will of course give you permission to marry." Uther carried on not noticing that his son was starting to turn an odd shade of green. "However, you may only marry Guinevere on the condition that you find a woman of noble birth to give you a child."

"I don't want a child." Arthur squeaked as his mind conjured up a squealing infant running around with his sword and wrecking havoc upon the castle, with Morgana smirking in the background and encouraging the child further.

"Perhaps not yet of course." Uther agreed. "But a few years from now I'm sure you'll be ready to take on fatherhood. So, how soon do you intend to marry young Guinevere?"

With a loud thud, Arthur passed out on the floor.

Over in Ealdor, Merlin was tending to the crops, the hot sun blaring down on his back causing him to sweat. Not to far from him, his mother Hunith was also working hard along with a number of the other villagers.

"Merlin." Hunith called looking over at her son who was working vigorously. "Slow down, you're working too hard."

"I'm fine mother." He insisted as he continued with his work desperate to keep his mind off of a certain royal prat.

Since choosing to leave Camelot and return to Ealdor, not a day had passed when Merlin didn't drown in thoughts of the Prince. Every night, Arthur's handsome face appeared in his dreams. There were times when Merlin's dreams felt so real and so vivid that he almost believed he was back in the arms of his Prince. Yet when morning came he'd wake up on the floor of his mother's home feeling as if he'd lost Arthur all over again.

There were also moments when Merlin strongly considered just going back to Camelot but he always managed to convince himself that it would be better for him to stay in Ealdor.

Life was so much simpler in his home village than his hectic life in Camelot had been. Out here he didn't have to live with the constant fear that King Uther would discover his powers and have him sentenced to death. Nor did he have to contend with silly riddles from that blasted know-it-all dragon.

Yet the young warlock still missed Camelot terribly. He missed his friends, Gaius, Gwen and Morgana. But most of all, he missed Arthur Pendragon. He missed the way they'd bicker with one another, the way Arthur stomped around in his boots, the way his face would light up in triumph whenever he won a tournament or had a successful hunt, the way the sun shined on his blonde hair making it look golden, his blue eyes and soft-looking lips that were oh so kissable. He missed everything about the Prince.

"I know you miss him." Hunith stated causing her son to jump out of his thoughts. "Why don't you stop punishing yourself like this and just return to Camelot?"

"I'm not punishing myself." Merlin objected. "And I can't go back. My life's here now, its better this way."

"Merlin, I'm your mother." Hunith pointed out. "You can't hide what you're really feeling from me. You love Arthur. In fact I'd say the time apart has only made you love him more. You're not happy here, not really. And waking up everyday and fixing a false smile on your face isn't going to change that. Go back to him son; he needs you just as you need him."

"He probably isn't even missing me." Merlin replied as he continued with his work. "He's probably forgotten all about me and moved on."

"You can't honestly believe that." Hunith said as she forced her son to stop chopping the crops. "He probably spends most of his time moping around staring out his window waiting for you to step back through the city gates."

Merlin didn't reply, he simply allowed his mother to steer him back to their little house and push him into a seat at the table. With a sigh, he dropped his head onto the wooden surface whilst his mother made him a drink. Lifting his head back up, he tipped his head back and poured the liquid down his throat barely even tasting it; nothing seemed to taste good since he'd last seen Arthur.

As the wizard sat and once again found himself thinking of the Prince, his mother carefully folded his belongings into a sack before placing it in front of him.

"Just go Merlin." She told him. "Allow yourself to be happy for once."

"No, no I can't go back." He said as he looked at the bad fearfully as though it might burst into flames.

"Merlin, stop being so stubborn." Hunith sighed exasperatedly. "You are my only child and I will not stand by and watch day after day as you fall into a deeper state of depression."

"So you're just going to kick me out?" Merlin asked in disbelief.

"I'm doing what I have to in order for you to be happy again." She replied.

"Returning to Camelot won't magically solve everything." Merlin said reasonably. "For all I know Arthur really has moved on or maybe he wouldn't want to see me. It'll be much better for everyone if I just stay."

"At least go to Camelot for a few days." Hunith told him. "Visit Gaius and your friends, talk to Arthur and see how you feel. If after a few days you still wish to return then I'll be here to welcome you. But if you open up your eyes and stop being an idiot you can stay there permanently and be happy with Arthur."

"I really don't want…" Merlin tried to say but Hunith had thrust his bag at him and pushed him out of the door.

Fortunately for Merlin, the weather was pleasant on his long walk back to Camelot. He stopped for the night and camped out under the stars before walking the remainder of the journey the following morning.

A little after lunch, the magnificent castle came into view growing bigger with every step he took nearer to Camelot and more importantly, nearer to Arthur.

With each step, Merlin desperately wanted to turn around and run in the opposite direction yet his feet seemed to pick up speed ensuring that he arrived in Camelot before he followed his instinct to bolt. Once he was past the walls of Camelot the desire to run away faded and the need to see his Prince took over.

He made his way through the townspeople, a smile slowly beginning to stretch across his face as he thought of blue eyes and blonde hair. He was almost at the castle steps when he overheard two knights speaking.

"Arthur is getting married." The first knight said and Merlin froze in his tracks as he strained his ears to listen to their whispered conversation.

"And who's to be his bride?" The second knight asked. "The Lady Morgana?"

"No." The first knight replied. "Her handmaiden, Guinevere."

The whispered words sounded strangely loud in the warlock's ear and as tears threatened to fall from his eyes he turned on his heel and walked briskly away from the castle and more importantly, away from Arthur.

To Be Continued

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