Episode eleven is here. UNICORNS! Sorry I had to think about the rainbow unicorns game that my friend plays. It's wicked. Frank Finlay, who plays the part of Anhora, was in an Audio Adventure of Doctor Who as a Guest Star! Come on, we knew it was coming, almost everyone in Merlin, seems to have graced Doctor Who with their presence at some point. So that was my information portion of this chapter. I'm sure I'll think of something to grace you with next chapter.

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Merlin: Sorceress Extraordinaire.

Chapter Eleven – The Labyrinth of Gedref.

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Merlin sighed inwardly as she followed behind Arthur and the Knights who were hunting. Merlin didn't see the need in hunting animals for sport. She understood hunting animals if you were starving and needed food, but not just for fun. She didn't understand what made hunting animals enjoyable, and she didn't understand why Arthur found hunting animals so much fun. But complaining about her master's likes and dislikes was not her job. She didn't like carrying dead creatures around, but her job was to serve the Prince, and if that meant carrying his dead trophies, so be it. Or maybe that is what Merlin would think if she had grown up in Camelot, or been led to believe she should never talk for herself. But today was not a day for her to argue the point with Arthur, especially as they were travelling with two of his Knights. Saying what she wanted to when they were alone, or even with Morgana, Gwen, Lancelot or Gaius, was perfectly fine. Arthur's pride didn't feel so wounded, so he wasn't likely to yell at her for it. But in front of his Knights, Arthur wanted to be the one in charge, and Merlin knew it had to be that way. These men wouldn't follow Arthur into battle if they thought his maidservant talked back to him without recrimination. She knew if she spoke out of turn in front of the Knights, he would be forced to insult her in turn, or he would look like an idiot, even worse he might look weak. Merlin had learned this over the time she had spent with Arthur. She also valued her life, and so never spoke in the presence of King Uther. Slowly but surely, Merlin was learning when she had the best chance of speaking to Arthur and getting him to listen to her, and when to keep her silence. Something that Gaius had praised her for recently, when a Land Baron came and demanded that some serfs be removed from his land because they had not yielded as much crops as the rest of his serfs. Merlin had felt a deep sense of anger well up within her at the idea that this man, who had most likely never worked a day in his life for anything, would complain because of a slight lack of crops. Some crops didn't make it through to spring or summer, and some crops caught disease and were of no use, and had to be destroyed before they infected the rest of the crops. More than likely, Merlin knew, these particular Serfs had just had a hard time this year, and as such probably hadn't gotten as many crops as they maybe usually did. This would mean their crop yield would have to be smaller to their lord, or they would starve through the winter. Merlin was no royal, but she knew enough about these things, having been raised in a farming village where winter and starvation were the biggest killers. Disease came second, and bandits or mercenaries, looking for quick money came third. Merlin had kept her thoughts to herself, and had spoken to Arthur later on, whilst she was cleaning his room and he was dealing with the scrolls on his desk. Arthur had laughed when Merlin had actually spoken. Though his reason for laughing was that Arthur found it hilarious that Merlin knew more about crop yields than a Land Baron, and he had promised her that his father would never agree to the man throwing out his serfs for a small crop yield. Merlin had been rather cheerful when the King had then informed the Land Baron that throwing out his serfs would be a poor idea, as the crop yield hadn't been good that month for anyone, considering there had been a heavy rainfall last month and many crops had been washed out. The Land Baron had not looked happy, but there had been no further discussion about it. Gaius had told her that she was right to speak to Arthur, but she was also right to hold her tongue during the meeting. Uther didn't like servants speaking out of turn, and even though Arthur could be fair minded, it wasn't a good idea to speak in front of Uther, as Arthur would always have to fall on the side of his father, even if he disagreed with what Uther was saying. Arthur was Crown Prince, and he couldn't show any nobles that there was discord between himself and the King, or people might start coming to him instead of Uther, hoping to have more sway. There was also the problem of rebellion. If a lord felt there was division in the ranks, he might take it as an opportunity to attempt to take the throne. This would cause needless death, blood in the streets between citizens of Camelot. Merlin had decided to take up learning as much as she could about Camelot politics, for if she was going to spend the rest of her life protecting Arthur, she would need to know how to deal with these nobles and lords and land barons on their own playing field. Magic could not be used to solve all problems.

The group stopped, Merlin at the back of the line, and Merlin saw Arthur make some hand gestures that she never really got the hang of. She was carrying a heavy bunch of bags, hanging from her skinny shoulders, and she was fed up. They had been hunting all day, and Merlin could tell the sun would be going down soon. The way the light reflected through the trees, told Merlin this for a certainty. All Merlin wanted to do, was crawl into bed and sleep. But before that would happen, Merlin knew they had to get back to Camelot, Merlin would have to stable the horses, remove, clean and place the tack back in its rightful places, clean and put the weapons away, even if Arthur hadn't used all of them, which he hadn't, it had to be done. Maintenance was what Arthur called it. Merlin called it a pain in the backside. Then she would have to unpack anything Arthur took with them on this trip, clean Arthur's boots, run him a bath, because after all he would want one after sweating all day in the sun looking for animals. He'd want her to take his laundry, wash it, mend whatever needed mending, probably by tomorrow, and he would want his dinner. If Merlin was lucky, he would let her go back home to her Uncle's after dinner, so she could maybe take a bath and eat something herself before crawling into bed, and maybe get a few hours of sleep before she was up at the crack of dawn, helping Arthur train again. On the upside, Arthur's training regime had gotten Merlin a lot tougher then she would admit. On the downside, she hated the idea of violence. She believed you should only fight when necessary. Merlin wasn't stupid, despite the fact that 'idiot' was Arthur's favourite nickname for her. She knew that fighting and killing were both necessary. She didn't like it, but that's the way life was. But the Dragon had often told her that she would help Arthur build a land of peace and happiness and equality. This was what Merlin dreamed of. A world where all could live in peace and where none were persecuted, just for being alive. After the two knights wandered off in another direction, she looked at Arthur.

"Merlin!" Arthur hissed. Merlin came forward. The urge to sigh was great as she stepped over twigs, avoiding making any noise.

"What is it?" Merlin whispered back.

"I don't know. We'll surround it. I want you, to go in there, flush it out." Arthur whispered. Merlin gaped at Arthur like she was a fish out of water.

"You want me to go in there? You just said you don't know what it is! It could be dangerous!" Merlin exclaimed quietly.

"Let's hope so. Now go." Arthur said cheerfully as he gently shoved her shoulder off into the direction of the noises they had all just heard. She sighed as she heard Arthur walk off into another direction, and Merlin walked through a small pathway, through some trees. She knew she was getting closer, and she saw a stick, which she picked up. After all, it may be no help at all, but better to have something then nothing. She knew this from other times Arthur had dragged her hunting. There was a time she'd been sent to flush out a wild boar. Merlin had almost been gored by the thing, but had managed to jump out of the way in time, receiving only a small scratch on her leg. She'd seen Arthur look terribly guilty when he'd seen the gush of blood, which made the injury look worse than it actually was. Lancelot had been there that day, and had carried her back on his back. Though she knew Arthur would have done it if Lancelot hadn't been there, it was always nice to have Lancelot around. He was her friend, and she could speak to him about her magic. That was important. Also he could run a distraction for her when needed, which was also important. He was back at the castle today, on guard duty, looking after Morgana, which he would never refuse because it meant he got to spend time with Gwen. Merlin smiled as she thought of that, and then she walked round a corner and saw a clearing, bathed in beams of sunlight that made it through the canopy of the trees. Her eyes went wide, as she dropped the stick. She looked at the creature in front of her and was awed by its presence. A beautiful white unicorn stood before her, it's mane was a silvery grey and hung over its eyes, and it had a white, almost crystalline horn, attached to its forehead. Merlin walked forward, and was stood in front of the Unicorn. She stroked it's muzzle and was amazed when the creature nuzzled into her hand. Then she heard it, the sounds of Arthur and his two knights closing in. She was horrified as she realised that Arthur was expecting to kill this creature.

"Go!" Merlin whispered at the creature. "Go! Go!" Merlin pleaded with it, but it didn't move. "Please go. Ssh." Merlin tried to shoo the creature that once again nudged at her hand. "Please, they're going to kill you. You have to go. You have to get out of here." Merlin begged the creature. Then she heard a sound and looked up to see Arthur in one of the trees. "Arthur! No!" Merlin called, but Arthur didn't listen to her. His crossbow was loaded and aimed, and Arthur fired. Merlin saw the arrow pierce the creature, and it fell to the ground. Merlin felt tears leaking from her eyes. She rushed to kneel at the unicorn's side. She took its muzzle in her hands and stroked the dying creature, trying to offer it some comfort. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Merlin sobbed to the animal. It's eyes, a pure blue, not unlike her own, looked into her own eyes. It's sadness and pain were so visible in them and Merlin felt her heart break for this beautiful magical creature. She heard Arthur run over. A breathless laugh escaped his lips.

"A Unicorn!" Arthur exclaimed as he arrived on the other side of the creature. Merlin looked up at him, feeling a great gulf of sadness and anger as she looked at him.

"What have you done?" Merlin sobbed out, as she stroked the Unicorn's face still. Then the creature took it's last breath and more tears escaped her eyes.

"Merlin don't be such a wimp. We're going hunting what did you think was going to happen?" Arthur replied. That was when Merlin saw a man behind Arthur. A man dressed in white as pure as the coat of the slain unicorn, and her sadness and anger turned to fear and dread. Arthur saw the look in her eyes change and felt confusion. "What are you looking at Merlin?" Arthur asked, as he and the Knights turned to look. But they saw nothing. The man disappeared before Merlin's very eyes before Arthur could see him. Merlin knew that Arthur had unleashed something terrible in that moment and she knew that she would only be able to wait and see what it was. She tried to stop herself from crying when she saw one of the knights take out a serrated knife from his bag, and give it to Arthur, who began to saw off the Unicorn's horn. She trembled with the effort not to cry. The Unicorn was a noble creature, and Merlin felt that she should honour it in some way. She wanted to scream at Arthur that what he was doing was wrong. She knew it was wrong. A creature so good and pure didn't deserve to die in such a way, and it didn't deserve to be desecrated by Arthur removing it's horn. But there was nothing Merlin could do to stop Arthur. As they left the clearing, Merlin looked back to see the white cloaked man again, kneeling beside the Unicorn, and Merlin knew she would see this man again.

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When they got back to Camelot, Merlin felt anger well up within her as Arthur told her to clean up the horn and place it on a particularly decorative pillow. Merlin felt tears drip down her cheeks as she cleaned the creature's horn and placed it on the pillow. Arthur glared slightly after he had changed his clothing, into his regular red jacket. His hunting leathers discarded on the floor, behind the screen for Merlin to clean up later.

"Come on Merlin. We're going to show this to my father." Arthur stated. Merlin nodded but did not speak as they walked down to the council room.

"Father! A Unicorn's horn to grace the walls of Camelot!" Arthur announced as he entered the great hall before Merlin, who was carrying the red cushion, fringed with gold. She could see the frown on her Uncle's face and looked down at the ground feeling a great sense of shame that she was ever involved in this particular hunting trip.

"Magnificent!" Uther stated as he beheld the horn. He walked forward and picked the horn up reverently from the cushion. "It's the first one I've seen! Gaius! Look at this!" Uther exclaimed. He seemed as awed and amazed by the horn, as Merlin had been by the whole unicorn.

"Tis very impressive my lord." Gaius replied. Though he didn't look any happier about seeing the horn than Merlin felt. Uther frowned slightly and looked at Gaius.

"What is it Gaius? Speak your mind." Uther stated, almost in a sarcastic tone.

"Unicorns are rare and mystical creatures, and there is a legend that says bad fortune will come to anyone who slays one." Gaius replied. Arthur just smiled incredulously, obviously not believing anything Gaius had to say.

"Nonsense. We will be the envy of every kingdom." Uther said.

"I'm pleased you like it father." Arthur said. Merlin looked at her uncle, to see that Gaius was looking back at her. The look on his face reflected how Merlin felt at the moment. It was a look of dread.

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"I don't understand Uncle Gaius. How could Arthur have taken any pleasure from killing that Unicorn?" Merlin said sadly. Gaius took note of the tear tracks on Merlin's cheeks, and he thought for a moment before trying to explain it to Merlin as best he could.

"Arthur's a hunter. It's in his blood my girl. But you... you are entirely different." Gaius said softly.

"Why? Because I'm a girl?" Merlin asked sadly.

"No. Because you care for living creatures. I don't think that would ever change whether you were male or female." Gaius replied. Merlin looked at Gaius sadly, as they carried on walking.

"It was the most the most beautiful, pure creature I've ever seen Uncle. I wish you could have been there to see it." Merlin said.

"Yes. It's a real privilege. Alas there are very few Unicorns left alive." Gaius replied.

"You try telling that to Arthur." Merlin said. Gaius could detect the hints of anger and bitterness, and great sadness, in Merlin's tone of voice. He sighed.

"Yes, I can imagine it would be difficult." Gaius replied as they walked back into Gaius' quarters.

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"Some of our lords would like us to reinstate an old law back in Camelot. It's known as the 'First Night' law. There are positives and negatives to the idea." Uther told his son, as they sat alone eating dinner. Arthur was only half listening as his father carried on. "On the one hand, those lords who wish the law to be reinstated are very unlikely to turn against us in a rebellion. But I believe that is the only positive." Uther stated. Then he looked at his son. "Arthur!" Uther exclaimed, quietly. Arthur jumped out of his reverie. "You weren't listening to a thing I said, were you?" Uther questioned. Arthur shook his head.

"I'm sorry father. It's just..." Arthur had been thinking all day about how he had forced Merlin to deal with the Unicorn's horn, and he felt guilty, but telling his father this would be pointless. Uther placed a hand on Arthur's shoulder.

"You got your maidservant to clean the Unicorn's horn didn't you?" Uther questioned. Arthur found himself shocked that his father would think that far into Arthur's silence.

"Yes. I know she's just a servant father, but she is a loyal servant. I don't think she'd ever had to clean any animal, or even kill one before. She's... she's good hearted and Gaius' Niece. I think that by getting her to clean the Unicorn's horn that I upset her." Arthur said. Uther stopped Arthur from carrying on, by raising a hand.

"Arthur, I know that I often show a cold attitude towards servants. I do that, because as King I must remain objective. I cannot be friends with my servants, or they will think they can ask me for anything and I will grant it, even when that just isn't possible. You still think that by asking your maid to prove her accusations at the peace treaty with Bayard that I was being unnecessarily cruel and maybe I was, but servants are there to serve. They give their lives for yours, maybe not in such a literal sense but they often have to forgo the things they want in order to serve us. If we started throwing our lives away for servants, there would be no real difference between us and them. Maybe one day you will understand what I am trying to teach you. However, I do understand you feel guilt at making your maidservant clean up your trophy. When I was younger, younger then you, I bought home a stag's head as a trophy. I commanded one of the maidservants to clean it. I learned something valuable from that. The maidservant that I ordered to clean up the head did as she was asked. But she cried over that animal all day. Even the next day the woman cried. I didn't understand at first. It was my own mother that told me, maybe I should have thought to speak to you about this, seeing as... well, seeing as your Mother is gone." Uther said. Arthur was curious as to what his father would say. "My mother told me that many women, whether they were servants or not, felt a terrible sense of mourning, killing an animal for no reason but sport. It hurts them emotionally. Now while we are men, and of noble blood, my mother told me we should always consider the emotional well being of our servants. They are the ones who bring our food, clean our clothing and polish our armour. If they are not happy then they do not do as well with their jobs as they should. So my suggestion son, is that you do not ask your maidservant to clean up your trophies for you. It is why we have male servants." Uther said kindly. Arthur nodded and smiled, thinking this was one of the few occasions that they might actually understand each other. Then he started to listen to his father talk about the First Night law. "Now, about this law, I've decided that I will not reinstate it." Uther said.

"What exactly is this law? Why would nobles want it reinstated." Arthur asked.

"Well the law of First Night, gives a lord the rights to a servant girl on the night of her marriage. Servant, serf, peasant, whoever is within their lands." Uther replied. Arthur was horrified at the very idea. He couldn't imagine some old man dragging Gwen or Merlin off to their bed on the nights of their weddings. Just the thought made Arthur's blood boil.

"Father if a law like that were instated, what would happen here in Camelot?" Arthur asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

"Nothing. I have no interest in sleeping with the servant girls, especially the married ones." Uther replied sternly.

"I don't think it's a good law to instate. Don't serfs and servants already pay their lords a bridal tax?" Arthur asked. Uther nodded.

"Yes that is true. It would encourage the wrong type of lords to settle here in Camelot. While servants, serfs and peasants are below us in class they are still human. Their marriages should be respected as much as our own. They may have poorer ceremonies, but still a marriage is a marriage. If we allowed a law, such as First Night into Camelot, we would be no better that the raiders you went to your Maidservant's home village to stop. Such a law causes dissension among the people. Not just because of the barbarity of a lord taking a peasant girl against her will." Uther said. Arthur was confused for a moment. "Arthur, these unions often result in children. Imagine a lord takes a peasant girl from her husband before they even consummate their marriage. She becomes pregnant shortly after. That peasant man will never know if that child is his own, or if he's raising his lord's bastard. It's meant to keep people apart, keep them paranoid and unhappy. If we have no regard for these people, they will have no regard for us. That is not only wrong, but it is also how rebellions are started Arthur. If peasants feel they are being abused they will rise up, and if I reinstated First Night, it would be a true form of abuse of the peasants." Uther explained. Arthur nodded.

"You're right father. I certainly wouldn't allow such a law to make its way into our kingdom." Arthur replied seriously. Uther nodded and they began to talk about something else.

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That evening, Merlin went to visit Gwen and Morgana at Morgana's chambers. This had become a usual ritual for the three young women. They would sit together, Gwen with some sewing or mending, Merlin with some mending, cleaning, polishing or some other job, and Morgana with a book, or even some embroidery. Today, Morgana and Gwen both noticed that Merlin was very quiet. They could see the look of pain on her face as she worked on polishing one of Arthur's boots. The other sat by her side, as yet untouched.

"Merlin what happened today?" Morgana asked. Merlin looked up at Morgana with a deep sadness in her eyes.

"Arthur killed a Unicorn." Merlin replied.

"A Unicorn?" Morgana asked.

"It was the most beautiful creature I've ever seen. There was no point to killing it, but he did anyway." Merlin said, a sob catching in her throat. "I stroked it's face as it died. I wanted to offer it some comfort. I tried to get it to run, but it wouldn't leave, it kept nuzzling my hand. It trusted me. Maybe if I hadn't been there it would have run and lived. Then Arthur cut off it's horn and had me clean it when we got back. We presented it to the King on a cushion and he said that Camelot would be the envy of every kingdom because of the Unicorn horn. I'd rather not be the envy of any kingdom if it means killing something so good and pure." Merlin said sadly. Morgana noted a single tear that leaked out of Merlin's eyes, and rolled down her cheek.

"I'm sure Arthur doesn't think about this the same way Merlin. He was trained to hunt from a young age. We all have different thoughts on these things. I don't like that he killed a Unicorn either, but we can't do anything about it now Merlin. Try not to think about it. It sounds a silly thing to say, I know, and I know Arthur's a prat. There are male servants for a reason, he's not supposed to ask a woman to clean up his prizes. Maybe it's not the best advice, but it's the only advice I can give you." Morgana said sadly. Merlin nodded and went back to polishing a boot, but Morgana knew that Merlin was still thinking about it all.

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The next day, Merlin sat on Arthur's windowsill, looking out of the window while Arthur ate. Arthur could tell Merlin was sad. He could see it on her face. She'd washed her face obviously, but Arthur could see the slight redness and puffiness from where she had obviously cried the day before. Of course Merlin had probably had to kill an animal for food before, but she had never hunted for sport, and Arthur knew Merlin didn't really like to go on hunting trips. Speaking with his father the day before had only confirmed the guilt that he felt. He felt a horrible spike of guilt that he tried to push back down as he remembered handing Merlin the horn to clean. She'd looked so sad, and he was sure he had heard her stifling her sobs as she did what he'd asked. He didn't like feeling guilty for anything. He gave Merlin a look, only to see her still moping, looking out of the window.

"Merlin?" Arthur called her. Merlin looked up at him. "My horse threw a shoe. Take him to the blacksmith, and make sure he does a good job, and when you get back you can polish my... saddle..." Arthur trailed off, when he realised that Merlin had gone back to looking out of the window again. "Merlin?" Arthur called her. She didn't seem to be paying any attention. "Merlin!" Arthur exclaimed loudly. Merlin startled out of the seeming stupor she was in and looked at Arthur carefully. "Have you been listening to a single thing I've said?" Arthur asked. Merlin nodded. "For goodness sake, you've been walking around with a face like a wounded bear since we got back from that hunting trip. Don't tell me you're still upset about the Unicorn?" Arthur asked. But he knew the answer. Merlin went to looking back out of the window, and Arthur went to go and pull on his boots.

"I don't think you should have killed it." Merlin said sadly.

"Oh really, and why is that?" Arthur shot back as he found a pair of his boots, sat down on his bed and went to put them on. He wanted to hear Merlin's answer, even though he wasn't sure he would entirely agree with it.

"It wasn't doing any harm to anyone. What purpose was served by killing it?" Merlin asked.

"We were hunting. That's what you do when you hunt Merlin. You kill things." Arthur replied. He pulled on one boot. "What would you have me do? Bring it home as a pet?" Arthur asked mockingly. Then something caught his eye as he stood up. "What is that?" Arthur exclaimed suddenly, looking under his bed. Merlin looked at him in confusion.

"What?" Merlin asked.

"That?" Arthur stated, pulling Merlin over to stand next to his bed. He made her look, and Merlin blinked as she saw the rat's droppings. "Fresh rat droppings. My chambers are infested. You need to stop worrying about Unicorns and start worrying about rats!" Arthur exclaimed, not wanting to admit that he felt guilty for causing Merlin's sadness, so he took out his irritation on her. Merlin blinked, looking very confused. Then there was a knock at the door. A guard opened it, and looked at Arthur and Merlin.

"My Lord, the King requests your presence as a matter of urgency." The Guard said. Arthur nodded and looked at Merlin.

"Find that rat." Arthur stated coldly, before leaving, leaving Merlin more confused than ever.

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"Father?" Arthur called, as he dismounted from a horse and ran across the field to see his father crouched, looking at the ears of wheat. Arthur couldn't figure out quite what was wrong with this picture. Something wasn't right that was for sure.

"Every single ear has died." Uther told his son. Arthur was horrified as he realised that the whole wheat field was, in fact, dead. "Reports have come in that it is the same across the Kingdom." Uther told Arthur.

"But I rode through this valley yesterday and everything was perfectly healthy then." Arthur exclaimed.

"It happened overnight. The farmers are all at a loss to explain what has happened." Uther said sternly. "I've asked the Court Physician to conduct some tests. We must ration what little food we have left." Uther finished, before walking away, leaving Arthur looking around in the wheat field, not sure what to think of the devastation.

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"Do you have any idea what caused the crops to die?" Merlin asked her Uncle, as she saw Gaius conducting tests.

"I don't know Merlin. I haven't completed the tests yet. But no disease I know of could go through an entire kingdom in a single night." Gaius replied.

"What could kill all the plants in a single night?" Merlin asked.

"It's not killing all the plants Merlin. The trees and hedges around the crop fields are unharmed." Gaius replied.

"So it's only killing edible plants." Merlin stated. Gaius nodded.

"It appears so." Gaius replied.

"This isn't a disease, is it Uncle? This is magic." Merlin said softly.

"Don't jump to conclusions my girl. Until I complete the tests we cannot be sure. There may be something in the soil and water samples that I took that would explain all this. I don't want to tell the King that this is sorcery unless I'm absolutely sure." Gaius told Merlin firmly. Merlin nodded her understanding. She looked out of the window, to see that people were heading towards the courtyard, queuing up in lines to receive food rations, and Merlin felt dread creep through her bones.

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"The livestock is either dying, or has already been eaten." Arthur explained to his father, as he walked with him. "We're distributing rations, but what stores we have are meagre and they won't last long." Arthur finished. They headed into the grain stores, and Uther saw what grain they had left.

"Is this all the grain we have?" Uther asked.

"The people are growing frightened father. There's been some looting." Arthur said. Uther frowned.

"We must maintain order at all cost. I will issue a decree that looters are to be executed. From this night, Camelot will be under curfew until further notice." Uther stated firmly. Arthur nodded as they left the grain stores.

"I'll see to it Father." Arthur replied.

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Merlin had gone to get some herbs for Gaius, and on her way back she spotted Gwen by the well.

"Merlin, is it true what they're saying about the crops?" Gwen asked. Merlin stopped and looked at her. "That they're all dead?" Gwen continued. Merlin nodded.

"Yes. We may have to all start tightening our belts." Merlin replied.

"I'm sure you'll think of something." Gwen said. Merlin smiled and nodded, walking around the corner. She had barely gone a few steps before she heard Gwen call her back. Merlin ran back to see that Gwen was working the water pump, but water was not coming out, only dry, white sand.

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"The well is full of it?" Uther asked. Arthur nodded.

"Every well is dry. There is precious little water to be found and it's the same throughout the kingdom. I sent men to the underground reservoir but all they found was sand." Arthur replied. Uther looked at Gaius.

"First the crops and now this. Do you have an explanation for this Gaius?" Uther asked the old man. Gaius shook his head.

"I cannot find a scientific explanation for any of this Sire. The only conclusion I can come to is that this is the work of Sorcery." Gaius replied. Uther nodded.

"The Kingdom is under attack." Uther said sadly. Arthur and Gaius were both as worried as Uther at the idea of an unseen enemy, attacking them with an unknown spell.

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Merlin and Gwen had made their way to Gaius' chambers, bringing the bucket of sand with them. Gwen closed the door behind them and put down the bucket, while Merlin ran up the three steps to her room, flinging the door open, and quickly going for her loose floorboards, where she hid her magic book. She soon had it out and she held her hand out over the bucket of sand. She tried a variety of spells, as Gwen watched in awe, as Merlin's eyes flashed gold, over and over. But the sand did not become water. Merlin sighed.

"I'll go and tell Morgana what's going on. You keep trying Merlin. I'm sure there must be something we can do." Gwen said. Merlin nodded and carried on, after Gwen left. It was a little while later when she noticed that her Uncle was staring at her.

"Oh... Uncle Gaius... I was just..." Merlin wasn't sure what to say. He'd caught her in the act. If it had been anyone else she would surely be dead. Gaius gave her a weary smile.

"I was hoping you might be trying to turn that sand into water." Gaius said. Merlin stared at Gaius incredulously. "I know I've always cautioned you against using magic, but if ever there was a time to use your talents it would be now." Gaius added.

"I've tried every spell in this book that even relates to water, twice. If this is magic, it's more powerful than any magic I have. I don't know what to do. I wish I did" Merlin replied sadly. Gaius and Merlin both sat looking at each other for a moment before looking at the sand in the bucket, both lost in thought.

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Merlin had sat with Morgana and Gwen that evening. She was mending a few of Arthur's shirts, as Gwen mended a seam on one of Morgana's gowns. Morgana was sat near the fireplace, staring into it intently.

"What do you think is going to happen?" Gwen asked Morgana.

"I think Merlin will figure all of this out, like she usually does. We'll all trick Arthur into doing what he needs to do, and then hopefully we'll have water and food again. Otherwise we'll all starve. The people of the lower town and outer villages first, then the professionals and servants. The palace guards and Knights, then us, well, Uther, Arthur and I, along with the army. We'll be the last ones to starve to death." Morgana said sadly. Merlin looked at Morgana closely.

"At least you're honest about it." Merlin said. She missed a seam, so had to unpick the last few stitches and redo them.

"You work harder than most servants Merlin. Usually the palace seamstress would be mending Arthur's shirts. But you do it all yourself." Morgana stated. Merlin smiled.

"Well I know how to. Besides, I was ordered to do the work, so I'll do it. I wouldn't foist my work onto someone else. It may be hard to work for Arthur, but I believe in him. I know that whatever happens, he'll do his best to put everything right. I don't think he'd let us all starve to death while he ate. He just... wouldn't." Merlin stated confidently. Morgana and Gwen both smiled at the younger girl and carried on with their activities. Neither one knowing what would happen that very night.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Merlin had finished mending Arthur's shirts, and had taken them back to his room, before she started on her way back to Gaius' chambers. As she nearly walked out of the courtyard, a hand grabbed her arm. She looked at a large man, who held a knife to her throat. Merlin could easily use magic to stop this man from hurting her, but if she did she would have to kill him so he couldn't tell anyone her secret.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" Merlin asked. She used every bit of nerve she had to stop a tremor of fear making its way into her voice. The man glared at her.

"You're the Prince's maidservant. You must know where there is extra food and water and you're gonna tell me little girl." The man said harshly. Merlin could smell mead on his breath and recoiled, trying to move backwards, but the man's grip tightened.

"I don't know where anything like that is. All I know is that there is no water, and food is being rationed. It's the same for everyone." Merlin replied. The man looked at her irritably.

"You dress like a boy. I wonder if you look like one." The man said.

"Hey! You! What are you doing out? There's a curfew!" The man turned and Merlin caught a glimpse of Arthur and Lancelot. It was Lancelot who had yelled. The man let go of Merlin and ran off. Merlin started to shake then. It was Lancelot who ran off after the man, and Arthur stepped forward.

"Merlin? Merlin are you alright?" Arthur asked her. Merlin nodded shakily. "You shouldn't be out at this time of night. There's a curfew. I wouldn't want to arrest my own servant for breaking it. That would be rather embarrassing." Arthur tried to say cheerfully. Merlin gave a weak smile.

"I was just... I was mending those shirts. I was talking with Gwen and Morgana and when I went to put the shirts back I started hunting for the rat." Merlin said softly.

"Did you find it?" Arthur asked drily. Merlin blinked and her hand rose to play with the end of her side braid.

"No. It eluded me." Merlin replied.

"So you were outwitted, by a rat." Arthur drawled sarcastically.

"Well they say rats are very intelligent." Merlin commented.

"More intelligent then you it seems." Arthur stated, making Merlin grin.

"If they're more intelligent than me, I dread to think how much smarter than you they are." Merlin shot back. Arthur shook his head, giving Merlin an incredulous look.

"You can't talk to me like that Merlin." Arthur said.

"I just did. Would you like me to do it again My Lord?" Merlin asked. Arthur smiled at her. That was when Arthur noticed someone sneaking into the castle. Arthur looked at Merlin and Merlin looked back at him.

"Go home." Arthur told Merlin firmly. Then he ran off after the elusive, white clothed figure. As he was running, he heard her steps running after him and wanted to yell in frustration that Merlin had decided to follow him instead of listening to him. Arthur ran all the way to the underground tombs, with Merlin right behind him. They both looked in both directions from the stairs, but didn't see the intruder. "I thought I told you to go home Merlin?" Arthur whispered. Merlin shrugged.

"I couldn't leave you to deal with it all alone. Who knows who you might find? I can at least raise some sort of alarm." Merlin whispered back confidently. Arthur sighed. Then he put one hand on Merlin's shoulder, and used his other hand to gesture that Merlin should go one way, and he should go the other. Merlin looked at him almost blankly, and nodded. Then as Arthur made to go right, Merlin made to follow him. Arthur almost growled in frustration.

"That means that you go the other way and cut him off." Arthur hissed sternly, making the hand gestures again. Merlin smiled sheepishly.

"Oh. Sorry about that. I'll just... go left?" Merlin said. Arthur rolled his eyes as Merlin ran off in the opposite direction. Then he ran round and met Merlin in the middle. They were both confused until Arthur saw a silhouette of a shadow on the wall from the direction he had just come. He looked at Merlin, and could see that she had seen it too. Arthur gestured for her to go back the way she'd come and she nodded, running the other way, while Arthur also reversed his route, only for him to meet Merlin back at the stairs again.

"Well where is he then?" Arthur asked.

"I don't know." Merlin replied.

"You must have let him get past you!" Arthur exclaimed angrily.

"Arthur no one passed me! I know you think I'm stupid but I could never be that stupid. I'd notice someone pass me!" Merlin exclaimed back.

"Are you looking for me?" The pair turned and Merlin gasped as she recognised the man from the forest.

"I saw you. I saw you when the Unicorn died." Merlin said softly. Arthur looked at Merlin.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Arthur asked Merlin.

"It was... it was only for a moment." Merlin replied. The old man gave Merlin a sad smile.

"You cried for the Unicorn, offered her comfort in her death and tried to save her life child, and for that I thank you. I am Anhora, keeper of the Unicorns." The old man said. Arthur stared at the man and then at Merlin, who looked at the old man with confusion.

"Is that why you're here? To thank me? I did what I thought was right." Merlin replied.

"I thanked you for your kindness dear girl, but I am not here for you." Anhora said.

"Then what are you doing here? Camelot is under curfew, state your business." Arthur said.

"I have come to deliver a message." Anhora replied.

"And who is this message for?" Arthur asked.

"The message is for you, Arthur Pendragon." Anhora replied.

"Is it you who is responsible for killing our crops and turning our water into sand?" Arthur asked.

"You and you alone are responsible for the misfortune that has befallen Camelot." Anhora said.

"Me? You think I would bring famine and drought on my own people?" Arthur asked angrily.

"This is about the Unicorn, isn't it?" Merlin questioned. Arthur glared at Merlin, but the old man gave her a sad smile and nodded.

"When you killed the Unicorn, Arthur Pendragon, you unleashed a curse, for this Camelot will suffer greatly.

"If you have placed a curse on Camelot, you will lift it or you will pay with your life." Arthur said coldly.

"Arthur!" Merlin exclaimed.

"The curse was not my doing." Anhora replied.

"You will lift the curse or face execution." Arthur said angrily.

"Only you can do that. You will be tested." Anhora said.

"You are under arrest." Arthur said, as he made a grab for Anhora. But the white clad man disappeared and reappeared on the stairs.

"Until you have proven yourself and made amends for killing the unicorn, the curse will not be lifted. If you fail any of these tests, Camelot will be damned for all eternity." Anhora stated. Both Merlin and Arthur stared at Anhora. Then he was gone. Arthur looked at Merlin, and saw she was looking back at him. Neither of them knew what to say in that moment.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

The next morning, Merlin explained everything to Gaius.

"You believe that what Anhora said was the truth?" Gaius asked.

"You said yourself there's a legend that says misfortune comes to anyone who kills a unicorn. It makes sense." Merlin replied. Gaius placed two bowls on the table. There was very little in the bowls, the tiniest morsels of wheat.

"There's not a lot for breakfast, you must eat it. We're down to our last scraps of food, and I will not have you starve my girl." Gaius told Merlin.

"Where did you get the water to make the tea?" Merlin asked as she took a sip.

"Fortunately for us you forgot to empty your bathwater the other night." Gaius replied. Merlin spat the tea back into the cup, looking disgusted.

"You're making tea from my bathwater?" Merlin asked incredulously.

"It's not so bad. Perhaps a little... soapy?" Gaius replied. Merlin sighed as she put down the tea. "What does Arthur think of the curse?" Gaius asked.

"He doesn't believe it's his fault. He thinks Anhora is responsible." Merlin replied.

"Well if you don't want to drink bathwater, you'll have to make Arthur see sense." Gaius replied. Merlin pouted irritably.

"He never listens to me Gaius. No matter how many times I'm proved right, he never listens." Merlin said. Gaius gave Merlin a sad smile.

"You must make him listen to you." Gaius replied.

"He thanked me." Merlin said suddenly. Gaius looked at Merlin as he sat down.

"Thanked you? Who thanked you?" Gaius asked.

"Anhora did. He said that I showed kindness to the unicorn in her last moments. He said that I tried to save her and that I comforted her whilst she was dying and that I cried for her, and he thanked me for it." Merlin said softly.

"He thanked you because he was grateful for the kindness you showed. It's not everyone who would sit at the side of a dying creature and try to offer it comfort in it's last moments. But you did that Merlin." Gaius told his niece. Merlin gave a weak smile as she tried to eat the small amount of wheat in her bowl.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Merlin sighed as she saw Arthur pulling on one of his boots.

"That rat!" Arthur yelled. "It's eaten through my boot! Look at this!" Arthur added, thrusting the boot in Merlin's face, with his finger through the hole, as Merlin tried to put away some more of Arthur's laundry. Merlin gave Arthur a pointed look.

"I guess the rat is as hungry as the rest of us." Merlin replied.

"You think this is funny, don't you Merlin." Arthur sniped.

"Moderately. I have to find something funny when Uncle Gaius is trying to make me drink bathwater from two days ago." Merlin retorted. Arthur glared and threw the boot at her.

"Get it mended. And find that rat!" Arthur exclaimed before storming away to stand by his window.

"Have you... given any more thought to what Anhora said to you last night?" Merlin asked.

"Well, he may have escaped last night, but at least we know who we're looking for. I've promised my father that I'll find this Anhora and put an end to it." Arthur replied. Merlin groaned inwardly at Arthur's stubbornness.

"What if he was telling the truth about the curse Arthur? Have you considered that?" Merlin asked.

"Oh, you think I'm responsible for bringing suffering upon my own people?" Arthur shot back.

"No. You wouldn't do that, at least not deliberately. But Arthur, when you killed the Unicorn, he was there. You know I saw him." Merlin said.

"What difference does that make?" Arthur asked.

"Doesn't it make you think he might be telling the truth?" Merlin asked.

"Because he was skulking about in the forest? No! It makes me trust him even less!" Arthur exclaimed.

"Why would he come to Camelot just to lie to you?" Merlin asked logically.

"He knew we had him cornered, he was saying whatever he thought would help him escape." Arthur replied. Merlin rolled her eyes.

"Arthur he could disappear into thin air! He didn't need an escape route!" Merlin exclaimed.

"My father has warned me about sorcerers like him my whole life. They will not rest until Camelot is destroyed." Arthur stated.

"Well I think he was telling the truth." Merlin retorted.

"Then you're a fool!" Arthur exclaimed. Arthur could see the hurt look on Merlin's face, but he felt it was better to hurt her feelings now, than let a sorcerer hurt her later. "You cannot trust a single word a sorcerer says Merlin, and you would do well to remember that." Arthur added. If it were possible, Merlin looked even sadder, though Arthur couldn't fathom why this might be. Maybe it was the fact that the sorcerer had shown Merlin some form of kindness last night, and she felt compelled with her kind heart to offer him some defence. "Now, I think I've figured out what Anhora's next move is going to be, and when he makes it, I'm going to be waiting for him." Arthur said. Merlin frowned as Arthur belted his sword around his waist, and left the room.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

It was later that day that Merlin came across Lancelot.

"Are you alright Merlin? Merlin gave a smile as she sat on the stairs into the courtyard. Lancelot sat beside her.

"I'm alright Lancelot. All of this is just..." Merlin looked at lines of people queuing for rations.

"I mean after last night. That man could have hurt you." Lancelot stated. Merlin frowned, not sure how to answer it. She had almost forgotten the man who had held a knife to her throat. After all, he was just one of many numerous threats to her life on a daily basis. She shrugged as she remembered the incident.

"I'm alright. I'm glad that you and Arthur came along when you did. I'm... not sure if I could have... incapacitated him without dire consequences." Merlin replied. Then she stood up and placed a hand on Lancelot's shoulder. "I'm fine Lancelot. Really I'm fine. I'd better go back and find Arthur. He was raving about his boot, and the menders can't fix it. They just don't have the materials at the moment." Merlin replied. She went into the castle and Lancelot found himself frowning. That was when another presence sat next to him. He looked at Morgana.

"Good day Milady." Lancelot greeted cheerfully enough.

"What's wrong Lancelot?" Morgana asked. Lancelot frowned again.

"Merlin puts so little value on her own life. Last night, a looter threatened her with a knife. We didn't even hear what the man was saying, Arthur and I, we didn't even know he was talking to Merlin until I yelled at him. He turned, and there was Merlin. He ran off, and Arthur went to speak to her. I went after the man, but I couldn't find him. But Morgana, she could have been hurt. Yes she's capable of protecting herself, but her only means of protection could kill her as well. Yet when I asked her how she was, she insists that she's fine. She just shrugged it off. She's the bravest of us all, and Arthur will probably never acknowledge it." Lancelot said. Morgana nodded and looked at the people lined up in the courtyard looking for food.

"We have to have faith in her Lancelot, in her and in Arthur, if we don't, then what's the point of all this? Besides, if anyone can survive it's Merlin. She's stronger then we give her credit for." Morgana said gently. The pair then went their separate ways to mull over their thoughts, both wondering how long they could trust Merlin would keep herself safe for.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

That night, Merlin followed Arthur and Lancelot down to the grain stores. She could see Lancelot was half asleep, and both Arthur and Lancelot were smacking their lips. There was no more ale, mead or wine in the city. The taverns had run dry and there were no more materials to restock. As Merlin looked at Arthur and Lancelot, Arthur spotted Merlin.

"What are you doing here?" Arthur asked her.

"Checking on you both. I know the way you think Arthur, I've worked for you long enough." Merlin said gently. Arthur looked to the side suddenly, and made a hand gesture to Lancelot. Lancelot nodded and stood up.

"Someone's coming Merlin. I want you to leave." Arthur whispered.

"If I go I'll alert whoever it is to the fact that I'm here." Merlin whispered back. Arthur rolled his eyes, and Lancelot gave Merlin a smile when Arthur wasn't looking. A moment later, Merlin spied what Arthur had seen, someone with a torch had made their way into the grain stores. The trio walked slowly towards the grain store room and walked in. Both Arthur and Lancelot removed their swords, and as they entered the grain storeroom, they saw a shadow on the wall, the shadow of a person, most likely a man. Arthur gestured for Merlin to stay back, while Arthur and Lancelot moved forward.

"Show yourself, before I run you through." Arthur said sternly. A moment later a shovel came round the corner, before a poor looking man who held it, and a bag of grain.

"Who are you?" Arthur asked.

"My name is... my name is..." The man stuttered quietly.

"Speak up." Arthur said firmly.

"My name is Evan my Lord." The man replied.

"I see you think you can help yourself to our grain reserves." Arthur stated sternly. Lancelot and Merlin watched the interaction take place. "You surely know that my father has ordered that all looters be executed." Arthur added. The man seemed to pale even further and started to tremble.

"I... I do not steal for myself my lord. I have three small children, they are hungry they have not eaten for two days." The man said trembling.

"It's the same for everyone." Arthur said.

"I did not want to steal!" The man exclaimed, his voice trembling still. "I just could not bear to see them starve." Evan replied.

"Could you bear for your children to see you executed?" Arthur asked. The scraggly man's eyes went wide as he shook his head. Arthur looked at the man, seeing the sadness in his face, Arthur's cold gaze softened. "Then you should go home." Arthur said. Merlin, Lancelot and Evan all looked at Arthur then. "If you are caught stealing again, I will not spare you." Arthur added. Evan smiled.

"Thank you my lord." Evan said as he eased around Arthur and Lancelot, placing the bag of grain on the floor.

"Wait." Arthur said. Evan looked back at Arthur. Arthur picked up the bag of grain and threw it to Evan. "Use it sparingly. It might be the last food you and your family get for some time." Arthur said.

"You have shown yourself to be merciful and kind, my lord. This will bring its own rewards." Evan said. Merlin felt a tremor, almost like magic, go through her and the ground. She knew Arthur and Lancelot didn't feel it. In that moment, Merlin knew Arthur had passed the first test. But she wasn't sure what would come of it.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Gwen and Merlin were walking through the market place. It was empty, and there were no people. Of course there was no food, so this surprised neither woman. Merlin felt a deep sadness as she saw guards chasing a thief through the square. It was as they passed the water pump, the Gwen stopped Merlin.

"Wait Merlin. I can see... I swear I saw a drop of water coming from the pump." Gwen said. She grabbed a bucket and Merlin went behind the pump and started to work the handle. Both women gasped and cheered with joy when water came gushing out into the bucket.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Merlin and Arthur were both gulping down tankards of water.

"I never knew water could taste so good." Arthur said.

"Neither did I. My throat was so dry I thought I might not be able to talk." Merlin replied.

"At least some good would have come from the drought then." Arthur retorted. Merlin pouted as Arthur grinned at her.

"More?" Merlin asked, as she picked up a full jug of water. Arthur nodded, and gestured at his tankard. Merlin poured the water.

"The water returned and the sands disappeared from the well. It doesn't make any sense." Arthur said. Merlin turned to go and put the jug down on the table, but Arthur caught the look on her face. "I suppose you have some explanation for this Merlin? Come on then, let's hear it." Arthur asked.

"It might make more sense than you think. Anhora said you would be tested, and last night you let that villager go when you could have had him executed." Merlin said.

"I was doing what I thought was right." Arthur replied.

"But he said that this would bring its own rewards." Merlin added. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"He was merely grateful as well he should have been." Arthur said.

"I think that was the first test Arthur and you passed it. The curse has begun to lift and the water was your reward." Merlin said confidently. Arthur's face remained expressionless. Merlin sighed. "I know you don't have to listen to me." Merlin started.

"Glad we agree on something." Arthur interrupted.

"If you're tested again Arthur, you have a chance to end your people's suffering and I know you want that more than anything. Perhaps we should seek Anhora out." Merlin finished.

"We don't negotiate with Sorcerers. My father would never hear of it." Arthur replied.

"Then it's best you don't tell him." Merlin retorted. Arthur stood up from his seat.

"I'm going to go check on the guard. Try and find some food." Arthur stated. Merlin glared as Arthur left the room, not even looking back at her once.

"How the hell am I supposed to find any food?" Merlin said to herself irritably. That was when she saw something moving in Arthur's boot. Her eyes widened and she grinned impishly as she waited for the rat that squeezed itself through the hole it had made in Arthur's boot a few days ago. Then Merlin uttered a quick spell, and the rat was dead. Now, Merlin had to decide what to do with the thing. It was large, for a rat. Merlin grinned again as a thought almost slightly too evil, even for Merlin, crossed her mind. She whistled a tune as she picked up the dead rat and walked away, ready to enact her plan.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Arthur found Morgana in the courtyard, where hundreds of refugees were lined up looking to find something to eat. Both Arthur and Morgana could hear the sounds of crying women and children, sobbing with hunger pains.

"Who are they?" Morgana asked. Arthur looked at them sadly.

"They've come from the outlying villages in search of food." Arthur replied. "We've barely enough rations for the people who are already here." Arthur added, wishing there was more food for everyone.

"You shouldn't blame yourself Arthur. You're doing everything you can." Morgana told Arthur, though Merlin had told her what had happened, Morgana knew that Arthur didn't do this on purpose and that he would do whatever he could to fix it, with a few nudges from Merlin in the right direction of course.

"It's not enough Morgana. It's just not enough." Arthur replied as he left. Morgana looked at him sadly, hoping that this had finally made him think about what he was doing.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Later that day, Merlin was with Gwen when they snuck into the kitchens. The cook, Audrey, wasn't there, but Merlin knew where the old woman kept old bread stored. It wasn't as nice as freshly baked bread, but it was better than nothing, and people were starving.

"What are you two doing?" Gwen and Merlin looked wide eyed at Audrey. The old woman smiled and placed a finger over her lips as she put the bread in their baskets. "Make sure to give as much as you can to the women and children." Audrey stated. Gwen and Merlin nodded, Merlin grinning widely and Gwen smiling bright. Gwen and Merlin smuggled it out of the kitchens in their baskets and made their way to Morgana.

"Did you manage to find any food?" Morgana whispered. Merlin and Gwen nodded, lifting the side of cloth covering their baskets, to reveal the bread. "Where did you get that?" Morgana asked.

"Smuggled it out of the kitchens." Merlin whispered.

"With a little help from Audrey." Gwen added quietly.

"Share it amongst the women and old people. Try and make it go as far as you can." Morgana whispered. Merlin and Gwen nodded and both went forward to hand out the bread, trying to spread it out amongst as many people as possible.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Arthur, this isn't your fault." Lancelot said, as he visited Arthur that day.

"Merlin thinks it is." Arthur shot back.

"Does she think you'd do it purposely?" Lancelot asked.

"No. She's determined that this is all about the Unicorn." Arthur replied.

"She might just be right. She's right about pretty much everything else." Lancelot quipped. Arthur blinked. Then Lancelot looked out of the window. "Arthur, take a look." Lancelot said. Arthur came to window and saw Merlin and Gwen divvying up portions of bread, tearing off small chunks and giving to small children, not once taking a single crumb for themselves.

"Where did they get that bread?" Arthur asked.

"Merlin probably found out where Audrey keeps the old bread and they smuggled it out of the kitchens. After all both Gwen and Merlin have a need to help others." Lancelot replied. Arthur sighed as he saw Merlin brush stray strands of hair out of a little girl's face and offer her some bread, which the child wolfed down.

"If they get caught, my father will flog them both." Arthur said hesitantly.

"You love Merlin." Lancelot said.

"I do not." Arthur shot back.

"You can pretend with anyone else Arthur, even Merlin herself, because she's so oblivious, but I knew from the moment you asked me to look after her, before you were to face the Black Knight, that you loved her. When you figure it out, you may just have a hard time convincing her of it. You've made such a good job of convincing her that you vaguely have an affection for her, like you would for a pet dog." Lancelot stated.

"I do not treat Merlin like a dog!" Arthur hissed.

"No. You just act like that's the care you show for her Arthur. Like I said, you should figure out your feelings for her. After all, one day, she might just believe that you only see her as a friend. She may then find someone who appreciates her." Lancelot suggested. Arthur felt a tightly wound coil of burning anger in the pit of his belly at Lancelot's words.

"Oh and who might that be Lancelot? You?" Arthur asked angrily. Lancelot shook his head at Arthur.

"My heart lies with Gwen. It has since I saw her. But if you can't figure out your feelings for Merlin Arthur, you may find that you lose her one day, if not to another man, then to one of these deadly quests that you go on. If that happens, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. She may be just a serving girl to you, but a clever person once said that 'station shouldn't determine who you are. What you do should determine that' and I believed them. Now I'm a Knight of Camelot when I never thought I would be." Lancelot replied.

"Let me guess, it was Merlin who said this to you." Arthur said. Lancelot nodded.

"Merlin's got a good head on her shoulders, and a good heart. Try believing in her once in a while, like she believes in you. Even better, try to listen to her once in a while. You might find you avoid a lot of trouble for it." Lancelot said, before he left the room, leaving Arthur to his thoughts.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Merlin dragged herself up the stairs with the little metal pot in her hands. The smell of the stew inside did not smell appetising to Merlin. But it wasn't meant to, and that was the point. The cheeky grim on her face made some of the other maids give her strange looks as she made the journey to Arthur's chambers. She walked in and saw Arthur moping.

"Arthur, look. I found food." Merlin stated. Arthur looked up at her listlessly, as Merlin placed a bowl in front of him, and ladled some of the strangest looking stew he had ever seen into the bowl.

"I've lost my appetite." Arthur said sadly.

"You have to eat something." Merlin replied.

"I can't. Not while my people are starving." Arthur replied. Merlin could see that Arthur was finally willing to accept the truth of the matter. "Do you really believe that I'm responsible for the curse?" Arthur asked.

"I'm afraid so." Merlin replied.

"We're going to the forest first thing in the morning. Maybe we can pick up Anhora's trail. Whatever it takes." Arthur said. Merlin smiled widely.

"Well you have to eat. You won't help anyone if you're too weak to pass the test. You need to keep up your strength." Merlin said cheerfully.

"Alright." Arthur agreed finally. Merlin pushed the bowl closer to him, and then walked over to place the metal pot, which she'd carried the stew in, on to another table. Arthur took a spoonful and put it in his mouth. Merlin held her composure as Arthur's facial expression changed.

"What kind of meat is this? It has a very strange texture." Arthur asked. Merlin looked at the wall.

"It's pork." Merlin answered.

"This is not pork. It's far too stringy. What is it? It's..." Arthur trailed off. Then he saw the amused glint in Merlin's eyes. "It's rat isn't it." Arthur said assuredly. The look on his face twisted into absolute disgust. Merlin nodded, never smiling, but that amused glint ever present in her eyes.

"Try not to think about it." Merlin said softly. Arthur looked at her and wondered when she'd gotten so cheeky? Not to mention how she had managed to pull off getting him to eat rat. Of course, two could play at the same game.

"Look at me. I'm being rude. Here I am, stuffing my face with this delicious stew, when you're hungry too." Arthur said. He stood up and Merlin backed away. Arthur took her by the hand, smirking evilly. "Come on. Take a seat." Arthur said, gently shoving her into his own chair. Merlin looked at the bowl of stew in front of her, in disgust. "Eat." Arthur ordered. Merlin had no choice now. She was caught out. She picked up the spoon, and Arthur watched as she placed a mouthful of rat into her mouth. "Ummmm... What do you think Merlin?" Arthur asked. Arthur then made Merlin eat another spoon, by pushing the spoon towards her mouth. She grimaced as she put the second spoonful in her mouth. But she would not let Arthur have the last word.

"It's actually pretty tasty." Merlin said, a look of disgust all over her face proving otherwise.

"I'm glad you like it, because there's plenty more." Arthur stated, an evil grin on his face, as he picked up the metal pot with the rest of the stew in it. That was when there was a knock on the door. "Enter." Arthur called out, never taking his eyes off Merlin until the door opened. He turned to see Morgana at the door. "Morgana!" Arthur exclaimed cheerfully.

"I hate to ask, but I was wondering if you had anything to eat." Morgana said. Arthur looked at Merlin, who grinned back at him. Arthur then offered her the pot.

"It's stew. One of Merlin's concoctions." Arthur said cheerfully. Merlin kept her mouth closed, knowing that if she opened it, she wouldn't stop laughing. Morgana took the pot and thanked them both, before disappearing. Both Merlin and Arthur burst into laughter once Morgana was gone, neither of them had decided whether or not to tell Morgana about the rat later on.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

The next morning, the pair made their way into the forest, looking for Anhora. Arthur went one way and Merlin another. Merlin found herself stood in front of Anhora.

"You need to let him complete these tests alone child." Anhora said gently.

"I don't understand." Merlin replied.

"You are Emrys. Nothing is purer than your magic. Your goodness and your destiny are well known amongst those of us with magic, and among all magical creatures. But this is something you cannot help Arthur with. He must do this alone." Anhora told her. Then he was gone. Merlin's eyes went wide as she realised Arthur was most likely facing a test by himself. She ran to find him, only to see his sword slash through the villager from the other night. Merlin felt her heart stop as she saw the anger on Arthur's face. This hadn't been Arthur defending himself, this had been Arthur reacting in anger. In that moment, Merlin knew he had failed the test.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

When Arthur and Merlin arrived back in the citadel, they saw Lancelot waiting for them.

"Sire, the King has called for your presence in the grain stores." Lancelot said seriously. Arthur frowned and headed straight for the store rooms. He saw a bunch of guards around the grain silo and his father crouched down next to the grain.

"What is it? What's happened?" Arthur asked. He saw his father was rubbing the grain between his gloved fingers. Arthur then noticed, with horror, that the grain was rotted.

"All of our remaining supplies have rotted. Every last grain." Uther stated. Merlin stood beside Arthur, though he had barely noticed her following him. Uther stood and left and Arthur didn't know what to say as he looked at Merlin, who looked back at him. Arthur knew this was his fault, but now he had no way of fixing what he had done. There was nothing he could do.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"I know Arthur's stubborn and pig headed, and more than a little annoying at times." Merlin said sadly as she sat across from Gaius that afternoon. "But he cares about his people, more then he cares about himself. He'll never forgive himself for making them suffer this way." Merlin added. Gaius gave Merlin a sad look.

"You must make sure he doesn't do anything rash."

"The mood he's in, I don't know what he's going to do Uncle Gaius." Merlin replied. The pair looked down at their plates. Merlin frowned.

"Are you ready?" Gaius asked.

"Are you sure they're not poisonous?" Merlin shot back.

"Quite certain." Gaius replied as he picked up a large black beetle. "They say they taste like chicken." Gaius said, before lifted the beetle up towards his mouth before pausing. "Unless we're to starve, we must hope they're right." Gaius finished. Both Merlin and Gaius took a bite out of the beetles. The horrible audible crunch filled the silence of the room, and the looks on the faces of both the Royal Physician and his Niece were disgusted.

"This tastes nothing like chicken Uncle." Merlin stated with horrified conviction. Gaius gave Merlin a glare, even through the disgust that was clear on his face at the taste of the large beetle.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Arthur stood in the council room, his hand rested on the top of a chair back, as he waited for his father. As he heard the familiar footsteps enter the room, Arthur turned to face his father.

"There are some supplies left in the store room. We are distributing them among the people, but there is not enough to live on. I fear they will not last long." Arthur told his father solemnly. Uther frowned as he looked at Arthur and all Arthur could think of was that this was his fault. He had failed his people.

"Then you must stop distributing food to the people." Uther stated.

"They will starve Father." Arthur replied.

"We must conserve what little we have for our army." Uther stated firmly.

"We cannot let our people go without food." Arthur shot back.

"We must defend the Kingdom at all costs." Uther said. But Arthur argued over him.

"What's the point of defending a Kingdom where the people starve to death?" Arthur raged.

"What would you have me do?" Uther said.

"Ask the neighbouring kingdoms for help." Arthur replied. Uther scoffed and Arthur felt a spark of anger flare up within him. "They may be able to spare some food." Arthur added.

"Out of the question. As soon as they realise how weak we are, our enemies will strike against us." Uther stated.

"You don't know that unless we try!" Arthur exclaimed.

"Besides I would rather starve then beg our enemies for help. Think of our Kingdom's reputation. Have you no pride?" Uther cut Arthur off. Arthur felt his father's words cut him to the core. Pride was what had made him fail the last test, the test that could have stopped all of this.

"I cannot think of my pride, when our people go hungry. They are all I can think of." Arthur replied. It was true. He couldn't consider what would happen to those women and children who were already crying with hunger. The thought of Merlin, also starving in Gaius' quarters, or using what little energy she should be conserving to run her errands made Arthur's heart clench in his chest anxiously. Arthur clenched his fists at his side, as his father glowered at him, then he walked towards Arthur and stood in front of him.

"Give the order to stop distributing food to the people. Is that understood?" Uther ordered. Arthur was the one to glare at his father this time. He moved backwards slightly, pushing himself away from the chair he'd been next to.

"You'll have to give that order yourself Father." Arthur said coldly. He would not order the men to stop feeding the people who so desperately needed it.

"Very well, but if you'd caught the sorcerer I wouldn't have to. That is your responsibility." Uther replied coldly. Arthur stopped in his tracks, his back still facing his father as he stood in the doorway. Then he started walking away again. He had just turned left at the archway when he heard his father's last words. "One day you will understand what it takes to be King."

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Merlin stared out over the line of people waiting for rations, as she stood on the battlements. She tugged at her side braid, trying to keep herself thinking. She felt weak from lack of food, but she was sure that those people below had it far worse. She had her Uncle to find edible solutions to this famine. Even if the bugs tasted awful they could still be eaten. These people didn't have an Uncle Gaius to hand them horrible tasting food to keep some form of sustenance. She heard footsteps and saw Arthur arrive and stand next to her. They stood in silence for a few minutes, watching the people below them.

"They do not yet know that there's worse to come." Arthur said after a few moments. Merlin stared at Arthur.

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked. But she had a feeling she knew the answer already. She had only discussed this with Morgana a week ago.

"My father is going to stop distributing food to the people. They are to be left to starve. I had the chance to lift the curse and I failed." Arthur said sadly. Merlin didn't need to think before saying what she felt.

"You weren't to know you were being tested Arthur." Merlin said gently. She placed a hand on Arthur's shoulder, trying to offer some form of comfort to him.

"My people are starving. Camelot is on the verge of collapse and it's all my doing. This is my fault Merlin." Arthur said sadly. Then he turned and walked away. Merlin could see the sadness Arthur was exhibiting. She could see Arthur was suffering along with the people. So she did the only thing that she could do. She made her way back to the forest and started to search for Anhora.

"Anhora!" Merlin called out as she walked through the brush. "Show yourself!" Merlin called out. Her voice echoed everywhere. But she saw no sign of him. "Anhora!" Merlin yelled. She couldn't bear to see Arthur in such pain. The need to do something, anything, was so strong that Merlin wouldn't give up. She carried on walking until she heard a voice behind her.

"You wanted to talk with me?" Merlin saw Anhora and she felt relief well up within her.

"I've come to seek your help." Merlin said. Anhora gave her a look. "The people are starving. They will soon be dead." Merlin explained. Anhora looked as saddened by this as Merlin felt.

"You must believe me when I say it gives me no pleasure to see your people suffering."

"If it pains you put an end to it." Merlin pleaded.

"It is not in my power to lift the curse." Anhora said regretfully. Merlin stepped closer to Anhora.

"Then give Arthur another chance. He has accepted that it is his responsibility and he'll prove himself worthy and he will lift the curse, if you just give him one more chance. Surely you can do that?" Merlin questioned.

"You have faith in Arthur?" Anhora asked.

"Yes. I believe in him. I trust him with my life." Merlin replied honestly. Anhora nodded his understanding.

"Arthur must go to the Labyrinth of Gedref. There he will face a final test. If he fails there is no hope. The curse will destroy Camelot." Anhora said. With that Anhora disappeared. Merlin's eyes went wide.

"Wait! What kind of test will Arthur face?" Merlin called out.

"That is for Arthur alone to discover, dear girl." Merlin heard Anhora's voice reply. Though where it came from she could not say. Merlin felt a chill go through her bones, and she took a deep breath, and headed back to Camelot, knowing she needed to tell Arthur.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

It was evening when Merlin arrived back in Arthur's chambers. He gave her the strangest look.

"You have one more chance Arthur." Merlin said softly. Arthur stood up.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked her.

"I... I went to the forest and spoke with Anhora. It's not within his power to lift the curse, but it is within his power to give you one more chance." Merlin said. Arthur wanted to yell at Merlin. He wanted to scream at her, to rail at her for putting her own life at risk. She didn't know this sorcerer any better than he did. This Anhora could have disappeared, taken Merlin and no one would have known because she had obviously told no one of what she was planning. But he didn't. He knew her heart was in the right place, and right now was not the time to have an argument with Merlin about her self-preservation skills. Right now, Arthur had one final task to face and this time he could not fail. He had to make sure he passed the test, because all of Camelot depended on him now. He nodded his understanding and Merlin helped him into his chainmail. As she fastened the breastplate on, Arthur knew she would try to follow.

"Merlin, you're to stay here." Arthur said seriously. Merlin frowned as she tightened the last strap, and Arthur walked over to a table to grab his weapons.

"Let me come with you. You don't know what form this test will take, I might be able to help you." Merlin pleaded.

"No. You're not coming. I bought this curse upon Camelot, I must be the one to lift it Merlin, or die trying." Arthur said.

"Oh very mature. Alright, how does you dying help anyone?" Merlin questioned.

"I'll die knowing I did everything I could to lift the curse and save the people." Arthur replied. Merlin took a determined stance.

"I'm coming with you." Merlin stated.

"Merlin! You're to stay here and help the people the best you can Merlin. Is that understood?" Arthur asked. Merin's fists clenched at her sides as she wished she could get Arthur to stop being so stubborn. She lowered her face to look at the floor, allowing Arthur to think that she was agreeing with him. She felt him pull her into a hug. "Wish me luck Merlin. You're always pretty lucky." Arthur whispered. Then he was gone.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Arthur found himself face to face with Lancelot in the stables.

"You're going then?" Lancelot asked. Arthur frowned.

"Merlin told you?" Arthur asked. Lancelot let out a laugh.

"No. I had a feeling though. This is your last chance I'm assuming?" Lancelot asked. Arthur nodded.

"Yes. This really is my last chance. If I fail that's it for Camelot." Arthur replied. Lancelot nodded.

"Good luck." Lancelot said. Arthur nodded and got onto his horse. Only moments later, Arthur had ridden away. Lancelot waited for around ten minutes, when he heard the familiar footsteps of Merlin coming into the stables.

"So Arthur ordered you to stay and you're still going?" Lancelot questioned, knowing the answer before Merlin bothered to answer.

"Since when do I take orders from anyone?" Merlin shot back. Lancelot smiled and ruffled Merlin's hair. Then he went over to her horse and handed her the reigns. "You knew?" Merlin asked.

"It was easy to figure out once I saw you coming back from the forest. You went to speak with Anhora, used you charming persuasiveness on him, he's given Arthur a last chance and Arthur's ordered you to stay behind while he rushes off headfirst into danger. You being... well... you, you've decided to go after him anyway. I just thought I'd make it easier for you both by saddling your horses." Lancelot said. Merlin smiled widely and hugged Lancelot tightly.

"Wish us both luck. Arthur seems to think I'm lucky. If only he knew." Merlin said sadly as she mounted her horse. Lancelot watched the younger girl ride off after Arthur. Then he decided to go and sit with Gwen for a while, or Morgana. At least they knew what Merlin and Arthur would be up against, unlike everyone else.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

When Arthur arrived in the Labyrinth, he entered the labyrinth and was confused by what he saw in front of him. He was no longer in the Labyrinth but back in Camelot. He was in the Great Hall, and a raised pedestal was in the middle of the room. On that table, that was draped in white, his father lay in state. Arthur was horrified. He knew that this was what happened when a King died. Their body was laid to rest in state in the throne room, dressed in their finery to await the funeral pyre. Arthur was shaking as he saw himself. He saw himself kneeling beside the pedestal on which his father rested, but this vision of himself seemed to have no idea that Arthur was there. Arthur walked towards the pedestal and looked down at his father. King Uther had always been an impressive man, but what Arthur saw, even through the finery of the clothing, and the bright Camelot red cloak that practically draped over his whole body, was that Uther was old. His face was more lined, his body was thin. Others might not recognise it as Arthur did. People would see the crown on Uther's head, the sword, over which his black gloved hands that were crossed over his chest, and the fine clothing, and they would see a King. But what Arthur saw was a broken man. A man who had suffered great pains before his death. For Uther to lose so much weight that his clothing seemed to be draped on, rather than to fit him, for Uther's face to be so lined, and his hair to be pure white and charcoal grey, rather than the salt and pepper colouring that Arthur was used to, Arthur knew his father had seen sadness greater then he could imagine, and when Arthur looked at his vision self, he saw some of the same sadness. Arthur felt a terrible foreboding shoot through him and he found himself looking for a way out. He walked towards the only door he could see, though it was in the same place as when he had walked in.

"I don't have much choice." Arthur thought as he opened the door and ran through it, trying to escape the death of his father. But what he saw next was even stranger.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Merlin had ridden out after Arthur, she looked at the giant Labyrinth, she felt a great and powerful magic enveloping the place, though she did not understand it. She saw Arthur's horse, tethered near the entrance, and Merlin rode towards the entrance, dismounted, and tethered her own horse next to Arthur's horse. She looked at the entrance and took a deep breath before walking in.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Arthur was seeing another castle. This castle was not familiar. It was not somewhere Arthur had been, and yet he saw the banners of Camelot there. He saw men fighting. He saw his father as a younger man, ordering the lighting of arrows, which were fired into the rival army. But Arthur saw a few of the rival soldiers use magic to deflect the arrows. Arthur watched as the battle raged on in front of him. He saw a group of thirteen men stood at the front of the army. He saw them and heard them call out in the arcane language of magic to the skies, and Arthur was even more shocked when he saw dragons appear from the sky. He saw fire rained down on his father's men, and he saw the thirteen front men head into battle. He watched as each and every one of them were killed one by one. The last one, Arthur saw was much older than the rest. He saw his father standing over the injured man.

"You were our ally Uther Pendragon. You betrayed us. For what?" The old man said.

"Your magic is evil." Uther replied simply.

"You did not used to think so Uther. My son was in your court. Balinor. What did you do to my eldest child?" The old man asked.

"Nothing. He escaped Camelot. When I find him, all the Dragonlords will truly be wiped from existence. After all, the power passes from father to eldest son. Balinor will be the last Dragonlord, and I will kill him, just as I will kill you." Uther said coldly.

"You have turned bitter because of your wife's passing. You've killed my wife, my children. How many more must die Uther? How many more will you kill?" The old man said.

"Why, King Vortimer, all those who use magic must die, so that no other innocent dies again." Uther replied.

"You're a fool Uther. You think by burning Dragorian to the ground, by killing my wife and my children, that you will stop innocents being sacrificed. My sweet Lunete, my wife, she was innocent. My daughter Enide, just a small child, she was innocent. You got us to open our gates under a banner of peace, then you cut down hundreds of innocents Uther. What makes you any better than those you are trying to eradicate?" The old man said sadly.

"My King, Prince Vortigern is not here. We've searched the whole castle and all the houses in the towns. We cannot find him." A general said. Uther looked down at Vortimer.

"It doesn't matter. All that matters is that King Vortimer and Prince Balinor die. All those who could inherit the power of the Dragonlord are dead apart from them." Uther replied. He raised his sword and the old King looked at Uther sadly.

"You are truly lost Uther Pendragon. The Gods will never forgive you for the blood you've shed this day." The old King said. Uther bought his sword down into Vortimer's neck. Vortimer was still gargling blood, but not yet dead. Uther's stroke had not been clean. It took Uther two more tries to take Vortimer's head from his shoulders. Arthur felt horribly sick. He looked for a way out. Any way out would be better than watching his father endlessly slaughtering innocents he had tricked into opening their gates to him. Oh how Arthur wanted to run. He saw a gap within some hedging behind him and walked through it. He found himself on yet another battlefield. But this time his father was nowhere to be seen. Arthur wasn't sure what he was going to see, but he had to keep moving. He had to get to the end of the Labyrinth.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Merlin ran into the Labyrinth, making twists and turns, but she did not find Arthur. It was as she made another turn, she saw Anhora, holding a sword.

"You said Arthur would face a test and here you are preparing a trap for him?" Merlin questioned.

"The trap is not for Arthur dear girl. It is for you." Anhora said sadly. Merlin's eyes went wide as vines from the hedges wound their way around her, and tied her tightly. Before she could scream, a large leaf covered her mouth, stopping her from speaking. "Your prince must complete these last tests on his own." Anhora told Merlin gently.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Arthur found himself watching another battlefield, he saw Camelot's banners, and the banners of a red rowan tree, stitched on black. He saw Morgana yelling. She was not yelling at him though. She was yelling at an old woman, wearing a red robe, standing on the cliff face. She held a white staff in one hand, and her white hair flew in the wind, but he saw her eyes. Her eyes were familiar, a stormy blue, but Arthur couldn't think about that. He heard Morgana yell a name.

"EMRYS!" Arthur was confused as Morgana held a hand outstretched, for she was dressed in black, and she wore the colours of the other army. Her eyes glowed gold with magic, but that couldn't be possible because Morgana did not have magic. But this old woman, butted the end of her staff on the ground, and a wave of the most powerful magic Arthur had ever seen knocked Morgana and all her men to the ground. He saw himself kneeling beside a fallen Knight, but he didn't see the man's face. That was when another man walked towards him, his face obscured by a hood, but he wore the colours of the other side, and he raised his sword. Arthur saw himself fighting this man, and then a blade slammed into his vision self's chest, and as he saw his vision self fall, he heard himself trying to form a name. It was as his foe raised his sword to finish his vision self off, that Arthur's vision self lifted his sword to finish him off. He thrust his sword into his opponent, and Arthur saw the man fall. But that was all he saw. Arthur felt a strange fear grip him as he turned towards another pathway.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Uther looked down at the people who were gathered together in the courtyard. He could see them starving. He knew his son was probably right. Uther should ask for help from an ally. But Uther had spent too long mistrusting people. He knew the reason he trusted no one was because he had broken his own trusts one too many times. Gaius had once said he remembered all those Uther had sent to the pyre. But Uther didn't just remember those faces. He remembered the faces of all those he had betrayed in his quest to eradicate magic from his kingdom. He remembered the innocent faces of children, the faces of women, screaming in grief, crying tears of mourning. He remembered the faces of men who had looked at him with anger as he cut them down under flags of truce. If only Gorlois had been able to convince him of the folly this path would take. But Uther soon shook that thought away. There was no folly in what he had done. He had eradicated magic from Camelot, and he would continue to do so. It would not take Arthur, it would not take Morgana, as it had taken Ygraine from him. He had made that vow from the beginning, and he would keep it, no matter the consequences.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Arthur found himself in his father's chambers. He saw a woman, sat by the fire. She was heavy with child, and her blond hair framed her face, and fell down her back as she sat knitting a baby blanket from red and cream coloured yarn. Then Arthur saw the man, sat at his father's desk and realised that this was his father, and that the woman sat in that chair, knitting that blanket, was his mother.

"You do realise that we have servants to knit blankets, Ygraine my love." Uther said to the woman. She smiled.

"We do have many servants, but this is something I wish to do myself. My child will be wrapped in a blanket I made for them myself. Why should a servant do something I am perfectly capable of doing?" Ygraine questioned.

"Of course. If that is what you wish. I would not deny you anything." Uther told his wife. Ygraine stopped her knitting for a moment and rubbed her stomach.

"The baby is restless." Ygraine said.

"He will be a strong boy." Uther stated.

"It might yet be a girl, my love. Do you think that would disappoint you?" Ygraine asked. Uther shook his head.

"No. Any daughter of ours will have your great beauty and charm. She will make a great Queen." Uther replied.

"So I thought Emilia for a girl, and Arthur for a boy." Ygraine said as she rubbed her large stomach. Uther smiled at his wife.

"Both are fine names. King Arthur." Uther said. He seemed to look directly at Arthur then. His eyes stared straight into Arthur's own. "He will be the greatest King Camelot has ever known." Uther said. Ygraine smiled and started singing a tune while she rubbed her stomach, trying to settle the unborn Arthur.

"You are not tired,

My sweet little love,

You don't wish to close your eyes,

So I'll tell you a tale,

Of the Dragonlords,

And their Dragons who flew through the skies.

A Prince and a Dragon

Walked side by side,

Companions, brothers and friends,

The prince was good,

The dragon was strong,

And both were true till the end.

When the wicked and cruel,

Tried to take over rule,

Of the prince of the Dragons' land,

The prince and the dragon,

Fought side by side,

For the good people they made a stand.

And when the time came,

That the king passed away,

And the prince became what was expected,

He became King,

And a Dragonlord,

And all those he met he respected.

And so in Dragorian,

The Dragonlords reign,

And they heed the laws of men,

With their magical power,

They wrought justice each hour,

May the Dragonlords rule ever again.

And now it is time,

To close your tired eyes,

And to rest your sweet little head,

For the Dragonlords live,

And protect us they will,

As you sleep snug and warm in your bed."

Arthur felt tears travel down his cheeks. His mother's singing touched his heart in a way he'd never thought it would. He didn't want to leave. He wanted to see more of his mother, know more about her, but he knew he had to leave. So he turned to leave the room again, and as he opened the door and stepped out of the room, he found himself in another unusual place.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Morgana sat alone in her chambers as she looked out over the courtyard. She hoped that Arthur and Merlin would return soon. She had seen first Arthur, and then Merlin leave, but she didn't know if everything would turn out alright. For once her dreams didn't tell her anything about this, and it frightened her more that there was deafening silence in her mind then if she had had the worst visions. Now that she knew what her dreams were, that they were indeed visions of the future, Morgana knew that there were things she could do to change the events that happened in her visions. But if she had no vision she didn't know if anything needed changing. So this time she had to wait and hope that Merlin would pull Arthur through this.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Arthur found himself in the throne room of Camelot. He saw that everything seemed draped in black, and there his father sat on the throne, looking older then he had done in his previous vision. The crown rested more heavily on his head. A man with shoulder length, curly, dark brown hair, some grey streaking through it, stood in front of the throne, wearing a blue robe. Arthur could hardly believe it when the man opened his mouth. He'd recognise Gaius' voice anywhere. The man may have aged, and his voice may have gotten hoarser with age, but Arthur could always recognise Gaius.

"Sire, if you do this, there is no going back. You are blaming magic for the death of your Queen, but it was Nimueh's magic that did this. If you start this purging of all with magic, it will come back to haunt you. You've already killed Tristan Du Bois, your wife's own brother, in single combat, how many more must die, Uther?" Gaius asked. Uther glared at Gaius.

"You are my friend Gaius. I have forgiven you much, but do not interfere in this. I will not allow anyone to stop what I must do to keep this kingdom safe." Uther replied.

"What of Arthur? When he asks what his mother's favourite song was, will you be able to tell him it was the Song of The Dragonlords? Will you be able to explain why his mother's favourite song is never sung in your Kingdom?" Gaius asked. Uther stood from his throne and Arthur was compelled to follow his father and Gaius to the balcony. Below, Arthur saw many great piles of wood, ready to make giant pyres. He saw many guards, bringing out many more people. Bedraggled men and women, and even some children. Arthur choked, trying not to vomit as he saw them tied in groups of four around the stakes. He heard children crying and saw the fear on the faces of everyone present. Uther looked down at the people.

"Magic took our beloved Queen. My dear Ygraine, was snatched from this world by magic after giving birth to our son, your Prince, Arthur. I will not allow magic to destroy more lives. That means that all magic in this kingdom will be eradicated. Any practitioners of magic will be hunted down and executed. From this day forward, magic is forbidden here in Camelot and those who use it will only receive the penalty of death, for there is no other sentence I can pass for such an evil." Uther's voice boomed out over the courtyard. He made a gesture to some guards, who carried torches. "Let the fires be lit and let magic be eradicated from this land!" Uther exclaimed. The guards lit the pyres and as Uther stood and watched, Arthur found himself reeling, as he backed away through the doors that led to the balcony, only to find himself in a field outside of Camelot.

"What am I doing here?" Arthur wondered aloud.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Gwen was at home with her father. Everyone was so hungry that Gwen wished there was something she could do, but she knew that only Merlin and Arthur could make a difference. Her father had taken to sleeping a great deal in these days. He said it helped him to not think about food, and said she should do the same. But Gwen found herself unable to sleep. It was moments like these that she wished she knew where her brother was so she could write to him and see how he was. She sighed as she left her house, deciding to seek out Lancelot and Morgana. She needed her friends now more than ever, as she worried over Merlin's safety, and even Arthur's, though she did not know him as well as Merlin. She wanted them to come back alive. That was all she wanted.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Arthur was amazed when in front of him, he saw a giant, great dragon, covered in rusty gold scales and looking down at Camelot knights fiercely. Arthur saw the knights were all unconscious. He even saw his own unconscious form. In between him and that dragon, stood Merlin, her raven hair flying in the wind, her eyes bright and determined.

"I won't let you hurt him!" Merlin yelled.

"You do not have the power to stop me." The Dragon replied.

"I do! I do now!" Merlin exclaimed. Then suddenly, that arcane language, the same words that had come from the thirteen men, that Arthur had heard his father call Dragonlords, was flowing from Merlin's lips. The Dragon stopped and bowed to her.

"You are the last Dragonlord. Your father passed his gift to you." The Dragon said. "Do not let me be the last of my race, killed like this." The Dragon pleaded. Arthur saw tears slip down Merlin's cheeks. Arthur then noticed the spear, shaking in Merlin's hands. Suddenly she threw it aside.

"Go! Leave! If you ever come back here and attack again, I will kill you! I swear it!" Merlin yelled. The dragon looked down at Merlin.

"I will always remember your clemency, Merlin, Daughter of Balinor and princess of Dragorian." The dragon said. Arthur's eyes went wide, he gasped. Merlin? His faithful, loyal, skinny servant, was the daughter of the last Prince of Dragorian? It wasn't possible was it? But Arthur could never hate her for it. A Dragonlord certainly didn't choose to be born. But this was stranger than he had ever thought possible. He saw another hedge, with another opening and went through, not wanting to really see exactly what this was, or to make it out in his mind. He just wanted to get away.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

When Morgana left her room and went to the training yard, she found Lancelot, looking lost. From the other side of the training yard, Morgana saw Gwen arrive. The two women walked over to Lancelot.

"Do you think they're okay? Arthur and Merlin?" Gwen asked.

"Merlin will make sure they're alright." Morgana replied.

"Don't you think we depend on Merlin to make everything alright, just a bit much? We allow her to fight for us continually, but she can never be acknowledged for it. It's cruel." Lancelot said sadly.

"We might depend on her too much Lancelot. You're right. But do we really have any other choice?" Morgana asked. Neither Gwen nor Lancelot made any move to answer as they saw the sun getting higher in the sky. All were wondering if there would be a time when Merlin was helpless to do anything.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Suddenly, Arthur was his room. He then saw someone bustling around tidying. Arthur breathed out a sigh of relief as he realised it was Merlin. She was humming an old tune as she tidied, in that awkward clumsy way that she always did. Arthur recognised the tune. It was the same song his mother had sung to his unborn self. Suddenly she turned and looked straight at Arthur.

"What are you waiting for? You've got to make a choice." Merlin said. Arthur saw that she was wearing a pretty dress, more lavish then any he'd ever seen her wear before. She wore a dress of the purest blue that reminded Arthur of her eyes.

"What choice?" Arthur found himself asking.

"You have a choice about whether to make the same mistakes your father made, or whether you want to rise above what he did in the past. You're not your father, Arthur. We've discussed this before. You're Arthur Pendragon, not Uther." Merlin said.

"How do I know what's right to choose?" Arthur asked. Merlin cocked her head to the side, her side braid leaning as she did, and then Merlin shrugged.

"If you don't know, I can't tell you. It is the choices that you make, which decides what future you get to see. At the same time Arthur, you've got to believe in yourself like I believe in you." Merlin said cheerfully. Arthur grabbed hold of Merlin then and pulled her into his embrace. He didn't want to let go of her. In that moment, Arthur made a realisation. Not only did he love Merlin, but she was his hope. No matter what stupid decisions he made, no matter what stupid actions he took, Merlin believed in him. As much as Arthur wanted to stay with her forever, he knew he had to leave her. He had to get going. He let go of Merlin, and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, and she smiled as he turned to leave. "Arthur?" Arthur turned to look back at Merlin once again. She held out his sword. "Good luck." Merlin said. Suddenly the vision melted away, and Arthur found himself near the end of the maze.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"So you're making me a part of Arthur's test?" Merlin asked.

"It seems that way dear girl." Anhora replied.

"Why?" Merlin asked.

"I cannot tell you this. Though I am sure you are intelligent enough that you will figure out the answer yourself someday." Anhora replied.

"Arthur would sorely disagree with you. He thinks I'm an idiot." Merlin said. Anhora smiled.

"He does not think that. Though he would have you believe that that is what he thinks. You will know all with time." Anhora stated. Merlin looked at the archway that led out of the Labyrinth.

"Why is he taking so long?" Merlin asked herself aloud.

"It often takes men a time to get through the Labyrinth of Gedref. Once a man enters, he sees things that apply to his past and his future. Things that may not happen, things that will happen and things that have already come to pass. Some visions are frightening, some are happy. But it is Arthur's choice whether he tells you what he saw. Do not force him to tell you anything, for if you do, you may hurt him without ever meaning to." Anhora said. Merlin nodded, though she was dying with curiosity, she wouldn't hurt Arthur. He was her friend and she couldn't bear the thought of hurting him with her curiosity. It was a while later that she saw Arthur emerge from the Labyrinth and on to the beach. She couldn't help wondering what had left that smile on his face as he arrived.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Arthur walked out onto a beach. He was shocked by what he saw. On the beach, Anhora waited, stood next to a table, where two seats were placed opposite each other. One seat was empty, the other seat, had Merlin as an occupant. In front of Merlin was a silver goblet, half filled with liquid, there was a similar goblet sitting in front of the other seat.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked. Merlin looked at him sadly, sat there in her breeches and blue tunic, her red neckerchief hanging around her neck.

"I'm sorry." Merlin uttered. Arthur barely heard over the sound of the waves washing up against the shore. Arthur looked at Anhora.

"Let her go. I'll take your test but not till she's released." Arthur said. Anhora frowned sadly.

"That is not possible. Merlin is part of the test. Please sit." Anhora said. Arthur paused, looking between Merlin and Anhora. "If you refuse the test, then you will have failed and Camelot will be destroyed." Anhora added. Arthur took a breath and then sat down. He looked at Merlin, who looked back at him.

"I thought I told you to stay at home." Arthur said seriously to Merlin. His heart was pounding, at the thought that Merlin might just pay for his stupidity now. Merlin raised a brow.

"Since when do I do what people tell me to do?" Merlin replied. Arthur allowed the smallest smile to cross his lips. Then he looked at Anhora.

"Let's get on with it." Arthur said. Anhora nodded.

"There are two goblets before you. One of the goblets contains a deadly poison, the other goblet, a harmless liquid. All the liquid from both goblets must be drunk but each of you may only drink from a single goblet." Anhora stated.

"What kind of ridiculous test is that? What does that prove?" Arthur asked incredulously.

"What it proves is for you to decide. If you pass the test, the curse will be lifted." Anhora replied. He stepped back from the table. Merlin and Arthur looked at each other, and at the goblets, both of them trying to work out the riddle behind them.

"Let's think about this. What if I drink from my goblet first?" Merlin asked. Arthur frowned.

"If it's poisoned, you'll die." Arthur said. The very thought made his heart clench in agony. He couldn't let her die for him.

"If it's not, you'll have to drink from yours and then you'll die. There must be a way round it." Merlin stated. She wouldn't allow Arthur to die. He was her friend, he'd shown her kindness where others had shown her scorn. Most recently, she'd been accepted, despite her illegitimacy, by Arthur and her friends of Camelot, when most of the villagers she had grown up with still couldn't accept her. She needed to find a way around the situation.

"It's perfectly simple. One of us has to die. We have to find a way to determine which goblet has the poison. Then I'll drink it." Arthur said. He meant it to. If he had to die so Merlin could live that was all that mattered to him in that moment. He would not allow Merlin to die. Merlin frowned at Arthur's response.

"I will be the one to drink it." Merlin asserted.

"This is my doing. I'm drinking it." Arthur shot back.

"It's more important that you live. You're the future king. I'm just a servant." Merlin said. But she knew that Arthur didn't view her as just a servant. She knew that she was at least his friend. But she felt the need to remind him of their stations. He was more important, at least in her eyes.

"This is no time to be a hero, Merlin. It really doesn't suit you." Arthur stated. He didn't want her to be the hero. She shouldn't have to be. She was far too important to him, though he wouldn't admit it.

"What if I drink from mine first and if that's not poisoned, I will then drink yours." Merlin said, once again putting her mind to the problem at hand.

"He said each of us is only allowed to drink from a single goblet." Arthur reminded her. Merlin nodded, and placed her hands under her chin. Arthur couldn't help thinking she looked pretty with the sun shining over her hair in that moment. She had a frown on her face as she tried to think about the conundrum placed before them both. "I had no idea you were so keen to die for me." Arthur said. Merlin looked at him and smiled.

"Trust me. I can hardly believe it myself." Merlin replied, eliciting a laugh from Arthur.

"I'm glad you're here, Merlin." Arthur said. It was true too. There was no one he'd rather have been stranded in this situation with. Merlin smiled back at him.

"I'm glad I'm here too. Couldn't have you killing your royal backside off in the middle of nowhere now could we?" Merlin questioned, making Arthur laugh again. Then a bright smile crossed her face and her eyes went wide. "I've got it! We pour all the liquid into one goblet and then we can be sure it's poisoned! Then all the liquid can be drunk, and from a single goblet!" Merlin exclaimed. She had figured it out. Arthur knew she would. He called her an idiot, but she had always been smarter than he would ever give her credit for.

"You never cease to surprise me. You are a lot smarter than you look." Arthur said. Just this once, he needed to say it, if he never said it again. She deserved to know that he didn't think of her as a complete idiot.

"Is that actually a compliment?" Merlin shot back cheekily. That grin stayed in place, the one he had come to love though he'd never really known it until now. He knew that if he gave her half a chance, Merlin would drink the poison for him. But he wouldn't give her half a chance. Making himself look suitably surprised, he pointed over Merlin's shoulder.

"Merlin look out!" Arthur exclaimed. Just as he had expected, Merlin turned around in her seat to look for just a moment, but that was the only moment that Arthur needed and he took his chance. He grabbed both goblets, pouring the contents of one into the other and placing the empty one down on the table. In the time that Merlin had taken to look and look back, Arthur had the one goblet in his hand.

"Arthur what are you doing?" Merlin questioned in horror. He could see the pain on her face.

"Saving you and Camelot hopefully." Arthur shot back.

"No, I will drink it!" Merlin exclaimed again. She wanted to rip that goblet from his hands, as she had ripped the goblet from his hands at the Mercian truce feast all those months earlier. She tried, but Arthur held the goblet out of her reach.

"As if I'd let you." Arthur shot back. He wouldn't. Not this time. Merlin had almost died once for him already. He would not allow her to drink poison for him again.

"You can't die, this isn't your destiny!" Merlin yelled. She was terrified now, and she knew that Arthur could see it, but she didn't care. All she wanted was for him to put down the goblet. Arthur felt terrible as he saw the pained expression on Merlin's face, the fear in her eyes. She truly didn't want him to die.

"Seems you're wrong again." Arthur replied.

"Arthur listen to me!" Merlin yelled. Arthur let out a breathless half laugh.

"You know me Merlin, I never listen to you." Arthur said. Then he made a form of toast to her, a salute, as she had done for him at that feast, he still remembered the look of determination on her face. Then he placed the goblet to his lips and gulped the liquid down.

"Arthur! No!" Merlin screamed at him. He placed the cup back on the table. "Arthur what have you done." Merlin uttered. Arthur barely heard her. He was starting to feel dizzy, black spots were appearing in his vision, and suddenly he felt himself falling. "Arthur no!" He heard Merlin yell. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Merlin ran to Arthur's side and knelt by him on the ground, sobbing. She used her hands to shake him where he lay, but he didn't stir. "Arthur." Merlin sobbed out. "Arthur please. Wake up Arthur! Come on! You can't die here! Come on Arthur! Come on!" Merlin half yelled, half sobbed out as she shook him. But Arthur didn't wake. She looked up at Anhora who walked closer to the table. "Please. Please. Just let me take his place." Merlin pleaded.

"This was Arthur's test not yours." Anhora replied solemnly.

"You've killed him! I was meant to protect him and you killed him!" Merlin sobbed out as she looked at Anhora.

"Dear child, he is not dead. He has merely consumed a sleeping draught. He will come round shortly." Anhora assured. Merlin felt confusion come over her.

"What?" Merlin questioned.

"A unicorn is pure of heart. Just as you are. If you kill one, you must make amends by proving that you also are pure of heart. Arthur was willing to sacrifice his life to save yours. He has proven what is truly in his heart. The curse will be lifted." Anhora said. Merlin felt a great weight lift from her heart as she looked down at Arthur. All she could hope was that he would awaken soon.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Morgana could see the sun was setting as she looked out of her window for what felt like the millionth time today. She wanted to see Arthur and Merlin ride into the courtyard. That was all she wanted. She heard a knock on the door and turned to look at the door with a frown.

"Enter!" Morgana called. It was Gaius who arrived. He had the sleeping draught in his hand.

"I came to bring your sleeping potion... as Merlin is not here." Gaius said softly. Morgana frowned.

"They'll be back soon Gaius and everything will be alright." Morgana said.

"One of your dreams, my lady?" Gaius asked. Morgana shook her head, her honesty shone clearly in her eyes.

"No. I haven't dreamt since this started. But I believe in Merlin. I know she'll manage to do something, somehow." Morgana replied. Gaius nodded. He walked forwards to hand Morgana the sleeping potion, but Morgana shook her head. "No. We both know that these potions can't help me anymore Gaius. I need to learn to control it. Maybe when Merlin comes back she can help, or maybe you can help me Gaius. But it's time I learned. Sleeping potions won't cover it up forever." Morgana said sadly. Gaius nodded.

"I understand Morgana. I... I will see what I can find out." Gaius said. Morgana nodded and the pair said their goodbyes before Gaius left the room. Morgana went back to looking out of the window again, hoping to see two horses on the horizon.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

When Arthur woke, he saw Merlin's face over his, she looked concerned, and a look of relief came over her face as she realised he was awake.

"I'm alive?" Arthur asked.

"Of course you are." Merlin replied cheerfully. He sat up slowly, and he looked to see Anhora still standing there.

"I need to ask you something, Anhora." Arthur said softly. Both Merlin and the whit clad old man looked at him strangely, waiting to see what he would say. "When I was in the Labyrinth, I saw visions of things. What were they?" Arthur asked.

"They were visions of the past, of the future that may come, and the future that is predetermined. Everything you saw was real. Many men have been driven mad by what the Labyrinth reveals to them." Anhora replied.

"I saw my mother... she was singing..." Arthur trailed off.

"Visions of the past are never wrong, because they have already occurred. I'm afraid that whatever you saw was real." Anhora replied sadly. Arthur nodded his understanding as he got to his feet, Merlin following him.

"I'm... I'm truly sorry about the Unicorn." Arthur said solemnly. Anhora smiled.

"I know, Prince Arthur. I know." Anhora replied. With that, he had disappeared, leaving Merlin and Arthur alone on the beach. Arthur grinned as he looked at Merlin. Merlin was frowning.

"What's wrong Merlin?" Arthur asked. Merlin's frown turned into a glare, and before Arthur knew what was happening, Merlin had slapped Arthur's face. "Ow! Merlin! What the hell was that for?" Arthur yelled, as his cheek burst into a sharp stinging pain.

"Don't you ever do that to me again! I really thought you'd died! And you call me the idiot? How could you drink poison for me?" Merlin yelled. Then she wrapped her arms around Arthur's waist and cried into his chainmail. Arthur blinked, not really used to Merlin becoming so emotional. After a moment, he found his gloved hand stroking her hair, trying to offer some comfort to her as she cried.

"I'm sorry I scared you Merlin. But I'm not sorry that I drank poison for you. Well, it wasn't poison, but even if it was, I'd still have drunk it." Arthur replied. Merlin shook her head as she looked up at him.

"Don't you understand? You and Gwen and Morgana and Lancelot, even Leon, you're the first people to ever accept me. Despite my birth, you're still my friends. I... I don't want to lose you." Merlin said. Arthur wrapped both arms around her then, and squeezed her a little.

"You're not going to lose me so easily Merlin." Arthur replied.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Morgana felt a sense of peace overwhelm her suddenly. She knew then that Arthur and Merlin were alright. She wasn't sure how she knew, but she knew. She then heard noise in the courtyard. She opened her window and looked out to see some guards coming from the fields. They held wheat and vegetables in their grasps.

"The crops have returned!" One man yelled. Morgana grinned herself. Tomorrow she would manage to eat a decent meal. Where Merlin got the meat for that stew was puzzling. She'd have to ask her one day. Although the taste wasn't... appetising, at least she hadn't gone hungry, although both Gwen and Morgana had wondered where the strange meat came from.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Arthur and Merlin made camp that night, outside the Labyrinth. Arthur was glad he hadn't had any visions when he went back through with Merlin. He sat by the fire, next to her, as she looked into the flames.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked. She looked at him. "Do you... do you know anything about your father at all?" Arthur asked. Merlin blinked and frowned, as she concentrated. Then she shook her head.

"No. I don't even know his name. All I know is that he was a hunted man and that my mother loved him. She used to live in Camelot, before I was born, but... but she left, with my father. That really is all I know." Merlin said sadly. Arthur wondered to himself what he could say to her. That he had had visions of his father destroying her grandfather and his kingdom because of magic? He didn't even know if what he had seen was true. Not really. He only had Anhora's word, but that made him think it was more truthful, not less. He'd learned something from all of this, and as he saw Merlin settle down to sleep, he realised that telling her wouldn't help her at all, not now anyways. After all, he'd be telling her that her father was a magic user, and that it was entirely possible that she would become one by birthright. But one day he knew he would tell her what he had seen in the Labyrinth, and then she would understand. At least that was his hope as he settled down beside her to sleep himself.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

The next day, when Arthur and Merlin rode into Camelot, they both wore grins on their faces, as they saw baskets of fruit and bushels of vegetables being bought in from the field. Grain was being dragged in sacks towards the storerooms and Arthur couldn't help feeling proud. He had done this. He had proved himself. He made a decision in that moment that when he was King, he would outlaw the hunting of Unicorns. It would be illegal to slay the innocent creatures. He knew if he had listened to Merlin in the first place, this would never have happened, but he would not give her the satisfaction of hearing that from his lips. He would just make sure that such a crime was never committed again when he was King. That was when Gaius showed up, carrying a marrow. Merlin grinned and jumped down from her horse to hug her old Uncle.

"Uncle Gaius! I've missed you!" Merlin exclaimed. Arthur smiled at the reunion between Uncle and Niece.

"Is everything well Gaius?" Arthur asked. Gaius nodded.

"Yes, all the crops have mysteriously re-grown and they're bringing in the harvest." Gaius replied. Merlin and Arthur grinned at each other. That was when Uther arrived, walking towards them.

"Arthur? Is this your doing?" Uther asked. "Is the sorcerer dead?" He added. Merlin held her breath wondering how Arthur would answer.

"He won't be troubling us anymore." Arthur replied.

"Good! Make sure the grain reserves are restocked." Uther said. Arthur nodded.

"I'll see to it father." Arthur replied, and Uther walked off. He looked around, and the he looked at Merlin. "There's something else I think we should do first." Arthur said. Merlin looked confused as Arthur led Merlin towards the castle.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Morgana and Gwen saw Merlin and Arthur arrive back.

"They're safe." Gwen said, relief flooded her voice. Then she looked at Morgana, who seemed calm. There was no relief, it was like Morgana already knew. "Morgana?" Gwen questioned. Morgana blinked and looked at Gwen. Gwen wanted to ask. She felt the words bubble in her throat, but she didn't ask. She stayed silent. If Morgana wanted to tell her, she would. Until then, Gwen would be her friend. That was what Morgana needed now.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Arthur and Merlin made their way to the forest, and Arthur gathered up some rocks, formed a circle, and then unwrapped a bundle of red that was in his arms. Merlin's eyes went wide as she saw Arthur fold the red cloth, and lay it in the circle, before placing the unicorn's horn on it, and finally folding the rest of the cloth over the horn, as he crouched by the makeshift grave.

"I should never have ended your life." Arthur said to the unicorn horn. "I'm sorry." Arthur added. Merlin felt a sense of awe. Arthur had truly learned something from all of this. Merlin gathered a few rocks from the side, and she and Arthur started to cover over the top of the Unicorn horn, when all of a sudden, Merlin felt the urge to look up. She felt a smile cross her face as she stood up and looked. There it was, standing just ahead of them in the clearing, the same white unicorn.

"Arthur look!" Merlin exclaimed, as she patted his shoulder. Arthur looked up, and stood up slowly himself to look at the unicorn properly.

"When he who kills a unicorn proves himself to be pure of heart, the unicorn will live again." Merlin heard Anhora's voice in her head. When she looked at Arthur, she could tell he had heard his voice as well. The pair smiled as they watched the white unicorn trot away into the forest. Merlin felt a kind of hope at that moment that maybe, just maybe, one day Arthur would accept her magic.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

It was later that night, after they had returned from the Labyrinth of Gedref, and Arthur had reported everything to his father, making up a pack of lies to cover the truth of what had happened, that Arthur finally returned to his chambers. From within his room, Arthur heard singing.

"-I'll tell you a tale,

Of the Dragonlords,

And their Dragons who flew through the skies.

A Prince and a Dragon

Walked side by side,

Companions, brothers and friends,

The prince was good,

The dragon was strong,

And both were true till the end.

When the wicked and cruel,

Tried to take over rule,

Of the prince of the Dragons' land,

The prince and the dragon,

Fought side by side,

For the good people they made a stand.

And when the time came,

That the king passed away,

And the prince became what was expected,

He became King,

And a Dragonlord,

And all those he met he respected.

And so in Dragorian,

The Dragonlords reign,

And they heed the laws of men,

With their magical power,

They wrought justice each hour,

May the Dragonlords rule ever again.

And now it is time,

To close your tired eyes,

And to rest your sweet little head,

For the Dragonlords live,

And protect us they will,

As you sleep snug and warm in your bed."

Arthur felt his heart clench in his chest. The song that had been his mother's favourite, was a song that Merlin knew. Though this was obviously because Merlin had not grown up in Camelot. In Camelot, no one would have sung that song to her, for fear of his father having them killed. He heard her start to sing again, but decided to enter the room. Merlin looked up at him as she was putting away his laundry. She offered him a cheeky grin before she started humming the tune to herself.

"Merlin, where did you learn that song?" Arthur asked. Merlin blinked.

"My mother used to sing it to me when I was small. She... when you asked me what I knew about my father, it got me to thinking. She said... it was a song that my father loved. It's the only thing she ever said about my father to be honest apart from the fact that he was a hunted man. So it's all I really have of him, of the two of them together, at any rate." Merlin replied. "Why? Is there something wrong with it?" Merlin asked. Arthur shook his head.

"No. It... it was a favourite of my mother's before she died." Arthur confided. Merlin blinked.

"Really? I guess we have something in common then. My father and your mother, both gone and both loved the same song. I guess we're not so different." Merlin said softly, as she folded another shirt and put it away. Arthur looked at Merlin carefully. She looked worn out.

"Merlin go and get some sleep." Arthur told her.

"I'm alright Arthur." Merlin replied.

"Merlin?" Arthur questioned, his voice taking on that specific tone he reserved only for her. Merlin cocked her head to one side and looked at him, her side braid hanging down by her face. "You look tired. You need to rest. After all, no servant can be useful if they don't sleep. Besides, you're clumsier than most servants. You need extra rest." Arthur said. Merlin laughed out loud, but then her face took on a more serious look.

"I'd rather stay until I know you're alright Arthur. After... after everything this last week..." Merlin trailed off.

"Do you worry like this about everyone?" Arthur asked her. Merlin looked at Arthur seriously.

"Only the people who mean the most to me." Merlin replied honestly. In that moment, Arthur really wanted to kiss her. He wanted to hold her close. But he also knew, as Lancelot said, that he couldn't keep playing with her heart, for Merlin had a good heart. As much as Arthur loved her, and he knew he did now. The tests at the Labyrinth had proved that to him beyond a doubt. He also knew it would be cruel to pull Merlin into a relationship where they were both always hiding away, where any time his father tried to arrange some form of match with a princess or noble lady from another kingdom, Merlin would have to watch Arthur with another woman. He loved her so much he didn't want to let her go, but that was exactly what he had to do. He had to let her go, or he would lose her forever, and Arthur couldn't bear that. So he smiled at Merlin and bustled her off to her own bed, promising her he was absolutely fine, dismissing her worries, because he couldn't afford to indulge her, even this once. If he did, that would be it, he would give in to her forever, and he couldn't, not if he wanted to keep her friendship.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Okay all, so did you all like this chapter? I hope so. Please R&R and let me know what you think. I thought it would be interesting to go all 'House of The Undying' on Arthur in the Labyrinth, after all, that Labyrinth got credited as the title and yet didn't do very much. Also I wanted to throw some little tidbits to you guys with Arthur's visions. For reference, The Dragonlord's Song is something I wrote. I was trying to find a lullaby from Arthurian times, but nothing I found was remotely what I was looking for, so I wrote my own. Also, Dragorian is my own made up Dragonlord Kingdom, seeing as no one ever really gave us much back story on the Dragonlords, apart from Balinor saying that Uther took everything he cared about. I thought I'd add some emphasis to that for later. Also this has to be the LONGEST chapter I've ever written to date. It's like... over 22,000 words! That's epic for me. LOL!

Next chapter, who knows what will happen? Well, I do, and all of you do to a certain extent. But who knows what twists I have planned apart from myself. (nods) So I hope to see all you lovely readers next chapter.