Chapter Thirty-two: A New Age

Merlin woke to the slow, steady drip of water on his forehead. All efforts to shift away from the persistent drops were thwarted by some sort of bindings surrounding his arms and legs, keeping him in place. He tried to open his eyes to get a better idea of what was going on, but found that whoever had bound his arms and legs had also blindfolded him. Even his frustrated growl was cut off, as a cloth gag had been shoved none too carefully into his mouth, leaving him immobile, blind, and mute.

Momentarily resigning himself to his position, Merlin tried to reason out what had happened. He remembered defeating Alvarr and destroying the staff with Arthur, moving the unconscious bodies of his friends, leaning on Arthur on their way back to the throne room, and then nothing. So whoever had trussed him up and left him wherever he currently was must have knocked him out somewhere between the catacombs and the throne room. As Merlin thought about it, he realized there were two possibilities as to how he got down here. One, Cenred had a second spy inside of Camelot, and whoever that was had knocked him out as soon as they got the chance so his barriers would lower and the foreign king's army would be able to invade, or two, Uther had had one of his men watch him and wait until the battle was over to knock him out and attempt to restrain him. To be completely honest, Merlin wasn't sure which option he preferred.

But, no matter what had happened to get him stuck down here, Merlin had no plans of staying. Whoever had tossed him down here must have thought he needed to speak and see to use magic, hoping he would be powerless when restrained the way he was. That was a serious mistake on their part. Although words were often useful for the more complex spell, he had never needed them in order to use his magic. With anger at his current captors fuelling him, Merlin's eyes flashed gold and his bindings fell off, leaving him free to find out who had been stupid enough to think some chains and a few pieces of cloth would be enough to hold him.

Arthur, on the other hand, was woken by a loud knocking. He tried to ignore it for a moment before he suddenly recalled what had happened before he awoke in his old bed without Merlin. He shot upright, fear flooding him as he realized he had no idea what the conclusion of the battle was and what had been done to his friends. He also had no idea how he had gotten back into his bed or how long he had been unconscious. He jumped out of bed and began frantically searching for his sword when the door to his room swung open admitting two knights and a servant.

Much to Arthur's confusion, the servant began rushing around the room, pulling out some of Arthur's old clothing, while the knights exited his chambers. Eyeing the door suspiciously, Arthur made his way over to the young servant and grabbed him, placing a hand over his mouth to keep him from alerting the guards as he pulled him to the corner of the room furthest from the door.

"When I remove my hand, don't scream, and I swear I won't hurt you. Nod if you understand." Arthur ordered the young servant who was currently trembling in his arms. The poor boy couldn't have been much older than seven, and had probably been forced to look for work when his family couldn't pay all of Uther's new taxes. When the boy finally calmed down enough to nod, Arthur released him, smiling briefly before asking, "What happened during the battle? Do you know what the king has done with Emrys and his men?"

"I don't know what happened to Emrys or his men, but I can tell you about the battle." The boy replied, his expression serious as his wide, green eyes met Arthur's. "I was working in the infirmary with Gaius, fetching water and bandages, so I heard most of the news. Things were looking bad after the skeletons attacked. Many knights were injured and the king had barricaded the castle, preventing us from helping those who remained outside. All we could do was treat those who had made it in while we waited for the doors to be broken down and the castle to be overthrown. But, suddenly the sounds of battle ceased. After a minute of silence, there was a knocking at the door, and one of the knights shouted through the wood that the skeletons had all collapsed, and Cenred's men were retreating. One of the knights told me King Cenred must have thought he wouldn't have actually been forced to fight with the skeletons doing it for him, so when they failed he gave up, leaving Camelot safe. There are many injured and a few deaths, but there has been no news of Emrys since he left to defend the city."

Arthur tried not to panic as the boy told him all that had happened. He supposed no news was better than news of Merlin's death, but he still didn't like it. He tried his best to smile at the boy, although he was rather sure it turned out more of a grimace than anything encouraging, as he said, "Thank you for telling me this. Now, why have you been sent to my chambers?"

"I'm to prepare you for breakfast with the king."

Arthur felt his brow crease at this information. Was Uther trying to pretend that Arthur had never left? That everything could go back to the way it was before? Well, at least this would give Arthur a chance to talk to the king and find out what was going on. Taking a deep breath and trying his best to stay calm, Arthur said, "Alright. Let's get this over with then."

The boy nodded and went back to gathering the proper clothing for a meeting with the king while Arthur did what he could to help and tried to think of the best way to figure out what the hell was going on here.

It was rather obvious things had not completely gone back to normal during the incredibly tense walk down from his chambers to the throne room. The two knights that had been waiting outside of his chambers kept annoyingly close to him during the walk down to the throne room, flinching dramatically whenever Arthur stumbled or deviated from the path at all. He was still a prisoner, no matter what façade had been put up to try to make it look otherwise.

When he reached the throne room, Uther was already there. He looked up as Arthur entered, smiling and saying, "Ah, Arthur! I'm so glad to see you've finally woken."

Arthur watched Uther in confusion as he was guided to his seat. The king looked completely calm and unscathed from the battle last night as he smiled at Arthur, eating from an extravagant spread which included more food than Arthur had seen in months. But Arthur wasn't going to play along with Uther's charade of happiness. As soon as the knights had backed off Arthur asked, "Where is Merlin?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Arthur." Uther replied, not looking up from his breakfast.

"What have you done with Merlin?" Arthur yelled, jumping up and slamming his hands down on the table.

Uther glared up at him and was about to reply when there a loud bang as the doors blew open and a furious Merlin barged in, providing the answer to Arthur's question but supplying him with quite a few others as he shouted, "Merlin! Are you alright!" over Uther's order to restrain Merlin.

"The first person who touches me will be turned into a rat." Merlin threatened, stopping at the opposite end of the table from Uther. There was still a trail of blood on his forehead, and the dust that had coated him in the battle in the crypt had been joined by a layer of grime. The knights were watching him from a distance, looking too frightened of him to move forward but still too afraid of Uther to leave. Merlin turned from Uther to Arthur, smiling slightly as he asked, "You okay?"

Arthur nodded and smiled back, earning a slightly bigger smile before Merlin turned back to Uther and the fury returned. "Did you really think you could contain me? How stupid are you!"

"Shut your filthy mouth, you freak!" Uther replied, slowly rising from his seat, his eyes never leaving Merlin's. It was hard to tell who was angrier; Arthur could practically feel the heat radiating from their locked gaze. "You should be grateful I didn't have you killed when I had the chance!"

The slow, dark chuckle that came from Merlin's side of the table was possibly the most frightening noise Arthur had ever heard. "Oh yes, so grateful. I just risked my life to protect yours, and how do you repay me? Knocking me out and locking me in some filthy cell. Well, you know what, I'm done. I'm not going to sit back and watch as you run this kingdom into the ground. I'm going to give you a choice, Uther Pendragon. You can peacefully leave this kingdom today and never return, or you can try to fight me and spend the rest of your life locked in the cell I woke up in."

"You think you can threaten me, sorcerer, I am the King!" Uther shouted. "I'll have your head for this!"

"He's not a sorcerer!" Arthur said, tired of just sitting on the sidelines while his father insulted his love. "He's a warlock, and you'll never lay a hand on him again!"

Merlin smiled at him while Uther asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Magic wasn't a choice I made." Merlin replied, "I was born with it. Your law would have murdered me as a baby if you knew I existed. I've had to live my entire life afraid that you would find me and burn me like you did my parents. And I'm tired of it. I admit, magic can be used for evil. It can burn crops, destroy cities, and end lives. But last night all that stood between you and certain death was my magic. It can be a force for good just as easily as it can destroy. There are thousands of magic users in this kingdom who just want to live without fear. It's about time they got a chance to. So, make up your mind, Uther. Will you fight me and live as a prisoner when you are defeated, or walk away and live with the common people you surpressed?"

Uther didn't answer. Merlin rolled his eyes and turned to one of the knights, saying "While we wait for Uther to make up his mind, would you please tell me what has been done to my friends?"

"I can't. I will not go against the king's orders." The knight said, glancing nervously between Merlin and Uther. Merlin sighed and muttered, "He's not going to be king for much longer."

The knight just shook his head in response, causing Merlin to squeeze his eyes shut in frustration before he growled, "How about I rephrase that request. You can either tell me where my friends are right now, or I will turn you into a toad, understand?"

"I will not go against the orders of the king." The knight repeated.

"Fine." Merlin said, and his eyes glowed gold as he whispered, "Brigid mann æt padde."

Arthur was astonished as, with a puff of smoke, the knight vanished, replaced with a small frog surrounded by a mass of armor. Merlin had threatened many with animal transformation before, but this was the first time Arthur had seen him actually go through with the threat. Merlin met his concerned gaze and said "don't worry so much. He'll return to normal within an hour." Before turning to the next knight and saying, "So, would you like to join sir toad over there or will you tell me what has been done with my friends?"

"Your friends were moved from the stairs to the dungeons after you and the prince were dealt with." The knight answered quickly, eyeing the quietly croaking toad in the corner in fear.

Merlin glared at Uther again before turning back to the knight and saying, "Thank you for informing me of this. Now, if you would be so kind as to get them out and bring them here."

The scared knight nodded quickly and practically ran out of the room, obviously glad to be getting away from the angry warlock who had just turned one of his comrades into an amphibian. The moment the door closed, all attention returned to Merlin and Uther.

"So, have you made up your mind?" Merlin asked, retuning Uther's glare. As Arthur watched the king struggle with his next move, he realized something. If Merlin really carried out what he had threatened, Arthur would be king in a matter of minutes. There would be no more hiding in the woods, no more sneaking around and stealing, it was time for him to step up to the throne. Arthur took a deep breath, praying he was ready as he watched his father make his last decision as king. Uther's gaze fell to the floor as desperation colored his features. When he looked back up it was clear that he had chosen, as he turned to Merlin and said "I'll leave. Just give me enough money to survive and a horse."

Merlin smiled at Uther, something Arthur had never expected to see, before saying, "Of course. You can take as many of your things as you can carry on a horse. I'm not trying to humiliate you, I just want what is best for this kingdom."

It was quite clear Uther was not as happy about this decision as Merlin was as he slowly moved from his position at the head of the table towards the door. Arthur couldn't help but be suspicious as he watched Uther leave his position willingly, knowing that the man who had been his father would never give up his position without a fight. Merlin was still much too trusting, and Arthur really wished he had his sword.

His instincts about Uther were right. The second he reached Merlin's side, Uther whipped out his sword and swung it towards Merlin, shouting "I am what's best for this kingdom!" Arthur was wrong about Merlin though. He clearly hadn't trusted Uther nearly as Arthur thought he had. The former king's sword flew across the room before it even got within a foot of Merlin, while Uther went flying in the opposite direction. He froze a foot away from the wall, arms spread eagle, completely frozen. The smile was gone from Merlin's face as he walked over to where Uther had landed.

"This kingdom is dying, and you haven't even realized it. You definitely are not what is best for this kingdom. Now, get out, or I'll get some of your knights to drag you out of here." Merlin ordered.

"My knights will never listen to you, boy. I am their king." Uther growled in response, before he was dropped to the ground. Even though he was probably one-third the size of the king, while he stood tall over the collapsed king it was clear who had the power. The slow, dark chuckle returned as Merlin turned to the three remaining human knights in the room and said, "So, is the former king right? Or will you three help me fix this kingdom by escorting Uther to his chambers and then out of this kingdom?"

The three armored men exchanged looks and a few words before they all turned and bowed to Merlin. Merlin looked incredibly uncomfortable as the three men honored him, his cheeks going slightly red as he moved to the side to allow them to haul the struggling ex-monarch out of the throne room, leaving Merlin and Arthur alone with the toad who used to be a knight. As soon as the door closed once again Arthur ran over to Merlin and pulled him into a hug.

"You're king, Arthur." Merlin whispered. "What's going to be your first move as king of Camelot?"

"Well, first we need to get you cleaned up, then, I think I'll repeal the ban on magic. How does that sound to you?"

"I love you, King Arthur." Merlin replied, before grabbing Arthur and pulling him into a kiss. Arthur stumbled backwards dragging Merlin with him until he hit the empty throne, falling backwards into the seat that was now rightfully his, Merlin falling on top of him, their lips still connected. He swore he heard Merlin growl when the doors opened again and they were force to part. No matter how much Arthur wanted to spend a day alone with Merlin, he was king now and he needed to take his duties seriously if he wanted to do a better job than his father had. The knight who Merlin had sent to bring their friends to them had returned, leading Percival, Lancelot, Gwaine, Elyan, and Leon into the throne room as well. It was clear from the slight blush on Leon's face and the smirk on Gwaine's that they had been caught kissing and soon would be in for a torrent of teasing. Arthur glared at him while Percival, Lancelot, and Gwaine ran over to embrace Merlin and check him over for injuries, Merlin doing the same to them. As soon as the four friends had deemed each other sufficiently whole, they pulled apart and Leon asked, "What happened?"

"Arthur's king!" Merlin shouted before Arthur could explain what had actually happened. Technically he wasn't king yet. He still had to be sworn in and receive the crown, but he supposed he couldn't deny Merlin this celebration. The reaction this statement got wasn't exactly what Arthur had expected as all of the men he thought of as his only true friends turned to him and bowed. He hoped he could live up to what these men expected from him as he said, "Please don't. I'm going to get enough of that over the next couple days, I don't want it from you too. I want to make all of you my personal council, I'm going to need all of your help if we want to fix this kingdom."

"Don't worry, Arthur." Lancelot said with a smile. "We're not going anywhere."

"Whatever you need, Sire." Leon said with a slight dip of his head.

"It would be our honor." Percival said, with a smile.

"Thank you." Arthur replied. "There is so much that needs to be done. First, we need to make this official. Let the people know things are going to change. Geoffrey of Monmouth will need to swear me in as soon as possible, but we also need to deal with the destruction caused by the battle with the skeletons. Any formal celebrations and declarations will need to wait until we make the necessary repairs and bury all those who fell in the battle. Leon, I want you to gather as many knights and council members as you can find in the rooms currently being used as an infirmary. Once we have as many people there as we can we will announce the change in rule and start discussing what the best next steps are."

"And what should I say happened to Uther?" Leon asked, looking around the room as if he expected to see the body of the former king.

"Uther has been banished from the kingdom for the atrocities he committed during his reign. He has been given time to gather some of his belonging before he is escorted out of the country. Any knights or council members who wish to leave with him should feel free to do the same." Arthur stated, earning surprised looks from Leon, Elyan, and the knight who had brought them in.

"So, he isn't dead?" Leon asked, "Are you sure it is wise to let him go?"

To be honest, Arthur wasn't sure. He was glad he hadn't been forced to kill his father, and was even happier that he wouldn't have to spend the rest of his days living in a castle while his father dwelt in a cell underneath him, but part of him knew that letting Uther go could quite possibly lead to trouble in the future. A reassuring nod from Merlin gave him the clarity he needed to state, "I don't want my first act as king to be murder. His exile will show the people that I can show mercy, and will prove that I am not my father. People will be judged fairly in the future. Uther may have done truly terrible things, but he was also the king of Camelot for over thirty years. He was not always the tyrant of recent years, and many will remember this. By not killing him I will have given his supporters hope for their own lives in this new regime, and proof to those who did not support him that I will not be as susceptible to hatred as he was."

Arthur glanced back at Merlin when he was finished, glad to see that the warlock was still smiling proudly at him. Leon also seemed to accept the explanation as he nodded before rushing out of the room to carry out his orders. When the door closed again Arthur said, "We should all get down to Gaius. I'm guessing Uther didn't treat any of you much better than Merlin. You all should get your injuries checked out."

"Awe, there's nothing a good tankard of mead couldn't fix!" Gwaine said playfully, pulling Arthur into a headlock. "Besides, I think we need to celebrate! First rounds on the new king!"

Arthur pulled away before Gwaine could get him to the door and said, "No. You are all going to see Gaius. And then we have to get to work. This kingdom needs a lot of fixing, and it starts today. The celebrations will come, but first we have work to do."

The next few weeks were difficult. There were so many things to do, so many things that needed fixing. Arthur had been formally crowned king the day after Uther left, causing quite a bit of anger with the people who still supported Uther, which, luckily, was a very small group. Gwaine, Lancelot, Percival, and Elyan had been knighted that day as well, Leon promoted to head knight, and Merlin officially named advisor to the king, although most already had realized that he was much more than that to Arthur. The biggest and most pressing issues were those caused by the brief war, but with Merlin's magic and the help of some outcasts who had returned the repairs went quickly. There was also the mourning that had to be done for those who had perished in the fight, which, although a smaller number than it could have been, was still a somber event. Arthur did his best to handle the process with grace, trying to help the families of the dead while still working to fix all the other problems Uther had left.

The most pressing issues were, of course, rewriting all the laws about magic and lowering all the taxes. Merlin had taken charge of the magic issue, as he knew much more about what the limits of magic should be and how to monitor it. The taxes had to be carefully discussed with the council members as well as the citizens in a series of town hall meetings Arthur had organized the week following his coronation. The stores of gold Uther had horded in different areas of the castle would be more than enough to repay some of those hit the hardest while maintaining the payment for the servants, knights, and other castle staff during the process of deliberations, but soon that would run dry if the people did not continue to support the kingdom. Still, the amount of money Uther had required would not be necessary any longer, and a fair amount would soon be established.

As these changes took place Arthur couldn't help but notice that the people of Camelot seemed happier than they had in years. Things were changing for the better. Of course there was still much to do, but Gwaine had convinced the rest of them that it was high time to celebrate. The kitchen staff had outdone themselves, preparing food Merlin swore was the best he had ever tasted. As Arthur looked around at all his friends sitting around him at the high table and realized how far they had come, an overwhelming sense of pride filled him. This was their kingdom, their time. The beginning of a new age.

AN: At the bottom cause we're done! This story is over! Wow, that only took ten months...

But it was a fabulous ten months. I loved the response I got for this story and I had a blast writing it. I hope you guys had as much fun reading!

I am sorry this took so long. You lot have been incredibly patient and supportive as I struggled through school life and personal issues, neglecting to write so often. I could go on thanking you all for probably another 120,000 words, but then this fic would take even longer to finish and no one wants that :)

So, it has been quite the journey for me. Never would I have believed I would ever write a story longer than Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, but here it is! I guess what I'm trying to say is, if I can do this so can you if you want to. Writing is really fun, and never something I thought I would enjoy (and still something I doubt I'm any good at), so any of you with plot bunnies bouncing around in your head, go for it! Try it out! let me know how it goes!

And, one final, rather petty remark. This fic is two reviews away from 200. I know you lot can get it over that boundary, but I just wanted to encourage you to do it hear by reminding you how much it would mean to me. 198 is awesome, but 200 hundred is totally awesome.

That's it! Check my profile page for what I'm doing next and thank you so much for reading!

hearts,

J3swimmer :)