Hola!
Gif is kinda a big part of this chapter.
Summary: Rose and Merlin reveal their secrets while being chased by bad guys.

     I guess it was only a matter of time before the guards found me. Still, I'd been rather optimistic today wouldn't be that day. Pity.
     But before I explain how we got away, I guess I should explain what Nimueh was up to in the meantime.
                          * * * * *
     Nimueh walked through the woods, remaining cautious. She was near the kingdom of Paradise and knew well she wasn't welcome there, thanks to a certain event 18 years ago.
     She pulled her hood more carefully over her head as she continued walking. Suddenly, she heard a roar in the distance and the sound of horses hooves.
     She quickly ducked behind a tree as the royal guards appeared on horseback. The dragon, Kilgharrah, was leading them.
     Nimueh could easily kill all of them but the royals would become suspicious when their guards didn't return. Then they'd send out more guards and be more thorough with their searches and possibly find the tower and Rose and-
     Oh no! Rose!
     Nimueh hurried back toward the tower. "Rose, dear! Mama's home!" She waited. Nothing. "Rose, dear! Mama's not getting any younger down here!" Still nothing. "Rose! Now is not the time to play games!" Nothing. "Rose, are you up there?" No answer.
     Nimueh panicked. She used her magic to lift herself up to the top. She came in through the window and frantically searched for Rose. She tore up her bed, threw open the wardrobe, checked her own bed, searched every nook and corner of the tower, and finally tore up the floorboards.
     A satchel she didn't recognize was under them. She opened it and found Rose's tiara. Panicking, she tossed it across the room. A glimmering caught her attention. The crystal. She saw images flash in her mind.
     She knew where Rose was.
     She quickly shoved the tiara and the crystal back inside of the satchel and raced to find Rose.
                          * * * * *
     Luckily, the thugs knew a back way out of the tavern. Rose and Merlin ducked into a tunnel that ran beneath the building. Kilgharrah found which way they'd gone and he and the guards followed them. Morgana and Morgause followed as well. The tunnels branched off, allowing the groups to head through separate tunnels as they tried to find a way back to the surface.
     Merlin and Rose came out into a wide open space. Unfortunately, they were not alone. There was a tunnel in front of them and one on either side, with a giant, gaping hole in front of them, separating them from the tunnel in front.
     From the tunnel on their left appeared Morgana and Morgause with evil grins on their faces. "Who are they?"
     "Uh...they don't like me."
     From the tunnel on their right, suddenly appeared the royal guards. "Who are they?"
     "They don't like me either."
     Kilgharrah appeared in the tunnel in front of them, roaring indignantly. "Who's that?"
     "Let's just assume for the moment that everyone here doesn't like me!"
     The unlikely pair quickly weighed their options, both coming to the same conclusion. Holding hands, they jumped into the hole before them. A smack resounded as they hit the water at the bottom.
     With no time left to waste, the pair rushed into the tunnel ahead of them.
                         * * * * *
     Nimueh had seen Rose and Merlin in the Snuggly Duckling Tavern. She had watched them singing with the thugs in the tavern and seen them escape through a tunnel out the back. Luckily for her, she knew where the tunnel lead and quickly headed that way.
                          * * * * *
     Morgana and Morgause went back through the tunnels until they found a side way out.
     The guards and Kilgharrah did the same. Soon, all the groups were headed in different directions.
                          * * * * *
     I'm grateful for that dumb idea because even if we did nearly die, it did two good things: we made new friends and...well... we'll get to that other one...
                          * * * * *
     The tunnel was dark, damp, and cold. Water filled the bottom about ankle-deep. The water reflected off of the walls of the cavern.
     The pair kept going until they reached the end. Water flowed down from the tunnel into another big hole. With no other option, the pair, once again, jumped.
     The water was deeper down there. Rose and Merlin waded through waist-deep water. There was no exit to be seen. The walls were solid and rocks at covered most of them.
      The pair began to search for a way out but couldn't find any. All the while, they began to notice something happening.
     The water was rising!
     They looked more frantically. The water was up to their shoulders and climbing higher very quickly. Merlin even tried moving the rocks but they were stuck fast.
     The water rose to their necks.
     Rose began to cry. "Merlin, I'm not gonna make it. I never should've left home. Because now I'm gonna die."
     "You're not gonna die. Just trust me."
     Merlin raised a hand and yelled, "Et aperire viam!"
     A huge explosion sounded as the rocks burst apart, leaving room for Rose and Merlin to walk through. A confused expression crossed Rose's face but before she could voice it, two figures appeared from the shadows.
      "Oh look! It's our favorite prince, Merlin Emrys!"
     Merlin growled. "Leave! Now! You know you can't beat me!"
     Morgana and Morgause began to laugh. "Willing to bet on that, cousin?" Morgana asked, with a smirk.
     Rose was terrified. "Merlin, who are they?"
     Morgause grinned, evilly. "Oh and you've finally found her?"
     Merlin looked confused. "What?"
     "You don't know?" Morgana asked. "Well this is ironic!"
     "Enough!" Morgause yelled, no longer amused. "You know why we're here. Hand them over."
     "No." Merlin said, flatly.
     "Must we do this?" The twins asked in unison.
     "Alas, we must."
     Rose, meanwhile, had no idea what was going on. All she knew was that the two women were a threat and they frightened her. A sudden feeling rose up in her. Before anyone could move, the feeling overcame Rose and suddenly, the twins were on the ground, unable to move, clutching their heads before falling unconscious.
     Rose came back to reality a moment later. Merlin looked at her intensely. Then, she fainted. Merlin caught her just before she hit the ground.
                           * * * * *
     I hadn't expected it. How was I to know that this would happen? She was like me. She had magic.
     How was I to know that destiny had a weird sense of humor? That she'd turn out to be everything I needed?
     How was I to know that I was going to fall in love with her so fast and unexpectedly I still don't know how it happened?
                            * * * * *
     Rose drifted back to consciousness after a few minutes. She was laying on the ground. Merlin was sitting on a log, watching her. He moved as she woke up.
     "What happened?"
     "I'd like to know that myself." Merlin thought for a moment. "I guess we both have some secrets to tell."
     Rose nodded. "I'll tell mine if you tell me yours."
     "Fine. I have magic." Merlin paused, swallowing hard. His eyes were wet from worrying about Rose. "I was born with it. Years ago, people hated my kind but thanks to my parents, the king and queen have accepted magic into the kingdom.
     "I am a prince. My name is Merlin but I also have another name. Emrys. I'm supposed to have this big destiny of uniting royalty and magic together. But I...have no idea what I'm doing.
     "I thought the crystal could help me but I've come to realize that I'm pretty much on my own. And I'm sorry to say that those women who were about to attack us are my cousins, Morgana and Morgause.
     "I never wanted you to be involved in all this. You could've gotten hurt."
     "I'm tougher than I look." Rose joked. "Thank you for telling me, Merlin. And, by the way, I think you know more about what you need than some old destiny is telling you."
     "You're the only one who's ever had faith in me. Thank you."
     "You're welcome." There was a small pause. "I'm not sure what to tell you. I have magic too but up until today, I thought it was only healing magic. Mother, she always told me that the outside world is dangerous."
     "Well you're doing remarkably well then." Merlin sighed. "I...uh...I should probably go get some firewood. You gonna be alright by yourself?"
     Rose nodded. Merlin headed off into the woods.
     "Well I thought he'd never leave!" Rose heard behind her.
    She knew who it was before she even turned around.
     It was her mother.
                            * * * * *
     When Morgana and Morgause came to, they were met with the sight of Nimueh standing over them.
     "Pathetic!" She growled. "But you'll do." The pair glared daggers at her. "Now, now. Those looks aren't necessary. After all, I have the answer to your happiness. Help me and not only will you get this," here she pulled out the satchel, "but you'll also get your revenge."
     The twins looked at one another then at Nimueh. "Tell us what to do." Nimueh smirked, evilly.
                         * * * * *
     "Mother?"
     "What are you doing out here, Rose? We need to get you back to your tower before he comes back."
     "I don't want to, mother. He's my friend. He's taking me to see the floating lanterns and...I think he likes me."
     "Likes you? Please, Rose! This is why you never should've left. Dear, this whole romance that you've invented just proves you're too naive to be here. He doesn't care about you! He'll only use you to get what he wants! Then he'll leave you forever!"

Don't be a dummy
Come with mummy
Mother...

     "No!"
     "No? Oh! I see how it is!"

Rose knows best
Rose is so mature now
Such a clever grown up miss
Rose knows best
Fine if you're so sure now
Go ahead and give him this!

     Nimueh pulled out the satchel.
     "How did you-?"

This is why he's here
Don't let him deceive you
Give it to him
Watch you'll see
Trust me my dear
*Finger snap*
That's how fast he'll leave you
I won't say "I told you so"
No, Rose knows best
So if he's such a dream boat
Go and put him
To the test!
If he's lying
Don't come crying
Mother knows best!
             
     Just like that, Nimueh vanished. Rose was left alone, holding the satchel that Merlin so highly prized. She'd have to hide it. She still needed to get to the floating lanterns and she didn't fully trust Merlin.
     She hid it under the log seconds before Merlin appeared from the woods.
     "Alright, love, I got enough firewood to choke a dragon." Merlin joked. Rose laughed.
     The pair sat down and Merlin lit the firewood. They talked for awhile, explaining more about themselves. Eventually, it got late so they lay down on the ground next to one another. Rose decided even if she wasn't sure what was going on between her and Merlin, she'd like to curl up next to him.
     Merlin, for his part, was pleased when Rose curled up next to him and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer to his body.
     He felt something for the strange girl but he wasn't sure what it was yet. And then there were those words the twins had relayed to him. He had his suspicions but still wasn't sure yet.
     Rose knew she was falling for him. It was pretty obvious. But she still worried what her mother had said. Could she trust Merlin? Only time would tell.
     As Rose and Merlin fell asleep, they had no idea that a few feet away, Nimueh and the twins were hiding in the bushes, watching them.
     "Patience." Nimueh said, with a grin. "All good things to those who wait."
To be continued...

OMG! What's going on? What suspicions does Merlin have? Is he falling in love with Rose? What is Nimueh planning?
Find out soon. And I decided to make this super long to make up for how long it took. Enjoy! See you soon, lovelies!
    
Translations:
Et aperire viam! = Open up a path!

This won't be the last story with Latin in it, btw. Ok bye!