*Like the new cover? Original cover is in Chapter One*

⚔ 

The mage sits in Arthur's room with Merlyn. The two women prepare for the spell with Excalibur.  Merlyn stabs the blade within the fire that burns the herbs. The two women share a look and the mage's hands replace Merlyn's. She holds the sword, closes her eyes and recites the spell.

Merlyn grabs the cloth resting on the side table and wets it in the pale beside the bed Arthur is laying on. The born king twitches as the spell takes over. Merlyn sits beside him and dabs his head lightly. She cools his body, comforts him while he faces the visions in his dream.

Subconsciously, Arthur recognizes Merlyn's presence. His body is still tense as he dreams but not as tense as before. The sweating slows down as Merlyn lays the cloth across his forehead.

She grabs his hand and traces her finger along his scar. His hand instinctively clutches hers. She smiles softly as she notices the necklace she gifted him all those years ago begin to glow through the shirt. 

She places her free hand on his chest. She can feel the quick rhythm of his heart. Her touch is comforting but not enough to keep him in the dream. Eventually, sooner than either of the witches would have liked, Arthur awakes. 

The first moment, Arthur doesn't recognize where he is. The visions plague his mind. Another moment his head begins to clear and his eyes settle on Merlyn. His other hand raises and covers her hand that rests on his chest. 

She smiles at him softly and for a moment, Arthur's problems wash away. He feels as if he's king of the mountain, he feels as if he could defeat a hundred men. He feels invincible.

Slowly, she pulls away from him. He doesn't want to let her go but allows her hands to slip away from his. She grabs the cloth off of his head and takes the pale away from his bed.

"You are resisting the sword" The mage tells him. Arthur snaps out of the daze Merlyn had unknowingly set him in. "The sword isn't resisting you"

"It should be clear by now," Arthur says frustratingly. He sits up and rests his feet on the floor. His hands grip at the bedding. "that whatever it is that you and your friends think you want from me, I am not it" He tells the two of them. 

Yet as he looks into Merlyn's eyes he notices she's wearing the same look she wore when they had their talk by the fire. She believes in him, she has so much faith in him he can see it in her eyes. She trusts him, even though he doesn't in himself.

"Not yet" The mage tells him.

"Not ever!" Arthur snapped glaring at the back of her head as she continues to kneel by Excalibur.

"What do you see when you hold the sword?" She asks him. He doesn't answer and avoids Merlyn's gaze. "It is something you've seen before, isn't it?" Her question doesn't need to be answered. "Long before you ever touched the sword." Arthur sighs as he calms down but still doesn't relax. "You don't sleep well, do you? What if you could make the dreams go away?"

"Talk to Bedivere" Merlyn tells her agreeing with the mages plan. The witch nods and leaves the two of them alone.

"I'm not who you think I am" Arthur tells her. "You're Merlyn, you're one of the most powerful mages in the world. Why can you not save Camelot? Why me?"

"Because you were meant to be king, not me" She tells him. "I have my own battles to fight, this is not it. I merely assisting you" She explains.

"And where are you battles?" He asks.

"With a lot more dangerous people than you uncle" She tells him. "Your uncle is child's play compared to the men and women I am going to have to deal with" She says. "But I cannot defeat them unless we take down your uncle and claim Camelot. Camelot is the key. The heart of Camelot is so strong, so powerful, that if it continues to stay in the hands of evil millions upon millions will die" She says. 

He grunts and looks away from her. She smiles and shakes her head at his stubbornness. She walks over to him and sits beside him.

"I once knew a man who was as stubborn as you, although I'm sure you could give him a run for his money" She says. He couldn't help but to glance at her curiously. "His name was Uther Pendragon" She says looking at him.

"You knew my father" He states. "Of course you did" He said not even surprised. She smiles and looks down in her lap.

"The day your father and mother died will forever haunt me" She whispers. Her frowns his eyebrows and looks at her. "I was good friends with your family once but then Mordred happened and I fled. Had I stayed, perhaps I could have prevented his death" She says.

"If you hadn't fled, you would be dead" He tells her. 

"Better me than your father" She whispers even softer. Arthur's eyes frowned even more not liking her saying that. "I won't make the same mistake twice" She says looking at him with tear filled eyes. "I won't abandon you, I won't let you do this alone. I understand how you must feel, Arthur, but it's imperative that you accept the sword" 

"What's your plan?" He asks. 

"We'll take you to the Darklands, there you will be forced to face what the sword is showing you" She tells him.

"Sounds cheerful" He says sarcastically. She gives him a small smile but it doesn't reach her eyes. "Hey," He whispers softly. He grips her chin lightly with two of his fingers. "I'm glad you're here with me. I would have died a long time ago if it weren't for you" He tells her.

"You're father was a good friend of mine, I'm just trying to make up for my mistakes" She whispers.

"Why did you leave?" He asks lowering his hand. She frowns her eyebrows. "Camelot, why did you leave my father?"

"I left to find a way to stop Mordred and his allies. I didn't know he would be betrayed by his own brother" She tells him.

"So, you didn't know?" He asks her with arched eyebrows. "Therefore you couldn't have done anything." She looks away from him. "You're big on this whole, I have a destiny thing, right?" She nods slightly. "Well, I don't think I'm the only one who has one"

"You're point?" She asks him. He raises his hand and turns her face to look at him.

"I think you were meant to flee Camelot so that you could live and find me" He tells her. He pulls out the necklace, it shines in his hand. His hand caresses her face. "I had dreams of you" He whispers. "Whenever I had a tough night, a bad day, what have you" He tells her.

"I dreamt of you often" She tells him. "Mainly to check up and make sure you were still alive" She says grinning slightly. He smiles back at her.

"I asked around about this necklace, I'd really like it if I heard the truth from you" He says. 

"Every elf has one of these necklaces to give to those they believe are meant for them" She explains. "Usually, the one we give them too is not a small child but I gave it to you anyways" She says.

"Why?" He pesters. She reaches for the necklace, her fingers brushing against his chest. He keeps his eyes trained on her while she looks at the crystal.

"So that no matter where you are in the world, no matter what you are going through, you would know that you weren't alone" She whispers to him. "The crystal glows when you need me, when you long for me," She says. "It is what gave you the dreams when you had a rough night or a bad day" She explains.

"Growing up in brothel, one doesn't necessarily believe in true love" He tells her.

"Humans and elf's are different" She explains looking up into his eyes. "While a human can choose their partners, ours are chosen for us by the fates." 

"Am I the only one chosen for you?" He asks and she nods.

"The only one there has ever been and ever will be" She says slowly lowering her hand from his chest. "Collect your things, get ready for your journey" She advises standing up. "You have a long road ahead of you" She says before slipping out of his room.

"I have arranged everything with Bedivere" The mage informed Merlyn. 

"Good," Merlyn nods. "You're work here is done, I will take over" She says.

"And what will you have me do?" The mage asks.

"When Arthur is king Mordred will retaliate. I fear he has Morgana and Morgause within his ranks. When we win Camelot, it is only a matter of time before we fall into war" Merlyn says.

"A war man will not easily win" The mage points out. Merlyn silently agrees with her.

"Collect our allies. Spread word of the born king. Tell them a war is coming, a war for the balance of nature" Merlyn orders. "And be careful, Mordred has large numbers. Even the most unlikely creatures are on his side, trust those you know and be cautious of anyone new"

"I'll keep in touch" The mage says before departing from camp.

"Where's she going?" Arthur asks stopping beside him.

"Winning Camelot is simply step one in regaining order" Merlyn informs him.

"Great" Arthur mutters following the elf.