The night of Uther's final battle

Merlin Ambrosius had been having a dreadful feeling in the pit of his stomach since the beginning of this war. Although the legendary Mage loved his people dearly, he refused to fight in the battle caused by the petty hearts of both races.

The Mages and mankind had been at peace for years, until Vortigern, the king's younger brother, sent his men to attack the Mages. Merlin's people believed that he was under Uther's orders and immediately took up arms. The Ambrosius Mage, however, knew of Vortigern's lust for power and tried to reason with the vengeance blinded Mages.

Unfortunately, they would not hear his pleas for peace. His people were too blinded by their hunger for the vengeance of their fallen. Therefore, Merlin's pleas fell upon deaf ears and the disappointed Mage returned home to his children.

The troubled Mage now sits by the fireplace, a frown resting upon his face as the twins play on the floor in front of him.

"Geralt, give that back! You're going to tear Marian's new dress!" Little Guinevere exclaimed angrily at her brother.

The younger twin just grinned mischievously and shot up from his spot on the floor, running around the room with his sister in tow. As he was being chased by the smaller girl, he let out a triumphant laugh. "You're going to have to catch me, Guinnie!"

"Children." Merlin tried to calmly grab the attention of the twins, but to no avail. He then let out a loud and frustrated shout. "Children, calm down!"

Their father's outburst had startled the two children so much that they halted their activities and became silent. The twins shared a wide eyed and concerned look, before their gazes fell upon Merlin's exhausted and deflated demeanor.

What startled them the most was their father's weak and broken voice when he asked quietly. "Please, children. I beg of you, please be quiet."

The older Ambrosius now sat with his head propped up by his arms that were stiffly placed onto his knees. Merlin's fists pressed firmly against his closed eyelids, in a desperate attempt at pushing back the tears of frustration and worry.

Yes, the high ranking Mage was both frustrated and worried to the point of a complete breakdown. He was frustrated that his people refused to listen to reason and were so blinded by their thirst to avenge the fallen. Merlin was worried about the wellbeing of not only his wife and children, but also his people.

Merlin had seen what would unfold because of this war and the dark aftermath it would bring. Despite his failed attempts to end this fruitless war, he had hope.

The older Ambrosius' hope came in the form of a young boy that he had seen in a dream. This young boy would grow into a man and set right the wrongs done by his uncle. This young boy was Arthur, son of Uther and rightful heir to the throne of Camelot.

However, Merlin knew that the only way that this prophecy was to be fulfilled, was if his own children were to aid the future king on his journey to greatness. This worried him due to the dangerous path that he knew awaited his children and the young prince.

Guinevere and Geralt saw the storm and the fear in their father's blue eyes and it scared the young children, more than they would ever admit. They cautiously approached Merlin, one standing on each side of his chair with their small hands gently placed on top of their father's large ones.

"Da?" Young Geralt asked his father cautiously, making the middle aged Mage look up at each of his children. "What troubles you?"

"Nothing is troubling me, my Little Loves." Merlin lied through his teeth, giving the twins a forced smile. "Don't worry about your dear Ol' Da, because I should be the one that worries after you two little hellions!"

And worry, he spared not a single drop, when his children were involved.

Guinevere and Geralt, however, could always see right through their father's lies. They knew that something was wrong and they knew all about what it was. For the most part, that is.

"Are you worried about the war, Da?" Guinevere asked her father, her big brown eyes—which mirrored those of her mother's—were filled with sadness and concern.

"Now, how do the two of you know about that? Who told you of these matters?" The father asked his children with a furrowed brow.

"All the other children in the village are talking about it." Geralt admitted his bright blue eyes showing the same concern and sadness as his sister's.

"Freya told us that her parents said you were a coward and a lover of mankind. They said that you didn't care about our kind and refused to fight against Uther's men." The small girl added to her brother's words, an angry frown on her chubby little face.

"Which Guinevere then proceeded to tackle and punch Freya, while Guinnie's familiar bit her." Geralt told their father with a little chuckle. As he said this he nodded towards Guinevere's wolf companion, which was curled up in a comfortable little ball of fur by the fireplace.

The young girl's eyes widened considerably at her brother's words. She gave her twin a glare filled with betrayal at his willingness to tell their father of the morning's incident.

"Is that so?" Merlin asked with an amused and knowing smile, turning his head towards his visibly cringing daughter. "Well, I would expect nothing less from the fiercest warrior that will ever grace Mage history."

"Now, What is this I hear about fierce warriors?"

The twins' heads snapped in the direction of their mother's voice. Wide grins grew on their faces as Seraphina Ambrosius entered the home.

Merlin's smile finally met his eyes as he watched his beautiful wife removed her cloak, before she was attacked by the twins' hugs.

"Mother! Mother!" The twins exclaimed cheerfully as they embraced their mother excitedly. Even the children's sleepy familiars, a wolf pup and a baby owl, came to greet the kindhearted woman.

"Hello, my Little Loves! How was your day?" Seraphina asked the two children who were no longer hugging her, before bending over and petting the familiars as a warm welcome.

Merlin and his wife shared an amused smile as the twins rambled on about their day in a whirlwind of excited voices and exaggerated hand movements.

"How was the shop, mother?" Geralt asked the smiling healer, his bright blue eyes shimmering with curiosity and excitement.

"It was absolutely thrilling, and I will tell you both all about it after you get ready for bed!" Their mother stated with a victorious grin as her children rushed off to bed.

Guinevere and Geralt loved hearing about their parents' days and the different exciting stories that blossomed from them.

Seraphina needed to speak with her husband on an important matter and she knew that this was the perfect way to give them a way to talk without scaring the children.

•~*~•

A few hours after tucking the children into their beds, Seraphina joined her husband by the fireplace, a solemn expression on her radiant face.

"You know what is to come." It wasn't a question that fell from the frowning lips of Seraphina Diana Ambrosius, it was a blunt statement. Her words cut through the silence like a newly sharpened sword.

"That I do, my love." The Mage told her solemnly as he glared into the fire. "And it is happening right at this moment."

"Do you know what this means, Merlin?" She pressed hesitantly, tears welling up in her brown eyes as her voice broke. "We have to send them away tonight."

"Let them rest a little while longer, Sera." He told the dark haired woman, before noticing the look of uncertainty on her face. "It's for their own safety and the future of the kingdom."

"I know that, but we're sending our children away to a place where they'll have to hide who they are to survive!" The kindhearted healer choked as more tears began to flow down her cheeks.

"The twins are strong, especially when they are together. They'll be alright in Londinium." Merlin tried to reassure both his wife and himself.

"They'll have to be for what is to come."