Fic: The Immortal Merlin, The Spectre of Death and The Magical Wardrobe
Title: The Immortal Merlin, The Spectre of Death and The Magical Wardrobe (1/1)
Author: dk323
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Merlin, various incarnations of Merlin
Word Count: 5,335
Disclaimer: The show Merlin is property of the BBC. Harry Potter is the property of Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling. The show Misfits is created by Howard Overman.
Spoilers: None; about a year into Arthur’s reign
Summary: Merlin believes there’s something peculiar about the wardrobe that appeared in his room suddenly one day. Arthur wishes Merlin would just accept that it’s an ordinary wardrobe. But on the night of a feast, Arthur and Merlin find themselves needing to get away from Gwaine (who is a bit drunk and is rather in the mood for a threesome). So they both hide in the wardrobe and discover that their hiding place is much bigger than either of them had ever imagined.
Welcome to Avalonia…
Author’s Notes:
For the merlinxarthur fanfic challenge #5. For these pictures:
#05 ~
#11 ~
I’m using the character of Nathan Young from “Misfits”, but it’s an AU version of him because he’s an incarnation of Merlin. So Nathan’s not as much of an annoying idiot as he is on “Misfits” because in this story, he has all those memories of being Merlin.
Nathan on “Misfits” isn’t that bad (for anyone who hasn’t seen the show), but he’s a lot to take in. He’s the smart alec of the group, so those types of people can be frustrating to others sometimes. No knowledge of “Misfits” needed at any rate.
Also, Arthur has self-induced amnesia here. *is kidding a bit* This takes place after “The Turning Point”…though it has been three years for Arthur (Arthur became King two years after his mad nightly venture meeting Merlin’s incarnations and Death. This story is a year into Arthur’s reign; hence three years). Even though Arthur has seen a similar wardrobe and been told about Avalonia…he has had other things on his mind in the intervening years. And Arthur doesn’t know that the wardrobe is an entrance to Avalonia (The Chronicles of Narnia book series is before his time after all. :p).
You don’t need to have read “The Turning Point” to understand this. Some characters from that story reappear here and are reintroduced.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Arthur gave a loud sigh. “Really, Merlin. Are you still trying to figure out that wardrobe?” He asked him.
He watched as Merlin swept his fingers over the stylish dragon carving on one of the door panels.
A week ago, Merlin had woken up to discover the wardrobe in his still relatively new chambers. Almost one year ago now, Arthur had provided Merlin with his own bigger quarters upon installing him as his Court Sorcerer and advisor.
No one knew where the wardrobe had come from. It was a complete mystery. Arthur even investigated the wardrobe. He had gone inside of it to find the wardrobe empty and smelling of wood. The back panel of the wardrobe had felt a little cold when he had pressed his hand against it.
When Merlin went inside the wardrobe, he confided in Arthur afterwards that he couldn’t shake the feeling that the wardrobe was more than a storage space. Yet Arthur had established that it was just an ordinary wardrobe. Of course it was odd that the wardrobe had magically appeared and for once, Merlin wasn’t the culprit; but Arthur hadn’t let that change his mind.
At least the wardrobe seemed harmless enough. Merlin had performed some magical spells to check for anything malicious attributed to the wardrobe. But thankfully, Merlin had found nothing.
So the wardrobe simply stood there in Merlin’s chambers. Merlin had kept the wardrobe empty even if it was a big, useful space to store clothes and other random items in. Most frustratingly for Arthur, Merlin still couldn’t let go of believing there was something strange about the wardrobe. Even a week later, Merlin was still considering the wardrobe.
Arthur had felt a bit neglected as a result. He wouldn’t admit that to Merlin, of course. He was King of Camelot after all - he was not one to throw a fit if he didn’t get the attention he wanted. He was far from a child; though Merlin sometimes begged to differ (Arthur had learned to ignore Merlin when he was listing out all the reasons for why Arthur was an ‘immature prat’).
Merlin turned to look at Arthur. “I’m sure there’s something unusual about this wardrobe. I just can’t put my finger on it.”
“You should let it rest, Merlin. In spite of its sudden appearance, it’s still an ordinary wardrobe,” Arthur said tiredly.
He went over to Merlin and put his hand on his shoulder. “The wise thing to do is to leave the wardrobe alone,” Arthur told him.
Slowly, Merlin turned to Arthur, his eyes narrowed in accusation at the king. “You can’t possibly think this wardrobe is just ordinary, Arthur. I remember - that morning three years ago when you asked me if I saw the word, ‘Young’ on the dragon’s belly. You said you had an odd night, but that you couldn’t tell me what you saw. That it was better that way for my sake. But whatever you had seen or experienced convinced you to keep my magic secret…” Merlin drifted off. The little black dragon toy, which could come alive and Merlin had named Arthur, appeared in the palm of his hand.
Arthur shook his head, on the defensive. He removed his hand from Merlin’s shoulder, his expression uneasy. “Merlin, I still can’t tell you. I’m sorry.”
“Have you seen a wardrobe like this before?” Merlin demanded of him.
Arthur stepped away from him, rubbing the back of his head and clearly delaying his response.
Merlin just continued to look at him.
Arthur relented. “All right. I admit that I did see a somewhat similar wardrobe. There was a sign on it though, saying, ‘Avalonia Restricted Access.’”
Merlin had a look of interest now.
This is what Arthur had been trying to avoid.
“Avalonia? That sounds like the name of a country,” Merlin mused.
He made Arthur the dragon come to life, and now the palm-sized dragon was sitting contentedly on Merlin’s shoulder. Arthur even saw the dragon nuzzling Merlin at his neck.
“It’s the name of a world. I don’t know. I didn’t see it. I was just told about it - I don’t know what’s so special about Avalonia. But there it is.” Arthur shrugged.
Merlin looked curious. “Is it a world separate from our own? Did someone create it?”
“Merlin, I can’t,” Arthur reminded him, sounding weary.
“Just please, I need to know, Arthur. What if this wardrobe is the entrance to that world? That had to be the purpose of that sign you recalled - to tell others what the wardrobe led to and the limitations of access.”
Arthur raised his brow. Still, he conceded, “Well, all right. That’s a logical conclusion to draw, but--”
“If we somehow end up in this Avalonia, I need to know what to expect,” Merlin asserted.
“‘We’, Merlin? Who said anything about ‘we’?” Arthur wasn’t sure if he wanted a firsthand look at Avalonia. It was still such a strange, foreign concept to him to just create a world separate from the real, the true world. Not that Arthur was fearful of the unknown; he just wasn’t too thrilled at the thought of going somewhere completely new and baffling without good reason (like saving people’s lives, for example). “And like I told you, I don’t know what’s in Avalonia. I just know who created--” Arthur stopped speaking.
He was doing an awful job at keeping Merlin’s growing curiosity at bay. Arthur decided that he might as well just tell him. As long as Merlin didn’t know about the peculiarities of Nathan Young, one of his future incarnations, then everything would be fine.
“Who created it then?” Merlin encouraged him.
Arthur the dragon was on Merlin’s head now. If it was possible, the dragon looked as curious and intrigued as Merlin did at that moment.
“Avalonia’s creator was a - or will be, I suppose, a future incarnation,” Arthur paused. The dragon stuck out his tongue at him. Arthur frowned at the creature. Bloody dragon named after him. Merlin gave him an expectant look. “-of you. ‘Young’ was referring to the surname of your future incarnation centuries into the future. His first name is Nathan. I think he travelled back in time to give the dragon to you.”
Merlin stared at Arthur. “I don’t - seriously? And you met him?”
Arthur nodded. “And not just him either. But apparently you and I are reborn multiple times over the centuries. After an incarnation dies, the next incarnation is born some time later to continue the reincarnation process. New faces, new bodies, new names…and the personalities are different too,” he finished, trying not to dwell on the rather uncomfortable conversation he had had with Nathan.
Though Arthur was sure now that Nathan had just been messing around with him. Nathan was a strange person. There was no doubt about it. Even with Merlin’s memories, Nathan did his own thing. Then again, Nathan also had a whole lot of other memories from past incarnations as well as Merlin’s - the Merlin Arthur knew at least, so that could’ve accounted for his changes in personality.
“Who else did you meet?” Merlin asked him with great interest.
“Maybe we should do this later?” Arthur said curtly. “I don’t even know how that wardrobe came to be in your room. We both checked, Merlin. It’s clearly not an entrance.”
“The one who left me the dragon…Nathan? Maybe he left the wardrobe here,” Merlin suggested. “We just haven’t found out how the wardrobe works.”
“Again with the ‘we’! I’m sorry, but I don’t want any part of this. I’m fine with never seeing Nathan again…and if that wardrobe might lead to wherever he is, then I rather stay here,” Arthur said firmly, crossing his arms against his chest.
Merlin appeared puzzled. “Why don’t you want to see him? If he was - will be - a future incarnation of me, then he can’t be so bad.”
“It wasn’t how he acted, honestly. I’ve just had my fill of seeing the future after that night three years ago. I believe that I’m better off focusing on what I can do now rather than wondering if I’ll get another taste of the future,” Arthur confided in Merlin.
“All right,” he conceded. “But I still want to meet him,” Merlin said defiantly. “You’ve had your chance, and I want to see some of the future.”
Now back on Merlin’s right shoulder, Arthur the dragon breathed blue fire quite happily.
“I was told to tell you as little as possible about what I learned,” Arthur intimated to him. “That you were meant to go on your own journey without knowing all about your future. You remember the memories of your past lives early on in every life…and knowing future information may make the remembering worse for you. I don’t really understand that, but I thought it was safest to heed their advice.”
Merlin sighed, looking like he understood. “Okay. Then don’t tell me everything. After dinner tonight, we could talk,” he decided.
~ * ~
That night, Arthur told Merlin about his strange night three years ago. Arthur had met an echo of Artemis, who was the first female incarnation of Merlin to have ever been born in the year 1507. How an echo was Merlin’s creation in one of his reincarnated lives, which was tied to his home, the Crystal Palace, in the future. An echo was a copy of a person for every year that they had been alive. While they weren’t solid - unless they concentrated - and they flickered like otherworldly spirits, they appeared more vibrant and alive than any ghost.
Every current living incarnation of Merlin had this support system of echoes of his past selves. His echoes stayed with him and assisted him in each of his lives. Most of the echoes remained invisible, though some like Artemis were visible quite often.
Essentially, it was like having one’s memories outside of one’s self with the added benefit of getting extra assistance or just simple emotional support when times were hard.
Arthur told him about the wizarding world, a magic-dominated world that Merlin had helped to establish, which was hidden from the non-magical world for security reasons. How each of Merlin’s incarnations helped the wizarding world by offering well-meaning advice and magical support.
Arthur told him what he knew about Merlin’s incarnations who he did see or meet, being careful of course not to reveal too much.
Arthur wasn’t sure how Merlin would take learning that when he would be reincarnated as Nathan, that he was granted immortality after being struck by lightning. Not to mention losing the ability to age two years after that event when he was only twenty-two.
That would have been too much to handle. And anyway, Arthur thought, it was so far into Merlin’s future that it was best to keep Merlin from thinking about what was going to happen to him. Even if Arthur hadn’t been told to keep quiet about Nathan, he probably wouldn’t have told Merlin about him. For the sake of Merlin’s sanity.
Arthur did tell him about Myrddin who had a bigger dragon who looked strikingly similar to Merlin’s little dragon. Also, he told him about Edmund and Caspian. Caspian was the only blond incarnation of Merlin Arthur had seen and who directly came before Nathan’s incarnation.
Lastly Arthur told him about Hermione, a second female incarnation of him who followed after Nathan.
Arthur couldn’t tell Merlin that Nathan and Hermione were both living at the same time. He’d have to reveal the immortality bit after all. Reincarnation was based on the idea that a person could only die once. Hours after Nathan gained his immortality, he died his first time at the age of twenty. Only that first death counted and stimulated the reincarnation process to move forward. Hermione was born two years later in 1979.
Nathan and Hermione had made an arrangement that Nathan would continue on as the official Merlin. He took care of the majority of responsibilities while Hermione assisted Nathan when he needed it. Considering Nathan’s immortality, Arthur considered, then he really could stay on as the official Merlin for as long as he wished to. And the incarnation who would follow Hermione could aid him as Hermione apparently did.
Arthur wondered how long it would take Nathan to grow bored of it all…he had lived for 53 years when Arthur last saw him. Nathan had seemed to enjoy what he did, though 53 years wasn’t that long of a time yet.
One thing Arthur couldn’t tell Merlin about was meeting Death or Mercy as she liked to be called. Her ominous words about Nathan’s time coming eventually despite his immortality - that he would grow weary and tired like everyone else -- stayed with him. Maybe she would prove to be right.
He remembered how frustrated and unnerved he was by how Death’s face had been covered in complete shadow. That had certainly made him uneasy. And how could Arthur forget Mercy crying and saying how lonely she was?
Death or Mercy didn’t seem like an emotionally stable entity, which didn’t make Arthur any better about when he would die one day. Would he see her again? Would she weep like the last time?
He still found it completely ironic that Nathan, the immortal incarnation of Merlin, visited Death sometimes. But Arthur had only been told that the visits occurred. He had never actually seen them. All the same, it was an intriguing thought to entertain.
~ * ~
So it was a few days after Arthur had his talk with Merlin. For his part, Merlin was understandably overwhelmed at what he had discovered about his future. Arthur wasn’t sure if Merlin believed everything, but at least now Arthur had someone to talk to about that nightly venture.
It was all Gwaine’s fault that Arthur and Merlin found themselves rushing to hide in the wardrobe.
Sir Gwaine had a little too much to drink at the feast that evening. He was clamoring for some fun with Arthur and Merlin - by fun, he meant in the bedchambers with the three of them, preferably naked.
He didn’t know about Merlin, but Arthur wasn’t one for threesomes - especially when Merlin was involved. Arthur didn’t like to share him. That’s just how it was and Arthur wasn’t going to change his mind on that truth.
“We need to hide!” Merlin exclaimed as he headed in the direction of his chambers.
“Merlin - I know what you’re thinking…” Arthur said, short of breath as they tried to escape Gwaine.
Arthur could hear Gwaine down the corridor.
Merlin rolled his eyes. “If the wardrobe doesn’t work, then what’s the harm?”
Arthur contemplated later whether Merlin had just jinxed them. Because if something that’s never worked before suddenly works, then clearly it’s the fault of the idiot sorcerer who should have not said anything at all.
~ * ~
Clambering into the empty wardrobe, Merlin discovered first that the back of the wardrobe…well, it certainly wasn't a solid wall anymore.
“Arthur! Look! I think it’s snowing,” Merlin said with honest-to-goodness excitement coloring his words.
And Merlin was right. Unless the wardrobe had suddenly expanded greatly in size, Arthur would have to say they were in Avalonia or some place that was most certainly not Camelot (there were no snow on the ground to speak of at Camelot).
But before them, they were in a winter wonderland. A light, pleasant snow fell to the ground and everything was a breathtaking white as far as the eye could see. A tall pole with a welcoming glowing light emanating from its top stood several feet away. A big stone castle rested on a cliff a good distance away from them. The castle overlooked the now frozen water, but Arthur could imagine how amazing the view would be in warmer weather, when the water was free to flow once again.
Arthur himself couldn’t help but feel an excitement come over him. Did Merlin’s incarnation really create such a world from his imagination? From just going off that book series like he had told him and working from there?
It was truly awe-inspiring what magic could create, Arthur had to admit.
“It’s cold,” Arthur declared.
Merlin nodded, agreeing with him. Looking thoughtful, Merlin returned to the wardrobe.
Puzzled, Arthur watched him go. Soon, Merlin came back carrying two heavy fur coats - one black and the other grey - and he handed the black one to Arthur.
Merlin shrugged when Arthur asked how he had got them. “I’m not sure,” Merlin confessed, putting on his grey coat. “I just went back to the wardrobe and found the coats in there. If the wardrobe leads to this place, then magically appearing coats within its space is just as possible.”
“But how did you even know they would be there?” Arthur wondered as he donned the black fur coat.
“Even if it was empty, the wardrobe is still a wardrobe… I just thought if we need something to keep warm, then the wardrobe would be a good place to start.”
“Your mind is a strange place, Merlin,” Arthur remarked, shaking his head.
Merlin grinned at him. “So this is the world Nathan created? A future incarnation of me?” He asked as the two of them trudged along in the few inches of snow coating the ground.
“Yes,” Arthur confirmed. Then he changed tact, feeling uncertain as he observed the too quiet surroundings as the snow enveloped the land and decorated the trees. “Well, I can only assume it is. I don’t know if he’s here in Avalonia, but hopefully we can find someone to tell us exactly where we are.”
“Right,” Merlin agreed.
Then Merlin smiled widely and purposefully fell to the ground. He lay on his back, staring at the sky above him. He waved his arms against the snow, making a snow angel.
“Come on, Arthur,” Merlin encouraged him from his place on the ground.
Arthur shook his head wryly. He lay down beside Merlin and looked up at the open sky.
Merlin took a hold of Arthur’s hand, smiling brightly at him. Arthur shifted closer to him to kiss Merlin on the lips.
“Maybe this isn’t so bad after all,” Arthur remarked aloud.
Merlin looked pleased and he moved on top of Arthur, kissing him in return, and his slender fingers caressed Arthur’s cheek.
Arthur contemplated staying like this forever, warm and snug in his fur coat and Merlin by his side. While all around them, it was almost eerily quiet, Arthur felt that the quiet held a nice peace to it. He could get used to the seemingly untouched land; its unmarred features spoke of calm and the beauty of time moving on at an unhurried pace.
Arthur had been so busy this past year as he took on his new kingly responsibilities. He had almost forgotten how welcome it was to feel like he had all the time in the world.
~ * ~
Eventually, they continued walking, looking to reach the castle on the cliff. Most likely they would find someone there to tell them about this place, to confirm that this was truly Avalonia.
They came upon a golden statue as they neared the castle. Arthur knew that it was Nathan, Merlin’s immortal incarnation, who was seated in a throne, his arms resting on the throne arms. He was wearing a suit - it was golden now as was the whole statue, but Arthur wondered if it was the same grey suit he had seen Nathan in that night a few years ago. Arthur wondered if he was going mad because he swore that the statue of Nathan had winked at him.
Merlin kneeled to peer at the stone platform that held writing. It said,
Nathan Young
The Immortal Merlin
Creator of Avalonia
“Immortal?” Merlin uttered in surprise. “Arthur? Is that true? Do you know anything about it?”
“I was told that I couldn’t tell you. That it was one future detail that should be a surprise to you…but I guess it’s too late now,” Arthur said with a sigh.
Merlin gave him a reassuring smile. He stood up. “It’s all right. Reincarnation sort of seems like immortality. I’ll probably forget about it by the time I’m Nathan,” he declared confidently.
But before they could trek on, hoping that Nathan could be in that castle now, strong winds - about sixty to seventy miles per hour - nearly took them off their feet. The previously light snow was now falling faster and neither of them could see anything ahead of them, much less walk forward.
They both held on to the golden statue, using it as an anchor.
But that was only a temporary solution. They needed to find shelter soon, but the problem was they could barely cover any distance without the whipping winds kicking at them.
Arthur then saw a tiny silver dragon - even smaller than the black dragon Merlin had - appear on Merlin’s hand.
“Arthur?” Merlin had to nearly shout even if Arthur was just across from him at the golden statue. The hissing wind was that loud.
“I’m fine,” Arthur quickly reassured him.
Arthur remembered that the silver dragon turned into a ring. Nathan had told him that his Merlin, years from now, would create it. If the silver dragon came alive for someone - its tail wrapping around the person’s finger to form a ring, then, indisputably, that person was an incarnation of Merlin’s.
Merlin though didn’t know what to make of the silver dragon. He didn’t do anything as the dragon wrapped its tail around one of his fingers. The dragon settled on his finger, tucking in its wings.
“Arthur!” Merlin called to him as he felt himself leaving. The dragon must be transporting him away somehow.
Then he stared as someone appeared by Arthur’s side. Someone who flickered - an echo? The man was their age and he was blond with light blue eyes. Merlin thought it could be Caspian, the blond incarnation of him that Arthur had mentioned.
Caspian bowed his head at Merlin, grabbing Arthur’s arm. When Merlin looked him in the eye, he knew he could not doubt that this was an incarnation of him.
Then Merlin couldn’t see either of them anymore as he was taken away from the sudden blizzard.
He felt assured that Caspian had been there to take Arthur to a safer place.
~ * ~
“So I’m not getting a holiday. I don’t know why I bother. Leave it to Edmund…”
Merlin felt disoriented as he landed on a soft seating area in a rounded room. He assumed the room was inside the stone castle upon the cliff judging by the stone walls. Golden swirls decorated the grey walls and Merlin noticed how the swirls sparkled.
A dark-haired woman with blue eyes sat across from him in the same seating area. She was wearing a flowing white dress with a gold band around the waist as the only color on the dress. There was a sapphire necklace around her neck. She flickered as well, suggesting she was an echo.
“Hi, I’m sorry about the sudden bad weather,” the man apologized to him.
Merlin guessed he was Nathan based off of Arthur’s description and the statue. Nathan was rather thin, with dark curly hair and lively green eyes. He was wearing a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. There was a gold tie over his shirt and his trousers were a dark grey color. He spoke in an accent Merlin wasn’t too used to - Arthur had told him that Nathan had been born in Ireland, so that was the reason for his accent.
Nathan continued on before Merlin could even say a word. “This snowflake - well, she has a humanlike manifestation so maybe that’ll help you visualize her better - her name is Snow White. And she was mad that her lover, Char the Icicle, was cheating on her with a faun. A faun? I mean really? How does that work?”
The woman kindly explained to Merlin, “A faun is like a human with goat legs, dear.”
Merlin nodded slowly. “…so Snow White caused the blizzard to vent her anger?” he deduced.
Nathan grinned at him. “Yes, you’ve got it! The blizzard should pass soon now that she knows she nearly endangered lives,” he said self-assuredly. Then he introduced himself, “I’m Nathan Young, a future incarnation of you.”
“Arthur told me some things about the future - including about you and you must be Artemis?” Merlin ventured.
She smiled. “Yes, that’s right. It’s good to see you. It has been such a long time since I was you.”
“It was Edmund’s fault, you see,” Nathan informed Merlin. “I knew he was experimenting with a spare wardrobe, but he didn’t make sure to remove the wardrobe from whatever time period he was sending it to. And now here you are. I’m guessing you saw my statue? You read the inscription, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” Merlin admitted. “I know you’re immortal.”
Nathan sighed. “Well, we’ll just have to work with that. I know what we can do. You know you’re not supposed to learn that at this point of your life?”
“Yes…I’m sorry,” Merlin said sincerely. “I thought the wardrobe didn’t work. I didn’t even know it was an entrance to this world. Arthur and I were just looking for a place to hide and we ended up here.”
“Oh, Arthur! How is he? It’s been six months since I’ve seen him. He’s with Caspian now.”
“He’s good. He became King almost a year ago. I’m his Court Sorcerer. It has been three years for him since his experience with you.”
Nathan whistled as he flopped down in a chair he conjured in front of them. “Three years? Time has flown for you.”
“I agree,” Artemis said.
“Anyway, it’s not your fault. Edmund should have taken better precautions. I hope you’re all right? Traveling magically like that can spin your head a bit.”
“I think I’m okay,” Merlin said. “So you created this world?” Merlin asked him.
“I did. I might have considered the repercussions a bit more, but I find it fascinating how Avalonia keeps evolving everyday. I can’t control everything here no matter if I’m the creator though. That’s why I had to take you and Arthur out of the storm rather than just changing the weather. Allowing for free will and letting those who live here have the opportunity to exercise that free will is very important,” Nathan said reasonably.
“I agree with that. It sounds like a good idea,” Merlin noted.
“The original complimenting you, that’s high praise indeed,” Artemis remarked with a warm smile. “Even if I’m not completely sure you know what you’re doing half the time, Nathan.”
Nathan gave her a half smile. “Oh, Artemis. You know me. Sometimes doing things spontaneously have the best, most interesting results,” he defended himself. He turned to Merlin. “And thank you. I would never say no to the chance to talk to you,” he said frankly.
“Is this your ring then?” Merlin asked him, pointing out the dragon ring still on his finger. “Well, it was a dragon first, but wrapped its tail around my finger so it turned into a ring.”
He removed the ring from his finger then and the tail unraveled. The ring was now returned to a tiny silver dragon statue.
Nathan nodded. “I’ll take it back. I’m glad the dragon got you out all right.”
He reached forward and took the dragon from Merlin. The silver dragon gave a small roar, shaking itself, and then the dragon wrapped its tail around Nathan’s finger - becoming a ring once more.
“I helped Nathan out with the spell to give the dragon the capability of magical travel,” Artemis told Merlin.
Before they could talk about anything else, a black rose with a few drops of blood beside it appeared on the ground.
Nathan gave a weary sigh. “Mercy, do you really need to be that melodramatic?”
Merlin was startled when a hooded figure, the person’s face covered in complete shadow, revealed herself…judging by the name, Merlin assumed she was a woman.
She was wearing a dark cloak and the dress underneath was made of black silk. Her nails were painted blood red.
Artemis gave him a somewhat reassuring smile. Merlin could tell she was uneasy as him at Mercy’s presence. Nathan meanwhile just looked mildly annoyed at her being there.
Artemis informed Merlin that Mercy was Death. That’s why he was feeling uneasy now because Death wasn’t exactly anyone looking forward to meeting (most didn’t look forward to dying, death being such a grim prospect). And for some reason, Death -- or Mercy as was her preferable name -- was a woman.
Mercy shrugged. “I was in a creative mood,” she commented.
It was completely unnerving, Merlin thought, that he couldn’t see Mercy’s face. There were so many things one’s face revealed about their emotions while a voice could be faked so easily.
And if Merlin hadn’t felt ill at ease already, he certainly felt sick and so anxious when Mercy was facing him. Though he couldn’t see where her eyes were directed, he could feel her oppressive gaze upon him.
“Is this the original Merlin?” Mercy asked conversationally. “Still so young…and still learning all that magic has to offer him. So many fears. You fear losing Arthur…but don’t worry, you will lose him. And you’ll be alone, so alone…for the--”
But Nathan abruptly interrupted her. He looked furious. “Mercy, stop fucking around!” Nathan yelled at her. “You have no right to pretend to be a fucking dementor. That’s beneath you. You’re in my world now and I want you to leave!” He demanded of her.
“He was too easy,” she said quietly with a shrug.
But Mercy did leave, disappearing as suddenly as she had appeared. Her black rose vanished along with her.
Merlin was falling apart. He felt like he wanted to cry and he wondered if he was getting a fever. His hands were shaking.
Nathan kneeled before him, taking his hands in his own. “Just breathe, all right?”
Merlin tried, but the anxiety and the worry left by Mercy’s presence still stayed with him.
He moved his fingers to Merlin’s temples. Merlin’s eyes closed and he fell into a peaceful sleep.
When he came into the room, Arthur found Merlin sleeping on a long, cushioned seating area. His head was on Artemis’s lap.
Artemis was brushing aside some of his hair affectionately.
Nathan was there as well. He looked tired. “Hi again,” he greeted Arthur.
“What happened?” Arthur wanted to know.
He rushed to Merlin’s side.
Nathan told him.
~ * ~
Merlin was given his own room to recuperate in. Arthur stayed by his bedside, holding his hand so that Merlin knew he was there with him.
“I must be weak,” Merlin declared softly when he had woken up. “I don’t know why Death affected me in such a way. But she was right. I worry so much sometimes. I want to help you, Arthur, to protect you.”
“You’re not weak, Merlin,” Arthur told him firmly. “You’re just human like any of us. I have fears too. You’re not the only one. Nathan told me she had placed a lot of power on you…so that your negative emotions, your fears and doubts would be magnified. I’m sure not even I could have lasted,” Arthur admitted, attempting to comfort him.
Merlin sighed.
Arthur turned Merlin’s head so that he was facing him. “Nathan is looking after these three children now. They arrived at the castle not long after you were moved here. He promised them that he’ll change the weather outside from winter to spring. It would be worth seeing, don’t you think so?”
Merlin’s interest peaked. His eyes lit up. “Yes. I’d love to see that.”
Arthur smiled genuinely at him, kissing him for good measure.
After they found out they could return to Camelot only minutes or even seconds after they had left, the temptation was too strong to stick around for a few more days at least.
~ * ~
End note: Since it wasn't integral, I didn't mention it in the story...but regarding the three kids Nathan is looking after/babysitting: two of them are Harry and Hermione's children (Harry and Hermione are married here) and the third is Teddy Lupin who is twelve in Nathan's present time (around the winter holidays in 2010). Harry and Hermione's children are Ben who is six and Lucy who is three years of age.
Remember, Hermione is an incarnation of Merlin along with Nathan in this AU, so that accounts for Nathan's association with her. Hence, the babysitting. :P
Author: dk323
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Merlin, various incarnations of Merlin
Word Count: 5,335
Disclaimer: The show Merlin is property of the BBC. Harry Potter is the property of Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling. The show Misfits is created by Howard Overman.
Spoilers: None; about a year into Arthur’s reign
Summary: Merlin believes there’s something peculiar about the wardrobe that appeared in his room suddenly one day. Arthur wishes Merlin would just accept that it’s an ordinary wardrobe. But on the night of a feast, Arthur and Merlin find themselves needing to get away from Gwaine (who is a bit drunk and is rather in the mood for a threesome). So they both hide in the wardrobe and discover that their hiding place is much bigger than either of them had ever imagined.
Welcome to Avalonia…
Author’s Notes:
For the merlinxarthur fanfic challenge #5. For these pictures:
#05 ~
#11 ~
I’m using the character of Nathan Young from “Misfits”, but it’s an AU version of him because he’s an incarnation of Merlin. So Nathan’s not as much of an annoying idiot as he is on “Misfits” because in this story, he has all those memories of being Merlin.
Nathan on “Misfits” isn’t that bad (for anyone who hasn’t seen the show), but he’s a lot to take in. He’s the smart alec of the group, so those types of people can be frustrating to others sometimes. No knowledge of “Misfits” needed at any rate.
Also, Arthur has self-induced amnesia here. *is kidding a bit* This takes place after “The Turning Point”…though it has been three years for Arthur (Arthur became King two years after his mad nightly venture meeting Merlin’s incarnations and Death. This story is a year into Arthur’s reign; hence three years). Even though Arthur has seen a similar wardrobe and been told about Avalonia…he has had other things on his mind in the intervening years. And Arthur doesn’t know that the wardrobe is an entrance to Avalonia (The Chronicles of Narnia book series is before his time after all. :p).
You don’t need to have read “The Turning Point” to understand this. Some characters from that story reappear here and are reintroduced.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Arthur gave a loud sigh. “Really, Merlin. Are you still trying to figure out that wardrobe?” He asked him.
He watched as Merlin swept his fingers over the stylish dragon carving on one of the door panels.
A week ago, Merlin had woken up to discover the wardrobe in his still relatively new chambers. Almost one year ago now, Arthur had provided Merlin with his own bigger quarters upon installing him as his Court Sorcerer and advisor.
No one knew where the wardrobe had come from. It was a complete mystery. Arthur even investigated the wardrobe. He had gone inside of it to find the wardrobe empty and smelling of wood. The back panel of the wardrobe had felt a little cold when he had pressed his hand against it.
When Merlin went inside the wardrobe, he confided in Arthur afterwards that he couldn’t shake the feeling that the wardrobe was more than a storage space. Yet Arthur had established that it was just an ordinary wardrobe. Of course it was odd that the wardrobe had magically appeared and for once, Merlin wasn’t the culprit; but Arthur hadn’t let that change his mind.
At least the wardrobe seemed harmless enough. Merlin had performed some magical spells to check for anything malicious attributed to the wardrobe. But thankfully, Merlin had found nothing.
So the wardrobe simply stood there in Merlin’s chambers. Merlin had kept the wardrobe empty even if it was a big, useful space to store clothes and other random items in. Most frustratingly for Arthur, Merlin still couldn’t let go of believing there was something strange about the wardrobe. Even a week later, Merlin was still considering the wardrobe.
Arthur had felt a bit neglected as a result. He wouldn’t admit that to Merlin, of course. He was King of Camelot after all - he was not one to throw a fit if he didn’t get the attention he wanted. He was far from a child; though Merlin sometimes begged to differ (Arthur had learned to ignore Merlin when he was listing out all the reasons for why Arthur was an ‘immature prat’).
Merlin turned to look at Arthur. “I’m sure there’s something unusual about this wardrobe. I just can’t put my finger on it.”
“You should let it rest, Merlin. In spite of its sudden appearance, it’s still an ordinary wardrobe,” Arthur said tiredly.
He went over to Merlin and put his hand on his shoulder. “The wise thing to do is to leave the wardrobe alone,” Arthur told him.
Slowly, Merlin turned to Arthur, his eyes narrowed in accusation at the king. “You can’t possibly think this wardrobe is just ordinary, Arthur. I remember - that morning three years ago when you asked me if I saw the word, ‘Young’ on the dragon’s belly. You said you had an odd night, but that you couldn’t tell me what you saw. That it was better that way for my sake. But whatever you had seen or experienced convinced you to keep my magic secret…” Merlin drifted off. The little black dragon toy, which could come alive and Merlin had named Arthur, appeared in the palm of his hand.
Arthur shook his head, on the defensive. He removed his hand from Merlin’s shoulder, his expression uneasy. “Merlin, I still can’t tell you. I’m sorry.”
“Have you seen a wardrobe like this before?” Merlin demanded of him.
Arthur stepped away from him, rubbing the back of his head and clearly delaying his response.
Merlin just continued to look at him.
Arthur relented. “All right. I admit that I did see a somewhat similar wardrobe. There was a sign on it though, saying, ‘Avalonia Restricted Access.’”
Merlin had a look of interest now.
This is what Arthur had been trying to avoid.
“Avalonia? That sounds like the name of a country,” Merlin mused.
He made Arthur the dragon come to life, and now the palm-sized dragon was sitting contentedly on Merlin’s shoulder. Arthur even saw the dragon nuzzling Merlin at his neck.
“It’s the name of a world. I don’t know. I didn’t see it. I was just told about it - I don’t know what’s so special about Avalonia. But there it is.” Arthur shrugged.
Merlin looked curious. “Is it a world separate from our own? Did someone create it?”
“Merlin, I can’t,” Arthur reminded him, sounding weary.
“Just please, I need to know, Arthur. What if this wardrobe is the entrance to that world? That had to be the purpose of that sign you recalled - to tell others what the wardrobe led to and the limitations of access.”
Arthur raised his brow. Still, he conceded, “Well, all right. That’s a logical conclusion to draw, but--”
“If we somehow end up in this Avalonia, I need to know what to expect,” Merlin asserted.
“‘We’, Merlin? Who said anything about ‘we’?” Arthur wasn’t sure if he wanted a firsthand look at Avalonia. It was still such a strange, foreign concept to him to just create a world separate from the real, the true world. Not that Arthur was fearful of the unknown; he just wasn’t too thrilled at the thought of going somewhere completely new and baffling without good reason (like saving people’s lives, for example). “And like I told you, I don’t know what’s in Avalonia. I just know who created--” Arthur stopped speaking.
He was doing an awful job at keeping Merlin’s growing curiosity at bay. Arthur decided that he might as well just tell him. As long as Merlin didn’t know about the peculiarities of Nathan Young, one of his future incarnations, then everything would be fine.
“Who created it then?” Merlin encouraged him.
Arthur the dragon was on Merlin’s head now. If it was possible, the dragon looked as curious and intrigued as Merlin did at that moment.
“Avalonia’s creator was a - or will be, I suppose, a future incarnation,” Arthur paused. The dragon stuck out his tongue at him. Arthur frowned at the creature. Bloody dragon named after him. Merlin gave him an expectant look. “-of you. ‘Young’ was referring to the surname of your future incarnation centuries into the future. His first name is Nathan. I think he travelled back in time to give the dragon to you.”
Merlin stared at Arthur. “I don’t - seriously? And you met him?”
Arthur nodded. “And not just him either. But apparently you and I are reborn multiple times over the centuries. After an incarnation dies, the next incarnation is born some time later to continue the reincarnation process. New faces, new bodies, new names…and the personalities are different too,” he finished, trying not to dwell on the rather uncomfortable conversation he had had with Nathan.
Though Arthur was sure now that Nathan had just been messing around with him. Nathan was a strange person. There was no doubt about it. Even with Merlin’s memories, Nathan did his own thing. Then again, Nathan also had a whole lot of other memories from past incarnations as well as Merlin’s - the Merlin Arthur knew at least, so that could’ve accounted for his changes in personality.
“Who else did you meet?” Merlin asked him with great interest.
“Maybe we should do this later?” Arthur said curtly. “I don’t even know how that wardrobe came to be in your room. We both checked, Merlin. It’s clearly not an entrance.”
“The one who left me the dragon…Nathan? Maybe he left the wardrobe here,” Merlin suggested. “We just haven’t found out how the wardrobe works.”
“Again with the ‘we’! I’m sorry, but I don’t want any part of this. I’m fine with never seeing Nathan again…and if that wardrobe might lead to wherever he is, then I rather stay here,” Arthur said firmly, crossing his arms against his chest.
Merlin appeared puzzled. “Why don’t you want to see him? If he was - will be - a future incarnation of me, then he can’t be so bad.”
“It wasn’t how he acted, honestly. I’ve just had my fill of seeing the future after that night three years ago. I believe that I’m better off focusing on what I can do now rather than wondering if I’ll get another taste of the future,” Arthur confided in Merlin.
“All right,” he conceded. “But I still want to meet him,” Merlin said defiantly. “You’ve had your chance, and I want to see some of the future.”
Now back on Merlin’s right shoulder, Arthur the dragon breathed blue fire quite happily.
“I was told to tell you as little as possible about what I learned,” Arthur intimated to him. “That you were meant to go on your own journey without knowing all about your future. You remember the memories of your past lives early on in every life…and knowing future information may make the remembering worse for you. I don’t really understand that, but I thought it was safest to heed their advice.”
Merlin sighed, looking like he understood. “Okay. Then don’t tell me everything. After dinner tonight, we could talk,” he decided.
~ * ~
That night, Arthur told Merlin about his strange night three years ago. Arthur had met an echo of Artemis, who was the first female incarnation of Merlin to have ever been born in the year 1507. How an echo was Merlin’s creation in one of his reincarnated lives, which was tied to his home, the Crystal Palace, in the future. An echo was a copy of a person for every year that they had been alive. While they weren’t solid - unless they concentrated - and they flickered like otherworldly spirits, they appeared more vibrant and alive than any ghost.
Every current living incarnation of Merlin had this support system of echoes of his past selves. His echoes stayed with him and assisted him in each of his lives. Most of the echoes remained invisible, though some like Artemis were visible quite often.
Essentially, it was like having one’s memories outside of one’s self with the added benefit of getting extra assistance or just simple emotional support when times were hard.
Arthur told him about the wizarding world, a magic-dominated world that Merlin had helped to establish, which was hidden from the non-magical world for security reasons. How each of Merlin’s incarnations helped the wizarding world by offering well-meaning advice and magical support.
Arthur told him what he knew about Merlin’s incarnations who he did see or meet, being careful of course not to reveal too much.
Arthur wasn’t sure how Merlin would take learning that when he would be reincarnated as Nathan, that he was granted immortality after being struck by lightning. Not to mention losing the ability to age two years after that event when he was only twenty-two.
That would have been too much to handle. And anyway, Arthur thought, it was so far into Merlin’s future that it was best to keep Merlin from thinking about what was going to happen to him. Even if Arthur hadn’t been told to keep quiet about Nathan, he probably wouldn’t have told Merlin about him. For the sake of Merlin’s sanity.
Arthur did tell him about Myrddin who had a bigger dragon who looked strikingly similar to Merlin’s little dragon. Also, he told him about Edmund and Caspian. Caspian was the only blond incarnation of Merlin Arthur had seen and who directly came before Nathan’s incarnation.
Lastly Arthur told him about Hermione, a second female incarnation of him who followed after Nathan.
Arthur couldn’t tell Merlin that Nathan and Hermione were both living at the same time. He’d have to reveal the immortality bit after all. Reincarnation was based on the idea that a person could only die once. Hours after Nathan gained his immortality, he died his first time at the age of twenty. Only that first death counted and stimulated the reincarnation process to move forward. Hermione was born two years later in 1979.
Nathan and Hermione had made an arrangement that Nathan would continue on as the official Merlin. He took care of the majority of responsibilities while Hermione assisted Nathan when he needed it. Considering Nathan’s immortality, Arthur considered, then he really could stay on as the official Merlin for as long as he wished to. And the incarnation who would follow Hermione could aid him as Hermione apparently did.
Arthur wondered how long it would take Nathan to grow bored of it all…he had lived for 53 years when Arthur last saw him. Nathan had seemed to enjoy what he did, though 53 years wasn’t that long of a time yet.
One thing Arthur couldn’t tell Merlin about was meeting Death or Mercy as she liked to be called. Her ominous words about Nathan’s time coming eventually despite his immortality - that he would grow weary and tired like everyone else -- stayed with him. Maybe she would prove to be right.
He remembered how frustrated and unnerved he was by how Death’s face had been covered in complete shadow. That had certainly made him uneasy. And how could Arthur forget Mercy crying and saying how lonely she was?
Death or Mercy didn’t seem like an emotionally stable entity, which didn’t make Arthur any better about when he would die one day. Would he see her again? Would she weep like the last time?
He still found it completely ironic that Nathan, the immortal incarnation of Merlin, visited Death sometimes. But Arthur had only been told that the visits occurred. He had never actually seen them. All the same, it was an intriguing thought to entertain.
~ * ~
So it was a few days after Arthur had his talk with Merlin. For his part, Merlin was understandably overwhelmed at what he had discovered about his future. Arthur wasn’t sure if Merlin believed everything, but at least now Arthur had someone to talk to about that nightly venture.
It was all Gwaine’s fault that Arthur and Merlin found themselves rushing to hide in the wardrobe.
Sir Gwaine had a little too much to drink at the feast that evening. He was clamoring for some fun with Arthur and Merlin - by fun, he meant in the bedchambers with the three of them, preferably naked.
He didn’t know about Merlin, but Arthur wasn’t one for threesomes - especially when Merlin was involved. Arthur didn’t like to share him. That’s just how it was and Arthur wasn’t going to change his mind on that truth.
“We need to hide!” Merlin exclaimed as he headed in the direction of his chambers.
“Merlin - I know what you’re thinking…” Arthur said, short of breath as they tried to escape Gwaine.
Arthur could hear Gwaine down the corridor.
Merlin rolled his eyes. “If the wardrobe doesn’t work, then what’s the harm?”
Arthur contemplated later whether Merlin had just jinxed them. Because if something that’s never worked before suddenly works, then clearly it’s the fault of the idiot sorcerer who should have not said anything at all.
~ * ~
Clambering into the empty wardrobe, Merlin discovered first that the back of the wardrobe…well, it certainly wasn't a solid wall anymore.
“Arthur! Look! I think it’s snowing,” Merlin said with honest-to-goodness excitement coloring his words.
And Merlin was right. Unless the wardrobe had suddenly expanded greatly in size, Arthur would have to say they were in Avalonia or some place that was most certainly not Camelot (there were no snow on the ground to speak of at Camelot).
But before them, they were in a winter wonderland. A light, pleasant snow fell to the ground and everything was a breathtaking white as far as the eye could see. A tall pole with a welcoming glowing light emanating from its top stood several feet away. A big stone castle rested on a cliff a good distance away from them. The castle overlooked the now frozen water, but Arthur could imagine how amazing the view would be in warmer weather, when the water was free to flow once again.
Arthur himself couldn’t help but feel an excitement come over him. Did Merlin’s incarnation really create such a world from his imagination? From just going off that book series like he had told him and working from there?
It was truly awe-inspiring what magic could create, Arthur had to admit.
“It’s cold,” Arthur declared.
Merlin nodded, agreeing with him. Looking thoughtful, Merlin returned to the wardrobe.
Puzzled, Arthur watched him go. Soon, Merlin came back carrying two heavy fur coats - one black and the other grey - and he handed the black one to Arthur.
Merlin shrugged when Arthur asked how he had got them. “I’m not sure,” Merlin confessed, putting on his grey coat. “I just went back to the wardrobe and found the coats in there. If the wardrobe leads to this place, then magically appearing coats within its space is just as possible.”
“But how did you even know they would be there?” Arthur wondered as he donned the black fur coat.
“Even if it was empty, the wardrobe is still a wardrobe… I just thought if we need something to keep warm, then the wardrobe would be a good place to start.”
“Your mind is a strange place, Merlin,” Arthur remarked, shaking his head.
Merlin grinned at him. “So this is the world Nathan created? A future incarnation of me?” He asked as the two of them trudged along in the few inches of snow coating the ground.
“Yes,” Arthur confirmed. Then he changed tact, feeling uncertain as he observed the too quiet surroundings as the snow enveloped the land and decorated the trees. “Well, I can only assume it is. I don’t know if he’s here in Avalonia, but hopefully we can find someone to tell us exactly where we are.”
“Right,” Merlin agreed.
Then Merlin smiled widely and purposefully fell to the ground. He lay on his back, staring at the sky above him. He waved his arms against the snow, making a snow angel.
“Come on, Arthur,” Merlin encouraged him from his place on the ground.
Arthur shook his head wryly. He lay down beside Merlin and looked up at the open sky.
Merlin took a hold of Arthur’s hand, smiling brightly at him. Arthur shifted closer to him to kiss Merlin on the lips.
“Maybe this isn’t so bad after all,” Arthur remarked aloud.
Merlin looked pleased and he moved on top of Arthur, kissing him in return, and his slender fingers caressed Arthur’s cheek.
Arthur contemplated staying like this forever, warm and snug in his fur coat and Merlin by his side. While all around them, it was almost eerily quiet, Arthur felt that the quiet held a nice peace to it. He could get used to the seemingly untouched land; its unmarred features spoke of calm and the beauty of time moving on at an unhurried pace.
Arthur had been so busy this past year as he took on his new kingly responsibilities. He had almost forgotten how welcome it was to feel like he had all the time in the world.
~ * ~
Eventually, they continued walking, looking to reach the castle on the cliff. Most likely they would find someone there to tell them about this place, to confirm that this was truly Avalonia.
They came upon a golden statue as they neared the castle. Arthur knew that it was Nathan, Merlin’s immortal incarnation, who was seated in a throne, his arms resting on the throne arms. He was wearing a suit - it was golden now as was the whole statue, but Arthur wondered if it was the same grey suit he had seen Nathan in that night a few years ago. Arthur wondered if he was going mad because he swore that the statue of Nathan had winked at him.
Merlin kneeled to peer at the stone platform that held writing. It said,
Nathan Young
The Immortal Merlin
Creator of Avalonia
“Immortal?” Merlin uttered in surprise. “Arthur? Is that true? Do you know anything about it?”
“I was told that I couldn’t tell you. That it was one future detail that should be a surprise to you…but I guess it’s too late now,” Arthur said with a sigh.
Merlin gave him a reassuring smile. He stood up. “It’s all right. Reincarnation sort of seems like immortality. I’ll probably forget about it by the time I’m Nathan,” he declared confidently.
But before they could trek on, hoping that Nathan could be in that castle now, strong winds - about sixty to seventy miles per hour - nearly took them off their feet. The previously light snow was now falling faster and neither of them could see anything ahead of them, much less walk forward.
They both held on to the golden statue, using it as an anchor.
But that was only a temporary solution. They needed to find shelter soon, but the problem was they could barely cover any distance without the whipping winds kicking at them.
Arthur then saw a tiny silver dragon - even smaller than the black dragon Merlin had - appear on Merlin’s hand.
“Arthur?” Merlin had to nearly shout even if Arthur was just across from him at the golden statue. The hissing wind was that loud.
“I’m fine,” Arthur quickly reassured him.
Arthur remembered that the silver dragon turned into a ring. Nathan had told him that his Merlin, years from now, would create it. If the silver dragon came alive for someone - its tail wrapping around the person’s finger to form a ring, then, indisputably, that person was an incarnation of Merlin’s.
Merlin though didn’t know what to make of the silver dragon. He didn’t do anything as the dragon wrapped its tail around one of his fingers. The dragon settled on his finger, tucking in its wings.
“Arthur!” Merlin called to him as he felt himself leaving. The dragon must be transporting him away somehow.
Then he stared as someone appeared by Arthur’s side. Someone who flickered - an echo? The man was their age and he was blond with light blue eyes. Merlin thought it could be Caspian, the blond incarnation of him that Arthur had mentioned.
Caspian bowed his head at Merlin, grabbing Arthur’s arm. When Merlin looked him in the eye, he knew he could not doubt that this was an incarnation of him.
Then Merlin couldn’t see either of them anymore as he was taken away from the sudden blizzard.
He felt assured that Caspian had been there to take Arthur to a safer place.
~ * ~
“So I’m not getting a holiday. I don’t know why I bother. Leave it to Edmund…”
Merlin felt disoriented as he landed on a soft seating area in a rounded room. He assumed the room was inside the stone castle upon the cliff judging by the stone walls. Golden swirls decorated the grey walls and Merlin noticed how the swirls sparkled.
A dark-haired woman with blue eyes sat across from him in the same seating area. She was wearing a flowing white dress with a gold band around the waist as the only color on the dress. There was a sapphire necklace around her neck. She flickered as well, suggesting she was an echo.
“Hi, I’m sorry about the sudden bad weather,” the man apologized to him.
Merlin guessed he was Nathan based off of Arthur’s description and the statue. Nathan was rather thin, with dark curly hair and lively green eyes. He was wearing a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. There was a gold tie over his shirt and his trousers were a dark grey color. He spoke in an accent Merlin wasn’t too used to - Arthur had told him that Nathan had been born in Ireland, so that was the reason for his accent.
Nathan continued on before Merlin could even say a word. “This snowflake - well, she has a humanlike manifestation so maybe that’ll help you visualize her better - her name is Snow White. And she was mad that her lover, Char the Icicle, was cheating on her with a faun. A faun? I mean really? How does that work?”
The woman kindly explained to Merlin, “A faun is like a human with goat legs, dear.”
Merlin nodded slowly. “…so Snow White caused the blizzard to vent her anger?” he deduced.
Nathan grinned at him. “Yes, you’ve got it! The blizzard should pass soon now that she knows she nearly endangered lives,” he said self-assuredly. Then he introduced himself, “I’m Nathan Young, a future incarnation of you.”
“Arthur told me some things about the future - including about you and you must be Artemis?” Merlin ventured.
She smiled. “Yes, that’s right. It’s good to see you. It has been such a long time since I was you.”
“It was Edmund’s fault, you see,” Nathan informed Merlin. “I knew he was experimenting with a spare wardrobe, but he didn’t make sure to remove the wardrobe from whatever time period he was sending it to. And now here you are. I’m guessing you saw my statue? You read the inscription, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” Merlin admitted. “I know you’re immortal.”
Nathan sighed. “Well, we’ll just have to work with that. I know what we can do. You know you’re not supposed to learn that at this point of your life?”
“Yes…I’m sorry,” Merlin said sincerely. “I thought the wardrobe didn’t work. I didn’t even know it was an entrance to this world. Arthur and I were just looking for a place to hide and we ended up here.”
“Oh, Arthur! How is he? It’s been six months since I’ve seen him. He’s with Caspian now.”
“He’s good. He became King almost a year ago. I’m his Court Sorcerer. It has been three years for him since his experience with you.”
Nathan whistled as he flopped down in a chair he conjured in front of them. “Three years? Time has flown for you.”
“I agree,” Artemis said.
“Anyway, it’s not your fault. Edmund should have taken better precautions. I hope you’re all right? Traveling magically like that can spin your head a bit.”
“I think I’m okay,” Merlin said. “So you created this world?” Merlin asked him.
“I did. I might have considered the repercussions a bit more, but I find it fascinating how Avalonia keeps evolving everyday. I can’t control everything here no matter if I’m the creator though. That’s why I had to take you and Arthur out of the storm rather than just changing the weather. Allowing for free will and letting those who live here have the opportunity to exercise that free will is very important,” Nathan said reasonably.
“I agree with that. It sounds like a good idea,” Merlin noted.
“The original complimenting you, that’s high praise indeed,” Artemis remarked with a warm smile. “Even if I’m not completely sure you know what you’re doing half the time, Nathan.”
Nathan gave her a half smile. “Oh, Artemis. You know me. Sometimes doing things spontaneously have the best, most interesting results,” he defended himself. He turned to Merlin. “And thank you. I would never say no to the chance to talk to you,” he said frankly.
“Is this your ring then?” Merlin asked him, pointing out the dragon ring still on his finger. “Well, it was a dragon first, but wrapped its tail around my finger so it turned into a ring.”
He removed the ring from his finger then and the tail unraveled. The ring was now returned to a tiny silver dragon statue.
Nathan nodded. “I’ll take it back. I’m glad the dragon got you out all right.”
He reached forward and took the dragon from Merlin. The silver dragon gave a small roar, shaking itself, and then the dragon wrapped its tail around Nathan’s finger - becoming a ring once more.
“I helped Nathan out with the spell to give the dragon the capability of magical travel,” Artemis told Merlin.
Before they could talk about anything else, a black rose with a few drops of blood beside it appeared on the ground.
Nathan gave a weary sigh. “Mercy, do you really need to be that melodramatic?”
Merlin was startled when a hooded figure, the person’s face covered in complete shadow, revealed herself…judging by the name, Merlin assumed she was a woman.
She was wearing a dark cloak and the dress underneath was made of black silk. Her nails were painted blood red.
Artemis gave him a somewhat reassuring smile. Merlin could tell she was uneasy as him at Mercy’s presence. Nathan meanwhile just looked mildly annoyed at her being there.
Artemis informed Merlin that Mercy was Death. That’s why he was feeling uneasy now because Death wasn’t exactly anyone looking forward to meeting (most didn’t look forward to dying, death being such a grim prospect). And for some reason, Death -- or Mercy as was her preferable name -- was a woman.
Mercy shrugged. “I was in a creative mood,” she commented.
It was completely unnerving, Merlin thought, that he couldn’t see Mercy’s face. There were so many things one’s face revealed about their emotions while a voice could be faked so easily.
And if Merlin hadn’t felt ill at ease already, he certainly felt sick and so anxious when Mercy was facing him. Though he couldn’t see where her eyes were directed, he could feel her oppressive gaze upon him.
“Is this the original Merlin?” Mercy asked conversationally. “Still so young…and still learning all that magic has to offer him. So many fears. You fear losing Arthur…but don’t worry, you will lose him. And you’ll be alone, so alone…for the--”
But Nathan abruptly interrupted her. He looked furious. “Mercy, stop fucking around!” Nathan yelled at her. “You have no right to pretend to be a fucking dementor. That’s beneath you. You’re in my world now and I want you to leave!” He demanded of her.
“He was too easy,” she said quietly with a shrug.
But Mercy did leave, disappearing as suddenly as she had appeared. Her black rose vanished along with her.
Merlin was falling apart. He felt like he wanted to cry and he wondered if he was getting a fever. His hands were shaking.
Nathan kneeled before him, taking his hands in his own. “Just breathe, all right?”
Merlin tried, but the anxiety and the worry left by Mercy’s presence still stayed with him.
He moved his fingers to Merlin’s temples. Merlin’s eyes closed and he fell into a peaceful sleep.
When he came into the room, Arthur found Merlin sleeping on a long, cushioned seating area. His head was on Artemis’s lap.
Artemis was brushing aside some of his hair affectionately.
Nathan was there as well. He looked tired. “Hi again,” he greeted Arthur.
“What happened?” Arthur wanted to know.
He rushed to Merlin’s side.
Nathan told him.
~ * ~
Merlin was given his own room to recuperate in. Arthur stayed by his bedside, holding his hand so that Merlin knew he was there with him.
“I must be weak,” Merlin declared softly when he had woken up. “I don’t know why Death affected me in such a way. But she was right. I worry so much sometimes. I want to help you, Arthur, to protect you.”
“You’re not weak, Merlin,” Arthur told him firmly. “You’re just human like any of us. I have fears too. You’re not the only one. Nathan told me she had placed a lot of power on you…so that your negative emotions, your fears and doubts would be magnified. I’m sure not even I could have lasted,” Arthur admitted, attempting to comfort him.
Merlin sighed.
Arthur turned Merlin’s head so that he was facing him. “Nathan is looking after these three children now. They arrived at the castle not long after you were moved here. He promised them that he’ll change the weather outside from winter to spring. It would be worth seeing, don’t you think so?”
Merlin’s interest peaked. His eyes lit up. “Yes. I’d love to see that.”
Arthur smiled genuinely at him, kissing him for good measure.
After they found out they could return to Camelot only minutes or even seconds after they had left, the temptation was too strong to stick around for a few more days at least.
~ * ~
End note: Since it wasn't integral, I didn't mention it in the story...but regarding the three kids Nathan is looking after/babysitting: two of them are Harry and Hermione's children (Harry and Hermione are married here) and the third is Teddy Lupin who is twelve in Nathan's present time (around the winter holidays in 2010). Harry and Hermione's children are Ben who is six and Lucy who is three years of age.
Remember, Hermione is an incarnation of Merlin along with Nathan in this AU, so that accounts for Nathan's association with her. Hence, the babysitting. :P