TSitS - The Fisher King
Title: The Sword in the Stone Series
Pairing: Pretty Gen. Kind of one-sided Merlin/Arthur, Gwen/Arthur, hinted Gwen/Lancelot. It’s about as gay as the series is, which is pretty gay.
Disclaimer: I do not own BBC’s Merlin. If I did, I’d be pretty happy because I’d know Colin and Bradley personally.
Summary: The legend of Excalibur is not as simple as everyone thinks. Arthur pulls a sword from a stone, beginning a chain of events that will lead him to his destiny and the sorcerer prophesied to stand beside him.
Chapter Summary: After the Barghest scare, everyone despairs as King Uther and Morgana fall gravely ill. Legend tells of a man with the power to give life. In the blink of an eye, Arthur and Merlin are off on the quest to find the Fisher King, pass his tests, and find a way to save Camelot's King, or be ready to crown a new one if they fail.
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Part VII - The Fisher King
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A/N: This is the installment that caused me the most issues. I had such a hard time writing it. I researched the Holy Grail and the Fisher King. I watched the Criminal Minds episodes about the Fisher King. I researched Percival and Galahad and Indiana Jones. I did everything I could to put off writing this installment even after I'd decided what would happen because it just wasn't flowing from me like the others did. In simplest terms: I kinda hate this part. But it's vital to the story and Arthur's development as King of Albion, so I must include it.
Vaguely based on all the crap I read about the Fisher King and some story I read ages and ages ago that had nothing to do with anything in this story but inspired the trials within. I'd tell you what story, but it's been so long that I can't even remember what it was actually about, let alone what it was called.
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Merlin walked into Morgana's room with his head bowed. Gwen looked up from her place by Morgana's bed side. Her hands were clasping Morgana's tightly, the worry etched into her fair face. "How is she?" Merlin asked quietly as he came to stand next to her.
Morgana looked pale, like Merlin hadn't seen since he accidentally knocked her down the stairs. Her brow was wet with sweat and she was shivering almost violently. She may be against them, but Morgana was Arthur's sister and Gwen's best friend and it pained Merlin to see her like this. Gwen shook her head.
"She mumbled something earlier, nonsense, but something…she's been quiet ever since." Gwen looked down at Morgana and tried to hold back her tears. "I think she's getting worse…."
Morgana coughed, a horrible wet sound, and turned her head to the side away from the light of the window. Merlin moved and pulled the curtains closed so Gwen wouldn't need to get up. Morgana seemed minutely more comfortable with the new darkness of the room and Merlin let his shoulders fall a bit from their tense position.
"Just let me know if there's anything I can do, anything she needs….anything you need," he assured Gwen quietly before heading for the door.
Gwen gasped just as he reached the door and called out to him. "Merlin!" He turned to face her and she gave a hesitant smile. "Arthur?"
Merlin nodded. "Sure. I'll see what I can do," he said before vanishing through the door.
It was something Merlin had noticed back when Morgana went missing for a year, and again when she'd nearly died….When Morgana was in danger, Gwen and Arthur got closer. They spent more time together, just sitting and being a comfort to each other, or talking about Morgana (though that was mostly Gwen). While Merlin was happy that they were getting closer, he also felt a pang of sorrow at not being able to help Arthur in that respect. He felt like a third wheel for a two wheel cart.
Shaking his head, Merlin made his way up to Uther's chambers. He paused only a moment outside the room before knocking once and opening the heavy wooden doors. Arthur looked up at him from his father's bed side. Gaius barely paid him any mind as he continued to examine the king's condition.
"Ah," Arthur let out. "How's Morgana?" There were bags under his eyes from where he hadn't slept. Merlin shrugged helplessly and Arthur sighed.
"Gwen asked for you, though," Merlin added quickly.
Arthur seemed to perk up momentarily at that, but there was a knock on the door and a knight walked in. He bowed. "I'm sorry to interrupt, sire," he apologized.
Arthur waved the thought away, taking a deep breath and sitting up straighter as he did so. "What is it, Percival?"
The knight, Arthur's youngest at only seventeen, stood straight and said, "There's a man here to see you, my lord."
"Me?" Arthur clarified and Percival nodded in affirmation. Arthur sighed and stood from his seat. "Take care of him while I'm away, Gaius," he ordered uselessly before Percival led him from the room.
Merlin turned to Gaius as soon as the door was shut. "There's got to be something we can do, Gaius," he said almost desperately. "I've seen what happens when Morgana is in danger of dying, and I've seen how Arthur reacts when his father isn't there….He can't lose both of them at the same time like this!"
Gaius shot Merlin a reproachful look. "Do you think I don't know that?" he asked, a tinge of bitterness in his voice. "I'm trying my best here, and so are you. If we can't do it, then perhaps this is when they are meant to die….," he trailed off uncertainly.
Merlin shook his head. "No. I don't accept that," he denounced. "The Barghest said a year. He gave Uther a year, Gaius. Besides, this doesn't feel right. Magic's involved somehow. I know it is."
"And yet none of your spells have worked," Gaius reminded him softly. Merlin deflated and Gaius sighed, pulling a cloth from a bowl of cold water and wringing it out before gently wiping Uther's face with it. "I'm sorry, Merlin…I just don't know what else to try."
Merlin watched him for several moments in despair, and then it hit him. "But I do….," he breathed out before rushing from the room, too fast for Gaius to ask what he meant.
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…
Kilgarrah landed in the field as quietly as a dragon could. "Why do you call me this time, young warlock?"
Merlin looked up at him. "Uther and Morgana are dying and I can't heal them."
"Then perhaps it is their time to die," Kilgarrah stated mystically.
Merlin was kind of tired of him agreeing with Gaius. But he also knew the great dragon to be lying. He'd said Morgana was a great danger in a sense that she would be around for awhile. He shook his head. "No. It isn't. I can tell…I can….I can feel it." Kilgarrah tilted his head a bit at that. "Magic's behind this. Magic started it and magic is blocking me out….Is there some way to save them?"
Kilgarrah regarded Merlin curiously for several long moments before he leaned forward a minute bit and nodded. "Your powers are growing, little dragonlord, and for that I grant you this knowledge. There is a man named The Fisher King who holds with him magic that can heal any ailment, be it physical, emotional, or magical," he revealed. Merlin nodded and made to leave to tell Arthur but Kilgarrah stopped him by stepping in front of him. "Wait." Merlin stopped and looked up at him again. "To gain use over the magic of the Fisher King, one must pass a series of trials. The trials are never the same twice…so be ready for anything," he warned.
Merlin nodded and, once he was sure Kilgarrah was done speaking, took off back toward the castle. He stopped in Gaius's chambers first and was surprised to find the old man actually there. "Gaius," he greeted breathlessly. "Have you ever heard of the Fisher King?"
Gaius looked up at Merlin in shock for a moment before nodding hesitantly. "Yes. He is mentioned a few times." He pointed to a book and before he could move to retrieve it, Merlin's eyes flashed gold and it floated down to the table in front of Gaius. Gaius gave Merlin a look, though not altogether a bad one, and flipped the book open to the right page. "It is said he was injured a long time ago, though it doesn't say how, and that the key to healing him lies in something called the Holy Grail….Only one man is destined to find the Grail and heal the Fisher King, and all the lands with him."
"What about the power to heal any ailment?" Merlin asked, moving closer.
Gaius nodded. "The Grail apparently has the ability to heal any wound, which is why it could heal the King I suppose," he mused to himself.
Merlin nodded. "Where is he located? I need to head there now."
"Head where?" Arthur asked as he stepped into the room. Merlin had the distinct desire to shut the book before Arthur could see it, but Gaius's hands were on the pages.
"Nowhere," he insisted.
Arthur frowned at him. "You are a terrible liar, Merlin," he stated blandly before turning his attention to Gaius. "Have you found a way to cure Morgana and my father yet?" he asked.
Merlin stood still and Gaius glanced at him before nodding. "I may have, sire," he admitted, moving Merlin aside and turning the book so Arthur could see it. "His name is The Fisher King."
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And that was how, mere hours later at the first sight of day, Arthur, Merlin, and three of his knights (Percival, Breunor, and Gaheris; while Leon stayed behind to lead the others) headed out to find the mysterious Fisher King. Gaius had given Uther and Morgana three days tops before the sickness took them, but told Arthur and Merlin not to count on that. Thus, instead of moving at a leisurely pace, Arthur and company were racing northwest through the forests toward the kingdom of Caerleon.
It was late in the day, nearly sunset, when they finally stopped riding. They stopped an hour's normal ride away from the border between Camelot and Caerleon to rest their horses and bodies…and so they didn't look quite so much like some invading force to the patrols. Breunor and Arthur went hunting for something to eat, since Arthur was the greatest hunter in Camelot and Breunor was the strongest knight Arthur had. Breunor was nearly twice Arthur's build with short dark hair and steel blue eyes. While Percival and Merlin collected wood for a fire to cook the meat over, Gaheris kept watch over the horses and supplies. Gaheris was also a big guy. He was slightly larger than Arthur in build with dark blonde hair and surprisingly expressive brown eyes. Merlin had seen him interacting with the other knights and, if he were to admit it aloud, he was sort of scared of Gaheris. Gaheris was matched in intensity only by Breunor, who constantly told stories about how he could kill a lion with his bare hands….Safe to say Merlin was glad he was paired with Percival to gather wood and not either of the other two.
There was an odd quality to Percival though.
Merlin looked up from the ground, a bundle of sticks in his arms, and watched Percival for a moment. Percival moved with the grace of a feline, but he kept his shoulders hunched when he was alone (or with Merlin in this case).Percival was a knight, a man of noble blood, but what made the whole situation odd was that Merlin was several years older than Percival. It was strange to think Percival was an accomplished fighter, a knight who risked his life in battle and noble pursuits, when he was so young…
"I think we have enough wood," Merlin announced suddenly.
Percival's shoulders squared and he took up the 'perfect knight' persona before turning to face Merlin and nodding in agreement. "Probably."
"Why do you do that?" Merlin asked.
Percival frowned. "Do what?"
Merlin motioned with his free right hand to all of Percival. "That. As soon as I said anything you tensed and straightened your back and…that. Just because you're a knight doesn't mean you have to be so stiff all the time," he tried to joke.
Percival blinked at Merlin a few times before he nodded his head. "Yes it does."
Merlin shook his head. "No it doesn't. Believe me." He grinned. "Arthur's the epitome of a knight when he has to be, but most of the time he acts just like any other royal." Percival raised an eyebrow and Merlin shrugged. "Like a spoiled prat." A smile found its way onto Percival's face and Merlin smiled in return. "See, that looks much better."
Percival's smile faltered and then vanished as he frowned. He fiddled with the sticks under his left arm idly and looked off at some tree in thought. After a few moments, he sighed. "Don't tell anyone, ok?"
Merlin laughed. "Who would listen anyway, right?" he joked, but it was true.
Percival gave him a sympathetic look for a moment before he sighed again. "The truth is….I'm seventeen." Merlin raised an eyebrow. "I'm just a kid. No one will take me seriously in training. I stood up to Arthur in a minute of free combat just like all the other knights, but everyone thinks that because I'm so young, I'm weak and inexperienced. But I've been training to be a knight since I could hold a sword!" he complained, as if he'd been just waiting for someone to ask to let the floodgates open. "If I show any weakness, the rest of the knights'll just laugh at me. I'm the kid, the baby, the runt, the little brother who needs protection. I'm not their equal. I mean, even now, I'm out collecting firewood instead of hunting with Prince Arthur, because I'm nothing." He shot a startled look at Merlin. "Not to say you're nothing," he amended quickly.
Merlin shrugged as if to say 'don't worry about it, Arthur gives me that crap all the time.' "At least you're not Gaheris," he comforted. Percival raised a curious eyebrow and Merlin moved to grab another stick from the ground. "He's just sitting at camp watching the horses. And you're different from the knights back in Camelot too. Arthur didn't even consider bringing them along." He stuffed the new twig under his arm with a little difficulty, but it settled eventually. Merlin smiled at Percival. "He chose you because he trusts you….So you should trust in yourself too."
Percival didn't know what to say to that. He'd just gotten some really helpful words of wisdom from a manservant that was more often than not picked on for being an idiot….A little smile graced his lips. "Thank you, Merlin."
Merlin shrugged it off again and nodded back toward camp. "We should get these back so when Arthur gets back with the food we can cook it and eat."
Percival nodded his agreement and they headed back to the campsite without another word; though Percival kept shooting Merlin grateful glances. They made it back to camp and got the fire started well before Arthur and Breunor returned from hunting. Merlin was glad to see Percival was a bit less tense around the much larger Gaheris now than he had been. After all, if he was too busy trying to prove himself by taking on dangerous missions, he could end up getting himself killed.
Arthur returned while Merlin was deep in thought and smacked him over the head with a dead rabbit as he walked by. "If I were an enemy, you'd be dead," he said warningly to his servant as Merlin rubbed the back of his head.
"Yea, well….," Merlin tried, but couldn't come up with a suitable response that wouldn't sound like treason to the larger knights around them, so he just shut his mouth and scowled.
They cooked the four rabbits Arthur had killed and Merlin spiced it with herbs he'd brought in his pack from Gaius's stores and they were actually pretty full by the time the food was gone. Arthur took first watch, and Gaheris volunteered for second watch, then Percival, then Breunor, and finally Merlin had the early morning watch before they all moved out. That was probably for the best, since Merlin took forever getting ready anyway.
It wasn't until the other knights were asleep, while Arthur was up for first watch, that Merlin tried to talk again. Around the knights and other nobility, Merlin had to watch his tongue. When it was just him and Arthur, he could be open about what he thought.
"How long until we reach the Fisher King's castle?" he asked quietly.
Arthur turned his head to look at Merlin, laying on his sleep mat, curiously. "You're supposed to be asleep," he accused lightly.
Merlin shrugged but didn't sit up. "How long?"
Arthur looked back out at the quiet forest around them. "We'll enter Caerleon first thing tomorrow…and Whitehaven is only a few hours west, along the coast." He tossed a small fragment of twig into the brush, and it barely affected the surrounding leaves. "We've got plenty of time."
Merlin dutifully kept quiet about how he hadn't been worried about time. Instead he said, "Your father and Morgana are going to be fine, you know?" Arthur didn't say anything, but Merlin watched him lower his head a bit to look at the ground. "Everything's going to be alright, Arthur."
Arthur shrugged. "But what if it isn't?" Arthur asked quietly. His tone was just as gruff as usual, but he was trying to keep quiet so as not to wake his knights. "If either of them die…."
Merlin sat up. "You know, my mother…she's all I've got left of my family," he began conversationally. "When she got sick, and I thought she was going to die….I was so scared. I was afraid to be alone, without a family." He took a deep breath. "And my father…" He saw Arthur perk up in interest, but the prince didn't quite turn to look at him. "He died….," Merlin revealed, and that did make Arthur turn.
"How do you know?" Arthur asked. "You said you'd never met him."
Merlin shrugged again. "Gaius knew my father," he explained. "He told me…he hadn't known how to tell me about my father…but eventually he did." His sentences were slow, controlled, and he wondered how much of his hurt was bleeding through his defenses. He kept his eyes on the embers in the fire. "My father died fighting….Cenred's men killed him."
Arthur narrowed his eyes in confusion. Cenred? Why would he be killed by his own king's men? Before he could ask, Merlin wiped his eyes and looked directly at him.
"The point is, Arthur," he said, "That when I found out he was dead…even though I still had my mum, I thought I'd lost everything. It took me a few days to realize all that I still had. So…before you go through any of that, before you even begin thinking about that….I wanted to let you know you won't lose everything the day your father dies." Arthur flinched. "You will still have Gaius, and Gwen, and your knights….and you'll still have me."
Arthur smiled. "Until the day you die." Merlin tilted his head with a hint of a smile and Arthur coughed. "Get some rest, Merlin."
Merlin nodded. "Goodnight, Arthur."
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Whitehaven was….not white, for one. It was brown and dead as Arthur's men came upon the land. The whole place seemed to be one deserted field of dirt, with no wildlife and no crops, and no castle. The only things in the field were a few boulders of varying sizes, and a white pole made of stone. Arthur frowned, leading his men down into the dust bowl and over to the pole slowly.
The pole was perfectly smooth, carved in what appeared to be a pure white stone that none of them had ever seen before, and probably thirty feet high.
"Is this it?" Breunor asked impatiently. "It's a pole. There is no castle, no king, just a stupid white pole in the middle of a mini desert."
Arthur looked around the area, then at Merlin like he was asking for help. Merlin shrugged. Percival dismounted, walked up to the pole, placed a hand on it, and gasped. Everyone looked at him. "It's….strange….warm," he explained, looking up at the top of the pole and then down at the base. "I think we have to leave the horses here."
Breunor scoffed from where he still sat in his saddle. "We're in the middle of a desert, and you want us to leave our horses and supplies next to a pole; a most likely magical pole."
Arthur stiffened at the mention of magic for a moment and then dismounted his horse and tied it to the pole without another breath of hesitation. Merlin followed suit, as did Percival, and they all looked at Breunor and Gaheris. "Tie your horses," Arthur ordered simply.
Though they looked hesitant, Arthur's two larger knights dismounted and tied their horses to the pole as well. They all blinked at the cave that suddenly appeared before them. They stared at it strangely, not sure whether to trust it, and then Arthur took a deep breath and walked right in.
"My lord!" the knights called out almost as one before following him into the darkness. Merlin was about to walk in himself when he felt a strange presence and waited a moment to look around. He saw no one in the field but himself, and after a moment he followed the rest of the traveling party into the mouth of the cave.
Once they'd moved past the main entrance to the cave and the light from outside was gone, the stones began to glow above them, the color of the clear blue sky. Merlin and Percival both were staring at them in shock when Arthur stopped walking and thus ran into Gaheris and Breunor in front of them.
"Watch it," Gaheris said, "We don't know what's in this place."
Percival nodded, his back straightening. Merlin looked around Gaheris to Arthur and saw that they'd reached a dead end…sort of. Arthur was kneeling next to a hole in the wall near the ground just large enough for Breunor, the largest of their group, to crawl through if he weren't wearing any armor. Above the hole, engraved into the wall, were words written in- "The language of the Old Religion," he gasped out, and everyone turned to him.
"You can read that?" Arthur asked, pointing at the words.
Merlin's face turned red. Oops. "Well, it's…some of Gaius's older books are written in it…so….yea….," he said. It wasn't completely a lie. Some of Gaius's books really were written in the language of the Old Religion, that just wasn't why Merlin could read it.
"What does it say then?" Arthur asked, standing up and brushing his hands off.
Merlin slide past the knights and up to the wall, his eyes scanning the words. "Lǽtan geatwe ond bordrand ond ðu sceal ástandan," he read aloud, hoping that it wasn't a spell even as he knew what it said. "It says…we have to leave our armor and weapons here before we can continue." He turned to Arthur, who looked awed that Merlin had read it so smoothly.
"Leave our armor and weapons?" Breunor asked suspiciously. "This wizard must have a trap set up on the other end of this hole."
Arthur looked at the hole contemplatively. "Magic isn't illegal in Caerleon. Besides, he's famed for his ability to heal any wound, not cause them," he said logically. "And there might be a beast on the other side of this hole, and there might not be. We knew coming here that there would be challenges, tasks we had to complete to make it to the Fisher King. We should be ready for anything at this point."
"I'm with you, my lord," Percival declared, his voice strong but gentle. Merlin nodded in agreement, and Breunor and Gaheris agreed shortly.
The knights and Arthur all took off their armor and Merlin piled them all carefully against the wall of the cave so they could retrieve it later if they came back this way. Breunor and Gaheris didn't look quite so big without their armor on, but they could probably still tie Merlin up like a pretzel if he pissed them off. Arthur took a deep breath before kneeling and beginning to crawl through the hole on his stomach. Merlin let the other knights go first as a sign of respect to their station and then scurried after them. If there really was a beast on the other side of the hole, he wanted to be there to protect Arthur, consequences be damned.
On the other side of the hole was a beautiful valley. It looked like the valley of Whitehaven, except green and flourishing. There was a river running right through the center of the valley and fish jumped happily at the sky like it was a game. There were lush trees with ripe fruits scattered as far as the eye could see, and the rolling ocean waves leapt jovially onto the white sandy shore. At the edge of the valley, a doe grazed on the deep green grass without a care in the world. In the center of the valley stood a castle; smaller than Arthur's but a castle nonetheless. It was easily as big as the castle fortress where Gwen was kidnapped to before Morgana turned dark side.
"Whoa," Merlin let out quietly.
Everyone sort of just stood there gaping for several moments until Arthur noticed the position of the sun. It was nearly midday! He began making his way toward the river and his company followed him. They passed a rabbit on the way and it didn't even flinch. Were they magical creatures or did they somehow know that there was no danger to their lives?
At the river they met another issue. There was a bridge that was barely big enough to cross on, but that wasn't the problem. Arthur walked onto the bridge with no difficulty, but Breunor recoiled like he'd been punched in the face. "Ow-what?" the bigger man gasped, holding his nose.
Arthur stopped halfway across the bridge and looked back. Everyone was staring from Breunor to the bridge in confusion. "What happened?" Arthur asked.
Breunor shook his head and shrugged. "It felt like I walked head on into a solid wall." He lowered his hand and reached out with it toward the bridge. Sure enough, his hand stopped flat like he was touching a wall. "Why can't I pass?" he demanded on the air.
"Your destiny does not lie in this castle," an old voice spoke, and everyone's eyes snapped to the other side of the river. Just to the left of the bridge, an old man that looked older than the castle behind him sat fishing. "Only one may pass; the one who's path crosses mine at this time."
Percival moved forward and put his hands against the invisible barrier. "You mean we can't accompany our prince any further?" he asked of the old man.
The man nodded with a grin on his face as he caught a fish of some sort. He inspected the fish for a moment and then tossed it back into the water and continued fishing like he had all the time in the world. Arthur frowned and looked at his men.
"It looks like I go alone," he stated simply. "Wait here. I'll be back soon."
Merlin frowned too. "I'm not staying here," he disagreed, moving forward. The knights all reached out to stop him as he reached the barrier, but Merlin ducked past them and onward. He shivered and stuttered at the feeling of the magic coursing through him and nearly fell onto his face on the wood of the bridge, but he made it passed the barrier. Holding himself up on his hands and knees, Merlin shuddered and took a deep breath. He pushed himself up and stood before Arthur with a shaky smile. "See….," he sort of breathed out. "You're not leaving me behind…"
Gaheris frowned at the old man and punched the barrier. It didn't give an inch. "How come he can pass but we cannot?" he demanded angrily. "None of us want to stay here anymore than he did."
Arthur moved his shocked gaze from Merlin to the old man. The man was staring at Merlin with an odd expression, but he gave a crooked smile a moment later. "Half of a whole," he chattered to himself as he looked back to the river. "Coins. A coin. The coin. I see."
"Answer me, old man!" Gaheris shouted and the fishing man looked up at him, the smile gone.
"Paths cross each other sometimes. We meet people, we walk beside them for awhile, and then our paths shift and we leave them. Paths lead us toward our ultimate destiny, and everyone we meet along that path changes us into a person fit for that destiny." He turned his attention to the two on the bridge. "Make your way into the castle, Prince Arthur, Merlin." His eyes twinkled when he said Merlin's name, and Merlin almost shivered.
The old man knew.
Arthur and Merlin turned their attention to the castle for a moment and when they looked back, the man had vanished from his spot on the riverside. Arthur nodded to his knights. "We'll be back soon," he assured them.
…
…
The castle was normal at least. Arthur and Merlin entered and closed the doors behind them. After a moment, a maid a few years older than Arthur himself entered through a door to the right and bowed before them both. She had orange red hair that barely peaked out from under her brown and white bonnet and bright blue eyes. She was pretty.
"Welcome. We've been waiting," she greeted them, a mysterious smile on her face. "Lunch will be served immediately. Please, follow me," she insisted, turning and heading off to the left and out of sight.
Arthur and Merlin exchanged equally puzzled looks before following her. They walked through the door the maid had gone through and found themselves in the dining hall of the castle. It was nothing spectacular; just a smaller version of Camelot's dining hall. The colors were different though. Instead of being accented in reds and golds, the dining hall was accented in greens and golds. The old man from the riverside was seated in the king's spot at the table and he waved them in with a simple smile.
"Welcome, guests," he greeted. "Forgive me for not standing. My legs aren't what they used to be."
That was the first time Merlin or Arthur took note of the man's legs. They were mostly covered by his clothes, but what parts they could see were discolored and disfigured. "What happened?" Merlin asked. Arthur elbowed him in the side and gave him a disapproving look.
Again the king motioned for them to take seats at the opposite end of the table. Only once they were seated and the food had been produced did he think to answer. "Long ago, I was grievously injured in the legs in battle. I was given charge over a great power, here in this castle. The key to this power lies in the question. If someone asks the right question, my legs and my lands will be healed at last, and not just within a magic covering. So there is a question that must be asked, and every visitor to my castle that passes the barriers and challenges may ask one question. If you ask well, young prince, then you will receive what you came for." He motioned to the full plates before them. "Do not feel the need to rush your question, however. Eat, enjoy the food. When you are finished, then you can ask me whatever you'd like, and I will answer."
Arthur looked down at the food on his plate: venison, bread, peas, chicken. He was hungry and the food looked delicious, but….Arthur pushed the plate away. "No. If all my men were here, then maybe, but they don't have any food so I won't have any either."
Merlin looked down at his own plate sadly. He wasn't likely to get this kind of food again, but Arthur was right. It wasn't fair to eat while the knights went hungry. The Fisher King made a contemplative noise in the back of his throat.
"Well then, young prince of Camelot….Do you have a question for me?" he asked easily, not touching his own food either.
Arthur opened his mouth to ask. The question was obvious, wasn't it? 'How do I save my father and Morgana?' He shut his mouth before it could come out. Maybe the wording was important…. 'What is causing the illness?' or 'What can I do to heal my father and Morgana?' or maybe even 'Will I save them?' or-
"When the time comes….," he began, his tone soft like when he opened up to Merlin when they were alone. "When my father dies and I become king…..," he clarified. "Will I be the king Camelot….the king Albion deserves? Will I be ready to be that king when my father is gone?"
Merlin was caught off guard by the tone Arthur used more than the question itself. Arthur was terrified of losing his father, but he also knew that someday Uther would die and he would have to take up the throne in his place. It was inevitable. It was terrifying. It was imminent, if the Barghest was to be believed. Merlin was certain that a part of Arthur knew that, and he worried for the kingdom when that day finally came.
The Fisher King stayed silent, instead motioning with his right hand to the maid standing at the edge of the room near the servant's door. She knocked lightly on the wood and it opened, revealing two other maids of equal beauty to the first. They walked to the king's side; one holding a pitcher, the other a wide brimmed goblet. The first poured liquid from the pitcher into the goblet and then the second handed the goblet to their king. Holding the goblet in his right hand, the Fisher King looked over it at Arthur down the table.
"It takes much to be a great king. It takes more to be a king fit to rule all of Albion. You're father rules with an iron fist, with little compassion in his heart. He would ruin Albion were he the king." Arthur forced himself not to take offense at that. It was probably true. "The truth is that being king has nothing to do with physical strength. It doesn't matter how powerful you are or if you have a grand destiny…" He nodded to the maid by the door and she walked over, carrying a small leather flask. "If you lack compassion, you will always fall short in the duties that await you."
The maid opened the flask and the king poured the liquid from his goblet, which Merlin suddenly noticed was rimmed in pearls, into the small pouch. He motioned for the maid to go and she walked down the table to hand the flask to Arthur while the other two maids left the room. "You have much to learn, Arthur Pendragon, and much left to do before that day comes….but you will succeed." Arthur took the flask from the maid hesitantly, confusion in his eyes, and Merlin watched it suspiciously. "Take this back with you and let those afflicted drink from it," the Fisher King explained, "and they will be healed."
Arthur and Merlin's eyes widened and they looked at the flask. What was in it? It had looked like water but….
"You should hurry," the king suggested. "You're knights worry and your family weakens." Arthur stood up, Merlin with him, and began walking toward the door they came in through. Just before he got there, "Oh, Pendragon," the Fisher King called out. Arthur stopped and turned back to him. "You may not have chosen him for yourself…..but you have done well by keeping him at your side," he said cryptically. "He has a very special destiny of his own."
Arthur looked at Merlin, who looked like he'd been punched in the gut. Deciding to ask Merlin about it later and worry about getting home for now, Arthur simply nodded to the king and left the room. Again, the Fisher King called out, but this time to Merlin.
"Emrys," he said softly, and Merlin froze. He turned a worried gaze back upon the still seated king. "Don't you have a question?" Merlin cast him a confused look and the king smiled. "Everyone gets to ask a question."
Merlin's eyebrows lifted a bit in realization and then lowered as he tried to think if there was anything he wanted to ask the all-knowing king. After a moment, he shrugged. "I don't need to ask you anything."
"Oh?" the Fisher king asked, intrigued. This had never happened before.
Merlin nodded. "I could ask about Arthur's future….but I already know he'll be a great king and rule justly and fairly. I could ask about my own future, but all I need to know is that I'll be at Arthur's side until he no longer needs or wants me. I could ask how long until Uther dies, but the barghest told me it would be within the year. I already know the answer to all the questions I could ask right now…So I don't have anything to ask you. Maybe I'll save it for next time," he suggested with a smile.
The king's smile was wide but closed lipped. "You are indeed special, Emrys," he admitted. "If you have no question for me, you can leave. But do me a favor, would you? Tell Sir Percival not to worry so much." He grinned, all toothy and crooked. "He's got a special destiny too." Merlin nodded but the king wasn't done yet. "And Emrys," he said haltingly. Merlin raised an eyebrow. "The Lady Morgana isn't the only woman you should worry about in Arthur's future…."
Merlin narrowed his eyes in question, but the Fisher king didn't elaborate. Arthur's voice called through the castle to him and Merlin raced out after Arthur, who was already at the front door and heading outside.
"What took you so long?" Arthur asked impatiently. Merlin shrugged with a good-natured smile and Arthur sighed, rolling his eyes before finally heading out to his knights once more.
…
…
Arthur raced into Uther's chambers, armor back in place, with the flask. Merlin was heading to Morgana's room with some of the water from the flask in a cup. Arthur brushed past Gaius to his father's side. Gaius looked at him curiously.
"It's from the Fisher King," Arthur stated simply and motioned to his father. "He needs to drink it. Merlin's taking care of Morgana."
Gaius nodded. "Alright then. Let's get him up." He took the flask from Arthur while Arthur propped his father up just a tad, and then Gaius poured the water into Uther's mouth and down his throat.
Almost immediately, Uther's skin regained its natural color and he stopped shaking. Within moments his eyes were opening, clear and fever free. He took in the sight of his son and physician and shook his head, sitting up all on his own. "What happened?" he asked.
"We found a cure, sire," Gaius informed him. There was no need to tell him it was most likely a magical cure, or that Arthur had consorted with a sorcerer-like king to get it. "You should be fine now."
Uther nodded almost absently. "And Morgana?"
Just then the doors to the room burst open and Merlin rushed in. Arthur gave him an exasperated look for not knocking but dropped it just about instantly when the first words from Merlin's mouth were "She's all better."
Arthur smiled. "Everyone's going to be fine."
Gaius started checking Uther's vitals even though he knew the king was fine now. Merlin stepped over next to Arthur and whispered, "You should go see her." He didn't say which 'her' and Arthur didn't ask. It didn't matter. They both needed him.
…
…
When Arthur walked in to Morgana's chambers, he saw she was sitting up and looking healthy, but also looked a bit put-off. Gwen was fiddling with some flowers on the bedside table with a huge grin on her face.
"Well, I don't know how he did it," she was saying, her tone light and happy, "but you're all better now. I'll have to thank Merlin later."
Merlin. Arthur stopped just inside the door. The Fisher King said Merlin had a great destiny. But Merlin was just a servant….what could his destiny possibly be that it was considered great by the Fisher King? He'd forgotten to ask Merlin about it when they got back to Camelot. He should ask him tonight then, after dinner. He probably wouldn't though: sometimes Arthur let things lie instead of prying and maybe finding out things he didn't want to know. Besides, Merlin might not even know himself what his destiny was. It wasn't like he had a seer to tell him his destiny like Arthur had.
Arthur cleared his throat. "Well, technically, I did the hard part," he announced proudly, forcing his mind back to the present. Gwen squeaked and faced him with a bright blush high on her cheeks and Morgana slid a smile into place on her face. "Merlin just delivered it to you."
"Arthur," Gwen breathed out, and then frowned. "I mean, sire." She inclined her head in a bow while still seated. "It's nice to see you."
Arthur nodded to Gwen awkwardly. Morgana sighed. "Really, you could cut the tension with a knife," she complained, lifting her arms. "Come here, Arthur, and let me hug you."
Arthur looked, if possible, more awkward. Hug? Morgana laughed at him under her breath and Arthur frowned, taking that as a challenge. He walked over to the bed, on the side opposite Gwen, and sat down. Leaning forward, he allowed Morgana to wrap her arms around him.
"Thank you," she whispered in his ear, sounding truly grateful and a bit shaky. Arthur wrapped his arms around her in return, holding her protectively and securely.
Gwen watched, envy curling gently around her heart. She wished she could hug Arthur like that….but she understood the difference between a sister figure hugging a prince, and a maid with a crush hugging a prince.
…
…
In her cave lair, Morgause let out a heavy breath and clutched her heart. She watched as Morgana and Arthur pulled back from each other and Arthur said something that made Morgana smile.
"Prince Arthur…," she let out, sounding a bit winded. "For once I am in your debt."
She hadn't agreed with Morgana's plan from the start. Yes, she wanted Uther dead, but the magical poisoning Morgana had chosen, while hiding the cause of death, would have meant she lost Morgana as well. Morgause would never admit it aloud to anyone, not even herself, but she had been praying they would fail to kill Uther this time.
She wasn't ready to lose her sister any more than Arthur was.
…
…
Next Time: Tristan
Someone is burning cities and Arthur wants to know who. Merlin faces his fears and the future opens up to him once more. Arthur and Merlin head out to stop the fire starters, but they're faced with a problem: someone thinks they started the fires themselves! Lancelot makes an appearance. Also, Merlin may have made his last mistake, outing himself as a sorcerer. Is Tristan a new friend, or have Merlin's problems just gotten much worse?
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…
Translations:
Lǽtan geatwe ond bordrand ond ðu sceal ástandan = Leave behind arms and shield and you shall continue.
Pairing: Pretty Gen. Kind of one-sided Merlin/Arthur, Gwen/Arthur, hinted Gwen/Lancelot. It’s about as gay as the series is, which is pretty gay.
Disclaimer: I do not own BBC’s Merlin. If I did, I’d be pretty happy because I’d know Colin and Bradley personally.
Summary: The legend of Excalibur is not as simple as everyone thinks. Arthur pulls a sword from a stone, beginning a chain of events that will lead him to his destiny and the sorcerer prophesied to stand beside him.
Chapter Summary: After the Barghest scare, everyone despairs as King Uther and Morgana fall gravely ill. Legend tells of a man with the power to give life. In the blink of an eye, Arthur and Merlin are off on the quest to find the Fisher King, pass his tests, and find a way to save Camelot's King, or be ready to crown a new one if they fail.
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Part VII - The Fisher King
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A/N: This is the installment that caused me the most issues. I had such a hard time writing it. I researched the Holy Grail and the Fisher King. I watched the Criminal Minds episodes about the Fisher King. I researched Percival and Galahad and Indiana Jones. I did everything I could to put off writing this installment even after I'd decided what would happen because it just wasn't flowing from me like the others did. In simplest terms: I kinda hate this part. But it's vital to the story and Arthur's development as King of Albion, so I must include it.
Vaguely based on all the crap I read about the Fisher King and some story I read ages and ages ago that had nothing to do with anything in this story but inspired the trials within. I'd tell you what story, but it's been so long that I can't even remember what it was actually about, let alone what it was called.
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Merlin walked into Morgana's room with his head bowed. Gwen looked up from her place by Morgana's bed side. Her hands were clasping Morgana's tightly, the worry etched into her fair face. "How is she?" Merlin asked quietly as he came to stand next to her.
Morgana looked pale, like Merlin hadn't seen since he accidentally knocked her down the stairs. Her brow was wet with sweat and she was shivering almost violently. She may be against them, but Morgana was Arthur's sister and Gwen's best friend and it pained Merlin to see her like this. Gwen shook her head.
"She mumbled something earlier, nonsense, but something…she's been quiet ever since." Gwen looked down at Morgana and tried to hold back her tears. "I think she's getting worse…."
Morgana coughed, a horrible wet sound, and turned her head to the side away from the light of the window. Merlin moved and pulled the curtains closed so Gwen wouldn't need to get up. Morgana seemed minutely more comfortable with the new darkness of the room and Merlin let his shoulders fall a bit from their tense position.
"Just let me know if there's anything I can do, anything she needs….anything you need," he assured Gwen quietly before heading for the door.
Gwen gasped just as he reached the door and called out to him. "Merlin!" He turned to face her and she gave a hesitant smile. "Arthur?"
Merlin nodded. "Sure. I'll see what I can do," he said before vanishing through the door.
It was something Merlin had noticed back when Morgana went missing for a year, and again when she'd nearly died….When Morgana was in danger, Gwen and Arthur got closer. They spent more time together, just sitting and being a comfort to each other, or talking about Morgana (though that was mostly Gwen). While Merlin was happy that they were getting closer, he also felt a pang of sorrow at not being able to help Arthur in that respect. He felt like a third wheel for a two wheel cart.
Shaking his head, Merlin made his way up to Uther's chambers. He paused only a moment outside the room before knocking once and opening the heavy wooden doors. Arthur looked up at him from his father's bed side. Gaius barely paid him any mind as he continued to examine the king's condition.
"Ah," Arthur let out. "How's Morgana?" There were bags under his eyes from where he hadn't slept. Merlin shrugged helplessly and Arthur sighed.
"Gwen asked for you, though," Merlin added quickly.
Arthur seemed to perk up momentarily at that, but there was a knock on the door and a knight walked in. He bowed. "I'm sorry to interrupt, sire," he apologized.
Arthur waved the thought away, taking a deep breath and sitting up straighter as he did so. "What is it, Percival?"
The knight, Arthur's youngest at only seventeen, stood straight and said, "There's a man here to see you, my lord."
"Me?" Arthur clarified and Percival nodded in affirmation. Arthur sighed and stood from his seat. "Take care of him while I'm away, Gaius," he ordered uselessly before Percival led him from the room.
Merlin turned to Gaius as soon as the door was shut. "There's got to be something we can do, Gaius," he said almost desperately. "I've seen what happens when Morgana is in danger of dying, and I've seen how Arthur reacts when his father isn't there….He can't lose both of them at the same time like this!"
Gaius shot Merlin a reproachful look. "Do you think I don't know that?" he asked, a tinge of bitterness in his voice. "I'm trying my best here, and so are you. If we can't do it, then perhaps this is when they are meant to die….," he trailed off uncertainly.
Merlin shook his head. "No. I don't accept that," he denounced. "The Barghest said a year. He gave Uther a year, Gaius. Besides, this doesn't feel right. Magic's involved somehow. I know it is."
"And yet none of your spells have worked," Gaius reminded him softly. Merlin deflated and Gaius sighed, pulling a cloth from a bowl of cold water and wringing it out before gently wiping Uther's face with it. "I'm sorry, Merlin…I just don't know what else to try."
Merlin watched him for several moments in despair, and then it hit him. "But I do….," he breathed out before rushing from the room, too fast for Gaius to ask what he meant.
…
…
Kilgarrah landed in the field as quietly as a dragon could. "Why do you call me this time, young warlock?"
Merlin looked up at him. "Uther and Morgana are dying and I can't heal them."
"Then perhaps it is their time to die," Kilgarrah stated mystically.
Merlin was kind of tired of him agreeing with Gaius. But he also knew the great dragon to be lying. He'd said Morgana was a great danger in a sense that she would be around for awhile. He shook his head. "No. It isn't. I can tell…I can….I can feel it." Kilgarrah tilted his head a bit at that. "Magic's behind this. Magic started it and magic is blocking me out….Is there some way to save them?"
Kilgarrah regarded Merlin curiously for several long moments before he leaned forward a minute bit and nodded. "Your powers are growing, little dragonlord, and for that I grant you this knowledge. There is a man named The Fisher King who holds with him magic that can heal any ailment, be it physical, emotional, or magical," he revealed. Merlin nodded and made to leave to tell Arthur but Kilgarrah stopped him by stepping in front of him. "Wait." Merlin stopped and looked up at him again. "To gain use over the magic of the Fisher King, one must pass a series of trials. The trials are never the same twice…so be ready for anything," he warned.
Merlin nodded and, once he was sure Kilgarrah was done speaking, took off back toward the castle. He stopped in Gaius's chambers first and was surprised to find the old man actually there. "Gaius," he greeted breathlessly. "Have you ever heard of the Fisher King?"
Gaius looked up at Merlin in shock for a moment before nodding hesitantly. "Yes. He is mentioned a few times." He pointed to a book and before he could move to retrieve it, Merlin's eyes flashed gold and it floated down to the table in front of Gaius. Gaius gave Merlin a look, though not altogether a bad one, and flipped the book open to the right page. "It is said he was injured a long time ago, though it doesn't say how, and that the key to healing him lies in something called the Holy Grail….Only one man is destined to find the Grail and heal the Fisher King, and all the lands with him."
"What about the power to heal any ailment?" Merlin asked, moving closer.
Gaius nodded. "The Grail apparently has the ability to heal any wound, which is why it could heal the King I suppose," he mused to himself.
Merlin nodded. "Where is he located? I need to head there now."
"Head where?" Arthur asked as he stepped into the room. Merlin had the distinct desire to shut the book before Arthur could see it, but Gaius's hands were on the pages.
"Nowhere," he insisted.
Arthur frowned at him. "You are a terrible liar, Merlin," he stated blandly before turning his attention to Gaius. "Have you found a way to cure Morgana and my father yet?" he asked.
Merlin stood still and Gaius glanced at him before nodding. "I may have, sire," he admitted, moving Merlin aside and turning the book so Arthur could see it. "His name is The Fisher King."
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…
And that was how, mere hours later at the first sight of day, Arthur, Merlin, and three of his knights (Percival, Breunor, and Gaheris; while Leon stayed behind to lead the others) headed out to find the mysterious Fisher King. Gaius had given Uther and Morgana three days tops before the sickness took them, but told Arthur and Merlin not to count on that. Thus, instead of moving at a leisurely pace, Arthur and company were racing northwest through the forests toward the kingdom of Caerleon.
It was late in the day, nearly sunset, when they finally stopped riding. They stopped an hour's normal ride away from the border between Camelot and Caerleon to rest their horses and bodies…and so they didn't look quite so much like some invading force to the patrols. Breunor and Arthur went hunting for something to eat, since Arthur was the greatest hunter in Camelot and Breunor was the strongest knight Arthur had. Breunor was nearly twice Arthur's build with short dark hair and steel blue eyes. While Percival and Merlin collected wood for a fire to cook the meat over, Gaheris kept watch over the horses and supplies. Gaheris was also a big guy. He was slightly larger than Arthur in build with dark blonde hair and surprisingly expressive brown eyes. Merlin had seen him interacting with the other knights and, if he were to admit it aloud, he was sort of scared of Gaheris. Gaheris was matched in intensity only by Breunor, who constantly told stories about how he could kill a lion with his bare hands….Safe to say Merlin was glad he was paired with Percival to gather wood and not either of the other two.
There was an odd quality to Percival though.
Merlin looked up from the ground, a bundle of sticks in his arms, and watched Percival for a moment. Percival moved with the grace of a feline, but he kept his shoulders hunched when he was alone (or with Merlin in this case).Percival was a knight, a man of noble blood, but what made the whole situation odd was that Merlin was several years older than Percival. It was strange to think Percival was an accomplished fighter, a knight who risked his life in battle and noble pursuits, when he was so young…
"I think we have enough wood," Merlin announced suddenly.
Percival's shoulders squared and he took up the 'perfect knight' persona before turning to face Merlin and nodding in agreement. "Probably."
"Why do you do that?" Merlin asked.
Percival frowned. "Do what?"
Merlin motioned with his free right hand to all of Percival. "That. As soon as I said anything you tensed and straightened your back and…that. Just because you're a knight doesn't mean you have to be so stiff all the time," he tried to joke.
Percival blinked at Merlin a few times before he nodded his head. "Yes it does."
Merlin shook his head. "No it doesn't. Believe me." He grinned. "Arthur's the epitome of a knight when he has to be, but most of the time he acts just like any other royal." Percival raised an eyebrow and Merlin shrugged. "Like a spoiled prat." A smile found its way onto Percival's face and Merlin smiled in return. "See, that looks much better."
Percival's smile faltered and then vanished as he frowned. He fiddled with the sticks under his left arm idly and looked off at some tree in thought. After a few moments, he sighed. "Don't tell anyone, ok?"
Merlin laughed. "Who would listen anyway, right?" he joked, but it was true.
Percival gave him a sympathetic look for a moment before he sighed again. "The truth is….I'm seventeen." Merlin raised an eyebrow. "I'm just a kid. No one will take me seriously in training. I stood up to Arthur in a minute of free combat just like all the other knights, but everyone thinks that because I'm so young, I'm weak and inexperienced. But I've been training to be a knight since I could hold a sword!" he complained, as if he'd been just waiting for someone to ask to let the floodgates open. "If I show any weakness, the rest of the knights'll just laugh at me. I'm the kid, the baby, the runt, the little brother who needs protection. I'm not their equal. I mean, even now, I'm out collecting firewood instead of hunting with Prince Arthur, because I'm nothing." He shot a startled look at Merlin. "Not to say you're nothing," he amended quickly.
Merlin shrugged as if to say 'don't worry about it, Arthur gives me that crap all the time.' "At least you're not Gaheris," he comforted. Percival raised a curious eyebrow and Merlin moved to grab another stick from the ground. "He's just sitting at camp watching the horses. And you're different from the knights back in Camelot too. Arthur didn't even consider bringing them along." He stuffed the new twig under his arm with a little difficulty, but it settled eventually. Merlin smiled at Percival. "He chose you because he trusts you….So you should trust in yourself too."
Percival didn't know what to say to that. He'd just gotten some really helpful words of wisdom from a manservant that was more often than not picked on for being an idiot….A little smile graced his lips. "Thank you, Merlin."
Merlin shrugged it off again and nodded back toward camp. "We should get these back so when Arthur gets back with the food we can cook it and eat."
Percival nodded his agreement and they headed back to the campsite without another word; though Percival kept shooting Merlin grateful glances. They made it back to camp and got the fire started well before Arthur and Breunor returned from hunting. Merlin was glad to see Percival was a bit less tense around the much larger Gaheris now than he had been. After all, if he was too busy trying to prove himself by taking on dangerous missions, he could end up getting himself killed.
Arthur returned while Merlin was deep in thought and smacked him over the head with a dead rabbit as he walked by. "If I were an enemy, you'd be dead," he said warningly to his servant as Merlin rubbed the back of his head.
"Yea, well….," Merlin tried, but couldn't come up with a suitable response that wouldn't sound like treason to the larger knights around them, so he just shut his mouth and scowled.
They cooked the four rabbits Arthur had killed and Merlin spiced it with herbs he'd brought in his pack from Gaius's stores and they were actually pretty full by the time the food was gone. Arthur took first watch, and Gaheris volunteered for second watch, then Percival, then Breunor, and finally Merlin had the early morning watch before they all moved out. That was probably for the best, since Merlin took forever getting ready anyway.
It wasn't until the other knights were asleep, while Arthur was up for first watch, that Merlin tried to talk again. Around the knights and other nobility, Merlin had to watch his tongue. When it was just him and Arthur, he could be open about what he thought.
"How long until we reach the Fisher King's castle?" he asked quietly.
Arthur turned his head to look at Merlin, laying on his sleep mat, curiously. "You're supposed to be asleep," he accused lightly.
Merlin shrugged but didn't sit up. "How long?"
Arthur looked back out at the quiet forest around them. "We'll enter Caerleon first thing tomorrow…and Whitehaven is only a few hours west, along the coast." He tossed a small fragment of twig into the brush, and it barely affected the surrounding leaves. "We've got plenty of time."
Merlin dutifully kept quiet about how he hadn't been worried about time. Instead he said, "Your father and Morgana are going to be fine, you know?" Arthur didn't say anything, but Merlin watched him lower his head a bit to look at the ground. "Everything's going to be alright, Arthur."
Arthur shrugged. "But what if it isn't?" Arthur asked quietly. His tone was just as gruff as usual, but he was trying to keep quiet so as not to wake his knights. "If either of them die…."
Merlin sat up. "You know, my mother…she's all I've got left of my family," he began conversationally. "When she got sick, and I thought she was going to die….I was so scared. I was afraid to be alone, without a family." He took a deep breath. "And my father…" He saw Arthur perk up in interest, but the prince didn't quite turn to look at him. "He died….," Merlin revealed, and that did make Arthur turn.
"How do you know?" Arthur asked. "You said you'd never met him."
Merlin shrugged again. "Gaius knew my father," he explained. "He told me…he hadn't known how to tell me about my father…but eventually he did." His sentences were slow, controlled, and he wondered how much of his hurt was bleeding through his defenses. He kept his eyes on the embers in the fire. "My father died fighting….Cenred's men killed him."
Arthur narrowed his eyes in confusion. Cenred? Why would he be killed by his own king's men? Before he could ask, Merlin wiped his eyes and looked directly at him.
"The point is, Arthur," he said, "That when I found out he was dead…even though I still had my mum, I thought I'd lost everything. It took me a few days to realize all that I still had. So…before you go through any of that, before you even begin thinking about that….I wanted to let you know you won't lose everything the day your father dies." Arthur flinched. "You will still have Gaius, and Gwen, and your knights….and you'll still have me."
Arthur smiled. "Until the day you die." Merlin tilted his head with a hint of a smile and Arthur coughed. "Get some rest, Merlin."
Merlin nodded. "Goodnight, Arthur."
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…
Whitehaven was….not white, for one. It was brown and dead as Arthur's men came upon the land. The whole place seemed to be one deserted field of dirt, with no wildlife and no crops, and no castle. The only things in the field were a few boulders of varying sizes, and a white pole made of stone. Arthur frowned, leading his men down into the dust bowl and over to the pole slowly.
The pole was perfectly smooth, carved in what appeared to be a pure white stone that none of them had ever seen before, and probably thirty feet high.
"Is this it?" Breunor asked impatiently. "It's a pole. There is no castle, no king, just a stupid white pole in the middle of a mini desert."
Arthur looked around the area, then at Merlin like he was asking for help. Merlin shrugged. Percival dismounted, walked up to the pole, placed a hand on it, and gasped. Everyone looked at him. "It's….strange….warm," he explained, looking up at the top of the pole and then down at the base. "I think we have to leave the horses here."
Breunor scoffed from where he still sat in his saddle. "We're in the middle of a desert, and you want us to leave our horses and supplies next to a pole; a most likely magical pole."
Arthur stiffened at the mention of magic for a moment and then dismounted his horse and tied it to the pole without another breath of hesitation. Merlin followed suit, as did Percival, and they all looked at Breunor and Gaheris. "Tie your horses," Arthur ordered simply.
Though they looked hesitant, Arthur's two larger knights dismounted and tied their horses to the pole as well. They all blinked at the cave that suddenly appeared before them. They stared at it strangely, not sure whether to trust it, and then Arthur took a deep breath and walked right in.
"My lord!" the knights called out almost as one before following him into the darkness. Merlin was about to walk in himself when he felt a strange presence and waited a moment to look around. He saw no one in the field but himself, and after a moment he followed the rest of the traveling party into the mouth of the cave.
Once they'd moved past the main entrance to the cave and the light from outside was gone, the stones began to glow above them, the color of the clear blue sky. Merlin and Percival both were staring at them in shock when Arthur stopped walking and thus ran into Gaheris and Breunor in front of them.
"Watch it," Gaheris said, "We don't know what's in this place."
Percival nodded, his back straightening. Merlin looked around Gaheris to Arthur and saw that they'd reached a dead end…sort of. Arthur was kneeling next to a hole in the wall near the ground just large enough for Breunor, the largest of their group, to crawl through if he weren't wearing any armor. Above the hole, engraved into the wall, were words written in- "The language of the Old Religion," he gasped out, and everyone turned to him.
"You can read that?" Arthur asked, pointing at the words.
Merlin's face turned red. Oops. "Well, it's…some of Gaius's older books are written in it…so….yea….," he said. It wasn't completely a lie. Some of Gaius's books really were written in the language of the Old Religion, that just wasn't why Merlin could read it.
"What does it say then?" Arthur asked, standing up and brushing his hands off.
Merlin slide past the knights and up to the wall, his eyes scanning the words. "Lǽtan geatwe ond bordrand ond ðu sceal ástandan," he read aloud, hoping that it wasn't a spell even as he knew what it said. "It says…we have to leave our armor and weapons here before we can continue." He turned to Arthur, who looked awed that Merlin had read it so smoothly.
"Leave our armor and weapons?" Breunor asked suspiciously. "This wizard must have a trap set up on the other end of this hole."
Arthur looked at the hole contemplatively. "Magic isn't illegal in Caerleon. Besides, he's famed for his ability to heal any wound, not cause them," he said logically. "And there might be a beast on the other side of this hole, and there might not be. We knew coming here that there would be challenges, tasks we had to complete to make it to the Fisher King. We should be ready for anything at this point."
"I'm with you, my lord," Percival declared, his voice strong but gentle. Merlin nodded in agreement, and Breunor and Gaheris agreed shortly.
The knights and Arthur all took off their armor and Merlin piled them all carefully against the wall of the cave so they could retrieve it later if they came back this way. Breunor and Gaheris didn't look quite so big without their armor on, but they could probably still tie Merlin up like a pretzel if he pissed them off. Arthur took a deep breath before kneeling and beginning to crawl through the hole on his stomach. Merlin let the other knights go first as a sign of respect to their station and then scurried after them. If there really was a beast on the other side of the hole, he wanted to be there to protect Arthur, consequences be damned.
On the other side of the hole was a beautiful valley. It looked like the valley of Whitehaven, except green and flourishing. There was a river running right through the center of the valley and fish jumped happily at the sky like it was a game. There were lush trees with ripe fruits scattered as far as the eye could see, and the rolling ocean waves leapt jovially onto the white sandy shore. At the edge of the valley, a doe grazed on the deep green grass without a care in the world. In the center of the valley stood a castle; smaller than Arthur's but a castle nonetheless. It was easily as big as the castle fortress where Gwen was kidnapped to before Morgana turned dark side.
"Whoa," Merlin let out quietly.
Everyone sort of just stood there gaping for several moments until Arthur noticed the position of the sun. It was nearly midday! He began making his way toward the river and his company followed him. They passed a rabbit on the way and it didn't even flinch. Were they magical creatures or did they somehow know that there was no danger to their lives?
At the river they met another issue. There was a bridge that was barely big enough to cross on, but that wasn't the problem. Arthur walked onto the bridge with no difficulty, but Breunor recoiled like he'd been punched in the face. "Ow-what?" the bigger man gasped, holding his nose.
Arthur stopped halfway across the bridge and looked back. Everyone was staring from Breunor to the bridge in confusion. "What happened?" Arthur asked.
Breunor shook his head and shrugged. "It felt like I walked head on into a solid wall." He lowered his hand and reached out with it toward the bridge. Sure enough, his hand stopped flat like he was touching a wall. "Why can't I pass?" he demanded on the air.
"Your destiny does not lie in this castle," an old voice spoke, and everyone's eyes snapped to the other side of the river. Just to the left of the bridge, an old man that looked older than the castle behind him sat fishing. "Only one may pass; the one who's path crosses mine at this time."
Percival moved forward and put his hands against the invisible barrier. "You mean we can't accompany our prince any further?" he asked of the old man.
The man nodded with a grin on his face as he caught a fish of some sort. He inspected the fish for a moment and then tossed it back into the water and continued fishing like he had all the time in the world. Arthur frowned and looked at his men.
"It looks like I go alone," he stated simply. "Wait here. I'll be back soon."
Merlin frowned too. "I'm not staying here," he disagreed, moving forward. The knights all reached out to stop him as he reached the barrier, but Merlin ducked past them and onward. He shivered and stuttered at the feeling of the magic coursing through him and nearly fell onto his face on the wood of the bridge, but he made it passed the barrier. Holding himself up on his hands and knees, Merlin shuddered and took a deep breath. He pushed himself up and stood before Arthur with a shaky smile. "See….," he sort of breathed out. "You're not leaving me behind…"
Gaheris frowned at the old man and punched the barrier. It didn't give an inch. "How come he can pass but we cannot?" he demanded angrily. "None of us want to stay here anymore than he did."
Arthur moved his shocked gaze from Merlin to the old man. The man was staring at Merlin with an odd expression, but he gave a crooked smile a moment later. "Half of a whole," he chattered to himself as he looked back to the river. "Coins. A coin. The coin. I see."
"Answer me, old man!" Gaheris shouted and the fishing man looked up at him, the smile gone.
"Paths cross each other sometimes. We meet people, we walk beside them for awhile, and then our paths shift and we leave them. Paths lead us toward our ultimate destiny, and everyone we meet along that path changes us into a person fit for that destiny." He turned his attention to the two on the bridge. "Make your way into the castle, Prince Arthur, Merlin." His eyes twinkled when he said Merlin's name, and Merlin almost shivered.
The old man knew.
Arthur and Merlin turned their attention to the castle for a moment and when they looked back, the man had vanished from his spot on the riverside. Arthur nodded to his knights. "We'll be back soon," he assured them.
…
…
The castle was normal at least. Arthur and Merlin entered and closed the doors behind them. After a moment, a maid a few years older than Arthur himself entered through a door to the right and bowed before them both. She had orange red hair that barely peaked out from under her brown and white bonnet and bright blue eyes. She was pretty.
"Welcome. We've been waiting," she greeted them, a mysterious smile on her face. "Lunch will be served immediately. Please, follow me," she insisted, turning and heading off to the left and out of sight.
Arthur and Merlin exchanged equally puzzled looks before following her. They walked through the door the maid had gone through and found themselves in the dining hall of the castle. It was nothing spectacular; just a smaller version of Camelot's dining hall. The colors were different though. Instead of being accented in reds and golds, the dining hall was accented in greens and golds. The old man from the riverside was seated in the king's spot at the table and he waved them in with a simple smile.
"Welcome, guests," he greeted. "Forgive me for not standing. My legs aren't what they used to be."
That was the first time Merlin or Arthur took note of the man's legs. They were mostly covered by his clothes, but what parts they could see were discolored and disfigured. "What happened?" Merlin asked. Arthur elbowed him in the side and gave him a disapproving look.
Again the king motioned for them to take seats at the opposite end of the table. Only once they were seated and the food had been produced did he think to answer. "Long ago, I was grievously injured in the legs in battle. I was given charge over a great power, here in this castle. The key to this power lies in the question. If someone asks the right question, my legs and my lands will be healed at last, and not just within a magic covering. So there is a question that must be asked, and every visitor to my castle that passes the barriers and challenges may ask one question. If you ask well, young prince, then you will receive what you came for." He motioned to the full plates before them. "Do not feel the need to rush your question, however. Eat, enjoy the food. When you are finished, then you can ask me whatever you'd like, and I will answer."
Arthur looked down at the food on his plate: venison, bread, peas, chicken. He was hungry and the food looked delicious, but….Arthur pushed the plate away. "No. If all my men were here, then maybe, but they don't have any food so I won't have any either."
Merlin looked down at his own plate sadly. He wasn't likely to get this kind of food again, but Arthur was right. It wasn't fair to eat while the knights went hungry. The Fisher King made a contemplative noise in the back of his throat.
"Well then, young prince of Camelot….Do you have a question for me?" he asked easily, not touching his own food either.
Arthur opened his mouth to ask. The question was obvious, wasn't it? 'How do I save my father and Morgana?' He shut his mouth before it could come out. Maybe the wording was important…. 'What is causing the illness?' or 'What can I do to heal my father and Morgana?' or maybe even 'Will I save them?' or-
"When the time comes….," he began, his tone soft like when he opened up to Merlin when they were alone. "When my father dies and I become king…..," he clarified. "Will I be the king Camelot….the king Albion deserves? Will I be ready to be that king when my father is gone?"
Merlin was caught off guard by the tone Arthur used more than the question itself. Arthur was terrified of losing his father, but he also knew that someday Uther would die and he would have to take up the throne in his place. It was inevitable. It was terrifying. It was imminent, if the Barghest was to be believed. Merlin was certain that a part of Arthur knew that, and he worried for the kingdom when that day finally came.
The Fisher King stayed silent, instead motioning with his right hand to the maid standing at the edge of the room near the servant's door. She knocked lightly on the wood and it opened, revealing two other maids of equal beauty to the first. They walked to the king's side; one holding a pitcher, the other a wide brimmed goblet. The first poured liquid from the pitcher into the goblet and then the second handed the goblet to their king. Holding the goblet in his right hand, the Fisher King looked over it at Arthur down the table.
"It takes much to be a great king. It takes more to be a king fit to rule all of Albion. You're father rules with an iron fist, with little compassion in his heart. He would ruin Albion were he the king." Arthur forced himself not to take offense at that. It was probably true. "The truth is that being king has nothing to do with physical strength. It doesn't matter how powerful you are or if you have a grand destiny…" He nodded to the maid by the door and she walked over, carrying a small leather flask. "If you lack compassion, you will always fall short in the duties that await you."
The maid opened the flask and the king poured the liquid from his goblet, which Merlin suddenly noticed was rimmed in pearls, into the small pouch. He motioned for the maid to go and she walked down the table to hand the flask to Arthur while the other two maids left the room. "You have much to learn, Arthur Pendragon, and much left to do before that day comes….but you will succeed." Arthur took the flask from the maid hesitantly, confusion in his eyes, and Merlin watched it suspiciously. "Take this back with you and let those afflicted drink from it," the Fisher King explained, "and they will be healed."
Arthur and Merlin's eyes widened and they looked at the flask. What was in it? It had looked like water but….
"You should hurry," the king suggested. "You're knights worry and your family weakens." Arthur stood up, Merlin with him, and began walking toward the door they came in through. Just before he got there, "Oh, Pendragon," the Fisher King called out. Arthur stopped and turned back to him. "You may not have chosen him for yourself…..but you have done well by keeping him at your side," he said cryptically. "He has a very special destiny of his own."
Arthur looked at Merlin, who looked like he'd been punched in the gut. Deciding to ask Merlin about it later and worry about getting home for now, Arthur simply nodded to the king and left the room. Again, the Fisher King called out, but this time to Merlin.
"Emrys," he said softly, and Merlin froze. He turned a worried gaze back upon the still seated king. "Don't you have a question?" Merlin cast him a confused look and the king smiled. "Everyone gets to ask a question."
Merlin's eyebrows lifted a bit in realization and then lowered as he tried to think if there was anything he wanted to ask the all-knowing king. After a moment, he shrugged. "I don't need to ask you anything."
"Oh?" the Fisher king asked, intrigued. This had never happened before.
Merlin nodded. "I could ask about Arthur's future….but I already know he'll be a great king and rule justly and fairly. I could ask about my own future, but all I need to know is that I'll be at Arthur's side until he no longer needs or wants me. I could ask how long until Uther dies, but the barghest told me it would be within the year. I already know the answer to all the questions I could ask right now…So I don't have anything to ask you. Maybe I'll save it for next time," he suggested with a smile.
The king's smile was wide but closed lipped. "You are indeed special, Emrys," he admitted. "If you have no question for me, you can leave. But do me a favor, would you? Tell Sir Percival not to worry so much." He grinned, all toothy and crooked. "He's got a special destiny too." Merlin nodded but the king wasn't done yet. "And Emrys," he said haltingly. Merlin raised an eyebrow. "The Lady Morgana isn't the only woman you should worry about in Arthur's future…."
Merlin narrowed his eyes in question, but the Fisher king didn't elaborate. Arthur's voice called through the castle to him and Merlin raced out after Arthur, who was already at the front door and heading outside.
"What took you so long?" Arthur asked impatiently. Merlin shrugged with a good-natured smile and Arthur sighed, rolling his eyes before finally heading out to his knights once more.
…
…
Arthur raced into Uther's chambers, armor back in place, with the flask. Merlin was heading to Morgana's room with some of the water from the flask in a cup. Arthur brushed past Gaius to his father's side. Gaius looked at him curiously.
"It's from the Fisher King," Arthur stated simply and motioned to his father. "He needs to drink it. Merlin's taking care of Morgana."
Gaius nodded. "Alright then. Let's get him up." He took the flask from Arthur while Arthur propped his father up just a tad, and then Gaius poured the water into Uther's mouth and down his throat.
Almost immediately, Uther's skin regained its natural color and he stopped shaking. Within moments his eyes were opening, clear and fever free. He took in the sight of his son and physician and shook his head, sitting up all on his own. "What happened?" he asked.
"We found a cure, sire," Gaius informed him. There was no need to tell him it was most likely a magical cure, or that Arthur had consorted with a sorcerer-like king to get it. "You should be fine now."
Uther nodded almost absently. "And Morgana?"
Just then the doors to the room burst open and Merlin rushed in. Arthur gave him an exasperated look for not knocking but dropped it just about instantly when the first words from Merlin's mouth were "She's all better."
Arthur smiled. "Everyone's going to be fine."
Gaius started checking Uther's vitals even though he knew the king was fine now. Merlin stepped over next to Arthur and whispered, "You should go see her." He didn't say which 'her' and Arthur didn't ask. It didn't matter. They both needed him.
…
…
When Arthur walked in to Morgana's chambers, he saw she was sitting up and looking healthy, but also looked a bit put-off. Gwen was fiddling with some flowers on the bedside table with a huge grin on her face.
"Well, I don't know how he did it," she was saying, her tone light and happy, "but you're all better now. I'll have to thank Merlin later."
Merlin. Arthur stopped just inside the door. The Fisher King said Merlin had a great destiny. But Merlin was just a servant….what could his destiny possibly be that it was considered great by the Fisher King? He'd forgotten to ask Merlin about it when they got back to Camelot. He should ask him tonight then, after dinner. He probably wouldn't though: sometimes Arthur let things lie instead of prying and maybe finding out things he didn't want to know. Besides, Merlin might not even know himself what his destiny was. It wasn't like he had a seer to tell him his destiny like Arthur had.
Arthur cleared his throat. "Well, technically, I did the hard part," he announced proudly, forcing his mind back to the present. Gwen squeaked and faced him with a bright blush high on her cheeks and Morgana slid a smile into place on her face. "Merlin just delivered it to you."
"Arthur," Gwen breathed out, and then frowned. "I mean, sire." She inclined her head in a bow while still seated. "It's nice to see you."
Arthur nodded to Gwen awkwardly. Morgana sighed. "Really, you could cut the tension with a knife," she complained, lifting her arms. "Come here, Arthur, and let me hug you."
Arthur looked, if possible, more awkward. Hug? Morgana laughed at him under her breath and Arthur frowned, taking that as a challenge. He walked over to the bed, on the side opposite Gwen, and sat down. Leaning forward, he allowed Morgana to wrap her arms around him.
"Thank you," she whispered in his ear, sounding truly grateful and a bit shaky. Arthur wrapped his arms around her in return, holding her protectively and securely.
Gwen watched, envy curling gently around her heart. She wished she could hug Arthur like that….but she understood the difference between a sister figure hugging a prince, and a maid with a crush hugging a prince.
…
…
In her cave lair, Morgause let out a heavy breath and clutched her heart. She watched as Morgana and Arthur pulled back from each other and Arthur said something that made Morgana smile.
"Prince Arthur…," she let out, sounding a bit winded. "For once I am in your debt."
She hadn't agreed with Morgana's plan from the start. Yes, she wanted Uther dead, but the magical poisoning Morgana had chosen, while hiding the cause of death, would have meant she lost Morgana as well. Morgause would never admit it aloud to anyone, not even herself, but she had been praying they would fail to kill Uther this time.
She wasn't ready to lose her sister any more than Arthur was.
…
…
Next Time: Tristan
Someone is burning cities and Arthur wants to know who. Merlin faces his fears and the future opens up to him once more. Arthur and Merlin head out to stop the fire starters, but they're faced with a problem: someone thinks they started the fires themselves! Lancelot makes an appearance. Also, Merlin may have made his last mistake, outing himself as a sorcerer. Is Tristan a new friend, or have Merlin's problems just gotten much worse?
…
…
Translations:
Lǽtan geatwe ond bordrand ond ðu sceal ástandan = Leave behind arms and shield and you shall continue.