Destined to Rule

CHAPTER 2

While Arthur was trying to find the most comfortable position, Merlin watched him from under his heavy eyelashes. He tried to understand the unfamiliar expression on the Prince's face that might even the Prince wouldn't have been able to define.

"Tell me something!" Merlin asked after a while.

"What?"

"Anything."

"Hmm" Arthur was thinking, then abruptly a bright smile lit up his face. "You would never imagine how funny our practice was in the woods today. You should have seen it! We rode there. There was nothing extraordinary. But when we got there, Gwain saw Percival reaching for a bottle in his bag. Of course, he couldn't just let it slide, you know Gwain. When it comes to ale-" Arthur trailed off smirking before continuing his story. Merlin listened smiling. "He tried to snitch the bottle, but Percival held on tightly. They started grappling. But what was really strange, was that Percival kept shouting 'You can't drink it!' as if it was some kind of poison or something, he REALLY didn't want Gwain to drink. Eventually he managed to slip away, escaping Gwain's grip. He ran a bit further away, then stopped at a tree, opened the bottle and drank all the ale in it."

"What happened after?" asked Merlin sleepily, although he had a suspicion. But listening to Arthur's smiley voice was so calming.

"Nothing. At all."

"What?"

"Nothing. Gwain was really disappointed. He said that Percival had betrayed him by not giving him even one gulp of the ale."

"Hmm."

"Anyway, not long after we started training, I had an encounter with Percival. He was so- rude and disrespectful. Once he dodged one of my hits, but instead of just acknowledging his luck, he started laughing at me. He even pointed a finger at me and said-"

"What? What did he say?" asked Merlin half asleep.

"Nothing."

Merlin pouted. "Why don't you tell me, Arthur? You're such a dollophead."

Arthur started laughing. This time not as hard and hysterically as he did before. It was a rather warm and sweet laugh. "You see, Merlin, he said exactly the same thing. He said 'Hah Arthur, you're a dollophead!'."

Eventually Merlin laughed himself into sleep, knowing that Arthur was watching him with that unfamiliar expression still on his face.

***

When Merlin woke up the next day, he realised in an instant that it was morning. The curious sunbeams were peeking into his room casting a bright glow on the chair next to his bed that now stood empty. Memories of the previous day came rushing to his mind. He remembered the beautiful land with the castle, he remembered Percival, and Gaius, and then Arthur, who had sat on that chair telling him a story-

Gaius chose that exact moment to stomp into Merlin's room with a handful of herbs and a little vial of a potion in his hands.

"Merlin! You're awake!"

"Good morning!"

"How are you feeling?"

"Mmm. Good. But we need to talk."

"Indeed, we do."

Merlin looked subtly at the chair. Gaius took the hint and sat down. But before Merlin could open his mouth, the old physician shoved the vial into his hand. "Take this."

Merlin took the potion. While he gulped down the bitter liquid, Gaius started his usual talk about 'how could Merlin be that irresponsible'.

"I was unconscious!"

"No, you weren't!"

"Okay, I wasn't unconscious, but I wouldn't say that I was conscious, either."

Gaius sighed, knowing that Merlin was right, and that it didn't matter anyway because the Prince still didn't know about Merlin's magic.

"Alright. Tell me more about that land and how did you get there."

And Merlin told him everything from the moment he stepped out of the castle and on the marble stairs, until he collapsed on the soft grass.

"Interesting." hummed Gaius. "It must have been some kind of a vision."

"Yes, but it didn't feel like one. It seemed real. As if that land was real. And it seemed so familiar."

Gaius's look darkened. He bent his head and tried not looking at Merlin. Of course, it was the worst he could do. Merlin immediately sensed that something was off.

"What is it?"

"Nothing!"

"What's it with everyone keep behaving suspiciously, but when being asked, saying 'nothing'?"

Gaius sucked in a deep breath.

"I have a theory. But this is just a theory, nothing more. You have to keep that in mind."

"I will, I promise."

"Since you hadn't consumed anything that might have caused you to see such visions, and that you keep telling me that it seemed real, I can only assume that your power is even greater than we have known. You are a Seer, Merlin."

"A Seer?"

"Yes. And what you saw in your 'vision' was-"

"Camelot! I saw the place that will become of Camelot when Arthur unites Albion and lifts the ban on magic. I saw the future!"

Looking into Merlin's gleaming eyes, Gaius only sighed and nodded slowly.

***

Days had passed by since Merlin's incident. Since then, nothing extraordinary happened, except for Arthur behaving a bit less like a prat. Well, sometimes.

"Merlin!" the Prince shouted for the thousandth time in that day. "How many times do I have to call you to finally move your little bottom and come here?!"

"Sorry, Sire! I was just-"

"I don't care what are your excuses now. Please, polish my armour."

As Arthur stormed out of his chambers, Merlin stayed there dumbfounded. Since when had Arthur talked in such a prattish manner and still used 'please'? Or rather: since when had Arthur said 'please' in general?

Merlin reached for the Prince's armour still astonished, and started working on it. Now that Arthur was nowhere near to be seen, he whispered some seemingly unintelligible words, his ocean blue eyes flashed gold, and the armour suddenly became shiny. He observed his work carefully before putting it down and reaching for the sword. As he seized its hilt, he abruptly felt the same tingling he had felt a few days prior. This time he knew what would happen. At least, he thought he knew. But when he opened his eyes, instead of the picturesque landscape and the astoundingly beautiful palace, now he found himself in a spacious room.

He stood up and looked around. The room had white walls decorated with ocean blue and golden flags and ribbons. The floor was covered with a blue silk-like material, some kind of a carpet. As Merlin turned around his heels, he realised that the room resembled very much to the tournament room in Camelot, where Arthur usually trained in case of bad weather.

As the realisation hit Merlin, he suddenly caught sight of a sword. It was in his hand. He looked at it closely. It wasn't Arthur's sword, although he could remember touching the Prince's weapon to polish it pretty well. Just as he leant closer to inspect the engraving, the funny tingling came again, and the sight in front of him blurred. The next moment he opened his eyes and found himself in Arthur's chambers.