The Tales Merlin Can Tell *BeingEditedSlow*

Prince Merlin Chapter 1

Just an FYI, this chapter is over 11,000 words and took up roughly 18 pages in Google Docs. It's not strictly accurate B/C I change my margins and make them wider, but that really shows just how large this thing is!

Okay so I was curious as to how many pages it would take up if I set all the margins were set to 1 an it now takes up 23 pages! Anyway, enough about the size of this thing, and onto the new and improved Prince Merlin!

-0-

It's been a few weeks since Merlin told Arthur and the knights about his magic, and a few days since the ban on magic was lifted. The council was hard to convince, but after Merlin told them of his role with the Druids, and showed them his own magic, they had come to the agreement that magic users won't be punished for wielding it, and only be punished if they use it to do something that was already illegal such as stealing or killing.

Not two days after the ban was lifted did the first signs of magic being used within the walls of Camelot be seen by the public, and it was done by none other than Merlin himself. He was helping Gaius with his daily runs into the town to help those who are sick or hurt, and when they were approached by a mother with a sick daughter the two went to help.

Upon seeing that the girl had contracted a deadly disease caused by being bit by a rabid animal Merlin instantly went to work. After asking the mother for permission to heal her daughter, much to the woman's confusion, Merlin uses an enchantment he had read about that can heal such a sickness, and once he had finished he turned to see the mother with a horrified look on her face.

"What have you done to my daughter, you sorcerer?!" The mother, who despite having heard rumors about the recent change in the laws, demands of Merlin.

"It is alright," Merlin sooths, "It's an enchantment to wipe the disease from her system. By the time she wakes up the sickness will be purged."

Trembling, the mother turns to Gaius. "Gaius, is this true? Is it true that the laws were lifted? Please tell me my daughter won't be killed for being healed by a sorcerer!"

Gaius nods his confirmation, giving the woman a comforting pat on the shoulder. "It is true. Neither your daughter or yourself will be harmed by the crown because of this. I trust Merlin with my life."

Starting to sob, the mother rushes to her still sleeping daughter and throws herself over the little girl, weeping with joy.

-0-

Since then, word has spread of a good sorcerer that lives in the castle; someone who will save even the most dammed of souls from the brink of death with only a few words. The appearance of this sorcerer started as him being a young man, before slowly morphing him into the liking of an old man with a long white beard and the kindest of eyes. Among the children the man was short and plump with colorful clothes, while the adults talked of a average looking, though older man who wore the clothes of a peasant.

Merlin first heard of these rumors around the castle with the cooks, all of whom live in the lower village save the head cook. Merlin was told of a middle aged man who was lanky with blond hair and sharp blue eyes, someone who would stand out in a crowd with little effort, and who was kind to any woman he talked to. Merlin had left for Arthur's chambers with a warm blush on his face and neck, it barely having gone away by the time he got to the rooms causing the King to question him.

"Have you heard about the rumors about a sorcerer healing the people of the lower town?"

Tilting his head in thought, Arthur finally nods. "Yes I have. Quite an odd thing, that he has come so quickly after the ban was lifted."

"Arthur," Merlin starts, "It's me their talking about. I'd know if someone else was using magic while in Camelot and as far as I can tell I've been the only one."