Merlin has been in Camelot for 8 years, Arthur survived, Merlin healed Gwaine, and Arthur made Merlin court sorcerer. Gwen and Arthur had a three year old son and Merlin was helping prepare like he always did for everyones' birthdays. Merlin somehow managed to remember everyones' birthdays, even if they forgot it themselves. Every time someone asked when his birthday was he would say it had already past and made sure they dropped it. Overtime they said they would never forget it and repay Merlin, they never did because they never found out when it was. Every time Arthur bugged him, he would either change the subject or give Arthur the silent treatment until he dropped it.
During the celebration Gwen noticed Merlin wasn't there. She told Arthur, but he dismissed that Merlin was probably making sure the food was good and not poisoned or something like that. Gwen recluently dropped it. By the time it was over, nobody had seen a glimpse of Merlin at all. The knights searched the castle, Gwen asked around the servants, Arthur looked around the village and everywhere Merlin would be doing his chores even though he wasn't supposed to be and Gaius said he didn't send Merlin for herbs, there wasn't a magical threat, he wasn't in his chambers and he hadn't see Merlin since the day before.
After awhile, they all met up in the throne room.
" Any luck?" Arthur asked earning a chorus of no's and the shaking of heads
" Well where could he be?" Gwen asked, very worried
" Wait, did anyone think to check his workplace?" Dwaine asked making everyone look at each other and run off
When they got there, he was asleep on his desk, with ink all of his hands and face and paper everywhere. There were crumpled papers overflowing the floors, his bookcases half empty with the missing books strewn across the room, ruined quills everywhere, empty ink bottles everywhere, half eaten food on the desk, spilled ink on the floor, and Merlin at the head of it with dark bags under his eyes and covered in ink while snoring softly.
" Woah, he has really been overworking himself" Leon spoke, breaking the silence
" I wonder if this is what he's like for every birthday" Percival wondered aloud making everyone else wonder the same thing
" And here we are not even knowing the date of his" Elyan said
" I wonder if Gaius knows" Leon asked making everyone look at each other and run to Gaius, unknowingly waking up Merlin on the way out. Once they were gone, he groaned, knowing they would never drop it now. He cleaned his chambers, his desk and himself before leaving a note saying where he would be and that he was fine. He left to clear his head at his favorite place, lake avalon.
" Gaius?" Gwen called once they got there
" Yes my lady?" Gains replied
" Oh Gaius you know to call me Gwen, anyway, we were wondering if you know when Merlin's birthday is?" Gwen asked sweetly
" Why on earth would you want to know that?" Gaius asked surprised " Has he not told you?"
" Told us what?" Arthur asked
"He despises his birthday, he is always so grumpy whenever it comes around" Gaius explained
" He hates his birthday? Why?" Percival asked
" I'm afraid that's his tale to tell, just know it's a touchy subject for him, tread carefully, an emotional warlock isn't very easy to deal with" Gaius warned them making them nod
When they got to his study, they were surprised to find it clean and empty. Arthur read the note and they all left to the Lake avalon, since merlin showed them where he was one time when he went missing. When they got there, he was sitting there, skipping and throwing rocks in the lake, while also sometimes making shapes out of water.
" I'm guessing Gaius told you" Merlin said, not looking at them and kept throwing rocks.
" Not all of it, why do you hate your birthday?" Gwen asked softly
" Because some stuff happened around the time of my birthday and one on the day of it and overtime it comes around, It's just a reminder of what happened" He said simply, still not looking at them
" Do you want to tell us? You don't have to of course" Elyan said
" How much time do we have" Merlin chuckled
" Let's find out" Arthur said and sat by Merlin, Gwen sat by Arthur, Elyan sat by Gwen, Gwaine was on the other side of Merlin, Percival by Gwaine and Leon by Percival.
" Ok, well it's all across four months, just my birthday was one of the biggest ones and that one reminds me of all the others. It starts on September 19th, the day Sigan returned. He tried to posses me, I managed to trap him back on his jewel heart thing which is a reminder of how powerful I am and my whole destiny and everything that happened because it. Next is September 20th, the day I cam to Camelot, the day my destiny started, I saved prince prat, met Kilgaharrah, my first impression of Camelot was a man being beheaded for having magic and then Uther having a celebration for it. Next, October 11th, The day Nimueh poisoned me. Everyone thought she was trying to poison Arthur, when actually she enchanted the poison to only work on me. Next is October 22nd, I hatched my first dragon, Aithusa. She was the one who made the sword what almost killed Arthur, she was the pet of Morgana. Next, is October 23rd, the day Elyan was captured by Morgana and Morgues. You three didn't know Morgana was in on it and the whole time she was trying to get us killed, mainly me and you guys didn't even realize it. That day is more of just a reminder of how long Morgana had been betraying Camelot and nobody realized it.
Next, November 1st, the day I discovered this place and Arthur almost died here too. Of course you don't know because you were enchanted during it. I almost got killed twice because of those two, they were handfuls. November 3rd, that was when Morgana kidnapped you knights trying to find Gwaine's old friends the disir. I told her I didn't want to know anything but she told me one thing anyway. I'm immortal apparently. I did ask why and you know what, she didn't know. Our theory is, I'm living all the lives of the magical people who died. And other killed newborn babies and millions of other magical beings. Plus, magical people live long anyway, If I wasn't immortal I would live to 480. Now add every other magical being and You have my lifespan. November 5th, that was when Morgana kidnapped me and took over my mind making try and kill Arthur. That reminds me, Percival hit Leon, I told him I wanted to kill Arthur and he gave me a crossbow" Merlin laughed and Percival it Leon on the back of the head while everyone laughed at Leon's red face.
" Anyway, Next, November 7th, the witch finder cam to town and Myself, Gaius and Morgana almost died. November 8th, that was when we saved Mordred just for him to try and kill you. November 14th, I was forced to lie to Arthur so he wouldn't kill Uther and make the kingdom go into chaos because Morgause showed Arthur the truth about his mother. November 19th, the Lamia possessed the knights and almost killing them plus myself and Gwen" Merlin said before Gwen cut him off
" Why weren't you affected? They were all affected and I wasn't because I'm a girl, but why weren't you?" Gwen asked, confused
" That will be explained soon. Anyway next, is November 21st, a uh- a very close friends of mine was killed. She was cursed to be a beast at night and a knight of Camelot killed her. Her name was Freya. I uh- I hmm I loved her though. She was brought here by one of Uther's men because she was thrown out of the druids because of her curse. She wasn't able to control herself, I actually could tame her when she was in beast form but I was too late. I buried her here, at this lake. I sent her out on a boat and burned her body here. After that, she became the lady of the lake. She was the reason I wasn't affected by the Lamia. Anyway, next is November 22nd, Will, my chilhood friend, died protecting Arthur.
Next, November 26th, Morgana brought back a shadow of Lancelot and enchanted Gwen to fall in love with him making Arthur exile her and also Morgana turning Gwen into a doe at one point and Arthur's love of hunting and yada yada. November 24th, Morgana poisoned me, almost died again. November 29th, that was when Arthur killed the unicorn and Anhora was annoying. December 12th, I had to- I had to poison Morgana because of the sleeping curse and she was the source of it. December 13th, Arthur was bitten by the questing beast and I tried to trade my life with his but, Nimueh tried to take my mothers but Gaius traded his for her-" Merlin said and then was interrupted
" Wait, Gaius is alive and what happened to Nimueh, she hasn't bothered us for a while" Arthur asked confused
" I was getting to that. umm I went to find Nimueh and uh I killed her in place of Gaius. December 19th, my uh * clears throat* My father ,Balinor, died, in my arms and then I exiled the great dragon. Sorry Arthur you didn't kill him. Lastly, December 24th, that was the day of Camlann. I killed Morgana and Mordred" Merlin said. Throughout the whole time, Merlin didn't look at any of them, he sat there telling the stories while staring at the lake.
" Which one was your birthday?" Leon asked
" November 21st" Merlin said making Gwen gasp
" Freya" She whispered making Merlin nod. Everyone could tell he was trying not to cry, they were trying not to cry themselves. Merlin had been through a lot and none of them even knew half of it until now. While their friends was silently suffering, they were all pestering him on his broken heart and they had no clue.