A/N: i'm so sorry i keep forgetting to update on wednesdays!!! i'm terrible....so heres two chapters to make up for it 😊 i'll be better next week promsie!!
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The group rode steadly for three long days, chattering idly as the days shortend. After evenings of ballards, the group had tired of Gwaine's rhaspdoy's over Rachel and were all keen to get to the tree house where Merlin could reverse the spell in pece.
Finally, they reared their horses to an ancient oak tree that was as giant as was it old and whizen. Leon and Percial looked confused, at each other.
"We're home!" Merlin exclimed smiling happily as he hopped off Brambles and stretched his back.
"Finally!" Will chipped in, bounding down from Vixen, his russet gelding pony.
"I Though we'd never get here! The sight of home is almost as fair as my beloved Rachel" Smiled Gwaine, pouncing off the newly renbamed horse Rachel too.
"It's good to be back." smiled Lancelot calmly, talking his reigns smiling at Gwen.
"Where are we?" Percival asked gently as Arthur and Merlin pulled them all to the stop in a clearing. Around him everyone exchanged glances smirking.
"Just watch!" Lancelot interred and nodded towards Merlin in the front.
"Ummmm....fellows, this is a tree." Stated Loen, confused eye flicking across the faces of his comrades, unsure if this was a joke, he glanced at Percy, whom was doing the same.
"Unless your house is invisible" joked Percival an uncertain smile on his smooth handsome face as he looked at them.
Merlin smirked wider that the craggy cavans that split the lands of Moss-Y-Lodhr, amusment twinkling in his eyes.
"One moment gentlemen!" said Will finger raised high in miscivious delight. And walking behind the tree, he scampered up it agilely, like a subtle meerkat..
"Look up" whispered Merlin once his friend had reached the oak's bows.
Leon and Percival turned their heads to look in the direction that Merlin was pointing, raising there eyes upwatds to the tree canopy above.
They collectively gasped.
"That's...." started Leon, his voice trailing off in awe.
"That's incredible." Percival finished for his assosciate. He grinned. "I was starting to think all this talk about your magic was just that: talk, but this....this is amazing!" Everyone stared at the usually quiet knight, unsure if they had ever heard him speak so much at once or so excitedly.
"Glad you like it" Merlin grinned, as he caught the rope ladder that Will had kicked down to them in his left hand.
"Follow us," Arthur invited, before climbing the ladder, enjoying the view as he trailed his warlock up.
Merlin set to work straight away gathering his required things for curing Gwaine, while the man in question sat patiently on a bench kicking his feet and continuting to talk about how much he loved the fair princess Rachel.
"Did you know she makes special conservation efforts to protect amphibious wilflife?" He asked Merlin, smiling blankly. Merlin rolled his eyes.
"What's that?" Gwean asked of the small object on Merlin's hand: a bezore.
"It's a bezore. It'll help" Merlin supplied and turn to Gwaine with a grin on his face.
"Eat this" Merlin did, his tone humouring, and gave Gwaine the cure he had put together. Gwaine staired at the small white parcel that Merlin handed him. It sat in his hand, small and hard, a chalky lump of gross that emited an acid like stentch and burned in his palm.
"I am not eating that." He said disgustedly, and Merlin looked at him with calculation in his eyes.
"That's a shame, I'll have to tell rachel." He finally said casually and turned to tidy up his work bench.
"Rachel? Tell Rachel what?!" Gwaine expressed eagerly.
"Oh, she said you had to prove your love by eating a bezore, but if you don't want to I'll just have to tell her." Merlin said insusciantly in a nonchallent tone. In a flash Gwaine had sallowed the bezore, pulling a face as it slimed down his throut. Merlin watched his friend anxiously - he had follwed the instructions to create the antidote, but without being able to rely on his magic he felt like he may not be able to cure his friend.
Gwaine blinked. He frowned. He looked at Merlin in confusion in puzzlement. Moments ticked passed as everybody watched Gwaine, waiting for his reaction.
Nothing happen.
"Uhm, Merlin, love...." Arthur started in a concerns tone. He was worried about the Irish outlaw but was also worried about hurting his sorcerer's feelings if he had failed at curing Gwaie.
Suddenly, Gwaine's whole body was racked with a shudder that ran from his toes up his spine and to the tips of his wavy dark hair, he choked out a strangled cough and swiung forward, gasing at Merlin with widen eyes eyes. Everybody gasped and crowed around him as he fell to the floor still shaking.
"He's having a seazure!" gasped Elyan, shocke.
"Put something soft under his head and stand back!" instructed Gwen, glaring at the men to make sure that everyone did. Lancelot went and got a pillow and put it beneat his friend.
"Uhm, Merlin.." Arthur started again.
"It's fine!" Merlin assured them. "It's what's supposed to happen!" He held up the book the recipe came form and frowned.
"He might be growing a tail tho. I'll check" he said paging through the book to the pages on bezores, a small frown creasing his forhead.
"Merlin!" Will wail in distress.
"No it's fine look. This is what's meant to happen." Merlin said again, showing Will the page. "This should stop.....now!" He pointed his finger at him.
Gwaine's fit stopped.
"See? I know what I'm dong!" Merlin said, voice full of waverly confidence as he shared a relieved look with Arthur and let out oa breath of fresh air.
"I knew you could do it" Arthur said softly to Merlin and took his hands in his. There air between them crackled lightning blue sparks as Mrlin's magic reacted dangerously. It was electric.
"Uuuuuh, guys. Gwaine's coming around" said Will, tone questioning, as Gwain began to awaken from his fit in the floor.
"Argh...what happened? Where am I!?" He questioned as he sat up, one hand holding onto his head. Merlin squatted next to him and placed a hand upon his shoulder.
"You've been under the affects of a love potion - I gave you the cure. How do you feel?" Merlin probed him.
"Like I've been drowned in a barrel o' Jameson Wishkey" Gwaine groade
"We rest here tonight, and move on at first loght" Atlrthur said to the group as Meelin and Will helped Gwaine to his feet.
"Leon and Pwrcival, you need to pick a bedroom!" The two knights gasped at Arthur who beamed brightly at then with a cheeky glint in his eyes.
"How big is this place?!" Leon astounded.
"Its bigger in the inside" Merlin called back with a smirk, Gwaines arm over his shoulders as he helped him to his room, as he was still untable on his legs.
Everyone settled in their rooms, and then returned to the main room which had Merlin's pride and joy: the round table. Arthur stood nobly, he glanced a look at Merlin, and fulped to swallow his fears. He knew in his spirit that the time had come for him to take up the princely mantle he was born to hold, to lead men, to recplaim the kingdom and free it fromthe evil rule of his father. Merlin smiled back at him eyes as warm and ressuring as always. Arhtur was glad the other man was stood by his side.
"Here, come and join me" he said with his voice sounding more certain than he felt as he stood by the table Merlin had savaged from an ancient ruin of a castle and spelled to the teehrouse.
He cleared his throat.
"This table belonged to the ancient kings of Camelot. A Round table afforded no one man, more importance than any other. They believed in equality in all things. So it seems fitting that we revive this tradition now. With out each of you, we would not be here." Arthur laid a reverend hand on the gritten stone. Merlin smiled, Lancelot and Elyan looked solemn as they all took seatsa round the table. Merlin next to Arthur, then will, and Gwaine, who had recovered quickly, though he seemed subdued. Gwen sat next to him, helped to her seat with a warm smile by Lancelot, who sat next to her brother. Leon and Percival took seats next to each other on Arthur's other sie. Arthur stood and observed them all.
"My kingdom has languished in my father's evil prison for too long. A prison of his own hatred for the magic that illuminates our world. Soon...I make my bid to rescue it. Are there any around this table who will join me?" He asked, looking around the table at the men and Gwen.
Lancelot pushed his chair back and stood.
"You taught me the values of being a knight, the code by which a man should live his life: to fight with honour, for justice, freedom, and all that's good." He said, Gwem looked at him adoration dancing in her dark eyes and a dreamy expression on her face. "I believe in the world that you will build." Lancelot carried on speaking, ernestly.
"Even though I was a commoner, a nobody, you were willing to lay down your life for me Arthur." Elyan said, and stood too. "It is now my turn to re-pay you. Brother" He finished with a grin that Arthur felt like he had not seen since their shared childhood, long before Elyan's wayward days.
"I have fought alongside many leaders many times." Leon anounnced and pushed his chair back to stnad beside the lost prine. "There is noone that I would rather die for." He finished.
Gwaine sighened and rolled his eyes dramatically before smirking.
"I think we've no chance". Everyone looked at Gwaine with glared. "But I wouldn't miss it for the world." He stood. Arthur sporfled a laugh and the tension in the room boke. Merlin and Gwaine shared a small smile.
Percival stood.
"Your enemies are my enemies" he said - standing - simply. Merlin smiled again, Lancelot smiled around the room at everyone and the warm company, ending with a look down at Gwen, who laced her hand into his. She stood.
"You know the answer." She said, looking at Lancelot. Everyone knew it was him she fought for, as much as her adopted little brother. "I still prefer the name Dirk though. I did choose it" She smiled.
Silence fell. Arthur looked at the warlock sat casually in the chair by his side.
"Merlin?" he asked.
Merlin looked up as though he hadn't been paying attention.
"Hmmm...." He pretended to think things over. Finally he answered.
"No, I don't really fancy it." He said and put his hands behind his head with a smirk on his face. Arthur sighed and rolled his eyes with a glare.
"You don't have a choice, Merlin." He said, feigning annoyance.
"Okay" He stood. The warlock nodded and looked at Arthur with love and a smile.
"I want to thank you all for staying loyal to me, In camelot's hour of need. I'll do something that the king won't approve of." He said, uncaring if his father, whom was a mad and evil dictato, would approve of what he was about to do.
He raised the sword the he had made for himself, the one that Merlin had attempted to steal all those months ago and always brought with it a fond flickering of revelection when Arthur looked at it.
"Kneal" he commanded gently as everyone stood before him. Everyone knelt, Merlin with a waggle of his eyebrow. One by one Arthur knighted each of them, hitting them on each shoulder with the dull side of the blade.
"Arise Sir Lancelot, Knight of Camelot. Arise Sir Will, Knight of Camelot. Arise Sir Gwaine, Knight of Camelot. Arise Sir Elyan, Knight of Camelot. Arise Sir Leon, Knight of Camelot. Arise Sir Percival, Knight of Camelot. Arise Lady Gwean, Knight of Camelot." He said solemly in a deep tone as he did so. He skipped Merlin, simply pulling him to his feet with a gentle glare.
Gwaine grinned at his title. And Will scoffed.
"If only me mam could see me now. Knight of Camelot. She'd never believe it." He said proudly. Arhtur smiled indulgently
"Now, when you fight, you can stand proud, knowing you are members of the most noble army the world, has ever known." He said, regaining his Kingly air. They all raised their swords and cheered commaradally.
Merlin looked around the room, insides squirming with joy and excitement. He was so proud of his friends and the man that Arthur had become. The furture King of Camelot. He stepped in close to his soulmate, putting their hands together and whispered in ear, breath tickling Arhtur's neck.
"Knew you'd be great at it." He whispered, with a smile. Arthur looked at him, beryl eyes full to the brim with adoration.
"You did. Thank you." He said quietly and brought their mouth's together in a gentle kiss.