A Forgotten Destiny (Merlin)

Chapter Twenty-Three: Henry

"So do you have an answer for me?" Arthur asked with his arms crossed over his chest.

After a long day of peace treaty negotiations, they had been put on pause to be continued the next day. The king had kept to his word and had come to the Physician's chambers to question Hunith and Gaius on the book.

Little did the Arthur know just how far Hunith and Gaius were willing to wrap themselves up in lies to protect the boy's secret, even in his death. Giving them the entire day to plan their story was not the best move on the King's part.

"We do." Hunith spoke as she went to sit beside Gaius.

"And?" Arthur questioned

"I gave Merlin this book when he came to Camelot so he could still sketch, he always loved to draw and I wanted him to be able to here."

The king brushed this explanation off, he could have guessed as much,
"You said that you could no longer protect him but that Gaius could, what did Merlin need protecting from?"

And this is where the webs of lies began...

"As you know Merlin never knew his father, in a small village like Ealdor everyone knew everything and many didn't take kindly to a bastard child. After one beating from the kids too many I decided to send Merlin to Gaius."

Arthur nodded, it made logical sense.
"What about the drawing of the druids? And the dragon?"

Gaius now cleared his throat, "I'm afraid that's partially my fault sire." The king's face contorted in confusion as he looked down at the physician. Gaius gestured for the blonde to take a seat across from him which Arthur reluctantly did. "I understand the laws banning magic but as a physician it is my duty to help everyone no matter who they are. When a few Druids came to me asking for help, I couldn't deny them it, even if I wanted to Merlin wouldn't let me, he volunteered to go and help them in secret. There were children dying Arthur, he was only doing what he thought was right."

The blonde nodded in understanding, he would have done the same, no child deserved to die because of who their parents were and what they chose to practice.

"As for the dragon, Merlin was there when you slayed it. I'm sure the sight of such a beast doesn't leave ones memory easily." Gaius added.

Arthur, again, nodded, all of this made perfect logical sense -so far.
"And the drawings of the cloaked man?" The King picked up the sketch book and opened it near the back and moved it towards the pair pointing to the hooded man.

Gaius and Hunith looked between each other, Arthur mistook it as a sense of seriousness but to the pair it was looking to each other to ensure that they were both okay going ahead with this lie. The drawing of the hooded man was not of some mysterious person, it was merlin's attempt to depict himself - a man of golden eyes whose talents and abilities remain hidden to the world by the shadows of his own hood.

"Merlin had dreams." Gaius stated

"Dreams? What sort of dreams?" Arthur leant forward and placed his forearms on the table.

"About a man, a man they call Emrys." Gaius said leaning forward too.

"Who is Emrys?" The king asked cluelessly.