AM I THE ONE? | Arthur Pendragon [1]

The Moment of Truth

*Annabelle's P.O.V.*

    It was now incredibly late, and the only reason for why I was still awake was because I couldn't fall asleep so I went for a walk. I've made my decision, and I will not change my mind, but I still couldn't shake off the worry. After another twenty minutes, I decided to go back to Mother's house, not wanting to worry her if she woke up and noticed that everyone is there except for me. I opened the door quietly, not even looking up, and closed it behind me before turning around, only to nearly stagger backwards in shock as I saw Mother, awake and sitting by a fire with a shawl wrapped around her.
"Come here." She said quietly so that she wouldn't wake up anyone, patting the seat next to her. I gave her a small confused look, but walked over and sat down nonetheless. She looked at me lovingly and stroked my cheek. "I do love you, my darling." She whispered, and I smiled a small smile.
"What's wrong?" I asked with a small chuckle, but she just looked down.
"I should never have gone to Camelot." She said and my brows furrowed in confusion. "I've ruined everything for you and your brother."
"What?" I asked in disbelief. "No, you haven't. Why on Earth would you say that?" I asked softly, making her finally look at me.
"I know what you're planning to do." She said, and I closed my eyes briefly, sighing.
"If it comes to a choice..." I started. "Between saving people's lives and revealing who I really am..." I trailed off with a small smile and shrugged. "There is no choice."
"You can't let Arthur know about your gift."
"Why not?" I asked. "Maybe it's meant to be this way." Mother just shook her head sadly and looked down. "You said he loves me. I still don't believe it, but... If he does truly love me, then I should have nothing to fear. But if he doesn't accept me for who I really am, then... I'll know that he has no feeling for me."
"Does Merlin know?" Mother finally asked, and I shook my head.
"No. I don't want him to worry." I said, and she nodded but I could see right through it. "Promise me you won't tell him. He would never let  me put myself in such danger. And I know you don't want to either. But I have to do this."

*Next Day*

"Arthur!" I called as I walked up to the Prince, who was standing watch for Kanen's men. "My Mother made you some food." I said as I held out the bowl to him.
"Thanks." He said, and I nodded with a smile as I turned around to walk away. "I think." I hear him mutter, and stopped abruptly, facing him again.
"I don't know if you noticed, but food is scarce in this village. That's the reason we're here in the first place; the people here are starving." I said, and Arthur stared at me with an expression I couldn't quite read. "Look, if you don't like my Mother's cooking, fine. I'm not asking you to enjoy eating it. But show some respect and don't turn your nose up at it." With that, I turned around to walk away, shaking my head.
"Annabelle!" Arthur called, and I sighed before turning around to face him again. "Thank you. You're right." He said, and I looked at him in slight surprise, but smiled a small smile all the same. "And you were right to speak up. I should have listened to you, Morgana, and Guinevere. We're going to need all the help we can get." He muttered the last part as he looked down, and I walked up to him.
"We'll be fine." I said, and he turned to look at me.
"How can you be so sure?" He asked.
"Because I have faith in you." I said, knowing that I can't tell him the real reason for why I know that we will win. However, what I told him is the truth as well. I do have faith in him, and he needs all the encouragement he can get, seeing as I know how much he doubts himself, even though he doesn't have a reason to.
"Thank you." He gave me a small smile, and I returned it before walking away.

*1 Hour Later, Third Person's P.O.V.*

    Merlin picked up the Prince's armor and turned around, ready to help him put it on.
"No, not today." Arthur said, taking the armor in his hands. "Put on your own." Merlin looked at him in slight surprise, but nodded and grabbed his parts of armor. The two men quickly put on their armor, and the Prince turned to look at his servant, noticing him struggling with one of the buckles on one of his bracers. Arthur then walked over to him, and finished the job, before putting his hand on Merlin's shoulder.
"You ready" He asked, and the Warlock nodded.
"My throat's dry." He said quietly, and Arthur smiled a small smile.
"Me too." The Prince said, before taking his hand off of Merlin's shoulder and holding it out instead. Merlin looked down at it for a second, before smiling slightly and shaking it with his own. "It's been an honor." Arthur said, and Merlin nodded with a small smile, before they both turned around upon hearing Lady Morgana's voice.
"Arthur. They've crossed the river." She informed, and the Prince nodded, following her outside where Annabelle was waiting for them, while Merlin quickly tied his belt and sword around his waist before following his friends and sister. Morgana immediately left the three in order to get to her position, while Merlin quickly checked if everyone left their homes and were ready for the fight. That left Annabelle and Arthur alone.
"Are you frightened?" The Prince asked, and Annabelle shook her head with a small smile.
"Not in the slightest." She replied making Arthur smile as well. "Are you ready for this?" She asked in concern, knowing of Arthur's doubt about his leadership.
"Of course." He said, and Annabelle smiled softly. Of course, they bot know that the other one was lying, but that went unsaid.
"Arthur," Annabelle started, looking up at the Prince. "I want to thank you."
"What for?" He asked, confusion clear in his eyes and voice.
"For helping us. I honestly don't know what would have happened if you weren't here. This is my home and these are people I care about, so it means to me more than I can say." Arthur smiled at her softly and took her hands in his gently.
"I'm glad I could help. Everyone deserves protection in a time of need, and I wish my father could see that. However, I must be honest with you..." He took in a deep breath. "I don't know if this plan will work. And if it doesn't, and someone... You... Get hurt, I won't forgive myself."
"Don't worry about us." Annabelle said firmly. "We are all aware of the risk behind this plan, but this is our only chance. It's the only way to ensure that our village will be safe from Kanen once and for all. We're all ready to take the risk. We're ready to fight."
    Arthur looked down at her with admiration in his eyes, before giving her a soft smile, which she returned. At this moment, there was neither anyone nor anything that was stopping them. These two people, in love with one another, were finally alone. And Arthur took the chance. He started to slowly lean in, and Annabelle copied his gesture without even thinking about it. Just as their lips were centimeters away from connecting...
"Anna! I- Oh, dear." Guinevere froze in her tracks as she saw her best friend and the Prince of Camelot about to kiss, but the two already heard her and quickly pulled away, not meeting neither each other's nor Gwen's eyes. Guinevere meanwhile, was looking at the two with wide eyes, filled with disbelief and excitement. However, she quickly snapped out of her daze and looked at the two apologetically. "Anna, we have to get in our positions. They'll be here any minute." She said, not mentioning the almost-kiss, seeing how it wasn't neither the nor place for it. Annabelle quickly nodded and pulled her hands out of Arthur's before following Gwen to where most of the villagers were gathered with Arthur following closely. The two had to forget about their affection for a while, or at least ignore it, and had to prepare for the battle.
    The villagers stood up from where they were sitting on small wooden stools and looked at the Prince of Camelot as he walked over to them.
"You ready?" He asked the first villager in the line, patting him on the shoulder.
"Ready." The man nodded, as the Prince made his way down the line, patting the men on the shoulder. As he reached the fourth one, he held out his hand and the man shook it with a small, nervous smile.
"For Ealdor." Arthur said, before turning his head to look at Guinevere and Annabelle, who were standing by the first man in the line. The two women, understanding what he was silently telling them, nodded and quickly left to get in their positions with a few other villagers, while Arthur clapped Merlin on the shoulder and led the men to their hiding positions. Annabelle swiftly jumped over a big stack of hay and helped Gwen do the same before running over to their hiding position. Arthur and Merlin peeked through the wooden grate they were standing behind and watched the forest line in anticipation. Not a second later, Kanen rode out of the woods with a battle yell, leading a great number of his men. Merlin and Arthur quickly ran back to the village men they were in group with, seeing as Kanen and the bandits were making their way toward where they were hiding and they would have been easily spotted. "Hold." Arthur instructed as the bandits either rode or ran into the village, knocking over the fences, benches, stools, grates, and everything else in their way. "No one move until I give the signal." Arthur said as he watched Kanen and the bandits, hidden behind one of the houses.
    A moment later Kanen and the bandits stopped in the middle of the village, and looked around, confused, not seeing a living soul.
"Hold." Arthur said quietly, watching Kanen intently.
"Come out, come out. Wherever you are." Kanen taunted quietly, looking around the village.
"Now, pull!" Annabelle ordered, and she and Gwen with the help of one of the villagers pulled the rope that was tied to a gate hidden beneath the hay on the ground. They pulled the gate up, trapping the raiders inside the village. As soon as that happened, Morgana tried to light a fire with flint, but failed.
"Now, Morgana. What are you waiting for?" Arthur hissed to himself. "Something's gone wrong." As soon as those words left Arthur's lips, Merlin, without thinking, ran around the house they were hiding behind. "Merlin!"
"There's one! Get him!!" Kanen ordered as he spotted Merlin, pointing a finger at him as the Warlock ran with a sword in his hand towards Morgana. One of the bandits, upon hearing Kanen's order, shot an arrow at Merlin, but he managed to dodge it as he ducked just in time. "Kill him!!" Kanen yelled, and the bandit shot another arrow at Merlin, but missed again. Seeing where he was running, Kanen and his men followed the Warlock as he reached Morgana, who was desperately trying to light the fire.
"Give me the flint." Merlin ordered hastily, and Morgana quickly handed it to him, standing up and letting him take her place. Merlin tried to light a fire quickly while using the flint, but failed as well, so he quickly glanced at Morgana, who was watching the raiders intently as she hid herself behind one of the houses, and then opened his palm, staring down at the ground. "Baerne." He whispered, and his eyes flashed gold as a fire lit and a prepared line flamed up, trapping the raiders in the village completely.
"Come back!! Don't run away!!!" Kanen yelled to his men as the horses neighed nervously in fear of the fire.
    The raiders rode back into the center of the village, just as Arthur wanted them to.
"NOW!!" He yelled, and all the villagers, including the women, ran out from their hiding places with yells alongside Annabelle, Merlin, Morgana, and Guinevere. The Prince swiftly made his way through the bandits, killing every one of them that got in the way. The villagers used brooms, shovels, swords, and anything they could get their hands on to kill the bandits. Some of the villagers pulled the raiders off their horses before killing them as well. One of the bandits ran at Annabelle and attacked with his sword, but she quickly deflected the blow with her own, pushing the bandit to the side as another one attacked her. She quickly deflected a blow before spinning around and slashing the bandit's stomach. She then turned around to face the bandit that attacked her first, and quickly ducked to avoid her head being chopped off, slashing the bandit's stomach in the process. Guinevere used a big wooden shovel to fight off one of the bandits, while Morgana slashed every raider who came at her with her sword. Merlin deflected a few blows from a bandit with his sword, before ducking as the raider's sword swung above his head. A villager battled a bandit, who was on a horse, with a sword, while another bandit managed to strike a village woman before another woman came up from behind him and struck him down with a wooden stick. Arthur battled three bandits at a time, while Annabelle fought one, slamming her sword down on his with strength. Guinevere, seeing Hunith trapped against a fence with a bandit in front of her, quickly ran forward and hit the bandit in the head with a wooden shovel. Merlin whipped around as he heard a battle cry and deflected blows from a bandit just in time, before driving his sword through the bandit's stomach. Feeling a little proud of himself, the Warlock grinned as he looked at  his sword, before turning to his right and looking at he battle in front of him. However, he didn't see another bandit riding up on a horse from behind him, ready to strike him, but William, in his father's armor and tunic, suddenly showed up and jumped off a fence, pushing the bandit off the horse and punching him in the face before grabbing his sword and driving it through his chest. Will then stood up as Merlin whipped around upon hearing the bandit's yell.
"I didn't think you were coming." Merlin said, and William nodded with a small grin.
"Neither did I."He said and moved so that he would be closer to Merlin, before two bandits attacked from both sides and the two friends fought back-to-back.
    Kanen rode through the village on his horse, striking the villagers with his ax. One of the village men was disarmed by a bandit, while another one was pushed against a wall and repeatedly punched in the stomach. Merlin and Will, after finishing off the bandits, looked around worriedly, seeing that they were losing. Kanen continued to strike with his ax, the bandits used their swords mercilessly, and Guinevere and Morgana battled bandits with swords. However, Annabelle was nowhere to be seen, and that frightened the two men more than anything.
"There's too many of them." Will shook his head nervously.
"Not for me, there isn't." The two whipped around and couldn't help but sigh in relief as Annabelle walked up to stand in between them with her sword in her right hand. She glanced up at Merlin with a small nervous smile before looking back at Arthur, who didn't notice the three of them as he battled a bandit. Annabelle then turned back around and took a deep breath.
"Anna, what are you doing?" Merlin asked, noticing his sister's slight nervousness. However, she just gave him a small smile before taking her sword in her left hand and extending her right hand slightly in front of her.
"Cume thoden." Annabelle said and her eyes flashed gold, while Merlin's widened in disbelief and fear of her being discovered. He understood that Anna was doing it for their friends and home, but still couldn't help but feel guilty. He was the older one, he was supposed to protect his sister, and yet she seemed to always protect him and everyone else.
    Merlin and William watched as a small whirlwind formed beneath Annabelle's open palm and grew larger as she slowly raised her hand. Arthur, after killing the bandit he was fighting, looked around, wanting to find Annabelle and make sure if she's alright, but stopped as he saw her, Merlin, and William all standing together with their backs to him, as a big whirlwind suddenly appeared in front of them, blowing the wind strongly in everyone's faces. Arthur raised his shield in front of his face in order to cover himself from the wind, while everyone who was on the ground staggered backward as the force of the wind hit them. The windstorm was so strong that it raised some bandits into the air and blasted them against a wall. William and Merlin both squinted their eyes so that the dirt wouldn't get in them, while Annabelle rose her arm to cover her face from the strong wind, as did Morgana. The raiders fell off their horses as Hunith and many other villagers fell as the wind pushed against their bodies. A bandit was thrown into a wheelbarrow filled with hay, while another one was dragged by his horse as he was thrown off of it and his foot got caught in a stirrup while his horse galloped out of the village. Kanen managed to grab a hold of his horse and he stood in place as he watched the villagers win. Guinevere slashed one of the bandits' stomach with a sword, Hunith finished off another bandit with a wooden stick, and a village woman pulled one of the raiders off his horse before punching him in the face. Kanen's men, seeing that they lost, immediately fled the village, running as fast they could toward the forest, while the villagers chased after them, wanting to make them rue the day they came to their home.
    William smiled in relief as he looked around, as did Annabelle, while Merlin looked down at his sister with a small smile, yet worry in his eyes. Guinevere and Morgana looked at each other with smiles before hugging one another tightly as Morgana chuckled in relief. However, the joy was short-lived.
"Pendragon!!!" Kanen yelled angrily, coming out to face Arthur as he threw off his cloak and took off his helmet. Arthur turned around to face him and twirled his sword around, as Kanen walked towards him and attacked him with his ax. Arthur quickly dodged the blow before deflecting another and pushing Kanen back with his shield. Kanen tried again, but Arthur deflected the blow with his shield before quickly slamming his sword down on Kanen's ax, disarming him. However, Kanen managed to kick Arthur in the stomach, sending hims staggering backwards making Annabelle furrow her eyebrows in worry, while he quickly grabbed the sword of one of the dead bandits who was lying on the ground next to him. Arthur caught his balance and walked back towards Kanen, twirling his sword around. This time, the Prince was the one to attack, but Kanen deflected the blow and spun both his and Arthur's sword around before plunging Arthur's sword into the ground and hitting the Prince int he face with his shoulder. However, Arthur managed to keep the hold of his sword and quickly deflected a few another blows from Kanen before driving him through. Kanen stared at the Prince with wide eyes full of hatred, before falling onto the ground. Arthur looked down at him before his gaze landed on Merlin, Annabelle, and William.
"Who did that?" He asked, and Merlin looked at him, feigning confusion.
"What?" He asked as the villagers, Guinevere, and Morgana all watched.
"Wind lie that doesn't just appear from nowhere." Arthur said, looking at the three individually, not willing to meet Annabelle's gaze for longer than a fraction of a second. "I know magic when I see it. One of you made that happen." He didn't want to accept that he might have fallen in love with a sorceress.
    The three friends looked down, and Annabelle glanced at her brother before looking up at the Prince and taking a small step forward.
"Arthur..." She trailed off as Arthur's eyes rested on her, but William caught the sight of Kanen using his last bit of strength to grab a crossbow and aim at Arthur's back.
"Look out!!' Will yelled, pushing Arthur off to the side as Kanen fired the arrow, which hit William in the chest just where his heart is.
"WILL!!" Merlin and Annabelle both yelled, immediately running over to their friend, who was now on his knees. Arthur whipped around and quickly ran forward, helping Merlin lower William to the ground so that he would be lying on his back.
"You just saved my life." Arthur said in disbelief, and William managed to grin through his pain.
"Yeah. I don't know what I was thinking."
"Come on, get him inside!!" Arthur yelled to a few village men as he and Merlin started picking William up, while two men ran up to them and helped them. Annabelle put a hand over her stomach as if that could stop the fear of losing her friend while she glanced at Gwen and Morgana, who were both staring off to where the men carried William in shock. The two women then brought their gazes onto Annabelle and looked at her sympathetically. Gwen had her hand placed over her chest, while Morgana's eyes were still wide. Annabelle however, just took a deep breath before following the men to Will's house. Guinevere, Morgana, and Hunith didn't waste a second in following.
    The village men, Arthur, and Merlin laid William down on a table in his house and Annabelle quickly walked over to them, while Morgana, Guinevere, and Hunith stayed together by the doorway as William struggled to breathe.
"That's twice I've saved you." He said, bringing his gaze onto the Prince.
"Twice?" Arthur asked in confusion as Annabelle rolled up a blanket and put it underneath Will's head to make it more comfortable for him. Well, as comfortable a it could be.
"It was me." Will nodded. "I'm the one that used the magic."
"Will, don't." Annabelle said as Arthur looked up at her.
"It's alright." William assured. "Anna, I won't be alive long enough for him to do anything to me." He said before looking back at Arthur. "I did it." Morgana and Gwen shared a surprised look, while Hunith just watched sadly as Will protected her daughter until his dying breath. "I saw how desperate things were becoming. I-I-I had to do something."
"You're a sorcerer?" Arthur asked in shock as William had even more trouble breathing than a minute ago while he let out a laugh.
"Yeah." Annabelle's eyes were now filled with tears that she strongly held back as she glanced at Merlin before looking at Hunith, who was watching sadly. "What you going to do? Kill me?" Will mocked, knowing that he will die either way and if Arthur did in fact kill him, it would only put him out of his suffering. He knew that he was going to die. Even though Merlin and Annabelle had great powers, they didn't have the ability to heal a wound as severe as his, nor did they have the power to bring someone back from the dead.
    Arthur glanced at Annabelle and Merlin, before looking down at Will.
"No. Of course not." He said, as Gwen looked down and Morgana's eyes filled with tears while William grunted and groaned in pain. "Do what you can for him." Arthur told Merlin and put his hand on Will's shoulder gently. He then gave Annabelle one last sad look before turning around and walking away, guiding Guinevere and Morgana out of Will's house as well as Merlin wiped his eyes. Hunith looked at her children one more time before also walking out, leaving her son and daughter with their dying friend. 
    As soon as the four of them left, Annabelle took Arthur's place on William's side while Merlin stood on his other.
"I was right about him. I told you he was going to get me killed." Will joked through his rugged breathing.
"You're not going to die." Merlin said firmly as he leaned forward.
"You're a good man, Merlin." Will told the Warlock. "A great man. And one day you're going to be a servant to a great king." He then looked at Annabelle. "You are an amazing woman, Anna. Strong, brave, kind. The best friend anyone could ask for. And who knows... Maybe you'll be a queen. Now you can both still make it all happen."
"Thanks to you." Annabelle said as a tear fell down her cheek.
"This place has been boring without the two of you. It's good to see you two again." Will said quietly, and Annabelle smiled a soft smile through her tears as she reached out and stroked his face.
"Yeah, you too." Merlin forced a smile of his own.
"Anna." Will struggled to get the words through his lips as the pain in his chest increased. "Anna, I'm scared." Another tear fell down Annabelle's cheek as she grabbed Will's hand with her other one.
"Don't be. It's going to be alright." She assured in a shaky voice.
"Anna..." Will struggled to say as he grunted and spluttered before growing completely still. A soft sob escaped Annabelle's lips and she immediately covered her mouth with her hand as Merlin cried .

*4 Hours Later*

    All the villagers, Guinevere, Arthur, Morgana, Merlin, and Annabelle stood in front of the burning flames that consumed William's body on the pyre. Merlin, Arthur, and Annabelle all stood in the front, while everyone else stood behind them in silence.
"I'm sorry." Arthur said, not looking away from the fire. "I know he was a close friend."
"He still is." Annabelle said in a slightly hoarse voice she had from crying.
"You both knew he was a sorcerer, didn't you?"
"Yes." Merlin lied as his eyes filled with more tears, but he held them in. Annabelle, seeing her brother's heartbreak, grabbed his hand comfortingly. Hunith glanced at her children sadly, seeing how painful the loss of Will is to them. The fact that they have to lie to another didn't help.
"You know how dangerous magic is. You shouldn't have kept this from me." Arthur said somewhat accusingly, making Annabelle tear her eyes away from the fire for the first time and look at the Prince with eyes full of tears, hurt, and disbelief. How can he say that they should have told him the truth about magic when his father executed hundreds of people who had it? How can he expect them to tell him the truth when magic is forbidden in the kingdom he was born and raised in on penalty of death?
    Arthur then walked away, while Morgana and Guinevere stepped forward and walked over to the siblings. Placing her hand on Annabelle's arm gently, Morgana pulled her into a tight hug, which Annabelle accepted gratefully, while Gwen hugged Merlin tightly, letting him rest his head in the crook of her neck as more tears threatened to spill. After a moment or two, Hunith walked over to the four, and Morgana and Guinevere both smiled at the two siblings before walking away, seeing that Hunith wanted to have a private conversation with her children.
"You better be going." She said as she grabbed her daughter's hand.
"We don't have to go." Merlin said, going back to staring at the fire.
"Yes, you do." Hunith said as the villagers bowed their heads in respect and one by one slowly started to leave.
"If anything were to happen to you-" Merlin started, eventually looking at away from the fire and at Hunith, but she cut him off.
"I know where to find you and your sister." She assured gently. "You have to go. You both belong at Arthur's side. I've seen how much he needs you two. How much you need him. Merlin, you and Arthur are like two sides of the same coin while you, Anna, seem to be the edge that's holding them together."
"I've heard someone say that about us before." Annabelle mused with a small smile. Well, technically the Great Dragon didn't use the exact same words, but... They were very similar. "I'm going to miss you." Anna said before hugging Hunith tightly.
"I'm going to miss you, too." Hunith chuckled through her tears, before pulling away and hugging Merlin tightly. "When you left... You were just a boy. Now look at you. I'm so proud of you." She told Merlin, who smiled as she kissed his forehead. Merlin then smiled at Hunith one more time, before turning around and walking away towards Guinevere, while Hunith faced her daughter. "When you left, you were a girl whom every village boy seemed to hold affection for. And now you are a beautiful woman who stole the heart of the Prince of Camelot." Annabelle opened her mouth to protest, but Hunith didn't let her say anything. "Don't even try to deny it, darling. From what I can see, you aren't the only one who fell in love." She glanced over her shoulder, and Annabelle followed her gaze, at Merlin and Gwen, who hugging one another by one of the houses. Hunith then looked back at Annabelle. "You've saved us. And you will continue to save Camelot. I know you will. And when the time is right, the truth will be known. Until then, you and Merlin must keep your talents hidden. It's better for everyone."
    And with that the maid, the Lady, the Sorceress, the Prince, and the Warlock all made their way back to Camelot. Where they truly belong.

Alright, well, this is it for 1x10. Only three more episodes to go and we'll be done with season 1. I have a small request though. Could you all please comment and tell me what you thought of my interpretation of this episode (1x10, 'The Moment of Truth')? It's my favorite episode of the season, and I would really like to know your thoughts!