The Future of Camelot

Camelot

Everything was just like Merlin remembered it, and he had been there most recently. It seemed ridiculous that he hadn't realized when he crossed over, but he had been in a daze during many of his travels. Besides, the cave was long. He wouldn't have realized that the world was no longer his own, or that he couldn't get back to the Valley. Somehow Aithusa had known, but she didn't tell him.

"Camelot lies over half a day's walk away from this place," Arthur said like the king he was. "We will not get there before dark. We walk as far as we can, and then we make camp."

They walked until red replaced the pure white light shining through the leaves. There they stopped and made camp. There they finally felt safe to talk and laugh and reminsce.

"What do you think is happening in Camelot?" Arthur asked his wife. She smiled at him.

"I really have no idea. We'll find out tomorrow, won't we?"

"I hope Uther isn't on the throne," Gwaine said. Arthur snorted.

"Careful," he said. "He is my father."

"Yes, but he made your best friend and your sister hide their identities," Lancelot pointed out. "I'm not saying he didn't do good things for the kingdom, but it is not in Merlin and Morgana's best interest for Uther to be the one in control when we get there."

0O0O0O0

In the morning, they covered their camp and hid their backpacks. Percival carried the only pack, and in it was just food and water. They were only about an hour away from the palace, and they went the entire distance quietly. They were almost caught by the patrol a few times until Morgana had an idea.

"We can ambush the knights and take their clothes," she whispered. Arthur bit back a grin.

"Are you sure you don't just want to see knights naked?" Arthur asked. A second later he clutched his chest as if someone had punched him there. He glared at Morgana. She stared straight ahead and kept walking.

"I'm not opposed to that possibility," Gwaine piped up.

"Arthur, you clotpole, that might actually work," Merlin said.

"I'm all for it," Percival said. "It's been too long since I wore knight's armor." The others quickly agreed.

"Now the only problem will be ambushing the patrol," Elyan said. Gwen, Percival, Leon, and Merlin laughed at this. "What?" he asked.

"My dear husband outlawed magic," Gwen said, "and thus forbade Merlin from showing his own powers. You," she said, meaning Arthur, Elyan, and Gwaine, "never saw Merlin in action. Except for in Camlann."

"The minor skirmishes went a lot faster when Merlin was there to help us," Leon told his comrades. This confused Elyan, but he kept quiet. Gwaine had always turned a blind eye to Merlin's miraculous escapes, so he could easily believe that bandits were no match for the warlock if didn't need to hide.

"There they are!" Percival alerted them. Everyone crouched behind a large log and watched the knights ride from the palace into the woods. Merlin waited until they were definitely out of view of the palace and extended his hand. He yanked it back, and the knights were pulled by an invisible force off their steeds. The knights of this story jumped out from behind the log and grabbed the horses before they ran. Each was well trained, and soothed the mighty beasts easily.

Our knights secured the horses and took the armor off the knights of the new world. They then attempted to don it, but not all went to plan.

To start off, there were nine travelers and only seven knights. Also, Percival couldn't fit in even the biggest suit of armor. The next problem was that Merlin's skinny frame didn't convince anybody that he could possibly be a knight of Camelot.

Everyone except Gwen and Merlin donned armor. Merlin had to cut the sleeves off Percival's, and also made a cut down the front. They attached a few leather straps that kept it closed. Gwen's clothes couldn't pass as average apparel from this land, as she was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Morgana was dressed much the same, so she couldn't give Guinevere any clothes. She did manage to change the color of the jeans to a more normal brown. Merlin was wearing basically what he had worn in the days before, so nothing needed to be changed.

Gwen and Merlin got on horses and Leon tied their hands loosely behind their backs as if they were prisoners. Arthur sat behind his wife and Lancelot behind Merlin. Morgana was the only one who wore the chainmail hood to hide her long hair, which Gwen carefully braided.

They rode back to the city, passing easily by the first guards. Once they were in front of the palace, they dismounted, Arthur and Lancelot pretending to be handling prisoners. Nobody stopped them, but Percival was given odd looks. The guards didn't recognize him, but they, at least in Arthur's experience, very rarely could name all the knights. Maybe Merlin had a point about the guards. As soon as he had power again, he would increase the training regimen. 

As soon as they were inside the palace, Gwen and Merlin easily shrugged off their restraints. Morgana and Gwen snuck into a servant's quarters and changed into dresses. The men snuck into a laundry and stole what they needed. Soon, everyone was dressed like a servant.

"We need to get into the council room," Arthur commanded. They entered one by one, trying to attract the least suspicion possible. Sitting on the throne was a woman none of them recognized. Merlin thought she looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't place it.

The woman on the throne didn't notice them. She was too focused on the man the guards forced to kneel before her. When they held his head up by his hair, Arthur recognized his father.

Uther growled at the queen. She laughed, throwing her head back and showing a row of perfectly white teeth. Her eyes were a pale blue. The woman's hair was pure white, but she didn't look old. Her face was beautiful, free of age or worry. Arthur thought he recognized her, but he couldn't be sure. The only thing it showed was triumph at having Uther Pendragon kneeling in front of her.

"Darling Uther," the woman said. "You tried your hardest to keep us back, but I guess you don't have as much power as you thought you did."

"You have no claim to the throne!" Uther shouted. Morgana was reminded unpleasantly of him saying the exact same thing to Morgause.

"Don't I? I am your wife, after all."

0O0O0O0

So it was Ygraine. She looked so different than when Morgause conjured the false image to show Arthur. Her eyes were completely different, and her hair was more silver-white than it had been, but Arthur could see that it was indeed his mother.

"Why are you doing this?" Uther begged. Ygraine smiled terribly.

"You were so consumed by hatred for magic after Vivienne died. I know about her, yes. It wasn't magic's fault that she died! She died because you killed Gorlois. The magic you enlisted to mend her broken heart only shattered it further. So it isn't magic you should be blaming," Ygraine said. She leaned down until she was right in front of Uther. "You should blame yourself."

The queen stood up and waved to the guards. They dragged Uther out, kicking and screaming, and shut the doors behind themselves. Ygraine sat back down as if she was exhausted. Her face was no longer the triumphant victor, but a sad woman with a bad husband that she had just escaped, but felt guilty anyway. She looked defeated.

"Leave me," she said to the court. They all obeyed, but Arthur ducked behind a wall and waited until the room was empty. He ignored Merlin's whispers until the warlock had to leave. Then the son stepped out to face the mother. Confusion registered on her face.

"Who are you?" she asked. Arthur knew that this Ygraine never had a son, but he held out hope that she might recognize something of herself in him. "Why didn't you leave when I ordered it? Answer, fool!"

"My name is Arthur," he said cautiously. "Don't you know me?" Ygraine's eyes flashed gold.

"I do not, and never have known you. And yet - " She stopped, studying him. "You know me, don't you? You've seen me before. For some reason, you care deeply for my welfare. You are greatly - relieved - to see me here. Why?"

"Because," Arthur said. "Because you are my mother."