Secrets of the past - Prince Merlin fanfic

Chapter Two

The lost prince of Airasan woke up from his dream although he knew it hadn't been a dream but a memory. He had seen all over again the events of that night when his kingdom had been taken over. He had been only 13 years old boy. Now exactly seven years later he still remembered every detail of it. He remembered the attackers, his wound and of course his friends, who had fought with him. He didn't know if someone of them had died and he didn't even have a glue if his brothers were alive. He knew they didn't know that he was still alive. Will had told that he and the queen couldn't told anyone about the plan because there was always the chance that someone was a traitor. So they couldn't trust anyone.

Merlin got up and dressed himself. He knew his today's mood was going to be sad and anxious. It was always on the anniversary of the day he lost his kingdom. The fact he had let down his people's hope and trust was killing him.

"Merlin?" He heard Gaius's voice through the door. Gaius was his mentor although he was like father to him. Right now he was also the only one - with his mother - who knew his true identity.

The warlock left his room to find his mentor eating breakfast. Gaius had also put breakfast for Merlin who sat down at the table. Either of them said anything when they ate.

After finishing Gaius was the first one to break the silence: "You didn't go to train, sire." It wasn't a question.

"You don't have to do that. I'm not a royalty anymore," Merlin said. "And I wasn't in the mood for training." Usually everyday before breakfast he went into the woods to train his sword skills and his magic.

"Yes, but one day you will get your kingdom back," Gaius said calmly. They had had this same conversation before so Merlin didn't try to protest. Instead he got up and said: "I'm going to wake up Arthur." And with that he walked away from court physician's chambers.

Before he reached the king's chambers, another memory filled his mind.

___Memory___

Merlin pulled his sword out for a fight and went to the window. All the knights took their swords and followed him to see, what was happening. From the window, they saw how men, dressed in black had been attacked in the citadel. Before anyone had time to say something, the throne room's doors burst open and Balinor came. His freezing gaze focused on Merlin.

"You need to escape with your mom," he said calmly but fast.

"What? No! No way! I'm not going to run away," the prince said surprised by his father's words.

"Yes you will, that is an order," the king said firmly while running away from Merlin and his knights to command the knights who were already fighting.

Will was about to say something but Merlin didn't listen and instead of that, he started running to the other direction than his father. He was looking for another way to the citadel so he could help to defend the castle. He heard how all his friends were following after him. The prince didn't know, who the attacker was but it didn't matter. The most important thing was to keep his kingdom's people safe.

They managed to get out of the castle and they were immediately in the centre of the fighting. Over ten men, who were trying to find a away to inside the castle, spotted the prince and the knights. Merlin saw how one man of the group looked at him and recognised him before the man pointed at him and shouted: "There he is!"

Everyone turned their gazes to look at the confused prince. The said prince turned his gaze to Will, who also looked surprised. At that moment one of the men had tried to strike Merlin with a sword but Ethan had blocked it with his sword. All the expressions on the knights faces changed. They glared angrily at the attackers at the same time when the rest of the men attacked also.

Merlin was pushed to the middle of his knights so they could protect him better. Merlin wasn't so happy about it because he wanted to fight also. He used his magic and his sword to help his friends. His knights liked to say that he was the best swordsman in all kingdoms but he was sure there was someone, who was better than him. Still, there were too many of them. Harry got wounded in his arm and Merlin stopped the man, who was trying to kill his friend after seeing him getting hurt. Merlin's eyes flashed gold and the man flew backwards. But the warlock didn't see the other man with ginger hair until he felt a burning pain spreading to his whole body and he falls into his knees, throbbing his sword. The man had hit his sword to Merlin's left side.

Merlin tried to concentrate and get up but the pain was unbearable. He saw how Lance's worried face yelled something to Will and the others. Will was the one who helped Merlin to get up. They started to back up inside the castle. Will and Noah were holding Merlin and the others were trying to hold the attackers from getting to their prince.

When they were in front of the infirmary, Will almost carried Merlin in. The other knights stayed behind to stopped the attackers coming in. Their court physician came running and helped Will to lay Merlin on one of the infirmary's beds.

"What happened?" the physician asked at the same time examining Merlin's wound.

"There were too many of them. And I don't know why but it seemed like everyone tried to kill our prince," Will explained fast. "So he was hit with a sword."

Merlin had kept his eyes closed but now he opened them and tried to get up, only to be stopped by gentle hands.

"I need to go help," he said through gritted teeth.

"You will not and that's physician's order," the court physician said while going further away to find some medical supplies. Will followed him after he glanced at Merlin's direction. The warlock's face was contorted in pain.

"We need to get him to safety and you know he won't go willingly," Will whispered to the physician. "What should we do?"

The physician looked at Merlin and tried to think of an answer. "I know a village where you could be safe. You need to take him to Ealdor with his mother. And everyone will think he's dead so no one tries to look for him," he said finally.

"But how we are going to get him there if he doesn't want to leave?" Will asked still confused.

"I can give him a sleeping draft," the physician answered quietly. He took something from a tiny can, put it in a drink and walked to Merlin's side.

"This will help with the pain," he said after Merlin had turned his gaze to his eyes.

The prince took the drink in his hands and drank it. Then he noticed how sad Will and the physician looked like. Like someone had just died. He was going to ask 'what was wrong' when his sight began to blur.

"I'm sorry Merlin," Will apologized quietly before everything went dark.