The Lost Prince

Prologue

The youngest Prince of Belthan was walking in the castle grounds with his older brother, Prince Roland Ambrosius, and his knights, Sir William, Sir James, Sir Lewis and Sir Gerald. The prince's servant, Cedric, was with them. The Prince always believed in equality and never sought himself as better than anyone else. His brother, Prince Roland, was sixteen years of age. He was very excitable and vivacious, most of the time, and liked to have a good laugh. He was an excellent swordsman, but not as good as his brother was at next to all weapons that he has been trained in. He also has magic, but not as powerful as his younger brother. Roland has dark brown hair--unlike the prince, who has rich black hair--and had grey-blue eyes. He was lean, but strong and had some muscle. Roland always carried a sword around with him--just in case-just like his brother and father. All three blades were forged in the dragon's breath. Their father, King Balinor, is the last Dragonlord, and there are several dragons hidden in the mountains, due to the Great Purge.

"Sire, are you alright?" Sir James asked. James had auburn hair and light brown eyes. He was wearing the usual chain mail, with the Ambrosius crest on the front. All of them were--save Cedric who was wearing a simple brown tunic and black breaches with leather boots--and they all had a sword--again, save Cedric.

"Yeah, I'm fine." The younger prince answered. He had a bad feeling that something was going happen. He was so distracted, that he forgot to berate his knights for using his title. The knights, Roland and Cedric, looked at each other uncertainly. The prince never forgets to berate them for using his title. They definitely know that something is wrong.

"Are you sure, my lord?" Sir Lewis asked. Lewis had blondish-brown hair and hazel eyes. He was the strongest out of the knights, and extremely agile when he wields a sword.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine." The prince gave them his signature grin, but they weren't convinced.

"Sire," Cedric said. The youngest prince turned to his servant. Cedric had chestnut coloured hair, pale blue eyes and was a little bit shorter than the two princes. "Do you want to go back inside?"

"Yeah, sure." The prince replied. They just got into the citadel, when the warning bells went off.

"What on earth?" Sir William asked rhetorically, and they raced off to the throne room. Before they got there however, knights appeared, blocking their path. They wore chain mail and armour, with a black raven. They all knew that crest: Lohin's crest. The prince's uncle's crest. They've been betrayed. Angry, the prince unsheathed his sword and fought as many knights as he could. Roland and his knights joined him.

"We need to get you out." Roland said to his brother. Shocked the prince turned to his older brother.

"What?" He asked and at that moment, he felt white-hot pain on his arm. He screamed in pain and clutched the wound. It was bleeding.

"Will, take my brother to mother and father. Now." Roland ordered.

"Yes, my lord." Will said and pulled at the prince trying to get him away.

"No. I must stay and fight." The prince was always stubborn.

"Get him out." Roland yelled.

"This way." Will said, but the prince stopped.

"No. I will not leave my brother and my knights. I must fight my uncle's men." The prince could hardly believe that Lohin betrayed them. True, the prince had always suspected something was up with Lohin, but betrayal? The prince was so angry, that he doesn't see sense.

"But you must." Will insisted. Then he did something he wouldn't dare do otherwise. He knock him out. "I'm sorry Merlin..." That was the last thing Prince Merlin Ambrosius heard before he succumbed to darkness.

***

Merlin awoke several hours later in the forest with his mother and Will. His arm was bandaged, he noticed, and he was stripped form his chain mail. He still wore his royal red neckerchief, but he was in the clothes he wore when he visited the lower town. He wore a royal blue tunic, leather brown jacket and black breaches. He wore his old leather boots too. Hearing him stir, Hunith came over to him. Will tended with the fire keeping his distance from Merlin. Why, Merlin couldn't fathom. "What happened?" He then noticed a throbbing pain in his head. He could feel a large lump on the left side of his head. That's when he noticed the absence of his knights, servant, brother and father. "Where's my knights? Where's Cedric? Where's Roland and father?"

Hunith hesitated before she answered. "Roland was fighting with your knights and they managed to escape but we know not of their whereabouts. As for Cedric and Balinor..." It was clear Hunith was fighting tears. "... We don't know."

"We had to get you out." Will spoke hesitantly. Merlin abruptly realised where the lump in his head came from.

"You knocked me out." Merlin accused. Will bit his lip.

"I'm sorry Merlin. We had to get you out."

"Why did you knock me out? I could have stayed and fought my uncle's men, instead of running away while everyone fights. We have to get back..." Merlin made to get up, but he was pushed down gently by his mother.

"Merlin... It was you Lohin was after." She said softly.

"W-what?" Merlin was shocked at this. Lohin was after him? "W-why?"

"Because..." Will looked to Hunith for confirmation to continue. Hunith nodded. "... You're the only one who can defeat him. You're Emrys." Merlin's eyes widened. Emrys? Him? He's the great Emrys?

"I-I can't be." Merlin denied. "Right mother? Please say this is some kind of joke." Hunith stayed silent. "Will?" He too stayed silent. That confirmed Merlin's fears. "No."

"I'm afraid so." Will finally spoke.

"We have to get back to the citadel." Merlin made to get up again, but Hunith's hand pushed him back down.

"The citadel's been taken." Hunith stated. The fight within Merlin faded at those words.

"T-taken?"

"Indeed, my lord. Lohin's taken over. He crowned himself king as soon as Roland fled." Will said, formally. Merlin bowed his head.

"Don't worry. I'll take you both to Ealdor where I grew up. It's a small village in Cenred's kingdom, and it will be a place where Lohin won't expect you to go." Hunith said. Merlin and Will nodded in agreement.

Merlin, Will and Hunith went to Ealdor as soon as the sun rose the next morning. As they had no horses, it took them four days to reach it. When they did, Hunith went to her old house and they lived there for the next three years. Merlin and Will trained every day in the woods to keep their skills up but when Merlin turned 17 and his magic became more powerful still, Hunith thought it was no longer safe. Hunith sent Merlin to an old friend. Thus how Merlin ended up in Camelot.

***

A/N: Sir William is Will from BBC Merlin, I just made him a knight. I hope you like the prologue and I will be updating the next chapter when I can.

Thank you for reading

Triquetra123