His Majesty and His Knights

The Coming of Arthur: Part 2

Merlin offered a despondent Arthur a bowl of food. "It's rat," he said, bringing the dish closer to Arthur, who just looked away. "Oh, believe me, you've eaten far worse. I've definitely served you things I never would have touched, but you wolfed them down no problem."

"Merlin, for once, leave me in peace. Please." He sat in the far corner of the cave that they were hiding in, wallowing in despair.

Merlin stood up. "I understand. Your father lied to you about Morgana. I don't know why, I'm sure he had his reasons, but now is not the time for that. He's still your father. He needs you. Camelot needs you."

"I've known her all my life. How could she do this to us?"

"I don't know. But you have a duty to your father and to your people. You can't give up on them now."

"We cannot defeat an immortal army."

"We don't know until we try."

Merlin went to get his own plate and sat by Gaius. "We need to act be for Morgana gets any stronger."

"Have you gotten any word from Lancelot yet?"

"Gwaine said he's coming soon, but other than that, we don't know."

"Give it time."

"We don't have time! We need to act now."

"I know, Merlin, but how?"

Merlin  thought for a moment. "There was an immortal army before, wasn't there? How was it defeated?"

"The Cup of Life had to be emptied of the blood it contained. Once that had happened, the enchantment no longer held."

"I have an idea." Merlin grabbed his bag and pulled out the vial of water from the Lake of Avalon."

"Merlin, what are you doing?"

"When I met the Fisher King, he gave me this. He told me in Camelot's darkest hour, when all seems lost, it would show me the way."

"Yes, but how?"

"That's what I'm going to find out."

Once everyone was asleep, Merlin tried all the spells he could think of to get the water to show him the way, but nothing worked. Eventually, he too fell asleep, accidentally dropping the vial. He awoke to see it pool up into a small puddle in front of him. Inside the water, an image appeared of, "Freya?"

She smiled softly. "I've missed you."

"No, you-"

"Merlin, we don't have long."

"Is it really you?"

"I swore that one day I would repay you. Now is the moment."

"I don't understand."

"There is but one weapon that can slay something that is already dead."

"A blade forged from a dragon's breath," Merlin realized.

"That weapon lies at the bottom of the Lake of Avalon, where you hid it."

"But Morgana's army are not dead. They're very much alive."

"Anyone who toys with the cup pays a terrible price. The moment they entered their pact with Morgause, they became the living dead. You must come to the lake."

"And you will give me the sword?"

"In your hands, it has the power to save Albion."

"Thank you," Merlin smiled.