Chapter Thirteen 

The Battlefront 

Without Merlin’s magic, their ride out to the battlefront would take three days time, but that gave Merlin and Arthur more time to train and hone into each other, so neither complained. 

“Are you good to ride?” Arthur asked as Merlin mounted his horse. 

“Of course I am.” Merlin said quickly. He was no longer nervous around the beasts as he had been in his youth. He had learnt to quell those feelings. But climbing onto the horses saddle still felt quite cumbersome. Arthur smirked and pet the horses neck. 

“You could always ride behind me if you need.” He said. 

“Fuck off.” Merlin said quickly. 

Arthur let out a jovial laugh as he patted Merlin’s horse once more before stepping away and climbing onto his own horse with much more grace. 

“We do not stop until nightfall, men.” Arthur said as three other knights all climbed up onto their own horses. He began the journey at the head with Merlin trailing close behind. 

“So when you say you trained with Ezorread. What exactly does that mean?” Arthur asked biting into a piece of dried meat. They had slowed to a walk as they ate.

Merlin took a gulp from his water bag and looked out at the trees surrounding them. “Just what it sounds like. I trained with him. He taught me protection spells that would protect even from his flames. He taught me all about the prophecy and about battle.”

“A dragon knows about battles?” Arthur chuckled. 

“Dragons are incredibly strategic creatures. It’s impossible to best a dragon in strategy. Even for you.” Merlin said. 

“Hmm…. Perhaps I can meet this beast.” Arthur smiled. “Show him a thing or two.” 

Merlin snorted with laughter. “You teach Ezorread a thing or two? An all knowing being. You’re mental.” They both laughed before quieting for a while. “I don’t know if it’s possible to see him now. At least not for me. He told me we wouldn’t meet again, in this life at least.” Merlin grimaced. 

“Hmm…that’s odd. Does he think we won’t last this war?” Arthur asked. 

Merlin shook his head. “Ezorread wouldn’t tell me the future of the battle. He didn’t want to alter my thoughts and feelings on it. But he must know that I won’t need him again in this life.” 

Arthur seemed to think on that for a while before he changed the subject to tactics. They had been practicing battle placements for the last two days. It was nowhere near enough time, but what choice did they have. They would be in the thick of battle too quickly. 

“Will we leave for Camelot again?” Merlin asked. 

“That will all depend on whether or not we can push the Thebes back enough. If they have to leave an regroup we will as well.” Arthur said. 

“It’s a shame, as I only just got into that new lovely feather bed to never be able to see it again.” Merlin joked. 

“You’re not going to die Merlin. You’ll see it again. Perhaps just not as quickly as you hope.” Arthur said sternly. “You are the one that has said together we are unbeatable. Keep that belief alive for me.” 

“I will.” Merlin said quickly. 

“Remember what you swore to me.” Arthur said again.

“I’ve never forgotten what I’ve sworn to you.” Merlin said quietly. 

Arthur glanced over and read Merlin’s face. “No, I suppose you haven’t.” He finally said. 

When they finally stopped for the night the men were dead tired. They slept in small tents, nowhere near as lavish as the tents at the battlefront camp. Merlin cast a protection spell over all of them so nothing could find them, perhaps apart from a dragon. 

Fentry groaned as he tried to start a fire. “Bloody twigs.” he grumbled as he struck the flint once again. He glanced up at Merlin. “You just going to stand there?” 

“Would you like some help?” Merlin asked cocking his head to one side. 

Fentry rolled his eyes. “You’re useless.” He struck the flint again. Merlin squinted at the pile of twigs he had collected and it immediately burst into perfectly contained flames. 

Arthur laughed and slapped Merlin’s back. “Brilliant.” He said sitting himself next to the fire. Fentry was glaring at Merlin who sat comfortably at Arthur’s side. 

Arthur glanced between the pair of them. “Now come on both of you. What’s past is past. Can we not just enjoy a meal together?” 

“I couldn’t walk for a week after your magic flung me across the field. Hurt to sit for a month.” 

Merlin snickered and quickly held his hands up in apology as Fentry got to his feet. “I’m sorry. That was cruel of me I’m sure. But if I’m being honest. I barely remember that day. I acted on an instinct.” 

“I wasn’t going to kill the crown prince you know.” Fentry said still standing, looming over Merlin.

“Come now Fen don’t lie. You were angry. We were children and I had already spoken such vile things to you. Merlin stopped you, and incidentally bruised your arse.”

Merlin spat out his water. 

“That’s it!” Fentry said. “I’ll not have him laughing at me.” 

Arthur reached over and covered Merlin’s mouth with his hand. “He’s done. Aren’t you Merlin?”

Merlin nodded. 

“Good. Now it’s done.” Arthur grabbed a piece of dried meat, tearing it in half, handing the smaller portion to Merlin. “Fen, sit back down.” Arthur commanded. 

Fentry did as he was told and grumbled to himself for the rest of the night. “Tomorrow we ride early. I’d like to reach the end of the wood by nightfall.” Arthur said standing once again. Merlin, find your way to my tent.” Arthur turned and walked away. 

Merlin stood slower and stretched his back. 

Fentry was watching him. “Have a lovely time sucking the royal cock.” he said before Merlin turned away. 

Merlin squatted down next to Fentry who kept his eyes on the fire. “Is that the issue here? You have a preconceived notion of me based off something Arthur said over a decade ago?”

Fentry said nothing. 

Merlin clucked his tongue and stood. “Well Fentry, a high knight and it seems nothing has changed.” 

“Am I wrong?” Fentry asked. 

Merlin shrugged. “How am I supposed to know, I’ve been gone for a decade and what do you care where the King wets his dick?” Merlin turned and left stepping into Arthur’s tent. 

“Fighting with my knights still?” Arthur asked.

Merlin rolled his eyes. “Fentry is as much of a prick as he ever had been.” 

Arthur chuckled. “He’s just rough around the edges. He doesn’t trust you yet. But once you get to know him.” 

Merlin sat on Arthur’s small cot accepting the mead Arthur offered. “Do you remember what he accused you of… so long ago?”

Arthur sighed and furrowed his brow. “Not really. He’s accused me of a many things.” 

“You remember, you’re just playing coy.” Merlin said.

The corners of Arthur’s mouth gave him away. “Alright, yes of course I remember. It was pathetic and hilarious.”

“Well, it appears he still holds it over me.” Merlin said. 

Arthur rolled his eyes and met Merlins. “Who cares what they think? I’m the King of Camelot and you’re the Greatest Sorcerer of all time, why does it matter what some Knight of the round table thinks of you?” 

“The round table?” Merlin asked. 

A huge grin broke across Arthur’s face. “That’s what I’m thinking of calling my high knights. And we’ll hold meetings around a massive table.”

“Obviously,” Merlin nodded. He shifted in the cot and held his hands out. “Did you want to practice?” 

“Is this your ploy to get me to shut up about the round table?” Arthur asked. 

“Quite possibly, now shut up.” 

Arthur laughed and rested his hands on top of Merlin’s closing his eyes. 

They rode until late into the night the next day, barely making camp before everyone retired to their separate tents. 

Merlin waited for a while before stepping into Arthur’s tent. 

Arthur was laying on the cot when he walked in. He glanced up before sighing and sitting up.

“Sorry, I can go.” Merlin said. 

“No, no it’s fine. We need to practice.” Arthur said as Merlin sat down. 

They tried aligning their energies for what felt like hours, but in reality was probably only ten minutes. 

“I don’t feel like I’m getting any better at this.” Arthur said. “What if I can’t do it?” 

Merlin rested his arms on his knees. “You can. I know you can, I just feel as though something is blocking you from really allowing me to feel your energy.” 

“It’s not. I am trying to be open.” Arthur said. 

“What are you thinking about when you’re meditating?” 

Arthur shrugged. “My energy, and what it looks like, and letting you in. Breaking down my defenses. That sort of thing.”

“Can you feel mine?” 

Arthur nodded. “I don’t know what I’m missing.” 

Merlin thought for a while before taking a breath in and reaching his hands out. “Close your eyes.” 

Arthur laid his hands on Merlin’s and closed his eyes. Merlin leaned forward until their foreheads were pressed against what another. 

“Merlin, what are you doing?” Arthur asked. 

“Just try to focus on me. Focus on my breathing, focus on the feel of my skin.” Merlin whispered. 

Arthur closed his eyes again. He sat still for a couple of moment before shaking his head. “This is ridiculous.” 

“We’re never going to get this if you don’t stop trying to shy away from me.” Merlin said. 

“I’m not.” 

“You are.” 

Arthur said nothing, meeting Merlin’s golden gaze with his own icy blue eyes. “Alright, lets go again.” Arthur closed his eyes again and grasped at Merlin’s wrists. 

Merlin watched Arthur’s defenses slowly lower until he was entirely pliable. Merlin leaned forward and pressed a slow kiss to one of Arthur’s eye lids, the inhale of breath from Arthur moving him to the other eye lid. Slowly he met Arthur’s brow with his own, resting his head, letting his breath out. 

“Focus on me.” Merlin whispered. 

“I am.”

“Only me. And I’ll focus on only you.” 

Arthur let his fingers run up Merlin’s forearms, sliding underneath the sleeves of his robes. 

Merlin could begin to feel the warmth of Arthur’s energy as it traveled from his fingertips and into Merlin. 

Merlin took a shaky breath in, Arthur matching his breaths. The sensation of their energies mingling with each other was an odd fluttering in the pit of Merlin’s stomach. Realization of their shared sensations made Merlin’s skin crawl. 

Arthur leaned forward further, his power building and growing, surrounding them. 

“It’s amazing.” Merlin whispered finally opening his eyes and marveling at how beautiful Arthur was like this. Drunk off the euphoria, lusting after the feeling. 

As their energies dimmed and their breathing became their own once again, Arthur kept his eyes closed. He was perfection, truly kissed by the gods. Merlin leaned closer and pressed his lips against Arthur’s. It was nothing like how he had remembered. He would never have been able to leave if kissing Arthur had always been this extraordinary. 

Their lips parted and Arthur finally blinked his eyes open. He looked hazy and in a fog. Like he’d just woken up from a decade of sleeping. 

“Was that it?”Arthur whispered. 

“Yes,” Merlin said.

“We can do it now?” Arthur asked. 

“Yes.”