Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

1500 years was a very... very long time. That was how long he had been alive, and for all this time, he promises, he hadn't been sitting around doing nothing, waiting for something his soul knew might never happen, but his heart refused to believe. He became a doctor, to honour Gaius' memory, then an engineer to honour the changing times and prove to himself that even without his magic he was capable, a scientist, that was for Gaius again, a spice trader, he liked to sail and a few years later he became a sailor, an agent for MI6, this profession was a necessary evil, the government had become too difficult to fool in the new technological world and steps had to be taken to learn the tricks to never be detected. Once, when life became too overwhelming, he even turned into a tree and became one with the ground Arthur had once ruled over centuries ago. It was the closest experience he would ever have to being buried.

His magic was as powerful now as it had been before, if not more so. Magic didn't just disappear from the world, it evolved first. Countries like India and China were so different from Albion, now England, that it was even evident in their magic. He traveled the world for many years, learning and immersing himself in magical cultures so different from his own that he almost believed he was on a different planet. His people, all of his people, lived in harmony. It was so evident that there had been no other in these countries - their tainted influence had never penetrated these lands and it was there that Merlin realized what it could have been like if he had succeeded in his own destiny.

Oh, maybe not.

The destiny he had believed so much in, the destiny he had sacrificed so much for had been nothing but a farce. Nothing but a lie... and this lie had the name of the Triple Goddess written all over it. Who else could fool a Dragon? Kilgharrah had fully believed in the prophecy, it was the only reason that dragon had remained sane during those 20 years of captivity. No, Kilgharrah did not have the means to deceive him, but the Goddess did. As did the Disir.

It was that realization that completely destroyed Merlin's sanity and he retreated to the Sidhe World, to Avalon, the last time he saw Freya. When he finally felt healed enough to return... the world had changed once again. A new religion had arisen and in its wake, it had destroyed Magic's already weak hold on Albion. Once Albion's magic was completely gone, the rest of the world soon followed and Merlin then realized why Albion was so important to the survival of Magic. Albion was the linchpin, the birthplace... the deciding factor, call it what you will. That chain reaction ended with the collapse of Magic. His final world tour was undertaken in the hopes of finding something he had overlooked, some hint of magic... anything! But not even Avalon survived. The Sidhe died one by one as the Magic was absorbed and from that day on, Merlin was truly alone.

It was irony in its truest form that as the world grew weaker, Merlin grew stronger. He was but a vessel for Magic, so when he disappeared from the world, it all seemed to pile up ON Merlin. Just like during the Great Purge, all that magic that Uther destroyed had to go somewhere. That was where 'Emrys' was born. The misplaced magic of the Death of Dragons and sorcerers had created Emrys. The balance had then been restored by the Old Religion, but with the Old Religion gone, there was no more balance. Merlin was overwhelmed with power, on the verge of breaking down and he thought that perhaps he too would die this way. There was no balance between the world and Merlin, it was as if the scales were broken, for Merlin's side was forever tilted. He could end the Earth and the Universe right then and there if he wanted to and he had even come close to doing so in 2012, but then… then he dreamed of an Impossibility. Of the past and present colliding.

It had been over two decades, but it seemed Merlin had achieved the impossible. He had finally figured out the movement of TIME and managed to turn it back. Over and over again. First he tried the combination spell on an apple. Then he killed a mouse and made it live again… then he tried it on a criminal. Once. Twice. And finally he tried it on himself, but he only went back a short period of time. Then he went back in time for a few months, a year, a few years… and sighed.
Would he have to jump back in time or could he make the long journey in one go? Was magic being used along with his scientific calculations? He didn’t feel a delay in his mind.

Chapter Text

After finishing recording and “chatting” with his girlfriend, well, now ex-girlfriend, he gets into the car waiting outside and tells the driver to drive through London until he tells him to stop. One last time he wants to see the evolution, the growth that has taken place. In a way, it was magic beyond what he could do.

Will it be different next time, when he is 1500 years old, again? Or will it be the same? It doesn’t really matter. What mattered, at that very moment, was London.

Its noisy people, its streets, different music blaring on every corner, and so much history in a city that every building plan had the possibility of becoming an excavation project. No matter where Merlin traveled in his post-Camelot years, he would always end up here, in this city. He would miss it and his home here, the food, the people, and especially… the bathrooms. He would miss the freedom of thought and Being that this time provided him. People were free to choose their gender, to choose their partners regardless of their gender, to choose their religion… they had a choice in everything. He remembered the druidic festivals and pagan culture where Merlin had felt a similar kind of freedom just on a smaller scale of people.

It wasn't going to be easy, Merlin thinks. The social change itself will give his mindset a shock.

He knew he shouldn't meddle with Time, but he was willing to face any kind of consequences if it meant he could go back and try again. He sees Arthur again. Merlin closes his eyes, my god, he had forgotten what Arthur looked like… he remembered the basic things like he was blond, blue eyes, luxurious mouth, and strong stature, but he had forgotten the tone of those eyes, the emotion in them. He had forgotten if Gaius' right eyebrow was raised more than the left or if it was the other way around. He had forgotten Gwaine's favorite dish and Lancelot's speech when he said Merlin's name. Percival's relaxed smile, Leon's way of walking, and Elyan's loud laugh. He had forgotten Gwen's laugh and the tone of her voice.

When he returned to his hotel suite, because he had already sold his house in London, he ordered room service and informed them that he would be leaving tomorrow morning. He had already packed his bags and only needed food, to check that he had packed everything, and to rest.

After eating, he checks again that he has everything he needs for the time travel... all his gold, Arthur's mother's seal that he had kept wrapped in a leather bag, Merlin's ring from his days as a sorcerer in Queen Guinevere's court, a bag full of modern medicines, soaps and shampoos, the thousands of books he had collected over time and kept in his duffel bag. He would have brought Excalibur as well, but after the magic wore off, so did the sword.

If only he could kill Uther and be done with it… that man had caused so much damage that now the Earth was crumbling before Merlin’s eyes and he couldn’t stop it. Even after Gwen’s reign, not many kingdoms had allowed magic back into the lands. Only Nemeth, Gawant and Caerleon had followed Camelot’s example, but only for a time. Fear was too deep-rooted to ever completely fade from the hearts of men, the time for that change had long since passed and all that could have been saved had been destroyed by Morgana’s reign of terror over many kingdoms, leaving only Camelot standing in the end.

He had once promised himself that even if he found a dragon egg, he would not hatch it. He had failed Aithusa as Dragon Lord and did not deserve a second chance, Aithusa never recovered from her stunted growth and died at a very young age. Merlin had said goodbye before she passed away, but she still resented him for Morgana's death, she had even been happy that Merlin had to live alone forever... she had realized then that a Dragon took on the personalities of the person who raised it as if they were children.

Merlin thinks that now maybe things could change, that this would be a second chance for all of them. Himself, Aithusa, and Morgana. Maybe there will be a world where the Golden Age of Albion is true and when it is, Merlin swears that dragons will fly over Albion once more.

With the determination to do so he went to sleep.

Chapter Text

Merlin woke up at dawn with a feeling of excitement and nervousness. He brushed his teeth and quickly got ready before heading to the kitchen. He had his ritual cup of coffee, showered, and dressed in clothes that would easily blend into the past. He ate breakfast and left the hotel. Just as he was signing the check-out sheet, the receptionist said to him,

"Listen to your entire album, I'm a big fan of yours." Merlin's eyes landed on hers and he smiled.

"Thanks, I'm glad you liked it." He signed the paper napkin she had sent him with a hopeful smile and turned to leave. The time had come.

The sun had already risen, but he still took a stroll through Hyde Park and adjusted his handbag closer before taking a deep breath... by then, he had done the spell so many times that it was almost rolling off his tongue.

“Occide Amrys, praeteriti temporis illius iacturam cum me pondera. I, Emrys, elementorum filius, this exigo temporis, life and magic... is a command."

Merlin closed his eyes but he could see anyway, his magic saw better than his eyes. The fabric around the world was being woven at such a fast pace that movement was almost invisible. Years of monotony for Merlin flew by, he was a singer, a doctor, an engineer... he was everything and nothing at once. Violence, world wars, disease. Merlin looked at the things he had worked hard to forget. The pace of unraveling the thread of Time grew faster, so fast that Merlin only glimpsed a time before it changed. The world moved backwards and he could feel his heart beating so fast in anticipation that he thought his entire being was beating... the years kept coming and passing. Merlin finally shut out all his senses and let his magic do the work. He began to feel the pull after a while, he began to tire.
Merlin suddenly landed on his ass On a hard… mud?! Please let it be mud

Merlin takes note of all his limbs, makes sure they are all there and smiles when everything is where it is supposed to be. In fact, Merlin would go so far as to say that it felt fine; suddenly a gag comes from his chest, forcing him to lean to the left and vomit up the entire contents of his stomach.
Urgh… actually, he takes it back.

He wrinkled his nose at the smell and pinched his lips. It could be worse, Merlin thinks. He could have landed on a letter. Now he was sitting between mud and his own vomit, lovely. He gets up and winces, the hard landing had made him glad he had put a “do no harm” charm on his bag, he only wished he had used the same charm for his bum too. he laughs.

Merlin closes his eyes and allows a tear to slide down his eyelids as his magic feels the golden thread that links his soul to Arthur's, shining like the purest magic. That same golden thread that had dissolved the day Arthur had died leaving him with the feeling that someone had torn a piece out of him, weakening him.

It was the thread at the end that confirmed that Merlin had reached the past. He finally did.

He opens his eyes and faces the face to face with a horse, puts aside the emotional baggage for later, turns his face away from the horse and encourages himself to face a new day in the past. He also looks at himself and is glad to discover that although he lost a little muscle mass it is still his body that has changed over these years and not the ungainly, uncoordinated nineteen-year-old body he had in the past. The change in appearance would be difficult to explain to people who know him.

His magic brushes the spot and makes him stop because something is bothering him. Some sort of instinctive magical alarm buzzes in his senses and Merlin can't quite put his finger on what he's feeling. He realises he's not in Camelot

-He comes out from behind the ruined hut and sees people wandering around, he's not in Camelot at all. But he recognises this village. It was the village he'd spent a night in when he was first heading to Camelot. He actually slept in the stables of a tavern if he remembers correctly, which was fortunate as Merlin was quite hungry and tired.

It's a quiet evening in the tavern, with only a few people ordering something to drink. He makes his way to the counter, where the bartender is wiping down the sticky surface.

He orders a drink with some food and gulps it down without stopping before paying and tipping the bartender to start chatting.

After a few minutes of random small talk, Merlin finally asks him about Camelot.

-So what news is coming from Camelot? —The waiter hands Merlin another drink and sits down across from him. —Ugh, same, young man. The war has caused quite a bit of damage in Camelot, but the people are happy with their victory.
Uther has been planning a grand celebration for the Prince. This gives Merlin pause.

War... What war?
Had his timely intervention sparked a bloody war? Though he was relieved to know that Arthur was safe and that Uther was showing him some appreciation for winning the war for Camelot.

“Celebrating victory is a good idea to boost people's morale,” Merlin says, nodding sagely.

“Yes, that too. But the best thing is a birthday celebration. Prince Arthur turns 19 this year.” Merlin, who was about to gulp down a large gulp of mead, spat it all out onto the freshly cleaned counter.

The waiter grumbled, got up to clean it up, and started suggesting something to Merlin, but Merlin wasn't listening.

19th birthday... 19th birthday?!
This explained the war, as Merlin remembered that Camelot and Mercia had fought back then, but that only led to more questions.
Merlin was certain that he had entered Camelot a day before Arthur's 21st birthday. Not his 19th.

After confirming that the Barman hadn't been spouting nonsense and that it really was two years before Merlin entered Camelot, he began to wonder if something had gone wrong. It didn't seem that way.

But then what was he doing here so early? Two years before he was really needed.

Merlin's eyes widen and he straightens up as he realizes that the old religion is at play here. This was the feeling he had tried to shake off from the moment he had arrived in the past, the feeling that he had arrived earlier. There has to be some reason why Merlin has been brought here, to this village, years earlier and not as Ealdor.

He sits back down and starts to think about what he can do while he's here, maybe then he'll come up with a reason. He could go to Camelot now, or return to Ealdor. An early start to demoralize Arthur sounded good, but he feels like that's not what he's supposed to do. Ealdor was his past and Camelot was his future. What was his present supposed to be?

There were many times during his life in Camelot where he felt resentful of his fate and his mother for sending him to Camelot and he wanted to return to this particular time. After Ealdor but before Camelot. Merlin had dreamed of multiple scenarios, each time a different dream. In one of those dreams, he had joined the druids and spent his life at peace with them. Doing things with his magic that he could only dream of back then.

Another dream consisted of him defying his mother's words and moving to a completely different realm than Camelot. Rheged would, since they weren't that strict with magical restrictions, but... no.

There had always been one dream that stood out in him. He had dreamed it when he wasn't working too hard in Camelot or running for his life. A time when he was still young and wanted to wander around Albion, to really get to know it, to get to know its people and all the beauty of the magic it held.

(Leon was like him, another immortal, but Leon couldn't handle it when he saw time passing and they remained unchanged, when everyone they knew started to die, he slowly started to lose hope, he remembers when he had to take his immortality (he was aware of the power he had over life and death) and they stayed together until the last day of his life, in all that time he didn't move from Camelot)

It had been a fantasy of his that Merlin had woken up abruptly when Arthur threw the pillow at his head. He couldn't leave Arthur while he was in danger and that was it. Arthur had been his priority, but the old religion would keep Arthur safe for two more years before Merlin was needed…

He looks down at his hands, which fiddle with Ygaine’s seal, for a moment when suddenly… everything clicks. Arthur is his priority, but the magical people are his responsibility… he had the time and the will. He had the power too.

This is what he is supposed to do. He is supposed to cement magic, strengthen Albion.
This time, Merlin plans to save as many lives as he can, he has lost too many people, too quickly. Arthur… Will, Balinor, Lancelot, Freya… to count just a few of the many who lost their lives for no reason or too soon.
The Druids, the Cathas, this time Merlin had to save everyone. This time he will not let Uther decimate his destiny, he will not let that wretched man kill magic single-handedly.

Once he realizes that, Merlin begins to make plans.
To achieve all this, he will need to strengthen the magic within the land itself, giving it freedom and harmony.

Merlin knew for certain that this was the reason he was there, his purpose was to preserve Magic in Albion.

In fact, Merlin already had a place in mind. It was a land that, if it could be revived and healed, would be perfect to start with.

The dangerous lands.

The land of the Fisher King had long since been declared dead, dry and dangerous. But Merlin, he knew the truth, he knew that the Fisher King was waiting patiently for him. In the past, Merlin was already so tied to his fate that he couldn't do much for the tired, old king other than give him a chance to end his weary life. This time, he could do much more.

He picks up his bag and heads north.

Chapter Text

The journey to the Fisher King's lands was just as difficult as last time, there were many bandits on the way and animals that wanted to kill him for food.

However, he soon reached the narrow bridge that looked so familiar to him, where he met the same elf that had greeted him last time.
What was his name again?

"Grettir, Emrys." The elf interrupts him and seems amused by Merlin's thought process. "Mind reader?"

"No, Emrys, though your mental walls are impressive. I only responded to the confusion that was so clear on your face." The elf chuckles and Merlin looks at him more closely.

It's powerful, Merlin realizes, a good security measure against people who want to harm these lands and also to protect the people who live in them.

-This place was a paradise long ago.- Grettir looks at him expectantly
-You are wrong Grettir, I will not settle, but I will revive and give freedom to this land- Grettir bows and steps aside so Merlin can pass. Merlin thanks Grettir with a nod and crosses the bridge.

It was exactly as Merlin remembered it: the red wastelands, the stifling heat and no life nearby except, of course, the wyverns, who rush in hungry. Merlin summons his long-dormant Dragon Lord nature and roars at them.

The wyverns recognize his soul similar to their own and wisely retreat. Instead, Merlin conjures up at least fifty sheep with his magic, feeding the hungry wyverns.

When the land revives they will have plenty of food, Merlin will see to it.

Merlin remembers where to go from the last time he was here and arrives at the castle as the sun is about to set. He doesn't hesitate before heading straight to the throne room, where a very weak corpse of the Fisher King sits.

The King was almost dead. If it weren't for the wyverns and the occasional pheasant, there would be nothing alive on this earth.

The Fisher King raises his head to look at him and says,

"Ah, Emrys. You are here. I have waited for you for a long time and I thought I would have to wait a little longer. But here you are. Believe me, if I could stand, I would bow, but since I cannot, please forgive me." His voice is tired, hoarse, but still, Merlin can detect a hint of happiness beneath it.

Merlin shakes his head and smiles at the King.
"It is not you who should bow, but I, my lord." Merlin bows and looks down at his feet before saying, “I know what you need from me as well, but before I hand you over to Avalon, I have one request to make.” Merlin waits patiently, but also nervously, even if he doesn’t get the King’s permission he will give this land life.

—: I know what you ask of me. It is not necessary. I give you this land freely, for you to do what you want with it. It used to be a great kingdom, but under your rule, I am sure it will become even greater.

Merlin frowns. Yes, it was true that he wanted to revive the magic of this place, but he had never aimed for a kingdom, much less rule it.

Merlin is not a king… or God forbid, a ruler. That was Arthur’s job.

—A kingdom? My lord, you confuse me. I am not a king. I am Emrys. Destined to guide the One and Future King and serve the balance of the world,” Merlin said, emphasizing the “Emrys” and the “King” as he looked the Fisher King in the eyes, trying to explain to him as he would a small child.

“Emrys,” he whispered, almost voiceless.
He puts one of his hands on Merlin’s shoulder for support and with the other hand he hands Merlin the flask containing water from Lake Avalon.

“Only your power can revive these lands, Emrys, this,” the former king chuckled, “is only a Kingdom.”

He had always felt sorry for Arthur when he had seen him beat around the bush for the sake of correctness, but the truth was that Arthur had been a master at saying ambiguous phrases that had a double or sometimes even a triple meaning. He could be kind with his words while keeping his gaze cold, while Merlin simply rolled his eyes and threw his enemy through the door. No, he was not a king... his very nature was capricious.

But then he makes the mistake of looking into the eyes of the Fisher King in front of him, who waited for him for hundreds of years, just for this moment, this chance to find someone worthy. A chance to die in peace, knowing that his lands will be in good hands.

Merlin took a deep breath and exhaled trying to calm himself. He knew that what the King said was true.

Merlin closed his eyes in acceptance and bowed his head.

He knew it was time to give the wounded king what he deserved, a peaceful death. Merlin did not have the bracelet on him, so he did the next best thing: he touched his thumb to the Fisher King's forehead and commanded life to leave the man in the shadow of his death.

Chapter Text

The animals had been the first to arrive, as their senses picked up the pull of magic much more easily than the wizards. Griffins and hippogriffs arrived immediately and made their nest in the forest behind the castle. Merlin was also pleased that they seemed to adapt well to the Wyverns that were already there. He was also pleased to see that some fairies, as well as some vilia (water spirits), would become residents of his lands.

Then Merlin saw something he had only read about but never seen:
Pegasi.

Pegasi were a very rare, nearly extinct, magical race, and the fact that they were here, at least seventy of them, stunned Merlin, took his breath away, and tears fell from his eyes.

Merlin was embarrassed to say that he had spent an entire day in the stables that day. Voluntarily.

In the past four days, Merlin had decided a few things regarding the Kingdom. He and Grettir had sat down together and started planning the town. The houses, the residence and the market were the first elements that were part of that plan. Merlin also wanted to build a school and a specific place for the dragons.

At some point in the future there will be dragons, he would make sure that it was so and he wanted to have a place ready for them where they can grow and prosper. He builds houses and buildings magically and as an added touch he implements the sewage system in the town so that people who come can settle immediately. He modernized what was necessary so that the streets do not end up as a landfill of filth and so he refused to lose the luxury of having running water in the kingdom, he was spoiled, he accepted it. All without altering or intervening too much with the nature of the area, magical people would like to be as much in contact with nature as possible.

They are walking through the main garden after having breakfast with Grettir in the kitchens, the elf woke him up 3 hours ago with a loud shout of: "EMRYS, UP, TODAY WILL BE VERY BUSY!", scandalous little shit, it was too early to wake up, the sun hadn't even come up. It was karma, he had no doubts, if Arthur saw him he would be writhing in laughter on the floor.

But today the first people are about to arrive in his kingdom, it's a large group, he could feel them, he's nervous and he still has to warn Grettir.

-Meet you at the border in 20 minutes, Emrys! - the elf shouted before leaving. Merlin chuckles, of course the guardian would know when they approached his land.

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It was his mother and Will along with a group of druids standing at the border, waiting for him.

God, he almost didn't recognize her, a thousand years without seeing her
Ohhh, how he misses her
- Mom - Hunith quickened her pace and raised her arms to grab his face, Merlin threw himself into her arms and hid his head on her shoulder
He could hear her saying, "my boy, my dear boy," over and over again, as if she had to convince herself that he was there in her arms.
He is confused for a moment, but he is also glad for it, since now he doesn't have to hide how much he misses her. He expected such a reaction from himself, but not from his mother.
- Where were you? - He looks past his mother for the first time since he arrived and sees Will. Guilt hits him hard.

“Will!” Merlin shouts and goes to hug his friend.

“Where are you?” his voice is questioning and desperate.

“What do you mean?” Merlin asks. He had assumed that since he was near Camelot, his past self must have left Ealdor to meet Gaius. Therefore, this question didn’t sit well with Merlin.

“You’ve been missing for a year, Merlin,” his mother tells him, still not letting go of his hand.

“You went to Camelot, but you never made it.” Hunith’s other hand goes to her mouth in an attempt to stop the sob that comes out. “When a month passed and I didn’t get a letter, I thought the worst and asked Will to go to Camelot.”

Before he could say anything, Will continued, “When I spoke to Gaius, he told me that you had never made it to Camelot.”
I knew that time travel would have adverse effects on the timelines. involved, that time itself fixed its functionality. Now all this was starting to make sense: why his mother had reacted so violently to seeing him, why he now had two more years before his destiny began. He had gone to Camelot too early in this life; he would have been seventeen summers old, but he had also arrived in the past, early. Two years ago. he had been missing for a year, he had the excuse of the kingdom
but did he really want to lie to them? Would they be ready to know? No, they are not ready. He loves them but they do not need to know.

-You look different, what happened to you all this time?- Will asks.

His hair was spiky, more unruly and he had a stubble on his beard, but the main change was in his body. Merlin's body type was now more muscular, defined and far more hideous than before, but even with all that his face hadn't changed. To his frustration and delight, that face brought him both trouble and profit, when he was a teacher it brought him jealous husbands, when he was a merchant it brought him con men and despicable men and when he owned a bar it brought him customers. The drawback was that although Merlin looked like a young boy, his appearance was more of a 21 or 22 year old man, not an 18 year old, his developed physique and the confidence he exuded didn't do much to help. Excuses to any of his questions were already forming in his mind, the centuries and his multiple lives making him a skilled liar.

- Emrys, it is safer to talk within the barriers and the old druid wants an audience with you- Grettir interrupted the interrogation, he was starting to adore this elf -Thank you Grettir, guide them to the dwellings, I will be with you in a few minutes.- Merlin began to give instructions - Get ready, another large group is approaching, they may arrive at night -, Grettir disappeared after receiving his instructions but not before giving a slightly irritated look, "HA! Instant karma you little shit".

- Mom, Will, I promised to tell you everything that happened in this time, now I have to welcome this group - the surprise towards his actions was noticeable on their faces however they followed him closely.

The group of druids was following Grettir, listening attentively to his explanation about the layout of the city and that they could choose their house or build them on the land where they felt most comfortable or they could move the house wherever they wanted, Merlin walked to the front of the group. Shutting Grettir up. He looks directly at Iseldir.

- I hope you are well, Iseldir. - I tilted my head to one side, greeting the other.
Iseldir's eyes, which had opened wide at the sight of him, opened even more when he realized that Merlin already knew who he was, with a whisper of 'Emrys' on his lips.

- "Can I hold your hand?"- he hears a childish voice in his mind, Merlin slightly tilts his head towards a little girl who is next to his mother, she was almost hidden by her cloak, he kneels down to be at the same level as he extends his hand towards her smiling.

- "Hello, I am Merlin"- he answers in the same way as he watches her take his hand.

- "No, you are Emrys"- says the little girl playing with her fingers- "your hand is warm"-, the druids observe this interaction with curious eyes.

-"Yes, I'm Emrys, my name is Merlin, nice to meet you Kara, your hand is warm too"

He had recognized her, not by her face but by her magic, it was something he discovered about 7 centuries ago, magic like fingerprints have a unique pattern in each being, it was an interesting discovery and he studied it for a century, with all that hustle and bustle with the invasion of America, the sorcerers and witches of the American continent defending their lands had a lot of study material and managed to identify the patterns of magic that he had felt before, giving a face, or names to its bearers, it was a sad time, the new religions imposed were a hard blow to magic, it was like living under the reign of Uther again. But that's not the point. The fact is that he recognizes this girl.

- You know my name! - he shouted excitedly

-Of course I know, you said it, I'm Emrys- he answered with a smile, he raises his eyes and looks at them all.

That's when Iseldir decides to interrupt.

"Emrys," he waited until Merlin turned to him with a smile on his face. "I apologize for not having greeted you properly before." The reverent tone had made Merlin feel uncomfortable a long time ago, now at least he didn't blush. He learned to take it easy.

"The time of Emrys and the One and Future King is near, our seer told us before she passed away, but we didn't want to wait in vain. We wanted to see them for ourselves and now that we have, I would like to thank you for calling us here and lending us your power to get there safely." At this, Iseldir bows and the rest of the druids follow him. The chant of 'Emrys' is on everyone's lips.

Chapter Text

Merlin showed them his accommodation.
He and Grettir had designed it specifically with the druid village in mind. It had large trees, plenty of grass, and a stream running through it; plenty of trees with fruit for the children to eat whenever they wanted.

He smiles at Iseldir and continues - Take the time to settle in, these houses are yours, explore - when they believed it, some of them burst into tears and hugged him tightly, while others smiled so widely, the children had also taken the liberty of hanging on to him, with at least two on each arm, one sitting on his shoulders and two of them clinging to his legs.

Merlin wasn't against sexual pleasure. Not at all. Hell, he could probably even be an ambassador for it, he'd had enough sex with many people and other beings. And he also knew that sexual education was important.
But there were some things that made even him feel very uncomfortable and more so knowing that his mother was just a few steps behind him. Like for example the hand of a druid boy trying to get under his shirt to know that he is real.

Once people started to settle in, he turned to leave, but before that, he called Iseldir to follow him out of the forest. They walked a bit before Merlin asked him,

“Iseldir,” Merlin began, “I hope your journey here was safe?” He knew his magic would have repelled any bandits or patrols, but he wasn’t seeing some faces he expected in the crowd, so he needed to make sure.

“Yes, there were no obstacles, although some of the tribes had to stay behind so as not to raise suspicions.” Merlin frowned at what the druid noticed and added, “Essetir watches over all druid settlements and to keep up appearances, they had to stay behind.” Merlin nods at this.

Although magic was not forbidden in Essetir, it was closely watched and every movement was viewed with suspicion.
And even if his spell had prevented them from being seen and caught, the sudden mass disappearance of the druids would have been cause for alarm for all the kingdoms.

He concludes that Freya and Mordred were part of the few tribes that had been left behind.

-They will come eventually, when the surveillance lessens -

Merlin nodded once more and began to talk about his plans.

-Iseldir, - Merlin said - Will you help me rule this kingdom and ensure its prosperity?

Iseldir looked at him in surprise and then nodded solemnly, understanding the magnitude of the task before them.

-It would be an honor, Emrys.

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He left the druids to settle in with a promise from Iseldir to seek him out the next day after lunch.

He was now walking back to the castle with his mother and Will at his side, in foreboding silence, it was Will who broke it.

“Merlin, where have you been?” Will exclaimed, stopping walking to confront him.

“It’s a long story, Will,” Merlin replied with a smile. “I’ve been everywhere.”

They continued walking towards the castle, the cold evening air enveloping them. Hunith, sensing her son’s uneasiness, took his hand and squeezed it gently.

“Merlin, we’ve been so worried about you. A year is a long time without news,” Hunith said, her voice shaking slightly.

Merlin nodded, knowing he had to give them some explanation, though not the whole truth.

“I know, mother. I’m so sorry. I needed time to do something important, something that would change the future of all of us,” he said, choosing his words carefully.

Will frowned, clearly not satisfied with the vague explanation.

“What could be so important that he would disappear without saying anything?” “I disappeared because I had a vision. I saw the creation of this realm and what it could mean for all of us. I knew it was my duty to make it a reality,” Merlin began, choosing his words carefully. “But to do so, I had to use an immense amount of magic, and it exhausted me completely. It took me time to recover and return.”

Hunith and Will exchanged a look, trying to grasp the magnitude of what Merlin was saying.

Hunith always knew that Merlin was not only hers, the day he was born and opened his eyes, they were not blue like all children, they were gold, even before holding his own head he was making objects float, blue butterflies flying inside the house, flowers growing on the walls, she always knew that Merlin's destiny was much bigger than she could even imagine but even with that, her son's destiny scared her, something so big for such a young boy.
"Is that why you look like that?" she asked, her eyes examining his face.

Merlin nodded.

“Yes, Mum. I knew I had to create that place and that’s what I did. But the amount of magic I used took its toll on me, both physically and mentally. It’s nothing serious, but gaining wisdom was paramount,” Merlin explained, trying to ease her worries.

Hunith sighed, still worried but proud of her son.

“I always knew you were destined to do great things, Merlin. From the moment you were born, I saw that you were special. But knowing that you carry such a large burden… it scares me,” Hunith said, her voice slightly shaking.

Will, who had been watching silently, stepped in.

“And you missed an entire year because of it. You could have died, Merlin,” Will said, in a tone that was a mix of worry and reproach. He looked around in wonder and caution.

Merlin smiled sadly.

“I know and I’m sorry, but I knew I had to do it.” And that's not something that can wait," Merlin replied in a firm voice.

Will sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Well, at least you're back and safe. But promise us you won't leave again like that without telling us," Will said, his eyes filled with genuine concern.

Merlin smiled, God, how he had missed Will, he promised himself that this time he wouldn't let him die so young.

"Are you some kind of magical noble now?" Will asked again, arching an eyebrow.

"No Will, this place may be a kingdom, but I'm not a King," Merlin replied, laughing softly.

They finally arrived at the castle, a majestic structure that emanated a feeling of safety and well-being. He knew more people would arrive the next day, now his priority was to get his mother and Will to their rooms and get them some rest. The day was exhausting for everyone.