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“Merlin!” Balinor called. He couldn’t find his son anywhere and the royal guests were about to arrive. He turned the corner and suddenly had a five year old hanging onto his legs.
“I’m here daddy!” Merlin said. He was excited because today he was going to make a new friend who is supposed to be his princess.
Balinor laughed and picked up his son, who was already dressed and ready to go, and took him to meet his wife Hunith at the front of the palace.
Balinor and Hunith Ambrosius are the king and queen of Cordonia. Their kingdom buzzed with life and magic.
The kingdom was full of people, magic and non magic users coexisted in harmony. There were hundreds of dragons as well that protected the land.
The royal family was beloved by their people, magic and non magic users alike. The kingdom also loved their prince, Merlin.
Even though they were the royal family, they didn’t have to have magic. Hunith was not born with the gift like Balinor and Merlin were. Balinor not only had magic, he was a dragonlord. And Merlin, Merlin was the most extraordinary of them all.
There were druid prophecies of the one they call Emrys. Emrys was the most powerful magical being that would ever walk the earth, because Emrys was magic himself.
No one besides the druids really believed in Emrys. They though him as more of a myth to inspire hope for the magic users, a sort of god among men.
Balinor and Hunith knee their son was the mighty Emrys. He had been floating stuff around and doing wordless instinctual magic days after he was born.
His parents knew they could never tell anyone, as it would only cause people to attack him and put him in constant danger.
Today the royal family are expecting visitors. Specifically, the king and queen of Voltoria, and their daughter Morgana. The kingdom of Voltoria was nowhere near the size of Cordonia, but it was still well known for its hospitality and magic.
Balinor and Edwin, King of Voltoria, had been talking of strengthening their alliances for a while now. They’re great friends and they figured there would be no better an offer than the marriage of their children.
Merlin and Morgana, the princess, had never met, but Merlin was still excited. He didn’t get many friends to hang out with since he was usually in the palace but that didn’t mean he had none. Him and his parents travelled around their kingdom regularly which meant Merlin has met lots of younger kids his age to play with.
He was practically jumping as he saw the horses enter the front pathway to the palace. On one horse was Edwin Sidorien, then on the one right beside him was his wife Alycia. In front of her was the princess, Morgana.
“Edwin!” Balinor cheered when they approached, grasping his forearm in familiarity and respect.
“Balinor, it is so nice to see you and your wife again, and it is nice to finally meet you Merlin,” Edwin said as he held his hand out for Merlin to shake.
Merlin ignored his hand in favor of giving him a hug, as well as his wife, much to the adults amusement. Merlin heard a giggle, and looked to see that it came from the princess.
Merlin thought Morgana was really pretty and, being the five year old he was, said it out loud on accident. He immediately blushed when everyone laughed.
“Thanks, you’re pretty too,” Morgana said, which caused his blush to grow darker.
“I see we’ve made the right choice,” Balinor said to Edwin. The adults in the families knew that the two would have a happy and loving relationship.
——
Morgana and Merlin were fast friends. They were inseparable and were always getting into some kind of mess together. The kingdoms had high hopes for the marriage that was going to signify nothing but hope and purity and love between the two.
It’s been a month since the two met and they were currently playing hide and seek in the palace.
Merlin was looking for Morgana and decided to check the kitchens. He knew that was a good place to hide because it had little tight spaces that only they could fit into.
As he was walking down one of the great halls he felt someone grab him and pull him into an alcove. Before he could scream the person covered his mouth and he looked up to see Morgana with a wide smile on her face.
“Gana! The point of the game is for me to find you!” Merlin whined, sad because he never managed to find her without her meaning him to.
“But if I didn’t let you find me now you would’ve taken hours!” Morgana laughed, which caused Merlin to join in.
As they both quieted down Merlin saw Morgana had this look in her eyes, before he could ask why she leaned in and pecked his lips quickly before pulling back.
Merlin’s cheeks coloured high with blush. He looked shocked and so did Morgana before they both started giggling. They then went hand in hand to meet their parents in the dining hall for lunch.
——
As the pair got close to the dining hall they heard the raised voices of their parents.
“Is their any way we can solve this without it resulting in war?” Balinor asked.
“I do not believe so old friend, my kingdom is in shambles because of these rebels and yours is not far off. My family and I must return home where we can help and protect our people and you need to do the same,” Edwin responded.
“What of the marriage? If something happens what will happen to Merlin and Morganas union? What do we tell them?” Hunith exclaimed.
“We hope that everything goes well and that they will be able to be together again. For now, we just hope they won’t be too mad,” Alycia responded. It was evident in everyone’s tone that they were quickly losing hope.
Merlin and Morgana shared a look, they were going to be separated. They opened the doors startling their parents.
“What’s going on Daddy? Why are you separating us?” Merlin asked.
“I’m sorry Merlin but we have to go back to our home now ok? But you will be able to see Morgana again soon enough. Let’s go Morgana,” Edwin said.
“No! I want to stay with Merlin!” Morgana yelled defiantly as she tightened her grip on Merlin’s hand, but neither noticed.
“Now Morgana,” Alycia said. Edwin grabbed Morganas free hand and pulled her with him, but she hadn’t let go of Merlin’s hand.
Edwin picked Morgana up when he realised he wouldn’t be able to get her to let go of Merlin’s hand and took her away.
“Merlin!”
“Gana!”
Merlin watched with tears rolling down his face as the family got on their hoses and rode off. When they were out of sight he turned back to his parents.
“Merlin-” Hunith tried, but her son cut her off.
“No!” Merlin screamed before running to his room, the walls of the palace shaking as he went.
——
The kingdom of Voltoria was taken by the rebels 3 months later. And Cordonia was not for behind.
It was said the rebels captured the king and queen, but the princess was nowhere to be found.
Cordonia was not far behind, the rebels have been getting stronger and stronger every day, and the defences weren’t going to last much longer.
“Hunith, the rebels continue to get stronger and stronger every day. They’ll be past the defenders in less than a week, you need to take Merlin and go,” Balinor said. They didn’t have much time if they wanted to successfully get out of the kingdom.
“Balinor there has to be something else we can do, another form of defence we haven’t tried,” Hunith pleaded. Leaving her kingdom and her husband was unimaginable.
“Hunith we have no other choice, you need to take Merlin and go, now!” Balinor ordered. Hunith just nodded her head before grabbing Merlin and their stuff and heading off.
——
It’s been twelve years since then and Merlin and Hunith are in Ealdor. A little town on the poverty side that gets relatively left alone.
It was nothing like home, and the two missed Balinor and their kingdom, but they were relatively happy.
Merlin made a new best friend as well, his name was Will. The boys enjoyed to protect their home, and get in lots of trouble together.
Will found out about Merlin’s magic on accident. Will had been fixing a leak on a roof and slipped. When he fell off the side he realised he want falling anymore, but suspended in the air.
He looked around and saw Merlin with his hand outstretched and a pale face. As Merlin let him down Will hounded him with questions until Merlin told him everything. Will promised never to tell anyone about his magic or kingdom, but he never stopped teasing Merlin about his princess.
Merlin didn’t know what happened to Morgana, and it killed him. Of course he realises they were only five and hadn’t known each other long but she was everything he ever wanted.
Currently, Merlin and Will were sparring when Hunith found them. “Good morning Merlin, Will,” she greeted.
“How ya doing Mrs H?” Will said. Hunith was like his second mom which came with a sense of familiarity between the two.
“I’m good thank you for asking. Merlin I need to talk to you please,” Hunith said before walking back to their house. Will smirked at him thinking he got in trouble while Merlin just followed.
“What do you need mother?” Merlin asked.
“I need you to go to Camelot, I have a friend their who is the court physician and I would like you to stay with him. It’s time you got out of here and it’s no longer safe, the raids are coming more frequently and I’ve noticed some rebels among them. They’re looking for us,” Hunith told him. Hoping he would understand.
“Mother please I do not wish to leave you, what could possibly be in Camelot that I can’t get here?” Merlin begged. Not seeing his father already pained him, going without his mother would just add salt to the wound.
“I know and I do not wish to see you go either my boy, but your destiny lay there, not here,” Hunith explained as she hugged him.
“What destiny?”
“You will find out soon enough, and I have full faith that you will fulfil it.” Merlin nodded in defeat and started packing.
Once he was ready to leave his mother hugged him. “One last thing before you go,” Hunith told him.
“What is it?”
“Morgana is in Camelot.”
Merlin almost forgot how to breath. Before he could say anything his mother continued. “She is King Uther’s ward last I heard. She does not remember anything of her life at Voltoria or here and she does not remember you. Edwin and Alycia made it that way so Morgana would never discover her powers or the true extent.”
“Why would they do that? How is that fair?” Merlin argued, mad at the fact Morgana was robbed of the first years of her life.
“My darling boy, you often forget that the rest of the world does not take to kindly to magic. Edwin and Alycia has reached out to a former high priestess by the name of Vivian. Vivians child was the same age as Morgana and had relatively the same hair colour but their kingdom at the time also had a rebel problem, though it was not as big as ours was. An assassin killed the child right before the rebels were dealt with.
Queen Vivian and her husband king Gorlois were distraught, but when Edwin and Alycia came to them with Morgana they agreed to take Morgana as their own until Voltoria was safe again. When Voltoria was lost Vivian and Gorlois claimed and announced Morgana as their own.
A year later Vivian died of the flu and Gorlois soon followed after falling in battle. Morgana was then brought to Camelot’s court and Uther took her as his ward.”
“Will she ever remember me?” He murmured.
Hunith sighed before answering, “Edwin and Alycia put a powerful block on her memories, I don’t know if you would be able to break it without assistance from a higher power.
I know it’s not what you want to hear Merlin but please, do whatever it takes to fulfil your destiny, and bring your princess home.”
Merlin took a breath, it was a lot to take in. To find that Morgana was all alone broke his heart. He promised himself that he would do whatever it takes to bring her home.
He gave his mother one last hug before he set off