Chapter Text
Someone was screaming, but all Merlin could focus on was the place Lancelot had vanished from, one minute he was fighting against two bandits and then.., he was just gone.
Merlin wasn't stupid, people didn't just vanish but one minute he had his Mate in sight while he fought two magic users that, surprise, surprise, wanted to kill Arthur and his knights, and then Merlin blinked and his Mate was Gone.
Merlin tried to focus but the screaming was distracting. He wanted to make whoever was screaming quiet but he couldn't tell where it was coming from, it seemed to echo from all around him, and his Magic coiled and whipped at whatever was trying to get near him.
It took too long for Merlin to realize that the person who was screaming was him.
His Mate was..., no, he couldn't be, Merlin would have felt... he would have felt Lancelot leave him if he died, surely their Bond would see to that.
But what else could have happened.
The screams cut off abruptly as Merlin sank to his knees, eyes on the place where Lancelot had been only moments ago.
Laughter filled the silence Merlin left.
"Who knew that one knight's death would bring down Camelot's sorcerer so easily and quickly." One of the magic users laughed as they bound Arthur and his knights.
"Merlin?" Gwaine called, worried about Merlin's reaction or lack there of.
Merlin looked over at Gwaine but there wasn't a hint of the goofy sorcerer that kept Camelot safe, no, this was something dangerous, this was something to be feared.
Merlin stood, and turned to face the bandits and magic users that surrounded them.
"Kneel, or we will kill you." The magic user that must be the leader demanded.
Merlin stared at him, "You already have." Merlin said softly, no feeling in his voice.
It made Gwaine shiver at the tone, so unlike Merlin, it was like nothing Gwaine had ever heard, and he hoped never to hear it again.
The leader frowned, "What?"
Merlin looked at him, eyes bleeding gold, not just his irises as what happened when he usually used magic, no, the gold engulfed Merlin's eyes entirely, glowing eerily as Merlin stared at the group.
And then Merlin smiled, it was not a friendly smile, this smile was sharp and angry and dangerous, made moreso by the glow of Merlin's golden gaze.
"You killed my humanity, now you get to deal with the Monster." Merlin said, "Now you get the wrath of Emrys, of the God of Magic."
The magic users paled and one moved as though he wanted to fall to his knees but he was not permitted, Merlin did not allow him to fall to worship and beg for his life.
Merlin waved his hand and granted the bandits a quick and painless death, turning them to ash, which was carried away swiftly but a sudden wind.
The magic users were not so fortunate as Merlin tore them apart, piece by piece, plucking their magic out of them one drop at a time.
"Heart." Lancelot's voice called gently in the Dragontongue.
Merlin stilled, slowly turning to his Mate.
"Dearest." Merlin breathed in the same language, the gold in his eyes retreating to it's usual place, hands reacing out to his Mate.
"I'm here, Heart, I'm here." Lancelot whispered into Merlin's hair after pulling him close.
"I thought they killed you." Merlin whispered, "I lost myself."
Lancelot pulled back to cradle Merlin's face, "My life is yours, Heart, I will live as long as you do, nothing will part us."
"You can't promise that." Merlin said, tears in his eyes.
"Freya promised me that, she said that it was repayment for your kindness when she needed it most." Lancelot told him.
"Oh." Merlin said.
"You are mine, for however long we exist, for this life and the next and all that come after, you are mine, as I am yours." Lancelot swore.
Merlin blushed and buried his face into Lancelot's chest.
Gwaine smiled softly at them, they deserved all the happiness.
"Not to interrupt what I'm sure is an incredibly sweet and heartfelt reunion, but perhaps one of you could untie us." Arthur cried.
Gwaine thumped his head against a nearby tree, of course Arthur had to ruin the moment.
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A/n: Merlin gets to keep Lancelot for life, as a treat, thank you Freya.
I headcannon that even if Merlin is the Human embodiment of the God of Magic he can't grant immortality to Lancelot because he isn't allowed to act so selfishly, so Freya grants Lancelot immortality tied to Merlin for Merlin and tells Lancelot what and why she did it when he was very briefly dead at the beginning of this chapter.
Lancelot will never be able to repay Freya for that. But he sure does try, they start having picnics by the lake so Freya doesn't get lonely, she loves being Auntie Freya to the Dragonlings and Morgana and Leon.Also Gwen loves having another woman around, because she deserves someone to girl talk with, Arthur is glad that Gwen has a friend, he may have a pond put in the Royal garden so Freya can visit the Castle.
