A.N. :

I have to apologize. I have been informed that Alator actually already exists in BBC Merlin.
And while I should have known that, I also realized that I had named Alator "Alastor" in the first chapters.
I will go and fix the newer versions later.

I'm in a strange mood. I should not have decided to work at two stories at once. That was a bad idea. It conflicts my mind. And then I get writers block.
Anyway, I will do my best to finish this story first now and continue with Enarmored later ^^

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"Gwen, stop. Why are you in such a hurry?"

"No time to explain. Arthur. Lance, Merlin, we have to go back to Camelot, NOW!", Gwen was frantic, as she packed her things, which was basically nothing, because they had been captured by Odin's men. And that guy didn't exactly give them any parting gifts.
Gwen was still wearing the dress Morgana had given her and that used to make her captors believe she were Uther's ward.

"I don't – We just rescued you. If we hurry, we might arouse suspicions. We'll leave more trails than necessary.", Arthur argued back and then wondered why he even needed to.
He was the prince.
He should be able to order her around. Having to explain his point was usually only necessary while he was talking to his father.
And Uther was hard to reason with. But Gwen was being outright stubborn.

"I don't care! We don't have the time!", Gwen wasn't even facing Arthur, as she hurried to stomp out the fire, causing both Merlin and Lancelot to glance at each other with growing concern.

"Can you at least explain what for?"

Arthur grabbed her by the shoulders and managed to make her pause.
Gwen was breathing heavily, as she faced Arthur sternly. "You're just going to ask more questions, if I tell you.", she said and challenged him with her glance.

"Gwen, you had a bad dream. Perhaps you're just confusing dream with reality.", Lancelot tried to intervene, but his input didn't really help. Quite the opposite, actually.

"Would any of you help me, if I told you it involves magic?!", Gwen suddenly spat out and the three men froze.
"Magic? Where! In Camelot? How would you -", Arthur was staring at her now in utter disbelieve.
Lancelot's idea became more and more appealing to him.
For their other two companions however, alarm arose.

"See? This is why I can't explain it. We don't have the time. We need to get back to Camelot, before Leon forgets who he is. And NO, I can't explain now, we have to leave!"

"Sir Leon?", Arthur startled. "What has Sir Leon to do with magic?"

Merlin's eyebrows shot up in utter surprise. "Sir Leon?", he mouthed in Lancelot's direction, but the former knight could only shrug in response.
He was about as informed as Merlin was.

"Well, what do you think? Leon has magic.", Gwen informed them shortly and then began to shrug Arthur off and march past them.
Arthur was left staring into the forest, way passed Gwen, where he saw nothing but trees. And Merlin's open mouthed expression.

"What? Sir LEON has magic?", Merlin asked and finally found his ability to move again, as he jogged up to Gwen. She was incredibly fast. So fast that Lancelot had to shake Arthur back to reality to make him hurry as well.

"Yes. Sir Leon has magic."

"How do you know? Why.... how is that even relevant now?", Merlin asked, but Gwen was getting more and more pissed with each question. She stopped and poked him in the chest.

"Sir Leon has been protecting Camelot for hundreds of years. I know none of you understand magic for what it really is. But it protected you. All of you.
He keeps dying for this kingdom. Literally. And each time he revives through magic, he looses a part of himself.
Years ago, when my mother died, I gave up part of my own memory, to save his.
The dragon beneath the castle made it work.

But just now, Leon lost his memory about me. Which means, in the past 24 hours, he died at least once. Which means, he and Camelot are in danger.
And he has but one chance left to save it. If he dies, he will forget who he is himself. And if he uses magic after that, he will cease to exist and then Camelot is doomed.
Does that explain enough for you to help me?"

Merlin was speechless. What she said made no sense without context and usually it was Merlin who had the context. Right now, he understood nothing. As did Arthur and Lancelot, when they managed to catch up just enough to hear the summary.

"Leon doesn't have magic!", Arthur argued, almost manically laughing. "That dream of yours must have really thrown you off.
My knights can't just use magic. It corrupts, we would have noticed. And even if he could, he would never use it!"

"Sir Leon was around when Camelot was founded and magic lived deeply at it's core. You think he would just give that up? Just because your father created that stupid law?
People don't choose to use magic, they are born with it. It's part of who they are. Leon basically raised me. He taught me everything I know. Otherwise I wouldn't be so sure. And no, it's not a dream. I remember now. "

"Leon is barely over twenty!", Arthur argued growing more and more alarmed, because was talking herself into treason. "You two grew up together. You were children."

"He wasn't. My memory was false. Which is my own fault, by the way. If you don't believe me, ask George. He grew up in Leon's household as well. I can't believe I forgot about that too.", Gwen stared blankly into the air for a moment.

"George? Okay, hold on.", Arthur tried to stop her again, but Gwen only shook her head and continued to march on.

"Gwen, magic is EVIL.", Arthur tried to talk sense into her, but Gwen's mind was focused.

"If magic were evil, then you would already be dead, Arthur. If every sorcerer wanted to kill you and your father, they wouldn't let themselves be captured and burned at the pyre."

Now it was Arthur who was jogging next to her, while Merlin could hardly believe his own ears.
Never before had he heard someone so vehemently defend magic. Especially not to Arthur.
Was Gwen so panicked or so brave that she forgot the consequences of her words?

"We're more than capable to handle sorcerers!", Arthur commented.

"You would think sorcerer's who are strong enough to kill you with the snap of their finger aren't so easily to overwhelm, wouldn't you?", she didn't even look at Arthur. The prince was already puffing out harsh air, from following her. The other two weren't much better off.

"So, they aren't strong enough yet. And?", Arthur added, as if it made sense to kill sorcerer's to prevent them from growing too strong.

"Have you ever considered that not all sorcerer's use their magic to harm others? Have you ever considered that they use magic to... I don't know? Heal? Like Gaius did, when he was young?
Or wash clothing. Bake bread. Heat the hearth."

"But they could -"

"Don't tell me they have the potential to kill you.", Gwen finally stopped again and made Arthur stumble over, as he hadn't seen it coming.
"So does a disease. So does a dog, a knight, a bandit. For god's sake, even a dedicated duck could kill you.
Do you kill every single dog on sight for that?
Do you kill someone with a cold, because you could potentially catch it?
What Uther is doing is wrong. You haven't seen magic at it's best, so you always assume the worst."

Gwen swallowed hard and then took the deepest breath known to mankind after this rant. "I'm sorry.", she paused. And finally she seemed to catch up with her surroundings and frustration made her eyes dwell with tears.
"But I lost my mother, when she decided to forget about Leon to protect him."

She looked almost regretful. She was still panicking and in a strange hurry, but it seemed like she really needed to get all this ranting off of her chest.

"You side with magic, even though it made you loose your mother?", Arthur asked, sounding hoarse and incredulous.

"No. I could talk to my mother after that. What I lost was a part of her. A part of my life was taken away from me. She chose this sacrifice. I can't blame magic for it. What killed her was her determination to help him. You get yourself in danger to protect your citizens too. I can't be mad at anyone or anything for that.
In fact, I owe my life to Leon and his magic. I wouldn't be born, had he not saved my mom from the slave traders that held her and her sister captive when she was young. She would have never met my father, if Leon had not introduced them to each other.
On the other hand, I lost my father and my freedom to Uther's laws."

Gwen finally looked Arthur into the eyes. Her own were glassy with unshed tears. But she was still looking more than determined.

"You're a good man, Arthur. I know, one day you will see the truth. And you will do the right thing. Because you want to protect Camelot and it's citizens.
One day you will see that your father is the biggest threat to it. It was never magic."

Arthur stared at her. His lips quivering after being thrown into cold water like this.
"You haven't – Gwen, you realize you're speaking treason, right?"

Arthur couldn't believe what he heard her say. He admired her openness. But honestly, he also began to fear it.

"She's right.", Lancelot finally managed to intervene and both Arthur and Gwen now looked at him. Arthur rigid with nerves and barely concealed anger.

"It's not magic that's evil. It's the person who uses it who decides what they use it for.
I have met a man, who is brave and loyal and courageous. He also has magic. But it's not just an addition to his qualities. His magic enhances them. Because he uses magic for Camelot too. He protects the people who would have him killed for his abilities.
He's doing what he believes to be right and he never let anger control him or his magic. And he never asked any credit for it.", Lancelot said proudly.

"Such a man does not exist.", Arthur shook his head.

"Yes he does.", both Gwen and Lancelot said it unison and Gwen send Lancelot a grateful smile.

Arthur stared at them both, his chest rising and falling and then his eyes landed on Lancelot.
"It's you, isn't it? That courageous man you speak of?
Is that why you didn't accept knighthood, when you defeated that Griffin? Because you needed magic to kill it?"

Lancelot opened his mouth and his face twisted into a smile.
"I rejected knighthood, because it wasn't me who defeated the Griffin. But you're right. It was the sorcerer I speak of."

Arthur took a deep breath. "So, you two are in league with a traitor. A sorcerer."
Merlin was about to open his mouth, when Gwen interrupted him.

Gwen's eyes narrowed. "This is why I didn't want to tell you. We don't have time for this. We need to get back to Camelot, before Leon is killed.

"You mean, we have to get back to tell my father about him.", Arthur crossed his arms. But Gwen rolled her eyes.

"If we save him, you can probably burn him 10 times in a row and it wouldn't make a difference. So, honestly, the only life in danger right now, is mine. Now, let's GO."
Once again, Gwen turned around, swinging her dark locks over her shoulder, as she kept marching on.
Lancelot hurried right after her.

Arthur however, was left behind a few steps. Unsure how to proceed. He had not expected this turn of events. And neither had Merlin, apparently. Because the man was staring after Gwen, as if he were unsure what to say. For a constantly babbling idiot, Merlin was being incredibly quiet.

"They have lost their minds.", Arthur shook his head, but Merlin barely shook himself out of his stupor.

Arthur was getting impatient. "Don't YOU have an opinion on this, Merlin?"

Merlin turned to Arthur, mouth half open, half closed.
"Depends.", Merlin finally said quietly.
Arthur paused. "I'm just asking for your opinion, Merlin. What do you mean, 'depends'."
He air quoted Merlin, but his servant couldn't even look at him.

"Depends, if my opinion costs me my life, Sire.", Merlin said and straightened his back. As if he were some proper servant and Arthur noted confused, how he couldn't stand the sight of it.
It looked wrong on Merlin. It was also not very fitting for this situation.
And then he registered Merlin's whispered words. The meaning behind them.

"I won't kill you for stating your mind, Merlin. If I would do that, I would have hung you the day you arrived in Camelot.", Arthur tried to joke, but Merlin wasn't amused.

Not the slightest, actually.

Arthur's face fell as he realized it. "Merlin?"

"It's not my opinion that puts me at risk, Arthur."

Arthur stared at him. What did THAT mean?

"I won't have you loose Gwen, Leon AND me in one night.", Merlin shook his head.
"I'm sorry."

And with that, Merlin walked passed Arthur. Soon after, he fell into a jog, because Gwen and Lancelot were almost out of sight.
Arthur remained for several seconds. Trying and failing to understand.

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"Our best way to get answers would be to lure prince Arthur in, don't you think?"

King Alastor was still sitting in the room they had brought 'Merlin' and Iseldir to for questioning.

"Lure him in?", Alastor turned around slowly.
Beeltheas was back from his trip. Alastor had send him out to check what safety measures king Uther had inside and outside of the castle.
The job had required time. Lots of time actually, that is why he had been gone for several chapters. (1)

"Yes. He has already been searching for his manservant. We could simply tell him that we found him, overwhelm the prince as soon as he's here and then get our answers.
We can use the same spell we used on the druid."

Alastor tapped the desk he was sitting on repeatedly with his fingers. It was as rhythmic as it was random.
"The idea is simple."

"Simple ideas often work best. People always expect bigger, more complicated plans. We overwhelmed him once, we can certainly do it again. And since magic is involved, we can be certain that the king of Camelot will not be involved.
The prince has shoveled his own grave."

Alastor smiled. "Very well. Call him then."

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"Gwen! Guinevere! Tom's and Delilah's daughter? She used to work inside your household? You grew up together. THAT Gwen!", Jessica, the serving girl was starting to panic. She had pulled Leon aside to talk to him in private. Memory loss was not something you discussed in public.

"I'm sorry, I don't know anyone by that name.", Leon was getting more and more irritated.

"She's the very reason you're pretending to be Arthur! How can't you remember her?
She's about this high -", the girl rose her hand slightly above her to indicate that Gwen was taller than her.
"Dark skin, brown eyes, dark brown hair... How don't you -", Jessica let her arm fall down, because Leon was still completely irritated.

"She looks just like her mom.", Jessica tried.

"I don't know her mother either. I think I would know someone who I grew up with.", Leon almost laughed. 'Especially, if they were still alive.', he added in his mind.
"Jess, are you feeling okay?"

Jessica's eyes widened at the question even further. "Okay, that's it. We're going to Gaius right this second."

"I'm FINE!", Leon insisted and rolled his eyes. "I don't have time for this. I have to find George."

"How are you not concerned about this?"

"I am!", Leon pulled his arm out of her grasp. "I'm starting to worry if you hit your head. Do you have hallucinations often or is that a recent development?"

Now he had gone and done it. He insulted Jessica. Her eyes narrowed further and her glare turned dead serious.
This time, when she pushed Leon around, he had no choice but to follow her into they physician's chambers.

Gaius wasn't there, but the serving girl didn't care. She shushed Leon to sit down, then she went and motioned a random servant to go gather Gaius.
Then she sat down before him and stared at him, as if she were his prison guard.
"Have you eaten or drunken anything strange in the last couple of days?"

"No.", Leon sighed. 'Except for the poisoned wine.'

"Have you gotten hurt?"

"No.", Leon repeated himself, this time more urgently. 'Except I was stabbed to death.'

"How could you forget Gwen?"

"The name is completely unfamiliar with me. Why are you -"

"What else have you forgotten?"

"How would I know?", Leon could have laughed at the seriousness in her eyes.

"What's your name?"

"My name is Sir Leon. Future first knight of Camelot, as soon as Arthur Pendragon is king. Happy?"

"Who is Merlin?", Jessica followed up, now checking for his temperature by placing the backside of her hand on Leon's forehead. She was no physician, what was she doing?

"Merlin is Arthur's manservant. He's from Ealdor. His mother's name is Hunith. Gaius is his uncle. Why do I have to tell you that?"

"What's your parents names?"

"Oh come on, that's not -", Leon paused. He blinked. "My parents. I don't have – what?"
Irritated, he grabbed for his own head. No, this didn't make sense. He must have parents? Except, his mind told him he didn't have any.
Literally.
There was zero information. Not on birth parents, or someone who guided him into adulthood.
There was the memory of Cornelius Sigan, who made him immortal, but that happened much later.
Leon didn't remember his parents. He blinked up at her.
"I... I don't remember.", he said, eyes wide.

Jessica paused and leaned back. Despite the fact that she had called it, she had not expected Leon to have forgotten people that played such a vital role in his life.

"Do you have any siblings?"

Leon paused, staring at the wooden floor. "I don't think so?"

"A childhood friend, perhaps?"

Again, Leon shook his head. "What the hell?", he muttered to himself.

"Do you remember Elyan?"

"Tom's son?", Leon asked, now blinking heavily. Yeah, right. He had seen the boy sometimes. He used to mend clothing, while his father was doing the blacksmith work. He had never really talked to him though.

"You remember Elyan, but not Gwen?", Jessica finally leaned back in her seat.
"The hell, Leon."

It was this moment that Gaius finally entered. Gaius was an old man with long white hair, but no beard. He slouched a little and had eyes that were always looking as if he were questioning everything you said.

"Jessica, Leon. What brings you here?"

Leon was about to open his mouth, when Jessica interrupted him. "Leon is loosing his memory.", she promptly said.
Leon's mouth closed uselessly and finally Gaius gave him a look.

"What memories?"

"People, it seems. He has no idea who Gwen is.", Jessica explained dutifully and Leon started to wonder why he was even here. If she told Gaius everything anyway, he might as well leave and get the diagnosis later.
He had stuff to do. Though he had to admit, this was quite worrisome.

Gaius's head snapped to Leon.
"Sir Leon, is this true?", he asked, completely shell shocked, before he hurried forward and began to examine Leon in his sitting state.

Leon took a deep breath. "Apparently I also don't know who my parents are. And a couple other people I should remember growing up with.", he admitted.
"But can this wait? I got out of Uther's festivities, but I have to find George. The castle staff needs him or else Camelot will fall into chaos."

Gaius turned to him seriously. "As honorable as that is, you can't just leave now. Did you hit your head lately?"

Leon sighed. He was never getting out of this, was he?
"If I'm not allowed to leave, may Jessica go? I'm pretty sure someone has to help clean up the great hall later."

Jessica frowned displeased. "I can't just leave you here.", she said and crossed her arms, but Gaius shook his head at her.
"Yes you can. Leon is right. At the moment the staff cannot run without all the remaining servants. You are needed elsewhere. Sir Leon has always been a good patient. He listens to my orders, you have nothing to worry about, you may leave."

Jessica skeptically glanced from one man to the other, then she sighed and jumped from her chair and stormed out of the room.

Gaius finally sat down. "Well then, Sir Leon. I'm afraid I have to check you for major injuries. Would you please take off your shirt?"

Leon glanced at the ceiling. Ah yes, that was why Gaius agreed. The patient's privacy was important. To be fair, Leon was quite glad for it.
He easily took off his shirt and neatly folded it to place it beside him.
Then Gaius Checked his chest and back for wounds.

Leon pointedly looked away. It's not like he had any scars anywhere. The magic that healed him also prevented him from carrying around proof.

"This is strange.", Gaius commented anyway. Leon muttered incomprehensible words into the air. Then he sighed. "What is strange?", he asked and finally looked at the physician.
"There aren't any scars.", Gaius said and raised an eyebrow.

"You say that every time."

"Yes. I think it's pretty peculiar. A knight of your experience should have had a lot of injuries to show off. Especially you. How many times have you barely survived any of the prince's more... dangerous hunts?"

Leon didn't answer.

"Sir Leon, I think there is something you're not telling me."

"Again, you say that every time."

"You're a walking miracle. Tough or not. You have no right to have skin like this.", Gaius commented and shook his head.
"Also there is ...", Gaius paused, as he stared at leon's chest. Right where his heart was.
"That's a strange mole."
Gaius came uncomfortably closer. Leon rose an eyebrow himself at the sudden action, when Gaius pulled out a lens to be able to see it.

"What's that? It looks like a rune?", Gaius frowned. Then his eyes widened.

"That can't be right?"

Leon sighed and waited for Gaius to elaborate his findings.

"I have seen this rune before. But only on old artifacts that king Uther has locked away in the dungeons. This is the mark of Cornelius Sigan.", Gaius looked up to meet Leon's eyes.
When he found the knight being thrown off guard so much that he was unable to show his surprise, Gaius let down the lens again.

"You're not surprised?"

Leon pressed his mouth closed tighter.

"Sir Leon, this rune marks you as property of Cornelius Sigan!"

Leon only laughed. "That's ridiculous. Cornelius Sigan is long dead."

"Yes, exactly. But Sigan tempered with life and death, Leon. If you bear this rune, that means you must have been alive during his time.
And if that is true, then you are one of his experiments. One which .... succeeded."
Gaius looked up slowly and again, was faced with a non reaction of Leon's.

Gaius let the lens fall from his hands and sat down heavily.

"You -", he began once more, but for once he could not find any words.

Leon looked down. His eyes were wide and staring. He had not expected this. How had he never noticed this mark?
Slowly, the knight grabbed for his shirt and pulled it over again.

"You're a humunculus.", Gaius finally concluded and made Leon pause to look at him.
"A what?"
"You're human, but you were created synthetically."

"No, I wasn't. I met Sigan when I was already a knight. I was born and raised like any other person. I just.... don't remember who raised me.", Leon gave back and Gaius stared at him. It took Leon a moment before he understood that he just confessed that Gaius's theory wasn't completely unfounded.

"I see.", Gaius nodded. "Leon, I hope I must not warn you that you can never tell Uther about this!"

Leon actually grinned.
"Do I look like an idiot? There is a reason why I haven't told anyone before."

"No one knows?"

"George does.", Leon shrugged.

"George? The servant with the brass jokes?", Gaius deadpanned.

"The one and only. Ah yes, and perhaps the dragon beneath the castle. But I don't really like that guy. He keeps talking in riddles."

Gaius kept staring. "Has.... had Kilgharrah -"

"Told me about Merlin's magic? No, he hasn't.", Leon knew what Gaius was thinking and he was not about to deny it. "I figured that out by myself, thank you. I'm not as oblivious as Arthur is."

"But you do have memory loss?", Gaius hesitated before he changed the subject. There was obviously more he wanted to ask, but he didn't. For reasons.
Reasons that Leon did not care about.

"Apparently."

"Well, that is bad. It's way too soon to get to any conclusions. But if you didn't hit your head, or have any other kind of sickness that could cause amnesia, then I must assume that Sigan's magic is beginning to fail you.
This is bad Leon. You could die."

Leon blinked. "I don't die. My magic heals me.", he said. And it was interesting to see Gaius sit up straighter at the words 'my magic', instead of 'Sigan's magic'. Because that way, Leon was claiming to possess as well as possibly control the magic himself.

Gaius startled at the new information, but then nodded. "I'm afraid to say, we cannot say for how much longer."

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A.N.://

(1) Definitely not because I forgot his name and then went back to check, only to realize that I accidentally renamed Alastor as Alator. Which was a mistake, as I have been informed by one of my readers, because Alator is an existing character within the series and clearly on Emrys side.
And here you can see first hand, how bad I am with names.
This is why I take notes of names. And this is the reason why I hate myself for misplacing the notes on this story :D Hate is a strong word, but I still apologize for the confusion.