The Lost Prince Of Altaian (ON HIATUS)

What have you done?!

Really hate to do this, but this will be another very long chapter, but don't worry there is some action to keep you interested. This is really all i had to say, so on with the story!

UN-EDITED

)O(
Groggily, blue eyes opened shining a bright gold as they did.  A gasp of air was sucked in as the ice cold body, awoke. Merlin tried to sit up but found a weight holding him down. He searched frantically for where he was, but calmed as he found himself in his room. He then tried sitting up once more, again finding a weight holding him down, but also a growl stopped him in his tracks. He glanced next to him, only to find a hairy brown mass on top of him. Merlin smiled his signature smile, reaching his eyes. The wolf looked at his boy and his boy looked at him. The wolf barked. Merlin grasped the wolf in his arms.
"Sitka!" Merlin cried happily.
"I thought it was all a dream, but your really here!" The wolf whimpered as merlin hugged him tight.
Merlin let go and just stared at the wolf and in return the wolf licked him. Merlin chuckled, then his face grew serious.
He glanced around the room but found no one there.
Odd usually Gaius stays with me when I black out.
Merlin scratched his head then looked back to Sitka. "Where are the others?"
Sitka barked, then a hoot reached his ears.
"Mira? Do you know where the others are?" Mira screeched and merlin then looked closer at what she was standing on.
It was the ornate box. Merlins face grew dark as he stood. Sitka jumped from the bed as Merlin walked on wobbly legs towards the table, in which Mira was perched.
When merlin approached Mira moved to a chair with a hoot.
Merlin reached the box and he opened it. A growl emitted from Sitka's throat as the wolf saw what was inside.
Merlin then took something from his pocket with a frown on his face. With anger in his eyes he placed the bloodied cloth in the box and closed it then turned back to sitka kneeling down so he looked Sitka in the eye.
"Did they see it?"
Sitka nodded.
Merlin sighed heavily before standing and changing into new clothes.
Merlin stalked to the door and opened it, when Sitka did not follow merlin whistled and instantly the wolf was at his side.
"I think its time we visited an old friend, Don't you think Sitka?"
Sitka growled in agreement.
)O(
Merlin managed to avoid all the guards and everyone possible. At the moment merlin didn't want to speak to Arthur he only had one person in mind to speak to.
Merlin rode out of Camelot towards the clearing with Sitka at his side and Mira flying above. When they reached the clearing their old friend was already there. Merlin dismounted and sitka let out a grow at the creature before them.
"Kilgarrah" Merlin spoke harshly.
"Young warlock" Kilgarrah looked to Sitka at a growl from the wolf.
"Sitka" Kilgarrah turned back to merlin waiting.
"You lied"
"I did not lie I merely withheld the truth and for good reason."
"Good reason? You hear that Sitka 'for good reason' what good reason made you withhold the truth from me? Huh? Which reason made you lie about knowing what was wrong with me all those years ago?" Merlin yelled.
Sitka growled along.
Kilgarrah remained silent. "Do you have anything to say?" Merlin cried out.
"I know what I did, and i know it tore me apart withholding the truth, having to watch you suffer, but i was given orders and i must follow him."
Merlins face fell in shock. "Orders? What orders?From who?"
"I believe you know the answer to that."
Merlins face widened as he looked from Sitka to Kilgarrah. "My mother?"
Kilgarrah nodded and Sitka whimpered.
Merlin brushed a hand through his hair throwing it back down. "Why would she do this?"
"She did it to protect you, you know this. I may not be able to tell you everything Merlin, but if you wish i may know someone who can."
"What do you mean?" Merlin questioned, but before he could react he was engulfed in flames, but it did not burn.
After a few minutes the flames died down and all merlin could see was white.
Merlin shielded his eyes from the brightness, before seeing a shadow amongst the white, and the next thing he knew he was in a forest.
Merlin turned every which way, when he faced forward though, a woman stood before him. Merlin took two steps back.
"M-mother?!" Merlin finally breathed after a long and almost internal silence.
The woman before him nodded parts of her golden hair waving as she did.
"Merlin my dear boy" *a pause*  "look how you've grown" Tears fell from the woman's eyes as she spoke to her son.
Merlin waste no time in embracing his mother.
"Oh my dear boy, I'm so sorry"
Tears came in waves from Merlin's eyes.
"I know mum" Is all merlin could say.
The two broke apart but the woman held Merlin's face in her delicate hands.
"if had known all that you would suffer i would have never placed that spell on you."
Merlin took his mothers hands and asked the question he has been wanting ask ever since she did what she did.
"Then why did you?"  More tears fell from Merlin's eyes as he bowed his head
His mother wiped the tears from his face. "I did it to protect you and your siblings. I saw the horror of Milek's  ways and I couldn't bare to see you go through it and i knew of your destiny and knew you had to fulfill it."
Merlin looked into his mothers eyes and she continued brushing some hair away from Merlin's face.
"Merlin, I'm afraid I don't have much time, but i must tell you. Its time for you to return home, this destiny has been fulfilled now its time to fulfill your other half and take the throne."
"I have to protect Arthur."
"You already have. With each passing moment are kingdom dies and so do i."
Merlin took his mothers hands and asked a pressing question.
"How are you here mother?"
Merlins mother turned her gaze downward and broke the hold merlin had on her.
"Before i died i ordered Kilgarrah to take apart of my soul to preserve it until it was time, and that time is now."
"What if i cant do it? What if i fail"
Merlins mother grasped his hands once more. "You wont fail, i know you wont."
Tears fell from Merlin's eyes. "Its time to reveal yourself my boy."
Suddenly his mothers body started to shimmer a slight gold.
"My boy its time for me to go."
More tears fell. "Please don't go i need you."
"Oh merlin I'm always with you" Her body protruded more gold.
"find them merlin, find those who are loyal and take back our kingdom."
Merlins mother was engulfed in gold and merlin found himself lying on the forest floor Kilgarrah towering over him.
"Young warlock i am truly sorry it could not last longer, but there is another matter at hand."
Merlin wiped the tears from his eyes. "What is it?"
"It would seem sir Lancelot has done something incredibly dishonoring."
"What he do?"
"He has contacted the knights of Altaian."
Merlins eyes widened and genuine fear laced his face.
Sitka growled in the direction of the castle and merlin only nodded.
Merlin turned back to Kilgarrah and saw Mira perched atop his head.
"Show me" He ordered.
Mira screeched and images flashed before his eyes of seven men charging across an almost internal ocean.
His face grew angry and he rode towards the castle knowing they had little time.
)O(
Lancelot was walking down the hall heading towards Merlins chamber Gaius had reported Merlin had disappeared the wolf along with him and now the whole castle was on the search for him.
Before Lancelot even opened the door he was pulled inside. Lancelot looked at the person who had dragged him in (quite roughly might i add) and found merlin glaring daggers at him and Sitka protruding a low growl.
"Merlin! There you are! The castle is on a full search for you" Lancelot exclaimed happily.
Merlin only continued to glare. "What is it?"
"What have you done Lancelot?" In an instant like flipping a switch Merlin's demeanor changed to one of fear and disappointment.
"What are you talking about"I
Sitka stalked forward and continued to bare his teeth. "Sitka, sitka back up"
"Merlin?!" Th wolf continued to stalk forwards.
"Sitka enough" Merlin spoke and the wolf drew back to merlin sitting at his side, but still baring its teeth.
"I know you remember Lancelot, you don't need to keep the act up." Merlin turned around and faced away from Lancelot.
"So Kilgarrah told you then?"
"He told me more than that. Mira even showed me whats coming. You had no right to do what you did."
"If your referring to the letter i sent, I was doing what i thought was right, isn't it time to take back our kingdom or not?"
"Yes it is, but you still had no right to send that , we don't even know if we can trust them. Ever thought that? Ever thought that, that traitor could know I'm here? And is sending the knights that were closest to me to kill me?"
"They can be trusted merlin! They bound an oath!"
"It doesn't matter! You still shouldn't have done what you did without first consulting with me."
"It was wrong i know that now, *sigh* I'm sorry."
"We have to warn Arthur." Merlin suddenly said and Lancelot's faced showed he highly disagreed.
"You wish to reveal yourself, now?"
"I must, arthur must know whats coming"
"And if he asks about how you didn't remember?"
"I'll tell the truth."
Lancelot ran a hand through his hair. "That's a stupid idea Merlin,"
"Stupider than contacting knights we don't know if we can trust?"
Lance chuckled awkwardly.
"Your coming with, but let me speak to him first." Merlin walked to the door he heard Lancelot behind him speak.
"Yes m'lord" Lancelot said rather mockingly.
"heard that" Merlin called from the hall.
)O(
Sitka trudged behind merlin as they made there way to Arthur's chambers, the wolf knowing full hardly what his boy was planning to do so he kept close to him.
They reached the door and merlin knocked twice. A mumbled 'enter' comes from the other side.
"Here goes nothing." He looked to sitka as he spoke and the wolf in return whimpered.
The two stepped inside to find Arthur pacing about his floor.
"Careful, don't want to dent the floors." Merlin chuckled at his own joke, but chuckled even more at the look on Arthur's face.
"MERLIN!" Arthur embraced merlin quickly.
"Woah i was unconscious not dead." Arthur let go and looked at merlin and without warning clipped him over the head with his hand.
"Ouch" Merlin rubbed the spot in which arthur hit him and Sitka growled and snarled baring its pearly whites at arthur.
"Sitka don't, he didnt mean to."
Sitka stopped at his boys command, but  didn't stop glaring at arthur which made arthur shift nervously.
Arthur turned back to merlin.
"So where've you been. I nearly sent out the entire guard to search for you."
"I just went to have a chat with Kilgarrah."
Arthur had returned to his desk and was now scribbling at some papers.
"The old dragon still owes me an apology for destroying Camelot."
Merlin chuckled as he replied. "He'll never do that he's too self centered." Arthur made an mhmm noise with his mouth and merlin took the chance to mock him. "Kinda like you then"
Arthur looked up and rolled his eyes to merlin who now was flipping through the pages of a fairytale.
"So what did our old cryptic friend tell you this time" Arthur returned to scribbling down at his paper.
"Just the usual" Arthur scoffed, merlin then took the chance to mutter a spell that made a sort of sound barrier around the room.
"But there is something I'm supposed to tell you."
"And what is that"
Merlin tugged the charm off his neck and then took Sitka's.
"I'm guessing Gaius told you about these?" Arthur turned at the question and saw the charms in Merlin's hand.
Arthur turned back to his papers as he spoke. "Yes he called them"Arthur made a gesture with hand before continuing "oh what was it............The charm of brothers or something like that."
"Yes that is there name, what else did he tell you about them?" Merlin laid the charms on his desk.
"He told us an old legend regarding the charm saying, how a wolf can choose to bond with a boy or man after they saved said boy, or the other way around, and the wolf shall"
Merlin spoke over him. "And the wolf shall take thee to a sacred place where three feet under blood shall be spilled and in bloods place a bond of wood like roots woven in the earth and time."
"So I'm guessing somehow the wolf saved you or the other way around?"
"Not exactly." Merlin started to play with a trinket on Arthur's desk before continuing.
"When i was born, my parents told me i was as cold as death itself." arthur looked up at that. "They said i made no sound, they believed I wouldn't make it, but i still breathed. My body only got colder till one day our stablehand burst the doors saying a wolf pup had been sired. My father told me he asked the man when, and man said three days ago the same day i was born. Apparently the wolf was born on the same hour of the same day, of the same minute i was born. The man brought the pup before me and as it touched me it healed me, our bond already woven in the earth."
"That's how the wolf found you then, you and em' were born at the same time."
"yes"
"Is that all you wished to tell me"
"No"
"Well get on with it. We promised no more lies."
"Then no more lies it is." Sitka pushed closer to merlin as merlin took a deep intake of air.
Arthur looked at merlin waiting for him to continue.
Merlin whispered a spell and the sword at his side was uncloaked. The sheath of the sword was coated in marking and symbols and to clasp it around his belt was a blue leather cord and dangling from the cord was a dragon charm. Merlin unsheathed the sword and held it his hands and spoke.
"This sword has been passed down from king to king, to son to son for decades." Arthur looked up then looked down but looked up again realizing what he'd seen. Arthur stood and walked towards the glorious blade shining in the sunlight.
Merlin saw Arthur's expression and continued. " There's a legend that falls behind the blade. Some say it was forged in the fires of the ancient dragon others say it was created from the gods, but the real story is it was forged in the eternal flame and its purpose is to bring peace to the land and peace to anyone who holds it."
"And where did you get it? From the blacksmith?" Arthur chuckled and so did merlin.
Merlin sighed after that his voice growing sad.
"No," Merlin laid the sword on the table. "My father gave it to me, well he didnt exactly give it to me more like it gave itself to me."
Arthur was confused. "Its strange i know, but its true." Merlin then pulled the seal from his pocket just staring at it. Arthur looked at was in Merlin's hands waiting for merlin to continue.
"This is the royal seal of the Ambrosius line." Thats all merlin said as he handed it to arthur for him to look at.
"So why do you have it?" Arthur handed it back to merlin.
"You really are as blind as they come." Merlin spoke impatience creeping into his words.
"And what is that supposed to mean? You've said nothing that makes any sense."
"Well then maybe this will clear things up." Out of nowhere an ornate box appeared in Merlin's hands this one different from the one that carried the bloodied cloths.
The box bore a wolf and a dragon standing back to back, the wolf holding a sword and the dragon holding a blue orb, a lapis gem being the orb.
Merlin opened the box by flipping the latch and when he pulled what was in  it out Arthurs eyes widened.
Merlin had pulled out a silver crown on said crown was a radiant blue gem in the center enclosed in what looked like a tree and the same markings on it as the box. Nobody heard as Lancelot walked in Arthur too busy looking at the crown.
"Where did you get that"
"It was given to me on my tenth birthday, where I come from that is the age the son of a king becomes a prince."
"You a Prince, nice joke merlin" Sitka growled and Lancelot decided to make his appearance known.
"He's not lying"
"Lancelot when did you get here?" Arthur asked.
"A while ago, but merlin doesn't lie, i have at least four other people that can prove it."
Arthur looked to merlin "This is the truth?"
Merlin could only nod. "Why didn't you tell me?" Arthurs face looked betrayed.
"I was forced not too"
"And why is that? Your not forced to do anything Merlin. We said no more lies"
"My mother forced me" Merlin snapped.
"Why would Hunith do something like that?"
"Hunith not my mother, my mother name is Yeneth Marie Hunith Ambrosius, my father was Balinor Amor Leoine Ambrosius, they were both killed by the man i used to call uncle, my brothers and sister were both taken from me and I couldn't remember them! I couldn't remember anything until two years ago and even then it was all a big blur. I don't even know if their alive I don't even know if......."
"Merlin" Merlin looked at Lancelot.
"Put the sword down."  Merlin looked at his hands and found his sword in his hands pointed at....
"I'm sorry Arthur."
"Thats alright, you seemed lost though as if you truly were about to kill me."
"I'm sorry that hasn't happened in along time, but we cant focus on the past i didnt come here just to tell my heritage, somethings coming."
Arthur looked on serious. "Whats coming?"
"Should you tell him or should I?" Lancelot asked.
"No, no this was your doing you tell em' ".
"Tell me what?"
"Well, you see um when merlin returned with sitka, I may or may not have contacted the knights of Altair ." Lancelot said sheepishly which resulted in a growl from Sitka.
"Who are the knights of Altaian?"
Merlin spoke. "there the elite royal warriors of Altaian, skilled in every weapon, and masters of assassination. I would know I trained them myself."
"You train knights? Ha ya i believe that before you being a prince." Arthur joked.
"You think i cant handle a sword?" Merlin smiled.
"You willing to prove you can?"
Merlin only smiled. "Alright this whole bantering thing is cute really, but we should really focus on the matter at hand." Lancelot spoke aloud.
"Right" Merlin whistled and Mira appeared at the window.
"Show me"
Images flashed across Merlin's eyes of eight knights galloping through a forest.
"There at least a day out, that gives us enough time to prepare."
"So you accept the challenge then?" Arthur questioned.
"I do" But they never got the chance for no later the warning bells sounded.
They all three looked at each other and then a guard barged through the doors making both Sitka and Merlin jump.
"Sire" The guard bowed its head clearly out of breathe.
"Whats going on?" Arthur questioned.
"A patrol came back, they report a band of knights riding for Camelot"
"How far out?"
"At least an hour from the gates sire"Arthur gave a questioning look to merlin.
"Thats not possible" Merlin said
"I'm sorry my lords , I am just delivering the message
"I'm aware of the knights on there way, i want you to inform the queen though and tell her to keep the children away from our.......guests"
The guard bowed his head and rushed off to deliver his new orders.
Arthur looked to merlin and Lancelot. "I thought you said they were a day out?"
"I thought so too, but I should've mentioned that the knights of Altair have magic as well.
'Thanks for the information Merlin, now tell me how do i know if they can be trusted?"
Merlin replied. "The knights of Altair will bow on one knee and wont arise till called upon too, though that's not much help since my uncle would of known that, um Lancelot?"
"Well if they are true to the crown they will bare the capes- no no that wont work Milek would have known about that too"
"Well is there anything this Milek doesn't know?" Arthur said clearly annoyed.
Merlin put his hand to his chin then looked to Lancelot then Arthur.
"What?"
"Nothing i was just thinking, look the best way you can determine if they can be trusted is if they bare a burn on their hand, in the form of the sigil of the Ambrosius house, that's the only thing i can think of that Milek doesn't know about."
"Well then shall we go and greet these guest of ours Lancelot?"
"Ill stay with Merlin for like we said these knights are trained assassins, Gwaine will watch out for you though"
"Gwaine remembers?" Merlin asked.
"Remembered right after me" Merlin sighed.
"Alright, just don't get yourselves killed by these 'trained assassins'"
Merlin laughed and so did Lancelot.
During this entire time Arthur had managed to dress in his kingly attire and went to prepare to meet these guest of his, not knowing what to expect. As he walked down the halls though a shadow followed behind him, order to protect Arthur at all cost against its own wishes. The knights of Altair were on there way, whether it may be for loyalty or betrayal, none shall now except fate herself.
Hey guys again so sorry for not updating, but again these past few weeks have been hectic hope you'll forgive me! But i will give you a treat a preview for the next chapter! YAY no,no ok I'm just gonna, go.

Eight horses rode at top speed through the dense forest.
"How do you know this will work?" Merlin spoke softly
Still the horses ran
"Because if we don't believe."
The horses came to a stop rearing up as they did
"All that we have down for this kingdom."
People chained by the neck and hands pulled a large boulder
"All the hope the people had"
Giants grunting in pain as they were whipped
"The fire that has burned inside us all"
Knights fighting and dragons flying above breathing fire
"Will be lost"