The Lost Prince

Prologue

*Nine years previously*

The Prince was walking through Nelthon with his friends. They had just left a council meeting and the prince was relieved. He didn't like them much but he knows it's necessary for he is to be king one day. The prince was only 14 years of age and he had already won his first battle. Of course his magic helped, but he was the best sword fighter in the five kingdoms according to his friends. The young prince didn't agree though. He always thought that there was someone out there who was better than him. He loathed thinking that he was better than anyone else.

"Sire, are you alright?" Sir Ellis' voice broke through his musings.

"What did I say about the titles? Can you please just call me by my name? I mean I have one so please use it." He said. It annoys him when people used his title. He was still an ordinary-well as ordinary as you can be when be when you're a warlock and the son of a dragonlord-person just with a title. The prince always believed in equality. He never once sought himself better than anyone else. "And to answer your question I was just thinking."

"Wouldn't do that sire, you'll hurt yourself." Sir James said to him cheerfully.

The prince shot him a mock glare "I'll have you know I have never once injured myself thinking." The corners of his mouth twitched.

"There's always a first my lord." Sir Lewis joked.

Then they all burst out laughing. That was when the warning bells went off. "What on earth?" Sir William said then a guard came running up to them.

"My lord, we're under attack." The prince sprung into action by immediately unsheathing his sword. "I'm sorry my lord but we were given instructions by your father to take you out of the citadel and get you and your mother to safety."

"What? No. I will not leave my people. Not when they need me the most" The prince protested.

"You must sire. Your Uncle Gelmand is a traitor and wishes to kill you to end the Ambrosius line. You must leave."

"No I can't and there is nothing you can do to say otherwise." At that moment knights bearing the crest of his Uncle Gelmand-a black raven-came through the doors at the end of the corridor. "Astricè." The prince yelled and as his eyes flashed gold, a few knights flew backwards but that didn't stop them. They tried to fight them off. The prince was fighting four at a time and his agile sword movements had them dead in seconds. There were too many of them. The prince was too busy fighting off the knights to notice someone strike him on the arm. He cried out in pain but wouldn't give up. Then he got sliced in the side, while the prince was distracted.

"Get the prince out of here. Quickly." Ellis said.

"Come on, I'm taking you to the court physician." Will said taking the prince to Leith. Once they got to the throne room-which was being used as the infirmary-they lay him down.

"What happened?" He asked, as he examined his wounds.

"They're just scratches, I'm fine. I have to help my people." He said starting to get up but being pushed down again.

"You will not, sire. Physician's orders." Leith said sternly.

"But-" He was cut off by a searing pain on his arm and side and he clenched his teeth together to refrain from screaming but unfortunately, Leith and Will saw his face contorted in pain.

"I'll give you a tonic to help with the pain, sire." He said, going to go get it.

Will went over to Leith and whispered "We need to get the prince out of here, and you and I both know, he won't go willingly. Can you give him a sleeping draft?"

"You're right Sir William. He will not. Of course I can." They went over to the prince waiting impatiently for the 'tonic'. "Here sire, it will help will help with the pain." Said prince eyed it warily before taking it and downing it in one. The effect was immediate. His eyes grew heavy and felt himself slipping into unconsciousness.

"I'm sorry Merlin..." Will voice trailed off before he fell into deep slumber.

***

When Merlin came to, it was dark. There was fire in the middle of the encampment in the woods. Will was stroking the fire to keep it lit whilst Hunith, Merlin's mother and Queen, was tending to his wounds in peasant clothing. Why was he in the woods? "What happened?" He asked rubbing eyes to clear his vision.

"It's alright now, you're safe. Your safe now sire." Will said coming over to him. Then the memories hit him like a ton of bricks. The knights, the attack, the fight, the injuries, the infirmary, the 'tonic'.

"What happened? Where's Ellis, James and Lewis? Where's father? Where's Christian? What happened to the citadel?" He was panicking.

"Dear, the citadel's been taken. We don't know if they made it out I'm sorry. We had to get you out." Hunith said still tending to his wounds which had stopped bleeding. Merlin suspected that the royal physician tended to them whilst he was asleep as they were all healing quite quickly, but they still hurt. Merlin looked to where the citadel was and saw smoke rising. Nelthon was gone.

"What about father? And Christian?" He asked close to tears now.

"King Balinor, your father, he... Didn't make it. I'm sorry." At William's words, the tears escaped. Merlin was crying. Hunith hugged her son as he cried being careful not to cause any more injury to healing wounds. "And as for Christian, we don't know."

"I'll take you both somewhere safe. I'll take you to the place I lived before I married your father." Hunith said to both Merlin and Will. "I'll take you to Ealdor at first light. Get some rest. Merlin, Leith said the wounds should be healed by morning but they will scar." With that, Merlin and Will fell asleep. The tears still flowing down Merlin's cheeks thinking about his fallen kingdom before darkness consumed him once more.

When they arrived at Ealdor, Hunith, Will and Merlin stayed in the house she grew up in. Merlin and Will trained everyday to keep their skills up and Merlin beat Will every time. Merlin's power strengthened as he grew and when the young prince turned 18, she sent him Camelot to train and learn to control his powers with her old friend Gaius. Thus how Merlin ended up in Camelot.