YAY! 500 reads! I'd say that's a lot, so here's a long chapter!

Not sure if anyone else has stories like this or not, but enjoy, and tell me your thoughts. I also found my new favorite name. You'll hear it a lot, he's the tour guide.

Beautiful. That was all that could describe this kingdom. Merlin was in love with the land, the people, and their ways. Honestly this place made him want to quit working for Arthur and come here. Maybe their Prince was looking for a servant.

As they rode in Merlin saw multiple people with magic doing everyday jobs, and making everything in general, easier. Yes, there were people working without magic, but the people with, were simply doing more important, and better jobs, so they were more noticeable.

"Merlin, stop staring, and get over here before you get lost!" This shook Merlin out of his trance-like state, and he hurried back over to his king. They were going to a new kingdom to (hopefully) make another ally. Merlin had never been to a kingdom that truly accepted magic. Yes, Cendred's kingdom allowed magic, but they didn't truly accept it.

When the knights saw the castle, they gasped. It seemed to be made of Amber. The roof looked like it was made of rubies, and the doors seemed to be made of obsidian. Their castle was tall, yet sturdy looking.

"Ah, you must be the group from Camelot." A short man with a long red beard, and a long nose interrupted their thoughts. "My name is Gatwick, I've been assigned to lead you around for today and explain how our kingdom works. Tomorrow you will meet with the king."

This caused a murmur to arise from the knights, due to them believing it rude to not meet your guests immediately. Even with that thought, they didn't complain. Every person in their group wished to know more about this stranger kingdom.

"First things first, I have to test each and every one of you to see if any of you have magic."

Arthur decided to pipe in, "That will not be necessary. None of us have magic."

"I realize your kingdom allows no magic, but there may still be a sorcerer, or possibly even a warlock in your midst." This caused a confused look to go around the knights faces. "Oh sorry, I assumed you knew the difference. A sorcerer has to practice magic to actually get magic whatsoever and if he doesn't use it for a period of time loses it. While a warlock is born with it, always has it and has a tendency to automatically use it. Make sense?"

The knights nodded.

"Also just to be clear, if one of you has magic and wishes not to tell the others, I will respect your choice." Gatwick's words calmed Merlin slightly.

Everyone seemed calm as they were one by one taken into the mini hut on the left side of the city gate. Well except Merlin, but nobody took notice as usual. Each knight came in, and came out with a calm expression. After Arthur had his turn he pressed, "okay, we've proven there is no magic in our group, now can we go?"

For the tiniest second Merlin felt hope emerge, but that hope was squashed when the man pointed him out. "One more."

The knights scoffed and started chatting amongst themselves. Not even seeing Merlin's horrified expression. Nor did they see the shake that had been added to his step.

The second he stepped into the tent there was a rather quiet noise. Ping.

When they were fully inside the tent, he realized that there was a magical entrance into a working space. Merlin marveled at the amount of workers all usuing magic to move a large block of Amber.

"Ah you see it too?" Merlin nodded. "Were you aware that you do in fact have magic?"

"I'd rather not answer that."

"It's a simple yes or no question." Gatwick pushed.

With a sad look Merlin nodded.

"Alright, I'm going to test how strong your magic is. I just need one drop of your blood." Gatwick handed Merlin a knife, and Merlin made a thin line across his pinky. Then Gatwick proceeded to place a snail sized Crystal box against Merlin's blood.

At First nothing happened, but when Gatwick made Merlin do a spell. It broke.

"But- but- that's never happened before... Only- only the most- most powerful warlock is rumored to be able- able to do- to do that?" Gatwick stuttered, then looked up at Merlin. "Emrys?"

Merlin nodded with an embarrassed look, "just call me Merlin. Please don't tell the knights or anyone anyone who'd tell Arthur."

Gatwick agreed, and they went out to the knights.

"Little ol' Merlin passed the 'no magic' test too huh?" Elyan teasingly asked.

Gatwick was about to correct him, but Merlin interrupted him, "nope, I failed. I totally have magic. I'm also the most powerful Warlock to walk the earth." His sarcastic tone causing the knights to laugh.

The joke, and the reaction caused the poor tour guides head to hurt. It was so obvious. He'd just said the absolute truth. Only the most oblivious of people would not have realized that he literally was the most powerful warlock ever. Yet this boy made others laugh by telling the truth? What kind of strange relationship did they have? Maybe it was partly the fact that they were not used to magic? Gatwick shook himself out of his thoughts.

"Alright, let's get this tour going!" Attempting at his normal enthusiasm to hide his shock. He had just met the most powerful man on Earth. At the moment, said man was also a servant to the most oblivious man on earth.

By the end of the tour, the group had just been brought to their guest chambers, and Gatwick needed proof that he'd met him. "Uh, Merlin, could I speak with you outside? Privately?" He added the last part when Arthur had taken a step to go with Merlin as Merlin stepped out of the room cautiously.

"Yes?" He intentionally asked verbally instead of telepathicly.

Gatwick held a pen and paper. "Could you, um, sign this for me?"

Merlin quickly did so, and the man basically squealed. Gatwick started running.

"Wait! Gatwick!"

"OMG, He knows my name! The great Emrys KNOWS MY NAME!"

"Yes I do, now I have a question for you Gatwick." He enthusiastically nodded. "Are you going to tell anyone about me?"

Gatwick paused, "well I have to tell the Prince, but if you wish for me not to share to anyone else, then I won't."

Merlin nodded. "Thank you Gatwick, that will be appreciated."

Then the great Emrys turned back to his door and tripped. Gatwick didn't notice. Neither would he care if he had seen. Even the greatest warlock on earth can have flaws.

Let's just say Merlin didn't sleep much that night.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Rise and shine!" Merlin opened this kingdom's navy curtains and made all the knights groan.

"It's time to go meet the king!" Merlin shouted causing more groans.

Somehow Merlin managed to have them all ready in time for the meeting. Although, he was nervous that this king would tell Arthur and the other knights. .

Turn after turn, step after step. Like usual the knights hadn't noticed how uncomfortable Merlin was. They just assumed he was quiet because of the magnificent diamond walls.

"Originally we had planned to make the entire castle of diamonds to be stronger, but we found them too see through. The Amber was slightly less see through, and they placed steel between the diamond walls to prevent spying," Gatwick interrupted their thoughts. "Using spells we made it both impenetrable, and sound proof. One hell of a castle huh?" The knights nodded at Gatwick's question, even though they weren't really listening. They were too busy looking at the rough, transparent walls that showed wondrous carvings on the steel underneath the diamonds. They were truly amazed.

Merlin was the only one listening to Gatwick. He enjoyed the explanations of how this all came to be through magic. This made Merlin wonder just how wonderful Camelot could be right now if Uther hadn't gone all 'Hide and Jekyll.' Or a few other ways to say it, kooky, round the bend, mad as a March hare. Just how many more alliances would they have made?

As they rounded yet another corner, they came to a large obsidian door. The door had carvings of Dragons filled with Lapis Lazuli. When they walked towards it, it opened by itself.

"Wow!"Gwaine piped up, "they have automatic doors!"

Everyone ignored Gwaine and followed Gatwick into the throne room.upon entering, everyone was stunned.

The walls were a mixture of gems, while the chandelier was made of glowing wood. The throne was made of obsidian. In the center was a table with a silver tablecloth. At least Merlin thought there was a table under the cloth, but he wasn't sure.

"Welcome to Aldden! I hope you enjoyed the tour. My name is Stanford Sterling. Most call me Stan." He then shook each of their hands and waited for them to say their names even if they were weirded out by this.

"Arthur."

"Gwaine."

"Leon."

"Percival."

"Elyan."

("Donkey!" Random thought I had, nobody actually says it.)

Then he shook hands with Merlin. "My name is Merlin, although most people just call me idiot." This caused most people to laugh, or snicker.

Again, Gatwick was amazed. He'd thought that Emrys would be regal, and show off. That was not at all the case.

After Aldden's knights introduced themselves, Stan spoke up. "Well let's sit down, and discuss the reason for your visit."

They sat in diamond chairs. Somehow they were rather comfy. Merlin was standing on a wall nearby Arthur as he always did.

"Come sit Merlin, if Arthur trusts you enough to be here, you deserve a seat," Stan commanded. This caused Merlin to do an awkward shuffle to the table. He didn't like having everyone's attention. Gwaine motioned him to the seat beside him with a smile, and Merlin gladly accepted the offer.

Stan decided to start the conversation, "so what brings you Camelotians here?"

"We wish to become allies with your kingdom-" Merlin quit listening and felt his curiousity getting the best of him. So he slowly leaned down, and checked under the table. Well the cloth anyway. There literally was no table. Yet when Stan or Arthur laid their arms on the table the cloth would remain solid.

Gwaine elbowed him quite harshly, and Merlin looked up. Only to find everyone at the table looking at him.

"Looking for something?" One of Stan's knights asked.

"No, just looking at the floating tablecloth." Merlin replied honestly. This caused Gwaine and Elyan to look under the table, and soon even Arthur. The Aldden knights began to chuckle.

"It's a rather simple spell that works quite nicely." Stan explained, "just a few words, and it'll stay up until our meeting is finished. Then it will retold itself."

Arthur brought himself back to the matter at hand. "We would like to become allies with you. We've heard about how strong and agile your armies are. There's rumours of how great your kingdom is, and how well it functions."

"Ah, yes. Allies. I believe that can easily be arranged." Stan declared proudly, "I have an offer, but it has a circumstance that you must follow. You must allow magic back into your kingdom. If this is too much for you, then we ask for your servant, Merlin. He would be a valuable asset to our kingdom." Stan was looking straight at Merlin for this, then looked back to Arthur with a cold look. "If you choose neither, we will attack your kingdom and take it. As we have many other kingdoms. There's a reason we have so much land Arthur."

Stan then stood up. "I shall give you until this time tomorrow to decide."

All the Camelotians were so stunned, they didn't realize Gatwick was leading them back to their guest chambers.

Only when they sat on their beds did they realize they were back in their guest chambers. They also realized that Merlin wasn't there at the moment. For a while they sat in silence.

After a while Arthur finally asked,"what do each of you think I should do?"

Arthur looked to Leon, he'd always been there for Arthur. He always had more knowledge, he knew what to do, and people were starting to think he was immortal. Normally he knew what to do. This was a rare occasion he didn't, and he just shrugged.

Then Arthur looked at Percival. He was a man of actions not words. Although the words he did speak were filled with meaning and knowledge. He just shrugged.

Elyan was rather knowledgeable too. Maybe he'd have an idea? Nope, he just shrugged.

As a last resort Arthur looked to Gwaine.

"Well, I'm rather sober at the moment, so I'll tell you what I think. We have to either bring magic into Camelot, or lose our support, our best friend, the guy that keeps us going. Yes, he seems like an idiot sometimes, but without him, most of us wouldn't be where we are today."

This caused a lot more silence. Why was this kingdom so quiet? How did the silence spread to Camelot's group? Oh right. Merlin wasn't here. Where was that idiot anyway?

~~~~~~~~~~~

Stan had telepathicly asked Merlin to stay. In all honesty, Merlin was far too shocked to move anyway. The knights seemed too stunned to notice Merlin staying behind.

"Hello Emrys, it's a pleasure to meet you," a brunette that had been on the kings left voiced.

Stan stopped her from going any further. "That's my daughter Marietta, very kind hearted, but flirts non stop. Anyway, that's not the reason I asked you to stay behind." Stan sat directly in front of Merlin. "I believe it would help your mission to bring magic into Camelot, but if Arthur chooses to leave you here, then I think it suitable to make you court warlock. If you accept that is," he then paused. "It will also be beneficial to you to practice wielding your magic and become more confident, and more proud of it. You'd be allowed to go wherever you want as long as you help us with your magic and experience for five years. After those five years you can choose to stay, go back to Camelot or wherever your heart desires. The last good thing about this, it would show you what you really mean to Arthur. So what do you think?"

This was a lot to take in. Finally seeing what Arthur thought of him. The possibility of him being court warlock. Magic possibly being allowed in Camelot... Although most of these were good. If Arthur truly thought he was an idiot, he would stay. If Arthur allowed magic back into the kingdom, then he might be able to tell Arthur about his magic. There really was no bad option.

"I think it's a good proposition. It will really benefit me either way. Would you like anything in return?"

Stan smiled, "well as I've already mentioned, if you stay, then you would help around the kingdom for five years, and if you go back, then help if we ever were to need it. Either way we have helped a legend become great."

Merlin was once again stunned. They were basically asking for nothing, a little help here and there maybe, but that was it. "Thank you Stan, you have brought a wonderful opportunity for me either way."

"My pleasure, but you better get back to the guest chambers before they get too suspicious," Stan told. Right as Merlin was about to leave, Stan decided to add one more idea, "oh and Merlin?" Merlin looked back at Stan and nodded. "It would be better to not tell the Camelotians what we spoke about." Merlin nodded, and headed to where he knew their guest chambers were.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Squeak. Merlin slipped in. His attempt to sneak in awoke all the knights.

"Merlin, what do you wish me to do?" Arthur asked almost immediately.

Merlin sassily answered, "what ever you believe is best, now let me sleep you clot pole, it's been a long day." A few minutes later they heard soft snores, looks like he wasn't joking.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Ten hours later
(sponge Bob voice)

They were now standing in front of the throne.

"Have you made your decision?"

"Yes I believe I have," Arthur replied with confidence.

Stan nodded for him to go on.

"I have decided to-"

I dont usually do cliff hangers, but I'm going to do both options, and you can decide which actually happens.