Kilgharrah had been both -ecstatic and angry- to know that there were three more dragon eggs.

Ecstatic because his race now had a big chance of survival and because he could feel 'the sweet taste of revenge on his tongue' his words, not Merlin's. Anger because, 'how dare the young warlock hide such a thing from me?!' again, Kilgharrah's words and not Merlin's.

One day, Merlin promised.... One day, he was going to call that scaly lizard- young dragon. He had never thought that one day he would be proud of his old age.

They were in the balcony of the castle, looking over the castle courtyard where hundreds of people had gathered to watch the first hatching ceremony in centuries. Kilgharrah was perched on the roof with a clear view of the ceremony, and Aithusa was perched on Merlin's right shoulder.

She had refused to get down from his shoulders since she had seen him enter the courtyard. Merlin could sense her need to be close to him- it was similar to what he felt- but more intense. She liked Balinor well enough but Merlin was her Dragonlord and didn't like being left behind, that any kind of distance from Merlin was difficult for her.
Merlin had never felt so tender towards anyone or anything- maybe a sleeping Arthur, but then the prat woke up and Merlin hadn't felt tender anymore.

The three eggs had been placed on the pedestal in front of him.
When the crowd Merlin began to settle down and look towards Merlin, expecting, he started,
"As you all must have heard, I hatched Aithusa, The Light of the Sun, first, not even a few hours ago." There were many cheers from the crowd, all welcoming Aithusa with open arms. She was the first dragon to be hatched in at least 20 years.

Aithusa chirped happily in reply and then the crowd went silent when Merlin raised his hand. He announced,
"Now, it is time to bring the other three dragons into the world. These dragons are the future of the Dragon breed and these eggs have been saved for this exact moment for centuries." he sweeps his eyes across the courtyard and is glad to see Manon missing, "I am happy that you all could be a part of this historical moment." he finishes.

Merlin then looks to Kilgharrah and his father, both of them nod their assent to continue, then he promptly brings his hand over the First egg.

It is a luminous Black egg. He can feel the life inside already eager to be called out.
The eggs had all stayed dormant these past centuries when they were in Merlin's basement. This was the first time Merlin had felt their presence inside the egg- he had started to fear that the eggs were dead. It was like the Dragonlings knew that it was time to be born- like a baby kicking at the walls of a Mother's womb. How did they know that it was time to come out?
There were a few questions in this world that made Merlin gawk at the obvious presence of a superior being- call it a God, Goddess- anything.

So, this time, he was the mother. Calling this life into the world, he called out to the Dragon inside.

"Kalinda!" Merlin spoke out, loud and clear, "The Power of the Sun". The egg cracks and slowly the head emerged, a pure black head with golden eyes and then came paws and the wings. The skin of this dragon was leathery, smooth enough to slip through someone's hands.
It was a female dragon, the colour as black as Merlin's hair. Her eyes glowed an intelligent golden and she, like her sister climbed on Merlin's shoulder, left one and sat.

He then brought his arm over to the next egg, which was a red so bright that it reminded him of Arthur's cloak.

"Yddraig!" he commanded the life inside the egg to prosper. "The Bringer of Victory". This dragon came out with a roar of its own- as if it had been waiting a long time for his birth. This dragon was a male and as predicted was a deep, almost angry red colour. Merlin couldn't help but think that it would suit Arthur perfectly. He smiles at the dragon and offers it his right palm, the dragon jumps on it and stands on his hind legs. The crowd couldn't contain themselves- cheers don't seem to stop and all three dragons seem to love the attention. Even Kilgharrah seems to turn into a cat- purring at the new dragonlings.
Merlin chuckles and then extends his arm over the last egg, The sea blue egg.

"Ryojin!" Merlin births the last dragon, "The Might of the Sea". When the head came out of the eggshell, Merlin was shocked. The eyes of the dragon were so different, he had never seen something so beautiful. It was another male dragon. His coat a luminescent blue, barer than the others but still shined like the sea on a sunny afternoon. His eyes, when they met Merlin's, were a calm so deep, that Merlin felt all his tensions fade away.
No really, for a second he was like- Blonde witches? What blonde witches?

He offered his left hand for Ryojin to jump on. He stood on Merlin's palm like his brother, greeting the people of this Kingdom with his chest high. The Druids were weeping and the Catha banged their staffs on the courtyard floor- producing a voice like loud claps-resounding throughout the kingdom, all the children were laughing and hooting from the shoulders of their parents. still trying to get a better view of the Dragons.

Merlin took a deep breath and raised his arms above as if hugging the sky and then together- Kilgharrah, Aithusa, Kalinda, Yddraig and Ryojin roared as loud as they could into the skies. Fire sprouting from Kilgharrah's.

Merlin threw up his head in the sky, eyes golden and luminescent shapes of different coloured dragons formed in the night sky. Kilgharrah the golden dragon in the middle, frozen in flight, the images of young white, black, red and blue dragons on the Elder dragon's four opposite sides.

The people of Ambrosia matched their roars with their own and shot sparks of magic into the air.
Fireworks of multiple colours lit the night sky.
This is the way it should have been, Merlin thinks. This was the way it always had to be.

This was the start of Albion. An Albion with Magic.

*

Merlin and Balinor had started taking care of the hatchlings right after the Hatching Ceremony. Merlin had a year and a few months left to spend with his babies and he had promised that they were going to be together each and every day until his destiny demanded that he be away from them.

Merlin had asked Balinor if he wanted to hold them for a while but his father had just stood beside him, with his arms around Hunith and his proud gaze on Merlin, occasionally slipping to the dragonlings as well. His father had replied with 'I am good right here, son,' holding Hunith to him tighter and looking at Merlin with fatherly adoration.

Merlin had blushed then because he had known that his father was proud of him, known that he was glad to have Merlin as a... as a son.
He had never seen Balinor look so broken than when his father had thought that Merlin was dead or ever seen someone so relieved to see him alive, either.
His love for Merlin had been instant, there from the first day he entered Ambrosia.

Balinor had accepted Merlin as his son long before Merlin had considered him to be his father. It was harder for him because for so long he had been without a father, his soul had grown used to that fact. But he accepted now, he not just called Balinor 'Father' but also loved him like one.

He looks down at the dragonlings and realises that he was now a father, himself. These dragons were probably going to be the only children he was ever going to have, thought Merlin.

They were too young to breathe fire yet and thus their food will have to be cooked. Hipsy, another house elf had been given specific instructions regarding the food for hatchlings. She was now in charge of anything that the Dragonlings ate.

The first offering of food had been made by Merlin, apparently, it helped the dragonlings bond better with their Dragonlords. He had read that in the book he had brought back from the tomb of Ashkanar. There were many other things mentioned like teaching the Dragons how to speak the common tongue, connecting their minds and training together- but all that comes later.

After they had all tired from dinner and some play, Merlin put the hatchlings to sleep in the nest he built himself under Kilgharrah's instructions. Before leaving he stroked each Dragons head- even Kilgharrah (to which the old Dragon snorted but did lean into the touch for a second)- and then retired to his own bedroom.
He can't remember the last time he had felt so happy, so full of wonder. These dragons will stay with Merlin, be his companions in the long life he will have to live again. They were just like him, magic and immortal. He won't go insane, won't try to end himself multiple times or go through years of insanity. The relief he felt was overwhelming.

Merlin takes out his guitar from his travel bag for the first time since he travelled back in time, sits at the foot of his humungous bed and plays. Plays what he feels, plays until his fingers ache.
He strums for a while thinking about what he wants to sing then starts a tune.

He was happy today, happier than he ever remembers being in a long, long time. Just like he had been in Camelot, a very long time ago.

Even some of the bad times in Camelot were good-like when he had drunk poison for Arthur and Arthur had done the same. The countless quests with and without the knights. Gwaine and Lancelot. He remembers all of them.
He remembered Gwaine's different ways of lifting his mood after he had just been from the stocks or Lancelot's selfless friendship. Their loyalty to both Merlin and Arthur.

"Hot sand on toes, cold sand in sleeping bags
I've come to know that memories
were the best the things you ever had"

The time before Morgana went evil when she used to fight for justice and equality, like that day in Ealdor. When her heart was as beautiful as her body. When she was kind to Merlin when no one was, she was the only noble who was ready to help at the drop of a hat. Before Merlin poisoned her.
When there was no Morgause.

"Awoke to the fog where all around us
The bloom of summertime
We stood
Steady as the stars in the woods, so happy-hearted"

The time before he freed the dragon and killed the king, a time when he still considered telling Arthur all about himself. Coming clean about his magic and showing him by counting the different ways he had saved lives, that magic was a force for good. But after the dragon burnt Camelot down and the King died- Merlin gave up all hopes of ever changing Arthur's mind.

"And the warmth rang true inside these bones
As the old pine fell, we sang
Just to bless the morning"

When Gwen was still Gwen and not your Majesty. When she was still Merlin's friend and his no.1 confidante. Not the Gwen who was on the inside an insecure girl, worried about her place in the castle as the peasant queen and appearances that she frowned every time when Merlin called her by her name instead of her station.

When she had been a woman in love and not a woman in want of power. She had been a good queen, a just queen after Arthur died but when she blamed Merlin for her husband's death after Percival dragged him back from the lake of Avalon- and though he knew that it was said in the heat of the moment, Merlin had still broken up inside but on the outside, he had just quietly accepted it. It was true.

Later she had apologized and made Merlin the Court Sorcerer, asking him for advice on every matter of state and repealing the law against magic with his help. He had respected her as his queen but Merlin never had the guts to call her 'Gwen' again. Even when she was dying and he knew that she needed the 'friend' Merlin and not Emrys beside her, he just... couldn't manage.
He didn't see her as a friend anymore, he hadn't since Arthur died.
She was Queen Guinevere until the end. Not Gwen- never Gwen.

"I've come to know the friends around you
Are all you'll always have"

When he was still the young lad that had stumbled his way into Camelot and mocked the prince of Camelot on his first day. When he didn't know of his destiny. When his father didn't die in his arms, when Aithusa didn't turn away from him..... before he realized that Arthur was the one in his thoughts- every waking moment and every non-waking moment too. Before Freya, Will and everyone else died. Before the beautiful lake of Avalon became a crypt.

"Careless and young, free as the birds that fly
With weightless souls now
We stood"

He remembers that he had been very happy in Camelot but in the later years- especially since Mordred came to Camelot- it had always been overshadowed by looming dangers and the anxiety over Arthur's safety to actually enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

For the first time in centuries, his happiness was much greater than his fear and anxiety over the future. He felt like the young Merlin today, free as a bird.

He just hoped it stayed that way.

He finally put his guitar aside and cracked his knuckles, then changed into his night clothes before moving onto the bed.

But just before he fell asleep he heard his chamber windows crack open and something peek inside the room. Merlin smiled as he knew immediately who it was. He stood up and walked over to the window and cracked it further- which made Kalinda rush in and smack her head on the sill of the window- Aithusa right behind her- who fell over Kalinda and Yddraig and Ryojin following close after.
Kalinda turned and looked at Merlin sheepishly. He laughed and a second later tilted his head to the side as a prompt and then...

Then, they all entered his room and one-by-one climbed on top of his bed- waiting for him to come to bed. He laughed again and made his way over and lied down.
He watched amusedly as his dragons made themselves comfortable on his person.
Kalinda settled herself on Merlin's pillow, behind his head, paws in Merlin's hair.
Aithusa had her head nestled on Merlin's right shoulder and Ryojin was on his left side- similar to Aithusa.
Yddraig had his tail wrapped around Merlin's bicep- his whole body stretching straight on Merlin's upturned forearm, face resting close to Merlin's pulse.

Well, guess they didn't like their nests then, Merlin thought. A second later all four of the dragons were asleep, leaving Merlin to his thoughts. They emanated such heat that Merlin thought that he was never going to need a cover ever again and made him glad that he had left the window propped open.

What did make him question was Ryojin.

Merlin turned his head left and noticed that out of all his dragons only Ryojin had a normal temperature, same as Merlin's and not like the other hatchlings. Even his breath was cold. Merlin swallowed.... This... was strange.

Even the book on Dragons had not mentioned anything about cold-er dragons- he knew that Ryojin was different- He was the calmest of all dragons but his roar had been the loudest out of all the baby dragons.
As if hearing Merlin's thoughts Ryojin lifts up his tiny head from Merlin's shoulders and looks straight at Merlin- their eyes catch.
He smiles and nuzzles Ryojin with his nose, the dragon scoots closer to Merlin's shoulder. Merlin decides then that he shall leave all anxieties for tomorrow, today was a happy day.

He smiles and falls asleep listening to the deep breathing of his Dragons

Notes:

Kalinda is a name in Hindu Mythology means the sun and the river- So I interpret it as the Power of the sun.

Yddraig is the red dragon present on the Welsh Flag- it also symbolises Victory over foes. Hence, 'the bringer of Victory'

Ryojin- this is my favourite name, personally. I know I am not allowed to choose- but hey- my fic, my rules.

Ryojin is borrowed from the Japanese Mythology- basically, it is the Dragon God that resides in the seas and the waves symbolise the Dragon's mouth that it uses to catch its prey.

Kalinda is called the 'power of the sun'- she is all knowing, the female Wikipedia- she is supposed to be wise and clever as well. She represents Merlin/Emrys's Wiser form. The form that has had 1500 years to grow

Yddraig- 'bringer of Victory'- it's in the name- this is the most aggressive of all dragons- he represents the anger Merlin has on the inside. He comes out when someone threatens his family or when he is moody and tired. Yddraig is also the laziest of all Dragon but also can be compared to the Hulk of the Avengers or God of War-Ares.

Ryojin- 'the might of the seas'- Water is as calm as it is mighty- the same can be said about Ryojin.
He makes Merlin feel calm and will help him make multiple decisions in the future with his inherent Calmness and depth BUT he is also the most unpredictable of Dragons.
There are calm days on the sea and then there are Tsunamis. You never know when it's gonna hit.

Ryojin represents the servant part of Merlin- He was innocent and loyal on the surface- always a friend in need, but in his free time- he had ended more lives than he saved, the most powerful sorcerer of the Earth. That's Ryojin- you don't see him coming and then BANG he is there.

Ryojin has and will always be (throughout the fic) a wild card!

We all know Aithusa- she is the 'Light of the sun'
Aithusa had always been the kind one but she had also been Justice. It was one of the reasons that she had been attracted to Morgana, no matter how evil Morgana turned- she had been Lady Justice and Kind at the core.
Aithusa will also help Merlin a lot of decisions in the future, hence the right shoulder perch ( near Merlin's ear)

A lot of these facts are going to be repeated in the fic- but this is just an overview/introduction to the new fam!!

P.s. The song used in the chapter is called - Old pine by Ben Howard.