A:N/ So hay guys here is the next part I hope you like it. As always I don't own anything to do with Merlin though I wish I Had Gwaine tied up somewhere. I hope you enjoy and please please review.
Lonely Hearts
Merlin was alone.
Gazing out over the dark, barren wasteland he now called home, Merlin leaned casually against the hard stone of the balcony.
The moon was high in the night sky, every star visible and shinning bright like twinkling diamonds on black silk.
The bitter winter wind swirled around him, most probably biting at his pail skin and turning it an angry shade of pink, but Merlin couldn't feel it. He was warm, radiating heat like a roaring fire, protected from the harsh weather by his magic. Unfortunately it couldn't do the same for his heart.
Sighing he lent forward slightly, his eyes searching for the small flickering flames that lined the edge of the forest in the distance.
Steadily over the months he and Morgana had been finding others like themselves, magic users that felt trapped, prisoners in their own body's, too afraid of the consequences to think of a spell let alone cast one.
Now they had a camp of at least three hundred and growing every day as word spread of the safe haven for magic users and their families. A place where magic was accepted as part of who you are. A place where you wouldn't get burnt alive for being you.
And of course with every family they accepted into their safe haven, their army's ranks swelled.
More and more people were ready to fight for their right to use magic and Merlin was not above using there desperation and hope for his own purposes. Camelot had stomped out magic and now magic was going to stomp out Camelot.
"I thought I would find you here". Merlin didn't bother to turn and look at Morgana, just let her gentle words float past him. He didn't need to see her to know she was leaning against the wall, looking dark and beautiful, shrouded by the shadows.
"We have enough. We could take Camelot, take Arthur". The words sliced through Merlin's absent thoughts like a blade, but he remained still, gazing unseeingly at the small flickering flames on the horizon.
Yes they could take Camelot, could burn it to the ground but that wasn't enough. Merlin needed to destroy Arthur completely and destroying Camelot was just not enough of a punishment for the vain and spiteful man he had one been proud to call King.
"No". The simple word hung in the silence of the night, heavy with all the anger and hate Merlin held in his heart. "No?" The disbelief in Morgana's voice was evident and he couldn't help but smile. Of course she would not understand, Morgana just wanted to take her rightful place on the throne and she wanted it as soon as possible. Merlin wanted that to, wanted to see his one true friend take her rightful place as Queen of Camelot but first, Arthur had to pay for the crimes he had committed.
"Patience is key Morgana". For the first time since she had come out onto the balcony Merlin turned to look at her, smiling widely at her over his shoulder. She raised an eyebrow at him questioningly, waiting for him to explain but when he didn't she let out a huff of annoyance. Pushing away from the wall she made her way gracefully over towards him.
Still smiling Merlin turned back to watch the distant fires as they danced on the horizon, swaying in the gentle breeze. "And what exactly am I supposed to be patience for?" Morgana asked, a hint of intrigue marring her voice.
She was leaning against the railing next to him now, watching the distant camp. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it was she saw when she looked at what they had accomplished in a few short months. To him it was magnificent.
"Arthur needs to pay for what he has done and taking his kingdom from him just isn't enough. He must suffer first. We must destroy him in every way imaginable". His voice was a little harsher than needed be, Morgana already knew how much he despised Arthur. But he just couldn't help it, even the mire thought of the man was enough to anger him these days.
"And how exactly do you plan on doing that?" She raised a delicate eyebrow at him as she turned to look at him expectantly.
He had a thousand different answers bouncing around his head. A thousand things he could do to Arthur.
Within seconds the thoughts of making Arthur pay were chased away by the memories of what he could do to Arthur, of what he had done to him. He had spent countless nights worshiping his King, making him scream and cry out in pleasure, pleasure that Merlin had been the cores of.
It had been a euphoric mix of pride and happiness that always made his own desire for the older man sore. He had lived for those stolen moments between the King's sheets when it had just been him and Arthur. There had been no cause for ceremony, no need for titles and etiquette. They could just be themselves, together and Merlin had been foolish enough to think that could be enough for Arthur. He had been so wrong.
"We need someone in the house of Pendragon, a spy who can relay to us everything of importance our King dose". He spat the word King out through clenched teeth, like it was poison. He didn't want to think of Arthur as his King because he wasn't, he answered to Morgana and Morgana alone.
He had been thinking about sending someone into the Arthur's midst's for a while now, had entertained ideas of he himself going in disguise, but those thoughts had soon been chased away by Morgana's voice of reason and the reality that if he saw Arthur again so soon he might not be able to stop himself from strangling the prat.
The idea of choking the life out of Arthur was quite appealing though.
"There is always Mordred" Morgana offered up, tilting her head slightly as she spoke, regarding him with a knowing glint.
Ah yes young, sweet, innocent Mordred. Any other time he would agree with her, after all, all Mordred wanted was to prove to his King that magic could be used for good, that in the right hands it could do magnificent and wondrous things.
The boy was right of course. Depending on the wielder and the skill, you could accomplish things that the imagination would struggle to fathom. He should know, after all he was one of the most powerful beings in existence and the things he could do would have him thrown onto a burning pyre long before he could explain himself.
But he had plans for the boy, ones that would seal his destiny.
"No, I have something else in mind for him". Merlin spoke with an authority that only the powerful possessed and though Morgana was his better in most ways he knew that she would do as he said. He was her trusted second and she knew that he could for fill his promise to hand her the thrown with as little bloodshed as possible. All she had to do was let him have Arthur, to claim his downfall as his own.
"Oh really?"
Sighing Merlin slumped down slightly, his shoulders hunched as he followed a wondering flame of a torch as it slowly moved along the forests edge. Just because Morgana trusted him didn't mean she wasn't going to question him.
"For him to turn on Arthur something truly horrible must happen, something that he would never be able to forgive Arthur for". As he spoke Merlin turned to look at his Queen. She gazed at him in confusion, brows drawn down and in, head tilted to the side slightly. She still managed to look annoyingly attractive though, even with her face scrunched up.
"What is the name of the girl he is so infatuated with?" He watched as realisation dawned on her pail and delicate features, her eyes widening. He could see the exact moment Morgana finally understood what it was he meant to do, he could only hope that she would not miss the girl too much once she was gone.
"Merlin you don't mean to…" Morgana trailed off as he raised an eyebrow at her. She looked at him with a mix of horror and disbelief and Merlin knew then that she still didn't quite understand the price that would have to be paid to bring Arthur to his knees, to finally get the crown upon her head.
Huffing out an annoyed breath, Merlin turned back to watching the distant fires, once again caught in their beauty. "Sacrifices must be made for the greater good and you know she would be more than willing".
Darting his eyes quickly to the side he saw as Morgana pulled in a deep breath, a look of defeat on her face as she gave one curt nod. Running a pail hand through her long hair Morgana spun round so she could lean back against the railing, her head tilting back so she could look up at the night sky.
Though Merlin loved the night sky, every star sparkling like jewels, he preferred the way flames danced and shimmered as the wind swirled around them, the way they were just as deadly as they were beautiful. He could stair at them for hours, and he often did. Morgana was the opposite. She only saw the harsh and wicked side of the flame, instead finding her solace in the sky above, the light beyond the darkness.
"What shall we do with her?" As she turned to look at him expectantly Merlin turned his gaze back to the world beyond their tower.
There were many things he could get the young women to do, one word from him and she would drive a blade through her own heart. But she would serve a greater purpose than a mire display of power. She would be the one to bring him the one thing he needed to ensure that Arthur's fate followed the path it was destined to stumble down, bloody and broken.
"Send her to Camelot. Tell her to attack Gwen, but only with the King as witness. Make sure she uses magic". It was simple really, the amount of damage one small act could do and this small thing, a staged attack that would cause no more damage than a few burnt tapestries would have such magnificent consequences.
"Is that all?" She was being sarcastic, he knew that yet he treated it as if it was a real question. Every action had a reaction and he knew the outcome of that one simple task already, could see it flashing through his mind. It would end in perfect tragedy and he would be the one to reap the rewards.
"No. Arthur will be left with no choice but to have her burned but if she protests her innocence thought the trial, maybe even beg for her life, well it will be the first step towards Arthur's downfall and Mordred will be ours for the taking".
"It will destroy him Merlin". Merlin turned, moving so he too was leaning back against the stone railing.
Morgana's voice was full of desperation begging him to understand what he was doing and he did. He knew that having this women killed, and most likely in front of the young druid, would brake him in ways that most only went through in their nightmares, but it had to be done.
The last thing he wanted was to hurt Mordred. The boy had done nothing wrong and despite his best efforts, Merlin found himself growing more and more fond of the boy every time their paths crossed, but this was a matter of destiny and Mordred had his part to play. He was supposed to take centre stage with his beloved King after all, when the end finally came.
"Yes but we shall be there to pick up the pieces". They would, he was sure of it. He would welcome Mordred with open arms when Arthur's undoubted betrayal shatter any false illusion he had that the King was anything more than a heartless coward. And Mordred would come, there would be no other place for him to go. Merlin would make sure of that.
"What if he finds out". It wasn't a question.
Tilting his head back Merlin spoke to the sky, his eyes slipping closed. "Only you and I shall know the truth Morgana, he will never know".
As soon as his eyes shut Merlin's body slumped. He was tired, so very tired. All he wanted was to slip into his bed and sleep for a day or two.
It had been too long since he had had a good night's sleep and it was days like this that he found himself missing Gaius and not just because of his excellent sleeping draft. He had been like a father to Merlin and he often regretted not taking the time to tell the old man where he was going or what he planned to do. But if anything should go wrong he wanted him free of any knowledge that could get him sent to the gallows.
Merlin didn't think he would ever be able to live with himself if anything should happen to Gaius because of his actions.
"So what of our spy?" Groaning Merlin let his eyes flutter open so he could look at Morgan. She was looking at him again, her eyes boring into him and not for the first time Merlin wondered if she could see into him mind, his soul. He wondered if she could see the truth that he had hidden deep in the darkened corners of his mind.
"It needs to be someone close to him, someone he trusts. It will make their betrayal that much more…hurtful". He wanted to hurt Arthur and the easiest way to do that was to turn the people he cared most about against him and Merlin knew exactly with who to start.
"You seem to have it all figured out". Morgana's voice was light and full of laughter. Once again Merlin was reminded of the trust she had placed in him and he was grateful for it. It made his heart swell with pride and always left him grinning like a maniac. She trusted him and in that moment that was all that really mattered.
"Almost, but not quite". He smiled slightly at her, his voice just as playful as hers had been. He did have most things figured out but that was only the beginning, there was so much more to come and he didn't have the slightest idea what to do.
He was making this all up as it came along, hoping against hope that it would all work out and luckily, so far it had all gone to plan. They were so close to taking the first step towards destroying Arthur and his precious Camelot that Merlin could practically taste victory.
But he was getting ahead of himself. There was still so much to do before he could enjoy a goblet of the Kings finest wine over his cold and bloody corpse.
"What of our gest?" Snapping his head round so he was looking at Morgana fully now instead of out of the corner of his eyes, he smiled widely.
Their guest was a gift from the fates, a sure sign that what Merlin planned to do was the right cause of action. Everything was coming together nicely and with little to no problems.
"I think he's perfect for the job, don't you?" Merlin raised his eyebrow at Morgana, wiggling it slightly as he spoke. She laughed gently, her eyes shimmering slightly in the dim light of the moon.
For the first time that night they were at an understanding. They agreed whole heartedly that what was to come next made perfect sense. Was ideal even and Merlin planned to take full advantage of the gift he had been given.
"I'll leave him in your capable hands then shall I?" Morgan's voice hummed with challenge, daring Merlin to act and who was he to resist.
Taking the few small steps he crowded Morgana back against the railings, his hand coming down to rest on the cool stone next to her hips, his thumbs gently rubbing against the soft fabric of her dress. He could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest as he pressed his body against hers, his leg slipping in between hers.
Smirking he tilted his head until his lips were hovering just above hers, his eyes locked on hers, watching as her pupils widened, engulfing the colour that had been there before. "You doubt my abilities?"
He whispered softly, his lips brushing against hers slightly with every word. "No" That one word was nothing more than a breath against his lips, her eyes never leaving his.
Smirking Merlin darted out his tongue to trace over his lips. He didn't miss the small gasp Morgana made as it swiped over her own lips, a hint of what was to come.
It was funny really, everything he knew about sex and seduction he had learnt from Arthur. He had been a blushing virgin before the then prince had taken poor, innocent Merlin to his bed and now everything he had been taught he was using on Arthur's sister. Not that there was much difference between the two in bed, they had very similar tastes and Merlin was more than willing to indulge Morgana's desires, just like he had been willing to make Arthur's every fantasy a reality.
"I have every faith in you Emrys". He smiled gently as his true name fell from Morgana's lips. It sounded as sweet as honey as it rolled off her tongue, sending shivers down Merlin's spine that felt too much like a lover's caress to be ignored.
Darting forward he pressed a quick kiss to Morgana's lips, pulling back as soon as he felt her start to melt against him, her hands coming up to brush against his arms as her tongue tried to force its way past his sealed lips.
Pulling back he spun round and headed towards the door, his steps echoing as he slipped through the archway and into the room beyond. As he reached the door he chanced a look behind him at his new lover.
She was smiling slyly at him and he knew he would have hell to pay latter. Arthur had had the same sort of look. Stomping down on the thought he yanked the door open and slipped out into the corridor, the door swinging closed behind him and echoing down the narrow space.
Morgana was nothing like Arthur. For one she would not betray him for the sake of her reputation and she would never make him feel like he was less than human, a weed that needed to be pulled from the pristine gardens and burned.
Sighing Merlin shook his head, trying to rid his mind of the useless thoughts, he had a job to do and it would need his devoted concentration if he was to succeed.
Quickly he made his way down the spiral staircase, the only light seeping in through the dirt covered windows. His footsteps echoed back at him, reverberating off the walls and making it sound like there was at least another three people thundering down behind him.
Stopping three floors below where he had been Merlin spun round the corner, using his hand to steady himself before he dashed down the new corridor. He was existed, the joy of what was to come bubbling away inside of him like he was a small child waiting for his birthday to arrive.
Skidding to halt he looked up at the large heavy door he had come to stop at. His heart was beating frantically in his chest, nerves starting to chase away the excitement he had been feeling just moments ago.
Suddenly he felt sick, his mind swirling with all the possibilities. He didn't know what would happen once he walked through that door, he knew what he wanted to happen but that was just one in an endless list of things and the likely hood that he would get exactly what he wanted was slim.
Taking a deep breath he tried to calm his nerves before he gave up like the coward he had once been and ran back to Morgana, begging for her forgiveness in the light of his failure.
Gently he placed his hand over the rough wood. They hadn't placed guards at the door, hadn't needed to. A simple spell and no one but he or Morgana could pass through that door and if any one should try they would get the shock of their lives, quite literally.
Pushing more firmly now against the wood, Merlin took a deep breath and stepped through the door.
The room on the other side was much darker than the torch lit corridor he had just come from. It smelt damp and faintly like blood but what else would you expect from a dungeon, one that had been used to its full extent.
Slowly he wove his way through the thick columns that filled the room, ducking occasionally to avoid the assortment of bones and herbs that hung from the ceiling. A little something Morgana liked to do that often scared the people that were unlucky enough to find themselves here.
As he spun round another column he finally caught a glimpse of the man that could change everything in the house of Pendragon.
With a well-practised flick of his wrist and a non-spoken spell Merlin's eyes flared cold and a ball of bright white light shot into the air. It illuminated the whole room, throwing shadows up the walls.
The man was slumped against the wall, his hands hoisted high above his head. The shackles had dug into his skin, no doubt from where he had been struggling to get free, rivers of blood running down his arms and dripping to the floor.
He had been stripped of his armour and his red cloak lay forgotten by the door, his chest bare and littered with scars and fresh bruises. Merlin took a moment to appreciate the tanned and chiselled chest, one that he had often imagined running his hands over and littering with kisses. Even though he had been with Arthur sometimes his thoughts had strayed, only at the beginning though. The moment Arthur had professed his false claim of love Merlin had become all his, only his.
Trying not to scowl Merlin tilted his head slightly, regarding the man at his feet. His long dark hair had fallen in front of his face, his head hanging forward as if his neck couldn't support its weight any more. It didn't surprise Merlin, he had been in this room for three days now, three days all alone with nothing but the unknown threat of what was to come hanging over his head.
Merlin didn't want to hurt him. They were friends once, hopefully still were and all he wanted was to keep him safe, just like he had so many times before.
The man beneath him stirred, the light finally waking him from his sleep. With a pained groan his head fell back, hitting the wall behind him with a dull thud. The movement caused his dirty hair to fall from his face, exposing his swollen and split lip, and the dark purple and black bruise that had blossomed across his right cheek and curled around his eye.
Dark eyes that blinked up at him in confusion.
"Merlin?" His voice was low and rough, from screaming for his release or from the days of not using it Merlin did not know. What he did know was that he had a lot of work to do to make up for the way he had been treated and what better way to start then by setting him free. Well almost free.
Merlin's eyes flared gold and instantly the rusted cuffs that had held in place clicked open and his arms fell to his side.
Slowly with a look of confusion, with a slight edge of apprehension he brought his wrists up, rubbing at his abused and bloody flesh, wincing slightly at the pain. He was scared, that was understandable. If Merlin was in his position he would probably feel the same. But he was on a tight schedule and he just couldn't take the time to make Gwaine understand what was really going on. Not completely any way.
With a soft smile Merlin sank down onto his knees, slowly reaching out to take his wrists in his hands, circling his fingers around them gently. His eyes glowed once more, a matching light pulsing in his hands.
Still smiling softly he pulled his hands away, his eyes darting down as he exposed the freshly healed skin. It was a small gesture, one that he hoped would win him some trust that he desperately needed right now. After all, nothing he did next would work if Merlin wasn't trusted.
When nothing happened, when he wasn't shoved to the ground or punched in the face like he had been expecting he chanced a glance up.
Wide eyes stared back of him, full of wonder and Merlin knew then that he had won.
"Gwaine". He whispered the name, almost scared that speaking would brake whatever spell he had somehow managed to cast over the older man.
Moving as slowly as he could Merlin raised a hand, gently brushing away a stray lock of hair. Gwaine didn't shy away from the touch, didn't even flinch as Merlin's fingers ghosted over the still sensitive bruise.
Maybe this wasn't going to be as hard as he thought. He should have known that Gwaine of all people would see past the lies, past the horrors that the Pendragon's had made up to suite their own twisted and selfish purposes.
Merlin would make him see the light amongst the shadows and by doing so he would secure his door back into Arthur's world.
He could only imagine the look on Arthur's face when he saw who his betray was and then the man behind him who had been pulling all the strings. He could hardly wait.