Hello everyone. Thank you so much if you are reading the Pilot chapter to this new story-Idea I had. I gave this a huge thought and decided that I would give this a shot after all. I am just so interested in this idea that I wanted to express it.

Anyway. I will not waste much time and jump right to it!

Camelot was mostly just having an ordinary day for all of it's citizens. People were preparing themselves for winter, the last harvest had just been collected, reserves were accounted for. Camelot was ready for the season. But they were not ready for what was to come.

Merlin was just doing his typical chores for Prince Arthur, which meant cleaning his armor and clothings. He had a big smile on his face since he felt really good on this day. Camelot had been trouble-free for weeks now and it was joyous. Merlin didn't have to put up with hiding his magic, he could just be an ordinary mansearvant to the Prince.

Arthur then walked into his chambers just as Merlin put down the freshly cleaned Chestplate and gave a small bow to the Prince. "Sire, I just finished cleaning your armor. Your Clothes are currently drying. Since patrols went out yesterday, there have been no horses in the stables since 2 days so Mucking them has been unnecessary until their return. Anything else you need?" the serving boy asked while having a small grin on his face and Arthur only replied with a small nod in return.

"As a matter of fact, yes I do Merlin. I need to know why you are doing a good job for once. Did you hit yourself?" Arthur humorously remarked and earned a humored chuckle from his servant, who only shook his head in return.

"No Sire, I just thought I would give the royal Prat a sign of good gesture and put in some effort". Needless to say, both ended up laughing weakly in their friendly atmosphere until Arthur got serious again.

"Your daring comments aside Merlin, my father has called me and Morgana in as well as all the knights. I want you to come with me if something is about to happen, so lay down whatever chores you were going to do next and meet me in the great hall in an hour."

Merlin only replied with a bow again and nodded. "Yes, Sire"

Meanwhile, a similar discussion was lead in the chambers of Uther's Ward, the Lady Morgana

"Are you sure, milady?" Gwen asked with a slight tilt to the side with her head, curious as to why she would need an attendance. Whatever this was, it was obviously not going to be a feast or a celebration, so she did not see why servants needed to be there at all.

"Yes, Gwen. It was specifically requested for you and Merlin to attend as well. I do not know why, but it must be of importance if Uther himself said it." Morgana was currently picking dresses and had Gwen help her with the choices, particularily having difficulties between a purple and a green one.

"Well, she has a point as always" Gwen thought to herself and nodded again before giving her imput on her Mistress' choice of clothing. "I recommend the Purple one. It is a dark colour, it beams strength and it fits your hair, and it will help making your smirks come over as more mischievous which should help if you want someone to rethink their next responses."

Morgana could not help but giggle at the thought. Indeed, this seemed to be handy for intimidation during discussion. She decided to go with it.

"You are right Gwen. Thank you for helping me. Meet me in the great hall within an hour."

Gwen gave her Mistress a bow before she left to get herself ready.

However, none of the main figures managed to get that far. People were starting to feel drowsy and tired and before they even knew it, one after the other, everyone suddenly fell asleep. This time however it was much faster than when the knights of Medhir attacked, lead by Morgause. Camelot's populus was knocked out within a single hour.

As the last person fell asleep, a hooded figure approached the Citadel. Said Hood was part of a dark green cloak which covered everything except the feet of the person. it gently waved in the wind, sometimes revealing the frontside of her waist which held a leatherbelt and a strap meant to holster a swordsheat on the left side.

The Figure only looked down at the knocked out guards at the Plaza and kicked one of them lightly to verify if the deed had been done. When the guard only managed to make a snore from the kick, the hooded figure smiled before walking inside and made her way straight towards the great hall to check if King Uther was inside.

Pleased with the finding, the figure rose it's hands into the air and started making a chant.

"Fûs hwætscipe un−l¯æd sê ofer,forberan fyrðran. Ymbclyppan ðe onsægnes ðêah uferra mid êower gêo−gêara cursian"

Once the chant had been completed, the figure within the hood seemed to change. Hair grew longer and turned blonde, skintone changed from a dead pale to a beautiful white with a touch of glister in the sunlight. Lips coloured themselves bloodred and eyes grew a blue colour.

No one in Camelot seemed to remember just what had happened, but one thing was for sure. It was not good. Merlin was the first one to groan out as he slowly rose his head. It took him a minute to realise something was not right, and indeed it was not. First things first, no matter how he tried, he could not move his arms or legs. His eyes shot wide open and scanned the area, only to find out that he was chained to a chair. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the chains were horribly loose, yet he still could not move them.

He tried to use magic on them, but it did nothing. The Chains gave a light blue shimmer but other than that nothing happened.

"It is useless, young Warlock" Spoke a feminine voice, coming from the hooded figure who stood right before Merlin. She looked down at him with a glee expression before lowering her hood and revealing herself.

Merlin could only gasp at the sight. Out of all the people, he did not expect someone long dead to stand before him. He took one gulp before he grew a very serious expression, eyes furrowed in anger.

"How are you still alive, Nimueh?"

Nimueh only chuckled lowly on response before she turned away towards Merlin's left side, promoting him to take his first look around. He was inside the great hall, but the table which usually sat before Uther's throne was not there. Instead, a circle of chairs with people in it was formed. Merlin quickly counted down every person that was there and he knew them all. To his left, where Nimueh went, was Morgana. To her left was Arthus, and so following clockwise Merlin identified Uther, Gaius, Gwen, Sir Leon, Lancelot, Gwaine, and to his bitter shock, the last person in the circle, to his right, his mother Hunith.

"What did you do to them!" Merlin demanded an answer for the immediate finding and only earned a low chuckle from her once again.

"I ammassed everyone of importance in your life. Every person who has been there when major events occured that you were a part of. Every person here has in one way or another witnessed your greatness foretold by the ancient prophecy of the once and future king. Only fair they all become witness as all your darkest secrets are unraveled one after the other"

Merlin dreaded the intended choice of words. Expose his secrets? Merlin only had one truly big secret and that was his born magical powers. If Nimueh found a way to expose it, he would expose himself to everyone in here, save for his mother Hunith and Lancelot who already know he is a sorcerer, and Gwaine suspects it already so he would not be surprised.

"Nimueh, what are you planning?" He asked her next, but before she could say anything, groans could be heard and everyone was waking up almost immediately and at the same time.

"I woke them up, however the rest of Camelot remains asleep under my curse until my business here has been concluded"

Uther was the first to snap at the realization of what was happening.

"Nimueh! What is the meaning of this!?"

Arthur furrowed his brows angrily and tried to move, but to no avail. Everyone was chained by the same enchanced chains as Merlin's. Struggle was futile and Nimueh only grew a sadistic smile as she caught how more and more of her captives were realizing that.

It took her some minutes to come down from the little high of joy from seeing all their hopeless faces before she decided to respond.

"It is simple. Don't ask obvious questions, ask the big ones. You wanted to know why I am here?" Nimueh asked back almost sarcastically before she licked her lips and looked around the unwilling crowd. She walked one circle around them all while remaining inside the ring of chairs before she stopped infront of Merlin again.

"I want my revenge, what else?"

Merlin only glared at her angrily while he got questioned looks from most people in the room. The only person who wasn't confused was Gaius because he knew exactly what she was talking about.

"What? Revenge on Merlin?" Arthur scoffed almost comically before he got a serious look from Nimueh.

"Yes. I want revenge on the man who killed me, a high priestess of the Old Religion."

If looks could kill from ridicule inside of it, Uther's look would have murdered Merlin several times over. "What? A mere servant boy could not have possibly killed you. Drop your games Nimueh!" Uther demanded, oblivious that she was not playing at all.

It was Gaius' turn to speak up, his eyes were heavy from the threat of what they might confess to Uther face-first.

"She speaks the truth, Sire. Merlin managed to kill Nimueh."

Uther was more confused than before, his eyes looking around at the floor wildly, trying to come up with some logical answer before he asked Gaius the big question he was afraid of having answered because of how little sense it made.

"How?"

Gaius sighed out again and looked once at Merlin who only gave him a silent nod before the old Physician started retelling the story.

"When the questing beast had bitten Arthur and condemned him to incurable death, Merlin went to the Isles of the Blessed where we first found out that Nimueh was the High Priestess. He made a pact with her. His life in exchange for Arthur's recovery. The supposed Cure Arthur drank was rainwater collected with the old Chalice of Life, a relict said to trade lives between it's drinkers. However, instead of Merlin's life, Nimueh tried to take Hunith instead. When we found out, I ventured to the isles to trade my life for Merlin's, beginning a cicle that could only end with the first to die. A life must be taken for a life to be given, regardless of which life it is. So Merlin was in a race against time to kill Nimueh before the life-trade took me. He succeeded, but only barely."

Arthur swallowed heavily. He always thought it was Gaius' genius that saved his life that day but it was, infact, his manservant's unquestionably loyalty and selflessness. Uther meanwhile was still bewildered, and given his knowledge of the Old Religion, it was no surprise.

"She is a High priestess of the old religion! No mortal weapons can harm them. How did this serving boy kill someone he could not have killed by any means necessary."

The answer was in the air, obviously, but no one wanted to jump and say it. Even Arthur had only one suspicion about it, that was, until Gaius spoke up again.

"Merlin did have a weapon of the sorts. A relic of the Old Religion meant to be given to the one who is to lead the Once and Future King who will bring about the true golden age of Camelot. An old legend told by all beings with magic. A Prophecy said to become true, with the only question being when."

Nimueh only chuckled out lightly at Gaius' response and shook her head. "Gaius. Always good with words. We both know the details behind that. But in time, all is to be revealed. By the time I am through, each and every single one of you will know all the darkest there is to know about this 'servant boy'."

With those words said, Nimueh turned to the gates and left the great hall for a while, leaving all the people in it to speak between themselves. Merlin was the first to break the silence, eyes fixiated to the floor in guilt.

"This is all my fault. She got all of you in here because what I did to her to save Arthur."

Lancelot was now, for the first time, speaking up.

"Merlin, none of this is your fault. She sought her fate out herself. She bathes in manipulation and pain. She was the one who tricked you to go such lengths. Do not let her anger and wit cloud your judgement of the case."

"Sir Honor over there is right, you know?" Gwaine commented with a cheery grin. Heavens be with us, nothing could beat Gwaine to stop his grins, he was almost as bad as Merlin himself when it came to finding the funny things in these moments.

Arthur only further supported their words by adding his own thoughts. "Merlin. You were just being a good friend and looking out for me. That is in no way a sin. Don't beat yourself up like that. What I wanna know is why Hunith is here."

Hunith only looked questioned at the Prince and shook her head. "I do not know. Maybe because I am his mother? I fear she will torture me before his eyes, or worse!"

Uther coughed to get the attention back to him so he could analyze the situation at hand.

"Nimueh is supposted to be dead. How is she still walking amongst us? And to knock us all out and trap us like this in such short time. I fear she has grown more powerful than she was the last time we encountered her magic. I do not like this."

Morgana, who had been silently observing until now, nodded while giving a stern look at Merlin, trying to find something in his features that gave a hint of a plan. He usually always had a solution to these things. Arthur thought something similar and leaned himself towards Merlin as much as he could, given the situation.

"Merlin, you always have a plan. Think of something!"

"I am, Sire. But it is kind of difficult with these enchanted chains. They seem so loose, but I cannot move so much as a hair!"

It was without question. They were currently at Nimueh's Mercy and whatever dark plans she had, it involved Merlin and everyone in the room feared for his well-being in this. Nimueh did not appear to be someone who knew mercy or humanitary action. Hunith was especially worried. Her little boy, what would happen to him? What will happen with everyone else, his friends? Will they be tortured? Will they be questioned? Will they watch Merlin being hurt?

"Merlin, whatever this is, please tell me you have a plan!" Gwen spoke out loud, wanting reassurance that they will see through this as unharmed as possible and Nimueh punished for it, but Merlin could only keep his head down as he really saw no way out. Nimueh was way stronger than when he defeated her on the isles. These chains were too strongly enchanted to him to break it with weaker spells, he would have to use a strong enchant, the kind that everyone would both see and hear which was out of the question.

No matter how he looked at it, Nimueh thought of everything to trap him. If he were to expose himself now, Uther would have his head the second they are free, Arthur would feel betrayed and lied at for having been deceived for over a year. He wasn't sure about Morgana, but he knew Gwen would likely understand. Gaius, Hunith and Lancelot already knew and Gwaine is...well...Gwaine.

"I don't know" he finally confessed as he looked up. "I don't know what to do. We have to put up with whatever Nimueh has planned for now. We will find an opening, but we have to make her careless, she needs to release one of us for whatever reason."

That was a sound logic. But one that required patience and lots of acting which nobody was happy to comply with. But Merlin was right, they had no other choice.

Just when they thought of the devil, Nimueh returned with another set of chains and a tiny cart full of things. Whips, Paddles, Nails, Irons and some wood. Nimueh wanted to torture him after all.

She only gave a sadistic grin towards the young Warlock and set up the fire in the center of the circle before she whispered something in the ancient language, causing the chains to fly up by themselves, slithering towards Merlin like snakes and cuffed his feet together and his arms, pulling him forward to the fire.

"We will start small and simple, Merlin. I will hurt you, and you will scream."

Everyone wanted to protest against it, but knowing the uproar to come, Nimueh stared up and her eyes flashed golden for a second. Suddenly, not a single sound came from any occupants. She used a spell which prompted everyone except Merlin to be absolutely mute. They could scream, roar, cry, their mouths left out no voice, not even their breaths were audible.

"Much better. Now, young Merlin. Ready?"

Merlin could not reply because she took him by full surprise, using one of the Irons to stab him in his left lower thigh, dangerously close to his kneecap. He only screamed out in pain and tilted his head back. The burning sensation was already unbearable, and this was literally only the first wound.

"GAAAAAH!" He roared and stopped once she took the Iron out. His leg was bleeding. Only a little, but still bleeding. She then dipped the Iron into the fire and left it there fore a few minutes while she prepared the whip. It was thorny, and said thorns seemed to be metallic. Nimueh's eyes flashed golden again and the chains yanked Merlin up from the chair to make him stand. He was hurting now even more thanks to his wounded leg suffering the pressure of him standing.

""What do you want!?" Merlin roared again, wanting for her to speak up her end-goal in this, but she quickly silenced his question by making him scream again with a whipstrike against his chest. Merlin could only roar out again in sheer pain. The Thorns were tearing against his skin like dull claws, leaving him in so much pain that he would crouch into a ball, were it not for the enchanted chains keeping him in place.

Hunith and Morgana were particularily wounded by this sight. Hunith was tearing up, begging to stop despite being muted by Nimueh and Morgana was pleading for it to end. But to no avail. Arthur was screaming at the top of his lungs, hoping if he did so strongly enough he could break the mute, but to no avail. Gaius' old face hardened and drowned in guilt and pain as he was forced to watch his pseudo-son being hurt so badly.

After the whipstrike's wound had set in with the pain and Merlin stopped screaming and started to whine and groan painfully, Nimueh slowly walked around him until she was behind him.

"Now, young Merlin, we begin the first question!" She exclaimed and whipped him across his back several times, taking her sweet time between each hit until she counted 5. Merlin roared anew at every strike, his back being left a bloody, torn mess. She aimed her strikes to always hit the very same spot, wounding Merlin to the point where Uther could swear he could see the boy's bones if any more strikes like that were performed.

Nimueh, satisfied with the results, put the Whip aside and went towards Merlin's face, grinning widely. "Now then, young Merlin. Tell me why you killed me that day? Why did you take my life?"

Merlin, panting heavily, trying to recollect his voice, glared at her angrily. "I did it to save Gaius and Arthur. You tricked me, but made yourself vurnerable to the exchange in return. It had to be done!"

Nimueh's smile slowly dropped into a glare, but one that held sinister motives behind it rather than anger.

"Fine, more pain it is. You will speak the truth by the time I have broken you." She exclaimed and stalked behind him again where she leaned her lips to his ear, taking a breath before she finished her comment. "When I am done, you will beg for merciful, sweet pain to release you from this fate."

With that, she returned to openly torturing Merlin with the few tools she had brought with her on that day.

Phew. Things went south really quickly. I hope this first chapter has made it decent through your impressions, and if you are interested in more, let me know!
Cheers!