The Prince of Two Hearts

Author's note (It'll be quick):

This is my first fanfic, please feel free to review so I can improve as I go along. This is set near to the end of series 3 (Between episodes 9 and 10) so Morgana has turned traitor and Arthur, Gwen and most of the major characters are still unaware. With thanks to my Beta, Super Calvin, for her help.

Disclaimer: The characters, themes and pretty much everything else belong to the BBC (And Geoffrey of Monmouth). I only own this plotline.

"Merlin!"

Arthur's shout reached Merlin's ears too late for him to do anything other than turn to see the club swing towards his face. The sickening crunch of wood on bone registered in Merlin's ears for a split second before blinding pain took over his entire body. Arthur watched helplessly as his servant and, dare he say it, friend crumpled on the floor with a soldier bearing Cenred's crest raising a sword above him to deliver the death blow. The soldier died with a grunt of pain as Arthur twisted his sword in his gut but Arthur's eyes did not leave Merlin's unconscious form. He checked Merlin's neck to feel, with a great sigh of relief, the thrumming of his pulse. The battle had died down, only a few knights left battling Cenred's remaining men, so Arthur decided that he would not be missed and draped his friend over his shoulders to hurry him away.

Merlin rose groggily, his head throbbing painfully. The memories of the battle flooded back to him; the surprise attack of Cenred's men, burning the hand of a soldier with his own sword as he prepared to kill Arthur and hearing Arthur's cry as the club swung towards him. He glanced around in panic but he only saw the familiar setting of Gaius's study and the wooden tables with the odd chemicals and experiments bubbling away, often releasing strange smells into the air. Gaius himself was busy mashing some poor plant life into a pulp but as soon as he saw that Merlin was awake, he hastily set it down to rush over.

"Thank goodness you're finally awake, Arthur was sick with worry and he was not the only one."

Merlin frowned sceptically at Gaius.

"Arthur was sick with worry? I'm sure he could find another servant to polish his armour or clean his boots." Gaius chuckled as he produced a bowl of hot soup and, oblivious to Merlin's protests, began to forcefully spoon-feed him.

"He cares a great deal about you Merlin, he'd never admit it of course but he owes you a great deal. That's only the amount he's aware of." Merlin swallowed the soup and his eyes watered as it burned his throat.

"He has a funny way of showing it, it's like he doesn't even care. It's all 'do this Merlin, do that Merlin, oh do you have important things to do? You can clean my armour instead.' For someone who owes me his life he could be a little more thankful." Gaius sat on the end of his bed and looked at him sincerely.

"He did just save your life you know, he abandoned the battle to bring you to me. I've never seen him do that for anyone else." His voice was calm and reassuring. "When you feel like you can walk, you need to go and see him before he breaks into my chambers again." Merlin felt confused but oddly warmed by Gaius's words and happily dressed to resume his duties as Arthur's servant. Though he would never admit it, he felt a strange enjoyment in being Arthur's servant. He tied his red neckerchief as he backed out of the door and headed to Arthur's chambers. He never arrived. A guard approached him, silver helmet concealing his face, but Merlin felt no suspicion of the man as his gruff voice called for him to stop.

"Are you Prince Arthur's servant?" Merlin nodded in response and waited for a message, command or summons of some kind but the guard remained silent and glanced over Merlin's shoulder. Merlin followed his gaze but was interrupted by hands covering his eyes and forcing a cloth to his face. Merlin struggled against them and held his breath but his body failed him and forced him to inhale the chemical. His limbs sagged and he felt his head drooping, he had to get to Arthur. He had to get..to...

For the second time in the day, Merlin opened his eyes groggily. Only this time, he could feel a rough binding on his wrists and a hard stone floor on his back rather than a soft bed. A cold draft greeted his senses instead of the warmth exuded from the fire warming flasks of various potions. A familiar cascade of dirty blonde hair blurred into focus as a soft voice

spoke gently.

"It's good to see you again Merlin." As he scanned the speaker's face, he felt a faint pang of fear.

"Likewise, Morgause." The corner of her mouth turned upwards into a smirk that made Merlin grow cold.

"Oh I hardly think it is good for you. Cenred and I are interested to see what Arthur's devoted servant actually means to him. I wonder if you can tell me?" A feeling of dread took hold as Merlin stammered to answer her.

"Nothing, I mean nothing. I'm just his servant." She narrowed her eyes intently.

"We'll see about that won't we? In my experience, a prince does not abandon a battle just to carry his unconscious servant away." The door slammed shut with an echoing clang leaving Merlin alone in the darkness. He knew that he needed to get out of here, fast. The only hitch was that he had no idea where 'here' was.

"People don't just disappear Gaius!" Arthur was topless as he paced the room angrily whilst Gaius stood in the doorway of his chambers patiently.

"He was on his way to your chambers sire." Arthur turned to face him.

"Then where is he?! Even Merlin couldn't get lost walking here!" Gaius kept his face passive to conceal the worry he felt inside.

"Have you tried the tavern sire?" Gaius could see Arthur's boiling rage and dearly hoped for a second that Merlin was in grave peril because it could not compare to what he would face if he bumbled in right now. The doors opened and Gwen appeared, a look of concern upon her face.

"I heard shouting, is everything all right?" Arthur's face softened slightly when he saw Gwen until he noticed his bare chest. He ran behind the screen to dress, leaving Gaius to explain.

"So..Merlin is missing?" Gwen's soft features creased with worry.

"Since this morning, he had only just regained consciousness when he went to perform his duties. According to Arthur, he never arrived."

"I don't understand, why would anyone want to kidnap Merlin? He's a servant, Uther would never pay a ransom for a servant." Gwen wondered aloud. Arthur emerged, fully dressed, and looked at them both expectantly.

"I can think of someone that would." Gaius murmured so softly only he and Gwen could hear.

"We need to look for him. If he doesn't turn up by nightfall then I'll take a small party of knights. My father would never allow it so I'll have to tell him it's a hunting trip." Gwen and Gaius exchanged looks and Arthur looked confused. "What?"

"Nothing sire, I'll return to my chambers to see if he goes back there." Gaius left, leaving just Gwen and Arthur.

"You'll find him, Arthur. I know that you're worried but no one would abduct Merlin. Uther would never pay the ransom for a servant, don't you remember?" Arthur looked down at Gwen sadly, he could see that she was remembering her imprisonment by Morgause's hand. He took her hands in his and stroked her wrists gently, the image of the angry red marks left by the ropes. Imagining Merlin's wrists bound by the same material, pressing into his skin and burning those marks into his flesh was unthinkable. He cast away the thought quickly, Merlin wasn't imprisoned and he, Arthur, did not care this much about a servant's well-being.

"Worried? Of course I'm not worried, he's just my servant ." Gwen's knowing smile puzzled him slightly as she left.

Merlin's eyelids drooped as he tried, yet again, to break the ropes binding his wrists. It was no use, they were clearly enchanted in some way and he was getting more worn out by the minute. Morgause had visited his decrepit cell 3 times in total, each occasion bring a fresh wave of pain through spells woven with wicked words that ripped through his very being like the claws of a great beast. Each visit was followed by more attempts for escape, with Merlin using every spell in his repertoire until he was exhausted and struggling to stay awake. His spirits had dropped and hopelessness took hold, it took everything not to break down. His great destiny would be washed away in a cold room in Cenred's dungeon. The greatest sorcerer in the world. He felt his eyes well up as he whispered to himself.

"I'm sorry Arthur. I'm so sorry, I've failed you." Footsteps sounded outside the door before it was flung open with a harsh bang that shattered Merlin's silent despair. Instead, he became determined to withstand anything that could possibly happen. Morgause entered the room, her dress trailing behind and studied her plaything.

"So Merlin, maybe you can tell me something. Why is it that a prince would abandon his knights to save an unconscious servant? Arthur is a man of honour, he lives for the glory of battle. Can you clear this up for me?" He stared at her for a long while until she continued to question him.

"Clearly your relationship is worth far more than that between a servant and his master. I dare say even more than that between friends." What Morgause was implying drew a spluttered reply.

"Friends protect each other Morgause, I wouldn't expect you to understand that." She had clearly sensed the venom in his words as her dark brown eyes narrowed in intense dislike. She continued her assault.

"Of course, it is not just this isolated incident. My sources from inside Camelot suggest that you and Arthur are closer than you would like to think."

"Who would your sources be? Morgana?" She turned towards the door so quickly it startled him. As she left, she called back to him with a smirk.

"You will admit your love for Arthur, even if I have to keep you here for months. If you won't admit it now, you'll confess when he comes to save you, which we both know he will." The door slammed shut, leaving Merlin in the darkness with the maddening silence, not even a noise to distract him from his thoughts. Love? For Arthur? He had never heard something so ridiculous in his life. He had a duty to Arthur as his servant and protector, a destiny to share with him, but love? For that arrogant, self-absorbed royal prat? He had to admit that he had grown to like Arthur more now that he had grown up but he could still be infuriatingly narrow minded, thinking he knows everything about him. It amused Merlin to think that Arthur was missing a very big point. He often thought about revealing it to him one day just to see his face, but of course the risk of execution would heavily outweigh the satisfaction. With that, his heart sank. Every laugh that they shared or times that they saved each others lives or when Arthur would punch Merlin in an attempt to cheer him up would all mean nothing, he would be executed all the same. With that, he tucked his knees under his chin and closed his eyes to embrace the comfort of the darkness.

"It's nightfall and still no word. He's not in the tavern, that's for sure, in fact they didn't seem to know who he was which is odd considering the amount of time he spends there and he's not in the lower town or the citadel. I can't take the knights so I'll have to go alone. I shall consult my father and inform him that I will be leaving to kill some form of dangerous creature. No, he will wonder why I am not taking the knights. This will require planning, I could just leave at first light." Arthur wandered around his chambers, muttering to himself as he packed his essentials into a leather bag and slung it around his shoulders. Gwen watched his display for a while and repeated his name quietly until he paused to look for some misplaced item and she seized her chance.

"Arthur!" He looked up at her, mildly shocked. "My lord." she hastened to add. When he watched expectantly, she continued. "You will not be going alone because I will be accompanying you." Guinevere feared for a moment that Arthur's eyebrows would retreat permanently into his hairline or that he would choke to death on his own surprise. It took him while to recover himself enough to reply.

"Listen, Guinevere, I know that Merlin is your friend but you can't come with me. If he has been abducted, by bandits or worse, it will be too dangerous for someone of your..err... stature." He instantly stopped speaking when he saw her earnest brown eyes narrow in clear dissent.

"I think you're forgetting something, my lord, Merlin saved my life before. He is my friend and I would be just as hurt if anything were to happen to him. I shall see you tomorrow at first light." Guinevere ducked her head and folded her knees in a respectful curtsey and made to leave but Arthur caught her arm.

"I know you're worried and that this means a lot to you but you have to understand that I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything were to happen to you. Promise me, Gwen, that if anything happens, you'll run away and keep yourself safe." His eyes swam with a sincere sadness and she couldn't help but give in . She leaned in to meet his lips with her own, brushing them only slightly and threaded her soft fingers through his strong ones.

"I promise." She whispered and left Arthur standing alone to contemplate the quest that was facing him.

"My lady, I am afraid that I won't be coming into work tomorrow." Morgana's face suddenly filled with concern as she appraised Gwen's impassive expression.

"Why ever not? Are you feeling okay?" Gwen rubbed her hands together nervously, she could never lie outright to Morgana. They had been friends since they were both young girls, she trusted her completely.

"Merlin's missing and Arthur wants to search for him. We are going to search to surrounding woods for any sign." Morgana's response was instantaneous, she jumped up to gather her possessions.

"My lady, what..?" Gwen felt her confusion yet again, it was certainly becoming a strange sort of day.

"Do you honestly think I'm not going to come with you? I'm concerned for Merlin too and Arthur would get slaughtered without me." Gwen stood in stunned silence. "Don't worry, I won't intrude on anything you and Arthur had planned"

"I...I don't know what you mean." Gwen stammered but Morgana spoke over her.

"I was only kidding Gwen, you can leave." Breathing a sigh of relief, she curtseyed and left.

After ensuring that her maid had vacated her chambers, Morgana stood over a dish of water by her bedside and with her magic she commanded it.

"Diegol cnytte, gewitte me yst, aliese hine, to Morgause." The water shimmered and bubbled to form the image of her half sister, peering out of the water, awaiting the news that Morgana would bring.

"Sister, Arthur rides to you at first light to rescue his beloved Merlin." Morgause's face lit up with sinister happiness, the corners of her mouth turned upwards into a faint smile.

"Just as we expected, you must lay the bait to lead him straight to us!" Morgana leaned into the dish and spoke more quietly.

"The serving girl shall be accompanying him. I fear she may divert him from his true path, his eyes are clouded will false love."

"Then you shall see that she does not. Of course, there is much danger present when a task such as this is undertaken, there is a high risk to her health I fear." Morgana smiled wickedly and turned away.