The Empath
Chapter 1
Arthur and Gwen look yearningly at each other in the hallway outside Arthur's chambers near the interior stained glass windows. "It will be safer for you if we continue to pretend to be enchanted," Arthur tells her.
He holds her gaze, and they lean toward each other, only to step back hastily at the sound of footsteps approaching in the corridor. Arthur turns around the pillar as Gwen walks away with her basket on her hip.
Arthur slips around the corner in the opposite direction, coming upon the guard whose footsteps he'd heard. "You are needed in the council chambers, my Lord," the guard tells Arthur.
Arthur nods at the guard and heads down the hall to the stairs. He can hear his father's shouting even before he reaches the bottom of the steps. Uther is furious that this Dragoon escaped the flames. That sorcerer had enchanted his son to think he was in love with a serving girl. And had the temerity to insult him when captured and brought before him.
"How dare he call me a tyrant?" Uther fumes to himself. "Arthur, you let him get away!" He shouts when Arthur crosses the threshold. "How could he have escaped?"
Uther is pacing in front of the chairs lined up in the front of the room. While not as large or imposing as the formal throne room, the pillars down the sides of the room focus attention to the front. Courtiers, knights and other members of the court stand mutely in attendance, all other business forgotten as Uther rails about the sorcerer.
Arthur quickly strides the length of the room to stand before his father, to try to placate him. "He ran through the crowd into the castle, and we couldn't catch him."
"He was a doddery old man! You're telling me that he was able to outrun you and your men?" Uther is still shouting. Then, more calmly, he says, "your servant was the last person to see him, wasn't he? He ran right past him. Why didn't he stop the old man?"
"I don't know. When I saw him at the moment, he seemed rather disoriented – no doubt from spending the day in the tavern." Arthur thins his lips and frowns.
"He should be spending the day in the stocks. See to it."
"Yes, Father. I certainly will." Arthur promises.
"And, find that sorcerer! Find him and bring him back to justice. He will burn for his crimes."
xXx
Merlin's blue tunic is covered in horse dung after mucking out the stables when he enters Gaius's chambers. He stops at a table near the door and pours himself some water. Taking a sip, he asks Gaius "Arthur seem to think I spent the day in the tavern. I don't suppose you . . . uh . . . you know where he got that idea?"
"I really can't imagine," Gaius laughs at him, taking note of Merlin's disheveled appearance. And smell. "Oh, and Merlin. You might want to take a bath." Merlin sniffs his agreement, smiles ruefully, and turns to go up to his own bedchamber.
"MERLIN!" Arthur bellows from the hallway before he enters Gaius's chambers. "Have you finished in the stables?"
Merlin jumps, startled. "Yes. Just as you asked."
"Good. Guards!" Arthur says to the two guards who had accompanied him to the physician's rooms. "Take Merlin to the stocks." Turning to Merlin he says, "And you will stand there until you can explain why you let the sorcerer pass without apprehending him."
"What? Y . . .you can't mean that," stammers Merlin. "He was just too fast for me."
"He was a doddery old man, you idiot!" Arthur shouts. The two guards grab Merlin's arms and march him out of the room. Merlin looks back at Gaius with alarm in his eyes.
xXx
Merlin is still standing in the market square, hands and head locked in the stocks, watching as Arthur's frustration grows when he conducts a house-to-house search looking for the sorcerer. He questions every one he sees in the lower town. No one knows anything, although many recall seeing the old man set the pyre alight before running headlong through the throng and into the citadel. Merlin watches as Arthur and his men interrogate townspeople. They are eager to return to their homes, and few pay any attention to Merlin. He's grateful for that, at least.
He watches Arthur warily as the prince steps over to stand in front of Merlin. "Where did he go, Merlin?" Arthur snaps out.
"I don't know. He just ran down the hall," Merlin whines.
Arthur's hand delivers a stinging slap to Merlin's left cheek. "You must have seen. You were right there!" Arthur turns on his heel, and stalks off back to the gate in the castle wall, the tension in his shoulders radiating his anger and frustration.
xXx
Later that evening, Uther, Arthur and Morgana are having supper at the long table in the council chambers. A servant leans in to pour Uther a goblet of wine, as he takes another piece of bread.
"So, Arthur, has the sorcerer been caught yet?" Morgana asks.
She's enjoying his discomfort. She knows that the old man that Arthur had captured and brought to Uther as the sorcerer is innocent of any crime. She had planted the poultice in Arthur's bed, not to enchant, but to condemn Gwen as an enchantress. She knew how Uther would react at the hint of sorcery and took advantage of this to try to rid herself of Gwen and the vision she had of Gwen's crowning as Arthur's queen.
But her plan failed when this old man was caught red-handed planting another poultice in Arthur's bed. He claimed to be a sorcerer bent on causing embarrassment to the kingdom. Uther had commanded Gwen's release and condemned the old man to die on the pyre in her place. The old man's escape from the flames infuriated Uther. And now Arthur is bearing the brunt of his anger. She can only sit back and enjoy the moment.
"No. I'm still searching for him in the town," Arthur admits. "No one seems to know who he is. He came from nowhere."
"He certainly had a lot to say to you when he was brought into the council room after Arthur caught him in his bedchamber." Morgana laughs as she picks up her goblet. "What did he call you, Uther? 'A stupid arrogant old tyrant'?" She takes a drink, watching Uther's reaction over the rim.
Uther looks angrily at her. "He was clearly a deranged, bitter old man."
She laughs again. "And what was that about you mistreating your servants? Arthur, the look on your face was priceless."
"I do not mistreat my servants," Arthur growls.
"If you say so," Morgana says smoothly.
"Yes," Uther answers grimly. "But let us not forget that he confessed to using magic and setting an enchantment on Arthur to cause harm to the kingdom. He deserves to burn for his insults."
"Yes, clearly. If Arthur can capture him."
Arthur glowers at her.
xXx
It is full dark by the time Merlin is released from the stocks. He stops by the pump intending to wash his face and hands before heading back to Gaius's room. A guard stops him and tells him that the prince wants to see him. He goes to Arthur's rooms, still in the tunic from earlier in the day, covered with dirt from the stables and the splatters of rotten fruit and vegetables that had hit him while standing in the stocks. He is dirty and tired and hungry.
When he opens the doors to Arthur's rooms, Merlin pauses at the entrance as Arthur looks up from the documents he is reading at his desk.
"You still haven't learned to knock, have you?" Arthur says.
"I was told you wanted to see me." Merlin stands just inside the room, hands at his side, looking at Arthur without expression.
"Merlin, I've been thinking . . ." Arthur starts.
"You'd better be careful with that," Merlin interjects. "Don't want to harm yourself."
Arthur frowns at him. "Thinking about what that sorcerer said to me in the council chambers. You don't think I mistreat my servants, do you?"
"Arthur, you treat the dogs better than me."
"Well, they at least follow my commands and do as I say."
"They're dogs, Sire," Merlin lets the sarcasm show. "Did you summon me here to ask this?"
Arthur huffs impatiently. "Are you ready to explain how the sorcerer escaped? Why didn't you stop him?"
"I didn't know who he was. I told you, he ran right past me."
"And why didn't you know? Where were you while all this was going on?" Arthur bites out his words crossly. "Oh, right. You were in the tavern."
"No, I wasn't."
"Then where were you?" Arthur continues his questions as he stands abruptly, pushing the chair back. "Did you have permission to take the day off?"
"Erm, no. But I had done all my chores."
"That's no excuse. You obviously don't have enough to do, if you can take off when you please. I'll make sure you're kept too busy to spend your days at the tavern." Arthur walks toward Merlin as he speaks. When he reaches him, he gives Merlin a hard shove, with a command, "Go."
Merlin stumbles backwards a few steps before regaining his balance, and fights the urge to shove back. "Yes, Sire."
Merlin leaves the room and heads to Gaius's chambers. He opens the door, and walks over to the bucket of water and pours some on a cloth that he uses to clean his face and hands. Gaius hands him a bowl of stew from the cauldron over the cook-fire for his dinner. Merlin sits at the table to eat, watching one of Niniane's pigeons hop excitedly at the other end. Merlin cannot even smile at her antics. Gaius sits across from him.
"Well, it is your own fault, Merlin," Gaius says reasonably. "You were the one who decided to invent a sorcerer for Arthur to find planting a poultice."
"Yeah, but . . ."
"So how can you blame Uther for trying to find him again. You, well, he confessed to using magic, enchanting Arthur – and insulted the King. He's not going to let that go easily."
"But it's so pointless! Arthur is angry because of his father's rage, and his fear that Gwen was almost executed." Merlin says. "How can I convince him that he'll never find that sorcerer?" He pauses. "He's taking it out on me," he admits. "It's not like Arthur to be cruel."
"He'll calm down, I'm sure."