Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.
A/N Starts in the present, then flashback to Season 3 Episode 1: Uther has been hallucinating due to the mandrake root and confined to bedrest. Various scenes in this episode will be altered slightly.
**present**
"Gaius?" Merlin lifted his head off the cold dungeon floor. He tried to shift from his stomach onto his side, chains clinking behind him as he moved.
"Oh my poor boy," Gaius rushed over and knelt down next to Merlin as the guard opened the cell door. He helped Merlin into a sitting position and tried to look around for injuries.
"I'm not hurt," Merlin assured. "Just…restricted." Gaius leaned Merlin forward and looked at the manacles binding his arms together in the back. They were carved with unmistakable symbols of the Old Religion. A matching set was connected to his ankles.
"In more ways than one," Gaius's brows furrowed. Merlin's head jerked suddenly and his feet began scraping frantically back and forth against the floor, as if he were trying to push himself further into the wall. Gaius turned around to see Uther standing at the cell door, which was still slightly ajar.
"Give him some water," Uther walked over and held out a waterskin, face expressionless. The old physician took it reluctantly. Merlin had stopped moving but stared up at Uther apprehensively, heart thumping like a jackrabbit. Gaius popped the cork off and gently held receptacle to Merlin's mouth. The warlock however, catching a whiff of the fumes, felt his magic bubble up and want to lash out against the offending substance.
As if expecting this reaction, Uther swooped down just as Merlin's neck muscles tensed. Gripping the boy's chin so he couldn't turn away, Uther shoved the waterskin into Merlin's mouth and forced him to drink. Gaius looked on in shock as Merlin's upper body convulsed, unable to cough with the offending item rammed in his throat. Finally Uther released him and let the gourd clatter to the ground, stepping back. Merlin's eyes were red and watery as a result of the choking. He closed his eyes and took a couple of shaky breaths, but suddenly popped his eyes wide open. Something was wrong. Merlin's eyeballs looked like they were bulging out their sockets and he began to thrash about.
"Sire…what-what did you do to him?" Gaius gasped in horror.
"If you want it to stop, you'll do as I command," Uther leant down and whispered a couple words in Gaius's ear.
"No…" the old physician tried to shake his head weakly.
"THEN I'LL LET HIM SUFFOCATE TO DEATH," Uther's voice boomed.
Panicked and upset, Gaius squeezed his eyes shut, "Please, give him the antidote."
Uther took out a vial from his belt, "He'll throw up the hemlock, but the hallucinogen is already in his blood. If he's as powerful as you say, then you'll need it to help you with the enchantment."
Gaius nodded numbly as Uther knelt down and gripped Merlin's chin again, this time to empty the vial of emetic into the boy's mouth.
**a week ago**
"Ygraine…" Uther shuddered in his fitful sleep. Merlin walked over and put a potion bottle on Uther's bureau. As he pulled the blankets up further he thought he heard a dripping noise. Kneeling down to investigate, he saw a black tar-like substance on the ground.
Clack clack clack clack.
Footsteps in the hallway advanced towards Uther's chambers. Not knowing exactly why, Merlin instinctually scooted under the bed to hide. His heart nearly jumped out of his chest when his face brushed against a large root that was covered with the same tar-like substance. Someone reached their hand down to grab the root and yanked it out from under the bed. Merlin scrambled over to the other side of the bed to catch a glimpse of who this person was, and saw none other than the Lady Morgana. This was not looking good. As Merlin got up to follow her with a sinking feeling, he thought of his last interaction with her.
"Morgana?"
"Merlin," Morgana smiled sweetly.
"I uh, wanted to say thank you," Merlin stared down at the handful of purple wildflowers he was clutching. Shifting his gaze to look up at her, he continued, "it meant a lot…to me."
Morgana watched him, but didn't say anything. The early morning rays stole through the curtains and danced across her face—she looked just as radiant as the day Merlin met her. Merlin looked back down at his flowers, then up at her, and scratched his head. As if suddenly remembering what he was there for, Merlin held the flowers out to her.
Morgana chuckled lightly and walked over, "They're beautiful." She gathered the bundle in her arms and sniffed. "You've always been such a good friend."
Merlin managed a weak smile, pangs of guilt flickering as he remembered Morgana's anguished face when she realized he'd poisoned her.
"MERLIN!" Arthur shouted from down the hallway.
Merlin rolled his eyes, "Um, yeah…I-"
Morgana laughed, "You better go see what he wants." Merlin grinned at her, then jogged out of the room to see what Arthur was complaining about.
Morgana was standing in a clearing now. Merlin's last bit of hopeful denial melted away as he saw Morgause ride into the clearing atop a white horse.
"The city of Catha has pledged their help, and multiple Druidic communes have volunteered members that still practice sorcery," Morgause swung her legs and jumped off the horse.
"I don't want to give him a quick death, after what he's done to the people of this land," Morgana said.
"After we take the city, he will be dethroned and put on trial for his crimes. How has the mandrake root been working?"
Morgana gave a mirthless laugh, "That wretched old man is finally coming face-to-face with the nightmares of his past." She paused, "But Arthur won't be harmed, will he?"
"True greatness sometimes requires severity, sister."
Morgana nodded slowly, then whispered something in Morgause's ear. Merlin tried to lean closer but suddenly found himself being slammed against a tree.
"Seize him," Morgause directed at her guards.
Merlin dug his fingers into the dirt and tried to push himself up but could barely catch his breath. As he struggled to his knees, one of the guards kicked him back down. The last thing he saw was a fist coming towards his face.
Dun dun dun, what's gonna happen? How did Merlin end up in Uther's dungeons?