The Sorcerer Hangs at Dawn
One
Arthur sat in his throne and tried to keep his face set in an impassive stony mask, just like his father, as he surveyed the boy before him. But his insides felt like they were burning.
They'd just captured him. A man from the lower town had said he'd seen him committing the crime. A man who Arthur knew for sure was jealous of the boy's position in the royal household, and who felt only hatred for the boy. A man who would undoubtedly be given the boy's job if...
He looked at the boy, who lay on the floor before him. Curled slightly on his side where he had been kicked by a guard. The boy who'd made no effort to correct them, and who'd not reacted at all to the rough manner of the guards. Not fought back. Not even tried. A purple bruise blossomed its way across his cheekbone, ugly and harsh against his pale skin. It looked... so wrong. It shouldn't be there. He just wanted to leap up from his throne, and duck down on the floor and fold the boy in his arms and tell him that it would be alright. It'll all be alright. But he couldn't. He was Prince Arthur. He couldn't. Not with his father watching.
How did that idiot always get into these messes anyway?
Morgana had turned a horrifying shade of deathly white when they'd dragged him in; pale and pasty as a ghost. Gwen had had a quietly muttered, but passionately heated argument with her before storming out of the room in tears. He saw Gaius also pale horribly, the old man's skin turning the most unnatural white Arthur had ever seen, as he sunk to his knees when his Father's declaration was made to declare that the boy had committed the highest treason, punishable by hanging, punishable by death;
"Sorcery."
And Merlin, poor sweet Merlin, his manservant, his friend, had looked up at him with big, blue, apologetic eyes, and Arthur had felt something clench tight in his chest – an iron fist around his heart.
But Arthur had said nothing, remaining impassive to the turmoil inside his ribcage, as they dragged the boy away to the dungeons at his father's command.
"The sorcerer hangs at dawn."
Merlin was to hang at dawn.
A/N: Hi guy's! Seems like so long since I last wrote a fic! Would really love it if you could just drop me a quick review, they can be really great in boosting my confidence in my work, so if you want more, tell me!
Sorry for short chapters, but it does mean I can post them faster than if I was to write super-massive-long-ones-of-destiny (Technical term)!
Stay feelin' the Aster.
Lenle G.