This is a future fic, so Arthur is a king and he knows about Merlin's magic. Gaius is still alive and Lancelot is Arthur's knight.
And you perfectly know that reviews will motivate me to write more, so little box under the story is waitnig.
Chapter 1
Merlin was sitting on the ground of his prison. He didn't know, what time of a day was now, since there was no windows and the only light came from the torches, hung on the black walls. There was also no guards around, but Merlin thought they weren't necessary. After all, the magic was the best guard of this whole castle. And even when Merlin tried many spells to open the lock of his cell, it all was completely useless.
His gaze turned to the red sheath on his right side. He had managed to hide it from his executors with magic, but he knew, the sword couldn't stay with him forever. Merlin had to find a way to deliver it to Arthur, before it will be too late and Merlin's enemies will find out that sword was with the warlock. The time was passing and Merlin tried not to lose hope, but it was harder with every hour spent here. He needed good plan to somehow give the weapon to Arthur.
Suddenly the prisoner had heard some metallic sound. Soon he realized it was someone's steps, since it was so rhythmic. But who was it – friend or foe? Was that person here to help him or bring him suffering? His heart was pounding nervously, he could feel and hear its quick beating. He slowly stood up and looked on the highway of the dungeon. His eyes widened with surprise, but then the smile of relief appeared on his face, when he saw familiar outline of young man in armor and with long, brown hair. Seeing warlock, Lancelot started to march faster and soon he was standing in front of Merlin, only cell bars separating both men from each other.
Suddenly Merlin's smile dropped.
"How you've got here?" He asked. "This place is guarded with really strong magic."
"I've had a help from outside." The knight answered and drew out the necklace with little sack inside. Merlin looked at him with disappointment.
"You were looking through my stuff again."
"No. Gaius had prepared it for me."
Merlin saddened. Gaius. He had to worry about him right now. After all Merlin hadn't come back since who knows how long time.
"Judging from your presence here," Lancelot said, turning Merlin's attention back on the knight. "you don't know how to get out from this cell."
"As I said earlier, the magic of this place is really strong. I've used all unlocking spells, known by me, but it's pointless. However I still don't know, why those bastards didn't take away my powers."
Lancelot's eyes had been filled with sadness. For a moment they didn't speak to each other, sinking in their own gloomy thoughts. But then Merlin had some idea and his heart filled with hope. He smiled to his thoughts, Lancelot looked at him with surprise and some kind of worry. Last time, when he saw this grin, Merlin showed him false document of Lancelot's nobility.
"Wait here. I have something for you to deliver." The warlock said and turned back to his cell.
He put up the sword from the floor and leaned it outside the bars in Lancelot's direction. The knight looked at the weapon, rising his eyebrows, then turned his gaze on friend. Merlin's expression was now serious.
"Please, deliver it to Arthur." The mage finally said.
"What's that?"
"Really great weapon, but it can't be used only by Arthur. Please, take it and deliver to him."
Lancelot without a word, took the sword, left it on the floor, took a belt that was on his back and fastened the sheath with sword to it. Then he put the belt back to its place and looked again at Merlin.
"I will deliver it to king and then we will take you out from here."
"No!" Merlin screamed, but then leaned closer to Lancelot and said: "Promise me one thing, Lancelot. Promise me that, no matter what, you won't bring here Arthur. He can't come here. It's too dangerous."
"No, I can't leave you like that, Merlin."
"Forget about me. You're an Arthur's knight and you have to keep him safe. I'm just his servant."
"And his friend. Besides, mine friend too."
Merlin wanted to say something, but they've heard someone's steps coming down the stairs. Someone was going to the dungeon and it wasn't anyone friendly. Merlin turned to the knight and hissed:
"Lancelot, you have to get out from here. Promise me that Arthur won't come here to rescue me."
"No, we will save you." Lancelot was stubborn.
"Don't worry about me." Suddenly Merlin smile to him lightly. "I will take care of myself." He saddened. "But you have to deliver the sword to Arthur. Promise me, you will do anything you can, to prevent him from rescue me."
For a moment Lancelot was silent and Merlin could easily read hesitation on his face. But then the knight looked at him with determination. Meanwhile the foreign person was closer to the end of the stairs.
"I promise." Lancelot said and turned to the entrance. "I hope, I will see you soon, safe and sound."
He started to run, then faded way in the corridor. Merlin was observing him, hoping he will get out. However the sounds of enemy's steps was getting louder and louder, so Merlin turned in the other way. Morgause was approaching him, dressed in red dress. She stood few inched from the cell bars and sent the prisoner evil smile. Merlin only hoped that she hadn't seen Lancelot and that she hadn't even known about him.
For now the warlock only sighed deeply and looked at the sorceress.
"What do you want this time?"
"I must say, your healing spells are really good." She smiled even wider. "I can't see even one bruise on your body. I was thinking, my tortures will leave few really nasty scars on this pale skin."
"You're wasting your time, Morgause. I won't say anything to betray my king."
"Oh really? And you probably think, it's a good thing." She said and came closer to him, so close that only few inched was separating them from each other. Her hand touched his cheek and started to stroking it. "Brave, little Merlin, endlessly loyal to his beloved king." Suddenly her smile faded away and she grabbed his throat harshly. "I feel sick of seeing the kinds of you. You're powerful, but you rather prefer to act like a mindless dog." She pushed him back and set him free from her grip. Merlin took two steps back and touched his throat, while his eyes rolled on Morgause. Then the smirk of mockery appeared once again on her face. "You and Gaius really are alike."
Merlin's eyebrows frowned. Morgause continued:
"He also was ridiculously loyal to that bastard, Uther. During Great Purge, he was betraying other sorcerers and watching them die."
"That's not true!" Merlin screamed. "Gaius is a great man."
"A great man, who didn't even moved a finger to save his friends."
"He saved Dragonlord Balinor!"
"He was lying to prince Arthur about his birth, he was breaking the vows, he had made, and he did nothing to save innocents from Uther Pendragon's madness!"
"Don't speak about Gaius that way! You have no right to judge him!"
"You perfectly know that what I'm saying, it's true. Because you, Merlin," She lowered her voice. "you're the same as him. You're a man without honor, who's lying, betraying, breaking promises and killing your friends. The only difference is that you're doing it for the other king."
"Arthur isn't anything like Uther and you know it!"
"Yes, he is a man of his word. He cares for his people and do everything for their sake. This knight, Lancelot, also is a honorable man. They both would never poison their friend." She sent Merlin cold look, then she moved a bit from the bars. The warlock, on the other hand, rolled his eyes on the floor, remembering the incident with Morgana. "They have a honor, not like you. You're just a dirty, little dog."
And then she, just like that, started to leaving the dungeons. Merlin was observing her, until she was gone, then he sat back on the floor. Morgouse's words were spinning in his head. He tried to push them away, but he couldn't. He remembered the expression on Morgana's face, when he poisoned her. She trusted him, she helped him many times, and he betrayed her. He should ask dragon further, search for some kind of compromise. He should at least explain her the situation, make her understand, before she had been taken away from Camelot. He also was breaking his vows done with Great Dragon – first he let Uther fight with magic sword, instead of Arthur; then he hadn't freed the creature at the first time, so Kilgharrah had to think about his as someone distrustful. And when he finally set dragon free, he didn't make the monster promise to leave Camelot alone. Merlin was lying not only to strangers, but also to his friends – Arthur, Gwen, Morgana and Gaius, people, who were dear to him and who were considering him as a dear to them.
What was the right move? Free Kilgharrrah, who was deceived by Uther, or break the promise and prevent this unnecessary bloodshed? What was the right move? Poison Morgana or find the other way to save Camelot? Should he be honest to Arthur from the start? Should he tell Gaius everything he had done, instead of lying to him?
Was Merlin a man without honor?