Hidden Motives
A/N: Thank you for such a lovely response to the first chapter. I'm back sooner than I expected, but it there may still be a weekly wait between chapters after this. We shall have to see. Anyway, a review reminded me of something I should have mentioned last time. This won't be a slash story. I'm very much a bromance fan and there will be plenty of that.
Well, here's the second chapter. Please review!
Chapter 2
'What?' Merlin asked incredulously as the soldiers tightened their grip on him once more and began leading him to the castle. 'Lancelot, what are you talking about?' Merlin asked, but his friend's face stayed in its mask of grim resignation. That infuriated Merlin even more and he tried to stand his ground and lock his feet against the floor, but the soldiers were much too strong for him and they continued to drag him through the castle courtyard, barely registering his attempt to fight back. He opened his mouth to shout again, but saw Lancelot subtly shake his head, conveying in a glance that for now it would be best for him to submit. Reluctantly, Merlin stayed quiet and allowed himself to be taken down to the dungeons, the castle staff watching him with either deep distrust or utter disbelief.
Before he knew it, he was being thrown into a cell and his injuries meant that he crashed to the ground, twisting his wrist as he tried to soften his fall. He heard the clang of the bars and pushed himself to a kneeling position.
'Go and inform the King and Prince,' he heard Lancelot tell the soldiers. The clinking of their armour disappeared down the hallway as they followed orders. As quickly as he could, which wasn't very quick due to the dizziness that had suddenly overtaken him, Merlin turned round and looked at Lancelot. His friend had crouched down so that he was on eye level with Merlin; his face was solemn, but not accusing. Merlin felt a small spark of relief flick through him at the realisation that Lancelot was still on his side, at least for now. Haltingly, Merlin crawled forward and then sat up, resting his head and body against the bars.
'Merlin, where have you been?' he asked urgently.
'I was in the forest.'
'Why?'
'I don't know; I can't remember anything about how I got there or about leaving Camelot and I can't remember anything about yesterday afternoon and evening. What is going on? Why am I being accused of trying to kill Arthur?'
'Because you did try to,' Lancelot replied heavily.
'That's ridiculous,' Merlin retorted. 'Do you realise how stupid that sounds?'
'I know, Merlin. Trust me; when I heard it I could barely believe it. But you were seen.'
'By who? Who's accusing me?' Merlin demanded; some fight coming back into his tone in his frustration. Lancelot sighed and looked away. 'Who's accusing me?'
'Arthur is,' he replied quietly.
'What?' Merlin whispered. He felt the words like a physical blow in his chest and for several seconds he couldn't catch his breath. Arthur was making the accusation? Arthur believed Merlin had tried to kill him? That was impossible. Arthur trusted him more than anyone else; what was more, Arthur knew completely and utterly that Merlin could be trusted above anyone else. 'I would never…this is…' he couldn't think of how to finish the sentence. What had happened last night? It was that question that he voiced to Lancelot. The knight shook his head.
'I don't know; no-one does really. There are rumours that the two of you were arguing, some of the servants say they heard loud bangs.'
'This is impossible,' Merlin replied, a numb shock descending on him. 'You know that I would never do anything to hurt Arthur.'
'I know, Merlin, but he thinks you did.'
'How can Arthur of all people think that? Has he been enchanted?' Merlin added suddenly as the thought crossed his mind. 'That would explain everything.'
'He hasn't been acting strangely.'
'He's accused me of trying to kill him!' Merlin snapped incredulously.
'No, you'll see what I mean when he comes and sees you,' Lancelot said gravely. 'I don't think he's been enchanted.' Merlin didn't reply; if Arthur was coming to see him, he would be able to get more information. 'Merlin,' Lancelot continued hesitantly after a pause. Merlin looked up. 'Have you thought about the possibility that it could be you that's been enchanted?'
'I'd be able to sense it, I'm sure.'
'But what if you couldn't? What if someone's learnt about you and enchanted you? You're in the perfect position to kill Arthur. You spend more time with him than anyone and if you wanted to kill him, you'd have hundreds of chances everyday.' The knight spoke more and more quickly as he went on, rushing to get his thoughts out in the open and out of the way. He didn't want to say them - that much was obvious - but perhaps they needed to be said.
Against his better judgement, Merlin considered his friend's words. Was it possible that someone was using him to get to Arthur? No, he'd have felt it, surely he would have. And besides, it would take a very powerful sorcerer to bewitch him and he had sensed nothing magically amiss in the last few months. There had to be another explanation.
'I don't-' he began, but the sound of heavy boots stopped him. Lancelot quickly got to his feet and moved a few paces back so it looked like he was guarding the cell.
'Lancelot,' he called. His friend looked at him. 'You know I would never harm Arthur. All I've ever done is protected him.'
'I know,' Lancelot whispered, but there was a hopelessness in the way he said it. They were prevented from saying anymore by the arrival of the visitors, several of them by the sound of it. From this angle, Merlin could just about make out Arthur striding towards him; his face was solemn and pale; a frozen mask of determination, but Merlin could see through it to the uncertainty beneath. Arthur quickly dismissed Lancelot, who gave Merlin a quick glance as he left. Hastily, Merlin pulled himself up on the bars of the cage.
'Arthur!' he called desperately, but was stopped when, to his surprise and horror, he saw Uther right behind him, looking pale and slightly hunched, but furiously determined. His eyes were black with rage and his jaw was set. Merlin could hardly believe what he was seeing. Uther had barely been out of his chambers for weeks, still reeling after Morgana's betrayal. It was whispered among the servants that he was all but bed-ridden and had given up on life. Evidently, an alleged attack on his son was enough to snap him out of his dark recollections.
'You will address the Prince as his rank deserves, boy,' came Uther's voice, as hard as flint. Merlin felt fear creep through him; he had been on the receiving end of Uther's anger on more than one occasion and he did not relish experiencing it again now.
'Sire,' he said instead, addressing Uther as courteously as he could; lowering his eyes and dropping his head.
'You are accused, boy, of attempting to kill your Prince.'
'Sire-' Merlin began quietly.
'Silence!' he shouted, stepping menacingly towards the bars of the cell. 'You have been found guilty and will be executed in two days time at sunrise.'
Merlin felt his head reel at the words. Executed?
'My Lord,' he spluttered, finally finding the nerve to look up. Uther was already turning away from him, but Arthur was watching him closely, looking for something. Perhaps proof that his suspicions were wrong. 'I have no recollection of the events of yesterday, but I swear to you, I would never do anything to harm your son.'
'You believe I would take into account your words over that of my own son, the crown Prince and the second highest authority in the realm after myself?' Uther hissed, swinging back round to fix him with a glare of contempt. 'You will die in dishonour; the punishment you justly deserve.' With that he turned and headed back up the corridor. 'Arthur,' he called on seeing that his son wasn't following.
'I wish to question the prisoner further and find out what his betrayal has stemmed from,' Arthur replied, his tone full of the Princely authority that he reserved for official occasions of state and occasionally for winding Merlin up. Merlin felt his hopes diminish further at the sound of it.
'Arthur, please, you have to believe me,' Merlin whispered urgently as the last sounds of the King faded. Arthur's head snapped round to meet his gaze.
'What do you mean you have no memory of yesterday?' he asked.
'What?'
'Merlin!' he snapped, infuriated. Merlin frowned, this Arthur seemed very familiar.
'I woke up in the forest this morning and I haven't got a clue what happened. I banged my head; I think it's affected my memory.' He turned round so that Arthur could see the injury, which he was sure didn't look too good.
'So you…?'
'So I don't remember trying to kill you,' Merlin replied, relaxing somewhat at Arthur's far from accusing words. 'Arthur, you know full well that I'd never hurt you.'
'You give me headaches a lot of the time.'
'This is serious,' Merlin snapped, taking his turn at being infuriated. 'In case you hadn't noticed, your father is going to execute me.' Arthur sobered at the words and nodded. 'What happened? What makes you think I tried to kill you?'
'Because you did!'
'That's not possible.'
'No, Merlin, what's not possible is me walking into my room to find you lacing my goblet with poison, and yet that's what happened.'
'What?'
'Last night. I finished training early and came back to my room to find you tipping a vial of poison into my wine.'
Merlin frowned, and shook his head. None of this was ringing any bells. Yes, he would have been in Arthur's room at around that time, but no, he wouldn't have been trying to poison him.
'Perhaps I was putting medicine in it; you know how much you hate taking it.'
'Does this look like medicine to you?' Arthur asked him, pulling out a vial from his pocket and presenting it to Merlin. Merlin saw the tell tale sign of the skull and cross bone decorating the outside of it.
'That's what he was holding?' Merlin asked.
'That's what you were holding. I even went and checked with Gaius; it was missing from his stores.'
'It wasn't me, Arthur,' Merlin argued, feeling confusion begin to muddle his thoughts. This couldn't be happening. 'It must have been someone else.'
'Have you got an evil twin brother that you haven't told me about?' Arthur asked sarcastically.
'No, but what about an imposter?'
'It was you.'
'How can you be so sure?'
'Because you got the head injury while you were in my room,' Arthur sighed.
'What?' Merlin asked. Arthur shook his head and closed his eyes. That more than anything made Merlin believe him, but he still wanted answers. 'How did I get it?'
'I came in and you were there, so I challenged you about it. You started yelling and spouting some rubbish about the gods decreeing that the Pendragon house was unfit to rule and-'
'Wait, what?' Merlin asked.
'That's what you said.'
'And that wasn't a clue that it wasn't me?' Merlin asked incredulously.
'What other explanation have you got, Merlin?' Arthur asked him angrily. 'I've spent the entire night trying to work out another possibility, and 'imposter' was the first on my mind, until you showed up this morning with no memory of last night and a head injury you got when you tried to attack me and I pushed you back.' He sighed in defeat and lowered his tone again. 'You hit your head against the table then got up and ran. I called the guards, but there was no sign of you anywhere.'
'It can't have been me,' Merlin whispered, but there was less conviction in his tone now. There was no doubt that the evidence was stacked against him. He looked desperately at Arthur again. 'You believe me, don't you?' he asked.
'I've been betrayed before,' Arthur said heavily.
'Morgana's different. She had motive and you can see the signs now, looking back,' Merlin argued. 'When have I ever given you cause to question my loyalty?'
'Never,' Arthur agreed quietly, 'until last night.'
'Arthur,' Merlin pleaded.
'I don't know what to think, Merlin.'
'You know me; you know that you can trust me. There has to be some explanation.'
'Then give me one.'
Merlin fell silent for several moments, going back over all that he had found out, but nothing seemed to come to mind. There was nothing in the way Arthur was acting that suggested he was lying, nothing suggesting that he was being enchanted. Everything in his story rang true.
'Perhaps I was enchanted,' he offered reluctantly. There was nothing else he could think of.
'Give me an explanation that I can give to my father which won't get you executed even more quickly,' Arthur sighed in frustration. 'As soon as he was informed, he sent out search parties. He came and saw me; he got his manservant to dress him in his robes and then marched down to my room. I haven't seen him so alert and awake since…' he fell silent. Morgana's betrayal still pressed heavily on father and son.
'I don't know what else to say,' Merlin replied. 'I'd never kill you. I'd never try and poison you. Come on, Arthur, I drank poison for you when I'd only been your servant a few weeks.'
'I know that!' Arthur said through gritted teeth. 'But I can't go to my father and say that you're enchanted. He'll just kill you today.'
'Then we need to find proof and a way to reverse it.'
'And how are we supposed to do that? What's more, how are we supposed to test it works? Leave you alone in a room with me and hope you don't try and kill me?'
Merlin resisted the urge to sigh heavily at his patronising tone.
'You need to do some research; get Gaius to help you. He'll be able to find out what's happened and then find a way to reverse it.'
'How am I supposed to research magical spells? I'm the Prince whose father hates magic and kills anyone who studies it.'
'You're hardly studying it are you,' Merlin replied. 'And I would offer to help, but I'm certain that letting me roam free around Camelot is also quite high on your father's list of things he hates.'
An uneasy silence fell between them and Arthur, uncharacteristically, shifted uncertainly. It made Merlin feel even more uncomfortable.
'What is it?' Merlin asked. Arthur didn't reply for several seconds, instead looking round at the walls of the dungeon. 'Arthur?' Eventually, the Prince looked at him.
'What if all of this,' he gestured at Merlin, 'what if it's all an act? What if the person I'm talking to right now isn't actually Merlin, but some creature who's possessing him or enchanting him? Or some imposter who's spinning this extravagant story for his own purposes?'
Merlin opened his mouth to reply, but found that he had nothing to say. Arthur's argument was irrefutable and impossible to dispel.
'There isn't anything I can say to disprove that,' he admitted. 'I know that I'm me, but there's no way I can prove it to you.'
'And yet you expect me to do as you ask when it could be leading me into a trap?' Arthur murmured.
'I'm not leading you into a trap, Arthur,' he replied sadly, knowing once again that he couldn't assure the Prince of the truth in his words. Arthur turned away and began pacing in the narrow space of the corridor. Merlin watched him, knowing that he couldn't break the silence, not just yet. Arthur needed to come to this decision on his own; Merlin only hoped it would be the right one.
The Prince sighed heavily and came to stand by the bars, slamming his hand into them in his frustration.
'What if you're not, Merlin?' he asked harshly, demanding an answer. Merlin couldn't give him one, not one that would help. What if he wasn't actually himself; what if even he was being fooled by a force that had overtaken him and made him its puppet?
'What if I am him?' he asked instead; slowly and sadly. 'I can't make up your mind for you Arthur. This is your decision.'
Arthur stared at him for several seconds and then closed his eyes and pushed away from the bars.
'I need to think about this,' he muttered.
'Alright,' Merlin nodded, realising that at this point, Arthur's consideration of his innocence would probably be the best that he could hope for. The Prince straightened up and began walking down the corridor.
'I'll send Gaius to treat your head injury,' he called back, not looking at Merlin, his voice distracted and emotionless.
'Thank you,' Merlin called after him, but his voice was swallowed up in the echo of the Prince's boots on the floor. A few seconds later the telltale slam of the dungeon door plunged the area into silence. Merlin slid back down the bars until he was sitting, his knees tucked up against his chest and his head bowed against them. His head rang with Arthur's words telling a story of an unrecognisable version of himself. Everything inside him screamed that Arthur had to have been mistaken or had to have misread what he saw; nothing in him would ever want to hurt Arthur. Nothing. And yet here he was, accused of a crime that he couldn't remember committing or not committing. He had no defence; no way of proving his innocence and already a dark thought was beginning to creep through him: maybe he had done it, maybe his only possible explanation was the correct one. He had been enchanted; he had been taken over by some malevolent force. What if this force realised his potential as a wielder of magic? Merlin shuddered at the thought; he knew the devastation that he could rain down on people if he chose to use his power for evil. Killing Arthur would only be the beginning.
He shook his head and forced the thoughts from his mind; he could already feel their darkness stripping away at his rapidly disintegrating composure. He would wait for Gaius and see what the physician said. If anyone could shed light on the situation it would be him. And so Merlin waited; the sound of his quiet breaths his only company.
.
.
.
.
.
