A Hidden Past- Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – The First Revelation

Warning/s: None

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin

A/N: Hi guys. I have a few things to clear up after reading your lovely reviews. The time period this is set in is post season 4, this means that Gwen and Arthur are married; Arthur is king not prince as I made the mistake of mentioning. The real reveal part of this story will start in the next chapter!

Enjoy!

Many thanks to Cordelia Rose who betaed this!

The Round Table was full by the time Arthur and Gwen had entered the council chamber; everyone except Merlin was there, Arthur noticed. That boy never was on time for anything. All the knights had managed to get here on time so why couldn't he for once? They were chattering among themselves and Arthur was glad to see that Gwaine was not intoxicated. After last week's meeting he wasn't sure he ever wanted to allow the knight to attend one again. He had entered completely drunk. He had started off his drunken performance by declaring his love to the king and attempting to plant a sloppy kiss on Arthur's forehead. It had taken Leon, Percival and Maverick to restrain him and return him to his seat. Then he had proceeded to sing about the glory of Arthur's socks before promptly passing out on the table. The only reason Arthur had decided to let him come was because Leon had informed him afterwards, that on the last patrol Gwaine had led, two of the junior knights in the party had been killed. Arthur could understand the man's guilt driven drinking frenzy. He too had felt the pain of losing men; it laid like a suffocating fog on the mind, making you relive those dreadful moments again and again... having to tell a wife that she was a widow, children that their father wouldn't be coming back or a mother that her child was gone. It was heart breaking.

The chatter died down as the king and queen took their seats. Arthur cleared his throat. "Leon, how has the Brimstone matter progressed? Have the bandits been removed?" he asked, turning to face the man in question.

"Yes, I believe so as the surrounding area has been searched and all signs of bandit activity has ceased. Sirs Grant and Renold are staying behind in the village to make sure they don't return," Leon reported. The knight looked proud and pleased that his men had done their duty so throughly, and Arthur couldn't blame him. Those particular bandits had been pillaging Brimstone village for weeks before he had managed to send a party to deal with them and Leon had lost more than a few night's sleep over them.

"Good. Percival, how are the new recruits doing? I haven't had as much time as I would have liked to watch them train," Arthur said, wishing the visiting lords hadn't demanded that he spend as much time as possible with them, going over ancient treaties that had in no way helped. Percival handed a piece of parchment over which had the training scores inked on it.

"Lord Perrington's youngest son is doing well; he is talented with a bow and adequate with a sword. I should like, with your permission sire, to give him some extra sessions," Percival said, giving Arthur a look that wasn't dissimilar to one that a puppy gives to its owner, when it wants a nice meaty bone. The scores did look promising and Percival didn't have many other duties outside of the usual ones.

"Yes, I agree. I hope you will be able to instil your bravery and loyalty into him."

"Not to mention his muscles," teased Gwaine from across the table, giving Percival a beaming smile. The big knight grinned and flexed his biceps at him. Arthur started to tell Gwaine that muscle wasn't everything in a fight, when a deafening blast sent them all flying. Arthur hit the wall of the chamber with a thud; around him his knights were already drawing their swords and struggling to their feet. His ears were ringing and it felt like a fly was buzzing around inside his head. He pulled Excalibur from the sheath on his hip and levelled it at where he thought the explosion had originated, shaking his head to clear it.

"Sire? Are you unharmed?" Leon's voice asked from his side, having rushed over to defend his king.

"Yes. Is everyone else alright?" A chorus of confirmation was his answer. The smoke that had filled the room seconds after the bang was beginning to clear and the young king could see his knights' silhouettes through it. Suddenly, it vanished as if commanded to do so and the scene around him became clear. Everything was in disarray, apart from a few chairs that were upturned,everything else was in pieces. The Round Table was cracked in two and piled up against the wall, the glass chandelier was hanging by one chain from the ceiling with the majority of the glass crystals smashed on the floor and the red and gold Camelot banners, that hung in between the windows were lying limp on the floor in shreds. All his knights were there and Gwen was… She wasn't by his side. Desperately, he spun round and his eyes met a grim sight. A middle-aged woman in a tatty, rugged dress and piercing green eyes had a knife to Gwen's throat. She was shaking her head at Arthur, trying to get him to think before he did something he would regret but she could not hide the fear that lurked in her eyes. "No!" Arthur roared, charging the woman, but she calmly pressed the knife a little harder into the queen's throat. A small drop of blood began sliding down Gwen's exposed neck and Arthur stopped dead, frozen in fear. His thoughts were racing too fast for him to think rationally, all that mattered was that Gwen was in danger and he needed to save her.

"Take one more step little king and I'll slit your precious wife's throat," she rasped, eyes glittering with glee.

"Let her go. She has done nothing to you."

"Why would I let the only thing stopping you from killing me where I stand go? No, I think I'll keep her until you and your filthy knights drop your weapons."

Gwen was shaking her head, telling him to think about the people not her but Arthur let Excalibur drop from his hand and clatter to the floor. His knights followed his example and soon the polished marble floor was littered with discarded swords and daggers.

"Good boy. You can have your pretty queen back now," she mocked, releasing Gwen and pushing her towards the king. He grabbed her shoulders and tilted her head up to inspect the shallow cut before putting his arm around her protectively, challenging the woman to touch her again. Gwen brushed his arm away and instead, stood by his side. She would not be cowed. The woman in question raised an eyebrow at Arthur's glare and, tossing her matted grey hair, she raised a hand mumbling something. Instantly, Arthur felt his limbs freeze and he realised with a growing sense of dread that this woman was no ordinary woman. She was a sorceress. Merlin, if he was here, would have called him stupid for not realising sooner. I mean, the massive gust of wind was a pretty big giveaway. Apparently, his men had also been enchanted as they called out in frustration. The sorceress walked confidently forward until she was eye to eye with Arthur; she smirked arrogantly and placed a cracked fingernail on his chin.

"I see that you know now what I am capable of, little king, maybe you will listen to me. I am Kileen, the daughter of a man that you slayed with those bloodstained hands of yours. He was guilty of no crime but possessing a little magic, something that I have inherited, although mine is so much more powerful. I have waited a great many years to have you like this before me, weak and helpless," Kileen explained, her eyes narrowing as she remembered her father and his untimely death. Arthur almost growled in frustration, he should have guessed, of course she was a sorceress. Every single time he was attacked by someone in his own castle it was someone who wanted revenge for a loved one he or mainly his father had killed. He regretted those moments in his youth when he had followed his father blindly but everyone makes mistakes: why did his always end up coming back to haunt him?

"You've already lost your father so I was too late to inflict that pain on you that but I have come across a rather wonderful spell that makes the victim experience their worst memories," she said, relishing in the fleeting look of fear that crossed his face.

"That's not the best bit though."

"There's a best bit," Arthur spat but instantly regretted it as her smirk morphed into a sneer.

"I will enjoy making you suffer Arthur Pendragon, for everyone to see," she hissed and finally he got it. All his men, Gwen and the sorceress would see his memories; Gods he needed to escape. He tried to fight the spell that bound him, tried to find some way of breaking it but it was hopeless. Instead, he braced himself as Kileen raised her hand. The resounding crack that followed made Arthur realise that Kileen was beginning her spell. Arthur waited for the memories to burst from his mind but instead a familiar voice shouted his name.

"Arthur!"

Merlin burst through the doors and staggered back a step as he witnessed the scene in front of him. The knights and Arthur were frozen in place and a strange woman was about to… He cursed, she was about to perform some kind of spell on Arthur and from the looks of his expression it wasn't a good one that would make him less of a prat.

"Merlin!"

Arthur's panicked tones shocked Merlin into action; he began sprinting towards the sorceress whilst muttering a shield spell under his breath. Kileen turned her attention from Arthur to the young servant currently on a collision course with her. She began chanting the same freezing spell but Merlin whispered a counter-spell. He blocked out the stunned gasps as his friends witnessed his eyes change colour, he couldn't think about that now. They could hate him, banish him, burn him but right now he had to protect Arthur. He was almost there, just a little further. Realising that her spell had failed, Kileen started incanting the enchantment on Arthur. If she couldn't freeze the servant then he could just be another witness of the Pendragon's pain. A crackling purple ball of energy swirled in her palm and she aimed it at the king. It hurtled through the air and rebounded off the milky shield that had erupted in front of Arthur only seconds earlier. Merlin allowed himself a small smile of victory before the ball hit him square in the chest. He gasped. All the air had been knocked from his lungs, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't think. His body was numbing and his senses dulling. He collapsed to the floor, choking and convulsing as the spell began to work.

Merlin's betrayal washed over him like an icy wave, the person he trusted above everyone had… magic. At that moment, Merlin groaned as fire ripped through his bloodstream. The pain in Merlin's voice was too much for Arthur, whatever reason Merlin had for practicing magic it would be worth hearing and he would give him that chance. He shouted at his idiotic, self-sacrificing servant, he should have been the one to suffer not his… friend. Kileen smiled at seeing the king's horrified expression. She had been surprised when the young servant turned out to have magic, powerful enough to overcome her own and she didn't like surprises.

"Maybe watching your servant's agony will be even more painful for you," she laughed and willed the doors to slam shut and lock. She didn't want anyone else interfering. Kileen settled herself on a nearby, overturned chair as her revenge was enacted before her eyes. The young man was coated in a fine sheen of sweat and tremors wracked Merlin's body as he tried to fight the spell that was causing images to swirl across his blackening vision, images of people that were lost to him. His failures… His scars… His hidden past.