So here is the second chapter of this story. Thank you to you readers out there giving this a chance. I'm working out some kinks and trying to figure out the direction of the story, so hopefully it all turns out alright. I appreciate the support and I hope you all enjoy this one. Like I've stated in the chapter before, this is a bit of a darker series so if you would prefer something lighter I understand completely! I've got a lot of story ideas in my head for different characters and for Arthur and Merlin so perhaps one of those in the future would be best fit, who knows.

Excuse my babbling, and continue with the story!

WARNING: If you are not comfortable with mentions of sexual content please do not continue!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own anything related to BBC's Merlin series

Chapter Two: Her Sentence

Relaxing in his chair, Uther sighed as he stared up at the ceiling of the great hall. He let his shoulders sag for just one moment before he gained his composure back; a king is never allowed to show weakness.

It had been almost a year since Morgana had been taken by the sorceress, but Uther still had high hopes. He hadn't stopped searching, he hadn't given up on his ward; she meant the world to him. Still, although he was dedicated, he couldn't deny the weariness he felt. The thought of losing Morgana permanently seemed to break his spirits with each passing day—but like stated before, he wouldn't give up.

As the King of Camelot stood to his feet, he nearly jumped out of his skin as the door to the great hall slammed open. He blinked as he watched his son storm into the room with one of his knights in his grasp. He nearly threw the man to the floor, surprising Uther even more so. The king ignored his son's manservant as the brunet quickly followed into the room after Arthur.

"What is the meaning of this?" the king inquired curiously as Arthur glared down at Sir Melville, nearly panting from his rage.

"Why did you never tell me?" Arthur began, ignoring his father's question.

"Tell you what?"

"Down in the dungeon!" the prince snapped fiercely, Merlin staying close by his friend's side; he was there to make sure nothing escalated.

There were no words to describe how Arthur was feeling. Mortified, horrified, completely disgusted—nothing could accurately name the prince's emotions. When he finally had taken a moment to look around the new territory, he had found Melville with his trousers to his ankles, staring back at him with fear and shock.

At first, Arthur didn't understand what had been happening. It was dark and dank below where they were, but once his bright blue eyes had adjusted to the lighting, it was all so clear to him—and it had awoke a beast inside of him.

Realization falling over Uther, the king's gaze softened as he glanced at Melville, the knight not daring to meet his gaze. "You speak of the prisoner?"

"I speak of the woman locked away under the castle floor like an animal!" Arthur nearly yelled. Merlin's eyes widened as he glanced over at the king, shocked by what his master had discovered.

The image was engrained permanently into the prince's head. Never before had he seen something like it before. He hadn't even known that part of the dungeon had existed—and yet he was supposed to be future king? Arthur nearly gagged at the memory as he glared down at Melville with a new found sense of hatred he had never felt for anyone before.

"I don't understand," Arthur said as he looked at his father, hoping that the sudden hurricane of confusion would be extinguished.

"Excuse us. I would like to speak to my son alone," Uther stated, looking at both Sir Melville and Merlin. The knight quietly complied with his king's wishes, standing to his feet and scurrying out of the room like a dog with its tail between its legs. Merlin, on the other hand, was far more hesitant; the last time he had seen Arthur this angry had been when he had seen the ghost of his mother. Still, the King's orders were the King's orders. So Merlin regrettably did as told, stealing one last glance at his friend before the doors to the hall shut.

"How long has she been locked in there for?" Arthur immediately asked once the two had gained more privacy.

"A year or so," Uther stated honestly, causing his son's stomach to twist and turn; he felt sick.

"How could you?" Arthur asked with a heated glare at his father. "There is nothing she could have possibly done to earn such a punishment!" he exclaimed angrily, pacing back-and-forth as his father watched him intently.

"She is a sorceress," Uther stated, almost as if that were to end the discussion.

But Arthur was far from finished.

"A sorceress?" That explanation just wasn't good enough for Arthur, not this time. "So because she's a sorceress, you believe it is right to just completely destroy her virtue like barbarians?" Arthur yelled, his father slowly losing patience with him.

"It is the only way."

"No! It's not!" Arthur argued. "Since when does Camelot allow our prisoners to be tortured? You've always taught me to do the right thing, and what I saw—what I can never forget, that was wrong! Completely and utterly wrong."

"You don't understand, Arthur!" Uther snapped back. "That witch cannot die!"

The prince stopped his pacing as he finally met his father's gaze. He blinked as he stared at his father, the king wearing a stone-cold expression. "You may not remember this, but when she was first apprehended for her wrong-doings, she had been burned at the stake," Uther began explaining. "And when all was said and done, her body was to be disposed of accordingly." The king made his way towards the window of the hall as he stared out towards his kingdom. Arthur stared at him silently, unsure of how to feel.

"But when the guards went to discard her remains, she was exactly the way she had been before the burning. Not a single mark had been left, not even a scar," Uther stated quietly. "I made sure to keep this information quiet. The last thing Camelot needed was to fear over a sorceress who could not die." But Arthur then wondered, had there been any reason to fear at all?

"Since then I have had her locked down in the dungeon, away from those who could discover the truth about her."

"…And what of Sir Melville?" The prince wasn't so sure Melville deserved the title of "sir".

"I've allowed the knights to do as they please with the prisoner," Uther stated bluntly. "As long as she remains locked away, it is not my concern."

"Why was I not told of this?" Arthur snapped as he shook his head; he was still so muddled about the entire situation.

"It was not something you needed to worry over."

"Why is that?"

"I was protecting you!" Uther finally snapped. "You are a man of honor and value! You are going to be king of this land one day!" And then, Arthur finally realized why his father had failed to mention anything to him.

He didn't want Arthur to follow the path of Sir Melville.

The two stood in a stiff silence for a few seconds as Arthur tried to process everything he had learned in those few minutes. He took a deep breath as he shook his head. "Why was she detained in the first place?"

"She had used magic in order to kill one of our knights." And then, Arthur was beginning to remember the story, slowly but surely.

"...Is there anything else you'd like to know?" Uther asked quietly as he turned back to Arthur, his son avoiding his gaze.

"…No, father."

"Then you are dismissed," the king stated as he began to relax. He watched carefully as his son nodded, turning and head towards the exit of the hall.

"And, Arthur?" Said blond stopped in his tracks as he looked back to meet his father's gaze. "It would be in your best interest to avoid that place." Arthur said nothing before he walked out of the room, leaving Uther to his own devices.

~O~

Merlin sat in Arthur's room, his foot tapping away against the floor. He kept his hands locked together as he waited, until finally the door to his master's chamber swung open. The manservant quietly stood to his feet as he watched his simmering prince walk into the room, slamming the door shut. He said nothing and immediately began to pace from wall-to-wall. The brunet watched him carefully before he finally spoke up.

"How did it go?"

"How do you think?" Arthur snapped as he shook his head. He stopped himself after a second and sighed, looking up at his friend.

"Forgive me, I—"

"It's alright, Arthur." Merlin gave his friend a soft smile before he watched Arthur try and return one back to him.

"What exactly happened?" the manservant asked as Arthur shook his head.

"…I thought I knew everything there is to know about this place," the prince said quietly as he finally took a seat at the table in his room. "I used to adventure the rooms here…Morgana and I." And at the sound of her name, Merlin nearly crumbled to pieces.

Looking up and meeting Merlin's gaze, Arthur sighed. "My father…he's been keeping a sorceress prisoner below the dungeon."

"Below the dungeon?" Merlin asked, slightly confused.

"There's apparently a separate cell beneath the floor of the dungeon," Arthur explained. "He's been keeping her there for a year now."

"Why?" Merlin asked as he glanced in the direction of where the dungeon would be; he had never sensed any other presence of magic before.

"Apparently, she cannot be killed." Emrys had been shocked.

"I've never heard of such magic before," Merlin said as Arthur nodded beside him.

"…So now what?" Arthur looked up to meet Merlin's gaze before he looked to the floor.

"I don't know."