Chap 2
AN – Lancelot's alive in this because I love the bromance Merlin and him have.
Merlin slowly awoke head throbbing and skin feeling tight around him, for a few blissful seconds he wondered how he had ended up like this, in what looked like a ravine through the darkness, till he noticed the ornate sorcerers cuffs on his wrist and his world crashed in on him.
He let himself fall to pieces as pain and betrayal ricocheted through him. How could Arthur do this, he had given Arthur so much, yet he just dismissed Merlin as just another evil sorcerer. A band started to clamp down on his chest as he realised he wasted 10 years of his life saving a man who hated him for being who he was born as.
Curled up and gasping for breath Merlin remembered the first time he realised he loved Arthur, when he lay dying after the questing beast so many years ago. At the time it seemed as if sacrificing his life for Arthur would be a small price if his first love was to walk again. He had almost died so many times for a man who fell in love with the wrong servant. Merlin had to realise than he would never be loved back and he was hurt but fine, as long as he could be by Arthurs side he would watch as Arthur loved another.
And Arthur just threw him aside.
"Arrrghhhhhhhh" he screamed tears running down his face. "WHY WHY WHY!" waves of anger and betrayal crashed in on him and he screamed at the world for being so cruel. How was this his destiny, why did he trust the word of one person to lay his whole life philosophy, why.
Merlins reality was crashing down on him and he couldn't breathe, the band around his chest had turned to iron slowly squeezing the life out of him as he panicked. His breath came in small gasps as he focused on not passing out, his head floated from the lack of oxygen and between his gasps he sobbed.
Merlin lay still finally. He had run out of steam and reality had set in Merlin found a strange kind of peace 'I guess Arthur was not the man I thought he was' he thought then anger started to worm its way into his mind.
He did so much, put up with so much for this ungrateful man. Hell, Arthur would still be aiming daggers and servants if he had not interfered, he would have never gained the trust of his best knights and no way would Gwen have married the pompous arrogant ass he used to be.
But he didn't know that. To Arthur he was just a stupid servant, someone who cannot do anything right, someone who stupidly insists on following him around even though he spends all the fighting time behind trees in Arthur's words 'being a daffodil'. Why would he care about Merlin's magic other than the loss of all the secrets his servant had heard, he didn't even care that much about that since he had let Merlin live.
Hate ripped through Merlin like a tidal wave, he had given all had had to this ginormous clotpole, and Arthur threw him away.
Arthur glared at the campfire, his emotions fighting through him. 'Why had Merlin betrayed him like that? What had he done to make him turn to magic? Had Merlin always been betraying him?'
Arthur heard the noises of the other knights crunching through the bush and suspicion swirled through him, 'what if one of his knights practiced sorcery too.' 'No, that would be stupid a sorcerer would not train his body like his knights had to.' He shook his numb head trying to shake his thoughts away.
"Hey princess, where's Merlin, I want to show him a new move" Gwaine yelled smiling till he noticed the blonde king flinch at the mention of Merlins name. "What happened" Lancelot said voice full of concern while looking around for any proof of attack.
Arthur looked at his feet and after a pause he said, voice hardly more than a whisper "did any of you know he had magic?" the clearing was silent for a few seconds before the knights started to guffaw the only ones not laughing were Lancelot and Gwaine who had figured it out years before.
Slowly the laughter died down as the knights saw the look on their kings face "we caught him in the act" Leon said face showing quiet pain. There were varied reactions as the knights absorbed this news, the most obvious being the rage taking over the faces of Lancelot, Gwaine and surprisingly Percival.
"Where is he Arthur" Gwaine said voice low and dangerous. Arthur looked up at him in disbelief, "You knew! You knew he was betraying us." Then Lancelot stepped forward protective anger clearly on his face.
"Arthur, where is he" Arthur looked across his knights who were all showing at least mild anger, but Gwaine, Percival and Lancelot looked murderous. He stared at them as he said, "I banished him from ever stepping foot in Camelot again lest he be burned at the pyre."
Arthur thought that his knights would relax at the statement, what he didn't expect was a fist to come flying from a rage filled Gwaine knocking him on his ass.
"Are you fucking kidding me! After all he has done for you, you ungrateful asshole, you would just throw him away" Arthur stared wide eyed at the ranting knight. "He has served you for 10 years and had many chances to kill, maim and cause trouble for you but he hasn't! Not to mention all the times he has done the opposite and saved your life. Hell, I wouldn't even be surprised if Camelot would have fallen had it not been for his help, and from what I've heard he even stopped you from being a cruel prince and by extension king, but I guess the people who told me that were wrong because no man with a fucking heart would ditch their best friend of 10 FUCKING YEARS!" Gwaine was panting after he had finished and was getting mildly scared looks from his friends who had never seen his protective side.
Gwaine turned and the knights flinched, he grabbed Lancelot and Percival before Arthur could even speak and stomped of to find his friend, who no matter how magic was probably dying in a dich somewhere.
Arthur sat with waves of guilt rolling through him realising that he hadn't even given merlin a chance of course merlin wasn't evil, he wasn't smart enough to be evil especially living in Camelot while practicing magic. He was a horrible friend.
Arthur got up and started searching with the knights but after 2 days of fruitless searching they left for Camelot with Gwaine promising Arthur bodily harm if he didn't remove the ban on magic, Arthur would have done that anyway along with the long mental list of what he would do for his neckerchief wearing friend to forgive him starting with making him the court magician that is if he comes back Arthur thought sadly.
Merlin hurt so much.
Waves of crashing pain flooded through him as his magic turned on itself ripping through his body as the cuffs stopped the magic that was usually just released into the atmosphere from escaping causing it to try any route of escape tearing anything in its path, if it continued all that would be left of merlin would be blood and a blast hole to rival any volcano.
The fundamental difference between Warlocks and Sorcerers was that Warlocks were magical creatures who had magic running in their veins just as much as blood were Sorcerers just used spells to hijack the magic in the surroundings.
The problem was Sorcerers cuffs were made for sorcerers who don't produce magic and it not only stops the magic from entering them, but it also stops magic from coming out causing Warlocks and Witches to literally turn into human bombs. The magic running through their veins overflowing and causing unimaginable pain as the energy from the magic forced them to stay awake.
Tears rolled down Merlins eyes as he writhed on the ground blood streaming from his white-Gold eyes as it flowed from every exit. He tried calling for Kilgharrah, but he couldn't send the magic out of his body.
He gasped for air as he felt his lungs slosh a little at the blood gathering in them. He managed to roll so he didn't choke on the blood he puked out. He heard a beating noise and thought he was finally breathing his last when he fell back and caught sight of a concerned looking white dragon and a certain hated witch.
"After all you have done, my brother casts you away like garbage. I see he has inherited some of Uther's traits"
Merlin gives her his best glare and sees her flinch at the obvious eyes more white then gold now as the magic had built up "If you want to kill me Arthur has beaten you to the chase."
Morgana stared at him disbelief colouring her features "so this is why you drew me here, Aithusa" she murmured as things clicked into place.
She remembered the horror stories on what happened when Witches and Warlocks were caught in sorcerer restraints their eyes glowing brighter than the sun as their insides teared apart with chaotic magic and they blew up killing their surrounding magic users and blowing holes in the dungeons.
She stared at Merlin as he let out a whimper and spasmed blood tears falling from his eyes and she cracked, no one deserved to die like this. Morgana thrust her hand out and blew up the shackles and was suddenly pulled under Aithusa's wing as a shockwave slammed into it.
After a few seconds Aithusa raised her wing and Morgana could not believe the destruction. The trees, old oaks and other strong plants had been thrown over 30 meters away and, on the ground, where they had once rooted were flowers of all sorts glowing slightly because of their magical growth. She looked over to Merlin and he was lying still, eyes closed, and blood evaporated.
Storming over to him she said, "You can't die idiot, I haven't gotten an explanation yet!" as she sent strong pulses of healing magic through his body and she smirked as she felt his heart start back up.
Aithusa nudged her and breathed on Merlin helping his healing along. Morgana looked over to her dragon with a befuddled expression, why did she care so much for Merlin. Aithusa noticed her gaze and crouches lowering her wing to encourage the Witch onto her back "ok, ok." Morgana chuckled as she gently levitated the boy onto her dragon and flew off in the direction of her castle.
AN – Hey people this is RR and how do you think the story is going also if anyone wants to draw fanart or anything I will do my best to add it at the end of the work or link it or something… can you do that?. Anyway thanks for reading betrayed chap 2 😊.