"Wakey wakey your highness." My head hurts, my legs are sore and the ground is cold. I'm in a cell.
I look up to the best of my ability as my vision restores itself. "W-what do you want with us?"
"I have put your friends into separate cells but I allowed you to keep your bumbling servant. Wouldn't want you to feel completely useless."
"You didnt...answer my...question."
"They captured you for me." Morgana steps next to the man and glares at me with a wicked grin. "You may actually prove to be useful for once, brother."
"What the hell, Morgana!?" I stand up realizing I'm not bound in chains, which confuses me. "If you've captured me, why am I not in chains?"
"Didn't know you liked that." She smirked in amusement, and I shivered in disgust. "If you must know, it's because these bars are enchanted. You won't be able to get out. Each cell has the same enchantment but slightly different."
"So, why put Merlin in my cell?"
"That's not very nice." I hear him quip behind me.
"Did our darling Merlin not tell you?" She glanced behind me and I followed her eyes to a frustrated and guilty looking Merlin. "When the kingdom was asleep he decided to poison me."
"You did what!?" I feel my eyes go wide and my heart drop when suddenly he stands up with a strange sort of bravery as he walks up to the bars.
"The spell was tethered to you! It was the only way to free Camelot! You were my friend and it killed me to do it, but I had to!"
"Apparently it didn't kill you enough because you're still breathing. Oh how you've been a thorn in my side since then. No matter, I have questions for you, Merlin."
"Like what?" I watched as he glared at her as if daring her to ask.
"How did you survive?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
She hurled a fireball at him through the bars and he dodged it. All I could do was watch. 'What did he survive...what did he HAVE to survive?' "You know damn well what!"
Merlin stood to his feet once more and adjusted his clothes, before immediately being magically held against the wall. "My sister and I chained you up with enchanted chains and sent serkets after you! How did you survive!?" She then used her magic to rip off his neckerchief, jacket, and shirt causing us both to stare at it in surprise, but she quickly ignored it as she turned him around.
I looked at Merlin's body and the markings from before look like they really could've been from chains but the rest of his body was littered with scars. Right now though I'm more focused on the one on his back. "What is that?"
"That, dear brother, is a serket sting. No one survives their poison. Only powerful magic could ever hope to heal it...powerful magic like the kind Emrys has. So tell me, Merlin...how do you know Emrys?"
"Emrys is a warlock. He was born with magic, he is magic. He was, is and forever will be the most powerful warlock to ever live."
"That is not what I meant and you know it!" I heard her practically growl at him.
"Leave him alone, Morgana!"
"Brother, the only reason why I'm not killing you now is because Emrys will come to your aid. He is supposedly your protector...and my doom. So, once I kill him...then I can kill you." She turned to Merlin once more and asked again. "How do you know Emrys. The real answer!"
"I have nothing to say to you Morgana." Suddenly I felt pain all over my body and I could barely keep my head up. "What are you doing to him!?"
"I'm torturing him with the enchantment placed on the bars. You see, there is a nifty little blood enchantment my sister taught me, and until you tell me what I want to know...poor Arthur here is going to suffer. Don't worry, he won't die but he'll wish he could."
"Fine! I'll tell you, just stop!"
The pain stopped leaving me breathless and I can't help but stare at Merlin. "How do you know Emrys?" I heard her ask once again.
"I know him personally." At his answer I felt my heart shatter to pieces. Merlin knows a sorcerer personally...not just any sorcerer, but the most powerful sorcerer. He has been consulting with sorcerers and who knows what else.
"Well then, you can betray all of your friends at once as I show Emrys your betrayal and then kill Arthur and the rest of the knights." A guard came in as I hear other cells being opened.
"We'll just put these on you." The guard smiled as he placed two bracelets on me.
"What the hell are these?"
"One is for the blood enchantment and the other is to make sure that if you struggle or try to attack me, you will feel it on you ten fold."
"Merlin, you don't have to do this!" I try to make him see sense but he just looks back at me apologetically and follows Morgana out.
Soon I am met side by side with Gwaine who looks completely shocked and betrayed, and why shouldn't he? Merlin is walking side by side with Morgana as we leave the castle.
"Alright, where to Merlin." I can hear the twisted delight in her voice.
"Believe it or not Morgana he lives rather close." I see Merlin give an awkward smile. 'I know that smile! He's lying!' I can't show I know otherwise it will give the other knights hope and it will alert Morgana, who will then probably try and kill Merlin.
We all follow Merlin and Morgana deeper into the forest and I feel Gwaine tap me with his elbow. "Why would Merlin betray us?"
At that question I'm brought back to the fact that there was truth in Merlin's words when he said he knew Emrys personally. "I don't know."
About thirty minutes of silence later and we finally arrive at a cave when Merlin stops and turns to look at me. "I'm sorry Arthur..." He then looked to Morgana who was rightly confused. "Morgana, I told you the truth when I said I know Emrys. You see...that's what the druids call me." His voice seemed commanding and dark.
"No...you can't be...you're just a servant!"
"Magic doesn't choose rank Morgana. You of all people should know this. I feel sorry you, Morgana...I blame myself for what you've become."
"This...this is impossible!" She tried to hurl an another angry fireball at him, but Merlin sent it back at her without so much as moving.
As she tried to get up Merlin walked towards one of her guards and grabbed my sword. 'Merlin has magic? Merlin is Emrys...he has magic...he has betrayed me...he has lied to me...'
"I cannot let you kill him."
"Prove to me more that you're Emrys! Call out a dragon for me!"
'But I killed the last dragon. Merlin had said...MERLIN had said...' "My magic is not for you! It is only for Arthur and the GOOD of Camelot." I had never seen Merlin like this...amongst my swimming thoughts of betrayal, not even I can deny that he looks as regal as any nobleman.
"You betray your own kind for a man who would gladly see you die!?"
Merlin looked down and shook his head before looking back up at her. "If he wishes to see me die then so be it, but I will not allow you to be his end."
"You hold Arthur's sword. You're the great and powerful Emrys and you need a sword? You should know that no mortal blade can kill me."
I watch in complete shock as Merlin holds out a hand to the ground and entangles her in in vines and flowers. "This is no mortal blade. This is forged in a dragon's breath."
Once Morgana fell, her guards took away giving Merlin fearful looks.
Merlin turned towards us and waved his hands to the left and all of our bracelets shattered to the ground. "Arthur...I'm sorry." He kneels down in front of me bowing his head low, and places my sword in front of me.
"You...you killed Morgana." I watched as he lowered his head.
"It had to be done."
"We'll um...we'll talk more about this when we make camp."
"Thank you, sire." 'Sire? And its not filled with sarcasm or concern for me...it's strictly formality...'
