Damn this is a long chapter. It's setting a bad precedent, don't blame me if not all chapters are 12 word documents long!
I'm having some difficulties with the section I am currently writing, but I've got enough chapters between now and then that hopefully I'll get into the rhythm of it before uploading catches up with me. I know what I want to happen, it's just getting there.
Oh hey, if anyone's interested, the working title for this story was 'Black horse.' Well, it was more of a code title for any randoms who looked upon my desktop then a working title; it was never going to be called 'Black horse. But still, I find that sort of stuff interesting.
Anyway…to the story!
Chapter 3.
"I am Emrys."
::Merlin::
Merlin had limped into Gaius' workroom as quietly as he could when he left Arthur's rooms. From the safety of his bedroom he had spelled a bucket of water and several clean rags to come to him, along with some of Gaius' salve for bruises.
As, elsewhere in the castle, Arthur had been listening to his father and being looked upon with proud eyes in a warmly lit room, Merlin had been sitting alone in his room, tending to his wounds in the dark. He didn't go to sleep until nearly dawn and woke after a short dream of fire and blood and terror that left him feeling thoroughly un-refreshed.
Merlin lay in bed for a while, wrestling with self-pity, and at the first sounds of movement in the workshop he got up and, exhausted, staggered down to breakfast still in his bedclothes. Gaius looked up from where he was putting the kettle on the fire and flinched so violently he nearly doused the wood with water.
"Merlin! Good grief my boy, what happened to you?"
"What?" Merlin looked around, confused at Gaius' alarmed tone. His body groaned violently in protest to the movement and, wincing, Merlin remembered what had happened the previous night.
Gaius moved over to Merlin and gently touched his hands to the side of the warlock's face.
"Ow, what are you doing?" Merlin pulled away and then hissed.
"You went and saw Arthur didn't you?" Gaius said. Merlin glared half-heatedly in response.
"I can tell," Gaius said sternly, turning Merlin's head this way and that, "you either saw Arthur or a pack of wolves and I don't think we have a pack of wolves at our immediate disposal."
Sighing and tut-tutting Gaius shepherded Merlin to the breakfast/lunch/dinner table and sat him down. He then proceeded to get some salves and push them into Merlin's hands. Gratefully Merlin took them; they were different to the one he had borrowed last night and probably much more effective. The old man then shuffled about and readied breakfast; a job Merlin had been partially taking over before the day before had occurred.
"What did he do?" Gaius broke the silence as Merlin pushed unhappily at his porridge.
"Oh, you know," he attempted nonchalantly, "he hit me in the head with a chair."
Gaius made a rumbling noise in his throat like an angry camel.
"Why didn't you defend yourself?"
"I did."
"Before or after he hit you in the head with a chair?"
"…After the first time. I didn't want to do it if he was bluffing!"
"You tried to call his bluff and he hit you in the head with a chair?"
Merlin didn't reply for a few moments.
"Defending myself drove him away. In his current mindset he sees self-defence as a threat. He thinks I might hurt..."
Gaius leant forwards and interrupted with serious eyes.
"He knows you wouldn't hurt him. He's a smart man; he knows you are not evil. He would've put two and two together and realised magic is not evil. He's in denial."
"Well then I'll just weather it until he stops denying it," Merlin said a little sharper then he intended, wounded and scared at the inference that Arthur might have chosen to hate him.
"You have to defend yourself, Merlin," Gaius said earnestly.
"And I am supposed to do this and just hope he doesn't take it the wrong way?"
"Talk to him, tell him of everything you have done. You can defend yourself and talk at the same time."
Merlin made a little angry gesture in his hands.
"Arthur doesn't work like that."
"Everybody works like that."
"No, you're wrong. You're a physician, a scholar, that's how you work. It takes actions, gestures, not words, to convince Arthur of anything."
"You've already done the actions and gestures! You just need to tell him about them!" Gaius said, convinced that he was right.
"All I have for those things are my words, it's not enough. I need to show him," Merlin stood, food uneaten.
"Where are you going?" Gaius said.
"I'm going to get Arthur his breakfast."
"Merlin!" Gaius said exasperatedly.
"What? Technically nobody has fired me yet."
"Don't you think you are being a little unwise; brash maybe?" Gaius put down his cup. "Flaunting magic in Camelot's face won't get you anywhere Merlin."
Merlin's hands twitched angrily but didn't fist.
"I'm not flaunting anything! I've been hiding myself for years; living like a regular human being can hardly be called flaunting."
"You can't frighten people into accepting you!" Gaius snapped.
"I'm not trying to frighten anyone! I'm going to do what I have always done and protect their ungrateful lives. If people are too stupid to pull their heads from the sand and realise I mean them no harm, then that is no fault of mine."
They both frowned at each other, both convinced that they were right and that the other was wrong. Finally Gaius sighed in a frustrated manner.
"I can see nothing I say will change your mind, so I guess I'll go to the library," Gaius said and rose to his feet.
"What?" Merlin said, startled by the sudden tangent.
"Someone has to get the Old Religion texts before Uther thinks clearly enough to have them all burnt, and that someone had better be me. Don't worry, you're spell will protect me," Gaius' lined face softened slightly as he took in Merlin's tensed postured, "I also think if Geoffrey sees that I am saving some of his precious books from incineration we will have an ally in him."
Gaius smiled. Merlin's mouth twitched itself up into a grin. His grin only made Gaius smile the wider and pat his arm, saying,
"Good lad."
"Thanks Gaius…sorry, Gaius."
Sorry for years of forcing him to break the law, sorry for risking his life, sorry for entangling him in all the lies, sorry for not eating the porridge he'd made for breakfast.
"No, Merlin, thank you," Gaius looked old, older than ever before, "if you hadn't come to Camelot…well… you taught me compassion and courage again. Thank you."
Every line of his face was weighted down as if it represented one of the many, many lives he hadn't lifted a finger to save during the purge in the interest of self-preservation. Not knowing how to respond, yet touched by the old man's words, Merlin smiled warmly and magicked the dishes clean and left.
Directly after exiting the physician's quarters Merlin came face to face with a guard. The man gave him a wary look and held his pike slightly aloft. Breathing angrily through his nose Merlin turned and walked away from the guard who strode after him. He didn't clank much thankfully, the noise would've driven Merlin up the wall (and him being a sorcerer meant that the term would be much more literal then it should be.)
However it also meant that when two crossbowmen suddenly jumped out from the end of the corridor and fired at Merlin the guard was not protected against the heavy bolts. He would've died, there and then, if not for Merlin's hand which came slamming sidewards with a flash, magic blocking the bolt a handbreadth from the guard's chest. The other bolt had incinerated mid-air in the magical shield in front of him but he paid no attention to this.
"Your morons! Look where you are shooting would you!" He yelled down the corridor as the crossbowmen ducked, frightened, out of sight.
"Hey, I'm talking to you!" He strode to the end of the corridor and looked down to where on either side of the hallway the men crouched behind the wall with unloaded crossbows clutched in shaking hands.
"Did you hear me? You could've killed…hey, what's your name?" Merlin looked back at the guard.
"Ah…Den…" the man shouted back, looking up from where he had been checking himself for crossbow bolts.
"You nearly killed Den! Those stupid bows couldn't kill me. I'm a sorcerer, remember? But you nearly did a very good job of killing your own colleague. And people call me an idiot!"
Merlin twisted away and stormed off in the direction of the kitchens. Merlin was so used to a lack of acknowledgement and gratitude that he came as a surprise when from behind him Den suddenly said,
"Thank you."
Merlin looked back at Den, not stopping walking. Den was following in and returning his look, body language wary but expression earnest.
"Thank you."
The world buzzed slightly in Merlin's ears for a moment and his eyes went distant and absent with thoughts. Then he inhaled, refocused on Den, nodded, and they continued on their way.
Merlin's anger had been completely derailed, and he had a funny buzzing sensation in his chest.
Thank you.
When he actually set foot inside the kitchens the cooks and serving stuff were at a loss as to what to do with themselves. One serving boy left outright, some people just pretended he wasn't there in the hope that he somehow wasn't, the rest stood around looking terrified.
Merlin made his way to the bench where Arthur's platter was set up, looking at the floor not so much in shame as so much as to avoid giving someone a heart attack by making eye contact.
"No…hey, don't touch that!" Den moved from behind Merlin to stand between him and Arthur's food.
"What?" Merlin asked, surprised (and maybe a little dismayed.)
"Don't touch the Prince's food!"
"If I wanted to do anything to it by now I would've done so, but I haven't."
Den blinked unhelpfully.
"I just saved your life; I'm not going to hurt anyone!" Merlin twisted on his heel to face the servants with palms lowered unthreateningly, "I don't want to hurt anyone. I have been using my magic to protect Camelot for years. I stopped the gargoyles, I stopped the immortal army, I stopped the dragon. I am not going to hurt you."
Nobody moved; Merlin turned back to Den who had his pike lowered. Losing his temper slightly Merlin flicked his fingers and, with a flare of gold, Arthur's plate flew into his hands. There was a huge gasp in the kitchen and blue sparks erupted from his shield where Den had tried to drive his pike into Merlin's gut. Merlin sighed, his irritation dying into sadness.
"Really, Den?" He said softly, eyeing the now white-hot end of the pike, "I saved your life."
Turning away from the man's guilty expression he moved to where the meat was cooking over some coals and carved off a sizeable portion for Arthur; sizeable enough to hopefully put him in a good mood, as pitiful an effort it was.
Merlin moved to the door, Den clumping after him. One hand on the door handle he turned to look at their pale, frightened, revolted faces.
"I've saved all your lives," he said, "more than once. Just remember that when you hope I burn," and he proceeded to Arthur's room with the smell of roasted meat in his hands.
::Gwen::
"You're leaving?" Lacy said, entering through the front door of her small house. She had kindly let Gwen stay at her place in the lower town after the 'Moledue incident.'
"Yes," Gwen said, looking up from her packed bags.
"But you said you should lie low for a few days," Lacey put the bread down, looking concerned.
"It will be okay. I work in the castle, I have to go and make sure I'm not needed."
Gwen began pulling on her over-cloak and boots.
"Gwen," Lacey said gently, "it's…you don't have to go, they probably have a lot of people to help around there. You're, we are both just lower staff…it's not exactly like we are vital to the running of the kingdom."
"The nobles have been gone for a few days, now's a time as good as any to go back."
Lacy looked at her keenly, then she looked at her kindly.
"It's Arthur, isn't it?"
Gwen looked up, very surprised. Lacy had been adamant on calling nobles and royals by their proper titles and had been horrified when Gwen had let 'Arthur' slip out in conversation. She'd been horrified again when it happened a second time, and again when it happened a third.
"It's okay Gwen, I'd heard some of the rumours."
Gwen looked at Lacy blankly, would confirming the rumours put her in danger?
"You don't have to say anything," Lacy said, reading Gwen's expression with surprising astuteness, "I can tell. You always call him Arthur, and when we heard about the assassination attempt…well…" Lacy sighed, "I'm surprised you stayed this long."
"He wasn't," Gwen said, casting a look over her shoulder as if she could see he castle through the wall, "and I made a promise…but I've been hearing some things that I don't…I need to go."
Lacey sighed but nodded. She made Gwen a quick breakfast she could eat on the way and gave Gwen the whole roll of bread. Lacey may not understand how Gwen felt about her role in the castle but she was still a good friend. Taking the food from her with one hand Gwen gave her a one armed hug with the other, then left and made for the castle.
::Arthur::
Oddly Arthur had been half-expecting Merlin to turn up that morning with his breakfast, so when he did Arthur was already up and half-dressed. The door swung open without the usual clatter but as there had also been no knock the fact that it was Merlin came as no real surprise. Arthur was still angry at him though; angry in ways he didn't understand.
"I thought I told you to never come back," Arthur growled as Merlin entered the room, the guard who had been tailing him following close after. He wasn't a knight; he was just a guard, so Arthur hadn't learnt his name.
"I'm sorry sire, I couldn't stop him touching your food or coming here. I attempted to stop him but he used his m…m…," the man was saying.
"Shut up," Arthur snapped at him.
"Hey," Merlin said firmly, admonishingly. Arthur turned to face him with a withering expression.
"You are such an idiot Merlin."
Arthur had said that before in jest but this time there was no such light-heartedness in his tone. He saw Merlin's face twist in insult but he didn't care, he didn't care, (didn't he?)
"You think you can just pretend nothing's happened? That you are still my manservant?" Arthur strode over to Merlin whose expression turned wary, "you think I'll eat anything you've touched? Do you really think I'd eat that?"
Getting within striking distance, Arthur lashed out. He hit the breakfast tray from below to knock it upwards into Merlin's face, but at the last second Merlin's magic shield stopped it. The food bounced off the shield and cascaded onto the floor at the two men's' feet.
"You really think I'd want you to come back to work for me after all that's happened and when you still insist on using magic?"
"No," Merlin responded with a hard voice, tossing the tray to one side, "but people hardly ever want what is best for them. You never wanted an insolent servant to teach you to see other people as people, but I came and you're better off for it. Well now I'm not here as a servant, I am here as a sorcerer, and I'm going to show you that we are people too whether you want to learn it or not."
"What makes you so sure you're right? It's a bit arrogant isn't it, inflicting your views on us?" Arthur said resentfully, aiming to hurt. But Merlin was guarded against him and turned the truth against Arthur.
"What? Like your father has?"
Arthur stepped forwards, hand rising to strike, but Merlin just glared at him unwaveringly and after a moment, teeth and fist clenched, Arthur backed down. He told himself it was because he'd just hit the magical shield anyway and that he didn't back down because he hadn't actually wanted to hit Merlin…again.
"I'm staying," Merlin said; Arthur was startled to hear Merlin's resentful tone, as if Merlin himself was being forced into this situation when really he was the only person who wasn't.
"You will treat me like a dog, you will wish you could beat me like a dog, you may indeed see me, a sorcerer, as some lower being with less emotional capacity then a dog, but I am staying Arthur. You, and everybody else in this castle, want me to shrivel up and run away because then I will be easier to hate. It would be easier for you to see me as a dog then a human if I act like a dog, but I won't, because I am a human. My people have been crushed under Camelot's heel for too long, it's time things changed."
"I don't need to stay here and get lectured by you," Arthur snapped. He turned and made for the door. He was almost there when he heard,
"Arthur," said resentfully behind him.
He ignored it. He was halfway through the door when the voice said again,
"Arthur…you're pants are on inside out."
::Gwen::
"Arthur!" Gwen dropped the basket she'd been given to take to the laundry and threw herself up the steps towards the Prince. Arthur had a furious expression on his face which morphed into surprise at the sight of Gwen.
"Gwen!" Arthur cried out and raced down the steps to meet her. They embraced halfway up the staircase, over Arthur's shoulder Gwen could see Merlin and a guard looking down at the then.
"I heard about the assassination attempt. I was so worried…and your short message didn't help. 'I'm okay, stay out of the castle.' What happened?" Gwen grabbed Arthur's shoulders and pushed him to arm's length so she could look all over him and inspect for bandages or stiffness or any other indication of injury.
"I'm fine!" Arthur protested as he let Gwen turned him around.
"Are you sure?" Gwen demanded.
"Yes! Yes!" Arthur protested. Gwen sighed and gave him a hug hard with worry.
"Fine, good. You know your pants are on inside out?"
"I am aware, thank you," Arthur said with attempted dignity, but there was an irritated sigh from Merlin's direction and Arthur looked up with barely disguised irritation. Gwen watched the uncharacteristically antagonistic exchange in confusion before returning to more important matters.
"What happened? I heard rumours about a sorcerer…"
Above them, Merlin looked down the corridor then said something to the guard. The guard protested but Merlin gestured towards Arthur and Gwen sharply and, seemingly reluctantly, the guard descended down the steps to keep lookout, should anybody appear who it would not be prudent for Arthur and Gwen to show affection in front of, like, the king.
"Do you remember the sorcerer boy, Mordred?"
Gwen frowned.
"The boy Morgana, Merlin, you and I snuck out of Camelot?"
Arthur flinched at both of Morgana's and Merlin's name.
"Yes. Well, he decided to repay me for my help by trying to kill the King and me."
Gwen gasped, "But…why? You helped him!"
"Who can fathom the minds of sorcerers," Arthur in an ugly voice full of unknown meaning. Up the stairs Merlin's head snapped around to glare at Arthur, and then turned away again to stare down the corridor. Gwen saw this and put voice to her confusion,
"Arthur, what's happened between you and Merlin?"
Arthur gave a horrible laugh; he was trying to sound light but sounded cruel because it was that or broken. Startled, Gwen noticed the corners of Arthur's eyes were red, like he'd been crying.
"That's the funniest part, Merlin…Merlin here is a..."
The man in question turned to look at them again. Gwen didn't recognize the expression on his face as he stared at Arthur and she suddenly put that together with the whisperings and rumours and…
"Why don't you tell her, Merlin?" Arthur called with a tightly-controlled voice. Merlin stiffened, straight spined.
"Merlin, what is it?" Gwen asked, apprehensive and afraid about the magnitude of whatever had happened to cause such a rift between the two friends. She looked up into his eyes; there was nothing there to reassure her.
"Go on," Arthur ordered. Merlin levelled a look at him before straightening his shoulders further to turn to Gwen and say,
"I'm a sorcerer."
Gwen gasped in shock but then groaned in resignation.
"I used magic to save Arthur and King Uther. Ever since I arrived I have used magic to protect Camelot," Merlin descended the stairs towards them, "I used my magic to stop the King from executing me or banishing me. I'm staying and doing what I have always done, protect Camelot, until people realise magic is not evil."
"Merlin…" Gwen breathed in amazement; he closed his eyes as though pained.
"I healed your father when he was sick, that's why the king thought you were a sorcerer. I'm sorry."
Shocked, Gwen didn't think and took a small step backwards. Seeing the fear in her eyes Merlin breathed sharply through his nose and looked over her shoulder, eyes unfocused. He looked like he was forcing himself not to run away but his mind was long since fled.
"Merlin I don't…I don't know what to..." Gwen began saying but Merlin's head suddenly turned sharply at something none of them could sense. She was startled into silence by the sudden eeriness that descended. Arthur's hand appeared on her shoulder as though he was read to pull her away from Merlin at the first sign of danger.
"The king is coming," Merlin said, looking back at them. His irises were glowing gold, alien, powerful; Gwen stiffened and instinctively put her hands and arms between herself and the potential threat.
"You should go," Merlin spoke with teeth bared like a pained animal, his voice was rough and Gwen suddenly realised that she had hurt him.
"Merlin," her voice was laden with sorrow and apology.
"Go," Merlin snapped and she drew back, "or the king will be after you as well."
He turned to face down the corridor, face where the king was presumably approaching from; dismissing Gwen with the gesture.
"Go," Arthur said, "I'll find you later."
"Okay," Gwen backed down the steps, the guard was ascending passed her, "take care of him, Arthur."
She was confused and a little frightened of Merlin and hurt by his lie by omission, but not enough that she did not wish he was safe, not enough to negate the guilt of her ignorance and fear.
"He doesn't need anyone to take care of him," Arthur said with a bitter smile.
"Yes he does," Gwen protested; Merlin was gentle and kind and took everything the world threw at him to heart, the good and the bad. But the king was coming and she was out of time and she had to race down the steps and scoop up the dropped laundry, feeling like she was leaving important things unsaid…desperately important things.
::Merlin::
The king had come with a legion of guards, once again to try and arrest Merlin. Merlin wasn't having a bar of it. After their little stand-off, Merlin sensed he and the king were going to partake in many of those in the coming days (he couldn't yet think of weeks or months or years, despite the fact that nobody could hurt him he felt it would be over ambitious to look that far into the future,) the king had ordered Arthur to accompany him to a council. As always Merlin trailed after him. As a servant it had never mattered that he was present at council's, as a sorcerer it mattered very much that he was present. Particularly because of the topic of the council; it soon became very clear that council was about him.
Uther had called a war council; the head knight Leon was there, as were several councillors and generals. Arthur being the second in command of the kingdom should've been second in command of the council, however as the presence of Arthur now also meant the presence of a sorcerer, many, almost a majority, of council members were very vocal about his exclusion. They wanted Arthur to leave so that Merlin would leave. Merlin couldn't see Arthur's expression from where he stood behind him, but he knew Arthur well enough that he would be feeling angry and hurt about this prohibition of him being involved in the running of the kingdom he would inherit.
Merlin wasn't following Arthur to hurt him but to make a point, to prove that sorcerers weren't evil. He wasn't sure if the right thing to do would be to stay or leave but for the sake of their friendship (whatever scraps were left or potentially redeemable) Merlin quietly left during one of the more vocal calls for Arthur's exclusion. Merlin argued to himself that his presence would've made the council expel Arthur which would've in turn made him resent Merlin and would've made the battle to change his mind about sorcery so much harder. However, deep down, voiced by a sincere part of his hear that couldn't lie, he admitted he had done it purely to stop the council from rejecting him.
In defense of his pride Merlin did not sit outside the council room like a dog awaiting it's owner. Nor did he return to Gaius' chambers to hide out of the public eye. He decided to do something productive with his time. Merlin went down to the vaults, enduring the snide remarks, glares and gasps in the corridors as he did so. The men guarding the vaults tried to stop him but his magical shield meant they couldn't get close enough to impede his way so he made it to the vaults relatively smoothly.
He paused at the door to the vault containing magical artefacts and turned to Den, who he had allowed to follow him this far because he had ceased trying to gut him with his pike.
"You should probably stay here, I'm not sure what sort of magical objects will be in here and they may be dangerous."
"What do you want them for, then?" Den asked with curiosity that he was trying to convey as suspicion.
"If they can help me protect Camelot I want to use them. If they pose a risk to Camelot, I want to destroy them."
"How do we know you won't…"
"I've told you and I've shown you I don't want to harm Camelot, why would I go to all of this bother to protect the stupid place if I was just going to unleash a nest of basilisks on them!?" Merlin said in exasperation.
"Basilisks?"
"Nasty creatures, better off without them," Merlin put his hand on the door and let his magic explore the lock and slide it open, "I'm locking the door so you cannot come in, it's too dangerous for someone without magic. If I get in trouble I'll holler."
"If the door is locked what am I supposed to do if you get in trouble?" Den asked apprehensively.
"Probably go and tell Uther and enjoy your promotion," Merlin shrugged and stepped through the door, closed it, and locked himself inside the pitch black vault.
"Légeléoht," he whispered into his palm and a golden light appeared. It was almost like fire, only it didn't flicker or burn hot. He lifted his hand and let it move to the ceiling where it grew into a sheet of light, illuminating the whole room.
The room was both extremely cluttered and extremely dusty. He felt the fluctuating power in it; made him pause for a moment to sought through. After he'd quietened it slightly and was able to identify the different strands of power he set to work, moving towards the more dangerous objects in the room first.
::Arthur::
Uther had been the first to notice Merlin's absence and barked orders for him to be located and monitored in case he should attempt to do something nefarious. What with the blatant inability of everyone in the room to so much as touch Merlin without his leave Arthur wasn't sure what his father intended to do should Merlin turn out to actually be doing something nefarious. They could ask him politely, Arthur sarcastically supposed.
But wait, his father was talking, stop thinking about Merlin and listen (listen.)
"We have to find a way to kill this sorcerer. He uses his magic against anybody who tries to kill him, so we need to find a way to get to him around his magic. Baddon," Uther looked at Baddon, a councillor who had unofficial charge of assassinations. Baddon looked up, head swivelling on an alarmingly skinny neck.
"Yes, sire?"
"You have stocks of poisons?"
"Yes, sire."
Arthur jiggled his foot and clenched his hands beneath the desk. His chest felt strange. Across the table from him Leon was frowning into the woodwork.
"Very good. We shall organize the poisoning of the sorcerer. However, should this avenue fail I want multiple plans for his assassination in place"
"Sire," Arthur said and his father turned his gaze on him.
"Yes, Arthur?"
Everyone was looking at him, his father was gazing at him with a 'be quiet' look in his eyes.
"Nothing, sire."
Uther didn't smile (didn't he?) and turned, dismissing Arthur without a second thought.
"What other options for assassination are there?"
"Sire," another councillor said.
"Yes, Gelygen?" Uther acknowledged.
"Perhaps we could make a pitfall of some kind? The sorcerer may be able to protect himself from all sides, but can he catch himself before he falls and is impaled on some spears arranged in the hole?"
"And if he can, sire," a third councillor said, "it may simply be a case of dragging a cover across the hole and leaving him down there to starve. Do we know how much force his magic can expend? The cover would merely need to exceed this and he would not be able to escape."
"Or just make the cover out of iron," a reedy little advisor said from where he was standing, due to lack of chairs, on the other side of the table, "sorcerers cannot use magic on iron, can they not?"
"Aren't there some iron restraints kept in the vaults, sire," Arthur suddenly burst out, he had no idea why the conversation had put him on edge so much, but it had, "why not merely find them and put them on M- the sorcerer? If sorcerers cannot cast on iron he would not be able to stop us, and then he would be able to be trialled or questioned or anything the crown should desire at our own leisure."
"I believe that is correct, good idea Arthur. If there are no other suggestions I shall lead a party to the vaults to search and retrieve these bindings."
"Sire," one of the advisors said, bowing profusely, "there is the matter of the Waygreen villagers who you were scheduled to meet…" he bowed again, "…in a few moments time, in regards to the disease currently wiping out their winter stores."
"Rechedule them, this takes priority," Uther said dismissively and stood. As he stood a servant rushed forwards and pulled the chair backwards, allowing him to step out smoothly. Arthur stood but didn't move away from the table without his father's leave.
"Sire," he said, "I could find the iron bindings, you need not…"
"No Arthur, a king must prioritize. The protection of this city is more important than the plantations of a small village. Come."
Arthur followed his father's call but couldn't help but think that they were prioritizing killing one person over saving a town of people from a winter starvation.
::Merlin::
Merlin had followed his magic through the objects. He could sense powerful curses on some small wooden totems which he incinerated, wood, curse and all, into nothing between his clasped-together hands. There was a metal clockwork grasshopper the size of a mouse with Merlin discovered had small pin-sized knives that flicked out of it's belly. He wasn't sure what it was for, but didn't feel like society would miss it, so he melted that down. He'd just been in the middle of sorting through some old magical texts when he stiffened.
He had just 'heard' through his magic a horrible, angry subconscious buzzing. Why he hadn't realized it before he didn't know and why he had started to hear it just then he didn't know. It took very powerful magic to bamboozle his, so he was immediately on edge. Standing, ancient text on druid magic toppling from his limp hands, Merlin followed his magic with unfocused eyes to a broken set of drawers. On top of it was a sliding pile of rotting paper, some of which he brushed aside to get to the top drawer and drag it open squeaking. The smell of rotting things assaulted his nose and he had to cover his face with one hand whilst with the other he reached inside the drawers cautiously. He touched something cold and smooth that burnt and bit him and recoiled, his magic buzzing angrily in response to the things own magic. Steeling himself he reached in and lifted out two thick metal cuffs. It felt it was covered in knives; no matter how gingerly he held them the cuffs were leaving stinging scratches on his palms. His magic washed over the cuffs to inspect them. It tingled as he learnt these cuffs were, in fact, supposed to block magic; as he learnt this he felt the memories imbued within the metal, memories of desperation and fear and screaming and fire. The cuffs were covered in scorch marks…
Merlin dropped them, hands cramping and spasming, and took a shaky step back. His leg, the one that had been cut, slid beneath him on some of the fallen papers and for a moment he was kneeling, fixated on the cuffs whose magic seemed to be turning towards him, grinning, salivating…
The door! Merlin's head snapped around as the lock gave a cry and cave inwards. Slamming open the doors and flinching in the unexpected light, two soldiers gave way to Uther and Arthur. Uther's eyes were on Merlin, then they flicked to the drawers, saw they were open, then flicked back to Merlin. His eyes trailed down the sorcerer, wishing him harm, to come upon the scuffed iron cuffs on the floor which had burnt magic scorch marks into the spell bound papers beneath it.
"Step back, sorcerer," Uther snarled, drawing his long, wicked sword from his side and nearly taking out one of the soldiers. Arthur drew his sword as well, then paused and watched the king for guidance. Scooping the cuffs up (biting, snapping, scratching) Merlin turned and faced the king.
"Don't you dare," Uther breathed just as Merlin closed his eyes, creased his face in concentration, and drove his magic through the irons heart. It sheared through them with a ringing snap and each cuff was riven in half. Merlin opened his eyes and saw horror in the king's.
"What are you?" Uther whispered. He'd watched hundreds of sorcerers die with their magic bound and broken by the restraints and couldn't seem to comprehend that Merlin had just destroyed them in front of him with apparent ease. Merlin was also a little scared by the ease with which he had defeated cuffs that were impervious to many peoples magic, but he thought he knew why…
"I am Emrys," Merlin said, his voice echoed in the room.
"Emrys," Uther repeated, hefting his sword and stepping forwards. He pushed the tip into Merlin's shield experimentally; it sparked and held, "what creature are you, Emrys?"
Arthur's eyes were wide, almost comically so, but Merlin couldn't look at him and have courage, facing the king was easier.
"When all of the magicians were executed in the Great Purge there was a lot of magic let loose in the world. This was human magic, not natural magic, so it wanted to be attached to a person. The result of hundreds, possibly thousands, of magicians' magic being loose in the air is me. You made me, Uther Pendragon. You weren't satisfied with understanding and forgiveness and reason. You weren't happy unless you were killing and killing and killing. You committed genocide and, hence, gave your enemies the motivation to fight back. And not only did you give me the motivation, but you gave them the tool to do so," Merlin threw aside the cuffs, one to either side of him, feeling like he was confronting his own inner demons incarnated in Uther Pendragon. The tip of Arthur's sword made an uncertain circle in the air.
With a shriek, not a war cry, not a yell, an unearthly shriek of pure hatred, Uther raised his sword and slammed it down into Merlin's shield. Merlin flinched one hand up and saw Arthur jerk, probably thinking he was going to rain fire and death upon his father. Instead Merlin just pressed his hand to his magic, strengthening it (because though he was Emrys, though he was all powerful, he was still human, and one could not have a blade trying to drive open ones skull without feeling slightly nervous.) Uther shrieked again and slashed his sword across the shield. It rang like a badly pitched bell and Uther staggered, unbalanced and drunk with hate. Lifting his sword once more in a massive overhead strike that, if it hit true, would rend Merlin's body in half in a vertical line from head to groin, Uther used all of his manic strength to bring the long sword slamming down. Merlin's heart shuddered and he pressed more magic into his shiel, but his magic did not let him down. Such was the strength of his magic and such was the strength of the strike that something had to give and the one thing that could did. The blade of Uther's sword exploded into deadly metal shrapnel and it was only Merlin's hyper sensitive magic that made him instinctively still the flying shards mid-air.
One was paused, quivering, in front of one of the guards legs. Two hung in the air before Arthur, one to the right side of his stomach and a second before his forehead in a flight path that would've equalled certain death had it landed. Uther, loomed directly over the explosion, have five dagger sharp metal scraps halted before his chest alone with splinters and slivers so small they were visible only by their shimmering reflections in the magic-light arrayed in front of him like sidewards rain in a high wind.
Merlin inhaled, drawing the shards towards him, then exhaled and they fell to the ground, melting as they went and running into a blob of metal, then a block, then a ball, which cooled and solidified. The ball rolled obediently to Merlin and leapt into his open hand.
"You're hatred is going to get yourself, your men or your son killed someday," Merlin said in a hard voice. He stepped forwards, reaching up to give Uther the ball of metal that was his former sword, but Uther reeled backwards. His mouth forming a hard line, Merlin tossed it lightly to Arthur. As he suspected Arthur's reflexes moved subconsciously and he caught the metal with one hand, rolling it in his fingers as he watched his ex-servant leave.
::Arthur::
Arthur marched straight to Gaius quarters once he'd calmed down his father enough to stop him lopping off the heads of anybody who wouldn't be able to protect themselves with a magical shield of air.
It had taken a considerable amount of time.
The guards in the corridor said words he didn't listen to and parted in front of his expression. He slammed the door open so hard the shelves rattled; one vial fell off it and exploded into fine, glass powder on the stone floor.
"Where is he Gaius, where are you hiding him?" Arthur snarled to the startled old man who was reading a thick book by the fire.
"Sire," Gaius began struggling to his feet, trying to keep his page whilst simultaneously needing his hands to help push himself into a standing position.
"After all my father has done for you and this is how you repay him! With betrayal and treachery, I should have you burnt like the sorcerer you are protect…"
"HEY!"
Arthur reeled backwards when Merlin suddenly skidded directly between him and Gaius. Merlin had been close enough to touch, to kill.
"You! You embarrassed me; you embarrassed my father in front of his…"
"You never threaten Gaius!" Merlin's eyes were blazing with a light far stronger than any magical gold.
"You aren't even listening…" Arthur snarled, stepping forwards. But then Merlin was stepping forwards too and he was taller than Arthur had ever seen.
"You never," Merlin's voice was so intense it shook with effort, "threaten Gaius. Do. You. Understand?"
"Merlin!" Gaius by now had risen to his feet; Arthur looked at the old physician and noticed the alarm on his face as he looked at his ward. Merlin's gaze snapped across to Gaius as if making sure he was okay, like the old man may have been physically harmed by Arthur's words somehow.
"You're traitors, the both of you," Arthur said, trying to sound firm as he took a step away from Merlin.
"I'd rather be a traitor to a bad cause then loyal to it," Merlin vowed in a voice of steel, a vow to which Arthur had no answer.
::Gwen::
Gwen had been anxious since she'd seen Merlin that morning to see him again. She was just getting ready to finish off her servant duties for the day when she heard two of the male servants gossiping about how the prince and the sorcerer had been heard having a massive row in the physicians quarters. The prince had stormed off but not a peep had been heard from the sorcerer or the physician.
Gwen thought for a moment, then found a piece of paper and scrawled a note on it. She'd seen Arthur's signature before on documents on his desk, so she knew what it looked like. At least it would be accurate enough to fool the guards at Gaius' quarters. She felt bad about taking advantage of her knowledge of Arthur's signature but if she used Uther's (which she actually knew) there would most definitely be trouble. At least she could trust Arthur to cover for her if he heard about it.
Using her body to hide what she was doing from her fellow servants she quickly got one of the silver platters for royal feasts out of one of the cupboards and whisked out of the room. On her way to Gaius' and Merlin's she folded the letter neatly and placed it on top of the tray with 'The Physician' written on the fold of the paper facing upwards.
When she arrived at the corridor the two crossbowmen at the start barely acknowledged her, too busy in their game of cards. The knights paid her more attention, but didn't even ask to look at the letter, probably worried if they did so the prince would take offence or see it as insubordination.
"But there's a magic seal on the door," one of the guards informed her, "you won't be able to get in."
"I'll tell them I have a letter from the prince, maybe they will unlock it."
"It isn't safe; you should slide it beneath the door," the guard said anxiously.
"I am under the protection of the prince," Gwen said, trying to sound confident. She then moved to the door and called through it,
"Physician, open this door, I have a letter from the prince for you."
There was a pause; she tried not to look in doubt of her plan.
"Physician," she called again after a moment.
She heard through the door a muffled 'it's Gwen' then, "The door will open."
Giving the guard who looked on the verge of passing out from shock a small smile Gwen pushed open the door and wondered if she was imagining the tingling in her palm. She closed it behind herself and came face to face with Merlin and Gaius.
"Gwen!" Merlin cried happily, wringing his hands, but Gwen put a finger to her lips, balancing the tray with one hand with the skill of a servant.
"Can you put something on the door so the guards cannot hear us?" She asked, voice trembling slightly in trepidation of the very magic she was requesting.
"Oh, yeah, course," Merlin said, distracted, and flicked a hand at the door. His eyes glowed shocking gold and Gwen gasped.
"Sorry," he said suddenly and backed away, trying to give her space but bumping into the table and overturning a chair in his rush.
"No, no, I was just a little startled, that's all," Gwen discarded the silver tray and letter on one of the herb shelves. It went without saying that it had been a ploy; neither Gaius nor Merlin paid it the slightest of attention.
"Your eyes, do they always shine like that?" She asked, not entirely sure if this was a polite thing to ask a sorcerer. Emboldened by her curiosity, Merlin smiled.
"Ever since I was a baby."
"You did magic as a baby?" Gwen was astounded.
"Yeah," he said, turning to right the chair so that Gaius could go to the bench and make some tea. Gwen noted he righted it with his hands.
"I didn't know that was possible," Gwen admitted.
"Well, really it happens to everyone. See, everyone has a little bit of magic. Often it's so small when they're young they can't even access it with training, but as they get older if they are taught to they can reach it. I, however, have…ah…a lot more magic than most people, so I could access it very early on."
"You have more," Gwen moved to the table and she and Merlin sat opposite each other, "how much?"
"Um," Merlin had a strangely bashful tone in his voice as he evasively responded, "quite a lot."
"Why on earth did you come to Camelot of all places?"
"It's complicated but, in short, my town didn't, er, want me anymore. Mum, ah, that is, my mother didn't know what to do with me. She knew Gaius and knew he had once practised magic so she thought he could teach me control. Only catch was he lived in Camelot. It was only supposed to be temporary but things got a little…out of hand."
Gaius handed him a cup of tea, then slid a second cup to Gwen. They thanked him and he made his way over to the fire to try and give them some privacy. A small lull fell over them and Merlin quickly took a sip of tea that scalded his tongue.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Gwen asked softly, then quickly added, "I mean…I know there are a lot of reasons, I just want to know which ones were yours."
"It wasn't that I thought you'd betray or anything, I just grew up never knowing how somebody wouldn't, you know? And if you knew it might put you in danger…" He gulped more tea, Gwen hadn't touched hers yet.
"It must've been lonely," she said softly. He gave a weird, out of place laugh and tilted his head. Gwen looked at him.
"It must've been scary…"
"It was terrifying," he gave a horrible light laugh which morphed into a gasp wrenched from deep within him.
"Merlin," Gwen said, reaching for him.
He stood abruptly and stepped back.
"Sorry, just a minute," he twisted away to hide his face. Gwen stood quietly and moved to his side. Gaius shook his head at her, 'give him space' he mouthed, but Gwen thought that Merlin had had more than enough space to last him a life time. A person like Merlin who she knew, despite all she didn't know about him, loved people and thrived in friendship would've been suffocating in the vacuum he had recently been trapped in, had been trapped in since he was born. She placed her hand on his shoulder and he flinched away, but she followed the action, placing her hand on his back so he knew she was there, that she wasn't afraid or repulsed by him.
"I've never actually told anyone before, it's really weird…people knowing," he sounded so sad, his attempt speaking about that which was visibly ending him in a light tone only making it worse. Gwen hugged him. It was clumsy as he was still facing away from her and he was 50% elbows, but she did. He was stiff and didn't respond for a moment but then he turned towards her and fell into her embrace. Surprised, Gwen ran her hair through his hair; her mother had run her hands through Gwen's hair when she was a child to make her feel safe.
Gwen wondered when the last time was that Merlin had felt safe.