I would like to thank the guest, DragonQueen, and aRangersHorseLovesApples for reviewing. Thank you so much and I was overjoyed to see at least some reviews. Now, here's the long awaited chapter!
Merlin POV: 3rd Person
Merlin sits on his bed, reading one of the books Morgana has in her small library. He has been here for two weeks. He was overjoyed to visit Hunith, but didn't know what to make of not seeing Arthur.
He hears a door close, and he panics. It was one of his "bad days". He hides in the closet like how Morgana taught him, with a fireball ready to aim. "Merlin, honey, it's Morgana. I found food, and brought your mother to have dinner with us." Now, Hunith wasn't exactly happy that her son was with Morgana instead of Arthur, but if he was safe, that was all that matters. Merlin comes out of the closet and runs to his mother.
"Mother!" he cries, embracing her, "I've missed you!" But, when he pulls back, a notices a bruise on his mother's face. It reminds him of when the men came to Ealdor and tried to take all the food, which resulted in his best childhood friend being killed. His face contorts with worry, "Who did that to you?"
"No one, Merlin. I'm fine. "
"No, it's not. I can't lose you." He grips Hunith's hand tightly, afraid that she might disappear right in front of him
"Ah! Merlin stop! Let go, you're hurting me!" Merlin pulls back at the words.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," with that he starts to back away. Back away, stay away. You are a monster. He dashes up the stairs back to his room.
Morgana looks at Hunith, "It's been one of his worse days. I thought that having you come by, would help him come back to us, in a sense. I'll go get him."
Morgana goes up the stairs to Merlin's room. He is hiding in the trapdoor, a place he had created on his own. "Merlin, no one is mad at you. Come out. Please."
"I don't want to hurt you," a shaky voice that should never come out of Merlin's mouth says.
"Honey, it was an accident. You were only trying to help." Morgana extends a hand to her friend, "Come on, sweetie. Hunith isn't angry." Morgana has truly come to love Merlin. She doesn't like the empty feeling she used to have. She doesn't want the throne or Arthur's blood. She just wants to go back home. To Camelot.
"Mother isn't angry?" Morgana shakes her head as Merlin takes her hand. Merlin walks down the stairs, "Sorry, Mum."
"It's okay, Merls. I'm fine." Neither of them speak of the incident nor the bruise that night. When Hunith has to go, Merlin offers to walk her back. At first, she declines but after seeing the hurt look on Merlin's face she agrees.
Once they make it there, Merlin kisses his mother goodbye, "Promise me that you will take care of yourself. I can't lose you." Hunith nods, "I'm serious! I can't deal with another blow! I feel like I lost Arthur and all of my friends. If I lose you or if Gana turns on me, it's over."
"If I get the slightest idea that I am in danger, I will come to you. I promise." Then, the mother and son go separate ways. Merlin is getting the feeling that he is being followed. It's fine. You are almost there. He is only about two minutes from Morgana's. But then, he hears something in the bushes and another world overtakes him where the kidnappers have come to take him.
"Gana! Gana! Help! They've come back!" Merlin freaks out and his magic goes crazy. Morgana comes running.
"Merlin! Merlin, honey! What is it?" Merlin looks around in a panic. "Merlin! Look at me! What is happening? Come back to me, Merlin! What is it?"
"One of the traders. They came back. They were coming to hurt me again. They were going to torture me again." Merlin's magic dies down so that he has it under control, but he is still clearly not well. "I can't go back, Gana. They will take me to Arthur. I want to see him, but I don't want him to be the one to kill me. Don't let them hurt me." Morgana holds Merlin, not wanting to let her trembling friend go.
"Hush, Merlin. It is okay. There is no one there. You are safe. I promise." They begin walking back. Morgana hates thinking that only two months ago she wished that Merlin would go through this torture. She only wants him well, he wouldn't hurt a fly before Morgana. Only after she posed a danger did he ever threaten to kill.
"I love you, Morgana. And I know that this is not how I expected to ask you, but will you court me? I realize that this whole time I was just prolonging my feelings for you. I missed you so much and I never want to have to go through with that again. I love you so much, Morgana."
"I do, too, Merlin." With that, they kiss. Morgana runs her slender fingers through Merlin's unkempt, raven hair and Merlin hears something in the back of his mind that shocks him.
In Freya's voice he hears, "Thank you, Merlin. I can rest, now, knowing that you will be able to live, but that you will always love me, also." Then, the couple separates. Once they get to the house, both go to their respective rooms. No nightmares plague Merlin's mind, a pleasantry that he hadn't had since before he arrived in Camelot. The only difference was that they were getting worse.
Arthur POV: 3rd Person
Merlin, I promise that when I get you, I will keep you safe. Gaius told me how powerful you were. He told me to be careful. Merlin could be… unpredictable, Arthur thinks.
The knights passed Ealdor. Arthur went to find Hunith, but she wasn't there, which was odd. Unless, Morgana took her too, so that Merlin would stay with her. None can imagine Merlin willingly staying with Morgana. Merlin wouldn't work for her. At least, not under his own free will.
Merlin, please, don't be working for Morgana. I couldn't bring you back. I can't lose you, Arthur thinks.
"Arthur! Arthur! We found the hut! It is over here! Arthur, hurry!" Mordred yells. Arthur leaves his horse and runs to Mordred. He hit a field and it is like running into a stone wall. Luckily, he is not injured.
"What the hell is that?"
"It won't allow anyone who isn't welcome in. Only if you have magic or are invited by Morgana can you get in." Mordred sighs.
"How do you know?" Arthur asks, trying not to be irritated.
"You trust me, do you not?"
"I trust you with my life."
"You know I am loyal to you," Arthur nods, carefully. "Arthur, I have magic." Another one of my friends. I can't stand this, Arthur thinks. "I promise you Arthur, I mean no harm to you or Camelot. And definitely not to Emrys." Mordred clasps a hand over his mouth.
"Who is Emrys? What are you talking about?"
Mordred lets out a shaky breath, "It isn't my secret to tell. I promise you, Arthur, I will always be loyal to you, as will Emrys. And though you don't know who he is, you definitely know him and he knows you. He would never hurt Camelot."
Arthur closes his eyes, "Okay, I trust you. Don't give me a reason not to."
"Thank you, sire."
"We should wait. We can't go in while Morgana is here. It would be too risky."
"Sire, Merlin will be fine. I know it. I have seen his magic before. He is quick to act with it and discrete. I promise you, Arthur, if Merlin was in danger, he would find a way out."
"And what if he can't? What if," Arthur begins screaming at Mordred, "What if she found a way to take his magic? To suppress it? If Merlin dies, it will be all be my fault! I can't lose him! He is my friend! I don't care if he is only a servant! I want him to be safe and happy and away from Morgana!"
Gwaine somehow snuck up behind the two, "What if he is happy? Would you want to take that from him? Or worse, Arthur, what if he is afraid of you? You have no idea what is going through his head."
"Neither do you! I want Merlin back where he belongs!"
"Well, so do I! But I want him to be happy!"
"I know what he is thinking," great, Arthur thinks, now I can scream at Lancelot, too.
"Well, I guess since you're his best friend, you can tell us!" Arthur yells. Leon and Percival decide to stay away, not wanting to upset their king further.
"Merlin is probably thinking that he is a worthless monster, like he always did! Not that any of you would notice! He would hide behind a mask of sarcasm and clumsiness, but you have no idea of the secrets he held inside! You all told him almost everything, and he tried to help you, all of you! He would help anyone and everyone he could! Yet, he knew that if he was caught saving Arthur or using his magic at all, he would be killed! He did it anyway! To protect his friends! Now, he might not even think we want to set eyes on him again! He probably thinks that we all hate him! He always thought he was worthless, and a monster! Always afraid of himself! He was almost used to being this powerful! Merlin has sacrificed everything for us, especially Arthur! He was ready to die for each and every one of us! I know that you all saw him sacrifice himself to the Dorocha! But, did you know why he wouldn't leave? It wasn't just him being stubborn! He was going to close the Veil to save Arthur!"
All the knights look at Lancelot in shock, but Arthur the most. "I-I didn't-"
"Of course, you didn't know!" Lancelot screams, "He was right! You are a complete, oblivious prat! You are his best friend! He has complete loyalty to you! If you went up there, and told Merlin that you were going to kill him, he would be trembling at the sight, but would let you do it! Or, he would ask that he do it himself. He would close his eyes, and start sobbing because he thought that you actually cared for him! Hoped that you would let him live, that you were friends. Then, he would let you run him through, and he would be happy to be out of your sight! Because he doesn't want you to suffer! He would rather die than have you be angry with him or see you suffer! And most of the time, he almost did!"
Gwaine starts to interrupt, "Come on, Lance, I think he's had enough."
"I'm not finished!" Gwaine backs off as Lance shoots Arthur a look like daggers, "You almost didn't come for him," Lancelot says with a low, deep voice, "You almost left him to die. I almost asked Gwaine to come and help me look. Because it looks like only him, Mordred, and me care enough about Merlin. If I find out that you cause Merlin anymore pain, I swear Arthur, I will kill you." With that, Lancelot storms off. Arthur almost goes after him.
Mordred lays a hand on the king's shoulder, "Sire, let him go. He needs time."
"I'll go talk to him," Gwaine says, and follows in Lancelot's direction.
Then the sorcerer and king are left alone. Arthur has to ask, "Mordred, what was it like, living in Camelot, knowing you could die?"
Anyone could tell that Mordred was uncomfortable, "It was frightening. You didn't know whether or not you would live to see the next sunrise. I almost didn't. I wouldn't wish the fate on anyone. I already lost my first love to your father. I knew that I would never let another innocent druid die if I could help it."
"I'm sorry. What was her name?"
"Kara." Arthur is almost sure he sees a tear slip down young Mordred's face, "Listen, Arthur. We need to hide. Morgana could come out at any given moment." With that, the two go to Leon and Percival, listening for when Gwaine and Lancelot would come back.
Okay, so, I am very sorry that this took so long. I had a very bad case of writer's block. Thank goodness it didn't last as long as it normally does. Okay, so I will try to upload another chapter before the end of the week, but no promises. Please review! I really need the encouragement, but with all the followers I am pretty happy. But please take the extra three minutes to write a review, they literally make my day! So, who liked the Lancelot rant? I think that was the most fun thing to write in the whole chapter! Well, I'm am not sure where I am taking the Merlin/Morgana romance, yet. I should kill off Morgana for taking my boyfriend! Lol, I'm kidding. But, seriously, please review! I promise that almost any question (other than spoilers) will be answered by PM. I will try to talk to some in PM. Sorry, guests, I will try to give you a shout out in the next chapter because I can't message you guys! People who review will get a thank you either by PM or in an A/N at the beginning of the chapter after the one you reviewed! See you all next chapter!
My new quote: "For the love of Camelot!" Also, the one I put in the last chapter was by Morgana to Arthur in season 1 episode 4. Congratulations to you all who knew that. But I was a little disappointed to see that no one posted a guess. Well, I guess that's it. Bye!
~Lunatris262~
