Hey guys! So, it's kinda been a while… :/ Sorry! Hopefully this will make up for it! It should- it's THIRTEEN FREAKING PAGES LONG. I don't know about you, but for me, that's a pretty long chapter. It wasn't even supposed to be that long- I started out, like, "Oh, this'll be a quick five-page chapter." Three hours later, I was just, like… -_- Yeah, never mind. Anyways, enjoy! And quick thanks to all my readers- you guys just make my day!

Disclaimer: If I owned Merlin, Arthur would be alive... *sob :'(

Season 6, Episode 4

All My Father's Work

Gwen took a deep breath, bracing herself. For Merlin. I'm doing this for Merlin, she reminded herself as she entered her and Arthur's chambers.

"Guinevere!" Elric smiled, looking up from his desk. "Looking beautiful as always, I see."

Gwen felt her cheeks flush as she smiled back.

"Arthur, there's something I've been meaning to ask you about," she began carefully.

"Yes?"

"It's about Merlin," the Queen blurted out, sure her husband would know what she was talking about. But he only leaned forward in his seat, an odd gleam in his eyes.

"What about Merlin?" He asked, his eyes glued to Gwen's face.

"Well, his… secret," Gwen offered lamely, not wanting to say "magic", even now, to Uther's son.

"His secret," Elric echoed, looking almost… eager. "What secret?" Gwen couldn't believe it. Was the king really so oblivious?

"Arthur, he has magic," Gwen blurted out. "Surly you haven't forgotten? He saved your life with it!"

"Merlin has magic?" Elric echoed, eyes wide in shock. "Are you sure?!"

"I thought you knew," Gwen said, confused.

"No," Elric muttered. Gwen gulped, uncomfortable. Oh, well. No going back now.

"Arthur… he's saved your life multiple times. Maybe… well, maybe it's time to legalize magic," she suggested carefully, waiting with batted breath for "Arthur's" response.

Meanwhile, Elric's mind was racing. Merlin had magic. Magic! The servant, of all people! How powerful? Surely he couldn't be too powerful… Still, Elric's motto had always been "Better safe than sorry." He could ruin everything! If he finds out about- no. That can't happen.

Elric's horror faded as he realized something; Merlin may have magic, but Elric was the king. And although he dabbled in magic himself, his people didn't know that. They saw King Arthur, a normal man who had been raised to hate magic and all it stood for.

Merlin could easily be eliminated now… problem solved. All he had to do was play his cards right.

Elric had always been rather good at playing his cards right.

"MERLIN!"

The said servant groaned, letting his head fall on Gaius's wooden table. Elric was calling for him again; joy oh joy.

"Better go to him," Gaius warned. "He sounds upset." Merlin, personally, hated when Elric got angry with him. Not for the reason everyone seemed to think, though. He hated it because when Elric got angry, he sounded even more like the real Arthur.

The door flung open, and Merlin turned, ready to face Elric- and froze when he saw the two guards behind the king.

"Elr- I mean, Arthur? What's going on?" Merlin asked, eyes on the soldiers.

"Arrest him," Elric ordered, pointing a finger at the manservant. He looked pained, betrayal written on his face. Merlin knew better, though. He saw the triumph in Elric's sky blue eyes, a message that seemed to say: You messed up big time. I win.

The guards obediently grabbed Merlin's arms, yanking him forward.

"Sire! What is the meaning of-" Began Gaius, horrified, but Elric cut him off.

"You are under arrest in accordance to the laws of Camelot," Elric said grimly, although his eyes still told a different story. "You have been found guilty of practicing magic and enchantments. The punishment for this crime is death. Tomorrow morning, at sunrise, you will be executed by fire. Take him away!"

Merlin was horrified. This can't be happening. This can't be happening! He thought, unable to hide his terror. It was his worst nightmare, come true. In the background, he vaguely heard Gaius arguing that he got a trial, but the voices seemed far away, as if he were underwater.

Then the voices faded entirely as the guards pulled him from the room, dragging him to the dungeons. People parted as he was dragged through the hallways, giving exclamations of shock. Some muttered in confusion, watching the spectacle, and muttering, "The king's manservant? Arrested? What happened?"

Once again their voices faded as Merlin was led down the stairs, down to the dark dungeons. The smell of mildew was overwhelming, and rat's claws could be heard clicking against the stone corners as they scampered away from the men.

Merlin was thrown into a cell, falling to his knees so he had to look up at the men. A moment later, another set of footsteps could be heard as Elric descended the stairs, joining the group.

"Merlin," he said, his voice laden with false pain. "Get these on him," he ordered, tossing an unfamiliar pair of shackles to one guard. He obediently snapped them on Merlin's wrist, and Merlin gasped in shock, doubling over at the dull pain that filled his body. He felt like his lungs were collapsing, like he couldn't breathe. It was like drowning, or being in a collapsing building. It was like suffocating.

"Interesting," Elric muttered, and behind him the guards exchanged uncertain glances. They'd never seen their king like this, and it was unnerving. "Leave us," Elric ordered. The men where all too happy to oblige.

"You must be very powerful to be affected so strongly," Elric mused, studying Merlin as if he were an interesting experiment.

"What… what are these things?" Merlin managed, shaking the shackles as he gasped for breath.

"They were created during the Great Purge," Elric told him conversationally. "They trap a person's magic, binding it. For most people, it's simply like being gagged and unable to talk. It seems physically painful for you, though. How odd," the false king mused, walking around Merlin in a circle.

"How did… you find out?" Merlin asked. Both knew what he meant.

"I'll answer your question if you answer mine," Elric said evenly, as if they were discussing the weather. "How did you find out?" Merlin just looked at him in confusion.

"I know you know I'm not the King," Elric explained. "What I don't know is how you figured it out. So enlighten me."

"You… you look like him. But Arthur was a good… good man. Nobel. Brave. A coward like you-" Merlin broke off, a cough racking through him as he struggled to breathe. "A coward like you could never hope to be like him." Merlin finished, glaring up at Elric despite his situation and the building pressure in his chest.

"But you see, Martin-"

"Merlin."

"-everyone else is fooled. Only you saw through me. And soon, you'll be dead, won't you? You'll be with your 'brave King' again, beyond the grave."

"How did you… find out?" Merlin repeated, ignoring Elric's last statement.

"Queen Guinevere told me. She thought I'd reward you- isn't that sweet?"

Merlin wanted to give a biting retort, but he focused instead on evening out his breathing.

Breath in, breath out. In, out. In, out.

In front of him, Elric exited the cell, locking the door behind him.

In, out. In, out. In, out. Merlin almost smiled when some of the tension left his chest. Almost. It was working.

"Goodbye, Merlin." Suddenly it hit the warlock- the false king was leaving. The panic that came with the thought of the pyre washed through Merlin again, and he struggled to his feet, the room spinning slightly.

Merlin grabbed the cold iron bars of his cell, staring at Elric's retreating form.

"You can't do this!" He cried desperately.

"But I can," Elric said, laughing humorlessly. "And come morning, I will have the pleasure of watching you burn."

Then he was gone. Yelling seemed to return all the pressure to his chest, and Merlin's eyes rolled back in his head. The last thing he saw was the stone floor rushing up to meet him. Then everything went black.

"You can't do this!" Gwen cried, grabbing her husband's arm desperately. Elric shook her off, having no time for her drama.

"Yes, I can, Guinevere," he snapped, looking through the window down at the court yard where the pyre was being constructed. "He betrayed me."

"Arthur-"

"No, Gwen!" Elric snapped, losing patience. "I cannot trust him! I will not destroy everything my father worked for over a stupid servant!"

Gwen reeled back like she'd been struck.

"I used to be a 'stupid servant,' or have you forgotten?" Gwen said, growing angry. "You are not the man I married, Arthur Pendragon," she said verminously. "You owe Merlin your life! Are you really going to turn your back on him like this?"

"He is a sorcerer!" Elric roared, turning on her. "He deserves to die!"

"No," Gwen said softly, the anger seeming to drain out of her. "No, he doesn't. You are so blind, Arthur. You may send your best friend to the pyre, but you will regret it later. He was the only person who stood with you through everything, and now you're going to repay him by ordering his execution."

"My decision isn't going to change, Guinevere," Elric said flatly, turning back to the window.

Gwen said nothing, just turned and left the room. Her muffled sobs faded as she walked away from the room, putting as much space between them as she could. Elric sighed and rolled his eyes. He'd make it up to her later.

"Merlin! Merlin!" Gaius said firmly, worry blooming inside him. His ward was motionless on the cold stone floor, odd shackles he'd never seen before on the man's wrists. Judging by the numerous runes on the metal cuffs, Gaius knew they could only mean nothing good for the warlock.

"Mhmph?" Merlin murmured, shifting slightly and blinking up at the physician. "Gaius!" He cried suddenly, now wide awake. He sat up, then suddenly the runes on the shackles glowed and Merlin clutched his chest, his face twisted in pain.

"Merlin, my boy! Are you alright?"

"Fine," Merlin managed, although if Gaius didn't know better, he'd say it looked like Merlin was struggling to breathe. That didn't make any sense, though. He wasn't even gagged.

"Gaius… why is… he doing… this?" Merlin managed, still clutching his chest.

"He sees you as a threat. He thinks-"

"No," Merlin interrupted. "I mean, he's… he's a sorcerer, too. Why… won't he… legalize magic?"

Gaius thought for a moment before answering.

"Well, if he legalized magic he'd lose an opportunity to get rid of you," Gaius pointed out. "Besides, even if he hadn't arrested you, it's harder for you to oppose him with magic illegal."

"True," Merlin agreed, looking down to the runes on the shackles desolately.

"Merlin, you have to escape," Gaius said seriously. "Elric isn't going to be persuaded against this."

"Can't," Merlin said miserably. "Chains… can't use my… magic…" Gaius felt dread trickling through him, understanding the runes for the first time. It also explained why Merlin was struggling to talk and breathe; for a creature of magic, those chains couldn't be healthy.

"Merlin!" Came a new feminine voice as Gwen emerged from the stairwell.

"Hi, Gwen," Merlin grinned, trying to talk normally for her benefit, although Gaius could tell it was hard for him.

"I'm so sorry," she said, her eyes red and bloodshot from crying. "I tried to talk to Arthur, but he just… I don't know what's gotten into him!"

Merlin and Gaius exchanged a glance at her words; they knew exactly what had "gotten into" Arthur.

"Merlin… if there's anything I can do…" Gwen trailed off helplessly, biting her lower lip.

"It's ok, Gwen," Merlin reassured her, trying to keep his sentences short and clipped so she wouldn't know what "Arthur" had done. "It's fine."

"Can't you… you know, escape using magic?" She asked, lowering her voice and casting a nervous glance over her shoulder. Merlin, for his part, looked stunned. Gwen was suggesting treason against her own husband? What?

"Um, no, I'm afraid he can't," Gaius said quickly, trying to give Merlin a minute to catch his breath. "These cells are… magic proof."

"Oh," Gwen said, her face falling in disappointment. A moment later, she added, "Merlin, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I thought Arthur knew, and then-" she broke off, covering her mouth with her hand and closing her eyes. She looked like she might cry again.

"It's not… your fault," Merlin said. Luckily, Gwen didn't seem to notice him take a sharp intake of breath, and with her eyes closed, she didn't see his face briefly twist in pain.

"It is, though. This is all my fault," Gwen choked out, a tear finding its way out of the corner of her eye. Merlin turned to Gaius, giving him a look. He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to; his eyes said it all.

Calm her down, please. Convince her this isn't her fault, they seemed to say. Gaius nodded, turning away and fighting down his own sorrow. He knew Elric's mind would not be changed, but to think this could be the last time he talked to his ward…

Don't think about it, the physician thought to himself. One thing at a time. Turning, he led Gwen from the dungeons gently, although his thoughts stayed with Merlin.

When Merlin opened his eyes, he froze. He was standing in an all-too familiar landscape: a plane with white mist swirling around his ankles and no horizon as far as the eye could see.

"Oh no," Merlin muttered. "I'm dying? Again?"

"Merlin?"

Merlin spun around to see none other than King Arthur (for the second time now) staring at him. Then he froze in confusion- last time, Arthur had been unable to see him.

"Hey, Arthur," he said cheerfully, hiding his confusion. "You can see me this time?"

"Well, obviously," Arthur said, rolling his eyes, but Merlin could tell he was fighting a grin. Then suddenly he froze. "Wait… what are you doing here?"

"Good question," Merlin said, pausing slightly as he took a deep breath. His face split into a grin as he inhaled easily, his chest void of pressure and pain. Arthur, on the other hand, looked at him like he'd grown an extra head.

"I knew you were thick, Merlin, but to be fascinated with breathing-"

"Prat," Merlin broke in, scowling at the King. "It just doesn't…" he trailed off. He couldn't exactly tell Arthur it had hurt to breathe. Knowing the King, he'd go into 'protective best friend' mode, and that would be useless. It wasn't like he could do anything about it, anyway.

"What are you doing here?" Arthur repeated, looking slightly concerned. "You aren't… dying, are you?" Merlin frowned at the question, thinking.

Was he? His magic was bound, and he was in line for an execution… it was possible. Still, Merlin didn't think the shackles had affected him that strongly, and he was pretty sure he would have noticed if he'd been executed.

"Merlin," Arthur warned, hiding his worry with irritation. "It shouldn't take that long to answer a simple question."

"I don't think so," Merlin said honestly.

"You don't think so?!"

"I mean, no. I'm fine."

"Merlin…" Arthur trailed off dangerously. "What aren't you telling me?"

"I'm not hiding anything!" Merlin insisted, not quite meeting Arthur's skeptic gaze.

"You're a horrible liar, Merlin. What happened?"

"It's nothing I can't handle. Elric's just being difficult, that's all," Merlin said after a moment, wondering if that was too much of an understatement. Arthur seemed to think so.

"What'd he do?" He ordered in his best "I'm your king" voice, not one to give up easily. Merlin groaned, relenting.

"Fine. He may have kinda found out that I have magic…" he trailed off, knowing by Arthur's expression he'd put two and two together.

"He arrested you?" Arthur asked, his voice dangerously low and controlled.

"Kind of," Merlin said, wincing. "It's a little worse than that."

"Merlin, you better not be implying what I think you're implying."

"That depends. Do you think I'm implying that I'm going to be executed?"

"Yes."

"Then you're correct."

"MERLIN! Please tell me you're kidding!" Arthur cried, anger (hopefully aimed toward Elric) evident in his eyes. "Aren't the knights doing anything? Leon? Gwaine?"

Merlin flinched at the name and took a deep breath before saying, "Arthur, Gwaine is dead." Arthur's look of shock would have been funny under any other circumstance.

"What? When?"

"Morgana killed him right before you died," Merlin said, shifting his weight from foot to foot unhappily. He tried not to think about Gwaine too much; he was, in the end, another person Merlin felt he had let down. Taking a deep breath, Arthur seemed to push his shock away for the moment, instead returning to the matter at hand.

"What about the other knights? Leon's still alive, isn't he? And Percival?" He said, almost desperately. All his knights couldn't be dead, could they?

"They're fine," Merlin assured quickly. "But…"

"But what?"

"Well, they don't see Elric giving the order, they see you. And you know how loyal they are, Arthur, they won't rebel. Not when they think it's you."

"Surely they can't think that I would have you executed!" Arthur cried, throwing his hands up in the air. Merlin's silence stretched on to the point where it was almost awkward.

"They don't see anything odd about this," Arthur deadpanned, rubbing his temples as if he had a headache coming on. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"To be fair, Elric is a decent actor," Merlin said awkwardly. "Playing the part of the betrayed friend and all. And the knight's see Uther's son, who… you know. Didn't really give leniency to sorcerers."

"But I wouldn't have had you killed!"

"They probably think he's going to come to his senses at the last moment," Merlin offered helplessly. That made Arthur pause.

"Elric won't do that, though," Arthur protested after a moment. "He's not me!"

"Well, obviously," Merlin said, rolling his eyes. "Elric has manners."

"Merlin, we're discussing the man who's having you kil- hey!" Arthur said indignantly, crossing his arms. "I have manners!"

"Could've fooled me!" Merlin said innocently, grinning. Arthur scowled and looked around for something to throw at the smaller man, his scowl deepening when he found nothing.

Merlin shifted, the mist curling tighter around his ankles. (Was that good or bad? Merlin wasn't sure.) The moisture from the mist created little drops of water on his skin- it hadn't done that last time. Merlin's gut instinct was screaming, this is bad, very bad!- Which was totally useless to Merlin, of course. It wasn't like he could do anything about it here.

"Weird," Arthur said suddenly, looking puzzled, the scowl melting off his face.

"What?"

"You look more… I don't know, solid then you did at first," Arthur said slowly, worry flashing briefly in his eyes (though he hid it quickly. Worry for his servant? Now that wouldn't do at all!)

"Oh," Merlin gulped, feeling more uneasy than ever. That could only mean one thing- he was that much closer to death. Suddenly his chest seized- it was the now-familiar feeling of suffocating, back to haunt him.

"Oh, god," Merlin said, panicking slightly as he realized what was happening. The chains; they'd been on too long. He'd thought he'd be fine, but he'd been wrong. They were killing his real body, and now his "spiritual" body, here with Arthur, was starting to feel the effects. He was going to die if those chains didn't come off soon.

"What? What's happening?" Arthur asked, his worry evident this time.

"There's these.. t-these shackles," Merlin gasped, all the pressure hitting him at once. "Binding my magic. I c-c-can't…" he trailed off, stumbling back. If these shackles didn't come off right now, Merlin was a goner.

"Merlin? Merlin! MERLIN!" Arthur's voice faded out as the warlock collapsed, face as pale as if he'd been dumped in ice water. The mist curled around him, blocking everything from sight as Merlin's consciousness flickered out.

"Get him up," Elric said gruffly as Merlin was pulled to his feet, dazed and coughing. He thought he might pass out again when suddenly the pressure in his chest abruptly disappeared. His vision cleared and Merlin immediately felt better- exhausted, but not in danger of passing out anymore.

The manservant looked up to see Elric pocketing the shackles, looking angry.

"Don't look so relieved, magic boy," he snapped. "I'm keeping them near." Merlin was confused for a moment- why take them off? (Not that he was complaining or anything.) Then it hit him; Elric couldn't pull him out there with magic handcuffs on his wrist- how hypocritical would that be?

The guards behind Merlin pulled him forward, and the warlock stumbled forward, exhausted even in the face of his own execution. He was so tired that it wasn't 'til he was entering the throne room that he realized, Wait a minute. This isn't the court yard!

"Merlin, due to insistence of several castle residences," Elric said tightly from the king's throne, obviously angry. "You will be given a trial." Merlin hardly dared to hope- could he prove his innocence after all? Another part of him was saying, thank you, Gaius!

"We will start with the accusations against the prisoner," Elric said, standing up and pacing back and forth in front of Merlin. "This man is guilty of practicing magic, even when he knew it was illegal. He is also charged with lying to the crown multiple times."

Off to the sides of the room, the council members shifted, some nodding, others looking more uneasy. The Pendragons' hatred for magic was infamous; still, the anger in "Arthur's" voice- directed at Merlin, no less!- was more than a little unsettling.

"The defense?" Someone prompted, and Gaius stepped forward.

"My liege," Gaius bowed, something clenched in his hand. Elric's curt nod of acknowledgement only confirmed Merlin's suspicions that Gaius had been the "castle resident" to press for a trial.

"I propose," Gaius began, turning to the council. "That this is all a giant mistake." Elric made a doubtful snort, but Gaius pressed on, ignoring him. "Many of you here in the castle know Merlin personally. Does he honestly seem like an evil magic-user to you?"

The council exchanged looks, shifting again. Did he? Many of the council members were nobles who didn't think much of the insubordinate servant; and yet, his reputation as a friendly klutz was well known. Gaius seemed to take their silence as an invitation to continue.

"If he is indeed innocent- and I believe he is- then we have no reason to arrest and execute him," the physician pressed. Behind him, Elric's face was slowly flushing with fury.

"Gaius! You forget your place," The "king" snapped, stepping forward. "Queen Guinevere reported the servant's magic. You dare question your Queen?" Next to him, Gwen stood up, taking a deep breath. She and Gaius had clearly discussed how to handle this question previously.

"Arthur," she said hesitantly, "I could have been wrong. Merlin is always getting out of tight spots, and I heard a rumor- but I could have easily been mistaken." Merlin watched as a vein in the side of Elric's neck bulged, a clear sign of the man's fury. Merlin knew he probably wanted to bring up the way the shackles had affected the warlock, but he couldn't; not without confessing to using magic himself.

"That is still no real proof," Elric said tightly. "I hope you have not wasted my time with this nonsense, physician," Elric spat, and the council members muttered among themselves uneasily. They'd never seen their king so volatile before.

"Sire, I do have proof," Gaius protested, immediately re-capturing everyone's attention- especially Merlin's. How is Gaius going to disprove something that's actually true? Merlin wondered, uneasy. Gaius clearly intended to lie about something; if caught, he could be in just as much trouble as Merlin himself.

The physician uncurled his fist, revealing a golden chain with an ebony stone set right in the middle. The dull stone looked ordinary and unremarkable, but Merlin could feel the magic oozing off of it without even touching it.

"What is that?" Elric asked, looking uneasy. Merlin couldn't help but wonder if Elric could feel the magic too- he wasn't very powerful, so the warlock doubted it, but it was possible.

"This is the Amulet of Alta," Gaius explained, everyone's eyes on him. "Unlike most Amulets, this one isn't magic. There is an ore in the stone that reacts to magic, so when a magic user holds the stone, it will turn a vivid violet color. The Amulet runs of pure science," Gaius lied smoothly, to pacify the doubtful looking members of the court. "The Amulet was used by King Alta almost two hundred years ago when he was hunting a renegade sorcerer bent on his death soon after his coronation. When the-"

"I asked for proof, Gaius. Not a history lesson," Elric interrupted, looking bored. Gaius bristled slightly, offended, but quickly controlled his temper. Now was not the time to irritate Elric even further.

"As you can see, the stone is currently black. That's because I'm holding it, and I possess no magic," he explained. Merlin's breath seemed to catch in his throat- this was risky, very risky. Gaius's magic had been a very well-kept secret (Uther's honor would have been questioned otherwise) but if one of the court members had found out somehow, they would call the physician's bluff in a heartbeat.

Several long seconds passed. No one objected or spoke up.

"Continue," Elric ordered. Gaius complied.

"King Arthur, would you please hold this for me?" Gaius asked, handing him the amulet. The color remained black, and suddenly Gaius's plan hit Merlin. He'd reversed the colors. He'd told the "king" that black meant non-magic and violet meant magic, but it must have been the other way around. By holding the amulet, Elric unintentionally confirmed Gaius's lie. No one could accuse Gaius or Merlin of having magic without also accusing "Arthur." The plan was so simple, it was brilliant.

"Now, as you can see, the color is black," Gaius said, confirming Merlin's suspicions. Elric's eyes narrowed- he'd also caught on- but he'd accidently tied his own hands. The stone he held stopped him from protesting. "Now, Merlin, you hold it."

Merlin took the amulet, grinning when it turned an even deeper black. All around him, the court members began nodding and murmuring among themselves. Merlin didn't catch all of it, but he did catch the words "innocent" and "free." His grin widened.

Elric looked like he might explode. Pure fury was etched in his face for a moment, but Merlin knew he'd won. If Elric killed him now, it would look liked he'd just murdered his innocent best friend for no apparent reason. The man took a deep breath, as if reminding himself that he had to play the part.

"Merlin! Thank the gods!" He cried, coming down and embracing Merlin in a manly hug. The crowd cheered, thinking things were smoothed over between servant and king. They didn't hear Elric whisper, "Watch your back, Merlin. I know the truth now," into the smaller man's ear threateningly, nor did they notice the tense body posture of both men.

They saw only what they wanted to see- not that Merlin was complaining.

"Gaius, that was genius!" Merlin said in relief, walking into the chambers he shared with the physician.

"Gwen deserves the credit," Gaius admitted. "She came up with the idea."

"I'll thank her later," Merlin promised, relief evident.

"Later? What are you going to do now?!"

"Take a nap!" Merlin called, walking back to his room to sleep off the effects of the magic-binding shackles. Gaius could only sigh in exasperation- it was no wonder people doubted Merlin's abilities. The most powerful warlock ever to walk the earth was off…

… to take a nap.

The Adventure Continues…

Merlin froze, staring at the familiar object before him. Everything seemed to come back at once; Gaius's warning, what he'd read…

"Oh no," he breathed, horror spreading through him.

He knew why Elric was here.

Whew! Glad that's done! Ah, Elric's true character is coming out! xD So, did you guys like it? :) Review please!