OK, Thank you soooo much to all of you have reviewed! It is really great to hear what you think of the story.
I meant to post this sooner, as I had it already completed, but as I was writing a later chapter, I hated where the story was going and essentially erased all that I had writted :S It is much better now, but I do have to rewrite all of it now, but oh well :) I am on school holidays from next week for two weeks, so I am planning on finishing the story then :D
Please read and review! I hope you enjoy the chapter
Chapter 4
Merlin stopped at the gates and looked up at the huge castle. There was a line entering the gates, each person being stopped and questioned by a guard. Merlin joined the queue and shuffled forward achingly slow.
It was eventually his turn, and when the guards asked him what his business was in Camelot, he had a story prepared and was ready, "I'm visiting my Great Uncle, Gaius, the Court Physician. He does not know I am coming today, but he does know I was planning on journeying here."
"Name?"
"Mordred of Ealdor."
The guard studied him for a moment. "Gwaine!" he called out.
A knight appeared and grinned at them. "Yeah?"
"Take Mordred to Gaius, make sure the physician knows him."
"Rightio. This way Mordred." Gwaine smiled at the warlock and lead him through the lower town to the castle. "How do you know Gaius?"
"He's my mother's uncle." Merlin swallowed, suddenly nervous. He had no idea how to tell Gaius to play along with the knight there, and had no idea how to get out of this mess.
"Listen mate, if you're lying about you knowing Gaius," Gwaine started, as they began walking up some stairs into a corridor, "Don't worry, Gaius gets patients from out of the city all the time, just say so right now. I'll tell the guards at the gate Gaius knew you and all that nonsense."
Merlin nearly collapsed with relief, the knight having given him a way out without any problems. "You won't say anything?"
"Not at all."
"Thank you, I am a patient, I have an illness, it isn't contagious, but no one I've spoken to has known how to treat it."
"Of course. Well here we are." Gwaine knocked twice and then entered. "Gaius! Patient for you."
"Hello," an old man stepped out from behind some shelves.
"I'll leave you guys alone, don't worry Mordred, I won't tell the guardsmen."
"Thank you Sir Gwaine." Merlin smiled weakly. The man left and Merlin turned to Gaius.
"Mordred, was it? Well, what seems to be the problem?"
"My name isn't Mordred. I will tell you the truth in a moment, but first, you knew my father, but I am aware that for your safety and mine, you will deny this. So he told me to tell you, 'Kilgharrah was wrong only once, when he said you would never become court physician.'" Merlin spoke.
Gaius stared in shock, "I thought you looked familiar, you're Balinor and Hunith's son, Merlin."
Merlin grinned at the man, "Nice to meet you, my father told me about you. Thank you for helping him get out of here alive."
"I am only sorry I couldn't keep Uther from following you to Ealdor." Gaius muttered. "How is Balinor?"
Merlin's grin dropped, "He is dead. The knights were hunting us and he was stabbed. He died moments after I vowed I would see to it that the prophecy would come true. That is why I am here."
"He was a good man." Gaius sighed, grief passing over his face at the Dragon Lord's passing. "I am sorry for his death."
"I am too, but I will finish what he wanted and started."
"How? The prophecy states that we need the Once and Future King, and a warlock names Emrys, we cannot do anything without them."
"I am Emrys. And I know who the King is. He isn't ready, but with time, he will be."
Gaius just stared in shock. "Well then," Gaius recovered, "I suppose we should consider ourselves lucky the rebellion are having their meeting tomorrow night."
Gaius led Merlin the next night to the meeting. They walked through the Lower town, into the inn, through the doors, down some stairs to the basement and then down a narrow corridor to a storeroom. At the back of the store room was a trapdoor that Gaius gestured for Merlin to pull up. Merlin did so, and silently followed the old man down another flight of stairs into a brightly lit room, already filling up with people. There were chairs in a circle around the centre of the room, and benches along the back wall that were filled with people sitting. The younger members were sitting on the benches at the back, or on the floor, while the older members got chairs to rest their weary bodies. Merlin sat next to Gaius silently as they waited for the meeting to start.
A man stepped forward ten minutes later, when the door was shut and bolted, and everyone fell silent. "Evening all, there is a report of Uther imposing a new tax, one where every person above the age of 12 will have to pay a gold piece each week for fresh water." The old spokesman began. Merlin had seen around the castle earlier that day, and knew him to be the librarian of the castle, but beyond that, he had no idea who he was.
At his words however, everyone began talking at once. Men and women alike yelled, ranted and argued alike, all complaining of the unfairness, of the taxes, of starving of deaths. The meeting soon went from silent members that were waiting patiently to yelling and bickering children. There were only a few people not yelling and complaining; the man who had first spoken, Gaius and Merlin.
To say Merlin was confused, shocked and appalled was an understatement.
"I'm sorry Gaius," he murmured into the man's ear, "I didn't come here to listen to people complain and argue, if this is what they normally are like, I have other work to do."
"I am afraid they are like this normally, but they have the potential. They just need someone to stand up and be their leader." Gaius whispered back.
Merlin stood and walked across the room to the door. Before he reached the door however, the room fell silent and he turned in a circle to look around at everyone as they stared at him.
"Don't let me stop you from arguing, I'm just leaving." Merlin shrugged, and gestured to the door.
"Why?" A man demanded. He had brown hair, tanned skin and bright eyes. Merlin could see by the way he stood that the man knew how to fight, but he was dressed like
"What do you mean why?" Merlin demanded.
"Gaius brought you here for a reason, you asked or you needed to, whatever it is, so why leave five minutes into the meeting?" the man explained.
"I came here, expecting a council of adults, not squabbling men and women, complaining about the ruler they have. You can complain all you want, if you don't do anything, he'll always be in charge. I understand no action being taken, because who would want to die, but I also expected more than just people arguing and complaining about their situation." Merlin explained.
The fighter stood and approached Merlin. "You think you know a way out? You know how to overthrow Uther and kill the Pendragons?"
Merlin was silent for a long time, considering what to say. "I do not want to kill the Pendragons. I do not want Uther in power any more, he has become lost to grief and anger and is unrightfully punishing the magical community for that pain. Having said that, who is to say his son is the same as him? Maybe the Prince is different, more approachable, reasonable? Who knows, I've only been in Camelot for not even two days, and haven't seen the Prince yet, let alone seen how he is and how he treats us all."
The fighter seemed taken aback by Merlin's honesty. "You do not hate Arthur?"
"I can only make a decision based on what I know. He caught me and was meant to kill me, simply for existing, but he let me go. I do not know if he is a prat, or selfish, or stuck-up, but I do know that a stuck-up noble wouldn't do that, so there must be some good qualities to the Prince." Merlin shrugged.
"Do you have a plan?" The man asked, as everyone else watched Merlin closely. Merlin glanced around and could see the hope in their eyes. Yes they were really just meeting to argue and complain, but he could see beneath the whining the pain and utter despair the people felt. They were tired of living in fear, of being starved and taxed within an inch of poverty and they were sick of having a king that didn't care.
"I have a plan, but it will require work, and it won't happen overnight." Merlin warned.
"Make your proposal then, the council will vote and decide by the next meeting." The old librarian interrupted.
Merlin nodded and began to speak, "The druids have a prophecy. They've foretold the arrival of warlock, a powerful warlock named Emrys, who is meant to help a man become the Once and Future King that will unite the land, non-magic and magic alike, and bring peace and growth back to the land. I believe Arthur Pendragon is that King, and I have an idea on how to get him on the throne."
TBC
Please review! Let me know what you think of where the story is going so far :)