Chapter 4
As Arthur left the dungeon he knew what he had done. He had broken Merlin's heart and terrified a child. He knew that it would seem unforgivable to Merlin, but he also knew that Merlin WOULD forgive him when he understood why.
Arthur had realised, after the scene in the Throne Room that his Father would not trust him to as he was told. Plenty of times in the past he had defied his Father and done what he felt was right (although oddly this had been happening more often since Merlin had arrived, tripping and bumbling into his life – purely a coincidence the Prince told himself. Nothing to do with any effect the idiot was having on him). Arthur suspected that he would be watched and his behaviour would be reported back to the King. He had to make sure that Uther truly believed that he was going to do what he was told this time. That was why he had played out that little show in the dungeons.
If he had merely appeared to accept his Fathers edict then it would have seemed too easy to Uther and the King would have suspected some duplicity. So Arthur had to make it look like he had struggled, had thought fully about his decision and that he had included Merlin in on this. Because, deny it out loud as he would Arthur (and Uther) knew that in reality Merlin was always the one he talked things through with. If he had a problem or an issues he would discuss it with Merlin – not in a girlie way of course, Prince's don't do emotions or feelings - but in a manly, practical fashion. At least that's what he told himself.
But this time Arthur had to keep Merlin out of the first part of the plan. Merlin's reactions had to be good to convince the spying dungeon guards that Arthur really meant what he said – and frankly Arthur did not think Merlin's acting skills were up to it. So he had lied, told Merlin the one thing he knew would get an instant and dramatic reaction – he was going to let the girl and the village die. Arthur knew as soon as he had left the dungeon a guard would be rushing to the King's chambers with the news that, for once, Arthur was doing the right thing. Which would mean Uther would relax his watch, Arthur would be able to go about his business undisturbed and he and Merlin could go and save the village.
Simple. All it took was for Merlin to not do anything stupid. But an hour later, as Arthur looked around Merlin's empty room and listened to Gaius saying that he didn't know where Merlin was, he suddenly realised that to rely on Merlin NOT to do anything stupid was the most stupid thing he, Arthur, could have done.
Merlin was gone and it didn't take a great deal of imagination to realise where he had gone. Arthur sighed. Really, was nothing ever easy when it came to that idiot? He tried to put the worrying image of the thin, useless-at-defending-himself and incredibly clumsy manservant challenging a powerful sorcerer out of his mind. Merlin would be travelling to the village by foot; surely Arthur would be able to catch him up on horseback. Afterall the fool only had an hour or so's lead. Arthur had already spread the news that he and Merlin were going on a hunting trip, getting away would be no trouble. In fact he rather suspected Uther was glad he was not going to be around during the next few days.
And once he caught up with that fool they would have to have a few words about trust, waiting to hear the full plan and not going off on stupid rescue missions without at least talking to Arthur first!
But, as Arthur left the safety of the castle and rode away, his thoughts were far from calm. There was a feeling, somewhere deep inside that warned him that the next few days were going to be difficult beyond belief.
It was a few hours later that a guard (who had a daughter the same age as Niamh and who felt some sympathy with her) opened the cell where she was being held and entered carrying some bread, water and an old apple. It took a minute or two until the reality of what he was seeing – or rather not seeing – fully hit him. Then, dropping the cup and plate with a loud clatter he ran from the cell and sounded the alarm bell.
Uther stood staring at the hell hole where that devil child had been held. The cell was empty but the door had been locked. It could only have been magic. A sorcerer had been within his castle walls and Uther's fury was endless. This confirmed to him the justness of his earlier decision regarding the village of Leander. It was his life's work to seek out and destroy the canker that was magic and to annihilate all who practised it within his Kingdom.