A/N: Hello again! It has been a while, hasn't it! I've been very, very busy recently and had a lot on my mind so haven't had much time to write until now. But that doesn't matter at the moment! Although, do be pre-warned - I have exams coming up next month so most of my time is/will be dominated by revision!
Thank you so much for all of your previous reviews! They mean a lot.
Enjoy the chapter!
Arwen4eva xxx
"It has been a month since I last said this, Arthur, but perhaps you should just give up." Gwen says as Arthur sits at the table in his chambers observing the maps of his Kingdom that are laid out in front of him. Gwen sits on a chair facing his direction, her hands neatly folded upon her lap.
Arthur looks up from the maps at Gwen with shock, even though she cannot see it.
"Guinevere, I will continue saying it regardless of what you think. I will find a way to regain your sight." Arthur says softly, before glancing back down at his maps.
"Morgana refuses to be found, Arthur." Gwen reasons. "It appears that she is the only one who knows how to break the spell she placed on me. It is powerful magic that will not be undone any time soon."
"It will be undone soon, Guinevere. You have dealt with this for long enough." Arthur says.
"Like Father like Son." Gwen mumbles and takes a deep breath in.
"What do you mean?" Arthur asks, confusion in his tone. He looks up at Gwen.
"You and your Father are very stubborn men." Gwen explains, a small smile on her face. Arthur smiles too and then nods.
"Common trait amongst Pendragons unfortunately, my love."
"That is what your Father said too." Gwen says, leaning further back in the chair. "But, it is one of many reasons why I love you."
Arthur smiles and walks around to Gwen's chair. She hears his footsteps and turns her head to where she believes Arthur is. She feels him take her left hand in his and reverently place a tender kiss on it.
"It is also one of the many reasons I love you, Guinevere. You are very stubborn sometimes."
"Thank you." Gwen says and sticks her tongue out.
...
"Merlin, stop looking in those books." Gaius warns as he sees his young charge's head slowly, and continuously, drop due to the large lack of sleep he has had searching for a cure for Gwen.
"I have to find something Gaius. This has gone on too long and we cannot find Morgana." Merlin says, closing the book and rubbing a hand over his face. "I have to find something to do myself."
"Did Kilgharrah tell you that?" Gaius asks, raising an eyebrow.
"No, he was very cryptic as per usual. However, he did say that unless we restore Gwen's sight, the future that is predicted for her and Arthur will not come to pass."
"Did he say why?" Gaius asks.
Merlin sighs and drops his head.
"Morgana would find Gwen when she was at her most vulnerable and kill her. The future she will have with Arthur will cease to exist."
There is silence between them.
"Have you told Arthur about this?" Gaius asks, quietly.
"How can I? I have not even told him that I have magic so I cannot just go up to him and say that I have spoken with the dragon he believes he killed."
"I know it is hard, Merlin. But, perhaps now is the right time?"
Merlin takes a few deep breaths.
"Maybe it is." Merlin says, his voice wobbling.
"He will understand, Merlin. If you do it when Gwen is there, she will soothe him." Gaius says, patting Merlin's shoulder.
"When should I do it then?"
"Now."
...
Arthur finishes looking at the maps in his hands before placing them down on his desk. A knock sounds at the door and he turns.
"Enter." he projects. He sees Merlin walk in and smiles slightly. "Merlin, what can I do for you?"
"I need to talk to you and I would prefer to do it when Gwen is here." Merlin says which confuses Arthur.
"Is something the matter, Merlin?" Gwen asks, furrowing her brows. Merlin goes over to Gwen and places his hand on her shoulder.
"It depends on what you think, what both of you think." Merlin says and then signals towards a chair for Arthur, his regular seat at the head of the table.
"Is it that bad that you do not trust me enough to tell me on my own?" Arthur asks, slightly hurt as he walks over and sits in his chair. Merlin goes over and stands by the door, ready to leave if he needs to. Gwen holds up her hand and Arthur takes it, holding onto it.
"This is not in any way easy for me." Merlin starts, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "Trust me, I did not want to keep this from you but I have had no other choice."
"Merlin, you can just tell us you know." Arthur says.
"Arthur!" Gwen scolds. "Continue at our own pace, Merlin." she says.
"Thank you, Gwen." Merlin says and shuffles on the spot. Arthur looks at him, concern in his blue eyes.
"This is a secret I have had to keep all of my life and I beg that you do not hate me or see my as any different than before." Merlin says and quickly wipes his eyes. "I am a... a..."
Merlin struggles to speak and once again has to wipe his eyes. He gathers his courage and takes another strong but shaky breath.
"I am a sorcerer."
Arthur and Gwen's mouths drop open as silence takes over for a moment.
"You are a sorcerer?" Arthur asks, not quite believing what he has just heard.
"I am so sorry I did not tell you sooner." Merlin says, taking a step back.
"You have been a sorcerer all this time and never told me?" Arthur slowly stands and raises his voice. "Did you not trust me in any way, at all?"
"I never felt I could tell you. You are Uther Pendragon's son and neither of you have displayed love of magic! How could I be sure that either of you would allow me to live? If Uther found out, I would have been executed on the spot!" Merlin says, allowing his tears to flow freely as he shouts at his best friend. Gwen sits in her chair, listening to her best friend and love fight.
"You could have trusted me!" Arthur says.
"Could I? How could I be sure that you were not going to execute me?!"
Arthur says nothing for a moment, feeling Gwen's hand slip into his own after brushing his hand in an attempt to find it.
"You could not be sure." Arthur says quietly and looks down at Gwen before looking at the newly revealed sorcerer again. "Why are you telling us now?"
"I think I know a way to restore Gwen's sight and there are things I need to explain that involve magic." Merlin says, wiping his face. Gwen hears him sniff and frowns.
"Do not cry, Merlin. You were protecting yourself and I would do the same." Gwen says and hears hurried steps. Merlin swiftly walks over and hugs Gwen, startling her for a moment before she relaxes and hugs him back. "You are practically another brother to me, Merlin. I could see you as no different regardless of who you are."
"Thank you, Gwen." Merlin says into Gwen's shoulder before withdrawing a moment later. He stands fully and turns to Arthur. For a moment, they stand awkwardly facing each other.
Then, suddenly, Arthur grabs Merlin and draws him into a hug.
"I am sorry." he says, holding his best friend. Merlin hugs Arthur back.
"I will admit that I was expecting much worse." Merlin says and backs away, rubbing his face and then taking in a deep breath. "Although, you may not like what I need to say next so please sit down."
Arthur obeys and Merlin goes back around the table to where he was standing before.
"The dragon you believed you dealt a mortal blow is not dead and I talk to him often." Merlin suddenly blurts out. Arthur's eyes widen.
"But only a Dragonlord can do that, surely."
"Well, you are looking at one." Merlin says, holding his arms out for a moment.
"You have a lot of secrets, Merlin." Arthur comments and receives a small pinch from Gwen.
"I know but we can discuss that later. Anyway, I spoke to him about Gwen and what Morgana has done to her and wanted to know if there was a cure as nothing came up in any of Gaius' books."
"Go on." Arthur says, listening.
"He was very cryptic as he tends to be and said that unless we restore Gwen's sight, the future that is predicted for both of you will not come to pass as Morgana will strike when Gwen is vulnerable."
"What do you mean by strike, Merlin?" Gwen asks, not wanting Merlin to be vague about that particular detail.
"Kilgharrah said that when you are at your most vulnerable, Morgana will kill you unless we return your sight soon." Merlin says. Gwen's breath hitches for a moment and Arthur looks desperately at Merlin.
"Is there anything you can do at all?" he pleads.
"I hope I can. I am more powerful than Morgana is and I believe that I can reverse this enchantment."
"Can you try now?" Arthur asks.
"I need some more time and I also need your help, Arthur." Merlin says.
"My help? What do you need?"
Merlin steps forward and rests his hands on the table surface.
"I need the keys to the vault, keys that you have with you." Merlin says.
"Why the vault exactly?" Arthur asks.
"There is a book down there that is full of powerful enchantments. I will need it to find a counter-spell for Morgana's."
Arthur nods then stands. "Alright, we will go now. Guinevere, will you be alright? Leon and Gwaine are outside if you need them and we will not be gone very long."
"I will be fine, Arthur. Go. This is what you have been waiting for." Gwen says. Arthur smiles slightly and kisses her temple.
"I love you." he says, kissing her temple a second time.
"I love you too." Gwen replies and smiles.
Arthur goes over to his bedside table and extracts his keys from the top drawer.
"Let's go then, Merlin."
...
"Do you know what it is you are looking for?" Arthur asks as Merlin stands in the centre of the room with his eyes closed. He can see his eyeballs twitching and moving behind the closed eyelids. The Crown Prince feels slightly uneasy as he observes Merlin use magic, though it is not physically seen.
"I have an idea and I am following it." the young sorcerer says. "Ah ha!" Merlin opens his eyes and advance three shelves further into the vaults. Arthur holds the torch up high so it illuminates everything around them and so they can see where the book is.
They stop three quarters of the way down a stack of shelves to their left and look up.
"It is that one there. The one with the gold laced into the spine." Merlin says, pointing to it. He looks at Arthur. "Do you mind?"
"Not at all." Arthur says and steps back. Merlin looks up at the book, holding his hand out. In an instant, the book falls out of its place on the shelf and lands in Merlin's outstretched hand.
"This will hopefully help us to restore Gwen's sight." Merlin says, walking out back towards the centre of the room where a table stands. He places the dusty book down and begins to look through it.
In a matter of minutes, Merlin finds what he needs.
"Will this reverse Morgana's enchantment?" Arthur asks, looking at the strange language written onto the thin, fraying pages.
"It should do." Merlin says, reading the page.
"What does all of this say?"
Merlin scans down the rest of the page before replying.
"It explains what the spell is for and what it will do. It reverses most spells that are cast with dark magic. It is rarely used so the results have been unpredictable but I can control it." Merlin says and reads the next page. Half way down he stops and looks up suddenly.
"What is it, Merlin?" Arthur asks, seeing his friend's reaction.
"Gwen will have to relive the spell." Merlin says, looking at Arthur. "This was clearly painful for her to endure, especially since Morgana enchanted her; the evidence was clear with the raw and painful skin around her eyes. To have her sight back, she will have to go through the same process."
Arthur drops his head and sighs.
"I promised her we would get her sight back, Merlin. I do not want to go back on that promise. However, I do not want to inflict pain upon her."
"The pain will fade quicker if I use some healing magic. I cannot erase the damage around her eyes as that would tamper with the spell and reverse the effects but it would help ease her." Merlin assures. Arthur looks at the book before looking back at Merlin and nodding.
"If it will allow her to be herself again, she would go through it." he says. "Guinevere thought she would live the rest of her life blind. I spoke to my Father and he said that she constantly mentioned that she was scared about that prospect."
"Scared? She never said that to us." Merlin says, memorising the spell and reading the rest of the content on it.
"She believes that we will not have future together because no one will accept a blind ruler. Despite all of my words and the support she has received from the people, it has not eased her fears."
"I should have revealed myself sooner." Merlin says, guilt sliding in.
"No, Merlin. Do not think like that. I will not have it and neither will Guinevere."
"Stubborn. You are both so stubborn." Merlin says.
"Indeed. I am a Pendragon and one day, so will Guinevere; it comes with us no matter what."
"I know that." Merlin says, closing the book. "I find it amazing how Gwen copes with you being you."
"She loves me for it." Arthur says, leading the way out of the vaults.
"I know. That is why when you are married in the future, I will feel a bit better to know that I will have someone else helping me with you."
Arthur laughs and hands the torch to Merlin as he locks the gate.
"I could not ask for anyone better than Guinevere." Arthur says, a smile gracing his lips and his heart fluttering at the thought of his beloved.
"Indeed. Although, I have no idea how she will react to seeing your ugly face once again." Merlin says cheekily and runs away. However, Arthur catches him up and playfully punches Merlin in the arm.
"Ow! I will be telling Gwen you abused me!" Merlin says, handing the torch back to Arthur.
"Go ahead. However, we have to be with her for you to do that so get a move on. I do not want her alone for too long in case something happens."
...
A loud bang.
A large crash.
A pained groan.
A sickening thud.
Silence.
The doors fly open.
Her heart races.
Light footsteps.
Her breathing turns rapid.
That evil laugh gives her chills...
Morgana Pendragon stands over her.
"Hello again, Gwen."
Endnote: Please review! :)