Ashton spoke in a thundering voice, "Y Gorffennol ddod ymlaen a datgelu pob gyfrinachau."
As he spoke, his servant Falco stepped towards Arthur and with a yank and a bit of magic held his palm in offering towards Ashton.
Arthur was in a sort of hypnotic daze, as he saw Ashton slash his knife against Arthur's palm and saw his blood mix of the residue that was left of Merlin's blood, as surprisingly the blood had not dried and as the blood mixed Ashton repeated the ritual with his own palm. Arthur then wrenched his hand from Falco and watched with a calm and perhaps interested expression.
Uther still in his stupor, paled at the sight of the golden hue that stretched around the room. Laughter echoed around and everyone looked shocked as the golden light stretched from the intermixed blood, and the room became surrounded by pictures of a grand forest. Running around in said forest was a young girl, a child with black locks. She laughed and was running straight ahead. In that moment Arthur noticed once again that he was no longer in the throne room.
Ashton noticing his expression, rolled his eyes, "Worry not we are merely immersed in the memories, no time will pass in reality, right now we are simply watching the past unfold."
A whimper came out towards right of him and he turned to see, Merlin. Merlin was looking at the figure running after the girl, and looked as if she saw a ghost.
"Myriddin! Myriddin! Come back here right now!" the woman shouted.
"I don't' wanna " was the response. Myriddin giggled and and ran out of reach of the woman, her gold colored dress shining against the sun. They were in a meadow, and at a distance there was a basket filled to the brim with herbs. The young girl squealed in surprise as she was hoisted up by the woman. Sighing the woman held the girl on her hip and walked towards the gates that lay in front of a castle. The castle was magnificent in its glory and stood upon a hill. The townsfolk laughed and conversation was streaming as the young woman and child walked down. As the people noticed they bowed before them with a murmured, "Emrys."
As the two walked up to the castle, and a man strolled over to them, plucking the child out of the woman's arm and she proceeded to bow to him. Smiling down at the girl he spoke softly, "Thank you for looking after my troublesome daughter, this evening Annie."
She blushed and with left the two of them. The man walked swiftly into the castle, wearing chainmail and a blue cape with a white dragon adorning the cape. Twirling the girl in his arms, he strolled down the hall heading towards the throne room.
Arthur took a quick glance around the room, looking for the reactions that everyone would have seeing this. It seemed as if everyone, including Ashton himself were being immersed in the memory.
With a swift playful bow, he smiled at the woman at the head of the throne room, next to a vacant throne and a smaller throne where a young teen boy sits, "My Queen."
Smiling he approached the head of the room and took his seat, quickly leaning to the side to give the Queen a kiss on the cheek. WIth his daughter on his lap, his face became serious, "Now, let us begin to discuss about Camelot's...proposal of betrothal between the youngest prince and this country's second heir to the throne of Daobeth, Emrys."
The boy stiffens, at the King's words. "Father, she should be able to take part in such discussion when she is older. I hardly see the need to let Camelot take her away! She is just a child who has barely seen her fifth year, she knows not of what you scheme. "
The King glares at his son, "That does not matter, as I am King and my word is law," his gaze softened, "I understand how difficult it is for you, whom adores her, to know she will eventually leave us, but we all have a duty to our country. Now that is all you may say in the matters as I am still king, and you will understand my decision one day."
With a clench of of a jaw the Prince backed down and bowed his head with an apology, however his eyes were full of contempt.
Looking between the two, Myrddin felt nervous at the look in her brother's eyes, not yet able to read emotions that were not plain and easy to see.
The light in the room begins to shift and it seems to the magic delves into another memory.
Fire bloomed everywhere. Screams could be heard from across the citadel. The once beautiful castle crumbled and was blasted. A laugh was heard from a distance. The roars of the dragons could be heard and mixed with the cries of the people. Myriddin stood in awe and terror as she looked out her window to see the knights of Daobeth go out to fight the attacking army. A maid stormed into her room, in a hurry to reach her.
As Myrddin turned to her, she saw a man standing behind the maid and running her through with his sword. She gave a scream as the man approached her and ran past him, only thinking of where her parents could be. As she runs, she thinks of only her destination and running forward. 'Mother. Father. Brother. Got to Keep Running. Run. Run. Run.'
Everyone in the room jumped as they heard the voice echo through the room. Ashton looked at their panic looked and rolled his eyes. "Every thought will be heard as these are her, or his memories.
Everyone then went back to watching, entranced, as if captivated by a spell, 'We probably are,' thought Arthur grimly.
As she reaches the throne room, she stiffens in shock. "Uncle?"
A man stand in the middle, his sword pointed at the throat of the Queen holds herself in dignity and with a sharp look in her eyes as men restrain her. The men were dressed in leather, it was clear to everyone in the room that they were not one of the knights.
Her uncle smiles at the Queen and King, "Brother, you must a have an idea of why I am doing this."
The King gives his brother a dirty look, "You were always so greedy, I am not at all surprised that you are behind this attack. But, I won the throne fair and square. You may have inherited the Dragonlord ability and you may have been the eldest, however you were only interested in the power and the money. Father saw that. But to turn my own son against me, you have some nerve."
"Ha, he was hardly difficult to convince. All I had to do was give him what he wanted, the same thing you refused him. So tell me, how does it feel to be betrayed by your own kin? To know that it was your own son, that allowed the me entry, that told me all the kingdom's weaknesses. You took everything from me, and i shall return the favor."
"I did not betray you, she chose me, as did father."
At this he grew angry, "All of this was to be MINE, NOT YOURS!"
She could not help but gasp at the utter anger and anguish, she heard fall from her uncle's lips. Her uncle did not give her a single glance, however the teen boy beside him finally taking notice, glanced at her and his eyes widened. "Sister, why are you here? You should have left, it is dangerous out here."
"Maximus, 'm scared."
Maximus approaches the girl, kneels beside her and whispers in her ear. "Worry not, little one, I will take care of you always. You need not fear since-"
"I want you to look at me, and see me take everything from you. The last thing you will know is that I will take everything that was supposed to be mine." At this her attention went back to the two figures. She saw her uncle raise his sword above the king and with a scream coming from the Queen she saw her beloved uncle stand before the fallen king and plunge the sword into the back of his neck.
"-you are mine."
All was silent as the Queen's cries grew louder, and she moved from the hold of her captives looking her daughter in the eye she gave a shaky smile, "I am so sorry, know that I love you, stay strong, you have a great destiny before you, remember that and when you struggle, know that me and your father will always be there. Now close your eyes. "
Myrddin did as she was told and fell into the embrace of her brother.
The last thing her mother said was, "You will never have me, I would rather die than let you succeed in your sick plan. " Metal sliced through skin and a thump was echoed through the room. Myriddin knew in her gut, that something had gone horribly wrong, knowing this she jerked out of her brother's hold and saw her mother lying in a pool of blood. A guard was frozen and red was covering his sword. In utter anguish at seeing her mother and father lying still, while her brother did nothing made something in her break.
Anger filled her veins, anger and sorrow. With a screech she yelled at the top of her lungs and all around her the palace trembled. Her eyes shone a brilliant gold and everyone in the room felt suffocated by the overwhelming presence of her aura.
Her uncle smirked, "She truly is Emrys. Get the the girl and bind her, quick!" The guards approached only to be thrown back.
Maximus glared at the man. "This was not part if the deal. She is mine to have, not yours to corrupt."
With a look of disgust on the man's face, he said, "Idiot, I was never planning to give her to you, your sick obsession with you darling sister needed to end eventually, now is as good as ever."
Myrddin was too confused and upset to bother paying attention to the words, all she truly knew was that her brother was not to be trusted and that neither was her uncle. With a flash of gold, time itself stopped, and she in turn ran. 'Out. Out. Out. I. Need. To. Get. Out.' With this thought she remembered where her parents had told her months ago. A secret place to go to, to leave the castle if they were no longer there. With this thought she ran to the library making times stop in her panic. Getting to the library in seconds, she ran to the very end of the room and took out a simple red book with gold etchings from the bottom bookshelf, and with a simple whisper of, "Bydd gwaed brenhinol yn agor y drws hwn."
The books then slowly disappeared and in its place was a passage leading into the forest. The child ran into the passage without a single though, and the entrance closed behind her. All around her were trees that she once sought comfort in during the day, and she could not help but feel fear run through her as she ran through them at night. She ran as fast as she could, until her lungs burned and her eyes watered, she then tripped over a rock and tumbled onto the forest floor. She let herself cry into the night, with nothing but the trees to comfort her.
"Well, we should take a small break, as the next memories are bound to be even more unpleasant and upsetting." Falco stared at Merlin, who looked growingly uncomfortable at the unrelenting attention. Arthur noticing this, glared at Falco and stepped in front of Merlin, blocking the strange servant's view of his own manservant.
"Merlin, do you know why, they seem so interested in you?"
Merlin gave him a dirty look, "Well, if I did I would not be so confused right now."
"No need to be so offended, Merlin, I mean it's not like you're a girl." Merlin sighed and rolled his eyes. But there was a troubled look in his eyes."
Arthur could not help but feel a tug in his gut. For all that he pretended not to, he cared deeply for his manservant, too deeply. Sometimes it felt as if he was drowning in his emotions. But he knew that in this his friend was every bit as troubled and helpless as he was, in this situation. He put a hand on Merlin's shoulder, and he gave his loyal friend a comforting smile, "All will be well, I promise to protect you, forever and always, I swear whatever they are planning, I will not let them hurt you, nothing will ever tear us apart."