Authors Note: Ok! Reveal itself over! Now it's time for Merlin to find out that Arthur knows! And various other things to happen. BWAHAHAHA! Eyes on Fire by Blue Foundation is the song. I own nothing!
6. Burning Destiny
"You have to go now Merlin. You have a lot to do. Like finding out what is causing the music." Freya laughed and walked Merlin to the edge of the lake. He kissed her slowly and deeply.
"I miss you so much! Freya someday we'll be able to be together forever." She pushed him gently.
"That's a long way off. I don't want you to join me for a long time! I miss you but I can wait. You're not going to be ready to join me for a long time alright?" He nodded sadly and she stood on her toes and kissed him. Then he stepped off the lake and she stepped back into it. They kept in contact the as long as they could.
Then Merlin turned around and froze. The look on his face was one of sheer terror. He gaped for a moment and it took Arthur and the stunned knights, save Lancelot, to realize what he saw. Them, he saw them.
There was a second of pure silence, the whole world even the animals around them in the forest and the trees themselves froze seemingly in time. Merlin and Lancelot seemed to exchange a momentary glance as if they had a plan for what to do in such a moment as this one. Oh God! Lancelot knew! That threw Arthur for a moment and distracted him enough for Merlin to make his move. The instant his eyes left his servant he was off, racing like a deer from a hunter.
"Merlin!" Arthur called after him. He grabbed Lancelot's wrist before he could bolt after the boy.
"You knew?! How long have you known? Magic, Merlin has magic! And you knew." Traitors! A small bit of his mind screamed at him. But that was the bit that still lived under his father's thumb. He was regent now and king in all but title.
"I have known since the griffon. Merlin killed it, not me. It could only be killed with magic. All he's ever done he's done to protect you, and Camelot." Arthur held up his hands.
"No I want to hear this from Merlin. I'm not going to hurt him Lancelot. I just want to know why he hid this as long as he did. I want to hear it from him." Lancelot nodded.
"I trust you Arthur, so I'll tell you where he is. We have three meeting places we have set up in case something like this ever happened. This was one. He's going to the third one." Gwaine piped up, annoyed that Merlin hadn't shared this with him but worried for his friend.
"How do you know?" Lancelot put up three fingers.
"He used the signal, none of you were looking for it." They raced off after their wayward friend.
Merlin was racing through the shrubbery with no clue of where he was when the music started. A woman's vocalizing in the dark forest made it ever more terrifying than it had been. Suddenly and without warning there was a yank somewhere near his feet and he shouted as he was pulled into a net. Then the singing started.
"I seek you out, flay you alive." He knew that voice.
"Morgana." Stepping out of the shadows she put a finger to his lips.
"One more word and you won't survive. And I'm not scared of your stolen power; see right through you any hour." Merlin froze when she pulled a knife. Her smile was absolutely feral as she pressed it to his throat. She knew. Then she whispered in his ear.
"You play with the power of a throne Merlin. It's a dangerous game; someone should have told you that." Then before he could do so much as breathe she plunged her dagger into his leg. He screamed as pain exploded there. In all honesty the cut wasn't that deep and there was no risk of him bleeding out on the ground or anything but she had soaked this dagger in a special potion meant to inhibit even the strongest of men. She would play with him a while before she killed him.
"I won't soothe your pain." She crooned as she dragged him to his feet, still tangled in the net, by his hair. He groaned and tried to pull away but the potion was starting to work on him, his eyes were losing focus.
"I won't ease your strain. He's not coming for you this time. You'll be waiting in vain." She thought she was lying but to Merlin those words rang with horrible truth. Arthur wouldn't come for him this time, not after that rather spectacular display of magic back there with Freya. Maybe Lancelot would figure out what had happened when Merlin never arrived at their meeting place. He felt himself go limp as he clung to that sliver of hope.
Morgana smiled as her captive gave up the fight with the potion. She levitated him in front of her. He was rather pretty like this, venerable and fragile. So easy to bend, even easier to break. He could prove very useful to her, as something other than a pawn.
"And just in time, in the right place, suddenly I will play my ace. I will soothe your pain, I will ease your strain. You're still waiting in vain. You've got something for me to gain." And with many interesting ideas for ways to use her new toy she floated him off back to her hovel.