Emrys: The Love And War Of Men And Their Gods:
Chapter 6: Conflicted:
The sleeping draft had seemed to work as Arthur awoke this morning feeling fully rested. Sitting up and stretching his arms he wandered through into the opposite room. No sign of Merlin. Late as usual.
Arthur thought back to the creeping blush that had adorned his manservant's face the night before. How he had gave, you could say, a flirtatious smile. Arthur didn't know why, but the vision of seeing him and Merlin together felt right. As well as the dream he had last night.
At that moment Merlin chose to stumble into the Prince's chambers, balancing a tray of food in one hand and a pile of clothes in the other.
"Ah Merlin, so nice of you to join me" the blonde sarcastic as ever, teased his friend. Watching with amusement as Merlin placed the tray on the table and flung the clothes on the nearest armchair.
Arthur sat and ate as he watched Merlin fold his clothes that he had asked to be washed the other day. Merlin would look up every so often, sensing the gaze of his Prince, and when he did that Arthur looked away. The Prince didn't understand this new feeling that bubbled within in his stomach when studying Merlin's every move, it was a pleasant sensation, but it just didn't seem to make much sense. This sudden new awakened feeling of dare he say . . . affection.
"I hope you've had your breakfast this morning, your gonna need all the energy you have for today's hunt." Arthur spoke, changing the mood within his mind, he directed his gaze at Merlin who had immediately dropped what he was doing to look up with the most displeased look on his face.
"What hunt?"
"Didn't I tell you?"
Merlin just shook his head.
"I planned a hunt for today with the knights during yesterdays training. They've all been looking forward to a good kill since my attack." Arthur smiled wide as Merlin shoulders slumped with disdain at the mere idea of having to no doubt tag along. Which of course he would "So finish up what you're doing and let's get me dressed."
The dark haired man huffed before trudging over to collect today's garments, a blush appearing again when he turned round, though this time the blush happened because Arthur had thrown his night shirt of and was now standing before him with a purposely puffed out chest and a gorgeous alluring smile.
Arthur couldn't help keep the cheesy grin of his face as Merlin stumbled through the shrubbery behind him and his knights, his crossbow slung over one shoulder and a couple of rabbits on the other. The knights held their own kills, which at this point was not many. Only a few rabbits and pheasants. Nothing to big yet that would cause up a stir amongst him and his men, the thrill of a good chase.
The Prince's smile immediately disappeared when Gwaine jogged back to join his incompetent manservant. With a dashing smile and a flick of his long brown hair that would have anyone falling to their knees. Am I jealous? Arthur quickly shook that thought from his brain, turning back round to focus on the task at hand.
Before long the Prince heard a heavy snapping of wood further in the distance. His hand went up to halt his men, before signalling to them what to do. Gwaine had gone off with Lancelot and Leon leaving Merlin to come up behind him, handing his crossbow over.
Ever so slowly Arthur and his men crept forward, stalking the prey that had yet to be determined. And then Arthur saw it. A large injured boar walking aimlessly through the forest. More hand signals and then the Prince was on it. Or would have been if not for Merlin's feet crunching on fallen leaves, alerting the boar and thus making it run of.
The blonde cursed under his breath before breaking out in a run after the injured boar, his men going even further, hoping to catch up to it with ease with its bleeding hind leg.
"Wake up Arthur, wake up"
The Prince abruptly halted, the unexpected eerie feminine voice reeling him to a stop.
"Arthur?" Merlin asked quietly, worried at his friend's sudden stop that nearly had him running into the back of the blonde.
"You must wake up Arthur"
"Who's there?" the Prince shouted, slowly spinning around, his sword now drawn in place of his crossbow that was now on the forest floor.
"You must wake up or all is lost"
Arthur ignored his surroundings and focused on the woman's voice, it seemed so familiar, like in a distant dream from long ago.
"Emrys is controlling your mind"
And then it clicked "Elaide?"
Before the Prince could get a response his knights came storming through the forest, throwing a person onto the ground in front of him, holding onto the hooded figure tightly, Leon pulled the dark green hood back revealing the newcomer. Arthur saw in front of him the woman who had just been speaking within his mind. Elaide.
Arthur had stood before his father within the throne room, being briefed on the situation at hand. Elaide had been brought back by his knights and immediately thrown into the dungeons. Neither Gwaine, Lancelot, or even Merlin had recognised her, nor did his manservant show any sign of pain that his supposed 'childhood friend' was now a prisoner of Camelot and locked away beneath the castle within the grim dungeons, chained to the walls with Camelot's finest guards posted outside her prison. She was to be executed tomorrow morning.
Night had now fallen upon the kingdom and Arthur had decided only moments ago that he needed to see her. The woman who was at the centre of all this confusion. The Prince had finalised his belief that this world was real, that his nightmare had been from a curse from this witch, but the desperation in her words, her eyes had caused confliction in him. Had he just wanted to believe this world was real because it was easier that way? Did he simply not want to have to deal with the pressure and knowledge that he would have to fight against a now evil and menacing Merlin?
Arthur stood before her cell now, guards having left under his order. He needed to speak with her alone.
"Arthur I knew you'd come" she spoke urgently, running forward to only fall to her knees suddenly when the chains ran out. "Arthur you need to wake up."
"So you said earlier." Arthur stood his ground, a disgusted snarl joining his non-emotional voice. Seeing her bringing forth hatred.
"Arthur listen to me, Emrys has you trapped here."
"Suppose that were true, then where is here?" he kept his stare, as she stood up.
"Your mind."
"My mind" he repeated, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"Yes your mind. A reality you favour most, where you feel safe. Though soon Emrys will change events in this dream. To break your soul." She pronounced, a somewhat plea in her tone for the Prince to believe her.
He would not.
The Prince laughed "The world you put me in was the dream witch, and now you try to doubt my judgement."
"Because your judgement is wrong. You have to wake up. Do not let Emrys break you."
"There is no such thing as Emrys, and don't worry, no one will ever break me" he turned to leave only to see Merlin duck behind a wall. "Merlin, did you follow me?" Though the blonde already knew he had.
Merlin now having been caught stepped out from behind the wall, trying to place an innocent look on being found.
"It is not the real Merlin" Elaide shouted from behind him "this is all a figment of your imagination you stupid, stupid man."
"I think we should leave Arthur" Merlin spoke up, taking hold of the Prince's wrist, trying to pull him away. But Arthur wasn't done yet. He walked back over to her cell.
"Tomorrow you die, and all these visions you've been sending to me will end. You are the one who has been controlling my mind; you shouldn't have mentioned your powers in the nightmare you created for me." The blonde spat, gripping hard on the iron bars of the cell.
Elaide noticed a quick menacing grin creep onto Merlin's face then, from behind the Prince.
"He's Emrys!" she yelled, charging towards them, but again being stopped by the chains that bound her. "Look at him. See the evil in him."
Arthur turned around to see Merlin shrinking back against the wall, before turning his attention back to the treacherous woman.
"You are the evil one here" he began to walk away, followed by his manservant.
"Look at him now, this moment, look deep." She still yelled as they made to leave.
Arthur looked again at Merlin, looking 'deep' as she had instructed.
"Don't believe her Arthur, she's lying to you. She's the evil one, she's trying to control you like when she put you into your coma. She is the reason for your troubles." Merlin told gently, placing a reassuring hand upon the blonde's shoulder.
"He's lying Arthur! You have to see it!"
"No, you are the liar" Arthur shot at her one more venomous look.
Arthur then marched out of the dungeons, with Merlin behind him, to the sound of the witch's shouts of "wake up Arthur, you have to wake up . . . or we will all lose."