CAMELOT
Merlin was stood straight against the wall along one of the corridors.
His hands were pressing into the stone either side of his hips.
He was staring straight forwards.
His jaw was locked.
The lightening sky outside shimmered through the still burning torches in the corridor.
Merlin did not turn his head when heavy footsteps stormed around the corner towards him.
"Where have you been?"
His head turned to see Arthur staring at him, his eyes firm.
"I am the king of Camelot I do not need to answer to you." He stated and moved to storm past his servant.
Merlin's eyes narrowed furiously as Arthur strode past him.
"You were in the lower town."
His loud and clear voice made Arthur stiffen.
"Go back to bed Merlin."
"I saw you." Merlin insisted, standing away from the wall and staring at his king as Arthur strode two more paces away.
Anger and worry seared through Merlin's heart and made him shift sternly.
"Fine, then perhaps I should ask Gwen if she knows quite what you have been up to."
These cold words made Arthur freeze.
Merlin watched as the king turned to face him, his face furious, ripping the cloak from around his body and shoving it at Merlin as he strode to glare down at him.
"Say anything like that again and it will be more than a spell in the stocks for you." Arthur snarled.
"I saw you with Eveline." Merlin hissed, "I heard all that you said."
Arthur gritted his teeth and his head snapped around.
His eyes burned at the sight of the corridors empty.
Merlin's face was hard as the king grabbed his shoulder and towed him with him a few paces.
Arthur barged open a door, looked inside and then at the corridor again, before shoving Merlin inside and stepping in after him.
He slammed the door.
THE STORE CUPBOARD
It was dark and musty, lit only by a high window that allowed the pale moon and dawn light to shatter the black and stale air.
Merlin stood glaring at Arthur, as the king stared furiously back.
The young warlock still held the cloak that Arthur had shoved at him a moment ago.
He still held the cloak that Arthur had been wearing when he had gone to see Eveline the hour previous.
"I don't know what you are talking about Merlin." Arthur stated coldly, straightening away from his manservant.
"Yes you do." Merlin snapped and threw the cloak on the floor, "Don't deny it!"
Arthur glared at him.
Merlin stepped closer.
"You went to see Eveline…"
"No."
"Don't deny it I saw you!" Merlin cried, "She knew that you were wanting to know more about if it was possible for you and Gwen to conceive a child the same way that your father and mother did…"
"No Merlin you don't…"
"Yes I do know!" Merlin shouted, "I do know what I am talking about."
Arthur glared at him.
The young warlock seethed.
"This is why you have been so quiet and brooding isn't it, because it wasn't so much that your father lied to you, or that he got your mother killed, it was that you wanted to do exactly what he did, and you didn't know if you could."
"You don't know a thing Merlin; you don't know what I was thinking." Arthur stated coldly.
"I know that there isn't anything on this earth you and Gwen wouldn't do each other." Merlin hissed.
Arthur narrowed his eyes and seethed but said nothing.
Merlin, his usually bumbling and idiotic manservant, knew the truth.
Arthur had feared that he would figure it out.
"You followed me." Arthur stated firmly.
"Of course I did!" Merlin cried, "I knew that something was wrong with you ever since you found out about how you were born of magic."
Arthur stiffened.
Merlin continued to yell at him, his eyes were wide and angry.
There was a disappointment and worry there that stabbed at Arthur like the guilt he was feeling over lying to his wife.
Merlin shouted at him without a break.
"All of your questions to Gaius, they were wrong, you wanted to know about how it had happened rather than why, you didn't really ask why your father lied, or even more about how it turned him into a tyrant you just asked about whether it would be possible for a ceremony or ritual or whatever you want to call it, like that, could happen again!"
Merlin slammed his hands down at his sides and balled them into fists.
"I am your friend!" He shouted at Arthur, "Do you not think that Gwen, Gaius and I would think that something was wrong with you…"
"You cannot tell Guinevere." Arthur stepped forwards.
There was a frightened anger in his eyes that disturbed Merlin more than anything else about him.
Merlin narrowed his eyes and shook his head bitterly, "Arthur she needs to know what you are planning, she can talk sense…"
He made to walk past the king.
He had half opened the door when Arthurs hand slammed against it.
His palm crashed the door closed firmly.
Merlin's hand fell away from the wood and he stared at the king.
Arthur's eyes burned in the dawned darkness in the room.
"Merlin she cannot know."
"Why not?" Merlin cried, "Because you are afraid that she might be the one person who is going to change your mind?"
"Nothing will change my mind." The king gritted his teeth.
"Arthur surely you can see that this is madness!" Merlin cried.
"If I die in battle, with no hope of being brought back from the dead again, there will be no one to succeed me." Arthur snarled.
Merlins eyes were wide and disbelieving.
"Arthur magic brought you back from the dead, Gwen went through so much to prove her love for you, and now you are just going to throw all of it away so she can have a baby…"
"It will be an heir, a part of me." Arthur stated.
Merlin wondered whether he was speaking to him or talking to convince himself.
The young warlock pressed on.
"Arthur no!" He cried, "In time you shall have children but not this way…"
"You cannot know that." Arthur straightened, "Eveline has agreed to help me and she sees the future, not you…"
"You are using magic when it is outlawed!" Merlin shouted.
"Then perhaps it is time that that changed!" Arthur bellowed at him.
That made Merlin fall silent.
"If having a child through magic, if being brought back from the dead by my wife's love through magic does not show that magic can be good then what can?" Arthur cried, "If this works… my mind will have been opened to things that I doubt you would even understand."
Tears burned in Merlin's eyes.
He swallowed.
"But I thought that you said you would not legalise magic until you had someone to show you that magic can be completely good… someone you trust completely, at your side?"
Arthur stared at him.
His voice was low and rough.
"You won't change my mind Merlin."
Merlin shook his head slightly, his eyes wide in angry disbelief.
"She will ever forgive you." He murmured.
Arthur swallowed and straightened.
"Gather the horses and fetch some supplies, I meet Eveline…"
"I know. I heard, remember?" Merlin stated.
Arthur narrowed his eyes and opened the door.
He was half way out when he turned back to Merlin.
"Do not breathe a word of it to anyone, especially Guinevere."
Merlin straightened, "And if I do not?"
Arthur glared at him.
"I am doing it for her, no matter what you think."
Merlin swallowed, "If you were doing it for her you would tell her."
Arthur said nothing.
"My mind is made up."
He turned from the room.
The door slammed behind him.
Merlin felt his world spin and crash apart.
A/N - MERLIN CREDIT THEME – nah nah….. so this is the start of episode 2 ! Woo! Please read and review!
