Happy Monday everyone! I rewatched the Gates of Avalon last night. It's kind of disturbing how casually Merlin kills, isn't it? Anyway, I hope you enjoy this week's chapter. It's the last for this 'episode'. If you enjoyed it, please let me know. I want to know what is working and what isn't. I don't want to write something bad.

Also, the next episode involves me having some fun with multiple universes. Either Merlin or Arthur is going to find himself in an alternate universe... or well the universe in which the show actually takes place. If you have a request for which episode it should be (and whether it should be Merlin or Arthur), please drop a review and let me know.
ENJOY!


Chapter 7- Debts

Merlin wasn't surprised that they'd been double-crossed. Robin Goodfellow might have been a young faerie, but he was still a faerie. A real puck one might say. It was only natural that he had manipulated his words carefully enough to drive them in a corner. He'd said he wouldn't ask them to do anything; instead he ordered them to do it. Merlin and Arthur owed him a debt. Actually, (and it worried Merlin to realize it), Arthur owed Robin a life-debt. It had been Robin who'd told Arthur he had to use magic to survive in the Otherworld. Without him, Arthur would have died. Arthur owed Robin a life-debt, and Merlin was bound to Arthur, so that meant Merlin owed Robin a life-debt as well. By all the rules of magic, rules Merlin suspected held extra weight in the Otherworld, they had to do what Robin told them to.

Yet Merlin was not quite comfortable storming into the manor that lay at the end of the path and slaughtering those who lived there. He tried to reason that they had kidnapped Lord Derlek and abandoned Oberon, but it still felt wrong to march into someone's home and kill them.

"No," Arthur told the faerie, looking brave despite Robin having just turned his sword into a reptile. "I am the Prince of Camelot. I will not do your bidding."

Robin pouted, like the child he was, but the mischievous grin in his eyes didn't fizzle. Instead he snapped his fingers, and Arthur began clawing at his throat. Merlin rushed over, trying to send his magic into Arthur, but it didn't seem to work. The Prince clawed and clawed at his throat, his face turning distinctly blue. When he fell to the ground, his eyes falling shut, Merlin's magic reacted to the threat. He did not really think about what he was doing, he just turned to Robin, his eyes flashing a deep shade of gold. The faerie went flying backwards, hitting a tree with a thud.

Arthur inhaled deeply, and then proceeded to cough. He was breathing again, which was all Merlin really cared about. He turned to Robin, and found the boy faerie standing up. He was smiling, which was more than a little disconcerting, but unlike before the smile was on his face, and not in his eyes. He did not seem able to push away the sheer terror that was in his eyes.

It made Merlin feel a little sick. The mischievous faerie had attacked Arthur, but he still looked like a child. He probably was a child, by faerie standards, whatever those were. It just felt wrong to attack him, to fight him. Besides, Merlin didn't like anyone looking at him with fear, especially because of his magic. Robin was looking at Merlin the way Merlin might look at a monster. That was not a pleasing situation to be in.

Yet Merlin tried to regain his senses, and stood up straighter, "I could have killed you, but I spared you. Our debts are even. Leave us, and don't look back."

Robin took a step closer, but under Merlin's stern gaze, he backed up again. Now the boy-faerie grinned, throwing his hands in the air, "Oh it was worth a try, wasn't it? I didn't mean any offense, Emrys, it was just a prank after all. No harm done, right?"

Merlin didn't answer. He did not feel have as brave or intimidating as he apparently looked, so he suspected that his silence would frighten the boy far more than anything he could think to say. It seemed to work, because Robin let out a stilted laugh. "Yeah, no harm done. Anyways, it wasn't like I was trying to order you to kill them. That would be absurd. I would never think I could order around Emrys, you're, well you're far more famous than even I'll ever be. I was just stating a fact. You'll never get your baby Lord back if you don't kill those who took him. And kidnapping a lord results in a death sentence anyways, so I was just…"

Arthur had regained his strength enough to stand up and stare down the faerie. His voice held no trace or emotion when he told the kid, "Leave."

A resounding -pop- cracked through the air, and Robin was nowhere to be seen. A shiver crawled down Merlin's spine, but he smiled at Arthur. "Well, that went well, right?"

"That was very nearly a disaster, Merlin. It's a good thing your impressive lack of control is intimidating. If they knew what a blundering idiot you were, they would not be so quick to run."

For once Arthur was actually right. Merlin certainly hadn't been trying to attack Robin. It hadn't even crossed his mind to do so. His magic just seemed to be bound to Arthur somehow. Whenever the Prince was in danger, it reacted, whether Merlin wanted to or not.

(Momentarily, Merlin wondered what would happen if Arthur was in danger from him. If he wanted to hurt Arthur, could he? He could throw a punch at the Prat, Merlin knew that, but he had never tried to use his magic on Arthur. He didn't know if it would work. Ever since Arthur had begun pulling on Merlin's own magic for use in his spells, the destined bond between them had seemed to develop in something beyond Merlin's comprehension. It seemed very likely to him that he could never use his magic to hurt Arthur. Though that begged a further question of whether Arthur could pull on Merlin's own magic to use in a spell against Merlin. That was not a question Merlin ever wanted to discover the answer to.)

Merlin was roused from his thoughts as Arthur began walking away. Merlin followed after him, aware that Arthur was walking towards the manor to which Lord Derek had supposedly been taken, without actually stopping to discuss what they were doing. "Arthur, they're not exactly going to just give us the baby back. Robin is probably right and we're going to have to fight them, maybe kill them. I'm not even sure if it's possible to kill a faerie! Perhaps we should make a plan before charging in, especially now that we know Derlek is a warlock. He's probably better off among faeries than with parents who'd kill him!"

Arthur did not stop. He continued to march forward, forcing Merlin to continue chasing after him. Arthur did, however, at least give Merlin a reply, "Warlock or not, I don't like these stupid faeries, and I am not leaving a noble child among them."

"Would you leave a common child with them?"

Arthur did stop this time. He stopped so he could turn and look at Merlin, so that his servant saw the full extent of his glare. "What does that mean?"

Merlin shrugged. A part of him always felt uncomfortable confronting the Prince, and yet he never seemed to mince words with Arthur. "Well faeries take changelings all the time. Most of the time they take poor, common children, leaving mothers with faeries that either die in a world without magic, or terrorize their parents and village. There is a legend in Ealdor of a changeling child years ago whose magic turned the fields to ash. Half the village starved before a mob took it upon themselves to burn the faerie. It's terrible, and it happens all the time to common families. You've never concerned yourself with it before. You only care now because it's a lord that has been taken."

"That's not true. If any peasant came to us with such concerns I would respond the same way. I have great respect for the people. They're not all as dumb as you are, Merlin," Arthur answered, perhaps too quickly. His back seemed tight, and his eyes did not quite meet Merlin's.

Merlin sighed. It wasn't fair for him to expect Arthur to look at peasants and lords the same. They weren't the same. There were only a thousand noble families of the two million people in Albion. For every Lord Derlek, there were thousands of peasant children. A baron was a minor lord, but still infinitely more valuable than a peasant, at least in the world they lived in.

"We still need to decide what we do once we find him. Do we kill to retrieve him? Do we return him to the parents who'd kill him?" Merlin sighed. He did not want them to follow their usual plan of improvisation. So far that plan was not serving them very well.

"We do what we must to rescue Lord Derlek, and then, if he truly is a warlock, we shall send him to live with the druids. I do not trust faeries, Merlin."

Merlin didn't trust them either, but he didn't trust magic-hating lords either. The Baron and Baroness had both wanted to be rid of Oberon, but neither of them had spoken of having their true son returned to them. If they were such neglectful parents without knowing of their son's magic, Merlin did not trust them once they realized just what he could do. Giving him to the druids, however, seemed to be a good plan. Merlin didn't know much about the druids, but he knew they were probably the safest option of the three.

Prince Arthur Pendragon knew more about being a warrior than any other man in Albion. He'd been training to kill since birth, and he was good at it. There were times he feared that he even enjoyed it; it is hard to dislike something you are so talented at. Truly he was talented. There was no weapon he could not use. While the sword was his primary took, he was also well adept at the use of a bow, knife, or even a hammer. He also, of course, had basic proficiency with magic, the most dangerous weapon when well timed. Arthur was a knight. He was a prince. He was a warrior.

He knew that it is rare you approach battle silently. Silence and surprise can be powerful tools, but it's rare one is lucky enough to have them. The path from the woods towards the manor before them was too silent. The manor looked large enough to be considered a castle, and bold golden unicorns glistened out from long banners. Whoever lived there, whoever had taken the infant Lord Derlek, did not lack for wealth. It seemed even more unnatural, therefore, that they should approach silently. There should have been guards. They shouldn't have been able to walk right down an open path, right up to the front door, without facing any opposition. They did not even hear warning cries from behind the doors. The only sound before them was the crunching of pebbles beneath their feet as they walked down the long stone path.

Merlin, though not a warrior, seemed to have enough sense to know something was wrong. Arthur saw his servant look over to him, distrust bright in his eyes. Arthur distrusted the situation as well. It was simply unnatural. His hand went to his sword… and then Arthur realized his foolishness. Robin had turned his sword into a snake.

Arthur cursed, trying to think quickly. They were literally at their enemy's doorstep, and Arthur had forgotten to bring a weapon. He was a warrior, a great warrior, and, it seemed, a complete idiot.

"Merlin," he hissed. "Can you possibly summon me a sword?" As much as Arthur was loath to admit it, Merlin was a far more powerful sorcerer than he could ever be. He certainly did not know how to magically make a sword appear, but it would not have surprised him if Merlin did.

Merlin, however, looked at Arthur as if he'd just suggested he stop time. (Though, actually, Merlin did that all the time). "Magic doesn't work like that. I can't just make something appear out of thin air!"

"SHHHH", Arthur muttered, though, actually, his shushing was louder than Merlin. He stopped for a second, thinking. Then he pulled a knife out from beneath his coat. It was a simple little thing, used primarily when hunting, but he'd always kept it on him. Arthur had been ten the first time he'd had to defend himself against an assassin. Since then, he'd always ensured he had a number of weapons on his person.

"Maybe… maybe you could make this knife grow to the size of a sword? You're changing one thing into another, just as Robin did to my sword."

Merlin still looked incredulous, but he seemed willing to at least attempt it. He took the knife from Arthur, turning it over in his hand. He did not say anything, but Arthur saw his eyes flash a deep gold. (He noticed, also, that Merlin's eyes seemed a deeper gold here in the Otherworld than they ever seemed to be in Camelot. They were so gold it was frightening.)

The knife began to grow, lengthening, and lengthening, until it was longer than the arm Merlin held it in. It did not end up looking like a sword, simply an oversized knife. Still, Arthur accepted the weapon, feeling its weight. It was not perfect, but it would do. It was certainly better than entering the fight unarmed.

Though, Arthur was not sure quite what fight they would face considering he pushed on the door and found it completely unlocked. The distrust for the situation that had begun to grow within Arthur found itself fortified. Something was amiss in this place. Though Arthur knew that, with regards to faeries, he did not quite know if anything could be considered normal.

Arthur, sword held high, stepped into the manor, and began to look around. Its innards were as delectably decorated as it was on the outside. Carefully woven tapestries of bright purples and reds hung upon the stone walls. Beautiful paintings bordered by golden frames rested besides them. The place was clean as well, the true sign of nobility, with hardly a speck of dust on the white tile floors. Arthur had seen palaces more poorly furnished. It worried him some, actually, that the faeries who'd taken Lord Derlek seemed to be nobility in their own realm. It was far more dangerous to fight nobility than a commoner, for they had people to protect them, and people to avenge them.

Though Arthur was left wondering where the people who were to protect them had gone.

Arthur moved deeper into the house. Merlin followed silently behind, and together they looked for any signs of Lord Derlek or his kidnappers. Once, and just once, Arthur caught in the corner of his eye the edge of a ragged cloak turning around a corner. When he turned to get a proper look at the servant, however, he found nothing and no one there. He was not even confident enough that he'd seen anything at all to mention it to Merlin, and certainly not to look for whoever it was.

Luckily, most castles are arranged in a similar fashion, and in his lifetime, Arthur had been to a number of castles. The only thing truly unfamiliar about the place was the lack of people. An estate this large should have been manned by almost a hundred guards and servants, and yet they saw no one. It made Arthur more frightened than if he'd seen a hundred soldiers through whom he had to fight to retrieve Lord Derlek.

Finally, Arthur heard voices. He held up his hand, stopping Merlin behind him, and listened. He could not make out any clear words, but he did hear the sound of a wailing baby. Beyond being their only clue it seemed like the best one, and Arthur burst into the room where he heard the noise coming from.

They seemed to have entered someone's chambers, for in the center of the large room was a delicately made bed, and besides that a tall crib. Within the crib lay a bawling infant, and on the other side of the room a tall man and a beautiful woman sat across a table from each other. Each had full plates before them, and they looked up startled, then horrified, when they saw Merlin and Arthur.

"Who…. Who… GUARDS! GUARDS!" The man cried out, and Arthur only raised an eyebrow. He did not know whether he felt better or worse knowing that there really were supposed to be guards, and they simply had not been at their posts.

"Sorry mate, but you're on your own," Merlin quipped, and Arthur couldn't resist the scowl that spread across his face. Didn't Merlin know anything about tact?

Clearly not. "I mean it. There isn't a single guard in this place coming to your rescue."

Arthur spoke up, fearing Merlin, in his foolishness, would never get to the real point. "What Merlin means to say is that you had best let us take Lord Derlek without a fight. Once we've returned with him to Camelot, your real son will be returned to you. He seems like a sweet kid, I suppose, and he is your son. It will be best for everyone this way."

Arthur did not expect the faerie lords to actually listen to his sage advice. No one, it seemed, ever did the wise thing. Instead the faerie lady's eyes turned red and Arthur saw a burst of fire coming at him.

Merlin rammed into Arthur, knocking the prince over. The fireball crashed harmlessly against the wall, though too close to the crib for Arthur's comfort. Once he regained his footing, the Prince ran over to the crib, grabbing the squealing baby. He did not know how to properly hold a baby, so he simply pulled it tight against his chest, using one arm to secure it, and the other arm to whole his sword high.

The faerie lady turned to Arthur once more, though she seemed hesitant to attack him while he held the baby. Instead of throwing another fireball at him, she came charging forward. Arthur swung the sword, a bit awkwardly, but well enough to throw the faerie back. She rebounded remarkably fast, however, and when she came charging once more, muttering words in the Old Tongue, Arthur was simply a warrior. He swung his sword hard at the clearest target.

Duel thuds resounded at once as the lady's head and body fell a few feet away from each other. Lord Derlek continued to cry, louder now, if it was even possible, because he'd been splattered by blood. Arthur used his sleeve to wipe the blood from the baby's face, and then his own. He turned back to help Merlin, but it seemed the warlock needed no help. The faerie lord was nowhere to be seen, and Merlin was holding a long staph. Arthur did not want to know what you must do to someone to make it so there is not even a body.

A loud -pop- cracked through the room, and Arthur turned, ready to fight. He worried it was the guards who were supposed to be there, arriving just too late. Instead he found young Robin, bright-eyed and cheery, holding up the fat body of baby Oberon. Oberon looked upon the scene, blinking, "You killed my parents."

"Ah…" Arthur replied articulately. He didn't know what to say. He hadn't thought through the situation, not fully. He hadn't exactly expected to have to see Oberon again after killing the baby's family. Everything had just sort of happened very fast.

"Thank you!" Oberon then called out, clapping his hands together with wild excitement. "Thank you very much! Can you believe their nerve, making me a changeling? As if a human child would make a better Seelie King than me, their own son. It's a disgrace."

"Seelie King?" Merlin repeated, blue eyes going wide. Arthur suspected he looked equally as shocked. He couldn't help but look down at the faerie he'd killed… the faerie queen he'd just killed.

"Oh yes, my mother and father, the King and Queen of the Seelie Court. Terrible people, don't feel any regret. Everyone wanted them dead. Don't tell me you didn't find it suspicious that there were no guards. No one wanted to stop you. Everyone would have done it themselves, except they'd be banished for it. Speaking of which… I should have to banish you now. Before I do, I would just like to say that I am in your debts Arthur Pendragon and Merlin Ambrosius. Should you want my assistance, when you finally have the courage to stage a coup after your own father and king, I shall offer you the full support of the Seelie Court. Now, I Oberon, King of the Seelie Faeries, banish the Once and Future King and Emrys from the Otherworld for all of time. Never shall they pass through here again."

Arthur, truthfully, had nothing to say, but one way or another he was whisked away from the Otherworld before he could even form a sentence. One second, he was standing before Oberon, King Oberon, and the next he was back in Gaius's chambers, looking at Merlin.

"Did we… did we just assist a faerie coup?" Merlin finally stammered.

Arthur looked down. Baby Lord Derlek was in his arms still, and had finally stopped screaming. Instead he now was looking up at Arthur with interest. He reached for Arthur's nose, giggling as he did. Suddenly, the baby's eyes turned gold, just for a second, but long enough for Arthur's heart to sink. It seemed he really could not return him to his parents. With a heavy sigh, Arthur ordered, "We are never to discuss what happened there. Now come on. We need to get him to the druids."