Love for a Lionheart

Chapter 7: For You I Will

Author's Note: At some point, I use the phrase "two sides of the same coin", since it's an idiom, I don't think I stole that line from Merlin, but just in case, well, it's often used in "Merlin" to describe Arthur/Merlin. No copyright intended. (There's another Author's note at the end of the chapter)


"My lady? Lady Skyelynn!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, what were you saying?" Skye looked away from the window that looked beyond the citadel of Aidan and to the east, where Camelot would be after a two-day journey. The sleeping drought had been given two days ago, making it easy to look in a constant state of sadness and worry. Skye turned to face a maid who looked at her with concern written all over her face.

"My lady, the king asks of your health today. Are you feeling any better?"

"The days drag on," said Skye, "but I know things will be well eventually." She smiled gently at the maid. "If you could, will you pass on the information that I request an audience with him and Byron later tonight?"

"Yes my lady. I know the king will be very happy to see you come out of your chambers since your friends left without telling you."

"Yes, a change of scenery will be good for my spirit."

The maid curtsied to Skye before leaving her room. Once the doors to her chambers clicked shut, Skye heaved a sigh of relief. Sitting on her bed she reached over and knocked three times against her headboard.

"You know, I don't know how much more of this hiding under your bed I can take." Merlin pushed himself out from beneath Skye's bed and went behind her dressing wall to check on Arthur, Guinevere, Katherine, and Henry. They were once again fast asleep with a lower dosage of her sleeping potion. In the past two days, Merlin and Skye had periodically woken them up in order to feed them and gently wash them.

Skye smiled lightly as she played with the locket around her neck. Above the golden glowing locket was a second pendant, a pale pink flower with a pearl in the middle. Skye ran her finger around the ridges the petals created and sighed. Merlin came and silently sat beside her. "What if this all goes wrong," Skye asked gently, her voice shaking at the end. "What if you're discovered or you get in trouble, or worse?"

"Then we're going to hope that things won't go wrong." Merlin offered a quick smile as he met Skye's eyes. Pushing back her chestnut hair behind her ear he stood and walked back to the place where they hid the bodies of their friends.

"The sleeping drought for Katherine and Henry will wear off in time for tonight," Merlin confirmed.

"They will be very out of sorts for a while and very weak because of their lack of proper nourishment and movement. We cannot completely rely on them. If I could just—"

"No, whatever you're going to say, no you cannot do it."

"But—"

"No."

"Just a little—"

"Nothing."

"Merlin!"

"Skye!"

Skye let out a frustrated cry as she fell back on her bed, putting the back of her hand of her eyes. "We should have never left Camelot," murmured Skye. "Something's going to go horribly wrong. We don't have time to gather evidence, so we have no proof against Byron's use of magic and threat to Aidan. Without proof I doubt the king will believe me."

Merlin lied back on Skye's bed as well, folding his hand across his stomach. He stared up at the canopy in silence, occasionally glancing at Skye who eventually uncovered her eyes. A couple silent moments passed as the two of them stared up at the draping golden and cream colored canopy.

"The king is pleased with you," said Merlin, turning to look at Skye. "Ever since the banquet, anyone could tell that he is very happy you're here to take your place with the Fells. We're just going to have to hope that his happiness in you will extend to the plan tonight."

"He has no reason to," said Skye, craning her neck to stare back at Merlin. "Nicholas can be happy with me all he wants, but that doesn't mean he trusts me. He's putting all this faith in me and he doesn't know that tonight I'm going to destroy that faith because of the plan."

"There's no other way, Skye."

"I know. I'm sure we thought of a million different plans, and this is the least harmful if things go right, I just, I just don't want to hurt people anymore."

Merlin unclasped his hands and took Skye's bringing it to his lips, kissing her knuckles gently. Merlin knew the feeling, but he learned the hard way that in order to make things turn out right, someone was going to get hurt in one way or another. "Everything will turn out right, I promise," Merlin reassured. "Just stick to the plan."

A loud, insistent banging on the door caused both Merlin and Skye to jump to their feet in panic. "Get behind the dressing wall, and be as quiet as possible," Skye whispered as she quickly went to sit at her vanity and brush out her long hair as if she had been there since her maid left.

"Come in," she called, once Merlin disappeared behind the folding wall where the bodies of their friends were.

The doors to her chamber flew open as Byron stormed into the room in his arrogant and loud manner. Skye concentrated on her reflection, willing her hand around her brush to stop shaking. Squaring her shoulders, she prepare for the worst. "What can I do for you, Byron?"

"Your friends left Camelot two days ago," said Byron. "Why is it, there is no trace of them anywhere in the forests and they left without a word for you?"

"I cannot control what Prince Arthur does," Skye answered evenly. "I may have arrived with them, but aside from Guinevere and Merlin I was not friends with the prince. He only brought me here."

"Oh, is that so?" Byron quickly reached out and quickly seized Skye's wrist, painfully pulling her to her feet. Skye released a gasp of pain at the rough treatment while her brush clattered to the floor. Later, there would be a ring of bruising in the pattern of his fingers on her tanned skin. "Why don't I believe you?" Byron stood to his full height, hoping to intimidate the girl.

"B-Because you are paranoid," Skye shot back with venom.

From behind the folding wall, Merlin pressed a hand over his mouth to quiet his ragged breathing He wanted more than anything to put Byron in his place, but he couldn't blow his cover. Instead he mentally commended Skye for her bravery against Byron.

Byron's gray eyes blazed with anger. "You will pay for your insolence," he hissed, gripping Skye's wrist tighter. Skye winced; sure that Byron would break her wrist. "Until then," Byron continued. "I believe your friends are still in Aidan. I will find every last one and you will watch as I put them to death. For now," Byron threw Skye's wrist away from him. "You should have a maid help you before supper. You may be the new crown-princess for now but you still look every bit like a commoner." With a final glare, Byron stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Skye, are you alright," Merlin quickly bolted out from behind the dressing wall and gingerly inspected Skye's wrist.

"Ow," she whimpered when he carefully touched the small round bone on her wrist.

"Sorry," Merlin replied with an apologetic smile. "It's not broken, but you will have a nasty bruise within the hour and it will be sore for much longer than that."

"Good." Skye carefully cradled her wrist close to her chest. "We now have evidence against Byron. It's small, but it's something to show King Nicholas."

"I suppose you're right," Merlin agreed darkly. He'd rather Skye not be injured, but she did have a point. Either way, he made a mental vow that Byron would get what he deserved sooner or later.

"For now," Skye said, throwing her hair behind her shoulder as she picked up a vial from her vanity. "We need to wake Katherine and Henry up." She handed the small bottle to Merlin. "Smelling salts," she explained.

Merlin pocketed the bottle and walked over to the sleeping bodies of their friends. Carefully he lifted Katherine to a chair by the table that Skye had moved and proceeded to do the same for Henry. Merlin uncorked the bottle of smelling salts, carefully taking a whiff of his own. He quickly coughed, choking on the very revitalizing but absolutely disgusting smell.

Skye raised a bemused eyebrow at him as she looked up from her job of pouring two cups of water and slicing hunks of bread for Katherine and Henry. "What did you do that for, you're already awake!"

"I don't know, I, what is that stuff," asked Merlin, shaking his head, trying to rid his nose from the smell.

"It's a secret. It's the only thing that can revive a person from this particular sleeping potion they're under," Skye replied, fighting back a smile as Merlin waved the smelling salts underneath Katherine's and Henry's noses. Soon, both Henry and Katherine were awakened with a start.

"What happened, Skyelynn…you poisoned us!" Katherine fixed fiery blue eyes on Skye as she desperately tried to wipe at her nose, as if the smell was on her skin. "You betrayed us," her eyes shot to Merlin. "Why is he awake? Of all the people you keep an idiot servant awake?"

"Katherine please keep your voice down," Skye urged, pressing a finger to her lips. "Here, bread and water. It's been two days since you were drugged." Skye held out water to Katherine and Henry, neither would take it.

"It's not poisoned," Skye promised, sipping from both cups. "You need your strength back. I'm sorry I had to betray you, but I planned on betraying Merlin too, he just pretended to drink because he saw me slip the drugs into your glasses. I wanted to keep you all safe and take down Byron by myself, but I'm grateful Merlin has been awake. He's been nothing but help to me." Skye smiled quickly at Merlin before looking back to Katherine.

Katherine knew the look that Skye and Merlin briefly shared. It was one that Skye's parents, Rodric and Amelia used to share as they tried to avert the consequences of the trouble they got into. "You are so much like your mother," Katherine sighed accepting the cup of water offered to her. "It's okay to drink, Henry," she told her son who still seemed dazed. He shyly took the piece of bread that was placed next to him, not wanting everyone to know how ravenous he was.

"What is this great plan the two of you came up with," asked Katherine, daintily wiping water from her lips. Skye couldn't help but smile. Despite living in the forest that bordered Camelot and Aidan, Katherine still managed to possess her royal grace, something she passed on to Henry who had never had the royal life.

"Well it involves you taking Henry and Merlin to a location near the room where Nicholas conducts most of his business. I will be dining with him and Byron tonight. Wherever you take them, they must be able to see the entire room clearly and they must not be seen. Do you know anywhere like that?"

"Yes, of course."

Merlin had walked to Skye's bureau where she hid Henry's bow and arrows and returned, handing them to Henry. "You think you'll be strong enough to shoot wherever I tell you to shoot," asked Merlin.

"Of course," replied Henry, taking his weapons. "I almost never miss my target."

"Perfect."

Skye smiled at her cousin and Merlin before looking back to Katherine who waited expectantly. "Okay, here's the plan to take down Byron…"

***/***

"Ah, Skyelynn, there you are," King Nicholas greeted kindly as he stood from the head of the table with Byron following suit.

Skyelynn had been summoned from her chambers by two knights who escorted her to the dining hall. After telling Katherine and Henry the plan, Katherine helped Skyelynn get ready for dinner while Merlin and Henry were strictly instructed to face a wall long enough for Katherine to help Skye into a shimmering ivory gown. Katherine had expertly twisted Skye's long hair into a series of small braids that crowned her head while leaving the rest of her locks hanging down her back. Upon inspection in the mirror, and the widening of Merlin's eyes that told her all she needed to know, she knew she looked every bit the crown-princess of Aidan. With the dagger Merlin had given her strapped to her arm beneath her sleeve and her necklace exposed instead of hiding in her bodice and glowing proudly she felt a surge of confidence.

"Thank you for receiving me for dinner, my lord," said Skye with a curtsy. She also gave a quick curtsy to Byron as well. "I'm sorry for my behavior the past couple of days, my lord, but Camelot was the only home I knew and it is a bit difficult transitioning."

"I understand, my dear," Nicholas said as they all took their seats. "I hope that in time you will be able to see Aidan as your home."

"I'm sure I will," Skye said with a smile. So far, so good, she hadn't said a lie yet. She thanked a servant as a goblet of cider was poured for her and mouth-watering food was placed in front of her.

"It seems I cannot find the guests from Camelot, my lord," Byron said to Nicholas who took a bite of his food.

"Why do they concern you so much, Byron," asked the king, raising an eyebrow. "If Skyelynn said they left, then they are gone. I will forgive Arthur his rudeness, I'm sure he will be more mature as a king."

"Yes, why are you so concerned," asked Skye. "You sound like a man with means to hunt these people like animals."

"Something like that," Byron said with a dark chuckle.

"Skyelynn, that is a curious pendant around your neck," Nicholas said, squinting at the glowing locket.

"Oh, the flower, that's a pearl in the middle, clever, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is, but I was talking about the golden one beneath it. It seems to be glowing."

"Oh, that," Skye ran a finger around it and smiled. "It was an heirloom from my mother. She told me that it would glow when magic is present. Odd too, because it hasn't glowed until recently." Skye glanced up, noticing Byron turn a few shades paler as he struggled to compose himself.

"When magic is present? Well then it must be something else because there's no one that possesses sorcery within the castle," promised Nicholas.

"Then someone in this room must not be who they seem to be," said Skye with a laugh, taking a sip from her goblet, allowing her sleeve fall back to expose angry black and blue marks on her wrist.

"Heavens, child, what has happened to you," Nicholas exclaimed, reaching for Skye's right hand. Skye winced, the pain still tender around her wrist, it brought tears to her eyes.

"Nothing my lord, nothing…"

"Skyelynn, they are in the shape of fingerprints, do not dare lie to me," the king said dangerously. "Who has harmed you?"

"My lord," Skye took a shuddering breath, wiping the tear stains from her cheeks. "from the moment I stepped into Aidan, my life has been threatened because you wished to give me the crown. Someone opposes me."

"Who opposes my judgment," thundered Nicholas. "I will have them punished at once!"

"My lord, I cannot say…"

Byron cleared his throat, his gray eyes looking for an exit in the room.

"Yes you can, my dear. Now tell me!"

"The one who threatens me is in this room. Also, I have lied to you, my lord. Those from Camelot are still within the castle, they are hiding in my room because they were also threatened. I could not let them leave knowing that they would be attacked once outside the citadel."

"You mean…" Nicholas turned slowly to Byron before speaking in a dark voice, "Is what she says true, Byron?"

"Of course not, your majesty, the girl lies! She has been nothing but trouble since she arrived, and I have been nothing but loyal to you!"

"Then why would you threaten Camelot and me when you found out the crown would be taken back by the Fell family where it belongs?" Skye rose to her feet and stared down at Byron. His face turned red with anger as he then rose too.

"How dare you use that voice with me as though I were a servant you bi—"

At that moment, an arrow flew from seemingly out of nowhere, aimed directly at Byron. Byron spotted it and was able to jump out of the way in the nick of time.

From their hiding place, Merlin clapped Henry on the back in gratitude before his blue eyes lit with golden flames. The chandelier above the dinner table then started to come crashing down.

"My lord, look out!" Skye grabbed Nicholas by the arm and pulled him to safety, just as Byron had no choice but to use magic to push the chandelier away before it crashed on him. Nicholas stared on in astonishment mixed with rage as Skye closed her eyes with relief. The plan had worked. They had planned on getting Byron to use magic in front of Nicholas.

"Did you just use magic," raged the king. "Did you make that chandelier fall as an attempt on my life and the life of Skyelynn?"

"My lord, no," said Byron, but he knew he could not prove it.

"And where did that blasted arrow come from?"

Henry looked up at Merlin who was only a few inches taller than him. Merlin nodded, and both stepped out from a hidden room.

"It was I, your majesty," said Henry with a bow.

"Rodric?" Nicholas's eyes widened as he stared at the boy who looked so much like a young Rodric.

"No, his name is Henry." From behind the shadows, Katherine stepped out wielding a sword. "He is my son."

"Katherine? You're still alive?"

"Yes, my lord," said Katherine, lowering her sword. "I fled Aidan all those years ago when the McIntosh grew too powerful. I was afraid because Rodric had left. I was a coward, but now, I am not."

"Enough!" Byron held out his hand and his eyes shone with the flames of a sorcerer as the sword seemed to fly from Katherine's hands aimed directly at Skye who quickly unsheathed her hidden dagger, but she was not fast enough. Using his other hand, Byron used his magic to separate Skye from Nicholas; he pushed her up against a pillar. Skye's head hit the stone pillar with a crack as she blacked out, the dagger falling from her hands. Byron smiled as the sword was aimed directly at her heart.

"NO," Merlin shouted, just as Henry took aim. His arrow flew from his bow faster than it had ever gone. Merlin's eyes shone with flames once more and the arrow pierced Byron's neck, killing him, and stopping the sword from piercing Skye. Instead, there was a small wound from the tip of the blade on Skye's chest that would forever leave a small scar. Merlin quickly rushed to Skye's side.

"Henry!" Katherine ran to her son who was wide eyed.

"I wasn't aiming to kill, I swear it mother. I swear it! I aimed for his shoulder!"

"It's okay son, it's okay," Katherine said, wrapping her tall son in her arms.

"No, mother," said Henry, his hands shaking. He had never killed anyone before. Pushing out of his mother's hold, he dropped his bow and arrows and walked over to Nicholas who crouched down beside Merlin who cradled Skye in his arms.

"Will she be alright, boy," Nicholas asked, his voice thick with fear. His mind still whirled with what just occurred. Byron was dead, and now there was Skye who was still unconscious and Henry and Katherine to deal with.

Merlin gently touched the back of Skye's head. There was no blood, but there was a good sized bump that would make her unhappy when she came to. The wound on her chest was not too deep, but it would leave a scar. Merlin carefully touched the vein on Skye's neck like he in what felt like ages ago when he took her from the fire. Her heartbeat was steady. "She'll be fine, my lord," said Merlin grinning through his tears.

Nicholas looked at Merlin and the way he held Skye as though she were a precious treasure. His eyes softened for a moment at the obvious affection, but he took in Merlin's peasant clothes and realized that affection could be nothing more than puppy love. "What is your name, boy, and how do you know Skyelynn," Nicholas questioned gently.

"Merlin, sire" Merlin murmured carefully meeting the king with a steady gaze. "I am...I'm just a friend."

"My lord."

Nicholas stood as Henry called to him. The boy had walked over to the group and stood a few yards away. Nicholas walked over to the boy who brought back a flood of memories of the man who was the original crown-prince but had abandoned his duties.

Henry looked away from the king's eyes and fell to his knees. "I know the punishment for killing someone of noble ranking when I but a commoner. The punishment is death, and I take full blame for the murder of Byron, sire."

Merlin froze as he listened to the conversation take place behind him. Had he cost the boy his life?

"Rise, Henry," Nicholas finally said after a moment silence. Katherine kept her hand over her mouth as tears streamed from her cheeks. The boy rose and met the king's eyes with as much courage as possible even though all he wanted to do was run in fear.

"You did a very foolish thing, young Henry, given any other circumstance you would be put to death, but because of your bravery, you are pardoned. You are also a Fell, and I would expect nothing less."

Merlin breathed a sigh of relief as Katherine and Henry. He turned his attention to Skye once more and lifted her closer to him, pressing a kiss to her hairline. "You call me the lionheart," Merlin whispered, "but I think it's you who might be the bravest of us all."

***/***

Two days later, Merlin and Skye hid away in in a little alcove they found in the castle. The day for Skye to be named crown-princess had passed, but she did not receive the crown. Instead, she, Katherine, and Henry had been reinstated as nobility within the kingdom and there was a feast for their return. Arthur and Guinevere had been revived soon after the ordeal with Byron, and Merlin had been avoiding Arthur's wrath like the plague. Not because he was afraid of what the prat would do, but because he did not want anything to ruin the limited time he had with Skye. Since Skye had been revived, they had been inseparable except for when she had to retire to her own chambers at the early hours of the morning after exploring the castle and being in each other's company.

"Arthur is looking for you," Skye said softly, watching Merlin's long nimble fingers play with her locket and flower pendant, the glow peeking out from between the spaces of his fingers.

"I don't care," said Merlin, shaking his head, letting her necklace fall back to her throat. He looked at her with such sad eyes filled with unshed tears. "Come with me, Skye. We'll leave Camelot and Aidan. We'll go wherever went want. Just come with me."

"You know I can't," said Skye her eyes closing as tears finally fell. "You know I can't leave Aidan now, and you need to be with Arthur. You're the brain behind his brawn."

"I don't care," Merlin said sharply, even though deep down he knew it was a lie. "Skye…" Merlin pulled Skye close to him and gently kissed her lips one, two, three times. Neither of them dared to say "goodbye".

Skye smiled gently, "this isn't forever, Merlin. We'll find a way to be together for good. I can't go to Camelot now, but I'll be back. I promise."

"How long will that be though, days, weeks, months, years?"

"I don't know…" Skye touched Merlin's face gently, memorizing every little thing about him, the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed, the hue of his blue eyes, the thickness of his hair, the curve of his Adam's apple, the way he seemed to always be warm and smelled of mint and the simple boy smell.

"My Lionheart," Skye murmured affectionately.

"You're worth more than any kingdom," Merlin tried again, burying the guilt in his heart. Once upon a time there was a girl who he wanted to run away with, but he didn't. He wouldn't let Skye slip through his fingers, not again.

"Arthur needs you, I need you and I'll find you, but Arthur needs you more right now. You know, the two of you are like two sides of the same coin."

Merlin had heard that one before. "Then what are we," he asked.

"You and me," Skye smiled gently as she thought for a moment. "We're a part of each other, kindred hearts." Skye reached behind her neck and undid her necklace, reaching for her flower pendant she slid it off before putting her necklace back on.

"I know it's feminine and girly, but take this." Skye took Merlin's hand and closed it around the small pendant. "I'll come back for it when I see you again." Merlin smiled lightly as he pocketed the treasure for safe keeping.

Merlin brought his hands together and closed his eyes for a moment. "Blostma," he murmured before opening his hands to reveal a bright red, fully blossomed rose and held it out for Skye.

"Beautiful," she murmured, taking the flower and gently running her fingers over the silky petals. Merlin's magic never ceased to amaze her, she had seen him do mundane and frightening things with his ability, and this rose reminded her of how beautiful magic was, no, how beautiful Merlin was.

"It will never die," Merlin informed. He pulled her into his arms once more, remembering the details of her. Skye was like a breeze on a hot summer day, smelling of wildflowers, soothing his soul.

"MERLIN!"

Skye and Merlin finally pulled apart at the sound of Arthur's voice, kissing each other one final time. Holding his hand steadily, they made their way to the entrance of the castle, where everyone waited for them. A few paces away, they let each other go and Merlin walked away of Skye before she followed, keeping up the appearance of royalty and servitude.

Nicholas, Katherine, and Henry stood at the bottom of the stairs with Arthur and Guinevere. Merlin quickly made his way to help Guinevere onto her horse. "Just making sure we had everything," said Merlin with a friendly smile. "Don't want to leave anything important behind."

"Did you forget you packed everything already, idiot," asked Arthur, rolling his eyes.

"Better safe than sorry!"

Biting her bottom lip, Skye took careful breaths as Merlin's words twisted her stomach. How easy it would be for her to run past all the guards, to jump on a horse with Merlin and never see anyone else again. Instead, she only stepped forward from the line the Fell family had formed to say goodbye to her Camelot friends.

"Thank you, my lord, for everything," said Skye with a curtsey to Arthur. He bowed in return.

"You are most welcome, Lady Skye," he responded. "Your kingdom will always be welcome at Camelot."

"And your kingdom here," said Nicholas from a few feet away. Arthur bowed to him, though he was grinning inside at the slight truce they had made.

Skye moved passed Arthur and over to Guinevere who stood by her horse. Taking the girl into her arms, they hugged for a long moment before breaking apart.

"Good luck," wished Guinevere, wiping a tear from her cheek.

"Same to you," Skye whispered, leaning closer in, "by the time I come back, I hope to see you and Arthur married." Guinevere simply laughed and shook her head. "Don't lose hope," Skye advised. "Also, please keep an eye on Merlin," said Skye with a smile. "Make sure Arthur doesn't kill him."

"As much as those two fight, Arthur would never kill him," Guinevere said with a laugh, "but I'll keep an eye on them."

Finally stepping back to where her family was, Skye watched as everyone mounted their horses and turned to leave. Merlin was the last in the group to turn his horse. Their eyes met for a moment and right away they could see that their eyes reflected each other's. There were tears shining for both of them as Merlin turned his horse away, trotting after Arthur. Merlin wiped at his eyes and responded to something Arthur had said, probably something about punishment for being late.

"Where did you get the flower," Katherine asked Skye, looking at the rose in her hand. "I've never seen anything quite as lovely in Aidan."

Gently touching the petals, Skye watched until she could see Merlin no longer. "It's from someone who I care very much about." Closing her brown eyes, a solitary tear fell from her eyelashes, splashing onto the rose. In her heart she promised that she would find a way back to Camelot. Back to Merlin where she belonged.


Author's note: This was one MONSTROUS chapter! Holy cow! Well, if everything seemed rushed in this chapter, it's because it kind of was. I wanted to Byron plot to end in this chapter as well as show Arthur, Gwen, and Merlin leaving Aidan. Also, I'm not the best at action scenes that are extremely fast-paced. I draw things out dramatically and romantically...haha

There are still more chapters left...I'm not sure how many, but there are! I can't wait to start where things pick up with Merlin and Skye! I'm just gonna say now, that the wiser and more mature Merlin is absolutely awesome and handsome! One thing I had to stop myself from doing in this chapter was writing "Colin" instead of "Merlin". Colin Morgan is now by far my favorite actor, and I have a slight celebrity crush on him. If you haven't seen his other work, go watch it! So good! All of it!

So, reviews/criticism is highly and actively encouraged!

Happy summer! See you in chapter 8! :D