Flyaway213: I Am The Catalyst doesn't feel like doing a lengthy disclaimer 'cuz its almost midnight she has church in the morning and she's a very grumpy tired person *shivers in fear* so I Am The Catalyst does not own "Merlin"

PS: this might be her last update for a while because she's having issues with her laptop charger grrr. She is not abandoning this story

Merlin & Arthur: eat pancakes

Flyaway213 *whacks them both upside the head*:why are you even here

Merlin & Arthur: See kids that's what happens when you don't eat pancakes

Flyaway213:*Shakes head and goes to sleep*

{IN THE THROME ROOM WITH ARTHUR}

Arthur whirled to face his father." How dare you insult my fiancé" He demanded shocked that his father would say such things about a lady. Uther's face paled and his fingers twitched his hand tightening into a fist. "Watch your tone Arthur." Uther cautioned his son. If Arthur did not silence himself Uther would do it for him.

However, Arthur persisted "I am talking to my father not my king" That was it Uther was tired of the disrespect. The sound of flesh hitting flesh obscured the sound of Merlin re-entering the room. Arthur looked up at his father in a state of shock unable to believe that his father had actually hit him. He sat on the ground holding his jaw with a dumb-founded look set upon his face. Uther on the other hand showed no sign of shock or shame in fact his hand was raised to strike his son again.

Forgetting her magic Merlin ran across the throne room and threw herself on top of Arthur's frozen body taking the blow as her own. Ygraine screamed as Merlin's head collided with the ground the silence in the room filled suddenly by a sharp crack. Balinor surged forward taking his daughter into his arms. The girls body went limp, her head lolling against her father's shoulder. Merlin had blood flowing steadily from a cut on her temple.

Uther stumbled backwards at what he had just done. "Ygraine" he chocked out. "Attend to the s… Merlin, attend to Merlin. I need to speak with Arthur and Balinor." The queen finally moved from where she was frozen on her throne. "Yes, my lord." She whispered motioning to a guard to take Merlin. Ygraine left the throne room with tears glistening in her eyes.

{WITH YGRAINE}

The guard trailing behind her had a solemn look in his eyes. "I am so sorry that you witnessed that my lady. I know your delicate countenance has been upset by this… event." Rolling her eyes Ygraine said what was expected of her in a quiet voice. "Yes" Ygraine lied "This has upset m. I had never seen such violent fury. I feared for my very life."

Rounding the corner the pair ran into Arthur's round table. Seeing Merlin in the guards arms they each forgot propriety and ran to her side. Lancelot ran his fingers over her jaw, lightly tracing the bruise there. "What happened," Demanded Percival pulling Merlin into his arms. Ygraine simply gazed at the knights for a long moment. "Sirs Percival, Gawain, Lancelot and Elyon please walk with me, I will tell you of today's...'Events'" she said throwing a scathing look at the baffled guard. "Sirs Leon and Galahad go and inquire it of Arthur. He is in the throne room with his father and King Balinor, hasten to his side." Sir Leon and Sir Galahad bowed and ran off in the direction of the throne room.

The larger group continued on with the guard lingering behind them unsure. When they reached Ygraine's chambers the guard was dismissed and the procession continued inside. "Set her down on the bed sir knight." Ygraine nodded at Percival. Percival moved with such grace for his size that Merlin was not jostled once. Placing he on the bed with her head on the pillows, Percival moved toward the other side of the room. The party sat in silence for a few immeasurable moments.

Gawain grew impatient as time ticked by and Merlin did not wake. "Lady Queen what happened?" Ygraine clasped her hands together under her chin. Taking deep breaths she moved to lock the door. The lock sounded with an echo of foreboding. "What" the queen began "do you know about Merlin" Elyon stood "I know everything." In a sudden flood of anger Ygraine took her had across his check. "How dare you! You could have spared this child so much pain at the hands of that devil." The others stood crying out with questions and protests.

Elyon simply shook his head "She is right" he mumbled as he sank to his knees. The knights quieted and listened as the queen began to speak "Merlin is no servant; she is a princess and Morganna kidnapped her. The woman told her that she found her eating her family's flesh. Merlin thought that she deserved the abuse that it was her penance because Sir Elyon decided to run to Camelot like a coward." Ygraine voice had risen into a shout by the end and Sir Elyon looked up at being called coward. "It was not like that my lady, swore to my father that I would not tell her until her sixteenth year. He asked it of me with his dying breath."

Ygraine threw him a scathing look unwilling to accept it "the dead cannot enforce and oath. Yours died with him. She was six, Sir Elyon, six; when she was taken from her home beaten into submission and forced into servitude. She was beaten, lied to and raped because you kept and oath to a dead man." Ygraine quieted to a whisper sinking into a chair.

"King Balinor and Queen Hunith (Lord rest her soul) had a little girl with an odd mark on her neck." Lancelot interrupted "Are you telling me that the girl lying on this bed is their missing daughter." Ygraine nodded and silence fell over the room.

After a while Ygraine sighed and continued "Balinor and I discovered this and set out to free her from the terror of Morganna something to help this debacle started. Uther tried to gift Merlin to Cenred as a peace offering and I objected claiming she was Arthur's we confirmed it and Balinor revealed that she was his daughter. Merlin regained her memory and had a small spat with Morganna. They each magic themselves away after arguing about witch craft and sorcery. Uther and Arthur started to Argue about Merlin and Uther struck Arthur and Merlin came back in unheard. She shielded Arthur with her body as Uther came to hit him again and her head bounced off the flagstone rendering her unconscious. The knights were in various states of anger, their faces in various shades of red. "He hit Merlin" They yelled in unison like and angry chorus