My internet died on me yesterday. In order to continue with this work of parodic beauty, I had to ring three male relatives (who were almost no help whatsoever) before getting the kind man who lives below me to help. Big love to him, and though he'll never know, this chapter is in honour of him.
Chapter 8. In which we learn the dangers of child care and in which Arthur battle internally with himself, concerning the common good.
We rejoin our favourite mythical city on what I imagine would be a Tuesday. We meet a man and his son as they wander through Camelot's market, harmlessly looking for food and spices.
Suddenly, angry soldiers spring out and ambush them. The man and his boy make for Camelot castle, for some daft reason. Don't they know it's the last place they want to go? A guard jumps off a rock and slashes at the small boy, who screams. What is Camelot coming to, we think? Attacking children and harmless looking men with beards?
Merlin hears his cry. His head's a bit like a radio for magical creatures in distress.
The man with a beard pushes the boy through the gates, and uses his magic (which appears to be the reason he's being pursued to close them after him. He is promptly surrounded by guards.
Uther's still king. It's only episode eight. This doesn't look good for that poor man.
*****
Merlin's having a nice day, strolling through the corridors of Camelot, when he hears a voice in his head calling for help.
Wandering out into the courtyard of the great castle, he spots a small boy crouched by a cart, looking quite inconspicuous and quite scared.
Seeing the guards appear, he decides he's going to do something.
They're searching for me, the child says through the means of head-speak.
Why? Merlin asks. Had the child a sense of irony or cynicism, he might reply that it might just have something to do with this fact that he can get into people's heads, but no.
They're going to kill me, he says, looking quite forlorn.
Merlin makes up his mind; he's going to help this child escape. However, in trying to discreetly smuggle him away, he attracts the attention of the guards and the two of them have to make a mad dash up some stairs.
"And I said-"
Merlin crashs into Morgana's chambers.
"Merlin," Morgana says, "have you forgotten how to knock?"
"No time," he pants. "They're looking for him."
There's some rabid knocking on the door, and grunts from the guards.
"If you don't help them, I'll cause a scene," Gwen warns.
"Behind there," Morgana tells them, pointing to a curtain. Merlin drags him back just in time for the child to collasp into his arms. "Hello there," she beams at the guards as she opens the door. "How can I help you on this fine morning?"
"We're looking for a druid boy."
"Well I haven't seen anyone. It's just me and my maid here," she says brightly. Gwen waves.
"I'd advise you stay in your rooms until we find him," they tell her.
"Okay," Morgana says, slamming the door on them. She throws back the curtain to find Merlin looking quite shocked and smothered in blood.
"Shit," he says. "He's bleeding." Morgana looks at Gwen.
"Sorry, I can only deal with broken bones and cuts from bottles." Morgana pulls her worried face, but let's not panic. I've seem from last week's trailer that she's basically the main character here. She'll have a cunning plan to sort them out.
Arthur, meanwhile, is trying to pacify his father in an attempt to get him to release the druid man. After all, he wasn't doing anything evil, magic-wise, he only wanted some food.
However, this is good old totalitarian Uther he is talking to. He's not going to get anywhere.
"Of course we need to execute him," the king says. "It'll make an example of his kind."
Oh dear, Arthur thinks. He's lapsing into 'mad with power' mode again.
"The druids are a peaceful people," he says gently.
"Given the chance, they would return. They preach peace but conspire against me."
Arthur gives him a look, which he ignores. Really, the prince thinks, there is nothing anyone can do to change his mind.
"Showing mercy is a sign of strength," he says.
"Our enemies would not see it that way."
How many enemies do we have thanks to your murdering and rampaging? Arthur thinks crossly. Sometimes, having a royal father is a pain in the arse.
"Find the boy," Uther says. "Search every inch of the city."
Sadly, they are going to execute the boy's father. Merlin and Morgana watch from her window as Uther condemns him.
"I'm sorry," Merlin says, "but I think he's a bastard."
"Don't be," the princess tells him. "I agree."
"We are still searching for his accomplice," Uther says. "Anyone found harbouring the boy will be charged with conspiracy and will be executed as a traitor."
Merlin and Morgana exchange glances.
"Are you sure you're still up for this?" he asks. "Because I can take him, and then if he's found, it'll just be me who gets blamed."
"I'm in it now," Morgana says. "I'm sure to be arrested for conspiracy any day now anyway," she shrugs. "Such is life."
"Let this serve as a lesson to your people," the king declares.
"You let your fear of magic turn to hate," the druid sighs. "I pity you."
Uther doesn't like pity. Evil megalomaniacs just don't. He orders 'off with his head' like he's some sort of bizarre Queen of Hearts.
Magic druid child in Morgana's room can sense his father death, screams, and breaks the mirror. He's an angry magical child now, and in Merlin's experience, angry magicians are the worst kind.
*****
Over dinner that night, Merlin tries to get some information on druids out of Gaius, but completely fails on the subtlety front.
"You haven't got yourself mixed up in all this, have you?" the physician groans. "Merlin, what have I told you about standing in horseshit that isn't yours?"
"I haven't done anything," Merlin says feebly.
"You're a terrible liar." The warlock blusters, then gives up.
"I heard him cry out to me, inside my head."
"Merlin!" Gaius yells. "Responding and assisting what is basically 'the voices in your head' is never, ever a good idea! Oh, just be careful," he says.
"I'm always careful," Merlin tells him cheerfully.
"Phst, whatever."
The good guards of Camelot are searching everywhere in their quest to find the missing druid boy. No cart is left unpoked, no barrel is left unturned. The shifty fellows of Camelot, Merlin included, are rather unnerved.
The warlock goes to visit Morgana again, to keep an eye on the boy.
"How is he?" he asks.
"He's very pale," she tells him. "I'm worried he might have lost a lot of blood."
"Doesn't look like that to me," Merlin assures her. After all, the bandage is quite clean, and she's not the supposed medical expert, he is.
"Has he said anything?" Merlin asks.
"Nothing. He won't even tell me his name."
"You know," the warlock says, smiling slightly. "There was a moment back then when I thought you were going to hand us over to the guards."
"I'm glad you've got so much faith in me Merlin," she says, pulling a face.
"I didn't mean it like that," he tells her. "I mean, you're the king's ward. You're not the type to live on the wild side like this."
"Merlin," she laughs. "I've got a anarchist working for me, and I'm trying to find a knight to elope with. Looking after magical children is a walk in the park. He," she nods to the boy, "is not about to start a military coup. I don't see what harm the boy's done. He's innocent of anything."
"Uther thinks the boy's got magic."
"That's not a crime," Morgana says. "Uther's wrong."
"You believe that?" Merlin asks, his heart soaring. Could it be that someone else in Camelot thinks that magic can be used for good?
"I don't believe that magic is something you choose," she says. "I think magic is something that chooses you. Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Lazy eye," he stammers wildly. Morgana just looks bemused.
"Why are you helping him?" she asks.
"It was a spur of the moment decision. I'm a spontaneous person." She looks vaguely unconvinced, so he decides to change the subject. "What do you think we should do with him?" he asks.
"We have to find a way to get him back to his people."
For all her clever words, Merlin thinks, she might as well be a crazed as Uther. It'll be bloody impossible to get a mysterious child out of Camelot without someone noticing. However, she's got sparkly eyes. How's Merlin supposed to resist that?
*****
That night at the royal dinner, Uther tries to grasp the skills of agony aunts, in an attempt to get to the bottom of what he thinks is bothering his ward.
Enter Arthur.
"Any news on the druid boy?" Uther asks.
"We have conducted extensive searches, but found nothing," the prince tells him.
"So you have failed then." Morgana pulls a face at this. She dislikes having to hear Uther put Arthur down like this. She thinks it to be terribly bad for his son's self esteme. There's still a part of her that thinks Arthur has a secret sensitive side.
"He could have left the city by now," Arthur offers as way of an explanation.
"Are you telling me that a wounded ten-year-old could manage to evade the city guards?"
"Have you not met the city guards?" Morgana mutters. She thinks Arthur might have heard her because he smiles slightly.
"Nonsense," the king continues. "Someone's hiding him. I want him found."
"Why?" the prince asks, coming over all defender-of-the-people-ish. "What harm can he do?"
"He's a druid and that makes him dangerous."
Morgana tells herself that this'll all be over soon and there'll be a new government in place before she knows it. She tells herself to ignore Uther's cruel magic hating.
"The druids would have you father's kingdom destroyed," she says mildly.
"I had no idea you were such an authority on druids," Arthur snaps at her.
"Morgana is right," Uther declares. "Double your efforts. Find the boy."
Arthur regards Morgana with some painful evils as he leaves, but it's all alright. Morgana forgives him. He won't have to be Uther's pawn for much longer.
The following morning, she summons Merlin to have a look at the boy. Like anxious parents, they crowch over him, worrying over the fact that he's burning up.
"What are we going to do?" Merlin asks.
"Don't ask me, I'm not the medicine man! We need to get Gaius."
"Gaius will hurt me."
"We can't move him until he's well again, and to get him well, we need Gaius," Morgana says.
"I'll treat him," Merlin says confidently.
"Do you even know how to treat an infected wound?"
"Not really," he admits, "but how hard can it be?"
Morgana's about to tell him this is a terrible idea when they hear footstep and there's a knock on the door. The two of them exchange glances before Morgana closes the curtain, leaving Merlin and the poorly druid kid shielded by nothing more than a drape of what looks like crushed velvet.
Through the crack in the curtain, Merlin spots Arthur making an entrance.
"Shit," he mutters, eyeing up the child next to him. "No funny business, alright?" he says. "No head muttering. Got that?"
"Don't get excited, this isn't a social call," Arthur remarks pompously.
"I wasn't. What do you want?"
"I have orders to search the castle," the prince says.
"You are not searching my chambers."
"I am searching everywhere."
Merlin notices the druid boy's shoes are still in the middle of the room. Quick as a flash, he magics them to trot over to him behind the curtain.
"I'll save you the trouble of wandering around my room eating all my food," Morgana says. "The druid boy's hiding behind the screen."
Merlin goes into cardiac arrest. It's all over, he thinks. She's dobbed me in. I'll be tortured and beheaded and eaten by angry crows. I didn't want it to end like this. I wanted to be glorious!
"Oh yeah like," Arthur snaps.
"I'm sure your father would love to know how you wasted your time rifling through my pants," she says smoothly. "Why don't you have look?"
"So you can have the satifaction of making me look like a fool?"
"You don't need help in doing that," she tells him, beaming.
"Oh, just go back to sewing, or whatever it is you do all day."
"Chauvanist wanker," she calls good-humouredly after his retreating back.
*****
Merlin finds out what he needs to do, and what he needs to mix together to do it. However, Gaius has had a bad day, and so wants to bore someone for an hour or three, and so traps him in the Head Quarters on the pretense of teaching him about science.
"Sorry," he tells Morgana as he arrives with a pot full of anti-inflamitory paste. "Once Gaius get talking about anatomy, there's no stopping him."
"You mean you've just been given the facts of life by some sleezy physician?" Merlin in an innocent. He has no idea what Morgana is talking about, so just decides to agree with her. The princess looks throughrally amused. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
"I'm doing my best," Merlin assures her.
"I'll get you some more water."
A note on the good women of Camelot:
They do seem to think that water can cure every ill known to man. Though I know little of science, I do know that as amazing as water is, they're wrong. It's no wonder there's such a high fatality rate in the city.
While Merlin is spooning his antiseptic stuff all over the druid boy's arm, the druid boy starts to talk in his head again. He calls Merlin 'Emrys,' because apartantly, that's what his people call Merlin.
Merlin's quite disconcerted. Have the druids been bitching about him?
"Speak to me!" he whispers.
"I don't know if he can't speak, or if he's just too scared to," Morgana sighs.
He can speak! Merlin thinks. I just heard him! He's inside my head!
Not knowing what to do, Merlin goes to see the giggling dragon. Though the dragon has never really made much sense in any other episode, he feels like today, it might. It just might.
"You silly twonk," the dragon says. "You've been fratinizing with the enemy."
"Are you talking about that child? Why does he call me Emrys?"
"Because that is your name," it says cleverly.
"My name is Merlin."
"You go by many names."
"Listen here, Dragon," Merlin says. "I'm not some sort of drag queen or a plant. I don't have a common name and a latin name and a stage name."
"You shouldn't be protecting this kid," the dragon says.
"Why not?" Merlin says. "He's got magic! We're the same!"
"You're like chalk and cheese," it says. "You shouldn't be protecting him."
"Why not?" Merlin asks, but it's too late. It's flown away.
Bloody tempremental reptiles, he thinks.
*****
Despite Merlin's best efforts, the boy gets worse.
"Let me care for him for a while," Gwen says to Morgana. "You've been up for days. Get some rest. You'll make yourself ill."
"Get me more water!" the princess says.
"The water en't going to help," Gwen tells her.
Morgana! The boy says in his mind-speak.
"Did you hear that?" Morgana asks, looking rather jumpy.
"No."
"He said my name!"
"Did he?" The maid shrugs. "I didn't hear anything." There's knock on the door, and Merlin appears.
"Tell her to get some rest," Gwen says through her teeth. "I do not want to put up with another night of pacing."
"We've got to get Gaius," Morgana says.
"Ah, well, you see-"
"You've got to get Gaius!" she snaps. "If he doesn't get treatment, he'll die! Please!" Not wanting to incure the wrath of a hysterical, incredibly tired royal, Merlin does as he is bidden.
Gwen starts to formulate a plan to drug her mistress.
On the other side of the castle, Gaius is having a little winge about having to spend double the amount of time out because of all the extra security.
"Morgana's hiding the druid boy in her chambers," Merlin says.
"Merlin, you silly stupid whore, why, why, why are doing this? This is too much stress for me in my old age."
"We're going to save him."
"You're crazy. Every guard in Camelot's looking for him. That might not sound like a terrible threat but sooner or later, someone's going to find him!"
"You're saying it's wrong to habor a young magician?"
"Merlin, don't use hypocrasy against me. I simply don't care anymore."
"I need your help," the warlock says. "We need someone to treat him. I've tried but I can't."
"So now you want me to risk my neck for you too?" Gaius says crossly. "Oh, what the hell. I can make it out of here before anyone'll even know the difference. Take me to him."
Thanking whatever divine enterty the good people of Camelot believe in for Gaius' tempremental attitude, he follows the physician away.
Gaius does treat the boy, Gwen avoids inadvertly poisoning her employer and Merlin gets his work slagged off. It's alright though; the boy'll live.
*****
"The guards are searching everywhere," Gwen says, fresh from her reconassience mission into Camelot.
"But there's a way out?" Morgana says.
"Is there hell. There's a secret door that leads down to the lower town. Em and I can take the boy out that way."
"No," the princess says. "It's too dangerous."
"Dangerous is my middle name, Morgs," the maid-come-anarchist smiles.
"No it isn't. It's Emily. I'll do it."
"I can do it," Merlin assures her. "I'm good with secret doors and things."
"If you get caught, Uther will execute you," Morgana tells him. "The boy is my responsibility. I'll take him."
"She'll need a key for the door, won't she?" Merlin says.
"Oh yes," Gwen grins.
"Who has the key?"
"Arthur. Don't worry, I have a plan," she says. "You're going to take advantage of his predatorial, carnal lust."
In the end, Merlin makes Arthur some soup, and promptly manages to convince the possible love of his life that he has some sort of affliction where he hears spontaneous jangling things.
However, he gets a set of soupy keys, and for the time being, that's just great.
Morgana, meanwhile, feels like having a little heart-to-heart with Gwen.
"I feel like I've put you in danger without ever stopping to ask how you felt about it," she says.
"It's quite alright. Usually it's me putting you in great amounts of danger, so fair does to you. It give me something to tell the old man about, you know," Gwen shrugs. "Also, it'll look good when we come to the elections. A story you can tell to rally support."
There's a knock on the door, and Merlin enters.
"We're going to get you home," Morgana tells the boy. "Nothing bad'll happen to you, I promise."
Merlin gives her the key, and Gwen wishes her luck.
"Remember, if you're caught, I can have you free in two hours."
"I'll be counting," Morgana mutters.
*****
And so Morgana, in her cunning disguise as Little Red Riding Hood, tries to evade the guards. It'll all going so well until some interferring servant tells the guards that someone with a small child was seen entering the armoury, and then Arthur has to get involved.
Morgana and boy make it down to Merlin and Gwen, before promptly starting an argument on who's going to take the boy.
"I'm the king's ward. I'll take my chances," she declares.
"You've got no stealth skills!" Gwen cries.
"I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to either of you," Morgana says. Gwen and Merlin exchange glances.
"That's a really bad idea to have in your head," he starts, but she's made up her mind. Morgana and boy make a run for it, leaving Merlin and Gwen pacing in the house.
"She's a silly, silly, nobled-up girl," Gwen snaps. "What's with all the bloody chivalry? Can't they just try and be wrong for once?"
Arthur's mob of angry soldiers spots them as they seek refuge in a forge, and the two of them are found out.
"Halt," Arthur says to the back of her head. "Show yourself."
"Arthur Pendragon," she mutters. "Always the daddy's boy, weren't you?"
"Morgs, why?" he asks himself.
"Let him go," she beseeches. "He's just a child."
Uther, Morgana, Uther, Morgana, Uther, Morgana? Arthur thinks.
"Seize them," he orders.
"Stupid twat," she says.
Uther isn't best pleased when he finds out.
"You were keeping the boy in the palace!" he says. "How could you betray me like that?"
"I would not see him executed."
"I have treated you like a daughter and this is how you repay me?"
"I did what I thought was right," she says. "Just because I'm the only person around here who actually does things in the public interest doesn't mean I should face damnation from you!"
"You conspire with my enemies again me?"
"At the rate you're going, I shan't be able to keep human contact because it'll constitute conspiring with your enemies!"
"The druids would have this kingdom returned to anarchy and magic, and you would help them!"
"Then execute me," she says, pulling her compassionate face. "But spare the boy."
"Make arrangements for the boy to be executed tomorrow," Uther tells the silent Arthur.
"You can't just kill everyone who comes near you, you crazed old git!" Morgana shrieks.
"Can't I, by God?!"
"No!"
Uther doesn't like this challenging to his authority. He whips around and clutches at the poor girl's throat.
"Don't speak to me in that tone!" he shouts. "And don't even come near me again until you're ready to apologise." He storms away with Arthur hot on his heels.
"Dickhead," she spits as Arthur passes. "Run away to daddy."
But up in her chambers, she reverts into Weepy!Morgana mode, much to the anguish of Gwen, who can't deal with upset Morgana and Merlin.
"You did your best," Merlin says.
"It wasn't enough though, was it?"
"He's in jail now. There's nothing more we can do."
"I will not let him die," Morgana declares. "Can I count on your help?" Merlin should say no. He should run away and not return. However, he doesn't, and once again, he's going to find himself embroiled in some hairbrained royal scheme to do what's just and right.
Arthur, meanwhile, is trying to pacisfy his father once again.
"Perhaps imprisonment is a more fitting solution," he suggests. "The boy is so young."
"No, I'm going to kill him."
"He hasn't actually done anything."
"I am still going to kill him. It's harsh but nessacary. I take no pleasure in killing him."
Why is it always me who has to pacisfy the mad man? Arthur thinks. Are all kings this bad or was I just really unlucky?
"Then spare him for Morgana's sake," the prince says.
"I will do no such thing!" Uther then proceeds to ramble at length about how he would be killing Morgana but for a promise he made to an old friend. Arthur starts to think to himself that maybe eloping with some peasant girl might not be such a terrible idea after all.
*****
Arthur promptly takes out his mild rage on Morgana, when he finds her in his room.
"Make yourself at home then," he growls.
"You can't let him die," she tells him sternly.
"You're lucky you're not going with him!" ol'princy snaps. "Are you telling me that that druid really was behind the curtain when I came to search your room?"
"You fell for it," she shrugs. "But that's not my point. I know you believe Uther's wrong to be doing this."
"What I believe is immaterial."
"No it isn't," Morgana says. "Everyone's opinion matters."
"Morgs, I tried. He's not backing down."
"The time for talking is over!" she exclaims. "We need action."
"Not everyone lives in Gwen's fairy world of democracy and free love. Some of us have to face facts. It's too late. I don't have a choice."
"Then this is how you will rule when you are king," Morgana says icily. She knows that by saying this, she's got him by the metaphorical balls and is squeezing hard. "You're not your father."
"I'm not going to betray him."
"Please," she says, putting on her weepy, damsel in distress face. "If not for the boy, then for me."
Outside, Camelot's one axe is being sharpened in preparation for tomorrow morning. Merlin doesn't like that one bit.
*****
Merlin skips into Arthur's chambers, only to find Arthur and Morgana deep in some sort of secret discussion.
"Sorry," the warlock says. "Not interrupting anything am I?"
"Nothing you need concern yourself with," Arthur tells him, adopting his aristocratic tone. "Go do something important like muck out my horses."
"I trust Merlin," Morgana tells him. Merlin looks quite heartbroken. He thinks he's interrupted some kind of secret lover's tryst. Arthur gives him a look, and then beckons him in.
"We're going to break the druid boy out of the dungeons," the prince says.
"You can't do that!" he exclaims.
"Uther's going to execute him at dawn," Morgana says. "We have to!"
Oh no, the warlock thinks. These two don't stand a chance in hell of being able to break anyone out of a dungeon. To break someone out of a dungeon, you need speed and stamina and stealth and an army of crazed young men. In effect, you need to be Gwen. Arthur and Morgana just like the romantic idea of breaking someone out of prison. Really, they're clueless.
And when Arthur comes up with the idea of getting Merlin to replace Morgana, in order that she might claim an alibi, the warlock feels like weeping. Here is a prince who has only ever seen the shiny side of the law. He doesn't know how proper law and order works. He's doomed.
"We're taking him out via an secret passage. It comes out just beyond the city walls. Be there with my horse and a grapling hook."
"No, listen-"
"Merlin," Arthur says, enchanting the warlock with his lovely, lovely eyes. "If you're not there to meet us, we'll surely be caught."
Damnit, Merlin thinks. He smells too nice to refuse.
So he goes to visit the dragon, to find out why he is supposed to leave a seven-year-old to die.
"You seek my council and yet you ignore it."
"Alright, now is not the time to get uppity with me," he tells it. "Why am I not supposed to help?"
"It's not your destiny."
"My destiny's supposed to be protect the wanker in red."
"Then you have your answer," the dragon says.
"Are you seriously telling me that little kid's going to kill Arthur?"
To save time and space, I shall just report that the dragon effectively says yes, and that this upsets Merlin.
He's still quite angst that evening, and over supper, he seeks Gaius' advice on what to do. Gaius is, of course, a bit useless.
"I say, do what'll get you the most money. Money isn't like love. It doesn't fade away like the sands on the shore."
Merlin puts the metaphor down to drink and the rest down to Gaius' angry hourding of cash. Neither inspires him greatly.
*****
"I hope you know what you're doing," Gwen chides Morgana as she helps her prepare for her dinner. "I mean, I know this is noble and all but it seems a bit daft."
"It's like there's a bond between us."
"Don't treat me like I'm stupid Morgs," she says flatly.
"I mean it. It's like nothing I've ever felt before. I can't explain it." Morgana sighs. "I must go to Uther."
"Go girl," Gwen says. "And remember. If you get him behind the knee and make it to the door, you can make enough noise to alert me and I can get you out the city in half an hour."
"Cheers," the princess says gloomily. "I'll remember that."
Upon her arrival in Uther's great hall, Morgana proves to us that she's really worth liking. She turns on the tears and makes a solemn apology to him, which he is totally taken in by. He invites her to dine with him, and her alibi is complete.
Arthur, meanwhile, is single handedly taking on the guards of Camelot. He gases them into a peaceful sleep as they play snap, before rushing in and getting the boy out.
They make it to the iron grills, but Merlin isn't there. He's laying in bed, trying to ignore the fact that he may have just doomed his beloved to Uther wrath.
Morgana hears them sound the warning bell, and to her mind, Uther looks pretty wrathful. She hopes Arthur's alright.
The guards start to search the tunnels in which Arthur and the boy are hiding. The prince draws his sword in readiness for some action, and the boy calls out to Merlin. His mind-shouting and emotional blackmail work; the warlock comes running to their rescue.
"If my father asks where I am, tell him I've gone hunting," Arthur says as he makes ready to gallop away.
Goodbye Emrys, the boy says. I hope some day, we will meet again.
I bloody hope not, Merlin thinks.
Meanwhile, word gets back to Uther that the boy has escaped.
"Find him!" he orders. "And his accomplicies! Kill them!" The guards rush away to do his bidding, leaving him and Morgana alone. She eyes up the distance between her foot and the back of his knee. "If I find out you have had anything to do with this," he tell her, "the consequences will be extremely severe."
What's the worst you can do? Morgana thinks. Lock me up in an enchanted tower? Bring it on.
"My lord, I was here with you," she points out, playing her trump card.
"I made a promise to your father that I would protect you," he snarls. "But you cross me again and I will break that promise without a second thought." Morgana regards him with a dirty look. Give it time, she tells herself. It's only a matter of weeks.
*****
Arthur brings the boy back to the druids, who are rather pleased to have him back, in their own mystical way. As they turn to disappear into the woods, he calls out to the boy.
"Wait," he says. "I don't even know your name." There's a pause, and the boy speaks.
"My name in Mordrid."
"Good luck Mordrid."
With a pouty look, Arthur returns to his horse, leaving all the Merlin fans who know the legend to shout wildly at the television.
They'll meet again, we know. We don't like it though.
Coming next time…
Have the dead come back to haunt Camelot? What's with all this dragon angst? And is our favourite blonde prince about to make a step too far?
Yes, the latter is unlikely, but tune in next time to find out anyway.
