Helooo everyone! Sorry I couldn't update on Friday... I was in Belgium :) Your reviews were truly lovely for the last chapter :D I'm sorry I couldn't reply to some of them because they were insigned or you weren't logged in or whatever, but they were all very inspiring :D Also, this fic has been added to 2 of those community thingies which is cool! They are called The Charming Rogue: Gwaine, and What is your name! If you wanna check them out :)

I was quite apprehensive about writing this chapter... it's a very angsty one, so don't say I didn't warn you. Please review!

Chapter 10

Arthur was torn: one half of him was battling its hardest, his sword reigning blows down upon the enemy. The other half was intent only upon protecting Merlin. Arthur didn't move more than a foot away from the cage as he fought, and he danced around it, keeping people at bay. Inside the cage, Merlin tried to communicate with his friend, to tell him to leave and fight properly.

Stop trying to look after me, he thought, desperately, it's not as if anything worse is going to happen to me. Even dying wouldn't be worse than this.

"Merlin," a voice called, and Merlin's neck twisted, a little too quickly, so that he howled in pain, shocked at the sound coming from his throat. He quickly subdued the noise, reducing it to a hiccupping sob, as every part of his body burned from the movement. It was Sarah.

"I'm sorry," she cried, desperately reaching through the bars. Merlin tried to lean forwards to reach her, but every movement made him scream so that his throat tore and his arms and legs were chained to the floor of the cage. Tears ran down Sarah's face, as she stretched her fingers, desperately, till they could just touch his ankles. For a moment, she stood there, looking at the man who she had become so close to over the last few days, and who had sacrificed everything. Who had gone through such pain, and for what? For the man he worked for. A man who didn't even know who or what Merlin was, or what Merlin had done for him.

Didn't know that Merlin was the bravest man in the world.

Suddenly, she was being hurled away from the cage and was on the floor, the point of a sword at her throat.

Arthur panted, furiously, glaring down at the girl. He would kill her, for going anywhere near Merlin: anyone from here on out who touched Merlin was an enemy.

Merlin watched, his tearstained face paling, if that was even possible. He remembered, just minutes ago he had managed to smile at Arthur. How had he done that? He tried, his lips trembling, and then blood seeped from the corners of his lips, and despair clamped down around him. Arthur was going to kill Sarah. She was going to die.

"Get away from my daughter!" suddenly, a man was charging forwards, knocking Arthur off his feet. Sarah scrambled away, standing up.

"I'm trying to help," she yelled, running forwards, "please, father, don't do anything!" she grabbed hold of Godfrey's shirt and pulled him backwards. Arthur's sword had slipped from his fingers, and he was swinging wild punches at the man's face. After a few moments of fruitless struggling from all three of them, Godfrey and Arthur moved apart, panting and gasping, their faces bloody.

"Please, listen to me," Sarah moved over to Arthur, and took hold of his arms. Arthur's eyes widened at the contact, "I know Merlin. Please, you have to get him out, but the cage is locked. Locked with magic." Arthur looked over her head at the cage, trying not to focus too much on Merlin. Trying to be practical.

It was the first time he noticed that the cage was not being pulled, and did not even have wheels: it was floating, a few feet off the ground, swaying gently.

"Can you unlock it?" Arthur asked the girl.

"With a key. A man called Aaron wore it round his neck."

"Where is he?" Arthur snarled, "I'll get it."

"No need," Sarah said quickly, "I... I killed Aaron." She said, her voice cracking a little, but her gaze was steely, and her eyes held no regret. Then she lifted a string over her head, and the key swung there, dull and rusting. Arthur stared at it for a moment.

"Thank you," he said, reaching forwards to take it from her, but she jumped backwards, away from him.

Arthur's expression suddenly turned angry.

"Give it to me," he thundered, crouching down to pick up his sword and then straightening up again. The battle still raged around them, the noise deafening.

"There is an incantation. I know it. You must promise not to harm me for having magic, and I will set Merlin free." Sarah said it, even though she knew that, if Arthur did not agree, she would set Merlin free anyway. Thankfully, Arthur nodded.

"Fine," he said, "do it."

What came next happened so fast that Arthur had trouble keeping track:

Sarah inserted the key into the lock, and whispered some words, her eyes glowing. The cage opened and she clambered inside, a smile breaking out on her face. Arthur advanced, terrified that he'd made a wrong decision, that Sarah was bad, but then she pressed her forehead against Merlin's bloody one, and kissed him.

Merlin's eyes closed, as he kissed her back, and Arthur stared, his mouth hanging open, as did Godfrey. But neither advanced: neither yelled out that they were in the middle of a bloody war, because what they witnessed seemed so... private. They felt like they were intruding on something raw and pure. So they didn't say anything. They couldn't speak or shout warnings as an enemy soldier sprang from nowhere, and his eyes turned gold and the spell he screamed shot through the bars of the cage.

It was only after Sarah's body was lifted into the air, and her screams pierced the night that Arthur and Godfrey could move. Only after she fell into Merlin's lap, her weight slamming against his injured legs, and her eyes turned to stare into his. Only after Merlin's howls of fear, grief and anger shot through Arthur's body like they were knives.

Godfrey ran forwards, a roar of rage bursting from him as he lifted his sword and brought it down upon the enemy, so that in moments he was drenched in blood and crying. Then he clambered into the cage, reaching forwards and trying to pull his daughter's body from Merlin. Merlin couldn't fight to hold onto her: his hands were still attached to the floor, but he yelled and leaned forwards, not caring that the movement made him feel like dying.

"Sarah," Godfrey lifted her head onto his knees, his tears splashing against her face. She was still, just, breathing.

"Love you," she gasped, to her father, little panting breaths, "I would never hurt you... didn't want to. I'm different... to mother. I- I'm different."

"I know, I know," Godfrey stroked her hair, "shush, now, don't talk darling, you'll be ok. I promise." Sarah twisted a little so that she could see Merlin, who was staring at her, his expression anguished.

He wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her not to go, not to leave him like Freya left him. Like everyone except Arthur left him. But he couldn't talk, he could only scream and yell, but he couldn't form words. So he just looked at her, and hoped his eyes conveyed that he loved her.

She tried to do exactly the same. Her amber eyes filled with emotion, before becoming completely devoid of it. Before she lay there.

Dead in her father's arms.

And all this happened in around five minutes.

Arthur just managed to get into the cage in time to restrain Merlin, who was suddenly struggling and writhing, wildly, injuring himself in his chains.

"Merlin," Arthur cried, "stay still. You're hurting yourself, Merlin." But the servant didn't care. Arthur didn't think that he'd ever seen the man like this. The prince clamped his arms tightly around his friend, pinning his thin arms to his sides, till Merlin gave up, slumping against Arthur his head lolling backwards, his eyes closed. Then Arthur grabbed the key, which Sarah had dropped. It was still glowing, and full of the unlocking spell she had cast.

Arthur inserted the key into Merlin's handcuffs and the chains around his feet, and removed them. It was only then that Arthur saw the damage the chains had caused to Merlin's hands and feet. His wrists were bloody and swollen, as were his ankles.

The moment Merlin was free of the chains, he felt his magic return. It almost burst from him, in this time of need, and it took considerable effort to keep it inside. But its sudden return made him wretch. Had he eaten anything recently, he would have thrown up.

"Oh, Merlin," Arthur was surprised at the tone of his voice, as Merlin shuddered against him and then passed out.

"Arthur?" Gwaine was running towards them, jumping over bodies and skirting around knights.

"Gwaine, quick," Arthur yelled, relieved that Gwaine was there; alive and able to help.

"What happened?" Gwaine stared in horror at Merlin, and then his jaw set in fury, "who did this? What bastards did this, Arthur? Tell me now so I can go kill them," Gwaine's anger was exactly what Arthur had been expecting, but he didn't have time for it. The fact that he was feeling exactly the same way didn't matter. It would have to wait.

"Gwaine, we need to get Merlin into the castle. And this man. His daughter helped us..." and Gwaine noticed Godfrey for the first time.

He almost smiled at seeing the barman, but then he saw the girl, her long blonde hair in knots around her shoulders. It hurt even more, because he recognised her. He remembered, talking to her at the tavern. And now she was dead.

"I'm sorry," Gwaine said, placing a hand on Godfrey's shoulder. He could feel the tremors running through the man's body.

"Gwaine," Arthur pressed, urgently, "can you get Merlin inside? I have to stay and fight-"

"No, you don't," Gwaine said fiercely, "Merlin needs you Arthur. Hate to admit it, but you're the one he'll want when he wakes up."

"But-"

"Arthur, I can't go into the castle anyway. I'll be recognised. I'll get there as soon as I can." Arthur pretended not to know that revenge was the only thing on Gwaine's mind.

"Fine," he said, trying not to be relieved that he wouldn't have to leave Merlin.

"I'll be staying too," Godfrey said, looking up at Gwaine, who nodded. Arthur looked at Godfrey,

"I will not forget what you and your daughter did today," he said, seriously, "when this is over, I will personally see that her body is recovered and a service is held for her." Godfrey nodded. Arthur wished he could say something more. If Merlin had... liked Sarah, she deserved the best.

He looked down at Merlin's bruised face, and couldn't begin to imagine how he would feel when he woke. Merlin didn't deserve this! He didn't deserve to be tortured and to then see a friend die right before his eyes.

He clasped Merlin to him, more tightly and securely, and then struggled to his feet, lifting the limp form of his servant up with him. He would get Merlin to safety, and make him well again. Then Merlin would be able to tell him what had happened at the Circus of Sorcery.

So... what do you think? I feel really bad about Sarah, but if this was the actual show she wouldn't have survived. If some of you are like 'What? Merlin LOVED her? After what? THREE DAYS?' well then, yeah, I get you, but I think Merlin falls in love pretty easily. I don't think he loves Sarah like he did Freya, but you'll find out why they grew so close in later chapters, as well as what happened to Merlin and Arthur's reactions to it all.

I don't think I'll be able to update again till next Sunday, because I'm on another trip :s Please stick around till then!