Chapter 10—the Magician's Suffering
Merlin's head is covered by a burlap sack. He is having difficulty breathing and he is limping in an awkward way—he can tell he'll have bruises soon. He is sat roughly down in a hard chair and the sack is pulled from his head.
Arthur's eyes go wide.
"M—"
"Merlin, be quiet," Merlin says sharply. Arthur blinks rapidly when Merlin gives him a serious look and he shuts his mouth. Merlin looks up to the Princess D'Mar and her servant in black who has yet to be named.
"My manservant is none of your concern," Merlin says, trying to sound like Arthur as much as possible. He is doing quite a good job at it, too. "Blindfold him and send him back to the Darkling Woods. He can find his way back from there. He won't do or say anything—no one will believe him anyway."
The man in black looks up at the Princess. "You have quite a love for your manservant," she notes. "I heard about the affection, but I wasn't sure it was true."
"Yes, well Merlin is a very good manservant," Merlin says. "A very good man, too. He's saved my life thousands of times though I've never acknowledged it." Arthur stares at Merlin. "But regardless of that you will gain nothing by keeping him here. Send him back and I'll cooperate to the fullest."
The man in black looks at the Princess unsurely. She smiles lightly. "Davos—send three of your men to take this ever so loyal manservant to the Darkling Woods so he may find his way home. Blindfold him. No harm is to come to him…" She looks at Arthur. "Though it would bode well for you, manservant, to keep silent of what you have seen here."
Arthur looks at Merlin with a hard gaze, angry at what he must allow to happen. "I understand."
"Good," she says sharply. "You aren't as stupid as your reputation says."
Merlin looks up at her sharply and then back to Arthur who is in too serious of a mood to smile. As Arthur is blindfolded and the Princess is watching Davos do so, Merlin's eyes glow and the burlap sack becomes see-through to Arthur. The king blinks rapidly underneath, confused but glad, as Davos pulls him out of the cell.
The Princess smiles down at Merlin.
"What do you want with me, exactly, Princess?" he says coldly.
She smiles again. "See, King Arthur. I want you to see."
—Merlin looks with wide eyes as he's dragged through the deep and ugly caves. People stare at him as they pass—Davos holding him by the chains roughly and the Princess D'Mar walking gracefully beside them.
The people are wide eyed, tired, dirty and seemingly cold and sick and hungry. Their tents are scant and their fires dim. Merlin blinks deliberately when he sees a dim fire, using his magic to make the fire more strong. The Princess takes no notice to that and gestures toward the sad people.
"These are people who have suffered from your reign, Arthur Pendragon," she says her voice cool and hateful. "They have been persecuted by your father and now you because of your hate and fear of magic. They live believing they are creatures of death because of their magic—something that should be relished."
One set of eyes falls onto Merlin—a young girl with a druid tattoo on her neck. She smiles at him and waves gently. A man near her grips her shoulders and whispers harshly in her ear. The girl lowers her head but still smiles more when Merlin returns the smile.
"There are druids here," Merlin says.
"Druids—young and old—sorcerers on the run and their children…all of whom have been persecuted by your reign."
Merlin looks at her and laughs. She frowns for the first time. "You are a sorceress," he states. He can see it in her eyes. He nods toward the people. "What have you told them to make them believe you're here to help them?"
The Princess stops and slaps Merlin across the face. Everyone looks at them with indifference—all but the young druid girl who frowns.
"Do not speak to me in that way, Arthur Pendragon," she seethes. "These people found me so I may help them—save them from you."
"And still I ask the same question," Merlin dares.
She blinks with anger. "I have power," she says proudly. "Power that has captured you and will overthrow Camelot." She smiles slightly. "That is—once I have gotten the help from your dear sister."
Merlin looks up at this dangerous woman. His eyes seething with anger. "You would forsake the magic that these people possess so that you may take a kingdom with Morgana?" he says between his teeth. The Princess blinks and Merlin takes a step forward. "You claim to be a princess of magic yet you act like a vicious warlord taking advantage of his bannermen." The magicians around them stare as their Princess falter. "These people have suffered and you use their gifts for your own personal gain."
The Princess blinks. "What?" she whispers. Her face hardens. "Stop it."
"Magic is to be used for good," he begins to shout. "It is people like you who have caused all magic to be outlawed. You have corrupted magic rather than the other way around."
"Y—" the Princess stutters. "Stop it! I'm warning you!"
"And I am warning you now to stop the madness that has given people reason to fear magic!" Merlin is screaming now.
"STOP!" the princess screams.
Her eyes glow brightly and Merlin flies backward. He falls onto some rocks roughly and he feels his muscles spasm from the pain. Everyone is silent as they look at the man they think is King Arthur.
Merlin slowly rises and sees that the Princess is smiling.
"You are powerless, Arthur Pendragon," she says tartly across the cave.
Merlin smiles slowly. "Oh, I wouldn't say that," he says in a hushed whisper.
Merlin barks out a spell and his chains shatter into a million pieces of cherry red, hot metal. People shield their eyes, but the metal disintegrates before they can even get close to harming them.
The Princess shrieks and Davos draws his sword while going in front of her. Her eyes are teary when she looks at Merlin and he sees how truly young she is. She shudders and pushes Davos away, angrily yelling at Merlin.
"Who are you?" she screams with anger.
Merlin tilts his head to the side and realizes what he has done. His emotions have gone away with him...
The little druid girl runs to Merlin's side and holds his hand. He looks down at her and smiles.
"He is the last dragonlord and the protector of King Arthur of Albion." She looks up at him with eyes that see the future—she is a young seer. "I've been waiting for you, Emrys," she says. She looks at the princess and sticks out her tongue. "Go away, Red Lady! We have Emrys now."