A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews, lovely people, and for reading my story. There's a lot of big stuff happening in the next few chapters. Enjoy!
Chapter 11. The truth
The next few minutes were, forever after, a blur to Merlin. As the first sword plunged towards Uther's upturned face, he took the chance that he was the last person anyone in the room would be looking at and deflected it with a swipe of his arm and a hurried spell, then lunged straight for Arthur. He took the Prince about the shoulders and, with momentum behind him, managed to push him down to the floor.
"Arthur, stop!" He grabbed frantically at his face, trying to focus Arthur's attention on him and away from Uther. "Calm down. Don't do this."
Arthur's eyes flicked from Uther to Merlin and he let out a deep, ragged breath. Behind Merlin, a clash sounded as a second sword hit the stone, this time falling uselessly two yards from where the King stood. Merlin was aware of a rush of movement as knights in red capes rushed to their liege's side and bustled him to safety in a far corner of the room. Arthur's face was pale and his eyes a washed-out blue as the gold light left them. The rest of the swords fell, their clatter sharp and uncontrolled. As the last chime faded to nothing, Merlin sat back on his heels and all was silent again, but for the laboured pants of breath leaving Arthur's chest.
"Guards." Uther's call was weak and dazed and no one moved a muscle.
Arthur sat on the ground, his eyes fixed on where the swords lay abandoned, his body hunched and unfamiliar-looking in the borrowed clothes. Merlin tried to think of what to say – to him, to Uther, to anyone – but his brain wasn't moving quickly enough and he could think of nothing.
"Guards," Uther said again, taking a few steps towards the middle of the room, out of the protective cordon formed by his knights. He waved his hand towards his son and slowly the men standing unarmed near the doorway began to move forward, their steps cautious and their eyes wide.
It wasn't until three men had taken hold of Arthur, dragged him to his feet and held him at arm's length in front of them that Uther moved to stand before his son.
"Who..." Uther's voice was broken and matched the bewilderment which was easy to read on his face. "Who are you? What evil sorcery is this?"
Arthur said nothing, his chin hanging close to his chest.
"Answer me! Who are you? Where is my son?" Rage rising up inside him, Uther grew bolder, walking close enough to his captive to look him hatefully in the eye.
When Arthur kept his head bowed, Uther flicked a brief gaze towards one of the guards, who grabbed the back of Arthur's hair and jerked his head back so that he had to look up towards the King. But it was Merlin Arthur's eyes settled on, over Uther's left shoulder.
With everything he had, Merlin willed him not to say anything, to keep his mouth shut and buy them some time to find a way out. But even as he looked on he could see Arthur's resolve strengthen. His jaw clenched and his eyes, for all their fierce defiance, flashed Merlin a brief apology. He wouldn't be taking an easy way out.
"It's me, Father," Arthur said firmly, finally looking the King in the eye. "I am Arthur."
Uther shook his head wordlessly and Arthur let out a harsh laugh. "We finally see each other plain and neither likes what they see."
Uther stepped back quickly. "Take him to the dungeons."
Merlin, forgotten for the moment, looked on as Arthur was led away, offering no resistance. Once the Prince was out of sight, he looked hesitantly around at the stunned faces of those still gathered. Uther looked to have aged ten years during the space of one conversation but the countenance that truly shocked him was Morgana's. For, standing next to her chair, her fingers biting into the wooden arm of it, the Lady Morgana wore on her pale face an expression of pure, fearful astonishment.
Merlin had to jog at Gaius' side to keep up with him. As the physician and his ward hurried along the corridors of the castle, small groups of people stood about, whispering in hushed voices, hands clamped to opened mouths and eyes wide with horror.
"You must tell him that..."
"I know what to tell him, Merlin," the old man snapped. "I have to tell him whatever it takes to keep you and I out of the trouble Arthur is in."
"Gaius!"
The physician stopped in his tracks and put one hand to Merlin's chest, pushing him none too gently towards the wall. "Listen to me carefully, Merlin. You and I will be of no use to Arthur if we are locked up with him. As far as anyone other than Gwen is to know, Arthur's outburst in front of his father is the first we knew of him having any magical ability at all. Is that understood?"
Without waiting for a reply, Gaius set off again, his robes trailing along behind him.
"But we can't just abandon him, Gaius," Merlin pleaded, right back at his side.
"Of course not. I'm going to tell Uther that it may be linked to his illness and that he could be under some kind of enchantment. How I'm going to explain the pair of you riding back into the castle with Arthur disguised as a peasant, I'm not sure. Hopefully something will come to me before Uther decides to have you executed just for good measure."
Merlin shook off Gaius' terse remarks, knowing he hadn't been a fan of that particular plan in the first place. "But what about Morgana, Gaius?"
"What about her?"
"I saw her face while Arthur was being taken away," Merlin hissed. "She was surprised. I don't think she knew about Arthur's magic."
Gaius stopped again and turned to face Merlin, his frown deeply etched on his face. "But if she didn't know..."
"Exactly!" Merlin cried. "If it wasn't Morgana and Morgause who gave Arthur that magic, where has it come from?"
Gaius pondered this for only a moment. "We don't have time to consider that now. I must get to Uther before he has too much time to think this through. Go and let Gwen know what's happening. Between you, you should be able to keep an eye on Morgana. I'll find you as soon as I'm finished with Uther."
Merlin nodded and stopped still, watching as Gaius swept the rest of the way down the corridor and rounded the corner, taking him out of sight. Turning on his heel, he ran off to find Gwen.
Darkness was falling as Morgana pulled the cloak around her shoulders, fastening it nimbly and ensuring the folds of the hood hid her face sufficiently. Her heart was beating a fast rhythm within her chest. Leaving the castle to meet Morgause always gave her a thrill of excitement, but now it was something more.
Arthur was imprisoned beneath the castle, faced with the undeniable charge of using magic to try to kill the King. Her heart had almost stopped when she'd seen his eyes dance so beautifully and the swords glide simultaneously from sheaths all around the room. He hadn't even needed to put voice to an incantation. At that moment, images of the garden inside Arthur's quarters had come flooding back to her, painted now in an altogether different light.
Controlling her breathing very deliberately, Morgana leaned to the side and looked around the corner with one eye. Seeing Gwen and Merlin standing close together and speaking in urgent whispers, she drew back and quickly decided on an alternate route. As she strode along the lesser-used corridors on her way to freedom, she could feel frustration and annoyance buzzing inside her. Merlin was always there, foiling her plans and making life difficult. He was yet another constricting force she had to work against. Pursing her lips, Morgana walked faster.
The cool night air steadied her as she set about mounting the horse she had paid a boy to ready earlier. Merlin would not be her problem for much longer. But as the hooves of her horse clattered over the drawbridge and the evening chill filled her lungs invigoratingly, it was more than annoyance which drove her to move her horse along faster. Pure, untarnished anger was her driving force. Morgause had betrayed her.
Merlin dropped down onto his cot and gripped the edge as he stared out before him. His whole world, the whole of Camelot in fact, was crumbling before his eyes. Gaius was still with Uther. At any moment Merlin expected guards to come rushing through the door to take him away. How would Gaius be able to convince the King of their innocence when this afternoon's events would likely drive the already paranoid Uther beyond all reason?
Leaping to his feet, his body too full of restless energy to sit still for long, Merlin walked towards the window and stood up on the step to look out.
Merlin.
His eyes still looking out at the darkness beyond, Merlin waited a moment and listened.
Merlin.
Kilgharrah.
For all the desperation of their situation there was still a part of him which hesitated. After his last meeting with the Great Dragon, in which he had forced him to give him the magic to save Morgana, he was surprised to hear from him again so soon. He didn't want to go. He knew at least part of what the dragon would have to say. But he had no choice. Rushing to the door, Merlin swung his way down the steps and set off at pace.
Morgana rode swiftly on the open path, the heavy blackness of the Darkling Woods looming up before her. She thought back to the day, some weeks ago, when she had persuaded Arthur to go out riding with her for the morning. Uther had been so pleased to hear her suggest it and had encouraged Arthur to make the time. It had sickened her to see him so happy.
Arthur had been easy enough to bait into the race, especially when she had given up the lead so quickly. She had considered causing his horse to startle and rear, but at the end of the day, the blow to the back of his head would be quicker and easier and he would not remember the circumstances when he came to, anyway. And so she had murmured a quick spell, moved her hand in an upward gesture and pushed the stone forcefully towards his head without ever having touched it. Arthur had slumped forward in the saddle and fallen. Morgause had appeared from between the branches. Morgana had felt a flush of pride at the smile of approval she had received.
It had been no difficulty for Morgause to move him to the cave hidden deep within the forest. She remembered his body hovering, his arms hanging limply by his side, as Morgause had moved him towards the crude stone altar and murmured the spell to bring him to rest upon it.
The plan Morgause had told her of was simple but needed complex magic to be brought to fruition. A link would be created between them, between Arthur and Morgause; one that would endure distance and time and could be used to enter the Prince's thoughts. Morgause would be able to ply him with knowledge while he slept, filling his mind with Uther's failings, his lies and his hypocrisy. He would learn the truth about his beloved father. Morgana had been captivated with the idea. It was her slow realisation of the true nature of Uther Pendragon which had pushed her down this path, and to ensure Arthur also learnt the truth was a perfect revenge. Father and son would not recover from such a division forged between them.
She had stood back and watched as Morgause began the preparation, the candle light flickering against the walls as Morgause concentrated as she had not seen her have to do before. It had been enthralling to watch but, even then, she knew something was not as it should be. Something was being kept from her.
He didn't think he'd ever get over the thrill of nervous energy that coursed through him every time he heard the flap of those great wings and felt the cyclone of wind that they pushed down upon the earth. Anxiety filled him as he stood his ground and it seemed the dragon wasn't exactly at ease either. Once he'd landed, looking vast and intimidating in the middle of the small clearing, he stayed very still, observing Merlin with those ancient, knowing eyes. Merlin stared back and had every intention of holding that gaze as long as he had to but, eventually, it was he who spoke first.
"You wanted to speak to me?"
The dragon lowered his head and intensified his glare. "I warned you, young warlock," he growled. "I warned you that only evil could come of your act of weakness. You did not heed my warning and you saved the witch. The great evil that is about to be unleashed will be on your head."
Merlin shook his head impatiently. "I've heard this before. If this is all you called me for, I'm going."
He turned to leave, letting his pride and annoyance get the better of him. He badly wanted to ask the dragon for help, but he was making it impossible, as usual. He stopped short at the sound of Kilgharrah's next words.
"The young Pendragon is in mortal danger and it is your doing."
Merlin turned back again, the blood in his vein running icy cold. He stared up at the dragon but said nothing.
"The magic that has been done here is ancient and dangerous. One way or another the Prince will die, be it at Morgause's hands or his fathers. And when he does, Uther's decent into madness will be swift and deadly. No creature in Camelot, magical or otherwise, will be safe from his vengeful wrath."
"No." The word fell uselessly from Merlin's mouth.
The dragon laughed harshly. "You brought this upon yourself, foolish boy. I warned you."
"So you've come here to gloat?" Merlin shouted. "You think this is funny?"
The laughter stopped instantly. "I see this for what it is," the dragon hissed. "A premature end to a glorious future, and one that was completely avoidable."
"All right!" Merlin screamed with everything he had, emotion overflowing within him. "All right! I was wrong. I should have let her die! I made a mistake. But what do I do now? How do I fix this?"
The Great Dragon shook his head slowly from side to side. "The time for that is past. The magic Arthur now possesses is Morgause's own. This is not a bond which you can break."
"Morgause's magic? I don't understand. There must be something I can do."
"There is not. A living link has been formed between the two. Her magic finds its way to him but he has no home in which it can reside. It flows from him impulsively and without direction. For the bond to be broken either Arthur or Morgause must sever the tie which joins them."
"That cannot be the only way," Merlin cried in desperation.
"The only other one who can break the link is death," the dragon pronounced. "If one or both of them were to die, the connection would die with them."
The dragon waited while Merlin took in the words. "You cannot save him now," he announced, moving restlessly from one foot to the other as he began to prepare for flight. "Arthur cannot wield this magic, it is not made for him, nor he for it. So he will not be able to break the tie. Morgause can but she will not see it broken until Arthur Pendragon lies dead at her feet. She has no reason to put an end to it now – all she has planned is coming to pass. Arthur will die and Uther will descend into utter madness. Camelot will be laid at the Lady Morgana's feet and a tyrannous reign will begin, the likes of which have never been seen before."
As the dragon's voice rose into a bellowing cry, he left the ground and hovered above Merlin with his great wings beating steadily. "The Pendragon dynasty is at an end. Camelot lies in ruins. Albion is lost."
And he was gone, soaring up swiftly over the trees and disappearing into the deep of the night. Merlin was left alone in the clearing, tears falling unrestrained from his eyes.
"And I could have stopped it," he murmured, the image of Morgana's pallid face, close to death, appearing unbidden in his mind's eye.
Morgana's pace had slowed as her horse picked its way through the wood, following the familiar trail. The horse knew its way and that was just as well for Morgana was concentrating on her memories. She recalled how Arthur's body had jerked upon the altar, his back arching and a cry of pain escaping his lips, though his mind remained mired in unconsciousness. The ball of golden light Morgause had held forth in her hand had changed, stretching itself until it formed a vibrating ribbon of light which travelled from her hand to Arthur's prone body. At a fevered urging from Morgause it had leapt its final distance, piercing Arthur's chest at his heart. Instantly, more vibrant ribbons had erupted from the first, leaping like lightning from one body to the other and back again. The light had been so tremendous that Morgana had had to raise a hand to shield her eyes, only to look back again, drawn by the terrifying beauty of the scene.
Summoning a last surge of energy, Morgause's eyes had flashed their brightest as she muttered ancient words, the sound of which had thrilled Morgana's heart. The beams of golden light had arced wildly between the two before splitting and flying home, half going back to Morgause and the other half travelling back to Arthur and forcing their way into his chest. As darkness had suddenly enclosed them, Morgause had dropped to the ground. Morgana had hastened to her side, helping her sister to sit and letting her rest against her.
She remembered how Morgause's eyes had flickered as she looked from the altar back to Morgana. "It is done, Sister. It is done."
Now, as Morgana led her horse through the trees and out into the clearing, her brow creased into a frown.
"Sister."
She turned and saw Morgause to her right, her blonde hair framing her face and her dress wrapped around her body like a silken binding.
"What did you do to Arthur?" She knew her voice was shrill but she could not control it. "Why have you not told me the truth?"
Morgause seemed surprised but her voice was as soothing as ever. "I have not lied to you, Morgana."
"Then why did I just see Arthur enchant a dozen swords to fly into the air above Uther's head?" Morgana asked pointedly.
She did not miss the flash of delight that passed over Morgause's face.
"What other news from Camelot?"
The question was asked with unbridled eagerness and, although infuriated that she still received no answer to her own question, Morgana found herself replying.
"Arthur has been locked in the dungeons on charges of using magic. Uther has shut himself away and has seen no one but Gaius. Now, tell me. What have you done?"
"This is wonderful news," Morgause gasped, her hands clasped together under her chin. "Don't you see, Sister...?"
"Don't call me that!" the cry escaped Morgana's lips unbidden. She knew she sounded petulant but she did not care. Instead, she rushed on quickly, ignoring Morgause's raised eyebrows. "That morning in the woods, when you built the link to Arthur – you gave him magic, too, didn't you? Why would you keep this from me?"
Morgause barely managed to hide her annoyance. "I did not know if it would work. But that does not matter now. It has all worked perfectly. Uther's hand will be forced against Arthur and there will be nothing to stop us." She reached out and took both Morgana's hands in her own. "My sister, do you not see? The throne of Camelot will be yours!"
Morgana looked back at her teacher and guide, at the flush of excitement that had lit up her face. She felt anger rising up within her. "Do you not see?" she asked, snatching her hands back. "I do not want the throne. I do not want to rule Camelot. How does that fit into your plans, Sister?"