This is not the last chapter (just for those people who asked) I will be two more...maybe. And another HUGGEE thankyou to everyone who reviews. It always makes me smile!
Disclaimer: Nope, once again I do not own Merlin.
Standing among a crowd of curious people, Gwen could tell something was happening. Merlin should have been lead out ages ago. A small ball of hope began to build inside her. Maybe he had finally escaped. She had ignored Merlin's wishes and had gone to the courtyard but it wouldn't be to see him die. She didn't know what she would do but she wouldn't stand there and watch her best friend be murdered.
The people in the courtyard were becoming impatience. Angry whispers could be heard getting louder and louder. Suddenly a hush fell over the crowd when King Uther stepped out onto the balcony above the people. Gwen squeezed Morgana's hand, glad that her friend was there with her.
"People of Camelot, a dire mistake has been made. The young man accused of sorcery has been proven not guilty. An innocent man has been saved. There will be no execution today," Uther nodded once to his people before turning his back and walking inside.
Instantly the people began to talk. What had happened? How had he been innocent?
Gwen didn't realize she had been holding her breath until her lungs began to ache for air. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Morgana with a curious but no doubt ecstatic look, waves of happiness rolling over her.
"Morgana, he's safe!" Gwen flung her arms around the ward and let out a cry of relief. A huge weight felt like it had been lifted from her shoulders.
Disappointed that there wasn't going to be an execution, the people began leaving to go about their daily business, some still grumbling under their breath. Apparently they didn't care if an innocent man was executed.
Gwen latched onto her friends hand as they began weaving their way through the crowd although most stepped out of the way when they saw it was Lady Morgana. The young handmaiden knew exactly where she was heading.
When Gaius's workshop door came into view, she picked up her pace from a fast walk to practically a sprint. Morgana followed behind, not quiet running though. Bursting through the door without so much as a knock, Gwen cried out when she spotted a familiar goofy smile across the room.
"Merlin!!!"
She ran the small distance across the room where she wrapped her arms tightly around Merlin. He hugged her back just as tightly but couldn't hide the wince as her shoulder collided with his.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I just...I thought you were going to die but your here and your safe and I was so scared, I thought I was going to lose you and-"
"Gwen, its okay," Merlin laughed as he watched Gwen take a huge breath after talking non-stop.
Morgana entered the room suddenly and basically did the same thing as Gwen, run at Merlin where she embraced him in a hug, though not a tight and painful as Gwen's.
"We were so worried about you Merlin." Morgana smiled at the young warlock.
"Its alright, I'm fine," Merlin grinned at the two girls as he took a seat on the small bed again. The girls followed suite and pulled up two rickety stools opposite Merlin.
"So what happened?" Gwen was eager to hear how Merlin was saved. All she wanted to do was jump off her chair and hug him again but she kept herself firmly planted on her seat.
"Err... this morning Arthur came and got me from my cell, took me to see Uther and claimed to be the sorcerer." Merlin's grin widened when he saw the shocked look on their faces.
"Arthur said he was a sorcerer? Did Uther believe him?" Gwen was practically on the edge of her seat.
"Well Arthur had to show he could do magic to get Uther to believe him. I performed the magic while everyone was focused on Arthur," he quickly added the last bit when he saw Morgana open her mouth, hoping to answer her question before she asked.
"Wow."
That seemed to sum it up. Silence engulfed the room as they each became lost in thought.
"What happens to Arthur now that Uther thinks he can do magic?" Morgana squeezed her fingers together as she asked her question, praying the answer wasn't going to be the worst one possible.
"Uther decided that since he helps the people with his 'magic' he can live."
Gwen couldn't help but let out a small laugh when she heard what Uther's decision was. Of course he couldn't sentence his own son to death, even if he had used the one thing he so greatly despised. He was his only heir, he needed Arthur.
Gaius suddenly walked through the door, his arm laden full of vials and herbs. He spotted the trio and let a small smile slip on his face.
"Sorry for interrupting but I need to make Merlin a potion for his shoulder." Gaius dumped the items onto a bench, immediately beginning to make this potion.
"Oh sorry Gaius. We had better be going but we'll come back later," Morgana stood and motioned for Gwen to follow but she was hesitant. A quick nod from Merlin and she was following Morgana out the door but not before spinning around and giving Merlin one last hug, a bit more carful this time.
"She's sweet on you." Gaius smiled as the door closed and he turned to Merlin.
Merlin looked away embarrassed but he couldn't hide the smile on his face.
"You think?" He asked nervously. He had always had a sweet spot for Gwen but despite the many hints that Gwen liked him back (most of the hints coming from Gaius), Merlin had never been able to do anything about it.
"Yes, now drink this and get some sleep," he handed Merlin a small glass of the familiar murky brown liquid. He drunk the glass without hesitation, immediately feeling the effects as the pain numbed slightly.
Soon his eyelids began to feel heavy. He had hardly gotten a wink of sleep down in the cells. Without bothering to get up and go to his bed just up the stairs, Merlin lowered himself onto the set up bed. Barley a minute had passed when Merlin's snores began to echo in the room.
Arthur stood at the top of a tower in front of the battlements. It was one of his favourite places to go when things seemed to be getting a bit too much for him. He loved to stand there and stare out at the landscape, everything just seemed so peaceful.
"Arthur..." Morgana approached hesitantly behind Arthur.
The prince looked over his shoulder with a careless glance before looking back out to the horizon. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Morgana moved over to stand next to him, looking at the landscape before them.
"What you did today, for Merlin...that was very brave and kind of you." Morgana didn't look away from the horizon, focusing her eyes on a small flowering tree.
"Yeah, well...I couldn't be bothered finding a new servant."
Morgana was use to the tough guy act Arthur had always put on but she could see beneath it, he knew that. Yet he still put it on. She wished sometimes she could actually have a meaningful conversation with him but whenever it got too deep for him, the shield would come up.
"Well you should go visit your servant. He's very thankful." Morgan turned on her heel, leaving Arthur with his thoughts.
Gaius was moving around his workshop with as little noise possible, trying not to wake a sleeping Merlin. The poor boy had been through enough drama the past 3 days and deserved his rest. The physician had just sat down to read a book he had already read 10 times over when a small knock on the door interrupted him. He didn't bother getting up when he saw the door push open and Arthur stride through.
"Is Mer- Oh...umm, I'll come by later." Arthur had spotted the form of Merlin slumped over in the bed.
"That would be best" Gaius looked over at Merlin, feeling a surge of sudden pride.
Arthur nodded and turned to leave when a small, broken voice stopped him.
"Wait." Merlin slowly sat up in the bed and locked eyes with the prince across the room.
Gaius sensed the need for a private conversation. Casually he excused himself from the room and left to fetch more water for Merlin.
As the door shut behind Gaius, Arthur moved from the other side of the room to sit beside Merlin on the stool Gwen had occupied earlier. Merlin swung his legs over the side of the bed and rubbed his wrists subconsciously. That was when Arthur spotted two bandages wrapped around his servants wrists, another reminder of pain caused by him.