Better Be Careful What You Say

"I'm not sure what you want from me, Morgana," Arianna choked out hours/days/weeks later, she truly didn't know. "Torturing me isn't going to change my answer. I don't have the journal. I don't know where it is. It's probably destroyed due to weather because you couldn't approach me like a sane person, but had to attack me and knock me out instead!" Her insult didn't really sound like one when her voice was so weak, but verbal attacks were all she felt up to.

"Torturing you is showing you a glimpse of my power. To show you how hopeless your side is. You're suppose to be the Great Defender and yet, you can't even fight me!" Morgana exclaimed, laughing lightly.

Ari knew she should physically fight back, but she also knew the more violent she got, the likelihood of a violent future grew stronger. If Mordred could be corrupted, so could she, and that terrified her. But she also knew she needed to get out of here. She had her honor and dignity to protect. And whether she fought back or not, the future was still going to be violent. Decisions had to made and Arianna's left yet again with the weight of the world on her shoulders. In a twisted sort of way, she didn't want to leave Morgana's lair. It was an escape… she wasn't able to think when her brain was foggy from magic. She didn't want to face the future anymore.

Arianna was the complete wrong person for the title of seer. She was a coward. She'd rather hide out and be tortured than make decisions, then to see the wrong ones play out. It was too much knowing and there was no knowing when it feels like your insides are on fire.

And then the word "Merlin" reached her ears. Morgana was going off on something Ari had tuned out and said his name. Arianna squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and his bright eyes and wide smile and unruly hair come to view.

Ari, you are stronger than Morgana. Hold on just a little bit longer, we're coming for you. His sweet voice whispered to her. Her eyes popped open. Did Morgana hear that too? Did she imagine him saying that, or was he actually coming?

The other sorceress appeared not to hear anything. Liking the sound of her own voice, she went on about something, though Arianna hadn't been able to focus on it.

But Merlin's voice woke her up a bit. Merlin and Mordred are everything to her and she must protect them at all costs. Emrys was the Great Defender, the savior of magic, and Ari was loyal to him, as a friend and as a leader. And she promised Mordred to never give up on him. She was the only thing he had left. Arianna wasn't going to abandon him, not again. She wasn't fighting Morgana. She was fighting Mordred's corruption. That is her destiny. That is her purpose. It's Merlin's destiny to save magic and win the war.

Arianna tried to reach out for teleportation, but felt a wall magical wise. There must be guards protecting the castle. She straightened herself up, pulling up the wave of energy her pep talk gave her.

"Wait, what is this? Finally ready to fight back?" Morgana smirked and walked in a small circle around Ari. "Bring it."

So she did. The push of magic she sent to Morgana caused her to slightly stumble, causing Morgana to raise an eyebrow. "Not bad, but I can do better."

Arianna, now pulled together for defense, blocked the next wave Morgana sent her. They bantered back and forth with magic. Once Ari hit her in the shoulder, causing her to flinch back, and the response was so rapid fire- with literal fire, that her dress now smoked. She was getting tired. Was the plan to worn her out and then deliver the final blow? Ari was sure that plan would work.

And then Morgana stopped. "This taking too long. I'm bored now. No more games. You're still a bit pathetic," she sneered and suddenly rushed at Ari.

For the second time in a very short amount of time, all Arianna knew was complete darkness.


Merlin couldn't wait till first light. He left Arthur for the evening and put together a small bag of supplies. Gaius was still making nightly rounds and so Merlin didn't have to deal with him. He left a quick note just in case though. He didn't want to think of why there could be a just in case.

He passed guards and maids in the halls, but thanks to his title of a physician assistant, he didn't get questioned. Merlin was often running errands in the evening for Gaius.

The stable was quiet at this time of night and to not attract any attention, he didn't light up more than a small ball of energy, allowing just enough to see a few inches from his face. He knew if he made too much noise, it would alert the stable boy who lived on the premises, and he was doing a good job of it, till he heard a creak of a door not too far down.

Merlin stiffened and walked as softly as he could on the hay.

"Gwaine!?" Merlin whispered loudly in surprise.

The voice, of course, started the named man, causing him to drop the blanket he held in a heap of dust. The horse closest to Gwaine snorted indignantly.

"Merlin! You can't do that to a man," Gwaine answered back a bit breathlessly. "What are you doing?"

"Uh, well… you know. Just going for a midnight ride," Merlin shrugged a shoulder, though he suddenly couldn't meet his friend's eyes. "You?"

"Same. Just a midnight ride to Morgana's latest whereabouts, you know..."

This surprised Merlin. "Really? I didn't know she meant so much to you, that you would defy Arthur's command and set out alone to rescue her… too."

It was Gwaine's turn to look away this time. "I think she's managed to secure a spot in all of our hearts. I just keep thinking of Arianna in Morgana's clutches..." He swallowed loudly, "We all know what she's capable of."

"We also know what Ari's capable of, but nonetheless," Merlin sighed quietly, "I couldn't bare the thought of her alone with Morgana either."

"Well, I think your midnight troll just became a date," Gwaine joked with a grin and he bent down to to pick up the saddle blanket.

Merlin rolled his eyes and replied, "Just hurry up! I'm almost done and I'm not waiting for you!"

About fifteen minutes later, the horses were tacked and began the journey to rescue Arianna.


The only things that had been heard on the ride so far was the clopping of hooves and an occasional whinny. The moon was high in the sky and a countless amount of stars shone bright on the clear night. Gwaine would have normally struck up a conversation with Merlin, but he seemed slightly shut off, and he himself couldn't help but feel a twang of friction towards his friend. A small tightening in his chest at the thought of him and Gwaine couldn't quite understand why.

Finally, Merlin broke the silence. "So, how did you find out about… me?" He asked this hesitantly, like he still couldn't quite believe it happened.

Gwaine thought back to that dreadful day and bit his lip. "Well, mate, truthfully… not until the moment you began to heal Mordred." Arianna had slightly lied about him knowing already, though he was sure she knew he had suspicions. However Gwaine hadn't intended on bringing that up, ever.

"What!?" The word snapped out of Merlin's mouth harshly. He craned his head to see Gwaine's face, winced with a slight smile.

"Arianna didn't… she.. I saw her earlier, using magic. I was on my way back to my chambers and Mordred's door had been practically disintegrated. I saw her repair it," Gwaine began, trying to quickly defend Ari, but the look on Merlin's face said it wasn't really working.

"She was using magic in the castle? She's going to get herself killed!" He nearly shouted in response. A slight panic shown in Merlin's eyes.

"She realized that, Merlin! Trust me, Arianna will not be making that mistake again. I, uhh, I went to confront her about it, and I found her passed out on the floor with her head banged up," Gwaine continued her coming out story. "She had a concussion and was disorientate, and I told her I knew, and she knew in order to save Mordred she had to heal herself. Arianna healed the brain injury, though left the cuts so no one would grow suspicious."

Gwaine paused then, opening his mouth and closing it a couple times, figuring out the words he told Arianna that night. He knew he needed to tell Merlin the same thing. He looked away from Merlin, trying to find the right words.

"It was incredible, watching her do that, Merlin. How many lives she could save! How many lives you could save! If not for this unjust war on magic." Gwaine's awe-filled words faltered again, a practically unheard of thing when involving him. "And I… I haven't always had this mindset, but thanks to you, I have come to this conclusion. I don't think it's magic that makes you evil, it's the person using it. For there is still evil without the use of magic and if people are still evil without it, then it's just the human behind it."

Gwaine finally looked at Merlin in full force then, but found he had to look away at the sheer emotion on his friend's face. What did he think Gwaine was going to say? What had been said to him on this matter? Gwaine's eyes widened in horror at this thought, has he anyone who didn't have magic ever tell him anything in contrast to the degree on Camelot? Other than Arianna and Mordred, who knew his secret? What a terrible burden Merlin has had his entire life.

Gwaine heard Merlin breath heavily and swallow before he spoke slowly, "I may have waited my entire life for someone other than my mother and Gaius to say something like that."

Gwaine tried to hold back a relieved sigh and laugh instead, though it sounded a little sharp. He was happy Merlin had someone growing up to help him through this, but a righteous anger was burning in his heart for the fact Merlin has had a constant fear for his life, a longing for acceptance, and a worry of being judged for something he didn't choose, something that has been deemed explicitly evil for no real merit at all.

Trying not to let on his anger at this, just like Merlin was trying not to let on just how much Gwaine's words moved him, he replied with a shrug and a grin to try to defuse all the emotions, "I'll say it again if you want."

Merlin laughed, though still sounding a bit tearful. "Thanks, but once is enough." He took a deep breath again and Gwaine looked over in time to see a smile slowly light up his face.


"So I can now see the reason behind waiting till dawn to ride out to rescue Arianna," Gwaine announced through a loud yawn. "So we could be well rested and not plagued by exhaustion by the time we've made it to Morgana's."

Merlin wouldn't say this out loud, but he secretly agreed. He's had to stifle many of his own yawns and had recently begun to have to blink furiously to clear his blurry eyes. But would Merlin have slept at all if he hadn't followed his heart and listened to the voice of reason? No, he would have laid there, flipping from shoulder to shoulder, and if he had managed to sleep, it would be in short and fitful bursts. But that didn't change the fact he had brought himself to the brink of exhaustion now and would fall asleep in the saddle if he relaxed his head enough to lean against his chest.

Gazing up at the night sky, he could tell it was only a few hours till the sunrise, and when they originally would have been leaving for the trek. They were much closer to Ari than they were in Camelot and it loosened the tights of anxiety that wrapped his chest ever so slightly.

"Perhaps we should rest," Merlin replied grudgingly. "But just until sunrise."

They stopped where they were, figuring it a good spot as any. Merlin unlocked what they needed as Gwaine got some firewood, who then grinned naughtily when Merlin lit it by magic. Merlin smiled slightly, placing a finger to his lips, as in keep this secret.

He had intended that to be received as a joke, but Gwaine replied a bit too seriously, "With my life."

"I wouldn't ever ask that of you," Merlin answered in a low voice.

"I know," was his response, but the seriousness dropped off his body in an instant. "I got first watch."

"No, I-" Merlin automatically protested, but Gwaine cut him off.

"Don't think I didn't see you nodding off in your saddle. Don't be wasting these precious seconds! I'm fine," he insisted, and Merlin yielded.

He found a curve of a tree and leaned back against it. His eyes fell shut instantly and his body easily relaxed with the promise of sleep, but instead his mind raced. Merlin would like to think that sometimes Morgana held back her power on him, just slightly, but that was because they had years of friendship before they came to this. There was no history with Arianna. Why would she hold back then? He also thought, why would she even hold back on him? Though his eyes were still closed, a heavy sigh escaped him. How did they even come to this?

Looking back, Merlin could give an exact answer. He firmly believed the mistake came from him, listening to everyone's talk of a future that has yet to come and trying to prevent it… but it still happened nonetheless. Was it what made that future so? Maybe Arianna was right. They should stop fighting the future and save the people in front of them now.

But so much was at stake.

Another weighted sigh came from his lips.

"Merlin, you're suppose to be sleeping! Not just worrying with your eyes closed!" Gwaine called from the other side of the clearing.

Merlin tried to settle his thoughts with encouragement for Arianna. He didn't know if he could reach her, but he had to try. Ari, you are stronger than Morgana. Hold on just a little bit longer, we're coming for you, he sent out forcefully to his friend.

"I can't!" Merlin finally replied back, a short amount of time later. He opened his eyes and watched Gwaine poking the fire with a stick. "Why are you even here, Gwaine?" He meant it as a half-hearted grumble, but Gwaine tensed up in defense, and it caught Merlin's attention.

"Arianna has become a friend to us all," Gwaine answered, though refusing to look at him. "What about you? She was last seen fighting with you before she disappeared." He then winced, for even the words came out accusingly to him.

"I didn't… I had nothing to do with that," Merlin was a bit taken aback the direction the conversation suddenly went. "Ari had fought with Mordred and I was trying to calm her down, and she said she was going for a walk to clear her head. And never came back. Trust me, Gwaine, if I had known-"

"Oh, look at me, Merlin. Not being straight with you over a girl," Gwaine cut Merlin off with a small smile. He caught his friends eyes for a second, before breaking away again. "That is not what I intended to imply. I'm just trying to discreetly to get you to say what Arianna means to you and I'm failing miserably. I know you guys have a troubled… future? together, but if you didn't.. return her affections because it sounds like you don't- blimey, I sound like an idiot. Don't tell anyone how much of an idiot I'm being right now."

Merlin stilled. While it's true Merlin was fighting Arianna's advances with all he got, he felt oddly betrayed with the question Gwaine was asking. He had feelings for Arianna? And it's also true, he hadn't been too forthcoming in returning Ari's affections. Of course Gwaine's wondering, Ari's such a great girl but she's suppose to be Merlin's… suppose to? Gods, Merlin wanted to choose that for himself so bad. Would he be fighting this internal battle if the girl hadn't placed these ideas in his mind?

And his mind went in the opposite direction of where it went earlier. Words from Ari and the Great Dragon fought around in his head.

What did Merlin even know about Arianna? Not much of anything. Surely not enough to have feelings of his own for her or claim her as his own. If she is to protect Mordred, if she is to put Arthur in even more danger… she should be someone Merlin distances himself from.

No matter Ari's promise of their future spent together.

That was his choice.

Gwaine took his silence of disapproval and began quickly to defend himself, "Mate, don't worry about it. What you and Arianna have is nothing-"

"Arianna and I are just friends," Merlin cut him off abruptly. "The visions you encountered in her journal are one of many, and they're the ones Arianna has chosen to obsess over. I feel nothing but the love of friendship with her, and she just keeps trying for something more."

Gwaine visibly relaxed then. "I don't think Arianna feels like she has a choice for the future, that she's just suppose to go with it… but I think she's realizing that she does have decisions to make."

It made no sense for the jealously Merlin felt, because as he previously thought over, there was no basis for such feelings, but the fact Gwaine clearly thought he was one of Arianna's choices didn't sit right with him. Maybe it just felt good to be idolized for once… and that was no reason to keep her from Gwaine.

"You would be a good choice- the best choice in fact. I can only see us ending in bloodshed and betrayal, but she is too blinded by the promise of not being alone to see that. Gwaine, you need to show her all her choices," Merlin told him this in a low voice, trying not to displaying any emotions that he was feeling, that he surely didn't want to feel.

"Then why are you here?" He asked and Merlin sighed inwardly. Couldn't he just accept his words and move on? Merlin didn't want to think any more of this.

"She's my friend. I would do the same thing for you or Arthur," he answered, a little short.

Gwaine nodded just once at that, looking thoughtfully into the fire, and Merlin put in, "I'll take over now. You get some rest."

But Gwaine just rolled his eyes, "Barely any time has passed at all. You are no good to any of us with out rest. We need a clear mind and a sharp tongue if we're going to get through this with Morgana, so you just go on and settle back down in that tree right there. I'm watching."

Merlin of course knew Gwaine was right. He was exhausted and he needed his strength for whatever Morgana through at them.


When Gwaine let Merlin get the first sleep, he had thought the next morning would ensure in a battle between Merlin and Morgana, for the safety of Arianna.

He didn't expect Morgana to bring Arianna to them. They heard her body hit the ground somewhere surrounding their camp, though unknowing at that point it was her, but it was dark and they couldn't see.

Both him and Merlin were prepared for an attack.

So, when they found Arianna laying lifeless in a tattered dress by a tree, reminiscent to the day they found her just weeks ago, it sent a shock of panic through their bodies.


Well… there's that. It's been almost a year, but better late than never? I nearly gave it up, but I was rereading it a couple weeks ago and I was remembering all the ideas I had for it… I put so much hard work in it and I decided I couldn't just give it up like that. Of course, there are chunks of the story I don't remember what I had planned, but I think I can work it out as I go along lol let me know what you think! xx Anna

ps. title from Lightweight by Demi Lovato bc she has mad talent. And question, y'all know to pronounce Arianna like Ari-ahh-nna, right? That thought just occurred to me lol