Chapter XII: A life for a life
127
That day Merlin was mourning, all of that month he always mourned. Merlin always felt that one day wasn't enough for what happened, those days he always felt like a ghost of himself, right now, after all this time he still felt like part of him was missing.
"Well, aren't we dressed handsome today?" Merlin turned his head and looked at Morgana whom was dressed black like him. Merlin just rubbed his head.
"I didn't have anything else clean today." The Warlock lied annoyed. He was a little bit touchy today (and all month).
"You are dressed like if you were going to a funeral, Merlin…"
"Maybe I am…" He answered non-committal. He was dressing with his formal clothes he used when the Court was being held and his leather boots that reached his knee. He had concealed the Pendragon standard, because he needn't people asking him about the clothes. "Why are you dressing like that, too?"
"I didn't like any other colour today. I have been dreaming and when I wake up upset, I can't remember my dreams."
"Yeah, I know exactly how you feel."
"How bad will come this time?" They looked at each other. Cold wind surrounded them.
"Bad…" Emrys stated calm, looking at the horizon.
"That's what I thought." Morgana sighed filled with resignation.
128
The Questing Beast, Gods help us all. When Arthur came with a very ashen Alvin tailing not so far behind to break the news about a Beast, roaming in Camelot; Merlin feared for the worst.
Uther was being Uther and dismissed Gaius' warning as an "old wife tale." Merlin wanted nothing but to sedate Arthur until the Questing Beast picked a prey other than the Once and Future King, but he didn't even open his mouth to beg Arthur to forget about the Beast, to let the knights handle it, the Beast would take a life and leave, because no man or beast could defeat it. He watched in pain the King and his son leave the room.
"It seems that the old adage is true… Misery does love company." Gaius didn't say anything; he only looked at his apprentice. "Morgana is going to have a field day with this." Irony? Most certainly…
129
"You don't want to be King, do you?" Arthur turned back, a little startled; finding Merlin dressed like one of the men in his father court. His really short hair was all dishevelled, but his clothes impeccable and his black boots shinning, leaning at the frame of his door.
"Don't you ever knock?"
"I'm afraid I will die with this quirk…" Arthur wanted to snort, but Merlin's face was all serious and tormented.
"And what is all about that I don't want to be King? Of course I want to be King! It will be an honour to serve the people of Camelot."
"I… Arthur, I know your father, the King tends to turn a blind eye to everything that is magic and he cannot combat, but… you are walking to your death… one bite…" He whispered with his voice faltering. "One little graze and your life will be his to claim. Please Arthur, I'm begging you; don't make me watch you die. If you don't want to do it for me, because you hate me, that's ok… but then do it for your people. What good will you be to them if you are dead?"
"Your faith in me is astounding, Merlin."
"You are going to let me all alone, again, aren't you?" Merlin whispered with regret, when the Crown Prince left the Room, but Arthur heard it. He only thought one thing: again?
130
He was watching Arthur and the knights get ready to go and find the Beast, he had bespelled Lancelot's sword so he could get out alive, even if he knew that the Questing Beast was directly going for Arthur… he wanted to cry but he couldn't, he didn't know why. He certainly wanted nothing more but to hold to the blonde and cry.
That moment Morgana appeared all crazy, completely lost in the Seer's loop, he bit his lip; he thought the potion he had fed the ward would last after Arthur had departed, he was wrong. She threw herself to Arthur, sinking his nails in his armour; hurting herself, begging him not to go; not to leave her alone.
"Please, Arthur. Don't, please!" She urged him so distressed; her hair was a bird's nest, her clothes wrinkled and her forehead was sweating cold.
"Morgana, calm yourself down! I'm going to be fine; everything is going to be fine!"
Liar… Merlin wanted to scream at the Crown Prince.
"No! No…!" The Seer whispered "I HAVE SEEN YOU DIE! DON'T GO!" Arthur kissed her in her temple and Merlin appeared taking her away from the Prince.
"Morgana, stop, you are hurting yourself." Merlin tried to calm the outrageous ward that was still wailing in his arms trying to reach out for Arthur.
"YOU ARE SENDING YOUR ONLY SON TO HIS DEATH!" Morgana screamed at the King lost in the seer's madness. Merlin caught his friend before the King could do something that everyone was going to live to regret. "HAVE YOU NO HEART?! ARTHUR! ARTHUR!"
Arthur knew that moment, dead certain. He was not going to come back alive.
"Hush, Morgana, hush…" He whispered brokenly to her friend, trying to get her to stop fighting him, without avail.
Uther looked at the Physician's Apprentice fighting with Morgana, trying to avoid she throwing herself to follow Arthur; it was a sight to behold: the peasant took her by her arms and shook her, telling her to wake up… she hugged him, he winced in pain because of the strong and sudden hold; his eyes crossed by coincidence. He cowered before those eyes… those were the eyes of a man… of a King whom had seen the future and there was nothing left but to resign to the foretold fate. Uther believed for a moment those deep blue ponds would flash gold in any given moment from now.
131
Lancelot appeared in the Court Physician's Room with the Crown Prince in his arms barely alive, Leon was behind clearly distressed. The future first knight was crying, but his face remained impassive.
"He, he was…"
"He was bitten, I know…" Merlin finished the sentence for Lancelot and then ordered them to lay Arthur in the bed.
"There is…?"
"Nothing I can do. No even magic could bring him back." Lance nodded, putting a hand in the Warlock's shoulder, offering comfort. From all of them, Merlin was the person closest to Arthur. If he, that was nothing more but a knight; was feeling like there was no tomorrow. He couldn't fathom the pain in Merlin's heart.
Morgana was the first to appear; she threw herself at Arthur and began to yell and cry, holding his barely alive body, while Gaius tried to pry her away from the body so he could treat it. The King followed a few minutes after, asking the Physician if there was something he could do about his son, there was nothing left for the Once and Future King.
132
Merlin was still sitting on a chair; he had not slept in the last few days… Arthur had maybe three days left if they were lucky. He watched his Prince waste away, he had never felt so impotent in his life, he could go and ask Nimueh for the cup but he was not going to give his mother's life for Arthur, again. Arthur may be the most important person in the yet to be created Albion, but his mother was sacred to him. If he was to going to see her die, it would be with all her hair white and wrinkles adorning her pretty face; he couldn't in good conscience, sit back and watch her die.
"My boy… you need to sleep, you have barely eaten… or moved from that chair, there is nothing you could have done or do. Please Merlin… I wouldn't want to see you following Arthur." He looked at his mentor, blank. His tears had dried, not even Morgana was able to cry anymore; she had locked herself in her room, not even allowing the King to see her. Her dreams were spiralling out of control. He knew what she saw in her dreams; he took part of the burn because of the necklace, he wanted it that way; it wasn't fair for Morgana to suffer that alone, so he did the next best thing… he cried with her and hold her at night.
Gaius forced him to sleep, or tried to… the best the Physician could do, was to throw him in his bed and let him there. In his cold bed, hours later; he saw the light. Even if he wasn't the High Priest, he was a High Priest, it would work. It had to…
133
Uther was holding court as per usual, he was worried about his son; but he had a kingdom to run. Everything was perfectly normal until the door burst open, revealing a middle age man, with bright red hair and bleak green eyes. He was dressed with a simple black tunic and walked bared footed with a cup in his hands that brought memories he always tried to squash the best he could.
"Who are you?" The King demanded.
"Who I am is irrelevant. I have come with a cure for the Once and Future King, Arthur Pendragon." Every single person in the room shut up.
"You tell lies; there is no cure for a bite of the Questing Beast."
"You always have been a blind man, Uther. It was your short sight that made you lose sweet and beloved Queen Igrane and it will be the same that will make you lose your son."
"How you dare to speak of her! Arrest this man! NOW!" All the knights threw themselves at the man. Surprise, surprise, he was immaterial. "Sorcery!"
"You talk about magic as if it was a sin, Uther Pendragon. The only sinner walking this land is you… every path you walk withers and die… Magic will not let your son befall the same future. I have with me the Cup of Life, you will pick one sacrifice and the Once and Future King shall live until the next of your mistakes. You better be ready or I shall pick for you."
Merlin awoke in his room with a deep gasp. He sat in his bed and hid his eyes in his hands. Who? Who was going to give his life so Arthur could live? He didn't want to know, that death was going to burn in his mind and never leave again. He tried not to think that Nimueh was going mad trying to figure out whom was the one using the Cup of Life.
134
"I supposed you have selected someone?" At the Sorcerer voice, everyone jumped. "Don't bother, I'm still not here; if you were wishfully thinking I was just going to let you burn me in the pyre, which would have not worked. Poor you… thinking that drowning children and beheading old ladies would set something right. But we are not here to be reminiscent of the past, are we?"
"You have a big mouth!" The King barked in rage. Morgana was sitting on the floor like wanting to see what Uther will do to someone that he couldn't touch.
"I am the one whom is going to save the future and rightful Monarch of this land; I can have any leeway I want. It's a shame you will not be here to see how different things could have been. I pity you, once I thought I hated you, but now I feel a deep and profound compunction; because you can't feel anything but grieve… have you picked someone or I should just take your life away and get your son crowned already?"
"You can pick anybody from the cells!" Uther was about to have a coronary.
"Of course, I should have seen that coming, always so predictable. Most of your cells are full with wrongly imprisoned magic folks, because you think you are invincible. Pick someone worth of the life of the Golden King, Uther."
135
Morgana in her whole life hadn't seen someone corner Uther so bad. He was gawking which was amazing in his own right. Who was that sorcerer? No one remembered him and someone so powerful was ought to be remembered.
"I will do it." Everyone saw a little child. It was the most beautiful child Merlin had seen in his life. She was blonde, and bouncy curls framed her pretty face when she moved. She had sad and very tired eyes. Like if the world was ganging against her, constantly.
"What!?" The father roared.
"I will do it. I will give my life if Prince Arthur lives… please, Mr Sorcerer, sire."
"Oh~ you precious, precious childe…" He mourned, trying to keep his head blank and devoid of any thoughts. He was going to commit manslaughter with malice aforethought. "Why would you forfeit your life when you are barely beginning to live yourself?" Merlin asked to the blonde child, kneeling; to get face to face.
"I don't have much to live for Mr Wizard… and I heard the story about a Great King and a Sword and peace for the land. I want to be part of this; my life will be thousands of times more worthy, knowing I made this possible." Morgana was crying and wanted nothing more than hug the, at plain sight; abused child.
"Outrageous! I will not hear more of it! Step back you… you girl!" Merlin wanted to kill the bastard that was abusing that poor angel. He looked at the man with his eyes flashing gold. Immediately the coward whom would hit and gods knew if more, children; shrieked, and ran with his tail between his rear; he controlled himself and smiled to the little girl.
"I am a worthy enough for the life of the Golden King, sire?" That broke the Warlock heart a little more.
"Your life is worth of a thousand Kings, childe. You understand what death is?"
"I will be with my mother and my brother, Mr Wizard." God bless the child… so full of hopes… so full of dreams, to have that naivety back.
"Yes, you will. I will take you to the doors of Avalon myself…" The child smiled at him as if that was the first time somebody was showing her something akin to kindness. He was doing her a favour by killing her. It was sad, it was fucking wretched. "Then drink from the Cup as much as you can… don't worry if is only a sip that you manage…" It was amazing, the cup materialized so the child could drink, she drank every single drop of the water contained in the cup. He left the cup in the floor and the chalice began to glow and wind began to blow. "Give the water to Arthur. Come with me childe, your time in this world is no more." When he lifted the child, Uther wanted to tell the guards to size him; the sorcerer looked at him like reading his mind, he said to him; very condescending:
"I'm not here Uther and neither is she. I bid you my farewell…" And with those words he disappeared in a soft blizzard, leaving a lot of people; especially the King, in awe.
136
Arthur woke up to find out Merlin sleeping very tired and very uncomfortable in a chair with half of his body in the narrow bed using his hands as a pillow. Merlin's eyes began to flutter, like guessing he was awake. The tired sleepy blue eyes of Merlin moved to his person.
"Arthur!" He said awaking completely when he saw the Once and Future King awake. "Oh thanks God you are awake!" He threw himself at the Prat and sobbed quietly in his chest, carefully of not disturb the wounded shoulder. The things he did for Arthur, seriously.
"What happened? How…" The Crown Prince was really confused. One moment he had felt how his life was his no more and next he was waking up with Merlin at his side.
"I guess you were born with the luck of a thousand fools, Arthur." Camelot's heir apparent just frowned deeply.
"What makes me so especial to survive the impossible?"
"Maybe you have a Guardian Angel?" The blonde opened his mouth to retort that stupid answer but he was thwarted, the King arrived that moment to the room.
"Arthur, my son." Arthur had never heard some much sentiment in his father's voice before.
"Father?"
"Arthur." Now he was surprised, Morgana was behind his father with some big and very ugly circles under her eyes, thinner than usual. The shocking fact was the relieved smile in her aristocrat features.
"Morgana? What happened to you? You look like hell."
"Prat." She snorted at him, smiling; channelling Merlin. "You don't look any better."
"How are you feeling Arthur?"
"A little bit sore and really stiff-y." The Prince admitted, moving in the bed trying to loosen up his muscles. Merlin went away to let the royal family enjoy that rare moments of unity.
137
"To whom do I own my life now?" Arthur asked Merlin when the Physician's Apprentice was applying a poultice on his sore shoulder. "Morgana told me, you know? Some ginger Sorcerer with green eyes."
"Then why are you asking me?"
"Do you know him?"
"Are you accusing me of cavorting with sorcerers now, Arthur?" He wanted to know what Arthur would respond to that.
"I know you 'cavort' as you so eloquently put it with them, Merlin." The warlock giggled, and Arthur couldn't believe the nerve of the stupid Physician's assistant. "It's a wonder how you are still alive."
"Watch it, Wart; someone would think you care…"
"What did I tell you about the 'Wart' thing, you insolent peasant?"
"So right… Wart is so undignified. I think I will go with Artie… don't you think, Artie?" Arthur opened his mouth but then he looked past to what Merlin was doing.
"I'm amazed by your capacities to obfuscate people. Will this be uncle Tristan all over again?" Merlin got serious all sudden.
"Yes, I do know him."
"I thought all sorcerers hated Camelot."
"I won't even deign to answer that. Well, you are ready; I will leave you so you can rest or whatever the hell is that you want to do, sire." He reached for the door in a few steps.
"Wait!"
"What?" He asked turning back with the hand still in the doorknob.
"Did you call for him?"
"I needn't to…" Damn Merlin and his cryptic answers.
TBC
