Here is part twelve. It's almost over people. I'm afraid there is another big cliffhanger. I apologize in advance. Thank you to all those who reviewed. I really appreciated it. Please enjoy!
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Part Twelve
Merlin woke up to find himself in the physicians chambers. He felt a little pain in his left side, but felt more pain from his head which pounded harder with every movement. An even sharper pain pulsed from his carefully wrapped wrist. Merlin pushed himself up into a sitting position with his good hand trying to remember what had happened.
He easily remembered Agravaine attacking him and the chemical being shoved into his face as well as breaking his wrist. Everything was a little fuzzy after that, but he remembered Arthur saving him and Leon saving Arthur, but couldn't seem to recall anything else.
Just then the door swung open, a disheveled Arthur and Gaius entering the room.
"Merlin," Arthur said softly with a sigh. "You're alright," he said to reassure himself.
"You should lie down," Gaius warned as he placed a bucket of water on a nearby table.
"I feel fine," Merlin said. "Just a bad headache is all."
Gaius looked at him pointedly, but didn't force him to do anything. He just handed him a couple of bottles and quickly muttered something about helping his headache and the pain in his wrist.
"What happened?" Merlin asked after guzzling down the nasty liquids.
Arthur frowned. "What do you remember?"
"Just Agravaine attacking me, you and Leon came, then nothing..." he said shaking his head back and forth slowly.
Arthur nodded briefly and paused. "He managed to get you with a dagger," Arthur said pointing to his bandaged side.
"Luckily it missed all your vital organ. More of a scratch really," Gaius cut in as he filled a cup full of water and gave it to Merlin.
"Still didn't keep you from passing out like a girl though," Arthur said smugly.
The three men started chuckling softly. When they stopped, Arthur placed a gentle arm on Merlin's shoulder but looked at Gaius.
"Will he be alright to be up and about in a couple of hours?" Arthur asked.
"He should be able as soon as the medicine kicks in. As long as it isn't hard work of course," Gaius said.
Arthur nodded briskly and patted Merlin's shoulder. "I'll be back for you in an hour or two, I need your help with something," Arthur said mysteriously before leaving.
Arthur had one thing to do, one thing he needed to do but wasn't looking forward to. He needed to talk with Agravaine.
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Morgana paced in the woods as close to Camelot as she could be without being seen by the guards. As stupid as they were, they were not blind. The sun was slowly rising, Agravaine's time was running out. It was only an hour before noon, and she was becoming restless. She quickly came up with a plan, and if Agravaine still hadn't showed in an hour with the news of Merlin's demise, she would implement it immediately.
One way or another, Merlin would die before the sun set.
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Arthur slowly made his way to the dungeons, dreading the inevitable confrontation. He ignored the sympathetic smiles from the guards who stood watch and moved to the cell his uncle was being kept in. Agravaine was stewing in a corner of the cell, but quickly stood and rushed to the cell door at the sight of Arthur. Arthur was careful to keep his face blank, but found he couldn't make himself speak.
"Arthur," Agravaine said preparing for the worst, lifting his chin proudly.
Arthur just breathed deeply, anger suddenly pulsing through him. His eyes remained steady, unblinking, as he took in his uncle and recognized him for what he was. A traitor.
"I'm sorry it had to be this way," Agravaine said, not sounding the least bit sorry.
When Arthur finally found his voice he could only manage to say one thing. "Why?"
Agravaine stared at him, unashamed of anything he had done. "I did what I had to do."
Arthur just shook his head in disbelief.
"I did it for the Lady Morgana, everything I do, I do for her."
"Why?" Arthur asked, not hiding his heartbreak.
For the first time, Agravaine looked away from Arthur. Arthur pressed him for answers, but Agravaine was apparently done talking. Agravaine didn't look guilty or shameful in the least. He had already accepted his fate and didn't want to spend his last days explaining. Arthur gave up and left his uncle, brokenhearted and with few answers. He hoped maybe his uncle would explain his actions soon, but had a feeling he would never truly understand.
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Merlin felt a lot better a while after Arthur had left. Merlin still felt a fog filling his mind and tried to get it to go away. Gaius had left a while ago, summoned by the court of councilors, leaving him to walk around and clear his head from its haze. When Arthur walked through the door, it didn't escape Merlin's notice that Arthur had a crestfallen look on his face that told him his talk with his uncle hadn't gone well.
"Arthur," Merlin began, trying to comfort him.
"Don't, Merlin," Arthur said stopping him. "I'll be fine." Merlin waited in silence for a moment while Arthur collected himself. When he looked up again, he was smiling. "Come on Merlin. We have work to do."
"What are we doing?" Merlin asked as he started to follow Arthur.
Arthur just smiled, and Merlin knew he wasn't going to like it. Whatever it was.
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Merlin tried to get Arthur to tell him what they were doing, but got nothing more than they were going to the throne room. For what purpose Merlin had no idea. When they finally made it to the throne room, Merlin found all the members of council there including Gaius. Gwen was also there, though no one was talking with her. Arthur stopped briefly by the door, Merlin at his side.
"Arthur... why are all the councilors here?" Merlin asked nervously.
Arthur stopped and looked at him. He looked a little guilty, as if what he was about to do was bad. "Just trust me, please," Arthur said.
Merlin didn't want to, but nodded his head and followed Arthur into the room.
"Good afternoon Councilors. There are a few things I would like to announce," Arthur said after he had gathered them around the table, but most stood. "I hope to show you just how good magic can be," Arthur said. This sent a few moans and murmurings throughout the room, but Arthur continued. "I want to show you that Merlin here doesn't have me under some enchantment or spell."
Merlin started to get really nervous. "Arthur?" He asked quietly, trying to get an idea of where he was going with this.
"How exactly can you prove to us, that this boy isn't controlling you?" One of the councilors asked.
Arthur drew himself up and looked at all of the men. He left his gaze on Merlin, with apologetic eyes. "I will prove it by doing something he would never have me do. I will prove it by arresting him." Arthur said.
Merlin's eyes widened. "What?" he exclaimed.
Several other councilors had similar reactions. Arthur looked at Merlin pointedly, and Merlin remembered that Arthur had asked him to trust him. He collected himself and accepted whatever Arthur was doing. No matter how crazy. Arthur started to motion a couple of guards forward to arrest Merlin, when the doors burst open with searing winds and a loud crash as the large wooden doors hit the stone walls. All eyes turned to see Morgana standing in the doorway, a hungry look in her eyes.
No one moved.
Morgana smiled wickedly. "Hello Arthur. Miss me?" She said as she raised her hand, and with a flash of her golden eyes, unleashed her attack.
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Well there you are. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. I will do my best to get the next chapter up soon since it is a bit of a cliff hanger. I have spring break now, and so I should have plenty of time to write and finish this before this next week is over. I know this is going to be done soon. I estimate two or three more parts, but I could be wrong. Thanks for reading!
