Merlin stomped away from the tent, very much irritated by that smooth-talking Cybrán. There was something amiss about this whole plan. It simply couldn't be that easy to topple the reign of one madman, otherwise someone would have done it long ago. But to oppose Morgana at this point would be stupid on his part. She already mistrusted him for keeping the secret of his magic. Merlin guessed that she thought that he should have reciprocated when she revealed her magic. There would be hell to pay if he didn't support her now. But why didn't Morgana understand all the risks that came with a power like his? Already he had had his fair share of magical psychopaths attempting to kill those he loved who offered him a place at their side.
"You too are a creature of the Old Religion. You should join me."
But he'd always thought he was human, flesh and blood. More like Arthur or Lancelot than Nimueh.
"Join me. Together we can rule over this land. Arthur will tremble at your voice. He will kneel at your feet."
Merlin had never wanted Arthur to tremble at his voice, or kneel at his feet. He wanted Arthur at his side, a friend. Not a slave. Cornelius Sigan had made him an offer that was easy to refuse.
"People like you and I, we must look after each other."
And yet, Edwin had turned out to be a crazed warlock, so hell-bent on revenge that he had attempted to burn Gaius alive to protect the secret of his magic from the King he wanted to punish, before Uther punished him for being a sorcerer. Merlin believed he was nothing like Edwin.
"Together we could have ruled the world."
Nimueh's final words to him; they too, meant nothing.
These phrases echoed in Merlin's head as he walked around the Druid camp. They had made promises that sounded good, to someone who was after power or position, but he wasn't interested in those things. And even if I was, he added to himself, they wouldn't be worth it after what I'd have to do to get them.
As he contemplated this, Merlin failed to notice he had reached an area of ground which was particularly rocky. He lost his footing and stumbled, sailing into the corner of a tent. He panicked, praying that the tent would not come crashing down around him. Morgana would really never forgive him then. He rolled over and found himself lying on him stomach with his head inside the tent and the rest of his body in cold, moist soil outside of it. Merlin was sure he felt something squirm beneath him. Squeamish, he tried to get up, until he heard voices and became immediately still. Mordred's warning was still fresh in his ears.
Flashes of Druids magically beating the life out of him for eavesdropping on their secret plans appeared and his breathing grew faster. Merlin struggled to remain still as the two Druids passed right by him and settled down at a table.
"Where is Cybrán now?" the woman, who was around Gaius' age, asked her male companion.
"Probably spinning a pretty tale to get that girl to join us," replied the younger man in a bored voice, rummaging through his satchel and pulling out several scrolls. "If she joins us, the boy's bound to follow like a sheep." Merlin's eyes grew wide as he realised they were discussing him and Morgana. If only they knew he didn't follow blindly, he made his own choices. Though he'd followed Morgana into this strange camp.
The woman laughed. "Of course he will follow. He is a boy and she is a beautiful girl. It's the only reason we need her, really." Her tone changed and Merlin saw her blue eyes narrow. "He has not realised our true intentions, has he?" she questioned, running her wrinkled hands through her greying hair. Mentally, Merlin kicked himself. He blamed himself for letting them get caught up with these two timing Druids.
"Of course not. Cybrán would have the head of anyone who let our plans slip. Do you remember the story of what happened last time? That wench had her tongue cut out for telling some boy about our last hiding place. From what I have been told, Emrys simply believes that he and the Seer will be helping us with information."
"Yes," mulled the woman. "But what will we do with the Seer once this plan is completed? She is too useful to kill, surely? I'm sure Cybrán will find a use for her. He's a resourceful bastard." Merlin noted this seeming derisive attitude they harboured towards the other Druid: he was in charge, apparently, but they disliked him. However, it was nothing compared to Morgana's hatred for Uther.
The man stowed his scrolls away after making a few additions in black ink. "Indeed. Her destiny is to have a place at the side of one of our own Druids, to rule when we take Camelot. And Emrys shall be on his other side, once we have used his power to destroy the last of the Pendragons."
The last of the Pendragons, Merlin thought, shocked. But that would be...Arthur. They had been plotting to kill all the Pendragons, not one despot King. They wanted to use Merlin and Morgana to do it. They wanted revenge.
Merlin pushed himself upright, leaving scratches across one cheek where he had crawled back from under the tent. Mordred was waiting outside the tent that Morgana had gone into so willingly, so unaware of the very real danger they were putting their friends in. It was his turn to glare at Mordred and he did so with pleasure. "You're going to go inside right now, and get Morgana for me. Now!" he ordered, wanting to get her out of this mess immediately. Mordred raised his eyebrows at Merlin condescendingly."As you wish Emrys."
Obligingly, he disappeared and moments later returned with Morgana. She was much happier than a few moments ago, but Merlin supposed that listening to plots to kill the person you hated most in the world could only make you feel better, rather than worse. "Merlin! What do you want?"
He pulled on her arm and led her away from the young Druid who was watching him suspiciously. "Listen to me, Morgana. I've just heard something from some other Druids. I was eavesdropping and I-"
"Eavesdropping!" she interrupted. Merlin glanced around nervously to see if anyone else could hear.
"Shh, keep your voice down please. I don't want anyone to hear this. I heard them and they want to kill Arthur."
Morgana laughed scornfully. "Arthur? Please. It's Uther they're after, not Arthur."
"No, they want to destroy all the Pendragons so they, Druids, can rule the land. We have to leave."
Her eyes widened and she took a step back. "Leave? I don't want to leave, Merlin. We have an opportunity to save the people of Camelot and you want to throw it away because of something you supposedly 'heard'?" Her beautiful hands made quotation marks around the word 'heard'. Merlin's heart sank as he realised she didn't believe him.
"You have to believe me Morgana, I'm looking out for you. You can't do this to Arthur, he's practically your brother."
"I have to believe you? You've been lying to me this whole time, so you're not exactly a candidate for truth telling...you know what really makes me mad? I could have had someone to confide in, to help me with my power and you kept yours a secret from me. I was alone. Do you know how cold it is, when you can't talk to anyone because they'll tell you it's just dreams, or nonsense, or that you're insane? I don't think you do. And now you're siding with Uther Pendragon against me. You have betrayed my trust and I can't hold you to a single thing you say!"
Merlin stared at Morgana. Everything was going hideously wrong and it was his fault. He shouldn't have lied; it just made everything harder now that he was telling the truth. But he'd saved her life, didn't that prove something? It ought to have shown her that he was on her side, but still she didn't believe him.
"You know what, Morgana? Fine. You stay here with these Druids and plot to kill your friends. But I'm going home to Camelot, and I'm going to find a way to stop you. I'm going to save Arthur, because that is my destiny. If you think it's your destiny to bring him down, then by all means, try to kill the future King. But I will stop you." It was hurting him, to deliver such harsh words to her but it was his only chance of successfully convincing her to leave this madness behind.
It appeared to have worked. She swayed on the spot, surprised and reached out for him. "Merlin," she whispered. "Please stay with me." He looked into her eyes and relented. Everything he had just heard was lie, because it was impossible that anyone but the angel standing before him was telling the truth. Then, as Merlin was about to clasp her hands in his, he saw Mordred smirking in the background, and he felt determination to protect Arthur rise in his chest. He pulled his hands away and walked away from her, his heart breaking with every step he took.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Gwen was on her way to the castle when she saw a lone figure on a horse coming towards the gates of the city. Peering up at them in the afternoon sun, she recognised the face as Arthur's. "Arthur!" she exclaimed. "Where are you going? Have you found them?" she exclaimed, then realised her mistake. "Err, Merlin. Have you found Merlin?" She hurried to crush the rising hopes welling up in the form of tears in her eyes.
Arthur looked down at her and averted his eyes when he saw she was on the verge of tears. What must he think of me, Gwen asked herself, being such a woman, crying every five minutes. Weak, lonely Guinevere. Pathetic. He couldn't possibly know what she was thinking but his reassuring smile reached out to her.
"I'm going out to search for Merlin. He does so many incredibly idiotic things that someone is bound to have noticed him. Then I'm going to bring him back, and after I've killed him, we'll all get back to normal." As Arthur said this, a shadow passed over his face.
"There won't be a normal," Gwen murmured, so low she was almost sure Arthur didn't hear her. She spoke her next sentence louder. "Please return soon and safe."
"I promise, Guinevere. I'm not going to leave you," he said, as he galloped away. The other three, she thought, as he rode away from her, the other three promised me the exact same thing. Arthur was thinking very much the same, hoping that those wouldn't just be empty words for her. He'd felt pain and grief when a fellow knight was killed in battle. It did nothing for his mental health to know that those men were probably placing themselves in the line of danger for him, but it was something he knew was unavoidable in some situations. Over the years, he had managed to distance himself somewhat from feeling those crushing emotions when someone near to him died, but Morgana's death had broken down his carefully built barrier. He had wept silent tears over her, ones that he was glad Merlin was not here to see.
Arthur was about to take his normal track into the forest, when he spotted something in his peripheral vision. On closer observation, it was a small scrap of fabric. Red, like that ridiculous neckerchief that Merlin insisted on wearing every day. It was so noticeable amongst the deep greens of the tree that he was amazed bandits hadn't spotted it and gone after Merlin. Shaking his head at his friend, Arthur tore the fabric from the twigs that had snared it and kicked his horse into motion. There would be hell to pay when Uther realised he was missing. It was precisely this reason that he had not told anyone except Guinevere where he was headed. His father didn't understand friendship, anyway.
His father didn't have a friend in the world.