Bubzchoc: SO very glad you enjoyed it! What have you thought of this one and it's prequel (Prequel, right?) so far?
MerlinMorgana1579: I guess we'll see, but we all know the saying, "You can rest when you're dead"... ;) Glad you liked the conversation! BAHAHAHhahahaha *Snorts in laughter* The addition to his nose, yes, that minor detail... Ouch. I hope it scars - and badly. *Evil chuckle* She is good-ish, for now... This is a few months after Freya, if you recall. And just situations have altered the course of a few things, so it went away from the rest of season 2's plot... obviously... And he is! *Grins* Nope, I think the spell worked, at least, for now...
Alaia Skyhawk: Wait no longer... ;) xD For here it 'tis. This story is slowly wrapping up now, though, so, just a few more chapters to go...!
Hannah Lynn McDonald: No worries, no worries, *Laughing* It's just coming together now is all! You'll see, you'll see...
The following morning, Arthur stood at his father's side. The visiting king and queen looked tired, Arthur couldn't help but notice. He kept back his pleasure at that fact, masking it with a look of business as his father spoke to the people in the large room.
"Today, is an historic day!" The crowd clapped. Uther raised a hand, smiling motioning for the people to be silent. They waited for him to go on. "Over the past few days, as most of you know, we have aquired a remarkable ally in the fight against magic." He turned and beamed at Jezebell and Andrew. They smiled back. Jezebell stifled a yawn. Arthur smirked ever so slightly-just a little.
Uther continued. "Today, a socerer is arriving. Tomorrow at midday, he will be executed. This execution; for the crime of sorcery, will serve as an example, and will be a victory for all of Camelot. The sorcerer arrives within the hour!" Uther announced. More clapping.
Arthur clapped along with the rest of them, but his gaze traveled the people in the room until his eyes met Merlin's.
Merlin clapped, and his gaze traveled to Arthur, their eyes meeting. The Finder; Merlin remembered when the rings had been given to Uther, they had said they'd been 'blessed' by 'The Finder'. And now, what, they were executing the man that helped them? He couldn't help but let the word betrayal float through his mind.
Arthur nodded slowly, as a signal to Merlin that the sleep-spell had worked. Since he was closer the king and queen, he could see the dark circles under their eyes, and hear their muffled yawns even without looking. He waited, listening as his father continued to speak. His mind was not on the words though.
He was thinking of all of their plans. They had to get the crystals from Jezebell and Andrew. Beyond that, they had to get the rings from Uther-or... something. He would speak to Merlin about it once this meeting was over.
"If all of you would join in witness, we will head to the courtyard," Uther announced.
Arthur nodded, moving perhaps a bit too quickly, and getting an odd look from his father. He turned and quietly stated, "I'm simply excited to have such an opportunity in the fight against magic, Father." Uther seemed to take this as truth, and nodded, patting his son's shoulder and saying,
"Yet again, you surprise me, Arthur, and I could not be more proud."
Arthur nodded, then turned, heading into the moving crowd as they all moved out of the room toward the courtyard. The prince scanned the crowd and quickly caught sight of Merlin. He walked toward him, quickly catching up.
Merlin followed after the crowd, his hands behind his back, clasped. He looked at Arthur as he came beside him. "The supposed sorcerer - do you remember when Jezebell and Andrew showed the rings? Do you remember what they said? What do you think it means?" he asked, 'whispering'.
Arthur's face was solemn as he spoke. "Honestly?" He sighed and shook his head. "I think it goes right along with what we know of them-everything they do is trickery and guile. I'd say betrayal isn't far from a reality. You seem to have an oppinion on it... tell me, what do you think?"
"And I believe they tricked him into helping them. I also believe that if that is true, than we should help him, like we helped Kalian... If, for different reasons."
Arthur nodded, grimacing at the memory. "Yes... the situation with Kalian was..." he shook his head, "...a bit awkward." He'd been turned into a mouse, and only Kalian had known the spell to un-mouse him. Luckily, everything had turned out well, and he was himself-not a mouse. Arthur contemplated what Merlin suggested. "We'll see I suppose. What if he isn't who he seems? What if he's not like you? What if he actually willingly assisted them, knowing what they intended?" Arthur asked.
Merlin's eyes darkened briefly. "Then we don't let him continue to harm people. Murderers shouldn't be treated with more respect because of the tools they wield. If that were so, would it not be the same for any man who fought with a sword, or bow? Would that be right, for a swordsman to be set free, despite his crimes? Set free by another swordsman because of the weapons they mastered?" Merlin looked as they approached a cage. He could see someone inside of it, but the man wore a hood, blocking his face from view. Merlin waited, not daring to blink.
Arthur nodded. "Sometimes Merlin... you really do say things that truly resemble wisdom. Not that you're wise..." he stated, bumping his shoulder against Merlin. Of course, the warlock was right. Depending on the reasons and the ACTUAL crimes of the man, they would be the real factors in his life or death, whether Uther knew it or not. "I suppose when he is taken to the dungeon that you'll speak with him?" he asked.
"Of course," Merlin replied. On the other comment, though... "You know, Arthur, what I would do to have your 'all knowing wisdom'," he said sarcastically, "Back-handed compliments and thickheaded comments..."
Arthur grinned, realizing this was the first time they'd teased in days... or it felt like it. He missed his manservant's endless bantering. He slapped the back of Merlin's head and chuckled. "I am NOT thickheaded, and you should be honored that I compliment you at all," he said as they walked through to courtyard toward the procession of people leading a cage-like-wagon.
"Honored... if that's a compliment, then..." Merlin scoffed, leaving the sentence hanging. He fixed his hair from the state it had become after Arthur hit him on the head, that being flicking up into what looked like black horns.
Arthur nodded, keeping back a grin. His attention re-focused as his father reached the cage. The lone inhabitant of the cage stood at the edge of the cage, then paced to the opposite side, and back, like a trapped tiger. He-The Finder-wore all black, as well as a black hood that blocked his face from view. He seemed to be completely ignoring the people around the cage.
******UTHER*******
The king stepped in front of the cage, staring inside at the man. He smirked, then turned around. "Let this serve as a lesson to all. This man, 'The Finder', is adjudged guilty of conspiring to use enchantments and magic. And, pursuant to the laws of Camelot, I, Uther Pendragon, have decreed that such practices are banned on penalty of death. I pride myself as a fair and just king, but for the crime of sorcery, there is but one sentence I can pass." Yes, perhaps that speech was a little overused. But it served him well enough. "Tomorrow at sundown -"
Arthur watched when suddenly, the whole situation changed in a moment.
The prisoner moved to the edge of the cage in the blink of an eye. Shackled hands shot through the bars in an instant, and the chain that bound the hands of the Finder, moved around Uther's neck, and yanked the king of Camelot toward the bars of the cage, seeming for all intents and purposes to be attempting to pull the king THROUGH the bars.
"Tomorrow at sundown... what?" the Finder hissed.
Merlin flinched forward, and for some reason paused. A voice in the back of his head told him to let it happen, to let him die, but that would make him no better than Uther himself. So he tried to find a way to get Uther out of the situation.
Uther's gagging filled the area, and the knights jumped into action, trying to pull their king away from The Finder. It wasn't working. How strong was that man, anyway?
The Finder gave no evidence of letting go, if not for one reason, then another. Mostly because, with so many knights pulling back on their king, to let go at the wrong moment would probably get his hands broken, the other reason, and far more important-he'd very much like to see the king's bones broken enough to fit into the cage...
So, using leverage, and extreme amounts of strength, he kept pulling. Now, Uther's face was jammed between the bars-sandwiched there, and looked rather stupid-'Not that his usual face is any better,' The Finder mused to himself. The chains around his wrists had extreme pressure on them now... he was fairly confident his wrists were bleeding-it didn't matter, if he was going to die anyway-murdered pointlessly, he may as well take Uther Pendragon with him
Merlin decided. He would try and talk him down, if that didn't work... Well, there was only one other option - magic. Forget the consequences, it was still Arthur's father.
The young warlock wormed his way through the crowd, stumbling through the front. "Please! This won't solve anything - This just proves Uth- the King right about magic. Please," Merlin said, putting his hands in front of him non-threateningly. "Don't make this harder than it has to be. You always have another choice, a better choice," he said, and he hoped that The Finder understood his hidden meaning.
The Finder's gaze shifted from Uther's squished face to Merln's calm gaze. He heard the words of the young man, then responded. "What does this prove about magic? It proves only that I can kill a man without just as simply as I can..." he pulled Uther farther, "...with it!" He spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. "What... Uther Pendragon... is my crime? Being born?" he turned his attention back to the king, who mostly just gagged.
The Finder looked up, noticing that several people-mostly knights, were begining to gather crossbows. Being shot was better than being hanged-still, he planned on living a bit longer, so he pulled Uther up, using him as a bit of a shield.
Arthur had also rushed forward, stopping a bit away. He didn't know what to do. He watched as Merlin began speaking to The Finder. Perhaps he had been right-maybe the Finder was a criminal-then again, it was entirely possible that he was simply angry at Uther-the king, for the sentence he'd given, when the man may have been completely innocent before.
"Father!" Arthur called, again moving forward. The knights stopped him though, telling him he would be 'safer' if he stayed back. His gaze shot to Merlin in desperation. Though his father was wrong, he still didn't wish him dead... he was family.
Merlin let out a breath, letting his arms drop as he turned sideways, then forwards again, lifting his arms for hand motions, "Maybe it proves nothing about magic, but then it proves him right about you. That you deserve your sentence," he tried not to think to hard about the truth in The Finder's words, about his only crime, being born. It was painfully familiar. "You don't have to be a murderer. If you do this, you'll be as at fault as he is." People seemed surprised by the servant speaking up, and the nobles standing around looked almost indignant.
For a moment, Merlin caught Arthur's eye. Blue eyes held a promise; one way or another, Merlin would keep Uther alive.
The Finder stared at Merlin through cold eyes. Even with the magic-blocking cuff, he could sense the magic the other possessed. Why would he protect Uther? "I can never be as much at fault as..." he jerked Uther forward, "...he is. He murdered hundreds of people... children... women... how can I excuse him? As he sentences me, should I not sentence him? I know why he does what he does... many do. I didn't kill your beloved wife... and the cause of her death... really, isn't that on you, Sire?" he asked, again turning his question to the king.
Arthur's eyes shot open even farther. What did The Finder mean by that? Was there a meaning, or was he simply trying to insite dissention in the kingdom? Arthur moved forward, one step at a time. He trusted Merlin... surely Merlin would do something.
Merlin narrowed his eyes. What was that supposed to mean? He pushed it away. "One is a hundred and a hundred is one. Yes, he is guilty of that," Merlin could already picture himself in the stocks for that last admission, "But for someone out there, that 'one' could be their world. That one person could be all that someone has left for family. Don't think about Uther - what about Arthur? Or the Lady Morgana?"
"What of them?" The Finder asked. He didn't know them. Even as he asked though, his gaze swept over the people of the court. He knew prince Arthur-who didn't. He looked worried, but not angry. He, unlike the others, hadn't drawn a weapon. From there, he looked across the large space toward the Lady Morgana-he assumed it was her anyway-green velvet dress, dark hair that fell over her shoulder in waves.
He looked back to the servant who spoke to him-the one with magic... stronger than any he'd ever felt... meaning... he wondered, 'Emrys?'
In that moment, he released his hold on Uther, and the king dropped, being pulled by the knights, who were unready. The king fell, and his face landed with a crack on the stone ground. The man in the cage couldn't stifle a small laugh at the groan from Uther as blood gushed from his nose.
Merlin let out a quiet breath. 'The one and only,' he quipped. 'Maybe I should just get that put on a tunic - Emrys. Everyone seems to know it anyway,' he thought to himself, and amusement gleamed in his eyes momentarily. 'Thank you - I, - what's your name?' because surely The Finder was more like a title.
The Finder, who was now mentally holding a conversation with Merlin, looked him straight in the eye, 'Flynn... I'd say pleasure to meet you... but if this was to be how we met, I'd rather not have met... no offense, of course.'
Arthur sighed in relief and rushed forward, coming to his father's side and helping him up. Uther hissed a curse at The Finder. He looked livid. Arthur understood why, but figured that Uther should have known that would happen someday. He helped his father away from the scene, and looked back at Merlin, nodding gratefully. He would leave Merlin to talk to the sorcerer... after the knights moved him to the cells that is.
Merlin nodded once to Arthur, before he faded into the background of the small gathering of people, and continued to speak to Flynn. 'None taken. Believe me, saving Uther was not my reasoning. If it were in different times, I'd have let him die.' For a moment he remembered the first time he had spoken to The Great Dragon, remembered telling him that he would help anyone who wished to kill Arthur. He smirked.
'Perhaps these different times will come soon. I speak for all those like us when I say-Uther Pendragon would not be missed, and if he were to die by my hand... I'd consider it an accomplishment.'
He was interrupted as the door to the cage was flung open and six knights dragged him out, not being gentle about it either. He was pulled, pushed, and shoved in the direction he assume the dungeon must have been in. He spared a moment to glance back, making eye contact with Emrys, before being shoved forward again. He morbidly wondered how he was to be executed-fire? He hoped not. Hanging? Not exactly pleasant either. Or possibly beheading? Eh, at least it was faster than the others... though one could still see and hear for several seconds after their head was severed from their body-disgusting, but true.
'Perhaps,' Merlin replied after a pause. He would go to the cells later, after he'd spoken with Arthur, and maybe even Gaius. The gangly man started off towards the physicians room, where he assumed both Uther and Arthur would be. He winced. Maybe he wouldn't get thrown into the stocks, after all, the good outweighed the bad, right...? He winced again.