Percival
I finally reach the village of Florin. I estimate the journey to have taken around two hours of hard running and short breaks to catch my breath.
Arthur and the other Knights have come to, and sit huddled back to back, tied to one another. Many of them are gagged, including the silently fuming king. I catch his hopeful and desperate eyes, and give a small shake of the head.
A woman runs up to me, and I try to conceal the worry and anger that is at war inside of me. "Where are the others?" She asks hastily, looking behind me to check for movement.
"They are staying in Ealdor to help the villagers," I say the lie that I have been forming over the past couple hours.
"And the sorcerer?" An elderly man demands as he runs over to us.
"He's dead." I pretend that I did not see Arthur's hope crumble. He'll know the truth soon enough; and it will be much worse. "Now I demand that you let the King and the Knights go, and we will never speak of this again."
The man looks like he is going to protest, but the woman gives him a slap to the arm. "Rolan, if we don't then we'll all be hung for treason. Release them now." Rolan nods hurriedly, gathering more men and boys to cut the ropes away. "I'm so sorry," the woman insists, and I'm surprised to find absolute truth in her eyes. "Everyone was so angry and desperate. I tried to talk my husband out of it, but nothing I said did any good..."
"I believe you," I reply gruffly, leaving her without another word to join my king. "Arthur, we need to get out of here."
"Right...We need to go to Ealdor..." Arthur replies, looking out towards where the distant village lies.
"No, Arthur, we need to get back to Camelot," I press in a quiet voice, trying to make sure that the Florin villagers do not hear.
"Percival, Hunith must be devastated...And I have to make sure that she knows that I didn't cause this."
"Arthur," I whisper regretfully. "Hunith is dead."
The King's eyes grow wide in shock and remorse. "No...No, this was never meant to happen! And...It is my fault, isn't it? It's my fault that Merlin is dead -" I interrupt him with a small shake of the head.
"We can't speak of this here; we have to get back to Camelot."
Gwaine
We left Ealdor an hour ago, after Merlin and Mary carefully buried Hunith in her garden. Merlin created beautiful flowers to cover the grave, and Mary placed stones all around it. I had stood at a distance and watched, not wanting to anger Merlin further by getting any closer.
I had hoped that the tears rolling down Merlin's cheeks meant that he had come back to himself, and this nightmare would be over. But he soon regained his composure and told me it was time to leave.
"Merlin, where are we going?" I ask for the hundredth time, hurrying my horse after my friend's. Friend - can I still consider Merlin that? Is he really still my friend? I'm not sure who is in his body, but I do know for a fact that it is not the man who helped me all of those years ago.
This time Merlin pulls his horse to a halt before twisting in his saddle to fix me with a glare. "I do not require your accompaniment, Gwaine," He says in a slow, calculated tone. "I would, however, wish for you to remain with me. But let me make something clear for you: if you are going to follow me, you will do so with unquestioning trust. Do you understand that?"
"Yes," I reply after a pause, trying to see beyond the darkness in Merlin's eyes.
"Good," he responds with a little smirk before kicking his horse back into a canter.
Arthur
When we reach Camelot, we are all exhausted. But anxious curiosity has been burning inside of me ever since I talked to Percival in Florin, so I gather him, Elyan, Leon, Gwen, and Gaius in my chambers to discuss the matter.
Once the door has been locked and Gwen and Gaius have been updated as far as I could tell, I turn to Percival. "Now, what happened after that?"
He sighs, rubbing a hand across his face as he slumps in his chair at my table. "I went with the villagers of Florin and traitorous knights to Ealdor, hoping I could help Merlin get out before he got himself killed...I don't know exactly what happened, but I saw him run out from hiding as the others were questioning the people of Ealdor. Before I could get to Merlin Sir. Geredick was on top of him, and then Merlin sent him flying back. Everyone was at a standstill, then. Until...Until Asher tried the hit Merlin with an arrow from behind -"
Gwen bursts into tears, seeking comfort in Gaius's arms. The old man's face is blank in shock. Or maybe it's cold fury - either would make sense right now. Leon and Elyan stand in silence, listening with their eyes fixed on the floor. I lean against my bed frame, eyes fixed on Percival's and heart beating hastily in my chest.
"Out of nowhere, Hunith jumped between the arrow and Merlin's back. There was no time; it hit her in the heart before I had even realized what had happened."
"Goodness...No..." Gwen whispers, shaking her head in horror, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"And then utter chaos, everywhere. It was like something inside of Merlin just...broke...He fell to the ground and started screaming, and everyone was sent flying back and I got knocked out."
"It sounds like Morgana," Leon says quietly.
"No," I insist, shaking my head vehemently. "No, Merlin is nothing like Morgana. He is a good man with a good heart. He would never hurt anybody on purpose. He was in shock, he must not have been thinking straight."
"If only you had been thinking like before you sentenced him to death. None of this would have happened," Gwen challenges, her eyes piercing mine. I tear mine away from hers, fixing them instead on an imperfection in the floor.
"Arthur, if only you had seen it...He was horrible. When I woke up, Merlin was standing over me, and his eyes seemed dead. He treated me like an enemy, and called you a coward and said all of it was your fault. And he gave me a message for you."
Merlin
I don't hesitate before I blast the doors open to the castle where Morgana is currently residing. It was not hard to find her. With a simple locating spell, I could feel the exact location where her magic pulsates, calling to me like a dark monster.
Guards run to stop me, but I mindlessly push them away with magic, not needing a verbal spell. The rundown castle is echoing with cries and warnings, but I pay them no heed as I make my way to the throne room, Gwaine trailing behind me with an irritating amount of uncertainty.
The throne room doors blast inward before me, revealing Morgana, who is rising from her throne in surprise. I give her a malicious smile, keeping to my brisk pace.
She cackles, reclining lazily back into her throne. "Merlin, have my guards honestly sounded the warning bell because of you? Or are you merely the distraction?" She smirks, nodding to two guards who flank either side of the room.
"Broo hnecca," I say, not even looking to the two men who are running for me with swords drawn. There is a loud snapping sound as their heads are forced to the side, breaking their necks before they even land on the ground.
"Merlin!" Gwaine's shocked shout echoes through the room, and I pull my arm away before he can grab it.
Morgana's eyes are wide, and yes, I realize with a smirk; she is cowering in her stone throne. "Emrys," She whispers, shaking.
"Morgana," I reply icily, striding forward. I raise my hand, and the witch flinches back, eyes closed in anticipation.
But the doors to the throne room merely slam closed, sending dust and dirt fluttering off the ground.
Morgana slowly opens her eyes, trying to regain her composure. "All this time it was you? You've been the one protecting Arthur and helping him kill our kind -"
"Not anymore," I cut her off. "Arthur is responsible for the death of my mother, and he tried to have to me killed, as well. I see clearly now, Morgana, and I want you to join me in taking Camelot."
She just stares at me for a long moment, eyes wide and confused, as if she's trying to figure me out. "How do I know I can trust you?" She asks at last.
"You know you can," I reply, walking to stand directly in front of her throne. "Because you're magic knows, doesn't it? Our destinies are linked."
"Yes, and they say you are to be my doom."
"And mine says I'm going to protect Arthur. If I can change mine, we can change ours."
Arthur
"...'You have four days to make a decision. When you do, meet me here in Ealdor.'" Percival finishes relaying the message, and my mind is buzzing. Merlin said all of that? It doesn't seem possible.
"Gaius," I say softly, not looking up. "You know Merlin better than anyone. You've known about his magic ever since he came, as you've admitted to me the other day. Is this really him?"
"I..." Gaius hesitates. "I do know that possessing magic, especially at such a high level as Merlin's, can...fuel anger in a powerful way. But I never imagined that Merlin could ever become like this. I've seen him go through horrific things over the years because of his power, and every time he has lost a little of the innocence he once had."
"So he really is evil, now?" Elyan asks helplessly.
"No," I protest, looking up at last. "I refuse to believe that. Merlin is my best friend - he always has been. I was an utter fool to sentence him to death. There has to be some way that we can fix this."
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