Note: Disclaimer again just in case, don't own Merlin or anything of the sort. Huge thanks go out to Rat3000, Luka Knight, dhh, Pigeonista, AmandaFray, cristina reid, BloodyRose90, MoonArrow, LadyFromPoland, Motaku1235, Neyah444, Grizzo, Merthurfan1, Mari877i, and Sharon T for their wonderful inspiring reviews. This time around the title reflects more of Arthur's feelings. Sorry I woke up late today and the last short revision I had to do before posting it ended up happening almost 2 hours later than planned. But here it is! Enjoy!
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Potion of Love
Chapter Twenty: Uncertainties
Arthur looked on in horror at his name on Merlin's skin; the mark was both beautiful and terrifying. He tried to call Merlin back, to distract him from the pain that seemed to course through his entire body. The anger of seeing the one he loved shake in pain drove Arthur mad, he quickly rose to his feet and charged the sorceress with every intention of killing her.
The old hag laughed even harder and raised her hand up, her wrinkled fingers twitched violently as her eyes turned gold for the third time and Arthur went flying backwards. He slammed into the wall hard and slid down to the floor half unconscious, the air knocked out of him. Arthur moved slightly, raised a hand to his head and a trail of blood ran down it to his fingers. He could feel the cold stone pressed against his back; it took him a moment to collect himself and sit up. Arthur tried to get to his feet but succeed only in stumbling back down, his eyes trailing back to Merlin. What he saw then caused his face to fill with even more dread.
Merlin still lay where he was, lost in his pain, within the voices in his head, and unaware of the danger slowly moving towards him. "Stay away from him." Arthur yelled as he tried again to get to his feet, but was held in place by an unseen force. He gripped his sword tighter and pushed harder to no avail, he watched helplessly as the old woman reached her hand out to Merlin and touched the side of his face. "Don't touch him!" Arthur screamed in pure helplessness and frustration.
"You act like I am the bad person here. I came to help." The old hag told Arthur, leaning down towards Merlin and whispered various unrecognizable words into his ear. As soon as she was done Merlin's eyes turned gold and stayed that color, his shaking stopped instantly.
Arthur struggled to free himself and could only stare at the back of Merlin's form as his fear of losing Merlin overtook his every thought. "I cured your arrogant Prince Roderick did I not? I set you free of the war that was to follow after his death." The old hag continued as her eyes moved past Merlin to rest on Arthur's, a wicked grin on her face. "And I offer my help for yet the final threat that still hangs over you and Camelot." Her grin grew wider as she noticed Merlin's eyes finally turned back to blue. She stepped back towards the other side of the room and stared at the undiluted anger spreading across Arthur's face.
Merlin stirred slowly back to consciousness as the voices in his head dissipated to a single voice and the pain subsided to a tolerable level. "Shall I help you Merlin? Do you want me to tell him what you cannot?" The young female voice echoed inside his mind. As he managed to push the voice from his mind, he looked up through his slightly clouded eyes.
"You have magic! It has always sought to destroy. Magic is no friend of Camelot; it is no friend of mine." Arthur spat at the old hag with great conviction as he once more tried to set himself loose and to his surprise he tumbled forward, the hold keeping him back no longer there. The old hag beamed with victory, she could feel one of the last pieces fall into place. Merlin's heart shattered just a bit more as the words of his beloved King hit their mark unintentionally and he stumbled all the way to the floor, eyes fully closed. "Merlin," Arthur cried out as he rushed to his side. "What have you done to him?"
"He is not the one you should be worried about. You're under a love spell; the mark on Merlin is proof of it. What you feel for him is not real." The old hag declared as she readied her next spell. "You lie, you've done something to Merlin and you won't get away with it." Arthur stated as he looked up at her, Merlin's head resting on his lap. "Ask your dear physician and he will confirm it or better yet take that vial and you will see." The sorceress said as she pointed a crooked finger towards the bottle Merlin had given Arthur. A gust of wind filled the room and then disappeared along with the old hag. "You will see Merlin, the kind of King you really serve." The words resonated in Merlin's once more unconscious mind over and over before completely fading.
Arthur touched Merlin's face; he ran his fingers across the delicate lips and then moved his fingers down over the mark on Merlin's arm, something stirred in his stomach as his skin touched the branded ivory skin. Merlin was truly his and his alone, but was it only because of some enchantment? Could it really be true? He looked up at the bottle and then back to the unconscious Merlin. These feelings he felt, they felt real, and they felt right! How could they have been caused by something so petty as magic? "Wake up Merlin…" Arthur whispered as he lowered his head to rest just above his manservant's.
The door creaked open and Gaius stepped inside. "Sire, I've brought you your medicines…." The physician said as he moved further into the room, the tray of medicines dropping to the floor in a heap of broken glass and swirling metal as his eyes fell on Merlin. Arthur quickly moved slightly away, trying to hide the tears in his eyes. "Merlin…" Gaius called out to the young warlock as he quickly looked him over. His eyes paused on the black mark on Merlin's right arm and he gasped, Arthur's name dark and black against the pale soft skin.
"Gaius is it true, am I under some type of enchantment?" Arthur struggled to ask as his lungs got heavier making it hard for him to breath and his eyes wandered back to Merlin. It was too much; he wanted Gaius to tell him that they were all lies. He wanted Merlin to wake and say with that silly grin of his that he really did love Arthur, that what they had was real and that magic had nothing to do with it. "I'm afraid so, sire. Evelyn slipped you a love potion, but I was unaware that Merlin had been the recipient of that affection brought on by it." Gaius sadly confirmed it setting Merlin's marked arm back down to the floor.
Arthur's face filled with confusion and dismay as he looked back up at the vial and then at Merlin's unconscious body. With one swift movement, he was on his feet, bottle in hand. "Sire…?" Gaius softly spoke as he noticed the cure in the King's hand and the expression he bore. What exactly had happened to these two young men? He thought to himself as he saw Arthur give him one small nod, uncork the bottle and drink it in one gulp down to the last drop.
Arthur set the bottle down and moved back to Merlin's side. Merlin still did not stir and as he forced himself to wait a few more seconds he started to feel his whole body tingle. Rising back to his feet and reaching for the edge of the table for support, Arthur closed his eyes as he saw flashes of color, then nothing. He blinked several times and the room came back into focus.
Merlin's mark started to slowly disappear, one letter at a time until Arthur's name was completely nonexistent. His eyes opened and his lips parted as he tried to speak. Gaius helped him to his feet. "Gaius?" His confused expression as he looked at his friend was replaced with realization and he turned towards Arthur. "Arthur…" Merlin called out to him as he moved towards him scanning the room for the old hag. He laid his hand on Arthur's arm when his King failed to reply.
Arthur quickly slapped it away and finally abandoning his downward gaze looked up at him, his eyes reflecting nothing but coldness in them. "You knew about the enchantment and yet you made me believe. " Arthur accused as Merlin's face turned even sadder. "How dare you Merlin, I…." Arthur yelled banging his fist against the table and then pointing his finger at him, the truth was just unbearable and he was unable to finish what he wanted to say. "Guards…" His voice reached a holler as he moved away from Merlin and towards the door, the anger growing by every passing second.
"Sire, I'm sure Merlin..." Gaius tried to reason with the infuriated King thinking the worst. Arthur swung around and faced the physician, his eyes baring no hint of forgiveness. "You have no idea the severity of what has happened, on what I was led to do." Arthur practically shouted at him as his eyes wandered towards Merlin, lingering there before staring back at Gaius again.
Merlin was paralyzed on the spot as tears streamed down his face and his now dry throat robbed him of speech. He could only look down at his boots, anywhere but at the accusing gaze in Arthur's eyes. "Yes my lord!" Two guards replied in union as they stepped into the room and awaited their orders. Arthur turned his attention back to them.
"I want Evelyn brought to me at once. Search everywhere, she has been found guilty of meddling with a sorcerer." The guards nodded and hurried on their way. "And you Merlin shall not be in my chambers when I return." The misguided King ordered before following his guards out, his feelings were in too much of a chaotic mess to trust being near Merlin. The doors closed loudly behind his retreating figure leaving Gaius and an extremely wounded Merlin behind.
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Evelyn stumbled through the marketplace, her bare and cut feet barely moving underneath her muddy skirts. She shook her head as she tried to clear away the grogginess in her mind. A shout ran out to her left and she jumped as she recognized it as her name. "There she is," A guard yelled as he pointed at her direction. "Stop, you are under arrest by the order of the King." Another guard yelled at her as she looked behind her for a means of escape. They were moving towards her and she ran, her legs making easy use of her new found energy.
Several more guards made chase, but she was swift on her feet and managed to elude each one. As she turned a sharp corner she came face to face with Gwaine. The infuriated Knight pointed his sword at her and grinned. "I seemed to have caught me a lost little rat." Gwaine said through clenched teeth as he moved closer to her. Evelyn's eyes widened as the sword got closer, she tried to run back the way she had come to only find Percival blocking it. She was caught; her hands were quickly tied and bound.
Gwaine snagged the rope and her tied hands violently as he led her back to the castle. She tried to wiggle her way out of his grasp, but he only tightened it more without any remorse. "Wouldn't want you to miss your welcoming party," Gwaine snared at her as he pushed her through the double doors of the throne room. Evelyn was brought to her knees in front of the King, who seemed to want to glare a whole into her as he stared straight at her. Arthur rose from his throne chair and rested a hand on the hilt of his sword as he stopped inches from Evelyn. "What do you have to say for yourself? Is it true you sought out a sorcerer and gave me a potion that contained an enchantment?" Arthur said, his eyes getting even colder as the last word left his lips.
"Yes!" Evelyn found herself saying. Her eyes went wide in disbelief as she realized what she had just said. No, why was she telling the truth. She had wanted to deny it, she needed to deny it, to lie, but her voice faltered and nothing came out. Evelyn moved her tied hands up to her throat as she tried again to speak but only empty gasps escaped her lips.
"You have been found guilty of consorting with magic and will be hanged at dawn." Arthur declared as he swung around and stood near his throne, his back to her. Evelyn felt the fear slowly creep into her body as two guards lifted her up and dragged her out of the room. She found her voice just then and started to scream. A cell was opened and she was tossed inside it, before she could rise to her feet the key turned in the lock and the guards retreated back to their posts. Evelyn fell back to the thin layer of hay scattered on the cell floor as the dreadful thought ran though her mind, she was going to die.
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Gaius sat across from Merlin in one of the tables, the bench he sat on was quite uncomfortable at the moment; he pushed the seal slowly across the table towards Merlin. "I suppose this belongs to you." The physician said rather blankly as he looked up at his friend clearly recognizing Ygraine's seal. "Mind filling me in?"
"Gaius, I tried to stay away from him. I reminded myself that he was under an enchantment, but…" Merlin broke off as he ran his hand across his face and to his forehead to ruffle his hair there. His eyes watered up again and he wiped at his cheeks with his sleeve. Merlin couldn't bring himself to say the intimate details of their excursions or how he had fallen in love with Arthur.
"Arthur can be quite persistent and stubborn when he wants to be. I just didn't take him much for the charming type; he always did struggle in that area." Gaius teased trying to lighten the mood and grasping how hard it was for Merlin to explain. "You should have told me Merlin, I could have helped." He stated as he rose to his feet and moved to his table to stare at the mess he currently had scattered all over it. "Let's just be happy he didn't find out about you having magic." His weird sense of reassurance doing nothing to make Merlin's ruffled state any better.
"She knows I have magic." Merlin suddenly gasped as he rose to his feet and started to pace. "Evelyn knows Gaius, she knows!"
"How many times do I have to tell you that your magic is something you guard with your life?" Gaius bellowed as he got up and moved to check if any actual guards were coming to arrest Merlin. "What am I going to do?" Merlin asked as his face filled with sadness at the thought that he might have to leave Camelot and Arthur, he could not bear it.
A knock on the door made them hold their breaths and a guard stepped through. "Gaius, the King requests your presence. He needs you to check on Roderick and Ivor." The man said as he stepped back out and waited by the open door. Gaius gave Merlin one final worried look and left with his medicine bag in tow. Merlin paced a few more times before turning around and moving through the open doorway, he deciding to follow, quickly making his way down the stairs.
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Arthur paced impatiently outside as he waited for Gaius, after he noticed it was taking too long he descended to the cells and to Roderick. Waiving for the guards to unlock the cell, he took a deep breath and stepped into the cell along with two guards. Roderick and Ivor quickly got to their feet and made as to move towards Arthur, the guards quickly caught on.
Ivor was pushed against the wall and pinned as the second guard held on to Roderick. "Aw, I see we finally get the pleasure of the King's company." Roderick sneered as he fought to loosen the hold the guard had on him. Arthur just glared at him as he made his hand into a fist and brought it hard towards Roderick's face before shoving him against the wall, the guard having caught on and conveniently stepped out of the way. "You will leave Camelot and never come back." The young King growled at Roderick as he pushed him even harder against the wall.
"And why would I do that?" Roderick threw back as he struggled to breathe; Arthur's arm was pressed against his throat, choking the air out of him. "You have nothing against me, I only defended myself and besides he is only a servant." He managed to say as Arthur loosened the pressure enough, trying to rile Arthur even more.
"You will leave Camelot if you don't want Lord Godwyn to find out someone forged his seal to produce a very important document pertaining to his daughter." Arthur repeated himself, this time making sure to throw his ace card on the table. He loosened his grip even more as he saw a hint of understanding cross Roderick's eyes. "Faking a King's seal is a very serious crime. Wouldn't you agree Roderick?"
Roderick closed his eyes and rested his head against the cold cell wall, they had been caught, and there was no way out of it. Before Roderick could say anything Gaius stepped into the cell. "Sire, you summoned me?" He said as he looked around the cell at the two men occupying it and then back to his King.
"Yes, these two will be released and will be escorted out of Camelot. I need you to dress any injuries they might have gotten." Arthur stated as he stared at the fresh bruise forming on Roderick's princely face and the blood dripping from his mouth and nose. He stepped out of the cell and made his way towards the stairs slamming into Merlin. Everyone was silent as they looked on, the tension between them obvious to everyone in the room.
"What are you doing here Merlin?" Arthur finally spoke as he clenched his jaw and struggled to keep his hands at his sides. Merlin didn't know what to say, he hadn't expected Arthur to be down in the cells and had hoped he could catch a glimpse of Evelyn, maybe even sneak away to speak to her. The King's eyes strayed to Merlin's lips, following the slow parting and closing of them, and he cursed as he hurriedly pushed Merlin aside taking two steps at a time.
"Merlin, did I tell you to come with me?" Gaius scolded Merlin as he pulled him aside. "You need to stay away from Arthur until we can find out exactly what Evelyn told him." He whispered to Merlin as he pushed towards the steps. Merlin looked at him with a defeated look and then retreated the way he had come, he would just have to risk coming back at night.
Gaius returned to Roderick and Ivor, after inspecting and addressing their wounds he left to inform the king that they were good to go. There had been no traces of any enchantments on neither of the men and Gaius knew the King would be relieved to hear about it. After all that had been Arthur's real reason for demanding that he look them over.
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Roderick and Ivor climbed their horses without a word, their swords and weapons had not been returned to them. They were to leave with only what they had on their backs and the rest of their belongings to be handed over to them until they were passed Camelot's borders. Roderick looked down at his tattered shirt and back up at the knights that were to accompany them. He cursed the audacity of Arthur in insisting on humiliating him this way.
Ivor slowly moved his horse towards where Gwaine stood ready to lead them out the gates. "It's a shame you won't be escorting us. You know if I had a better master like yours I might have turned out more like you." He said as he smirked at the death glare the knight gave him.
"No you wouldn't have." Gwaine plainly said, getting on his own horse and moving to the front of the line. With a swing of their reins the small party was off. The knight turned back towards the castle once the last horse had reached the end of the path and was entering the woods. He gave one last glance back at Percival, Leon and the other two knights before galloping back towards the castle, his anger evident in his eyes. Arthur had forbidden Gwaine from escorting them any further and his duty to Merlin was the only thing keeping him from ignoring it.
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Merlin looked cautiously over the railing at the two guards below. His eyes turned gold and a racket a few ways off caught their attention, making them leave their post to investigate. Merlin quickly moved down the steps and towards Evelyn's cell. He stopped a few inches from it and peeked inside, it was too dark to make anything out. A gritty hand reached out and clasped the handkerchief around his neck, pulling him closer to the bars.
"What do you want Merlin? Perhaps you have decided to break me out?" Evelyn asked as her eyes tried to observe Merlin's. She let go and moved back to the corner she had been sitting by. "I want to know what you told Arthur." Merlin said as he looked behind him to see if he had been noticed, seeing no signs that the guards had he turned back to Evelyn.
"I told him the truth….now leave me alone. I would like some peace and quiet before I am hanged tomorrow." She stated her voice dropping at the dreadful word. "Hanged?" The young warlock repeated as his eyes showed disbelief. "Yes, I am to hang tomorrow for being a fool and trying to enchant the King. Don't act like you weren't looking forward to it. After all the last time we ran into each other in the King's chambers we didn't exactly have a picnic." Evelyn replied flaring her arms about and raising her voice higher, the hatred she had for him taking her over.
Merlin quickly moved from the bars and retreated into the other corridors. Evelyn's memory of him having magic was gone, she didn't remember. He carefully made his way past the guards and back to his room and a still sleeping Gaius. Merlin leaned against his door, unable to grasp the truth that Arthur had sentenced Evelyn to hang and how exactly she had lost her memory of their real last confrontation. Moving towards the table, he ran his fingers across the seal, picked it up and turning it over in his hands before setting it back down.
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Arthur paced in his room, it seemed like it was all he was doing the past few hours. He tried to get a handle on his feelings, he felt betrayed, used, and above all he felt lost, confused. The memories, all of them, were still there as clear as the liquid that had freed him of the enchantment. Every word he ever whispered into Merlin's ear, every touch, every pleasure, threatened to drive him mad.
Before the King knew what he was doing, his feet had carried him to Merlin's door. Gaius lay snoring for the first time in many days in his own bed. Arthur stood looking at the wooden door, his hand inches away from it. He took a deep breath and pushed the door, it swung open without a protest and Arthur slowly stepped inside. His eyes landed on Merlin's sleeping form and then moved about the room. He quickly spun around and moved to leave when he spotted his mother's seal on Merlin's table resting next to a small wooden carved dragon.
Merlin stirred as Arthur's footsteps echoed down the steps and vanished through Gaius' door. He starred groggily at his open door and sat up rubbing his messed up hair, making it stick out even more. Pushing the thin sheet away from him, Merlin got to his feet and stepped down from his room. "Arthur…?" He said quietly as he looked about the room and then froze as the bell rang loudly through the castle.
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Author's note:
Roderick is finally dealt with, though too kindly if I say so myself, but it was always my intention to let him go with the pending of war hanging over everyone's head. Can anyone guess why Gwaine didn't go with the rest of the knights? Evelyn finally begins to get what's coming to her. Arthur might not have been angry enough here, but trust me he is going to get even more angry in the next chapter. And sorry to say this is not a magic reveal story, I don't think I am ready to tackle that one and besides I haven't made up my mind on how I would want that to go down. Just read some awesome spoilers for Season 5, I know I should be concentrating on writing, but I can't help it. No worries, won't mention them other than that the girl who posted them claims she saw Bradley accidently spray his bug spray all over Colin. Oh those boys are just so adorable. Not bad for a chapter huh and to top it all off I wrote this baby in less than a day, I know it's got a few unclear parts to it but couldn't get my noggin around them. Don't forget to leave me a review, I really love those more than chocolate, really I do!