Author's Note:

Hi everyone:)
I might be a bit late again... only by about three months *coughs*. But I'm doing NaNoWriMo again this year and so far I'm on time which means I've written about 30k words- and all for fanfictions! They need some rewriting of course, after November, but there's hope that I will update faster.
Originally, I didn't want to update during November because I have enough to do with school and writing 1667 words a day... but since today is my birthday, I decided that I had to update. Everyone who has been reading this despite my irregular updates, and especially especially those who review deserve a huge thank you- so, here it is. A new chapter just for you! :P
To make it quick, enjoy and please R&R! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin. I do own tons of plot bunnies that keep running down the fences I build.

Chapter 20: Camelot

"Well, I'm glad I never had to stay here."

Arthur ignored Emrys, keeping his eyes closed even though the world had materialised around them a few seconds ago- willing his stomach to settle. Just breathe in and out again. Calm.

The smell that reached his nostrils didn't exactly help as he heaved, tasting bile in his mouth. Apparently they had landed in the dungeons.

"I mean, I know you keep only criminals and... sorcerers here, but seriously? That smell is disgusting. And from what I can see, you should definitely get some fresh straw for the ground. Oh, and maybe do something about the light- it's pretty dark here, wouldn't you agree?"

He finally seemed to notice that Arthur wasn't answering and turned back towards the Prince. "Arthur? Are you alright?"

Arthur slowly opened his eyes, finally winning the fight against his lurching stomach. "Yes." He coughed, avoiding Emrys's eyes. "Of course."

The warlock possessed the indignance to grin at him. "Right. I didn't figure you to be one to become travel sick."

"That might be because I am not."

Straightening, Arthur met Emrys's gaze- barely noticing how far the sorcerer's hood was pulled back as Emrys sent him an unbelieving look. "Even Princes aren't immune to getting sick, you know that, don't you?" Before Arthur could answer he turned back around, his eyes sweeping across the dark stone walls. "I hope it's alright if I drop you off here. As cozy as this place looks, I don't really need to have a run-in with your father right now. I already have enough narrow-minded idiots on my hands." He sent Arthur a tight smile that took the heat out of the insult. "So I guess this is good-bye."

"It seems so," the Prince answered, for once letting the affront to his father slide. After all he had discovered that sorcerers weren't all as evil as Uther made everyone believe. If he was wrong in one point, was he really right about everything else? And how could it be that he, who had always valued loyalty and faith, was questioning all he had always believed in after such a short time in the druid camp?

Arthur pushed the thought from his mind, at least for now. He would be able to ponder it later, when he was back in his own room and not in the middle of some clammy dirty dungeon with the threat of war looming over their heads. There was even a soft noise in the background, like water dropping on stone. They definitely needed to look more after the dungeons.

Instead he smiled at Emrys. "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I hope I won't see you again all that soon."

The warlock laughed. "Me too. Now, let's stop stalling, before your father or a few druids decide to start a war after all. I would rather never hear of you again than meet you on the battle field." He paused, looking around, before pointing down the hallway to their right side, behind Arthur's back. "That must be the way into the castle. Good-bye, Prince Arthur Pendragon."

Arthur just wanted to reply when he suddenly saw a movement in the corner of his eyes, right where the hallway took an abrupt turn behind Emrys's back. The warlock noticed his look and started to turn around, frowning.

And that was when the whole world descended into chaos.

Later, Merlin would curse himself for not paying closer attention. He was standing in the middle of Camelot after all- even if it was the dungeons, where there weren't too many people who weren't convicted of sorcery themselves- and he had known from the beginning how dangerous this was. So he really should have been paying attention.

He should also have made himself ready to teleport back as soon as the slight nausea that was partly caused by travelling this way and partly by using so much magic at once had stopped and his stomach settled again.

Instead, he laughed as Arthur commented "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I hope I won't see you again all that soon." After all, he had had more or less the same thought.

"Me too. Now, let's stop stalling, before your father or a few druids decide to start a war after all. I would rather never hear of you again than meet you on the battle field."

Because, even if he didn't like to admit it, Arthur would be a more than worthy opponent- even considering his own magic. The Prince was a hell of a sword fighter and, if the rumours were correct, he could fight just as well with pretty much every other weapon. Merlin didn't doubt those rumours one second.

Instead of voicing his thoughts, the warlock glanced around, before pointing at the hallway that disappeared into the shadows behind Arthur's back. Apparently they hadn't bothered to light enough torches to light the whole place, and they were too far inside of the dungeons for the sunlight to reach them. After all, Merlin didn't exactly want to appear right on the stairs into the castle, considering the guards that were usually put in such places. Even if they weren't the most intelligent sort, and guards rarely seemed to be, they might just notice if a sorcerer teleported right in front of their nose.

"That must be the way into the castle. Good-bye, Prince Arthur Pendragon."

Merlin smiled and nodded in the direction of the Prince, already calling on his magic to disappear as swiftly as possible, when it happened.

In hindsight, he shouldn't have let them catch him by surprise. But as it was, the only warning Merlin got was the slight widening of Arthur's eyes as the Prince suddenly stared into the darkness behind him. Then someone- or something- shoved him forwards and he stumbled, instinctively reaching out to stop his fall. His fingers even touched the ground for a second before his arms gave in and he crashed to the ground.

"Ow."

The warlock wasn't sure if the sound had even made it across his lips, the whole world turning strangely dull and hazy. In the background, he could faintly hear Arthur shouting and tried to turn his head, wondering what was going on. When he still didn't see any better, Merlin reached out with his hands that had been caught between his body and the ground to touch his own face. His hand felt strangely wet on his cheeks.

In the corner of his eyes, red whizzed past, and then there was another sound and someone was kneeling next to him.

Golden hair gleamed in the dim light of the flames as Arthur bent down across him, reaching for something on his side that Merlin couldn't see. He wasn't prepared at all for the pain that suddenly shot through his body, red and hot and searing and in some way too loud, but it made the whole world come into focus once more- long enough to gaze from his sticky red hands to Arthur's worried face and to the red cloak of the guards that stood behind him and were apparently trying to figure out what their Prince was doing.

Then everything- the cloaks, his hands, the Prince- disappeared in a swirl of bloody red.

Another cliffhanger, I know... but I do love the whump :D. Review, please?

(It's my birthday! And reviews always make my day regardless of the date ^-^.)