And now, for the conclusion to the assassination plot!
The audience watched with bated breath as the duel continued. They'd never seen such finesse on both sides; of course, their king was ever-measured in his steps, his blade slicing gracefully through the air and his movements careful but strong. But this stranger, the one whose name not many even knew (there was rumor he was called 'Sir Doctor', though that sounded plain silly) was just as skilled. He parried every single one of Uther's attacks, struck with a few of his own, and it seemed to all the spectators that either side would need a brilliant stroke of luck in order to win.
Everyone was so focused on the fight that no one bothered to notice a young man stop breathlessly just outside of the arena. He observed the duel not with interest, but fear.
If he was guessing correctly, then the mysterious knight fighting Uther was the Doctor. But why on earth was he battling the King of Camelot? Merlin didn't even know the Doctor could fight; he didn't seem like the most agile of people, even for an alien.
Merlin clenched his fists, wondering what he could do to stop the duel. Something wasn't right… It was like the air surrounding the Doctor was… wrong, somehow.
As he debated his next move, Uther finally made a misstep. His foot slipped, leaving him open to an attack. The Doctor- or rather, his controller, Howard- seized the opportunity and struck Uther with his shield, knocking the king onto his back. The crowd gasped.
Uther scrambled to get up, but the Doctor placed a foot on his chest to stop him. Uther stared at him in resignation. If one was on his back for more than ten seconds, the match was over. He knew the Doctor was the victor. But he didn't expect the Doctor to lift up his sword, as if he was going to…
The crowd gasped again, but with horror. Lady Ygraine clapped a hand to her mouth to muffle her involuntary cry, as Sirs Tristan and Aggravaine made to move towards the Doctor, swords drawn. Before he knew it, Merlin was running onto the field, his arm outstretched and magic surging.
"Ic þé wiþdrífe!"
The Doctor was knocked sideways away from Uther, dropping his sword on the ground. The king quickly got to his feet and watched Merlin with a mix of awe and confusion.
"Emrys? What are you…?"
Merlin ran past him to the groaning knight. He lifted the helmet off his head and let out a breath of relief when he saw his best friend's face scrunched up in pain.
"Ow," the Doctor mumbled. "I mean, thanks, but ow!"
"What the hell are you doing?!" Merlin said harshly, but in a low voice. The Doctor blinked and suddenly came back to his senses.
"The armor!" he shouted, loud enough for both Merlin and Uther to hear. "It's enchanted!"
And just like that, the Doctor swung onto his feet like a puppet being pulled up by its strings. He took a swing at Merlin, but the warlock jumped back just in time to avoid being hit.
"Howard!" the Timelord struggled to say.
"Howard?" Merlin said back, confused.
The Doctor bent down and scooped up his sword off of the ground. "No!" he cried, but his arm worked against him and thrust the weapon at Merlin.
The sword was met only with steel, a clanging noise resounding through the air. Uther Pendragon stood between Merlin and the Doctor, his own sword glinting brightly in the sun.
"John," he yelled with just a hint of exasperation. "What's going on?"
"It's a bit hard to explain," the Doctor shouted as he stepped back and swung more furiously at the king. "But let's just say I'm not the one in control here!"
As Uther blocked his attacks, the crowd was clamoring with excitement and confusion. Merlin scanned their faces desperately and saw him. The nice man who had driven them into Camelot was sitting in the front row, his eyes- now gold- focused on the Doctor. He paid Merlin no mind.
Merlin swiftly put the pieces together and aimed a spell at Howard. The people sitting next to the man jumped aside as he was suddenly pulled forwards and over the stands, landing flat on his face. Merlin looked back at the Doctor and saw that the Timelord was no longer trying to attack Uther- and he looked very relieved, too.
Howard groaned, moving to sit up, but with another spell muttered angrily under his breath, Merlin rendered him unconscious.
For the time being, it seemed, it was all over.
The Doctor took slow steps up to Merlin and asked cautiously, "Are we okay for now?"
"For now," he agreed. Then he fixed the Doctor with an exasperated glare. "Please explain to me what the hell just happened."
"Yes, I'd like to know that too."
They both turned around and found Uther standing with his arms crossed and facial expression similar to that of a stern father. It was actually an expression Merlin had seen on him before, but it was usually aimed at Arthur, not him.
The Doctor smiled nervously, clearing his throat.
"Well…"
After explaining to Uther and Merlin exactly what had happened since he left them in the market, Howard was promptly thrown in prison, and his accomplices, Robert and Gavin, who had fled the scene after witnessing Merlin knock out their friend, were eventually captured and detained as well. The Doctor's clothes were recovered from the house they were using as a base, and he changed out of the enchanted armor as quickly as possible. When he stepped back into the throne room, decked out in his tweed and bowtie, he did a little twirl and threw his hands out, smiling gleefully.
"Well? How do I look?"
Merlin grinned. "Like you."
Uther, who was standing in front of his throne, with Ygraine at his side, rolled his eyes with a scoff.
"You have a very strange sense of fashion, John."
"Trust me, it'll be cool one day," he insisted.
"No it won't," retorted Merlin.
Ygraine was holding onto Uther's arm as if he might drop dead at any moment, but other than that, the future queen seemed as at ease as the rest of them.
"It seems that Emrys has saved the king yet again," she said softly, with an admiring gaze directed at the warlock. Uther smiled at her, nodding.
"So it does. He must receive another reward!"
"Oh no, Sire, please," Merlin muttered shyly. "I really don't need the money."
"What happened to the money from before?" asked the Doctor curiously.
"I sort of… gave it away," he admitted with a sheepish shrug. Instead of looking angry, though, Uther let out a boisterous laugh.
"Well, it's obvious that money is no good in your hands." he said jokingly. "So instead, I must invite you both to the feast! You'll be my guests of honor!"
Merlin paused, panicked, and began to babble an excuse for why they couldn't possibly do such a thing-
"We'd love to!" the Doctor beamed, patting Merlin on the shoulder. The warlock stared at him in shock. "We just need to pop back to our room at the inn and get something, be back in a tick!"
"But-?" Merlin sputtered.
"Be careful," Uther teased. The Doctor gave a humorous attempt at a bow and started to tug Merlin away by his neckerchief.
"We will! Excuse us, My Lord, My Lady!"
"Doctor!" Merlin whispered urgently, once they were out of the throne room and out of the royalty's hearing range. "What are we doing?"
"Going back to the TARDIS," he answered simply.
"But- I just saved the King of Camelot in front of hundreds of people! And he's seen my face- and yours! We can't just go back without doing something!"
"Do you know any memory spells?" the Doctor asked casually.
"N… No?"
"That's why we're going to the TARDIS. I have these handy little pills- Retcon, they're able to erase a person's memory very specifically. We'll get them from the TARDIS, slip one to the king and queen, and then we're free to pop back to your original timeline."
Merlin stared in bewilderment. "We're going to give a pill to everyone who saw us?"
"Of course not! I don't think I even have that many... Besides, the people in the crowd didn't get a good look at our faces, and even if they did, they won't see us again for twenty years! Any association they might make in the future will be brushed off as us simply looking similar to those two strange blokes from the king's engagement tournament. Get it?"
The warlock shook his head. "Okay, okay… but… What about whatever it was the TARDIS brought us here for?"
"I think saving the king's life was it. Unless another important catastrophe is about to befall Camelot, we've done all we can."
Merlin frowned. "You don't know much about Camelot, do you Doctor?"
The Timelord bumped his shoulder against Merlin's as they made the long trek back to the blue box, which awaited them faithfully in the same spot they had left it in. The sky was just beginning to darken when they reached the time machine.
Stepping inside the box was a welcome feeling; almost like returning home after a long journey. Merlin had grown rather accustomed to the feeling.
The Doctor ran to the Med Bay, where he said he kept his 'Retcon' pills, and Merlin waited by the console for him to return. It took only five minutes for the Doctor to reappear, a small silver package tucked safely into his pocket.
"I've got exactly seven," he told the warlock. "One for Uther, one for Ygraine… Who else should we give one to?"
"Probably Ygraine's brothers, Tristan and Aggravaine. They got a pretty good look at me…" Merlin paused, leaning against the railing. "Though, Tristan is dead in my future, and I've never actually met Aggravaine…"
The Doctor nodded slowly. "We'll give one to each of them just in case. Anyone else?"
"Not that I can think of."
"Alrighty then, let's go!"
The Doctor marched towards the doors, but just before he could reach for the handle, the room shook wildly, tossing both men around on the floor. The familiar groaning noise began to reverberate through the air.
"Oh, what now?!" the alien shouted over the TARDIS's din.
And suddenly, it stopped. The TARDIS went silent and stilled itself almost instantly. The Doctor stared at the ceiling for a moment before he clambered to his feet and ran to Merlin to pull him off of the ground.
"Are you alright?" he asked his companion.
"Yeah," Merlin replied, breathless. "What's happened now?"
The Doctor frowned at the console. "No idea. But I bet it's more trouble."
They both turned their gazes to the door, and both sighed.
"After you," said Merlin.
Exiting the time machine, they were met with a familiar sight; the same forests the duo had emerged from earlier surrounded them yet again. Merlin stared at the trees while the Doctor let out a very audible- and very frustrated- groan.
"What is the matter with you?" he asked the TARDIS, glaring up at the light on top of the box.
Merlin looked back at the Doctor, who was in the middle of a domestic with his ship. "Have we-… Have we moved?"
The Timelord sighed and sullenly kicked the bottom of the TARDIS before he walked to Merlin's side. He sniffed the air, frowning as he did so.
"Yes and no… Hm…"
The warlock raised an eyebrow, silently asking for an explanation, so the Doctor obliged.
"We're in the same place, obviously, but we've jumped ahead by at least a few years from the last point in time. I'd say… one or two, at the most."
"But how? You didn't even touch the console!"
The Doctor scowled and glared at the offending time machine yet again. "I know! I think that someone's being rather tetchy today!"
"That doesn't make any sense, Doctor," reasoned Merlin. "Why would the TARDIS take us away from Camelot without making sure we've given everyone the Retcon? Isn't she supposed to stop you from messing with timelines?"
"There must be more that we have to do," the alien said quietly. "Something that requires Uther to still know who we are."
"Which would be…?"
The Doctor looked at his companion. Merlin wasn't very surprised to see that his face was crossed between annoyance and genuine curiosity.
"I don't know." He cracked a tiny grin, beginning to step forwards. "Let's go and find out."
Merlin sighed and begrudgingly followed him.
They walked all the way to Camelot; it was nightfall by the time they arrived. Everything still looked much the same, but they couldn't be sure how much time had passed since they were last there… For them, it had only been around five minutes.
"So what exactly is your plan this time, Doctor?" Merlin asked, sounding rather annoyed. "The whole 'keep out of sight' thing really worked wonders."
"Oi, watch the cheek. Besides, we're doing the opposite now."
Merlin frowned, resisting the urge to put his hand to his forehead. "Opposite? You mean we're just going to, I don't know, storm the castle and announce ourselves?"
The Doctor tapped his companion on the nose. "Exactly."
Uther had been sitting alone in the council room for… Gods, he didn't know how long. The candles were burning low and he felt his eyelids grow heavier with each passing minute, but the king could not will himself to sleep. He heard footsteps- a gentle click on the stones. He looked up and saw the most beautiful woman in the world standing at the doors, smiling at him.
He smiled back. "Ygraine."
"Uther." Crossing to his side, her smile grew into a concerned frown. "It's past midnight. You must rest, my love."
"I'm fine, I'm fine," he tried to laugh, to ease her worry. But she was too smart for that. "Really, darling, I just don't feel like sleeping just yet."
She sighed, moving to clasp her hands over one of Uther's. She knelt down next to his chair and looked at him with sad eyes.
"It's me, isn't it?"
At once, Uther's smile disappeared. "No! Ygraine, whatever would make you-?"
"I can't have children, Uther." The king quieted, shocked by the hollowness in her voice. "We've been trying for months now. Nothing."
"My love," he used his free hand to cup her face, prompting the queen to look up at him. She was close to tears. "We've talked about this. We've done what we can. Perhaps Nimueh will be able to help us- that's why she's seeing us first thing in the morning."
"But what if there's nothing she can do?" Ygraine stood, wiping her eyes with her satin-covered arm. "What if there are some things even magic can't fix?" Uther stood up too, but she cut him off before he could speak. "You're worried about that, too. That's why you can't sleep."
"Ygraine…"
"I want to give you an heir, Uther," she said in a strained voice.
He reached her, placing his hands on her shoulders, burying his nose in her blonde curls. "I know," he murmured. "But there are some things we just can't help. It doesn't mean I love you any less." He turned her around so that she was facing him. "All we can do now is hope that Nimueh has a solution… And if she doesn't… Well, then we pray for miracle."
Ygraine smiled sadly at her husband, and embraced him. At just that moment, a guard walked inside the council chambers and awkwardly cleared his throat.
The king and queen both looked at him; Uther was more annoyed than she was.
"What is it?" he said, perhaps a bit snappishly.
"It's, uh… Visitors, Sire. For you."
"At this hour?" Ygraine raised an eyebrow.
"Did they give any names?" asked Uther tiredly.
"Er… Emrys and John Smith?"
They froze.
"What did you say?" Ygraine whispered. "That's impossible…"
The guard shuffled his feet. "Should I… send them away, My Lord?"
Uther held up his hand instantly. "No! No, please, bring them to us!"
He bowed and hastily left the room. Ygraine and Uther exchanged stunned looks.
"Is it really them? After all this time?" she asked worriedly.
"We'll see…"
"But why? What could it mean?"
Uther stared at the door. "… A miracle, perhaps…"
Not five minutes later, the guard returned with Emrys and John Smith in tow. There was no denying it; they looked just as they remembered. They even appeared to be wearing the same clothes.
The guard excused himself and left, leaving the royal pair and the two travelers alone.
"Well, hello, Mr. and Mrs. Pendragon!" John grinned widely, bowing deeply as he spoke. Emrys performed a much more respectable bow. "Oh, I take it you two are married now, yes?"
Ygraine broke out of the shock first. "The wedding was a month after the tournament, actually. The tournament you two disappeared from."
John grimaced. "Yes, that was… Something came up. We had to… make an emergency trip. Didn't think we'd be gone for so long… How long has it been, exactly?"
Uther spoke, "About a year and a half."
John and Emrys looked at each other strangely, but then John turned back to the king and queen.
"Right, so, lot of catching up to do. We'll go first!" He clapped his hands together. "Lots of boring travel-y stuff, walking here and there… Ooh, and I took up knitting!" John smiled expectantly at them. Emrys just rolled his eyes.
"Well? What about you two?"
"Oh, uh… Nothing, really," said Uther. "Well, except the whole 'getting married' bit. Just our royal duties, mostly. You know, peace treaties and the like."
"Had any trouble?" John asked nonchalantly. Or, at least he was trying to sound nonchalant. "Any… less than agreeable neighbors? Assassination attempts, perhaps?"
"Goodness, no!" Ygraine exclaimed. "Not since you two stopped the last one!"
Uther chuckled, reaching out to hold his wife's hand. "Yes. Everything's been mostly perfect around Camelot."
Emrys finally stepped forward and spoke. "Mostly? What do you mean 'mostly'?"
The king realized what he had said and looked alarmingly to his wife. She shared his expression.
"Perhaps he can help, Uther…" she muttered. "He is a sorcerer…" He only nodded grimly.
"Help with what?" asked John.
Ygraine took a deep breath and gripped Uther's hand tighter. "You see… I am unable to have children."
Neither she nor her husband noticed how ashen Emrys's face had suddenly become, nor had they noticed his horrified face. So Ygraine continued, oblivious.
"We've tried everything; potions, salves, anything our physician could come up with. But nothing has worked so far… We were wondering, Emrys, if it were at all possible…" She looked him straight in the eyes. Despite the growing lump in his throat, he could not look away. "Could magic help us? Help me carry a child?"
"I…" Emrys stuttered. "I-I…"
"Emrys?" Uther stepped forwards, concerned. John grabbed Emrys by the arm and raised his other hand to stop Uther from getting closer.
"Sorry, sorry about that! It's just, well, you know… that sort of 'maternal' type of magic doesn't really fall into his area of expertise! I'm afraid he can't help you with that."
"Oh…" Ygraine's shoulders sagged. "Of course, I understand… Just as well, we're going to see a High Priestess tomorrow. We hope maybe she can help…"
Emrys let out a shuddering breath. "Nimueh…"
"You've met her?" Uther questioned.
"I've… I've heard of her," he replied.
"If she can't help us…" the queen trailed off, looking conflicted. Uther put an arm around her shoulders.
"Have faith, my love. Nimueh is one of the most powerful High Priestesses I've ever met. I'm sure she can do something."
She smiled at him, then turned her attention back to their guests.
"Are you two planning on staying this time?"
"Oh yes, of course!" said John brightly. "For real this time, too."
She nodded. "Then you must stay at the castle for the duration of your visit. Right, Uther?"
"Right, darling," he beamed down at her. "We'll have rooms prepared for them at once."
The Doctor and Merlin were shown to their guest chambers and left in peace for the rest of the night. Uther and Ygraine had retired to their own room.
As soon as they entered the space, Merlin took a few shaky steps and then collapsed on the bed.
The Doctor stared at him, his gaze pensive. "This Nimueh. You've met her before?"
"I killed her," he admitted quietly. He didn't look up to meet the alien's eyes. "In my future, I killed her."
The Doctor walked over and sat down next to him. "Why?"
"She was hell-bent on revenge against Uther, for what he did to her- to our people. She tried to kill Arthur and Uther several times. And then…" Merlin felt tears prick at the back of his eyes. "Arthur was dying, so I went to her. She was a High Priestess, she had some sway over life and death. I offered her my life in exchange for Arthur's, but… S-She tried taking my mother instead." Tears did spill over, but Merlin let them fall and went on. "Gaius went to her, to offer his life, but I wouldn't let that happen. I couldn't, Doctor, not Gaius-!"
He was pulled into a warm hug, with a Timelord hand rubbing his back soothingly. The Doctor had listened to it all with calm and understanding. Merlin buried his head into the time traveler's shoulder.
"So I killed her," he murmured bitterly. "To save Gaius, my mother, and Arthur."
"You did what you had to, Merlin," the Doctor said sadly.
"I thought, at the time, it was all okay, but…" Merlin pulled away from the embrace and stared down at his feet. "And now I have to be here when it happens. She's going to make the decision that starts a war between Camelot and my kind, Doctor! And she doesn't even realize it! I… I don't think I can do this."
The Doctor looked at him, and he suddenly looked so much older than Merlin remembered. "I know, Merlin. I do, really. It's an occupational hazard. But you didn't make Nimueh choose the path of revenge. She did that on her own. You had no choice."
"But maybe I do…" he said quietly. "Maybe that's why the TARDIS brought us here. To stop Uther from banning magic?"
The Doctor smiled, but it was full of melancholy. "No, Merlin, I don't think that's it. Uther bans magic because Ygraine died, yes. But if she doesn't die, then Arthur is never born. Stopping that from happening would cause a paradox. The TARDIS would never bring us to a place this specifically to make a paradox."
"Then why are we here?!" Merlin yelled, suddenly angry. "Why do we have to see them make the worst decision of their lives?!"
"Is it their worst decision?" The Timelord watched him carefully. "Arthur was born because of it."
Merlin groaned, throwing his face into his hands. "But everything changes."
The Doctor patted his back comfortingly. "Why don't you get some sleep? It's been a long day."
Merlin snorted, but didn't say anything more as he shrugged off his jacket and shoes and crawled into the bed. It was a very expensive bed, but it was hardly comparable to the one he had on the TARDIS. Though, Merlin wished he was in his room in Gaius's chambers more than anything else.
He stared as the Doctor moved off the bed and settled comfortably into a chair.
"Aren't you going to sleep?" he asked quietly. The Doctor did have his own room, but he doubted he would be spending much time there.
"Timelords don't really have to. I mean, why waste eight hours of my day unconscious? No, I'll entertain myself until morning." The Doctor gave his most reassuring grin. "Sweet dreams."
Merlin sighed. "If only."
When morning came, Merlin felt no better than when he went to sleep. In fact, he felt even more tired. He slowly sat up, stretching his aching joints, only to see the Doctor sitting in the same chair as last night. He was hunched over, a strange multi-colored cube in his hands, and he was turning it over like it was some sort of puzzle. Merlin watched in mild amusement as the alien concentrated with all his might on the strange cube, but the Doctor noticed his audience soon enough.
"Ah! Good morning, then!"
"Morning," he replied. "What is that?"
"Just a Rubix cube."
Merlin shook his head, not knowing what in the world a 'Rubix cube' was.
"It's like a puzzle," the Doctor elaborated.
"Ah. Where'd you get it?"
"Pockets."
"That was in your pockets?" he asked incredulously. "How did it…?"
"Transcendental dimensions, Merlin, pay attention!" chastised the Timelord.
"… In your pockets?"
"I have to put my stuff somewhere! Honestly!" The Doctor stood up, tossing the Rubix cube towards Merlin. It landed unceremoniously in his lap. "Try it for yourself- you just have to get all the colors to match on each side."
Merlin stared at it. Then he flicked his gaze back up to the alien.
"Oi, don't give me that look. Try it, it's fun! Now, I'm going to pop off and get us some breakfast-!"
The Doctor was moving for the door, but Merlin held out a hand.
"Wait!" he called out. The Doctor turned back to look at him. "W-What about…?"
"The Pendragons? Don't worry about them." The Doctor smiled, but it didn't seem as comforting as usual to the young warlock. "I suppose they're meeting with Nimueh right about now. But remember, we can't interfere with history, so no bright ideas, Mr. Emrys."
"Alright, alright…" Merlin sighed. "Then why are we here?"
"We'll figure that out after breakfast. All work and no play, etcetera. Be back soon."
The Doctor left the guest chambers, and Merlin stared down at the cube in his hands. He had no interest in trying to solve whatever puzzle it held, and it seemed like it was mostly done anyway, so he placed it beside him and got out of bed. He pulled on his jacket and shoes, and then continued to sit on the bed for what felt like an eternity.
The Doctor was being far too casual about this, and Merlin was upset about that. Of course, he knew that the Doctor wasn't as personally attached to the issue as he was. Still, it felt wrong doing nothing to stop the horrible consequences of Uther and Ygraine's decision. Magic would be banished if he just did nothing! And that was the whole point of his destiny, wasn't it? To restore magic to Camelot? Why couldn't he just stop the Great Purge from ever happening?
Merlin wondered what the world would have been like if that were possible… Arthur would not have been born, but magic would be free. He wouldn't have to hide who he was every day, Gaius could go back to his healing magic, so many people would still be alive…
The servant's eyes widened as he remembered one last detail. Morgana would be free. She wouldn't have to live in fear of who she was, what she could do. Her nightmares would cease, she wouldn't have to worry about execution…
"No," Merlin muttered to himself. He couldn't just sacrifice Arthur's life for a bunch of theories and what ifs. The prince deserved to live; he already knew that he was destined to be a good ruler. And who was he to deprive Camelot of their future king? But to know that Arthur's mother died was one thing; to know her personally? Ygraine was a kind, beautiful woman. She didn't deserve to die. He groaned, dropping his head into his hands. Either way, people he cared about would die…
He was like that for another ten minutes, before the Doctor returned with food. They picked at it for a while, as the alien tried to posit theories on what they were supposed to do. Nothing sounded plausible.
Finally, Merlin threw down the bread piece he was holding. "Doctor, let's just go back."
"What?" he sounded aghast. "Merlin, we can't just leave!"
"We can't find anything to do!" he yelled. "Maybe the TARDIS only brought us here to be a jerk and that's it! Ygraine's going to die so that Arthur can be born, and there's nothing we can do about it! Uther is going to lose his mind and there's nothing we can do about it!" Merlin stood, slamming his hands on the table. "Magic is going to be banned and there's nothing I can do about it!"
The Doctor stared hard at him as he fought to calm down, his face red and breath panting. "Merlin…"
"… Can we just go?" the warlock sounded desperate. "Just… give them all the Retcon and let's leave…"
There was silence for a few minutes before the Doctor finally answered. "One last look around," he compromised. "One last check, and if we find nothing suspicious, we can leave. I promise."
Merlin let out a deep breath. "Thank you, Doctor…"
He nodded solemnly and stood. "Let's go."
They left the room, beginning the quiet search. They avoided guards and servants just in case, so as to not waste the Retcon. But still, the search grew tiresome and boring, and it was growing more and more obvious that there was nothing strange going on in Camelot at that moment in time. Well, except for the obvious. They passed so many doors and halls Merlin weren't even sure where they ended up.
"Emrys? John?"
The warlock and the alien jumped at the sound of the familiar voice. Sure enough, when the two turned around, Queen Ygraine was behind them, her face drawn with concern.
"What on earth are you two doing?" she asked.
"Er…" the Doctor paused. "… Exploring. Yes, exploring! Didn't get a very good look at the castle, you see, the last time we were here."
"Ah…" She didn't appear convinced, but instead of pressing any further, she merely looked down at the floor with sad eyes. Merlin noticed that her fists were clenched together rather tightly.
"My Lady?" he asked cautiously. "Is everything alright…?"
She looked up at him and sniffled. Tears were welling up in her eyes. "No, Emrys, everything is not alright…" She dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. "Can I talk to you two? Please?"
The time travelers shared a glance.
"If you'd like," said the Doctor.
Ygraine motioned for them to follow her, so they did, down winding corridors and guarded hallways. Finally, she led them to her own chambers- the ones she shared with Uther, though the king was nowhere in sight. She closed the door securely behind them, walked to a nearby chair, and collapsed into it, sobbing into her handkerchief.
Merlin and the Doctor were both stunned, to say the least.
"Er… My Lady?" Merlin tried, edging closer to the hysterical queen.
"I-I'm sorry," she hiccupped. "I-It's just, we finished talking to Nimueh…"
They both stilled, but let her go on.
"It's terrible! Just… awful!"
"What is…?" asked the Timelord.
She took a few breaths to collect herself. "She… She agreed to give us our child. I was so happy… But as we prepared to leave, she asked Uther to stay, and I… I couldn't help myself, I hid behind the door and listened…"
"My Lady," Merlin said gravely, "What did you hear?"
"She told him that there was a price to pay," Ygraine murmured. "A life for a life. In order for me to bear a child, someone has to die first." She wiped at her eyes again. "That's horrible, isn't it? I can't kill someone just to have a baby!"
Merlin looked at the Doctor, his gaze penetrating. The alien didn't look back.
"And do you know what Uther said?" Now the queen looked almost… disgusted. "He said 'whatever the cost'! Like he doesn't care about who it might be!"
"Do…" Merlin gulped. "Do you have any idea who might die?"
She shook her head. "No, I left before I could hear anymore. I just couldn't bear it! We've both wanted a child for so long, but I would never go so far as to kill someone!"
The Doctor stepped forward, his eyes hauntingly serious. "So what are you going to do, Your Highness?"
"Tell her no, the deal's off," she answered, resolutely. "I simply cannot go through with it."
For a split second, Merlin felt relief, only for it to be replaced by horror. Ygraine not going through with the pregnancy meant Arthur would never exist.
"What about Uther?" questioned the Doctor in the midst of Merlin's shock.
"We can find another way," she said, mostly to herself. "He'll understand…"
They stared at her in silence.
"Emrys," the Doctor whispered, tugging at Merlin's arm. "A word, please. Pardon us, My Lady."
She watched them leave the room, confused and still upset, but she didn't immediately get up from her seat.
Merlin and the Doctor were just outside the door. As soon as he knew they were unheard, the Doctor spoke quietly.
"Do you understand, Merlin?" he asked.
He bit back, clearly dismayed at their situation, "Understand what?"
"This is what the TARDIS brought us here for. To make sure things go the way they're supposed to."
Merlin's face fell, his blue eyes wide with fear. "Doctor, no."
The Doctor pushed on, despite the obvious hesitation in his voice. "I'm sorry. But we have to convince her to do it."
"She'll die!" he almost yelled.
"And Arthur will never live if she doesn't!" the Timelord replied, growing impatient. "Look, you said it yourself; Arthur is destined to be a great king! That won't happen if he's never born!"
"I…" Merlin faltered. "What if I do it instead?" he tried desperately. "Offer my life in exchange for hers?" He sounded too hopeful.
The Doctor shook his head furiously. "No! Merlin, that would be a huge paradox, we can't risk it! I'm not going to let you kill yourself before you're even born! Camelot needs you every bit as much as it needs Arthur!"
"Doctor, I can't just… tell her to go ahead! She's already afraid of killing someone else, how will she react when I tell her it's her life in danger?"
"If you can't do it, then I will." He did not say those words harshly. He was looking at Merlin with so much sympathy the young boy thought he might start crying at any moment. Before he could reply, the door creaked open. The time travelers whipped their heads around to stare at Ygraine, who was staring right back at them, her expression unreadable.
"Ygraine…" Merlin breathed.
"My life?" she asked softly.
I loved writing Uther and Ygraine's interactions. I think they were a really lovely couple. Before, you know, everything went to shit.
And I have this weird thing for the Doctor tapping people's noses. It's such an annoying thing to do, but Merlin's used to it by now. I think it's cute.
Next Time: Merlin must yet again make another destiny-altering decision. But this time, he may not handle it as well as he has before...