CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
Merlin helped ready everything as Arthur and Mithian prepared to go on a hunt.
Merlin hated hunting, it was an unfair advantage to the animal he thought. Even under Morgana's enchantment, he still hated the sport.
Deep in the woods, Merlin had been sent ahead once again to flush out the poor animal but instead of an animal, he came face to face with Morgana.
His face lit up in a smile.
"Merlin, I have turned Gwen into a deer. Arthur must kill her, do you understand?" She asked quickly.
He nodded.
She went to leave him when he grabbed her arm.
Her eyes locked with his.
"I would do anything for you, Morgana." He said seriously and for some unknown reason, this bothered her.
Instead she forced her expression to remain stoic.
"I know you would, Merlin." She said with a small smile that was clearly forced.
He then released her and she left quickly, otherwise she could find that arrow in her back instead.
It did not take Merlin long to find Gwen in her deer form and he smiled when he saw her.
Arthur and Mithian saw her before Merlin had a chance to tell them and crossbow bolts flew.
It sent her running and Merlin gave chase.
They lost her and Arthur stopped his horse, climbing from the saddle as something caught his eye.
He bent to retrieve it and found that it was the ring he had given Gwen.
Mithian came to stop her own horse and looked at him.
"We lost her, maybe she went east."
She frowned when he didn't answer her.
"My Lord?"
Arthur straightened with the ring in his grasp.
"Hunting is over for today."
Merlin nodded and lead Mithian back to the palace with Arthur ahead of them.
Merlin went to see the king in his chambers later that day.
"My Lord, are you all right?" He asked.
Arthur was still holding the ring.
"How can I love someone who betrayed me?" He asked his manservant.
Merlin shrugged.
"I wish I knew where she was, Merlin."
Merlin smiled at his king.
"You will see her again, I am sure of it."
Morgana waited in her hovel.
Merlin was surposed to be here by now.
The door opened and he walked in.
She stopped biting her nails and got up.
"Is she dead?"
Merlin shook his head.
"Just wounded but she'll heal." He added.
Morgana paced around her hovel and Merlin took a seat on the edge of her bed.
"Can I ask you something?" He began.
She nodded, too distracted by her own throughts to refuse.
"Why do you want to rule Camelot if not just to have magic restored to the kingdom?" He questioned.
She turned to him, her eyes glassy with tears.
"Because Uther lied to me, he kept me a secret, all this time I was just his ward, to discover that I was his daughter and he had not even acknowledged that... Merlin I expressed no interest in the throne before I found out who my true father was, I was happy for Arthur to be king."
Merlin nodded in understanding.
"So this is all about revenge?"
"It's about taking back what is rightfully mine... I'm the eldest, I'm Uther's daughter, I want magic restored... I was once a fair and kind person but he killed that in me. Now all I am is this and I cling to my bitterness to keep strong." She told him.
Merlin stared at her.
She walked around with her head held high and a smirk that warned you to stay back but inside, she was broken and believed that she could not be mended.
He extended his hand to her.
"Come here." He said softly.
She paused and found herself walkig over to him as he pulled her down onto his lap.
She sat there with her arms around his neck and her head against his chest like a child in need of comfort.
He held her and rested his chin on top of her head.
She let out a small sigh.
"It saddens me that you have to be under my control to hold me like this..."
Merlin frowned and kissed her head.
"I love you, Morgana. I always have done."
She smirked again but did not raise her head.
"It's only what I want you to say. Merlin, we could have been so powerful together, if only you had not turned against me."
"I'm sorry." He said.
Morgana sighed again and then raised her head to look at him.
He closed his eyes and moved his head towards her.
She closed her own eyes, tears spilling down her cheeks as he kissed her gently.
"I am sorry, Morgana..." He said against her lips.
"But you will never take Camelot again."
Her eyes snapped open and she pulled back slightly.
He gently moved her off of his lap and stood, looking down at her.
"I now know what you want. What lies deep in you heart and mind and I know how to protect Arthur... your magic had no effect on me, Morgana. I made sure of that."
She looked down at the floor just like she used to when Uther scolded her.
"Give it up, Morgana. You will never be queen."
Merlin turned and opened the door but he just stood there with his hand on the door.
"I am sorry for how you have suffered."
She wasn't looking at him and he left, leaving her alone as she always feared she would be.
Mithian had left, Arthur had sent her away and without Morgana knowing, Merlin had found a wounded Gwen in the forest, healed her and sent her back to Ealdor, where she would be safe.
He had not been lying when he said that Morgana's magic had no effect on him, this time it didn't and he was just as puzzled as she was.
Still, maybe now she would sit back and think things through.
During his time away from her, Merlin had discovered that Kilgarah was not the last dargon alive, there was another, and with the help of a thief, Merlin rescued the female dragon and awakened her.
Her name would be Aithusa.
Darkness had fallen over Camelot and Agravaine had slipped out of the castle unnoticed. A guard fell at his feet as he passed with a quick slash of his arm.
He stood at the gate and waved a torch back and forth in the air, within a few seconds, a small flame did the exact same thing in the distance.
He smiled and Camelot started to burn...
Helios sat on the hill that looked down on the town, Morgana at his side, holding the reins of her horse tightly.
"It's time."
As one, they all moved down the hill and the warning bell was rang as the palace was infiltrated from all sides.
Arthur sprang from his bed and dressed quickly as Merlin left Giaus's chambers to go to the king.
He burst into the chamber to find that he wasn't there.
He turned and realized that he must be out in the courtyard, already fighting.
Merlin glanced out of the windows as he ran and saw thousands of armed men swarming into the palace like ants.
Morgana had come for them.
...
Down in the tunnels, Agravaine was fighting his way past all the guards and stopped as one of the knights pulled a sword on him.
"Step aside." Agraviaine barked.
The knight held firm and Agravaine grinned.
"There is nothing you can do, step down."
Still, he stayed where he was.
Agravaine watched as he was suddenly thrown back against a wall with a sickening crack.
He turned and found Morgana standing behind him with her arm outstretched.
She frowned at him with disappointment as he walked past.
"We don't have time to play soldiers, Agravaine. I don't want to have to remind you of that again."
He nodded and watched as a line of men followed her down the tunnel.
In the courtyard, Arthur was doing his best to hold back the assault.
Sir Leon stared at him with wide eyes.
"There's too many of them!" He called over the roar of the men.
Arthur ignored him and kept slashing his sword at any man who came near him.
Merlin ran up behind him and tried to pull him back.
"Arthur, we must go inside!"
Arthur shook him off and kicked out at a man who jumped over the hastily made barrier.
"You go and help Giaus, Merlin!"
Merlin turned and ran back inside to where Giaus and some of the other servants were trying to tend to as many of the wounded as they could.
"Merlin! There you are!" Giaus cried with relief.
Merlin went over to his guardian and looked down at all the injured men and women.
"Giaus, Arthur cannot hold them back for much longer, they are already inside the palace."
As if on cue, the doors started banging as though someone was trying to get in.
Merlin stared at Giaus and they both knew.
"Morgana."
Giaus turned to Merlin.
"Get Arthur and take him away from Camelot. As far as you can."
Merlin frowned.
"What about you?"
That was when Gwaine stepped forward.
"I'll protect him."
Merlin still seemed hesitant.
"She will kill Arthur if you do not go!" Giaus pleaded with him.
In the end, Merlin knew Giaus was right and he ran back out into the courtyard to find him.
A split second later, Morgana's men burst into the room with her behind them.
She stepped forward and stared at Gwaine and Giaus.
"Where is Arthur?"
Giaus straightened.
"He's gone."
She frowned.
"Gone? Gone where?"
Gwaine stared at her.
"Why should we tell you?"
Morgana smirked at him.
"Take them and the rest of you, prepare the horses, we're going on a hunt."
Gwaine stared at her back as he and Giaus were lead out of the room and taken down to the dungeons.
Merlin had not been able to persuade Arthur to leave the palace without using magic and now, stripped of his will, Arthur had no choice but do as Merlin told him.
It made a change.
"Arthur, come on." Merlin urged as Arthur looked back at his burning kingdom.
He turned at the sound of Merlin's voice and rushed with him through the trees.
The sound of horse's hooves alerted Merlin and when he risked a glance over his shoulder, he saw Morgana riding at the head of the hunting party.
"Run!" Merlin shouted.
A few of the knights had gone with him and swore that they would protect the king with their lives.
Morgana had managed to gain on them and with a flash of her eyes, a few of the knights were thrown forward but Merlin kept going with Arthur, Morgana had succeeded in capturing only one of the knights.
The great hall was dark as Helios approached the throne.
Morgana glanced at him as he walked towards her with a smile on his face.
"Congratulations, My Lady. Camelot is yours, you are now it's undisputed queen."
She smirked and then ran a hand along the wooden arm of the throne.
"Taking Camelot was the easy part, Helios."
She stood and walked towards him.
"I want Arthur. Have you found him yet?"
Helios shook his head.
She sighed.
"I shall have to send Agravaine then, send him up to my chambers shortly." She ordered. He nodded and then frowned in confusion.
"Where would that be exactly?"
She turned, with a grin on her face.
"Uther's of course."
He grinned back and nodded.
Agravaine entered to find her going over Uther's papers that Arthur had been in charge of.
She knew that Arthur remained in his own chambers as he felt that Uther's should be kept as they were before he died. Morgana thought differently and had no problem pawing through his things.
She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.
It had taken him long enough.
"You sent for me, My Lady?"
She let out a small breath as she turned a piece of parchment over.
"I did, I need you to find Arthur and bring him back here to me."
He nodded and then sighed.
She looked up at him.
"Is there something else?" She asked irritably.
Agravaine shook his head.
"No... it's just... I wish that I did not have to leave your side."
She bit back a grin and looked up at him.
"Fulfill this task and you need not leave my side again."
He nodded and she went back to the papers in front of her.
"I must ask you to be cautious, Morgana. People are not always what they seem. You may not be able to trust Helios or any other willing ally for that matter." He added.
She sat back and looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.
"No one except you, is that it?"
Agravaine knew she would never understand and he found himself going to his knees by her side.
She looked down at him as though that was where he belonged. On his knees.
"Have I not given you everything, Morgana? Anything you ever wanted me to do, I have done it. I have gone against people who I used to trust, I have killed, tortured and manipulated anyone you asked me to. Yet still, it feels as though it is not good enough for you." He explained with a considerbale amount of sorrow in his voice.
Morgana nodded in agreement.
"You have been good to me, Agravaine and I cannot question your loyalty." She began. He smiled up at her untill her mouth twisted into a grim line and she stood, making him stand awkwardly as she stalked towards him.
"But your infatuation with me... I cannot pretend that it doesn't bother me anymore. Everyday, I wake to find you staring at me while I was sleeping and it makes my skin crawl- you make my skin crawl, Agravaine." She told him with an expression of complete and utter disgust.
He could only stare at her as her words stung him.
Ice heart, she definitely was.
She the brushed past him with one last threat;
"Oh and Agravaine? Fail me again and your life will not be worth living."
He watched her leave only to see Helios waiting outside as he put an arm around her shoulders and they walked off together.
Merlin watched Arthur carefully as he made a fire and some food.
"Merlin? Where are we going?" Arthur asked but his voice was more like a curious child's than a demanding king.
"Can't you just trust me just this once?"
Arthur nodded with a slight smile.
"You're right. I can trust you Merlin. I am sorry."
Merlin was having some trouble getting used to this new Arthur and he just hoped the enchantment would hold out.
For the first and probably the last time, Merlin made Arthur clean the dishes and feed the horses.
He watched Arthur as he readied himself for sleep.
They would return to Camelot again. They had to.
The next morning, Merlin travelled to the cave where he had picked the hiding place and tried to talk to Arthur about his kingdom and how he had to fight for it now that Morgana would undoubtly assume the throne as the new Queen of Camelot.
Those would be some dark days if she succeeded.
Morgana grew bored of waiting for Agravaine to return and knew that she needed to make some entertaiment of her own.
She went down to the dungeons with a few of her men and strode confidently up to the cell that Gwaine and Giaus had been imprisoned in.
Gwaine stood and walked up to the bars to meet her.
"How the mighty have fallen." She said with a smirk.
She glanced over Gwaine's broad shoulder to Giaus who was propped up against the wall and breathing heavily.
"We need some food." Gwaine said.
Her green gaze snapped back to the knight.
"You think you deserve it?"
"I only think of Giaus, he cannot survive much longer without it." He answered truthfully. If Lancelot had been alive he might find a contender for most nobelest knight, Morgana thought with a grin.
Another glance at Giaus and then she focused her attention back on Gwaine.
"I understand..." She said with a slight nod of her head.
Maybe she did have a heart after all.
"If you're willing to fight for it." She told him with a chuckle.
Maybe not.
The guards unlocked the cell door and took a shackled Gwaine away from Giaus and up to the throne room that Morgana had turned into a small fighting ring.
Some of her men were standing in a circle around her as she removed Gwaine's chains.
"I give you Sir Gwaine, knight of Camelot, famous in all five kingdoms I might add." She declared with a smile that promised pain and torture.
She turned back to Gwaine.
"Lets see if that fame is deserved shall we?"
She gestured for a man who was extremely bulky and large, to come forward.
He carried a nasty looking mace in his hand and he came towards Gwaine with no fear.
"Good luck."
Morgana whispered into his ear, before turning and going back to her seat.
Helios stood beside her, watching one of Camelot's finest fight for his life.
The spell had not seemed to wear off yet so Merlin took the chance to tell Arthur all he had wanted to without endangering himself.
He had no idea how much of this Arthur would remember.
"You know you never seem grateful for what I do for you." Merlin said suddenly.
Arthur stared at him.
"I don't?"
"No. No thank you, no 'I appreciate that, Merlin' nothing."
Arthur sighed a little.
"I'm sorry, Merlin. I'll try to be more thankful in the future." He said and it sounded like a promise.
"I know you still love Gwen."
Arthur nodded.
"I do."
Merlin smiled.
"Which is why I am taking you to Ealdor to see her. You need her right now and what with Morgana and everything, you need people you love around you." Merlin told him. Arthur glanced at Merlin.
"I loved Morgana... she is my sister, why would she want to hurt me?"
The innocence in his voice was just like a confused child's and Merlin stared at him.
Was this how he really thought of Morgana? Even after all her betrayal? She had been betrayed herself and after the last thing that Merlin had done, he wondered if she would set her sights on killing him once she reclaimed the throne.
It made him shiver to even think about it.
...
Her eyes lit up as she watched him. He was fierce and brutal when he fought and he showed his opponent no mercy.
When the fight was over and Gwaine stood, staring at her, she clapped slowly, mockingly even though she had been quite entertained by him.
She stood and walked towards him.
He had a small cut on the bridge of his nose, apart from that, he had no marks on him.
"Well done knight, you've earned your reward."
She flicked her wrist and a piece of mouldy bread was slid across the floor to hit his boot. He looked down at it and then back up at her.
She smirked.
"You'll have to do better if you want some more."
From behind him, two more men appeared and Morgana waited to see the look of weariness pass over Gwaine's features, instead he only grinned at her.
"I was getting worried, I thought you were going to make this easy."
She couldn't help but feel a little annoyed at that flippant remark.
It didn't take them long to get to Ealdor and as soon as the got there, Arthur fell onto Merlin's old bed and fell asleep, when he woke up, it was plain to see that the spell had worn off.
"Merlin?!"
Merlin ran in to see what Arthur wanted.
"What am I doing here?!" He roared.
Merlin stared at him.
"Morgana has taken over Camelot and it was not safe for you, so when you... fell unconcious, I brought you here." Merlin quickly explained and partly lied.
Arthur raised his eyebrows.
"You? Brought me here? All by yourself?"
Merlin nodded.
"Don't look so surprised, I'm stronger than I look."
Merlin's next words were cut off when Arthur's gaze was torn away from his manservant.
"Guinevere"...