She gave a scream as she woke, eyes wide, rolling in her head. The dream stayed with her images flashing into her mind, refusing to let go. She brought a hand to her throat, groping at it until she realised there was no sword there. And it had been Arthur that had done it anyway. She had felt his pain, and his reaction. An over-reaction she thought, but still gasping for breath she pushed the sheets aside. The cool air caused her to shiver, her entire body damp with sweat. She didn't even think to grab her robe as she opened the door and ran out into the corridor, wearing nothing but her nightgown.
The guard lingering at the end of the corridor jumped as Morgana pushed her way out and ran for the stairs. He shared a look with his companion before following after her. The guard couldn't be sure where she was going and he had no idea if he should try and stop her. For now it was easy enough just to follow, if she looked to be in danger, or be a danger herself, he could act.
Morgana didn't even realise he was there. She just felt something akin to relief as she burst into Merlin's chambers, her mind and heart racing. Lancelot and Percival gallantly looked away when they realised she was wearing nothing but a nightdress. Merlin looked her up and down momentarily and getting up grabbed a blanket to put around her shoulders.
"What's the matter?"
Morgana gasped for breath again, trying to speak, unable for a moment to make anything coherent. Once Merlin had secured the blanket around her he guided her into the nearest seat. Percival and Lancelot risked glancing and seeing that she was a little more covered, turned to look properly. However both of them carefully kept most of their attention on Merlin and not her.
Merlin crouched down, taking one of her hands, cupping it in both of his.
"A dream, a premonition?"
Morgana nodded. "Yes, I saw them. Arthur, and Uther." She struggled to talk and looked around warily as she seemed to calm down from her panic.
"A fight, they were fighting, in the council chamber. Arthur looked so angry, he..." Morgana paused, her voice tailing off.
"He dies?" Merlin asked. Morgana shook her head.
"No, he kills him, he kills Uther." Morgana didn't sound as if she particularly regretted that. She looked up at Merlin. "Arthur can't live with that... Merlin. He doesn't live with that, I saw it. You have to stop him. You have to save Arthur."
XxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Gwaine rode hell for leather, catching Arthur but not quick enough as he ran into the hallway. Arthur slammed the door to the council room and Gwaine rattled at it until Leon pulled him away.
"You can't go in there! You are under arrest!"
Two guards grabbed Gwaine and he guessed they knew he was culpable for the crime of helping Arthur out of his window. He couldn't break free so instead he shouted at Leon.
"Get in there! They are going to kill each other!"
At the same time the guards on the gate got the shock of their life as someone ran across the bridge. The two men trying to stop him flew to the sides, landing a small distance away. The dark-haired youth kept running, knocking people out of his way and sending guards flying as they ran to try and stop him. Nothing was going to stop Merlin. He made it to the courtyard and ran up the steps two at a time. Recovering their senses the guards set off in pursuit, one of them ran to order the warning bell to be rung.
In desperation Gwaine elbowed the guard on his right and slammed the other into the wall. He broke free and then reared back as Leon's sword almost impaled him. Gwaine looked down at the tip of the weapon, close to his neck. From the council room they could hear crashes and bangs.
"Leon, if you won't let me in there, get in there yourself."
Gwaine reared back as Leon jumped, when the bell started to toll. He narrowly missed cutting Gwaine's neck, which caused Leon to back up, then he recoiled another step at the sound of running, and his eyes widened as Merlin dashed around the corner, intent on his mission. Gwaine swung round in shock and managed to bite his tongue at the last minute as he exclaimed.
"What the hell…?"
Just in time he stopped himself from saying Merlin's name, since he wasn't supposed to know him. Or at least, no one in Camelot realised he knew him, except Gwen. In the end they had managed to keep Arthur in the dark over some of it. Gwaine didn't need it getting out any further or, knighthood or not, his neck would be on the block. Gwaine stumbled out of the way as Merlin dashed to the door, one of the soldiers, who had almost got back onto his feet crashed back down as Merlin pushed him out of the way. Leon, with his eyes still wide and an expression of disbelief on his face, tried to intercept Merlin but it wasn't quick enough. The doors to the room burst open and Merlin dashed in.
He skidded to a very ungraceful halt automatically using his magic to slam the door behind him. Raising his hand he uttered several words and Arthur, who had hardly registered the interruption, froze in the act, sword in the air. Uther had fallen back in his chair, his sword skittering across the floor to clank gently against the wall. Arthur's eyes widened as he realised he couldn't move and take the final swing. Merlin held the scene for a moment. He didn't feel surprise that Arthur had overpowered his father. For a start he was younger and fitter, but Uther probably hadn't fought in the same way Arthur had. The king would not want to injure his son. Arthur, however, had entirely different feelings on the subject of his father. Merlin couldn't blame him, considering what Arthur had learnt, and he was far too emotional on occasion.
Perhaps the way he had grown up had made Merlin pragmatic about things like that. He had always been well aware of his father's faults and the reason that Cenred had adopted him in the first place. He could have been angry, he could easily take that anger out on the world. However, Merlin didn't, Cenred's influence had been counterbalanced by Hunith, Iseldir, practically everyone in the household. Merlin knew he had power, and he knew he could use it to protect people.
Still, he also knew he could use his power for his own agenda. What else had he be given it for?
"Arthur, what are you doing?"
Merlin released his hold on Arthur, but at the same time he pushed him away from Uther, and the sword hung in the air for a moment before clattering to the floor.
"This is nothing to do with you!" Arthur snarled, he was not of a mind yet to question how Merlin knew what was happening, he just sounded furious about the fact that he had stopped it.
"Arthur, you don't want to do this, whatever Morgause said."
He watched Arthur's face flicker with confusion. "How do you know about Morgause?"
Tricky, Merlin thought to himself. He didn't want to give too much away. It wasn't the right time, Morgause had forced his hand.
"I know a lot of magic users, she is a high priestess of the old religion."
"So you knew as well?"
"Knew what Arthur?" Merlin asked. He took a few steps around the table, moving towards Arthur, pausing when Arthur glared at him. Merlin suppressed the smile, realising that Arthur didn't want the risk of Merlin subduing him.
"About my mother, about what he…" he pointed an accusing finger in Uther's direction, "did to my mother!"
"And you are going to take Morgause's word for that?" Merlin asked. He moved a little closer, Uther stared at him with what seemed like a cross between horror and confusion. He almost looked like he was about to get up and call for the guards, but then his gaze moved back to Arthur, and Uther's brow furrowed.
"Arthur?"
"Shut up!" Arthur roared at his father. Uther sat back in the chair and Merlin blinked in surprise. He took another step forward and Arthur rounded on him again.
"She showed me! She conjured the ghost of my mother, she said that my father used magic to conceive me and he killed her! He didn't care about her at all."
Uther's face flickered again, with anger and pain. Merlin had heard the stories, in his position it was impossible not to have done, but he didn't think the situation was as simple as that; not by a long shot. Plus Merlin knew a good deal about magic and what could be done.
"Arthur, think about it," Merlin said, but by the look on Arthur's face, all he thought about was revenge. "Have you ever seen a picture of your mother? Do you know what she looks like?"
The sudden, rather odd, question threw Arthur off his stride. He blinked in confusion and frowned.
"No, everyone says I look like her though."
"Okay, but bringing someone's ghost through the veil is a very tricky enchantment," Merlin announced. "I could conjure an image of someone who looks a bit like you Arthur, and make it say anything I want. You really need to consider why Morgause would want to suddenly tell you anything. She might have known your mother, and be able to produce an accurate image, but it would just be an image; one that she controlled."
He watched Arthur's expression change, he glanced at his father, and then looked back to Merlin. At least he turned his head, his eyes didn't meet Merlin's as the realisation of what Morgause had done dawned on him.
Whether or not Morgause was telling the truth was irrelevant to Merlin. What Uther had done did not touch his life now; it had prior to that. Breaking it down into pieces he could have surmised that Uther was responsible for bringing him into being as much as he was Arthur. Gaius had saved Balinor, Balinor had run to Hunith, and Merlin had been the result. Merlin rolled his eyes, such thoughts were pointless.
"But..." Arthur's subdued voice said. Merlin inched forward, behind him the sound of guards gathering at the door, trying to open it, increased in volume. Closing his eyes Merlin secured it with magic, only opening them when he was sure his eyes were clear.
"Arthur, there is no way she did this to tell you the truth." Merlin glanced in Uther's direction. "She has another agenda, and now you need to really think about that."
Arthur shuffled backwards. Merlin took a few steps forward, getting close enough to reach out and grip Arthur's arm.
"Arthur, it's fine, all right."
"Merlin, she..." Arthur whispered, his voice stumbling as he spoke. "She said she knew my mother, and..."
Tears were starting to fill Arthur's eyes. Merlin drew Arthur to his right, pulling a chair out and sat him down in it.
"How could she...?"
"Conjuring an image is not that difficult, it will say whatever you like."
"Why?" Arthur asked, looking down. Merlin sighed.
"I don't know, I can't..."
Merlin stopped talking as Arthur's eyes lifted, and widened. Merlin turned raising his hand, the protection he always used surrounding himself in his magic, flared up by instinct, as Uther attacked him. Someone he had managed to stand and reach for his sword. Merlin felt his power surge as the sword connected with his aura. Uther recoiled, dropping the weapon again. Merlin's eyes remained wide, power still flickering as he felt it from the weapon. Slowly he rose to his feet.
"I wouldn't," Merlin warned Uther. The king hesitated, behind him Merlin heard Arthur give a breathless gasp.
"You threatened me," Uther snarled.
"I did nothing of the sort. I came here to stop Arthur doing something he would regret. You are no concern of mine and..." Merlin paused and frowned. "Where did you get that sword?"
Uther back-peddled as Merlin reached down for the sword. He held it up, staring at it in shock. Arthur tensed, realising Merlin was no more than six steps away from his father, holding his sword. However, it became clear that he had no intention of using it, and in fact what he had said about Uther remained utterly true. Merlin turned his back on the king and looked down at Arthur.
"How did you come by this sword?"
"It's my father's," Arthur said. Merlin turned to look up at Uther.
"Really. Uther Pendragon with a sword forged in the Great Dragon's breath. Kilgharrah would not have forged it willingly, how did you get him to do it?"
Merlin rounded on Uther. The king glared, Merlin glared back, harder.
"How did you get this sword?"
"Morgana!" Arthur suddenly snapped. "Someone, something, attacked the knights, a dead thing. It challenged some of the knights, aiming for me I think."
"It was meant for me!" Uther snapped at him.
"I picked up the gauntlet, I was to face it. Morgana had the sword made for me, but my father went to the battle... to protect me," Arthur's voice lowered, dropping to a whisper.
"Morgana got it from the dragon?" Merlin asked. He stared at the sword and felt the magic. Somehow Morgana had made the dragon forge the sword, to protect Arthur. It probably hadn't taken much persuading for the dragon to do it, the more Morgana ingratiated herself with the dragon, the harder it would have been to refuse his request of freedom. Like everyone else, the dragon had his own agenda.
"Was it Morgana?" Arthur asked. Merlin turned looking at Arthur's dazed expression as he studied him, wondering how Merlin had managed to turn up. "Did she see something?"
At least now, Merlin could tell the truth, and disregard the facts. Gwaine had proved an invaluable asset as a set of eyes in Camelot. Merlin, it appeared, couldn't afford to lose that.
"Yes, she did. She wanted me to protect you from something you might regret."
"But he..."
Merlin gritted his teeth. "Arthur, your father didn't do anything."
As Arthur turned his head to look at his father so did Merlin sending Uther a knowing glare. It was not the case. Uther had been instrumental in the situation, and it had snowballed out of control. A good deal of blame laid with him, but not for deliberately sacrificing his wife Igraine to produce his heir. Ignorance on Uther's part had been his undoing. Merlin knew that, and he knew where Arthur's blinkered beliefs came from. It would take time to change it but Merlin knew he could do it. If he learnt nothing from this confrontation, he now knew that.
"I'm sorry," Arthur whispered. Merlin wasn't sure if Arthur was talking to him or Uther, or both. Merlin backed off, taking the sword with him.
"I think I need to take this. It was made for Arthur, and you corrupted it," he told Uther.
The King of Camelot seemed to recover himself, glaring up at Merlin.
"Guards!"
Merlin ran, to the end of the hall where he knew a door lay, to allow for escape, should there be an attack. At the same time he let go of his hold on the door. So many guards were trying to batter the place down that they all fell in, causing a pile up and it gave Merlin the time he needed. The warning bell clanged over his head as he took a corridor, knocking two guards away and dodging down a flight of stairs.
"Merlin!"
He skidded to a halt at Gwaine's voice. The knight gestured at him and then disappeared. Hearing the sounds of footsteps echoing around Merlin ran in Gwaine's direction and ducked down the corridor. Gwaine grabbed him, pulling him into a dark alcove as the footsteps came closer, thundering around.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"You warned, I told you I'd stop it. Morgana had a vision as well."
Gwaine huffed. "Give it a minute, we can make our way down to the vaults, you can get out through the cavern."
"What about you? You were with Arthur, you could get into trouble."
"I went with him to keep him out of trouble. Much good it did me."
"You don't have to stay Gwaine. You did what I asked you to do. You are under no obligation to carry on. I can relieve you of that duty."
"Yes, you can. However, you did not make me a knight of Camelot. I am under no obligation to leave with you. Come on, now!"
Gwaine pulled his arm, dragging him out into the corridor. Merlin went with him as Gwaine pulled him into a darkened area, heading towards the dungeon. At times he suddenly stopped, backtracking, hiding and working his way around the men rushing around. Merlin let him, realising that Gwaine knew the layout of the castle intimately. He wanted to take Merlin clear of any men of Camelot. It made it obvious, as Gwaine flinched back on occasion, who Gwaine was protecting. Not Merlin but the men they might come across.
Eventually they ran down an old stone staircase into a huge open cavern. Merlin looked around in awe.
"Wow."
Gwaine huffed. "This is where the dragon was kept, I don't think much of the wow. I dare say you can find your way out from here. The pathway gets a little slim but you don't need to worry about falling. It comes out in the Darkling Woods."
"Gwaine, you don't have to stay."
"No, that decision was out of your hands when I delivered the message and finished my job. And Gwen and I decided to keep Arthur ignorant of most things, including the fact that I am talking to you still."
"So why are you staying, not because Uther made you a knight."
"If anyone gets blamed for anything, it will be Gwen. Uther thinks nothing of servants and he thinks nothing of killing them for things they are not guilty of. I know the story of what happened to her father. Anyone that so much as looks as a sorcerer gets killed. You can be ignorant of what they are and still die for it. I shouldn't have called you. With Uther dead, Arthur would be king."
"Yes, you should. Because Morgana saw it. If Uther died at Arthur's hand, he would have killed himself directly afterwards. Arthur loves his father, we just need to make him aware of his faults."
"Like you know your father's?"
"Yes, Gwaine, I do. I know what he wants, he has it; and I love him, faults and all."
"Good for you," Gwaine snarled. "Now go, I'll clear up the mess, somehow!"
"You could be in trouble for helping Arthur."
"True, but I'd be in more trouble if I hadn't gone out of my way to protect Arthur from himself. What about Morgause?"
"I will deal with her."
XxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Merlin had promised that and he intended to follow through. He walked into the Darkling Woods and came out through the small tunnel. Heading east he jogged a little and then paused, waiting until the dark shadow unfurled and the dragon's head dipped. Kilgharrah's nostrils flared as his nose moved to Merlin's right hand.
"You acquired it," Kilgharrah said and then reared back, nostrils open as he breathed heavily. "It stinks of Uther."
"We can't destroy it, we need to make it ready for it's true owner."
"You think that is possible?"
"It is your magic."
"And it cannot be moved, it cannot be destroyed, it can only be corrupted."
"You made it for Arthur."
"The witch promised that it would only be wielded by him. Uther took it, used it, and held it."
"In his defence, I don't think Uther quite realised what it was, or what it meant."
"The witch did. She should never have been allowed to know the truth."
"She doesn't know anything, and for what has occurred, you are culpable as much as she is. I guarantee I will keep the sword safe until I can hand it over to the Once And Future King."
"You mean Arthur."
"I do, but it will be a while before I can do that. For now, you and I keep the sword safe, and we have one last thing to do."
Kilgharrah dipped his head.
"What is that?"