Hey, guys.
Chapter 25 ended up being quite long, so I split it into two.
Still don't own Merlin, nor does Bradley know I'm alive
Enjoy chapter 26!
Arthur and Guinevere: A Love Which Brings Light
Chapter 26
"Sire!" Leon cries frantically the second he sees Arthur. "Thank God." A look of concern crossed Leon's face having seen the king, and with good reason. When Arthur had ridden into the courtyard, he had been swarmed by the men from Noceo. He had fought them off for the most part, as had the knights, but he was still left with a wound in his side from one that had been too quick for him. The blood glistened on his chainmail, but he didn't take the time to worry about that now.
"Where's Guinevere?" The question is out of the king's mouth before he is even directly in front of Sit Leon. "What's going on? Who are these men?"
"I-I don't know, Sire, I really don't know-
"Where are the other knights on duty at the garrison? Why isn't the warning bell going off? Where's Gaius, for Heaven's sake?"
"I don't know, Sire, It must've gotten disabled again, I had it going, I swear, and as for Gauis, I-"
"I leave for two weeks, trusting the kingdom to your care, and I come home to find Camelot in chaos and the citadel threatened! Leon, what the hell happened?"
"I'm sorry, I-I fell asleep or something, I don't know-" Leon is flustered, the guilt ganging up behind his eyes.
Arthur looks like he wants to grab Leon by the shoulders and shake some sense into him but he doesn't. His hand clench into fists at his sides instead.
"There's dark magic here," Merlin interjects. "I can feel it. Everything probably stemmed from there. A lot of sleeping potions do, anyway." Arthur turns to look at his servant. He would question him more if he wasn't so worried, even if he didn't have to. He trusted Merlin's judgement much more than before. If he said there was dark magic, then there was a good chance there really was.
"Sleeping potions you say, Merlin?" Arthur asks, glancing at his fellow knight. Merlin nods, leaving Arthur embarrassed. "I am sorry, Leon."
"I don't know what happened or why these men are here to try and ruin Camelot, but I do know this: The last time I saw the queen," Leon says, making Arthur pause to listen, "she was in the dungeons. I tried, I-I tried to get her out of there but-
"I know you did all you could. We'll find her," Arthur says quickly. "I am sorry. I didn't mean to accuse you."
"Don't be," Leon says, waving off his apology with a heavy hand. "It's Gwen."
Indeed it was.
Arthur nods, looks around for her one last time with such desperation in his face Leon wants to look away. Arthur claps a hand on his shoulder in knightly affection before running down the steps to the basement, Merlin hurrying behind him.
AGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA
After having sent the rest of the knights to fan out and kill the rest of the Noceo men, under the direction of Leon, Percival, and Gwaine-it was the understatement of the century to say Arthur was bothered by their presence-that left him and Merlin the ones to go and get Gwen.
"How did she even get in the dungeons in the first place?" Arthur says, frustrated, running down a corridor. Merlin shook his head.
"You should get something from Gaius for that wound."
Arthur shakes his head, frustrated again, even as he puts his hand to his side and winces. "No time for that. We've got to find her."
The men proceed down a few more corridors, Arthur killing any men he sees that aren't his own. At one point, he's in the middle of mortally wounding one of them when two more jump out. Merlin helps him out by blasting two of the men with a spell, knocking both of them to the ground, unconscious.
"Thanks," Arthur says quickly. Merlin shrugs. It is nice to be able to accept gratitude, but they don't have time for that. Instead, they move past the men on the ground, going on towards Gwen.
AGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAG
Except, they are stopped again.
By Rothbart no less.
"Well, well, if it isn't Merlin the sorcerer," he says. "Oh, and Arthur the King, you're here too." Merlin and Arthur roll their eyes. "We've been waiting for you," Rothbart says. The sly smile on his face just makes Merlin angry.
"Oh, you have, have you?" Merlin says, taking a step forward.
"Yes," Rothbart says slowly. "Waiting to do this." He pulls out a sword from out of nowhere, aiming it at Merlin. It practically reeks of dark magic. But that's something only Merlin can sense. Out of habit, like the warrior that he is, Arthur immediately lunges for it, fighting it like he would if someone were actually wielding it.
"No, Arthur! It's enchanted!" Merlin yells. "You can't beat it!" Eleyan flashes through his mind.
"Enchanted sword or otherwise," Arthur yells, still battling the phantom weapon, "Merlin, you're the one they want. You've got to get out of here!"
"I'll deal with this," Merlin shouts back to Arthur in reply. "Go get Gwen."
Arthur nods. He runs. For once, he's happy to do what Merlin says.
AGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAG
Down in the basement, where the dungeons are, memories flood everywhere, from Morgana to Gwen the first few times she was down here, to Merlin, to Gaius. But-yep, you guessed it: there wasn't time for that. The past was shoved aside in favor of the present.
Arthur runs down the stairs to the sound of chains being swished and swiveled around. His heart grow cold in his chest.
Oh, Dear God, please, no-
His worst fear comes true when he sees that the chains are on Gwen, binding her hands and feet. She is talking sarcastically with the guards, who shout at her in French. It all is so inhumane a lump forms in his throat.
"What, are you going to not give me anything to eat again? Or, how about no water? Or, hey, I'd even be open to that whole water in the face thing. But seriously, you guys couldn't do any better than some screaming and shouting? Come on. That is so two days ago."
The second she sees Arthur, the relief in her face is so huge it makes him want to cry. The next second, she smiles smugly at the two men as if to say, see? I told you he'd show up. She didn't even need to wonder. She had the utmost faith in him, just as Arthur knew there was no question that he would come home to her.
"Well, well," Hangus drawls wickedly. "Finally, the glorious King Arthur returns home."
"No thanks to your men," Arthur says threateningly in a low voice. Before Hangus and Harm can stop him, Arthur undoes Gwen's chains as quickly as he can, wrenching their hands off him when one of the men gets a good grip on the king's arm and tries to pull him away from Gwen. This is easy for him; Hangus and Harm were such idiots the chains aren't even locked, merely tied in a giant knot.
But Hangus and Harm don't seem that upset about it, which baffles Gwen after how closely they've watched her these past four days. "I hear Rothbart sparring with Merlin upstairs," Harm growls happily. "No use for these guys anymore." He cackles in delight. Hangus does too. Arthur then finishes undoing the chains from her hands and he and Gwen share a moment for a split second. She doesn't need to say thanks. He already knows. Hangus and Harm look at the both of them as if to say, what are you gonna do next? Gwen looks at them as if to say back, watch and find out. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees the sword Arthur gave her after they got married glinting in the dim light, sticking out of Harm's sword belt. She quickly grabs it and stabs both of them twice, each, surprising them, but also making them fall to the floor in a chorus of not so manly grunts and groans. She must've picked up that 'one swift blow' idea somewhere, and he can't help but hope she learned it from him. Blood from the both of them splatters on her dress. The impact of them falling by her hand makes her legs go all wobbly, not to mention the whole not eating or drinking thing. Arthur catches her, grabbing her upper arms gently to keep her upright.
"Are you all right?" He knows she isn't, but asks anyway, for his own sanity.
"Yes," Gwen says. "I'm-I'm-" Her face goes gray, then white, perfectly pale, and her legs give out and Arthur scoops her easily in his arms, bridal style. He grows more concerned at that. Seeing this, Gwen lifts a hand to caress his face. It is then he can feel how clammy her skin is, how weak she is, how heavy of a burden it would be if she were to try and hold herself up on her own right now, and is more alarmed than he was a few seconds ago. "I'm glad you're back," she says, and then falls unconscious in his arms, her whole world going dark.