Chapter 28

Merlin stared in disbelief at Aerona. The cruelty and simplicity of her plan was incredible. One or other of the two people he cared about most in the World (barring his Mother) would have to die – and at his hand.

Determination etched deeply on his face, strong despite his pain and poor condition, Merlin looked first at Dera and then at Arthur. He was met with equally determined faces and he knew what they were both silently telling him. "Don't do it." He took a second, breathed deeply and decided. It would not happen. He would not do it.

"No."

Aerona did not seem surprised by the young man's refusal, in fact an expression of satisfaction crossed her eyes and she smiled the facsimile of a smile. Once more she reached out to touch Merlin's bleeding face, caressing it with almost tender feelings, she leaned forward and spoke quietly into his ear.

"You have no choice."

As the last syllable left her lips she flicked her wrist and Dera began to scream. And scream and scream; a never ending expression of agony and torment.

Her screams were immediately joined by the angry and frustrated shouts of Gwaine and Arthur as they fought hard against their chains, yelling at Aerona to stop torturing the girl. But Merlin was silent, though each scream thrust through him like a serkets sting. He once more looked directly into the soulless eyes of the witch before him and said

"No"

This time a small flicker of surprise crossed Aerona's features but it was soon smothered by an even bigger smile.

"You are going to be so much fun to play with aren't you Merlin? Stronger than you look, able to ignore the screams of the woman you love and yet...yet it is breaking you isn't it? I can see into your heart my young lover and it is agony. Every pain she feels hurts you as well; every fiery lash I inflict on her courses through your body does it not? Perhaps I just need to increase the, um, how shall I put it? The incentive. If you give in now and kill Arthur I will let you go free and take her with you" Here Aerona bent forward and spoke directly to Merlin; this time she did not need to lower her voice too much as what she said could not be heard by Arthur and Gwaine over Dera's awful cries. "You will of course not have your magic but you will be alive and with the woman you love. Surely that is worth just one little act of killing?"

Merlin did not know how much more he could take and even more importantly how much more Dera could endure. His calm appearance totally belied the turmoil he was feeling. Aerona was right, Dera's screams were agony to him, eating into his very heart. But he knew that he could not kill Arthur...even for the promise of life, love and freedom...could he? To stop Dera's pain? For a brief moment he allowed himself the image of them both alive, living out their lives in peace with a family around them...and him guilty of the murder of the man he was born to serve. And Aerona, dictator and Queen of Albion, pillaging and destroying all that they had built. But, oh God's Dera was in such agony. Unable to resist any longer Merlin looked towards Dera; pain filled her eyes but she stared, telling him that he could not give in. He just had to have the courage to fight and they would find a way out. Besides he knew that there was no way Aerona would let any of them live. He looked up and spoke again.

"No"

Aerona moved her arm again and Dera's cries rose to a new crescendo, until finally her voice broke and the screams became silent. Merlin was not sure what was worse; the noise or the mute misery.

"Merlin, please. Just do it. Save Dera."

Merlin started and turned round to face Arthur who was no longer shouting and raging at Aerona. Instead he was standing tall, head high and full of majesty despite the chain, the filth and the blood. Never had he looked more Kingly.

"I robbed you of the chance for happiness once before. I will not do so again. Do what she says, kill me." Arthur's voice was decisive and calm and for a second Merlin's pride in the man the King had become was so powerful he almost smiled.

"No"

It was all Merlin could say, scared that if he spoke more he would break down and Aerona would see how close he was to the edge. He had to remain resolute, he just had to.

To his side he heard a sigh and then the sound of a body falling to the ground and he looked and saw Dera lying on the disgusting dirt, alive and no longer in pain. She stirred slowly and raised her head and gave him a small, exhausted smile. And Merlin loved her more at that moment than he ever had – he knew that she understood and she forgave him her pain. He lowered his head, feeling unworthy of such love; yet so happy it had found him.

His brief respite was savagely interrupted by sharp, piercing sound of Arthur's scream of intense pain. Merlin's whole body contracted as the bellow filled every inch of the dank room. He was so very familiar with Arthur's incredible tolerance of pain and for the King to be making such a sound so quickly Merlin knew that the pain he was in must have been all consuming. He did not want to look but felt he owed it to the man he cared for above all others not to be a coward but to face the consequences of his actions. And so he looked.

Arthur was being flung from side to side, his wrist bleeding copiously and legs being dragged across the harsh ground. But it was his shoulders...both had been wrenched from their sockets and yet were still being pulled backwards and forwards with each magical movement. He was like a rag doll being fought over by two incredible strong, aggressive, tormenting and evil children. He was literally being torn apart.

Merlin's body involuntarily took a step forward, this seemed just too much to bear after all that Dera had endured. He had just watched his love go through agony and now his friend. Merlin's magic strained against its restraints, fighting to break free. But all it did was cause the young warlock powerful, concentrated spasms of pain and sickness. And Merlin almost welcomed this, it made him feel as if he were sharing in the agony the others had felt. In the background he could hear Gwaine swearing and cursing Aerona to every level of hell but Merlin only really had ears for Arthur.

Then as quickly as it began, it stopped. Arthur swung silently from his chains, battered and misshapen with the dislocation, unconscious and grievously injured. Merlin gaped, had Aerona gone too far? Had she intended Arthur to be so damaged? Her voice, quiet and malicious soon made her actions clear.

"Gwnewch yn dda ac yn reawaken."

Arthur's body convulsed and his eyes sprung open, showing he was fully aware and then his destroyed shoulders went into spasm and forced themselves back into their rightful places. Arthur's cry was primeval in its power, recalling the agony of all those who had suffered before through-out time.

Yet through the agonised keen, all Merlin could hear was the hushed, honey tones of the dread Priestess.

"I can happily do this time and time again Merlin. Can you? Can they?"

Arthur's screams levelled off, seemingly replaced by near sobs of anguish; these were even harder to bear.

"All you have to do is kill Dera and your King will be freed from pain. Whole again. Is it too much to ask Merlin?" she continued to murmour in his ear. "A little slip with my knife and it will be all over."

Merlin stared at the two exhausted human beings beside him and from their eyes he got the confirmation he needed. And gave the only answer he would ever give.

"No"

Roaring with anger and frustration Aerona threw her arms out and all three of the other prisoners were crushed against the walls of their cell.

"I will leave you with this thought Merlin. You shall kill one of the two by morning or I will kill them all and then I will cut such a swath of terror and destruction throughout the whole of the land that generations yet unborn will fear me. If you do not decide then nothing short of total genocide will satisfy me. You have until the dawn."

With a last scathing look at them Aerona stalked from the dungeon; leaving her captives breathless and frankly terrified.

XXX

"No"

"Merlin!"

"No"

"But..."

"No"

Arthur almost gave up; he was unimaginably sore and tired, as were they all but he needed to keep trying. The three of them had been arguing for over an hour as to what to do and for him it came back to his need to protect those in his care. Arthur had no wish to die, he loved his life, his land and his wife. But he was willing to make any sacrifice necessary to ensure the safety of all he loved. As he had shown when riding out to face the Cailleach Arthur was not afraid to die if it meant preserving Camelot and all who lived within. But Merlin would not listen.

"Merlin, it makes the most sense. We cannot get out and I will not let us all be killed and Camelot put to the sword. If I die you will all be free and you will be able to return, tell Guinevere to gather my knights and together you can avenge me and kill Aerona. It is the only way." He glanced at his servant, chained up next to him, willing him to listen this time.

"No"

"Damn you Merlin, is that all you can say?" The exasperation and the fear he was feeling were on the point of driving Arthur to want to strangle the obstinate, stubborn, insanely loyal manservant himself.

"No"

"Merlin" Dera's voice, quiet until now, rose from the corner of the room where she had been sat, hugging herself "You know I want to live; I want the future we dreamed of. But we are all lost if you do not do this. But Arthur is so much more important to our World than I and (do not deny this) you love him as much as you love me, perhaps more. Therefore I am the obvious choice to die." These words were spoken with deep sadness but also deep conviction. None in the cell doubted her offer.

Merlin could not reply; not even with the one word with which he had been answering Arthur. Tears threatened to overwhelm him; love brought them not fear and he was not sure when he had ever felt so much for or been so proud of Dera.

Arthur was astounded; every time he thought he had begun to understand his fellow humans they seemed to do something that was almost beyond him. He was used to (but not happy with) his knights and soldiers dying in his name and for his cause, but for a young woman who was not even from Camelot to offer to do the same staggered him. However there was no way on earth he was going to willingly allow that to happen; to let her sacrifice herself instead of him and to be the cause of Merlin's loss a second time. He was just about to speak and thank her but tell her it would never happen when the young manservant finally found his voice.

"I will not choose. I will never again be the cause of the death of a person I love" For a moment Merlin paused, closing his eyes, as if lost in a memory.

Arthur believed him to be thinking of Freya and her untimely end but if he had been able to see the picture that had flashed before Merlin's eyes he would have thought it unbelievable. For as the warlock had spoken, Merlin had looked into the past and had seen once again the stricken face of Morgana as the poison began to work. He could see the physical pain that crossed her face, but more disturbing and horrifying was the emotional agony that he saw there as she realised who had done this to her. That Merlin had tried to kill her. Merlin shuddered; no, never again would he kill in such a way. He would not do what Aerona asked, no matter the consequences.

"Arthur, Dera, Gwaine..." here Merlin looked at each in turn "surely you understand enough of this world and people like Aerona to know that she will not keep her word. No matter who I kill she will execute all of us once the Harp has awoken. There will be no freedom and no happy ending for any of us. But even if I believed for one moment that she would fulfil her promise I cannot and will not kill either of you. We have no choice; we must escape or die here together."

Then from the back of the dungeon came the laconic voice of Gwaine;

"The only problem with that my friend is that we don't have a plan... so unless you have some brilliant strategy up your begrimed sleeve, we are totally buggered!"

XXX

A/N – Translation

"Gwnewch yn dda ac yn reawaken."- "Make well and reawaken" (Welsh)