Hello everyone, here's chapter 51 already. Please read and review and have a wonderful day.
Chapter 51
Alina
The closer they got to the king's bedchamber, the more nervous Alina grew. She told herself that there was no need for that. This wasn't even difficult. She knew what had to be done: go inside, remove the mandrake root and throw it into the fire. She knew this episode by heart, so that was not the problem here. And there was no real need to use magic either, so that was no reason to worry either.
So then why did her heart beat faster in fear? Deep down inside she knew the answer to that question. She was afraid of Uther. Even now he was in no condition to order her immediate execution, she was afraid of him. Ridiculous.
Arthur leaned against the door of his father's room while they waited for the knights to arrive. Alina did not have the patience for this. She paced restlessly about the corridor, unable to control her nerves. There were guards in front of the door, but they pretended to be invisible (Alina had seen them exchange some very worried glances when they caught sight of her) so she treated them as such.
'Stand still, Alina!' Arthur exclaimed when he had watched her pacing for five minutes on end. 'You're making me edgy. What are you so worried about?'
'Have you seen the way people look at me?' she replied. 'How am I ever going to fit in again when people don't dare to meet my eyes and start to look frantically for an escape route the moment they see me approaching?' She desperately threw her hands in the air. 'They look at me like I'm going to blow them to pieces whenever I get the chance!'
The guards at the door at least had the decency to look guilty.
'They don't know you as well as I do,' Arthur replied calmly. How strange, it used to be her who calmed a restless and frustrated Arthur. It would seem that their roles had been reversed. 'And they don't know about all the wonderful things that you have done for Camelot.'
She snorted. 'If it was Merlin who told you about those so-called wonderful things, I can tell you they are shamelessly exaggerated.'
'So, it isn't true that you have healed me from all kinds of injuries?' the prince inquired in a nonchalant voice.
'That one is true,' she admitted.
'And isn't it also true that you helped to expose and defeat the Witchfinder?' he went on.
She got a little irritated by then. Surely he had not forgotten her role in that unfortunate affair? 'You know that I did,' she snapped. 'You were there, after all.'
'Merlin also says you were involved in exposing the troll…'
'Yes, but…'
Arthur continued before she could finish. '… killing the questing beast…'
'Yes, but…,' she tried again.
'… defeating Nimueh…'
'Yes, but…'
'… not to mention those countless bandits you managed to take down by dropping stuff on their heads, causing them to fall on their own weapons or making them trip over their own feet,' he finished.
She decided that shouting at him would probably reflect badly on her (there still was a pair of very confused guards watching them), so instead she opted to shout at him with her thoughts. What are you doing, Arthur Pendragon? she demanded.
The prince gave her a startled look when he heard her words inside his head, but he quickly recognized this way of conversing and then he grinned widely at her. I have just made sure that public opinion on you will soon change, he told her, obviously very pleased with himself, being Arthur the Prat just as she remembered him.
She frowned. I'm sorry, what?
He made a wanna-be subtle nudge with his head at the guards. These two talk like old wives, he explained. Sooner rather than later everyone in the castle will know about this little conversation.
She looked at him, disbelieving. 'You're intolerable!' she snapped.
Before she could tell him what else she thought of him, sir Leon came into sight, accompanied by sirs Owen, William (another than the one in the tournament) and Allan (the captain of the guards who had been promoted to knight in her absence). Alina nodded in approval. These were exactly the knights she would have picked as well. These were the knights she had been closest to, the ones that were most likely to believe and trust her. Leon had done a good job.
'My lord, my lady,' he greeted them with a slight bow.
'Sir Leon,' she smiled friendly. 'Owen, William, Allan.'
Each of the knights nodded respectfully as she addressed them, even though they appeared to be a little nervous. She could not help but feel disappointed. If even these men were afraid of her, what hope did she have of ever winning back the faith of people who had not known her so well?
'What is it that you need us to do, my lady?' Allan asked, being the bravest of the three, but that was no surprise.
She returned her attention to the matter at hand. First things first, she commanded herself. Everything else could wait until this crisis had been dealt with. 'The king is under the influence of an enchantment that causes him to see hallucinations of the things that he fears most,' she explained. 'This enchantment is bound to a magical vessel. If we destroy that, we break the spell. Well, in order for that spell to be effective, the vessel will have to be kept close to the king, which means that it has to be somewhere in his room.'
Leon nodded. 'I see,' he said. 'What does it look like? How will we recognize it when we come across it?'
'Good point,' she said. 'I believe that the mandrake root is the source of the enchantment. It will look like any plant's root and is most likely covered in a magical potion that looks like dirt.' She described to them what she knew from the show.
Alina knew that the root was probably kept under Uther's bed, but if it wasn't, she did not have the time to search the entire chamber by herself. After all, it wouldn't be the first time that legend decided to play tricks on her. She had more than enough experience with that.
'Your knowledge is very detailed, my lady,' sir Owen remarked. Was there a hint of suspicion in his voice?
'Sir Owen, I am from the future,' she said angrily. 'And what happens here today is a very famous legend in my time. Therefore I know a lot of things that you don't.'
That shut him up nicely. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but no words came out.
'More questions?' she asked.
There were none, so they proceeded into the room… and skidded to a stop the moment that they did. The king's bedchamber was an unbelievable mess. Alina remembered that from the show, but it was not meant to happen until the following morning. Oh, yes, legend is definitely playing tricks, she thought furiously.
Candleholders, chairs and tables had been knocked over, the bed was a mess and the fire in the hearth had gone out. It was cold and dark in the room, but there was enough light to make out Uther's still form, curled up in a small corner near a window, his arms folded around his knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
All her fear for this man faded away in an instant. It did not matter anymore that he had ordered her execution or that he hated every one of her kind. The way he was now he deserved only to be pitied.
The men stared at the king and the mess, not looking like they were about to move anytime soon, so Alina took it upon herself to take matters in her own hands.
'Allan, William and Owen, search the room,' she ordered, hoping she sounded more determined than she felt. 'Sir Leon, if you would please make the bed?'
'But…,' the knight started to protest.
'Now, Leon,' she said. 'Arthur, with me.'
None of them had the guts to argue, so they all started to do as she had commanded them to do. Alina took Arthur with her to the spot where the king was sitting.
She kneeled down at his side. 'Sire?' she said in a soft voice. 'You need to get back to bed, my lord. It's too cold for you here.'
Uther gave no sign that he had actually heard or even seen her. His gaze was locked on a point somewhere behind them, seeing something none of them could see, his entire body trembling in fear, tears dripping down his face.
Arthur bended down as well, a worried expression on his face. 'He's not responding,' he whispered.
'Help me to get him up,' Alina said, not reacting to that remark, as that was something she could see herself. Besides, she did not want Arthur to know how much this frightened her. She just had to believe that everything would turn out all right. 'I can't do it on my own.'
'Of course.'
They had only just helping the king up when sir Leon called her. 'My lady, I think I've found it.'
She turned to see the kind knight kneeled down beside the bed, holding up the blankets to reveal the culprit for the king's condition. No tricks on this part, she thought relieved.
'Sir Owen, look after the king,' she ordered as she walked over to Leon to get a closer look, with Arthur following closely behind.
She leaned over to see the mandrake root for herself. It was exactly like the show had led her to believe. Even though she knew how often the show was right about something, it was still a miracle how that was even possible. It amazed her every single time.
The root hung under Uther's bed, merrily dripping away. She found it revolting at first sight. There was a sense of evil hanging around the root, or maybe that was just because she knew what this thing was meant to do.
'This is it?' Arthur asked.
'It is,' she confirmed in an icy voice.
'Shall I make a fire?' Leon asked.
She could feel the eyes of the knights on her as they waited for her reply. They appeared to be waiting for something and she thought she knew what that was.
She did not allow herself any more time to think, she just acted. 'That will not be necessary,' she said, grabbing the root and pulling it loose. Then, with all the knights watching her closely, she held out her right hand. 'Forbærnan,' she said in a loud and clear voice.
All men, except for Arthur, gasped when the flames suddenly leapt up high, apparently out of nothing. Even though they knew what she was and what she was capable of, they were still surprised to actually see her perform the magic right in front of them. Ridiculous, she thought again.
Ignoring the shocked whispers at seeing magic practised so openly in Camelot, she threw the mandrake root with as much force as she could muster into the fire. The root screamed, a high-pitched noise that made her want to get out of here as fast as she possibly could. She covered her ears with her hands, but there was no blocking it out. She had to endure it for the entirety of the time that it took for that thing to die, which felt like ages.
When it was finally over she opened her eyes. She could not remember closing them and neither could she remember how he had ended up sitting on the ground. This bothered her. But apparently it had happened and now she found herself surrounded by some very worried looking knights and prince.
'Alina, are you all right?' Arthur demanded.
She smiled reassuringly. 'I'm fine,' she told all of them.
Their disapproving looks told her that they did not buy that.
'I'm fine,' she repeated in a firm voice, getting to her feet again, with some help of sir Leon.
'You looked like you were suffering, my lady,' he said.
'My ears were,' she replied. 'That stupid mandrake root screamed rather loudly.'
The knights and Arthur exchanged more worried glances as she said that. Clearly they thought there was something very wrong with her.
'There was no screaming, my lady,' sir Allan said eventually.
Of course, how could she have forgotten? They could not have heard it. Still, she hesitated a moment before she explained. They already knew about her magic. After all, they had seen it for themselves. But she felt a little hesitant to mention it like this, almost like it was normal, which it most certainly wasn't.
Get it a grip! she told herself, before explaining. 'Only people with magic can hear a mandrake's cries,' she clarified. 'That is the reason why only I could hear it.'
'And it's gone now?' Arthur asked, looking at her like she was a sick person that needed to be cared for. He did not seem to believe she was all right. Honestly, it hadn't looked that bad, had it?
She looked at the remnants of the magical root that were still burning in the hearth. A feeling of pride and relief washed over her as she realised she had really done it. 'Yes, it's gone,' she confirmed.
Merlin
Dawn was almost breaking as the dragon finally prepared to land. Merlin had been growing ever more anxious as more time passed and they still couldn't see the familiar castle. Somehow he had underestimated the time it would take to get back to Camelot. The dragon had warned him that it was a three day's journey when one travelled on foot, but he had managed to talk himself into believing that it would take up hardly any time at all on dragon's back.
Kilgharrah landed on a clearing near the city and Merlin slid back onto the ground.
'This is as far as I go,' Kilgharrah told him.
Merlin could understand that. It would not do for him to be seen any closer to the city. 'Thank you,' he replied. 'I won't forget this.' I might talk to Alina and try to talk her out of her plan to make the dragon pay for acting out his revenge, he pondered. Arthur had told him about the vow she had made just before leaving the dragon's den. Kilgharrah had ignored her words and taken his vengeance all the same. Merlin guessed the young sorceress would not be very pleased when she learned this.
'Be careful, young warlock,' the dragon warned him. 'The great battle for Camelot has begun. You must stay strong, for Arthur's destiny and the future of Albion lie in your hands.'
Merlin frowned in suspicion. There was one name he missed in that speech. 'How about Alina?' he wondered.
'The young sorceress will make her own future,' Kilgharrah said. 'She has the power to shift destiny towards a better or worse future for us all.' Of course, another riddle. Why could he never give a straight answer? It wasn't that hard, surely?
No pressure at all, eh? Alina's voice remarked sarcastically in his head.
Merlin was startled a little by hearing her voice so suddenly. It had, after all, been two years since they had frequently talked like that and it took some getting used to now that they were doing it again. And besides, he had not noticed that she had been listening in. Alina?
She did not even bother to answer that question. You can tell him I'll come to kick his enormous backside sometime very soon. After all, he didn't listen to me. He could tell by the tone in her mental voice that she meant every word of that speech.
'Ehm, Alina's telling me that she is still angry with you,' Merlin said. 'And she plans on telling you herself very soon.'
Don't alter my words, Merlin! she snapped.
For my own safety, he explained. I have no ambition whatsoever to get myself roasted.
She snorted. Very well. I'll tell him myself soon enough. And you may want to hurry up a little bit.
Why? he asked warily.
Arthur's bound to wake up soon and you don't want to see the state of his room right now, she told him.
Merlin could picture that well enough without her having to do it for him. Uh-oh. He said goodbye to the dragon and broke into a run before talking to his friend again. So, you're back in Camelot?
I am, she confirmed. And I've destroyed the mandrake, so that's all right, too. Gaius says Uther will make a full recovery.
Merlin gave a mental nod, before addressing a more important problem. What are we going to do about Morgana?
She sighed. To tell you the truth, I don't know. We can't expose her, at least not yet. Uther dotes on her every word. He would not believe us.
He would have us burned at the stake if we dared to speak that accusations aloud, Merlin agreed.
That's another way of saying it, she remarked dryly.
So, what can we do? Merlin pressed. Is there anything you could do?
Apart from talking to her? Very little. But I'll try nonetheless, I promise. But let us deal with this crisis first, shall we? After all, you've got an angry Arthur to appease.
Thanks so much for reminding me, he thought back at her sarcastically. But why is he angry? I thought you said he was worried for me?
He was, but he knows now that you're safe, which leaves all the more room for him to be angry with you for not staying with him and not taking him with you, she explained.
He frowned. That's why he's angry?
Why else would he be?
Merlin thought about that one for a while. If he was Arthur he would be mad at his servant's absence because he would have no clothes to wear, no clean boots and unpolished armour. He would be furious because there would be no one to serve him breakfast and muck out his horses. If he were Arthur, the two reasons Alina had mentioned would be the last ones to enter his mind.
He was still pondering this as he walked into Arthur's bedchamber, walking straight over to the windows to let the first rays of sunshine in. 'Rise and shine!' he said cheerfully.
'Hmpf,' Arthur muffled from under his pillow, same as every morning.
Merlin was about to tell the prince that he really needed to get out of bed when he was side-tracked by the mess in the room, which he had not been able to see when it was still dark, but which he could see all the more clearly now. He remembered thinking that Alina had been exaggerating when she had told him about the state of the room. Now he had to come to the conclusion that it was more of an understatement than an exaggeration.
'What happened?' he exclaimed.
At least that got him Arthur's attention. 'What happened?' he repeated, his tone implying that he was very short-tempered. 'I had to make do without a servant. That's what happened!'
Merlin did not buy that. It looked like Arthur had just dropped whatever he had in his hands at the time when and wherever it pleased him and had thrown the rest of the stuff across the room to complete the chaos. 'I wasn't gone for that long!' he protested.
'Without my permission,' Arthur pointed out sharply.
This was so unfair! Merlin had faced Morgause and Morgana as well as a whole bunch of poisonous serkets for Arthur's sake and this was his reward? 'What if I was dying?' he demanded.
Arthur was sitting by now. 'I wouldn't be complaining! But you're not, so where have you been?' he ordered.
'But I was dying!' Merlin said.
Arthur's non-existent patience had run out. He started shouting. 'I don't have time for this. The future of the kingdom rests upon my shoulders! Do you have any idea what that feels like?'
As it happened Merlin probably knew that better than Arthur himself, so he felt rather offended. 'Well…,' he started.
That only infuriated the prince even more. 'I should have you thrown in the dungeons!' he yelled. 'So what have you got to say for yourself?'
Telling him the truth would most likely gain him a one-way ticket to the dungeons, certainly with the mood Arthur was in now. So instead he opted for a lighter tone, trying to make a joke out of it. 'You've not had your breakfast this morning, have you?'
It didn't work. On the contrary, Arthur only got angrier, reaching for a goblet. The servant knew his master long enough to know what was coming next.
'I'll have you for breakfast!' he shouted, swinging the goblet at Merlin's head at full force.
Merlin had years of practise in dodging objects that were sent flying at his head, so he got out of the goblet's way easily enough. This action did, however, trigger his own anger. 'Oh, no wonder this place is such a mess!' he exclaimed.
The answer to this was another object thrown in his direction, missing him only just. The young warlock could not identify the item before it shattered against the wall.
'Oh yes, I can see you've got all the makings of a great king!' he remarked sarcastically, before fleeing the room as quickly as he could.
'Merlin!' Arthur yelled. The sound of his shouting was accompanied by the sound of another breakable object breaking to pieces against a wall. Merlin thought about how it would be his job to clean up all that mess and he suddenly disliked Arthur a whole lot more than he already did. Great destiny or not, Camelot's prince could still be as much of a prat as ever.
But Arthur last shouted sentence stopped him dead in his tracks right before he was out of earshot. 'If you dare run off without me again, Merlin, I will have you thrown in the stocks for a month!' the prince warned him loudly.
He still sounded like the prat he was, but Merlin had heard what he said. A small smile formed on his face as he realised that Alina had been right. It gave him hope for the future and he went about his chores feeling a whole lot better.
