The warlock's peaceful slumber was disturbed as a wave of darkness washed through his mind and the image of Camelot under siege was woven with smoke and dark flames. Merlin twitched in his sleep, struggling to take control of his nightmare and change it for the better. Despite his efforts, Merlin could not douse the fires nor could he hold back the knights in the dark hooded robes and silver masks and armour that bore down upon Camelot's forces. All Merlin could do was watch in horror as the scene played out in his head. He could not move and he could not talk.
The knights disappeared into the castle and the warlock could hear the screams of the servants and the sound of swords singing as they danced and clashed with each other. As Merlin floated above the castle, he could see a good number of the dark knights all grouped up outside Arthur's chambers. Why was Arthur still in there? Merlin put aside his questions as panic filled him. Words filled his mind. Spells, incantations... Merlin could only name a few of them before his vision filled up with gold, then faded to red before, finally, everything went black. But the warlock didn't wake up. His eyes stayed clamped shut as the sound of an infant crying filled his ears.
"What should we do, your highness? About the witch's baby?", the voice was Agravaine's, it was quiet, barely a whisper and distant yet Merlin could hear it all too clearly.
"For now, nothing. But, if in the near future either of them proves to be a threat, I'll have them burned alive... though killing them with my own hands would be more fun.", Uther's emotionless response forced Merlin awake as he sat up struggling to breathe. His face was even paler than usual and sweat was pouring down his back and forehead like a waterfall. His whole being was cold and his eyes had a faint golden glow to them.
"Merlin?" a concerned voice asked.
Merlin turned his head and he saw that Arthur was looking up at him "It was just a nightmare, go back to sleep".
Arthur lifted his arm up "Come here".
Merlin laid down so that he was facing the prince and Arthur wrapped his arm around him "These dark knights invaded Camelot, I tried to stop them but they killed everyone. I could not even move or speak" the warlock shivered at the guilt "I tried to protect you, and then Uther was discussing our baby's life with Agravaine. He was talking about burning at the stake" he started to cry as he clenched his eyes shut.
Arthur started to rub circles over Merlin's back "I will not let any of that happen, our baby is safe and you are safe".
"But we are not safe, the baby is not safe. I am so scared of what might happen if Uther finds out about our child!" Merlin started to tremble and breathe heavily.
"Ssshhh breathe, my darling" Arthur cooed as he slowly rubbed Merlin's back and he kissed his warlock's head "I will not let anyone hurt our child, I will always protect the both of you. You are safe here with me. Everything will be alright because I am going to make sure that our child grows up happy and healthy".
Merlin started to relax and he nodded before he placed a hand on his small baby-bump, this helped to calm him down and he kissed Arthur. He was still worried and he somehow knew that something was going to happen over the upcoming days "Can you be careful, please? I have a bad feeling that something is going to happen to Camelot soon".
Arthur nodded and he placed his hand on Merlin's cheek "Alright, I have to go out on a patrol tomorrow with the knights, so do you want to come with me?"
"Yeah, I know that I can protect you all that way. Especially you" Merlin sniffled.
"Alright" Arthur smiled kindly at his warlock as he stroked his cheek with his thumb "Try and go back to sleep, wake me up if you need me or if you cannot sleep".
"Alright, can you hold me, please?" Merlin asked quietly.
"Of course I can" Arthur moved closer to Merlin and he wrapped his arm around his love "Close your eyes and try not to think about anything but sleep".
Merlin nodded and he closed his eyes to try and drift off back to sleep.
Time skip to dawn,
Merlin and Arthur woke up to a knock on the door and they looked up, Arthur sat up slightly but he pulled Merlin to sit in his lap and they kissed before Arthur looked towards the door.
"Enter!" the prince called.
The door opened and a servant walked in with Merlin and Arthur's breakfasts; she looked about Merlin's age and her fiery red hair was pinned back, her dress was light blue and her apron had embroidered flowers on it. She left the room after she had bowed and said good morning to the two men and she shut the door behind herself.
"That smells so good" Merlin smiled.
Arthur lifted the covers off of himself and Merlin and he scooped his warlock up before he got out of bed, "It does" he nodded as he carried Merlin over to the table and he sat down with his Warlock on his knee.
"Such a gentlemen" Merlin kissed Arthur on the cheek before he had a sip of water.
"Only for you" Arthur spoke softly.
Merlin glanced at Arthur and the prince placed a hand on his abdomen.
They eventually ate their breakfasts before they got dressed and Merlin helped Arthur put some of his armour on as they prepared to go out to conduct a routine scout around the forest to ensure check to see if any bandits were stalking the kingdom. Once Arthur was ready, he helped Merlin put on the armour that he had custom made for him, they then made their way out of the palace and towards the stables.
The group of five knights were getting ready to leave for their patrol when Merlin and Arthur arrived, all of the knights greeted the couple and a servant walked over with Arthur's horse. The knights saddled up and everyone realised that Merlin did not have a horse, so Arthur moved and he stood behind his warlock.
"We can go together" Arthur stated.
Merlin nodded and he grabbed the reins, he started to hoist himself up with the help of Arthur; who was holding into his waist to support him. Once Merlin was seated securely at the back of the saddle, Arthur pulled himself up and sat in front of him before he grabbed the reins. The prince felt two arms wrap around his waist and he smiled as he looked over his shoulder at Merlin, the warlock smiled back at him and they kissed before the rode out of the stables with the knights behind them.
They kingdom became smaller as the knights, prince and Merlin galloped towards the forest until they were surrounded by deep green trees and Camelot was long out of sight. They all stopped and everyone looked at Merlin whilst the prince held onto his warlock's wrist and he started to slowly rub it.
"Can you see or feel anything amiss, Merlin?" Arthur asked.
Merlin's eyes flashed gold as he whispered an enchantment whilst he scanned the wooded area for any bandits or dangers "No, everything is clear" he answered as he withdrew his magic.
Arthur looked over his shoulder and Merlin looked at him "Thank you" he said softly and the warlock nodded.
"It was no problem" Merlin whispered and he kissed Arthur.
Arthur, Merlin and the Knights continued with their patrol around the forest on horseback. Despite it being a fairly bright day, the forest was only dimly lit as the many layers of leaves cast shadows down upon the ground. But it was not spooky or in any means creepy. Merlin found the scenery quite peaceful as he could hear the birds chirping overhead and the leaves wish-washing in the wind. Arthur noticed the peaceful expression on Merlin's face and smiled, seeing that his lover was happy.
"Are you enjoying yourself?", Arthur asked the warlock.
"No! It's cold and miserable and I need a wee!" Gwaine interrupted.
Arthur scowled at Gwaine but Merlin laughed uncontrollably, which caused everyone else in the party to follow suit.
"It's nice, getting away from all the madness at the castle and just relax, right?", Merlin asked with a smile.
Arthur smiled over his shoulder at his warlock and he nodded, "It would be nicer if it were just you and me…". There were a couple of snickers behind the couple but Arthur tried his best to ignore it and resumed flirtation mode. "We could climb up a tree together and enjoy the view or we could explore the forest on foot, who knows what we'd find."
"Keep it in your pants, lover boy!" Lancelot joked.
Arthur hurriedly swung his head round to glare at the Knights, who were holding back great fits of laughter.
Merlin laughed and shook his head the childishness of his friends before tapping the prince on his shoulder. Arthur turned his head to look at Merlin only to receive a light but a passionate kiss to the lips, "We'll have to make sure to make it a bit more private next time then." The warlock said with a flirty wink, but then he felt something and he looked towards the dirt and leaf-covered path "There is something ahead".
"Is it anything that is threatening?" Leon asked, glancing at the warlock.
Merlin looked further ahead into the forest, until he saw what he had sensed and his heart started to ache "No, there is a wounded unicorn ahead. Arthur, she needs help or else she will die!" he pleaded as he looked up at the prince.
"Which direction?" the prince asked.
"Left" Merlin answered as he pointed to his left.
Arthur did not hesitate to nod and he turned his horse to the left, before commanding him to hastily walk forwards as the knights followed closely behind. They all strode through the forest for a few yards until Merlin grabbed Arthur's wrist and the prince halted his horse, looking towards his warlock and then following Merlin's gaze until he saw the injured creature.
Arthur climbed off of his horse and then he helped Merlin get down, as the warlock watched the unicorn "Where is the unicorn keeper?"
"I do not know, but we cannot leave her there to die. I can help her" Merlin stated as he looked at his prince.
"And that is why you have got the most beautiful heart in all of the land" Arthur smiled gently at Merlin as he spoke.
Merlin nodded and he turned to walk over to where the unicorn was lying on the ground. The snowy white horse started to panic and she tried to stand up but it just caused her even more pain "Sssshhh sshh shh it is alright. I am not going to hurt you, I want to help you" he soothed as he stroked the magical horse's magnificent mane "My name is Merlin Emrys, you are going to be okay, I promise" he placed his other hand on the horse's leg and the unicorn neighed in pain. "Hey, sshh ssh ssh it is alright. Just bear with me" he spoke softly and the unicorn calmed down "There you go, well done" the warlock smiled kindly. His eyes flashed gold and he started to heal the unicorn's leg, as he continued to stroke the horse so that he could comfort her. He then placed his hand on the slash that was on her neck and he slowly pulled the arrow out of her belly, he healed every single one of her wounds and he gave her the energy to stand up.
"Thank you" a soft voice spoke from behind Merlin.
The warlock quickly turned around and he saw the keeper of the unicorns, he nodded and he stroked the beautiful horse's snout before she galloped away.
"Do not fear, Merlin. Arthur will be alright and all will be well in the end" The unicorn keeper promised before he disappeared.
Merlin then turned to Arthur and he sighed as he smiled at the prince, the warmth in Arthur's provided him with a titanic amount of comfort and the prince held out a hand to him. This man was unbelievably gentle.
The rest of day was relatively uneventful and the rest of the patrol through the forest was peaceful and the group did not identify any risks nor did they discover any threats to the kingdom, they did have to stop at one point because the warlock became very tired so they all sat down for something to eat and drink so that they could all recuperate their energy, in order to turn around and travel back to the kingdom.
The next few weeks rolled around and now Merlin was exactly 4 months pregnant, and he was starting to worry that someone might notice something which could cause suspicion. However, the couple struggled to hide their secret as Merlin's nightmares became even more horrific and they were both affected due to lack of a good night's sleep. Not to mention how there seemed to always be someone judging them from each and every corner of the castle.
"Do you have to go to training today? Can you just stay here with me please?" Merlin asked from the bed and he slowly rolled over onto his side.
"I have to go. I wish that I could stay here with you all day " Arthur answered as he put his armour on.
Merlin sighed and he closed his eyes "So do I".
Arthur looked at Merlin and he saw how pale his warlock was, he sighed because he did not want to leave Merlin but then he had an idea when he remembered something. The Prince walked over to his wardrobe and he pulled out a small wooden box, he opened it and he grabbed what he required before he walked back over to the bed "Open your eyes, my darling. I have something for you".
Merlin opened his eyes and he smiled when Arthur sat on the edge of the bed next to him "Hello again".
"Hello again, my darling" Arthur smiled and he took Merlin's hand "How do you feel?"
"I feel so horrible. Everything hurts, especially my back and my head" Merlin answered and he rubbed his eyes.
Arthur kissed Merlin's hand "Is there anything that I can do to help?"
"Can you rub my back, please?" Merlin asked as he looked up at Arthur.
The prince nodded and he held out his hand in front of Merlin "Here, I meant to give this to you ages ago but a few things got in the way".
Merlin looked at Arthur's hand and he saw the ring that was sat in his palm "When did you get that?"
"I got it when I won that tournament, I won it for you" Arthur placed the ring around Merlin's ring finger "We cannot get married until I am king, so just consider this ring as a token, which represents my promise to love and to always protect you".
Merlin smiled up at Arthur and his eyes flashed gold before a gold band appeared around Arthur's ring finger "Thank you. I promise the same to you".
Arthur leaned down and he kissed Merlin "I love you so much".
"I love you too" Merlin kissed Arthur again.
The prince left not so long after the kiss so Merlin decided to go back to sleep for a bit, just until breakfast arrived and Arthur would definitely come back for a bit so that he did not miss breakfast. A well-cooked breakfast was one of the four things that Arthur loved in life, Merlin and their child came first, Camelot came second and his father came third on the list. Oh if only everyone's hearts were filled with love.
The day seemed to drag along even though the view outside was glorious, hundreds of birds were flying around the kingdom and the forest, the sun was shining down on everyone; emitting a comforting warmth whilst a soft breeze brushed through the trees and everyone's hair. The people of Camelot were going about their daily routines, the market was flooded and children were laughing as they played in the village; carefree and joyously as the world around them moved at a graciously slow pace.
Merlin could happily spend the whole day just gazing out the window, as life slowed down just for a day. To not have a care in the world and to just spend his time watching the happy citizens of Camelot, as he slowly rubbed circles around his abdomen whilst he spoke to the child who he was carrying. Telling them wonderful stories and singing gentle lullabies to his precious treasure, nothing could ruin that. The warlock loved to just get lost in his own thoughts as they danced around his head; he would allow his magic to roam freely around the room, so that he could watch all of the beautiful possibilities forming in front of his eyes.
The warlock eventually decided to go and visit Guias, so he began to stride through the palace as the guards, knights and the servants greeted or glared at him 'I guess that I can't please everyone' he thought as he shrugged as he continued on his way. Maybe everyone would be more accepting one day?
The walk through the palace was pleasant and short, the door to Guias' chambers was ajar so Merlin gently knocked before he entered to physician's living quarters, where he was met by the comforting sight of his father figure sat with his nose in one of his many books. Test tubes, vials and bowls containing different liquids and objects were scattered around the tables and there were books lying on the floor; obviously, Guias had been throwing them off of his bookshelves as he searched for something in particular. The sight made Merlin smile as he started to go around the room, picking up all of the books.
"Oh, Merlin my dear boy. I was meaning to talk to you!" Guias stated as he stood up and walked over to the pile of books that were sat on his desk "Could you help me find my book on food, water and health? I for the life of me cannot find it anywhere".
Merlin walked over and stood next to Guias "This one?"
Guias looked down at what Merlin was holding and he nodded "Yes this is the one, where was it?".
"It was on the floor next to the door" Merlin answered.
"I wonder how it managed to get there? It must have been the work of another pixie" the physician reasoned as he walked back over to his desk.
Merlin let out a discreet chuckle as he sat down at the table "It must be".
They engaged in conversation as Guias continued to work and Merlin assisted in any way that he could, whilst he enjoyed eating ruby red apple or two. They became emerged in a conversation about magical creatures and even the unicorn that Merlin, Arthur and the knights had come across the previous day, this soon developed into a conversation about the sickness that had been going around the kingdom for the last week.
"So what has food got to do with this sickness?" Merlin asked, curious.
"Everyone who has contracted the sickness develops a fever, bowel issues, vomiting and abdomen pains as well as long-lasting headaches".
"That sounds like food poisoning to me" Merlin stated before he bit his apple.
"I think that you might be correct," Guias said as he found the page that he had been searching for.
Suddenly, the front door was thrown open, starting both Merlin and Guias as a group of five knights marched into the room; heading towards the warlock as Agravaine stepped into the physician's chambers, sword in hand and a glare plastered on his face.
"Cease the sorcerer!" the lord instructed as he walked over to where Merlin and Guias were sat.
Merlin did not know how to react as the knights grabbed his arms and neck, forcing him up onto his feet and then two of them yanked his arms behind his back; causing him to grunt in pain as another knight bound his wrists together with a thick rope.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Guias raised his voice as the knights started to drag Merlin out of the room.
"The sorcerer has been accused of poisoning the people of Camelot, the king has ordered his swift arrest!" Agravaine stated as he walked out of the room.
"Merlin would never do such a thing!" Guias stated as he followed after the knights, Agravaine and Merlin.
"We will see about that" the lord muttered under his breath as he stormed through the palace corridors, with Uther's knights in tow.
It was at that moment that Gwen appeared from around the corner, immediately freezing when she saw what was going and she saw the fear on her friend's face as he was brutally yanked down the corridor.
Merlin could not break free as he was dragged through the palace, so he looked over his shoulder and at the physician "Get Arthur and the knights!"
Time seemed to slow down for the warlock as he was dragged through the long corridors, his feet moving involuntarily in order to keep him upright but his mind was racing with panic as he tried to remain calm. He knew that he would be accused of resisting arrest and endangering others if he fought back, but he also knew that he would be seen as weak and guilty. His dilemma took over his mind and he was being escorted into the throne room before he realised it.
"Bring him here!" Uther instructed and the guards obeyed, his glare hardened as Merlin met his gaze but Agravaine kicked the back of one of Merlin's knees; forcing the warlock to close his eyes in pain as he was dropped down to his knees.
"I always knew that you were evil" Uther hissed at Merlin but the warlock did not look directly at him.
"My Lord, this evil must be punished! Camelot will fall if his wicked ways are not undone!" Agravaine shouted and Uther nodded.
Whilst Agravaine was twisting a tall tale to Uther, Merlin was desperately trying to remain calm even though his anxiety was bubbling and he was trying to think of a way to escape 'I could make a run for it?' he thought to himself as he glanced at the heavy doors and his heart sunk when he saw the two guards who were stood next to them 'That would not work' he then looked at the knights 'I could always use magic?' he considered the idea of using magic to escape and defend himself, but he made the conclusion that using magic would only cause more trouble because Uther would see it as him being guilty of whatever he was arrested of 'I hope that Guias gets Arthur her soon'. The warlock at Uther and he saw the hatred in the king' eyes, Merlin had seen that look when his magic had been revealed and many times before that when a person had been accused of dabbling and using magic "I did not cause the plague. I am innocent, sire".
"I should have burnt you at the stake. I should have never let you live!" Uther shouted at Merlin.
Merlin rose to his feet and he clenched his fists "I have never used my magic for evil. I have only ever protected and helped people. The plagued is a form of food poisoning, Guias is looking into creating a cure for it now and I was helping him earlier".
"Guards!" Agravaine shouted.
Merlin was grabbed by two guards and pushed down to his knees, but he did not use magic; he just remains silent as he tried to remain calm.
Uther drew his sword and he pointed the tip directly at Merlin's neck "Confess your crimes".
Merlin said nothing, he just stared into Uther's cold eyes.
"Confess now, witch!" Uther shouted at Merlin.
"I am more powerful than any and all armies, I am the last Dragon Lord. Why would I curse a kingdom when I have the power to create hundreds of thousands of kingdoms? Why would I enchant Arthur when he willingly gave me his heart? Why would I serve a Prince for years if I was planning to take over the land? Why would I delay any evil plan?" Merlin asked but Uther's eyes remained dark with hatred
Desperate to find the prince, Guias raced through the palace as quickly as he was physically able to and he eventually reached the training grounds, where he found the Arthur training a dozen new knights "Sire!" he called as he ran towards the prince.
Arthur turned around and saw the physical running towards him "What is wrong, Guias?"
"Merlin has been arrested!" Guias yelled.
Arthur's heart jumped into his throat when he heard what Guias said and he bolted passed the Physician, heading towards the palace 'Oh shit, what has happened now?!' he thought as he ran through the palace hallways "Hold on, Merlin!"
The prince ignored the guards and the servants confused expressions as he continued to sprint through the palace, his heart was pounding in his chest and his mind was racing with panic and concern for Merlin and their unborn child.
Meanwhile, back in the throne room, Uther was still glaring daggers at Merlin as the warlock remained very still and as calm as he possibly could. However, remaining calm proved to be a difficult task, because a knight grabbed a first full of Merlin's hair; causing the young man to grunt in pain as his head was roughly yanked back, so that Uther could get a clear-cut at his neck.
Uther raised his sword into the sky as he prepared to deliver Merlin's unfair sentence, but the doors were thrown open and Arthur ran into the throne room, panting and his eyes widened when he saw what had been about to happen "Father, don't!"
Merlin quickly turned his head and he released the breath that he did not know he had been holding "Arthur!"
"Why should I spare this servant?" Uther looked at Arthur.
"I love Merlin and he is an innocent man!" Arthur yelled.
"Lies!" Uther went to kill Merlin but Arthur panicked and words spewed out of his mouth.
"He is pregnant with my child!" the prince cried out and everyone froze at his statement.
Merlin gasped as his heart jumped into his throat, everything seemed to stop and time seemed slow down. The guards let go of him but he did not move an inch because he was consumed with an overbearing sense of fear. Uther knew about the baby now.
Uther stood up and he grabbed Merlin's arm, he yanked the warlock up to his feet and he looked at Arthur "How is that even possible?"
"It happened when Arthur and I had intercourse. I can't explain what happened" Merlin answered honestly and the king looked at him.
Uther held his other hand out towards Agravaine "Pass me your dagger".
Agravaine obeyed instantly and he handed his dagger to Uther.
Merlin felt the coldness of the blade against his neck, tears welled up in his eyes and he whimpered "Arthur!"
"Shut up, witch!" Uther shouted before he turned to look at his son "Declaring that you loved this monster was bad enough, but now you're taking it in your bed?! You have sinned!" he roared at the prince.
Arthur could how scared Merlin was and it broke his heart because all he wanted to do was to protect his partner and their child "Merlin is not a monster, I love him with all of my heart so we had intercourse and he's now pregnant. It was not his fault!"
Uther's rage only intensified at Arthur's speech "I should burn them both at the stake!"
Arthur drew his sword and he pointed it straight at the king, he had never even imagined defying his father but Merlin's life was at risk "Let him go!"
Uther hesitated but he relented and he let go of Merlin's arm. The warlock looked Uther and he saw the loathing glare in the king's eyes before Uther shoved him. The young man stumbled slightly but he ran towards his prince "Arthur!"
Arthur quickly put his sword away and he hurried to untie the warlocks wrists, before he pulled Merlin into a hug and he kissed his head "Are you and the baby alright?"
Merlin nodded quickly as his heart continued to pound uncontrollably, before he laid his head against the blond man's shoulder "Thank you" he whispered to the prince.
"Undo this horror!" Uther ordered.
"What?" Arthur asked.
"I want that devil spawn gone this instant!" Uther ordered and Merlin turned to look at him in shock.
"You're telling me to get rid of my child?" Merlin asked in bewilderment.
"A man could never have children. It is the work of the devil!" Agravaine shouted.
"No" Merlin gulped.
Uther drew his sword and he began to march towards Arthur and Merlin.
Arthur drew his sword and he held Merlin close to his body "Do not come any closer". He warned.
Merlin's eyes flashed gold when he had a premonition of what was about to happen. He pushed Arthur out of the way and he used his magic to create a sword just in time as Uther lunged at him but the warlock blocked his attack. "You want to kill the wrong sorcerer. The castle is under attack and rather than defend your kingdom you would kill the person that's kept Camelot standing for years?"
Uther swung at Merlin again but the warlock easily blocked his attack, before pushing him back which caused almost everyone to watch the warlock with their mouths agape Uther was the most surprised and he lunged at Merlin again "You can fight?"
"He's a fast learner" Arthur stated proudly.
Merlin's eyes flashed gold as he blocked Uther's attack "Three, two, one..." He counted down before the arm bells started to ring and Leon ran into the throne room.
"The castle is under attack!" Leon yelled.
Merlin did not waste time, he sprinted out of the throne room with a sword in hand. He had to defend Camelot with everything that he had.
Arthur ran after Merlin as the warlock raced ahead of him "Protect Camelot! Leon, Gwaine, Percival, Lancelot, Elyan, you're with me!" he yelled as Merlin disappeared into a cloud of smoke.
Leon, Gwaine and Percival did not hesitate to run out of the room with Arthur, they ran down the long corridor until they saw Merlin. The warlock was fighting with a dark knight and by what they could see... He was winning. Dark knight towered over the warlock in both height and muscle mass, it's dark grey armour concealed every possible weakness, it repeated swung its sword at Merlin.
"Merlin!" Arthur yelled.
Merlin put his hand out and the dark knight was pulled back by an invisible force. However, he braced himself as he watched the knight stand up and he ran at him, "Oh snap" he cursed. "Get to the courtyard! I'll meet you guys out there!"
"Do you need any help?!" Gwaine yelled.
Merlin used his magic to throw the dark knight back but it ran towards him "Nah, just give me fifteen minutes and I'll meet you in the courtyard!"
"I love you, Merlin!" Arthur said before he turned to run to the courtyard.
"I love you too, Arthur!" Merlin yelled before he threw the dark knight back. Again.
Arthur and the knights hurried outside into the courtyard as a dozen dark knights marched towards the castle, they all drew their swords and formed a circle as the enemy knights began to March towards them; moving in perfect sync as they raised their swords and pointed them at the knights of Camelot "Brace yourselves!" the prince instructed and the knights of the round table readied themselves to fight "Charge!"
The knights of Camelot charged at the enemy, with their swords raised and they can to fight as they defended the kingdom. Seconds turned into minutes but the enemy seemed to have no weakness, the lights were growing tired but they continued to soldier on but the possibility of a victory seemed slim. Until a smash sounded and shards of glass and pieces of a dark knight we're propelled through a window.
"Change of plan! I'm going to go and protect Uther!" Merlin yelled down to Arthur and the prince glanced at him. The warlock did not wait for a reply, he just began to race off towards the throne room to protect the king. However, protecting Uther was difficult because Merlin found himself being thrown up against a wall as soon as he entered the throne room and he grunted in pain when he hit the bricks.
"So naive and irritating" Morgause taunted Merlin as she used magic to hold him against the wall.
Merlin opened his eyes and he glared at the sorceress "I have been called worse names".
"But yet you still continue to protect a wretched king and his arrogant son? I would define that as foolishness" Morgause stated with a glare.
"I would define it as loyalty" Merlin sneered before his eyes flashed folded and the sorceress was thrown back, resulting in her spell being broken and Merlin fell to his hands and knees "And good-natured".
Morgause scrambled to her feet And her eyes flashed gold before she began to throw a wave of balls of fire at Merlin "Stupid boy!"
Merlin dived out of the way and he put up a shield of protected as Uther lunged at him with a dagger, the warlock's attention became divided and he looked at Uther as he avoided being stabbed "You are still trying to kill me?!"
Merlin used his magic to blast Uther to the side so that he was out of harm's way, whilst he defended himself and Uther from the sorceress who was trying to kill them both. However, the king had other ideas and one of them consisted of throwing an axe at the warlock at the same exact time that Morgause threw a snake towards Merlin. The battle continued with both sides getting injured and thrown about until the witch finally spoke again.
"Wrong place at the wrong time, Emrys!" The sorceress cackled.
Merlin's eyes flashed gold as Uther grabbed a knife and stood a few feet behind him "I prefer to think about it as the wrong place at the right time" he started as the king lobbed the knife in his direction and he dropped down to his hands and knees before he used magic to throw the blade at Morgause.
The sorceress gasped as she was stabbed and she stood there in shock, as a scream erupted at the same time a gust of wind appeared behind Uther and the king choked on his own breath as a sword pierced his cold heart.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Morgana raged with grief as Merlin spun around. "You will pay for this, Merlin!" she announced before she pulled her sword out of Uther's chest and another gust of wind appeared as she and her sister disappeared.
"No!" Merlin breathed as he grabbed the falling king and he gently laid him down on the floor, before placing a hand over his chest "Just hold on! It is going to be alright. Þurhhæle dolgbenn!" he chanted and his eyes flashed gold as Uther's blood covered his hands.
Uther just glared at Merlin with ice-cold eyes and he grabbed the warlock's wrist "You will never... Escape from... Y-your sins! I will have... R-revenge!" he warned before his eyes went dull and his heart ceased beating.
Merlin's heart raced as he shot some lightening into Uther's heart but it did not revive the king, so he repeated the action but a sharp pain shot towards his head and he began to panic when the realised that he was covered in blood.
The doors suddenly flew open and Arthur ran into the throne room, he instantly froze when he saw that Uther was lying dead on the ground and that Merlin was knelt down next to him with hands caped with blood "Father?"
Merlin looked up and he saw Arthur, he quickly stood up and he gulped "I am so sorry, Arthur. I tried to save him!"
Arthur rushed over and he knelt down next to his father "Father!" he yelled as he shook the king.
Merlin backed up and he started to tremble in shock and guilt "I am so sorry".
"Father, wake up! Father!" Arthur shouted as he shook Uther. Tears welled up in his eyes at the loss of his parent and his heart shattered "Father!".
Merlin looked at his hands and his eyes widened in panic "Arthur!"
Arthur looked over his shoulder and he saw that Merlin was covered in blood and that he was injured "Merlin?"
"I tried to save him! I tried to heal him, I am so sorry. Please forgive me, I promise that I tried to save him!" Merlin said quickly as his breathing became strained.
Arthur stood up and he hurried over to Merlin "I know that you did. I could never hate you" he pulled the warlock into a hug in order to comfort him but Merlin did not hug him "Hold me, Merlin".
Merlin hesitated but he placed his hands on Arthur's back and he closed his eyes.
Arthur let his tears fall and he rubbed Merlin's back "What happened?"
Merlin was still violently trembling and clinging onto Arthur "He tried to attack me whilst I was fighting Morgause, I had to fight her as well as protect Uther from the sorceress, Uther threw a dagger at me but I ducked and used magic to throw it at Morgause. I killed her, but then Morgan killed Uther after I killed her sister!" he explained as his eyes watered and he had to stop to try and breath. "I am so sorry!"
Arthur began to cry even harder, but he kissed Merlin's and he began to shush him "You do not have to apologise for anything. Camelot is going to be alright and I love you. More than anything, it will be alright, my darling".