A/N: Here is a fourth chapter. I hope you like it and enjoy; fifth chapter is already in writing.
A witchfinder, witchfinder, witchfinder. Was Uther out of his mind? Leon knew perfectly well that the horse shaped smoke was Merlin's doing, it was such a sweet, innocent peace of magic, that it could not be any others.
But as it was, he had to listen to king's orders, yes, he let his opinion know, but now he had to keep his mouth shut. He wanted to ask, what was the point, searching Gaius' and Merlin's rooms, Gaius had practice magic, everyone in Camelot knew it. That Merlin had magic, was a secret that Leon suspected knew only him and Gaius. But he had to follow orders.
Now he wanted to cry in anger, yes cry. What had he done, yes had follow orders but why it had to be him, who discovered the bracelet? It been he whose actions had placed Gaius in the sight of witchfinder. Leon knew who older man was protecting, but way had Merlin been so carless.
He stomped into his room and tried to calm down his temper. It did not work, he took a goblet and hurled it across the room. Why he needed to be so loyal.
"I am glad that I have good reflexes." Leon shot his head up, Arthur was standing by the door the goblet, Leon had thrown, in his hand.
"I apologize Sire, I did not know you were there." Leon bowed, he could have just injured his crown prince, at the time court physician was in dungeon.
"No need, I think I would have done something similar." Arthur waved his apologize away. "You blame yourself?"
"Yes, if I had not found that bracelet, Gaius would not be in the situation he is right now." Leon looked out of the window, like he wished to jump out of it and make his way to freedom.
"Are you to blame that he practices magic?" Leon turned sharply to the prince. At that moment he did not see his childhood friend anymore, but Uther's son. A man who had been taught from childhood that all magic was evil, and you should not trust anyone. "Sire, if I may be frank?"
"When have you ever asked?" Arthur was confused. Then he looked at Leon and saw, that he was not talking to his childhood friend, but with a knight, his most trusted knight. The knight who his father trusted the most, even if the king needed to play some strange game with Leon's loyalties.
"Do you really think that Gaius practice magic, Gaius who is one of the most loyal people I know. The man who has kept all of us in line, done everything that was in his power for Camelot? Advised the king, helped him to figure out what kind of magic or magical creature attacked the kingdom." Leon was angry, but he tried to keep it concealed. "World is not always black and white as you like to see it, Arthur. There are so many more colours in it."
Saying that he stormed out of the room, later he figured that he should have asked Arthur to leave, because they were his chambers.
Few hours after Gaius had proclaimed himself as sorcerer Leon snuck down into dungeon, he had a plan to get Gaius out. He did not have permission of the king or the prince to enter the dungeons, but he hoped for his luck.
It seemed that the goddess was smiling up on him.
"Kaian, how's the family?" How many hours of dice they have played on the guard duty when he had been a young knight?
"They are well, Sir Leon. And you?"
"I have been better. I need to see Gaius." Guard looked at him, conflict shined in Kaian's eyes, to do a favour to a friend or to follow his orders.
"I have never seen you."
"I was never here." Leon patted Kaian on the shoulder as the guard gave him the key, the man backed away to give Leon and Gaius some privacy.
Gaius raised his brow when Leon opened the door. "Gaius."
"Sir Leon what are you doing here, even more what are you doing here without royal permission."
"I am getting you out of here. I know you are innocent."
"Witchfinder found me guilty, I confessed in front of the court that I am a sorcerer, you cannot save me Leon."
Leon wanted to shake some sense in the old man. "I am getting you out of here." He was not going to let Gaius die, the man who was more father to him than his own had ever been.
"No, you are not, you as well as I know that when they discover that I am missing, they will find out who was the one who helped me. You and Kaian will be executed for treason. I am not worth it, and Arthur needs you. Leon, Arthur is most important." Gaius looked pleadingly at the knight.
At that moment Leon knew that he had only one chance. "I know who you are protecting."
"I am protecting no one, I am the sorcerer."
"Gaius, I know." Gaius' eyes grew big, seeing the truth in Leon's face.
"How? When?"
"For a few months now. At the tournament I saw her cast a spell to cut the assassins' saddle strap." Gaius had to hand it to Leon, he was smarter than he liked to look, he had put together things that no one had,
"You have not told anyone what you learned about Merlin."
"Not all magic is evil, you taught it to me." Leon straightened his back.
"Have you told her, that you know?"
"No."
Gaius started asking why, but then he saw on Leon face a feeling, emotion he had never expected. It surprised him first and then it felt like it was the most natural thing, that should have happened. "You fell for her."
Leon wanted to argue, he had not admitted it to himself what the feeling, that was growing inside him was and now Gaius just looked at him and knew. "You are too smart for your own good."
"I said something like that to you when you were sixteen and discovered that not everything that comes out of Uther's mouth is gold."
"Yes, yes it was." He sat onto the cot and let his head fell back to the wall. "Here I am trying to break you out and instead I am pouring my sorrows on your shoulders."
"You won't tell her, how you feel?" Gaius needed to have a moment, where is thoughts were not on his own immediate death.
"The law of nobility. I cannot court her, ask her to be my wife. I do not have anything to offer her. I can ask her to be my lover, but I won't humiliate her like that." Oh, what a mess he was.
"Things might change."
"Yes, when the king is..." Gaius interrupted Leon. "When Arthur is king." Leon was startled, he would just have talked about death of the king, a treason. What had happened to him? He was losing his senses. He took a deep breath. "And look who I am, next time when I leave the city to a quest, I might not come back. I cannot do that to her." To that Gaius could not say any comforting words.
He quickly changed the subject. "And as you revealed truth about your knowledge, I can admit, I was set up, that bracelet was not mine or Merlin's. Someone placed it there."
"Who?" If Leon found them, he would not kill them, but the pain would remind the person for ever not do play games.
"The witchfinder, but me and Merlin, we do not have any proof. She is trying to find some." Gaius sat beside Leon on the cot. "I hope she will find it before I am burned. I would not be glad to be pardoned posthumously. And that hope is why I will not let you to break me out."
"And I cannot go and offer her my help." It really was a hug mess. Uther and his damn games.
"No." Gaius agreed.
"Here now we both are, one condemned to death, and the other one, incapable to do anything to save him."
So, they sat in the dungeon, side by side on cot and waited. Either of them did not know what. Kaian checked on them many times until Gaius sent his young friend away. Leon could count it as a one mistake in his life, he could not convince Gaius to run. He hoped that Merlin found the proof. Otherwise, well he would not be responsible for his actions.
Bell tolled ten in the morning. Leon groaned; he had not slept half the night. And when he fell asleep, he dreamed of pyres and Gaius and Merlin burning on them.
His head was hurting and heavy, it felt like had a concussion. He cursed this damned situation.
He got himself out of bed, as his feet hit the floor, that darn curl fell into his eyes again. That was it, he had enough, where was his dagger, that curl had its last day.
When he finally found on of the three daggers, what were hidden under his pillow, he was ready to cut it, he found himself calmed down. The curl was not at fault in his foul mood.
In the end he got himself out of the bed. At noon he had to be in the courtyard, to save Gaius and seal his own faith or to see how Merlin saved the man who was both their father figure.
He stumbled into the kitchen; he had missed breakfast at the Nobles' hall. "Good morning Marleana." He tried to shoot her his best smile.
The cook raised her head from the pot she was stirring. First her face looked like he wanted to throw the ladle at him, but when she recognized him, smile appeared and then it disappeared. "Good morning, Sir Leon, you do not look so good."
"Thank you for noticing, Marleana." spite that was in the words was toned down by his smile. "I did not sleep too well at night, then slept in and missed breakfast."
"So, you thought to sneak in and steal some." Cook raised her brow.
"I thought so and then I thought it would be polite to ask." Leon was little sheepish, admitting that.
"Like the times when you were children and you and prince Arthur tried to sneak food out." Marleana sent gentle smile to the knight. "I can't have you go with an empty stomach."
She found an apple, little bread and sweet bun. She handed them to Leon. "If the knight of realm is hungry, he can't protect the innocent." Leon understood exactly what Marleana meant with those words, but he could not answer to her. He could not tell her that if the pyre was lit, he was going to cut Gaius' ropes and then disable the witchfinder. If he was going to die, he was going to die for his belief no one else's.
"Thank you, Marleana."
"At your service any time, but don't miss breakfast again, you need proper nourishment."
Leon nodded and headed out. "And to not blame yourself, if you had not found the bracelet, someone else would have." Leon stopped at the door, those words came as a whisper, Leon stood there, he did not know if he had been meant to hear them or not. But he knew two things, first even if he thought that something was a secret in this castle it was not. Second, he really was not to blame. He did not answer, but nodded, and left.
When he finished his meal, if you could call that a meal, it was almost noon. He closed his eyes shot a prayer to the skis, even if he did not believe any of the gods. Yes, used their named in curses or in the other ways, but he did not have faith in them, but now he hoped that someone was on Gaius' side.
He placed himself so he had a good view, and if needed he could climb quickly onto the pyre. Arthur was standing there right in front of it, but there was no Uther. Leon wanted to yell coward; the king had enough courage to condemn Gaius but not enough to see his best friend burn.
The cart carrying Gaius approached, anger spiked inside Leon, man who has earned respect from them all, was treated like a common criminal. "Have some respect." he heard Arthur yell.
Then he saw Merlin and Gwen making his way towards Arthur. They had found the proof; it was the only thing Leon could think of. He started to make his own way to them, to help them. Gwen was in front of Merlin, she was making better progress. Merlin stopped and Leon reached to her as Gwen stopped next to Arthur.
Merlin jumped as Leon placed his hand on her shoulder. "You have found the proof?" He asked from her.
"How?" She could not finish the question.
"I talked to Gaius yesterday." The answer was simple.
"Yes, we found the proof."
"Good, now trust in Gwen." He saw how Aredian reached for the torch. "She is the only one, who can make Arthur listen. Have trust in Gwen and faith in Arthur. If we do not have faith in Arthur, then in who should we have it."
Merlin only nodded and they waited.
"Wait!" Arthur yelled and lifted his hand to stop Aredian from lighting the pyre. Both Merlin and Leon sigh in relief, and if Leon was not wrong, they were not the only ones.
He placed himself at the end of the throne room, leaning his back to the wall, staying in shadows, but he was sure, there were five people who knew exactly that he was there: The king, prince, Morgana, Merlin and Gwen. He pushed his nails deep into his balms so he would not take his sword and kill the witchfinder at the spot. When they went to search Aredian chamber, he stayed behind. It was not his place. When he heard that witchfinder was found guilty and fallen from the window. He felt how heavy weight was lifted from his shoulders.
Dinner bells had ringed when he made his way to Gaius' and Merlin's door. He heard laughter from the other side of the. He waited, not wanting to disturb. When the laughter died, he knocked on the door. "Enter." Gaius called.
He entered, Gaius and Merlin seemed to be little surprised. "Sir Leon what could we do for you?"
He hesitated first and then moved more into the room. "I wanted to see how you were?"
"I have had better days. But as you see, you did not need to break me out of the dungeon."
"Break you out of the dungeon?" Merlin asked. Leon was not sure if Merlin's eyes could have grown bigger.
"Yes, the young knight here, offered to break me out, ruining his own life and career." Leon was thankful, that Gaius, did not know his plans for this noon.
"And this old man, had such a faith in you, that he talked me out of it." Leon discovered yes; Merlin's eyes could grow bigger. When she looked at Gaius, then she turned Leon. "I have to apologize to you."
"What for?" Leon was confused.
"When I heard that you were the one who found the bracelet. I was so mad that, I wanted to come and find you and yell at you." She turned her eyes down, "then I remembered, that I was thinking does thoughts about you, the knight whose loyalty cannot be tested, you only did what was ordered."
"There is nothing to forgive, I was mad at myself for finding the bracelet as well and then I was reminded that if I would not have found it, then someone else would have." He smiled to Merlin.
"You both are fools." came a mutter from Gaius, but even with his words he looked them both with affection.
"I won't disturb you anymore and let you have your dinner." Leon bowed and turned to leave.
"Leon, my lad, have you eaten?" Gaius stopped him.
"I was just heading to Nobles' hall for dinner."
"Nonsense, sit down with us, there is enough for three."
Leon looked at them both, seeing their expecting looks he agreed. "Alright."
He sat, Merlin rose and brought him plate and a cup. Leon saw a twinkle in Gaius eyes and knew what the old man was playing at.