Everything had gone to plan.
Arthur had broken the druid boy out of his prison cell without a hitch, had avoided all guards on his route through the tunnels, and made his escape into the night.
Merlin had taken his time – and some strong convincing in the form of a magic voice in his head – but he too had done everything he needed to aid their getaway.
Even Morgana had played her part beautifully. The devoted ward, imploring her King's forgiveness, the perfect cover for their traitorous act.
They had planned for everything that could possibly go wrong and come up with half a dozen weak excuses to use should they be caught, but not once did anyone think to consider any problems that would arise after the brilliant escape.
Merlin should have been more vigilant - he realised now - because of course the guards were going to be on high alert, desperate to find the boy and bring him before their king. And of course they were going to take one look at a scrawny little servant skulking back into Camelot from the edge of the forest late at night and presume him guilty.
But alas, hindsight was a fickle friend.
They hadn't wasted any time dragging him straight to Uther who had been waiting impatiently in the dining hall. The King had been mid bite of the remainder of his reconciliation meal with Morgana when they had thrown Merlin at his feet.
Morgana's gasp was barely audible over the way his own heartbeat was pounding in his ears. This wasn't supposed to have happened. If Arthur had been caught, he would have come out of the other side mostly unscathed. Just like Morgana, he had the protection of his royal title. Merlin didn't have that luxury.
But then if Arthur had been caught, it would have been an instant death sentence for the druid boy. Uther wouldn't miss his chance of a public execution, a spectacle watched by all to ensure that there was no doubt in the minds of the people of Camelot – any act of sorcery, no matter how small, or how young, would be sentenced to death.
Though Merlin wondered selfishly if maybe that would have been better. The Great Dragon's words echoed in his head, mixing dizzyingly with Uther's orders to the guards and Morgana's pleading defence on his behalf. You should not protect this boy. You and the boy are as different as day and night.
At least then he would never have experienced the terrifying feeling of being dragged through the castle, all the way to the dungeons, feet tripping over themselves, breath catching in his throat as they made their descent down the dark and dingy stairs.
The guards had no qualms about using their brutish strength. They were following their King's orders and would do so with no hesitation. Merlin may be the well-liked servant to the Prince himself, but that meant nothing when the King had given a command. Their meaty fingers dug painfully into the flesh of Merlin's upper arms as they marched him towards the dismal cell he would be forced to call home for a night, and as one guard held the cell door open, the other didn't think twice against throwing Merlin to the ground inside.
The rough landing sent a wave of pain straight up his spine, knocking the wind right out of him. He could faintly hear the jangle of keys as the guards locked him in, but he could barely focus on anything but his sudden inability to breath.
He'd never been winded before, but he'd witnessed several of Arthur's knights endure it after failing to dodge a blow to the stomach or being tripped flat on their backs. It always passed quickly but it never looked fun.
His chest felt tight as his lungs tried desperately to draw in a breath and the tears building in the corner of his eyes were blurring his vision. He could almost feel the base of his back spasming beneath him where it had collided with the stone floor and he wanted to be anywhere but lying flat right now.
One hand clawed weakly at the front of his shirt while the other grabbed clumsily at the floor as he tried to force himself up. It took a moment, but once he managed to twist onto his side, all it took was an extra push until he was upright.
His hand pressed firmly against his stomach as once again he tried to take a breath. Panicking would only make things worse at this stage, but if his lungs didn't start co-operating again soon he had a feeling he wouldn't be able to keep his fear a bay. A few tears rolled down his nose as he leant forward slightly and then, finally, he breathed. Once, twice, three times, a bit more air being drawn in every time, until eventually he could feel his chest expand fully as it let in a deep breath. He didn't dare move a muscle though for fear of knocking something else inside him out of place.
Now that his focus was a little less tunnelled, he began to notice the dull pain radiating through his hip bone and the bottom of his spine courtesy of the guard's callous manhandling. It was the type of pain that no doubt meant a bruise would soon be blooming under his skin - not that it would matter, he'd be dead long before it could fully form.
Wait-
This was actually happening.
He was going to die in the morning. A public, shameful death all because he dared help a child.
What was Gaius going to think?
Oh god- what was his mother going to think? She sent him to Camelot for his own good, to protect him from himself and from the people of Ealdor who weren't too keen on what he could do.
He was going to die and she was going to blame herself.
And he would never get to say goodbye.
He could break out. He could literally break out right now, one spell and that lock would be blown into smithereens. But of course that would mean revealing his powers, thus putting him on Uther's radar for a crime even worse than the one he'd been accused of committing. Not that that would change his fate.
A death sentence was a death sentence no matter what actions led him to it.
When the dining hall doors had been thrown open forcefully Morgana had almost dropped her fork from the shock. Anyone daring to interrupt the King's meal did so at their own risk - and always after knocking first. To not announce ones presence before entering was perilous, not to mention rude.
Though in all fairness these were not ordinary circumstances tonight.
Since the warning bells had first begun their threatening song, there had been a tense air in the room. Uther had not so subtly accused her of being part of this latest escape attempt by the druid boy and in a way, Morgana couldn't be happier. It meant everything was going to plan.
And if lying straight to Uther's face - and getting away with it - sparked a rebellious joy inside her, well, nobody needed to know.
They had carried on with their lavish meal as the guards conducted their hunt, but neither of them were focused on the food. Uther's knife scrapped gratingly against the plate each time a rumble of footsteps could be heard from down the hall and Morgana's heart was beating wildly in her chest as the minutes ticked away. She tried to walk through the route in her head, keeping a steady pace so as to work out when Arthur would reach the exit but the path was long and she had no idea if she was remembering it right.
And when the doors were thrust opened, for a split second, she allowed herself to hope. Hope that Arthur hadn't been caught. Hope that the boy had gotten away. Hope that he would never return to Camelot and face the wrath of Uther Pendragon ever again.
That was until Uther had leapt from his seat with a confused sort of grin as the guards swept past her with a helpless boy caught in their grasp.
No wait- This wasn't supposed to happen.
It had all been planned out, the route, the timings, everything!
This wasn't supposed to happen!
And she never wanted to see that dazed yet terrified look in Merlin's eyes ever again.
The guards left just as quickly as they came, followed by a gleeful Uther, totally oblivious to the distress that Morgana was certain was radiating off her. With him gone though, she could stop with the pretence. No longer did she have to play the doting ward, keeping all suspicion at bay. No, now she was Lady Morgana, concerned friend who would not rest tonight until she was certain that Merlin would not pay for her crime.
As she swept hurriedly through the corridors she couldn't ignore the stab of guilt that hit her as she reached Arthur's quarters. I trust Merlin. That's what she'd said in this very room only a few hours ago. Those were the words that had dragged Merlin back into this mess that had now seen him carted off to the dungeons. She should have just let Arthur send him away, but no, she had to get him involved.
She knocked lightly before pushing Arthur's door open only to be greeted with an empty room, silent save for the gentle crackling of the slowly dying blaze in the fireplace. So at least something had gone right tonight. The guards hadn't mentioned Arthur at all which means he and the boy must have gotten away. Thank goodness. She wouldn't have been able to take it if two innocents were to die at the King's hand tomorrow.
With Arthur not here, her next step was to find Gaius. She had visited the physician's quarters an uncountable number of times growing up that she could walk the route with her eyes closed, but tonight's journey was much more rushed than usual. She highly doubted that Uther would have the decency to inform Gaius about the fate of his kin, but there was no way she was going to risk some uncaring guard deliver the news.
As she neared the quarters she feared the physician might be asleep already, but the small glow visible from under the door told her otherwise. Her nerves were too on edge to waste time knocking as she barged into the room without a second thought.
"Gaius," she breathed as she hurried over to where he was sitting at the table. He had been reading quietly in the candlelight but one look at Morgana had a frown forming between his eyebrows as he stood up to meet her.
"It's Merlin," Morgana continued and once she'd started she couldn't stop. "We were trying to get the boy out of the castle before tomorrow. Arthur was going to break him out of the dungeons and then Merlin was going to meet him outside the city walls, but I don't know what happened and now he's been arrested and Uther's going to execute him tomorrow morning."
Morgana took a breath as she watched Gaius silently take in all that she had said. The physician was normally so quick to comfort her every time she rushed in after a nightmare or whenever something was wrong, but this time was different. This time it was Merlin who was in trouble and she knew exactly what the boy meant to him.
The guilt returned in full force, she could practically feel it like a fist around her heart. Her desire for justice and inability to stop and think about her actions had gotten people hurt. Merlin was going to die and everyone who loved him was going to suffer for it.
"I'm sorry Gaius. It's my fault." Morgana whispered around the lump in her throat as she felt tears threatening to escape.
Gaius reached out to clasp her hands in his, eyes downcast as he tried to organise his thoughts. This was exactly why he told Merlin to stay out of it. Uther would not hesitate to punish anyone he thought was remotely involved, and though he hated to say it, out of the three of them Merlin was definitely the most expendable. It would do no good to take it out on Morgana though. "No. No, you were all doing what you thought was right. Did the druid get away?"
"I think so," Morgana nodded, taking a small amount of comfort from the touch, "Arthur's not back yet and the guards didn't mention anything about finding the boy."
Gaius patted the back of her hand reassuringly before turning away. He could feel the icy tendrils of fear creeping into his chest and he did his best to push it down, keeping it out of the way until there was time to let it take over. He was in his night clothes but there was no time to change so he grabbed the cloak hanging heavily on the hook by the door and began to blow out the many candles dotted around the room. "I'll sort this. Even if I have to bargain with Uther, I'll sort it. But for now I'm going to see Merlin."
Any other day and the repetitive dripping coming from somewhere down the corridor would have driven Merlin insane, but it's not like he was going to get any sleep anyway.
In the hour since his arrest he felt like he'd gone through every emotion under the sun and honestly, he was exhausted. He had started off with panic which very quickly blossomed into full blown fear, then there was the regret with just a pinch of anger thrown in, then irritation, frustration, dejection and now? Now he was just numb.
This wasn't his first time inside the dungeons. He'd only been in Camelot for half a day the first time he had been rewarded with the inside of a cell. But that was for a minor misdemeanour not for a crime punishable by death.
His back was still aching terribly and his hunched position as he leant against the wall was doing it no favours but he didn't have the energy to move. Not that he could move far, the cell wasn't exactly designed with the prisoner's comfort in mind providing only enough space to pace a few steps back and forth and some straw on the floor in place of a bed.
As he shifted ever so slightly, his hip knocked against the stone wall exactly where the bruise would never get a chance to form. The pained groan he let out was low and quiet and did nothing to stop the bone-deep throbbing that had returned where he fell.
It won't matter in a few hours anyway. He winced, squeezing his eyes shut as the thought went running through his mind yet again before he could stop it. It kept sitting there, at the forefront of his mind and he just wanted this gaping black hole of despair to go away.
"Stop, stop, stop, stop." He muttered under his breath as he gently tapped his forehead against the top of his knee. He refused to let his last few hours alive be filled with this never-ending hopelessness, this crushing feeling that was still sitting on his chest.
He was supposed to be the saviour of Albion, the young warlock with the great destiny, capable of unimaginable things. Sitting there panicking was going to accomplish absolutely nothing.
Everything was quiet in his cell, the kind of uncomfortable quiet that gives you no choice but to be alone with your thoughts, and besides the incessant dripping and the occasional scrape of a chair against stone in the distance, the world was still. So when a new sound drifted through, he turned his ear to the door to try and listen.
"Sir Osric, I have been tending to your wounds since you were a little boy, not to mention that particularly unpleasant rash you came to me with last month. Now are you going to let me past or would you like me to list the rest of your past ailments."
The words bounced off the walls in an echoey whisper, but the owner of the voice was as clear as could be. He allowed the corner of his lip to curl ever so slightly into a small smile as he wiped the fresh tears from his eyes. Maybe he wasn't so alone.
The torch hanging on the wall outside lit Gaius' face with a warm orange glow as he shuffled past, cloak pulled tight around his shoulders. He looked worried - scared even - but as his kind eyes met Merlin's across the room his features softened. "Oh my boy."
Merlin could feel the tears building again as he pushed himself upright with a wince. He had caused Gaius nothing but trouble since the day he arrived in Camelot, but at least each telling off had consisted of a fatherly disappointment with only a touch of anger. Now, all that was left was despair.
"I'm sorry." Merlin sighed as he reached the door, hands curling around the metal bars keeping him prisoner. "I should have listened to you."
"Yes, you should have." Gaius raised an eyebrow as he spoke, his words firm yet reassuring. "But that doesn't matter now. We're going to get you out."
"We?" Merlin's eyes scrunched in confusion. Surely Arthur wasn't back yet?
"Morgana and I. She's gone to speak with Uther to try and change his mind."
Right, Morgana, that made more sense. It was her dinner that his arrest had interrupted after all, but despite being the King's ward he very much doubted that she would hold much power tonight in a conversation with him. "He'll never listen."
"Maybe not, but it's a start." Gaius nodded as he too brought his hands up to grip the bars. He had been afraid of seeing this day come to pass, it was why he was constantly telling Merlin to be careful. He just didn't think it would come so soon. "Are you okay?"
Merlin tried to answer but a sudden lump that had formed in his throat was making it difficult and when he nodded instead, the movement only succeeded in dislodging his tears and letting them fall.
Gaius' shoulders dropped as he reached through the bars and gently wiped them away with his thumb. Merlin had never known his father, but he used to imagine what the man would do in a situation like this - the comforting his upset son situation mind you, not the about to be executed for treason situation.
Turns out he didn't need to imagine anymore. He just wished he'd had more time to appreciate it.
For someone who had just committed a traitorous crime against Camelot, Arthur was feeling strangely happy with himself. He'd disobeyed his father, yes, but by doing something good, something right. The boy - Mordred - may be a druid, but he was still just an innocent child. He didn't deserve to die because of the family he was born into.
The sky was still dark as he rode through the castle gates but it wouldn't be long before sunrise broke over the horizon. The courtyard was quiet, just as expected, so he made quick work of returning the horse to the stables and making his way to his quarters. His shoes slapped the floor as he walked, the sound reverberating against the silence and more than once he had a guard rounding the corner to see who was making such a noise, only to dip their head in a bow and continue walking once they had ensured it was not an intruder.
His room was dark, his fire having long since died, but luckily it was a fairly warm night and he had no need for any extra heat. It had been a long day and he was exhausted, hopefully a good few hours rest would be enough for tomorrow. There was training with the knights scheduled for late morning along with whatever list of jobs Merlin would no doubt arrive with. As long as it wasn't anything too mind-numbingly boring, he'd be fine.
Sleep came to him rather peacefully for a good few hours until a commotion from the courtyard drifted in through the open window and abruptly woke him. The heaviness of his eyelids told him that it was still early, or maybe he was just overtired from his late night. Either way, he was awake now and the continuing noise from outside told him that he wasn't getting back to sleep anytime soon.
He tiredly swung his legs over the side of the bed and stretched his arms above his head, his back giving a satisfying crack as he did so. He rubbed his eyes in a halfhearted attempt at waking himself up but it did little more than cause a gaping yawn.
It was a rare morning, not being woken by his bumbling servant barging through the doors or ripping open the curtains, no witty greeting or poor excuse for breakfast dropped onto the table. It must still be early if Merlin hadn't come barreling in to wake him up yet but the noise outside was certainly to be making up for it.
He padded over to the window to see what was going on and the sight had him frowning in confusion. Many of the townsfolk were already awake and milling around the square, gossiping in groups as they watched several guards building a pyre. Many of the thick branches were in position around the platform destined to hold whatever poor soul had been sentenced to death.
What confused Arthur, however, was who the pyre was for. The druid boy was long gone so it couldn't be for him and the whole of Camelot must have heard the warning bells last night so it's not like his father was unaware of the boy's escape. The only logical answer was that something had happened in the few hours that he was out of the castle, but surely that wasn't likely.
As he rushed to dress himself he let out a quick grumble about Merlin's lack of attentiveness as he put his shirt on backwards and noticed that most of his socks were missing. He almost stumbled as he pulled his trousers up and grumbled once again as he had to hunt for his belt, but once he was in a half-presentable state he left his room in search for answers.
The corridors were largely empty, no doubt most people were eagerly awaiting today's public demonstration, but it wasn't long before he found someone who would know what was going on.
Morgana looked worried as she rounded the corner but her expression quickly turned to relief as soon as she spotted him. He was about to call out to her but the way she stalked towards him from the other end of the corridor told him there was no need. She definitely wanted to speak with him just as much as he wanted to speak with her.
"Arthur, where have you been?" Morgana demanded in a hushed tone. She grabbed him by the wrist without thinking and dragged him into the closest alcove, looking back down the corridor to check for any possibly eavesdroppers.
"In bed? I was up quite late in case you forgot? You know, helping your druid escape the castle." Arthur pulled his wrist from her grip with a scowl. He'd risked his life last night, Morgana could have been a little more appreciative. "You're welcome, by the way."
"I'm sorry. Thank you for doing that, it couldn't have been easy." She gave a small yet genuine smile. She wasn't used to thanking Arthur and her mind had, quite rightly, been on other things since the boy's escape, but she was still grateful nevertheless. "But we've got bigger problems right now."
"What are you talking about? And what the hell is a pyre being built for?"
"It's for Merlin." Morgana's eyes were wide as she spoke, fear shining through brightly, but her answer made no sense.
"What's for Merlin?" Arthur replied. Were they talking about two different things right now?
Morgana grabbed his wrist again, desperate for him to pay attention and listen. They were running out of time and he was possibly Merlin's only hope now. "The pyre, Arthur. He was caught last night after you got away, Uther's sentenced him to death."
Arthur blinked at her for a moment as he took in her words and his stomach dropped as they finally registered. He truly thought that since he and Mordred had gotten away that was the end of it, he never for one second thought Merlin would end up on the firing line for their actions. "Why the hell did you not tell me sooner?"
"We didn't know where you were! Me and Gaius have been up half the night trying to help but Uther won't listen to me."
"Didn't Merlin tell him I was on a hunting trip?"
"What?"
"I told him to-" Arthur sighed raggedly as he wiped a hand across his face. He could feel himself getting angry and if he didn't calm down then Morgana was going to undeservingly receive the brunt of it. This was an impossible situation and he had no doubt she had done everything in her power to try and stop it. He took a breath before continuing. "When we separated, I told him that if my father asked where I was, to say I'd gone on a hunting trip."
"Well, he'd just been arrested, I'm guessing it slipped his mind."
Arthur bit his lip as he nodded, eyes roaming as he tried to come up with a plan. He'd ended up in the dungeons multiple times over the years, but each unwanted visit had been a disciplined attempt at being taught a lesson. His father had never made him stay for long, a few days at most, and he would never threaten execution no matter how severe Arthur's actions had been. He honestly couldn't imagine how terrified Merlin must have been to receive that sentence from the King.
He needed to put an end to this. Now.
"Try and stall the guards while I talk to my father." Arthur said as he left the alcove and continued his hurried walk down the corridor. He didn't need to turn around to know that Morgana had followed his instructions, her shoes against the tile told him as much as he listened to her run in the opposite direction.
He wasn't going to leave his father's side until it was agreed that Merlin would go free, but it was nice to know he had a safety net dealing with those on the ground level if his time ran out.
The King was in his room, exactly where Arthur expected him to be as he waited to preside over the execution. He had no idea how he was going to convince him, but he had to be quick about it.
"Father." Arthur entered without knocking and walked over to the table with a determined resolve. "You cannot let this execution go ahead."
His father didn't look up from the paperwork on his desk and the bored tone his words held told Arthur that he'd just walked into a losing battle. "The boy was found lurking at the city walls late at night, just as the druid boy escaped."
"He's innocent-" Arthur tried to interrupt but was easily cut off as Uther continued.
"And a horse was missing from the stables which I have been informed he had access to and is obviously how the druid got away. Now I know he's your servant Arthur, but he knew the price he would pay for his actions."
"But that's just it. His actions weren't treasonous-" He practically shouted at his father which caused Uther to slam his papers down and look up at him sharply, mouth pulled tight in a scowl. Arthur took a breath before moving closer and looked his father in the eye. "He was with me last night. I went on a hunting trip and Merlin was helping me prepare. It's why he was outside the castle, it's why the horse was missing-"
"If you honestly expect me to believe that-"
"It's the truth! He was just doing his job, and if you don't let him go I'll…"
Uther didn't blink. He placed both palms flat on the table in front of him and pushed himself to his feet. He stayed leaning over as he glared at Arthur and when he spoke it was with a slow, commanding tone that almost had Arthur backing away. "You'll what?"
Arthur swallowed hard as he tried not to break the eye contact. He needed to be strong, he needed to be convincing, but most importantly he needed to be smart. You don't threaten the King and get him to change his mind just like that.
Merlin looked blearily up at the window, the morning sunlight making his eyes water. His head ached due to lack of sleep and his whole body was tense, jumping at every noise heard past the cell door. Gaius hadn't visited again during the night and in a way Merlin was glad. He didn't want Gaius to see him like this - weak, defeated, scared, a boy about die with no hope left for his survival. He believed in Gaius, of course he did, but no one was going to persuade the King himself to overturn this conviction.
Keys jangling in the corridor startled Merlin upright from where he had started to drift off and as he moved his hands away from rubbing his eyes he noticed the shadow in the corridor getting closer. Time was up.
The guards had no sympathy as they walked him to his death. Their fingers dug painfully into his arms once more as they led him to the courtyard and each time he tripped they simply dragged him along faster. The castle went by in a blur, corridors he would never walk again, people he would never see again. They all stopped to stare sadly as he passed, friends he had made during his time in Arthur's service giving sad smiles or wiping their teary eyes. He hated that they were seeing him like this, but their tiny acts of support warmed his heart just a little.
As they reached the courtyard his feet almost stopped working altogether, his whole body freezing at the sight of the pyre in front of him. It was much bigger than he had expected, the thick branches towering to a point that would soon be alight in a fiery blaze. The crowd had formed around the pyre leaving a clear pathway for his final steps.
He didn't try to fight the guards as they walked him closer, there was no use, and as much as every fibre of his being was telling him to use his magic, to push the guards away, to set the branches on fire before he reached them, anything, he had already decided against that. He would not give Uther the satisfaction of being right in his accusations.
As they tied him to the post, the thick rope knotted around his wrists, he felt his breath catch in his throat and his knees go weak. He wasn't ready to die. Not like this. He was supposed to have more time, to see his mother again, to learn more from Gaius, to help Arthur, to fulfil his destiny. The destiny that the Great Dragon had been so sure would play out.
At least one good thing could come of this then. His death would prove that smug old dragon wrong for once.
His death would prove this so called destiny wrong.
His death-
His vision swam for a moment as hot tears rolled down his cheeks. He was practically holding his breath as he held back a sob but he could still feel his lips trembling as he pursed them together.
He flinched as the guards walked away causing his hands to pull tight against the rope and he watched with a chill in his veins as they moved over to the torch ready and waiting to do its fateful job. He drew his eyes away from it quickly and looked into the crowd, a hundred pairs of eyes waiting to watch his doom. One person he noticed was missing though was Gaius. He looked frantically through all the faces staring back, hoping to see the physician's weary face or white hair, but there was no sign of him at all. Merlin couldn't blame him though, if he was in Gaius' shoes he wouldn't want to see anyone he cared about in this situation. It just would have been nice to see him one last time.
The crowd murmured amongst themselves as they waited for the main event to take place and Merlin squeezed his eyes shut as his body forced him to take a breath. The waiting, he had now decided, was definitely the worst part. All the thoughts rushing through his mind about what was going to happen, how much it was going to hurt, how quickly he would-
The King's presence was noticeably absent from the balcony which Merlin deemed to be a cruel way of drawing out his punishment. The longer he was tied here waiting, the more likely he was to be driven mad before his death.
His eyes caught a flash of purple sweeping into the courtyard and as he looked towards the guards once more he was surprised to see Morgana standing with them, talking somewhat civilly. With her back straight and her head held high, she held an air of authority and command, gesturing occasionally to Merlin but all in a calm manner. Gaius had mentioned that she was helping him find a way out of this and even now, minutes from his death, it looked like she still wasn't giving up.
He wished he could thank her, that she would come closer so that he could tell her just how grateful he was. It was a lot to ask of the King's ward and yet she was more than willing to do it.
The mutterings from the crowd grew louder as a figure stepped onto the balcony and Merlin felt his stomach flip. This was it then. If this lasted much longer there would be no use for the execution, his heart would stop all by itself from the way it was beating frantically beneath his ribs. He didn't know where to look. He couldn't look at the King, he wanted to appear brave but he couldn't bring himself to look into the eyes of the man who was pleased to be responsible for his death. But hanging his head or looking away would only show him as weak and defeated and he refused to give the King the satisfaction, so instead he closed his eyes and kept his head raised, ready to hear Uther's condemning speech filled with lies and hatred about all those with magic.
But the words that echoed across the hushed crowd weren't uttered by Uther at all.
"There will be no execution today." Arthur's utterance was strong and clear and Merlin's heart leapt into his throat, his eyes shooting open in surprise. What was Arthur doing up there? What on earth was happening? Merlin could feel his whole body trembling as he tried to work out what was going on.
"It has been revealed," Arthur continued, looking anywhere but the person who was currently suffering because of his actions. This was the first time he'd seen Merlin since they'd parted ways the night before and it truly shocked him what one night in the dungeons had done to his servant. "…that the true culprit of the druid's escape enchanted and framed this boy here in order to get away, however he and the druid were caught and killed by my hand for their crimes."
Merlin was even more confused by Arthur's words and he was certain that his furrowed brow was giving that much away but thankfully no one was looking at him. No one except Morgana who was giving him a watery smile from where she still stood next to the guards, desperate to move closer but wanting to let Arthur finish his speech first. And Gaius. Gaius who had appeared at some point in the past minute and was nodding at him encouragingly from next to Morgana, emanating such warmth that Merlin could feel his own eyes welling up again.
"This is a reminder to all those who use magic that you will be caught and you will be punished. No matter who you try to frame in your place."
The guilt Arthur felt as he spoke was immeasurable. Here he was, lying to his people about an unlawful act that he had committed, using words that echoed his father's past speeches in order to scare those who still held onto even a thread of loyalty to those with magic. As he looked down at those watching him, eyes filled with respect and trust he realised just how much power he held over them all. And yes, he may be lying to them, but this time he was using it for good.
He looked over to the guards on the ground and gave them a swift nod. "Release him," he ordered and watched as they approached the pyre and cut Merlin's binds, heart breaking as his servant finally broke.
Merlin couldn't hold it back. The second they cut the rope and helped him down he dropped to his knees, head pounding from the shock of everything. Arms grabbed him tight and he knew in an instant that it was Gaius that was holding him, protecting him, and in that moment he had no energy left to stop the tears. His curled frame shook violently as he sobbed into Gaius' tunic and his whole body felt numb, his hands trembling as they tried to grip onto something, anything to help ground him in this moment.
He couldn't tell if it was his brain or his body that was still trying to catch up but everything felt surreal, like none of this was really happening, like he was floating outside of his body waiting for reality to come crashing down. But the hands on him felt real and the sounds around him felt real and some tightly wound part of him was telling him that he was safe now, that he could let go. And so he did.
Like every string keeping him upright was suddenly cut, he could no longer hold himself up and all his weight fell heavily into Gaius' chest. The hands touching him gripped tighter and the sounds around him grew quieter and very quickly he was tumbling gently into a welcoming darkness.
The world came back to Merlin slowly.
The last thing he remembered was a cold, stone floor but now he could feel his mattress beneath him and a soft blanket pulled loosely over his legs. The room around him was still and silent save for the occasional bird call and distant chatter. His brow furrowed as he blinked his eyes open, the small stream of sunlight through window just a bit too bright for his still pounding head.
"Merlin?" Gaius called quietly from beside the bed and Merlin turned to look at him. The physician was sitting on the wooden chair, watching Merlin carefully and he gave a small smile in return. And then it hit him, the dungeon, the rope, the fire, the-
Without thinking, he quickly pushed himself upright with a shaky inhale, gripping the blanket tightly as his head swam. He would have tilted sideways if Gaius hadn't steadied him with a strong grip on his arm.
"Careful." Gaius said softly as he moved to sit next to him on the bed. "You passed out after they got you down, you're probably still a bit unsteady."
"I'm alive?" Merlin whispered, more to himself than to Gaius as he gazed down at the faint etchings of rope burn on his wrists. It didn't feel real. After all the turmoil he had endured in such a short space of time, every heart clenching thought of how it was going to feel to be burned alive, it didn't seem real to be sitting there, in his own bed, alive.
"Yes Merlin, you're alive." Gaius cupped Merlin's pale cheek as he smiled, beyond grateful to be having this small, seemingly unimportant moment. He'd hardly slept at all last night as he and Morgana worked tirelessly, wracking their brains for something that would help Merlin and when dawn rose over the castle walls and there was still no solution Gaius was all but prepared to march down to Uther and demand he let them swap places. He couldn't fail Merlin, not after the boy had wormed his way into Gaius' old, weary heart.
When Morgana had come rushing in that morning with garbled words of Arthur and the King and won't let it happen, he had briefly allowed some hope back in even as he watched her try and fail to charm the guards into holding off for as long as possible.
The tiny rock of doubt that had shattered that hope though was the sight of Merlin tied to the post like a common criminal, his fear and panic evident from just one look. The sight was terrifying - and not one he ever wanted to witness again - and he could only thank whoever was listening that Hunith had not been there to see her son that way, to see what Gaius had let happen to him.
The mix of reactions that had swept through the crowd as Arthur had ordered Merlin's release was of little concern to him as he had rushed forward to catch the boy as he fell, heart breaking at the uncontrollable sobs he no longer had the resolve to hold back.
When Merlin had suddenly fallen silent and limp against him, the icy fear had returned in an instant but the logical part of his brain had told him to stay calm, that this had been bound to happen after everything. But as the guards had helped carry Merlin to his chambers, Gaius hadn't been able to relax fully until now.
"You're okay now." He whispered as he gathered the boy in his arms for a long awaited hug, smiling as he felt Merlin's arms around his back gripping just as tightly. He honestly didn't know what he would have done if the execution had gone ahead and he was thankful he would never have to find out.
"What happened?" Merlin asked blearily as he leant back and rubbed his eyes.
"I think that's a question for Arthur." Gaius replied as he nodded towards the door and Merlin followed his gaze with a confused look. "I told him to stay put and gave him a book to keep him occupied but I don't think The Art of Herbs in Healing: Volume One is going to distract him for long."
Merlin let out a small huff of laughter at the thought of any of Gaius' thick, leather-bound thesauruses being forced upon the Prince. He could barely get Arthur to read his to-do lists at the best of times, let alone a complete book, but then Gaius did have a knack for making you sit down and learn something.
"I'll let him come in." Gaius squeezed Merlin's hand comfortingly before standing up and exiting the room.
Arthur was still sitting at the table, flicking mindlessly through the pages as the bedroom door opened. Gaius had gone in and out several times in the past twenty minutes as they waited for Merlin to wake up so Arthur wasn't expecting anything different but one nod from Gaius had him on his feet in an instant, the book slamming shut beneath his palm.
"He's still a bit uneasy so take it slow." Gaius commanded in lieu of giving him permission and Arthur nodded obediently as he made his way up the small steps and through the door. He had witnessed Merlin's collapse from the balcony, cursing himself for being so far away and unable to help, and by the time he had hurried halfway through the castle Merlin had already been taken to his quarters.
From there he had refused to leave until Merlin was awake - much to Gaius' surprise - and was prepared to do anything to stop the physician from kicking him out. He was very much to blame for this after all and he just wanted to make sure the boy was okay.
Peering his head around the door, he tried so hard to control his grin as Merlin's bright eyes stared back at him. His complexion was paler than normal and his hands seemed to be shaking slightly in his lap, but on the whole he looked okay.
Arthur greeted him gingerly as he took a seat in Gaius' vacated chair. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay. I think." Merlin shrugged as he smiled up at him and Arthur watched as his still shaky hands started fiddling with the blanket strewn across his lap. "I'd rather not do that again though."
Arthur huffed humourlessly at his words. He wasn't sure any of them would be able to deal with it happening again. They definitely wouldn't all be able to survive it.
"What happened, Arthur? I was caught, pretty much red handed, why would the King change his mind?"
"Because I am an excellent negotiator." Arthur beamed before sobering once more at Merlin's disbelieving look. "I told him you were with me on that hunting trip I was on last night. It took some persuading for him to believe that it was the truth but even then he still didn't want to let you go. Some rubbish about how stopping the execution would make him look weak."
Arthur rubbed the back of his neck soothingly as he looked down at his lap. His father had made some questionable decisions in the past, but Arthur had never been ashamed of him before, not until this morning. Uther had been willing to have a boy killed, despite his proven innocence, all to protect his reputation and it made Arthur furious at the injustice of it all.
"After much convincing he allowed me to spew some tale to the people about killing the real person responsible so that you could go free. But he made me do it, because if anybody was to look weak for letting you go, it was going to be me."
Merlin looked at him with sad eyes and hearing himself say it all out loud it was obvious why. He respected his father, looked up to him in all he had managed to achieve, but deep down he knew that he wasn't always a good man. Refusing to bring Merlin's mood down any lower he grinned as he rolled his eyes, sardonically revealing the final part of the story.
"I didn't get off lightly, of course. No, there will be a sufficient punishment decided for my base ingratitude and lack of respect." But that's better than the alternative - he didn't admit out loud. The disturbing image of Merlin tied to the post that refused to leave his brain was bad enough, if Merlin had been killed for the actions they took last night he never would have forgiven himself.
"I'm sorry this happened. I should never have involved you, Morgana and I should have done this alone."
"It was my choice too, I wanted to help." Merlin tried to reassure him, but it was hard for Arthur to take it seriously when the after effects of the traumatic ordeal were still plain to see. "Did he get away?"
"He's back with his people, so at least something went right." Arthur nodded as he leant back in the chair. The room fell into a comfortable silence as he watched Merlin's fingers continue to fiddle absentmindedly with the edge of the blanket.
He was more than aware of how lucky he was, how the family he was born into would prevent him from ever facing something so terrifying and cruel. Even his father's impending punishment would no doubt be something easy, something intended to bore or annoy, not threaten his life. But it did make him wonder what final thoughts may have run through the minds of every individual executed on his father's command. And how many of them may have actually been innocent.
"I'm glad you're okay." He broke the silence with a clear sincerity in his voice.
"Me too." Merlin whispered nervously before looking Arthur straight in the eye, his tired gaze doing everything to portray the importance of his words. "Thank you, for saving my life."
Arthur smiled, his corners of lips upturning slightly as he felt his cheeks begin to flush. Merlin shouldn't have to be thanking him but he would accept it gracefully. He vowed to make sure this never happened again, but if an occurrence like this did come to pass, he would do whatever was in his power to ensure no harm befell his servant
But for now, he would do what he could to help Merlin heal.
