Previously,
"It's your choice Father. I believe and Merlin has attested that I am not under an enchantment. However, if you so choose, I will submit to the cleansing pain that will get rid of the enchantment, on one condition. Merlin remains my servant."
"What?" Uther gasped.
"Merlin remains my servant. He will lose his power and so he will no longer be a threat. He is still my friend and I trust him more than anyone, sorcerer or not."
Arthur could see the wheels turning in his father's mind, but he also didn't recognize him. Gone were the loving eyes of his father and Arthur started into the red eyes of a tyrant.
Arthur continued to look into his father's eyes begging him to believe the story that he had just come up with. He had to save Merlin and if he was going to get seriously injured for that cause, then so be it.
Uther finally seemed to come to a decision. He walked up to his son. "Arthur, I want you back more than anything. I don't want to do this to you but the circumstances leave me no other choice. He turned to a guard. "Whip my son until he goes unconscious. Then we will know for sure or not if he is under an enchantment." Uther walked out of the cell. "I will be back in the morning to asses what happens tonight. Be alert and don't let the sorcerer beguile you either."
Arthur watched his father leave the cell. The guard walked up to Arthur. He untied the rope and Arthur rubbed his swollen wrists. Arthur walked over to the other manacles and started to connect himself to them. His wrists secure, the guard pulled him up so he was hanging.
Arthur heard the whip crack and immediately it landed on his back. His body tensed. The first one is always the worst, he told himself. Just relax. The whip cracked again and Arthur felt it again. Over the consistent crack of the whip, Arthur heard Merlin yelling. He looked back as far as he could and saw Merlin. Merlin was trying so hard to get out of his chains. Arthur knew he must be exhausted and was just hurting himself more. Arthur knew he needed to say something to him, but Arthur did not have much strength to say much of anything. But maybe, it could work like before. He thought of Merlin.
"Merlin, it will be alright". Instantly, it sounded like Merlin calmed down.
"You can hear me?" Came Merlin's tentative and surprised reply.
"Yes, now I need you to calm down. You'll hurt yourself worse."
"But…"
"Merlin, please." Arthur pleaded. "I need to know that you are not hurting."
"Ok."
Arthur knew he was going to pass out soon. He felt his mind wandering. He had to make sure that Uther didn't try anything after Arthur passed out.
"Merlin?"
"Yes?"
"Make sure Uther does not try to hurt you again."
"Ok." Merlin said
Silence. Another crack of the whip.
"Arthur?" Merlin asked
"Yes?"
"Thank you." Merlin said and Arthur could feel the loyalty and gratitude Merlin had for him. With that, the whip came down and Arthur's body could take no more. He had passed into sweet oblivion. The guard walked out of the cell without a sound.
Merlin looked at his master, king, and friend who now was lifeless because of him. He tried again to break through the chains with the built up magic he had but to no use. He hung, continuously watching his friend breathe so he could tell himself that Arthur was still alive.
*The Next Morning*
Arthur's punishment was done and Uther came down to inspect. He looked at Merlin and was surprised at what he saw. Merlin's wrists were bleeding from his chains, like he had been fighting to get out of them. There were also tear streaks evident, which confused Uther even more. He knew that Arthur and his servant were close, well closer than most, but certainly the sorcerer wouldn't care for a victim like this. Unless he was really good as faking it, he thought to himself. Maybe he was crying for the loss of his magic. Uther shook his head to clear his thoughts. Arthur was unconscious and the guards were in the process of letting him down.
"Sire….." Merlin asked. "Please. Can I help him?"
Uther looked at Merlin again and was a little surprised at the sincerity and pleading in Merlin's eyes. "Let Merlin down. He should be less of a threat now. He will help the Prince to Gaius's chambers."
Merlin was let down and him and a guard supported the unconscious prince back to Gaius's chambers.
They entered Gaius's chambers and put Arthur on a bed. Merlin was restrained by a guard by the door after putting Arthur onto the bed. Uther turned to Gaius.
"Can you help him, Gaius?" Uther asked.
"Of course, Sire, but can I ask what happened?"
"No, that is confidential. I will leave you to take care of Arthur and watch Merlin. He seems very protective of Arthur so I can assume he won't do anything while Arthur's hurt."
Uther then left the room, along with his retinue.
Merlin, now free, rushed to Arthur's side grabbing one of Arthur's hands.
"I'm sorry Arthur. I'm so so sorry." Merlin leaned over Arthur, hoping that something would happen to bring Arthur back.
Gaius came over and tried to comfort his ward. "Merlin, what happened? I never thought I would see you again."
Merlin would have smiled at his mentor if not for the grave situation Arthur was in.
"Arthur made a deal with his father to prove that magic was not all bad. Uther came into the cell I was in and started interrogating me which was not part of the deal.
"Interrogating?" Gaius asked. With sorcerers, Uther usually was not kind. "Merlin, what did Uther do?"
"That's not important now Gaius."
"Merlin." Gaius said, authority in his voice. "What did he do to you?" he repeated.
"Nothing." Merlin said, but when he shrugged, the wounds on his back were aggravated.
Gaius saw his ward wince and went straight to Merlin's back and lifted up his shirt. He gasped as he saw the marks from a whip all over his ward's back.
"Merlin." Gaius said again, "Why weren't you telling me about this?"
"Because Arthur's is worse!" Merlin cried. This is when Gaius medical side finally came into play and really looked at Arthur's wounds. He winced in sympathy and walked over to grab some supplies for treating his ward and the Prince.
Merlin continued. "Arthur came into rescue me but through his own nobility, he got Uther to punish him instead. He came up with fake excuse to get Uther to hurt him and not me."
"But that's good isn't it?" Gaius said, beginning to put a salve on Arthur's wounds. "Arthur wanted to protect you and he di.."
"No Gaius!" Merlin interrupted. "I am supposed to protect him. What good is my magic and a friend who accepts it if I can't help him when he really needs it?" Merlin ranted.
Merlin sat back down and grabbed Arthur's hand again, willing his best friend to wake up. "Gaius, he did this for me. How am I supposed to come to terms with that?"
Gaius was about to answer his ward when…
"Merlin?"
"Arthur?" Merlin asked, relieved to hear his friend's voice again.
"Merlin." Arthur repeated. He seemed to be waking up and tried to sit up. Merlin pushed his friend back down. "Did my father hurt you after I…...well, after this?"
"No." Merlin answered.
"Good."
Gaius continued to treat Arthur's back. There was some minutes of quiet and mumbles of pain as Merlin and Gaius maneuvered the Prince so that Gaius could effectively bandage the wounded back.
"Arthur?" Merlin finally asked when the Prince was settled again.
"What?" Arthur grunted through the pain.
"I'm so sorry. I never wanted it to happen this way. I'm supposed to protect you and I've fail…."
"No!" Arthur interrupted. "This is not your fault."
"But…."
"No buts, I did this for you and of my own free will…."
"But."
"Merlin. Stop."
"Arthur."
"Merlin. Listen."
Merlin turned his glassy, shame filled eyes to his friend's. The sincerity that Arthur had said the last sentence with threw Merlin off guard and Merlin knew that Arthur was having one of his rare I care for you Merlin moments.
"This is NOT your fault. You were being hurt after I promised that you would not be. I promised you when I found out about your magic and I promised you again in the cell. I will protect you as you have protected me all these years. I was upholding my end of that promise to you. I'm sorry I could not get to you sooner."
Arthur's eyes started to droop and Gaius noticed. "Go to sleep, Arthur. Your back will heal a lot faster when you are asleep.
Arthur nodded and closed his eyes. Soon, he was sleeping peacefully.
Gaius took this time to really look at his ward. Merlin had gone through so much in this past week, some things Gaius wished never would have happened. "Lie down over there Merlin, please." Gaius asked. Merlin looked up at his mentor and Gaius read the message in his eyes. I won't leave him. Gaius sighed. "Fine, bring out the extra cot and put it beside him if you wish." Merlin smiled and did exactly that. It was painful to move the cot, but Gaius knew that his ward would not move and this way, he would not have to sleep on the floor. It should be noted that the minute Merlin's head reached the cot, he was out cold. Gaius sat behind Merlin, rubbing some salve on his ward's torn back. As he did, he couldn't help but smile at the two boys in front of him. Even in sleep, they seemed to reach for each other. For their brother.
A lone rider clad in armour rode into town, a old decrepit castle in the background. The rider seemed to have no sight for anything but the castle. The rider dismounted and seemed to glide up the front steps and walked regally into the throne room. The man sitting on the throne, clothed in leather, did not seem to be surprised by the intrusion. Rather, he seemed to be expecting it.
"I trust your journey went well?" Cenred asked his visitor, holding a cup of wine. "What news of Camelot and its' weaknesses?"
"You first, Cenred," the silky voice under the hood purred. "Are your men ready for what comes next?"
"Why yes, my lady. They anxiously await a chance to prove themselves."
The women finally removed the hood, revealing her lush blonde hair. "Then prepare your troops for battle, Cenred. There has been a situation in our favor pushing out timetable forward."
"Anything to please you, Morgause."
And that is Chapter 4! Leave a review if you enjoyed or even if you didn't. I really appreciate them.